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ASA’s “How’s Your Business?” Survey Results Online The Automotive Service Association’s (ASA) “How’s Your Business?” survey for 2016 is now available online. Designed to provide a snapshot of the automotive service and collision repair industry, the survey data captures how repair facilities fared last year in terms of sales, profits and other key elements of their daily business operations. All ASA-member shop owners in good standing were given the opportunity to complete the survey about their business operations in the first six months of 2016, and the information participants provided offers some surprising new developments in the industry since the survey was last taken in 2014. In addition, ASA updated the survey with questions in new categories that offer data covering hybrid vehicle service, emission-inspection programs and hours and types of training shops offer, including the amount of live vs. online training for owners, managers, technicians and adminis-
trative staff. The survey also offers statements from participants indicating that, in general, business in the automotive service sector was up in 2016, but hiring and retaining qualified techs remains a challenging issue. “Keeping up with the changes in the automotive service and collision repair industries is a full-time job these days,” said Tony Molla, ASA’s vice president. “The latest survey results only confirm that we are in a dynamic, technology-driven cycle that is changing the way business models are evolving, while reinforcing the need for qualified talent to continue building on the success our member shops report.” The report is broken down by the Mechanical sector and Collision sector. For additional information about ASA, including past media releases, go to www.ASAshop.org or visit ASA’s legislative website at www.TakingThe Hill.com.
According to a new AAA survey, two out of three U.S. drivers do not trust auto repair shops in general—citing overcharges, recommendations for unnecessary services and poor past experiences for their lack of confidence. However, the survey also reveals that the majority (64 percent) of U.S. drivers have singled out an auto repair shop that they do trust, sug-
gesting that consumers have prioritized finding a reliable mechanic in an industry with imperfect reputation. AAA urges all drivers to identify a reputable repair facility well before one is needed. “To minimize the stress associated with vehicle repair and maintenance, it is critical that drivers find an
Most U.S. Drivers Leery of Auto Repair Shops
See Leery of Auto Repair, Page 10
VOL. 7 ISSUE 12 FEBRUARY 2017
More Than A Half Million Defective Airbag Inflators Remain Unrepaired In South Florida Hundreds of thousands of South Florida residents are driving recalled vehicles with dangerously defective airbag inflators that could blast shrapnel into the passenger compartment upon impact. In response, dozens of civic and community leaders have joined together to launch an urgent, region-wide effort to get more than a half million unrepaired defective airbag inflators off the roads in Dade and Broward counties. Certain Hondas and Acuras pose up to a 50 percent chance of producing a deadly explosion, prompting community leaders to call for action and commit to increasing awareness of dangerous recall. While the recall affects vehicles from 19 automakers, drivers of some older vehicles face an even greater risk. These models include 2001 and 2002 Honda Civics and Accords, the
2002 and 2003 Acura TL, the 2002 Honda Odyssey and CR-V, the 2003 Acura CL and the 2003 Honda Pilot. According to outgoing U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, “with as high as a 50 percent chance of a dangerous air bag inflator rupture in a crash, these vehicles are unsafe and need to be repaired immediately.” At least 11 Americans—including one Floridian—have been killed by defective airbag inflators, and approximately 180 Americans have suffered serious injuries, including cuts or lacerations to the face or neck, broken or fractured facial bones, loss of eyesight, and broken teeth. The individual from Florida that died was driving an older, higher-risk vehicle. In this and nearly all other cases in the U.S., the fatal airbag explosion was
by James Burns and Baker Donelson
tion proceedings brought by auto body shops in several states against many of the largest auto insurers in the nation. In each case, the auto body shops contended that the insurers had conspired to limit the reimbursement rates provided by the insurers for insured repairs. The cases were ultimately all consolidated before Judge Gregory Presnell (Middle District of Florida) as the In re Auto Body Shop Antitrust Litigation, and Judge Presnell subsequently dismissed the antitrust claims in most of the cases, many on a case-by-case basis, for failure to state a claim. The plaintiffs in several of the dismissed cases filed appeals with the Eleventh Circuit, with the Parker case being the earliest appealed action. Because the dismissal in the Parker case was on procedural grounds, it does
See Airbag Recall, Page 4
Eleventh Circuit Refuses to Reinstate Dismissed Auto Body Shop Antitrust Case on Procedural Grounds In early December, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued a one sentence decision refusing to reinstate the plaintiff/appellants’ appeal in Parker Auto Body v. State Farm Automobile Insurance Company. The appeal had previously been dismissed by the Court based upon the appellants’ failure to file their case Appendix (the records from the district court that the appellate court reviews when considering an appeal) on a timely basis. As a result of the Court’s most recent ruling, barring a successful appeal to the Supreme Court—which would seem unlikely—the Eleventh Circuit’s refusal to reinstate the appeal brings an end to the case for the auto body shop plaintiffs in that case. Notably, however, the Parker case is only one of a series of class ac-
See 11th Circuit Refuses, Page 16
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Contents
NATIONAL 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division Introduces 3M™ Power Tools for Body Repair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 A New Life, a New Job: A Success Story for Syrian Refugee Family Living in Ottawa, Ont. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 ABRA Auto Body & Glass Announces Executive Leadership Promotions and Appointment of Chief Operating Officer . 67 Antonelli - From SkillsUSA to WorldSkills,
Johnson was arrested on Dec. 9 in New Hanover County and placed under a $5,000 bond.
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Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Online Editor and Copywriter: Deana Cacus Contributing Writers: Tom Franklin, John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, David Brown, Rich Evans, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr, Stacey Phillips, Victoria Antonelli Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Sales Assistant: Jessica Day Content/Social Media Specialist: Cass Heckel Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Michelle Lucas
Serving Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and adjacent metro areas. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the autobody industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2017 Adamantine Media LLC.
Aerosol Refinish Solutions, LLC . . . 23 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 38-39 Axalta Coating Services . . . . . . . . . . 5 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 63 CarcoonAmerica Airflow Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA). . . . . . . . . . . 29 ChemSpec USA, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Chief Automotive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Coggin Deland Honda . . . . . . . . . . 28 DJS Fabrications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Dominion Sure Seal . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Eckler’s Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Eco Repair Systems of North America, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 ECS Automotive Concepts . . . . . . . 22 Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . 31 Everett Chevrolet-Buick-GMCadillac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Eurovac, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 59 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 65 Gus Machado Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 GYS Welding USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Hendrick Automotive Group . . . . . . 25 Hendrick Automotive Group of Charleston. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Hendrick BMW/MINI . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Hendrick Dodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Hendrick Kia Cary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Hendrick Kia Concord . . . . . . . . . . 55 Herkules Equipment Corporation. . 27 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 34-35 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Insta Finish Car Care . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Jim Cogdill Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Jon Hall Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Kernersville Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Killer Tools & Equipment. . . . . . . . . 45 Lexus Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 56 Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 62 Mirka Abrasives, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Miracle System/Equipment Gateway, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 41 Nissan of Richmond . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 O’Brien Hyundai-Subaru-Mazda . . 42 Polyvance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 58 PPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Radley Chevrolet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Naples. . . 40 Rick Hendrick Dodge-ChryslerJeep-Ram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Riverside Ford-Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . 32 SATA Dan-Am Company . . . . . . . . 17 Southside Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Spanesi Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Stateline Chrysler-Jeep-DodgeRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 57 Tameron Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 UniCure Spraybooths . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Valspar Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 West Broad Hyundai. . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Wizards Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Yellow Jacket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Southeast
COLUMNISTS Attanasio - 66 Cars in 16 Years: The Benevolence Program at Mike’s Auto Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Attanasio - Are Green Shops Truly Green or Are They Just Greenwashing? . . . . . 60 Attanasio - How Will 3D Printing Affect the Collision Repair Industry?. . . . . . . . 42 Attanasio - She Went from Receptionist to GM in Just 3 Years at NJ Shop . . . . . 50 Chess - What To Expect from an OSHA Isocyanate and Lift Inspection . . . . . . . 46 Phillips - Correctional Facilities Across U.S. Offering Auto Body Programs for Inmates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Phillips - The Benefits of Plastic Repair Include Speed, Fewer Losses, and Shorter Rentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Phillips - Tracy’s Collision Center in NE Shares Insight About Building a Brand. . 27 Yoswick - OEM Summit Includes Discussion of Scan Tools, Collision Repair Training Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Yoswick - Retro News: Industry History Includes Diminished Value, Rating Insurers, a New Direction for CARSTAR . . . . . . . 54
Cuesta College Graduate Shares Experience at Home and Abroad . . . . . 36 ASA Announces Dates, Location for 2017 Annual Business Meeting . . . . . . 59 ASA’s “How’s Your Business?” Survey Results Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Auto Body Paint Repair Shop Franchise BumperDoc Celebrates Another Grand Opening. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Auto Body Shop in KS on A Rapid Growth Path. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Axalta Announces its Automotive Color of the Year 2017 – Gallant Gray . . . . . . 64 Bike Giveaway Benefits Nearly 1,000 kids . . 6 Countdown Beginnings for 2017 Midwest Auto Body Trade Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 CREF / I-CARSnapshot of The Collision Repair Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Driven Brands Charitable Foundation Makes Special Deliveries to Levine Children’s Hospital. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Eleventh Circuit Refuses to Reinstate Dismissed Auto Body Shop Antitrust Case on Procedural Grounds . . . . . . . . . 1 I-CAR Launches Seven New Vehicle and Technology Specific Training Courses . . 55 IL Auto Body Shop Says Former Employee Failed to Exhaust Administrative Remedies in Pregnancy Discrimination Suit . . . . . 15 Mitchell International Introduced as Newest SCRS Corporate Member. . . . . . . . . . . 62 Mopar Celebrates 80 Years . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Most U.S. Drivers Leery of Auto Repair Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 MPCC in NE Breathes New Life Into Antique Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 MSO Symposium Announces Advisory Board for 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 NASCAR Tech Student Receives Outstanding Student Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 National Auto Body Council Executive Director, Chuck Sulkula, Announces Retirement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 National Auto Body Council Launches Search Campaign For New Executive Director. . 62 NHTSA Opens Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Investigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 OSHA: Fatal Injuries at Auto Parts Whse Preventable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Owner of PDR Company in Buffalo, NY Sees an Industry in Trouble . . . . . . . . . 51 PartsTrader and Nexsyis Integration Simplifies the Workflow for Collision Repair Users . 24 Refinish Distributors Alliance Adds New Member . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Search Continues in OH Body Shop Owner’s Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Solera Holdings Inc. To Acquire Autodata . 56 Video Shows 2016’s Worst Red-Light Runners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 VISION Hi-Tech Training & Expo to be Held March 2-5 in Overland Park, KS . . . . . . 14 YANG Calls for Hosts for 2017 Meet-Ups. . 64
Joseph Raymond Johnson was arrested and charged with one count of insurance fraud, according to an announcement by North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. Department of Insurance criminal investigators accuse Johnson of fraudulently reporting that his vehicle was stolen before it was involved in an automobile accident to the Wilmington Police and to Sentry Insurance. Investigators allege Johnson knowingly granted permission to Rashawn Herbert Hines to operate the vehicle.
Index of Advertisers
REGIONAL Antonelli - Techs of Tomorrow: Veteran, Lover of Art & Cars Finds Calling at NC’s FTCC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Axalta Donates Liquid Coatings to Haitian Hurricane Relief Effort . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 CARSTAR Brings Collision Repair Industry’s Largest MSO Event to Charlotte, NC. . . . 9 Crashed Car in FL Put Back on the Road with Short Cut Repairs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Gerber Collision Opens Repair Location in NC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 I-CAR Atlanta’s 8th Annual Golf Tournament Planned for April 26, 2017 . . . . . . . . . . 58 IGONC’s Triangle Chapter Enjoyed Xmas Celebration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 More Than A Half Million Defective Airbag Inflators Remain Unrepaired In South Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 NHTSA Ends Probe of Fatal Tesla Florida Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Wilmington, NC, Insurance Fraud Charged . 3 York, VA, Body Shop Fire Under Investigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Wilmington, NC, Insurance Fraud Charged
Autobody News Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018; (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com Email: news@autobodynews.com
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 3
Continued from Cover
Airbag Recall
triggered by a minor collision that the driver should have been able to walk away from. Thousands of these higherrisk vehicles are still on the road in South Florida, but have yet to be been repaired. The risk for serious injury or death is particularly acute in South Florida due to high temperatures and humidity that exacerbate the defect in the airbag inflator. A new community mobilization effort called “Airbag Recall: Miami-Dade” is educating the public about the magnitude of the recall and helping affected drivers schedule lifesaving, free repairs with local dealerships, where replacement parts are available for higher-risk vehicles. Similar community efforts are already underway in Texas, and are expected to expand into Broward County early this year. In addition, as part of ongoing efforts to address this recall, on Dec. 9, 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a new repair prioritization plan designed to accelerate the availability of replacement parts for vehicles impacted by the recall. Local residents can find out whether their vehicle has a defective airbag inflator at www.AirbagRecall .com. If impacted by the recall, they can contact any of their automaker’s nearby dealerships to schedule a free repair. South Florida residents who may be waiting for replacement parts
for their vehicle, or who are not affected by the current recall, are also encouraged to call their local dealer and confirm their contact information is up to date so they receive recall-related updates going forward. “As a life-long civil servant, I am deeply invested in the safety and security of our community. My office is committed to working with leaders from across South Florida to raise awareness about the gravity and magnitude of the airbag recall, and to ensuring all members of the community, including diverse, low-income and under-served populations understand how to get their defective airbags replaced for free.” –State Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon, District 35. “Due to the lack of public transportation infrastructure in our communities, many hardworking Floridians must depend on their cars to survive. The ongoing airbag recall demands immediate attention from residents across South Florida. We view safe, reliable transportation as a critical resource for all individuals. We urge all drivers to check their vehicle at www.AirbagRecall.com. This small step will help keep you, your family and other members of our community safe.” –Monica Russo, Executive Vice President of 1199SEIU United Workers East. “In South Florida, many of us drive or ride in a car every day, several times a day. If your vehicle contains a defective airbag, this part of your daily life could threaten your life. The good news is that getting your airbag inflator replaced is quick, easy
Brakes Failed on Semi That Crashed into SC Body Shop by Anna Lee
A truck driver said his brakes went out moments before his tractor-trailer crashed into 10 vehicles and barrelled through the front of Jimmy’s Garage on North Main Street in Greer, SC, a police collision report revealed. The Greer Police Department released the report on January 3, four days after the crash shut down State 14 at Chandler Road for hours while first responders cleared debris from the roadway. According to the report, the truck driver stated the brakes on his truck stopped working when he tried to brake for two stopped cars ahead about 1:45 p.m. on December 30. The driver said he tried to go in between the cars to avoid a rear-end collision but instead struck both cars
and then continued on into oncoming lanes of traffic. From there, the truck set off a chain reaction as vehicles were pushed into other vehicles from the truck’s momentum, according to the report. The truck then entered Jimmy’s Garage, 1101 N. Main St., and struck a tenth vehicle before falling through the floor of the garage into the basement. Debris from the impact and truck struck two people who were inside the business, police said. No charges were filed against the truck driver, according to the report. State transport police were notified to conduct inspections on the truck because the driver said the brakes weren’t operating correctly, officers said. We thank Greenville Online for re-print permission.
