October 2022 Midwest Edition

I-CAR® Celebrates Grand Opening of Chicago Technical Center

I-CAR, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, marked the official opening of its new Chicago Technical Center (CTC) on Aug. 24, the most recent symbol of I-CAR’s neutral, mission-centric work and purpose, and its commitment to technical leadership on behalf of the industry, explained CEO and President John Van Alstyne.

“I-CAR’s mission is to deliver increasingly accessible, on-demand and relevant education, knowledge, services and solutions for the collision repair inter-industry, and our new technical center in metro

Chicago serves as another beacon of progress and promise that will

Detroit Firms Fined $10 Million for Aftermarket Emissions Defeat Devices

by Chris Chilton, CarScoops

Multiple OEMs were caught in the dieselgate scandal that started when VW’s cheat devices were discovered, but the U.S govern ment is also cracking down on the aftermarket industry for the role it played in helping cars sidestep fed eral emissions regulations.

Two firms from the Detroit Metro area have been fined after being caught by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) manufac turing, selling and fitting parts to diesel trucks that violated the Clean

Air Act. Orion Diesel and performance diesel specialist Diesel Ops were together ordered to cough up $10

million by a civil court, according to Automotive News.

California Officially Requires All New Cars Sold to Be Zero-Emission by 2035

by Madison Hirneisen, The Center Square

California air regulators have set a 2035 deadline for all new passenger cars and trucks sold in the state to be zero-emission vehicles, a move that will make the Golden State one of the first jurisdictions in the world to enact this increasingly-costly re quirement.

The state’s plan, adopted by the California Air Resources Board on Thursday, sets specified targets to phase out sales of zero-emission vehicles in the state starting in 2026. According to the plan, 35% of vehi

cles sold in the state will be required to be zero-emission in 2026, 68% in 2030, and 100% in 2035.

The regulations will largely phase out the sale of gas-powered vehicles in California, though there

California Gas Vehicle Ban Faces Pushback from 17 States

by William Johnson, Teslarati

Seventeen states have filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Court of Appeals, suing to prevent California from banning new ICE vehicle sales after 2035.

California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) voted Aug. 25 to ban the sale of new ICE vehicles after 2035, but 17 states’ attorneys general have sued in federal court to block the move. California’s regulations are accepted as regulations in 14 other states and Washington, D.C.; an approval or blocking of this regulation could prove far-reaching.

“If California can set restrictive ‘gas emissions’ standards, manufacturing becomes astronomically expensive, and those additional costs are passed onto consumers, many of which are Missourians,” the Missouri attorney general said.

From a legal approach, the opposition to CARB’s regulation aims for the federal government to regulate what it sees as interstate commerce, as it is allowed via the U.S. constitution. At the same time, CARB

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri’s attorney general, along with the attorneys general in Ohio, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and West Virginia, have sued to prevent CARB from banning new ICE vehicles after 2035.

See

Pictured, left to right, are Mike Mertes, Tom Marek, James Busam, Jeff Peevy, Kyle Thompson, Tim O’Day, John Van Alstyne, Jon Petrillo, Bud Center and Dirk Fuchs

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CONTENTS

REGIONAL

Crash Champions Acquires Metro Collision Repair in Kansas 12

Detroit Firms Fined $10 Million for Aftermarket Emissions Defeat Devices 1

Enterprise, I-CAR Hosting St Louis Career Fair 6 EPA Fines Auto Repair Shops in Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska for ‘Defeat Device’ Violations 10

I-CAR® Celebrates Grand Opening of Chicago Technical Center 1

Illinois Continues EV Aspirations, but Questions Remain Regarding Related Industries 6

Kids Try to Steal Hellcats from Dodge 4

Leachman GMC Buys 3B Body Shop in Bowling Green, KY 4

Michael Busch Memorial Scholarships Awarded 8

New SK Siltron CSS Manufacturing Facility Opens in Bay City, MI 8

Schaefer Autobody Centers’ Maplewood, MO, Shop Now BMW Certified 6

Twin Cities Veteran Receives Vehicle from CARSTAR Apple Valley, Allstate Through NABC Recycled Rides® Program ����������������� 10 Woodward Dream Cruise 2022: A Celebration of Tradition and New 12

COLUMNISTS

Anderson - Your Auto Body Shop Needs to Provide Consumers ‘Social Proof’ You’re Their Best Choice 18

Attanasio - Are Your Processes and People Strategically Aligned? 54

Attanasio - Auto Collision Instructor Makes Industry Employment a Priority 36

Phillips - EV Safety Precautions for Collision Repair Facilities 34

Phillips - Florida ‘Shop of the Future’ Focuses on OEM Certifications, Building a Culture & Customer Reviews 48

Yoswick - CIC Panel Looks at How Auto Body Shops Can Respond to Rising Costs of Paint and Materials 44

Yoswick - Insurers, Collision Repairers Discuss

How to Improve Estimating, Claims Adjusting Process 58

NATIONAL

12 Can’t-Miss SEMA Show Features 46

2022 MSO Symposium Conference Agenda Released 62

2022 SEMA Show New Products Showcase Expands 63

AAPEX Ranked Among Top Trade Shows 57

ASE Summer Testing Registration Ending ������� 50

California Gas Vehicle Ban Faces Pushback from 17 States 1

California Officially Requires All New Cars Sold to Be Zero-Emission by 2035 1

CIECA Webinar Focuses on New Technologies in Paint and Coatings 57

Cost of Car Ownership in the U S Increases 5% 38

CREF Hosting PiN Master Challenge 10

Driven Brands Adds Auto Glass Fitters, Becomes 2nd Largest in U S Auto Glass Services 63

Enhance Your Career Through SEMA Show Education 28

Fisher Retiring After 50 Years in Industry 14

Mitchell Transforms Estimating Platform to Meet the Needs of Electric Vehicles 60

New-Vehicle Prices Increase for 5th Straight Month, Set Record Again in August 30

NHRA Champion Antron Brown Warns Congress Motorsports at Risk 26

Not Enough Lithium to Satisfy U S EV Adoption Goals, Says Mining CEO 61

SCRS Announces 2022 IDEAS Collide Showcase Lineup 40

SEMA Scholarship Fund Winners Announced 60

Solera VP Joins CIECA Board 50

The Reasons Behind Soaring Repair Prices: OEM Materials, Technicians, Vehicle Types & More 22

Used Car Market Finally Reaches Peak, as Prices Fall After 2 Record-Breaking Years of Inflation 42

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst

General Manager: Barbara Davies

Contributing Writers: John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Stacey Phillips, Eric Murphy, Ron Liesch

Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Norman Morano, (800) 699-8251

Office Manager: Louise Tedesco

Digital Marketing Manager: Bryan Malinski

Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia

Graphic Designer: Vicki Sitarz

Senior Editor: Abby Andrews

Accounting & HR Manager: Heather Priddy

Permissions Editor: Randi Scholtes

Office Assistant: Dianne Pray

Serving Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, 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 ©2022 Adamantine Media LLC

Autobody News P O Box 1516 Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com editor@autobodynews com 15

BMW of Des Moines 42 Wholesale Parts Dealers 57 Volvo 28 Imports 41

Carworx Distribution, Inc 31 Automotive Parts Association 10 BMW MINI 45 Chevrolet 49 62 44 2 Sure Ltd 18 Abrasives 27 Wholesale Dealers 54 Wholesale Dealers 55 Kia 45 Wholesale Parts Dealers 32-33 Wholesale Dealers Chevrolet 50

KECO Body Repair Products 13

Kelly BMW 38

Ken Ganley Subaru North Olmsted 35

Kia of Lansing 36

Kia Wholesale Parts Dealers 59

LaFontaine Buick-GMC-Cadillac 40

Launch Tech USA 39

Laurel Auto Group of Westmont 47

LKQ Corporation 37

Luther Bloomington Acura-Subaru 43

Luther Brookdale Mazda 44

Luther Kia of Bloomington 50

Maplewood Toyota 26

Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers 60

McGrath City Hyundai 46 Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers 60

Midwest Parts Group 16-17

MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers 56

MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers 24-25

Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Parts Dealers 58

NRD 6

Patrick Hyundai 48

Platinum Auto Trends 4

SATA Dan-Am Company 11

Sears Imported Autos, Inc 22

Shaheen Chevrolet Parts Warehouse 34

Shoot Suit 23

Sorbothane Soft-Blow Mallet 14

Steck Manufacturing Company 12

Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers 52

Sunmight USA 20-21

The Sharpe Collection of Automobiles 51

Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers 60

TYC Genera Corporation 9

Varsity Ford 50

Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers 56

by Don Sergent, Bowling Green Daily News

Computer chip shortages and inven tory scarcity continue to plague those in the car business, but retrenching isn’t in the cards for one of Bowling Green’s longtime automobile dealers.

Leachman Buick-GMC, despite taking a significant hit in vehicle availability, is working on an expan sion of a growing aspect of its busi ness: vehicle repair.

In a marriage of well-established businesses, Leachman has purchased the 3B Body Shop, also in Bowling Green, at 6045 Scottsville Road, and plans to use it as a way of growing its collision-repair business and starting a truck accessory business.

Next to the new Hindu Temple of Bowling Green, 3B Body Shop has been in business for nearly three decades and will now continue as Leachman Body Shop

“Our business (in vehicle repair) has grown so much over the last five or six years,” Leachman General Manager David Jaggers said. “Our body shop on Searcy Way was nev er structured to handle the customer base we have now.”

A growing demand for vehicle repair, some of it growing out of the shortage of new cars and some from the damage done by the December tornadoes that hit Bowling Green, has created a backlog Jaggers hopes to address by purchasing 3B.

square feet. Now we’ll be able to handle the demand.”

Leachman bought the business and the real estate, and now Jaggers said the car dealership will do “a complete remodel of the building and property.”

to a new business called Five-Star Towing and another called Five-Star Truck Accessories.

“The towing service will be op erational Oct. 1,” Jaggers said. “We will open the truck accessories busi ness next May.”

Jaggers said Leachman Body Shop is “not just a General Motors collision center. We can repair any thing. Our goal is to be within a year the largest collision repair center in southcentral Kentucky.”

by Steven Symes, Motorious

Stealing cars from automaker hold ing lots right after they’ve rolled off the assembly line is becoming in creasingly popular among thieves.

“We had gotten to about a fourmonth backlog,” Jaggers said. “Peo ple can’t wait three or four months to get their vehicles repaired. We had to make a move of some sort.”

That move involved snapping up what Jaggers calls “the best inde pendent body shop in town.”

“We were able to negotiate a buyout in which we kept all their employees and management,” Jag gers said. “They’re very well-run. This will take us from 5,000 square feet (on Searcy Way) to about 20,000

“We’re spending quite a bit of money to make it easier and faster for the customer,” Jaggers said. “The main reason for all of this is contin ued service availability for our cus tomer base. We have close to 20,000 customers in our database.”

Those customers can already get work done at what is now the Leach man Body Shop, and Jaggers said more services will soon be available at the 3.5-acre property Leachman purchased for $1 million.

The site will eventually be home

The body shop, towing service and truck accessories business will give Leachman some new revenue streams at a time when new-car sales are lagging for everyone in the car business.

“Our new-vehicle availability is down, like it is nationally, in the 18% to 20% range,” Jaggers said. “But the economy is strong. Most of the vehi cles coming in are already sold.”

While the purchase of 3B Body Shop was costly, Jaggers believes it will pay off.

“It’s a good move for us,” he said. “I felt like we needed to do it if we wanted to continue the type of service our customers expect.”

Typically, thieves target highend models like Ford Raptors, Shelby GT500s and Dodge Hell cats. That’s what police say an 11-, 12- and 14-year-old were up to Aug. 22.

Detroit, MI, police caught the three kids before they could steal any of the brand new Mopar mus

cle cars from the Jefferson North Assembly storage lot, right across the street from a police station.

“They think it’s fun and there’s no penalty to it,” said Lt. Clive Stewart, head of the Detroit Police Commercial Auto Theft Unit. He remarked in a local TV interview that 11 was the youngest age he’s probably seen for a car thief.

Stewart said someone older taught these kids how to steal cars and then sent them to the car lot with specific instructions of what to take. Since an adult caught boost ing cars will get a more serious criminal penalty than kids, more theft rings are recruiting young ac complices. The “Kia Boyz” trend is part of this culture of getting in creasingly young kids involved in a life of crime.

Carjackings are up about 40% year over year in Detroit and police say kids are committing these vio lent crimes.

“The main reason for all of this is continued service availability for our customer base. We have close to 20,000 customers in our database.”

— David Jaggers

Enterprise, I-CAR Hosting St. Louis Career Fair

Enterprise Rent-A-Car, I-CAR St. Louis and the Metro Vocation al-Technical Assistance Program invite the automotive industry to meet potential new employees at an upcoming career fair.

Collision, automotive and diesel students and teachers from high school and colleges within an hour of St. Louis will be at tending the career fair, to be held 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 18 at Enterprise Holding’s new offic es, 2281 Ball Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146. To RSVP or reserve a table, contact Doug Slattery by Oct. 15, at doug@automotive technology.com or 636-343-8101.

Tables can be reserved for $200, which includes a 3-by-5foot table, chairs, lunch and elec tric, if reserved.

Payment is check only, pay able to Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Mail checks to Enterprise RentA-Car, Attn: Keith Hoeferlin, PO Box 410886, Creve Couer, MO 63141.

Source: Enterprise Rent-ACar

Illinois Continues Aspirations, but Questions Remain Regarding Related

by Kevin Bessler, The Center Square

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s vision of the state as an electric vehicle production hub continues, but some say it is in danger of becoming a pipe dream.

The state announced a tax in centive package to retool an Illinois factory to make electric vehicle parts. T/CCI Manufacturing will use $20 million and make EV compres sors in Decatur, adding 50 jobs in the process.

“Less than 10 months ago, I signed Illinois’ groundbreaking Re imagining Electric Vehicles Act into law. Today, I’m proud to announce we’re welcoming yet another elec tric vehicle investment to Illinois and the first of many that ambitious legislation will produce,” Pritzker said Sept. 6.

A Crain’s report noted Illinois has yet to land a factory that makes the most important part of an elec tric vehicle, the battery.

In May, Stellantis, the par ent company of Jeep and Chrysler, along with its partner Samsung, an nounced the location for the joint

operation on a $2.5 billion EV bat tery plant would be Kokomo, IN.

With the announcement, months of speculation was over after U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL, told re porters Bloomington-Normal was a finalist for the plant.

utilize every day,” Walters said.

Some are questioning whether the grid can handle an influx of elec tric vehicles. California, which has similar green aspirations as Illinois, recently issued an energy conser vation emergency alert and asked EV drivers to avoid charging their vehicles as the state faced potential blackouts.

Illinois’ cold climate in the win ter also comes into play for poten tial EV owners. According to AAA, EVs lose 12% of their range in cold weather, but the loss jumps to more than 40% with the heater on full blast.

Another report earlier this year showed Illinois will need 17 times the current number of EV chargers to accommodate Pritzker’s goal of 1 million EVs on the roads in seven years. Elbert Walters from Power ing Chicago said a lot of industries will need to come together to make it happen.

“There are a lot of stakehold ers at play, and of course, the big gest stakeholder is those who are in control of the electrical grid that we

According to Jake Fisher, who tests automobiles for Consumer Re ports, EV buyers in cold weather states should invest in range.

“EV buyers who drive in cold er climates should strongly consider getting a car with a range that is dou ble what their daily driving needs are, so they’re not left stranded in a cold snap,” Fisher said.

EVs are more expensive than gas-powered vehicles. EVs with longer ranges are even more expen sive.

Schaefer Autobody Centers’ Maplewood, MO,

Shop Now BMW Certified

Schaefer Autobody Centers an nounced its Maplewood, MO, location is now a BMW Cer tified Collision Repair Center (CCRC).

The certification gives the independent auto body leader two BMW-certified shops in the St. Louis Metro Area, with the other being in O’Fallon, IL.

