December 2017 Northeastern Edition

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SCRS Panel Tackles Major Topics at 2017 SEMA

by Ed Attanasio

What happens when two lawyers, an OEM and a former body shop owner talk about the hottest topics in the collision repair industry?

Well, in this case, things got a little heated and the language became a little spicy, but in the end, the infor-

mation offered was invaluable for those in attendance.

On Nov. 2, at this year’s SEMA Show, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) presented a fourperson panel forum titled “The Hidden Dangers of Vehicle Technology, Improper Repair Methodology and Your Liabilities.” The panel, which was moderated by John Ellis, the managing director at Ellis & Associates, featured two attorneys—Todd Tracy of the Tracy Law Firm and Erica Eversman of Vehicle Information Services, in addition to Mark Allen, collision programs director of Audi of America and Aaron Clark, a See SCRS Panel, Page 12

CIC: New Vehicle Technologies Bringing Fresh Challenges for Collision Repairers

by John Yoswick

Attorney Who Sued Texas Body Shop Urges Shops to Stand Up to Insurance Companies

by John Yoswick

Shortly after gaining notoriety within the industry in 2013 for suing State

Texas attorney Todd Tracy told shops at SEMA in Las Vegas in November what they can do to avoid a suit like the one he brought against a shop for failure to follow OEM repair procedures

Farm over its mandated use of PartsTrader, Mississippi attorney John Eaves was speaking to shops during SEMA week in Las Vegas, recruiting participants for lawsuits against insurers that he said would revolutionize the industry.

Four years later almost to the day, Texas attorney Todd Tracy told shops in a packed Las Vegas ballroom

during this year’s SEMA that his recent $42 million lawsuit against a dealership body shop—and a subsequent related lawsuit against State Farm—also potentially marks the start of a profound shift for collision repairers.

“This is a defining moment in your industry,” Tracy said. “You have a verdict that can change the industry.”

Tracy was careful to point out that his goal isn’t to sue body shops for failure to follow OEM repair procedures, the basis of his legal victory against John Eagle Collision Center. Instead, like Eaves, Tracy has insurance companies in his legal crosshairs.

“By dictating improper vehicle repairs for decades, insurance companies have seriously injured and killed thousands of customers who were driving around in time bombs they didn’t know about,” Tracy said. “If you don’t think I’m on your side, See Stand Up, Page 4

Where Do OE Certification Programs Go Now, in a Post-John Eagle World?

by Gary Ledoux

Virginia shop owner Barry Dorn said automaker systems that time stamp diagnostic trouble codes make it easier to determine which are related to a claim or repair process See CIC: New Technology, Page 4

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P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018

New challenges posed for collision repairers by increasingly complex vehicle technology were discussed during several presentations at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) held in Las Vegas during SEMA week in early November.

“I would challenge you, whether you are a repair facility [relying on] the dash light, or if you are an insurer that is still saying, ‘I’m not going to perform a post-scan because the light isn’t on.” There are very valid reasons why that light might not be on,” com-

VOL. 8 ISSUE 9 DECEMBER 2017

The John Eagle verdict that occurred back in October, and the $42M judgement for the plaintiffs, Matthew and Marcia Seebachan, who were severely injured in an incorrectly repaired Honda Fit was, no doubt, the biggest collision industry story of the year—if not the decade.

Subsequently, shops have become acutely aware of the severe liability they open themselves up to when a repair is not performed according to OE procedures. Shops have a huge stake in this game. After all, when you come right down to it, the choice to follow OE procedures and a correct repair, or not, is solely up to the shop – the technician and shop owner or manager.

But the OE’s have a big stake too.

An OE’s brand is on the line at a certified shop. When a consumer sees an OE emblem attached to a shop’s office wall or on their website, they assume it is a quality shop and their car, the second largest investment they have, will be repaired correctly and safely. Consumers trust the OE brand – so the OE must be able to trust the shop. Unfortunately, there are so many other forces that drive the industry and may have an over-riding effect, even on those shops that are OE certified.

On October 3, 2017, the day after the $42M verdict was rendered, the industry entered the post-John Eagle era. Times have changed. So where do we go from here? How does the inms See Post John Eagle, Page 24

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2 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

COLUMNISTS Antonelli - CTEC in OR Adds Collision Repair Program with State-of-the-Art Equipment, Facilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Attanasio - 3M Hosts Reunion of 10 of the World’s Best Car Painters at SEMA . . . 46 Attanasio - WD-40 Features Boosted Bronco at SEMA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Attanasio - WyoTech Launches Alumni Association at SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Ledoux - Early Industry Pioneers Left Their Mark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Phillips - AkzoNobel Meeting Held in CA to Help Shops Become ‘Repairers of Choice’ . 42 Phillips - Military Veteran Attributes Shop’s Success to Building Lifelong Relationships with Customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Sisk - Auto Care Association Hosts First Legislative Summit in Five Years . . . . . . . . 30 Yoswick - Information Providers Made it Clear Five Years Ago Shops Can’t Opt-Out of Data Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 NATIONAL Antelope, CA, Man Sentenced to Year in Prison for Selling Counterfeit Airbags . . . . 14 Attorney Who Sued Texas Body Shop Urges Shops to Stand Up to Insurance Companies . 1 Auto Care Association Names Kirsten Zaremba New Senior Director, Marketing. . . . . . . . . 68 Automotive Collision Repair Market Is Projected To Be Around $246.78 Billion By 2022. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 AWDA Presents Annual Awards Honoring Excellence in the Automotive Aftermarket Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Axalta Coating Systems New Products: Cromax EZ, Acquire Quantum EFX, and Cromax Chromapremier Pro Ultra Performance Primer Filler . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Caliber Collision Creates New Executive Roles to

Accelerate Teammate & Client Satisfaction . 63 CARSTAR Proprietary Edge Performance Platform Group Meetings Drive Network Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Certified Collision Group™ Now Fifth-Largest Collision Repair Services Organization in U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 CIC: New Vehicle Technologies Bringing Fresh Challenges for Collision Repairers. . . . . . . . 1 CIF Extends Assistance to Victims of Puerto Rico and CA Natural Disasters. . . . 71 Collision Safety Consultants Announces Newest Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Eleventh Circuit Restores Auto Body Shop Antitrust Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Estimating Tip: Mitchell, CCC, Audatex— Storing Electrical Presets and Redeploying Customer Presets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Fighting for Safer Auto Repairs in Texas, ABAT Hosts Todd Tracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 GFS Now Offering Consulting Services for Improving Shop Throughput . . . . . . . . . . . 27 GFS Partners with RollSeal to Offer Durable and Affordable Fabric Roll-Up Doors . . . . . 64 Guidewire Software Announces Enterprise as New Solution Alliance Partner . . . . . . . . . 60 I-CAR Honors Contributions to Collision Repair Industry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 I-CAR Honors Gene Scambray with Chairman’s Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Milton Unveils Modular, Auto-Draining Filter-Regulator-Lubricator Line . . . . . . . . . 66 Mitchell Providing Collision Repair Industry Instant Access to Real-Time VIN-Specific Recall Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 More than $600,000 in School Grants through CREF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 NABC Receives Prestigious National Power of A—Summit Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Nationwide Achieves I-CAR Insurance Gold Class Corporate Status . . . . . . . . . . . 62 New Federal Report Highlights Demand in the Skills Trade, Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . 57 New I-CAR Hands-On Skills Development Courses Launched . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 New Metalux® Platinum Primer Delivers Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Reports of AkzoNobel Approaching Axalta about Possible Merger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 SCRS Panel Tackles Major Topics at 2017 SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Second Annual “Insurer Report Card” Now Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Semi Crashes into Auto Body Repair Shop in Cicero, IL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Three Driven Brands Companies Named to Elite Franchising Times for Top 200 Ranking . . 63 Where Do OE Certification Programs Go Now, in a Post-John Eagle World?. . . . . . . . . . . . 1 WIA Plans 4th Conference; 2nd Conference in 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 WIN ‘Jumps in the Tank’ with Traci Brown . . . 71 WIN Announces Opening of Most Influential Women Nominations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Wizards Products Introduces the ‘Wizard 12 Big Throw Mini’ Orbital Polisher . . . . . . 60

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Contributing Writers: John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr, Stacey Phillips, Victoria Antonelli, Gary Ledoux Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Digital Marketing Manager: Bill Pierce Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Michelle Lucas Online and Web Content Editor: Rochelle Beckel Accounting Manager: Heather Priddy Sales Assistant: Randi Scholtes

tions, represent consumers under the appraisal clause and shops under the Assignment of Proceeds. They will be advocates working with shops, vehicle owners, attorneys and consumers. They will also help shops improve quality control by advising them and helping them locate and perform proper repair procedures.

“I’m very excited about our rapid growth. We have three other associate locations planned to open in the next three months, [including] West Virginia, Florida and South Carolina.”

For more information, visit: collision safetyconsultants.us

A Few Old Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Acura of Westchester . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Amato Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Atlantic Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Audi Fairfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 63 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . 2, 17 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54-55 Cadillac of Mahwah . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Car-Part.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 CarcoonAmerica Airflow Systems. . 27 Central Avenue Chrysler-JeepDodge-Ram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA). . . . . . . . . . . 19 ChemSpec USA, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Colonial Automotive Group . . . . . . 59 Dent Magic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 ECS Automotive Concepts . . . . . . . 30 Empire Auto Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . 15 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 62 Fred Beans Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Fuccillo Kia of Schenectady . . . . . . 47 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 61 GYS Welding USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Heritage Chrysler-Jeep-DodgeRAM Owings Mills . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Herkules Equipment Corporation. . 12 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 66 Infiniti of Norwood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Insta Finish Car Care . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Long Automotive Group . . . . . . . . . 51 Lynnes Auto Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Serving New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Northern Virginia, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and adjacent metro areas. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the autobody industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2017 Adamantine Media LLC. Autobody News P.O. Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 / (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com editor@autobodynews.com

Northeast

REGIONAL AASP/NJ Holds 2017 Annual Meeting, Elects Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 ABAC Members Refuse to Lose!. . . . . . . . . . 16 ASA-MA/RI Previews Technology and Telematics Forum 5.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Bedford Hills, NY, Auto Repair Shop says Mercedes Dealer Demanded Kickbacks . . . 8 City Auto Body in Newport, RI, Partners with BizIQ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Davies HS Auto Students in Lincoln, RI, Get Hands on Police Car. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 GNB Voc-Tech Students in New Bedford, MA, See Film on Changing Gears for their Careers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Jeff Tech in Reynoldsville, PA, Receives Another Donation from CREF . . . . . . . . . . 10 Nashoba Tech Auto Programs Shift into Overdrive in Westford, MA . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 PA Auto Body Shop Completes Training to Better Repair Vehicles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Recycled Rides Delivers with Used Car for Woman in Need in Prospect Park, PA . . . . 14 Today’s Collision in Malden, MA, Donates Recycled Ride to Gold Star Daughter . . . . . 6

Billy Walkowiak, founder and CEO of Collison Safety Consultants, announced the opening of his newest associate location, and the second one in Arizona. This will be the company’s sixth location, which includes Walkowiak’s first location in North Carolina. Collision Safety Consultants of Southeast Arizona will be located in Tuscon, AZ. Juan Aragon is the president and will lead the company. “The company will follow our corporate mission,” said Walkowiak.

“They will do diminished value reports, perform post-collision repair inspections, total loss vehicle valua-

Index of Advertisers

Contents

Collision Safety Consultants Announces Newest Location

Malouf Chevrolet-Cadillac. . . . . . . . 22 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 58 Matrix Automotive Finishes. . . . . . . . 5 McGovern Chrysler-Jeep-DodgeRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Mercedes-Benz of Atlantic City. . . . 31 Mercedes-Benz of Fairfield . . . . . . . 49 Mercedes-Benz of Fort Washington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Mercedes-Benz of West Chester . . 31 Mercedes-Benz of Wilmington . . . . 39 Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 56 Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers. 40-41 MWMtools.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Nucar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Ourisman Chrysler-Jeep-DodgeRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Polyvance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Porsche of Fairfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 52 Providence Lacquer & Supply Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 SATA Dan-Am Company . . . . . . . . 11 Schultz Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Security Dodge-Chrysler-JeepRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Spanesi Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 67 Tasca Automotive Group . . . . . . . . 43 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 68 VIP Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Westbury Jeep-Chrysler-DodgeRam-SRT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Wizards Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 3

Continued from Cover

CIC: New Technology

mittee chairman Clint Marlow, an Allstate executive, said.

Automakers at previous CIC meetings had outlined that not all of the hundreds of potential diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) that many vehicles

Allstate’s Clint Marlow said shops and insurers shouldn’t decide not to conduct post-repair scanning based solely on a lack of dash lights being lit

track are even tied to a specific dash light. But Marlow said dash lights also might not be triggered by temporary disruptions to a system’s functionality, such as the spray from a passing truck momentarily disabling the lane-deparContinued from Cover

Stand Up

folks, this…ought to tell you I am absolutely on your side.”

Tracy shared many of the details of his lawsuit against John Eagle Collision on behalf of a Texas couple, Matthew and Marcia Seebachan.

The Seebachans were driving their 2010 Honda Fit in late 2013 when another vehicle hydroplaned and crashed into the Honda. The Seebachans sustained severe injuries, including extensive burns after their vehicle’s gas tank ruptured and the car burst into flames.

The suit began as a liability lawsuit against Honda, Tracy said, but after reviewing how the roof of the Honda Fit separated from the vehicle in the crash, it became clear that it had been previously repaired.

“After handling 2,700 different cases against every vehicle manufacturer in the world, with the exception of Volvo…I said, ‘Something is wrong here,’” Tracy said. “I had never seen a roof do this. OEM roof panels don’t separate like this. The OEM frame members and rocker panels

ture sensors and system. Having dash lights not continually coming on and off can help build consumer confidence in the systems, he said.

But members of the committee in Las Vegas also noted that many DTCs found in a post-repair inspection may not be related to the claim or repair process. Matthew McDonnell, CEO of three Big Sky Collision shops in Montana, said he sees opportunity for shops and insurers to work together when such codes are found in a prerepair scan.

That’s an opportunity for you [as a shop] to bring that information to [the insurer] and say, ‘How would you like me to proceed with this,’” McDonnell said. “Because each case is going to be different, [so don’t] put the customer in the middle in the beginning. Maybe it’s an opportunity to win a customer over because together we’re going to go ahead and [handle the issue] anyway. We leave that in [the insurers’] ball court. That builds trust.”

Virginia shop owner Barry Dorn said some vehicles have date and time stamps that help clarify which are claim-related and which are not.

“That takes my opinion and your

opinion and everyone’s opinion out. It is what it is,” Dorn said.

Discussion throughout the meeting also emphasized the importance of vehicle scanning. McDonnell said a recent pre-repair scan during the blueprinting process in one of his shops included a recommendation to check a rear camera on the vehicle; upon close inspection, he said, it was determined the camera was damaged.

“When would be the best time to find that out? After the car was delivered? Or during that disassembly?”

McDonnell said, noting that finding it any later in the process could have impacted cycle time and customer satisfaction.

But scanning has to be done hand-in-hand with checking the automaker repair procedures, Jake Rodenroth of asTech said during another CIC committee presentation. He said he learned through OEM procedures that replacing the muffler on a BMW X5, for example, requires hooking up the vehicle to a scan tool. Similarly, Audi’s OEM procedures spell out that there are two windshield options for the 2016 A6, and the VIN alone will not indicate which is needed.

“It requires a visual inspection to determine which camera kit it has,” Rodenroth said. “So how would you know that if you don’t research the OEM procedures? In reality, you’d probably only find out at the end that you put the wrong windshield in the

don’t collapse like this underneath the survival space where the occupants are sitting.”

With more research, Tracy learned that a previous owner of the Honda Fit had it repaired at John Eagle for hail damage, and the shop had used adhesive bonding, rather than welds as called for by Honda, to attach the replacement roof.

“I am a vehicle crashworthiness lawyer,” Tracy said. “I sue car manufacturers for a living. I don’t sue repair facilities. You guys are like me: You’re small businessmen. But when you guys [expletive] up my vehicle manufacturer defect case, I have to go after you.”

He said the jury clearly understood that the shop’s use of adhesive rather than welds went against what both the automaker and 3M (the adhesive maker) called for.

“And I refuse to call it ‘adhesive bonding,’” Tracy said. “We called it glue. No different than Elmer’s glue that those jurors’ kindergarten children use in their art projects… It’s all about smoke and mirrors, what I do for a living, ladies and gentlemen. I don’t know [expletive] from shinola, like you guys do. But I can say it louder,

and I’ve got a bigger megaphone, and I’ve got a big personality.”

The lawsuit against State Farm, the insurer who paid for the hail damage repair to the Honda Fit, was the result of a deposition of the director of the John Eagle Collision Center, who indicated that an insurer can overrule OEM repair procedures based on payment practices.

“Well, unfortunately, we’re guided by insurance,” the shop’s director said in the deposition. “So... if you brought your car into my shop, the insurance company’s going to dictate... how we’re going to repair your car.”

But the insurer cannot trump the OEM procedures, can they, the director was asked.

“Yes, they can,” he responded.

“By not paying the bill.”

Although Tracy said he’s not looking to sue additional shops, he offered a number of steps shops should take to protect themselves against lawsuits such as the one he brought against John Eagle Collision. First and foremost, he said, always follow OEM repair specifications. If there are no such procedures, document efforts you made to locate them, and keep your

customer informed.

“Never forget who your customer is,” Tracy said. “When they entrust you with their vehicle repairs, they are putting their lives and the lives of their loved ones in your hands.”

Avoid language on your website or other marketing that overpromises what you can deliver, he suggested.

He called the John Eagle Collision website “insane” in that it said the shop’s goal for repairs is to “achieve ‘better than new,’” and that the shop has what is needed “to restore the vehicle to its condition prior to the incident that caused the damage.”

“Don’t tie yourself down to stupid [expletive] like this,” Tracy said.

“If you have a website, make it vague.

Make it ambiguous.”

He said shops should never admit that “you’re letting insurance companies dictate how you’re repairing vehicles.”

Better yet, he said, stop allowing that to happen.

“If you take away one thing from this talk, that is: Never put your company’s profit over your customer’s safety,” Tracy said. “That’s a good way to get your ass whipped. And

4 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

I-CAR’s Jason Bartanen said automakers have been receptive to his organization’s suggested improvements to OEM repair procedures

car. This is just one example of how the business is changing and that we cannot assume things.”

Marlow said another area of agreement among the “Insurer-Repairer Relations Committee” has been the need for “a mechanism for the industry— both insurers and repairers—to bubble See CIC: New Technology, Page 20

See Stand Up, Page 27

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 5

Today’s Collision in Malden, MA, Donates Recycled Ride to Gold Star Daughter

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

This fall, Today’s Collision Repair in Malden, MA, participated in the Recycled Rides™ program, facilitated by the National Auto Body Council (NABC), for the fourth time.

Gold Star Daughter Kaleigh Hayes received a 2014 Nissan Sentra through NABC’s Recycled Rides, refurbished by Today’s Collision

The repair center’s employees refurbished a salvaged 2014 Nissan Sentra, donated by MetLife Insurance, to give to Kaleigh Hayes, a Massachusetts Fallen Heroes’ Gold Star Daughter.

Bobby Cobb, owner of Today’s Collision, stated, “For me, personally, these Recycled Rides events keep me grounded, knowing that we can use our knowledge and skills to make a small

change in someone’s life, like Kaleigh, who has given so much to our country and community.”

Kaleigh was only 7 years old when her father, Army Sergeant Glenn R. Allison, died in Baghdad in 2003 at the age of 24.

“I do have memories of him that I will always hold near and dear to my heart, and I’m glad that I have MA Fallen Heroes,” she stated. “He inspired me to push forward, pay it forward and make an impact on those around me.”

According to Dan Magoon of MA Fallen Heroes, “Kaleigh’s story is truly amazing—a young daughter who lost her dad at such a young age and had to live pretty much her entire life without her father, and continues to do great things in life.”

Now, Kaleigh is 21 years old and works two jobs while attending college. In addition to working at a mentoring program at the Boys and Girls Club, she supervises visits at the YMCA between children and their non-custodial parents.

“My father has inspired me in every way, shape and form. He’s why I’m going to school; he’s why I wake every morning. I think about him,” she said. “I think about what he would do; what he would want me to be

doing for the future.”

Unfortunately, an unreliable vehicle made it difficult for Kaleigh to fulfill all of her obligations.

Kaleigh (second from right) poses with representatives from all the companies who made her vehicular dream a reality

Cobb noted, “Kaleigh didn’t have a car, and found it tough to get around.”

MA Fallen Heroes enlisted the aid of several local organizations.

MetLife donated the vehicle, while Today’s Collision repaired the car.

Transfer paperwork was facilitated

by NABC’s Recycled Rides program and 1-800 Charity Cars, and Enterprise donated a $250 gas card. These groups also paid for the title, tags and the first year of insurance, plus Today’s Collision has vowed to do-

PA Auto Body Shop Completes Training to Better Repair Vehicles

Thirteen technicians and managers at Professionals Auto Body have completed extensive OEM training.

Professionals Auto Body now has four certified welders who do the structural work on today’s vehicles. This includes the owner, Ron Perretta, who is also certified in welding.

Perretta said, “We are dedicated to repairing vehicles to the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) specifications only. This assures our customers their vehicle is safe and doesn’t lose its value after a repair.

“Today’s vehicles are complicated, and understanding the repair methodology of each vehicle separately is necessary—the very reason

why we’ve invested in our staff, equipment and the system to access the information from the manufacturers. There are no vehicles we can’t repair today. This includes any

mechanical, electrical and glass repairs. Today, as always, we can say we have more trained people and more equipment than anyone else in the area”.

Call orwww.autobodynews.com Email Now for Rates:

800-699-8251

ltedesco@autobodynews.com

6 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

nate maintenance for as long as Kaleigh owns the car.

According to Cobb, “She’s going to be set for a long time. MetLife do-

nated a great vehicle. We refurbished the exterior, brakes, gave it some new tires, and performed some general maintenance. I am thankful to have a crew of employees who enjoy making a difference and giving back. Just to see Kaleigh smile and have a new car again—it’s an overwhelming feeling.”

The City of Malden Police Department escorted Kaleigh as she drove away in her new car.

“It means so much to have the support of everyone here,” she said.

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 7

Estimating Tip: Mitchell, CCC, Audatex—Storing Electrical Presets and Redeploying Customer Presets

Modern vehicle technology may have memory function set by the vehicle owner, which may need to be considered during the repair process.

