Autobody News April 2014 Northeastern Edition

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Auto Body Bills in Rhode Island Draw Heavy Fire from Both Sides, Accusations of Lies On March 18, 2014, three auto body bills were heard by the House Committee on Corporations that the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) says should be defeated in Rhode Island to protect inherent rights as consumers, according to reports by Randal Edgar in the Providence Journal.

There were accusations of lies and counteraccusations of self-interest.

There were numbers that suggest costs have risen dramatically and other numbers that suggest they’ve been stable.

This year’s clash mostly revolves around two bills, both supported by the Auto Body Association of Rhode Island and opposed by the Property Ca-

sualty Insurers Association of America.

House Bill 7404, sponsored by Rep. Stephen Ucci, D-Johnston, expands a law that requires owner approval when aftermarket parts are used on vehicles that are less than 30 months old. Under current law, the rule applies to body parts, but Ucci’s bill would make it apply to all parts.

Supporters said the bill would protect owners and ensure that damaged parts on newer cars are replaced with parts from the car’s manufacturer.

But opponents said the change would affect even minor parts and could drive up repair costs.

House Bill 7796, sponsored by See Rhode Island Bills, Page 8

NY-based MSO Collision Experts Drops State Farm’s Select Service Due to Parts Procurement Requirement

more important for Collision Experts to have the freedom to buy parts from trusted vendors that the company has built relationships with over the years rather than be included in State Farm’s Select Service Program, which requires collision repair shops to purchase parts from PartsTrader.

Richard Bowman said “Many of my parts vendors signed up with PartsTrader so we couldn’t use them.”

“Sometimes you have to part ways in a partnership,” said Maryann Bowman. “In this case, I believe that See Collision Experts, Page 9

Change Service Requested

P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018

Collision Experts, a New York-based MSO with two locations, said it will no longer be included in State Farm’s Select Service Program because the collision repair shop wants to have the right to decide where to purchase its parts.

State Farm’s customers can still choose to have their vehicles repaired at Collision Experts’ shops in Schenectady or Clifton Park, but the national office may no longer refer customers to Collision Experts.

Collision Experts CEO and owner Maryann Bowman said it was

VOL. 4 ISSUE 1 APRIL 2014

‘Kiss Bandits’ Vandalize Cars at Body Shop in Saddle Brook, NJ, Doing $40K in Damage On March 8, 2014, a group of four vandals wearing masks resembling those of the band Kiss did an estimated $40,000 worth of damage to about two dozen vehicles parked the Maaco Auto Body Shop in Saddle Brook, NJ. The group can be seen on surveillance video jumping on hoods, spraying graffiti, and smashing in windows.

Police said that the suspects appear to be men in their teens or early 20s. A surveillance camera sitting above a Mercedes caught the men as they set to work, destroying it using metal pipes, shovels, spray paint, and a fire extinguisher. The Mercedes is now in police custody as they process it for prints.

Shop owner, Walter Karol, said that he had to tell many of his customers that their vehicles were now in

worse shape than when they dropped them off for repairs. Karol said that he has filed an insurance claim and is repairing the cars that were damaged.

So far, there is no motive in the case and police are asking for help in identifying the masked men, hoping to make this performance their last.

Call the Saddle Brook Police Detective Bureau at 1-201-587-2940 with any information.

Maryland Parts Bill Receives Unfavorable Vote in Cmte In a vote in the MD House Economic Matters committee on March 14, Maryland House Bill 574 (HB574), sponsored by Delegate John A. Olszewski, Jr., received an unfavorable report out of the committee. Introduced in January, HB574 and its companion, Senate Bill 487, sponsored by Senator John C. Astle, sought to prohibit insurance company personnel from specifying a specific vendor for parts or materials or part procurement process, and would have required OEM crash parts for a period of three years after the date of manufacture of a vehicle.

In a 16 to 7 vote on March 14, the MD House Economic Matters committee voted for an unfavorable report on HB574. In Maryland, committees report to the legislature on the bills that are assigned to them as favorable, with or without amendment, unfavorable, or without recommendation.

Having been voted out of committee, the bill now returns to the floor of its chamber of origin accompanied by a

report of committee action for consideration.

No action has yet been taken on SB487. The bills provided common ground for insurers and non-OEM parts suppliers in opposition. Several insurance and aftermarket parts groups testified in opposition to the bill. Repair facility operators that support the legislation believe it protects consumers and preserves a repair facilities ability to manage its operations. The Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association, WMABA, supports the proposed legislation believing it necessary to protect the rights of repair facilities to operate their business independently and protect consumers.

The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) publicly denounced the legislation prohibiting insurers from requiring the use of alternative collision parts on vehicles less than five years old.

“Senate Bill 487 will severely See Maryland Parts Bill, Page 28

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

2 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

COLUMNISTS Attanasio - Louisiana Shop Owner Uses Twitter to Survey Other Shops in Real Time. . . . . . . 46 Franklin - A Missing Hat In Most Shops . . . . . . 44 Sisk - ASA-AZ Meets to Discuss Survival Skills for Service Advisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Sisk - LaCIA Meets to Talk Progress and Future Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Sisk - MSCRA Conducts Outreach to Industry . 58 Sisk - Six Southeast Associations Plan for Southern Auto Conference . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Yoswick - 20 Years Ago In The Collision Repair Industry (April 1994) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Yoswick - Helpful Documents, Tools, Information Only a Click Away For Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

NATIONAL 3D-Printed Concept Car at Geneva Auto Show . 62 A Modern Body Shop is a Lean Body Shop Says Phoenix’s Capitol Collision . . . . . . . . . 12 AAAS Busy Strengthening Industry in 2014 . . . 45 ABRA Acquires 13 Repair Centers in Charlotte, NC . 55 AkzoNobel Celebrates Milestone during Conference. 57 Andy’s Auto Body’s New Location in Wood River, IL, Looks Like a New Car Dealership . . . . . . 24 Applications for Five $1,000 AMI Scholarships to Attend 2014 NACE and CARS . . . . . . . . . 56 AR Body Shops Profit from Winter Weather . . . 44 Arizona Body Shop Launches Free Online Estimating Tool for Consumers . . . . . . . . . . 21 ASA Announces Incentives for Select I-CAR Qualified Shops to Attend NACE/CARS. . . . . 49 ASA’s Annual Business Meeting Held in KC . . . 56 Auto Industry Champion, John Dingell (D), to Retire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Autorama World of Wheels’ Student Career Day . 18 Car-O-Liner Offers New Ford 2015 F-150 Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 CARSTAR Extends Partnership to Offer AutoWatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Check Fraud Victimizes FL and GA Body Shops . 51 CIF is Now the Charitable Conscience of the Industry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Clairton, PA, Body Shop Owner Killed in Accident . 10

Collision Repair Education Foundation Golf Fundraiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Colors Edge Named PPG Platinum Distributor of the Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Detroit Body Shop Raided in Suspected Theft and Fraud Ring, Numerous Cars Impounded . 21 Disabled Math Teacher Found Body Shop to Make Wheelchair Accessible Golf Carts . . . . 16 Education Foundation Doubled Down on Its Future in 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Elvis is Back in his Body Shop and Running For Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 FIX Auto Adds Five New West Coast Locations . 38 FL Man Charged in Felony Counterfeit Goods Trafficking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Ford Recommends LORD Fusor in F-150 Repairs . 40 Ford Sued Over Patented Turn Signal Technology . 57 Freak Tire Accident Kills Gainesville Body Shop Employee, Injures Shop Owner, Driver Also Shop Worker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Get Ready for Earth Day with LKQ Get Green Promotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 GM Readying Aluminum Body Trucks for Late 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 GM’s Handling of Fatal Switch Recall Being Investigated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 IAA’s Bill Mayer Re-Elected To NABC Board Of Directors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 I-CAR Has Implemented a New Initiative to Close OEM Informational Gaps . . . . . . . . 52 I-CAR Introduces Training Solution for Full-frame Partial Replacement Repairs . . . . 53 IL Shops Also See Parts Delays Due to Storm Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Is My Gas Can Safe?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Latest Edition of CIECA-TV: E-Commerce Done Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Michigan’s HB 5339 Seeks to Address Steering, Non-OEM Parts, and Parts Procurement . . . 17 Minnesota Bill Proposes More Comprehensive Restrictions on Insurer Vendor Requirements . 37 Mitchell Acquiring FAIRPAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Mitchell Announces Liability Adjusters’ Software Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Montana Shop Open to Airmen Working on their Own, Offers Training in Paint and Body Repair . 38 N. Ohio Shops See Parts Delays Due to Demand . 24 NABC Accepting Nominations for Industry Awards . 56 NACE/CARS and Industry Week 2014 Update: Show Expected to Double in Size . . . . . . . . . 20 NAPA Collision Conference in Orlando, FL, April 15–17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 NC Shop Wins Nationwide Short-Pay Arbitration Case. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 North Texas Student Says Two Mobile Dent Repair Businesses Took Him for a Ride . . . . 26 Ohio Repairer Three-C Body Shops Pursues Multiple Lawsuits Against State Farm for Short-Pays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Paice Sues Ford for Patent Infringement on Hybrids . 51 Power Up at the 2014 WIN Educational Conference in San Diego, CA, May 5–7, 2014 . . . . . . . . 38 PPG Announces Distributor Training Schedule . 53 Premiere Services Partners with LKQ on Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Pro Spot Donates Over $115K in Welders to Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Property and Casualty Insurers Hit With Antitrust Suit by Florida Auto Body Shops . . . . . . . . . 36 Record $9.4M Donated to Collision School Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Safelite Dropped From Rollover Suit by NV Court . 20 SCRS and CIC are April 8–9, 2014, in Portland, OR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 SEMA Data Co-op Grows 300%. . . . . . . . . . . . 41 SEMA Product Development Expo on April 10 in CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 SEMA Seeks Nominations for Hall of Fame

by March 21, 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Sherwin-Williams Vendor of the Year Award Winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Shop Owner in Helena Arkansas Creates Shelwes Automatic Contour Sander . . . . . . . 61 Sustainability Challenge Grant Winners Announced. 53 Transtar Acquires ETX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Universal Technical Institute and mikeroweWORKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 UT Companies Gift Car to Single Mom with Autistic Son . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Utah Offers Grants to Body Shops to Convert to Waterborne, Not Many Applicants So Far . . . 14 Zurich Insurance Cuts Jobs to Boost Profitabiltiy . 57

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www.facebook.com/autobodynews Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Online Editor: Alicia Basteri Contributing Writers: Tom Franklin, David Brown, John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, David Petro (800) 699-8251 Sales Assistant: Louise Tedesco Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia

Acura of Westchester . . . . . . . . . . 14 Amato Agency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . 52 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . 5 B & R Associates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Baystate Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram. 16 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 45 CCC Information Services. . . . . . . 11 Central Avenue Chrysler-JeepDodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) . . . . . . . . . . 19 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Clay Auto Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Colours, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Continental Auto Parts . . . . . . . . . 29 Creative Metal Manufacturing . . . . 10 Ditschman/Flemington Auto Group. 27 Empire Auto Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . 26 Fairfield Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram . 24 Fitzgerald’s Lakeforest HyundaiSubaru. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . 51 Fred Beans Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Future Cure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Glanzmann Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 50 Goyette’s Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Hackettstown Honda. . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35

Serving New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts 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. ©2014 Adamantine Media LLC. Autobody News P.O. Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com Email: news@autobodynews.com

Northeast

REGIONAL ‘Kiss Bandits’ Vandalize Cars at Body Shop in Saddle Brook, NJ, Doing $40K in Damage . . . 1 Afgan War Veteran Wins ‘Metal of Honor’ from CollisionMax in Pennsauken, NJ. . . . . . . . . . . 4 Auto Body Bills in Rhode Island Draw Heavy Fire from Both Sides, Accusations of Lies . . . 1 Baltimore Cop Shot While Waiting at Body Shop . 26 Bridgeport, CT, Shop Car Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Carbon Fiber Supplier Closes Vermont Plant. . . 10 Collision Experts Raises $7100 to Benefit Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 CollisionMax Showing 2 Classics at NE Rod and Custom Car Show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Connecticut Dealership’s Onsite Auto Insurance . 8 Crews Battle Fire At Body Shop in White Oak, PA . 26 Eugene Dacy, Staten Island Shop Owner, Passes at 86 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Ex-Rep Peter Petrarca Set to Lobby for Auto Body Association of RI . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Fire at Vacant Nashua NH Body Shop . . . . . . . . 6 First Intern Graduates from Pennsylvania Auto Shop Career Development Program, C.R.O.P. . 9 Italian-American NY Shop Owner Received Award . 4 Keenan Auto Body’s 16th Charity Golf Outing is June 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Maryland Parts Bill Receives Unfavorable Vote in Cmte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Multiple Vehicles Damaged at NJ Shop Fire . . . . 9 New York Collision Center Donates $22K in Paint to BOCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 NY-based MSO Collision Experts Drops State Farm’s Select Service Due to Parts Procurement Requirement . . . . . . . . . . 1 NYC Potholes Take Toll on Tires but not Crashes . 12 PA Body Shop Owner Wants More Gov. Oversight . 4 Pennsylvania Drivers Look in Vain for Compensation from Pothole Damage . . . . . . 12 Preston Group Now Gold Class . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Shop Owners Sign Lease on Hunts Point Warehouse in the Bronx. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Tesla Says New Jersey Will Not Pull the Plug . . . 6 Testimony on Maryland Parts Bill Involves Representatives from WMABA, PCI, LKQ, CAPA and Shops, Some Repairers ‘Cannot Afford to Refuse’ PartsTrader. . . . . . . . . . . . 32 WMABA Responds to Unfavorable Vote . . . . . . 29 Zoning Dispute Causes PA Shop Owner to be Cited . 6

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Contents

Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers. 49 Jaguar Wholesale Parts Dealers. . 61 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Koeppel VW-Mazda. . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Lexus Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . 58 Malco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Maxon Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Maxon Mazda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 55 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . 44 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . 39 Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers . 56 Providence Lacquer & Supply Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Reliable Automotive Equipment, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Security Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep . . . . 7 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . 47 Sussman Auto Group . . . . . . . . . . 25 TechZone Airbag Service . . . . . . . 32 Thompson Organization . . . . . . . . 63 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 59 Valspar Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Volvo Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 54 Wagner Auto Group . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Yonkers Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 York Kia of Medford. . . . . . . . . . . . 48

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 3

Afgan War Veteran Wins ‘Metal of Honor’ from CollisionMax in Pennsauken, NJ Evan Graham, a 31-year-old Army veteran who came back from Afghanistan with six Purple Hearts for combat wounds, has been selected as the latest winner of CollisionMax’s ‘Metal of Honor’ Award.

CollisionMax of Pennsauken, NJ, will repair his 2012 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck free of charge.

Graham, who lives in Somerdale, NJ, served two tours of combat duty in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division from 2007 to 2010. After his discharge from the Army in 2010, he served in the Army National Guard until he retired from the military as a sergeant in 2011.

Seeing action in Afghanistan in both cities and the rural countryside, he was shot twice, hit by a hand grenade once and injured by multiple roadside improvised explosive devices. He now suffers from traumatic brain injury that impairs his short-term memory, and is being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, which makes it difficult for him to talk about his

Italian-American NY Shop Owner Receives Award

Joseph Carubba, president of Carubba Collision Corp., received the 2014 Anthony M. Castiglia Achievement Award at the annual Italian-American Leadership Council St. Joseph’s Day Table celebration on March 19, 2014, at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens in Depew, NY. Salvatore’s prepared a traditional St. Joseph’s Day Table feast.

The council was organized by successful Italian Americans in business and public service whose primary goal is to recognize and promote the best that the Italian-American ethnic pride brings to western New York.

Over the years, Mr. Carubba has generously supported several nonprofit organizations. “Joe Carubba is a great Italian-American leader in our community and more than deserving to receive this award,” stated ItalianAmerican Leadership Council chairman, Charles M. Castiglia.

“I am very grateful to have been selected for this recognition,” said Carubba. “This is a day that my family and I will never forget and this honor is special because it is symbolic of my Italian heritage, which I am very proud of,” added Carubba.

combat experience.

“I lost a lot of friends,” he says while visibly trying to control his emotions. Despite his multiple wounds, he returned to combat each time because “I wanted to get back to help my buddies. They were like family to me.”

Graham was nominated by his wife, Genna, and his brother-inlaw, John Cajio, who was at the wheel of the truck last year when it hit a lamppost, damaging the left rear quarter panel. Mr. Cajio felt obliged to pay for the damage, but was unprepared when the estimates came in at thousands of dollars. “I heard about the Metal of Honor Project on WMMR-FM, and thought I’d take a chance,” he said. “I owed Evan, and this is a great way to pay him back.”

Through its Metal of Honor project, CollisionMax is giving away auto body repairs to 11 US military veterans, one per month for each of its locations in the Delaware Valley. The company chooses the winner from nomina-

New York Collision Center Donates $22K in Paint to BOCES Education Program

In February 2014, Carubba Collision Corp., based in Buffalo,NY, donated US$22,000-worth of automotive paint to the Erie 1 BOCES Automotive Collision Program.

The Erie 1 BOCES Automotive Collision Program is a technical education initiative for high school and adult students that is offered through 19 local school districts in western New York and covers the complete process of auto body restoration, including metal straightening, glass and panel replacement, fiberglass repair, painting preparation, and finishing techniques.

Joe Carubba, president and CEO of Carubba Collision, currently serves on the Erie 1 BOCES advisory board. Randy Pinkowski, corporate trainer and safety officer for Carubba Collision, is also an active member on an Erie 1 BOCES advisory committee.

Carubba Collision said roughly 100 high school and adult students will gain additional hands-on learning opportunities as a result of the paint donation.

4 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

tions it receives from the public on the project’s web site,www.metalofhonorproject.com. The company is now accepting nominations for a veteran from the Northeast Philadelphia, PA area.

“The Metal of Honor Project is our way of saying thank you and honoring the men and women of our armed forces who put their lives on the line for all of us,” said Jim Tornetta, CollisionMax president and CEO. In New Jersey, CollisionMax operates shops in Blackwood, Cinnaminson, Glassboro, Marlton, Pennsauken, Sicklerville and Westmont. In Pennsylvania, it has repair centers in Oxford Valley, Warminster and two in Northeast Philadelphia (both on West Grant Avenue.)

For information visit: www.collisionmax.com.

Contact Information: Mark Boada CollisionMax http://www.ceinetwork.com 1-215-485-4241

PA Body Shop Owner Wants More Government Oversight

South Philly body shop owner, Domenico Nigro, wants more oversight and regulation by the city or state.

He says it’s because he cares about the safety of customers and other citizens.

“People who do heavy repair work on your car are not required to be certified to guarantee their competence,” says Nigro. “Auto body shops need business and other licenses to operate, but ‘there is no true certification” to test competence of repairs,” Nigro says. Competence should be tested because “I’m in an industry where people can die” if a job is done wrong, he says.

Another Nigro complaint concerns insurance companies. “They don’t look at it as what you should be doing, to do it well,” he says. “They absolutely want the lowest price they can get.”

Nigro has spoken with a few city council members and state senators.

Councilman Bill Greenlee said that he hasn’t had time to delve into it yet and wonders whether it should be done on the city or state level. State Senator Larry Farnese’s office believes it should be at the state level “for a morelevel playing field for Philadelphia business.”

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 5

Tesla Says New Jersey Will Not Pull the Plug

A rules change on dealership licensing by the New Jersey motor vehicle commission will block two factoryowned Tesla Motors stores from selling vehicles as of April 1, 2014, when their existing licenses expire.

Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, says the electric-vehicle maker will explore “judicial remedies” to restore its ability to sell directly from the two New Jersey stores.

The locations will stay open as galleries, displaying Tesla cars and answering consumers’ questions, but store staffers won’t be able to discuss price or complete a sale. New Jersey buyers will still be able to purchase Tesla vehicles on their website, Musk said.

Tesla called the move “an affront to the very concept of a free market.”

Dealers say the commission was merely bringing its regulations in line with long-standing state law that requires franchised dealerships. They said Tesla never should have been granted licenses.

Tesla says its licenses were properly granted and shouldn’t be taken away.

“The statute in New Jersey plainly allows Tesla to be licensed to sell cars there,” Diarmuid O’Connell,

Zoning Dispute Causes PA Shop Owner to be Cited

The owner of John’s Auto Body Repair Shop says he’s in compliance with zoning rules, but the township’s zoning officer and local residents disagree.

Wilkes-Barre Township cited John Kocher, the owner of the shop, 251 Augusta St., in December 2013 for storing junk too close to neighboring property lines and the street and for not screening his lot with a fence. Kocher is appealing the findings before the zoning hearing board.

He said the township already said in 2012 that his business is in compliance with local zoning laws.

“I have a small business I’m trying to keep going and I’m being totally harassed,” he said. “Just like neighbors have rights, so do I.” Despite Kocher’s challenge of the findings, a letter from his attorney, Andrew J. Katsock III, to the township zoning department explains the steps he plans to take that will address the violations. He agrees that no junk will be stored near his neighboring property lines. Only cars being dropped off or picked up that day will be stored near the property line. He also agreed to complete a fence before May 31.

a Tesla vice president, wrote in an email.

The rules change sparked a firestorm in New Jersey. Tesla accused Governor Chris Christie’s administration of going back on its word to delay the regulation. A Christie spokesman denied any such deal, saying it was made clear to Tesla from the outset that the company would need to lobby the legislature for a bill to establish directsales operations. O’Connell called that assertion from the governor’s office false.

The controversy drew national headlines. Tesla supporters blasted the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers and its president, Jim Appleton, on Facebook and Twitter, calling them horrible, greedy, and economic terrorists.

“I don’t want to see Tesla close their doors,” he said. “I want to find a way to keep Tesla in New Jersey. I just want them to operate in a manner consistent with the law.”

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CollisionMax Showing 2 Classics at NE Rod and Custom Car Show

CollisionMax, an auto body and glass repair company with 11 shops in the Delaware Valley, will bring two classic cars to the Northeast Rod and Custom Car Show at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA, March 21 through 23, 2014.

Fire at Vacant Nashua NH Body Shop

Nashua, NH, firefighters responded to a 2-alarm fire in a vacant auto body shop on the night of March 8.

The fire was reported just before 7 p.m. on Bridge Street, according to emergency radio broadcasts.

Heavy fire and smoke was showing from the building on arrival.

The building reportedly housed a vacant auto body shop, with apartments above.

Rich Brigidi’s rare 1966 Oldsmobile 442 Convertible

Richard Brigidi, a CollisionMax founding partner, will be showing his rare 1966 Oldsmobile 442 convertible, one of only 240 manufactured. Red with a white top, the car was named the Hemmings Muscle Machine Magazine 2009 Muscle Machine of the year. Pat Beavers, CollisionMax COO, willGive be showing his “resto-mod” red us your opinion on 1957 Chevy Bel Air coupe.

For more information about the show, visit http://www.northeastcustomcarshow.com/information.html.

The fire scene on Bridge Street

The fire was knocked down around 7:40 p.m., but crews were expected to be at the scene for an extendedaffecting period of time overhaul. matters theforindustry.

Bridge Street was shut down to traffic in the area of Armory Street, and motorists were urged to seek alternate routes.

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Eugene Dacy, Staten Island Shop Owner, Passes at 86

Eugene Dacey Sr., a business owner with deep Staten Island roots and a Toisadvertise To advertise The source for timely man who remembered for his call ethic, Advertising Sales call Joe Momber at: work his creativity andat:his information that every “old-school” commitment to right 800-699-8251 800-699-8251 body shop needs! and wrong, has died at 86. Eugene e-mail: e-mail: and his brothers all went into the advertising@autobodynews.com jmomber@autobodynews.co auto body business—Alfonse at OK CALL 800-699-8251 Auto Body on Barker Street in West www.autobodynews.com www.autobodynews.com Start Your FREE Brighton, James (Dukie) with Mackauer Body Shop on Broad Mail Subscription.

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Continued from Cover

Rhode Island Bills

Rep. Arthur Corvese, D-North Providence, establishes two tiers of autobody repair shops—“Class A” shops that would be capable of repairing new cars with the latest technologies and materials, and “Class B” shops that would work on older cars.

Supporters said the bill reflects changes that are coming with the use of new materials in the latest cars, and opponents did not dispute that idea.

But they did oppose language in the bill that calls for different labor rate surveys for the two types of shops.

Stephen Zubiago, a lobbyist for the Property and Casualty Insurers Association of Rhode Island, said the motivation is money.

“What this bill is aimed at is a labor rate,” he told the House Corporations Committee.

But James Moy, a senior consultant with Precision Auto Group, in New York, disagreed.

“It’s not about charging more,” he said. “It’s about getting the car fixed.”

While the bills were the reason people came to testify, the recent his-

tory of auto body shop owners clashing with insurers made the 2½-hour meeting seem like the latest installment in a feud.

The Property Casualty Insurers Association came into the meeting with a “Special Report” titled “It’s Time to End the ABARI Campaign.”

The report was subtitled: “Stop Excessive Cost Hikes Caused by a Decade of Body Shop Legislation.”

The report says collision repair costs, body shop labor costs, collision claim costs, collision insurance premiums and vehicle insurance premiums have all risen during the past decade— one in which the Auto Body Association of Rhode Island has supported 17 bills that have become law. The report also says Rhode Island had the 13th-highest average body shop collision repair cost in the nation 10 years ago and now has the second-highest.

PCI and other insurers are supporting a website campaign focused on

legislation in Rhode Island and Maryland called Auto Body Choice in an attempt to sway consumers. See websites at http://www.autobodychoice.com/ri/.

Jina Petrarca-Karampetsos, attorney spokeswoman for ABARI, responded with her own report that says average repair costs rose just 2 percent from 2004 to 2010. She also said that in 2011, the average premium for auto insurance in Rhode Island was $1,148—“exactly 19 dollars more than your premium was in 1996.”

“I am so tired of coming up here with facts and figures and having to defend against lies,” she said.

Francis O’Brien, vice president of state government relations for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, said he stood by the association’s report and “would be happy to provide the committee” with a rebuttal.

The committee held the bills for further study.

See related story about Peter Petrarca on p. 10.

Connecticut Dealership’s Onsite Auto Insurance

As of March 1, 2014, Schaller Auto World offers something every Connecticut motorist needs—car insurance. An Allstate office is set up on site at his dealerships’ two locations.

Art Schaller, Jr. of Schaller Auto World has dealerships in New Britain and Hartford. They currently represent Honda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Acura and operate Schaller Auto Body, a full-service collision repair facility, servicing all makes and models of vehicles. Having an Allstate insurance agency at the dealer’s Veterans Drive Honda/Mitsubishi location is one more step in anticipating and satisfying customer needs.

Schaller says Allstate has a line of service contracts for the car industry, such as tire and wheel insurance, products his dealerships are already selling. So, tying in these products with an onsite insurance agency made sense.