Up until recently, only a BMW dealer-owned body shop could become a CCRC. Schaefer Autobody’s Maplewood facil ity, which opened in 2015, was sponsored by Autohaus BMW, also of Maplewood, for the cer tification process.

“We’re proud that Schaefer Autobody Centers has again suc cessfully met the high standards set forth by BMW of North America to become certified by the auto manufacturer,” said Scott Schaefer, owner of Schae fer Autobody Centers. “Our collision repair accreditations and certifications are the result of passion for collision repair, customer experience and dili

gence towards every auto body repair.”

As part of the BMW certi fication process, Schaefer Au tobody Centers focused on spe cific technician training, the use of original BMW parts and the required tools and equipment to earn its certification.

Operations Manager Aar on Burchett added, “This is an honorable distinction to receive and highlights our continued commitment to restoring vehi cles to factory standards using OEM parts.”

Located in the St. Louis Metro Area and mid-Missouri, Schaefer Autobody Centers op erates 12 full-service collision repair facilities and two satellite locations. The family-owned and -operated business takes pride in using OEM parts backed by a lifetime guarantee. Counting the BMW distinction, Schaefer Au tobody Centers holds certifica tions for 13 auto manufacturers.

Source: Schaefer Autobody

Two outstanding students, Ashton Peterson of Wishek, ND, and Daniel Zielinski of Addison, IL, have been awarded the Michael Busch Memorial Scholarships for the upcoming school year.

Presented by the ASE Educa tion Foundation, the two honorees received the scholarships in rec ognition of their outstanding aca demic achievement.

“Ashton and Daniel are two very worthy recipients of these prestigious scholarships,” said Mike Coley, ASE Education Foundation president. “Each has excelled both academically and as leaders in their schools and communities. Every year, we are honored to be able to award these scholarships in the memory of

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined business, state and local officials Sept. 1 to celebrate the ribbon cutting of semiconductor wafer manufacturer SK Siltron CSS’s new manufacturing facility in Bay City. The company’s $300 million investment strengthens SK Siltron’s commitment to Michigan and further boosts Michigan’s leader ship role in the national semiconductor supply chain. “SK Siltron’s commit ment to Michigan will help us bring the semiconductor supply chain home, cut down shortages and delays, and create good-paying jobs for Michiganders in Bay City,” Whitmer said. “The prod ucts SK Siltron manufactures are the building blocks of countless products and industries: electric vehicles, so lar panels, smartphones and so much more we cannot let China dominate this market. I am proud that Michi gan was selected for this $300 million investment over several other states, proving that we have the skilled work force, growing economy and strong business-friendly environment condu cive to attract projects from one of the world’s most innovative companies.”

SK Siltron CSS, headquartered in Bay County, announced plans in

Michael Busch and we thank the University of the Aftermarket Foundation for their assistance with the administration of the scholarships.”

The Michael Busch Memo rial Scholarships were created in memory of the son of a former

by helping to provide support for the next generation of students who are pursuing careers in the collision repair industry.”

Each year, two scholarships are awarded to collision stu dents in Michael Busch’s name. Qualified applicants should be a

Pushback

operates under the assumption the federal government is limited in how it can affect state-level regulations.

CARB has long faced legal challenges from other states and corporations alike. GM and Toyota have notably sued CARB for imposing emissions regulations; however, both have since rescinded their suit.

collision shop owner and ASE board member, Jim Busch, who operated a shop in Issaquah, WA, until his retirement. His son, Michael, was an automotive technol ogy student who tragically lost his battle with cancer.

“Each year, our family is honored to present these schol arships in Michael’s memory,” said Busch. “Ashton and Daniel are well-deserving of this recog nition, and we wish them well as they continue their educations. Awarding the Michael Busch Scholarships is a very meaningful way for us to remember Michael

graduating high school senior or have graduated from high school or received a GED certificate. In addition, the applicants should be enrolled or planning to enroll as a full-time student in a two or fouryear-college or an ASE accredited post-secondary collision repair program.

To learn more about the Mi chael Busch Memorial Schol arship and other scholarships offered by the University of the Aftermarket Foundation, visit Au tomotiveScholarships.com.

Source: ASE Education Foundation Scholarships Awarded

With such a big case, this suit could end up in not only federal court but the Supreme Court to finally legally define if states may regulate emissions.

“Each year, our family is honored to present these scholarships in Michael’s memory,” — Jim Busch

New SK Siltron CSS Manufacturing Facility Opens in Bay City, MI

Your leading source for MIDWESTERN Collision Repair News!

EPA Fines Auto Repair Shops in Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska for ‘Defeat Device’

Violations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has penalized three companies to resolve alleged vio lations of the federal Clean Air Act (CAA).

According to EPA, the com panies installed and/or sold illegal

illegal practices exacerbate the effects of pollution in already overburdened communities.”

As part of their settlements with EPA, all three companies agreed to demolish their inventories of defeat device components and certified they

nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, both of which contribute to serious public health problems in the U.S.

“defeat devices” in vehicle engines designed to render emissions controls inoperative.

Central Iowa Truck Repair LLC of Boone, IA, will pay a civil penal ty of $95,371; R.T.R. Roger’s Truck Repair LLC of Fenton, MO, will pay $46,316; and Husker Diesel Inc. of Gretna, NE, will pay $60,150.

“Modifying auto emissions con trols is illegal, contributes significant ly to harmful air pollution and makes it harder to meet air quality standards,” said David Cozad, director of EPA Region 7’s Enforcement and Com pliance Assurance Division. “These

stopped selling or installing devices that disable vehicle emission controls.

R.T.R. Roger’s Truck Repair and Husker Diesel are in communities al ready disproportionately affected by pollution. Additionally, R.T.R. Rog er’s Truck Repair is in St. Louis Coun ty, an ozone non-attainment area, meaning it does not meet the CAA national ambient air quality standard for ozone.

These problems include prema ture mortality, aggravation of respi ratory and cardiovascular disease, aggravation of existing asthma, acute respiratory symptoms, chronic bron chitis and decreased lung function. Numerous studies also link diesel ex haust to increased incidence of lung cancer.

Stopping aftermarket defeat de vices for vehicles and engines can help protect vulnerable communities and reduce ozone-forming pollutant

The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) is pleased to again partner with FinishMaster to host the second annual PiN Master Challenge, for high school and col lege collision tech students, 6-8 p.m. Oct. 7 at The Alexander in Indianap olis, IN. The 2022 PiN Master Chal lenge allows collision students to demonstrate their skills and show case their talents by designing and creating the best restored and paint ed bowling pin. A panel of industry professionals and influencers will judge each entry. All winners get a 300-piece Craftsman tool set and a Smart starter kit; in addition, the first-place winner gets a SATAJet 20B spray gun. Second place gets a Sagola Xtech 500 spray gun, and Sagola Classic Pro spray guns will be awarded to the third-place winner and Wild Card recipient. Eligibility is open to any high school or college student enrolled in collision repair Master Challenge

On Aug. 31, a deserving Twin Cities veteran received a vehi cle to provide him independence and the ability to work and take care of his family, thanks to the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program, along with car donor Allstate and CARSTAR Apple Valley.

The presentation was held as part of the grand opening fes tivities at CARSTAR Apple Val ley, located at 6904 145th W., Apple Valley, MN 55124.

NABC, Allstate and CARSTAR Apple Valley pre sented a 2016 Kia Forte to Bryant, a U.S. Air Force veteran selected by the Airmen & Fami ly Readiness Program. Bryant works part-time and drives for Lyft in a friend’s car when pos sible, but cannot obtain full-time work without reliable transpor tation. The gift of a vehicle will allow him to get a job and con tinue his path to independence.

“This is my first NABC Recycled Ride, and I’m defi nitely going to do another one,”

“These illegal practices exacerbate the effects of pollution in already overburdened communities.”

— David Cozad

Twin Cities Veteran Receives Vehicle from CARSTAR Apple Valley, Allstate Through NABC Recycled Rides

Green is more than just a color to us.

The green SATAjet X 5500 FUTURE is not only a reference to nature, it is also a symbol of harmony and hope, especially for the future! We are striving for a sustainable and connected future that makes the most out of the potentials of the digital transformation.

The globe-shaped circuits on the spray gun represent the technology which is connecting people and thus enables the globalized world of the future. The radiant green color with the black components not only looks harmonious, it stands for aligning our actions with sustainability and the preservation of nature.

As a manufacturing company, sustainable growth is of great importance to us and an integral part of our daily activities. This includes the consistent conservation of resources and avoidance of waste. As an example, we produce part of our electricity with our own solar power and have reduced our waste volume by around 20% in the last five years. mid-September,

by Sarah Raza, Detroit Free Press

With an eye toward the future, droves of classic car enthusiasts of all ages flocked to Woodward Ave nue on Aug. 20 for the 27th annual Woodward Dream Cruise, billed as the world’s largest single-day auto event.

Held annually on the third Satur day of August, the multicity festival stretched from Ferndale to Pontiac, MI, attracting hundreds of thousands of people from around the coun try seeking to relive the iconic cruis ing culture of the 1950s and ‘60s.

By 9 a.m., muscle cars and con vertibles, along with newer models, filled the avenue lined with tents and lawn chairs. Spectators pointed out their favorite cars while vintage autos on display drew fascinated on lookers.

For some Michiganders, like the Suchers of metro Detroit, automo biles are integral to the family histo ry: generations of Suchers have run a tire dealership in Detroit for 100 years.

“We’re one of the early adher ents of the event, and it’s always fun

getting the family together,” said Mark Sucher, 65, of Farmington Hills. “Multiple generations come out.”

The Sucher family of self-pro claimed “gearheads” has attended the Woodward Cruise every year

“It’s the relaxation of seeing ev eryone in nice rides, and people keep it clean,” said Myra Millikan, 66, of Lake Orion. She and her sister, like many other visitors, came prepped for the daylong event with lunch and snacks.

She and her husband made the switch to electric vehicles, and she’s looking forward to seeing what will emerge from the EV revolution.

Particularly for the younger generation, the Dream Cruise is a chance to learn about the automobile culture of decades past.

Sarah Sukal, of Florida, ac companied her boyfriend’s family for her first Dream Cruise. Though she wouldn’t mind seeing newer cars on the road, she says, the aesthetic of old, authentic cars makes the cruise special.

since it first began as a fundraiser for a Ferndale soccer field. For Cole Sucher, 22, of West Bloomfield, the cruise has become a late-summer memory maker for as long as he can remember.

“Being part of the younger gen eration, we’re never going to see anything like this,” he said. “We’re not going to build works of art, like the cars you see today, so we should enjoy this while we can.”

Many cited the welcoming at mosphere as the reason they keep coming back.

Some visitors came from across the country to partake in the annu al drive down memory lane. Mary Byrnes, 70, and her husband have been driving up from North Carolina for 15 years. Though she described her husband as the auto expert, she says she enjoys getting to see some of the cars that her generation grew up with.

“We love the history and we love seeing what the future will hold,” she said. “One of these days it may become an all-electric Dream Cruise.”

“If they could design a line of electric cars that look like these old cars, then why not?” said Sukal, 21.

Though electric cars currently on the road may not have the com bustion engine sounds that are a fundamental aspect of the Dream Cruise, some newer models have the potential to combine tradition with innovation, such an electric vehi cle that includes the roar sound as a nod to cruising culture.

“Who could’ve imagined that we’d get all this from the Model T,” Byrnes said. “It’s the same way with the electric car.”

Crash Champions, LLC, one of the nation’s fastest growing in dependent collision repair ser vice providers, announced Sept. 9 it has expanded its footprint in Kansas through the acquisition of Metro Collision Repair, lo cated at 2202 N. Rogers Road in Olathe.

This transaction gives Crash Champions eight locations in the Sunflower State and follows the company’s acquisition of All Angles Collision Repair last year.

“Metro Collision has grown a strong customer following and earned a stellar reputation for its commitment to quality and excellence, making it a terrific

addition to our footprint in Kan sas,” said Matt Ebert, founder and CEO of Crash Champi ons. “Their talented personnel, high-quality facility, and state of the art equipment have helped them stand out from the pack, and I am thrilled that they are joining the Crash Champions family.”

For more information about Crash Champions, visit crash champions.com. For those colli sion repair companies interested in selling their business, Crash has made it easy. Visit crash champions.com/sell-your-shop to learn more.

Source: Crash Champions

“The main reason for all of this is continued service availability for our customer base. We have close to 20,000 customers in our database.”

— Mark Sucher

Crash Champions Acquires Metro Collision Repair in

is an allowance for a small portion of vehicle sales to be plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, which can run on gas. These vehicles are “designed to prioritize their electric function and use their gas engines in limited cir cumstances,” according to CARB.

Officials acknowledged Aug. 25 that, despite the new regulations, combustion engine vehicles will likely remain on California roads for years after 2035.

Electric vehicles tend to be more expensive than their com bustion engine counterparts, rais ing concerns among consumers regarding affordability. In October 2020, the average transaction price for a new gas-powered vehicle was $46,000, while the average EV av eraged above $56,000, according to Kelley Blue Book. Costs have inflated since 2020 due to a world wide microchip shortage and record inflation.

The new rules also include in centives to expand electric vehicle access to more Californians, par ticularly in low-income and disad vantaged communities. The board’s resolution directs officials to con tinue working with manufacturers and environmental justice advocates to develop strategies and incentives to expand zero-emission vehicle access to low-income communities starting in 2025.

The rules also set minimum du

rability standards for zero-emission vehicles, which aim to ensure vehi cles can maintain 70% of their elec tric range for 10 years in the first few years after the regulation takes effect in 2026. Come 2030, that percentage will rise to 80% of electric range.

Officials emphasized Aug. 25 that the new regulations will help re duce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change in the Gold en State.

“A clean transportation sector is essential to protect the health of both our communities and our climate,” CARB Chair Liane M. Randolph said Aug. 25. “More stringent mo bile source emission controls are necessary to help California achieve federal air quality standards and the state’s greenhouse gas target that will protect public health and miti gate the effects of climate change.”

The regulations are expected to result in additional cumulative costs of $29.9 billion to manufacturers be tween 2026 and 2040, representing $2 billion on average per year, ac cording to an analysis from CARB. The board estimates that the regula tions will result in the total statewide cost of ownership net cost savings of $92.9 billion between 2026 and 2040 for businesses, fleets and in dividuals who purchase these vehi cles.

“Much of the [total cost of ownership] savings stem from re duced gasoline consumption, with gas prices conservatively assumed to remain relatively constant around $4 per gallon, with even greater sav

ings if prices remain at their current elevated levels or increase further,” CARB’s summary stated.

The adopted regulations imple ment Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pre vious executive order that required new car sales to be zero-emission by 2035. Newsom called the CARB’s new regulations “groundbreaking” and “world-leading” in a statement Aug. 25.

The board’s regulations gar nered praise from vehicle manufac turers, including Ford. In a state ment, Ford’s Chief Sustainability Officer Bob Holycross called the regulations a “landmark standard that will define clean transportation and set an example for the United States.”

“At Ford, combating climate change is a strategic priority, and we’re proud of our partnership with California for stronger vehicle emis sions standards, forged during a time when climate action was under at tack,” Holycross said.

The Advanced Energy Econo my, a national business group, also praised the board’s decision on Aug. 25, saying the decision “charts the

path toward a zero-emissions trans portation future for the whole coun try.”

“The California program will have a major ripple effect nation ally, opening the door for states to increase EV adoption, encourage economic growth and reduce emis sions,” AEE Transportation Policy Director Ryan Gallentine said in a statement. “We call on other states to take this opportunity to drive the growth of electric transportation na tionwide.”

California has historically set the standard for more than a doz en of other states when it comes to vehicle emission standards, and 16 other states could follow Califor nia’s lead with these new standards, according to the New York Times.

CARB staff said Aug. 25 the plan to transition away from gas-powered vehicles is “well-sup ported” by the recently signed state budget, which includes $2.9 billion this year and $3.9 billion over three years to invest in the state’s electric vehicle infrastructure and provide incentives for in-state manufactur ing.

