March 2021 Northeast Edition by Autobody News

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GM to Idle 3 Plants in North America Due to Semiconductor Shortage by Jamie L. LaReau, Detroit Free Press

G eneral M otors is idling three of its assemb ly plants in North America and running a fourth in S outh K orea at half capacity for one week as it struggles with the ongoing semiconductor shortage that has already impacted production at F ord M otor C o., S tellantis and others glob ally . O n F eb . 8 , G M will idle the following plants―which run two shifts― for a week: • F airfax Assemb ly and S tamping P lant in K ansas C ity , K S : Ab out 2, 000 hourly workers b uild the C hev -

rolet M alib u sedan and C adillac X T4 S U V • C AM I, Ingersoll, O ntario C anada: Ab out 1, 5 00 hourly workers b uild the C hev rolet E q uinox S U V • S an L uis P otosí , M exico: G M b uilds C hev rolet E q uinox and Trax and G M C Terrain S U V s S ome related G M plants that supply engines and other parts to the plants to b e idled may b e minorly impacted. F or example, the engine plant at G M ’ s S pring Hill Assemb ly complex will reduce a shift on one See Semiconductor Shortage, Page 26

States Revive Push for Virus Liability Protections for Employers by Chris Marr, Bloomberg Law

M ore than a doz en states at the start of the 2021 legislativ e season are renewing a push to shield b usinesses from lawsuits ov er customers’ or employ ees’ C O V ID -19 exposure. F rom F lorida to M ontana, state lawmakers hav e declared liab ility protections to b e a top priority this y ear. Repub lican lawmakers are mostly leading the charge, b ut in a few cases they ’ re coordinating with D emocratic legislators or gov ernors. If these states enact liab ility shields, they would join more than a

doz en others that did so in 2020. These state laws b roadly shield all or most ty pes of b usinesses from coronav irus-related liab ility lawsuits, unless a plaintiff can show the company was grossly negligent or guilty of intentional misconduct. After a federal proposal championed b y S enate Repub licans failed to win approv al, the attention is b ack on the states and expected to stay there, now that D emocrats will control b oth chamb ers of C ongress and the W hite House as of J an. 20. “ W e do not anticipate liab ility See Virus Liability Protections, Page 28

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AUTOBODYNEWS.COM Vol. 11 / Issue 12 / March 2021

President Biden Signs Executive Order to Strengthen Buy American Act Provisions by Roger Abbott and Karl Means at Miles & Stockbridge P.C.

O n J an. 25 , P resident J oe Biden issued an executiv e order on E nsuring the F uture Is M ade in All of America b y All of America’ s W orkers. The order is part of his “ B uild B ack B etter Recov ery P lan” to strengthen American manufacturing and has potentially far-reaching effect. The order will tighten the federal gov ernment’ s req uirements to b uy American products, support American job s and rationaliz e the enforcement of the country ’ s patchwork of

“ M ade in America” laws. C ompanies that supply goods and serv ices to the federal gov ernment may no longer benefit from statutes like “ B uy American.” The J an. 25 order will tighten agencies’ purchasing b y increasing domestic content req uirements and close loopholes for determining country of origin under M ade in America laws. Companies that benefit from domestic preferences now must re-examine whether they will continue to benefit under the proposed new regulations. C ontractors and sub contracSee Buy American Act, Page 20

Schools and Scans Among Topics Addressed at CIC on upcoming meeting dates for any industry adv isory committees for A new position statement related collision repair training programs at to what is―and isn’t―included in any U.S. schools―particularly for v ehicle scan charges, and a plea for any such program that is struggling information ab out any school’ s colli- or in danger of b eing closed. sion repair training programs that is Arrants contends “ the pipeline struggling, were among the topics at containing the future workforce is collapsing,” offering some indirect ev idence of a not insignificant decline in the numb er of such programs. S / P 2, he said, which offers online safety and pollution prev ention training used b y some automotiv e training programs, reported 22, 7 3 5 collision repair students took the training in 2020, down nearly 3 7 % ASA is drafting a position statement indicating that a from 2019 . charge for a vehicle scan is distinct from charges for That decline can’ t b e other procedures such as researching diagnostic codes and system initializations b lamed on the pandemic; the numb er of students in the first Collision Industry Confer- automotiv e serv ice or heav y -duty truck training programs who took S / ence (C IC ) of 2021, held v irtually P 2 training rose b y as much as 2% in online in J anuary . George Arrants of the AS E 2020 compared to the prev ious y ear. E ducation F oundation said his orArrants also said of the more ganiz ation is seeking information See Schools and Scans, Page 24 by John Yoswick

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REGIONAL

C.A.R.Score Now on CARFAX Report .................11

2020 Seat Belt Law Helped Boost NY from

Caliber Announces New Board of Directors

‘Yellow’ to ‘Green’ Rating in Highway Safety Report ................................................19 AASP/NJ Launches New Health Plan Benefit .......6 AASP/NJ Member Donates Vehicle to Driver in Need .........................................................11 Auto Glass Safety Hearing Held in Maryland House of Delegates .......................................16 Ken Barrett Collision Center in Batavia, NY, Donates Refurbished Vehicle .........................18 New Jersey Auto Dealer Rick DeSilva Jr. Named 2021 TIME Dealer of the Year ............12 PA Auto Body Shops Cash in on Winter Weather ........................................................18 Right to Repair Supporters, Opponents Raised a Combined $51.5M in Contributions ............10

Member ........................................................30 CARSTAR Named a Top 40 Franchise ................24 CCC Information Services Inc. Merges,

Anderson - How to Improve Paint Materials Reimbursement ............................................34 Attanasio - Social Media Strategist Identifies Keys to Your Body Shop’s Online Success .....50 Phillips - COVID-19 Vaccinations in the

Mercedes-Benz of Fort Washington ................. 21

Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers .......................... 49

Mercedes-Benz of Paramus ............................ 41

BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers ...................44-45

Mercedes-Benz of West Chester ..................... 21

Cadillac of Mahwah ........................................ 24

Mercedes-Benz of Wilmington ........................ 30

CCC Information Services Inc .......................... 64

Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers ........ 57

Central Avenue Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram ..... 23

MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers.......................... 42

Certified Automotive Parts Association ............ 12

MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers ................36-37

Cherry Hill Nissan ........................................... 22

New Holland Ford ........................................... 35

Classifieds ...................................................... 62

New Holland Toyota ........................................ 22

Colonial Automotive Group .............................. 39

Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Parts Dealers............ 58

Courtesy Mitsubishi ........................................ 38

Northstar Kia................................................... 16

DePaula Chevrolet-Ford .................................. 40

Nucar ............................................................. 29

Dover Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep .............................. 2

Open Road Acura of East Brunswick ............... 52

Eckler’s Automotive .......................................... 7

Packer Norris Parts ......................................... 25

Empire Auto Parts ........................................... 28

Parker LORD ................................................... 11

Equalizer Industries, Inc .................................. 28

Porsche Huntington......................................... 54

Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers .......................... 55

Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers .................... 51

GM Wholesale Parts Dealers ........................... 43

Rafferty Subaru............................................... 12

Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers .31, 32-33

SATA Dan-Am Company .................................. 17

Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers .................... 50

Schultz Ford.................................................... 46

Infiniti of Norwood .......................................... 20

Security Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram ................ 26

Insta Finish ..................................................... 13

Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes ...........8-9

Jaguar Land Rover Cherry Hill......................... 47

Spanesi Americas ........................................... 63

Jeff D’Ambrosio Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge ............ 18

Steck Manufacturing Company ....................... 16

Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers ................ 53

Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers...................... 59

Kia of Attleboro ............................................... 38

Sunmight USA ...........................................14-15

Kundert Volvo.................................................. 27

Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers....................... 50

Protections for Employers ...............................1

LKQ Corporation ............................................... 5

VIP Honda ....................................................... 10

Toyota Remains R&D Patent Leader ....................6

Long Automotive Group .................................. 34

Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers .............. 61

U.S. Electric Vehicle Market Poised for

Malco ............................................................. 19

White Plains Volkswagen ................................ 22 Yonkers Kia ..................................................... 56

Significant Start to ‘21 ..................................48 CIECA Announces Board, Award Recipients .......30 CIECA Forms New Committee ...........................19 Collision Industry Mourns the Loss of Bano Ramirez ...............................................60 COVID’s Impact on Insurance Pricing, Coverage & Digital Trends .............................58 Distracted Driving Trend Persists Despite Passenger Complaints ..................................60 Ford, Google Partner ...........................................4

to Semiconductor Shortage.............................1 Herb Lieberman—A Life of Service ...................38 Industry Members Share Their Predictions for the Year ...................................................58 Jeff Peevy Shares Growth Plans Related to I-CAR Tech Center .....................................46

Collision Repair Facility .................................52

President Biden Signs Executive Order to

Yoswick - Forecast: Expect More Private Equity Coming Into the Industry ....................41

Strengthen Buy American Act Provisions .........1 President Biden: We’ll Replace Entire Fleet of Federal Vehicles with Evs ............................4 Scholarship Application Deadline is March 31 ...27 Schools and Scans Among Topics Addressed

NATIONAL 2021 SEMA HoF Nominations Open ..................59 ABRA Auto Body Repair of America Adds Four New Facilities .......................................60 ACA Launches New Website..............................27

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

American Icon Automotive Finishes ................. 38

Certified Collision Group Announces

Kia Niro EV Winner in Ownership Study .............58

for the EV Revolution.....................................42

Serving New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Northern Virginia, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont 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. ©2021 Adamantine Media LLC.

Mercedes-Benz of Atlantic City ....................... 21

Workplace: What to Consider for Your

Sisk - CIECAST Prepares Collision Repairers

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Contributing Writers: John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr, Stacey Phillips, Victoria Antonelli, Gary Ledoux Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Griffin Reinhard, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Digital Marketing Manager: Bryan Malinski Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Vicki Sitarz Online and Web Content Editor: Abby Andrews Accounting Manager: Heather Priddy Permissions Editor: Randi Scholtes Office Assistant: Dianne Pray

Acura of Westchester ...................................... 48

Will Go Public ................................................62

GM to Idle 3 Plants in North America Due COLUMNISTS

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

CONTENTS

at CIC .............................................................1 States Revive Push for Virus Liability

ASE Announces New Officers, Board Members..22

Record Sales in 2021: Edmunds .....................4

Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers ...................... 60

asTech Device Supports GM Network ................22

WIN Scholarship Open for Applications..............56

McGovern Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram ............... 6

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President Biden: We’ll Replace Entire Fleet of Federal Vehicles with EVs by Tom Moloughney, Inside EVs

P resident J oe Biden isn’ t wasting any time in making his policy clear on electric v ehicles. In a speech J an. 25 , less than one week into his presidency , B iden announced he plans to replace all federal v ehicles in serv ice with domestically -made E V s. According to the G eneral S erv ice Administration’ s 2019 F ederal F leet Report, that’ s a total of 6 4 5 , 000 v ehicles. Howev er, the president didn’ t lay out any plans or timeline whatsoev er, only a commitment to transition the eet to z ero-emission electric v ehicles. “ Together, this will b e the largest mob iliz ation of pub lic inv estment and procurement infrastructure and R& D since W orld W ar II, ” B iden said. B iden also added that all of the electric v ehicles would b e domestically made, which would narrow down the choices when ordering replacement v ehicles. Tesla M odel 3 s hav e already prov en to make great police cruis-

ers for some departments willing to giv e the v ehicle a chance. It appears to be paying off, as the B argersv ille P olice D epartment in Indiana announced the M odel 3 sav ed $ 6 , 7 5 0 in only one y ear of serv ice, as compared to a D odge C harger cruiser.

M ail deliv ery v ehicles are perfect candidates for electric v ehicles b ecause they hav e set routes, do a lot of stop-and-go low-speed driv ing and in many instances don’ t need to cov er many miles to complete their daily route. The 14 0, 000 federal mail

“Together, this will be the largest mobilization of public investment and procurement infrastructure and R&D since World War II,” — Joe Biden W e can only imagine how much the gov ernment would sav e b y replacing more than half a million vehicles with efficient EVs. Nearly 22% of the v ehicles in the federal eet are mail trucks, which are long ov erdue for replacement. The av erage age of a G rumman mail deliv ery truck is 28 y ears, and they lack b asic essential functions of modern v ehicles including airb ags, anti-lock b rakes and air conditioning.

trucks currently in serv ice should be the first eet to be converted. If we take B iden’ s announcement literally , then we hav e to assume he means he’ ll b e ordering a new all-electric presidential limo, affectionately known as “The B east.” P erhaps it will b e a custom stretched Hummer E V -b ased C adillac S U V ? We thank I nsid e E V s for reprint permission.

Ford, Google Partner F ord and G oogle announced F eb . 1 a uniq ue strategic partnership to accelerate F ord’ s transformation and reinv ent the connected v ehicle experience. F ord has also named G oogle C loud its preferred cloud prov ider to lev erage G oogle’ s world-class expertise in data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML.) As part of this new, six-year partnership― beginning in 2023―millions of future F ord and L incoln v ehicles at all price points will b e powered b y Android, with G oogle apps and serv ices b uilt-in. To driv e ongoing innov ation, F ord and G oogle are estab lishing a new collab orativ e group, Team U pshift. L ev eraging the talent and assets of b oth companies, Team U pshift will push the b oundaries of F ord’ s transformation, unlock personaliz ed consumer experiences and driv e disruptiv e, data-driv en opportunities. This may include projects ranging from dev eloping new retail experiences when b uy ing a v ehicle, creating new ownership offers based on data and more. S ource: F ord, G oogle

U.S. Electric Vehicle Market Poised for Record Sales in 2021: Edmunds E lectric v ehicle sales are poised to hit their highest lev el on record in 2021, according to the car shopping experts at E dmunds. E dmunds data shows E V sales made up 1.9 % of retail sales in the U .S . in 2020; E dmunds analy sts expect this numb er to grow to 2.5 % this y ear. “ After y ears of speculation and empty promises, 2021 is actually shaping up to b e a piv otal y ear for growth in the E V sector, ” said J essica Caldwell, E dmunds’ executiv e director of insights. “ W e’ re not only ab out to see a massiv e leap in the numb er of E V s av ailab le in the market; we’ re also going to see a more div erse lineup of electric v ehicles that better re ect current consumer preferences. “ And giv en that the new presidential administration has pledged its support for electrification, the U .S . is likely to see incentiv e programs targeted at fostering the growth of this technology further.” E dmunds analy sts anticipate 3 0 E V s from 21 b rands will b ecome av ailab le for sale this y ear, compared to 17 v ehicles from 12 b rands

in 2020. Notably, this will be the first year these offerings represent all three major v ehicle categories: C onsumers will hav e the choice among 11 cars, 13 S U V s and six trucks in 2021, whereas only 10 cars and sev en S U V s were av ailab le last y ear.

This div erse spread of E V offerings should help encourage stronger loy alty among E V owners, which has dwindled ov er the y ears as shoppers hav e grav itated toward larger v ehicles. According to E dmunds data, 7 1% of E V owners who didn’ t b uy another E V traded in their v ehicle for a truck or S U V in 2020, compared to 6 0% in 2019 and 3 4 % in 2015 . “Americans have a love affair with trucks and S U V s, to the detriment of E V s, which hav e until recently b een mostly passenger cars, ”

said C aldwell. “ Automakers should hav e a much b etter shot of recapturing some of the E V b uy ers who they’ve lost now that they can offer larger, more utilitarian electric v ehicles.” E dmunds analy sts note that this infusion of fresh new products comes at a time where the market is also seeing a positiv e shift in consumer interest in E V s. According to G oogle Trends data, consumer searches for electric trucks and S U V s hav e recently hit a high point after trending upward for y ears. “Besides affordability, one of the b iggest b arriers to increased E V sales has simply b een tepid consumer reception―it’s been tough for companies that aren’ t Tesla to crack the code of how to get shoppers hy ped up for these v ehicles, ” said C aldwell. “ B ut in the past y ear we’ v e seen automakers throw huge adv ertising dollars b ehind their E V launches in an attempt to drum up some b uz z , and it’ s promising that consumers seem to at least b e more aware of the options out there.” As more consumers look to E V s as a possib ility for their next

car purchase, E dmunds experts emphasiz e that shoppers should take extra time to consider their alternativ es and do their research. “ B uy ing an E V is an entirely different beast than a traditional car purchase, so extra research and diligence are key , ” said I van Drury, E dmunds’ senior manager of insights. “ Range and weather conditions play a huge factor in determining whether certain E V s make sense for y our ev ery day needs, and whether y ou own a home with a garage or rent an apartment could affect y our charging situation. “ F ederal and state tax incentiv es are at play with these purchases. And with a numb er of manufacturers following Tesla’ s direct sale model, there might not b e opportunities to take a test driv e, or ev en to trade in y our current v ehicle, like y ou would at a traditional dealership.” S ource: E dmunds

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Toyota Remains R&D Patent Leader

AASP/NJ Launches New Health Plan Benefit Thanks to the Alliance of Automotiv e S erv ice P rov iders of New J ersey (AAS P / NJ ), there is great news for memb ers when it comes to health insurance.