In fact, the next time someone buys a car from Schaller, the buyer will have the option to insure the car before driving off the lot.

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Collision Experts

the national changes don’t work for my business model. We do not want to sever the relationships we’ve built with our vendors over the years.”

State Farm has been rolling out the changes incrementally and just recently implemented the mandate in New York.

Collision Experts is the only local body shop to publicly opt out of the program as a result of the changes.

“Although we value the business that State Farm has referred to us over the years, the new Select Service Program does not fit our business model,” said Bowman. “This is strictly a business decision based on changes to the Select Service Program that would require us to change parts vendors. We have great relationships with our parts vendors, and we feel that this helps us provide an exceptional product. If at any time State Farm decides to change or adjust their Select Service Program, we will be more than happy to revisit this in the future.”

However, State Farm customers are still free to choose Collision Experts for their body repairs.

“We still welcome all State Farm customers and look forward to continuing to work with local State Farm agents to provide the best repair for our mutual clients,” said Bowman.

Collision Experts’ parting with State Farm is amicable, Bowman said.

However, some body shops have filed lawsuits or traveled across the country to heighten awareness of State Farm’s changes.

“We will continue to have a good working relationship with State Farm,” said Bowman. “It’s disappointing that they may refer customers to different shops despite our high rating because of a difference of opinion. We are willing to work together so we can give our customers the best service at a time when they need it most.”

Collision Experts Raises $7100 to Benefit Children

Collision Experts, a collision repair business with shops in Schenectady and Clifton Park, raised more than $7,100 during its holiday appeal, which ran from Nov. 25 through Jan. 1. The money will be used to fully fund the City Mission of Schenectady’s expansion of its Child Enrichment Program.

First Intern Graduates from Pennsylvania Auto Shop Career Development Program, C.R.O.P.

On Thursday, February 20, 2014, Keenan Auto Body of PA and DE held a graduation ceremony for Oscar

Cantoran-Corona, the first graduate of their Collision Repair Opportunity Program (C.R.O.P.), at their Keenan West facility in Edgemont, PA. Keenan staff presented Oscar with a diploma, a plaque, a full set of tools, and an offer for a full-time job with Keenan. C.R.O.P. was started by Max Sorenson, Keenan West manager, and Craig Camacho, Keenan marketing director. It is nine-month, unpaid internship program with 20 hours per week of on-site, hands-on training designed for recent high school graduates who received instructional and/or training in the automotive repair field.

On March 14 at least five cars and two trucks were damaged after a fire started in a commuter van at American Autobody and Paint in North Bergen, NJ. Tonnelle Avenue was closed between 51st and 61st streets and traffic diverted to West Side Avenue. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A car in an outside lot at a Bridgeport auto body shop was destroyed by fire and a second vehicle was damaged late on Feb 20. Firefighters responded to Family Auto Body Inc. on Colonial Avenue at 11:07 p.m. and found the burning cars, public safety spokesman Bill Kaempffer said. The fire was quickly extinguished and the cause remains under investigation.

(left to right): Max Sorenson (Keenan West location manager); Oscar Cantoran-Corona (graduate); Michael LeVasseur (Keenan president and COO); Nate Tarr (Keenan West lead painter and program mentor)

Multiple Vehicles Damaged at NJ Auto Body Shop Fire

Bridgeport Shop Car Fire

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Ex-Rep Peter Petrarca Set to Lobby for Auto Body Association of RI Former five-term state representative Peter Petrarca, whose ties to the auto body industry emerged as issue during his 2012 re-election campaign, has registered to lobby at the General Assembly this session for the Auto Body Association of Rhode Island, according to reports in the Providence Journal.

Although Petrarca doesn’t yet show up on the state’s lobbyist registration system, the Secretary of State’s office and Petrarca confirm he has registered to lobby for ABARI through his firm, Orion Consulting.

Petrarca says his top legislative priority for ABARI is a bill set to be heard by the House Corporations Committee. The bill would create two distinct classifications for auto body shops, with different reimbursement for each. A handful of other bills related to insurance and auto body shops are also expected in this session.

The General Assembly has passed a series of bills related to auto body shops in the last decade. The insurance industry blames the bills for driving up the cost of car insurance in Rhode Island; Petrarca rejects that argument and says he believes the cost of insurance has declined in recent years.

Petrarca says the bill with two

classifications for auto body shops is “not going to raise the cost for consumers when there’s so much competition going on. That is a red herring.”

Petrarca says the two classification system is a matter of fairness for shops that invest more money in their businesses.

In a statement provided to RIPR, Frank O’Brien, vice president of state government relations for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, says, “Rhode Island now has the second-highest average body shop collision repair cost in the US, and Rhode Islander drivers are now paying the fifth-highest average collision insurance premium in the nation. PCI believes these increased costs are directly related to 17 pieces of legislation promoted by the Auto Body Association of Rhode Island (ABARI) that have become law over the past 10 years. We are concerned that ABARI’s 2014 bills (H-7404, H-7405, and H-7796) will continue this trend of increased costs for Rhode Island drivers.”

Last year, the Providence Journal reported on the auto insurance industry’s deep disappointment about how Governor Lincoln Chafee signed into law legislation limiting when they can declare a car “a total loss.” O’Brien

also decried what he described as the outsized influence of the auto body lobby. Petrarca says the auto insurance industry is motivated by a desire to maxmize its profits while paying “the bare minimum” to consumers.

Petrarca’s father, John, owns Providence Auto Body. Petrarca practices law with his sister, Jina Petrarca-Karampetsos, who has lobbied in the past for the Auto Body Association of RI. Auto body legislation emerged as an issue in the Democratic primary 2012, when Gregory Costantino ousted Petrarca as a rep from Lincoln.

During a debate that year on WPRI-TV’s Newsmakers, Costantino said Petrarca voted on auto body bills in 2003 and 2010, and Costantino called that a conflict of interest. A subsequent Providence Journal PolitiFact report found that Petrarca did vote on the two bills, although he denied the action posed a conflict of interest “because it doesn’t affect body shops,” Petrarca told the Journal. “He [Costantino] should get his facts right.”

Petrara was a member of the House leadership as a senior deputy majority leader before he lost his seat.

He says he has no intention of seeking a political comeback.

Carbon Fiber Supplier Closes Vermont Plant

High-end auto parts maker, Plasan Carbon Composites, is shutting down its Bennington, VT, factory in May 2014 and consolidating operations in a new tax incentive-supported plant in Walker, MI, to be closer to its main customers in the auto industry.

The Bennington plant employs 143 full-time workers who manufacture carbon composite auto parts including hoods, roofs, and fenders, mostly for luxury vehicles.

Some employees may be offered jobs in Michigan. All others will be provided severance packages.

The Walker plant works with carbon fiber, a lightweight material being used to replace heavier metals in luxury cars, military vehicles, aircrafts, and high-end bicycles. Plasan claims to have found a way to bring production costs down to a level where the material can be used for higher-end, mass-produced vehicles.

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Clairton, PA, Body Shop Owner Killed in Accident

An Elizabeth body shop owner was killed when he was struck by a vehicle driven by a volunteer firefighter in Clairton.

Phillip Maffeo, 66, of Elizabeth was hit by the Jeep Patriot about 9:14 a.m. as he was attempting to cross St. Clair Avenue in the 600 block. Investigators said it is unclear whether Maffeo looked for traffic before he entered the street.

Authorities prepare to tow the Jeep Patriot that struck shop owner Phillip Maffeo.

Maffeo owned the auto body center Central Auto Center at the intersection of St. Clair Avenue and Route 837. His body shop served as a gathering place for friends of Phillip Maffeo’s.

“It was like a little hangout,” a local man said of the body shop. “We all loved him.”

Allegheny County police Lt. Andrew Schurman identified the driver as a Clairton volunteer firefighter. Schurman said the driver had just responded to a fire alarm that was canceled and was heading back to the station when the accident occurred.

“We have to determine how fast he was going,” said Schurman, adding it didn’t appear excessive speed was a factor.

A man who went to the scene and would only identify himself as a friend of the victim said he thinks Maffeo may have been en route to a hardware store across the street from his parked car when he was hit.

Maffeo was taken to Jefferson Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:04 A.M., according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office.

Clairton VFD Chief John Lattanzi said he could not comment on the accident.

“After the county is done investigating, we’ll have some remarks,” he said.

An autopsy is planned and no charges had been filed.

County police say the accident remains under investigation.

10 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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Pennsylvania Drivers Look in Vain for Compensation from Pothole Damage

Wayne Szalanczy is an auto body technician at Bob McLain’s Auto Body and Towing at 6025 Kennedy Ave in Export, PA. Szalanczy has been spending his days explaining the necessary repairs to angry motorists who couldn’t avoid crater-like potholes, and are looking for somebody to blame.

“I haven’t seen it this bad in quite a while,” Szalanczy told Daveen Rae Kurutz, who reported it to Trib Total Media.

“Flat tires, suspension problems … Nobody is happy when their car gets broken over the road. It’s quite upsetting.”

The recent winter weather has potholes appearing out of thin air due to the cycle of freezing and thawing.

Drivers are trying to dodge damaged sections of Route 66 in Delmont, Lincoln Avenue in Export and Sardis and School roads in Murrysville.

“Our weather conditions — the freeze-thaw that we have experienced over the last few weeks — damages the road surface,” said Valerie Peterson, spokeswoman for the local office of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. “Water leaks down under the asphalt and when it freezes, it cracks the pavement.”

After a couple freeze-thaw cycles, those cracks erode into craters.

But whether the holes in the road are the responsibility of the state, county or municipalities, drivers will most likely be on the hook for any damage caused to their vehicles, officials said.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has a message posted on its website informing motorists that while they can submit a claim for damage caused “as a result of the negligence of the Commonwealth” it is unlikely to be result in payment.

“The law … prohibits the payment of property damage (tires, rims, etc.) as a result of a pothole. Because of this, no reimbursement has ever been made for a claim of this type,” according to the posting.

Although municipalities don’t enjoy the same carte blanche immunity that PennDOT has, drivers would have to show that the municipality did not respond in a reasonable amount of time after becoming aware of such road hazards.

Most insurance companies do not cover pothole-related damage because it isn’t a collision, per se, Szalanczy said.

When they’ve had a break from salting or scraping roads, Murrysville

public works director Bob Bell and his crew have been busy bandaging them.

“This is the worst year we’ve ever seen,” Bell said. “The roads are falling apart.”

Bell estimates that his workers have gone through at least 30 tons of cold patch—a temporary seal for potholes—and pick up new loads four or five times each week.

The cold patch Murrysville uses doesn’t require follow-up, he said—once it’s laid and dried, it’s good for the season. The biggest problem is letting the roads get dry enough for crews to go to work.

Bell hasn’t heard a ton of complaints—most people aren’t surprised at road conditions, he said. There was a sizable crater along Pleasant Valley Road that his workers have paid a lot of attention to, but otherwise, he has two crews who spend dry days canvassing the municipality in search of potholes.

Szalanczy said there isn’t really anywhere in the region that has been spared from potholes. “It’s pretty much so everywhere,” Szalanczy said.

“In Export, in Murrysville, heading to Mamont, it’s hard to avoid wherever you go.”

NYC Potholes Take Toll on Tires but not Crashes

From Nov. 1 to March 1, the New York State Thruway Authority received 57 damage claim forms from motorists. In the same period last year, the agency received just 18. AAA New York handled an astounding 80,023 roadside assistance calls in January, of which 13,068 were for flat tires—30% more than last year. Joseph Weinberger said two tires on his car were flattened when he hit potholes in separate incidents on the FDR Drive in Manhattan. His front and rear bumpers have taken a beating from hitting piles of snow and ice maneuvering in parking spaces.

But, alhough potholes are causing more flat tires, they don't appear to be causing more car crashes, Westchester police spokesman Kieran O’Leary said. “We had fewer accidents (in February) than in the same month a year ago,” O’Leary said. Local shops are reporting plenty of suspension damage. “They are coming in with a lot of cracked plastic bumpers,” shop manager Matt Zippelli said, “a lot of damage from potholes... We’re at least 20 to 30 percent busier than last year.”

A Modern Body Shop is a Lean Body Shop Says Phoenix’s Capitol Collision Founded in 1988, Capitol Collision Repair is one of the largest independent auto body shops in Phoenix, AZ. After 26 years in business one might think that this Phoenix body shop could go into cruise control as far as change and growth in the business, but that is the furthest thing from the mind of Capitol Collision Repair owner Dan Deary.

Recently, Deary and the team at Capitol Collision Repair went 100% headfirst into the lean process after a complete buy in from the entire Capitol team.

“Transforming into lean processing was something that needed to be done to not only maintain our growth, but to be a leader in the Phoenix body shop market,” Deary stated. He went on to say “that the entire organization buy in was necessary before the decision was made. We have many long term, quality people in our organization and the very last thing I was going to do was force change upon them, without a 100% buy in.”

The team at Capitol Collision researched and chose a lean process used by one of the more successful shops that they visited and spent time with. The shop underwent many

changes to accommodate the lean process change. A new management system was added, giving the Capitol team the ability to track their productivity in real time via monitors throughout the auto body repair shop production and paint areas. The manner in which vehicles are processed was updated to enhance tracking and completion times. Signs were posted throughout the shop, detailing updated procedures and labeling key areas.

Most importantly was team building, the shop came together as a team and created the common goal to be the best body shop in Phoenix.

Capitol Collision Repair owner Dan Deary had heard all the horror stories of other auto body shops failures after the implementation of a lean process, which in some instances resulted in the majority of company personnel quitting. Deary vowed not to make the same mistake.

“We want to make improvements and move forward, not end up going backwards. We have long term team members and losing them was not an option.”

When adopting the lean process the biggest question was “how do we cut down the amount of time it takes

12 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

to complete repairs, while still maintaining a quality product?” The solution was as old as auto manufacturing itself, the concept of the assembly line was the answer. Making full use of the 18,000 square foot Phoenix body shop, Capitol Collision Repair was reconfigured to make the repair process a one direction assembly line, starting from damage discovery and ending at a complete wash and detail.

Using an assembly line process wasn't the only answer though. The rest was in the damage discovery process. The first, and most important step, is to completely discover all of the damage upfront and to devise a repair plan to ensure timely completion of all repairs without the need to drag out due dates from undiscovered damage. This not only makes repair times faster, but it also allows technicians to complete more work, with no stress, and zero defects.

In the collision repair industry there is an overabundance of body shops, and as the automotive industry changes, it’s the shops that lean out their process that will stand out in the industry. Using a lean process, Capitol Collision Repair is now able to get customers out of a rental and back into

their own car sooner than the competition, giving them an edge in the highly competitive Phoenix body shop market.

Although leaning out the repair process and shortening repair times has made Capitol Collision Repair a better shop, they aren't done making changes. With the automotive industry continuing to evolve, Capitol Collision Repair will continue searching for new ways to make the shop better as they move forward.

An A+ rated BBB Company, Capitol Collision Repair provides high quality, guaranteed repairs and is one the highest rated and reviewed Phoenix body shops. They offer ICAR trained technicians are ASE certified and state of the art equipment and are approved by all the major insurance companies. Rental vehicles and free loaner cars are offered by Capitol Collision Repair.

Capitol Collision Repair 5154 N 27th Ave Phoenix, AZ 85017 Phone: (602) 253-1630 Fax: (602) 253-6158 http://www.capitolcollision.net Email: info@capitolcollision.net

Shop Owners Sign Lease on Hunts Point Warehouse in the Bronx, 40–60 Auto Shops to Relocate Between 40–60 auto body and repair shops have signed a lease to relocate from Willets Point in Queens to Hunts Point in the Bronx. The move furthers the city’s $3 billion Willets Point Redevelopment plan, which includes 2,500 units of housing (35 percent designated affordable) and a giant mall. About two thirds of its roughly 130 businesses have already received benefits to relocate.

The businesses call themselves the Sunrise Cooperative, will be heading to a Leggett Avenue warehouse in the Bronx. They are the largest such group to agree to vacate Willets Point and will be eligible for $2 million of the $3 million that the city has set aside to help with relocation.

The city hopes to have the area mostly vacated by spring, but the body shops worry that they will struggle in new locations, unable to bring their client base with them, and also complain that the city has not been doing a good enough job of helping them to find suitable new places to move to.

Meanwhile, many of the auto body shop owners are unhappy about the $43 million in tax breaks that developers are getting to transform the area and a group is still suing the city claiming that the development is being built illegally on parkland.

The deal, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, will relocate between 47 and 60 businesses to the 150,000square-foot warehouse at 1080 Leggett Ave., near the Bruckner Expressway, according to Marco Neira, an organizer for the Sunrise Cooperative.

“We already have the place in The Bronx,” he said.

The cooperative first eyed the location in December, and another organizer, Sergio Aguirre, said at the time that the light-filled warehouse was “the perfect place for shops.”

Construction managers will head to the warehouse to give an estimate on the scope and cost to renovate the space, Neira said.

The city is footing the bill for the security deposit and moving costs, and will pay for the first two years of the

lease, Neira said.

A spokeswoman for the Economic Development Corporation, Kate Blumm, said the co-op is eligible for up to $2 million to put towards relocation, and each individual business is also eligible for additional funds.

The move is also pivotal in keeping hundreds of jobs in New York City, she said.

“The Sunrise Cooperative’s move to the Hunts Point neighborhood in the Bronx ensures that hundreds of jobs will be retained and that dozens of businesses will continue to operate and succeed in New York City,” Blumm said.

“We congratulate the Sunrise Cooperative on its diligence to successfully secure space at a new location that will help it thrive for years to come.”

The plan to turn the heavily polluted Iron Triangle from a stretch of auto body repair shops into a retail and residential destination, which drew waves of protest from business owners, was first proposed in 2008.

The latest version of the plan, which requires the shops to vacate the neighborhood, will redevelop the area in phases, and was approved by the City Council in October.

Many of the businesses pushed group relocation, saying that their suc-

cess was contingent on sticking together and recreating an environment similar to that of Willets Point, where drivers could pick from a variety of repair options.

Neira said he’s excited for the move, and expects to get things going in the next few months.

“Everybody feels happy, because at least we got some place to move up,” he said.

The city, which made a deal with the developers to build on the parkland, says it is legal under an agreement signed with the Mets in 1961. Citi Field sits within the park, as did its predecessor, Shea Stadium.

The Willets Point redevelopment plan was hatched by the Bloomberg administration and, after being modified in several respects, was approved by the last Queens borough president, Helen Marshall, and the City Council last year. It involves removing the businesses that operate in the Iron Triangle, cleaning the area of contaminants, and building the mall, which will be 1.4 million square feet in size, along with a hotel, restaurants, other retail space, offices and new ramps onto and off of the Van Wyck Expressway, over a period of several years.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 13

Utah Offers Grants to Body Shops to Convert to Waterborne, Not Many Applicants So Far

by Ed Attanasio

because all of the shops in Utah are going to have to switch to waterborne anyway,” Gallegos said. “We looked at Superior Paint Supply’s waterbased paint system (De Beer’s Waterbase 90 by Valspar) because we heard very good things about it. So, we applied for the grant and then we were pretty shocked when the state contacted us and told us we were the first shop to apply.

As the collision industry in Utah undergoes the transition to waterborne paint and everything that comes along with it, many are embracing the new products, techniques and equipment while others are not as enthusiastic.

The state deadline for waterborne is looming (July 1, 2014) and as was the case in other states with similar mandates, some shops are waiting until the last moment. But some valuable news involving grants might just speed up the conversion process for body shops that were previously lagging.

Any body shop that wants the state grant money will have to match the grant dollar for dollar, so it’s more of a hand up than a handout, Waterborne Paint Trainer Jeff Brasier (right) from Supeaccording to the state’s Divi- rior Paint Supply demonstrates waterborne application techniques for Corey Kaggie, a painter at ACS Precision sion of Air Quality and the Finish in Salt Lake City Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR), a statewide alliance that “I read an article about the grants was created to make it easier for indi- in the paper and told my son,” Canviduals, businesses and communities dido Gallegos said. “We figured let’s to add equipment or processes that get some financial help if it’s being ofwill improve the cleanliness and fered. From what we’re hearing, body breathability of Utah’s air. shops aren’t applying for these funds, The Utah’s Department of Workwhich I find surprising. The money is force Services has earmarked $300,000 right there on the table. They want to now to help small businesses to imgive us money! How often does that prove the state’s air quality and an adhappen?” ditional $1 million after June 30, 2014 The local media flocked to ACS through the state Department of WorkPrecision recently to cover the shop’s force Services. The goal of the program conversion to waterborne while letting is to help small businesses reduce small businesses know that the grant emissions through improved equipmoney is available for them, as long ment and the maximum amount is as they’re willing to improve their air $15,000 and must be matched dollar quality. “We were surprised when the for dollar. In addition to auto body local newspapers and news stations shops, dry cleaners, restaurants, print called us and wanted to interview us shops and other small businesses with about the grant money,” Gallegos fewer than 100 employees can apply. said. “It’s a big deal for Utah and a big The first collision repairer to take deal for this industry and an eye advantage of the grant money offered opener for everybody.”

According to the Division of Air by the state was ACS Precision Finish in Salt Lake City, a shop owned by Quality, if every paint tech in the state Candido Gallegos and his son An- used waterborne instead of solvent, thony. Both father and son were a lit- daily emissions would drop by 572 tle reluctant to try something new after pounds per year. In fact, the industry having spent so much time mastering will be required to make this change the solvent-based paint techniques, by June 1, 2014 to comply with new but their paint jobber, Superior Paint air quality regulations. The big chalSupply, made the transition easier for lenge for small businesses is, of them, while the grant money also course, the cost to make the upgrades. made the decision a little more palatGwen Springmeyer is the Assisable, Anthony Gallegos said. tant Executive Director for UCAIR “We’re getting $15,000 to change which is administering the state grants. over, and for us it was a no-brainer, She wants body shop owners to know

14 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

that the grant application process is easier than they might imagine and that her organization is willing to help shops with the application process.

“The grant application is easy for several reasons,” Springmeyer explained. “There is no competition for the grant, so if you qualify and there is still money in the budget, you’ll get it.

Secondly, we don’t ask for your financials. The application is seven pages and we’re more than willing to help you with it. The money is there, so we want to encourage body shops and other small businesses to apply and get these dollar for dollar grants. And maybe most importantly, the deadline is June 30, 2014, but then we’re also going to make another $1 million available as part of the same program. So, essentially, the state is offering $1.3 million in air quality matching grants.”

Jeff Brasier is a paint trainer for Superior Paint Supply in Salt Lake City. He has been working literally non-stop for the last five months as shops rush into the waterborne game before the deadline of July 1. “I’ve got shops lining up and it’s been crazy,” Brasier said. “I’m training 2-3 shops

all the time, back to back and once we’ve got them covered, here come 34 more.”

While many shops in his region are embracing the new paint and quickly learning how to apply it correctly, some smaller shops are dragging their feet, Brasier explained. “If someone is onboard, I can train them in three days without issue. But, if they’re reluctant for whatever reason, it can take months, because they have to unlearn so many old habits. The waterborne paint goes on wetter and it stays wet longer and you have to use it in a clean environment without dust and dirt all around. It’s not rocket science, so if a good painter is motivated, he or she can be adept at using it rather quickly.”

For more information about getting a clean air grant, you can find more information and the grant application at www.ucair.org.

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 15

UT Companies Gift Car to Single Mom with Autistic Son

Elizabeth Melde walked in to Martins Collision Repair with no idea she would leave in a new set of wheels. The body shop, and several other local companies, teamed up to fix a car donated by Bear River Mutual Insurance that was legally totaled, bring it back to tip-top shape and donate it to a family in need.

Melde and her two children fit the description perfectly. Her son, Jackson, 5, is autistic and suffers from severe hemophilia, and needs to get to the doctor quickly when in need. Her new sedan will help alleviate the pressure, and danger of not having her own vehicle. Melde’s old car was running on a leaking head gasket for six months before it finally gave out.

“I’ve just been being optimistic,” Melde said. “Hoping I’ll get to my next destination.” She had pulled over more and more frequently to let the car cool down after it overheated, making her kids later and later to school. All those worries are gone now. “I’m just in shock,” she said.

“This is a miracle right now. I’ve never heard of anything like this happening to anyone.” It happens to be in her favorite color, turquoise.

Disabled Math Teacher Found Body Shop to Make Wheelchair Accessible Golf Carts

In January 2000, Cory Trenkamp was in a car accident in which his neck was broken. After months of recovery, rehabilitation and confinement to a wheelchair, he entered college at Wright State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in math. He now teaches math online through the West Central Ohio Learning Academy, according to Anne Coburn-Griffis, writing in the Putnam Centinel.

“My parents take my siblings and nephews for rides around our farm. Last summer, my 3-year-old nephew wanted me to ride with them,” said Trenkamp.

“Since my wheelchair wouldn’t fit on it, I looked into some options.”

Trenkamp located a body shop in Columbus that makes wheelchair-accessible golf carts but the cost for such a vehicle was high. “My dad asked a buddy of his if he knew anyone that could convert ours. He said he’d like to try.”

That friend was Mark Ricker, the owner of Mark’s Auto Body just west of Ottoville on U.S. 224. He and a crew that consisted of Vernon Etzler and Tony Butler worked on the cart renovation in his rural shop over the recent cold winter months. On Friday, Trenkamp and his father Carl joined them all there for a final fitting. With the press of a button, Ricker lowered the passenger-side door

16 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

into a ramp. Trenkamp drove his wheelchair up the ramp and locked the chair in place, just as he does in his van, for a perfect fit. Under windy but blue skies, Trenkamp and Ricker took the finished

Carl Trenkamp, left, watches from the door of Mark’s Auto Body, Ottoville, as his son Cory and shop owner Mark Ricker takes the wheelchair-accessible golf cart for its first spin on Friday. (Putnam Sentinel/Anne Coburn-Griffis)

cart out for its inaugural spin. According to Ricker, Etzler was the brains behind much of the cart retrofit.

“We cut it in two and put steel in to lengthen it out,” said Etzler. “There’s a lot to doing it, stretching everything out — throttle cables, brake lines, putting another seat in.”

When asked how long it took to complete the project, Etzler bellylaughed. Ricker smiled and explained.

“It took a month and a half but the first one always takes longer.”

Trenkamp himself located the mechanism that locks his wheelchair safely into the floor of the cart. Ricker explained that the original front seat is now located near the back of the cart. It sits just behind the area where Trenkamp can now drive in and park his wheelchair. A new seat was installed in front. A new steel roof had to be made and installed as well.

“Just for Cory,” said Ricker. “Just for his safety.”

Cincinnati Reds decals personalize the red vehicle, which is streetlegal with tail lights, turn signal and a distinctive horn. The cart will run up to 30 mph. It seats seven.

“We can load up with the grandkids and go to Jennings Park,” said Trenkamp’s dad.

Now his son Cory can join them, although he has other destinations in mind.