4 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
and free of charge. All vehicle owners should visit www.AirbagRecall.com for information about any open safety recall on their vehicle and what they can do to have a defective airbag inflator replaced free of charge.” –State Senate President Pro-Tempore Anitere Flores, District 39. “This recall threatens all members of our community – families, seniors, college students, children and others. That’s why collaboration among diverse organizations, leaders and other concerned members of the community is critical to addressing this urgent public safety issue. Our organization is committed to supporting outreach efforts throughout South Florida, and to educating all local citizens about the simple steps they can take to prevent a deadly accident caused by a defective airbag inflator.” –Manny Hartman, President of the South Florida Chapter of the Labor Council for Latin American Achievement (LCLAA). “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is doing everything possible to make sure that there are no more preventable injuries or deaths because of these dangerous air bag inflators. All vehicle owners should regularly check their vehicles
for recalls and go get them fixed at no cost as soon as replacement parts are available.” –Dr. Mark Rosekind, NHTSA Administrator. “Our call to action for drivers across South Florida is simple: check before you wreck. Even a minor fender bender can be fatal. It’s imperative—and easy—to look up your VIN now at www.AirbagRecall.com.” said John D. Buretta, Independent Monitor of Takata and the Coordinated Remedy Program.
MIAMI-DADE Airbag Recall: Miami-Dade comprises community organizations, public interest groups, private companies, elected officials, faith communities and other concerned parties unified in the effort to raise consumer awareness about the ongoing airbag inflator recall. Participants are committed to educating the residents of Dade County about the risks associated with defective airbag inflators, helping affected drivers schedule free repairs and accelerating recall completion rates in the area. To determine if your car has a defective airbag inflator, visit www .AirbagRecall.com and enter your vehicle identification number (VIN).
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www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 5
Bike Giveaway Benefits Nearly 1,000 Kids by J.T. Fellows, Digital Content Producer and Jose Zozaya, Reporter at WTVM
Columbus, GA, entrepreneur Chester Jackson continued his annual tradition of giving out bicycles to local children for the fifth year on December 17. For the fifth year in a row, East Coast Body Shop on Farr Road in Columbus helped fulfill Christmas wishes with their free bike giveaway for children of all ages. This year, volunteers made it a priority to help one family left devastated after last month’s apartment fire off Oakley Drive destroyed everything they had. “When your child is telling you they want to go home because they want their toys, and you don’t know how to explain to them that they can’t - it’s hard,” said Daphne Johnson, whose family lost their apartment in the fire. This is a joyous moment for Daphne and Curtis Johnson, as they try to get things as back to normal for their boys Camar, King, and Ty. “It’s a big pat on the back. It makes me happy to see them smile and that’s the only thing that matters:
staying a child at heart,” Curtis Johnson said. The Johnsons have found a new home, and thank those helping give away the bikes for putting a smile on the kids’ faces. “We’ve been blessed. And like he said, we’re rebuilding, and people have been helping me out a lot and I’m grateful, thankful for that,” Daphne Johnson said. Seeing children smile is the ultimate reward for Chester Jackson, the heart and soul of this operation. “No, this is the beginning. There’s a child out there that has never had a bike in their life. But they left here with a bike, and I retain that smile,” says Chester Jackson, Owner of East Coast Body Shop. The total number of bikes this year given away was 995. Jackson thanks other community organizations for gathering the bikes all year long. “Total strangers... total strangers. Because, they see what a child needs. They need love, they need joy, they need someone to just reach out and say, ‘Look, I love you.’ It makes a difference,” Jackson said. Jackson says he hopes to have more bikes next year to make more Christmas wishes come true.
Auto Body Paint Repair Shop Franchise BumperDoc Celebrates Another Grand Opening
BumperDoc, an auto body paint shop franchise, (BumperDoc Franchises) is celebrating the grand opening of shop number six in the state of Florida, located in Oakland Park. BumperDoc officially began welcoming customers to their newest
Florida location on Thursday, December 1, 2016. The new BumperDoc is located at 793 NE 45th Street in Oakland Park. “Having the opportunity to bring our family to Florida and open a BumperDoc is the beginning of our long-term success plan!” said Karla Mata and Rommel Rojas; owners of the new BumperDoc. BumperDoc auto body paint shops provide a multitude of services and work with all major insurance companies. By repairing plastics before replacing them and using ecofriendly products, BumperDoc continues to set the standard in the auto body industry. BumperDoc leverages
partnerships with Solar Gard, LKQ and Akzo Nobel to provide quality results backed by industry leaders. BumperDoc offers many services to help customers maintain the value and appearance of their automotive investment. With same-day bumper repair service and 2-3 day express collision repair, BumperDoc is saving retail customers time and money on a daily basis. Customers can receive a free estimate anytime without an appointment, and BumperDoc is open 6 days a week to serve the Oakland Park community. In addition to auto body and paint repairs, service offerings include window tinting, auto detailing, dent removal, wheel repair, windshield chip repair and headlight restoration.
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NASCAR Tech Student Receives Outstanding Student Award NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI) student Madison Conrad has been awarded the Roger Penske Outstanding Student Award by the TechForce Foundation, a nonprofit that champions students through their education and into careers as professional technicians in the transportation industry. The award grants $8,500 in funding to one exceptional Universal Technical Institute (UTI) student nearing graduation, who has completed 52 weeks of core curriculum in auto and/or diesel, electives and/or manufacturer-specific advanced training. Students honored with the award must display high academic achievement, a record as a team player and serve as a role model to fellow students. Conrad will graduate in February from the Auto/NASCAR/Pit Crew program at NTI and plans to pursue her dream of becoming an engine tuner for a NASCAR premier series team. A native of Albuquerque, N.M., Conrad began racing stock cars at a local dirt track at 14 years old and over the course of her racing career won prestigious awards including Rookie of the Year and the Ironman Award. She has also won a Points Championship. Driven by her passion for racing, Conrad moved 1,700 miles from
home to attend NTI to receive the best training and education possible. While at NTI, Conrad has been an active member of the community by serving as president of the student council and organizing activities, fundraisers, spirit weeks and volunteer activities for students. She also volunteers with a campus dirt wing sprint car team and helps prepare the cars for races. She has received 15 Director’s List awards, seven Student of the Course awards and 48 Crew Chief awards. Despite her many commitments including serving on student council and interning with Roush Yates Engines, Conrad always takes the time to stay after class and explain difficult concepts to her fellow students. “Madison’s commitment to excellence and passion for helping her fellow students illustrate why she is a worthy recipient of this award,” said Jennifer Maher, CEO and executive director of TechForce Foundation. “She inspires those around her to perform at their best, cultivates a sense of camaraderie in the community, and has the grit and perseverance that embodies the spirit of the Roger Penske Outstanding Student award.”
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www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 7
Gerber Collision Opens Repair Location in NC
Gerber Collision & Glass has announced the January 6 opening of a collision repair location in Monroe, North Carolina.
The location previously operated as Griffin Motors Collision Center and shares a location with an automobile dealership. Monroe is located about 25 miles southeast of Charlotte, the largest city in North Carolina. “We are pleased to add this location, which will help us serve customers and our insurance partners in the southeast region of metropolitan Charlotte and complements our locations in the central, north and west areas of the city,” said Tim O’Day, president and COO of Gerber Collision & Glass. “Additionally, this repair center being co-located with a car dealership gives us a prime opportunity to introduce dealership customers to our high level of quality and service.”
York, VA, Body Shop Fire Under Investigation
Firefighters braved cold temperatures while battling an early-morning fire in York County. According to the Fire Department, they responded to Tim’s Custom Paint on Production Drive around 12:30 Monday morning. That’s in the Tabb section of the county.
Credit: York COunty Fire and Life Safety
Crews quickly got the fire knocked out. No one was hurt. Investigators are now trying to determine what sparked that fire. Officials say it appears the fire may have started in the vicinity of the bathroom area.
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8 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Driven Brands Charitable Foundation Makes Special Deliveries to Levine Children’s Hospital
The Driven Brands Charitable Foundation (DBCF) spread early holiday cheer on December 21 at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte. Employees from Driven Brands were able
to bring gifts to every inpatient child at the hospital thanks to the annual Driven Brands Holiday Auction that raised more than $15,000 this year. Five representatives from DBCF and Driven Brands delivered the gifts to the children that included toys for all ages. The children received games, stuffed animals, Legos, headphones, book, crafts, Matchbox cars and other miscellaneous toys to help bring a smile to their faces while receiving treatment at Levine Children’s Hospital. The hospital has roughly 150 children as inpatients evert day. In addition to the gifts for the children at Levine, the DBCF also “adopted” a family in need in the Charlotte area this holiday. The Founda-
tion was able to purchase clothes, toys, household items, holiday decorations, as well as gift cards for food and gas. One of the main initiatives of the Foundation is to change the lives of children and families in need within its local communities. The DBCF made donations to two additional children’s hospitals, SickKids Canada and the Children’s
Hospital in New Orleans with funds from the auction. The annual auction was open to employees, more than 2,500 Driven Brands franchisees and customers throughout the country. For more information on the Driven Brands Charitable Foundation or to make a donation, visit www.DrivenFoundation.com.
CARSTAR Brings Collision Repair Industry’s Largest MSO Event to Charlotte, NC.
CARSTAR North America will host the collision repair industry’s largest Multi-Shop Owner (MSO) network event, the CARSTAR North America Conference, from Aug. 23–26 in Charlotte, N.C.
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts joined Driven Brands, Inc., in 2015, and in 2016 integrated with CARSTAR Canada to become CARSTAR North America. Themed the “Power of One,” this year’s CARSTAR Conference will be held at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte. It will open with its annual awards presentation Saturday night to recognize the top-performing franchisees, then shift gears to focus on strategic planning, management and technical education sessions, panel discussions, vendor partner networking events, motivational speakers and an insurance industry forum.
“Over the past year, CARSTAR has expanded its presence as the most dynamic company in the collision industry,” said Michael Macaluso, president, CARSTAR North America. “Our conference will reflect this with an event where store ow-ners, business leaders, vendor partners and insurance companies come together to help build the collective industry for the future. This is the largest MSO network event of the year, with an incredible lineup of speakers, education events and networking opportunities exclusively for the CARSTAR store owners. This is just one of the many resources we provide store owners in the CARSTAR family, and a powerful tool for them to help them gain the edge, grow their business and improve their operations.” For more information, visit www .carstar.com.
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Crashed Car in FL Back on the Road with Short Cut Repairs, Claims Initially Denied but Approved
by Jackie Callaway, WFTS Tampa Bay
A split second after Deb Orr drove through the green light, a commercial truck struck the back side of her 2015 Honda. Orr left her Civic at a
Credit: WFTS Tampa Bay
dealership for repairs and State Farm covered the costs. Orr said the car shook after she picked it up. She worried whether it was safe to drive. Her concerns led to post collision repair expert Barrett Smith, who has been examining wrecked autos for two decades. Smith found multiple flaws with the work done on the Honda. They included one rear panel that was glued on and another that should have been replaced. The bottom line, according
to this expert: the car wasn’t safe. Orr says she sent the post repair report to State Farm and demanded they authorize funds for additional repair work. The company responded with a letter. A claims analyst stated in a letter to Orr, “State Farm has estimated and paid for your vehicle in accordance with industry standards, which has placed your vehicle in pre-loss condition.” WFTS Tampa Bay submitted Orr’s claim to State Farm’s offices in Lakeland. Days later, they responded via email. “Thank you for bringing this to our attention... we will take care in working with Mrs. Orr to assist with her concerns.” Within days, State Farm contacted Orr and let her know they would approve more extensive repairs. Consumers who discover their car is not properly repaired by a mechanic or auto body shop can report them to the Florida Dept. of Ag and Consumer Services at www.800helpfla .com.
We thank WFTS Tampa Bay for reprint permission.