The association has worked with the Amato Insurance Agency , a div ision of W orld Insurance Associates LLC, to off er the AASP NJ Association Health P lan to all memb ers—ev en those out of state—who are in good standing. “ W e are really proud to b e the fi rst to bring this opportunity to New J ersey , ” said J oe Amato S r., principal of the Amato Insurance Agency and AAS P / NJ Allied B oard memb er. A few y ears ago, the U .S . D epartment of L ab or expanded access to aff ordable health coverage for small b usinesses through association health plans. AASP NJ qualifi ed and has b een approv ed for this program, which allows the association to purchase healthcare benefi ts at compet-

itiv e rates and prov ides unlimited major medical group cov erage for b usinesses ranging from small owner-operated shops to megastores. “ B ecause of AAS P / NJ ’ s b uy ing power, we hav e exceptionally priced products as low as $ 3 10 per month for an indiv idual and $ 9 3 2 per month for a full family regardless of its siz e or age, ” Amato said. “ U nder the association health plan, we can prov ide memb ers with solid medical insurance that could b e considerab ly lower than what they are pay ing now.” The Aff ordable Care Act-compliant plan is deductib le-free for prev entativ e exams for annual phy sicals. P articipants can choose from multiple deductib le range options and HS A plans. The program, which b oasts a large national network of doctors and hospitals, enab les participants to use its serv ices out of state. O ther features include, with no copay , a 24 -7 Teladoc serv ice that allows them to call in and receiv e diagnoses, care and prescriptions ov er the phone. Additionally , there is a no-hassle serv ice line av ailab le to all mem-

b ers for a q uick response. “ No more waiting for two hours for an answer! ” Amato said. AAS P / NJ memb ers interested in learning more can contact Amato Insurance Agency P rincipal J oe Amato J r. at (7 3 2) 5 3 0-6 7 4 0, ext. 4 12 or email him at joejr@ amatoagency .com. M emb ers who already work with an Amato agent or serv ice representativ e can continue to do so under the new plan. F or more information on the health plan and other AAS P / NJ member benefi ts, contact Executive D irector Charles Bryant at (7 3 2) 9 22-8 9 09 . Non-memb ers who are interested in joining AAS P / NJ in order to take part in the plan are encouraged to contact B ry ant or the association’s administrative offi ce at (9 3) 6 6 7 -6 9 22 to get started.

The U .S . P atent and Trademark Offi ce awarded Toyota more patents than any other automaker in 2020, according to an annual ranking b y the Intellectual P roperty O wners Association (IP O ). Toy ota’ s engineers and scientists were granted a total of 2, 8 19 patents in 2020, up 4 % from 2019 and far outpacing any other automaker in the U .S . Toy ota continues to inv est heav ily in its rob ust research and dev elopment pipeline and has receiv ed more than 1, 4 00 patents related to autonomous v ehicle technology since 2003. Every hour, Toy ota inv ests more than $ 1 million in emerging technology glob ally , and has inv ested more than $ 1 b illion in R& D related to automated v ehicles and rob otics since 2017 .

F or more information, v isit worldinsurance.com/ amatoagency .

S ource: Toy ota

F or more information on AAS P / NJ , v isit aaspnj.org.

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S ou rc e: A A S P / N J

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Right to Repair Supporters, Opponents Raised a Combined $51.5M in Contributions Auto Care Association ( million)

by Victoria Antram, Ballotpedia

The Right to Repair C oalition and the C oalition for S afe and S ecure D ata receiv ed a comb ined $ 5 1.5 million in contrib utions this election cy cle, making M assachusetts Q uestion 1 the most expensiv e measure in the state for at least the last 15 y ears. Final campaign finance reports for M assachusetts 2020 b allot measure committees were filed Jan. 20. Q uestion 1 amended a 2013 “ right to repair” law. The amended q uestion req uired manufacturers that sell v ehicles with telematics sy stems in M assachusetts to eq uip them with a standardiz ed sy stem b eginning with model y ear 2022. V ehicle owners and independent repair facilities may access the standardiz ed sy stem to retriev e mechanical data and run diagnostics through a mob ile-b ased application. It was approv ed b y a margin of 7 4 .9 7 % to 25 .03 % . The Right to Repair C oalition, the sponsor of Q uestion 1, reported $ 24 .9 million in contrib utions. The top donors to the campaign included:

•

C oalition of Automotiv e Repair Equality ( .2 million) Auto one ( 3 million) O’Reilly Auto Parts ( 3 million) Advance Auto Parts ( 3 million) Genuine Parts Company ( 3 million)

The C oalition for S afe and S ecure D ata registered in opposition to Q uestion 1 and reported $ 26 .6 million in contrib utions. The top donors to the campaign included: General Motors ( 5.5 million) •

Toy ota M otor North America, Inc ( .5 million) Ford Motor Company ( million)

•

American Honda M otor C o.,

•

The Right to Repair C oalition sponsored a 2012 initiativ e. The measure led to a legislativ e compromise in 2013 . A legislativ e alternativ e to the initiativ e was approv ed J uly 3 1, 2012, after the J uly 3 initiativ e signature deadline, so the initiativ e still appeared on the b allot and receiv ed 8 7 .7 % of the v ote. The 2013 legislativ e compromise was approv ed Nov . 26 , 2013 . The committees registered in support of the 2012 initiativ e reported $ 2.3 million in contrib utions, and those registered in opposition reported more than $ 3 07 , 000. The top five most expensive measures b y total contrib utions— support and opposition—in M assachusetts since 2006 are as follows: • $ 4 4 .3 million for Q uestion 2, Authoriz ation of Additional C harter S chools and C harter School Expansion (200 ) •

1, Nurse-P atient Assignment Limits Initiative (201 ) $ 15 .8 million for Q uestion 3 , C asino Repeal Initiativ e (201 )

Inc ( 3.0 million) Nissan North America Inc. ( 2. million)

$ 3 7 .2 million for Q uestion

•

$ 10.7 million for Q uestion 2, E xpansion of B ottle D eposits Initiative (201 ) •

$ 10.2 million for Q uestion 2, Ranked-C hoice V oting Initiative (2020)

In 2020, committees registered to support or oppose all of the 129 statewide measures reported a comb ined total of $ 1.2 b illion in contrib utions and $ 1.02 b illion in expenditures. M assachusetts b allot measure campaigns raised the third largest amount in contrib utions compared to other states with a total of $ 6 1.6 million. C alifornia campaigns raised the most with $ 7 3 9 million, and Illinois campaigns raised the second most with $ 121.2 million. We thank Ballotped ia for reprint permission.

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C.A.R.Score Now on CARFAX Report C .A.R.S core, a div ision of D ealer S pecialties, L L C , announced J an. 22 its v ehicle condition reports will now b e av ailab le on the C ARF AX V ehicle History Report. The v ehicle condition details that C .A.R.S core captures will live indefi nitely within the C ARF AX V ehicle History Report for applicab le v ehicles. C .A.R.S core v ehicle inspectors perform a full, cosmetic ev aluation of the v ehicle including photos of any v isual damage. After the inspection is completed, the car is giv en a star rating for consumers to b etter understand the v ehicle’ s current condition. C .A.R.S core reports display the exterior and interior condition of the v ehicle including instrument and control panels, mirrors, upholstery and ev en reports the scent of the v ehicle. These interactiv e condition reports show specifi c details that car shoppers are looking for, y et, until recently , were not av ailab le on v ehicle history reports. S ource: C .A.R.S core

AASP/NJ Member Donates Vehicle to Driver in Need Alliance of Automotiv e S erv ice P rov iders of New J ersey (AAS P / NJ ) memb er shop owner J ason Boggs, of Boggs A u to C ollision R ebu ild ers in W oodb ury , NJ , and his team b eliev e in giv ing b ack and helping those in need. E ach D ecemb er, B oggs Auto C ollision Reb uilders donates a v ehicle to a well-deserv ing recipient in the area. B oggs was at a 20 G roup meeting 16 y ears ago when he learned ab out a b ody shop on the W est C oast that repaired a totaled v ehicle through Akz oNob el’ s B enev olence P rogram and gav e it to someone who was in need of transportation. “ W e thought, ‘ W hat a wonderful idea, ’ ” B oggs said. “ W hat a way to lift up the industry and do something good for the community . It was something we were capab le of doing, so we jumped on b oard.” The shop has donated repaired v ehicles to community memb ers and organiz ations for the past sev eral y ears. The b usiness works largely with local churches,

schools and organiz ations to learn ab out potential recipients. M ost recently , B oggs Auto C ollision Reb uilders gifted a 2010 M ercury M ilan to Dennis S now of W est D eptford.

that are almost alway s totaled and often set to go to a salv age y ard. B oggs works with the original owners and insurers to b uy them b ack. F rom there, his team assesses the repairs needed.

“We just think this is such a great thing for the industry,” — Jason Boggs “ [ D ennis] rides his b ike to work ev ery day ; he was try ing to sav e up for a car b ut was hav ing troub le doing so. W e did some b ackground research, talked to his b oss and coworkers and realiz ed he was the right fi t,” Boggs said. “ E ach y ear, someone just seems to rise way ab ov e the rest as the standout candidate for the v ehicle, and it’ s usually an easy decision.” S now also receiv ed a $ 1, 000 gas gift card from E nterprise RentA-C ar as well as a y ear’ s worth of v ehicle insurance from local agency C ettei & C onnell, who B oggs said nev er hesitates to contrib ute to the program each y ear. The shop giv es away v ehicles

W hile v endors donated paint and materials for this endeav or in the past, the shop itself has taken on the purchasing of what is needed to repair the v ehicles in recent y ears. “ W e just think this is such a great thing for the industry , ” B oggs said. “ Any one in the automotive industry can usually fi nd a car with some life left that needs some TL C . W e hope others will get the message that they can do this too or b e part of helping this continue. The donation day is alway s our fav orite day of the y ear.” F or more information on AAS P / NJ , v isit aaspnj.org. S ou rc e: A A S P / N J

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New Jersey Auto Dealer Rick DeSilva Jr. Named 2021 TIME Dealer of the Year In recognition of outstanding com- organiz ations selected b y the four munity stewardship during a time fi nalists and J im Ap p leton, presof crisis, Rick DeS ilva J r., owner ident of the New J ersey C oalition of L ib erty S ub aru in E merson, NJ , of Automotiv e Retailers, who nomwas announced as the 2021 TIM E inated D eS ilv a for the award, will D ealer of the Y ear b y leaders from also select a charity recipient. TIM E and Ally F inancial at the In recognition of their achiev e104 th National Automotiv e ments and generosity , Ally D ealers Association S how. also gav e $ 1, 000 to the The New J ersey -archarities of choice for each ea dealer’ s ongoing charof 4 0 nominees. F or more itab le work, particularly information on each of the during the unprecedented nominees, v isit www.Alchallenges of the past y ear, ly D ealerHeroes.com. earned D eS ilv a the most D eS ilv a’ s J ourney to prestigious award in the B ecoming TIM E D ealer of Rick DeSilva Jr. automotiv e dealer industry . the Y ear Among D eS ilv a’ s most recent D eS ilv a, a 19 9 3 graduate of community service eff orts was his M ahwah High S chool in M ahwah, inv olv ement as v ice president of NJ , earned a B .S . in marketing from the M ahwah B oard of E ducation C lemson U niv ersity in C lemson, in the planning of safely b ringing S C , in 19 9 7 . students and staff back to school He alway s wanted to follow during the C O V ID -19 pandemic. in his father’ s footsteps and run D eS ilv a was chosen from a an auto dealership. After college, fi eld of nearly 1 ,000 franchised D eS ilv a entered a management dealers across the country , 4 0 of training program with Toy ota M otor whom made the nominee list. S ales U S A, learning ab out customer Doug T immerman, president service, sales and fi xed operations. of auto fi nance at Ally, and Vik toria Degtar, glob al chief rev enue offi cer of TIME, announced DeSilva as the winner at a v irtual ceremony honoring all the dealer nominees. “ America’ s auto dealers hav e led the way , in their communities and the b roader auto industry , during an incredib ly challenging y ear, ” Timmerman said. “ The TIM E D ealer of the Y ear nominees stand out for their ingenuity in b usiness and unwav ering commitment to giv ing b ack in their local com4700 West Chester Pike munities.” Newtown Square, PA 19073 In addition to D eS ilv a, four 610-353-6906 dealers were recogniz ed as TIM E Dealer of the Year fi nalists: 610-353-4116 24 Hr. Fax www.raffertysubaru.com Christine Alicandro-Karnolt, raffertyparts@aol.com M arty ’ s G M C B uick, K ingston, M A T imothy Crenwelge, C renM-F 7:30am-5pm welge M otors, K errv ille, TX Sat 8am-4pm Michael Molstead, Mik e Molstead M otors, Inc., C harles C ity , IA Christina Dawk ins, C o’ s  Delivery to PA, NJ and DE B M W C enter, L ov eland, C O  Competitive Pricing & Ally , exclusiv e sponsor of the Discounts TIM E D ealer of the Y ear Award, will giv e $ 10, 000 to the charity of D eS ilv a’ s choice. Ally also will donate 5,000 to each of the nonprofi t

That experience would prov e inv aluab le when he returned to the family b usiness in 2003 to open L ib erty Hy undai in M ahwah with his father and b rother. Today , the L ib erty F amily of D ealerships also includes L ib erty K ia in Ramsey , NJ , and G enesis of M ahwah. D eS ilv a is an activ e memb er of the New J ersey C oalition of Automotiv e Retailers, hav ing serv ed on the association’ s b oard of trustees since 2008 and as chairman in 2017 . A recipient of the S ub aru L ov e P romise C ustomer & C ommunity C ommitment Award since the program’ s inception, D eS ilv a’ s dealership hosts annual pet adoption ev ents and has supported Adopta-S oldier P latoon, S pecial O ly mpics New J ersey Torch Run, J ersey C ares C oat D riv e, the V alerie F und, which aids children with cancer and b lood disorders, Ramapo C ollege F oundation, New Y ork-New J ersey Trail C onference and B ergen Highlands Ramsey Rotary G ift of L ife, among other organiz ations. D eS ilv a has b een committed

to promoting improv ements in education within his community . He was elected to the M ahwah B oard of E ducation in 2012 and continues to serve, currently as fi rst vice president. O v er the course of D eS ilv a’ s time with the group, he has successfully hired superintendents, expanded b us serv ice to underserv ed areas and improv ed facilities, including the creation of a new S TE AM center. The TIM E D ealer of the Y ear winner and fi nalists were chosen b y a faculty panel from the Taub er Institute for G lob al O perations at the U niv ersity of M ichigan. D ealers are nominated for the award b y state and regional automotiv e trade association executiv es. S ou rc e: A lly F inanc ial

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Auto Glass Safety Hearing Held in Maryland House of Delegates by Emmariah Holcomb, glassBYTEs.com

M ary land’ s House E nv ironment and Transportation C ommittee meeting had an in-depth auto glass discussion as sev eral industry memb ers weighed in on HB 5 19 , which would req uire those installing auto glass in the state to follow the AG RS S S tandard. “ House B ill 5 19 is a req uest b y the Auto G lass S afety C ouncil (AGSC) desiring to pass legislation to b egin the process of model legislation in the U nited S tates at the state lev el. B asically the b ill does req uires the M otor V ehicle Administration (MVA) to adopt regulations establishing standards and req uirements for the aftermarket safety glass replacement in the state of M ary land, ” said committee chairperson Kumar Barve. Testimony A numb er of industry memb ers testifi ed during the hearing. AGSC b oard memb er T ed Andersen, v ice president of Nov us franchising, said safety reasons led him to participate in the committee meeting. “ Auto glass and the windshield

in particular are integral parts of the safety sy stem for v ehicles. W e call it kind of a safety cocoon almost, ” said Andersen. “ Things like airb ags; if the installation is not done properly airbags will deploy off of your windshield, and if that windshield is not installed properly it could b e remov ed.” He stressed that in ev ery v ehicle glass replacement, the materials need to b e installed properly and must b e correct. He then highlighted an issue with current regulations. “ It’ s important for the safety of M ary landers that glass installation b e done in accordance with the safety standards dev eloped for aftermarket installation. In this case AG RS S is the standard that was dev eloped and approv ed b y ANS I, ” said Anderson. “ All of our franchisees follow the AG RS S standard and make sure that installation is done properly . W e do support this and we feel that it should b e put into law.” rc e , regional manager for G lass America, also spoke in support of the b ill. He informed committee memb ers ab out the v ery small camera, usually mounted in

the center of the windshield, which works in tandem with the car’ s computer to keep the AD AS working properly , and how sudden changes, like cleaning the camera’ s lens, can impact a v ehicle’ s safety . “ This is an important safety issue, as hav ing the camera position off even a minuscule amount can impact its operation.” According to He in, it becomes diffi cult for the industry when certain companies and technicians choose not to follow the standard b ecause it is not an offi cial law. “ W hen some technicians say , ‘ W e don’ t touch the camera, so it doesn’ t need to b e recalib rated, ’ they are jeopardiz ing their customer’ s safety,” added He in. “By making this b ill into law, y ou further protect the driv ing pub lic and show all installers that b y law they must do right.” AG S C P resident Debra Levy also testifi ed, saying the AGRSS is updated and ev aluated as new technology , such as Adv anced D riv er Assistance Systems (ADAS), are dev eloped. “ In my role as a safety glass adv ocate, I sometimes talk to techni-

cians who express ignorance of the standard or, worse, those who know ab out it and say they don’ t need to follow it b ecause it’ s v oluntary and it’ s not the law, ” said L ev y . “ Y ou can change that today for the safety of ev ery one in M ary land with the passage of HB 5 19 .” Bryson Pop ham, a lob b y ist for S afelite, also spoke and recommended legislators consider an amendment to the b ill that would req uire a study b e considered. O ne delegate also posed a q uestion for P opham, related to his amendment. “ Y ou’ re asking for a study and I’ m not necessarily sure that a study done b y this committee is necessarily the b est way to handle this. M ay b e we should ask the department for recommendations, ” she said. “ They make regulations all of the time; if they need some sort of direction for further ob serv ation, they should b e ab le to know what that is.” L ook to a future edition of glassB Y TE s for continuing cov erage of this legislation. We thank glassBY T E s.c om for reprint permission.