“We don’t have sidewalks near our house, which there should be. Now I can get up to town if I want to. Take it to the game; maybe use it as a bull pen car. You get tired of riding around in minivans.”

Ricker suggested mounting a drop-down television in the ceiling of the golf cart. “Maybe next year,” grinned Trenkamp.

Michigan’s HB 5339 Seeks to Address Steering, Non-OEM Parts, and Parts Procurement Michigan House Bill 5339, introduced on February 19, seeks to amend the Michigan Insurance Code of 1956 to restrict insurance companies from numerous actions that irk collision repair facility operators. The broadly worded bill has not yet been scheduled for hearings.

The bill, as sponsored by Representatives Dale W. Zorn ,Greg MacMaster, Anthony G. Forlini, Peter Pettalia, Michael D. McCready, would ban insurance companies from compelling the use of specific collision repair or claim centers, restrict non-OEM parts usage, and prohibit an insurer from specifying specific vendors for parts or other materials.

Specifically the bill would prohibit insurance personnel from the following: ● Compel or coerce the insured or claimant to choose a particular repair facility, claim center, or other similar facility regardless of whether the repair facility, claim center, or other similar facility is under the insurer’s direct control.

This subdivision would not prohibit an insurer from requesting the in-

sured or claimant to take the a particular repair facility, claim center, or other similar facility after informing the insured or claimant that the insured or claimant is not under an obligation to do so. ● Must not fail to inform the insured or claimant that the insured or claimant has the freedom to use a repair facility of the insured’s or claimant’s choosing, or fail to inform the insured or claimant of the insurer’s ownership interest in, or agreement with, a repair facility, claim center, or other similar facility Communicate the need to delay the commencement of repair to allow the insurer to inspect the automobile for more than 1 full business day from when the insured or claimant presented the claim or automobile for loss adjustment or inspection.

Dispute coverage of the loss without performing a physical inspection of the automobile.

Specify a non-original equipment manufacturer aftermarket crash part to replace a structural component of an automobile, including, but not limited to, a bumper reinforcement, radiator

or core support, or any other part that affects the structural integrity or airbag timing of the automobile.

Specify a non-original equipment manufacturer aftermarket crash part in the repair of the damaged automobile if the part is not certified by a national testing board to guarantee quality, fit, and crashability.

Specify the use of a particular vendor to procure a part or other material necessary for the satisfactory repair of the automobile. This subdivision does not require an insurer to pay more than a reasonable market price for parts.

Unilaterally or arbitrarily disregard a repair operation or cost identified by an estimating system that the insurer and repair facility have agreed to use in determining the cost of repair.

Place a limit on the maximum cost of paint or other materials required to repair the damaged automobile. This subdivision does not require an insurer to pay more than a reasonable market price for paint and materials.

Disregard a repair facility’s posted labor rate without proof of the

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range of posted door rates available to the public in the market.

The bill also would provide an insured, claimant, repair facility owner, potential repair facility owner, or person aggrieved by this act the ability to bring a civil action against an insurer for a violation of this section. A plaintiff who prevails could receive Damages in the amount of 3 times the actual loss or $500.00, whichever is greater as well as attorney fees and costs.

Ray Fisher, executive director of the Automotive Service Association (ASA) of Michigan, explained “ASA Michigan did not author or introduce this bill but we are glad that Representative Zorn along with the other co-authors, has taken a key role in trying to resolve some of the issues that have plagued our collision shops here in Michigan. I have passed this on to our leadership for their review and we are looking forward to working with Representative Zorn as this moves forward. Obviously he is trying to cure many of the burdens that our collision repairers have faced for quite some time.”

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www.raeservice.com www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 17

Universal Technical Institute and mikeroweWORKS Foundation Launch $1 Million Scholarship Program

Universal Technical Institute (UTI) launched the mikeroweWORKS Foundation (MRW)/UTI Scholarship Program on March 3, 2014, for individuals pursuing technical education at UTI campuses. The program will make available approximately US$1 million in tuition scholarships for future students who are passionate about a career in the transportation industry.

Mike Rowe, creator, executive producer, and host of the Discovery Channel “Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe” show, is challenging the idea that an expensive four-year degree is the best and only path for most people, while calling attention to thousands of career opportunities with companies who are struggling to fill technical jobs.

“We are thrilled to partner with the mikeroweWORKS Foundation and join Mike's mission to spread the word about the importance of technical education and filling jobs in the skilled trades,” said Kimberly McWaters, chairman and CEO of UTI. “This new scholarship program provides hard-working men and women across the country with the opportunity to

Preston Group Now Gold Class

All three of the Preston Automotive Groups Maryland auto body shops— Preston Auto Body, Cambridge Auto Body and Snow Hill Auto Body—have been designated I-Car Gold Class shops. Only ten percent of collision repair shops currently complete the requirements to meet the I-Car Gold Class standard.

follow their passion and obtain careers in the transportation industry, where the demand for technicians continues to rise.”

UTI develops programs that meet the evolving needs of the industry, preparing students who are highly skilled and ready to work. The program will help more qualified individuals obtain a skilled trade education and bring the country one step closer to closing the skills gap.

“As a country, we continue to put traditional higher education on a pedestal and accept the fact that students are graduating with tons of debt—and no job opportunity in sight,” said Mike Rowe, CEO of mikeroweWORKS. “What we really need to be doing is supporting people who have a solid work ethic and desire to learn a useful skill. These scholarships are designed to provide people with the training needed to fill jobs that actually exist. We need more skilled workers in the U.S. And we need them now.”

Submit your scholarship application by 5:00 p.m. PDT on July 12, 2014 at www.uti.edu/mrw.

Keenan Auto Body’s 16th Charity Golf Outing is June 5

Keenan Auto Body is hosting its 16th annual charity golf outing on June 5, 2014, at Penn Oaks Golf Club in West Chester, PA. Registration starts at noon, shotgun start at 1:00 p.m., and a dinner following. There will be a helicopter ball drop, raffles, and a silent auction. Learn more at www.keenanautobody.com.

Colors Edge Named PPG Platinum Distributor of the Year

PPG Automotive Refinish has recognized Colors Edge, Inc., as its 2014 Platinum Distributor of the

Year. Bob Wenzinger, director of the PPG Platinum Distributor program, announced the honor at the annual PPG Platinum Distributor Conference held February 20-23, 2014, at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa

in Scottsdale, AZ. Colors Edge president Darren DeWitt accepted the award on behalf of the Colors Edge team.

The PPG Platinum Distributor program began in 1995 as a loyalty and support initiative for PPG single-line distributors with the ultimate goal of providing exceptional service and benefits for PPG Refinish customers. The program delivers competitive advantages to its participants by aligning the technology, training, and customer support of PPG with the entrepreneurship, customer awareness, local market knowledge, and service capability of the independent distributor.

For more information, visit: www.ppgrefinish.com.

18 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Autorama World of Wheels’ Student Career Day

Collex Collision Experts was at the Cobo Center in Detroit, MI, on March 7, 2014, talking to students about their services and career opportunities through Collex.

The annual Autorama World of Wheels Student Career Day is an initiative put together to support the automotive educational programs at various schools. Career day exposes students to all the opportunities they have in the automotive industry. Students learn about automotive design, engineering, manufacturing, and more.

“We are excited to participate in the 62nd Annual Autorama in Detroit.

This show helps illustrate the incredible craftsmanship and skill set it takes to create terrific automobiles”, said Nick Booras, vice president of sales and marketing at Collex Collision Experts.

Collex Collision Experts encourages any high school and college students interested in the automotive industry to attend an Autorama World of Wheels Student Career Day. View upcoming career days at https://autorama.com/student-day.

www.autobodynews.com

Pro Spot Donates Over $115K in Welders to Schools

Pro Spot International, Inc. donated the Pro Spot PR-2000 Inverter Resistance Spot Welder and the i4 Inverter Resistance Spot Welder to eight collision repair programs that applied for the Collision Repair Education Foundation 2013 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover school grant: • Herndon Career Center (Raytown, MO) • Maxwell High School of Technology (Lawrenceville, GA) • West Side Career and Technology Center (Kingston, PA) • Assabet Valley Tech High (Marlboro, MA) • South Central Technical College-Mankato (North Mankato, MN) • Washtenaw Community College (Ann Arbor, MI) • Linn State Technical College (Linn, MO) • Ranken Technical College (St. Louis, MO) The welders will aid in the students’ technical education.

Learn more about the grant at Give us your opinion on http://collisioneducationfoundation.org/ultimate-collision-education-makeover-grant.

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 19

NACE/CARS and Industry Week 2014 Update: Show Expected to Double in Size

The first round of exhibit space draw for the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) and the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) 2014 show is complete, and more than half the exhibit floor is sold out. “This represents a significant change in events and a strong commitment on behalf of the automotive market to support the only national show solely dedicated to both the collision and service repair industries,” said Dan Risley, ASA President. “Last year, we sold approximately 24,000 square feet. We’ve already surpassed that by 20 percent in the initial space draw and are on pace to sell out. The show will feature more than 50,000 square feet of exhibit space and another 30,000 dedicated to live demonstrations and show cars.”

Companies that booked space come from all segments of the collision and mechanical repair markets, including OEMs, parts suppliers, estimating system and information providers, insurance companies, and training companies.

NACE/CARS will take place Monday-Saturday, July 28-August 2, 2014, at the Cobo Center in Detroit,

MI, and will be held in conjunction with Industry Week 2014, a series of automotive repair industry events and co-located meetings, including board and other private meetings, Collision Repair Education Foundation annual golf fundraiser, Collision Industry Conference (CIC) quarterly meeting, Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR), gala 35th anniversary networking reception, Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) meeting, NACE/CARS expo, business and technical sessions, MSO Symposium, Mechanical Symposium, onsite I-CAR training, and technical presentations.

In addition, the ASA and Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) jointly announced on March 7, 2014, that the inaugral OEM Technology and Innovation Expo will be held on August 1, 2014, as part of Industry Week.

The OEM Expo will include panel discussions with OEM experts, product and application demonstrations, and connected vehicles to give attendees a hands-on experience.

For additional information, visit naceexpo.com.

Safelite Dropped From Rollover Suit by Nevada Court

Safelite Group has been dismissed from the lawsuit by a woman who says she lost both her husband and young daughter in a rollover crash, according to documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Clark County, NV. Iwona Patnaude initially alleged that the windshield separated from the vehicle in a North Dakota crash and listed Safelite as a defendant in her suit, claiming the company had replaced the windshield.

The U.S. District Court for Clark County, NV, issued an “order to dismiss Safelite Group” from the lawsuit “with prejudice,” meaning the company cannot be sued again in the matter.

“After a thorough inspection of the vehicle and the windshield by an expert accident reconstructionist, we are extremely confident in the quality of the windshield installation, and contrary to the allegations in the lawsuit, the roof did not collapse,” says Melina Metzger, PR manager for Safelite.

Brian DiMasi, senior corporate counsel for Safelite, adds, “We continue to extend our sympathies to the Patnaude family for their loss. Tragedies like this serve as an important remind in our industry that we all must hold

ourselves to the highest possible standards for the safety of our customers.”

The company entered no settlement agreement with Patnaude, Metzger noted.

In late 2011, Jason Patnaude, Iwona Patnaude’s spouse, was driving a Toyota Tundra Westbound on I94 in North Dakota when he began to “slide upon contacting a patch of snow and ice on the roadway.” Both Iwona and Victoria Patnaude, her daughter, were passengers in the vehicle at the time of the accident.

“Directional control of the subject Tundra was lost and could not be regained,” attorneys wrote in court documents. “The subject Tundra crossed the highway’s median and rolled over across the Eastbound lanes and off the roadway. … Jason R. Patnaude and Victoria Patnaude sustained fatal head injuries in the crash. Jason R. Patnaude and Victoria Patnaude died at the scene.”

Safelite PR manager Melina Metzger had confirmed the company performed a windshield replacement on the vehicle six years prior to the accident.

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Detroit Body Shop Raided in Suspected Theft and Fraud Ring, Numerous Cars Impounded A multi-jurisdictional task force conducted raids in Wayne and Oakland counties on the morning of Feb. 28 on suspicion of a theft and fraud ring involving automobiles.

The investigation reportedly stemmed from a stolen automobile that lead investigators to raid the Somerset Collision Shop on John R. near Eightmile, according to reports in the Detroit News.

“The raids were conducted with auto theft teams from Highland Park and Hazel Park in conjunction with the Action Auto Theft squad and a number of other assisting agencies,” said the Hamtramck Police Department in a press release.

“The raids were successful with multiple arrests and the recovery of

stolen property. Somerset Collision in Detroit was the primar focus of the raids.”

This isn’t the first time Somerset has been raided by authorities, according to the Detroit News writer, Tom Greenwood. In March 2007 the office of the Michigan Attorney General announced the arrests of three individuals in connection with a Detroit based organized crime operation that allegedly stole millions of dollars in insurance fraud.

The arrests came after authorities raided three Detroit area body shops that were all owned by the same family. Among the body shops raided in 2007 were the Somerset Auto Body Shop, 20461 John R in Detroit. Other businesses owned by the family were: Bojax Auto Collision, Dynamic Collision, the Collision Connection, Ultimate Collision and Foreign and Domestic Collision.

According to the AG in 2007 the businesses were owned/operated/ managed by an Orchard Lake man as well as his mother and brother, both of whom lived in West Bloomfield.

Arizona Body Shop Launches Free Online Estimating Tool for Consumers, Aims to Demystify Customer-Pay A new tool aims to help consumers quickly and easily estimate the cost to repair minor vehicle damage from their own computers or mobile devices.

Nexus Collision Repair Center, located in Tempe, AZ, has released a free, 100-percent Web-based body shop estimating tool designed to help consumers quickly and easily estimate the cost to repair minor vehicle damage from their own computers or mobile devices.

The tool aims to demystify the customer-pay decision consumers face when their damage may be under or close to their deductible, but have no way of knowing without consulting an insurer or body shop.

The tool’s simple design allows estimates to be created in less than 60 seconds while educating the consumer about their vehicle and its damage. Since the tool is designed for customer-pay repairs, it optimizes

The defendents all received probation.

The AG office was unable to confirm or deny that the same family still owned the Somerset Collision Shop or were involved in the recent raid.

cost for the consumer by including “paintless dent repair” and “spot repair” options when available to reduce repair costs.

“This tool generates tremendous traffic to our site from consumers who are searching the Web for an alternative to the ‘carbon-copy’ body shop websites or ‘confess and submit’ damage photo apps offered by insurers,” said a Nexus spokesperson. “Consumers today want information online, free and instantaneously, so they can make informed decisions. We want consumers who will walk in the door for a $65 PDR repair because we will earn their trust and they will come back again when they file their insurance claim.”

The next release of the tool will include actual year/make/model/ color images so consumers can select their vehicle image in their color and rotate it for an enhanced experience.

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Southwest Associations

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

LaCIA Meets to Talk Progress and Future Plans with Chasidy Rae Sisk

The newly-formed Louisiana ColliHis son is the third generation of his sion Industry Association (LaCIA) has family to enter this industry, and Mebeen busy settingwith up theirChasidy organization Rae dine Siskwants to effect change so that his and is working toward their goals. son can have the same long and sucThey held a meeting on January 21 to cessful career. discuss their progress thus far as well Randy Mclachan of Performas their future plans. Over 180 people ance Finish & Collision feels that attended this meeting, which Derek LaCIA is taking the correct profesStubbs, Vice Chairman of LaCIA, atwith Chasidy Rae sional Sisk approach to their development, tributes to the fact that “we are all here and he believes the association can be because we care about this business, useful in providing training and eduand we care about what happens to it.” cation to its member. He said he hopes Chairman Lynn Lejeune called that they will be “an association of edthe meeting to order, welcomed attenucation.” He is confident that by workdees and led a prayer before the assoing together LaCIA members can with Chasidy Rae make Siskmeaningful change that will benciation’s general counsel Lance Kinchen, of Breazeale, Sachse and efit LA’s collision repair industry.

Wilson LLP, read the anti-trust stateReid Heiser of Mitchell International spoke about three things that associations such as LaCIA can do, such as providing a sense of community, with Chasidy Rae offering Sisk training and changing perspectives. In regards to these benefits, Hanks said, “it’s a great thing to walk into a room of neighbors and not a room of competitors. Mitchell has a lot of training they can send in to help our group. They benefit when our industry benefits. The industry is rapidly LaCIA Chairman Lynn Lejeune speaks to changing, and if you don’t keep up the group with it, you will not succeed. We need ment. Next, Executive Director Alysia to embrace those changes and plan for Hanks touched base on a few things what is coming down the line. [In relike the upcoming Southern Automogards to perspective], unless you get with Ed Attanasio tive Repair Conference in Biloxi and out and see what others are doing, told the group what she hopes to acnothing will ever change—‘you can’t complish with the association. work on your business if you’re workEach member of the association’s ing in your business.’”

Board of Directors then provided some The day after the meeting, Hanks background on their experiences and emailed notes to participants, along spoke about their plansEd forAttanasio LaCIA. with some additional information about with Lejeune stressed that it is about “comthe association’s progress. Their webing together and agreeing to make a site is now finally operational, though it difference.” is still being improved, and can be Stubbs emphasized the imporfound at www.la-cia.com. tance of focusing on the present and In response to questions at the the future instead of the past. “Last meeting about social networking, Attanasio year is over, andwith we stillEd have battles Hanks provided the address of the asto fight everyday this year, but we sociation’s Facebook page, agreeing need to face these problems together that social networking is “an avenue to make a difference. We have national we will explore.” Since the meeting, issues that we have to handle first on a Hanks has established a Twitter acstate level.” count @LouisianaCIA and a Facebook Chris Medine from Medine’s page (www.facebook.com/SeLaCRA). with Thomas FranklinHanks has drafted a formal reCollision said he believes LaCIA has potential to be and do many good quest to the LA’s commissioner’s ofthings through having so many indus- fice, requesting that they look into the try professionals working together. legality of PartsTrader in their state,

Southeast Associations

similar to what ASA has initiated, and she is currently awaiting comment from the association’s attorneys. Additionally, the email provided a link to

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Lance Kinchen, General Counsel for LaCIA, addresses the meeting

the website for the Southern Automotive Repair Conference and a link to Mike Watson’s article on partial refinish.

Also attached were LaCIA’s general membership application and an application to a GM training course that was held on February 25th at the Holi-

day Inn in Baton Rouge. Many members for LaCIA attended the event where topics included aluminum in new vehicles and price matching as it pertains to CollisionLink and GM’s Bump the Competition Program which allows price matching on select parts when an insurer estimate calls for aftermarket parts to be used. GM’s course also discussed 2013/2014 cores on fascias and headlights, how to recognize counterfeit airbags and warranty information.

More information on technology and their service bulletins can be found at www.genuinegmparts.com.

LaCIA supports and will be attending the Southern Automotive Repair Conference in Biloxi, MS, on April 11–12, 2014 where they have reserved a booth. LaCIA’s next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 20th in Monroe, LA. As LaCIA continues to develop and becomes increasingly involved with industry issues, stay tuned for updates.

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N. Ohio Shops See Parts Delays Due to Demand

Auto body shops in the Cleveland area of Northeast Ohio are said to be facing overwhelming demands this winter. A Touch of Class Auto Body Inc. off Brookpark Road has a five week wait list for new customers, and several other body shops around the Cleveland area are experiencing the same overwhelming demand.

“Any shop that’s doing this right now… I know no body likes to hear this but any shop that’s doing any type of quality work we’re all so far behind it isn’t funny,” said Kevin Harrison, the owner of A Touch of Class. “It’s been so busy we actually put on a second shift of employees due to the fact that the overload has been just five weeks out all the time.”

Harrison said another factor is the demand for parts. “They’re having trouble getting parts from Columbus to Cleveland, Pittsburgh to Cleveland, so that delays us even more,” he explained.

“So sometimes you tell a customer a car will be done in two or three days but the next thing you know it’s four or five days because we’re still waiting for parts.”

IL Shops Also See Parts Delays Due to Storm Repairs

Auto shops’ businesses in IL are booming due to the large number of cars damaged in storm-related accidents.

Zara’s Auto Body Shop in Springfield, IL, said they have had an average of 100 cars in their lot to fix since the region started getting hit with winter storms in January.

That’s good for business. But the shops are seeing a shortage of new OEM parts from manufacturers.

“If the new parts aren’t available, not only are we in the same position lacking parts, but so is every other body shop in the country trying to find those same parts, so they aren’t even available a lot of times in the salvage yards anymore,” said Kim Woolard, a Customer Service Representative at Zara’s.

Todd Liston says he’s fixing double the usual number of cars this year at Auto Body Specialists in Rockford, IL. The surge in business started last year but has accelerated from the January storms. State Farm Insurance reported a 20% jump in their car insurance claims from December 2012 to the same time last year.

24 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Andy’s Auto Body’s New Location in Wood River, IL, Looks Like a New Car Dealership Andy’s Auto Body’s newest location is going to be like a “new car dealership without new cars,” as manager Chuck Tucker told writer Nathan Grimm. The shop is located at 1533 E. Edwardsville Road in Wood River, IL, will have all the trimmings of a new car dealership, including a full auto body shop and a full mechanical department. The location will also feature between 30 and 50 used cars for sale, according to owner Mark Anderson. Anderson said the 13,000-square-foot building, just a block from three existing new car dealerships with another on the way, was prime real estate for his business.

“There’s a lot of dealerships right there, which will help us develop customers,” Anderson said, noting, “Four dealerships, but none have a body shop.”

Customers of the body shop’s Alton Square Mall location will notice a similar, if not new and improved, showroom, Tucker said. The waiting area will still have the leather chairs and 70-inch television that customers are accustomed to, but the Wood River location will also have WiFi technology, a gourmet coffee bar, fireplace and a computer for

guests who may need to get work done while they’re waiting.

Although it’s a new location, Tucker said the staff will be seasoned veterans in the automotive field, some with more than 30 years of experience.

It’s an exciting new venture for the body shop, but it’s also a nice new start for the building, which has sat empty for years. Wood River mayor Fred Ufert said the building hasn’t been occupied for around eight years, since Federico ChryslerDodge-Jeep moved to its new location. Ufert said the city is “glad to see that building used.”

“It’s a good deal for them and a good deal for the city,” Ufert said.

“We’re thrilled that they’re here.”

It will be a quick turnaround for the building, too, as Tucker said they hope to open the doors on March 14.

The business will have a grand opening March 22 and McKay Auto Parts will have a barbecue at both the Wood River and Alton Square Mall locations. Despite all the newness, Tucker said one thing won’t change —Andy’s Auto Body’s commitment to running a “reputable, locally owned business.”

Ohio Repairer Three-C Body Shops Pursues Multiple Lawsuits Against State Farm for Short-Pays

Three-C Body Shops is seeking recovery of short-pays, fees and court costs from State Farm Insurance for the insurer’s repeated underpayments for services generally rendered and charged to their customers when their vehicles have been deemed to be total losses.

Currently there are approximately 89 active lawsuits between Three-C’s and State Farm which began in November, 2012. Generally the suits stem from total-loss billings whereas ThreeC Body Shop is seeking an estimated $296,807.93, of which State Farm has agreed to pay only $31,565.03, leaving an unpaid and contested amount to date of $265,242.90. Similar lawsuits will likely be filed.

Bob Juniper, second generation owner and President of the 58 yearold family owned company is no stranger to controversy or to taking on the challenges the collision industry presents. He was one of the first shop owners in the nation to ‘put his money where his mouth is’ by his hard-charging and often controversial local television and radio consumer awareness ads and commercials regarding Direct Repair Programs.

Bob Juniper said, “When a vehicle becomes a total loss we cease nor-

mal repair related activities and change to another mode of operation, and as such, charges for such activities are assessed that may or may not be consistent with a repair.

Such charges may be processes including but not limited to clean-up from fluid leaks, relocating a disabled vehicle, storage, protection, research, documentation, administrative activities, parts handling and others. We have closely studied the high cost of handling and processing total loss vehicles.

In the Columbus area insurers understand and pay for such charges, all but one that is. State Farm continues to be ‘the odd-man-out’ in settling such claims fairly.

We must be paid for our efforts and liabilities associated with the handling involved in total losses as such activities are not "the cost of doing business”. We have decided to let the courts decide who is right and who is wrong. Our efforts to work things out with State Farm directly were unsuccessful. I believe the facts will show that the money is owed.

We look forward to sharing the results of these cases with the collision repair industry.”

Todd A. Fichtenberg, one of Three-C’s attorneys of the law firm

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Skinner & Associates, LLC of Columbus, Ohio stated: “Ohio lacks the statutory provisions that have made those like Ray Gunder in Florida so successful in the recovery of fees and costs. Without that statutory framework, we are using Ohio’s existing laws and good faith arguments for the extension of those laws in an effort to recover Three-C’s fees and costs”.

Three-C Body shops was founded in 1956 and currently has six (6) locations including two satellite locations (inspection-estimating, drop-off and delivery) which help feed their four (4) repair production locations in and around the Columbus market area. The company does $10 million-plus in annual sales.

More information on Three-C Body Shop may be found at their website at www.threecbodyshop.com or one can reach Bob Juniper at 614403-1408.

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RDA Board Tours East Valley Institute of Technology The Refinish Distributors Alliance (RDA) held its February Board meeting in Mesa, AZ. While there, Dr. Sally Downey, Superintendent of East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) gave them a tour of their campus. RDA Member, Leading Edge, has a partnership with EVIT that provides state-of-the-art training to collision industry technicians as well as to those preparing to enter the industry.

The EVIT is a state-of-the-art training facility for collision industry technicians, preparing them to enter the industry. It is considered one of the top collision repair educational programs in the country, RDA said in a release.

RDA/IMPACT is the largest national group of refinish jobbers dedicated to providing quality services and products to their collision shops. RDA has 16 members, representing 185 locations. Members service over 3,600 collision centers throughout the United States. We represent a cross-section of all major refinish brands and do over $455 million in sales as a group, comprising around 17% of the refinish business nationwide.

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North Texas Student Says Two Mobile Dent Repair Businesses Took Him for a Ride Driver claims mobile dent repair businesses did $3,700 in damage

When cameras from the NBC 5 Investigates Consumer Unit started rolling, two so-called repairmen went running, according to Deanna Dewberry, of the NBC 5 Investigates Consumer Unit.

A North Texas student told the news team that after his bad experiences with two different mobile dent repair businesses he wanted to warn others to steer clear of drive-up, fix-it auto repairmen whose promises and prices seem too good to be true.

Joshua Bissonette is a cashstrapped college student trying to finish up school after serving in the U.S. Army. With his car in need of repair, Bissonette turned to Craigslist and found an ad for “mobile auto body” repair men who fix dents and damage at a person’s “work or home” for “less than a traditional” body shop. He decided to give them a try.

“They got to work right away,” said Bissonette. “They started prying the dent out. It seemed like they knew what they were doing.” But he soon learned otherwise.