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 9
Auto Body Shop in KS on A Rapid Growth Path by David Dinell/Informer
The sign at 910 N. Nelson Drive says “Auto Masters,” and while that’s the business’ working name, the venture has been owned since August by Oklahoma City-based Collision Works, a rapidly expanding auto body and service enterprise. Collision Works has bought Auto Masters’ operation east of Baltimore, which is centered on collision repair. No price was disclosed on the transaction, which also included two Wichita locations, 1636 E. First and 2222 N. Hoover. Auto Masters operations on the west side of Baltimore are still owned and operated by local businessman Larry Greider. Those operations deal with service and vehicle sales. The purchase is Collision Works’ initial one into the Kansas market. The acquisition also includes a service center, associated with the northwest location, as well an auto glass company and a towing service. But expect more, said Sherri Penka, the company’s community relations director, as officials are looking at adding a fourth location when demand warrants it. Continued from Cover
Leery of Auto Repair
honest repair shop that they can trust with their vehicle,” said John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. “AAA found that one-third of U.S. drivers—75 million motorists in total— have yet to find a trusted repair facility, leaving them vulnerable when trouble strikes.” With today’s cars collecting a variety of data about the health of the vehicle, drivers need a trusted repair facility more than ever. “Connected cars” with built-in diagnostic capabilities can alert drivers to vehicle trouble and help repair shops quickly and accurately address issues. Unsurprisingly, given concerns around data security, AAA found that the majority of U.S. drivers want the ability to direct their vehicle’s data to the repair shop of their choice – the trusted facility with whom they have built a relationship. The top reasons that U.S. drivers do not trust repair shops are: Recommending unnecessary services (76 percent) Overcharging for services (73 percent)
That site will be in east Wichita. Collision Works was founded in 1996 in Oklahoma City and is owned by Jacob Nossaman. Until the Wichita-area move, all of his expansion was in Oklahoma.
Also in 2016, the business entered the Tulsa metro market with its Broken Arrow body shop, which opened in late spring, and it just recently expanded with another Tulsa outlet.
Customer service emphasis Collision Works also expanded its share of the Oklahoma City market with its purchase of Dyer’s Collision & Frame Repair. Penka said the growth is prudent and careful and lays the foundation for a solid business focused on customer service. Penka credits satisfied clients for much of the recent growth. The company places a lot of emTechnician Bob Notz works on a bumper in the Derby phasis on its customers, she said, Auto Masters body shop. Segments of Auto Masters and in that regard, is working to use have been purchased by Collision Works of Oklahoma, technology to update them on how which plans to expand its presence in the area their repair is going, including sendAfter a decade of business, a sec- ing text messages. ond store opened in Shawnee in 2006 “We’re here to make the process and in 2013, a third location opened in easier for the customer,” she said. Norman. The company also works to be Two more stores were added in part of its communities, she said. 2014 when Collision Works acquired “That’s something that we really Darrin’s in Newcastle and opened up a enjoy – being involved,” she said. new shop facility in Edmond. The fol- “We’re excited to be part of the Derby lowing year, it acquired Duvak’s Col- community.” lision Center in Ardmore, bringing the In that regard, shortly after the purnumber of business locations to six. chase closed, it took part in the Derby
Negative past experiences (63 percent) Concerns that the work will not be done correctly (49 percent) Older drivers are more likely to trust auto repair shops than younger drivers. Baby Boomers are twice as likely than younger generations to fully trust auto repair facilities in general, with onein-five reporting they “totally trust” the industry. Baby Boomers (76 percent) are also more likely to have a chosen auto repair shop that they trust compared to Millennials (55 percent) and GenXers (56 percent). “As a service to our members and the general public, the AAA Approved Auto Repair program is designed to help drivers identify trustworthy repair shops,” Nielsen continued. “Facilities meet AAA standards by undergoing a rigorous investigation conducted by Automotive Service Excellence certified inspectors, including quarterly inspections and annual re-certifications that ensures high professional standards for technical training, equipment, cleanliness and customer service. Plus, if something does go wrong, AAA steps in to arbitrate any issues on behalf of its members.”
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Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Chili Cookoff and now is undertaking a toy drive. “We support a lot of local charities,” she said. Collision Works does some service and commercial work, but the bulk of its business is working with insurance companies and their clients on accident repairs. The operation has about 20 employees and all have been retained. That group includes longtime manager Tim Mark, who has been with Auto Masters for 20 years, along with numerous employees, such as technician Bob Notz, who has been with the business for 17 years. There may be additional jobs in the future. “We are always accepting applications for employment,” Penka said. “If anyone has any interest we’ll be glad to speak with them.” Penka said even with the expansion the company works to retain its family ownership heritage and local feel. “Many of our customers, especially in the Derby area, like to deal with independent people rather than the big chains,” she said. We thank Derby Informer for reprint permission.
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MPCC in NE Breathes New Life Into Antique Cars It pairs the look of the old with the drivability of the new. That’s one of the reasons Classic Car Restoration at Mid-Plains Community College is so appealing. Another is its rarity - only a handful of such programs even exist.
Tyler Erickson, of North Platte, sprays pieces of a future Mid-Plains Community College raffle car. Proceeds from the car will be put toward scholarships for students in the Automotive Technology and Auto Body Technology programs
“I can’t think of any college in Nebraska that has a program like this, and there are just a few nationwide,” said Don Wilson, Auto Body instructor. “That makes us pretty unique.” The two-year program consists of two semesters of Automotive Technology and two semesters of Auto Body training. Students learn through hands-
on projects - the most notable of which is the college raffle car. Every year, students reduce a classic car down to a bare metal shell. They sandblast it, then begin the long and challenging process of transforming the vehicle into a work of art. By the time they finish, they have built and installed all basic systems of an automobile and performed all the tasks required to customize and restore a vintage car. “They learn about everything from chassis, electrical systems, drivetrains, engines, plastic, fiberglass, upholstery and replacement and refinishing of sheet metal,” said Wilson. “Most of what we build is fuel injected.” Students have to understand both traditional and modern engineering and technology before merging the two. For example, last year’s raffle car was a 1968 Ford Mustang Coupe. The drivetrain consisted of a stock 302 CID, 220-horsepower rated engine with a two-barrel naturally aspirated fuel system coupled to a C4 automatic transmission. The students who worked on it added modifications such as a tilt wheel, new interior, an aftermarket sound system and a vinyl top. The finish, “Impact
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Blue,” was selected from a 2014 Mustang color palette using PPG’s base coat paint system. The Mustang, like 11 classic cars before it, was taken on a tour of the state before being raffled to raise scholarship money for students in the Automotive Technology and Auto Body Technology programs.
Shad Simpson, of Taylor, works in the paint booth at Mid-Plains Community College. Simpson is studying Classic Car Restoration
Those who successfully completed the project received an Automotive Technology certificate in Customization and Restoration. “There isn’t a better restoration program anywhere,” said Wilson. “I’d recommend it to anybody interested in working on classic cars and street rods. If you want to learn from the best, this is the place to get it done.”
NHTSA Ends Probe of Fatal Tesla Florida Crash
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released its full findings following the investigation into last year’s fatal crash involving a driver’s use of Tesla’s semi-autonomous Autopilot feature. The report clears Tesla’s Autopilot system of any fault in the incident, and in fact at multiple points within the report praises its design in terms of safety, and highlights its impact on lowering the number of traffic incidents involving Tesla vehicles overall. NHTSA notes that crash rates involving Tesla cars have dropped by almost 40 percent since the wide introduction of Autopilot. It also notes that its investigation did not find any defects in the design or implementation of Tesla’s automatic emergency braking systems (AEB) or its Autopilot cruise features. The report also states that Tesla properly anticipated the potential for driver misuse in the design of Autopilot, studied those potential effects and incorporated it into the product’s final design before broad rollout. It’s essentially as good as result as Tesla can have hoped for from the U.S. traffic safety agency’s investigation.
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Search Continues in OH Body Shop Owner’s Death by Ben Katko, Fox19 NOW
Jan 5. marked one year since someone walked into a North College Hill, OH, auto body shop, robbed the owner, and shot and killed him. “For it to end like this with him is just unimaginable,” said the victim’s daughter Carla Broshear. “I feel like dad’s still around us and pushing us to be the people he wanted us to be.” On Jan. 5, 2016, someone came into Joe Leach’s shop on W. Galbraith Road in North College Hill, pulled a gun and demanded money. The suspect shot Leach in the back as he ran and called for help. Leach died a few days later. “I know without a shadow of a doubt that if the person would have just asked him for money, he would have helped him,” Broshear told FOX 19 NOW. The hunt continues for that person. Police said, at the time of the robbery, the suspect was a black man wearing a red sweatshirt with a covering over his face. He was seen on surveillance video going in and out of the business. “Times get tough for people, but I
Credit: FOX19 NOW/Mike Buckingham
don’t have any good explanation to why anybody would want to take his life,” said Leach’s son Randy Leach, who now owns the auto shop. In the year since the robbery, a lot has changed at the shop. “We basically had to remodel. I had to repaint everything and hang all new pictures and just change the look because it was just very depressing in the very beginning to come in every day with everything the same,” Leach told FOX19 NOW. But one year later, what hasn’t changed is a hunger for answers, and a search for justice for the man known as “Papa” Joe Leach. “Justice is going to be served one way or the other. Whether it happens now or when they meet their maker, there’s going to be justice for what happened,” Leach said. There is a $5,000 reward available for information in the case. We thank www.fox19.com for permission to reprint their story.
14 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
VISION Hi-Tech Training & Expo to be Held March 2-5 in Overland Park, KS
VISION Hi-Tech Training & Expo provides you with the opportunity to learn and network with leading shop owners, managers and technicians. The event will be held March 2-5, 2017 at the Overland Park Convention Center in Overland Park, KS. In 2016, over 3,500 automotive service professionals from 41 U.S.
states and Canada attended. Choose from nearly 80 cutting-edge management and technical training courses, including live-car and hands-on training. VISION also features a 60,000 squarefoot exhibit hall showcasing the latest tools, equipment and technology for today’s automotive service professional.
Management Training This year’s event features 21 management training sessions designed to meet the needs of office personnel, service advisors, managers and owners. The lineup includes topics on sales, market-
ing, succession planning, customer service and more. Learn and network among the industry’s leading shop owners from across the country. Sessions fill quickly, so register soon!
Technical Training VISION’s unique line-up features hands-on and live-car training for technicians. We’re offering 50 different courses this year, with topics covering a widerange of basic to advanced needs including: labscopes, electrical, driveability, GDI, diesel, hybrids, import, module programming, TPMS, ignition systems, air conditioning, alignments and more.
Educator Think Tank Educator-specific training is conducted by leading industry experts and educators presenting today’s innovative teaching methods and cutting-edge technology. Join our panel discussion, where we will share ideas and practices that have made programs successful. Discuss shared challenges as we work together to strengthen the future of our industry. Register at www.visionkc.com.
IL Auto Body Shop Says Former Employee Failed to Exhaust Administrative Remedies in Pregnancy Discrimination Suit
by Heather Isringhausen Gvillo, Madison-St. Clair Record
An auto body shop alleges a former employee failed to exhaust her administrative remedies before filing a lawsuit alleging she was discriminated against due to her pregnancy. Ashley Klaus filed a lawsuit on September 7 against Cross Auto Body & Towing Inc., alleging violation of the Illinois Human Rights Act. According to the complaint, Klaus claims she was terminated from her job as a secretary and office worker in December 2014 while she was on maternity leave. Her baby was born November 15, 2014. She claims the defendant’s actions caused her to suffer damages, including lost wages and benefits, humiliation, embarrassment and emotional distress. Klaus alleges the defendant subjected her to sexual and pregnancy discrimination, retaliation and unlawful termination. Cross Auto Body filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on December 19 through attorneys Christopher Byron and Christopher Petri of Byron Carlson Petri & Kalb LLC in Edwardsville.
The defendant argues that the plaintiff failed to exhaust her administrative remedies prior to filing the lawsuit and that the defendant is not an employer as defined under the Illinois Human Rights Act. “Ultimately, prior to filing a complaint in circuit court, a complaint must receive a right to sue letter from the Illinois Human Rights Department,” the motion states. “Plaintiff’s failure to adhere to and exhaust her administrative remedies is fatal to her Complaint and as such it should be dismissed,” it continues. Cross Auto Body also explains that it is not an employer as defined under the act because “from 2009 until the present, Defendant did not have 15 employees for 20 weeks during any calendar year.” The defendant further argues that the case should be dismissed because the court lacks jurisdiction over the subject matter. Klaus seeks a judgment in her favor of more than $75,000, plus attorney’s fees, court costs and expenses. She is represented by Lee W. Barron of Alton. We thank Madison-St. Clair Record for reprint permission.
Countdown Beginnings for 2017 Midwest Auto Body Trade Show
“Focus On The Future II” is the commitment of the 2017 Midwest Auto Body Trade Show. Training and communication is paramount to the future of every collision repairer and the Midwest Auto Body Trade Show offers the opportunity for repairers to network with key decision makers, share business ideas with colleagues and gain an advantage moving forward. The annual event brings back popular venues and offers new programs:
Friday February 3rd Collision Repair Education Foundation Student Education Day. Meet the students – look for potential hires for your business. “Up To Date Manufacturer’s Recommendations, Repair Processes, Pre and Post Scan, Certification” Panel discussion with industry experts moderated by Lou Di’Lisio. “What is Right For Your Shop?”
Free
- Panel discussion with industry experts moderated by Lou Di’Lisio. “Comprehensive Cycle Time Reduction Strategy” - Lee Rush.
