April 2013 Northeast Edition by Autobody News

Northeast Edition New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Delaware

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VOL. 3 ISSUE 1 APRIL 2013

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Parts Order in PA Leads to Arrest in Fatal Crash A broken headlight led to the arrest of a man accused of a hit-and-run accident that left another man dead. Pacurie Huynh, 29, of Upper Darby, PA, was tracked down via a part ordered to repair the Toyota 4Runner he was driving when he allegedly struck the victim, Thomas Quercetti, 28, on Fourth of July last year. Huynh was arrested Feb. 25 and charged with causing an accident that involved death and failing to give information, according to the criminal complaint. Quercetti was walking home from a friend’s house about 1:30 a.m. on the

shoulder of the 100 block of North State Road in Springfield Township, Delaware County, when he was struck by a vehicle. Police said there was no indication that the vehicle tried to stop. Quercetti, who suffered head trauma, a broken leg, and a broken shoulder, and was in critical condition when he was taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center, died at home on Feb. 20. He had been on life support since July 4, according to Emily Harris, spokeswoman for Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan. The complaint says investigators learned in January that evidence sent See Parts Order Arrest, Page 4

Maryland Legislation Would Block InsurerMandated Parts Procurement, WMABA: Yes Maryland Delegate Mark N. Fisher (R-27B) has introduced House Bill 1375 regarding replacement parts for damaged vehicles. The bill would prevent insurers from requiring a “specific vendor or process for parts procurement”—in effect it would block requirements like State Farm’s PartsTrader initiative in the state. This legislation is one of the first attempts to address recent insurer initiatives relative to parts procurement. The bill language prohibits an adjuster, appraiser, insurance producer or employee of an insurer from requiring a motor vehicle repair facility to use a specific vendor or process

PAINT AND REFINISH TECHNOLOGIES First of 2 Issues

for parts procurement or other necessary material for vehicle repair. The legislation requires an insurer to authorize repairs to be made using genuine crash parts, prohibiting an insurer from requiring repairs to be made using aftermarket crash parts during the five years after the vehicle is manufactured. The insured may consent to the use of aftermarket crash parts in writing at the time of repair. The Automotive Service Association (ASA) and its Collision Division Operations Committee have conducted educational meetings around the country, met with insurer repreSee Maryland Legislation, Page 6

• Custom Painter Stories, p. 24, 29, 42, 46, 50, 52 • Companies Talk Tech p. 13, 23, 26 • Tips and Tricks p. 26 • Training and News, p. 12, 28, 55

NORTHEAST™ 2013—Tradeshow, Seminars, and Insurer-Mandated Parts Procurement Panel

Insurer-Mandated Parts Procurement Program For me, the highlight of AASP Northeast in 2013 was the panel on insurermandated parts procurement programs.

P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018

AASP/NJ hosted the 2013 NORTHEAST™ Tradeshow at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, NJ, on Friday, March 8 through Sunday, March 10. While the expo floor setup and number of seminars remained much the same as the past two years that I’ve attended, I was impressed with the great variety of exhibitors and seminar topics offered this year.

For more coverage, see page 40 for John Yoswick’s coverage of the East Coast Resolution Form and Leadership Meeting; my column featuring Charles Bryant on p. 44 and page 38 for other industry reaction to the event.

Change Service Requested

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Friday night, from 6–8 p.m., Aaron Schulenburg, Executive Director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), moderated a panel discussion on insurer-mandated parts procurement programs.

right and responsibility to find parts and to run your business falls on your own shoulders. And we’re concerned when insurers start to enter into the business of telling you how to run your business. It’s one thing to give goals, it’s one thing to give objectives, it’s one thing to have relationships if that’s important to your business model, but telling you how you are going to perform and how you’re Four of the key participants in the Insurer Mandated Parts Procuregoing to run your ment panel were (from left) Steve Plier, Dan Hunsacker, Andy Dingbusiness and what man, and moderator Aaron Schulenburg. providers and servThis seminar attracted a large number ice models you’re going to use is an of attendees eager to discuss how pro- entirely different story.” The panel for this seminar congrams such as State Farm’s PartsTrader may affect their businesses sisted of three auto body professionals from various regions of the once it is instituted nationwide. Schulenburg noted, “It’s a con- country who have all had some expecern because, frankly, as independent rience with insurer-mandated parts business owners, we believe that the See Northeast 2013, Page 18

Presorted Standard US Postage PAID San Bernardino, CA Permit #2244

2 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

COLUMNISTS Attanasio: Blogging for Fun and Profit . . . . . . 14 Evans: Sharing the Love of Custom Painting with Students at Lincoln . . . . . . . 52 Franklin: The Selling Estimator’s Job Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Insider: Shops’ Inefficiencies Are Legitimate Concerns for Insurers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Sisk: Charles Bryant Updates Us On What’s Going On in New Jersey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

NATIONAL ABRA Auto Body & Glass in Clinton, Iowa, Wins Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 ABRA Opens Four Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Allstate’s Overton Joins Education Foundation Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Anthony Fisher Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 ASA Announces Details for 2013 Annual Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Automaker, OEM and Recall News . . . . . . . . 34 Bill Luke Fiat Comes from a Long Line of True Pioneers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Caliber Opens 21st Shop in Los Angeles. . . . . 4 California Firms Sue Ford for ‘Overinflated’ Fuel Efficiency Claims of Two Hybrids. . . . 47 CAPA Testing on Safety of Aftermarket Bumper Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 CARSTAR Promotes Rick Miller and Melissa Miller (no relation) to Leadership Roles . . . 56 Edward “Randy” Bevis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Feds Spend $1 Billion on Repair Bill for Vehicle Fleet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Florida Senate Panel Wants Ban on Texting & Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Four Collision Industry Members Join Education Foundation’s Leadership Circle . 58 Gerber Opens New Centers in Florida and Washington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Hawaii Bill Seeks to Reduce Fees for Antique Vehicles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Honda Visits Alabama High School with Message Cars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

How to Donate to Ray Gunder’s Legal Fund . 44 I-CAR Adds 4 New Online Courses, Expands Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 ICRA Adds ‘No Free Lunch’ to Tradeshow . . . 56 Indiana Convention & Exhibition Takes Control of the Future: “What are You Doing?” . . . . 48 Industry Gives $5 Million in Support of Collision Repair Programs through Education Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Industry Gives 1,000 Uniforms to Collision Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Industry Veteran Mike Spagnola Joins SEMA . 49 Joe Gibbs Racing Hosts Sherwin-Williams Worshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Keenan Launches Operation Comfort Fundraiser . 54 Mitchell Releases 2013 Insurance Predictions . 59 NABC Appoints 3M Sales Manager Ricciotti to Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 NABC Ramps Up Its Social Media Efforts . . . 57 NABC To Take Stock of Future at April Meeting . 57 NASCAR Champion Jeff Gordon to Drive No. 24 Chevrolet with New Imron Elite Paint Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 NC Shop Opens 6th Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 New Indiana Shop to Follow Lean Production. 62 Post Office Unveils 1967 Shelby Forever Stamp. 60 PPG Marketing on Demand Website Breaks New Ground. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 PPG Will Hold Annual MVP Conference April 7–9 in Scottsdale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 SCRS Donates General Memberships to 245 Collision School Programs through Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 SCRS, CREF Ask Industry to Support Their Local Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Seidner’s Hires Mike Stacy as Corporate Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Self-Driving Nissan Leaf Controlled from iPad . 55 SEMA Exhibit Summit Takes Place April 15–17 in Las Vegas, 7 Months Prior to Nov. 5–8 Show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 SEMA Show Hotels Now Accepting Reservations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Sherwin-Williams Introduces Body Shop Phone App for Consumers . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Shop Owners, Managers Asked to Complete Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 State Farm to Grow in Phoenix . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Used Vehicle Wholesale Prices Up 1.3% in January . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 VA Police Make 383 Arrests for Insurance Fraud in 2012. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Vermont Introduces Aftermarket Bill . . . . . . . 61 WIN May 5–7 Conference to Focus on Recruiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

The finance manager for a dealership outside Pittsburgh faces charges of forgery, theft and receiving stolen property for allegedly submitting phony signatures on customer documents and keeping money for himself. Thomas Carrigan, 35, of Monessen, PA, was arrested March 5, according to police records. Carrigan was working as the finance manager at C Harper Chevrolet-Buick-Cadillac, in the Township of Ostrava in Belle Vernon, PA, police said. According to authorities, Carrigan allegedly forged a customer’s signature on a contract after changing the amount of the down payment. A police “affidavit of probable cause” cited only one example, but Carrigan is charged with a total of 16 counts each of theft and receiving stolen property. The dealership general manager, Dave Marchitello, first reported the thefts in January, police said. Marchitello said the dealership so far has identified $22,400 in gross profits Carrigan allegedly pocketed for himself.

PAINT SPECIAL Claiming Potential Waterborne Profits— Tsunami’s Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Custom Painter Aaron Wachholz Paints Cars, Boats & Bikes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 From Hot Wheels to Hot Rods: Kindig-It Designer Works for Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 How to “Touch Up” A Scratched Car in 60 Minutes and Make $95 . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Jon Kosmoski—Painting Legend Uses SATA Guns Exclusively . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Mitch Lanzini Extends his Art from Toy Cars to Overhaulin’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 New Custom Painter Enjoys the Creativity of the Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Preval Wins Prestigious Sherwin-Williams’ Vendor of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Art of Atomization: Thermo Regulated Compressed Air and Atomization . . . . . . . 13 Waterborne Breathable Air Combo System Available from Martech Services Company . 26

“He wasn’t stealing from customers, which is not to say customers weren’t involved. In effect, he was embezzling from us,” the general manager said. He said most of the missing money was related to the sale of extended-service contracts and other F&I products; Carrigan allegedly kept dealership gross profits for himself. Marchitello said accountants allegedly discovered 10 customer transactions in which money was missing. Carrigan was terminated the same day he was arrested, the general manager said. According to court records, the charges date back to offenses that allegedly took place as early as August 2012.

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Assistant Editor: Melanie Anderson Contributing Writers: Tom Franklin, David Brown, John Yoswick, Rich Evans, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Jay Lukes (800) 699-8251 Sales Assistant: Louise Tedesco Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Serving New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware

Amato Agency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . 50 Auto Land Hyundai-Suzuki . . . . . . 14 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . 5 BASF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 41 Car-Part Pro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 CCC Information Services. . . . . . . 17 Central Avenue Chrysler-JeepDodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Chief Automotive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 CSS USA, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 DCH Family of BMW Stores . . . . . 37 Ditschman/Flemington Auto Group. 12 Empire Auto Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Equalizer Industries. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . 45 Fred Beans Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Garmat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Generation Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Glanzmann Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 59 Hackettstown Honda. . . . . . . . . . . 38 Haydell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Healey Hyundai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers. 53 Jaguar Wholesale Parts Dealers. . 55 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

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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. ©2013 Adamantine Media LLC. Autobody News P.O. Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 721-0253 Fax www.autobodynews.com Email: news@autobodynews.com

Northeast

REGIONAL 250,500 Cars Damaged by Sandy in 15 States Plus DC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Accidental Fire at Starting Line Auto Body Shop in PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Collision Care Opens 6th Location in New Jersey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Fire Damages Auto Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 LIABRA Hosts Town Hall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Maryland Legislation Would Block Insurer-Mandated Parts Procurement, WMABA: Yes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 New York Wants to Finalize Unresolved Sandy Claims Quickly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 NJ, NY to Offer Mediation Program for Sandy Claims Disputes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 NORTHEAST™ 2013—Tradeshow, Seminars, and Insurer-Mandated Parts Procurement Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 NY Auto Body Class Starts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 NY Officials Investigate Three Insurers in Sandy Claims Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Parts Order in PA Leads to Arrest in Fatal Crash . 1 Pennsylvania Chevy Dealer Finance Manager Charged with 16 Counts of Theft and Forgery. 3 Rhode Island Body Shop Prompts Zoning Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Rhode Island Senator Goodwin Introduces Unfair Insurance Claims Practices Bill . . . . . 6 Settlement Reached Over Sandy-Damaged Cars in NJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Show Attendees React to AASP 2013 Northeast Tradeshow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 The Industry Can Unify and Change; Many Have Made an Impact . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Pennsylvania Chevy Dealer Finance Manager Charged with 16 Counts of Theft and Forgery

Indexof Advertisers

Contents

Koeppel VW-Mazda. . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Lexus Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . 57 Malco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Maxon Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Maxon Mazda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 47 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . 40 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . 39 Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Nucar Mazda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Plaza Auto Mall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers. 54 PPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Ruge’s Parts Center . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 SATA Spray Equipment . . . . . . . . 19 Scion Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . 61 Security Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep . . . . 7 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers DE, South NJ, PA . . . . . . . . . 20-21 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers North NJ, NY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Thompson Organization . . . . . . . . 31 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 51 Tsunami Compressed Air Solutions . 10 VIM Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Volvo Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 46 Walcom USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Yonkers Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 3

250,500 Cars Damaged by Sandy in 15 States Plus DC

The current estimate of vehicles damaged as a result of Sandy is now set at 250,500 based on claims processed by insurance companies, according to latest figures released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). The complete list of states generating Sandy-related vehicle damage claims in descending order are: New York 150,000 New Jersey 60,000 Connecticut 8,000 Maryland 5,500 Massachusetts 5,000 Virginia 4,500 Ohio 4,000 Pennsylvania 4,000 Delaware 2,000 New Hampshire 2,000 North Carolina 1,500 District of Columbia 1,000 Rhode Island 1,000 West Virginia 1,000 Maine 500 Vermont 500 The figures are for insured losses only and may change as additional claims are received and processed. Uninsured vehicles damaged by Sandy are not reflected in these figures. Continued from Cover

Parts Order Arrest

to the FBI’s laboratory in Quantico, VA, indicated a certain brand of headlamp was involved in the accident. The headlamp is used in the Toyota 4Runner. Investigators also learned that one Maryland business supplies the parts to all Toyota dealerships in the northeastern United States. The dealers then order the parts for local autobody shops. The Maryland business provided a list of orders for the parts submitted from July 4 to Feb. 12. On Feb. 14, a detective with the District Attorney's Office reviewed an

Caliber Opens 21st Shop in LA

Caliber Collision Centers recently opened its newest location in Long Beach, CA, bringing the total number of locations in the greater Los Angeles region to 21. The new 11,000-squarefoot collision repair facility brings the total number of Caliber locations to 123.

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Settlement Reached Over Sandy-Damaged Cars in NJ

XL Insurance America Inc. and Fisker Automotive Inc. recently reached an agreement over an insurance dispute involving hundreds of hybrid cars at a New Jersey port that got wrecked by Superstorm Sandy. The terms of the settlement are confidential. “Fisker Automotive and XL Insurance America were able to successfully reach an out-of-court agreement that resolves their coverage dispute with respect to the loss of vehicles at Port Newark during Sandy,” XL spokesperson Christine Weirsky told Insurance Journal. Fisker Automotive had been in a legal dispute with XL since last December regarding coverage for the damaged cars. The Anaheim, CAbased automaker had lost 338 of its hybrid cars worth more than $30 million. Those cars were unloaded from cargo ships to be delivered to dealerships and were waiting at park facilities at Port Newark when Sandy struck. The cars were submerged in 5 feet of seawater when the storm slammed ashore on Oct. 29. One point of dispute was whether these cars were in transit or in storage when the damages occurred.

invoice for a front passenger headlamp ordered on July 5 by Essington Auto Center in Philadelphia from Conicelli Toyota in Conshohocken. Investigators interviewed the Essington manager, who said the car’s owner paid in cash and provided the vehicle identification number. That yielded a 2012 Toyota 4Runner registered to Huynh, whom the manager picked out of a photo lineup. On Feb. 25, Huynh was seen driving the vehicle near Routes 476 and 30. In custody, he said he was the only person who operated the vehicle but denied having been in an accident, the complaint says. Huynh was in custody with bail set at $500,000.

Hawaii Bill Seeks to Reduce Fees for Antique Vehicles

Legislation has been introduced in Hawaii to reduce annual registration fees and state vehicle weight tax for antique motor vehicles. Under the SEMA-supported bill, the registration fee would be reduced from $45 to $25 each year, and the weight tax would be reduced from 1.75 cents per pound to 1 cent per pound.

4 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Accidental Fire at Starting Line Auto Body Shop in PA

A Feb. 21 fire at an auto body shop in Silver Spring Township, Cumberland County, in Pennsylvania was ruled accidental. It is believed that the furnace, which used fuel oil, was the cause of the fire. Over 55 firefighters responded to the scene at Starting Line Auto Body on West Trindle Road and tankers were brought in because there wasn’t a close enough water supply to fight the flames. Freezing temperatures didn’t play a factor on fighting the blaze, and a heated tent was set up for firefighters standing by. It took about 40 minutes to get the fire under control, and New Kingstown Fire Chief Curt Hall said hard working volunteer firefighters made that possible. “Volunteer firefighters are hard workers. There’s not too many people that want to stand in the tent when there’s work to be done, so we had a good crew of personnel working today. The fire was under control quickly, and no injuries at this time.” No one was in the auto body shop at the time the fire broke out around 7:30 a.m.

NY Auto Body Class Starts

The BOCES Consortium of Continuing Education (BCCE) is offering a 100-hour training class on Auto Body Techniques that will provide entry-level instruction on auto body skills, techniques and materials. The course runs from March 5 to May 21 and meets every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6-9 p.m. at Madison-Oneida BOCES, 4937 Spring Road, Verona, NY. The cost is $800. For more information visit: www.moboces.org. Register online or by calling 315-361-5800.

LIABRA Hosts Town Hall

The Long Island Auto Body Repairmen’s Association met March 19 for a Town Hall open forum to discuss claims problems and solutions. Members were encouraged to bring problems and resulting solutions to the forum for discussion. In addition, the meeting featured a presentation on OSHA standards and compliance, as well as a New York State Labor Department update. LIABRA also reviewed their legislative agenda for 2013. Enterprise Rent-a-Car presented information on their ARMS program.

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New York Wants to Finalize Unresolved Sandy Claims Quickly New York regulators will require insurers to follow additional rules to expedite the resolution of remaining Sandy-related claims in New York, Insurance Journal has reported. These new regulations will now cut the amount of time an insurer can delay its decision on a Sandy-related claim in New York. They will also require insurers to report to the state’s Department of Financial Services—on a weekly basis —how many claims are being delayed and individual reasons for each of the delays. “While many claims in areas affected by Storm Sandy have been closed, the Department of Financial Services is still getting many complaints from New Yorkers whose claims have not been resolved,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “These new regulations will push insurers to move those claims as quickly as possible so people can re-

pair their homes and get back to their lives.” New York Financial Services Superintendent Benjamin Lawsky added that, “For the claims that are not being resolved, we want to understand what the problems are and what is causing the delays. “With more information, we may be able to help reconcile issues to the benefit of both consumers and the companies. The end goal is to ensure that homeowners receive any funds they are due as soon as possible,” Lawsky said. Under current insurance regulations, after a homeowner provides proof of loss, insurers have 15 business days to respond with a decision. But if an insurer is unable to reach a decision in that time, the insurer must provide the homeowner with a reason needed for additional time—but doing so grants the insurer an automatic 90-day extension.

Rhode Island Senator Goodwin Introduces Unfair Insurance Claims Practices Bill

Rhode Island state Sen. Maryellen Goodwin (D-1) recently introduced R.I. Senate Bill 465 regarding Insurance Unfair Claims Practices. The bill amends current Rhode Island law identifying as an unfair claims practice a motor vehicle’s designation as a total loss when the cost to rebuild or reconstruct the vehicle to its pre-accident condition is less than 75% of fair market value. Under the bill, any of the following acts by an insurer constitutes an unfair claims practice: • Designating a motor vehicle a total loss if the cost to rebuild or reconstruct the motor vehicle to its pre-accident condition is less than 75% of the “fair market value” of the motor vehicle immediately preceding the time it was damaged. (i) For the purposes of this subdivision, “fair market value” means the retail value of a motor vehicle as set forth in a current edition of a nation-

ally recognized compilation of retail values commonly used by the automotive industry to establish values of motor vehicles, (ii) Nothing herein shall be construed to require a vehicle be deemed a total loss if the total cost to rebuild or reconstruct the motor vehicle to its preaccident condition is greater than 75% of the fair market value of the motor vehicle immediately preceding the time it was damaged, and (iii) Nothing herein shall prohibit an insurance company from agreeing to deem a vehicle a total loss at the vehicle owner’s request and with the vehicle owner’s express written authorization, if the cost to rebuild or reconstruct the motor vehicle to its pre-accident condition is less than 75% of the “fair market value” of the motor vehicle immediately preceding the time it was damaged. To view the full text of this bill, please visit ASA’s legislative website at www.TakingTheHill.com.

Continued from Cover

in drafting the language. “We are one hundred percent in support this bill,” said WMABA Executive Director Jordan Hendler, to a trade media source. “We have already been in contact with several consumer and automobile dealer groups who will also stand with WMABA in support of this measure.” The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Economic Matters.

Maryland Legislation

sentatives and convened other collision industry segments to discuss crash parts and parts procurement policy. The Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA) worked closely with Delegate Fisher

6 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

There is no limit on the number of additional 90-day extensions that are available to an insurer. Insurers also must provide claimants notification of any documents or forms needed to complete their proof of claim within 6 business days of receipt of the claim. The Department of Financial Services announced regulators are instituting the following changes, as a response to consumer complaints that insurers are taking too long to accept or deny Sandy-related claims: • If an insurer is unable to make a claims decision within the allotted time, extensions are now only 30 days, not 90 days. • Any extension letter sent to an insured must provide not just the reason for the extension, but an estimate of the date the insurer expects the decision-making process to be completed. • Insurers must report to the state’s Department of Financial Services weekly on every claim that has been extended past the initial 15 business day decision window. This report will include, among other items, the amount of the claimed loss, the reason needed for the insurer’s extension, the

number of extensions the insurer already has utilized, and the expected date for its decision. • Notification to claimants of what documents and forms will be needed to complete the claim must now be provided in a written, detailed document. “Collecting this information will allow the department to monitor the claims process and the reasons for any delays in decisions. It also will encourage insurers to speed up the process of resolving claims,” Lawsky said. New York regulators are now also offering a voluntary mediation program option for homeowners disputing their insurance claims or dissatisfied with denials of their claims arising from Sandy. According to the latest data from 24 insurers that make up the most of the insurance market in New York impacted by Sandy, roughly 88% of their 390,793 Sandy-related claims in New York have been closed as of Feb. 22. That means there are still tens of thousands of claims that have not yet been closed.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 7

NJ, NY to Offer Mediation Program for Sandy Claims Disputes New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie recently announced his administration’s plan to offer a mediation program to Sandy victims who are in dispute with their insurers, the Insurance Journal recently reported. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo also unveiled a similar program that seeks to expedite the resolution of Sandy insurance disputes. Christie said his administration is working to establish a new mediation process that gives consumers the option to settle disputed cases without resorting to costly and time-consuming lawsuits. “This process is needed to help alleviate the hardship being experienced by residents whose property was damaged or destroyed by Sandy,” Gov. Christie said. As of Feb. 15, the percentage of claims closed is now 87% overall and 91% for homeowners, Christie said. “This mediation program is an opportunity to expediently resolve outstanding claims so that residents can continue to rebuild their lives,” Christie said. Christie said the new program

will allow property owners to submit homeowner’s, automobile and commercial property claims to a mediator who will review the case and assist in settlement discussions. The mediation program will be available for disputed non-flood Sandy-related claims greater than $1,000 that do not include a reasonable suspicion of fraud and are based on policies in force at the time Sandy made landfall. Insurance carriers will pay for the cost of the mediator. New Jersey’s mediation effort will not include flood insurance claims at the inception of the program because those claims are handled by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) pursuant to federal regulations, according to the statement. However, the state’s Department of Banking and Insurance said regulators are continuing to monitor and assess the viability of adding NFIP participation in certain mediations at a later date. Under New Jersey’s program, state-regulated insurers are required to notify insureds with open or unresolved homeowner’s, auto and com-

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mercial claims that they can ask for a mediation conference and detailed instructions for filing that request. Participation by policyholders is completely voluntary. Insurers authorized or admitted to transact business in New Jersey and the New Jersey Insurance Underwriting Association will be required to participate in the mediation program. Surplus lines insurers and risk retention groups (RRGs) may elect whether or not to participate in the mediation process on a case-by-case basis. “We know that other states facing the aftermath of weather-related disasters and storms, such as Hurricane Katrina, successfully operated similar mediation programs. New Jersey’s program will help rapidly and amicably resolve claims to help residents recover from Sandy,” New Jersey’s Banking and Insurance Commissioner Ken Kobylowski said. In New York, Gov. Cuomo said the state’s Department of Financial Services has established a voluntary mediation process for homeowners disputing their insurance claims or

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dissatisfied with denials of their claims arising from Sandy. “Mediation offers a speedy, lowcost resolution of insurance claims for homeowners who are unable to reach agreement with their homeowners’ insurance companies on claims from Storm Sandy,” Cuomo said. “It is also much less expensive for insurers than litigation, so it’s a win for everyone.” New York Superintendent of Financial Services Benjamin Lawsky said, “We also know that after other major storms, mediation was extremely successful in other states. So the Department of Financial Services has issued an emergency regulation directing insurers to offer and pay for voluntary mediation for open and denied insurance claims from Storm Sandy.” Under the new regulation, homeowners may seek mediation for claims that are disputed or if they disagree with the insurance company’s denial of a claim. The mediation program will be administered by the American Arbitration Association pursuant to procedures and standards approved by New York regulators.

