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VOL. 7 ISSUE 3 December 2017
Loophole Allows Damaged Cars to be Sold in Minnesota
Attorney Who Sued Texas Body Shop Urges Shops to Stand Up to Insurance Companies
Experts say a loophole in Minnesota’s vehicle titling law allows dangerous cars to be sold to unsuspecting buyers. And with a surge of flooded cars
Shortly after gaining notoriety within the industry in 2013 for suing State
by Lauren Leamanczyk, KARE 11
Car flooded in Houston after Hurricane Harvey. Credit: Getty Images
from hurricane-ravaged Florida and Texas about to hit the resale market, the problem could get worse. Thousands of vehicles currently being driven in Minnesota have been totaled, smashed and flooded, yet still have clean titles that carry no warning about their history. “It means ‘buyer, beware,’ is what it means,” said Todd Murray, an attorney and consumer advocate who specializes in auto fraud. It’s a lesson Marissa Cartwright and her father found out too late. “I was risking my own life every time I got in my car,” she said. Marissa had a 2001 GMC Jimmy. See Loophole, Page 35
CIC: New Vehicle Technologies Bringing Fresh Challenges for Collision Repairers by John Yoswick
Texas attorney Todd Tracy told shops at SEMA in Las Vegas in November what they can do to avoid a suit like the one he brought against a shop for failure to follow OEM repair procedures
Farm over its mandated use of PartsTrader, Mississippi attorney John Eaves was speaking to shops during SEMA week in Las Vegas, recruiting participants for lawsuits against in-
Virginia shop owner Barry Dorn said automaker systems that time stamp diagnostic trouble codes make it easier to determine which are related to a claim or repair process See CIC: New Technology, Page 4
surers that he said would revolutionize the industry. Four years later almost to the day, Texas attorney Todd Tracy told shops in a packed Las Vegas ballroom during this year’s SEMA that his recent $42 million lawsuit against a dealership body shop—and a subsequent related lawsuit against State Farm—also potentially marks the start of a profound shift for collision repairers. “This is a defining moment in your industry,” Tracy said. “You have a verdict that can change the industry.” Tracy was careful to point out that his goal isn’t to sue body shops for failure to follow OEM repair procedures, the basis of his legal victory against John Eagle Collision Center. Instead, like Eaves, Tracy has insurance comSee Stand Up, Page 46
Where Do OE Certification Programs Go Now, in a Post-John Eagle World? by Gary Ledoux
Change Service Requested
P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018
New challenges posed for collision repairers by increasingly complex vehicle technology were discussed during several presentations at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) held in Las Vegas during SEMA week in early November. “I would challenge you, whether you are a repair facility [relying on] the dash light, or if you are an insurer that is still saying, ‘I’m not going to perform a post-scan because the light isn’t on.” There are very valid reasons
by John Yoswick
The John Eagle verdict that occurred back in October, and the $42M judgement for the plaintiffs, Matthew and Marcia Seebachan, who were severely injured in an incorrectly repaired Honda Fit was, no doubt, the biggest collision industry story of the year—if not the decade. Subsequently, shops have become acutely aware of the severe liability they open themselves up to when a repair is not performed according to OE procedures. Shops have a huge stake in this game. After all, when you come right down to it, the choice to follow OE procedures and a correct repair, or not, is solely up to the shop – the technician and shop owner or manager. But the OE’s have a big stake too. An OE’s brand is on the line at a cer-
tified shop. When a consumer sees an OE emblem attached to a shop’s office wall or on their website, they assume it is a quality shop and their car, the second largest investment they have, will be repaired correctly and safely. Consumers trust the OE brand – so the OE must be able to trust the shop. Unfortunately, there are so many other forces that drive the industry and may have an over-riding effect, even on those shops that are OE certified. On October 3, 2017, the day after the $42M verdict was rendered, the industry entered the post-John Eagle era. Times have changed. So where do we go from here? How does the industry make sure this doesn’t happen again? What role will the OE’s play? Will OE certification programs adapt and change with this paradigm shift? See Post John Eagle, Page 48
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2 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
REGIONAL
1Collision Announces Additions in MN . . . . . 27
AASP-MN Delivers Practical Information
by Gordon Gibb, LawyersAndSettlements
NATIONAL
Antelope, CA, Man Sentenced to Prison
for Selling Counterfeit Airbags . . . . . . . . . 58
for OSHA and ADA Compliance . . . . . . . . . 8
Auto Care Association Names Kirsten Zaremba
says she was Mocked for Disability . . . . . 26
Axalta Coating Systems New Products:
Montanez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Cromax Chromapremier Pro Ultra
Provides Thanksgiving for Families . . . . . . . 8
Caliber Collision Creates New Executive
ASA-OH Hosts Workshops with Larry
Auto Body Collision Repair Program in Liberal, KS, Auto Body Students Prepare, Paint Donated
Chevy Vehicle for IL Fire Dept. . . . . . . . . . . 6
CARSTAR DANRICH Opens in Chicagoland. . 10 CARSTAR Ideal Auto Body Steps Up for
Golf Tournament in Mt. Prospect, IL . . . . . 16
New Senior Director, Marketing. . . . . . . . . 58
Cromax EZ, Acquire Quantum EFX, and
Performance Primer Filler . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Roles to Accelerate Teammate &
Client Satisfaction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Certified Collision Group™ Now Fifth-Largest Collision Repair Services Organization
in U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
CARSTAR Wally’s Auto Body in Chicago
CIF Extends Assistance to Victims of
Greaves Body Shop is Open for Business
Domestic Violence Survivor Receives Gift
Greenfield, IN, Firefighter Dies after
Eleventh Circuit Restores Auto Body Shop
Illinois HS Students Get Inside Look at Auto
Five Las Vegas Valley Residents Receive
IN Auto Body Shop Owner and Wife Aid
GFS Now Offering Consulting Services for
Kansas Body Shop Owner Hit by
GFS Partners with RollSeal to Offer Durable
Levander’s Auto Body Business Expands
I-CAR Honors Contributions to Collision
Local Wisconsin Dealer Sounds Off on
Mickey Harris Unveils Pat Tillman Tribute
Repainted Car Hoods Contest in North
Milton Unveils Modular, Auto-Draining
SCC’s Auto Tech Program in West Burlington, IA,
Mitchell Providing Collision Repair Industry
Pays Tribute to Vietnam Veterans . . . . . . . . 8
in Gladwin, MI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Auto Body Shop Fire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Body Shop on Disability Mentoring Day . . 27
Hurricane Victims. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Marketing Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
North Platte, NE, Services . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Tesla Bill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Platte, NE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Offers Careers a Jumpstart. . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Semi Crashes into Auto Body Repair Shop
Puerto Rico and CA Natural Disasters. . . . 63
of Transportation in Wichita, KS . . . . . . . . 14
Antitrust Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
the Gift of Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Improving Shop Throughput . . . . . . . . . . . 54
and Affordable Fabric Roll-Up Doors . . . . . 58
Repair Industry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Car at SEMA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Filter-Regulator-Lubricator Line . . . . . . . . . 60
Instant Access to Real-Time VIN-Specific
Recall Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
in Cicero, IL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
More than $600,000 in School Grants
Management Summit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
NABC Receives Prestigious National Power
Remaining Fall Career Fairs in MI, MN, OH. . . 6
Nationwide Achieves I-CAR Insurance
Rides for Schools in Omaha, NE . . . . . . . . 16
New I-CAR Hands-On Skills Development
Community College Dreams of Working
Reports of AkzoNobel Approaching
Sisk - AASP-MO Hosts Leadership and
Student Registration Tops 1,000 at Three
Students Helping Students with Recycled Techs of Tomorrow: Former Student at IL
for Major Paint Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 COLUMNISTS
through CREF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
of A—Summit Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Gold Class Corporate Status . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Courses Launched . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Axalta about Possible Merger . . . . . . . . . . 60
SCRS Panel Tackles Major Topics at
2017 SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Attanasio - 3M Hosts Reunion of 10 of the
West Virginia Tops State Farm List of
Attanasio - WD-40 Features Boosted
WIN Announces Opening of Most Influential
Ledoux - Early Industry Pioneers Left
WIN ‘Jumps in the Tank’ with Traci Brown . . . 63
World’s Best Car Painters at SEMA . . . . . . 41
Bronco at SEMA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Their Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Ledoux - Post-Repair Inspectors: Their Past
and Possible Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Deer Crashes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Women Nominations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
You Can Easily Trace a Car’s History, but
plicably returned to circulation, is a television report produced by News 12 New Jersey (06/07/17). While injuries attributed to defective, originalequipment airbags have been an issue for some time, the emergence of recycled airbags that may have been the Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Contributing Writers: John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr, Stacey Phillips, Victoria Antonelli, Gary Ledoux Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Digital Marketing Manager: Bill Pierce Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Michelle Lucas Online and Web Content Editor: Rochelle Beckel Accounting Manager: Heather Priddy Sales Assistant: Randi Scholtes
Index of Advertisers
After Auto Repair Complaint, MN Resident
Amongst the steady stream of media reports decrying the emerging issue of recycled airbag injuries and their relationship to recalled airbags inex-
Not Necessarily Their Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
subject of a recall poses a safety risk to occupants, and a corresponding risk of lawsuit litigation against would-be defendants. The concern, in part, is founded upon the 69 million defective airbags that were subject to the widest global recall in automotive history. A less-expensive propellant utilized by airbag manufacturer Takata, of Japan, was found to become unstable with age and in areas of high humidity. When the airbag is deployed, it does so with such force that the metal airbag casing is blown apart, sending shards of metal into the passenger compartment, seriously injuring occupants. Many have not survived their injuries. News 12 quoted Christopher J. Basso, of Carfax, about the issue.
A Few Old Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 60 Axalta Coating Systems. . . . . . . . 2,17 Bettenhausen Automotive . . . . . . . 18 Blue Springs Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 59 Bob Hook Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 CarcoonAmerica Airflow Systems . 41 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA). . . . . . . . . . . 19 Charles Gabus Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 ChemSpec USA, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Classic Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Courtesy Subaru. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Dent Magic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 ECS Automotive Concepts . . . . . . . 24 Equalizer Industries, Inc. . . . . . . . . 35 Erhard BMW of Bloomfield Hills . . . 15 Erhard BMW of Farmington Hills . . 15 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 51 Griffin Automotive Group . . . . . . . . 25 GYS Welding USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Herkules Equipment Corporation. . 14 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers. . 55 Infiniti of Naperville . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Insta Finish Car Care . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Jack Phelan Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam of Countryside . . . . . . . . . . 11 Jake Sweeney Chevrolet . . . . . . . . 28 Kelly BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Kia of Des Moines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
See Not Their Parts, Page 24
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. ©2017 Adamantine Media LLC. Autobody News Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018; (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com editor@autobodynews.com
Midwest
Contents
You Can Easily Trace a Car’s History, but Not Necessarily Their Parts
Kia Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . 57 Laurel Auto Group of Westmont . . . 47 Luther Bloomington Acura-Subaru. 48 Luther Hopkins Honda . . . . . . . . . . 38 Maplewood Toyota-Scion . . . . . . . . 53 Matrix Automotive Finishes. . . . . . . . 5 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 50 McGrath City Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Midwest Parts Group . . . . . . . . . 12-13 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 58 Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers. 50 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37 Morrison’s Auto Parts . . . . . . . . . . . 26 MWMtools.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Patrick Hyundai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Polyvance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Richfield-Bloomington Honda . . . . 30 Russ Darrow Automotive Group. . . 27 SATA Dan-Am Company . . . . . . . . . 7 Spanesi Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 61 The Sharpe Collection of Automobiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Toyota of Des Moines . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 58 VanDevere Kia-GM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Wizards Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Zimmer Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 3
SCRS Panel Tackles Major Topics at 2017 SEMA by Ed Attanasio
What happens when two lawyers, an OEM and a former body shop owner talk about the hottest topics in the collision repair industry? Well, in this case, things got a little heated and the language became a Continued from Cover
CIC: New Technology
why that light might not be on,” committee chairman Clint Marlow, an Allstate executive, said. Automakers at previous CIC meetings had outlined that not all of the hundreds of potential diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) that many vehicles
Allstate’s Clint Marlow said shops and insurers shouldn’t decide not to conduct post-repair scanning based solely on a lack of dash lights being lit
track are even tied to a specific dash light. But Marlow said dash lights also might not be triggered by temporary disruptions to a system’s functionality, such as the spray from a passing truck momentarily disabling the lane-departure sensors and system. Having dash lights not continually coming on and off can help build consumer confidence in the systems, he said. But members of the committee in Las Vegas also noted that many DTCs found in a post-repair inspection may not be related to the claim or repair process. Matthew McDonnell, CEO of three Big Sky Collision shops in Montana, said he sees opportunity for shops and insurers to work together when such codes are found in a prerepair scan. That’s an opportunity for you [as a shop] to bring that information to [the insurer] and say, ‘How would you like me to proceed with this,’” McDonnell said. “Because each case is going to be different, [so don’t] put the customer in the middle in the beginning. Maybe it’s an opportunity to win a customer over because together we’re
Improper Repair Methodology and Your Liabilities.” The panel, which was moderated by John Ellis, the managing director at Ellis & Associates, featured two attorneys—Todd Tracy of the Tracy Law Firm and Erica Eversman of Vehicle Informa-
little spicy, but in the end, the information offered was invaluable for those in attendance. On Nov. 2, at this year’s SEMA Show, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) presented a fourperson panel forum titled “The Hidden Dangers of Vehicle Technology,
going to go ahead and [handle the issue] anyway. We leave that in [the insurers’] ball court. That builds trust.” Virginia shop owner Barry Dorn said some vehicles have date and time stamps that help clarify which are claim-related and which are not. “That takes my opinion and your opinion and everyone’s opinion out. It is what it is,” Dorn said. Discussion throughout the meeting also emphasized the importance of vehicle scanning. McDonnell said a recent pre-repair scan during the blueprinting process in one of his shops included a recommendation to check a rear camera on the vehicle; upon close inspection, he said, it was determined the camera was damaged. “When would be the best time to find that out? After the car was delivered? Or during that disassembly?” McDonnell said, noting that finding it any later in the process could have impacted cycle time and customer satisfaction. But scanning has to be done hand-in-hand with checking the automaker repair procedures, Jake Rodenroth of asTech said during another CIC committee presentation. He said he learned through OEM procedures that replacing the muffler on a BMW X5, for example, requires hooking up the vehicle to a scan tool. Similarly,
Montana shop owner Matthew McDonnell said shops often need OEM training not only for their own employees, but in order to help train insurance adjusters and other shops in their market
Audi’s OEM procedures spell out that there are two windshield options for the 2016 A6, and the VIN alone will
4 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
See SCRS Panel, Page 16
not indicate which is needed. “It requires a visual inspection to determine which camera kit it has,” Rodenroth said. “So how would you know that if you don’t research the OEM procedures? In reality, you’d probably only find out at the end that you put the wrong windshield in the car. This is just one example of how the business is changing and that we cannot assume things.” Marlow said another area of agreement among the “Insurer-Repairer Relations Committee” has been the need for “a mechanism for the industry— both insurers and repairers—to bubble up questions [to the automakers] about repair procedures, or to recommend changes to repair procedures as technologies evolve.” He said I-CAR is increasingly serving in that role. “Vehicle makers will take our feedback,” Jason Bartanen, director of industry technical relations for I-CAR, said at the CIC meeting. “We’ve had several instances where we’ve escalated issues to a vehicle manufacturer, laid out some ideas for improved repairability, and that’s been very well received.” He cited an example of a Honda CR-V for which Honda originally serviced the inner quarter panel only as a complete assembly. “That created a very intrusive repair, having to replace that inner quarter panel and inner wheel house even when there’s just damage to the wheel house area,” Bartanen said. “We had that exact type of damage on a vehicle: the lower part of the wheelhouse. We purchased the part, and noticed a nice factory joint. We documented our repair process…and escalated that to Honda and got approval for that procedure. That’s just one example of how the vehicle manufacturers are listening and will take the feedback that the industry has and will try to make improvements, when possible.” Montana shop owner McDonnell was also a participant in another panel discussion at CIC that, although focused on government regulation re-
garding autonomous vehicles, drifted into other related areas. McDonnell said that for shops, a key challenge to working on autonomous vehicles will be the same as working with any new vehicle technology: training. He said training was his sole goal in pursuing Tesla shop certification for his business. “The return on that investment is: never,” McDonnell said, drawing laughter from CIC attendees. “But we want to know how to fix those cars. I think I represent a large pool of people out there that may not want [some] OEM certifications, but do want to know how to fix the cars.” His company needs that training for more than just his own employees, he said.
I-CAR’s Jason Bartanen said automakers have been receptive to his organization’s suggested improvements to OEM repair procedures
“We’re not only training our folks, but we [end up] training adjusters because they don’t have this information available to them,” he said. “We might be training our market, too. Something we see that’s frustrating is when we’re fixing a vehicle using OEM procedures, and then [are told], ‘Well, the dealership doesn’t do that, and shouldn’t they have more information than you, because you’re just an independent?’” McDonnell said even if autonomous vehicles don’t cause accidents, that won’t prevent the industry from needing the training to work on them. It will be decades before the majority of vehicles on the roads are autonomous, for example, and autonomous vehicles will be hit and See CIC: New Technology, Page 56
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 5
Repainted Car Hoods Contest in North Platte, NE by Job Vigil, The North Platte Telegraph
Students in the auto body program at North Platte Community College showed off their work Oct. 19. Automobile hoods that came from wrecked vehicles were repaired and painted as part of a contest.
Savion Smith, left, of Ogallala, won the North Platte Community College Auto Body Program automobile hoods contest on Thursday morning. Second place went to Chance Boersen with the Mopar hood and third place to Charles Martin with the largemouth bass design. Credit: Job Vigil
“One of the projects we do first (in our program) is the hood,” said MPCC auto body instructor Don Wilson. “We do all the primer, all the straightening, the taping, everything, and then we get to paint it.” The process generally takes three or four weeks, Wilson said, but contest winner Savion Smith of Ogallala said his took a little longer.
“It took me about six weeks to finish my hood,” Smith said. “The process starts out with assessing the damage of the hood.” Smith said he stripped down the hood and pulled all the dents. “From there, it’s really just a bodyfilling and smoothing-out process,” Smith said. “After primer and sanding, you choose your design. I chose this design because I love Nebraska; it’s my home.” Smith is in the 12-volt technician program and is an audio installer and interior specialist by trade. “I’m here really just to learn a little more about body work skills and how to work with metal,” Smith said. “It’ll help down the road because I like cars.” Wilson said Smith’s hood was one of the worst to start with. “His hood was one of the roughest,” Wilson said. “He was the last one done, but he had a bad hood. But he won the contest, so it paid off for him.” Second place went to Chance Boersen for his Mopar design and Charles Martin took third place with his largemouth bass design. We thank North Platte Telegraph for reprint permission.
Auto Body Students Prepare, Paint Donated Chevy Vehicle for IL Fire Dept.
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office donated a 1998 Chevy Tahoe to Illinois River Area Fire Department to be refitted for use by the chief, Stephen Alyea.
with an automatic external defibrillator, oxygen tanks, a medical pack and fire extinguisher. Quicker scene arrival benefits the community by allowing the chief to address the needs
Auto body tech students from Indian Capital Technology Center prepped and painted a truck donated to Illinois River Area Fire Department from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Students include, front row, from left: Chance Stayathome, Sidney Hair, Cody Terrapin, Elide Sierra, Mateo Taylor, Will Cozad, and Blayne Allen. Back row: Dalton Fritch, Chris Mills, Jorge Jordan, Jake Tillman, Kaleb Ruben, IRAFD Chief Stephen Alyea, Parker Warren, Martin Ruiz, Jeremy Russel, Jaime Herrera, and Instructor Bill Sprague
Auto body tech students from Indian Capital Technology Center prepped and painted the vehicle at no cost to IRAFD, and lights will be added to complete the vehicle for use in responding to emergency calls. The vehicle will be equipped
of the situation and relay information to 911 Communications for needed assets. The IRVFD name has been changed to Illinois River Area Fire Department, the original name from the 1980s–’90s.
Student Registration Tops 1,000 at Three Remaining Fall Career Fairs in MI, MN, OH
The Collision Repair Education Foundation announced it expects more than 1,000 students pursuing a career in the automotive service or collision industry at its three remaining career fair events in 2017. Employers at collision repair facilities, insurance companies and suppliers will have the opportunity during the career fair to take employment applications and interview potential new employees who have participated in collision repair and automotive mechanical repair training programs. The three career fairs, held in conjunction with ASE, will be held at: • Mason, MI Nov. 13 – Wilson Talent Center • Minneapolis, MN Nov. 15 – Hennepin Technical College - Brooklyn Park Campus
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• Columbus, OH Dec. 1 – Columbus State Community College
Brandon Eckenrode, Director of Development at the Foundation, stated, “We look forward to ending our 2017 career fair schedule on a strong note with events taking place in Minnesota, Michigan, and Ohio. As several of these will bring together collision and auto service students from around the state, we anticipate nearly 1,500 total students to be in attendance with these events. To continue this work into 2018, we are also finalizing our spring schedule of career fairs that will include cities such as: Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Chicago, St. Louis, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Nashville, Atlanta, Boston, and Greensboro.”