Longtime industry veteran, former CARSTAR franchisee and, most recently, Driven Brands collision president Dean Fisher announced his retirement for the end of the year.

Fisher has always had an in terest in cars and owned multiple automotive-related companies for more than 35 years. In 1990, Fisher took a leap and brought his independent repair center into the CARSTAR family as a franchisee. Through his time with CARSTAR, Fisher had a commitment to oper

ational excellence and customer service, propelling him to earn the CARSTAR Franchisee of the Year Award in 2012. After passing the business along to his son, Fisher joined the CARSTAR corporate team, quickly rising through the organization and becoming an in spirational leader to many at Driv en Brands.

Chris Dawson has been pro moted to president of paint and collision for Driven Brands.

Source: Driven Brands

From the Desk of Mike Anderson

with Mike Anderson

Your Auto Body Shop Needs to Provide Consumers ‘Social Proof’ You’re Their Best Choice

When I was in Chicago recently, I had an opportunity to go to lunch with Nick Schoolcraft and Tina Biancalana from Phoenix Solutions Group, which offers marketing and strategic solutions for collision re pair businesses.

One of the things they shared with me was the term “social proof.”

saying I in no way am claiming to be an expert on “social proof.” But as I did some research into it, I realized it fits with one of my key messages

day have a “trust but verify” men tality. So just because an insurance company, automaker or dealership says, “This is a body shop we rec ommend,” that consumer is still going to seek out “so cial proof,” evidence that you can be trusted and that the referral to you is a good

tions. Is it easy for customers to find evidence of your training and cer tifications with clear explanations of what that means to them? Just saying your shop has earned I-CAR Gold Class Professional status isn’t enough: They need to know how and why that sets you apart.

Are you providing them links to

Mike Anderson is the president and owner of Collision Advice, a consulting company for the auto body/collision repair industry. For nearly 25 years, he was the owner of Wagonwork Collision Center, an OEM-certified, full-service auto body repair facility in Alexandria, VA.

of social proof can now be done on line through reviews and car club blogs, etc.

If you’re not convinced “social proof” is important in our industry, spend a couple minutes visiting a few websites. State Farm’s shop locator, for example, now includes customer reviews of the shops list ed. Nissan’s certified shop locator now includes customer reviews of certified shops. Something I haven’t heard talked about much is CCC’s consumer-facing website, Carwise, now allows consumers to search for shops based on OEM certifica tions—more “social proof.”

I know many shops are so busy they may not be thinking as much about their marketing right now as they should. (Check out my column on “Pigs get fat and hogs get slaugh tered.”) But you need to market when you’re busy so you stay busy even when other shops are not.

And as an industry, we need to understand the way customers think today. They are out there looking for evidence you can be trusted. Just saying it isn’t enough. You need to provide them with “social proof.”

benefit all industry segments amid one of the most transformative eras of automotive innovation,” he said.

The new 48,000-square foot facility expands on the expert foundational technical resources and programming footprint at I-CAR’s Appleton, WI, Technical Center, which is currently undergoing renovations and updates to position that facility for the future as well.

The Aug. 24 event included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours for about 80 members of the interindustry. “This investment in our industry’s technical infrastructure couldn’t have come at a more critical time, with accelerating repair complexity in areas not previously native to our industry, and we thank the countless individuals from throughout the industry who have provided untold hours of input to help guide us forward to this milestone,” said Van Alstyne.

He further noted 18 organizations have donated much of the tooling

and equipment within the CTC, and “we are very appreciative of their support.”

Jeff Peevy, I-CAR vice president, technical products, programs and services, described the CTC as a “a purpose-built research and development facility” offering an intentional work-lab approach.

“This enables I-CAR’s technical experts to vet and test collision repair methods, best practices and educational programming for emerging technologies as these continue to accelerate and become increasingly complex,” he said.

“The Technical Tsunami™ our industry is facing drives the need for relevant and timely solutions to support new competencies collision repair professionals must possess, and that is why, with the inter-industry’s support, I-CAR is doubling down on its commitment to expand our technical capabilities and

capacities,” Peevy added.

With its expanded capabilities, I-CAR, working closely with the OEs, will be able to address new technologies with greater speed and proficiency, Peevy explained.

“As technical advances show up on the horizon, we do not have the luxury of waiting to determine if it is going to become mainstream or not. We must go to it, learn it and be able to educate the industry in a timely manner if needed,” he said.

Kyle Thompson, chair of the I-CAR Board of Directors, underscored the CTC’s value and benefit: “The CTC represents a massive collaboration with interindustry partners to reimagine the future of training solutions. This is an investment by I-CAR in the industry’s future to drive us all forward and I could not be prouder of this effort.”

Source: I-CAR

The Reasons Behind Soaring Repair Prices: OEM Materials, Technicians, Vehicle Types & More

by Lurah Lowery, Repairer Driven News

Every body shop has likely been feeling the force of inflationary pressures and increased repair costs but what exactly are the trends causing the uptick in costs?

In recent conversations with CCC Intelligent Solutions and Mitchell International, Repairer Driven News found it’s not just the obvious factors such as parts shortages and supply chain hiccups.

Mitchell International Claims Performance Director Ryan Mandell said overarching trends include reduced repairability of major component panels, increased vehicle complexity, a shift in the car parc toward more luxury vehicles, trucks and SUVs all of which are more expensive to repair and a gradual shift toward higher OEM parts use and higher labor rates.

Some of the component panels that can’t be repaired include fenders, doors, hoods and deck lids because they’re constructed of lighter-weight materials and “do not respond to a crash the same way that traditional mild steel does,” Mandell said.

“In many cases, the damage on lighter-weight panels is more severe which results in a higher rate of replacement,” he said. “Additionally, example of how repairs can be more difficult.

“Additionally though, the presence of ADAS is becoming nearubiquitous on newer model vehicles

meaning that diagnostics are now a compulsory component of collision repairs and ADAS calibrations are becoming a more frequent operation as well,” Mandell said.

Three-stage paint jobs are also a factor as their frequency of use by OEMs has increased over the last five years. “Over 10% of repairable estimates are for three-stage painted vehicles, which can add roughly 6-8% to the overall repair cost,” Mandell said.

wages and fuel prices. The byproduct: the cost of replacement parts has soared.”

She also found the shortage of collision repair technicians contributes to increased labor rates all while more repairs are needed due to a rise in auto accident frequency.

“Shortage of collision repair technicians has been an issue for the industry for some time but has been worsened over the last two years as overall labor shortages impact the industry further,” Gotsch wrote. “Even before the pandemic Universal Technical Institute predicted a wave of retiring Baby Boomers would create 100,000 auto technician job openings over the next decade or so, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 4% decline in employment in the overall auto technician field through 2029.

they cannot repair as many vehicles at the same time as they did before the pandemic, as repairer productivity (measured by labor hours per shop day) has fallen.”

The competition between body shops to hire out of a smaller pool of trained technicians has also increased the labor rate, according to Gotsch.

Also over the last five years, OEMs have increasingly been patenting and branding their parts making the manufacture of aftermarket parts impossible, especially ADAS sensors and cameras, which are almost completely sold only by OEMs, according to Mandell.

In CCC Intelligent Solutions’ latest “CCC Trends” report, released in August, Insights & Analytics Senior Susanna Gotsch covered factors contributing to the increase in repair costs, with replacement part costs being one of them. That cost rose by 7.4% from 2020 to 2021 and another 6% from last year to June,

“Many industries, like the automotive industry, had moved to a ‘just in time’ inventory system prior to the pandemic,” Gotsch said in CCC’s August Trends video. “An approach that has been sorely tested over the last two years with surging customer demand and recovering auto accident and claim counts. Inventories have been drawn down from plants being closed at the outset of COVID and have operated at lower levels of production due to shortage of necessary components and labor. The industry was hit with higher raw material prices and higher transportation costs from higher

“In fact, most repairers indicate the technician shortage has been the primary reason for longer backlogs of work. …Many shops have indicated

“Data from the Bureau of Labor [Statistics] shows average weekly wages for collision repair employees have been increasing at a faster pace, with Q4 2021 average weekly wages up 7.5% from Q4 2020, versus an increase of 6.1% between Q4 2019 and Q4 2020. Labor rates have also risen, with some of the largest increases in 15 years. Higher labor rates combined with continued growth in the average number of labor hours per repair with increased vehicle complexity is another key factor driving up repair costs.”

Mandell also noted shops are having to pay technicians more to See Soaring Repair Prices, Page 30

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NHRA Champion Antron Brown Warns Congress Motorsports at Risk

by SEMA Editors

Just days after winning the NHRA Top Fuel Race in Indianapolis, Antron Brown made his way to Washington, D.C., to urge Con gress to pass the SEMA-supported Recognizing the Protection of Mo torsports (RPM) Act.

On Sept. 7, the three-time Top Fuel world champion, who began his racing career nearly 40 years ago, appeared before Congress to share personal stories about the need for federal law to protect grassroots racing and tens of thou sands of jobs in the motorsports parts industry.

With his two sons and wife at his side, Brown shared how motor sports taught him to set goals, work hard to achieve them and other im portant life lessons.

Representing a four-genera tion family of racing professionals, Brown talked about how he began racing motorcycles at the age of 4, has enjoyed a successful career with 70 NHRA wins and became a team owner earlier this year. He continues to support and promote the NHRA to the community and youth groups, relaying the origins of the organization that was formed in 1951 to get hot rodders safely off the streets and onto the track.

“Americans all over the coun try enjoy the hobby of modify ing vehicles into racecars,” said U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-WV, ranking member of the Sen ate Committee on Environment and Public Works. “The bipartisan RPM Act would clarify that vehicles to be used solely for competition are not to be treated like the cars that drive on our nation’s roads. This legisla tion would ensure small businesses that help hobbyists who transition vehicles into racecars, which are not driven on the roads, are not un fairly punished or targeted through EPA enforcement.

“It was a pleasure to welcome champion driver Antron Brown to

day and hear his life’s story, which reinforces how the RPM Act would protect the future of motorsports by making clear those who want to pursue their passion can affordably do so without fear of Washington bureaucrats,” Capito said.

though the ruling was never final ized, the EPA maintains its position that such conversions are not legal and continues to enforce against the production and sale of high-perfor mance parts.

Brown emphasized during his testimony the RPM Act is focused solely on dedicated race vehicles that are trailered to and from the racetrack. Opponents to the RPM Act acknowledged during the Sen ate hearing that such vehicles do not have a measurable or meaning ful impact on the environment.

federal Clean Air Act.

Capito is amongst the 31 bipar tisan co-sponsors of the RPM Act. First introduced in 2016, the bipar tisan bill would enshrine in federal law that it is legal to modify street vehicles into dedicated race vehi cles.

“Racing is much more than just a pastime for me,” said Brown. “I have countless fond childhood memories and have learned many life lessons at the racetrack. I have built a life on the track and am building a business through AB Motorsports. I feel strongly that we must keep the path to entry into motorsports accessible to future racers.”

Brown explained that for am ateur racers, modifying production vehicles is the only cost-effective way to get into racing. He testified the converted motorcycle that he began racing cost about $5,000; a purpose-built vehicle would have been 10 times that amount.

This practice of converting street vehicles into dedicated race vehicles had gone unquestioned until 2015 when the U.S. Environ mental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a draft ruling stating it is not legal to convert production vehicles into dedicated race vehicles. Al

“Racing is important to many Arizonans and it’s a part of our state’s legacy,” said U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-AZ. “The RPM Act will help provide certainty to Arizona’s amateur racers and auto mechanics from EPA regulations, which could harm their ability to enjoy the hobby of motorsport.”

The RPM Act would not im pede on the EPA’s ability to en force clean air laws. Vehicles driven on public streets would continue to be governed by the

“For nearly 45 years, the Clean Air Act did not apply to dedicated race vehicles. The EPA’s recent in terpretation of the law has thrown the motorsports industry into a state of uncertainty,” said Mike Spag nola, SEMA president and CEO. “Now that the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has held a hearing on the RPM Act, we urge the committee to schedule a vote on the bill. SEMA is urging all racers, motorsports businesses and fans to ask their elected officials to support and pass the RPM Act.

“Racers and small businesses that manufacture, distribute and sell race parts have waited long enough. It’s time to pass the RPM Act and give the racing community the clarity it needs and deserves,” said Spagnola.

The SaveOurRacecars.com website has resources to help iden tify and contact the appropriate policymakers about the RPM Act.

Source: SEMA

NHRA driver Antron Brown advocates for the motorsports industry by testifying before the U S Committee on Environment and Public Works in Washington, D C , on Sept 7

Enhance Your Career Through SEMA Show Education

by SEMA Editors

The 2022 SEMA Show Education program will feature more than 70 seminars designed to inspire personal and professional development.

Led by industry- and sub ject-matter experts, the program of fers a customizable lineup of sessions and workshops that confront industry challenges, capitalize on emerging trends, highlight and reinforce busi ness best practices, enhance leader ship skills and much more.

One of the newest components of the 2022 Show Education program are four sessions focused on the Di versity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace.

The first DEI session, “Diver sity and Inclusion: How You Can Advance Equal Opportunity in Your Workplace,” takes place Nov. 1, and will presented by James Pogue, Ph.D., president and CEO of JP En terprises.

In addition to the DEI sessions, three new tracks have been added: “Inside the Shop,” “Enthusiast” and “Keynote.”

The “Inside the Shop” series

will motivate aspiring builders and technicians as they hear from leading customizers sharting their experienc es crafting off-road machines, hot rods, musclecars and detailed resto rations.

The new “Enthusiast” track, scheduled for 8-9 a.m. Nov. 4, will feature industry personalities and ce lebrities providing insight on building cars, ideas for obtaining sponsorships and the importance of protecting the automotive aftermarket from over regulation. One of the five sessions, “Celebrity Insights,” moderated by African American Racers Associa tion co-founder Chris Harris, will give attendees a glimpse into the lives of some of their favorite celebrities, legends and luminaries.

The “Keynote” track will fea ture the new “Main Stage Experi ence,” where some of the industry’s iconic figures and leaders will bring their unique perspectives on ways to strengthen business strategies. The Main Stage promises to be an immer sive, informative and entertaining experience. The first presentation is scheduled for 10–10:45 a.m. Nov. 1, the opening day of the 2022 SEMA

market any time soon.

Show.

Building on the success the 2021 Show’s education program, the “Leadership Essentials” track, pre sented by Dale Carnegie, returns to the Show, offering six courses spread out over three days. The courses, which can be taken as a whole or individually, feature trainers from Dale Carnegie providing the institu tion’s acclaimed leadership, commu nications and sales program that im prove both individual and business performance.

“The SEMA Show has a lot to offer, from seeing new products and vehicle builds, meeting with manu facturers, learning from experts and developing meaningful relationships that you can only get from an in-per son event,” said Tom Gattuso, SEMA vice president of events. “We encourage Showgoers to take advan tage of all the elements of the SEMA Show so that they get the greatest ROI.”

With a wide array of seminars and workshops, the education offer ings at the Show provide something for everyone. The 14 tracks avail able are:

• Aftermarket Updates & Future Trends

• Business Management

• Digital Marketing

• Electric Vehicles

• Enthusiast

• I-Car Collision Repair Training

• Inside the Shop

• International Roundtables

• Keynote

• Leadership Essentials (present ed by Dale Carnegie)

• Legislative and Regulatory

• SCRS Repairer Driven Edu cation

• Tire Industry Association

• Vehicle Technology

All sessions are held in meeting rooms at the Las Vegas Convention Center, making it easy and conve nient for attendees to schedule sem inars between meetings with exhibi tors. Registrants can sign up for the education program while applying for SEMA Show credentials at www. SEMAShow.com/register.

For a review of the 2021 SEMA Show Education Program, visit www. SEMAshow.com/education.

