EARL HYSER
Superintendent
State Farm® Vehicle Research Facility
Bloomington, Illinois

 

Earl Hyser, Superintendent at the State Farm Vehicle Research Facility (VRF), Bloomington, Ill., specializes in theft prevention and vehicle reparability issues.

The son of a mechanic and body repair expert, Hyser learned the inner-workings of cars from the many vehicles parked around his childhood home. Having learned from his father, he began working on cars when he was just 13 years old.

A 10-year veteran of the VRF, Hyser makes the lives of car thieves more difficult by using his skills to break into today's most technologically advanced and “theft-proof” vehicles. He then identifies flaws in automobile theft-prevention systems and recommends improvements to manufacturers. His recommendations are reflected in many models on the road today.

Hyser also has formal training in collision repair and refinish. His team dissects vehicles and evaluates their design, looking for reparability issues.

Before joining State Farm in 1986, he held an assortment of automotive repair jobs, including stints in a body repair shop and a repair garage that he co-owned with a friend. He holds an associate degree in collision repair and refinish.

Prior to moving to the VRF, Hyser was a technician in another State Farm specialty unit and held several positions in auto field claims.

A self-proclaimed “gearhead,” Hyser enjoys modifying cars in his spare time. His latest project is a frame-off rebuild of a 1968 GTO convertible that’s been in his family for nearly 30 years.