M2 Automotive Raises the Bar With New MegaCenter

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--Nov. 19, 2001--M2 Automotive continues to raise collision repair to a new level with the opening of its MegaCenter(SM) in Cathedral City, Calif.

The new 22,000 sq. ft. greenfield facility, located on Perez Road, just off Palm Canyon Road, marks the beginning of a new era in addressing the $25 billion collision repair industry in the United States.

Built from the ground up around a progressive operating model, the MegaCenter(SM) incorporates leading-edge productivity concepts that have been fine-tuned in the manufacturing sector. Ed Mohr, the innovator behind the MegaCenter(SM), is a 35-year collision repair industry veteran who has spent the last decade researching and honing optimum collision repair facility layouts.

``We've been extremely fortunate to have Ed on our team at a time when consolidation is incubating new approaches to lowering costs, improving productivity and increasing customer satisfaction,'' stated Hunt Ramsbottom, CEO of M2 Automotive.

``We've all been listening to our insurance partners express their need for positive change in our industry,'' stated Mohr. ``My objective was to translate the need for decreased cycle times, improved quality and lower indemnity costs into an operational model that will help M2 Automotive achieve those goals. Body shops have been inherently confusing workspaces in the past. What I designed is a workplace that makes sense visually and that is built entirely around a synergistic production system including an assembly line paint configuration.''

About M2 Automotive:

Founded in 1996, M2 Automotive is a leading collision industry consolidator with 29 premier service locations in California. M2 employs more than 750 professionals dedicated to providing the highest quality repairs and service to insurance companies and their customers. M2 Automotive is a private company with headquarters in Santa Monica.