Fire Damages Auto Shop

A fire that broke out around 6 p.m. on March 7 damaged a Manheim Township, PA, auto repair shop at 920 N. Market St., causing between $25,000 and $30,000 in damage, Manheim Township fire Chief Rick Kane said. An employee of the business was inside trying to extinguish the fire when firefighters arrived. He was uninjured but did suffer some smoke inhalation, Kane said. He did not have to be hospitalized. Kane said the one-story concrete block building contains a twobay auto repair shop. One car was inside being worked on, but it was removed unscathed. “The garage is split in the back, so there is second-floor storage area, Kane said. “That’s where the bulk of the fire was.” The cause of the fire is “undetermined,” Kane said, but most likely was “a furnace issue.” It was also initially reported that a person was trapped. Kane said the “trapped” person was actually the shop worker who was inside fighting the fire. “He was not trapped,” Kane said. “He was fine when we got here. We just had to escort him out.”

Collision Care Opens 6th Location in New Jersey

Collision Care Auto Body Centers has opened its sixth location in the Greater Philadelphia area. A former BMW dealership, Collision Care of Marlton is located at 120 Route 73 in Marlton, NJ. The 35,000-square-foot shop will employ 15 people. Mayor Randy Brown served as master of ceremonies for the shop’s grand opening on March 7. “When [Collision Care President] Val Fichera first contacted me indicating his desire to move into the former BMW location, my first response was, ‘Why?’” said Brown. “At the time, the intersection of 70 and 73… was just tons of construction. Credit to Val and his vision, the intersection and Collision Care of Marlton is now an upscale and welcome addition to the booming Marlton area, and his company’s history has proven that it will serve our community well,” said Brown.

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NY Officials Investigate Three Insurers in Sandy Claims Practices New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced that the Department of Financial Services is investigating the claims practices of three insurers following the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, the Claims Journal recently reported. The three insurers are: Narragansett Bay Insurance Company, Tower Insurance Company and Kingstone Insurance Company. The regulators said these insurers have had “much higher than average” complaints rate by consumers to the department. The regulators said the insurers are being investigated for (1) failure to send adjusters in a timely manner, (2) failure to process claims in a timely manner, and (3) inability of homeowners to contact insurance company representatives. New York State has been tabulating the number of complaints against insurers and publishing updated report cards assessing insurance companies’ performance in the wake of Sandy. In New York State, Insurance Regulation 64 requires that damaged property be inspected within 15 business days of a claim being filed, but for certain Sandy victims, the inspection time was shortened on Nov. 29, 2012 to six business days. Also, in New York State, insurers are required to make a decision on a claim within 15 business days of completing the claim investigation. If they are unable to meet that deadline, insurers are required to send a letter to homeowners explaining the reason for the delay. The department is asking insurers to provide information about how many extension letters they are sending, the reasons given for needing the extension and the projected time to completion. “It is essential that people whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Storm Sandy receive insurance they are eligible for as quickly as possible so they can return to their homes and begin rebuilding,” Gov. Cuomo said. “We have been working with the insurance industry to streamline the rules and thank the companies who have responded. But we won’t tolerate insurers not doing what homeowners paid them to do—respond quickly in a disaster,” the governor said. Benjamin Lawsky, superintendent of financial services, said, “We

know that the storm produced extraordinary circumstances, but we still expect insurers to live up to the highest standards.” The Department of Financial Services said it is investigating the three insurers’ claims practices by issuing an Insurance Law Section 308 letter — which is a request for information. Commenting on each insurer, the regulators said that Pawtucket, R.I.based Narragansett Bay’s policyholders have frequently complained that they have been unable to reach adjusters or that adjusters have failed to show up for scheduled appointments. Naragansett Bay received 11,029 Sandy-related claims in New York State. Among those claims, 8,882 claims closed with payment and 1,356 claims closed without payment as of Feb. 15. It had 147 consumer complaints, or a claims complaint rate of 1.33%, according to the insurers’ report cards. Regarding Tower Insurance in New York, the regulators said that the complaints about the company create the appearance that the company has engaged in a pattern of failing to send adjusters to inspect damaged properties. “Many New Yorkers had difficulty scheduling an inspection with Tower, while others have had their claims denied over the telephone without an adjuster visit,” according to regulators. “The department has also received several complaints from Tower policyholders that they were unable to reach a company representative, that the company has delayed the processing of consumers’ claims, and that the company has improperly denied claims under the sewer backup endorsement.” Tower Group received 16,777 Sandy claims in New York State. Among them, 10,716 claims closed with payment and 4,765 claims closed without payment as of Feb. 15. It had 249 consumer complaints, or a claims complaint rate of 1.48%. Commenting on Kingstone, N.Y.based Kingstone Insurance, regulators said complaints against Kingstone concern the company’s failure to send, or to timely send, an adjuster; sending an adjuster who only inspected part of the property (for example, solely roof damage and not internal property damage); denying wind damage

10 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

claims; disputed settlement amounts; and delayed settlement. Kingston’s claims data were not included in the regulators’ report cards. Tower Strongly Objects to Characterizations of Its Claims Handling In its official response, Tower Insurance strongly objected to regulators’ allegations. “On Feb. 21, Gov. Cuomo’s office issued a press release announcing that Tower Insurance Company of New York, a member of Tower Group Inc., is among three insurers the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) is investigating for claims practices related to Superstorm Sandy,” the insurer stated. Tower said that on Jan. 18, 2013, Tower received a letter from the department reciting a number of alleged claims handling violations and requesting data regarding all Sandy claims handled by Tower Insurance Company of New York. “Tower responded promptly to the request, and on Jan 31, 2013, the company provided voluminous information that refutes any factual basis for the allegations contained in the

January 18 letter. To date, Tower has received no further correspondence from the department regarding the data we submitted,” the company said. “The alleged claims handling violations listed in the Jan. 18 letter are the same allegations identified in Thursday’s announcement,” the company said. “As we described in our response to the DFS’s letter, we emphatically reject the allegations set forth in the DFS’s letter and Governor’s press release. We were surprised and disappointed to see that the Governor’s office repeated the same allegations in his Feb. 21 press release without any acknowledgement that Tower complied with the DFS’s requests with information that fully refutes the allegations contained in the DFS’s original inquiry.” “To date, we have closed over 95% of personal auto and homeowner Sandy-related claims,” Tower said.

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 11

PPG Marketing on Demand Website Breaks New Ground by Ed Attanasio

PPG Automotive Refinish. “Our goal is to help our customers gain a competitive edge with their online and offline marketing programs. By teaming up with Brandmuscle, we’re able to assist our customers in executing the types of marketing programs that are often available only to larger organizations.” Marketing Director Lori Alba is proud of the program PPG invested in for its customers. “PPG wanted to provide its distributors and body shops with a user-friendly, web-based tool for creating marketing materials ondemand,” Alba said. “We reached out

In the automotive paint industry, manufacturers are eager and willing to help their customers in areas such as production, recordkeeping and cost analysis. But now forward-thinking companies like PPG are reaching out to help jobbers and body shops in their marketing, advertising and media-buying efforts. Launched in April 2012 for distributors and body shop customers, the PPG Marketing on Demand website was created to perform a wide range of marketing functions—website development, the creation and production of advertising and marketing materials, and other tasks to help clients grow their businesses and establish a presence in their particular markets. PPG developed the website in conLaunched in April 2012, the PPG Marketing on Demand website can help PPG distributors and body shop cusjunction with Brandmuscle, tomers to perform a wide range of marketing functions a marketing software and to PPG sales reps, distributors and services firm based in Chicago. “We are passionate about helping body shops to find out what they wanted and needed in order to grow our distributors and body shops to suctheir businesses. With our research ceed,” said Cristina Fronzaglia, manager of marketing communications, and experience and their feedback, we

were able to create a site that acts as a also reach out to the PPG Marketing on Demand support team for personalized one-stop marketing resource.” Alba has additional insight on body one-on-one help with their advertising,” Alba said. “Rather than guessing what shops and their marketing needs because her husband manages a large body kinds of advertising to run or using a shop in Ohio.“There are thousands of shotgun approach, the PPG Marketing shops out there with little time and limited budgets and even fewer resources to focus on marketing and advertising. We knew we had to create a site that PPG distributors and body shops could use easily and quickly. By making the navigation straightforward and pro- By using PPG Marketing on Demand, PPG distributors and viding features like a work body shop customers can create customized websites center where customers can fast and affordably on Demand support center can help dissave and later retrieve ads they’ve created, an asset library where they can tributors and body shops by providing grab images and logos, and an extensive recommendations and helping to negotiate the best advertising rates.” how-to section, PPG Marketing on DeFor distributors and body shops mand is very easy to use.” Shops and distributors can create looking to create a website without high-quality customized ads and other spending thousands of dollars, PPG tailored marketing materials with a Marketing on Demand can make it few clicks of the mouse using PPG happen easily and affordably, Alba extemplates for use in newspaper, mag- plained. “PPG customers can create a azine, trade and broadcast advertising. professional site at a fraction of the cost “While shops will have access to of doing it on their own, and we can create materials online 24/7, they can maintain it for a nominal monthly fee.”

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The Art of Atomization: Thermo Regulated Compressed Air and Atomization by Robert Mercier, Walcom Thermo Dry Technology Specialist

The coatings industry is constantly formulating new ways to adapt their products to new environmental standards, ease of use, and color match. The atomization of these coatings through the spraygun nozzle is an ongoing challenge for paint and spraygun manufacturers alike and is ever-changing. It only makes sense that the physical application side of the process, i.e compressed air delivery-spraygun specifications and spraybooth design, change with it. A painter is faced with a different set of circumstances to take into consideration, depending on changing environmental conditions in order to adapt accordingly each day, especially with the new generation waterborne coatings. The tools provided to him are an essential part of his success rate and cycle time. The spraybooth is meant to provide a clean, consistently heated, filtered work environment so the technician can prevent contamination of the job. The demand is the same of the com-

pressed air delivery system. It is equally important to the application process and performance of the spraygun. Compressed air used in paint booths is negatively influenced by low temperatures in the winter and by high relative humidity in the summer. Even with adequate booth heating or, in the summer, cooling dryers, the temperature of compressed air entering the spraygun stock has a hard time reaching 20 °C (68 °F). Remember also that air expansion causes temperature to drop an addition 10–12 °C (50 °F–54 °F), lowering paint atomization air to a temperature under 10 °C (50 °F). With relative humidity under room temperature ‘dew point,’ a micro-mist that mixes with the paint may be generated. Therefore, the ideal 20 °C (68 °F) conditions indicated by paint manufacturers for satisfactory results are not met, with correspon-

ding loss of brilliancy, orange peel effects and poor distribution. Thermodry Technology heats and maintains the set compressed air temperature regardless of climate/room conditions. This allows the painter to use filtered, heated and thermo regulated compressed air, which maxi-

mizes results by eliminating environmental factors both in the booth and from external weather conditions. The operator can set temperature from 20 °C to 50 °C (68 °F–122 °F) for the painting phase and up to 70 °C (158 °F) for the drying phase. The

PID retroaction system (proportionalintegrated-derived) and instant regulation of the heating power at SCR (wave cut) keeps the temperature set by the operator constant. The IPH heating system has the same heating element features as the equipment, thus providing both tube heating and internal temperature control, keeping it constant during the entire paint cycle. A Heated and Thermo Regulated air delivery system that maintains 68 degree nozzle temperature free of humidity and gaseous impurities guarantees the technician superior atomization at the spray gun nozzle. This results in faster drying times, better paint flow out, lower paint consumption, and the elimination of imperfections or die back (loss of gloss.) Painters will immediately feel the difference in terms of faster drying time, better paint flow-out, lower paint consumption and higher application speed. In addition, painters can expect significant improvement in the quality of work when using both waterborne and solvent based paints.

THERMODRY TECHNOLOGY: BENEFITS

Heat your materials at the point of atomization within yourr spraygun nozzle and eliminate costly spraybooth retrofits 1. 25% to 40% reduction in drying time for waterborne and solvent based paints 2. Material savings from 15% to 30% due to higher transfer efficiencyy with maximum coverage 3. Reduce cycle times & operating temperatures of your existing spraybooth saving time and energy(additional cycles) 4. Clean paint work equals considerably less buffing and faster delivery to your customer 5. Simple installation works with your existing compressed air system and 110volt outlet 6. Superior atomization with zero impurities equals the “Quality in the finish” your customers deserve “We have invested in the Walcom system and our painters can’t imagine painting cars without it. We paint cars faster, with higher quality, and have experienced a significant savings in materials.” — Jack Lamborghini Total Care Accident Repair Raynham, Massachusetts

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The complete and efficient solution to resolve problems related to new generation paint application. www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 13

Social Media for Shops

Blogging for Fun and Profit

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

with Ed Attanasio

People used to think that blogs were light and breezy, written mostly by soccer moms or retired teachers and featuring their poetry, baby pictures and long-winded opinion pieces. But over the years blogs have changed in a big way. Nowdays, experts on certain subjects will go to blogs exclusively to see what they can’t find anywhere else on the Internet. Blogs have gone from irrelevant to pertinent within the past five years, and today more companies than ever (including body shops) have one blog and maybe even more. For those of you who have been inside fixing cars too long and don’t know what a blog is, here is my elevator speech. A blog is the morphing of two words (web–log) and in simple terms, it’s a discussion-based or informational site published on the web and including a series of entries (also known as posts) typically displayed in reverse chronological order. Until 2009, blogs were normally the work of a single individual or a small group, and often covered one particular subject. More recently ‘multi-author blogs’ (MABs) have developed, with posts written by large numbers of authors and professionally edited. More and more companies, including body shops, are creating blogs for many reasons, according to Angel Iraola, a blog expert and the owner of Net Business Consulting & Services (NBCS) in Santa Rosa, CA. Iraola has been designing websites and blogs for his clients since 2006 and has seen a huge spike in their overall popularity. “I used to get 1–2 calls every month from people asking about blogs and now I get about 5–6 calls a week. Why are they so in style right now with companies of all sizes? Because for one, they see their competitors doing blogs and they want to keep up. Also, they’re easy and affordable to set up and maintain, moreso than websites. In addition, people read blogs now more than ever and they enjoy interacting with other readers.” To get top search rankings on sites such as Google and Bing, blogs can play an instrumental role, Iraola said. “By using meta tags and the

proper keywords, blogs can help companies to spread the word and enhance their Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts. I’ve helped some of my clients to become #1 on Google and their blogs are one of the main reasons for their success online.” How can body shops use blogs to get more customers? Iraola isn’t giving away his secrets, he said, but he offered some basic advice. “Post at least once every week, otherwise your blog will become stale and people won’t read it. And change up the content, with articles about helpful news and tips about driving and cars and interviews with your employees and funny, entertaining stories including videos, in some cases. Make it interesting and varied and solicit comments by doing polls and promoting discussion with your readers.” Laurie Kaiser is the marketing director at LaMettry’s Collision, with seven locations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Kaiser contracted an outside firm to create LaMettry Collision’s blog in 2011 after it developed the shop’s website, she explained. “They recommended a blog to enhance our SEO, tell our story and keep engaged with our customers. We also attached the blog to some of our social media, such as Twitter and Facebook. We’ve made the content for our blog a team effort, soliciting feedback and gathering ideas about future blog articles from our employees, customers and even vendors.” Some of the more popular posts on LaMettry’s blog include: Best and Worst Car Commercials for 2013; Why Your Car Gets Poor Mileage in the Winter; Green Auto Repair: LaMettry’s Commitment to the Environment; and Congratulations to Lakeville High North’s Class of 2012. Stefanie Almendares is the marketing manager at Eur-Asia Motors in San Francisco, CA. One of the first things she did after getting hired early last year was create a blog and connect it to the shop’s website and its social media. “We specialize in information and education on our blog, because we want to be an advocate for the industry and a source our readers can trust,”

14 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Almendares said. “Sometimes I have to ask our techs about how to fix certain items, so that I can write about them for our blog. For instance, we wrote a post recently about how long it takes to repair a bumper. I didn’t know, so I had to learn how a fender is repaired and how long it takes to complete the job, so that I could pass it on to our readers.” Does Almendares have any tips on how to make it in the blogsphere? “I post as often as I can and we always use lots of photos. Our SEO person told us to use plenty of pictures and write alternate text for each photo we post. That way, we get more readership and enhance our searchability.” Kevin Rains is a second-generation owner of Center City Collision in Cincinnati, OH. He delegates the majority of his shop’s day-to-day tasks to his managers and employees, but handles all of his company’s marketing

himself, he explained. “I really enjoy the marketing aspect of this business, because it’s always changing with the technology. I started blogging way back in 2001 for my church, long before most people even knew what blogs were. Then, three years later I started a blog for our shop. Now I also publish a blog called the Auto Guru Blog, on which I teach readers about the technology involved in car repair, so that they know what to expect.” How does he know if people read his blog and has he seen any benefits from it? “There is no doubt about the power of blogging, because I have seen it firsthand. Everything we do online is there for a reason and SEO is of course a big factor. “We can’t rely 100% on our blog or our website, because marketing is a mix of different things but blogging is a part of that.”

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On Creative Marketing

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

The Selling Estimator’s Job Description with Thomas Franklin

The collision repair world is changing rapidly these days. I recently attended an autobody association meeting where a representative from Toyota introduced their new Parts Bridge product. The estimating system with which they decide to integrate this product will have exact manufacturer’s billing prices and technical service bulletin information to ensure parts are installed properly. It was suggested that this product would eliminate most supplements. Suddenly a large part of the estimator’s job would be reduced greatly. At the same time, the competition for jobs is heating up more and more, and consolidators are buying up many of the existing shops. The result of this is sort of a Wal-Mart versus local merchants war. Smaller shops are finding it much harder to compete when a chain of franchise or consolidator shops is gobbling up the lion’s share of the work in an area. How can they fight back? When I go around to smaller shops, I see a major difference in the way they see the estimator’s role. Often the estimator still has the old viewpoint that it’s only necessary to write an estimate when a customer comes in and to get that person to leave the keys for the shop to do the job. In a chain of corporate-oriented shops, the estimator usually has a different role altogether. I would be inclined to now call that job a ‘collision repair sales representative.’ Yes, the estimator still has to sell the customer on leaving his or her car, but much more is often required. I’ve taken the liberty of writing up an estimator job description that encompasses most of what could be expected of an estimator today. It is

true that in a larger shop, front desk people and customer service representatives may cover many of the elements I’ve listed. But I’ve found that even in some smaller shops that are part of a chain, the estimator may still have to perform the tasks of sales, customer follow-up, seeking customer referrals and more. For independent shops and shops like these, this could be a reliable guide:

Collision Repair Sales Representative Job Description • Primary duty: To show a customer the estimated cost and time of repair and to close the sale with the customer signing an authorization and leaving the keys to the vehicle. • Add-on sales: Estimator may see an opportunity to offer a specialty item, like running board or other item for a handicapped person, car seat for a child, animal restraint for a pet, or tinted glass, special lights, tires, rims, spoilers, etc. for cosmetic improvements. • Secondary key duty: Using the customer information form to discover follow-up and referral job information, like other vehicles in the family (especially young drivers and their vehicles), company vehicles at the customer's work place, and other possible vehicle repair needed. • Additional key duty: Using the customer information form to identify dates and times to re-contact the customer and maintain a long-term relationship. This can include birthdays, anniversaries, confirmations, graduations, and more. Inquiry should also be made about membership in a club, association or other group activity where the shop could provide promotional items.

• Delivery of completed vehicle: Whenever possible, the estimator should deliver the vehicle to the customer and use this opportunity to ask again about other family, friend and company vehicles that may need repair. • Follow-up calls: Keeping the customer advised of progress on the vehicle while in for repairs and refinishing. Also a follow-up call within thirty days after the repair to determine customer’s degree of satisfaction. If not fully satisfied, customer can be invited to come back and have repaired area buffed and polished. • Prospecting for customers during slow times: Calling customers on dates and times of events as noted, like birthdays, anniversaries, confirmations, graduations, and more. A general follow-up call should be made at one-year, two-year and three-year intervals. Call should always include an inquiry about the condition of all

hubs that could employ thousands of new workers. The Arizona Republic says State Farm had almost 1,300 fulltime employees and 26 part-time workers in Arizona as of December 2011.

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Why Good Salespeople Are Rare I’ve found in many companies where sales people are highly valued and highly rewarded, there is often an attitude among other personnel that sales people are pampered too much and paid too highly for what they do. It’s been my experience that effective sales people have an unusual talent and skill that not many people possess. The best sales people are aggressive without being offensive. They are empathetic without being timid or subdued. They’re able to persist in a pleasant way until they achieve their objective. While many people are reluctant to reach out and take command, the effective sales person is never reluctant to step up and ask for the job or the order. Without someone who possesses that forceful sales element, many shops and companies would not survive.

