Midwestern February 2015 Issue by Autobody News

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Recent Transfer of Auto Body Lawsuits to Florida Causes Concern in Industry by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor

(MDL) filed by auto body shops against insurers in 2014.

There is a growing concern in the colSee Concern in Industry, Page 16 lision repair industry about two key lawsuits States Part of MDL or About to File recently transferred to the Middle District of Florida. Some reports have indicated that the lawsuits have been consolidated, but that’s not the case. Courts have ruled they will be included in the pretrial hearings of the antitrust Blue States: Already Filed Red States: About to File multidistrict litigation

Top 2015 Body Shop Resolutions Suggested by 3M™

ance and the ability to repair the advanced materials found on today’s new vehicles. Here are the top five resolutions you might want to consider as you plan for 2015, courtesy of 3M Automotive Aftermarket, which work with thousands of body shops across the country to help improve performance and profitability.

Resolution #1 – Make more money in the paint booth! The paint booth is frequently the leading culprit when it comes to waste in the body shop. From solvent waste, paint waste and wasted time for cleanSee Top 2015 Resolutions, Page 20

Change Service Requested

P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018

Improve Profitability, Increase Productivity, Reduce Rework and Get Ready for Advanced Materials. New Year is the Ideal Time to Implement New Solutions and Systems to Drive Your Shop’s Success Many New Year’s resolutions involve your health, like getting in shape, eating healthier or reducing the stress in your life. But are you making New Year’s resolutions that improve the health of your body SHOP? Changes in the tools, solutions and systems that you are using in your body shop can have a significant impact on your shop’s performance in the year ahead – from productivity to margin improvement, KPI perform-

VOL. 4 ISSUE 5 FEBRUARY 2015

ASA-IL to Expand Collision Offerings in 2015 by Chasidy Rae Sisk

plans to “collaborate with I-CAR to offer collision training, and we need to focus some of our chapter meetings on collision topics. Beginning in January, we plan to contact our national collision members in hopes of engag-

With the New Year underway, ASAIL Executive Director Donna Kelly and co-Executive Director Deb Bullwinkel are busy expanding the affiliate chapter to reintroduce the collision repair side of the business to their membership. While the national Automotive Service Association was founded in 1956, IL’s affiliate chapter was formed sometime later. By the late 1990s, the collision repair segment of ASA-IL’s membership had separated from the affiliate, and the mechanical side realigned itself with the na- Training in May 2014 with Ken Zanders, Independent tional association. Automotive Trainer Over the past year, Kelly ing their interest, and hopefully, this and Bullwinkel have begun expandwill lead to new members. We learned ing their membership to include collia lot from our attempts to incorporate sion repair professionals in alignment I-CAR training into our 2014 Chicago with the ASA-National model. Their Automotive Networking (CAN) Confocus for 2015 is continuing their efference. Only a few collision shops atforts to bring collision repair back in tended, so now we realize we need to the fold. As part of these efforts, Kelly See Collision Offerings, Page 38

Collision Repair Industry Associations Make Their 2015 New Year’s Resolutions by Chasidy Rae Sisk

For most people, New Year’s Eve is a time to reflect on the past year and make resolutions for the incoming year. Collision repair industry associations have also started preparing for next years by setting their sights on what they can do to improve the industry for their members. Several association leaders shared their New Year’s Resolutions for 2015 with Autobody News. In 2015, Howard Batchelor, Executive Director of the Georgia Collision Industry Association (GCIA), hopes to “have a better working relationship with insurance companies. Insurers are in the business to sell policies and settle claims. They should

allow the collision center that has the training and OE recommended repairer processes to repair these vehicles in a proper manner since the repairer has their name on the repair and should not be interfered with in making repair decisions.” For the Independent Damage Appraisers Association (IADA), “our New Year’s resolution is to try and increase membership, making sure we recruit and approve only the most experienced firms with advanced technical skills. We also plan to hold repair seminars to make sure our members are properly trained to identify and appraise damages to the everincreasing high tech vehicles. We have selected Charlotte, NC as the site See New Year’s Resolutions, Page 35

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Contents 42-Year Owner of Beverlin’s in Illinois Dies. . 8 A Father’s Dying Wish Coming True: Manteno

Auto Body Man Steps up to Save a ‘Cuda’. 4

ABRA Adds Location in WI. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

ASA-IL to Expand Collision Offerings in ‘15. . 1

Right Buttons for Ohio Shop Owner . . . 28

Franklin - Re-Structuring For Renewal . . . 14 NATIONAL

A Lean Process Helps Shops Become

More Efficient and Profitable . . . . . . . . 32

Attanasio - Midwest Auto Body Trade Show

ABRA and Progressive Gift F-150 to

Auto Masters Opens 4th Shop . . . . . . . . . . 6

Aluminum Repair Tips & Techniques in

—Are You Prepared for the Future? . . . 34

Body Shops Profiting from Winter

Weather in IL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Wounded Warriors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Preparation for Ford F-150 . . . . . . . . . . 27

Axalta Launches ‘Color Block’ Blog . . . . . 21

Busy Bee Auto Employee in OH Shocked

Bodyshop Revolution Implements

CARSTAR Continues Expansion in

Collision Avoidance Technology Could

CARSTARs in Chicago Donate to Vets

Collision Repair Industry Associations Make

College Automotive Collision Repair

Ed Foundation Taking Grant Applications

CONTINUED: Northeast Instructor And

First Fully Robotic Paint Curing Equipment

to Find Trapped Man in Towed Car . . . . 13 the Midwest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 & Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Program Relocates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Students Gain A New Global Perspective

Following Trip To England. . . . . . . . . . . 30

Technology in U.S.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Dramatically Change Repair Industry . . 31

Their 2015 New Year’s Resolutions . . . . 1

for Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Can Improve Bottom Line for Shops

and the Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

From Grandma’s Vacuum to Serious Spray

Fletcher Jones Expands with Audi

Hollywood Designs at Car Show . . . . . . . 10

Recycled Rides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Dealership in IL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

LaGrange, MO, Shop Fire Not a

Finishing Technology: Turbospray HVLP . 22

OSHA Tops 3000 Whistleblower Cases

for First Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Complete Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Recent Transfer of Auto Body Lawsuits to

Car at NAIAS 2015 in Detroit . . . . . . . . . 8

Russ Nolting is CARSTAR’s Area Director

Held in Iowa Feb. 19th . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Terry’s Auto Celebrates 40 Years in

Bigger Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

TN’s James Hampe Receives National

First Christmas Car Giveaway . . . . . . . 10

Top 2015 Body Shop Resolutions

at 2014 Holiday Parties . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Top Honors from IIHS Have Nearly

Forward in 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Vantage Career Center Open House in OH . . 4

Local Motors Debuts World’s First 3D-printed Midwest Auto Body Trade Show to be MO Collision Repair Shop Moves to

Sesser, IL Businesses, Organization Hosted

Sisk - ASA-Midwest Celebrates Giving Back Sisk - New ASA Affiliate in IN Moves State Farm Donates Vehicles to IL’s

Kishwaukee College Collision Repair

Tech program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 COLUMNISTS

Attanasio - Accident App is Pushing All the

Florida Causes Concern in Industry . . . . 1

of Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

SE Nebraska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Technician Award. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Suggested by 3M™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Doubled Since 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Video Gaming, Liquor License at IL Body Shop Draws Opposition

from Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

WI Woman Gets Her Car Vandalized

are repaired, will use them in other courses, including in the Automotive program.” Molly Schaap, State Farm Insurance, is a member of the Kishwaukee College CRT Advisory Board and assisted in arranging the donation. Also assisting secure the donations were Dave Logan, Insurance Adjuster, and John Cooling, Accelerated Design Team member with State Farm. For more information on the Collision Repair Technology program or on donating a damaged vehicle, contact Greg Brink at 815-825-2086, ext. 3280 or at gregory.brink@kishwaukeecollege.edu.

College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL, students will start the spring semester in a new Auto Body Shop created by refurbishing Building 12 on the Grayslake campus. The $1.6 million project was completed under the College Master Plan. The new facility will allow the college to expand its Automotive Collision Repair program to offer a full daytime schedule of courses. Previously, the program only offered evening courses because

it leased facilities at the Lake County High Schools Technology Campus, which used the same facilities during the day. “We'll be able to offer classes in the morning and mid-afternoon, doubling our courses,” said Octavio Cavazos, instructor/department chair. “We will also have open lab times so our students can improve their skills, something most of them can't do at home.” Building 12 formerly housed the Automotive Technology program.

College Automotive Collision Repair Program Relocates

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Assistant Editor: Stacey Phillips Online Editor: Victoria Antonelli Contributing Writers: Tom Franklin, John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, David Brown, Rich Evans, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Sales Assistant: Louise Tedesco Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia

Indexof Advertisers

Family in WI Receives Vehicle Through

Kishwaukee College’s Collision Repair Technology Program received two vehicles from State Farm Insurance for students in the program to gain experience. Greg Brink, CRT faculty, visited the State Farm facility and received the two damaged vehicles as well as an auto-lift and an assortment of car parts that can be used by students to gain experience on specific repairs. State Farm donated a 2008 Toyota Corolla and a 2000 Chevy 1500 series truck. Brink stated, “We are grateful to State Farm for this donation. We will use them in our structural repair course and, once they

Twice by Poultry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Assured Performance . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 35 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . . 2 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 31 Bumper Smith Nitrogen Welding Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Car-Part.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 CarcoonAmerica Airflow Systems . 16 CCC Information Services . . . . . . . . 5 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA). . . . . . . . . . . 19 Charles Gabus Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Dent Magic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 DJS Fabrications, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . 40 Equalizer Industries, Inc. . . . . . . . . 18 Erhard BMW of Bloomfield Hills . . . . 8 Erhard BMW of Farmington Hills . . . 8 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 33 Graham Auto Mall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Hall Volkswagen-Mazda . . . . . . . . . 21 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . 34 Jake Sweeney Chevrolet . . . . . . . . 28

Serving Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin and adjacent metro areas. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the autobody industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2015 Adamantine Media LLC.

Autobody News

Midwest

REGIONAL

State Farm Donates Vehicles to IL’s Kishwaukee College Collision Repair Tech program

Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018; (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com Email: news@autobodynews.com

Kia Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . 37 Laurel Auto Group of Westmont . . . 23 Lexus Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 39 Luther Hopkins Honda . . . . . . . . . . 27 Maplewood Toyota-Scion . . . . . . . . 20 Martech Services Company . . . . . . . 4 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 37 Mercedes-Benz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 30 Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 29 Morrison’s Auto Parts . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Replica Plastics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 SATA Spray Equipment . . . . . . . . . 11 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 32 Toyota of Des Moines . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Toyota of Grand Rapids . . . . . . . . . 26 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 36 Valspar Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 VanDevere Kia-GM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 West Bend Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . 13

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 3

A Father’s Dying Wish Coming True: Manteno Auto Body Man Steps up to Save a ‘Cuda’

means more than transportation to a man he never met before a friend called Manteno, IL, auto body specialist Mike to ask a favor last year. Dumas knows what he’s doing around Dumas, 55, couldn’t ignore the yesterday’s muscle cars. He lovingly story. Darren Evans, 51, of downstate restores them, with incredible attention El Paso, was the chief sheriff’s deputy of Woodford County. And he was just given a death sentence by his doctors. A persistent cough was diagnosed as lung cancer. He was given a year to live. Of course he wanted to make the most of his time with his family, but there was this one other matter. “I was a gun collector and I lost all interest in that. I could sell those,” he said. “But I had this Barracuda out Darren Evans (center), his 19-year old son, Adam (left) and in a shed. I bought that car Michael Dumas of Platinum Auto in rural Manteno look at when I was 15. And I held on the 1971 Barracuda being restored for him as a gift from his to it, hoping that I could work family. Photo courtesy of The Daily Journal/Mike Voss on it some day with my son to every detail. He has done that for 12 [Adam, 18]. My dad [Jim] helped me years at Platinum Custom Cars. buy it back then. And I thought it was He also knows something about something I could leave for my son.” what cars can mean to people. And But there was never time or money that’s why he has devoted so much time for this sort of indulgence. And, with the to a project he’s doing off the books. clock ticking, the car looked like a He knows that the green 1971 Ply- dream that couldn’t come true. That is, mouth Barracuda convertible, which he until Darren’s friends stepped up. One has toiled over for the past nine months, friend rebuilt the engine. Another speby Dennis Yohnk, Daily-Journal.com

Vantage Career Center Open House in OH Vantage Career Center in Ohio will be holding its annual Open House on February 9 from 5-7:30 pm. There will be a Parent Information Session in the Community Room at 6 pm to answer questions. Adult Education/Ohio Technical Center representatives will also be there to discuss the Vantage Adult Education classes. Several local eating establishments will be set up in the Commons and have sample-size portions of food. Tickets for “A Taste of Vantage” will be available at the door at a cost of $5 for six tickets. There are nine different Trade and Industrial programs at Vantage Career Center offered to high school students in the Industrial and Engineering Systems cluster. These include Auto Body, Auto Technology and Welding. Auto Body students assess and estimate the damage to vehicles and learn the basics of collision repair and refinishing, as well as auto body and shop management skills. Performing repairs to plastic and fiberglass components are unique skills of this trade. The Auto Technology program provides hands-on experience in the

areas of hydraulic brake systems, automotive engines and suspension systems. Students use sophisticated diagnostic and repair equipment to troubleshoot automotive systems and learn the skills required to inspect, repair and adjust today’s highly computerized vehicles. Just before Christmas break, they got a 1928 Chevy running! The Vantage Welding program is a nationally recognized AWS (American Welding Society) training and testing facility. Students have the opportunity to earn industry certifications in plate and pipe welding. The seniors are currently on a record-breaking pace in regard to their American Welding Society (AWS) certifications. This program has earned the National Exemplary designation in career technical education. For more information, contact Mike Knott, Student Services Supervisor, at 419-238-5411 ext. 2032 or email: knott.m@vantagecareercenter.com.

cialized in finding the best spare parts. And another made that call to Dumas. “I told them we weren’t going to cut corners: We were going to do it right. But if Darren could hold on, he could drive his car again. He could give his son a memory he’d never forget,” Dumas said, noting that the car is now being pieced back together after being completely stripped down for a full restoration. “The plan is to get it done in time for the World of Wheels [car show ] at the Rosemont in March,” he said.