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PA Auto Body Shops Cash in on Winter Weather by Carmella Mataloni, WNEP News

There’ s no shortage of smashedup v ehicles in the parking lot of Adv anced C ollision near B artonsv ille, P A. A lot of the v ehicles were wrecks related to the recent snowfall. S teve J urasits owns the b usiness, and he said it’ s b een v ery , v ery b usy . “ P retty steady . The weather has b een steady . There is no shortage of snow and no shortage of accidents either. F or some reason, the snow falls, and people forget how to driv e, which is good for us b ecause it’ s what we do for a liv ing, ” said J urasits. Repairs coming into the shop range from front-end damage to v ehicles b eing totaled. “ A lot of collisions, v ehicle on the v ehicle, a lot of people in the median, off to the side of the road, trees and stuff like that,” said J urasits. B ody shop owners tell Newswatch 16 while they appreciate all the b usiness when

winter weather hits, they cannot stress enough that people really should driv e slowly on the roads. “There’s ust such an in ux of people up here any more, and people just driv e too fast. That’ s the b ottom line. If y ou driv e slow, y ou’ re not going to crash. W e just tell people to slow down. That’ s the key , ” said Rich Bank s, owner of P ocono M otion B ody S hop near S troudsb urg, P A. B anks say s the cost to repair something as simple as a headlight is no joke these day s. “ The av erage headlight today is b etween $ 5 00 and $ 1, 7 00. The parts are just going through the roof. That’ s why car insurance is high, ” said B anks. S eeing as winter is far from ov er, auto b ody shops expect to b e b usy keeping up with repairs ov er the next few weeks. We thank WN E P N ews for reprint permission.

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Ken Barrett Collision Center in Batavia, NY, Donates Refurbished Vehicle Recently, a deserving Oakfi eld, NY , recipient experienced a life-changing ev ent—the presentation of a v ehicle to prov ide them independence and the ab ility to work and take care of their families—thanks to the K en Barrett C ollision C enter and car donor G E IC O , along with the National Auto B ody C ouncil Recy cled Rides program. The presentation was held at K en B arrett C ollision C enter in B atav ia, NY . The deserv ing recipients were selected b y C ommunity Action of O rleans & G enesee. The recipient, Marivel Cibrian, of Oakfi eld, NY, received a 2015 C hev y Trax. A hard-working single parent to a 7 -y ear-old, C ib rian works 3 6 hours a week to support her child and herself, while receiv ing no gov ernment support, including child support or housing. F or C ib rian, the gift of a v ehicle was not an easy task. S he didn’ t hav e a driv er license and had to accomplish many tasks, including taking her fi ve-hour

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2020 Seat Belt Law Helped Boost NY from ‘Yellow’ to ‘Green’ Rating in Highway Safety Report by Mary Stroka, The Center Square

F ollowing the passage of S enate B ill 4 3 3 6 / Assemb ly B ill 6 16 3 in 2020, New Y ork receiv ed “ green, ” the highest rating, in the 18 th annual Roadmap of S tate Highway S afety L aws report, which Adv ocates for Highway and Auto S afety released in J anuary . The law extends the mandate that all v ehicle passengers 16 and older wear a seat b elt from solely apply ing to front seat passengers to apply ing to all passengers. “ W e were thrilled to b e a part of the div erse and large coalition that helped to get the seat b elt upgrade over the fi nish line,” said T ara Gill, Adv ocates’ senior director adv ocacy and state legislation. “ It had b een many sessions and many y ears in the making, and this is one of the primary traffi c safety bills that we recommend. It helped New Y ork go from the y ellow to the green category , which is fantastic.” G ov . Andrew Cuomo signed the seat b elt law in August 2020. V ersions of the b ill date b ack to the 2002 legislativ e session.

This legislativ e session, New Y ork lawmakers are also considering lowering the b lood alcohol content (B AC ) lev els allowed b y law while driv ing to 0.05 (S 13 1), expanding use of speed cameras in a school speed z one of New Y ork C ity (F U RIO U S Act), and req uiring children y ounger than 13 to sit b uckled in a rear seat (S 4 4 0/ A108 6 .) “ New Y ork is a great example of a state that continues to make iterativ e progress to update and improv e its traffi c safety laws,” Gill said. “We look forward to continuing to work with state lawmakers to do so.” Adv ocates also urges New Y ork to postpone issuing unrestricted licenses until age 18 , prohib it cell phone use in the graduated driv ers licensing program except in case of emergencies and req uire children to use a b ooster seat until they are 8 y ears old and 5 7 inches tall. In 2019, New York suff ered 1 fatal crashes, in which 9 3 8 people were killed, according to Institute for Traffi c Safety Management and Research reports. F atal crashes most freq uently

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occurred b etween 3 and 6 p.m. (14 6 crashes), followed b y 6 to 9 p.m. (13 6 crashes) and 9 p.m. to midnight (13 4 crashes). The state experienced the most fatal crashes in J uly (100), S eptemb er (9 2) and August (9 0). The most common contrib uting factors inv olv ed in fatal crashes, according to police reports, were unsafe speed (23 0), pedestrian or b icy clist confusion or error (15 8 ), and passing, lane changing or improper lane use (129 ). D riv ers b eing inattentiv e or distracted was the most reported contrib uting factor to crashes inv olv ing personal injury (29 , 9 9 9 out of 121, 06 8 crashes). New Y ork is among eight states, including D elaware, Rhode Island and Maine, that have a green rating in the report. Thirty states hav e a y ellow rating, “ indicating that improv ement is needed b ecause of gaps in Adv ocates’ recommended optimal laws, ” and 12 states, including New Hampshire and V ermont, hav e a red rating, as they “ fall dangerously b ehind” in adopting Adv ocates’ recommendations. We thank T he C enter S q u are for reprint permission.

C IE C A has announced the formation of a new S tandards D ev elopment C ommittee, the E merging Technologies D ata S tandards C ommittee. All industry stakeholders, including C IE C A and non-C IE C A memb ers, are inv ited to join. C E IC A E xecutiv e D irector Paul Barry said that unlike other committees that focus on a single b usiness prob lem, this committee will look b roadly across the industry to identify emerging needs that may not b e readily v isib le. The committee will provide defi nitions for new terminology to b e documented and shared with the industry , prov ide accurate information to allow industry work ows to be documented, determine the data req uirements to share this information electronically , and ev elop new messages and modify existing messages to share the req uired data. To join the E merging Technologies D ata S tandards C ommittee, fi ll out the form at https: survey.zohopublic.com zs VPCN M S ou rc e: C I E C A

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Continued from Cover

Buy American Act tors will need to closely monitor dev elopments to implement the order to ensure compliance and maximiz e their ability to continue benefiting from these preferences. The federal gov ernment spends some $ 6 00 b illion annually on goods and serv ices. F ederal law req uires gov ernment agencies to giv e preferences to American firms. In the past, B uy American req uirements hav e not b een consistently enforced and waiv ers of the req uirements hav e b ecome common. The executiv e order aims to “ strengthen and enforce ‘ B uy American’ so that the massiv e amount of taxpay er money the federal gov ernment spends ev ery y ear on ev ery thing from defense eq uipment to steel to auto eets is used to help American manufacturers and their workers.” Among other things, the executiv e order will close loopholes that allow companies to offshore production and job s while still q ualify ing

for domestic preferences. F ederal agencies are directed to close current loopholes in how domestic content is measured and increase domestic content req uirements. To accomplish this, the J an. 25 executiv e order: D irects an increase in the threshold amount of domestic content for a product to b e made in the U .S . and q ualify under the B uy America law. “ The content threshold of 5 0% isn’ t high enough, ” according to B iden’ s remarks b efore signing the executiv e order. D irects a change in how domestic content is measured, b asically changing how the gov ernment decides if a product is sufficiently “ M ade in America” : “ The way we measure the content doesn’ t account for U .S job s and economic activ ity , ” and that will change, B iden said. The new proposed test would measure domestic content b y the v alue that is added to the product through U .S .b ased production or U .S . job -supporting economic activ ity . C reates a new M ade in America Office within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and

appoints a new “ D irector of M ade in America” to ov ersee implementation of the executiv e order. D irects a central rev iew of agency waiv ers of B uy American req uirements, to reduce the numb er of unnecessary waiv ers. The rev iew process makes issuing a waiv er more cumb ersome and time-consuming for agencies. It also includes the pub lication of waiv ers on a pub licly av ailab le web site. D irects an increase in the price preferences for domestic goods― the difference in price over which gov ernment can b uy a product from a non-U .S . supplier. This pricing premium was recently increased significantly under a Final Rule issued J an. 19 , from 6 % to 20% for large b usinesses and from 12% to 3 0% for small b usinesses. It is unclear whether the F ederal Acq uisition Regulatory (FAR) Council will propose additional increases. D irects the F AR C ouncil to rev iew existing constraints on the extension of the req uirements in M ade in America L aws to information technology that is a commercial item and dev elop recommendations for lifting

INFINITI OF NORWOOD

these constraints. S upports enforcement of the J ones Act, req uiring the use of U .S .agged vessels carrying cargo between U .S . ports, to support U .S . production and U .S . workers. Although it is unclear whether the proposed changes will simplify compliance with the M ade in America laws, it is likely they will significantly affect which products qualify for preferential treatment. That said, it is worth highlighting sev eral important limitations to the scope of the order: The Administration’ s goal to increase federal purchasing of domestic products is limited b y a numb er of treaty ob ligations. U nder the Trade Agreements Act (TAA), foreign end products produced in certain countries must b e treated as eq uiv alent to U .S . products for purposes of the B AA if they are part of an acq uisition that is eq ual to or exceeds certain monetary thresholds set forth in S ection 25 .4 02 of the F ederal Acq uisition Regulations (FAR). The D epartment of D efense (DOD) has entered into reciprocal

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procurement agreements with 27 foreign counterparts, and has determined that it would b e inconsistent with the pub lic interest to apply B uy American Act restrictions on products from these 27 q ualify ing countries. Unlike the TAA, off ers that fall under these b lanket D O D waiv ers are not sub ject to any threshold. W ithin 18 0 day s (on or b efore J uly 24 ), the F AR C ouncil must consider for pub lication and comment amendments to the F AR. Howev er, recent history indicates that any changes will likely not be eff ective for at least another y ear. Nonetheless, the executiv e order fulfi lls a promise of the Biden

campaign and is intended to ensure the federal gov ernment is inv esting taxpay er dollars in American b usinesses, b oth small and large. The administration’ s policy is to buy from all of America―including minority entrepreneurs and b usinesses―so that “Made in America” means “Made in All of America.” O pinions and conclusions in this post are solely those of the author unless otherwise indicated. The information contained in this b log is general in nature and is not off ered and cannot b e considered as legal adv ice for any particular situation. We thank J D S u pra for reprint permission.

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ASE Announces New Officers, Board Members

asTech Device Supports GM Network

The National Institute for Automotiv e S erv ice E xcellence (ASE) has announced the offi cers and b oard memb ers for the coming y ear, according to T im Z ilk e, AS E president and C E O . Mark Polk e, B osch W orkshop C oncepts, North America, Rob ert B osch L L C , will serv e as chairman, and Brad Pellman, P ellman’ s Automotiv e, as v ice chairman. Homer Hogg, Trav el C enters of America, and Brian S zalk , F C A, will serv e as treasurer and secretary , respectiv ely . Bobby Bassett, formerly of G ates C orporation, will remain on the b oard of directors as past chair. Additional b oard memb ers are J ohn Hanighen, Cloyes Manufacturing; T ed Hayes, Hay es C hry sler, D odge, J eep; Mark Miller, GM Global Technical C enter; T om Palermo, P referred Automotiv e S pecialists; J ason Rainey, NAP A/ AAA; T om T risdale, Toy ota; Jeff er, W alker’ s Automotiv e S erv ice; J ohn o , S nap-on B usiness S olutions; and Z ilke. S ource: AS E

asTech, a Repairify Inc. company , is providing GM with key scanning, diagnostics and calib ration solutions. asTech is OE certifi ed and is committed to prov iding customers with safe and proper repair, protecting customer safety and maintaining product integrity . The GM Collision Repair Network is designed to prov ide tools to assist in the pre- and post-repair scans, usage of OEM repair procedures, completion of recalib ration and q uality -control checks. U sing asTech’ s remote diagnostic solutions within the GM C ollision Repair Network, customers can receiv e diagnostics and calibration of their GM vehicles. This latest announcement demonstrates asTech’ s commitment to prov iding superior q uality automotiv e diagnostic and v ehicle electronic serv ices to professional repair organiz ations. As automotiv e electronics b ecome more adv anced asTech is committed to the safe and proper repair. S ource: asTech

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Schools and Scans than 9 00 collision repair training programs around the country , 17 AS E -accredited programs went inactive this year―and potentially another 2 could in the next few months― and 8 7 schools dropped their I-C AR sub scriptions last y ear.

that’ s struggling, once spring b reak is ov er, those decisions hav e b een made b y [ school] administrators and there’ s nothing we can do to rev erse it. W e need to know as q uickly as possib le to get them the help they need now.” Any one aware of industry adv isory committee meeting dates can reach Arrants b y email at george.arrants@ aseeducation.org.

“We need to know those programs that are in jeopardy as early as possible,” — George Arrants Arrants said b ecause industry adv isory committee meetings hav e largely mov ed online during the pandemic, it is easier for his organiz ation and others seeking to support such programs any where in the country to attend to help struggling programs or those slated to b e shuttered. “ W e need to know those programs that are in jeopardy as early as possib le, ” Arrants said. “ If we wait to find out about a program

Also during the meeting, the Automotiv e S erv ice Association shared a draft of an industry position statement distinguishing a charge for v ehicle scanning as distinct from “ all other procedures necessary to correctly and safely identify and address a v ehicle’ s electronic sy stem faults or diagnostic troub le codes… [ which] are considered additional operations and not included in the scanning operation.” A draft of the position statement

say s those additional operations include such procedures as prepping the v ehicle for a scan; researching, v erify ing and documenting manufacturers’ data; v ehicle diagnostics; sy stems programming or initiation; AD AS calib rations; and test driv ing. D uring C IC , Mik e LeVasseur of AS A’ s C ollision D iv ision O perations C ommittee said clarify ing what is and isn’ t included in a scanning procedure charge, and documenting it within the estimating sy stems, will prov ide “ needed distinction to reduce the friction” that exists b etween shops and insurers relativ e to charges for the operations. The draft statement makes reference to use of “a qualified scan tool, ” and when asked, L eV asseur said that is among the elements of the position statement still to be finaliz ed. “ W e’ re v ery close, b ut there are things open to interpretation that need to be clarified,” LeVasseur said. “ W e will get it, b ut we’ re not there y et.” www.autobodynews.com

CARSTAR Named a Top 40 Franchise C ARS TAR has b een named again to the F ranchise Times “ F ast and S erious” rankings of the smartest-growing franchise companies. B ased on 2020 performance, C ARS TAR ranked 25 th on the list and was the only automotiv e company included. Today , C ARS TAR has more than 7 00 locations in 3 5 states and 10 C anadian prov inces. It nav igated the C O V ID -19 pandemic as an “ essential b usiness” and was ab le to continue its strong performance, positiv e sales growth and consistent unit growth during the challenging y ear. C ARS TAR remains the top collision repair company for the ov erall automotiv e category , and leads the industry in North America with excellent customer serv ice and the highest-q uality auto b ody repairs. S ource: C ARS TAR

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Semiconductor Shortage engine line next week b ecause G M sends that engine to F airfax. In addition, G M will run its B upy eong 2 assemb ly plant in S outh K orea at half capacity b eginning the week of F eb . 8 . G M b uilds the C hev y M alib u, Trax and B uick E ncore S U V there for sale in the U .S . O n J an. 22, B usiness K orea reported G M planned to cuta v ehicle production b y suspending ov ertime and extra work at its B upy eong plant b ecause of the semiconductor shortage. It uses the chips in its electronic control units and infotainment sy stems. “ No production disruptions, ” G M spokesman David Barnas told the F ree P ress the last week of J anuary . “ There were rumors last week from suppliers that our K orea operations were b eing disrupted. B ut G M K orea corrected those stories.” B arnas said G M will not idle B upy eong, b ut will merely run it at half capacity for a week, starting F eb . 8 .

