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Final 2014 CIC Meeting Includes GM Parts Pricing Announcement, Human Resources Quiz by John Yoswick
The biggest collision industry news during SEMA week in Las Vegas last month got all of five minutes at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC). Kris Mayer of General Motors took no questions at CIC after the automaker’s announcement that week that it would be discontinuing the publication of list prices for crash parts, in favor of MyPriceLink.com, a new, online and real-time pricing system that would always quote “competitive prices.” Coming just three weeks before the change was initially going to go into ef-
fect, the announcement stunned many dealers, shops and insurers. “We know it’s disruptive. We are taking that into account. We know what those disruptive points are,” Mayer said at CIC. “Every single workflow disruption that we’ve come across we have a possible
Kris Mayer of General Motors announces that the company will be discontinuing the publication of list prices for crash parts. Photo credit: John Yoswick
See Final 2014 CIC Meeting, Page 18
Pro Spot Gives Autobody News a Facility Tour by Stacey Phillips and Victoria Antonelli
Ashley Olsson, the company’s Director of Communications, conducts a tour of the Pro Spot plant floor
but to show that with the right equipment, training, and attention to detail, anyone can become competent at welding. See sidebars. Our Pro Spot tour began with a See Pro Spot Shines, Page 16
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P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018
Autobody News reported in our November issue that the Ford Motor Company Rotunda Program has recognized Pro Spot International for being their 2014 Supplier of the Year. Our editorial staff recently toured the 45,000 square foot facility in Carlsbad, CA, to learn more about the innovative products and equipment Pro Spot is developing, particularly in preparation for the new 2015 Ford F150 aluminum body truck now being produced. We were joined by Toby Chess, who took the opportunity to give the two newest editorial team members a lesson in welding. Toby’s intent was not to create expert welders
VOL. 4 ISSUE 9 DECEMBER 2014
GM Pauses MyPriceLink.com Implementation General Motors announced on Nov. 10 that it had paused its MyPriceLink.com program that was launched a week earlier. See other cover story this issue. According to GM, the decision was based on industry feedback to enhance and streamline the workflow for all collision industry partners. MyPriceLink.com is a free automated “real-time” pricing program that will provide Genuine GM collision parts to the market that are competitively priced “upfront” at the initial repair estimate. The company said the repair facilities will have access to Genuine GM Parts at the best available price and in timely manner. “For our GM dealers to be more competitive in the estimate writing process, we are going on the offensive with our collision parts pricing. Our objective is to quote the most competitive OEM list price the first time, reducing supplements and adjustments, while at the same time improving cycle time for repairers, insurers and ultimately the customer,” said Kris Mayer, General Director, Wholesale Dealer
Channel. GM said it has received overwhelming interest and support for its best price forward pricing strategy from all constituents throughout the collision repair industry. By providing the price up front in the estimating process, GM said it can continue to focus on helping the customer, allowing the vehicle to be See MyPriceLink.com Paused, Page 10
Special ppec ecial eciiaal Coverage
Pages: 10, 22, 24, 28, 29, 44, 54, 56, 57, and 58
More Lawsuits Filed in Additional States Against Nation’s Top Insurers by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor
Nearly 500 collision repair shops across the country have now joined the antitrust Multi-District Litigation originally filed by five states in April against the nation’s top insurers. Over the past month lawsuits have been filed against insurance companies in the additional states as part of “The Movement” by body shops to take back control of the industry. Recent reports have stated that body shops in at least 35 states turned in paperwork by the Oct. 31 deadline. When Autobody News contacted lead attorney John Eaves, Jr. to learn the results of the most recent court hearing scheduled on Nov. 14 in Orlando, he reported that the judge took the hearing under advisement. “This whole thing is not about us body shops. This is about the con-
sumer,” said Ron Perretta, owner of Professionals Autobody Body in Pennsylvania. As an active participant in “The Movement,” he said, “What this is doing is it’s not allowing the body shop to fix consumers’ cars properly. This isn’t about us.” Perretta and Tony Passwater, Executive Director of the Indiana Autobody Association and President of AEII Consulting Services, have traveled across the country talking to shops and helping them understand “The Movement.” “We believe that direct repair needs to stop. Direct repair is nothing more than something that was formed to be able to control our industry,” said Perretta. “The direct repair was not formed to make it easier, better, quicker for the consumer.” See MDL and Insurers, Page 17
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2 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Contents ‘Departmental Quality Control Can Prevent
Incorrect Repairs’ Says Larry Montanez
in SCRS RDE Seminar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Carubba Collision Expands in Jamestown, NY . . 4
Trevoton, PA, Body Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Creating Engaging Consumer Videos for
Marketing with Kristen Felder . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Enterprise’s ARMS Application Helps Shops Track
Cycle Time and Benchmark Performance. . . 45
CCRS Meeting With Dan Risley and
Final 2014 CIC Meeting Includes GM Parts Pricing
Ellicottville Career & Technical Center in NY
Ford, Chrysler, and GM Approve DeBeer
Larry Montanez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Awarded CCC Grant through CREF. . . . . . . . 12
MA Body Shop Penalized $44,000 for Conducting
Fraudulent Emissions Inspections . . . . . . . . . 9
Montville, CT, Body Shop Gives Car
to Submariner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Announcement, Human Resources Quiz . . . . 1 Refinish Waterbase 900+ Series by
Valspar Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Four Collision Schools Awarded GEICO Grants . 36 GM Demonstrated Rail Saver Repair System
at SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
NJ Collision Repair Student Recognized
GM Pauses MyPriceLink.com Implementation . . 1
NJ Man Indicted for Allegedly Faking
I-CAR’s 2015 Ford F-150 Training
Workplace Accident. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Hertz Introduces New Web-based HIRS Tool . . 30 and Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
NY Marine Driving Toward a Brighter Future . . . . 8
Matrix Hosts “Artists 4 Education” Auction
Ron Perretta Meets Auto Body Association of CT . 4
Mitchell Fourth Quarter 2014 Industry Trends
COLUMNISTS
More Lawsuits Filed in Additional States
NY Shop Owner Charged in $100,000 Tax Fraud . 6
Attanasio - New Product Showcase Winners
at SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Report Provides Insights for 2015 . . . . . . . . 62 Against Nation’s Top Insurers . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
a Big Hit at SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Muñoz Waxman Gallery Art Based on
Source of Marketing Information . . . . . . . . . 36
NAPA/Martin Senour Unveil Custom 1966
Franklin - Autobody Associations—A Great
Luehr - Competing with MSO Consolidation . . . 20
Collision Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Mustang at SEMA 2014. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Yoswick - Prevailing Practices, Doing Business
New Rochelle Auto Mall One Stop Shopping
Yoswick - SCRS OEM Technology Event Includes
Nissan Introduces Certified Collision Network
on Internet, 2-Way Estimating, Steering Suits . 50 Plenty of Focus on Aluminum Repair . . . . . . 54
NATIONAL
Car Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Consumer Referral Program . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
O’Reilly Automotive Reports Record-Breaking
3Q Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
3M™ Automotive Offers Products and
Patent Case: Allegations of Gaining Information
ACD Adds Collision Select to AutoLink™
PPG Launches New Clearcoat and
Acura TLX Earns Top Safety Pick+ Award . . . . 48
Preston Automotive Donates $3,500 for
Processes for Aluminum Repair. . . . . . . . . . 48 Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
AkzoNobel Hosts 4th Annual Sustainability
Symposium. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Attanasio - CAA Gets a New Web Site with
More Features and Better Navigation . . . . . . 30
from Password-Protected Site . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Latest Branded Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Breast Cancer Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Pro Spot Gives Autobody News a Facility Tour . . 1 Quest Hires Former Martin Senour
Product Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Attanasio - Car Giveaways Become Regular
SEMA 2014 Entertains, Informs and
Attanasio - NABC Gives Away Four Cars
Senator Urges FTC to Take Action Against
Attanasio - WD-40/PowerNation Jeep
Service King Raises $112,000 for
Auto Care Association Releases 2014 Digital
Sherwin-Williams Donates $170,000 in
Axalta Releases Global Automotive 2014
Sherwin-Williams’ New Additive . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Monthly Events at G&C Auto Body . . . . . . . . 40
at Annual SEMA Luncheon . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Debuts at SEMA 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Collision Repair Trends Report. . . . . . . . . . . 61
Wows the Crowd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Carmakers’ Misleading Warranty Tactics . . . . 8
Breast Cancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Products to CREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Color Popularity Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Sisk - CARA Held Estimating Seminar
at SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Steeling Yourself for Changes—New
BASF Glasurit and R-M Paint Earn Awards
BASF Showcases Lastest in Car Technology
at SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
CarMax Returns to AutoTrader & Cars.com . . . 52
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts Says
on October 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
High-Strength Steel Poses Additional
Challenges According to 3M™. . . . . . . . . . . 53
Valspar Automotive & House of Kolor
Make a Splash. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
They’re Ready for Aluminum Repair. . . . . . . 49
Virginia’s The Hybrid Shop Carves a Niche
was a $50 birthday present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Website Connects Collision Shop Owners
Classic Wheels: 1968 Ford Torino GT fastback Cost for Pool Project Lower Thanks to
in Hybrid Maintenance and Service . . . . . . . 58
& Auto Techs: TalentMonger.com. . . . . . . . . 52
and mirror hangers in each vehicle repaired. Additionally, Service King honored its teammates who had personally been affected by breast cancer through its “Faces of Breast Cancer” series, hosted on its social media platforms and new blog, The Service Advisor. “Service King’s dedication and support of our mission to help women now has truly been inspiring,” says NBCF Co-Founder & CEO, Janelle Hail. “The funds raised by Service King will help us provide thousands of free early detection services for women in all 50 states.” Service King and the NBCF’s efforts focused primarily on raising early detection awareness. The funds raised will help the NBCF provide education and support services, as well as early detection services through the National Mammography Program, which offers free diagnostic screenings to under-served women across the country. To learn more about Service King and NBCF’s partnership during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, visit The Service Advisor.
Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Assistant Editor: Stacey Phillips Online Editor: Victoria Antonelli Contributing Writers: Tom Franklin, David Brown, John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Sales Assistant: Louise Tedesco Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia
Indexof Advertisers
at High School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Service King Collision Repair Centers and its teammates raised more than $112,000 in support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc.® (NBCF) during the month of October. Service King pledged to match teammate donations to NBCF during its National Breast Cancer Awareness Month initiative. In an overwhelming and inspiring response, teammates from across the country rallied to raise $56,000 to support the cause. “The response from our teammates was truly inspirational,” said Chris Abraham, Service King CEO. “Breast cancer touches countless lives in so many ways. We are honored to come together as a family and raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation and its mission to raise awareness and find a cure.” Throughout the month of October, Service King encouraged teammates at its locations nationwide to raise awareness by wearing Eliminate Breast Cancer t-shirts and pink wristbands. Service King also shared messages of hope with its customers by including pink warranty packages
Acura of Westchester . . . . . . . . . . 34 Amato Agency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Atlantic Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . 35 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . 5 B & R Associates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Bald Hill Chrysler-Jeep-DodgeRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 39 Car-Part.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 CarcoonAmerica Airflow Systems . 24 Central Avenue Chrysler-JeepDodge-Ram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) . . . . . . . . . . 37 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Clay Auto Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Colours, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Crashmax Equipment . . . . . . . . . . 29 Ditschman/Flemington Auto Group. 27 Empire Auto Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Fairfield Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram . 21 Fitzgerald’s Lakeforest HyundaiSubaru. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . 36 Fred Beans Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Gary Rome Hyundai-Kia . . . . . . . . 10 Glanzmann Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 44 Greg Chandler Frame & Body . . . . 6 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . 61 Imperial Ford-Chrysler . . . . . . . . . . 4
Serving New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Northern Virginia, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and adjacent metro areas. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the autobody industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2014 Adamantine Media LLC. Autobody News P.O. Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com Email: news@autobodynews.com
Northeast
REGIONAL
Service King Raises $112,000 for Breast Cancer
Infiniti of Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 J & R Auto Body Supply Co.. . . . . 11 Jaguar Wholesale Parts Dealers. . 56 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Koeppel VW-Mazda. . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Lexus Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . 52 Maxon Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Maxon Mazda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 46 Mercedes-Benz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . 38 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . 43 Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Paul Miller Audi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers . 57 Providence Lacquer & Supply Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 SATA Spray Equipment . . . . . . . . 15 Security Dodge-Chrysler-JeepRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . 59 Sussman Auto Group . . . . . . . . . . 49 Tasca Automotive Group. . . . . . . . 31 Thompson Organization . . . . . . . . 51 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 60 Valspar Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 VIP Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Volvo Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 40 Wagner Auto Group . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Yonkers Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 3
Classic Wheels: 1968 Ford Torino GT fastback was a $50 birthday present by Pete Brekus
Brian Hontz, of Bangor, transports memories of his youth in this 1968 Ford Torino GT fastback. While a sophomore at Bangor Area High School in 1976, Hontz was fascinated by the terrific Torino as it rumbled into and out of the school parking lot, driven by another student. “I grew up in the days of muscle cars,” Hontz says, “and worked in my uncle’s body shop in Bangor from the time I was a little kid.” When he returned for his junior year Hontz noticed the Torino’s absence and quickly investigated its seeming disappearance. He soon found out the car was now for sale—for $50. Hontz’s girlfriend, Kathy Miller, ponied up the $50 as a birthday present so Hontz could buy the car on his 17th birthday. The Torino took Brian and Kathy on dates throughout their high school years, including two prom nights. The couple married in 1979. After residing in storage for 22 years while Hontz served in the Marine Corps, the Torino GT underwent
The car was sprayed its original Raven Black enamel at Dean’s Auto Body in Bangor by Dean Shook, a longtime friend. The quarter panels were replaced and a 1969 Torino ramair hood scoop was added to feed more oxygen to the carburetor and give the car a more menacing look. The red C-stripe signifying its fastback designation was then affixed to complete the muscle car’s rejuvenation. About his nearly lifeBrian Hontz’s ‘68 Ford Torino GT fastback was built to last long relationship with the ‘68 Ford Torino GT fasta lifetime. Photo credit: Pete Brekus, lehighvalleylive.com back, Hontz says, “Kathy heads, a Crane cam, a Mallory dual- and I just celebrated our 35th anpoint distributor and Hooker Coyote niversary this past September. It’s really neat to have the car you had in headers. Now aspirated by a Holley 650 high school, the car we went to proms four-barrel carb, Hontz estimates in in our junior and senior years.” To share your antique, classic or horsepower at between 375 and 400. “It definitely goes,” Hontz says. specialty car, truck or motorcycle, send “It’s surprising because the car still a photo and information to: Classic has the highest gears available off the Wheels, The Express-Times, 30 N. assembly line. It will just burn the Fourth St., Easton PA 18042; Attn: Pete tires when you get on it. It definitely Brekus; or email pbrekus@expresstimes.com. has some torque.”
a full restoration in 2013. Hontz dropped in a 390-cubicinch big-block V-8 that he had rebuilt himself. The power plant, a match to the car’s original motor, was beefed up with oversize pistons, ported
Ron Perretta Meets Auto Body Association of CT
Almost everyone in the industry has heard about the "lean process," but it doesn’t seem to have translated into improved performance. Lean is more than cleaning up, painting, writing on the car and making a facility pretty, said Ron Perretta, Owner of Professionals Auto Body in PA. He said, lean is not only about discussing the concept, but being able to implement it. Even those out there training the lean process do not understand all of its facets, because if they did, we would see a positive change in the industry, he said. Perretta highlighted the importance of staging the vehicle for production and creating a culture with employees that guarentees customer satisfaction when the final product leaves the garage. Perretta explained he has been on the lean path since the early 1990s, a time when most shops were unfamiliar with the term and its benefits. He built his first store from the ground up in 1994 by using lean processes; since then, his process has upgraded with each new technology. "I’m not taking anything away from industry trainers, but I do it on a daily basis. I train based on real life
experience, not just theory," said Perretta. "I understand all aspects of the process; from the sale, to the repair, to delivering a great product. Some will tell you they used to run a shop, and that’s why they are able to train. I say, if you aren’t doing it every day and understand the changes, you’re doing more talking than teaching." Perretta has been training and consulting throughout the industry for the last 18 years, and has some of the most up-to-date materials to consistently improve shops, with quality control in mind. James Gray, Account Manager at Albert Kemperle, Inc., responds to Perretta's talk: “I would like to equip my customers with the tools to work ON their business, not IN their business by following Ron's lead, with a work place culture." Ron Perretta can be contacted at 814-931-7669.
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4 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Carubba Collision Expands in Jamestown, New York
Joseph Carubba, President and CEO of Carubba Collision Corp., announced that the company acquired Gary’s Carstar in Jamestown, New York. The shop, located at 839 Foote Avenue, has been in operation for 21 years. Former proprietor Gary Adams, who has been in the body shop business for 45 years, will be retained by Carubba Collision. “Our expansion into Jamestown and Chautauqua County is a very exciting opportunity for our company” said Carubba. “It is our desire to bring that same high level of quality auto body service to the Southern Tier that customers have enjoyed for so many years in Erie and Niagara Counties.” The new Jamestown location will retain the 15 employees who previously worked for Gary’s Carstar and will add 10 more people once the facility’s expansion plans are completed. The new facility will include an Enterprise Rent-A-Car operation on site and multiple insurance companies to handle customer claims. Over the past few weeks, Carubba Collision added three new operations and locations. They now have seven locations with 10 production facilities.
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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 5
Cost for Pool Project Lower Thanks to Trevoton, PA, Body Shop by Eric Scicchitano, Staff Writer eric_s@newsitem.com
More than $21,000 was saved when the Shamokin Stingrays boosters turned to an unlikely source to upgrade the dive blocks at the Shamokin Area Middle/High School swimming pool. It turned out to be an auto body shop.
Mike Witcoskie, left, and Jason Dunkelberger, of Steve’s Auto Body, Trevoton, install a new dive block at the at the Shamokin Area Middle/High School pool. Photo credit: Larry Deklinski
The six worn and weary dive blocks at the pool needed to be refurbished or replaced. Rich Kashnoski, school board member and volunteer dive coach, estimates the price at $24,000 for brand new blocks of his choice. Installation would have added to the cost. It was a price the booster club couldn’t immediately afford. Seeking
advice, Kashnoski turned to a Rutgers University swim coach who suggested he find someone who works with fiberglass. That someone was Jason Dunkelberger, owner of Steve’s Body Shop in Trevorton. The two met one night, talked it over and visited the pool. Dunkelberger took the job. “If cars are made of fiberglass and we repair them, we could do fiberglass blocks as well,” Dunkelberger said Wednesday inside the natatorium as the blocks were installed. It was a first for Dunkelberger. Five blocks were sanded and re-coated with resin. The sixth was built from scratch using plywood and fiberglass. He estimates about 40 hours of work. Kashnoski handed him a check Wednesday for $3,125. Dunkelberger thanked him, pulled out a personal check of his own and filled it out for $1,562.50 - donating half the cost back to the Stingrays. About $13,500 remains in the booster club’s coffers. They’re looking to purchase a pair of timing touchpads for the pool along with a new timing board. Kashnoski credited the Stingrays, its swimmers and their parents for remaining dedicated to keeping the pool open. It’s a natural target for a school
district struggling to balance an operating budget. Shamokin Area’s varsity team has 44 teens registered for the upcoming season, which begins Dec. 5. The
A new dive block, at left, is compared to an old dive block, at right, which was replaced at the Shamokin Area Middle/High School pool. Photo credit: Larry Deklinski
Stingrays youth team had 65 swimmers last season. Without the new and improved dive blocks, the season could have been jeopardized. “Never take no for an answer,” Kashnoski said of the booster club’s efforts. A Chinese auction benefitting the Stingrays will be held at noon Dec. 6 at the St. Francis Club on Race Street in Shamokin.
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NY Shop Owner Charged in $100,000 Tax Fraud
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown and NY State Department of Taxation and Finance Commissioner Thomas H. Mattox announced on Oct. 22 that a Queens body shop owner has been charged with grand larceny and other crimes amounting to over $100,000 in sales tax fraud. According to the charges, the defendant and body shop underreported $1,253,767.44 of taxable income over three years. The defendant, Alfred D’Andrea, 45, was the owner of Triangle Auto Body in Ridgewood, Queens. D’Andrea was arraigned on Oct. 21 after allegedly committing second- and third-degree grand larceny, third-degree criminal tax fraud, first-degree falsifying business records, first-degree offering a false instrument for filing and first- and second-degree scheme to defraud. D’Andrea’s court date is Dec. 8. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison. According to the criminal complaint, the shop received $1,918,000 from several insurance companies for repairs and D’Andrea only claimed $664,235 in taxable repairs.