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CARSTAR Wally’s Auto Body in Chicago Pays Tribute to Vietnam Veterans
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts has a long tradition of honoring the nation’s military members, and CARSTAR Wally’s Auto Body in
Des Plaines, IL, outside of Chicago, continued that recognition this month with a unique tribute to Vietnam veterans in the region. CARSTAR Wally’s Auto Body helped host the traveling exhibit the “Wall that Heals,” the only authentic, 50 percent scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans’ Wall in Washington, D.C. The event was held at Lake Park on Lake Opeka. As part of the event, there was a flyover by a military helicopter, a military rescue demonstration and a candlelight vigil. CARSTAR created a special tribute featuring small Army soldiers that visitors could take to remind them of the veterans’
contributions. More than 1,800 of the Army soldiers were distributed during the three-day event. “This was such a unique, special experience,” said Sherri Slater, owner and president, CARSTAR Wally’s Auto Body. “I spend a lot of time volunteering and raising money for our veterans. The three days of this event have been some of the most touching and important days to me, from helping families locate their loved one’s names, to tearing
up while listening to the Vietnam veterans in attendance and watching them find their buddys’ names on the wall. I took my son and my husband, and they were so very thankful to have an opportunity to participate.”
AASP-MN Delivers Practical Information for OSHA and ADA Compliance On Oct. 10, the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota (AASP-MN) hosted a free OSHA Workplace Safety Consultation Workshop at Lake Superior College, Duluth.
The workshop, “Hazard Communication and MN Employee Right-to-Know for Auto Shops,” was presented by Safety Consultant Ben Wood. The session covered mandatory requirements for Hazard Communication and Employee Right-to-Know (ERTK) programs and the training applicable to the automotive indus-
try. Attendees also received a template for developing written Hazard Communication and ERTK programs on their own. In response to a recent surge in “nuisance” lawsuits in Minnesota targeting businesses for not removing physical access barriers as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), AASP-MN offered “Protect Your Business—Become ADA Compliant” on October 19 during its Body Shop Session (for collision shops) and October 24 during its Mech XChange (for auto repair shops) meetings. David Fenly, ADA/Access Coordinator with the Minnesota Council on Disability, presented ADA basics and the most common fixes and technical guidelines. Attendees gained the tools and knowledge necessary to meet all of the obligations under the ADA and building code to avoid lawsuits.
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8 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Auto Body Collision Repair Program in Liberal, KS, Provides Thanksgiving for Families
by Amberley Taylor, Crusader News
The Seward County Community College Auto Body Collision Repair program is doing a community service project to collect food and other goods for gift baskets that will help provide for struggling families on Thanksgiving. The class is hoping to create and deliver 20 baskets to different families. The Auto Body Collision Repair students are a part of a nine-week family project as an alternative to freshman seminar. During the project, the students were asked to think about something they could do to give back to the community. They decided that on campus, students and their families were in need, so they chose to make baskets to put a smile on their face and make their Thanksgiving better. “The intent of the pilot program is to help students meet the SCCC college outcomes,” Travis Combs, Dean of Industrial Technology and Continuing Education said. SCCC’s Auto Body Collision Repair program students have done just that throughout the year by host-
ing many activities that help out the community. Both the students and their instructors are excited about the outcome of the nine-week program. “The students wanted to find a way to help their peers who might not be fortunate enough to have a Thanksgiving dinner. The nine-week program we participated in was very successful in my eyes!” said Auto Body Collision Repair instructor Randall Levings. Levings also mentioned that it brought the students and instructors closer to one another and helped them understand themselves in different ways. “It was a way for the students to get to know themselves and their peers in class. It also helped Bree and I get to know them better and find out what barriers we could help them overcome to be successful in the program. The program was very helpful and I think other classes would benefit greatly from it!” Levings said. If you want to help, please take your donations to Celeste M. Donovan or Travis Comb’s offices by Nov. 17. We thanks Crusader News for reprint permission.
We’re Looking for a Few Old Shops! Do you think you have the oldest, continuously-operated body shop in your area? Would you like to see your shop’s colorful history in print? If so, we want to hear from you. A Autobody News and collision industry journalist Gary Ledoux are working on a joint project to find, and highlight the oldest continuously operated body shops in America. Some shops may have sstarted out in the early 1900’s as a blacksmith or carriage shop. Some may have started as a mechanical repair service at a parking garage in New York or San Francisco during the 1920’s, and then turned to body work. In the latter part of the 1940’s, many ex-servicemen started body shops with skills they learned working on GI trucks and equipment. There are so many unique and interesting stories out there that should be recorded and preserved for posterity. Each qualifying shop submitted will be highlighted in Ledoux’ forthcoming book; YesterWreck: The History of Collision Repair in America. The estimated publishing date is the first quarter of 2019. No book of this sort has ever been published for the collision industry. This is a unique opportunity to be part of something special. Ledoux will provide a signed, first-edition copy of the book, upon its publishing, to any shop whose photos are used in the book. In addition, Ledoux will contact one shop from each of the five regions served by Autobody News for a complete interview and a feature story to be run in that region’s edition of the magazine. What To Send If you think you have the oldest continuously-operated body shop in your state please send us: • Shop’s Name • Address / City State and Zip • Phone number • Email address • Current owner’s name • A brief history of the shop, most importantly what year the shop was founded. Include the month if you know it. • Two to three photos of the shop, especially from its earliest days with any recognizable persons identified. These could be a picture of the front of the building, a group shot of everyone that worked in the shop at the time, people working on cars in the shop, etc. All photos should be scanned as a JPG with a minimum of 300 DPI. (Please do not take a telephone picture of a photo. The quality of such a photo cannot be satisfactorily reproduced.) All people in the photos should be identified if possible. Please send all information via email to yesterwreck@yahoo.com. For any questions, please contact Gary Ledoux @ yesterwreck@yahoo.com
IN Auto Body Shop Owner and Wife Aid Hurricane Victims by Lisa Esquivel Long, The News-Sentinel
As U.S. citizens struggle in Puerto Rico after the most recent devastating hurricane, more Fort Wayne and area churches and groups are continuing to help survivors of earlier Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
Laurie Hammond helps her friend, Donna Smith, right, shop at J.C. Penney in Glenbrook Square for clothes for survivors of Hurricane Harvey in Katy, Texas. (Photo by Lisa M. Esquivel Long of The News-Sentinel)
Donna Smith and her friend Laurie Hammond shopped Sept. 22 at J.C. Penney in Glenbrook Square for clothing for Harvey survivors in Katy, TX. Smith's husband, Gene, owns GT Autobody, which has been collecting sheet rock and other building materials not available in Katy,
TX, along with hygiene items such as toothpaste and diapers. “We'll have 32,000 pounds of supplies” headed to Katy, Gene Smith said. The Smiths' church, Abundant Life Church, 3301 Coliseum Blvd. E., stepped in to “adopt” 16 families in Katy. So, Donna Smith and Hammond used about $5,000 in donations to buy seven outfits, including shoes, for each adopted family member—about 400 outfits for everyone from senior citizens to toddlers. They also were buying toys for the children. “I've just been amazed at the support of the community,” Donna Smith said. She was hoping to find a way to individually package each family member's outfits and toys so it had a more personal touch. They were under a time crunch because the semi-tractor trailer left the next Monday. Twins Transport of Columbia City is donating the vehicle and transportation costs. The Chapel, which collected items such as generators, dehumidifiers and shop vacs, and added diapers, water and other personal items, had a trailer leave Sept. 19 for Sarasota, FL, to help after Hurricane Irma
stormed over the state Sept. 10. It was the Chapel's third trailer, said associate pastor Dave Walters. Brookside Church, 6102 Evard Road, was collecting items that week, so whatever donations the Chapel received
Donna Smith shows some of the clothes she and her friend Laurie Hammond were shopping for at J.C. Penney in Glenbrook Square for survivors of Hurricane Harvey in Katy, Texas. (Photo by Lisa M. Esquivel Long of The News-Sentinel)
would be given to Brookside, Walters said. Volunteers were keeping an eye on Hurricane Maria, Walters said earlier that week. Maria struck Puerto Rico, the strongest storm in over 80 years, and had left its 3.4 million residents without electrical power as they try to recover from flooding, mudslides and other destruction caused by the hurricane. While the American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana didn't expect to send anyone to Puerto Rico, the national agency was holding back any bilingual volunteers who might be needed in the U.S. territory from other assignments, said Katherine MacAulay, executive director of the regional agency. During “gray skies,” the agency sees a lot more interest in volunteers for its disaster response area, MacAulay said. Volunteers must attend training, usually 4.5 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the afternoon, to prepare them. Fewer hours are needed for those in the medical field, including licensed practical nurses and emergency management technicians. We thank the News-Sentinel for reprint permission.
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 9
Semi Crashes into Auto Body Repair Shop in Cicero, IL by Lisa Marie Farver, Oak Park Patch
The driver of a semi truck lost control of the vehicle Oct. 15 and crashed into a car repair shop in Cicero, IL. Police say the tractor-trailer collided with another car before losing control of the truck on the rainy
Image via Cicero Police Department
street and hitting the building. The incident took place approximately 5:30 a.m. and caused extensive backups on Cicero Avenue. Photos from police show the cab of the semi plowing through a window in the front of an auto body repair shop, located at 1830 S. Cicero Avenue. According to Cicero Police, neither driver reported any injuries and no pedestrians were hurt. We thank Oak Park Patch for reprint permission.
ASA-OH Hosts Workshops with Larry Montanez by Chasidy Rae Sisk
ASA-OH recently hosted a full-day educational workshop, “Mechanical and Electrical Diagnostic Operations for Collision Repairers,” instructed by Larry Montanez of P & L Consultants.
The workshop was held at OH Auto Kolor Training Center in Columbus, OH, on Oct. 19. According to ASA-OH Executive Director Matt Dougher, “The workshop was well-attended and very well-received. The attendees were very appreciative of the information, which will assist them with repairing today’s complex vehicles. The event met and exceeded expectations, not only in regards to the number of attendees but also the importance of the educational material covered.”
CARSTAR DANRICH Opens in Chicagoland CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts announced the opening of CARSTAR DANRICH, located at 15822 Annico Drive, Homer Glen, IL, 60491.
It is owned by Dan and Rich Schwartz, who have operated a collision center for 35 years. CARSTAR DANRICH offers free collision repair estimates, state-ofthe-art unibody and frame repair equipment, expert color matching, towing assistance, vehicle pick-up and delivery, a nationwide warranty for most repairs, and takes pride in offering a clean, inviting environment.
CARSTAR DANRICH’s certified technicians are trained to work on all makes and models, and participate in ongoing education programs on the latest vehicle technologies and materials. Business hours are 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. “We continue to expand our presence in the Chicago region and are proud to welcome CARSTAR DANRICH and owners Dan and Rich Schwartz to our CARSTAR family,” said Michael Macaluso, President, CARSTAR North America. “Their commitment to the highest-quality collision repair and excellent customer service make them excellent representatives for our CARSTAR brand.”
For more information on CARSTAR visit www.carstar.com.
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During the seminars, Montanez discussed what steps must be performed when reinstalling advanced electronic systems, repair and replacement protocols and processes for joined components, and what additional materials and products are necessary to properly repair vehicles. Covering Post-Repair Inspection (RPI) processes, Montanez explained what to inspect, what tools and equipment are needed, when to call in a forensic expert, and how to prevent a PRI issue on repairs. ASA-OH has planned its educational and networking event agenda for the remainder of the year and into 2018. Dougher stressed, “ASA Ohio is committed to continued education for the collision industry and believes that collision shop owners will need to continue to educate themselves and their staff to properly repair today’s complex vehicles.” On Nov. 8, ASA-OH’s Central OH Networking Event will be held at the Buckeye Restaurant. In mid-January, Chris Chesney of the CARQUEST Training Institute will present “The Future of the Automobile” at an undetermined location. Feb. 17 and 18 will feature “The
Equipment Tsunami,” with “Standard Operating Procedures” by Mike Anderson of Collision Advice on March 8 and 9, and Robb Powers of Automotive Refinish PPG will present “Optimizing Performance Through Repair Process Workshop” on April 17 and 18. Each of these seminars will be offered in both Columbus and Cleveland on their respective dates. In October, these same locations will see Anderson return for a “100% Vehicle Disassembly and Parts Procurement Best Practices Workshop.” “ASA Ohio is the only organization in Ohio that solely advocates for the state’s collision repair industry. We put their best interest first and foremost. These education events are important for the educational content and also bring the industry together to promote unity and fellowship,” Dougher stated. For more information on ASAOH, visit www.asaohio.org.
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Domestic Violence Survivor Receives Gift of Transportation in Wichita, KS
A domestic violence survivor received keys to a four door sedan in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“This is such an amazing gift for myself and my children. I am extremely grateful to have been chosen and for the positive impact it will make on my life and the lives of my children,” West said. “When CARSTAR Collision Specialists approached us about the Recycled Rides project, we were very excited,” said Keri McGregor, Harbor House director. “Providing reliable transportation to a hard-working mom will impact her life in so many ways. Harbor House is so proud of this family and look forward to hearing all the great things that are still yet to come for them. This car will help them reach their goals and dreams so much faster.”
A 2012 Chevy Impala was donated to a single mother from Wichita as part of the National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides program. Recycled Rides is a community service program where body shops repair and donate recycled vehicles to families in need. CARSTAR Collision Specialists (with two locations in Witchita—East and West) repaired and refurbished the car. State Farm Insurance donated the salvage vehicle to the program. Catholic Charities selected Teri West from its Harbor House program for the car donation.
West has never owned a vehicle of her own, so this is life-changing for her. West, a mother of three, is currently working two jobs and needs re-
AASP-MO Gateway Collision Chapter Meeting
Join AASPO-MO and its sponsor, ATI (Automotive Technology, Inc.), on Nov. 8, 2017 at Automotive Technology Inc., 544 Mae Court, Fenton, MO 63026.
AASP-MO will be kicking off the Toys for Tots Drive. Boxes will be on hand. Wednesday Evening Nov. 8, 2017 6–6:30 p.m. Meet & Greet & Dinner 6:30–7:15 p.m. Program
Dave Tritz, Don’s Auto Body, will be AASP-MO’s guest speaker. Join AASP-MO as Dave delves into… •
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• Accountability Chart—Who does what? • Processes—Check-off list
• Communication in office—How and when •
Visual Aids—On and in files
•
Admin to ratio production
• Scheduling—related to office activity—drop-offs—deliveries— damage reports, etc. • Admin cost as related to percentage of sales
In 2017, AASP-MO will be adding social events to its meetings. It will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. and follow the brief meeting portion with the social event. Please RSPVP to Ron at aaspmo@aol.com.
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14 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
liable transportation for work, daily errands and getting her children to and from school.
A.J. Pickering, general manager for CARSTAR Collision Specialists, said body shops frequently see cars that are written-off or totaled by either the owner or the insurance company and sent to salvage yards. Many times, all these vehicles need is some body work, mechanical repairs or TLC to get them road-ready and safe to drive,” Pickering said. “We are grateful that State Farm Insurance generously donated this salvage car for our shop to repair.” The Impala owned by State Farm was a total loss due to a deer hit. State Farm strives to be a good neighbor and to strengthen the communities where we live and work,” said Kevin Gamble, State Farm community specialist for Kansas. “We are
happy to be supporting this Recycled Rides donation to help a Wichita family realize their dreams.” Pickering said many other businesses and organizations donated to make this gift possible. Businesses that provided donations of parts and services include: Keystone Automotive, LKQ Corporation, CARSTAR technicians, Grizzly’s Glass, Arrow Wrecker, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, BASF, Charity Cars and the National Auto Body Council. The staff at CARSTAR Collision Specialists West volunteered their time to repair this car. Pickering said this is the fourth time that CARSTAR has partnered with Catholic Charities of Wichita on a Recycled Rides project. The Impala was decorated with a huge purple bow and was given away Thursday, Oct. 19. The luncheon was part of the #Purple Thursday ITC, a social media campaign to help raise awareness about domestic violence. The luncheon was held at 11:30 a.m. at Villa Luna in Wichita. Harbor House is a shelter for abused women and their children. Catholic Charities of Wichita started the shelter in 1992 to help women break the cycle of domestic violence.
Techs of Tomorrow: Former Student at IL Community College Dreams of Working for Major Paint Company
Greaves Body Shop is Open for Business in Gladwin, MI
Ricky Rosa of Aurora, IL, said he had never even changed his own oil before applying to the auto body program at Waubonsee Community College. “I needed a change in my life, so I did some research and found there was a desperate need for auto body technicians,” said the 30-year-old. Once Rosa started asking around about community colleges, he said he “heard nothing but wonderful things” about Andrew MacDonald, the collision repair instructor at Waubonsee. He enrolled in August 2016 and “happened to love it.” “It was all true,” Rosa said. “Andy took me from knowing nothing to being a solid auto body technician in a short amount of time.” “When Ricky first came to my class, he admittedly had never turned a wrench,” said MacDonald. “Yet he was inquisitive, attentive and very eager to learn.” MacDonald said that Rosa quickly became one of his most trusted students and his “go-to guy.” “He excelled in everything he was taught, and I knew he would think it through and try to figure things out be-
After many years of servicing local auto body needs, Grimmett’s has changed hands. Carl Greaves recently purchased the business from retiring owner Lloyd Grimmett, giving it the new name of Greaves Auto Body. Carl, a 1992 graduate of Gladwin High School, spent nearly 10 years managing Jim’s Body Shop in Clare before deciding that it was time to start his own business. He began inquiring about local body shops and trying to see who was ready to sell. He heard about Grimmett preparing to retire, and pursued a deal. A year and three months later, Greaves’ Auto Body is open for business. Greaves is located at 897 M-18. Locals may have already noticed the new sign changes, but it still houses the same crew and auto body services as before, including 24-hour towing and auto glass repair. You can reach Greaves Auto Body at 989-426-2100 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. We thank Record & Clarion for reprint permission.
by Victoria Antonelli
fore he would ask me,” said MacDonald. “In my class, he put a quarter panel and a door skin on a 2017 Toyota Sienna van, along with several other jobs.” Rosa said his favorite aspect of collision repair “by far” is painting. He also enjoys welding.
Ricky Rosa, former student at Waubonsee Community College in Illinois, dreams of someday working for a major paint company
“Plastic repair was definitely a challenge,” he added. Rosa said he prefers spending his time off with family over extracurricular activities. “I have five daughters, so they get all my extra time,” he added.
Rosa completed the Advanced Auto Body program in June 2017. “Ricky is a good family man, a hard worker and a good friend,” said MacDonald. “All of these are values I would want in a son if I had one!” MacDonald recommended Rosa to the owner of KB Collision & Customs in Sugar Grove, IL, where he currently works and is about to start an internship. “The internship is 240 hours and can be completed at an approved shop, or during your second semester at Waubonsee,” Rosa said. “But I think it’s important to be in the shop environment where the boss can make sure you’re always following safety rules, and that all jobs are [performed] to the highest quality and done right by car makers’ standards.” As for future plans, Rosa said he wants to just keep getting better at painting. “I would like to work for a paint company like PPG, or something similar, but I haven’t put much thought into it,” Rosa said.” There are a lot of avenues to go down.” To learn more about Waubonsee Community College, visit: waubonsee .edu/abr.
by Staff, Record & Clarion
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CARSTAR Ideal Auto Body Steps Up for Golf Tournament in Mt. Prospect, IL CARSTAR Ideal Auto Body was one of the event sponsors for the recent Mount Prospect (IL) Chamber of Commerce 2017 Centennial Celebration Golf Outing at Mount Prospect Golf Club. With perfect weather, nearly 100 golfers participated in the centennial celebration. CARSTAR Ideal Auto Body sponsored a hole for the second consecutive year, as well as several skill contests. CARSTAR Ideal hosted a Longest Drive Contest at hole No. 1, a par 4, 535-yard hole. Chris Laporta of Erie Insurance won the contest and a $50 gift card with an estimated 334-yard drive. CARSTAR Ideal also sponsored a 10-foot putting contest. At the CARSTAR tent, golf tees, ice water, soda, sleeves of golf balls, snacks and Starbucks gift cards were distributed to the golfers. “I had so much fun meeting and talking with all the chamber members, that I’m really looking forward to next year’s outing,” said Jim Irmen, owner of CARSTAR Ideal.
Continued from Page 4
SCRS Panel
tion Services, in addition to Mark Allen, collision programs director of Audi of America and Aaron Clark, a former collision repair facility owner and the current VP Certification and Network Development at Assured Performance Network. The panel addressed an industry struggling to reconcile how to move forward when certain automotive manufacturer requirements are expected to be performed on every occasion, but insurance claims positioning leans toward “case-by-case” approval. Participants were carefully vetted, and those with experience in facing liability and safety implications with performing repairs in today’s environment were chosen for the panel, according to SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg, who was delighted with the turnout and the quality of all of his panel discussions at this year’s SEMA. “I was so pleased to see so many fill the seats of the OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit, hungry for information and an exchange of ideas,”
Students Helping Students with Recycled Rides for Schools in Omaha, NE The Recycled Rides for Schools program took an unusual twist in Omaha. Students at the local technical school not only fixed the totaled car, but a deserving student who needed wheels was chosen as the recipient.
