May 2013 Northeast Edition by Autobody News

Northeast Edition New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Delaware

YEARS

www.autobodynews.com

I-CAR Responds to Associations’ Questions on Repair Standards, Clarifies Stance on OEM Procedures Gaps I-CAR responded to questions posed by repairer associations regarding the training organization’s position on repair standards, as they relate to OEM repair procedures, and I-CAR’s ultimate decision not to take an active role in the identification of gaps in OEM repair procedures and forming a council to foster closing those gaps, something the association’s had requested of ICAR in 2011. In an April 12 letter to I-CAR, the three repairer organizations had questioned I-CAR’s reasons for not accepting this expanded role in the development of repair standards, and

questioned statements made by I-CAR that “seem to suggest a belief within ICAR that not all industry segments support using OEM repair procedures as a standard of repair.” I-CAR responded in the form of a letter addressed to representatives of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP), the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), and the Assured Performance Network. In the latest official response, ICAR reiterated its position that it “firmly believes that OEM collision repair procedures are the industry stanSee I-CAR Clarifies, Page 55

VOL. 3 ISSUE 2 MAY 2013

Repairer-Only Meeting Focuses on Shops’ Response to Key Industry Issues at April CIC Phoenix Meeting by John Yoswick

Insurer-mandated parts procurement systems, and I-CAR’s decision not to follow through with its plans to work with automakers to identify and close the gaps in existing collision repair procedures, dominated discussion at a repairer-only meeting held in Phoenix in April. Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists, led the “Repairer Roundtable” meeting, but said it was less tied to any one organization than to an over-arching goal of providing

PAINT AND REFINISH TECHNOLOGIES Second of 2 Issues

GM Wants Dealers to Stock More Service Parts, Parts Managers and Dealers Debate Costs and Discounts

program. GM estimates that the majority of dealerships will spend $6,000 to $10,000 to buy the additional inventory, but worried dealers also believe it may result in buying parts that won’t move as quickly as GM believes, wasting valuable shelf space as well as money. GM rolled out the program April 1 as an incentive designed to improve See GM Dealers’ Parts, Page 55

Change Service Requested

P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018

General Motors is revamping its service parts program and giving incentives to dealerships to increase their inventory for more same-day repairs and to buy more of those parts directly from the factory, Automotive News recently reported. However dealers and their parts managers have expressed serious concerns about the inventory cost and impact of the Service Lane Parts

repairers a place to discuss and establish objectives without the influence of other industry segments. “I think our industry has become well-informed,” Schulenburg said. “There is a great network of information going in and out of the associations, and from the trade I-CAR Board member press. But just Dusty Womble being informed did not support board decision isn’t enough. We See Repairer Roundtable, Page 45

• Custom Painter Stories, p. 18, 46, 58, 60 • Training and News, p. 6, 10, 12, 22, 24, 36, 37, 44

LIABRA Held March Meeting at Greg and Bill’s Auto Body Shop in Medford, New York The Long Island Auto Body Repairmen’s Association (LIABRA) held its March 19 meeting at Greg and Bill’s Auto Body Shop in Medford, NY. The meeting was held in a Town Hall format with an open forum on claims handling problems and solutions. Members were invited to bring problems and solutions for discussion. Greg and Bill’s Auto Body has been a member and supporter of LIABRA for many years. Greg Smith established Greg and Bill’s in 1967 and it is a familyowned and operated business. Greg and his son Scott, along with a staff of six, take care of the day-today operations and Ed Kizenberger Greg’s wife Phyllis takes care of bookkeeping and finances. LIABRA thanks Greg Smith

and family for providing their beautiful facility for the meeting and Enterprise Rent-A-Car for the food and refreshments. LIABRA Executive Director Ed Kizenberger brought the meeting to order with the reading of an Antitrust Statement and cautioned members that any discussion of prices or repair hours and procedures was not permitted. LIABRA is very sensitive to the Antitrust Laws and Kizenberger reminded members that Body Shop Associations have been put out of business just because of accusations of antitrust violations. Kizenberger distributed a handout of the 30 most violated OHSA standards and gave a brief presentation on OSHA standards and compliance. In general, OSHA will not visit you unless there is a fatality at your shop or a complaint filed against you. See LIABRA March Meeting, Page 42

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

2 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

COLUMNISTS Attanasio: Is ‘Reactionary’ Marketing Too Little, Too Late? Maybe Not.. . . . . . . . 16 Franklin: Using Signage to be Unique in the Digital Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Hey Toby!: Glass and Windshield Installs Must Be Handled by the Book. . . . . . . . . . 26 Insider: Shops Should Be Able to Offer Whatever Discounts They Want . . . . . . . . 30

NATIONAL $250,000 Donated Towards Operation Comfort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 1940 Ford Coupe Wins Ridler Award in Detroit . 41 Aaron Clark Named VP at Assured Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 ABRA Auto Body & Glass Expands in Utah . . 61 ABRA Buys 5 Indiana Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 AkzoNobel’s Stickerfix DIY Paint Solution . . . 12 ASA President Ron Pyle Has Resigned from ASA, Dan Risley Appointed as Interim Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 AudaExplore Gives $3 Million in Software Donations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Automaker, OEM and Recall News . . . . . . . . 34 Automotive Body Parts Association Hires Edward Salamy as New Executive Director . 52 Axalta Coating Systems Holds Fleet Council Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Axalta Offers Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 BASF Sponsors East Valley Institute of Technology in Mesa, Arizona . . . . . . . . 56 Big Changes Coming for ASRW, Shorter Schedule, Possible Partnership. . . . . . . . . 44 Boyd Group Acquires Four Repair Centers in NC and FL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Car Theft Drops by 88% in Massachusetts . . 63 CCC Donates $25,000 to Education Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Chicago Pneumatic Gives $10,000 in Tool Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Collision Education Makeover School Grant Applications Due by May 31 . . . . . . 48 David Brunori Promoted to Division President at Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Education Foundation to Offer Free 1-Year I-CAR Curriculum Grants to 100 Post-Secondary Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Flowmaster Mobile Work Station Easy to Use . 6 Foundation Says 91 Cents of Every Buck Went to Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 GM Wants Dealers to Stock More Service Parts, Parts Managers and Dealers

Debate Costs and Discounts. . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Goodguys 13th Annual Del Mar Nationals Showcases 2,500 Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Herkules Introduces FastTrack Paint Gun Washer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Hoffman Auto Body Fined $54K for OSHA Violations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 I-CAR Declines Facilitation of OEM Repair Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 I-CAR Makes Milestone $200,000 Donation to Collision Repair Education Foundation . 51 I-CAR Thanks its 1,600 Volunteers as it Celebrates National Volunteer Week in April . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 I-CAR Responds to Associations’ Questions on Repair Standards, Clarifies Stance on OEM Procedures Gaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Industry Veteran Michael Quinn Joins uParts . 40 Insurers Rated for Best and Worst Customer Experiences; USAA Ranked “Good” . . . . . 52 Kadel’s Wins Regional Award . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Kentucky Approves eProof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Larry Miller Group Adds 7 Dealerships in Arizona. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Malco’s TurboShears Quickly Becoming Tech’s Go-To Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Martin Senour Color Manual Features Actual Paint Chips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Mitchell Releases New RepairCenter Connect, Which Allows Insurers to Send Assignments to Any Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Most & Least Expensive States for Car Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 NABC’s Operation Comfort Fundraising Kit Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 NADA Says Rising New-Vehicle Sales Lifted Dealer Profits for a Record Year in 2012 . . 50 New TV Pilot, “Auto Body Avengers” Coming to Spike. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Nissan Names O’Hara Director . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Northern California Man Pleads No Contest to Selling Counterfeit ALLDATA Products . 43 PARTS Act Reintroduced in U.S. House of Representatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 PPG Appoints Frank Sklarsky as VP of Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Pro-Spray Launches YouTube Channel . . . . . 40 Refinish Distributors Alliance Adds New Member . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Repairer-Only Meeting Focuses on Shops’ Response to Key Industry Issues at April CIC Phoenix Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Safest Cars are Civics, Lincolns, Mazdas, Volvos; Toyota Camry, Prius V Get Front-End Downgrade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 SEMA Board Candidates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Service King’s Bonner to Speak at PBES Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Steve McQueen’s 1951 Convertible Sells for $88,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Suit Filed Against Safelite and Toyota After Double- Fatality Rollover, Safelite Says Not Repairer of Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 VT Couple Charged With Arson. . . . . . . . . . . 41 WIN Announces Scholarship Winners for Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Ron Pyle has resigned as president and chief staff executive of the Automotive Service Association (ASA), the organization announced April 22. Pyle, who has served as president of the ASA since November 2002, said the “transition of executive leadership has been in process for several months.” He will continue to work with the association in an advisory role through the end of the year. “We know Ron’s decision to step down was made with mixed emotions. We understand his choice and appreciate his efforts to ensure a smooth transition,” said Ron Nagy, immediate past chairman of the ASA. “Consulting with the ASA leadership in the months to come will be of tremendous value to the board and staff of this great association. We thank Ron for his decade of service to the members of ASA.”The Automotive Service Association (ASA) appointed Dan Risley as interim executive director. The announcement comes following Ron Pyle’s decision to step down as president and chief staff executive. Pyle joined the national staff in July 2002 and assumed the role of president in November 2002.

PAINT SPECIAL Crazy Painter Mitch Kelly, Father & Son Keep on Truckin’ in SoCal. . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Custom Shop Masters Pro-Spray to Make an Artistic Statement. . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Cutting Edge Shop Knows Value of Tsunami Regenerative Dryer . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Future Cure Announces Alignment with NitroHeat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Glasurit Introduces Comprehensive, 2-Clears Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 KBS Coatings Adds ‘Safety Blue’ Color to Line-Up of Non-Porous Colors for Rust Prevention. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 RDA’s First Collision Solutions Training Seminar Gets Excellent Reviews . . . . . . . . . 6 Renowned Painter Mickey Harris Co-Designed the SATAgraph 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Six Tips to Finding Success in Process Analysis. 24 Third Generation Custom Painter Was Born Into the Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Risley, who joined ASA in March as executive vice president, said, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve an association with the storied history of ASA. The ASA board of directors is committed to strengthening the association through open communication and collaboration. I intend on helping them fulfill that commitment.” “Dan’s leadership and presence within the auto repair industry are just a few of the underlying reasons we believe he is a perfect complement to ASA,” said Darrell Amberson, AAM, ASA chairman and vice president of operations at LaMettry’s Collision in Minneapolis. “The board looks forward to collaborating with him and leveraging his strengths to better the association and the value our membership receives.” Risley, who has served the industry in many roles throughout his career, came to ASA after six years at Allstate Insurance Co. where he was a market claims manager. Prior to that, he served as executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists for seven years, from 2001-2008. Pyle will continue to work with ASA in an advisory role until the end of the year.

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

Amato Agency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . 59 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . 5 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 49 Car-Part Pro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Central Avenue Chrysler-JeepDodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Chief Automotive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Creative Metal Manufacturing, Inc . 6 CSS USA, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 DCH Family of BMW Stores . . . . . 19 Ditschman/Flemington Auto Group. 11 Empire Auto Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Equalizer Industries. . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . 43 Fred Beans Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Future Cure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Garmat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Generation Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Glanzmann Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 51 Hackettstown Honda. . . . . . . . . . . 40 Healey Hyundai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers. 53 Jaguar Wholesale Parts Dealers. . 63 KBS Coatings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Koeppel VW-Mazda. . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Lexus Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . 61

and adjacent metro areas, Autobody News is a monthly publication for the autobody industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2013 Adamantine Media LLC. Autobody News P.O. Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 721-0253 Fax www.autobodynews.com Email: news@autobodynews.com

Northeast

REGIONAL AASP/NJ Offered KPI Measurement Seminars. 4 Bessie Bussiere, Former VP of Supreme Auto Body, Passes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Car Crashes into NJ Auto Body Shop Parking Lot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Cherry Hill Volvo Voted Top Small Workplace Again! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Dan Woods Visits Alfred State College Auto Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Drew Industries Relocates HQ from NY to IN . 50 Good Samaritans Pull Man from Burning Car in NJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 H&V Collision in NY is Now a Honda ProFirst Facility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 LIABRA Held March Meeting at Greg and Bill’s Auto Body Shop in Medford, New York . . . . 1 New Owner in NY Opens Angry Owl Repair Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 NJ Body Shop Student is Student of the Month. 6 NJ Man Arrested for Body Shop Burglary After Storm Sandy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Over 2,000 NY Students Compete in SkillsUSA. 4 Owner Plans to Revive Former Troy, New York, Auto Body Shop into Snack Shack . . . . . . 10 PA Auto Body Repairman Dies Mysteriously in an Elevator Shaft at Tampa Airport . . . . 15 PA Workers Comp Rates Lower . . . . . . . . . . . 4 PA’s Keenan Auto Body is a Philly.com Top Workplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Pennsylvania Body Shop Celebrate 32 Years in Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Queens Body Shop Crash Kills, Maims Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Suspicious Fire Damages NY Body Shop . . . . 4 We Care Auto Repair in NY Wants to Relocate. 9

ASA President Ron Pyle Has Resigned from ASA, Dan Risley Appointed as Interim Executive Director

Indexof Advertisers

Contents

Malco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Maxon Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Maxon Mazda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 44 Megatester, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . 48 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . 39 Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Plaza Auto Mall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers. 60 PPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 PreFab Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Ruge’s Parts Center . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Safety Regulation Strategies. . . . . 42 SATA Spray Equipment . . . . . . . . 27 Scion Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . 55 Security Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep . . . . 7 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers DE, South NJ, PA . . . . . . . . . 20-21 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers North NJ, NY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Thompson Organization . . . . . . . . 23 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 47 Tsunami Compressed Air Solutions . 16 Urethane Supply Company . . . . . . 9 VIM Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Volvo Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 54 Walcom USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Yonkers Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 3

Over 2,000 NY Students Compete in SkillsUSA

Over 2,300 students from 84 trade and technical schools in New York competed in trade and leadership contests at the New York State Leadership Conference and Skills Championships April 24-26 at the State Fairgrounds. Hosted by the New York Association of SkillsUSA, the convention showcased the skills of vocational students and their instructors. The contests tested skills in automotive technology, auto collision repair, carpentry, cosmetology, culinary arts, electronics repair and health care. In addition, students competed in public speaking, job demonstrations, job interview and other contests related to their course of study. Scholarships and tools worth a total of $250,000 were awarded to student winners at the awards ceremony on April 26 at the Center of Progress Building.

Search:

Autobody News on Facebook Suspicious Fire Damages New York Body Shop

A fire damaged an auto body shop in Southport, NY, during the early morning hours of April 2. The fire broke out before 1 a.m. at Dalton Auto Body Shop at 1261 South Main Street. Witnesses heard a loud bang and heavy smoke was seen in the area. The fire is considered suspicious, Undersheriff William Schrom said. Owner Pat Dalton says he is shocked that this happened. He does not know what could have caused the fire to break out. His auto shop has been at the Southport location since 1995. The fire was extinguished fairly quickly and was confined to the office area, Michael S. Smith, the county’s fire and emergency services director, said. There was no fire damage to the garage area other than some smoke, he said. There were no injuries. “The cause continues to be under investigation,” he said. “The fire department requested the assistance of the sheriff’s office.” The facility has some structural damage, but it is repairable, Smith said.

AASP/NJ Offered KPI Measurement Seminars

The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) hosted two seminars in April to help collision repair businesses operate more profitably. The seminars were held April 9 and 11. The seminar, “Operating a Profitable Collision Repair Business,” focused on performance issues that shop operators need to understand for successful results. Attendees learned how to measure and track key performance indicators (KPIs)—such as efficiency, gross profit and sales per repair order—to determine whether they’re making the amount money they should. John Niechwiadowicz of Performance Consulting Services present the seminar on April 9 at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Toms River, NJ, and at the Holiday Inn in Totowa, NJ, on April 11. “If you want to succeed in today’s collision repair business, these meetings should be mandatory,” said Charles Bryant, executive director of AASP/NJ, adding that these meetings help members to learn how to become a top performer in the industry.

NJ Man Arrested for Body Shop Burglary After Storm Sandy

Police arrested a 66-year-old Asbury Park, NJ, man who they say burglarized a body shop in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy. Andray Glover was arrested on charges of burglary and possession of burglary tools. Glover burglarized Samuel’s Auto Body on Nov. 4, said Police Chief Robert Adams. He said Glover was connected to the burglary after a thorough investigation, which included physical evidence. Glover is being held at the Monmouth County jail, Freehold Township, in lieu of $52,000 bail.

PA Workers Comp Rates Lower

Pennsylvania workers compensation rates decreased 4.01% on April 1, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department announced. The decrease is expected to save employers up to $110 million in overall comp premiums. This is the second straight year that Pennsylvania has seen a rate reduction. Pennsylvania has seen improved workers comp claim frequency in recent years — a trend that is expected to continue through 2013, according to a February memo from the Philadelphiabased Pennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau.

4 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

H&V Collision in NY is Now a Honda ProFirst Facility

H&V Collision Center in Troy, NY, is now recognized as a Honda ProFirst collision repair facility. Three other H&V locations in the New York communities of Colonie, Saratoga Springs and Queensbury are “on their way” to becoming qualified as a ProFirst facility, according to Gary Ledoux, Assistant National Manager for American Honda Motor Co. Inc. All are I-CAR Gold Class shops. To qualify for the ProFirst program, shops must meet a few requirements. Shops must conduct a certain minimum number of transactions using OEConnection’s CollisionLink software, they must be designated as I-CAR Gold Class Professionals businesses and have at least one technician who has completed I-CAR’s Collision Repair for Honda and Acura Vehicles course. “Qualifying as a Honda ProFirst location means H&V is able to offer owners of Honda vehicles a high level of service and care, meeting the specifications of the manufacturer,” said Vartan Jerian Jr. of H&V Collision Centers.

www.autobodynews.com

Car Crashes into NJ Auto Body Shop Parking Lot

In Port Monmouth, NJ, a car crashed into two utility poles and hit parked cars in the lot of B&W Auto Body Shop, authorities said. The crash knocked down electrical wires from the poles. Emergency personnel had to wait for a Jersey Central Power & Light crew to arrive to cut the power before the driver could be rescued, authorities said. Both poles were damaged, and one will have to be replaced, according to police Lt. Robert Stefanski. The driver was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, but the name of the driver and the extent of injuries was not available, Stefanski said. Ben Cappuccio, a freelance photographer, was driving along Route 36 when he noticed police detouring cars around the crash. “There were four to five police cars and multiple ambulances. The occupant was still stuck in the white SUV, and they were trying to get him out,” Cappuccio said. “There were two poles hit. One got snapped, and one (was) tilted and ready to fall.” Port Monmouth First Aid transported the driver. MONOC and Middletown rescue vehicles responded.

MEGATESTER

The smallest, handiest, most versatile electric trouble-shooting device ever invented! This iingenious g new tool is made in the U.S. and is unconditionally guaranteed. TESTS: Fuses, Bulbs, Switches, Cords, Thermostsats ON: Cars, Boats, Airplanes, Appliances AND Traces wires and finds Megatester can test all this and more! bad grounds

now and receive FREE SHIPPING 39955! Order with code AN413

Only $

Email: megatester1942@gmail.com

Toll-free: 877-312-6342 Fax: 315-474-5413

www.megatester.com

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 5

Flowmaster Mobile Work Station Easy to Use The Flowmaster Mobile Work Station is a portable, clean air re-circulating unit that can be used for sanding, priming, spot painting using the 3 oz. rule or even as a whole shop clean air solution. It comes equipped with either 110V for universal applications or 220V. It is the most powerful unit on the market with up to 10,000 cfm and a total overall measurement of 8’4” tall, 4’ wide and 28” deep. A basic unit is finished in galvanized steel with an option of powder coating. The four-stage filtration system is the highest in the industry as well as the most inexpensive to change. There is no assembly required. It’s as easy as rolling into your shop, plugging it in and turning it on. The easy mobility over various terrains is possible with the 8” heavy duty pneumatic air wheels with a locking feature. Other features include a 50’ electrical cord, folding hook and a filter change indicator. The Flow-

Master does not need permits, fire suppression, plumbing or roof penetration. The FlowMaster Mobile Workstation is made in the USA. For more information, see www.creativemetalmfg.com.

Free Twice Monthly Newsletter at www.autobodynews.com

Good Samaritans Pull Man from Burning Car in NJ

In the Franklin Township of New Jersey, police are looking for two Good Samaritans who pulled a man from his car after it smashed into a tree and caught fire. According to officer Dominick Zeveney, the victim probably would have sustained life-threatening injuries without the assistance of the samaritans. The department wants to identify them so they can be “publicly recognized for their brave and heroic efforts to save the driver,” he added. The accident was near 384 Sidney Road (Route 617) on Friday, April 12, just after 1 p.m. Patrolman Kevin Bollaro responded to a 911 call and learned that a 62-year-old Califon man was traveling southbound and swerved to avoid striking a deer that had entered the roadway. His SUV left the road, slammed into a tree on the east side, sustained heavy front-end damage and caught fire. Two people pulled the driver from the burning vehicle and placed him next to it. R.J. Fisher of Fisher Auto Body in Croton responded to haul the wrecked car away on a flatbed wrecker.

NJ Body Shop Student is Student of the Month

Brandi Gill, a junior in Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School’s auto body program, was selected as Student of the Month for April, according to an article published online by NJ.com. Brandi is a member of SkillsUSA who competed in the New Jersey SkillsUSA Championships in the Auto Body Custom Painting category. Guidance counselor Sarah Morelli-Stutz nominated Brandi because she has maintained an excellent GPA and is a “responsible, conscientious young lady.” George Byrd, Brandi’s auto body instructor, described her as “persistent, consistent and inquisitive.” Byrd went on to add that Brandi is a good student who is a “pleasure to work with.” At SCVTHS, Brandi is a member of the softball team and was recently inducted into the National Honor Society. Outside of school, Brandi is a member of the 4H-Go-Kart Club and holds a job working at Wendy’s, and plans to buy a car. After graduating from SCVTHS, Brandi plans on furthering her education to pursue a business degree.

RDA’s First Collision Solutions Training Seminar Gets Excellent Reviews by Melissa Jolls, Marketing Director

On March 16 in Dallas, TX, Bernie Blickenstaff, President and CEO of Pro Finishes Plus, presented an electrifying training seminar to 105 RDA members, their sales people and key employees.

Blickenstaff gave an engaging presentation on understanding the need to continually differentiate ourselves to remain successful and competitive. He stressed the importance of setting ourselves apart not by selling price, but by using the value added programs we offer. This was an opportunity to demonstrate “it’s not just the deal” that sells in the collision market today. Value added programs distinguish us against our competition.

Adam Duersch of Industrial Finishes & Systems summed it up by saying, “Bernie gets it.” Everyone came away with valuable information and new programs they can use with their customers. The objectives at this meeting were to explain and show first-hand to the individuals who directly interact with the end user how to implement and make these programs work for them. These are the individuals who execute sales and marketing strategies at the shop level. We would like to thank our sponsors: Evercoat, Saint Gobain and PPC for helping to make this event the success it was. The only question left unanswered at the end of the day was, when is the next training seminar? Everyone will be there!! For more information on RDA/IMPACT visit their website at www.impactcollisionsolutions.com or contact Melisa Jolls at 908-251-5713 or email: meljolls@earthlink.net.

6 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Your shop will breathe easy sy with a Flowmaster portablee nit. clean-air, re-circulating unit. Ideal for sanding, priming,, spot painting or overall whole shop ventilation. • No assembly required • Most powerful unit on the market • Easy mobility with No permits, pneumatic locking fire suppression, wheels plumbing or roof • 50’ cord, folding penetration hook and filter needed! change indicator • 110V or 220V Flowmaster is priced right and Made in the USA

Creative Metal Manufacturing www.creativemetalmfg.com

(888) 631-6687 Toll Free

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 7

New Owner in NY Opens Angry Owl Repair Shop

Auto body shop owner David Borst recently opened his own business, called Angry Owl Auto, in Jordan, NY. Now 31, he’s been working on cars since he was 16. Borst and his wife, Kelly came up with the name while trying a beer from the brand, Angry Orchard. Everybody uses their names,” Borst said. “It’s kind of boring.” So he combined his David Borst wife’s love of owls and the beer brand they enjoyed to get Angry Owl Auto. The shop sits on 8 State Route 31 in Jordan. “I’m very open,” he said. “Basically, whatever anybody needs that I can make it easier for them, I would do.” Borst is offering a variety of services: auto body repair, collision services, detailing, restorations, oil changes, brake services, exhaust system and muffler repairs, painting and more. He works on more than just cars, too. Borst has worked on plenty of tractors and motorcycles. He even used to restore old toys. Borst is the only one on staff for now, but he hopes to hire an auto mechanic once things get up and run-

ning. He has skills in both mechanical and restoration work. “I’m a start-to-finish type of guy,” Borst said. “I’ve done restorations where you take every single thing off the car. The car basically has the engine and the roof. When the car leaves here, I’d like it to look new. If you see when I do collision work, it has to look like new. It has to be right. It’s got my name on it.” He added, “I’m not looking to get rich. I just want to have fun and be my own boss.” Borst’s grandfather and older brother inspired him to start working in the auto body world. His grandfather did a lot of auto body work, and

Angry Owl Auto

left Borst with many of his tools. One of Borst’s favorite projects he worked on was a Harley Sportster motor cycle. “I did quite a bit of work on that,” Borst said. “I had more fun working on it than riding it.”

Dan Woods Visits Alfred State College Auto Body

Dan Woods, the star of “Chop, Cut and Rebuild,” surprised the auto body students at Alfred State College in New York recently when he came to visit. Woods, of the Emmy-nominated “Chop, Cut and Rebuild” on the SPEED channel since 2004, made his way from an auto show in Buffalo to check up on his buddy’s (Jay Sanchez) 1978 Silver Wraith II Rolls Royce. The students have been working on the classic vehicle since it arrived from Florida in January. Associate Professor and Chair of the Automotive Trades Department Kent Johnson said, “He was in the area, so he came here to see how his friend’s car was doing. He is a good guy and gave up his time to talk to our students. They were pretty excited.” Woods is the series creator, host, and executive producer of “Chop, Cut and Rebuild,” a program about the real effort needed to restore iconic symbols of American engineering. Now in its eighth season, the series

has featured top professionals in the restoration trade who reveal the tricks, skills, and challenges of a complete show-quality vehicle restoration. The work on the Silver Wraith II was brought about by the Alfred State College Wellsville campus’s involvement in the 2012 Fireball Run which stopped at the campus during its cruise through Allegany County. Sanchez is the producer of Fireball Run and visited the campus several times during the planning stages for the local event. Johnson said Woods spent a few hours talking to the students and touring the shop before meeting Johnson and Greater Allegany County Tourism Coordinator Gretchen Hanchett. According to both Hanchett and Johnson there has been talk with Woods about producing a show in his series using two automotive training schools—one being Alfred. However scheduling is a challenge. The show is filmed in the summer when students are on break.

Free Twice Monthly Newsletter at www.autobodynews.com

We Have the Parts!! Your Premiere Dealership Deaalership for Genuine Subaru Suba Parts and Accessories

è We are your Genuine Subaru parts source è Fast, friendly, knowledgeable service è More than competitive prices è Free Delivery è Experienced staff

www.getsubaru.com è HOURS: WRX STI

Parts Dept.

800-440-0130

Fax 267-287-0034 parts@glanzmann.com

Monday - Friday

Subaru Glanzmann Subaru

8 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

95 Old York Rd. è Jenkintown, PA 19046

7:30 am—5:00 pm

PA’s Keenan Auto Body is a Philly.com Top Workplace

Pennsylvania-based Keenan Auto Body Inc. has been selected as one of Philly.com’s Top Workplaces. Philly.com’s annual list of Top Workplaces is determined from employee feedback. “Keenan Auto Body employees all have one thing in common and that is that we all share in our unique positive culture that enables us to make the important decisions and to do what is right for our customers without having our hands tied,” said Craig Camacho, marketing director for Keenan Auto Body. “We are given the tools that are needed and are proud to be held accountable for our actions. We work extremely hard to provide a positive culture for a rewarding employment experience and this has always been a primary goal of our leadership team…” For the full list of Philly.com’s Top Workplaces, and selection criteria visit topworkplaces.com.

@autobodynews Accept no Substitutes!

Cherry Hill Volvo Voted Top Small Workplace Again!

Cherry Hill Volvo recently celebrated its 51st anniversary and was voted top small workplace by a survey that was distributed by WorkplaceDynamics to over 26,000 employees across 154 companies in the Philadelphia region. The full-service Volvo retailer is the top workplace winner for a small company for the second year in a row. Employees at the South Jersey car dealership believe that going to work every day is more than just a job. For them, it’s being with their second family. Many credit their boss, Judith Krupnick, the company’s president, with fostering that feeling. “She touches every person that works here,” said Yosef Cohen, a general sales manager. “She knows everyone’s families, kids. She’s involved and likes to help; that’s impressive. That’s what makes it unique to work here.” Krupnick can sometimes be seen washing cars, and chipping in with other duties in every department whenever needed, including the body shop. “Top management appreciates my effort and makes me feel as a trusted member of the decision-making process,” one respondent wrote.