Saturday February 4th Education Break Out Sessions - ICAR, Social Media “It’s the Rage,” Adhesives and Plastic Welding Repair. “THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH” Midwest Auto Body Trade Show - Door Prizes, Product Demonstrations, Show Specials, Community College Refinish Contest, New Car Model. The Midwest Auto Body Trade Show will be held at the Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino on February 3 and 4. Register here. Sign ups start January 1, 2017. Click here for more information. The event is sponsored by the Iowa Collision Repair Association (ICRA). The Midwest Auto Body Trade Show is open to the public.
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www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 15
Techs of Tomorrow: Veteran, Lover of Art & Cars Finds Calling at NC’s FTCC by Victoria Antonelli
After finishing active duty, Brandi Scott was looking for a fresh start in Fayetteville, NC. “I had attended Appalachian State before the military when I was interested in going into the health field,” said Brandi. “I attempted the university twice, but it just didn’t feel right.”
“Since the auto body world is currently looking for metal workers, I’m concentrating on that, but I wouldn’t turn down a painter position,” she said. Brandi is currently taking the final classes for structural and non-structural damage, estimating and emerging trends. “I have also attained my aluminum and steel welding certifications and completed all painting courses so far,” she added. Despite her achievements, Brandi said she has faced adversity being a female in a male-dominated industry. “When I was working in a dealership as a body tech, while taking classes last semester, there was tension between the workers and me, especially in the beginning,” she explained. “Without sounding coarse, they felt threatened or worried that I would replace them when I graduated FTCC.” Brandi said the other technicians either waited years to get specialized training or they didn’t have specialized training at all. She, on the other hand, was “coming in hot with a trained mind and certifications.”
Brandi’s love of art and cars landed her in the collision repair industry
She said her husband, John, who is a mechanic, was the one who encouraged her to get into the collision repair industry. Brandi recalled her husband saying, “You know, I think you should give auto body a shot. You have patience and an eye for detail, and you love cars, and auto body is pretty much that.” She said before that point, she had never thought about going into collision repair, despite her lifelong affinity for cars and art. “John noticed that Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) had sponsors from major companies, state-of-the-art equipment, various certifications, and overall great reviews,” Brandi explained. “So we took a tour, and I immediately fell in love.” Brandi said she entered the program in Spring 2016 aiming to be a painter, but she also enjoys body work.
Free
Brandi will have a job waiting for her at ABRA Auto Body & Glass when she graduates in December 2017
“It was disheartening for a moment to deal with that atmosphere, but no matter where I go, I’ll experience that and it’s not going to deter me,” Brandi said. “I’m going to keep focusing on being one of the best and producing good work.” She advised other women inter-
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dating. “It is the culmination of every student’s journey through the CollisionU program,” said Gage. “We invite 30 companies, plus special guests, to observe and interview collision repair graduates, automotive service graduates, and business graduates who have an interest in the automotive or insurance industries.” According to Gage, this event is unique to FTCC, and will be held again on March Brandi began attending Fayetteville Technical Community 14 and 15. College in Spring 2016, after finishing active duty “I have achieved an incredible amount through the Colliested in entering the collision repair industry to “have thick skin and be the sionU program, such as maximizing my life’s potential through art and cars and best.” Brandi said she is currently part creating strong bonds with amazing inof ABRA Auto Body & Glass, and that structors and peers,” said Brandi. She added that finding this prothey have a job lined up for her when gram was an achievement in itself. she graduates in December 2017. “I was wondering for a while what “I was noticed during ‘Draft Day,’” she said. “It’s an honor to be chosen for to do, and I found my calling.” this job.” Paul Gage, collision repair in- To learn more about Fayetteville Techstructor at FTCC, described Draft Day nical Community College, visit www as a cross between the NFL and speed .faytechcc.edu.
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MSO Symposium Announces Advisory Board for 2017 The MSO Symposium has announced its 2017 Advisory Board following a meeting of industry executives and ASA staff and board members. This year’s Advisory Board members include: ● Paul Gange, Fix Auto, President & COO, Chair of MSO Symposium ● Marcy Tieger, Symphony Advisors, LLC., Principal ● Vince Romans, The Romans Group, Managing Partner & CEO ● Mike LeVasseur, ABRA Auto Body & Glass, Director of Corporate Development ● Dave Roberts, FOCUS Investment Banking, LLC., Managing Director ● Russell Thrall III, CollisionWeek, Publisher & Editor-In-Chief ● Scott Benavidez, Mr B’s Paint & Body Shop Inc., Owner ● Mark Sanders, Caliber Collision Centers, President & COO ● Darrell Amberson, LaMettry’s Collision, President of Operations ● Larry Siembab, CARSTAR, Sr. Director of Insurance Relations ● Tim O’Day, Gerber Collision & Glass, President & COO ● John Walcher, Veritas Advisors, Inc., President ● Roy Schnepper, Butlers Collision, President
● Joe Amodei, The Collision Centers, President ● Mike Anderson, Collision Advice, President ● Jim Keller, 1 Collision Network, President ● Bruce Bares, Certified Collision, CEO
The 2017 MSO Symposium will take place during NACE Automechanika on Wednesday, July 26, in Chicago at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. This year’s symposium will offer insight on the latest trends, as well as new information for vital industry topics. The MSO Symposium will open with a private lunch followed by presentations and panels. The event will end with a private reception for attendees and sponsors. Executives representing MSOs, along with multilocation and single location collision repair executives, are invited to attend this closed meeting. The event is also open to property and casualty insurance company executives. Paul Gange, chairman of the committee, the master of ceremony and Fix Auto president & COO, said, “Similar to years past, this program is being developed with the guidance and direc-
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tion from the leadership in the industry. The Advisory Board is instrumental in ensuring that the content and speakers reflect the things attendees what and need to hear.” Marcy Tieger, principal, Symphony Advisors, will once again moderate the Insurer Panel. “The MSO Symposium is unique because of the environment it creates,” said Tieger. “Often times, insurers are reluctant to participate on panels and attend collision repair driven events. The Symposium allows insurers an opportunity to not only share insightful information, but interact with attendees in a professional environment where information and dialogue is welcomed and encouraged.” All insurers are welcome and encouraged to attend the MSO Symposium. The first Advisory Board meeting this year focused on content for the Symposium, and members discussed what topics are most relevant to the multi-shop owner today. Topics discussed include: collision industry economics and trends; advanced automotive technology (what repairers need to do today and in the future to be prepared to repair vehicles); preand post-scanning specific to cost, staffing, tooling and operational best
practices; training, retaining and hiring employees; industry consolidation; insurance panel; new political regime and the government’s potential effect on the industry and more. Dan Risley, ASA president and executive director, said, “This is the only event that is exclusive to MSOs and the strongest independent operators in the collision repair industry. The Advisory Board has made a huge impact in developing content relative to the needs of these leaders. Some businesses are preparing for expansion through growth or acquisition, while others are preparing for merger or divestiture. The symposium will provide insight on these top companies and their respective leadership through the sharing of knowledge, experience and information essential to understanding market conditions and preparing for the future.” Registration for the MSO Symposium will open soon at www.NACE Automechanika.com along with all other events taking place during NACE Automechanika in Chicago, July 24-29, 2017.
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Industry Training
Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications. She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.
Correctional Facilities Across U.S. Offering Auto Body Programs for Inmates with Stacey Phillips
With the growing need for skilled technicians across the nation, body shops are looking at new ways to find and hire employees. In addition to reaching out to trade schools and similar industries, there is another alternative. From California to Massachusetts, auto body programs are being offered for inmates
The students at St. Brides Correctional Center in Virginia are doing major restoration work on a 1966 Pontiac Catalina
at correctional facilities throughout the country. Autobody News spoke to five of these facilities to find out the benefits of the programs for both inmates and the collision repair industry.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California More than 500 inmates are enrolled in the automotive programs offered through the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Eighteen of the adult institutions in the state offer automotive programs; 14 of them in auto body repair and 15 in auto mechanics, and the majority offer both. This includes an auto body program at the Central California Women’s Facility. Krissi Khokhobashvili, the public information officer II at CDCR, said there are multiple benefits to having these programs. “Students are learning valuable skills and certifications that will help them find good jobs once they parole,” said Khokhobashvili. “This is a trade every community needs, so offenders will hopefully be able to find work throughout the rest of their lives no matter where they live.”
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The program dates back to the 1960s when the California Correctional Center and Deuel Vocation Institution began offering automotive programs for inmates. Numerous classes have been available since the 1980s and 1990s.
cludes textbook learning, lectures, videos and hands-on training. Mechanic classes focus on diagnosing and solving engine problems whereas auto body students work on repairing panels, doors, hoods, fenders, etc. The cars used in the program are purchased by CDCR. Employees can also bring in vehicles for repair, but must supply their own parts. Local body shops often donate parts as well. The inmates are taught by CTE instructors who are credentialed by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. St. Brides’ students are also working on a 1994 Chevrolet “Our automotive instructors 1500 4x4 are highly trained and take this work very seriously,” said KhoThe programs are offered through the Office of Correctional Education khobashvili. “Their mission is to train Career Technical Education (CTE) offenders to become excellent meprogram. Generally, inmates attend chanics and technicians, and they hold class six and a half hours a day, five their students to very high standards.” Not only can these type of jobs be days a week and the curriculum in-
held with a felony conviction, Khokhobashvili said those who know how to repair cars will also save money by being able to service their own vehicles. She pointed to a recent RAND study that showed for every dollar invested in education during incarceration, taxpayers save five dollars in recidivism costs, (the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend). Whether
The cars used in the Avenal State Prison program are either purchased by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation or brought in by employees for repair
inmates are involved with traditional classroom learning or vocational courses, it has been found that those who pursue education while incarcerated are less likely to return to prison. Although the department does not formally track where students eventually work, many have found jobs in the industry as painters, body workers and
mechanics. “It’s a public safety issue,” said Khokhobashvili. “Most inmates will parole and they will return to your communities and become your neighbors. They are far more likely to be good neighbors if they spent their time in prison productively.”
Southern Desert Correctional Center, Indian Springs, Nevada About 30 years ago, the Southern Desert Correctional Center in Nevada started a program for inmate workers to manufacturer limousines. It eventually evolved into an automotive restoration shop, where they do everything from minor repairs to complete “body-offframe” jobs. There are 27 inmates who currently work in the shop about six and a half to eight hours a day. They charge $55 an hour, compared to the going rate of $100 or more for similar work. Craig Korsgaard, the automotive restoration shop supervisor and the Southern Nevada marketing coordinator, said they charge customers a lower rate compared to other shops, but the work takes longer because the inmate workers are being trained. “It’s on the job training,” said Korsgaard. “The better-skilled people help
out the newer guys. I’m training everyone all the time.” There is a year and a half waiting list due to the high quality of work and time it takes to work on each vehicle. Very little advertising is done. Instead,
workers marketable skillsets so it is easier for them to find employment, which is one of the most difficult barriers ex-offenders run into upon their release,” said Brian Connett, deputy director, industries for the Nevada De-
Inmates who are part of the auto body program at Avenal State Prison in California
most of their business is through word of mouth or car shows. They are currently working on 43 cars, including a Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, a 1935 Ford, a 1952 Studebaker and one of the original Pontiac Firebirds from the popular television series “The Rockford Files” with James Garner. “Our mission is to provide inmate
partment of Corrections. “There are a lot of benefits to working and getting this training that the industry provides.” Korsgaard agreed. He said everyone benefits from the program. The inmate workers earn money they can send home to their families and 25 percent of their pay covers the cost for room and board. Continued Next Page
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 21
The facility has set up some percentage funds that they contribute to, including a victims of crime fund that is given back to the community. There is also a fund that helps replace some of the broken tools. When inmate workers are released from the institution, Connett said they are able to help with job placement if they go into transitional housing in the community.
Massachusetts Department of Correction, Massachusetts Over the last six and a half years, the Massachusetts Department of Correction has offered a nine-month auto body program for inmates. The 10 students enrolled per class attend six hours a day, five times a week. “The benefit of having this type of program is to lower the rate of recidivism by preparing inmates for being productive members of society,” Jan Hanratty, the vocational instructor from the Division of Inmate Training and Education. “It gives them the skills to be successful in the workplace and provides a sustainable wage.” Hanratty received a bachelor of science and technology degree in industrial arts as well as vocational certifications in automotive and auto body technology.
pleted. Those who qualify have the option to continue for an additional nine-months of advanced training. “The program was designed to develop and prepare entry-level technicians to enter into the collision industry,” said Hanratty. She said they often place students in body shops, dealerships and independent chain shops. One was hired full-time at a major automobile manufacturer after being released. In addition to the auto body program, the Massachusetts Department of Correction also offers an automotive program for inmates. After previously being held in Plymouth, a new automotive shop was opened in Milford on August 15, 2016. There are 12 inmates in each 10-month class. The vocational instructor, Julio Perez, along with industrial instructors Dana Johnson and Dave Ferrier, help the students prepare for ASE G1 certification, mobile air conditioning license and OSHA 10.