Damingo Burks, a Diesel Technology student at Metropolitan College, was awarded a 2010 Dodge Avenger. The committee selected Burks because of his great need for transportation to finish his education. Farmers Insurance donated the salvage car to be used in the Recycled Rides for Schools program. Repairs were then made by Metropolitan Community College Auto Collision students as part of their curriculum.
he said. “It was particularly noticeable as attendees were provided question cards to write out questions and comments that we delivered to the moderators during the event so they could integrate the audience feedback into the panel discussion. The audience’s questions largely fueled the dialogue, filling every possible minute of the 90 and 120-minute sessions. The questions and comments were thoughtful, and steered the panelists on stage into some really interesting areas of conversation, and demonstrated the importance of connecting thought leaders and industry members. For me, it was just proof that the people in our industry, on both sides of the stage and microphone, are who truly make our events special.” The panel began when Ellis made opening remarks and posed the main question every collision professional in the room was waiting for. “As we move to total autonomy, how do we as the collision repair industry prepare ourselves for a world in which the vehicle is so much more than steel, a combustion engine and paint?” he said. “How do we train ourselves and the next generation so that See SCRS Panel, Page 20
16 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
After repairs, the MCC Foundation worked to identify a deserving recipient through a selection committee composed of the key players involved in the donation and refurbishment of the car. The internal review process examined the students’ needs and selected Burks because of his story. A resident of Council Bluffs, IA, Burks has had to rely on public transportation to get to and from class. The closest bus stop to the campus he attends is nearly three miles away, making getting to and from class difficult. Margaret Keith of CARSTAR Auto Body was on the selection committee that selected Burks. She says it wasn’t an easy choice. “I told my peers to get their tissues ready because it wasn’t going to be easy selecting a single student from a lot of very deserving ones,” says Keith. “I wish we could have given them all a reliable car for transportation to and from class.” Local businesses donated to make this car donation possible.
Businesses who provided donations of parts and services were LKQ, Keystone, Safelite AutoGlass, NTTR Towing, Charlie Graham Body and Service, CARSTAR Auto Body, Enterprise Holdings Foundation, Charity Cars, Metropolitan Community College Foundation and the National Auto Body Council. Recycled Rides for Schools is a community service program of the National Auto Body Council. The car presentation was part of MCC’s Auto Collision open house at the Applied Technology Center. The two-day event gave potential students and their families an opportunity to tour the facility, meet the faculty and industry partners, and learn more about the accelerated program. The open house featured vendors, competitions, prize giveaways, I-CAR certifications and more.
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SCC’s Auto Tech Program in West Burlington, IA, Offers Careers a Jumpstart pus. Higher-level classes, however, are available only at the West BurlingHigh school students have been able ton campus. to take advantage of the Automotive Iowa high schools pay student tuTechnology program at the college’s ition for dual-enrollment classes, but West Burlington campus for the past students from Illinois and Missouri 20 years. must pay their own way. Carpenter said the classes are a good option for students who just want to know more about the basics of car care, as well as students interested in pursuing a career in the auto tech field. “You wouldn’t buy a car without taking it for a test drive. Don’t go to school without test-driving it,” Carpenter Wesley Carpenter, an associate professor who teaches Automotive Technology classes at Southeastern said. Community COllege, stands in front of a Chevy Volt in Those who decide to purthe Auto Tech lab at SCC’s West Burlington campus. sue a diploma or associate deSCC students earning an Associate of Applied Science gree through SCC have three Degree in Automotive Technology learn about electric program options from which hybrid cars the second semester of their second year. Credit: Michaele Hawkeye/thehawkeye.com to choose: Auto Collision Repair, Automotive Technology A new lab at the Keokuk cam- and Automotive Technology Managepus, though not as equipped, is giv- ment. ing many students an option closer to Cordell Scarborough, 17, a junhome. ior at West Burlington High School, Area high school students have and Brock Richardson, 16, a junior at been able to take advantage of the Illini West High School in Carthage, fully equipped Automotive Technol- IL, drive to the West Burlington lab ogy lab at Southeastern Community three mornings each week for IntroCollege’s West Burlington campus for duction to Automotive Technology, the past 20 years, and a new lab at the where they work on their own vehicles. Keokuk campus began giving students “Say you want to change tires, some of the same opportunities closer change the oil, just the usual wear to home in August. and tear,” Scarborough said of what they have done so far in the entrylevel class. Scarborough plans to open his own mechanic shop someday, likely in Mississippi, where he lived prior to moving to West Burlington three years ago. Richardson spent the morning changing the front tires on his 1998 Wesley Carpenter, an automotive technology Chevy S10, one of numerous vehicles associate professor at SCC, tests out a diaghe has brought to the lab since the benostic program on a Chevy Volt in the auto tech lab at the campus in West Burlington. ginning of the semester. Credit: Michaele Niehaus/thehawkeye.com “(Richardson) changes vehicles “This is kind of the best-kept se- about as often as he does his homecret. A lot of counselors don’t tell stu- work,” Carpenter said. dents they have this opportunity,” said Scarborough and Richardson are assistant professor Wesley Carpenter. the only two high school students enHigh school students from Des rolled in auto tech classes at the West Moines, Lee, Louisa, Henry and Van Burlington campus this semester. Buren counties, as well as Hancock There usually are more, but nine stuCounty in Illinois and Clark County in dents from Central Lee and Keokuk Missouri, can earn college credit by high schools are taking advantage of completing Introduction to Automo- the Keokuk campus’s new offerings. tive Technology and Fundamentals of Next semester, Scarborough and Automotive Servicing at either cam- Richardson plan to return to the West by Michaele Niehaus, The Hawk Eye
18 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Burlington campus to take Automotive Suspension and Steering, Manual Drivetrains 1 and Basic Electricity.
Cordell Scarborough, 17, a West Burlington High School junior, and Brock Anderson, 17, an Illini West High School junior, tighten lugnuts on the front driver’s side tire of Anderson’s 1998 Chevy S10 in the Automotive Technology lab at Southeastern Community College in West Burlington. Credit: Michaele Niehaus/ thehawkeye.com
Thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Iowa Auto Dealers Association, the Keokuk lab is equipped with auto lifts, tool chests and class-related
equipment, but it doesn’t have quite the collection of the West Burlington lab, which has been adding to its equipment for the past 50 years. Carpenter estimated there is more than $1 million worth of equipment in that lab. In addition to the lab’s lifts, computers, wheel balancer and alignment machine is a dynamometer—dyno for short—which is like a treadmill for cars, allowing students to see what the car looks like while driving down the road without having to drive it out of the lab. A Chevy Volt is currently parked atop the dyno, and a hybrid car sits nearby. The college purchased the two vehicles for the program, though students don’t get to work on them until the last semester of their second year during the Hybrid Fundamentals class. The lab also has three diesel engines that were donated by Case New Holland. There isn’t a class or program that teaches diesel yet, but Carpenter said it may be only a year or two away. We thank The Hawk Eye for reprint permission.
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 19
Kansas Body Shop Owner Hit by Marketing Scheme by Michael Schwanke, KWCH 12
If you own a business or even answer the phone at work, Steve Stonehocker wants you to hear his story. He works hard restoring cars in his one-man auto body shop outside of Clearwater. It’s just him. Stonehocker doesn’t have room in his budget for marketing. A few weeks ago, he answered the phone and was told otherwise. “They said I’d placed the ad a year ago and it was past due, and if I didn’t get it taken care of, they were going to take me to collections,” says Stonehocker, referring to a company that called him claiming he signed up for online advertising. He didn’t pay that one, but anContinued from Page 16
SCRS Panel
we can fix these cars with a level of competence that is equal or better than the OE manufacturers’ standards? That is our challenge, our journey and the point we all need to get to. So, what are we doing about it today?” In a previous SCRS presentation made the day before, attorney Todd
other call came and under pressure, Steve charged $720 on a credit card to pay for online advertising that he never signed up for. “I didn’t know what to do,” he says. “You have no idea what they’re talking about.” After agreeing to pay, Stonehocker received more invoices from companies claiming he owed money. FactFinder 12 tracked one of the addresses to a UPS store. Our calls and voicemails were not returned. One company, called Orbit77, answered. A spokesperson stands by their story that Stonehocker signed up for an advertising package, but because we
called, he told me they would refund the money. Stonehocker never got it. He also told me they would provide proof that Stonehocker signed up for their service. We never got that either. The FTC warns of this: “Con artists call businesses, claiming to ‘verify’ or ‘confirm’ a company’s contact information for its listing in a business directory. Of course, there’s no existing listing—and maybe not even a real business directory—but the employee who picked up the phone doesn’t know that. Persuasive double-talkers bulldoze the employee into saying yes. Later, if the company complains it didn’t agree to the listing, the fraudsters may play back a tape of the call (which might have been doctored) as ‘proof.’
Tracy used what is referred to as “salty talk,” so before this panel began, Ellis asked everyone to take “country roads” rather than use colorful language, and for most of the two hours, Tracy obliged. Here are some excerpts from the two-hour panel. Attorney Erica Eversman of Vehicle Information Services was asked: When asked what the danger of liability is, what does it look like and how
real is it? “Yes, liability is very, very real and potentially devastating for not just your business but personally as well, in some cases. As a shop, you’re obligated to be properly equipped to repair consumers’ vehicles in which they return back to the road ably and properly repaired. Proper and safe repair—that is a phrase I like to use frequently, because that is your obligation. If you neglect to do a proper and safe repair,
“If you don’t pay, the bad guys up the ante by making collection calls and sending collection notices,” says the FTC. “They tell you if you don’t take care of this, you are going to get turned over to collections and they’ll ruin you,” says Stonehocker. He’s had enough, and just wants other businesses to hear his story so they don’t fall for it. “I told them what happened to me, and if you get this call I can give you a phone number of someone who can help you. That would be you (KWCH),” says Stonehocker. We thank KWCH12 for reprint permission.
you could end up in jail or have lost your business because you destroyed someone. Or even worse, you can lose your business altogether. I’m not trying to be catastrophic, but this cannot be said strongly enough. We have had too many non-professional repairers out there doing unsafe repairs that were influenced by the insurance companies, and that has to stop right now!” From Todd Tracy when asked See SCRS Panel, Page 26
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It’s that Time in Iowa: State Warns Drivers to be Wary of Deer by Mitchell Schmidt, The Gazette
The worst months for deer-involved vehicle collisions have arrived, and state officials caution Iowa motorists to be alert so they can avoid spending big bucks on auto repairs, or worse. Tom Kinney, vice president at Andrews Collision Center, 815 Third St. SE., said the auto repair business sees a noticeable uptick in vehicles after cardeer collisions in the year’s later months. Vehicle damage from colliding with a deer can range anywhere from a few thousand dollars to $10,000 to $15,000, Kinney said. He added that the most damage— and injury—is caused when the driver tries to avoid a deer. “The best thing you can do is try to stop and just hit them. The worst wrecks are the ones that swerved to try to not hit them,” Kinney said. Cathy Cutler, transportation planner with the Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 6 office in Cedar Rapids, said the Iowa DOT often reminds drivers to not “veer for deer,” especially during this time of the year when the animals are more mobile. “You’re better off slowing down and taking firm control of your vehicle. A lot of those fatal crashes are people
who serve and overturn,” Cutler said. “For the rest of this month and December, that’s when we’re going to see deer being more active. They tend to be more mobile and end up out on the roadways, and that’s where we have problems.”
As the days get shorter in late October, breeding season—commonly referred to as the rut—for white-tailed deer picks up, said Tyler Harms, wildlife biometrician with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The rut usually lasts through December, Harms noted. “Their drive to breed, the hormones and biological processes that trigger their bodies to enter into breeding mode, so to speak, is produced primarily by the shortening day,” Harms said. “They’re moving about a lot more frequently than they are other times of the year. That certainly adds to the un-
predictability or uncertainty on where they might cross the road.” That increases the chance of being struck by motorists, he added. Between Nov. 1, 2016, and Oct. 21, 2017, there were 7,251 animal-related crashes on Iowa highways, according to Iowa DOT data. Those crashes accounted for 351 driver and passenger injuries, including 37 serious injuries and one fatality. For about the same time frame the year before, from Nov. 1, 2015 to Oct. 31, 2016, Iowa saw 7,252 crashes. Of those, 338 involved injuries, including 31 serious injuries and three fatalities. Locally, the stretch of Interstate 380 between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids saw 10 crashes and three injuries from Nov. 1, 2015 to Oct. 31, 2016. The same length of road had 11 crashes and one injury between Nov. 1, 2016, and Oct. 31, 2017, according to DOT data. The estimated property damage caused statewide by animal-related collisions within both spans of time averaged more than $30 million, according to DOT data. Iowa ranks fourth in the nation
for potential likelihood of a motorist hitting a large animal, such as a deer, elk or moose, according to State Farm Insurance’s 2017 deer claim study. Iowa drivers had a 1 in 69 chance of being involved in a deer-vehicle collision between July 1, 2016, and June 30, 2017, according to the study.
DON’T VEER FOR DEER
The Iowa Department of Transportation offers these tips for motorists should a deer step into the path of their vehicle: • Brake firmly. • Steer to maintain control. • Stop safely within the lane or along the road’s shoulder • Use a safety belt to avoid injury
The Iowa DOT also provides tips to reduce the risk of deer collisions: • Slow down near deer crossing signs—which highlight areas where animals are more likely to cross—and pay greater attention. • Be extra careful when driving at dawn and dusk. • Areas near recently harvested cornfields, wooded areas, rivers and streams have a higher likelihood of deer activity. We thank The Gazette for reprint permission.
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 21
Midwest Associations
Chasidy Rae Sisk is a freelance technical writer from Wilmington, Delaware, who writes on a variety of fields and subjects, and grew up in a family of NASCAR fans. She can be contacted at crsisk@chasidyraesisk.com.
AASP-MO Hosts Leadership and Management Summit with Chasidy Rae Sisk
On Oct. 12, AASP-MO hosted a Leadership and Management Summit titled “A Day with Richard Flint” at Syberg’s Dorsett in Maryland Heights, MO. Flint brought 30 years of experience in human behavior and development to his two-session seminar. According to AASP-MO Executive Director Ron Reiling, the event was “a great success. The attendees experienced Richard Flint at full throttle as he brought his unique style to drive home some awesome ideas, thoughts and processes to help the attendees push their businesses to the next level.” The day’s first session was “Six Steps to Embracing Change,” and ran from 2–5 p.m. Flint examined removing fear from change and embracing change to lead to great success.
AASP-MO members experienced Richard Flint at full throttle during the Leadership and Management Summit
The six steps are: 1. Challenge any routine that prevents you from moving forward, 2. Have a clear vision of where you want to go, 3. Adjustments must be made in a timely fashion, 4. Don’t keep people with you who don’t share a common purpose, agenda, and commitment, 5. Gather mental strength to deal with the unexpected and find the pathway to move forward, and 6. Expect resistance and be prepared to address it.
Flint expressed, “Change is a fact of life and business. The more you resist it, the more you create a self-destructive environment. We resist change because of what the word requires, yet we know we cannot improve without
change.” From 5–6 p.m., attendees enjoyed a reception sponsored by Performance Auto Color and AkzoNobel, and session 2, “From Great to Exceptional in Customer Service,” was presented from 6–9 p.m. During the second session of the event, Flint explained, “It is not about how good or great you think you are at taking care of your customers! It is what the customer feels about the services they receive from your people.” Flint explained how to raise the bar for customer service by examining the elements impacting the delivery of exceptional customer service, discussing what creates the majority of customer disappointment, focusing on why management is afraid to ask employees to step up, and presenting steps to become exceptional in customer care. “It takes longer to build something great than it does to destroy it,” Flint explained. “Today, if you are not striving to be exceptional, you are creating your own path to self-destruction.” “Flint helped them with dealing with change in all aspects of their businesses,” Reiling shared. “That was followed up with how to be exceptional in your customer service and how the expectations in service have been lowered from where they used to be—what used to be considered good is now great.” AASP-MO’s Gateway Collision Chapter will be holding its 2018 Meeting Planning Session at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 6 at JJ’s in St. Charles, MO, to discuss how they will carry on into 2018. Axalta’s Mike Schneider will sponsor breakfast at the meeting. Reiling noted, “The 2017 meeting format of having meetings in the evening, having sponsors pick the location, and including a social aspect with the meeting was very successful. We [have] averaged between 50 and 60 members at each meeting so far. We’ll be looking for sponsors for the six 2018 bi-monthly meetings and agreeing on the format for the year.” The Gateway Collision Chapter will hold its final meeting of the year
22 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
on Nov. 8 at Automotive Technology Inc. (ATI) in Fenton, MO, at 6 p.m.
The association will be using the meeting to kick off its 2017 Toys for Tots drive, hosted by the Gateway Collision Chapter. Shops interested in participating can contact ATI’s Doug Slattery at 636-3438101 for a collection box. The collection will continue through Dec. 6 when AASPMO members meet at Syberg’s Restaurant for a Christmas social sponsored by Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Reiling noted, “You do so Flint taught attendees that “anything you don’t confront, much more than just fix cars! you validate” We would like to make this with dinner and socializing at 6:30 p.m. our BIGGEST Toys for Tots Christmas social.” Guest speaker Dave Tritz of Don’s For more information on AASPAuto Body will discuss organization, accountability, processes, office comMO, visit aasp-mo.org. munication, visual aids, scheduling, admin ratio to production, and admin cost as related to percentage of sales. www.autobodynews.com ATI is the meeting sponsor.
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Levander’s Auto Body Business Expands North Platte, NE, Services by Job Vigil, The North Platte Telegraph
North Platte native Scott Hill saw an opportunity and, by stepping out in faith, has seen his business grow and expand over the past few years. Hill met Brian and Annette Levander of Grand Island through networking with others in similar fields of business. The Levanders have a service department in Grand Island and body shops located in Grand Island, Hastings, Kearney, North Platte and St. Paul, and recently opened another shop in York. Brian and I were talking about opening a shop and we looked around town and found this building,” co-owner Hill said. “We bought it that same day—June 1—and we opened July 1, 2013. We scurried pretty fast to get things going in about 30 days.” The shop in North Platte, at 2306 E. Philip Ave., began with just two people in the auto body business and now includes a separate building across the street from the original, where they offer a full-service automotive shop. “One other technician, Roger Gies, and I started onsite at the auto body location, and in three years, we’ve added onto that building three times,” Hill said. “It originally was a 3,000-square-foot building to where we are just under 10,000 in the body shop now.” Not only did the building size grow, but Hill said the number of employees did as well. “Now we have 17 full-time employees,” Hill said. “It’s really done a great thing as far as jobs in the community [go].” Continued from Page 3
Not Their Parts
Scores of media outlets have sourced Basso for comments. Identified in his
Hill said he and the Levanders did not seek out any business incentives, but were able to open with investing their own finances.
Scott Hill, co-owner of Levander’s Body Shop and Service Center, stands in front of the expansion that houses the full-service shop across the street from the original body shop at 2306 E. Philip Ave. in North Platte
“We did not look at TIF or other incentive programs, but that’s the neat thing about Brian and Annette—they invest so much more back into the company,” Hill said. “It’s allowed for the growth and the retention of the employees.” Another aspect of the business, Hill said, is the close relationship it has with Mid-Plains Community College. “We’ve worked closely with the instructors in the automotive program at Mid-Plains Community College,” Hill said. “One of the things we have noticed in this industry is that there is a growing technician shortage.” Hill said his company is trying to assist and co-op with programs such as Mid-Plains and Southeast Community College to try to expose the younger generation, and high school students, to the automotive repair world as a very good career move optial for airbag injuries. “Without the recycled airbags being properly checked, they can be put into cars almost anywhere,” Basso said, in comments to News 12. The news outlet noted that recy-
“Without the recycled airbags being properly checked, they can be put into cars almost anywhere,” — Christopher J. Basso, Carfax
LinkedIn profile as the Public Relations Manager for Carfax since 2004, Basso is uniquely qualified to comment on airbag failure and the poten-
cled parts salvaged from other cars for a repair do not show up in a search based on a car’s unique VIN number. See Not Their Parts, Page 41
24 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
portunity. “Everything has become so automated with the technology and computers, and we’ve seen it in cars, too, with the autonomous braking, smart cruise control, hybrid or all-electric cars,” Hill said. “We’re hoping that part of it will pull some of the younger generation to car repair. It’s not greasy work anymore—it’s a lot of programming modules and scan tools and very technical type repairs.” Hill said he has two employees who are Mid-Plains Community College graduates. The expansion into full service began with the need for mechanical work generated by the body shop. “The body shop itself creates a lot of its own mechanical type work, if we’re doing suspension or alignments and stuff like that,” Hill said. “We were farming a lot of that out. We were running around town getting mechanical work and alignment work done.” In order to accommodate the automotive service expansion, a new building was required. “The automotive side and towing
was added about a year ago here in North Platte,” Hill said. “We bought the lot and put the building up and hired full-time mechanics mainly to service what was going on in the body shop, and it’s grown into a full-service center where we do tire work, suspension work and major mechanical work, engine replacement, diagnostics and all that stuff.” Hill said the time in business in North Platte has been fulfilling. “One of the most rewarding things for us on a daily basis is the team we’ve built with all of our employees,” Hill said. “This isn’t something just one person can do on their own. It’s very specific, unique training and certification that go along with this kind of work.” He said one person cannot take all the credit for that. “It’s just not possible without the team effort of everybody, whether it’s the gentleman who’s washing cars for us, the owners or the technicians, the customer service reps and staff,” Hill said. We thank The North Platte Telegraph for reprint permission.