We Care Auto Repair in NY Wants to Relocate A New York auto body shop called We Care Auto Repair, located at 6889 Erie Road in the town of Evans, is one step closer to their plan to relocate their business to 7312 Erie Road in Evans. The Evans Planning Board recommended a special use permit at its meeting March 27. According to Planning Board Chair Sandra Brant, the proposed site has been the location for two or three other special use permits over the years, for related uses. “The neighbor to the north had been concerned about where the snow would be plowed to,” Brant said. “The two previous special use permits had special conditions placed on them about this and I am asking that condition be added to this special use permit.” The board did pass a positive recommendation to the Evans Town Board to grant the special use permit because the project will not result in any changes to the character of the surrounding community, is consistent with the Evans Comprehensive Plan, and brings a business to an under utilized piece of property. The project does not appear to have any significant environmental concerns.

The following conditions for the special use permit were recommended: • For the purposes of sales, no more than eight cars may be displayed or stored on the site, as shown on the site plan. • There will be an enclosed area for dumpster, tires and scrap material. • Any painting, sandblasting, machine grinding or sanding must occur inside the building with a ventilation system designed in accordance with state and federal standards. • No major auto body or collision repairs will be conducted on this site. • Snow from the northeast portion of the property shall be placed on the northwest portion of the property. Snow can not be placed at the rear of the building, due to the location of the on-site septic system. • All site lighting shall be shielded from Route 5 and adjacent properties. • This special use permit shall be for one year. According to officials, if there are no complaints or violations during the year, then the special use permit will be renewed for a two-year period. If there are no problems during that period, then the next permit will be for a five year period and will stay on a five-year cycle. www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 9

Owner Plans to Convert Former Troy, New York, Auto Body Shop into Snack Shack In our January issue, we published â&#x20AC;&#x153;Troy, NY, Rejects Repeated Request for Use Permit for Former Body Shop Location.â&#x20AC;?Search www.autobodynews.com/ northeast-news. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an update on the story ...

The zoning board in the city of Troy in New York repeatedly rejected a special use permit for a local tow operator to open an auto repair shop at the location of a former body shop called Wardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Auto Body off Fifth Avenue. Instead, owner Jack Cox Jr. wants to open up a take-out food restaurant and ice cream stand on the same plot of land and call it â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Snack Shack.â&#x20AC;? Jack Cox Jr. presented his plans to the Planning Commission to open the restaurant, which will serve fast food and ice cream, even though he said he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even like the idea. He still believes an auto body shop would be the right thing for the area, the Troy Record reported. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really like it,â&#x20AC;? Cox said, who presented the plans on behalf of his father. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The bottom line is, the City of Troy tied our hands. With the automotive industry, we think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best fit for the community at this time. It brings diversification to our base in the community.â&#x20AC;?

The project is being brought before the commission for site plan approval, according to Planning and Economic Development Commissioner Bill Dunne, who said this time around, the Cox family has come with a proposal that is allowed under the current zoning for the area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The code is the code,â&#x20AC;? Dunne said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Either youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re an allowed use or you are not an allowed use. In what he previously wanted to do, it was not an allowed use, no matter what way you want to try and spin it.â&#x20AC;? In January, Cox presented his plan to open up an auto body shop to the Zoning Board of Appeals with the hopes of also doing towing for the Police Department. Eventually, the board unanimously voted down the proposal. The area in Lansingburgh is inundated with food service, according to Cox, which was why he believes it would not be a good idea to open up a new restaurant in the area. But he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t concerned about his business so much as he was for the others in the area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If the city is comfortable with sacrificing a bunch of these smaller food and beverage industries then we are more than happy to go in that direction, but we feel it is a huge mis-

take,â&#x20AC;? Cox said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We feel we will offer a better facility with the same food but at a better price.â&#x20AC;? The plan for the restaurant is to have outdoor seating with picnic tables and potentially having a portion of them covered so people can still come during rainy days. The proposal states removing fencing to make room for vegetation. There will also be room for 15 offstreet parking spaces. John Murphy, owner of Snowman Ice Cream and neighbor to the proposed Snack Shack, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too worried about the competition, adding Cox would also be up against Chubbyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Jimmyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pizzeria. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Lansingburgh] is saturated with food places but, hey, whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another one?â&#x20AC;? Murphy said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a loyal following with people out of the area as well. A business doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t survive on just one area.â&#x20AC;? Murphy was very supportive of the Cox idea, even saying it was â&#x20AC;&#x153;a great idea.â&#x20AC;? He also complimented Jack Cox Sr., calling him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the hardest working menâ&#x20AC;? in the area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wish him luck,â&#x20AC;? Murphy said before adding he was going to keep doing the same thing he does every year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just going to keep putting out a good product and good customer service.â&#x20AC;?

Bessie Bussiere, Former VP of Supreme Auto Body, Passes

Bessie Reina Bussiere of Pittstown, NJ, passed away at home in the care of her daughter Renee Bussiere and nieces Frances Spino-Robertson, Carmella Spino-Helminski and her husband Robert D. Helminski, with the aid of Hunterdon Hospice. She was 88. Bessie was born and raised in Elizabeth. She moved to Hunterdon County in 1982. She was vice president of Supreme Auto Body in Avenel before retiring in 1998. Bessie had a passion for volunteer work. She volunteered with American Red Cross Blood Bessie Bussiere Bank. She was an active volunteer at Country Arch as well as a teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aide with the Lester Wilson Elementary School in Alexandria Township. She was a communicant of St. Catherine of Siena Church, Pittstown. Bessie was an avid reader who enjoyed traveling. Most of all she adored her family. She was known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;glueâ&#x20AC;? of the family, she knew every date or fact pertaining to the history of the family. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

KBS Coatings Adds â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Safety Blueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Color to Line-Up of Non-Porous Colors for Rust Prevention

Rust is caused by moisture coming in contact with bare metal, producing a chemical reaction known as oxidation. The effect is to significantly weaken the metal and cause blistering underneath paint or primer. KBS Coatings offers its customers the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top rated rust preventive coatings but now KBS Coatings has raised the bar even higher with the addition of Safety Blue to the ten color line-up of RustSeal colors, according to Ben Bonkoski, Operations Manager of KBS Coatings. People battling rust problems with their cars, farm equipment, industrial equipment, and in so many other places, now have 10 choices of color, all of which are completely non-porous. Rust is one dilemma everyone seems to understand. Corrosion protection is really only as good as the products you choose. The power to protect lies in the details of a stop rust paint. KBS Coatingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 3-Step system of KBS Klean (an industrial strength water-based cleaner & degreaser), KBS RustBlast (a powerful rust remover and metal etch) and RustSeal

(an exclusive rust preventive coating) is the newest and most effective rust prevention system available today. KBS preparation products of KBS Klean and RustBlast are specifically enhanced with a revolutionary Oxygen-Block Technology that offers unique metal corrosion protection. RustSeal is a single-component, high-solid content, moisture-curing urethane. These exceptional properties make RustSeal the ideal stop rust paint choice for chemically bonding to metal for the purpose of stopping and encapsulating existing rust and corrosion caused by the damaging effects of water penetration. RustSeal protects and seals bare metal from moisture with a permanent coating that is actually strengthened by continued exposure to moisture. This non-porous, flexible coating that now comes in Safety Blue is also incredibly tough and extremely resistant to abrasion and impact. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technology thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simply unbeatable. For more information, visit www.SHOPKBS.com or call 877548-9323.

10 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

â&#x20AC;˘ 6ŕś?ŕś&#x2030;ŕś&#x201D;ŕś&#x203A; 2ŕś?ŕś&#x153; 5ŕś?ŕś&#x203A;ŕś&#x153; â&#x20AC;˘ 6ŕś?ŕś&#x2030;ŕś&#x201D;ŕś&#x203A; 2ŕś?ŕś&#x153; 5ŕś?ŕś&#x203A;ŕś&#x153; â&#x20AC;˘ 0ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x152;ŕś?ŕś&#x161;ŕś&#x2013; 5ŕś?ŕś&#x203A;ŕś&#x2018;ŕś&#x2013; 7ŕś?ŕś&#x2039;ŕś? â&#x20AC;˘ 0ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x152;ŕś?ŕś&#x161;ŕś&#x2013; 5ŕś?ŕś&#x203A;ŕś&#x2018;ŕś&#x2013; 7ŕś?ŕś&#x2039;ŕś? &ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x203A;ŕś&#x153; 6ŕś&#x2030;ŕś&#x17E;ŕś&#x2018;ŕś&#x2013;ŕś?ŕś&#x203A; â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ &ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x203A;ŕś&#x153; 6ŕś&#x2030;ŕś&#x17E;ŕś&#x2018;ŕś&#x2013;ŕś?ŕś&#x203A; â&#x20AC;˘ &ŕś&#x2030;ŕś&#x2013; %ŕś? 3ŕś&#x2030;ŕś&#x2018;ŕś&#x2013;ŕś&#x153;ŕś?ŕś&#x152; 2ŕś&#x17E;ŕś?ŕś&#x161; â&#x20AC;˘ &ŕś&#x2030;ŕś&#x2013; %ŕś? 3ŕś&#x2030;ŕś&#x2018;ŕś&#x2013;ŕś&#x153;ŕś?ŕś&#x152; 2ŕś&#x17E;ŕś?ŕś&#x161; â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ 1ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x2013; 3ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x161;ŕś&#x2014;ŕś?ŕś&#x203A; &ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x201D;ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x161;ŕś&#x203A; 1ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x2013; 3ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x161;ŕś&#x2014;ŕś?ŕś&#x203A; &ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x201D;ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x161;ŕś&#x203A; %ŕś&#x161;ŕś?ŕś&#x203A;ŕś? 5ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x201D;ŕś&#x201D; ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x161; 6ŕś&#x2DC;ŕś&#x161;ŕś&#x2030;ŕśĄ â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ %ŕś&#x161;ŕś?ŕś&#x203A;ŕś? 5ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x201D;ŕś&#x201D; ŕś&#x2014;ŕś&#x161; 6ŕś&#x2DC;ŕś&#x161;ŕś&#x2030;ŕśĄ

our Local Supplier orAsk A sk k Your Yo urr L oca al S up pp plliie err --o -oro or r-

w www.SHOPKBS.com ww ww w.S SHOPKBS SHOPKBS.com S.com | 1-87 1-877-683-7878 1-87 87 77-6 -683 83-7878 3-777878 8 8778 www.SHOPKBS

Announcing The One Number For All Your Collision Wholesale Parts Needs!

1-877-NJ-PARTS 1-87 77-NJ--PA ART TS Ext. Exxt. 1

One Call Call Does Doees it D it All... All A ll...

1-877-657-2787

Proud member of Auto Body Distributing Since 2006

www.flemington.com

Genuine Volkswagen Parts Flemington VW 213 US Highway 202/31, Flemington, NJ 08822

Flemington Ford / Lincoln / Mercury 215 Highway 202, Flemington, NJ 08822

Audi Genuine Parts

Flemington Chevrolet / Buick / Cadillac GMC / Hummer / Saturn

Flemington Audi 213 Highway. 202, Flemington, NJ 08822

215 Highway 202, Flemington, NJ 08822

Flemington BMW

www.flemingtonbmw.com

FLEMINGTON BMW

â&#x20AC;˘ Original BMW Parts

Flemington Subaru 167 Highway 31, Flemington, NJ 08822

216 US Hwy. 202/31, Flemington, NJ 08822

Lexus

Toyota

Kia GENUINE SERVICE & PARTS

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 11

Malco’s TurboShears Quickly Becoming Tech’s Go-To Cutter by Ed Attanasio

Don’t be fooled by their sleek, stylish appearance and be sure not to be confused by their attractive price. Malco’s TurboShears metal-cutting tools are easy on the eyes, but their high carbon steel blades are not easy on 20-gauge steel. For that reason and many others, the TurboShear by Malco is quickly becoming the body repair technicians’ go-to metal cutting tool. Four years ago, Malco entered the automotive tools market and has already made a significant impact, led by top reviews from body shops all over the country. With a selection of dent removal tools (known as the Raditap Rapid Dent Removal System); door skin tools (TurboX Tools Door Hemming and Door Skin Removal Tools); hole punches/flange air tools, the aforementioned TurboShears (with five models); pliers, riveters, scratch awls, tube benders, slicers, seamers, snips, socket-drive Torx Bits, sockets and related accessories, Malco’s line of auto body tools is impressive for the three big reasons every collision tech wants—cost, performance and

durability. And the fact that they look good while performing their respective jobs surely doesn’t hurt either. Mike Janey, Malco’s Creative Services Specialist, discussed the manufacturer’s emergence into the collision repair field. “The TurboShears really took us

Malco’s TurboShears cut easily through auto body panels and profiles, including layered metal, rocker panels and plastic bumpers

into the automotive market, because we saw a need for this tool back in 2003 and saw how it could help body techs and companies or individuals

AkzoNobel’s Stickerfix DIY Paint Solution Following a highly successful debut at the SEMA 2012 show in Las Vegas, NV, AkzoNobel’s newest DIY coatings innovation, stickerfix™, announces it will soon be available in automotive aftermarket distribution outlets. Partnering with a network of independent manufacturer’s representatives servicing key regions within the US and Canada, AkzoNobel is ready to place stickerfix in the hands of automotive retail consumers. To date, AkzoNobel has selected 13 manufacturing representatives including: • Consumer Sales & Marketing–New England, US • KAM Marketing–Northeast and Eastern Canada • TASCO–Southeast, US • United Sales–East Midwest, US • Foster Babcock–West Midwest, US • Strategic Marketing–Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana • Evan Mecham Sales–Rocky Mountain States • SS Sales–West Coast, CA, Alaska, Hawaii • Holm Hicks White–West Canada • Marland Group–Canadian Tire • Key Sales–Toyota POE • Innovative Marketing and Sales Concepts–OEM

• Joe Zeiser–Aftermarket Partnerships The stickerfix DIY paint solution is a unique commercial offering that harnesses advanced ultra-thin adhesive film technology together with the superior color match capabilities of AkzoNobel’s premium Sikkens coatings, to provide the industry’s first quick, clean, and easy method of helping car owners conceal paint scratches and chips any time they need it. “The feedback from SEMA show attendees was very favorable, and we’ve even won the praises of industry trade media,” said Troy Russell, Commercial Manager North America, Stickerfix Vehicle Refinishes. “All indications point to a successful 2013 entrance into the retail aftermarket and we believe the expertise of our skilled manufacturer’s representatives will help us achieve that goal.” Stickerfix is available in 79 premium refinish colors, including select pearls and metallics. Each stickerfix package contains one sheet with 22 pre-selected decals of various shapes and sizes. For more information about the stickerfix™ DIY paint solution, visit www.stickerfix.com.

12 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

that restore vehicles. But the huge attraction is the maneuverability and versatility it offers. It’s easy to control and operate and it won’t fatigue the user’s hands, wrists and arms, because it doesn’t require a lot of force to operate. Starting at $99, while other comparable tools retailing normally around $300, the TurboShear offers a double whammy—quality and price.” Available as a drill attachment and in air models, Malco’s TurboShear metal-cutting device can perform highly accurate straight cuts and left circular or square cuts in automotive steel. The TurboShears’ wide jaw opening allows the tool to easily make cuts in auto body panels, rocker panels and plastic bumpers effortlessly. Malco Products, Inc. in Annandale, MN, was founded 1950 when a young steel supply salesman, Mark W. Keymer, decided to manufacture and market a pipe crimper he had invented for use in sheet metal ductwork used with forced air heating systems. More tools soon followed and the business that started in a garage soon became a national enterprise. Sixtythree years later, the name Malco is

still associated with quality and reliability, as well as being known for regularly introducing exciting new hand tool designs and modifications for the various industries it serves. Malco’s website (www.malco-

Malco’s 18-gauge Heavy Duty Metal-Cutting TurboShear that can make straight cuts as well as left circular or square cuts in automotive steel

products.com) is packed with useful information about its automotive tools, complete with easy-to-use intuitive videos, a useful blog (Tool Talk) and a dealer locator. In the United States, Malco’s auto body tools can also be purchased through two main online distributors, Summit Racing Equipment and Auto Body ToolMart.

DSR1 - Drill Attachment

Door D Dooor Skin Sk Skin Re R Removal eem movvaal

DSR1A - Air Powered

Eliminate dust, dirt and sparks from time consuming grinding! A narrow shear head with spacer guide cuts through the rounded door-hem edge and navigates over body lines and around corners to quickly remove damaged door skin.

DHT1 - Drill Attachment

miing Dooor Sk Door D S Skin kinn Hemming He Heem mm

DHT1A - Air Powered

Quickly hem edges of replacement skins with limited manual tacking! The high impact, ABS polymer anvil will not scratch or mar the replacement door skin. A narrow seaming wheel fits flush against the anvil fence to produce a tight, clean hem.

Malco Products, Inc. | Annandale, Minnesota, U.S.A. | www.malcoautotools.com | ÂŠ2013 www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 13

Pennsylvania Body Shop Celebrate 32 Years in Business Jeff Kurtz and his wife, Kathy, owners of Jeff’s Auto Body & Recycling Inc. in Paxinos, PA, started out with an old pick-up truck, a cutting torch and a two-stall garage for body and mechanical work in 1981. More than 30 years later, the business has transformed into a sprawling 15-acre operation. “We moved out here in 1978 in a trailer house in the woods and built out from there,” said Jeff Kurtz. “I left my full-time job in 1981.” The body shop has grown over the decades from the humble two-stall garage to a large state-of-the-art facility which was built in 2006. It is an official state inspection site. The shop has a dedicated paint booth and uses a PPG Envirobase High Performance Waterborne paint system. The couple, who will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary in April, still live on site. In the early days, the body shop was the main focus of the business and they did a little recycling on the side. “In the mid-1980s, recycling became big business and we branched

off into that,” Jeff said. Now, Jeff estimates they recycle about 500,000 pounds of aluminum cans a year and 100,000 tons of scrap metal. They recycle everything but glass and old television sets. They recently put up a building where they accept and sort plastic and electronics. They scrap and recycle cars, steel, copper, brass, aluminum and old appliances. They also have a selection of used tires for sale. There is a you-pullit yard where customers can pick parts for a $3 admission price plus the cost of parts. The recycling yard is a hub of activity with several pieces of heavy equipment, including fork lifts and excavators, moving recyclable objects or dropping cars into the car crusher and trucks dropping off and picking up items. Jeff’s Auto Body & Recycling has 62 roll-off containers, carried by two trucks, two rollback trucks and a wrecker for the body shop. The recycling center includes a sweat furnace, where dirty, unrecyclable aluminum is melted down into

Ruge’s Hours: M-F 8 am - 5 pm

1,400 pound ingots shipped all over the country and the world. “We meet a lot of people from all over the world,” Jeff said. Kathy said the business can do something with just about anything that comes through the door. “If we can’t fix it, we can scrap it,” she said. Jeff and Kathy’s two adult sons, Steve and Todd, went into the family business and started working for them “as soon as they could pick up aluminum cans,” according to Jeff. Todd manages the body shop and Steve manages the recycling center with his wife, Dawn. When Jeff and Kathy finally decide to retire, they know the business they built from scratch will be in good hands. The couple also has five grandchildren. Jeff admits some may see his recycling center as an eyesore, but he stresses its environmental program is second to none and any water that makes its way into the ground is chemical free. “We keep a green facility and believe that every day should be Earth Day.”

Ruge’s GMC

845.876.1090 Toll Free

800.343.7843

Hours: M-F 8 am - 5 pm

SUBARU

845.876.1090 Toll Free

800.343.7843

www.rugesparts.com

• Computerized parts catalog • Voice message system available 24 hrs./7 days a week

• Custom parts labeling system • Free daily delivery to business accounts within 75 mile radius

(845) 758-1766 FAX

7293 S. Broadway • Red Hook, New York 12571

14 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

In keeping with their attitude about the environment, the Kurtz’ own 75 acres of undeveloped land behind their operation they keep as a “little getaway” complete with feeders for deer, turkey and other wild animals. They offer by-appointment tours of the land and facility for special interest groups such as the Boy Scouts. In reflecting on their long term success, Kathy said shares the family’s motto: Treat people the way you want to be treated. “It has worked for us,” she said. For his part, Jeff gives much credit to his 40-year marriage to Kathy and his employees. “Behind every successful man is a good woman, and behind every successful business are good employees,” he said. Jeff’s Auto Body & Recycling Inc., 5446 Snydertown Road, is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The body shop is closed Saturday and Sunday, but the recycling center is open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday and closed Sunday. For more information, call 672-9690.

PA Auto Body Repairman Dies Mysteriously in an Elevator Shaft at Tampa Airport Details about the death of an auto body repairman who died in an airport elevator shaft were still murky in late March, according to local news reports. Chad Wolfe, 31, of Sewickley Township in Westmoreland County, PA, was at Tampa International Airport when he died in an elevator shaft in mid March. He was traveling with his girlfriend to Daytona for Bike Week and to visit a few automobile auctions, his father, Garland Wolfe, said. Wolfe, who worked with his father at the family’s small auto body repair shop in Sewickley Township, had recently received his state license to operate a used car lot. Airport officials said Chad Wolfe, after arguing with his girlfriend, took an elevator from the third floor of the main terminal to the seventh floor of a parking garage, where his luggage and cell phone were found, according to a preliminary report from the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Department. Wolfe was last seen alive about 1 a.m. by his girlfriend, that report said. An airport patron reported a second-floor elevator door adjacent to the elevator Wolfe used wouldn’t close

about 3 a.m., according to airport spokeswoman Janet Zink. Maintenance workers sent to service the elevator about 10:30 a.m. found Wolfe’s body on top of an elevator car on the ground level. He was pronounced dead at 11:04 a.m. Zink said there were no signs of foul play and there is no surveillance video of the elevator doors. She said an investigation by airport officials is not yet complete. Investigators found an empty Xanax bottle in Wolfe’s pocket. He had prescriptions for Xanax and Paxil, according to the report. “My wife got sick a few years ago or so ... with cancer, and he was on (Paxil because of) that, and then the Xanax was for anxiety. He was petrified of flying,” Garland Wolfe said. According to the medical examiner’s report, Tampa International Airport police said it appeared Chad Wolfe forced open the elevator door. Airport investigators noted an oil-like substance on Wolfe’s hands, according to the medical examiner’s report. “He’s a small guy. At 145 pounds, (forcing open the elevator doors) is virtually impossible,” Garland Wolfe said. “There’s no way to physically open those doors without

The humidity is coming! The humidity is coming!

the Jaws of Life is what a few firemen have told me. Actually, I got a call from a guy from Tampa who flew in Friday morning, and he said he used that same elevator and the doors were sticking and gave him all kinds of problems. My opinion is the elevator doors opened, he (Chad Wolfe) stepped in and there wasn’t any floor there.” Chad Wolfe’s friends and family dismissed the idea he could have intentionally sought to harm himself, saying he was well-liked and showed no signs of depression. The medical examiner’s office said Wolfe’s autopsy is complete, but the official cause of death will not be determined until results of toxicology and other medical tests are received. “It’s going to be very difficult to go back to work,” Garland Wolfe said. “He’s an excellent worker, and it’s just going to be difficult.”

Search:

Autobody News on Facebook

Steve McQueen’s 1951 Convertible Sells for $88,000

The 1951 Chevrolet Styleline DeLuxe Convertible, once owned by Hollywood star Steve McQueen and featured in the 1980 movie The Hunter, sold for $88,000 at a Fort Lauderdale, FL, auction.

Steve McQueen’s 1951 convertible

The Fort Lauderdale Collector Car Auction hosted by Auctions America banked $17.5 million in total sales, the Indiana-based auction company said. The top five selling vehicles were: a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL “Gullwing” at $880,000; a 1963 Shelby Cobra at $533,500; a 2012 Lexus LFA at $319,000; 1932 Lincoln KB Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton at $275,000; 1931 Cadillac V-12 Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton at $203,500. About 550 vehicles were showcased at the auction.

Thermodry Technology BENEFITS: Heat your materials at the point of atomization within your spraygun nozzle and eliminate costly spraybooth retrofits 25% to 40% reduction in drying time for waterborne and solvent-based paints Walcom USA 30 Centennial Street, Pascoag, RI 02859

Tel: 401-293-0200 Fax: 401-293-0925 www.walcom-usa.com

The complete and efficient solution to resolve problems related to new generation paint application. www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 15

Social Media for Shops

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

Is ‘Reactionary’ Marketing Too Little, Too Late? Maybe Not. with Ed Attanasio

by Ed Attanasio

A body shop owner came up to me at a California Autobody Association meeting recently and shared his tale of woe. A Multi-Shop Operator (MSO) had opened a location in his hometown, where he had been doing business since the 1970s. The presence of the MSO caused him concern, especially when he lost a DRP to his new neighbor and several of his top techs as well. His first instinct, he said, was to step up his marketing, social media and advertising efforts. When he then told me that he had borrowed $50,000 Alan Suftin had to for marketing and implement some marketing wanted my opinion strategies quickly on where the when an MSO money should be with a similar name spent, I was a little moved into his flabbergasted. hometown and threatened the My first quessurvival of his tion for him was, 23-year-old shop “Why did you wait so long?” It surely wasn’t what he wanted to hear at the time and he certainly didn’t like what I told him next. “It might be a little too late.” I always tell people that marketing is a churn—an ongoing endeavor. You need to do several forms of marketing all the time to some degree. I ask body shops how many hours are you or your staff willing to dedicate to marketing, which includes social media, public relations, advertising and the Internet? I explain to them that marketing is not something you do when your car count drops or when you have a couple slow months in a row. The biggest mistake body shops make with marketing is having unrealistic expectations. I have heard these statements from body shop owners more than once. “We did some cable advertising, but it didn’t work.” (It turns out he tried it for one month and when the phone wasn’t ringing off the hook, he got out of his contract.) “We didn’t get any new customers from our radio advertising.” But when I asked him how did you track the results (or lack of them) he didn’t have an answer.

