Low-Cost Steps Can Prepare For, Prevent Cybersecurity Disruptions
by John Yoswick Autobody News
Collision repair shops of all sizes in 2024 likely felt the impact of a cyberattack, albeit indirectly. Two such attacks on CDK Global over the summer hindered parts departments and body shop operations at thousands of dealerships around the country.
had no direct connectivity, but our operations were stopped and we had to pull people off of projects. And it took us months to clean that up.”
It demonstrated how deep the connection is among shops and suppliers, she said, and it prompted Caliber to look more closely at all of its dependencies and planning what it would do “if another CDK happened.”
Maine Right to Repair Group Tackles Remote Car Commands as Comments Come In
By Brian Bradley Autobody News
The Maine Automotive Right to Repair Working Group is suggesting consideration of potential amendments to state law to mitigate any risks associated with remotely sending commands to vehicles for maintenance, diagnostic and repair purposes.
“There was consensus [in the working group] that some commands sent to vehicles for maintenance, diagnosis and repairs when physically present at a vehicle could pose safety risks when sent to the vehicle remotely,” states a draft report by the working group, released Jan. 14. “The commission may want
to consider whether amendments to the law are necessary to mitigate these risks.”
Following a ballot initiative approved by 84% of Maine voters in November 2023, the working group is preparing to send the Maine Legislature by the end of February a report outlining the framework for an independent entity, or commission, to govern the transmission of vehicle data from original equipment manufacturers to independent shops for repair purposes.
The draft report — which has gone through three revisions since the working group started convening in August — also newly notes the working group’s intent to steer
The disruption also affected independent collision repairers who order parts from those dealers -- a good example of how cybersecurity at shops goes beyond securing their own systems and data.
“CDK was like a fifth-level supplier to us. It was not on our radar, but it had such a big impact,” Ashley Denison, chief information officer for Caliber Collision, acknowledged during a panel discussion on data security at the MSO Symposium in Las Vegas. “Our shops couldn’t order parts. We had to make sure that [our systems] were safe and secure and
“It’s not just about protecting Caliber, but how do we react when something outside of Caliber happens,” Denison said.
Think about what your company would do, she suggested, if, say, CCC Intelligent Solutions had a similar issue and went down for days or weeks.
“What would you do to continue to bring revenue into your locations?” Denison asked. “So thinking through all those pieces of the chain from revenue and suppliers, and either
Massachusetts Collision Repair Market Tough, But Still Attracts Entry
By Paul Hughes Autobody News
Boy that “Mass market” is a tough crowd.
Massachusetts is widely seen as offering a difficult dynamic for body shops — with labor rate reimbursement the big bugaboo everyone mentions — but it still attracts, garnering its share of attention.
Its share is small, but growing. At
Virginia-based Envest Private Equity bought into Massachusetts in August, with its first acquisition, Authentic Auto Body in Holliston
A panel discussion on cybersecurity at the MSO Symposium included, from left: Caliber Collision’s Ashley Denison, Spencer Colemere of Cisco, Jerry Davis of Microsoft and Kyle Rankin of CCC Intelligent Solutions.
NATIONAL
Passion, Process Keys to Mastering the Art of Collision Repair Refinish �� 10
Abby Andrews
The Cost of Contamination: How to Clean Up Your Paint Department to Drive Profit 22
Abby Andrews
ASA Hones in on Labor, Right to Repair Issues Amid Shifting Political Landscape ��������������������������������������� 24
Brian Bradley
Maine Right to Repair Group Tackles Remote Car Commands as Comments Come In 1
Brian Bradley
‘Voice of the Technician’ Survey Reveals What Employees Want from Employers, Work Situations��������������� 4
Elizabeth Crumbly
Collision Facility Owner Moves Show Market Snapshots, Why Shops Continue to Draw 8
Paul Hughes
Massachusetts Collision Repair Market Tough, But Still Attracts Entry 1
Paul Hughes
Start-Up Shops A Minority, But Still a Way to Grow, Get Into Collision Repair
Despite EV Challenges, Survey Finds 34
Team 31 CIECA Announces New Member Alexa Holly 55 Collision Repair Industry Saw Revenue Decline, Surging Consolidation in 2024 40
NABC Recycled Rides Program Celebrates ‘Giving Tuesday’ with 3 Vehicle Donations 9
REGIONAL
Bonding, Aftermarket Parts Disclosures Won’t Fall Under Maine Right to Repair Law, Group Decides 12
Brian Bradley
COLUMNS
10 Things I’d Like to See in 2025 in the Collision Repair Industry �������������������� 15
Mike Anderson
6 Paul Hughes
AI Will Augment – Not Replace –Invaluable Role of ‘Human Intelligence’ in Collision Industry ������������������������� 16
Stacey Phillips Ronak
PPG Receives Innovation Award for PPG LINQ Digital Ecosystem 26
Stacey Phillips Ronak
From AAPEX to the Classroom: Educators Share Insights and Wish Lists ������������������������������������������������ 20
Leona Scott
Automaker Details Repair Procedure Development, Says It Will Audit Certified Shops�������������������������������� 50
John Yoswick
Low-Cost Steps Can Prepare For, Prevent Cybersecurity Disruptions ���� 1
John Yoswick
Shops Writing Larger Percentage of Initial Estimates for Direct Repair Claims ��������������������������������������������� 18
John Yoswick
Index
NHTSA Finalizes Rule to Protect, Reward Auto Safety Whistleblowers 44
Pedestrian Safety Gear Fails to Aid Automated Crash Prevention 55
State Laws Affecting Auto Insurance Rates Taking Effect in 2025 46
‘Voice of the Technician’ Survey Reveals What Employees Want from Employers,
Work Situations
By Elizabeth Crumbly Autobody News
The annual Voice of the Technician survey, conducted by online platform WrenchWay and its partner, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), revealed significant trends in the industry about what technicians want from their employers and work situations.
The survey drew nearly 5,000 responses through organizations WrenchWay and ASE work with — a steep uptick from about 800 last year, according to Wrenchway cofounder and CEO Mark Wilson. Although
Hourly/salary structure saw a significant rise from last year, while hourly pay with a production bonus fell. George Arrants, vice president of the ASE Education Foundation, said that may be because bonus amounts could feel unattainable, and techs might prefer to know exactly what they will be making in order to budget and invest adequately.
Lots of young people today are working not for extra spending money, but to actually support families, Arrants asserted.
“Their decision on where to work at that early part of their career has to do with what they can make and
most respondents were automotive or diesel technicians, collision repair techs made up a small percentage. A panel made up of WrenchWay and ASE representatives evaluated the numbers and shared their findings.
What Technicians Want from Employers
When evaluating employers, 87% of respondents said they must have proper equipment in a shop, while 13% said it would be nice to have. A well-documented career path topic attracted must-have answers from 38% of respondents and nice-to-have answers from 55%. Paid vacation was a must-have for 83% and nice to have for 16%.
When it came to pay scale, 36% of techs preferred an hourly/salary structure, 25% an hourly rate with production bonus, 19% a flat rate with a 40-hour guarantee, and 18% a traditional flat rate.
rate of 8%, while the 16- to 29-minute choice drew a 35% response. The 30- to 59-minute option got a 48% response, the 60- to 89-minute choice drew 7%, and the 90-plusminute response got a 2% response.
The swing toward longer commute times, Arrants posited, might be related to job commitment.
“That’s pretty impressive that 48% would be willing to go a half hour to an hour. That basically adds two hours to your day,” he said. “Does that also say for the right job they’re willing to make the commitment to that company, which goes back to culture?”
These statistics, Wilson said, could mean shops should expand their applicant search radiuses to net technicians tired of conditions in their current jobs.
Tech Satisfaction
Technician satisfaction levels with current employers came in at 34% overall, down 13% from last year. The issue of whether shops do a good job of teaching new techs and compensating mentors drew a 28% positive response, down 14% from last year. And the question of whether shops provide good benefits drew a 53% positive response, down 10% from last year.
drew must-have responses from 67% of technicians, and 51% said their current shop provides it. Paid vacation was a must for 89% of technicians, and retirement benefits were a must for 72%, while 53% were satisfied with their current benefits.
Higher pay was a key industry issue that needs to be solved, with higher pay coming in at first or second for 78% of respondents and better pay structure coming in at 55%.
Overall Takeaways
Answers on a lot of issues, Arrants said, have stayed virtually the same over a period of years, indicating that action is essential to move the needle as a younger generation comes up.
Simple things like communication, he asserted, can go a long way.
“I don’t think it’s something that’s going to turn around overnight, but we’ve got to get some of these things moving in the right direction, because we want to attract these young people to our industry as our demographic is getting older,” said Matt Shepanek, vice president of credential testing programs for ASE.
what they can bring home,” he said. “Knowing the potential workforce that you have and being able to get them in and show them you care and making sure they have a livable wage — I think that goes a long way.”
Work Schedules and Commutes
When it came to work schedules, a four-day/10-hour day tied with five days/eight hours at 32% each.
“Either way as long as there are no weekends” drew a 7% response, and “as many hours as I can work” pulled in 27%.
Arrants said he thought the fourday/10-hour response would have been higher, but the lower rate might be based on technicians not understanding how to make a shorter week work for them, alongside the fact that parts suppliers might not be on the same schedule.
Techs looking at new employers said they would make a daily commute of 15 minutes or less at a
“A lot of this comes down to executive leadership if it’s a dealership, if it’s a shop,” said Jay Goninen, WrenchWay cofounder and president. “If the only thing you’re focused on is that month’s profit and loss, it’s really hard to attack some of this culture stuff. It comes from the top down in what you signify as the most important things.”
Progress in tech satisfaction levels will help with retaining people in the industry, he said.
“Being able to judge yourself, figuring out how you get better… That’s going to move the scale up,” he said.
And in the category of “what’s important to techs versus what employers provide,” 87% of those surveyed said proper equipment was a must, while 58% said their current shop provides it. Paid training
Obtaining honest feedback, Wilson said, is key in making improvements, adding that talking to techs in one-on-one settings or groups where they feel comfortable giving open answers can help.
The industry, he said, could also do a better job of sharing positive stories with the next generation in its recruiting efforts. For instance, he pointed out, 60% of respondents said their shops offer fair and adequate compensation, but the same subject was a big complaint when it came to the overall industry. This discrepancy, he said, could mean it took that person a long time in their career to find a job that fit them in this area, but that it’s still their No. 1 concern about the industry.
Shepanek agreed that sharing positive anecdotes is important and can offset statistics.
“While the numbers might not have looked great in some of these items in the survey,” he said, “there are a lot of people that are out there doing a lot of good every day.”
Start-Up Shops A Minority, But Still a Way To Grow, Get Into Collision Repair Industry
By Paul Hughes Autobody News
While ever and always a definite minority versus buying an existing collision center, start-ups — launching a body shop business from the ground up — can have legs.
It continues as an option for indie owners or techs with time in the business who want to add a location or, in the American Dream second only to home ownership, “be your own boss.”
Everyone thought I was a joke.”
The punch line: 23 years, $3 million annually, $11,000 average ticket, in 12,000 square feet.
“We built a building a hundred feet from the garage and kept adding onto it,” Paap said.
Orlando Collision Center didn’t launch in a garage or from experience. Drew Bryant’s 2011 “baby” began in a storage facility.
“I could just fit the nose of a car into it,” he said.
He was a Panera Bread regional training manager. “I didn’t even know how to paint cars.”
An uncle backed his play with “an $8,000 debit card,” Bryant said.
The 400 square feet was the genesis of his current 11,000 square feet. His second shop, at 34,000 square feet, will include training space and ADAS work, among other amenities.
20 staffers and $6.5 million in annual revenue.
Whittemore had added Scottsdale after several insurance claims managers from the Phoenix area, with whom he worked for the Vegas shops, suggested it. He took on Flagstaff when vendor demographic studies showed a need.
Flagstaff shops were more than 30 years old and “people were driving down to Phoenix,” Whittemore said. “My paint company said they need a
market; we’re trying to tell him it’s not as large here,” and limits his options.
Tough Crowd: Cons and Pros
Pantelis “Peter” Alexopoulos and Zoran Pipercic are partners in an M&A collision center consulting venture and lead a private Facebook group for buying and selling shops. Each has a couple decades in the industry.
“It makes more sense to buy a business,” Alexopoulos said. Existing shops have relationships with all the right parties, for instance — fleet accounts, insurers and so on.
Operators that start from zero “look for a building to convert, some sort of automotive-related” layout, he said.
In some ways it’s tougher — if it was easy everyone would do it. But start-ups offer benefits as well, or no one would. These include the chance to do it your way, learn from — by not repeating! — past mistakes, be all-in on and solely on the hook for results, and possibly that most fun one: naming rights.
Autobody News found intrepid entrepreneurs in Southern California, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Florida and as far-flung as Canada. At least one wants to expand out of state, operating now in Cali, and attempting to add an operation in Texas.
New Year, New Work
You have to start somewhere, and some owners make that somewhere from scratch. Tim Paap’s Christmas wish list included a second start-up “or at least some satellite facilities.”
Paap Auto Body began in 2001 “in a two-car garage, 10 feet from the house.” Paap then added his first satellite, an ex-Jiffy Lube.
It’s become a “concierge shop” with “a really inviting office, drive-in estimating bays, drop-offs and pickups, rental cars; a whole bunch of PDR gets done there; we’re going to start doing PPF, too.”