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After Auto Repair Complaint, MN Resident says She was Mocked for Disability by Lauren Leamanczyk, KARE 11
Claudette Larrieu’s accessible van means freedom for the Eagan woman. “My van is everything to me,” she said. Larrieu is a quadriplegic. The 13year-old van allows her to get to medical appointments and be active. The van was rusty, so Larrieu took it to Uptown Auto Repair on Cedar Avenue South in Minneapolis, MN, to have it fixed. She wrote two cashier’s checks totaling $3,500. “I just asked for auto repair,” she said. “Instead, it was a set of problems from the get-go.” Larrieu says the one-week job
turned into a month. Then, when her van was returned, she says she wasn’t happy with the work. Paint drips are visible on the van. Plus, Larrieu claims the door and the mechanical lift were broken, making it difficult for her to use. So Larrieu asked for her money back. The owner of Uptown Auto Repair, Joel Scott, disagreed. He said he’d done all the work requested. It would be a typical tale of an unhappy customer, except for Scott’s response. In an expletive-laden text messages, he called Larrieu, “a f----ing cripple.” He mocks her disability and her van.
Greenfield, IN, Firefighter Dies after Auto Body Shop Fire
by Brian Bondus, Fox59.com
A Greenfield, IN, firefighter died in the line of duty following a large blaze Nov. 10 near downtown Greenfield. 55-year-old Scott Compton, a 17-year veteran of the Greenfield Fire Territory, died after fighting a threealarm fire at Mueller Auto Body located in the 1000 block of E. Main St. “All the firefighters, along with Scott, worked hard for a number of
hours to try and contain that incident,” Greenfield Fire Territory Chief Jim Roberts said. “With all the gear firefighters wear, the weight of that plus working, whether you’re crawling around, holding a hose, climbing a ladder, being on the roof or whatever firefighters may be doing, it’s extremely taxing.” Officials said Compton went home after battling the fire around 1 a.m. Nov. 11.
specifications directed them to do lost a lot of money because the couple was badly injured. The jury came back and said that if you’re going to make a about the John Eagle Collision civil business decision and let the insurcase in which he represented a couple ance companies dictate safety to you, who was seriously injured due to a we’re going to make a business decisubpar repair: sion for you.” “A Dallas County jury just made Mark Allen, collision programs a very resounding statement when 12 director of Audi of America, was asked: jurors with one voice and one verdict Where do you see the OEs going in regard to providing repairers with current and accurate data about repair procedures on today’s highly sophisticated cars? “From an Audi perspective, yes—we do have repair procedures and we’re German, so we’ve been doing them for a very long time. But with the complexity of these vehicles, [and] all of the new materials Panelists (l to r) Mark Allen, Audi; Erica Eversman, Vehicle that are going in them, the Information Services; John Ellis, Ellis and Associates (moderator); Aaron Clark, former shop owner, and Todd amount of this data is growing Tracy, Tracy Law Firm and the demand on us is incan change an industry to the tune of creasing. We see a need to provide this $42 million. A very well-respected $1 information to the consumer through a billion company in Texas that chose to network of shops and connect that to get bullied by an insurance company the dealerships where those cars live, and glue a roof on a Honda rather than so that the consumer has a choice. That put on the 108 welds that the OEM See SCRS Panel, Page 53
Larrieu broke down in tears as she read the messages. “I’ve never been called a cripple before. I didn’t think that word existed in 2017,” she said. Scott, the auto shop owner, declined an on-camera interview. Offcamera, he says he performed the work he agreed to do on Larrieu’s car. He denies breaking the lift and says he doesn’t do mechanical work. He called her attempt to get her money back “extortion.” And as for the text messages, KARE 11 asked him, “Do you regret calling her names and mocking her disability?”
His answer was no, not at the time. Larrieu showed KARE 11 the estimates of what it will cost to repair her van. They’re more than before she took it to Uptown. She’d hoped to eventually sell the van, but says that’s not possible now. Larrieu is considering a lawsuit, but she says the money is secondary to the principle. “Nobody should be treated like this,” she said. Uptown Auto Body has been sued three times in the past year. They lost two cases and a third is pending. We thank KARE 11 for reprint permission.
A neighbor then found Compton unresponsive in his yard the afternoon of Nov. 11. Medics declared him dead at the scene. The death is considered an on-duty death because it happened within 24 hours of being on the job. “No foul play. It was a medical emergency,” Roberts said. “It’s a big hole in the community to lose somebody that’s given so much to their community.” An autopsy was conducted on
Compton Nov. 12. Results were inconclusive, and the coroner has ordered additional blood and toxicology tests. Roberts said Compton leaves behind two grown children and a fiancée. The organization Supporting Heroes is helping the fire department plan Compton’s funeral. Originally appeared on FOX59 .com
Continued from Page 20
SCRS Panel
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Illinois HS Students Get Inside Look at Auto Body Shop on Disability Mentoring Day by Bob Okon, The Herald News
Demetrius Herrod had worked on cars before, but getting into a professional body shop was still something special. Herrod, a senior at Lockport Township High School, was among 46 students participating in Disability Mentoring Day in October. He was at Greg’s Body Shop with three other students getting an inside look at what Demetrius Herrod had worked on cars before, but getting into a professional body shop was still something special. Herrod, a senior at Lockport Township High School, was among 46 students participating in Disability Mentoring Day in October. He was at Greg’s Body Shop with three other students getting an inside look at what it’s like to work in a professional body shop. “They showed us how to break the cars apart and how to put them back together,” Herrod said. “They showed us how they mix the paints. They have different mixtures to match the color of the cars.” Herrod had worked on cars with his uncle before, and said auto work is the type of career he’d like to pursue.
Getting that kind of close-up view of the workplace is what Disability Mentoring Day is all about. But it also is directed at local employers to show them the potential of young people with disabilities, said Tabitha Boshears, development associate with the Disability Resource
Credit: Bob Okon, bokon@shawnmedia.com
Center in Joliet. The center organizes the annual Disability Mentoring Day activities locally. “It’s also to show the businesses that students with disabilities are a marketable workforce,” Boshears said. “We’ve had a couple of placements in the past where students have applied and been hired.” Greg’s Auto Body owner Greg Bucciarelli has been participating in Disability Mentoring Day since it started locally in 2006. He said the experience is rewarding for him and
(
his employees. “The thing I like the most about it is the energy and the excitement, and how the young students interact,” Bucciarelli said. “I have a business where it’s hands-on, and they can touch and feel. They can interact with what we do.” His employees’ responses to the events have impressed Bucciarelli, too. “I was so honored and complimented by their enthusiasm to show the students what they do,” he said. Sixteen employers, including private businesses, nonprofits and local government, participated in Disability Mentoring Day. Five high schools sent students— all four Plainfield School District high schools and Lockport Township High School. Adrian Lech, a senior at Plainfield East High School, said his day at Greg’s Body Shop gave him new ideas of how he can apply his interest in painting to a career. “I want to be a painter. I like to paint,” he said, recalling the painting and other work done in the body shop. “And I like to do different types of jobs, like cleaning the cars.” We thank The Herald-News for reprint permission.
1Collision Announces Additions in MN
1Collision Network proudly announced the addition of Ed’s Collision and Glass in Maple Grove, MN. Owned by Mike and Sandy Cox, the new location is the sixth collision center in Minnesota to affiliate with 1Collision. Network President Jim Keller commented, “Mike and Sandy are excellent operators, with an outstanding reputation in the market for excellent quality and customer service. We are delighted they have chosen to affiliate with 1Collision.” Additionally, Michael Peterson has been added to the corporate staff as Business Development Manager for the Minnesota and Iowa markets. Michael’s experience includes the car rental, dealership and insurance sectors. Nick Wilson has also joined the corporate team as IT/ Software Team Leader at the Network offices in Milwaukee, WI.
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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 27
Local Wisconsin Dealer Sounds Off on Tesla Bill by Neil Johnson, The Gazette
Tesla seeks a change to state law that would allow it to open its own stores and service centers in Wisconsin, but it could face pushback by some traditional auto dealers. Bob Clapper, who owns and operates Fagan Automotive in Janesville, told The Gazette he believes some dealers would oppose a bill introduced in November to exempt electric auto manufacturers from a longstanding state franchise law that bans manufacturer-direct auto sales and servicing. When interviewed, the bill had not yet been released, and Clapper had yet not seen it. But he said dealers are watching Tesla push similar legislation in other states, including Michigan, and he believes the electric car maker’s play in Wisconsin could face pushback from dealers, even if the law change applies only to makers of all-electric vehicles. He said the law could circumvent what he considers healthy competition by dealers under a current law structure that he said ultimately benefits consumers. “The purpose of the laws on the books—it’s well known. If you have multiple (local or regional) representatives—in this case, dealers—it produces competition. That’s good for the consumer. If it’s a factory-direct sale, you have one source, and there is no other source of competition,” Clapper said. The rule change could cut licensed
dealerships from the equation and offer “no advocate between the consumer and the manufacturer,” he said. “The type of propulsion of the car, electric or not, has nothing to do with franchise law. Electric or not, the franchise laws are written for reasons. The law is there to protect all dealers, and ultimately, consumers,” he said. Clapper said he’s aware the state’s main dealership lobby, the Wisconsin Automobile and Truck Dealers Association, wants a seat at the table to weigh in on the bill. He stopped short of saying the lobby sought to kill the bill. Tesla, which turned out in Madison alongside lawmakers and Tesla owners to announce the bill Wednesday, said the bill amends an antiquated law that’s “outdated and anti-business.” Wisconsin law prohibits automakers from operating or controlling a car dealership or service center. Rob Brooks, R-Saukville, who sponsored the bill along with Sen. Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, said that by granting an exemption only for electric vehicle manufacturers—Tesla—it protects traditional dealerships from competition from gasoline-powered automakers selling directly to consumers. “This is not a threat to traditional dealers,” Brooks said of the bill, which is being called “The Electric Vehicle Freedom Act.” About 60 Tesla owners offered rides in their vehicles outside the Capitol in November as part of the push for
the Republican-authored bill. The proposal’s sponsors said it only makes sense to have Wisconsin join 23 other states in allowing Tesla to open its own stores to sell and service its high-end electric vehicles. There’s no reason Wisconsin’s roughly 500 Tesla owners should have to take their vehicles to Illinois to get their vehicles serviced, Brooks said. A Tesla lobbyist said the company has not determined how many stores it may open should the law be changed, but each would be at least a $1 million investment and employ at least 25 people. Typically, Tesla eschews the dealership model. Instead, it focuses on online sales and operates retail stores that are self-owned. Recently, the company has begun to set up the stores in hightraffic mall spaces. The bill is pending sponsorship, and it would have to pass the state legislature and get Gov. Scott Walker’s approval. The governor’s office was ambivalent about the bill, and because legislative sessions end in November, the bill probably wouldn’t get a look until the 2018 session.
Chrysler Body Shop Manager. You may think you see just one deer while driving down the road, but there are probably others as well. A collision doesn’t just damage your car—it can also be dangerous for you. There’s especially an increased risk around dawn and dusk. “If the car is drivable, make sure there are no fluids leaking after you hit one,” said Hull. If you do find a deer in your path, use your brakes if possible, but avoid swerving. “We’ve had cars come straight off of lots with fewer than 100 miles on them, and hit a deer,” said Bryan. October through December are the prime months for drivers spotting deer. State Farm says the average claim to fix damage is $4,179, up from $3,995 last year. We thank WDTV 5 for reprint permission.
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West Virginia Tops State Farm List of Deer Crashes by Lauren McMillen, WDTV
The Mountain State has once again topped State Farm’s list for the likelihood of vehicle accidents involving deer. Local auto body repair shops tell us business is booming. “There’s always an uptick in work when it comes to fall. The hunters start to get into the woods, and once that happens it starts to get cold and the deer start running. They run straight to the roads, it seems, and we get a lot of work out of that because of the deer collisions this time of year,” said Nick Bryan, T-Body Auto Repair Body Shop. The odds of a crash involving deer are 1 in 43 in West Virginia. That represents a slightly better outlook for drivers than last year, when the odds were 1 in 41. “Do not avoid them. You do more damage to a vehicle when you try to avoid them. If they jump out in front of you, hit them,” said Brian Hull, Country Club
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“The governor has never stood in the way of innovation,” Brooks said. “I can’t see him standing in the way of this.” Walker’s spokesman, Tom Evenson, was noncommittal, saying Walker would review the bill should it pass. Clapper believes Wisconsin’s auto franchise laws offer consumers some of the most robust consumer protections in the nation. He cited a law that he said is on the books only in Wisconsin requiring sellers of used vehicles to provide proof the vehicles have been inspected. Clapper said he doesn’t question the quality of Tesla’s products, but the company should have to operate on an “even playing field” with other automakers and dealers statewide. “There’s nothing to prevent Tesla from selling their product in Wisconsin. They just don’t want to do it under the current law system,” he said. “They’re welcome to come into the state under the current laws that are on the books.” The Associated Press contributed to this report. We thank The Gazette for reprint permission.
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Post-Repair Inspectors: Their Past and Possible Future by Gary Ledoux
Post repair inspectors (PRI) are a relatively new part of the industry being “officially” a little over 25 years old and still a niche part of the business. However, in light of the recent John Eagle case, their numbers could be growing. Autobody News checked in with several post repair inspectors to get their story about their place in the collision repair world. In 1994 a man named Jim Lynas was operating a body shop in Marietta, Georgia when he had an idea for operating a post repair inspection business. He started developing the idea and left his shop in 1996 to pursue it full time. He founded a company called Wreck Check. Wreck Check, and other post repair inspection companies deal primarily in four areas, assessment of total loss, diminished value, non-disclosure, and become involved if a consumer invokes their appraisal clause in the event of a disagreement between the vehicle owner and insurance company regarding a vehicle’s value. Rocco Avellini owned a collision repair facility in Long Beach, CA for almost 20 years. In 1994 he was the 4th Wreck Check licensee for Jim Lynas. In 1997 he became the US distributer for CadScan 3D scanning equipment which would provide vehicle 3D dimensioning against information from Mitchell to confirm the structural accuracy of the vehicle after an accident or was not damaged by comparing measurements which was used for the inspection. In 2001, Jim Lynas left the industry and Avellini became the principal behind Wreck Check, changing the name to Wreck Check Car Scan Centers with his flag ship center in San Pedro CA. The corporate offices are now located in Las Vegas, NV. When asked if his PRI business was growing or staying about the same he replied emphatically that he had just signed three new franchisees and was now up to 45 locations across the US. After his visit to CadScan in Canada Avellini posted on the Pro Discussion board that he was going to start a Post Repair Inspection Industry [PRII] and started Wreck Check Car Scan Center. Billy Walkowiak heads a North Carolina PRI business called Collision Safety Consultants. Asked if his business is growing he replied, “We started in 2010 with one location. Now, seven
years later, we have seven locations. We will soon have 10, and it won’t be long before we have 20!” Interestingly, Walkowiak did not start out in the auto body business as one might expect, but in the boating
industry. “Inspecting a boat is similar to inspecting a car,” said Walkowiak. “You look for bad welds, frame damage, a crack in the boat’s hull or a crack or tear in the car’s sheet metal, paint that doesn’t match and so forth. In both cases, a lot of money, and safety is at stake.” Bob Isham, together with partner Jan Vesely own Collision Safety Consultants of Arizona, LLC which includes the Phoenix metropolitan area and north. Isham commented, “When I was a shop owner from 1988 to early 2013 I started doing post repair inspections on bad work done by other shops. Very few shops during the 1990’s and even today had the guts to call something ‘bad.’ Perhaps they were afraid of insurer reprisal? We got a lot of horrific repairs taken off the road and declared total losses. We developed a niche market and lawyers often referred their clients to us who complained about repair problems. It was bad back in the 1990’s and is still bad with no sign of getting better. PRI is not going to go away.” Bill Byrne is a PRI in St. Charles, IL., and travels across the county inspecting vehicles after repairs have been completed. He likes to introduce himself as “Bill Byrne, consumer advocate.” A former shop owner and still considers himself a technician, Byrne was around when Wreck Check, and the PRI industry was born. He notes, “At that time, in the mid-1990’s the whole industry should have been talking about post repair inspection and what a good thing it was for the consumer – to calculate what diminished
30 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
value really was. Even way before the 1990’s everyone knew what diminished value was. Notification of estimate deficiencies outlined the defects which would occur if necessary procedures were eliminated or not completely compensated for, holding the responsible party accountable for proper repairs and payment. That’s what Jim Lynas gave the industry.” The same issues we still face today! Byrne continues, “Unfortunately Wreck Check and the concept of a post repair inspection was not seen as a benevolent thing. Many shop owners and even some associations thought it would be used to ‘beat up’ shops over bad repairs when exactly the opposite was true. Back then, I was the first Wreck Check facility West of Georgia, SCRS was not happy with the concept and would not support it. At that time, industry veteran John Loftus was head of SCRS. He came out to my shop, I showed him what we were doing. The analysis of documentation and how I conducted myself during the
post repair inspection along with communications with a customer amazed John. After spending the whole day with me, John realized what we were doing was right for the customer and right for the industry. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, SCRS would not change their position. On the other hand, the CCRE, (Coalition for Collision Repair Excellence) formerly (Coalition for Collision Repair Equality) being more consumer oriented at that time, endorsed the principals of vehicle inspections for proper repair methods and the necessity of proper documentation to show the cause and effect of improper repairs from denial of payment. However, since the late 90’s there have been many technological changes we have all seen. SCRS has had many changes since then including many board members. With Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg at the helm, along with past and current National Directors and Executive Committees, vast improvements have been made for both the collision industry and consumers. All these changes have resulted in a cohesive asSee Post Repair, Page 45
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H ONDA ILLI NO I S
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B lo om ing t on
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 33
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Continued from Cover
Loophole
It was her first car, a 16th birthday present from her parents. She drove it for four years. But when she went to another dealer to upgrade, he told her it had a serious safety flaw. “The airbags that were installed in the car were dysfunctional, and we found out that they would not have opened if it had been in an accident,” she said. Turns out, the car had been in a previous accident and hadn’t been fully repaired. It was horrifying news to Marissa’s dad, Lindsey Cartwright, who’d purchased the vehicle. “If something would have happened, I don’t know if I could have forgiven myself,” he said. Lindsey said he had asked about the car’s history before he bought it. “I said I did not want a salvage vehicle, and he assured me this was not a salvage title,” he said. That was technically true. But only because of a Minnesota law that one of the nation’s leading experts
calls “a state-sanctioned loophole.” In Minnesota, cars 6 years old or older—or worth $9,000 or less—can get clean titles no matter how badly damaged. Unlike salvage vehicles, they don’t need to be inspected before being rebuilt and resold. “Without that inspection, the dysfunctional airbags went right underneath the line,” Marissa said.
Marissa Cartwright’s GMC Jimmy. Credit: Marissa Cartwright
According to a CARFAX report, Marissa’s Jimmy had been deemed a total loss by an insurance company before she bought it, but it was never labeled “salvage” because it was an older model. KARE 11 found many crushed and mangled cars at local salvage auctions bearing a “clean” Minnesota title. Potentially even more dangerous—the same loophole applies to flooded cars. “In my opinion, every flooded
vehicle should be destroyed,” said Bob Henderson, a Minnesota-based investigator for the National Insurance Crime Bureau. “Flooded cars literally rot from the inside out,” said Chris Basso of CARFAX. Cars with flood damage may have waterlogged computers and short circuits in other electronic sensors that can cripple important safety features, like braking systems and airbags. The Minneapolis and St. Paul area ranks seventh out of all metro areas in the number of flooded cars that are back on the road, according to a recent study by CARFAX. More than 7,300 previously flooded cars are being driven in the Twin Cities area right now. “Your life may be in danger because these cars are literally ticking time bombs,” said Basso. Why so many flood cars in the Twin Cities? Basso said it could be because of Minnesota’s title laws. “That’s a definite loophole and one of the reasons why we might see so many flooded cars in the Minneapolis area,” he said. More flood cars are likely on the way. Experts estimate that more than
a million cars were flooded in hurricanes this year. They predict about half will soon be for sale, sent all over the country, including in Minnesota. Some will be properly titled. Others will have their titles “washed” as unscrupulous sellers move cars from state to state to take advantage of differing vehicle registration laws.
