Autobody News February 2012 Southeast Edition by Autobody News

Southeast Edition Florida Georgia Alabama Mississippi

YEARS

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Columnist Mike Causey Announces Candidacy for Commissioner of Insurance Position in North Carolina Mike Causey, a sometime Autobody News columnist, announced his candidacy for North Carolina’s Commissioner of Insurance position in Greensboro in early January. Causey chose Dare County to launch his campaign he said, “…to bring focus on the problem of insurance in the coastal counties. Premiums for Mike Causey household insurance, especially windstorm insurance, have skyrock-

eted in recent years in eastern North Carolina, worse yet in the coastal counties.” Causey said he was urged by North Carolina Republican leaders to seek the office this year because of widespread and bipartisan criticism of how the State Office of Insurance has been administered. Causey is also known as a consumer advocate and lobbyist for the Independent Auto Body Association (IABA) as well as healthcare groups and Organic farming and Healthy Eating advocacy. See Candidate Causey, Page 24

Georgia Collision Industry Association (GCIA) Hosts Dave Gruskos of Reliable Automotive Equipment

SEMA. Dave discussed the new repair procedure when working with Aluminum and high strength steel to the 50 or so attendees at the GCIA meeting. One thing discussed during the GCIA meeting Dave Gruskos was that heat is the enemy to high strength steel. Some manufacturer’s do not want techs welding at all on these vehicles and have developed ways to rivet and apply adhesives to perform the repair. See GCIA, Page 31

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The GCIA held their first meeting of 2012 on January 19 at the MAADA Headquarters in Atlanta. The meeting’s speaker was Dave Gruskos, President of Reliable Automotive Equipment, a New Jersey company that provides repair equipment along with training. Reliable Automotive Equipment’s intention is to support new technology and provide their customers with the correct resources to repair vehicles consistent with manufacturers approved methods and procedures. Recently, Dave presented at a well-received course during the 2011 SCRS Repairer Driven Education at

VOL. 2 ISSUE 12 FEBRUARY 2012

‘Standards’ Replace Non-OEM Parts as Focus of Debate at Latest CIC Meeting in Palm Springs by John Yoswick

A report at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) on the findings of a study into what consensus exists within the industry about the development and implementation of formalized repair standards led to as much discussion about the value and validity of the study as it did to discussion of standards themselves. “I do believe this has set us backward instead of forward,” Dusty Womble of Roger Beasley Collision Center in Austin, Texas, said of the study. “I’m sorry, but honestly, I don’t see any value in the research that has been done.” But Massachusetts shop owner Chuck Sulkala—who has not participated on the committee that organ-

ized the study but was one of those interviewed by the consultant conducting the research—said some at CIC were incorrectly presuming that the committee was trying to make more of the report than it was. “Some of the conversations here are getting us down into the weeds right now when I don’t think we’ve even gotten in the boat yet,” Sulkala said. “We’re still looking to see where the boat and lake is, to see what’s going on rather than trying to catch fish. I think we’re still in the very beginning stages.” The Study and Findings Russ Thrall of the Repair Standards Advisory Committee (an off-shoot of CIC) was clear in presenting a portion See CIC Palm Springs Page 30

Florida’s Auto Angels Host Second Annual Vehicle Giveaway, Already Planning for 2013

and the pre-selected and notified men, women and children were led to their newly reconditioned vehicle by an Auto Angel. David Stewart, this year’s Auto Angels Chairman stated: “Getting twelve vehicles ready turned out to be a massive undertaking and couldn’t have been accomplished without the hard work and resources of many dedicated professionals; but the sacrifices paled in comparison to the feeling of accomplishment each of us felt in seeing the faces of the recipients. It was amazing and the true spirit of Christmas giving was felt by all. A special thank 12 reconditioned vehicles lined the entrance to Victory you to the Auto Angels’ comChurch in Lakeland, FL, awaiting their new, very appremittee, whom without their ciative owners hard work and dedication, this very worthwhile program couldn’t Cheers and tears erupted throughhave been possible.” out the ceremony as keys to newly reconditioned vehicles were presented See Auto Angels, Page 6 On Tuesday, December 20th, the Auto Angels group, in association with The Mid Florida chapter of the Florida Auto Body Collision Alliance (FACA), presented 12 reconditioned vehicles to a dozen local families to make for very special Christmas for all involved.

Presorted Standard US Postage PAID Ontario, Ca. Permit No. 1

2 FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Contents Roswell, Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

ABRA Auto Body Opens A Collision Center in

Warner Robins, Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

BMW Announces Nearly $900 Million Investment, Adding 300 Jobs at its

South Carolina Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Williams - South Motors Automotive

January Sales to Improve Nearly 10 Percent Year-Over-Year

NATIONAL

Manufacturer

Jan 2012

Jan 2011

YOY%

Ford Motor Company Toyota Motor Corp.

144,900

126,981

14.1% 16.1% 15.5%

0.6%

70,993

31.8% 10.4%

8.7%

1.7%

65,002

23.2%

7.9%

819,394

9.8%

Group—Anything But Apathetic . . . . . . 27

‘Standards’ Replace Non-OEM Parts as

in Palm Springs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

40 Technicians Honored at ASE 2011

Chaney Sworn-In for Second Term as MS

ASE Announces New Officers, Governors

Checkpoints and Tougher Traffic Laws

Automakers Forecasted to Add Thousands

Business in FL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Insurance Commissioner . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Credited for Lowering Traffic Deaths in FL. 9

FL Senator Joe Negron Files Bill to

Annual Meeting in Charlotte, NC . . . . . . 26

for 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

of Plant Manufacturing Jobs Over the

Next 3 Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Reform PIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

CIECA Announces New Board of Trustees

Annual Vehicle Giveaway, Already

Collision Hub Launches The Hub™ Your

Florida’s Auto Angels Host Second

Planning for 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Georgia Collision Industry Association

(GCIA) Hosts Dave Gruskos of Reliable

Automotive Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Nissan and Daimler to Produce Engines

Together at Nissan’s Tennessee Plant. . . . . 8

Tuscaloosa, AL, Moves Ahead With

for 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Columnist Mike Causey Announces Candidacy for Commissioner of

Insurance Position in North Carolina. . . . 1

Diamond Standard Announces “Security Shield” Extends Product Liability

Protection to Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Mitchell Parts Index Sheds Light on Parts

Trends Post Japan’s Tsunami. . . . . . . . 16

Oregon Parts Manager Performs Heroic

Franklin - Creating A Readable Advertising

Polk Says Average Age of Vehicles is at

I-CAR - Accessing and Repairing Body

State Farm Concedes to Another Lawsuit

Insurance Insider - Legislating the “Bible”

Van Tuyl Group to Hold Charity Super Bowl

Mount Cage Nuts for the Ford F-150 . . 28

Not the Answer for Shops Tired of

Deed and Saves a Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Record High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Brought by Gunder’s Auto Center. . . . . 37

Event in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area . . . 30

Being Told “No” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

West Virginia v. Liberty Mutual Salvage

and Information from the Body Shop

Women’s Industry Network Accepting

Sisk - Customers Can Expect Quality

of Athens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Total:

81,000 80,100 79,200

900,000*

76,268 71,847

YOY%

5.4%

18.8% 21.8% -3.0%

4.9%

13.5% 14.1% -0.6%

6.2%

9.0%

10.2%

8.8%

8.9% —

*Includes projections for brands not shown

9.3%

-0.3%

8.8%

0.0%

—

1.0%

Parts Lawsuit Moved to Federal Court . 22 2012 Board Applications . . . . . . . . . . . 38

—

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Assistant Editor: Erica Schroeder Contributing Writers: Tom Franklin, Stefan Gesterkamp, John Yoswick, Lee Amaradio, Toby Chess, Mike Causey, Dan Espersen, Tom McGee, Jeff Webster, Rich Evans, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman (800) 699-8251 Sales Assistant: Kristy Navarro Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia

Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018; (800) 699-8251 (760) 721-0253 Fax www.autobodynews.com Email: news@autobodynews.com

Evans - Doing a Charity Build for Patriot

Piece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Nissan North America

93,600

115,856

Jan 2011

Event Kicks Off 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Mecum’s Massive Kissimmee Auction

Outreach on a Donated Mustang . . . . . 34

Hyundai-Kia

121,500

178,887

Jan 2012

Body Meter Beaters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Opposition to GEICO’s 10% Charge on

COLUMNISTS

American Honda Motor Co.

169,200

Market Share

Serving Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and adjacent metro areas, Autobody News is a monthly publication for the auto body industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2011 Adamantine Media LLC.

Hitting the Streets with the G & C Auto

Domestic OEM Parts Pays Off . . . . . . . . 9

Chrysler Group

Social Media Toolbox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Red-Light Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Update: Delray Beach, FL, Shop Owner’s

General Motors

Focus of Debate at Latest CIC Meeting

Boyd Group Acquires 8 Location

Sales Volume

Southeast

ABRA Auto Body Opens A Collision Center in

Weaver - Check Engine Light Paranoia . . . 23

Approximately 900,000 Units Expected for Month, 13.2 Million Seasonally Adjusted Annualized Rate

Indexof Advertisers

REGIONAL

Kelley Blue Book Forecasts 10 Percent Year-Over-Year Increase In January New-Car Sales

Autobody News

Arrigo Dodge-Jeep-Chrysler. . . . . . 12 Autoland Scientech. . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 38 CCC Information Services . . . . . . . . 5 Champion Pneumatic . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 CSS USA, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Delray Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Don Reid Ford. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Equalizer Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers FL, GA, AL, MS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Galloway Mazda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Garmat USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Gus Machado Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . 36 Jerry Ulm Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge. 10-11 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers. 13 Mazda Wholesale Parts . . . . . . . . . 33 Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers. 39 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 9 Nalley BMW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Nissan Genuine Parts . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Nissan Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . 32 Palmers Toyota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers . 32 PPG Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Preval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Safety Regulation Strategies . . . . . 26 SCA Appraisal Company . . . . . . . . . 6 Serra Mazda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Serra Automotive Group . . . . . . . . . 15 Solution Finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 South Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Southtowne Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Subaru of Gwinnett . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 38 Tameron Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 37 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS 3

BMW Announces Nearly $900 Million Investment, Adding 300 Jobs at its South Carolina Plant On January 12, BMW announced that the company will invest nearly $900 Million and add 300 new jobs in 2012 in its South Carolina plant. This announcement was made during a ceremony to commemorate a major production milestone—2,000,000 vehicles have rolled off the assembly line since the company began U.S. production in 1994. Frank-Peter Arndt, BMW Group Board Member responsible for Production, revealed the company’s intention to expand its X-model family. He revealed that production of the new BMW X4 will occur at the Spartanburg plant, spurring significant investment and job creation necessary to prepare the facility for the new model. “I am delighted to announce today, over the next three years, we plan to invest nearly $900 Million U.S. dollars. With this investment, we will be able to produce 350,000 units here in the mid-term,” said Arndt. “This is one reaction to the rising global demand for our BMW X Models.” Governor Nikki Haley spoke at the ceremony saying, “BMW has once

again provided tremendous evidence that South Carolina is a blueprint for significant economic development success. The partnership between this company and our State is an enduring example of how to attract, retain and grow business to stimulate perpetual job creation.” “Two million vehicles have prepared our team well to meet the new opportunities that lie ahead for our plant. We look forward to a new model with great anticipation. For nearly 20 years, this team has always proven their steadfast commitment to producing quality vehicles for our customers around the world,” remarked Josef Kerscher, President of BMW Manufacturing. “I am thrilled to celebrate the two millionth BMW today,” said Bobby Hitt, Secretary of Commerce for South Carolina. “BMW’s impact on South Carolina’s economy and overall competitiveness is always worth celebrating. This new economic investment and commitment of jobs is a testament to South Carolina’s strong automotive manufacturing industry.”

ABRA Auto Body Opens A Collision Center in Warner Robins, Georgia

ABRA Auto Body Opens A Collision Center in Roswell, Georgia

ABRA Auto Body & Glass is forging ahead with its growth plans by announcing the opening of a full service collision center in Warner Robins, Georgia. The newest state-of-the-art facility is located at 581 Carl Vinson Parkway in Warner Robins which is 90 miles southeast of Atlanta. The opening increases the total number of ABRA repair centers to 115 in 12 states. Tim Adelmann, ABRA’s Executive Vice President of Business Development said, “This is an exciting time at ABRA. Our long-term growth plans are taking shape and we’re looking forward to serving the Warner Robins community. We built this repair center to make it convenient for vehicle owners and insurance partners to find a cutting-edge repair center in their neighborhood.” The repair center is equipped with all the latest industry technology to maintain high standards and assure top quality repairs. Staff technicians have extensive experience and receive rigorous ongoing industry training. Duane Rouse, ABRA’s Chief Executive Officer said, “Our increased presence in the Georgia market is part of the strategy to accelerate our national growth in 2012.”

ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a Minnesota-based multiple-shop operation with locations in 12 U.S. states, announced on January 6 the opening of a state-of-the-art repair center in Roswell, Georgia. The new facility is located at 740 Holcomb Bridge Road and increases the total number of ABRA repair centers to 113. Charlie Drake, Vice President of ABRA’s Georgia market said, “We are looking forward to servicing customers in the Roswell community. Our mission is to be the best auto body & glass company in America. Opening this center is another important step toward achieving that goal.” The new repair facility is equipped with all the latest technology to maintain high standards and assure top quality repairs. Staff technicians have extensive experience and receive rigorous ongoing industry training. Duane Rouse, ABRA’s Chief Executive Officer said, “The opening of the Roswell center strengthens our brand in the Georgia market. It’s part of our overall strategy to meet the growing needs of vehicle owners and insurance partners throughout the region.” For more information please visit www.abraauto.com.