Workers get paid The U AW reacted to G M ’ s news b y say ing its leaders continue to work with major employ ers, the B iden administration, C ongress and suppliers to address the semiconductor shortage. “ O v er the past 3 0 y ears, production of semiconductors has been off shored to S outh K orea, Taiwan and more recently , C hina, ” said U AW spokesman Brian Rothenberg in a statement. “ Today , the U nited S tates only conatrols manufacturing for ab out 14 % of all semiconductors.” The union negotiated worker protection in the ev ent of parts shortages interrupting production in its contract, he said. U nion workers will receiv e supplemental pay and unemploy ment that pay s 7 5 % to 8 0% of salary and continued benefi ts. “ Howev er, the U AW is working with employ ers to minimiz e the impact on auto manufacturing production as much as possib le, ” Rothenb erg said. G M said union workers at C AM I, represented b y U nifor, will b e paid through the prov isions of their lab or agreements, noting that represented

seniority employ ees will receiv e ab out 7 5 % of their compensation through a comb ination of unemploy ment and supplemental benefi ts. Protect pickups and SUVs D emand for semiconductor use is up in part b ecause of the coronav irus pandemic and an increase of laptop computers, which use the semicaonductor chips. C ars also use them in a v ariety of parts and infotainment sy stems. The union said if the parts were made in America, the industry would hav e “ more ab ility to respond to these demand issues, ” Rothenb erg said. He added the U AW is calling on the gov ernment to dev elop trade and policy solutions to b ring adv anced technology production b ack to the U .S . G M ’ s B arnas said semiconductor supply for the glob al auto industry remains very uid and its supply chain organiz ation is “ working closely with our supply base to fi nd solutions for our suppliers’ semiconductor req uirements and to mitigate impacts on G M .” G M is assessing the ov erall

impact to production and B arnas declined to prov ide an estimated production impact from the planned plant closures. “ O ur focus is to keep producing our most in-demand products―including full-siz e trucks and S U V s and Corvettes―for our customers,” B arnas said. G M b uilds its heav y -duty , fullsiz e pickups at F lint Assemb ly P lant and its light-duty , full-siz e pickups at the F ort W ay ne Assemb ly P lant in Indiana. It b uilds its midsiz e pickups at W entz v ille Assemb ly in M issouri anda its full-siz e S U V s at Arlington Assemb ly in Texas. All four plants will continue to run on three shifts and weekend ov ertime, B arnas said. G M b uilds the C orv ette at B owling G reen Assemb ly in K entucky . G M ’ s assemb ly plants in L ansing and other parts of M ichigan will continue to operate regularly . “Due to the uidity around the av ailab ility of parts, our current plan is to update the plants each week, ” B arnas said. “ O ur intent is to make up as much production lost at these plants as possib le. Importantly , this

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26 MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com 42885_GEN8_H_AB.indd 1

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issue will not impact our commitment to an all-electric future.” Ford impact G M will prov ide further details on the semiconductor issue when it reports its 2020 earnings F eb . 10. F ord has b een hit hard b y a glob al parts shortage with factory workers in sev eral states receiv ing temporary layoff s or shift reductions. F ord has reduced shifts at its M ichigan D earb orn Truck P lant, which employ s 4 , 6 00 hourly workers and b uilds the 2021 F -15 0 pickup. L ikewise, it has shortened ev ening and day shifts at K ansas C ity Assemb ly , which employ s 7 , 3 00 hourly workers and b uilds the F -15 0. At the C hicago Assemb ly P lant, which employ s 5 , 3 00 hourly workers and b uilds the 2021 F ord E xplorer, L incoln Av iator and P olice Interceptor, F ord is expected to announce a potential production disruption. F ord’ s L ouisv ille Assemb ly P lant is down through F eb . 7 b ecause of the shortage. That aff ects about 3,900 hourly workers b uilding the F ord E scape and L incoln C orsair. S tellantis planned to shutter plants

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in M exico and C anada, b uilding the J eep C ompass and C hry sler 3 00, D odge C harger and D odge C hallenger, through the end of J anuary . A S tellantis spokeswoman said W ednesday that its North American facilities are running in F eb ruary and the automaker continues to work closely with its glob al supply chain network to monitor the industry -wide issue. Automakers glob ally that hav e b een impacted b y the chip shortage and hav e cut production include Toy ota, V olkswagen, Honda, M ercedes-B enz , Audi, S ub aru and Nissan. G M ’ s G lob al P urchasing and S upply chain organiz ation has managed to fend off plant disruptions until now in part due to getting a jump start on the prob lem, a source familiar with the matter said, b ut declined to b e named b ecause he is not authoriz ed to share information with the media. The group also has a lot of experience from setting up v entilator manufacturing in a matter of day s last spring and managing G M through the 2010 tsunami in J apan. We thank the D etroit F ree P ress for reprint permission.

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Scholarship Application Deadline is March 31

ACA Launches New Website

The U niv ersity of the Aftermarket F oundation (U AF ) issued a reminder that M arch 3 1 is the deadline to sub mit applications for automotiv e scholarships at its Automotiv e Aftermarket S cholarship C entral web site at www. Automotiv eS cholarships.com. B y completing a single application online, students will b e considered for multiple scholarships for which they are eligib le. The streamlined web site allows applicants to v iew the details of all scholarships av ailab le and continue to update their application until the M arch 3 1 deadline. Nearly 5 00 scholarships, including new scholarships for IT/ cy b ersecurity students, will b e awarded for the 2021-22 academic y ear to students enrolled in four-y ear and two-y ear colleges as well as ASE NATEF certifi ed automotiv e, collision and heav y duty post-secondary schools.

The Auto C are Association launched its new web site experience, autocare.org, prov iding its memb ers a one-stop shop for the tools and resources most important to running an auto care b usiness. Inspired b y and designed for an ev olv ing industry , the new web site prov ides an enhanced user experience to engage with new content, explore member benefi ts and expand business effi ciency. Innov ativ e tools, digital collab oration and rob ust educational content are at the heart of this update. The new user profi le experience prioritiz es optimiz ation and effi ciency, ensuring Auto Care Association memb ers get the most out of their memb ership each time they interact with the web site. AC A memb ers will receiv e more information in the coming weeks ab out additional key features and resources av ailab le to them through the new web site. S hare y our feedb ack on the new web site experience at communications@ autocare.org. S ource: Auto C are Association

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Virus Liability Protections protection popping b ack up” at the federal lev el, said Ashley Cuttino, an attorney who co-chairs the C O V ID -19 litigation practice for O gletree D eakins. W isconsin came close on J an. 12 to enacting the fi rst liability protection law of 2021, b ut fell short b ecause of diff erences between the Assemb ly and S enate v ersions of a b road C O V ID -19 relief b ill. B oth include liab ility protections but diff er in other provisions, such as the Assemb ly b ill’ s proposed b an on employ ers mandating C O V ID -19 v accines for their workers. D emocratic G ov . Tony E v ers said he would sign the S enate v ersion if the Assemb ly agrees to it. M ontana’ s S enate passed a liab ility shield b ill J an. 18 that now goes to the House for consideration. Repub lican G ov . Greg Gianf orte has said he supports the measure. S tate-lev el liab ility protections, unlike the federal proposal the S enate G O P promoted for much of last

y ear, don’ t shield employ ers from coronav irus-related claims under federal employ ment statutes, such as anti-discrimination or anti-retaliation laws, C uttino said. They do prov ide an extra lay er of protection against claims such as a workplace wrongful death lawsuit or a complaint of unsafe working conditions, she said. Those ty pes of claims are often, b ut not alway s, preempted b y workers’ compensation laws or federal O ccupational S afety and Health Administration jurisdiction, she added. No Flood, But Litigation ‘Fear’ C hamb ers of commerce, restaurant associations and other b usiness groups hav e b een calling for liab ility protections since the pandemic gripped the U .S . last M arch. They contend that even the threat of a ood of lawsuits would make it diffi cult for b usinesses to reopen after v irus-related shutdowns, and that litigation could lead some to close permanently . The American L egislativ e E xchange C ouncil, an idea-exchange for conserv ativ e state lawmakers,

last y ear drafted model legislation for states to use to enact liab ility protections. C uttino and some state legislators adv ocating for the protections, including F lorida Rep. Lawrence McClure (R), acknowledged there still hasn’ t b een a rush of liab ility litigation, in line with ev idence from litigation trackers and court dockets. B ut they say the threat remains signifi cant. “ It’ s the fear of liab ility . O ur b usinesses hav e b een through just an unb eliev ab le, uncertain time. O nce in a hundred y ears, right? ” M cC lure, who’ s sponsoring F lorida’ s H.B . 7 , told a House committee that v oted to adv ance the b ill J an. 13 . “ Although the courts aren’ t packed, I’ ll sub mit, it’ s the fear of friv olous lawsuits as this ev olv es. We have the obligation to defi ne that and put the b usiness community at ease.” Trial lawy ers’ associations, lab or unions and worker adv ocacy groups oppose liab ility shields, arguing that limiting people’ s ab ility to hold b usinesses accountab le in court takes away an important incentiv e for com-

panies to follow proper health and safety protocols to protect workers and customers―a point that Pennsy lv ania G ov . T om W olf (D) echoed when he v etoed a liab ility shield b ill in Nov emb er. The language in the F lorida measure is unconstitutional b ecause it would remov e the right to trial b y jury , turn a judge into the jury and set “ an impossib ly high standard, to b e honest, to prov e b y clear and conv incing ev idence gross negligence on the part of the property owner in failing to follow the guidelines, ” said Curry Paj cic, treasurer of the F lorida J ustice Association and a past president of the American B oard of Trial Adv ocates. The F lorida AF L -C IO also ob jected to the b ill on similar grounds. Eyes on Indiana, Texas B ills proposing C O V ID -19 liab ility limits also have been fi led for 2021 in Alab ama, Alaska, Indiana, M issouri and North D akota. G ov ernors or legislativ e leaders hav e v oiced support for enacting liab ility protections this y ear in Ariz ona and S outh C arolina, and b usiness groups also

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are urging lawmakers to pass them in New Hampshire and Texas. The specific language varies somewhat from state to state―as with the laws that states passed in 2020―but many include protections for nonprofits, individuals and government entities such as schools and prisons. “Our businesses, our health care providers and educational institutions should not be put at risk or competitive disadvantage through no fault of their own, particularly after following safety protocols,” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) said in calling for liability limits during his Jan. 13 State of the State speech. “We should be careful not to let litigation kill what the pandemic could not.” In 2020, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming enacted broad liability restrictions that protect many or

all businesses from COVID-19 lawsuits. A number of other states adopted narrower restrictions to protect specific industries, such as health care providers or makers of personal protective equipment, while a few governors issued orders to establish liability protections. A handful of those states could take further action this year. In Georgia, for example, a coronavirus liability shield law is due to expire in July, and House Speaker David Ralston (R) has voiced an interest in extending it. In Arkansas, Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) has called on state lawmakers to extend and reaffirm his declaration of a state of emergency, which would allow his order imposing liability restrictions to remain in effect. With assistance from Jennifer Kay in Miami. We thank Bloomberg Law for reprint permission.

UPDATED DAILY

www.autobodynews.com

CIECA Announces Board, Award Recipients

Caliber Announces New Board of Directors Member

During the Jan. 12 virtual Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) board meeting, the organization’s Board of Trustees elected new officers for 2021 and announced the recipients of the 2020 CIECA Awards. 2021 CIECA Board of Trustees officers include Past Chair Kim DeVallance Caron, Enterprise Holdings; Chair Jeff Schroder, Car-Part.com; Vice-Chair Phil Martinez, Mitchell International; Treasurer Greg Best, California Casualty Management Company; and Secretary Ashley Denison, Caliber Collision. A awards were Outstanding Contribution: Andy Bober, a software engineer at Entegral; Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Dedication: Charley Quirt, former technical project coordinator for CIECA; Chairperson’s Award: Phil Martinez, senior technical consultant at Mitchell International and vice-chair of CIECA; and Electronic Commerce Company of the Year: Mitchell International. Source: CIECA

Caliber on Jan. 25 announced the appointment of Aylwin B. Lewis to its Board of Directors, effective that day. Lewis, the former chairman, president and CEO of Potbelly Corporation and a former top executive at Kmart, Sears and Yum! Brands, brings a long track record of leadership and performance to Caliber’s board. In addition to the position on Caliber’s board, Lewis currently serves on the boards at Marriott International, Voya Financial and Chef’s Warehouse. In the past, Lewis has held board roles with Halliburton, Kmart, Red Robin, Sears, Starwood Hotels and the Walt Disney Company. As part of Caliber’s board, Lewis will help oversee and guide the company’s 1,200-plus service centers that restore 1.5 million vehicles and customer lives each year, and support more than 21,500 teammates and the communities they serve. Source: Caliber

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Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs. HONDA CONNECTICUT

MASSACHUSETTS

NEW JERSEY

NEW YORK

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Lia Honda of Enfield Enfield

800-221-3131 860-741-3401

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-4 jdoucette@liacars.com MAINE

Berlin City Honda

Northampton

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Route 22 Honda

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PEN

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Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 9-1 parts@lamacchiahonda.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7:30; Sat 8-5 rt22hondaparts@route22honda.com

Honda of Turnersville

Sussex Honda

Lia Honda of Albany

800-842-0557 973-579-3500

800-272-6741 518-482-2598

Turnersville

800-883-0002 856-649-1584

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-4 sbaptist@penskeautomotive.com

Hudson Honda West New York

866-483-6917 201-868-9500

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-5; Sun 8-3 anthony.perrone@hudsonhonda.com

Newton

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5 realhondaparts@sussexhonda.com

VIP Honda

Albany

Dept. Hours: M, T, W, F 7:30-5:30; Thur 7:30-8; Sat 8-5 mjerard@liacars.com

North Plainfield

Lia Honda of Williamsville

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-3 kevinh@viphonda.com

877-659-2672 716-632-3800

908-753-1680

866-738-2886

Dept. ap

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Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5 chrish@clintonhonda.com

MARYLAND

Criswell Honda

Vineland

800-893-3030 856-692-4449

Clinton Honda

Saco

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Th. 7:30-7; Sat 7:30-4 klavalle@driveprime.com

Rossi Honda

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 parts@autosporthonda.com

Prime Honda 207-391-7910 207-282-0900

Dept. Hours: M-Thu 7-8; Fri 7-6; Sat 8-6; mschumer@madisonhonda.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 6:30-5; Sat 7:30-3 dave@rossihonda.com

South Portland

800-640-6685 207-774-6685

Madison

sha

Williamsville/Buffalo

Dept. Hours: M-Thu 7:30-8; Fri 7:30-5; Sat 8-5:30 liaparts@liacars.com

Dep

Dept. Hours: M-Thu 7-9; Fri 7-7:30; Sat 8-6 hondaparts@criswellauto.com

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NEW JERSEY

NEW

Acura of Boston

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856-722-9600

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Brighton

Turnersville

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Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 bmartinsen@group1auto.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5:30; Sat 8-5 bruce.fisher@acuraofboston.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 kristen.powell@penskeautomotive.com

Acura of Peabody

Autosport Acura

Open Road Acura of East Brunswick

973-361-3117

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Peabody

800-878-3600 978-532-9110

Dept. Hours: M-Sat 8-5 dbritt@acurapeabody.com

Denville

East Brunswick

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 erin@theautosportgroup.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 robert.talbot@openroad.com

Bill Vince’s Bridgewater Acura

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908-704-0307

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Bridgewater

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-4 mattn@bridgewateracura.com

Maywood

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Acura of Westchester Westchester

914-834-8887

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-8; Sat 8-4; Sun 9-4 acura.parts@yahoo.com

Wayne

Dept.