Damaged cars. Credit: KARE 11
“It’s not that difficult to clean a salvage title,” Henderson explained. It all adds up to a potentially dangerous situation for unsuspecting car buyers, according to consumer protection attorney Todd Murray. He said Minnesota’s laws are among the weakest in the country. “The attitude is, well if you can’t afford a new car or an expensive car, then apparently you’re not entitled to a safe car. And I just reject that arguSee Loophole, Page 55
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In Reverse
Early Industry Pioneers Left Their Mark with Gary Ledoux
Even before there were cars on the road, a number of people created products, provided services or simply had inauspicious beginnings that, although may have seemed trivial at the time, had a profound and lasting effect on the industry. Even back then, they would influence the way the auto industry in general, and the collision repair industry in particular, works. Escaping the French revolution and leaving their printing business behind them, on Jan. 1, 1800, Pierre and his son Eleuthere Irenee (E.I.) arrived in America after a grueling 90-day voyage. Father and son eventually found their way to Bergen, NJ. Pierre wanted to engage in the elaborate scheme of international trade. E.I. took a more practical approach—the manufacture of gunpowder, something he was already familiar with and with which he was quite proficient. The chemistry and manufacture of gunpowder would lead to a multitude of products, not the least of which was paint—DuPont Refinish paint over 100 years later, thanks to the foresight of Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours and his son, E.I du Pont de Nemours. And then there was Henry, born Sept. 27, 1842. He would later be described in his company’s history as being “self-taught and self-propelled” and an “entrepreneur and inventor.” His formal education in his hometown of Baltimore, VT, ended at the young age of 13 when he began work in a general store. From there, he became a photographer and then moved to Cleveland, OH, where he became a clerk then a bookkeeper for Freeman & Kellogg dry goods. He then became a partner in the George Sprague Company, purveyors of groceries, and managed to save $2,000—quite a hefty sum in the mid-1860’s. The grocery business obviously gave young Henry a good income, but he wanted something more. Opportunities with a wholesale drug company, a bank and a wholesale paint company then presented themselves. Henry chose the paint company, not because it offered the most money initially, but because he thought it “gave the promise of a future greater than others.” Truer words were never spoken. Henry bought into and became a
Gary Ledoux is an industry veteran with 48 years’ experience in the automotive and OEM collision parts industry. His column appears exclusively in Autobody News. He can be reached at YesterWreck@yahoo.com
partner with Truman Dunham & Co., purveyors of paint ingredients. He learned all he could about the paint business, endeavoring to “bring a fine sense of order” to it. The partnership did not last long. By 1869, Henry discovered that his partners were more interested in producing linseed oil and he was more interested in paint. In 1870, Truman Dunham & Co. faded into history. Henry had a pal named Edward, born May 10, 1843 in Cleveland, OH. Edward attended Cleveland High School, graduating in 1859, and then went on to earn degrees at Hudson College. He also found time to serve in the 85th Volunteer Infantry of Ohio during the Civil War. On Feb. 3, 1870, Henry Sherwin and his pal Edward Williams decided to pool their resources, including $15,000 of Edward’s own money and Henry’s knowledge of paint, to start their own company, naming it after themselves— the Sherwin-Williams Company. But it wasn’t enough for early pioneers to create a quality paint for factory-finishing and refinishing cars. Factories and “shop men” had to have a way to get the paint onto the vehicle. Prior to 1926, automotive paint was applied with a brush in multiple coats with a lot of drying time in between; an extremely laborious and time-consuming job. There had to be a better way. In 1887, a maintenance supervisor for the Boston-based Marshall Field’s department stores was charged with painting the store’s basement walls white—miles and miles of basement walls on several different levels in several different stores. Painting by hand would take large crews weeks to accomplish. Seeking a faster way, the maintenance supervisor developed a spray apparatus with paint in a bucket pressurized by a hand pump. The paint sprayed out through a wand mechanism with a nozzle, not unlike a device used to spray weed killer today. It was a success. He would later go on to use his paint sprayer to paint many of the buildings at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The Exposition, on the scale of a world’s fair, was known as the Great White City, thanks in no small part to the maintenance supervisor’s invention. In 1919, he developed his first
38 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
air-powered spray gun as we know them today, and by 1926, the DuPont Company produced a spray-able lacquer called Duco, suitable for automotive refinishing. That maintenance supervisor’s name was Joseph Binks. But Mr. Binks was not alone—he had a little competition. In 1888, a doctor created an atomizer to spray medicine on his patients’ sore throats to help them heal faster. In 1907, his son, Thomas, expanded on the idea and created a hand-held, air-powered spray gun for paint. By blowing compressed air across the top of a siphon tube submerged in liquid, the gun could create a controllable pattern of material. The first spray guns were used primarily for furniture finishing but by 1926, they were used for automotive refinishing. That doctor’s name was Dr. Allen DeVilbiss. Most people reading this have probably owned or handled a Binks or DeVilbiss spray gun. Of course, body shops can’t work
on a collision-damaged car until or unless it arrives at the shop. And as we all know, sometimes, they are not drivable. That is where Ernie’s invention helps the industry. In 1916, Ernie helped a friend pull a car from a ditch in Chattanooga, TN. It was back-breaking work. They succeeded, but Ernie thought that there must be a better and easier way. He acquired a used 1913 Cadillac, removed the body behind the driver’s seat, attached an A-frame and a system of pulleys, and created the first wrecker. It was a great idea, but didn’t exactly work as planned. It wasn’t steady enough when trying to winch a car out of an odd spot. He needed a set of outrigger feet to keep the Cadillac from tipping over. After attaching the outriggers, and some boxes in which to carry tools, his tow truck was a success. So much so, he started making them for other people and thus, an inSee Industry Pioneers, Page 45
Luther Hopkins Honda
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SEMA Show Goes On
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
3M Hosts Reunion of 10 of the World’s Best Car Painters at SEMA with Ed Attanasio
Every year, the 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division makes a major impression at the SEMA Show. This year, it pushed the envelope even more with a busy schedule packed with activities and celebrity appearances.
The 3M booth at SEMA was busy all day, with live demonstrations, celebrity appearances and live interviews, including a visit by the legendary Richard Petty
3M featured big names such as Richard Petty, Chip Foose, Charley Hutton, the Ringbrothers, KC Math-
ieu, Kyle Morley, Ryan “Ryno” Templeton and Mark Oja to headline the 3M Automotive Aftermarket Outdoor Showcase, while other events, such as a live wrap competition, took place at its booth on the convention floor. Also taking place at the 3M D.E.M.O. trailer parked outside the front lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center was the 3M and the Collision Repair Education Foundation auction of custom-painted hoods designed by leading painters from around the world. The auction benefited the 3M Hire our Heroes program. The hoods were created during the 2017 3M PPS World Cup, held in conjunction with the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit last summer. 3M invited leading automotive painters from around the world to come to Detroit to demonstrate their painting skills with the latest 3M solutions for vehicle painting, includ-
ing the 3M™ PPS™ Series 2.0 Spray Cup System. The 10 leading painters who featured their amazing artwork on car hoods during the event included: Pablo Prado, KandynChrome, USA; Jacob Miles, Milestone Paint & Body, USA; Connie Manjavinos, Passion-
ateInk, USA; Clay Hoberecht, Best Body Shop, USA; Justin Jimmo, Refinish Network, Canada; Carl-André Giroux, Canada; Danny Schramm, SchrammWerk, Germany; Christian Wilke, Germany; Carmine De Maria, C.A.D. Custom, Australia and Shane Wanjon, Exclusive Image Paint and
3M’s Automotive Aftermarket Division invited 10 leading painters for a reunion at SEMA after their participation in the 2017 3M PPS World Cup in Detroit this summer
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Body, USA. Canadian Painter Carl-André Giroux was thrilled to be involved in the 3M PPS World Cup in Detroit this summer, and the reunion at SEMA made it even sweeter, he said.
ticipants went head-to-head using their design skills with a combination of 3M Wrap Film Series 1080 and the 3M Design Line Knifeless Tape. “With so much talent under one roof at SEMA 2017, we wanted to create an atmosphere where creative energy from both contest participants and attendees will produce very exciting designs,” said Janelle Pizzi, product marketer for 3M Commercial Solutions Division. “The 3M 1080 Live Wrap Competition is a great opportunity for installers to show off their unique talents while using Wrap Film Series (l to r) Steve Carney, Joe Alexander, Rio Torres and Carl 1080 and Knifeless Design Brewer won the 2017 3M 1080 Live Wrap Competition at Line Tape.” SEMA Team contestants had a “These are some of the greatest chance to win some of the $32,000 in painters in the world, so it’s an honor to prize money and merchandise, inbe associated with these amazing cluding Wrap Film Series 1080. Adartists,” he said. “The hoods we created ditionally, the winning team gained will be raising money for a much- major bragging rights by having a needed charity, and that is a big deal for photo of its design incorporated into all of us.” the Knifeless Design Line Tape pack3M hosted a live wrap competi- aging. Congratulations to this year’s tion that attracted crowds to their winning team, consisting of Steve booth throughout the show. Twelve Carney, Joe Alexander, Rio Torres teams consisting of two to four parand Carl Brewer.
Continued from Page 24
Not Their Parts
Thus, someone buying a used car that had seen a major repair may not be aware that a previously recalled airbag may have been salvaged from another vehicle and installed in the car they are buying. While every vehicle is in a database, and a car’s accident and repair history will be reflected in data that follows a vehicle throughout the course of its lifetime, the origins of used and salvaged parts are not. While a serial number of an airbag can be traced, a mechanic is required for that—and the consumer is out-of-pocket just to secure the information. While it is unlawful for a salvage yard to knowingly sell a used part that has been recalled, many proprietors simply advocate that they didn’t know. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTHSA) is entrusted with educating salvage yards on the issue. However, there is no lasting enforcement. The rules are strictly voluntary. News 12 advocates that would-be buyers of a used car avoid purchasing
a vehicle that has been saddled with a salvage title. Additionally, if a vehicle’s history suggests that an airbag had deployed, then it tells the individual about to purchase the vehicle that the airbag(s) had been replaced. The replacement airbag can be checked by a qualified mechanic in order to establish its origin and whether or not the replacement airbag had been subject to an airbag recall of defective airbags. Such information could cost a consumer upwards of a couple hundred dollars. Takata, meanwhile, is in the process of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Law 360 (10/23/17) reports that late in the day on Oct. 22, Takata asked a federal judge in Delaware to extend its exclusive plan filing period by 90 days, “so the debtor can continue to oversee its highly complex plan that requires coordination of efforts in the United States, Japan and Canada,” Law360 said. A young woman from Las Vegas, Karina Dorado, is lucky to be alive after she sustained serious injuries to her trachea and vocal cords from a relatively mild front-end collision. When the airbag in her used Honda deSee Not Their Parts, Page 59
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SEMA Show Goes On WD-40 Features Boosted Bronco at SEMA
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
with Ed Attanasio
Boosted Bronco retains its original four-wheel drive, but gets a modern spin with its hand-built 20” Detroit Steel Wheels, Diode Dynamics BiLED round headlights and Distinctive Industries touring seats and upholstery. From its WD-40-themed mattemetallic paint, to its twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost powered drive train, everything about the vehicle stands out, according to a press release from the company. The WD-40 booth was once again built to look like a mechanics garage, located just outside the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Hall where WD-40 Specialist products were This year, WD-40 unveiled the demonstrated, visitors played games WD-40/SEMA Cares Boosted Bronco for WD-swag and visitors shared how at the 2017 SEMA Show as part of its they use WD-40 products on social annual restoration build, which blends media to earn branded hats, T-shirts old with new and highlights the many and more. The WD-40/SEMA Cares Boosted automotive uses for WD-40 MultiUse Product and the WD-40 Special- Bronco will soon be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson Auction Company, ist line. “This original 1966 Ford Bronco with proceeds benefitting SEMA Cares, is an iconic cult classic vehicle, and Childhelp and the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund. The build partners we’ve created a modern, unique veron the Boosted Bronco were AIRAID, AMSOIL, AutoMeter, B&M, BASF, Baumann Electronic Controls, Blood & Grease, Detroit Steel Wheel, Diode Dynamics, Flowmaster, General Tire, Grip Royal, Mishimoto, POR-15, The Club, VMS Racing and XS Power. It all started with cars. Designing and building award-winning custom cars has been a passion of the Vaccar family since the mid1970s, eventually leading to the establishment of ACV Motorsports in 1999. Aaron and his father, Carl Vaccar, work Aaron Vaccar, master car builder, created this year’s WDside-by-side on every project 40/SEMA Cares Boosted Bronco at the 2017 SEMA Show because they bring different sion with the WD-40/SEMA Cares skills to each car they create, Aaron Boosted Bronco,” builder Aaron VacVaccar said. car said. “WD-40 Brand is an industry “We took a different approach icon, with a long history of support- with this vehicle, because we wanted ing automotive professionals with it to be fresh and unprecedented,” products that help us get the job done Aaron Vaccar said. “We had to submit right, and were an integral part of get- a 10-page proposal and then wait for ting the Bronco ready for the SEMA the response. When they contacted us Show.” and gave us the news, we were obviThe WD-40/SEMA Cares ously thrilled. We worked 30 days Every year when SEMA hits Vegas, show attendees start looking around for the WD-40® booth because they know that it will contain an over-thetop, one-of-a-kind vehicle that will fascinate car lovers worldwide.
42 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
non-stop to get it done, but we’re delighted with the result.”
vehicle will raise money for a great cause like SEMA Cares makes it even more special,” he said. It has been a fast track to success for the Vaccar family, but it started early for Aaron. By the time he graduated from high school in 2005, he had already started branding his own custom car “signature series” for sponsors and had an online aftermarket parts store, ACV Mailorder. As he entered Youngstown Aaron and his father, Carl Vaccaro, worked side-by-side to create this amazing vehicle that will soon be auctioned State University for a Busioff at Barrett-Jackson with proceeds benefitting SEMA ness Administration degree, Cares, Childhelp and the SEMA Memorial Scholarship he learned more about being Fund at a later date a real entrepreneur and tested The tight deadline didn’t dissuade out new ventures wherever he saw opCarl Vaccar as the clock kept ticking, portunities. Before Aaron was even because he believes in his son and his able to graduate, the school had inabilities, he said. vited him to speak to other core “My floor is Aaron’s ceiling and classes and at events such as the ExI’m so happy to see his success, be- treme Entrepreneurship Tour to moticause he deserves it. The fact that this See Boosted Bronco, Page 44
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Mickey Harris Unveils Pat Tillman Tribute Car at SEMA by Ed Attanasio
Renowned airbrush artist Mickey Harris unveiled a 1968 Chevy Impala at this year’s SEMA as a tribute to the Pat Tillman Foundation in conjunction
Harris has an amazing knack for capturing his subjects’ persona with every vehicle he paints
with Ronnie Rains, a former Army veteran who has sponsored three previous vehicles with Harris. Pat Tillman was a professional National Football League player who left his sports career and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. His service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and subsequent death, were the subject of much media attention. Founded in 2004, the Pat Tillman Foundation invests in military veterans and their spouses through academic scholarships—building a diverse comContinued from Page 42
Boosted Bronco
vate fellow business students. Aaron’s second major SEMA Show project vehicle came in 2011 from Ford
munity of leaders committed to servicing others. Harris is proud of the vehicle, which was a huge job with a tight deadline. “We covered the entire vehicle with images—from top to bottom,” Harris said. “There weren’t a lot of quality photos to reference, especially from Pat’s years with Arizona State. So, we really did our homework to feature a different range of images showing the various stages of Pat’s life. I’m very happy with this one, that’s for sure.” This particular vehicle is significant because it was the actual car that Pat Tillman and his Arizona Cardinal buddies bought and used as their party car during training camp. Zack Walz, Tillman’s former teammate in the NFL, was on-hand to view the vehicle and astonished by the final product. “It is amazing how Mickey captured Pat’s spirit and personality with this vehicle,” he said. “Pat and I would drive around in it all the time while we were with the Cardinals. I would like to thank Mickey for this incredible job—he is a legendary painter and we’re all so honored.” Harris has been a painter for more than 35 years and produced countless
ket as an edgy-retro, hot rod-influenced premium apparel and accessory line, which quickly achieved cross-country and international sales. As recently as 2012, Aaron had the honor of being one of the largest builders at the SEMA Show, with a
As part of a lengthy proposal, Aaron Vaccar submitted this rendering
Motor Co., along with a Design Award from Ford for his outstanding achievement. In the same year, Aaron also unveiled his first venture into a new industry—Blood & Grease “kustom klothing” was introduced into the mar-
total of three vehicles awarded to him by Ford Motor Company and General Motors to design. In addition, he debuted the re-branding of his car designer identity under the name “Vaccar”.
44 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
murals on cars, trucks, motorcycles and a wide range of other mediums that have appeared at shows worldwide. He started his career as an air-
Harris covered the car with images from different points in Tillman’s life on literally every square inch of the vehicle
brush artist as a teenager in Ft. Walton Beach, FL, painting on t-shirts and learning as much as he possibly could about airbrush art and how to push the envelope. Today, he is considered to be one of the finest airbrush artists in the entire world. As a publisher, he founded Airbrush Magazine in 1994 and as an esteemed industry leader, he was elected President of the International Airbrush Association twice in the 1990s. Harris’ work has appeared in more than 100 publications. Traveling to shows, seminars and public appearances year-round, Harris doesn’t have a retail store or a studio where people can see his work. He works out of body shops in different
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parts of the country to complete his ongoing list of projects. “I have a home in Tennessee and another one in South Dakota, so I work out of body shops in each area. I do two to three large projects every year, which are basically complete vehicles, but I also do 10–12 smaller projects every month—primarily motorcycles, tanks and hoods, for example.” In addition to his artwork, Harris has been teaching seminars on the art of airbrushing for more than 20 years for the United States Sign Council, Airbrush Magazine, SATA, the Inter-
Artist Mickey Harris (left) with Pat Tillman’s former teammate Zack Walz with a 1968 Chevy Impala, the Pat Tillman Foundation tribute vehicle
national Airbrush Association, Airbrush Action Magazine, BASF and Sign Business Magazine. Mickey has also painted numerous murals for he United States Air Force and painted nose art on nine B-1 Bombers.
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Continued from Page 30
Post Repair
sociation with safety and quality at the forefront. SCRS hit a grand slam this week during SEMA having speaker Todd Tracy, the plaintiffs’ attorney, explaining the John Eagle Collision case during several forums. A strong association is only as good as its members. This is the exact reason I became a member and I would encourage as many shops to join as possible. When we have strength in numbers we can accomplish anything, as individuals we are limited to ourselves. There are too many vehicle being repaired improperly under the direction of insurance company representatives.” Continued from Page 38
Industry Pioneers
dustry of building and using tow / recovery trucks was born. As the auto industry grew, and the need for recovery work grew, so did Ernie’s business. He earned a worldwide reputation for quality products and innovation. He devised the first
You’ll probably never see a highway billboard advertising post repair inspection. The gentlemen interviewed all said their business comes from referrals from past customers, attorney’s, car dealers and even some body shops who want an unbiased opinion of a repair of their own, or a past repair that they encountered while making a current repair. Walkowiak noted, “Very recently, in the wake of the John Eagle verdict, an MSO sent us a car they repaired for a third party inspection – just for their own peace of mind. There were some flaws in the repair. We pointed them out, and the errors fixed immediately.” Knowing what a PRI sees on a daily basis, we asked what the worst car they ever inspected was. Bill Byrne
two-winch cable system so the recovery vehicle could be tied off to an anchoring object for heavy pulls. He developed a pivoting boom so cars could be recovered from an odd angle. At first, cars were “hooked” to the frame with a rather crude steel hook. Eventually, the company that Ernie founded developed a dolly that enabled a car to be completely lifted off the road in the event that a vehi-
got the prize. “I ran across a Mustang that had been totaled in 2005, then repaired and had the title washed and the car re-sold. The same car totaled again in 2010. It had been totaled a second time, repaired and the titled washed again, and re-sold to an unsuspecting family with young kids. I was looking at it for the customer who seemed to think that the front bumper shouldn’t move a full 2 inches with no more force than you could give it with your little finger.” Asked what effect the John Eagle decision would have on the PRI business, Walkowiak noted, “I think it will help this part of the industry to grow. I can see more demand for post repair inspectors. And I can see a number of shop owners that are older, who maybe
cle’s wheel was completely disabled. In the 1930s, winches that had been hand-cranked became powered by the truck’s transmission, greatly increasing the pulling power. Today, body shop owners see these trucks pulling cars into their shops every day. The next time you see one, think of Ernie with his 1913 Cadillac and say thanks to Ernest Holmes towing equipment.
don’t want to work all the hours and have all the headaches it takes to run a shop on a day-to-day basis, who will become inspectors. These guys already have the knowledge, and it doesn’t take a whole lot of tools and equipment.” Byrne noted, “The tools necessary to do a post repair inspection are very important and should not be understated, just like any qualified technician; his specialized equipment is necessary. Technical knowledge is also critical, you need to delineate how the vehicle was repaired compared to vehicle manufacturer specifications and what was actually done. In order to help the client, one must be able to manage a client through the complete process.”