“Thousands of people will see it there, and then Darren can drive it off the floor and back to El Paso.” That would be his first time behind the wheel since he parked the car in 1992. At that point it was only on the road briefly. He purchased it at 15,

and drove it from 1978 to 82. At that point it needed work, but he wasn’t willing to part with it. “I bought it for $3,200, and I think I was offered something like $8,000, as it sat, but I always thought I could bring it back, and Adam could have some fun in it like I did.” In fact, Darren admits he had a little too much fun, and has the speeding tickets to prove it. He matured, though, and found a place on the other side of the law—even though his love for this car never let up. His commitment made sense, financially. This type of restored car can sell for more than $100,000. But Darren isn’t interested in that reward. He wants to see Adam behind the wheel, maybe tearing down some of the same roads he traveled. First, though, Dumas has more work to do. The painting isn't complete. All of the parts have to come back together— perfectly, to suit his Detroit native. “I still keep busy with my clients’ cars, but I put all of my personal projects on hold until this is done,” he said. “I have a couple of trucks in pieces in storage while I put in all my nights and weekends getting this done.” We thank Daily-Journal.com for permission to reprint their article.

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Family in WI Receives Vehicle Through Recycled Rides

Pat’s CARSTAR of Plover, WI donated a 2005 Kia Sedona minivan to Randi Greene and her family on December 15, extending the business’s Recycled Rides tradition into its seventh year. “Everybody here looks forward to this every year,” said Tony Kempen, who owns the auto body repair business with his wife Sharon. “Our crew and our partners appreciate how important reliable transportation is. We’re glad we were able to be a part of providing it for the Greenes and are glad to welcome them to the CARSTAR family.” Pat Arnold, Kempen’s uncle and former owner of Pat’s CARSTAR, took the lead this year in finding and repairing the vehicle for donation. Keystone Automotive and Schierl Tire also helped prepare the vehicle for donation. In addition to the minivan, Pat’s CARSTAR employees donated a gas card to the family. Pat’s CARSTAR partnered with CAP Services, a local private, nonprofit organization, to identify a family in need of a vehicle. Ten families applied for the opportunity and a subcommittee of CAP’s Board of Directors made the final selection.

Greene, Stevens Point, was notified in advance that she had been selected to receive the vehicle but kept the donation a secret from her 15-year-old son, Cole, and six-yearold twins, Lola and Isaac. Her children speculated they might be heading to a pizza party before arriving at Pat’s CARSTAR. “We are grateful to everyone who helped make this possible.” said Greene, noting that without safe and reliable transportation the everyday tasks of family life had become increasingly burdensome and time consuming. “The minivan is going to make a huge difference for us.” Pat’s CARSTAR’s vehicle donation tradition began with the National Auto Body Council’s (NABC) Recycled Rides program. Recycled Rides, launched in 2007, is a nationwide awareness program where collision repair members of the NABC repair and donate used vehicles to families in need in their communities. CAP Services is a private, nonprofit community action agency that has been helping low-income people attain economic and emotional selfsufficiency since 1966.

CARSTARs in Chicago Donate to Vets & Kids

For the seventh consecutive year, CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts in the Chicago area collected food and household items for the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital Fisher House, which provides housing for families of military members being treated at local VA medical centers. Hines Fisher House opened on March 1, 2010, and has provided free accommodations to more than 3,000 guests. The Fisher House is “a home away from home” for family members, caregivers or loved ones of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers. The 14 area shops served as drop off points for donations. For every package donated, customers received a raffle entry for a $100 gift card. “The Chicagoland CARSTAR stores all have a strong commitment to giving back to the community,” said Lou Scola, Owner of CARSTAR Scola’s and President of the CARSTAR Chicago Business Group. “What the Fisher House does for military families is invaluable. We are happy to be able to support such a worthwhile cause.” Friends of Kids with Cancer and Gapsch CARSTAR in South County, St. Louis teamed up for a charity event called Cars 4 Kids. The fundraiser was

held on Dec. 15th at Gapsch CARSTAR in MO. At the event two preselected families whose children are battling severe forms of cancer were presented with the keys to vehicles refurbished and donated by Gapsch. Lisa Rush, Owner of Gapsch, said, “We just wanted an organization that we could identify with and be a real benefit to. Since cancer has touched so many of our lives this seemed like a perfect fit for our company.” Judy Ciapciak, Executive Director of Friends of Kids with Cancer, said that not only are the families excited to have this kind of help and support from Gapsch but are truly grateful for how this will help with an already difficult situation each family finds itself in. The event was hosted by CBS Sports 920 am and insideSTL.com radio personalities Ron Godier and Brad Mulholland. “We have had the chance to work with Friends of Kids with Cancer in the past and when we found out about what Gapsch was looking for it seemed like a perfect fit so we did all we could to put these two together,” said Godier, host of The Daily Wrap on CBS Sports 920 am who broadcasted live from the event.

6 FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

ABRA Adds Location in WI

ABRA Auto Body & Glass opened a franchise in Wausau, WI, about 90 minutes Northwest of Green Bay. It is independently owned and operated by Keith Kocourek of Kocourek Auto Group. “Kocourek Auto Group’s reputation for excellence, quality and professionalism has been recognized in the Wausau area for more than 20 years,” says Duane Rouse, ABRA’s President and CEO. “ABRA’s future is bright and the attention of our entire team is focused on the prospects ahead, anticipating a successful 2015.”

Auto Masters Opens 4th Shop

Owner Larry Greider announced that Auto Masters Collision Center on the east side of Wichita, KS will be open by February 3 at the latest. Auto Masters Collision Center will be occupying the 10,000 square foot building at 6115 E. Kellogg that previously housed Davis-Moore Auto Group, reported Carrie Rengers of kansas.com. Greider owns three other collision centers. He decided to open up a shop on the east side because he works with a lot of insurance agents located there. He is looking to expand northeast, but can’t find space to do so at this time.

Bodyshop Revolution Implements Technology in U.S.

Bodyshop Revolution North America announced on January 13 the successful implementation of its technology at Marshall Auto Body in Waukesha, WI on December 3, 2014. The company said it equips shops to increase efficiency and reduce cycle time by up to 60 percent. It claims its gas catalytic drying robots, panel repair tools and processes can reduce part replacement by up to 40% and dry paint in 53 seconds. “The equipment works exactly as advertised. We’re saving half the time on drying fillers and paint.” said Aaron Marshall, President of Marshall Auto Body in Waukesha, WI. The 13,000 sq. ft. shop, employing 22 technicians, utilizes a water borne paint system. Marshall added, “Flashing of the water borne base coat is dramatically better and we do not have the expense of quick drying clears.” “Bodyshop Revolution shops recognize dramatic reductions on paint materials and energy consumption,” stated Patrick O’Neill, President of Bodyshop Revolution North America. “Shops will see not only a big reduction in natural gas usage but also a significant drop in electricity as you are cutting spraybooth cycles in half.”

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 7

Local Motors Debuts World’s First 3D-printed Car at NAIAS 2015 in Detroit A new kind of vehicle and manufacturing process debuted at the 2015 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Local Motors 3D printed, assembled and debuted the world’s first 3D-printed car—live from the show floor. “We have built expertise in additive manufacturing to further strengthen the product development support that we can deliver to our customers, from ideation through prototyping, testing and validation. We will continue to invest in the technology to help the automotive industry realize as much potential from it as possible.” Called the Strati, the vehicle is the first in a line of 3D-printed cars from Local Motors. The design was chosen in May 2014 from more than 200 submitted to Local Motors by the company’s online co-creation community after launching a call for entries. The winning design was submitted by Michele Anoè who was awarded a cash prize plus the opportunity to see his design brought to life. Less than a year after the original design was chosen, Local Motors premiered a mid-model refresh, which began its inaugural print on Monday, January 12 on the show floor during NAIAS. “Since launching in 2007, we

have continuously disrupted the way vehicles are designed, built, and sold,” said Local Motors Co-founder and CEO John B. Rogers, Jr. “We paired micro-manufacturing with co-creation to bring vehicles to market at unprecedented speed. We proved that an online community of innovators can change the way vehicles go from designed to driven. We pioneered the concept of using direct digital manufacturing (DDM) to 3D-print cars. I am proud to have the world’s first 3Dprinted car be a part of our already impressive portfolio of vehicles.”

Three-Phase Process: Print, Refine, Finish The first phase in 3D-printed manufacturing is additive. Made from a carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic material by SABIC, the current model of the Strati takes approximately 44 hours to print 212 layers. The end result is a completed 3D-printed Car Structure™. “SABIC is pleased to have contributed the materials and processing knowledge to support Local Motors and help enable this advanced additive manufacturing approach,” said Scott Fallon, general manager, Automotive, SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business.

“We have built expertise in additive manufacturing to further strengthen the product development support that we can deliver to our customers, from ideation through prototyping, testing and validation. We will continue to invest in the technology to help the automotive industry realize as much potential from it as possible.” The second phase of 3D-printed manufacturing is subtractive. Once 3D printing is complete, the 3D-printed Car Structure moves to a Thermwood CNC router that mills the finer details. After a few hours of milling, the Strati’s exterior details take shape. “Thermwood has been involved within a multitude of various markets, but none, until now, has lead us to the Detroit Auto Show. Thermwood is proud and excited to be part of this Local Motors venture,” said Dennis Palmer, VP of Sales at Thermwood. The last phase of 3D-printed manufacturing is rapid assembly. After the 3D-printed Car Structure is printed and refined, the non 3D-printed components, including the drivetrain, electrical components, gauges and wiring, plus the tires are added. A vinyl wrapping, paint or other surface treatment is used to complement the 3D-printed texture.

42-Year Owner of Beverlin’s in Illinois Dies

Keith L. Beverlin, 85, of Aledo, IL passed away on January 10 at Genesis Medical Center, according to muscatinejournal.com. He was born to Lewis and Floy French Beverlin on April 14, 1929. Beverlin perfected his trade at Ranney’s Automotive and Anderson Motor Co. in Aledo before opening his own place—Beverlin's Auto Body and Towing. He owned and operated the shop for 42 years, retiring in 2007. Muscatinejournal.com reported that Beverlin was a dealer for several automotive clubs, including the Chicago Motor Club and AAA. Beverlin is survived by several cousins, nephews and nieces. His five sisters and parents proceeded him in death. Muscatinejournal.com listed the funeral time as 11 am on Jan. 14, Fippinger Funeral Home in Aledo, Illinois. Online condolences: www.fippingerfuneralhome.com

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8 FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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CARSTAR Continues Expansion in the Midwest

CARSTAR announced on Jan. 12 that the repair network’s Tim’s Collision, in Twinsburg, OH, has joined North America’s largest collision repair network. This is the second CARSTAR location for owners Jeremy and Theresa Orsky. The Orskys opened their first shop, CARSTAR Coach & Collision in Cleveland, OH, in 2010. Jeremy has been in the collision repair industry his entire life. His father, who now works for him as a painter at the Cleveland shop, is a body man and his mother worked for FinishMaster. His sister also works at the new facility. His credentials include I-CAR instructor, and he says the new location will soon be certified I-CAR Gold. “The decision to expand was easy. It was just a good opportunity at an established shop in an area where there is not a lot of competition,” according to Jeremy. “The previous owner was ready to get out, but he didn’t want to sell to a consolidator. He was looking to sell to an individual that would carry on what he had built.” CARSTAR Tim’s Collision is a full-service facility. The shop features three frame machines and three Car-OLiner Speed Racks. It has a heated down-draft spray booth and double-

heated downdraft prep booth. There is a drive-in estimating bay and full mechanical department with alignment machines, as well as a full detail center. The shop is also air-conditioned and has in-floor radiant heat. “It’s really an ideal situation for what we’re trying to do,” according to Jeremy. “As we expand our business into multiple locations, this is going to be the flagship store. I don’t think there is a shop in Northeast Ohio that’s as big as this.” “It’s a testament to the great performance and operational leadership of CARSTAR franchisees when they are able to open an additional location,” said David Byers, CEO of CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts. “We’re excited to see Jeremy and Theresa Orsky expand to a second store and continue to deliver the highest-quality collision repair in the Cleveland area.” CARSTAR has also acquired CARSTAR North Aurora Collision Center in IL. The shop is located at in North Aurora, IL, and owned by Brian Gore. Gore has more than 25 years of experience in the collision repair industry. “Over the last 25 years, I have owned several body shops and I have seen the industry and insurance com-

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panies change. I feel that we can be at our best and serve our community to the best of our abilities by working with CARSTAR,” said Gore. CARSTAR North Aurora Collision Center is located in a 19,800 square foot facility. The shop utilizes the CCC ONE® Total Repair Platform for computerized estimating, workflow and repair processes. The shop features an AFC Finishing Systems paint booth with heated downdraft, Kansas Jack frame machine, and Miller welding equipment. Technicians are also I-CAR Gold certified. “We’re proud to welcome Brian Gore to the CARSTAR family,” said Byers. “His experience and commitment to providing the highest quality auto body repair are a great addition to our network and to our Chicago region.” CARSTAR recently added a threestore MSO to their network of collision repair experts. CARSTAR Wilson Green Bay West and CARSTAR Wilson Niagara in Wisconsin, along with CARSTAR Wilson Norway in Michigan, are the latest additions. The shops are owned and operated by Kevin and Ruth Wilson. CARSTAR Wilson Green Bay West is located in Green Bay, WI. CARSTAR Wilson Niagara is located Niagara, WI. It is the first shop that

Kevin built in 2002. CARSTAR Wilson Norway, located in Norway, MI, is Wilson’s second location, and also the shop where he worked as a tech for nine years before becoming an owner. “We are extremely excited to become part of CARSTAR,” said Kevin. “As an MSO, it is often difficult to maintain consistency across all locations. We are confident that the benefits offered by CARSTAR are the keys to continued growth, improvement and success in this industry. We are looking forward to bringing our company to the next level as part of the CARSTAR family.” All three shops feature heated downdraft paint booths, along with unibody and frame equipment. Wilson also utilizes the CCC ONE® Total Repair Platform for computerized estimating, workflow, repair processes and an improved customer experience. “We are excited to welcome Kevin and Ruth Wilson to the CARSTAR family,” said Byers. “A growing MSO is the perfect partner to benefit from the programs and resources that CARSTAR offers. We look forward to working with the Wilsons to provide the highest-quality collision repair in the Midwest and seeing them grow into a larger MSO in the future.”

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Body Shops Profiting from Winter Weather in IL

Local body shops in Rockford, IL are seeing an increase in customers in need of repairs due to the slippery roads and cold weather. On January 9, dozens of calls came in for cars that had slid off the road into ditches, reported Carolina Cruz, mystateline.com. Alpine Body Shop repaired a majority of the vehicles on that day. The shop employees expect to continue having a packed garage as the cold weather surges on well into spring.