AkzoNobel Hosts 4th Annual Sustainability Symposium
The fourth annual Sustainability Leadership Symposium was once again part of SEMA’s 2014 Education offering on Monday, November 3rd. This was the second year that the symposium was hosted at SEMA. The cross industry dialog was open to all show attendees interested in advancing this global initiative within the North American collision repair industry. The symposium was moderated by Dr. Manish Mehta, Director of Strategic Projects & Sustainability at The National Center for Manufacturing Science and Michael Shesterkin, President and Founder of What’s Next? A keynote presentation was given by Dr. John Sutherland, the Fehsenfeld Family Head of Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University. Three North American companies were selected as winners of the fifth annual FIT Sustainability Award. Rep-
resentatives from the three companies—Rocco Neglia, Economical Insurance; Joe Hayes, GMG Envirosafe; J.R. Hubbard, Selecta Auto Body—participated as panelists in the Leadership Symposium. “We are pleased to recognize these businesses,” said Bill Orr, Communication Manager at AkzoNobel Vehicle Refinishes North America. “Sustainability is not simply an obligation; it is an opportunity to grow through the implemention of business practices that meet today’s needs for profitability, while considering societal and environmental issues. The 2014 honorees of the FIT Sustainability Award represent different facets of the collision repair industry, yet they share unique perspectives for implementing focus, vision and talent to anticipate the impact that today’s decisions will have on future generations.”
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SHOP MANAGER Greg Chandler Frame and Body Full responsibilities in all aspects of shop operations Experienced in CCC, ADP and completing estimates Experienced in managing DRP relationships Take charge and control of the shop Ability to manage 35+ employees efficiently Long-term opportunity with potential to grow Full insurance benefits and paid vacations Salary commensurate with experience
304-741-0353 Send resume to: gecmay22@aol.com 620 5th Ave // St. Albans, WV, 25177
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 7
NY Marine Driving Toward a Brighter Future H&V Collision Center, one of the largest independently owned collision repair facilities in Troy, NY, hosted a Veterans Day luncheon on Tuesday, Nov. 11, to give four deserving veterans and their families cars as part of the 2014 Keys to Progress. The event, the 7th in a series hosted by H&V, comes after months of deliberation. The veterans and families were hand-selected based on their involvement with the military, their exemplary efforts to improve their families’ lives and their need for a reliable automobile. “In our industry, people get in acci-
dents and sometimes they’re severe and what happens is these cars are totally lost, irreparable. You can’t fix them anymore,” said Rich Tanchyk, Assistant VP at H&V Collision. “So what we do is we take these cars that are dead, because that’s what they are – they go to the junkyard, they cut them up, they don’t live anymore; and we recycle them, we bring them back to life. The cars look like they’re smiling because they almost know what their job is now.” H&V Collision partnered with Goldstein Auto Group, Progressive Insurance, Enterprise, and other local partners to make these generous donations happen. Enterprise will be providing insurance coverage for all four vehicles. The
cars also came equipped with car seats. Title and registration costs, along with tags, were generously paid for as well. Marine Corp veteran, Marcus Jackson of Ballston Spa, was among the four recipients who were awarded refurbished vehicles. Jackson was raised with 11 siblings by his grandmother and he joined the military in search of a better life. Now, Jackson cares for his six-yearold daughter, Anessa, and three-year-old son Ely while searching for a full-time position in which he is able to apply his experience from the Marines. There was no containing the excitement felt in the air as all four cars were unveiled. Jackson received a Ford sedan and his children were quick to hop
in and check out their new ride. “We love it,” said Anessa. “It’s great!” Hearing that response and seeing his children’s reaction to the new family car was Marcus’ favorite part. “I love it,” said Marcus. “That’s what it’s all about for me.” Marcus says the car will help out his family tremendously, especially with day-to-day trips like school, doctor’s visits, and grocery store trips which add up. “She [Anessa] needs shots for school, so I have to take her to the pediatrician,” said Marcus. “Right now it’s a four-mile walk to the bus stop from where we live.” Fellow recipients include Dan Cooper from Cherry Valley, Tom Kudlack from Watervliet, and Patrick Boyle of Queensbury.
The Auto Care Association (ACA) reported on Oct. 27 that U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., criticized the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about its lack of urgency in clarifying its interpretation of the MagnusonMoss Warranty Act. The ACA voiced concerns in the past about automakers misleading consumers into wrongfully believing that serving their vehicles outside dealerships might void warranties. In a letter to the FTC, Blumenthal
said, “Many motorists may have been led to believe… that going to a local repair shop or using a different manufacturer’s parts could void a car’s warranty. Manufacturers should be expressly advised that the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act prohibits any conduct that would lead a reasonable consumer to believe that his or her warranty coverage depends on the use of a particular brand of product or service.” Despite the law, the ACA and auto
care industry groups filed complaints with the FTC protesting that many car companies have issued releases and technical bulletins misleading consumers into thinking their warranty could be voided using non-dealer parts or service. “It is critical that the FTC take action to ensure that car companies stop misleading consumers as to their warranty rights,” said Kathleen Schmatz, President and CEO of ACA. “We hope the actions by Sen. Blumenthal and other
legislators will move the FTC to immediately respond to the complaints filed by our association to ensure that consumers are properly informed of their rights under the law such that they can maintain their vehicle using non-original equipment parts and service without the threat of voiding their new car warranties.” A link to Blumenthal’s letter, information on the Act and ACA’s complaints to the FTC can be found at www.autobodynews.com.
by Stephanie Hale-Lopez, Saratogatodaynewspaper.com
Senator Urges FTC to Take Action Against Carmakers’ Misleading Warranty Tactics
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MA Body Shop Penalized $44,000 for Conducting Fraudulent Emissions Inspections The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) penalized Western Avenue Auto Body of Lynn Inc. $44,000 after two of the station’s inspectors were found to have conducted 22 fraudulent automobile emission inspections over a five-day period during the fall of 2013. An inspector at Western Avenue Auto Body, when questioned by an investigator, admitted that some of the local repair shops would bring in vehicles for an inspection sticker even though they could not pass inspection due to either the vehicle’s computer not being ready for testing or due to having the check-engine light on. “We will not let rogue inspection stations circumvent the emissions testing protocol deliberately, which cheats everyone who plays by the rules and results in dirty car pollution,” said MassDEP Commissioner David W. Cash. “This type of activity undermines the integrity of the state’s emissions programs and jeopardizes improvements we’ve fought to make in air quality in Massachusetts over the last 40 years.” Additional hazardous waste management violations, related to the
auto body repair operation, were also found at the 882 Western Avenue facility in Lynn, including failing to register as a very small quantity generator of waste oil and improper storage, record-keeping and labeling of hazardous waste. Under the consent order, MassDEP has agreed to stay the emissions inspection license suspension for two years, provided there is no additional violation involving the auto emission inspection protocol. Western Avenue Auto Body will register as a generator of hazardous waste and bring the facility into full compliance on accumulation, recordkeeping, storage and signage involving its hazardous waste. The facility will also pay $11,000 of the total penalty and MassDEP will suspend the remaining $33,000 provided there are no additional violations over the next two years.
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CCRS Meeting With Dan Risley and Larry Montanez by Chasidy Rae Sisk
After taking a break over the summer, the Connecticut Collision Repair Specialists (CCRS) started their 2014-2015 meeting season with a dinner banquet in October, followed by a general member meeting in November. Both events took place at the Hilton Garden Inn in Milford, CT, and Lisa Siembab, Executive Director of CCRS, noted, “These two meetings are the beginning of our 2014-2015 meeting season, and we will continue to address industry issues for our members. Our focus this year will be Estimating/Production best practices, human resources, financials within the shop and aluminum repair training.” At the association’s dinner banquet on Thursday, October 23, attendees listened to Dan Risley, President and Executive Director of the Automotive Services Association (ASA), provide an update on the collision repair industry as well as an overview of ASA’s activities to date in 2014. Larry Montanez of P & L Consultants was the keynote speaker at CCRS’s general member meeting on Wednesday, November 12. Offering a reality check in regards to alu-
minum repair methodology, Montanez enumerated on the considerable differences in the training requirements for the 2015 Ford F-150 compared to other aluminum vehicles. He stated, “Today’s repairer must focus on their skills at repairing steel before even considering taking on the F-150 or any other vehicle with similar materials.” Although CCRS will not meet in December, they will reconvene in January in order to elect their new Executive Board for the 2015-2017 term.
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Montville, CT, Body Shop Gives Car to Submariner by Ryan Blessing, norwichbulletin.com
A Montville, CT, body shop has come through for Navy torpedoman Richard Koester in his family’s time of need. Alex Pesarik, owner of B&D Auto Body in Montville, presented a smiling Koester and his wife, Jamie, with the keys to a rebuilt 2010 Kia Forte on Veterans Day in a brief ceremony at the business. “It’s crazy,” Koester said. “I never thought that anything like this would happen. I appreciate everything every one of these men and women did. They helped out a family that desperately needed help.” Koester, 36, and his wife took
turns sitting in the driver’s seat of the Kia, which is silver and came with a giant green bow on its top. They can’t take it home for a day or two until it’s registered. For several months Koester, who serves on the USS San Juan, has been making the early morning walk from Navy housing in Groton to the submarine base because of the family’s lack of transportation. The Koesters had tried to register a previously purchased car, but were unable to do so when Koester was on deployment, he said. That vehicle’s loan was canceled and the Koesters had to give it back, he said. Koester, his wife and children, ages 3 and 1, have been relying on friends and
BASF Showcases Lastest in Car Technology at SEMA
BASF Automotive Refinish, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, showcased restyled vehicles, hosted designer autograph sessions and presented the latest in car color technology. Events kicked off on Nov. 4 with a press conference at
finish & Industrial Coatings Solutions North America. Foose and Friedlinghaus both signed autographs at the BASF booth during SEMA. In addition, BASF hosted other redesigned vehicles, including the 2014 Ridler award-win-
2014 Ridler winner, 1964 Buick Riviera by JF Launier painted with BASF R-M Onyx HD Rivieran Sunset Pearl on display in the BASF SEMA booth
the BASF booth where the Chip Foose-restyled 1960 Ford Starliner and a restyled 2015 Toyota Sienna from Ryan Friedlinghaus of West Coast Customs were unveiled. The Starliner features a Metallic Grey paint from BASF’s Glasurit® 90Line and the Sienna is painted in a custom Fiji Blue from BASF’s RM® Onyx HD line. “BASF was proud to have both Chip and Ryan, two of the industry’s top car designers, unveiling their creations in our booth. SEMA is a great place for our current and prospective customers to talk to BASF experts about how our innovative solutions can help improve their shop performance,” said Paul Whittleston, VP of Automotive Re-
ning Buick Riviera, Rivsion, from JF Launier of JF Kustoms. Rivsion was painted in BASF R-M® Onyx HD Riverian Sunset Pearl. The car was voted America’s Most Beautiful Roadster earlier this year. The 1935 Chevy Phaeton restyled by Troy Trepanier of Rad Rides by Troy, owned by Wes Rydell and painted with Glasurit® 90-Line in black and maroon was also featured. Throughout the show, experts from BASF were on hand to discuss the latest in car color technology – including the new SmartCOLOR™ online tool– as well as business improvement programs and the best color matching tools in the industry. For more information, please visit: www.basfrefinish.com.
10 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
neighbors for transportation since then. Enter Pesarik, who worked in conjunction with Recycled Rides, a program in which insurers, collision repairers, paint suppliers, parts vendors and others collaborate to repair and donate vehicles to individuals and service organizations. “The Groton sub base is such a large part of our community it made perfect sense to find a veteran or active service member in need,” Pesarik said. Sub Vets Groton helped coordinate the donation to the Koester family. Insurance company GEICO donated the Kia, which B&D repaired using its own labor, paint and other material. “Basically the whole right front Continued from Cover
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returned to pre-accident condition, with original parts, ensuring safety and appearance. Since GM announced this new program, the company said the workflow pressures on outside parties has brought to light enhanced solutions and the increased desire for integration opportunities.
was rebuilt,” Pesarik said. Several area businesses teamed up with B&D to get the car in roadready shape. Replacement parts were donated by Columbia Ford Kia. Also, LKQ Corporation donated the wheels, The Tire Store in East Lyme provided four new tires, Advanced Auto Part in New London gave break pads and rotors, and Pennell’s Auto Center of Uncasville donated emissions testing and free oil changes. The Rotary Club of Montville gave the couple $1,000 toward auto insurance. “We appreciate the long hours and sometimes crazy schedule that is the life of a service person,” Rotary President Kim Navetta said. In the interim, GM will resume the publishing of list price until MyPriceLink.com is implemented. GM expects to have a fully functioning dynamic pricing process through MyPriceLink.com by early 2015. GM said it appreciates the interest and support MyPriceLink .com has received and looks forward to collaborating with all constituents in the collision repair industry to implement the new way in which GM list prices will be obtained.
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BASF Glasurit and R-M Paint Earn Awards at SEMA
During SEMA, many vehicles earned industry accolades featuring Glasurit® and R-M® paint by BASF. The top honors given to show vehicles featuring BASF paint include: ● Chevrolet Design Award for the Best Chevy in Show; Mothers® Choice Award; and the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association Gold Award – The 1966 “Recoil” Chevelle from the Ringbrothers, painted in a custom Sand Storm color from the Glasurit® 90-Line, took home these honors. The “Recoil” was also named the “Car Everyone is Talking About” by Car and Driver magazine in its SEMA show round-up and received recognition from both Hot Rod magazine and the General Motors official news blog. ● Ford Motor Co. Best in Stand Design – Given to the 2015 Ford Mustang convertible. Styled by designer Chip Foose, Glasurit® ambassador, with light green metallic paint and orange accents from BASF Glasurit® 90-Line. ● Scion Tuner Challenge Award – The Speedhunters Scion FR-S from Keith Charvonia, painted in a Pure White from BASF’s R-M® line took home first place honors. ● Gran Turismo Award – The Garrett X GReddy R35 GT-R was named as the Gran Turismo Best Asian Import award winner and featured Solid Red
paint from Glasurit® 90-Line. The car will be featured as a downloadable option in an upcoming installment of the Gran Turismo video game series. ● Autobytel’s Best Paint Jobs at SEMA – Two vehicles on Autobytel’s list feature BASF paint: the Chip Foose 2006 Ford Mustang GT in the Magnaflow booth featuring Tungsten Grey paint from the Glasurit® 90Line; and the 1972 Buick Riveria “Rivtile” from Juergen Book that was painted “snake-style” to represent an “automotive reptile.” The colors scheme features a range of reptilian greens, custom painted with gold contrasts from BASF’s R-M® Carizzma line. ● SEMA Battle of the Builders: Top 10 Builders Finalists – Two finalists in the Top 10 Builders award were BASF Refinish customers: The Ringbrothers with the “Recoil” Chevelle; and Gordon Aram, who uses the BASF R-M® Line, was nominated for his 1978 Ford Mustang II, featuring Kona Blue paint. “We’re very proud of these accolades for our Glasurit® and R-M® paint systems, as well as the recognition of the artistic skills of these dedicated designers. Congratulations to all the winners,” said Paul Whittleston, VP, Automotive Refinish & Industrial Coatings Solutions North America.
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Ellicottville Career & Technical Center in NY Awarded CCC Grant through CREF
The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) announced that Ellicottville Career & Technical Center is the recipient of the CCC Information Services’ Classroom Enhancement Grant. Ellicottville will receive a $10,000 grant that will assist the school with collision-related classroom materials such as electronics, classroom furniture, and other items to ensure the students have a professional learning environment. Ellicottville was eligible for this award by applying for the 2014 Collision Repair Education Foundation’s Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant. “To prepare today’s students for a career in collision repair requires hands-on training with the latest tools and in an atmosphere that is modern and professional,” said Joseph Allen, GM, CCC’s Automotive Services Group. “CCC is excited to award Ellicottville Career & Technical Center with the Classroom Enhancement grant and to support the next generation of professionals in their educational pursuits.” Collision Repair Education Foundation Director of Develop-
ment Brandon Eckenrode noted, “Many collision classrooms across the country are in dire need of being modernized in order to provide a quality technical education to their students. Through CCC’s grant, we are able to help an instructor take their classroom to a higher level and ensure that the collision students have a proper and up-to-date learning environment.” For additional information about CCC Information Services visit www.cccis.com. Industry members interested in joining the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s supporters and assist secondary and post-secondary collision school programs should contact Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at 847.463.5245 or Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org.
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NJ Man Indicted for Allegedly Faking Workplace Accident
Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (OIFP) announced in Nov. that a Perth Amboy man was indicted for allegedly faking an accident at his job site to get his insurance to cover the half-million dollar cost of medical treatment for injuries he had suffered prior to his employment. In addition, the defendant accepted approximately $55,803 in temporary disability payments for two years following the faked accident, though he was working under-the-table at a Keyport auto body shop. Also included in the indictment are charges that the man stole approximately $16,700 from the bank accounts of that auto body shop during his employment. Vinny Curbelo, 31, was charged by the grand jury with second-degree health care claims fraud, second-degree theft by deception, second-degree attempted theft by deception, second-degree insurance fraud, second-degree computer criminal activity, third-degree theft by deception and third-degree theft by unlawful taking. “The defendant allegedly staged his accident by pretending to suffer a fall, thus putting his employer’s insurer on the hook for treatment for an injury that he had suffered months before he was employed,” said Hoffman. “These alleged crimes were greedy and dis-
honest and were meant to shift responsibility for the cost of his medical treatment to someone else.” “Medical and disability insurance exist to help employees at the time they require care or have found themselves to be in a situation where they cannot work,” said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Ronald Chillemi. “The defendant allegedly sought to exploit these safety nets to maximize his financial position.” In May 2010, Curbelo became an employee of DCH Honda, a car dealership in Old Bridge. On Jan. 18, 2011, during normal working hours, Curbelo allegedly laid down next to a patch of ice in the parking lot of his employer, called for assistance from his fellow employees, and claimed he had slipped on the ice and severely injured his back. Based upon this claim, Curbelo received extensive medical treatment on his back, including at least three major surgeries, valued at approximately $527,873, of which approximately $140,213 was paid by the car dealership’s insurer, Gallagher Bassett. OIFP believes he first injured his back in March 2010 while he was unemployed. In addition, Curbelo claimed his injuries made him unable to work and thus received from Gallagher Bassett approximately 49 bi-weekly workers compensation temporary disability pay-
ments in the amount of approximately $55,803 from August 2011 to September 2013. However, from approximately late 2011 through early 2013, he was employed at Dawn’s Auto body in Keyport and paid off the books to allegedly ensure that his workers compensation payments would not be interrupted. While employed at Dawn’s Auto body, he allegedly used his access to the company’s bank account and stole $16,700 by making various electronic payments for personal items and also to make payments to the credit card of his girlfriend. During employment with Dawn’s Auto Body, the defendant is alleged to have admitted to the owners on separate occasions that he did not injure his back Jan. 2011 at DCH Honda, but that he had laid down next to a patch of ice in an area not in view of the dealership’s security cameras to make it appear as though he had slipped in order to obtain coverage under his employer’s insurance. The owners terminated Curbelo’s employment in March 2013, after they allegedly discovered that he had stolen money from the company’s bank account. Deputy Attorneys General T.J. Harker and Michael Clore and Detectives Wendy Berg and Grace Rocca coordinated the investigation. Courtesy of WorkersCompensation.com.
NJ Collision Repair Student Recognized at High School
Brian Riggins, an auto collision repair technology student in NJ, was selected as September's Student of the Month by the Cumberland County Technical Education Center and by his fellow classmates, according to thedailyjournal.com. Riggins, a junior at Millville Senior High School, attributed his selection to his determination and work ethic, thedailyjournal.com reported. "I've always wanted to be here. I don't like to stand around, so if I'm done with a project, I go back and make sure it's right," Riggins said. Terry Dolbow, his instructor, described Riggins as, "a true leader in every sense of the word. I am very proud of him; he will be a great asset to the auto body field." Riggins plans to attend automotive technology for two years and obtain dual certification. Eventually he hopes to open his own garage in Millville.
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Preston Automotive in Maryland Donates $3,500 for Breast Cancer Research The Preston Automotive Group went pink and united for a cure during the month of October. October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Preston Autoplex in MD hosted its Pink Rally to thank everyone who supported this year’s Drive To Inspire campaign in the fight against breast cancer. For the third year in a row, Preston Automotive Group teamed up with Comcast Spotlight to collect signatures on a pink-wrapped vehicle that tours the Shore to raise awareness and funds to end breast cancer. For every signature collected, Preston Automotive Group donated $1 to Team Wonder Women and Saving Second Base to support them as they join the fight in making strides against breast cancer. Preston Automotive Group presented a $3,500 check Friday, Oct. 24, for the fight in making strides against breast cancer. “It means a great deal to the whole group,” said Diana Vincent of Preston Automotive. “The Wilson family and our employees have been touched closely by cancer. We live with it. We want to support the fight and bring awareness. We appreciate
all the support from the community. The community really rallies together for this great cause.” In addition to the Pink Rally, all the Preston and Delaware dealerships donated $50 to the American Cancer Society for each new or preowned vehicle sold in October. Each auto body shop of Preston Automotive Group in Preston, Cambridge and Snow Hill also pledged to donate to the American Cancer Society. Each shop will donate two percent of all service done during the Breast Cancer Awareness event.
