Mitchell International Partners With Thatcham to Provide Independently Researched Collision Repair Methodologies to the North American Market

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - August 12, 2009) - Mitchell International, Inc., a leading provider of information, workflow and performance management solutions to the Property & Casualty claims and Collision Repair industries, today announced a partnership with Thatcham (The Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre), the leading authority in collision repair research for European and Asian nameplates. This groundbreaking partnership marks the first time Thatcham's fully researched, proprietary repair methodologies will be offered in the North American collision repair market -- making the Mitchell Information Center the ultimate source of collision repair know-how.

Today's modern vehicles are increasingly unique and very much individual in their design. Each model year vehicle manufacturers add sophisticated technology to improve structural strength. While these advancements result in improved vehicle safety, cars have consequently become much more difficult to return to pre-accident condition, posing unique repair challenges. Thatcham's online solution, ThatchamNet, works in concert and complements Mitchell Information Center's OEM repair data, to provide technicians with the critical collision repair information they need to keep up with the industry's increasing demands.

Thatcham's collision experts' methodology includes tearing down the latest vehicles in their UK-based technical research center to completely understand vehicle construction and devise pragmatic repair techniques that replicate the strength and integrity of the original construction. Thatcham's research team works very closely with both vehicle manufacturers to "design in" reparability and the collision repair industry to enable shops to repair high-tech vehicles with complete confidence.

"Mitchell's partnership with Thatcham brings our customers unprecedented coverage of collision repair content, especially for complex, difficult to repair European and Asian market models. At the touch of a finger, our customers will be able to go online to the Mitchell Information Center and instantly identify the critical information they need to be able to safely and efficiently restore vehicles to pre-accident condition," said Marc Brungger, Executive Vice President of Auto Physical Damage for Mitchell International. "With this new partnership, we will be the first to introduce the North American market to repair procedures that are both independently researched and OEM backed, and we are very pleased to have Thatcham's world-class research experts on our team," added Brungger.

Peter Roberts, Thatcham Chief Executive, says, "Repairers have frequently asked us to bring our collision methodologies to North America. However, it was important for us to partner with an established marketplace leader that is well respected throughout the industry, with a solid track record for bringing innovative solutions to the marketplace. Having worked closely with the Mitchell International for over a year, the Thatcham Team is confident that we have found the best solution provider to bring ThatchamNet to the North American market."

Mitchell Information Center (www.mitchellinformationcenter.com) is a user-friendly, searchable database of historical vehicle repair reference data that spans up to 30 years and leverages Mitchell's 63 years of collision industry expertise. The portal provides access to critical repair information that helps collision repair facilities to efficiently and profitably restore vehicles to pre-accident conditions in a safe and timely manner.

Collision repairers are encouraged to visit www.mitchellinformationcenter.com or contact Mitchell International at (800) 238-9111 for more information and a free trial of this new data module complete with European and Asian repair data.

About Mitchell International, Inc.

Mitchell International (www.mitchell.com) is a leading provider of information and workflow solutions to the Property & Casualty Insurance Claims and Automotive Collision Repair industries. The company's comprehensive solution portfolio streamlines the entire auto physical damage, bodily injury and workers compensation claims processes. Mitchell enables millions of electronic transactions between more than 30,000 business partners each month to enhance partner productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

About Thatcham

The Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre, or 'Thatcham' as it is widely known was formed in 1969 by British Insurers. The Centre is independently operated and has its own Board of Directors. Its main aim is to carry out research targeted at containing or reducing the cost of motor insurance claims, whilst maintaining safety standards. Thatcham provides products and services for a number of functional areas within the collision repair industry: Insurers; Motor Manufacturers; Equipment Manufacturers and Suppliers.

Contact Information: Contact: Jennifer Forman Sr. Director, Marketing 800-854-7030 or Kam Hashim