Source: SEMA

The court also slapped the owner of the companies, Nicho las Piccolo, with a $455,925 civil penalty for failing to respond to an information request by government agencies, plus almost another $1 million in fines for alleged fraud ulent transfers in violation of the Federal Debt Collection Proce dures Act.

The court also implemented a permanent injunction preventing the defendants from selling defeat devices in the future.

The press release from the U.S. Department of Justice doesn’t specify what the devices were, or how they were marketed, but on old YouTube videos the compa ny can be seen reviewing perfor mance-enhancing components for diesel trucks and extolling those components’ power-boosting prop erties.

Faced with such a severe judg ment, however, Piccolo is unlikely to be re-entering the defeat device

But Piccolo’s activities are merely the tip of the iceberg. A 2020 study by the EPA’s Air Enforcement Division estimated a colossal 15% of pickups in the U.S. are fitted with a defeat device and those devices together produce more than 570,000 tons of excess oxides of nitrogen and 5,000 tons of excess particulate matter over the lifetime of the mod ified vehicles.

“The Environmental Protec tion Agency has made it a priori ty to stop the manufacture, sale and installation of defeat devices, because they result in illegal and harmful emissions that contin ue over the life of the vehicle,” said Larry Starfield of the EPA when the court’s decision was an nounced. “This case shows that EPA and our law enforcement part ners will hold responsible those who illegally profit from defeat de vices.”

The average price paid for a new vehicle in the U.S. in August topped July’s record and kept the average transaction price (ATP) solidly above the $48,000 mark, according to new data released Sept. 12 by Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive company.

The Kelley Blue Book new-ve hicle ATP increased to $48,301 in August, beating the previous high of $48,080 set in the prior month. Au gust prices rose 0.5% ($222) month over month from July, and 10.8% ($4,712) year over year from August 2021.

New-vehicle inventory days’ supply held steady in the mid-to-high 30s during the summer and is show ing signs of increasing. In August, days’ supply was 43% higher than it was in the same timeframe of 2021, when inventory shortages first start ed to impact the market. Still, with roughly 1.2 million units in invento ry in the U.S., new-vehicle inventory remains significantly below levels seen in 2020 and 2019.

In the face of tight inventory and high prices, new-vehicle sales remain depressed, averaging just 1.1 million units per month in 2022. For

Continued

Soaring Repair Prices

compete in the current labor market “where well-trained technicians are hard to come by.”

“The higher labor rates we have seen are more of a function of the labor market as well as the inflation we are currently experiencing,” he added.

And, of course, the ongoing technician shortage as Gotsch pointed out, “does not have a quick fix.”

“Finding technicians with the right skillsets is also a growing challenge as vehicle complexity increases. These factors combined suggest labor costs will also continue to be a primary driver of higher costs in the future, because like the cost of parts, while labor rate increases, like

comparison, sales in the first eight months of 2019 averaged 1.4 million per month.

Hyundai, Land Rover, Honda and Kia continue to show the most price strength in the market, transact ing between 5% and 9% over sticker in August.

Ram, Volvo, Lincoln, Buick and the smaller Italian brands Alfa Ro meo and Fiat showed the least price strength, selling 1% or more below MSRP in August. Understandably, the brands with the lowest price strength also have the highest days’ supply of vehicles.

“Prices are still high and climb ing incrementally every month,” said Rebecca Rydzewski, research manager of economic and indus try insights for Cox Automotive. “New-vehicle inventory levels have been rising through August, now reaching the highest level since June 2021. However, supply of pop ular segments like subcompacts, hybrids and EVs still remain very low. Automakers are focusing on building and selling high-margin vehicles. Essentially, the product mix is the primary factor keeping

inflation, may have been smaller in the past, historically they have never fallen.”

In July, Collision Industry Conference Parts & Materials Committee members shared that, due to supply chain issues, rises in raw material costs and labor rates aren’t maintaining pace with inflation, which is causing shops to face increased costs.

For example, paint and materials reimbursements are now only 18.5% higher than they were in 2017, compared to the 43.9% increase in paint and material costs that collision repair facilities have experienced in the same period of time, according to information shared at the April CIC meeting. And had 2017 labor rates maintained pace with inflation, the average current rate could now be $46.38 versus the actual average rate of $34.60.

prices high.”

The average price paid for a new non-luxury vehicle in August was $44,559, up $132 month-overmonth and a record for non-luxury vehicles, beating out the high set the prior month. Car shoppers in the non-luxury segment paid on av erage $1,102 above sticker price, an increase from the prior month. Non-luxury shoppers paid nearly 2% above MSRP in August, compared to 1% above MSRP a year ago.

One bright spot for buyers: truck shoppers paid $142 below sticker in August.

In August, the average luxury buyer paid $65,935 for a new vehicle, up $878 from the prior month, when luxury ATPs hit a record $65,057. Luxury buyers continue to pay more than MSRP for new vehicles, al though prices are trending closer to sticker prices. Luxury vehicle share remains historically high as well, al though share decreased to 17.5% of total sales in August from 17.7% in July. The high share of luxury sales is helping to push the overall industry ATP higher.

The average price paid for a

new electric vehicle (EV) rose in Au gust by 1.7% compared to July and increased by 15.6% versus a year ago. The average price for a new electric vehicle more than $66,000, according to Kelley Blue Book esti mates remains well above the in dustry average, aligning more with luxury prices versus mainstream prices.

Incentives decreased slightly in August versus July, remaining historically low at only 2.3% of the average transaction price. A year ago, incentives averaged 5.5% of ATP. Full-size cars and luxury cars had the highest incentives in August, while high-performance cars, vans and electric vehicles had the lowest incentives.

Brands with higher inventory levels offered higher incentives in August. The Stellantis brands, for example, generally had higher than average inventory in August and also higher than average incentives. While still low from a historical per spective, Stellantis’ incentives in Au gust averaged 4.4% of ATP, up from 4.1% in July.

Source: Kelley Blue Book

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Dept Hours: M-Sat 7-6 cmelvin@bommarito net

Ed Napleton Honda St Peters 800-875-4190 636-928-4400

Dept� Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-5 gethondaparts@napleton com

Columbia Honda Columbia 573-818-3650

Dept Hours: M-F 8-5:30; Sat 8-4 gropp@columbiahonda�com

Honda of Tiffany Springs Kansas City 816-452-3221

Dept� Hours: M-Fri 7-6; Sat 7-2 parts@hondats com

Apostolakis Honda Cortland 800-900-4600 330-638-3060

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-4 parts@apostolakisauto com

ILLINOIS OHIO

McGrath Acura of Morton Grove

Morton Grove 847-470-2308

Dept� Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-4 acparts@mcgrathag com

Jay Wolfe Acura of Overland Park

Overland Park 913-648-2287

Dept Hours: M-F 7-5; Sat 8-4 wozburn@jaywolfe�com

Jay Honda Bedford 800-509-9057 440-786-3363

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4 jayhondaparts@gmail com

Acura of Troy Troy 800-935-0923 248-643-0900

Columbia Acura Cincinnati 844-677-4902 513-530-0698

Dept� Hours: M-F 8-5:30; Sat 8-12 columbiaparts@email com MINNESOTA

Dept� Hours: M-F 8-6 parts286@acuraoftroy com parts287@acuraoftroy com

Luther Bloomington Acura Bloomington 800-451-5078 952-887-0600

Dept� Hours: M 6:30-6; Tue-F 6:30-9; Sat 8-4 parts@bloomingtonacura com

MICHIGAN

MICHIGAN

EV Safety Precautions for Collision Repair Facilities

When body shop technicians ask Dirk Fuchs about the risks involved while working on electric vehicles (EVs), I-CAR’s director of technical program and services says the dan ger is “very real.”

To help prepare and educate shops and their teams to repair EVs, Fuchs recently shared information about safety considerations during a webinar hosted by the Automo tive Service Association (ASA), including how to assess the safety elements of a high-voltage vehicle the moment it arrives in a facility’s parking lot and key safety points in the repair process.

EV Safety: Where to Begin

Depending on the vehicle manu facturer, hybrid and battery EVs typically range from 200-920 volts. Fuchs talked about the risk of get ting shocked with EVs due to the

electrical power in the high-voltage system and the current, which runs the flow of electricity through a con tactor.

“The current kills you, not the volt,” he explained. “Therefore, you need to know what kind of current there is.”

The following graph outlines the risk of current relative to the hu man body.

In the area AC1, no effects are felt, even if applied for long periods. A pain sensation begins with AC2; however, it is usually without a dan gerous current running through the body.

Fuchs said the human body has a resistance of 1000 Ohm (the unit of electrical resistance).

“When a person encounters 400Volt in a high-voltage sys tem, their body will be exposed to 400mA,” he explained. With this

exposure, the body enters the dan gerous area—AC3—which leads to muscle cramping.

“The danger, in this case, is that

the body will not let go,” he said. “After 500ms, we enter the next area—AC4.” In this area, ventric ular fibrillation, cardiac and respi

ratory arrest can occur, which has deadly consequences.

Although EV technology can be very dangerous, Fuchs said that auto manufacturers have “many, many safety systems in place.” He stressed the importance of technicians being aware of the risks.

When an EV arrives at a col lision repair facility via tow truck/ flatbed, Fuchs reminds technicians

one time without pressing the brake pedal. The light on the dashboard will come on, signifying you are in axillary mode and the battery con tactors are open. Fuchs said no high voltage can go into the system using this method, which is important to know when connecting a diagnostic tool and pre-scanning the vehicle.

“Pre- and post-scanning EVs is really important to know the system configuration,” he said. “If there is a problem, we want it contained in the battery where the risk is.”

He also talked to shops about using a factory scanner to see the fault codes. By viewing the live data, technicians can check the bat tery/cell balancing.

“It’s important to know the dif ference between the minimum and maximum voltage between the indi vidual battery cells,” he said.

dustry stay safe,” said Fuchs.

Before removing the battery, he encouraged technicians to always follow the described pre-scan proce dure and check the battery tempera ture, as well as the live data and/or use a heat gun.

In a case where there is a prob lem with the battery, Fuchs highly recommended not bringing the ve

hicle into the shop until the vehicle can be monitored and the battery is removed.

Fuchs also advised shops to create a designated safe zone where EVs can be repaired apart from ICE vehicles in a very clean environ ment. “If someone grinds on a quar ter panel or does a repair that is full

High-Voltage disconnecting procedure tips:

* Remove the ignition key and lock it in the lockbox so only the technician working on the vehicle has access

* When the ignition is off, discon nect the 12-volt battery (plus and minus cable) and then remove the high-voltage disconnect with prop er personal protective equipment (PPE)

is to let the capacitors completely drain because they can store energy like a battery and contain the same voltage, which is dangerous�

* Use PPE to remove the connec tions closest to the high-voltage bat tery and use a two-pole voltmeter or multimeter to verify zero potential

to take precautions to stay safe. “You’re working on the unknown and that’s what can kill someone,” he said.

Fuchs recommended never double-clicking the start button of an EV. Instead, he advised pushing it

The difference between two cells can lead to a higher internal re sistance, which creates higher tem peratures and can “end up in a fire.”

New OEM and aftermarket di agnostic tools are being introduced to the market to read the live data.

“It’s a great way to help the in

* Place the removed battery discon nect in the lockbox�

* Ensure high voltage is isolated in the battery and perform a Zero [elec trical] potential test after the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended wait time The reason for the wait time

* Always take the following three measures on both the battery and the system side to check if the high-voltage battery is isolated and the system is safe: high voltage plus against high voltage minus, high voltage plus against ground, and high voltage minus against ground

The EV Lab at I-CAR’s Chicago Technical Center in Vernon Hills, IL

Auto Collision Instructor Makes Industry Employment a Priority

by Ed Attanasio

Abe Sells is a collision repair in structor at Tidewater Community College in Chesapeake, VA, teach ing in the dual enrollment program at the Chesapeake Career Center.

His students and industry part ners—vendors and local auto body shops—know Sells is in it to win it when it comes to making great things happen for everyone he en counters.

It’s a lot more than just a job for Sells.

“I like what I am doing and I guess it shows,” Sells said. “This industry has been good to me, and I want to help fill the void in the collision industry by creating career opportunity for them. When you see a young person embracing what I am teaching it is a great thing, and I want to tap into that as much as I can.”

Sells, 51, is constantly busy and enjoys the variety. When he isn’t teaching, he runs Dent Chasers, where he performs paintless dent repair (PDR) for his clients in the Chesapeake area. It works out well during the summer months when he is not teaching full-time.

It’s remarkable Sells ended up teaching collision repair classes be cause at first, carpentry was what he wanted to take at his local vocation al school in Ohio. Auto body was his second choice and he had no interest in it.

After graduating from high school, Sells needed a job. His fa ther worked two hours away at a steel mill. But Sells didn’t want to move and have to work as hard as his father did, so he thought maybe he should give collision repair an other shot.

Sells started at $4.25 an hour, making $170 for a 40-hour week. Then he made $7 an hour, averaging 50-55 hours a week, making $380 a week—which meant he doubled his income and was moving in the right direction.

When Sells took ownership of his future, fortunate things started to happen for him in the collision field. In 2013, he was approached to run the collision repair program for Tidewater Community College.

Working with the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), Sells was able to apply for grants that helped finance some of his equipment for the program.

“We have received grants through the past years ranging from $3,000 and up over the years, which really helped to strengthen my pro gram with updated tools and equip ment,” Sells said. “Starting out, we

make changes to help accommodate their needs,” he said. “Employers of ten come and speak with the kids to offer possible employment opportuni ties when they graduate. Hiring them is the first step, but then retaining them is another part of the equation.

like welding, dent repair and panel replacement.

“This gives us an opportunity to expose them to the industry,” Sells said.

had to find a facility for our pro gram and a local career center had just closed their auto body program down. So TCC was able to lease and partner with Chesapeake Career Center to revive the program.

“Collision repair is a two-year program where we provide dual en rollment for high school kids and adults,” Sells said. “They both take the same course using the same cur riculum at the same time.”

Sells appreciates the fact he is getting a self-motivated student in his classrooms, in most cases.

“We have a lot of former mili tary people who take my class, so I get a better quality student,” he said.

“In addition, even the high school students have to pay to take our program because they get college credits. When they graduate from college with a career study certifi cate, they also receive their I-CAR pro-level 1 and 2 certifications.”

When Sells started the program, the school had solid enrollment numbers, but students weren’t get ting good placement in the job mar ket, he said.

“My goal from the beginning was to create good quality techni cians and fill the void,” Sells said.

“That first year, I had 16 students and I got jobs for four of them, and now I make sure that 100% of my students get hired. It is important to us and our program that we create careers for these young people and set them up for ongoing success.”

Members of his advisory com mittee, industry partners and body shops offer praise and criticism as well, Sells said.

“We value their feedback and

“I implemented several ideas for retention. One idea was putting a tool box with basic tools for en try level techs. They are given the tools if a student stays with the com pany, say for six months to a year. The largest expense that a collision repair student will encounter is their tools. So $700-$1,000 on average for a tool kit, so helping them in that regard is a major deal.”

This summer, the Chesapeake Career Center held Camp Collision, a four-day camp hosting 11 rising freshmen and sophomores from lo cal schools. Students were exposed to several parts of the collision field

One of the projects Sells got them involved in was the design and paint ing of Tervis tumblers, which every student got to make and take home.

With classes of 26 students cur rently, Sells is hopeful he will be able to add more as the pandemic looks more and more like a thing of the past.

“Yes, the COVID set us back like it did at a lot of other schools,” Sells said. “But we are in a very good position because we have es tablished a great repertoire with our business owners and industry part ners. We have their support and the parents are onboard too—so I antici pate further growth and a very bright future here at Tidewater Community College and the Chesapeake Career Center.”

“My goal from the beginning was to create good quality technicians and fill the void,” — Abe Sells

Cost of Car Ownership in the U.S. Increases 5%

doxo, a web and mobile bill pay ser vice, on Aug. 24 released two new doxoINSIGHTS reports for 2022, revealing the cost of car ownership has increased 5% year over year to $5,722.

