Advanced Tire & Auto Center in Keyport, N.J., has changed more than its name. Owners Jason and Janet Bigelow have made a move to focus on the next generation of vehicle repair.
Both of the Bigelows are technicians and they've decided to focus on Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). They've renamed their business Advanced ADAS Calibration Centers. And they've confirmed to Modern Tire Dealer that they're no longer selling tires.
"We are the first dedicated calibration center in New Jersey for the maintenance, repair and delicate calibration of these safety-enhancing systems for all makes and models," says Jason Bigelow, who runs the 24-year-old business alongside his wife, Janet. "These systems help drivers avoid collisions, stay in their lanes, monitor their blind spots, and much more."
The cameras, radar and sensors for ADAS require careful calibration, and Janet Bigelow says she's seen demand grow for expertise in those systems. It's become the dominant focus of the business in the last five years, she says.
"We're big believers in the efficiency of these systems, so long as they are expertly maintained and repaired, and a growing number of local insurance companies and body shops also recognize the need to make sure trained experts calibrate, maintain and repair critical ADAS systems."
This year Advanced ADAS Calibration Centers has opened a second location in Old Bridge, N.J., to exclusively serve its insurance-industry and body shop clients because of the growing demand for expert ADAS services, Janet Bigelow says. These new technologies complicate auto maintenance and repair.
"In the old days when a car got in a fender-bender, the repair was simple," she says. "Today, that fender may contain sensors that require expert recalibration, down to the last millimeter, and even a minor collision can knock sensors off-kilter in ways that lead to faulty readings, often causing the system itself to automatically shut down to preserve driver safety."
The technicians at Advanced ADAS Calibration Centers are I-CAR-trained, and they have the tools and training to calibrate ADAS systems—Subaru EyeSight, Honda LaneWatch, Nissan Around View Monitor and many others — that are increasingly part of today's vehicles.
Jason Bigelow says, "To be at the forefront of this field, you have to know the individual sensitivities and specifications of a wide-range of ADAS systems and invest in the corresponding diagnostic and calibration systems associated with them. It is a fulltime undertaking."
As part of the name change, the company also launched a new website.
