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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.
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