He started-up because in his early 20s, “nobody would sell to me.
It’s another start-up, in a former medical technical vocational school building. Michael Whittemore was in body shops for nearly 20 years, rising to lead tech for BMW in Las Vegas. He opened his first shop, leasing “a brand-new building, already built,” in 2004.
good shop up there really bad.”
He started with start-ups of necessity. “We had $600,000. You’re not going to buy a business for that,” Whittemore said.
One operator of a 19,000-squarefoot shop in California has looked in the San Antonio, TX, area for a startup. His Core Commercial brokers, An Tran and Moises Hernandez, seek buildings running at least 15,000 square feet, and the land under them.
Hernandez said the owner will keep his California shop and expand to Texas to put profits to work “in a more businessfriendly market [without] the high tax rates” in his home state.
Three of four locations in Vegas and Scottsdale, AZ, under his New Look Collision Center moniker were start-ups.
Whittemore sold the four to Gerber five years ago, then completed another start-up, Flagstaff Collision Center in Flagstaff, AZ, which he and wife Theressa own. “We put the first cinder block in the ground.”
Their son-in-law is Paul Williams, president of Brightpoint Auto Body Repair, a multi-state MSO.
Flagstaff Collision Center is 30,000 square feet in the local auto mall, with
The slightly elevated size need flows from a soup-tonuts operation including all aspects of repair. California customers come largely from an Asian-American community and the owner wants the same in Texas.
“We’re educating him on demographics,” Hernandez said. “He’s used to dealing with that
“Nobody’s doing it from brownfields,” Pipercic said, referring to sites with environmental issues. Startups are by “technicians stepping up, someone in the industry.”
“Of course it would’ve been better to buy a shop,” Whittemore said of his first start-up. “There’s history of sales and profits, it’s easier to go to the bank or equity partners.”
As to company culture, “You might even adopt stuff from a good [one].”
Canada’s Carl Jamieson essentially launched Abbotsford Maximum Collision 27 years ago. The hibernating shop at the time had some abandoned cars in the lot, and that was about it.
“We started under a real shadow,” Jamieson told Autobody News. “Repair orders one, two and three were the abandoned vehicles: the shop had closed its doors” partway through the work.
Jamieson had to establish relationships with insurers, reconvince customers the shop would do the work, and build itself in the market. It took at least five years to break even.
“Start-ups are kind of fun, but it takes a good four to five years” of work, Whittemore said. “They really need to understand that. You don’t just open the doors. People think they’ll be profitable in a month or two.”
Michael and Theressa Whittemore started Flagstaff Collision Center in Arizona after selling their four previous shops to Gerber Collision & Glass, three of which had also been start-ups
Michael and Theressa Whittemore’s Flagstaff Collision Center in Arizona
Carl Jamieson in his shop, Abbotsford Maximum Collision
Collision Facility Owner Moves Show Market Snapshots, Why Shops Continue To Draw
By Paul Hughes Autobody News
Rock bands and small businesses start in the garage. Tough to find something more suited to such digs than a body shop.
Two transactions — one commercial, one residential, none needing electric guitars — some 1,600 miles apart illustrate that truth, along with one or three items on the industry and its operators and two markets they serve.
Daniel Palermo this fall sold Palermo’s Auto Works in Rochester, NY, and is starting up an as-yetunnamed new venture in Colorado Springs, CO. He’s considering calling it Palermo’s Paint and Auto Spa, to include detailing, ceramic coating and possibly PPF.
The first takeaway, though, is he made it.
sold.
William Melnikov is the new owner. “I accidentally bought it,” he joked. “It came along at the right time.”
Melnikov is 27, about what Palermo, now 36, was when he opened in 2017. Melnikov alternated among three Crash Champions sites for 10 years; Palermo started in the industry at an uncle’s and did two years in vo-tech. Both have been in the body shops since their teens.
Palermo’s Auto Works hit $700,000 to $800,000 revenue annually, with 38% NOI, prior to sale, Palermo said. His new shop in Colorado will be in garage space next door to his family’s new house.
What One Might Find Moving Business, Family
The Rochester shop was on a fourlane highway near an interstate.
Personal Concerns Guide Why, How Body Shops Go
Running a body shop involves lots of people and can get pretty corporate.
Buying and selling one stays deeply personal, Palermo said, no matter how many people get into it.
He and wife Kaylie have five kids, and extended family in Colorado Springs. The couple spruced up their house in New York and sold it in a week. The shop took 40 days.
Both sold for less than expected, with the 4,500-square-foot shop slashed from $175,000 to $120,000 to seal the deal. The price was competitive in the area and included all the equipment.
“I could’ve got asking, but I wanted to get out of there; I missed my kids,” Palermo said, as the rest of his family had already headed west to scout new homes. “I lived in the camper in the parking lot of the shop” until it
Data-Driven: Colorado Springs vs. Rochester
A Google search shows comparable unemployment in both cities as of September. Colorado Springs has twice the “city limits” population, but only three-fourths the metro area numbers, spread over five times the space.
“The Northeast has high population density,” said Madeleine Roberts Rich, a Focus Advisors senior associate in its automotive M&A practice. The region is also known for a high concentration of auto dealers with shops.
She confirmed a “very big presence” in Rochester by the three MSOs Palermo also found in Colorado Springs.
Amid larger shops, Palermo’s Auto Body “was on a dirt road in the country, an hour from the city, and
people were driving out there daily. There was always enough work, including specialty work,” Palermo said.
Most business was the equivalent of private pay health care — “elective surgery” in a sense, such as getting rid of dents or painting rims black. Palermo specializes in painting and hires body techs.
“Nothing flashy, but pickier than heck,” he said. “Texting at all hours. Made me better but drives me bonkers.”
Melnikov plans to keep the shop name, which after nearly a decade is well-known. He said he’ll pursue DRPs and fleet accounts, and offer a better work environment than corporate shops. “I’ll appreciate them more,” he said.
Palermo said after five weeks in Colorado Springs, he’d found jobs at 30 shops and gotten one interview.
“A painting position, with an MSO. The guy was awesome, one of the best managers I’ve ever met,” Palermo said. Still, “in Rochester, I could probably get a job in an hour.”
He looked at buying a shop but found asking prices and lease rates astronomical, compared to the site he sold. “They want an insane amount of money,” Palermo said.
Instead he’s opening in Divide, CO, a suburb of “The Springs,” as locals call the larger metro area. He said the area is “more lenient” as to regulations and has “fewer mom-andpop shops than Rochester.”
He’s found many MSOs there, including Caliber, Gerber and Crash Champions.
On his new 2,500-square-foot shop, he said, “I don’t have ambition to grow it as big” as Rochester. “With the location, it won’t get there anyway.”
There are also independent multi-shop operators — intra-market chains that can be favorites of locals precisely because they’re not part of a private equity-backed behemoth.
“It’s a competitive market,” she said of upstate New York.
Colorado has fewer indie MSOs but is more than a little known for backing homegrown enterprises — Crocs or Otterbox, anyone? And automotive groups are still strong in collision centers here.
“Certain cultures really care about supporting local businesses,” Roberts Rich said. And add Classic Collision to the Springs competitors. It bought Williams Body & Paint in August, she said.
Average rates are comparable in the two markets. LaborRateHero.com shows 17 body shops within 25 miles of Eastman Kodak HQ in Rochester, 41% either Crash Champions or Caliber. Body or paint average $74 an hour; storage rates average $85 a day; pre- and post-scans are $89. The site lists 33 body shops within 25 miles of the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, 57% Caliber and Crash Champions, averaging $76 an hour for painting or body work, $81 a day for storage, and $96 and $111 for pre- and post-scans.
Palermo’s Auto Body in Rochester, NY
Kaylie and Daniel Palermo
William Melnikov
NABC Recycled Rides Program Celebrates ‘Giving Tuesday’ With 3 Vehicle Donations
The National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides program partnered with GEICO and collision repair companies Caliber and Crash Champions to provide life-changing transportation to three families across the U.S. on Giving Tuesday, celebrated this year on Dec. 3.
As part of the Giving Tuesday celebrations, vehicle presentations were held at GEICO corporate locations in Chevy Chase, MD, Macon, GA, and Katy, TX. Each recipient shared a story of resilience and gratitude, showing the transformative impact of receiving a refurbished vehicle.
Mary Dixon, a U.S. Navy veteran and single mother of four, was presented with a 2020 Honda Accord at GEICO’s headquarters in Chevy Chase. The vehicle, donated by GEICO and refurbished by Caliber Lexington Park, offers a new sense of freedom for Dixon and her children, who face ongoing health challenges.
“I’m really grateful for the car,” said Dixon. “It will allow me to get my youngest son to his appointments. It’s hard to Uber everywhere in this area. My kids are going to lose it
with excitement for the car and the beautiful color and gifts and the car seat. It’s really amazing. I going to surprise them and pick them up from school today.”
herself and support her mother, who is in poor health with heart problems.
“This vehicle is a blessing for my daily life and will also allow me to help other people,” Henry said. “I am so grateful to GEICO, Caliber, and the NABC.”
In Macon, GA, U.S. Army soldier Marianna Henry received a 2019 Mazda 3 donated by GEICO and refurbished by Caliber - Macon. The vehicle will assist Henry as she begins her military career and moves from Fort Gregg-Adams, VA, to Fort Bliss, TX. Henry joined to follow in the footsteps of her grandfather, make a better life for
Retired Houston policeman Burt Jeukeng and his family were honored in Katy, TX, with the gift of a 2019 Nissan Rogue. Jeukeng, who has faced immense personal challenges, including the loss of his wife in a traffic accident, expressed gratitude for the new vehicle, which was refurbished by Crash Champions - Houston Galleria.
“I am truly blessed with the gifting of this vehicle; now I have the ability to get my children to activities and events they need to attend,” said Jeukeng. “Thank you NABC for changing my and my family’s lives!”
LaDonna Bond, who leads social impact initiatives at GEICO,
emphasized the company’s commitment to the military community and those in need.
“For nearly 90 years, serving the military community has been fundamental to who we are at GEICO,” Bond said. “We’ve donated more than 100 vehicles through the NABC Recycled Rides program in 2024, with nearly half going to veterans and military families.”
The NABC Recycled Rides program brings together partners across the collision repair industry to refurbish and donate vehicles, creating lasting impacts for recipients.
“We are very proud to partner with GEICO on #GivingTuesday to present three beautiful vehicles to three deserving families,” said Debby Robinson, executive director of the NABC. “Thank you to our partners at Caliber and Crash Champions for refurbishing these vehicles, and to Enterprise and Copart for their always generous support.”
Burt Jeukeng, far right, received a 2019 Nissan Rogue
Passion, Process Keys To Mastering the Art of Collision Repair Refinish
By Abby Andrews Autobody News
Bruce Sorensen Jr is a master paint technician with years of experience working on luxury vehicles at No. 1 Collision Center, an MSO with five locations in Canada, one in Bellingham, WA, and another coming soon in Newport Beach, CA.
training to ensure the same quality of work, no matter the vehicle make, Sorensen said.
“The quality has to be presented the same, and the pride has to be presented the same,” he added.
OEM certifications can play a big role in how the technicians repair some cars.
“Our techs are more and more trained, almost to a doctor level, of working on vehicles. There’s no more panel beaters anymore,” Sorensen said. “They’re very precise.” No. 1 schedules and pays for its techs’ OEM certification training. For someone who has to do that on their own, it may seem daunting, but it’s worth it, Sorensen said.
“You can’t have enough [certifications] in how this is pushing the craft in the future,” he said. “The certifications are going to be the future of the trade.”
dust control.
Color Matching in High-End Refinishing
Strandberg asked how Sorensen color matches finishes on cars made by BMW and Mercedes-Benz that until recently may have only been available on exotics.
Sorensen said he gets information from the OEM, as well as field formulas from techs across the U.S.
Sorensen added.
Strandberg asked if Sorensen has any favorite finishes — or any he dreads.
“I love blue, but I don’t really love a blue car,” Sorensen said. “I love spraying black. It’s very easy. It’s a great money maker. Everybody’s in it for the money, no matter what.
“I just did another flat, clear job this past week,” Sorensen said. Those can be intimidating, but again, Sorensen said to “just calm down. Take it easy, work through it. It’s no big deal. And that’s no different than any other, harder color or different texture,“ he said, like some of the greens Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche have come up with.
How to Become a Great Refinish Tech
He recently appeared on The Collision Vision podcast, driven by Autobody News and hosted by Cole Strandberg, to discuss OEM certified refinishing and the precision and tools required to work on high end vehicles.
Getting Started in Collision Repair Refinishing
Sorensen said he grew up a creative kid. When he was 15, he worked on his first car. He later received on-thejob training in a collision repair shop.
“We were combo techs at the time,” Sorensen said of his first job in a shop. “You cleaned the bathrooms, you swept the floor, you replaced quarter panels, you painted the car, you sand the car, you did the whole thing.”
Sorensen said his employer told him he would be a painter someday, but Sorensen “shrugged it off…I had no idea at that time, probably 18, 19 years old, that later it would come full circle, and what I’m into now, which is amazing. So it was quite the journey.”
He has applied the skills he’s learned over the last nearly three decades to his current position working on premium vehicles with No. 1 Collision Center. Strandberg asked about the unique challenges related to working on those types of vehicles.
“That’s always a tough one, because we really try to keep standard and premium the same,” Sorensen said.