Hollywood Designs at Car Show

Cincinnati, OH celebrated their 55th annual custom car show the weekend of January 9-11. The Cavalcade of Customs car show, featuring models by the famous designer, Gene Winfield, was held at the Duke Energy Center. Winfield built the original shuttle craft for ‘Star Trek,’ all vehicles in Blade Runner, and one of the Doloreans in Back to the Future 2, reported wlwt.com. Jim Boitnott, from Fairfield, also had his work showcased. A painter from age 12, he is one of the industry’s most respected and in-demand auto body and paint custom workers according to wlwt.com.

Sesser, IL Businesses, Organization Hosted First Christmas Car Giveaway by Mona Sandefur, bentoneveningnews.com

One Sesser family received a great surprise this Christmas but was not the kind that will easily fit under the tree. Allison Nix, secretary of Youth and Family Activity Planners or YAP, said the organization is the brainchild of former interim police chief Paul Carlson. “We are a not-for-profit organization that meets every other Tuesday night at 6 p.m. at Sesser Church of Christ, where my husband, Michael serves as pastor and treasurer of YAP,” she said. “Tim Pierce, owner of Sesser AutoBody, came up with the idea of having an annual Christmas car giveaway. He met with several YAP members and asked us if we wanted to participate. We asked for nomination letters from the Sesser-Valier area and received more than 30 letters. Some of the nomination letters name the same family. We have several families in this area in need of a vehicle. The committee met Tuesday afternoon to select the winner.” Nix said the organization includes members of varying ages and talents and is open to all. “We have hosted five events this year, and all are free of charge,” she said. “We don’t want to exclude anyone. Even a $5 entry charge may be too much for many families and we want everyone to participate. YAP

Terry’s Auto Celebrates 40 Years in SE Nebraska by McCook Gazette

For the past 40 years, automobile owners in Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas have been turning to Terry’s Auto Repair in McCook for their repair and service needs. And, for most of that time, Terry Hilker has operated the business at 17 South Street. “We started the business just after Christmas in 1974,” Terry said. “And here we are 40 years later, at the same location providing the same quality repair work we have throughout our time in business.” Terry started the repair shop in the building which originally served as Duke’s Body Shop. Terry moved the business to 421 West B for several years before buying the building on South Street in 1979 and returning to stay until the present day. To keep pace with the repair firm’s increasing volume, Terry was joined in the business by his son, Jarrod, in 1994. Following graduation from McCook High School in 1992, Jarrod took part in the auto body program in Milford before joining his father full-time in the auto repair trade. Among the many specialties of Terry’s Auto Repair are complete brake systems, full custom exhaust work,

front end alignments, oil changes, engine and transmission rebuilding, and complete air conditioning service. In addition, Terry’s Auto Repair offers 5Star Muffler installations and service. The years have flown by for Terry, who was raised in McCook and graduated from McCook High School in 1966. Following graduation, he served in the U.S. Navy for four years. Upon his return to McCook, he worked at Dodge City, advancing to the job foreman’s position before deciding to start his own business. Terry and his wife, Tammie, have two children and six grandchildren. Their son, Jarrod and his wife, Julie, are the parents of three daughters. The Hilkers’ daughter, Toni Fila and her husband, Chris, live in Grand Island and also are the parents of three daughters. Around cars all his life, many of Terry’s hobbies are auto-related. “I enjoy driving and showing street rods, traveling and camping,” he said. “There has been a lot of wrenchturning in 40 years,” Terry said. But he still enjoys his work and looks forward to continued service to customers, old and new, in the years to come. We thank McCook Gazette for permission to reprint their article.

10 FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

is taking a break until after the holidays. We will resume our meetings in January to plan next year’s calendar of events. We have some long-range goals including a community center for Sesser youth. We are also working to establish our 501(C)3 status as a nonprofit organization. The church is located at 110 W. Stamper Ave. in Sesser. Nix said this year’s events included Sesser’s Old Fashion Christmas on Dec. 6, a Halloween fun run, and movie nights. “We hosted five events in 2014 including a concert at the Sesser Opera House and are supported by 15 local businesses. We have 15 active volunteers who are working to build a better community and have been in operation for almost two years. We are honored to be a part of the Christmas car giveaway and want to keep it going.” For more information, visit www.sesserryap.org. Pierce said the 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer was completely refurbished and delivered to the family on Monday, Dec. 22. “The Christmas car giveaway is based on need, not income,” he said. “We did the work on the Trailblazer and “Pokey,” who runs Sesser Towing and works for Sesser AutoBody, delivered the Trailblazer on a trailer. We have had the Trailblazer for a while after someone traded it in, added new tires, fixed it up, cleaned it

up, did a little touchup work and maintenance. We even delivered the Trailblazer with a bow on it.” Pierce said the idea has been in the works for about two years. “We wanted to start the Christmas car giveaway program a while back but had no knowledge of how to go about it or how to get the word out,” he said. “I saw an article about a car giveaway in an auto body magazine and started working on the idea again. Diana Rogers, who is the secretary for Sesser AutoBody, also serves on the YAP board. “We have only been working on this idea for three weeks and YAP helped us get the word out. We received at least 25 nomination letters from sponsors who nominated a person or a family in need of a vehicle. They have five judges who selected the winner.” Justin “Pokey” Squires said he looked forward to delivering the Trailblazer. “It is great to have the opportunity to donate a vehicle to a needy person or family,” he said. “That’s what Christmas is all about.” Squires said he has been in business for one year. For information about Sesser Towing, call 618-625-7777. Pierce said Sesser AutoBody has been in business for 14 years. For information, call 618-625-3523. We thank bentoneveningnews.com for permission to reprint their article.

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 11

MO Collision Repair Shop Moves to Bigger Location

Dan Kizer, owner of Kizer Collision Repair and Heavy Towing, is making plans to move to 311 E. South Hills Dr. this spring in MO. The building he is currently leasing at 2117 S. Main will be torn down so the neighboring dealership, Tri-State Ford Lincoln, can continue expansion. The collision repair and towing shop, now in its fifth year, has created a niche by specializing in commercial vehicles, large trucks, and buses, according to Tony Brown, maryvilledailyforum.com. However, Kizer still services automobiles and pickup trucks. The shop owner is viewing the move in a positive light, saying it’s an opportunity to grow his business—something he has been trying to do for a while, reported Brown. The shift to the brand new facility on South Hills Drive means double the workspace for Kizer and his employees. With the extra space, the repair facility should be able to increase the numbers of cars in their shop at a time from four to eight, which will increase efficiency. Kizer hopes to add a third fulltime body technician, bringing his total payroll to five people, includ-

ing two part-time wrecker drivers, reported Brown. He also has plans to better his facilities by adding an advanced fluorescent lighting system, interior fire suppression and clean air systems, a more thoroughly segregated paint booth, and a 95-percent efficient floor-based heating Kizer Collision Repair and Heavy Towing are known for their hardwearing trucks with aggressive nicknames. Kizer’s gigantic “Blue Mule” machine is a familiar site in Nodaway County when oversized automobiles, like an 18-wheeler, bus or gooseneck rig, need a helping hand. In addition to the “Mule,” the Kizer shop also operates a large rollback wrecker named “Donkey” and a custom trailer-towed skid steer used for retrieving vehicles wrecked or stalled in rugged, hard-toreach locations, reported Brown. Though body repair and painting generates most of the shop’s income, Kizer stated that the towing end of the business is a growing source of revenue.

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WI Woman Gets Her Car Vandalized Twice by Poultry

TN’s James Hampe Receives National Technician Award

About a month after Thanksgiving, and a few days after a fresh wax had been applied by a local body shop, a Madison woman’s car was vandalized by a turkey. The unwanted event took place on Christmas Eve and then again two days later. The victim believes that the turkey was attracted to the shine of her car, Katie DeLong of fox6now.com reported. The body and fender of the car had scratches all over it. This is not the first time that Madison, WI has had a turkey problem. These wild foul have been known to block traffic and chase mail carriers, Delong reports. They appear to be striking back with a vengeance since their near extinction in the 1930s. The turkey population has grown from 30,000 to seven million, thanks to the efforts of the non-profit group, the National Wild Turkey Federation. In the meantime, the Madison police have suggested positioning a mirror to distract the turkey away from the car, according to DeLong.

An ASE-Certified Master Collision Repair & Refinish technician from Maryville, TN was recently honored with a national achievement award as the Snap-on/ASE Master Collision Repair & Refinish Technician of the Year, according to thedailytimes.com. James Hampe was one of 47 automotive professionals recognized at the Fall Board of Governors meeting of the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). The award ceremony was held on Nov. 19, 2014 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. In order to be honored, technicians must receive a top score on the ASE Certification Tests. More than 300,000 ASE-certified professionals nationwide take these tests each year. Other factors, including community service and on-the-job-excellence, are also taken into consideration. Tom Ward, President, Repair System & Information Group; Glenn Dahl, Chairman of the ASE Board of Directors; and Timothy Zilke, ASE President and CEO, presented the award to Hampe, thedailytimes.com reported. Hampe has been a collision technician for almost 40 years and is currently employed by Auto Collision Experts in Louisville, KY.

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Busy Bee Auto Employee in OH Shocked to Find Trapped Man in Towed Car

A critically injured man in Dayton, OH was trapped in his vehicle for six hours after it was towed on New Years Day, inquisitr.com reported. Officials in southwest Ohio are trying to figure out how something like this could happen. As the car was being removed off a flatbed truck, a worked noticed a man inside screaming for help, according to inquisitr.com. The man was reported to be in stable condition a week after the crash. The investigation is being handled by Capt. Jeremy Roy of the Montgomery Sheriff’s office. Investigators are trying to determine whether protocol was followed for checking the interior of a vehicle prior to towing. Roy is also looking into whether the man could’ve gotten into his car after officers checked it, but he admits that would be unlikely due to the man’s injuries, ac-

cording to inquisitr.com. Electrical wires scattered across the road may have prevented the officer from accessing the car, Roy stated. Inquisitr.com reported that the officers who responded to the call are still carrying out normal duties. The accident occurred around 3 a.m. when the man, who was driving through Dayton, allegedly lost control of the Chevy Impala, drove through a fence, and struck a utility pole, causing it to break, according to inquisitr.com. Despite the presence of both police and fire officials on the scene, the driver of the vehicle could not be found before it was handed over to Busy Bees Auto parts garage. The car was registered to Mark Gilliam, 42, but police have yet to confirm if he was the man injured in the accident, reported inquisitr.com.

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Russ Nolting is CARSTAR’s Area Director of Operations

CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts has added Russ Nolting as its newest Area Director of Operations. In his new role, Nolting will be responsible for providing consulting support for stores from an operating, financial, insurance and purchasing perspective, and delivering the CARSTAR EDGE Performance programs for locations in the Greater St. Louis, MO area. Nolting has a combined 20 years of experience in the insurance and collision repair industries. He began his career at Progressive Insurance, where he developed DRP relationships with repair shops. Nolting transitioned to the collision side of the business with Gerber Collision & Glass in Skokie, IL, where he spent nine years, moving from production manager to general manager of three Gerber facilities. He then became co-owner of a collision repair and mechanical shop, and most recently worked for Bill Mathews Auto Body in Springfield, IL where he helped improve their DRP insurance relationships and oversaw all day-today operations. Nolting graduated from Western Illinois University, with a degree in Business Administration. He is also ICAR Platinum certified.

Midwest Auto Body Trade Show to be Held in Iowa Feb. 19th

The 5th annual Midwest Auto Body Trade Show, sponsored by the Iowa Collision Repair Association, will be held February 19th at the Sheraton West Des Moines in Iowa. The address is 1800 50th St., West Des Moines. More information can be found online: http://www.iowacra.com/ wp-content/uploads/2014/12/TradeShow-2015-Vendor-doc-1.pdf

LaGrange, MO, Shop Fire Not a Complete Loss

An auto body shop in LaGrange, Missouri caught fire Dec. 18 as employees were working. The fire started at Stub’s Auto Body at 26280 State Highway B just before 1 p.m. LaGrange Fire Chief Grant Kennedy said that shop employees were pulling a gas pump out of a truck and welding when sparks caused the fire. The LaGrange Fire Department, Canton Fire Department, Lewis County Ambulance and the Lewis County Sheriff were all on scene to assist. The building is not a complete loss.

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 13

On Creative Marketing

Re-Structuring For Renewal with Thomas Franklin

Nature provides us with many wondrous examples of renewal. The snake sheds his skin and appears with a new one. The caterpillar metamorphasizes into a colorful butterfly. As we once again move into a New Year, perhaps it’s time to renew and re-create a powerful forward thrust to gain new, better, or more profitable business. I see the most successful shops in my area looking to a future of change. Technicians are being re-trained to repair new vehicles. Many shops are taking marketing into cyberspace and creating a presence on many social media sites. They also now ask customers and prospects foe their e-mail address. This task of actually doing it is often left to office personnel, customer service representatives and estimators. In the rush to get a customer’s information so an estimate can be written and hopefully the job and the keys to the car obtained, asking for an e-mail address and other vital statistics is often omitted. A book that’s been around a while called “The Path of Least Resistance,” by Robert Fritz, tells us why this new task (and many others) are not carried out and put into practice by employees. Fritz says, “Structure determines behavior.” If behavior isn’t changing, the problem is often with the structure. To illustrate this fact, he describes someone driving a car with a structural problem, out of alignment. If the car is pulling to the left, the driver steers

slightly to the right to keep the car moving straight ahead. Steering straight ahead will not improve the situation. Similarly, giving an employee a new or additional task to perform, without changing the structure to facilitate the task, will seldom result in the employee consistently carrying out the task. From his or her own point of view, the employee may feel the task is “out of alignment” with the structure of his or her job or workflow. A vehicle’s structure must be corrected and aligned to fix the steering. Fritz says to make a change that will be accepted, the change must be structural. In our industry, we are keenly aware of the importance of structural integrity. We’re all familiar with the structure of a vehicle, but what are the structural elements of an employee’s job? Time is an obvious element. If an employee’s day is fully scheduled and you add more time-consuming work without reducing something already being done, he or she will either reject the new task, or drop out some other task arbitrarily. Time must be restructured to accommodate the new task. Another main structural element, from the point of the view of the employee, is compensation. A typical attitude is, “If I’m not being paid more to do this, why should I do it?” Adding a bonus or commission is a structural change that may motivate many employees to take on an added task (if it’s profitable enough for them). And, of course, if

ABRA and Progressive Gift F-150 to Wounded Warriors

ABRA Auto Body & Glass in partnership with the Progressive Group of Insurance Companies’ annual Keys to Progress® program and the National Auto Body Council, the gifting of a refurbished Ford F-150 to Wounded Warriors. Staff Sergeant Roy Shaver accepted the like-new truck on behalf of the Wounded Warriors during a Veteran’s Day gifting ceremony on November 11, at the Indianapolis Service Center, a one-stop facility where Progressive handles claims and coordinates repairs for customers. Wounded Warriors will use the newly refurbished Ford F-150 in day-to-day activities and outreach in the community. The Keys to Progress organiza-

tion and members of the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides program work to repair and donate vehicles to deserving families and community service organizations throughout the United States. The Ford F-150 truck was donated by Progressive Insurance and repaired by ABRA Auto Body & Glass with generous donations from LKQ/Keystone, PPG Automotive Finishes, Elimidents paintless dent repair, Indy Tire Center, Dr. Vinyl, ERAC, and Jimmy Buff-It’s Auto Detailing.