St. Brides Correctional Center, Chesapeake, Virginia In Chesapeake, Virginia, Joseph McDougald has instructed the auto body program at St. Brides Correctional Center for the past two years. Currently there are two classes, one in the morning with 12 students and another in the evening with an additional 12. “They range in experience, with some who don’t know what a wrench is,” said McDougald, who manages both the classroom and body shop. “Then I have some who are very talented and I use them to help the other ones with body work.” In addition, he has four There are currently 43 vehicles being repaired or restored workers— also offenders— at the Southern Desert Correctional Center who spend six hours a day as In addition to hands-on experi- aides. ence, Hanratty said the students also During the 16-month course, Mcspend time learning in a classroom Dougald uses a textbook to teach and setting. The cars used in the program covers auto body repair technology. are obtained from the city, state and He said it is similar to what is taught at municipal government as well as nona vocational school. “They really look profit organizations. State-approved forward to coming to class,” he said. vendors provide the parts. “We push hard and try to teach them Some of the primary areas Hanwhat we can.” ratty has the students focus on include Prior to working at St. Brides, panel replacement, fabrication, paintMcDougald was employed at Ford ing, collision repair, frame pulling and Motor Company for 17 years in the measurement, computerized wheel body shop at the F-150 plant in Viralignment technology and antique ginia. After the plant closed, he was restoration. After completing the class, hired at the United States Coast Guard students receive a vocational certififor seven years. With a love and pascation with the number of hours com- sion for the automotive industry, he
22 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
a variety of vehicles for state employees who are able have them worked on for a fee. These include a 1966 Pontiac Catalina convertible, a 1966 Mustang coupe and a 1994 Chevrolet 1500 4x4 truck. McDougald is always looking for ways to strengthen the program. He hopes to add virtual reality simulators to the classroom so he can demonstrate different techniques to students. Another goal is to find a way to get the students certified through ICAR so when they are released from prison, they leave as a pro level one I-CAR mechanic. “That would help them even more get a job.” He said he enjoys teaching Students from Southern Desert Correctional Center in Indian the students, especially when Springs, Nevada, are working on a 1952 Studebaker they are first getting started. can fall back on and get a new start in “I like to see them get a second chance life and try not to end up back in a and start fresh,” said McDougald. place like this.” There are always jobs in the auto body After graduating from the program, field.” students receive a certificate from the correctional facility. McDougald reguMacDougall Correctional Institution, larly contacts body shops to see if he South Carolina can help place students in jobs when In 1969, a body shop opened at Macthey are released. Dougall Correctional Institution, which In the meantime, they are restoring See Correctional Facilities, Page 64
decided to join St. Bridges as an auto body instructor when he found out the correctional center was hiring. “We all learn something new every day,” said McDougald. “We’re trying to teach these offenders a skilled trade and hope that when they are released from prison they have a trade that they
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PartsTrader and Nexsyis Integration Simplifies the Workflow for Collision Repair Users
Nexsyis and PartsTrader have released an integration between the two platforms that significantly streamlines the workflow for collision repair facilities using both applications. Nexsyis users should contact Nexsyis Support (NexSupport@nexsyis.com or 888-222-7008) to enable the PartsTrader integration. “Consolidating the PartsTrader parts procurement activities within Nexsyis Collision is a major time saver for us, and has helped us to accomplish more in a shorter amount of time,” said Wade Snook, shop manager at Car Craft in Bethany, OK. “The integration has made managing the administrative aspect of day-today business so much easier.” The integration between the Nexsyis and PartsTrader platforms provide several significant benefits to collision repair facilities, including: Streamlined workflow saves time with fewer emails to manage – Because the integration synchronizes both platforms in real-time, users of both systems can get job status updates quickly and easily in the Nexsyis Collision platform. Notifications from PartsTrader can be turned off, leading Continued from Cover
11th Circuit Refuses
not impact the other appeals. However, there is reason to believe that at least one of the other appeals may also be in procedural jeopardy. Specifically, in the Alpine Straightening Systems v. State Farm, et al. appeal, appellants (represented by the same counsel as the Parker plaintiffs) failed to file their Appendix in that matter on a timely basis as well. To date, no action has been taken by the Court in that action. While the dismissal of the Parker case is certainly welcome news for insurers (as would be a dismissal of the Alpine Straightening case, should it
to fewer emails to manage each day. Improved accuracy with fewer keystrokes – Data synchronization between the two platforms eliminates the need to re-key data. Users will have increased accuracy and reduce the risk of error and fewer returned parts. Increased estimator productivity – The purchase order is automatically generated based on the parts ordered through the PartsTrader platform and sent to the supplier via the Nexsyis system. The reduction of administrative work allows estimators to manage more jobs in the same amount of time. Simplified order verification – Validating part pricing on an invoice is made significantly easier for a repair shop. The prices quoted by a supplier in the PartsTrader platform are automatically pushed to Nexsyis system in the purchase order via the integration. A simple check of the invoice to the purchase order is all that is needed to verify pricing when the parts are received. Additional information regarding the PartsTrader/Nexsyis integration can be found at the integration microsite (http://bit.ly/NexsyisIntegration).
occur), these developments do not yet bring the In re Auto Body Antitrust Litigation to a close. As noted above, there are several other appeals also currently before the Eleventh Circuit, some of which do not appear to suffer from the same types of procedural defects identified by the Court in Parker. So, at least for now, at least some auto body shops may yet get their opportunity to have the Eleventh Circuit address Judge Presnell’s rulings on the merits. Stay tuned. See previous analysis by same authors at http://www.jdsupra.com/ legalnews/auto-body-shop-antitrustcase-crashes-74579/ We thank the authors, Baker Donelson, and JD Supra for reprint permission.
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24 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Continued from Page 56
Correctional Facilities
is one of the 22 institutions that are part of South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDCI). Classes are held at MacDougall Correctional Institution through the week. Approximately 30 inmate students attend the three-hour classes, half in the morning and the remainder in the evening. There are three levels of certification. Level 1 requires completion of 200 hours; level 2 requires 500; and Level 3 is for those who reach 1,000 plus hours. “Our main focus is teaching students to repair small dents and paint vehicles,” said Bob Hill, who has been the facility’s auto body instructor since 1993. He recently retired on January 2, 2017. He said most of the vehicles the students work on are from SCDC employees, as well as their friends and family members. “The benefit of this program is to teach inmates a skill to carry with them upon their release to better increase their opportunities for employment,” said Hill. Although inmate
students are not placed in body shops, many have gone on to work in collision repair and others have opened their own facilities. In a letter written to the vocational director of Palmetto Unified School District, one of the participants of the program, Shawn Janowczyk, shared his thoughts on the auto body classes. “I think it is important to share that outside of my relationship with Jesus Christ, being afforded the opportunity to take the auto body class has been a watershed of my life,” Janowczyk, who has been involved with the program for 10 years and is currently a teacher’s assistant. “For the first time ever, I have the confidence and skill to go out into society and not only make it (not come back to prison), but also be a productive member of society.” After thanking his instructor, Mr. Hill, he added, “In closing, with Mr. Hill retiring, I would be remiss if I didn’t say that I think it would be a shame if the body shop was allowed to be shut down,” said Janowczyk. “I know what it has done for me and can only imagine what it could do for others.”
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26 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Shop Secrets and Strategies
Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications. She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.
Tracy’s Collision Center in NE Shares Insight About Building a Brand with Stacey Phillips
As a second-generation body shop owner, Tom Tracy of Tracy’s Collision Center said he always dreamed about being a businessman. Since taking over the family body shop in Lincoln, NE, during the 1980s, the business has grown to include two shops and now employs 50 people. His sister is a partowner in one of the shops and two of his four sons are also part of the successful company. Autobody News talked to Tracy about the benefits of marketing and building a brand as well connecting with the community and others in the industry.
Q: My parents started the shop in A: 1969 in Lincoln, Nebraska. They were from a small town about 25 miles How did your family get its start in the auto body business?
from here. My father was a bricklayer and he had a construction company. He decided to get involved in the body shop
business. He thought it would be something that might supplement him during the winter because a lot of times in our locale usually the winter meant no work.
didn’t have much to do with the body shop other than owning it for several years. Back in the 1980s, we were debating if we should sell it or keep it. It was during the recession and I was thinking about starting a different construction company, but the timing was wrong. I ended up telling him, “Well, let me see what I can do with it.” That’s how my career in this industry started.
The Lincoln, Nebraska business has grown to include two shops and now employs 50 people
I went to school thinking I was going to be a contractor. My education was a combination of going to a construction-type of technical training and working in the business. I had a lot of good mentors along the way. My father was a good businessman but
What were some of Q: the changes you made when you began working at
the shop?
First of all, I wanted to be a A: businessman. I always had the dream of doing that. When I started
what we were producing here. Early on, we started a relationship with the Sikkens paint company, AkzoNobel. We got involved with Acoat Selected, AkzoNobel’s business development program for the Sikkens brand. I had to buy the paint from Kansas City because there was nobody around here I could purchase it from.
What was the experience like Q: with the 20 group you joined in the mid-1990s and how can shops maximize their participation?
I was involved with a 20 group that had some really successful A: shops in it. That was great about Akzonobel. Most of their shops were really good players. Randy Stabler was in our 20 Group as well as shops from St. Louis, Wichita, California and Texas. When we went to the 20 groups and the conference, I had some great experiences. I definitely have traveled as much as possible, especially the last 15 years. I learned a lot of things and met a lot of great people. We would meet twice a year and have open discussions about a variety of things. I was in a multiple store
managing the shop and improving the business, I looked at the way we were doing things and a lot of it didn’t make sense. It reminds me of the Pink Floyd song, “Another brick in the wall.” I learned a lot about how to work by doing a repetitive type of job. One of the main things that I did was run the ground crew. The ground crew had to have all of the right things in place so that the bricklayers could actually do their jobs. If that didn’t work well, you didn’t go anywhere so it made me think a lot in those terms. My father was a very supportive person. He would allow me to do whatever made sense so we started making some changes. For example, we got involved in wheel alignment. We also began using the 3M Tom Tracy, owner of Tracy’s Collision Center, during a Ambulatory Revenue Manage- Recycled Rides event. The shop and its partners have ment Software (ARMS) and donated cars to deserving families in the Lincoln community for many years through National Auto bought what I believe was the Body Council’s (NABC) nationwide project first downdraft paint booth in group, and we were non-competitors Nebraska. for the most part. It was good inforI had some early encounters with the Europeans and that was re- mation and you could see how you were doing compared to other people. ally awesome because they were We would share financials as well as way ahead of us. It kind of blew me away in some ways because I al- different ideas, such as marketing, equipment, new technology, HR conways thought that everything made cerns, how to deal with people and inin America was supposed to be the surance relationships. You just feed best. I found out they were creating See Next Page paint that was so much better than
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 27
your mind and go through the equation and become a better strategist and a better thinker. We left that group a few years back. Later, I became interested in what PPG was doing with their Green Belt training, which was more instructional, and I ended up moving to that group. I also sent about 15-18 of my employees.
What approach do you take Q: when it comes to customer service? Our customer focus for the most A: part is: be friendly, be kind, be good. We try to make sure that our cus-
tomers are going to come back. A few years ago, we were introduced to Steve Schoolcraft from Phoenix Solutions Group at an AkzoNobel conference. I gave it a lot of thought, and we started a relationship with him. That really helped how we delivered cars and engaged customers. He would come twice a year to Lincoln and would have dinner with our office personnel to talk about our results. We were already doing well, and I think we started to do a better job. It’s one of many things that ended up helping us in our marketplace.
What practices have you emQ: ployed at your shop that have helped you stand out from the compe-
tition?
I think what makes us unique is we work really hard to market A: our business. I’ve been mainly engaged
in marketing for the company since I started working as the CEO and had a lot of good mentors, whether they were from radio or television. I went to several marketing events that were put on by either the television or radio industries. During one of the most effective events I attended, they said you have to advertise like Coca-Cola. The whole nature of that statement is to break it down and say, “If I follow these basic advertising theories, something good is going to happen.” I agreed with that and we established a different campaign. Then we came up with a slogan, “Thanks Lincoln.” Part of that came from an idea that hatched from Steve Schoolcraft about how you should be thanking your customers. It became a huge success. What it did was it brought to life
cled Rides started, which we were part Community involvement does a of later. This last December, we gave lot of good for your employees beaway our 21st and 22nd cars at an event. cause it gives them a chance to give of Five years ago, we started themselves and their talents. We’ve a relationship with the Lin- done it for a long time so it’s somecoln Children’s Museum and thing they look forward to. Our goal built what we refer to as our with the car giveaway is to change third location. In an area of somebody’s life and I think we’ve been the museum called Tiny able to do that. Town, they have Tracy’s Collision Center where kids can For more information, visit ttracy practice tuning up a car and @tracysbodyshop.com. applying paint. We made some television Read more about Tom Tracy’s commercials to support the story in regards to building a brand Employees from Tracy’s Collision Center demonstrate the museum and bring awareness and connecting with the community shop’s estimating process to the exhibit. I had two difand industry in The Secrets of Amerferent customers tell me that they came ica’s Greatest Body Shops, written by been busy pretty much for as long as I to the shop because they took their Dave Luehr with Stacey Phillips, can remember. grandkids to the Children’s Museum scheduled to be released in early 2017. What advice can you share and they were so impressed we would For more information, visit www with others in regards to marsupport the museum with an exhibit .bodyshopsecrets.com or email dluehr keting? they decided this is where they wanted @bodyshopsecrets.com/sphillips to get their car fixed. @bodyshopsecrets.com. I think that one thing that a lot We also became involved in a of shops haven’t focused on community action group called Linenough in the past is marketing and coln Lancaster Community Action. SEARCH FOR US ON building a brand. When you have to They manage Head Start and a lot of FACEBOOK : write a check to build a brand, someother government programs. That has times it’s not that easy to do but you been a great relationship. We started a have to pound the drum. Sometimes Head Start classroom with our name on major media, whether it be television it last year, which has been kind of fun. or radio, is about the only way you can enough attention to build that brand. You need to figure out how to do that efficiently and you have to stay engaged in it long enough to make it work for you. Once you do that, you have a lot of marketing power. It’s like snowball rolling down a hill. Once you get it big enough, and you’ve been doing it long enough, your brand is established. I think it’s important to drive people to your website too. We’ve done more of that in the last couple of years. It’s where people can learn more about what you are doing. It makes a differaCompetitive Pricing ence. People might spend five or six aFree and fast delivery minutes on your site and then they will aKnowledgeable Wholesale Parts Staff have an idea about what they are getting. In marketing, if you think about Coggin Deland Honda what we are selling as a body shop, PH 800.758.0007 2677 N. Volusia Avenue it’s about trust. When you can build FX 386.917.1403 Orange City, FL 32763 that kind of trust, I think people really care about that. repeat customers and all of the good will we had going for us. It was just phenomenal what came from that. We’ve
Q: A:
Autobody News
Q:
What are some of the unique types of community involvement your shop has initiated?