The technicians at No. 1 have invested a lot of time and money into
Sorensen acknowledged the training is less travel-intensive for paint techs like himself, as it is mostly online, while body techs usually have to go an automaker’s facility. Sometimes those trips can be to interesting locations though –recently some body techs at No. 1 went to Germany for Porsche training.
Tools and Technology
Strandberg asked what tools and techniques Sorensen relies on most to achieve perfection when refinishing high-end vehicles.
“The biggest thing that I rely on is paint guns,” Sorensen said, adding he looks for consistency and reliability that allows him to match any texture, as well as great customer service from the manufacturer.
He also needs a good camera system and paint booth.
“Paint booths don’t get looked at enough, being a huge part of your refinish,” he said. He prefers one that provides good airflow and
“They have great documentation, even in the chips. The chips are all sprayed. They’re not printed. So the reliability on the chips is is bar none,” he said. “And that still comes with spray outs. You still have to do spray outs in your own environment, the temperatures in your booth, the humidity, different paint guns, different air pressures. They’re all going to change the color slightly. Doing spray outs is 100% key to a successful color match.”
Some of the finishes may seem difficult, but refinish techs should jump in and try them. “You never know until you get the first one done,” Sorensen said. “Practicing your trade is key.”
Refinishing high-end vehicles can also require problem-solving.
“There’s been many times that I’ll look up a formula and it’s got a brand new toner in it. I don’t have that toner. This car still needs to be sprayed today. I won’t be able to get that toner. What do I do?” Sorensen said. “You come up with crazy solutions sometimes.
“Sometimes you’re flipping through chips and looking for something to start with. You find something to start with. You start supplementing different toners to get you to that level. That’s where maybe the art, the chemistry part of it comes from,” he said.
“The figure-it-out part is one of the biggest parts in the trade,”
Sorensen said becoming a great refinish tech starts with having a process in place. “I have a process. I stick to my process. Some may think that my process is a little overkill; it works for me,” he said. “It hasn’t worked for a lot of people that have worked under me, but my team right now is amazing. They stick to the process and we try to achieve great finishes, some of the best finishes around.”
Strandberg asked about balancing efficiency with quality when working on more complex finishes.
“It can be tough because we all have to bring home a paycheck,” Sorensen acknowledged. “I will put that aside to really care about what you’re doing. The money will come later. You can’t always worry about how fast you could get something through.”
Sorensen said it’s important to focus on making sure the car is repaired and refinished in such a way that you can be proud of it and the customer will appreciate it.
“You really have to be obsessed,” he said. “In this field, the passion, the commitment all plays a role of doing high end finishes.”
Aspiring refinish techs should “practice your trade,” Sorensen said. “Being passionate is the only way you can get to the top.
“I don’t feel like I’m at the top yet. I feel like I have a ways to go,” he said. “There’s a lot of people out there, a lot of refinish techs that I would say they’re way further along than me.
“Being obsessed is probably one of the funniest keys that my wife gives me crap about,” he added. “But being obsessed…is probably the only way you’re going to get there.”
No. 1 Collision Center specializes in repairing and refinishing premium brands. All images via No. I Group’s Facebook page.
No. 1 Collision exterior
A customer’s refinished BMW.
2025 Series Topics:
End of the Era of Single Store Generalist Shops
Technology Takeover: The Impact of ADAS & Calibration
Talent Shortage & Workforce Development
Sustainability in Collision Repair: Going Green
Evolution of OEM Certifications
And more
Bonding, Aftermarket Parts Disclosures Won’t Fall Under Maine Right To Repair Law, Group Decides
By Brian Bradley Autobody News
Maine decision-makers indicated Dec. 20 they may soften certain parts of a proposal the Office of the Maine Attorney General deems outside the spirit of a law passed by 84% of the state’s voters in November 2023.
The repair language in question encompasses whether independent repair facilities should be required to be bonded, disclose the extent of warranty protections for performed work, notify customers whether technicians are manufacturercertified, and inform customers whether OEM parts are used in repairs.
During the Dec. 20 meeting of the Maine Automotive Right to Repair Working Group, Maine Chief Deputy Attorney General Christopher Taub said proposed report language doesn’t fit the scope of the required report, drawing a rebuttal from Alliance for Automotive Innovation lobbyist Elizabeth Frazier
In November 2023, Maine voters passed a ballot initiative that requires manufacturers to give car owners, independent repair shops and licensed dealers a wide range of vehicle data for repair and diagnostic purposes. Maine’s right to repair working group has held semimonthly meetings since late August, as it prepares to send the Maine Legislature in February a report outlining the framework for an independent entity to govern vehicle data transmitted to independent shops for repair purposes.
The working group posted drafts of its latest report and proposed right to repair legislation, both dated Dec. 6, on its website prior to a Dec. 20 meeting of the working group.
“I just don’t feel that those belong in this report,” Taub said, referencing the above mentioned language. “Those have nothing to do with what the independent entity is charged with doing.”
Frazier questioned whether the language could be recontextualized as non-consensus “considerations” rather than hard and fast, unanimous “recommendations.”
“I’ve seen this [distinction] in a lot of other report-outs from these types of study groups, and it would preclude us from having to go through this exercise,” said Frazier, an attorney for Pierce Atwood.
Taub said if the report distinguishes considerations from recommendations, it would have to include input from all stakeholders that commented, not a select handful.
“I don’t want to make this into a thing that just goes back and forth forever, and I don’t think it will, but I think we have to wait and just what sort of language people are suggesting” prior to completion of the report, Taub said.
To streamline the process, Taub cautioned working group members to be straightforward and avoid any argumentative tone in their forthcoming comments.
The working group then agreed to allow submission of further considerations and counterconsiderations for the final report before its submission in February.
Fellow working group members also agreed with Taub that certain proposed language falls outside the intended scope of the report, particularly the language covering bonding for repair shops, and disclosure of information to consumers such as OEM certifications and use of aftermarket parts.
“This should have nothing to do with anybody disclosing certifications,” said Tim Winkeler, president and CEO of Falmouth, ME-based VIP Tires & Service. “This is … why it’s been so hard for our industries to come together and find common-sense solutions, because if you read these, it’s essentially saying, ‘Let’s scare every consumer out of an independent shop back to a dealership.’”
O’Reilly Auto Parts spokesperson Jeff Groves said the proposed language appeared to be an attempt to regulate Maine small businesses and independent repair shops beyond the scope and intent of existing Maine law.
However, working group members flagged at least two provisions to be preserved in the final report.
One of those proposed provisions in the report draft directs decisionmakers to consider whether the “privacy protections of the GrammLeach-Bliley” Act should apply to independent repair facilities. Generally, that 1999-enacted law regulates the banking and insurance industries.
Jack Quirk, founder of New England-based Quirk Auto Group, said the intent for including that language in the draft report was to lay the groundwork for businesses to designate staff who could serve as points of contact if specific data security concerns emerge in the course of customer car repairs.
Groves said he doesn’t understand how that specific law applies to right to repair, but pointed out the
language’s apparent underlying theme of consumer data and privacy protection.
“This is certainly not involving banking or insurance company regulation. I’m sure that there are certainly parts of that regulation that talk about privacy, and maybe that’s what this comment is going to,” Groves said. “But just saying whether or not that bill should apply to independent repair facilities, I think, puts an undue burden on them and, I think, really is out of bounds.”
The second of those provisions called for the independent entity, generally, to consider what cybersecurity rules should apply to telematics data.
Winkeler said decision-makers should “definitely have their eyes on that.”
Taub expressed support for retaining the underlying themes of cybersecurity and privacy protections in the final report, with revisions.
He called for rephrasing them to reflect “the extent to which privacy protections should be applied to telematics data,” and to draft more general language pertaining to telematics data and privacy protection implications of sharing that data. The language should be written more broadly to not just refer to “independent repair facilities,” Taub indicated.
Circumstances That Allow Data Denial?
Working group members squared off on proposed language in the draft legislation that would ostensibly allow manufacturers to withhold vehicle data in certain cases.
Section 6 of the draft legislation contains the contested language: “Access must include the ability to receive data and send commands to in-vehicle components if needed for purposes of maintenance, diagnostics and repair[,] and that the manufacturer makes available to its authorized repair shops.” The emphasis reflects the latest proposed revisions.
Tesla Director of Service Engineering Brian Boggs said he introduced that language to fill an “accidental loophole” he saw in the prior draft that he said could prevent manufacturers from using “good judgment” to constrain themselves, automotive dealerships and independent repair shops from providing “access to perform inappropriate commands” on vehicles if warranted.
He gave an example of a remote command to unlock a parking brake
to underscore his point.
“It does not make sense to be able to release the parking brake when you’re remote from a vehicle. That vehicle may be on a hill. It would then roll down that hill,” Boggs said. “By including this clause, it’s … still creating the level playing field: It’s saying any commands that the vehicle manufacturer makes available to its authorized repair shop, it also needs to make available to independent repair shops.”
Groves expressed concern that manufacturers could use the proposed language to somehow control whether an independent repairer or car owner could have access to data in certain cases.
“My whole premise is that it’s entirely inappropriate and unsafe for everything that you can do while physically present at a vehicle to also be allowed when you’re remote from the vehicle,” Boggs said.
Certain vehicle data is only appropriate to see when you’re physically at the vehicle vs. being remotely at the car, Boggs added.
“The core distinction is to allow there to be difference with both data and commands when you’re local to the vehicle versus when you’re remote from the vehicle,” he said.
Maine Right to Repair Coalition Director Tommy Hickey said Maine voters in the November 2023 ballot initiative empowered themselves to dictate how vehicle data is transmitted under right to repair.
“It should be the consumer that decides this,” Hickey said. “A lot of software updates are needed to make full repairs on vehicles these days, and so we don’t feel comfortable having the [standard of] whatever the dealer gets, the independent repair shops get. We think it’s the consumer that should dictate where that information goes to make a full repair.”
Taub pitched the idea of drafting language to ensure that vehicle data gets transmitted to repairers as long as the data transmission doesn’t pose a safety risk.
Boggs said his concern with that is the state attorney general’s office could get bogged down for years to come in determining the distinction between a safe versus and unsafe command.
“You’ll have a variety of experts come in in litigation, all claiming what is possible, what is not possible, what’s safe, what’s not safe, having this defined litmus test which is used in the all these other sections when we’re defining the diagnostic scan tools and when defining what service manuals need to be available
and what wiring diagrams need to be available,” Boggs said.
Taub said he and Boggs would work to amend that proposed language and circulate it to working group members before the next meeting.
Calls for Process and Legislative Changes
During the public hearing portion of the meeting, commenters cited the need for definitions to be included in the draft legislation and/or final report.
Both the current legislative and report drafts currently lack definitions for frequently used terms.
Commenting during the public hearing, Democratic state Rep. Tiffany Roberts said the working group should add definitions for terms including “independent repair facility”; “standardized platform”; “telematics”; “diagnostic and repair information”; “vehicle owner,” including in the context of leased vehicles; “owner authorization”; “mobile-based application”; and “reliable and accessible systems.”
Commenting on behalf of the Maine Automobile Dealers Association, Preti Flaherty partner Bruce Gerrity agreed the proposed legislation should add further definitions, including what
constitutes an authorized repair shop.
He noted that Section 6 of the draft legislation calls for all parts, tools, software and other components necessary to complete a full repair of a vehicle must be provided to motor vehicle owners and authorized independent repair shops.
Gerrity also raised the question of whether the legislation should correlate the description of an “authorized repair shop” with general privacy protection obligations — not related to Gramm-Leach-Bliley, but in line with general consumer privacy standards adopted by the Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
“You have not provided a definition of what is an authorized repair shop,” Gerrity said. “Should that be a specific list? For example, should there be an inspection capability or licensure? Should there be concerns with disclosures; for example, under the [Maine] Used Car Information Act as to prior use of the vehicle — inspectability? Should there be provisions that relate to privacy standards?”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into Tesla’s “Actually Smart Summon” feature following complaints and media reports of crashes linked to the technology.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) began the probe on Jan. 6, after receiving a complaint about a crash allegedly caused by the feature, which enables Tesla vehicles to autonomously navigate parking lots at low speeds. The complaint referenced three additional media-reported crashes involving “Actually Smart Summon.” According to the NHTSA, the crashes occurred when the system failed to detect stationary objects, such as posts and parked vehicles.
In its official statement, the ODI noted, “ODI has received 12 Smart Summon-related (Vehicle Owner’s Questionnaire) VOQs alleging crash typology similar to the crashes experienced
by users of Actually Smart Summon during sessions with little time for operators to react.”
The investigation will examine whether “Actually Smart Summon” poses safety risks by limiting users’ ability to intervene during emergencies. The system requires operators to hold a smartphone app button to control the vehicle’s movement and stop it, but reports suggest that limited reaction time and restricted visibility contributed to the incidents.
Tesla has not yet responded publicly to the investigation. The company has previously marketed the feature as a significant advancement in convenience and autonomy for drivers.
As the investigation continues, the NHTSA aims to assess the system’s safety and determine whether regulatory action or recalls are warranted. Updates on the investigation are expected in the coming weeks.
10 Things I’d Like to See in 2025 in the Collision Repair Industry
Many years, I spend some time during the closing weeks of December or the early weeks of January thinking about some of the key things I’d like to see transpire in the industry in the year ahead. This year is no exception, so without further ado, here are my current Top 10 wishes for the collision industry, in no particular order.