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14 FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Tom Franklin has been a sales and marketing consultant for fifty years. He has written numerous books and provides marketing solutions and services for many businesses. He can be reached at (323) 871-6862 or at tbfranklin@aol.com. See Tom’s columns at www.autobodynews.com under Columnists > Franklin

it’s profitable for you! Some re-structuring is similar to the “replacement principle” used to help smokers quit the habit of smoking. Cigarettes are replaced with gum, a patch or perhaps eCigarettes to bridge over the change. Some habits are so ingrained, we’re hardly aware they’re habits. For example a couple of shops have been trying to upgrade their images. Both shops have spray booths that are seriously out of date. The problem is, both shops have been turning out good quality work for a long time with their existing spray booths. It’s hard to change a habitual activity when it seems to work well. But insurance companies are becoming more demanding every day, pushing for faster and shorter cycle times. If these shops are serious about growing and acquiring new insurance business, they will break the “old spray booth habit” and replace it sooner rather than later.

When we think of renewal, it’s natural to think of adding new equipment, new facilities, and new procedures, but first it may be necessary to engage in some subtraction. Even the snake that sheds his old skin to display a new one has to first get rid of the old skin. As noted earlier, old marketing habits have to change too. Many new marketing methods require costly personnel familiar with all of the social media strategies. What can a shop owner with a limited budget do to get marketing results? Perhaps the answer can be found in the concept of “structure.” The structure of a vehicle is a fixed base. It doesn’t change from day to day. Effective marketing must go on day after day. Contacting referral business monthly is a must. Communicating with prior customers on an on-going basis is a structural necessity. But a better structure may exist and finding it may be the key to profitable renewal.

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 15

Continued from Cover

Concern in Industry

After several reports published over the past year, Autobody News has found that shops across the country are paying close attention to the court’s developments to determine whether the decision will help or hinder the MDL case. More than 500 auto body shops in 33 states are now part of the MDL against the nation’s top insurers. When Autobody News went to press last month, lead attorney John Eaves Jr. of Eaves Law Firm in Mississippi reported that lawsuits have already been filed by auto body shops in 17 states and 16 more were in the process of being filed. (See map on cover.) These shops claim that more than 35 auto insurers have suppressed reimbursement rates to collision repair shops and direct repair programs violate antitrust laws. The first five antitrust actions were filed by shops in Florida, Mississippi, Indiana, Utah and Tennessee the beginning of 2014. In April of 2014, a RICO class action lawsuit was filed in Illinois by Crawford’s Auto Center on behalf of

collision repair facilities nationwide with similar issues. It involves major auto insurance companies and the industry’s three data providers: CCC, Mitchell and Audatex. At the time, Crawford’s did not support the case being consolidated with the MDL. However in December, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation decided to transfer the case. According to court documents, “…transfer is warranted for the reasons set out in our order directing centralization. In that order, we held that the Middle District of Florida was an appropriate… forum for actions stemming from an alleged industry-wide conspiracy to suppress the reimbursement rates applicable to automobile collision repair shops, including complex issues concerning the role of ‘direct repair programs’ in furtherance of the alleged scheme.” Eaves said when the class action lawsuit was first transferred to Florida there was some concern that it might prolong the multidistrict litigation. “We’ve been assured that the court will put down a different time track so our concerns are greatly relieved about the class action,” he said. Although the same court will be handling the case,

Eaves predicts it will take longer than the MDL. “We think this is different. It includes not only insurance companies but also includes the data base providers and the MDL does not,” he said. The other notable case transferred to the Middle District of Florida in December was State of Louisiana v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Insurance. Filed by Louisiana Attorney General James D. “Buddy” Caldwell against State Farm in August 2014, it alleges monopolization and deceptive trade practices by the insurance company. Dick Luedke, spokesperson for State Farm, said, “State Farm requested that the lawsuit filed by the attorney-general (AG) in Louisiana be transferred to the multi-district litigation in Florida and so we are pleased the MDL panel has done that in spite of objections from the AG’s office in Louisiana. The Louisiana AG’s allegations do not describe the way State Farm does business as we fulfill our mission to serve the needs of our customers in keeping with our long, proud history of achievements in advancing vehicle safety.” James Burns, co-leader of the antitrust practice at Dickinson Wright PLLC, said the LA case is somewhat

different than the previously transferred cases. “First, unlike the other previously transferred cases, the Louisiana case was originally filed in state court, and subsequently transferred to federal court,” said Burns, whose practice focuses on the application of the antitrust laws to the insurance industry, but is currently not involved in the MDL proceeding. “In addition, Louisiana contended that its case, which it characterized as an ‘enforcement action,’ was materially different in character than the private party actions currently before the transferee court, and thus the Louisiana case should not be transferred for this reason.” That contention, however, was rejected by the Panel, Burns noted, which stated that it “often has transferred state enforcement actions to MDLs that involved cases brought by private litigants.” “The issue of transfer to the MDL is really a secondary issue for our case,” said Stacie deBlieux, Louisiana’s Assistant Attorney General. “The primary issue is whether federal jurisdiction can be exercised over our case at all, which was filed in state court in Louisiana. We have filed a motion detailing the lack of

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federal jurisdiction over our claims. Once that motion is heard by the MDL court, our case should be remanded back to state court in Louisiana.” Eaves said the attorney general’s action has a good chance of being returned to Louisiana. “It’s a fundamentally different case,” he said. “That case is representing the people of Louisiana and representing the consumers where our interest is the body shops who serve the consumers. As far as the perspective and the evidence, the attorney general of Louisiana will be focused on the consumer protection laws of Louisiana.” He explained that the case is focused on antitrust issues and basic contract law in the United States. “The end result to the consumer is the same but it’s a different set of laws,” he said. “It will be interesting to see if the court actually keeps the case. I think there is a high probability that the court will return it to Louisiana.” Presiding Judge Gregory Presnell will ultimately decide if the cases should be remanded to state court. The MDL has a standing court date the first Friday of every month. “I think the most exciting thing that we’re working on right now is we’re

asking the court for an injunction to stop them from the retaliatory practices against body shops, which is all forms of steering,” said Eaves. “We’re articulating about 24 tactics that the insurance companies use on a regular basis to get customers to go to shops that are willing to cut corners.” This includes representing evidence to the court gathered by the body shops. Their hope is to have a certain amount of penalties occurring even before the litigation gets underway. “We have hundreds of thousands of documents that will show how consumers are being shorted on their policy reimbursements that are owed to have correct repairs done on their vehicles,” said Ron Perretta, Owner of Professional Auto Body in PA. “We have documented the steering, improper repairs, substandard parts being used without regard to testing and safety, dialog that’s misleading and how the insurance companies have put their appraisers and other staff at risk of personal lawsuits.” Perretta, who has been instrumental in spreading the word about the MDL case, said they expect injunction relief to be in effect soon. “This will virtually stop the steering and manipulation by insurers,” he said. “If they

don’t follow the judge’s orders there could be serious consequences; we expect they will test the judge.” “The mission that we have been given is to stop the insurance company’s race to the bottom,” said Eaves. He said the case has focused on “all insurance companies that reward those body shops that are willing to cut corners and punish the shops that are willing to stand up for the consumer.” He said the practices used by some larger insurance carriers are uniform throughout the country. “They use the same types of policies from Maine to California,” said Eaves. “Ultimately it’s the consumers who are really the victims in all of this.” When contacted by Autobody News, Allstate Insurance, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Nationwide and Progressive replied that they do not comment on pending litigation. For information about the multidistrict lawsuit, contact John Eaves Jr. at johnjr@eaveslaw.com. Information about “The Movement” by auto body shops can be found online: www.TakingBackOur Industry.com. Autobody shops in Pennsylvania can contact Ron Perretta at ronperretta@aol.com or 814-931-7669.

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Fletcher Jones Expands with Audi Dealership in IL

Car dealer Fletcher Jones plans to open an Audi showroom near Bucktown, IL, continuing the company’s moves to expand on the city’s Bucktown’s North Side, reported Micah Maidenberg, chicagobusiness.com. The company’s management group is planning to open a fourstory Audi Fletcher Jones Sales Center if and when they acquire a zoning change. The sales center will be located on 1521 W. North Ave., which is currently a 41,366square-foot parking lot that the company purchased seven years ago. The proposed 95,033-squarefoot dealership, designed by architecture firm, Gensler, would be south of the company’s MercedesBenz showroom. Fletcher Jones already sells Audis in Chicago, reported Maidenberg. In Sept. 2014, Fletcher Jones built an auto mall and bought an eight-acre sight for around $20.7 million. It will be located at 900 N Ogden Ave., reported Maidenberg. The inspiration to open a new retail location comes with the influx of car buyers.

Chevrolet Cadillac

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 17

Midwest Associations

Chasidy Rae Sisk is a freelance technical writer from Wilmington, Delaware, who writes on a variety of fields and subjects, and grew up in a family of NASCAR fans. She can be contacted at crsisk@chasidyraesisk.com.

ASA-Midwest Celebrates Giving Back at 2014 Holiday Parties with Chasidy Rae Sisk

Throughout the month of December, four chapters of ASA-Midwest held holiday parties, but celebrating the season wasn’t their only goal; association members embraced the holiday spirit by giving back to their communities. In fact, each chapter’s party doubled as a charitable function where they showed their support by donating everything from food to money and even a vehicle! The Kansas City Chapter held the first holiday party of 2014 on December 9 in the private Bubble Down Lounge at Louie’s Wine Dive, but in addition to celebrating the holidays, chapter members used the event to surprise one chosen family with a fully-refurbished 2005 PT Cruiser. The presentation of the vehicles was “the culmination of a month-long drive to raise funds for the acquisition and refurbishment of a car to be given to a family in need as a part of our ASA-Midwest Gives Back Campaign,” Sheri Hamilton, Executive Director of ASA-Midwest, explains.

With over 30 people in attendance, the event was deemed a success. Hamilton says, “it was a lovely gathering for members to celebrate the holidays with their friends and peers while enjoying a few cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. It was also a great chance for everyone to meet and get to know the recipient of the Holiday Car. It was a fitting way to ring in the new year and give back to our community. The family was very grateful for the gift, and we were thrilled to be able to make a small difference during the Holiday season.” On December 11, the Des Moines Chapter held their second annual holiday party at Dos Rios Cantina to give industry professionals a chance to

gather in celebration of the holidays as well as to encourage participation in the association’s Give Back Campaign. Over 30 members and allied members enjoyed an evening of networking while snacking on a tasty taco bar and freshly made taquitos. The chapter also collected and donated several boxes of food to DMARC’s Move the Food Campaign. The Central Missouri Chapter of ASA-Midwest celebrated the holidays on December 16 at Lonestar Steakhouse where members socialized, indulged in delicious meals, and collected donations for the Rainbow House Network, an organization in Columbia MO that provides emergency shelter and support to children in need as well as assistance to families in crisis and atrisk youth in the community. Hamilton shares, “the chapter had a great turnout and response from members. We were able to donate many items from the list of needs with Rainbow House as well as a cash donation, courtesy of our partner CARQUEST Auto Parts. Representatives Darryl Schafer and Kevin Leiby dropped the chapter’s donations off at the Rainbox House and were able to meet the director of the organization as well.” The Springfield Chapter chose to support The Rare Breed Outreach Organization whose mission is preventing and ending homelessness in their local youth community by providing houses and stabilizing services with dignity and compassion. Hamilton states, “ASAMidwest believes strongly in giving back to the communities where we live and being an active part of their improvement. We believe that by giving back to the community as an organization and an industry, we can strengthen not only the future of our shops but also the communities that we serve. The Springfield Chapter sent four representatives to Rare Breed to present a $1000 donation on behalf of ASA-Midwest. The donation was very well-received, and we believe it will go a long way in assisting Rare Breed in serving those in need.” ASA-Midwest’s holiday parties, like their other events, are important for allowing members to network with their peers. Hamilton elaborates, “we

18 FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

believe that it is important to bring the automotive service industry together in service to the community, both to strengthen the future of the industry and to provide an opportunity to network, share ideas, and participate in improving the local communities we live in.

believe that, through the relationships formed at these events, the community as a whole is strengthened. Together, we are not only able to give back to the community but also to receive highquality training that wouldn’t be available to individuals on their own.”

[Our events] provide a much-needed venue for our members to meet, discuss ideas, and solve problems, but we also

ASA-Midwest 816-781-5801 www.asa-midwest.org

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 19

Continued from Cover

Top 2015 Resolutions

ing and maintenance, it adds up quickly. But one simple change in the paint booth can contribute nearly $25,000 to the bottom line annually. The family of 3M™ Accuspray™ System HVLP spray guns with replaceable atomizing heads and 3M™ PPS™ technology delivers premium performance at a fraction of the cost and effort, with improved productivity, reduced solvent use and minimized clean-up time. The system can provide excellent atomization, resulting in high transfer efficiency and a large, usable spray pattern with low overspray. The 3M PPS technology with disposable lids, cups and liners deliver solvent reductions of up to 70 percent, which at $400 per 55 gallon barrel per week, translates to $14,560 in savings annually. And, by using the system to mix and filter internally, it reduces paint waste by one ounce per mix, adding thousands more to the bottom line. The system offers full diameter filters for improved fluid flow and, with five sizes to choose from, the

right size cup for every application. The 3M Accuspray spray guns, including HG18 for primer and HG14 for sealer and paint applications, provides painters premium performance on demand and reduces cleaning and maintenance needs.

