A local body shop is now under new management after almost four decades. Previously known as Brian’s Body Shop, it is now known as University Collision.

This shop is owned and operated by five new owner managers with two locations in Pullman and Moscow.

Marcus Lohman, one of the five new owner managers, said the shop’s previous owner, Brian Sims, recently sold the company.

Sims owned the shop for 37 years prior to the management switch and felt ready for retirement, Lohman said.

Sims bought the company from his father when it was still located in downtown Pullman, making it a second-generation business, said Nick Carson, the head painter for University Collision. Sims relocated the shop to 2530 S. Grand Ave. 25 years ago.

Carson, who has worked for the company for 17 years, said the previous owner’s ultimate goal was to retire, and University Collision’s goal is to invest in their future and expand within the community.

University Collision does paint and collision repair. The shop cannot repair chipped windshields but does offer complete glass replacement. Their location in Moscow has a full bed liner and detail shop. The shops also have shuttling capabilities between the two locations.

University Collision will begin to introduce aluminum repairs once the rest of their equipment arrives by the start of next week. This shop is currently the only auto body repair company in the area that’s capable of aluminum repairs considering the difficulty of this process, Lohman said.

Under the new management, University Collision will also implement a new estimating program, he said.

The new estimating program is an entirely online-based system. Customers only need to get a claim number from their insurance company, drop off their car and University Collision will repair your car, Lohman said.

The new estimating program provides the customer with daily updates on their car. This includes the prices of the replacement parts, a schedule of the repair and notifications after the completion of each repair.

Once the program is fully up and running, University Collision will have one of the most advanced estimating programs around the Palouse, Lohman said.

Lohman has worked in the auto body business for the past 15 years. Prior to being an owner manager at University Collision, Lohman started working at the Moscow location when it opened four years ago.

“We’re a new shop, but we’re not new to the business,” Lohman said.