1 I wish non-DRP shops could gain quicker supplement approvals — or even non-approvals if they were at least quick. The delays waiting to hear back from insurers are killing shops and ultimately inconveniencing the consumer. That’s true whether the supplement review is being done in-person or remotely.
Many years ago, when I owned my shops, I did Top 10 list and I said I hated waiting on approvals for something that was as basic as a $200 part. At that time, Jimmy Spears from USAA reached out to me, and that conversation was part of what led to the development of CCC’s Open Shop feature. Now we
see insurers that are truly taking weeks, not just days, to get back to shops on supplements. We have to find a better, faster more efficient way to get to resolution.
2� On behalf of wholesale parts departments at dealerships, I wish all industry stakeholders help give parts wholesalers a voice at industry events. Everyone needs to wake up and realize the margins for those departments are shrinking, and if we don’t quit forcing them to use multiple software solutions nor help find a way to protect their margins, they will be getting out of the wholesale business — and that is not good for anyone in the industry or for consumers.
3� I also wish shops had similar freedom to use the software system they prefer for electronic parts locating and ordering. The amount of time that is being wasted within shops to use multiple systems required by insurers or automakers is inefficient and is impacting the productivity of the parts personnel within shops.
4� I wish all the automakers —just the few that have — would come up with a clearer definition of what post-crash safety inspections need to be performed. Shops right now are caught in the middle, trying to follow OEM procedures on safety inspections but getting push-back from bill-payers.
5� I wish that insurers would educate themselves and offer up solutions — not just denials — in terms of these safety inspections. This friction point is not going away. We need insurers, for example, to donate vehicles to I-CAR for research purposes.
6� And not to be belabor the topic, but I wish I-CAR would take a lead role in researching and vetting an industry-accepted resolution regarding these safety inspections.
7� I wish the dealership management systems — and the automakers — would give dealershipowned body shops more flexibility and detail for their financial statements, so they are better able to benchmark against industry standard measures
and improve their performance.
8� I wish for a simplified solution of getting parts invoice information into shop management systems efficiently. Why can a shop snap an image of an invoice that can then post it to the management system accurately, reducing the redundancy and wasted manpower keying parts into the system?
9 I have two wishes related to scanning: I wish the industry would better understand the importance of in-process scanning of vehicles — not just the pre- and post-repair scan. I also wish that the industry also better understood the need to use an OEM scan tool — not just an aftermarket scan tool. They are not the same!
10� Finally, I wish the shops dedicated to performing safe and proper repairs would be recognized and rewarded for doing so. That goes hand in hand with addressing the issue of the shops not doing that. The number of poor repairs I am seeing is only increasing, and that is a cause for concern.
AI Will Augment – Not Replace – Invaluable Role of ‘Human Intelligence’ in Collision Industry
By Stacey Phillips Ronak Autobody News
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve, it is increasingly being used in the collision repair industry for tasks such as damage assessment, estimating repair costs, and parts ordering and inventory management. However, many industry experts believe human intelligence (HI) will remain essential, particularly in complex decision-making, customer interactions and quality control.
Josh McFarlin, president and COO of AirPro Diagnostics, and Tim Ronak, senior services consultant at AkzoNobel, discussed the role of AI and HI in collision repair during a presentation held at the SEMA Show in November 2024 as part of the Society of Collison Repair Specialists (SCRS) Repairer Driven Education series.
Looking to the future, they predict there will be a hybrid approach, where AI augments the expertise of skilled technicians, leading to more efficient processes without replacing the invaluable role of human judgment.
McFarlin began the presentation by describing AI and HI. He shared two definitions of AI, one from IBM and the other based on asking an AI chatbot to define itself.
According to IBM, AI is technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem solving, decision-making, creativity and autonomy.
AI described itself as a branch of computer science that uses algorithms, data and computational power to create machines that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence.
McFarlin defined HI as the ability to learn from experience, adapt to new situations, understand and handle abstract concepts and use knowledge to manipulate one’s environment.
“Human intelligence, at its best, can be summarized by an unofficial slogan for the U.S. Marines: improvise, adapt and overcome,” he said. “That’s what makes human intelligence, in my opinion, different from AI.”
McFarlin shared examples of AI being used in the automotive industry, such as self-driving cars and virtual personal assistants. He explained AI can currently be categorized into narrow and general.
“Narrow AI is designed to perform
a single task or very limited set of tasks and lacks the ability to adapt to new situations outside of its programmed domain,” he said. “General AI aims to replicate humanlike intelligence and will perform a wide variety of tasks across different domains and is largely theoretical.”
helpful.”
For those interested in exploring how to use AI in their businesses, McFarlin suggests asking AI how to accomplish X, Y or Z and providing options to achieve that result.
“What ChatGPT and other products like it are doing is crawling
The best-known example of an AI application, according to McFarlin, is likely ChatGPT (Generative, Pretrained transformer), an AI machine trained on a database that runs on a foundational large language model (LLM). Many in the collision industry are familiar with ChatGPT, including McFarlin and Ronak, who generated images used for their presentation by visiting an AI platform online. They also used AI to help build the presentation.
McFarlin shared some of the overall benefits of using AI in business, such as automating repetitive tasks to reduce human errors, improve productivity and ensure accuracy. AI has also been proven to make data processing and analysis more efficient.
He used the example of monitoring thousands of sales calls. While AI can do this almost instantaneously, McFarlin said it would take a significant amount of time for a human resource to listen to just a sample of those calls.
Another advantage of using AI is the ability to recognize patterns in large datasets.
“Finding patterns in large datasets, especially when they’re really large data sets, is not an easy thing to accomplish,” said McFarlin. “It takes time. Being able to automate that process and have it present you results almost instantaneously is very
about the synergy of using both together and shared examples.
Improved Decision Making: AI can quickly provide data and insights while HI considers context and ethical judgment. For example, AI will help compile the results of sales training calls and a manager or coach can come in and work with employees in a fair and understanding way.
Customer Service: AI can handle repetitive tasks and provide fast response times; HI focuses on more nuanced interactions.
Accurate Forecasting: AI procures data whereas HI brings strategic oversight and context.
Learning Experiences: AI handles real-time feedback and support while HI interprets the outcomes and ensures it is used ethically.
Using AI in the Collision Repair Industry
the web for all the information available, and they’re serving that back up to you almost instantaneously as a result so that it’s faster than Google,” he explained.
McFarlin then discussed some strengths of HI, such as the importance of empathy and emotional understanding, which is often referred to as emotional intelligence.
He talked about how human intelligence provides creativity and innovation with the ability to think outside the box, understand context and moral implications with ethical decision-making, solve complex problems, and adapt to changing situations.
“Unless you really define the parameters, AI will provide the most direct route from A to B,” noted McFarlin. “It’s not necessarily going to tell you whether that route is the best way to handle an employee, so you have to give it some guardrails.”
McFarlin also mentioned some limitations of AI and HI. He said AI lacks common sense, does not have the ability to identify ethical dilemmas, and has biases in algorithms depending on how it is embedded in the data. HI limitations include cognitive biases, emotional responses, indecisiveness, speed, cost and availability.
After discussing the pros and cons of using AI and HI, McFarlin talked
Ronak discussed some applications for AI in the collision repair industry, the first of which was damage assessment and estimation. AIpowered image recognition software is currently being used to analyze photos and estimate repair costs, potentially reducing the need for inperson inspections. After a collision, a vehicle owner, estimator or adjuster can use AI to capture photos that are uploaded to an app that uses image recognition to evaluate the vehicle’s condition.
The AI model analyzes the images and uses computer vision to find visible damage. It then classifies damage severity based on thousands of pictures of similar damage patterns and their repair histories.
As part of the damage assessment, the AI model estimates repair costs based on parts, labor and other repairs.
“Within seconds, AI provides a breakdown of estimated costs and the time needed for repairs,” Ronak explained. “The estimate includes a preliminary list of damaged parts and repair recommendations, such as ‘repair or replace,’ and an estimated cost.”
Ronak said the estimate can, and should, be adjusted by a human appraiser, when necessary, but AI typically reduces the need for manual adjustment. After being finalized, the estimate is shared with the customer and repair shop, which can streamline the insurance claim and repair process.
“AI-based damage assessment
Tim Ronak, left, and Josh McFarlin, right, discussed the role of artificial and human intelligence in collision repair during a presentation held at the SEMA Show in November 2024.
Shops Writing Larger Percentage of Initial Estimates For Direct Repair Claims
By John Yoswick Autobody News
Initial estimates prepared by insurance company staff are becoming increasingly rare for direct repair claims, according to data shared by CCC Intelligent Solutions at the MSO Symposium in Las Vegas during SEMA week.
within the collision repair industry and also within the insurance space has been the large shifts in vehicle values,” Krumlauf said. “Vehicle values increased significantly in 2021 and especially in 2022, leading to fewer total losses and more heavier-hit vehicles being repaired. We’re now on the other side of this, and while used vehicle
As recently as 2017, insurance adjusters were writing more than 40% of initial estimates for repairable vehicles. In the first nine months of 2024, they wrote less than half that — just 18% of such estimates.
The data, presented by Kyle Krumlauf , CCC’s director of industry analytics, showed more than 45% of initial DRP estimates in 2024 were prepared at shops. That’s almost a full percentage point higher than in any recent year, when DRP shop appraisals comprised between 37.4% (2018) and 44.2% (2021) of the overall total.
Over the same time period, virtual/photo estimates have grown from less than 1% of claims volume in 2016 to more than 1 in 4 (25.6%) in 2024.
Shops using CCC’s Open Shop system may have seen an increase in claims volume as well, with more than 8% of initial estimates CCC processed each year since 2022 going through Open Shop, up from between 5.1% and 6.7% in prior years.
It likely won’t come as a surprise to most shops that total losses have been up significantly in the first nine months of 2024.
“One of the most influential factors over the past few years
is down about one hour overall for drivable claims, although it is starting to come up gradually, as well as down about 0.9 hours per repair day for non-drivable vehicles,” Krumlauf said. “The question is really why is this? And I think it’d be easy to point fingers here, but I think we need to delve a little bit deeper and understand why that is.
“First, let’s take a look at
diagnostics,” he continued. “About 83% of all repairable appraisals through a DRP shop now include a scan, and about 24% of those include some form of calibration.” Krumlauf said the rise in the average number of supplements — and the length of time it takes for insurers to approve those supplements — could also be contributing to the decline in labor hours produced per day.
wholesale and retail prices continue to recede, the value decreases appear to be slowing.”
CCC data shows total losses accounting for 21.2% of noncomprehensive claims in 2020, before falling to 19.2% in 2022, but rising to 20.8% in 2023 and 22.4% this year through the third quarter of 2024.
Krumlauf said the age of the vehicles in operation is also really showing up in claims data as well.
“Maybe the most relevant [claims] mix shift, at least in my eyes, over the past few years has been with our aging car [population],” Krumlauf said. “Vehicles seven years or older represented 35% of repairable claims in 2019. They now represent close to 45%, almost a 10 percentage point increase. On the other hand, vehicles 1 to 3 years old represent over seven percentage points less in the repairable mix. Now, much of that can be attributed to the fact that there were simply fewer vehicles produced and sold for those model years, especially between 2020 and 2023.”
Another trend Krumlauf highlighted is the decline in shop labor hours produced per repair day for direct repair program (DRP) claims.
“What we can see is that this
CCC data shows insurance personnel are writing far fewer of the initial estimates for DRP claims.
Hours produced per repair day by shops remain below what they were three years ago.
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From AAPEX To the Classroom: Educators Share Insights and Wish Lists
By Leona Scott Autobody News
For many in the collision repair industry, AAPEX is an invaluable opportunity to explore cutting-edge technologies and network with peers. For educators like Raven Luna and Jordan Short, it’s a way to bring real-world advancements back to the classroom.
“Collision repair is changing faster now than ever before,” he said. “Without industry-led continuing education, instructors will fall behind and lose relevance.”
One of Short’s most memorable takeaways from AAPEX was witnessing a laser welding demonstration by a former SpaceX engineer. The potential of laser welding to revolutionize panel replacement in collision repair left a lasting impression.
The instructors shared how their experiences at AAPEX have influenced their teaching and revealed what’s on their holiday wish lists to enhance their schools’ collision repair programs.
AAPEX Insights: Staying Ahead of the Curve
Both Luna and Short understand the value of staying up to date in an industry that evolves quickly.
For Luna, a discipline lead and professor at Collin College’s collision technology program in North Texas, attending AAPEX is an annual tradition. While she didn’t attend specific sessions this year, she spent significant time in Joe’s Garage, an area renowned for its hands-on demonstrations.
“We go to see what new equipment, software, and tools are available,” Luna explained.
This year, a standout find was an EV/hybrid safety package from John Dow, a mobile solution perfect for the lab environment where Luna’s students train on electric and hybrid vehicles.
Short, an instructor at Meridian Technology Center, Stillwater, OK, took a different approach, diving into specific sessions.
“I attended Electric Vehicles 101, Management Essentials for Leaders by Dale Carnegie, and all three OEM summits hosted by SCRS,” he shared.
Short’s focus on emerging technologies like EVs reflects his belief that instructors must lead by example in embracing innovation.
drastically shorten those times and allow students more time to complete their projects,” he said.
Another coveted item is the grate lifter from Garmat, which would simplify booth maintenance and improve workflow in the lab.