4 FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

With the addition of 300 new jobs this year the plant will raise production capacities up to 300,000 units. By the end of the year, the plant will employ nearly 7,500 people at its more than 4.0 million square foot facility. Since the original 1992 decision to build BMW’s only U.S. plant in South Carolina, this announcement brings BMW Group’s total investment in the state to nearly $6 Billion U.S. dollars and represents its largest, single investment to date in its South Carolina plant. In 2011, the plant produced 276,065 vehicles for over 130 markets around the world representing a 73% increase versus 2010. Seventy percent of the vehicles produced (192,813) were exported making BMW the largest automotive exporter to the non-NAFTA countries. Sales of the vehicles produced at the plant have met with continued high demand. According to Arndt, throughout the world, more that 117,000 X3’s were sold in 2011 representing a 156% growth of this vehicle versus its predecessor.

The 2 millionth vehicle to roll off the line in Spartanburg was a Vermillion Red Metallic X3 xDrive35i driven by BMW Associate Terry Gardner, a 16-year BMW veteran. Accompanying the driver, were associates: Renita Williams, Trung Phan and Olga Yurchenko. These associates represent teams from each of the plant’s manufacturing technologies: Body, Paint and Assembly. While all vehicles are custom ordered prior to production, this symbolic vehicle will remain on display at the Spartanburg Plant to commemorate the milestone. Also making remarks at the milestone event were German Ambassador to the United States Peter Ammon, United States Congressman Trey Gowdy and Spartanburg County Council Chairman Jeffrey Horton. Since 1994, the plant has undergone four major expansions and produced 6 different BMW models. Employment has grown from 500 in 1994 to more than 7,000 today. Visit www.bmwusfactory.com for more information.

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FL Senator Joe Negron Files Bill to Reform PIP

Senator Joe Negron (R-Palm City) filed Senate Bill 1860 on January 9, a comprehensive bill aimed at reforming personal injury protection insurance (PIP) in the state of Florida. “I am proud to sponsor this measure that aims to reform PIP by building on the four pillars that Governor Scott and CFO Atwater outlined—fraud prevention, litigation reform, utilization and provider reform and accountability,” said Senator Negron. “President Haridopolos has clearly stated the mission: eliminate fraud in the PIP system and make sure legitimate health care providers are paid in a timely manner.” SB 1860 reforms PIP from start to finish—first, it attacks fraud by providing for a long form incident report,which will prevent bad actors from ever entering the system. It also closes the licensure loophole that currently exists for clinics. Additionally, the bill reforms PIP litigation by setting out a clear fee schedule for reimbursements and provides a more modern system for bill payment. SB 1860 also reforms the utilization and provider component of PIP by giving hospitals, who are typically the first to deliver care after an accident, pri-

ority standing in PIP claims. Finally, this bill provides enhanced accountability from all parties related to PIP – law enforcement, insurance companies, providers, and attorneys. “Last year, Senator Negron successfully led the charge to reform our state’s antiquated and broken Medicaid system. That is why this session, I asked him to undertake the difficult and complex task of reforming PIP,” said Senate President Mike Haridopolos. “I am confident that the comprehensive bill he introduced today will benefit Floridians across our state...” For more information on SB 1860, please visit http://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2012/1860.

Chaney Sworn-In for Second Term as MS Insurance Commissioner

Mississippi inaugurated seven of its eight statewide elected officials on January 5—everyone except the new governor. The swearing-in ceremony in the House chamber included Mike Chaney as Insurance Commissioner. Chaney is beginning his second term as a Republican Insurance Commissioner for the state, according to Insurance Journal.

Boyd Group Acquires 8 Location Business in FL Boyd Group Income Fund announced December 21 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Master Collision Repair, Inc., which owns a total of eight collision repair centers in the Tampa, Florida market area under the trade name Master Collision Repair. The acquisition is expected to be immediately beneficial to the Fund’s earnings and cash flows. “The acquisition of Master is very strategic as it gives us an industry-leading platform from which to grow in the attractive Florida market, further demonstrating our commitment to expanding our business,” said Brock Bulbuck, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Boyd Group. “MCR’s business model and customer base are similar to Boyd’s, which should result in a smooth integration with our existing business. Further, we assess that there is a tremendous opportunity for accretive add-on growth in Florida, building from the foundation and base of MCR. The acquisition of Master also further solidifies Boyd’s leading industry position and enhances our opportunity to capitalize on the trend of U.S. insurance companies consolidating Direct Repair Program volumes and showing increased preference for dealing with large multi-location op-

erators. The Boyd Group, currently the largest multi- location collision repair operator in North America in terms of annual sales and number of locations, continues to look for opportunities to grow its operation.” The transaction, valued at approximately $11.5 to 12.0 million subject to working capital adjustments, was completed on January 4, 2012. MCR is a leading provider of automotive collision repair services in the Tampa Bay area, a market in west central Florida. With eight operating locations and additional locations under consideration, MCR generated sales of approximately $20 million in the 12 months ended October 31, 2011. The Fund forecasts that MCR will add annual Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization of approximately $2.0 to $2.5 million to its consolidated EBITDA, including synergies. Upon completion of the acquisition, the Boyd Group will operate a total of 175 locations spanning 14 U.S. states and 4 Canadian provinces. To view the Boyd Group’s expected North American coverage after the acquisition of Master, please visit: http://www.boydgroup.com/i/maps/B oydGroupMap2011-Florida.jpg

6 FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Continued from Front Page

Auto Angels

● Paul Hawk, Bernie’s Body Shop ● Mike Maskolunas, Bartow Ford

The Auto Angel’s committee members include: ● David Stewart, Chairman, Stewart’s Auto Repair ● Ray Gunder, Past Chairman, Gunder’s Auto Center ● Barrett Smith, Auto Damage Experts, Inc. ● Cherri Surrency, Stewart’s Auto Repair ● Nick McLeisch, Maurice’s Body Shop/Towing ● Doc Jenkins, Jenkins Lincoln Mercury Collision Center ● Michael Meisner, Meisner’s Paint and Body

For more information or on how you may participate in next year’s Auto Angels program, contact David Stewart at: david@stewartautorepair.com or call (863) 965-2030.

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The families chosen to receive these vehicles waited as each car was matched up to the family it would go home with

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www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS 7

Nissan and Daimler to Produce Engines Together at Nissan’s Tennessee Plant In the latest step forward in the collaboration of the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Daimler, Nissan’s Decherd, Tenn., plant will build Mercedes-Benz 4-cylinder engines for Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz starting in 2014. Nissan and Daimler will produce Mercedes-Benz 4-cylinder gasoline engines together at Nissan’s powertrain assembly plant in Decherd, Tenn. Production will begin in 2014, with installed capacity of 250,000 units per year once full ramp–up is achieved. The Decherd facility will produce engines for Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti models. “This is the newest milestone in our pragmatic collaboration and our most significant project outside of Europe so far,” said Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn. “Localized capacity reduces exposure to foreign exchange rates while rapidly enabling a good business development in North America—a win-win for the Alliance and Daimler.” The collaboration marks the first production of Mercedes-Benz engines in the North America Free Trade re-

gion. The Tennessee plant’s strategic location and logistics links ensure a direct supply of engines starting in 2014 for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, built at Daimler’s vehicle plant in Tuscaloosa, Ala. “In the context of our MercedesBenz 2020 growth strategy, we have decided that we will expand the production capacities required for this close to the customers. Through the strategic extension of our cooperation with Renault-Nissan we can realize near-market engine production in the NAFTA region on attractive economic terms and make optimum use of synergies arising from the cooperation,” Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Daimler Board of Management and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said. “Thus we are systematically broadening our manufacturing footprint in this important growth market.” Nissan began powertrain assembly in Decherd in 1997. Today it manufactures 4-, 6- and 8-cylinder engines for the complete lineup of U.S.-produced Nissan and Infiniti vehicles. The plant also houses crankshaft forg-

ing and cylinder block casting operations. In 2011, Decherd produced more than 580,000 engines on a covered area of more than 1.2 million square feet (111,000 square meters).

Project portfolio expands Daimler and the Renault-Nissan Alliance launched their strategic collaboration in April 2010, including an equity exchange that gives the RenaultNissan Alliance a 3.1 percent stake in Daimler and Daimler a combined 3.1 percent interest in Renault and Nissan. The collaboration began with three project pillars: 1. Joint smart/Twingo architecture: The project is on track for launch in the early first quarter of 2014. Twoseater smart vehicles will be produced at Daimler’s plant in Hambach, France, and four-seater smart and Renault production are slated for Renault’s plant in Novo Mesto, Slovenia. 2. All-new entry-level city van project for Mercedes-Benz: The project is on schedule with expected launch in late 2012. Manufacturing at Renault’s plant in Maubeuge, France.

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3. Powertrain cross-supply: The Alliance is supplying Daimler with compact three-cylinder gasoline engines to be used in smart and Twingo vehicles and four-cylinder diesel engines to be used in the jointly developed light commercial vehicle and in MercedesBenz’s next generation of premium compact cars. Daimler will supply Nissan and Infiniti with four- and sixcylinder gasoline and diesel engines from the current and future engine portfolio as well as with automatic transmissions. Since its founding in April 2010, the collaboration has been gradually expanded. In addition to the announcement this week about North American engine production, the companies also decided to partner on: Platform sharing: Infiniti plans to base a premium compact vehicle on the Mercedes compact-car architecture, starting in 2014; Zero-emission vehicles: Daimler will provide batteries from its production facility in Kamenz, Germany, and Renault-Nissan will provide electric motors for the use in electric vehicles.

THE CARCOON WORKSTATION

Checkpoints and Tougher Traffic Laws Credited in Lower Traffic Deaths in Florida

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported that during 2011, through January 2, 2012, there were 2,373 traffic deaths in Florida, compared with 2,444 in 2010. Officials say the numbers have dropped every year since 2005, when 3,533 traffic deaths were recorded, according to Insurance Journal. Capt. Mark Brown of the Florida Highway Patrol credits safer car designs and tougher traffic laws that allow Florida police to pull over motorists who aren’t wearing seatbelts with the declining numbers of deaths. Brown also says advertising campaigns discouraging drunk driving and more enforcement programs, including checkpoints, have contributed to fewer deaths caused by drunk driving. The sunshine state’s traffic fatalities for 2011 summed up a record 33-year low, despite a steady increase in the state’s population. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles stated that highway deaths in the state have declined for six straight years.

Tuscaloosa, AL, Moves Ahead With Red-Light Cameras

The City Council in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, voted to begin formal contract negotiations with a company to install red-light cameras at certain intersections in the city, according to Claims Journal. The unanimous vote on January 3 allows the city attorney and Mayor Walt Maddox to negotiate a contract with Gatso USA Inc. The Beverly, Mass.-based firm that was chosen to install the cameras at no cost to City Hall. The Tuscaloosa News reports Gatso will receive a $30 cut for every paid fine of $100. Officials say that once the contract is finalized, the city engineer will work with Gatso to identify five to 10 of the city’s most dangerous intersection approaches to install the camera lights on. The cameras are expected to be in place by spring.

www.autobodynews.com CHECK IT OUT!

Update: Delray Beach, FL, Shop Owner’s Opposition to GEICO’s 10% Charge on Domestic OEM Parts Pays Off Eddie Quintela, the shop owner from Delray Beach, FL, who wanted to know why GEICO was charging his

Eddie Quintela sent multiple email letters to GEICO’s local claims supervisor seeking refunds (or at least an explanation) for his customers who are being charged an additional 10% on all domestic OEM parts appearing on estimates. Quintela was vindicated when GEICO removed the 10% deductible on their client’s estimate.

customers a 10% deductible on their domestic OEM parts and other labor operations, regardless of fault, and in addition to regular deductible and/or applicable betterments, has been vindicated. Quintela was finally able to get GEICO to remove the deductible off one of his customer’s estimates.

Quintela, who owns Collision Concepts Inc., asked why GEICO was apparently assessing this fee in Palm Beach county but not in nearby Polk county; and why an insured driving a foreign made vehicle was not deducted 10% for OEM parts, but one driving a vehicle made in the United States was made to pay 10% extra for their parts. Other labor operations were defined as wet sand and buff and all clips and bolts. GEICO claimed it was customary in his market, while Quintela disagreed with proof from surveying other shops in the area. Collision Concepts is not a DRP for the insurer. “Just want to say thank you to Geico for paying what is fair and reasonable to repair our mutual customer’s vehicle,” said Quintela, “It is a good start to what I hope is a new and improved relationship between Geico and all collision repair facilities.” To view the full text of the email exchanges between Quintela and GEICO please see Autobody News January 2012 Edition or www.autobodynews.com, search ‘Quintela’.