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Continued from Cover

Northeast 2013

procurement programs. Andy Dingman, owner of Dingman’s Collision Centers in Omaha, NE, has participated in American Family’s APU Solutions while Dan Hunsaker, owner of Dan’s Paint and Body, has been required to participate in State Farm’s PartsTrader due to being located in Tucson, AZ, one of their test markets. Due to his involvement with Consumer Auto Repair Excellence, Inc., and Alabama Automotive Repair Industry Society of Excellence (ALARISE), Steve Plier has received a lot of feedback from shops participating in PartsTrader in the Birmingham, AL, area. Schulenburg stressed that it is important for shop owners to be aware of what is happening in these test markets in order to “understand the potential ramifications so you know how to plan beforehand and can make an educated decision.” Hunsaker began the panel discussion by explaining that PartsTrader was a ‘nightmare’ to set up, and though it is now technically functioning in his shop, it is not any easier and

he would not choose to use it with other insurers. He dislikes the fact that the program dictates which vendors he can use since he spent years developing relationships with his suppliers. In regards to APU Solutions, Dingman noted that it is important to grow and change to stay in business, and ordering parts electronically allows him to free up his telephone line for incoming calls from customers. Still, he believes it is important to develop relationships with parts suppliers, and he noted that the only benefit to APU is that it is quick to search for parts, allowing him to avoid wasting suppliers’ time with quotes on total loss cases. Referencing the feedback garnered from shops in the Birmingham test market, Plier noted that PartsTrader slowed shops down with additional administrative duties, taking an average of 45 minutes to go through the additional steps in the process and increasing to as much as an hour in the case of total losses. Since shops are still using the same suppliers, many of them feel that it is quicker to call their suppliers. Hunsaker concurred, noting that changing the parts search function to

18 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

include AFM or alternate parts can easily turn into a three-step process, requiring an additional person half the time to tend to the administrative duties created by use of PartsTrader. Noting that it’s required to use APU Solutions in order to remain on American Family’s DRP program, Dingman still uses the same suppliers because, while APU has a ‘nearly unlimited’ number of suppliers across the U.S. that meet their standards, the shop does not set this criteria, creating a concern in regards to the quality of the suppliers on the program. Hunsaker expressed another concern: these parts procurement programs create and record a pipeline of the recommended parts that are not chosen which the insurer is apt to question without regard for the reasons shops may have chosen a different supplier, such as quality or delivery time. The insurer only sees that the shops are spending more money than absolutely necessary on parts. Confirming Hunsaker’s speculation, Dingman admitted that he has been audited by APU requesting documentation explaining why he chose not to buy their recommended parts. He

objects to blindly following APU’s recommendations because “a program can’t use common sense and knowledge of the suppliers out there.” The program can only provide options and information, but it’s a poor business decision to delay a repair for two days in order to save $5 on a part. “Using the program exactly as it was designed, ordering only recommended parts, would be a complete train wreck.” He continued to explain that clearly documenting why he wouldn’t use a specific provider wastes valuable time in going through the motions when he could just order parts from the quality supplier he has a relationship with. Furthermore, the unnecessary waste of time also affects his month-end clerical work as he must use additional time to separate and file documentation for multiple suppliers. Plier added that PartsTrader doesn’t intervene in problems between shops and suppliers, despite the fact that they are the ones “pressuring the shops to use their suppliers.” Though State Farm claims that shops can order from whichever supplier they want, shops are being judged on how competitive they are, based on

the parts they order. Birmingham shops were also unhappy with the lack of information received at meetings about the program as they were frequently informed that questions would have to be answered at a later date, even when reading directly from the Select Service Agreement. Many shops left these meetings feeling illequipped to make an educated business decision. Schulenburg noted that 17 Select Service shops pulled out the day before PartsTrader launched, and another shop withdrew two days later. Plier contributed that these 18 shops were sickened when they realized how many things they agreed to do for free as part of the Select Service Agreement, but by sending letters to customers explaining that they decided to withdraw from the program as part of their quality assurance for their customers’ benefit, these shops were able to retain over 90% of their customer base. When PartsTrader was introduced in Tucson, Hunsaker said that local shops resisted immediately. A large, nine-dealership supplier pulled out of the program upon realizing that they were forced to go through the

program even when ordering supplies from their own parts department. With the drive seemingly being to reduce MSRP, which has always been the standard, it didn’t take long for Tucson shops and suppliers to express their disapproval for the program. Reading a letter from a parts supplier who was unable to attend AASP Northeast 2013, Schulenburg addressed the supplier’s view of PartsTrader. The list of cons was immense and included inefficient uses of time as only about a quarter of quotes result in actual orders and filling quotes for uninterested people takes up to ten minutes each. There has also been an increase in the use of A/M parts which undermines OEM pricing and profitability, especially as OEMs are not [always] given the opportunity to price-match like A/M suppliers are. Additionally, suppliers suffer from the lack of relationships with shops, plus PartsTrader will supposedly begin charging suppliers to participate in the program in the near future, even when selling to prior customers. For suppliers, the pros of involvement with PartsTrader are limited to seeing the entire process and possible increased exposure to a larger

market, assuming that shops are actually interested in buying from them and not just requesting a quote to fulfill the process. Plier noted that suppliers in Birmingham view PartsTrader as a trap—many large providers refuse to participate at all or plan to remove themselves from the program once the intended participation fee is instituted. State Farm claims that PartsTrader offers a chance to bid on parts and increase business, but suppliers object to giving their parts away. Since the two largest suppliers in Birmingham withdrew from the program, there is no large OEM or A/M players, so more OEM parts are being used for local repairs than ever before. Hunsaker refuses to change his suppliers as they fulfill all his business needs. He quipped that PartsTrader is “a great program if you’re looking for the cheapest prices and don’t care about your customers.” The shops are the one who must call the customer if something is wrong with a part, yet the insurer wants to dictate that shops use cheaper parts without taking customer service or quality into consideration. Though State Farm doesn’t technically tell shops which supplier

to use, they are judging shops on their competitiveness, measuring shops’ performance by the parts they order and those they choose not to order for whatever reason. Shifting the direction of the discussion, Schulenburg noted that, at its launch, PartsTrader’s focal driving point was on efficiency, yet State Farm has no documentation to prove efficiency gains or ease of administrative duties. Hunsaker agreed that he has seen no evidence of increased efficiency through the use of PartsTrader. He disapproves of the insurer intruding in his business, insisting that “it is an issue to drive margins down as no one in this industry is making a fortune.” He is concerned that quality dealers will be put out of business because of competition from lower quality, less reliable, and less expensive suppliers. Pointing out that costs are increasing as profits decrease, Dingman said he is frightened by the idea of losing even more profits through parts procurement, pointing out how much worse it will be when shops are required to contend with more than one of these programs at a time. Though not many adjustments on See Northeast 2013, Page 30

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 19

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 21

Rhode Island Body Shop Prompts Zoning Change A new auto body shop may now locate in Commercial-2 zones in Cumberland, RI, rather than being restricted to industrial sites, under an ordinance recently approved by the town council. The change paves the way for Charles Lombardi Jr. of Cumberland to move his Cumberland Collision shop from Diamond Hill Road to a new facility at 420 Mendon Road, the Valley Breeze reported. Wrapping up the zoning change and Lombardi’s petition in a single motion, town council members: •Amended the zoning code to allow auto body repair shops in a C-2 zone; • Rezoned Lombardi’s proposed site from C-1 to C-2; • Waived the need for Lombardi to win the zoning board approval that future auto body applicants will need. The final 6-0 vote means Lombardi returns to the Planning Board where his major land development application already has master plan approval. His lease expires at the old Joly’s Auto Body location in January 2014. Under the zone change, the town is restricting future auto body shops in

commercial zones to only those that use a water-based coating system and a dustless sanding system. All work must be done inside and landscaping must screen outdoor autos, parts and trash from public view. Lots must also be at least 10,000 square feet and set back from the road at least 25 feet. An applicant in a commercial zone must also secure a special use permit from the zoning board John McCoy, an attorney who heads Cumberland’s zoning board, waited in the audience until 10:30 p.m. for his chance to strongly object to the waiver for Lombardi. “The council can amend, can change from C-1 to C-2,” he said, “but the zoning board is the permitting authority and it’s a big project. You can’t say, OK make it a special use but we’re exempting this applicant.” However, Lombardi’s attorney, Scott Partington, as well as Council President James Higgins successfully argued that Lombardi has gone through the entire proposal for councilors and an appearance before zoners would be repetitive and costly. Lombardi has been before the

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He said he generally handles four or five cars a week, but is hoping to grow. Lombardi, who says his hightech operation is a state-qualified top-tier level, is promising to run a tidy operation. “We’re not going to spend this kind of money and ruin it storing a smashed ‘02 Altima outside. I don’t do something like that,” he said. Opposed to the location was resident Frederick Mason, who lives nearby. When he moved in nine years ago, he felt he was seeing the area shift from commercial to residential, “more of a neighborhood and somewhat upper scale.” Planning and Community Development director Kelley Morris earlier told the Planning Board in a memo that the change “is not inconsistent” with the town’s long-term planning that calls for expanding the town’s tax base in part through “nodes of commercial development for small-scale, mixed-use neighborhood oriented commercial development.” Specifically mentioned, she said, is the Mendon Road corridor.

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Planning Board twice already, they noted. Town council member Bill Murray argued, “How do we help the businesses in town grow? This is a business that has spent a lot of money trying to improve. If we get tied up in red tape tonight or any other time we’ll start pushing businesses away from Cumberland.” And town solicitor Thomas Hefner reassured councilors, “You don’t bow to the zoning board; they do what you tell them to do.” Lombardi, who owns a home on Abbott Run Valley Road and is the son of North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi, is proposing a 14,000-square-foot addition to the current Mendon Road building that remakes the facade and creates three storefronts. It will sit on an acre and one-half of land with 200 feet of frontage. He plans three offices along the front. Behind the offices will be 12 bays for his auto body and repair operation, he said. The slope of the land will shield the operation from passersby, he says.

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Claiming Potential Waterborne Profits—Tsunami’s Solution by Dustin Ericson, Suburban Manufacturing, Inc.

Triumph and pitfall stories of today’s waterborne initiative are in front of our eyes and ears every day. One thing we do know is that by lowering the overall VOC (volatile organic compounds), waterborne painting has minimized harsh chemicals that flash off into the atmosphere and your workspace. It has also improved the curing process by drying more uniformly coat-by-coat compared to solvent-based paints which can take weeks to dry. This eliminates dimming of color (due to the primer, base and clear coats curing together) over time. Waterborne has also seen better coverage with fewer coats using less material. The issues with waterborne paint ‘come to the surface’ very quickly. The thinking is that since less material is used, this will save cost on a job. Many have found that while the waterborne paint is more expensive, if the job is done right the first time, those potential savings are realized. However, a new problem has arisen in the chemistry of a paint job—The Dew Point of

the compressed air stream. With solvent-based paints, water droplets were always an issue, dripping out of a fitting onto a panel once it was nearly complete. Even someone using a high-

powered air sander in a prep station with an overflowing water separator could dump the week’s water collection onto a surface. Nearly all the paint manufactures

suggest a single-digit relative humidity (RH). Figuring out relative humidity isn’t as much as a science as meteorologists make it out to be. It is the Dew Point of the compressed air divided by the temperature of the compressed air. Taking that information, it looks like there is a simple way of achieving the single digit RH. Heating the air sounds easy, but there are two big factors to consider: Air has terrible heat transfer capabilities (it’s used as an insulator in double pane windows), and the human hand starts to get sensitive at temperatures of 100°F and will burn at 140°F. The logical conclusion must be to lower the dew point of the compressed air stream. Desiccant pots or air dryers have been used for years for removing humidity from compressed air when using solvent-based paints. The media acts like a sponge adsorbing humidity, and needs to be replaced when saturated. The indicator window on these pots will change color when it’s time to change the media. Usually, people change these when they change from blue to pink or white. Shops also try and use this older technology when

using waterborne paints. One of the issues is the colored indicator windows will not even start to visually change color until the RH is near 24%, which is 140% out of specification. Usually, what past practice has found is if the desiccant is changed with the color being pink or white, the RH is 40% plus. This costs shops dollars in lost production when troubleshooting paint issues along with slowing production down due to longer drying time. Painters think they have dry compressed air, but they really don’t. The only way to assure you have dry air with desiccant pots is to check weekly with a humidity tester. Tsunami’s solution to this problem is the Ultra System—a complete system which includes a regenerative dryer, filtration to remove liquid water, oil and contaminates, along with a 80gallon storage tank. The media in the towers is quite different from the typical silica gel type medias found in the pots. Under the microscope, it looks more like honeycomb or porous with the beads being very small—many more beads fill the same space, greatly See Waterborne Profits, Page 41

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Custom Painter Aaron Wachholz Paints Cars, Boats & Bikes by Melanie Anderson

Customer painter Aaron Wachholz, owner of X-treme Paint Auto Body & Marine in Wyoming, MN, began his career nearly a quarter century ago when he was in the Navy, painting and repairing the landing and captain boats aboard the ship. After his stint in

Aaron Wachholz with a 2012 Tribute bike

“I like playing with different colors, filling out different designs and using my creativity to create something new,” Wachholz said. “I love creating something new and different, utilizing unique colors and color combinations. I take a vehicle and I’ll design a paint job that flows with the natural body lines on the vehicle. I like to take the shape and put a paint job to it that enhances all of the natural shape and contours of the body.” On the flip side, what he hates about custom painting is not always knowing for sure what exactly the customer has in mind, because some customers come in with a vague idea or concept that he brings to life. He has a fear of disappointing them, although that has never happened. He said one of his strangest requests for custom painting was a Hummer H2 where the customer wanted a two-toned bright pink. His most famous customer is Jesse Ventura, for whom he did custom paint on a favorite bike. Ventura is a former professional wrestler who utilized his skills learned in the ring to

the Navy, he worked at two body shops and eventually started doing his own custom work as well as custom painting new conversion vans that were sold on dealership lots. Wachholz, 43, started X-treme Paint Auto Body & Marine 16 years ago and now has four employees. The services provided by his business include custom painted graphics, custom airbrushing and murals, auto body collision and frame repair, fiberglass and aluminum boat repair and custom motorcycle painting. The shop serves the North Twin City Metro area with quality collision repair and custom paint with award winning unique designs. Awards include: DuPont Top Gun: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003; 2004 Cobra Mustang Donnie Smith Custom Bike Show: Best Paint 2009, Best in Class become Governor of Minnesota. 2009, Best in Class, 2006; as well as His favorite project was a donated several local car and bike show custom custom paint job he did last year on a paint awards. 2011 Harley Davidson Street Bob for Over the years, he estimates he’s ‘Tribute to the Troops.’ The custom custom painted over 5,000 cars, bikes paint utilized custom flakes and muland boats. tiple candy colors. Raffle ticket sales were over $40,000 and proceeds were donated to educational accounts for children of fallen soldiers. “The bike was phenomenal, especially in the sun. That was the coolest job I’ve ever done because it was the first time I ever did a custom 2005 Pugh race boat painted by Aaron paint that made a difference

24 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

in the lives of people.” This year he’s working on a Harley Davidson street glide for the ‘Tribute to the Troops’ fundraiser and the bike will be unveiled in mid March. As far as tips go, his paint is PPG Vibrance and he likes using stands made by Innovative Tools. He particularly likes the Octopus stand which allows him to easily Aaron airbrushing 2009 Boss Hoss Big block gas tank paint weird, odd-shaped parts. “You can clamp it the exact height and vertical angle he down at eye level and work all away needs to do intricate hood artwork. around the object.” He also likes their Wachholz used Innovative Tool’s Ulhood and bumper stands which make traRack Paint Stand to paint a custom it easy to paint a panel in the booth at hood for Innovative Tools and their SuperStand Bumper Stand for a custom painted bumper cover that the company displayed at SEMA.

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How to “Touch Up” A Scratched Car in 60 Minutes and Make $95 by Robert Keppel, Applied Colors

Before

ria: 1. The car’s paint color is not light metallic. No silver, no gold, no light blue, no light green. 2. The damage is not to a horizontal surface. Only touch up vertical surfaces, including doors, fenders, and quarter panels. Here’s how to execute the Ultimate Touch Up, step by step: 1. Mix an oz. of the car’s paint with .25 oz. of catalyzed clear. Stir. 2. Apply to the scratch with a thick brush. Be sure to fill above the surface of the scratch.

Ever had a customer bring you their scratched car and ask, “I can’t pay you to make it PERFECT, but can I pay you to just make it look BETTER?” Here’s a little trick for making this type of customer happy, and pocketing a quick profit. I used to do this at my repair shop in Beaverton, OR, where we called it the Ultimate Touch Up. First, if you’re going to attempt Touch UP, make sure Apply paint with brush and cure it meets the following crite-

Waterborne Breathable Air Combo System Available from Martech Services Company

As the use of waterborne paints becomes more popular and, in some areas required, the need for clean and dry compressed sprayable air is a critical prerequisite. The need for proper filtration to remove moisture, oil vapors, gaseous hydrocarbons, dirt, rust, scale, and other potentially dangerous contaminants is a core requirement. Then, if the dew point and relative humidity can be drastically lowered, the user can create a quality of spray air necessary to properly apply today’s top of the line waterborne paint products. Tom Wright, Director of Sales & Marketing for Martech Services Company, says “The Model 50-WB has all the features of a Quality Air Breathing System, Model 50 series system, plus the additional ability to lower the dew point and relative humidity for spraying waterborne paints.” Furthermore, Wright states, “It only makes sense that if the air is safe as breathable air, then it would also be superior sprayable air. Add a way to lower the dew point and the

relative humidity and you have a complete combo system.” The convenience of having a solution to comply with OSHA regulations for proper air supplied respiratory protection, and delivering Ultra Clean & Ultra Dry Air from a single system, is cost effective and efficient. The Model 50-WB can process up to 50 SCFM of Breathable Air or 35 SCFM of Ultra Clean & Ultra Dry Air, or any combination within those parameters. The Model 50-WB is designed to work with your existing compressed air source to properly filter and monitor the compressed air for Grade “D” Breathable Air, plus this system also provides Ultra Clean & Ultra Dry Air for use in spraying waterborne or solvent based paints. This system can handle up to two painters at the same time. The Model 50-WB is a 50 SCFM system, and is also available in an 80 SCFM system. For more information contact Martech Services Company at 1-800831-1525, or see their website at: www.breathingsystems.com.

26 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

with electric polisher: compound and wool pad. 9. Polish with foam pad. In 60 minutes, you have a flat, hard-to-see repair that the customer can live with. We never had an unhappy customer who chose the Ultimate Touch Up. Robert Keppel is president of Applied Colors, (www.appliedcolors.com), a Tigard, OR, company that produces the ScratchOut paint touch up system. It allows auto body shops to touch up minor paint damage for half the time and cost of using their primary paint rack.

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3. Cure for 10 min. with infrared lamp. 4. Spray with water to cool and solidify paint. 5. Wrap 1000 grit sandpaper around a solid, flat surface. A firm foam sanding block or a credit card works well. 6. Wetsand in an “x” pattern until the touch up paint is level with the panel. Be careful not to “dig in” with your fingers and burn the clear! 7. Wetsand by hand the entire area with 1500 grit sandpaper. 8. Remove paint scratches Compound and polish

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Mazda Wholesale Parts Distributors “Professionals Servicing Professionals” www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 27

Preval Wins Prestigious Sherwin-Williams’ Vendor of the Year Sherwin-Williams recently announced it has awarded its Vendor of the Year Award to Preval, a division of Chicago Aerosol. This is the first time the company has received

the prestigious award, which recognizes a small group of suppliers who have demonstrated substantial success in a variety of categories, including double-digit sales growth, high-quality and high-value products, ambitious new product devel-

opment and exceptional service and management. Peter Sedlak, vice president of Marketing & Purchasing at SherwinWilliams Co., said Preval was selected for the award, in part, because of the

company’s drive to succeed and the unprecedented success of its relatively new vFan, a portable airbrush system that has been enthusiastically welcomed among professional contractors as well as a number of other industries. The vFan led to a 12% sales gain in Preval’s Sherwin-Williams contracts. And despite the rapid growth in the paint and coatings industry and others, Preval has maintained as one of its core business values an unrelenting focus on quality, value and customer service. “Somehow, the Preval Spray Team can separate themselves from the pack by out-servicing most [of their competitors],” Sedlak said. Preval, and its parent company, Chicago Aerosol, were recognized with the award at the Sherwin-Williams’ vendor luncheon in Nashville, TN. “Winning this award from Sherwin-Williams, one of the biggest names in the paint and coatings industry, validates all of the hard work that we have put into bringing inno-

vative new products to the market and setting ourselves apart from the competition,” said Preval President Sam Averbuch. The vFan is used for precision paint and material dispensing; touchups and surface repairs; surface preparation; and curing. Distributed worldwide, the vFan is used in diverse

(l to r) Keith Ramsey, Ken Kamien, Matt Spagat, Sam Averbuch, Bryan Smith, Sheryl Ellenbrock, Shawn Orr and Teresa Chapman

markets across the globe, including the appliance, automotive, aerospace, arts, bookbinding, craft and hobby, container, converting, electronics, food and beverage, furniture, home improvement, life sciences and medical, light emitting diodes (LED),

Painting

metal finishing, marine, new home resurfacing, non-woven, packaging, scrap booking, semiconductor and solar energy and textile industries. The vFan Airbrush is the only device on the market that converts to an airgun and achieves both 3-inch fan and 1/16-inch hairline patterns. Amazingly portable, the vFan Airbrush can be used in all environments when powered by 150 Feet of Energy, Preval’s innovative, eco-friendly aerosol compressor unit. Each canister of 150 Feet of Energy contains 7 ounces of VOC-exempt propellant that powers more than 150 feet of linear paint coverage and up to 40 square feet of paint coverage. The vFan Airbrush is also compatible with most workshop compressors. In addition to the vFan, Preval is well known for its Sprayer, a portable, professional-grade, inexpensive spray system that is used for countless applications. The Sprayer is disposable, recyclable, easy to clean and where no compressor is needed. Preval has also recently introduced a number of other complementary products to the marketplace.

with

Blended Nitrogen • Better coverage by 27% • Shorter Cycle time by 22% • Double exhaust filter life • Incredible paint luster p

Magnified 500X it is easily apparent painting with compressed air leaves much to be desired when compared to “Blended” nitrogen. Material atomization from the spray gun is greatly improved. The process of 1...spraying with a blended nitrogen; 2...Increased air temperature at the gun tip and; 3...Control over air ionization, results in less materials used per vehicle, shorter cycle time, and less overspray in the exhaust filters. More information, visit www.haydell.com

800.673.2493 www.futurecure.com 28 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

New Custom Painter Enjoys the Creativity of the Business Jonathan Phillips, 35, of Summit Collision Center in Lees Summit, MO, is new to custom painting but has been in the production painting side of the business for 12 years. Custom painting caught his attention a few years ago when he became interested in learning more about colors, tech-

Phillips, who said he’s always had an artistic eye, took art classes in school. But his career in auto body painting started because of a friend’s need for help in his shop. At the time, Phillips was in the construction business, but he decided to work for six months as an apprentice auto body painter learning the trade. When Phillips was ready to buy his own spray guns, the Sagola spray gun line was recommended to him. He liked the guns so much, he ended up buying three Sagola guns from SprayTech Solutions over an 8-month period: a base 4500 HVLP Xtreme, a HVLP 3300 Pro sealer gun and a XLT Xtreme clear gun. Phillips’ 1999 Mustang before custom painting ... “I was totally niques and effects. So he attended a blown away by these guns,” Phillips few Jon Kosmoski House of Kolor said. “I switched to Sagola after seeing seminars and practiced his skills on how well they are made on their webtwo motorcycles and his own ‘99 site. They have no distribution rings or Mustang, which he painted a dark packings that have to be changed. Sagola also offers a digital air gauge green with metallic flakes.

built in the gun. The HVLP Xtreme really lays out metallics beautifully.” Phillips loves the freedom of custom painting because it has less structure than collision painting and a mistake could be turned into a masterpiece with the creativity custom painting allows. He also enjoys the

... and after custom paint job by Phillips

freedom to mix of colors in custom painting as opposed to in collision repair where the paint is ‘non-negotiable.’ While custom painting is still mostly a hobby, he continues to paint collision repairs for Summit Collision Center, which also offers frame repair, body pulling, unibody repair and other services. Summit Collision Center has been serving the community in Kansas City since 2002.

Seidner’s Hires Mike Stacy as Corporate Director

Seidner’s Collision Centers, a 13shop operation based in Los Angeles, CA, has named industry veteran Mike Stacy as director of corporate strategy. Stacy has more than 40 years of industry experience. He launched his career in 1972 before opening his own collision repair shop in 1981. Stacy later served as zone vice president for CCC Information Services Inc., and most recently served as vice president of sales and marketing for VeriFacts Automotive. “Having Mike with his vast industry experience, knowledge and energy will allow Seidner’s Collision Centers the opportunity to continue our growth strategy to better serve our customers,” said Steve Seidner, vice president and co-owner of Seidner’s Collision. “Mike will be an important part of our executive management team.” “I have had the great honor of visiting many remarkable shops in my career and I absolutely can’t think of a better organization to be aligned with than Seidner’s,” said Stacy. “I am honored to be an integral part of Steve and his teams vision for the future.”

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Continued from Page 19

Northeast 2013

MSRP have been seen on the OEM side of the business, Schulenburg points out that the program is still in its infancy and questions how this dynamic will change when the program goes nationwide and increases its pressure for downward price trending. Hunsaker said that his first quote through PartsTrader contained a MSRP reduction, but he hasn’t experienced the problem again since venting his frustration to State Farm and PartsTrader. Dingman has not seen any changes to MSRP, though he has noticed some price differences due to multiple AFM quotes. In response to a question about State Farm’s claims of increasing efficiency by working on repairs while waiting for quotes, Hunsaker objected, saying that while he may be able to save time if he only ran two estimates daily, his work volumes necessitate running seven or eight quotes in tandem, thus resulting in a reduction in efficiency, not an increase. Dingman insists that APU has not increased his efficiency because the program is not efficient. Hunsaker is waiting to make a decision about continuing to use PartsTrader once the program goes national, allowing himself time to become acquainted with the system so that he can make an informed decision. Dingman continues working with APU because American Family requires him to do so, but he noted that he would be unable to comply with their demands to use APU if he was forced to use certain suppliers. Regarding supplier criteria and reasons for involvement with parts procurement programs, Hunsaker said there is no criterion as evidenced by the fact that dealers cut prices by going lower than MSRP. No one on the panel was able to supply a reason why parts providers should voluntarily participate in programs such as APU Solutions or PartsTrader. Dingman feels it is important to get information out there so shop owners can make informed business

decisions, and Plier suggests DRP participants should re-read their agreements and make an educated business decision instead of simply participating out of fear. Schulenburg said he believes that PartsTrader intends to establish prevailing practices as they expand into the national sphere, but he also believes “they’re waiting to see what our industry does—or doesn’t do.”