Resolution #2 – Finally….A Solution for Texture Matching For automotive professionals, matching textures on rocker panels has always been a challenge. And the current technology for applying these textured coatings and undercoatings means painters not only struggle with coating thickness and overspray, but also product waste and cleanup. The 3M Body Protection System is reinventing how repair technicians spray textured finishes found on today’s vehicles for rock protection and sound deadening. It leverages the 3M Accuspray spray gun to give painters the accuracy and control to match OEM textured finishes with fine, medium, coarse or splattered patterns. The 3M Body Protection System gives automotive professionals a powerful tool for productivity, including: ● Ability to adjust pressures and spray pattern, allowing for a better

match to OEM textures. ● Ability to cut in half the application time of textured finishes to rocker panels, wheel wells and undercarriages in many cases. ● The pressurized version of the 3M Accuspray spray gun allows the product to be sprayed at any angle, making it easier to reach lower rocker sections and inside wheel wheels. ● The painter can easily adjust the spray pattern to reduce overspray and masking. ● Painters can easily achieve a perfect texture match, enabling improved repair quality and higher CSI scores.

Resolution #3 – Make tough jobs more efficient with the right tools The right tools from 3M can make tough jobs faster and more efficient. Designed for ergonomic comfort, durability and performance, 3M has the right tool for the job from start to finish, including the: ► 3M™ File Belt tool is designed for heavy metalworking in tight areas and is ideal for aluminum repair. ► 3M™ Random Orbital Sander with self-generated vacuum is designed for cleaner workspaces at a lower investment.

► 3M™ Cut-Off Wheel tool for panel cutting and sectioning. ► 3M™ Disc Sander for weld grinding and paint removal.

The right tool needs the right abrasive, and for the best performance that means the 3M™ Cubitron™ II line of abrasive products for heavy metalworking. These cutting and grinding products deliver outstanding performance, speed, consistency and disc life for automotive body technicians. Compared to traditional abrasives, the 3M Cubitron II products cut through paint, welds and metals twice as fast, with double the life span. The offering includes: ● 3M™ Cubitron™ II Fibre Roloc™ Discs designed for weld grinding and paint removal ● 3M™ Cubitron™ II Abrasive Fibre Discs for door skin removal, paint stripping and weld grinding ● 3M™ Cubitron™ II Cut-Off Wheel for panel cutting and sectioning jobs ● 3M™ Cubitron™ II File Belt for spot weld removal and MIG weld finishing ● 3M™ Cubitron™ II Clean Sanding Hookit™ Discs designed for faster

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cutting for paint removal, the early sanding stage in small or large area body repairs, body filler rough shaping and feather edging

Resolution #4 – Cut the leading reason for comebacks – swirl marks in paint finishes When it comes to paint refinishing, compounding is the most debated step in the process. For paint professionals, 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division offers two excellent systems – one with a compounding step and one without. Are you using the right process for your paint finishing jobs to deliver the best finish and eliminate swirl marks? It all depends on the size of the job. For small to medium-sized areas like a door panel or fender, 3M recommends using the 3M™ Trizact™ 5000 and 3M™ Perfect-It™ 1 solution. This allows the paint professional to spend more time sanding with a DA and less time buffing with a heavy buffer. This system doesn’t have a compounding step, so it eliminates the time and cleanup for compounding and allows the painter to complete the job more quickly. But for large areas or dark-colored

vehicles, 3M recommends its 3M Perfect-It Large Area Paint Finishing System and a traditional refinishing method. Technicians can achieve a perfect finish with the 3M Perfect-It large area paint finishing system featuring the 3M Perfect-It EX rubbing compound, which provides faster cutting, longer working time with less sling, ease of handling and easy clean-up. 3M offers standard operating procedures for both processes online at http://3mcollision.com/library/sops.

Resolution #5 – Get Ready to Repair Advanced Materials Preparing for aluminum and advanced materials is a big challenge. 3M has been working with OEMs for several years to validate the tools, products and processes for aluminum repair. Now, shops can implement 3M’s proven portfolio of products, tools, SOPS and materials to expertly repair aluminum-body vehicles. Key to aluminum repair is a dedicated clean room with separate tools for welding, bonding, riveting, sanding, grinding and structural procedures on aluminum components. Separate safety equipment is also important, as technicians will need dedicated respi-

rators, eye protection and gloves for aluminum repairs. 3M makes many products that can be used on both aluminum and steel. Premium 3M AAD body fillers and glazes contain high-quality adhesion promoters and are approved for use on aluminum. For sanding, 3M AAD recommends its line of 3M Cubitron II abrasives that cut faster, run cooler and minimize substrate damage. In addition, 3M Panel Bonding Adhesive is compatible, OEM-approved for aluminum and is specifically recommended by Ford for the repairs to the 2015 Aluminum F-150. 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division now offers Standard Operating Procedures for aluminum repair. Visit 3MCollision.com/aluminum for more information. To make these innovative solutions part of your shop’s process in 2015, contact your local 3M representative or distributor. For more information on these solutions, visit www.3MCollision.com and follow us at www.Facebook.com/3MCollision.

www.autobodynews.com CHECK IT OUT!

Axalta Launches ‘Color Block’ Blog

Axalta Coating Systems recently launched a new blog titled “Color Block” focusing on color. The manufacturer of liquid and powder coatings introduced the blog to highlight its Automotive Color of the Year campaign. Axalta executives, fourtime NASCAR® Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon and Ray Evernham, three-time NASCAR champion crew chief and host of Velocity’s television show, Americarna revealed Axalta’s 2015 color of the year, Radiant Red, at SEMA 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Radiant Red debuted on the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS driven by Gordon. The blog will feature posts from experts in a variety of industries including fashion, interior design, architecture and cosmetology. Axalta’s own color experts Nancy Lockhart and Dan Benton will post blog articles as well. “This is a great opportunity for Axalta to continue to share our automotive color expertise and invite experts from an array of fields to discuss the relevance of red in their industries,” said Nancy Lockhart, Axalta's Color Marketing Manager. To read it visit www.axaltacs.com/us/color.

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From Grandma’s Vacuum to Serious Spray Finishing Technology: Turbospray HVLP by Bill Boxer

If you saw an ad in your trade magazine that said “SPRAY WITH LESS MESS AND OVERSPRAY,” How would you react and respond? 1. No way! Just another advertising “come-on.” 2. I saw it years ago and it had limitations. 3. Interesting! 4. Tell me more. 5. Show me. Almost 35 years ago I saw a fullpage advertisement in a Piano Technicians Journal that headlined “SPRAY WITH LESS MESS AND OVERSPRAY.” My responses were numbers 3, 4 and 5: Interesting, Tell me more and Show me. At the time I was re-

building and refinishing pianos and had a significant need for a better way to spray-finish the pianos we were producing. I purchased the system, used it extensively and became passionate about the technology as it produced all the results promised from an excellent finish to dramatically reduced overspray along with many other benefits.

The Story If we turn the clock back 50+ years it was discovered that exhaust air produced by a vacuum cleaner had the ability to atomize fluid. Taking it to the next level, it became apparent that the fluid did not cloud the environment in which it was being used and also that the fluid being projected seemed to last much longer. For many years no one took this concept seriously since environmental concerns were not yet upon us. The coatings and finishes we used were fairly inexpensive and industry was less concerned with the lost product and related costs. The Real Beginning Jump to the early 1980s when turbospray technology found its way to the USA from its European roots; enter

environmental concerns and you have the true beginnings of what today is known as HVLP. Through the 1980s turbospray technology started to take root, having early exposure through many market segments. At this point it is important to separate HVLP turbospray technology from HVLP spray guns that work with a standard air compressor. HVLP Turbospray Technology is the original product that achieved notoriety and where the HVLP name was established. HVLP spray guns that were developed to use with a standard air compressor were an offshoot of the original technology. HVLP turbospray systems do not use compressed air. Air is generated from a high power impeller/blowertype motor that travels through the supplied air hose to a spray gun that is designed to effectively convert the high volume of air produced by the blower motor to efficient low pressure atomizing air to achieve the benefits that HVLP turbospray technology offers. Those benefits are a continuous delivery of clean, warm, dry air, dramatically less overspray that interprets to a documented 38%–40% savings on coatings use and the ability to be either an easily portable system or set up for a fixed-base use. Sound too good to be true? Well, it is true, and every day is being discovered by more and more finishers in the auto finishing and refinishing business: mobile or fixed-base. Now, what more do you need to know to understand HVLP turbospray technology and if it’s so good why isn’t it being used universally instead of compressed air?

Early Hvlp Turbospray Systems OK, let’s backtrack again. Early HVLP turbospray systems offered technology that was limited to low to medium viscosity products. Most turbospray systems only provided one fixed atomizing pressure. Nozzle, needle and air cap technology was limited as well. A few HVLP manufacturers prematurely approached the automotive market back in the 1990s with technology that wasn’t yet ready for the market. While a few finishers experienced positive results if they were spraying very low viscosity single stage paints or very thinned automotive lacquers, most found the application slow and short of expectations.

22 FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Today’s modern automotive coatings as well as the new waterborne products require far more pressure than these early systems offered.

Hvlp Turbospray Systems Today Jump back to today and now you have available the superb benefits of HVLP turbospray technology with equipment

designed to provide higher atomizing pressure to give you the desired results with base coats, metallics, clear coats, fleet coats, solvent or waterborne with

sophisticated HVLP turbospray gun design and specialized nozzles, needles and air caps along with variable pressure control and additional professional features. So, what’s in it for the finisher? A cleaner work environment, less booth maintenance, the ability to add work stations and most of all the added money in your pocket from using less paints and I don’t need to tell you the cost of those products. Maybe I forgot to mention the great benefit of the clean, warm dry air not only for applying solvent finishes but the absolute need for clean dry air when applying waterborne finishes. Yes, no expensive driers needed. Dare I say that you owe it to yourself to look at HVLP Turbospray? Thirty-five years ago it worked for me. The TURBOPRO HVLP Series for automotive finishing is manufactured by Apollo Sprayers International, Inc. in Vista, California and made in the USA. For more information, contact 760-727-8300 or visit www.TurboProHVLP.com. For additional information contact: Bill Boxer, bill@hvlp.com 760 201-4157

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Midwest Associations

New ASA Affiliate in IN Moves Forward in 2015 with Chasidy Rae Sisk

In December 2014, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) announced the addition of a new affiliate in southern Indiana (ASA-IN/Evansville). Over 55 people attended the inaugural meeting which was held on December 9 at Ivy Tech Community College, including several instructors and students from the school. Dan Risley, President of ASA-National, is excited about the addition of the association’s 14th affiliate chapter: “The addition of this Indiana affiliate is significant. Quite frankly, there was a hole in the middle of the Midwest since we have affiliates in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Missouri and Iowa. As ASA continues to grow in strength and size, we are continually seeking new affiliates to increase our presence, especially in areas where we don’t have an affiliate. What makes ASA unique, as compared to other national associations, is that if you are a member of an ASA affiliate, you are required to be a dues-paying member of

ASA-National. The importance of ASA affiliates is really simple; ASA affiliates are the foundation of our house. When they are strong, so is ASA-National. We will be aggressively pursuing new affiliates in 2015.” Risley is grateful to Vernie and Barb Menke of Menke’s Automotive Repair in Newburgh IN, stating “without their participation, time and effort, this would not have happened.” Vernie Menke has been on ASANational’s Board since 2010, and he explains that ASA-IN was formed to “help move the automotive repair industry in IN forward. We see a lot of shops falling behind in terms of training and technology, and that can lead to them going out of business. This struggle caught the attention of Jasper Engines & Transmissions and NAPA Auto Parts who reached out to us about starting an affiliate chapter of ASA. They’ve really stepped up to help with this, and we are very thank-

ful for these two sponsors and their dedication to our industry.” Shortly after joining ASA, the Menkes attended the association’s national convention, and that really helped reinforce the value of belonging to the association. “Barb and I took 18 classes between us that week and saw how great ASA really is. It seems like the elite shops of the nation belong to ASA, and we’ve met a lot of super sharp people who’ve really helped us move our business forward. We’re hoping that ASA-IN will yield similar results for other shops in IN.” ASA-IN debuted in Evansville, in the southern part of the state, and 29 shops have already joined the affiliate. Menke feels “blessed at the amount of interest that’s been expressed so quickly,” but like most ASA affiliates, ASA-IN is already looking forward to expanding. In February, the association will hold a meeting near Indianapolis, in the northern part of the

state, and they hope Risley will return to help promote this second chapter of ASA-IN. Jasper Engines and NAPA are already doing their part to promote the northern chapter. According to Menke, “representatives from our sponsors have been diligently promoting our meetings to their local customers. They realize that what benefits our industry also benefits them; if all these shops go out of business, who will buy their parts?” ASA-IN/Evansville has schedule their next meeting for January 20 at Ivy Tech, and invitations have been extended to owners, managers, service advisors and technicians. After dinner, attendees will separate into two groups for roundtable discussions. Chris Coffman of Ivy Tech will lead the technicians’ roundtable, while owners, managers and service advisors will gather for a roundtable under the guid-

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Aluminum Repair Tips & Techniques in Preparation for Ford F-150 by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor

With Ford’s new F-150 soon to be on the road, collision repair shops across the country are preparing for its release. During an SCRS seminar at SEMA, Larry Montanez of P&L Consultants discussed some of the new procedures and techniques shops will need to learn in order to repair this aluminum-bodied truck. Based in New York, P&L Consultants offers training programs for the collision and insurance industries. “Our mission is to make sure that everybody in the collision repair industry can work together towards making sure the vehicle is prepared properly,” said the company’s coowner Montanez. “There’s truly only one standard, which is what the manufacturer puts out.” He advised shops to learn about the new requirements that will be necessary to repair aluminum and to refer to the manuals provided by the dealer. During the seminar Montanez discussed the training options available for those in the industry, including vocational technical schools, third-party vendors, OEM training and the highest level of training in the au-

tomotive field – OEM welding certification. In a room filled with collision repair shop owners and technicians, he gave an overview of the types of steel and aluminum currently being used to manufacture vehicles. As a Larry Montanez of certified collision P&L Consultants damage analyst and ISO certified aluminum welder, Montanez said, “It’s a different repair process with aluminum than it is with steel. Aluminum is not as forgiving.” Aluminum melts at a much lower temperature than steel, 1,200 degree F versus 2,732 F, which he said changes the repair procedures with a vehicle. He stressed the importance of keeping the aluminum heated at the proper range. “Not staying within the repair heating range will cause the properties of the aluminum alloys to be lost and can anneal the component,” said Montanez. “Annealing is the process of heating the aluminum to the point that it is permanently softened and cannot be returned to its original state.”