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Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4 jonathan.tangen@openroad.com

32 MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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t 9-1 m

30;

sville

ter

un 9-4

PENNSYLVANIA

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Sussman Honda

716-824-7852

800-682-2914 215-657-3301

West Seneca

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-8; Sat 7:30-5:30 ekuznicki@raylaks.com PENNSYLVANIA

Apple Honda York

800-960-9041 717-848-2600

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-4; Sun 10-4 applehondaparts@appleauto1.com

Roslyn

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-1 rendrick@sussmanauto.com VERMONT

802 Honda Berlin

802-223-9700

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5; Sat 8-Noon hondaparts@802cars.com

Baierl Honda Wexford

724-940-2006

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 johnryan@baierl.com

Shadyside Honda Pittsburgh

800-468-2090 412-390-2908

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5 shadysidehondaparts@hotmail.com

Shenango Honda Hermitage

800-858-0849 724-981-7106

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

NEW YORK

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Baierl Acura

800-725-2877 914-472-7406

800-246-7457 724-935-0800

Scarsdale

Wexford

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 parts@curryacura.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-1 johnsabella@baierl.com

Paragon Acura

Davis Acura

718-507-3990

866-50-ACURA 215-943-7000

Woodside

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5; Sun 9-4 johnp@paragonacura.com

Smithtown Acura St. James

888-832-8220 631-366-4114

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

Langhorne

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-4 markh@davisacura.com

Sussman Acura Jenkintown

800-826-4078 215-884-6285

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-1 rendrick@sussmanauto.com autobodynews.com / MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS 33

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with Stacey Phillips

From the Desk of Mike Anderson with Mike Anderson

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

How to Improve Paint Materials Reimbursement I’ v e b een getting some phone calls recently from shops concerned ab out materials reimb ursement when refinishing vehicles with three- or four-stage finishes. I thought I’d address this―and the sub ject of materials reimb ursement in general―here. F irst, it’ s important to know all three estimating sy stems hav e formulas related to three-stage finishes. C C C Information S erv ices and M itchell International do not hav e formulas for four-stage. Audatex say s it b eliev es the three-stage formula should apply to a four-stage vehicle―that’s a whole conversation for another day . As I outline any time I talk ab out negotiating pay ment for something, materials reimb ursement comes down to four key q uestions: Is what y ou’ re asking for req uired? Is it included? Is there a pre-determined

time? And if not, what is it worth? Y ou can watch a new three-minute v ideo I created with S C RS on those four q uestions here: https: www.youtube.com watch v = eG v 9 z J Hn6 J g S o let’ s walk through those. F irst, is added materials reim-

b ursement req uired for three- and four-stage v ehicles? O ne way to document the answer is y es is to check the O E M repair procedures. W hen y ou decode a V IN in Toy ota’ s Technical Information S y stem, for example, it identifies the paint code, and if it’s a three or four-stage finish,

A 2020 “Who Pays for What?” survey found the majority of shops who bill for refinish materials using an invoicing system say they are paid by the eight largest insurers based on those invoices “always” or “most of the time.”

it lists that as a special color. B ut here’ s another cool idea: Y ou can check online for sales literature from the v ehicle manufacturer related to that v ehicle. I’ v e found Honda and Toy ota b rochures, for example, that clearly show new car b uy ers who choose v ehicles with certain colors pay a premium for those finishes. It seems to me that rather than telling shops they won’ t pay more for the necessary materials when specialty finishes are involved, insurance companies should b e assessing premiums b ased on the paint code, given it takes more to refinish those v ehicles. Another possib le source of negotiation help when dealing with specialty finishes: The manufacturer of the paint line y ou are spray ing. I know Axalta C oating S y stems, for example, giv es an estima-

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tor the ability to print off from the scale a guide to specialty colors. It’ s a regularly updated list of what make, model and y ear v ehicles hav e three- or four-stage finishes, or that req uire a “ limited use toner.”

and there’ s no pre-determined “ time” for materials. D on’ t forget y ou can alway s use the D atab ase E nhancement G ateway (www.DEGweb.org) if there’s a q uestion ab out whether something

B ut ev en the 2020 surv ey report offers some good insights. Although ab out 7 0% of shops still rely on the traditional multiplier method―dollars per refinish hour―to attempt to cov er their cost of paint and ma-

The “Who Pays for What?” surveys have found a growing percentage of shops use invoicing systems to bill for refinish materials

O ther paint manufacturers may offer something similar. It’s another way to demonstrate why additional reimb ursement for materials is needed for those v ehicles. The next two of the four negotiation q uestions can b e answered q uickly . All of the estimating sy stems clearly state materials are not included in the refinish labor times,

is included or not-included. So in terms of refinish materials, it comes down to the fourth negotiation q uestion: W hat’ s it’ s worth? W e’ ll hav e some of the v ery latest industry data on that in M arch, when the report on our “ W ho P ay s for What ” survey related to refinish, which took place in J anuary , is compiled.

terials, that’ s b een changing. The percentage of shops using inv oicing systems to bill for refinish materials has steadily risen over the past five y ears, from 19 % to 28 % . And the majority of shops who use them say they are paid b y the eight largest insurers “ alway s” or “ most of the time” when they b ill b ased on the charges calculated b y

their inv oicing sy stem. S hops report with the exception of G E IC O , the top eight insurers all agree to the inv oiced amount 6 0% to 7 0% of the time. M ore than half of shops using a materials inv oicing sy stem say they use their paint company scale to produce these inv oices; that’ s more than twice the percentage that scale-produced inv oices as recently as 2016 . M ore than one in four shops using inv oicing sy stems use M itchell’ s Refinish Materials Calculator. And ab out 15 % say they use some other sy stem, such as P M C L ogic, P aintE x, etc. I b eliev e this shift toward using inv oicing v ersus the multiplier method will continue, particularly as the use of three-stage, four-stage and other specialty finishes increases, and as the paint companies continue to improv e the integration of their paint scales and sy stems with the estimating and shop management sy stems. www.autobodynews.com

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Herb Lieberman—A Life of Service by Gary Ledoux

M any in the collision repair b usiness know industry icon Herb Lieberman from so many C IC meetings, and his well-known relationship with the recy cle industry and aftermarket collision parts industries. L ieb erman recently retired after a 6 0-plus y ear professional career. Autob ody News caught up with him for an in-depth look at his life. Early Beginnings The L ieb erman family has b een associated with the auto wrecking industry since 19 04 . B ut this story starts in 19 5 2, at the corner of L akeland Road and Norwalk B oulev ard in S anta F e S prings, C A, near the intersection of the now-super b usy I-5 and I-6 05 freeway s. At that time, the area was pretty desolate. It was on this corner, in a 3 .5 -acre ab andoned cow pasture surrounded b y oil wells, where Herb ’ s father, Alex Lieberman, and grandfather, W illiam Lieberman, founded The L akenor S crap M etal & Auto

ated the off er but I was not interested W recking B usiness. L ieb erman’ s grandfather re- in the scrap metal side of the b usimained on site while his father drov e ness. I wanted to mov e the company around to industrial accounts collect- into late-model total loss v ehicles ing scrap metal. E v entually , the scrap and wholesale sales to the profesroutes were discontinued and b oth sional repair industry .” L ieb erman’ s father and grandfafather and grandfather worked on site ther continued their side of the b usicollecting metal and end-of-life cars. “ These were not y our late-mod- ness, and L ieb erman started b uy ing el totals but true end-of-life cars― late-model totals, mostly C hev rolets and C adillacs b ecause their parts just scrap, purchased as scrap, ” L ieb erman said. “ If any retail cus- were in the most demand at the time. U nder L ieb erman’ s direction, tomer wanted to buy a part off one the b usiness name changed of the cars, they pulled the to C AD nC HE V Inc D B A part themselv es and it was L akenor Auto S alv age. plus-money .” “The fi rst car I brought in In the early day s, recy 19 5 7 was a 19 5 4 P ontiac… cling was very profi table, hit in the rear, ” L ieb erman noted L ieb erman. rememb ered. “ O ne of our “ Y ou almost couldn’ t major sources of totals was lose money . C ost of inv enHerb Lieberman the Auto C lub of S outhern tory was low, cost of lab or was low and there was little gov ern- C alifornia. They had a large lot in Gardena (CA) and only sold to state ment interference.” L ieb erman’ s U .S . Army serv ice licensed dismantlers and dealers.” ended in 19 5 7 . “ M y father asked me to come Lady Bird Strikes into the b usiness as a partner, ” he Things started to change dramatisaid. “ I told him that I really appreci- cally for the auto-wrecking b usiness

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Beyond Chevrolet and Cadillac Initially , under L ib erman’ s direction, L akenor did b usiness primarily with C hev rolet and C adillac dealer b ody shops. B ut the collision industry was changing. The D RP concept

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during the Lyndon J ohnson administration, b etween 19 6 3 and 19 6 9 . F irst lady Lady Bird J ohnson was on a highway beautifi cation crusade to rid all federally -funded highway s of unsightly b illb oards and “ junky ards.” This meant many wrecking y ards were issued “ conditional use permits, ” meaning the city could remov e the y ard b y simply not renewing its annual b usiness license. “ This also led to city and state regulations of our industry as well as federal regulations, such as federal storm water permits and storm water run-off testing,” Lieberman noted. “I personally , v ia the Automotiv e Recy clers Association, worked on the Highway Beautifi cation Act, as well as the federal act req uiring the V IN to b e put on 16 major components of the v ehicle b y the O E M .”

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was growing and D RP shops were req uired to work on all makes. To stay current with the industry , L akenor adjusted its inv entory to all domestic brands, five years old and newer. B ut the growing U .S . eet also included many foreign nameplates, and L akenor could not carry ev ery line and b e “ inv entory efficient.” “ S o we estab lished respectful working relations with ten other good recy clers, ” L ieb erman said. “ W e agreed to refer sales to each other with no mark-up in price and referred all potential sales to each other with the agreement that we would deliv er direct and b ill direct b ut not try and steal each other’ s accounts. The group we formed was called TeleW recker.” “ O nly processing late model domestic v ehicles, ” L ieb erman continued, “ allowed us to maximiz e our req uest-to-sales ratio. W e turned our inv entory four times per y ear. W e also had long-term professionals on our team who knew their b usiness and how they were expected to operate. “ O ur sales v olume was in the

top 2% of our industry nationally . W e also had a complete computeriz ed and priced inv entory . O ur employ ees were v ery loy al. At one time, not including any L ieb erman family memb ers, the av erage longev ity of our company employ ees was 20 y ears.” LKQ Comes Knocking L ieb erman’ s son, Barry Lieberman, was b orn in 19 6 0. He completed high school, spent a few y ears at U C S anta B arb ara and then decided school was not for him. W anting to giv e his son the same opportunity offered by his father and grandfather, L ieb erman made B arry part of the family b usiness, and he ev entually b ecame the fourth-generation family memb er to run the company . In fact, B arry was running the company , and L ieb erman was semi-retired when L K Q came knocking in 19 9 9 . B eing semi-retired, L ieb erman thought it was not his place to make the decision to sell or not. His father, now fully retired, had started the b usiness so he had a b ig sentimen-

tal stake in the company , and his son was now running it. L ieb erman left the decision up to them. B arry enjoy ed the recy cle b usiness, b ut hated the management side. W ith L ieb erman soon to fully retire, B arry just didn’ t want the responsib ility . S o, the decision was made to sell to L K Q .

B arry stay ed on for two y ears while L K Q found a suitab le replacement. B arry went on to sell real estate in C alifornia’ s b eautiful L ake Arrowhead area. Herb L ieb erman continued his work with the Automotiv e Recy cling Association. A Lifetime of Service Nev er one to sit on the sidelines,

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L ieb erman knew it would take inv olv ement b y himself and others in the recy cle b usiness to improv e the industry . He is a past president of b oth the Auto D ismantlers of S outhern C alifornia and the Automotiv e Recy clers Association, and past memb er of the C alifornia Auto D ismantlers Association E xecutiv e C ommittee. He was activ e in and helped estab lish the C alifornia Auto B ody Association, and participated in many C ollision Industry C onference committees, including the P arts and B est P ractices committees. He was activ e with AS A and I-C AR, as well as working with sev eral O E s on their recy cling operations, including American Honda, C adillac, F ord and B M W North America. “ I was inv ited b y B M W to v isit and comment on their motor v ehicle recy cling operation in G ermany , ” L ieb erman said. “ I v ery much enjoy ed working with all of the industry associations, as well as the

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inrs in the

h the aliclers f the socittee. and ifortion, many nferding tices

AS A orkon ding and

isit ehimamuch e inthe

ge 48

with Erica Schroeder

Industry Insight with John Yoswick

—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.

Forecast: Expect More Private Equity Coming Into the Industry

Shop Showcase

D uring the M S O S y mposium in No- one such company , F rontenac C om- significant market share, “this is still v emb er, industry consultant Vincent pany , a C hicago-b ased priv ate eq ui- a really fragmented market relativ e Romans said there are a doz en pri- ty firm looking to invest in the colli- to many others” where consolidation with Ed Attanasio has play ed out more, S ahney said. vate equity firms with investments sion repair sector for the first time. D uring an M S O S y mposium L astly , he said, “ S cale presents in U .S . collision repair organiz ations, including C alib er, G erb er, panel discussion, S ahney said three a real adv antage in this space, ” giv S erv ice K ing, C rash C hampions and things make the industry appealing en the inv estment needed b ecause of v ehicle technology , and the reto inv estors. C lassic C ollision. q uirements of direct repair “ J ust a decade ago, there was programs and OEM certifione, when O NC with AP acqEduired C aliAttanasio cations. b er, ” Romans said. “ The play ers who conC ollision repair b usinesses with tinue to generate scale will priv ate eq uity inv estments currently hav e a real adv antage ov er produce ab out $ 10.9 b illion of rev the smaller play ers, ” S ahney enue, or more than 28 % of the total Neal Sahney and Jonathan Seiffer, representatives of predicts. market, according to Romans, who two private equity firms, said investors like the stability Another panelist, J onforesees more inv estment in the in- and scale opportunities they see in collision repair with Ed Attanasio h Se ffer of L eonard dustry forthcoming. G reen and P artners, a priv ate eq uity F irst, it’ s “ a highly stab le space, ” “ I b eliev e that we will see at least two or three more priv ate eq - he said, less in uenced than other in- firm invested in Caliber, said scale uity firms settling down with invest- dustries b y economic shifts, and with can also help address the long-standments in M S O s within the U .S . in insurance reducing some of the “ risks ing human resources challenge in the industry in that “people can find related to b eing paid.” the next six months, ” Romans said. with Ed Attanasio S econd, though M S O s now hav e adv antages and security working for N eal S ahney is a principal at

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larger organiz ations.” Seiffer and Sahney, speaking a month before the first COVID-19 v accine had receiv ed F ood and D rug Administration approv al, said the pandemic and its impact on v ehicle miles trav eled and auto claims hav en’ t deterred inv estors’ interest in acq uiring shops. “ I think there was b it of hesitation, as it relates to figuring out the deals, at the start of C O V ID , ” S ahney said. “ I think we’ v e [ since] shifted now to, ‘ O K , this is the new reality that we’ re going to liv e in for a while. S o how do we adapt our deal-thinking to the reality we’ re in.’ “ And I think folks hav e b ecome very creative in finding ways to look at where b usinesses were pre-C O V ID , what happened during C O V ID and what do y ou b eliev e ab out the future, ” S ahney continSee More Private Equity, Page 56

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Northeast_Issue_0321.indd 41

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Midwest Associations with Chasidy Rae Sisk

National Associations with Chasidy Rae Sisk

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

CIECAST Prepares Collision Repairers for the EV Revolution

Northwest Associations

As electric v ehicles b ecome increas- manufacture the v ehicle. Regardless ingly prevalent―the Edison Elec- of sev erity , follow the O E M procewith Chasidy Rae Sisk tric Institute anticipates 18 .7 million dures without exception to ensure EVs will be on the road by 2030― the v ehicles are safe.” how will these v ehicles impact the B arry asked ab out possib le collision repair industry in general changes in the way O E M s commuand your shop specifi cally How can nicate with the collision industry rey ou prepare? garding repair standards. G eneral M with otors’ Ed J ohn E ck , “ W e need to make it easier for Attanasio Chris E vans from S tate F arm, and repairers to access; we want to work Pete T agliap ietra of NuG en IT, an with the industry to ensure they can O E C company , answered these q ues- repair these v ehicles safely , ” E ck

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Associations Assembling with Ed Attanasio

pact is damaged most freq uently , rear impact damage seems to b e more freq uent in this population; howev er, a lot of the damage is on the front of the v ehicle in total loss scenarios. “ Regardless of sev erity , most E V repairs req uire some sort of recalib ration, and there’ s a lot of mov ement and trending in the industry around O E repair procedures.” M entioning that some O E M s hav e implemented security gateway modules that present a hurdle for repairers, E v ans expressed excitement to see F ord and other O E M s opening their communication sy stems. “ The data that exists in ev ent data recorders is going to b ecome more relev ant in the future, ” E v ans said. “ C ommunication from the v ehicle is only going to increase. Howev er, the data that’ s captured is owned b y the v ehicle owner or lessee, so we hav e to contend with the added chal-

lenge of introducing consumers into the exchange of data.” E v ans prov ided a b rief sy nopsis of S tate F arm’ s collab oration with F ord, announced in August 2020, in which the insurer is integrating directly with the car itself as they look at solutions around rating, policies and driv ing b ehav iors. “ The ob jectiv e is to dev elop and understand the capab ilities, lev erage the sophistication, and use this technology to increase effi ciencies in claims handling, ” he said. “ There’ s still a lot to learn.” Tagliapietra, b usiness dev elopment leader for NuG en IT, rounded out the series of presenters. He b egan b y discussing recent trends related to O E s’ inv olv ement in the repair process. “With the rise of and refi nement to certifi cation networks, there’s an See CIECAST Prepares, Page 59

Association Meetings with Thomas Franklin

Old School Know How

tions and more J an. 26 during C IE - said. “ W e are exploring b etter and C AS T: P reparing for the E V Rev olu- deeper integration of our content into with Ed Attanasio tion, moderated b y C IE C A E xecutiv e the work ow process through a vaD irector Paul Barry. riety of means to make the process E ck, collision manager of G M ’ s easier.” customer care & aftersales wholesale E ck also adv ocates for imdealer channel, b egan b y discussing prov ed collab oration among O E M s, some of the opportunities E V s create insurers and repairers, pointing out with Chasidy for v ehicle manufacturers, such Rae as Sisk the many shared metrics as well the ab ility to work on new technolo- as the shared consumer ev ery one gy and an opportunity for diversifi ca- wants to serv e. tion across the industry . Next, E v ans, P & C claim con“ The b uild of the [ electric] v ehi- sultant for S tate F arm Insurance cle is diff erent, and though the impact C ompanies, shared projections that may not b e as with sev ereThomas structurally Franklin , it 20% to 3 0% of new cars on the road shouldn’ t b e v ery dissimilar to what will b e an E V b y 203 0, noting S tate [ collision repairers] currently see, ” F arm has seen the numb er of E V s E ck said. they insure q uadruple since 2018 . “ As long as shops follow the “ The market is signaling growth, ” O E M repair procedures and safety he said. protocols, repairers should b e ab le to “ F rom a claims standpoint, with Attanasio handle E V repair, ” E ckEd emphasiz ed. we’ v e noticed an interesting dy nam“ O E s know the v ehicles b etter than ic with E V s, ” E v ans added. “ U nlike anyone―we design, engineer and most collisions where the front im-

Old School Know How

Western Associations Media Matters

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INSIST ON GM GENUINE PARTS

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autobodynews.com / MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS 45

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Jeff Peevy Shares Growth Plans Related to I-CAR Tech Center by Stacey Phillips

In 19 7 9 , the Inter-Industry C onference on Auto C ollision Repair (I-CAR) was established as a result of the introduction of the frontwheel-driv e unib ody v ehicle, according to Jeff ee , v ice president of technical products, programs and serv ices for I-C AR. “ The industry came to the realiz ation that it didn’ t know how to safely repair that ty pe of v ehicle, ” said P eev y , who has b een inv olv ed with the organiz ation for the past three decades. “ I-C AR came into existence to fulfill that need to teach the industry to help understand the correct way to repair the car.” From there, I-CAR began offering welding training and certification to meet the needs of the industry . As new automotiv e features were introduced ov er the y ears, such as seatb elts, airb ags and anti-lock b rakes, P eev y said I-C AR has b een a driv ing force in prov iding the industry with the knowledge and skills necessary to repair v ehicles correctly .

