The founder of AutoHouse Technologies shows how Canada’s top-performing shops generate more profitability without increasing their repair volume.

Mike Gilliland’s session at CCIF Montreal on September 17, 2026, was one of the most anticipated and most discussed of the day. Titled “Uncovering Hidden Profit (And Why It Matters More Than Ever),” his presentation challenged a widely held assumption in the collision industry: that profitability necessarily requires an increase in repair volume.

Operational discipline as the engine of profitability

Drawing on data from Canada’s top-performing collision shops, Mike Gilliland showed that the biggest profitability gains don’t come from getting more vehicles through the bays, but from better management of each repair already in progress. Concrete elements such as estimate accuracy, supplement management, real-time repair cycle tracking and rigour in billing for overlooked operations represent thousands of dollars in unrealized revenue in the average shop — every single month.

A message that resonates in today’s environment

In a Canadian market where operating costs continue to rise — labour, parts, energy, rent — the ability to identify and capture the revenue already present in every repair file has become a fundamental management competency. For shop owners who attended Mike Gilliland’s presentation, the message was clear: before investing in growth, make sure you are profiting from what you already have.

Picture credit : LinkedIn Mike Gailland

Text source : CCIF