MENTOR, Ohio – Following a full review by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Ohio-based DCR Systems has been granted a full U.S. Patent on its vehicle collision repair process and system.

“This landmark patent fully validates the awareness, vision, passion and above all, commitment of not only our entire team in developing this unique operating model, but also the invaluable support we’ve received from our strategic industry partners,” says DCR Systems President and CEO Michael Giarrizzo, Jr.

“We set out to build a forever improving but fundamentally different, fundamentally better operating model,” says DCR Systems COO Lauren Angie. “The granting of this patent is a testament to that.

In February 2008, DCR Systems entered into a global strategic relationship with AkzoNobel, the world’s largest coatings company. The purpose was to link the vision, strategies and practices of the two companies. This was followed in August 2008 by DCR partnering with Toyota Motor Sales, USA to offer its operating model exclusively to Toyota dealerships — marking the first-ever strategic alliance between a collision repair organization and a car manufacturer.

“We congratulate DCR on yet another industry first,” says AB Ghosh, general manager for AkzoNobel Car Refinishes Americas. “The patented system that DCR has pioneered underscores a shared vision with AkzoNobel relating to process-centered practices. We are proud to be a strategic partner.”