Collision Repair 2013 On Saturday morning, Jim Mickle, GM Parts Wholesale Automotive Instructor, taught a seminar entitled “Collision Repair 2013” which focused on body structure issues, high tension steel and sheet metal repairs. Beginning with the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, Mickle explained that it is designed with hardened steel in the front so the hood hinge will buckle instead of coming back into the windshield in the event of a crash. Combined with the use of insulation in the fenders, these changes make the 2013 Malibu more difficult to repair. The Malibu is eco-fitted with a 5.4mm acoustic-laminate windshield and 5mm acoustic-laminated front door glass while noise is reduced by 16 expanding-foam acoustic baffles placed in cavities throughout the body structure which need to be replaced after a crash also. Additionally, some pillars contain a mixture of mild and hard steels. The 2013 Honda Accord features Honda’s next-generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure. Mickle emphasizes that whenever you drill into a metal surface, the corrosion resistance of that panel is compromised. The mild steel included in the structure typically has a tensile strength of less than 270 mega pascals (Mpa), while high strength, low alloy steel has a tensile strength ranging from 300-700 Mpa which means that heating can be used no more than twice, and mig welding can be utilized in the front and rear areas. Regarding ultra-high-strength steel with a tensile strength greater than 800 Mpa, also known as DPX, repair is not recommended. This type of steel should only be replaced at the

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factory joints, and sectioning or partial replacement is not recommended. Stitch welding and the use of heat to repair damage is not recommended for this type of steel either, and it cannot be used as a backing reinforcement or a sleeve. To perform structural or collision damage repairs on high strength steel, it is often necessary to drill out resistance spot welds. Luckily, GM Collision Repair Technology Center recently validated the CryoCobalt drill bit which was developed for use with very hard metals due to the increased micro-sharpness and thicker web. Mickle insists that it is necessary to use a weld-through primer when engaging in front frame sectioning as cutting the frame can expose the metal to corrosion. Additionally, doors contain anti-corrosion materials which are necessary to reapply when doors are replaced, and certain vehicle structures require anti-corrosion treatment for other areas of the vehicle as well which is why it is so important to read the manufacturer’s repair guidelines. Mickle’s seminar continued with discussions of closed cavity coatings, metal panel bonding and inverter technology. He stresses the importance of replacing all seatbelts after any acci-

dent serious enough to deploy airbags, urging the necessity of using only OEM airbags due to the dangers of using counterfeit airbags which will not cause the Supplemental Restraint System light to illuminate as the manufacturer intended. Explaining that the seventh number of the VIN represents the type of airbag with digits 1–3 representing front air bags while digits 4–6 indicates side impact air bags, Mickle enumerates on the ways to visibly see the differences between OEM and counterfeit airbags. Noting that carbon fiber body parts are scheduled to hit the industry in the middle of 2013, Mickle discusses the use of carbon fiber parts in the 2014 Corvette ZRI, Ford Fusion and Ford Escape. Running out of time, Mickle quickly summarizes the importance of disconnecting the 12-volt battery and hi-volt battery in specific repair situations, also mentioning the use of break-away pedals and a new AC refrigerant in all GM vehicles starting in 2013 which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 99% as long as it is installed correctly. In conclusion, Mickle claims that OEM parts can restore a vehicle’s original look and performance.

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32 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Subscribers:

The Honda and Acura Dealers Listed Here are HO N DA NE W YO R K

NE W YO RK

N EW JER SEY

P EN N SY LVA NI A

Babylon Honda

Lia Honda of Williamsville

Honda of Turnersville

We st B aby lo n

Wi l l i a m s vi l l e/ Buf fa lo

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York

631-669-5800

877-659-2672 716-632-3800

800-883-0002 856-649-1584

800-960-9041 717-848-2600

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

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

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

Ray Laks Honda

Hudson Honda

Wes t S en ec a

We s t Ne w Yo r k

716-824-7852

866-483-6917 201-868-9500

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-3:30 babylonparts@aol.com

Brewster Honda B re wst er

845-278-4177 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 kbennett@liacars.com

Dick Ide Honda R och es t er

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

Clinton Honda

Dept. Hours: M-Thur 8-8; Fri 8-5:30; Sat 8-5 parts@dickide.com

908-735-0900

Lamacchia Honda Syra cu se

315-471-7278 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 9-1 parts@lamacchiahonda.com

Lia Honda of Albany Alb an y

800-272-6741 518-482-2598 Dept. Hours: M,T,W,F 7:30-5:30; Thur 7:30-8; Sat 8-5 tmorris@liacars.com

A n na n da le Dept. Hours: M,Tue, F 7-6; W, Thu 7-7; Sat 7-4 chrish@clintonhonda.com

Honda of Princeton P ri nc et o n

800-682-5941 609-683-5941 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-4:30 kphillips2@princetoncars.com

Baierl Honda Wex f ord

724-940-2006 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 johnryan@baierl.com

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

J.L. Freed Honda

Planet Honda

215-855-3587

Uni o n

Dept. Hours: M-Thur 8-6; Fri 8-5; Sat 8-1 joseph.sciacca@jlfreed.com

NE W J ERSE Y

800-462-0056 (N.Y.) 585-586-4919

Apple Honda

800-964-7280 908-964-8411

Mon tg om er y ville

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 flopez@planethondanj.com

Shadyside Honda

Rossi Honda

800-468-2090 412-390-2908

Vi ne l a nd

800-893-3030 856-692-4449

Pit ts b urgh

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

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

Sussman Honda

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Route 22 Honda

866-522-4446 201-568-7000

800-682-2914 215-657-3301

973-705-9100

Honda of Tenafly Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7-5:30 randallr@dcautos.com

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

Ros ly n

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

AC U RA NE W YO R K

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Acura of Westchester

Smithtown Acura

Apple Acura

Wes tch es t er

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E mm aus

914-834-8887

888-832-8220 631-366-4114

877-5APPLE5 717-849-6639

877-860-3954 610-967-6500

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-5:30; Sat 7-3 parts@appleacura.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-5; Sat 8-5 mustafa@vinart.com

Baierl Acura

Sussman Acura

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

Curry Acura Sc a r s da le

NE W J ERSE Y

800-725-2877 914-472-7406

Acura of Turnersville

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

888-883-2884 856-649-1884

Paragon Acura Wo o ds id e

718-507-3990 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5; Sun 9-4 johnp@paragonacura.com

Tur ne r sv i ll e

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

Elite Acura M a p l e S ha de

856-722-9600 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 bmartinsen@group1auto.com

Lehigh Valley Acura

Wexfo rd

Jen kint own

800-246-7457 724-935-0800

800-826-4078 215-884-6285

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

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

Davis Acura L a ngho r ne

866-50-ACURA 215-943-7000 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-4 markh@davisacura.com www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 33

AUTOMAKER, AU A UTO OM MA M AK AK ER OEM OEM AUTOMAKER KE R,, OEM, M,, AND AND RECALL RE R E C AL CA ALL LL EC Autobody News

Ford Recalling 230,000 Minivans for Rust

Ford Motor Co. is recalling 230,000 minivans because third–row seat latches can rust and fail to relatch. The recall of the 2004–2007 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans is in 20 ‘salt belt’ states, including Michigan, where the vehicles were sold or registered. Ford agreed to recall the vehicles in the face of a 14-month investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It includes vehicles equipped with a third-row seat. Ford said it is aware of 80 complaints but no injuries or crashes. In August 2011, Ford became aware of a customer with difficulty latching the third row seat into its seating position. Between January and November 2012, Ford and NHTSA continued an active dialogue on this subject and conducted vehicle surveys and testing. The recall includes about 196,000 vehicles in the United States and 33,250 in Canada. Ford dealers will install new third-row seat latch striker mounting brackets, which relocate the seat latch strikers from the potentially corroded area. In addition, dealers will install overlay panels on the exterior of the wheel wells to prevent entry of water and corrosive elements. The states where the vehicles were registered or sold are: Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Subaru Recalling Vehicles That Can Start on Their Own

Subaru of America is recalling 50,000 vehicles in North America because the remote engine starter could malfunction and start the vehicle without warning. The Japanese automaker said the recall covers 47,419 vehicles including the 2012–13 Impreza,

NEW YORK • NEW JERSEY • PENNSYLVANIA • DELAWARE

2010–13 Legacy, 2010–13 Outback and 2013 XV Crosstrek. The recall includes 2,819 vehicles in Canada. The engine may start and run for 15 minutes, and the engine may continue to start and stop until the battery in the key fob dies or the vehicle runs out of gas. The vehicles could pose a danger if parked in a garage because of a buildup of carbon monoxide, which could cause asphyxiation. Subaru dealers will replace the key fobs and the recall campaign will begin by the end of April. Subaru noticed an increase in warranty claims in July after a supplier had made a change to improve the key fob in 2011. After issuing a technical report in December, Subaru mounted a new investigation.

Japanese Automakers Rank High in Consumer Reports

Japanese automakers led by Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. topped Consumer Reports’ annual auto rankings, while Detroit’s Big Three automakers lagged behind. The magazine unveiled its influential 2013 annual auto ratings issue in Washington, saying Toyota’s Lexus unit was top overall brand with all of its vehicles recommended, followed by Subaru and Mazda— which tied for second, and Toyota and Acura, which tied for fourth. All U.S. brands were in the bottom half of the rankings. Fewer than half of all U.S. vehicles were recommended by the magazine, and most of those came from General Motors Co.’s GMC and Chevrolet brands. The ratings are based on feedback from 1.2 million owners, Consumer Reports testing and other factors. Just 20% of Ford Motor Co.’s Ford models and 20% of Cadillac models were recommended. Chrysler also fared poorly. Just 25% of Chrysler models were recommended. Acura, Honda’s luxury brand, was the only other brand to have 100% of its models recommended by Consumer Reports.

34 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Feds Probe 724,000 Ford Models for Stalling

Federal safety regulators have opened a new safety investigation into 724,000 Ford Escape, Fusion and Mercury models over hundreds of reports of sudden loss of engine power. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has opened a preliminary investigation into the 2009–11 Ford Escape and Fusion, and Mercury Mariner and Milan. The vehicles can unexpectedly go into ‘limp home mode’ at reduced power, the agency said. NHTSA and Ford have received almost 1,500 complaints about the problem. There were three crashes and one injury. NHTSA said it analyzed 123 complaints about the cars or SUVs going into what’s known as limp mode, in which vehicle speed was limited to 20 mph. Drivers may interpret the limp mode as stalling, even though the engines still move the vehicles, the agency said. Vehicles usually go into limp mode when computers detect an engine problem. Ford made a design change in 2009 to address complaints but did not recall the vehicles. The Fusion and Milan are nearly identical cars with the same engines, as are the Escape and Mariner. Ford scrapped the Mercury brand in 2010. NHTSA said there have been 27,500 warranty claims for the issue. Ford has received more than 1,400 complaints about the issue.

Porsche Recalling 911 Models for Exhaust System

Porsche is recalling about 2,263 of its 2012–13 911 models because part of the exhaust system can fall off. Porsche said the models were the 911 Carrera, 911 Carrera Cabriolet, 911 Carrera 4 and the 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet equipped with the 3.4 liter, 6-cylinder engine and the standard rear muffler exhaust system. The automaker said its internal testing showed the exhaust systems “do not achieve the required service life” and might fracture, allowing the end to fall off.

www.autobodynews.com

April 2013

Hyundai Recalling Velosters for Sunroof Malfunction

Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2012 Veloster vehicles manufactured from July 4, 2011, through October 31, 2011 and equipped with panoramic sunroofs. The panoramic sunroof assembly may have been weakened during installation at the factory. If the assembly was weakend at the factory, the panoramic glass panel may break while the vehicle is in motion leading to personal injury or a vehicle crash. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the sunroof’s integrity and replace the sunroof glass assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall will begin in March 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.

Ford Plans to Recall 7,000 Vehicles for Child Lock Flaw

Ford Motor Co. plans to recall 7,150 vehicles built in November, including the 2013 Escape crossover, because some models are equipped with a defective child lock on the left rear door. Also included in the recall are the 2013 Focus and C-Max cars. The action marks Ford’s fifth recall for the redesigned Escape since the vehicle’s launch last year. The company will inspect 5,638 Escapes that were built in Louisville Assembly Plant between Nov. 14– Nov. 24, Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker said. Ford is recalling 1,223 Focus cars as well as 283 C-Max vehicles. Both of the affected models were built at Michigan Assembly Plant between Nov. 17 and Nov. 21. In some of these vehicles, the child lock on the left rear door may not work when the driver tries to activate the locks. The driver may incorrectly believe that the locks are functioning properly, Ford said. About 5,650 of the vehicles covered by the recall are in the United States, Felker said, adding that Ford was not aware of any accidents and injuries due to the problem.

Nissan Recalls Five 2013 Models for Air Bag Problem

Nissan is recalling five of its 2013 models in the U.S. because a faulty sensor can permanently turn off the front-seat passenger air bag. The recall covers the Altima midsize car, as well as the Leaf electric car, Pathfinder SUV and the Sentra compact. Also covered is the Infiniti JX35 SUV. The Altima is Nissan’s top-selling car with 49,000 sold this year. Nissan says in documents filed with safety regulators that it hasn’t determined the number of vehicles affected by the recall. Front passenger seats have sensors that determine the passenger’s weight and turn off air bags off if a child is on board. The malfunctioning sensors can turn the air bags off permanently. Nissan says its dealers will inspect the sensors in April and replace them free of charge if necessary.

Chrysler Tells 2500 Owners of Challenger’s ‘Fire Risk’

Chrysler is telling owners of about 2,500 Dodge Challenger muscle cars with V-6 engines not to drive them because a short in a wiring circuit can set them on fire. Owners also are being told not to park the cars in a garage or near a structure until the problem can

NHTSA May Investigate Prius over Steering Shafts

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations will investigate whether 561,000 2004–09 Toyota Prius hybrids have defective steering shafts. NHTSA said it will decide whether to grant a defect petition claiming the steering column linkage was improperly assembled. Toyota has issued two recalls for steering issues in the Prius. In November, Toyota recalled 669,000 2004–09 Prius vehicles to replace the steering shaft extension assembly. Toyota said due to insufficient hardness of the extension shaft, parts that connect the extension shaft to the steering gear box may deform if the steering wheel is frequently and forcefully turned to the full-lock position while driving at a slow speed. In 2006, Toyota recalled 170,000 2004–06 Prius vehicles because the intermediate shaft in the electric power system can crack, which could result in a loss of steering control.

be fixed. The cars are from the 2013 model year and have V-6 engines. They were made during the eight weeks that ended Jan. 24. Chrysler didn’t identify exactly where the short occurs, but said it’s in a place that most owners would never see.

Honda Recalls 250,000 Vehices for Brake Problem

Honda is recalling nearly 250,000 vehicles worldwide for brakes that suddenly starting braking on their own. The problem is caused by improper electronics and wiring in the vehiclestability-assist system. No crashes have been reported related to the defect. Honda Motor Co. said it was recalling more than 183,000 vehicles in the U.S., including the Acura RL, Acura MDX and Pilot models. More than 56,000 vehicles were recalled in Japan, affecting the Odyssey, Legend, StepWgn and Elysion models. Also being recalled are nearly 8,000 vehicles in Canada, nearly 1,000 in Australia, about 300 in Mexico and 70 in Germany. The vehicles were produced from March 2004 through May 2006.

Chrysler Spends $1B on Paint and Body at Plant

Chrysler is spending more than $1 billion to build paint and body shops for the Sterling Heights plant in suburban Detroit. The projects will add a 1 million-square-foot body shop and a 425,000-square foot paint shop to the plant. Construction is expected to finish this year.

Toyota Recalls 209,000 FJ Cruisers for Seatbelt

Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 209,000 FJ Cruiser SUVs because their front seatbelt retractors could fall off. FJ Cruisers from the 2007 through 2013 model years are included in the recall. Toyota said the driver and front passenger seatbelts are mounted on the vehicle’s rear doors. If the doors are closed forcefully over a period of time, cracks can form in the door panel around the seatbelt retractor and the retractor can become detached. Toyota said it has received no reports of injuries due to the defect.

Chrysler 200 Redesign to be Built in January, 2014

Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said the next-generation 200 has been delayed until January. The 200 has been a strong seller. Its sales rose 44 percent in 2012 to 125,476 units, making it the automaker's best-selling car and fifth-best selling nameplate. Sales through the first two months of this year are up 21 percent to 20,292 units. On March 1, the company said it had a 68-day supply of Chrysler 200s.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 35

Inside Insurance

The Insider is a corporate-level executive with a Top 10 auto insurer in the U.S.. Got a comment or question you’d like to see him address in a future column? Email him at Auto.Insurance.Insider@gmail.com

Shops’ Inefficiencies Are Legitimate Concerns for Insurers with The Insurance Insider

I wrote an article a few months ago focusing on inefficiency within body shops. That is, inefficiencies that are most commonly associated with the repair process. If it takes you seven days to repair a vehicle and the shop down the street could have done it in five days, you’ve just cost everyone money. I recognize that all shops shouldn’t be painted with the same broad brush but in my view, if you’re inefficient you’re guilty by association. Because of inefficiencies, insurers unnecessarily spend money every day that could have been used to lower premiums or offset the impact of a rate increase. Yes, most insurance companies are profitable, but it’s not as a result of all the great deeds and service provided by body shops. Most shop owners believe that insurance companies are penny-pinching Scrooges looking to take control over the shops and the industry. That viewpoint is shortsighted. We try to contain our losses by working with shops to ensure estimate accuracy (also known as taking control of the shop). And we also try to find way for shops to be more efficient in the estimate and repair process (also known as taking control of the industry). To recap the obvious, we will do whatever is necessary provided it is not illegal or completely unethical. I’m certain some of our business practices are less than ideal but the facts are the facts. Shops would not be as advanced as they are today if it weren’t for insurance companies leading them in the right direction. We try to help make you more efficient because when you aren’t, we lose and so does the vehicle owner. So do you, as the shop owner. How does the vehicle owner lose

because of your inefficiency? The inconvenience of being without their car for a few additional days is just the beginning. It can also lead to an increase in our customers’ premiums. Unfortunately, our customer won’t associate

that increase in premium to an inefficient repair industry riddled with under-performers. They blame insurers for the rate increase. The end result is that any additional unnecessary expense in the repair of a vehicle costs us money. How do we account for the additional expense? The only way we can. We pass along that cost through premiums. What do most consumers do when there is a price increase? They look for quotes from other carriers and we potentially lose a customer. For some, that’s just free enterprise, but for individual insurers, that’s a lose, lose and lost scenario. There is another area that can have an even more profound impact on our mutual customer: customer service. Back in the day, all shops were supposed to do was fix the car. Customer service was something you received at a hotel or from a switchboard operator. Even though the industry has evolved significantly, shops are still

NC Shop Opens 6th Shop

B&R Body Shops in Charlotte, NC, opened its sixth shop location in the area. The new, 17,000-square-foot collision repair facility will operate as B&R Body Shop-Northlake. “There has been substantial development in this area over the past few years as evidenced by the growth in specialty retail, as well as the nu-

merous dealerships that have moved up here between Charlotte and the Lake,” said Tommy Morgan, owner of B&R Body Shops. “We have been seeking a suitable facility on this side of the city for some time.”

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better at fixing cars than at servicing the customer. That’s where inefficiency and lack of process as it relates to customer service can be devastating to an insurance company. And God help us if your manager or estimator doesn’t like us. It shows in the customer service results. I would argue that poor customer service indirectly costs insurers more money than a few days of rental or extra hour on an estimate. While we don’t like to admit this publicly, we believe you are an extension of us. Our customers spend more time interacting with you than they spend with us. We can deliver outstanding customer service but if

you do a poor job of it, we are going to pay for it. In short: We need you to be more efficient. So that’s a look at what bothers insurance executives. You may not care because you have more pressing issues that require your attention besides appeasing the ‘rich insurance companies.’ The wish of every major insurance carrier is fairly simple. First, a high-quality, timely and a cost-effective repair should be assumed from a professional operation. Insurers shouldn’t have to monitor, correct, scold, chastise or force accountability in order to have it done right the first time. More importantly, we wish shops would value customer service as much or more than they care about the actual repair. Inefficient or lack of customer service processes hurts all of us. That’s something that none of us take to the bank.

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Show Attendees React to AASP 2013 Northeast Tradeshow by Chasidy Rae Sisk

After spending such a wonderful weekend at the AASP Northeast Tradeshow at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, NJ, on Friday, March 8 through Sunday, March 10, I was curious to see how my reaction compared to those more experienced in the industry. Several industry leaders and a few exhibitors took a moment to talk to me about their reactions to the tradeshow. Jeff McDowell, President of AASP NJ, was pleased with this year’s event, noting that, despite the snow, turnout was better than he thought it would be, and the number of attendees and the show as a whole “far exceeded expectations.” Regarding Jeff McDowell the seminars, McDowell stated that they were all much fuller than expected. He found Larry Montanez’s seminars particularly useful, and in regards to the parts procurement panel, he stated “It was great; a lot of information got disseminated to people who weren’t fully aware of what’s going on.” Though AASP NJ Executive Director Charles Bryant expected the same success with the show as in previous years, especially with the additional of the Parts Procurement Panel, he was “pleasantly surprised how well the show turned out considering the snowstorm that hit the area on the first night, but with a record number of pre-registrations, we were pretty confident. Shops in the northeast are pretty tough. They won’t let a few inches of snow stop them from attending an event like the NORTHEAST™ show.” Bryant was pleased with the attendance at the seminars also, noting that the Insurer Parts Procurement panel discussion was very exciting since it was the first, to his knowledge, such panel that consisted of active shop owners talking about their experiences with the program. “It was

great to see our region come out for such an incredibly important subject.” He was also impressed with Larry Montanez’s seminars and Metropolitan Car-O-Liner’s Frame/Unibody measuring presentation held on the exposition floor. BASF’s seminar on Paint Costs was standing room only due to the large number of attendees. CCRE President Tony Lombardozzi was also impressed with this year’s event, noting that it was a bigger show than the last couple years, and an attendee for the past 25 years, he notes that it has gotten progressively better since moving to the Meadowlands. Lombardozzi states that, overall, it was a very good show, plus there was a lot of good information in the seminars, especially Digital Marketing by Frank Terlep of Summit Software & Marketing Solutions and the seminars taught by Larry Montanez of P&L Consultants. Ever a proponent of collision shop independence, Lombardozzi took a special interest in the Parts Procurement panel, warning that “PartsTrader is a manipulative tool for the insurer to control the industry, [and] once they have control of the parts, they’ll control everything.” The customer’s interests cannot be a shop’s top priority if they are involved in a control with the insurer since that contract takes precedence and “you cannot serve two masters.” Larry Montanez of P&L Consultants also believes that the Northeast Tradeshow “seems to have grown each year.” He believes that, overall, the show was pretty well received as he noticed that there were more people in his classes than anticipated by pre-registration numbers, and he was particularly surprised by the number of people who attended the show on Friday night, given the snowy weather. Montanez found particular interest in the seminar on alternate fuels as well as the two hosted by GM Parts. He felt that the Parts Procurement panel elicited some good discussions, though he fears that programs such as PartsTrader are going to spread to other insurers. “Parts procurement is

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not going to stop because for every shop that pulls out, three more are willing to do what they ask to stay on their programs… if you’re unhappy being on a parts procurement program, you have no one to blame but yourself.” With attendance higher than expected, vendors informed McDowell that attendees were making purchases in greater frequency and volumes than in past years, as well. Mike Clancy, sales representative for Mirka, noted that the show was very good and there was a lot of good traffic which surprised him given the weather. Bill Northrop of Reliable Automotive Equipment’s reaction was similar, though he noted that Friday night seemed a bit slower due to the weather. While it was the first time that Automotive Art exhibited at AASP Northeast, President Glenn Camacho received an acceptable number of leads and noted “so far, so good.” Rick Weber, Parts Director at Maxon Mazda/Hyundai, was quite happy being at the Northeast Tradeshow where he could “see a lot of people, thank people you do business with and

hope to meet people you can do business with in the future. It’s a win-win situation, and we’re already planning for next year.” Gina Mahan of Valspar agreed that the show went well in terms of traffic and responses, plus she was excited to show off their new look. Peter Teixeria, also from Valspar, added that it is nice to “represent the line, even for existing customers, [since it] assures them that we’re here for the long haul.” Happy with the 2013 Northeast tradeshow, Bryant notes “Every year, we try to build on the prior show and make the next show a ‘must attend’ event. I think we accomplished that in every way. It's the only show of its kind and size that you can actually drive to, attend a few educational seminars, see just about everything that's new in equipment and technology, and be home in your own bed the same night. NORTHEAST™ continues to be the leading regional show in our industry, and AASP/NJ is looking forward to our 37th addition next year. McDowell agrees: “It was a great show, [but] we plan to make it bigger and better! Don’t miss it next year!”