Memory functions may include the following: seat position, radio presets, clock, mirrors and ADAS features (Advance Drivers Assist Systems). Customers rely on these settings being restored as they were when the vehicle arrived to the repair facility. Documenting and resetting these features are NOT included in labor times from all three estimating systems. A good check-in process will document these settings prior to starting repairs, as well as communication with the vehicle owner to make them aware of the possibility of losing certain presets during the repair process. The estimating databases are all intended to be used as a GUIDE ONLY. It is important to remember that the auto body professional performing the repair is in a position to thoroughly inspect, diagnose and identify the methodology and their unique cost of the vehicle damage repair.

Bedford Hills, NY, Auto Repair Shop says Mercedes Dealer Demanded Kickbacks

by Bill Heltzel, Westfair County Business Journal

An auto repair shop that claims a Mercedes-Benz dealership demanded kickbacks for customer referrals is suing the automaker and car dealer for $11.5 million.

North State Autobahn, operating as North State Custom in Bedford Hills, sued Mercedes-Benz USA and Mercedes-Benz of Goldens Bridge in Westchester Supreme Court.

The previous owner of the dealership, Estate Motors, had sponsored North State as an authorized Mercedes repair shop for 13 years.

North State said it invested hundreds of thousands of dollars on the training and equipment required by Mercedes.

The repair shop did more than $1.1 million a year in Mercedes repairs from 2014 to 2016, according to the lawsuit filed by company President Gregory Coccaro.

Mercedes completed a required two-year audit in early 2017, the complaint states, and deemed North State 100 percent compliant.

Then Estate Motors sold the Goldens Bridge dealership to Tom Maoli, owner of Celebrity Motor Car Co., a

8 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

group of luxury car dealerships in northern New Jersey.

North State and Celebrity representatives met in May to discuss their arrangement. Celebrity’s service manager and body shop coordinator, according to the lawsuit, said North State does excellent work.

The former Estate Motors in Goldens Bridge.

Credit: Westfair County Business Journal

But they allegedly asked how much North State was willing to pay to continue as a sponsored Mercedes repair shop.

North State accused Celebrity representatives of demanding a kickback on every car referred to the shop, requiring the shop to use the dealer’s repair estimates and telling the shop to pay the dealer the entire markup on parts.

They allegedly said repairs would be put out to bids, including to shops

not certified by Mercedes, and the lowest bid would get the job.

North State representatives, the lawsuit states, responded that kickbacks are illegal and that giving customers a certificate of repairs on an estimate made by someone else is illegal.

They claimed that the Celebrity representatives declared, “These are the new rules,” and said they had no choice but to terminate its sponsorship.

A dealer spokesman, Larry Weiner, said Celebrity denies the allegations and is negotiating with North State to resolve the matter amicably.

North State asked a MercedesBenz official in Atlanta to reinstate the repair shop. The letter asked the official to “not condone these strong-arm tactics” and to make sure that certified shops are “not penalized for refusing to break the law.”

Mercedes did not re-authorize North State.

The lawsuit also names S&L Collision Center in Hawthorne, which it claims acceded to Celebrity’s demands.

Attempts to reach Mercedes and S&L Collision officials for a response were unsuccessful.

We thank Westfair County Business Journal for reprint permission.

AASP/NJ Holds 2017 Annual Meeting, Elects Officers

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Oct. 24, the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) hosted its 2017 Annual Meeting at the Gran Centurions Banquet Hall in Clark, NJ. According to outgoing AASP/NJ President Jeff McDowell, “AASP/NJ is committed to bettering the collision and mechanical repair industry. Attending the Annual Meeting is a great way for our members to stay informed and involved in industry conversations.”

AASP/NJ’s 2017 Annual Meeting commenced at 7 p.m. with a cash bar, followed by dinner. During the election of officers, the role of President was filled by Jerry McNee of Ultimate Collision, who ran unopposed.

With more than 40 years of industry experience, McNee has been a board member of AASP/NJ for many years, and is committed to both improving the industry and helping association members better their businesses.

He stated, “It’s easy to sell something if you believe in it. I eat, live, breathe and sleep this stuff every single day. My door is always open, and I’m always willing to answer any questions.”

Dennis Cataldo of D & M Auto Body was elected to the position of Collision Chairman, while the role of Mechanical Chairman continues to be filled by Keith Krebel of Krebel Automotive Repair. Two new board members, Gary Gardella Jr. and Billy Aiello, were elected and will serve with the following returning board mem-

bers: Sam Mikhail, Ted Rainier, Anthony Trama, and Joe Amato.

AASP/NJ Treasurer Tom Elder began the industry awards ceremony by honoring Robert Kirk of County Line Auto Body with the Russ Robson Scholarship.

The association’s Executive Director Charles Bryant presented the Stan Wilson/New Jersey Automotive Body Shop of the Year Award to Brad Denning of Dobbs Auto Body, stating, “Brad has made an investment in the equipment and the training, and he fights the battles every day and doesn’t give up. I’m very proud to have

him as Body Shop of the Year.”

The evening’s final award was the AASP/NJ Hall of Fame Award, which Bryant presented to McDowell.

Bryant stated, “This award is given to people who really put a lot into this industry. We thought long and hard about it, but everything came right back to one guy. If anybody ever deserved it, it’s Jeff McDowell. We’ve been through some really hard times, and Jeff guided us through everything. He’s not only a great friend, but a friend of the industry. He’s incredibly knowledgeable about the industry and so deserving of this award.”

The Annual Meeting also featured three informative presentations.

McDowell noted, “One of our main goals as an association is to prepare our members for this ever-changing industry as best we can. I think that’s very clear based on the selection of speakers chosen.”

First, Robert Palentchar of the Ombudsman’s Office explained his role as a public advocate, identifying how AASP/NJ members can aid customers when disputes are on automotive property damage claims.

Palentchar concluded with a Q & A session.

I-CAR’s Northeast Regional Manager Allan Smith returned to the Annual Meeting to provide attendees with an overview of where the industry is headed. He also discussed how training and certification can help industry professionals stay ahead of the curve and enjoy a return on their educational investments.

The evening’s final speaker was Robert Pingatore of American Compliance, who shared updates on the latest OSHA inspection news and explained how shops can avoid fines and penalties by complying with OSHA requirements.

All proceeds from the 2017 Annual Meeting benefit the AASP/NJ Legal Fund, helping the association address issues negatively impacting the collision repair industry.

McNee shared with attendees, “I hope you guys will continue to come out and support the association. Looking around the room tonight, there’s definitely strength in numbers. I don’t want anybody to think your colleague, your friend or the guy down the street is your enemy, because we’re all in this together.”

For more information about AASP/NJ, visit www.aaspnj.org.

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 9

Davies HS Auto Students in Lincoln, RI, Get Hands on Police Car

by Brittany Ballantyne, The Valley Breeze

It’s not every day that a police cruiser comes rolling through the shop’s garage doors at William M. Davies Jr. Career and Technical High School in Lincoln, RI.

Duberay Botelho, of Pawtucket, works on Lincoln Police Capt. Philip Gould’s police cruiser during an auto collision repair class at Davies, where students learn the entire auto refinishing process.(Breeze photos by Brittany Ballantyne)

But when it does, students in the auto collision repair class jump at the chance to fix it up.

Lincoln Police Capt. Philip Gould’s administrative vehicle was in need of some attention, he said, and the aging cruiser had seen better days.

He decided to bring the car to Davies,

a school the department has had a collaborative relationship with for at least two decades, dating back to when students worked on a Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or D.A.R.E., vehicle for the Lincoln Police Department.

The project is twofold, allowing students to work hands-on to refurbish a vehicle to be put back on the road, as well as providing them an opportunity to build relations with the local police department, said Gould and Jesse Spillane, auto collision instructor.

The students are “seeing me not as a police officer, but a guy who’s sitting here and appreciating what they can do,” Gould said, while training for the workforce in the future.

Spillane said the vehicle came into the school’s shop as a fully functioning police car, adorned with police marker decals—tough stickers to remove.

The refurbishing process is an indepth one, Spillane said, that involves lots of preparation work. Students will paint and refurbish the car, and learn all aspects of the refinishing process, including dent repair, color change and ridding the vehicle of rust spots.

Spillane said the school also has a full reconditioning program, and described the auto program as a one-stop

Jeff Tech in Reynoldsville, PA, Receives Another Donation from CREF

by Eric Hrin, The Courier Express

The Collision Repair Education Foundation has come through with another donation for Jeff Tech vocational-technical school.

It was announced at a recent meeting of the school’s joint operating committee that a donation of

Rust-Oleum floor paint had been made for the auto body floor, with an approximate value of $137.

“If I could say, this Collision Repair (Education) Foundation shows up every month with more donations,” said the school’s administrative director, Barry Fillman.

In September, it was announced that the foundation had donated 3M products for use in the Automotive Collision Shop in the approximate amount of $3,000.

Fillman stated that the 3M products are the current supplies used to prepare the vehicles for painting, according to a previously published

Courier-Express article.

“As many of these items are consumable, it is a big boost to our program having them available and stretching our budget in the area,” he was quoted as saying in the previous report.

According to its website, the foundation’s mission is to “support collision repair educational programs, schools, and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities.”

Fillman added that Pam Kerr, the school’s collision repair instructor, has worked tirelessly to add new technology, get donations and revamp the entire program.

“It’s a different world in collision repair than it was before she got there,” he said.

Library donation: It was also announced that there had been donation of $30 to the Jeff Tech Library from Mr. and Mrs. Dan Hawkins in memory of Marjorie Bundy, Fillman’s mother-in-law.

Fillman offered thanks for the acknowledgment.

We thank Courier Express for reprint permission.

10 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

shop.

“We do it all,” Spillane said.

“I come here, and I’m in awe. You don’t want to see me with a screwdriver in my hand,” Gould said with a laugh.

“This is going to be my work car,” he said as he watched students, mostly seniors and some juniors, preparing the vehicle.

Central Falls, both juniors, work together on a Lincoln Police Department cruiser. Students at William M. Davies Jr. Career and Technical School are refurbishing the vehicle, which will be put back on the road and used by the department once repairs are completed. (Breeze photos by Brittany Ballantyne)

Spillane said the students are taking what they learn in class and applying it in real-world settings, and seniors are available for work-based learning. Not only are the students re-

pairing vehicles in the shop at school, he said, but they’re also working at various local businesses.

The instructor said he anticipates students completing these types of repairs again in the future, and said the school is in talks to add a firefighter vehicle to the shop’s project lineup.

With the Lincoln Police Department partnership, Spillane said, the students “feel like they’re trusted to do something—a real job.”

“It’s real-life experience,” he said, adding that the students make their own decisions and maneuver their way through troubleshooting.

“I’m proud of them.”

There’s no exact completion date yet, the instructor said, but he expects it will take a few weeks before the product is complete. At Davies, he explained, students take auto collision classes every other week.

In the meantime, Gould said he’ll use a vehicle in the police department’s fleet. Once the cruiser is completed, the captain said, he’ll be proud to drive it, and said he hopes to give the students a tour of the police station at 100 Old River Road.

We thank The Valley Breeze for reprint permission.

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 11

ASA-MA/RI Previews Technology and Telematics Forum 5.0

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Wednesday, Oct. 25, ASA-MA/RI brought Las Vegas to Massachusetts when the association previewed the Technology and Telematics Forum 5.0 that was scheduled to be presented at SEMA on Nov. 2.

GM’s Robert Oulton discussed new vehicle technology at ASA-MA/RI’s Telematics 5.0 Forum in October

The three-hour meeting was held at the Holiday Inn in Taunton, MA. ASA-MA/RI Executive Director Stephen Regan shared, “The event was well-attended, and there was a lot of great interaction between attendees and the presenters. It was better than I expected. Every meeting runs some risk of not living up to its billing. This

meeting was great in every aspect.

From the location to the physical room, to the speakers and the interaction with the audience, it was a clear success.”

ASA National President Dan Risley opened the meeting with an overview of ASA and its offerings, as well as a discussion of the association’s importance to the collision repair industry. Risley also discussed the benefits of ASA memberships and detailed some of its current initiatives.

Next, Regan shared ASA-MA/RI’s intention to host an increased number of local meetings in an effort to improve focus on local issues. The affiliate chapter will be monitoring state legislative and regulatory efforts locally as part of its up-close and hands-on approach to member services. Finally, Regan announced that ASA-MA/RI has opened a local office, which will be staffed Monday through Friday during normal business hours.

Regan then introduced Robert Redding, ASA Washington DC Representative, and Wayne Weikle, Senior Director for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, who held a lively discussion on automated vehicle technology legislation currently working its way through Congress. They also provided information on some state legis-

City Auto Body in Newport, RI, Partners with BizIQ

City Auto Body, a collision repair and auto body paint provider in Newport, RI, has announced a new partnership with BizIQ, a firm specializing in local search engine optimization and small business marketing.

Together, the two companies will seek to strengthen City Auto Body’s reputation online and throughout its real-world service area.

A first step in the partnership can already be seen in the enhancement of City Auto Body’s website.

BizIQ has helped the company optimize its website for design, readability, content and more. The updated site includes professionally written copy, a comprehensive overview of the company’s services and a responsive new design to accommodate desktop and mobile users alike.

This revamped website is the catalyst for driving brand appeal and accessibility for the company.

BizIQ’s next steps in helping City Auto Body establish itself as the premier auto body shop in Newport, RI, are diverse. BizIQ will assist with inbound lead generation, updates to the company’s profiles across the web, brand and reputation management, improved SERPs and more. All efforts will be aimed at establishing City Auto Body’s longstanding reputation for quality in the digital space.

“For decades, we’ve been wellknown for quality and excellence by our local customers. Now, the time has come for us to grow our digital brand to match this reputation online,” said Joseph Alves, owner of City Auto Body. “BizIQ is going to help us continue to establish our online presence for the future, so we can continue to provide our localarea customers with the same great level of service we’re known for.”

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lation that has been receiving attention.

Regan recalled, “They discussed one successful recent effort by ASA to get an amendment to automated vehicle legislation that has passed the House and a key Senate committee.

The amendment establishes a federal

Product Specialist for General Motors, who detailed some new vehicle technologies and the challenges these present to the collision repair industry.

According to Regan, “Many of the attendees’ concerns surrounded proper repair procedures and access to correct repair information. For over two hours, Bob and the audience went back and forth in lively discussion about the operations and specifications of many new vehicle technologies.”

ASA-MA/RI plans to host regular local meetings to bring value to association members.

Regan stated, “Association-sponsored meetings are Additional speakers at ASA-MA/RI’s October meeting a great source of information included (l to r) Dan Risley, Wayne Weikel, Stephen and an opportunity to netRegan, and Robert Redding work with colleagues. When advisory committee comprising af- I ask shop [owners] who were once astermarket representatives and other sociation members why they left, a stakeholders. The committee will common response was a lack of memwork with NHTSA and the Federal bership meetings. These meetings also Trade Commission (FTC) to produce offer our business partners an oppora report on vehicle data access, intel- tunity to interact directly with their lectual property protections, customer customers outside of the shop enviprivacy, cybersecurity and vehicle ronment.” safety.”

The final speaker of the evening For more information, visit www was Robert Oulton, Market Area .asamari.com.

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 13

Antelope, CA, Man Sentenced to Prison for Selling Counterfeit Airbags

Vitaliy Fedorchuk, 28, of Antelope, CA, was sentenced Oct. 4 by United States District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to one year and one day in prison and a $5,000 fine for an international scheme to sell counterfeit airbags via eBay and other internet sales sites, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between June 23, 2014, and July 27, 2016, Fedorchuk offered for sale airbag modules, covers, and manufacturer emblems at his eBay online store, redbarnautoparts. Fedorchuk falsely advertised that the counterfeit airbags were original equipment from major automobile manufacturers such as Honda, Fiat, Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota, GMC and Ford. During the scheme, Fedorchuk sold hundreds of counterfeit airbags and obtained more than $95,000. Fedorchuk was ordered to pay $1,334 in restitution to identified victims in this case. This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rodriguez prosecuted the case.

Recycled Rides Delivers with Used Car for Woman in Need in Prospect Park, PA from Bedford, was involved in a car accident a few months ago that totaled her car, and was tapped out with trying to It may not have been an episode of get a new one to go to work and sup“The Price is Right,” but one family re- port her family. ceived a new car Oct. 30 in Prospect “I’m getting a piece of my life Park, PA. back, for my family and for my kids,” said Taylor about her new ride.

Taylor said she’s had to use her mom’s car to make the 40minute, one-way ride to work over the past few months since the accident. Her mother, Bea Smith, contacted their local Center for Community Action, and the wheels started turning from there.

State Farm Insurance doU.S. Army Veteran Kristie Taylor tears up looking at nated a pool car to the program her new car. Taylor was involved in a very bad acciand Artistic Auto Body did the dent a few months ago and hasn't been able to find a inspection, fixed the brakes, replacement car since. On Oct. 30, she was handed put in a new battery and gave it the keys to this Mazda 6. Credit: Kevin Tustin - Digital a thorough cosmetic touch-up First Media U.S. before handing over the keys And the price was absolutely right, to the Taylor family. Shop owner thanks to community support and sev- George Moore said the work was easy eral agencies that answered her plea. because it was a great car that was Kristie Taylor was all tears when handed to them. Moore said he likes to she saw a 2011 Mazda 6 waiting for her do one community project a year, and and her two boys at Artistic Auto Body, sprucing up the Mazda was his way of a donated car through the National giving back for 2017.

Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides Even though her career in the Program. Taylor, a U.S. Army veteran Army was cut short in 2009 due to an

by Kevin Tustin, Delco News Network (Digital First Media)

14 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

injury, Taylor expressed her joy that a community hours away from her was willing to help a veteran in a time of need.

“Just to know that even though my career came to an end, it’s nice to know they care,” she said.

Dwayne Redd from State Farm Insurance hugs Kristie Taylor upon receiving her new car. Credit: Kevin Tustin - Digital First Media U.S.

State Farm also provided appropriate child seating for her 3-year-old son, Kash, and 7-year-old son, Koen.

With the title handed over free and clear, the Taylors drove their new set of wheels back home to Bedford with a weight off their shoulders and a more comforted peace of mind.

We thank Delco News Network (Digital First Media) for reprint permission.

CARSTAR Proprietary Edge Performance Platform Group Meetings Drive Network Performance The CARSTAR proprietary EDGE Performance Platform, now in its fourth year, continues to drive performance improvements across the CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts network through national repair

processes and performance standards, along with focused training on delivering those standards.

To provide hands-on training, CARSTAR hosts EDGE Performance Group meetings routinely at locations around the country.

The fall EPG meeting was held in suburban Boston Oct. 16 and 17, 2017, at the Doubletree Leominster, MA. More than 100 store owners, managers and CARSTAR team members attended. In addition to group breakout sessions, training programs on new technology, reviews of insur-

ance DRP requirements and individual business reviews, the group visited four local CARSTAR locations— CARSTAR Fitchburg, CARSTAR Lowell, CARSTAR Waldron’s and CARSTAR Lancaster.

“The program, now in its third year, evolved from the ‘20 Groups’ that CARSTAR has offered for nearly 25 years,” said Michael Macaluso, president, CARSTAR North America.

“It has helped many of the CARSTAR stores achieve the industry’s highest KPIs, a measure of performance and operational efficiency, and industryleading customer satisfaction. For 2017, the CARSTAR Operations and Insurance team has expanded the EDGE Performance Group platform, with the goal of continuing to raise the bar in the network’s performance.”

As part of the event, CARSTAR held raffle drawings to benefit its North American charity, Cystic Fibrosis. BASF and FinishMaster generously committed to matching funds raised, and more than $6,000 was raised from the 50/50 and raffle drawings.

Vendor partners who supported the event included Axalta, Matrix

Wand, Mitchell, Team Safety, Sherwin Williams, 3M, Evercoat, BASF, Garmat USA, National Coatings & Sup-

Semi Crashes into Auto Body Repair Shop in Cicero, IL

by Lisa Marie Farver, Oak Park Patch

The driver of a semi truck lost control of the vehicle Oct. 15 and crashed into a car repair shop in Cicero, IL. Police say the tractor-trailer collided with another car before losing control of the truck on the rainy

Image via Cicero Police Department

CARSTAR owner Bob Waldron (L), shown with owner Gary Boesel (R), won a Home Depot gift card with a $600 bid

plies (NCS), Enterprise, CCC and Finishmaster.

Previous CARSTAR EDGE Performance Group meetings were held this year in Seattle in the spring and Charlotte this August in conjunction with the CARSTAR Conference.

street and hitting the building. The incident took place approximately 5:30 a.m. and caused extensive backups on Cicero Avenue.

Photos from police show the cab of the semi plowing through a window in the front of an auto body repair shop, located at 1830 S. Cicero Avenue.

According to Cicero Police, neither driver reported any injuries and no pedestrians were hurt.

We thank Oak Park Patch for reprint permission.

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 15

ABAC Members Refuse to Lose!

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Monday, Oct. 24, the Auto Body Association of Connecticut (ABAC) held its Refuse to Lose event at the Norwalk Inn and Conference Center in Norwalk, CT.

Attracting more than100 attendees from collision repair facilities and other industry-related organizations, the town hall style discussion focused on a variety of industry topics, including the importance of following OEM repair procedures, photo estimating, negotiating techniques, towing and storage, social media and short pay legislation.

Speakers included ABAC President Tony Ferraiolo, ABAC Legal Counsel John Parese, and Tony Lombardozzi of Superare Marketing, who addressed “the state of the industry and

reminded shop owners to know their true cost of business and charge accordingly,” shared ABAC Board Mem-

Superare Marketing’s Tony Lombardozzi reminded shop owners to charge according to their true cost of business

ABAC President Tony Ferraiolo discussed industry issues at the association’s Refuse to Lose event on Oct. 24

Nashoba Tech Auto Programs Shift into Overdrive in Westford, MA

by Staff, The Lowell Sun

In addition to renovations and upgrades at Nashoba Valley Technical High School’s Engineering Academy over the summer, thanks to state grants, two other technical areas also received facelifts, though they were paid through the school district’s capital budget.

Both Automotive Technology and Automotive Collision Repair & Refinishing were updated with brandnew, top-of-the-line equipment that will better prepare students---whether they’re repairing the interior or exterior of a vehicle—for the workforce they’ll face after they graduate.

Automotive Technology’s revamped area includes a new Hunter Road Force tire-balancing machine, a Hunter TCX53 tire-changing machine, a lift that can hold trucks and school vehicles weighing up to 15,000 pounds, a new Snap-on diagnostic station with touch-screen capabilities for students to better learn how to diagnose a vehicle’s problems, and new tool stations for each bay.

“We’re up to dealership standards,” co-instructor Richard Karamanian said.

“It’s what you’d find in high-end dealerships,” added co-instructor Joshua Morin. “Only the bigger and more advanced high school programs have this equipment, and this puts us in that category.”

In the Automotive Collision Repair & Refinishing program, instructors Michael Robichaud and Nathan Siefert are equally pleased with their new equipment and are getting their students up to speed on it.

According to Siefert, that equipment includes a Car-O-Liner frame machine and a Spanesi electronic measuring system.