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS 9

10 FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS 11

Inside Insurance

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

Legislating the “Bible” Not the Answer for Shops Tired of Being Told “No” with The Insurance Insider

When the repair industry (later than most) finally moved into the 21st century and started writing estimates by computer, shops and insurance companies alike likened computerized estimating to the advent of the washing machine. Why a washing machine? Some of you might be old enough to remember the days of washing your clothes by hand. Although I never had the pleasure, I re-

call my parents talking about the painstaking process of washing clothes in a bucket when they were kids. It was an arduous process that consumed a lot of your time if you did it right. I did write estimates by hand and I can assure you that it too was a long painful process. What made handwritten estimates worse was having to go back and try to translate what you scribbled while clutching a clipboard. If you are a member of Generation X or Y (or any other letter of the alphabet), you probably can’t relate to these old-man war stories. That said, I will try to offer a correlation you can appreciate. That’s what we’re supposed to do with the younger generation, right? Entertain them and cater to them and give them a ribbon just for participating even if they finished in last place. So for them: Handwritten estimates is like having to get up and change the channel on the TV because you can’t find the remote control. If you read the title you probably are wondering what legislation and

the Bible have to do with this article? Well, the Bible is exactly the term repairers often use to affectionately refer to the estimating guides. Ooops, I mean estimating systems. If you didn’t understand my attempt at sarcasm, then reread the last sentence. Repairers affectionately referring to the “estimating systems” as the Bible is my best impression of a disheveled body shop owner who isn’t

getting paid enough to repair a vehicle. Let’s be honest: Have you ever complained about an adjuster holding the line on a labor time because that’s what the estimating system says it is? If I had a nickel for every time a shop complained to me about one of my staff upholding the estimating systems’ labor time, I would already be retired. (Don’t worry: I won’t be able to retire for a few more years, which translates into more Insider articles for your reading pleasure.) When there is a conflict about the labor time on an estimate, the Bible becomes the deciding factor. The Holy Estimating System tells shops and insurers an approximate time to complete a specific repair operation. If the shop wants more time, the adjuster says no. Why? Because the estimating system says so. Do you question the almighty written word? Shops hate insurance companies for holding the line on the time for a specific labor operation because everyone knows it’s just a guide. Even the estimating system providers will

12 FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

tell you that they produce merely a guide and not the word of God. Insurers should be working with the shops to discuss and negotiate discrepancies instead of hiding behind scripture. But for every shop who insists it’s a guide and not the Bible (and complaining when it’s used against them), others are saying the same thing but talking out of both sides of their mouths. How? Through legislation. That’s right. Over the past several years, shops in some states have worked fervently to legislate the guide as the Bible. The thing that repairers curse and despise is actually being put into law in a few states. Is this the work of a evil genius, a mad scientist or just short-sighted repairers? If we were on American Idol, I would be asking you to text 3 to vote for shortsighted repairers. Under some state legislation, the estimating system will serve as the

final answer to all questions and discrepancies. The legislation states that one can’t deviate from the information provided in the estimating system. Why would anyone want to mandate legislatively something that is only a guide, especially considering the information about inaccurate labor times in the guides that has been brought to light in the past few years? There are examples of labor times that eventually have been increased by as much as 100 percent from the original times in the guide. Why would repairers do this to themselves? If you were on Family Feud, Richard Dawson would shout, “The survey says: The P-Pages.” Repairers are fighting back. They have grown tired of being told by insurers that they don’t pay to mask the door jambs or any other non-included See Insurance Insider, Page 14

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On Creative Marketing

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

Creating A Readable Advertising Piece with Thomas Franklin

I recently received an advertising booklet in the mail. Most of the ads in the booklet were for local cleaners and various personal and home services. There was also one ad for a collision repair shop, but the shop was located many miles from my mail service where I received the booklet. The shop owner had obviously been pressured into buying an ad that was being delivered far out of his effective neighborhood. And even worse than that, it was buried in a booklet that is mostly read by housewives looking for household deals at local businesses. The shop’s ad didn’t even have a coupon that might have gotten at least a couple of people to notice it. The odds of the shop getting a single job out of this ad were probably as remote as the chance of winning the Publisher’s Sweepstakes. Unfortunately, even if this ad had appeared in a newspaper or other widely read publication, it was still unlikely to get many people reading it. There were several reasons for this. First of all, most of the print was too tiny for mature readers to read without a magnifying glass. In a space three and a half inches wide by oneinch deep, fifty-two words were crammed closely together. The shop owner had probably provided the advertiser with a list of services he wanted included in the ad. Ad sales people just want to sell the ad. They’re practically never professional ad design people, so they’ll cram anything into the ad the buyer says he wants.

There could have been more space for showing the shop’s many services if half the ad hadn’t consisted of a huge photo of a late model new car. A quick glance at the ad (which is all most people would give it) would suggest the ad was selling a late model vehicle. There was not even a slight indication that this car needed or had ever had collision repair. In the space allocated to this vehicle, there could have been two photos of the same vehicle showing it before and after repairs. Given the brief attention span of most people today, any photo has to tell the desired story very quickly. A good choice of photos might actually have compensated for the poor quality of the print message. The next problem with the ad was the choice of colors. The lettering spelling out the shop’s services was red on a blue-black background. Reverse type can be very effective, but unless the type is huge, only white or yellow or some tint in-between will stand out enough to be easy to read. Blue type would have been almost invisible and the red wasn’t much better. Ad composition has to take into account the wide variety of people who will read it. Older people will generally have a problem with small print. Men are often slightly colorblind. The colored type would be doubly difficult to read for an older man who might be a likely prospect with an expensive vehicle to repair. One

Continued from Page 12

I offer these words of advice after decades of committed service to the insurance industry: Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it. You can legislate adding pennies to your estimates and lose dollars in the process. Instead, advocate for getting paid for what you do. Don’t advocate legislating something that is as accurate as the last estimate you wrote only to have to add a $3,000 supplement. Got a comment or question you’d like to see the Insider address in a future column? Email him at Auto.Insurance.Insider@gmail.com.

Insurance Insider

labor operation. You can almost hear one repairer saying, “Dammit, we want our 0.2 to mask the jambs,” or another one stating, “You can’t pick and choose what you want to pay for!” Their answer to all of this madness: We’ll legislate the use of the estimating systems. Now insurers will have to pay us exactly what’s in the estimating system. I could swear I’m watching, “Shop Owners Gone Wild.”

14 FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

modification could make red, blue or green stand out on a dark background: That would be a slightly larger outline type in white or yellow behind the darker lettering putting a bright outline around each letter. But this is a fairly complex type process, probably not even known to this advertiser. Publications always send a copy of an ad before printing it for the buyer to proofread. But shop owners are often rushed and would probably not take much more than a quick look at it. It’s unlikely this shop owner gave this ad much thought or looked it over at all. Print advertising, whether on paper or displayed in a website, must be instantly readable and provide a compelling reason for the reader to respond to the ad and come in for a service. A restaurant can send out a menu listing all of the selections they offer, but a list of a shop’s services isn’t an ad—it’s a menu and belongs in a

brochure, not an ad. Ad readers are motivated by price, speed of service or quality. For a body shop, price is only relevant for self-pay services, but speed of service can be very important. The quality of a collision repair is assumed to be good if one’s insurance company is paying for it. When quality is mentioned, the reader’s question will be, “Compared to what?” To establish quality, an ad could refer to on-line reviews, prior customer comments or even just the length of the shop’s warranty, but these would require a much larger ad than one-by-three inches. When it comes to print ads, less is more. If someone can be enticed to read an ad with fifty words or less (and that is already doubtful), those words had better convince the reader that this is a unique shop, so significantly better than the competition that he or she would be a fool to go anyplace else.

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Mitchell Parts Index Sheds Light on Parts Trends Post Japan’s Tsunami by Greg Horn, Vice President Industry Relations Mitchell International

When we created the Mitchell Collision Parts Price Index (or MCPPI) a few years back, it was to serve as a barometer to measure parts inGreg Horn flation both in aggregate and split out by part type and vehicle country of origin. The MCPPI was created with the Consumer Price Index as its model as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is best known to most Americans as the general rate of inflation.

The Mitchell Collision Parts Price Index for 2011

The CPI is one of the most closely watched economic indicators because it tracks the rate of inflation for a wide sampling of goods we routinely buy. Just in the way the CPI measures a “basket” of goods and services and compares the prices month to month. This basket contains

ket basket. We selected the top 20 most replaced collision parts for the following categories: Hood, fenders, headlamps, turn signals and side marker lamps. We pulled data from 2003 through the third quarter of 2011. We then created weighted average prices for these parts in aggregate, setting the base year at 2003 and equal to 100. This allows us to compare inflationary trends by part type. All part types are retail prices, in the case of LKQ/used parts, are calculated with the mark up included in the pricing.” In the most recent edition of the Industry Trends Report, this useful tool also allowed us to evaluate the impact of the Japanese Tsunami on collision parts prices. What we found was that despite some industry experts predicting parts shortages, repair delays and hoarding of used parts, there was virtually no impact on collision parts prices. What always intrigues me as I evaluate the data from this index, is that there are several other factors in play. When I looked at the overall index over time, what is interesting is the rapid increase in recycled parts prices for all vehicle types, and that salvage parts and aftermarket parts, drove the inflation index for 2011. OEM parts pricing, by con-

Mitchell Collision Parts Price Index by Part Type – All Vehicles

hundreds of different types of goods and services ranging from the inexpensive to very expensive. In creating the Mitchell Collision Parts Price index, we used a similar approach of taking a collision ‘mar-

trast; decreased in the aggregate. How did the OEM parts index decrease? It was in large part a result of the expansion by auto makers ‘match the competition’ programs, wherein they will match or adjust

16 FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

their pricing to compete with top selling aftermarket parts. The primary aim of the OEM’s to match the competition is to maintain parts sales and stem the tide of aftermarket parts use in collision repairs. Have they been effective? As evidenced by chart 3, showing the number of collision parts used by part

Part Use by Number of Parts

type, the increase in matching programs has not stemmed the decline in OEM parts use, but interestingly; aftermarket parts use also declined during the same period. By looking at the repair labor hours for the same period, we see an increase in the num-

ber of average repair hours, indicating a shift to repairing panels rather than replacing them. An increase of repair hours is good news for collision repairers, and it remains to be seen if this increase is sustainable. Let’s examine recycled parts as well. The MCPPI shows an increase in pricing of recycled parts, starting in

2009 and accelerating rapidly in 2010, but still below the base year of 2003. What is behind this phenomenon? If we look back, the recycled parts distribution channel experienced the most advances of any parts chanSee Mitchell, Page 24

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS 17

Shop Showcase

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.

Customers Expect Quality in All Respects from The Body Shop of Athens with Chasidy Rae Sisk

From the moment I came across the Body Shop of Athens’ online, I could tell there was something special about this shop. Their offer of insider tips, latest news updates and the detailed description of the repair process hinted at a shop dedicated to educating the customer and keeping current in the industry, but I had no idea how dedicated owners Carl and Carla Colquett also were to their Georgia community and the environment. In November 2008, the Body Shop of Athens in Athens, GA, was the first in their market to convert to a wa-

The Body Shop of Athens Owners Carl and Carla Colquett

terborne paint system. They also recycle all paper, plastic, cardboard and metal materials, providing recycle containers for each employee, and they have three separate dumpsters to accommodate their efforts, including one that is made of recycled materials itself. The Body Shop of Athens volunteered to be the first shop inspected in their area for 6H compliance, and Carla sat on the EPA/EPD Stakeholders Federal 6H Rule Committee for the state of Georgia, representing the collision industry segment. Carl and Carla also support local green energy expos by hosting a booth to explain waterborne paint and recycling. The shop shows its community efforts in many ways. In addition to sponsoring and donating to many organizations, such as Junior League of Athens, Athens Area Cancer Auxiliary and Business Network International, they also sponsor their local Boy Scouts and Food 2 Kids organizations. They participate in Toys for Tots as well and are in collaboration with the State Police for free child seat safety checks at their shop. They offer free meeting space in their conference rooms to the community, and they

subsidize space for the International Office of Women to the World, where Carla also serves as a board member. Even though they are busy with the day-to-day business of running a successful body shop, Carl and Carla also take time out of their hectic schedules every Saturday morning to record a radio show on 1340 Newstalk AM and Bulldog 103.7 FM called “CarChat with Carl and Carla” where they discuss details consumers should know about their vehicles as well as current events in the community. Carl Colquett founded the Body Shop of Athens in 1995 after graduating Athens Technical College and spending fifteen years at the local GMC/Cadillac dealership. Carla became active in the business about four years ago, using her background in sales, marketing and upper management to improve the business. Since the shop was dated and located on a side street, when they decided they wanted to grow in the last quarter of 2010, they moved 1.5 miles down the road to their current location on a main highway between downtown Athens and the mall. According to Carla, “we relocated because of the customer experience and to meet and exceed the environment required by insurance providers.” Their dedication to customer service can be seen in each repair that leaves their shop. Expectations are high as evidenced by a sign in their estimator’s office reading “Always Expect Excellence.” They even have a climate-controlled drive-through estimating and delivery area. They have also opened a sizable Jittery Joe’s Coffee Shop in their lobby for customers. It’s more than a caffeine fix, it’s a socializing hub for the whole community. As a final “chocolates-on-thepillow” gesture, each repair is delivered with a care package consisting of a car-shaped cookie, a logo bag, logo bottle of water and a rose with a handwritten thank you card, along with the customer’s final paperwork and warranty information. The CSI scores, not surprisingly, are near 100%. The Body Shop of Athens offers on-site rental vehicles as well as a

18 FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

smartphone application called “Help I Crashed My Car,” an car accident emergency assistant where drivers can store all of the information they need in case of an accident. The shop is also in the process of obtaining their Female Friendly Certification through askpatty.com, and they embrace modern social media by frequently updating their Facebook page. Since opening, the shop has nearly doubled their revenue by building relationships, experimenting with new ideas and expanding their view of what it means to be a quality auto

The Body Shop of Athens occupies a 4,000 square-foot building on Atlanta Highway

body shop. Carl and Carla attended the NACE expo in Las Vegas in 2010, and they found the amount of educational and networking opportunities to be amazing. It was enjoyable for Carla because “we were able to spend time working on our business, not in our business.” In regards to the modern business practices, the shop has been embracing the current trends of meticulous disassembly and lean processes which lead to more efficient repairs. They note that the trend towards waterborne paint products is good all around, from the environmental benefits to the exceptional color matching. Additional sources of revenue include glasswork, paintless dent repair, storage and mechanical work. They are also currently working on an express bumper repair lane. When asked about challenges the shop has experienced lately, Carla noted that many consumers do not understand their rights of repair choice and that the shop provides a warranty of the workmanship, not the insurance company. Also, with the influx of new technology, many customers are re-

questing estimates by emailing or texting photographs of their damaged vehicles. Carla noted the tendency of consumers to delay repairs and use funds for other obligations due to the current economy as well as challenges concerning aftermarket parts. The Body Shop of Athens is ASE and I-CAR certified. Carl and Carla Colquett are both AMI graduates (Accredited Automotive Managers), and both sit on the Athens Tech Advisory Board for the Collision Division. Additionally, Carla is a state certified continuing education instructor for insurers, the vice president of Collision ASA NE Georgia and a member of WIN, Womens’ Industry Network. The Body Shop of Athens is a 14,000 square foot shop of which 4000 sq. ft. is dedicated to the lobby. There are nine employees working in the shop. The shop uses a Saico Downdraft Paint Booth, Chief Frame Machine, Rotary Lifts and Spot Welders. Their CCC One estimating and management system has been especially useful in enhancing productivity, and Carla also credits the waterborne paint system as a major benefit to their business. In the last quarter of 2011, the Body Shop of Athens averaged seventy vehicle repairs monthly. They utilize PPG Aquabase paints, and though they get a mix of older and newer model vehicles, they do not have any difficulty matching the paint on older vehicles. Carl and Carla strive to educate customers on all aspects of the refinish process. The Body Shop of Athens currently does not participate in any direct repair programs. Although they are in favor of obtaining such relationships, they are doing their research before securing any agreements for fear that mandates on parts and procedures can jeopardize the quality of their repairs. As always, Carl and Carla think about the customer first. The Body Shop of Athens 2950 Atlanta Highway Athens, GA 30606 (706) 546-1158 thebodyshopofathens.com