But, fear not. If you’re in a tight situation and want to fast track your marketing, you can still save the day if you work smart and jump in with both feet immediately. It’s not the best way to do it because the majority of any marketing won’t probably show any significant positive returns until you’ve been plugging away for six months to a year. When you embark on a marketing plan, it’s like planting a little seedling. It’s going to take some time before it will grow roots and eventually produce fruit. Here is a scenario where a body shop owner moved quickly and did all the right things to save his 23-year-old shop from folding when an MSO came to town. Allen Sutfin, 54, the owner of Golden Valley Auto Body, was surprised when a shop with a name similar to his moved into his hometown of Yuba City, CA. Only a couple miles apart, the two shops were immediately being confused with each other. (The name of the MSO is being withheld). Suftin quickly realized he had a problem on his hands. “People started coming in here asking me When did you open the new shop?” Suftin said. “I told them it’s not my shop! Right then and there I knew I was in trouble, especially when I learned that some of my customers mistakenly brought their cars to be fixed there, thinking it was my shop.” Suftin has built a strong foundation and a large customer base in Yuba City, where he was born, so when he saw what was happening to his business, he didn’t get mad—he got even. “I came to the conclusion that my main advantage over this new shop was my longevity in town,” Suftin said. “We’re a locally-owned and operated business and we’ve been here since 1990. We have second-generation customers coming here. Hey, competition is always going to be present and it can get pretty intense in this industry. But in this case, I was losing cars not for my reputation, but because of a mistaken identity. We lost a few jobs right off the bat and that’s when I asked myself, what can I do?” Rather than taking the time to carefully contemplate his next move, Suftin acted definitively and started

16 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

making things happen literally overnight. “I started doing larger ads in our local newspaper, the Yuba City

As part of his ongoing community outreach efforts, Suftin has helped his hometown wherever and whenever he can. When the Yuba City Fire Department’s Dalmatian statue was vandalized, the staff at Golden Valley Auto Body got the mascot looking doggone good once again

Appeal Democrat,” he said. “We only have one newspaper here, so I wanted to be in there as often as I could. We’ve been picked as the best body shop in town for the past three years by this publication, so we starting leveraging

that. In all of our ads, we began incorporating the phrase ‘locally owned and operated’ and started emphasizing our location, to avoid further confusion.” Ramping up his community outreach also became a priority, Suftin explained. “We’ve always been involved in our chamber of commerce and have hosted charity fundraisers here at the shop over the years. But now, these efforts took on a whole new importance. Charity events are a win-win, because we’re helping those in need and getting a lot of free publicity in the process, from the Appeal Democrat and the local radio stations here in Yuba City.” To complement all his other marketing efforts, Suftin devised a broadcast plan that involved both local radio and cable TV advertising. “We got on the air and made a statement,” he said. “It was our way of telling the community that we’re not retreating and See Reactionary, Page 28

Waterborne W aterborne Paint Paiint is the wave wave of the futu future ure forr body shops... UL ULTRA LTRA is thee best w way ay to get there. s Do Down wn to - 40˚ 40 dew point air s Air is dried and stored in 80 gal ASME tank s Allo Allows ws for maintenance without withoout shut down down s High tec techh molecular sieve sievee will wiill not disintegrate disintegrate like likkee silica gel desiccant deesiccant s Up to 150˚ F inlet air temp

Complete Compl ete sys systems tems av available ailable ailabl e designed with the latest lat lates est assist customers ttechnology echnolog gy tto o as sist cus tomerss in obtaining obtaining g required rrequir equirred water ccompressed ompresssed air quality ffor or wat er based paints, aints, and OSHA Grade protection. Grade D breathable breathable air ffor or employee employee pr p otection.

www.gosuburban.com www .gosuburrban.com TSUNAMI is a Division sion of

1-800-782-5752

HYUNDAI

If it doesn’t say Hyundai i you paid too much! on your parts invoice,

Direct Line: 800-964-7281 24 Hr. Fax: 908-851-5631

www.yesmaxon.com

2329 Route 22 W. • Union, NJ 07083

• Bilingual • Fast and Free Delivery • We ship to the entire U.S. • Extremely Competitive Pricing • 100+ Years of Combined Parts Experience • The Best Inventory in N.J., Over 99% of Orders are Off the Shelf. Make it Easy on You and Your Staff, Call Us First

WHOLESALE BODY AND MECHANICAL PARTS EXPERTS SERVING THE AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR INDUSTRY OF N.J. Mon. - Fri. 8am - 6pm Sat. 8am - 5pm

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 17

Custom Shop Masters Pro-Spray to Make an Artistic Statement right after high school but I couldn’t afford to do it full-time. In 1988, I While most teenagers were playing took a job working the night shift at a Little League and going to summer printing company producing full-color camp, John Wargo, the owner of The magazine covers and then I opened Custom Shop in Flanagan, IL, spent my shop during the day. It worked out his spare time restoring and painting very well, because I learned a lot cars. Now 43 and a highly-acclaimed about PMS colors, as well as tinting car fabricator, builder and painter, and mixing and blending them Wargo uses Pro-Spray paint on all his through my exposure to the printing creations, many of which appear at processes we used. I wasn’t planning major car shows nationwide and sell it like that, but it just worked out that for as much as $80,000. way.” Wargo switched over to ProSpray seven years ago and he’s happy he did. “Pro-Spray gives us our best bang for the buck, and that’s why we changed over in 2006. With all the primers, sealers, hardeners, reducers—it can really add up. With Pro-Spray I am getting a real value per every sprayable pint, because we use less and the coverage is exceptional.” John Wargo, the owner of The Custom Shop With six vehicles and three moin Flanagan, IL, uses Pro-Spray on most of torcycles in different stages of comhis award-winning vehicles pletion currently sitting in his 12,000 Every year, he wins an average of square-foot shop that includes a mod25 best paint awards for his show cars. est showroom, Wargo is passionate And even though he’s worked on lit- and driven to build amazing creerally hundreds of cars and motorcyations. cles during his highly successful But, he’s also passionate about career, Wargo still vividly remembers customer service as well. To get a the first vehicle he ever painted. large project ready for this year’s De“It was a 1975 Firebird and I was troit Auto Rama, Wargo worked 16 15, so I couldn’t even drive it,” Wargo hours every day for an entire month to said. “I worked on it for about six deliver a spectacular 1967 Karmann months and that’s where it all started. Ghia with a Viper V-10 motor to his I wanted to have a nice car when I was customer just in time for the show. old enough to drive, so I did all the With a crew consisting of three body work myself and then did a two- multi-talented techs, The Custom tone paint job on it. It wasn’t anything Shop builds roughly a dozen vehicles spectacular, but I thought it was pretty and 15-20 motorcycles every year, cool when I was 15.” including one show-class car done in-house annually. Wargo’s signature style has been described in many ways, but the one word most associated with his work is simply, “Wow!” His love of colors is evident in everyWargo named this creation “SSAWD”— a play on words because he thing he paints and chopped the vehicle and it’s an SS model— a 1969 Camaro Roadhe isn’t afraid to ster, with all-wheel drive and a wide body air ride use as many as it’s After completing two years of vo- required in order to fulfill his vision. cational training and learning the ba- In fact, one of his creations (a Ford sics of mechanical repair, Wargo pickup) was painted using 53 colors! turned down a college football scholTo achieve that wow factor each arship and pursued his passion for time on every car or motorcycle he customizing cars. “I got involved in it paints, Wargo uses Pro-Spray’s Solby Ed Attanasio

18 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

vent Basecoat System. And even though it’s a British product, Wargo paints American cars with it all day long and is always ecstatic with the finished product. As his #1 critic and a true artist, Wargo is always searching for that perfect paint job and ProSpray has been answering the call time and again. As a painter who covets new, exciting custom colors, Wargo was

like me who does custom paint work. I originally found the company when I discovered their line of ‘Outrageous Custom Finishes,’ and used a few of them on some cars I was painting. From there I decided to go with the Pro-Spray and it has worked out great ever since. “I also really appreciate the atomization I get with the Pro-Spray,” Wargo said. “In a perfect world, the solvent is supposed to evaporate in the air, so that it doesn’t get trapped into the paint job. That prevents us from getting that die back. With the ProSpray, it’s easy to go back and make a repair on the car Named “Project Grand Sport,” this 1968 Convertible Camaro Grand or on the paint job Sport is a custom monster that has received a ton of awards for The down the road, beCustom Shop at major shows cause it’s easy to immediately attracted by the color match up and simple to blend into, library Pro-Spray features, he ex- which many painters don’t think plained. about until two years later when “Pro-Spray’s custom line is ex- they have to go back and fix someceptional, which is ideal for someone thing.”

速

Delivering Customer Happiness速

Call the DCH Family of BMW Stores for All Your Wholesale Parts Needs.

Original BMW Parts

www.bmwusa.com

Original BMW Parts and Accessories

$3 Million Parts Inventory in Stock Prompt and Dependable Deliveries Knowledgeable And Professional Parts Advisors We Are 100% Committed To Your Total Satisfaction BMW of Greenwich Pace BMW of Mamaroneck

110 Midland Ave. Port Chester, NY 10573-4943

(800) 926-9727 (914) 937-0312 Fax

Sal Sarrecchia Parts Manager

BMW of Bloomfield

BMW of Freehold

425 Bloomfield Ave. Bloomfield, NJ 07003-4834

4225 US Highway 9 Freehold, NJ 07728-8348

(888) 261-6471 (973) 748-4675 Fax

(732) 462-6286 (732) 577-0518 Fax

Peter Santos

Brendan Downey

Parts Manager

psantos@dchusa.com

bdowney@dchusa.com www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 19

Deep Inventory â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Competitive Pricing Genuine Subaru Quality Call Today! 20 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

NEW JERSEY

PENNSYLVANIA

Apple Subaru

Faulkner Subaru

New Motors Subaru

Mon.-Fri. 8-5; Sat. 8-12 parts@colemancars.com

Mon.-Thu. 7-6; Fri. 7-5; Sat. 7-3 applesubaruparts@appleauto1.com

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5; Sat. 8-12 mbechtel@faulknerharrisburg.com

Mon.-Tue. 8-8; Wed. 8-6 Thu. 8-8; Fri. 8-6; Sat. 8-12 parts@newmotors.com

Hamilton (609) 586-7600

Wexford (412) 364-2800

Doylestown (888) 556-3447

Coleman Subaru Trenton (609) 883-6447

Haldeman Subaru

York (888) 258-5512

Baierl Subaru

Mon. 8-5; Tue.-Fri. 8-8; Sat. 8-4 michelle.poksay@haldemanauto.net

Mon., Thu. 8-8 Tue., Wed., Fri. 8-5 davemcconnell@baierl.com

Lumberton (609) 261-7844

Pleasant Hills (800) 231-4452

Miller Subaru

Mon.-Fri. 8-5; Sat. 8-12 dseward@millertransgroup.com

World Subaru Tinton Falls (732) 345-6555

Mon.-Fri. 8-5; Sat. 8-12 parts@jeepsubaru.com

Bowser Subaru

Wholesale Parts Center Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5 parts@powerofbowser.com

Colonial Subaru Feasterville (888) 736-7799

Mon.,-Fri. 8-5; Sat. 8-4 parts@colonialvwsubaru.com

Day Apollo Subaru Moon Township (412) 264-7171

Mon.-Fri. 8-7; Sat. 8-2 vwsubaruparts@dayauto.com

Delaware Subaru

Day West Liberty Subaru

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5; Sat. 8-4 parts@delawaresubaru.com

Mon. 8-7; Tue.-Fri. 8-5; Sat. 8-2 subaruparts@dayauto.com

DELAWARE

Wilmington (877) 566-2338

Pittsburgh (412) 343-2142

Harrisburg (717) 213-3446

Fred Beans Subaru

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5; Sat. 7:30-3 fredbeansparts@fredbeans.com

Glanzmann Subaru Jenkintown (800) 440-0130

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5; Sat. 9-3 parts@glanzmann.com

Kerven Subaru Butler (800) KERVEN-9

Mon., Thu. 8-9; Tue., Wed., Fri. 8-5:30; Sat. 8:30-1 parts@kervensubaru.com

Erie (877) 732-2478

Rafferty Subaru Newton Square (610) 353-6906

Mon.-Fri. 8-5; Sat. 8-4 raffertyparts@aol.com

Steve Moyer Subaru Leesport (800) 995-2627

Mon.-Thu. 7-5; Fri. 7-4:30; Sat. 8-12 parts@stevemoyersubaru.com

W&L Subaru

Northumberland (877) 995-7822

Mon.-Fri. 8-4:30 wlparts@ptd.net

Lancaster Subaru

Welsh Subaru

Mon.-Tue. 7:30-5; Wed. 7:30-8; Thu.-Fri. 7:30-5; Sat. 8-12 subaruparts@lcmotors.net

Mon., Wed., Fri. 8-5 Tue.-Thu. 8-8; Sat. 8-2 parts1@welshsubaru.com

East Petersburg (800) 215-5644 Ext. 2002

Minooka Subaru

Limerick (610) 489-4198

Moosic (800) 982-4054

Mon.-Fri. 8-5 parts@minookasubaru.com

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 21

Glasurit Introduces Comprehensive, 2-Clears Solution Redefining an entire category in an industry is a rare thing, but the next generation of clears has certainly arrived with the new Glasurit® MultiPurpose Gloss and Rapid Repair Clears. Together, they form a streamlined clearcoat system you can use to perform any size repair while increasing quality, productivity and customer satisfaction.

Multi-Purpose Gloss Clear 923460 for non-regulated areas and low VOC 923-220 Multi-Purpose Gloss Clear have been formulated by Glasurit chemists to improve on their highly regarded predecessors. According to BASF Market Segment Manager Tony Dyach, they reflect the latest advances in coatings technology. “These new clears overcome the typical trade-off between appearance, performance and ease of application,” said Dyach. “They are better in every way that matters to our customers, and will delight their customers with superior gloss and durability.” The Multi-Purpose Gloss Clears join the equally ground-breaking nobake Rapid Repair Clears to give you a comprehensive clearcoat system that covers everything from small panel and tight-space applications to large areas and overalls. Just when you thought the most stunning finish had been achieved, Glasurit has once again raised the bar with these next-generation clears, deliv-

ering the ultimate European wet look.

New gold standard for premium clears Since being introduced by Glasurit in 2011, innovative Rapid Repair Clear 923-140 for non-regulated areas and low VOC 923-240 Rapid Repair Clear have redefined small panel repair performance with no fuss, no-bake convenience. After months of extensive, in-market testing, the Multi-Purpose Gloss Clears have also proven themselves. Together, they offer a new gold standard for shop managers, paint technicians and owners: • Glasurit Multi-Purpose Gloss and Rapid Repair Clears meet or exceed all OEM standards, and are fully approved for your warranty work over 90-Line waterborne or 55-Line solventborne basecoats. • Spraying is effortless with the same great flow and distinctness of image; while cure, ease of application, and polishing have been significantly enhanced. • The “Multi-Purpose” moniker is well deserved as the new formulations are designed for large areas and overalls, while also flexible enough to handle smaller areas or blend panels.

ideal choice for small panel repairs, door jams and other tight-space applications. • The no-bake Rapid Repair Clears allow you to buff and polish in just 30 minutes at 68°F, while also giving you the option to bake at 120°F for 15 minutes, if added speed is needed. Put to the test The Glasurit MultiPurpose Gloss

and Rapid Repair Clears have been put to the test by your peers and the results have exceeded BASF’s high expectations. Here are some of the comments we heard from our customers: (Regarding Multi-Purpose Gloss Clear) “Our customers love the high gloss, and our painters love how easy it is to apply and to buff. We were up

OURCE PARTS S YOUR KIA

and running in no time since the new clears work seamlessly within our existing Glasurit system.” “Glasurit Rapid Repair works great. It’s the perfect choice for small individual parts like fenders and moldings.”

A clear revolution As customers become more demanding, BASF and its premium Glasurit® brand continue to build on over 120 years of meaningful innovation. The new MultiPurpose Gloss and Rapid Repair Clears are the latest example of the company’s focus on continuous improvement of its products through the latest science and technology. These next-generation clearcoats offer the superior performance and appearance expected by the most demanding collision repair centers, along with custom builders and elite restoration specialists. BASF encourages shops to consider these revolutionary clears as an easy-to-implement competitive advantage that will enhance quality, productivity and customer satisfaction. For more information, contact a BASF representative at 1-800-758-2273 or visit www.basfrefinish.com/glasurit.

The right part makes the difference.

• The resulting finish is truly spectacular, providing unparalleled depth and gloss that will separate your work from the rest. • The new Multi-Purpose Clears are the perfect complement to the no-bake Rapid Repair Clears, which are the

New TV Pilot, “Auto Body Avengers” Coming to Spike

Cable’s Spike TV is planning the development of several non-scripted pilot shows, including one about investigating body shops. “Auto Body Avengers” from Matador, an independent media company best known for travel-related productions, features a group of operatives who go undercover to spotlight auto body garages suspected of fraud. The pilot description explains the show’s premise: “With over 200 million registered vehicles in the

United States, it’s no surprise that auto repair shops are a booming business. Unfortunately, you don’t always get what you pay for. While the majority of auto body shops are fair and honest businesses, there are unscrupulous ones who seek to rip off unrespecting car owners by charging them for unnecessary or shoddy repairs. In ‘Autobody Avengers,’ a team of operatives go undercover to spotlight the garages suspected of fraud.”

22 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Yonkers Kia • Genuine Kia OEM Parts • Fast & Free Delivery

www.yonkerskia.com • Efficient Service on All Orders • Fax Your Order Today

888.479.5167

Fax: 914.652.7660

Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30m-6:00pm / Sat 8:30am-1:00pm 1840 Central Park Ave. • Yonkers, NY 10710

One Call Does it All! 1-800-THOMPSON (846-6776)

Visit us at: www.1800thompson.com

Audi Genuine Parts

Thompson Toyota

Phone: (215) 348-1530

122 W. Swamp Rd., Doylestown, PA 18901

Original BMW Parts

bmwusa.com

Thompson BMW 40 W. Swamp Rd., Doylestown, PA 18901

Phone: (215) 340-9823 Fax: (215) 340-9361

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 23

Six Tips to Finding Success in Process Analysis by Susan Guyer Finishmaster Marketing Manager

Audit is a scary word—tax audits, financial audits, and process audits often conjure images of mounds of paperwork. There are different approaches to running an audit, many of which are cumbersome, completed one time and forgotten, or too complicated from the first step. Simplifying the process and moving away from a process audit to a Process Analysis will help you with continuous improvement. FinishMaster has built a system to help shop owners improve processes by getting the entire team involved, applying small changes, and monitoring success over time. Jeff Smith, FinishMaster District Sales Manager in West Central Florida, discusses shop audits he has seen in the past. “I have seen audits that are 30 pages long with 100+ boxes to check off. People are ready to be done before they start. Our experience shows that less is better and it is more about observing and asking questions than checking boxes.”

facilities for ways to improve on an individual basis and they help implement the changes. Being able to constantly see ways to improve allows us to adapt to an ever-changing industry.” Even if a process is documented, review it using the Process Analysis plan, there might be additional opportunity for improvement. Keep it simple. Smith said he starts with one area that needs improvement, such as color match. Having a “road map of questions” in advance and asking more that come to mind while walking through the process allows you to uncover opportunities for improvement. Smith continued, “It is important to take pictures while you are conducting the process analysis. This Chris Shrewsbury, Ferman Acura and Chevrolet with is not only a great reminder Jeff Smith, FinishMaster of each step, but it is also an Director for Ferman Acura and important visual aid when compiling Chevrolet in Tampa, FL, talks about the analytics. Here are some of the his experience with audits. “Instead basic questions specific to color match of one size fits all, FinishMaster’s asked during a Process Analysis. Process Analysis really looks at our • When is color matching done?

Smith said they have built a process focused around six key points that lead to an effective and successful Process Analysis. Take off the blinders. Look at the shop from a fresh perspective and do not assume that anything is perfect. FinishMaster helps remove the blinders by tailoring the process analysis to what each shops needs. Chris Shrewsbury, Collision

24 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

• Is it done in the spray booth? • Do you use all color documentation including variant chips? • When do you do spray outs? Keeping it simple and walking through one process from start to finish, rather than tackling an entire list, enables the group to more easily identify points of opportunity for change. Gain more input from Management and Technicians. Focusing on the questions and answers gathered during the Process Analysis is the best opportunity to gain insight about current process and ideas for change. If you ask the right questions, in most cases, both the management and the technicians will give you more than enough opportunities for improvement. Building the Process Analysis through documented conversation leads to solutions. To set up new processes and implement change, there has to be buy-in from all participants. Match changes/Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to material movement. Think back to the color match issue reviewed during the

step outside the defined SOPs, you have a very high success rate on both profitability and productivity,â&#x20AC;? said Smith. Monitor for success. Smith reinforced, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Making major changes is why we see other audits fail. Focusing on small changes has the most impact, and monitoring those changes is the only way to be successful.â&#x20AC;? There are two simple steps once you have identified an opportunity and set new SOPs. Step 1 is to build a followup check list. Basically, this is a small analysis custom built to monitor compliance on all the agreed changes and Chris Shrewsbury, Ferman Acura and Chevrolet with new SOPs with key performJose Bezares, FinishMaster Account Manager ance indicators (KPIs). Most gested improvement is to complete the of the time audits are performed, the initial spray out when jambing parts. results go in the back of the desk When implementing a small change, drawer and implementation is rare. this is the perfect opportunity to set up With a follow-up check list perSOPs. formed at preset intervals, the same â&#x20AC;&#x153;During the SOP setup, we use issues will not come up six months or the data collected to match all materi- a year later. A check list has to be cusals, storage, and distribution to the tom built with each Process Analysis technicians so there is complete com- conducted at the shop. pliance. When you can match proceâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Setting up procedures that match dures to materials with no options to only materials in our facility has inProcess Analysis. Once the current process is understood through questions and photo documentation, digging through the data is the next step. Identify areas that the smallest changes will have the greatest impact. For example, with color match a sug-

creased both profitability and produc- lision in Brandon, FL, discusses his tivity. With FinishMasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique experience with FinishMasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s KPI tracking methods we monitor our Process Analysis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most companies progress to ensure the procedures are claim to have a lot of tools to help followed and the changes are posi- you, but you rarely see them used. To tive,â&#x20AC;? said Shrewsbury of Ferman my surprise, FinishMaster came in Acura and Chevrolet. Step 2 is to monitor performance. Again, everyone has KPIs and spreadsheets with more numbers than most can digest. Keep it simple. Have only pertinent KPIs and build a custom tracking calculator that can monitor the effectiveness of the changes implemented. This takes some creativity and some Larry Lampinen, Nu Finish Collision with Jeff Smith help from FinishMaster, but when you sit down to review KPIs it day one doing a Process Analysis and will include very specific measures of has not stopped bringing me ideas for implemented change that show prof- improvement. The data the Process itability and productivity results. Analysis provides ties material usage Understand that the process to an individual technician in correlanever ends. The continuous improvetion to their hours produced. This ment model is a key component of gives us a very precise way to see making the Process Analysis success- profitability by technician so we can ful. By removing blinders, all areas in identify opportunities for improvethe shop can be reviewed over time ment right down to a technician. Their and check lists can be updated if betimplementation of best practices has ter process ideas are identified. Larry been a benefit to my overall performLampinen, Owner of Nu Finish Colance.â&#x20AC;?

PAINTING WITH NITROGEN... More "Profit for your Pocket" OHVV SDLQW XVHG OHVV SDLQ QW XVHG

Guaranteed! Gua rantteed! 6KRUWHQ DSSOLFDWLRQ WLPH E\ 'RXEOH H[KDXVW ÂżOWHU OLIH ,QFUHGLEOH SDLQW OXVWHU CALL FOR DETAILS!

Â&#x2021; ZZZ IXWXUHFXUH FRP Â&#x2021; LQIR#IXWXUHFXUH FRP www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 25

Hey Toby! with Toby Chess

Toby Chess is an I-CAR program instructor, Training specialist, and former salvage yard operator. Toby is universally known in the collision industry for his work with first responders and advocacy for body shops and consumers. He can be reached at tcspeedster@yahoo.com

Glass and Windshield Installs Must Be Handled by the Book

The other day I heard about a lawsuit that I would like to share with you (see article starting on the cover). A Toyota dealer contacted Safelite to install a windshield into a 2005 Toyota Tundra. The vehicle was involved in a rollover accident and the windshield allegedly “separated from the pickup” resulting in two fatalities. Safelite contends that they only handled the claim and contracted with a independent class company to handle the installation and they should not be named in the multi million-dollar lawsuit. I’m not going to comment on the merits of the case but it reminds us of the importance of correct windshield and glass installs. Barrett Smith, President of Auto Damage Experts wrote: “This is why it is so very import to be very careful and selective when choosing a sublet glass replacement company and other outside vendors to provide services

for your business. Just because you engage another’s service doesn’t exempt you and your company from liabilities that may arise from a tragic loss such as this. Even recommending another service could land you in enough trouble to cost you tens of thousands in dollars proving you have no liability!” Let’s take a look at the basics of glass and windshields in particular. 1) What is the function of a windshield? The main function of today’s windshield is ■ It is part of the vehicle structure

■ It is part of the frontal air bag system ■ It restrains the passengers in vehicle ■ And yes, it keeps the bugs off your face. One reason rollovers are so dangerous is that, when a vehicle rolls over, its roof can crush down on the occupants, causing head injuries, paraplegia and death. Today’s vehicles are engineered so that the windshield provides much of the stiffness neces-

sary to keep the roof from collapsing. In fact, some experts say that the

windshield accounts for up to 60% of the cabin’s structural integrity in a rollover. Some vehicles, the passenger’s side frontal air bag is deflected off of the windshield and is aimed at the front passenger seat. Just these two examples should serve to remind us that installing a windshield takes more than a phone call to your local vendor and you are finished. Not by a long shot. 2) Before going any further, let’s look at how glass is categorized. All windshields are marked with two letters: AS stands for American Standard. The number indicates the position in the vehicle where the glass may be used, based on its optical quality. AS1 is the clearest glass (at least 70% light transmission), is laminated, and can be used anywhere in a motor vehicle (typically just the windshield). AS2 is tempered, with at least 70% light transmission, and can be

CSS USA, Inc. The T CSS The CSS CS SS Workstation Workstation Wo W rkstattion Features: Fea Feat a tu ures: res:

• A massive 179 square feet of filtration area. • Two huge input filters (over 36sf ) clean the air going through the Workstation. • Four Paint Arrest Filters (140+ square feet) and two Activated • Charcoal Filters ensure the air going back into the environment is clean and EPA compliant.

Different Different D Diff fferentt Sizes Sizes Sizess Available—Including: Availab Availlab blle e—IIncluding: ncluding g:

• 13’x11’—Parts, pieces and motorcycles. • 30’x14’—Any full size vehicle. • 35’x16’x12’5” tall—As above but also Sprinter vans, small boats,

A Smart Solution. The CSS Workstation works the same and just as effectively as a cross-flow paint booth. The CSS Workstation is EPA Certified. Ideal for the busy body shop-mobile technician-smaller shop with limited facilities.

and smaller RVs.

• 60’x16’x12’5” tall—Full size RVs, boats, large trucks, etc. Lighting: Lighting: Li

• Four large clear windows provide ample lighting. • Additional stand lights can be placed outside the booth.

w ww.carcoonworkstation.com www.carcoonworkstation.com ww w.ca arccoo on nw work ksstta attiio on.co om m 26 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Phone:

904.567.3825 5 Toll Free:

866.910.0889 9 info@carcoonusa.com m

used anywhere except the windshield, and— AS3 can be used in certain locations in certain vehicles (it can be laminated or tempered, and has less than 70% light transmission.) AS3 is also known as Privacy Glass.”

We deal with 2 types of glass: laminated and tempered. Laminated glass is a type of safety glass that holds together when shattered. In the event of breaking, it is held in place by an interlayer, typically of polyvinyl butyral (PVB), between its two or more layers of glass. The bonding process takes place under heat and pressure. When laminated under these conditions, the PVB interlayer becomes optically clear and binds the two panes of glass together.

manufactured and tested to meet federal and industry standards, but they are not regulated by the government, which means that you better do your due diligence when subletting your glass. (See form on page 56.) If you are not familiar with the safety standards here they are:

Once sealed together, the glass “sandwich” (i.e., laminate) behaves as a single unit and looks like any other glass. Tempered glass is a type of safety glass processed by controlled thermal or chemical treatments to increase its strength compared with normal glass. Tempering creates balanced internal stresses which cause the glass, when broken, to crumble into small granular chunks instead of splintering into jagged shards. These two pictures and examples of the marking on the glass. They are known as “bugs” and will be found on all automotive glass and to identify what type of glass it is. Vehicle manufacturers must meet Federal Motor Safety Standards 208, 212, 216 & 219 for glass and vehicle occupant safety. Aftermarket installers use urethane and primers that are

FMVSS and Autoglass FMVSS205, FMVSS212, FMVSS216, FMVSS219 See below for a look at a few of the popular Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards pertaining to auto glass, including a brief summary of each standard.

571.205 Standard No. 205; Glazing Materials Scope. This standard specifies requirements for glazing materials for use in motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment. Purpose. The purpose of this standard is to reduce injuries resulting from impact to glazing surfaces, to ensure a necessary degree of transparency in motor vehicle windows for driver visibility, and to minimize the possibility of occupants being thrown through the vehicle windows in collisions.

571.212 Standard No. 212; Windshield Mounting Scope. This standard establishes windshield retention requirements for motor vehicles during crashes. Purpose. The purpose of this standard is to reduce crash injuries and fatalities by providing for retention of the vehicle windshield during a crash, thereby utilizing fully the penetrationresistance and injury-avoidance properties of the windshield glazing material and preventing the ejection of occupants from the vehicle.

571.216 Standard No. 216; Roof Crush Resistance Scope. This standard establishes strength requirements for the passenger compartment roof. Purpose. The purpose of this standard is to reduce deaths and injuries due to the crushing of the roof into the occupant compartment in rollover crashes.

571.219 Standard No. 219; Windshield Zone Intrusion Scope. This standard specifies limits for the displacement into the windshield area of motor vehicle components during a crash. See Windshield Installs, Page 38

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 27

On Creative Marketing

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

Using Signage to be Unique in the Digital Age with Thomas Franklin

Are signs still relevant in this digital age of websites, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more? The U.S. Census Bureau says 18% of households relocate every year. It’s well known that many people choose a place of business by the attractiveness of its appearance and signs. People who move into the vicinity of a collision repair facility are likely to only know of the shop if they see a sign and like it. The Small Business Agency reports that businesses that add, improve or enlarge signage enjoy an average revenue increase of about 5%. Signs in this digital age should also have a broader focus. In addition to the usual location and services message, today’s sign should also drive viewers to the shop’s website, Facebook page, and other on-line locations like Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. This is especially true of signs not on the shop’s physical property. Shop vehicles with printed information, or a magnetic sign, should definitely emphasize on-line connections in larger type. The same is true if the shop invests in bus bench ads, bus ads, taxicab ads or billboards. All of the signs and ads should have the same look and feel with a prominent logo and any other images used. Some shops like to use a photo of the shop but this space could be much better used. Signs with an emotional appeal always do better. Charities use photos of handicapped children or handicapped older people to reach viewers

emotionally. Sympathy may work for them but fear is a much better target emotion for body shop sign messages. One survey found 9% of vehicle drivers text or talk on a cell phone while driving. A dramatic photo of an inverted crashed vehicle could capture attention with a message like, “This could be you. Don’t text and drive or you might be paying us a visit,” or “Don’t read this sign if we’re interrupting your text message. We’ll see you at the shop.” One key to an effective sign is uniqueness. Check out your competition’s signs to see what you shouldn’t do. You don’t want to be sending a “me too” message. It’s pointless to emphasize quality. Everyone expects that. Emphasizing cost for self-pay prospects is fine, but is unlikely to motivate those who expect insurance to pay. One approach that isn’t often used is the collision prevention emphasis. It takes a tip from dentists who emphasize tooth care but know they’ll be fixing the teeth anyway. A shop with an adequate facility to hold a small weekly or monthly class could provide information on collision aversion and prevention. Insurance agents would be glad to speak to young drivers or students just for the exposure to new potential customers. The sign invitation message would be truly unique. The size and location of a sign generally determines how many people see and read it. Today’s huge, digital moving signs are astonishing but

Continued from Page 16

role in the business community is stronger than ever. What advice can he offer to other body shops all over the country whose business is threatened for one reason or another? “Fight it, any way you can,” Suftin said. “Marketing was the key for us, because it was our way of telling our story and clarifying who we are. Now the message is out there, and the advertising we’re doing today is simply supporting that. Any company is going to run into competition and adversity, but by using your resources and not panicking, you can survive and keep your good name intact.”