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Continued from Cover
Stand Up
panies in his legal crosshairs. “By dictating improper vehicle repairs for decades, insurance companies have seriously injured and killed thousands of customers who were driving around in time bombs they didn’t know about,” Tracy said. “If you don’t think I’m on your side, folks, this…ought to tell you I am absolutely on your side.” Tracy shared many of the details of his lawsuit against John Eagle Collision on behalf of a Texas couple, Matthew and Marcia Seebachan. The Seebachans were driving their 2010 Honda Fit in late 2013 when another vehicle hydroplaned and crashed into the Honda. The Seebachans sustained severe injuries, including extensive burns after their vehicle’s gas tank ruptured and the car burst into flames. The suit began as a liability lawsuit against Honda, Tracy said, but after reviewing how the roof of the Honda Fit separated from the vehicle in the crash, it became clear that it had been previously repaired. “After handling 2,700 different cases against every vehicle manufacturer in the world, with the exception of Volvo…I said, ‘Something is wrong here,’” Tracy said. “I had never seen a roof do this. OEM roof panels don’t separate like this. The OEM frame members and rocker panels don’t collapse like this underneath the survival space where the occupants are sitting.” With more research, Tracy learned that a previous owner of the Honda Fit had it repaired at John Eagle for hail damage, and the shop had used adhesive bonding, rather than welds as called for by Honda, to attach the replacement roof. “I am a vehicle crashworthiness lawyer,” Tracy said. “I sue car manufacturers for a living. I don’t sue repair facilities. You guys are like me: You’re small businessmen. But when you guys [expletive] up my vehicle manufacturer defect case, I have to go after you.” He said the jury clearly understood that the shop’s use of adhesive rather than welds went against what both the automaker and 3M (the adhesive maker) called for. “And I refuse to call it ‘adhesive bonding,’” Tracy said. “We called it
glue. No different than Elmer’s glue that those jurors’ kindergarten children use in their art projects… It’s all about smoke and mirrors, what I do for a living, ladies and gentlemen. I don’t know [expletive] from shinola, like you guys do. But I can say it louder, and I’ve got a bigger megaphone, and I’ve got a big personality.” The lawsuit against State Farm, the insurer who paid for the hail damage repair to the Honda Fit, was the result of a deposition of the director of the John Eagle Collision Center, who indicated that an insurer can overrule OEM repair procedures based on payment practices. “Well, unfortunately, we’re guided by insurance,” the shop’s director said in the deposition. “So... if you brought your car into my shop, the insurance company’s going to dictate... how we’re going to repair your car.” But the insurer cannot trump the OEM procedures, can they, the director was asked. “Yes, they can,” he responded. “By not paying the bill.” Although Tracy said he’s not looking to sue additional shops, he offered a number of steps shops should take to protect themselves against lawsuits such as the one he brought against John Eagle Collision. First and foremost, he said, always follow OEM repair specifications. If there are no such procedures, document efforts you made to locate them, and keep your customer informed. “Never forget who your customer is,” Tracy said. “When they entrust you with their vehicle repairs, they are putting their lives and the lives of their loved ones in your hands.” Avoid language on your website or other marketing that overpromises what you can deliver, he suggested. He called the John Eagle Collision website “insane” in that it said the shop’s goal for repairs is to “achieve ‘better than new,’” and that the shop has what is needed “to restore the vehicle to its condition prior to the incident that caused the damage.” “Don’t tie yourself down to stupid [expletive] like this,” Tracy said. “If you have a website, make it vague. Make it ambiguous.” He said shops should never admit that “you’re letting insurance companies dictate how you’re repairing vehicles.” Better yet, he said, stop allowing that to happen.
46 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
“If you take away one thing from this talk, that is: Never put your company’s profit over your customer’s safety,” Tracy said. “That’s a good way to get your ass whipped. And that’s what happened [to the Texas shop].” Instead, he suggested, “Tell your customer in writing what the insurance company is doing, that you recommend against it because the vehicle will not be as safe in the event of an accident, and that their family or a future owner of the vehicle can be seriously injured or killed,” Tracy said. “Be a hero and stand up to the insurance companies and tell them and your customer in writing that the insurance company’s [suggested] repairs violate OEM repair specifications and will cause serious injury or death…if an accident occurs in the future, and that you will not repair the vehicle knowing you are placing someone’s life at risk.” If the customer won’t back you up, Tracy said, have them “sign off on your shop performing the insurance company’s repair so you can cover your ass.” Tracy didn’t sugarcoat the impact this could have on a shop’s business, acknowledging “you’ll lose some
money at first,” and “there’s going to be a few casualties along the way.” But he said if more than just the handful of shops currently standing up to insurers start doing so, the industry can change. “When you all give that insurance company that same piece of paper, and you put it to them like this, that your customer is going to die or be seriously injured or maimed, I don’t think they’re going to go take [that vehicle] down to the Service Kings or the Caliber Collisions,” Tracy said. “I don’t think they’re going to take it to the Julio Smith’s of the world.” Like Mississippi attorney Eaves did four years earlier, Tracy promised to “be a warrior” for the shops that stand with him against the insurers. “I will fight these [expletive],” he said. “If I can take on car manufacturers, I can assure you I can take on a [expletive] little company like State Farm or Allstate. John Yoswick, a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988, is also the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (www.Crash Network.com). He can be contacted by email at john@CrashNetwork.com.
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Continued from Cover
Post John Eagle
To find out, Autobody News contacted several OE’s, an MSO executive, and an independent consultant to capture different perspectives. Because it is so soon after the verdict, and the OE’s may not have had ample time to digest it all and begin making plans (if any), to start the conversation, we suggested that post repair inspections by a third party be conducted periodically at all OE certified shops to ensure proper and safe repair. Here is what they said:
Toyota George Irving, Senior Manager for Wholesale Parts & Collision for Toyota Motor North America said, “Logistically it might be difficult for an OE to get post repair inspectors to every shop, for every repair, not to mention the cost… although the idea does have merit. Perhaps a more feasible approach would be to ensure that the repair procedures are delivered to the technician at the time of repair and a technology based validation is integrated with the repair procedures as a guide.
Honda Leigh Guarnieri, National Manager Collision Marketing for American Honda, made an enlightening comparison between the aircraft industry and auto industry: “Going to post repair inspections is a giant leap. Financially, this may not be feasible. Not only that, how do you inspect a car properly after it’s been completely repaired and closed? Most structural repairs are not visible at that point. And… the inspector has to be really knowledgeable. In the aircraft industry, when a plane is being repaired, a team of inspectors reviews each repair as it is completed. The technician cannot move on to the next operation until the inspectors sign-off on the prior operation. This way, you are sure that the plane won’t fail due to a faulty repair. This seems like it could be feasible.”
Audi Mark Allen, Collision Programs and Workshop Equipment Specialist for Audi and well-known industry veteran also made a comparison between the collision industry and the medical industry. “Like the medical industry, people’s lives depend on a doctor, or in
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the case of a collision repair, a technician, performing a proper procedure using the correct tools, and equipment,” said Allen. “Every procedure must be done correctly every time but it’s not feasible to have a third party proctor every operation. “I am not sure that there are enough qualified post repair inspectors around to do this type of work for multiple OE’s. But let’s say we find enough to do periodic PRI’s at hundreds or thousands of shops around the country. You are only checking a few of the many repairs a shop does. Then, if you find something really wrong with a repair, what does the OE do? Who is going to have the conversation with a shop customer that their car that was in the process of being repaired may now be totaled? Who is responsible to bear the cost? There are many facets to be considered in what seems to be a simple answer.” Allen suggested that a better idea may be for a shop to meticulously document every step of every repair. Then, if an OE wanted to audit those, it could be done in a more efficient and costeffective manner. “Shops should be doing this anyway,” said Allen. “Good documentation could help insulate
them from possible litigation if a later problem arises. That’s exactly what the medical field does.”
Assured Performance Assured Performance provides certified program administration for a number of OE’s including Nissan, FCA, Ford, Hyundai, Infinity and Kia. Scott Biggs, CEO of Assured Performance and long-time industry veteran already has counter measures in the works. He replied, “We know that proper repair is crucial. This is why we have recently launched two new programs; Shop Ops and OE-QC to help shops make better repairs. These tools are focused on: 1) helping the shop document quality, 2) help the shop document and follow oem repair procedures, 3) help the shop and the technician document how they repaired the vehicle efficiently using a smart app. These programs are provided free to Assured Performance shops as an integral part of the certification program so that they can maintain their compliance and address the quality assurance challenges. The OEQC program both documents the way the vehicle was repaired and it also has a quality control checklist, as well
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as documentation for pre and post scan. We also believe that once we prove to the insurers it was in their best interest to support what we were doing, they too would join the effort to find ways to refocus on a quality repair and not low-cost provider. It is a false positive to believe that we can continue to grind shops to be low-cost providers and not substantially destroy quality. We can find efficiency that will save both sides billions if our focus is to find efficiency. However, we have to find common ground so that we are not constantly twisting the dials of the way a car is repaired so that it can be done more cheaply.”
P&L Consultants Industry icon, trainer, and consultant Larry Montanez, a partner in P&L Consultants LLC in New York offered the following:
Some of the OE certified programs do not address the repair. However, some do. These are what I call the real OEM Certification Programs generally referred to as the Certified Collision Repair Facility (CCRF), which would be the European OE programs, such as Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover,
Mercedes Benz, Porsche, etc. All these OE’s restrict parts (except BMW), have assessments checks on the OEM parts, materials and information usage and require technicians to attend hands-on training classes annually, in addition to certain I-CAR training classes and ASE certifications. Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover and Mercedes require ISO 9606-2 welding certifications in addition to passing the I-CAR welding qualification test and Jaguar Land Rover require steel welding certification in MAG, Structural and MIG Brazing. Some of the other OE programs only check to see if a shop has the minimum proper equipment just to open a shop, which should be mandatory by every state licensing department. Many programs require I-CAR Gold Class training, but that doesn’t provide any real hands-on training. Assured Performance requires some training or Gold Class, but no hands-on training at all. Honda, Cadillac CT-6 and Tesla have excellent online training programs but drop the ball with no hands-on training requirements. Now the Chevrolet Corvette Z06/ZR-1 and Nissan GT-R have great hands-on training programs, but no
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OEM support at all. Now this is not to say the CCRF shops are perfect, but they can be held to a higher standard of “you knew better and were trained for this” and the OEM is protected to an extent as far as “we provided, classroom, handson, on-line training and independent testing to ensure the facility technicians have the proper knowledge and skills to repair our vehicles.” Conversely, the way some of these OE certification programs are constructed, the OE’s are probably not protected in the event of another case like John Eagle. If the John Eagle shop was in fact Honda ProFirst Certified at the time they installed that roof panel, things might not have gone well for American Honda. Another place where the OE certification programs fail is to train the estimators about diagnosis and required procedures and what exactly the laws are as to vehicle repair. Meaning insurers have no say on repairs, nor does the opinion of an insurer trump the OE. Do I see post repair inspectors being used by the OE’s in the future? Sure I do, but they would have to be qualified and trained inspectors, which we all know that almost no one
wants to spend the money and time to be trained. Some of the current post repair inspectors know little to nothing about proper repair, most are relevant due to the poor quality of repairs produced that a layman can identify it. There would need to be extensive training and requirements to be a PRI technician. The OE’s also need to set up a program that requires CCRF’s to perform Department QC’s and Final QC’s. Many of the German CCRF Programs are now requiring the CCRF’s to Prerepair diagnostic scan and pre-repair measuring of the vehicle. More OE’s need to require this.
Caliber Collision Centers Caliber is one of the largest and fastest growing MSO’s with over 500 locations across the country. Many of their locations hold multiple OE certifications. Jeff Brewer is their Director of OE Certifications and keenly aware of what OE certifications mean, and the shop’s role as a certified facility. Here is what he had to say: Post repair inspection is certainly one idea. However, Dr. Edwards Deming, the father of the quality movement,
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Five Las Vegas Valley Residents Receive the Gift of Transportation Giving refurbished vehicles to deserving people is an amazing philanthropy model that is ideal for the collision industry because it involves body shops, local charities and insurance companies as they work together to help others.
Jorge Hernandez, who lost both of his legs and use of his hands in a near-death accident, received a 2015 Toyota Corolla as part of the 2017 NABC Recycled Rides Program at SEMA
From small independent shops all the way to huge chains, collision repairers all over the country present people with nearly new cars year round. But, no one does it like the National Auto Body Council (NABC), which has given away more than 2,000 vehicles to individuals, families and nonprofit organizations over the years.
Earl and Sheri Shaw and their 7-month-old daughter, Jasmin, received a 2015 Chrysler 200 at the NABC Recycled Rides Annual Luncheon at SEMA
Five worthy individuals and families from Nevada received their keys to fully refurbished vehicles by the NABC at its annual Recycled Rides Luncheon on Nov. 1 at the 2017 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. More than 200 people attended the presentation
luncheon held at the Westgate Las Vegas Paradise Convention Center, with many of the program’s sponsors, body shops and insurance companies that donate their time and money to the Recycled Rides Program every year. Recipient Jorge Hernandez lost everything—his hopes, his dreams, both of his legs and the use of his hands in a near-death accident. He was a star athlete in high school who also found success in business early in his life, and was well on his way to his goal of becoming a real estate investor. Unfortunately, when the market crashed, he did as well. He began spiraling down an unhealthy lifestyle, which culminated in an accident in which a friend fell asleep at the wheel. His luck was heading in the wrong direction until he was selected to receive a car donation as part of the NABC’s Recycled Rides presentation at this year’s SEMA Show. Today, Hernandez is walking and driving again, and is on a mission to tell his story of redemption and survival while giving back to hospitals, rehab centers, veterans, burn survivors and amputees who are going through similar challenges. All of this year’s Recycled Rides recipients were nominated by Family Promise of Las Vegas and the Marine Corps League. When he received the keys to his 2015 Toyota Corolla, Hernandez was moved nearly to tears. “There are no coincidences in life and I know this was meant to happen,” he said. “I was left on this planet to help people and this car will enable me to continue my work.” In addition to Hernandez, the other recipients included: • A single father, Brandon Gonzales, and his 6-year-old son, Braydon, who received a 2015 Toyota Corolla. • Earl and Sheri Shaw, who leave their house up to four hours before they must be at work so they can drop off 7-month-old daughter, Jasmin, at daycare and make it to work on time
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by foot and public transportation. They received a 2015 Chrysler 200. • Marine veteran Javier Rivera-Suarez and his wife, Estela, and two sons who are transitioning from homelessness to an apartment of their own, who re-
Marine veteran Javier Rivera-Suarez and his wife, Estela, and two sons received a 2017 Chevy Cruze during the NABC Recycled Rides Luncheon at SEMA
ceived a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze. • Tamara Lugman, also transitioning out of homelessness and starting a new job, was presented with a 2015 Nissan Altima. The Recycled Rides vehicles were donated by Allstate, GEICO, State Farm, Hertz and Enterprise Rent-aCar. The vehicles were refurbished by
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technicians at local repair shops Caliber Collision-Henderson, Geber Collision & Auto Glass, Service King Green Valley, MAACO Henderson and New Look Collision, who volunteer and donate their personal time. Parts, paint and other materials were donated by suppliers and manufacturers for a 100 percent collaborative industry effort. This will be the final year for NABC Executive Director Chuck Sulkala, who is retiring but never gets tired of seeing people’s lives change right in front of his eyes, he said. “When people don’t have transportation, it can impact their lives in many ways and create huge obstacles for them to get past things such as drug addiction or homelessness,” Sulkala said. “The Recycled Rides program is an industry-wide collaborative community service program whose goal is to positively change lives by donating vehicles that represent hope, independence and freedom. Of all the things we do here at the NABC, this is probably the most satisfying—giving cars to people who truly deserve them.”
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WIN Announces Opening of Most Influential Women Nominations
Women’s Industry Network (WIN®) announced that nominations for the prestigious Most Influential Women (MIW) awards opened Wednesday, Nov. 1 and will be accepted through Monday, Jan. 15, 2018.
The winners will be recognized at a gala held during the 2018 WIN Educational Conference, May 7–9, 2018 in Indianapolis, IN. Nominations of women working in any segment of the collision repair industry across the United States and Canada are welcomed. Once again, WIN has retained an independent consultant to interview those who have been nominated for the award and select the winners, so that WIN can remain un-
biased in the selection process. Marie Peevy, owner of Automotive Training Coordinators and MIW co-chair commented, “The MIW winners represent an amazing group of women who not only excel in their careers and community, but still find a successful balance by putting their families first.” The Most Influential Women program has recognized 88 women who have enriched the collision repair industry with their leadership, vision, and commitment to excellence. WIN acquired stewardship of the Most Influential Women program in 2013 and continues to evolve the program to align with WIN’s mission to “enhance the role of women in the industry.” The award recognizes women for their leadership in four areas: industry influence; professional accomplishments; mentoring and support for others in the collision repair industry; and for going beyond the requirements of their professional lives to give back to their communities. The 2018 nomination form can be found on the WIN website at www .womensindustrynetwork.com.
Nationwide Achieves I-CAR Insurance Gold Class Corporate Status
I-CAR® has awarded Insurance Gold Class® business recognition at the corporate level to Nationwide, an achievement that places Nationwide in the vanguard of insurers that are committed to enhancing the quality of auto collision repairs. To achieve Insurance Gold Class status, Nationwide’s appraiser staff was encouraged to fulfill the Platinum Auto Physical Damage Appraiser (APDA) training requirements in ICAR’s Professional Development Program (PDP). Nationwide set a goal to become I-CAR Insurance Gold Class by the end of 2017 and, due to its strong commitment to developing an effective learning environment, the company achieved Gold Class four months ahead of schedule. By becoming a corporate Gold Class organization, Nationwide is actively confirming that its associates understand the proper techniques and procedures necessary to ensure that complete, safe and quality repairs are made for its customers. “I-CAR is pleased to recognize Nationwide’s commitment to becoming a corporate Gold Class organization,” said Brad Gutcher, I-CAR’s
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manager, segment development - insurance. “With the technical complexity of today’s vehicles, training has become an increasingly critical element throughout the collision repair industry. Nationwide has had a longtime focus on serving customers and valuing employees, and we look forward to maintaining our strong partnership in the years ahead.” -CAR has now secured its 12th major insurance carrier to support the organization’s vision of connecting the collision repair industry with the information, knowledge and skills required to perform complete, safe and quality repairs for the ultimate benefit of the consumer. “We are excited to achieve this highly coveted industry standard,” said Dave Bano, Nationwide’s senior vice president and chief claims officer. “This distinction is especially significant because of I-CAR’s leadership position in providing knowledge and training to the collision repair industry. Nationwide is committed to investing in continuing education and training for our associates in order to benefit our members, and Gold Class is a perfect example of that dedication.”
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Caliber Collision Creates New Executive Roles to Accelerate Teammate & Client Satisfaction As an organization passionately focused on customer, teammate and client satisfaction, Caliber Collision, the largest collision repair company in the U.S., announced two promotions to the Executive Leadership Team effective November 1, 2017.
Promoted from Senior Vice President of Operations to Chief Talent Officer is David Goldstein, a 20year veteran of Caliber. A graduate of the UCLA Anderson Executive Program in 2015, David has more than 30 years of collision repair experience as he rapidly grew from a body technician to Center Manager to Senior Vice President overseeing more than 167 locations across California. “As a company dedicated to restoring the rhythm of lives, we focus on our teammates first who
represent the single most important asset in our growing organization. David’s leadership skills, proven operational expertise and ability to develop people will serve to further inspire and engage our teammates as he takes the reins of our overall talent management strategy”, said Steve Grimshaw, Caliber Collision Chief Executive Officer. “David’s promotion represents our continued commitment to have the best trained, most satisfied teammates in the industry.” Also promoted is Shawn Hezar, Senior Vice President – Strategic Accounts who will now serve as Chief Client Officer. Shawn will be responsible to ensure Caliber is exceeding the expectations of our strategic partners in the increasingly complicated collision repair industry. Shawn’s experience runs the gamut from operations to client services to OEM certifications. “With more than 30 years of hands-on experience in the collision repair industry, Shawn has grown to become the consummate leader of our strategic client relationships as we work to improve customer and client satisfaction across 527 Caliber locations”, added Grimshaw.
Both Mr. Goldstein and Mr. Hezar will report directly to Mr. Grimshaw. Caliber Collision Centers is the largest collision repair company in America with 527 I-CAR Gold Class Professional certified collision repair centers across 17 states. Caliber is consistently ranked among the highest customer satisfaction scores in the industry and backs all repair work with a written, lifetime warranty available at any of its 527 repair centers. For more information visit: www .CaliberCollision.com.
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Continued from Page 26
SCRS Panel
being said, if you look closely at the industry, other carmakers are starting programs that vary. Some are subscription-based and others provide special training much like our program. We feel that this is the right way to go with our business model and this is where we feel the industry is going. Realistically, as a repairer, the onus is on you and in the end, you’re responsible for the safety and well-being of the people whose cars you are fixing.” Aaron Clark, a former body shop owner, was asked: Are the OEs providing sufficient information to the market to make a safe and proper repair, and are we asking enough of them? “I think some are better than others, but the trend recently is that more and more shops are inquiring and building that information over time. Let’s face it, the OEMs are still learning too. There is always need for improvement, so the ones that are doing a good job should continue on that path, while the ones that are doing a poor job need to get better. But overall, the trend is moving in the right direction.”