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Sherwin-Williams Donates $170,000 in Products to CREF
Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes donated $170,000 in products to high school and post-secondary collision school programs through the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF). The products included mixing guns, orbital sanders, polishing pads, conditioning brushes, and much more. Instructors around the greater Chicago land area were invited to visit the Sherwin-Williams training facility in Burr Ridge, IL and select from 16 pallets of products, which will assist collision instructors in teaching proper collision repair with up-to-date materials. “Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes is proud to be working with the Collision Repair Education Foundation to make a difference in our industry by supporting secondary and post-secondary schools whose students are currently looking to enter into the collision industry and make it their career,” said Rod Habel, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes’s Director of Training Operations. “Thank you to Sherwin-Williams for allowing our school to receive so much of their paint supplies. I know that running a collision program can be a demanding job with all of the budget restrictions and red tape, just to get a few items at our school, but I
must say Sherwin-Williams has come through for us,” said Kenny McMillian, Collision Instructor at Kennedy King College in Chicago. “We had a paint class that had started and for some strange reason the paint supplies that we needed to teach the class never got ordered. I started panicking and didn’t know how I was going to teach the class with no supplies, which was maxed out in the enrollment. Sherwin-Williams stepped up to the plate and donated the supplies we needed to teach the class. I am so grateful to the Collision Repair Education Foundation and Sherwin-Williams for helping to support the collision technical schools.” CREF Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode noted, “SherwinWilliams comes through for collision schools and instructors each and every year through product donations and instructor training. These types of donations are vital for instructors who have the expectation of providing highly skilled entry-level students but face smaller and smaller program budgets.” Industry members interested in helping high school and/or college collision school programs through CREF, should contact Brandon Eckenrode at Brandon.Eckenrode@edfoundation.org or 847-463-5244.
14 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
New Rochelle Auto Mall to Offer One Stop Shopping Car Repairs in New York
New Rochelle is getting a one stop shop for all its automotive needs no matter what the make and model of the car. New Rochelle Auto Mall in New York, located at 47 Potter Avenue, held its grand opening event with Bob Marrone, Executive Director of The Chamber of Commerce and Noam Bramson, the Mayor of New Rochelle. They cut the ceremonial ribbon on November 20. This idea was the brain child of Frank Bombace, the owner of New Rochelle Auto Body, and James Pavlounis, the owner of ISP Parking Management, as a response to Mayor Bramson’s call to bring new and big businesses into New Rochelle. The concept, although not entirely new, is unique for most auto body shops, as it offers a full service waiting area located outside the shop’s parameters. This allows customers to enjoy a complimentary coffee and beverage bar with free snacks, WiFi and a flat screen TV. In addition to these services, Hertz is on-site to provide rental cars in case customers cannot wait for
their car to be serviced. The grand opening event was catered with a tent to accommodate all guests and valet parking was provided by ISP Parking Management. All were invited to attend.
This story is courtesy of Talk of the Sound. A link to the original article can be found on www.autobodynews.com.
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Pro Spot Shines
close look at the assembly process for the top of the line welding and repair products. As one of the manufacturer’s approved by Ford to supply aluminum repair equipment for the collision repair industry, Pro Spot is also well known for its resistance spot welding equipment. In particular, Pro Spot was approved by Ford to supply their Collision Repair Program with SP Pulse MIG welders, Aluminum Dent Repair Stations, Fume Extractors and the SPR Riveter. Ron Olsson, the company’s founder and president, an electrical engineer, grew up in Sweden before moving to California in the 1980s. With a passion for riding motorcycles, Olsson’s inventive engineering started by creating a frame straightening machine for motorcycles. He soon realized there were more cars on the road than motorcycles and opened Pro Spot in 1986 to focus on creating quality collision repair equipment for vehicles. Ron’s daughter, Ashley, the company’s Director of Communications, explained about the different products
Pro Spot designs and builds and gave us a brief history about the company. She recalled memories of the early days of the business and the change they’ve experienced over the years.
Ashley Olsson demonstrates how welder assemblage begins with aluminum billet stock
Now settled after moving two years ago to its fourth location, Pro Spot manufacturers more than 30 products. With nearly 100 employees at their facility, the company owns and manages its own machine shop, a research and development department, a fabrication facility and production lines for various welders. Ashley said the benefit of manufacturing the equipment on-site is the ability to maintain the quality of their See Pro Spot Shines, Page 26
Victoria Antonelli’s First Welding Experience
When I-CAR-certified instructor Toby Chess told Stacey and me he wanted to teach us how to weld steel, we looked at each other nervously, and proceeded to say how excited we were. I never thought I’d be taking a welding class as part of my job, but I also never expected to become an automotive journalist, so I guess it comes with the territory. The nervousness and excitement returned when we arrived at Pro Spot International. By the end of our tour of the facilities, I was looking forward to getting my hands on the state-of-the-art welding equipment. Before I knew it, I was putting my gear on. The mask and eye protection felt awkward, but I appreciated their purpose. Victoria Antonelli’s (right) first welding Toby explained the equipment furexperience as Toby Chess casts a critical eye. ther before we used it, cracking jokes and asking surprise questions at every turn—just to make sure we were paying attention. I watched Stacey complete her first MIG weld with flying colors, and then it was my turn. Toby guided my hand, and proceeded to tell me numerous times to slow down as I moved the wire from top to bottom, sparks flying the whole time. That was fun! I did the same one a few more times, and after only a couple of tries, I was able to successfully complete a MIG weld on my own. I couldn’t wait to take pictures of my completed weld, and a selfie with my mask on. “You two are better than a lot of the full-time guys that come in here,” Toby reassured us. Next was the Spot Weld. This one gave me a little bit of trouble, but then again, drawing circles always has. Toby patiently worked with me until I came close enough to completing a small circle with a filled-in spot. After more pictures and gear removal, we headed back to Autobody News, feeling accomplished and ready for our next challenge—welding aluminum! This time I’m going to do my homework first.
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MDL and Insurers
After 35 years in the business, Perretta said he has never seen the industry in this state. “I grew up in this industry taking pride in what I do, doing safe, quality repairs. That’s what they’re trying to take away from us because it’s cheaper to do it that way,” said Perretta. “But they are putting the consumer at risk because of the way these repairs are being done.” Perretta acknowledges that many shop owners are fearful that the insurers will steer work away from them. “They’re scared for their families because if they don’t have work, then their families can’t eat.” However, he said shops have a choice. “They can either do it the right way or do it the wrong way. There’s no in between. But when they choose to do it the wrong way, they’ve made that choice.”
State Farm Responds to MDL “We anticipated the possibility of additional litigation similar to what had been previously filed, given the deadline for filing these complaints,” said
Dick Luedke, spokesperson for State Farm Insurance. “State Farm is a defendant along with dozens of other insurers in the litigation relating to issues that have been raised by some auto body repair facilities.” Luedke said State Farm has excellent working relationships with thousands of body shops across the country and they serve millions of customers who consistently indicate their satisfaction with their handling of claims. He said the just-released American Customer Satisfaction Index from the University of Michigan rates State Farm above all other national insurance companies. In addition, he said the company has consistently scored well above average in the JD Power auto claims satisfaction surveys. Among the 23 auto insurers included in the latest survey, State Farm was third, said Luedke. “As a leader in advancing vehicle safety, State Farm wants safe and reliable vehicles on the road,” said Luedke. “Customers are free to choose where to take their vehicle for repair. If they choose an independent auto body repair facility that takes part in our Select Service program they receive from that repair facility a national, limited life-
time repair warranty, something they don’t necessarily receive from a repair facility that is not part of our Select Service program.”
The ‘Movement’ Perretta said the next step for the ‘Movement’ is to continue encouraging more shops to get involved. “If they feel the way I feel and a lot of others feel, the only way to stop that is to get on board with us,” said Perretta. Meanwhile, shops are gathering documentation on the allegations being made. “It’s not a matter of what we say. It’s a matter of what we give them and show them.” Another trip to Congress is also on their agenda. Autobody News reported on their September trip to Washington D.C. in the (last) November issue of the magazine. The goal is to educate the house and senate about the 1963 Consent Decree, in hopes of getting the law enforced by U.S. Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch. Autobody News will continue to follow this story and keep readers upto-date about developments with the lawsuit. More information about ‘The Movement’ can be found online: www.TakingBackOurIndustry.com
GM Demonstrated Rail Saver Repair System at SEMA
General Motor’s Dealer Equipment Solutions has developed the The Rail Saver Repair System tool for collision repair technicians. The company said it was designed by an auto body technician to help fellow technicians efficiently repair frame rails and side members from the inside out. TG Products’ Tim Gerhards held a demonstration of the rail saver at SEMA. “The Rail Saver Repair System was tested and approved by General Motors for use on both full-frame and unitized vehicles,” said the GM Collision Repair Technology Center Manager at GM. “This product works on steel, high-strength steel, and aluminum body components. This tool will help pin-point the damage location to ensure accurate repairs from the inside of a frame rail working outward,” For more information visit www.GMDEsolutions.com or call 1-800-GM-TOOLS.
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Continued from Cover
Final 2014 CIC Meeting
or alternative solution to minimize that workflow disruption.” GM subsequently delayed the launch until sometime in the first quarter of next year, but it initially announced it would happen on December 1. As described by GM, the system will allow a shop using one of six supported estimating systems to create an estimate itemizing the GM parts needed (the parts prices will show only as “$0.00”). That estimate would then automatically be transmitted to the MyPriceLink pricing engine, which then sends notice back (generally in less than a minute) to the estimating system that the parts prices have been changed. When the user reopens the estimate, the parts prices would be listed. Alternatively, users can log into MyPriceLink to manually get parts prices through the website. There’s no charge to shops for using the system. It operates through OEConnection, which gives dealers access to information about all parts listed on the estimate including non-OEM and recycled parts. In his 5-minute presentation at CIC, Mayer acknowledged, “there’s probably some disruption and some unintended consequences in this process,” but he said, “We’re trying to be open and work through those.” California shop owner Randy Stabler jokingly thanked GM for providing “a controversial topic” for discussion at CIC just as his term as chairman of the quarterly conference begins in January. Stabler succeeds State Farm’s George Avery, who concluded his 2-year term as chairman at CIC in Las Vegas. Stabler said GM’s unexpected decision “to hold their data proprietary” is a good example of California shop the need for a owner Randy Staforum like CIC. bler speaks at the “Making that de2014 CIC meeting cision in a silo has held at SEMA. Photo credit: John some consequences Yoswick that maybe are not going to be the best for everyone in the long run,” Stabler said of GM’s announcement. “It shows the validity of having a forum where the disparate
parts of the industry can get together and talk and come up with some potential solutions.” With CIC being held just two days after the November 4 election, California attorney Cory King addressed one of the human resource issues effected by the vote in several California attorney states and cities: Corey King minimum wage. addresses the King began his minimum wage issue. Photo credit: presentation at CIC John Yoswick by reminding shops that minimum wage impacts shops even if, for example, their technicians are paid flat-rate and earn significantly more than minimum wage. Though wagehour laws vary by state, most jurisdictions are covered by federal fair labor law which allows flat-rate or commission employees to be exempt from overtime provided two provisions are met. “One, they make more than half of their money from flat-rate or commissions,” King said. “And two, they must make at least 1.5 times the minimum wage for all hours worked. If you’re not running this number every pay period, if you ever get audited or sued, you’re not going to be able to prove that you’re not paying your people overtime because they are exempt.” To do that calculation, shops need to be aware of the minimum wage. In last month’s election, voters in at least four states passed minimum wage hikes, joining more than 20 others that have done so. Workers in San Francisco and Oakland, Calif., also will see voter-enacted minimum wage increases; San Francisco, for example, joined Seattle in enacting a minimum wage that rises to $15 over several years. The other data point shops need is the actual clock hours every employee works. That’s why all employees, including flat-rate or commission technicians, should be using a time clock, King said. King’s presentations at CIC are structured as quizzes, with attendees asked to gauge the possible legal ramifications for employers of various human resource issues King lays out. One such question he posed at CIC in Las Vegas: An employee with a statesanctioned medical marijuana card crashes a customer car into the shop’s paint booth.
18 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
“And he was higher than a kite when he did it,” King said. “Can I fire him?” About half of CIC attendees indicated they thought the shop could fire such an employee, and King said they are generally correct. Most (though not all) states with medical marijuana cards protect the holder only from criminal penalties. In those states, King said, you also do no have to hire a medical marijuana user “as long as you have a quality alcohol and drug policy that prohibits having measurable amounts of illegal drugs in their system.” (Marijuana is still illegal under federal law.) Even in the few states that offer civil protections to medical marijuana card holders, he said, the law “does not allow the employee to possess, use or be impaired [by marijuana] while they are on company premises or during working hours.” The employee who crashed the car, therefore, could be fired, King said. King’s next scenario: A shop wants to fire a newly-hired and underperforming receptionist. She recently refused to put up the Christmas deco-
rations in the shop office, citing religion reasons. Can she be fired for insubordination? No way, King said; that would be seen as religious discrimination. As with someone with a disability, King said, the shop should have talked with the employee and found a reasonable accommodation (in this case, found someone else to put up the decorations) and moved forward. But the shop also found the receptionist had left a window open on her computer screen that indicated she’d been looking for a job while at work. Can the shop fire her for that? It depends, King said, on what the shop’s employee handbook says about Internet usage. It might say shop computers cannot be used for personal use. But when was she using it? She could have been legally looking for a job while on her break. And does the shop enforce the Internet rule consistently with all employees? “It’s a little dicey to say you’re going to fire her because you don’t like what she was doing on the Internet even though you allow other people to do it,” King said. It comes down to the “smell facSee Final 2014 CIC Meeting, Page 42
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Lean Operations
Competing with MSO Consolidation with David Luehr
“The 3 Vital Behaviors of the Best of the Best Shops” There are shops that are located in heavily MSO consolidated markets that instead of becoming a victim, became a beneficiary! I call these shops “positive deviants.” When many shops in these parts of the country are struggling or selling out, the positive deviants are actually doing quite well and in many cases outperforming the consolidators! One of these best of the best shop owners told me they have all four big MSOs (Caliber, Gerber, ABRA, Service King) within a five mile radius of his shop! So I am prompted to starting asking the question, what are these guys doing differently than the independents that are struggling in the same markets? After speaking to many positive deviant shops, and asking them what they do to get great results, I got many of the usual answers that you would expect from a successful organization. Good leadership, high quality work,
David Luehr is the owner of Elite Body Shop Solutions, LLC, a collision business consulting firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a 30 year veteran of the collision repair industry. David is an expert in Body Shop Operations and specializes in Lean, and Theory of Constraints methods. Email him at dluehr@msn.com
good customer service, great employees, bla, bla, bla. But these things anymore are kind of a “given.” Even to be a mediocre business you need to have some level of these qualities. So I searched deeper to distill the findings into what I call the Vital 3 Behaviors. 1. Culture of Learning 2. Participation in a peer group or network 3. Measure the Right KPIs All the positive deviant shops strongly display these 3 Vital behaviors, struggling shops don’t!
Vital Behavior 1 - Culture of Learning These businesses crave knowledge! If you don’t believe me, look at the indepth I-CAR study on the subject. (Check it out at www.i-car.com ) ICAR contends that A Learning Culture is at the very foundation of all the super successful shops they studied. The very understanding of things such as proper business management, leadership skills
and process development skills stem from the leaders desire to learn. They seek their knowledge from sources such as I-CAR, Webinars, and Clinics. They typically read books regularly, and are continuously looking for new sources of education.
Vital Behavior 2 - Participation in a peer group or network Some of the positive deviants are very involved with their associations such as ASA, others join franchise organizations, and many get involved in round table groups that their paint manufacturers host. Shops that feel like they are alone on an island, can’t and probably won’t succeed. There is power in numbers far beyond the sum of its individual members. Some of the benefits that participation in a group includes… ♦ Mastermind principal – a group of like-minded individuals with the same challenges working together to achieve
great things ♦ Friendly competitive spirit between members ♦ Accountability to one another ♦ Massive knowledge resource. When you are on the island you only have your own knowledge, in a group, you can have everyone’s! ♦ Leadership skills – by participating in a group of people trying to better themselves and their shops, skills such as leadership are enhanced, you learn to present, become a more professional and rounded person. ♦ You learn to “See beyond you own walls” so to speak. Vital Behavior 3 - Measure the right key performance indicators The third vital behavior was Measure KPIs, but I was reminded by one of the positive deviant shops that it is important to measure the “right ones.” He was right, there are some shops that See MSO Consolidation, Page 41
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Patent Case: Allegations of Gaining Information from Password-Protected Site by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor
A district court case in Minnesota pertaining to patent infringement is at the center of a controversy between two parts supplier companies: Total Automotive and Dorman Products. This includes allegations that Dorman Products logged into Total Automotive’s password-protected website and then introduced competing products to the marketplace. On April 11, Total Automotive filed a complaint against Dorman Products for manufacturing, using, selling, and/or offering to sell hinge bracket kits that infringe on the ‘654 Patent owned by Total Automotive. Six months later on Oct. 31, the Minnesota-based company amended the complaint highlighting the specific allegations against Dorman. Total Automotive is an OEM automotive parts wholesale distributor that also manufactures door hinge repair kits for about 7,000 vehicle applications. Dorman Products, based in Colmar, Pennsylvania, supplies automotive replacement parts to the automotive aftermarket. It is related to RB Distribution, Inc., a U.S.-based supplier of replacement parts and fasteners to the automotive aftermarket. and resides at the same location in Colmar. According to court documents, Total Automotive claims that on re-
peated occasions, “one or more persons using computers with IP addresses registered to RB Distribution have logged into Total Automotive’s password-protected website using the login ID and password of Total Automotive customers.” These include Dempster Auto Corporation and Danken Auto Supply. In addition, Total Automotive said that RB Distribution’s access to their website is a violation of the company’s “click wrap” agreement, which is displayed on their login page. Click wrap agreements are agreements formed on the Internet where a website provider posts terms and conditions and the user clicks an “I Accept” button. The courts have generally held these agreements to be enforceable. The company also claimed that the unlawful access to the password-protected site was “done with the knowledge and consent, and with the express intention, of providing information to Dorman regarding Total Automotive’s product catalogs and non-public pricing.” Dorman denies the allegations and said it has not infringed on any claim of the ‘654 Patent. They stated in court documents it “does not require authorization or a license to make, use, sell, or offer to sell its accused products as they are not within the scope of the ‘654 Patent.” According to Total Automotive, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
issued the company the ‘654 Parent entitled “Door Hinge Repair Apparatus and Method,” on December 10, 2013. Derek Flom, the company’s Business Development Manager, said Total Automotive has patents on some of its products and a lot of its products are exclusive to the company. “The main advantage of our products and our hinge kits is they’re all made in the USA and designed with the end user so they actually work,” said Flom. “They install quickly and reliably, and they function really well.” Flom said the hinges are engineered so they can be installed on a vehicle without having to paint and the tedious labor of unbolting and aligning parts for the door. “It’s really developed with the end user in mind.” Company attorney Marc Al said the 22-year-old company has a variety of products, and is very well known for its high-quality door hinge kits. Total Automotive claims that Dorman does not have permission to use the subject matter claimed in the ‘654 Patent and has unfairly reaped a substantial advantage in research, development, and operational time and cost, all to Total Automotive’s detriment. As a direct result, Total Automotive said it has been caused significant financial damage.
The lawsuit stated that Dorman withdrew its product from the market after it learned that it infringed on Total Automotive’s patent rights but then re-introduced its hinge bracket kits. As a result, Total Automotive is seeking damages to compensate the company for Dorman’s direct infringement of the patent. “The relief requested is that Dorman immediately stop selling the infringing bracket kits and for money damages,” said Al. Dorman countered that Total Automotive is misusing the ‘654 Patent “by bringing the present action against Dorman, alleging patent infringement to coerce Dorman into entering a license agreement when Total Automotive knew or should have known that the ‘654 Patent is not infringed; invalid; and unenforceable.” No court date has been set but Al said a scheduling conference will be held Jan. 6. Since this is a patent case, there will likely be a Markman hearing, which is a pretrial hearing in which a federal judge examines evidence on the relevant words used in a patent claim, and clarifies any disputes regarding the meaning of words in the patent. The case will ultimately be resolved through motion practice, trial, possible appeal or settlement. Calls to Dorman Products and the company’s attorneys at Volpe and Koenig were not returned.
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 21
SEMA 2014 Entertains, Informs and Wows the Crowd
22 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 23
Matrix Hosts “Artists 4 Education” Auction at SEMA
Matrix Automotive Finishes, a Quest Automotive brand based in Commerce Twp, MI, hosted its second annual auction to help support the Collision Repair Education Foundation. All custom artwork from artists across the country were inside the
Top automotive artists from across the country created unique pieces of art that were sold at the Matrix booth at SEMA. Proceeds from the “Artists 4 Education” program went to support the CREF
Matrix booth at SEMA. Artists 4 Education was created to raise money through fundraising activities that involve the expert skills of the automotive industry’s top artists
across the country. Additionally, with the participation of various industry partners such as Nuplex Resins, M.F. Cachet Company, AalChem, Chromaflo Technologies, BASF, Pipeline Packaging, Dan-Am Company/SATA USA, Anest Iwata, Dedoes Industries, Dorn Color, and Miller Electric cash donations and unique items were donated to help support the cause. David Brunori, President of Quest Automotive Products, explained that, “Our first annual Artists 4 Education campaign was a huge success. We raised and donated nearly $25,000 to the Collision Repair Education Foundation. This year we have increased our expectations to $50,000. We feel it is our responsibility as industry participants to support CREF, whose sole purpose is to raise awareness to the growing shortage of certified technicians entering the collision repair industry. We want to continue to grow the Artists 4 Education campaign, which means continuing to involve the artist community, manufacturers, and industry partners.” For more information about Artists 4 Education, go to: www. artists4education.org or www.facebook.com/artists4education.