The report also revealed Amer icans as a whole spend $743 billion annually, on auto loans and auto in surance combined. A statistical anal ysis of actual household payments toward auto loans and auto insur ance was used to size the market and amount spent per household across 97% of U.S. ZIP codes.

es up.

Simultaneously, inflation is im pacting not only auto purchasers, but insurers who are passing the more expensive cost of vehicle repair and replacement on to consumers.

The 5% year over year increase in loan and insurance costs that doxo tracks represents only the fixed cost of ownership and doesn’t include the substantial increases that have occurred over the past year with re gard to the variable cost of fuel.

“The last few years created a bit of a perfect storm to increase the

different service categories. By in corporating tens of millions of bill payments across 97% of U.S. ZIP codes and all U.S. income and re gional demographic segments, the U.S. Auto Loans and Auto Insurance Market Size and Household Spend ing Reports represent a true and direct representation of what Amer icans actually pay for their auto re lated bills.

Each report provides a compre hensive look into the auto loan and auto insurance bill pay market, with a deep dive into category market size and average spend at the na tional, state and regional level. Key findings include:

Cost of Car Ownership in the U.S.

Americans spend a total of $743 billion dollars a year on auto loans and auto insurance

The average annual cost per household is $5,722 a year for both auto loans and auto insurance

Auto Loans Market Size and Household Spending Snapshot

Total Market Size: $493 billion spent per year

Average Monthly/Annual Cost: $433 spent per month; $5,196 spent per year

Percent of Households: 73% of U.S. households pay auto loans

Average Annual Cost per U.S. Household: $3,793 per year

Percent of Annual Income: Auto loan bills amount to 8% of consumers’ income per year

Auto Insurance Market Size and Household Spending Snapshot

Total Market Size: $250 billion spent per year

Average Monthly/Annual Cost: $196 spent per month; $2,352 spent per year

Percent of Households: 82% of U.S. households pay auto insurance

Average Annual Cost per U.S. Household: $1,929 per year

Percent of Annual Income: Auto insurance bills amount to 4% of consumers’ income per year

Source: doxo

The 2022 U.S. Auto Loan Mar ket Size and Household Spending Report and the 2022 U.S. Auto In surance Market Size and Household Spending Report found U.S. House holds with auto loan and auto insur ance bills spend $629 per month, or $7,548 per year or $5,722 when averaging across all U.S. house holds.

The reports also break out the U.S. household spending market size, percentage of households that pay each bill, and average monthly and annual bill pay costs by state, largest metro areas and cities based on population.

A number of factors have com bined to drive up costs across both categories. Interest rates on auto loans are at a near-peak high over the last eight years, with supply chain issues and limited inventory pushing both new and used car pric

cost of car ownership across the cat egory. Driving went back to pre-pan demic rates, and so did the accidents and insurance rates associated with it, just as the cost of buying a car and buying gas were both on the rise,” said Jim Kreyenhagen, vice pres ident marketing and consumer ser vices, doxo. “doxoINSIGHTS gives consumers transparency into the av erage costs in both auto loans and in surance so they can make informed decisions about their own finances, whether that’s negotiating a better rate with their insurance company or rightsizing their auto loan with their budget.”

U.S. Auto Loans and Auto Insurance Market Size and Household Spend ing Reports

doxo’s bill pay service enables allin-one bill pay to more than 120,000 providers across the country in 45

SCRS Announces 2022 IDEAS Collide Showcase Lineup

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) announced the lineup of speakers for the IDEAS Collide Showcase, Nov. 4 at the 2022 SEMA Show.

The showcase will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Room S233 in the Upper South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The IDEAS Collide Showcase is a one-of-a-kind event featuring 10 fast-paced presentations designed to stimulate thought, innovation and resolution of business challenges with brash, outspoken and provok ing concepts from thought leaders both in and out of the industry.

Explore and register for the IDEAS Collide Showcase, and oth er SCRS Repairer Driven Education offerings at the SEMA Show, by vis iting https://scrs.com/sema-rde-reg istration

“The goal with this program has always been to get people to stop and think,” said SCRS Chairman Bruce Halcro. “The format of this event is the key, and what makes it so spe cial. The short, fast-paced delivery allows attendees to consume a lot of unique thoughts, and potentially be exposed to subject matter they might not otherwise have chosen to partic ipate in if were a longer, singularly focused session.

“We frequently get comments from participants how they were surprised at the topics they enjoyed the most, and I credit that to the ex posure they get to so many speakers in this two-hour showcase,” Halcro said.

SCRS promotes the Showcase as offering audience members the opportunity to be intrigued by indi viduals and companies with topics that rattle the status quo, and ambi tious ideas that could have a trans formative effect on the industry.

The showcase will feature the following speakers and topics:

“A Pattern of Basic Assump tions,” Jeff Peevy, vice president of technical products, programs and services, I-CAR

The single most limiting ele ment to business performance is an unrecognized pattern of basic as sumptions. These assumptions cre ate the framework for the cultures you live in, at work and at home.

Becoming aware of these assump tions allows individuals and groups to be open to learning, adapting and championing new challenges.

“The Psychology of Money,” Scott Broaddus CFP, partner, Iron gate Capital Advisors

Every day we are bombarded with world news and how it may impact our financial health. Join in vestment advisor Scott Broaddus CFP who will share how personal biases and emotional factors play important roles in how we make fi nancial decisions and how to think more rationally about money.

“Vehicle History Reports: How to turn the tables and make them work to your advantage,” Thom as Allen, founder/CEO, Condition Now LLC

Vehicle history reports have had tremendous effect on the collision industry and its customers. In this session, Tom Allen will explore the possible sources of initial damage records and the result these damage records have on vehicle values and customer satisfaction. Understand why OEM certified shops represent the best way forward to present an opt-in solution for consumers to clarify incomplete or erroneous damage information, and how, if adequately documented, repair fa cilities can present solutions to con sumers to mitigate the damage infor mation that makes its way onto the vehicle’s permanent record resulting in a more positive experience.

“I’d rather be eating chicken sandwiches in fancy shoes than get ting my car fixed,” Mike Wandrey, Shop Fix Academy, Pro-Collision

Why does Chick-fil-A and Nordstroms have better reviews, better quality and more loyal cus tomers than body shops? Change the culture, purpose and mission of your center and start having raving fans that will happily pay the difference.

“Evaluating ‘will’ and ‘skill’ for the perfect hire,” Dave Gruskos, president, Reliable Automotive Equipment, Inc.

The labor pool is an increasing challenge for many businesses seek ing out experienced replacements for open roles within the repair facil ity. Sometimes the answer for hardto-fill positions comes in expanding

the search to other service-oriented businesses, and focusing on the right attitude and approach, with a recog nition that we can develop skills. In this session we will explore effec tive hiring practices being employed by a growing list of businesses that have successfully hired employees into the collision industry by prior itizing key attributes and traits that can be built upon.

cuss the ownership experience and conclude with research supported tips that will have you reducing con sumption and maximizing efficiency without sacrificing performance.

“Count the pennies because the dollars count themselves!” Rudy Romero, Larry H. Miller Collision Centers

“Spray Gun Science,” Brady Hais let, application engineer, 3M While well over a century old, spray gun technology continues to evolve. But how much do you really know about this piece of equipment so critical to the success of your business? This session will begin with the science behind spray gun anatomy and op eration, review the types of spray equipment used in our industry, dis

I like to train my teams and shops to focus on the small things because the big things are already in your face, easy to spot, easy to manage. Are you too big of a person to walk over a penny and not pick it up? Why would you let pennies roll out of your driveway when you know that is 100% net profit on the bottom of your P&L?

“Building an OE Centric Cal ibration Center,” Greg Peeters, CEO, Car ADAS Solutions

Calibrations might just be one of the most critical elements of the modern repair process. For every repair facility that has ever felt lost on where they could find help in per forming the task, another business

See IDEAS Collide

Used Car Market Finally Reaches Peak, as Prices Fall After 2 Record-Breaking

Years of Inflation

After used car prices rose to alltime highs amid the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting supply chain disruptions and even held firm amid multiple interest rate hikes this year the market has finally peaked, according to the monthly Return to Normal in dex from leading car shopping app CoPilot.

Overall used car prices fell in August to an average of $33,414, as dealers dropped prices across the board to maintain sales mo mentum. Prices are now $8,497 or 34% above projected normal levels, a premium that fell by a staggering 9% from July, the larg est-ever monthly drop for CoPi lot’s index.

Most segments and brands have dropped in price after reach ing record highs in recent months.

CoPilot’s Return to Normal Index shows the price premium, or the differential between current listing prices and what the same used cars would have been worth, if not for the COVID-19 pandemic and other unprecedented events of the past two years. This provides a unique measure of the relative in flated value of vehicles for Ameri can consumers, and a new econom ic barometer for the retail used car market.

Across all age brackets, prices declined in August, and this trend was seen most prominently in the prices of 1- to 3-year-old vehi cles. While, for much of this year, nearly-new car prices remained near all-time highs, as consumers turned to them as a substitute amid record-low new car inventory, they are now falling the fastest of any age bracket, down $715, or 2%, to $41,545 in August.

The Price Premium for these cars fell the most of any age brack et, dropping 7%, from $11,944, or 39%, in July, to $11,097, or 36%, in August.

Used SUVs and pickup trucks remain the segments rela tively closest to returning to nor mal pricing levels, with SUVs priced $8,092, or 23%, above normal, and pickup trucks list

ed $8,638, or 26%, above nor mal. Average used SUV prices now $43,222 have fallen for the past six months, while used pickup truck prices now $41,469 have seen month-over-month declines for the past four months.

Electric and hybrid vehicles are also reflecting this broader trend within the used car mar ket. As gas prices continued their steady decline in August, used electric and hybrid vehicle pric es which had skyrocketed along with fuel costs in the spring fell dramatically. Used electric vehicle prices declined by 4% from July to August, to an average of $64,306, while used hybrid prices fell by 3%, to $47,790.

Additionally, used Teslas of ten seen as a proxy for the electric vehicle market dropped in price by 4%, or just over $3,000, to an average of $67,324. After peaking at an all-time high of 50% above projected normal in June, Tesla prices are starting to show early signs of softening, with prices de clining in August to 43% above normal levels.

“After years of astronomical price hikes in the used car market, relief may finally be imminent,” said CoPilot CEO and founder Pat Ryan. “While we’re still a long way from normal prices in absolute terms, across the vast majority of vehicle segments and brands, it’s clear that prices have fallen off their record highs. Consumers who have been waiting out this unprec edented market for months, or even years, should be ready to finally make their move.

“Cars are still moving fast on dealer lots, but as days-to-sale ticks up in recent months, dealers are dropping prices by hundreds of dollars for nearly-new cars to keep sales moving in the face of rising interest rates and other eco nomic headwinds that dampen demand,” Ryan added. “The story is evolving, but we recommend shop pers should prepare to strike when they find a car that matches their needs, and be close ly looking out for the moment soon when prices may fall off even more substan tially. In many cases, buyers will already find they finally have more negotiating leverage at the dealer.”

Some brands, however, con tinued to hold firmly near alltime high prices in August. On

average, foreign brands were priced $8,105, or 44%, above projected normal levels, a slight increase from last month’s Price Premium of $8,012 above normal. Used Volkswagens had the high est Price Premium among foreign brands, averaging $9,338, or a massive 57%, above normal pric ing levels.

“While most vehicle segments and brands have fallen off their peak prices, some still are lingering near their record-high prices, so it pays to explore alternative brands to find the best value,” Ryan said. “For people with a used car to sell, now is the time to make a move and sell that vehicle at a profit, in order to capitalize on these oncein-a-lifetime market conditions, before prices fall much further on your trade-in.”

Source: CoPilot

A panel discussion at this summer’s Collision Industry Conference (CIC) related to the impacts of inflation fo cused primarily on how body shops can address increases in the costs of paint and materials—including how to discuss rising costs with insurers.

No matter which of the major refinish paint lines is being used within a shop, virtually all colli sion repair businesses have received at least one letter—and generally multiple—in the past 18 months an nouncing price increases for those materials.

One paint company, for exam ple, notified its U.S. shop customers in January 2021 of a “weighted av erage increase of 4.1%,” followed by a similar “weighted average in crease of 4.25%” in May 2021, and another of 9.8% in February of this

Panelists at CIC noted some

shops may be confused by the term “weighted average,” particularly if they see their paint costs rising above the percentages noted in the letters.

Paint company representatives said those average increases are

“So some products may be raised more, some will be raised less,” said Braxton Ewing of BASF. “A lot of that is dependent on supply chain issues and raw material avail ability.”

Tim Ronak, senior services con sultant for AkzoNobel, concurred.

“An individual shop may not buy that entire weighted range of products in the same distribution that we’ve averaged it,” Ronak said, noting most companies offer a vari ety of clear coats, for example, that might increase in price at different rates. “What that means is that each shop may see its own unique price increase, irrespective of what’s pub lished.

Track and Document Costs

Panelists noted one way a shop can better document its costs is through the use of a paint materials calcu lator or billing system other than the traditional “paint labor hours times a given rate.” A “Who Pays for What?” survey in January found although the percentage of shops using that method has been falling, about half still do.

Committee co-chairman Aaron Schulenburg pointed to an article on the CCC Intelligent Solutions website stating although most of its customers use the “rate times hours” method for calculating materials charges, “this is also usually inaccu rate.”

an aggregate average across all the various products that manufacturers may include in the notice.

“A 10% published number might be, for an individual shop, a 12% increase in actual expenses, whereas another might see an 8% increase,” Ronak said.

Ronak said most shops in the 20 Groups he oversees have moved away from using a “rate times paint labor hours” billing method for ma terials.

“In fact, they’re becoming far more specific about what is a paint material, and creating invoices and documentation for that,” Ronak said. “They’re taking some of the things that used to be called materi als, like panel bonding adhesive and seam sealers, and billing for those independently on a per-job, docu

he recommended. “You need to truly understand job-costing. The trans formative moment for most shops that I’ve worked with in all the years I’ve been doing this is when they un derstand job-costing and they stop doing the things that take money away. That’s typically all you need to do: Stop doing the stuff that costs you money, and start doing more of the things that make you money.”

Ewing, a performance group manager for BASF, said shops using the Mitchell Refinishing Materials Calculator, PMCLogic from Com puter Logic or their paint scale to more accurately track and invoice for the actual materials used will see two otherwise identical jobs may have different paint costs just be cause of the color. Charging based on paint labor hours doesn’t take into account so many factors like that, he said.

continue to become more detailed over the long term, just as estimates themselves were once as basic as “replace and paint fender for $xxx.”

Shorter-term, he said, shops need to work with the manufacturer of the paint they are spraying “to re ally understand how to be profitable with their products,” and then “learn how to document and communicate that” to whoever is paying the bill for repairs.

Addressing Costs with Insurers

An insurance company representa tive on the panel said, like shops, insurers are seeing their costs rise quickly. Dan Tessadri, auto physi cal damage business consultant for CSAA Insurance, said at least in some states, there can be a long lag time before insurers can reflect their higher costs in premiums.

“That’s a little different than what [a paint company CEO said in a news clip played at the meeting] where every quarter they look to ad just prices,” Tessadri said.

Tessadri was asked about shops’ approach in seeking rate increases.

“There is an incredible differ ence in the documentation, in the communication, in the overall sort of understanding of the impact infla tion is having on their store,” Tessa dri said.

The most effective way he sees for a shop to start that conversation?

“From my perspective, it’s un derstanding that you’re not oper ating in a vacuum. We’re not all in the same boat, but we’re in the same storm,” Tessadri said.

Work for some open discussion, he recommended.

mented basis.”

He said “knowing your num bers” is even more crucial for shops in inflationary periods.