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The Industry Can Unify and Change; Many Have Made an Impact by John Yoswick

If there was a unifying theme to the presentations at the East Coast Resolution Forum and Leadership Meeting held in Secaucus, NJ, in March, a statement by Charlie Bryant may have summed it up as the session opened. “No one can tell me that we don’t have a chance to change things in our industry,” said Bryant, executive director of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP) of New Jersey, which hosted the event along with the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). “I don’t believe that.”

Aaron Schulenburg and Charlie Bryant

Bryant cited a list of people he sees as having an impact on the industry including Florida shop owner Ray Gunder, New York shop owner Greg Coccaro, New York-based consultant Larry Montanez, Ohio lawyer Erica Eversman, and Tony Lombardozzi of the Coalition For Collision Repair Excellence. “They are challenging things and really making a change,” Bryant said. “They are just a few of the people who have said no longer will they accept just business as usual.” On behalf of his association as well as the Auto Body Association of Connecticut (ABAC) and the New York State Auto Collision Technicians Association, Bryant presented an award at the event to SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg, another of the people the associations see as “inspiring others to have the courage to stand up,” “Everyone in the room knows the lengths you have gone through to help change our industry, the things that you’ve done over the years to help fix the industry,” Bryant told Schulenburg.

DMV changes in Connecticut The number of people in the room for the annual event was curtailed somewhat by a snowstorm that hit much of the Northeast the night before. But as in the past, the meeting’s agenda consisted primarily of presentations by representatives of shop associations based in the Northeast. Tony Ferraiolo, president of the ABAC, for example, discussed his association’s opposition to a proposed state law (HB 6495) that he said would give inspectors from the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, which licenses shops in that state, arrest-authority and would raise some paperwork violations to potentially the level of a Class B misdemeanor. “So a good shop, trying to do the right thing, makes some simple clerical errors, and when they come into your shop and find paperwork violations, then your name gets put in the paper as a Class B misdemeanor,” Ferraiolo said. “What does that do to your business?” Ferraiolo said the association also has launched a “Monday Morning Motivator,” a weekly fax or email reminder to member shops about one thing that can help improve the accuracy of their estimates or otherwise improve their business. The association also organized an 8-week, $18,000 radio ad campaign to remind motorists that when it comes to collision repair, it’s “Your car, your choice,” and to urge them to choose a participating shop. Ferraiolo also said that more than three years after an association-led class action lawsuit resulted in a jury award of $15 million against The Hartford, the money has yet to be received. The jury essentially found in 2009 that unfair trade practices by the insurer led to suppressed shop labor rates. Ferraiolo was unsure why there has been such a long delay in the judge’s issuing of a final judgment on the verdict in the case but said that he expects that to happen soon, which would also bolster a similar lawsuit pending against Progressive Insurance. He said attorneys continue to

40 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

pursue the Progressive lawsuit despite not having received payment in either case. “That’s telling you these class action lawsuits might have some merit for all of us when they pan out, but you’re talking 10 years before they are done,” Ferraiolo said. “That’s a long time. One of the named plaintiffs in the case has sold his shop in the meantime. So these class action Tony Ferraiolo lawsuits are important but not our total answer, and we’re committed to keeping them going.”

Battles in Vermont Mike Parker of Parker’s Classic Auto Works in Rutland, VT, said that in the past year he’s aware of 13 thirdparty claimants who have filed complaints with his state’s Department of Insurance after insurers have attempted to take betterment as part of their auto insurance claims. “Basically the complaint is: ‘I

don’t want to be made better. I want to made whole. If you can’t make be whole without making me better, that’s not my problem,’” Parker said. “And all 13 of them have been paid in full. The Department found in their favor all 13 times.” Parker said legislation (HB 362) has been introduced in Vermont that would place new restrictions on the use of non-OEM parts, including prohibiting their use on vehicles with 30,000 miles or less. Parker said that may sound like a consumer-friendly bill, but he believes any insurer involvement in parts choice is unwarranted. Insurers, he said, have three options under the policy: pay it in cash, replace the vehicle, or repair the vehicle themMike Parker selves, actually taking possession of the vehicle and getting it repaired and returning it to the insured. Insurers generally opt just to pay the claim rather than repair the See Unify and Change, Next Page

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Waterborne Profits

increasing the surface area. The dryers work by flowing humid air through one or more towers for a predetermined time. The controller on the dryer will switch the flow from the tower being used to a new tower which has been regenerated or dried out. The drying cycle takes a small amount of air Continued from Page 40

Unify and Change

vehicle themselves, he said, in which case “they owe the reasonable and necessary costs of repair, and have no right messing with the body shop or interfering in the contract between the shop and customer over what parts to use.” That’s why Parker currently has five lawsuits pending against different insurance companies for unpaid repair costs for more than 200 customers who have signed assignment of proceeds forms, allowing Parker to sue on their behalf. The five suits range from just under $5,000 to as much as

flowing from the new tower and reverse flows through the wet tower, causing the media in the tower to dry out. You could compare this to replacing or changing out the older style desicant pots every few minutes. These systems are completely self-contained and include a built-in bypass so the need for additional airline plumbing in a shop has been eliminated. The 80gallon storage tank allows for storage

of ultra clean dry air, adding storage capacity to your air system. Up to four booths and prep areas can be run off of one system, reducing the amount of equipment and installation costs for each area. The Ultra systems also provide an indicator message as to when to change the coalescing pre filter. This is generally the only required maintenance and can be done in a few minutes.

Painting is a critical process regardlesss of whether you are still painting with solvent or have switched to water; and every time you squeeze the gun you need to have exactly the same result. By having the ultra-dry low single digit clean compressed air, you will save many dollars in increased production or throughput in your shop as well as eliminating quality issues or rework.

$49,000. Parker acknowledged that even if he wins the cases, Vermont law will prevent him from collecting for the legal fees he’s had to spend on the suits.

room is run differently and has a different model. And what’s right for Tony is right for Tony. And what’s right for Mike is right for Mike. And frankly, what Mike does and what Tony does are two different things. The reality of why we’re in this room is to talk about the different solutions that do exist within the industry, to pull ideas from each other and to use those to make our businesses better if we can and where we can. It’s not about a perfect solution and it’s not about saying this is the right way or the wrong way.” The East Coast Resolution Forum and Leadership Meeting is held annually in conjunction with the NORTHEAST Automotive Services Show,

which is scheduled next year for March 21-23.

Different routes work SCRS’ Schulenburg said the presentations and discussions at the East Coast Resolution Forum and Leadership Meeting demonstrate that “there are plenty of different ways to take back control and for collision repairers to get paid for the work that they’re doing.” “There is no perfect way. There is no one right way,” Schulenburg said. “Because every business represented by the associations in this

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

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 41

Jon Kosmoski—Painting Legend Uses SATA Guns Exclusively by Ed Attanasio

He’s an artist, a painter, a car customizer, an automotive builder, a teacher, the author of five books, a paint manufacturer and the creator of a stunning finish for hundreds of breathtaking vehicles and thousands of custom motorcycles, including eight cars and six motorcycles featured at SEMA shows. His name is Jon Kosmoski, the founder of the House of Kolor® in Minneapolis, MN, and even though he’s 75, the man still builds incredible cars and travels throughout the country to teach new and veteran painters how to do it Kosmoski-style.

Jon Kosmoski’s 1967 Ford Mustang got a lot of attention at SEMA in 2004

Kosmoski’s current role and impressive legacy in the automotive painting industry through seven decades starting in the late ‘50s has earned him titles of “master,” “legend” and “icon.” Companies all over the world clamor to work with Kosmoski through either sponsorships or other projects, and that’s why SATA, the premier manufacturer of paint spray guns, is proud to say that this amazing painter uses its products and no other. Jon Kosmoski established the House of Kolor® 57 years ago, long before he was a world-renowned custom painter. As a 19-year-old student studying automotive repair, Kosmoski rebuilt a ‘40 Chevy Coupe and took it to the best shop in town to have his baby painted. “When I got that car back, I wasn’t happy at all,” Kosmoski explained. “The paint job wasn’t what I had expected. If this is the best car painter in town and this is what they’re giving me, I was disappointed. I thought I can do better than this. So, I took night classes on paint and collision repair and jumped into it pretty quickly.” Within a short time, Kosmoski was known throughout Minneapolis

for his skills as a custom painter. He loved being creative and producing outstanding cars and motorcycles, but he wasn’t enamored with the challenging lacquers and enamels of the late 1950’s, because he discovered that they would easily sun-fade or cold-crack. He experimented and absorbed valuable information like a paint sponge, because Jon Kosmoski isn’t afraid to learn as much as he can about any subject that will help him to do a better job. Kosmoski wanted something superior to apply to the numerous cars and motorcycles that were now flying through the doors at the House of Kolor® in the early 1960s. “I started working with a polymer chemist to produce custom paints that wouldn’t tarnish or crack and perform well despite all of the other problems I was encountering with existing products. There was nothing out there even close to what I wanted, so I had to invent it. I started using organic pigments way back in 1963, while most paint manufacturers were using only inorganic pigments.” With his new paint and by constantly honing his painting skills and tapping into his zeal for creativity and innovation, House of Kolor® became a household name by the mid 1970s. In 1996, the House of Kolor® was purchased by the Valspar Automotive Coatings Division. Today,

This 1948 International refinished by Jon Kosmoski was unveiled at SEMA in 2008

Kosmoski is still involved with House of Kolor® in a 12,000 squarefoot shop with “Tebo” his electrician, fabricator and mechanic. Jon produces 4–6 cars or motorcycles for car shows and magazine covers every year, while traveling worldwide to teach his painting techniques. He’s known for many things, but has become one of the leading experts on candy paint. One of his true loves is helping painters to learn what he’s discovered over 55 years in this in-

42 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

dustry, he explained. “Our unique product line gives custom painters the flexibility to use their creativity and skills to design, invent, and create “one-of-a-kind” custom paint jobs that last, Kosmoski said. “That’s why I love this business, because creating a one-of-a-kind paint job requires a combination of technical skill and artistic ability. I enjoy passing all of my knowledge and experience in my training classes, so that’s very satisfying.” With a plethora of award-winning vehicles created over the years, Kosmoski cites a handful as his most notable—all of which starred on the show floors of SEMA shows over a 12-year period. “I would say that my 1967 Mustang with a matching motorcycle; 1934 Ford 5-window coupe with a 383 in it; 1948 International Pickup, which was unveiled at the SEMA Show in 2008, and our 1932 Ford Roadster—those are the ones people seem to like the most.” After experimenting with a wide range of different spray guns for many years, Tony Larimer, the director of sales & marketing at Dan-Am Company, exclusive independent distributor of SATA in USA, gave a few of his company’s guns for Kosmoski to use in 1999. When he got his hands on SATAjet 2000 B RP (no longer in production) he quickly became a serious SATA supporter. “Tony said try this gun and let us know what you think,” Kosmoski said. “That 2000 RP really turned my head and I rarely say that about any product! I loved the way it handled almost immediately. Right then and there I decided to start using SATA guns exclusively. I used that 2000 for a while, and then when SATA came out with the 3000, I changed over. The 3000 was over-the-top and SATA really stepped up with that gun. Now I use the 4000 B RP, their newest gun and it is exceptional.” To kick off their association in 2000, SATA and Kosmoski worked together to produce a signature special etched jet blacks two-gun set. Only 500 were produced and they were sold quickly, but you can still find a few used ones on sale now and again over the Internet. Larimer values SATA’s relationship with Kosmoski and the House of Kolor® for many reasons. “We’re glad to be associated with Jon because he

uses our guns exclusively and teaches other painters about how to spray using SATA guns,” Larimer said. “He’s more than an impressive partner, because he’s also my friend of 15 years. We talk almost weekly and his passion for what he’s doing is contagious. When people meet Jon for the first time, they always come away saying wow—what a fascinating and driven guy and still going nonstop at age 75! He has the energy of six people. It’s unbelievable.”

Jon Kosmoski pictured here with his SATA 4000 B RP, the only spray gun he uses on his award-winning cars and motorcycles

Having a visionary like Kosmoski on the SATA team is important, because Jon offers feedback all the time about the company’s products and their capabilities, Larimer said. “One of the things I love about Jon is that he’s an unlimited source of information. Some artist/painters keep a lot of their tips and techniques secret, but Jon loves to share his knowledge to anyone that wants it. At SATA, we always listen to our painters, so that we can use their input for our next generation of products.” Why does Kosmoski covet his SATAjet 4000? “I’ve been working with this gun for almost three years now and it’s a beautiful gun. It gives me a very uniform pattern and I’ve learned that I don’t need to apply so much pressure with the 4000—only about 26–27 PSI. I am a heavy-handed painter by nature, when it’s required and the 4000 works great when I need to go that way. “Also, this gun saves money by improving my efficiency and using less paint, while getting a glossier and cleaner look. “I’ve been teaching painters for 35 years now, and I train everyone on a SATA.”

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Northeast News

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

Charles Bryant Updates Us On What’s Going On in New Jersey with Chasidy Rae Sisk

At the NORTHEAST show I was able to talk to Charles Bryant of AASPNJ and ask him what’s going on in NJ in general. Here’s what he told me: There is always something interesting going on in New Jersey. First, we are proud that the NJ-MVC has abandoned the proposal to license Mobile Auto Body shops in our state. That was a battle that took over two years to accomplish. Another real exciting thing is new proposed legislation that would force insurers to follow the regulations that govern fair claim settlement practices or face serious consequences. Currently, a one-time violation of the NJ Unfair Claim Settlement Practices Act is not considered a violation of the act until it is established through what is referred to as a market conduct survey, that the insurer has violated the act with enough frequency to create a general business practice. Then, even when it has been established that the insurer has violated the act with enough frequency to create a general business practice all that can happen is the NJ-DOBI can fine the insurer, if they choose to do so. To make things worse, a violation of the NJ Unfair Claim Settlement Practices Act does not state a cause of action upon which relief may be granted by civil action. As such, the act basically has no teeth and allows insurers to violate the provisions of the act without fear of any serious repercussions. In essence, the act gives the consumer a false sense of security and an unjustified feeling that the insurers have a set of rules that they must follow. If passed, these bills would allow an insured, claimant or the assignee of the insured to file a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction against

an insurer for any single violation of the NJ Unfair Claim Settlement Practices Act even though the insurer did not violate any provision of the act with enough frequency as to indicate a

Chasidy with Charles Bryant

general business practice. In other words, it would make a one-time violation a valid violation. Upon establishing that (a) violation of the provisions of the Unfair Claim Settlement Practices Act has occurred, the claimant shall be entitled to the following: ● The full amount of damages as set forth in the final judgment (regardless of the coverage limits of the policy) ● Prejudgment interest ● Reasonable attorney’s fees ● All reasonable litigation expenses from the date of the institution of the action filed ● Punitive damages, when the insurer’s acts or omissions demonstrate, by clear and convincing evidence, actual malice or wanton and willful disregard of any person who foreseeably might be harmed by the insurer’s acts or omissions The provisions of the bill intend to incorporate into statutory law certain aspects of New Jersey’s current case

How to Donate to Ray Gunder’s Legal Fund

Members of the collision repair industry as well as distributors around the country are invited to make a donation on the behalf of Ray Gunder by sending checks payable to: Brent Geohagan, Attorney at law; Geohagan, P.A., 3001 Bartow Road Lakeland, FL 33803. Please write in the memo area: “Donation to Gunder’s Legal Fund.”

Upon winning his cases, Gunder has committed to creating a ‘war chest’ legal fund from recovered fees and costs for repairers to use to fight their own insurer underpayment battles.

www.autobodynews.com CHECK IT OUT!

44 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

law, which recognize private causes of action in first-party and third-party claims regarding the bad faith actions of insurance companies which result in harm to their insureds. See Pickett v. Lloyd’s, 131 N.J. 457 (1993), Samuel v. Doe, 158 N.J. 134 (1999), Rova Farms Resort, Inc. v. Investors Ins. Co., 65 N.J. 474 (1974). Although the prospect of this legislation passing sounds great, the might and power of the insurance industry to fight such a proposal makes it extremely hard to get this type of legislation passed. However, because of the abuse of New Jersey residents harmed by Hurricane Sandy by certain insurers, it has

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a much better chance to get legs. Therefore, we are keeping a close watch on this legislation and ready to fight for the passage of it if it looks like there is a realistic chance of actually passing. We have two great training meetings planned for April of this year and more meetings in the planning stage. The AASP/NJ Lou Scoras Memorial Golf Outing is coming up on May 20, 2013 and we are already getting players and sponsors signing up. I could go on and on because new things are always happening here in New Jersey. However, I think this will give you a pretty good idea of the highlights for now. Thank you for giving me the opportunity. Jeff McDowell added that like the rest of the country, shops in his region are examining the benefits and costs of assignments of proceeds and parts procurement programs, amongst other general industry concerns.

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VA Police Make 383 Arrests for Insurance Fraud in 2012

In 2012, the Virginia State Police Insurance Fraud Program received 1,976 notifications of suspected insurance fraud. 459 cases were opened, which is almost twice the number opened in 2011. They made 383 arrests for insurance fraud and other related offenses—a 66% increase over 2011. Court-ordered restitution was more than $3 million in 2012, the second highest amount of restitution ordered by the courts since 2001. This brings the total of ordered restitution since the program began in 1999 to almost $18 million. Suspected false insurance claims reported to the Insurance Fraud Program—both attempted and collected—topped $147 million. Since the program has been operating, more than 19,000 referrals have been made to the Virginia State Police, 4,574 fraud investigations have been initiated, and agents have made a total of 2,468 arrests for insurance fraud and related crimes such as arson and forgery. The Virginia State Police investigates suspected fraud in property/casualty lines of insurance, as well as suspected workers’ compensation fraud.

SCRS, CREF Ask Industry to Support Their Local Schools The Society of Collision Repair Specialists and the Collision Repair Education Foundation ask industry members to support their local secondary and post-secondary collision school programs, students and instructors. Now more than ever, instructors need the industry’s help to ensure their students are fully prepared to work within the collision industry after graduation, SCRS said. SCRS and the Education Foundation suggest the following ways the industry can help and participate: • Host a collision class field trip to your business • Volunteer on their advisory board • Mentor a student for potential future employment • ‘Adopt’ the school’s collision program and sponsor several minor projects to help provide a more professional atmosphere for the students (i.e. new epoxy floor coating, fresh coat of paint on the walls, student work uniforms, etc.) For more information finding collision school programs near you, and what type of assistance needed, please contact Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at brandon.eckenrode@ed-foundation.org.

Anthony Fisher Obituary

Anthony Francis Fisher, 86, a resident of Chincoteague, VA, passed away at his residence on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013. Mr. Fisher was in auto body repair for many years and was in the United States Coast Guard during World War II. He was predeceased by his wife, Thalia Juanita Whealton Fisher; and a son, Mark Fisher. Born on Sept. 6, 1926, in Wilmington, DE, he was the son of the late Henry Fisher and Barbara Merkel. He was member of St. Andrews Catholic Church on Chincoteague. He is survived by his children, Anne Arnold and husband, James, of Disputanta, VA, and Delores Kaminski and her husband, Edward, of Northeast, MD; a daughter-inlaw, Roberta Fisher of Herndon, VA; two sisters, Barbara Austin of Carolina Shores, NC, and Theresa Sewell of Lewes, DE.; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. A funeral service was held on Feb. 15, at St. Andrews Catholic Church. Interment is at St. Peter’s Cemetery, Pilottown Road, Lewes, DE.

Edward “Randy” Bevis

Edward “Randy” Bevis, 90, who owned Bevis Auto Body in Alexandria, VA, for four decades, died Feb. 16 at Inova Alexandria Hospital. He had pneumonia, his daughter Joy Gilstrap said. Mr. Bevis opened his business in 1949 and sold it in 1989. From the late 1940s to the early ’60s, he owned an Esso gas station in Alexandria. Edward Randolph Bevis was born in Rocky Mount, NC, and moved to the Washington area as a boy. He graduated from Mount Vernon High School and served in the Army in Europe during World War II. In 1971, Mr. Bevis, his son, Ed Bevis Jr., and two other boaters were rescued after being lost at sea off North Carolina’s Outer Banks for three days. Their ordeal was reported on the front page of The Washington Post. Mr. Bevis was past president of the Washington Auto Body Association. His wife of 35 years, Irene Lewis Bevis, died in 1982. Survivors include his wife of 19 years, Lois Ansel Bevis of St. Petersburg, FL, and four children from his first marriage.

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Mitch Lanzini Extends his Art from Toy Cars to Overhaulin’ by Melanie Anderson

Custom painter Mitch Lanzini of Lanzini Body Works in Huntington Beach, CA, began his career polish-

pieces for a prototype airplane that will be featured in the Hamburg Air Show in Germany in March. Other custom painting and designing jobs have included ambulances, surf

The Lanzini’s own 1933 Speedstar Coupe

ing and showing off his toy cars. As boards, guitars, race cars, bowling a kid, for Lanzini the Batmobile on pins, motorcycles, kids’ pedal cars and TV exemplified hot rods and custom their own line of roller derby skate cars, and by high school he was wheels. using cans of spray paint on bicycles However, building and restoring and motorcycles. At 21, he cus- hot rods is their main line of business. tomized his first vehicle, his own Their two favorite projects are their Datsun truck, that earned him his own cars, a gold 1933 Speedstar coupe first magazine cover. Today, Mitch, and a purple 1932 Zipper Roadster. The 54, has more than 30 years experience in the business, has been featured on many more magazine covers, and has owned Lanzini Body Works with his wife, Tara, for 20 years. You could say Mitch was born to be an artist. His grandfather Angelo Lanzini was a renowned painter and sculptor Mitch Lanzini in the paint booth in Italy. “Mitch comes from a long line of artists in his coupe, Mitch said, is “a piece of rolling family,” said Tara. “It’s in his blood. art” because many of the parts are His grandfather painted portraits for handmade. After working some 300 two U.S. presidents and was commis- hours on the body, he spent 24 hours sioned to paint the Pope’s portrait straight painting it. Over the course of which still hangs in the Vatican today. his career, Mitch figures he’s custom Angelo’s three sons, including Mitch’s painted nearly 200 show-stopping cars. “What I love about painting cars dad, were all artists too.” Like a typical body shop, Lanzini is that it really is a true form of art.” Body Works does collision repair and But getting to the painting means hunexterior custom painting work in a dreds of hours of prep time has al4,500 square-foot space. What’s not ready been spent. “Even if you’ve so usual is some of the other work done everything right, things can still they do, like custom painting interior go wrong,” said Mitch. “You’ve put so

46 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

much time into a car for so long, and when the day comes where you’re actually mixing paint and suiting up to go into the booth, you cross your fingers and pray to the paint gods that nothing goes wrong. Because there are days when things do go wrong that didn’t go wrong the day before, and any painter who tells you he hasn’t had that day is a liar,” Mitch said. “A little speck of dust can ruin hours of prep work. Today’s painters have to be part chemist and part weatherman because so many things can go wrong.” His current paint preference is BASF Onyx, and for clears and primers, he uses Young’s House of Klear. “The gloss factor of the clears are amazing and the other products are very user-friendly, affordable and mix well,” Mitch said. He also likes the universal flattening agent that is “outstanding.” In addition to cars, he uses the House of Klear products on highprofile artwork he does for an expressionist artist because “the clear looks amazing under gallery lights.” Between 2004–2009, the Lanzini shop was featured in the Velocity network TV reality show Overhaulin’

where the concept of the show was to ‘borrow or steal’ an old, tired or antique car and restore it in one week and return it as a surprise to its owner. The body and paint work was done at Lanzini Body Works, where 25 episodes of the popular car make-over show was filmed. “It was great to do the show, but

Mitch and Tara Lanzini

also really challenging because during filming, all the other work in our shop came to a halt, and working non-stop meant a lot of sleepless nights,” Mitch said. “On Overhaulin’, if the car was ready to paint at 2 a.m., you painted the car at 2 a.m. We worked through many sleepless nights, but as crazy as it sounds, the best paint jobs I’ve done were done in the middle of the night

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when I was sleep deprived.” When the producers of the show first approached Mitch with the concept and asked if he wanted to be involved, Mitch admits he didn’t think it was possible to completely restore a car in just one week. He thought the show would be a train wreck but, of course, he wanted in. The very first makeover was a Chevelle and it came into Mitch’s shop a mess—a bare metal body full of rust and holes. When the body work was done, Mitch spent all night painting the car,

A collage of pictures from Overhaulin’

and when the tow truck showed up at 6 a.m., they sent the driver out for coffee while they walked around the

car with heat lamps. “The paint was still wet when the car rolled away,” Mitch said. “It was an intense build.” And that was just the first of many. That’s when Mitch got the wake up call that doing the show wasn’t going to be easy by any means, and so he asked the producers to rotate filming amongst other shops. A u t o m o b i l e 1972 Torino designer Chip Foose hosted the show, which ran for five seasons, and has now returned for its sixth season. Foose is Mitch’s neighbor, close friend and also has a shop nearby. “Chip is probably one of my best friends and someone I respect more than most. We always have so much fun hanging out and working together because we’re like two little kids who just love to create things. He’s been around cars his whole life too, so we have a lot in common and a lot of fun together.” Some of Mitch’s celebrity customers include comedian Christo-

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pher Titus who had his own FOX show, and race car driver Jimmie Johnson. However, Lanzini Body

Works gives everyone who walks in their doors the same level of attention and painting excellence. “The day I know everything as a painter is the day I will retire,” Mitch said. “As of now, that hasn’t happened, and it probably won’t for a long time to come.” Lanzini Body Works Inc. 17901 Sampson Lane Huntington Beach, CA 92647 Phone - (714) 375-2828 Fax - (714) 375-2830 E-mail: lanzinis@aol.com lanzinibodyworks.com

Florida Senate Panel Wants Ban on Texting & Driving

A Florida Senate panel has unanimously approved a bill imposing a statewide ban on texting while driving. But eventual approval by the House is far from sure. The Senate Communications committee voted 9-0 for the bill, SB 52. The bill outlaws texting by drivers but exempts police and other emergency vehicles.