ASE Announces New Officers, Governors for 2012 The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) announced the officers for its Board of Directors for 2012 in December. Mike Phillips, V.P, Organizational Development, NAPAAuto Parts/Genuine Parts Company, Atlanta, Ga., is Chairman; Rob Barto, Manager, Technical Training Design, Nissan North America, Franklin, Tenn., is Vice-Chairman; Glenn Dahl, Senior Coordinator, Technical Education, Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC, Bloomingdale, IL, is Treasurer, and Greg Gaulin, Owner, Gaulin’s of Williamsville, NY, is Secretary. John Pfennig, Manager, Service Education for Navistar, Inc. in Warrenville, IL, serves as Past Chairman. “2011 was a milestone year for the ASE certification program as we completed the move to our new computer-based testing (CBT) format,” said Tim Zilke, ASE President. “The leadership and guidance of the ASE board is vital to ensuring the ASE program keeps pace with our changing industry. Through the outstanding commitment of ASE’s all-volunteer board and the support by the companies that encourage such talented people to serve, ASE will continue to offer our automotive professionals the high-quality credentialing program they have come to expect.” Also announced were newly elected members to ASE’s Board of Governors, representing various segments of the industry. The new Governors are: Bobby Bassett, Manager of Training North America Automo-

tive Market, Gates Corporation, Ridgeland, Miss., and John Prosser, Manager Technical Training Operations, American Honda, Torrance, Calif. “I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank our outgoing board members for their service over the years,” Zilke continued. Stepping down as their terms expire are Al Duebber, President, Duebber’s Automotive Service, Inc., Cincinnati, OH; Joe Torchiana, President, One Stop Tire and Auto Service, Inc., West Chester, PA, and Lori Blaker, President, Technical Training Incorporated (TTi), Rochester, MI. “Each of these individuals volunteered their time to serve on the ASE board to the benefit of our industry and the thousands of automotive service professionals who proudly wear the ASE Blue Seal. We thank them for their service and wish them continued success,” said Zilke. The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence was established in 1972 as a non-profit organization to help improve the quality of automotive service and repair through the voluntary testing and certification of automotive technicians and parts specialists. Today, there are more than 360,000 ASE-certified professionals at work in dealerships, independent shops, collision repair shops, auto parts stores, fleets, schools and colleges throughout the country. For more information about ASE, visit the ASE web site at www.ase.com.

Continually increasing auto sales since the government auto bailouts in 2009 have spurred optimism with US automakers. The U.S. auto industry plans to add thousands of jobs this year. Foreign automakers are also suspected to build more U.S. factories due to unstable economies overseas. “The yen, the euro, all the currencies that affect the manufacturers’ balance sheets, except for the dollar, are in flux. So the only way to hedge is to build where you sell,” Rebecca Lindland, an analyst with IHS Automotive, told the Los Angeles Times. Mercedes-Benz announced the company would add about 1,500 jobs at plants in the Carolinas this year in

early January. Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group also announced plans to add hundreds of workers to their Michigan, Kentucky and Illinois plants. Audi executives have also talked about building a factory in the U.S., possibly at the Volkswagen complex in Chattanooga, TN. Audi is also rumored to be mulling sites for its own North American manufacturing plant beyond parent Volkswagen’s factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler told a German newspaper. Audi plans to grow substantially in North America and building its own

Automakers Forecasted to Add Thousands of Plant Manufacturing Jobs Over the Next 3 Years

See Automaker Hiring, Page 24

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS 19

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Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 cdunlap@penskeautomotive.com

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Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-5 hernandeze@autonation.com

Braman Honda of Palm Beach

Rick Case Honda

Greenac res

D av i e

888-479-0695 561-966-5185

877-544-2249

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4:30 parts@bramanhondapb.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-4 robbutton@rickcase.com

S n e l l v i l le

888-893-4984 407-521-1115

770-985-1444

D elray Beach

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 Prafferty@vtaig.com

Ed Morse Honda R i viera Be ach

800-232-1098 561-844-8089 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-5 tonyrocha@edmorse.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 robertthomas@mmhonda.com

Union City

Carey Paul Honda

866-576-5983 561-526-5351

770-534-0086 678-989-5473

Nalley Honda G EORGIA

Orla ndo

Delray Honda

Milton Martin Honda Gainesville

Classic Honda

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-4 parts@classichonda.com

ALABA M A

GEORGIA

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-6 gperkins@careypaul.com

Gerald Jones Honda Augusta

800-733-2210 706-228-7040 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 tdunn@geraldjoneshonda.com

Jerry Damson Honda

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

Serra Honda Birmingham

800-987-0819 205-949-5460 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5; Sat 8-3 mpowell@serrahonda.com MISSIS SI P P I

866-362-8034 770-306-4646

Patty Peck Honda

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-5 hondawp@nalleycars.com

800-748-8676 601-957-3400

Southern Motors Honda

Ridgeland

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 pmartin@pattypeckhonda.com

S ava nn a h

888-785-8387 912-925-1444 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 angela@southern-motors.com ALABA MA

Gwinnett Place Honda

Brannon Honda

Duluth

Birmingham

800-277-8836 678-957-5151

800-833-1233 205-833-0018

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 gphwholesaleparts@hendrickauto.com

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

ACU R A FLOR I D A

GEORGIA

ALABA M A

Acura of Orange Park

Jackson Acura

Southern Motors Acura

J acksonville

Ro s w e l l

S ava nn a h

Huntsville

888-941-7278 904-777-1008

877-622-2871 678-259-9500

800-347-0596 912-232-3222

800-264-1739 256-533-1345

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-8; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-3 msweeney@acuraoforangepark.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7:30-6 kmcmillan@jacksonacura.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-2 Tim.johnson@acuraofsavannah.com

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

Duval Acura

Nalley Acura

J acksonville

Marietta

800-352-2872 904-725-1149

800-899-7278 770-422-3138

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 cecil.adams@duvalacura.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 byoung@nalleycars.com

Jerry Damson Acura

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS 21

Service, Service, Diagnostic Di Diagnostic gnostic and an d Mechanical M e chanical ch aniccal al NEWS nd Mec echanical Mech ech ec hanical ca

www.autobodynews.com

Autobody News

February 2012

FLORIDA • GEORGIA • ALABAMA • MISSISSIPPI

Diamond Standard Announces “Security Shield” Extends Product Liability Protection to Shops

Diamond Standard Brand Parts has announced a program of extending product liability protection to approved collision centers free of charge to address major concerns about liability on parts. Diamond Standard says its “Security Shield” provides the collision center leverage and protection against structural parts usage demands into repair, the various levels of parts quality which continues to exist, substitution of parts and the growing reality of aftermarket structural parts produced by manufacturers with no U.S. assets or product liability coverage putting the shop in the position of being the “manufacturer” in a potential lawsuit seeking damages due to a part defect or failure leading to serious injury. Program reaction has been highly positive among the major associations with the Automotive Service Association (ASA) and its collision members being the first association to participate in the program. ASA and Diamond Standard announced in January a strategic alliance based on ASA member product liability protection from Diamond Standard. This unique program underscores ASA’s focus on exacting standards for a complete and safe repair, and provides clear and

meaningful evidence of Diamond Standard’s confidence in standing behind the highest quality parts and parts policies. A unique website supporting the strategic partnership and coverage benefit will debut Feb. 1, 2012 providing ASA members access to the full program content including background, coverage, a limited lifetime warranty statement and a convenient “Certificate of Coverage” download feature. The Diamond Standard Security Shield site will also debut Feb. 1, 2012 (www.diamondstandardsecurityshield.com). The issue of shop liability and timeliness of the Diamond Standard Security Shield program cannot be understated and takes on greater importance as evidenced by a feature story earlier this week regarding shop liability. In the January 9, 2012 – Vol. 19 addition of Crash Network (www.CrashNetwork.com) the feature story “Liability Questioned” was published based on New Jersey shop owner Joe Lubrano’s expressed concern related to non-OEM parts. Specifically Mr. Lubrano posed the question of a shop being held responsible for diminished value or liability claim if a non-OEM absorber, reinforcement or hood does not function

properly in a subsequent accident, possibly causing body injury in a litigious society and called on the Collision Industry Conference meeting this week to take this matter as seriously as he does. Diamond Standard Security Shield product liability protection firmly addresses Mr. Lubrano’s concerns. Diamond Standard Security Shield product liability protection in total, represents $40 million in product liability coverage as added security to the collision center owner against the unlikely scenario of personal vehicle-owner injury directly related to the failure of new Diamond Standard parts in the repair manufactured by Reflexxion Automotive Products or Production Bumper Stampings Inc. $15 million in product liability coverage is extended by the specific manufacturing group member for its Diamond Standard Brand Parts. The incremental $25 million is premiere coverage extended to approved collision centers as co-insured totaling $40 million in total coverage directed to quality, industry best practice shop associations, DRPs, MSOs, facilitators and consolidators recognized by the industry as ordering and installing only the highest level quality structural components.

“Giving back to the industry front line is a central premise of Diamond Standard throughout the year and pivotal piece in our development of a unique branding program addressing the major issues in our industry. To receive the honor and distinction of ASA’s strategic partnership and support of Diamond Standard Security Shield validates the singleminded purpose of Diamond Standard—not only manufacturing and marketing the safest and highest quality parts available, but also precision parts using correct material, tool building, stamping and process controls here in America,” said Mike O’Neal, President of Diamond Standard Parts, LLC. “It is Diamond Standard’s ‘Culture of Quality’ that permeates its very fabric with a commitment to the industry of ‘One Quality of Manufacturing’ consistency that separates Diamond Standard from other Manufacturers. It is the “One Quality” part manufacturing commitment with USA assets in place that uniquely enables Diamond Standard to provide the collision shop owner with the solution and avoid risk due to the use of structural parts from foreign manufacturers offering no product liability protection.”

West Virginia v. Liberty Mutual Salvage Parts Lawsuit Moved to Federal Court

A lawsuit alleging that insurance company Liberty Mutual implemented policies that called for body shop owners to repair new vehicles using “junkyard” parts has been moved to federal court. State Attorney General Darrell McGraw filed the lawsuit against Liberty Mutual and St. Albans body shop owner Greg Chandler last month, alleging that the body shop followed an illegal insurance policy to install used or aftermarket crash parts on vehicles manufactured within three years of the date of the crash. The West Virginia Attorney General’s office calls it an effort to “buy time” in the lawsuit brought by the state’s Attorney General against it and one of its DRPs—Greg Chandler’s Frame & Body LLC (Greg’s Body

Shop)—over the use of salvage parts moved to federal court. The change forced the cancellation of a hearing in which a circuit court judge could have ordered Liberty Mutual to temporarily discontinue the practice of calling for the use of salvage parts on vehicles three years old or newer, a violation of state law (which similarly prohibits the use of non-OEM parts on such vehicles without the owner’s consent). Attorneys for Liberty Mutual argued the case belongs in federal court because they say it involves issues related to the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. West Virginia Attorney General McGraw sued Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and Greg’s Body Shop, for repairing vehicles with salvage parts in violation of state law.

22 FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Attorney General McGraw’s suit, filed in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County, details repeated violations of the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act by Liberty Mutual and Greg’s Body Shop. McGraw’s office alleges that Liberty Mutual required body shops to repair vehicles with reconditioned, remanufactured, and used parts in violation of West Virginia law. In addition, Liberty Mutual failed to provide the proper notices and written statements to consumers. In West Virginia, it is unlawful for an insurance company to require the use of salvaged, used, or reconditioned OEM crash parts when negotiating repairs of motor vehicles within three years of manufacture, without acquiring the motor vehicle owner’s

consent. McGraw’s office began investigating Liberty Mutual and Greg’s Body Shop after receiving evidence that new vehicles were being repaired with “junkyard parts.” The investigation by McGraw’s Consumer Protection Division confirmed that Liberty Mutual employed a policy that violated state law. McGraw’s lawsuit asks the court to enjoin the defendants from engaging in this unlawful activity in the future, seeks restitution for consumers whose cars were illegally repaired with “junkyard” crash parts, and asks for civil penalties. Consumers who think they have been a victim of Liberty Mutual should contact Attorney General Darrell McGraw’s consumer protection hotline at 1-800-368-8808.

Gonzo’s Toolbox

This is a new story by Scott “Gonzo” Weaver as posted on his website, www.gonzostoolbox.com. Gonzo has been serving the Tulsa area at Superior Auto Electric for over 27 years. See his book “Hey Look! I Found The Loose Nut”, which provides a Good Laugh for Mechanics of Any Age. The book is available at amazon.com. Contact Gonzo at Gonzosae@aol.com.