Reactionary

things are still the same. We kept stressing we’re Golden Valley Auto Body and you know us—we’ve been here for more than two decades and there’s a good chance that you or someone you know has had their car repaired here.” By pushing his exemplary track record and the quality of his work, coupled with an avalanche of marketing, Golden Valley Auto Body was able to stay busy, while most of the name confusion was alleviated. Suftin is looking at a profitable 2013 and his

28 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

also very expensive. Ten years ago I priced out a Las Vegas style moving neon sign for a shop. The cost was over $500,000. It’s probably much less today but still prohibitive for any regular sized shop. But this type of sign is worth checking out. In a location by heavy street or highway traffic this kind of sign would capture continual viewers. A while back one group of shops in the same general area pooled their resources and invested in large signage. They called themselves “Gold Class Collision Shops” and listed all locations on the signs. I was surprised by the cooperation of shop owners who were actually competing for business in that area. There is one final concern about the message on signs and related media. Any shop with a website would like to have their site appear on Google’s or Yahoo’s first page when someone searches for a collision repair

facility in their area. The search engine that weighs and evaluates the site determines in what order their site appears. My web-savvy sources tell me content on a site is very important and the keywords used in that content may determine the fate of the site when it is evaluated. If a shop has done its homework, the best keywords that people look for are known and used frequently in the site’s content. The problem is that all of the other shops doing a professional site will be using most of the same key words. Here is where a shop seeking uniqueness in signs and ads can multiply the benefit by incorporating key words and images that most other shops wouldn’t use. By approaching the content for a sign using the same basic keyword and image idea used to attract search engine recognition, it is also likely to attract a sign’s viewer and drive that viewer to look for the shop’s website.

IT REALLY MATTERS WHERE

YOU BUY YOUR PARTS.

Plaza Honda

Plaza Hyundai 866-349-7905

347-554-6804 fax

Plaza Acura 866-349-7906 e-mail

347-554-6821 fax cisco@plazacars.com nate@plazacars.com

e-mail

cisco@plazacars.com nate@plazacars.com

www.plazaparts.com We Ship To You! Shipping To All 50 States!

cisco@plazacars.com nate@plazacars.com

Plaza Toyota 866-349-7907 347-554-6821 fax e-mail

e-mail

866-349-7904

cisco@plazacars.com nate@plazacars.com

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 29

Inside Insurance

The Insider is a corporate-level executive with a Top 10 auto insurer in the U.S.. Got a comment or question youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to see him address in a future column? Email him at Auto.Insurance.Insider@gmail.com

Shops Should Be Able to Offer Whatever Discounts They Want with The Insurance Insider

There is enough controversy in the industry today to write three or four different stories on the hot topics. I will not contribute to the proliferation of propaganda and conspiracy theories by discussing parts or insurance company direct repair programs. I have another controversy for shops to rally around.

Due to my executive position and the company I am employed by, I have not been able to share my views publicly or within the confines of my corporation. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel bad for me. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why I write these articles. I can share my thoughts and experience without placing my job in jeopardy. I can only imagine what would happen if I decided to challenge â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Institutionâ&#x20AC;? and talk about what is widely considered heresy amongst insurance executives. Several decades ago, it was common practice for shops to help customers with their â&#x20AC;&#x153;out-of-pocket expense.â&#x20AC;? Shops would attract and assist their customers by paying a tow bill or a portion of their rental car expense. Some shops went further and decided to cover the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deductible. How was this possible? It was because there werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a lot of laws and regulations strictly prohibiting the behavior of cost-shifting. Insurance companies knew about it, although we

didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take direct action to address it. It was easy to cost-shift 40 years ago because OEM sheet metal parts were very expensive. Parts were three times the price they are today. They were also three times the size and weight. OEM parts were expensive because there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t any real competition. (The aftermarket parts industry

was still only in its infancy.) If you had to replace a fender, you ordered a genuine OEM part from the dealership. Because parts were expensive, shops could write for a new part and repair the old one. This allowed shops to make a lot of money on labor, save the customer money and still do a safe repair. Life was much easier for body shops back then. Direct repair programs didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist, which facilitated the body shop industry accepting the widespread adoption of cost-shifting. Now, because of legislation, costshifting is considered fraudulent. What about deductibles? There is legislation in many states that prohibits a shop from â&#x20AC;&#x153;savingâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;reimbursingâ&#x20AC;? the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deductible. Here is where I am going to stray from the herd: I believe shops should be able to advertise and implement deductible saving programs. Shops should be able to decide whether or not they want to offer incentives to their consumers as a means of gaining

30 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

business. I think we refer to that as competition in the marketplace. I do not believe I would find a colleague here in the insurance industry to support my ideology. The problem is trust. I suppose this cunning old wily insurance veteran still believes that shops have some integrity. But every piece of legislation ever proposed or enacted was put in place because generally my industry doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trust shops to do the right thing. Nobody will publicly make that statement, but it is fact. Insurers believe that it is impossible for a shop to offer a significantly discounted deductible without cost-shifting. I agree to some extent because the profit margins in the shops are certainly not what they were in the 70s or 80s. But if a shop decided they wanted to reduce their profit margin to gain a customer, why should it be illegal? Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that the true definition of a direct repair program? I am not sure how

providing a discounted deductible is any different. After all, shops agree to provide a parts discount or reduced labor rate in exchange for being on a direct repair program in order to gain business. I am not advocating for â&#x20AC;&#x153;costshiftingâ&#x20AC;? or committing fraud. I am not supporting shops writing all OEM parts so they can repair them or replace them with aftermarket parts. I am suggesting that shops should be able to offer whatever discount they want to customers, up to and including reduced deductibles. Considering todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy, customers may be more apt to have their vehicle repaired rather than cashing out. If it was up to me, I would trust you to do the right thing. You should also know that I do not employ enough adjusters to reinspect every vehicle we insure, thus rendering my opinion moot. But I trust you.

HEOP LNE?A KJ =HH

OFF

REPLACEMENT AFTERMARKET

RADIATORS & TAIL LAMPS COLJ *>V QEOLRDE RDRPQ

CERTIFIED BY

EMPIRE AUTO PARTS

S S S AILE NA =QPK QO

800 624 4561

Look No Further...

For Genuine Mazda Parts! : Se Habla Español : Fast & Free Delivery : We ship to the entire U.S.! : Our parts experts have over 100 years combined experience! : The best inventory in N.J. Make it easy on you and your staff, call us first!

MAZDA

Call and ask us how we can sell these parts to you at aftermarket prices. If it doesn’t say MAXON on your wholesale parts invoice, you paid too much! Because you want to use OE parts, MAXON MAZDA can offer Genuine Mazda Collision Parts at aftermarket prices. You now have the choice to use OE parts and avoid the hassle of aftermarket “Like Kind and Quality.” Get OE Mazda quality for aftermarket prices on the following parts:

• Hoods • Bumpers • Fenders • Headlamps • Tail Lamps

• Fog Lamps • Side Markers • A/C Condensers • Radiators • Radiator Core Supports

Parts Dept.: 800-964-7281 24 hr. Fax: 908-851-5631 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8am - 6pm; Sat. 8am - 5pm

2329 Route 22 West, Union, NJ 07083

Contact MAXON MAZDA for program details. Take advantage of the best availability and now the most competitive prices to save you time and money.

www.yesmaxon.com www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 31

32 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Subscribers:

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

NE W YO RK

N EW JER SEY

P EN N SY LVA NI A

Babylon Honda

Ray Laks Honda

Madison Honda

We st B aby lo n

Wes t S en ec a

M ad is o n

Mon tg om er y ville

631-669-5800

716-824-7852

215-855-3587

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

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

800-648-0293 973-822-1710

Brewster Honda B re wst er

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

Dick Ide Honda

NE W J ERSE Y

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

Clinton Honda

Planet Honda

A n na n da le

Uni o n

908-735-0900

800-964-7280 908-964-8411

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

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

Honda of Princeton

Rossi Honda

P ri nc et o n

Vi ne l a nd

R och es t er

800-462-0056 (N.Y.) 585-586-4919 Dept. Hours: M-Thur 8-8; Fri 8-5:30; Sat 8-5 parts@dickide.com

Lamacchia Honda Syra cu se

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

Lia Honda of Albany Alb an y

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

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

Honda of Tenafly

Route 22 Honda

N o rt he r n N e w J e r se y

866-522-4446 201-568-7000 Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7-5:30 randallr@dcautos.com

Honda of Turnersville

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

800-883-0002 856-649-1584

W i ll i am s vil le/ B uf fa lo

877-659-2672 716-632-3800 Dept. Hours: M-Thu 7:30-8; Fri 7:30-5; Sat 8-5:30 liaparts@liacars.com

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

Shadyside Honda Pit ts b urgh

800-468-2090 412-390-2908 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5 shadysidehondaparts@hotmail.com

Sussman Honda Ros ly n

800-682-2914 215-657-3301 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-1 rendrick@sussmanauto.com

Hi ll si de

973-705-9100 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7:30; Sat 8-5 rt22hondaparts@route22honda.com PEN NS YLVANIA

800-272-6741 518-482-2598

Lia Honda of Williamsville

800-893-3030 856-692-4449

J.L. Freed Honda

Tur ne r sv i ll e

Apple Honda Yo r k

800-960-9041 717-848-2600

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

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

Hudson Honda

Baierl Honda

Wes t Ne w Yo r k

866-483-6917 201-868-9500 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-5; Sun 8-3 anthony.perrone@hudsonhonda.com

Wexfo rd

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

AC U RA NE W YO R K

NE W YO RK

PEN NS YLVANIA

P EN N SY LVA NI A

Acura of Westchester

Smithtown Acura

Apple Acura

Wes t ch es t er

S t . J a m es

Yo r k

E mm aus

914-834-8887

888-832-8220 631-366-4114

877-5APPLE5 717-849-6639

877-860-3954 610-967-6500

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

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

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

Baierl Acura

Sussman Acura

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

Curry Acura Sc a r s da le

NE W J ERSE Y

800-725-2877 914-472-7406

Acura of Turnersville

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

888-883-2884 856-649-1884

Paragon Acura

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

Wo o ds id e

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

Tur ne r sv i ll e

Elite Acura M a p l e S ha de

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

Lehigh Valley Acura

Wexfo rd

Jen kint own

800-246-7457 724-935-0800

800-826-4078 215-884-6285

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

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

Davis Acura L a ngho r ne

866-50-ACURA 215-943-7000 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-4 markh@davisacura.com

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 33

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

Volvo Recall for ID Labels

Volvo recalled only seven model-year 2013 S60 sedans and XC60 crossovers due to identification labels with an incorrect manufacture year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Affected vehicles were manufactured on Jan. 7. An incorrect date of manufacture on the certification label means the vehicles are noncompliant with regulation requirements, and owners may not be able to determine whether their vehicles are affected by future recalls. Volvo quarantined the affected vehicles and will install correct labels before sale.

Toyota Recalls 209,000 FJs for Seatbelt Flaws

Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 209,000 certain FJ Cruiser sport-utility vehicles from the 2007 through 2013 model years due to a problem with the driver and front passenger seat belts. The retractors for the vehicles’ front driver and passenger seat belts are mounted in rear-door panels, where cracks can form if the rear doors are forcefully closed repeatedly over a long period. If this happens, the seat belt retractor could detach, which would increase the risk of injury in a crash. The car maker said it is developing a remedy for the problem and will begin the recall as soon as it decides on the necessary repairs.

2012 Subaru Outback, Legacy Recall for Wipers

Subaru is recalling 16 2012 versions of the Outback and Legacy due to a problem with the windshield wiper motor, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It’s an expansion of an earlier recall that affected 2010-11 versions of the cars. The affected vehicles were manufactured from April 6 through May 12, 2011 and use a wiper motor cover that may overheat. This could lead to a fire.

NEW YORK • NEW JERSEY • PENNSYLVANIA • DELAWARE

Honda Wins Best Brand Image Award

Honda Motor Co. has the best brand image of any major auto maker, according to a study released by Kelley Blue Book. The study takes results from 12,000 people who were shopping for a new car and using its Web page to do research. The 2013 Brand Image Awards say Honda was the most trusted brand and considered the best value of all car brands in the survey. Honda’s U.S. sales rose 24% in 2012 and have risen a modest 4.4% in the first two months of the year. Its redesigned Accord sedan is selling well and the company is investing heavily in plants in the U.S. and Mexico to meet anticipated demand.

Japanese OEMs Recall 3.4 Million Vehicles for Airbags

Japanese automakers, including Toyota, Nissan and Honda, are recalling about 3.4 million vehicles worldwide due to defective airbags supplied by Takata Corp. Toyota is recalling about 1.73 million vehicles produced between November 2000 and March 2004. Honda is recalling about 1.14 million vehicles, while Nissan said it may call back 480,000 vehicles. Mazda said it recalled 45,463 units. This recall underscores the risk of huge global supply chain problems as automakers increasingly rely on a handful of suppliers for common or similar parts to cut costs. Some airbags at the front passenger seat may not inflate correctly because of a problem with the propellant used in the airbag inflator, Toyota spokesman Ryo Sakai said. Takata has also supplied the faulty airbags to non-Japanese carmakers, said Toyohiro Hishikawa, spokesman for the components maker, declining to identify them. Tokyo-based Takata supplies airbags and seatbelts to major automakers including Ford Motor Co. and Daimler, as well as the Japanese brands. No injuries or deaths have been reported as a result of the faulty airbags, Toyota said.

34 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Chrysler Issued 6 Separate Recalls for 215,000 Vehicles

According to the automaker, the recalls stem from a variety of different problems involving the tunnel shield, parking brake, fuel-tank transfer tube, warning light, rear brake calipers and engine cover. The recall includes 78,500 older-model 4x2 SUVs for a heat shield that can loosen and contact the driveshaft, causing wear and possible breakage over time. Officials explained the action follows fewer than 40 complaints of broken driveshafts on the 2007 and 2008 Dodge Nitro, Jeep Liberty and the Liberty’s sister model sold outside NAFTA. Chrysler will recall approximately 9,300 trucks, more than half of which are in currently in dealer inventory, to inspect their parking brakes and, if necessary, reset them according to specification. A routine internal audit of 2013 Ram 1500 pickups discovered a small number of vehicles whose parking brakes did not comply with mandated performance standards. Chrysler also will recall approximately 30,000 model-year 2012 SUVs to improve fuel flow when the vehicles are subject to certain driving conditions. Affected are Jeep Compass and Patriot models assembled between Oct. 18, 2011 and May 7, 2012. Chrysler will recall approximately 139,000 sedans to prevent improper warning-light illumination for model-year 2011 and 2012 Chrysler 300s, Dodge Chargers and Dodge Challengers assembled between April 11, 2011 and Dec. 14, 2011. Chrysler will recall 52 compacts to correct an issue that may compromise parking brake function. Affected are model-year 2013 Dodge Dart models built over 24hour period in November with brake calipers that do not meet specification. Chrysler will recall approximately 7,000 model-year 2013 heavyduty pickups — almost all of which are still in dealer inventory — to replace their engine covers. Affected are Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups.

www.autobodynews.com

May 2013

2013 Dodge Challenger Recall for Wiring Issue

Chrysler is telling owners of certain V-6-equipped Dodge Challengers to stop driving their cars until a wiring issue can be fixed. The automaker is voluntarily recalling approximately 2,500 of the 2013 vehicle models to address possible short circuiting. “This condition could cause a wire harness to overheat and possibly lead to fire. Chrysler Group is aware of seven such incidents. None caused injury,” the automaker said. The automaker also advises owners not to park affected vehicles in or near any structure. According to Chrysler, a total of 4,459 vehicles are affected, but 1,900 are at dealerships. The Challengers that are part of the recall were built during an eight-week period ending Jan. 24, 2013.

Hyundai, Kia Recalls 1.7 Million Vehicles for Switch

Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. are recalling about 1.7 million vehicles in the United States to replace a faulty switch that can prevent brake lights from illuminating and trigger other problems. When a driver presses the brake, the switch is supposed to turn on the brake lights and turn off the cruise control. A defective stop lamp switch could cause the brake lights not to illuminate, the cruise control not to deactivate or the push-button start to work erratically, Hyundai and Kia said. As many as 1,059,824 Hyundai models could be affected. The recall covers the 2007 to 2009 Accent and Tucson; the 2007 to 2010 Elantra; the 2007 to 2011 Santa Fe; the 2008 to 2009 Veracruz; the 2010 to 2011 Genesis Coupe; and the 2011 Sonata. The Kia vehicles with potentially faulty switches are the 2007 to 2010 Rondo and Sportage; the 2007 to 2011 Sorento; the 2007 Sedona; the 2010 to 2011 Soul; and the 2011 Optima. As many as 623,658 of those models could be affected.

Ford Focus Outsells Corolla

182,800 Honda, Acura Vehicles Recalled

Ford said it sold more than one million copies of its Focus for the first time last year. More than 1.02 million compact Focus cars were sold worldwide in 2012, outpacing Toyota’s Corolla, of which close to 873,000 were sold, according to data compiled by Polk. China accounts for one-quarter of all sales, and the Focus was the best-selling passenger car in China in 2012 for the first time ever. Ford’s F-Series pickup truck, which has been the top-ranked U.S. pickup for close to four decades, rounded out the top three with 785,630 sales. The Fiesta, with more than 723,000 sold, came in sixth on the list, making it the world’s best-selling subcompact car. Honda’s Civic and CR-V rounded out the top 10 with 651,000 and 625,000, respectively.

Honda is voluntarily recalling 182,800 vehicles due to an electronic stability system malfunction, according to a statement from the automaker. Affected vehicles are 101,000 Honda Pilot crossovers, 60,000 Acura MDX SUVs and 21,000 Acura RL sedans, all from model-year 2005; 800 model-year 2006 Acura MDX SUVs are also affected. According to Honda, if an electrical capacitor on the system’s control unit was damaged during the manufacturing process, the system could malfunction and apply a small amount of brake force for a fraction of a second outside the driver’s control. If the driver applies the brakes during a system malfunction, a crash could result.

Mitsubishi is issuing two recalls for its 2013 Outlander Sport compact crossover, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The first is to address a fuel pump problem that affects 3,724 all-wheeldrive-equipped Outlander Sports manufactured from June 11- Dec. 11, 2012. These vehicles may be missing a fuel sending unit harness, which could re-

sult in a false fuel tank level reading. The second recall affects 4,539 Outlander Sports with faulty brake stop lamps manufactured June 11- Sept. 11, 2012. NHTSA reports that the brake lights may illuminate intermittently and the shift lever could also be moved out of park without pushing the brake pedal. This condition could cause a crash.

Mitsubishi Issues 2 Recalls for Outlander Sport Crossover

Ford Recalls 3,500 Cars for Possible Fuel Tank Leaks

Ford Motor Co. is recalling about 3,500 Taurus and Lincoln MKS sedans and Explorer SUVs. The Dearborn automaker said it is recalling 2,537 of its 2012 Ford Taurus sedans, 968 of its 2012 Lincoln MKS sedans and 30 of its 2013 Ford Explorer SUVs because their fuel tanks may leak at the seam in the event of a severe accident. About 3,000 of the vehicles were sold in the U.S. Others were sold in Canada, Mexico, Europe and other markets. The vehicles are all built at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant.

2013 Buick LaCross, Cadillac SRX Recalled

General Motors recalled 26,582 of the 2013 Buick LaCrosse sedans and Cadillac SRX crossovers due to a transmission problem, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Affected are LaCrosses manufactured April 25, 2012-March 6, 2013, and SRXs built May 29, 2012- Feb. 18, 2013. A software problem could cause the transmission to inadvertently shift to Sport mode.

2012 Subaru Outback, Legacy Recall for Moonroof

Subaru is recalling just 14 2012 Outback wagons and Legacy sedans due to a problem with the moonroof glass that could cause it to detach, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Affected vehicles were manufactured between April 6 and May 12, 2011. An inadequate amount and position of adhesive between the glass and retainer of the moonroof could cause the glass to loosen and detach while driving, creating a potential road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash, according to NHTSA.

2013 Buick Encore Recalled

General Motors is recalling 144 of the 2013 Buick Encore compact crossovers because of a steering wheel malfunction, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The affected vehicles were manufactured Dec. 9 to Dec. 28, 2012, and are equipped with a heated steering wheel. NHTSA reports that in these vehicles, the steering-wheel fastener may not have been installed properly, causing the steering wheel to become loose and separate from the steering column.

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 35

Cutting Edge Shop Knows Value of Tsunami Regenerative Dryer Burkholder, the owner of Barry’s Paint Shop in Ephrata, PA, was excited It’s a fairly simple rule in the body when he saw his first Tsunami Regenshop game—Dry is good and wet is erative Dryer, made by Suburban Manbad. Wet compressed air is the ufacturing in Monticello, MN. He immediately recognized that by painter’s worst nightmare and many have had bad dreams about unwanted using this system for drying his cars water vapor ruining their day. On the sprayed with waterborne, his painters would have the cleanest and driest compressed air they possibly could. As the owner of a 25-yearold shop, a 38-year veteran of the collision industry and a consultant who helps body shops with their production processes and profitability, Burkholder, 57, wants the finest tools possible, as long as Owner Barry Burkholder (back row, center wearing they make sense financially while white shirt) of Barry’s Paint Shop in Ephrata, PA was excited when he saw his first Tsunami Regenerative enhancing his overall operation. Dryer, made by Suburban Manufacturing, and bought Obviously, the Tsunami one shortly thereafter Drying System presented a wide other hand, dry, clean outgoing air is range of attractive benefits that got beneficial to any task performed in a Burkholder’s interest initially, but body repair facility. Moisture is the what he learned after watching it in enemy and if it’s living in your com- action really made him a believer. “When we switched to waterpressed air, you’re in deep trouble. By always keeping his eyes open borne two years ago, we knew dry compressed air was going to be more for new equipment, products, technology and practices that will make his a essential than ever,” he said. “So, we leading shop in his region, Barry started doing our research and we by Ed Attanasio

Koeppel Mazda

Koeppel Volkswagen We’re open to serve you!

The Source for Mazda Parts!

57-15 Northern Blvd., Woodside, NY 11377 Parts: 3251 57th St., Woodside, NY 11377

57-15 Northern Blvd., Woodside, NY 11377 Parts: 3250 57th St., Woodside, NY 11377

• Value Products & Tires Available • Free Dedicated Delivery • Large Stock of OEM Parts

Parts Dept.

Hours: Mon-Thur 7:30am - 6pm Fri 7:30am-5:30pm Sat 8am - 4pm

718.728.8111 x3019/3040

gorozco@koeppelautogroup.com

reason. If our compressed air contains moisture at all, the paint just won’t dry right. The Tsunami Dryer helps to make the waterborne atomize better, which gives us a better finished product and our painters love it.” To fix 120 cars every month, Burkholder needs equipment to work consistently and seamlessly, he said, and that’s also why he’s pleased with his Tsunami Dryer. “There’s very This diagram shows how the Tsunami Regenerative Drying System is little maintenance customarily set up in a body shop environment required with the Tsunami system, because all we have to board. This system has helped our techs to do a better job, so it’s an ideal do is periodically change the filters,” he said. “The technology is very simple, match for our shop.” but the bottom line is it works and helps The Tsunami Drying system has helped Barry’s Paint Shop in several us to save time and money. When I can specific ways, he explained. “We’re purchase a machine or a product and getting better coverage and we don’t then pretty much forget about it, that’s a need to spray as many coats and we really big deal and a real plus to our operation.” know that the dry, clean air is a definite found Tsunami. We always want to be looking out for the newest stuff and we don’t always buy everything. But if it will help us in any way, we’re on-

718.278.0319 Fax

www.koeppelvw.com 36 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

PParts arts Dep Dept.

Hours: H Mon-Thurs 7:30am - 6pm Fri 7:30am-5:30pm Sat 8am - 4pm

wesley@koeppelautogroup.com

718.626.7200 718.721.9100 718.626.1427 Fax

www.koeppelmazda.com

Future Cure Announces Alignment with NitroHeat Future Cure Paint Booths, the nation’s largest OEM paint booth manufacturer east of the Mississippi, has announced their alignment with Nitro Heat, a California-based manufacturer of industrial and automotive nitrogen generator systems. “Future Cure, with its 25-year history of providing quality, mid-priced paint booths is proud to be involved with this innovative technology,” said Tom Beck, President of Future Cure. “And Nitro Heat’s design best meets our business model of ‘Quality at Affordable Pricing.’” He added, “We are always looking for enhancements to our product line that will allow our customer base and others to gain better performance from their paint booth and paint shop. “That’s why when waterborne started to grab hold in early 2002, we were the first to find a product, JunAir QADS, to enhance drying of the waterborne. After exploring and working with the available existing N2 (nitrogen) suppliers we found more fluff than substance and their equipment was way overpriced for what it delivered. “Working with NitroHeat, we developed equipment that can deliver the same results as the over-

priced units at a drastically reduced price—without the fluff.” Berk continued, “The Nitro 9000 unit we developed uses a 5-stage prefilter system allowing NitroHeat to offer a 5-year warranty standard, something other suppliers charge as much as $5,000 for. The system also includes a standard ‘Tire Tank’ that allows the shop to fill tires with N2, again staying ahead of the curve, as many vehicles now, and in the future, are demanding N2 in the tires,” he said. “Shops are welcoming this technology because it puts more money in your pocket. This technology is so good NitroHeat will guarantee a 15% reduction in paint used (while most shops are reporting a 20% to 30% reduction.) The other added benefits are, because of the better transfer rate, shops report shorter cycle time in the booth, as well as longer filter life, less overspray, meaning cleaner paint work, and an incredible ‘PostFlow’—delivering a smoother deep gloss to the finish. And let’s not forget about the movement to waterborne. This N2 technology was made for waterborne,” Beck said.

www.autobodynews.com C

GET THE TRAINING ING THA THAT ATT HAS EQUIPPED PPED 50,000+ TECHSS TO PROFIT TABL ABLLY REPAIR REEPAIR PROFITABLY TODA AY’S VEHICLES. LES. TODAY’S Learn complex Learn complex structure structure rrepair epair w with ith comprehensive, comprehensive, hhands-on ands-on ttraining raining ffrom rom teach CChief hief University. University. Chief Chief instructors instructoors te ach the the llatest atest design-based design-based repair repair procedures procedures today’s oonn to day’s vvehicles. ehicles. Fully Fully certified cer tified aand nd associated associated with with tthe he I-Car I-Car Training Training AAlliance, lliance, tthere’s here’s nnoo better better ttraining raining ssystem ystem for for accurate accurate – and and profitable profitable – collision collisioon repair. repair.

NNew ew ccou courses ouurrseess nnow ow aava available. vailabble le. CCall a l 8800-445-9262 al 00000 4445 45-9922662 oorr ssee eeee tth the he ccomp oom mpleete ttee ccourse oouurssee llist ist aatt cchiefautomotive.com/courses/an. hhiieffau automo oom omot motivvee.ccom/co com oom/ m /coouur urssees //an. an . complete

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 37

Continued from Page 27

Windshield Installs

Purpose. The purpose of this standard is to reduce crash injuries and fatalities that result from occupants contacting vehicle components displaced near or through the windshield.

Do you know what the black strip in the photo is called and what’s it for? It’s called a Frit and it serves two roles on the glass. First, as a cosmetic feature that is used to hide interior trim and pinchweld details. Second, the frit inhibits UV degradation of urethane adhesives. While the frit will not completely block the UV rays from passing through the glass, it does significantly reduce UV light transmission. Most urethanes are not UV stable. If urethane is left exposed to sunlight for prolonged periods of time, it will yellow and turn chalky. Presence of the frit will extend the lifetime of the urethane adhesive system. Many of today’s vehicles have been specifically designed to utilize the windshield as a structural component of the vehicle body by providing increased torsional stiffness. Vehicle manufacturers are careful to select special, high-modulus polyurethane (PUR) adhesives to bond the windshield to these specific vehicles. Relying on the windshield as a structural member, the highmodulus adhesive also allows the OEM to minimize the thickness of the steel used to build the car, thus reducing weight and costs. The high modulus urethane is more rigid when completely cured, and the properties of the non conductive urethane do not interfere with the newer sophisticated electronics in vehicles. Each urethane has its unique set of primers which are an integral part of the bonding process. Each urethane also has a cure time (the time that it takes for the urethane to harden) before it is safe to drive the vehicle. It is important for the collision repair facil-

ity to know what that cure time is. If the urethane is not cured, the safety of the vehicle will not have been restored. The pinch weld that has been repaired or replaced, needs am epoxy primer or a similar product applied to the bare metal surface. Some vehicle manufacturers allow refinishing the surface, while others want only epoxy primer applied. All OEMs state that there should be no body filler applied to the pinchweld where urethane is used due the fact that the urethane will not adhere to the substrate. Let’s take a quick look at adhesion failure.

the adhesive will contact the antenna or defroster lines when the part is installed. Non-conductive adhesives prevent interference with antenna systems and heated defroster systems that are contained in the glass. Many new glass parts have the antenna, defroster connections or buss bars around the edge of the glass in the same area that the adhesive is applied to install a glass part. Using a conductive adhesive will affect the performance of the electrical system. Several adhesive manufacturers offer a non-conductive product for these glass applications. A broken heated grid line on a backlite will affect the operation of the antenna. Many new radio and cellular phone antenna designs are incorporated into the heated grid design in the backlite. If a heated grid line is broken it will affect the performance of the antenna. The line break will become more noticeable with the general public as diversity antennas gain popularity and reduce the need for traditional mast antennas. There are aftermarket grid line repair systems available which can restore both the heating and the antenna characteristics of the grid line.