The proposed law makes texting subject to secondary enforcement. Police could cite drivers for it only if they had been pulled over for another violation such as speeding. A violation would lead to a fine and —if texting resulted in a crash—the driver would be assessed six points. The measure has failed four years in a row because critics in the House have likened it to needless government intrusion. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia already have bans.

California Firms Sue Ford for ‘Overinflated’ Fuel Efficiency Claims of Two Hybrids Two California law firms are consolidating lawsuits against Ford Motor Co., alleging the automaker has led a “false and misleading” marketing campaign for its 2013 C-Max Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid vehicles, the Detroit News recently reported. Redlands, CA-based McCune Wright, which on behalf of ‘hundreds’ of C-Max and Fusion hybrid owners is seeking punitive damages because of potentially overinflated fuel-efficiency claims, said it will consolidate with a similar lawsuit filed by San Diego-based Robbins, Geller, Rudman and Dowd. “There’s a lot of really unhappy people,” said Rich McCune, partner at McCune Wright, which has previously filed lawsuits against Hyundai Motor Co. for fuel-efficiency claims. The new filing will have between five and 10 class-action representatives—Ford hybrid owners who say that their vehicles are not living up to fuel-efficiency claims. McCune said the law firm has spoken to “literally hundreds” of hybrid owners from across the country, and not just those clustered in colder regions with higher speed limits, two factors that can significantly diminish

fuel efficiency. The original suit stems from the experiences of Richard Pitkin of Roseville, CA, who purchased a C-Max Hybrid in October. Pitkin says he averaged only 37 miles per gallon, lower than the Environmental Protection Agency rated 47 mpg. The EPA said in December it would review Ford’s fuel-efficiency claims after Consumer Reports found the C-Max Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid got significantly worse fuel efficiency than the EPA window sticker suggests. Consumer Reports said in testing, the C-Max Hybrid’s fuel efficiency fell 10 miles per gallon short: It got 37 mpg overall, with 35 mpg for city driving and 38 mpg highways. The Fusion Hybrid, certified for the same 47 mpg, got 39 mpg in testing overall, with 35 mpg city and 41 mpg highway. Ford has said its hybrid vehicles are built to give customers a choice: Drivers can operate the vehicle conservatively and achieve EPA mileage claims. Or they can drive the car for fun, because Ford hybrids get significantly better horsepower than competitor vehicles.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 47

Indiana Convention & Exhibition Takes Control of the Future: “What are You Doing?” by Janet Chaney, Exclusive to Autobody News

“Taking Control of Your Future” was the motto of the 2013 Bi-Annual Convention and Technology Exhibition sponsored by the Indiana Auto Body Association in Indianapolis, February 22–23. This two-day convention was a solid mix of collision repair technology, education and industry issues. The freezing rain that hit Indianapolis the night before didn’t slow down this show one bit, although Mike Anderson, who was scheduled to open the show Friday morning, got trapped in Toronto by the storm. IABA Executive Director and manager of the Convention, Tony Passwater, took over and gave the event a great start. The convention was held at the Lincoln College of Technology, a perfect venue for the event. Over 65 vendor booths populated the main hall and educational programs were in the classrooms. The Industry Panel Discussions were built into the Technology Exhibition. “The success of this event was a joint effort between the Indiana Auto Body Association and Lincoln College of Technology instructors and staff,” said Passwater. “I can’t thank them enough for its success.” The show opened with Tony Passwater delivering the theme “The Future Is Not Locked In Stone.” The meeting moved right into a panel discussion “The Future of the Collision Repair Industry,” which featured, Nick Notte, Sterling Auto Body Centers, Jim Keller, 1Collision, Tim Adelman, ABRA and Erick Bickett, FIX Auto. These industry leaders collectively represented MSOs, insurerowned shops, networks and franchises speaking very candidly about their business models and the future of the industry. Discussion centered around the current market shift and action steps to meet new business demands. A few points from this discussion: There will be more strategic alliances with insurers and shops; insurers may fund consolidators; cost of training needs to be addressed with the insurers; MSOs offer insurers a predictable outcome such as a valuable single point of contact, call centers, etc; lower costs; marketing is more important than ever; insurers looking for less cost of claim,

LAE (Loss Adjustment Expense); help carriers reduce LAE; independent shops use their entrepreneurial spirit; shops need to offer a predictable outcome; shops need to work on their SOPs and be consistent. The question asked by one panelist summed it up, “What are you doing to prepare yourself?” Ray Gunder, of Gunder’s Auto Center, Lakeland, FL, Larry Cernosek, Deer Park Paint and Body, Pasadena, TX, Greg Coccaro, North State Custom, Bedford Hills, NY, and Wade Ebert, American Auto Body, Springfield, IL, filled the next panel discussion, “Taking Back Control of Your Business.” Aaron Schulenburg, Executive Director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists, introduced the panelists and asked them to talk about how they got started in the business and how things have changed. The entrepreneurial spirit was truly represented on this panel. Greg Coccaro recounted how he and his brother borrowed $500 and started fixing cars, primarily foreign cars. They built a successful state-ofthe-art collision center based on their commitment to their customer and exceptional work. This shop is now a Mercedes-Benz Certified Collision Repair Center serving New York’s prosperous Westchester County. Ray Gunder described his love for the business and in the late 1960’s started his own shop, which is now Gunder’s Auto Center, a large and successful collision center. Ray’s wife, Deannie, and two adult children, Travis and Jodi, work with him to carry on the 40-year Gunder tradition. Wade Ebert’s Dad had a particular love for Corvettes. He started fixing them but one day he noticed, “All my friends grew up and are driving station wagons.” That was the beginning of American Auto Body. Ebert said “I decided to take a shot and work with my old man.” He is now the second generation at American. Larry Cernosek from Pasadena, TX, graduated from college with a degree in marketing and communication. However, an injury halted his career. When he received a $3,000 settlement, Cernosek bought a $2,000 pickup and started towing cars. That was in 1975. He now owns Deer Park Paint and Body and Cernosek Wrecker.

48 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

The speakers on this panel were all independent shop owners and brought a different message to the audience, representing the backbone of the independent collision repairer. A few key points from Rich Evans, fabricator, customizer and Autobody News columnist, this discussion: Un- gets the students’ attention at the Indiana convention (see p. 40) derstand who you are and what you want Meet your Insurance Commissioner; to do; You have to rely on yourself to Charge for procedures; If you don’t ask you don’t get; You’re going to have troumake changes in your business; Know ble swallowing a warranty when you don’t get paid for the procedure. Gunder has taken an aggressive legal approach in Florida to get compensated for the work his shop performs. Greg Coccaro’s lawsuit with Progressive ended this year in Greg’s favor. The Texas Insurance Commissioner personally visited Larry Cernosek’s shop because he wanted to Tony Passwater, Executive Director of the Indimeet the man who sent in so many ana Auto Body Association, opens the 2013 complaints to his office. American Bi-Annual Convention and Technology Exhibit Auto Body was awarded an out-ofyour own labor rate; Do not rely on the court settlement by State Farm in 1999. At the end of this discussion, insurance estimate—it is not the blueSee IABA Convention, Page 51 print of repair; Meet your legislators;

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Industry Veteran Mike Spagnola Joins SEMA SEMA has hired industry veteran Mike Spagnola to fill the newly created position of VP, OEM & Product Development Programs. Spagnola brings with him 40 years of specialty auto parts experience, including more than 20 years of product development and project vehicle work. Spagnola will oversee the new SEMA Product Development Center located adjacent to the SEMA headquarters in Diamond Bar, CA. The building has a history of serving as a vehicle technology center, giving SEMA the opportunity to offer these servMike Spagnola ices without having to start at ground zero.While based in Southern California, these programs and services will be available to SEMA members everywhere. “The SEMA Product Development Center is going to be an amazing resource for SEMA members,” Spagnola said. “I’m excited to be a part of the expansion.” “We’re excited to have Mike join SEMA in developing services that help members with product de-

velopment and OEM initiatives,” said Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO. “SEMA’s vehicle technology and OEM programs, led by John Waraniak and Bill Wolf, have proven to be extremely beneficial over the years.” Spagnola’s experience includes retail, distribution and manufacturing. Most recently, he served as President for Street Scene Equipment where he managed the company’s day-to-day business for 16 years. His project vehicles have been featured on the covers of more than 50 enthusiast magazines, and honored with more than a dozen design awards from various OEMs. Spagnola has also completed six years of service on the SEMA Board of Directors, a position from which he resigned effective with his new role as a staff member. “Through the use of new technology and partnerships, manufacturers can develop products faster, more accurately and less expensively than ever before. Programs such as SEMA’s Technology Transfer, Rapid Prototyping and Vehicle Measuring Sessions can all be enhanced to help our member companies make and sell more products,” said Spagnola.

Sherwin-Williams Introduces Body Shop Phone App for Consumers More than 5.3 million. That’s how many vehicle accidents there were in the U.S. in 2011, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If you were involved in one of these, then you know the confusion, stress and potential trauma that can occur right after a collision. Now Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes introduces a new Body Shop App for consumers to utilize in case they are involved in a traffic accident. The new mobile phone application provides users with all kinds of information and contact access. The new app will provide immediate access to the user’s friends and family contacts, insurance company or agent, vehicle identification data, local emergency services (police, fire, ambulance, and hospitals), geographic location of the accident and even tips of what to do if involved in an accident. It is capable of retrieving the contact information for nearby towing services, SherwinWilliams A-Plus™ Network body shops, and car rental locations. “Any time you’re in an accident, it’s a very stressful occasion. Fortu-

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 49

From Hot Wheels to Hot Rods: Kindig-It Designer Works for Fun by Melanie Anderson

Kindig-It-Designs owner Dave Kindig started drawing cars when he was five years old. Self-taught in all aspects of custom car building, Kindig laughingly says, “I have a design and engineering degree from Legos and Hot Wheels.” Today, Kindig-It-Designs employs 17 people after 14 years in business in Salt Lake City, UT. Kindig, 42, is a custom car builder, designer and painter. “We do all aspects inhouse—everything from design, chassis engineering, body and paint, sheet metal fabrication, electronics, audio, graphics and custom suspensions,” he

Dave Kindig at work in his design studio

piece” once it’s finished, a combination of old and new. With a life built around cars, one would think Kindig would have several custom cars of his own, but that isn’t so. “That’s the funny part about it. I’m like the shoemaker that never has time for his own shoes,” he said laughing. His only completed custom car is a 1961 VW shortened wheelbased dune buggy. “After 14 years in business, I believe that is first car I ever built and finished for myself. I live vicariously my hot rod dreams through others’ wallets since I don’t have time for my own.” By age 20, he was rebuilding VWs and working across the street from High Performance Coatings. He admired the cars that were pulling into that place and the owner frequently borrowed Kindig’s forklift. One day the owner of HPC asked him when he was going to come work for him, and soon Kindig started a new career that lasted more than eight years. He started off sand blasting and ended up traveling across the country helping with marketing, operations and national sales. “It was a good opportunity for me. I saw the world and met a lot of racers and top builders.” However, Kindig never gave up drawing. Eventually, his renderings tacked up on his office wall caught the attention of those in the industry and his hobby became a side business, then a career. “I figured out that working 60 hours a week for someone else wasn’t

said. Kindig described his shop as a one-stop custom and restoration facility. “Our forte is not just street rods, or one style of car,” Kindig said. “We do cars from any era. We prefer to do customizing. We work on late model vehicles as well as the earlier muscle cars and street rods back from the early ‘30s.” On average, the shop is working on about 34 cars at any given time, many of which are long-term projects. As a young man, Kindig’s passion started with VW Beetles. “I started off buying Volkswagens and chopping the tops, taking tops completely off and making Roadsters out of them.” Playing around with the early Volkswagen Bee1964 Cadillac Coupe Deville Convertible built for speed tles snowballed into bigger skater Apolo Ohno and better cars, although he still loves the VWs because it’s his really cutting it. It wasn’t exactly what heritage. Currently, he has a bare I wanted to do,” he said. The amount metal finished VW that he’s still workof work he had with the renderings, ing on that he says will be a “radical painting cars out of his garage and

50 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

selling parts on the side allowed him to quit his full-time job with HPC and start his own business, and Kindig-It Designs was born. It started out of his garage with barely 1,000 square feet. That only lasted a little more than two

1932 Ford Tudor

months before he moved into a 4,500square-foot space for two-and-half years before moving into 9,000 square feet. Five years later, the shop added another 9,000 square feet. Recently, Kindig signed a two-year lease option to buy the entire 27,000 square foot

building, of which he subleases 6,000 square feet to an upholstery shop and window tinting business. Kindig loves his work, but “It’s not like work. It’s like a good-paying hobby. I go to work every day and I

get to sit in my drawing office if I desire to and just sit here and draw. It’s been very rewarding. It’s calming, and it’s exciting. When I talk to a client about building a car, usually the very first thing we do is a rendering. Within a couple minutes, I’m already driving

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this car up and down the street, imagining what it would look like. You want to build a car to somebody’s taste and by adding your flare and playing off the customer’s taste, I build a car

1937 Chevy

Kindig to rebuild a 1964 Series 62 Cadillac Coupe DeVille that was featured on Hot Rod Television on the Speed Channel. Currently, the shop is working on a 1953 GM Parade of Progress FuturLiner Bus, one of 12 originals. Of these 12 originals, nine are still in existence: one burned up, one was rear-ended, and one ended up being used for parts and is no longer trackable, according to Kindig. This bus, No. 3 of the series, is over 11 feet tall, 8 feet wide and 33 feet long and only seats three. The driver sits in the center, 10 feet in the air. The doors are 16 feet long and the interior includes a staircase. Most of the structure needs to be rebuilt, and Kindig-It used computer-

that’s very unique. Each car is different. It is something that will be timeless and classic, it will stop people walking through a show. I love to put the details into a car and a lot of design flavor.” His favorite project is a white 1968 Mustang called ‘The Boss’ and is wellknown in the show industry. His most famous customer is Apolo Anton Ohno, a gold medal Olympic speed skater who commissioned Kindig-It Designs custom VW Bug renderings

generated scanned 3D schematics to measure all dimensions of the vehicle. Kindig said these vehicles are very sought after and that one of these remaining vehicles sold for $4.2 million at Barrett-Jackson in 2008. He

1956 Chevy Bel Air 2-door hard top

added that his shop has received a lot of national attention because of the vehicle. The owner of the #3 FuturLiner also found another original and has commissioned the shop to rebuild it from scratch, updating the replicated version with a full modern drive train, modern electronics, smoke machine and air driven doors. This one will be

modern. The colors offer good coverage, and I like the ability to custom mix colors and have the backing of PPG as far as knowledge to making balanced formulas.” Kindig-It Designs has developed two of their own colors, called ‘Kindig-It Cool Clay’ and ‘Bad Tomato.’

Continued from Page 48

Dale Sailer, VP Business Development with PartsTrader, gave an update of that pilot program. Aaron Schulenburg commented, “One of the problems the industry is having may be because this is a mandatory program.” State Farm does require Select Service shops to use PartsTrader. The program is not yet system wide. The pilot program is still developing in five different areas of the country. Over 600 people attended the show. The Indiana Auto Body Association hosted an Opening Party Friday evening. The juxtaposition of the two powerful industry panels reflects the challenges and opportunities the collision repair industry faces. Panelist Jim Keller of 1Collision shared his thoughts: “In spite of the ice storm that hit Indy the night before, the show traffic was solid and the diverse industry-related panel discussions, seminars, and presentations were very enlightening.”

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used for tradeshows. One of Kindig’s favorite products is PPG paint. “PPG is a great product for us. I am really impressed with their clear coats, and the way they link up in a baking situation is obviously more

Schulenburg asked them one last question, “Are you more successful today?” Each man said ‘yes’ but all said it is not any easier, although personally they are satisfied with what they do. Ebert’s reply encapsulated the speaker’s sentiments: “There is great satisfaction in knowing wholeheartedly that you work for the people that put the keys in the ignition.” In addition to these two informative panel discussions, this convention offered technical training classes by ICAR, Car-O-Liner, Chief, Matrix and AllData. Rick Leos from Toyota gave a class introducing Toyota’s ground breaking Predictive Estimating System. Mike Anderson spoke on “Outsell Upsell and Close.” Rich Evans, well-known TV star of Car Warriors and other shows, packed the house with his ‘Vehicle Custom Layout and Design’ demonstration which was of particular interest to the younger collision students attending. George Avery, Claims Consultant with State Farm Insurance, and

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Custom Corner with Rich Evans

Rich Evans is the owner of Huntington Beach Bodyworks and an award winning painter and fabricator. He offers workshops in repair and customization at his facility to share his unique talents. For contacts and design samples visit www.huntingtonbeachbodyworks.com

Sharing the Love of Custom Painting with Students at Lincoln I did a little traveling this month. I got rior episodes with 72-hour builds.’ a call from Tony Passwater, the di- But we were able to work it out rector of the Indiana Autobody Asso- where I thought I could squeeze in a ciation, who organizes the bi-annual paint job with graphics in a 10-hour Convention and Technology Exhibi- period, or worse case scenario, a 12tion which was held in Indianapolis hour period. So, I started reaching Feb. 22–23 at the Lincoln College of out for the tools I would need to Technology. See Janet Chaney’s piece pull something like this off. I went with Franklin to my stencil line. I have pre-drawn on the event, p. 48 this Thomas issue.

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out graphics, such as tribal flames and traditional flames. I got measurements from Tony, which allowed me get the graphics pre-designed, pre-cut and pre-masked before I showed up, which would save us a They wanted me to do an ap- lot of time. with Sheila Loftus pearance, which is cool, but interOn my way to Indianapolis, I acting with the students on a project heard there were ice storms and I would be even cooler. At the end of thought I’d be cancelled. However, I the day, I wanted the students to do got a text that said the show must go the project and get the experience on. Luckily, I made it into Indianapowith me guiding and helping. The lis. I was on the last plane in before challenge the IABA came up with they shut down the airport. was painting a truck and doing The next morning, I got a ride to some graphics, some flames. But Lincoln College of Technology and it’s the catch was, they wanted to do it a pretty impressive school. The auto in a five-hour period, and I thought, body shop had quite a few completed ‘Oh here we go, these guys have vehicles. Director of Operations Roger been watching too many Car War- Park showed me around. They were

Your Turn

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52 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

equipped with spray booths, tools and equipment, frame racks, etc. What they had lined up for me was a 1998 green Dodge Dakota. I reached out to Vintage Collection Paint Line by Cumberland Products because they have a flat black paint that we would be using on this project. I envisioned a two-tone flame de-

sign with a flat black look. When I show up, the truck is sanded in 800 grit and now I am having to backtrack a little bit and rethink this. I talked to Bruce Barlow from Vintage Collection Paint Line by Cumberland Prod-

ucts—this product is over the top, and easy to use. They were willing to provide this product to me. I asked Mike English, Technical Manager, if we put down the flats, are we able to clear over it, and what timeframe we had to clear over it? The answer was ‘yes,’ we could clear over it and we had 24 hours. I was jazzed about that because it doesn’t throw a wrench in the project. I met with the top 12 students who were going to work along with me. They also had bleachers set up for the other students. I started with the basics and interacted with the students, and asked them what they were thinking. I said we could utilize the lines on the truck and make it look real cool. We had to take few more parts off the truck. I brought out the flames and I had them lay them out and get creative. I also gave the students some ideas and then let them run with it. There was no reason for me to do it for them. It was about them doing it.

So, we get started and I am feeling pretty good about the pace we’re at. All the students at the Lincoln College of Technology were really into the project and excited about it. I gave them a little direction and let them get involved hands-on so they can walk away and say, “Hey, I did that.” We’re pacing pretty good. Five hours in, we have it masked and ready for color. The students are working well together. These guys are getting creative, running flames over the shaker scoop and down the sides, in the back. I brought some reverse stencils so we could put my Rich Evans Design series logo on the truck. They made their way into the booth and get it all masked up, tighten up a few places to get the masking done right. We’re using SATA spray guns with 1.3 tip. Using Vintage flat black paint, we walked around it two and half times. I let each individual student get a little bit of spray time in to get a chance to put some color on it. We’re now about 8 hours in and we’re calling it quits for the day. We have a 24-hour window with the clear to come back and clear over the flat black with no sanding necessary. In the morning, the students demask it, go back around it and pre-

clean it, sand out the blowthrough that come underneath the tape with 800 grit, and tighten up the graphics and get it masked up. With a 1.3 RP gun, the goal is to walk around it with three coats. But we’re in a time crunch, nearing about 10 hours in, and I had to jump on a plane in a couple hours. We were able to walk around it three times in 25 minutes because the heated booth allows you to move a little more quickly. Students mixed the clear, and everybody worked together. In 12 hours, we got a flame job, a twotone complete paint and re-assembled. The facility and the staff were phenomenal. I had a great visit and interaction with the students, the upcoming next generation into the industry. I’d like to thank IABA for having me come out, and special thanks to the guys from Vintage Paint! For more information about Vintage, go to: www.cumberlandproductsinc.com.

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SEMA Show Hotels Now Accepting Reservations SEMA showgoers may now secure hotel rooms from the official SEMA Housing Services at www.SEMAShow.com. Available through Travel Planners, the reservations come with guaranteed low rates and perks, such as no resort fees. “We know that showgoers are busy, and securing a hotel room shouldn’t be a time-intensive job,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA VP of events and communications. “By using the official SEMA Housing Services, attendees and exhibitors can rest assured that they are working with a legitimate company and paying the lowest rates.” SEMA began partnering with Travel Planners in 2011 to provide Showgoers with guaranteed low rates on dozens of hotel rooms in Las Vegas during the week of the SEMA Show. Among the benefits of using Travel Planners are: • Guaranteed low rate—The housing bureau actively monitors to ensure that they are offering the lowest possible rates. If guests do find a lower rate, Travel Planners will match or beat the lower rate. • No hidden fees—Many hotels in Las Vegas advertise lower rates and

charge a “resort fee” on top of that rate. SEMA and Travel Planners have worked with hotels to waive such fees. The price quoted through Travel Planners is all-inclusive and will not have other fees added to it. • Exclusive room blocks—SEMA and Travel Planners lock in prime blocks of rooms at host hotels. As a result, rooms may appear to be sold out to the rest of the world when in reality they are being held for SEMA Showgoers who go through the SEMA Housing Services. • Extra level of service—Because reservations made through Travel Planners identify guests as SEMA Showgoers, the hotel staff provides a higher level of service and helps direct guests to show-related programs such as free shuttles. Guests also receive confirmation numbers in advance of the Show and can get hotel help from Travel Planners staff at the SEMA Show. To secure rooms through the official SEMA Housing Services, reservations should be made from the SEMA Show site www.SEMAShow.com and include the official housing seal. Travel Planners can also be reached directly at 800-221-3531 or 212-5321660.