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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 53
Eleventh Circuit Restores Auto Body Shop Antitrust Case by Staff, Baker Donelson
On Sept. 7, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals handed a big victory to a class of auto body shops in Quality Auto Painting v. State Farm, et. al, reversing a lower court decision that had dismissed the auto body shops’ complaint for failure to state a claim. In a 2-1 decision, the court held that Middle District of Florida Senior Judge Gregory Presnell had acted too quickly in dismissing the plaintiffs’ complaint, finding that the plaintiffs had “supplied enough allegations” to “raise a reasonable expectation that discovery will reveal evidence of illegal agreement.” The Eleventh Circuit’s ruling is the first to consider a series of decisions by Judge Presnell that dismissed both Quality Auto and a group of similar cases (approximately 20 in all) that had all been consolidated before him by the Panel for Multidistrict Litigation, over the last two years. In Quality Auto, the auto body shop plaintiffs from Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey and Virginia alleged that the auto insurers, in their respective states, had agreed not to pay more than the “market rate” for repairs, which was pegged to the amount that State Farm
paid to those shops in its direct repair program (which did not include plaintiffs). Judge Presnell dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims, finding that the plaintiffs had failed to allege facts that suggested agreement rather than independent, but parallel, conduct. In reversing Judge Presnell’s decision, Circuit Judge Wilson, writing for the majority, began his analysis by acknowledging that, under the Supreme Court’s decision in Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007), a party claiming horizontal price fixing based on an inferred agreement “must show more than parallel conduct” because parallel conduct “falls short” by itself of the necessary requirements for pleading unlawful agreement. Typically referred to as “plus factors,” Judge Wilson identified two plus factors in the plaintiffs’ complaint that he concluded supported plaintiffs’ allegation of unlawful agreement—(1) the adoption of a uniform price despite variables that would ordinarily result in divergent prices and (2) uniform practices by the allegedly conspiring insurers with respect to the nature of the repairs. Finding that Judge Presnell had failed to give these allegations sufficient weight, Judge Wilson held that
“the body shops have consistently alleged parallel conduct and plus factors allowing an inference of an illegal agreement” and reversed the lower court decision on that basis. Circuit Judge Anderson, however, authored a spirited dissent that disagreed at almost every turn with Judge Wilson’s antitrust analysis, stating, “Binding case law indicates to me that the allegations of the complaints do not give rise to the necessary reasonable inference of agreement or conspiracy.” As to Judge Wilson’s first “plus factor”—a uniform price—Judge Anderson maintains that a uniform price only excludes the possibility of conscious parallelism if it is “secret” and “simultaneous” and that the complaints expressly allege that “the insurers conform to State Farm’s rate, whatever it may be” rather than agreeing on a rate in advance. This, Judge Anderson writes, is “textbook price leadership, a practice that we have repeatedly stated is insufficient to establish the existence of an agreement.” As to Judge Wilson’s second “plus factor”—uniform practices— Judge Anderson challenges it as well. While Judge Anderson acknowledges that uniform practices can be a plus
factor, he contends that the contention that the insurers engaged in common tactics is found in the auto body shops’ appellate brief, but not in their complaint, and that the allegations in the complaint seem to contradict it (“the majority’s analysis of its second plus factor suggests that the insurance companies’ tactics are highly uniform when even the complaint does not seem to believe that”). Accordingly, finding no support for either of the plus factors relied upon by the majority, Judge Anderson concludes by stating: “I submit that the majority’s analysis is inconsistent with Supreme Court and Eleventh Circuit precedent” and that he would affirm the dismissal of plaintiffs’ antitrust claims. Not surprisingly, given the significance of this MDL proceeding and the split decision by the Panel, the insurer defendants have requested rehearing en banc by the entire Eleventh Circuit. That request, filed on Sept.28, is currently pending. Accordingly, while the Panel decision constitutes a major victory for the auto body shops, it remains to be seen whether the decision will stand. Stay tuned. We thank Baker Donelson for reprint permission.
GFS Now Offering Consulting Services for Improving Shop Throughput
Global Finishing Solutions® (GFS), a world leader in innovation for paint booths and accelerated curing technologies, announced a partnership with Pat O’Neill to provide its customers with body shop workflow consulting services. “We are excited to introduce this new service offering to our customers to help them improve shop processes, properly incorporate REVO Systems into their workflow, decrease key-tokey time and improve insurance payout,” says Mick Ramis, vice president of automotive refinish sales for GFS. O’Neill, a prominent body shop owner and business partner of Bodyshop Revolution, has long been interested in emerging technologies and tools that body shops can use to improve their process flow and increase revenue. Over the past few years, infrared curing has proven itself as an effective way to speed up the curing process and significantly decrease shop lead time. Previously an advocate for Bodyshop Revolution’s Greentech Robots, O’Neill has since changed his endorsement to GFS’ REVO Accelerated Curing Systems. According to O’Neill, REVO Systems have fewer
points of failure, aren’t hindered by any proprietary booth requirements and offer better access to service and replacement parts. However, REVO Systems alone won’t eliminate every shop bottleneck. According to O’Neill, REVO Systems are a great start, but to get “the biggest bang for your buck,” you also need to implement the best processes around that equipment. O’Neill’s shop consultative services typically take place during the installation of new equipment to guarantee the best placement and most effective flow. His philosophy has four key strategies: consolidate departments to reduce time, eliminate estimating mistakes, decrease cure time and affect the shop’s culture and belief system. He and his team meet with the owners and key stakeholders of the shop, train the entire team on the new process and teach them how the equipment can be used most efficiently. When paired with proper body shop workflow, O’Neill believes that REVO Accelerated Curing Systems are the best, most cost-effective IR curing products in the industry today and can significantly improve shop throughput and increase profits.
54 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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Post John Eagle
said you can’t force quality at the end of the production line. Quality has to be built into the production. In the shop, the quality process needs to start when the customer is first engaged and carry through the entire repair process. At Caliber, we have a ten-step quality process where each department manager is held accountable for what process their department performs. As the car moves through the shop, each manager must sign-off on their department’s work, before it goes to the next step. There is no point in doing good work on top of bad. Each vehicle repair is spot checked by the Continued from Page 35
Loophole
ment all together,” he said. Murray said he sees drivers get stuck with unsafe cars all the time. “I’ve dealt with a number of cases after being inspected by a knowledgeable expert; we’ve been told that the
center manager. That said, a post repair inspection might not be a bad idea, just as a check. But, that leads to another question—where will the post repair inspectors come from? Many of the inspectors used today for the various OE programs come from the same pool of shops that need to be fixed. Some are conscientious and do a good job. Others walk through the job putting check marks in boxes. Inspecting is not a full time job for them. That said, the problem is not their fault, nor is it the fault of the OE’s. Some of the OE certified programs were founded before the advent of the MSO. Subsequently, they cater more to the small, independent shop. Even the programs that came later were built
on that same business model. They cater to small shops and a fragmented industry. An MSO has a different operating model and different needs. Twenty or more years ago, the same collision repair model could be applied to most cars out there because they were all constructed similarly with similar materials. Today so much is different. The same model car made by the same manufacturer can have a completely different repair procedures from one year to the next. The same is becoming true for certification programs. One size does not fit all any more… if it ever did. The real answer to better quality in the collision repair business is not the rules or requirements of any OE certification program, but in the cul-
ture of the industry. Technicians and shops have to want to make the right repair. And to get to that point, we all must address the inevitable question, “What is the right thing to do for the consumer?” Another issue that kept coming up is how shops are paid by insurance companies. How is it that a shop that has little or no training, obsolete equipment and a poor facility gets paid the same as a shop that has invested thousands of dollars in training, equipment and facilities and qualifies as an OE certified shop? So… how can the industry best serve the customer and what change will evolve in a post-John Eagle world through the OE’s or otherwise? Stay tuned…
vehicle isn’t safe to drive,” he said. Many of them are buyers like Marissa and her dad. “If she had been in an accident, she could have easily been killed,” Lindsey Cartwright said. “It makes me angry that I would jump in my car every day and drive wherever I was going,” said Marissa. “It was a potential hazard to every-
body who was in my car.” Experts say consumers should always run a vehicle history report before buying a used car. The National Insurance Crime Bureau and CARFAX have opened up their websites to allow you to do a flooded car check for free. However, those only show what has been reported. Flood damage won’t always be indicated.
CARFAX does charge a fee to check for the damage history of most vehicles. Since Minnesota doesn’t require flood or salvage titles on older cars, experts also recommend having an auto mechanic check out the car before buying. We thank KARE 11 for reprint permission.
Illinois
CLASSIC HYUNDAI
773-889-3070
888-823-7335 859-263-5020
440-266-6750
Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm www.mcgrathhyundai.com
PATRICK HYUNDAI Schaumburg 1020 E. Golf Road
847-605-4055 847-619-4511 Fax
PARTS
For Your Collision Job.
Lexington 3340 Richmond Rd.
859-263-8527 Fax
Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm Sat 8am - 4pm rogerwalker@donfranklinauto.com
Minnesota
Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5pm www.patrickhyundai.com
LUTHER BLOOMINGTON HYUNDAI
INDY HYUNDAI
952-377-2081 Fax
Indiana
COLLISION
Ohio
DON FRANKLIN HYUNDAI
Chicago 6750 W. Grand Ave.
The RIGHT
Kentucky
MCGRATH CITY HYUNDAI
Indianapolis 7101 E Washington St.
800-592-5170 317-536-1552 Fax
Mon 8am - 8pm; Tue-Fri 8am - 6pm Sat 8am - 1pm inss.partsmgr@rohrman.com www.indyhyundai.com
Bloomington 4801 American Blvd. West
877-801-0641
Mon-Thu 7am - 7pm Fri 7am - 6pm; Sat 8am - 4:30pm parts@bloomingtonhyundai.com www.bloomingtonhyundai.com
Mentor 8460 Tyler Blvd.
440-266-6763 Fax
Mon-Thu 7am - 7pm; Fri 7am - 6pm; Sat 7am - 3pm gregj@driveclassic.com www.driveclassichyundai.com
WAIKEM HYUNDAI Massillon 3748 Lincoln Way East
800-225-0281x1446 330-478-2800x1446 330-478-9957 Fax
Mon 7:30am - 8pm Tue-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm Sat 8am - 4pm webbmcnutt@waikem.com www.waikemhyundai.com
Visit these Genuine Hyundai Parts Dealers: www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 55
Continued from Page 4
CIC: New Technology
damaged by non-autonomous vehicles during that transition. Hail storms, too, will result in the vehicles coming into shops. Panelist Wayne Weikel of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers said given that automakers will be accepting liability for accidents caused by their autonomous vehicles, the technology will mean other changes for shops. “There will be a need to document how the vehicle is being repaired, and to what standards,” he said. “How all that is going to be recorded and maintained…through the life of the vehicle…is something that hasn’t really been contemplated yet.” John Yoswick, a freelance writer based in Portland, OR, who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988, is also the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (www.Crash Network.com). He can be contacted by email at john@CrashNetwork.com.
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Axalta Coating Systems New Products: Cromax EZ, Acquire Quantum EFX, and Cromax Chromapremier Pro Ultra Performance Primer Filler Axalta Coating Systems is a leading coatings supplier to OEMs, smaller traditional body shops and larger aftermarket refinish centers. Recently, Axalta announced information about these new products:
Cromax® EZ • Axalta is introducing Cromax® EZ to its well-established Cromax® line of waterborne and low-VOC solvent basecoats • Cromax® EZ is a low-VOC waterborne basecoat designed to spray wet-on-dry, much like traditional solvent-based paints • Because of its easy spray and blending characteristics, and the simplicity of its single mix ratio across all environmental conditions, this new paint offers many advantages for both small and high-volume shops, including easy training for new users • Cromax® EZ will launch with a huge library of colors that stretch back to 1997 • Cromax® EZ is compatible with almost all Cromax® undercoats and clearcoats Acquire™ Quantum EFX
Mitchell Providing Collision Repair Industry Instant Access to Real-Time VIN-Specific Recall Data
Mitchell, a leading provider of technology, connectivity and information solutions to the Property & Casualty (P&C) claims and Collision Repair industries, has now integrated VINSpecific Recall Notices into its estimating solutions, providing real-time recall data directly from the manufacturer when the VIN is decoded.
Debbie Day, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Auto Physical Damage for Mitchell, says, “It is estimated that tens of millions of vehicles on the road today currently have open recalls, and there are many reasons why vehicle owners might not be aware that the vehicle they are driving has a safety system recall. As part of our commitment to proper and safe repairs within the automotive collision repair and claims industries, we are working closely with original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs) to give their customers and their repair facilities access to these and other important recall notifications.” To better enable its recall data to reach the collision industry market, Mazda is the first OEM to provide Mitchell access to its recall data, giving collision repair users of Mitchell Estimating/UltraMate estimating solutions instant notification of an open Mazda recall when the VIN is decoded. “As our vehicles age, many owners turn to independent repair and body shop facilities to have service work performed,” said Rob Milne, Director, Takata Action Team, Mazda North American Operations. “Our partnership with Mitchell enables us to increase the opportunity to inform Mazda owners that their vehicle is affected by an open safety recall.” Mitchell is currently in discussions with other OEMs to make sure this important safety data gets out to the market in a smart and efficient manner—every time a vehicle goes in for a repair.
56 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
• Axalta’s industry-leading spectrophotometer is designed to greatly speed up the color-matching process and make it more accurate • 3 years ago, Axalta introduced the Acquire™ Plus EFX, which was the first commercial instrument to measure both color and flake appearance coating data. The new Acquire™ Quantum EFX is the latest evolution with a smaller and more compact design to enable one-hand use • The Acquire™ Quantum EFX offers completely wireless communication with Axalta’s software and library of color formulas • The smaller 3/4-inch aperture requires a smaller sample area • Body shop refinishers can find an accurate color match even for complicated metallic, pearl and effect paint formulations using advanced optic technology • The Acquire™ Quantum EFX is also valuable for matching faded paint color is achieved • Although no computer screen will depict color 100 percent accurately, the Acquire™ Quantum EFX can be used to compare relative differences to achieve a match
Cromax® Chromapremier® Pro Ultra Performance Primer Filler • This newly launched Cromax® 3600 Series Ultra Performance Primer Filler is ideal for bodyshops that want to significantly improve throughput • It can be applied without flash between coats • It has an impressive 20 to 40 minute air-drying performance • The cure can be significantly accelerated with IR and bake processing • It is easy to apply, and up to 4 coats can be applied with good vertical stability • The high quality and smooth flow provide an outstanding appearance after top coating • It has a simple 1:1 mixing ratio with Axalta’s 36305S Ultra Performance Primer Filler Activator • It works on any type of metal repair, and multiple repairs can be handled at the same time thanks to its quick air-drying performance • A Cromax® ValueShade® product, the primer filler is available in white (VS1), grey (VS4) and black (VS7)
For more information, visit www.axalta .com.
Genuine Nissan Parts
Genuine INFINITI Parts Call any of these following dealers.
Genuine Nissan and INFINITI OEM Wholesale Parts are Superbly Crafted to Strict Quality Standards.
NISSAN
MINNESOTA
Eden Prairie Nissan Eden Prairie
952-567-2150
(952) 567-2197 Fax M-F 6:30-7 parts@edenprairienissan.com www.edenprairienissan.com
INFINITI ILLINOIS
INFINITI of Naperville Naperville
866-874-6346
(331) 457-4661 Fax M-F 7-7, Sat. 8-4 www.buyinfinitiparts.com tryan@auto-plaza.com
GENUINE SERVICE & PARTS
ILLINOIS
MICHIGAN
(708) 720-8972
(517) 393-5700
Hawkinson Kia Matteson
(708) 720-0657 Fax
M, W, F 6am-5pm Tu, Th 6am-7pm; Sat 8am-2pm jmihas@hawkinsonnissankia.com www.hawkinsonnissan.com/ez-parts
Raymond Kia Antioch
(847) 395-3600 (847) 838-7997 Fax
Kia of Lansing Lansing
(517) 393-6767 Fax
M-F 7:30am-6pm mattr@lansingisyoung.com www.kiaoflansing.com
Seelye Kia of Holland Holland
(616) 582-1008 (616) 582-1009 Fax
M-F 7am-6pm; Sat 7am-2pm kweber@raymondchevrolet.com
M-F 8am-6pm rbundy@betterseeseelye.com www.seelyekiaholland.com
Kia of Des Moines
Lou Fusz Kia
IOWA Des Moines
(515) 727-1815 (515) 309-1412 Fax
M-F 7am-6pm; Sat 7:30am-4:30pm parts@kiadm.com www.kiadm.com
KANSAS Midwest Kia Wichita
(316) 652-2960 (316) 652-2992 Fax
M-F 8am-6pm; Sat 8am-2pm wsturm@midwestkia.com
MISSOURI St. Louis
(877) 221-4151 (314) 595-4942 Fax
M, W, F 7am-8pm; Tu, Th 7am-6pm Sat 7:30am-4pm fuszkiaparts@fusz.com www.kia.fusz.com
Napleton’s Mid Rivers Kia St. Peters
(888) 816-9729 (636) 926-0683 Fax
Suntrup Kia St. Louis
Waikem Kia Massillon
(800) 727-8496
(800) 225-0281 x1447
NO. DAKOTA
M 7:30am-8pm Tu-F 7:30am-5:30pm; Sat 8am-4pm mmiller@waikem.com www.waikem.com
(314) 815-3060 Fax
M-F 7am-5pm www.suntrupkiasouth.com
Kia of Fargo Fargo
(800) 728-7601 (701) 282-5924 Fax
M-F 7am-5:30pm; Sat 8am-5pm
OHIO
Montrose Kia Sheffield
(440) 934-6699 (440) 934-5247 Fax
M-F 7:30am-6pm bgordon@gomontrose.com www.montrosekia.com
VanDevere Kia Akron
(330) 836-4064 (330) 836-4074 Fax
M-F 7:30am-5:30pm chevyparts@vandevere.com www.vandevere.com
(330) 478-0900 (330) 478-9957 Fax
WISCONSIN Bergstrom Kia of Appleton Appleton
(920) 993-3000 (920) 749-1588 Fax
M, Tu, Th, F 7am-6pm; W 7am-8pm; Sat 8am-5pm anoldner@bergstromauto.com www.bergstromkiaappleton.com
Russ Darrow Kia of Waukesha Waukesha
(262) 896-1151 (262) 896-1188 Fax
Jeff.krueger@russdarrow.com www.kiaofwaukesha.com
M-F 7am-6pm; Sat 7am-3pm bprinster@napleton.com pschnare@napleton.com www.midriverskia.com
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 57
Auto Care Association Names Kirsten Zaremba New Senior Director, Marketing The Auto Care Association has announced the addition of Kirsten Zaremba as senior director, marketing. Zaremba brings more than 20 years of auto industry knowledge to the role, having most recently served as the senior retail marketing manager at Volkswagen Group of America. In this newly created role, Zaremba will lead the marketing team’s strategic direction for marketing and sales efforts across all association properties, programs and products. As the senior director of marketing, Zaremba is focused on driving awareness of the Auto Care Association, growing the market for its products and services, and will be accountable for the digital product sales strategies. Zaremba will establish a new online marketing vision for the association that will be transformed into a coherent digital marketing strategy, aimed at increasing sales and growing market and sponsorship opportunities. During the nearly two decades Zaremba spent at Volkswagen, she served in several roles spanning across sales marketing, product launch and new car retail marketing. In her most recent role, she led traditional and
progressive media strategies, longterm strategy for marketing initiatives, competitive analysis and generating engagement across dealer networks, and local marketing asso-
ciations spanning the country. She was also responsible for spearheading and delivering a website and digital marketing solutions program to the dealer body, offering a menu of vendor choice while increasing the ability to view brand analytics and optimize campaigns nationally and locally. Zaremba’s time at Volkswagen steered the strategy and execution of advertising campaigns, including television, digital, social and collateral, to produce branded creative content with focused calls to action. This approach resulted in highly branded communications and scored an average of 20 points above industry norms in creative effective-
ness metrics (including ad recognition, salience, involvement and persuasion) as recorded by Hall & Partners, a leading brand and communications research agency. Prior to her tenure at Volkswagen, Zaremba held positions at Tenneco and Federal-Mogul. At Tenneco, in her role as program marketing planner, she oversaw daily program administration and implementation of corporate marketing initiatives. During her time at Federal-Mogul, she was responsible for ongoing management of its North American aftermarket trade and consumer promotions, as well as the key external suppliers involved in program execution. “We are thrilled to have Kirsten join the Auto Care Association and bring her extensive knowledge of the auto industry to our marketing team,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO, Auto Care Association. “Her proven record of leadership in marketing strategy, management and implementation will help advance our stakeholder outreach and overall awareness of our products and services.”
