CARSTAR And Mitchell Sign Multi-Year Agreement

    SAN DIEGO--July 12, 2002--CARSTAR, the nation's largest collision repair network, and Mitchell International announced today the signing of a multi-year premier business partner agreement, making Mitchell's body shop management solutions the preferred choice for the CARSTAR network.
    "Mitchell's products offer a feature set unparalleled in the industry," said George Hansen, CEO of CARSTAR. "No other provider can offer the functionality, real-world usefulness and breadth of Mitchell's solutions. We entered into this agreement because we believe our network members will gain a competitive advantage by using Mitchell's solutions."
    Under the agreement, CARSTAR will use Mitchell's ABS Body Shop Management system exclusively in all its corporate stores. ABS also becomes the preferred system for CARSTAR's U.S. network of nearly 200 body shops.
    Additional Mitchell solutions selected for CARSTAR are: UltraMate, the industry's premier electronic estimating system; ImageMate, an imaging system for storing and sending repair estimates and photos; PartsPoint, a quick reference tool for accessing electronic parts and labor information; Collision Repair Series, an extensive application providing vehicle dimensions, air bag information, wiring diagrams, etc.; and Mitchell's Collision Estimating Guides, the industry's leading source for valuable, up-to-date information on parts prices, labor times and more.
    Michael Noirot, Mitchell's Director of Business Development and National Accounts, said Mitchell is very pleased to enter into this agreement with CARSTAR. "We have great respect for the CARSTAR organization and view their selection of Mitchell's products as a testament to their quality, dependability and innovation. We work hard to ensure our products meet the highest standards and are pleased that CARSTAR regards them as the best on the market."
    In particular, Hansen praised ABS as the most advanced and innovative body shop management system in the industry today. "ABS will enable our network members to save time and money through its proven reliability and broad functionality."
    ABS is the collision repair industry's leading solution for increasing profitability and efficiency by automating many shop management functions. ABS enables shops to import estimates and supplements, maximize employee efficiency and productivity, simplify parts management, track estimating activities to increase sales performance, better manage job costs, along with many other features to increase efficiency.
    Hansen added that the partnership agreement formalizes a long-standing relationship between Mitchell and CARSTAR. "Many of our facilities already use Mitchell products because we have always regarded them as the highest quality," he said.

    About CARSTAR

    With over 300 locations across the United States and Canada, the CARSTAR managed repair network generates annual repair revenue in excess of $375 million. Since its formation in 1989, CARSTAR has performed over 1.5 million repairs with an average customer satisfaction rating of 95 percent or better. Their repair work and service are backed by the only nationwide warranty in the industry. CARSTAR is headquartered in Overland Park, Kan.

    About Mitchell International

    Mitchell International, founded in 1946 and headquartered in San Diego, is The Source for information software and e-business solutions for the insurance and collision repair industries. Providing services that enhance productivity, profitability and customer satisfaction, Mitchell facilitates several million electronic transactions between more than 16,000 business partners each month. Mitchell's own parts and labor database, a critical connectivity point between shops and insurers, is trusted for its accuracy and respected as the industry standard. For more information on Mitchell International, call Chris Andrews, Director of Marketing, at 858/578-6550 ext. 8321. Visit our Web sites at www.mitchell.com and www.emitchell.com.