Valspar Automotive & House of Kolor Make a Splash
The Valspar Automotive House of Kolor booth at SEMA featured celebrities, demonstrations and the latest in automotive coating technology from the Minneapolis, MNbased company.
Fast N Loud stars K.C. Mathieu and Richard Rawlings at the Valspar Automotive booth at SEMA
Celebrity appearances included Richard Rawlings, Aaron Kaufman and K.C. Mathieu from Gas Monkey Garage, Gear Boxxx from Skin Wars, Craig Fraser from Air Syndicate/Kal Koncepts, Mike
Lavallee from Killer Paint and demonstrations from other popular kustom painters. The House of Kolor wall was also displayed in the Valspar Automotive booth. The wall was filled with kolors and effects of the new Shimrin2 series. Experts were on hand to demonstrate the mixing and versatility of the product line. The Valspar Automotive satellite booth in the PBES section of Noth Hall highlighted the capabilities of the new DeBeer Air Dry Clear Coat along with the refinish systems of DeBeer and Valspar Refinish. “Valspar has a long legacy of charity work, which we are proud to continue at the SEMA show. Our display helmets at the Valspar Automotive booth were auctioned off during the show and all proceeds donated to The Gas Monkey Foundation. House of Kolor is also taking part by donating all art proceeds to Victory Junction,” said Gina Mahan, Valspar Automotive North America marketing manager. For additional information about Valspar Automotive, visit: www.valsparauto.com.
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24 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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O’Reilly Automotive Reports Record-Breaking 3Q Results
O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. announced on Oct. 22 record revenues and earnings for its third quarter that ended Sept. 30. The following are comparisons for the same period one year ago. Sales increased $149 million, or 9%, to $1.88 billion from $1.73 billion. Gross profit increased to $968 million from $879 million, representing an increase of 10%. Selling, general and admin expenses increased to $624 million from $579 million, representing an increase of 8%. Operating income increased to $344 million from $300 million, representing an increase of 14%. Net income increased $31 million, or 16%, to $217 million from $186 million. Diluted earnings per common share increased 22% to $2.06 on 105 million shares versus $1.69 on 110 million shares. Greg Henslee, President & CEO, said, “We are very proud to report another very successful quarter. Team O’Reilly’s unwavering commitment to providing excellent customer service to every customer who calls or walks into our stores continues to be the key to our ability to grow our market share and generate record breaking results, highlighted by our 6.2% increase in comparable store sales, which exceeded the top end of our quarterly guidance by 120 basis points.”
Axalta Releases Global Automotive 2014 Color Popularity Report Axalta Coating Systems, headquartered in Philadephia, PA, announced its Global Automotive 2014 Color Popularity Report on October 31. The report has annually tracked regional automotive color preferences since 1953. This year’s report introduces Color Matrix, Axalta’s automotive color forecast for use on future production vehicles. “Our Color Popularity Report data not only allows us to see the colors most favored by consumers but, more importantly, it enables us to forecast future trends. Every year, designers from our OEM customers depend on our advanced forecasting to make critical decisions regarding color choices for their vehicle lineup two to four years in advance,” stated David Fischer, VP of Marketing for Axalta’s global light vehicle OEM business. The upcoming trends showcase four color groups: pale hues, bright colors, muted versions and dark shades. The matrix of colors is shown in fine or coarse metallics, solids, tintcoats, tricoats and pearlescent varieties. “Our global color specialists formulate the next generation of coatings colors, as we continually aspire to meet the needs of the constantly changing market,” said Nancy Lockhart, Axalta Color Marketing Manager. “At Axalta,
we are committed to partnering with our customers to provide the best possible coatings, combining our perspective on future trends with manufacturers’ knowledge of their customers and markets. The result we continually strive for is an everevolving color palette for automotive designers.” Report Highlights: The world color data shows that white, at 29 percent, remains the most popular shade on vehicles for the fourth year in a row, while color is showing signs of coming back with red, blue and yellow each increasing by one percent. Black, at 19 percent, is still strong overall in the market, but has dropped one percent since last year.
North America ● White tops the charts at 25 percent ● Red, more popular in North America than other regions, climbed three percent in popularity ● White, silver and black declined one percent this year ● Pearlcoats are the most popular coating in the United States ● Solid white is preferred in Mexico South America ● A strong preference for white at 27 percent of vehicles and silver, at 25 percent
● Black is third popular at 12 percent ● Red increased one percent this year to 11 percent overall
Europe ● Europe has the most blue vehicles on the road. Major increases in blue were seen in the compact/sport and intermediate multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) ● Silver and white continued to decline ● Green is at one percent popularity
Asia ● There is a strong preference for white at 30 percent, with the highest usage in South Korea at 34 percent ● Black has dropped slightly, but holds second place at 19 percent ● Black is most popular on luxury vehicles in China at 24 percent ● Blue is more popular in Japan than in other countries in Asia
More 2014 color popularity data and information on the Color Matrix trend categories can be found at www.axaltacs. com/AnnualColorPopularityReport.
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 25
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Pro Spot Shines
products. “We’re really big on quality, we have control to make sure each product leaving our facility provides our customers with the best product available.” This past summer they visited Ford’s Deerborn Plant near the Detroit River, where Ford started building cars in the 1920s.
Toby Chess is flanked by editors Stacey (left) and Victoria (right), who showed Toby enough ability to get to the next class
Inspired by Henry Ford, Olsson modeled some of his own business practices on Ford’s ideas. “Ford did everything he could so that there would be no bottlenecks in his production process,” said Ashley. “He had his own trains, trucks, forests, etc.” Like Ford, Ashley said her father is a true inventor and visionary. “’For example, we were at Ford walking around, an idea came to him and immediately he’s drawing out designs for new equipment on the first sheet of paper he can find,” she said.
Pro Spot has worked with Ford over the last five years in regards to the F-150. “Ford really considered the repairability in the design process,” said Ashley. “This is huge because we’re working with them on the possibilities of creating a collision repair program.” “With Ford announcing they are making America’s best-selling vehicle, their F-150, out of aluminum,” said Ron. “Any body shop anywhere, wherever they are, is going to be fixing a few F-150s every month and some of them are going to be doing it everyday.” In order to meet this need, Ron said the company is focused on supplying the necessary equipment to collision repair shops. “We work with the technicians, using their feedback to make sure our equipment is user friendly,” said Ashley. They designed a special research and development area where engineers can build new things and test them out. During the tour, Ashley explained some of the challenges with aluminum during the repair process. “Aluminum doesn’t have a memory like steel and is also sensitive to heat. The repair process requires a different approach. It’s not impossible, it’s not harder, it’s just different,” she said. “These shops are just going to have to learn a new procedure for preparing the aluminum.” “You can’t weld on aluminum the same way you would on steel because on a spot weld pressure and heat creates a resistance,” said Ashley. “With aluminum, you can’t heat it up because it becomes brittle and will break.
Stacey Phillips’s First Welding Experience
Looking through my heavy mask, I was carrying the torch with shaky hands and holding my breath. Then I saw the first sparks light up the room. I realized at that moment that I was actually welding. With an abundance of patience and his trademark sense of humor, Toby Chess from I-CAR Training & Certification, recently spent a good part of his morning teaching Victoria and I how to weld. First, he gave an overview of the type of welding we would learn – MIG weld brazing. That’s metal inert gas, he explained. The advantage of MIG brazing is the lower heat input. The wires typically used for MIG brazing have a melting temperature of 1,000 degrees, which puts less heat on the vehicle’s panels. After installing the wire, Toby talked about gun angle. Whether welding steel or aluminum, he stressed the importance of always holding the gun at 80 degrees. He gave a quick demonstration of the weld we were going to do using the state-of-the-art Pro Spot welder we were lucky enough to learn on, and I Toby Chess (left) and welding student Stacey was ready. Mask on. Gloves up. Glasses Phillips (right) work on her first weld using down. Pro Spot’s MIG welder. After completing my first weld, Toby put it to the test: did it fall apart under stress? He said I passed with flying colors. Now I was hooked and wanted to learn more. However, I realized it takes more than just skill and training. If done improperly during a collision repair, a poor weld can compromise the vehicle’s structural integrity. I may have just welded sheet metal, but what I really learned are some of the challenges real technicians face. Realistically, how would a collision repair shop hire one? Shop infrastructure and equipment are both important components as well. I-CAR offers these help with their courses as well as an on-site assessment. Looking back at my first welding experience, it gave me a better appreciation for all of the technicians who weld on the vehicles we drive everyday. A proper weld can save lives. What’s next? I asked Toby. Learning how to weld aluminum... Stay tuned.
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Muñoz Waxman Gallery Art Based on Collision Repair
The Art Collision & Repair Shop™, created by Santa Fe/Brooklyn-based artist Susan Begy and co-curated with Santa Fe-based art historian Kathryn M Davis, is a process-driven project about creativity and collaboration. A repair shop owned by Begy’s father serves as a metaphor for this experimental, ongoing community event. Viewers will enter the exhibition through an artistic version of a mechanic's waiting room, where they can watch a short video that helps define the project. Another group of invited artists, the Art Mechanics, work in teams to decide how to complete the artwork they have chosen without knowing its source or back story. Once an artist delivers an artwork to the mechanics, the piece no longer belongs to the artist. The exhibition features nine refurbished works, alongside documentation of the orig-
inal artworks. There are no rules governing the process − paintings are transformed into sculptures, sculptures have become video installations, poetry is woven into objects. The exhibit will be open from November 14 to February 1, 2015 at Muñoz Waxman Main Gallery.
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‘Departmental Quality Control Can Prevent Incorrect Repairs’ Says Larry Montanez in SCRS RDE Seminar by Victoria Antonelli, Online Editor
Larry Montanez, co-owner of P&L Consultants in Brooklyn, NY, began his SCRS seminar at SEMA with a scenario almost all body shops can relate to. It’s Friday afternoon. You’re trying to get the car you’re working on back to its owner in one piece, and the detailer (who Montanez refers to as “the smartest guy in the shop”) starts noticing every dink you overlooked. Whether it’s a blown out tire left in the trunk, or a misaligned door frame, the last thing anyone wants to do is stay late on a Friday, correcting errors that could’ve been prevented “if you took an extra 10–15 minutes.” Montanez’s seminar teaches body shop owners have to avoid late nights, unhappy customers, and unnecessary expenses. “The shop has to put in place accountability,” said Montanez. “I found that doing checks per department help, even doing peer reviews, as well as initiating standard operating procedures. All of us love to say we have [standard operating procedures] but we don’t want to do it, or we try to do
ways take pride in work? Do my counterparts take pride? Do I see my employees taking pride?’” Montanez also asked the body shop owners in the room, “How many times do you see the same tech making the same mistake over and over again? Why is he still working for you?” “I knew a painter who came into work at 8:45am, even though the shop opened at 8, and would leave at 3pm every day to bring his kids to school,” said Montanez. “I asked the owner, “’How Larry Montanez, Collision Damage Analyst, CDR Technimany cars does he do a day, cian, Trainer Mentor, CDR Operators Technician, CDR Data and he responded, ‘two, and Analyst, and co-owner of P & L Consultants, LLC every fourth car he has to re“Change is the most hated thing paint.” “If the guy was pushing out four in any aspect of life, and because we hate it so much, it becomes impossi- cars a day with little to no errors, I’d understand striking a deal,” said Monble,” said Montanez. Pride in one’s work is another as- tanez. “The owner use to be a painter, pect of the collision repair industry and when I asked why he didn’t get that Montanez feels takes a hit, and rid of the guy and start painting, he responded, ‘I don’t have time.’ And can lead to sloppiness. “All the body shop owners in the that’s the problem right there- he audience – ask yourselves, ‘Do I al- made excuses and got lazy because he it and it goes to waste.” “Why is that?” Montanez asked the audience. “Change,” responded a woman in the second row, and she was right.
’
didn’t want change.” In order to avoid laziness and error, Montanez implemented “The P&L Repair Process” which was featured on one of his slides:
1. Documentation and photographs of the vehicle upon arrival 2. Triage, disassembly 3. Damage analysis and preliminary measurements 4. Set up for structural realignment 5. Preliminary realignment 6. Final realignment and trial fitting of parts 7. Metal repairs and cosmetic repairs 8. Prep and refinish 9. Detail and final checks for delivery
“I can guarantee those of you who are on DRP systems or even those of you who aren’t, can shave one to two days off your overall cycle time per month if you follow these steps,” said Montanez. “So, you can add up to a three day cycle time within six months, for the DRP shops, that will look great for you, for the non-DRP shops, that’s money in your pocket quicker.” Montanez’ next slide made the
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distinction between estimates and blueprints. “The primary function of triage is creating a blueprint for the repair process,” said Montanez. “Remember, an estimate is an opinion or a tentative price approximation. A blueprint is an accurate plan and price for processing the repairs and procedures.” He also developed the “EME 54 Theory” to apply to every vehicle that comes through a body shop’s doors:
- Every collision damaged vehicle must be measured for structural integrity - Most measured vehicles will require structural realignment - Every structurally realigned vehicle will require at minimum a 4-wheel alignment check
When performing filling and painting work on the bumpers, Montanez states, “It is important to ensure that the maximum paint coat thick ness is not exceeded at the short range radar sensors. This can lead to radar sensors, which leads to malfunctions when the sensors detect excessive paint coat thickness as an obstacle. The limit value for the paint coat thickness
at the sensors is two coats of paint (primer, color and clear).”
Montanez also stresses the importance of using individual checklists for each department:
Teardown Structural Repair Metal Prep Detail Final
Each slide of the PowerPoint dedicated to these different segments included a thorough review of the original photos and measurements, in order to ensure that every possible angle has been covered.
The final checklist, included at the end of Montanez’ PowerPoint, is the most important, because it is the last chance to correct any errors that have been overlooked (mistakes happen, we are only human):
• Front license plate • Underside of front bumper cleaned • Headlamps operational
• Headlamps aimed • High beam low beam operation • Fog lamps operational • Fog lamps aimed • Under-hood bolts touched up • Registration sticker date • Inspection sticker date • Doors operational • Door strikers tightened • Door locks operational • Door windows operational • Signal lamps operational • Parking lamps operational • Backup lamps operational • License lamps operational • Tail lamps operational • Parking sensors operational • Hazard lamps operational • Battery connected and tight • Hood latch lubricated • Rocker panels/molding underside cleaned • Pillar labels installed (tire, VIN, etc) • Stone guard tape installed • Trunk lid operational • Trunk lid bolts touched up • Emblems and nameplates installed • Rear license plate installed • Underside of rear bumper cleaned • Dash lights MIL • SRS lamp • Passenger SRS OFF lamp
• Temperature lamp • Navigation • Time and date • Spare tire and jack installed • Floor mats installed • Test drive performed • Lug nuts torqued after drive • Temperature lamp • Oil lamp • Alternator lamp • Oil level • Power steering fluid full • Washer fluid full • Transmission fluid level • Antifreeze level • Fuel level • Radio unlocked and presets • Lug nuts torqued after drive • Tire pressure and valve caps • Power seats operational • Seat belts operational and buckles • Windshield wiper blades • Windshield washer fluid level • AC and heater operational • Windows cleaned • Mirrors cleaned
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Media and Publicity for Shops
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
CAA Gets a New Web Site with More Features and Better Navigation with Ed Attanasio
Sprucing up your web site is like remodeling your house. You want it to look nice and you want your visitors to feel comfortable. You want people to come and stay for awhile and find your address easily and quickly. The California Autobody Association (CAA) recently launched a new web site for its members and consumers and now www.calautobody.com is the organization’s new residence online. CAA Executive Director, David McClune is pleased with the result and many of his organization’s 1,000plus members seem to agree. “Our developer, Optima Automotive, did an outstanding job on our new site,” McClune said. “It’s easy to use and it doesn’t look cluttered. The site provides a way for businesses to join online, an interactive calendar of events, a consumer advocacy section, chapter information, hot links, direct access to regional managers, and a ‘Find a CAA Shop’ feature for consumers. Our members have given the site some great reviews and once they work with it more, I’m confident that they’ll learn more about it and how they can use it to be effective within CAA.” Mark Claypool, President and CEO of Optima Automotive, spearheaded the development of the new CAA site. His company has produced more than 300 automotive-related web sites since opening its doors six years ago. “An association web site should be built with the member in mind, first and foremost,” Claypool said. “CAA members do the same things any member of any trade organizations does - paying dues and participating in association and chapter meetings. But, maybe most impor-
tantly, they run their businesses in this challenging industry. There’s only so much time in the day and that’s why there is nothing more frustrating than a poorly-designed association web site that members struggle to navigate through. Therefore, making a web site simple, easy to navigate, intuitive and proactive is what they deserve, and is beneficial for member retention and attraction and that was our CEO Mark Claypool main objective in and his company Optima Automotive building a new designed the web site for CAA.” California Autobody Optima also Association’s new built the new CAA web site that has web site in responmore features that both members and sive design. “Reconsumers can use sponsive design is taking the web by storm,” Claypool said. “A large percentage of CAA members are likely to be accessing the CAA web site from mobile devices - smart phones, iPhones and tablets, for example. A responsive design web site allows the site to be applied at different browser widths. This means that the site will automatically be altered based on the size screen the visitor is using, making their experience as visually and navigationally satisfying as possible.” The site will have a simple-to-use calendar the CAA staff and board members may use to schedule events, chapter meetings, etc. “This way, officers can easily add events to the calendar and keep all of their chapter members in the loop,” McClune said. “By constantly keeping connected to the membership, everyone can be effective and now we have the ability to
continually update the information on the site, which is huge.” The new CAA site has a consumer section where people can search for member shops via zip codes. “We made this as easy as we could, so that people looking for member body shops can locate them quickly and easily,” Claypool said. “Everything is go, go, go today and if a consumer can’t find the information they need fast, they’ll move on, so we made this feature as intuitive and easy to access as we possibly could.” In addition, CAA’s new site has a link to LinkedIn groups, private to the CAA and also private to each chapter. “These LinkedIn groups make for a simple, affordable way to push communications to select members about events, milestones, legislation, etc.,” Claypool explained. “A step-by-step how to sign up on LinkedIn is provided on the site for members to get set up. Key events and actions can be pushed
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Hertz Introduces New Web-based HIRS Tool The Hertz Corporation introduced a new web-based portal, HIRS for Repair Shops. Developed in conjunction with the software company Information Builders, HIRS for Repair Shops assists shops in managing their key performance indicators and provides real time rental reporting. The tool was created to help repair shops reduce in-coming phone calls, give real time access to customizable reporting and manage Hertz rentals all in one place.
Set to launch in the first quarter of 2015, shops recently had the opportunity to demo the product and sign up for service during SEMA. “Hertz is committed to growing its network of neighborhood locations that service the collision repair industry,” said Hertz Senior VP John Holt. “Our new HIRS web portal was developed to assist shops in managing their performance and to provide real time Hertz rental reporting.”
30 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
through the suggested LinkedIn group designated for legislative purposes. This means that communications will link members on the world’s-leading professional networking site and also makes it possible to save CAA money. Rather than spending a significant amount of money to program this capability into the CAA site, why not take advantage of the technology that already exists and take advantage of all of its other residual benefits?” The new CAA web site went live in October, so that members can offer feedback as they tweak it. “The site will continue to evolve over time with member input and as times and technology change,” McClune said. “We want to have the best site we possibly can, and by developing it using Word Press, we can make changes seamlessly.” Visit CAA’s new home online and look around. You’ll be impressed by its easy navigation, clean look and numerous features.
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H OND A C ONN ECT I CUT
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National Associations
NABC Gives Away Four Cars at Annual SEMA Luncheon with Ed Attanasio
Giving cars to the needy is a perfect and proven way for the collision industry to give back. Most of the time, body shops and insurance companies work together to fix cars and return them back to their owners.