Today is no different. With an increase in the numb er of electric and high-v oltage v ehicles on the road as well as the dev elopment of AD AS features that need to b e calib rated so the car can function as designed, I-C AR has new challenges to take on. “ W e need to make sure we are ab le to support the collision repairers out there with accessib le, on-demand and relev ant education, ” said P eev y . “ W e hav e to do this work as early as we possib ly can to keep the industry on top of it.” I had the opportunity to talk to P eev y ab out his new role at I-C AR and its initiativ es related to technical training and the growth of I-C AR’ s technical capab ilities and capacities.

Q: A:

C an y ou tell us ab out y our new role?

I’ v e b een inv olv ed with I-C AR as a v olunteer or instructor since 19 9 0 and part of its staff for 1 years. I oined the organiz ation as a regional manager in 19 9 8 , and hav e also worked as a

national field manager, director and, ultimately , held a senior director position. I temporarily left I-C AR in 2015 to help the Automotiv e M anagement Institute (AMi) rebuild its accreditation program and stay ed there for five years. Throughout my career, I alway s felt the role of technical training was v ery important to ensure a complete, safe and q uality repair. F rankly , I missed working in this area, and rejoined I-C AR in J uly 2020. M y current role was dev eloped to help the organiz ation meet its ob jectiv es in terms of technical positioning. This includes working on the future dev elopment of I-C AR’ s curriculum and training to support the industry .

W hen it comes to technical positioning and training, what is I-C AR’ s goal?

B y nature, I-C AR is a natural collab orator in the industry . It’ s in our D NA. W e serv e and are

represented b y all of the inter-industry segments. Although we’ re already in a glob al leadership position, things are growing and changing so rapidly that we needed to get in another gear to keep up and ensure we are prov iding the knowledge, skills, testing and information the collision repair industry req uires. O ur technical ob jectiv e is to increase I-C AR’ s glob al leadership position and technical presence b y expanding our technical capab ility , capacity and expertise to meet the growing needs of the collision repair industry .

Q: ship?

How will I-C AR meet this ob jectiv e under y our leader-

W e nev er lose sight of our v ision: “ That ev ery person in the collision repair industry has the information, knowledge and skills req uired to perform complete, safe and q uality repairs for the ultimate benefit of the consumer.”

46 MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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dus-

n a ings idly gear proting pair

As a result, we took a hard look at what we needed to do technically to ensure our vision is fulfilled, as well as expand how the information is deliv ered. It comes down to our strategic technical planning, expansion and ov erall execution.

Q: A:

C an y ou tell us ab out the I-C AR Tech C enter?

ter is to support the dev elopment of I-C AR’ s curriculum and training, there must b e a higher lev el of understanding of technology coming down the road. F rom this facility , we support O E M s, suppliers and all industry segments in some capacity . I don’ t b eliev e the industry has had a chance to b e exposed to I-C AR’ s world-class technicians who ty pically work out of the Tech C enter. They are the ones who do the research to understand v ehicle and repair technology . M any hav e b een with I-C AR for y ears. It’ s an amaz ing group and it’ s important to recogniz e the lev el of dedication and knowledge they hav e. They are really serious ab out their role in understanding the information and dev eloping way s to teach it. In addition, our talented group of sub ject matter experts working with our instructional designers, v ideo and graphics teams work y ear-round at the facility to dev elop I-C AR’ s curriculum, which consists of b oth online, v irtual and hands-on classes. W e’ re all working from home right now due to the pandemic, except when in-shop work is needed, b ut

The I-C AR Tech C enter, in Appleton, W I, houses the eq uiv alent of a b ody shop with a spray b ooth, welding stations, lifts and a lot

s to ship e b y ility , the pair

this der-

our n in the kills safe mate

The I-CAR Tech Center has extensive video and lighting equipment to produce the various training and information products for the industry

W e face the v ery same things a collision repair shop faces in needing to add tools and eq uipment, space and expertise to keep up with the increasing momentum of change.

of eq uipment. Additionally , it has extensiv e v ideo and lighting eq uipment to produce the v arious training and information products and serv ices most of the industry sees. S ince the main role of the cen-

hope to b e b ack in the center when it is safe to do so.

Q: A:

W hat are some of the expansion plans in the works?

Q: A:

W hat can we expect to see from I-C AR in the future?

W e are currently b uilding a world-class AD AS calib ration lab , so we can expand our research and development specific to AD AS -related activ ities, and do so in an effective and efficient way. This also allows us to expand our support of the car manufacturers. O ne of our next projects includes b uilding a dedicated electric v ehicle lab so we continue our leadership position in understanding the repairs of these v ehicles and further support the O E M s. B y keeping up with the latest repair procedures and collision repair information, it allows us to b e the link b etween collision repairers and car manufacturers.

Not only will the q uality of our courses continue to grow, b ut the industry is also going to see an in-

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creased lev el of accessib ility through online and hands-on learning. W e hav e plans to do some v ery innov ativ e things to help learners b e more engaged and learn more efficiently . W e’ re b lessed to hav e a lot of instructors who currently teach b oth v irtual and in-person, and we want to make sure to support them. I also think it is important I-C AR continues to increase our technical leadership in light of the changes taking place. J ust as our industry is growing and our shops are taking more training to keep up with changes in technology , our organiz ation’ s technical department has to do the same. W e recently b rought D irk F uchs onb oard as I-C AR’ s director of technical programs and serv ices. He ov ersees the repair technical support (RTS) and has a strong global understanding of electric v ehicles, as well as AD AS calib ration. W e already hav e sub ject matter experts around those disciplines; howev er, coming from G ermany , he b rings deeper knowledge from other parts of the world. The changing technology in

these cars req uires a close relationship with car manufacturers. As a result, I see us continuing to grow deeper relationships with O E M s and increasing our ab ility to support them, which will enab le us to b etter support collision repairers. You will see us get very specific on what we share with the industry . W e’ re currently working on a social media strategy to share information ab out our great technical team and all of the work they do b ehind the scenes. W e’ d really lov e the industry to hav e access to the inner-workings and get to know the personalities and the impressiv e lev el of expertise av ailab le. I think it will b e v ery interesting to our industry . As we mov e forward with our initiativ es, we will continue to collab orate with the industry and welcome feedb ack. W e really want all stakeholders to understand what we are doing and get inv olv ed. It’ s all ab out supporting the industry and those who are repairing vehicles, which ultimately benefits the consumer with a complete, safe and q uality repair.

Continued from Page 40

Herb Lieberman O E M s.” Lakenor Today The S anta F e S prings property originally occupied b y L akenor is now leased b y C aterpillar’ s parts div ision. The area is completely commercializ ed. The recy cled parts b usiness, now owned b y L K Q C orp., has a 200, 000-sq uare foot warehouse in S anta F e S prings, fed b y a 4 5 -acre dismantling operation in C alifornia’ s high-desert area. S anta F e S prings is now the L K Q distrib ution hub for S outhern C alifornia. Today’s Market Asked ab out today ’ s challenges in the recy cle b usiness, L ieb erman said, “ The industry today is fraught with challenges...v ery high cost of goods with total loss salv age no longer sold only to dismantlers and dealers b y sealed b id. They are sold to the highest b idder any where in the world v ia open auction on the

Certified Collision Group Announces Significant Start to ‘21 Certified Collision Group (CCG), the OE certifications and KPI-focused solutions prov ider to the collision repair and insurance communities, announced J an. 3 1 the addition of 24 new locations in the first month of 2021.

“ W ith the coming of the new y ear, C C G is v ery mindful of the increasing challenges facing repairers nationwide, ” said Marty E vans, C C G ’ s C C O . “ W e are also acutely aware that the highly reputable, OE certified, customer-focused independent operator is v ital for consumers; C C G will keep leveling the playing field for those operators so they can compete.” These 24 new locations are located in five states―North C arolina, P enssy lv ania, V irgina,

S outh C arlina and W isconsin. C C G now operates in 3 9 states with more than 5 5 0 locations and 5 0 v endor prov ider partners. The focus remains prov iding the insurance community with a sustainab le alternativ e that is differentiated b y 25 00+ O E M b adges and the v ery b est K P I results. “ The extraordinary support of our v endor prov iders and insurance partners allows us to continue deliv ering stab ility and long-term profitability to our best-in-class independent affiliates, ” E v ans continued. “ W e remain b ullish on opportunity as we expand our internal team and infrastructure to maintain our position and outperform the marketplace.” Source: Certified Collision Group

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internet. “ M oreov er, recy clab le parts inv entory av ailab ility and pricing is av ailab le to any one driv ing prices down. S o, we are forced to compete worldwide, pay the highest prices for our inv entory and then sell our products for the lowest prices listed....and still try to be profitable.” O f aftermarket collision parts, L ieb erman noted, “ The q uality is better than ever and the returns for fit and or performance is way down.” Retirement L ieb erman said he greatly misses all the people in the industry he worked with ov er a 6 1-y ear career. B ut these day s, he spends time with the lady he married in 19 5 7 , his children and grandchildren, shoots some photography and is activ e in the street rod world with his 19 3 8 C hev y two-door sedan and his 19 5 2 C hev y short-b ed pickup. B oth v ehicles are what L ieb erman calls “ sleepers” with a “ tame” exterior b ut a potent small b lock C hev y engine under the hood, coupled with a Turb o 3 5 0 transmission. C arry on, Herb !

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Audi Part Professionals are experts on collision parts, replacement components and mechanical items.

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autobodynews.com / MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS 49

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with Ed Attanasio

Social Media for Shops

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

with Ed Attanasio

Social Media Strategist Identifies Keys to Your Body Shop’s Online Success In the old day s, b ody shop marke- co-b randed v s. independent, etc., our approach for b ody shops has a lot of ting and adv ertising was relativ ely simple, with only a few things to similarities in what we do across the consider―direct mail, Ed phone book with Attanasio adv ertising, radio or TV adv ertising and, if y ou decided to think outside of the b ox, b illb oards or ev en sky writing. And don’ t forget ab out putting with Ed Attanasio a big in atable gorilla on your roof! Today , marketing and adv ertising is so much more sophisticated due to technology that changes daily . How can a shop owner or manager know what to do with so many options out there? Phillips O wners hav with e to navStacey igate F aceJoe Conte, CEO/lead strategist at Auto Moto b ook marketing and adv ertising, so- Digital (AMD) in Sausalito, CA, creates marketing plans that grow exponentially using cial outreach on multiple platforms, cutting-edge modalities such as Artificial reputation management, web design Intelligence and dev elopment, G oogle Adwords and ratings, custom v ideo, email b oard with clients we hav e worked with Stacey Phillips with for y ears in other industries. marketing, online podcasts webinars, Our initial goal is to define the b logging and v logging, showcasing testimonials and speaking at ev ents. Phew―where do you begin A u tobod y N ews recently sat down with J oe Conte, C E O and lead strategist of Auto Moto (AMD) withDigital Stacey Phillips (www.automotodigital.com) in Sausalito, C A, and discussed how his company uses digital marketing and social adv ertising to b uild a b ody shop’ s business affordably and exponentially, using their proprietary sy stem. Stacey C onte grewwith up working on P Phillips orsches with his father, and b egan focusing on the collision repair industry more than a decade ago. AM D deliv ers AI algorithmic These Dealers are Genuine Wholesale Parts Specialists. social data solutions for its client partners. S A data integrated process activ ates audiences conv erts with and Victoria Antonelli them into loy al b rand supporters, v ia Maine prov en data mining analy tics and algorithmic b ased solutions. Downeast Toyota /

SEMA Show Goes On

story of who the b ody shop is and help tell that story to define their customers, and how b est to create compelling content that engages with them on a personal lev el. W e do this through a numb er of different strategies and solutions that enab le us to learn more at each stage―it is through this AI integrated and algorithmic learning solutions v ia “ social conv ersion strategies” that we can target specific types of indiv iduals and their b ehav iors, that further help to create conv ersions of users into pay ing customers.

Media and Publicity for Shops Shop Strategies

Body Shops Giving Back

How can a small independent shop or mini-M S O compete with a large chain of shops with a huge marketing b udget?

There are a lot of firms out there that promise the moon and groups that create generic con-

tent, b asic S E O , web sites, etc., and strategies that are not specific to the b ody shop itself. O ur goal is to work with the owners, no matter if they are a part of a larger M S O or mini-M S O , and help them create an online identity that galv aniz es consumers into action. It is through this identity -b ased social engagement strategy that we help them grow their online identity and their online presence. A key factor for this is defining who the b ody shop is and who they work with, from a b usiness-to-b usiness standpoint. The ty pes of paint, paint b ooth, machinery , etc., all adds to the lay ers of who they are and how they do what they do. W e are not solely focused on the b ody shop when we work with them―we also work with their partners to help understand the entire

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Digital advertising marketing for b ody shops is completely different from any other type of busiwith Ed Attanasio ness and y ou’ v e worked with. W hat are some of the main differences

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It’s not as different as you would imagine. As b ody shops differ from DRP vs. non-DRP,

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50 MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Northeast_Issue_0321.indd 50

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and o the

the part and ntity ac-

ased we ntity

ning they usiaint, adds and

d on with partntire

landscape and ecosy stem that surrounds them. This philosophy helps to b uild a strategy that focuses not only on direct-to-consumer conv ersion solutions, b ut data marketing strategies for manufacturers, b rands and distrib utors who work with the b ody shops. It is this multi-faceted promotional strategy that enab les us to create a div erse, long-term growth solution not only dev eloping b ottom-up outreach to consumers, b ut cross-b rand pollination strategies that help grow social engagement through the entire landscape. This approach not only helps the shop itself, b ut all up- and downstream strategic partners that help b uild the network.

W hat can y ou say to a shop owner who claims that social media is ineffective

The main goal with social engagement is to create a network effect. This enables the locations to grow and b uild relationships on the [ b usiness to b usiness] and business to consumer side―

giv ing b ody shops loy al customers that help promote and support the growth of their b usiness. It is during this outreach process where we start to b uild customer loy alty . W e also do it v ia online reputation management solutions that help to b uild a shop’ s online credib ility and shift the conv ersation that comes from the actual customer, and not just outreach from the b ody shop. This is what social engagement is all ab out and why working with smaller shops at times tends to b e a greater v alue proposition for the shop than with the larger M S O s.

There are so many way s to go with digital marketing, with new social media coming out all the time. W hat social media do y ou suggest for y our clients and why ?

F aceb ook foundational work is where we b egin, b ecause the information y ou can discov er with the ad-b ased network and ad manager sophistication they hav e is what feeds all other ty pes of outreach techniques we offer.

There are a numb er of techniques, from location-specific ads and strategies like “ geo-fencing, geo-targeting” to b ehav ioral analy tics b ased micro-targeted ads that enab le us to find who is clicking on what and why―all of these strategies are designed to create cost-effective ad spend solutions and the most affordab le conv ersion solutions and content, to really find what makes the consumer who they are and help align them to the right b ody shop. What we find that resonates the most with today ’ s consumers is the story of the owner, their work ethic and philosophy , and the culture of their shop. E v ery shop is uniq ue, and b y sharing original content and educating b ody shop owners that b eing the v oice of their shop matters, it not only empowers them to see their potential, b ut it ultimately helps customers make their decision easier b ecause they can relate to the b usiness and they see the shop as a partner who cares. That’ s where the long-term loy alty comes in that helps a b usiness grow. The b eauty of all of this is the exponential factor; once y ou lay

down the proper online and social marketing foundation, the right strategy and the right content are gifts that keep on giv ing. The data starts to come in, and the growth of the b usiness and actual decisions ab out the future of the company come from this data. This is where it then starts to spiral, when one customer talks to another potential customer and the “ network effect” that we discussed earlier starts to take shape. In the end, it is not ab out the shop next door, it’ s ab out the story . The b est thing ab out a b ody shop is its story , and ev en if shops are next to each other, ev ery one has their own story . O ur goal is to help them get to the right customer and help them b uild a strong in-b ound customer b ase, while growing their car count exponentially .