Why AAPEX Matters to Educators
“Welding with photons of light, not electricity or a heat source, is hard to wrap your head around,” Short said.
Bringing AAPEX Lessons to the Classroom
For these educators, attending AAPEX is about personal growth and equipping their students for the future. Luna emphasized the practical application of insights gained at the show.
“The topics I learn about directly impact our courses,” Luna said.
For instance, the EV/hybrid safety package she discovered will allow her students to train with cutting-edge tools next semester, making lessons relevant and engaging.
Short, too, has already incorporated lessons from AAPEX into his teaching.
“I’ve used some of the leadership tools from the Dale Carnegie session to better manage my classroom,” he said.
He also involved his students in brainstorming sessions to evaluate tools and technologies showcased at the event.
“Students enjoyed the activity and gave their input for next year’s equipment requests,” he added.
Educators’ Holiday Wish Lists: Tools to Transform
Learning
With the holiday season here, Luna and Short are focused on items that could significantly enhance their programs.
For Luna, the John Dow EV/ hybrid safety package tops her wish list. The package’s portability and comprehensive design make it ideal for her program’s needs.
“Since we teach EV/hybrid safety, it’s a convenient tool for us to train with,” she explained.
Short’s wish list is equally practical but geared toward maximizing efficiency. He’s hoping for UV primers and putties for his lab.
“Student mistakes can cost them a whole class period with product dry times, but UV products could
Both Luna and Short agree that AAPEX is an indispensable resource for collision repair educators. While SEMA may have its appeal, AAPEX’s focus on networking and hands-on learning makes it particularly valuable for instructors.
“Exhibitors at AAPEX are more excited to see instructors,” Luna noted. Short added that staying connected to the industry is crucial for educators. “If we don’t stay current, we risk teaching outdated
techniques, widening the skill gap for the next generation of technicians,” he warned.
Preparing the Next Generation
As Luna and Short reflect on their experiences, their dedication to their students clearly extends far beyond the classroom. Attending AAPEX ensures their teaching remains relevant, their programs are cuttingedge and their students are ready to excel in a competitive industry. With their holiday wish lists, these instructors are poised to make an even greater impact in the coming year— one tool, technique and class project at a time.
Interested in helping out these instructors with their wish lists? Contact Raven Luna at RLuna@collin. edu and Jordan Short at jordans@ meridiantech.edu.
AAPEX was held this year Nov. 5-7 at The Venetian in Las Vegas, NV.
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The Cost of Contamination: How To Clean Up Your Paint Department To Drive Profit
By Abby Andrews Autobody News
The paint booth is one of the most critical aspects of a collision repair shop’s performance, but contamination – from the vehicle, the painter or in the booth itself – can lead to costly re-dos, eating into a shop’s bottom line from multiple directions.
Rick Selover, national account manager with Garmat USA, appeared on The Collision Vision podcast, driven by Autobody News and hosted by Cole Strandberg, to talk about the main sources of contamination, solutions to reduce cost and best practices for maintaining paint booths to maximize their performance.
Selover has more than 40 years in the industry, starting as a technician, during which time he painted both in booths and on open floors. He later moved into paint material distribution. Recently, he joined Garmat USA.
He built a presentation on the “cost of contamination,” based on his experience with the issues dirt and other contaminants can cause when refinishing a vehicle, and how to minimize them.
“I dive really deep into the costs of contamination, because I don’t think most shops really realize how much it does cost them,” Selover said.
Selover said he got input from manufacturers, distributors, paint and material distributors, paint company reps and collision repair instructors to identify the three root causes of contamination.
“It’s either the booth, it’s the vehicle, or it’s the painter,” he said. “All three of those have multiple issues that may be tied back to them as the root source.”
However, the painter can mitigate any dirt brought in by the vehicle before it goes into the booth, Selover pointed out.
“It really boils down to the booth and the vehicle, and it’s almost a 50/50 split, but…a painter can prevent a lot of his own problems,” Selover said.
The paint itself arrives clean, as do spray guns and paint booths, he said. “But sometimes between when everything’s brand new and you actually get that vehicle in the booth, pull the trigger, you’re bringing in some dirt as a painter.”
Slacking on maintenance makes it difficult to get a clean job.
Selover said he has heard from many shop owners who can’t figure out why their paint material bill is so high, or why their refinishes always
“come out looking like crap.”
Most shop owners notice when a monthly statement shows an extra $4,500 spend on paint, but they don’t see the hidden costs of re-dos.
There are four cost components to a re-do: materials the shop wasn’t able to sell because it had to use them to repaint a vehicle; energy to run the equipment; production, as a re-do “chews up” a paint booth cycle at an average cost of $4,300; and retention, when a painter eventually leaves for another shop because they’re also losing money on too many re-dos.
He recommended purchasing from a distributor that will perform regular inspections of components like filters, control panels, pulleys and fans; change filters when necessary and supply more if they need to be changed between visits. He said the distributor should also keep a log of inspections and maintenance actions needed.
Garmat does an annual “deep clean” for its customers, Selover said.
“They pull everything out. They power wash the floor, the grates, the walls. They clean the lights out. They go through all the mechanicals.
“Most painters don’t realize how much they’re losing every time they have to re-do a job. Well, I’ve got those numbers too, and I think they’d be shocked,” Selover said.
The poor first finish could be the fault of a shop owner not keeping up with maintenance on air filters, for example, or it could be the painter’s fault: “Maybe they didn’t throw a suit on. Maybe they sanded a job between coats, maybe they’ve got five parts racks full of garbage and stuff in their booth that they work around,” Selover said “There’s a million factors to this.”
No matter whose fault it is, the money lost to re-dos could pay for a lot of preventative maintenance or new equipment that would prevent them going forward, Selover said.
“I think the sooner shops get an understanding of what’s at stake here, they may react a little bit differently than they have in the past,” he added.
Booth Maintenance
Maintaining a paint booth isn’t difficult, Selover said, if a shop buys the booth from a distributor that offers service.
because it’s a cost they don’t really need to do,” he said.
Maintenance helps with retention, he reiterated. If a painter makes good money but has to do all the upkeep on his booth, he might be more likely to accept an offer from another shop that would pay the same but has a newer booth that is maintained by the distributor.
“I was a painter before. I know what they go through. I know the stress. I know the upset when you’ve got to re-do something,” Selover said. “I didn’t realize the cost. Now, looking back at the cost, I wasted a lot of money back then.”
Painter Strategies to Reduce Contamination
Selover recommended establishing strong SOPs for the paint department, including a pre-paint checklist that will “help the painters help themselves” by eliminating all potential contaminants they might bring into the booth.
“That means blowing yourself off; having a clean paint suit on; having good head protection like a sock or a full-faced, fresh air mask; gloves — don’t go in there with your bare hands,” he said.
Personal care items like hair gel and spray, beard cream and hand lotion can also bring contamination into the booth.
You get a fully clean, feels-like-new booth,” he said.
Selover said a lot of shops don’t want to spend the money on preventative maintenance because it looks like a cost. “It’s like, ‘Well it’s working fine. Everything’s coming out OK. I don’t really need to do that right yet.’ They’re wrong.
“They need to stay on it because if you have a consistent preventive maintenance program, you’re not going to have those big costs of a motor going, of a fan sparking and catching fire,” he said. “There’s so much stuff that can go wrong inside of a booth. But it’s quite simply having somebody other than your painter, other than your maintenance guy or other than your shop floor porter go in there.”
Anyone who owns a high-end car would never skimp on maintenance by taking it to a mechanic offering cheap oil changes, Selover pointed out. Shop owners should treat their paint booths – which can cost up to $200,000 and generate revenue – the same.
“But yet I’ve seen shops just totally ignore [paint booth] maintenance
“You can create fish eyes just with what you put on your own body that day,” Selover said. “There’s been tons of studies done that ended up finding deodorant can mitigate its way right through your clothes, through your suit, and still end up causing fish eyes.”
The booth itself should also be empty of anything not needed to repaint a vehicle.
“There should be nothing in a booth but your tack rag and your spray gun and the vehicle, or parts rack. That’s it,” Selover said.
“I’ve seen incredible results from someone that takes the time to prepare themselves, prepare the vehicle. You get an almost flawless job,” he said “There’s always going to be a little something, but a quick nub is nothing like having to re-do because you got nasty, gnarly chunks of crap blown out of your gun into the base coat, clear coat.”
Considerations When Buying a Paint Booth
Never choose a booth on cost alone, Selover said. Think about production goals, whether opening a new shop
Garmat service
ASA Hones in on Labor, Right To Repair Issues Amid Shifting Political Landscape
by Brian Bradley Autobody News
In light of the coming changes in the presidential administration and the start of a new congressional term next year, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) will remain involved in efforts to address technician training programs and vehicle data access, among other issues, ASA head lobbyist Bob Redding said during a webinar Dec. 11.
ASA has taken a “targeted approach” to educate Congress members on technician training and vehicle data access issues for the last two years, Redding said.
“They do get that vehicles are becoming more sophisticated,” he said.
In connection with this, lawmakers and their staffs are realizing “the people we recruit are going to have to be bright and well-trained with continuing education.”
But many lawmakers don’t understand the criticality of the ongoing tech shortage or the competition that the automotive repair field faces from other industries, Redding added.
“The ladder of training and recruitment, I think, is a harder concept,” he said. “We’re starting from zero in many cases.”
ASA will seek to tie the necessity of technician training to the increasing complexity of modern vehicles in its advocacy work on Capitol Hill and with the second Trump administration, Redding said.
The first Trump administration’s Department of Labor heavily pushed apprenticeships, and ASA will revisit how these programs can get more support when the next administration starts, Redding added.
While a bipartisan majority stopped a right to repair bill during the current Congress, a large two-party minority supported the legislation, he added.
Right to repair initiatives have substantial bipartisan support in Washington, but not enough to advance legislation, according to Redding.
Under current Chairwoman Lina Khan, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken a strong stance in support of general right to repair standards — not relegated to just automobiles. In July 2021, the FTC voted 5-0 to “prioritize” investigations and bolster enforcement regarding unlawful repair restrictions apparently imposed by manufacturers.
But the next presidential
administration and prospect of a new FTC chair could bring some changes. It’s “not likely to be an aggressive stance that we saw with FTC Chair Khan and her team,” Redding said.
In July 2023, ASA joined the Society of Collision Repair Specialists
likely for the [House] Ways and Means Committee.”
The Trump administration and presumptive U.S. Trade Representative nominee Jamieson Greer are expected to ratchet up tariffs on many imports, potentially
and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation in submitting a letter to Congress committing, among other things, to collaborate in support of federal legislation to ensure “consumer choice in vehicle repair across the country.”
Among several other appeals, the letter calls for automakers to make telematics data available to vehicle owners and independent repair facilities through “fair and reasonable terms” if such data is needed for a repair and is “not otherwise available through a tool or third-party service information provider.”
In addition to tech training initiatives and right to repair legislation, ASA in the New Year also expects shifts in federal electric vehicle (EV) policies, as Redding said there could be “quick” movement in the House to roll back some Biden administration initiatives.
Consumer subsidies for EV purchases are one of the most vulnerable EV policies from the Biden era, but revoking EV production subsidies would be harder for President-Elect Donald Trump and the incoming GOPcontrolled Congress to accomplish, as EV production subsidies are flowing to manufacturing projects in many congressional districts, Redding noted.
“Look for hearings and initiatives to come up pretty quick,” he said. “Whether they move forward and go all the way to the President’s desk or not, this will be an early issue most
avoid higher tariffs; however, certain imports from Mexico could fall under any upcoming tranches of tariffs.
“We want to make sure that there are some quality checks on many of the parts, particularly the crash parts coming into the U.S. that are pushed at many times on our collision repairers and consumers,” Redding said. “Look for President Trump after the inauguration to move quickly on tariffs relative to China, Mexico and possibly Canada.”
ASA will work to limit any tariff impacts on the auto repair industry, he added.
Finally, Redding expects the next Congress to debate language governing how autonomous vehicles (AVs) will be inspected, including the people and parts to be involved as well as potential inspection exemptions for AVs.
including auto parts, with a particular focus on imports from China, Redding said.
Many Chinese companies are moving operations to Mexico to
ASA will continue to push for federal right to repair and AV legislation, as it has in recent years, to avoid a patchwork of state laws that many believe can create a complicated regulatory landscape, Redding said.
“We need one set of rules, not 50 different state laws in the AV space,” he said.
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PPG Receives Innovation Award For PPG LINQ Digital Ecosystem
By Stacey Phillips Ronak Autobody News
PPG received an Innovation Award for the PPG LINQ digital ecosystem during the Automechanika Frankfurt Show in September. The award recognizes outstanding technological developments with significant market relevance in the automotive supplier industry, automotive workshop and services sector, or original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
“The PPG LINQ digital ecosystem is really a complete digital solution in a market where optimizing the use of materials and efficiency is so important,” said Jason Moseley, a presenting juror at the Automechanika Innovation Awards ceremony. “That is why we have chosen this new system as the winner.”
“We are honored to receive this esteemed award,” said Jerome Zamblera, PPG vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Automotive Refinish. “It is a testament to our commitment to innovation, excellence and sustainability in the refinish industry. The deployment of digital tools
allows us to create a better working environment and attract the younger generation to the industry.”
Zamblera said on behalf of the company, he takes pride in the team that worked on the project since its inception.