Allstate Insurance, GEICO, Enterprise Rent-a-Car and Hertz. The local repairers included Caliber Collision, Service King and Gerber Collision and a fourth vehicle was repaired by South County Collision in California. The recipients selected by Family Promise were: La Cara and Marice Washington and their three children received a Hyundai Sonata donated by GEICO and repaired by Caliber Collision. They both recently graduated from the Family Promise shelter program and are currently employed and have their own housing. La Cara and Marice Washington and their children with their Hyundai Sonata donated by Gerber Collision and Cassandra Waller, a single Enterprise Rent-A-Car mother with two children reFour formerly homeless Las Vegas ceived a Dodge Durango donated by families visited the SEMA Show last Allstate Insurance and repaired by week and left as proud owners of pracService King. Physical disabilities tically brand new cars presented by limit her mobility so a Recycled Rides members of the National Auto Body vehicle will greatly help her to imCouncil (NABC) at its annual Recycled prove her quality of life. Rides Luncheon on Nov. 5. Magan and Wayne Sykes and These four families were selected their two children received a Nissan by Family Promise of Las Vegas, an Maxima donated by Hertz and reorganization that has been partnering paired by the Van Tuyl Group. This with the NABC for the past seven years to provide at-risk families with reliable transportation, so they can begin to rebuild and regain their financial stability. NABC’s Recycled Rides program is a unique collaboration of the collision industry. Since the program’s inception in 2007, repairers, insurers, rental car companies and suppliers have teamed up to restore and donate over 1,000 vehicles to individuals and Janiecia Fernandez and her daughter admire their Hyundai Sonata Hybrid donated by Caliber Collision and GEICO non-profit organizations nationwide. couple is successfully enrolled in FamCollision repair professionals ily Promise’s Community Partnership from facilities in Las Vegas volun- for Opening Doors Housing Program. teered their time and expertise to reJaniecia Fernandez, received a store damaged vehicles donated by Hyundai Sonata Hybrid donated by
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34 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
Gerber Collision and Enterprise RentA-Car. Fernandez is a single mother of two young children and a participant of the Promises to Keep Housing Program. This vehicle will allow her to devote her time to being a good
ing through our Family Promise programs,” said Terry Lindemann, Executive Director of Family Promise of Las Vegas. “Reliable transportation is the critical link that enables these families to continue on the road to recovery and we are grateful for the support and impact that the National Auto Body Council has made in our local community.” NABC Executive Director Chuck Sulkala is proud of the NABC’s Recycled Rides program and the success it’s achieved especially this year. “We’re going to give away almost 300 vehicles to people in need in 2014,” he said. Magan and Wayne Sykes, with their two young children received a Nissan Maxima donated by Hertz and repaired “With all of these great insurby the Van Tuyl Group ance companies, collision remother and working with her chilpairers, paint suppliers, parts vendors dren’s education. and other companies onboard, this is “Each of these recipient families a joint effort every year and it’s amazhave successfully transitioned from ing to see so many people who go out homelessness into independent housof their way to make this happen.”
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On Creative Marketing
Tom Franklin has been a sales and marketing consultant for fifty years. He has written numerous books and provides marketing solutions and services for many businesses. He can be reached at (323) 871-6862 or at tbfranklin@aol.com. See Tom’s columns at www.autobodynews.com under Columnists > Franklin
Autobody Associations—A Great Source of Marketing Information with Thomas Franklin
Recently I had the pleasure of being the only reporter at a local autobody association chapter meeting. This was an especially interesting meeting focusing on the new Ford F150 truck and its aluminum body. There was a great panel of industry experts whose comments could significantly impact the success of a shop trying to perform more competitively and profitably. So I was troubled when one member of the panel asked how many shop owners were present and only about six or seven raised their hands. This was a room containing an audience of more than one hundred people. One would think that at least a quarter of the attendees would be major shop decision-makers. But I shouldn’t have been surprised. I’ve heard the same question at numerous meetings with the same low decisionmaker count. The last few meetings I’ve attended focused on elements that will determine the survival and success of most collision repair shops. The focus on new vehicle designs, materials, reparability and management processes prepares shop owners and managers for a business future that may be extremely challenging. That same focus tells these owners and managers what messages they need to get out to current and prospective customers to keep vehicles coming into their shops. This particular meeting provided ammunition for a marketing attack based on the hazards of dealing with aluminum and potential dangers for vehicle owners if they choose an ill-informed and illequipped shop to do their repairs. That message is appropriate for nearly every potential customer, whether an individual vehicle owner, fleet manager, dealership principal, or insurance DRP.
The message I’ve heard in many association meetings this and last year is that technology will now be driving the emphasis in shop marketing. That same message says that collision repair professionals can now command a new, higher level of respect. The days of thinking of a body shop as a place where low-paid workers pound dents out of fenders and massage damaged metal back into place has come to an end. Vehicle manufacturers have raised the bar and a typical shop today must have certified technicians and costly equipment to work on computerized vehicles, dangerous electrical and hybrid systems and exotic metal and carbon fiber bodies. Websites and other media that emphasize the old systems and equipment are missing the marketing boat. The time has come to seize this higher level of respect for the complicated new practice of restoring these complex vehicles to pre-accident condition. A much earlier meeting about this time of year was addressed by a V.P. from SEMA. This was when NACE abandoned Las Vegas to host the NACE show in a different city. The executive talked about the new benefits that can come from a collision shop attendance at and participation in a SEMA show in Las Vegas. The SEMA people were doing all possible to make the show informative and of value to collision repair attendees. Although the V.P. focused on amenities and conveniences for shop owners and managers, there were numerous references to new products and processes collision shop marketers could add to their repertoire of products and services. I attended SEMA that year and saw first hand
Four Collision Schools Awarded GEICO Grants The Collision Repair Education Foundation announced the winners of GEICO’s collision school grants for 2014: Hillsborough Community College (Tampa, FL); Norwalk High School (Norwalk, CA); Texas State Technical College (Waco, TX); Wilson Tech (Dix Hills, NY.) Each of the winning schools applied for a grant from the Ultimate Collision Education Makeover program, and each will receive
$6,750 to purchase items off their collision tool, equipment and supply wish list from their application. The winners were named Nov. 4 at the Education Foundation’s industry reception held at SEMA 2014. “GEICO recognizes that the collision repair industry needs highly-qualified, well-trained and knowledgeable technicians to repair today’s car” said Bill DeGrocco, Assistant VP at GEICO.
36 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
what he meant. One lady from a local shop was at the show and she noted that her shop could immediately profit from providing customers with alarm systems, child restraints, pet restraints, backing-up lights and cameras, specialty wheels and more. She saw a way to attract new customers and enjoy greater profits. While these were autobody association meetings that could aid marketing efforts, I think the best meetings focused on providing what is most needed for effective marketing: MONEY! Business analysts generally say about seven percent of gross should be put into sales and marketing. I’ve seen only a few shops that begin to approach that figure. Serious efforts to generate new customers can cost serious money. Two recent autobody association meetings I attended focused mainly on how to negotiate effectively and how to get paid for the many repairs and operations some in-
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SEMA Show Goes On New Product Showcase Winners a Big Hit at SEMA with Ed Attanasio
It’s the Academy Awards, the Emmys and the Tonys all rolled into one if you’re a manufacturer of any automotive product on the planet. Being a winner in the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s (SEMA) New
Evolution 3D Measuring System’s software and LumaIII Inc. is also a runner-up in this category for the Aurora. Malco Products Inc. captured the top spot with their Quarter Panel Hemming Air TurboXTool. This tool uses existing air supply to bend and close up to ¾ inch (19.05mm) deep wheel arc flanges of replacement quarter panels on late model cars. It can replicate a hammer and dolly motion at high speed and is 80 percent faster, based on field trials. The cushioned anvil protects the panel finish while the hammer rolls and flattens the flange from the back. Mike Janey, creative servThe Collision Repair & Refinish Product winner was ices specialist for Malco, Malco Products Inc. for the Quarter Panel Hemming knows the value of this award Air TurboXTool and that’s why he’s already Products Showcase can be a game working hard to leverage it. “Just changer and the beginning of some- being associated with a respected thing truly big. And that’s why when name like SEMA gives us immediate four collision-related companies heard help with things like distribution and their names at the 2014 SEMA Show’s name recognition,” Janey explained. opening breakfast on Nov. 4 they were “Malco was founded in 1950, but obviously thrilled and even a little products for auto body work is a new shocked in some cases. market for our company, so winning These awards are given to the this award means a lot to us. Our goal most innovative and cutting-edge new is to introduce innovative products automotive aftermarket products in that make the lives of body technithe industry today, judged by some of cians easier and alleviate repetitive inthe biggest names in the automotive juries on the user’s shoulders and world. Nearly 2,000 products were entered into 16 different showcase categories to be considered for SEMA New Product Awards this year. Winners were selected based on a variety of factors that included quality, marketability, innovation, technology, consumer appeal and more. The Collision Repair & Refinish Product winner is The LumaIII team was thrilled about their two runners up Malco Products, Inc. for their awards. From left: Owner/CMO Richard Routon, Owner/ Quarter Panel Hemming Air CEO Kirk Lucas, Owner/CFO Jimmy Zluticky and Director TurboXTool. The two run- of Sales Chris Williams ners up in this category are 6 Hands, arms, so that they can work without for their 6-Hands Universal Body interruption and get the results they’re Panel Holder and LumaIII, Inc. for looking for. Technicians want superior their Aurora LED attachment. In the quality performance that saves time Tools & Equipment Product category, and labor while also being reliable, Celette is a runner up for their Naja safe and easy-to-use and with our
38 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
award for his Universal Body Panel Quarter Panel Hemming Air TurboXTool, we’ve answered all of those Holder. “As a first-time exhibitor and a needs!” One of the runners up in the Col- young business, this award is a shot in lision Repair & Refinish Product cat- the arm,” Sapak said. “We invented egory is 6 Hands with their Universal this device for ourselves to use in our Body Panel Holder. Adjustable to fit any panel, this device consists of three pairs of different length “hands.” After the panel is attached to the 6 hands, it can be rotated using the 6 hands on an X and Y axis. This gives the tool the unique ability to allow the panel to effortlessly be placed in ergonomic positions while performing metal work, sand- 6 Hands captured a runner-up award in the Collision Repair ing, body work and painting & Refinish Product category for their Universal Body Panel Holder more efficiently. Ben Sapak, the owner of 6 restoration business doing custom Hands in Holland, MI has only been metal work, because nothing else did in business for approximately six the job we wanted it to. Now a tech months now, so he’s obviously de- can hold onto a panel without damaglighted about capturing a runner-up See SEMA New Products, Page 42
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Shop Showcase
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
Car Giveaways Become Regular Monthly Events at G&C Auto Body with Ed Attanasio
G&C Auto Body, with 10 locations in the Bay Area has always done everything over the top, especially when it comes to its philanthropy and specifically when they give re-furbished vehicles to needy families, individuals and organizations. Touched by countless letters and requests submitted to
and setting records, but that’s not why they do it, according to G&C Auto Body’s Owner Gene Crozat. “There are so many people out there struggling right now for whatever reason and these letters touch my soul every time I read them,” he said. “Things are not going well for them for whatever reason, but they don’t give up and they never lose hope. If we can help them by giving them a reliable vehicle so that their lives will be a little easier, I feel like it’s our obligation to do it.” Saying yes to some and no to others is obviously difficult G&C Auto Body helped Nicole Ruys and her family with a and that’s why Gene tries to much-needed vehicle. That’s Govinda Crozat, G&C’s outreach program director on the far right say yes to as many as he can. G&C through a car giveaway promo- It’s a tough job to sift through these retion, the company gives away cars not quests, and that’s why Govinda annually or even quarterly anymore Crozat, the company’s outreach pro—but monthly. The Crozat family is gram director plays an important role fast tracking their charitable efforts in reading all of the letters and work-
Honda Owners Can Request New Airbags Without Recall After recalling about 7.6 million U.S. vehicles over potentially life-threatening Takata airbag inflators, Honda will replace airbags, as appropriate, for concerned customers who were not subject to the recall, Automotive News has reported. In a document on Honda’s owners website, dated Oct. 28 and revised Nov. 6, the automaker said there is no safety concern for Honda models outside the humid regions where vehicles were recalled. But for certain Honda and Acura vehicles nationwide, “customer service will make arrangements for, as appropriate, the replacement of airbag inflators and the provision of or reimbursement for temporary alternative transportation” at customers’ requests. The company’s willingness to make those arrangements has been known publicly since at least Nov. 3, as reported by Automotive News that day, but the expanding Takata airbag crisis has magnified the scrutiny of Honda
and other automakers. A U.S. Senate committee is holding a hearing on the crisis. Executives from Honda, Chrysler and Takata are expected to testify, along with David Friedman, deputy administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Honda spokesman Chris Martin told The Detroit News that Honda is “doing this not because these vehicles have been secretly included” in the recall, but if a customer who owns a vehicle outside the recall is worried, Honda is offering the replacement of airbag inflators, as appropriate. Martin said that Honda has replaced some airbag inflators outside the recall, but he didn’t know how many. Honda said earlier it was working to buy parts for the remaining vehicles. “This condition is changing on a daily basis as parts are in production, and we continue to receive additional replacement part supplies as they become available,” the automaker said in a statement.
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ing with the other members of the Crozat family as they pick their recipients. It’s a huge undertaking helping those in need and making a difference in the communities in which they do business. “We have given away 21 cars so far this year and we will be
away the cars, we also help people by giving them Safeway, Shell and Target gift cards, as well as occasional help with rent, funeral expenses, utilities and other needs.” By partnering with insurance companies, the Crozat Family Foundation is now giving away more and more cars. “We have had three insurance partners (State Farm, Geico and Allstate) all donate cars which were fixed by our Santa Rosa, Windsor and Petaluma techs on their own time with parts that were also donated by local vendors. It’s amazing and really satisfying to The Purugganan family received a mini-van from the see more people and compaCrozat Family Foundation nies getting involved. ther giving away four more pretty quickly, companies have stepped up to help hoping to hit 24-30 by the end of the G&C in their charitable efforts, year,” Govinda said. “We created the Govinda Crozat explained. “We also Crozat Family Foundation to help have all of the cars processed through people in need. In addition to giving the DMV by a company called B&C
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Registration Services. They’re doing it all free of charge which is exceptional. They know all of the ins and outs with the DMV, which is so helpful. When dealing with salvage titles, total losses and cars purchased at auction, we need a company like B&C to help us to navigate through the DMV. It can be tricky and there is a lot of paperwork involved and Brenda Smith at B&C has helped us tremendously.” Instead of buying cars randomly, now G&C is acquiring vehicles specifically earmarked for particular families in need. “We have gone from buying cars haphazardly at the local car mart to buying ‘in bulk’ at the surplus government vehicles auction every three months in Davis, CA,” Govinda said. “I purchased six cars at the last auction
and will be attending for the third time the Ukiah area,” Govinda said. The air in two weeks. We spend an average of time is donated by the Sonoma Media $5,000 per car after purchase, repairs Group and KWNE. A TV spot is curand DMV registration fees and the recipients get safe, reliable transportation that can last them for many years to come.” “I also purchase cars to fit specific needs,” she continued “I have searched for vans for families with several kids, wheelchair van for a woman and her handicapped Bobbi O’Sullivan (third from right) and her family were son, nd a construction truck borrowing cars from their friends, but now they have their own, thanks of Gene Crozat (far right) and his family for a woman who took over her husband’s construction job after rently running on KOFY TV and we he fell through a second story roof and have received letters from their viewbroke his neck. She was going to lose ers. We also receive some of the letters the job if she didn’t have a truck by directly, as people hear about us from Friday… literally! They also had a friends or sources other than the radio one-year-old so I made sure stations.” that the truck had a rear door Fixing cars is easy, but repairing for easy access in and out of lives is a little tougher, but that doesthe car seat.” n’t mean he will ever stop trying, By constantly touting their Gene said. “If we can change one life car giveaway program on for the better, we’ve done our job. local radio stations, G&C is Sure, we’re in the business of fixing getting the word out in a big cars and doing a quality job on every way. “We receive the request car we repair, but if we can give a litletters through Froggy 92.9 tle back, why not? It’s not all about and Hot 101.7 here in Sonoma money in the end, because you can’t The Perry family now has a car that can make their lives County, as well as KWNE in take it with you.” easier, thanks to G & C Auto Body
Continued from Page 20
MSO Consolidation
become immersed in the minutia of meaningless metrics. It’s important to identify which numbers will truly guide your business to success and then you have to look at them daily, not at the end of the month when it’s too late, but every day or as often is required to make course corrections. Positive deviant shops know that you cannot improve what you do not measure. These shops try to get a little better each day, each week, and each month and they know their numbers! In order for independent shops to continue to be successful in today’s challenging marketplace it is critical that we learn by carefully studying the habits that make best of the best positive deviant shops successful. It is also advisable to study the administrative processes that give the MSO consolidators the ability to grow at such a rapid pace while still performing repair jobs with amazing timeliness and consistency. Independents can in fact remain very relevant with both customers and insurers, but you may have to do things a little different and perhaps a little better.
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from Wichita, KS that didn’t even know if they could make it to SEMA initially. “We’ve had to pool our money together and even some of us sold vehicles to get to SEMA, because we are so confident that this product is needed in this industry,” Owner/CMO Richard Routon said. “People are really embracing the Aurora, because body shop owners can
Continued from Page 18
Continued from Page 38
tor,” King said. “It smells like you’re coming up with violation of our computer policy as a pretext for what you’re really getting rid of her for, which is you don’t like her religious affiliation and the fact that she refused to do something based on religious grounds,” he said. Instead, he said, as with all employees, notify her of how she is under-performing in her job, explain why that is important, and give her the reasonable assistance she needs to be successful along with time to improve. If she does not, you will have a defendable basis for firing her.
ing it. We’re so happy that the judges saw a need for this tool and by recognizing it they’ve given us a whole new level of value in the collision and restoration industries. It’s obviously huge.” Another runner-up award went to LumaIII, Inc. for their Aurora, an LED attachment that fits snugly directly behind the nozzle of any spray gun. Lightweight and durable, this battery-operated device allows painters to get an immediate visual confirmation of the center of their spray, saving considerable time and money on primer, paint, sandpaper, The Collision Repair & Refinish Product winner was buffing compound and other Malco Products Inc. for the Quarter Panel Hemming costly alternative illumina- Air TurboXTool tion solutions. By reducing technician clearly see the benefits of it. It’s errors, the Aurora has quickly become quickly changing the industry, bepopular with several industries, in- cause it saves time and labor and cluding collision repair, according to makes painters more efficient and acthe company’s web site. curate. SEMA was great for us and The award will provide a major this award is a big part of it, because it boost for LumaIII, a young company shows that the industry is recognizing
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our product and its role in the collision repair industry.” Celette captured a runner-up award in the Tools & Equipment Product category for their newly released NAJA Evolution 3D software. Taking measurements directly from OEM-provided 3D CAD drawings provides technicians with unique views of the control points in relation to length, width and height, allowing an efficient damage analysis on a database of more than 14,000 vehicles. Bastien Dias Da Costa, operations manager for Celette was delighted by the award. “We’re honored to have received such a prestigious award for our newest product at a highly recognized event like SEMA,” he said. “Our software for the Naja Evolution 3D Measuring System has gained some significant recognition for its accuracy and superior graphics. The software is easy to update with direct access to our web site and offers users individual space in the Celette cloud. It’s also compatible with computers, desktop computers and laptops and by adding approximately 9,000 vehicles to the database, it’s the most complete in the industry.”
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Creating Engaging Consumer Videos for Marketing with Kristen Felder by Victoria Antonelli
Kristen Felder of CollisionHub started her SCRS Repairer Driven Education seminar at SEMA with a jolting statistic—“80 percent of visitors on your website will watch your videos, but only 20 percent will read your text.” Felder said she always asks body shop owners, “Do you have video on your website? If the answer is ‘no,’ does your competitor have video on their website? If the answer is ‘yes,’ then 80 percent of that company’s visitors are learning about their business, not yours.”
Kristen Felder of CollisionHub gives advice on creating engaging videos for marketing during one of her SCRS seminars at SEMA
What does this mean for body shops who have only recently come to terms with Facebook, for example? It’s time to break out the camera and open up iMovie, or hire someone who can. Lee Emmons, video expert and vice president of AP Media, Inc., K. Michael Bradshaw, vice president of operations at K&M Collision, Meredith Bradshaw, owner of K&M Collision, joined Felder on the panel. Emmons has helped Michael and Meredith create cutting-edge videos for their body shop’s website. K. Michael and Meredith Bradshaw have recently been covered in Autobody News. “We wanted a high-quality product, but we also had a budget,” said K. Michael. “The more I looked at it all the video, the editing, the type of video, where to put it to get the most exposure, etc., the more I realized I couldn’t do it all on my own,” said K. Michael. “I hired Lee, which was a really good decision. He’s very professional.” Felder addressed the fears many non-tech savvy shop owners have about creating video with a reflection on the first one she made during NACE back in 2009.
“You could hardly see it, the white balance was off, and I had horrible audio, but it still worked,” said Felder. “CollisionHub grew with no print media, no advertising, nothing, it just grew solely on using the internet, using video. But it was the only video in the industry for anyone to watch, so if you wanted to watch something on collision repair, or products, we were your only option. So the quality didn’t matter, what mattered was the content. That’s why I always tell shops, ‘don’t worry, just get started.’ ” Another major concern is budget. Here are a few aspects to consider when creating your video, according to panel responses by Felder, Emmons, K. Michael, and Meredith Bradshaw. ■ What is your time mark? If you’re making the video yourself—filming, writing, and editing—how much time will you allot to this process? Time is money. ■ Is there another company in your town that you collaborate with frequently, i.e. a tire company? If so, is there a chance you could share expenses to create a video that benefits both parties? ■ Half and half: When Felder first started creating videos, she would shoot the footage herself, and then hire someone to edit it. “Editing is the magic,” explained Felder. ■ Do you want to hire talent? If you don’t want to be in your video—it’s best to hire actors/actresses or an outside spokesperson. Employees, managers and technicians come and go, so including them in a video may not be the best choice. The best places to find talent are craigslist or a local talent agency. ■ Do you want to hire a film crew? “Local film schools are the best place to look. Many students are eager to find work and gain experience,” said Emmons. If you do hire a crew, provide lunch on filming days: “Don’t let people leave, because you’re going to lose your schedule for the rest of the day,” warned Felder. “Even if you tell everyone, ‘be back at 1pm,’ it’s not [always] going to happen.” Finding the right topic, knowing your audience, and effectively getting your point across will all help to make your video a success, according to Felder and the other panelists. Some considerations: ● Whatever method you choose,
44 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
make sure you have good audio. “An audience can handle bad picture with good sound, but not vice versa,” added Felder.