After teaching more than 40 classes over the past year, Montanez has found that most of the dents on a vehicle can be removed at a temperature of 200 to 300 degrees using MAP gas. He said that temperature-heating indicators, such as heat monitoring strips or a digital non-contact thermometer, should be used for measurement. Aluminum doesn’t change color like steel; instead it will just disappear, he said. “You can’t heat shrink a panel like you can with steel.” Due to aluminum softening at elevated temperatures, Montanez explained it allows the deformed areas to be straightened more easily. “Aluminum can be as strong as steel in a much thinner area.” He highlighted some of the other advantages of aluminum, such as its durability, strength, corrosion resistance, weight, recyclability and availability. Unlike steel, aluminum can be heated multiple times provided that the temperature remains within the heating range. He noted that quenching the panel with water or compressed air should be avoided and the panel should be allowed to cool naturally. Otherwise, there is a risk of crystallizing the

panel, which can lead to cracking. Regarding the heating equipment used on aluminum, Montanez said there are several options available, including a MAP torch, an oxyacetylene torch, an induction heater and a heat gun. He recommended the MAP torch due to its ease of use but advised against using propane gas. “Propane gas can only be used on a panel that is painted,” said Montanez. “The problem with propane gas is it will apply moisture to bare aluminum and can cause corrosion.” When working with aluminum, he recommended allocating a certain area or room to avoid cross contamination with steel. Ideally, shops should have a designated set of hand and power tools as well as separate equipment such as sandpaper and saw blades. In addition, shops will need vacuum extractors and a fan in the room that is explosion-proof. More information about P&L’s aluminum repair workshop can be found by contacting Larry Montanez at P&L Consulting: 917-860-3588 or info@pnlestimology.com

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Social Media for Shops

Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.

Accident App is Pushing All the Right Buttons for Ohio Shop Owner with Ed Attanasio

By designing and developing a mobile app that can help people after getting into an accident, a body shop owner in Columbus, OH is pushing all the right buttons with his Pink Button app, available to his customers at no charge

The Pink Button is an accident-help app that was created by Bob Juniper, the owner of Three-C Body Shop in Columbus, OH with Leo Daugherty III, the owner of Rampart Hosting, Inc, also located in the Columbus, OH

In addition to all of its multiple functions, the Pink Button app provides common sense tips about what to do once you’ve been in an accident. A local law firm has also seen real value in this app and that’s why they’re paying to advertise on it

via Google Play or the App Store. Bob Juniper, the owner of Three-C Body Shop, Inc. in Columbus, OH has been thinking outside of the box for decades and now he’s happy to see that this innovative application is starting to gain momentum. After 2.5 years of development, Juniper is beginning to see some traction with the Pink Button accident app and the numbers are promising, to say the least. “We know have roughly 5,000 downloads since rolling it out back in February, 2013,” Juniper explained. “In December, we got almost 20 new customers from the app. These people got in an accident and then used it to inform us. They were amazed by how well it worked and each repair was completed seamlessly.” Since every repair at Three-C averages $3,000, which means the Pink Button brought almost $60,000 into his shop—all from the power of the Pink Button app. By working with Leo Daughtery III, the owner and CEO at Rampart Hosting LLC, a Columbus-based IT company to develop the app, Juniper believes that the Pink Button is achieving his main objective, which is con-

necting his customers with his shop. “Auto accidents are no longer stressful and disruptive in the Columbus, OH area with the Pink Button,” he said. If you’re in an accident, Three-C Body Shops offers full accident-scene service at no charge, simply by pushing the button. We’ve eliminated the drama associated with standing on the side of the road searching for towing services, looking frantically for a garage to take the damaged vehicle to or waiting for a friend or relative to pick you up so you can carry on with your day. The Pink Button is a safe alternative, because by using it, you don’t have to even leave your vehicle, which makes it even safer for women. If it’s dark or raining, women can have that peace of mind, because they know we’re on the way.” In short, this app allows drivers to do the following, all by simply pushing the button: ■ Their GPS location is immediately sent to Three-C, so they can call within seconds and confirm that they’ve been in an accident and need help. ■ The app then launches a tow truck and provides for a loaner car (if needed) to their location. ■ By using Glimpse, the driver is able to see exactly where the tow truck is precisely how long it will be before it gets there to help them. ■ Once the tow truck arrives, the car is promptly delivered to Three-C while the customer can go about their day. ■ The repair process begins right away and the people at Three-C handle everything, by contacting their insurance company, fixing the vehicle and detailing it. Daugherty and Juniper started talking about the Pink Button after the former got into an accident and took his car to Three-C. “A 30-lb. raccoon got in my way and is guess he won,” Daugherty said. “The service ay Three-C was great, but I noticed that the communication between me and the shop during the repair wasn’t exceptional. So, Bob and I started talking about how an app could play a role and that got the ball (or the button) rolling at that point.” Juniper agreed to embark on the design and development of the app, even though it wasn’t cheap. “It cost

28 FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

me about $16,000 to build the app, debugging it and doing all of the testing, but now it’s obviously going to eventually pay for itself. We do a lot of radio advertising here in the Columbus market and in our ads, we constantly plug the app, so that has provided outstanding support for the app.” To further support the Pink Button app, Juniper has his staff 100% on-board and ready to respond fast when the app calls, he said. “We’re four-deep when it comes to our responders. Our two truck driver gets the message first, but three others also get it, so that someone will respond it anyone else is busy. We’re getting back to these people within 90 seconds on average, because we want to placate their fears and concerns quickly. The app is all about expediency and if the drivers don’t hear from us asap, we could lose that customer, so we make sure that a staff member is always there.” As a shop that is DRP-free, Juniper knows that time is money when it

comes to acquiring direct customers, he said. “When I look at my competition, I’m not thinking about other body shops, I’m looking at the insurance companies. With this app, I’m able to get the customer long before the insurance company gets to them. I’ve already towed the car and gotten them a rental, so I’m controlling the relationship before they can steer me away to one of their ‘preferred’ shops. We have always been what we call a ‘Direct Repair Alternative,’ so the Pink Button nicely complements our business model.” Now that Three-C has seen how well the app works, Juniper and Daugherty are going to offer the Pink Button to other body shops nationwide. “We now know that the app’s effectiveness is not a theory, it’s a fact,” Juniper said. “We’ve identified approximately 250 independent shops that we think would be an ideal match for the app. These are forward-thinking shops that think outside of the box, just like us.”

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CONTINUED: Northeast Instructor And Students Gain A New Global Perspective Following Trip To England

by James Curry, Northeast Community College

(Continued from January 2015 issue of Autobody News)

Following their time in northern England, the group headed south to London. “Surprisingly, the countryside looked much the same as Nebraska, but the crops were wheat and sugar beets rather than corn and soybeans. There were very few fences in the fields, but instead, they would plant hedges,” Beaudette said. When it came to livestock, the Nebraskans saw more sheep and pen-raised deer rather than cattle. As they entered one of the world’s largest cities, Beaudette said they were overwhelmed by the traffic on the “wrong side of the road” and the number of people who live there. “We mostly walked or rode the ‘Tube,’ the underground subway, which was a new experience that we all found pleasant and efficient.” The group also toured many of London’s most well-known landmarks, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, London Bridge, Buckingham Palace and Abbey Road, where the students took a photo of themselves at the location made famous on the Beatles’ iconic album cover of the same name. Beaudette said the whole trip was a great learning experience for the entire group. He said it was interesting to experience daily life in another culture. “The people were very nice and the staff at North Lindsey gave us a great reception and did an amazing job of planning things for us to do. Each day was full of new and exciting things! We spent evenings at various staff members’ homes, eating home cooked meals, visiting and learning about life

in England. However, the food was much different there and the students were missing their McDonalds.” The students gained a wide range of perspectives from the trip. Ebel said

Like thousands of others before them, Northeast Community College auto body students left a mark (NECC) on the wall outside Abbey Road Studios in London. The students were in England recently as part of an exchange with North Lindsey College in Scunthorpe. Pictured (from left) are Kyle Ebel, Scribner; Kellen Wells, Norfolk; Dustin Johansen, Friend; William Weiland, Decatur; and Caleb Fowlkes, Meadow Grove. (Courtesy Dave Beaudette/Northeast Community College)

he felt the trip reassured him that he has chosen the right career path for him, while Wells said he came to realize that other than an accent, the English people are really no different from Americans. Johansen, said, “I have a greater appreciation for what we do here. I thought going over there they would be more advanced in their techniques, but I’m really proud with what we have here too. It’s fairly similar.” Leaving Nebraska was also eyeopening for them. Beaudette said, “Before our trip to England, none of us had traveled much – so that in itself was a great learning experience, but Pam took good care of us! The large airports were also a bit overwhelming, as were the crowds.” Saalfeld, who also co-chairs Northeast’s global educational opportunities initiative, said this particular

Top Honors from IIHS Have Nearly Doubled Since 2013

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently announced that 71 vehicles earned Top Safety Pick awards compared to 39 last year. The number of winners in the top tier— Top Safety Pick+—has increased by 11 for 2015, despite a tougher standard for front crash prevention. “This is the third year in a row that we are giving automakers a tougher challenge to meet,” says IIHS President Adrian Lund. “The quest for Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards is driving improvement in the

exchange with North Lindsey is special because it is geared toward students in programs who don’t normally have an opportunity to travel overseas. “This exchange focuses on applied

small overlap front crash test and getting manufacturers to offer automatic braking technology on more and more vehicles.” While the bar has been raised for Top Safety Pick+, the criteria for Top Safety Pick are unchanged: a good or acceptable rating in the small overlap front test and a good rating in each of the Institute’s four other crashworthiness evaluations—moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints. The 2015 Top Safety Pick+ designation is awarded to vehicles that meet those criteria.

30 FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

technology and associate of applied science programs. It has been a real eye opening experience for the students as well as the faculty who have traveled. These students really make a

connection, not only with the programs and the culture, but with each other. We have some students who made lifelong friendships as a result.” Saalfeld said the exchange is part of Northeast’s efforts to internationalize its curriculum. “Our instructors are welcoming visiting scholars who come from different countries to teach. They are very willing to let these students have ten days out of their classroom here at Northeast to travel abroad because they know how important it is and how invaluable it is to bring these people in.” Beaudette said he was very proud of his students on this exchange. “Our students conducted themselves very well and represented Northeast Community College and the United States in a very positive way. As a group, we found that this trip of a lifetime truly expanded our horizons and exposed us to a completely different and much older culture than we could have imagined. I believe all of us learned a lot about ourselves during this exchange and the trip has given us a better global perspective.”

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Collision Avoidance Technology Could Dramatically Change Repair Industry by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor

Recent research on collision avoidance technology found that an estimated 30 percent of collision repairs could be avoided when this type of equipment is fully adopted by car manufacturers, according to Carlisle & Company. This will not only affect drivers and save lives, but it will also influence the future of the auto repair industry. The Massachusetts-based company studied collision avoidance technology based on data from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), The Highway Loss Data Institute (HDLI) as well as their own company research. Carlisle & Company provides aftersales strategic guidance and tactical solutions for the major motor vehicle brands. “Collision avoidance technology is any application that helps drivers and their cars avoid obstacles and other factors that may cause a collision,” said David Carlisle, Chairman of the Board at Carlisle & Company. The company’s 2014 research specifically focused on the following four types of technologies that are the most common in new vehicles: forward collision, side view assistance, lane departure and adaptive headlights.

The Highway Loss Data Institute estimated that by 2020 approximately 20 percent of all registered vehicles will be built with forward collision warning systems. Carlisle & Company conducted their own research and found that approximately 40 percent of automobiles will be deployed with similar technology by 2022. When the technology is fully adopted, Carlisle said forward collision systems will result in 3,335,000 avoidable repairs (20%); side view assistance will result in 1,006,000 avoidable repairs (6%); lane departure systems will account for 336,000 avoidable repairs (2%); and adaptive headlights will equate to 362,00 avoidable repairs (2%). If these estimates hold true, Carlisle predicts a major impact to the auto repair industry. “At this point, 15 percent of all collision repair jobs will be avoided,” he said. This will not only affect OEMs, whose collision parts make up 35 to 40 percent of their parts revenue, but the independent repair shops as well. “While collision avoidance ultimately is a good thing as it will save lives, it will certainly force aftermarket facilities and repair shops to adapt to a new market in order to stay afloat,” said

Carlisle. “Just because you have collision avoidance sensors on your car, does not mean you’ll rid your life of an auto collision for good,” said Carlisle. “One of the major challenges is testing this technology on the open road,” he said. “Many of these systems can be challenged on a test track and come back with great results, but nothing is like the real road. The only way to make collision avoidance systems as safe as possible is to test them in as many real-world situations as possible.”