Introduced a year and a half ago, the PPG LINQ digital ecosystem is available worldwide. It includes the following components: PPG LINQ COLOR™ software, the PPG MAGICBOX™ body shop assistant, PPG VISUALIZID™ software, the PPG DIGIMATCH™ spectrophotometer and PPG MOONWALK®, the company’s award-winning, automated paint mixing system launched in 2019.
Zamblera said the product was created to assist painters in modernizing their repair processes using the cloud-based platform and its interconnected digital hardware, software and innovative services.
“Everything we do in terms of new product development is driven towards providing higher productivity in the shop, reducing the carbon footprint, and making the job more attractive to the young generation,” he said.
Zamblera said PPG LINQ is easy to
use, saves labor time, reduces waste and transforms the mixing room into a clean and safe environment.
“Everything that painters have done in an analogic manner, they can now do digitally,” he explained.
“A body shop painter will save, on average, between 20 to about 60 minutes on each job when they do color matching.”
The system can automate routine tasks and optimize resource use, which can reduce operational costs for body shops.
In addition, he said using the product reduces material waste, energy consumption and process times, which contributes to meeting sustainability goals.
“Helping to reduce waste is very important,” noted Zamblera. “That’s one of the key attributes of Moonwalk because of its high level of accuracy.”
One way to help reduce shops’ carbon emissions, according to Zamblera, is by changing their habits in the way they process products.
For example, PPG’s air-drying technology eliminates the need to put a spray booth in baking mode.
“They can let the product dry at ambient temperature without the
need for it to cure, which means they can air dry a primer or a clear coat in 20 to 30 minutes,” he said.
Zamblera said the one common theme across the globe in the industry is the lack of skilled labor.
Automating and digitizing some of the tasks painters have been doing allows others in the shop to help manage the process of color identification, matching and mixing.
He said PPG LINQ can also assist with the recruiting and hiring process by attracting a new generation of employees.
“Leveraging technology demonstrates that a shop painter doesn’t have to work in a dusty, filthy, noisy shop,” he said. “Instead, they can work in a very clean and digitized environment.”
To help collision repair students learn the critical skills they need, PPG’s foundation provides advanced technology and products.
“PPG LINQ includes scalable solutions that can be tailored to various business sizes, making it an indispensable tool for automotive professionals,” he said. “With precise application and monitoring systems, it ensures consistent, high-quality results, reducing the risk of errors and rework.”
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the same time, more moves might also make it more palatable by new, professional practices.
Private Equity Players Savvy the Barriers to Entry
VIVE Collision doubled its presence to six sites here in 2024, according to Focus Advisors. They’re “the only national consolidator,” said Madeleine Roberts Rich, senior associate in Focus’ automotive M&A practice.
It’s “fishing where they ain’t,” as the saying goes. And if no one likes you, your only friends are your best ones. VIVE CEO Vartan Jerian Jr� told Autobody News in November the lack of certified collision repair shops locally was a draw, and the company is “continuing to build scale in the markets we’re in.” VIVE entered Vermont in mid-December, its ninth state and 52nd location.
Envest Private Equity bought into Massachusetts in August, with the Virginia-based investor’s first acquisition, Authentic Auto Body in Holliston.
Boston born-and-raised Envest partner Patrick Keefe noted the limited consolidation, and the chance
to “build a brand, a best-in-class team — the talent and the techs.” Envest is closing on a second shop that, like Steve Proia’s Authentic, has been a top-10 operator here.
Other operations are out there. Facebook poster Carl Heitman recently noted a “body shop and used car dealer” in central Massachusetts for sale, saying it netted $450,000 a year on the two businesses.
Lots of Shops, Lots of Issues, Possible Benefits
Hundreds more might be ready.
“It’s highly fragmented; we saw a lot of opportunity,” Keefe said.
The eight largest indie MSOs have between three and six locations, Focus Advisors data show.
Florida-based Zoran Pipercic and Pantelis “Peter” Alexopoulos in New York are sell-side M&A advisors to body shops. Alexopoulos said they rep 30 collision centers in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
A LaborRateHero.com search returns at least 97 shops within 25 miles of Fenway Park. Some dirt is Boston, greenspace, and underwater in the Charles River, so Massachusetts doesn’t lack for collision centers.
The idea is some could improve under new ownership.
Pipercic said, “We plan to work more with Steve.”
That’s Steve Proia, who sold Authentic to Envest.
“Those shops you saw [near Fenway] are all busy,” Proia said. “We have the worst drivers in the country.” He sees a new cadre of operators coming up in the commonwealth, in line with trends elsewhere.
“We’re young and hungry, with OEM certifications, following procedures,” he said.
Keefe sketches this as “training, education, diligence.”
Less competition for acquisition, and industry direction is skating to where the puck will be.
“I understand the competitive market,” Keefe said. “We’re aware of the challenges.”
Low Labor Rates Just the Beginning, But Maybe Ending?
Cost of living is higher in Massachusetts, Roberts Rich said it’s “difficult to get real estate and land use,” and operators describe Massachusetts as “just brutal” for labor rate reimbursement.
In North Attleborough, Bill Beckett has had Chestnut Auto Body for sale. Near Massachusetts’ southern border with Rhode Island, the shop can’t compete with rate reimbursements in its neighboring state, nearly double what he gets.
Shops to the north see this, too.
“Our labor rate is 25% higher” than Massachusetts’, said Mary Winning, who manages Manchester Collision Center in New Hampshire, “and I don’t pay a state tax on parts.” It goes beyond borders. Authentic’s Holliston home, in midMassachusetts, fights for help across industries.
“Our reimbursement rate is $40 an hour,” Proia said. “You can go be a plumber and start at $70.”
SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg calls such challenges “well-documented,” hitting the best shops the new breed of operators is arguably aiming at.
“Well-trained, well-equipped repair facilities are struggling to get adequate reimbursement,” he emailed. The system “has failed to allow small businesses to adjust their market pricing,” based on business reality.
“It is ripe for a change that recognizes businesses” committed to quality, safety, training and investment.
It’s coming, Proia said.
“Part of what we’re trying to create, this environment, is bringing on younger techs, showing them this is a real career,” he said.
Massachusetts law might also be catching up to a “mature” industry
experiencing disruptive new-growth pangs. Two bills, SB 2643 and HB 950, last year were the latest attempts to reform rates. Each stalled in committee.
Proia is cautiously optimistic. “It’s not something we’re banking on, but if it works out … ”
His voice drifts, but market positives to observers — and buyers — are a “glass half-full” proposition anyway.
“It’s tough to do business, but” lucrative, said Focus’ Roberts Rich. “There’s wealth there.”
Electric vehicle adoption is high, “and EVs tend to be really good for body shops” she said.
“We have no DRP, no insurance referral list,” Proia said, also alluding to average ticket, where less volume isn’t an issue. “We like to have the authority to repair the car properly, and our clientele can support that.”
VIVE’s Jerian through a spokesperson emailed an echoed call for “repair quality and operational consistency … strengthening OEM partnerships, and … technician training and development.”
He wrote the company sees tough local aspects “not as barriers, but as catalysts for change” and “[believes] in the market’s untapped potential.”
Ben Shimkus contributed to this report.
and estimation is increasingly being adopted by insurance companies and repair facilities to enhance accuracy, consistency and speed in handling vehicle repairs,” he said.
AI is also being deployed in subrogation investigations for claims payouts regarding parts pricing and operations paid, which Ronak said has driven increased requirements for supporting documentation.
He noted additional examples of AI such as VIN decoding, diagnostic and calibration recommendations and the use of onboard systems to provide automated notifications of emergency events and selfdiagnostics.
Other AI applications include parts ordering and inventory management to look at repair history and parts usage; predictive maintenance and diagnostics to research vehicle telematics and historical data; and repair process optimization to evaluate workloads, repair complexity and parts availability.
Ronak said AI can streamline repair scheduling and suggest optimal workflows. In addition, it can be
used for automated quality control and assist with safety compliance by analyzing images of completed work and detecting flaws.
When weighing the pros and cons of using AI and HI, McFarlin and Ronak offered the following to consider:
Efficiency vs� Expertise: The speed of AI or problem-solving abilities of HI.
Cost vs� Customization: Lower recurring costs of AI or potential higher quality via HI.
Consistency vs� Customization: Consistency of AI-driven processes or the adaptability of HI.
Integration vs Collaboration: How AI and HI can complement each other and what hybrid approaches are available that leverage the strengths of both.
McFarlin and Ronak encouraged attendees to evaluate using AI in their businesses.
“You want AI to be a tool in your toolbox to be something that you can use to augment your process, your workplace and your workflows,” said McFarlin.
“It’s going to become even more prevalent,” Ronak pointed out. “Those who figure out how to leverage AI to their advantage are going to be the winners in the world of competition.”
BendPak Inc. is entering 2025 with updates to its leadership team. The company has appointed Sean Price , David Reunert and Tyler Rex to critical roles aimed at strengthening its operations and market presence.
Price, who joined BendPak in 2023, takes on a new role as director of quality control, product development and management for the Special Products Division. Price will oversee the lifecycle of new products and implement quality assurance programs.
Reunert steps in as director of sales operations, bringing with him a wealth of experience in luxury automotive sales and private leasing operations.
Rex returns to BendPak as senior director of marketing. Having previously served as the company’s director of digital marketing, he will now oversee all marketing disciplines across the company’s brands and product lines.
clear of recommending specific compliance standards.
The working group expects the forthcoming enforcement entity “will itself assess its need for authority to develop specific standards for compliance as part of its report addressing compliance issues,” according to the draft report. The report also strikes previous language covering bonding for independent repair facilities, disclosure of the extent of warranty protections for repairs, customer notifications regarding whether technicians are manufacturer-certified, and disclosures to customers of whether OEM parts are used in repairs.
Further, the report notes that working group members representing aftermarket parts distributors and retailers, independent shops and aftermarket parts manufacturers oppose an assertion by Tesla and the Alliance of Automotive Innovation that certain telematics requirements of the November 2023-passed ballot initiative be postponed until “one year after any amendments.”
“They contend that automobile manufacturers had ample
opportunity to have discussions with the Maine Attorney General’s office and stakeholders to discuss any perceived uncertainties regarding what manufacturers must do to comply with the law,” the draft report states. “They also contend that manufacturers are currently technologically capable of complying with the law.”
The telematics requirements technically took effect Jan. 5, applying to vehicles sold in Maine after that date, though the working group is still crafting recommendations for how the law should be implemented and enforced.
The law stipulates that vehicles sold in Maine that use telematics systems must have an interoperable, standardized and owner-authorized “access platform” across all makes and models.
The enacted ballot initiative states that no later than Jan. 5, car owners must be able to access vehicle repair and diagnostic data via a mobilebased application. Upon owner authorization, the law also states that independent repair shops and licensed dealers must be able to access “all mechanical data,” limited to the time to complete the repair or for a period allowed by the vehicle owner for the purposes of maintaining,
diagnosing and repairing the car.
The report draft also indicates a divergence between manufacturers and repair shops/aftermarket parts distributors in terms of whether heavy-duty vehicles should be subject to forthcoming right-to-repair regulations.
Tesla has recommended the Maine Legislature consider excluding commercial and heavy-duty vehicles from the law, while working group members representing independent shops and the aftermarket industry said these types of vehicles should fall under the future right to repair framework, according to the draft.
“They point out that there was testimony that owners and independent repair facilities would benefit from access to diagnostic and repair information and that the working group has recommended that a representative of a heavy duty vehicle manufacturer and an owner or operator of a heavy duty vehicle independent repair facility be appointed to the commission to address any issues unique to heavy duty vehicles,” the draft report states.
LKQ Corp., which sells alternative and specialty parts to repair and accessorize vehicles, wrote to the working group that it is “just as important” that owners of heavy-duty
trucks have a choice in where and how they repair their vehicles — akin to light-duty vehicle owners.
The draft report currently recommends the yet-to-be-formed enforcement commission include at least one member who is an owner or operator of an independent repair shop specializing in heavy-duty vehicles, and at least one member representing a heavy-duty vehicle manufacturer.
The working group learned heavyduty vehicles differ from automobiles regarding how they’re manufactured, assembled, used, owned and repaired, the draft states.
Further, the working group recommends the future commission include a member of the public who is a Maine resident.
Stakeholders Chime In
The working group collected public comments on its forthcoming right to repair law recommendations through Jan. 3. Those comments varied widely, including on the implementation date of the telematics provisions.
The Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) argued implementation of the telematics requirements should be postponed until the state legislature adopts amendments to those
provisions.
Any changes to telematics provisions in the Maine law are generally expected to be made after the Maine Legislature has had a chance to review the recommendations the working group intends to send by Feb. 28.
LKQ Corp. and the Maine Auto Recyclers Association (MARA) commented the working group should uphold the Jan. 5 implementation date outlined in the November 2023-passed ballot initiative.
“[T]hey should not have to wait because some groups did not prepare for the inevitable date of implementation,” LKQ Corp. Government Affairs Manager Andreas Hess wrote in his comments to the working group.
MARA supported the working group’s proposal to add a member of the heavy-duty vehicle sector to the future right-to-repair commission, and advocated maintaining the Jan. 5 implementation date.
In its comments, MARA wrote it has approximately 50 members, including “virtually all” of Maine’s larger auto recycling firms, which supply used parts to independent repair facilities and vehicle owners who repair their own cars in Maine.