A:
Through our AkzoNobel 20 group, we challenged each other to donate a car. This was before Recy-
28 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Start something special. Mon-Fri 7:30am-6:00pm Sat 8:00am-5:00pm
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 29
Shop Showcase
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
66 Cars in 16 Years: The Benevolence Program at Mike’s Auto Body with Ed Attanasio
When Mike’s Auto Body in northern California’s East Bay gave away its first car back in 2000, did they ever imagine that it would become one of the largest Benevolence programs of its type run by a single family-oper-
Veteran TeJae Dunnivant and her son received a 2014 VW Jetta from CSAA Insurance that was sponsored by the Blue Star Moms. Dunnivart works at Cal Vet at the University of California, Berkeley, so her new vehicle will make life easier for herself and her son
ated body shop chain in the country? Without fail, Mike’s Auto Body presents completely refurbished vehicles
to deserving families and non-profit organizations from throughout the Bay Area, and this year, it marked its 16th straight year of involvement. Last December, Mike’s Auto Body presented five vehicles to five deserving families at their new ADAC Antioch location, making it their third Benevolence Presentation in 2016, which brought their grand total to 66 cars over 16 years. The afternoon’s presentation opened with an invocation from Sal Contreras followed by a flag presentation by the Mt. Diablo JROTC Color Guard. The national anthem was then sung by 2015 Benevolence Program Recipient April Dingle, followed by “America the Beautiful” presented by the Prince Charles Pipe Band consisting of Steven McElhaney and Kristopher Muse. Everything is donated, including the cars, parts, paint, mechanical inspections, tires, and one year of insur-
30 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
ance. The body and paint technicians at Mike’s Auto Body donate their time and talents to make these cars look amazing. CSAA Insurance Group,
Connie Mendoza and her three children received a 2012 Chevy Cruze that Farmers Insurance donated and the family was sponsored by the Hemophilia Foundation of Northern California. Mendoza’s youngest son has severe Hemophilia and this vehicle will help the family to get him to his doctor’s appointments
Farmers Insurance, Safeco Insurance, State Farm Insurance and Enterprise Rent A Car participated in the com-
pany’s Holiday Benevolence Program this year. “We feel very fortunate to be involved with such a wonderful program and are very excited to be able to give back to the community that has supported us for the past 44 years,” company owner Mike Rose said. “Being in this business for that long, repairing the vehicles is the easy part; having to decide on a recipient is the part that’s hard. After receiving hundreds of applications over the years and reading the heartbreaking stories, we only wish that we could do more. But hopefully with increased publicity of our Benevolence Program, other shops will adopt a similar program of their own.” Again this year, the Contra Costa Fire Fighters Local 1230, Fire Station 81, generously donated brand new bicycles for all of the children and grandchildren of the recipients. “They brought their fire trucks and fire en-
gines and had them parked in our parking lot during the presentation,” Program Coordinator Sal Contreras said. “When they presented the bikes to the children, it was hard to determine who was the most excited, the
Rose Duarte and her grandson received a 2010 Honda Civic that was donated by Safeco Insurance and sponsored by STAND For Families Free of Violence
recipients receiving the car or the children receiving the bikes! The Christmas Spirit was in the air!”
Recipients for this year’s Holiday Benevolence Program included: ■ Connie Mendoza and her three children received a 2012 Chevy Cruze that Farmers Insurance donated, and the family was sponsored by the Hemophilia Foundation of Northern California. Mendoza’s youngest son has
severe Hemophilia and this vehicle will help the family to get him to his doctor’s appointments. ■ Zanetta Fredericks and her daughter with one 9-month old daughter received a 2011 Honda Civic LX that State Farm Insurance donated and sponsored by St. Vincent de Paul. ■ The Community Action North Bay non-profit organization received a 2015 Dodge Journey from Enterprise Rent A Car. This organization provides shared transportation to Veterans and affordable housing and supportive services to veterans through various programs. ■ Veteran TeJae Dunnivant and her son received a 2014 VW Jetta from CSAA Insurance that was sponsored by the Blue Star Moms. Dunnivart works at Cal Vet at the University of California, Berkeley, so her new vehicle will make life easier for herself and her son. ■ Rose Duarte and her grandson received a 2010 Honda Civic that was donated by Safeco Insurance and sponsored by STAND For Families Free of Violence. Each year, the collision repair industry as a whole comes across cars that are
“written off” by either the owner or the insurance company. Often times these are older vehicles that just need some mechanical and body work to get them back on the road and are perfectly safe to drive. Because we believe these cars are going to waste when there are people who really need them, we decided to do something about it.
Santa was a big hit with all of the children whose families received completely refurbished vehicles, complete with trunk loads of gifts and toys
Mike’s Auto Body’s Benevolence Program is a community relations program designed to generate goodwill at the local level while improving and promoting the image of the collision repair industry whose mission is to present refurbished “new” used cars to deserving individuals or organizations during the holiday season.
OSHA: Fatal Injuries at Auto Parts Whse Preventable
OSHA has determined an employee’s fatal head injuries were the result of a used auto parts business’ failure to follow required workplace safety standards, according to a report. The John’s Used Auto and Parts LLC employee was struck in the head by a chain “come-a-long” device as he attempted to inflate and mount a multipiece rim wheel on a vehicle. He died two weeks later from his injuries. The agency determined the company failed to provide adequate training and safeguards to protect employees while they serviced the wheels. “This employee’s death was preventable. Servicing rim wheels such as these is dangerous, exposing employees to struck-by and other hazards. An employer must train workers properly and equip them to do this kind of work safely before they start the job. I urge all employers performing this type of work to review their operations and take the required corrective action, so no other workers are killed,” said James Mulligan, OSHA’s area director for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts.
www.autobodynews.com C
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 31
Snapshot of The Collision Repair Industry—Executive Summary of the 2016 Survey by Collision Repair Education Foundation and I-CAR
Background Previous surveys, conducted every three years, confirmed the need for a continual supply of qualified entrylevel technicians, while also showing changes concerning business operations and the collision repair technician workforce. A similar survey was completed in 2016 to continue monitoring trends and provide data to support effective strategies and decision-making on the structure and scope of collision repair school programs at all levels.
Sample An online survey was set up to collect
number of technicians increased significantly. The percentage of small shops (with annual sales under $300,000 ) has declined significantly since 1995, while the share of large shops (over $1 million) continues to increase. The overall average for square feet of production space has again grown, along with a higher average number of technicians and support employees reported. In 1995, one in five shops reported more than six technicians. In 2016, it is more than one out of every two shops (52%). Those in business five years or less has decreased from 1995 (14.2%) to 2016 (4.3%), resulting in an increase of the overall average of number of years in business.
Above the entire adult population, ninety-four percent of technicians are high school graduates. Businesses responding to the survey report that sixtyeight percent of technicians participated in I-CAR training in the last two years. Thirty-six percent reported some OEM training.
Compensation Compensation plans have remained consistent, with just under half (48%) based on flat rate (commission) plans. Although there is a wide distribution, annual income tends to increase
with shop sales volume. Income figures shown below are for production
technicians over 20 years old. According to survey respondents, average income for production technicians rose from $52,997 in 2013 to $53,857 in 2016, competitive with similar skilled trades and higher than most. Twenty-eight percent reported earnings of $70,000 or higher, showing an attractive earning potential as a collision repair technician. Benefits Benefit packages offered to today’s collision repair technician workforce show little change from previous survey data, exSee Snapshot, Page 37
This survey was conducted by the Collision Repair Education Foundation
The Right Parts, Right Now information about both the business environment and the technician workforce. Announcements were made in leading publications, on appropriate websites, and to repair associations inviting collision repair businesses to complete the survey. Over 630 collision repair businesses responded, representing over 4,500 technicians and a wealth of data. The same electronic survey system was used for direct analysis with the 2013 Survey and a few interesting comparisions to prior year surveys. Complete data history is available in the full report.
Business Statistics While the total number of collision repair businesses increased slightly, the
Current Technicians Average technician age has increased to almost 41 years old, rising about 13% since 1995. A particular concern for this industry is the growth in the percentage of technicians over 50 years old. Hiring from another shop is still the largest source of technician hiring (49%) and is down from sixty-one percent in 2013. Just over twenty-five percent were hired from a non-automotive industry or as their first job, higher than in 2013 (20%). Over eleven percent were hired from a related automotive industry. Respondents indicated that 36 percent of their technicians had some level of pre-employment technical education.
32 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs. HO ND A AL AB A M A
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Classic Honda
B ir m in g h a m
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Jerry Damson Honda
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Hu n ts vi lle
D e l an d
800-264-1739 256-382-3759
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FL O RI D A
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877-544-2249
M ia mi
888-418-3513 305-256-2240 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7 mfranceschi@southhonda.com
888-205-2564 727-530-1173
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Headquarter Honda C l e r mo nt
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AutoNation Honda Hollywood
800-497-2294 407-395-7374
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800-542-8121 954-964-8300 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-5 hernandeze@autonation.com
Braman Honda of Palm Beach
S ne ll vi ll e Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-6 gperkins@careypaul.com
Hendrick Honda Bradenton
Ed Voyles Honda
877-706-2021 941-752-2123
M ar i e tta
800-334-3719 770-933-5870 Direct
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-4 Kris.kitzman@hendrickauto.com
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888-479-0695 561-966-5185
Hendrick Honda Daytona
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800-953-4402 386-252-2301
G re en a c re s
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Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4 Hondadaytonaparts@hendrickauto.com
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Honda Mall of Georgia Bu f ord /G win net t
678-318-3155 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 cdunlap@penskeautomotive.com
Milton Martin Honda Gain esv ille
770-534-0086 678-989-5473 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 robertthomas@mmhonda.com
Nalley Honda
GEOR GIA
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-5 pepe.guevara@headquarterhonda.com
B ra de n to n
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800-733-2210 706-228-7040 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 tdunn@geraldjoneshonda.com
Un ion City
866-362-8034 770-306-4646 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-5 hondawp@nalleycars.com
Southern Motors Honda Savann ah
888-785-8387 912-925-1444 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 angela@southern-motors.com MI SS IS SI P P I
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800-748-8676 601-957-3400 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 pmartin@pattypeckhonda.com
AC U R A AL AB A M A
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Dept. Hours: M-F 7-5:30; Sat 8-4 Rkeel@damson.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 Cecil.adams@duvalacura.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7:30-6 kmcmillan@jacksonacura.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 travis.morrison@southernmotors.com
Rick Case Acura
Nalley Acura
F o rt La u de rda l e
M ar i e tta
800-876-1150 954-377-7688
800-899-7278 770-422-3138
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Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 byoung@nalleycars.com
FL O RI D A
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888-941-7278 904-777-1008 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-8; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-3 msweeney@acuraoforangepark.com
34 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Southern Motors Acura
N O . CA RO L IN A
Flow Acura Win st on -Salem
800-489-3534 336-761-3682 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-1 www.flowacura.com
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TEN NE SS EE
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336-841-6200
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Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-1 hondaparts@billgattonhonda.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 9-5 bwimer@myvalleyhonda.com
Wolfchase Honda
West Broad Honda
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 appletreeparts@hotmail.com
Crown Honda Southpoint Du r ha m
855-893-8866 919-425-4711 Dept. Hours: M-Thu 7-11; Fri 7-6 Sat 7-5; Sun 11-5 www.southpointhonda.com
Hendrick Honda Ch a r lo t t e
800-277-7271 704-552-1149 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 rob.thomas@hendrickauto.com
Leith Honda Ra le ig h
800-868-6970 919-790-8228 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-5 parts@leithhonda.com
McKenney-Salinas Honda G as t on ia
888-703-7109 704-824-8844 x 624 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 parts@mshonda.com
Metro Honda I nd ian Trail
866-882-9542 704-220-1522 Dept. Hours: M-F 6:30-6:30; Sat 7-4 www.copytk.com
N O . CAR OL IN A
Hendrick Acura
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-3 SO . CAR OL INA
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877-273-4442 803-691-8585
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Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7 ekerr@wolfchasehonda.com
Dept. Hours: M-Thu 7:30-6:30; Fri 7:30-6; Sat 8-3; Sun 11-3 wbhonda@aol.com
VIRGINIA
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Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-4 www.copytk.com
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A n de r so n
800-849-5057 864-375-2082 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 swhite@piedmontcars.com TE NNES SEE
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800-564-9836 804-414-1960 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-4 rreese@i95honda.com
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800-482-9606 757-431-4329 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-5 fox@hallauto.com
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VI RG INIA
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800-355-2818 703-550-0205
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 justin.taylor@hendrickauto.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-3 coreythompson@radleyautogroup.com
Leith Acura
Radley Acura
Ca r y
F a l l s C hu rch
800-868-0082 919-657-0460
800-550-5035 703-824-5785
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-4:30 parts@leithacura.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-6; Sun 10-5 jimgraf@radleyauto.com www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 35
From SkillsUSA to WorldSkills, Cuesta College Graduate Shares Experience at Home and Abroad by Victoria Antonelli
At the age of five, Daniel Lehmkuhl started working on cars with his father, who is an automotive instructor at San Luis Obispo High School. “I always loved taking things apart and putting them back together, like my mother’s kitchen appliances,” he joked.