Does the rain sensor module come on the replacement windshield? No. At this time, none of the rain sensor designs require the sensor to be applied by the manufacturer on the replacement windshields. The electronic sensor that is on the existing windshield in the car must be removed and re-mounted onto the replacement windshield. How is the rain sensor attached to the replacement windshield? There are special re-attachment kits for the replacement industry, available through your local dealer, which can be used to re-attach the electronic rain sensor to the new windshield. The Cadillac kit

consists of tape, cleaners and primers for replacing the Cadillac module. The Mercedes/BMW kit contains the tape See Windshield Installs, Page 42

Hyundai Adhesive failure: The inability of an adhesive to stick to a surface. During adhesive failure, the adhesive cannot bind two surfaces together and separates from the substrate. Cohesive failure: The inability of an adhesive to resist internal separation. During cohesive failure, the adhesive sticks to both surfaces, but can not hold them together.

Expect Excellence. Use genuine Hyundai parts — to keep your car perfectly Hyundai

Free Dedicated Delivery • Competitive Prices on OEM Parts

Wholesale Hotline:

845-831-3685 Many windshields and backlites have antennas and defroster grids embedded in the glass. A non-conductive adhesive should be used if

38 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Parts Hours: Mon-Fri. 7:30am - 6pm Sat. 8am - 4pm

845-831-2404 fax Direct order to: gsmith@healeybrothers.com www.healeybrothers.com 410 Fishkill Ave. Beacon, NY 12508

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 39

Martin Senour Color Manual Features Actual Paint Chips

The Martin Senour Company has introduced its new 2013 Global Color Manual. The new manual offers color compatibility guides as well as larger paint chips—actual chips, not ink—which include larger viewing holes making for easier color identification. The new Martin Senour manual enables painters to improve their efficiency, accuracy, and speed in the color-selection process. The manual also provides color chips and detailed information for exterior body colors, accent, interior, and even those available underhood colors. The 2013 guide’s new layout is also more user-friendly in that it includes larger and bolder type fonts, comes on thicker and more durable printed pages, and features paint chips that are twice as large as those in previous manuals. Presenting information on more manufacturers than in previously published manuals, the comprehensive Martin Senour 2013 Global Color Manual is available at a cost that is 36% less than last year’s edition. When ordering, please use part number: MA5289.

Refinish Distributors Alliance Adds New Member

The Refinish Distributors Alliance (RDA) has added new member Redshaw Paint Supply, Inc., with headquarters in Omaha, NE. Redshaw Paint Supply, Inc. is owned by four individuals with Andy Weissinger as principal owner. Redshaw has four locations in Nebraska—two in Omaha, one in Lincoln and one in Fremont. The company has been in existence since 1954 and is a single line Axalta Coating Systems (formerly DuPont) distributor. They carry the DuPont, Spies, Nason, DIC and Aviation lines of paint. Robert McKenzie Jr., Executive Director of RDA, said, “We are excited to have Redshaw Paint Supply as part of the RDA/IMPACT group and know they are a great fit with our organization.” 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, which represents 180 locations and cover 27 states. Members service over 3,500 collision centers throughout the United States and represent a crosssection of all major refinish brands.

Pro-Spray Launches YouTube Channel Pro-Spray Automotive Finishes recently released a branded YouTube channel to help Pro-Spray users improve the quality and efficiency of their jobs. The URL is http://www.youtube.com/prosprayautofinishes.

Pro-Spray YouTube Home Page

Visitors to the site can view a library of resourceful, high-quality videos featuring veteran Pro-Spray technical trainer and instructor Bill Warner. The channel’s current playlist includes: • Pro-Spray in Action: Awesome rides with Pro-Spray paint • Basecoat Tips and How To’s: Best practices to improve your paint job and bottom line • Bumper Repair and Refinishing: Review of the six simple steps • Spray Gun Essentials and Tips: Simplifying the process • Tech Tips and How To’s: Application tips from the pros

“Pro-Spray’s passion for our industry, product and people drives our content decisions,” explains Laura Yerkey, Pro-Spray marketing manager. “With the Pro-Spray YouTube channel in place, we now have the opportunity to share our knowledge and expertise with refinishers around the world.” YouTube is the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally created videos. The video-sharing website allows people to easily upload and share video clips on youtube.com and across the Internet through websites, blogs and e-mail. Future plans for the Pro-Spray YouTube channel include regularly delivered original content focused on tech tips, how-to’s and FAQs, as well as introductions to new Pro-Spray products and discussions of industry events and trends. To stay abreast of all the latest news and content, viewers can become a youtube.com/prosprayautofinishes subscriber. The Pro-Spray product line delivers a comprehensive, versatile, and high performance waterborne and solvent intermix color system supported by a full range of primers, clearcoats, hardeners, thinners and support products to body shops worldwide.

Industry Veteran Michael Quinn Joins uParts uParts, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based electronic parts procurement solutions, recently announced the appointment of Michael Quinn as Senior Vice President of Business Development. “I am thrilled to join the uParts team. They have developed a stateof-the-art cloud-based parts procurement platform that has been long overdue for shops and parts suppliers,” stated Quinn. “Streamlining inefficient parts procurement processes will benefit these long-time trading partners as well as vehicle owners and auto insurers through improved repair experience.” Quinn is a repairer at heart who has become one of the most trusted leaders in the collision repair industry with many prestigious awards and distinctions. His most recent position was Senior VP of Industry and Community Relations for Caliber Collision. Prior to Caliber, he was co-founder and CEO of 911 Collision Centers, where he and his partner built seven successful repair facilities in Arizona and Nevada. In 2012, he completed a two year term as Chairman of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) and was also inducted into the industry’s Hall of Eagles.

Through the NABC he helped to spearhead numerous charitable efforts including Katrina Relief, Recycled Rides, First Responder Emergency Extrication, and Operation Comfort. He has brought forth the generous side of our industry by uniting people for these philanthropic causes. “I’m excited to welcome Michael to our company,” said Alex Adegan, Founder and CEO of uParts. “His decision to join uParts is a testament to our vision and shared values with repair professionals and our mission to streamline their interactions with their suppliers. There’s no better indication of our commitment to help collision shops than having one of their most trusted advocates join our team.” uParts has been in stealth mode during the past three years, developing the next generation part procurement platform based on extensive collaboration with its charter member collision shops and parts suppliers. Repairers benefit by having immediate pricing and availability information from participating suppliers, enabling them to order all of their repair parts with a single mouse-click. Suppliers benefit by receiving electronic orders directly into their management systems.

40 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Welcome to the ALL NEW Hackettstown Honda!

The BEST Honda Parts dealer to date! • Great Prices • Prompt Service

• Free Daily Delivery • Technical Support

Hotline: 888-450-8126 888-4450-88126 Phone: 908.852.5600 Fax: 908.852.4172

Parts Dept. Hours: Mon. - Fri.: 7 am - 7 pm Sat. - Sun.: 8 am - 4 pm

www.hackettstownhonda.com 48 Route 46 West

Hackettstown NJ 07840

Boyd Group Acquires Four Repair Centers in NC and FL

The Boyd Group recently acquired and opened four new collision repair centers: In North Carolina, the three centers are Wilmington Paint & Body Works, Factory Finish Collision Center and CBS Quality Cars. The company also acquired Express Auto Body in Lakeland, FL. Each of the shop locations will operate under the Gerber Collision & Glass trade name. With these additions, The Boyd Group now operates 22 shop locations in North Carolina and 38 in Florida. The company has a total of 185 collision repair locations throughout 14 U.S. states. “The opening of these new locations is in line with our stated growth strategy of achieving 6-10% of growth in number of centers through single location additions,” said Tim O’Day, president and chief operations officer of The Boyd Group. “These centers allow us to better serve customers and insurance partners in these markets and we plan to continue to focus on expanding our presence in similar attractive U.S. markets.”

1940 Ford Coupe Wins Ridler Award in Detroit

A 1940 Ford Coupe featuring PPG paint and custom painted by Charley Hutton won the 2013 Ridler Award at the Detroit Autorama. The Ridler Award is presented to the most outstanding car or truck making its debut appearance at the Detroit Autorama, held March 8-10 in Detroit. This is the third time in six years that a PPG-finished entry has won the award. The coupe, named “Checkered Past,” is owned by Ron and Deb Cizek of Bennington, NE, and was built by Andy Leach of Cal Automotive Creations in Omaha, NE. Hutton, a noted painter in the custom car world, did the paint work at his shop, Charley Hutton’s Color Studio, in Nampa, ID, where he created and mixed the red and gold custom colors using PPG waterborne Envirobase products.

• We are the authorized insurance vendors for the AASP/Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of NJ. • Call us for competitive quotes. • Member only dividend & discount programs. • The Amato Agency is a full service agency representing most major insurance companies for all your insurance needs.

Nissan Names O’Hara Director

Nissan North America named Kent O’Hara as senior director of after sales for the U.S. and Canada, and parts and service (P&S) projects and strategy for the Americas. O’Hara previously served as Nissan’s director of P&S and marketing and sales. His new role will include oversight of after sales for Canada, and a focus on the revenue growth of the company’s overall P&S strategy. O’Hara’s new position took effect April 1.

www.autobodynews.com

Kadel’s Wins Regional Award C

Farmers Insurance has presented Kadel’s Auto Body with the 2012 North American Regional MSO Group of the Year award. The award recognizes Kadel’s commitment to service and excellence. “As in the past, Kadel’s continues to provide outstanding customer service and timely, quality vehicle repairs,” said Pete Hickey, national MSO claims manager for Farmers. “Congratulations to everyone at Kadel’s Auto Body for their outstanding efforts and the well-deserved recognition.”

VT Couple Charged With Arson

A Vermont couple have been charged with burning down their own auto dealership business. Ed and Tammy Davis of Fair Haven, VT, were charged with arson following the fire at Ed Davis Auto and RV. Following the fire, investigators with Vermont State Police and the Division of Fire Safety searched the scene and determined the fire was set deliberately. The investigation alleges the Davises were responsible. Ed Davis, 49 and Tammy Davis, 46, are scheduled to appear in court May 20.

Kentucky Approves eProof

Kentucky is the 11th state to permit drivers to use electronic versions of their insurance cards to show proof of coverage. Kentucky now permits drivers to use either paper or their cell phone to show proof of insurance during a traffic stop. Regional Vice President for the Property Insurers Association of America, Jeffrey Junkas, calls the new law good news for consumers and the courts because it will avoid unnecessary fix-it tickets for drivers who did not have their insurance card at the time of a traffic stop.

The Collision Parts that Fit the Best

Our goal is to reduce your insurance costs, without sacrificing the coverage you need. We will review your current program, check for adequacy and provide competitive alternatives.

www.amatoagency.com

Call Us Today at:

800-763-6574

Agency President Joseph Amato Sr.

to see how much $ we can save you!

4900 State Route 33 #103 Neptune, NJ 07753

Parts P artts L Line: ine:

888-356-1170 Agency Manager & VP Joseph Amato Jr.

Your Guarantee of Protection and Exceptional Service for Over 40 Years.

Fax: 631-569-5261 Mon. - Sat. 8am - 5pm

genkiaparts@hotmail.com

• Mon-Sat Delivery Available • Next day delivery within 75 miles • Competitive Pricing • Over 20 years of combined parts experience

www.generationkia.com

1788 Route 112 • Medford, NY 11763 www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 41

Continued from Cover

LIABRA March Meeting

He reminded members to be aware of OSHA best practices and distributed a best practices list. He cautioned members to not only provide proper safety equipment for employees, but also make sure employees know how to use it. He stressed the point Greg Smith that maintaining MSDS sheets, OSHA right-to-know pamphlets, good housekeeping and common sense will go a long way toward being in OSHA compliance. In a quick update on New York State Labor Department inspections, members learned the department hired 14 new inspectors and they are targeting large body shops. Members were reminded to properly record the time employees work and to maintain a proper employee handbook. In addition, GM and Ford’s new core charge policy was discussed by members. LIABRA said apparently the OEMs are trying to keep bumper covers, headlights and taillights out of the hands of rebuilders. Meanwhile, members report that salvage yards sell tractor trailers full of those parts to recyclers! Charlie Corwith of Corwith Collision reported that he has made numerous reports of short data base times to the Database Enhancement

Meeting Attendees

Gateway, “DEG” and they have made corrections. He said the process is easy and you can submit supplements for any increase in times. Kizenberger introduced Jenelle Proudfoot, Enterprise Rental Management Manager for the NY group. Proudfoot explained how the Enter-

prise Arms management program works. Shops on the program can update and report on the rental status of the cars they are repairing and will soon be able to make reservations for customers through the program. She answered numerous questions from the members on the benefits of the program. Kizenberger turned the floor over to Greg Smith to discuss problems and solutions on claims handling. Smith reminded members that adjusters must leave a copy of their appraisal or work sheet after starting negotiations-they cannot walk out and say, ‘I will fax or email you my appraisal tomorrow.’ Some adJenelle Proudfoot justers are not with Enterprise paying tax on sublet items-a call to the supervisor will correct that problem. Members reported that adjusters’ arriving without appointments was a problem. Lou Giordano of Giordano’s Collision reported he will not allow adjusters to see cars without an appointment and suggested members remain in control of scheduling appraisals. Kizenberger closed the discussion by asking members what problem they are most concerned with: steering or AM parts? The resounding answer: STEERING! The meeting adjourned at 10 p.m. with pizza, refreshments and raffle drawings. An iPad Mini donated by iPayments was won by Vito Tandoi of International Collision. Chris Corwith of Corwith Collision picked up the 50/50 drawing. In addition, LIABRA held its annual Lobby Day April 19. A select group of body shop owners from Long Island and New York met at the capitol in Albany to visit various legislators and department heads. Kizenberger also reviewed two bills LIABRA has introduced: Assembly Bill 3872 would prevent insurance companies from requiring the use of aftermarket parts unless the insured consents in writing; and Assembly 483 would prevent insurers from capping labor, parts, and paint or repair materials. LIABRA will meet again in May for a business development meeting.

42 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Continued from Page 38

Windshield Installs

and a new lens. Instructions for application are included in all the kits.

Encapsulated Glass has the molding permanently attached to the glass. Most of the time when the glass is removed, the molding is damaged and a new glass and molding is necessary.

As I promised earlier, here is my idea of a release form:

Date and Time of Install __________________________________ Repair Order # _______________________________ Make of Vehicle _________________ Model___________________ Name of Company that is supplying the glass ___________________ Name of Installer__________________________________________ Brand Name of Adhesive and number _________________________ Expiration Date ____________________________________ Primer Applied and Type ____________________________________ Drive Time _______________________________________________ Type of Glass Installed _______________________________ Location on Vehicle of Glass Installed _________________________ Remarks ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Free Twice Monthly Newsletter at www.autobodynews.com

Northern California Man Pleads No Contest to Selling Counterfeit ALLDATA Products

ALLDATA LLC, a provider of manufacturers’ automotive repair information and solutions for the professional automotive service and collision repair industries, recently announced the successful arrest and prosecution of a software counterfeiting operation. The company has a long-standing program dedicated to tracking down illegal sales of ALLDATA products, an effort which routinely results in prosecution. In the most recent case, William Edwin White, III, was arrested in December 2012, following a fivemonth investigation by the Stanislaus County Sheriff Department and Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force. The two law enforcement agencies worked with the ALLDATA Antipiracy team to investigate the illegally copied ALLDATA products that White had advertised for sale. “We aggressively pursue software piracy,” said ALLDATA President Jeff Lagges. “It’s theft, and it hurts our customers by driving up costs. But it’s not the same as downloading a pirated song—it’s potentially a consumer safety issue because counterfeiters don’t care if the infor-

mation is correct. We do care, because incorrect information should never be used to repair vehicles. People who don’t realize they bought pirated software often call us to complain that the product isn’t working correctly, which is why it’s so important to purchase ALLDATA Repair through our sales team or our company website.” ALLDATA licenses vehicle repair, diagnostic and maintenance information directly from manufacturers and provides it to customers through a secure, Web-based portal. “Manufacturers often add, remove and change information,” said Lagges. “Offering our products through online subscriptions allows us to get changes to our customers quickly. So buying counterfeit ALLDATA products not only wastes money, it’s a risky business that we’re working hard to stop.” Following the investigation and December arrest, White was found guilty, sentenced and ordered to pay restitution to ALLDATA.

www.autobodynews.com CHECK IT OUT!

AudaExplore Gives $3 Million in Software Donations

AudaExplore (formerly the U.S. operations of Audatex North America, Inc. and Explore Information Services), a provider of automotive claims, underwriting and information solutions, has exceeded $3 million in software donations to the Collision Repair Education Foundation since the launch of its Audatex Educational Institutions Program in 2010. To date, more than 137 collision repair school programs in 35 states across the U.S. have benefited from in-kind donations of the company’s estimating software through the program’s partnership with the Foundation. “We’ve been a consistent supporter of the Collision Repair Education Foundation since it was established in 1991,” said Wolfgang Ahrens, Managing Director, AudaExplore. “AudaExplore is proud to play a role in shaping the future of our industry by making our world-class technology available to schools so that students can step right into their careers with the knowledge that they’ve been trained on the very best, most complete estimating software available on the market.”

Under the Audatex Educational Institutions Program, AudaExplore provides a comprehensive software and training package free of charge to vocational and technical schools throughout the U.S. To qualify, schools must complete an online survey conducted by the Collision Repair Education Foundation. Thousands of students nationwide participate in the free online training that is available as part of the Educational Institutions Programs. Since AudaExplore is a member of the I-CAR Industry Training Alliance, select AudaExplore training courses qualify for points that apply to the I-CAR Gold Class Professionals® and Platinum Individual™ programs. One of the schools benefiting from the AudaExplore donation in 2012 was Manhattan Area Technical College in Manhattan, KS. Collision instructor Linn Schroll said, “Audatex Estimating serves as an outstanding teaching tool that allows us to take the vehicle inspection process and transform it into a complete estimate, repair order and repair plan. We thank AudaExplore for helping us keep our students on the cutting edge of collision repair technology.”

FORD Parts

Blow

Smoke

Use OEM Genuine FORD Parts

Call your local Authorized Ford Wholesaler today! N E W J E RS E Y

Ditschman/Flemington Ford-Lincoln-Mercury F L E MI N GTON

877-NJ-PARTS 908-806-8670 Fax

Lucas Motor Company B U R L I N GTON

609-386-3122 609-386-8932 Fax

P E NNS YLVANI A

Fred Beans Parts

Collision, Powertrain & Mechanical D OYL E S TOW N

877-942-3267 888-822-3267 Fax www.fbparts.com

Shults Ford Inc. PI T TS B U RGH

888-469-7278 Ext. 8 724-934-2307 Fax

janf@shultsford.com www.fordparts.com/shultsford

Make us your one-stop shop today! www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 43

Big Changes Coming for ASRW, Shorter Schedule, Possible Partnership The Automotive Service Association (ASA) will make several fundamental changes to the 2013 NACE Expo to create a different experience for both attendees and exhibitors, ASA’s Executive Vice President Dan Risley announced during the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) meeting held in Phoenix in early April. Risley said the goal of the changes to NACE is to promote unity in the industry, and reaffirm the event as the place where the collision repair industry comes together. “Many exhibitors and regular supporters of NACE expressed concern with supporting two national trade shows several weeks apart. Many of those individuals have asked ASA to help play a role in facilitating a resolve to the issue,” Risley said. “ASA and its board of directors are committed to addressing many of those concerns and playing a role in unifying the industry.” Risley said significant effort was made this year to change the dates of the NACE event, which is scheduled for Oct. 17–19 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas—less than three weeks prior to the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Risley said the ASA was unable to change the

dates due to several factors, so the organization opted to implement new changes to the trade show instead. For example, the MSO Symposium—which to date has been reserved solely for multiple-shop operators—will be opened up to all independent, single-location repairers. In addition, Risley said the traditional NACE Welcome Reception will no longer be a stand-alone event. The Welcome Reception will be incorporated into the trade show to further promote networking and unity in the industry. Risley said more information regarding changes to NACE will soon be announced. “Significant additional announcements that further illustrate our commitment to improve the overall experience will be made in the weeks and months leading up to NACE,” Risley said. Darrell Amberson, chairmanelect of the ASA’s board of directors, said there will be a major announcement made later this year regarding the 2014 NACE event. He said the ASA is considering “a full range of options,” including partnering with other shows or changing the date to a different time of the year. “We have not worked through all

the details, but are certain the changes will be viewed positively by the industry,” Amberson said. “The industry has strongly supported NACE for more than 30 years. Based on that, it is clear to us that the industry deserves to have a show solely dedicated to the auto mechanical and collision repair industries. As part of this industry, it tears my heart out when we’re so fractured and dysfunctional. We’re really serious about creating unity. We’re here to take action and bring [the industry] together,” Amberson said. The ASA also asked the CIC to consider switching its fall meeting dates from November to October in order to coincide with NACE rather than SEMA. CIC’s fall meeting has been held during the week of SEMA since 2010. The ASA offered the CIC free meeting space if it opted to alter its dates. Jeff Hendler, administrator of the CIC, said the organization has a contractual commitment to SEMA through 2016. The ASA’s request will not be considered until that time.

Herkules Introduces FastTrack Paint Gun Washer

Herkules Equipment Corporation recently introduced a new paint gun washer called the FastTrack that speeds up the paint gun cleaning process anywhere in the shop. The FastTrack (model #G45) paint gun washer is inexpensive, lightweight, only 10 inches wide, and is designed to work with Herkules Sparkle Clean Blast aerosol can cleaner. Blast cleans both waterborne and solvent paints. The Blast can is fastened, upside down, to the top of the FastTrack. The cleaning process begins when the FastTrack’s nozzle is pushed up with the paint gun. The Blast’s cleaner is then released down into the gun’s paint channel with just the right amount of pressure to clean the inside of the gun. The outside tip of the gun is easily cleaned with the attached brush. Herkules Sparkle Clean Blast contains the exact same low VOC cleaning formula as Herkules Sparkle Clean aerosol can cleaner. It’s very effective for cleaning both waterborne and solvent paint. The Blast can is

equipped with a special valve that hooks up to the FastTrack gun washer for effective release of the cleaner. The FastTrack’s mounting holes and light weight make it easy to mount anywhere in the shop or in a mobile work station to keep projects moving quickly through the repair process. Herkules Equipment Corporation, established in 1984, is a leading manufacturer for the Automotive Paint & Body Repair industry, having designed, manufactured, and patented the first Paint Gun Washer. We have been manufacturing quality vehicle lifts and scissor lift tables for close to 30 years, providing many different industries ergonomic solutions for countless applications. Herkules also supplies Air Jacks, Handling Equipment, and Crushing Equipment. For more product information, please contact Herkules at 800-4444351, or at info@herkules.us or visit our website at www.herkules.us/guncleanerG45.php.

44 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Aaron Clark Named VP at Assured Performance

Aaron Clark has been named Assured Performance Co-Op Network’s vice president of national certification and network development and will be based at corporate headquarters in Irvine, CA. “We are thrilled to have Aaron joining our executive team to work closely with our staff and member shops driving the Certification program. He has the perfect background to help expand the impact and value of body shop Certification for all involved,” said Scott Biggs, CEO of Assured Performance. Clark has worked in the automotive and collision repair industry for more than 25 years as a body shop owner. Clark previously operated five body shop operations in the Indianapolis area, which he sold to ABRA Auto Body & Glass. Clark founded the Indiana Auto Body Association (IABA), served as chairman of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) for the past two years, and served on Assurance Performance’s board of directors for four years. “This new position fully leverages my knowledge as a former shop owner, and interests in the well-being of the collision industry,” said Clark.

What are the Best Parts of Driving? Mazda Parts.

Order your Genuine Mazda Parts from one of these parts specialists in your area. NEW JERSEY

NEW YORK

Maxon Mazda

Koeppel Mazda

Union

Woodside

800-964-7281 Fax 908-851-5631

718-626-7200 718-721-9100

M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5

Fax 718-626-1427

www.mazdaoempartssuperstore.com PENNSYLVANIA

Lancaster Mazda

www.koeppelmazda.com DELAWARE

800-322-1639

Nucar Mazda Wholesale Parts Distributors

Fax 717-569-0641

New Castle

M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-1

800-633-6606

nineofdiamonds@comcast.net

www.nucarparts.com

East Petersburg

Continued from Cover

Repairer Roundtable

need to be able to strategize as an industry and have a plan. Being informed without having a plan won’t get us there. That’s part of what this meeting is, to formulate our voice.” I-CAR’s decision, announced just the week prior to the meeting, was widely criticized by those in attendance. In late 2011, three national trade associations (later endorsed by more than two dozen state and regional groups) asked I-CAR to take on the task of communicating with the automakers in an effort to increase the amount and availability of OEM repair procedures. As recently as late January, I-CAR CEO John Van Alstyne said his organization was moving forward with a planned roll-out this summer of a 5-pronged approach to the issue, but the members of ICAR’s board in attendance at a March meeting voted unanimously to halt the program. The request from the trade groups had indicated such an effort would support their statement that OEM repair procedures are the industry “stan-

dard” for repairs. Meeting attendee Tony Passwater, executive director of the Indiana Auto Body Association, said based on his past involvement with I-CAR, he believes it was the word “standards,” more than the concept of expanding the availability of OEM procedures, that led to the decision. “That’s where they all cringe, especially on the insurance side,” Passwater said. Meeting attendee Dusty Womble, an I-CAR board member and an operating partner in Roger Beasley Collision Center in Austin, TX, said the I-CAR vote would not have been unanimous had it not taken place at the first board meeting he’d missed in four years. Meeting attendee Barry Dorn, a Virginia shop owner, Barry Dorn said he felt it was important that people ask I-CAR what led to the decision. “I implore all of you to talk to the folks at I-CAR about what happened, ask them to explain why they voted the way they did,” Dorn said. “To me

this is inexcusable. In my opinion, ICAR has been hijacked by special interests.” But meeting attendee Scott Biggs of the Assured Performance Network, which joined the national associations in their 2011 request to I-CAR, noted that it was a decision made by the I-CAR board, not staff. “It should be noted that the staff did a huge amount of work in the last Scott Biggs 18 months to address a lot of the things that we wanted them to do,” Biggs said. “Most of those things they’re going to continue to do.” What won’t continue, Biggs said, is I-CAR’s planned creation of a “council” to help facilitate and filter the communication between automakers and the industry. Biggs and Schulenburg each said the conceptual solutions for the council was one aspect of I-CAR’s plan they hadn’t been “entirely comfortable with.” “I-CAR seemed like a good fit at the time. But any organization that isn’t willing to publicly and clearly state that the OEM repair procedures

PENNSYLVANIA Alexander Kia

Williamsport, PA 17701

800-326-8113

(570) 494-0121 (570) 494-1660 Fax

8am-5pm Mon-Fri bhicks@blaisealexander.com www.blaisealexander.com Kia vehicles are at the forefront of today’s automotive design. Unique details in our Kia vehicles demand precise engineering and fit. Kia customers deserve Genuine Kia collision replacement parts to keep them satisfied for years to come. Our brand’s popularity continues to grow meaning more Kia customers for your shop. Always specify Genuine Kia Parts for the highest level of fit, finish and quality. Contact your local Kia dealer today for assistance and delivery of your parts.