Check Engine Light Paranoia with Gonzo Weaver

Charlie comes in every now and then. I guess you could say he’s a regular but I think I would call him more of an opportunist when it comes to his car repairs. He’ll go to an oil change place for oil changes, a tire shop for tires, a transmission shop for transmission, so on and so on. If there is an opportunity to get his car into a shop he’ll make an appointment and get it in. But, the one thing he seems to always use me for is the check engine light. Normally, most people don’t pay that much attention to the check engine light unless it’s staying on. Not Charlie, he’s absolutely paranoid it will come on and stay on. Somehow, some way somebody has told him that the check engine light is not a warning of a problem with the exhaust emissions or related engine/transmission problems but the precursor to a ticking bomb that will

bring an end to his ride of rides. It’s as if the check engine light is the trigger to the doom and gloom of his car. At times, Charlie thinks the check engine light has stayed on a longer than it should when he starts it up in the morning. This prompts an immediate phone call and a trip to the repair shop. With all these trips he’s seen me use several different code readers, scanners, O-scopes, and laptops that I have at my disposal to check codes and related engine systems. There’s times I think he just wants to see what new gadget I’ve got that I can hook up to his car. The more bells and whistles I throw out there the more he seems to show up with another reason for me to recheck his car. He can probably name a bunch of the scanners that I’ve used, seriously, he’s been to the shop that many times. Sometimes I wish he would take

up antique car collecting; go buy something old enough that it doesn’t have a check engine light in it and see if he gets the idea that the entire universe doesn’t revolve around a service light. It’s not like he doesn’t remember cars without check engine lights he just doesn’t seem to understand that a car can operate without one anymore. Why he’s even told me about an old car he drove while he was in college that leaked oil so bad that he had to keep a can or two with him at all times. Talk about something that sounds like it was on the verge of doom and gloom, also sounds like the typical college kids car. So you would think he would have some understanding of the inner workings of the automobile, but apparently once the service light came into the everyday vocabulary his understanding has wasted away just like the oil in that old car from college.

I’ve tried to explain to him about the meaning of the service light and about the various reasons for it to come on but it just doesn’t seem to sink in. I’m hoping the day never comes that his old car actually does turn on the check engine light, because if it did he’d probably worry himself all the way to a coronary and he would have to have the car towed in while I’d have to make a call to 911 and have him towed to the emergency room. Of course I hope that never happens, but with him I could see something along those lines. I generally let him watch the scanners do their work or have him watch a graph while I check things under the hood. The other day he was concerned about his O2 sensors and wanted to know if they were working correctly because he thought he saw the check engine light pop on and See Check Engine, Page 24

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS 23

Continued from Page 16

Continued from Page 19

Continued from Front Page

nel. Large internet vendors began online and ‘near real time’ inventory displays in the estimating platforms as well as standalone applications. Large acquisitions happened in this arena as well, all allowing for more rapid market feedback of demand and pricing. I believe this lead to a market correction of pricing in the years leading up to 2009, and what we are now experiencing is an acceleration of prices because of the increase in overseas and rebuilder sales, and decreasing the population of parts harvested vehicles. What will the future hold? I believe we will continue to see a restriction of supply for recycled parts, as the impact of slumping new car sales and high used car prices that began in 2008 (and continues today) begins to ripple through the salvage parts supply world. Aftermarket parts producers hold an advantage here, as they can custom tailor output to demand, a luxury that recyclers do not have.

production facility is part of that strategy, Stadler told the paper. “It is not a question of if, but only of when,” he said. Nissan is in the process of adding about 1,000 workers in Tennessee as it gears up for production of the Leaf electric vehicle and its batteries, as well as new Pathfinder and Infiniti SUVs. Automakers sold an estimated 12.8 million vehicles in 2011, a 10.3 percent increase from 2010 and the highest numbers since 2008. Automakers expect sales to reach about 13.8 million in 2012. As recently as a decade ago, the industry employed about 1 million workers. It then fell into a steady decline that included layoffs of 200,000 workers during the 2008 and 2009 recession. At the industry’s lowest it emplyed about 550,000 manufacturing workers. Hiring has started to climb back slowly in the past two years, and now the research center forecasts employment will top 750,000 by 2015.

This will be Causey’s fourth attempt at the position, after losing in the general election in 1992, 1996 and 2000 to Democratic incumbent Jim Long. Causey, a Greensboro native, will run under the Republican ticket. He currently serves as commissioner on the North Carolina Public Officers and Employees Liability Insurance Commission and is a member of the Guilford County Agricultural Advisory Board. Current Democratic Commissioner Wayne Goodwin is also seeking re-election. In an interview in the Beaufort Observer, the interviewer expressed a “high level of frustration of residents of Beaufort County with the insurance business in our county. Many residents in Beaufort County experienced severe problems with insurance companies following Hurricane Irene and even more have experienced difficulty in obtaining satisfactory coverage at a reasonable price. We asked him what he proposed to do about those problems if elected.”

Continued from Page 23

going to happen with that check engine light. I kept up with the explanation until I got to the point where he was just staring off into space and lost interest in me, the check engine light and the little graph moving up and down on the screen. I don’t know if he ever understood a thing I said, or for that matter has reconsidered the importance of the check engine light. All I know is that at some point in time somebody is going to tell him something stupid regarding the check engine light and he’ll make another trip to the shop and watch the fascinating little lines bounce around on my scope screen. No matter what I say, no matter what I do, old “Check Engine Charlie” will still listen to some B.S. from somebody out there and then head over to my shop for another diagnostics that will amount to nothing. Maybe I need to come up with my own B.S. to counteract what everyone else keeps telling him. I guess it comes down to the old saying: If ya can’t dazzle them with brilliance, buffalo them with a little bull.

Mitchell

Check Engine

then go right back off. There were no codes stored and I asked him if it happened when he first started it or after driving several miles. It was while he was driving for a bit and not when it first started. “What difference does that make?” he asked. I then explained to him about how the heater circuit operated to warm up the sensor and what the sensor actually did in relation to the fuel mixture. This only made him even more curious to what they did. “Watch this Charlie. I’ll graph the O2 sensors here on this scope and I’ll show you the front sensor and its corresponding rear sensor. You’ll see the voltage changes on the screen as well as the differences between the front and rear sensors at the same time on the screen,” I told him. “Fascinating, simply fascinating,” he said, “But I don’t see how that translates to fuel?” The more I explained the more he seemed to be lost. He still seemed to be more concerned about what was

Automaker Hiring

24 FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Candidate Causey

“One of the main reasons I’m running is that I want to help people who are having problems with insurance companies,” said Causey. “That would be one of my top priorities in building a “customer-oriented” Insurance Department. As for the problem of difficulty in getting reasonable coverage, particularly comprehensive homeowners’ and mobile homeowners’ policies, I would work with the Legislature to address that problem. One of the specific things I would want to look at is the idea of making every policy equally available across the state. That would broaden the risk pool and I think that is something we need to take a hard look at.” He added: “we need a more competitive insurance industry in North Carolina and that is another thing I would want to work on.” Mike Causey is not to be confused with another Mike Causey, who is a senior correspondent for Federal News Radio. He covers federal employee pay and benefits issues and writes a daily column about these topics. You can read our Mike Causey’s columns at autobodynews.com/columnists/causey-mike.html.

Nalley BMW

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Bartow Ford Co. BARTOW

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Mike Davidson Ford JACKSON V I L L E

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Make us your one-stop shop today! www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS 25

40 Technicians Honored at ASE 2011 Annual Meeting in Charlotte, NC Forty automotive professionals were recognized on November 16, 2011, at the Fall board meeting of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) held at the Marriott City Center in Charlotte, NC. The annual awards banquet spotlights top scorers on the ASE Certification Tests. Thirty different companies from both OEM and Aftermarket segments sponsored the individual technician recognition awards in the Auto, Truck, Collision and Parts categories, along with three instructor awards. In addition to looking for top scores on ASE tests, award sponsors examine on-the-job excellence, community service and other factors when selecting honorees. This year’s celebration in Charlotte was enhanced by a visit from five former Team ASE drivers, who volunteered their time to sign autographs and meet the award winners in person. NASCAR drivers Kasey Kahne, Jason Leffler and Mike Bliss were joined by Ted Musgrave and Jimmy Spencer to help make the reception a memorable affair. In addition, there

Zilke, ASE President & CEO. “We couldn’t do this without the support of our many award sponsors, whose ranks include some of the best-known names in the industry. Their commitment to excellence is reflected in the talented individuals we recognize each year.” The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence was established in 1972 as a non-profit organization to help improve PHOTO CREDIT: ASE, ASE 2011 Technician Award the quality of automotive Winners: Top row: Steven Sass, Brad Dressen, Ken Passmore, Adam Russell, Mike Hunkler, John Roderich. 4th service and repair through row: Warren Butrim, Pat Nicoll, Kevin Treichel, Anthony the voluntary testing and Bausano, Scott Rosencrantz, Noel Barnhart, Andreas Miller. certification of automotive 3rd row: Steven Ray, Collin Harris, John Gillies, Dan Walsh, technicians and parts speRob Bender, Neal Nuce, John Kasper. 2nd row: David White, cialists. Today, there are Sandro Giordano, Alan Davis, Shawn Lehman, Jesse Berryman, Rob McNees, Jack Harlan, Joseph DeLap, John, more than 360,000 ASEWood, Glenn Ferrer. 1st row (seated): Joseph Londo, Dan certified professionals at Pratt, Joseph Young, Mike Baker, MSgt. Andrew Slater, work in dealerships, indeMike Byer, Leo Dufault, Andy Olson, Jeff Heinz, Mark Regan pendent shops, collision re“ASE has been honoring the best pair shops, auto parts stores, fleets, of the best in our industry for more schools and colleges throughout the than 30 years, and this year we recogcountry. For more information about nized forty outstanding individuals ASE, visit the Web site at from all across the nation,” said Tim www.ase.com. were two new award sponsors this year, one being the first ever from the military, representing the US Air Force.

ASE 2011 Award Winners ASCCA/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year: Patrick Nicoll, Pat’s Automotive, Santa Maria, Calif. AYES/ASE Instructor of the Year: David White, Parkside High School, Willards, Md. BodyShop Business/ASE Master Coll. Repair & Refinish Tech of the Year: Michael Baker, Pro-Tech Collision, Pacific, Mo. Bridgestone Retail Operations/ASE Master Automobile Tech of the Year: Noel Barnhart, Firestone Complete Auto Care, Delmar, Iowa. Chrysler/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year: Scott Rosencrantz, Garber Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Flushing, Mich. Chrysler/ASE Master Collision Repair & Refinish Technician of the Year: Mike Hunkler, Larry Hillis Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Poplar Bluff, Mo. Delco Remy/ASE M/H Truck Electrical/Electronic Sys Tech of the Year: Joseph DeLap, Ryder, Dakota, Ill. See ASE Meeting, Page 29

Nor theast 201 Booth# 317

26 FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Parts Profiles

Larry Williams is an innovative parts manager with national awards and over 30 years of experience in creating and managing profitable departments. He can be reached for consultation at ljoew2@gmail.com. To read all his columns go to http://www.autobodynews.com/columnists/williams-larry.html

South Motors Automotive Group—Anything But Apathetic with Larry Williams

This month’s distinctive dealer is South Motors Automotive Group in Miami, Florida. This dealer services Honda, BMW, VW, Suzuki, Mazda, Mini, and Infiniti. Parts manager Mike Franceschi contacted me after reading my article on “Apathy, the Real Opponent in the Wholesale Business.” For a link to the article see the last paragraph or just go to autobodynews.com and search ‘apathy’ What I wrote in that article was: “Now is the time to be positive. Shake off that dull, negative attitude. Aggressive solicitation of new customers will pay off for those dealers that move now. Take some time and visit your best customers. Congratulate them for their tenacity and tell them you will be with them for the good times ahead. Partners who survive hard times always find their bonds stronger. Keep an eye out for

customer opportunities that you may have overlooked. Be ready to serve the new customers that will be calling you. “There is another major negative assumption to overcome. Several parts managers have told me of their loss of interest in the wholesale market. The main reason for this is the lack of profit. It seems that there is constant pressure to reduce costs, starting at the corporate level. I am talking about the insurance companies that cover most of today’s repair costs. In a never-ending search for investor earnings, quality, care, workmanship, and pride are considered to be unnecessary. The only thing that matters to these corporations is their bottom line. They constantly push the repair shop to reduce the cost of the repairs. The shops cannot reduce their labor cost any lower; employees are already at the poverty level. The only place to cut is the cost

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of materials. The solution for some shops is the use of cheaper parts. These shops adopt the practices of the corporations, and consider only the cost of materials. Save a dollar, no matter what method you use. “We need to fight back! Quality in both parts and service needs to be worth more than a 5% discount. For example, sheet metal has been a center of concern for several years. Cheap replacement imported metal has found customers, at the cost of quality. Numerous organizations have come out to support the use of original parts only. We all agree on the value of quality in this area. How about the rest of the operation? How about quality of service? “I have never advocated sacrificing service and quality for cost. I believe if you pay less, you get less. There is a minimum everyone must pay for quality service. The competition should be for better service, not cheaper prices. I believe that servicing the wholesale market is still a rewarding job. Our final goal, happy customers, is a worthy goal and customer satisfaction brings us our own happiness.” Mike shared the article with his countermen, and was pleased to be able to say to them: “I’m not the only one who talks about this every day!” This comment, in my opinion, is the key to understanding Mike’s success in these troubled times. He talks to his men every day, encouraging them and keeping their spirits high. There are four full time wholesale countermen, Ozzie, Rudy, Alex, and Danny. Professional, knowledgeable men, with more than a hundred years of experience available to their customers! This team keeps five drivers constantly on the road. Belinda, Carlos, Jose, Luis and Noel make three runs daily, and will go as far as sixty miles to service their customers. An inventory of over half a million dollars ensures “on hand” status of fast moving parts. A daily ordering system means needed parts are almost always available the next morning. Body shops in this area have had a hard time the last few years, but sales at this dealership have held

steady, and even increased slightly despite the recession. Collision Link is used by this dealer, of course. This program allows Mike to be competitive on pricing, ensuring repairs are always made with quality, original parts. Every dealer I have talked to mentions Collision Link as one of their most valuable tools in the wholesale market. Mike has been at South Motors for twenty years, fifteen of them as parts manager. He says his “secret to success” is his focus on sales. His office is near the front counter, and he talks to his customers as often as possible. He watches his daily sales, staying on top of his business with his friends. He calls one or two each day, checking to make sure he has filled their orders properly, and that they are satisfied with his service. Mike takes his job very personally, and talked to me about the value of long term relationships, and the feeling of “family”, not just customers. He spoke about trust, sincerity, and respect. He spoke of service over price, wanting happy customers, and close partnerships with valued customers. These philosophies, of service, and partnership are common to all the successful managers I have talked with in the last year. They all consider their customers as friends, and make price a minor condition to the business of auto repair. I believe that success is not determined by a building, a location, advertising, or price. Success is a reward to those people who want it, work for it, and are never stopped. Mike Franceschi is successful because his desire to be the best knows no boundaries. I recommend this distinctive dealer to any auto body shop in the Miami area that wants the best service available. You can do no better than the South Motors Automotive Group. You can read Larry’s apathy article online in its entirety at: http://www.autobodynews.com/columnists/williams-larry/item/5198apathy-the-real-opponent-in-the-whol esale-parts-business.html.