(middle left to right) Chase Trayal, Daniel Lehmkuhl, and Kyle Claypool for Team USA at the WorldSkills Americas in 2010
Lehmkuhl said the automotive industry has given him the opportunity to put his passions into practice. “As I grew up, I found a satisfaction not only in fixing something that was broken, but also taking something that was old and restoring it to its original beauty and function,” he explained. After graduating from high school,
the San Luis Obispo native attended the University of Nebraska Lincoln. But after a year, he said he didn’t feel comfortable being so far away. “Cuesta College was the natural choice when I returned because it offered a combination of high quality education and affordability that was unbeatable,” he said. Lehmkuhl fine-tuned his craft at the California community college from 2009 to 2011. “I loved all of my automotive classes,” he said. “They offered me opportunities to learn new technology and systems on cars, while also giving me a chance to practice the hands-on side of things.” Lehmkuhl also gained experience while competing at multiple SkillsUSA and WorldSkills competitions. “I first learned about SkillsUSA when I was in high school,” he said. “My father is an advisor for the chapter and he was training students every year for the Automotive Technology competition.” After hearing his father talk about it and watching students compete for years, Lehmkuhl finally got his chance.
“I earned a bronze medal at the state competition my first year,” he said. Lehmkuhl said he competed in SkillsUSA on a local and state level four times and on a national level three times. Twice he continued on to the international WorldSkills competition.
Daniel Lehmkuhl greets students in Brazil at the WorldSkills Americas in 2010
“One of my favorite things about it is getting to compete against the highest skilled competitors from across the country and even the world,” he said. “Not only that, but also learning about their backgrounds, their stories, and their lives at home was a fantastic cultural experience.” “I have friendships that I have made all across the world as a result of some of these competitions,” Lehmkuhl added. When comparing experiences at
the WorldSkills in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2010 and London, England in 2011, he said he found the former to be more challenging. “The competition in Brazil was conducted entirely in Portuguese, and the amount of time that we had to prepare was extremely limited,” Lehmkuhl explained. “All of the vehicles that were used in the competition did not exist in the United States.” He said he had to use an interpreter and a Portuguese to English dictionary to decipher the tasks, work instructions, and technical materials that were provided. “The weather in Brazil was hot and humid as well, which added an additional difficulty to the competition,” Lehmkuhl recalled. “There are six competition stages that take place over the course of three days, and each stage was three hours long.” Despite the challenges, he earned a silver medal. “The event in London was much larger and more organized,” Lehmkuhl explained. “There were over 40 competitors from all over the world, com-
Th The Carcoon A W Features: tttur The T Th he C Carcoon Ca C arcoon America arco Amer Am A America eriiica ca Workstation W Workstation orkk ork ksttati kst ati tiion io i nF Fe F ea e eat atures: a tu es: tures: es
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36 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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peting at a level that I had never seen before.” According to the California native, the London WorldSkills had seven stages that were three hours long, completed over a course of four days. “The sheer size of the WorldSkills Event is mind-boggling, and it was a true delight to participate in,” he said. “The competition was fast paced and fierce.”
Daniel Lehmkuhl competing at WorldSkills London in 2011
Lehmkuhl said he placed 5th in London. He was judged on the following tasks, which were similar for both WorldSkills events: ■ Engine Mechanical- disassembly,
inspection, perform precision measurements, repair problems, and reassemble an entire engine by hand, no power tools allowed ■ Gasoline Engine Performancediagnose, troubleshoot, repair, and perform specified measurements on a vehicle with approximately nine planted faults ■ Diesel Engine Performance- same as above but on a diesel engine vehicle ■ Chassis Alignment and Steeringperform a computerized 4-Wheel alignment inspection and adjustments and perform replacement of damaged components to repair alignment issues ■ Body Electrical- perform diagnosis, testing, repair, and precision measurement of a vehicle’s body electrical systems and repair approximately 10 hidden faults ■ Brakes- perform diagnosis, repair, and component replacement as well as precision measurements on a vehicles braking system and repair approximately six hidden faults ■ Manual Transmission- disassemble, inspect, perform precision measurements, component replacement, and reassemble a manual transmission gearbox, all by hand See SkillsUSA to WorldSkills, Page 63
Continued from Page 32
Snapshot
cept for a significant decrease in health care coverage. 1n 1995, nineteen percent of businesses reported no benefits offered from this list. Those offering no benefits have declined in every year the survey was done, showing less than three percent offering no benefits in 2016.
Technician Turnover Approximately one of every seven technicians (14.5%) left their jobs within the last year, similar to the results found in 2013 (13.9%). Half of all reported technicians have been with their current employer for 5 years or less, similar to previous surveys. Those staying on the job for over 20 years has increased each year to over ten percent in 2016. Similar to 2013, of those who left their jobs, over half (57%) left for another shop. This is turnover within the industry and, while disruptive to an individual shop, does not increase or decrease the pool of available technicians.
Industry turnout decreases the number of working technicians available. In the last 12 months, approximately one in sixteen collision technicians (6.2%) left the trade, similar to the 2013 Survey. Some technicians (1.9%) left their job for a different position, but are still working in an automotive business. Other technicians (2.6%) left the collision repair industry completely. In addition, 1.6% of technicians retired from the workforce. The survey asked about how many open technician positions the shop has currently. Unfilled entrylevel needs averaged 0.9 technicians per shop, while unfilled experienced technician needs averaged 1.7 per shop.
Entry-Level Technicians Three out of five shops reported hiring at least one entry-level technician during the previous 12 months. The most effective recruitment method reported was asking vendors, followed closely with contacting a technical school directly and posting jobs online. General career fairs showed low effectiveness as ranked by respondents. See Snapshot, Page 44
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 37
Audi dealers strive to make you an Audi Genuine Parts fan
What is best for your customer...Audi Genuine Parts or aftermarket substitutions? Cycle time, higher quality replacement parts and customer satisfaction all contribute to your business’ profitability. Why risk using aftermarket parts substitutions?
Alabama
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Melbourne 888.554.3115 321.956.1959 Fax M-F 7:30am-5:30pm
Irondale 205.986.7410 205.986.7438 Fax M-F 7am-6pm; Sat 8am-4pm daniel.williford@audiofbirmingham.com www.audiofbirmingham.com
Audi Naples Audi Huntsville Huntsville 256.724.3499 256.721.4066 Fax M-F 7am-5:30pm; Sat 8am-2pm ihagler@hileyhuntsville.com www.audihuntsville.com
Florida Audi Jacksonville Jacksonville 866.413.8557 904.565.2216 Fax M-F 7am-7pm; Sat 8am-5pm cdrake@audijax.com www.audijax.com
38 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
parts@audimelbourne.com www.audimelbourne.com
Naples 866.267.0060 239.643.8582 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm Sat 7:30am-3pm tcanglin@audinaples.com www.audinaples.com
Audi North Orlando Orlando 407.643.2980 407.206.9565 Fax M-F 7am-6pm vswany@audinorthorlando.com www.parts.audinorthorlando.com
• Your Audi customers expect quality and reliability from your repairs. Help meet those expectations by installing Audi Genuine Parts. • Audi dealers are supported by a nationwide network of parts distribution centers to help ensure that non-stocked parts are delivered the next day.
Installing Audi Genuine Parts from an Audi dealer is priceless to your reputation and your customers peace of mind. Order Genuine Audi Parts from these select dealers: Audi Pembroke Pines Pembroke Pines 888.434.2756 954.620.2036 Fax M-F 8am-5:30pm; Sat 8am-2pm notto@holmanauto.com www.audipp.com
Audi West Palm Beach West Palm Beach 561.615.4175 561.615.4179 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm wholesaleparts@audiwpb.com www.parts.audiwpb.com
Prestige Audi North Miami Beach 305.952.5952 305.944.4009 Fax M-F 8am-6pm; Sat 9am-1pm amartinez@prestigeaudimiami.com www.prestigeaudimiami.com
Georgia
Flow Audi
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Audi Atlanta
Winston-Salem 336.761.3698 336.723.6911 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat 8am-1pm
Charlottesville 434.951.6160 434.293.5151 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat 8am-1pm
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spalmer@flowauto.com www.flowaudicharlottesville.com
Atlanta 770.454.5951 678.547.0984 Fax M-F 7:30am-7pm; Sat 8am-4pm audi1parts@jimellis.com www.jimellisaudiparts.com
Tennessee No. Carolina
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Knoxville 800.382.2787 865.251.3227 Fax M-F 7:30am-5:30pm
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Virginia Audi Cary
Audi Virginia Beach
Cary 877.204.5449 919.469.1431 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat 8am-5pm
Virginia Beach 757.687.3488 757.687.3490 Fax M-F 8am-6pm
parts@leithimports.com www.audicary.com
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www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 39
Product and Process
Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications. She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.
The Benefits of Plastic Repair Include Speed, Fewer Losses, and Shorter Rentals with Stacey Phillips
Faster cycle times, fewer total losses and shorter length of rentals. These are just some of the many benefits of plastic repair that Kurt Lammon, president of Polyvance, talked about during a recent Guild 21 webinar. He said there are advantages for all members of the collision repair ecosystem including consumers, body shops, insurers, OEMs, technicians, as well as the planet.
Kurt Lammon, president of Polyvance, outlined the many benefits of plastic repair
Polyvance, formerly Urethane Supply Company, was established in 1981 to provide plastic repair and refinishing products for the collision repair industry. During the 1980s, the business pioneered a repair method for polyurethane bumpers. Lammon and his brother Keith took over the company from its founder, Jim Sparks, in 1995. Some of the products they have created since then for bumper repair and refinishing include the FiberFlex universal welding rod, Bumper & Cladding Coat Adhesion Primer, and the Nitro Fuzer nitrogen welding system, introduced in 2006. Although most think people think of bumpers when it comes to plastic repairs, Lammon said there are many other non-structural plastic parts that can be fixed, such as washer and overflow bottles, headlight tabs and fenders. “As the OEMs try to get the cars to be lighter, we’re going to see more plastic panels I believe,” said Lammon. He cited a case study he found on LinkedIn about a body shop in Australia that began doing plastic repair after receiving the necessary training, equipment and materials. Over a oneyear period, the company repaired more than 1,500 vehicles using plastic repair methods; 71 percent of which were bumpers and 19 percent were headlights. The company found that the
replacement part costs went down by 45 percent. There were also reductions in vehicle repair costs, paint materials and cycle time. “There is some real impact that happens in the shops when they take plastic repair to heart,” said Lammon.
Benefits for the Collision Repair Ecosystem: Consumers When a body shop utilizes plastic repair on a vehicle, it not only allows for a faster cycle time, the customer is able to keep the original bumper, which helps protects the brand. Lammon said plastic repair lowers repair costs, which can lead to more affordable insurance premiums and lower costs in general if a consumer is paying to repair a vehicle out-of-pocket. All of these help with customer satisfaction. In addition, plastic repair reduces incidents of total loss. “When consumers experience a total loss, they are often dissatisfied and would like to keep that car on the road,” said Lammon. “If we can repair some plastic and keep it under the total-loss threshold, it would be a benefit to the consumer.”
Body Shops In terms of cycle time, it’s not only beneficial for the consumer but obviously for the body shop as well. Lammon said a faster cycle time means that vehicles spend less time in the shop, which expands a business’s capacity to do other work. Because plastic repair can decrease the number of total losses, shops can minimize paying the costs of storage, estimations, and labor that is not reimbursed. It also helps reduce severity and time, as well as looks favorable on a body shop’s DRP scorecard. Lammon pointed out that body shops make their money on labor, rather than parts. Typically, a shop can make 20 to 25 percent on parts, whereas in terms of labor, they can make 50 or even 60 percent on their time. “It’s definitely better to repair parts to make a higher profit margin,” he said. Keeping the original part on the vehicle is beneficial for fit issues as well as the labor hours involved. “A big thing now is being able to maintain control,” said Lammon. He
40 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
used the example of bumpers, which cannot always be repaired, especially over blind spot monitors. If the technician knows that the blind spot monitor is on the rear quarter behind the bumper, he or she is going to avoid doing any repairs over that area, whereas he said if they bought a recycled bumper, they
In addition to repairing bumpers, plastic repair methods can be used on other non-structural car parts
would have no idea where the repairs were. “That gives the body shop control and I think that’s a really big factor nowadays,” said Lammon.