“Be able to break down how you look at your business, rather than just sales versus a pile of costs,”

“You may have a weak esti mator who writes lower hours than should be expected for that repair, or may have missed something during the estimating process,” Ew ing said. He said paint and materials documentation and invoicing will

In California—and some other states—insurers must get the premi um increases approved in advance. Between the process of determining the increases needed and getting ap proval, he said, it can take up to two years to see the increase reflected in premiums.

“‘This is what I want, but this is what I could potentially live with,’” Tessadri suggested. “Those are the discussions that end up probably more successful. I’m a data guy. So I do sort of enjoy seeing [some one who has] gone to the length of crunching that information to ex plain it to me.”

Tim Ronak of AkzoNobel said collision repair be on top of their numbers during inflationary periods

by Douglas McColloch, SEMA

Celebrating its 55th anniversary in 2022, the annual SEMA Show has evolved to fit the times, reflecting and responding to changes in the specialty automotive industry, and this year’s Show should be no different.

With an extra 600,000 square feet of exhibition space courtesy of the new West Hall, last year’s Show provided attendees with more room to conduct business in a collegial environment while still having ample space to enjoy a dazzling array of enthusiast events, builds, competitions and networking opportunities. The 2022 Show promises more of the same.

Year, SEMA Powersports Vehicle of the Year and SEMA EV of the Year.

SEMA Award winners are determined and voted on by SEMA Show exhibiting manufacturers to recognize vehicles that manufacturers are investing in and developing products for. The program heightens awareness for aftermarket products and exemplifies the industry’s partnership between automakers and aftermarket manufacturers that develop products to improve vehicle performance, safety and convenience as well as appearance and comfort.

The New Products Showcase Upper South Hall, Booth #31307

SEMA Gear.

SEMA Central is also the place to see celebrity appearances, to take in daily panel discussions and Brew Talks with some of the industry’s most notable and knowledgeable figures, and to get an up-close look at last year’s Battle of the Builders winner Bob Matranga’s classic ’55 Chevy, which will be on display during Show Week. SEMA Central is also the site for the finals of SEMA Launch Pad, SEMA’s annual competition of automotive entrepreneurs.

Feature Vehicle Displays Various Locations

and out, the displays connect with Showgoers as an extension to the exhibit booths of the product creators. The SEMA Show app features a scanning function that allows attendees to quickly capture product and exhibitor information from feature vehicles on display throughout the Show.

SEMA Overland Experience West Hall, Booth #62236

While the SEMA Show floor is organized by category and numbered to improve navigation, an ideal way to simplify the Show experience is with the 2022 SEMA Show app, which contains detailed exhibitor information, interactive floor plans and daily event information all accessible from mobile devices.

The Show app also features a scanning function that allows attendees to capture product information from the New Products Showcase and exhibitor information from feature vehicles on display. The app puts the entire SEMA Show in your pocket, and it’s available as a free download from your mobile device’s native app store or by logging on to www.SEMAShow.com/app.

SEMA Awards Presentation

5-7 p.m. Oct. 31, Silver Drive, Outside the Central Hall Entrance

The annual SEMA Awards, given to the top-trending vehicle models in six categories, will be presented Oct. 31, the day before the SEMA Show officially opens. The awards are presented to automakers for the SEMA Car of the Year, SEMA Truck of the Year, SEMA 4x4-SUV of the Year, SEMA Sport Compact of the

A first stop for many attendees and a must-see for everyone else, the New Products Showcase provides a window into the automotive aftermarket for the coming year as hundreds of manufacturers roll out their latest innovations. In all, the 2022 New Products Showcase is expected to exhibit more than 2,500 new and featured products in a brandnew, 30,000-square foot exhibition space in the Upper South Hall.

For 2022, two additional product categories will be added to the Showcase: advanced driverassistance systems (ADAS) and EV technology.

The New Products Showcase enables buyers to focus their efforts on the companies they need to see to keep the product pipelines active and their inventories fresh, and media attendees can get a glimpse of the latest trends to emerge from the industry’s leading influencers. Additionally, scanning products with your mobile device using the SEMA Show app enables communications between buyers and exhibiting companies to generate leads and drive future sales.

SEMA Central Grand Lobby, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 31–Nov. 3; 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 4

This year, SEMA Central expands to offer Showgoers a more immersive industry experience than ever before. Visit this Show hub to see top-tier vehicle builds and center-stage interviews with iconic personalities. There’s even a boutique shop to outfit you with the latest

The SEMA Show is renowned for the innovative parts and accessories displayed on show vehicles representing every industry niche, from cars and trucks to powersports. Much more than rolling works of art, the vehicles offer an inperson look at real-life applications of the aftermarket’s latest and most impressive products.

Located throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center, inside

With many similarities and connections to off-roading, adventure travel, aka overlanding, has strong roots in Australia and South Africa, and in the U.S., its popularity has exploded over the past decade. Buyers at the 2022 SEMA Show will be able to see products and vehicles specifically for overlanding in the expanded SEMA Overland Experience area. This special exhibit will include dozens of customized vehicles with fully popped-out tents, survival accessories and portable kitchen systems all displayed among exhibitors supporting the growing

See SEMA Show

and Christina Molina, Collision Care Xpress, of ten tell customers no job is too big or too small. They take pride in build ing trust with customers and offering the latest auto body repair and paint technology at their Florida facility.

Robert always had a passion for cars. In 2008, during the Great Re cession, he worked as a body shop manager for Cadillac and Hum mer outside of Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

“The whole world was on fire back then,” recalled Robert. “I thought it was a great time to open a shop of my own.”

In 2010, Robert and Christina found a location in Pompano Beach, FL, north of Fort Lauderdale, to open their shop. For the first few years, Robert was a one-man show.

made the business successful.

How did you begin building the business?

Christina: In 2015, I had just given birth to our second child, and instead of returning to nursing, I stayed on board and helped Robert run and grow the business.

Working there was a natural feeling because my dad was a me chanic for 40 years and I was always at his shop. I have photos of myself in a diaper with grease from head to toe.

Robert and I purchased our first freestanding building in 2016, about a mile from our original location. It was really scary. We were promised that a DRP would come in and they never did. We looked at each other and said, “What did we get ourselves into?”

We have the expertise and re sources to provide insurers with documentation and procedures to justify necessary repairs, and that aids the insurance estimator to prop erly value the repair.

To be a high-caliber facility, we believe you have to be OEM certi fied and repair vehicles the way the OEM specifies.

About a year after opening the new facility, we began working with Tesla and were one of the first Tesla-certified shops in Florida.

Robert: We’re proud that as of to day, we have more than 20 OEM certifications. That goes a long way with customers. We find they put a lot more trust in us and feel they are bringing their vehicle into a shop that is well-versed in repairs.

What is the importance of customer

service and reviews?

Robert: We can’t afford to have cus tomers come in and not do a good job. After every repair, I follow up to find out if there was anything more I could do to help.

From the beginning of running the business, every time we finished a job, we asked customers to go online and leave a review on Goo gle or Yelp. We have thousands of five-star reviews. That wasn’t as common then as it is now, but it’s what started growing the company. We began picking up traction and getting more business because of those reviews.

We’re customer-centric and want to ensure our customers are happy. If we receive one star due to a situation we couldn’t control, we work hard to convert it into five stars.

“I did everything, including estimat ing, body repairs, welding, pulling, painting and dealing with insurance companies,” he said.

Christina was a nurse at the

“Those first years, she was con cerned that I had left my job to open my business,” recalled Robert. “I told her it’s going to be something special one day.”

The shop focused on custom restoration work, which helped them get through the early years until they built up the collision side of the business.

“Christina paid the bills and kept me alive there,” said Robert. “With her support, I was able to continue chasing my dream and was determined not to give up.”

I talked to Robert and Christina about OEM certifications, building a culture and initiatives that have

Looking back, it was probably the best thing that could have happened because it made us not be dependent on a DRP for steady work. We had to think outside the box and focus on marketing and so cial media to succeed.

Robert: We went from having about 3,000 square feet of shop space to 16,500. I thought we had made a huge mistake by listening to a DRP, but it was a blessing in disguise. We were able to figure out how to mar ket and grow our company.

An essential part of your busi ness is focusing on OEM certifica tions. Why is this important?

Christina: Our marketing efforts made us realize that we wanted to focus on OEM certifications. We have a great working relationship with all major insurance compa nies. Because we are an independent shop, we never deviate from facto ry-mandated restoration procedures and are always able to keep the best interest and safety of our customers as the top priority.

Christina: We want customers to have the best possible experience. Many think of a body shop as a dirty dark space where their car gets lost in a black hole. We hold a higher standard than that and customers can feel comfortable bringing their cars here and know they are fixed properly.

We’re serious with our tech nicians and ensure that they do the right thing with every repair, espe cially when no one’s looking. We re pair about 250-300 cars a month and neither Robert nor I can personally check every car.

How do you encourage teamwork?

Robert: We think outside the box. We have an on-site gym with a shower, an arcade, a recreation room for our 60 employees, and several employee lounge areas.

Christina: We also hold a lot of parties and events. We find these gatherings help build a culture and lead to happy employees who want to come to work. When you have happy employees, you get wonder

ASE Summer Testing Registration Ending

Registration for the National In stitute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) summer test ing period ends Sept. 30.

Those service professionals who register will have 90 days to schedule an appointment to take the selected ASE tests, whether registering on the first day of the registration period or the last.

More than 50 ASE certifi cation tests covering nearly ev ery aspect of the motor vehicle service and repair industry are available for ASE certification. ASE testing is available through out the year and is conducted days, nights and weekends at nearly 450 secured, proctored test centers.

To register, visit ASE. com, click on register and signin. Once logged in, users can next click on “orders” and then “store” where they can find the tests they want to take, add those tests to the cart and check out, and registration is complete.

Source: ASE

ful results. Unhappy employees are disgruntled and unlikely to put out a great product.

Robert: Customers can sense that. It’s like when you walk into a restau rant and know the servers are upset. You’re uncomfortable. It’s import ant to ensure our staff is happy be cause they will radiate that to cus tomers. It’s a critical part of being successful.

What are your plans for the busi ness?

Robert: We’ve purchased a new building almost every year since opening and are expanding again. We have more than 90,000 square feet of air-conditioned repair space and call it our campus compound. It’s a shop of the future that custom ers can drive their cars into and is gorgeous.

There are four buildings and each has a different focus and cus tomer base we market to: DRP, elec tric vehicle repairs, combustible engine repairs and fleet repairs. By breaking up each part of our busi ness, it is easier to coordinate em

ployee training, offer better service and be more efficient.

We recognize the industry is changing and we can no longer re pair everything the same way. We have to divide and conquer and provide customers with the best op tions.

Christina: Using this system, we’ve found our business is more organized. It allows us to spend time with employees and offer special ized training, especially with EVs.

If you aren’t focusing on OEM cer tifications and learning about EVs, you aren’t going to have a shop in the future. It’s important to be for ward-thinking.

Robert: Another development is the creation of a human-less valet system that moves cars automatical ly through the shop. This will help with repair planning and being more efficient. That’s the future of the collision business—less human and more interactive with computers.

Solera

CIECA announced Aug. 29 that Bill Brower, vice president of in dustry relations for Solera, joined CIECA’s Board of Trustees, effec tive immediately.

Brower is a claims leader across the insurance property and casualty (P&C) claims industry who has more than 35 years of experience leading claims teams with top brand companies, includ ing Solera, Nationwide Insurance, Liberty Mutual Insurance and LexisNexis Risk Solutions.

Additionally, Brower re cently joined the newly formed CEICA AI Committee and has a wealth of prior board experi ence. Previously, he served as a member and past chairman on the I-CAR Board, a former member of the Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) Board, past chairman of Simplicity Car Care Advisory Board (a Canada-based MSO), and a former member of North Fulton Community Char ities Board of Directors in Ros well, GA.

Source: CIECA

SEMA

overlanding market.

SEMA Electrified

North Hall, Booth #11268

As a trade association, SEMA looks down the road for emerging trends in performance and hot rodding, and it views vehicle electrification as a modern-day expression of those enthusiast pursuits. Now SEMA Electrified offers the industry an opportunity to see where this growing segment might take us in the next five to 10 years and beyond.

Experience for yourself the surprising technologies that are advancing and redefining the performance aftermarket. At SEMA Electrified, you’ll encounter some incredible custom electric-vehicle conversions and noteworthy parts and products that are currently driving the market.

SEMA Launch Pad

Central Hall, Booth #22970

Fifteen executive-level

innovators compete in a “Shark Tank”-like business competition for automotive entrepreneurs. The Top 5 are then selected for an elimination competition to be held Nov. 2 at SEMA Central, with the final two candidates presenting their pitches at the SEMA Industry Awards Banquet on Nov. 3. The ultimate winner will then receive a prize package of nearly $100,000.

Throughout Show Week, each of the 15 competitors will have their new products on display in the Launch Pad Corral and the Featured Products Showcase. Visit the Corral to learn about the products and businesses.

SEMA Battle of The Builders

North Hall, Booth #10139

Since its debut in 2014, SEMA’s premier showcase of the builder’s art has become one of the Show’s biggest attractions. It returns for 2022 and runs all during Show week before culminating Nov. 4 in North Hall.

Forty of the world’s most creative builds will be judged by a panel of industry experts, with the Top 12 vehicles advancing to the finals in four distinct categories that are new

for 2022: Hot Rod/Hot Rod Truck, 4-Wheel Drive & Off-Road, Sport/ Compact, Import Performance, Luxury & Exotic and Young Guns (builders under age 29). The winning vehicles will lead the procession at SEMA Cruise, which takes place immediately after the winners are announced.

SEMA Cruise Silver Drive

Vehicles from the 2022 SEMA Show begin parading out of the Convention Center at Show close 4 p.m. Nov. 4 to the delight of thousands of fans in grandstands along the route.

More than 1,000 vehicles will take part in the SEMA Cruise, which proceeds toward the West Hall parking lot and SEMA Ignited, the Show’s official after-party that’s open the public. Spectators have a ringside seat to view the coolest cars on the planet, and the Cruise has become one of the Show’s most anticipated events.

SEMA Ignited West Hall Parking Lot

The 2022 SEMA Show culminates at SEMA Ignited, the

official after-party that launches immediately after the Show ends Nov. 4. The event takes place in the West Hall Parking Lot just a short walk away and is free to all credentialed Show attendees.

Introduced in 2014, the annual event is also open to the public, giving consumers the chance to glimpse some of the vehicles and excitement from the world-famous, trade-only SEMA Show. The party is a great way for Showgoers to unwind from the week while enjoying a night of food, entertainment, drifting demonstrations and more.

Gates open at 3 p.m., and your SEMA Show badge serves as your free ticket. For more information, visit www.SEMAignited.com.

SEMA Gear Various Locations

For your shopping convenience, SEMA Gear stores are located throughout the Show in the Bronze Lot, the East Lobby, SEMA Central, the Grand Lobby, the Grand Plaza, the Central Hall, the Skybridge and the West Hall. Don’t forget to stop by and pick up gifts and SEMA Show

Luther Bloomington Subaru Bloomington (800) 451-5078

Direct (952) 887-0600 (952) 881-1787 Fax Mon 6:30-6; Tue-Fri 6:30-9; Sat 8-4 parts@bloomingtonsubaru.com www.bloomingtonsubaru.com

Morrie’s Brooklyn Park Subaru Brooklyn Park (800) 343-6999 (763) 765-1462 (763) 765-1487 Fax Mon-Fri 7-6; Sat 8-4 bpsubaruparts@morries.com

Ken Ganley Subaru North Olmsted North Olmsted Toll Free (888) 850-0633 Direct (440) 788-7060 (440) 788-7085 Fax Mon-Fri 8-7 Tue-Fri 8-6 Sat 8-5 jtjoyce@ganleywestside.com MINNESOTA OHIO MISSOURI

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memorabilia for friends and business associates back home. You’ll find T-shirts, hats, bags and more at each store. A portion of the proceeds from every sale is donated to SEMA Cares charities.