“The dents look gone, but it doesn’t look good,” he said. Bissonette said they didn’t finish the job either.

“They said due to the cold weather they couldn’t apply paint,” Bissonette said. They left with the repairs incomplete and his wallet $250 lighter.

“I just wanted them to go away, so I paid them their money,” he said.

But with the work unfinished, Bissonette went back to Craigslist again where he found another ad for a different mobile auto body repair business. This ad had pictures and promises. So he called and set up a meeting in an Arlington parking lot.

Crews Battle Fire At Body Shop in White Oak, PA

Emergency crews had more than flames to worry about while battling a fire at a trucking company in White Oak, PA, early the morning of Mar. 2, At the scene, police said they were concerned that fuel tanks were in the building while it was burning.

The fire happened at Jim Fossett Trucking at 1115 Long Run Road, according to dispatchers.

No one was hurt.

“They said it was going to look like new,” Bissonette said. He paid them $250 cash for the job.

Bissonette said these guys covered their shoddy work with green goop saying it would protect the paint.

When he got home and washed it off he was horrified. He saw a scratched sandpaper surface and spray paint spattered on his windshield, mirror, and tire.

“It looks horrible,” he explained.

Bissonette then called NBC 5 Investigates Consumer Unit and they called the numbers from both ads to set up meetings. We showed up at the first location in our station Chevrolet Tahoe, which had a dent. Their cameras were in tow.

We told a guy, who said his name was Tony, that some of his past customers were unhappy with his work.

“No comment at this point. I have to get in touch with my lawyer,” he said. When Investigates pressed further he got in his car and sped away.

Investigates then called the number in the second ad and set up a time and place to meet.

When they identified themselves, the repairman immediately covered his face, never got out of his car and left faster than the first guy.

“The Worst I’ve Ever Seen” Brian Johnson, a certified collision repairman for Service King in Irving, evaluated Bissonette’s car.

“It is the worst I’ve ever seen for someone to call that a finished product,” he said. “It looks like they used spray paint out of a can.”

Johnson said he sees fly-by-night auto dent repairmen come out of the woodwork in the DFW area, especially after weather events like storms, hail and ice.

“Just since the beginning of this

Baltimore Cop Shot While Waiting at Body Shop

The Baltimore cop shot on March 14, 2014, remained in critical, but stable, condition on March 17. Sergeant McNeill was sitting in his truck at Bel Air Auto Body Shop when police say that Gregg Thomas shot him several times. Shortly after, the suspect turned himself in. Police still have no motive for the shooting.

Police say Thomas served time in prison for a 2000 murder conviction, but was released in 2013.

26 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

year, I have seen three cars personally with the same situation,” said Johnson.

Johnson said the looks of Bissonette’s car are the least of his worries.

“There is probably no structural integrity left in that panel,” Johnson said. In his opinion, because of how the work was done, the panel might not perform as it should in a wreck, potentially putting Bissonette’s safety at risk. He recommended replacing that panel. In total, the repairs would now cost $3,700.

Texas has no state agency that regulates collision repair, so it’s up consumers to do their homework.

The News Team reported that consumers should ask repairers if they have certification from an organization like I-CAR, or ASE, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. They should also ask about warranties. If a repairman doesn’t offer one, experts suggest finding someone else.

“You want to make sure the company is standing behind their work,” said Steve Sikes, Service King’s associate vice president of business development.

Experts also said any paint work needs to be done in a controlled environment, so if someone offers to paint outside, that’s likely a red flag too.

In the end, Bissonette’s plight struck a chord with Richardson-based Service King.

“It’s certainly unfortunate what you’ve had to deal with, with the subpar repairs,” Sikes said to Bissonette.

In a gesture of goodwill, the company, a supporter of U.S. servicemen and servicewomen, said it would fix his car for free, leaving Bissonette astounded and smiling from ear to ear.

The Enterprise Rent-A-Car location attached to this particular Service King location said it would also pick up the tab for his rental car while the repairs are done.

Bisonette said he learned his lesson and he’ll be less trusting next time and that he hopes his story helps others avoid being taken by rogue mobile dent repair businesses.

“I decided to call NBC 5 Investigates because I don’t want this to happen, you know, to anybody else,” he said.

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Continued from Cover

Maryland Parts Bill

limit the choices that the consumer has in getting their vehicle repaired,” said ABPA Executive Director Edward Salamy. “These types of anticonsumer bills not only eliminate competition, a foundation of the American free enterprise system, they also increase the potential for higher insurance costs.”

ABPA claims that a representative of the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA) made a series of false claims, including: ● OE radiators have a better warranty than alternative supplier radiators. ● Consumers will be required to pay additional rental car fees caused by delays due to alternative parts.

“The ABPA is not only monitoring the legislation in Maryland, but it has also come to our attention there is similar anti-consumer legislation being introduced in Rhode Island and Michigan,” said Salamy.

“Having your vehicle involved in a collision is already a very stressful

experience for the consumer. Having a repair association such as WMABA using scare tactics to achieve their own agenda is not in the best interest of the consumer.”

Maryland Senate Bill 487 would prohibit “…a specified adjuster, appraiser, insurance producer, or employee of an insurer from requiring a motor vehicle repair facility to use a

Oyango Snell, State Government Relations Counsel said, “PCI and our members encourage lawmakers to closely examine the possible negative ramifications for consumers that could result if Senate Bill 487 passes.

This legislation not only imposes severe restrictions on how insurers manage the auto body repair process and deliver a quality repair experi-

“[This legislation] imposes severe restrictions on how insurers manage the auto repair process and deliver a quality repair experience...”

—Oyango Snell, PCI Govt. Relations Counsel

specific vendor or process for the procurement of parts or other materials necessary for the repair of a motor vehicle; requiring an insurer that issues or delivers in the State a policy of motor vehicle liability insurance that provides coverage for the repair of physical damage to the insured motor vehicle to authorize specified repairs to be made using genuine crash parts; etc.”

The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) testified in opposition to the legislation.

ence, but it also could hurt consumers by increasing the costs associated with getting vehicles repaired and increasing the cost of insurance premiums. Currently Maryland’s average collision premium ranks 13th highest in the nation and that ranking could rise by forcing more repairs to always be made with original equipment parts, which can be as much as 60 percent more than aftermarket parts.”

Snell continued, “We believe lawmakers will see that this bill limits consumer choice and stands in the

way of insurers providing high quality repairs at reasonable costs for their constituents. We are urging lawmakers to table this legislation and continue to fight against higher costs for consumers.”

The Coalition for Auto Repair Equality (CARE) that represents companies in the automotive aftermarket including NAPA, AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Bridgestone-Firestone Retail Operations, raised concerns about the proposed legislation’s impact upon low-income consumers and that it stigmatizes non-OEM parts by requiring the consumer to consent to their use.

“If passed, House Bill 574 and Senate Bill 487 would require motorists who need vehicle replacement parts to specifically sign for the use of aftermarket parts in their vehicles before accepting them. This is unfair because these same vehicle owners do not have to sign for the more expensive car company-labeled parts. In addition, this plants a seed of doubt in a consumer’s mind that the aftermarket parts are somehow of inferior quality, frightening them into spending extra money that they may not have,” said the executive director of CARE.

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Addressing the issue of the three year requirement for OEM parts, an analysis prepared on the bills by the Maryland Department of Legislative services noted that the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund (MAIF), an independent state agency created by the Maryland State Legislature in 1972 to provide insurance to residents who could not secure it on the private market, already has a policy to pay for OEM parts for two years after the date of manufacture. While adding a year to the current policy would raise costs, the analysis states, “However, despite the prevalence of motor vehicle accidents and collisions in society at large, any expenditure increase due to covering an additional year is likely to be minimal.”

The MAIF reported that in 2013 it wrote a total of 460 estimates on 2011 model vehicles (three year old vehicles that would be covered by the expanded OEM-only waiting period) and that the average difference between estimates using OEM parts versus aftermarket parts was $117.32, for a total estimated increased cost of $53,967. If that cost was passed on to consumers in premium, the two percent tax on insurance premiums paid

to the state would result in $1079 tax collected.

The Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association, (WMABA) supported the proposed legislation believing it necessary to protect the rights of repair facilities to operate their business independently and protect consumers.

WMABA also believes that the impact on costs from the OEM-parts only requirement would be minimal and that there is no correlation between this type of provision and the cost of insurance. According to WMABA, while Rhode Island with a 30-month prohibition, and West Virginia, with a 3-year prohibition, have historically higher premiums than Maryland, Indiana, with a 5-yr prohibition, and Minnesota with a complete aftermarket prohibition have lower premiums than Maryland.

WMABA also drew attention to the fact that consumer choice is preserved in the legislation because consumers would still have the ability to consent to the use of aftermarket parts if they choose to do so.

For more detailed discussion of the testimony see p. 32.

WMABA Responds to Unfavorable Vote

The Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA) is disappointed with the outcome of the unfavorable decision by the Maryland House Economic Matters Committee on March 13 for what they believe to be a very important piece of consumer protection legislation. Despite the vote, WMABA legislative liaisons remain encouraged by MD legislators’ reaction to understanding collision consumer issues, as the process and pursuant discussion amply highlighted the workings of the collision industry and how certain claims settlement practices can disadvantage the consumer.

Hearing video shows that the association’s representatives did well to outline the issues, advocate for both the WMABA membership and the consumers they serve, as well as to debunk the myths and contradictions put forth by the opposition. WMABA encourages all repairers to view the video in addition to the voting record and further understand what the opposition said about the collision industry, and the

repairers who work in the business.

The collision repairers were represented well by all those who participated in the hearing and work group processes for both the House and Senate committees. WMABA’s Executive Director Jordan Hendler and Hannah Garagiola, WMABA’s lobbyist and government relations consultant with Alexander & Cleaver combined efforts with Maryland collision repair business owners to create an effective team in Annapolis, both prior to and during the legislative session. Repairer business owners participated in these same meetings, and even more throughout the state communicated with their representatives just how important this law could have been in protecting Maryland policyholders.

“While this consumer legislation is straight-forward in our opinion, it turned out to be more controversial as medical marijuana and the minimum wage bills,” opined Garagiola. “Legislators typically do a good job of putting See WMABA Responds, Page 33

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Southeast Associations

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

Six SE Associations Prepare for Southern Automotive Repair Conf. with Chasidy Rae Sisk

The second annual Southern Automo- and ALARISE, associations particitive Repair Conference (SARC) is pating in the conference will include quickly approaching, plenty Florida Autobody Collision Assowithcreating Chasidy Rae the Sisk of work for the six associations that ciation (FACA), the Georgia Collision will be taking part in the event on Industry Association (GCIA), the April 11 and 12, 2014 at the Beau Ri- Louisiana Collision Industry Associavage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, MS. tion (LaCIA), and the Tennessee ColIf this 300% increase in conference lision Repairers Association (TCRA). collaborators is any indication, this Howard Batchelor, Executive with Chasidy Rae Director Sisk of GCIA, believes that inyear’s SARC will be quite successful with an influx of attendees! volvement with the SARC is important Steve Plier, Executive Director of because “the more information we can the Alabama Automotive Repair Sociprovide to collision centers, the better ety of Excellence (ALARISE) came up they will be prepared for the changing with the idea for the first conference industry. There are several issues curChasidy Rae rently Siskaffecting shops, and we want to which was held inwith February 2012 with over 95% of attendees coming from be able to provide information they AL, and this conference actually led to can use to better run their shop and the founding of ALARISE. Plier states make better business decisions.” He “the intent of the 2012 conference, just hopes that attendees will acquire uselike the focus of this year’s conference, ful information that can be used to imwas on education, business principles, prove their businesses, and he is consumer focus, and the fact that a colpersonally looking forward to talking lision repairer must be compensated for with the various shops about how they all labor procedures and materials used do business and what challenges they in properly repairing a vehicle to the face so that GCIA can create an agenda level of quality required to meet manto address these issues in the future. ufacturers’ standards so reinvestments The conference will begin the afwith can be continually madeEd to Attanasio purchase ternoon of Friday, April 11, and connew equipment and to provide the continue on Saturday from 8 AM until around 5:30 PM. The event’s agenda intinual training required to keep up with cludes a reception, trade show, rethe ever-changing technologies of freshments, and “breakout sessions” today’s vehicles and vehicles of the fuwhich include training, I-CAR classes, ture. Moving forward on each of these sponsor demos and association symsubjects is of the utmost importance for with Ed Attanasio posiums. Additionally, the conference each and every vehicle owner and for boasts an array of speakers representall consumers (you, me, our families ing various segments of the industry. and friends, children and grandchilThe presentations given by the dren) because improperly repaired vespeakers will be moderated by Master hicles can result in severe injuries even of Ceremonies Patrick Porter, radio to the most innocent and unknowing with Ed Attanasiopersonality and owner of Porter’s parties.”

The next year, Plier’s group Body Shop in Brookhaven, MS. Scheduled speakers include the foljoined with John Mosley, President lowing industry professionals: Conof the Mississippi Collision Repair gressional Medal of Honor recipient Association (MSCRA), and acting as Mike Thornton; Aaron Schulencoordinators of the 2013 event, Plier burg, Executive Director of SCRS; and Mosley collaborated to organize Franklin Aaron Clark of Assured Performance; the SARC; theirwith effortsThomas proved effecRichard Perry, Chief’s Ford F-150 tive with 28 exhibitors/sponsors parProject Manager; Dave Poston, Colliticipating in the conference as well as sion Marketing Manager for American over 220 attendees representing five Honda; Richard Valenzuela of Varisoutheastern states. Anticipated attenable Rates Systems; John Mosley, dance for the 2014 SARC has increased to over 500 participants. with Ed AttanasioPresident of MSCRA and owner of Clinton Body Shop; and Ray Gunder SARC 2014 has expanded to inof Gunder’s Auto Center. clude the collaboration of four more On Saturday, the main speakers associations; in addition to MSCRA

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will each be allotted approximately 45 minutes to present, beginning with Schulenburg who will provide a national industry update. Noting that this is the third time he will be attending SARC, Schulenburg shares his feelings on the conference and his plans for his presentation: “conferences such as these present a terrific opportunity for shops to open their thoughts to alternative solutions and mindsets that can help drive their business forward. My talk is going to be focused on discussing new market trends and developments in the collision repair industry that are going to impact collision repair professionals, and a quick dive into some unique out-of-the-box perspectives that depart from the masses, and instead rely on developing strategy based on results, rather than on the expected.”

Schulenburg looks forward to attending SARC again since it gets bigger and better with more content each year, and he believes “Steve and his group have done a tremendous job of pulling together this southern market and giving them an exciting forum to look forward to, and I have no doubt this year will continue to surpass those previous events.”

The presentations will conclude with Mosley and Gunder, joined by attorney John Eaves, discussing the details and status of lawsuits filed against insurers, ending with a Q&A session.

Though the order of the other speakers has not yet been finalized, the topics they will speak on are as follows: Thornton will deliver a motivational speech, Poston is presenting on Honda repair technologies, Perry plans to discuss the new repair requirements for aluminum F-150 vehicles, and Valenzuela is scheduled to cover the Variable Rate System which promises to make a difference in establishing equitable labor rates through a body shop survey system.

Clark’s presentation will focus on the explaining Ford National Body Shop Program as Assured Performance is facilitating Ford dealership certification and recognition for independent body shops. Noting this is his first opportunity to attend such an event in the southeast, Clark is “look-

ing forward to meeting some new people and being able to answer any questions that they may have.”

Excitement and anticipation surrounding the SARC 2014 can be found in abundance amongst those involved with planning and speaking at the event. Plier is eager to hear Thornton speak: “I hope attendees will think about all the sacrifices that Mike and all the men and women in our military services for this country have made for each of us to enjoy the freedoms that we do. I hope this will lead attendees to be determined to stand for what is right and understand that standing for what is right usually is not the easy path, but it is the only path that will bring about change that is right, needed and focused on quality and service for each and every vehicle owner and their families.”

Schulenburg is “most looking forward to the exchange of ideas that fosters unique, independent thought for attendees. It is refreshing for repair business owners to step out of their four walls for a moment and take in other perspectives and information. I get excited about the idea of these repairers breaking the mold and really finding unique ways to bolster their businesses as they tackle the ever-changing landscape of collision repair.”

For Georgia Thorson, Administrative Coordinator of the SARC, it’s all about “seeing all of the planning come to fruition. Having so many collision industry professionals join a common cause to improve problem areas for their industry, their business and their customers promises to be exciting. The conference lineup and the venue are spectacular, so I know I won’t be disappointed in the results!”

Attendees can register for the SARC at a cost of $30 per person, but for individual business that want to have more than five employees attend at the same time, the registration fee is capped at $150. Businesses interested in exhibiting can reserve space for $1000, $3000 or $5000, dependent on their booth requirements and presentation time slots. Though limited space is still available, the deadline for exhibitors to register if March 25, so See Six SE Associations, Page 59

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Testimony on Maryland Parts Bill Involves Representatives from WMABA, PCI, LKQ, CAPA and Shops, Some Repairers ‘Cannot Afford to Refuse’ PartsTrader

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

The MD House Economic Matters committee, on March 14, voted 16 to 7 for an unfavorable report on HB574.

No action has yet been taken on SB487.

See cover story this issue.

This article provides some background on the testimony pro and con in front of the committee.

On February 21, the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA) testified at the MD House Hearing on Economic Matters in support of House Bill 574 (companion to Senate Bill 487), entitled Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance – Replacement Parts for Damaged Motor Vehicles.

During the hour-and-a-half that this bill was discussed in committee, House delegates heard from several panels representing various segments of the collision repair industry.

The first panel consisted of Jordan Hendler, Executive Director of WMABA, Mark Schaech of Mark’s Body Shop, and Joe Tucker of JQ Restorations. Hendler began by expressing her belief that HB574 would provide collision repair shops with the ability to service vehicles with what they deem to be the highest quality parts, stressing the need to trust the collision repair professionals to know what’s best for their customers. “As an industry, collision repairers are the first line of defense and considered the professional when it comes to fixing your car and doing what’s right for you,” she said. Support of this bill is important, Hendler continued, because use of aftermarket parts can impair warranties on newer vehicles, especially those that are less than three years old. Before a collision, a consumer’s warranty is 100% intact, but if their vehicle is repaired with aftermarket parts, the warranty is no longer 100% intact; portions of the warranty will not be valid because OEM parts were replaced with parts not recommended by the factory warranty.

Additionally, even when the parts vendor or insurer offers a warranty on aftermarket parts, it is non-transferable should the car be sold to another consumer. “Aftermarket parts, in our industry’s perspective, are inferior to genuine parts. We have fit, finish and functionality issues, even just for cosmetic purposes,” Hendler reiterated.

Another problem Hendler cited with the use of aftermarket parts is that they aren’t full vehicle crash-tested, and according to IIHS 2010 Chief Research Officer, there is a lot of engineering that goes into making a crash protection system, so changing parts may result in the system being unable to function as intended by the manufacturer.

MD code requires shops to inform the consumer when aftermarket parts are used, and most insurers permit customers to opt for using OEM parts instead; however, the customer must pay the difference in price between the parts options.

Speaking to claims that HB574 will lead to higher insurance premiums, Hendler pointed out that though RI and WV have a threeyear prohibition on aftermarket parts and historically higher rates, IN has a five-year prohibition and MN has a complete prohibition on aftermarket parts, and both of these states enjoy lower premiums than MD. Furthermore, insurers admit that premiums are mostly predicated on the individual driver, their driving record and where the live, in addition to state bodily injury laws.

A report by the Property Casualty Insurers Association (PCI) indicates that a complete ban on aftermarket parts would affect premiums by 2.6%, or $24 per year on average.

Thus, Hendler concluded, there is no evidence of a correlation between using OEM parts and increased insurance premiums.

Schaech provided an example of installing an aftermarket radiator which fails and ruins the vehicle’s engine. The engine will not be covered under the manufacturer’s warranty because the failure was caused by the aftermarket part.

Tucker addressed the parts procurement portion of the bill, explaining how DRPs work and comparing insurer-mandated parts procurement to steering, an activity prohibited by MD law.

When asked who is responsible for faulty parts, Schaech noted the shop is liable, and though a shop can ask the consumer to sign a “Hold Harmless” letter if they know they are going against OEM recommendations, he believes it’s not right for

32 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

shops to be put in this position at all.

While MD law requires shops to disclose use of aftermarket parts, giving the consumer the option of spending more money to repair their vehicle with OEM parts, many DRP shops are rated on how often they use aftermarket parts in their repairs.

The next panel called to testify consisted of insurer representatives.

Noel Patterson began by arguing that half the cost of insurance premiums is dictated by the cost of coverage; if the cost of repairs increases, so will the price of the premiums. She also believes that the use of aftermarket parts promoted competition in the marketplace while allowing insurers to control costs even as they strive to restore the vehicle to its pre-accident condition.

On behalf of USAA and the MD Insurers Alliance trade association, Kimberly Robinson said she opposed HB574 because many insurers offer consumers the choice to pay for OEM parts in their repair, allowing for competition between insurance com-

panies in MD, but this law would shift the cost of parts, increasing insurers’ expenses and translating into higher premiums “despite other states’ experiences.”

A representative from Liberty Mutual also objected, arguing that customers can get an extended warranty on aftermarket parts by going to DRP shops. This led to a delegate questioning how the insurers can claim that they are restoring a vehicle to its preloss condition when they’ve already acknowledged that using aftermarket parts may lead to diminished value, to which the insurer replied that their goal is to restore the vehicle to its previous condition, not its pre-accident value.

Several representatives from LKQ-Keystone were called to testify next, and Bruce Barriano argued that aftermarket parts are the same as OEM parts essentially; the term “aftermarket” simply means the part was made after the vehicle was manufactured. He insisted that the term is not a connotation of inferior quality as af-

termarket parts are built brand new and to specifications. Barriano said that aftermarket parts are only cheaper in price, not in quality or safety, and using these parts benefits consumers by keeping insurance costs down.

In contrast, HB574 creates a threeyear monopoly which is anti-competitive, allows OEMs to charge whatever they want for these parts, and will clearly lead to increasing rates—“this bill is not without financial implications,” Barriano insisted. Additionally, consumers receive a warranty on the life of LKQ aftermarket parts, plus the shop that repairs the vehicle receives indemnification from LKQ who will defend the collision repair facility if a lawsuit is filed.

Two General Managers of LKQKeystone facilities in MD, Jim Lohan and Marcel Hoover, spoke about how the businesses they run contribute to the state’s economy, and they claimed that many customers call them seeking an alternative to high-priced OEM parts.

Jack Gillis, Executive Director of CAPA and on behalf of the Center for Auto Safety, opposes the bill because it limits consumer choice, protects an unfair monopoly, restricts

competition, and will increase crash repair costs for MD consumers.

In addition to arguing that competition lowers prices, Gillis points out that using OEM parts doesn’t necessarily mean restoring the vehicle to its pre-loss condition, and because OEM parts are frequently recalled, he doesn’t think they should be the only option.

Arguing that “there’s nothing wrong with generic products,” he asked why aftermarket parts aren’t banned altogether if they’re substandard and suggests a middle-ground option of requiring aftermarket parts to be functionally equivalent to OEM parts.

The final portion of testimony began with Laura Marta Harding of State Farm who focused on the parts procurement portion of HB574, noting that PartsTrader has only been in effect in MD for two weeks. She argued that the collision repair shops control the inputs in PartsTrader, specifying the type of parts they use, and indicated that shops who object to interference in this business are welcome to opt out of State Farm’s Select Service Program.

Testifying on behalf of the opposition was Laura Gay, owner of Fort Washington Auto Body and Sullivan’s

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themselves in the place of the consumer, but opposition tactics to promulgate lies and kick up dirt can be hard to overcome.

Given how close this year’s efforts came to fruition, I think the groundwork has been laid, and there are good opportunities to succeed with the same language—and some added ammunition—in future sessions.”

During the entire process, only MAIF had supplied any documentation for actual cost to the insurance market, whereas all others just threw out generalized statements of inevitable premium raises.

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Auto Body. Gay discussed the decrease in the collision repair business due to advancing technology, admitting she cannot afford to refuse PartsTrader because she needs the business generated by being on State Farm’s DRP. Lawrence Christiansen of Nationwide estimated that HB574 would increase Nationwide’s premiums by $12 million over the next six months, and as this insurer only writes around 10% of MD’s insurance, the bill would seriously impact MD’s economy.

Oyango Snell, Counsel for PCI, concluded the testimony by pointing out that the bill’s advocates haven’t provided proof of consumer complaints, thus aftermarket parts usage poses no threat to the consumer in his opinion. Aftermarket parts only represent 10% of the parts market, so he feels the goal of HB574 seems to be creating even more of a monopoly. He finishes his testimony with the double-edged reminder that “insurance companies don’t sell parts.”

If you’re interested in viewing the hearing, you can access it from the link on the www.autobodynews.com website. Search for the online story with the same title as this article.

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Western Associations with Chasidy Rae Sisk

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

ASA-AZ Meets to Discuss Survival Skills for Service Advisors On Saturday, February 22nd, the Auzona. Most attended to learn better tomotive Service Association of Ariways on how to communicate with zona (ASA-AZ) hosted a course others [came for] a rewith Chasidy Rae customers, Sisk entitled Survival Skills for Service Adfresher course.” visors at the Phoenix Airport Hilton.

The focus of the event was on the Luz A. Rubio, Executive Director of importance of developing good communication skills, and the group discussed various scenarios with Chasidy Rae Sisk and examples, examining the best way to handle each unique situation.

“Being able to listen to the customer with Chasidy Rae Sisk and addressing the reason they came into the shop should be the primary focus. Being able to educate and inform with Chasidy Rae Sisk the customer on the ASA-AZ, says it was a “great class! importance of maintaining their vehicle We had 30 Service Advisors in attenin order to prevent costly repairs was dance, representing shops around Arialso an area of focus,” Rubio told us.

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Great Lakes Associations National Associations

Property and Casualty with ChasidyInsurers Rae Sisk Hit With Antitrust Suit by Florida Auto Body Shops

On February 24, 2014, a group of fixing under Section 1 of the Sherman Florida auto body shops filed an an- Act. In search of evidence of agreetitrust action against over forty prop- ment amongst the defendants (a necerty and casualty insurers in the U.S. essary element of a Section 1 claim), District Court for the Middle District plaintiffs allege that the insurers of Florida. agreed to control and suppress automobile damage repair costs at meetIn the case, A&E Auto Body verings amongst themselves that they sus 21st Century Centennial Insurance Co., d/b/a Farmers Insurance refused to allow members of the auto Group et al., the plaintiffs allege that collision repair industry to attend. the State Farm vendor agreement rePlaintiffs also contend that dewithtoEd Attanasio quires shops desiring participate in fendants’ alleged conduct constitutes this preferred provider program to ac- unlawful boycott activity. In support cept the market rate for such services, of that assertion, plaintiffs maintain and that State Farm calculates those that the defendants’ alleged acts of rates in an improper manner that steering customers away from plainkeeps them artificially low and not tiffs, through allegations and intimirepresentative ofwith the true for dations of poor work quality places Edmarket Attanasio such services. defendants’ conduct beyond the limThe plaintiffs also allege that the ited antitrust exemption that the inremaining insurer defendants in the surance industry enjoys under the state have advised plaintiffs that they McCarran Ferguson Act. will pay no more than State Farm The action is only in its very earpays for labor at their shops, thus re- liest stages, and the insurers have not withofEd Attanasio sulting in a stabilizing rates at these yet responded to plaintiffs’ allegaallegedly low levels. tions. However, given the number of In addition to a number of com- insurer defendants, and the nature of mon law counts, plaintiffs assert that the issues, the case will be a major defendants’ conduct constitutes price collision industry event in 2014.

