Cheskis Anticipates Changes with Acquisition of Netcost

Gerber National Glass Services (GNGS), a third-party automotive glass claims administrator (TPA), might soon move away from its partnership with LYNX Services, which provides call center services. Boyd Group Income Fund is purchasing Netcost Claims Services (NCS)—and bringing with it, a call center—to combine with GNGS, according to Eddie Cheskis, CEO of Glass America, a Boyd Group subsidiary.

“Clearly since we now have our own call center and infrastructure, we will eventually move our existing customers from LYNX Services to our own call center,” says Cheskis. “LYNX has been a very good partner for us. … We expect to bring the two businesses [GNGS and NCS] together to capture more market share and we will take time to decide what the branding will be. For our customers, it is business as usual and nothing has changed.”

By combining NCS and GNGS, the company “accomplishes some scale and synergies that will help us perform more effectively.”

“Our goal is to continue to provide best-in-class service,” says Cheskis. “We have a wonderful long-established network of independently-owned and operated automotive glass businesses. Both the NCS and Gerber networks are very similar. Our goal is to enable us, as well as our network members, to be able to compete effectively to capture more business.”

In 2004, Boyd acquired Gerber Collision & Glass. The company went on to acquire Globe Amerada Glass Network in 2005 under the Gerber name and re-branded it as GNGS, according to Boyd’s website.

In another industry move, LYNX Services is also gaining a new parent company. Pittsburgh Glass Works (PGW) plans to sell its Insurance and Services Division (I&S), which includes LYNX, GTS and Glaxis, along with other information technology services to Solera Holdings of Westlake, Texas.

“The May 12 announcement of Solera having executed an agreement to acquire LYNX Services, GTS Services and Glaxis from Pittsburgh Glass Works (PGW) is being greeted as good news by our contacts in the insurance and automotive industries,” says John Wysseier, LYNX Services’ president. “Solera is a well-known and respected provider of technology and services to the markets we serve, so the opportunities for synergy and customer-facing benefits are many.”

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