LVCC Loop West Hall, Central Hall, Lower South Hall

Walking the SEMA Show floor can eat into valuable time, so Showgoers looking to maximize their efficiency during Show Week can take advantage of the new LVCC Loop. A 1.7-mi. subway tunnel that connects West, Central and South Halls at three dedicated stations, the Boring Company-built Loop can save time by transporting attendees from one end of the Convention Center to another in roughly four minutes, and the system can transport more than 4,000 passengers per hour.

While all of the information contained in this article was accurate at the time this issue went to press, be sure to visit www.SEMAShow. com or the SEMA Show app for the latest updates and schedules.

Source: SEMA

has wondered if there was a viable business in opening a dedicated cali bration center. Greg Peeters with Car ADAS Solutions walks through the vision on how to define the opportu nity and determine the ROI, in both an internal and standalone model. Considerations such as zoning, loca tion, size, floor, walls, lighting, ceil ing, overhead door and more all per OE procedures and specs! Learn the profile of a calibration technician that matches their process and need for documentation. Learn more than you ever even thought you needed to know.

“Modern Glass Replacement,” Ryan Mandell, director of claims performance, Mitchell International The session is designed for those already in the glass business as well as those considering add ing glass to their repair operations. Learn how a proliferation of new technology has changed the glass replacement business and how to leverage OEM repair information to

ensure proper and safe repairs.

“Making Safety Inspections a Non-Negotiable Item,” Mike An derson, president, CollisionAdvice. com Most, if not all, OEMs have safety inspections that need to be performed when a vehicle is in a collision whether the airbags deploy or not. In this event, Mike Anderson of Collision Advice discusses these safety inspections, what is involved and what components need to be inspected. He’ll also discuss how to educate consumers and insurers about these inspections in a way that educates, not alienates. This session will be Mike’s impassioned plea to the claims and repair industries to place consumer safety at the fore front, by performing critical steps to ensure safety.

The IDEAS Collide Showcase is included the Full Series Pass, which also includes one regular session in each available time slot, access to each session of the OEM Collision Repair Technology Sum mit Sessions and one ticket to the Sky Villa After-Party on Nov. 3. It is not necessary for you to select indi vidual sessions. Your pass will allow

you VIP access to all your sessions.

About SCRS’ RDE series: Re pairer Driven Education (RDE) se ries will feature five days of educa tional offerings carefully crafted by the Society of Collision Repair Spe cialists (SCRS) to deliver relevant content which speaks to business conditions experienced by collision repair professionals operating in to day’s marketplace. The program is designed to expose collision repair businesses to acclaimed renowned industry experts, delivering infor mation designed to re-energize your business with knowledge and imple mentable solutions to real world.

The 2022 Repairer Driven Ed ucation Series is made possible with support from AASP, AirPro Diagnostics, BASF, CCC, Reliable Automotive Equipment (RAE), Re pairify, Toyota Wholesale Parts and SEMA.

Source: SCRS

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Are Your Processes and People Strategically Aligned?

by Ed Attanasio

An auto body shop owner or manager might say “we are a process centric shop,” “we stress processes here and focus on efficiency and productivity” or “it’s all about workflow here and everyone knows their role.”

But they are thinking “our pro cesses need to be updated, but is ev eryone on board,” “we are forgetting about the people part of the equa tion,” “do we have the right crew to achieve our goals” and “our process es take too long and don’t help our cycle time.”

To achieve consistent results, every successful body shop needs to devise a series of processes that maximize its strengths while com ing up with viable solutions for problematic areas. It’s Business Management 101—“strategic align ment,” a mechanism by which an or ganization uses tools to visualize the relationship between processes and strategies.

Every auto body shop owner and manager is always looking to optimize workflow because they know it’s a critical component that can significantly impact productivi ty and performance.

Production often gets caught up in the day-to-day roller coaster and managers fail to realize the shop’s processes are outdated, inefficient or no longer in use. Continually changing processes and workflow strategies isn’t a bad thing. In re ality, frequently assessing internal operations to ensure they are lean and working efficiently is something every body shop should do.

The rub here is how to take theory and put it into practice while using the technology and tools avail able. In many cases, body shops devise methods that look good on paper but don’t offer practical solu tions for real-world applications.

When a shop is in a rut, it’s time to re-calibrate and update its processes to better coincide with the workplace environment. In many instances, the plan is reliable, but if the crew does not strictly adhere to the strategic policies devised, the department will never realize its full potential.

Rick Selover, industry insider/

consultant, gives a historical per spective on how processes eclipsed the importance of people over the years.

Selover, a former refinish in structor, is a multi-award-winning sales leader, collision industry con sultant and advisor, motivational coach and host of a personal and professional development podcast series, “The Mind-Wrench Pod cast.”

“Today, you’ll hear things like ‘your people are your business’s greatest asset,’ ‘teamwork makes the dream work’ and ‘your compa ny is only as strong as your weakest link,’” Selover said. “But this wasn’t the credo that body shops lived by back in the 1970s to 1990s, not at all. Back then if you could bump a panel, skin a door and pull a frame or unibodies, or you could DA, paint and rub a car, and didn’t mind hard work, you could work in this indus try, or even start your own shop!

“Baby Boomers were probably 90% of the workforce in those days, and just plain old hard work was the standard,” Selover said. “Concepts such as job satisfaction, fulfillment and work-life balance weren’t a thing yet! If a shop owner didn’t like your work, or your attitude, or the fact that you came in late—or hungov er—every other day, they would fire you and your replacement would be unloading his toolbox the same time you were rolling yours out the door.

“The technology—or really, lack of—and finish of those vehicles set the talent bar relatively low com pared to what is needed to repair to day’s vehicles,” Selover continued. “Most shop owners couldn’t swing around a seized-up come-along without hitting eight to 10 body and paint guys looking for work.”

But as car technology started to advance through the 1990s into the 2000s, paint companies started teaching lean concepts, introducing repair processes, MSOs started tak ing root in the industry and things began to change, Selover said.

“The growing groups of MSO shops started focusing on creating, defining and implementing repair processes and operating procedures that increased the efficiency of their shops and increased production, or

the number of cars going out the door each week,” he said.

As this transformation evolved, the focus was really on the process es, not the technicians, Selover said.

“They were treated more as assembly-line workers than crafts men,” he said. “Remember, techs were easily replaceable in the past. But today, the required talent level has been increasing and the talent pool has shrunk drastically smaller.”

Fast forward a couple decades and vehicle technology and com plexity has grown exponentially, Selover said.

“The talent level required to do the work has increased to an unbe lievable degree, and meanwhile, in surance company DRPs have ruined the mindset and broken the will of the 90% of the workforce that was the ‘engine’ of collision repair for the past 30 or 40 years,” Selover said. “As the average age of those Boomer techs creeps up on 60, they have been on a steady march right out of this industry at an alarming rate—either aged out, burned out or

just grown too tired to fight the fight anymore.

“The collision repair business is highly unique in the service sec tor of business, as the combination of intelligence, creativity and pas sion require unique individual men and women,” Selover said. “Finding them is more challenging now than ever in our history. But that is where collision center owners need to en gage their own intelligence, creativ ity and passion to mold their busi ness, create a desirable culture and provide a unique place that appeals to multiple generations.”

If you are currently in a po sition where you want to re-work your processes and shake things up a little, here are three takeaways to ensure ongoing success.

Get Input from Everyone

If management creates workflow strategies for all employees at ev ery level, there is going to be some disconnect along the way. After all, it’s never easy to ensure the process es being installed without getting

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Piehl

PRINCETON 800-845-8964 815-875-4411 815-875-4293 Fax

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feedback from your service writers, technicians, parts people and front office personnel.

If you’ve discovered your em ployees are drifting away from your workflow, you may need to make adjustments to eliminate potential obstacles. Getting input from staff at various levels can help give the insight needed to devise the most ef fective and solution-based approach that works.

Be Realistic

In addition to polling your crew and letting them play a role, also be trans parent and accountable when deter mining what they can and cannot do. This requires an accurate assessment of the challenges your department currently faces. Some strategically aligned processes will work for some staff and not others, and a good man ager will be able to recognize that and pivot successfully.

There is never a one-size-fitsall approach to business process management. What works for some service departments might not for yours. That’s why it is essential to ensure your processes are tailored to

your department’s individual needs.

But you also have to be truth ful about their strengths, weakness es and tendencies. Too many shop owners and managers install pro cesses that are based more on wish ful thinking than anything else— so be real and deal with the cards you’ve been dealt.

Select the Right Tools, People and Technology

If your employees don’t have the right resources and tools to perform their job responsibilities properly, it will undoubtedly disrupt your entire workflow and impede every aspect of your business. The more intuitive your technology, the better posi tioned you will be to make intelli gent decisions to help enhance your efficiency, streamline your workflow and uncover even better processes.

To be effective and stay at the top, body shops need to create a se ries of processes that will position their crews for ongoing success. By using new technology, soliciting valuable feedback from the team and being realistic when assessing staff, collision repairers will score big.

EV Safety

of dust or debris that goes into the environment, it can have severe con sequences for an EV,” he said.

Ongoing EV Education Implemented

Earlier this year, Fuchs helped host an I-CAR EV Technical Repair Summit with vehicle makers, colli sion repairers, insurers and tool and equipment manufacturers. The goal was to gain industry input, share learning and other EV information and training required to keep the in dustry safe.

During the summit, Fuchs ex plained current EV disconnecting procedures can be challenging for technicians to follow due to the number of hyperlinks included.

As a result of industry input, I-CAR developed and published best practices and safety protocols for high-voltage disconnecting proce dures, modeled after the European regulation ECE-R-100. “It was cre ated so everyone can perform a safe disconnecting procedure,” said Fuchs.

The document can be found at https://rts.i-car.com/best-practices/ high-voltage-disconnecting-proce dure.html

Due to strong engagement and interest, regular EV Technical Re pair Summits are being planned. A September summit will focus on handling high-voltage batteries and their disposal.

I-CAR currently offers eight EV courses and 29 electrical, diag nostics and calibration courses, in cluding a new five-day EV HandsOn Skills Development EV course taught at I-CAR’s Chicago Tech nical Center. Learners will receive in-depth instruction, with activities and practical hands-on exercises performing electrical measurements vital to determining the status and safety of HV systems using specif ic high-voltage systems test equip ment. Additionally, attendees will perform hands-on high voltage shut down, zero potential verification, bonding and isolation testing, and power up in a shop environment.

Find the latest course news, re sources and webinars at info.i-car. com/electric-vehicles

by John Yoswick

Representatives of several automo tive paint companies on a CIECA webcast this summer cautioned that, like nearly every other aspect of collision repair, ADAS will im pact refinishing.

“Colors that are formulated with high metallic content, me tallic flake, can be a problem for radar and lidar, so that’s one area in the next three years that will be impacting actual colors,” said Dan Benton, global product director of color marketing for Axalta Coating Systems.

“It’s becoming much more important to follow the refinish procedures, just like we talk about following OEM repair procedures,” said Jeff Wildman, manager of OEM and industry relations for BASF North America. “You need to do the same thing with paint, be cause it really is a functional part of the safety systems.

“In some cases, especially with some of the translucent colors, we may be looking to reflect off the primer behind the color, rather than

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©2022 BMW of

the color of the vehicle,” Wildman said. “If you’re not applying the right color of primer, or if you’re applying too much base coat, that may not operate properly. I’ve

of electric vehicles in order to help keep the interior cooler; the goal is to reduce air conditioning use to help maintain battery range. What that could mean in terms of refin ishing isn’t yet known, Wildman said.

Just as environmental issues have driven the development of waterborne primers and base coats, he said, waterborne clears are being used in other markets and other in dustries.

AAPEX Ranked Among Top Trade Shows

The Automotive Aftermar ket Products Expo (AAPEX) is among the winners of Trade Show Executive’s Gold 100 awards that recognize U.S. trade shows in 2021 that set the gold standard during a tumultuous year.

worked with a lot of painters who apply one extra coat, just to make sure they get coverage. Well, that one extra coat may cause a radar sensor not to work. So you really need to follow those procedures.”

Wildman also said it’s likely shops will at some point have to invest in some equipment changes in their paint department, but the “when” and “what” aren’t yet clear.

He said paint manufacturers are working, for example, on fin ishes that will reflect more heat off

“We’ll see those in our indus try at some point,” Wildman said. “I don’t know when exactly, but they’re coming. When those come out, then I can tell you what equip ment you will need for them.”

Similarly, UV primers require only a small UV light. But if UV clears begin to be used, he said, that too would require equipment changes in body shop paint depart ments. on New Technologies in Paint and Coatings

AAPEX is co-owned by the Auto Care Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppli ers Association (AASA) and is organized by trade show man agement specialist W.T. Glasgow Inc.

The Gold 100 awards recog nize trade shows for their accom plishments during the ups and downs of the pandemic, and for prevailing even with the many challenges and new protocols put before them.

AAPEX and its show or ganizer will be honored at this year’s Trade Show Executive’s Gold 100 Awards & Summit, Sept. 21-23 at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara, CA.

Source: AAPEX

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YOU CHANCE AT THE FIRST REPAIR.

Collision repairers and insurance company representatives at this summer’s Collision Industry Con ference (CIC) discussed the friction that exists between the two segments of the industry in terms of estimat ing damages and adjusting claims.

An appraiser for Erie Insurance seemed to surprise some collision repairers at the meeting when she suggested shops and insurers should keep customers in the loop about the claims adjusting processes.

“So if you’re emailing the shop, ‘cc’ your customer in that for infor mation purposes,” Connie Hutton

my first line says: If you need a sup plement—photos, invoices, sublets, whatever—just send all that’s clear, and you’ll be paid,” she said. “Half of [shops] don’t even read that. It just wastes time for you, not me.”

Hutton was asked what types of repair operations are the hardest for her to approve.

“A sublet to a [dealer] that doesn’t include any documenta tion when the bill is $3,500,” Hut ton said. “It just says, ‘Calibration done.’ I need a little bit more than that. I’ll pay it, but give me a lit tle bit more information. And the shop should need it, too. Any time you sublet something, it’s on you, still. We’ll come back to you, not to them.”

Collision repairers on the pan el were asked what operations they most struggle to get approved for payment.

shop involving the same Lexus ve hicle, with virtually the same dam age and the same insurer involved. Shortly after the shop completed the first $17,000 repair to the vehicle, the customer hit a deer, resulting in similar damage and a $19,000 bill.

“With the first repair, there was a short-pay of about $2,500, and on

the second repair there was a shortpay of about $2,500,” Wagner said. “But items that the insurer said on the first claim they would never pay, got paid on the second claim, no problem. And vice versa. It just seems like they reach a quitting point [when reviewing a claim], and decide, ‘That’s good enough.’”

Wagner also drew applause at CIC when he challenged the es timating system providers to do a better job including small and onetime-use parts often needed during repairs in their systems.

“Clips, O-rings, screws are parts, and they need to be in the da tabase,” Wagner said. “If you want to talk about the one thing that abso lutely irritates me to no end, it’s all the time I have to spend digging to try to find all those parts.”

Wagner said his shop recently

suggested during the CIC Estimat ing Committee panel discussion. “And continue the thread. It keeps them informed and, believe it or not, when I was on the shop side, I got paid for most everything I did because I kept [the customer] in

Panelist Rob Wagner of Rob Wagner Auto Body in Pittsburgh said he was “blown away” by Hutton’s suggestion.

“We need to invest in cloning technology,” Wagner said of Hutton, drawing laughter. “Because that’s literally something that’s created friction between me and appraisers before. It’s, ‘What are you doing talking to the customer about this?’ But it’s their car.”

Insurer Estimate Not a Repair Plan

Hutton also emphasized there’s a clear difference between an insurer estimate and a repair plan.

“When I send my estimates out,

“Safety inspections. It’s getting easier, but that’s definitely one,” Wagner said. “If you have structur al damage on a Subaru and you’re writing to take the whole interior apart, and you have a bill-payer that’s not used to seeing that, that’s probably going to freak them out.”

Panelist Erin Solis of the Cer tified Collision Group referred back to Wagner’s reference to cloning.