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autobodynews.com / MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS 51

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with Ed Attanasio

Shop Strategies

Stacey Phillips is an award-winning freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.” She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.

with Stacey Phillips

COVID-19 Vaccinations in the Workplace: What to Consider for Your Collision Repair Facility Body Shops Giving Back As C O V ID -19 with v accines roll Phillips out and well-b eing b est practices. Stacey across the U .S ., employ ers must deRegardless of the approach taktermine whether they will req uire en, C herv eny said, there are foundav accinations in the workplace and tional things to consider. S he recomif they should set up a program to mended employ ers determine if their administer them. culture will sustain a workplace v acThere are essentially three op- cination program, the financial cost Stacey Phillips tions av ailab le, with according to Carof launching a program and complirie B. Cherveny, E sq . senior v ice ance issues, as well as whether they president of strategic client will b e ab le to recruit and solutions for the south reretain talent if they mandate gion of HU B International. a program. E mploy ers can mand ate v accinations for all Employment Law with Stacey Phillips employ ees with some legalC herv eny shared informaly req uired exceptions; motion ab out general employ tiv ate and create v oluntary Carrie B. Cherveny, ment law to understand programs with b uilt-in mob efore b uilding a v acciEsq. senior vice tiv ators to driv e ev ery one to president of strategic nation program and some get the v accine; or ed u c ate client solutions, for b usiness and legal considerthe south region of staff about the vaccine and HUB International ations. This applies whether with Victoria Antonelli companies administer the then leav e it up to them to choose. program themselv es or b ring in a “ B usinesses hav e some really third-party v endor who is contracted b ig decisions to make, and while to deliv er the v accine. the safety conv ersation that we hav e all b een hav ing since M arch 2020 Americans with Disabilities Act was filled with a lot of nuances and The Americans with D isab ilities Act EdtheAttanasio choices to make,with I think v accine (ADA) requires qualified employconv ersation is ev en more complex ees with disab ling health or mediand difficult to navigate,” said Cher- cal conditions, under the AD A, are v eny . “ Health care has b een doing it prov ided with reasonab le accomfor y ears, b ut these are new conv er- modations. Although state laws may sations and topics for other indus- v ary , C herv eny explained the AD A tries... This is unchartered territory .” ty pically applies to b usinesses with D uring a v with irtual Gary pan- Ledoux 15 or more employ ees who el discussion focused on work for 20 or more weeks “ C O V ID -19 V accine in the in the prior or current y ear. W orkplace, ” C herv eny and “ The employ ee and the two other representativ es employ er exchange inforfrom HU B International, mation to arriv e at an aca glob al insurance b roker, commodation that allows discussed some with of the Stacey rules Cory the employ ee to remain at Phillips Jorbin, Esq. and implications when setwork performing the essenchief compliance ting up a workplace protial functions of the job , ” officer, employee gram. They included Cory benefits, west region, said C herv eny . “ The emJ orbin, E sq . chief compli- HUB International ploy er ultimately gets to deance officer, employee bentermine the accommodation efits, west region; and W endy King, that makes the most sense in light of director of health and performance. the medical information and docuwith Mike Anderson To help companies plan and mentation prov ided b y the employ ee dev elop strategies, C herv eny , J orb in and the nature of the job .” and K ing shared their expertise ab out U nder AD A guidelines, ememployment law, benefits regulations ploy ers are strictly limited in the

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medical information they can ask for ry under the AD A, although the necprior to an offer of employment. essary and related pre-v accination “ Y our conv ersation with a job q uestions are. applicant is limited to the essential Regardless of the ty pe of profunctions of what it takes to perform gram estab lished, once employ ers the ob,” she said. After an offer is b ecome aware there is a medical condition that prohib its a team made and b efore an employ memb er from receiv ing the ee b egins working, compav accine, they must determine nies hav e the most latitude to if there is a reasonab le acgather medical information. commodation av ailab le. In terms of the v accine, F or example, this could C herv eny said asking workmean working remotely or in ers to prov ide proof of v acan office with a closed door cination is not a medical inWendy King, q uiry regulated or managed director of health and or plexiglass or wearing additional personal protectiv e b y the AD A. performance, HUB International eq uipment, such as an N9 5 “ Y ou can simply ask an or doub le mask. employ ee to prov ide proof of receiv ing the v accine and it’ s not considered a medical inq uiry under ADA Legitimate Business Justification If an employ ee chooses or is not ab le the AD A, ” she said. Administering the v accine is to get a v accine and the employ er also not considered a medical inq ui- feels this represents a direct threat of

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Contact These Dealers For Your Kia Genuine Parts Needs MASSACHUSETTS Kia of Attleboro

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spreading C O V ID -19 in the workplace, C herv eny said to b e cautious. “ B e v ery careful if y ou want to rely on the direct threat defense in excluding an employ ee from the workforce b ecause they can’ t get the C O V ID v accine, ” she said. “ Y ou have to go through a very specific analy sis to determine whether or not the employ ee actually represents a direct threat.” O ne of the b iggest q uestions management asks, according to C herveny, is if staff can be fired for not getting the v accine if there is a mandatory policy in place. If there is no accommodation av ailab le, C herv eny said, only then may an employ ee b e excluded from the workforce. Howev er, b oth the E q ual E mploy ment O pportunity C ommission (EEOC) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) instruct employers to explore remote work-at-home options b efore ending the employ ee’ s employ ment. Additionally , AD A guidelines req uire b usinesses to go through a specific process before determining if an employ ee cannot remain in the workplace. There are also local health and state rules to ab ide b y . “Do not start firing employees for failure to get the v accine without first talking to outside counsel and b eing sure that y ou are up to speed and up to date on any local req uirements or prohibitions from firing employ ees for failure to get the v accine, ” said C herv eny . “ P roceed with extreme caution! ” Religious Exemptions In addition to the AD A, there are religious exemptions associated with the v accine. “ There are many religions that are opposed to v accinations and under Title V II of the C iv il Rights Act, ” said C herv eny . As a result, companies are req uired to engage in a cooperativ e, collab orativ e process to identify an appropriate accommodation, much like the AD A interactiv e process. Pregnancy Discrimination Act As of J anuary , the v accine had not b een tested or approv ed for pregnant women. W hen it is av ailab le, C herv eny said there is no ob ligation to accommodate a pregnant indiv idual. “ Howev er, we v ery much rec-

ommend you be exible with your pregnant workforce and allow them accommodation-like opportunities as well, ” she said. C herv eny said to keep in mind some pregnant women may hav e medical complications associated

with pregnancy that may q ualify under the AD A. Medical Confidentiality W hile information is b eing gathered in the process of administering a v oluntary or mandatory v accination program, employ ers will b ecome aware of confidential, private medical information ab out their employ ees. C herv eny said there are a limited numb er of people whom it can b e legally shared with, such as immediate managers and superv isors, and human resources―those who “need to know, ” which is construed v ery narrowly .

a v accine in the workplace b ecause it is only under emergency use authoriz ation. As a result, she said some law firms and other sub ect matter experts adv ise against mandatory programs. On the ip side, others are taking the position that the C D C and F D A recommend people get v accinated, so it would b e unsafe not to v accinate. “ E ither way , it’ s important to talk to counsel as y ou make these important decisions, ” said C herv eny . “ Y ou may or may not stumb le into some risk exposure or claim later that mandating or not mandating, offering or not offering it created an unsafe working env ironment in y our workplace.” Regardless of the approach taken, C herv eny reminded attendees that the C D C and O S HA guidance instructs employ ers to continue their C O V ID -19 safety programs. This includes wearing masks, apply ing disinfectant, social distancing and following all safety protocols. Employee Benefits Regulations Jorbin addressed employee benefit

regulations associated with the v accine, including cost. “ E ssentially , all health plans, except for grandfathered plans, need to cov er the cost of the v accine, ” he said. This includes fully -insured and self-insured plans, non-ERISA (Employ ees Retirement Income S ecurity Act of 19 ), MEC (Minimum Essential Coverage), individual market plans, M edicare and M edicaid. W hile the federal gov ernment is funding the cost of the v accine, the health plan must pay the administration fees. J orb in said the amount will v ary b ased on prov ider, geographic area and contract negotiations. Those without health cov erage will b e ab le to ob tain the v accines for free, although the timeframe is currently unknown. “ P art of that will depend on the state they liv e in and what phase of distrib ution they fall into, ” he said. W hen it comes to deciding b etween in-network and out-of-network prov iders, J orb in said in-network prov iders must b e paid the negotiated rates under the insurance plan. If going out-of-network, the

Workers Compensation If an employ ee seeks medical attention or misses time at work due to any side effects associated with the v accine, workers compensation may kick in depending on the insurer carrier and the state. National Labor Relations Act S ection 7 of the National L ab or Relations Act allows workers to freely discuss the terms and conditions of employ ment. “ E mploy ees who want to talk ab out y our v accine program hav e a right to do so; y ou generally can’ t discipline or fire them,” explained Cherv eny . Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) O S HA includes the G eneral D uty C lause that states b usinesses must prov ide a safe working env ironment for employ ees. C herv eny said there are two schools of thought regarding v accines in the workplace. O ne is that it is unsafe to req uire

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54 MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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ac-

ans, need he

and Emurity Esrket

nt is the strawill phic

rage s for cur-

n the e of id. b e-net-netthe ance the

official language states, “Providers must b e reimb ursed an amount that is reasonab le, as determined in comparison to prev ailing market rates for such serv ice.” The federal gov ernment has set the minimum amount considered reasonab le the same as what M edicare pay s for the v accine. In a situation when an out-ofnetwork prov ider doesn’ t accept the price paid b y the plan as reasonab le, there is a potential for what is called “ b alance b illing.” This is where the prov ider seeks full pay ment of the charge. As a result, J orb in said it usually pay s to go to an in-network prov ider. F or b usinesses that operate in multiple states, J orb in said there might be different prevailing market rates for the v accine depending on location. Wellness Programs E mploy ers must also decide if the fees associated with a v accination program should b e associated with a health plan or another cost center, such as a wellness plan or safety program. K ing pointed out depression

and serious psy chological distress are factors to consider. P rior to the v accination b eing rolled out, depression and anxiety were at an all-time high, she said― anxiety rates were three times higher in 2020 than in 2019 , and depression and diagnosis of depression q uadrupled ov er the same period. “ W e would b e remiss not to start with the foundation around employ ee state of mind, ” said K ing. “ The v accine is a hot topic. It’ s one more lay er that many employ ees are stressing ov er right now.” W hile some feel it is the light at the end of the tunnel and the v accination signals an end to what has b een going on, K ing said others are hesitant. S he encourages management to acknowledge many hav e anxiety and fear the unknown. Howev er, people are b eginning to think of the risk and reward like any other decision. “ They are going through the process to determine if it is worth the risk to get to the reward, which we know is getting b ack to some sense of normalcy , ” said K ing. As b usinesses decide if they will

mandate a program or b egin with a voluntary offering, King recommends approaching it in a way that treats people like people. “ B eing cogniz ant that employ ees are already hav ing a lot of personal anxiety around the v accine will help y ou to really approach it in a humanistic way and b alance y our corporate goals with the culture goals in y our organiz ation.” As of J anuary , ab out 4 0% of Americans say they will take the v accine as soon as it is av ailab le, said K ing. According to the K aiser F amily F oundation, another 3 0% will prob ab ly get it. “ Therefore, ab out 7 0% will get the v accine whether or not y ou structure it as mandatory or v oluntary , ” said K ing. The top reason for hesitancy is the worry ab out potential side effects. Howev er, statistics are showing interest is growing with time. “ The closest thing we hav e to compare it to is the u vaccine, but we can’ t compare it eq ually to the u because it’s a new vaccine,” she said. “ Today , studies show that phy -

sicians are the highest trusted authority , not the employ er; people want to talk to a doctor, understand the facts and feel comfortab le taking the v accine, ” she said. F or b usinesses considering offering individual financial incentives, K ing pointed out it can pose complexities. “ It’ s not like rewarding an employ ee for going to an annual v isit with a phy sician, ” she said. “ This is a personal decision for many .” For those who decide to offer incentiv es, she recommends those with a lower financial value, such as gift cards and water b ottles, so indiv iduals don’ t feel they are missing out on a b ig incentiv e. Another option is to offer a group incentive, such as a lunch or a competition among departments. L ike most wellness programs, K ing said companies must think through the req uired steps to ensure that the engagement, medical information, appropriate disclosures and incentiv e limits are set up in a way that keeps the organiz ation compliant. See COVID-19 Vaccinations, Page 56

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WIN Scholarship Open for Applications WIN (Women’s Industry Network) is committed to financially supporting women who are eager to adv ance in the collision repair industry through the W IN S cholarship P rogram. Applications for the 2021 program will b e accepted now through M arch 15 . To apply or v iew scholarship req uirement details, visit https: thewomensindustrynetwork.site-ym.com page S cholarship WIN offers scholarships that prov ide tuition assistance, educational opportunities and enrichment events to qualified applicants. Each scholarship applicant receiv es a one-y ear memb ership to W IN to further support their journey and prov ide an added sense of community as they chase after their goals. The program for 2021 will offer the College Student Tuition and C onference S cholarship Award. This scholarship is presented to students enrolled in a post-secondary collision repair technology program. S ource: W IN

Continued from Page 55

COVID-19 Vaccinations In terms of v accination distrib ution, as of J anuary , there is no national onside v accination prov ider. V accine rollouts across the country currently differ, depending on the state; ev en age req uirements v ary . Therefore, K ing recommends referring to state regulatory web sites, connecting with local pharmacies and encouraging staff to reach out to their phy sicians. K ing said this is a good time to hav e conv ersations with managers ab out what’ s in store and educate them. S he said it could go a long way in ensuring they are going to emb race the approach and b e a positiv e word of mouth in the organiz ation. “ Howev er y ou decide to coordinate this within an organiz ation, whether it’ s mandatory or v oluntary and with or without a financial incentiv e, leadership is really going to need to get in front of the communications around it, ” said K ing. “ It’ s a complex situation and going

Continued from Page 41

More Private Equity ued. “ There’ s all sorts of hy potheses ab out where we will land. I think we will land in a new normal that may look different than where this industry was b efore C O V ID , b ut it’ s going to look something closer to that than where we’ v e b een the last six months.” Seiffer agreed COVID is likely not a long-term negativ e in this industry . “ E v en if it lingers, people’ s b ehav iors hav e adapted, ” he said, acknowledging resumption of traffic has reb ounded to v ary ing degrees around the country . “ If y ou’ re looking for a platform, y ou’ re presumab ly looking to b uild something much b igger ov er time. S o a shortterm b lip shouldn’ t really change y our v iew on the opportunity .” He said there will no doub t b e permanent changes that will negatively affect other parts of the economy , b ut there may actually b e some upsides to the pandemic in the medium-term for collision repairers. to req uire dedicated communications.” This may include yers, postcards and other educational materials offered by the CDC and organiz ations like HU B International. L ooking ahead, K ing predicts there will b e a lot more education circulating ab out the v accine. When talking to staff, King said to not focus on the benefits to the company or the b ottom line. “ M ake it ab out the safety of y our patrons, clients and the health of employ ees so from a corporate perspectiv e, it’ s not just ab out numb ers or b usiness goals, b ut more ab out how we can thriv e together.” This is the first in a series of C O V ID -19 v accination articles. Next in the series is “ Implementing an E mploy ee V accination P rogram: C ost, Access and C ommunication.” HUB International offers an e-b ook with more information: https: www.hubinternational. com - media HUB-International PDF Employee-Benefits beyondC O V ID -19 -employ ment-laws-v accines .pdf

“ There will b e some sub set of people who will b e slow to return to mass transit and other forms of transportation, and I don’ t think working from home is going to b e an option forever,” Seiffer said. How does priv ate eq uity v iew the potential longer-term impact of adv anced driv er assistance sy stems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles S ahney noted it takes a long time for new technologies to b e in place in a large percentage of the v ehicle population on the roads. “ The feeling on it is we’ re still decades away from that truly hammering away at the industry , ” S ahney said. In addition, he said, M S O s are going to b e in a much b etter position than a single-shop operation to make the inv estments in b eing ab le to serv ice those technologies. Seiffer agreed, saying he sees AD AS as likely to hav e a b igger impact on personal injury claims than collision claims. “ S o we pay attention to it, b ut people tend to ov erestimate how q uickly the world will change, ” Seiffer said. “We pay attention to it,

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b ut v iew it a little b it as noise, and try to focus on the b igger picture. “ There are going to b e a lot of cars in the U .S . for a long time, and those cars are going to get into accidents b ecause of weather, congestion and distraction. C ell phones have been a huge benefit for the industry .” E v en if collision repair work declines ov er time, he said, well-run MSOs will find other ways to use a network of b ay s with skilled workers. “ If y ou hav e talented folks, and a distrib ution network with points of access, there will b e new b usiness opportunities that arise if others start to go down,” Seiffer said. Autonomous v ehicles may result in a larger population of cars rather than smaller, and those v ehicles will hav e serv ice and repair needs b ey ond collision repair. “ The infrastructure that’ s b uilt may move a bit over time,” Seiffer said. “ Y ou may not need city center locations, or M ain S treet locations, b ut I think [ shops] will still hav e tremendous v alue to the automotiv e transportation infrastructure.”

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56 MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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mlevantino@mbofsmithtown.com www.mbofsmithtown.com autobodynews.com / MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS 57

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COVID’s Impact on Insurance Pricing, Coverage & Digital Trends by Steve Hallo, PropertyCasualty360

As we mov e into 2021, the insurance sector should expect continuing hard market conditions, according to J im Bramblet, managing director-insurance lead for Accenture’ s North American operations, who explained the pandemic will shape pricing and cov erage in the y ear to come.