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Attendees’ expectations were exceeded, Rubio believes. “Several experienced service advisors who have been in their position for more than ten years enjoyed the class and walked away with at least one idea that they can implement to improve how they have been doing their job.”

In 2014, the ASA-AZ’s goal is to provide their members with education and training by attracting indus-

try speakers who will share fresh content that members can relate to and learn from. “The benefit of being a member is the opportunity to exchange ideas with peers and learn from each other. We promote that we are not an association of competitors, but an association of peers where we identify challenges and come up with ideas that will maximize the success and longevity their businesses.”

ASA-AZ is very excited to offer a full calendar of meetings, events and

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roundtables this year as they continue to strive to provide a forum for members to share valuable information that will help elevate the standard in the in-

dustry. Rubio poses a question: “Where else can you go to exchange information with your peers, people that have found what works or what does not?

We urge shop owners to attend these events and network with their fellow peers; the return on their membership investment will be more than just financial.”

ASA-AZ PO Box 81517 Phoenix, AZ 85069 602-544-2600 www.asaaz.org

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Minnesota Bill Proposes More Comprehensive Restrictions on Insurer Vendor Requirements A proposed bill in Minnesota, House existing prohibition by requiring veFile 2690 (HF 2690), seeks to amend hicle owners to take their vehicles to Minnesota Statutes 2012, section a specific repair facility for inspec72B.092, subdivision 1 to include more tion.

“We’ve heard from our members stringent prohibitions against insurance that insurance companies now tell company requirements placed upon repeople to go to a specific repair facilpair facilities. Introduced by Representatives Joe Atkins, Greg Davids, Joe ity to get their vehicle inspected,” said Hoppe, Debra Hilstrom, Jim Davnie Anderson. “In many cases the insurer and Melissa Hortman on Monday, will actually have staff on site at the body shop one or two days a week, esMarch 3, HF 2690 changes two subsections of the existing law, including sentially running a drive in claim center in the repair facility. This section provisions the repair industry supported and were added into the law in is really about combating insurance company steering.”

2007.

The second amendment adds a The first amends adds a prohibition against insurance companies and section to the existing law that extheir representatives from requiring pands upon the types of requirements that a vehicle be presented “… at a that insurance companies may not particular motor vehicle repair shop place upon repair facilities. The added designated by the insurer” in addition section states that insurance company to the existing ban against drive-in representatives shall not: ● specify or require any motor vehicle claim centers.

According to Judell Anderson, repair shop to utilize specific vendors, executive director of AASP-MN, distributors, manufacturers, suppliers, whose organization supports the bill, business platforms, or internal processes in orderaffecting to carry out the vehicle repairs for this amend seeks to expand the existGive us your opinion on matters industry. ing prohibition on requiring vehicle an insured or claimant.

This expands upon another subowners present their cars at a drive-in because insurers have adapted to the section that was added into the ex-

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isting law in 2007 that says insurance company representative shall not: ● specify the use of a particular vendor for the procurement of parts or other materials necessary for the satisfactory repair of the vehicle. This clause does not require the insurer to pay more than a reasonable market price for parts of like kind and quality in adjusting a claim In October 2013, AASP-MN filed a formal complaint with the Minnesota Department of Commerce requesting administrative and/or legal action to prevent State Farm from requiring that collision repair shops that participate in the insurer's direct repair program use the PartsTrader parts procurement system based upon the existing section of the law.

According to Anderson, the addition of the new section should help address numerous concerns AASP-MN members have with increasing insurance company requirements for specific vendors and Want to Contribute business processes beyond the existing law that prohibits that activity for parts and materials.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 37

SCRS and CIC are April 8–9, 2014, in Portland, OR

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) Industry Awards and Corporate Member Recognition Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, April 9, 2014, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., just prior to the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) at the Red Lion Hotel on the River Jantzen Beach in Portland, OR. In additon, the SCRS Open Board Meeting will be on Tuesday, April 8, 2014, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Following the board meeting at 5:15 p.m., current SCRS members can vote for four board members.

Collision repair shop owners and managers are further invited to attend a special Collision Repairer Roundtable meeting on Wednesday, April 9, 2014, from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m.

RSVP by March 26, 2014, to info@scrs.com or 1-877-841-0660.

Contact the Red Lion Hotel on the River Jantzen Beach at 1-800-7335466 to make hotel reservations and mention CIC to get the group rate.

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SEMA Product Development Expo on April 10 in CA

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Product Development Expo on April 10, 2014, in Diamond Bar, CA, will help SEMA members learn about new tools and resources available to increase efficiencies and decrease costs.

Co-sponsored by the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) and the Emerging Trends and Technology Network (ETTN), the conference includes live demonstrations of 3D scanning and printing machines; discussions on connected vehicles and the future of transportation; and updates about automotive apps, including Ford’s OpenXC platform. Participants will also learn about and tour the SEMA Garage.

Conference participants will discover how to avoid reverse engineering, what products require emissions certifications and how to obtain the proper certifications, and why data standards can help or hinder distribution.

The registration fee, which includes lunch and a networking reception, is $47 for SEMA members and $97 for non-SEMA members.

Register at www.sema.org/pde.

Montana Shop Open to Airmen Working on their Own, Offers Training in Paint and Body Repair

by Airman 1st Class Joshua Smoot

Airmen who enjoy working on their own car or don’t want to drive into town to have their car repaired have a place to go. The Malmstrom Auto Hobby Shop on the Malmstrom base has many services to offer for military members of any rank, dependents and retirees.

Some of the services the shop offers are engine diagnostic checks, brake checks, welding and paint booths and classes on each. There are also three mechanics available at the shop to help Airmen with any projects they may have.

“The single Airmen program makes it so people can take the welding and auto body paint classes for a low charge,” said Clint Mallory, the auto hobby shop chief.

The welding class is the first Wednesday of the month and the painting class is the second Wednesday of the month.

“The classes normally start at 5:30 p.m. and end around 8:30 p.m.,” Mallory said. “It all depends on how many questions the class members have. Participants must go to the class for one session before they receive a

certification to use the paint and welding booths.”

For those who are interested in a more thorough learning experience on painting, the shop also offers a six to eight-week auto body paint class.

“We have a lot of Airmen who come here,” Mallory said. “Once they come in once, they keep coming back.

Even though we have a lot of people coming in, I have heard a lot of people say they have never been here before or that they didn’t even know there was an auto shop on base.”

In the shop, people have completed an array of projects for their car.

“We have Airmen who have pulled and rebuilt their motors, installed suspension lifts on their trucks and removed and replaced their transmissions,” Mallory said. “There have also been quite a few little jobs such as putting in freeze plug heaters for their car because it was winter time.

In the warmer months people come in to put on new tires for their car.”

“They supply you with any tool you need,” said Airman 1st Class Jeremy McNeal, 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintenance apprentice.

38 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

FIX Auto Adds Five New West Coast Locations The rapid growth of the Fix Auto USA franchise network across the Western United States shows no sign of slowing as the organization announced new locations in Springfield, Oregon and Watsonville, Salinas, San Clemente, and Sun Valley, California.

Fix Auto Springfield, formerly A Street Automotive & Collision, is the eighth Fix Auto center in the state of Oregon and the 17th in the Northwest franchise group. Owners Cris Kuhnhausen and John Kimpton, attuned to market trends, noted changes in the industry which they believed they could benefit from if they aligned with a larger group. In the Fix Auto franchise model they found the best of both worlds, — the opportunity to reposition their business into the MSO segment while maintaining control of the business they had spent over 25 years building.

WAB Collision Center, locally owned and operated by Mike Garland and family, opened for business in Watsonville in 1981, adding a second location in Salinas in 2012. Recently aligned with Fix Auto as Fix Auto Watsonville and Fix Auto Salinas, the two shops are the fourth and fifth centers to open in Northern California under the Fix Auto brand,

making it an exciting new frontier for the organization.

Fix Auto Sun Valley, formerly known as J&L Body & Paint Shop, was recently added in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Siblings Daniel and Sandy Panduro, who own the facility, grew up in the business learning the ropes from their father, John, who opened the business in 1983.

Fix Auto San Clemente is the second franchise operation owned by partners Richard Fish and Bill Lawrence (and the fourth center owned by Fish). Fish’s rapid expansion with Fix Auto testifies to how existing standards and operations encourage rapid, organic market growth. “Fix Auto’s methodology provides a template for how a successful franchise should operate, which removes much of the guesswork that goes into getting a new operation up-and-running,” Fish explained. “Each of our franchises has its own flavor and its own set of unique challenges, but having a clearly defined, proven methodology in place for operational excellence certainly makes things easier.”

The addition of these five new facilities brings the total Fix Auto USA count to 54 locations.

Power Up at the 2014 WIN Educational Conference in San Diego, CA, May 5–7, 2014

Attendees will “Power Up” to be the best they can be at the annual Women’s Industry Network (WIN) Educational Conference May 5–7, 2014, at the Paradise Point Resort and Spa in San Diego, CA. The conference will feature keynote speakers Colette Carlson and Dr. Verna Cornelia Price, and cover everything from sustainability, a trending issue in the collision industry, to honing your negotiation and interpersonal skills.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity for Dr. Price and Ms. Carlson to address the WIN members at this year’s Educational Conference,” said Jessica Rob, co-chair of the conference planning committee. “Their messages are in alignment with WIN’s mission; their presentations focus on personal power, masterful communication, change and positivity in the workplace.”

In the inaugural year of WIN’s presentation of the Most Influential Women awards, the gala dinner will focus on recognizing women who have been nominated by their peers as outstanding business and civic leaders. 2014 will also usher in a new era of scholarships for WIN. For the

first time, WIN will award tuition scholarships to applicants from both secondary and post-secondary schools as the winners pursue their education in technical colleges across the country. Some of those winners will be in attendance at the conference.

Additional special events will include welcome luau dinner on the beach and the annual scholarship walk.

In addition, WIN is focusing on reducing their carbon footprint for the conference to foster a more sustainable future by reducing printed materials (invitations, brochures, and program materials), shifting in-session practices to reduce waste, and shifting resources from purchasing giveaways” to the scholarship fund.

Registration opens in March 2014. Learn more about the conference at http://thewomensindustrynetwork.ning.com/page/2014-conference

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 39

GM Readying Aluminum Body Trucks for Late 2018

General Motors Co. is working towards a largely aluminum-bodied pickup truck by late 2018, under pressure from federal fuel efficiency standards, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

GM recently locked in supply contracts with Alcoa, Inc. and Novelis, Inc., and both suppliers are now working to increase their aluminum sheet production to supply the nextgeneration GM pickup, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Aluminum sheet for automotive bodies is in such high demand that companies need to order it years in advance, the newspaper said.

GM has been working to put its full-size pickup trucks on a severe diet to meet future U.S. fuel economy standards and stay competitive with rival, Ford Motor Co. “We are going to continue to improve the fuel efficiency of all of our products,” a GM spokesman said today in an email. “For competitive reasons, we are not talking about technical details of future products at this point.”

Mark Reuss, GM product chief, made no secret of his interest in aluminum when he saw Ford’s

aluminum F-150 pickup at the Detroit, MI, auto show last month.

“I want to get my hands on it,” Reuss told reporters. “I’m going to be looking at how much aluminum is in it. ‘What are the panels? …

How are they constructed?’ I’m going to look at what they advertise as the weight savings from it. Then I’m going to go back and do some math.”

Reuters reported in July 2013 that GM will start using more lightweight materials such as aluminum and composites in place of conventional steel.

Ford has already made the switch. The new F-150’s latest upgrade’s body is 95 percent militarygrade aluminum alloy, used in Humvees, and will weigh up to 700 pounds less than the current model.

Alcoa and Novelis, a private company, could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters.

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Ford Recommends LORD Fusor in F-150 Repairs

LORD Fusor 108B, a metal bonding adhesive designed for body shop is now recommended by Ford Motor Company for the repair of their new 2015 Ford F-150 aluminum cab.

Unveiled at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mich., Jan. 13, Ford Motor Company approved LORD Fusor 108B metal bonding adhesive for repairs on the 2015 F-150 military-grade aluminum alloy cab by their dealers and independent body shops. This new design will require adhesive in nearly all joints in the cab. Ford will be listing specific repair procedures in the collision repair manual along with instructions that will be provided with service parts.

“Over the years, Fusor has led the industry with innovative metal bonding applications such as quarter panel bonding, rivet bonding on laminate steel and weld bonding with STRSW by working with the OEM repair teams before the vehicles launch. LORD Fusor has been a sponsor of the Ford Paint and Body Technology Center and continues to work with them to develop important vehicle repair procedures,” says Julie Miller, market manager at LORD Corporation. “We recommend follow-

ing the OEM procedure when using Fusor 108B for vehicle specific procedures. LORD Fusor 108B metal bonding adhesive is one of three approved repair adhesives by Ford Motor Company, including Motorcraft TA-1B.” Gerry Bonanni at Ford Motor Company’s Paint and Body Technology Center stated that the developed procedures are easy to follow and can be performed by any body shop that performs collision repairs on F-150 trucks today.

“The approved adhesives are widely available and training will be available by I-CAR to assist technicians with this mainstream repair process,” says Bonnani.

Ford will present information on the 2015 F-150 and aluminum repair at the AASP/NJ Northeast Show March 21-23 in Secaucus, N.J. Additional details will be presented at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) April 9-10 in Portland, Ore., NACE CARS 2014 July 31-Aug. 2 in Detroit, Mich., and at the SEMA Show Nov. 4-7 in Las Vegas, Nev. LORD Fusor 108B is currently available to all dealers and body shops.

For more information please visit LORD.com, or call at 1-877-275-5673.

GM’s Handling of Fatal Switch Recall Being Investigated

The U.S. Justice Department has started a preliminary investigation into how General Motors (GM) handled the recall of 1.6 million vehicles with faulty ignition switches linked to at least 13 deaths.

The inquiry is focusing on whether GM might have violated criminal or civil laws by failing to notify regulators in a timely fashion about the switch failures, said a person familiar with the probe who asked not to be named and isn’t authorized to discuss investigations.

Lawyers in the U.S. Attorney’s office in the southern district of New York are leading the investigation.

The inquiry comes as House and Senate committees and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are also investigating GM’s actions leading up to the recall.

The initial recall on February 13, 2014, covered 778,562 Chevrolet Cobalts and Pontiac G5s. It was widened less than two weeks later to more than 800,000 additional vehicles. Those include 2003–2007 Saturn Ions, 2006–2007 Chevrolet HHRs, 2006–2007 Pontiac Solstices, and 2006–2007 Saturn Skys. Other models affected are the 2005–2006 Pontiac Pursuit sold in Canada and the

2007 Opel GT sold in Europe.

NHTSA, whose decision not to investigate the switch failures years ago is also under scrutiny by Congress, is focusing on what steps the automaker took to investigate and rectify engineering concerns and consumer complaints dating back to at least 2004.

GM has until April 3, 2014, to answer questions posed by the regulator in a 27-page order issued in early March 2014.

GM has said that heavy key rings or jarring can cause the ignition switches to slip out of position, cutting off power and deactivating air bags. The automaker has linked the defect to at least 23 crashes, including 13 deaths.

NHTSA could fine GM as much as US$35 million, which would be the most ever by the U.S. government, if it finds the automaker didn’t pursue a recall when it knew the cars were defective.

GM’s stock has slid 9.2 percent in 2014 through March 10, 2014, and the recall is emerging as the first major test for new CEO, Mary Barra, who was promoted two weeks before the company decided to implement the recall on January 31, 2014.

40 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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Get Ready for Earth Day with LKQ Get Green Promotion

SEMA Seeks Nominations for Hall of Fame by March 21, 2014

Mitchell Acquiring FAIRPAY

Collision Repair Education Foundation Golf Fundraiser

Leading up to Earth Day on April 17, 2014, the 2014 LKQ Get Green promotion is encourages all LKQ customers in environmentally-friendly practices, while offering a chance to win valuable prizes, including solar backpacks, LKQ gift cards, Raleigh ALYSA FT0 bicycles, and a 2014 Honda Accord.

For more information and the official rules on the 2014 LKQ Get Green promotion, visit: www.LKQGetGreen.com.

Mitchell has agreed to acquire FAIRPAY Solutions, a workers’ compensation, liability, and auto cost containment and payment integrity services provider. Mitchell plans to offer FAIRPAY Solutions specialty bill review to auto and workers’ compensation markets and out-of-network negotiation services. Mitchell will maintain relationships with other bill review and negotiation service providers.

For more information, visit www.mitchell.com.

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is accepting nominations for its Hall of Fame.

Created in 1969, the SEMA Hall of Fame is designed to honor outstanding people in the industry who have enhanced the stature of, or significantly contributed to, the industry and/or association’s growth.

Submit a nomination before March 21, 2014, at http://fs17.formsite.com/ginalsemaorg/form2/index. html.

The Collision Repair Education Foundation annual summer golf fundraiser will be on Thursday, July 31, 2014, at the Arnold Palmer-designed Northville Hills Golf Club in Detroit, MI, in conjunction with CIC, I-CAR, NACE, and other Industry Week meetings being held. that week. Funds raised assist the Collision Repair Education Foundation in providing support to collision repair students and school collision programs. Contact Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org or at 847463-5244.

Latest Edition of CIECA-TV: ECommerce Done Right

The Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) announced the newest edition of CIECA-TV: CIECA, E-Commerce Done Right.

To meet the needs for safe and secure e-commerce, the industry needed standards that enable us to exchange the right data with the right player at the right time. To accomplish that, CIECA created the Business Message Specification (BMS). View a video about the CIECA BMS at: h t t p : / / w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m / watch?v=bxvxtesVx7I.

Transtar Acquires ETX

Transtar Industries, Inc., owner of automotive aftermarket brands including Transtar, Transtar Autobody Technologies, King-O-Matic, Axiom, and Nickels Performance, has acquired ETX, Inc. from Chicagobased, privately-held Jordan Industries and private equity firm The Edgewater Funds. ETX owns DACCO, Inc., Alma Products, and ATCO Products, Inc. With this acquisition, Transtar Industries expands to approximately 2,300 employees and over 130 locations throughout North America.

Mitchell Announces Liability Adjusters’ Software Release

Mitchell announced on February 25, 2014, that the commercial release of Decision Point 8, a completely automated medical bill review and workflow solution for first- and third-party liability adjusters.

Decision Point 8 is an end-toend medical bill review platform enabling adjusters in the auto casualty industry to make informed decisions around medical bills related to liability claims.

For more information, visit: www.mitchell.com.

SEMA Data Co-op Grows 300%

The Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Data Coop (SDC) is now helping more than 600 automotive specialty equipment Suppliers and re-sellers around the world standardize and manage their parts data to improve efficiency and increase sales, a 300 percent increase from August 2013. The SDC has seen unprecedented growth following a very strong formal launch of its Product Information Management System (PIMS) in May 2013 and the announcement of free product data exports to SEMA members.

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Industry Insight with John Yoswick

—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has a body shop in the family and has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com).

Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.

Helpful Documents, Tools, Information Only a Click Away For Shops Looking for tips, tools and resources “It’s hard to find qualified technito help your business, defend your po- cians on general job boards,” Jeff Hersitions or do your part for the indus- man, CEO of TopTech Finder, said. try? Here’s a collection links to “They aren’t designed for the mechanwith EdofAttanasio sites, documents and information you ical repair industry and don’t draw may find interesting and useful. many technicians. In contrast, TopTech — More and more state legislaFinder allows candidates to show off tures are considering bills that would industry-specific qualifications, makplace new limits on insurer mandates, ing it a natural place for techs to find such as State Farm’s mandated use of jobs.”

PartsTrader. Meanwhile theAttanasio AutomoTopTech Finder is free for jobwith Ed tive Service Association (ASA) is exseekers and will remain free for empected to issue a preliminary report ployers for a limited time. soon on the response it has received — It’s a common belief in the infrom state attorneys general and insurdustry that in markets with lower ance regulations regarding the legality labor rates, estimates have more line of State Farm’s PartsTrader mandate. items to make the bottom line about “ASA has had discussions with a the same as it would be in a market Ed have Attanasio number of thesewith states that sub- with a higher labor rate. Some analymitted inquiries for additional sup- sis from Mitchell International indiporting information,” the association cates that may not be the case. states in its press release. “It’s imporDownload Mitchell’s most retant to note that subsequent to our an- cent “Industry Trends Report,” nouncement relative to sending letters (http://tinyurl.com/cpbt9ks) to read to each state, State Farm sent states a how the company analyzed estimates letter arguing the legitimacy of such in states with the highest labor rates mandates.” to compare them to those with the Want to see what State Farm is lowest labor rates. The states with the telling some state regulators? Click lowest average body labor rates – here (http://tinyurl.com/StateFarm- Massachusetts ($37.07), Tennessee Letter) to see one such letter. ($41.14), Florida ($41.29), Georgia “Our goal was to resolve this issue ($42.04) and Maryland ($42.12) – did without government oversight, internot tend to have more repair (versus ference or legislation,” Dan Risley, exreplace) operations, more refinish ecutive director of ASA, said. “As hours or more overall estimate lines such, we have persisted in our efforts than the states with the highest averto work with State Farm to change the age body labor rates – Montana current PartsTrader mandate policy. ($63.05), Alaska ($61.35), California This has included multiple meetings ($60.46), North Dakota (59.52) and and other discussions that continued Wyoming ($57.45). throughout 2013. ASA believes that “Only 1.2 hours of total labor there are potential solutions (if) State separates the average of the bottom Farm is willing to work toward an amfive labor rate states from the top five icable resolution that benefits State labor rate states,” the report found, for Farm, collision repairers and the conexample. sumer.”

— Which states are doing the — Looking for another way to remost to improve highway safety? The cruit new technicians? Shops should 11th annual report card from Advonote that use of the TopTechFinder.com cates for Highway and Auto Safety (www.toptechfinder.com) recruiting measuring state progress in passing site is still free for both shops and those highway safety laws gives Illinois, looking for work.

Oregon and the District of Columbia Since launching in early 2012, the top grades for having enacted 12 TopTechFinder.com has connected with of 15 laws the organization supports. over 1,350 candidates and 350 repairAnother six states, including Indiana, ers in the collision repair business. It have passed 11 of the laws. has since expanded to help mechanical States receiving the lowest grades, repair shops find qualified employees. having enacted five or fewer of the

Shop Showcase

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42 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

laws, are South Dakota, Mississippi, Arizona, Iowa, Montana and Nebraska.

Download the report at: http://tinyurl.com/lctnvv9 — Here’s a link that has nothing to do with collision repair directly, but could save a life. Joe Arnold, vice president of Arnold’s Body Shop in Davenport, Iowa, is urging people to learn the symptoms of a stroke after his wife suffered a stroke on the day after Christmas.

“She is only 39 years old and healthy,” Arnold posted on Facebook.

“It can happen to anyone at any age.

At the start we thought it was just a migraine. As it progressed, it became clear that it was a stroke. I only knew because of my past training as an EMT (14 years ago) what it really could be.

She will make a full recovery because we recognized the signs and symptoms and took immediate action based upon them.”

The three key symptoms are outlined at: http://tinyurl.com/ltg3q63 “The more you know, the safer you and your loved ones will be,” Arnold wrote.

— Another anti-DRP website, StopDRP.com, has launched; its content includes an animated video cautioning consumers about the use of non-OEM parts (comparing them to having a diamond replaced with cubic zirconium) and one fictionalizing a conversation between a shop and an insurer about what the shop must do to become part of the insurer’s DRP. The site includes a link to another such site, StopSteering.com, which launched in 2008.

— Looking for help explaining their automaker’s position on nonOEM parts or reconditioned wheels?

The OEM Roundtable this year launched a new consumer website, www.CrashRepairInfo.com. The site includes: information for vehicleowners on how to choose a body shop; definitions of common terms used in collision repair and auto insurance claims; automaker position statements on vehicle safety systems, counterfeit or salvage airbags, etc.; and videos such as Honda’s demonstration of a mistimed airbag’s impact on a watermelon.

— Ten insurers (including Farmers, USAA, Chubb and MetLife) are offering a branded app (http://tinyurl.com/Snapsheet) through Snapsheet (www.Snapsheet.com) that enable “self-service” claims for customers. Snapsheet CEO Brad Weisberg said when an insured calls to report a loss, the insurer can offer them the option of using the app to upload six to 15 photos of the damage. Estimators at Snapsheet’s offices then prepare an estimate based on the photos and sends it back to the customer within three business hours.

The customer has the option of a direct-deposit cash-out, or can use the app to schedule an appointment with one of the insurer’s DRP shops. Supplements are handled through Snapsheet. Insurers pay a flat fee per estimate for the service, Weisberg said. He emphasizes that his company produces “visual estimates” only.

How do Snapsheet estimators ensure their estimates comply with various state laws regarding use of non-OEM parts, etc.?

“There are some states where we absolutely cannot write in,” Weisberg said. “But what we pride ourselves on is writing accurate estimates. Not only accurate to fix the car but also according to a carrier’s guidelines. So we spend a lot of time with the carriers calibrating with their claims organization how they want us to write the estimates. They review a lot of our estimates to make sure we’re writing according to plan.”

Prior to Snapsheet, Weisberg was the founder in 2011 of BodyShopBids, which enabled consumers to upload photos of their damaged vehicle and receive quotes from nearby body shops within 24 hours.

“BodyShopBids was a great idea and a great way to start, but it wasn’t a real business,” Weisberg said. “This is needed in the industry and this is wanted by consumers, so it’s a perfect fit.”

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 43

On Creative Marketing

A Missing Hat In Most Shops with Thomas Franklin

By now most shop owners know the advantage most new media people collision repair world is changing rap- lack. Your ten years or more of accuidly. Last month I wrote about the Sci- mulated customer contacts are a solid, Fi Shop of the Future. New materials experienced crowd. Now the time has and new smart cars require new skills come to maximize that resource.