“You want to clone them, but the rest of us want to clone you,” she told Wagner. “Because part of the reason why you can’t get paid for the R&I of the steering column on a Subaru when you have to measure it could be because you’re the only one in your market doing it.

“There are still a lot of repairers not doing the safety inspections, and I hear from shops all the time they are getting push back because [they are told] no one else in their market is doing it.”

Claims Handling Inconsistency

Wagner said one of his frustrations with how auto claims are adjusted is the inconsistency in what proce dures get approved.

He pointed to two claims at his

Connie Hutton of Erie

See

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Mitchell Transforms Estimating Platform to Meet the Needs of Electric Vehicles

Mitchell on Sept. 13 announced en hancements to Mitchell Cloud Esti mating that can simplify the collision damage appraisal process for battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

and appraiser efficiency.

The enhancements to Mitchell Cloud Estimating will address these challenges by incorporating new functionality not available in other appraisal platforms. This includes tools designed to simplify the esti mating process and support proper, safe repair.

Among those new tools are EV-specific:

industry-standard definitions for EV battery capacity and motor size that appear on the vehicle selection screen and under the vehicle descrip tion detail on the printed estimate.

for damage appraisals on all vehicle types passenger, commercial and specialty is a real game changer.”

These enhancements which come as the electric vehicle (EV) sector is bracing for unprecedented growth establish Mitchell’s position as a trailblazer in the development of advanced appraisal and claims man agement solutions for automotive in surance carriers and collision repairers.

Historically, estimating plat forms have not accounted for the design differences between EVs and their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. This can create challenges for insurance apprais ers and collision repairers. Without EV-specific parts and categories, they have to write BEV damage as sessments using ICE alternatives, which can impact estimate accuracy

Vehicle Types: Once the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is de coded, Mitchell Cloud Estimating automatically updates the user in terface, making it specific to BEVs instead of ICE-powered passenger, commercial and specialty vehicles.

Part Categories: New part catego ries dynamically surface the relevant parts data in a way that specifically relates to EVs.

Data Organization: EV data is now consistently organized, helping ap praisers easily locate the information needed to complete the estimate.

Qualifiers: Mitchell has established

According to Bloomberg, the U.S. surpassed 5% of new car sales pow ered only by electricity this summer, a critical tipping point that signals the start of mass EV adoption. In Canada, IHS Markit reported one in 20 new vehicle registrations in 2021 were for BEVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), a jump of nearly 6% from 2020.

With some car manufactur ers shifting to all-electric fleets, EVs will inevitably appear in a greater number of collision claims going forward.

“We’re seeing more EVs in the shop than ever before,” said Jeff Baggett, owner of Classic Car Mo toring, Inc., an EV-certified collision repair facility for Mercedes, Tesla and Rivian. “Having an estimating platform that accounts for the differ ences in EV design and construction is really going to save us time. And being able to use that same platform

“Gas prices are accelerating EV adoption and driving one in four Americans to say that they will likely buy an EV the next time they purchase an automobile. This makes having a damage appraisal platform that can support these vehicles crit ical,” said Debbie Day, executive vice president and general manager of Mitchell’s Auto Physical Dam age division. “Mitchell continues to lead the industry in the development of ground-breaking technology that streamlines the automotive claims process and supports the safe return of both EV and ICE vehicle owners to the road.”

The patent-pending EV en hancements to Mitchell Cloud Es timating will be available later this year.

For more information on the company’s cloud-based appraisal solution, visit www.mitchell.com/ solutions/auto-physical-damage/esti mating/cloud

Source: Mitchell

SEMA Scholarship Fund

The SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund issued a total of $297,250 in scholarships and loan forgiveness awards to help 119 individuals who currently work for, or are planning to pursue careers in, the automotive aftermarket industry.

The winners include 103 stu dents who received scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, and 16 employees of SEMA-mem ber companies who received loan forgiveness awards to help pay off student loans.

arship Program was established in 1984 to help support the future of the automotive aftermarket indus try. Since its inception, more than $3 million has been awarded to de serving students. One of the prima ry criteria for scholarship recipients is that the winner must have clearly demonstrated a passion for the au tomotive industry.

The online application for next year’s program will open in January at www.sema.org/scholar ships.

Source: SEMA

by Steven Loveday , InsideEVs

Automakers already made it clear the rules that will be put into law thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act will likely cripple EV produc ers long before promoting them.

This is because the U.S. sim ply doesn’t have the battery ma terial mining operations in place needed for the growing number of EVs on the road today. Now, the CEO of Piedmont Lithium is chim ing in.

For background, the new U.S. federal electric vehicle tax cred it has strict requirements related not only to the EVs being manu factured in North America, but also to where the materials are sourced from. More specifically, the EVs’ batteries must be made with ma terials sourced domestically, or from a country that has a free trade agreement with the U.S.

The rules aren’t as strict ini tially, but by 2026, vehicles will need 80% of critical materials to be sourced based on the rules.

Having rules that help make the U.S. less reliant on other coun

tries is arguably a positive. How ever, it’s going to take some time for the country to catch up when it comes to lithium extraction and

Lithium probably has a pretty sol id grasp of the supply and demand issues related to battery materials. Moreover, as we continue to add more electric cars to the mix, the materials will become more scarce.

In the meantime, companies are trying to do what they can to find solutions, but there simply ar en’t enough facilities or workers to make anything happen immedi ately. This is all contributing to the fact that lack of supply and grow ing demand are causing battery material prices to rise when we have been repeatedly promised EV batteries are going to get cheaper over time.

Piedmont Lithium is one of only a few lithium mining compa nies in the U.S. It has already an nounced plans to begin construc tion on a new lithium processing facility in Tennessee in 2023. It also has another similar project planned for North Carolina.

“The world has changed,” Phillips said. “We’re now in an era where everyone’s going to want an electric car. The car companies can’t make them fast enough, and people are now looking for the lith ium they need for the batteries to go in those electric cars.”

processing. “Yes, we’ll [eventually] have enough, but not by that time,” Pied mont Lithium CEO Keith Phillips told Yahoo Finance Live in a recent interview. “There’s going to be a real crunch to get the material. We don’t have enough in the world to turn that much [lithium] produc tion in the world by 2035.”

While we never suggest rely ing on one single individual to tell it how it is, the CEO of Piedmont

Despite the challenges that lie ahead, President Joe Biden has set a goal that all new cars sold in the U.S. by 2030 must be electric cars. To encourage people to make the switch, they’ll be afforded a credit of up to $7,500. However, once the new rules officially kick in, most EVs sold in the U.S. will no longer be eligible for a credit. It will take time for automakers to put the right pieces in place to ensure their elec tric vehicles are eligible.

Phillips is looking at a very long road ahead. He told Yahoo the U.S. has a very slow permitting process, which makes matters even worse. China continues to domi nate the industry, and Australia and Chile are the largest lithium pro ducers in the world.

Phillips noted lithium-related projects get permitted in Austra lia in less than a year, while it has taken as many as eight years in the U.S., though some permits only took two years, which is still way too long.

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The MSO Symposium, an exclu sive one-day conference created by and for multi-shop owners and operators, will be held Oct. 31, the Monday before SEMA/ AAPEX, in Las Vegas.

opportunities for attendees during this event include a formal luncheon sponsored by Berkeley Capital Advisors, a refreshment break sponsored by Axalta Coating Systems and an exclusive industry reception sponsored by Repairify, from 5:15-6:30 pm.

Below is an overview of the MSO Symposium’s 2022 confer ence timeline and agenda:

Monday, Oct. 31 9:30–10:30 a.m.: Networking Breakfast, Sponsor Showcase 10:30–10:45 a.m.: Welcome and Introductions

4–4:30 p.m.: Electric Vehicles 4:30–5:15 p.m.: Artificial Intelli gence and New Technology 5:15–6:30 p.m.: Industry Recep tion

Those interested in register ing for the 2022 event are advised attendance is limited and one must qualify to attend. Those in vited to attend include multi-shop operators of all sizes, insurers, OEMs and single-location repair facilities with revenue exceeding $3 million in annual sales.

Developed by the Automo tive Service Association (ASA) and the MSO Symposium adviso ry board, the conference includes unique programming with insight on a diverse set of topics top-ofmind to the leadership of the in dustry’s most influential collision repair operators in North America and beyond.

The event begins at 9:30 a.m. PDT with a light breakfast, networking and vendor displays. Three additional networking

10:45–11:45 a.m.: Industry Macro & Micro Trends with Vincent Ro mans & CCC Intelligent Solutions 11:45–12:30 p.m.: Panel discus sion: Inclusion and Diversity 12:30–1:30 p.m.: Formal Lun cheon

1:30–2:15 p.m.: Panel discussion: Environmental, Social and Gover nance (ESG) & Why it Matters 2:15–3 p.m.: Economic Trends 3–3:30 p.m.: Labor Trends, Chal lenges and Opportunities 3:30–4 p.m.: Networking Break

To begin the registration ap plication process, go to the MSO Symposium’s website: www.mso symposium.com/register

Attendance by media per sonnel and equipment or service providers is available, but also limited. For additional informa tion visit msosymposium.com or send your questions or requests for sponsorship information to Jennie Lenk or Brian Nessen.

Source: MSO Symposium

www.autobodynews.com

was repairing a vandalized Jeep and needed to disassemble the dash to re move broken glass. The two O-rings needed as part of that work weren’t in his shop’s estimating system, so he had to locate them in OEConnec tion’s RepairLink, then manually enter them into his estimate.

“Luckily the O-rings were $24.30 each, so we’re at least mak ing a little more money than we would on a $3 O-ring,” he said. “But it still can make my blood boil when I just spent 20 minutes to sell $50 worth of O-rings that should have just been a simple click in the [esti mating] system.”

Panel moderator Danny Gre dinberg of the Database Enhance ment Gateway encouraged the in dustry to report such missing parts to his organization, something Wag ner does regularly.

“Submit that inquiry, and we’ll work with the information providers to hopefully get that added in there,” Gredinberg said. Estimating

Consistently voted as the No. 1 destination by SEMA Show buyers and media, the 2022 New Products Showcase will expand to include two new product categories.

Showgoers will find products related to electric vehicles (EV) and Advanced Driver Assistance Sys tems (ADAS) along with products in 16 other categories, in what is the world’s largest display of new auto motive aftermarket products.

Accessible exclusively to SEMA Showgoers on Nov. 1-4, the New Products Showcase is the auto motive aftermarket industry’s most comprehensive collection of new and trending products. SEMA Show attendees visit the area to discover and see parts and accessories before they hit the market.

A Featured Products component includes items that may not qualify as new; the product may have been on the market for more than a year but is amongst an exhibitor’s top products.

“Through the SEMA Show New Products Showcase, buyers, retailers and distributors can easily discover and learn about all the hot products

that they may want to carry,” said Tom Gattuso, SEMA vice president of events. “They will find details about the products, including the exhibitor’s booth number. They can then connect directly with the man ufacturer on the Show floor to learn more. It’s no surprise that SEMA Show buyers rely on the New Prod ucts Showcase to help them stock their shelves.”

Details on all the products from the Showcase are also included in the SEMA Show mobile app, giving attendees a year-round resource to help them after the Show. The mo bile app’s product scanning feature enables attendees to flag items of in terest and create custom lists of note worthy products. Only at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas will attendees be able to connect with all product ex perts from the exhibiting companies for quality one-on-one discussions, demos and presentations.

Participation in the New Prod ucts Showcase, available as a ben efit to SEMA Show exhibitors, is easy and affordable. All exhibitors qualify to submit one product entry at no cost. Subsequent entries range

from $75-$150 each, depending on the submission date, and there is no limit to the number of entries. New this year is an on-site freight delivery service to make it easier than ever for exhibitors in West, North and Central Halls to participate.

Through the new service, exhib itors drop off their products at a near by designated area in their respective hall, and then coordinate to meet the product at the New Products CheckIn area in South Hall.

Qualifying products may also be recognized as a Best New Prod uct. Winners and runner-ups in 18 categories including the new EV and ADAS categories will be an nounced and presented at the Kickoff Breakfast on Nov. 1, just before the official opening of the SEMA Show. Additionally, all products in the Showcase are professionally photo graphed. The photos are often used by outside media and helps brand awareness.

Source: SEMA Show New Products Showcase Expands

with products in the Showcase see more buyers in their booths and re ceive more media coverage than those who do not participate in the Showcase.”

A nearby transportation hub that includes taxi and shuttle drop-off, as well as an entry point for the Las Ve gas Convention Center underground tunnel, makes it easy for attendees to visit the Showcase. More than 2,000 product entries are expected to be in cluded in this year’s Showcase.

Exhibitors can enter the SEMA Show New Products Showcase by visiting www.semashow.com/newproducts-rules. To register to attend the SEMA Show, visit www.sema show.com/register.

Driven Brands Holdings Inc. on Sept. 8 reported the acquisition of Auto Glass Fitters, making it the second largest player in the U.S. auto glass repair, replacement and calibration category after entering the U.S. market in early fiscal 2022.

This further densifies the com pany’s East Coast presence in auto glass services and significantly adds to its mobile capabilities.

The $5 billion and growing auto glass services market has been a strategic growth focus for Driven Brands, and this acquisition en hances its presence in this highly fragmented, needs-based category.

Leveraging operational exper tise from its Canadian auto glass servicing business and its existing blueprint for growth across seg ments like Quick Lube and Car Wash, the company has used its deep expertise in M&A to kickstart growth in the U.S. auto glass ser vicing market. At the same time, Driven Brands has built a robust pipeline of greenfield glass loca tions, using its proven playbook in real estate and development.

With the addition of Auto

Glass Fitters, the company now serves customers across more than 150 locations and more than 600 mobile units across 41 states after entering the U.S. market less than a year ago.

“Exhibitors that participate in the New Products Showcase report much higher success than those that do not participate,” said Gattuso. “Research tells us that exhibitors

The four-day SEMA Show is a trade-only event that connects man ufacturers of automotive specialty products with buyers from all over the world. Taking place in Las Ve gas, NV, exhibitors come to the an nual event to debut new products that enhance the performance, styling and functionality of cars, trucks and SUVs.

Now part of the broader Driv en Brands glass portfolio, the Auto Glass Fitters business will have access to robust shared service capabilities like data analytics, di rect-to-consumer marketing, pro curement and commercial customer relationship management, includ ing the company’s insurance and fleet relationships.

“We have significant momen tum across our auto glass service business, propelling us to quickly

become one of the dominant players in the category. Auto Glass Fitters has been on an incredible growth trajectory growing sales 25% yearover-year with over 100% growth in glass calibration and we’re thrilled to add another phenomenal team to our growing Driven Glass family,” said Michael Macaluso, EVP and group president of paint, collision and glass.

“Glass continues to be one of our focus areas of growth given its highly compelling economics including sales, 4-Wall EBITDA margins and cash-on-cash returns,” Macaluso said. “As we scale our already rapidly growing national presence, we have a massive oppor tunity to unlock the B2B potential by extending our glass services to our existing insurance, fleet and other commercial relationships furthering the already compelling economics of this business.”

Auto Glass Fitters has been in business for more than a decade and through its commitment to profes sional and efficient repairs, estab lished a strong East Coast presence, along with service coverage in more

than 35 states through a combina tion of service locations and mobile units.

“I’m deeply grateful for all the support our Auto Glass Fitters fam ily has provided to the many com munities we serve and for helping grow the business to become what it is today. I am humbled to see how much we have accomplished,” said Auto Glass Fitters founder Richard Rutta. “I’m excited to see what our amazing team can achieve with the resources and capabilities that Driven Brands will bring to the business.”

“We’ve demonstrated our ability to build and scale the glass business, becoming a leader in the category in such a short period, fol lowing our playbook for growth,” said Macaluso. “Once we further scale our glass business, we will be the only player in the category to provide a nationwide footprint for paint, collision and glass services together.”

Visit DrivenBrands.com for more information.

Source: Driven Brands