MARA Executive Director Bill Bell wrote in comments that he recognized an “inherent conflict” between the ballot initiative’s implementation date of Jan. 5 and the Feb. 28 date that a subsequent law, L.D. 2289, stipulates the working group must send its legislative recommendations to the Maine legislature.
“However, this conflict could have been avoided had the entities now requesting postponement approached the previous Maine Legislature in the same cooperative manner which they have brought to the current Working Group,” Bell wrote.
EMA differed from LKQ Corp. and MARA in terms of the vehicles the regulations should cover and the implementation date.
“[W]e request that the Automotive Working Group recommend that enforcement of the Maine Automobile Right to Repair Law should be held in abeyance at least until the amendments that the Working Group has recommended are adopted by the Maine legislature,” EMA representative Patricia Hanz wrote in a letter to the working group.
The Jan. 5 implementation of the law would’ve caused confusion and disruptions in the use, operation, and availability of commercial vehicles
throughout Maine, Hanz wrote.
“[W]hile the Maine Attorney General’s Office has opined that Section 6 of the law is ‘selfexecuting,’ there are literally hundreds of other issues impacting the regulated community that have yet to be resolved, many of which are dependent on the pending amendments of the law,” she added.
Maine’s right to repair regulations should not include heavy-duty vehicles, because of the “significant differences” between passenger and medium- and heavy-duty vehicle markets, Hanz wrote.
The Auto Care Association (ACA), in its public comments, fired salvos at the auto manufacturers on the working group for apparent deliberate attempts to delay implantation of the ballot initiative, citing a March 2024 New York Times story covering ostensible practices by General Motors to share vehicle owners’ data to insurance companies without the owners’ consent.
“What should be clear from the manufacturers’ arguments is their steadfast refusal to comply with or even attempt to comply with the Maine right to repair law,” ACA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and General Counsel Lisa Foshee wrote. “These actions, which would
be misleading enough standing alone, are particularly hypocritical considering the extensive amount of data manufacturers collected during this same period and shared with third parties for profit.”
Foshee suggested the Maine Attorney General’s Office — which is overseeing implementation of right to repair provisions in the state — reject recommendations to delay the implementation date, and omit heavy-duty vehicles from the law.
In public comments, Maine Democratic state Rep. Tiffany Roberts highlighted potential preemption issues that the forthcoming Maine proposal could face. She particularly noted the pending Federal Repair Act, which she said emphasizes standardized access platforms, privacy safeguards and federal oversight, “areas where Maine’s law is vague or silent.”
Roberts also underscored existing federal mandates, including National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) mandates that instruct access to telematics to be designed with “robust cybersecurity protections” to prevent unauthorized access.
“Maine’s law lacks these essential safeguards, creating potential conflicts,” she wrote.
The working group should recommend delay of telematics provisions until an analysis can determine whether telematics access is “genuinely necessary for repairs” and should clarify key definitions like “independent repair facility” before submitting its final report to the Maine Legislature in February, Roberts wrote.
She also recommended the working group engage with NHTSA, the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Federal Trade Commission to ensure Maine’s right to repair regulations complement, rather than conflict with, national guidelines.
“Without clearer guidance, stronger protections, and alignment with federal standards, the law risks creating more problems than it solves,” Roberts wrote, “for consumers, manufacturers, and repair facilities alike.”
Auto Dealers Optimistic Despite EV Challenges, Survey Finds
Auto dealers are maintaining a positive outlook on the value of their businesses for 2025, despite an increasingly mixed sentiment regarding profits and franchise performance, according to the newly released 2024 Kerrigan Dealer Survey. The survey, which collected responses from more than 635 auto dealers, revealed 51% of respondents believe dealership valuations will remain elevated, with an additional 17% anticipating further increases. This optimism comes even as dealership profits begin to stabilize after the record highs of recent years.
“Despite a moderation in profits, auto dealer sentiment remains upbeat on 2025’s valuations, directly impacting acquisition activity in the coming year,” said Erin Kerrigan, founder and managing director of Kerrigan Advisors.
EVs Pose Profitability Concerns
One of the most striking findings of the survey is the concern surrounding new electric vehicle (EV) sales. A significant 77% of dealers expect EV sales to negatively affect profitability in 2025, citing challenges such as higher costs and an evolving
consumer base.
In contrast, hybrid vehicle sales and parts and service operations are seen as key growth drivers, with 77% and 75% of respondents, respectively, expecting these areas to boost earnings.
Franchise Trust and Valuation Trends
Dealer sentiment toward specific franchises also varied widely. Toyota and Lexus emerged as the most trusted and sought-after franchises, with 83% and 76% of respondents expressing high trust in the brands.
“Toyota and Lexus are by far the most requested brands in our Buyer Database and in this year’s survey,” noted Ryan Kerrigan, managing director of Kerrigan Advisors.
These brands’ strategies in inventory management, EV development and network size are seen as particularly attractive.
Conversely, Stellantis brands like Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram (CDJR) and Nissan saw significant trust declines, with 72% of respondents indicating no trust in CDJR — a record-high figure for the survey. More than 64% of
respondents also expect CDJR, Infiniti, Lincoln and Nissan franchises to decrease in value over the next 12 months.
Acquisition and Consolidation on the Rise
Acquisition trends point to continued consolidation in the industry. Nearly half (49%) of dealers surveyed plan to add one or more dealerships to their portfolio in 2025, up slightly from 47% in 2024. Meanwhile, the percentage of dealers planning to sell has risen to 7%, reflecting a small but growing segment concerned about declining profits. “The industry’s view that scale will be crucial in the evolving auto retail landscape is driving enterprises to either expand or sell as consolidation continues,” Erin Kerrigan said.
Methodology
The findings are based on anonymous survey responses from franchised auto dealers in Kerrigan Advisors’ proprietary dealer database. Data was collected between June and November 2024 and analyzed in conjunction with the issuance of The Blue Sky Report.
getting secondary suppliers, which is really hard, or thinking through: How do you keep people working? How do
you keep getting people paid?
“Having transparency with your vendors becomes super important, CCC being one of the big ones out there,” Denison said. “That’s why we’re working with them to understand their communication plan. Then, the moment we hear something from them, what would then be our actions? How would we tell our stores? And then how do we tell operations: This is what our plan is. We’re going to have to go to paper and pencil for a while. And it’s hard to
think through, but we prepare.”
She compared it to preparing for a hurricane, wildfire or other natural disaster.
“You know what you would do in that instance, and I think this is exactly the same,” she said. “What would it do to business continuity if something happened for your paint distributor or any of your vendors? How would you react? And do you have somebody next in line to take up that slack?”
Simple Step Could Have Sped Response
Denison recalled the first time the company had a third party come in to run an exercise to assess the company’s plans and procedures for a hypothetical emergency.
“They tell us the scenario and they said, ‘What are you going to do,’” Denison said. “And all of us turned to our computers. They’re like, ‘You’ve already failed.’ All our
communications plans, all our numbers, everything was stored in a document on the network. So we had failed from that very first line. So it’s about thinking through those things.
“Things as simple as: Do I have [Caliber CEO] David Simmons’ cell phone number saved in my phone so that if something happened, I can get in touch with him and I’m not reliant on the Caliber infrastructure to do it.”
The CDK cyberattacks taught the company it didn’t know which management system each of its dealer suppliers use.
“Our supply chain had a ton of
work to get done immediately, and they did a phenomenal job, but we could have been 24 hours sooner to a solution if we’d just known that,” Denison said.
Basic Protective Steps Don’t Cost Much
In terms of your own company’s cyber security, Spencer Colemere of Cisco said there are a few basic things to do that are free or inexpensive.
“The first is to have a password policy,” Colemere said. “Require passwords. Ask people not to write down their passwords on a notepad. Installing and using a password manager is a good idea.
“Another approach is multifactor authentication,” Colemere said. “Most applications now have multifactor authentication built in. So there’s a lot of easy, free things we can do that are built into applications today. We just we need to take the time to turn those switches on.”
Making sure all software is regularly updated is another good step, Colemere said.
“There are all these vulnerabilities in software that people can use and can exploit,” he said. “So we need to make sure we’re patching those, and keeping the software up to date. There have been a lot of exploits in the last couple years where people find a
Ashley Denison of Caliber Collision said preparing for how to respond if a key vendor was a victim of a cyberattack should be part of a company’s data security effort.
Jerry Davis of Microsoft said the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offers free cybersecurity information, tools and guidance for businesses of all sizes.
Spencer Colemere of Cisco said using a password manager and multifactor authentication,
back door through a vulnerability [in software] that was fixed a year ago that the company didn’t ever update.”
Denison, too, pointed to lowcost steps collision repairers can take, such as making sure they are using the built-in tool options within Microsoft products.
“We all have Windows machines, because that’s what our software runs on, so use all the tools [in that software] that you already have today, the tools Microsoft brings to the table that you’re already paying for but just might not know to use, before you start spending a ton of money,” Denison said. “Make sure that the investment you already have, you’re using to the fullest.”
Jerry Davis, customer security officer for Microsoft, said there is help available through the federal government.
“There’s an organization called the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA),” Davis said. “It’s part of Homeland Security, and they’re responsible for cybersecurity of the nation. They do a lot of publicprivate partnerships, and they create a lot of guidance for the public at large. And if you go to their website (www.cisa.gov) there’s all sorts of information, tools and guidance, specifically for small and mediumsized businesses. It’s free. So if you
don’t know how to get started, CISA is a great place.”
Colemere offered precautions about artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace.
“Are your employees going to thirdparty applications, like ChatGPT, as part of their work?” Colemere asked repairers to consider. “If you go to ChatGPT, if you’re exposing anything to OpenAI or ChatGPT, they can now see that and train on that data. So we have to be careful both in the AI we’re building for our business to make sure that’s safe and secure, but also about employee usage of third-party AI, making sure they aren’t exposing our intellectual property to these third-party applications.”
Beyond all these basic steps, Colmere said, as a company gets larger, it likely will need to bring in experts to implement tools to help detect and prevent cyberattacks.
“I don’t know if I have the best answer in terms of when you make that next leap of investment,” Colemere said. “It’s really a risk decision that the organization needs to make: How much risk do you want to expose yourself to? And at what point do I start investing to mitigate or reduce that risk?”
AUTOBODY
or upgrading an existing one, and choose a booth that has the capacity to meet them.
Think about the shop’s potential business mix as well.
“So if you’re just doing regular vehicles right now, but you see yourself getting into doing more of these Sprinter vans, well then a normal height booth is not going to work. You’re going to need a high-top type of booth, which I’ve seen a lot of those go in,” Selover said.
“Prepare for growth. Pay ahead for the growth now. Because once you put a booth in, it’s a lot of work to pull one out and put a different one,” he added.
Finally, think about where in the shop the booth should be installed to enhance, rather than inhibit, workflow. For instance, don’t put one in a corner that requires a vehicle to be backed out.
“That means, ‘I get so much more production space for my body guys,’” Selover said of the logic behind that placement. “I hope they don’t mind moving all those cars out every time we have to take one out of the booth to get another one in. I’ve seen that a million times.”
He recommended getting input from the shop’s paint company and material distributor, as well as its booth distributor.
Also consider the booth manufacturer’s country of origin, Selover advised. If replacement parts have to come from overseas, the wait could hurt production while the booth is out of commission.
Innovation in Collision Repair Paint Booths
Strandberg asked about new technology in paint booths.
“It’s a box that moves air and provides heat. There’s only so much you can do with that, right?” Selover said.
However, he said, new booths are more efficient than ever, and installing lights horizontally, rather than vertically, reduces shadows.
Garmat is currently testing in about 50 shops a new piece of connected equipment that can monitor the booth, to keep track of preventative maintenance and remotely diagnose issues “before it becomes a problem.” The equipment was on display at the 2024 SEMA Show in November.
Selover wrapped up the discussion by reminding listeners he also has a bi-weekly podcast, Mind Wrench, available on Apple, Spotify, iHeart and Amazon Music.
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Collision Repair Industry Saw Revenue Decline, Surging Consolidation in 2024
The collision repair industry underwent significant shifts in 2024, marked by declining revenues, rising shop closures and rapid consolidation among operators. These trends were the focus of a presentation by David Roberts, founder and managing director of Focus Advisors Automotive M&A, at the MSO Symposium, held in November in Las Vegas.
Roberts said that while the industry is returning to pre-COVID conditions, challenges such as fewer repairable vehicles and increasing vehicle complexity persist. “To succeed in an industry where complexity and access to repairable vehicles are ever more challenging, operators with scale will continue to grow and thrive,” Roberts emphasized.
Decline in Single Shops, Growth for Larger Operators
Independent single-shop closures reached nearly 800 in 2024, a reflection of declining revenues and intensified competition. Conversely, medium and large multi-shop operators (MSOs) continue to thrive, particularly those with seven
or more locations.
“Independent MSOs with four to six shops — and especially those with seven or more — are not just surviving; they’re thriving,” Roberts pointed out.
Collision Center have each grown their shop counts by more than 22% in 2024, focusing heavily on acquisitions.
Rise of Private Equity-Backed MSOs
Private equity-backed MSOs, dubbed “Sharks” by Roberts, are also gaining momentum. These seven consolidators, including Quality Collision Group and Kaizen Collision, added nearly 100 shops collectively in 2024.
Auto Body in California, which scaled from 31 shops in 2023 to 43 as of early November without private equity, and TAG Auto Group in Indiana, which expanded both shop counts and calibration centers.