It’s time to take a new look at and new technology. But what is changing even faster is the way peo- your professional image. Unlike servple communicate with one another. ice stations and mechanical shops, Facebook’s recent purchase What- your customers don’t come in for regwith DickofStrom sApp for 19 billion dollars to enhance ular maintenance or simple battery the mobile segment of its 1.2 billion and tire purchases. In a sense they’re users says that mobile communication somewhat like the family doctor between users may become the pre- whose patients come in for annual dominant way people communicate in checkups and exams. But the collision the future. But how many shops em- shop owner is more like a surgeon ploy someone solely for the purpose who only sees a patient when a major of connecting with this segment of the operation is needed. And so much of population? And is there any good your marketing must be similar to that of the surgeon or other professionals reason to do so at this time?

My answer would be that it all who only see clients in extreme times depends on how much a shop’s busi- of need. How do they build a reliable Leewith Amaradio Jr.base? ness depends onwith connecting rela- client Many professionals must rely tively young vehicle owners and drivers. Older customers are usually heavily on client referrals and conmore affluent and drive higher end ve- tacts. To build on these, most seek to hicles. If a shop maintains a database join clubs, associations and charitaof at least ten years of past customers, ble organizations that their clients the odds are good that more than half frequent or belong to. If they belong of those customers is older and possi- to a particular religion or philosophbly less tech-savvy. More importantly, ical group, they will participate in these prior customers and their that group to have an opportunity to friends, families and contacts may meet with various members and bemake up the biggest part of your fu- come known as a specialist in their with Sheila Loftusspecific field. High-priced profesture customer base outside of insurance and dealership referrals. As the sionals like CPAs, lawyers and surnew market becomes more and more geons can afford to invest serious tied to websites, Facebook, Twitter time in developing a deeply personal and other media, the general game de- relationship with a potential client. A pends on who can come up with the typical body shop owner can’t afford most captivating message and images to dedicate substantial time to any on the new media. But you have an one potential collision repair cus-

Opinions Count

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Your Turn

Elvis is Back in his Body Shop and Running For Office

AR Body Shops Profit from Unexpected Winter Weather

Shop Showcase

Elvis D. Presley of Star City filed At West Auto Body, Owner Larry paperwork to run as a Libertarian for West said his phone has been ringing with Janet Chaney commissioner of state lands. Presley off the hook. The damages range was selected as the party’s nominee from all types of dents on bumpers during its convention last weekend and doors and cracked windshields. in Little Rock. Presley, who works at West said he took off this past weekan auto body shop and performs end because he knew what to expect Elvis-themed shows in his free time, today. ran as a write-in candidate for “I love the business but I’d Arkansas governor. Born Joey Dane rather folks to be safe than tearing Ashmore, he legally changed his their cars up than making money,” name to Elvis D. Presley in 2006. said West. He’s looking at the Presley said he didn’t expect his faweather forecast and is urging everymous name to help him in the race. one to stay home.

Industry Overview with Janet Chaney

44 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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

tomer. So how can a shop owner do the kind of depth marketing that will gain the loyalty of this kind of reliable referral source?

One shop owner in the California San Fernando Valley had a wall full of contacts. He belonged to the Knights of Columbus, the Sheriff’s Supporters League, and the American Legion. He sponsored a Boy Scout Troop, a Ladies Auxiliary and several school sports teams. It sounded like this guy was everywhere and his volume of business attested to the effectiveness of his efforts. How did he do it? Obviously not alone. Later I learned that his sister had started a woman’s business referral service. His son was active in the business at a young age. In general I don’t think he had paid P.R. people doing any of this work, but it’s not much of a stretch to consider that possibility. Family is great if you have it, but if not can it be cost-effective to employ a real public relations person

to handle this in-depth membership and schmoozing activity?

Many businesses calculate the lifetime value of a customer. Figuring one collision repair every 3-to-5 years generates an approximate number. But this ignores the people in that customer’s surrounding universe. The opportunity to specifically refer a repair facility just when an accident happens is quite rare. That’s why the P.R. person is needed to amplify the praise of a satisfied customer in a group. This marketing person must have the ability to speak for the shop at groups, community events, company meetings and more. He or she should be of a comparable age to the prospective customers, with a background in sales and public speaking but with enough familiarity of the collision repair shop to present a credible story and reason to patronize the shop. As the crowd turns to social media, personal contact still has the advantage.

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AAAS Busy Strengthening Industry in 2014

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

Despite the harsh and unusual weather in the southeast portion of the country, the Automotive Aftermarket Association Southeast (AAAS) has been hard at work in their efforts to strengthen the industry—they aren’t going to let a little snow and ice slow them down!

Currently, their main focus is on two upcoming lobbying events, but they are also preparing to award scholarships as their scholarship deadline draws near and planning for their annual conference in June.

AAAS held their second Annual Capitol Day at the GA State Capitol in Atlanta on Wednesday, February 19th.

GA members of AAAS were invited to join the association for a full day of legislative sessions and visits with elected officials as AAAS seeks to personally advocate for the industry’s priorities.

On March 18th and 19th, AAAS members from the Sunshine State are encouraged to attend their Annual Capitol Day event in Tallahassee, FL, again attending legislative sessions and visiting with legislators as they at-

tempt to strengthen the industry. Regarding these two events, President of AAAS Randal Ward explains, “members join us for a day or two of walking the halls of the legislature and visiting representatives.” Ward believes this is a proactive networking opportunity that allows them to gain advocates for future legislative concerns they may encounter.

AAAS is also preparing to award scholarships in the near future. The deadline for the AAAS Educational Foundation Scholarship is March 31, 2014. The AAASEF Scholarship Fund was established in 2005 to encourage and financially support individuals wishing to continue their education in a technical training school or college.

Applicants must be sponsored by an AAAS member to be eligible, but all eligible candidates will be considered, regardless of their chosen field of study. Applications can be submitted at: www.automotivescholarships.com /AAAS. Additionally, AAAS is making arrangements for their upcoming Annual Conference and Trade Show, to

be held at the Baytowne Warf of Sandestin on June 5-8, 2014. They are excited to present keynote speaker John Washbish, President and CEO of the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, Inc. With over four decades of experience in the automotive industry, Washbash’s leadership skills have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association Leader of the Year Award and Northwood’s Automotive Aftermarket Management Education Award. AAAS Chairman Mike Morgan feels “very fortunate to have John joining us for our annual conference. We look forward to his visit and him sharing his views and insight on the industry and the economy… We are honored to welcome an impressive list of guest speakers who will deliver very timely educational and informative presentations on some of the most important topics facing the aftermarket industry today.”

On Saturday morning, the conference will begin with Washbish discussing changes and trends that

impact aftermarket businesses. Next, Scott Luckett, Chief Information Officer of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) will present “The Connected Car: The Impact of Vehicles Telematics in the Auto Care Industry,” and this will be followed by a presentation on “Aftermarket Access to OEM Vehicle Repair Information,” given by Skip Potter, Executive Director of the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF). The program will conclude with Wayne Bowling, Senior Vice President of Employee Benefits at Willis Group, who will discuss Obamacare’s effects on attendees, their businesses and their employees.

In addition to the educational aspect of the event, AAAS promises networking opportunities and plenty of fun with a full schedule that includes a deep fishing charter, a reception at Baytowne Marina, a Saturday night dinner cruise on the Solaris, and the Bell/Hines Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser Golf Tournament. AAAS will continue providing updates on this event at www.aaas.us.

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 45

Social Media for Shops with Ed Attanasio

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

Louisiana Shop Owner Uses Twitter to Survey Other Shops in Real Time A Louisiana body shop owner saw his when I walked into that room and lisdaughter using Twitter to survey her tened to what everyone said, a light friends on an important social matter, bulb went on in my head. Hey, a lot of and a light bulb went off in his head. us are in the same boat, I thought!” withrepeatedly Ed Attanasio He was fuming about havAfter the LaCIA’s January meeting to wrestle with insurance compa- ing, there was a question and answer nies over what they will and won’t session and that’s when Cantrelle pay for. But, rather than getting mad, shared his brilliant idea with the he’s now using the social media site to membership in attendance. “After query other shops about what is and seeing my 14-year-old daughter (Ashisn’t being paid for elsewhere. ley) on her cell phone texting her Abel Cantrelle, 49, is the owner of friends, I realized that we can use this Advantage Collision Center in Houma, social media to help the organization LA. He recently purchased a 40-inch and each other,” he said. “All these smart television and hung it on the wall kids now are on Facebook, Instagram it in his reception area in his shop where and Twitter every day communicating both customers and insurance adjusters with [their peer group], so why can’t body shops do the same thing?”

Cantrelle is not a techie and surely not a social media expert, but he knows that communication and networking can be powerful if used properly, he said.

“It’s all about communicating with the tools we’ve got. I remember way back when they started telling us about personal computers and programs like CCC and Mitchell. Lots of us didn’t know anything about comAbel Cantrelle saw his 14-year-old daughter Ashley tweeting one day and came up with the idea of using puters and now they’re in Twitter to survey other shops on repair compensation front of us every day. We in real time can go to Twitter and comcan see it. But, they’re not watching The municate back and forth and get anView or Dr. Phil. What they’re seeing is swers right away—at our fingertips.” a real-time feed of Cantrelle’s Twitter Cantrelle is using Twitter to call account, so that when insurers deny anyout insurance adjusters that want to thing for any reason, he can tweet the deny when it comes to repair processes details to shop owners and companies they don’t want to reimburse. “If an inlike CCC and Mitchell to get their imsurance company comes in here now mediate feedback. and says we don’t pay for this or that, The story begins late last year, all I have to do is say let’s stop right when Cantrelle got wind of a new trade here and ask these shops in America association that was in its infancy, he about whether they ask for this supexplained. “Back in December, my plement or not,” Cantrelle said. paint rep walked into our shop and “It freaks them out, to be honest. asked me if I was going to be attending Mitchell and CCC are also on Twitter, a meeting of the new Louisiana Colliso they can answer the question too, if sion Industry Association (LaCIA) and they want to. I want them on there, beI told him I hadn’t heard about it. So, cause that way they’re accountable as on December 5, I walked into their well. The repair procedures are right meeting in Baton Rouge and I was surthere listed on CCC and Mitchell, so if prised to see over 200 people there. In it’s there, it should be paid for.” my experience, people in this industry Cantrelle used to have several tend to work against each other, but DRPs, but no more, he explained. “I’m

SEMA Show Goes On

46 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

done with it and now they’re steering ‘Enough is enough—I’m tired of us away to other shops,” he said. “I working for free,’ and everybody don’t think they’re happy with the loved it.”

Twitter thing and I’m certain that they “Last week, we did a car and they do not love the idea of it all being dispaid me for the seam sealer and every played on a TV in my front office. It’s single process I had to do. I tell any inalso gaining momentum, because we surer if there is a process I’m not doing now have more than 100 followers on on a vehicle, I will pay you back. I will Twitter and body shops are joining prove everything I’m doing. We’re takevery day. There are now folks from ing pictures of every single thing now.” the United Kingdom and all over the country that have joined us and I’m astonished by all the people that are going through the same thing and really care.”

Alysia Hanks is the executive director at LaCIA and an administrator at Lakeway Collision Center in Mandeville, LA. She strongly believes that Cantrelle’s use of The whole shop is on Twitter Twitter is an ingenious and perfectly “One big insurer told me some of timed idea, for many reasons. “I’m all these shops in the backyard will for using social media, because it’s a charge for this and this, and I say do great way to keep connected to our your job and go catch them and find members, other body shops through- them not doing those things and make out the country and other state associ- them pay you back. I recently wrote a ations,” she said. “We always want to car for $5,040 and State Farm wrote be networking, so that we know an estimate for $2,800, threw it on my what’s out there and be ready for the desk and ran. I made them come back next thing. We talked to other state as- out, rewrite it and go over it with me sociations and one of the main prob- and they ended up writing the same lems they encountered was a lack of estimate as me.” communication, so things like FaceBy telling the collision world book and Twitter can keep us in the about his new communication tool and loop.” process, Cantrelle hopes other shops Hanks appreciates the trans- will join Twitter and realize it’s a great parency and accountability of the way way to know what other shops in other Cantrelle is using Twitter. “We’re tak- parts of the country are dealing with. ing to it the insurance companies, be“If everyone [joined Twitter], the cause it’s been too long,” she said. screen would be popping and jumping,” “We’re not doing this to start a fight Cantrelle says. But when you’re in Misand we’re not intending to start a law- sissippi and I can tweet, ‘I have a Prosuit. We just want the body shops in gressive guy [for example] here and he’s this state to know that we’re here, to telling me shops aren’t charging for this work together and make a better busi- or that,’ and then ask, ‘Are you charging ness environment for all of us.” for this?’ and they say, ‘Yes,’ I can look A man on a mission, Cantrelle at the Progressive guy and say, ‘Well, wants body shops at a national level there’s your answer.’ to get involved in what he calls, “this “United we stand, divided we fall.

Twitter thing.”

If people don’t start joining hands, it’s “If we could get, say, 800 to 1,000 going to get bad,” said Cantrelle. shops on this thing,” Cantrelle said, To join Cantrelle’s Twitter feed “Well, now, we would have something go to #advantageccinc. “Hop onboard really special. Since I don’t have any and ask me a question,” he said. “If I DRPs, I’m not afraid of telling the can’t answer it, somebody will be able truth. One of my first tweets was to and that’s the beauty of it!”

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 47

Is My Gas Can Safe?

by Sam Celly, MS JD CSP

The maintenance and operation of gasoline tanks, both aboveground and underground, has become expensive, highly regulated, and burdensome. Automobile dealers have resorted to gas dolly equipment where a small amount of gasoline can be added to each new automobile delivered to the dealership.

We note that automobiles delivered to dealerships from manufacturers have very small amounts of gasoline; this being a result of U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, which dictate that minimal amounts of gasoline be retained in gas tanks of vehicles in transport. We write this memo to discuss DOT, OSHA, and CARB regulations applicable to gasoline being transported from a public gasoline station to dealerships for a later fill in automobiles on the lot.

Federal DOT Regulations: Gasoline transport is discussed in Section 173.6 of the DOT regulations under “material of transport exceptions.” The regulations require that a container being used to transport gasoline must be less than 8 gallons

per container and a maximum of 72 total gallons (440 pounds). The containers must be secured in the pickup truck and properly labeled. The driver should be trained in DOT regulations.

We recommend that the containers are UL certified. Beyond that, there are many other regulatory agencies with enforcement in the hazmat arena. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR2011-title49-vol2/pdf/CFR-2011title49-vol2-sec173-6.pdf Safety: Safety concerns for gasoline containers are as follows: * Properly labeled container with hazard warnings and employee training in Hazard Communication Program (OSHA Regulation 29 CFR § 1910.1200). * 29 CFR § 1926.152(a)(1) states that “Only approved containers and portable tanks shall be used for storage and handling of flammable liquids. Approved safety cans or DOT approved containers shall be used for the handling and use of flammable liquids in quantities of 5 gallons or less...” * Bonding of containers to eliminate static electricity be followed both at the time of filling up the containers

NC Shop Wins Nationwide Short-Pay Arbitration Case Pack Brothers Collision Center of Belmont, NC, has won a short-pay arbitration case in a Lincoln County North Carolina court against Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

On February 3, 2014, a judge awarded a customer of Pack Brothers a little more than $3,000, which was owed to Pack Brothers for collision repairs that Nationwide refused to pay upon completion of their insured’s car.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the customer with a Power of Attorney assigned by the customer in cooperation with Pack Brothers. The customer was insured by Nationwide, which refused to pay for repairs for a first-party claim. According to Pack Brothers, Nationwide did not honor their policy and refused to pay them for the repairs. A judge found that under the policy language, Nationwide did owe their policyholder so he could satisfy his collision repair bill.

The judge entered a judgment against Nationwide finding in favor of the customer so that he could pay Pack Brothers.

“Insurance companies are so used to saying that they will not pay for correct repairs, and they know that very few shops will push it into litigation,” said Ronnie and Larry Pack.

“Therefore, they continue to deny payment to the shops because they know it’s time consuming and expensive for the shop owners to pursue.

“What we are seeing is that insurance companies are shortcutting repairs, and so the repairs to the car are now compromised because of the insurance company refusal to pay for the correct repairs needed. Therefore, some of the shops are shortcutting the repairs to make up for that loss— which ultimately makes the customer the loser.

“Our victory means nothing unless the whole industry gets involved and demands to be paid for correct repairs.”

and when transferring from container to container. Keep containers on the ground when filling and not on the bed of the truck. Use grounding wire when necessary. Keep nozzle in contact with can during filling. Do not fill containers over 95% to allow for expansion.

Spilled gasoline must evaporate before containers are put on the truck. * Containers must be closed so as to minimize the risk of spill and creating a fire hazard. * Spill proof spouts also lock in vapors so as to avoid vapor release while in storage. Don’t overfill gas tanks on automobiles. Keep fire extinguisher close by! * Transport truck must have a spill kit available with a trained operator on containing, cleaning, and proper disposal of spill absorbent. * Studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Department of Fire Protection Engineering, as reported by NBC News in late 2013, have indicated that under certain conditions, plastic cans are vulnerable to fires with an explosive force. The conditions that present the higher risk include having a very small amount of gasoline (a few

teaspoons) inside the gas can, cool temperatures, tilting the can at 42 degrees (typical pour angle) and of course a spark! The employees should be trained to avoid these risky conditions and maybe even buy metal cans in the future. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/watchgas-can-explode-lab-test-v21744014 CA Air Resources Board (CARB): As of July 1, 2007, all Portable Fuel Containers (PFC) sold in California must be certified by the Air Resources Board as meeting lowemission standards and regulatory requirements. This regulation is applicable to manufacturers and retailers who place the gas cans in the stream of commerce. Only containers of 10 gallons or less are covered by this regulation, so the sale of a 25 gallon gas caddy for shop use is exempt from CARB regulations. The following table provides a listing of those CARB approved containers certified for sale. http://www.arb.ca.gov/consprod/fuel-containers/pfc/eo/eo.htm Summary: CA based businesses have only CARB approved containers available. Other states may use these

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CARB approved containers with vapor locks that are spill proof and emit negligible flammable vapors and hence, are safer. Training in hazardous materials, including information on risks associated with plastic cans, should be provided to employees. Following safety and operation instructions on the PFC is also mandatory.

Sam Celly has trained auto dealers regarding EPA/OSHA compliance in 9 western states since 1987. Celly was the first staff engineer at KPA after earning his Bachelor’s of Engineering degree and later, his MS degree in Chemical Engineering (School of Mines & Technology). In 1997, he received his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Southwestern University in Los Angeles with emphasis on Labor & Environmental Law. Sam is a Certified Safety Professional and has served as the Chair of the Law Committee and Environmental Issues Committee of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). Additionally, he is a member of American Institute of Chemical Engineers (1985) and the AIHA, where he is the President of the Southern California Section. Send your comments to sam@cellyservices.com.

ASA Announces Incentives for Select I-CAR Qualified Shops to Attend NACE/CARS

The Automotive Service Association (ASA) is preparing for NACE/CARS 2014 which will be held at the Cobo Center in Detroit, MI, during the last week of July. It will be held in conjunction with other core industry events, including I-CAR, CIC, and CREF’s annual golf outing. ASA Executive Director Dan Risley stresses the importance of NACE and CARS as “the only events solely dedicated to those who service and repair cars.”

One of ASA’s goals in 2014 is to attract the “best of the best industry leaders,” so they are offering a special incentive for shops or repairers that are I-CAR Gold or Platinum certified or who have received ASE’s Blue Shield or Master Technician certifications—to reward their investment in training and as an acknowledgement of their commitment to the industry, these shops/individuals will be able to purchase the super pass (allowing them full access for the entirety of Industry Week) at a 50% discount.

Risley is excited about the number of changes to this year’s program and the responses received thus far.

“The concept is to bring people together and provide a place where people can get the technical information they need to repair today’s cars.”

Industry Week will begin on Tuesday, July 29 with CIC’s meeting, followed by I-CAR meetings on July 30.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) will hold a four to six hour event. The week will conclude with NACE/CARS on Thursday, July 31, and Friday, August 1.

Other important changes include moving the date of NACE/CARS 2014 from October to July, as well as holding the event in Detroit instead of a “destination location,” such as Las Vegas, as they normally do. Risley explains that this choice was intentional for several reasons– “Detroit isn’t a destination trip so attendees will be more inclined to spend time on the floor and in training classes. There are around 5000 shops within a three hours driving radius of the city who we want to reach. We want to give attendees a new experience coupled with class A training and information; we plan the show to be for and about people who work on cars.”

Some of these experiences that ASA hopes to provide take the form of various tours. As yet, the tour plans are still unconfirmed, but Risley hopes to offer tours to “some pretty unique venues”, including the Henry Ford Museum, the BASF facility (hosted by BASF), the Chrysler plant, the Ford F-

150 plant, and the Dodge Viper plant, if their line is running at that point. Also unconfirmed as yet are ASA’s hopes to hold their annual graduation ceremony at the GM Heritage Center.

The hype surrounding this year’s NACE/CARS is also reflected in the fact that exhibitors have already contracted several thousand square feet more than the show floor space last year. Risley believes that they are in position to sell out the 50,000 square foot floor, and this doesn’t even include the 30,000 square foot dedicated to specialty vehicles, show cars and a new demonstration area. Exhibitors are also supporting NACE/CARS by promoting the event to local shops.

Of course there is a full schedule of training. “We are bolstering the training offered. You will see a distinct difference with a LOT of technical training,” Risley promises, which is in keeping with this year’s theme of Repairability.

This year’s schedule is heavily laden with technical training on both the collision and mechanical sides of the business. ASA is also collaborating with I-CAR to provide a full slate of ICAR training for the collision repairers in attendance. One of their most highly anticipated courses will involve aluminum-specific training sessions.

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 49

CIF is Now the Charitable Conscience of the Industry

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On January 16th, the Collision Industry Foundation (CIF) held their fourth annual gala fundraiser in Palm Springs, CA. This was the first time Bill Shaw the event was not held in Las Vegas in conjunction with CIC’s fourth quarter planning meeting, but according to CIF President William Shaw, the gala was very successful and exceeded CIF’s expectations.

Nearly 100 people attended the two-hour cocktail reception at Lulu’s Bistro, and this year’s event saw an increase in the number of underwriting sponsors showcased. CIF began by selling raffle tickets at the door, a venture that raised $820. They also held a silent auction for eight items, including electronics and even an Indy Car Race Package. The auction generated over $4000.

CIF’s goal was to raise $25,000, but they exceeded this goal by raising $32,000. The proceeds from the event will be added to the organization’s Disaster Relief Fund which is used to support industry participants who are impacted by natural disasters.

This annual event is a vital part of their efforts to collect donations, and Shaw sees it as a “great opportunity to create awareness and let the industry know how to participate and that CIF exists to help when disaster strikes… we are really creating good momentum moving forward.”

On March 12, the Board of Trustees met in Chicago to discuss current disaster needs and fund allocations. In addition, the Trustees established its goals and plans for the next 12 months.

CIF is also pleased to announce that two new Trustees were just elected.

Casey Steffen with Saint-Gobain Abrasives and David Henderson with AutaExplore/Autowatch will join the Board and work with the Foundation to carry on its initiatives.

CIF was created in 2001 by the National Auto Body Counsel (NABC) as a national non-profit organization to collect and distribute charitable funds.

The first campaign they supported was Montana’s Camp Mak-A-Dream, a program dedicated to helping children and teens suffering from cancer, and they collected over $500,000 for this cause in their first years of operation.

The funds were used towards building an on-site health care facility for the camp, and in 2005, CIF supported Camp Mak-A-Dream yet again by donating funds to help purchase a bus for the program.

Since beginning, CIF has supported a number of campaigns, planning and implementing various projects. They supported a three-year campaign called “Crash Hunger” that focused on raising funds to feed Americans. Another project, in 2008, was “Blanket the City: Detroit,” a fundraising effort to support the city that was so disproportionately impacted by economic turmoil. In their attempt to help a broad base of organizations providing vital services to the city, CIF made donations to the Children’s Home of Detroit, Clean Downtown Detroit Partnership and Gleaner’s Food Bank.

In addition to providing donations to Recycled Rides, CIF part-

lision repair industry,” when Hurricane Katrina struck LA and MS in 2005, CIF’s Board of Directors created the Disaster Relief Fund to aid victims of natural disasters. Their fundraising efforts allowed them to aid over 100 collision industry professionals impacted

by Katrina. This project was so successful that CIF decided to make it an ongoing program and through their efforts, they’ve supported victims of many natural disasters, including Hurricane Irene, the tsunami in Japan and, most recently, Superstorm Sandy which devastated the entire east coast of the US in the fall of 2012.

All of these programs support CIF’s mission “to collect funds from all facets of the collision repair industry to be distributed to repair professionals chosen by the Foundation’s selection committee.” CIF’s assistance is limited to individuals and not provided to businesses or organizations.

A committee reviews all requests and distributes funds based on individual needs. Those interested in helping are encouraged to make donations, join CIF’s volunteer committee or aid with Victim Location/Assistance.

Currently, CIF’s short-term goals include creating awareness about who CIF is, as well as their mission and vision – to bring awareness and emergency relief to collision repair professionals.

Their primary focus remains helping those in need.

Further down the road, Shaw hopes CIF will establish a sustainable fund with “enough money in reserve to help those in need and help subsidize the costs not covered by insurance in the event of a natural disaster.

In the meantime, we will continue to support various campaigns in our efforts to reach out and engage the collision repair industry so they can give something back.”

Regarding challenges that CIF faces in order to maintain operations,

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nered with Skills USA and the World Skills Competition to sponsor the US Collision Team, sending two competitors to the World Skills Competition in Helsinki, Finland. CIF also participates in “Leave Something Behind” initiatives throughout the year; while attending CIC meetings around the nation; this program serves as a gesture of gratitude to the host city. Over the years, this effort has yielded book donations to a Portland library and monetary donations to Children’s Hospitals in Phoenix, AZ, and Washington DC, as well as Toys for Tots in Las Vegas and the Utah Food Bank in Salt Lake City.

Though these programs are more than sufficient to illustrate that CIF is “the charitable conscience of the col-

50 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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Shaw mentions the number of those who need assistance, but he feels that the resolution to this dilemma is “to articulate our message and inform contributors how their donations will be used to support the industry.”

CIF is run by a Board of Trustees, comprised of 12 leaders from all segments of the industry. This group is still in the planning stages of their 2014 agenda, but Shaw hopes to be able to define this year’s goals by the end of the first quarter.

Shaw succinctly wraps up CIF’s mission and goals as follows: “We want the collision repair industry to be aware that there are people in need and to encourage them to get involved and give back. We are trying to create a culture that gives back because the benefits are tremendous for both sides. The message we want to share is this—whether you’re directly involved with CIF or not, it’s very important to get involved with local organizations and to support charities.”