Antelope, CA, Man Sentenced to Prison for Selling Counterfeit Airbags
Vitaliy Fedorchuk, 28, of Antelope, CA, was sentenced Oct. 4 by United States District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to one year and one day in prison and a $5,000 fine for an international scheme to sell counterfeit airbags via eBay and other internet sales sites, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between June 23, 2014, and July 27, 2016, Fedorchuk offered for sale airbag modules, covers, and manufacturer emblems at his eBay online store, redbarnautoparts. Fedorchuk falsely advertised that the counterfeit airbags were original equipment from major automobile manufacturers such as Honda, Fiat, Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota, GMC and Ford. During the scheme, Fedorchuk sold hundreds of counterfeit airbags and obtained more than $95,000. Fedorchuk was ordered to pay $1,334 in restitution to identified victims in this case. This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rodriguez prosecuted the case.
GFS Partners with RollSeal to Offer Durable and Affordable Fabric Roll-Up Doors
Global Finishing Solutions® (GFS) has partnered with RollSeal™ Automated Door Systems to offer a space and cost-saving roll-up door
option for paint booths and other finishing equipment. Exclusive to GFS, RollSeal Doors can be installed easily at the booth’s entrance or exit, or positioned between bays in sideload booth systems. By eliminating the extra space needed for traditional swing or wing-style doors,
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RollSeal Doors minimize the total equipment footprint and save valuable floor space. An alternative to traditional metal roll-up doors, RollSeal Doors save costs because they require less structural support. The unique, patented design features a triplelayered fabric door with an airtight seal to prevent overspray and heat from escaping the booth, and keep contaminants out of paint jobs. In addition to the lower upfront cost, RollSeal Doors cost less to maintain since the impact-resistant fabric can be repaired or replaced at a significantly lower cost. As with all of GFS’ equipment, RollSeal Doors are built in compliance with NFPA, UL/CUL and ETL/ETL-C safety standards, and can be safely used in paint spraying and curing applications.
Choose Original MINI Parts. ILLINOIS THESE DEALERS are GENUINE WHOLESALE PARTS SPECIALISTS.
Michigan
Sunshine Toyota
Patrick MINI Schaumburg 847-605-4055 (847) 619-4511 Fax Hours: M-Sat 8am-5pm
269-965-1000 BATTLE CREEK
269-441-1262 Fax
www.autobodynews.com
58 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
M-F 7:30am-6pm jody@sunshinetoyota.com www.sunshinetoyota.com
The Dealers Above Are Original MINI Parts Distributors ©2017 MINI, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The MINI name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.
Continued from Page 41
New I-CAR Hands-On Skills Development Courses Launched Two new courses were announced Oct. 23 as additions to the I-CAR Hands-On Skills Development lineup: Plastic Repair and Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot Welding. Further acting on the positive industry response to I-CAR’s HandsOn Skills Development curriculum launch in 2016, Plastic Repair and
Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot Welding join the previously introduced Rivet Bonding and MIG Brazing courses. All Hands-On Skills Development courses are specifically designed to provide collision repair technicians with cutting-edge techniques and skills that target today’s innovative vehicles. Plastic Repair Hands-On Skills Development is a four-hour course that will provide students the opportunity to perform a variety of plastic repairs in a hands-on environment. Students will use adhesives and vari-
ous welding options on actual bumper covers. After completing the course, students will be able to perform plastic repairs using adhesives, hot air and airless welding techniques using specific welding tools and other procedures. Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot Welding Hands-On Skills Development is a five-hour course that will provide students the opportunity to perform spot welds on a variety of metal thicknesses and with a variety of flange treatment techniques. Students will also learn the importance of proper planning and preparation to ensure safe welding. Following course completion, students will know how to properly set up a spot welder, spot weld on coupons of different metal thickness, and spot weld a prop using a variety of flange treatment techniques.
Westmont 630-230-2890 Direct Wholesale M-F 7am-6pm Sat 8am-3pm www.laurelbmw.com
Patrick BMW
Schaumburg 847-605-4055 847-619-4511 Fax M-Sat 8am-5pm
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ployed, shards of metal were sent flying into her throat. The car she was driving had been given a salvage title under a previous owner. The replacement airbag was a Takata airbag that had been the subject of an airbag recall, but never addressed. The airbag was removed intact from a different car, and sold as a recycled airbag as part of the repair for the car Dorado was driving. Dorado and her family have filed an airbag failure lawsuit.
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Not Their Parts
“I-CAR understands the changing needs of today’s vehicles, new attachment methods, and OEM-required procedures, which prompted the creation of the Hands-On Skills Development curriculum track last year,” said Josh McFarlin, I-CAR director of curriculum and product development. “Technicians and the industry need this type of hands-on, instructor-led training with adequate practice time in order to fully understand these complex repair procedures. I-CAR’s training programs have been developed to provide the most comprehensive instruction and critical skill development opportunities.” These new Hands-On Skills Development courses are available today. To learn more about the courses, visit www.i-car.com/handson. For information on I-CAR and the full training portfolio, visit the ICAR website at www.i-car.com.
INDIANA
Basney BMW
South Bend 800-274-8504 574-273-5075 M-F 7:30am-6pm parts@basneyimports.com www.basneybmw.com
KENTUCKY
BMW of Louisville
Louisville 502-499-4552 502-499-4476 Fax M-Sat 8am-5pm bmwparts@louisvillebmw.com
MICHIGAN
Autobody News
• Original BMW Parts & Accessories
Erhard BMW of Bloomfield
Bloomfield Hills 800-626-9787 248-642-0443 www.erhardbmw.com
BMW of Okemos
Okemos 517-853-2600 517-853-2661 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm mbedard@lovewhatyoudrive.com www.okemosautocollection.com
Erhard BMW of Farmington Hills
Farmington Hills 888-834-8635 248-699-3003
www.erhardbmwoffarmingtonhills.com
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 59
Milton Unveils Modular, Auto-Draining Filter-Regulator-Lubricator Line The new EXELAIR by Milton line of FRLs (Filters Regulators Lubricators) maintains clean, dry air, consistent pressure, and lubricated pneumatic lines to improve performance and extend the life of air-powered tools and components. EXELAIR FRL Filters work to screen out moisture and contaminants like rust and pipe scale that can reduce airflow or damage downstream equipment like valves, cylinders and impact wrenches. Regulators keep lines at a constant and safe pressure to avoid overdriving tools and motors. And lubricators ensure a consistent and reliable oil supply that extends tool life. Auto-draining filters maintain the shop air system by automatically emptying moisture throughout the day as needed. The drain tube connection channels drain water safely away to avoid slipping hazards. EXELAIR’s premium bronze sintered filter elements are washable and provide a longer life in humid conditions than cheaper filter materials. “Milton’s slogan is ‘Simply Better Air’ and that’s just what our new line of EXELAIR FRLs provides – at a competitive price,” said Greg Carlson, President and CEO of Milton Industries. “Our FRLs are available individually or as pre-configured sets that are designed to work together bet-
ter while reducing the time and effort of looking up and coordinating the purchase of separate components.” The EXELAIR FRL line includes side-by-side duo and piggyback FRs, FRL trios and FR+Ls, as well as a variety of modular brackets and accessories
to customize the system. Available sizes range from 1/8” NPT miniature units up to 1” NPT high flow. Each configuration is designed to keep the vital shop air system running at peak efficiency by dramatically reducing the impact of contaminants in lines and tools. As an added feature, new color-
Certified Collision Group™ Now Fifth-Largest Collision Repair Services Organization in U.S.
Certified Collision Group (CCG), the OE Certification and KPI-focused solutions provider to the collision repair and insurance communities, announced the signing of more than 30 new locations since August, growth into 27 states and it now being the fifth-largest collision repair services operator in the U.S. “Each day we hear from our affiliates, strategic partners and the industry at large that we are in step with both the current and future needs of forwardthinking repairers and insurance carriers alike. CCG’s consistent monthly double-digit growth onboarding highperforming, OE-certified single-store and MSO operators keeps us firmly on pace to eclipse $1B in annualized repairs in the very near future,” stated Bruce Bares, CCG President and CEO. CCG provides the strongest performing, well branded, OE Certified, and succession-plan anchored independent collision repairers a sustainable platform that levels the playing field by providing proven business development and supply chain benefits. Now operating in 27 states, CCG is rapidly expanding, offering strategic partners and consumers the opportunity to leverage the power of more
than 1,000 OE certification badges within CCG’s highly differentiated national collision repair network. Bares stated, “CCG multi-channel efforts bring together OE Certified repairers with both consumers and insurance carriers who recognize the importance of matching today’s complex vehicles with repairer capabilities, driving our continued success. Simultaneously, expanding partnerships with the industry’s best providers and respective brands will continue to add value for affiliates, consumers and their b2b trading partners. By leveraging our expansive network’s supply chain and business development resources, CCG affiliates are realizing stronger bottom line performance while successfully utilizing the finest automotive products and services in the world. “Our commitment and abilities to truly help the industry’s top operators, while providing CCG constituents a network offering predictable consistency and more than 1,000 OE certification badges, are very humbling to us. With that in mind, we look forward to both recognizing and thanking our affiliates and strategic partners during our SEMA CCG Partner and Peer Appreciation event.”
60 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
coded EXELAIR packaging “practically sells the product itself,” making self-service purchases easier by clearly explaining the function and benefits of each FRL, simplifying the decisionmaking process and reducing the retail staff’s sales and service time. EXELAIR by Milton FRLs are available at most automotive/heavyduty dealers, jobbers, farm & agricultural retailers, hardware stores, and industrial distributors. EXELAIR FRLs are also available online via the ecommerce divisions of Milton customers and Internet resellers. Milton Industries was founded as a family business in 1943 with a handful of products and a simple idea: “provide the highest quality products for our customers.” For over 70 years, Milton has been the pneumatic fittings and accessories of choice in the automotive, agricultural, construction, home, heavyduty and industrial workplace. Milton invented many industrystandard products, such as the M-Style® “I/M” KWIK® Change Coupler and Plug, Window Inflator Gage, Safety Blow Guns and the iconic Driveway Signal chimes and bell. Today, Milton makes over 1400 product SKU’s and continues to be a privately held company.
Reports of AkzoNobel Approaching Axalta about Possible Merger by Autobody News Staff
According to recent news reports, AkzoNobel has approached Axalta Coating Systems regarding a merger.
Based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, AkzoNobel is a global paints and coatings company as well as a major producer of specialty chemicals. Axalta, headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, is a global coatings company dedicated to the development, manufacture and sale of liquid and powder coatings. According to industry sources, Axalta is considering the deal, but no decision has been made. Earlier this year, AkzoNobel was approached by PPG Industries regarding a takeover. In July, the Dutch paint and coatings maker announced it was looking at spinning off its specialty chemicals business.
Audi dealers strive to make you an Audi Genuine Parts fan.
Illinois
South Dakota
Audi Exchange
Audi Sioux Falls
Highland Park 847.432.5880 847.432.5708 Fax
Sioux Falls 888.540.6399 605.221.0550 Fax
gorejel@audiexchange.com
parts@grahamauto.com
Missouri Kansas City Audi Kansas City 866.949.9500 Toll Free 816.941.4969 Direct 816.942.3156 Fax M-F 7am-6pm Sat 8am-5pm cfowles@molleaudi.com
3m Automotive Aftermarket Division to Hold Silent Auction Featuring Custom-Painted Hoods ST. PAUL, MN (October 26, 2017) – 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division, along with the Collision Repair Education Foundation, are auctioning off custom-painted hoods designed by leading painters from around the world
to benefit the 3M Hire our Heroes program. The auction begins Friday, Oct. 27 and will run through the SEMA show in Las Vegas, which concludes Nov. 3. Bids on the hoods may be placed at the 3M PPS Hood Auction Site. The hoods were created during the 2017 3M PPS World Cup, held in conjunction with the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit this summer. 3M invited leading automotive painters from
around the world to come to Detroit and participate. They demonstrated their painting skills with the latest 3M solutions for vehicle painting, including the 3M™ PPS™ Series 2.0 Spray Cup System. The painters designed and painted the hoods to reflect their perspective on classic car culture. Also included in the auction are four patriotic themed hoods created by Ryan “Ryno” Templeton. These hoods will all be auctioned to benefit the 3M Hire Our Heroes program, which since 2013 has raised more than $825,000 for scholarships and tool grants for military veterans and their family members. Nearly 270 military veterans and their families have already received scholarships and grants, and many have graduated from school and are working in the collision repair industry. To bid, visit 3M PPS Hood Auction Site and register to participate. Registration is quick and easy. Then select the painter and hood on which to bid. Check back often to see how the bid is progressing. Hoods available for auction were created by the following painters:
• Pablo Prado, KandynChrome, USA • Jacob Miles, Milestone Paint & Body, USA • Connie Manjavinos, PassionateInk, USA • Clay Hoberecht, Best Body Shop, USA • Danny Schramm, SchrammWerk, Germany • Christian Wilke, Lackabilly, Germany • Carmine De Maria, C.A.D. Custom, Australia • Shane Wanjon, Exclusive Image Paint and Body, USA • Ryan “Ryno” Templeton, Blasted by Ryno, USA
“These painters all created spectacular designs and incredible paint work showcasing classic car culture and patriotism. Their works of art are certainly collectible, and this auction provides car lovers a chance to take home one of these creations and benefit a great cause at the same time,” said Dale Ross, U.S. Marketing Operations Manager, 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division. “It’s an honor to work with them, and collectively be able to help our military veterans and their families pursue a career in the collision repair industry.”
MINNESOTA
I-CAR Honors Contributions to Collision Repair Industry
I-CAR announced the winners of its annual I-CAR Awards, which recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to advancing technical education and professionalism in the collision repair industry. The winners were revealed on Nov. 1 at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino during the annual SEMA Show. The Russ Verona Award, which honors a business that actively promotes technical training and a positive image for the industry, was awarded to Car Crafters of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Car Crafters and owner Jim Guthrie were chosen for their ongoing commitment to training, their support of I-CAR and their work in the community. The Jeff Silver Award honoring an individual who demonstrates true passion for training and professional growth was awarded to Richie Webb of Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance. “I-CAR is proud to honor Jim Guthrie and Richie Webb for their significant contributions to the promotion of technical education and professionalism in the collision repair industry,” said John Van Alstyne, I-CAR CEO & President.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Luther Bloomington Subaru
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Brunswick Subaru Brunswick
Toll Free (888) 460-7080 Direct (330) 460-7080
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(330) 639-0140 Fax Mon 7:30-8; Tue-Fri 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-4 dandager@waikem.com www.waikem.com
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 61
AUTOBODY MARKETPLACE VACANCY NOTICE - AUTO BODY TECHNICIAN Precision Auto body Design (1278 Lincoln Ave SW/Huron, SD) is currently looking for a professional trained in repairing damage to vehicles. Prior experience in auto body repair and refinishing preferred but would be willing to train the right individual. Modern 15,600 square foot, air-conditioned shop with the latest equipment .. down-draft bake booth, PPG waterborne paint, Chisum 5-tower frame rack, Chief laser-lock measuring system, and all the equipment needed to repair the aluminum F150. Top wages, retirement, health insurance, vacation, paid holidays, and sick leave.
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WIN Jumps in the Tank with Traci Brown by Chasidy Rae Sisk
At 2 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Oct. 25, the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) hosted an educational webinar titled “Jump in the Tank,” presented by body language and persuasion expert Traci Brown. Michelle Sullivan, co-chair of WIN’s Membership Committee, shared, “WIN’s Membership Committee hosted this webinar as part of our 2018 #ALLIN4WIN Membership Drive. We are excited to have Traci present this follow-up to the presentation she gave at this year’s WIN conference and to learn persuasive techniques and the success formula.” After being introduced by Sullivan, Brown began by noting, “It can be challenging to create things you want to happen, so we’re going to learn how to hear ‘yes’ more often.” Brown’s presentation focused on an anecdote about her opportunity to pitch a business investment to billionaires from ABC’s “Shark Tank” during the National Speakers Association Conference several years ago. She admitted, “I was so nervous. If I succeeded, I was on the road to riches, but if I failed, I’d be embarrassed in front of my peers. There
were no do-overs, so I had to use all I knew about persuasion and influence.” Noting that everyone has sharks in their life, whether the shark is a boss, co-worker, spouse, or so forth, Brown said, “Life would be easier to hear ‘yes’ from them. How different would life be if you could get those people to say yes? The key is to pay attention differently because people are telling you what they need—The signs are in front of you. Pay attention to the little things to make the big things happen!” Defining four main personality types, Brown stressed the importance of profiling the shark and personalizing your pitch by always asking, “How will people respond? What will they do next? Use what you see to shift the pitch to answer unspoken questions and fill unspoken needs. Persuasion is about understanding what happens next, and to do that, you need to realize people like people who are similar to them. Take time to reach people where they’re at and guess what’s going on in their minds in order to connect with them. “I grew so much from working with my shark. Understanding shark thinking helped me reach levels I never
CIF Extends Assistance to Victims of Puerto Rico and CA Natural Disasters The Collision Industry Foundation (CIF) announced on Oct. 23 that its current relief efforts to Hurricane Harvey and Irma victims would be extended to those
affected by the fires in California, as well as the Hurricane damage to Puerto Rico. CIF has raised funds that are being distributed directly to all industry professionals, including body techs, painters, CSRs, estimators, adjusters, paint distributors and all other professionals in the collective collision repair industry.
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“Our focus has widened as these other natural disasters have impacted more collision industry professionals beyond Hurricanes Harvey and Irma,” stated William Shaw, CIF Chair and PPG Director of Business Development. “We are prepared to help more thanks to the generous donations by the industry at large.” Those seeking aid or those wanting to make a tax-deductible donation can visit: http://www.collision industryfoundation.org “Our committee of volunteers contacts and vets those seeking aid and ensures that all donations are going directly to our fellow industry professionals,” stated Michael Quinn, CIF Relief Chair. “We have local ‘boots on the ground’ who are getting the word out and vetting individuals and repair facilities.”
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thought possible in business. Anyone can use the same thought process to build their business, too. Successful people pay attention to every little detail. Don’t be afraid to jump in your shark tank. There’s always more information available, and if you use it right, there’s always a way to get to ‘yes!’” WIN hosted Brown’s webinar as part of the association’s #ALLIN4WIN 2018 Membership Drive. Anyone who joins WIN during the drive, which runs through Dec. 31, will receive membership for the remainder of 2017 along with their 2018 membership for the special rate of $109. Those who sign up during the drive will also be entered into a drawing for a chance to win paid registration to the 2018 WIN Educational Conference in Indianapolis, IN, from May 7–9, 2018, valued at $450. Sullivan noted, “As WIN enters its 12th year, I am thrilled to see the membership growth and program expansion. I want to encourage women and men to increase their professional network and become WIN members. WIN’s mission is to engage women in our industry through education, networking and sharing of resources.” For more information about WIN, visit: www.womensindustrynetwork .com.
More than $600,000 in School Grants through CREF The Collision Repair Education Foundation announced more than $600,000 in Ultimate Collision Education Makeover school grants supported by donations from industry partners and local I-CAR committee fundraising activities. The Ultimate Collision Education Makeover school grants will support 162 schools in 38 states with over 6,000 students enrolled in collision repair training programs and incorporates the Foundation’s Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark, launched in 2016. The grants will assist schools to advance to the next tier and further expand their program’s capabilities. “School collision programs are facing tremendous pressure on their budgets. It is difficult for many to maintain their program at current capabilities, no less increase their abilities to satisfy the industry’s current and future needs for its workforce,” said Melissa Marscin, Director of Operations/Administration for the Foundation. “The Makeover grant program is designed to help collision schools get the much needed tools, equipment and supplies they couldn’t get otherwise and increase their capabilities.”
NABC Receives Prestigious National Power of A— Summit Award The National Auto Body Council (NABC) was honored by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) with its highest award, the Power of A—Summit Award, in
recognition of the tremendous impact NABC’s Recycled Rides™ program has made to change and save thousands of lives across the country. The National Auto Body Council was one of six associations presented with the award at ASAE’s recent Power of A—Summit Award Dinner in Washington, DC. The award is given to associations that make exemplary commitments to creating a stronger America and world. According to ASAE, 149 nominations were submitted for this year’s award program, which was created to showcase how associations leverage their unique resources to solve problems, advance industry/professional
performance, kick-start innovation and improve world conditions. “Through Recycled Rides, we have found a way to serve the folks who do not have transportation. They have shelter, they have a job and food, but they need transportation to get there.” said Chuck Sulkala, NABC Executive Director. “Recycled Rides involves every segment of the collision industry, whether it’s the insurer, repairer or vendor, many of whom do business with one another daily. When it comes to this program, everyone works together to make this successful. It is, frankly, the highlight of our industry.” Since the program’s inception 10 years ago, nearly 2,000 vehicles have been donated through Recycled Rides. “The success of Recycled Rides is a testament to the generosity and commitment of our NABC members and colleagues,” said Domenic Brusco, NABC Board Chairman. “We thank everyone in our industry who has sponsored and contributed their time, talent and resources as we continue to implement community service programs that exemplify the professionalism and integrity of collision industry professionals.”
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64 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com