Robichaud said the new equipment is “state-of-the-art machines that will get these students familiarized so when they go into a shop, they’ll already have worked with the latest technology.”

He said some professional body shops don’t even have the caliber of equipment that Nashoba Tech now has.

“When these kids go out into the workforce and a shop gets this equipment, they may be teaching others how to use it,” he said.

We thank The Lowell Sun for reprint permission.

16 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

ber Ashley Burzenski.

Burzenski believes association “The purpose of the meeting was meetings add value to membership to encourage and motivate member and benefit members in many ways. shops to believe in themselves and ‘refuse to lose’ money, time, resources and negotiations with insurers,” Burzenski explained.

“The topics we covered really struck a chord with attendees, and the feedback we have received has been tremendous. Throughout the meeting, everyone was so attentive that you could hear a pin drop in the room. With a town-hall style format, attendees were able to ask ques- ABAC Legal Counsel John Parese taught attendees tions throughout the meeting, about short pay processing in small claims court sparking great conversations and improving the discussion even She stated, “Association-sponmore so,” Ferraiolo added. “The event sored events not only address topics that most certainly exceeded our expecta- are pertinent to our industry, but also tions with the number of attendees, the help promote a sense of unity and cafeedback we have received since the maraderie between members. We host event, and the thought-provoking dis- these events to not only shed light on cussions that have stemmed from the critical aspects of our industry, but to meeting.” also help foster relationships between The Refuse to Lose event was members. In unity, there is strength. In sponsored by Buckley, Wynne and knowledge, there is power.”

Parese Personal Injury Attorneys, Lorensen Auto Group, and Paul Fran- For more information about ABAC, cis and Company. visit www.abaconn.com.

We’re Looking for a Few Old Shops!

Do you think you have the oldest, continuously-operated body shop in your area? Would you like to see your shop’s colorful history in print? If so, we want to hear from you.

A Autobody News and collision industry journalist Gary Ledoux are working on a joint project to find, and highlight the oldest continuously operated body shops in America. Some shops may have sstarted out in the early 1900’s as a blacksmith or carriage shop.

Some may have started as a mechanical repair service at a parking garage in New York or San Francisco during the 1920’s, and then turned to body work. In the latter part of the 1940’s, many ex-servicemen started body shops with skills they learned working on GI trucks and equipment.

There are so many unique and interesting stories out there that should be recorded and preserved for posterity.

Each qualifying shop submitted will be highlighted in Ledoux’ forthcoming book; YesterWreck: The History of Collision Repair in America. The estimated publishing date is the first quarter of 2019.

No book of this sort has ever been published for the collision industry. This is a unique opportunity to be part of something special. Ledoux will provide a signed, first-edition copy of the book, upon its publishing, to any shop whose photos are used in the book.

In addition, Ledoux will contact one shop from each of the five regions served by Autobody News for a complete interview and a feature story to be run in that region’s edition of the magazine.

What To Send If you think you have the oldest continuously-operated body shop in your state please send us: • Shop’s Name • Address / City State and Zip • Phone number • Email address • Current owner’s name • A brief history of the shop, most importantly what year the shop was founded.

Include the month if you know it. • Two to three photos of the shop, especially from its earliest days with any recognizable persons identified. These could be a picture of the front of the building, a group shot of everyone that worked in the shop at the time, people working on cars in the shop, etc. All photos should be scanned as a JPG with a minimum of 300 DPI. (Please do not take a telephone picture of a photo. The quality of such a photo cannot be satisfactorily reproduced.) All people in the photos should be identified if possible.

Please send all information via email to yesterwreck@yahoo.com.

For any questions, please contact Gary Ledoux @ yesterwreck@yahoo.com

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 17

GNB Voc-Tech Students in New Bedford, MA, See Film on Changing Gears for their Careers stereotypical notions and stigmas of the trade, and looking at career opporSome 80 students from the automotive tunities in the field,” the release said. and diesel technology programs at During their field trip, the Greater Greater New Bedford Regional VocaNew Bedford Voc-Tech students also tional Technical High School recently participated in a Q&A session with traveled to the Norwood campus of employer Crown Lift, a company that Universal Technical Institute for a hires technicians to service its forklifts look at their futures. and its materials handling equipment at customer locations in the New Bedford and Southeastern MA area and beyond.

They heard from a recent UTI-Norwood graduate and Crown Lift technician about what it’s like to work as a technician and the career opportunities. The career exploAt UTI-Norwood, a post-secration event also included a tour of the ondary technical school for students hands-on automotive and diesel labs seeking careers as professional autoand classroom areas and demonstramotive and diesel engine technicians, tion of some of the equipment, as well they enjoyed a sneak peek of footage as a hands-on STEM activity. from the PBS documentary “ChangAccording to the Voc-Tech news ing Gears.” release, “Rapid advances in technology mean that today’s technicians must have an evolving set of high-tech skills, yet many employers are facing an impending shortage as a large portion of their existing technicians approach retirement age, and there’s not enough young workers being trained to take their place.

Students from the automotive and diesel technology “Films like Changing Gears programs at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational are important to increasing exTechnical High School recently traveled to the Norwood campus of Universal Technical Institute. Here, students posure to the field in an invenpose in front of the Roadtrip Nation RV used in filming tive new way, presenting an the upcoming PBS documentary “Changing Gears.” inspiring exploration of the Contributed photo auto and diesel industries, and Scheduled to debut in November, the career opportunities in the technithe film features three aspiring young cian trade.” technicians on a multi-state journey to Shawn Alexander, Universal interview successful technicians and Technical Institute Norwood campus leaders in the automotive and diesel president, said technical education industries.

The GNBVT students were also able to explore the RV the three students drove and lived in during their 1,000-mile trip, according to a VocTech news release.

The documentary film was produced by Roadtrip Nation, well known for its New York Times best-selling caGreater New Bedford Voc-Tech students reer guide and award-winning docucheck out the engine of a vehicle at Universal mentary series.

Technical Institute in Norwood. Contributed “The Changing Gears film showphoto cases real stories of leaders and change-makers who have carved their “gives students the opportunity to own pathways as technicians, while partner theory with hands-on experialso highlighting technological ad- ence, and apply their skills in a varivances in the industry, challenging ety of situations. Employers have

by Staff, The Standard-Times

18 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

ceive here at GNBVT.” Lopes went on to say that with increasing demand for qualified technicians to service the highly technical automobiles of today, “it really makes sense for students to continue their education. This is one industry that continues to change very rapidly and requires that technicians continue to update their knowledge and understanding of the various systems.

“Institutions like UTI with Greater New Bedford Voc-Tech students listen to a their manufacture-specific preparation on diesel during a recent visit to Universal training are a great place to Technical Institute in Norwood. Contributed photo start the journey in becoming For his part, Arminio Lopes, au- a successful technician.”

Also offering an endorsement was tomotive lead teacher at GNBVT, Voc-Tech student Drew Sabino of said “Most dealerships really value New Bedford. “I am planning on conpost-secondary training in automotive tinuing my education after high school technology. Exposing students to postso that I can become an automotive secondary institutions like UTI reintechnician. UTI gave us a great learnforces Greater New Bedford Regional ing experience on the tour of their Vocational Technical High School’s school. It opened my eyes to the many philosophy that students need to be different perspectives to look for in a lifelong learners. It is beneficial for school.” students to receive additional training in some specific manufacturers’ sysWe thank The Standard Times for tems that they may not necessarily rereprint permission. shared with us that the knowledge and training students get at the post-secondary level allows them to advance faster when they’re on the job.”

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Continued from Page 4

CIC: New Technology

up questions [to the automakers] about repair procedures, or to recommend changes to repair procedures as technologies evolve.”

He said I-CAR is increasingly serving in that role.

“Vehicle makers will take our feedback,” Jason Bartanen, director of industry technical relations for I-CAR, said at the CIC meeting. “We’ve had several instances where we’ve escalated issues to a vehicle manufacturer, laid out some ideas for improved repairability, and that’s been very well received.”

He cited an example of a Honda CR-V for which Honda originally serviced the inner quarter panel only as a complete assembly.

“That created a very intrusive repair, having to replace that inner quarter panel and inner wheel house even when there’s just damage to the wheel house area,” Bartanen said. “We had that exact type of damage on a vehicle: the lower part of the wheelhouse.

We purchased the part, and noticed a nice factory joint. We documented our repair process…and escalated that to

Honda and got approval for that procedure. That’s just one example of how the vehicle manufacturers are listening and will take the feedback that

Montana shop owner Matthew McDonnell said shops often need OEM training not only for their own employees, but in order to help train insurance adjusters and other shops in their market

the industry has and will try to make improvements, when possible.”

Montana shop owner McDonnell was also a participant in another panel discussion at CIC that, although focused on government regulation regarding autonomous vehicles, drifted into other related areas. McDonnell said that for shops, a key challenge to working on autonomous vehicles will be the same as working with any new vehicle

20 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

technology: training. He said training was his sole goal in pursuing Tesla shop certification for his business.

“The return on that investment is: never,” McDonnell said, drawing laughter from CIC attendees. “But we want to know how to fix those cars. I think I represent a large pool of people out there that may not want [some] OEM certifications, but do want to know how to fix the cars.”

His company needs that training for more than just his own employees, he said.

“We’re not only training our folks, but we [end up] training adjusters because they don’t have this information available to them,” he said.

“We might be training our market, too.

Something we see that’s frustrating is when we’re fixing a vehicle using OEM procedures, and then [are told], ‘Well, the dealership doesn’t do that, and shouldn’t they have more information than you, because you’re just an independent?’”

McDonnell said even if autonomous vehicles don’t cause accidents, that won’t prevent the industry from needing the training to work on them. It will be decades before the majority of vehicles on the roads are

autonomous, for example, and autonomous vehicles will be hit and damaged by non-autonomous vehicles during that transition. Hail storms, too, will result in the vehicles coming into shops.

Panelist Wayne Weikel of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers said given that automakers will be accepting liability for accidents caused by their autonomous vehicles, the technology will mean other changes for shops.

“There will be a need to document how the vehicle is being repaired, and to what standards,” he said. “How all that is going to be recorded and maintained…through the life of the vehicle…is something that hasn’t really been contemplated yet.”

John Yoswick, a freelance writer based in Portland, OR, who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988, is also the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (www.Crash Network.com). He can be contacted by email at john@CrashNetwork.com.

www.autobodynews.com

Eleventh Circuit Restores Auto Body Shop Antitrust Case

by Staff, Baker Donelson

On Sept. 7, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals handed a big victory to a class of auto body shops in Quality Auto Painting v. State Farm, et. al, reversing a lower court decision that had dismissed the auto body shops’ complaint for failure to state a claim.

In a 2-1 decision, the court held that Middle District of Florida Senior Judge Gregory Presnell had acted too quickly in dismissing the plaintiffs’ complaint, finding that the plaintiffs had “supplied enough allegations” to “raise a reasonable expectation that discovery will reveal evidence of illegal agreement.”

The Eleventh Circuit’s ruling is the first to consider a series of decisions by Judge Presnell that dismissed both Quality Auto and a group of similar cases (approximately 20 in all) that had all been consolidated before him by the Panel for Multidistrict Litigation, over the last two years. In Quality Auto, the auto body shop plaintiffs from Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey and Virginia alleged that the auto insurers, in their respective states, had agreed not to pay more than the “market rate” for repairs, which was pegged to the amount that State Farm

paid to those shops in its direct repair program (which did not include plaintiffs). Judge Presnell dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims, finding that the plaintiffs had failed to allege facts that suggested agreement rather than independent, but parallel, conduct.

In reversing Judge Presnell’s decision, Circuit Judge Wilson, writing for the majority, began his analysis by acknowledging that, under the Supreme Court’s decision in Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007), a party claiming horizontal price fixing based on an inferred agreement “must show more than parallel conduct” because parallel conduct “falls short” by itself of the necessary requirements for pleading unlawful agreement.

Typically referred to as “plus factors,” Judge Wilson identified two plus factors in the plaintiffs’ complaint that he concluded supported plaintiffs’ allegation of unlawful agreement—(1) the adoption of a uniform price despite variables that would ordinarily result in divergent prices and (2) uniform practices by the allegedly conspiring insurers with respect to the nature of the repairs. Finding that Judge Presnell had failed to give these allegations sufficient weight, Judge Wilson held that

“the body shops have consistently alleged parallel conduct and plus factors allowing an inference of an illegal agreement” and reversed the lower court decision on that basis.

Circuit Judge Anderson, however, authored a spirited dissent that disagreed at almost every turn with Judge Wilson’s antitrust analysis, stating, “Binding case law indicates to me that the allegations of the complaints do not give rise to the necessary reasonable inference of agreement or conspiracy.”

As to Judge Wilson’s first “plus factor”—a uniform price—Judge Anderson maintains that a uniform price only excludes the possibility of conscious parallelism if it is “secret” and “simultaneous” and that the complaints expressly allege that “the insurers conform to State Farm’s rate, whatever it may be” rather than agreeing on a rate in advance. This, Judge Anderson writes, is “textbook price leadership, a practice that we have repeatedly stated is insufficient to establish the existence of an agreement.”

As to Judge Wilson’s second “plus factor”—uniform practices— Judge Anderson challenges it as well.

While Judge Anderson acknowledges that uniform practices can be a plus

factor, he contends that the contention that the insurers engaged in common tactics is found in the auto body shops’ appellate brief, but not in their complaint, and that the allegations in the complaint seem to contradict it (“the majority’s analysis of its second plus factor suggests that the insurance companies’ tactics are highly uniform when even the complaint does not seem to believe that”).

Accordingly, finding no support for either of the plus factors relied upon by the majority, Judge Anderson concludes by stating: “I submit that the majority’s analysis is inconsistent with Supreme Court and Eleventh Circuit precedent” and that he would affirm the dismissal of plaintiffs’ antitrust claims.

Not surprisingly, given the significance of this MDL proceeding and the split decision by the Panel, the insurer defendants have requested rehearing en banc by the entire Eleventh Circuit.

That request, filed on Sept.28, is currently pending. Accordingly, while the Panel decision constitutes a major victory for the auto body shops, it remains to be seen whether the decision will stand. Stay tuned.

We thank Baker Donelson for reprint permission.

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 21

Continued from Cover

SCRS Panel

former collision repair facility owner and the current VP Certification and Network Development at Assured Performance Network.

The panel addressed an industry struggling to reconcile how to move forward when certain automotive manufacturer requirements are expected to be performed on every occasion, but insurance claims positioning leans toward “case-by-case” approval. Participants were carefully vetted, and those with experience in facing lia-

bility and safety implications with performing repairs in today’s environment were chosen for the panel, according to SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg, who was delighted with the turnout and the quality of all of his panel discussions at this year’s SEMA. “I was so pleased to see so many fill the seats of the OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit, hungry for information and an exchange of ideas,” he said. “It was particularly noticeable as attendees were provided question cards to write out questions and comments that we delivered to the moderators during the event so they could integrate the audience feedback into the panel discussion. The audience’s questions largely fueled the dialogue, filling every possible minute of the 90 and 120-minute sessions. The questions and comments were thoughtful, and steered the panelists on stage into some really interesting areas of conversation, and demonstrated the importance of connecting thought leaders and industry members. For me, it was just proof that the people in our industry, on both sides of the stage and microphone, are who truly make our events special.”

The panel began when Ellis made opening remarks and posed the main question every collision professional in the room was waiting for.

“As we move to total autonomy, how do we as the collision repair in-

dustry prepare ourselves for a world in which the vehicle is so much more than steel, a combustion engine and paint?” he said. “How do we train ourselves and the next generation so that we can fix these cars with a level of competence that is equal or better than the OE manufacturers’ standards?

That is our challenge, our journey and the point we all need to get to. So, what are we doing about it today?”

In a previous SCRS presentation made the day before, attorney Todd Tracy used what is referred to as “salty talk,” so before this panel began, Ellis asked everyone to take “country roads” rather than use colorful language, and for most of the two hours, Tracy obliged.

Here are some excerpts from the two-hour panel.

Attorney Erica Eversman of Vehicle Information Services was asked: When asked what the danger of liability is, what does it look like and how real is it?

“Yes, liability is very, very real and potentially devastating for not just your business but personally as well, in some cases. As a shop, you’re obligated to be properly equipped to repair consumers’ vehicles in which they return back to the road ably and properly repaired. Proper and safe repair—that is a phrase I like to use frequently, because that is your obligation. If you neglect to do a proper and safe repair, you could end up in jail or have lost your business because you destroyed someone. Or even worse, you can lose your business altogether. I’m not trying to be catastrophic, but this cannot be said strongly enough. We have had too many non-professional repairers out there doing unsafe repairs that were influenced by the insurance companies, and that has to stop right now!”

From Todd Tracy when asked about the John Eagle Collision civil case in which he represented a couple who was seriously injured due to a subpar repair: “A Dallas County jury just made a very resounding statement when 12 jurors with one voice and one verdict can change an industry to the tune of $42 million. A very well-respected $1 billion company in Texas that chose to get bullied by an insurance company and glue a roof on a Honda rather than put on the 108 welds that the OEM specifications directed them to do lost a lot of money because the couple was badly injured. The jury came back and

22 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

said that if you’re going to make a business decision and let the insurance companies dictate safety to you, we’re going to make a business decision for you.”

Mark Allen, collision programs director of Audi of America, was asked: Where do you see the OEs going in regard to providing repairers with current and accurate data about repair procedures on today’s highly sophisticated cars?

“From an Audi perspective, yes—we do have repair procedures and we’re German, so we’ve been doing them for a very long time. But with the complexity of these vehicles, [and] all of the new materials that are going in them, the amount of this data is growing and the demand on us is increasing. We see a need to provide this information to the consumer through a network of shops and connect that to

the dealerships where those cars live, so that the consumer has a choice.

That being said, if you look closely at the industry, other carmakers are starting programs that vary. Some are subscription-based and others provide special training much like our program. We feel that this is the right way to go with our business model and this is where we feel the industry is going.

Realistically, as a repairer, the onus is on you and in the end, you’re responsible for the safety and well-being of the people whose cars you are fixing.”

Aaron Clark, a former body shop owner, was asked: Are the OEs providing sufficient information to the market to make a safe and proper repair, and are we asking enough of them?

“I think some are better than others, but the trend recently is that more and more shops are inquiring and building that information over time.

Let’s face it, the OEMs are still learning too. There is always need for improvement, so the ones that are doing a good job should continue on that path, while the ones that are doing a poor job need to get better. But overall, the trend is moving in the right area.”

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Continued from Cover

Post John Eagle

To find out, Autobody News contacted several OE’s, an MSO executive, and an independent consultant to capture different perspectives. Because it is so soon after the verdict, and the OE’s may not have had ample time to digest it all and begin making plans (if any), to start the conversation, we suggested that post repair inspections by a third party be conducted periodically at all OE certified shops to ensure proper and safe repair. Here is what they said:

Toyota George Irving, Senior Manager for Wholesale Parts & Collision for Toyota Motor North America said, “Logistically it might be difficult for an OE to get post repair inspectors to every shop, for every repair, not to mention the cost… although the idea does have merit. Perhaps a more feasible approach would be to ensure that the repair procedures are delivered to the technician at the time of repair and a technology based validation is integrated with the repair procedures as a guide.

Honda Leigh Guarnieri, National Manager Collision Marketing for American Honda, made an enlightening comparison between the aircraft industry and auto industry: “Going to post repair inspections is a giant leap. Financially, this may not be feasible. Not only that, how do you inspect a car properly after it’s been completely repaired and closed?

Most structural repairs are not visible at that point. And… the inspector has to be really knowledgeable. In the aircraft industry, when a plane is being repaired, a team of inspectors reviews each repair as it is completed. The technician cannot move on to the next operation until the inspectors sign-off on the prior operation. This way, you are sure that the plane won’t fail due to a faulty repair. This seems like it could be feasible.”

Audi Mark Allen, Collision Programs and Workshop Equipment Specialist for Audi and well-known industry veteran also made a comparison between the collision industry and the medical industry.

“Like the medical industry, people’s lives depend on a doctor, or in the case of a collision repair, a technician, performing a proper procedure using the correct tools, and equipment,” said Allen. “Every procedure must be done correctly every time but it’s not feasible to have a third party proctor every operation.

“I am not sure that there are enough qualified post repair inspectors around to do this type of work for multiple OE’s. But let’s say we find enough to do periodic PRI’s at hundreds or thousands of shops around the country. You are only checking a few of the many repairs a shop does. Then, if you find something really wrong with a repair, what does the OE do? Who is going to have the conversation with a shop customer that their car that was in the process of being repaired may now be totaled? Who is responsible to bear the cost? There are many facets to be considered in what seems to be a simple answer.”

Allen suggested that a better idea may be for a shop to meticulously document every step of every repair. Then, if an OE wanted to audit those, it could be done in a more efficient and costeffective manner. “Shops should be doing this anyway,” said Allen. “Good documentation could help insulate them from possible litigation if a later problem arises. That’s exactly what the medical field does.”

Assured Performance Assured Performance provides certified program administration for a number of OE’s including Nissan, FCA, Ford, Hyundai, Infinity and Kia. Scott Biggs, CEO of Assured Performance and long-time industry veteran already has counter measures in the works. He replied, “We know that proper repair is crucial. This is why we have recently launched two new programs; Shop Ops and OE-QC to help shops make better repairs. These tools are focused on: : 1) helping the shop document quality, 2) help the shop document and follow oem repair procedures, 3) help the shop and the technician document how they repaired the vehicle efficiently using a smart app. These programs are provided free to Assured Performance shops as an integral part of the certification program so that they can maintain their compliance and address the quality assurance challenges. The OEQC program both documents the way the vehicle was repaired and it also

24 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

has a quality control checklist, as well as documentation for pre and post scan. We also believe that once we prove to the insurers it was in their best interest to support what we were doing, they too would join the effort to find ways to refocus on a quality repair and not low-cost provider. It is a false positive to believe that we can continue to grind shops to be low-cost providers and not substantially destroy quality. We can find efficiency that will save both sides billions if our focus is to find efficiency. However, we have to find common ground so that we are not constantly twisting the dials of the way a car is repaired so that it can be done more cheaply.”

P&L Consultants Industry icon, trainer, and consultant Larry Montanez, a partner in P&L Consultants LLC in New York offered the following:

Some of the OE certified programs do not address the repair. However, some do. These are what I call the real OEM Certification Programs generally referred to as the Certified Collision Repair Facility (CCRF), which would be the European OE programs, such as

Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, etc. All these OE’s restrict parts (except BMW), have assessments checks on the OEM parts, materials and information usage and require technicians to attend hands-on training classes annually, in addition to certain I-CAR training classes and ASE certifications. Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover and Mercedes require ISO 9606-2 welding certifications in addition to passing the I-CAR welding qualification test and Jaguar Land Rover require steel welding certification in MAG, Structural and MIG Brazing.