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS 27

This article first appeared in the I-CAR Advantage Online, which is published and distributed free of charge. I-CAR, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, is a not-for-profit international training organization that researches and develops quality technical education programs related to collision repair. To learn more about I-CAR, and to subscribe to the free publication, visit http://www.i-car.com.

I-CAR Tech

Accessing and Repairing Body Mount Cage Nuts for the Ford F-150 Beginning with the 2009 model year Ford F-150, the cab body mount bolts are secured with a cage nut. The cage nut is held in position inside a cage nut retainer that is attached to the inside of a floor crossmember.

pan at the cage nut location. Be careful not to drill into the cage nut retainer. Ford service information specifies using a 50 mm (2") hole saw for this procedure (see Video at www.i-car.com). Accessing the drilling locations on the floor pan will require removing certain parts, and pulling back the carpeting. Depending on the cab style, parts that may require removal include the scuff plate trim panel, console, and seats. The locations of the body Figure 1 - The body mount bolt cage nut is secured in mount cage nuts vary deposition inside a cage nut retainer by tabs that are folded pending on the F-150 cab against the cage nut style. Locations for the ReguThe crossmember is attached to lar Cab model will differ from those the underside of the floor pan, which of the SuperCab and SuperCrew modcreates an enclosure for the cage nut. els. The retainer has two nut retaining Locations for the SuperCab and Sutabs, one on each opposing side of the perCrew are the same (see Figure 2). nut that are folded against the nut to Refer to the appropriate service inforhold it in place (see Figure 1). mation for the specific location and In some instances, the cage nut procedure for drilling the hole. may spin when attempting to remove or install a body mount bolt. If the nut Repair Considerations spins, it will have to be accessed and Through the drilled hole, locate the cage nut retainer tabs and bend them upward to allow access to the cage nut (see Figure 3). Use a suitable tool to hold the cage nut and remove the body mount bolt. The cage nut may be reused if the threads are not damaged. If damaged, it must be replaced with the correct part number (#78101C38). Ford service information warns Figure 2 - Shown are two of the body mount/cage nut against using a standard locations on the floor pan of this F-150 SuperCrew nut as a replacement, as secured in order to complete the bolt this may result in damage to the vehiremoval and the installation process. cle. Accessing the Cage Nut The body mount bolts are oneAccessing the cage nut will require time use, and must be replaced once drilling a hole from the top of the floor removed. Be sure to replace these

bolts with the correct part number. The bolt part numbers vary depending

Conclusion When attempting to remove the body mount bolts on some Ford F150 models, be aware that there may be situations when the cage nut may spin preventing removal of the bolt. Removing the body mount bolt will require using a hole saw to provide access to the cage nut in order to secure it to prevent it from spinning when turning the bolt. Locations of the Figure 3 - Shown is a cage nut retainer with the tabs bent upward allowing access to the cage nut cage nuts vary depending on the F-150 cab style. on the cab style. Torque the new bolts Ford service information includes procedures for locating to 115 N•m (85 lb-ft). A service plug (part #W651023- and drilling the holes. For comments or suggestions on S300) is available to cover the hole following installation of the body the Advantage Online, please contact I-CAR at advantage@i-car.com. mount bolt.

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Continued from Page 26

ASE Meeting

Delmar Cengage Learning/ASE Automobile Technician of the Year: William Davis, JD Byrider, N. Baltimore, Ohio. Freightliner/ASE Master M/H Truck Technician of the Year: Robert McNees, Jr., Truck Centers, Inc., Middle Brook, Mo. Sterling/Western Star/ASE Master M/H Truck Technician of the Year: Kevin Treichel, Don’s Truck Sales, Greene, Iowa. Gates/ASE Master Automobile & L1 Technician of the Year: Andreas Miller, Stonum Automotive, Longmont, Colo. GM/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year: Jeffrey Heinz, Hendrick Auto Mall, Apex, N.C. Honda/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year: Joseph Londo, Bianchi Honda, Erie, Penna. Acura/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year: Sandro Giordano, Acura of Turnersville, Blackwood, N.J. Identifix/ASE Aftermarket Drivability

Technician of the Year: Andy Olson, Courtesy Car Care, Holmen, Wisc. Midas International/ASE Automobile Technician of the Year: John Gillies III, Midas Auto Service Experts, Ludington, Mich. Mitchell 1/ASE Technician of the Future: Steven Ray, The Automaster BMW, Essex Junction, Vt. Motor Age Training/ASE Master Automobile & L1 Tech of the Year: Joseph Young, San Diego Miramar College, San Diego, Calif. NATEF/ASE Instructor of the Year: Bradley Dressen, Butte College, Orland, Calif. Navistar/ASE Master M/H Truck Technician of the Year: Shawn Lehman, Tri County Motor Sales, Stoystown, Penna. Navistar/ASE Master School Bus Technician of the Year: Kenneth Passmore, Midwest Transit Equipment, Indianapolis, Ind. Navistar/ASE Parts Specialist of the Year: Adam Russell, Sr., Goodman Truck & Tractor, Amelia, Va. Navistar/ASE Truck Paint & Refinish Technician of the Year: Collin Harris, Int'l Truck Sales of Richmond, Manquin, Va.

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Nissan/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year: Glenn Ferrer, Nissan of St. Augustine, Palm Coast, Fla. Infiniti/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year: John Roderich, Fields Infiniti of Glencoe, Phillips, Wisc. Pep Boys/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year: Mark Regan, Pep Boys, Walpole, Mass. Peterbilt/ASE Master M/H Truck Technician of the Year: John Wood, Interstate Truck Center, Oakdale, Calif. PPG/ASE Master Refinish Technician of the Year: Robert Bender, Bender Auto Repair, Saltsburg, Penna. Snap-on/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year: Jack Harlan III, Harlan’s Auto Care, Canfield, Ohio Snap-on/ASE Master Coll. Repair & Refinish Technician of the Year: Neal Nuce, Precision Collision Repair Center, Wake Forest, NC Snap-on/ASE Master M/H Truck Technician of the Year: Steven Sass, Sr., A.N.D. Service, Inc., Carlstadt, NJ Standox/ASE Refinish Technician of the Year: Daniel Walsh, Boch Collision Center, West Bridgewater, Mass.

Subaru/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year: Daniel Pratt, Flatirons Subaru, Firestone, Colo. TECH-NET Professional/ASE Master Automobile Tech of the Year: Michael Byer, Mike Byer Auto & Truck Repair, Asheville, NC. Toyota/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year: Warren Butrim, Koons Toyota of Annapolis, Arnold, Md. Toyota/ASE Master Coll. Repair & Refinish Technician of the Year: Leonel Dufault, Toyota of North Dartmouth, Westport, Mass. Lexus/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year: Anthony Bausano, Lexus of Smithtown, Huntington, N.Y. USAF/ASE Technician of the Year: Msgt. Andrew Slater, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, US Air Force. Valvoline Career Tech/ASE Instructor of the Year: John Kasper, Millington High School, Memphis, Tenn. Volvo/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year: Jesse Berryman III,Koons Volvo, Westminster, Md.

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Continued from Front Page

CIC Palm Springs

(definitely), most respondents were somewhere in the middle. “It’s leans toward ‘likely’ (a 3 on the survey’s scale), but it’s more ‘perhaps (a 2 on the scale),’” Thrall said. “So people definitely aren’t sure it will be possible to implement this within the next five years.”

and profitable business? And if you put in standards will the insurance companies use you versus the other guy?” ● Steve Nantau of Ford said he thinks many shops misunderstand “repair standards” as just dealing with the process of the actual repair, when he and the committee envision a more inclusive program that includes standards for training and equipment, and a third-party certification or auditing entity like one in the United Kingdom. “If you don’t have a third-party doing this, I can guarantee you that the OEMs are going to have certification programs for independent shops,” Nantau said. “We’re seeing that already. And it’s not going to be open to just anyone who’s qualifies. They’re going to be chosen. If you qualify and you weren’t a chosen one, you’re not going to be able put a (certified) sign above your door like you could if the industry created a thirdparty that certifies all who qualify.” ● Consultant Matt Ohrnstein of Symphony Advisors urged proponents of standards development not to “allow intermediaries to profit by taxing collision repair shops around the country for training, certificaMatt Ohrnstein tion, OE-specific equipment and third-party verification.” ● Committee member and current CIC chairman Mike Quinn emphasized that the committee sees the study as information-gathering, not a license to push something forward. “This conversation is the beginning of many conversations,” he said. “There’s no plans Mike Quinn of any kind to move this forward any further from this study. It’s up to the industry to decide what happens next.”

of the study’s findings that it was never intended to be a statistically valid survey of the industry. “You can’t project the findings to the industry as a whole,” he said. Rather, he said, the committee hired a consultant to do more of a type of focus group: Hourlong conversational interviews with more than 40 indusRuss Thrall try representatives to develop some sense of the industry’s opinions regarding repair standards. Though a more in-depth report on the study’s findings is expected to be released in the coming months, the committee released a 21-page summary (posted online at http://tinyurl.com/7tysey4) of some of the more quantitative findings, the responses to the questions asking participants for yes-or-no or ranking responses. In 42 interviews with shops, insurers, associations, automakers and suppliers, the consultant found that all 18 shop representatives interviewed said they would support the standards effort; generally less than 65 percent of those in the other segments (which included six shop associations or networks) concurred. While not quoting interviewees directly, the report offers a sense of some of the comments made. Shop association representatives, for example, questioned what such a program is going to do for shops, and said insurers should not be in a position to influence how vehicles are repaired. Two of the six insurers interviewed also said that insurers shouldn’t be involved and that shops should drive the effort. The last question in the draft report issued by the committee asked survey participants what they see as the likelihood that the repair standards initiative would be implemented within the next five years. Thrall said using a scale of 1 (no chance) to 4

CIC Participants Speak Out Though the discussion that followed the committee’s report at CIC, held in January in Palm Springs, Calif., included some discussion of the issue of standards, much of it focused on criticism or defense of the research study itself. Some of the CIC participants who spoke included: ● Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), who said he felt the survey questions seemed less focused on “determining the appetite of the industry” for a formalized standard program and more on “carving out the menu.” He said the consultant, in addition to the 42 interviews, participated in a conference call with more than a dozen of SCRS state affiliate groups. “I think it was very clear from our folks on that call that (standards) are something that is valuable to be done by collision repairers for collision repairers, but that there was skepticism of having involvement among entities such as insurance carriers involving the establishment of repair standards.” ● Paul Massey of Ford Motor Company said that although OEM repair procedures are the logical basis for repair standards, it’s really up to shops, insurers and consumers to decide if there’s value in developPaul Massey ing a formalized standards program. The study, he said, didn’t answer the questions he thinks the industry needs to ask itself. “At the end of the day, if you put in standards would a lot more customers choose you over the next guy,” Massey said. “If you put in standards, do you run a better, more competitive

I-CAR promises response Also at the CIC meeting in Palm

The Van Tuyl Group, an Irving, Texas-based company with more than 70 automotive dealerships across the country, has announced the first an-

nual Charity Super Bowl flag football tournament to be held in the DallasFort Worth area. The event will be held Saturday, February 4, 2012 at the

Stampede Sports Complex in Southlake, Texas—the day before Super Bowl XLVI takes place in Indianapolis. The Charity Super Bowl will be

Springs, I-CAR CEO John Van Alstyne said his organization hopes to respond by April to a joint request from multiple repairer associations that I-CAR play a role in standards formation. Last fall, a number of industry associations issued a statement calling published automaker repair procedures the “official industryrecognized repair standards for collision repair.” In the statement, the John Van Alstyne groups acknowledged that OEM repair procedures are “incomplete in comparison to the full scope of vehicles and repair operations that exist in the marketplace,” but they should serve as a baseline from which further development of procedures occur. The associations called on I-CAR to create an industry council “to identify gaps in existing OEM procedures” and to develop processes to close those gaps, vetting any industry-proposed alternatives, modifications or additions to OEM procedures. At CIC in Palm Springs, Van Alstyne reiterated what he said last fall, that he sees merit in the proposal given I-CAR’s current involvement with the automakers. But he also has said I-CAR’s board must decide what role it’s appropriate for the organization to play, and that he has personally been in touch with I-CAR stakeholders to gather feedback. He said the I-CAR board’s “strategic planning committee” will review that compiled feedback and make a recommendation to the board—with a decision, he said, likely by CIC’s April 25-26 meeting in Oklahoma City, Okla.

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

Van Tuyl Group to Hold Charity Super Bowl Event in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area 30 FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

co-sponsored by the Van Tuyl Group, PPG, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car®. All proceeds are to benefit Trinity See Van Tuyl, Page 35

Collision Hub Launches The Hub™ Your Social Media Toolbox Collision Hub announced the launch of The Hub™, a monthly Social Media consulting tool delivered to customers each month as a graphic and video rich eMagazine. The Hub will be content-rich with industry-relevant material that encourages localized and internally managed social media strategies. The Hub will include columns and video blogs from Kristen Felder, Founder and CEO of Collision Hub, as well as Liz Blackman, Collision Hub’s Social Media expert and Operations Director. The Hub will also provide subscribers with direct access to Collision Hub’s social media consultation team as well as ongoing support and guidance at every level of their social media journey. Each month the CH team will give shops step-by-step action plans to implement, suggested social media postings based on a calendar of events, creative marketing ideas to employ and pre-packaged video content for shops to download and share in their social media outlets.