Brown Daub Kia Easton

610-829-3020

(484) 546-0292 Fax

Kia of Coatesville Coatesville

610-384-7700

(610) 384-2171 Fax

8am-5pm Mon-Fri 8am-12pm Sat Alan@kiaofcoatesville.com www.kiaofcoatesville.com

Kia of West Chester West Chester

610-429-3500

are the standard for repair probably isn’t a good partner for what we’re looking to accomplish here,” Schulenburg said. “So while there’s not a lot of detail I can give, what I can share is a large subset of the original requesters do intend to create an industry council to address collision repair procedural standards. The primary mission of this council will be to gather feedback and provide input to the OEMs to address deficiencies in the library of procedures and issues or question that arise form the industry dialog. It’s about communication.” Meeting attendee Dan Risley of the Automotive Service AssociaDan Risley tion, which also was among the organizations requesting I-CAR’s involvement in 2011, said communication will be important because there “are some instances where the OEM repair procedure probably may not apply.” He noted, for instance, that Honda calls for replacement of sun visors after airbag deployment. See Repairer Roundtable, Page 49

Sussman Kia Jenkintown

888-881-8844

(215) 887-3182 Fax

8am-5pm Mon-Fri partsorders@sussmanauto.com www.sussmanauto.com

NEW YORK

Generation Kia Medford

888-356-1170

(631) 569-5261 Fax

8am-5pm Mon-Sat genkiaparts@hotmail.com www.generationkia.com

Yonkers Kia Yonkers

888-479-5167

(914) 652-7660 Fax 7:30am-6pm Mon-Fri 8:30am-1pm Sat www.yonkerskia.com

(610) 429-0164 Fax

8am-5pm Mon-Fri 8am-12pm Sat Alan@kiaofcoatesville.com www.kiaofwestchester.com www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 45

Third Generation Custom Painter Was Born Into the Business by Melanie Anderson

Darryl Hollenbeck, 45, of Vintage Color Studio in Concord, CA, is a third generation custom painter and car restorer. His grandfather owned one of the first body shops in Oakland back in the late ‘30s and early ‘40s

Custom painter Darryl Hollenbeck pictured here in the rearview mirror

and later sold his shop to Hollenbeck’s uncle. Darryl’s father worked in the shop as well, with Darryl joining the family business at age 21. With 25 years experience, Hollenbeck has owned Vintage Color Studio restoring hot rods and custom cars

for painting John Mumford’s 27 T Roadster, built by Roy Brizio Street Rods, which won “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” at the recent 2013 Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, CA. He’s won that award twice. The first time he won the award was in 2005 for painting Paul Hansen’s Moal Built 1932 Roadster called ‘Seduced.’ Over the course of his career, Hollenbeck has custom painted well over 100 cars, many of which have graced the covers of hot rod and custom car magazines. Several of those magazine covers are featured on his website at www.vintagecolorstudio.com. He owns three hot rods himself—a 1950 Mercury from his late father, a 1957 Chevy Wagon and a 1932 Roadster that he’s still working on. Some of Hollenbeck’s favorite projects include restoring historical cars that were originally customized back in the ‘30s and ‘40s. For example, Hollenbeck restored a 1949 Mercury that belonged to Sam Barris (George Barris’ brother). Hollenbeck said this car was the first Mercury to be chopped and customized and it was a new car when Sam Barris did it in 1949. Hollenbeck also restored the 1936 Ford Jack Calori Coupe, which was the November 1949 Hot Rod

Hollenbeck painted this 1949 Chevy truck for Eric Clapton

for the past 10 years. Most of the vintage cars he works on date back to the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s, with the ‘newest’ car he’s ever worked on being a 1966 Shelby Mustang. “I love cars. I was born into it,” said Hollenbeck. “I love the challenge of taking something old and rusty and turning it into something beautiful and award-winning.” Hollenbeck has won several awards, including the award he won

Magazine Cover Car, and was Best in Class Winner at Pebble Beach in 2005. Another famous historical car that Hollenbeck has worked on is the Ala Kart, originally customized by George Barris and owned by Richard Peters. The car survived a fire that destroyed Barris’ shop in 1957. The car, named from a menu at the time George Barris, Richard Peters and friend Blackie Gejeian met at a local coffee shop to discuss the car, is based on a 1929 Ford

46 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Pickup and cost $15,000 to build. Peters and Gejeian built the undercarriage. It won the prestigious “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” award at the Oak-

paint and body work on the car with Art Himsl doing the graphics. Another favorite project Hollenbeck worked on was Vic Edelbrock’s

This 1932 Roadster was owned by Vic Edelbrock Sr

land Roadster Show two years in a row in 1958 and 1959. The Ala Kart is known for being the first show rod that turned into a model car kit. The Ala Kart was restored by Roy Brizio Street Rods in 2011 and Hollenbeck did the

NEW YORK

Ruge’s Parts Center Red Hook (800) 343-7843 (845) 876-1090 (845) 758-1766 Fax Mon.-Fri. 8-5 www.rugesparts.com

father’s 1932 Roadster that was restored by Roy Brizio Street Rods in 2004. Otis Victor Edelbrock, who died in 1962, was an American automotive aftermarket performance parts engineer, racer and is considered one

The following dealerships are eager to serve your needs. Call your local Subaru collision parts specialist today!

NEW JERSEY

Liberty Subaru

Emerson (888) 782-9493 (201) 261-3261 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6 parts@libertysubaru.com www.libertysubaru.com

Lynnes Subaru

Bloomfield (800) 782-7597 (973) 429-3193 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6; Sat. 7:30-2 www.lynnessubaru.com

of the founders of the hot rod movement. The 1932 Roadster was the personal car of Edelbrock Sr. and was also as a test vehicle back in the ‘40s at the El Mirage Dry Lakes in southern California. Hollenbeck said the average project takes about three months, from start to finish, with the paint work itself taking about 10 days. Some of Hollenbeck’s famous customers include English rock guitarist Jeff Beck, singer Eric Clapton, and James Hetfield of Metallica. The recent change from solvents to waterborne paint isn’t something Hollenbeck is thrilled about. Like

many painters, he appreciates routine and using the new water-based products has changed up the way he’s used to doing things.

1936 Ford coupe

“Now we gotta try to make water base work for what we do, and it’s geared more toward the collision in-

The famous Ala Kart originally customized by George Barris won “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” in 1958 and 1959

dustry,” he said. “It does have its advantages in what we do, but you get used to doing something a certain way, then all the sudden the EPA changes everything on you.” He says waterborne is easier to use, but takes longer to dry between coats. For example, he said it used to take him eight hours to paint a Roadster with solvent and now that same size car takes

According to Cindy Schauer, Segment Communications Manager with PPG, the company is not launching a new waterborne platform for the custom painter, but over the last few years, PPG has made some products that work well with their current waterborne brands, Envirobase High Performance and Aquabase Plus, that make it easier to use in a custom finishing situation.

Hollenbeck restored this 1932 Roadster

THESE DEALERS are GENUINE WHOLESALE PARTS SPECIALISTS. PEN NSYLVAN IA

Lancaster Toyota

Thompson Toyota

717-569-0641 Fax

215-348-8233 Fax

EAST PETERSBURG

800-322-1639

Mon. - Fri. 7:30am - 5:30pm; Sat. 8am - 1pm nineofdiamonds@comcast.net

DOYLESTOWN

215-348-1530

1932 Ford 5 window coupe

about 12 hours to paint using waterbase. He also acknowledges that the water-based paint colors are more vibrant, but adds that a custom line of water-base products for custom work doesn’t exist yet. Hollenbeck has been using PPG for nearly 30 years, since he was “in high school and just starting to mess around with paint,” and says the PPG brand is very user-friendly. “There isn’t a custom line of water base,” he said. “For instance, Candy Apple Red isn’t available in water base so you have to figure out how to make it and that takes more time.”

Darryl Hollenbeck’s Vintage Color Studio, 2330 Bates Ave, Suite B-1 Concord CA 94520 Phone : 925.671.7773 www.vintagecolorstudio.com

Search:

Autobody News on Facebook

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 47

Collision Education Makeover School Grant Applications Due by May 31 The Collision Repair Education Foundation is encouraging collision industry businesses to take an active part in their local collision school programs by assisting them in applying for the 2013 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover $50,000 school grant. Two $50,000 grants (one secondary, one post-secondary) will be awarded this year, as well as several secondary prizes of $10,000. Below are the top 3 reasons why industry members should be working together with their local collision school programs on the 2013 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant application: #3. Establish connection with local collision school, instructor, administration, and students. Now is the opportune time for industry businesses to become fully engaged with their local collision school programs. By meeting with school administration, the collision instructor(s), and their students, local businesses can view firsthand what their collision program needs are and coach them on what skill sets collision students should have by graduation to ensure for the most efficient and capable professional possible. #2. Makeover applicant schools at the top of Education Foundation’s

support list in 2013. The schools that apply for 2013 Makeover grant receive top priority for support by the Collision Repair Education Foundation in the coming year. Since the Makeover grant’s inception in 2009, the non-winning schools have received over $1 million (total) in donations and support. Makeover applicant instructors are also provided exclusive opportunities to attend technical training and receive other donations from industry supporters. #1. Congrats, your local school has won and their $50,000 collision wish list will be fulfilled. There will be at least two selected Makeover winning schools this fall and local industry members taking an active part in the application process can help enhance a school’s application. Many collision schools are facing severely reduced budgets and this grant will transform the winning collision programs for many years to come. An industry member’s guidance and support of helping a local school apply for the Makeover grant could lead to that school being selected as one of the winners. Instructors are advised to begin the application early which is available online at CollisionEducation-

$250,000 Donated Towards Operation Comfort The National Auto Body Council (NABC) has received nearly $250,000 in pledges and donations towards its $1.5 million Capital Campaign for Operation Comfort’s AutoMotivation program. The Capital Campaign goal is to purchase, renovate and equip a 30,000 sq. ft. training facility in San Antonio, TX, that will serve as a permanent home for Operation Comfort’s AutoMotivation program. Wounded service members in the AutoMotivation program benefit from occupational and rehabilitative therapies as they work on automotive projects. NABC-led efforts take the program to the next level by providing opportunities for participants to simultaneously recover and heal while acquiring certified I-CAR curriculumbased training for new career paths in the collision industry. “We are thrilled with the momentum and support coming from all corners of the industry to support this cause,” said Chuck Sulkala, NABC Executive Director. “Many companies, regardless of size, are joining our fundraising efforts and finding ways to engage their customers and employees to support this great program for our wounded troops.” Companies that have already

launched their fundraising initiatives include: Hertz launched a fundraising effort over Presidents’ Day Weekend that raised $50,000 in a two-day promotion. The company’s sponsorship of Operation Comfort is part of its Hertz for Heroes program, a project initiated by Hertz employees with military backgrounds. 3M Corporation is pledging $50,000 based on sales of selected products through the Automotive Aftermarket. Sterling Autobody Centers has pledged a $30,000 corporate donation and anticipates an additional $30,000 will be raised through efforts from its individual body shop locations. Keenan Auto Body is collecting donations at each of their 11 shops and are matching every donation until the Capital Campaign goal of $1.5 million has been reached. “Our heartfelt thanks to the many companies and individuals who have already donated and pledged their support. There are many more companies with fundraising efforts in the works and we look forward to sharing more exciting news on their contributions towards our Capital Campaign goal,” said Sulkala.

48 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Foundation.org. The Makeover grant is available to secondary and post-secondary collision school programs nationwide, with priority going to not-for-profit/public schools. The application is due May 31, 2013 and the winning schools will be announced during an industry reception to be held at SEMA 2013. As part of the Makeover grant application, schools provide their own itemized wish list, which can include any tools, supplies, and equipment that are needed by the collision program. Each of the winning schools will have their $50,000 wish list fulfilled through the Collision Repair Education Foundation and industry donors/supporters. The goal of the Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant is to honor a school that has been doing an outstanding job in educating students in collision repair, but needs some financial assistance to improve their program’s teaching materials and equipment. With strained school budgets, the Education Foundation and industry supporters have the opportunity to bridge the program’s financial gap and to make a difference in the lives of the students studying collision repair.

Axalta Offers Courses

Axalta Coating Systems is offering new damage analysis and production management courses for the heavy duty truck market. The HDT Damage Analysis course provides a standard damage analysis approach to write more complete estimates and increase consistency of estimates to raise repair center’s gross profit and increase the percentage of closed repair orders. This one-day class includes numerous hands-on exercises related to the commercial vehicle collision industry, which emphasize the principles taught during the course. HDT Production Management course focuses to assist implementation of lean principles relating to blueprinting, proper parts management and production controls in a commercial vehicle repair center. Key techniques to improve technician efficiency, reduce cycle time and improve customer satisfaction are examined in this one-day course. Industry experts from Team Marketing Group are the main content contributors and will provide the primary instructors for these courses. For additional information or to register, contact your local Axalta Coating Systems representative or call 1.800.438.3876.

YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE AT THE FIRST REPAIR. Choose Original MINI Parts. Because you can’t repair your reputation.

S Hardtop

These Dealers Below Are Original MINI Parts Distributors:

New Jersey

Prestige MINI

Princeton MINI

(201) 760-5072 Fax M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4

(609) 945-1010 Fax M-F 8-5; Sat 9-3

Ramsey

201-760-5080

parts@prestigemini.com www.prestigemini.com

Princeton

609-452-9400

www.princetonmini.com

Continued from Page 45

Repairer Roundtable

“And you can’t even use the same screws. You’re supposed to have brand new screws, otherwise you’ve just deviated from the standard procedures from Honda,” Risley said. Similarly, he said, Toyota calls for the complete replacement of some seats after airbag deployment. “And if you meet with Toyota and you ask them, ‘Why can’t I just replace a seat back,’ which was the procedure at one time, their response is a little bit different than you might think,” Risley said. “Most people assume it’s a safety issue. In this particular case, the reason they want you to replace the full seat is the impact on customer service. The mateAaron Schulenburg rial on the seat back wouldn’t match the seat bottom and customers were dissatisfied.” Schulenburg acknowledged that the goal is not to give “automakers carte blanche” in terms of procedures

but to have two-way communication with them and to have mechanisms in place to ensure it is a collaborative industry effort. “I think the key take-away is that the industry can be assured that there will be solutions for you,” he said. “Where we go is predicated only on the needs of the repairers who are using these procedures.” The discussion of insurer-mandated parts procurement system also focused on potential ways to address what one Arizona shop owner termed “the death knell of the industry.” Several attendees discussed existing or proposed state legislation that could limit such programs. A bill introduced earlier this year in Maryland, for example, would prohibit an insurer from requiring a shop to use a specific vendor or process for the procurement of parts or materials necessary for repair of a vehicle. A number of attendees also discussed the importance of shops educating their local parts vendors. Although several attendees said that based on their conversations with State Farm they felt it was now inevitable that the insurer will move

ahead with PartsTrader, Schulenburg said he’s not so sure. “I think ‘resistance is futile’ would be a position I would want to take, too, if I wanted to get people who were resisting to stop resisting,” Schulenburg said. “‘We’re moving forward with it regardless…’ is a great approach to encourage people to stop questioning it. I just don’t know that that’s true. I would caution anyone hearing those messaging points to take it with a grain of salt.” Schulenburg ended the meeting by saying he looks forward to eventually having hundred of repairers in the room for future meetings. “I see the discussion in the industry moving to more proactive strategy versus just a reiteration of war stories and gripes and complaints,” he said. “That’s really healthy for our industry to make that transition.”

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

CCC Donates $25,000 to Education Foundation

CCC Information Services recently donated $25,000 to the Collision Repair Education Foundation to help support collision school programs and collision students. The funding will allow for four collision student scholarships, which will be given away in May 2013 as part of the $300,000 in awards the Collision Repair Education Foundation is offering. CCC information Services will also award a collision program with a $10,000 “Classroom Makeover Grant” in order for the school to be able to purchase needed classroom material such as curriculum, computers, audio-visual equipment, or other related items needed for a school’s collision classroom area. The winning school will be selected from the schools that apply for the 2013 Collision Repair Education Foundation Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant. The application for the Makeover grant is available at www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org and is due on May 31. Schools who apply will be eligible for one of two $50,000 Makeover grants, and an additional six $10,000 awards.

Original BMW Parts

bmwusa.com

You only get one chance at the first repair.

Original Thought #78

New Jersey

BMW of Bloomfield

BMW of Mt.Laurel

Bloomfield (888) 261-6471 (973) 748-4675 Fax

Mt. Laurel (856) 840-1486 (856) 222-0506 Fax

Freehold (732) 462-6286 (732) 577-0518 Fax

Flemington (800) 782-4269 (908) 824-9913 Fax www.flemingtonbmw.com

BMW of Freehold

Flemington BMW

Princeton BMW

Hamilton (609) 570-1611 (609) 570-1602 Fax M-F 8am - 6pm; Sat 9am - 3pm www.princetonbmw.com

• Original BMW Parts & Accessories

New York

BMW of Greenwich Pace BMW of Mamaroneck Port Chester (800) 926-9727 (914) 937-0312 Fax

Pennsylvania

Thompson BMW

Doylestown (215) 340-9823 (215) 340-9361 Fax

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 49

PPG Appoints Frank Sklarsky as VP of Finance

PPG Industries announced Frank S. Sklarsky will join the company as executive vice president, finance, effective April 15, reporting to Chairman and CEO Charles E. Bunch. “David’s detailed understanding of PPG’s global businesses and deep financial management expertise are invaluable, as demonstrated recently in his role supporting our strategic initiatives to separate PPG’s commodity chemicals business and to acquire AkzoNobel’s North American architectural coatings business,” said Bunch. Also, effective August 1, Sklarsky will be named PPG executive vice president and chief financial officer. David B. Navikas, currently PPG senior vice president, finance and chief financial officer, will continue in his current role until August 1, and will then continue as senior vice president in a senior leadership role that will be announced later. “We are pleased to welcome Frank to PPG. His deep financial management expertise and executive leadership experience guiding strategy and operations with large, global enterprises will be an asset to PPG as we continue to grow and expand our

positions around the world,” Bunch said. “Frank, David and I will work closely together with PPG’s global finance organization and the entire leadership team as we carry out this important senior leadership succession,” Bunch said. Most recently, Sklarsky was executive vice president and chief financial officer of Tyco International, Ltd., a global provider of security, fire protection and flow control solutions with revenues that exceeded $17 billion. Prior to joining Tyco, Sklarsky served as executive vice president and chief financial officer at both Eastman Kodak Co. and ConAgra Foods, Inc. Previously, he spent 20 years with Chrysler in a series of senior financial leadership roles. He also held finance positions with Dell, Inc., after beginning his career with Ernst & Young. Sklarsky is a member of the board of directors of Harman International Industries, Inc., and of Rochester Institute of Technology. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Rochester Institute of Technology and an MBA from Harvard Business School, and he is a certified public accountant.

NADA Says Rising New-Vehicle Sales Lifted Dealer Profits for a Record Year in 2012 Rising new-vehicle sales lifted average dealership pre-tax profit to a record $843,697 last year, a National Automobile Dealers Association survey shows. The average store’s 2012 profit rose 6% from the previous record set in 2011. NADA began the annual survey in 1970. Dealers’ average return on sales held steady at 2%, but profit rose because of a sharp increase in demand for new and used vehicles. Total revenue rose 9% at the average store to $38,359,930, Automotive News reported. The rising profit has given dealers a reason to cheer this tax season, said John Bachle, an accountant at Sartain Fischbein & Co. in Tulsa, OK. “They’re always fun to deal with, but they’re much more fun if they’re making money,” said Bachle, whose firm has about 50 dealer clients. The new-car department provided 56% of the average dealer’s revenue in 2012, up from 54% in 2011. The used-car department provided 32% of revenue last year, unchanged from 2011. Parts and service business fell from 13% of the average dealer’s revenue to 12%.

Drew Industries Relocates HQ from NY to IN

Drew Industries Inc. has announced plans to relocate its headquarters from White Plains, NY, to Indiana. It will also expand its manufacturing operations, creating up to 800 new jobs by 2017. Founded in 1962, Drew Industries, through its wholly-owned operating subsidiaries, Lippert Components and Kinro, is a supplier of components for RVs and manufactured homes. In addition, Drew Industries manufactures components for adjacent industries including buses, trailers used to haul boats, livestock, equipment and other cargo, truck caps, modular housing and factory-built mobile office units. Drew Industries, parent company of Elkhart County-based Lippert Components, Inc. and Kinro Inc., plans to invest $12.75 million to renovate and equip four manufacturing facilities in Goshen and Elkhart. As part of the project, Drew Industries will install new manufacturing and production lines, which are expected to be operational this year. With more than 5,200 full-time employees across the country, Drew Industries currently has approximately 3,400 employees in Indiana. The company has already begun hir-

ing additional engineers, furniture assemblers, general laborers, drivers and welders in Elkhart County. “We have experienced significant growth over the past three years,” said Jason D. Lippert, chairman and CEO of Lippert Components and Kinro. “When looking to relocate our corporate headquarters, Indiana made the most sense due to its talented workforce, and because most of the RVs produced in the United States are produced in Elkhart County. We greatly appreciate the support provided to us by the state of Indiana, Elkhart County and the cities of Goshen and Elkhart and we look forward to continued growth and future success here.” From 30 factories located throughout the United States, the company’s products include chassis, fabricated steel chassis parts, slideout mechanisms, axles, upholstered furniture, mattresses, windows, doors, leveling and stabilization equipment, suspension enhancement products, electronics, thermoformed products and aluminum extrusion products.

www.autobodynews.com CHECK IT OUT!

50 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

In 2007, the last full year before the economic downturn, new cars provided 59% of the average dealer’s revenue, while used cars provided 29% and the parts and service business provided 12%. Dealers again benefited in 2012 from low interest rates and factory floorplan assistance programs. Last year, the average dealer made money on floorplanning: a $72 credit per new car sold, according to the NADA data. That was up from $48 per vehicle in 2011, accounting for nearly half of the total increase in pretax profits. Typically, the interest paid to keep cars and trucks on the lot has been a major expense. In 2007, the average dealer paid $103,708 for floorplan interest, or $167 for every car sold. Last year, dealers made money because they took advantage of programs in which factories repay them for interest. Brisk sales left dealers with tighter-than-usual inventories, so cars and trucks did not sit on lots very long and dealers profited from the incentives, said Carl Woodward, a dealer accountant at Woodward & Associates Inc. in Bloomington, IL.

WANT EVERY JOB TO BE A BANG-UP JOB? These dealers are Genuine VW Parts Wholesale Specialists.

New York

Pennsylvania

Koeppel Volkswagen

Thompson Volkswagen

W O O D S ID E

718-728-8111

FAX: 718-278-0319 www.koeppelvw.com

WA R R INGTO N

215-343-4810

FAX: 215-343-5352

Give us your opinion on matters affecting the industry.

write us!

WE WANT TO BE YOUR SOURCE FOR REAL VOLKSWAGEN PARTS. With your skill and our parts, every collision repair will be a bang-up job. And that will add up to more publisher@autobodynews.com repeat business for both of us. Call your order in today.

Hoffman Auto Body Fined $54K for OSHA Violations

NABC’s Operation Comfort Fundraising Kit Available

ORIGINAL GM PARTS RTS FOR A

I-CAR Makes Milestone $200,000 Donation to Collision Repair Education Foundation

An body shop in East Hartford, CT, is facing federal fines totaling $54,300 for repeated workplace safety violations, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The Hoffman Auto Group includes three dealerships and two auto body shops. The violations are specific to the company’s auto body repair facility at its East Hartford location. The shop was cited for unsafe storage of chemicals and flammable materials. The auto body shop was cited after an inspection that began on Dec. 6 to “verify correction of hazards cited during a 2011 inspection,” according to the statement. The inspection revealed that hazards identified during the 2011 inspection were still present a year later, including storage of flammable equipment and materials near paint spraying booths and electric panels. The stored materials “limited access to extinguish potential fires, presented fire and shock hazards and impeded cleaning around the booths, which allows potentially combustible materials to accumulate,” according to the statement.

Two citations, carrying $40,000 in proposed fines, were issued due to the repeat violations. Three other “serious violations” resulted in $14,300 in proposed fines, according to the statement. The statement went on to say that serious violations occur when “there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.” Those violations stemmed from improper storage, disposal and cleanup of combustible materials, as well as unlabeled containers of hazardous chemicals and an improperly located electrical outlet. OSHA said Hoffman had 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply or contest the findings. The company is not contesting the citations. “The Hoffman family considers the safety of our employees a top priority and all issues identified by OSHA regulators in December of 2012 at the East Hartford body shop were rectified immediately and completely,” the company said in a statement. “Additionally, we will make whatever changes are appropriate to continue to ensure a safe workplace for our employees.”

PROFESSIONAL FINISH PROFESSIONAL Call Any of These Wholesale Parts Dealers.

Potamkin GM

New York

212-708-3080 NEW YORK CITY

212-708-3127 Fax M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm jmorena@potamkincadillac.com

Ruge’s Parts Center

800-343-7843 RED HOOK

845-876-1090 845-758-1766 Fax M-F 8:00 am - 5:00 pm www.rugesparts.com

The National Auto Body Council recently announced that an Operation Comfort Fundraising Kit—complete with camera-ready artwork for posters, flyers, donation cards and envelopes—is now available on its website to make it easier for collision industry related companies to participate in the NABC’s $1.5 million Operation Comfort Capital Campaign. The NABC is spearheading industry-wide efforts to raise funds to purchase, renovate and equip a 30,000-sq-ft. training facility in San Antonio, TX, for Operation Comfort’s AutoMotivation program. Wounded soldiers in the AutoMotivation program benefit from occupational and rehabilitative therapies as they work on automotive projects. NABC-led efforts take the program to the next level by providing opportunities for disabled soldiers to learn new job skills and acquire certified I-CAR curriculum-based training for new career paths in the automotive industry. “Our industry also benefits in the long-run because the outcome will be an increased pool of skilled, trained technicians,” said Chuck Sulkala, NABC Executive Director. Suggested fundraisers that com-

I-CAR®, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, recently donated $200,000 to the Collision Repair Education Foundation. The donation made by I-CAR is the largest monetary donation that the Collision Repair Education Foundation has received since its founding in 1991 and it will support the organization’s commitment to philanthropic and collision repair education activities that promote and enhance career opportunities in the industry. In 2012, I-CAR committed to set aside $1 for every I-CAR class attended in 2012. In effect, this donation was made possible by the Inter-Industry that trained with I-CAR throughout 2012. In 2012, I-CAR delivered just under 2,000 “student units,” which equates to just under 600,000 credit hours of training. Due to the goodness of the cause, the I-CAR Board made the decision to round the donation to $200,000. John Van Alstyne, I-CAR CEO & President said, “Thank you, InterIndustry. Without your commitment to training, I-CAR would not have been able to provide this level of support to the Collision Repair Education

panies could implement include: • Donating a specified dollar amount for each repair or product sold. • Matching each dollar donated by customers and the local community, and • Offering a special promotion with proceeds to benefit Operation Comfort. Creative development of the Operation Comfort Fundraising Kit was donated by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which is also sponsoring a grand prize trip to Walt Disney World® Resort for the local shop that raises the most funds. “We wanted to offer a fun incentive and challenge to encourage as many companies as possible to join in our fundraising efforts for Operation Comfort,” said Mary Mahoney, Vice President for Enterprise. The Operation Comfort Fundraising Kit can be accessed via the NABC website at www.autobodycouncil.org. The Enterprise-sponsored contest runs to June 30. The awarding of the grand prize will be based on funds received by July 4, 2013. The winner will be announced at the NABC Board meeting July 23 in Boston. For more information about the Operation Comfort Fundraising Kit, contact Mary.F.Mahoney@ehi.com.

Foundation! Together, I-CAR and the Collision Repair Education Foundation are working closely to reinforce the future sustainability of the industry.” The Collision Repair Education Foundation and I-CAR foster a partnership that supports education for the entire Inter-Industry. I-CAR serves as a provider of technical training curriculum to the education sector, whereas the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s objective is to advance Collision Repair secondary and post-secondary education by supporting funding for both schools and students. “Our collective goals are to help effectively equip secondary and postsecondary schools. We aim to help them attract aspiring students and to properly prepare graduates to add immediate value as future employees of our industry. Independently and together, we have a number of initiatives under way to accomplish this goal. This donation on behalf of the Inter-Industry will greatly help the Collision Repair Education Foundation advance its mission,” Van Alstyne said.

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 51

Education Foundation to Offer Free 1-Year I-CAR Curriculum Grants to 100 Post-Secondary Schools

Insurers Rated for Best and Worst Customer Experiences; USAA Ranked “Good”

Automotive Body Parts Association Hires Edward Salamy as New Executive Director

Mitchell Releases New RepairCenter Connect, Which Allows Insurers to Send Assignments to Any Shop

The Collision Repair Education Foundation will offer free one-year I-CAR® curriculum grants to 100 public postsecondary schools in 2013. This will assist post-secondary schools with budget constraints, allowing these schools to offer their students the new I-CAR® Professional Development Program™—Education Edition. The application for the curriculum grant will be part of the Education Foundation’s 2013 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant. The grants are being funded by a donation from I-CAR as result of a new initiative that began in 2012, where I-CAR pledged $1 for every ICAR class attended in 2012. This resulted in a $200,000 donation to the Collision Repair Education Foundation; the largest monetary donation the Collision Repair Education Foundation has received since its founding in 1991. Half of these funds will be used to support the broad and important work the Foundation performs, and half will be reinvested specifically into post-secondary schools to help them access much needed curriculum. “Curriculum is the foundation to any collision repair training program,

The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) recently hired Edward Salamy of ETS Management Group, Inc. as their new Executive Director. He will officially join the association on April 1 to begin the transition phase from retiring Executive Director, Stan Rodman. Salamy brings to the position 15 years of experience in the alternative parts supply channel with the last seven years serving as the Director of Industry Relations for member company, KSI Trading Corporation. He remains a distributor member of the CAPA Board and will continue to help the association to promote the usage of certified parts—a long standing position of the ABPA. “Having served as a sales manager, regional manager and industry liaison, he is well aware of the many challenges our members face and I am excited to have him help lead the association into this new era of parts distribution,” said Nick Scheid, President of the ABPA Board of Directors. Stan Rodman, who has served as the ABPA’s Executive Director for over 30 years, informed the Board in

and it is very unsettling to see that when school budgets get cut, curriculum budgets also get cut,” said Clark Plucinski, Executive Director of the Collision Repair Education Foundation. “If schools do not have even the basic curriculum to teach, students are missing out on a consistent and thorough learning experience. I applaud ICAR for taking the initiative in getting curriculum in the hands of the colleges across the country. This will benefit the collision students studying in those programs greatly.” To be eligible, public post-secondary schools must complete the 2013 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant, which is available on the Collision Repair Education Foundation website at www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org. As part of the application, a school must submit an additional statement on why they would like to be considered for a curriculum grant. The application is due on May 31, 2013. Any questions about the application can be directed to Melissa Marscin, Director of Grant Programs for the Education Foundation at Melissa.marscin@ed-foundation.org.