Some of the other OE programs only check to see if a shop has the minimum proper equipment just to open a shop, which should be mandatory by every state licensing department. Many programs require I-CAR Gold Class training, but that doesn’t provide any real hands-on training.

Assured Performance requires some training or Gold Class, but no hands-on training at all. Honda, Cadillac CT-6 and Tesla have excellent online training programs but drop the ball with no hands-on training requirements. Now the Chevrolet Corvette See Post John Eagle, Page 26

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Continued from Page 24

Post John Eagle

Z06/ZR-1 and Nissan GT-R have great hands-on training programs, but no OEM support at all.

Now this is not to say the CCRF shops are perfect, but they can be held to a higher standard of “you knew better and were trained for this” and the OEM is protected to an extent as far as “we provided, classroom, handson, on-line training and independent testing to ensure the facility technicians have the proper knowledge and skills to repair our vehicles.”

Conversely, the way some of these OE certification programs are constructed, the OE’s are probably not protected in the event of another case like John Eagle. If the John Eagle shop was in fact Honda ProFirst Certified at the time they installed that roof panel, things might not have gone well for American Honda. Another place where the OE certification programs fail is to train the estimators about diagnosis and required procedures and what exactly the laws are as to vehicle repair. Meaning insurers have no say on repairs, nor does the

opinion of an insurer trump the OE. Do I see post repair inspectors being used by the OE’s in the future?

Sure I do, but they would have to be qualified and trained inspectors, which we all know that almost no one wants to spend the money and time to be trained. Some of the current post repair inspectors know little to nothing about proper repair, most are relevant due to the poor quality of repairs produced that a layman can identify it.

There would need to be extensive training and requirements to be a PRI technician.

The OE’s also need to set up a program that requires CCRF’s to perform Department QC’s and Final QC’s.

Many of the German CCRF Programs are now requiring the CCRF’s to Prerepair diagnostic scan and pre-repair measuring of the vehicle. More OE’s need to require this.

Caliber Collision Centers Caliber is one of the largest and fastest growing MSO’s with over 500 locations across the country. Many of their locations hold multiple OE certifications. Jeff Brewer is their Director of OE Certifications and keenly aware of what OE certifications mean, and the

shop’s role as a certified facility. Here is what he had to say: Post repair inspection is certainly one idea. However, Dr. Edwards Deming, the father of the quality movement, said you can’t force quality at the end of the production line. Quality has to be built into the production.

In the shop, the quality process needs to start when the customer is first engaged and carry through the entire repair process.

At Caliber, we have a ten-step quality process where each department manager is held accountable for what process their department performs. As the car moves through the shop, each manager must sign-off on their department’s work, before it goes to the next step. There is no point in doing good work on top of bad. Each vehicle repair is spot checked by the center manager. That said, a post repair inspection might not be a bad idea, just as a check.

But, that leads to another question – where will the post repair inspectors come from? Many of the inspectors used today for the various OE programs come from the same pool of shops that need to be fixed. Some are conscientious and do a good job. Oth-

ers walk through the job putting check marks in boxes. Inspecting is not a full time job for them.

That said, the problem is not their fault, nor is it the fault of the OE’s.

Some of the OE certified programs were founded before the advent of the MSO. Subsequently, they cater more to the small, independent shop. Even the programs that came later were built on that same business model.

They cater to small shops and a fragmented industry. An MSO has a different operating model and different needs.

Twenty or more years ago, the same collision repair model could be applied to most cars out there because they were all constructed similarly with similar materials. Today so much is different. The same model car made by the same manufacturer can have a completely different repair procedures from one year to the next. The same is becoming true for certification programs. One size does not fit all any more… if it ever did.

The real answer to better quality in the collision repair business is not the rules or requirements of any OE certification program, but in the culSee Post John Eagle, Page 64

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Stand Up

that’s what happened [to the Texas shop].”

Instead, he suggested, “Tell your customer in writing what the insurance company is doing, that you recommend against it because the vehicle will not be as safe in the event of an accident, and that their family or a future owner of the vehicle can be seriously injured or killed,” Tracy said.

“Be a hero and stand up to the insurance companies and tell them and your customer in writing that the insurance company’s [suggested] repairs violate OEM repair specifications and will cause serious injury or death…if an accident occurs in the future, and that you will not repair the vehicle knowing you are placing someone’s life at risk.”

If the customer won’t back you up, Tracy said, have them “sign off on your shop performing the insurance company’s repair so you can cover your ass.”

Tracy didn’t sugarcoat the impact this could have on a shop’s business, acknowledging “you’ll lose some

money at first,” and “there’s going to be a few casualties along the way.”

But he said if more than just the handful of shops currently standing up to insurers start doing so, the industry can change.

“When you all give that insurance company that same piece of paper, and you put it to them like this, that your customer is going to die or be seriously injured or maimed, I don’t think they’re going to go take [that vehicle] down to the Service Kings or the Caliber Collisions,” Tracy said. “I don’t think they’re going to take it to the Julio Smith’s of the world.”

Like Mississippi attorney Eaves did four years earlier, Tracy promised to “be a warrior” for the shops that stand with him against the insurers.

“I will fight these [expletive],” he said. “If I can take on car manufacturers, I can assure you I can take on a [expletive] little company like State Farm or Allstate.

John Yoswick, a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988, is also the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (www.Crash Network.com). He can be contacted by email at john@CrashNetwork.com.

GFS Now Offering Consulting Services for Improving Shop Throughput

Global Finishing Solutions® (GFS), a world leader in innovation for paint booths and accelerated curing technologies, announced a partnership with Pat O’Neill to provide its customers with body shop workflow consulting services.

“We are excited to introduce this new service offering to our customers to help them improve shop processes, properly incorporate REVO Systems into their workflow, decrease key-tokey time and improve insurance payout,” says Mick Ramis, vice president of automotive refinish sales for GFS. O’Neill, a prominent body shop owner and business partner of Bodyshop Revolution, has long been interested in emerging technologies and tools that body shops can use to improve their process flow and increase revenue. Over the past few years, infrared curing has proven itself as an effective way to speed up the curing process and significantly decrease shop lead time.

Previously an advocate for Bodyshop Revolution’s Greentech Robots, O’Neill has since changed his endorsement to GFS’ REVO Accelerated Curing Systems. According to O’Neill, REVO Systems have fewer

points of failure, aren’t hindered by any proprietary booth requirements and offer better access to service and replacement parts.

However, REVO Systems alone won’t eliminate every shop bottleneck. According to O’Neill, REVO Systems are a great start, but to get “the biggest bang for your buck,” you also need to implement the best processes around that equipment.

O’Neill’s shop consultative services typically take place during the installation of new equipment to guarantee the best placement and most effective flow. His philosophy has four key strategies: consolidate departments to reduce time, eliminate estimating mistakes, decrease cure time and affect the shop’s culture and belief system.

He and his team meet with the owners and key stakeholders of the shop, train the entire team on the new process and teach them how the equipment can be used most efficiently.

When paired with proper body shop workflow, O’Neill believes that REVO Accelerated Curing Systems are the best, most cost-effective IR curing products in the industry today and can significantly improve shop throughput and increase profits.

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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.

Auto Care Association Hosts First Legislative Summit in Five Years with Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Oct. 3 and 4, the Auto Care Association stormed Washington, D.C. for its first Legislative Summit in five years.

David Pinkham, Manager of Government Affairs for the Auto Care Association, shared, “We were incredibly pleased with how the Auto Care Legislative Summit turned out. Eighty industry professionals attended a total of 121 meetings with congressional offices, 36 of which were with the actual members of Congress. The response was very positive. Attendees we spoke with during and after the Legislative Summit found it to be not only educational from a professional standpoint, but rewarding on a personal level. Participating in the public policy process is something everyone should have the chance to experience.

“Those who participated in the Summit were passionate about the issue topics and understood the importance of advocating on behalf of their company and the industry as a whole.

The issues we chose to focus on included consumer ownership and access to wirelessly-transmitted vehicle data, protected access to copyrighted vehicle software by service providers and replacement parts manufacturers,

“While the Auto Care Association has brought members to Capitol Hill numerous times in recent years, this was the first Auto Care Legislative

amount of time; however, that is only possible if there is an interconnected, competitive vehicle repair market.

The issues that concern our industry,

The first day of the 2017 Legislative Summit focused on preparing attendees for the next day’s legislative meetings

Summit since 2012. With a new administration and numerous industryspecific issues garnering attention in Congress, we felt it was important to bring back a large-scale Capitol Hill event in order to reintroduce legislators to our industry and further engage our membership on the issues,” Pinkham stated. “While we hope to grow the total number of participants at future events, the impact our members had during their meetings on Capitol Hill far exceeded our expectations. Not only did our guys meet with more members of Congress than expected, but the issues we discussed happened to be top-of-mind for many offices, as autonomous vehicle legislation, which included an amendment supported by our Small groups of automotive aftermarket industry industry, was being marked up professionals meet with members of Congress on that very same day.”

Oct. 4 to bring attention to the industry’s issues The Auto Care Association and comprehensive tax reform.” held its 2017 Legislative Summit in The first day of the Legislative order to bring attention to issues the Summit was dedicated to preparing atindustry faces. tendees for the next day’s legislative According to Pinkham, “With 4.6 meeting, briefing them on the issues. million jobs nationwide and over $380 The day also included Bob Woodward’s billion in annual economic impact, we Keynote Address and an overview of are the largest U.S. industry no one NHTSA’s autonomous vehicle guidhas heard about. When people take ance presented by NHTSA’s Associatheir vehicle in for service, they extion Administrator of Vehicle Safety pect to have the right parts installed or Research, Nat Beuse. repaired at a fair price and in a short

30 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

including access to vehicle data and software, have to do with preserving that competitive marketplace for the

consumer.

“The Auto Care Association is unique in that it represents the entire industry supply chain, from parts manufacturers to wholesale distributors to retailers and service facilities.

Our members attend our events because they get exposure to other parts of the business, which in many cases are their customers. And when everyone has the same objective, as was the case with the Legislative Summit, the environment of collaboration and engagement is unmatched.”

Although the Auto Care Association has not decided when it will hold its next Legislative Summit, the association does not intend to wait five years again because of the success of this year’s event. The association will continue to facilitate issue-specific meetings with smaller groups on Capitol Hill in the meantime.

For more information on association, visit www.autocare.org.

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Western Events

Victoria Antonelli is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has a journalism degree from University of Rhode Island.

She can be reached at vantonelli.autobodynews@gmail.com.

CTEC in OR Adds Collision Repair Program with State-of-the-Art Equipment, Facilities with Victoria Antonelli

area,” explained Terry Wilson, collision repair instructor at CTEC. “We take juniors and seniors only.”

Wilson explained that these students have to be on target to graduate and must maintain passing grades in their other courses as well.

“The cool part about the students we get over here is their high maturity level and their desire to really be a part of this program,” he added.

Wilson said all the programs, which include construction, home building, and cosmetology, meet under one roof in a 150,000-square foot Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) in Salem, warehouse. Each section is delOR has 51 students in their brand new collision repair egated roughly 10,000 square program feet of work space.

“We have a private partnership “When our students come in, they between Mountain West Investments, are with us the whole day,” said Wila private company, and Salem-Keizer son. “We have three core subjects that Public School District, which consists they are responsible for taking every of six to seven high schools in the day here too; English, Science, and The Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) in Salem, OR, added collision repair to its roster in August 2017, as part of the school’s initial expansion plan. CTEC, which opened three years ago, has been adding two programs per year, and will reach its goal of 10 programs in 2019.

32 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Electronics.”

Wilson explained that whatever the students in his classes learn in these three subjects will directly relate to collision repair.

“In their English courses, whether they’re doing research or writing papers, they’ll learn how to articulate what they’re taught here,” he said. “The vocabulary they’re learning is completely shop-related and goes hand in hand with the auto collision business.”

As for the science courses, students will be taught physics and chemistry that is related to the industry.

“In physics, they’ll learn crush zones and everything to do with crashes,” Wilson explained.

“Then in year two, students take chemistry and get deep into the chemical reactions on body fillers, paints, and other products.”

In the electronics courses, students will learn about sensor diagnostics and how to communicate with cars using computers.

“We have the latest and greatest scan tools,” added Wilson.

For their paint courses, CTEC utilizes a state-of-the-art ventilation

mixing room, paint booth, and prep booth from Accudraft.

“We can have up to five students in the booth painting at one time,” said Wilson. “As far as technology goes,

the Accudraft prep paint booth and mixing stations are second to none.”

He added that their equipment has all the heating capabilities with a full down draft set up.

“We’ve also hooked up with PPG, so I’ve been training with them,” Wilson said. “We’d like to get PPG down here for some student trainings as well.”

CTEC uses PPG’s DBC line for their solvents and Envirobase for their water-based paints.

“PPG has also installed their new TOUCHMIX® Computerized Paint Mixing System, which I’m super proud of,” said Wilson.

Wilson added that the collision repair program also acquired 25 SATA paint guns.

“When students are divided into smaller groups, each crew will have five SATA guns to work with, which to

me is just phenomenal,” said Wilson.

He added that the students also have a room stocked with 3M products.

“All of the gear the students need, including safety gear, they’re provided with,” Wilson said.

As far as training programs, Wilson said CTEC recently registered with ICAR. “This year, the students will take a series of tests, and then next year, they’ll have an actual class study before taking the exam,” he explained.

“The beautiful thing about these partnerships is that our partners pay for all of the kids to get these certifications, so they’re leaving with this cost free.”

When students graduate from the two-year program, they will have earned I-CAR's Platinum™ certification.

Although the program’s main focus is collision repair, Wilson said the students will also do some metal fabrication work.

“We have a ‘37 Lincoln Zephyr that the collision repair program and 3D animation program are working on together,” said Wilson. “The 3D animation students have been taking a lot of pictures and measurements of the Zephyr, so they can sketch it out.”

From there, Wilson said the 3D animation students will draw on custom touches in real-scale, while the collision repair students decide on a paint formula.

“Then the 3D animation students will ‘paint’ the vehicle, so we’ll have a full drawing of the finished product,” explained Wilson. “The collision

Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) accepts high school juniors and seniors

repair students will then be able to build this car, so it will be an ongoing project but a really cool one.”

Right now, there are 51 students in the collision repair program at CTEC. “We’re a two-year program, but since this is year one, we only have half the students,” Wilson said. “At full capacity, we’ll have 100 students set up on A and B days; 50 students on

one day and 50 on the next.”

Out of the 51 students, six are female.

“Our goal is to at least double that number by next year, if not more,” said Wilson. “The girls we have in here now are super talented and hard workers.”

Wilson estimates about 12 of his 51 students will be dedicated enough to compete in the SkillsUSA competitions.

“There has been a lot of interest, but I think when it comes to committing to after school and weekend practice time, the numbers will go down,” he said.

As far as plans for after graduation, Wilson said CTEC encourages students to continue their education.

CTEC has even looked into partnering with Portland Community College.

“Once the students graduate, they’ll already have a certain number of credits [that can carry over to college] and they’ll be able to take off from there,” Wilson explained.

CTEC and all other Salem-Keizer schools use a “career tree” system.

Within the system, there are 36 different auto industry careers.

“There are 12 entry-level jobs, 12 See CTEC in OR, Page 62

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 33

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.

Information Providers Made it Clear Five Years Ago Shops Can’t Opt-Out of Data Collection with John Yoswick

20 years ago in the collision repair industry (Dedember 1997) Representatives of State Farm, USAA, Geico, Allstate, Farmers and Nationwide stated that their respective companies do not have plans to introduce preferred provider organization (PPO) type programs as an option for customers buying insurance policies for their vehicles. The Automotive Service Association Collision Division sought the statements to help identify any changes to the insurers positions concerning PPOs. A PPO-type program would likely allow a consumer the opportunity to buy a policy that offers substantial premium discounts. In exchange, at the time of purchasing the policy, the consumer would agree to certain conditions, such as the use of aftermarket parts and [allowing the insurer to decide] where to have their vehicle repaired in the event of an accident.

“It’s not in State Farm’s planning,” State Farm’s Bill Hardt said. “The PPO might work in certain niche markets, but we’re too big.”

Hardt’s personal opinion is that the customer would agree to use aftermarket parts up front, but after the wreck would change his mind.

USAA’s Israel Yzaguirre said the company has no plans to incorporate PPO-type policies.

“We think there’s no savings for us in terms of money or people with PPOs,” he said. “I would hate to see PPOs happen. They would just drive another wedge between the industry.”

“I am unaware of Geico offering such an option at this time or over the next 12 months,” Geico representative Bill Mayer said.

– As reported in Collision Expert.

No major auto insurers have moved toward a PPO model in the 20 years since this was reported.

15 years ago in the collision repair industry (December 2002) Arizona Collision Craftsman Association (ACCA) members have selected their annual picks for the best insurance companies to deal with, and State Farm has come out on top for the second year in a row.

ACCA member shops were asked,

“Do insurance companies’ overall policies, attitudes and payment processes focus on quality and timely repair for the customer.” The shops rated each insurer on a scale of 1 to 10.

In 1997, Bill Mayer of State Farm said the company had no plans to offer consumers a PPO-type auto insurance policy

State Farm topped the list at 9.04, followed by Farmers (7.64), USAA (7.17), and The Hartford (7.13). Outside the top 10 were Geico (6.43), Travelers (6.4), Liberty Mutual (6.04), Allstate (5.4) and Progressive (5.14).

– As reported in Autobody News.

CRASH Network (www.crashnetwork .com) conducted a similar “Insurer Report Card” in late 2016, and out of 86 insurers graded by body shops, the insurers named above all ranked below 40 other insurers. USAA (#41), Travelers (#43) and State Farm (#47) were the only three with above average scores.

The others were ranked between #65 and #76, with grades of C+ or C.

10 years ago in the collision repair industry (December 2007) NACE Chairman Darrell Amberson, president of Lehman’s Garage, a sixlocation business based in Bloomington, Minn., kicked off the 2007 event’s opening session with a speech offering his laundry list of the key issues he believes the industry needs to address.

Amberson said the decrease in auto insurance claims and the increasing percentage of totals have helped fuel an “overcapacity” in the industry, with too many shops chasing too little work.

That and a lack of unity in the industry have helped add to the imbalance in shop-insurer relationships, something Amberson said that some insurers have taken undue advantage of. The industry, he cited as one example, must have a more fair way of determining fair and

34 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

equitable rates, and that government involvement in such issues – as is being discussed in some states – may not be something either side finds as the best solution, Amberson said.

– As reported in Autobody News.

Amberson in 2012 became vice president of operations at LaMettry’s Collision, another MSO based in Minnesota. There is still some discussion of government involvement in labor rates; legislation under consideration in Massachusetts, for example, would require that a minimum labor rate be established by the Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner based on the average rates paid by insurers in surrounding states (Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont).

5 years ago in the collision repair industry (December 2012) Aaron Schulenburg of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS)

said the repairer associations that asked the information providers for an “opt-out option” for shops that don’t want their estimate data aggregated are disappointed with the negative responses they received.

“Is there going to be a choice?

Really, the answer is no,” Schulenburg said at the recent Collision Industry Conference. “You can either choose to use electronic estimating systems (to communicate with insurers) or you don’t. I don’t think it’s the answer that we wanted, but they answered the question.”

He cited as one example of the concerns repairers have about the use of data a report published by Mitchell International on differences seen in bumper refinish costs. Schulenburg said some insurers used the report to urge field staff not to overpay on bumper refinish on certain vehicles.

But Schulenburg said, the differences See Information Providers, Page 39

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 35

H ONDA C ON NEC TI CU T

Lia Honda of Enfield E n fie l d

800-221-3131 860-741-3401 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-4 jdoucette@liacars.com

Manchester Honda M a nch e ste r

800-442-6614 860-645-3115 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-5; Sat 8-4 gabe.llantin@manchesterhonda.com

Schaller Honda N ew Br i tai n

800-382-4525 860-826-2080 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5; Sat 8-1 jkiniry@schallerauto.com MAI NE

Berlin City Honda So u th P or tl a nd

800-640-6685 207-774-6685 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 mmmparts@berlincity.com

Prime Honda Saco

207-391-7910 207-282-0900 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Th. 7:30-7; Sat 7:30-4 klavalle@driveprime.com MAR Y LA ND

Criswell Honda Ge r m a n town

866-738-2886 Dept. Hours: M-Thu 7-9; Fri 7-7:30; Sat 8-6 hondaparts@criswellauto.com AC URA MAR Y LA ND

Tischer Acura Lau rel

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Acura of Boston Brig ht on

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Acura Turnersville Tu r ners ville

888-883-2884 856-516-6060 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 kristen.powell@penskeautomotive.com 36 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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

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877-657-2787 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5 chrish@clintonhonda.com

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877-860-3954 610-967-6500 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-5; Sat 8-5 mustafa@vinart.com

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 37

Shop Strategies

Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry.

She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications.

She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.

with Stacey Phillips

Military Veteran Attributes Shop’s Success to Building Lifelong Relationships with Customers Before working in the collision repair business, Robert Castellano had a different career path—the United States Marine Corps.

He enlisted on Sept. 10, 2001— the day before 9/11 when the towers were hit—and served for six years.

During that time, he spent three years

awarded the Combat Action ribbon and Presidential Unit Citation.

With a passion for cars, Robert decided to join his brother, Will, at Brookston Body Shop, where they have run the shop as co-owners for the past decade in Houston, TX. “I just love cars and love helping people,” said Robert. “I guess that’s why I also volunteered to serve. I wanted to help people who could not help themselves.”

After leaving the United States Q: Marine Corps., how did you get involved working at the body shop?

Co-owners of Brookston Body Shop in Houston, Texas: Robert Castellano (right) and his brother, Will

and nine months in Iraq and was promoted to sergeant. Later, he volunteered as a private security contractor working personnel security detail. As a combat veteran, he has been

A:

I have been around the body shop business and cars since I was a kid. My father had a shop, and that’s how my brother, Will, started in the business. Will opened a body shop in 2002, and I joined him in 2005 when I was getting out of the military.

My purpose was to help expand the

business. We were in an older neighborhood where the clientele was a little shady and always looking to cut corners. My brother told me to start looking for a new location, and I found the perfect place in the Heights area of Houston, Texas. We started op-

ployees strong and our focus is always on the customer. We do not work for the insurance companies—we work for the customer. Without the customer, neither us nor the insurance company would be in business.

How have you set your body Q: shop apart from others in Houston?

What sets us apart from others A: in the industry—at least around our area—is that we are “old school.”

Robert Castellano while serving in the United States Marine Corps. He is carrying a .50 caliber machine gun

erating there and have been doing better and better every year!