These tools will allow shops to increase page engagement, followers and improve their SEO rankings. According to The Hub Editor and Collision Hub social media expert Liz Blackman, “during our three years of traveling and speaking on Social Media we were asked over and over to become the marketing consultant of Collision Repairers across the country. However, at Collision Hub we believe the best person for any social media campaign is the business staff themselves. By tackling the ‘hows’ of Social Media and by helping shops to keep their social media in house, it is our belief that The Hub will rocket launch Collision Repairers to the fore front of their communities.” By subscribing to The Hub, each shop can now “hire” Collision Hub as their personal Social Media Consultant, Marketing and Public Relations firm. To learn more and subscribe visit: www.collisionhub.com/thehub.

Continued from Front Page

GCIA

Dave also talked about self-piercing rivets and flow-form rivets that have to be punched out, not drilled. Then adhesives are used in conjunction with the rivets to create a solid repair. The equipment and training investment needed to perform these repairs is well over $100,000, not to mention the expensive rivets and adhesives. Dave also reminded everyone to follow the OE recommended repair procedures when working with these vehicles and use OEM parts. Many times the warranties are voided if salvage or A/M parts are used. Attendees were captivated by the part of Dave’s presentation concerning air bag reaction time. Air bag reaction timing is measured in milliseconds and the timing is critical to occupant safety. Dave had a couple of videos showing the effects of a slowed reaction in air bag timing. The results were shocking; the air bag actually deployed late, the occupant’s head (actually a melon) hit the steering wheel and then the air bag de-

ployed. The melon absolutely exploded. If this would have been a real person, there would have been serious injuries or even death. For more information about Dave and Reliable Automotive Equipment please visit www.raeservice.com. In other news, the GCIA will be performing their 6th Annual GCIA Labor Rate survey beginning on March 5. CSi Complete will again perform the survey. This year the group will survey the rate for repairing high strength steels. Since there are different repair procedures and equipment that must be used, the group wants to know what shops are charging for this type of repair. Please visit gacollisionindustry.wordpress.com.

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Hitting the Streets with the G & C Auto Body Meter Beaters seven locations in the Northern California Bay Area, and an eighth opening in June. It all began 20 years ago as a knee-jerk During the 10 days right before reaction to a bad experience with a Christmas, the G & C Meter Beaters parking meter maid, but today it has been lauded as a successful social ex- save drivers from getting parking penalperiment while evolving into a highly ties by replenishing their meters before the City of Santa Rosa’s parking eneffective viral marketing endeavor. They’re called the G & C Meter Beat- forcement officers are able to nail them ers, a creation of Gene Crozat, the with a $33 parking ticket. It’s a program owner of G & C Auto Body, with that Crozat began when he was upset over what he felt was an unfair parking ticket issued two decades ago. “I was rushing back to my car after shopping and the meter maid was sitting there waiting for the meter to expire,” Crozat said. “She saw me coming, but she gave me the ticket anyway. I was really mad, so I went to the bank and got a bunch of quarters. I told my The Meter Beaters (from left) include Brendan Harris, MB Chief kids—get out there and Johnny Reguera, Monique Grayson, her son Jerome Grayson put money in all these and Dawn Marie Vance, as they hit the streets of Santa Rosa, meters before they exCalif. every holiday season for 10 days to pay for people’s parkpire. That’ll show ‘em.” ing and avoid parking tickets by Ed Attanasio

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But brilliant ideas don’t always take traction overnight and the Meter Beaters were a prime example. To say that the powers-that-be in Santa Rosa weren’t enamored with Crozat’s idea was a major understatement. “They threatened my kids and told them

Steve P. from San Francisco happily displays his parking voucher, purchased on his behalf by the Meter Beaters, sponsored by G & C Auto Body in Santa Rosa

‘your daddy is going to jail,’” Crozat explained. “They didn’t like the fact that we were helping people from getting parking tickets and said we were interfering with their operation. The

media flocked to the story and pretty soon the city backed off.” Over the years, Crozat and his Meter Beaters have touched many lives positively, he said. “Once people get our flyers on their windshields telling them they’ve just saved them from a parking ticket, they’re so thrilled they send us money, which we donate to charity. I have some incredible letters here from people, including one gentleman who thought he was getting a ticket when he returned to his car after being at the hospital. His doctor had just informed him that he was dying, so when he saw the ticket it really hit him hard. But, then when he realized there was no ticket, it made his day. Here was a guy with tragic news, probably still in shock, but avoiding that parking ticket was a big deal for him.” When people return to their vehicles and see something on their windshield resembling a parking ticket they’re obviously upset, but instead they get this little holiday greeting from the Meter Beaters of G & C Auto Body:

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While you shopped The Meter Maid stopped To give you a Christmas Treat The price of this gift Could cause you a fit As well as a present so neat The G & C Elves Thought your rage could be shelved If the system could just be beat So we put in a dime To add to your time And keep that maid in her jeep. Your expired meter was paid for by: G & C Auto Body “Meter Beaters” Happy Holidays

“We get better at this every year,” Reguera explained. “It’s an art form actually. With the old parking meters, it was all about feeding coins into them and now we have to pay for the vouchers and continually check the times. But, it works well and we know that we’re saving shoppers and residents from getting parking tickets. Some people know when we’re coming, so they don’t pay for their parking during that time. They

To see the Meter Beaters in action for ourselves, we walked around downtown Santa Rosa with them one sunny, warm December afternoon. The crew consisted of eight high school students earning extra money during the holidays. By skillfully feeding electronic parking machines and distributing the vouchers on cars whose time was about to expire, The Meter Beaters take their jobs seriously. Just ask the leader of the pack, Johnny Reguera, who runs G & C’s towing division and oversees the Meter Beaters efforts every holiday season.

One of the proud Meter Beaters is Dawn Marie Vance, whose father works at one of the G & C Auto Body locations

know we’re going to beat the meter, so they rely on us. I wouldn’t recommend it, but it seems to work for some.” As we observed the Meter Beaters in action, we encountered several

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people right after avoiding a parking ticket, courtesy of G & C. A shopper named Odessa J. was upset and holding what she thought was a parking ticket in her hand when she approached us. When Reguera told her to look again, she screamed out in joy. Would you now take your car to G & C if you get in an accident, we asked her? “Definitely,” she exclaimed. “What a nice thing for them for do, especially during the holidays!” And that was pretty much the same thing we heard from every one we ran into. Toni Guanella is the Manager of Parking for the City of Santa Rosa. She explained that at one time the city wasn’t happy with Crozat’s Meter Beaters, but now they embrace them for obvious reasons. “We love them, because in the end it brings more money to the city. With a staff of just five, we can’t catch everyone. I know there may have been some issues with the Meter Beaters in the past, but now we appreciate it and never interfere. By filling these meters before they expire, we’re getting a boost in revenue for Santa Rosa. I know they spend a lot of time and money on this project,

but in the end the goodwill pays off, I’m sure. I tell my people to stay out of the Meter Beaters’ way and let them do their jobs. I know that people in town anticipate it every holiday season and we do too, honestly.”

Meter Beater Brendan Harris purchases parking vouchers to distribute them on car windshields throughout downtown Santa Rosa, Calif.

Do the G & C Meter Beaters make a difference in Santa Rosa every year, we asked Chief Johnny Reguera? “No doubt about it,” he said. “I can tell by the smiles and the warmth we get from people right after we’ve saved them a ticket. It’s not cheap doing this—we’re going to spend around $10,000 this year—but for us, it’s worth every quarter…or dime!”

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Custom Corner

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

Doing a Charity Build for Patriot Outreach on a Donated Mustang with Rich Evans

Alan Taylor from Motor Trend Radio called me last fall to say he had partnered up with eBay Motors to ‘personalize’ a 2012 5.0L Mustang donated by Galpin Ford, and auction it during SEMA 2011. He wanted to put a team together to take the car from “stock to extreme,” but still with street legal. I was in. Thomas Franklin They also wanted to do a videofor-the-web program about personalizing the car from start to finish. The program is called modJOBS, and you can go to eBay Motors and watch our 6–8 minute episodes at cc.ebay.com/ The 2012 Ford Mustang, seen here at SEMA 2011, was built by the modJOBS team to benefit Patriot Outreach. The car was auctioned off on eBay Motors and yielded $50,100, all of which mod-jobs. It’s narrated by Alan and will go to Patriot Outreach to support treatment for PTSD Dennis Pittsenbarger from Hot Rod Magazine Live. (I come in on episode it to represent the men and women with my design concept I came up #3, Sweet and Low.) So modJOBS that serve our country and provide with, I want to make the car look like makes it fun, everybody gets to team some benefits when they get back it’s going 100mph and then I want to from serving. represent Patriot Outreach and design up and you getwith to follow by Dickalong Strom Basically we’re going to take this a really cool rim. I came up with a rim watching the episodes of how to build a vehicle and how to add accessories car and partner with a lot of people and for you guys to see it you’re going and what’s available out there for from the performance, the wheels, the to have to go visit modJOBS and see braking, paint, parts, concept, and exthese new vehicles. haust. So 2012 Mustang, basically bringing it over to get the performance handled by Edelbrock so what a better way to get the performance done. So they put a supercharger in this thing, which gives you another 100150 horsepower to bring it up to 550at the flywheel. I don’t want to give with Lee AmaradiohpJr. you all the inside scoop on it because I really want you guys to watch our modJOBS episodes and follow us With Dennis Pittsenbarger (l) checking out the along the build that way. caliper covers by MGP Caliper Covers I reached out to a team of guys to Alan said the car would be auc- help me so I didn’t have to carry the tioned on Ebay and the proceeds whole weight of this build. We got would go to a charity called Patriot Ryno Templeton from Blast of Air, a Outreach (www.patriotoutreach.org) lot of you guys will know him from to contribute to treating PTSD. The ul- my Allstar team on Car Warriors. I timate team would include Vick Edel- also reached out to Revo Reeves who brock, Jr. (supercharged engine); owns Stitch Craft Interiors. Revo did with Sheila Loftus Revo Reeves (interior), Ryan ‘Ryno’ the interior and the audio and Ryno Templeton (paint), and me (modified did the airbrush art on the headliner and the paint. We did a logo for Patriot design and fabrication). I love building cars and was Outreach on the fiberglass headliner happy to put time and effort to benefit that I made. We don’t really want to the people that have served our coun- get real loud with this car but we want try and are the real heroes. They go to make it kind of subtle and cool. over and risk or sacrifice their lives to Everybody knows me, I’m always real loud, so I’ve got to tune it down and make better lives for us. Here was a back a little bit, which you’ll see by chance to give something back. So we started off with Galpin’s watching the modJOBS videos. With the interior we’re just going 2012 5.0L Mustang with the goal of to do it real subtle but real cool. So putting some more personality behind

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the episode. I basically took a wheel with the Chevron stripes incorporated in it and it’s also got Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine and Navy representation on it to represent what these guys do in a nutshell. What a better way to give back and show our thanks than to really put some heart to it and

Ryno Templeton airbrushed the tribute to the armed forces on the headliner

that’s what I did in that wheel design. I’ve got Brian with Onward Coating cutting my wheels and I want to thank

ple getting together. We called on Hurst Shifters. My buddy Nate over there sent over a shifter for the project and also reached out to Magna Flow. They also sent out some product for Bolt on and we were actually able to take it over to them and have them install it. There were a whole lot of other sponThe set of modJOBS’ production in my shop, Huntingdon Beach sors that came toBody Works gether on this, I’d him for being able to get these wheels really like you guys to tune into modout on time. It came down to a pinch JOBS, that’s the whole purpose bewhere we had to put these wheels on a hind this story. I can tell the story but plane and get them out here in time to being able to circle back and watch it, make it for the big unveiling at 2011 just go to Ebay Motors and click modSEMA. I wanted to incorporate its JOBS and follow along. Another cool own stand alone grille, so I created a thing was that we got to interact with grille kit for it, and also a scoop. And eBay customers and let them choose. from there we’re incorporating a racI created three concepts with the help ing stripe down the side, a graphic, of Ryno and let them choose which and then Ryno’s going to do his thing concept and paint job to go with. If we with some stars and stripes. The do more of these we will probably inprocess is really cool. It’s about peocorporate wheels, body kits, and stuff

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like that and make it a build your own car. It makes it unique when you’re interacting with the viewers and the customers in finding what they want. After creating all this and building this car, the journey was cool. Benchmark Productions are the people that produced everything. We did most of the

Setting up for the video

build here at Huntington Beach Body Works, where we have Rich Evans Designs, my shop. MGP Caliper Covers provided some Rich Evans One Off Caliper Covers. To see them go to mpgcalipercovers.com and get your own covers that you can install within 20 minutes max. That’s an easy way to personalize your car. It’s very inexpensive and it looks really cool. I need to thank my sponsors for everything they do: BF Goodrich always comes to play with a set of tires. G Force is what we used on this build.

A daylight view

They have a new tire coming out as well so look for that it’s going to be really cool. I don’t want to spill the beans before I’m able to but BFG is really working hard and keeping you safe on the road. The guys that participated in this, Gil did a lot of work on the finishing part of it, the buffing and then we had to come in where we got some white compound on the plastic so I can’t forget to mention Solution Finish. All you body shop guys out there having problems catching that white spit off when you’re buffing the Continued from Page 30

Van Tuyl

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cars and it’s getting in the black and you’re using laquer thinner to clean it out and it turns it white. SolutionFinish.com, check it out. It will resolve your oxidation problem. Wipe it on, wipe it off, you’re good to go. No mistakes had and you don’t have to buy parts and this and that. You can go to my website, huntingtonbeachbodywork.com and/or richevansdesigns.com, or go to Ebay Motors, huge site for used and new parts and the sale of cars. So check out my new parts, check out the new car, check out my new wheels. You don’t have to do a lot to change and personalize a car, and that’s proven by what we’ve got going on here with this project.