Collision Avoidance on the Road Used in automobiles since the early 1990s, some of the earliest equipment included backup cameras. Now collision avoidance features are rapidly making their way into new vehicles in all price ranges. Some of these include the Mobileye technology that detects other vehicles and objects using only a camera and software and is used by BMW AG, General Motors and Tesla Motors; Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist System and Mercedes’ Collision Prevention Assist Plus. Honda said it is focusing its efforts in regards to collision avoidance technology in three main areas: passive safety technology which mitigates injuries; active technology that may

help prevent accidents from happening; and connected and automated vehicles that could attempt to drastically reduce crashes and fatalities. “Honda is studying real world situations to develop vehicles with advanced collision protection and advanced safety and driver assistive technologies,” said Angie Nucci, Senior Environment and Safety Specialist for Honda Public Relations. Nucci said some of their technology includes the Acura Watch system available on the 2015 TLX and the Honda Sensing system on the 2015 Honda CRV Touring model. “Honda Sensing is an integrated camera and radar system to help detect vehicles and pedestrians in front of you,” she explained. This driver assist technology includes a Collision Mitigation Braking System, a Lane Keeping Assist System, Adaptive Cruise Control and Honda LaneWatch. Toyota Motor Corporation said it plans to launch new safety technologies in 2015 to help prevent or mitigate collisions across a wide range of vehicle speeds. They will be offered in two “Toyota Safety Sense” packages and rolled out across most passenger models in Japan, North America and Europe by the end of 2017. See Collision Avoidance, Page 33

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A Lean Process Helps Shops Become More Efficient and Profitable by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor

Any collision repair shop can become more efficient and increase its profits by incorporating “Lean Processes” into their business, according to Steven Feltovich, Manager of Business Consulting Services for Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes. Feltovich shared his knowledge about the benefits of lean processes during a recent SCRS seminar at SEMA: Leaning on Process for Profit Improvement. As a consultant for the past 15 years to top industry executives at collision centers across the U.S., Canada, Central America and the UK, Feltovich often observed a difference of perspective between what a shop owner “thinks their business is” versus “what it actually is.” He encourages shop owners to ask themselves how to improve their business and then create a strategy to move forward. “The ideal state is what we should be pursuing for the business,” he said. Most shops have repaired cars the same way for years and when confronted with a problem, Feltovich said owners typically address it by adding people, space, equipment, inventory or data analysis. Instead, he said they should be addressing their process. “Process is just eliminating the traditional models because the leaner the shops get, the better it is for customer value.” He noted that Greg Horn, VP of Industry Relations for Mitchell International, recently discussed the growing trend toward lean process improvements. Horn observed, “There is continual market place pressure on collision repair centers for increased efficiency and enhanced customer service. As a result, many top shops have begun implementing what is referred to as ‘lean processes or lean management.’” Feltovich couldn’t agree more and cited the UK as an example. The average cycle time in the UK is three days versus 10.4 days in the U.S. In addition, 10 cars are painted per day per single booth in the UK and they have a six-hour average touch time per car each day. In comparison, three to four cars are painted per day per single booth in the U.S. and the average touch time per car is two and a half hours. Shop owners who do not embrace change, even the ones who consider themselves successful, are putting

themselves at risk in the future, said Feltovich. “Rely on that old success and tomorrow you will be obsolete, whether you want to be or not – you will be,” he said. “Businesses become obsolete every single day because they don’t progress forward, they don’t see the big picture.”

Steven Feltovich, Manager of Business Consulting Services for Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes

At the center of lean process is efficiency, which Feltovich defined as “achieving maximum productivity with the least amount of effort or expense.” He recommended mapping out how the business operates and asking the fundamental question: how well does the process actually accomplish its intended purpose? Some of the wasteful activities he mentioned that often take place at shops include: ● waiting for information, ● checking inventory levels, ● setup time, ● locating missing parts, ● repairing broken equipment, ● re-evaluating situations due to lack of communication, ● waiting for job assignments, ● unnecessary movement, and ● unused employee creativity. Feltovich used the example of “dead” vehicles just sitting in the production area not being worked on, and encouraged shops to cut back on the amount of time any vehicle sits idle. One suggestion is to detect all of the damage and repair requirements prior to loading the vehicle into the workshop, so there is only one parts order, saving both time and money. Other strategies he pointed out include bagging all vehicle parts for protection and staging parts for body repairs. “Parts carts” can also help by following the car throughout the repair process.

32 FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

“Lean processes tie two critical components together – efficiency with effectiveness,” he said. “Now we’re not only doing things right, we’re doing the right thing.” Throughout his 35-year career, Feltovich has worked with dealerships, independents, insurance companies, OEMs and automotive refinish companies. “Our industry is changing in a very dynamic way,” said Feltovich. “If you’re not getting better everyday, you’re falling behind.” In order for shops to move forward, he stressed the importance of establishing a culture where all employees are actively engaged in improving the company. “Ninety percent is about culture and 10 percent is implementation,” said Feltovich. Over the years he has found that middle managers often get in the way of lean process improvement. “The idea of giving up control to employees doing it better than you is a frightening position to be in.” However, in order to create change in a shop, he said it is important to get all employees on board. “Everyone from the detailer to the front office person to the

owner should have one common goal – create customer value.” The lean process was pioneered by Toyota. Feltovich recommends that shops read “The Toyota Way,” written by Jeffrey K. Liker, for tips on management principles in order to get lean. “Tables and numbers only show us the result,” said Feltovich. “What we want to do is get ahead of the results and create a process that drives the financial results that we need in order to grow and stay in business.” He said customers want it “fast, free and perfect.” By delivering value from the customer’s perspective, continuously improving your process and eliminating waste, Feltovich said there are numerous benefits. These include reduced cycle times, higher quality at lower overall costs, better use of machine time and facility space, less internal stress and less inventory on hand. “Lean process absolutely works. It works in any business. Get it right, it’s incredibly sound. Get it wrong, it’s very disruptive.” For more information about lean processes, contact Steve Feltovich at steven.j.feltovich@sherwin.com.

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Continued from Page 31

Collision Avoidance

These include several of the company’s existing technologies such as the Pre-Collision System that helps prevent and mitigate collisions; Lane Departure Alert that helps prevent vehicles from departing from their lanes; and Automatic High Beam, helping to ensure optimal forward visibility during nighttime driving. In addition, there is an option for a millimeter-wave radar and camera that can detect pedestrians and Radar Cruise Control. “Toyota’s vision is of a world without traffic fatalities, and these advanced connected and automated vehicle technologies hold the potential to revolutionize automotive safety,” said Seigo Kuzumaki, Chief Safety Technology Officer Secretary for Toyota Motor Corporation. “We are committed to bringing advanced active safety systems to market as quickly as possible and will make them accessible to a broad range of drivers.” For more information about Carlisle & Company, visit: www.carlisle-co.com.

Continued from Page 26

New ASA Affiliate

ance of Jasper’s Zach Bawel who will emphasize the importance of being willing to make changes. As Menke says, “if you’re not willing to change, you can’t move forward.” The meeting will conclude with an hour-long computer programming class for all present to help them understand what equipment is needed and how to use it. Ivy Tech has agreed to allow ASA-IN to use two rooms to hold their training sessions and meetings over the next few years. In exchange, the affiliate will allow instructors and students to attend the meetings and participate in training at no cost. Risley feels that this “relationship with Ivy Tech is key because partnering will enhance the school’s vocational program and encourage new students to enter the industry.” Menke explains that “even before ASA-IN was started, Ivy Tech’s program was struggling, so they asked Jasper Engines & Transmissions for help. Zach Bawel at Jasper contacted me and several other local shops to get involved with helping the auto

program move forward by helping update their equipment and suggesting classes. In addition to allowing Ivy Tech’s staff and students to attend our meetings, we’ve developed an internship program to train students by allowing them to work in our shops and experience what really happens in the field. About ten to 12 shops have signed up so far, and I think it will be a win-win for everyone.” Risley agrees, stating “ASAIN/Evansville can provide the students with practical experience in member shops while they’re in school. This will give them real-life experience before graduation, and it will enable ASAIN/Evansville members to evaluate the students as potential employees.” As ASA-IN continues to grow, their goal is to help IN shops survive and to move the industry forward in their state. This will begin by attracting more active members because, Menke stresses, “it’s so important to be involved in this industry. The problem is that 90% of shops live within their four walls and don’t know what’s going on. Every industry professional needs to get involved in the state of the industry and its future because that’s how you move forward.”

OSHA Tops 3000 Whistleblower Cases for First Time

A milestone has been reached in federal whistleblower cases, according to law firm Jackson Lewis PC. OSHA has investigated more than 3,000 cases in a fiscal year for the first time ever. It took on 3,060 cases during FY 2014, 91 (3%) more cases than during FY 2013. OSHA administers the whistleblower provisions of 22 federal statutes. OSHA did not disclose the number of whistleblower complaints it received in 2014 that were rejected after the initial screening and not investigated. However, a study showed that in cases filed from 2011 through 2013 under the whistleblower provision of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act, only 41% passed the initial screening. While the reasons for the increase are not clear, one explanation could be the elevated media attention given to large monetary awards and settlements. A Washington-based attorney who represents whistleblowers told Bloomberg BNA that punitive damage awards of $100,000 and more in Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA) cases and new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules have encouraged drivers to bring claims if they are told to exceed legal driving hour limits.

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Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.

Midwest Associations

Midwest Auto Body Trade Show—Are You Prepared for the Future? with Ed Attanasio

With new technology that is changing literally every day, the collision industry is looking for answers about what’s going to happen next month, let alone 5-10 years from now. And that’s why “Are You Prepared for the Future?” is the theme of Iowa Senator Brad the 5th Annual MidZaun will be one of west Auto Body the featured speakTrade Show, Februers at the 2015 5th ary 19 at the Sheraton Annual Midwest West, Des Moines in Auto Body Trade Show in Des Des Moines, IA. Moines, IA on Boylan knows February 19 aluminum inside and out, after doing research internationally for many years. He’ trained more than 30,000 appraisers and more than 50,000 body techs over the years with Chief through its Chief University, the program he oversees. By visiting car manufacturers all over the planet, Boylan can offer a worldwide perspective about aluminum and its future. Boylan is anxious to present information that body shop owners and techs can use immediately, he explained. “We’re going to talk about the

characteristics of aluminum; how’s it formed and how the manufacturers are using it,” Boylan said. “We’ll cover things such as laser welding, friction stir welding, bonding, riveting and really drill into some of these techniques that are also applicable for steel as well. We’re going to cover OE aluminum repair procedures and discuss the future of this material, because it’s probably going to be an even bigger part of this industry going forward.” Iowa Community Colleges will be participating in a refinish competition that will be judged by collision experts at the Trade Show. “We are very excited to integrate this competition into the Trade Show,” Janet Chaney, Iowa Collision Repair Association Executive Director said. “We have outstanding programs at the colleges in Iowa and want to support them, so we’re delighted to be introducing these students to this great industry, because they represent our future.” A cornerstone of this event is the ever popular “There is No Free Lunch” program with several guests presenting. Iowa Senator Brad Zaun and ICRA lobbyist Scott Weiser will bring the collision industry up to date on this

year’s legislative activities. Pete Tagliapietra of NuGen IT will present, “Information Technology and the Future of Collision Repair.” “This critical information is something our colleagues will only receive in this forum,” John Arnold of Arnold’s Body Shop in Davenport, IA and Vice President of the ICRA said. “There is tremendous value in what is happening here and that’s why shops should seize this moment to gain as much valuable knowledge that they can.” The trade show floor will open immediately after the luncheon to over 60 vendor display booths and “Training in the Round” sessions, where free education will take place on the trade show floor. In addition, I-CAR’s New Technology forum will be offered to those that want to earn I-CAR credits. A Ford F-150 Military Grade Aluminum Pick Up and other automobiles featuring new technology will be on the Trade Show floor. Show specials, gift certifi-

QUALITY IS ALL WE THINK ABOUT. THAT AND QUALITY.

Video Gaming, Liquor License at IL Body Shop Draws Opposition from Church

Hollinshead Auto Body, 2935 E. Sangamon Ave., and Tobacco Direct, 2528 North Grand Ave. E., were scheduled for a hearing on December 18 at the county Zoning Board of Appeals on requests for a zoning change that would allow the businesses to apply for liquor licenses, according to Tim Landis, www.sj-r.com. Under state law, businesses cannot provide video gaming unless they have obtained a liquor license. The Tobacco Direct still had a hearing on December 18, but zoning officials said Hollinshead owner, Jake Hollinshead, asked on December 17 that his case be postponed until the Jan. 15 board meeting, Landis reported. Zoning officials said residents of nearby neighborhoods have filed numerous objections against the body shop’s liquor license request. One hundred petition signatures have been gathered in opposition to the Hollinshead zoning change, accord-

ing to Pastor Bob Armstrong of the adjoining Living Water Church. Landis tried contacting Hollinshead by phone, email and a visit to the business, but was unable to get a comment. The full county board will have the final say in the zoning change, after a recommendation from the Board of Appeals. Armstrong said he and a group of members planned to attend the zoning hearing on December 18 in opposition to the Hollinshead request, Landis reported. The pastor added that he’s concerned about the possibility of alcohol sales and video terminals next door to the church. Zoning administrator Cyndi Knowles said no objections had been filed to the Tobacco Direct petition. Autobody News followed up with sj-r.com, and found that Hollinshead Auto Body’s application for a liquor license was denied during the January 15 board meeting.

34 FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

cates, special show discounts and door prizes will be offered during the show, along with a display of new car models. The 5th Annual Midwest Auto Body Trade Show is a free inter-industry event, inviting collision repairers, insurers, manufacturers, vendors, recyclers, OEM’s and students from the Midwest to participate. “This is the largest and best Midwest show yet,” Trade Show Chairman Dick Merron of the Iowa Auto Rebuilders in Waterloo, IA said. “We are proud to bring high-level education, training and networking to the collision industry. We have to be prepared for what is coming, and now is the time to do it.” For a schedule and register for “There Is No Free Lunch,” please go to www.iowacra.com. Please call Sheraton West Des Moines, 515-223-1800, for the Trade Show room rate of $129. For further information, call Janet Chaney at 480.720.2565

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Continued from Cover

New Year’s Resolutions

for our 2016 National Conference (June 2016), and it is our goal to make this our most successful and memorable conference,” Executive Vice President John Williams states. The Auto Body Association of Connecticut (ABAC) intends to continue doing exactly what they did in 2014; President Tony Ferraiolo elaborates, “we will continue to educate members and consumers. We want anyone that needs education from our association to be helped. We will strive to bring the best speakers and content from around the country to our membership meetings.” “Our resolution will be to continue our focus on member benefits and membership growth by aligning the goals of our organization with the true needs of the membership at large. Special attention will be needed with regards to our new Collision members,” predicts Jason Brennan, Vice President and Chairman-Elect of ASA-IL. John Petrarca, President of the Auto Body Association of Rhode Island (ABARI), states that the association’s 2015 New Year’s resolution is

“to successfully continue ABARI’s stated mission to protect consumers, preserve competition and professionalize our industry by promoting the highest standards for safety, quality and customer service. In doing so, ABARI will continue to work on many fronts. First, we will continue our decadeslong fight to educate the Legislature and the public of the unfair practices that remain in the industry and to find fair, equitable solutions. Second, we are close to implementing a written ABARI Code of Ethics. The Code will require all ABARI shops to conform to the highest standards for safety, quality and environmental protection. We fully expect it to be in full force and effective in 2015. It is another step in the direction of our ultimate goal of a professionalized industry that is compensated fairly for its important role in protecting the motoring public.” For many, if not all, associations, increasing membership is also a major priority for 2015. The Long Island Auto Body Repairmen’s Association (LIABRA) plans to “continue to expand our membership base and offer new and exciting training seminars for our shop owners and their employees. On the legislative and regulatory

