What’s New: In brief (July 07, 2006)

Kernaghan Adjusters has opened two new and strategically located offices in southern Ontario. “This bold move,” said Patti Kernaghan, president & CEO of Kernaghan Adjusters, says the move is largely due to the appointment of Derek Francis as the manager of the Ottawa Branch and Brain Nauss who joined Kernaghan in Feb. 2006 as the manager of the London Branch. Francis nd Nauss will be working very closely with Yvonne Spencer, who is regional manager of Ontario. Francis has worked in adjusting for over 40 years in areas including complex property claims and Municipal liability claims. Nauss, whose insurance adjusting career spans almost 20 years, offers strong technical abilities on heavy property claims and multi-faceted risk managed claims expertise. “Derek’s recognized senior adjusting expertise, his proven leadership abilities, great interpersonal skills, and a passion for the industry are critical ingredients for our Ontario operations,” Kernaghan, says. “Brian’s superior technical expertise and his drive for accountability are the successful ingredients of our London operation.”

CARSTAR Automotive Canada recently celebrated the July 4 launch of its newest location in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Upham’s CARSTAR Collision New Glasgow joins a national network of over 100 CARSTAR locations with 12 other Atlantic Canada locations including six in Nova Scotia, three in New Brunswick, two in Prince Edward Island and one in Newfoundland. The new location is a second CARSTAR franchise for owner Rick Upham who also owns and operates Upham’s CARSTAR Collision in Truro, Nova Scotia. Upham has been in the collision repair business for more than 25 years and joined the CARSTAR network over a year ago. There is an emerging trend towards consolidation in the industry," Upham says. "I recognized what the opportunity to work with a partner like CARSTAR would mean for the growth of my business and also the value-added services it would allow me to bring to my customers."