Another daylight view

The biggest thing is I want everyone to check out is PatriotOutreach.org and if there’s anything you can do to bring awareness to that organization, do it. For every set of wheels I did for this project that are sold, a portion is going to that charity. I like to tie myself to projects where we’re not just thinking of ourselves. That’s what makes projects like this fun and it makes getting up in the morning feel great. I’ve got some really cool stuff coming up for you guys next month. 2012 is going to be a good year and I’ve got a lot of good things going on. I’m fortunate enough to have projects that I can pick from and when you can bring the cool into building projects it makes life that much better, especially when you love what you do. I eat, breathe, live, sleep, what I do and I was fortunate enough to find it young and here I am. Hopefully you guys can keep it all positive and keep consistent and always try to better yourself at what you do. Peace out! youth, and families of West Dallas. The day-long Charity Super Bowl will feature 30 4-on-4 teams competing in a double-elimination tournament. There is an entry fee of $350 per team, with each team allowed to carry a roster of up to eight players. See Van Tuyl, Page 37

www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS 35

Oregon Parts Manager Performs Heroic Deed and Saves a Life by Ed Attanasio

Would you step up and be a hero if you were in an emergency situation with little time to think? Many of us have asked ourselves this same question, but few ever get the opportunity to find out. James Bray, a parts manager at Fix Auto Portland East in Oregon was tested in a big way when he was called upon to pull a man out of a burning car and save his life. If Bray ever had any doubts about his courage or his ability to act heroically, they were all answered at 2 a.m. on December 3. In a highly stressful situation James Bray is the quick parts manager at Fix requiring Auto East in Portthinking and land, Oregon. By quicker action, moving quickly and Bray was able to being prepared, he think fast and take saved a man from a lifesaving action. burning BMW that crashed into a utility That early mornpole at 2 a.m. on ing a BMW hit a December 3 utility pole right in front of Bray’s house in Vancouver, Washington. Normally, Bray would have been asleep, but luckily for the driver, he was still awake, playing computer games. Sounds in the night are mostly weather or animal-related in Vancouver, but this one caught Bray’s attention immediately. “It was a very deep pop sound and I had no idea what it might be. So, I went to the window in the living room and that’s when I saw the car wrapped around the light pole.” With an orange glow coming from under the hood, Bray instantly knew it was more than just a fender bender. “So many things went through my mind. Is someone in there and will the car explode? So, I said to my wife call 911. I got dressed as fast as I could and ran out to the vehicle.” Bray assessed the scene quickly and it didn’t look promising at the outset. He explained, “one guy got out through the back seat, and another guy jumped out through the front passenger-side door. The BMW’s windows were tinted and the car was quickly filling up with smoke. I asked

the two guys if anyone was still left in the car, but they weren’t making any sense. They were basically incoherent.” Rather than wait for a response that wasn’t forthcoming, Bray acted. “I hit the driver’s window with a flashlight that I always carry with me, but it wouldn’t break. So, I smacked it again and this time it shattered. I could see there was a driver stuck in there and he was yelling, because his legs were on fire. I told my wife Mindy to bring the fire extinguisher.” Bray could see that the door was unlocked, but it wouldn’t open. “I tried to open it a few times, but it was jammed, so I asked the two other guys to help me, but we still couldn’t get it open.” Bray handed his folding knife to one of the passengers and told him to cut the driver’s seat belt while he tried to put out the flames in the car with the fire extinguisher. But every time the flames subsided, they instantly returned. “I figured it must be the fuel line, because the flames wouldn’t stop,” Bray said. “At that point, I realized we had to get this guy out of the car right now or he would burn up. So we cut the seat belt, but he still couldn’t get him out. He was stuck in there.” Bray’s quick thinking and common sense kicked in at that point. “We cut the shoulder belt, not thinking about the lap belt and that’s what was holding him in. I gave my knife to one of the two passengers earlier, but he lost it. But I always carry a Leatherman multi-tool on my key chain and it has a knife. I just reached in there and cut the strap pretty easily.” After several attempts, the three men pulled the driver from the car through the window, burned but still alive, Bray said. “His shoes were melted to where I couldn’t recognize them and his pants were on fire. Within seconds, there was an explosion in the vehicle and pretty soon it was completely engulfed in flames. The whole thing took around three minutes, that’s all it was.” The next day, the Vancouver Police reported that the driver was Brian J. Hall, 22. He was transported to the Legacy Health System’s burn unit in Portland with third degree burns and in serious condition. He and his friends were returning from a Univer-

36 FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

sity Oregon football game that evening when the accident occurred. Whether alcohol or drugs were in-

said. “I am very proud of James for his selfless and level-headed reaction. He always carries a keychain Leather-

It’s a family affair at Fix Auto Portland East in Oregon, including (from left) Parts Manager James Bray; Operations Manager William Bray; Retired former Owner Jim Eber; Owner Camille Eber (James’s aunt) and Office Manager Iala Bray

volved is still under investigation, according to the Vancouver Police. Bray’s Aunt Camille Eber is his boss at Fix Auto East Portland and she’s extremely proud of what her nephew did on December 3. “He did an amazing thing,” she

man Tool, a pocket knife and a flashlight. He had all of them that morning and that is why the driver is now alive. We never expect to be in a situation like that, but James did not hesitate and he was prepared. He will always be a hero in my eyes.”

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State Farm Concedes Another Lawsuit Brought by Gunder’s Auto Center Upon State Farm’s October 10th, 2011 written denial to provide consideration for a plethora of recommended and necessary repair procedures and materials, Ray Gunder owner of the 44 year old Gunder’s Auto Center instructed his legal counsel, Attorney Brent Geohagan, to prepare the necessary steps to file a lawsuit against Ray Gunder the nationwide insurer at the request of and authorization by his customer. The lawsuit was prepared and filed on October 25th along with a Civil Remedy Notice (CRN) which was accepted by the courts on December 16th, 2011. State Farm’s legal counsel responded in a letter to Gunder’s Attorney dated January 19th, 2012 stating, in part, “at all times State Farm acted in good faith and fairly and honestly toward its insured, with due regard for its insured’s interest.” Furthermore the correspondence states, in part, “State Farm has de-

cided to exercise its rights under Florida law to avoid unnecessary litigation. Accordingly, enclosed is a check made payable to you and Raymond Gunder in the amount of $1090.70—which is the amount demanded in the CRN, plus statutory interest. This amount is paid to ensure that any alleged violations are cured in accordance with the statute of Florida law and to preclude unnecessary litigation. Again, State Farm’s payment should not be construed as an admission of any wrongdoing or liability on the part of State Farm who denies any liability, as well as the standing of Mr. Gunder to pursue any claims, but exercise of its right under Florida law to avoid protracted, vexatious litigation.” On receiving the news from his attorney, Ray Gunder said, “I am elated that State Farm has chosen to step up and pay what was due our customer and that State Farm elected to settle rather than proceed with a long drawn-out and costly litigation. The word “vexation” means harassing; and/or annoying as if the settlement was settled merely as a nuisance

claim. I’ve never once found where an insurer has ever overpaid a claim and they didn’t in this matter either. They knew what they owed and why and that they would lose if it went in front of jury. They also knew, they would surely incur additional and significant legal costs and interest just as they have in the past. I don’t care what they say their motivation was as long as they pay us so we can pay our teammembers for every drop of sweat they drop in the repair of our customer’s vehicles.” “It will be interesting to see how the other three active lawsuits we have filed against State Farm on behalf of our customers turn out,” continued Gunder. “There are an additional 25 more in line behind those which are ripe to be filed for similar issues. We’ll just keep pounding that rock!”

Continued from Page 35

Van Tuyl

An awards presentation will be held at the end of the day. In addition to enjoying the games, fans attending the Charity Super Bowl can win raffle prizes and participate in a silent auction. “This is one of the most exciting weekends of the year for football lovers,” said DarEd Attanasio ren Huggins, national collision director, Van Tuyl Group. Kristen Felder of collisionhub.com will co-host the bowl’s broadcast with Autobody News’ Ed Attanasio, who has a radio background. For details about the first annual Charity Super Bowl, call 972-670-2948. Give us your opinion on ma To learn more about Trinity River Mission, visit www.trinityrivermission.org. For more information about PPG, call (800) 647-6050 or publisher@autob visit www.ppgrefinish.com.

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Mecum’s Massive Kissimmee Auction Event Kicks Off 2012

The annual Kissimmee event will feature close to 2,000 collector cars crossing the auction block Jan. 24-29, 2012 at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Fla.

our larger-than-life Kissimmee Auction, which we have expanded once again to encompass six full days,” said President Dana Mecum. “We are off and running with an incredible inventory of cars for this year’s event, including a staggering group of investment-grade Corvettes, muscle cars and several collections offered at no reserve. Collectors flock to Florida for Mecum’s fast-paced, customer-centered auctions, and as last year proved and this year promises, Kissimmee will again be the must-attend collector car event in January.” Mecum will offer the legendary 1961 Chevrolet Corvette Gulf Oil Race Car, a SCCA B-Production National Championship winner driven by Dr. Dick Thompson, “The Flying Dentist,” and the most dominant Corvette racer of its time. In addition to the high-quality The 1961 Chevy Corevette Oil Race Car, up for Corvettes, muscle cars and exotics Auction January 24 through 29 being offered, Mecum will present The event will also kick off more than 1,500 pieces of automotive Mecum’s 25th year in business. memorabilia. For a complete consign“Since the final gavel fell at last ment list, visit www.mecum.com and year’s event, enthusiasts and collec- click on the Kissimmee Auction link tors have been anxiously awaiting or call 262.275.5050.

Women’s Industry Network Accepting 2012 Board Applications In keeping true to their motto, “Driving the Future for Women in Collision Repair,” the WIN Nominating Committee is now accepting applications for seats on the WIN Board. The Board consists of various industry segments including but not limited to: shop owners, jobbers, suppliers, consultants, paint companies and insurance companies. Aside from the WIN annual Conference in May volunteer WIN Board members work together to foster an environment that encourages the education, recruitment, retention and networking of women in the collision repair industry. “Within a short time, the Women’s Industry Network has grown in size, produced informative and motivational events, and become a recognized industry association through volunteer efforts, industry sponsorships and the enthusiasm of the WIN membership. WIN is all volunteer. Volunteering for the WIN Board is an outstanding opportunity to have a present and future influence on our industry. If you are motivated to “drive the future for women in collision repair, apply for the WIN Board.” said Denise Caspersen, of ASA,

chair of the WIN Nominating Committee. The deadline for applications is February 24, 2012. For application requirements and further details go to womensindustrynetwork.com. Completed applications should be mailed or PDF copy emailed to WIN Nominating Committee; c/o ASA – Denise Caspersen; 8190 Precinct Line, Suite 100, Colleyville, Texas 76034. For further information please contact Denise Caspersen, phone: (817) 5142906; email: denisec@asashop.org To find out how you can become involved and support WIN or for information on becoming a member or sponsor of WIN, please contact Victoria Jankowski at victoria.jankowski.gsfg@statefarm.com or Jeanne Silver at Jeanne@carstarmundelein.com. Original BMW WIN is Parts also offering scholarships to female collision industry students, instructors and shop employees to attend its 2012 conferbmwusa.com ence May 6-8 in Atlanta. Scholarship applications must Original BMW Parts be submitted through mail by March 9. Visit womensindustrynetwork.com for additional details on scholarship bmwusa.com requirements and the application mailing process.

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Polk Says Average Age of Vehicles is at Record High The average age of cars and light trucks currently in operation in the United State has increased to 10.8 years, according to Polk, an automotive market intelligence firm. Passenger cars showed a modest increase in age since 2010, from 11 years to 11.1 years at the end of June 2011. Light trucks (including pickups and SUVs) show a more sizeable gain in the same time frame, from 10.1 years to 10.4 years. Overall, average vehicle age has been increasing quickly over the past five years. Polk reports average age based on an analysis of national vehicle registration data.

The slowdown of the aging of passenger cars directly correlates to the low sales volumes and the mix of car and truck sales in the U.S. market in 2008 and 2009, a time in which more trucks than cars were registered. While more trucks were sold over the same timeframe, they showed a faster aging rate. Polk expects this trend may change in the coming years as CUV and small SUV populations in the U.S. market have risen in 2010 and 2011 due to their continued success in the market. Additionally, the rebound in new vehicle sales in 2011 and for the next couple of years will most likely slow

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down the aging rate seen in the market over the past three years, according to Polk. “The increasing age of the vehicle fleet, together with the increasing length of ownership, offers significant business growth opportunity for the automotive aftermarket,” said Mark Seng, global aftermarket practice leader at Polk. “Dealer service departments and independent repair facilities, as well as aftermarket parts suppliers, will see increased business opportunity with customers in need of vehicle service.” Year-over-year Light Vehicle Population Declines Come to an End 2011 marked the end of the U.S. vehicle population decline that has occurred annually since 2008. According to Polk, the total vehicles in operation (VIO) in July 2011 was just over 240.5 million, an increase of 500,000 units over July in the previous year, and nearly equal to 2009 VIO. The highest VIO on record was achieved in July 2008, when more than 242 million passenger cars and light trucks were on America’s roads.

CIECA Announces New Board of Trustees for 2012

The Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) Board of Trustees has elected the following officers for the year 2012: ● Chair – Denise Caspersen, Automotive Service Association ● Vice Chair – Troy Weaver, DuPont Performance Coatings ● Treasurer – Paul Barry, Performance Claims ● Secretary – Kathy Goddard, Safelite Corporation Each of these officers will serve on the Executive Committee, which oversees CIECA business matters between board meetings and maintains the Board’s agenda. Michael Lloyd, California Casualty Management Company, will assume the title of Past Chair on the CIECA Executive Committee. More information about CIECA can be viewed on the CIECA web site: www.cieca.com.

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www.autobodynews.com www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2012 AUTOBODY NEWS 39