We expanded to our second shop across the street, where we do our assembling and detail the vehicles for delivery. We are currently at 10 em-

We love to interact with the clients and are available 24/7. Our customers deal with us directly and we strive to make sure that everything is perfect. We value our customers and do whatever it takes to accomplish the job, no matter how big or small. We go out of our way to make our customers happy and hope to make a lifelong relationship.

I think people are surprised because we were both young when we

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I think hiring veterans is a good A: idea because they are used to structure, thinking outside the box, doing

started the shop here in the Heights 10 years ago. I was in my late twenties, but at that time looked younger! My brother was about 32, but also looked like he was in his late twenties.

Most of our customers seriously do become our friends and are known to just show up at the shop and hang

more with less and usually have a good work ethic. Arriving early is a big thing and failure is never an option. They are usually dedicated to their unit, which is the equivalent of their working team.

I’m sure you can find these qualities in the civilian world as well, but I think in the military you learn them at a really young age. Who would trust an 18-year-old to work on a $50 million jet or with the cryptography that is set on the radios for communication? In the corporate world, most people would not trust someone this age with running the coffee maker or copy machine. However, in the military an 18-year-old is entrusted with the life of his comrades and to make decisions that would keep the civilian population alive. We had an 18-year-old Forward Observer. He is the guy calling in the airstrikes or artillery.

If he made a mistake giving the pilots or artillery men the wrong coordinates, innocent civilians or even his comrades could have been killed. I think that’s a pretty massive responsibility for someone this age who cannot even drink beer yet. If a shop has the opportunity to hire a veteran, I highly recommend it.

Brookston Body Shop’s motto is “Where we meet most of our friends by accident.”

out. That is why our motto is: “Where we meet most of our friends by accident.” I know a few people use that, but we really mean it! We are lucky to do what we have a passion for. When you love what you do for a living, it quits being a job.

With the shortage of technicians in the industry, what is Q: your advice about hiring veterans?

Continued from Page 34

Information Providers

in the costs were more attributable to differences on estimates than on what was actually happening in shops. The data may seem to indicate that older vehicles need less time, he said, but it’s actually more an issue of appraisers not being as likely to allow procedures such as tinting and final sand and polish on estimates for older cars as they are on newer cars. The estimate data that Mitchell was touting as a trend, Schulenburg said, didn’t reflect that those procedures are still being done on the older vehicles.

But Greg Horn of Mitchell International said the report was actually pointing out that additional bumper refinish operations such as tint and blend vary by geographic region.

“So why are the body shop associations not reading that same report and saying, ‘Why are our brethren down in the Southeast or up in the Northeast getting this when it’s a valid operation, but we’re not in this area,’” Horn suggested.

Audatex’s Rick Tuuri said his company and the other information providers cannot control how other

companies use the data.

“Your issue is not with the information. Your issue is with how the information is being used,” Tuuri suggested to the associations. “People use power tools for the wrong reason every day, and you don’t go to Black & Decker and

In 2012, Greg Horn was with Mitchell International, and defended the company’s release of data that showed regional variations in billing for bumper refinishing

complain that someone tried to pound a nail with your power drill and put a hole in their hand. It’s not Black & Decker’s fault.”

– As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), December 3, 2012. Schulenburg remains executive director of SCRS; Tuuri retired from Audatex in 2016; Horn in 2016 became national auto physical damage claims director at The Hartford.

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 41

National Events

Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry.

She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.”

She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.

AkzoNobel Meeting Held in CA to Help Shops Become ‘Repairers of Choice’ with Stacey Phillips

by Stacey Phillips

Body shops from across the country recently joined distributors and AkzoNobel employees to share information, learn about best practices in the collision repair industry and conduct a financial analysis of their businesses.

It was all part of the AkzoNobel North American Performance Group (NAPG) meeting held in San Diego, CA, in September. The meeting is planned twice a year at different destinations across the country, and is an important component of the Acoat Selected program.

Begun in Europe in 1976, the Acoat Selected program was first held in North America in the early 1990s.

Since then, national and regional performance group meetings have been planned for shops on a regular basis.

“What sets our events apart from the industry is our focus on having collision repairers spend time working ‘on their business’ and not ‘in their business,’” said Rick Fifer, North American services manager. “The shops come to our events to work.”

There were more than 200 in attendance, including 147 body shop owners and managers representing 187 collision centers, 32 distributors and guests.

During the week-long event, participants spent time in one of the eight performance groups focused on peerto-peer consulting.

“We are careful to not put competing shops in the same groups,” said Fifer. “We not only encourage open dialogue, but our consultants are trained to facilitate it so that attendees usually learn more from one another than from us.”

Whether they are coming for the first time or are regular attendees, Fifer

said shops understand that it’s a giveand-take relationship.

“They come to the meeting prepared to give to their group members and especially the first-time attendees, but know that as long as everyone is giving, they all get to take something away.”

He said the ultimate goal is to help shops be “the repairer of choice” and “employer of choice” in their respective markets.

In addition to attending the performance group meetings, attendees

also had the opportunity to take part in the early-bird training sessions that were offered as well as listen to se-

lected speakers who discussed topics and/or services related to the collision repair industry. They included 3M, Enterprise, Fine, Boggs & Perkins LLP, the American Skilled Labor Association, Estify, Body Shop Nation and Phoenix Solutions Group.

Performance groups associated with the Acoat Selected program include: BC RPG: The British Columbia Regional Performance See Repairers of Choice, Page 44

NAPG Attendees Share Thoughts on Performance Group Meetings Paul Cook, general manager of “A” Auto Body in Midlothian, VA, has attended the Acoat meetings for the last three years.

“The desire to improve and grow as a business and to know where we stand in our improvement and growth is what made us want to start coming. It’s nice to know other shops face the same issues we do. It’s also great to be able to set goals to achieve as a company and know that our peers will hold us accountable at the next meeting. It really makes you focus on the business and improve it—not just for us, but for our employees and the customers. It has helped us focus on our processes and improve them so we are able to be more organized and streamline the repairs to be able to decrease our cycle time without making our quality suffer. They are also a great place to share new ideas, and to hear that what works for some may work for us as well.

If at any time we have a question, we know we can call another shop in our group and they are there to help us and answer questions.”

Tim Doyle, collision center director at Lindsay Collision in the Washington D.C. area, has been coming to the Acoat meetings for the past 12 years.

“I originally started when I switched to their paint and was looking for more business solutions. I soon realized how helpful they were for my business, and I never

42 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

looked back. They have helped me grow from one store to four, and my flagship store produces over 650 cars per month.

I would never have been able to process or handle that volume without AkzoNobel’s help. They have helped me with everything from pay plans, shop layout, equipment recommendations, processes and taught me about PCE (process-centered environment) all along the way. It’s always good to get away from your shop and learn from other people. We share financial in formation with the group and review the good, the bad and even the ugly, but we are all there to help one another. If one shop is struggling in a certain area, the shop that is performing the best shares what they do and we all learn from it.”

Jay Flores, owner and president of Tony’s Body Shop in Oxnard, CA, has been involved in the Acoat program for more than 20 years. He is currently mentoring another shop owner and encouraged him to get involved in the performance groups.

“I tell him, ‘You’ve been in the dark and trying to run your business and learn things on your own. Now, you’re not in the dark and you get to associate with other good businesses.’ I was a small mom-and-pop shop and wasn’t exposed to other businesses. I decided to attend the Acoat program and what it did was in-

spire me to learn more about my business. I remember meeting shop owners earning $1 million-plus a month in sales.

Over the years, my shop has grown because of my affiliation with the program.

I’ve found that the performance groups tend to include shops from across the United States that are also looking to better their businesses. Shops are looking for answers because they are in the dark--they are in their little box, never leaving their towns and wondering why things don’t change. Sometimes we get tired of working in our industry and all the things that come with it. After attending the meetings, I get rejuvenated. I hear other people talk about their problems and solutions and I come back ready to work again and be successful.”

Gabriel Francis, sales representative for LKQ, was a first-time attendee.

“As a first-time attendee, I think it was very beneficial. I had a chance to see how the groups operate. I had a customer with me and it was her first time too, so she had a chance to share her experiences with me. Also, I had the opportunity to see new products. I thought it was a great experience.”

Eric McKenzie, director of body shop operations, attended his first Acoat meeting in 2007 after joining Park Place Dealerships, located in the Dallas/Fort See NAPG Attendees, Page 44

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 43

Continued from Page 42

Repairers of Choice

(BC RPG) Group consists of Acoat shops from British Columbia, Canada.

The group normally meets in Canada, but every two years they choose to participate at the NAPG. “The big attraction in San Diego (besides the location!) was the ability to attend the variety of Early Bird classes that are not normally available to them,” said Robert Dubreuil, senior services consultant, Canada. “Most of the members took part in several classes and really appreciated the information.”

Dealer: Approximately a dozen dealer shops gathered to discuss common issues they have in their businesses.

“Although they are from all over the United States, they do have similar challenges within their own organizations,” said Greg Griffith, services consultant.

Griffith said, for the most part, the performance groups are run the same way, although some spend more time on certain topics, such as financials, processes and marketing.

“Like the other groups, we help shops set an action plan of what they are going to work on at the end of every meeting and then we have them report back at the beginning of the next meeting,” said Griffith. “Almost everybody follows that up with a financial discussion.”

He often encourages shops to get involved in the industry, especially if they want to see changes occur.

“What we always do in the dealer group is have a couple of shops that are involved in their local auto body associations and discuss what’s going on in the industry to try to get people involved,” said Griffith.

Overall, he said, the networking is very beneficial to all of the shops.

“They are able to reach out to one another, and in between the meetings a lot of the guys have become friends and talk to each other all the time,” he said.

Distributor: James Lamb, business services manager, said the Distributor Group is unlike a traditional Performance Group, but is a great opportunity for distributors from across the country to stay up-to-date on issues and solutions affecting their customers.

“It’s also a good way for us to communicate new developments from AkzoNobel and discuss, as a group, possible implications and opportunities,” he said.

Lamb said that one of the group’s long-term collision center owners, Van Takemoto from Island Fender in Hawaii, spoke to attendees about the value he has realized from participating in Acoat over the years.

“His sales and his profitability are significantly better than when he started with AkzoNobel over 15 years ago,” said Lamb. “Takemoto encouraged the distributors to push their customers to participate, as he strongly feels it brings the shops more value than they can get in any other way.”

Gold: The Gold performance group is composed of independent shop owners with locations in California, the Carolinas, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Nova Scotia.

The shops range in size from $70,000–$600,000 average sales per month, and the majority have more than $300,000 per month in sales.

Henri Rich, senior services consultant for the east region, said the members have agreed to a charter that

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focuses on financial improvements.

“The members rely on open discussions based on the topics presented, as they feel they gain the most from each other at that time,” said Rich. “All members must provide input on nearly every topic we set to ensure all opinions, issues and suggestions are heard.”

He has found that the members not only have formed great relationships with one another during the meetings, but also outside of the meetings, which creates a “family effect.”

Kryptonite: The Kryptonite Group consists of a mixture of shop types, including independent collision repair facilities and MSOs. “The Kryptonite group was started with a very forward-thinking core group of really successful collision repair professionals,” said Ryan Ross, eastern market services manager. “Because of this core group, we are able to really shape our new members’ thinking on so many provable and well-documented business solutions to help them achieve unprecedented levels of profit and sustainability.”

Ross said the open dialogue format creates a more enhanced learning

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Continued from Page 42

NAPG Attendees

Worth area.

“I came on the advice of several AkzoNobel employees who worked with me and recommended the meetings. The knowledge and insight that I learn from meeting with my industry peers twice a year have been invaluable. It is great to be around people who do the same things I do every day in other parts of the country and to be able to exchange best practices and ideas for improving each of our businesses. I have learned too many marketing ideas to count as well, such as ideas for production and personnel management, to name a few.”

Wes Steffen, owner of Elmer’s Body Shop in Elkhart, IN, said that at

environment where the members not only learn from one another, but also feel accountable for one another to achieve their individual business goals.

least one member of the family business has participated in the Acoat program since 1999.

“I’m the fourth-generation owner of our facility and we’re in our 10th decade.

We’ve seen a lot of changes, and we’re going to see more. I’ve looked at the other programs offered by the manufacturers in our industry, and I believe AkzoNobel is the only program that is out there with a dedicated staff to help with business development. They are not a paint rep first and talk about business development second [company]. I think that’s what is unique about what they offer through Acoat. Over the years, I’ve found the interaction with other shop owners has been very beneficial to our family business. The meetings foster ideas you probably wouldn’t have been exposed to by just staying inside your

Platinum: The Platinum Group is composed of a large number of multishop operators, as well as a few singlelocation operators.

“They all are above-average, pro-

own sphere of influence that you have locally. It can force you to broaden your horizons a little bit and give you exposure to those new ideas. AkzoNobel has brought things to the table several different times that have been game-changers.

They are directly focused on having people there who can help you drive your business.”

John P Stegenga Jr., vice president and co-owner of Woodcock Auto Body in Washingtonville, NY, has been studying and implementing the repair planning process with the support of AkzoNobel staff for the past few years.

“The process has revolutionized our business. The PCE method of thinking has been the biggest game-changer for us. It is more of a journey to adapt such processes to our shop and takes years.

Our decision to join the Acoat program

gressive businesses interested in the latest best practices,” said Jim Lovejoy, services consultant.

He said the Platinum group has always been known to prefer discus-

and also our selection of a paint provider was based first on how a paint company would help grow our business through training, and second the quality of the product.

Although we are focused on the best financial margins with our paint selection, we are more focused on the constant support and coaching that we receive from the AkzoNobel team and our Acoat group meeting partners. Attending the meetings two times a year gives us the time to get away from the shop to work on our business while also allowing us to spend time with like-minded shop owners [and build] strong peer relationships in a non-competitive environment. This environment allows you to open up and share numbers (confidentially) with no fear of a local competitor trying to find your secret sauce.”

sions rather than being “talked to.”

“When Jeff Baker and I create segments for each meeting, our goal is to create more of an outline,” said See Repairers of Choice, Page 50

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 45

SEMA Show Goes On

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

3M Hosts Reunion of 10 of the World’s Best Car Painters at SEMA with Ed Attanasio

in conjunction with the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit last summer. 3M invited leading automotive painters from around the world to come to Detroit to demonstrate their painting skills with the latest 3M solutions for vehicle painting, including the 3M™ PPS™ Series 2.0 Spray Cup System.

The 10 leading painters who featured their amazing artwork on car hoods during the event included: Pablo Prado, KandynChrome, USA; Jacob Miles, Milestone Paint & Body, USA; Connie Manjavinos, PassionateInk, USA; Clay Hoberecht, Best Body Shop, USA; Justin Jimmo, Refinish Network, Canada; Carl-André Giroux, Canada; Danny Schramm, The 3M booth at SEMA was busy all day, with live demonstrations, celebrity appearances SchrammWerk, Germany; Christian and live interviews, including a visit by the Wilke, Germany; Carmine De Maria, legendary Richard Petty C.A.D. Custom, Australia and Shane 3M featured big names such as Wanjon, Exclusive Image Paint and Richard Petty, Chip Foose, Charley Body, USA. Canadian Painter Carl-André Hutton, the Ringbrothers, KC Mathieu, Kyle Morley, Ryan “Ryno” Giroux was thrilled to be involved in Templeton and Mark Oja to headline the 3M PPS World Cup in Detroit this the 3M Automotive Aftermarket Out- summer, and the reunion at SEMA door Showcase, while other events, made it even sweeter, he said.

“These are some of the greatest such as a live wrap competition, took place at its booth on the convention painters in the world, so it’s an honor to be associated with these amazing floor. artists,” he said. “The hoods we created will be raising money for a much-needed charity, and that is a big deal for all of us.”

3M hosted a live wrap competition that attracted crowds to their booth throughout the show. Twelve teams consisting of two to four participants went head-to-head using their design skills with a combina(l to r) Steve Carney, Joe Alexander, Rio Torres and Carl tion of 3M Wrap Film Series Brewer won the 2017 3M 1080 Live Wrap Competition at 1080 and the 3M Design Line SEMA Knifeless Tape.

Also taking place at the 3M “With so much talent under one D.E.M.O. trailer parked outside the roof at SEMA 2017, we wanted to crefront lot of the Las Vegas Convention ate an atmosphere where creative enCenter was the 3M and the Collision ergy from both contest participants Repair Education Foundation auction and attendees will produce very excitof custom-painted hoods designed by ing designs,” said Janelle Pizzi, prodleading painters from around the uct marketer for 3M Commercial world. The auction benefited the 3M Solutions Division. “The 3M 1080 Hire our Heroes program.

Live Wrap Competition is a great opThe hoods were created during portunity for installers to show off the 2017 3M PPS World Cup, held their unique talents while using Wrap Every year, the 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division makes a major impression at the SEMA Show. This year, it pushed the envelope even more with a busy schedule packed with activities and celebrity appearances.

46 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Film Series 1080 and Knifeless Design Line Tape.”

Team contestants had a chance to win some of the $32,000 in prize money and merchandise, including Wrap Film Series 1080. Additionally, the winning team gained major brag-

ging rights by having a photo of its design incorporated into the Knifeless Design Line Tape packaging. Congratulations to this year’s winning team, consisting of Steve Carney, Joe Alexander, Rio Torres and Carl Brewer.

3M’s Automotive Aftermarket Division invited 10 leading painters for a reunion at SEMA after their participation in the 2017 3M PPS World Cup in Detroit this summer

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SEMA Show Goes On WD-40 Features Boosted Bronco at SEMA with Ed Attanasio

four-wheel drive, but gets a modern spin with its hand-built 20” Detroit Steel Wheels, Diode Dynamics BiLED round headlights and Distinctive Industries touring seats and upholstery. From its WD-40-themed mattemetallic paint, to its twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost powered drive train, everything about the vehicle stands out, according to a press release from the company.

The WD-40 booth was once again built to look like a mechanics garage, located just outside the Las Vegas Convention Center’s South Hall where WD-40 Specialist products were This year, WD-40 unveiled the demonstrated, visitors played games WD-40/SEMA Cares Boosted Bronco for WD-swag and visitors shared how at the 2017 SEMA Show as part of its they use WD-40 products on social annual restoration build, which blends media to earn branded hats, T-shirts old with new and highlights the many and more.

The WD-40/SEMA Cares Boosted automotive uses for WD-40 MultiUse Product and the WD-40 Special- Bronco will soon be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson Auction Company, ist line.

“This original 1966 Ford Bronco with proceeds benefitting SEMA Cares, is an iconic cult classic vehicle, and Childhelp and the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund. The build partners we’ve created a modern, unique version with the WD-40/SEMA Cares on the Boosted Bronco were AIRAID, AMSOIL, AutoMeter, B&M, BASF, Baumann Electronic Controls, Blood & Grease, Detroit Steel Wheel, Diode Dynamics, Flowmaster, General Tire, Grip Royal, Mishimoto, POR-15, The Club, VMS Racing and XS Power. It all started with cars.

Designing and building award-winning custom cars has been a passion of the Vaccar family since the mid1970s, eventually leading to the establishment of ACV Motorsports in 1999. Aaron and his father, Carl Vaccar, work side-by-side on every project Aaron Vaccar, master car builder, created this year’s WDbecause they bring different 40/SEMA Cares Boosted Bronco at the 2017 SEMA Show skills to each car they create, Boosted Bronco,” builder Aaron Vac- Aaron Vaccar said. car said. “WD-40 Brand is an industry “We took a different approach icon, with a long history of support- with this vehicle, because we wanted ing automotive professionals with it to be fresh and unprecedented,” products that help us get the job done Aaron Vaccar said. “We had to submit right, and were an integral part of get- a 10-page proposal and then wait for ting the Bronco ready for the SEMA the response. When they contacted us Show.” and gave us the news, we were obviThe WD-40/SEMA Cares ously thrilled. We worked 30 days Boosted Bronco retains its original non-stop to get it done, but we’re deEvery year when SEMA hits Vegas, show attendees start looking around for the WD-40® booth because they know that it will contain an over-thetop, one-of-a-kind vehicle that will fascinate car lovers worldwide.

48 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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

lighted with the result.”

The tight deadline didn’t dissuade

fore Aaron was even able to graduate, the school had invited him to speak to other core classes and at events such as the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour to motivate fellow business students.

Aaron’s second major SEMA Show project vehicle came in 2011 from Ford Motor Co., along with a Design Award from Ford for his outstanding achievement. In the same year, Aaron also unveiled Aaron and his father, Carl Vaccaro, worked side-by-side his first venture into a new into create this amazing vehicle that will soon be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson with proceeds benefitting SEMA dustry—Blood & Grease “kusCares, Childhelp and the SEMA Memorial Scholarship tom klothing” was introduced Fund at a later date into the market as an edgyCarl Vaccar as the clock kept ticking, retro, hot rod-influenced premium apbecause he believes in his son and his parel and accessory line, which quickly abilities, he said. achieved cross-country and international “My floor is Aaron’s ceiling and sales.

I’m so happy to see his success, beAs recently as 2012, Aaron had cause he deserves it. The fact that this the honor of being one of the largest

As part of a lengthy proposal, Aaron Vaccar submitted this rendering

vehicle will raise money for a great cause like SEMA Cares makes it even more special,” he said.

It has been a fast track to success for the Vaccar family, but it started early for Aaron. By the time he graduated from high school in 2005, he had already started branding his own custom car “signature series” for sponsors and had an online aftermarket parts store, ACV Mailorder. As he entered Youngstown State University for a Business Administration degree, he learned more about being a real entrepreneur and tested out new ventures wherever he saw opportunities. Be-

builders at the SEMA Show, with a total of three vehicles awarded to him

by Ford Motor Company and General Motors to design. In addition, he debuted the re-branding of his car designer identity under the name “Vaccar”.

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Continued from Page 45

Repairers of Choice

Lovejoy. “We don’t try and give them all of the answers. Rather, we acknowledge that they are the experts because they are immersed in the business every day.”

During the meetings, Lovejoy said the group focuses on financial benchmarking and robust discussions about industry topics. Members are also asked to create three action plans at the end of each meeting, and review the results at the beginning of the next meeting.

“Most 20 group members will tell you one of their most valuable benefits is the opportunity to talk with other business owners,” said Lovejoy.

“They can discuss what best practices others use, rather than have to reinvent the wheel themselves.”

RWB Group: There are several new members of the Red, White and Blue Group, which is made up of experienced independent shop owners who share best practices to improve their businesses. Jeff Rhoads, services consultant, said the group is currently focusing on building an improved cul-

ture in their respective shops.

“Our AkzoNobel sales training leader, Adrianna Marino, spent two days with our group and helped describe culture-building techniques, including creating a purpose for em-

method of monitoring it to improve production flow and reduce potential problems.

Rhoads said RWB members conduct an in-depth goal-setting process at the end of the meeting that helps

ployees and some autonomy in doing their job,” said Rhoads. “She also spoke to the group about recruiting new employees and effectively developing them into top performers in the business.”

