History of ABRA Auto Body & Glass

Co-founded in 1984 by Roland D. Benjamin in Fridley, Minnesota, the first ABRA Auto Body was designed and developed to support the mission concept of providing quality repairs and superior customer service. Conveniently located in an upscale, multi-tenant commercial development, this attractive facility featured modern high-tech equipment, a highly trained staff, and a clean, customer friendly environment.

Quickly recognized as being ‘not your average repair center’, this new approach to the collision repair industry earned the support of vehicle owners and their insurance companies. This near instant validation of the business format created capacity issues that led to the opening of a second facility only eight months after the first, and established the model for further expansion of the ABRA Auto Body & Glass system.

In 1987, ABRA launched a franchise program to promote accelerated growth through developing successful business teams. By 1989, ABRA’s numbers had grown to eleven locations in multiple states. With a large portion of today’s vehicle structure being glass, ABRA began adding certified glass installers to the staffing of its collision repair centers. ABRA Auto Body & Glass now includes full service mobile glass replacement and windshield chip repair.

By 1992, paintless dent removal (PDR) had been perfected to the point that ABRA could offer it as a viable alternative for low cost repairs involving dings or dents commonly known as "parking lot rash". With the acceptance of PDR among insurance companies and vehicle owners ABRA’s Paintless Dent Removal Division became a significant part of ABRA’s annual sales. This prompted the development of a traveling "Catastrophe Team" to support major insurance companies after severe hail storms.

ABRA’s growth through 1996 was driven by the need to service an ever increasing market share, and was funded primarily from operating profits. Each new location became an enhanced version of its predecessor.

By careful assembly of support staff dedicated to the company Mission, ABRA's plans for accelerated national growth over the next several years include acquiring existing facilities and building new locations.

Profiles on ABRA Executives
Roland D. Benjamin
Timothy R. Adelmann
Duane A. Rouse
Scott Krohn

Roland D. Benjamin President and Chief Executive Officer of ABRA, Inc. Mr. Benjamin co-founded ABRA, Inc. in 1984. He was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of ABRA, Inc. in June 1996. He received a BS degree in business administration from the University of Rhode Island in 1967. He retired at the rank of Captain from the United States Army in 1974 and has held various management and executive positions in the automotive industry. He is a board member for the Better Business Bureau and a recipient of the Better Business Bureau Torch Light Award. He’s a past president of the Greater Metropolitan Automobile Dealers Association, a past board member of the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association and a former national dealer advisory board member of Nissan Motor Corp, U.S.A.

Timothy R. Adelmann Executive Vice President - Business Development of ABRA, Inc. Mr. Adelmann is the Executive Vice President-Business Development of ABRA, Inc. He opened the second ABRA repair center in 1985 as General Manager. In 1987 Mr. Adelmann became Vice President of Operations and in 1997 Chief Operating Officer, the position he held until July of 2004. During that timeframe he oversaw the growth from two repair centers to eighty-eight. In July 2004 Adelmann assumed the role of Executive Vice President of Business Development in which he works strategically and operationally with ABRA's clients to deliver industry-leading results. Prior to joining ABRA, Mr. Adelmann was a Production & Quality Manager for Micromedics Corporation in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Duane A. Rouse Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of ABRA, Inc. Mr. Rouse joined ABRA as Vice President of Finance, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer in 1996. In May of 1998 he was promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has a degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse. He was associated with Price Waterhouse for eight years, most recently as Audit Manager. Subsequent to his employment with Price Waterhouse, he was Chief Financial Officer at Centran Corporation, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cenerprise, Inc. and General Manager of Entertainment Designs, Inc.

Scott M. Krohn Senior Vice President Operations of ABRA, Inc. Mr. Krohn joined ABRA in 1996 as the General Manager of their Marshall, MN repair center. He was promoted to Franchise District Manager in 1999, and again promoted in 2000 to Minnesota Operations Manager where he managed ten of Minnesota’s twenty corporate-owned repair centers. In April of 2001, Mr. Krohn transferred to ABRA’s Tennessee market as the Operations Manager for that area’s seven centers, and was named Vice President of ABRA-Tennessee in April of 2002. In September of 2004, Mr. Krohn was promoted to Regional Vice President, assuming responsibility for ABRA’s 23 repair centers in Tennessee and Georgia. Mr. Krohn is a native of Slayton, MN, and graduated from Southwest State University in Marshall, MN with a B.S. in Management. He received his MBA from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Krohn is also a board member for Race-On Driving Experience.