Kristen Felder of CollisionHub; Lee Emmons, Vice President of AP Media; Michael Bradshaw, VP of Operations at K&M Collision; and Meredith Bradshaw, co-owner of K&M Collision, discuss the importance of video in the auto industry
● Storyboarding: What do you want to say and what do you want to be showing in the background while you’re saying it? ● How to pick a topic based on your audience: According to Emmons, car enthusiast forums, customer testimonials, auto blogs, discussion boards and other videos are great places to look. ● Scripted vs. Freestyle: The na-
ture of the topic has a lot to do with this decision. “A customer testimonial shouldn’t be scripted, because you want it to sound real,” said Emmons. “If I’m using legal terms or other specific, factual information, then I definitely want to use a script,” said Felder. All panelists agreed that outlines are necessary, and if you’re using a script, you should memorize the information and not read off a piece of paper. ● Time: “You want to stay in that two minute sweet spot,” said Felder. The average retention rate on YouTube is 1:58. ● Location: It may not always be your body shop, and if it is, make sure it is clean and compliant. It may be necessary to shut your shop down during production days in order to minimize background noise. ● NEVER EVER cancel a preproduction meeting “The average life expectancy for a video is four years, compared to 72 hours for a Facebook post and 12 minutes for a Tweet,” Felder said. “We have become a visual and auditory receptive society. We want to see it and hear it, we don’t want to read it.”
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Enterprise’s ARMS Application Helps Shops Track Cycle Time and Benchmark Performance by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor
A website application developed by Enterprise Rent-A-Car 15 years ago has evolved to become an industry standard to help shops track their cycle time and benchmark their performance against others in the collision repair business. Enterprise’s Automated Rental Management System (ARMS) tracks length-ofrental (LOR) data, which Frank LaViola, Assistant VP of Collision Industry Relations, said can improve a shop’s performance by increasing operating efficiencies, enhancing customer service and streamlining communications with insurance companies and customers. With more than 13,000 users, ARMS was originally built in 1999 as a communication tool for auto body shops to report to Enterprise on the repair status of a vehicle. The information was then passed on to the insurance company. Prior to the introduction of ARMS, Enterprise would typically call the collision repair center for an update. “As the number of claims and customers in need of rental cars grew, it became more burdensome for the body shops and the insurance companies to manage the communication,” said LaViola. “When we launched ARMS, we were ahead of the time. Now, ARMS has become a mainstream tool for the majority of collision re-
pairers out there.” Enterprise began sharing LOR information with collision shops five years ago in response to requests from the industry. LaViola, who has worked at Enterprise since 1992, said they sat down with their business partners, individual collision repairers and MSOs and came up with a variety of ARMS reports. After tracking data for more than a year, they have found the cycle time is actually going up. The U.S. average length of replacement rental increased to 11 days in the third quarter of 2014, which was a slight increase over the average third quarter LOR for the last five years. “I think a lot of us would think it would be going down because there is more awareness,” said LaViola. He attributes the increase to several factors, including severe weather conditions. In addition, the number of shops in operation is declining, which he said has been an ongoing process. He said there were approximately 80,000 shops in the U.S. in 1980 and now there are about 34,000. The complexity of vehicles is also a big factor. “It isn’t like five years ago when you could just pound out a dent, and send a car on its way,” he said. “Now you’ve got sensors on vehicles that require you to only use so much paint. Too much paint can cause the sensors not to work because of
the mil thickness.” The free application can be integrated with over 20 body shop management systems, including Mitchell Repair Center, ProfitNet, Rome Management Software and Summit Software Solutions. LaViola estimated that 30 percent of shops currently have a management system that tracks cycle time. Although he said this is a great mechanism to measure productivity internally, the challenge has always been the interpretation of when the cycle time begins. “Three different shops using the same management system can actually have different interpretations of when cycle time starts and ends. Enterprise’s ARMS length-ofrental data helps give shops a more consistent measurement of cycle time.” Enterprise’s LOR has become such an important part of the industry, according to LaViola, because it’s based on the bill dates of the rental, which includes the open date of the rental contract to the last date they bill an insurance company. Using ARMS, shops are able to upload the date into their management system and it will automatically feed the repair status and estimated completion dates to Enterprise and the insurance company. They’ve received positive feedback from shops regarding the reporting, said LaViola. Not only has it decreased the phone calls made, it has also taken away a
lot of the double keying that is done. Chris Pohanka, VP of Operations for Pohanka Collision Centers of VA and MD, said ARMS has helped him shave off more than two days of cycle time. With 12 locations, Pohanka said they have been using ARMS since it was first introduced. “Currently, we utilize it to manage our cycle time by way of the LOR report,” he said. “With it, we can identify opportunities to reduce cycle time. We find it a tremendous tool.” He stressed how critical it is to have target dates entered correctly in the management system so it is seamlessly transferred into ARMS. “This gives a good indication of the forecasted cycle time and shows what vehicles and files are pending and which ones are closed,” he said. One of Enterprise’s goals is to input the year, make and model of the car into the ARMS application. Since luxury vehicles often take more time to fix than domestic vehicles, shops will be able to track cycle time based on their mix of vehicles. “You can’t improve what you don’t measure,” said LaViola. “When I show collision repair centers what their cycle time is, and they start evaluating their processes within the shop to reduce that cycle time, that’s when the homerun hits. That’s when they’re able to drive themselves to hit those numbers and achieve those goals.”
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SEMA Show Goes On
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
WD-40/PowerNation Jeep Debuts at SEMA 2014 with Ed Attanasio
WD-40 Company and PowerNation pooled their skills and resources together to create a custom, off-road Jeep that debuted at the SEMA Show that wowed people all over the world for four days. This amazing vehicle will go to one very lucky winner in June 2015 via a sweepstakes sponsored by WD-40 and promoted on PowerNation’s TV shows.
went into building the WD-40 Specialist Xtreme Machine before putting their hat into the ring to win it via the sweepstakes,” said Tim Lesmeister, vice president of marketing for WD40 Company. “The PowerNation team did a phenomenal job building something that’s both head-turning and unique, and the guys used a lot of our top-of-the-line WD-40 Specialist products in the process.” Ian Johnson, host of PowerNation’s “Xtreme Off-Road,” was on hand to sign autographs at the SEMA Show inside WD-40 Company’s booth and discuss the vehicle he helped to create in conjunction with WD-40. “We’re proud and pleased to be working with a major name like WD-40,” Johnson said. “The Before it was the WD-40 Specialist Xtreme Machine that Xtreme Machine is truly exappeared at this year’s SEMA, it was simply a 1990 Jeep treme in many ways and we Wrangler YJ went all-in with this vehicle.” The custom 1990 Jeep Wrangler WD-40 Brand Manager Shannon YJ, dubbed the WD-40® Specialist® Edwards gave a little perspective on Xtreme Machine, has an aluminum the history of WD-40’s custom vehibody and tube chassis and is equipped cles, all of which have appeared at with an LS engine, 42-inch tires and SEMA over the years. “This is now coilovers throughout. Located as a feaour seventh vehicle and we’re always tured vehicle in the hallway outside of trying to make the next one the best the North Hall, this Jeep was getting a one,” she explained. “The WD-40 huge response during the entire SEMA show, which is pretty impressive when you consider that all of the world’s best custom vehicles are always there. PowerNation, a twohour block of four automotive shows that air on NBC Sports Network, SpikeTV, the CBS Sports Network, PowerNationTV.com and the PowerNationTV app, includes “Xtreme Off-Road,” “Engine Power,” “Truck Tech” and “Detroit Muscle.” The WD-40 Specialist Under the direction of PowerNation’s Ian Johnson and with some help from the students at UTI San Diego, this Xtreme Machine vehicle is the amazing finished product build will be featured on two episodes of “Xtreme Off-Road” Specialist Xtreme Machine that we in January 2015, with a sweepstakes built with PowerNation is an amazing to give away the vehicle running Jan. Jeep. We wanted an off-road vehicle 2 – May 31, 2015. this year, so we pitched the people at “TV viewers will get to see the PowerNation and they said yes. Ian hard work and attention to detail that wanted to take a stab at it and it was
46 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
obviously a smart decision. Of the seven, five have been for charity; it has been a great program. We’ve raised more than $750,000 for charities raised by auctioning those five vehicles.”
Ian Johnson from PowerNation partnered with WD-40 on this year’s SEMA vehicle
This year’s vehicle can be won through a sweepstakes, so that anyone who signs up can walk away with it, Edwards said. “We did it this way, so that any pros or Joes out there can take this thing home, if they’re lucky. You don’t have to know anyone and you don’t have to be rich to own the WD40 Specialist Xtreme Machine and that’s why we decided to give it away via a sweepstakes.” Once again this year, young body technicians in training worked on the vehicle to make it as spectacular as it is today. “The students at UTI San Diego stepped up and did a lot of the work on this vehicle,” Edwards said. “We’re happy that they were able to contribute, because we want to start these young people in the right direction in their careers in the collision industry. These projects allow us to educate and mentor these students as they get some real-life experience along the way.”
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3M™ Automotive Offers Products and Processes for Aluminum Repair
Preparing for aluminum repair is a big challenge, considering the investment, shop renovations, new processes and training for the repair experts. 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division is helping shops better understand what’s needed to efficiently handle aluminum repairs, including standard operating processes, tools, training and products for disassembly, re-assembly, sanding and paint preparation. Aluminum has several unique characteristics compared with other vehicle materials such as steel. Repairing this heat-sensitive metal requires use of advanced repair techniques and methods. That means updated training and key equipment. In addition to knowledge, the shop must have the dedicated space to make the repair within a clean room containing separate tools, where technicians perform all welding, bonding, riveting, sanding, grinding and structural procedures on aluminum components. 3M has been working with OEMs for several years to validate the tools, products and processes for aluminum repair. Now, shops can implement 3M’s portfolio of products, tools, SOPS and materials to repair aluminum-body vehicles. “The key in handling non-structural or structural aluminum repairs is
to create an entirely separate environment from the rest of the shop to avoid contaminating aluminum with iron oxide components that can cause corrosion. Contamination can lead to adhesion and paint failures, which translate to re-work and damaged parts that impact KPIs,” said Shawn Collins, Technical Expert for 3M AAD. “Most shops create their clean room by using a curtain structure or by utilizing a separate room or building. Regardless, aluminum repair will require a separate tool cart with an entirely separate set of tools, products and materials used only for aluminum repairs. Additionally, self-generated vacuum tools from 3M AAD can provide low-cost dust extraction.” Separate safety equipment is also important, as technicians will need dedicated respirators, eye protection and gloves for aluminum repairs. 3M also makes the seam sealers, premium body fillers, undercoats and abrasives that can be used on both aluminum and steel. Premium 3M AAD body fillers and glazes contain adhesion promoters and are approved for use on aluminum. For sanding, 3M AAD recommends the 3M™ Cubitron™ II abrasives.
Acura TLX Earns Top Safety Pick+ Award
The 2015 Acura TLX, a new midsize luxury sedan, earnd the Top Safety Pick+ award for acceptable performance in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) small overlap front test, good ratings in four other crashworthiness evaluations and a superior rating for front crash prevention. In the small overlap test, the driver space was maintained reasonably well, with maximum intrusion of about seven inches at the lower hinge pillar. The dummy’s movement was well controlled. Its head hit the front airbag and stayed there until rebound. The side curtain airbag also deployed and provided sufficient coverage to protect the head from intruding side structure and outside objects. Measures from the dummy sensors indicated that injuries to the left lower leg would be possible, but the risk of other injuries in a crash of this severity was low. Introduced by IIHS in 2012, the small overlap test is more challenging than either the head-on crashes conducted by the government or the Institute’s moderate overlap test. In the test, 25 percent of a vehicle’s front end on the driver side strikes a rigid barrier at 40 mph. The crash replicates what happens when the front corner of a ve-
hicle collides with another vehicle or an object such as a tree or a utility pole. The TLX replaces the TL and the TSX in Acura’s lineup. The new car does better in the small overlap test than the TSX, which earned a marginal rating, but not as well as the TL, which earned the top rating of good. Neither predecessor vehicle had available front crash prevention. The TLX has two front crash prevention options, a warning-only system that qualifies for a basic rating and another that includes both the warning feature and automatic braking. In track tests of the autobrake feature, the car avoided the target in four out of five runs at 12 mph and in all five runs at 25 mph, earning a superior rating. The TLX earns good ratings in the institute’s long-standing moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. Good ratings in these tests, a good or acceptable rating in the small overlap test, and a front crash prevention rating of basic or higher are the requirements for the institute’s highest award for 2014, Top Safety Pick+. The TLX is the seventh vehicle from Honda/Acura to earn the award. Another three, including the TL, earned Top Safety Pick, which doesn’t require front crash prevention.
48 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Although the aluminum panel bonding process is often slightly different than the steel bonding process, the 3M™ Panel Bonding Adhesive is also compatible and OEM approved for aluminum. 3M Panel Bonding Adhesive has been used to bond aluminum panels for nearly 20 years and is specifically recommended by Ford for the repairs to the 2015 Aluminum F-150. Panel bonding adhesives undergo extensive testing in order to be specified by a car maker. 3M automotive Aftermarket Division also now has available Standard Operating Procedures for aluminum repair. Visit 3MCollision.com/aluminum for more information. For more information about 3M products and solutions for aluminum repair, contact 1-877-MMM-CARS, contact your local 3M Distributor or 3M Sales Representative or visit the website at www.3Mcollision.com
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Sherwin-Williams’ New Additive
The new High Build Additive, GA6100, from Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes is designed to increase wet film application for the already established Genesis® and AIC™ single stage topcoats. By adding 1 to 3 ounces per ready to spray gallon, the sag point of the topcoat will increase up to double the wet film build (compared to the same coating without the additive). It is ideal for applications that involve sharp or laser cut edges, because the increased film build provides protection and additional coverage to the edges. This product can be ordered through any of the 196 Sherwin Williams branches that provide sales support and controlled distribution throughout North America.
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Nissan Introduces Certified Collision Network Consumer Referral Program Nissan announced major new enhancements to the Nissan Certified Collision Repair Network program on November 10, launching a consumer-focused referral initiative that ties Nissan vehicle owners with Nissan Certified Collision Repair Providers. To enhance relationships between certified shops within the network and Nissan owners, Nissan North America is launching an On-Demand-Marketing (ODM) tool. The tool simplifies marketing for certified shops through a one-stop-shop process that grants them access to Nissan owners geographically. Now, Nissan Certified shops can send marketing messages via mailer or email promoting their certi-
fied shop location directly to Nissan owners. The Nissan Collision Repair Network combines Collision Shop Certification, consumer awareness and education elements, along with shop locators to ensure that Nissan customers can locate a certified repairer. This program assures that certified collision shops have the right tools, equipment, training and facilities to repair Nissan vehicles. “In some cases, Nissan customers have endured a collision repair experience—and the resulting repairs—that have been controlled by third-parties who don’t necessarily have the customer’s best interests in mind,” said
Mark Zoba, Collision Parts Manager, Nissan North America. “Nissan values our customers and is willing to do whatever we can to enhance our customer’s experience. With this program, Nissan is addressing this critical issue by assuring their vehicle drivers are able to select certified shops that are able to properly and safely repair Nissan and Infiniti vehicles.” Nissan has teamed up with Assured Performance, a non-profit consumer advocacy organization and the third-party administrator for OEM Certification-Recognition programs. “Nissan’s bold customer referral program is the ultimate payoff for shops
who are willing to re-invest in their business and retool and train to ensure they are able to properly repair the new generation of vehicles being introduced by all of the major automakers,” said Scott Biggs, CEO, Assured Performance. “This is a positive step for the entire industry. No business or person should be able to touch a vehicle if they are not equipped and trained to do it properly, and customers and insurance companies should not be paying for substandard work.”
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CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts Says They’re Ready for Aluminum Repair
As the Ford F-150 aluminum-bodied pickup prepares to roll into dealerships around the country, CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts have an aluminum repair consulting and certification-focused program in place to handle repairs on these and other aluminum-body vehicles. For the past year, the MSOs operations team has been working with CARSTAR owners around the country to help them prepare their shops
for the demands of aluminum repair, train technicians on aluminum repair processes for structural and non-structural jobs and source the tools and equipment needed for aluminum repair. This training program will continue through 2015. CARSTAR shops that are part of Ford dealerships are officially certified in aluminum repair through Assured Performance and listed as an approved facility on the Ford website.
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Historical Snapshot
—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has a body shop in the family and has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.
Prevailing Practices, Doing Business on Internet, 2-Way Estimating, Steering Suits with John Yoswick
20 years ago in the collision repair industry (December 1994) The cause and effect of “prevailing practices” was just one issue addressed by an inter-industry panel at the National Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) Forum in Las Vegas in December (1994.) Moderator Meryl Comer opened the discussion by asking panelists who they believed is responsible for setting “prevailing practices.” “I think if you ask some of our insurer friends, they’d probably say prevailing practices are set by the shops in the area,” California shop owner Jack Caldwell said. “Whatever most shops do, that sets the pace. And I guess to be totally honest, I’d have to agree, that’s where it starts. However, prevailing practices can be and are modified by the guy with the checkbook.” Insurers on the panel agreed that prevailing practices are their attempt to “mirror” the majority of collision repairers in a given area when preparing or auditing estimates, but shop owners criticized the “one-size-fitsall” approach insurers sometimes use. “It’s important to note that cars are changing,” Texas shop owner Joe Sanders said. “We perform operations today that weren’t necessary a few years ago. Resetting electrical components, for example. That may have only been done in our shop once or twice a month two years ago. But we do that routinely now every day. That process is prevailing in our operation, and I shouldn’t be held back because the shop down the street works on older cars and doesn’t have to do that.” Most of the questions from the audience during the forum were addressed to the insurers on the panel. Gerry Westerfield of State Farm was asked how shops can respond when adjusters “quote unwritten and undocumented company policy for not paying standard P-page procedures.” “If a State Farm representative comes to your shop and says, ‘We don’t pay for that, it’s company policy,’ take it from me, we don’t have that policy,” Westerfield said. “So tell them, ‘I know your policy and that’s not it. Who’s your supervisor?’”
During a panel discussion at NACE in 1994, Gerry Westerfield of State Farm urged shops to question any State Farm adjuster claiming to quote company policy “for not paying standard P-page procedures.”
– As reported in Spray Dust magazine.
15 years ago in the collision repair industry (December 1999) Soon there will be no choice. If you aren’t already using the Internet, you’ll have to in order to stay in business. By 2001, GM will require all of its suppliers to do business over the Internet. Ford has similar Internet plans. Allstate announced last month that it would soon sell insurance over the Internet. In today’s business world, it’s get online or go home. To remain competitive, collision repair faculties will need to use the Internet to their advantage. How will collision repairers be using the Internet? Parts ordering, for one. You can already tap into lustineparts.com and CarStation.com to order parts. And there may come a time very soon when ordering parts over the Internet is handled regularly through brokers. Just as a person looking for an inexpensive airfare can go through Priceline.com, a collision repairer looking for the best quality part at the cheapest price will be able to go through a middleman. The bad news is twofold. For starters, the Internet gives the insurance industry a whole new arena to control. With its financial emphasis on price (sometimes at the expense of quality), the insurance industry will be looking to use the Internet to find the cheapest parts it can. In cyberspace, look for price to reign over quality. A second disadvantage to the In-
50 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
ternet is that it will be more difficult for collision repairers to keep information about their businesses private. In addition to brokering deals, Internet middlemen will be compiling information about the buying habits of collision repair shops. They in turn will sell this information to others interested in making a profit on the industry. – From an editorial in Hammer & Dolly by Sheila Loftus.
10 years ago in the collision repair industry (December 2004) The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is circulating a petition in support of two-way communication between like estimating systems. This is the ability to electronically transmit and receive the vehicle owner’s assignment information, estimate, supplement or attachments between insurers and repairers that are using the same estimating system regardless of whether a DRP relationship exists between the companies. “Two-way communication, as SCRS defines it, would eliminate many of the inefficiencies inherent in the current claims handling process, most specifically the rekeying of the estimate,” said Lou DiLisio, chairman of SCRS. – As reported in Autobody News. It took nearly a decade, but two of the Big Three estimating providers now offer systems that enable shops and participating insurers to exchange data electronically outside of a DRP relationship.