Collision Industry Foundation (CIF) PO Box 3007 Mechanicsville, VA 23116 855-4CIFAID (855-424-3243) http://collisionindustryfoundation.org

Check Fraud Victimizes FL and GA Body Shops

A handful of body shops in Florida and Georgia are falling victim to check fraud. Scammers are stealing thousands of dollars and they are targeting auto body shops across the country. Toni Scroggins, the owner of St. Johns Auto Body Shop in Palatka, says scammers stole $15,000 from the company’s bank account. Scroggins suspects the scammers take the routing and checking account number of the shops’ checks, reprint them on new fake checks with a different name, address and bank name. The scam artists then spend money at Lowe’s, Home Depot and Walmart. Scroggins says she’s not as worried about big shops like hers, but she says mom and pop shops and their customers are the ones who could pay the ultimate price. Scroggins says she got her money back after two months with the help of her bank.

“This could destroy them, close their doors, because you do not get that money back the next day,” said Scroggins. “You have to wait for the process of the bank to investigate it and that could take over a month. So, if it’s a small business they are out.”

Sherwin-Williams Vendor of the Year Award Winners

Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes announced the recipients of its annual Associated Products Vendor

Awards at a special reception for more than 300 suppliers, employees, and V.I.P. guests at their annual sales meeting held at the Gaylord Palms Conference Center in Orlando, FL: •DeVilbiss, Sherwin-Williams Brand-of-the-Year •Meguiars, Sherwin-Williams Sales Excellence: U.S. •SATA, Sherwin-Williams Sales Excellence: Canada •P.P.C. (Powers Paper Company), Sherwin-Williams Operational Excellence For more information visit www.sherwin-automotive.com.

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Paice Sues Ford for Patent Infringement on Hybrids

Hybrid technology developer Paice filed a lawsuit against Ford, accusing the automaker of patent infringement. The Maryland-based company claims to have met with Ford more than 100 times between 1999 and 2004, providing modeling and component designs for hybrid versions of various Ford vehicles.

Ford reportedly had entered into a licensing agreement in 2010 for a Paice patent, which has expired. The agreement included an arbitration clause; however Paice claims Ford declined to arbitrate and forced a formal lawsuit to resolve the infringement allegations.

Previously Paice successfully sued Toyota in a case that dates back several years. The Japanese automaker was forced to pay US$4.3 million in damages, along with US$25 for every Prius, Highlander Hybrid, and Lexus RX400h sold.

A damages estimate for Ford's alleged infringement was not fully detailed in the initial court filing, though Paice appears to be pushing Give us your opinion on for an injunction to halt sales of infringing vehicles if a royalty agreement is not established.

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I-CAR Has Implemented a New Initiative to Close OEM Informational Gaps OEM repair information today is good, but not perfect, says Jason Bartanen, director of industry technical relations for I-CAR. It needs to be better and more readily accessible for shops.

Bartanen says there is significant inconsistency between auto manufacturers regarding the type and amount of information they distribute. Some manufacturers have a wealth of information available, while others don’t have any collision repair information available in the U.S. market.

I-CAR held a series of discussions with a group of 50 auto manufacturers, shop professionals and insurers to outBartanen says the OEM informaline 13 standard pieces of information tion available today still isn’t comprethat repairers need access to from every hensive. Several gaping holes exist, a OEM. The list includes items such as problem causing shops and insurers to material identification, material remake procedural guesses on jobs with pairability guidelines, sectioning prono way to verify their judgments. Some cedures, seam sealer identification and shops have a hard time obtaining the location, and corrosion protection reinformation at all, Bartanen adds. Vequirements. hicle manufacturers have strong distriThe broader impact of the matrix, bution methods for their affiliated though, is development of more comdealerships, but don’t have an efficient prehensive OEM repair manuals, Bartactic to deliver that same information tanen says. Members of the RTS to independent facilities, which repair a initiative have communicated the gaps majority of collision-damaged vehito every OEM to help release more incles. formation, many of which are now I-CAR last summer launched a working on producing those standard new Repairability Technical Support items for the industry.The RTS created (RTS) initiative to tackle the proban OEM technical information matrix lem—a four-member team dedicated that outlines which manufacturers proto communicate with auto manufacvide which pieces of information. That turers to fill the informational gaps and document is a major benefit to repairdistribute the information to the indusers, Bartanen says, because it’s a single try at large. The initiative—which will resource to identify whether the inforbe a continual, ongoing effort moving mation they need exists, and where forward—is expected to improve work they can find it. The information maand productivityEdition? for independtrix will be updated and expanded as to quality this Southwest ent shops by providing centralized acnew information becomes available, cess to more consistent, detailed and and is viewable for free at rts.i-car.com. standardized repair information.

Doug Craig, collision repair manautobodynews.com A new website has been created, ager of the Chrysler Group, for examrts.i-car.com, which is designed as a ple, says he is working with Chrysler’s “centralized, comprehensive distribuvehicle design and materials engineers tion mechanism” for OEM information, to update and distribute new technical nessBartanen with says. Promote your businessrepair withbulletins to reflect the identified featuring an exclusive article featuring All technical-based information informational gaps. Many other OEMs from every auto your manufacturer—paint, are doing the same. services. products or services. materials, parts and processes—is Another notable improvement listed on the website and stored in the came from Kia—a company that hisdatabase. Rather than linking users to torically hasn’t released collision inforan auto manufacturer’s website, the inmation in the U.S. market. Bartanen formation is housedCall directly the says the company now has a “highly or details! forondetails!

RTS website in an easy-to-read format. comprehensive” collision manual avail251 The website also 800-699-8251 includes all of able online for its Soul model.

I-CAR’s latest technical briefs and OEM information sometimes daily articles. fails to provide specific necessary

steps to perform a recommended repair procedure, Bartanen says. OEM information provides shops with highlevel processes to make a repair, but lacks detailed information to make them correctly. For example, an OEM procedure might recommend “making and dressing a GMA MIG plug weld.”

But it may not specify how far to grind the weld, how to dress it, or the grit of sandpaper to use.

The RTS website includes an online informational communication portal for shops. It’s a technical inquiry submission process that provides the industry with a strategy to communicate and resolve repair gaps they encounter, Bartanen says.

Shops can submit technical inquiries, and the RTS team initiates communication with auto manufacturers to answer questions and share information. All technical inquiries and findings are sorted and searchable by vehicle manufacturer and subject matter.

OEM Standardization Bartanen says OEMs use different formats, phrases and terminologies in their repair manuals, which makes them dif-

ficult to read and causes shops to misinterpret directions. All OEMs have been solicited to develop more standardized communication processes.

Craig says auto manufacturers understand the confusing—and sometimes contradictory—information they produce, and most companies are in favor of working together to simplify and unify their procedures.

The RTS initiative is not necessarily meant to address the industry’s repair standards issue, but it’s one direct improvement that has resulted from those discussions, says Bob Keith, treasurer of I-CAR’s international board of directors and multi-store director for CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts.

And it will prove to be a major benefit for shops, he says. Repairers will have access to more robust information and a more efficient strategy to clarify technical questions to improve performance on the shop floor.

In addition, Keith says the RTS initiative has opened better lines of communication between the industry and auto manufacturers to boost responsiveness surrounding informational needs.

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PPG Announces Distributor Training Schedule

PPG Automotive Refinish unveiled its 2014 distributor training schedule. Consisting of more than 30 classes across 12 critical business areas, the training is for owners, managers, sales staff, and other key personnel involved in the operation of a PPG distributor business.

Classes cover general operations, finance, business development and management, conflict resolution, selling skills, commercial business development, and more.

“We’re always enhancing our distributor training offerings, making sure they’re relevant and rewarding,” said Bob Wenzinger, PPG distributor programs director. “We see PPG distributors at all levels learning and improving from our courses.”

Training will be held from March to December in PPG business development centers and conference facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Courses are led by PPG leaders and prominent consultants in the automotive refinish industry.

View the complete 2014 training schedule at http://us.ppgrefinish.com/PPG-Refinish/Training/Trai ning-Courses.

Car-O-Liner Offers New Ford 2015 F-150 Equipment

Car-O-Liner® has expanded their equipment offering included in the 2015 F-150 Collision Repair Program. New equipment includes three new welders, frame alignment solutions, and a mobile aluminum workstation.

“This equipment will greatly enhance the technician’s potential to have the exact tools they need for high quality, quick, and accurate repairs. With this expanded product offering, Car-O-Liner is excited to provide the total repair solution, giving technicians the right equipment to complete each repair order efficiently,” said Peter Richardson, key accounts manager for Car-OLiner.

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The Collision Repair Education Foundation and AkzoNobel Automotive and Aerospace Coatings are proud to announce the winners of the new Sustainability Challenge Grant: ► Applied Technology Center (Rock Hill, SC) ►Cerritos College(Norwalk, CA) ►Gaithersburg High School (Gaithersburg, MD) ►Manhattan Area Tech College (Manhattan, KS) ►Northern Maine Community College (Presque Isle, ME) Winners were selected based on their submitted proposals for applying continuous improvement and sustainability principles that improve the school body shop process or how the shop interacts and impacts the community. Each winner will receive funding to introduce their proposed idea into their school and report on the success of their project.

The program also provided a sustainability video series and other tools that served as a way to educate collision students about sustainability, its principles, and how to improve and make a positive impact on the environment.

Record $9.4M Donated to Collision School Programs

In 2013, the collision industry nearly doubled the 2012 amount of support it provided to high school and college collision school programs through the Collision Repair Education Foundation with nearly US$9.4 million in product and monetary donations.

Ninety percent of this support was in-kind donations, and the collision industry surpassed the US$20 million mark in total giving since 2008. Also, working towards being as lean of a charitable organization as possible with a full-time staff of four, 90 cents of every dollar donated went towards supporting the school programs, instructors, and students in 2013.

“The incredible growth in support that the Collision Repair Education Foundation has been able to provide since 2008 is a direct result of the industry’s generosity, and to nearly double the amount donated in 2013 compared to 2012 shows how much our supporters believe in the technical education of industry’s future professionals,” said Clark Plucinski, Collision Repair Education Foundation executive director.

I-CAR Introduces Training Solution for Full-frame Partial Replacement Repairs, Replaces Two Other Courses

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I-CAR® has added a new live, instructor-led course to its catalog: FullFrame Partial Replacement (FFR01).

This course provides information on OEM repair procedures and welding requirements for full-frame vehicles and covers several important collision repair topics that are critical to complete, safe, and quality repairs for the ultimate benefit of the consumer.

“Properly repairing today’s fullframe vehicles requires a command of an array of considerations. The content in this course can be applied on the job immediately following completion, resulting in increased savings for the shop and the vehicle owner alike,” explained Josh McFarlin, I-CAR director of curriculum and product development.

Technicians will learn how to identify full-frame designs, partial replacement options and repair considerations for full-frame attachments during the course. They will also have access to HD-quality videos on full-frame partial replacement procedures for some of today’s most popular full-frame vehicles, including Ford F-150, General Motors 1500 frames, RAM 1500, and Jeep Wrangler.

This three-credit hour course meets training requirements for steel structural technicians, auto physical damage appraisers, and estimators in the I-CAR Professional Development Program™ (PDP).

FFR01 will replace Steel FullFrame Sectioning (SPS03) and Steel Full-Frame Technologies and Repair (SPS08), resulting in three less credit hours of training for certain repair professionals. Anyone who has previously taken either SPS03 or SPS08 will not lose training credit that has been earned.

To register for FFR01, visit the www.autobodynews.com I-CAR website at www.i-car.com or contact I-CAR customer care at 1CHECK IT OUT! 800-I-CAR-USA (422-7872).

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 53

Education Foundation Doubled Down on Its Future in 2013

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) is always busy working on ways to improve the prospects of the industry, and the first quarter of 2014 is no exception as they calculate 2013 donations, collect applications for their Student Scholarship and School Makeover programs, and prepare for their 2014

Summer Golf Fundraiser. Brandon Eckenrode, Director of Development for CREF, eagerly shares some information about their recent tallies and future plans.

As 2013 drew to a close, donations to CREF for the year totaled $9.4 million, nearly double the amount of donations as they received in 2012. Of those contributions, 10% was received in monetary contributions with the remainder being received via in-kind product donations, such as tools, equipment, supplies, parts and other donations to assist instructors in their collision repair programs.

When questioned about the reasons behind this increase in contributions to CREF, Eckenrode states “year after year, we are able to reach more and more industry businesses and help communicate to them about how we are looking to support high school and college collision school programs, instructors and students. Knowing that these students are the future professionals of the industry, our supporters understand how their technical education is vital, and with school instructors working with limited/reduced budgets, the industry has really stepped up to support them through our organization.”

The monetary donations received in 2013 will be used to fund CREF’s projects, such as their scholarships for students and school grants, as well as

to keep the organization running. The 2013 tallies help Eckenrode remain optimistic about CREF’s fundraising efforts for 2014: “we anticipate another great year with both monetary and inkind product donations. I would invite and challenge repair facilities, especially the independent owners, to consider an annual tax-deductible donation of $500, $750 or $1000 to the Foundation. Through strength in numbers, if even a quarter of the total number of repair facilities were able to make this donation, we would be able to completely transform collision school programs across the country and work towards the graduating students being properly trained and ready for entry-level work.

Owners across the country have expressed their desire for productive, efficient and ‘ready to work’ entry-level staff, and we can make this possible by all working together.”

Next up for CREF will be awarding their student scholarships and annual school makeover grants. The deadline for scholarship applications ended in the middle of February, so the applications are now being reviewed by the Board of Trustees Selection Committee, and CREF plans to announce the winners later this spring. The scholarships are available to high school seniors and collegelevel students who have studied collision repair for at least one semester.

CREF has over $200,000 reserved to be awarded as various scholarships and tool grant opportunities for students looking to enter the collision repair industry.

The deadline for CREF’s School Makeover Grant falls on June 6th, but Eckenrode encourages applicants to begin the process well ahead of time since a great deal of information is requested. He enumerates, “the Makeover application requires many different pieces of information; however, it provides our Board of Trustees Selection Committee a great overview of the program and the budget that they are working with to provide the best technical education possible for the students. Our

54 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Makeover Grant is available to nonprofit high school and college collision school programs, and the grant is meant to help those collision programs who are facing a reduced budget and need additional tools, equipment and supplies for their program.”

Since 2008, when the CREF began its philanthropic focus, the collision industry has provided over $20 million in various types of donations, and though CREF anticipates that this number will continue to increase over the years, Eckenrode believes “it’s important for the industry to know that, in addition to the support we are providing to schools, we are also getting actively involved in helping to bridge the gap between graduating and employment. We want to ensure that students graduate with the entry-level skill sets that employers are looking for and make these students aware of the various employment opportunities there are in all segments of the industry. By CREF providing such tools as a donor ‘entry-level employment job board’, we can not only showcase these opportunities to students but

also to parents, guidance counselors and school administration to show that these collision programs are worthwhile to support and invest in.”

As such, Eckenrode is pleased that CREF will be presenting and exhibiting at the American School (Guidance) Counselor Association’s annual conference this summer where guidance counselors from around the coun-

Brandon Eckenrode (l) of CREF and Mark Algie of 3M

try will gather. During the conference, CREF plans to explain the “worthwhile career opportunities collision

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students have within this industry and why guidance counselors shouldn’t think badly about a technical education for students.”

This summer, CREF will also be busy with their 13th Annual Summer Golf Fundraiser, to be held the afternoon of July 31st in conjunction with Industry Week in Detroit. The event will take place at the Northville Hills Golf Club outside the city, and CREF anticipates “another sold out crowd with funds being raised going towards assisting us in supporting high school and college collision school programs, students and instructors. The event has gone from raising $19,000 in 2009 to averaging $75,000 the past two years. The Education Foundation has tried raising the quality of the event year after year; however, this increase in funds raised has been made possible by our sponsors and attendees.”

The funds raised at the golfing

event will aid CREF in providing student scholarships and School Makeover Grants in the future. In addition to offering a nice afternoon of golfing fun and networking, CREF sees the events as a chance to “communicate to industry leaders

about how we are making a different in collision school programs.”

Eckenrode encourages anyone interested in participating in the golf fundraiser as a player or sponsor to contact him as soon as possible as the event has historically sold out months in advance. Those who are unable to attend can still participate by purchasing golf balls for CREF’s helicopter

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golf ball drop. Up to 1200 numbered balls can be purchased to be dropped onto a course green via helicopter during the event. Whoever purchases the ball that lands in the hole will win 23% of the proceeds from the ball drop, an astounding $7000 gift card if all of the balls are sold! Winners do not have to be present, and this provides yet another creative method for CREF to raise additional funds during the event.

Eckenrode is grateful to the collision repair industry for making CREF’s efforts possible: “I would like to thank the collision industry for making over $20 million in donations possible in such a short period of time. I am not aware of any other technical trade having a ‘Foundation’ type organization that supports their programs like ours does. Collision school programs are becoming the envy of other school programs as they see what type of support the schools are receiving through us, and we look forward to working together to take this organization to another level.”

www.collisioneducationfoundation.org 847-463-5244

ABRA Acquires 13 Repair Centers in Charlotte, NC

On March 7, 2014, ABRA Auto Body & Glass announced the purchase of all 13 Wilburn Auto Body repair centers in the Charlotte, NC, metro area.

ABRA now has 145 company-owned locations and 48 independently-owned franchises for a total of 193 collision repair centers in 17 states.

Don Wilburn, founder and CEO of Wilburn Auto Body, embraces the acquisition. “This is a significant milestone for me.

Wilburn Auto Body has served Charlotte since 1975. I have complete confidence ABRA will continue the legacy of delivering top-notch customer service and repair solutions to our customers and the community.”

Building on its increasing success, ABRA plans to continue expanding in the months and years ahead as part of its aggressive national growth strategy. It is actively seeking new opportunities to acquire repair centers and integrate them into its industry-leading operating system.

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Freak Tire Accident Kills Gainesville Body Shop Employee, Injures Shop Owner, Driver Also Shop Worker

Ivan James Sandquist, age 33, was killed in a freak accident on the morning of March 3. The Williston Police Department (WPD) reported that they received a report of two men being injured while working at Absolute Auto body, located at 104 NW 10th Ave. Upon investigation, it was discovered that Patrick Woodard of Gainesville, who repairs cars at an auto shop in the Raleigh area of Levy County, was driving a 1999 Toyota northbound on US41. As the vehicle approached Absolute Auto Body, the left front tire broke free from the vehicle and traveled north on the west shoulder of the highway. The tire struck a driveway apron, sending it airborne. The tire jumped over a sixfoot chain link fence, where it then struck Sandquist, killing him instantly.

After striking Sandquist, the tire struck the friend he was standing and talking to, James E. Fender, 45, the owner of the Absolute Auto Body Shop. Fender sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to Shands Hospital in Gainesville.

Williston Police Chief Dennis Strow said the incident was being in-

vestigated, and that he asked for help from the Florida Highway Patrol To advertise (FHP). An FHP homicide investigator call Advertising Sales at: out will be assisting in trying to figure what happened.

“We asked for help 800-699-8251 from FHP because they have so much e-mail: experience in these kinds of things.” advertising@autobodynews.com They hope to determine if the cause of thewww.autobodynews.com accident was a speed factor or a mechanical problem.

Chief Strow added that the vehicle, which Woodard had been driving at the time of the incident, had been See the N taken to Woodard (since he works at an auto body shop) to be checked out.

He said that Woodard had not done anything to the car, including the www.autobodyn wheel, which came off of the vehicle, prior to taking it for a test drive.

Strow said the tire did not explode and was intact on the wheel.

A memorial was held for James Sandquist at Knoff Funeral Home in Williston at 4 p.m., Thursday, March 6.

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Applications for Five $1,000 AMI Scholarships to Attend 2014 NACE and CARS Events Due June 20, 2014

The Automstive Management Institute (AMI) offers various scholarship opportunities to assist automotive service and collision repair professionals interested in obtaining the AMI Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation and broadening their overall professional knowledge of the industry.

Each applicant must be an Automotive Service Association (ASA) member who displays a desire to improve their business skills through management education to be eligible to receive the award.

The scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to attend the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) and the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS), an industry-wide event held July 30 through August 2, 2014, at the Cobo Center in Detroit, MI, that includes both the collision and mechanical segments of the automotive service and repair industry.

Each US$1,000 scholarship is awarded annually and will be applied toward expenses to attend either NACE or CARS. Expenses include airfare, hotel, and NACE or CARS registration.

• Tom B. Babcox Memorial Scholarship: For an automotive service professional who works in an ASA Mechanical Division member shop to attend CARS • Arrowhead Automotive Aftermarket “High Octane” Scholarship: For an automotive service professional who works in an ASA Mechanical Division member shop to attend CARS • Emil Stanley Merit Award: For an individual who works in an ASA Collision Division member shop to attend NACE • Babcox Publication Body Shop Business Scholarship: For an auto body repair professional who works in an ASA Collision Division member shop to attend NACE • Richard Cossette/Gale Westerlund Memorial Scholarship: For an auto body repair professional who works in an ASA Collision Division member shop to attend NACE The deadline for all scholarship applications is June 20, 2014. Apply online at http://www.amionline.org.

www.autobodynews.com CHECK IT OUT!

NABC Accepting Nominations for Industry Awards The National Auto Body Council (NABC) is now accepting nominations for its two industry awards that recognize shops for making a positive impact on their local communities and the collision repair industry, the Award of Distinction and the Body Shop Image Award.

The Award of Distinction recognizes bravery, philanthropy, charity, and selfless acts of kindness by individuals or groups in the collision industry who selflessly give of themselves for the benefit of others, while helping further the NABC mission to promote a positive image of the collision industry.

The Body Shop Image Award calls attention to the beneficial impact an attractive, well-designed facility has on its surrounding community.

This award embodies the spirit and mission of the NABC to promote the image of the collision repair industry and become a vital asset to the neighborhood. Any body shop that completes a remodeling project during the 2014 calendar year can be nominated.

One winner and three runners up will be recognized.

As part of its 2014 recognition program, the NABC plans to call attention throughout the year to out-

ASA’s Annual Business Meeting Held in Kansas City

The Automotive Service Association nual business meeting. Darrell Amber(ASA) held its annual business meet- son, AAM, LaMettry’s Collision, Mining March 6, 2014, at the Sheraton neapolis, MN, continues his two-year Overland Park near Kansas City, KS. term as chairman. Also continuing twoThe event included an open meeting year terms are Ron Nagy, AAM, of the board of directors, a swearing- Nagy’s Collision Centers, Orville, OH, in ceremony of the new board, and an as immediate past chairman; Donny ASA member reception immediately Seyfer, AAM, Seyfer Automotive, Inc., following the meeting.

Wheat Ridge, CO, as chairman-elect; “The board has worked very hard and Gary Keyes, AAM, E&M Motors, to move the association forward while Inc., Stuart, FL, as general director. In supporting our membership and the in- addition, Dan Stander, AAM, Fix dustry. We eagerly begin our 2014 term Auto Highlands Ranch, Littleton, CO, with some specific goals in mind, and has extended his role as Collision Diviwe’re prepared to focus on these initia- sion director for one year. tives to meet or surpass each one,” said Roy Schnepper, AAM, Butler’s Darrell Amberson, AAM, ASA chair- Collision Inc., Roseville, MI, was reman and vice president of operations at elected to serve a one-year term as secLaMettry’s Collision, Minneapolis, MN. retary/treasurer. Bob Wills, AAM, Wills The board shared some of its Auto Service, Battle Creek, MI, begins goals for the association in 2014: pur- a two-year term as Mechanical Division chase a new headquarters building; en- director; and Bill Moss, AAM, Euhance legislative efforts, including roService Automotive, Inc., Warrenton, strengthening the ASA PAC and more VA, begins a two-year term as general involvement in insurance regulation; director. elevate member involvement and inDan Risley, ASA executive dispire individuals to consider associa- rector, also serves on the ASA board tion leadership; grow membership and of directors in an ex-officio capacity. continue closely with affiliTheaffecting next ASA national event is Give to uswork your opinion on matters the industry. ated associations; and enhance ASA the NACE/CARS 2014 expo and edtraining resources. ucational conference in Detroit, MI, The new ASA board of directors July 30–Augusut 2, 2014, held in conbegan their term at the close of the an- junction with Industry Week.

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CALL 800-699-8251 “Any time someone in the inwww.autobodynews.com www.autobodynews.com 918 RSR dustry does something worthy, we’d Start Your FREE like to encourage folks to go the Mail Subscription.

NABC website and fill out a nomiThese Select Dealers Have The Parts You Need. nation form for either award,” said Kent Seavey, NABC awards program chair. “The individuals andthe NEW See Register Your E body shops that are recognized will be featured in our member newsletMARYLAND PENNSYLVANIA ter and automatically become nominees for both the Award of www.autobodynews.com at of www.autobod Distinction and the Body Shop Image Porsche of Porsche Award.”

Silver Spring bucks county Winners of both awards will be Silver Spring Warrington announced in November 2014, at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) 855-314-6472 215-343-4810 during the Specialty Equipment 301-890-3748 Fax 215-343-5352 Fax Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, NV. Each finalist will wholesaless@mileone.com www.1800THOMPSON.com also be featured and recognized on To advertise the NABC websiteHartman and in otherat: pubcall Sean licity efforts.

800-699-8251 Nomination forms are available at NationalAutoBodyCouncil.org. e-mail: shartman@autobodynews.com

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www.autobodynews.com 56 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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Ford Sued Over Patented Turn Signal Technology

Ford Motor Co. is being sued over claims that it infringed a patent on technology for an automatic turn signal.

Ford’s three-blink lane change technology infringes a 2008 patent held by Richard Ponziani, a former automotive design engineer for companies including General Motors and Valeo SA, according to a complaint made public today in federal court in Wilmington, DE. Ford pitched the turn signal as the solution to one of the top 10 driving pet peeves when it announced the technology in 2009.

The turn indicator is designed to blink three times and automatically shut off.

The technology is used in Ford’s F Series truck, Taurus, Edge, and Fusion models, according to the complaint, which seeks unspecified damages.

Ford spokeswoman, Kristina Adamski, declined to comment on the complaint.

Zurich Insurance Cuts Jobs to Boost Profitabiltiy

Zurich Insurance Group will cut about 800 jobs globally to save around $250 million per year by the end of 2015 to help reduce costs and improve profitability.

The job cuts, which are equivalent to 1.4 percent of its total headcount, will remove management layers between the group and its business units. Customer-facing activities will not be affected.

“We continue to make significant progress towards our strategic goal to make Zurich a focused and more profitable business,” said chief executive, Martin Senn.

Senn said that Zurich would invest in global corporate and midmarket business and its high-margin retail insurance lines, while turning around or exiting non-core, underperforming insurance businesses.

Zurich also pledged to grow operating earnings through 2016 by reducing complexity, as it lowered its target for return on equity from 16 to 12–14 percent through 2016.

Senn stressed that Zurich is striving to be at the upper end of that goal and that he would be disappointed if the was still on at Give us company your opinion 12 percent in three years.