During the performance group meeting, RWB members discussed the importance of having the “right amount” of work at the shop and a

them develop their individual financial and operational goals.

“Everyone in the group contributes to the discussion and is actively engaged in helping other group members develop a solid plan for improvement,” he said.

Titanium: Tim Ronak, senior services consultant, said the Titanium group is the first U.S.-based national

50 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Acoat Selected performance group formed by AkzoNobel in 1992, and has been continually meeting twice annually for more than 25 years.

Ronak said that collectively, they represent more than $8.5 million in monthly sales volume and approximately $102 million in annual sales.

The group comprises 18 independent organizations that currently manage 30 locations and include independent shops as well as several MSO operations.

The Titanium Group primarily focuses on using standardized benchmarking to create a platform that allows shops to identify where they can improve operationally.

“The open discussion leads to action plans and goals that individual shops are accountable for,” said Ronak.

“The real value is the peer group format that has peers act to hold individuals accountable for specific actions and management goals they have set for themselves.”

The next AkzoNobel North American Performance meeting will be held in San Antonio, TX, March 14–16. For more information, contact your local AkzoNobel representative or distributor.

Fighting for Safer Auto Repairs in Texas, ABAT Hosts Todd Tracy

that has been repaired properly and is safe for them and those around them The fight for safety took a major step on the road. But the end result of forward on Oct. 24. these insurance industry pressure-tacTexas Watch was honored to join tics is a steady stream of vehicles that national safety advocate and attorney are ticking time bombs, and even Todd Tracy, the Auto Body Associa- rolling coffins. With the shoddy retion of Texas and leading auto body pairs buried under metal and paint, shop owners from around the state for you and your family may not know a wide-ranging conversation on how that the job wasn’t done right until the insurance industry illegally steers you are in a wreck and it is too late. consumers to insurance-friendly “re- We saw tragic evidence of this recently.

The Seebachan couple was trapped in their car, suffering crushing injuries and major burns, when their Honda Fit catastrophically failed in a crash. Before it was sold to them, John Eagle Collision Center had essentially glued the roof onto the vehicle while repairing it inBurl Richards (l) discusses safe repairs with members stead of welding it according of ABAT and Texas Watch to manufacturer specifications. When the case repair” facilities, underestimates dam- cently went to trial, the jury found for age, refuses to pay for important the Seebachans and sent a strong safety scans and other necessary pro- message that safety should not be saccedures, and suppresses labor rates all rificed. in the name of padding their bottom Todd Tracy represented the couline. ple in court. He stated, “A Dallas The consumer has a right to a car County jury has spoken in its $42 milby Staff, Texas Watch

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lion damage verdict for defective auto body repair. The message is clear to auto insurance carriers in Texas. Get out of the repair business and quit bul-

lying body shops into using unsafe repairs that don’t meet manufacturer standards. I believe that collision repair businesses that choose to do it right by following the Original Equipment Manufacturer standards should receive immunity.”

The Seebachan case is an example of how our civil justice system, entrusted to us by the Founders and enshrined in the Seventh Amendment of the Constitution, is supposed to work. Citizen jurors examine the evidence and guard the community by enforcing the rules and holding bad actors accountable. Accountability

makes all of us safer.

Burl Richards, President of the Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT), stated, “At ABAT, we are committed to safe and proper repairs.

We appreciate that Texas Watch has provided a voice to get this safety information to the public.”

Professional auto body shops that care about their customers and the public should not be subjected to pressure by the insurance industry to “cheap out” repairs. The job must be done right the first time so we are all protected. ABAT and professional auto body shops should be commended for leading the way.

Texas Watch, and these groups and individuals, are committed to fighting for as long as it takes to see that insurance companies aren’t able to dictate dangerous repairs any longer.

Money is on the line for the insurance industry, but lives hang in the balance for all of the rest of us. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and Texas Watch expects the insurance industry will fight tooth and nail. However, Texas Watch says, we are all committed to the fight.

We thank Texas Watch for reprint permission.

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In Reverse

Early Industry Pioneers Left Their Mark with Gary Ledoux

Even before there were cars on the road, a number of people created products, provided services or simply had inauspicious beginnings that, although may have seemed trivial at the time, had a profound and lasting effect on the industry. Even back then, they would influence the way the auto industry in general, and the collision repair industry in particular, works.

Escaping the French revolution and leaving their printing business behind them, on Jan. 1, 1800, Pierre and his son Eleuthere Irenee (E.I.) arrived in America after a grueling 90-day voyage. Father and son eventually found their way to Bergen, NJ. Pierre wanted to engage in the elaborate scheme of international trade. E.I. took a more practical approach—the manufacture of gunpowder, something he was already familiar with and with which he was quite proficient. The chemistry and manufacture of gunpowder would lead to a multitude of products, not the least of which was paint—DuPont Refinish paint over 100 years later, thanks to the foresight of Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours and his son, E.I du Pont de Nemours.

And then there was Henry, born Sept. 27, 1842. He would later be described in his company’s history as being “self-taught and self-propelled” and an “entrepreneur and inventor.”

His formal education in his hometown of Baltimore, VT, ended at the young age of 13 when he began work in a general store. From there, he became a photographer and then moved to Cleveland, OH, where he became a clerk then a bookkeeper for Freeman & Kellogg dry goods. He then became a partner in the George Sprague Company, purveyors of groceries, and managed to save $2,000—quite a hefty sum in the mid-1860’s. The grocery business obviously gave young Henry a good income, but he wanted something more. Opportunities with a wholesale drug company, a bank and a wholesale paint company then presented themselves. Henry chose the paint company, not because it offered the most money initially, but because he thought it “gave the promise of a future greater than others.” Truer words were never spoken.

Henry bought into and became a

Gary Ledoux is an industry veteran with 48 years’ experience in the automotive and OEM collision parts industry. His column appears exclusively in Autobody News.

He can be reached at YesterWreck@yahoo.com

partner with Truman Dunham & Co., purveyors of paint ingredients. He learned all he could about the paint business, endeavoring to “bring a fine sense of order” to it. The partnership did not last long. By 1869, Henry discovered that his partners were more interested in producing linseed oil and he was more interested in paint. In 1870, Truman Dunham & Co. faded into history.

Henry had a pal named Edward, born May 10, 1843 in Cleveland, OH. Edward attended Cleveland High School, graduating in 1859, and then went on to earn degrees at Hudson College. He also found time to serve in the 85th Volunteer Infantry of Ohio during the Civil War. On Feb. 3, 1870, Henry Sherwin and his pal Edward Williams decided to pool their resources, including $15,000 of Edward’s own money and Henry’s knowledge of paint, to start their own company, naming it after themselves— the Sherwin-Williams Company.

But it wasn’t enough for early pioneers to create a quality paint for factory-finishing and refinishing cars.

Factories and “shop men” had to have a way to get the paint onto the vehicle.

Prior to 1926, automotive paint was applied with a brush in multiple coats with a lot of drying time in between; an extremely laborious and time-consuming job. There had to be a better way.

In 1887, a maintenance supervisor for the Boston-based Marshall Field’s department stores was charged with painting the store’s basement walls white—miles and miles of basement walls on several different levels in several different stores. Painting by hand would take large crews weeks to accomplish. Seeking a faster way, the maintenance supervisor developed a spray apparatus with paint in a bucket pressurized by a hand pump. The paint sprayed out through a wand mechanism with a nozzle, not unlike a device used to spray weed killer today. It was a success. He would later go on to use his paint sprayer to paint many of the buildings at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The Exposition, on the scale of a world’s fair, was known as the Great White City, thanks in no small part to the maintenance supervisor’s invention. In 1919, he developed his first

52 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

air-powered spray gun as we know them today, and by 1926, the DuPont Company produced a spray-able lacquer called Duco, suitable for automotive refinishing. That maintenance supervisor’s name was Joseph Binks.

But Mr. Binks was not alone—he had a little competition. In 1888, a doctor created an atomizer to spray medicine on his patients’ sore throats to help them heal faster. In 1907, his son, Thomas, expanded on the idea and created a hand-held, air-powered spray gun for paint. By blowing compressed air across the top of a siphon tube submerged in liquid, the gun could create a controllable pattern of material. The first spray guns were used primarily for furniture finishing but by 1926, they were used for automotive refinishing.

That doctor’s name was Dr. Allen DeVilbiss. Most people reading this have probably owned or handled a Binks or DeVilbiss spray gun.

Of course, body shops can’t work

on a collision-damaged car until or unless it arrives at the shop. And as we all know, sometimes, they are not drivable. That is where Ernie’s invention helps the industry.

In 1916, Ernie helped a friend pull a car from a ditch in Chattanooga, TN. It was back-breaking work. They succeeded, but Ernie thought that there must be a better and easier way. He acquired a used 1913 Cadillac, removed the body behind the driver’s seat, attached an A-frame and a system of pulleys, and created the first wrecker. It was a great idea, but didn’t exactly work as planned. It wasn’t steady enough when trying to winch a car out of an odd spot. He needed a set of outrigger feet to keep the Cadillac from tipping over. After attaching the outriggers, and some boxes in which to carry tools, his tow truck was a success. So much so, he started making them for other people and thus, an inSee Industry Pioneers, Page 62

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 53

Original Thought #78

YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE AT THE FIRST REPAIR.

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 55

SEMA Show Goes On

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

WyoTech Launches Alumni Association at SEMA with Ed Attanasio

After 50 years of educating next-generation mechanical and technical professionals, WyoTech launched its first alumni association at the 2017 SEMA Show to connect more than 64,000 graduates with ongoing career development opportunities, community involvement, volunteer engagement, mentorship programs and philanthropy.

With a mission to provide jobs in the U.S. automotive, diesel, collision/refinishing, motorcycle and marine technology industries while creating a pipeline of future applicants, WyoTech’s new alumni organization was established to connect employers and hiring managers with highly skilled technicians and facilitate easy networking among alumni from its three campuses, according to John Hurd, AVP Strategic Relations for WyoTech.

“Technical education is the answer to America’s widening skills gap

and glut of unfilled positions,” Hurd said. “Through our new alumni association, we want to send the message

WyoTech, they learn what it takes to become a highly sought-after technician from master instructors. But their train-

WyoTech’s booth at 2017 SEMA displayed re-built Ford trucks designed by Master Builders Bryan Fuller and Mikey Brown

that WyoTech graduates are uniquely qualified to enter some of the most indemand careers of the 21st century. At

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connect with others driven by their passion and ready to start or advance their careers.”

The alumni association’s activities will commence in January 2018.

WyoTech gave all of its alumni attending this year’s SEMA Show a sneak peek at some of the opportunities during a Nov. 1 networking event and supercar driving experience at Exotics Racing in Las Vegas. The networking event was free to all WyoTech alumni, who were also encouraged to stop by the WyoTech booth to enter a drawing to win one of 20 racing spots.

While visiting WyoTech’s booth, alumni and other show attendees also got up-close looks at custom-built 1940 and 1956 Ford trucks, fabricated by alumni Bryan Fuller and Mikey Brown, respectively.

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registered trademarks.

publishing company, Full-Bore Publishing. He is a host of the TV series “Caffeine and Octane”, which highlights the culture and community of the largest monthly gathering of auto enthusiasts in the USA. This TV series is currently in its second season on NBC Sports Network, previously on Velocity. In addition, Bryan is the co-author of a series of how-to-build books, Full-Bore Welding and FullBore Sheet Metal, published by his own publishing company, Full-Bore Publishing. Bryan and the Fuller Moto team specialize in unique custom car and motorcycle builds and are well-known for their shop motto, which is “Dream Big, Build Strong, Ride Hard!”

According to its 2017 SEMA announcement, WyoTech’s new alumni association will be committed to representing its peers and professions to the industry and soliciting insight from companies that have hired graduates. In addition, it will provide invaluable trend data and real-world perspectives to assist WyoTech in tailoring programs to best prepare students for long-term career success.

See WyoTech Launches, Page 60

New Federal Report Highlights Demand in the Skills Trade, Automotive

A surge of skilled automotive and diesel technicians is needed nationwide over the next decade, according to new employment projections recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

With its new 2016–2026 report, the BLS has more than tripled its 2014 estimate for the number of “new entrant” transportation technicians necessary to meet industry demand. The BLS now estimates more than 120,000 new technicians—on average—are needed each year in the coming decade to work as automotive and diesel technicians and in collision repair. By 2026, that equates to approximately 1.2 million new technicians nationwide.

“The transportation industry leaders who employ our graduates consistently say they need more skilled, trained technicians—and now the demand we’re seeing on the ground is backed up by these new federal employment projections,” said Kim McWaters, president and CEO of Universal Technical Institute (UTI). “UTI is well-positioned to help meet this industry demand as the nation’s leading provider of training for students seeking careers as transportation technicians. Better still, our graduates are poised to benefit from the strong employment market for their skills and

training.”

“One of the biggest challenges we face is in recruiting enough skilled technicians to meet the needs of our customers,” said Paul Neumann, Vice President of Human Resources for Penske Automotive Group. “This federal report should be a clarion call to students, parents and policymakers about the growing workforce opportunities across the skilled trades, especially in the high-tech service shops of the automotive and diesel industry.”

According to the latest BLS data, between now and 2026, the transportation industry will require, on average, approximately 76,000 new automotive technicians, 28,000 diesel technicians and 17,000 collision repair technicians each year to fill new positions in the industry, or to replace technicians who leave the occupation due to retirement or other reasons.

TechForce Foundation, a nonprofit corporation focused on helping solve the technician shortage, has identified a handful of primary factors driving increased demand for new transportation technicians, including: • A sustained cycle of economic growth, resulting in more demand for automotive and transportation services; • “Catch-up” demand due to the num-

ber of technicians who left the industry during the Great Recession; • Workforce attrition as Baby Boomers reach retirement age; and • The increasingly complex nature of modern vehicles, which makes advanced training a must for new technicians.

According to TechForce Foundation, meeting the workforce needs of the transportation industry requires a coordinated, concerted effort within the industry to educate Americans about the quality jobs available to technicians. Includes: shifting outdated, negative public perceptions toward work in skilled trades, and building a stronger employment pipeline among young students who have demonstrated an interest and aptitude for automotive and technicianrelated work.

“It is going to take all of us working together to educate students and the general public about the great career opportunities in the skilled trades,” said McWaters. “UTI students graduate with strong job prospects and excellent opportunities to build a rewarding career in the transportation industry. We’re going to continue partnering with our automotive, diesel and other employer partners to help give this growing industry the trained, ready workforce it needs.”

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M-F 7:30am - 6pm; Sat 7:30am - 5pm mbpartswholesale@yourmercedes.com www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 57

AWDA Presents Annual Awards Honoring Excellence in the Automotive Aftermarket Industry The Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA), a community of the Auto Care Association, launched the general session of its 70th Annual Conference by recognizing the winners of its annual awards.

The AWDA’s 70th Annual Conference took place from Oct. 28–Oct. 30 at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, coinciding with the annual AAPEX show, which also took place in the city.

Each year, AWDA presents four awards highlighting the excellence of its recipients in the automotive warehouse distribution industry.

This year, the Jack Creamer Leader of the Year Award, which acknowledges an aftermarket professional who has contributed to the industry in a unique and significant way, was presented to Bill Maggs, president and CEO of the National PRONTO Association, co-CEO of the Automotive Parts Services Group and co-CEO of 1 Parts Global Aftermarket Services.

AWDA Board of Governors member and current executive vice president of global procurement of Genuine Parts Company, Scott LeP-

rohon, presented Thomas C. Gallagher, former president and CEO of Genuine Parts Company, with the Martin Fromm Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his unselfish commitment to, and high level of performance within, the motor vehicle aftermarket industry.

The Art Fisher Memorial Scholarship Award is given annually in memory of former AWDA Chairman Art Fisher, and grants scholarships to two students enrolled in the automotive aftermarket management program at Northwood University. This year, the NAPA/Genuine Parts LEAD Store Manager Training Program received the scholarship award in recognition of its outstanding commitment to education and training.

The Pursuit of Excellence Award was given to Corey Bartlett, president and CEO, Automotive Parts Headquarters, Inc., St. Cloud, MN, in recognition of his excellence in business performance and the setting of high standards as an example for others to follow.

To learn more about the AWDA annual awards and this year’s winners, visit: http://bit.ly/2zJFfTM

New Metalux® Platinum Primer Delivers Performance ChemSpec USA has announced the introduction of its new METALUX® 9155 2K Platinum Filler Primer.

With a high-build, this two-pack pre-

mium primer filler (surfacer) is ideal for automotive refinishing and new bodywork. 9155 offers fast dry times and excellent sanding characteristics while delivering a stable substrate for all refinishing essentials.

METALUX® 9155 2K Platinum Filler Primer offers outstanding adhesion and durability. Featuring easy sanding and quick drying times, along with good color holdout and minimal shrinkage, this primer offers universal appeal to shops using the METALUX® System. Available in

one gallon cans.

ChemSpec USA has manufactured a wide array of collision repair products for the Automotive, Fleet, OEM and Industrial Markets for more than 40 years. ChemSpec is now part of the Axalta Coating Systems family of brands and is dedicated to growing and strengthening relationships with customers in the USA and worldwide.

Founded in 1976, ChemSpec USA, LLC., is a global manufacturer of premium coatings for the automotive refinish, fleet, OEM and industrial markets. Centrally located in Orrville, Ohio, the company features a broad range of brands including their METALUX® Premium Automotive Coatings, and MONTANA® BIG SKY® Quality Coatings for Auto, Fleet & Industrial and METACRYL® High Performance Topcoat System.

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58 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Second Annual “Insurer Report Card” Now Open

Consumers and insurance companies are paying attention. So now it’s time to update the list of the Top 100 auto insurers around the country.

The second annual “Insurer Report Card” is now open, providing a chance for collision repair professionals to grade the claims handling performance of auto insurers in their state.

Like last year, the survey is not just focusing on the Top 10 national insurers. You’ll also be grading some of the smaller or regional carriers in your state as well. Nationally, the survey will be collecting data on more than 120 different insurers.

This gives the industry a chance to let consumers know if, for example, there’s a smaller insurer that may not be running ads on TV all the time, but is really great at taking care of its customers.

The Insurer Report Card, open only to collision repairers, can be completed in as little as three minutes (though you also have an opportunity to tell consumers what they should know about each insurer you grade), and all your personal information will remain absolutely confidential.

Shops that complete the Report Card and provide optional contact information will receive the results once they are compiled. (If you didn’t get the results of the first Insurer Report Card earlier this year, there’s a link at the end of this year’s survey to get that.)

Please visit the following URL to fill out your report card: https:// www.crashnetwork.com/grade book.

1. The Insurer Report Card asks you to grade insurers you deal with from an ‘A+’ to an ‘F.’ The grade you give should reflect how well each insurer’s policies, attitude and payment practices help ensure quality repairs and customer service for motorists in your state.

2. The Report Card should be completed by the shop owner, manager or estimator with the most current experience interacting with insurers on a regular basis. Only one response per shop location.

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Order Genuine Mazda Parts from these Parts Specialists in your area

DELAWARE

Nucar Mazda Wholesale Parts Distributors New Castle

800-633-6606 www.nucarparts.com

VIRGINIA

Brown’s Fairfax Mazda Fairfax

703-385-3994 Fax 703-591-5348 M-F 7:30-6 thy.kong@brownscar.com www.brownscar.com

MARYLAND

Ourisman Mazda Of Rockville Rockville

855-417-4511 Fax 240-499-2488 M-F 8-5:30; Sat 8-5

rockvilleparts@ourismanautomotive.com

www.rockvillemazda.com

Wholesale Parts Network Our knowledgeable and helpful parts professionals want to earn your business and will provide you with the highest level of customer friendly service.

• We W stock over $2,000,000 in collision collllis ision & mechanical parts • We deliver throughout Massachusetts, W Massachus usetts, Rhode Island and New N Hampshire every day • Our O reputation is built on providingg you the best SERVICE • Save Sav S ave time, improve profits and keep ep your y customers loyal • Place any order on line with our parts order Pla lace or form at buycolonial.com buy ycolonial.com • Daily Dai aily ly shipping available throughout New England EEng ngla land nd and and the the Northeast • Joinn our growing list of satisfied customers

Colonial Ford 147 Samoset St., Plymouth, MA 02360 Ph: 800-233-8109 / Fx: 508-830-1658 Hours: M-F 7:30-5; Sat 7:30-4

GENUINE SERVICE & PARTS

Colonial Nissan 104 Mystic Ave. Medford, MA 02155 Ph: 781-395-3025 Fx: 781-475-5063 Hours: M-F 7:30-5 Sat 8-4

Colonial Ford of Marlboro 428 Maple St., Marlborough, MA 01752 Ph: 888-617-3599 / Fx: 508-460-3464 wtrottier@buycolonialfordmarlboro.com

Colonial Buick-GMC 66 Galen St. Watertown, MA 02472 Ph: 888-560-5337 Fx: 617-489-6875 Hours: M-F 8-5:30 Sat 8-4

North End Mazda 747 Chase Rd. (Rte.13) Lunenburg, MA 01462 Ph: 800-322-1241 Fx: 978-582-9841 Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 Sat 8-4

Colonial Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram 24 Coolidge St. (Rte. 62), Hudson, MA 01749 Ph: 978-568-8000 / Fx: 978-562-1213 Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 www.buymoparpartsnow.com Colonial South Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram 42 State Rd., Dartmouth, MA 02747 Ph: 508-984-1900 / Fx: 774-328-9915 Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-3 parts@buycolonialsouthcjd.com www.buymoparparts.com

Colonial Honda of Dartmouth 225 State Rd., Dartmouth, MA 02747

Toll Free: 888-240-2773 Parts Dir: 508-997-2919 Fx: 508-730-6578 Hours: M-Th 7-7; F 7-5:30; Sat 8-4:30 jdelcolle@buycolonialhonda.com www.hondapartswholesaledirect.com

Colonial Volkswagen 89 Turnpike Rd. (Rte. 9), Westborough, MA 01581 Ph: 888-322-6570 / Fx: 508-616-0445 Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 7:30-4

Colonial Cadillac of Woburn 201 Cambridge Rd., Woburn, MA 01801 Ph: 781-935-7009 / Fx: 781-933-7728 Hours: M, T, Th, F 7-5; W 7-8; Sat 8-4 www.buycolonialcadillac.com Colonial Chevrolet 171 Great Rd., Acton, MA 01720 Ph: 978-263-3994 / Fx: 978-263-8587 Hours: M-F 7-5; Sat 8-4 parts@colonialchevrolet.com

Colonial VW of Medford 340 Mystic Ave., Medford, MA 02155 Ph: 781-475-5208 / Fx: 781-391-3506 Hours: M-Th 7-7; F 7-5; Sat 8-4 nmedeiros@vwmedford.com

City Side Subaru 790 Pleasant St., Belmont, MA 02478 Ph: 617-826-5005 / Fx: 617-489-0733 Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-4 parts@citysidesubaru.com

Wellesley Volkswagen 231 Linden St., Wellesley, MA 02482 Ph: 800-228-8344 / Fx: 781-237-6024 Hours: M-F 7:30-5; Sat 7:30-4 wellesleyvwparts@aol.com Contact: Dan Bettencourt / Wholesale Parts Manager

North End Subaru 757 Chase Rd. (Rte.13), Lunenburg, MA 01462 Ph: 888-686-4387 / Fx: 978-582-9843 Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-4 parts@northendsubaru.com www.northendsubaru.com

Colonial South Chevrolet 361 State St., Dartmouth, MA 02747 Ph: 508-997-6711 / Fx: 508-979-1219 Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 parts@colonialsouthchevrolet.com Colonial West Chevrolet 314 John Fitch Hwy., Fitchburg, MA 01420 Ph: 978-503-7480 / Fx: 978-345-1152 Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 59

more. Most importantly, the site will act as a virtual networking forum where alumni can expand their WyoTech connections and support one another in By joining the association, alumni professional growth. will have full access to continually upWyoTech’s burgeoning alumni asdated news feeds populated with feasociation and its online channel will tures about graduates working in the supplement its spectrum of postgraduate career services programs.