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 53

ASA Announces Details for 2013 Annual Meeting

Allstate’s Overton Joins Education Foundation Board

The Automotive Service Association (ASA) will hold its next annual business meeting April 19-20 at the Hurst Convention Center in Hurst, TX. The agenda will include an open meeting of the ASA board of directors on April 20. Ron Pyle, ASA president and chief staff executive, will deliver a state-of-the-association address during the Saturday luncheon, and a new chairman, along with other board members, will be sworn in. An open membership forum will also be on the agenda. All ASA members are invited to attend the open meeting on Saturday, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and includes lunch. The official registration form for the April 20 events, and information about hotel options close to the meeting facility, will be available on the ASA website at www.ASAshop.org. The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind dedicated to and governed by independent automotive service and repair professionals. ASA serves an international membership base that includes state and chapter groups from mechanical and collision repair segments.

Claims Vice President Pam Overton of Allstate Insurance has joined the Collision Repair Education Foundation Board of Trustees. The organization’s Board of Trustees consists of industry members who provide guidance in the organization’s efforts to support secondary and post-secondary collision students nationwide. The Board selects recipients of the organization’s annual student scholarships and tool grants, in addition to the naming the winning Ultimate Collision Education Makeover schools. “I’m excited to be a part of such a forward-thinking and well-respected group of Trustees,” Overton said. “In this role, I’ll have the chance to influence the industry’s future and I look forward to that opportunity and working with such a distinguished group.” Overton began her Allstate career in Houston, TX, in 1981. She’s held several claim positions and leadership roles. Her most recent positions include: Vice President, Tech-Cor Research; Senior Manager, Allstate Auto Claims; Claim Field Director, Southern Region; Vice President, Claims Property; and Vice President, Claims Auto.

ABRA Auto Body & Glass in Clinton, Iowa, Wins Award

Used Vehicle Wholesale Prices Up 1.3% in January

ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a Minnesota-based damaged vehicle repair company recently announced their Clinton, IA, repair center has earned the prestigious President’s Club Award for Excellence. The annual award honors top 2012 performing ABRA repair centers across the country for excellence in operations, leadership, customer service, and overall sales. The Clinton ABRA franchise is independently owned by John McEleney of McEleney Chevrolet-Buick-GMCToyota. Mark Wahlin, ABRA’s Vice President of Franchise Development, said, “John McEleney is a fantastic business owner who epitomizes the ideals of leadership and ABRA values and brand name. We are extremely pleased to present this award to him and his entire team in Clinton.” For franchise opportunities in small and midsize markets, contact Mark Wahlin, Vice President of Franchise Development and Operations (mwahlin@abraauto.com or 763.585.6315). ABRA plans to continue expanding in the years ahead.

The average used-vehicle wholesale cost rose above $10,000 in January, the Automotive Dealer Exchange Services of America reported, but used-vehicle shoppers may soon find a bit of price relief. Used vehicle wholesale prices rose 1.3% compared to last January, in part because so many cars were destroyed last fall in Superstorm Sandy, the Detroit News reported. But wholesale prices—the prices dealers pay at auction, which are much less than actual used-car resale values but provide a basis for price comparison—should soften in the months ahead, much like they did during the latter half of 2012, said Tom Kontos, executive vice president and chief economist of ADESA in a report. The average wholesale price of used cars rose 1.1% to $9,082. Crossover prices jumped 1.7% to $13,568. Truck prices fell 0.2% to $9,961. The average wholesale price of full-size vans continued to surge; the average price is now $10,116. Mid-size car prices leaped 4.2% to $8,365. January sales of certified used vehicles were up 14.9%, according to Autodata Corp.

54 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

ABRA Opens Four Centers

In four separate transactions, ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a Minnesota-based vehicle repair company, announced the acquisition of two corporate repair centers and the opening of two franchise repair centers in four states. The latest deals increase the total number of ABRA repair centers nationally to 95 company-owned locations and 46 independentlyowned franchises for a total of 141 in 16 states. The four newly acquired repair centers are located in Omaha, NE; Wilmington, NC; Lebanon, TN; and Clearfield, UT. “There is no doubt we are in accelerated growth mode and are dedicated to following through on our long-term expansion and acquisition plan,” said Duane Rouse, President and Chief Executive Officer of ABRA. “We are focused on the future and fully expect to increase our business opportunities while expanding our national footprint in new and existing markets.” “Not only are we are gaining momentum, but it is full steam ahead,” said Tim Adelmann, ABRA’s Executive Vice President of Business Development.

Keenan Launches Operation Comfort Fundraiser

Keenan Auto Body Inc. has launched a fundraising drive to raise money for the National Auto Body Council’s (NABC) Operation Comfort initiative. Operation Comfort was founded in 2004 and provides opportunities for wounded service members to participate in rehabilitative, adaptive sports and Automotivation, a program for wounded service members to work on cars. The organization also provides family financial assistance and therapeutic trips. The goal for the fundraiser is to raise $1.5 million to purchase, renovate and fully equip the 30,000 square foot training facility that will house the Automotivation program in San Antonio, TX. “We believe in this program and appreciate the opportunity to give back to those who have given so much,” said Mike LeVasseur, president and chief operations officer of Keenan Auto Body. “We have moved forward by equipping all 11 of our lobbies with donation pads and free standing posters that depict exactly what the program is all about. We are also matching dollar for dollar everything that we raise.”

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PPG Will Hold Annual MVP Conference April 7–9 in Scottsdale PPG will hold its annual spring MVP Business Solutions Conference April 7–9, at the JW Marriott Camelback in Scottsdale, AZ. This MVP Conference venue in the desert will provide advanced business thinking and innovative solutions to PPG customers. In keeping with PPG’s tradition of exemplary and relevant programming, the conference has a notable lineup of well-known, motivational keynote speakers, pertinent seminars and interactive workshops all focused on aiding attendees with improving their collision center performance. The conference is structured to give participants exposure to fresh approaches for advancing their competitive capabilities. “We are committed to helping our customers create a competitive advantage in the marketplace,” says Jim Berkey, PPG, Director, MVP Business Solutions. “The industry is ever evolving and becoming more complex so it is essential that we develop and offer our customer partners opportunities to gain insight and exposure to the latest business practices that will develop leadership, talent and a cul-

ture that drives continuous, measurable and market-driven improvement.” The comprehensive conference schedule is highlighted by prominent keynote speakers: Sasha Strauss, George Avery and Steve Gilliand. In his address titled “Branding 101/Brand Strategy Essentials,” Strauss, Managing Director at Innovation Protocol and Adjunct Professor at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication, where he teaches Brand Strategy, will talk about why brands matter, who they matter to, how you can build them into your marketing, advertising and public relation strategies. Avery, State Farm’s spokesperson to the collision repair industry, is an Auto Estimating Consultant, past National Auto Body Council President and current CIC Chairperson and well-recognized industry leader. He will present an overview and perspective on how the industry landscape is changing, the possibilities and how State Farm is restructuring to adapt to the “Industry Headwinds.” With his characteristic humorous and reality-tested technique (“you’re

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not burned out if you’ve never been lit”), Gilliand delivers his trademarked and profound presentation titled “Enjoy The Ride™.” This keynote speaker will challenge you personally and professionally. From the beginning when he shows the audience how to ignite their passion to the end with his compelling challenge to never lose your focus, he releases an “explosion of enthusiasm” that is absolutely contagious. Fasten your seatbeltas Gilliand outlines a roadmap for success. Some of the breakout sessions include: • “Digital Marketing = More Customers, More Revenue and More Profit” where attendees will learn about the importance of strategy before tactics, 12 powerful digital marketing tools and why marketing is a process; • “Creating a culture of peak performance and achieving greater results,” focuses mainly on the management practices that will create a culture of peak performance. This energetic, humorous and content-rich presentation is guaranteed to provide you with practical knowledge on creating a cul-

ture of peak performance and achieving greater results; • “X-Ray Estimating® “An Ace up Your Sleeve,” is a session which offers an approach to improving your repair cycle time and hours per day performance but in a different way from X-Ray Repair Planning®. The conference is open to owners and managers of collision centers using PPG Refinish products. MVP conferences are biannual events and key components of PPG’s ongoing commitment to provide advanced business thinking and innovative solutions to its MVP customers. The conference commences on April 7 with leisure activities that include the Randy Dewing Memorial Golf Tournament or relaxing at the JW Marriott spa or pool followed by a welcome reception. Prospective attendees are encouraged to visit www.ppgmvp.com for complete conference information and registration details. Additional information about PPG MVP Business Solutions and future conferences may also be obtained by calling (866) 2378178.

The U.S. government spends nearly $1 billion annually maintaining its 588,000 vehicles, the Government Accountability Office said in an audit released March 7. In the 2011 fiscal year, the administration spent $975 million on maintenance. The report looked at whether federal agencies use original or remanufactured parts to fix vehicles and found that agencies have different policies on whether to use them. Remanufactured parts are generally cheaper. The U.S. Postal Service said it “relies heavily on the remanufacturing industry to sustain our vehicle.” The U.S Postal Service’s fleet of nearly 210,000 vehicles are on average 16.2 years old, while Homeland Security’s 48,917 vehicles are four years old on average. The General Services Administration’s fleet of 200,000 vehicles are 3.5 years old on average and need far less maintenance than other fleets. Some agencies like the FBI, U.S. Postal Service and Customs and Border Patrol, use in-house garages for some maintenance and repair work.

Oxford University is testing out a driverless version of the Nissan Leaf electric car using technology controlled from an Apple iPad on the dashboard. The car is guided by a lowcost navigation system that gauges its surroundings through small cameras and lasers discreetly built into the body of the car and does not rely on GPS. The iPad flashes up a prompt offering the driver the option of taking over a portion of the route. Touching the screen can switch back to ‘auto drive’ where the robot system takes over. The system is currently being tested at Begbroke Science Park, near Oxford. The next stage of the research will work on enabling the new robotic system to understand complex traffic flows and to make decisions on the best routes to take, said Dr. Ingmar Posner, who is co-leading the project. It’s estimated that the current prototype navigation systems costs around $7,625 but, “Long-term, our goal is to produce a system costing around $151,” said Professor Paul Newman, the other co-leader.

Feds Spend $1 Billion on Repair Bill for Vehicle Fleet

Self-Driving Nissan Leaf Controlled from iPad

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 55

ICRA Adds ‘No Free Lunch’ to Tradeshow An industry issues luncheon called “There is No Free Lunch” will kick off the Midwest Auto Body Trade Show, the Iowa Collision Repair Association (ICRA) recently announced. This luncheon, which will be held on March 28 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, IA, will address insurance-mandated parts procurement programs and the proposed Iowa Senate Bill 42, which is requesting an interim study on DRPs. Iowa Senator Brad Zaun, who introduced the bill, and ICRA lobbyist Scott Weiser will speak at the luncheon. The parts procurement discussion will include insurance representatives, collision repairers and parts managers. After the luncheon, the trade show will open at 2 p.m. and run till 7 p.m. Space has been added to facilitate more than 60 vendor booths this year. Product demonstrations and educational classes will be held on the stage in the same room as the trade show. The educational sessions will cover such topics as: • Social media • OSHA hazard communication/ global harmonization rule

• Plastic repair Show specials, gift certificates, special attendee show discounts and door prizes will again be offered at the show. Also, new car models will be on the floor for attendees to preview. “The grassroots approach with our members and vendors has proven to be a tremendous success for this industry event,” said John Arnold, vice president of ICRA and owner of Arnold’s Body Shop, Davenport. Added Mark Martin of Ankeny Auto Body, “This is a very dynamic show, and with everyone in the room for the entire event, it creates a great atmosphere for all the participants. We all look forward to coming back.” “This is a great venue for our industry to get together and learn more about what we do,” said Dale Wilgenbusch, ICRA president and co-owner of Avalon Body Shop in Rickardsville. “There is always so much to gain at one of these events.” The luncheon costs $25. Contact Janet Chaney at (480) 720-2565 with any questions.

The Society of Collision Repair Spe- Foundation and the secondary and cialists (SCRS) has donated 245 post-secondary collision school promemberships to secondary and post- grams that our organization works tosecondary collision school programs wards assisting nationwide. Many through the Collision Repair Educa- collision instructors are facing limited tion Foundation, a $73,500 value. budgets and through working together Through the general membership do- with industry organizations like nation, each school will receive a win- SCRS, we can show the educators of dow decal, membership certificate, the industry’s future professionals that access to SCRS member information we care and are looking to keep them and all association communications. current on industry information. I SCRS Executive Director Aaron look forward to working together with Schulenburg noted, “Supporting our the SCRS Board of Directors on helpindustry’s education system is an in- ing to inform their members of where tegral part of our association’s mis- their local collision school programs sion to educate, inform and represent are located and how they can get inthe collision repair professional. It is volved in supporting the collision stuour hope that the schools and instruc- dents and instructors.” tors will take advantage of the inforIndustry members that are intermation and resources, to help educate ested in supporting secondary and their students on the activities taking post-secondary collision school proplace within the industry, and that the grams through the Collision Repair students will foster an appreciation for Education Foundation should visit the support structure that exists within http://collisioneducationfoundation.org the industry, once they enter the work- and contact Director of Development force.” Brandon Eckenrode at 847.463.5244 Collision Repair Education or Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundaFoundation Director of Development tion.org. Brandon Eckenrode noted, “I would like to thank their support Give us SCRS your for opinion on matters affecting the industry. www.autobodynews.com of the Collision Repair Education

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The next A-Plus™ Network EcoLean™ Level 1 workshop from SherwinWilliams Automotive Finishes will be held April 30 and May 1 at the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) facility near Charlotte, NC. Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, four NASCAR Nationwide Series teams, and a driver development program. Its driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Matt Kenseth in the Sprint Cup Series and is owned by Joe Gibbs, a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and four Nationwide Series owner’s championships, along with more than 175 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and a Daytona 500. These Sherwin-Williams exclusive EcoLean Level 1 workshops are designed to educate attendees about maximizing profitability by improving productivity and eliminating waste throughout their facilities. The program is offered to collision center

SCRS Donates General Memberships to 245 Collision School Programs through Foundation

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publisher@autobodynews.com CARSTAR Promotes Rick Miller and Melissa Miller (no relation) to Leadership Roles

owners and dealer managers. “The EcoLean curriculum was deCARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts veloped specifically with collision shop has promoted field service managers operators in mind. This upcoming Rick Miller and Melissa Miller (no Charlotte workshop, held onsite at a relation) to leadership roles within its NASCAR championship team’s headTo advertise field service operations departThe and source for timely quarters, allows attendees to really see Advertising Sales ment. information that every leancall production in action,” saysat: Troy In addition, CARSTAR also reNeuerburg, Manager of Marketing 800-699-8251 body shop cently appointed Dean needs! Fisher as Business Services at Sherwin-Williams e-mail: vice president of service and operaAutomotive Finishes. “Through it they advertising@autobodynews.com tionsCALL for the U.S. will learn practical processes and useful 800-699-8251 Rick Miller, who joined tips on lean production’s application in www.autobodynews.com Start Your CARSTAR in 2007 as aFREE regional collision repair and methods to make serviceMail manager and most recently their collision shops more efficient, Subscription. served as director of field services productive, and subsequently more and operations, has led the impleprofitable.” mentation of the CARSTAR Service The EcoLean 1 workshop curEDGE model across the country. riculum includes: See the NEW With his promotion to assistant • Principles of reducing environmenvice president of the department, he tal waste will manage the execution of strate• An overview of lean production, and gic business initiatives for the its practical application in collision rewww.autobodynews.com CARSTAR stores, guiding the compair pany’s team of regional service man• Approaches to making the collision agers and leading stores as they facility more efficient and consistent embrace key programs. • How to build a lean culture from the Previously, Miller worked with ground up Carter & Carter International in EuTo register online for the upcomrope and North America since 1998. ing Charlotte A-Plus University He started his collision career in GerEcoLean Level 1 workshop, go to To advertise many as a refinish apprentice then http://www.regonline.com/Regismoved back to the U.K. to manage call Sean Hartman at: ter/Checkin.

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dealer body shops and import reconTo advertise ditioning centers. call Advertising Sales Melissa Miller has been at: promoted to director of field services and 800-699-8251 ToCARSTAR advertisein operations. She joined e-mail: callmanager Joe Momber 2004 as a project in Fran- at: advertising@autobodynews.com chise Integration, after working as the 800-699-8251 office manager and marketing direcwww.autobodynews.com e-mail:body tor in her family’s collision jmomber@autobodynews.co shop —Randy & Bob’s CARSTAR in Chicora, PA,—from 1999 to 2004. www.autobodynews.com She served as regional service manager for Pennsylvania in 2006 and was appointed senior See regional the N service manager in 2009. She is active in the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) andRegister serves on Your the Em communications committee. www.autobodyn “Our field service team members are the connection to our store owners, and their leadership, experience at www.autobod and expertise in working with our network are essential to our success as an organization,” said David Byers, CEO of CARSTAR. “We are proud to promote two members of our field Towho advertise service team have consistently call Sean demonstrated the Hartman commitmentat: to our stores, a passion for the industry and a 800-699-8251 true understanding of what it takes to succeed in thise-mail: business.” shartman@autobodynews.com

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NABC To Take Stock of Future at April Meeting

The National Auto Body Council (NABC) is expanding the format of their April planning and board meeting to accommodate an agenda designed to help chart the future of the organization, which strives to promote a positive image of the automotive collision repair industry. The meeting will take place on Thursday, April 18 and the morning of Friday, April 19. It is being held at the I-CAR Training and Support Center in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The NABC is trying to encourage those who feel strongly about the work it does to participate in the process, so the meeting place has been selected for its convenient location just 30 minutes from the O’Hare Airport, with lodging nearby. There is no registration fee. The meeting will start at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday and run until 5:00 p.m. Matt Ohrnstein of Symphony Advisors, LLC will facilitate for the first half day, as the National Auto Body Council assesses its current goals, determines where it wants to be in five years, and charts possible courses to get there. Thursday afternoon will consist of committee sessions providing an opportunity for all participants to become engaged in discussions. Friday

morning will feature committee reports, with a wrap by noon to accommodate the booking of afternoon flights. “Just as our regular board meetings have open attendance, so, too, does this very special event,” said NABC National Director Chuck Sulkala. “It’s a chance for all to voice their opinions, concerns and thoughts together with members of the National Auto Body Council. It’s a great opportunity to see what we’re really all about. We look forward to seeing everyone there.” Rooms have been reserved at the Hampton Inn in Hoffman Estates located approximately two miles from the meeting site. The phone number for reservations at the NABC rate of $79 per night is 847-882-4301. Transportation from the hotel and to the center will be available from 7:30–7:45 a.m. Thursday morning. Room reservations should be made as quickly as possible as the room block is being held only until March 18. If you would like to attend or have questions, contact Chuck Sulkala at 888-667-7433 or e-mail chuck@autobodycouncil.org or Mike McManus in the NABC office at 414408-4957,

NABC Ramps Up Its Social Media Efforts The National Auto Body Council (NABC) recently announced that it is undertaking its official ‘ramp up into the world of social media’ by inviting interested parties to create, share and exchange industry-related information ideas on its revamped Facebook and Twitter platforms. Craig Camacho, National Auto Body Council board member and chair of NABC’s marketing and pub-

lic relations committee, took the lead on the initiative, which includes renewing and modernizing the look, feel and message of the NABC’s Facebook page and Twitter feed (@AutoBodyCouncil). NABC’s Facebook page layout has been updated to be more attractive and inviting, including a link, www.facebook.com/NationalAutoBodyCouncil, that makes it easier for people to locate and access. Relevant content, industry news, thought-provoking riddles and, most

NABC Appoints 3M Sales Manager Ricciotti to Board

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The National Auto Body Council has appointed Renee Ricciotti, 3M national key account sales manager, to its 2013 national board. Ricciotti has been a member of the collision industry for nearly two decades, helping build the 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division across the United States. As national key account sales manager since 2008, Ricciotti has put her leadership skills and industry expertise to work to successfully build multi-functional teams to effectively serve 3M’s automotive customers. “It’s an honor to be selected to serve on the NABC board to give back to the collision industry,” said Ricciotti. “I look forward to addressing industry issues on behalf of the manufacturers, distributors and store owners I’ve worked with for 20 years. I look forward to being involved in great NABC programs like Recycled Rides and Automotivation.” Ricciotti joined 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division in 1994 and has received numerous awards for her performance, including the 3M Golden Step Award, Brick Layer Award and top sales performer.

importantly, program updates, are now listed on an almost daily basis. Dates for Recycled Rides® and First Responder Emergency Extrication (FREE) events will be listed along with information on other campaign initiatives such as Operation Comfort, Distracted Driving, In-Language, the Body Shop Image Award and the Award of Distinction. In today’s digital and online world, it’s hard to imagine an organization achieving success without embracing the benefits of social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the many other available platforms at the fingertips of marketers around the world. “There is no better return on investment then when you grow your audience organically through social media and I am excited that the National Auto Body Council is now positioned to make an impact in this area,” stated Camacho, who is also the marketing director and social media manager at 11-shop MSO Keenan Auto Body. “If you use Facebook, come check us out and ‘like’ the new National Auto Body Council page which will also feed into our Twitter account.”

Shop Owners, Managers Asked to Complete Survey

The Collision Industry Snapshot survey remains open for new responses. Collision shop owners and managers are asked to consider completing the Collision Repair Industry Snapshot Survey, which is co-sponsored by the Collision Repair Education Foundation and I-CAR. Through the survey results, the industry will be able to view statistics on the current state of the industry and also to highlight career opportunities to collision students. Only through the participation of collision shop owners/managers can this survey accurately reflect current trends and information on the industry. An electronic tablet (retail value $400) will be awarded to one randomly selected respondent that successfully completes the survey. All responses will be kept confidential and results will be reported in aggregate; respondents will not be contacted; and the list will not be sold or shared. Collision shop owners or managers (one per location please) are invited to take the survey at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/C ollision_Industry_Snapshot_Survey.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 57

CAPA Testing on Safety of Aftermarket Bumper Parts Certified Automotive Parts Association, (CAPA) provides aftermarket parts that have been certified by CAPA to be comparable to the car company brand part. The claim is based on the notion that if an aftermarket part uses the same materials, construction features, dimensions and geometry as the car company brand part, then it can be expected to perform in a comparable manner to the car company brand part. Approved by CAPA’s Technical Committee in 2010, the CAPA 501 Bumper Parts Standard, like all other CAPA Standards, is based on comparative testing of an aftermarket part to the car company brand counterpart. In addition to requirements for material composition, mechanical properties (strength), construction features, fit and appearance, the CAPA 501 Standard also includes a series of full part dynamic crash tests. Test parts are mounted to a vehicle simulator and are crashed into a fixed, flat, rigid barrier at 5 mph. After the crash, high speed video and detailed graphs of the impact force and deceleration are used to compare the performance of the aftermarket part to the car company brand part. In addition, the amount of physical deformation is carefully examined and compared. “While this testing is extensive

(and the complete procedure is publically available), CAPA’s Board and Technical Committee wanted to insure that all performance characteristics were compared in detail to the car company brand parts,” said Jack Gillis, Executive Director of the Certified Automotive Parts Association. “Because of industry concerns about the safety-related aspects of structural parts, CAPA raised its own bar—we requested that the highly respected Insurance for Highway Safety conduct a series of high and low speed crashes. The sole purpose was to demonstrate the parts meeting the CAPA requirements will, in fact, perform in a comparable manner to the car company brand part in both high and low speed crashes. While this may appear to be an overly comprehensive requirement—crash testing is complex and costly—CAPA is committed to reassuring both consumers and the collision repair industry about the performance of the parts it certifies,” added Gillis. While CAPA 501 Bumper Parts Standard provides the industry with confidence in the use of a CAPA Certified bumper part, only one manufacturer has chosen to submit their parts to CAPA for Certification. Production Bumper Stampings Inc., (PBSI) a U.S.

based manufacturer and member of the Diamond Standard Brand Group, has 29 CAPA Certified front bumpers representing over 40,000 parts available in the U.S. market. “Going forward we anticipate the market will demand that even more of our bumper products become CAPA Certified,” said Mike O’Neal, President of PBSI and Diamond Standard. “As the only manufacturer certified by CAPA to meet the CAPA 501 Standards, we are prepared to meet that demand.” “Unfortunately, the market is giving aftermarket manufacturers who produce structural bumper parts a mixed message,” stated shop owner and CAPA Technical Committee Chairman Mike Schoonover. “In spite of bumper sawing demonstrations and videos of ‘exploding’ energy absorbers, shops are still using nonCAPA Certified bumpers and other structural parts—regardless of the risks. As long as our various industries accept the cheapest parts, there’s really no reason for those manufacturers to produce high quality CAPA parts, despite the stated concerns about potential safety issues. The good news, for those shops concerned about reducing repair costs and protecting their customers from poor quality parts, there is a CAPA alternative.”