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AkzoNobel Automotive and Aerospace Coatings North America (A&AC) marked the third decade of offering business services in the North American market through the Sikkens Acoat selected program during the Winter North American Performance Group meeting February 12–14, 2014, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, HI. The three-day program was designed to enhance the performance of individuals and businesses represented through a mutually-beneficial exchange of information, success stories, and consultation.

“As one of the world’s largest paint and coatings companies, we know our customers find value in these engagements,” commented Barry Rinehart, North American commercial services leader for AkzoNobel A&AC. “As always, the numbers tell the story. As we enter our third decade of providing cutting edge business development programs, many of the shops that were with us in the beginning remain with us today. We wouldn’t have that kind of loyalty if there matters industry. wasn’taffecting something ofthe value being delivered and received.”

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NAPA Collision Conference in Orlando, FL, April 15–17

The first National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA) Collision Conference for collision repair facility owners and managers and NAPA and Martin Senour paint customers will be held April 15–17, 2014, at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, FL. “This conference will help collision repair shop management run their business better in so many ways: how to improve cycle time; how to hire and retain the best technicians and staff; how to develop effective business marketing techniques; and how to increase productivity and profitability in all processes,” says Chris Nichols, NAPA director of PBE, U.S. Automotive Parts Group. The conference will include multiple education sessions and speakers, two evening receptions, and a collision industry trade show. The registration fee is US$495 for two nights at the Gaylord Palms Resort and all meetings and receptions, or US$95 for just the conference and receptions (airfare and travel expenses are not included).

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FL Man Charged inpublisher@au Felony Counterfeit Goods Trafficking

Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. A Florida man has been charged Promote your busines (IAA), announced that Bill Mayer, with one count of trafficking in IAA director of industry relations, counterfeit goods—an offence that fe an exclusive article was re-elected to the National Auto carries a maximum penalty of 10 your products or serv Body Council (NABC) board of years in federal prison.

The goods at To advertise birectors. Mr. Mayer was re-elected issue are counterfeit electronic enJoe Momber for a secondcall three-year term by at: gine control devices produced and NABC members during the 2013 marketed by Hondata for use in 800-699-8251 SEMA show in Las Vegas, NV. modified Honda and Acura vehicles. e-mail: Mr.jmomber@autobodynews.com Mayer will continue to lead In a plea CALL: agreement with a for Joefiled Momber the NABC efforts to promote the U.S. District Court, the defendant adcollision www.autobodynews.com industry and businesses mitted that, beginning in 2009, he 800-699-825 through key NABC initiatives and arranged for Hondata’s K-Pro and programs, and will serve as the diS300 devices to be reverse-engirector of procurement for the NABC neered. The counterfeit devices bore Recycled Rides program, which colHondata’s trademarked name, as well laborates with insurers, collision reas counterfeit serial numbers. The deYour Email pairers, paint Register suppliers, parts fendantfor alsoOur admitted creating counvendors, and other collision industerfeit packaging, labels, instructions try profesinals to repair and donate and compact discs for the devices. vehicles to deserving individuals Hondata has said “Counterfeit and service organizations.

K-Pros and K100s have been sold as at www.autobodynews.com “Bill has done an exemplary new and used in the US, Canada, job in representing IAA and the colEurope and Australia and Asia This lision industry through his dedicounterfeit circuit board is a poor cated service to NABC over the quality copy of the version 2 K-Pro past several years,” said John Kett, with on-board datalogging. president of Insurance Auto AucThere are no known counterfeits tions. “We congratulate Bill on his of the red circuit board KPro V3.” re-appointment and look forward to The investigation in this matter his continued contributions to the was conducted by the FBI. For more organization’s mission.” see www.sema.org/ipr.

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Southeast Associations

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

MSCRA Conducts Outreach to Industry with Chasidy Rae Sisk

The Mississippi Collision Repair As- the Insurance Committee, Mosley and sociation (MSCRA) has a busy sched- Doug White, a fellow shop owner, met ule of meetings and Chasidy conferences the Capitol, prepared to answer any with Rae atSisk planned for the beginning of 2014. questions the committee members Currently, the association’s president, might ask about the bill; however, John Mosley, is engaged in a whirl- their anticipation quickly turned to wind of traveling from state to state shock and disappointment when Sen“educating and hopefully helping fel- ator White invited them to his private low shop owners find the strength to office where he informed them that he Chasidy Rae would Sisk not introduce the bill because make business with decisions based on sound business principles rather than “we had put him between a rock and a fear.” hard place with his fellow committee Over the last two weeks of Feb- members,” Mosley recalls. “He said ruary, Mosley will be visiting eight there had been so many people calling cities, all the way from Seattle, WA to them, pressing them to support the Rae bill, Siskthat he feared they would be Palm Bay, FL, aswith part ofChasidy his commitment to deliver information and assis- looked down on by the people they tance across the country. Though represented, [but] if the committee MSCRA’s primary service area is the voted for the bill, they could forget state of MS, the association is very any campaign funding by the insursupportive of neighboring states, and ance industry.” they strive to help industry members When Mosley questioned in other states form associations for whether the matter really came down the bettering of the industry as a to an issue of money instead of doing whole. With 59 member shops, what he knew was right for the pubMSCRA routinely has at least 100 lic, he was appalled at Senator White’s people at their association meetings, response: “I will never forget his representing their members’ interests. reply —‘whether you like it or not, the Ed Attanasio MSCRA waswith established in 1999 money the insurance industry puts because a group of MS shop owners into these campaigns is the grease that were concerned that using imitation makes the wheels of this Capitol turn.’ parts did not serve to restore the vehi- You can imagine how betrayed we felt cle to its pre-loss condition. As they as an association. We gradually quit formed a group to educate themselves, meeting regularly. It was back to the consumers and their with Edlegislators, Attanasioevery shop for themselves.” they seemed to be making a lot of Thus matters with MSCRA stood progress. for a decade until May 2012 when State Senator Richard White, a Mosley and his comrades learned member of the Insurance Committee, about State Farm’s introduction of agreed to meet with the group, claim- PartsTrader. Many shops in MS began ing to be 100% on-board with their calling one another as it quickly beEd Attanasio mission to protectwith consumers.

At Sen- came obvious that they needed to reator White’s suggestion, the group unite with the objective of preserving hired a lobbyist, attended meetings their businesses. Mosley was “disapand testified before the Senate’s In- pointed in the lack of respect this giant surance Committee. corporation had for the small busiAfter helping the group draft a nesses that make up this industry.” bill to protect consumers, Senator MSCRA is opposed to Partwith Thomas Franklin White instructed them to get the sTrader and any other parts procurephones ringing at the Capitol to garment program forced on the industry ner support for this issue, so the in- instead of being offered as a possible volved shop owners called their solution to be accepted or rejected customers who had voiced concerns based on its performance. “I have over the use of imitation parts, asking been in many states and talked to them to call theirwith legislators express thousands of people, and the overEd toAttanasio support for the proposed bill. whelming response is that PartsTrader On the morning that the bill was is a failure! State Farm recognizes this scheduled to be put to a vote before but pushes forward, destroying rela-

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tionships and businesses with no regard to anything but the premise that it will save them money,” Mosley shares, continuing, “the quality of a repair is directly related to the parts used in the repair, and when the shop loses any part in the decision-making process, quality could be sacrificed.

This is not fair to the consumer or the shop who is ultimately responsible for the repairs.”

Along with their campaign against PartsTrader, MSCRA has a plethora of short and long-term goals that they strive to achieve. In the present and immediate future, the association’s goals “are to promote growth in the association, educate our members, educate the consumers we serve, and strengthen our ability to work with the insurance company on a united front,” Mosley explains.

Looking forward, MSCRA hopes to ensure that every member shop has the necessary information to acquire

training specific to the repair being performed, and they hope to do this by becoming a resource for every member in their attempts to level the playing field. The association plans to supply members with information on equipment and factory resources as well as by securing I-CAR training opportunities in an effort to aid shops in achieving I-CAR’s Gold Class status.

MSCRA is also dedicated to building their reputation with MS consumers so customers will feel comfortable putting their trust in any shop that displays a MSCRA plaque. In conjunction with this plan, the association hopes to build a warranty program among all association members to ensure the customer is aware that their repair is covered by any member shop in MS. Mosley explains the benefits of this plan: “This serves to combat the steering efforts of some insurance companies when they tell

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the consumer ‘we don’t guarantee their work.’ We could see the DRP would not be a viable option for shops that were not willing to allow the insurance industry to run their business.”

MSCRA also intends to work with state and national officials to protect consumers by exposing bad legislation and promoting safe legislation designed to benefit both the repairers and the consumers.

Currently, MSCRA is gathering support for legislation that will protect the consumer when they have their vehicle repaired. In conjunction with federal officials, the association is assessing the 1963 Consent Decree in order to determine the degree to which it can be enforced; many agree that this federal consent is equally enforceable as it was half a century ago.

Mosley explains, “the importance of the 1963 Consent Decree is it places the body shop in control of the repair and the insurance company in control of the insurance. What could be more important or fairer for all?”

Like with other associations, MSCRA faces challenges when attempting to support legislation to improve the collision repair industry.

“The problem with any legislation is the amount of money the insurance industry will pour into campaigns via lobbyists and donations to buy decisions that tend to prioritize their profits over the consumer’s safety,” Mosley laments.

Still, Mosley is optimistic about his belief that MSCRA’S actions will positively impact the future of this ever-changing industry. “The pressure created by the ever evolving greed of the DRP relationship and the PartsTrader scheme is having a galvanizing effect on the collision repair industry. The industry is changing with repairers realizing they are needed now more than ever. As repairers, we are also realizing there are fewer and fewer who are trained and equipped to repair the cars we are beginning to see and will continue to see in our shops.

The insurance industry is trying to reign in any control they can exert over our industry as it changes. They make deals with MSOs in areas where the repairers are not bowing down and accepting their cost-cutting measures that can lead to poor quality, unsafe repairs. They did not expect the resistance they are experiencing from the repairers. I ask every shop owner to

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start making business decisions based on good business principles and stop giving in to fear. I encourage them to market their business and their conviction to serve the consumer over the insurance industry. When the public knows what a shop stands for, they will pick the independent shop out of the maze of consolidators… By educating our shops and consumers and making repairs that don’t sacrifice quality for insurance profit, we will grow strong businesses with loyal customer bases.”

MSCRA also faces many challenges similar to those impacting other associations across the country.

Mosley acknowledges these difficulties, even as he looks forward to a brighter future: “Probably the biggest challenge is helping a shop owner overcome the fear that he will be ostracized by the insurance industry for coming to the association meetings, much less being a paid member. Beyond that, we are faced with keeping the interest of the shop owners by providing a tangible benefit for the money they spend on their membership. This isn’t going to be a problem in the near future. With all the changes our industry is facing relating to vehicle construction and repairability, the need for knowledge will generate the interest. We are committed to providing the information to ensure our members can succeed.”

At MSCRA’s last meeting, they addressed the need to secure services from a company to inspect member shops and identify any concerns that could result in problems with OSHA. MSCRA stresses the importance of a safe, healthy workplace, and identifying the cause for concern, Mosley ex-

plains “OSHA is working to identify isocyanate hazards, and we don’t want any shops’ employees to suffer from isocyanate sickness nor do we want the shop facing fines that could have been avoided with the proper training.

The association also recently furnished members with information on new tool and equipment requirements, provided by Ford, pertaining to the introduction of the 2015 F-150 with its aluminum body and high-strength steel frame. MSCRA has already begun setting up I-CAR training for the aluminum F-150 to have available when the vehicle is released late this summer.

This year will also see the continuation of the association’s activities against insurer-mandated parts procurement programs as Mosley and “many members of our association feel the PartsTrader scheme and the direct repair programs are illegal and are a tortious interference in our business relationships which leads to a direct violation of our fiduciary responsibility to our customers.

“Because of that, we are dedicated to taking the fight on for the consumer and for our right to do business to the highest courts in the land.

We are working tirelessly to expand this effort from coast to coast, and the reception from our industry has been a humbling experience for all. Many brave men and women are paving the way for all who stay in the repair business and those who come after we are gone.”

Continued from Page 30

direction of this industry?’ If you do not agree, then do something to change the direction; complaining will not bring about change—change will only occur when we fight for our principles and what is right. What principles do you stand for? I hope everyone will consider this challenge.

I do not want to see this industry become another medical industry with few, if any, choices. America was built on the values of freedom and freedom of choice. Where do you stand?”

For additional information about the Southern Automotive Repair Conference, visit their website at: www.southernautomotiverepairconference.com or call 731-736-3165.

Six SE Associations

hurry and reserve your space today!

Current exhibitors include manufacturers, marketing representatives, PBE distributors and industry associations.

With the steady increases in attendance and the value brought by the SARC, Plier hopes the event will continue to grow in the future as attendees tell others of the information and benefits gained from attending the conference. Furthermore, he would like to “challenge every individual in the collision repair industry to look in the mirror and ask ‘do I agree with the

Mississippi Collision Repair Association (601) 924-2159 www.mscra.net

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 59

Historical Snapshot

—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has a body shop in the family and has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988.

He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.

20 Years Ago In The Collision Repair Industry (April 1994) with John Yoswick

(Retired Automotive Service Associaof a lower control arm or other fronttion lobbyist Don) Randall told the end suspension part is entered on an group that current antitrust laws are with Chasidy Raeestimate, Sisk the system should in some strangling collision repairers by giving way prompt the estimator to also ininsurers an unfair advantage to meet clude an alignment on the estimate. and to set policy language and contract Matejzel said the industry infordefinitions. In essence, he said, insurmation providers are focusing much of ers have the ability to set market prices their efforts this year on Y2K compliwhile collision repairers do not. ance issues. But he said his committee Chasidy “Our systemwith is control losses Rae – –Sisk which includes insurers and shops – which sounds like a pretty good idea,” will continue to meet with the estimatRandall said. “But that system is de- ing system providers to discuss these stroying the free enterprise system in changes throughout the year. this state.”

“If you’d Insurance policies, he said, are been at one of this laden with loopholes that give insurcommittee’s meetwith Chasidy Rae Sisk ers the opportunity to change a $100 ings, you’d have deductible into one costing much actually seen a more. group of repairers “In the event of a loss, ‘We will and insurers stand make you whole,’ but who decides up and face the inBob Matejzel what is whole,” Randall said. “You f o r m a t i o n with Chasidy Raeproviders Sisk and say with one voice, ‘This have a variable. If you take the car to the shop of your choice, and it isn’t is what we want,’” said CIC Chairman one they choose, they may say to you, Dale Delmege of the committee’s meet‘You just pay the difference between ings earlier this year. “That was a magic the one you picked and the one we moment in this industry.” picked.’ They may also say, ‘We don’t Linda Holcomb said the CIC Chasidy RaeWrite Sisk It Right Committee’s discuspay for…’ or “It with is not customary…” or ‘It is not usual and ordinary.’ They sions with the estimating system are now engaging in ‘dancing around providers has also focused on the need the contract.’” to make the systems easier to use.

Randall railed against the current “Our estimators are really spenddirect repair programs, saying they ing a lot of time writing estimates and breed corruption with and cheating.

Chasidy Raewe’d Sisklike to see that done quicker,” “It’s wrong and it ought to be she said. stopped,” he said. “But it will not stop – as reported in Autobody News until this industry gets organized.”

– from coverage of a forum in 10 years ago in the collision repair Portland, Ore., sponsored by Fairness industry (April 2004) in Auto Insurance Regulations (FAIR) A videotape of an interview with one with Chasidy Rae Sisk vehicle owner about his experience with an auto claim generated some 15 years ago in the collision repair discussion when shown at the Colliindustry (April 1999) Could the computerized estimating sion Industry Conference (CIC) in systems be improved to improve the Nashville largely because of who the ease and accuracy of estimating? vehicle owner is: Joe Maxwell, the with Chasidy Raelieutenant Sisk governor of Missouri.

Three Collision Industry Conference (CIC) committees continued explor“The thing I was most amazed by ing this issue at the CIC meeting in was how quickly I was contacted by Denver in April. [the other driver’s] insurance comBob Matejzel of the CIC Esti- pany, which almost immediately called mating Committee said his group has me and said they already had the check identified an initial list of about a in the mail to pay for my automobile,” dozen procedures that it believes the Maxwell said. “I asked ‘How did you estimating systems should automati- even know how much damage was cally remind users about. As an exam- done?’ They said, ‘Well, from the reple, Matejzel said that if replacement port.’ So I was offered a settlement be-

Associations Assembling Southeast News

Western Associations

Southwest Associations Southeast Associations Northeast Associations

Great Lakes Associations National Associations

Shop Showcase

60 APRIL 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

with Ed Attanasio

fore anybody even viewed the damage to the vehicle.”

Maxwell said that while the insurance company representatives were pleasant and that he never felt harassed, they did refer him to a shop in Columbia, Missouri, 45 miles away.

When he told the insurer the first check they sent would not cover the cost of repairs, they made an appointment to send someone out to look at the vehicle at his office. Maxwell doesn’t know if that happened. The shop received a revised estimate – still insufficient to cover the cost of repairs – but Maxwell said the adjuster never contacted him.

“They claim the guy came and viewed the car, but he never came into the building, never jacked the vehicle up,” Maxwell said. “The car was parallel parked on the street and the damage was on the driver’s door side so the guy would have had to lay down on the street to look under the car, which wouldn’t have been safe. And clearly without opening the door, which was locked, they could not have seen all the damage. So that troubled me some.”

Maxwell said he’s concerned that many people in his situation would have accepted that first check and “in doing so accept settlement on the claim and then discover it wasn’t enough to have a professional, quality job done.”

He said he’s also concerned about insurers steering work or owning shops.

“The idea of having an insurance company that would control where I repaired my car is kind of like having a fox watch the chicken house,” he said.

“You may wind up with less chickens.”

– as reported in Autobody News

5 years ago in the collision repair industry (April 2009) Under a settlement agreement reached last week, LKQ Corp. will be the only company allowed to sell certain nonOEM collision parts for Ford vehicles.

The non-OEM parts involved are those designed to replace parts for which Ford owns design patents.

As part of the agreement, LKQ will pay Ford a royalty fee for each part sold, and has agreed not to challenge the validity of Ford’s design patents during the term of the agreement (which extends until October 2011 but may be renewed). Other details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Ford said the settlement “does not endorse the quality or use of non-OEM replacement parts sold by LKQ Corp.”

The agreement ends two legal battles Ford has waged to protect its design patents on collision parts for its F-150 pickup and Mustang. It also is likely to split the non-OEM parts industry which has been working as the “Quality Parts Coalition” to limit automakers’ rights to hold design patents on collision parts.

– As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), April, 2009. LKQ currently faces a lawsuit from Chrysler over the sale of parts that the automaker claims violate its design patents. The Quality Parts Coalition continues to back proposed federal legislation that would slash (from 14 years to just 30 months) the time that automakers can use design patents to prevent other companies from producing replacement crash parts.

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Shop Owner in Helena Arkansas Creates Shelwes Automatic Contour Sander When Shelley Haynes took her son’s truck to a local AR body shop for repairs in 2010, she never dreamed that she and the body shop owner, Wesley King, would become good friends and ultimately launch a product that could change the global auto body industry.

“Wesley showed me several things he had made and asked me to help him find out about patenting,” said Haynes, CEO of Shelwes Tools and Equipment.

At the time, Haynes was a science and English teacher at Marvell Academy in Marvell, AR. King’s body shop was outside of West Helena on Highway 49 on Hayne’s route to school.

As she looked at King’s ideas, she fell back on her science-fair experience to help pave the way for the invention of the Shelwes Automatic Contour Sander.

She also began taking classes through the Helena Entrepreneur Center for Business, a small-business incubator operated through a partnership between the UA-Phillips Community College and Thrive, a nonprofit community and economic development design firm.

She and King worked with the center on testing and development of the tool for more than three years. Shelwes continues to operate out of the incubator, where its manufacturing facility and business offices are both located.

The product is an attachment for a power sander. It automatically con-

matters

forms to irregular surfaces.

“It cuts your work time down, I would say, to less than half,” said cofounder Haynes.

The auto body sander was launched at the 2013 SEMA show in Las Vegas in November.

“Starting the patent process with Wesley, along with developing the Au-

The sander was competing against products developed by industry giant 3M and other well-known companies.

The judges rated the products based on superiority of innovation, technical achievement, quality and workmanship, consumer appeal and marketability.

“We had a great reception at SEMA and lots of interest in our tool,” Haynes said. “We’ve been filling orders since we returned, receiving orders from all over the nation. We’ve had a lot of interest from Canada and other countries as well.”

Because there’s no other product like it on the market, Shelwes has a patent pending on the sander due to its technologically innovative design to cut labor time for sanding jobs.

It automatically conforms to the sanding surface, no matter how curved or irregular. Because of that conformShelwes Automatic Contour Sander ing ability, the workflow doesn’t stop tomatic Contour Sander and entering to make adjustments or to change tools. the SEMA trade show was very much “The body men who help us test it, like a science fair,” she said. say they will not go back to the ‘caveman There were more than 2,000 prodway’ of sanding again,” Haynes said. “It is ucts submitted for judging, including our hope that anyone whose work requires the Shelwes sander. sanding technology has this tool. It can be “To our pleasant surprise, we used on military vehicles, planes, boats, found out at the New Products Breakautomobiles, just about any surface that fast—the kickoff of SEMA—that we needs to be sanded.” won runner-up in two different cateMike Green worked with King for gories: Best New Tool and Equipment several years, and he recently opened his and Best New Collision Repair and Reown body shop in West Helena. Green finish Product,” Haynes said. said he admires King’s innovative mind.

“He’s always thinking outside of the box… He’d thought about (the These Thes Th ese luxury es luxu lu xury xu ry automobiles aaut utom omob om obiles ob iles sander idea) for years,” Green said. “It’s easy to think about it, but a lot harder to deserve dese de serv se rvee to to be bee b actually do it. It’s a really neat product, finished with fifinish shed sh ed w with h and it eliminates a lot of labor time.”

Genuine Genu Ge nuin nu ine in This was the problem that led to affecting theJaguar industry. ideaSouthwest of the sander byEdition?

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ficiently because sanding is the most time-consuming job in the industry.

Green agrees that the new sander saves a lot of labor time.

“I’ve always been kind of oldschool, but we’ve been using the sander since we opened. You don’t have to manipulate everything with your hands (as with other sanding tools). It’s a lot easier—almost like you’re cheating,” Green said with a laugh.

Green said many times insurance companies don’t want a panel replaced on a car—instead they want it repaired.

“I was doing a job about three weeks back on an Infinity with a damaged quarter panel,” Green said. “The sander turned sideways and wrapped around the area. I was thinking, ‘Wow, this is amazing.’”

The sander is 100 percent manufactured in the United States at Shelwes Tools and Body based in Helena.

Winning the SEMA awards gave Haynes and King recognition worldwide.

“It proved that small-town America can still compete,” Haynes said.

“Launching not only our product, but also our company at a worldwide event and receiving such recognition has helped with advertising on a global scale while giving us that SEMA stamp of approval that so many in the auto body industry recognize and trust when looking for new products and ways to improve quality and workmanship.”

Although, Haynes said she can’t predict the future, she knows that each person who needs sanding technology will benefit from using one of the Shelwes sanders.

“The savings will trickle right back to the customers who pay less and the insurance companies who pay less,” she said.

“And everyone knows that a dollar saved is a dollar spent somewhere else, which is what makes our economy strong.”

Auto Collision Repair Program Open House at Portland CC

Portland Community College If something broke in Sochi, they just Promote your businesscalled with John Teller.

Promote your businessThe with (PCC) Auto Collision Repair The Mammoth an exclusive article an exclusive article featuring Technology program hosted an Lakes, CA, native was in Sochi to com- featuring open house for faculty, staff, and pete in ski cross and he financed his your products or services. your products or services.

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Premiere Services Partners with LKQ on Electronics

Premiere Services, a leading provider of audio electronics to the insurance industry, has announced that it has partnered with LKQ Corporation to launch a new program that uses OEM electronics as a cost-effective option for mobile electronics replacement. The Mobile Electronics Quality Replacement Program (QRP) extends the company’s market beyond aftermarket products to OEM offerings for collision and theft.

A key benefit of the program is that the QRP parts can be found in CCC ONE®, an estimating system commonly used by insurers for determining parts costs and labor rates on claims.

Under the program, Premiere Services will ship the part directly to the collision repair facility to complete the repair or can coordinate having its installation team complete the repair. The parts also include a lifetime warranty. Insurers can also emphasize their commitment to being environmentally friendly by promoting the use of recycled parts.

www.autobodynews.com

Michigan Democrat, John Dingell, an ardent advocate of the auto industry who has held his seat in Congress since 1955—longer than any other person in history—said that he will retire from the House of Representatives, a senior House Democratic aide said.

Dingell first entered Congress to finish his late father's term and went on to serve nearly six decades.

“I'm not going to be carried out feet first,” Dingell, 87, told The Detroit News. “I don't want people to say I stayed too long.”

Dingell said that he will not seek re-election in November 2014.

In his heyday, Dingell wielded power as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and has shaped major laws for cleaner air and water, protecting endangered species, and providing health care for poor children.

Dingell also expressed disappointment with Congress.

“I find serving in the House to be obnoxious,” he told The Detroit News. “It's become very hard beGive usacrimony your opinion on cause of the and bitterness, both in Congress and in the streets.”

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At the Geneva Auto Show, German automotive and aerospace engineering company, EDAG, unveiled the Genesis, a visionary concept for the future of automotive design.

Built using 3D printing, the Genesis is a complete auto body that could be produced by high-resolution fuse deposition modeling (FDM) machines in a single print run. According to EDAG, “Unlike other technologies, FDM makes it possible for components of almost any size to be produced, as there are no pre-determined space requirements to pose any restrictions. Instead, the structures are generated by having robots apply thermoplastic materials... By introducing endless carbon fibers during the production process, it is also possible to achieve the required strength and stiffness values.”

Although the EDAG vision for automotive design is likely a decade or more away from realization, its introduction at the manufacturer-centric Geneva Motor Show represents another milestone for additive manWant to Contribute ufacturing and a clear vision for the to future of safer, more economical Give us your opinion auon ma tomotive production.

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CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts and AudaExplore announced that they have extended their agreement to offer AutoWatch to all CARSTAR locations in the U.S. under the CARSTAR Vision brand.

AutoWatch allows customers to see the progress of their vehicle repair by clicking on the CARSTAR Vision icon on the store website. Each day, digital photos are uploaded and posted to the repair facility web site along with the latest vehicle repair status.

“CARSTAR is always looking for ways to improve customer satisfaction and AutoWatch is an excellent tool for our collision repair facilities to keep customers informed regarding the progress of their vehicle repairs,” said David James, vice president of marketing for CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts. “We are pleased to extend our relationship with AudaExplore and plan on equipping even more of our facilities with the AutoWatch tool to deliver the industry’s highest customer satisfaction scores.”

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