Abra Auto Body & Glass

ABRA Auto Body & Glass is a U.S. collision repair and auto glass brand that operates within Driven Brands Holdings Inc., alongside CARSTAR, Maaco, and other automotive service concepts. The brand focuses on collision repair, paint, and auto glass work for everyday drivers and insurance carriers, with shops that function as neighborhood body centers tied into national systems for estimating, claims handling, and warranty support. Locations are typically found in auto-oriented commercial corridors and light industrial pockets with good visibility and straightforward vehicle access.

The company was founded in 1984, when the first ABRA shop opened in Fridley, Minnesota. From that single location it grew over the next three decades into a significant multi-shop operator across the Midwest and Southeast, using a mix of company-developed sites and acquisitions. A notable milestone came in 2014, when private equity firm Hellman & Friedman acquired a majority stake and backed a new wave of roll‑up activity, helping ABRA build a large network of centers and deepen its relationships with major insurers.

The brand’s structure shifted in 2019 when ABRA combined with Caliber Collision in a major industry merger. Many of the legacy corporate ABRA locations were converted to the Caliber flag, while the ABRA name continued in selected markets and franchise operations. In 2020, Driven Brands acquired the ABRA franchise network from the Caliber platform and folded the business into its Paint, Collision & Glass segment. Since then, Driven Brands has used ABRA as a collision and glass option that complements CARSTAR and Maaco in markets where added capacity or a secondary brand is useful.

As of February 2024, ABRA operates 55 shops across multiple states, with clusters in the Upper Midwest, Mountain states, and select Southern markets. The brand’s footprint today is smaller than the pre‑merger network but now sits inside a larger collision platform under Driven Brands. Over roughly the last five years, ABRA has evolved from a large, mostly corporate multi-shop operator into a franchise-driven and selectively deployed banner within a diversified auto services group. Rather than chasing high volumes of new ground‑up stores, the brand has shifted toward opportunity-driven growth: infill locations in familiar markets, relocations into better facilities, and conversions of existing collision shops or suitable industrial buildings.

For landlords, brokers, and developers, ABRA represents an established collision repair use with institutional backing and a long operating history. Its centers commonly occupy freestanding buildings or light industrial bays with multiple overhead doors, dedicated parking, and secure outdoor storage to stage vehicles. The format supports both retail walk‑in work and insurer‑directed repairs, and many sites integrate or closely align with glass service capabilities. Within Driven Brands’ broader network, ABRA is positioned for measured expansion focused on existing ABRA states, Mountain and select Southern markets, and infill near other Driven Brands collision banners, creating recurring demand for well-located, auto-oriented space that can be adapted to collision operations.