If you've driven past 3400 National Drive this week, you probably noticed something different. After more than 50 years at the same location, Bob Rohrman Collision Repair Center has a brand-new sign on the front of the shop — a much-needed upgrade we're excited to finally share.
The new "COLLISION REPAIR CENTER" channel-letter sign is illuminated, significantly larger than what we had before, and visible from much farther away — including from Sagamore Parkway and the surrounding streets where our Lafayette and West Lafayette customers are often heading home after work. After decades of a sign that had done its job honorably but was starting to show its age, the change is night and day.
The Old Sign Served Us Well
The original red-letter sign had been on our building almost as long as we've been here. It's seen Lafayette grow up around it — new shopping plazas go in, old buildings come down, Sagamore Parkway widen, and three or four generations of customers come through our doors.
But between Indiana's weather — summer sun, ice storms, winter salt kicking up onto the wall — and simple age, the letters had faded. What was once crisp red had become a weathered, peeling shade of its former self. At a certain point, a sign stops doing the job a sign is supposed to do: helping new customers find you when they need you most.
We could have patched it. We've patched it before. But after a lot of conversations about where we want this shop to be in the next 10, 20, even 30 years, we decided it was time to invest in something we should have updated a long time ago.
Installation Day
Once the old letters came down, you could see just how much the building had been protecting them. The wall underneath had a faint outline where the letters had been mounted — 50 years of sun exposure everywhere around it, a shadow of the original sign everywhere it wasn't. A reminder that the building itself has been part of Lafayette longer than most of the businesses in this stretch of National Drive.
The installation crew handled the project in a single day. New mounting brackets went in, the wall was cleaned and prepped, and then, one letter at a time, our new look came together.
Why the Upgrade Matters (Beyond Curb Appeal)
This wasn't just a vanity project. A collision repair shop depends on being easy to find during a stressful moment. When someone gets into an accident — especially for the first time — they're often navigating unfamiliar territory. They're looking at their phone, looking at the road, watching for addresses, and trying not to miss the turn.
A bright, clearly readable, illuminated sign makes all of that easier. In practical terms:
- Out-of-state visitors and Purdue parents driving up to help a student after a fender bender can spot us from farther out.
- Evening and early-morning drop-offs are easier now that the sign is illuminated — a small thing that matters for insurance claim customers coming straight from the accident scene.
- First-time customers no longer have to squint at a weathered sign and ask themselves, "is that the right place?"
- Longtime customers get a small visual reminder that we're still here, still investing, still growing.
Same Shop. Same People. Sharper Look.
One thing we want to be clear about: nothing about what happens inside the shop has changed. The same team is here, doing the same work. Our I-CAR Gold Certified technicians are the same ones who've been trusted with tens of thousands of Lafayette and West Lafayette vehicles. The lifetime warranty is the same. The way we handle insurance claims, the way we communicate throughout a repair, the way we treat your car — all of that is unchanged.
The sign out front is just a signal of what we're feeling internally: after 50+ years, we're still here, still investing, still proud to serve the Lafayette and Purdue University community. The next generation of customers deserves a shop that looks like it's part of their future, not just ours.
Drive by & See It
If you're in the area, swing by and take a look. The sign is easiest to see in the evening, once the light starts to fade and the letters come alive. We're at 3400 National Drive, just off Sagamore Parkway, 10 to 15 minutes from the Purdue campus across the Harrison Bridge.
And while we're on the topic of visibility — if you need collision work, you don't have to drive anywhere to get started. Our free 24/7 online photo estimate lets you send us pictures from your phone whenever it's convenient, day or night. We'll get back to you with a professional assessment, usually within a few hours.
Thanks, Lafayette. We'll see you on the road — and now you'll have an easier time finding us when you need us.
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Bob Rohrman Collision Repair Center has proudly served Lafayette, West Lafayette, and all of Tippecanoe County, Indiana for over 50 years. Submit a free 24/7 photo estimate — it only takes a few minutes. Or book an appointment at our shop. You can also call us at (765) 448-1100. We're located at 3400 National Drive, Lafayette, IN 47905 — now easier than ever to find.