5 years ago in the collision repair industry (December 2009) In fining Allstate Insurance $5,000 for “interfering with (a) consumer’s free choice of repair facility,” the Insurance Division of Rhode Island’s Department of Business Regulation also clarified what constitutes such interference by an insurer. In reviewing a complaint brought by Providence Auto Body, the Department said that “without a legitimate business reason, an insurer may not
take actions that make it more difficult to have the repair done at a (shop) with which the insurer does not have a contractual relationship.” In this case, the Department found that a combination of actions by Allstate constituted interference with claimant Dennis D’Ambra’s shop choice. These actions included: – delaying arrangements for repair of the vehicle (after the shop contacted Allstate saying D’Ambra had hired it to do the repairs) until Allstate could locate and contact D’Ambra seven days later; – telling D’Ambra that Providence Auto Body was not “approved”; – suggesting that D’Ambra take the vehicle to a drive-in claims center after he had already said he wanted Providence Auto Body to repair the vehicle; and, –taking 15 days after contacting D’Ambra to conduct an appraisal of the vehicle at the shop. The ruling states that discussion by an insurer about its DRP or drivein claims center is not in and of itself an indication of steering. “However, when the customer indicates that he does not need or want that information, as D’Ambra did here, the conversation must stop,” the ruling states. “The customer has the right to simply choose a shop and have the shop ‘handle’ the repair.” – As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), November 14, 2009. Almost five years later Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt last month issued a warning in his state about the practice of “steering” by insurers, in which “insurers strongly push consumers to autobody repair shops,” sometimes “crossing the line, making dishonest statements.”
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Website Connects Collision Shop Owners & Auto Techs: TalentMonger.com by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor
Finding and hiring new staff can often be a challenge for collision repair shops. Greg McVicker, a collision center manager in McMurray, Pennsylvania, recently launched TheTalentMonger.com website to help shops recruit employees based on their specific employment needs. “The whole premise of our site is that it’s proactive,” said McVicker. “You can go search for the person you are looking for versus spending the money to put an ad up and hoping that someone is going to respond to it.” Working at Budd Baer dealership and collision center in Washington, Pennsylvania since 2005, McVicker said one of their biggest challenges was to find qualified staff while their facility expanded. Established in 1975, they re-located in 2010 and added a two-story addition in 2014. “Through that time period I saw the same scenario play out over and over again where we tried to use traditional means of recruitment that are somewhat outdated for our industry,” he said. In addition to placing ads in the local classifieds and advertising on generic online recruitment sites, McVicker recalled spending nearly
CarMax Returns to AutoTrader & Cars.com
After a 16-month hiatus, CarMax Inc. started posting inventory on Cars.com and AutoTrader.com in October 2014, according to reports by David Barkholz at Automotive News. Although third-party shopping sites reach a wider audience than some of the most wellknown auto groups according to senior automotive analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, Kevin Tynan, the fees can be a deterrent. Dealers vouched it can cost $3,000 to $25,000 a month to get a prominent online position on Autotrader.com or Cars.com. Pricing depends on the advertising package and the number of vehicles listed. A dealership group executive said tht a store paid $16,000 a month to list 150 vehicles on AutoTrader.com. Barkholz reported that Carmax’s net profit and revenue jumped more than 10 percent in its fiscal quarter ending Aug. 31 vs. the year-earlier quarter, total vehicle sales at the company’s stores open at least a year stalled at 0.2 percent yearover-year growth. Tynan said CarMax stopped using these sites during the recession, which reduced supply of available used vehicles. More latemodels will be coming off leases shortly so these websites are profitable again.
$1,600 one week looking for technicians. After interviewing perspective employees who responded to the advertisements, he found that many didn’t have the necessary qualifications. Around that same time, McVicker became involved with the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Pennsylvania. He has been the local chapter President in Pittsburgh since 2008 and sat on the board of directors as the Collision Division Director of AASP-PA since 2012. Last year he began representing the association on the national board. As he was introduced to more and more shops, he noticed a recurring theme. “It became very clear to me that this wasn’t just an issue I was dealing with here in Pittsburgh,” said McVicker. “It was an issue that all over the country shops are struggling and trying to find and get connected with those people.” He said this led to the creation of the job search website. “That’s really the spirit with which TheTalentMonger.com came into existence,” said McVicker. “It was a way for us to eliminate the current recruiting process in the industry, save shop owners valuable time and money and get them connected with qualified techs.”
McVicker and his two partners, Erin Koen and Alan Shen, hired Impere Media in February to design the website. Seven months later it was launched nation-wide to the industry. Auto technicians are able to create a free profile highlighting their certifications, education and training. Owners and managers can also create a free profile for their shop, which allows them to search for potential employees who meet their specific criteria. Whether they are looking for a frame tech or a paint tech, when they are ready to contact a candidate, they can subscribe to the service to gain access to detailed information. As the site expands, McVicker said one of their goals is to reach out to the technical schools to give students a way to connect with the industry. Eventually, the plan is to give techs the option to relocate, which McVicker said would give shop owners access to a group of employees they might not otherwise have. They are also working with industry partners, such as SherwinWilliams, to help spread the word about the site. He encourages both job seekers and shop owners to check back regularly as TheTalentMonger.com continues to expand.
Quest Hires Former Martin Senour Product Manager
Quest Automotive Products has hired a new Director of Product & Color Management − Hermon Ferrell. Ferrell brings over 26 years of industry experience to Quest Automotive Products. His previous roles included Senior Product Marketing Manager at Sherwin-Williams. This role, among other senior leadership positions, has given Ferrell an opportunity at QAP to oversee color management, color development, all aspects of product management and new strategic business developments. In turn, Ferrell will focus on developing more forward-thinking tools and initiatives, leading to customer-centric product solutions and faster-to-market processes for QAP. “Mr. Ferrell’s passion for this industry and decades of experience is a huge advantage for QAP and our customers,” said Mark Flint, VP of Sales & Marketing, Paints & Coatings. “To grasp this industry and these products with such clarity and understanding is a rare thing. He fits our culture and shares in our goals.”
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I-CAR’s 2015 Ford F-150 Training and Education
I-CAR held presentations, discussions and training focused on the 2015 Ford F-150 throughout SEMA 2014. The company also brought members of Ford’s Service Engineering team to the SEMA Collision Repair & Refinish stage to present, “2015 F-150 Collision Repair Program.” I-CAR held its 2015 Ford F-150 Structural Repair (FOR06) course at SEMA. FOR06 is a six (6) credit hour, instructor lead, course that satisfies training for I-CAR collision repair and insurance roles including Aluminum Structural Technician. Students learn material-specific training that highlights the processes associated with aluminum repair of the Ford F-150. Since the launch of FOR06 in May, I-CAR has seen an overwhelming demand for both FOR06 and Aluminum Welding Training & Certification™. Over 5,500 repair technicians and 3,300 insurance APDAs completed FOR06 and over 2,200 more professionals have earned their Aluminum Welding Certification. “This really tells us that the industry is hungry for relevant, timely, and vehicle specific training,” said John Van Alstyne, CEO & President, I-CAR. “
52 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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Steeling Yourself for Changes—New High-Strength Steel Poses Additional Challenges According to 3M™ The collision repair industry is seeing more vehicles with high-strength steel, posing some new challenges for technicians. As OEMs push to meet future CAFÉ standards, they are looking to new alternative body materials that provide greater strength to meet crash and rollover standards, while also allowing them to lighten the vehicle to reach the 54.5 MPG goal for 2025. High-strength steel (HSS) parts present a challenge to body shops and body technicians for a number of reasons, including limited use of traditional repair methods for applying heat, pulling, hammering and sectioning. To create a safe and crashworthy repair with HSS parts, technicians now must use the proper equipment and tools to limit the amount of collateral damage to the host panel during panel disassembly and assembly. Tips from Branden Loesch, 3M Automotive Aftermarket Technical Service Engineer: “If you walk into a shop today, body technicians are likely using one of two tools to remove spot welds during disassembly – either a drill or a die grinder. There are other methods, like an oxyacetylene torch or plasma cutter that may have been used in the past for this operation, but we have finally
put those dinosaurs to rest with the drill or die grinder. “While die grinder or drill both work and get the job done, there are some concerns and negative impacts when using them. I see many technicians drilling to remove welds on vehicles today. This is always a challenging process because drill bits do not cut welds efficiently, and it takes a significant amount of time to remove all of the welds in a panel using a drill. They also have a tendency to damage the host panel, either through over-drilling and drilling into or through the host panel, or by missing a portion of the weld, resulting in tearing the panel when separating with an air chisel. “This leads to a loss of strength in the part and also extended repair times because the technician spends a significant amount of time repairing and straightening the flange prior to installing a new panel. Drills and drill bits can also send your material costs through the roof, especially on highstrength steel panels that require hardened drill bits that have a significantly higher cost and tend to have a shorter life span, which requires multiple drill bits per repair. “If your technicians prefer grinding, you must now be concerned with
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throughout the process. The precisionshaped grain abrasive technology used in 3M™ Cubitron™ II file belts slice through high-strength steel and remove welds much more efficiently than traditional methods. This new Cubitron™ II mineral technology allows you to cut welds faster, allowing more welds to be removed with a single belt. Using the file belt solution also leaves your technicians with renewed energy, no longer having to use excessive force to get a drill bit or grinder to cut through high-strength steel. They simply have to put the belt in contact with the panel and hold it in place during weld removal, which leaves technicians with much less fatigue at the end of the panel disassembly process. The versatility and design of the 3M™ File Belt Sander allows your technician to reach welds in difficult areas that historically have taken a significant amount of time to remove. Now your technician can reach and remove these welds by quickly adjusting the file belt arm.
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heat generation and burning of the host panel, which could alter its strength. There are also concerns with overgrinding and spark control/protection. To make a long story short, drilling and grinding can get the job done, but there is a much better way to do it.” Enter the 3M™ File Belt Sander and Cubitron™ II file belts. The 3M™ File Belt Sander tool was brought into the collision market in 2013 to help meet the technician’s challenges with spot weld removal and part replacement on today’s vehicles, especially those made out of high-strength steel. The 3M™ File Belt Sander provides improved control and speed, as well as reduced fatigue for those technicians who are using it in place of drills and grinders. Technicians can now cut through spot welds, and control their depth of cut much more accurately so they do not damage the host panel during weld removal. The 3M™ File Belt Sander is a tool that efficiently removes all the weld material, which significantly reduces the collateral damage done to the host panel during weld removal. The cutting action of the 3M™ File Belt Sander used with 3M™ Cubitron™ II file belts have significantly improved technicians productivity
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www.koeppelmazda.com www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 53
Industry Insight
John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon who has been writing about the collision industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.
SCRS OEM Technology Event Includes Plenty of Focus on Aluminum Repair with John Yoswick
Aluminum was front and center throughout much of the collision repair portion of the 2014 SEMA tradeshow, including at one of the new features of this year’s event: the “OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit,” hosted by the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). The day-long summit brought together shops, automakers and equipment manufacturers to discuss what SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg called a “topic that affects every segments of the industry.” “There is no bigger conversation right now than the changing landscape of automotive design and how that influences the repair of a vehicle,” Schulenburg said as the summit began. Sessions during the event covered OEM shop certification programs, changing vehicle designs impacting repairs, and the increasing use of steel alternatives, including aluminum. Doug Richman, vice president of engineering and technology for Kaiser Aluminum, said Ford’s introduction of the all-aluminum 2015 F-150 pickup is just part of a 4-decade-long expansion in the use of aluminum by automakers. Over that time, the average vehicle has come to have about 400 pounds of aluminum, including such parts as wheels and cylinder heads and blocks. That’s about 10 percent of the curb weight of the average vehicle. It’s gone up by about 7 pounds per year since the mid-1970s, but has risen by 14 pounds per year for the last three years. While Richman is quick to note that steel is not going away, the rate of growth in aluminum use is expected to be maintained over the next decade, according to a recent study commissioned by the aluminum manufacturers association. The study, Richman said, is conducted every three years and relies not on projections but on actually vehicle programs committed to by automakers. It forecasts that by 2025, seven out of 10 pick-ups will be all-aluminum, and 547 pounds (or 16 percent) of the average vehicle weight will consist of aluminum, including an increasing percentage of crash parts and body structures. “Our experience has been [the
study has] been conservative for 21 years,” he said. “For seven consecutive reports, [it has] been very close but conservative.” The most obvious reason for the shift is the weight savings aluminum offers as automakers work to meet increasing federal fuel efficiency requirements. The new F-150 is about 700 pounds lighter than its predecessor, and 400 pounds of that savings is accounted for by the switch to aluminum, Richman said.
“Your industry has a great deal of know-how in managing – at least technically what needs to be done – the aluminum side of the business,” he said. “But I’ve heard repeatedly in conversation on the [SEMA tradeshow] floor that the skillsets to do that work properly may not be on the shop floors yet. In the case of aluminum body structure repair in particular, the skillsets are really critical, because it’s not like welding and repairing steels body structures.”
Separate area, dust extraction crucial for aluminum repair safety, not just quality
Most European automakers call for a separate “clean room” – set off from the rest of the shop by brick-and-mortar – for repair of aluminum. Though its requirements for Ford F-150 certification are somewhat less stringent, Ford requires the repair area be curtained off. A separate dust extraction system for these repair areas is also required. Most shops recognize the need to prevent steel or aluminum dust from contaminating vehicle parts made of the other type of metal. But the dust extraction is also critical to prevent a potentially hazardous build-up of aluminum dust which can be explosive. Sixty-eight people were killed this past August in such an explosion in a factory in China that polishes aluminum wheel rims. During a session at the Society of Collision Repair Specialists’ “OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit,” in Las Vegas in November, ”Mark Allen of Audi of America noted that aluminum oxide was a key ingredient in the “bunker buster bombs” that the U.S. military used in Afghanistan. “For a shop to say they can’t afford to designate a certain amount of square footage in a shop for aluminum is not a good statement to make,” agreed General Motors’ Leo Gruzas, who said his company has new aluminum-intensive vehicles in the pipeline. “Everybody needs to have an area where they can do that specialized work and to make sure the materials are separated and that everybody stays safe.” But the change also improves how the truck rides and maneuvers, he said. There are also safety advantages. “Every single vehicle that has been converted to aluminum has had higher safety ratings than the steel version it replaced,” Richman said. “A lot of that is design, but also the energy absorption capability of aluminum.” Richman focused much of his presentation on “repair considerations” related to aluminum.
54 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Richman offered several key pieces of advice for shops as they prepare to work on more aluminum vehicles. First, he said, automaker recommended procedures are going to be more crucial than ever. Car companies can choose from a wide variety of aluminum materials, each with its own tempers and characteristics, he said. Even knowing the “number” designating a type of aluminum isn’t enough.
“When you see a number like ‘6061,’ what you need to understand is every manufacturer of 6061 has a different formulation – or in fact multiple formulations – that are 6061 materials,” he said. “Just because it says ‘6061’ doesn't mean it acts like the ‘6061` on the next vehicle you see. They are very different. Be certain that you consult the OEM recommended repair practices for the specific model, because even within a manufacturer, they have varying practices depending on the specific design or model.” Dust management is another crucial element of aluminum repair, Richman said, even aside from the risk of galvanic corrosion if aluminum or steels ‘contaminate’ the other (see sidebar). “I want to make sure you understand that aluminum dust is potentially an explosion hazard,” he said. “I personally don’t ever want to hear about a shop having a fire or explosion with aluminum dust. I know this isn’t news to you, but I want to reinforce it. There’s lots of stories about businesses that burned to the ground because they didn’t manage this.” Using the automaker-specified joining process is also critical, Richman said, given the impact to aluminum’s strength in the heat-affected zones around welds. That’s why use of self-piercing rivets and bonding are often the process-of-choice in the manufacture and repair of aluminum vehicles. Again, following manufacturer guidelines for rivets and adhesives are critical, he said. Use of the incorrect adhesive, for example, may not ensure the necessary gap for the adhesive is maintained between the pieces being joined, he said. Schulenburg said the response SCRS received to its inaugural OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit convinced him it is an event that will continue. “This does not end here today. This is the beginning of a very long conversation,” Schulenburg said. “It will be ongoing. As technology continues to evolves so should the discussion. This is the first of many ‘OEM Collision Repair Technology Summits,’ and we’re excited to launch this program.”
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PPG Launches New Clearcoat and Latest Branded Image by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor
PPG Industries’ whimsical “Toy Store” booth at SEMA showcased brightly-colored cars, bikes and even a boat, reflecting the latest trends in paint designs and finishes. During the show, PPG introduced customers to its new EC530 En-V™ Performance Clearcoat as well as the company’s latest packaging design for its Envirobase® High Performance waterborne product. PPG launched a new look for this product line in October. A modern, molecular-shaped design replaced the water drop image they have used since 2007. “With the brand’s broad market acceptance around the world, we thought it was time to give Envirobase® High Performance a fresh look that would reinforce its foremost position in the industry,” said John Outcalt, Vice President of global automotive refinish. He said the structured graphic represents innovation, color and technology. Although the packaging has been updated, there were no changes made to the technology of the products. Since launching its two brands, Envirobase® and Aquabase®, in the United States in 2007, PPG has continued to develop waterborne products for the collision repair industry.
The company recently reached a milestone, with more than 10,000 of their customers using waterborne basecoat throughout the U.S and Canada. Waterborne was introduced in the United States and Canada to meet the low VOC compliance of 3.5 basecoat. Currently, the compliant areas include California, Delaware,
PPG employees at their “Toy Store” booth during the SEMA show (from left): Stacie Toothman, Product Manager Collision; Jeff Matauch, Tech. Sales Instruction Supervisor; Paul Stoll, Tech. Sales Instruction Supervisor; and Tim Jones, Waterborne Product Manager at their booth during the SEMA show
Maryland, five counties in Utah and all of Canada. Texas, Arizona and13 states in the Northeast, referred to as the Ozone Transportation Commission, are working toward implementing low VOC requirements as well. “We now have more customers in the
Ford, Chrysler, and GM Approve DeBeer Refinish Waterbase 900+ Series by Valspar Automotive
During the week of SEMA, Ford, Chrysler, and GM approved DeBeer Refinish WaterBase 900+ series. Ford’s approval is based on the WSS – M2P100-D specification and applies to all Ford vehicles. Any country that manufacturers, sells or repairs Ford vehicles can now utilize DeBeer Refinish WaterBase 900+ Series by Valspar Automotive. “Valspar Automotive is thrilled to announce the Ford approval. Dedication to excellence remains at the forefront of all we do at Valspar, and this approval is another symbol of our commitment to our customers” said Carl Wierks, Global VP of Valspar. Chrysler’s approval is based on the PF-10537 specification and applies to all Chrysler Group LLC brands. Every Chrysler collision repair center across the globe can now benefit from DeBeer Refinish WaterBase 900+ series coatings. “Chrysler Group LLC is an impressive force in the global automotive marketplace. After many rounds of extensive testing, Valspar Automotive is proud to announce this approval by Chrysler. Our continued dedication to color, technology and the trust of our
customers is prominently displayed in these ongoing Automotive OEM initiatives,”said Wierks. General Motors has given a global approval based on the GM Specification GMW15406M. Countries where GM vehicles are manufactured, sold or repaired can now utilize this series for warranty work. “General Motors performed meticulous and thorough testing of the 900+ product for global use and we are excited to report a successful approval. This approval shows Valspar Automotive’s continued dedication to our customers and our products. Valspar’s vision is to be the best coatings company in the world; this is another step in demonstrating our commitment to excellence in the coatings industry,” said Wierks. Valspar Automotive’s headquarters are in Minneapolis, MN.
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areas that don’t require low VOC using waterborne than we do in all of the compliant areas combined because it improves their productivity,” said Tim Jones, PPG’s Waterborne Segment Manager. He attributes this to the consistent color it offers customers, allowing technicians to complete vehicles more quickly. “We’ve worked very hard to make sure our colors match our chips,” said Jones. He said when a technicians pulls out the color deck and it matches, it gives them the confidence that when it’s mixed together it will be the correct color. PPG debuted its waterborne technology to the automotive OEM market in 1986. The company then acquired ICI’s refinish business, based in the UK, in 1997. “Following that integration, we worked to get the best attributes of both of those two systems and that’s what we now call third-generation Envirobase® High Performance,” said Jones. Over the years the company has been adding clears and primers that are engineered to work with the waterborne basecoat. Jones said as a leader in waterborne technology, they are working toward having the first waterborne fully integrated system over the next few years. “Having a full waterborne system will continue to lower emissions to improve air quality,” said Jones. “We want to be able to offer the collision repair in-
dustry all of the products they need to be successful.” One of these products includes their EC530 En-V™ Performance Clearcoat introduced in late October. “EC530 is a significant expansion of the Envirobase High Performance system,” said Jones. “This is an excellent, compliant clearcoat for our waterborne basecoat.” He said it is easy to use will help shops improve their productivity and throughput. “It also consistently provides the beautiful finish, gloss and appearance expected of PPG products,” said Jones. “We believe these are features collision centers and their customers will find very attractive.” EC530 uses a traditional two-coat application process. Offering four reducers, it works in a variety of temperature and humidity conditions. It has a short bake cycle of 25 minutes or can be aired dried in less than four hours. Jones also said it doesn’t require polishing and dirt nibs can be buffed after cool down. Jones said the industry has always been geared for solvent borne products. “Now that waterborne is gaining a higher percentage of the market, suppliers are also getting onboard with supplying better pigments, better additives and better resins for the waterborne market and that’s going to be better for everyone as well,” he said.