2011 of his intentions to retire in 2013 which lead to a 12-month national search for his successor. Through Rodman’s leadership and guidance, the members have enjoyed many years of insight, product and distribution advancements, market awareness and enjoyable conferences. “It has been the Board’s honor to work with Stan as he finishes his tenure and we are excited to now work with Ed as the new challenges we face have matured just as the industry itself has. At our upcoming annual convention, we will pay tribute to Stan Rodman as he passes on the baton to Ed Salamy in a joint celebration of where the ABPA has been and where we are going. We expect to see all our members at this historical event where they can say goodbye to a great friend and hello to their new leader while also meeting with peers, suppliers and other industry representatives,” said Scheid. The ABPA will hold its next business conference in Charleston, SC, May 1– 4. For more information, visit http://www.autobpa.com/.

52 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

The 2013 Temkin Experience Ratings ranked 246 companies across 19 industries based on the customers’ experience. In its third year, the survey of 10,000 U.S. consumers found the insurance industry—comprised of 14 carriers—showed steady improvement from an average experience rating of 59% in 2011 to 65% in 2013. Bruce Temkin, managing partner of Temkin Group, said the survey began with a much larger group of the nation’s largest insurance carriers. The 14 insurers were chosen based on a minimum of 100 responses to the survey. The survey measured three components of customer satisfaction: • Functional—can customers do what they want to do. • Accessible—how easy is it to work with the company. • Emotional—how consumers feel about their indications with the company. USAA: Ranking: 29/246 Experience Rating: 77% Ranked with an overall carrier experience considered “Good” was USAA. USAA’s score improved from last year by four points.

Mitchell recently released RepairCenter Connect, a new solution that the company says streamlines communications between insurance companies and collision repair shops by allowing any shop, even those outside Direct Repair Program (DRP) networks, to receive an appraisal assignment from an insurance company. By simplifying assignment retrieval and automatically consolidating the important artifacts into Mitchell WorkCenter, RepairCenter Connect contains all the functionality necessary for insurers to expand their body shop network to include nonDRP shops. As a result, Mitchell says work can be shifted to more cost-effective channels, without the manual communications that often increase chances for error and create more inefficiencies. “Two important industry drivers—efficiency and cost—played a major role as Mitchell sought to improve the often slow, manual communications required when insurers work with out-of-network shops on a claim,” said Jesse Herrera, Senior Vice President, Product Management

State Farm: Ranking: 64/246 Rating: 73%. State Farm improved by 1 point from last year. Liberty Mutual: Ranking: 203/246 Rating: 56% In second-to-last place is Liberty Mutual, down 3 points from 2012. Another insurer that received a poor rating is American Family, which ranked 191 and received a rating of 58%. 21st Century: Ranking: 242/246 Rating: 49% In last place is 21st Century, a drop of 7 points over its 2012 rating. The company did poorly in all three of the rating components compared to the overall industry average with Functional the worst followed by Accessible and then Emotional. Nine insurers ranked in the midrange, with industry average rating between 60% and 70%. Nationwide ranked 100 with a rating of 68% and came in third among all the insurers. The other 10 insurance companies on the list, which ranked in the mid-range, are: GEICO, Allstate, Progressive, Metlife, Travelers, The Hartford, Farmers, and AAA.

and Customer Experience. “With RepairCenter Connect, the same tools work for any shop, allowing even low-volume and out-of-network shops to receive assignments and upload artifacts. It is part of Mitchell’s ongoing commitment to increase efficiency within the claim and repair process.” Mitchell says that for shops already using Mitchell software for communication with insurance companies, the experience will be seamless. They can receive assignments and upload estimates and supporting documents in their current platform. Shops not using Mitchell software are directed to an intuitive, webbased portal for assignment needs, allowing for a simple transition that improves overall processes for insurers’ needs. RepairCenter Connect is fully integrated with Mitchell WorkCenter, an open, modular, and end-to-end physical damage claims settlement solution. To learn more about Mitchell’s shop program management capabilities, please visit mitchell.com/workcenter/repairmanagement.

I-CAR Declines Facilitation of OEM Repair Standards by I-CAR staff

During the Collision Industry Conference meeting in November 2011, I-CAR received a joint request signed by representatives from SCRS, ASA, AASP and Assured Performance Network, requesting that I-CAR support various OEM repair procedure initiatives in connection with the requesting organization’s associated position statement that OEM repair procedures are the recognized industry repair standard. Over the past seventeen months, I-CAR has worked towards defining processes, capabilities and resources to enable the organization to support the request in a manner that aligns with the organization’s vision, mission and duty to represent the interests of the InterIndustry with neutrality, and for the collective unbiased benefit of the InterIndustry. Despite the significant effort put forth by the I-CAR Board and Staff, given the organization’s duty to the Inter-Industry, and the reality that there are open disagreements on the related topic of standards across the Inter-Industry, the I-CAR Board of Directors decided that I-CAR will not proceed with implementation of a solution in response to this request as originally presented. The I-CAR Board of Direc-

tors enacted this decision at its March 7, 2013 I-CAR Board of Directors Meeting by unanimous consent of those board members in attendance at the meeting. In terms of the organization’s duty to the Inter-Industry, on the basis of neutrality, the following three points were important in the Board’s decision: ● The need for I-CAR to represent the best interests of the industry in an unbiased manner, avoiding the possible perception that I-CAR may be catering to the interests of any particular industry sub-segment(s) to the possible disadvantage of others. ● Potential difficulties constructing and managing the requested “Council” that met both the needs of the requestors and I-CAR’s Inter-Industry charter. ● The fact that although OEM procedures are widely recognized as the industry baseline for repairs, and I-CAR points to OEM procedures as such, there are opportunities to define recommended repair processes that would support and/or supplement OEM procedures given the span of possible repairs, consumer and insurer interests; while maintaining an unwavering commitment to complete & safe repairs. The I-CAR Board of Directors thanks the requesting organizations for

bringing forth the request. As I-CAR identified early on, much of the proposed solution that was developed builds on work that I-CAR already does to serve the industry. And certain elements of the solution are closely linked to I-CAR’s strategic initiatives for 2013 and beyond. Thus, seeing value in certain elements of the proposed solution that would benefit the Inter-Industry, the I-CAR Board will work with staff to reframe and evaluate these elements as independent projects for implementation as follows: ● I-CAR recognizes an opportunity to expand its technical processes and resources to better support the industry’s interest to improve repair procedures and related repair process definition, and to provide real-time repairability technical support for the industry. This was a key part of our proposed solution and remains under consideration. ● OE Linking Pin—I-CAR maintains technical relations with OEM’s today. Our plan was to further expand this activity linked to expansion of our technical processes and resources, and this remains under consideration. ● Technical ISAC’s—I-CAR runs ISAC’s (Industry Segment Advisory Councils) today, our plan was to expand these to include an OEM Techni-

cal ISAC and various technology focused ISAC’s, and this remains under consideration. ● Repairability Summits – I-CAR runs Repairability Summits today, our plan was to expand these, and this remains under consideration. ● Knowledge Portal—The primary goal with the knowledge portal was to provide enhanced Inter-Industry accessibility to the knowledge required to perform complete and safe repairs. There were 5 key elements to the knowledge portal, each adding unique value; therefore, each element will be considered on its own merit. ● All related initiatives will be subject to further Board review considering alignment with I-CAR’s charter, impact versus Inter-Industry defined needs, prioritization versus other I-CAR initiatives, and funding requirements. I-CAR’s goal is to be of greater service to the Inter-Industry while being true to its Inter-Industry charter. The Board and Staff of I-CAR remains confident that these initiatives hold great promise as steps forward for both I CAR and the Inter-Industry. See I-CAR’s most recent statement and John Yoswick’s article on the cover of this issue for reaction from collision industry participants at CIC.

See these Hyundai dealers below for all your collision parts needs! NEW JERSEY

NEW YORK

Maxon Hyundai

Healey Hyundai

U NI ON

BE ACON

800-964-7281

845-831-3645

908-851-5631 Fax

845-831-2404 Fax

Mon-Fri 8am - 6pm Sat 8am - 5pm

gsmith@healeybrothers.com www.healeybrothers.com

www.hyundaioempartssuperstore.com

Sport Hyundai

QUALITY IS ALL WE THINK ABOUT. THAT AND QUALITY.

Plaza Hyundai

EGG H ARBOR TO WN SH IP

BROOK LY N

877-594-5727

718-253-8400

609-484-8983 Fax

347-492-8156 Fax

Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm Sat 7:30am - 3pm

cisco@plazacars.com www.plazaautomall.com

shawnm@sporthyundaidodge.com

PENNSYLVANIA

Vision Hyundai

Auto Land Hyundai

800-295-7977

U NI ONT OW N

585-292-9724 Fax

RO CHE STE R

724-437-9999 724-437-4012 Fax

Mon-Fri 8am - 8pm Sat 8am - 4pm

Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm

www.visionhyundai.com

autolandhyundaiofuniontown@yahoo.com www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 53

PARTS Act Reintroduced in U.S. House of Representatives Reintroduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives on April 22 is designed to amend patent law regarding automotive parts. House Judiciary Committee members Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and Senate Judiciary Committee members Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced H.R. 1663, Promoting Automotive Repair, Trade and Sales Act of 2013 (PARTS). Search “PARTS Act” at autobodynews.com for previous analysis of this legislation. The PARTS Act would amend U.S. design patent law to reduce the exclusivity period car companies hold on design patents for collision repair parts from 14 years to 30 months (or two-and-a-half years) during which time other suppliers could test, research and develop parts on a not-for-sale basis. The current 14-year design patent monopoly prevents aftermarket manufacturers from making or selling external collision repair parts on newer vehicles. “The decision to purchase an automobile is one of the biggest invest-

ments a family makes,” Rep. Issa said. Issa personally holds about 12 automotive patents, many related to automotive alarms, and has amassed a personal fortune of many millions based on his family’s aftermarket parts business. “With the average sticker price of a new car now exceeding $30,000 and repair costs continuing to rise, hardworking American families deserve access to as many repair part options as possible. The PARTS Act will not only increase consumer choice therefore reducing aftermarket costs but encourage innovation and competition among other aftermarket parts manufacturers.” “This bipartisan bill is aimed at helping Americans who depend on their cars to be safe, reliable and on the road so they can get their kids to school and drive to work every day,” Rep. Lofgren said. “By increasing fair competition in the auto parts market, consumers will ultimately benefit by getting the best value for their dollar when they need to shop for safe, high quality replacement car parts to keep their cars running.” “Having to replace a car part is

I-CAR Thanks its 1,600 Volunteers as it Celebrates National Volunteer Week in April

I-CAR® volunteers have made an enormous impact on the collision repair Inter-Industry and I-CAR would like to thank its 1600+ volunteers across the country during National Volunteer Week, the largest celebration of volunteerism all year. Jeff Peevy, Senior Director of Field Operations and Segment Development said, “Volunteers play a vital role in helping I-CAR to bring relevant training to the collision repair industry. They are the backbone of the organization and help keep I-CAR strong and healthy.” He added, “On behalf of I-CAR, I would like to thank our volunteers for their exceptional contributions and dedication throughout the year.” National Volunteer Week, which takes place April 21–27, 2013, began in 1974 when President Nixon signed an executive order establishing the week as an annual celebration of volunteering. Since then, every United States President has signed a proclamation promoting National Volunteer Week. Governors, mayors, and other elected officials also make public statements and sign proclamations in support of National Volunteer Week.

John Van Alstyne, I-CAR CEO & President said, “Undoubtedly, ICAR volunteers contribute significantly to the success of the collision repair Inter-Industry and to I-CAR. 2012 was an outstanding year for our industry in terms of training, as nearly 200,000 students took I-CAR training. This is nearly double the level of training that I-CAR was doing as recent as 2009. And this success happened largely in part based on the ongoing efforts of our strong volunteer base.” In 2013, 300+ committees and over 1600 volunteers across the United States are working with ICAR to serve the industry. I-CAR values the participation of its volunteers and provides opportunities to help familiarize volunteers with the Volunteer Training Series. This recorded webinar series is available for new and existing volunteers including four, one-hour modules with information about I-CAR, committee internal functions, committee external activities, and committee officer roles. For more information on becoming an I-CAR volunteer and to join an I-CAR Committee, contact volunteers@i-car.com.

54 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

frustrating enough; drivers shouldn’t have to pay artificially high prices set by car manufacturers,” Sen. Whitehouse said. “This bill will preserve competition in the car-parts market and ultimately allow consumers to get safe replacement parts at lower prices.” “The PARTS Act keeps competition in the marketplace, ensuring that consumers have access to affordable parts they need for their vehicles,” Sen. Hatch said. “I’m hopeful we can get this legislation passed by the House and Senate and signed into law soon.” Critics of the legislation argue that reducing patent protection to 30 months would make the design of a real car significantly less important than the image of a car as portrayed in cartoons, for example, where copyright patent protection applies for 120 years. Further, opponents argue that designing and engineering the original part is far more costly than copying it and that automakers rely on the profits from sales of these parts to help offset this cost. If the automakers lose more sales of replacement parts to the aftermarket this loss of profit will only be passed onto the consumer with higher

new car prices. Repairers in general are strong proponents of OEM parts except on saving costs for older vehicles. At a March 16, 2010 hearing in front of the House Judiciary committee, Damian Porcari, attorney and director, Enforcement and Licensing, Ford Global Technologies, said, “The copyists want to eliminate design patent protection because that’s what they make. As soon as their business model includes engines, brakes and air bags, we will likely hear the call for the elimination of patent protection on all types of replacement parts. And it won’t stop with cars. The denial of intellectual property rights will always reduce copiers’ costs.” Porcari also accused insurers of basing insurance premiums on OEM parts pricing but pushing repairers to install cheaper, non-OEM parts to save money. The PARTS Act mirrors legislation introduced by Reps. Darrell Issa and Zoe Lofgren in the 112th Congress. It would take effect 90 days after enactment and apply to design patents issued prior to, on, and after the date of enactment.

volvo Genuine parts Right Part. Right Price. Right Now.

Your Source for Wholesale Volvo Parts Pennsylvania

Lehman Motors

Lehman Volvo

888-556-4176 717-791-6149 Fax

888-306-8900 717-757-4296 Fax

MECHANICSBURG

Free Delivery parts@lehmanvolvo.com www.lehmanvolvo.com

YORK

Free Delivery parts@lehmanvolvoyork.com www.lehmanvolvoyork.com

Trust your order to the collision parts specialists at these fine Dealers

Continued from Cover

GM Dealers’ Parts

service times and make customers happy. The program is voluntary, but dealers risk losing the discounts they get from wholesale distributors, who could curtail or eliminate their discounts because so much of their business is being shifted to GM. The automaker’s 4,400 dealerships can earn bonus money if they stock the parts GM recommends and if they buy those parts from the automaker rather than from AC Delco wholesale distributors. Parts Managers’ forums such as that at DealersEdge.com, are debating the impact of the program compliance on other programs such as Delco wholesalers and on GM’s Retail Inventory Management (RIM). Several parts managers at smaller dealerships were focused on the 10% Customer Special Order (CSO) surcharge which they felt would impact their body shop parts orders. The surcharge applies if RIM compliance targets are not met. Body shop business has been negatively impacted by GM’s 35% parts restocking fee which has

hurt both dealers and body shops. However, the biggest immediate impact is likely on AC Delco’s Wholesale distributors, who are concerned they could lose 30% of their volume from GM dealers. If so, it means Factory Motor Parts stands to lose about $25M per year as a result of this program. “We are going to drop our prices and go after your wholesale customer. GM has left us no choice,” said a rep quoted in the DealersEdge.com forum. Some parts managers are becoming very concerned that “using experience, intelligence and common sense to create a system that works to manage obsolesence, return on investment, maximizing gross profit, phasing in the right parts and days of supply,” are becoming devalued. Worried dealers elsewhere say GM’s incentive payments won’t be enough to offset the higher cost of buying more parts from GM and fewer from wholesalers, which typically sell at a 10–20% discount from the factory’s price. Some dealers also have doubts that it will improve same-day service rates because the new system will reduce their flexibility to search for needed parts ‘on the fly’ from local tC 2011

ALL THE AUTHENTIC WHOLESALE SCION PARTS YOU NEED FOR YOUR NEXT REPAIR, AND FINISH! These Dealers Below Are Authentic Wholesale Scion Parts Specialists:

PEN N SYLVANIA

Lancaster Scion EAST PETERSBURG

800-322-1639

717-569-0641 Fax Mon - Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm Sat 8am - 1pm nineofdiamonds@comcast.net

distributors or other dealerships because doing so would hurt their chances to earn bonus cash. Steve Hill, vice president of customer care and aftersales for GM North America, acknowledges some trepidation among dealers, but he says many who have studied it see the advantages for their bottom lines and for retaining service customers. Hill says the combination of offering in-and-out service and more original-equipment parts will help differentiate GM dealerships from independent mechanical shops. Similar to GM’s facility-renovation program, GM wants uniformity in parts and service. Some dealerships have high same-day service rates, but many don’t, says Tim Turvey, executive director of customer care and aftersales. “We wanted to have more of a ‘McDonald’s approach’ to make sure we have a certain core group of parts available to the consumer to fix their vehicle right then,” Turvey says. Under the new system, GM has added dozens or hundreds of parts to the list of items that dealerships are expected to keep on the shelf for sameday repairs. The list varies by store, based on past ordering. Items range from radiators and shocks to spark plugs and weatherstripping. GM says it has overhauled its parts-distribution warehouses to get supplies to dealers faster and on the same day they’re ordered. If the order can’t be filled that day, GM will pay for overnight delivery. A number of dealers consulted believe they’ll break even because their end-of-the-month bonus payments will outweigh the higher inventory and purchase costs. Others think they’ll lose money. To earn a bonus, dealers must purchase at least 70% of the dollar

volume of service-lane parts from GM. And they must use at least 70% GM or AC Delco parts on repairs to GM vehicles. Hitting those thresholds pays a bonus equal to 0.25% of the dealership’s total parts purchases. For example, a store that orders $100,000 in GM parts during a month would get $250. Dealerships that crack 90% on both purchases and repair-order sales can max out at a 4.25% bonus, or $4,250 a month on $100,000 worth of parts. Most dealerships that hit the 4.25% level should come out ahead, says Steve Hurley, dealer principal at Stingray Chevrolet in Plant City, FL, and co-chairman of the Chevrolet National Dealer Council. Hurley’s store should come out $40,000 to $50,000 ahead under the new system, he says. Rowerdink Inc. is a Grand Rapids, MI, wholesale distributor to GM dealerships in Michigan. In the Detroit area alone, the company expects to lose roughly half of the $10 million revenue it makes from more than 50 GM stores, says Chris Mauro, Rowerdink GM dealer account manager. “It could force us to change our discount program,” Mauro told Automotive News. A large Midwest Chevy dealer says he figures the new system will cost his store more than $100,000. He has traditionally bought a large amount of inventory from local wholesalers. The dealer also says he’s not willing to let a repair drag into the next day as he waits on an overnight delivery from GM. His parts manager will continue to buy those last-minute parts through distributors, which will count against his purchase loyalty. Hill says that even if a parts manager can run down that out-of-stock part on the same day, it’s not as good as having the part already on hand.

Continued from Cover

liver collision repair procedures where none exist.” I-CAR also acknowledged that work in these areas must be performed “from a perspective of neutrality with an uncompromising priority on complete and safe repairs for the consumer.” In an email, I-CAR stressed that its focus is on “complete and safe repairs for the ultimate benefit of the consumer,” and said, “We believe the position and intentions stated in this letter, which complement those conveyed speak directly to this.”

I-CAR Clarifies

dard for complete and safe repairs” while acknowledging that, “Unfortunately, not all OEMs offer collision repair procedures in the U.S. market, nor do all OEMs offer consistent levels of collision repair information,” and that “I-CAR is committed to helping the industry close these gaps by working closely with the industry and the OEMs to research, develop, and de-

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 55

Suit Filed Against Safelite and Toyota After Double- Fatality Rollover, Safelite Says Not Repairer of Record A Houston, Texas-based personal injury attorney has filed suit against Safelite and Toyota on behalf a Montana woman who he says lost both her husband and young daughter in a rollover crash, in which the windshield allegedly separated from the vehicle. The attorney, Rob Ammons, contends Safelite had replaced the windshield on the vehicle involved, while Safelite argues its claims division processed the claim on behalf of another glass shop. “While traveling on a North Dakota highway one December after-

noon, the family’s 2005 Toyota Tundra contacted an icy patch and went out of control. The pickup crossed the highway’s median and rolled over,” Rob Ammons said in a news release. “Safelite, who had installed a windshield on the Tundra, was also named as a defendant,” the document continues. “According to the lawsuit, the windshield separated from the pickup in this crash and exacerbated the movement of the roof’s pillars. As a result, the driver and rear seat passenger were partially ejected from the pickup, despite the fact that they were wearing their seatbelts.”

Ammons listed Safelite as a defendant because he contends the company installed the windshield on the pickup, according to the release. Safelite’s senior corporate counsel has another take: “Safelite typically does not comment on pending litigation. However, in this tragic case, after a preliminary investigation we determined that Safelite AutoGlass did not perform the windshield replacement,” says Brian DiMasi, Safelite’s senior corporate counsel. “Rather, Safelite Solutions, the claims management business, processed

WIN Announces Scholarship Winners for Conference

The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) announced its scholarship winners for the 2013 WIN Educational Conference to be held May 5–7, 2013. In keeping with its mission to support and encourage women who are entering or are already in the collision industry, WIN has offered nine scholarships to attend the event being held at the Ritz Carlton in Phoenix, AZ. Receiving student scholarships

are: Zoe Gorow, studying at Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Kirkland, WA; and Kaitlyn Lease, attending Lexington Technology Center, Columbia, SC. The shop employee winners are: Lindsey Hassevoort, Customer Service Representative, Holland Auto Body Xperts Carstar, Grand Rapids, MI; Myssee Grysen, Customer Service Representative, Holland Auto

BASF Sponsors East Valley Institute of Technology in Mesa, Arizona BASF recently announced its sponsorship of the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) in Mesa, AZ, and the official opening of its newest National Training Center. “EVIT is not your typical highschool technical training program,” said Vitor Margaronis, Marketing Director, Coatings Solutions, North America. “BASF is committed to the future of the collision repair industry.

Twenty collision repair painters from the Phoenix, AZ, area participated in BASF’s R-M certification class at EVIT

The vision for the new collision program, created by Leading Edge Auto Refinishes, BASF’s ColorSource distributor in Arizona, and Dr. Sally Downey, Superintendent at EVIT, is directly aligned with BASF’s vision.” “The partnership and new training facility bring additional, invaluable expertise to EVIT’s collision and

automotive technology programs,” said Downey. “Business and industry play a central role in the development of EVIT programs, thus providing our students with the best possible training and our community with highly skilled workers.” Working closely with Leading Edge, EVIT and other industry manufacturers, BASF has helped renovate two collision shops to create a one-ofa-kind, national training facility. The first collision building is designed for high school students who are interested in a career in collision and automotive technology, while the second shop is dedicated to the collision industry and will be used to provide advanced training for professionals. “It’s hard to believe that the vision of Leading Edge and EVIT became a reality in less than 12 months. Our first BASF Painter’s Certification class was held in February,” said John Jury, BASF Sales Representative in Arizona. “Having the opportunity to introduce junior and senior high school students to the industry is gratifying and having a second shop dedicated to advanced industry training to educate experienced painters and technicians is invaluable.”

56 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Body Xperts Carstar, Grand Rapids, MI; Melissa Kaboos, Collision Repair Teaching Assistant, Kent Career Technical Center, Hudsonville, MI; and Amanda Bolton, Estimator, Gerber Collision and Glass, Jessup, MD. For more information on WIN Scholarships, visit http://www.womensindustrynetwork.com/Scholarships.aspx or contact Teresa Bolton at tbolton@ase.com.

the plaintiff’s vehicle glass claim on behalf of another glass shop who performed the replacement,” he adds. “We are hopeful that we will be voluntarily dismissed from the case.” When asked about how “The Safelite Advantage” warranty comes into play, Melina Metzger, the company’s public relations manager says, “Safelite’s warranty is for Safelite AutoGlass. Safelite Solutions doesn’t warranty other shops’ work.” Ammons and his law firm have successfully sued Ford, GM, Continental Tire and Cooper Tire in rollover cases in the past year.

Advertise in our CLASSIFIED SECTION for $50 per column inch! Place an ad in our AUTOBODY MARKETPLACE section of Autobody News.

800-699-8251 ltedesco@autobodynews.com

Goodguys 13th Annual Del Mar Nationals Showcases 2,500 Cars by Melanie Anderson

The Goodguys Rod & Custom Association held their 13th Meguiar’s Del Mar Nationals April 5–7 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds near San Diego, CA. The event included over 2,500 vintage rods, customs, classics, muscle cars and trucks, a popular southern California surf-themed woodies–only exhibit, the Goodguys AutoCross speed and agility course, and a meet-andgreet with drag racing legends Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen. Enjoy the show!

Genuine Nissan and Infiniti OEM Wholesale Parts are superbly crafted to strict quality standards. The following dealers proudly stock genuine parts. Call your local distributor today!

Shift into Genuine Nissan and Infiniti OEM Parts

GT-R

PENNSYLVANIA

Infiniti Of Mechanicsburg

MECHANICSBURG

888-484-2516 (717) 458-0443 Fax Free Delivery

parts@infinitimbg.com www.infinitiofmechanicsburgparts.com

Larry Miller Group Adds 7 Dealerships in Arizona

Larry H. Miller Group Dealerships has acquired seven dealerships in Arizona for an undisclosed price. It is the privately-held group’s largest acquisition to date. The newly acquired stores bring the Sandy, UT, group’s dealership total to 55 in seven western states. Four of the new stores are located in Tucson: Tucson Dodge Ram, Tucson Chrysler Jeep, Tucson Fiat and Tucson Volkswagen. The other three are in Avondale, a western suburb of Phoenix: Avondale Chrysler Jeep, Avondale Dodge Ram and Avondale Fiat. Doug Moreland and John Grant are stores’ former owners. Steve Starks, executive vice president for the Larry H. Miller Management Corp., who is in charge of dealership acquisitions, said the new stores double the group’s presence in Arizona with mostly Chrysler Group brands, on which the group is ‘bullish.’ He said dealership values are increasing but his group is still very much interested in growing its portfolio. It is doing so by cultivating relationships with dealers who are looking for exit strategies, he said. “Revenue and profit have gone up the last couple of years and there

are more buyers than there are sellers. That’s driving values up,” said Starks. “When a dealer considers selling, we hope we’re the first people they call.” Before the latest acquisitions, the Miller group operated six dealerships in the Phoenix area. The Miller group ranks No. 10 in the Automotive News list of the top 125 dealership groups in the United States with new retail sales of 39,596 units in 2012. It also had used sales of 36,063, and reported revenue of $2.93 billion last year. Starks said the new dealerships are expected to increase the group’s annual unit volume by 12,000 units, about evenly split between new and used. “It was the right market for us, they are good stores and the sellers have done a good job of running them,” Starks said. “So the combination of all those forces coming together really made them attractive to us.” Over the last four years, the Miller group has added 23 dealerships and sold five. In addition to the stores in Arizona, the Miller group owns stores in Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 57

Crazy Painter Mitch Kelly, Father & Son Keep on Truckin’ in SoCal by Melanie Anderson

Crazy Painters Mitch Kelly, 53, his father Tom Kelly, 73, and son Thomas Kelly, 22, might be a little crazy with the schedule they keep. Based out of Bellflower, CA, the three-generation trio don’t have much free time between painting custom hot rods, Harleys, semi tractor trailers, race haulers, motor homes and, recently, even a plane. Owners of Kelly & Son The Crazy Painters, Mitch and his dad Tom still have yet to add “& Grandson” to the sign, but the younger gen-

Heaven’ and since then the car has won several awards. In November, it was selected as Goodguys Builder’s Choice Top 10 at the Goodguys 2nd Fall Del Mar Nationals in Del Mar, CA. In December it won ‘Best in Show’ at the 15th Annual John Force Holiday Car Show in Yorba Linda amongst approximately 3,000 cars in the show. In January, Blue Heaven came home with the ‘Best Paint’ award in their division from the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, CA, and in March, the car was selected as a Vintage Air Custom Rod of the Year Finalist at the

“Rock My RV” Mitch, Tom and Thomas Kelly also have been busy taping episodes of a new TV show called “Rock My RV” which will begin airing on the Travel

Kawasaki team trailer painted by Mitch Kelly

Mitch Kelly’s 1957 Bel Air Chevy, called “Blue Heaven” has won several awards

eration is holding his own with his Goodguys 4th Spring Nationals in computer-generated design and logo Scottsdale, AZ. work. Upcoming shows include the You might say painting is in their Long Beach Grand Prix and Cruising blood. Mitch’s great great grandfather for the Cure in Orange County. The was striping horse-drawn wagons on car will also be featured in an upcomthe Ford line before motors were even ing issue of Hot Rod Magazine. invented. Tom Kelly’s grandfather did pinstriping back in the ‘40s, and Tom, who started in the business at age 13, is well-known for working with Von Dutch as well as Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth. Mitch also started in the business at age 13, painting wheels for his dad. Mitch says his dad and grandfather named the shop “Crazy A slice of heaven Painters” because of the airbrush work they did back in the ‘50s Despite the car’s popularity and involved a lot of monsters, flames and award-winning looks, Mitch says it’s ‘crazy’ graphics and lettering. time for the car to go and he is looking for a buyer. Mitch is eager to start his next street rod project and has a ‘61 Blue Heaven At SEMA 2012, Mitch unveiled his Impala and ‘57 Chevy Bel Air con1957 Bel Air Chevy called ‘Blue vertible awaiting his attention.