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fronts, we expect to continue to address our members’ concerns and ensure the auto collision industry and the New York motorists have a voice on collision repair issues.” Luz Rubio, Executive Director of ASA-AZ, also hopes to see an increase in membership next year; “I think this is an issue that is on top of every association’s list. I am very excited to include many more shop owners in our Automotive Roundtables. The few that were held in 2014 have been interactive and great. These are opportunities to discuss topics, challenges and share successes with other shop owners that will help elevate the professionalism of the industry here in Arizona.” ASA-Colorado’s Chairman, Steve Horvath of Jeno’s Automotive in Littleton CO, says, “ASA-Colorado’s New Year’s resolution for 2015 is to get the local auto body shops more involved with ASA.” Executive Director Kari Foster elaborates, “in 2014, the ASA Colorado Board members met the new ASA National President with this idea in mind. Dan Risley, ASA President says, ‘ASA Colorado’s board of directors’ commitment to grow their membership base in 2015 parallels the movement within ASA National to recruit and re-

tain members. The strength and leadership on their board has clearly positioned them for success. We have high expectations for them and believe they will have a significant positive impact in the market.’” ASA-Colorado also hopes to put together some collision educational meetings in 2015 on consolidation, estimating and the importance of networking, according to Collision President Dan Stander of Jerry Stander Collision Works in Littleton CO. “Our resolutions for 2015 are, first, to increase the visibility of the collision/repair professionals in Texas and help our members increase their business base/profitability,” says Chuck Space, Executive Director of the Texas Independent Automotive Association (TIAA). “We also want to make the 2015 Texas Tire & Automotive EXPO larger and even more responsive to those who attend. As an association, we need to be relevant to our members and successfully achieving these resolutions will help our members and make TIAA stronger.” “ASA-Northwest’s wish list for 2015 is to get more qualified automotive technicians into the automotive industry,” the association’s Executive See New Year’s Resolutions, Page 37

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First Fully Robotic Paint Curing Equipment Can Improve Bottom Line for Shops and the Environment by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor

Two industry veterans, with over 100 years of experience between them, recently brought an innovative paint curing technology to North America that offers collision repair owners potential energy and cost savings, as well as increased productivity in their shops. As the owners of D&S Curing Solutions, Doug Verdier and Sam Midgley are the official North American suppliers of the Ionitec Gas-Fired Infrared Technology. It is the only fully robotic piece of equipment that can be retrofitted into any paint booth and used with all types of paint, including High Solids or water-based paint materials.

The car is shown in the paint booth with the robot curing device

“The machine focuses energy just on the specific areas on the automobile that are about to be cured,” said Verdier, who installed the equipment in his Oregon-based shop, Active Auto Body, on October 2, 2014. “It definitely benefits shops by saving on their gas bill and by getting work out faster, putting more cars through the paint shop everyday. The system is very easy to use and my painter took to it within days.” Located in the center of Portland, Verdier said his shop has the capability to bring in more work but there is only so much room to expand. Working on high-end vehicles, Verdier said “We can only hurry them so fast before we start jeopardizing the quality of the repair.” He found that by adding the paint curing equipment to his existing paint booth, it doesn’t take up any more space in the shop and has helped with efficiency. “This equipment allows the body shop to move things through the paint shop much faster and they’re cured completely once they leave the booth so your body shop manager or your technicians can put them back together without messing up the paint. The paint is fully cured and it’s like working on a car that has come off the assembly line or from the dealership.” Typically, he said a shop with one

booth might paint four or five cars a day. “With this piece of equipment, you can easily step that up to eight to 14 cars a day,” said Verdier. “With the Ionitec curing process the only thing that is dried or heated are the panels that have been painted,” said Midgley. “With our system there is no need to heat the entire booth and total cross linking occurs within seconds at a temperature on the panel of around 250 degrees F. When the car comes out of the spray booth it is fully cured and ready for final assembly or minor polish and delivery to the customer. Midgley said unlike other machines, you do not have to mask the plastic parts with a protective coating to keep them from melting and it only takes one passage to cure the job. “You press a series of buttons on the machine and the curing process starts automatically,” he explained. Curing is when there is a full cross linking of the paint molecules. This process, called “exothermic reaction,” ties the paint molecules together and creates cross linking. “This allows a quick turnaround time for customers with the same result you would get from the car factory when the car was first painted,” said Midgley. In addition, he said the process saves a massive amount of energy—up to about 95 percent by not having to heat the entire spray booth—and also improves the gloss. The paint curing system received a green energy award in Europe at Automechanika in September 2014.

Bringing First Robotic System to U.S. The business partners have been friends since 1957 when Midgley immigrated to the United States from Australia and met Verdier at school in Concord, CA, located east of San Francisco. Verdier’s father owned an auto body repair shop in Rodeo, CA where Verdier and Midgley eventually worked. In 1976, Verdier moved to Oregon and opened a Porsche body repair shop in Portland. Midgley joined Verdier and helped as a painter in the shop. Two years later Verdier opened Active Auto Body. Meanwhile, Midgley had moved back to Australia to work for Ford Motor Company in design engineering and then joined General Motors manufacturing for 25 years, working throughout Australia, North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific as a paint specialist. He was hired back at Ford Motor Company Asia-Pacific to look after six assembly

36 FEBRUARY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

plants as a paint engineer. He also has a long association with lean manufacturing at both companies. When Midgley decided to retire, a friend of his with a large body repair shop in Melbourne asked his opinion about a new technology, gas-fired in-

Doug Verdier (l) and Sam Midgley (r in the paint booth with the 1st Ionitec Gas-Fired Infrared Technology in the U.S.A.

frared curing systems, manufactured by Italian-based company Symach. After learning about the technology, Midgley was offered a job as a training manager for the company in 2011. Following extensive training at the Symach facility in Bologna, Italy, he came back to Australia to teach body shops how to use the technology and shared the information with Verdier. One

year later the two traveled to Italy and came across Ionitec’s robotic system. After visiting nearly a dozen shops throughout Switzerland, Italy and Germany, Verdier said he was so impressed with the system he purchased a machine for his own collision repair shop. “The success of this technology in Australia and Europe has really taken off in the last five or six years,” said Midgley, who predicts the U.S. will follow their lead. “The insurance companies are really pushing hard on the body repair shops to get their costs down,” said Midgley. “With this system you can get your costs down and improve your output at the same time.” Once a shop purchases the technology, a full measurement of the paint booth is taken and then the equipment is manufactured in Italy. After installation, Midgley and Verdier will take the shop through a full training process that normally lasts one or two weeks. “I think this would be a benefit to any shop that is conscientious about trying to save on fossil fuels as well as any shop that has a progressive attitude to improve work flow and generate more revenue for their shop,” said Verdier.

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Continued from Page 35

New Year’s Resolutions

Director Jeff Lovell explains. “We are currently working on apprenticeship programs with our ASA members and the automotive technical colleges throughout the state of Washington. We are also working with Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) to transition troops from military to civilian jobs in the automotive industry. We have a shortage of qualified technician in our industry and the average age of a technician is 45-47 years old.” Nick Notte, President of the National Auto Body Council (NABC), believes their resolution for 2015 “would be to become more inclusive. That means finding ways to bring even more prospective members into the NABC to, unitedly, bring the good news about the Collision Repair Industry and our National Auto Body Council members to every community in this country.” ASA-National “would resolve to add several new member benefits to our portfolio that provide significant value to the shop owner.” Executive Director Dan Risley continues by asking “why? Most shops that belong to ASA support

the association because of its leadership position in the industry and our efforts to drive positive change collaboratively. I believe it’s our responsibility to find ways to make it financially profitable to be a part of ASA through our member benefits. Our Sponsored benefit programs with companies such as AutoZone (parts purchasing rebates), Chryslers Tech Authority ($120 annual subscription), Federated Insurance (property & casualty), Keystone Insurance (vision & dental), Meadowbrook Insurance (workman’s compensation), and Cintas are great examples of the additional value our members receive.” Aaron Schulenburg, Executive Director of the Society of Collision Rep Specialists (SCRS), told us “to be honest, it is more of an ongoing resolution than one specifically designated for the new year, but we are internally committed that next year will bring renewed commitment to strengthening how we deliver upon our mission. SCRS’ purpose is to educate, inform and represent the collision repair professional in all aspects of the industry. We’ve spent a number of years working on really strengthening our role representing our membership, creating resources that strengthen their positions and operations, and delivering a

resolute voice of the collision repair industry in rooms and at microphones where the industry needed to be. We’ve spent years growing our Repairer Driven Education series at the SEMA Show, holding local events in conjunction with our 44+ Affiliate Associations, and collaborating with organizations like the Collision Repair Education Foundation and SkillsUSA to embolden our efforts to educate. In 2015, our resolution is to find more frequent and more thorough ways to deliver on our promise to inform our membership. It is a priority for us, and we believe the industry is best served through accessibility to not just the most information, but the right information. I know that our board is all very committed and excited to deliver on our resolution.” If these industry experts have anything to do with it, 2015 will be an even better year than 2014 for the collision repair industry. And my resolution for 2015? I hope to be able to attend more industry events, learn more and get to meet more of you amazing ladies and gentlemen who make it such a pleasure to write for this industry. I also encourage your feedback and suggestions so that we can make 2015 the best year ever! Happy New Year’s everyone!

Ed Foundation Taking Grant Applications for Schools

The Collision Repair Education Foundation says the application for their Ultimate Collision Education Makeover school grant is now available for high school and post-secondary collision school programs to apply. The grant program is in its seventh year and new this year, the two annual grants will be in the names of Allstate Insurance and State Farm Insurance, honoring the companies for their continued support of the Foundation. Instructors are advised to begin the application early and industry professionals are encouraged to get involved with the Makeover grant by working with their local school’s collision instructors to help them apply. The Makeover grant is available to high school and college collision school programs nationwide, with priority going to not-forprofit/public schools. The winning schools will be announced during SEMA 2015. “Those collision school programs that complete the Makeover application are at the top of our priority list to assist as they have taken the time to complete the application and provide us with their itemized collision wish list,” noted Director of Grant Program Melissa Marscin.

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Continued from Cover

Collision Offerings

engage the collision shops first so that they’ll think of us as their trade association, if we want to successfully reintroduce the collision repair aspect of the automotive industry to our membership.” Excluding their collision members, ASA-IL consists of 250 members, reflecting a 15% growth in 2014. Additionally, 59 collision repair professionals who belong to ASA-National have also joined the state affiliate to take advantage of some of ASA-IL’s local benefits. In addition to gaining ac-

cess to ASA-National’s Marketplace, members of ASA-IL enjoy monthly meetings, most of which have a training component, and a plethora of discounts. For instance, Heil & Kay

Insurance, an affinity member of ASAIL, offers members substantial discounts, recognizing ASA-IL members as quality facilities who pose a decreased liability risk. Bullwinkel credits the promotion

of their added benefits as being part of the cause behind their membership growth in 2014. Kelly adds that the most engaged members say that the biggest benefit is the camaraderie and ability to discuss challenges with their colleagues. “We are proud to have such a wonderful group of non-competitive people who really help one another and are a terrific resource for each other.” Bullwinkel adds, “our members really carry the flag for the independent cause!” Although ASA-IL encompasses the entire state of Illinois, the affiliate also has some active members in Wisconsin and Northwestern Indiana who choose to be involved because of their proximity to certain metropolitan areas.

Kelly and Bullwinkel anticipate that their expansion into collision may include these areas, though they’re uncertain how their Indiana membership could be impacted by the recent addition of an ASA-Indiana/Evansville affiliate based in the southern portion of that neighboring state. As ASA-IL strives to reengage and reintegrate the collision side, they are also looking to identify new programs and local benefits in order to aid them with their recruitment and retention efforts as they try to attract new members. Bullwinkel says, “only a small portion of shops in Illinois are members, and we’d like to see the affiliate grow to the size it could and should be. Illinois is a

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big state with a lot of potential which is exciting, but growing our small but mighty organization will require a refined strategic plan in order to reach our full potential.”

Jeffrey Poole of I-CAR presenting at CAN

The challenge that ASA-IL currently faces, as they attempt to achieve these goals, is their limited resources. Kelly predicts that they will need a larger staff as they increase their membership, but “we are really fortunate to have such an engaged volunteer Board of Directors. They do a lot, and we’re planning a Board retreat in 2015 so that we can strategize for the year.” ASA-IL also hopes to develop a calendar for 2015 early in the year,

complete with meetings and events. According to Bullwinkel, the association strives to bring something useful to its members every month. That usually includes technical and management training. The association also holds social events like barbeques, roundtables and an annual cruise on Lake Michigan. “Shop owners are constantly looking for training opportunities because they need to stay up-to-date on changes in this ever-evolving industry. Our meetings usually cost only $15-30 and include a meal, so it’s a great value.” All of these goals are aligned with ASA-IL’s mission which is to advance professionalism and excellence in the automotive service industry through education, representation and member services. The association strives to improve the market share, professional image and prosperity of independent shops in their state. Like ASA-National, they also strive to be a voice for their members. Regarding legislative issues, ASA-IL follows ASA-National’s lead on issues plaguing the collision repair industry, opposing insurer-mandated parts procurement, the PARTS Act and Right to Repair. Kelly notes that most current legislative issues are im-

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pacting the collision side of the business, so ASA-IL expects to become more involved with legislature going forward as their collision membership increases. Kelly and Bullwinkel have already noticed several challenges to automotive service professionals on both sides of the industry. For mechanical shops, a current problem is the fact that their services are being

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seen as commodities, causing consumers to choose shops based on price rather than other criteria. Independent shops on both the mechanical and collision sides are being impacted by the trending toward multi-shop operations (MSOs) who are becoming a strong force and building brands which makes it hard for many independent shops to compete. In fact, many inde-

pendent shop owners are selling their businesses to these MSOs, but Kelly believes that associations can help combat this dilemma by “giving a unified voice to independent shop owners so they can be heard over the competition.” On the collision side, relationships with insurers are a challenge, especially for small business owners who rely on “a single power partner,” Kelly laments. “If you lose that partner, you’re going to have a big problem. Shops can’t stop trying to attract independent customers because it’s difficult to rely on only one power partner. It’s all a matter of survival, and it will be interesting to see what obstacles and challenges lie ahead in 2015, but at ASA-IL, we will continue to support our members’ interests, knowing that we have power in numbers and provide a collective voice working for the greater good.” ASA-IL 209 Le Moyne Parkway Oak Park, IL 60302 708-848-4220 www.asaillinois.org

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