Dedicated career services teams at each campus will guide current students and alumni to reach their professional goals by providing assistance in developing and distributing resumes, alerting qualified candidates about job listings that match their skills and goals, and organizing career fairs.

Also in advance of the January 2018 start date for the alumni association, WyoTech is seeking nominations for the inaugural board of directors.

Ideal candidates are graduates of WyoTech, leaders in their The highlight of WyoTech’s SEMA Show was the profession, committed volunannouncement of its new alumni association teers, members of workforce field, job postings, career resources, boards or industry associations, and mentor recommendations, event anindividuals who are passionate about nouncements, campus updates and the value of a WyoTech education.

Continued from Page 57

WyoTech Launches

Guidewire Software Announces Enterprise as New Solution Alliance Partner

Guidewire Software, Inc. (NYSE: GWRE), a provider of software products to Property and Casualty insurers, today announced that Enterprise Rent-A-Car has joined Guidewire PartnerConnect™ as a Solution partner. Guidewire also announced Enterprise’s participation in the Ready for Guidewire accelerator validation program.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s Automated Rental Management System (ARMS®) Web Application accelerator makes it easier and quicker for an insurance company using Guidewire ClaimCenter® to integrate with ARMS. The ARMS accelerator provides insurers access to over 13 rental solutions, from reservations to rental management and invoicing. From within ClaimCenter, insurers are connected to real-time repair information, with electronic data and repair status updates that flow directly from repair facility partners using the ARMS Automotive products.

“Enterprise is dedicated to streamlining the rental process between insurance companies, collision centers, and our car rental

offices, helping insurers save on loss adjustment expenses,” said Mary Mahoney, vice president, Insurance Replacement Division for Enterprise. “Making our solutions Guidewire-ready will enable insurers to focus on the evolving needs of their business and allow for greater flexibility and efficiency in rental management for improved customer service.”

“We are pleased to welcome Enterprise to the Guidewire PartnerConnect program as a Solution partner. We have worked with Enterprise for a number of years and are excited to expand our relationship with them. This comprehensive accelerator will make it easier and quicker for our mutual clients to integrate ClaimCenter with multiple Enterprise rental solutions, improving claims handling efficiency and enhancing policyholder customer experience,” said Neil Betteridge, vice president, Strategy, Guidewire Software.

www.autobodynews.com

60 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Automotive Collision Repair Market Is Projected To Be Around $246.78 Billion By 2022

In 2012, the global Automotive Collision Repair Market was valued around $163.39 billion and is anticipated to reach approximately $246.78 billion by 2022, while maintaining a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.78 percent during the forecast period.

The automotive collision repair market involves the materials and repair services utilized for the reconstruction of an automotive after damage due to accident. Escalating road accidents and damages they caused to vehicles and the damage due to natural disasters are all unfortunate events driving the automotive collision repair industry growth. Additionally, technological innovations in automotive repair services and equipment, accident claims and insurance have contributed to the additional growth of the automotive collision repair industry.

Coatings, paint, consumable and spare parts, amongst other components of automobiles, are the key materials utilized for automotive collision repairs. Coatings and paints are employed to conceal any

sort of dents and scratches on vehicles following the damage. A few of the coating and paint materials involve refinishing materials, colored paints and scratch resistant coatings.

Resin materials and engine motor oil are amongst the key consumable products. Repair materials, mechanical parts, crash parts, and other tools are the spare parts.

The global automotive collision repair market is expected to witness substantial growth, while registering a significant compound annual growth rate over the forecast period of 2012 to 2022, owed to rising concern for safety on the road and escalating strict automobile measures and rules. The global automotive collision repair market growth is directly linked to the expansion of the global automobile industry. Moreover, rising usage and production of electric and hybrid vehicles are determined to boost the application scope of automotive collision repair worldwide. Hence, with the rising sales and maturing of automobiles worldwide, the automotive collision repair demand is set to expand.

Wizards Products Introduces the ‘Wizard 12 Big Throw Mini’ Orbital Polisher Wizards Products introduces The Wizard 12 Big Throw Mini, a 12 mm throw DA (dual action) orbital polisher, designed for use with 3” and 4” faced pads.

A perfect companion to The Wizard 21 Big Throw Polisher, now more detail is available in tight areas and style lines where the 6” pads won’t allow full access. The Big Throw Mini is much faster than traditional smaller orbitals because of its larger 12 mm orbit; also safer to use than a rotary polisher that can burn quickly if user is not experienced.

The Wizard 12 Big Throw Mini is perfect for the professional body shop, detailer and DIY Motorcycle enthusiasts for easily removing swirls, buffer marks and imperfections with minimal skill or effort, and without

leaving nasty swirl marks or holograms.

Features include: 12 mm orbit, soft start/locking trigger, 2,500 – 5,500 OPM with constant speed control, supported with speed dial 1-6 adjustment and a 5 meter (16’5”) rubber cord. Unit is supplied with a 3” backing plate that operates well with 3” or Wizards 4” faced pads, both included in the (recommended/optional) SSR12 Kit (Scratch and Swirl Removal Kit) part number: 99123.

See the Big Throw Mini Polisher live at SEMA, booth #10723, North Hall. Available 10-31-17.

Wizard 12 Big Throw Mini Part number: DAPM12 UPC: 6-06435 00012-9 $229.95 ● Large 12 mm orbit ● Low profile design ● High Performance ● Soft/Safe start ● Speed control 1-6 ● 2,500 – 5,500 OPM ● 16’5” rubber cord

For more information visit: Wizards Products.com.

INSIST ON GENUINE GM PARTS ONLY ORIGINAL PARTS PROTECT THE VEHICLE’S VALUE.

Call Call Any Any of of These These Wholesale Wholesale Parts Parts Dealers Dealers Below Below

Maryland

Massachusetts

New Jersey

New York

Criswell Chevrolet

Marty’s Buick GMC

866-922-1636

800-870-7573

Malouf Chevrolet Cadillac

East Syracuse Chevy

800-769-6256

315-437-5464

M-F 7 - 7:30; Sat 7 - 6 partssales@criswellauto.com

brucem@martysbuickgmc.com

M-F 8 - 5 kdiperi@malouf.com

M-F 7:30-5; Sat 8-3 partsdept@esyrchevy.com

Mastria Buick Cadillac GMC

Nielsen Chevrolet

Potamkin GM

RAYNHAM

888-572-1045

973-366-1730 973-366-5867 Fax

212-708-3080

508-822-4074 Fax

M-Sat 7:30 - 4:30 dmarrash@nielsenchevy.com

M-F 8 - 4:30 jmorena@potamkincadillac.com

Open Road Chevrolet

West Herr Chevrolet

GAITHERSBURG

301-590-1457 Local 301-670-0936 Fax

Massachusetts

Balise Chevrolet Buick GMC Business Elite SPRINGFIELD

413-233-2185 413-733-8617 Fax

KINGSTON

781-585-7570 781-585-2966 Fax

M-F 7:30 - 5:30; Sat 8 - 4

M-Th 7:30 - 7:30; F 7:30 - 6 Sat 7:30 - 5 wholesale@mastria.com

M-F 8 - 5

lvazquez@baliseauto.com

Long Cadillac SOUTHBOROUGH

508-820-9322 800-982-2258 508-879-1212 Fax

M-F 7:30 - 5 tschube@longauto.com

New Jersey

Cadillac of Mahwah MAHWAH

201-579-6497

NORTH BRUNSWICK

732-821-1517 Fax

DOVER

UNION

800-981-9451 908-686-2727 908-687-4267 Fax

M-F 8 - 5; Sat 8 - 4 david.connell@openroad.com

EAST SYRACUSE

315-437-0878 Fax

NEW YORK CITY

212-708-3127 Fax

ORCHARD PARK

716-662-7707 716-688-5519 Fax

M-F 7:30 - 5; Sat 8 - 4 sgraham@westherr.com

201-579-6506 Fax

DePaula Chevrolet

mbuksch@cadillacofmahwah.com

800-727-8357

M-F 7 - 5

Malouf Buick GMC NORTH BRUNSWICK

800-669-6256

ALBANY

518-489-0184 Fax

M-F 7:30 - 5 parts@depaula.com

732-821-5410 732-821-7549 Fax

M-F 8 - 4:30 aaiello@malouf.com

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 61

Continued from Page 52

Continued from Page 33

dustry of building and using tow / recovery trucks was born.

As the auto industry grew, and the need for recovery work grew, so did Ernie’s business. He earned a worldwide reputation for quality products and innovation. He devised the first two-winch cable system so the recovery vehicle could be tied off to an anchoring object for heavy pulls. He developed a pivoting boom so cars could be recovered from an odd angle.

At first, cars were “hooked” to the frame with a rather crude steel hook. Eventually, the company that Ernie founded developed a dolly that enabled a car to be completely lifted off the road in the event that a vehicle’s wheel was completely disabled.

In the 1930s, winches that had been hand-cranked became powered by the truck’s transmission, greatly increasing the pulling power. Today, body shop owners see these trucks pulling cars into their shops every day. The next time you see one, think of Ernie with his 1913 Cadillac and say thanks to Ernest Holmes towing equipment.

intermediate jobs, and 12 professional jobs, so these kids get to decide which direction they want to go, and then we can really focus and try and get those kids headed that way,” said Wilson.

Wilson added that teaching professionalism is a fundamental part of the CTEC curriculum.

“We really try to teach students to look people in the eye, hand-shaking skills, and proper dress,” he said.

“Students are given auto top uniforms, so they all walk around looking nice, and they can get use to a professional dress code.”

Wilson said that CTEC is also working on securing internship opportunities for students next year.

“Since there’s such a huge need for auto body technicians, auto body shops are really dependent on us to say hey we have five to 10 students and they’re ready to go,” he added.

Industry Pioneers

CTEC in OR

For more information on the Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) in Salem, OR, visit: www.ctec salemkeizer.com.

Nationwide Achieves I-CAR Insurance Gold Class Corporate Status I-CAR® has awarded Insurance Gold Class® business recognition at the corporate level to Nationwide, an achievement that places Nationwide in the vanguard of insurers that are committed to enhancing the quality of auto collision repairs.

To achieve Insurance Gold Class status, Nationwide’s appraiser staff was encouraged to fulfill the Platinum Auto Physical Damage Appraiser (APDA) training requirements in ICAR’s Professional Development Program (PDP). Nationwide set a goal to become I-CAR Insurance Gold Class by the end of 2017 and, due to its strong commitment to developing an effective learning environment, the company achieved Gold Class four months ahead of schedule.

By becoming a corporate Gold Class organization, Nationwide is actively confirming that its associates understand the proper techniques and procedures necessary to ensure that complete, safe and quality repairs are made for its customers.

“I-CAR is pleased to recognize Nationwide’s commitment to becoming a corporate Gold Class organization,” said Brad Gutcher, I-CAR’s

manager, segment development - insurance. “With the technical complexity of today’s vehicles, training has become an increasingly critical element throughout the collision repair industry. Nationwide has had a longtime focus on serving customers and valuing employees, and we look forward to maintaining our strong partnership in the years ahead.”

-CAR has now secured its 12th major insurance carrier to support the organization’s vision of connecting the collision repair industry with the information, knowledge and skills required to perform complete, safe and quality repairs for the ultimate benefit of the consumer.

“We are excited to achieve this highly coveted industry standard,” said Dave Bano, Nationwide’s senior vice president and chief claims officer.

“This distinction is especially significant because of I-CAR’s leadership position in providing knowledge and training to the collision repair industry.

Nationwide is committed to investing in continuing education and training for our associates in order to benefit our members, and Gold Class is a perfect example of that dedication.”

WIN Announces Opening of Most Influential Women Nominations

Women’s Industry Network (WIN®) announced that nominations for the prestigious Most Influential Women (MIW) awards opened Wednesday, Nov. 1 and will be accepted through Monday, Jan. 15, 2018.

The winners will be recognized at a gala held during the 2018 WIN Educational Conference, May 7–9, 2018 in Indianapolis, IN. Nominations of women working in any segment of the collision repair industry across the United States and Canada are welcomed.

Once again, WIN has retained an independent consultant to interview those who have been nominated for the award and select the winners, so that WIN can remain un-

biased in the selection process.

Marie Peevy, owner of Automotive Training Coordinators and MIW co-chair commented, “The MIW winners represent an amazing group of women who not only excel in their careers and community, but still find a successful balance by putting their families first.”

The Most Influential Women program has recognized 88 women who have enriched the collision repair industry with their leadership, vision, and commitment to excellence. WIN acquired stewardship of the Most Influential Women program in 2013 and continues to evolve the program to align with WIN’s mission to “enhance the role of women in the industry.”

The award recognizes women for their leadership in four areas: industry influence; professional accomplishments; mentoring and support for others in the collision repair industry; and for going beyond the requirements of their professional lives to give back to their communities.

The 2018 nomination form can be found on the WIN website at www .womensindustrynetwork.com.

62 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

PARTS BUILT FOR THE ROAD AHEAD

THESE DEALERS ARE GENUINE FORD PARTS WHOLESALE SPECIALISTS Trust Genuine Ford Parts from these Select Dealers

NE W JE RS E Y

Malouf Ford Lincoln Mercury NORTH BRUNSWICK

800-959-6256 732-951-1429 Fax

Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-1 fordparts@malouf.com www.maloufparts.com

P E NNS YLVANI A

New Holland Ford NEW HOLLAND

800-367-3232 717-354-9633 Fax Hours: M-F 7-5:30

MARYLAN D

Bob Bell Ford GLEN BURNIE

443-763-3918 410-689-3038 410-766-1275 Fax

Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 www.bobbell.com

Caliber Collision Creates New Executive Roles to Accelerate Teammate & Client Satisfaction As an organization passionately focused on customer, teammate and client satisfaction, Caliber Collision, the largest collision repair company in the U.S., announced two promotions to the Executive Leadership Team effective November 1, 2017.

Promoted from Senior Vice President of Operations to Chief Talent Officer is David Goldstein, a 20year veteran of Caliber. A graduate of the UCLA Anderson Executive Program in 2015, David has more than 30 years of collision repair experience as he rapidly grew from a body technician to Center Manager to Senior Vice President overseeing more than 167 locations across California.

“As a company dedicated to restoring the rhythm of lives, we focus on our teammates first who

represent the single most important asset in our growing organization.

David’s leadership skills, proven operational expertise and ability to develop people will serve to further inspire and engage our teammates as he takes the reins of our overall talent management strategy”, said Steve Grimshaw, Caliber Collision Chief Executive Officer. “David’s promotion represents our continued commitment to have the best trained, most satisfied teammates in the industry.”

Also promoted is Shawn Hezar, Senior Vice President – Strategic Accounts who will now serve as Chief Client Officer. Shawn will be responsible to ensure Caliber is exceeding the expectations of our strategic partners in the increasingly complicated collision repair industry. Shawn’s experience runs the gamut from operations to client services to OEM certifications.

“With more than 30 years of hands-on experience in the collision repair industry, Shawn has grown to become the consummate leader of our strategic client relationships as we work to improve customer and client satisfaction across 527 Caliber locations”, added Grimshaw.

Both Mr. Goldstein and Mr. Hezar will report directly to Mr. Grimshaw.

Caliber Collision Centers is the largest collision repair company in America with 527 I-CAR Gold Class Professional certified collision repair centers across 17 states. Caliber is consistently ranked among the highest customer satisfaction scores in the industry and backs all repair work with a written, lifetime warranty available at any of its 527 repair centers.

For more information visit: www .CaliberCollision.com.

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Three Driven Brands Companies Named to Elite Franchising Times for Top 200 Ranking

Three leading companies among the Driven Brands, Inc. family of automotive aftermarket franchise brands have been ranked in Franchise Times magazine’s Top 200, the most comprehensive ranking of the 500 largest U.S. franchise systems. Recognized by entrepreneurs and franchisors as a top competitive tool of measurement, the Franchise Times Top 200 placed CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts 108th on the list with more than 550 independently owned collision repair facilities. Meineke Car Care Centers was ranked 136th, with nearly 1,000 locations. Maaco Auto Painting and Collision Repair was 140th with more than 500 locations.

Among top 10 automotive franchises, CARSTAR ranked fourth, Meineke was seventh and Maaco was eighth. “We have strengthened our operational and financial performance at these three dynamic companies, grown tremendously, integrated our operations and developed new cross-functional opportunities for all three brands,” said Dennis Elliott, Vice President of Development and Franchising, for Driven Brands.

Audi dealers strive to make you an Audi Genuine Parts fan.

• Your Audi customers expect quality and reliability from your repairs.

Help meet those expectations by installing Audi Genuine Parts.

• Audi dealers are supported by a nationwide network of parts distribution centers to help ensure that non-stocked parts are delivered the next day.

Helping you do business is our business. Order Audi Genuine Parts from these select dealers.

Connecticut

New Jersey

Valenti Audi

DCH Millburn Audi

Paul Miller Audi

Watertown 860.274.9846 860.945.4987 Fax M-F 8am-5:30pm Sat 8am - 12pm

Maplewood 800.553.9250 973.762.2381 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm Sat 7:30am - 4pm

Parsippany 800.356.4553 973.575.7793 973.575.5911 Fax M-F 8am-6pm; Sat 8am-5pm

AudiParts@valentiauto.com www.valentiaudi.com

ddipalma@dchusa.com www.dchmillburnaudi.com

www.paulmilleraudi.com Audiparts@paulmiller.com

New York Audi Albany Latham 518.783.5554 518.213.8182 Mon - Sat 7:30am - 6pm audiparts@audialbany.com

Audi Brooklyn of Bram Wholesale Parts Network 866.770.5999 718.392.6570 Fax 7:30am-5:30pm parts@lexusofqueens.com

Audi Southampton Southampton 631.204.2565 Tue - Sat 8am - 5pm parts@audisouthampton.com www.audisouthampton.com

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 63

Continued from Page 26

Post John Eagle

ture of the industry. Technicians and shops have to want to make the right repair. And to get to that point, we all must address the inevitable question, “What is the right thing to do for the consumer?”

Another issue that kept coming up is how shops are paid by insurance companies. How is it that a shop that has little or no training, obsolete equipment and a poor facility gets paid the same as a shop that has invested thousands of dollars in training, equipment and facilities and qualifies as an OE certified shop?

So… how can the industry best serve the customer and what change will evolve in a post-John Eagle world through the OE’s or otherwise?

Stay tuned…

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WIA Plans 4th Conference; 2nd Conference in 2017

cult to travel to Orlando. We’re hoping to attract 200 attendees for our For the first time ever, Women in Au- debut West Coast event. Nothing tomotive (WIA) will host two con- happens unless you try!” ferences within the same year to help The two-day seminar will provide accommodate its West Coast mem- a variety of educational opportunities bers. pertaining to leadership, personal development, sales and marketing. WIA is also excited to offer a breakout session on driving sales for dealers.

However, Roman Prize winner from WIA’s summer 2017 stressed, “Our event isn’t conference just for dealers. It’s for any- females to work in, but we try to proone working with dealers vide women with the tools to stick and women in particular. with it,” Roman noted.

It’s a really cool event with WIA is still filling the schedule great speakers and informa- for its 2017 winter conference and will tive content.” begin announcing speakers in NoWIA holds its confer- vember. Sponsorship opportunities are ences to provide education also still available. General admission WIA’s summer 2017 conference attracted a large to members and empower is available for $495, or a one-day pass crowd. Roman hopes the association’s debut West both women and men to can be purchased for $195.

Coast event will be equally successful create a culture for women.

For more information, visit: www The additional conference will “This is a difficult industry for .womeninautomotive.com. take place at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas in Palm Springs, CA, from Dec. 10–11, 2017. www.autobodynews.com WIA founder Christy Roman explained, “This is our first attempt at holding two events in one year, and is based off feedback from our West Coast members that it’s diffiby Chasidy Rae Sisk

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Mitchell Providing Collision Repair Industry Instant Access to Real-Time VIN-Specific Recall Data

Mitchell, a leading provider of technology, connectivity and information solutions to the Property & Casualty (P&C) claims and Collision Repair industries, has now integrated VINSpecific Recall Notices into its estimating solutions, providing real-time recall data directly from the manufacturer when the VIN is decoded.

Debbie Day, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Auto Physical Damage for Mitchell, says, “It is estimated that tens of millions of vehicles on the road today currently have open recalls, and there are many reasons why vehicle owners might not be aware that the vehicle they are driving has a safety system recall. As part of our commitment to proper and safe repairs within the automotive collision repair and claims industries, we are working closely with original equipment manufacturers

(OEMs) to give their customers and their repair facilities access to these and other important recall notifications.”

To better enable its recall data to reach the collision industry market, Mazda is the first OEM to provide Mitchell access to its recall data, giving collision repair users of Mitchell Estimating/UltraMate estimating solutions instant notification of an open Mazda recall when the VIN is decoded.

“As our vehicles age, many owners turn to independent repair and body shop facilities to have service work performed,” said Rob Milne, Director, Takata Action Team, Mazda North American Operations. “Our partnership with Mitchell enables us to increase the opportunity to inform Mazda owners that their vehicle is affected by an open safety recall.”

Mitchell is currently in discussions with other OEMs to make sure this important safety data gets out to the market in a smart and efficient manner—every time a vehicle goes in for a repair.

64 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

GFS Partners with RollSeal to Offer Durable and Affordable Fabric Roll-Up Doors

Global Finishing Solutions® (GFS) has partnered with RollSeal™ Automated Door Systems to offer a space and cost-saving roll-up door

option for paint booths and other finishing equipment. Exclusive to GFS, RollSeal Doors can be installed easily at the booth’s entrance or exit, or positioned between bays in sideload booth systems. By eliminating the extra space needed for traditional swing or wing-style doors,

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RollSeal Doors minimize the total equipment footprint and save valuable floor space.