Investing in a digital brand presence can help keep an insurer top-of-mind among its potential clients in the community, making social marketing even more important during a time when face-to-face interactions are limited. Credit: RAGMA IMAGES, Shutterstock

“ C arriers are going to hav e to continue to look at pricing v s. risk, and ask themselv es what are the current consumption patterns for assets they ty pically insure, ” he said, giv ing for example the numb er of reb ates around personal lines seen in the past y ear. “ W hat is that

going to look like going forward? ” He added ev en outside the pandemic, carriers should think ab out changing consumption patterns for personal lines, giv en the rev iv al in home improv ement inv estments and “ cocooning” trends. This makes it paramount that insurers find the right pricing for these fundamental changes in consumption patterns. C oncerning cov erage, the past y ear exposed a gap in policies around pandemics and b usiness operations. This is particularly true for b usiness interruption claims, which might take a pub lic-priv ate partnership to cov er. “ There has to b e some collab oration b etween gov ernment and insurers, whether through primary insurance, reinsurance or a gov ernment b ackstop, ” he said, adding more needs to b e done than “ waiting for relief packages to run through the gov ernment.” As prev iously reported, the enormity of losses stemming from C O V ID is b eliev ed to b e b ey ond the ab ilities of the priv ate market to cov er. F rom consumer-facing technologies to in-agency sy stems, the pandemic has propelled the industry ’ s inv estment in digital tools, ac-

cording to B ramb let, with spending on distrib ution and customer-facing tools showing the b est RO I. F or the industry to capitaliz e on this, the transition from a digital env ironment to a more traditional insurer policyholder connection should b e seamless. Regardless of how a client wants to buy a policy―in person, through a web site or on a mob ile app―the insurance education and research process almost alway s start digital now, B ramb let explained. “ Y ou want to make it as easy as possib le for them to b ridge from the digital world into y our carrier sy stem, ” he stressed. The ab ility to b uild a personal social b rand digitally is also growing in importance b ecause of the pandemic, according to B ramb let, who explained agencies cannot at this time hav e a presence in their communities through traditional means such as sponsoring little league teams or attending a family picnic. “ M ake the inv estment in a digital presence and digital b rands. They hav e to b e b uilt, ” he cautioned. We thank P roperty C asu atly 3 6 0 for reprint permission.

Kia Niro EV Winner in Ownership Study The K ia Niro E V has b een ranked No. 1 among mass-market b rands in the J .D . P ower 2021 E lectric Vehicle Experience (EV ) Ownership S tudy . F or this inaugural study , J .D . P ower surv ey ed nearly 10,000 electric vehicle (EV) owners on factors including cost-of-ownership, b attery range and driv ing enjoy ment to determine the likelihood of repurchasing and recommending an E V . The U .S . E V X O wnership S tudy , driv en b y a collab oration with P lugS hare, sets the standard for b enchmarking satisfaction with the critical attributes that affect the E V ownership experience. The ov erall E V X ownership index score measures electric v ehicle owners’ satisfaction in premium and mass-market segments across sev en factors: accuracy of stated b attery range; av ailab ility of pub lic charging stations; b attery range; cost of ownership; driv ing enjoy ment; ease of charging at home; and v ehicle q uality and reliab ility . S ource: K ia M otors North America

Industry Members Share Their Predictions for the Year by Emmariah Holcomb, glassBYTEs.com

F Y 2021 is in full swing and auto glass senior leadership and b usiness owners hav e shared why they think this year is filled with optimism. “ F orecasting for 2021 was quite difficult, but we were fortunate enough to open up a couple of new stores, as we b eliev e in the b rick and mortar, ” explained J on Lask i, C E O at C ity Auto G lass, during Auto G lass W eek P rev iew D ay held earlier in J anuary . L aski said that C ity Auto Glass has increased its staff after hav ing a few promising months in 2020. B ut he’ s not the only one who’ s grown from the pandemic, as Peter Brown, president of Tiny & S on’ s Auto G lass, said he’ s made changes to his b usiness too. “ I just added two new trucks and hav e trained four new technicians, ” said B rown. “ I think it’ s going to b e okay now that people know what’ s going on and how to work with us [ since the start of the pandemic] .” T ed Andersen, v ice president

of franchising at Nov us Inc., headq uartered in S t. P aul, M N, said he’ s focused on b ringing the company’s financials back to what they were prior to C O V ID , in 2019 . “ As it pertains to forecasting we are going to do some expansion this y ear, we’ re b ringing our collision b usiness into the U .S . and that’ s going to allow us to grow on the collision and auto glass sides, ” explained Andersen. Andersen also noted that the anticipated growth aimed for 2021 will b e “ tricky ” as many states are still issuing lock down orders, C alifornia b eing one of them. “ W e’ re fortunate enough that we were deemed as an essential serv ice, ” said Andersen. “ I think that [ now] ev ery one understands how to operate through this [ pandemic] and it’ ll b e good going forward.” We thank glassBY T E s.c om for reprint permission.

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58 MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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Continued from Page 42

CIECAST Prepares enhanced ab ility to interact with the networks the manufacturers are estab lishing and see how the v ehicles are b eing repaired, ” Tagliapietra said. “ There’ s a changing paradigm of how O E repair information is utiliz ed and deliv ered, and following the O E repair procedures exactly as they ’ re written is ab solutely critical for properly repairing E V s. “OEM Certifi cation network shops must follow repair procedures to b e aligned in understanding what repairs are needed to restore E V s to their pre-loss condition, ” Tagliapietra continued. “ The future of these networks is going to b e just as important to insurers as they are to the O E M s, emphasiz ing the fact that there needs to b e a lev el of collab oration and understanding b etween manufacturers and insurance companies that has not prev iously existed to the lev el that will b e necessary with E V s.” Acknowledging shops’ struggle to ob tain O E M repair procedures effectiv ely , Tagliapietra suggested the

repair procedures should b e av ailab le b efore the estimate is ev en written. “ S hops need to understand the safety measures that need to b e considered b efore they touch the car, and we are examining diff erent ways to deliver that information more effi ciently . E ducation is v ital, ” Tagliapietra said. “ Repairers will b e req uired to access O E M repair procedures on ev ery single v ehicle going forward, not ust for structural damages―we cannot continue down that path as an industry and stay in alignment. “ Insurers, as well as shops, need to understand and agree on these procedures so that shops can b e fairly reimbursed for their eff orts.” Tagliapietra b eliev es the data in the repair orders needs to b e made available to the diff erent key stakeholders in the industry . “ C IE C A standards are essential to prov ide access to the data participants need to achiev e their b usiness ob jectiv es, ” he said. “ S o many entities participate in the repair process now, not just the insurer, O E M and collision repair shop. W e need to ev aluate how that information is accessed, ingested and memorializ ed

so it can b e play ed b ack to the industry for the benefi t of everyone. “ C ollab oration is critical. These relationships need to b e fostered if ev ery one is going to succeed and win, ” Tagliapietra continued. “ E v ery one is dependent on collision repairers to complete a q uality repair, but it’s fi rst incumbent on manufacturers, insurers and information prov iders to facilitate that and share the information the shops need. “ W e cannot allow a few to monopoliz e that information when it’ s essential for the good of the whole industry .” C IE C A then opened the web inar up for a q uestion-and-answer session. As J anuary ’ s C IE C AS T concluded, B arry reminded attendees the web inar is eligib le for credit through the Automotiv e M anagement Institute. The next C IE C AS T, scheduled for F eb . 25 , will highlight the next generation of C IE C A standards. The organiz ation is looking for interested parties to join in the dev elopment of those standards. F or more information on C IE C A and the next C IE C AS T, v isit cieca. com.

MASSACHUSETTS

2021 SEMA HoF Nominations Open S E M A, the S pecialty E q uipment M arket Association, is accepting nominations for its Hall of F ame at www.sema.org hof. E stab lished in 19 6 9 , the S E M A Hall of F ame recogniz es people who hav e contrib uted a signifi cant body of work to the industry ov er a long period of time, and is the most prestigious award presented to an indiv idual b y the association. It is designed to honor the leaders, innov ators, creators and enthusiasts who transformed small, b urgeoning b usinesses into an industry worth more than $ 4 6 .2 b illion annually . To nominate an indiv idual who epitomiz es the essence of ingenuity in action, v isit www. sema.org hof before the deadline M arch 19 . To learn more ab out the S E M A Hall of F ame and for a list of inductees, v isit www.semahof. com or contact L indsay B ianco at lindsay b @ sema.org or 9 09 -9 7 8 6 6 9 2. S ource: S E M A

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The following dealerships are eager to serve your needs. Call your local Subaru collision parts specialist today! autobodynews.com / MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS 59

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Distracted Driving Trend Persists Despite Passenger Complaints by Steve Hallo, PropertyCasualty360

Incidents of distracted driv ing persist despite more than 9 7 % of passengers confronting a motorist who had let their focus slip from the road, according to a surv ey of U .S . consumers b y L eithC ars.com. The surv ey also found 22.5 % of respondents had b een a passenger in a crash caused b y a distracted driv er. Texting and b rowsing the internet were cited as the leading accident-causing distraction b y passengers who had b een in a crash initiated b y an unfocused driv er. They were also the most common ev ents leading to complaints from a passenger, as 5 2% and 3 3 .3 % of riders, respectiv ely , said they confronted someone ab out these b ehav iors. The risks from distracted driv ing are so sev ere that L exisNexis Risk S olutions suggested distracted driv ing could potentially riv al D U I v iolations as a factor in road safety and insurance rating. C oncerning the latter point, insurer The Z eb ra reported getting a ticket for texting, or otherwise using a phone while driv ing, can raise in-

surance rates b y an av erage of 23 % . In some states, that increase can b e more than 6 3 % . D rinking alcohol, falling asleep and using a cell phone to surf the web or text were among the distractions perceiv ed to b e most danger-

While most will speak up to family, friends or colleagues driving dangerously, more than 60% of people don’t address distracted and dangerous driving issues when in a taxi or rideshare. Credit: guteksk7, Shutterstock.com

ous, the surv ey rev ealed, with reaching around for an item rounding out the top five. C omparing attitudes around drunk driv ing and texting risks, the surv ey found that b ab y b oomers see using a cell phone while driv ing as b eing more dangerous than drinking

ABRA Auto Body Repair of America Adds Four New Facilities AB RA Auto B ody Repair of America is celeb rating its growth as the company added four new shops to its network―one each in Montana, M innesota, Iowa and G eorgia. The company has b een ab le to support its communities with the essential serv ices it prov ides, despite the many challenges b rought on b y the pandemic. F ranchisees within the network hav e continued to inv est in additional capacity , b ringing more v alue to their customers. “ I am deeply proud of our AB RA facilities, who hav e b een able to adapt on the y to the changing demands of our industry , ” said Mark W ahlin, V P of franchise dev elopment and operations, AB RA. “ The team has seamlessly enhanced its repair processes to include increased sanitiz ation on key touchpoints and has found way s to safely perform estimates---all to maintain a positiv e customer experience.” F rom S outh C arolina to M innesota, AB RA facilities across the country hav e pushed themselv es to enhance their service offerings,

find new areas of opportunities, expand their market reach and participate in additional training. “ O ur owners’ commitment to exceptional customer satisfaction extends b ey ond the repair as they are activ ely inv olv ed in their communities, ” said W ahlin. “ S eeing our franchisees host food driv es, giv ing b ack to causes close to their customers during a challenging y ear for most shows why AB RA has b een in the b usiness for ov er three decades.” AB RA facilities throughout the country also took time to giv e b ack to the communities they serv e in 2020. AB RA S t. C loud in M innesota used its mob ile glass v ehicle for M eals on W heels deliv eries to support seniors in need. F acilities also gav e b ack to the C y stic F ib rosis F oundation through fundraising initiativ es throughout the y ear. V isit AB RA W oodstock, AB RA B illings, AB RA D uluth and AB RA North L ib erty web sites to learn more ab out the new facilities.

and driv ing, while millennials found the adv erse to b e true. W hen it comes to incidents of drinking and driv ing, more than one in four surv ey respondents had ridden with someone who consumed alcohol while driv ing, according to L eithC ars.com. Y et, slightly less than 13 % felt compelled to address the ob v ious danger. This comes on the heels of recent news that nearly half of U .S . motorists admit to drinking and driv ing. The surv ey also found an alarming numb er of rideshare driv ers are also partaking in distracted driv ing, with nearly 8 5 % of those surv ey ed say ing they had experienced dangerous or distracted driv ing in a taxi or ridesharing v ehicle. Speeding, weaving through traffic and b eing too chatty were the most cited experiences. W hile most will speak up to family , friends or colleagues driv ing dangerously , more than 6 0% of people don’ t address these issues when in a taxi or rideshare. We thank P roperty C asu alty 3 6 0 for reprint permission.

Collision Industry Mourns the Loss of Bano Ramirez It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Bano Ramirez, a memb er of M itchell International’ s S olution S pecialist team, on J an. 25 . Ramirez touched many liv es in his ov er 4 0-plus y ears in the collision industry . He spent 12 y ears with M itchell International and prev iously owned and operated Bob’ s Bod y and F end er in V an Nuy s, C A, where he was an activ e memb er of the community , hosting many industry training ev ents. Ramirez was a longtime memb er of the C alifornia Autob ody Association and an inv aluable contributor to its Glendale F oothill chapter. His positiv e attitude, loy alty , integrity and hard work will b e rememb ered b y all. Ramirez is surv iv ed b y his lov ely spouse Alison, daughters S ylvia, Rosie and Amanda, eight grandchildren and sev en great-grandchildren.

www.autobodynews.com

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60 MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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Parts: They’re our passion We know Genuine Volkswagen Collision Parts down to the finest detail, and we’re happy to share that knowledge with you.

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Contact your local Volkswagen dealer or visit Wholesale.VWServiceandParts.com to place your Genuine VW Collision Parts order today. “Volkswagen” and the Volkswagen logo are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG. ©2021 Volkswagen of America, Inc.

autobodynews.com / MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS 61

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CCC Information Services Inc. Merges, Will Go Public C C C Information S erv ices Inc. and D ragoneer G rowth O pportunities C orp. on F eb . 3 announced a definitiv e merger agreement b etween D ragoneer and C C C ’ s parent holding company . U pon closing of the transaction, the comb ined company is expected to b e renamed C C C Intelligent S olutions Holdings Inc. and is expected to b e listed on the New Y ork S tock E xchange in the second q uarter of 2021. C C C ’ s mission-critical S aaS platform prov ides adv anced AI, IoT, customer experience and network management work ow solutions to the P & C insurance economy . C C C enab les more than $ 100 b illion of transactions annually among a v ast ecosy stem of interconnected b usinesses. C C C ’ s network includes thousands of customers including insurers, repair facilities, automotiv e manufacturers, parts suppliers and other industry participants who lev erage C C C ’ s platform to digitiz e operations, improv e b usiness performance and power b etter decisions in an increasingly complex and rapidly

changing market. U nder C hairman and C E O Githesh Ramamurthy, who will continue to lead the company following the close of the transaction, C C C expects to report approximately $ 6 00 million of rev enue in 2020, and has deliv ered a consistent track record of profi table revenue growth for 20-plus y ears b y focusing on deliv ering b est-in-class innov ations for its customers. “ Today is an exciting day for C C C as our return to the pub lic markets prov ides us with additional sources of capital to accelerate innov ation and increase the v alue we prov ide customers, ” said Ramamurthy . “ Throughout our history , C C C has dev eloped pioneering technology solutions focused on enab ling growth, increasing effi ciency and empowering new possib ilities for all participants in the P & C insurance economy . “ W e serv e a large and interconnected market that is still in the early stages of digitiz ing its operations and is growing in complexity . W e b eliev e C C C is well positioned to support customer digitiz ation in this

dy namic market. “ W e are incredib ly excited to b egin this new partnership with D ragoneer, one of the most highly respected inv estors in the world, and to continue our relationship with Advent, who have been terrifi c partners for the past four y ears, ” Ramamurthy continued. “ Together, I am confi dent CCC will continue to generate meaningful v alue for our customers and shareholders.” “ U nder Adv ent’ s ownership, C C C has cemented itself as a leading S aaS platform for the P & C insurance ecosy stem, ” said E ric W ei, managing director at Adv ent. “ S ince 2017 , we’ v e partnered with G ithesh and the C C C management team to accelerate organic growth through a focus on innov ation, and we b eliev e this sustained inv estment in R& D will deliver signifi cant ROI for customers for decades to come. “ Adv ent is excited to partner with D ragoneer, with its preeminent technology inv esting franchise, to support C C C ’ s continued focus on digitally transforming the insurance economy . W e hav e strong conv iction in C C C ’ s growth potential and are

not selling a single share as part of the transaction.” “ C C C is one of those rare software companies that serv es as the backbone of a critical industry―the P & C insurance economy , ” said M arc S tad, founder and portfolio manager at D ragoneer. “ As the products we use and the cars we driv e b ecome more and more sophisticated, insurers, consumers, manufacturers and serv ice prov iders req uire increasing amounts of support and coordination whenev er issues occur. “ C C C ’ s adv anced technology platform enab les the right groups to connect quickly and effi ciently, and its twenty-plus years of profi table growth are a testament to the v alue the company prov ides to its customers. The C C C team’ s impressiv e track record of execution and fi nancial performance speaks for itself, and we are thrilled to partner with them and Adv ent as they work to realiz e their amb itious v ision for the b usiness.” S ource: C C C

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64 MARCH 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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