Four Collision Industry Members Join Education Foundation’s Leadership Circle

Four collision industry members have joined the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s Industry Leadership Circle through their $1,000 personal contributions to the organization. Domenic Brusco of PPG Automotive Refinish; Bill Lawrence of LC Automotive Group; Tim Morgan of Spanesi Americas; and Tim O’Day of Gerber Collision & Glass have donated $1,000 personally to the organization. Monetary donations to the Collision Repair Education Foundation assist in the organization’s efforts to support secondary and post-secondary collision repair students and their school’s collision programs. Domenic Brusco, PPG Automotive Refinish, Senior Manager of Industry Relations, said, “I both professionally and personally believe in the purpose, vision and especially the staff and Board of Trustees of the Foundation, and it gives me great pleasure to give back to an industry and business that PPG supports and in which I have been blessed with many great opportunities.” Bill Lawrence, owner of LC Automotive Group noted, “The Foundation’s effort to enhance technical

education and to link qualified graduates to employment in our industry is a critical component of developing a skilled work force for today and the future. My businesses and I are committed to the Foundation’s work and we are happy to contribute to its efforts and successes.” Tim Morgan, Managing Director of Spanesi Americas, said, “As a product of technical education myself, back in my day it wasn’t such a ‘hi-tech’ field to learn as it is today. Schools and educators are faced with a big challenge to make sure they prepare students to enter this industry employable. My donation is a small part of what is really needed to make our students learn, grow, and succeed! I hope others can step up and help for the future starts today.” Tim O’Day, President & COO of Gerber Collision & Glass said, “Gerber Collision & Glass supports the Collision Repair Education Foundation, but a critical part of the Foundation’s donor base comes from individuals. I am proud to show my personal support for the Education Foundation as it helps to attract talent into our industry and educate our future employees.”

58 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

I-CAR Adds 4 New Online Courses, Expands Training

I-CAR® says a study has confirmed that training has a direct impact on performance, including improved touch time, cycle time, and CSI scores and that I-CAR training continues to lead as the industry standard for performance and knowledge. To deliver on this industry need, I-CAR has added four additional online courses to its course catalog: Stationary Glass (GLA02e), Mechanical Systems Analysis (DAM03e), Damage Analysis of Advanced Automotive Systems (DAM07e), and Wind Noise and Water Leaks (WNW01e). John Van Alstyne, I-CAR CEO & President stated, “To fully serve the growing training needs of the Inter-Industry, I-CAR has developed online and virtual instructor-led classes which are convenient, effective, and essential,” he continued, “That said, as our customer focus groups have told us, quality instructor-led, Live training with effective instructors remains the preferred way to learn for many, and the only way to learn when working with more advanced or complicated subject matter. Therefore, Live training remains an I-CAR priority for the ultimate learning experience.”

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Mitchell Releases 2013 Insurance Predictions by Mitchell staff

Mitchell, a provider of technology, connectivity and information solutions to the Property & Casualty claims and Collision Repair industries, recently released predictions for trends related to cloud computing and big data analytics that could affect the insurance industry throughout 2013. Focusing on trends expected to impact an ecosystem that includes repair and body shops, insurance companies, claims adjusters and payers, Mitchell is forecasting experiences workers’ compensation, auto casualty and auto physical damage professionals could undergo this year. “In today’s fast paced, competitive business landscape, there is increased pressure on the insurance industry to think creatively about the services they offer and how those services are delivered to maintain a competitive edge,” said Erez Nir, CTO at Mitchell. “Cloud computing strategies have been popular in the IT-focused environment. We have embraced cloud computing at Mitchell, in the way

we deliver software-as-a-service to our customers as well as in how we consume our own business systems. Beyond the core competencies our industry has, in part due to the complexity and change 2013 will bring, we expect the industry to continue to deploy various cloud and big data strategies to help overcome business and technology challenges.” The broad industry and specific predictions from the company’s core Auto Physical Damage, Auto Causality and Workers’ Compensation divisions include:

Large-scale trends: More attention will be given to leveraging complex data sets: The ability to incorporate data from multiple sources, such as different areas of a business or business lines, and combine them with external data sources to enable more intelligent decisionmaking will become central to business operations. In addition to addressing the complexities of big data (e.g. volume, velocity and data management), companies will explore how to incorporate ancillary sources

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and more sophisticated combinations of data sets to get an edge on the competition. The demand for cloud computing will increase: In 2012, adoption of cloud platforms and services continued to increase along with interest in a single environment and partner for cloud computing technologies. In 2013, insurance carriers will begin to consolidate cloud computing vendors and realize the benefits of working with a single provider, such as streamlined and accelerated deployment of new offerings, reduced operational costs, and improved data exchange and information sharing.

Micro trends: Recycled parts prices will decrease: We will see a softening of salvage vehicle values globally in 2013. As the European debt crisis continues to outpace our own, the Euro will further soften against the US dollar. This will make it more expensive for Europeans to purchase US-based salvage vehicles, reducing demand. An additional factor impacting salvage values is the increase in the annual rate of new car sales, expected to hit 15 million for 2012. Combining these factors with the 250,000 total loss vehicles expected out of Hurricane Sandy will depress salvage car values in 2013. For consumers, this means that there will be an increase in the availability of recycled parts for vehicle repairs at a lower cost. The average industry cost to repair auto collision damage will increase. This will occur, in part, to the softening of salvage values, putting more borderline vehicles in the ‘repairable’ column rather than ‘total

loss’ and an overall inflation of labor, parts and paint in 2013. This will also occur from an increase in the cost of raw materials (such as paint mica and chemicals) as well as plastics and steel prices. In addition, we expect to see an increase in average hourly body shop labor charges if the economy continues to recover in 2013. There will be a rise in healthcare ePayment solutions: More carriers will use ePayment systems to gain a competitive advantage. They will work with the provider community to be better aligned with changes in healthcare regulation that promote eBill, eRemittance and ePayment through electronic funds transfer (EFT). ePayment systems provide the capacity to substantially lower transaction expenses, decrease the burden on adjusters and call centers, and enable similar benefits to accrue to medical provider trading partners. There will be increased attention on keeping out-of-network costs down: Despite increased efforts to direct injured workers to network providers, many state regulations or employer programs offer the flexibility to use providers of their choice, which puts workers’ comp insurance payers in the challenging out-of-network territory. Therefore, such payers will leverage third-party negotiation services to settle out-of-network claims. Tapping into an outside team of skilled negotiators will help workers’ comp insurance payers and providers reach mutually beneficial agreements. The negotiation process will be accelerated, and insurance payers will achieve an average of 30– 40 percent success rates in negotiating out-of-network charges.

Gerber Opens New Centers in Florida and Washington

The Boyd Group Inc. recently announced the opening of a new repair center in Washington and one in Florida. The Boyd Group now operates 181 locations in the U.S. The center in St. Cloud, FL, is approximately 26,000 square feet in size. It was part of the 11 centers acquired with The Recovery Room acquisition in November 2012, but was closed for approximately a year prior to the acquisition. It has now reopened and operates under the Gerber Collision & Glass trade name. “We welcome the reopening of the St. Cloud location, which will

serve Orlando and Kissimmee suburban area customers. This center is situated in an attractive location with good visibility for those traveling on the E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway,” said Tim O’Day, President and COO of the Boyd Group’s U.S. operations. The center located in Stanwood, WA, is approximately 4,500 square feet in size and previously operated as Twin City Collision. With this addition, the Boyd Group owns and operates 14 repair centers in Washington.

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 59

NASCAR Champion Jeff Gordon to Drive No. 24 Chevrolet with New Imron Elite Paint Scheme

Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon will drive the No. 24 Chevrolet SS featuring a new Imron® Elite “Real Truck Paint” theme design in the spring race at Talladega Superspeedway on May 5, 2013. A preview of the new Imron® Elite design will be revealed in their booth #90225 at the Mid America Trucking Show being held on March 21-23 in Louisville, KY. Gordon’s historic NASCAR Cup Series career started 20 years ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway as the young driver burst onto scene in the rainbowcolored Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet. The following season, Gordon started to take the motorsports world by storm. Now, 20 years later with four championships and 87 career victories under his belt, Gordon will race the commemorative No. 24 Imron® Elite Chevrolet only one time at the Talladega Superspeedway. Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports and DuPont Performance Coatings are celebrating their 21st full season together—the longest current running driver/owner/sponsor partnership in NASCAR. Gordon was successful winning the final race of the 2012 season in the

silver 20th Anniversary paint scheme on the No. 24 Chevrolet and is hoping for a repeat in the Imron® Elite Chevrolet at Talladega. DuPont Performance Coatings products have been a constant during the storied career of Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports. The new Imron® Elite paint scheme uses the popular flame design with DuPont™ flat black and specially formulated neon yellow, orange and red high gloss paint finishes. The unique design was created by NASCAR’s first officially licensed artist Sam Bass. DuPont Commercial Finishes, featuring an array of Imron® products, has earned more commercial and OEM approvals than any other paint manufacturer. When it comes to lasting appearance, Imron® Elite demonstrates superior impact resistance and retains its gloss and mirrorlike finish keeping heavy duty truck and fleet assets in service longer, and require less finish maintenance over time. Imron® Elite finishes are used on the OEM production line as well as in aftermarket repair and maintenance, allowing “repair-in-kind” capability to achieve an original factory finish that lasts.

Industry Gives $5 Million in Support of Collision Repair Programs through Education Foundation

The generosity of the collision industry in supporting its’ future professionals was displayed in 2012 as over $4.9 million was donated to collision school programs and students through the Collision Repair Education Foundation. This level of support was made possible through 175 total donors in 2012. In addition to the record amount of support, the collision industry surpassed the $10 million mark in total giving through the Collision Repair Education Foundation since 2008, when the organization began its philanthropic focus. Through both monetary and inkind product donations, the 2012 Collision Repair Education Foundation donors helped to provide student scholarships, student tool grants, school equipment and supply grants, several Ultimate Collision Education Makeover school grants, and much more. “It is a true testament of the industry’s generosity and support that the Collision Repair Education Foundation provided over $4.9 million in 2012 and the fact that over $10 million has been provided since 2008,” said Clark Plucinski, Collision Repair Education Foundation Executive

Director. “As 175 total donors provided this level of support in 2012, imagine the potential of what could be provided with even more involved. Collision school instructors need our support now more than ever to help prepare their students with a technical education that would best prepare them for entering the collision industry upon graduation. The collision industry should be celebrating these support numbers as I am not aware of any other technical industry that shows this type of support for their school programs. It is only through our industry donors that are we able to announce this level of support and we look forward to having an even better 2013!” For additional information about the Collision Repair Education Foundation, visit CollisionEducationFoundation.org. Inter-industry organizations and individuals who are interested in supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation in 2013 and providing assistance to collision schools and students should contact Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org.

60 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Post Office Unveils 1967 Shelby Forever Stamp The United States Postal Service is featuring the 1967 Shelby GT500 as part of its new muscle car Forever® Stamp series.

Created by award-winning artist Tom Fritz under the art direction of Carl T. Herrman, the Guardsmen Blue with Wimbledon White stripes Shelby is one of five stamps in the U.S. Postal Service’s Forever® stamps collection. “The ‘67 Shelby GT500 is one of the most celebrated muscle cars in the world,” said Tracey Smith, Carroll Shelby Licensing president. “Carroll Shelby’s father was a postal worker and allowed him to ride around on his mail runs, so we’re excited to see one of his automobiles being featured in such a prestigious collection from the U.S. Post Office. It’s a beautiful tribute to the legacy of Carroll Shelby and his contributions to automotive history.”

The ‘67 GT500 featured on the stamp honors the original muscle car manufactured by Shelby American. Powered by a 428-cubic-inch, 355-horsepower Police Interceptor engine, the monstrous Shelby featured a rear spoiler, grille-mounted headlights and rocker panel stripes. With only 2,048 built in 1967, the Shelby GT500 is both exceptional and rare. The 1967 Shelby GT500 is one of five vehicles featured in the Muscle Car Forever® stamps series, which were unveiled at the Daytona 500 by racing legends Richard and Kyle Petty, and U.S. Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe on Feb. 22. The Muscle Car Forever® stamps are the third issuance in the “America on the Move” stamp series from the U.S. Postal Service. “The ‘67 Shelby is as legendary as the man who built it, so I wanted to keep with the traditional paint scheme and iconic look of one of the most popular muscle cars of all time,” said Fritz. “It was a tremendous honor to be the artist chosen to create the Muscle Car Stamps. Now my work will be among the special Forever® stamps that people will collect and pass down from generation to generation.”

Industry Gives 1,000 Uniforms to Collision Students

Through the sponsorship of Bar’s Products, CARSTAR, Cintas, Ford Motor Company, I-CAR, PPG Automotive Refinish, and Sterling Auto Body, 1,000 Cintas collision student technician uniforms will be distributed to secondary and post-secondary collision students through the Collision Repair Education Foundation this spring. The student technician shirt project also helped raise $10,000 for the Foundation’s Collision Repair Education Campaign fund that helps provide student scholarships, school grants, and the Foundation’s Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant. These technician uniforms will be distributed to students who applied for the Education Foundation’s spring scholarship/tool grant opportunities and also to all auto body and refinishing students competing at the national SkillsUSA event in Kansas City this June. Collision Repair Education Foundation Director of Development, Brandon Eckenrode commented, “What started off as a fun project back in 2009 has grown into a life-changing program that provides collision students with a sense of pride, professionalism, and belonging. To date, the Education Foundation has provided

nearly 10,000 Cintas technician uniforms to collision students nationwide through the support of industry sponsors. Instructors share stories with us that these uniforms provide their collision students with a new level of respect around school and other school departments are jealous of the support that the collision program receives. On behalf of the Foundation staff and the students that we are able to pro-

vide these uniforms to, thank you to the sponsors of our spring 2013 technician shirts and we look forward to distributing even more in the coming years.” The Collision Repair Education Foundation will be providing another run of 1,000 technician uniforms this fall which will be provided to students attending NACE, SEMA, and 2013 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover applicant schools.

SEMA Exhibit Summit Takes Place April 15–17 in Las Vegas, 7 Months Prior to Nov. 5–8 Show

SEMA Show exhibitors may participate in the SEMA Show Exhibitor Summit, a unique conference designed to help them improve performance at the upcoming event. Taking place in Las Vegas, NV, on April 15–17—seven months prior to the actual SEMA Show—the Exhibitor Summit is the ideal place for new and established exhibitors to learn how to maximize the return on their investment. SEMA 2013 takes place November 5–8, in Las Vegas, NV. For details, visit www.SEMAShow.com. “The summit is the best place for our team to connect with exhibitors and explain the many programs and services available to them,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA VP of events and communications. “During the summit, there are no distractions or interruptions. We’re able to spend quality time and give exhibitors a really clear understanding of the different resources that are available to them.” MacGillivray notes that a key aspect of the Exhibitor Summit is that workshops and individual meetings are conducted by SEMA staff and show organizers. “It’s important to us

that exhibitors know who to contact, and that their contact is someone who knows and understands our show,” he continued. “Since the Exhibitor Summit takes place seven months before the actual event, we’re able to build on the relationships as they execute their plans for the show.” Topics addressed during the summit include cost-effective ways to set up a booth, resources available to target buyers, value-added programs and more. Participants may sit down in one-on-one sessions where Show experts evaluate and analyze the exhibitor’s unique needs to help reduce expenses, and they are able to tour the convention center. To make it easy and affordable for manufacturers to attend in the summit, SEMA and its hotel partners offer a limited number of hotel rooms for the summit at no cost to participants. All meals at the Summit are included as well. Participants are responsible for travel to and from Las Vegas and incidental hotel charges. Certain conditions do apply. See www.semashow.com/exhibitorsummit, or can be obtained from Kate Peterson at kpeterson@convexx.com or 702/216-5831.

Vermont Introduces Aftermarket Bill Vermont State Rep. Bill Botzow (D1) introduced House Bill 362, a bill that regulates the use of aftermarket parts in automobile repairs covered by insurance. The bill has been referred to Vermont’s House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development. The language of the bill includes the following provisions: • No insurer shall require the use of aftermarket parts in the repair of an automobile unless the aftermarket part is at least equal in like kind and quality to the original part in terms of fit, quality and performance. An insurer that requires the use of aftermarket parts shall consider and be liable for the cost of any modifications that may become necessary when making a repair. • All aftermarket parts manufactured after Jan. 1, 2014, shall carry sufficient permanent identification so as to identify their manufacturer. Such identification shall be accessible to the extent possible after installation. • Aftermarket parts may not be required by an insurer in the repair of automobiles placed in service during the two years immediately preceding the claim report and which have 30,000 or fewer miles recorded on the

odometer. • An insurer shall identify clearly on the repair estimate all aftermarket parts installed on a vehicle, if any. If aftermarket parts are installed, the insurer shall disclose to the claimant in writing, either on the estimate or on a separate document attached to the estimate, the following information in bold-faced, capitalized font no smaller than 12-point type: “This estimate has been prepared based on the use of non-original manufacturer parts. Parts used in the repair of your vehicle by other than the original manufacturer, also known as aftermarket parts, are required to be at least equal in like kind and quality in terms of fit, qualitywww.autobodynews.com and performance to the original manufacturer parts they are replacCHECK IT OUT! ing.”

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WIN May 5–7 Conference to Focus on Recruiting

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The upcoming Women’s Industry Network (WIN) Educational Conference will focus on recruiting talent to the industry. “We know attracting talented people to the collision repair industry is a hot topic,” said Tina Clark, cochair of the WIN Conference. “Understanding the myriad sub-issues related to recruiting, such as how to attract the best talent, and legal considerations during the interviewing and hiring process, enables our members to be smarter employers, managers and employees.” This year’s WIN Educational Conference is scheduled for May 5-7 in Phoenix, AZ. WIN recently announced the keynote speakers who will present at the 2013 WIN Conference. The general session of the educational conference will feature author and motivational speaker Susan Fowler, who will present the conference theme, “Empower the Leader Within.” Fowler has more than 15 years of advertising, sales, production and marketing experience, and encourages finding the balance and connection among professional, personal and spiritual lives. Day two of the conference will

feature Barb Moses, who will present “Empower the Leader Within by the See the N Observer Becoming the Observed.” “We are proud to unveil the 2013 WIN Educational Conference theme and agenda,” said Jessica Voss-Kehl, co-chair of the conference planning www.autobodyn committee. “Conference attendees can expect to be inspired and educated on empowering the leader within themselves, as well as how to help support and develop the leaders in others. They can also anticipate engaging dialogue on careers, hiring and retention in our industry, along with hearing what the advertise future holdsTo with our emerging trends call Seanpanel Hartman at: and technologies discussion.” To800-699-8251 help welcome new women to the industry, WIN is offering several scholarships toe-mail: attend the conference. shartman@autobodynews.com WIN is offering six Student Conference Scholarships to students enwww.autobodynews.com rolled in a secondary or post-secondary collision repair technology program. Each scholarship recipient will receive a one-year WIN membership, paid WIN Conference fee, and free hotel and travel to the conference.

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WIN is also offering scholarships to employees of collision repair businesses, including technicians, office employees and administrators.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 61

Bill Luke Fiat Comes from a Long Line of True Pioneers In 1873, a teenager with an adventuresome spirit rode into a remote western town populated by about 1,000 hardy souls, liked what he saw, and decided to put down his roots in the desert. His name was Frank Luke and the town was Phoenix. In the years that followed, Frank married, raised nine children, prospered in business and spent the last 20 years of his life in public service. At the time of his death, in 1939, he was State Tax Commissioner.

Frank Luke Jr. was the fifth child of Ottilia and Frank Luke. He only lived for 21 years but his name and deeds will live forever in American military history. Second only to

Captain Eddie Rickenbacker as the leading ace of World War I, Luke was credited with 18 kills in nine months of combat. Rickenbacker was quoted as saying “Had he (Luke) lived, he would have put me out of business as the Army’s leading ace.” Lieutenant Frank Luke, Jr. was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, had a statue erected in his memory in the mall of the State Capitol and was further honored when Luke Air Force Base was named after him. William ‘Bill’ Luke was the youngest of Ottilia and Frank Luke, Sr.’s nine children. He was always fascinated by machines and in 1927, at the age of 18, jumped at the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a young, growing industry. He was to become the founder of Bill Luke Chrysler-Plymouth and continued as head of the automobile dealership until his passing in 1988. During his years as an automobile dealer, Bill Luke found time to pursue interests in farming, cattle ranching, and was a breeder of thoroughbred horses. At one time he owned a stable of 70 race

New Indiana Shop to Follow Lean Production

A new collision repair shop using lean production methods is slated to open in Terre Haute, IN, by November. Ted D. McClintic and Benedict “Dick” Cobb Jr., with a combined 50 years of experience in auto collision repair in the Indianapolis market, joined forces to create MC2 Collision. The new business will construct a new 14,000square-foot facility near the intersection of First Street and Springhill Avenue. The new business will employ 15 workers, McClintic said, and expects to repair 50 to 60 vehicles a month. Cobb said the new business will use lean manufacturing methods to more quickly repair cars. “Short of a totally aluminum vehicle, we will be equipped to fix anything,” Cobb said. The two-acre property was sold in April by Dorsett LLC for $300,000 to Cobb and McClintic. Construction of the new business has started. “We thought that this corridor along U.S. 41 is a crossroads of western Indiana. We think it has a lot to offer, with a reach of six to nine counties,” McClintic said. Cobb sold his shares in Collision Solutions, which has five Indianapolis locations. “The average repair here is twice as long as in Indianapolis and it is not

because they don’t do good work,” Cobb said. “They [other collision repair shops] are busy and also are still doing things the old way. “Lean manufacturing, those same principles, can apply to our in-

MC2 Collision Grand Opening

dustry. It takes a lot of training, but when you successfully convert your business to that, you cut repair time in half,” Cobb said. Cobb and McClintic said they will be a referral for Dorsett LLC, which sells Mitsubishi, Kia and Nissan. Cobb said he also plans to approach Mace Ford about working with that dealership. “The trend is for dealerships to get out of the collision repair business, which is not their core business,” Cobb said.

62 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

horses and won the Arizona Breeders Award many times. Dorothy and Bill Luke had five children. The youngest was named

bringing the total number of direct descendants of the Arizona pioneers, Ottilia and Frank Luke, Sr., to well over 100.

Donald ‘Don’ Luke, and, like his father, displayed an early interest in machines. He began working in the family business at the age of 13, progressed up the ladder to General Manager and then to President and CEO of the Bill Luke Dealerships. Don has three sons, Ryan, Chris, and Eric—

In May of 2012, The Bill Luke Automotive Group added Bill Luke Fiat to it’s line-up. Bill Luke Fiat is located in the Tempe Autoplex in Tempe, AZ. Eric Luke is the Fiat Director and has remained in the top 3 of the Phoenix Zone for car sales since taking over the franchise.

Honda Visits Alabama High School with Message Cars

In Lincoln, AL, Honda officials recently visited Lincoln High School with two specially-designed vehicles.

The Odyssey minivan and Pilot SUV, models produced at the Japanese automaker’s Talladega County factory, are wrapped with photos of employees doing things they love to do, from body building to knitting. The vehicles are part of the plant’s diversity and inclusion initiative—What Makes You Makes Honda Better—that highlights the different backgrounds and interests of its local workforce. The company is promoting the program in area schools and at special events.

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