An alternative to traditional metal roll-up doors, RollSeal Doors save costs because they require less structural support. The unique, patented design features a triplelayered fabric door with an airtight seal to prevent overspray and heat from escaping the booth, and keep contaminants out of paint jobs. In addition to the lower upfront cost, RollSeal Doors cost less to maintain since the impact-resistant fabric can be repaired or replaced at a significantly lower cost.

As with all of GFS’ equipment, RollSeal Doors are built in compliance with NFPA, UL/CUL and ETL/ETL-C safety standards, and can be safely used in paint spraying and curing applications.

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CONNECTICUT

MARYLAND

Curran Volkswagen Stratford

King Volkswagen Gaithersburg

203-378-6516

240-403-2300

Fax: 203-380-3732 M-Th 8am-6pm; F 8am-5pm Sat 8am-2pm

Fax: 240-403-2398 M-F 7am-6pm Sat 8am-4pm

parts@curranvw.net www.curranvw.net

Valenti Volkswagen Watertown

860-274-9846 Fax: 860-945-4987 M-F 8am-5:30pm Sat 8am-12pm

VWParts@valentiauto.com www.valentivw.com

Prestige Volkswagen Stamford

dprunner@vwking.com www.vwking.com

Ourisman VW of Laurel Laurel

301-498-6050 Fax: 301-498-0157 M-F 7:30am-7pm Sat 7am-4pm

julio.cruz@ourismanautomotive.com

Ourisman VW of Rockville Rockville

855-417-4511 Fax: 240-499-2488 M-F 8am-5:30pm Sat 8am-5pm rockvilleparts@ourismanautomotive.com www.rockvillevolkswagen.com

MASSACHUSETTS Volkswagen of North Attleboro North Attleboro

508-695-7131 Fax: 508-695-0321 M-F 8am-5pm Sat 8am-2pm

kenr@driveavw.com www.driveavw.com

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877-NJPARTS 877-657-2787 Fax: 908-782-1795 M-F 7:30am-5pm

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 65

Milton Unveils Modular, Auto-Draining Filter-Regulator-Lubricator Line The new EXELAIR by Milton line of FRLs (Filters Regulators Lubricators) maintains clean, dry air, consistent pressure, and lubricated pneumatic lines to improve performance and extend the life of air-powered tools and components.

EXELAIR FRL Filters work to screen out moisture and contaminants like rust and pipe scale that can reduce airflow or damage downstream equipment like valves, cylinders and impact wrenches. Regulators keep lines at a constant and safe pressure to avoid overdriving tools and motors. And lubricators ensure a consistent and reliable oil supply that extends tool life.

Auto-draining filters maintain the shop air system by automatically emptying moisture throughout the day as needed. The drain tube connection channels drain water safely away to avoid slipping hazards. EXELAIR’s premium bronze sintered filter elements are washable and provide a longer life in humid conditions than cheaper filter materials.

“Milton’s slogan is ‘Simply Better Air’ and that’s just what our new line of EXELAIR FRLs provides – at a competitive price,” said Greg Carlson, President and CEO of Milton Industries. “Our FRLs are available individually or as pre-configured sets that are designed to work together bet-

ter while reducing the time and effort of looking up and coordinating the purchase of separate components.”

The EXELAIR FRL line includes side-by-side duo and piggyback FRs, FRL trios and FR+Ls, as well as a variety of modular brackets and accessories

to customize the system. Available sizes range from 1/8” NPT miniature units up to 1” NPT high flow. Each configuration is designed to keep the vital shop air system running at peak efficiency by dramatically reducing the impact of contaminants in lines and tools.

As an added feature, new color-

Certified Collision Group™ Now Fifth-Largest Collision Repair Services Organization in U.S.

Certified Collision Group (CCG), the OE Certification and KPI-focused solutions provider to the collision repair and insurance communities, announced the signing of more than 30 new locations since August, growth into 27 states and it now being the fifth-largest collision repair services operator in the U.S. “Each day we hear from our affiliates, strategic partners and the industry at large that we are in step with both the current and future needs of forwardthinking repairers and insurance carriers alike. CCG’s consistent monthly double-digit growth onboarding highperforming, OE-certified single-store and MSO operators keeps us firmly on pace to eclipse $1B in annualized repairs in the very near future,” stated Bruce Bares, CCG President and CEO. CCG provides the strongest performing, well branded, OE Certified, and succession-plan anchored independent collision repairers a sustainable platform that levels the playing field by providing proven business development and supply chain benefits.

Now operating in 27 states, CCG is rapidly expanding, offering strategic partners and consumers the opportunity to leverage the power of more

than 1,000 OE certification badges within CCG’s highly differentiated national collision repair network.

Bares stated, “CCG multi-channel efforts bring together OE Certified repairers with both consumers and insurance carriers who recognize the importance of matching today’s complex vehicles with repairer capabilities, driving our continued success. Simultaneously, expanding partnerships with the industry’s best providers and respective brands will continue to add value for affiliates, consumers and their b2b trading partners. By leveraging our expansive network’s supply chain and business development resources, CCG affiliates are realizing stronger bottom line performance while successfully utilizing the finest automotive products and services in the world.

“Our commitment and abilities to truly help the industry’s top operators, while providing CCG constituents a network offering predictable consistency and more than 1,000 OE certification badges, are very humbling to us.

With that in mind, we look forward to both recognizing and thanking our affiliates and strategic partners during our SEMA CCG Partner and Peer Appreciation event.”

66 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

coded EXELAIR packaging “practically sells the product itself,” making self-service purchases easier by clearly explaining the function and benefits of each FRL, simplifying the decisionmaking process and reducing the retail staff’s sales and service time.

EXELAIR by Milton FRLs are available at most automotive/heavyduty dealers, jobbers, farm & agricultural retailers, hardware stores, and industrial distributors. EXELAIR FRLs are also available online via the ecommerce divisions of Milton customers and Internet resellers.

Milton Industries was founded as a family business in 1943 with a handful of products and a simple idea: “provide the highest quality products for our customers.” For over 70 years, Milton has been the pneumatic fittings and accessories of choice in the automotive, agricultural, construction, home, heavyduty and industrial workplace.

Milton invented many industrystandard products, such as the M-Style® “I/M” KWIK® Change Coupler and Plug, Window Inflator Gage, Safety Blow Guns and the iconic Driveway Signal chimes and bell. Today, Milton makes over 1400 product SKU’s and continues to be a privately held company.

Reports of AkzoNobel Approaching Axalta about Possible Merger

by Autobody News Staff

According to recent news reports, AkzoNobel has approached Axalta Coating Systems regarding a merger.

Based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, AkzoNobel is a global paints and coatings company as well as a major producer of specialty chemicals. Axalta, headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, is a global coatings company dedicated to the development, manufacture and sale of liquid and powder coatings.

According to industry sources, Axalta is considering the deal, but no decision has been made.

Earlier this year, AkzoNobel was approached by PPG Industries regarding a takeover. In July, the Dutch paint and coatings maker announced it was looking at spinning off its specialty chemicals business.

The RIGHT

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Axalta Coating Systems New Products: Cromax EZ, Acquire Quantum EFX, and Cromax Chromapremier Pro Ultra Performance Primer Filler Axalta Coating Systems is a leading coatings supplier to OEMs, smaller traditional body shops and larger aftermarket refinish centers. Recently, Axalta announced information about these new products:

Cromax® EZ • Axalta is introducing Cromax® EZ to its well-established Cromax® line of waterborne and low-VOC solvent basecoats • Cromax® EZ is a low-VOC waterborne basecoat designed to spray wet-on-dry, much like traditional solvent-based paints • Because of its easy spray and blending characteristics, and the simplicity of its single mix ratio across all environmental conditions, this new paint offers many advantages for both small and high-volume shops, including easy training for new users • Cromax® EZ will launch with a huge library of colors that stretch back to 1997 • Cromax® EZ is compatible with almost all Cromax® undercoats and clearcoats Acquire™ Quantum EFX

• Axalta’s industry-leading spectrophotometer is designed to greatly speed up the color-matching process and make it more accurate • 3 years ago, Axalta introduced the Acquire™ Plus EFX, which was the first commercial instrument to measure both color and flake appearance coating data. The new Acquire™ Quantum EFX is the latest evolution with a smaller and more compact design to enable one-hand use • The Acquire™ Quantum EFX offers completely wireless communication with Axalta’s software and library of color formulas • The smaller 3/4-inch aperture requires a smaller sample area • Body shop refinishers can find an accurate color match even for complicated metallic, pearl and effect paint formulations using advanced optic technology • The Acquire™ Quantum EFX is also valuable for matching faded paint color is achieved • Although no computer screen will depict color 100 percent accurately, the Acquire™ Quantum EFX can be used to compare relative differences to achieve a match

Think Genuine Subaru Parts.

Cromax® Chromapremier® Pro Ultra Performance Primer Filler • This newly launched Cromax® 3600 Series Ultra Performance Primer Filler is ideal for bodyshops that want to significantly improve throughput • It can be applied without flash between coats • It has an impressive 20 to 40 minute air-drying performance • The cure can be significantly accelerated with IR and bake processing • It is easy to apply, and up to 4 coats can be applied with good vertical stability • The high quality and smooth flow provide an outstanding appearance after top coating • It has a simple 1:1 mixing ratio with Axalta’s 36305S Ultra Performance Primer Filler Activator • It works on any type of metal repair, and multiple repairs can be handled at the same time thanks to its quick air-drying performance • A Cromax® ValueShade® product, the primer filler is available in white (VS1), grey (VS4) and black (VS7) For more information, visit www.axalta .com.

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Long Automotive Group Framingham (800) 982-2298 (508) 879-1212 Fax

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I-CAR Honors Gene Scambray with Chairman’s Award

I-CAR has named Gene Scambray as the recipient of its 2017 Chairman’s Award. The award recognizes an individual or organization whose contributions to I-CAR have been significant or extraordinary. The Chairman’s Award recipient is selected by the Executive Committee of the ICAR International Board of Directors. Scambray has over 40 years of experience in the collision industry, including more than 20 years as director of industry relations at Copart.

Prior to Copart, he was employed for 20-plus years with AAA Northern as a claims executive. “I have known Gene for over 25 years. He is a man who is fair and reasonable with his decisions and resolutions. said Ron Vincenzi, I-CAR Treasurer & Executive Committee member of the International Board of Directors. “I am thrilled to present this award to him as congratulations for all of his efforts in support of I-CAR and the collision repair industry.”

The Chairman’s Award was presented on November 1, 2017 in conjunction with SEMA in Las Vegas, Nevada.

NEW JERSEY

Liberty Subaru Emerson (888) 782-9493 (201) 261-3261 Fax

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6 parts@libertysubaru.com www.libertysubaru.com

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Lumberton (609) 261-7844 (609) 261-7843 Fax

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5 dseward@millertransgroup.com

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The following dealerships are eager to serve your needs.

Call your local Subaru collision parts specialist today!

Flemington (877) 657-2787 (908) 782-1795 Fax

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5 bseymour@flemington.com www.njparts.com

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 67

Auto Care Association Names Kirsten Zaremba New Senior Director, Marketing The Auto Care Association has announced the addition of Kirsten Zaremba as senior director, marketing. Zaremba brings more than 20 years of auto industry knowledge to the role, having most recently served as the senior retail marketing manager at Volkswagen Group of America.

In this newly created role, Zaremba will lead the marketing team’s strategic direction for marketing and sales efforts across all association properties, programs and products. As the senior director of marketing, Zaremba is focused on driving awareness of the Auto Care Association, growing the market for its products and services, and will be accountable for the digital product sales strategies. Zaremba will establish a new online marketing vision for the association that will be transformed into a coherent digital marketing strategy, aimed at increasing sales and growing market and sponsorship opportunities.

During the nearly two decades Zaremba spent at Volkswagen, she served in several roles spanning across sales marketing, product launch and new car retail marketing. In her most recent role, she led traditional and

progressive media strategies, longterm strategy for marketing initiatives, competitive analysis and generating engagement across dealer networks, and local marketing asso-

ciations spanning the country. She was also responsible for spearheading and delivering a website and digital marketing solutions program to the dealer body, offering a menu of vendor choice while increasing the ability to view brand analytics and optimize campaigns nationally and locally.

Zaremba’s time at Volkswagen steered the strategy and execution of advertising campaigns, including television, digital, social and collateral, to produce branded creative content with focused calls to action. This approach resulted in highly branded communications and scored an average of 20 points above industry norms in creative effective-

ness metrics (including ad recognition, salience, involvement and persuasion) as recorded by Hall & Partners, a leading brand and communications research agency.

Prior to her tenure at Volkswagen, Zaremba held positions at Tenneco and Federal-Mogul. At Tenneco, in her role as program marketing planner, she oversaw daily program administration and implementation of corporate marketing initiatives. During her time at Federal-Mogul, she was responsible for ongoing management of its North American aftermarket trade and consumer promotions, as well as the key external suppliers involved in program execution.

“We are thrilled to have Kirsten join the Auto Care Association and bring her extensive knowledge of the auto industry to our marketing team,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO, Auto Care Association.

“Her proven record of leadership in marketing strategy, management and implementation will help advance our stakeholder outreach and overall awareness of our products and services.”

I-CAR Honors Contributions to Collision Repair Industry

I-CAR announced the winners of its annual I-CAR Awards, which recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to advancing technical education and professionalism in the collision repair industry. The winners were revealed on Nov. 1 at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino during the annual SEMA Show. The Russ Verona Award, which honors a business that actively promotes technical training and a positive image for the industry, was awarded to Car Crafters of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Car Crafters and owner Jim Guthrie were chosen for their ongoing commitment to training, their support of I-CAR and their work in the community. The Jeff Silver Award honoring an individual who demonstrates true passion for training and professional growth was awarded to Richie Webb of Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance.

“I-CAR is proud to honor Jim Guthrie and Richie Webb for their significant contributions to the promotion of technical education and professionalism in the collision repair industry,” said John Van Alstyne, I-CAR CEO & President.

New I-CAR Hands-On Skills Development Courses Launched Two new courses were announced Oct. 23 as additions to the I-CAR Hands-On Skills Development lineup: Plastic Repair and Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot Welding.

Further acting on the positive industry response to I-CAR’s HandsOn Skills Development curriculum launch in 2016, Plastic Repair and

Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot Welding join the previously introduced Rivet Bonding and MIG Brazing courses. All Hands-On Skills Development courses are specifically designed to provide collision repair technicians with cutting-edge techniques and skills that target today’s innovative vehicles.

Plastic Repair Hands-On Skills Development is a four-hour course that will provide students the opportunity to perform a variety of plastic repairs in a hands-on environment.

Students will use adhesives and vari-

ous welding options on actual bumper covers. After completing the course, students will be able to perform plastic repairs using adhesives, hot air and airless welding techniques using specific welding tools and other procedures.

Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot Welding Hands-On Skills Development is a five-hour course that will provide students the opportunity to perform spot welds on a variety of metal thicknesses and with a variety of flange treatment techniques. Students will also learn the importance of proper planning and preparation to ensure safe welding. Following course completion, students will know how to properly set up a spot welder, spot weld on coupons of different metal thickness, and spot weld a prop using a variety of flange treatment techniques.

“I-CAR understands the changing needs of today’s vehicles, new attachment methods, and OEM-required procedures, which prompted the creation of the Hands-On Skills Development curriculum track last year,” said Josh McFarlin, I-CAR director of curriculum and product development. “Technicians and the industry need this type of hands-on, instructor-led training with adequate practice time in order to fully understand these complex repair procedures. I-CAR’s training programs have been developed to provide the most comprehensive instruction and critical skill development opportunities.”

These new Hands-On Skills Development courses are available today.

To learn more about the courses, visit www.i-car.com/handson.

For information on I-CAR and the full training portfolio, visit the ICAR website at www.i-car.com.

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68 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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7:30am-5pm Mon-Fri 8am-12pm Sat jhenne@outtencars.com www.outtenkia.com www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 69

AUTOBODY MARKETPLACE VACANCY NOTICE - AUTO BODY TECHNICIAN

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Precision Auto body Design (1278 Lincoln Ave SW/Huron, SD) is currently looking for a professional trained in repairing damage to vehicles. Prior experience in auto body repair and refinishing preferred but would be willing to train the right individual. Modern 15,600 square foot, air-conditioned shop with the latest equipment .. down-draft bake booth, PPG waterborne paint, Chisum 5-tower frame rack, Chief laser-lock measuring system, and all the equipment needed to repair the aluminum F150.

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ACTautostaffing.com or 727-733-5600 70 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

WIN ‘Jumps in the Tank’ with Traci Brown

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Oct. 25, the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) hosted an educational webinar titled “Jump in the Tank,” presented by body language and persuasion expert Traci Brown.

Michelle Sullivan, co-chair of WIN’s Membership Committee, shared, “WIN’s Membership Committee hosted this webinar as part of our 2018 #ALLIN4WIN Membership Drive. We are excited to have Traci present this follow-up to the presentation she gave at this year’s WIN conference and to learn persuasive techniques and the success formula.”

After being introduced by Sullivan, Brown began by noting, “It can be challenging to create things you want to happen, so we’re going to learn how to hear ‘yes’ more often.”

Brown’s presentation focused on an anecdote about her opportunity to pitch a business investment to billionaires from ABC’s “Shark Tank” during the National Speakers Association Conference several years ago.

She admitted, “I was so nervous.

If I succeeded, I was on the road to riches, but if I failed, I’d be embarrassed in front of my peers. There were no do-overs, so I had to use all

I knew about persuasion and influence.”

Noting that everyone has sharks in their life, whether the shark is a boss, co-worker, spouse, or so forth, Brown said, “Life would be easier to hear ‘yes’ from them. How different would life be if you could get those people to say yes? The key is to pay attention differently because people are telling you what they need—the signs are in front of you. Pay attention to the little things to make the big things happen!”

Defining four main personality types, Brown stressed the importance of profiling the shark and personalizing your pitch by always asking, “How will people respond? What will they do next? Use what you see to shift the pitch to answer unspoken questions and fill unspoken needs. Persuasion is about understanding what happens next, and to do that, you need to realize people like people who are similar to them. Take time to reach people where they’re at and guess what’s going on in their minds in order to connect with them.

“I grew so much from working with my shark. Understanding shark thinking helped me reach levels I never thought possible in business. Anyone

can use the same thought process to build their business, too. Successful people pay attention to every little detail. Don’t be afraid to jump in your shark tank. There’s always more information available, and if you use it right, there’s always a way to get to ‘yes!’”

WIN hosted Brown’s webinar as part of the association’s #ALLIN4WIN 2018 Membership Drive. Anyone who joins WIN during the drive, which runs through Dec. 31, will receive membership for the remainder of 2017 along with their 2018 membership for the special rate of $109. Those who sign up during the drive will also be entered into a drawing for a chance to win paid registration to the 2018 WIN Educational Conference in Indianapolis, IN, from May 7–9, 2018, valued at $450.

Sullivan noted, “As WIN enters its 12th year, I am thrilled to see the membership growth and program expansion. I want to encourage women and men to increase their professional network and become WIN members.

WIN’s mission is to engage women in our industry through education, networking and sharing of resources.”

For more information about WIN, visit: www.womensindustrynetwork .com.

More than $600,000 in School Grants through CREF The Collision Repair Education Foundation announced more than $600,000 in Ultimate Collision Education Makeover school grants supported by donations from industry partners and local I-CAR committee fundraising activities. The Ultimate Collision Education Makeover school grants will support 162 schools in 38 states with over 6,000 students enrolled in collision repair training programs and incorporates the Foundation’s Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark, launched in 2016. The grants will assist schools to advance to the next tier and further expand their program’s capabilities. “School collision programs are facing tremendous pressure on their budgets. It is difficult for many to maintain their program at current capabilities, no less increase their abilities to satisfy the industry’s current and future needs for its workforce,” said Melissa Marscin, Director of Operations/Administration for the Foundation. “The Makeover grant program is designed to help collision schools get the much needed tools, equipment and supplies they couldn’t get otherwise and increase their capabilities.”

NABC Receives Prestigious National Power of A— Summit Award

CIF Extends Assistance to Victims of Puerto Rico and CA Natural Disasters

recognition of the tremendous impact NABC’s Recycled Rides™ program has made to change and save thousands of lives across the country.

The National Auto Body Council was one of six associations presented with the award at ASAE’s recent Power of A—Summit Award Dinner in Washington, DC. The award is given to associations that make exemplary commitments to creating a stronger America and world.

According to ASAE, 149 nominations were submitted for this year’s award program, which was created to showcase how associations leverage their unique resources to solve problems, advance industry/professional

affected by the fires in California, as well as the Hurricane damage to Puerto Rico.

CIF has raised funds that are being distributed directly to all industry professionals, including body techs, painters, CSRs, estimators, adjusters, paint distributors and all other professionals in the collective collision repair industry.

The National Auto Body Council (NABC) was honored by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) with its highest award, the Power of A—Summit Award, in

performance, kick-start innovation and improve world conditions.

“Through Recycled Rides, we have found a way to serve the folks who do not have transportation. They have shelter, they have a job and food, but they need transportation to get there.” said Chuck Sulkala, NABC Executive Director. “Recycled Rides involves every segment of the collision industry, whether it’s the insurer, repairer or vendor, many of whom do business with one another daily. When it comes to this program, everyone works together to make this successful. It is, frankly, the highlight of our industry.”

Since the program’s inception 10 years ago, nearly 2,000 vehicles have been donated through Recycled Rides.

“The success of Recycled Rides is a testament to the generosity and commitment of our NABC members and colleagues,” said Domenic Brusco, NABC Board Chairman. “We thank everyone in our industry who has sponsored and contributed their time, talent and resources as we continue to implement community service programs that exemplify the professionalism and integrity of collision industry professionals.”

The Collision Industry Foundation (CIF) announced on Oct. 23 that its current relief efforts to Hurricane Harvey and Irma victims would be extended to those

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“Our focus has widened as these other natural disasters have impacted more collision industry professionals beyond Hurricanes Harvey and Irma,” stated William Shaw, CIF Chair and PPG Director of Business Development. “We are prepared to help more thanks to the generous donations by the industry at large.”

Those seeking aid or those wanting to make a tax-deductible donation can visit: http://www.collision industryfoundation.org “Our committee of volunteers contacts and vets those seeking aid and ensures that all donations are going directly to our fellow industry professionals,” stated Michael Quinn, CIF Relief Chair. “We have local ‘boots on the ground’ who are getting the word out and vetting individuals and repair facilities.”

www.autobodynews.com

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 71

72 DECEMBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com