Roberts commended their entrepreneurial spirit, stating, “It really comes down to the vision of the entrepreneurs and the opportunities they see in their markets.”
Future Challenges and Opportunities
The consolidation trend is evident in the expansion of major consolidators like Caliber Collision and Classic Collision. Caliber leads the industry with more than 1,800 locations and an aggressive growth strategy that combines acquisitions and new developments. Meanwhile, Classic Collision and Joe Hudson’s
Roberts detailed their financial strategy: “Private equity firms deploy significant capital to acquire smaller operators, improve efficiencies, and achieve substantial returns through enhanced EBITDA and higher multiples.”
Regional MSOs: A Competitive Force
Independent regional MSOs have demonstrated resilience by leveraging unique operational strategies. Examples include G&C
Looking ahead, Roberts anticipates increased pressure on repair margins due to rising labor and parts costs, stricter OEM certification standards, and growing competition for skilled technicians. He predicts consolidators and well-capitalized regional MSOs will dominate the market, achieving more than 50% market share within the next decade.
“The best repairers will need to be super-efficient,” Roberts concluded. “Consolidators and independent regional MSOs with advanced skill sets and certifications will lead the industry.”
Joe Hudson’s Collision Center is among the top consolidators, growing its store count by more than 22% in 2024, including its acquisition of Roy’s Body Shop and Garage in Maryland, seen here, in May.
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NHTSA Finalizes Rule Reward Auto Safety Whistleblowers
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) finalized a landmark rule to formalize its whistleblower program, providing critical protections and monetary incentives to individuals who report safety violations within the automotive industry.
“Whistleblowers shine a light on critical safety issues and play a vital role in safeguarding our nation’s vehicles and roads,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said. “Safety is NHTSA’s top priority, and the agency is committed to doing everything in its power to protect whistleblowers.”
This rule fulfills a requirement of the Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act, which was introduced under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. After publishing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in April 2023 and considering public comments, NHTSA adopted the rule without significant changes.
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State Laws Affecting Auto Insurance Rates Taking Effect in 2025
Drivers in several U.S. states are set to experience higher car insurance premiums in 2025 as new legislation increases minimum coverage requirements. States including California, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Utah are updating their auto insurance laws, with most changes aimed at providing better financial protection in the event of an accident.
California’s minimum coverage limits, which haven’t changed since 1976, will double on Jan. 1, 2025, to $30,000 for bodily injury liability per person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage.
“The old minimum car insurance requirements hadn’t changed since 1976 when a brand-new Ford Pinto cost about $2,600,” Miguel Custodio, a personal injury attorney in Los Angeles, told CarInsurance. com. “The old $15,000 bodily injury coverage limit wouldn’t even pay for a broken arm today.”
These higher limits mean California drivers with stateminimum auto insurance will see their policies automatically renew with increased coverage, likely
resulting in higher premiums.
Similar changes are set for North Carolina, where minimum liability limits will increase to $50,000/$100,000/$50,000 starting July 1, 2025. Drivers in North Carolina will also be required to carry underinsured motorist insurance matching their bodily injury limits.
Virginia, which previously allowed drivers to forgo insurance by paying a $500 uninsured motor vehicle fee, now requires all drivers to carry insurance as of July 1, 2024.
Starting Jan. 1, 2025, Virginia’s minimum liability coverage will rise from $30,000/$60,000/$20,000 to $50,000/$100,000/$25,000.
Utah’s new minimums — $30,000/$65,000/$25,000 — also take effect in 2025. As with California, Utah policies will automatically renew at the updated limits.
While Maryland’s new laws primarily affect insurers’ reporting practices rather than consumer policies, higher minimum limits are anticipated during the 2025 legislative session.
Financial and Safety Implications
These changes aim to offer drivers greater financial protection, aligning minimum coverage limits with modern health care and repair costs.
“The trend of states increasing their minimum coverage requirements will likely continue,” said Kyle Bailey, an attorney with McCready Law in Chicago. “Given that the current limits are no longer adequate to cover the expenses of a moderately significant collision, raising the minimum coverage requirements has become a necessity for many state governments.”
However, higher coverage limits come with increased premiums. Rate hikes will vary by state and depend on factors such as location, insurance company and driving history. While a state-minimum policy will remain the most affordable option, drivers may explore state assistance programs like California’s Low-Cost Auto Insurance Program if premiums become unaffordable.
Despite the potential cost
increases, experts argue the changes will enhance road safety by ensuring better protection in accidents.
“When all drivers are required to carry higher coverage limits, it provides more protection in the event of an accident,” Bailey noted.
Broader Trends and Predictions
The legislative changes reflect a growing national trend of modernizing insurance laws. States like Maryland are expected to follow the lead of neighboring states such as Virginia, which recently increased their limits.
As vehicle repair and health care costs continue to outpace inflation, more states are likely to adopt similar measures in the coming years. Looking ahead, drivers should prepare for potentially higher premiums as state governments strive to balance consumer protection with affordability.
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Automaker Details Repair Procedure Development, Says It Will Audit
By John Yoswick Autobody News
At a Society of Collision Repair Specialists’ (SCRS) OEM Summit session during the 2024 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, representatives of Rivian offered a detailed look at the process it used to develop its collision repair frame rail sectioning procedures.
“It is quite a large job to replace a frame on our vehicle,” Kelly Logan, director of collision repair programs for Rivian, said at the start of the session. “So having these localized repairs are very important for cost of ownership for our customers, for making sure their vehicles can be repaired after accidents. When we started, I didn’t realize this was going to be a three-year process.”
Dan Black, senior manager of service engineering for Rivian’s collision repair program, pointed to one aspect of the now-published front frame rail sectioning procedure that highlights the need to follow the procedures carefully.
“One unique thing you will notice with our front frame rails is we have a skip stitch, but it’s a legitimate skip
stitch,” Black said. “You don’t fill the stitch. So you apply a portion of a weld starting at the corners, the top two corners preferably. Do not fill in the stitch, because if you do, you will create too much of a heat-affected zone and we will get an undesirable performance as a result of that.
“It’s an easy instance, in my opinion, to over-repair,” Black continued. “The gaps between the welds need to be there [for the crash force] to load in the way that was intended.
If we add too much strength to the joint, we’ve actually gone backward and weakened the joint because there’s too much heat applied to that environment where the metal is hypersensitive to heat thresholds.”
As with most other automakers, Rivian has specified the adhesives that are to be used in its rivet bonding applications.
“In all of our vehicles, we use 3M 7333 and Lord Fusor 2098 in terms of our approved structural impact adhesives,” Black said of the front rail sectioning. “We use those throughout our entire vehicle in many other application areas.”
Validating the Procedures
The Rivian representatives also described the process they used to validate the procedures once drafted.
“We go through each repair procedure with a technician who has not done it before,” said David Sosa, manager of Rivian’s collision research and development workshop. “We take a fully drivable vehicle that we have in the workshop…and we grab one of the technicians in our workshop —usually different levels, somebody who’s a
little more skilled all the way down to somebody who has a little bit less skill — and we have them do this entire procedure and follow the steps.
“In most cases, we will record the whole process. We’ll allow them to take notes. We’ll time study it as well. This is really to get a technician’s perspective,” Sosa explained. “Do the repair procedures make sense? Is there an easier way of getting the point across to a technician? Is there something that’s a little bit confusing?
From left, Rivian’s David Sosa, Kelly Logan and Dan Black said the automaker’s repair procedures are physically performed by Rivian employees before they are finalized.
The SCRS OEM Summit during SEMA included a panel of Rivian representatives explaining how their repair procedures are developed.
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Can we get a better angle on the picture that we have in the procedure, because as the technician’s looking at it, maybe he doesn’t know which side he’s looking at: looking at it from the bottom to the top, from the left to the right? So we really want all that feedback.
“And our validation techs don’t hold back,” Sosa added. “They really let us know if something needs to get changed, if something needs to get improved, if there’s a better way of doing this.”
Sosa said the Rivian workshop is equipped with a lot of different tools and pieces of equipment they may use while physically doing the procedures all the way through.
“We look to see what works best, what tools may not work, where we may not have the right access,” he said. “We may even take that a little bit farther and see which collision centers in our network have those tools, or we can reach out and say you’re potentially going to need a new tool to do this procedure. We take all that feedback, and if there are any changes that we have to do in the procedure, we give that back to [the] team.
“We’ll then have discussions around: Is there a better image we can use here? Is there an additional step? Is there a note? Is there a warning? Is there something that we have to put
in to really make the life easier for the technician who is going to be doing this repair out in the real world?” Sosa said.
Logan said feedback on the procedures doesn’t end there.
“I think that’s another important thing to stress, that we do take input from our certified collision network out there on our procedures,” Logan said. “Having that kind of full feedback loop from our collision centers is important. I know for myself as a technician, having had some really bad procedures in my past life, you think: Who developed this thing? So we actually have a very open feedback loop so our network shops can get that feedback to us.”
Logan said he once saw a comment from a technician on an industry Facebook group that said automakers only create repair procedures to total out cars.
“That made me really mad, to be honest with you,” Logan said. “That’s the farthest thing from the truth. You’ll see in this presentation all the work that went into developing the procedures. We want our vehicles repaired, we want our customers to remain in their vehicles after accidents. And obviously, safety is critical.”
Rivian Will Audit Repairs
Logan also said Rivian does plan to conduct onsite audits of repairs at its certified collision repair centers.
“The technicians go through the training, they look at the repair procedures, so no one is intentionally not wanting to do it properly,” he said. “So it’s like ‘trust but verify,’ right? Going out there and making sure that everyone understands.
“We’ve seen it: we get questions that come in from our network shops, just misunderstanding what the information is. You can interpret a procedure one way, or maybe you didn’t go into our repair guidelines and our repair manual,” Logan said. “The repair procedures themselves are just how to handle that particular part. But if you go into the service manual, we have repair guidelines that talk about welding, that talk about the welding wire and gas, weld prep, all these different things. Those are the kind of things that we really stress.
“You really have to do your homework and you have to do the research, and you have to become knowledgeable of our vehicles when you’re a technician,” Logan added. “And that’s not really different than any vehicle out there today.
“I joke all the time: It used to be easy to fix cars, right? It’s not easy anymore,” he concluded. “You have to research the repair procedures, and you have to do what the OEMs are stating in their repair procedures.”
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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.
Pedestrian Safety Gear Fails To Aid Automated Crash Prevention
Reflective safety gear, meant to protect pedestrians and roadway workers, may hinder the effectiveness of automated crash prevention systems, a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) revealed.
automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems in three 2023 vehicle models — the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Forester — testing their responses to various clothing types under different lighting conditions. Results
The findings raise concerns about the compatibility of widely used safety measures and emerging vehicle technologies.
The study examined pedestrian
revealed significant disparities in performance, with some systems failing to detect pedestrians wearing reflective clothing designed to make them more visible.
“These results suggest that some automakers need to tweak their pedestrian automatic emergency braking systems,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “It’s untenable that the clothes that pedestrians, cyclists and roadway workers wear to be safe may make them harder for crash avoidance technology to recognize.”
Testing involved an adultsized dummy dressed in various outfits, including all-black clothing, reflective jackets, white clothing and retroreflective strips simulating roadway worker gear. Trials were conducted at 25 mph under lighting conditions ranging from no illumination to the federally recommended 20 lux.
The Subaru Forester demonstrated superior performance, avoiding collisions in nearly all scenarios, except one. In contrast, the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5 frequently failed to detect the dummy, especially when dressed in reflective strips or under low lighting conditions. Both vehicles performed better with additional roadway lighting but struggled with specific clothing types.
“The placement and motion of
reflective strips on the joints and limbs of pants and jackets allows drivers to quickly recognize the pattern of movement as a person,” said David Kidd, a senior research scientist at IIHS. “Unfortunately, the moving strips didn’t have the same effect for the pedestrian AEB systems we tested and probably confounded their sensors.”
The findings show the importance of addressing gaps in AEB technology. While past IIHS research found these systems reduce pedestrian crashes by 27% during the day, their effectiveness on dark roads is negligible.
“This is a worrisome blind spot,” Harkey noted. “To make good on their potential, pedestrian detection systems have to work with the other commonly used safety measures.”
Automakers are already working to improve nighttime AEB performance in response to IIHS testing protocols emphasizing nighttime capabilities. However, this study shows the need for further adjustments to ensure pedestrian detection systems can accurately recognize individuals wearing standard safety gear.
CIECA Announces New Member Alexa Holly
CIECA welcomed Alexa Holly Inc. as a new CIECA member. Founded in 2020 by Myles Chaput , senior developer at Alexa Holly Inc., the company focuses on creating apps, including Rocketpros and Rocketpro Lite, that automate the collision repair shop management experience for staff and customers.
Chaput joined CIECA to use CIECA BMS Standards and share data from the estimating providers to the app’s API for automation.
“From parts analysis to estimate line analysis, customer interactions, Google review aggregation, performance tracking, technician tracking, AI analysis and more, none of this could be done without CIECA standards,” he said.
Chaput noted it’s important to have a consistent, scalable data structure. In addition, Chaput hopes to learn how companies are using CIECA API Standards (CAPIS).
A pedestrian mannequin dressed in white clothing (upper left), black clothing (upper right), black clothing with retroreflective strips (lower left) and black pants with a highly retroreflective jacket (lower right).
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