58 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Midwest family black with gold stripes and red candy with graphics in a three-layer design in red and gold with drop shadowing done in stages. Three sets of graphics lay on top of

Channel in May. Legendary rocker each other. Tom finished it off with a Bret Michaels, a long-time RV devo- custom 3D mural painted in the back tee, will host the all-new “Rock My of the motor home to commemorate RV” series. According to their web- the wild and scenic California coastsite, Michaels leads a team of skilled, line that the traveling family loves to custom RV designers and fabricators visit. to transform ordinary RVs into “outrageous, badass, hooked-up mobile Kawasaki Motocross Race Trailer mansions on the road.” Another recent project the Kelly men The Kelly’s have recently painted have worked on includes a Kawasaki two motor homes for the show, a Volvo tractor with a race trailer. GMC for a gourmet sausage entrepre- Painting extravagant tractor-trailer neur and a Fleetwood for a Midwest rigs is a Kelly specialty. Clients infamily who travels the California clude professional motocross and sucoast. percross teams and manufacturers. The GMC, Mitch said, looked These jobs are great calling cards for like it had been in a hurricane with the Kellys as the trucks travel across broken fiberglass and rusted screws, the country on nationwide tours with nuts and bolts. Kelly and crew re- riders giving TV interviews and paired the fiberglass, replaced all doing commercials in front of the hinges, sanded, base coated with his Kelly custom-painted trucks. all-time favorite red—PPG’s Hot What’s different about this new Red—and then added a black and gold project is that Thomas is solely repearl belly stripe while son Thomas sponsible for creating all the design created an awesome 3D logo for the owner’s business. “This was a three-Kelly effort,” said Mitch. Thomas did the design and logo work, Mitch did the mask off, and base painting and stencil graphics, and Tom Kelly, with his phenomenal airbrushing talents, added depth and shine with candies and Brian Deegan’s truck pearls and created a 3D affect. work. Proud Papa Mitch says his son Mitch painted the 30-foot Fleetpresented his design ideas to the corwood motor home belonging to the porate Kawasaki race team decision

makers who loved his work and agreed to the concept within five minutes. The semi is painted black with white and lime green and a heavy metallic blue, with a green and blue pearl for sparkle. Mitch says you can’t see the glitter until the sunlight hits it just right and then the paint job “winks at you.” Mitch is able to paint semis in a huge 63’x19’x19’ paint booth, but he didn’t start in a fancy, monster-size paint booth. He got his first semitruck custom paint job back in 1992 from the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP). They wanted an image of a 30-foot volleyball player diving for the ball on the side of the truck. Mitch said yes before he even knew they could do it. Mitch recalls they set up a projector in the driveway and parked the truck on the street. They projected the image they wanted on side of the truck to sketch it out. Out of hundreds of custom paint jobs completed over four decades, this job turned out to be his all-time favorite. Today, custom paint jobs on a semi run about $50,000. It takes about a week of prepping and another four days to paint a semi, Mitch said.

Truck for Brian Deegan Mitch completed another recent tractor-trailer project for Brian Deegan who races off-road trucks. Thomas created the designs, incorporating all the sponsors’ logos and Mitch painted the rig using his favorite PPG Hot Red, Titanium Silver and created a bright yellow to match the “Rock Star” yellow. Mitch completed the black, red, silver and yellow look with red and gold micro sequence flakes. Deegan of Temecula, CA, is a former freestyle motocross racer who founded Metal Mulisha, a freestyle motocross FMX team, and is a Rally Car Gold Medalist and winner of ten X-Games medals.

And a Plane Motorcycles, custom vehicles, motor homes, semi trucks. So, why not a plane? Mitch’s friend Dana Pontious lives on an airport in the Mojave Desert and owns a 1955 Cessna 172, the second oldest Cessna 172 still flying today. Dana has owned the plane for a few years and she’s been flying it bare aluminum. The plane needed a paint job. Who better than her good friend Mitch? The father of Dana’s fiance, Adam, happens to be a mechanic

Audi Genuine Parts

Nothing else measures up.

and rated with FAA to work on planes, the plane and flying in a showcase. “I have waited a very long time to so they tore the plane apart and they hauled it in a trailer in 104 pieces to get this paint job,” Dana said. “As I sit back and look at it now, it was well Mitch’s Bellflower shop. Mitch met Dana years ago as a fellow dirt bike rider. “Dana is the kind of girl who hooks up a trailer to the motor home by herself, hauls it out to the desert, gets out her bike and rides with the boys at the same speed we did,” Mitch said. Mitch recently spent a long weekend prepping, sealing and painting the Cessna. He used PPG’s base colors, a Mitch Kelly and son Thomas Kelly titanium silver and white, to create a light gray with slight pearl worth the wait. It is better than I could metallic sheen. Of course, he added have ever imagined. I can’t believe his favorite Hot Red and then they this is my airplane!” covered the plane in black and silver graphics. Mitch said his son went a bit Can’t Move Without It crazy on the graphics and after three One of the products that Mitch finds long days of adding color and graphinvaluable in his shop is his mobile car dolly built by DJS Fabrications Inc. The dollies can be bolted to disk brakes, tires aren’t necessary, and it allows a tech to work beneath the car and works well for low-sitting cars that can be put right on the dolly. “They are invaluable for pushing a dead car around the shop,” said Mitch. “Currently, we have a 1982 low-rider Cadillac getting customized and it wouldn’t push any1955 Cessna 172 before paint job where, so we have it on one ics all over the body, tail and wings, of Doug’s dollies. We can move it Mitch was completely worn out. wherever we want to work on it. If you Adam put the plane back together and can’t move it, you can’t work on it. Dana made immediate plans to fly to They are vital to getting the job done.”

Order Audi Genuine Parts from these select Dealers

Pennsylvania Audi Warrington WARRINGTON 215-343-4810 215-343-5352 Fax www.1800THOMPSON.com

1955 Cessna 172 (after paint job) won “Grand Champion” in a recent air show

Florida to pick up her sister to go to an air show and have some fun girl time. Dana’s plans included showing

For more information about Mitch and Tom Kelly Crazy Painters, go to: www.kellyandsoncrazypainters.com.

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 59

Renowned Painter Mickey Harris Co-Designed the SATAgraph 4 by Ed Attanasio

If you know anything at all about airbrush art, you’re familiar with Mickey Harris. He’s a household name in the airbrush world, known most for his military art, but also renowned for his realistic style, his patriotic zeal and his willing to use his art to raise money for charity and just makes people happy. By teaching other fledgling artists about airbrush techniques and creating breathtaking scenes that have appeared at car shows all over the globe, Harris is enjoying his busy life as a painter, consultant, artist, teacher, inventor and mentor.

Legendary airbrush artist Mickey Harris uses the SATAgraph 4 on all of his creations. In this photo, Harris is painting a scene from the Vietnam War on a motorcycle

Harris, 56, has been painting for 34 years and has produced thousands of murals on metal, including cars, trucks, motorcycles and assorted mediums. He embarked on a career as an airbrush artist at the age of 19, in Ft. Walton Beach, FL, painting on tshirts to learn the trade. After absorbing as much as he possibly could about airbrush art and refining his skills, Harris made a significant impact on the car paint art industry and today he is considered one of the finest airbrush artists in the entire world. As a publisher, Mickey founded Airbrush Magazine in 1994, and as a respected industry leader he was elected President of the International Airbrush Association twice in the 1990s. Mickey’s work has appeared in more than 100 publications, including on the covers of King of the Road magazine, Truckin’ and Airbrush magazine, just to name a few. Mickey has also appeared on a wide range of TV shows including appearances on Overhaulin’, Gearz, Car Crazy, Drag Race High and is currently working with an investment group for his own television show

and has also been a guest on numerous talk shows and news broadcasts over the years. He was featured on the Travel Channel’s show called King of the Road, in which he was shown painting the world’s most detailed 18-wheeler, with more than 2,000 man-hours, and over a million strokes of the airbrush in 1999. One of Mickey’s show trucks captured 22 “Best of Show” awards and he also won the prestigious “DuPont Top Gun” award four times. Harris’ images can sell for as much as $100,000 and celebrities such as Jay Leno covet his work. Traveling to shows, seminars and public appearances year-round, Harris doesn’t have a retail store or a studio where people can see his work. He works out of body shops in different parts of the country to complete his ongoing list of projects. “I have a home in Tennessee and another one in South Dakota, so I work out of body shops in each area. I do 2-3 large projects every year, which are basically complete vehicles, but I also do 10-12 smaller projects every month—primarily motorcycles, tanks and hoods, for example.” Mickey’s painting style is heralded for its incredible depth and detail, complemented by his knowledge of color, form and perspective. In addition to his artwork, Mickey has been teaching the art of airbrushing for over 20 years, through seminars for the United States Sign Council, Airbrush Magazine, SATA, the International Airbrush Association, Airbrush Action Magazine, BASF and Sign Business Magazine. Mickey has also painted numerous murals for the United States Air Force and painted nose art on nine B-1 Bombers. Mickey Harris is known for many things, but his seven aviationrelated paintings currently hanging in the Pentagon are probably some of his best-known, he said. “I’ve got two new paintings for the Pentagon—they’re ready to go. But I’ve really made my career doing the automotive stuff I do. That’s what I pursue and that’s where I really make my living. I’m an artist, but in the end it’s also a business, so I pursue the projects where I can make money and feed my family. The rest of the things I do, such as donating my art for fundraising charity efforts for the

60 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

military, are also very important and meaningful to me.” In 2002, Mickey’s Heroes truck gained a lot of media attention and that’s when he started being known for doing amazing, real-life military scenes on cars and motorcycles, he said.

Mickey’s Tribute to the Heroes of 9/11 is known as his First Responder Tribute Silverado

“The Heroes truck was a tribute to 9/11 and it got a ton of exposure. So after that, people who were looking for that type of art started finding me on the Internet. All of a sudden, I received a lot of referrals for more memorial type stuff. There wasn’t any conscious effort to get into the military art, but it just happened after the Heroes truck. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing this type of work. My father was a fighter

pilot, so I was an Air Force brat and that’s why I have a close bond to the military and appreciate the sacrifices that our soldiers make.” Harris greatly values his decadelong relationship with SATA, he explained. “I started working with SATA back in 2003, when I met the Dan-Am Company people from Spring Valley, MN, and immediately liked Tony Larimer at SATA. I was doing seminar programs and we started a relationship and Tony and I eventually became very good friends. Dan-Am has really good people there and I like working with them because their word is gold, and that’s hard to find. SATA and Dan-Am invited me to go to Germany for the SATA 100th anniversary and I did a painting demonstration there at the SATA factory in 2006. They had a James Bond theme at the party, so I dressed up like Bond and walked out with a couple of mini-jet guns under my jacket and painted on a canvas to the James Bond theme song. It was a blast!” Hooking up with SATA to develop a new airbrush has been an exciting and fulfilling experience, he

Genuine Porsche Parts... Only The Best.

918 RSR

These Select Dealers Have The Parts You Need.

PENNSYLVANIA

Porsche of bucks county Warrington

215-343-4810 215-343-5352 Fax www.1800THOMPSON.com

said. “I sat down with the people from SATA to develop the SATAgraph 4. It took two years of development to get it where it needed to be. It was introduced at this year’s SEMA Show and people immediately liked it. We wanted to come up with an affordable airbrush that was a good airbrush that can work well in the trenches. I call this the AK-47 of airbrush guns, because you can

One of Mickey’s most celebrated vehicles is this 100th GM Anniversary Chevrolet Suburban that was unveiled at SEMA 2011

beat the hell out of it, throw it in the mud and it keeps working. It retails for $149, so it’s absolutely competitive. It’s got good German engineering in it, but one of the things I like the most about it is we’re able to make it here in the good old USA. I tell people it’s German engineered and American made.”

Harris uses SATA airbrushes almost exclusively for many reasons, he explained. “I really like all of SATA’s airbrushes, but the SATAgraph 4 has some great features. It’s got a tip protection cap that’s reversible, so you’ll never lose the cap, which can be a problem with other airbrushes out there. We believe it’s going to be the #1 selling airbrush within the next four years, because it’s a better product.” Passionate about every aspect of his life, Harris describes himself as someone who is “old, but still running around like I’m 20 year-old.” He added, “I love what I do, but I’m starting to realize that it’s a little harder now to operate at a high level. I just hope I can live long enough to do everything I want to do. Right now, I’m very happy, because I’m really enjoying my life; working harder now and producing better stuff than ever. So it’s a good time!”

@autobodynews Accept no Substitutes!

Queens Body Shop Crash Kills, Maims Employees

An out-of-control Toyota smashed into a body shop in Queens, killing a mechanic and severing the legs of another. Witnesses said two vehicles collided on the street in front of New Pamir Auto Body Shop on 126th Street between 36th and 35th avenues in Willets Point just before noon. One of the cars left the roadway and crashed into the body shop, pinning and killing a worker, and severing the legs of another, according to the shop’s owner. Police said two other workers were also seriously injured. Police said two vehicles were traveling on 126th Street just before noon April 23 when one of the cars clipped the other and then plowed out-of-control into the shop. Witnesses, including one of the drivers of the vehicles involved, wrapped tourniquets around the 30year-old legless victim’s thighs—he’s in serious condition at New York Hospital in Queens, officials said. The mayhem began when a boxing trainer from Astoria, Jim Hart, was driving his 1998 black Mercedes Benz across the street from Citi Field when a blue 1992 Toyota Corolla hit his rear bumper, then veered into the 126th Street shop around 11:40 am.

ABRA Buys 5 Indiana Shops

All The Genuine Lexus Parts You Need For That Trouble Free Repair, And Lexus Finish! These Dealers Below Are Genuine Lexus Parts Distributors:

PENNSYLVANIA

Thompson Lexus Doylestown

267-898-3333 (215) 230-3397 Fax www.1800THOMPSON.com

ABRA Auto Body & Glass acquired all five Hubler Express Collision repair centers located in and near Indianapolis, IN. The new ABRA centers are located in the cities of Greenwood, Indianapolis, Carmel, Fishers, and Plainfield. The acquisition nearly doubles ABRA’s presence in Indiana. The company entered the Indiana market in 2012 with the opening of a repair center in Kokomo, IN, and the acquisition of all five Collision Solutions locations in Indianapolis. The latest acquisition brings the total number of ABRA repair centers in the state to 11 and increases ABRA’s corporate and franchise repair centers to 149 in 16 states. Hubler Express Collision’s owners John Dompier and Rob Wilson will join forces with ABRA’s staff and assume leadership roles in the company to help maintain and manage operations in the Indianapolis market. “We've been exploring new markets and growth opportunities across the country,” said ABRA Duane Rouse, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Hubler Express Collision’s strong position in the market made it a natural fit for ABRA.”

“The guy smashed right behind me, hit me like four, five times,” Hart said. “I stepped on the brakes to try to get him to stop, and he went around me, sped up and tried to leave,” Hart, 43, told media sources. “I kept wondering why he was hitting me. I figured maybe he was trying to rob me. He must have lost it.” Hart tied a yellow rope around the legless victim to contain the bleeding, he said. The Toyota rammed into the 33-year-old mechanic, throwing him to the back of the shop and killing him. The driver got out of his car with a cane and stood expressionless in a pool of blood. One worker at the auto body shop said the Toyota was speeding excessively. Safiullah Mir, 49, of the New Pamir auto body shop said it seemed like the Toyota was going 100 mph. He cried when recounting the horrific death of an employee. “He died instantly,” he said. “He was very educated, very sociable, a sweet, sweet man.” The driver was taken away in an ambulance. Police did not release the names because family hadn’t been notified and at press time no one has yet been charged.

ABRA Auto Body & Glass Expands in Utah

ABRA Auto Body & Glass continued its national expansion with the opening of a new location in American Fork, UT. The new location increases the total number of corporate ABRA repairs centers in the state to eight. With this recent opening, ABRA now operates 101 corporate and 49 franchises nationwide in 16 states. “We’ve reached a substantial milestone with the opening of our 150th repair center,” said Duane Rouse, President and Chief Executive Officer of ABRA. “Our uncompromising commitment to superior processes and operational excellence consistently rates us high in customer satisfaction. We’re serious about being the best and leading the way in the industry. We have every intention of not only continuing our growth, but accelerating it.” The company celebrates its 30th anniversary next year. Tim Adelmann, Executive Vice President said, “We’re all very proud of the hard work, dedication to excellence, and loyalty we’ve built with our customers and business partners over the years. We look forward to pursuing our mission of being the best auto body and glass company in America.”

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 61

Most & Least Expensive States for Car Insurance

Louisiana has the highest average car insurance rates in the nation, followed by Michigan and Georgia, according to Insure.com’s annual state-by-state comparison of insurance premiums. Maine enjoys the least expensive car insurance rates, followed by Iowa. Georgia rose from the No. 10 position in 2012 to this year’s third-place spot.

2013 state rankings of car insurance rates Avg. annual premium* 1 Louisiana $ 2,699 2 Michigan $ 2,520 3 Georgia $ 2,155 4 Oklahoma $ 2,074 5 Washington, D.C. $ 2,006 6 Montana $ 1,914 7 California $ 1,819 8 West Virginia $ 1,816 9 Rhode Island $ 1,735 10 Kentucky $ 1,725 11 Connecticut $ 1,723 12 New Jersey $ 1,697 13 Alabama $ 1,667 14 Missouri $ 1,638 15 Massachusetts $ 1,625 16 Pennsylvania $ 1,604 17 Delaware $ 1,586 18 Hawaii $ 1,583 19 Texas $ 1,545 20 Arkansas $ 1,545 21 Maryland $ 1,528

National average 22 North Dakota 23 Wyoming 24 Alaska 25 Utah 26 Kansas 27 Minnesota 28 New Mexico 29 Tennessee 30 South Dakota 31 Oregon 32 Nebraska 33 New York 34 Florida 35 Mississippi 36 Nevada 37 Virginia 38 Illinois 39 South Carolina 40 Colorado 41 Wisconsin 42 Arizona 43 Washington 44 Indiana 45 Vermont 46 Idaho 47 New Hampshire 48 Ohio 49 North Carolina 50 Iowa 51 Maine

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

1,510 1,501 1,496 1,455 1,438 1,435 1,432 1,431 1,408 1,397 1,387 1,384 1,369 1,364 1,345 1,341 1,322 1,322 1,288 1,271 1,228 1,227 1,226 1,183 1,176 1,133 1,112 1,106 1,085 1,028 934

Source: Insure.com.

Axalta Coating Systems Holds Fleet Council Meeting

Axalta Coating Systems (formerly DuPont Performance Coatings) held its 9th Fleet Business Council meeting in Paterson, NJ, on April 5-6 to provide fleet business owners and managers with the leadership skills to improve shop efficiency, enhance profitability and grow their business. The Fleet Business Council is the first forum of its kind in the U.S. Established in 2009 with a group of 10 fleet customers from across the U.S., the Council brings together specialists in heavy-duty truck, RV, bus and commercial equipment repair and refinishing. The goal of the Council is to promote an environment where owners and managers can interact with other professionals, share best practices and further develop their business management skills. Led by industry expert Mike Anderson of Collision Advice and hosted by Axalta Coating Systems, the meetings are scheduled on a quarterly basis and are structured to include a discussion of financial management principles, member shop tours and critiques, as well as guest speakers who provide industry information. Valtek, Inc., located in Paterson,

hosted a tour of its shop that focuses on repair of heavyduty truck and equipment, fire apparatus, RVs and buses. A representative from Reliable Equipment presented an overview of new tools, equipment, and processes for bonding and riveting on vehicles. Kirsten Klabunde, a certified CPA with Collision Advice, provided a detailed look into the benefits of using the statement of cash flows to analyze business operations. “Participating in the Axalta Fleet Business Council has significantly improved the direction and profitability of our business,” said Joel Forte, one of the owners of Final Touch Coach Works in Valencia, CA, who has been a Council member for one year. “The networking opportunity to address real-world business concerns has proven to be extremely valuable.” For additional information or to become a member of the Axalta Fleet Business Council, contact your local Axalta Coating Systems representative or call 1.800.438.3876.

www.autobodynews.com CHECK IT OUT!

62 MAY 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Safest Cars are Civics, Lincolns, Mazdas, Volvos; Toyota Camry, Prius V Get Front-End Downgrade Two versions of Honda’s Civic are among five vehicles added to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s list of top safety picks for performing well on a new crash test simulating a severe front-end collision. The two- and four-door Civics, Honda’s second-best selling car in the U.S., earned the IIHS’ “Top Safety Pick Plus” award for performance both in previous tests and a new evaluation of a crash in which a vehicle’s front corner collides with a car, tree or pole. Volvo Cars’s Volvo XC60, Ford’s Lincoln MKZ and Mazda’s 2014 Mazda 6 also got the top picksplus designation. Thirteen other models were named in December. “Improvements to the Civic and Accord allow us to put large-volume vehicles into the marketplace and improve the safety of the overall fleet,” Chuck Thomas, chief engineer of automotive safety for Honda in the U.S., said. The insurance group, based in Arlington, VA, has said it created the new test in part to improve vehicle safety. Honda made engineering changes to the 2013 Civic in part to meet the test requirements and asked

the group to test the car, Thomas said. The institute this week said it will release results of the small-overlap front crash test for small sport-utility vehicles this year. In December, it released results of the test for mid-size cars with Toyota’s Camry, formerly the best-selling mid-size car in the U.S., and the Prius V hybrid, earning the lowest ratings in the new front-end collision test. Camry was recently suplanted by Ford’s Focus in this sales category. The insurance-industry funded group has said it introduced the test last year because that type of accident accounts for almost a fourth of frontal crashes that seriously injure or kill people in front seats. Honda used higher-strength steel formed at high temperatures to strengthen the Civic body and designed the cars so the engine compartment absorbs more energy in a front crash, Thomas said. He declined to comment on the cost of the changes. The Civic was redesigned for the 2012 model year. It overtook Toyota’s Corolla last year as the best-selling compact sedan in the U.S., according to researcher Autodata Corp.

AUTOBODY MARKETPLACE

HIGHLY PROFITABLE HI LE

Auto repair and auto body shop for sale. 30 years in business and over $1,000,000 in annual sales. Owner retiring. Located in New Haven county, Connecticut.

Looking for Good Collision Personnel? •1,262 Collision Techs resumes online •1,295 Painters resumes online •1,177 Estimators & Mgs resumes online •11,256 Mechanical Tech resumes online

ACTautostaffing.com or 727-733-5600

No reasonable offer refused. Call Greg at 860-796-4399 or e-mail at gregdguay@gmail.com

Advertise in our CLASSIFIED SECTION for $50 per column inch!

www.rustbullet.com and watch our videos or scan this code Special Pricing for Shop Give us your opinion on Owners Enter “autonews20” at Checkout.

Place an ad in our AUTOBODY MARKETPLACE section of Autobody News.

800-699-8251

matters affecting the industry. ltedesco@autobodynews.com

write us!

Call or e-mail now for rates: 800-699-8251 or ltedesco@autobodynews.com publisher@autobodynews.com

David Brunori Promoted to Division President at Matrix

Car Theft Drops by 88% in Massachusetts

Matrix System recently promoted Car thefts in Massachusetts have David Brunori to division presidropped by 88% since the middent of Quest Automotive Products 1970s, when the state had the dubi(QAP). ous distinction of being the country’s Brunori has 30 years of expericar theft capital, the Claims Journal to this Southwest Edition? ence in the collision repair and recently reported. restoration market and has been Insurance experts and law enwith Matrix System Automotive forcement officials credit the draFinishes for 20 years. matic drop to anti-theft features, autobodynews.com Brunori currently serves on the from transponder keys and immobiBoard of Trustees for the Collision lizing devices and vehicle tracking Repair Education Foundation, the systems, and to vigorous enforceOakland Schools Education Foundament by police. ness with your business with tion, and as anPromote adviser for the Oakland The Boston Globe reports that Schools’ Technical Campus–Souththere were 1,575 reports of stolen vefeaturing an exclusive article featuring west. He holds a bachelor’s degree in hicles in Boston last year, compared services. products chemistry and your a graduate degreeor in services. with 28,000 in 1975. In Massachubusiness management. setts, car thefts have dropped every “Being named division presiyear since 2001. dent is an honor and a major accomThe state now ranks near the midplishment in my professional career,” dle of the pack nationally, a drop that said Brunori. “I haveCall always tried to has helped stabilize insurance rates. or details! for details! follow very simple guidelines: have a The bad news is that these days vision, lead people and stay focused. stolen 251 800-699-8251 vehicles are less likely to be I am looking forward to see what the found. Many are shipped overseas or future has in store.” are driven to Mexico.

te us!

Free Twice Monthly Newsletter at www.autobodynews.com These Thes Th ese luxury es luxu lu xury xu ry automobiles aaut utom omob om obiles ob iles deserve dese de serv se rvee to to be bee b finished fifinish shed sh ed with with w h Genuine Genu Ge nuin nu ine in Jaguar Jagu Ja guar Parts... gu Par P arts... ar ... ..

...And ...A .. .And .A nd we we know know Jaguar. JJag agua ag uar. ua C-X16 Concept >

NEW JERSEY

Madison Jaguar MADISON

973-377-6443

(973) 410-1503 Fax

M-F 8am - 5pm michaels@madisonjaguar.com www.madisonjaguar.com

Service King’s Bonner to Speak at PBES Conference

Cathy Bonner, chairman of the board at Service King Collision Repair Centers, will be a featured speaker at the 2013 Paint, Body & Equipment Specialists (PBES) Spring Conference, May 14–16 at the Embassy Suites Phoenix-Scottsdale. Bonner will present “Service King’s Vision for Expansion and Outlook for the Industry.” In addition, she will share her view of the Carlyle Group’s entry into the industry and her outlook on multishop consolidation. Bonner is a business entrepreneur with more than 35 years’ experience in leading a variety of multi-million dollar organizations in both the public and private sector. Fortune Magazine named Bonner one of the 25 most influential women entrepreneurs in America, calling her “…smart, gutsy, and innovative—as interested in making a difference as in making money.” In 2010, Bonner was hired as Service King’s president to develop a strategic growth plan for the company. In August 2012, the Carlyle Group, an investment firm, purchased Service King.

SEMA Board Candidates

The following slate of eight candidates are vying for four open seats on the SEMA Board of Directors.

Chairman-Elect Category 1. Doug Evans, Source Interlink Media 2. Tim Martin, K&N Engineering Manufacturers Category 3. Al Azadi, Omix-ADA, Inc./Rugged Ridge 4. Kyle Fickler, Weld Racing 5. Steve Matusek, Aeromotive, Inc. 6. Tim Watts, Superlift Suspension Systems Manufacturer’s Representative Category 7. Jeff Bates, Bob Cook Sales 8. Greg Bernheisel, Considine Sales & Marketing This year the voting will take place online between May 15–June 11, 2013. Voting is open to current SEMA member companies and votes must be cast by the member’s designated primary contact. Winners will be announced in June, and formally inducted in July. For more information about the 2013-2016 SEMA Board of Directors election, contact Arlene Wood at arlenew@sema.org or call 909-978-6678.

Chicago Pneumatic Gives $10,000 in Tool Grants

Chicago Pneumatic has announced that it is providing ten $1,000 tool grants to the Collision Repair Education Foundation. These grants will allow students entering the workforce to have the best pneumatic tools available to enhance their new skill sets. Secondary and post-secondary collision students attending career and technical schools and colleges have the opportunity to apply for more than $300,000 in available scholarships and tool grants available through the Collision Repair Education Foundation and its industry supporters. Other sponsored awards include: • 3M Hire Our Heroes Veteran Scholarships & Tool Grants • Alliance of Automotive Service Providers Massachusetts (AASPMA) Tool Grants • ABRA Auto Body & Glass Tool Grants • Alcoa Foundation Aluminum Training Grants • CCC Michael Salvatore Memorial Student Repair Technician Scholarship.

www.autobodynews.com

Foundation Says 91 Cents of Every Buck Went to Schools CHECK IT OUT!

The Collision Repair Education Foundation recently announced that 91 cents out of every dollar donated went towards the future proTo assisting advertise fessionals of the industry. call Advertising Sales at: Charity Navigator, America’s 800-699-8251 leading independent charity evaluator, advises that “the most efficient e-mail: charities spend 75% or more of their advertising@autobodynews.com budget on their programs and services and less than 25% on fundraiswww.autobodynews.com ing and administrative fees.” The Collision Repair Education Foundation having a 91-9% giving ratio displays its’ commitment to the industry’s future, while staying lean in its’ operational expenses.See the N Collision Repair Education Foundation Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode noted, “It is important for charities to be accountwww.autobodyn able and transparent to their donors. We are grateful to our 175 donors in 2012 for their record breaking $4.9 million in giving, and it is our responsibility as a not-for-profit organization to ensure that the industry’s support reaches those in the most need. On behalf of the organization’s To advertise staff and Board of Trustees, we thank call Sean Hartman at: our supporters and look forward to 800-699-8251 making 2013 a year to remember.”

Autobody New

e-mail:

shartman@autobodynews.com