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NAPA/Martin Senour Unveil Custom 1966 Mustang at SEMA 2014
The Martin Senour Company unveiled a custom-built and custom-painted 1966 Mustang during SEMA featuring the Martin Senour Pro//Base™ Automotive Refinish System and restored by Chris Carlson Hot Rods in Mulvane, Kansas. The unveiling/press conference of the Mustang custom coupe named “Good Karma,” displayed a paint job featuring a custom Martin Senour color “Velvet Red” (based off the new Rod & Restoration Color Deck, color code: PCRS36). “We were very excited to partner with Chris Carlson Hot Rods during the custom development of this truly magnificent Mustang,” said Brandon Devis, Martin Senour Director of Sales. “The attention to detail and Velvet Red color is beyond stunning. It is truly a testament to a vehicle that has become an American icon, particularly as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of its launch this year.” Chris Carlson Hot Rods practically did a complete custom makeover on the traditional ‘66 Mustang. “One of my biggest things is that I’m a true custom guy. Normally a Mustang renovation is not a ‘real custom’ project to us. So in this case, we wanted to do a full-body system without losing the nice Mustang look,” according to shop owner, Chris Carlson. “When it came to the exterior modifications we chopped two inches and
extended and raised quarters one inch; a pancake deck lid; a frenched-in ‘68 Camaro rear bumper; custom fabricated the rear roll pan; custom fabricated wheel openings and side scoops; extended two
Good Karma Mustang unveiled at SEMA
side body lines; shortened the cowl 3.5 inches; and molded the complete front clip together,” said Carlson. “We then added a hood scoop, frenched headlights, custom grille, front bumper cut and tucked, custom fabricated inner fender panels; a custom fabricated firewall; and finally, a flush-mount windshield and back glass.” For the paint, Carlson said, “Working with the NAPA and Martin Senour guys was a tremendous experience. Collectively we chose to finish the car in a
customized version of Velvet Red, based off the new Martin Senour Rod & Restoration deck. We then gave it a double dose of reflective crystals; plus, a Dark Red flake racing stripe.” The new Rod & Restoration custom color program includes 200 colors made from a series of optically enhanced automotive paints containing special combinations of highly reflective additives. Depending on the project and what the end vision of the car is, the Rod & Restoration custom color program is available in three color categories, including: Exact Match OE Classic, BarrettJackson Modified Muscle Car and Rod & Custom. The Mustang coupe is named “Good Karma” in honor of Chris’s wife, Karma Carlson (it is, after all, really her car – as promised to her by her husband as far back as just their second date, in 1990). She recalls, “Chris said that someday he’d build me my Mustang. I rolled my eyes – it was our second date after all – fast forward 18 years and four kids later... Chris drove me to check out a car. It
was a forest green 1966 Mustang Coupe, that we bought in 2008. I loved it! The kids and I made lots of memories in that car and every time it broke down, Chris would have to come and fix it.” “It even broke down mid-parade and had to be pushed the rest of the way by our car club members. We finally decided to park it in the barn until we could do a complete custom overhaul on it,” continues Karma. “Life happened and six years passed. Chasing out the raccoon family and pulling that car out of the barn was a momentous day! I truly can’t believe this is the same Mustang that I taught my son to drive in, took my daughter prom dress shopping in and hauled home the world’s largest pinata for my younger boys. It took 24 years but Chris came through on that promise he made to me on our second date, and it’s gorgeous. I love the Velvet Red color; it’s such a beautiful, deep red.” For more information about Martin Senour paints visit www.martinsenourautopaint.com or call 1-800-526-6704. To learn more and share in the ‘Good Karma’ 1966 Mustang custom build, or to Like Us on Facebook, visit: https://www.facebook.com/Martin SenourAutomotive.
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Virginia’s The Hybrid Shop Carves a Niche in Hybrid Maintenance and Service by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor
With nearly 75 different hybrid vehicles currently on the road and more than 100 models expected to be in production by 2016, Matt Curry of The Hybrid Shop said education, training and technology are crucial for the expanding hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) industry. “There’s a pent up demand for hybrid and electric vehicles,” said Curry, the company’s Chief Visionary Officer. “In order to keep up with the future you need to be in the business.” Prior to launching The Hybrid Shop in 2013, Curry and his wife Judy owned Curry’s Auto Service in Northern Virginia since 1997. Over the years they expanded their auto repair business to include 10 shops. During this time Curry purchased eight Toyota Priuses to use as customer shuttles and learn more about hybrids. After talking to Dr. Mark Quarto, a PhD electrical engineer at GM for 28 years who specializes in alternative fuel and hybrid technology, Curry soon realized that HEVs were very different from traditional automotive design. The Currys sold their retail stores to Monro Muffler Brake in 2013 and opened The Hybrid Shop, which is headquartered in Gainesville, Virginia. Just one year later they have 39 franchises across the U.S. and are looking at further expansion nationwide and around the world. They recently attended the SEMA show in Las Vegas to continue to educate the industry about their business. In addition to selling full franchises, the Hybrid Shop offers fractional franchises to those who own existing automotive repair and tire facilities and want to add a hybrid component. New owners and their technicians go through a four and a half day training session in Wisconsin. “We teach them how to diagnose, maintain and repair everything on a hybrid vehicle,” said Curry. The franchise includes diagnostic tools, training, branding, marketing and sales support. “It is a comprehensive system that teaches them everything about hybrid vehicles.” Once a shop is operational, The Hybrid Shop profiles them on their website, which Curry said generates more than 300 leads a month to their dealer network. “We actively drive
traffic into their stores,” said Curry. “We drive car count revenues and profits.” He said that while running his prior business they always prided themselves on their marketing and branding ability. “That’s what allowed us to grow from one store to 10 in 15 years.” Another main component of The Hybrid Shop is the battery conditioning that is offered to customers. Working closely with Chief Technical Officer Dr. Quarto, the AR&D team developed an exclusive technology
On Nov. 19, the company announced that a Northern Virginia investment firm that manages approximately $4 billion in assets, has invested in The Hybrid Shop. Funds managed by the firm now own 38% of the company. “We are proud to announce this investment in The Hybrid Shop by a leading, multi-billion dollar firm,” said CEO Dave Crawford. “The fact that a multi-billion dollar investment firm would want to invest in an early stage company serves as affirmation of our brand, business model and future potential as well as recognition of our
The Hybrid Shop team at their booth during SEMA: Jennifer Martin, Marketing Director; Dave Crawford, CEO; Matt Curry, Chief Visionary Officer; and Bob Curry, President
only found at The Hybrid Shop that can restore a hybrid’s battery to over 95 percent of its original performance. Since hybrid batteries have a 100 percent failure rate, Curry said the only option available has been to replace the battery at an average cost of $4,000. “We can condition the battery for about a third of the price of battery replacement so it saves the customers thousands of dollars, it makes the repair shops thousands of dollars, and it’s better for the environment.” Curry said by conditioning the battery every four to five years or every 80,000 miles, it will keep the vehicle running at maximum efficiency, keep the gas mileage up and the performance of the vehicle working properly. “We are revolutionizing the Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) industry by making repair and maintenance as cost-effective and eco-friendly as we possibly can,” said Curry. The Hybrid Shop received a 2014 Stevie People’s Choice Award for Favorite New Products and the 2014 Stevie American Business Award.
58 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
success to-date in our ongoing efforts to achieve a position of innovation and fast-growth in the rapidly-evolving hybrid and electric space.” Dave Carney, owner of Hillside Auto Repair, purchased a fractional franchise in March as an addition to their shop. “I think it has provided the most amazing opportunities that I’ve seen in the 30 years that I have been in the industry,” he said. The Torrance, California-based company had limited industry training and didn’t feel they had enough knowledge about this growing industry. After sending five employees to The Hybrid Shop’s training, Carney said he could dispatch a hybrid to any one of them and they had the skill sets to be able to diagnose and work on it. “I’ve never seen such an energized, motivated employee in my entire life in 30 years of business as these employees came back from this hybrid training,” he said. “It was extensive. It was a lot of hands on and they came back and had a lot of confidence.” Carney has found that business
comes in spurts and the hybrids that need conditioning are the earlier ones on the road. He predicts that as the number of hybrids increases, they will be working on at least one per week, if not three or four. “What the Hybrid Shop did for us is it gave us the confidence to venture into this area of the unknown,” he said. “My expectation is that a year from now, once we get a little experience under our belt, we will be the knowledge base of everything hybrid in our community in Southern California.” Rich Hoffman, owner of Hoffman Tire Pros in Fayetteville, Georgia, purchased a franchise in June. With no prior knowledge of hybrids, Hoffman said that he saw great potential for hybrids in the future. “I like to stay on top of technology and I like to be ahead of the curve,” said Hoffman, who has owned his business for 38 years. “I did some research and felt like the hybrid was here to stay and the Hybrid Shop has the advantage that nobody else has.” Hoffman estimates that he currently does 35 percent tire work and 65 percent service at his eight-bay facility, which he can also use to work on hybrids. He recently built a 10 foot by 20 foot “clean” room for the hybrid equipment and to service and condition the batteries. “Any service facility can do the job,” said Hoffman. “You just need to have, I feel, a separate place to work on it.” In addition to the training offered by The Hybrid Shop, Hoffman has learned a lot from staying in touch with other dealers in the network. The dealers recently met for a roundtable discussion during SEMA where they established a dealer advisory council. After hearing many wives’ tales about working on hybrids, Hoffman said, “The hybrid is not as difficult as it sounds as long as you have the training and knowledge and respect what you are working with.” “It’s an opportunity to differentiate yourself from the competition, Crawford. He said that with the mandated CAFÉ standards from the federal government, all new vehicle fleets must average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. “The traditional internal combustion engine as we know it today will not be able to meet this objective, which opens the door for hybrid technology. Fastforward 10 years from now and the hybrid business is going to be huge.”
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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 59
National Associations
Chasidy Rae Sisk is a freelance technical writer from Wilmington, Delaware, who writes on a variety of fields and subjects, and grew up in a family of NASCAR fans. She can be contacted at crsisk@chasidyraesisk.com.
CARA Held Estimating Seminar on October 25 with Chasidy Rae Sisk
On Saturday, October 25, the Choice phasized the importance of “doing the Autobody Repair Association (CARA) right thing, for the right reason, the with Chasidy Raeright Siskway.” held an educational meeting for their Southwestern Michigan chapter at the Palmer also explained why the Firekeepers Casino in Battle Creek, collision repair industry needs PMMI. Designed for shop owners, manCLogic: “insurers and repairers both agers, estimators, paint and materials agree that documenting the actual manufacturers and suppliers, and paint and material items used in the reOEM parts manufacturers and supplipair process is the proper and preferred ers, the seminar with featured guest method to use for reimbursement of Edthree Attanasio presenters who educated attendees on these costs. The old method of using a blueprinting practices and the imporrefinish hour multiplier to pay for paint tance of proper documentation. CARA and materials is obviously outdated President Rick Finney explains, “the and needs to be replaced with an accuwhole idea for the meeting is to better rate calculation of actual paint and maeducate shops on estimating and damterials used to repair each unique with InEdorder Attanasio age analysis practices. to be vehicle. By accurately documenting all successful, we have to perform certain paint and materials used for a repair, operations on a daily basis, and these PMCLogic takes the guesswork out of need to be included on our paperwork paint and materials costing.” so we can be reimbursed for these proNext, Gosney spoke about the cedures.” importance of documentation for colThe meeting ran Ed fromAttanasio 10AM lision repair facilities. He explained with until 6PM and included lunch as well that it is important to understand the as snacks and drinks. Tickets to attend P-Pages and other documents in order CARA’s estimating seminar were sold to provide an accurate analysis of the for $50 with the spouses of collision vehicle’s damage and to receive repair professionals paying a dis- proper compensation for all necessary counted rate of $35. labor and refinish operations. Furtherwith Thomas Franklin The three very special guest speakmore, Gosney elaborated that, even if ers who presented at CARA’s meeting a representative from the insurance on October 25 were Rick Palmer, Prescompany denies payment of a labor or ident and CEO of Computer Logic, refinish operation that was performed Inc.; Chuck Gosney, President of Collion a vehicle, that operation must resion Billing Services; and Cleveland main documented on the facility’s Attorney Peter Traska. In addition, final invoice. After all, how can a reEdonAttanasio Finney providedwith updates several pair facility expect to be paid for an topics discussed at the association’s last operation if they don’t ask to be paid meeting. for their labor? Gosney believes that Palmer began the seminar by using Collision Billing Services on talking about itemization in estimates each vehicle would eliminate some of and the importance of accurately re- these problems and stressed that the porting the true cost of paint and mawith Chasidy Raecollision Sisk repair facilities are the only terials. Finney says, “we don’t do this ones who can alleviate this problem. correctly a lot of times in this indusFinney states, “the insurers often try, so Palmer taught collision repair want shops to remove some proceshop owners to be more accurate in dures from the blueprint because they their blueprints and billing as it perwon’t pay for them, but whatever you tains to material and paint costs.” do has to stay on the final paperwork, Palmer’s topics discussion ineven if the insurance company refuses withofThomas Franklin cluded the following: improving prof- reimbursement. We held this meeting its and not losing business with paint in order to share information and try and materials, the size of the gap be- to help shops communicate better with tween revenue and cost, what the each other because we can better serve gross profit margin should be, “You the consumer by improving commuCan’t Manage What You Don’t Meas- nication with our peers. We had open EdtoAttanasio ure,” and gettingwith insurers properly discussions at our meeting about what pay for paint and materials. He em- has and has not benefitted our mem-
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ber shops and their customers.” Finally, Traska led attendees in a discussion about the legal issues currently being pursued around the country with an emphasis on the importance of proper preparation of blueprint paperwork which is necessary in order for shops to get paid for the operations performed. Continuing the emphasis on proper repair documentation, Traska agreed with Palmer and Gosney about the importance of using data base information and itemization of paint and materials information that help the shop owners better understand their businesses and to be properly compensated for their services. Finney shares, “the topic of the 1963 Consent Decree was also discussed at the meeting. Many shop owners in attendance knew of it and exactly why it was written. Some of the shop owners in attendance were not aware of it previously but were very surprised to find out that the is-
sues that we, as shop owners, face today, such as steering, rate suppressions, labor operation denials and more, are nothing new to our industry, and in fact, in 1963, 265 insurers signed a Consent Decree drafted by the U.S. Justice Department and Attorney General Robert Kennedy.” Finney is grateful to Titia Gray, Director of the Southwest Michigan Chapter of CARA, and other members of her chapter for doing such a great job setting up the meeting and arranging for sponsorship. He notes, “CARA is trying to build up membership in Michigan, and we are hopeful that events like this will help to get collision repair shops and paint and parts vendors, as well as manufacturers, working together for the betterment of our consumers and our industry… In my opinion, the meeting was very successful, and I believe that everyone in attendance came away from the meeting with some positive thoughts
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60 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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and realized that we can accomplish almost anything by working together because other repair shop owners should not be considered our enemies but our allies!” These types of educational seminars are important to CARA members “because the way the collision repair industry is going, we have a lot more demands on us with newer vehicles and how we deal with things. These changes are a burden, so it’s very important that the association and our members work together to become
better educated and stay in business; we have to be profitable to take care of our customers,” Finney explains. “It’s imperative that we share ideas and work together to best serve our customers because doing right by them and ensuring their safety is the most important aspect of what we do as collision repair professionals.”
Choice Autobody Repair Association PO Box 392 Cadiz, OH 43907 www.c-a-r-a.org
ACD Adds Collision Select to AutoLink™ Software ACD, a national company that focuses in claims management, advisory, audit and technology solutions to the property and casualty industry, announced the release of Collision Select to its auto claims workflow management platform, AutoLink™. Collision Select is an enhanced feature within AutoLink™, which allows insurers to dispatch an assignment to any collision repair facility a vehicle owner chooses. Through ACD’s integrated response technology, the company said a repairer can quickly respond with required information eliminating the need to login
to any system. Collision Select accepts any estimating software and can log digital imagery, video and all file types. “I’m very excited that we have added Collision Select to our AutoLink™ workflow technology. Our mission is provide every avenue of inspection for our clients whether it be Self(ie) Service™, a traditional appraisal or documentation from a repair facility,” said Ernie Bray, CEO of ACD. “Our goal is to provide a seamless solution that meets the needs of our clients and increases customer satisfaction.”
Auto Care Association Releases 2014 Digital Collision Repair Trends Report
The Auto Care Association has released the 2014 Digital Collision Repair Trends report, an online 70-page analysis of data compiled from primary Auto Care Association research, federal government and independent research data sources. The report highlights the size and scope of the U.S. collision industry, including the paint, body and equipment (PBE) segment, with a brief analysis of the Canadian collision industry. It also includes analyses of factors influencing the collision industry, automotive collision insurance coverage and the Direct Repair Program (DRP). According to this year’s report, collision repair-related sales by industry repair shops dropped slightly (0.2 percent) in 2013 to $40.1 billion from $40.2 billion in 2012. Despite the drop in sales, the industry, since 2009, has managed a sustained growth at an annual rate of 2.2 percent, with most of the growth coming from the high-priced post-collision repair parts.Powered by Nxtbook Media LLC™, this digital publication re-
tains both the traditional design and high-quality content of Auto Care Association reports. This online production provides added value with many new functional enhancements.
Users can: ● Download Excel-based files, charts, tables and graphs that can be copied and pasted for presentations. ● Turn pages with the click of a mouse. ● View pages in a variety of sizes and formats. ● Quickly locate what you are looking for through a “word search” feature. ● Save material for future reference through the “bookmarks” feature. ● Print the entire publication.
Copies of the new 2014 Digital Collision Repair Trends report are now available at $125 for Auto Care Association members and $250 for non-members. The report can be ordered by calling member services at 301-654-6664 or email info@autocare.org. About the Auto Care Association.
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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 61
Mitchell Fourth Quarter 2014 Industry Trends Report Provides Insights for 2015 Mitchell, a leading provider of technology, connectivity and information solutions to the Property & Casualty (P&C) claims and Collision Repair industries, announced on Nov. 5 the availability of its Industry Trends Report (ITR) for the fourth quarter of 2014. The report compares year-overyear data to analyze the key areas of growth within the industry and help P&C insurers, bill reviewers, payers and auto body repair shops make better business decisions. The ITR is delivered in two editions to address timely concerns for the auto physical damage and casualty industries.
In the Auto Physical Damage edition, vehicle repair speed remains a hot-button industry topic because turnaround time is a priority for all parties involved. Within that process, bumper covers are the most commonly damaged part and the first point where an appraiser exercises judgment to repair or replace. In the report, Greg Horn, Vice President of Industry Relations at Mitchell, analyzes the labor hours devoted to repair a bumper and whether time varies by the make of the vehicle or if bumper price impacts repair time. According to Horn, the industry “should be devoting more hours to bumper cover repair because it is a
demonstrable win-win-win for the shop, the insurer and the vehicle owner. But the repair must be a quality, durable repair. It also suggests that whether you are an appraiser or collision technician, you need to keep up with the latest repair products and materials. When was the last time you looked?” In addition to this trends analysis, readers will find the latest data on average rental car time and used vehicle market conditions. Mitchell offered a webinar, Industry Trends Live, on the Auto Physical Damage edition of the report. During the webinar, Horn provided a deeper look into the trends, information and studies highlighted in this
quarter’s ITR on Wednesday, November 12. First published in April 2001, Mitchell’s ITR now reaches more than 33,000 collision and casualty industry professionals and provides visibility into data-driven trends in the P&C market. The complete report is available at www.mitchell.com/industry-trends-report. For further collision repair and property casualty industry updates and perspectives, follow Mitchell on Twitter @MitchellClaims and @MitchellRepair.
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WAGNER KIA of SHREWSBURY
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ORIGINAL BMW PARTS & ACCESSORIES
WAGNER BMWof SHREWSBURY 866.438.3997
770 Boston Turnpike Shrewsbury, MA 01545 www.wagnerbmwofshrewsbury.com Parts Dept. Hours: Mon-Fri...7am-5:30pm Sat...8am-2pm
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730 Boston Turnpike Shrewsbury, MA 01545 www.wagnerkia.com Parts Dept. Hours: Mon-Fri...7am-5:30pm Sat...8am-2pm
MERCEDES-BENZ of SHREWSBURY
Audi Genuine Parts
Audi Shrewsbury Makes the Job Easier • Large Inventory • Experienced Staff • Large Delivery Area
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760 Boston Turnpike Shrewsbury, MA 01545 www.wagnermercedesofshrewsbury.com Parts Dept. Hours: Mon-Fri...7am-5:30pm Sat...8am-2pm
Audi Shrewsbury 780 Boston Turnpike Shrewsbury, MA 01545
866.438.3997 Parts Dept. Hours: Mon-Fri...7-5:30 Sat...8-2 Sun...Closed www.audishrewsbury.com www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 63
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