The Boyd Group on May 31 announced that, through a business combination, it has effectively acquired majority ownership and controlling interest in the retail auto glass business of Glass America Inc.

Glass America operates 61 retail auto glass locations across 23 U.S. states under the trade names of Glass America and Auto Glass Services. 

"This acquisition is very attractive from both a strategic and a financial point of view," said Brock Bulbuck, president and CEO of the Boyd Group. "The automotive glass restoration business is a natural and complementary extension of our industry-leading collision repair business. This acquisition will increase our U.S. glass business size, both in terms of footprint and annual sales, to become the second largest retail auto glass business in the U.S., servicing 28 states covering approximately 50% of the U.S. population."

The Boyd Group already had established its own nationwide auto glass network, Gerber National Glass Services.

The Boyd Group is the largest operator of collision repair centers in North America. The company operates locations in the four Western Canadian provinces under the trade name Boyd Autobody & Glass, as well as in 14 U.S. states under the trade names Gerber Collision & Glass, The Recovery Room and Autocrafters. The company also operates Gerber National Glass Services, an auto glass repair and replacement referral business with approximately 3,000 affiliated service providers throughout the U.S.