Insurers Two of the main benefits for insurers include reduction of severity due to the ability to blend the paint in the panel, and faster cycle time, which benefits all parties because it’s a shorter length of rental for the insurer. “I would think because the consumer is having a better experience with a shorter cycle time, that would also benefit the CSI score,” said Lammon. He said if consumers have a negative experience with a repair, they may switch insurance companies. “The happier the consumer, the more likely they are going to stay with that insurer after the repair is done,” said Lammon. Another benefit he pointed out is reduced diminished value. Some bumpers now have VIN codes and he said that keeping that intact is also something of value. OEMs Lammon said that a faster cycle time See Polyvance, Page 43
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Shop and Product Showcase How Will 3D Printing Affect the Collision Repair Industry? with Ed Attanasio
We all know that 3D printing has arrived, with more and more companies jumping onboard and developing this burgeoning technology. Almost every day, there is news about something that has been created using this amazing technology. Recently, a Chinese company 3D-printed an entire two-story house and another one is making huge parts for the new Boeing 777 using 3D printing. 3D printing has been a hot topic for over a decade or more, but its origins actually go back to the late 1980s. At first, the technology was designed for manufacturing companies to save time and money while making prototypes, but they soon realized that they could make anything. Indeed, 3D printing is going to be huge, and especially in the automotive sector. A recent report entitled “Executive Analysis of 3D Printing in the Automotive Industry” from Frost & Sullivan stated that 3D printing will generate $4.3 billion in the automotive
industry by 2025, which includes the aftermarket. So here comes the Divergent Blade, a 3D-printed car that was unveiled recently at the LA Auto Show. The prototype, made by San Francisco– based startup Divergent Microfactories, is constructed on a chassis using a combination of 61 pounds of 3D-printed aluminum “nodes” connecting to 41 lbs. of carbon-fiber tubing that are not 3D-printed. Purportedly, the Divergent’s chassis will weigh 100 pounds, compared to a regular chassis weighing roughly 1,000 pounds. It can be completely assembled in 30-40 minutes, according to Divergent Microfactories. When the Divergent Blade’s is fully assembled, the entire vehicle will weigh 1,388 lbs, as 3D printing will reduce its overall weight by as much as 90%. As carmakers doggedly try to get their vehicles lighter to meet CAFE standards, 3D printing is mak-
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
ing a major impression on companies such as Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Porsche, among others. The Divergent Blade is a sensation and indeed a game changer. Many
question is this—how will this new, exciting technology affect the collision repair industry? Will it help body shops, or will it eliminate jobs, as more machines start to replace technicians? How will the OEs react, and maybe even more importantly, how will the insurance companies respond when shops start printing out parts? Taylor Moss, the CPO at Estify, Inc., published an article online a while back in which he described his take on how 3D printing will impact the collision repair industry, and he has some intriguing ideas to share. The Divergent Blade, made by San Francisco–based startup Divergent Microfactories, is a 3D-printed car that “3D printing, if you haven’t has gained national attention after appearing at the LA heard, is here,” Moss wrote. Auto Show recently “And it is getting more maincar experts and Silicon Valley types stream and affordable day by day. And say that a deluge of highly-innovative this tech innovation can pay big divi3D-printed vehicles will be flooding dends to collision shops willing to the market within 2-3 years. So the big jump on this new technology. This will
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enable technicians to print the fasteners, rivets, bolts, screws, clips, retainers, and any other small parts that hold up jobs. But that is just the beginning.” 3D printing would be ideal in situations where OEM specification rivets, screws, clips and retainers aren’t immediately on-hand and could delay the completion of a repair, Moss claimed. “Typically, repairs get held up by the smallest and seemingly most insignificant parts, and the ability to 3D print those parts on site would work won-
ders. It would allow delays in delivering vehicles to shrivel and diminish, quicken the cycle times, cut rental days and make employees more efficient during their workday—all great fruits of 3D printing.” In the very near future, Moss envisions companies using 3D printing to manufacture larger parts for body shops. “If we can print the small stuff that’s needed, why can’t we print the body panels and structural pieces too? There most likely will be a day when
you can print all the parts you need for a repair right onsite. And what will that do for efficiency and cost when shipping is eliminated, the need to carry inventory for parts dealers is unnecessary, and the parts can be printed for use when the vehicle is ready for the parts?” Moss also outlined several ways that 3D printing will enhance shop workflows, including reducing cycle time, cutting average rental days, reducing downtime, saving money on cheaper parts, eliminating incorrect
parts orders that cause returns and delays and ensuring OEM standard fit and form on parts used in repairs. The Divergent Blade has us imagining a world where cars are 3D-printed in microfactories all over the planet and instead of ordering a part for one, you simply print it out. Embrace it, because 3D printing is going to be a reality in body shops soon—right alongside selfdriving cars, paint booths that talk and other incredible innovations that will improve the industry.
Continued from Page 40
tomotive manufacturer is informing its approved body shops to repair some of the plastic parts on the vehicles because parts availability is such a problem. “Even a temporary repair gets the cars back on the road faster and improves customer satisfaction,” he said.
skilled repairer and can put them on a path to increase their skills. In addition, it gives them an opportunity for increased pay, which leads to a better standard of living. “It also allows the shop owner to evaluate the performance of the technician in a low-risk environment and if a person exceeds or excels, the shop owner can progress that person along to being a structural technician.”
common, Lammon said those types of plastics cannot be recycled. Instead, they have to be discarded. He estimated that approximately 70 percent of damaged polypropylene bumpers are not being repaired. Due to the ability to blend the paint to the panel, it reduces VOC emissions, which is good for the planet. Finally, he said it also helps create skilled labor jobs and employ a younger workforce. This information was based on a presentation by Kurt Lammon during a recent Guild 21 webinar. For more information about plastic repair, visit www.polyvance.com or contact Polyvance at 800-633-3047.
Polyvance
as a result of plastic repair benefits everybody. When consumers have had a good experience, the more likely they are going to be satisfied with the OEM as well. “More often than not, in a total loss situation, consumers will switch brands of vehicles so that’s a stream of future cashflows that the OEMs are going to lose on repairs and maintenance,” he said. Polyvance has been approached by Tesla about using plastic repair on its vehicles. Lammon said that the au-
Technicians When it comes to technicians, Lammon said he has found plastic repair has helped with job satisfaction and pride in workmanship. “Right now, the body shops are in such a dire need for new talent coming in,” he said. Since the parts repaired are non-structural, he said it provides a good first step to becoming a
Planet One of the main benefits for the planet is reducing landfill waste. By keeping the original part on the vehicle, it reduces recycling volume. Although polyurethane bumpers are not very
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Continued from Page 37
Snapshot
Collision repair specific careers fairs were launched by the Education Foundation in 2016 to further increase success rates.
to perform with very little supervision. Respondents chose an average of 9.2 tasks, higher than in 2013 (8.3 tasks). The top four requested tasks remained the same, as they have since 1995. Electrical Repairs is still the least expected skill. New tasks added for 2016 were Perform Diagnostic Scan, Repair Aluminum Dents, and Aluminum Welding. All are in the bottom half of expected task proficiencies.
(Other trades source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Conclusions ● The collision repair industry is predominantly independent businesses that have increased slightly in number while also increasing in average size, number of employees, and sales volume.
● One of every two shops reported six or more technicians and the industry total number of production technicians has increased overall.
Almost three out of four respondents (72%) identified one collision repair school in their area and almost one of every two (48%) identified a second one. Sixty-nine percent rated their schools as Good or above. Of those who have hired from these schools, almost all (93%) would hire more. Over one in three (37%) reported at least one employee was on a school advisory committee, significantly higher than twenty-nine percent in 2013.
Training Programs Survey respondents indicated which
tasks they would expect a technical school program graduate to be able
● The average age of technicians has again risen and is now almost 41 years old.
in the past year.
● Of those businesses that have hired from a collision repair school program in their area, almost all would hire again. ● Participation on technical school advisory committees has again increased
(from 29% to 37%) over the past three years.
● Expectations for collision repair skills of technical school program graduates have remained steady over the years with Prep for Paint, R&R Bolted Parts, Repair Steel Metal Dents, and Detailing still the top four tasks.
● Average technician income has again increased, is still higher than most com-
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● Collision repair businesses have decreased healthcare benefits since the last survey.
● Technician turnover (within the industry) has increased slightly while technician turnout (leaving the industry) has decreased slightly. Retirements have increased.
● Three out of five shops reported hiring at least one entry-level technician
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Toby Chess is an I-CAR program instructor, Training specialist, and former salvage yard operator. Toby is universally known in the collision industry for his work with first responders and advocacy for body shops and consumers. He can be reached at tcspeedster@gmail.com
Hey Toby!
What To Expect from an OSHA Isocyanate and Lift Inspection with Toby Chess
You are sitting at your desk and an OSHA inspector walks in and wants to discuss your isocyanate protection program and inspect your lift. The first request by the inspector will be to see your respirator fit test for all your required employees along with their medical questionnaire. By the way, it is September 2016. You tell him that you have not done the fit test this year (needs to be done yearly), but you will get to it when you have a chance. You will be issued a citation for $7500 and that is just the start of it. There are examples where OSHA fined a facility over $10,000.00 for not furnishing the proper respirators and not having done a fit test. Starting in June of 2013, OSHA was given a mandate to determine isocyanate protection in the collision industry and part of the mandate, an OSHA inspection could inspect for isocyanate protection without a complaint. They could also inspect to see
that any lifts/hoists in a body shop have been inspected. Again inspection without a complaint. So what are isocyanates, where are they found in the body shop and what PPE is necessary for isocyanate protection? Isocyanates are powerful irritants to the mucous membranes of the eyes and gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. Direct skin contact can also cause marked inflammation. Isocyanates can also sensitize workers, making them subject to severe asthma attacks if they are exposed again. There is evidence that both respiratory and dermal exposures can lead to sensitization. Death from severe asthma in some sensitized subjects has been reported. Workers potentially exposed to isocyanates that experience persistent or recurring eye irritation, nasal congestion, dry or sore throat, cold-like symptoms, cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, or chest tightness should see a physician knowl-
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edgeable in work-related health problems. Isocyanate exposure generally occurs through inhalation and/or dermal routes. Depending on the isocyanate type and the application method, there may be significant exposure potential from either, or both, of these routes and this should be considered in the risk management approach. Inhalation exposure can occur when isocyanates are present in the workplace air, either as a vapor or an aerosol. In some instances, airborne isocyanates can be present in both of these forms simultaneously. Aerosols can be generated by deliberate means, such as spraying, or inadvertently when isocyanates are mechanically agitated or vigorously disturbed. For example, fine aerosol particles will be generated when liquids are brush applied or poured from one vessel to another. However, the amount of aerosol generated in this
way will usually be much lower than from spraying processes. Where solid isocyanates are handled, there is potential for airborne dust to be generated. Dermal (skin) exposure can occur wherever there is potential for workers’ skin to come into contact with isocyanates. The main mechanisms by which dermal exposure to isocyanates occur are: ■ Direct contact with workers’ skin
■ Deposition of aerosol from the air onto workers’ skin
■ Splashing, during pouring or mixing activities for example.
■ Handling contaminated items such as tools or used personal protective equipment (PPE) ■ Contact with contaminated surfaces,
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vapors as they pass thru the filter. These filters have a black ring to distinguish it as a vapor cartridge.
such as control panels or process plant, during maintenance Isocyanates are found in virtually any two part products, such as bondo, seam sealers, plastic two repair and primers and clear coats. What are the necessary Personal Protection Equipment items for isocyanate protection? Gloves, Goggles, paint suits and respirators. Let’s look at respirators. There are two types: particulate and vapor. Particulate respirators have fine mesh screens that trap various size particles that pass thru the microscopic holes. Some examples of particulates would be weld thru primer, aerosols products, and welding fumes to name a few. These filters are pink in color.
There is a third cartridge that is both a particulate and vapor all rolled into one filter. These are pink and black.
Vapor respirators have charcoal inside the cartridge that absorbs the
All of the above filters have an hour limit and should be changed on a regular basis. I perform annual respirator fit test and give my shops a
book that contains the medical exams, respirator fit test and a page for each employee log that dates when the cartridges have been changed (a game changer when and OSHA inspector walks into shop and wants to see your records). It should also be noted that it is a large OSHA fine if a respirators is not stored in a protective container when not in use.
Another area that OSHA is actively looking at is repairable crystalline silica. Crystalline silica is found in sand blasting and rubbing compound.
3M states in Section 8 for their SDS sheet for Ultra finishing Rubbing Compound you should avoid breathing of vapors, mists or sprays. Avoid breathing of dust created by cutting, sanding, grinding or machining. Select one of the following NIOSH approved respirators based on airborne concentration of contaminants and in accordance with half face piece or full-face air-purifying respirator with organic vapor cartridges and P100 particulate prefilters. OSHA states that the final rule takes effect June 23, 2016 after which industries have two years to comply. In other words, your person who polishes the vehicles with cutting comSee Next Page
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pound needs to was a proper respirator and also has a medical questionnaire filled out along with a respirator fit test. I would recommend that you make sure that your tech is in compliancy now and not wait. Another new rule took place last year is the GHS rules (the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals or GHS) on labeling effective June 1, 2016. Employers need to update all work place labels. The label pictured is courtesy of Kent Automotive. The above pictured label is now needed on all products that need a work place label.
Body Shop Transfers Chemical from larger container to a smaller one, a work place label is required* Here is what OSHA has stated about the new work place labels and SDS sheets. “Labels: All labels will be
required to contain four elements: a pictogram that conveys the specific hazard a chemical may present, signal words that specify the level of severity of hazard, a hazard statement that assigns a class and category to the chemical, and a precautionary statement that advises how the chemical
should be handled to reduce the risk of injury. Safety Data Sheets: SDS sheets will all need to follow the standardized 16-section format.” Here is a partial list of the top 5 OSHA Violations in 2015: #2 Violation. Hazard Communication (1910.1200) - 5,192 Citations About The Standard: Hazard Communication standards address chemical hazards produced or used in the workplace, and governs how those hazards are communicated to workers through things like labels, safety data sheets and classification standards. Recent updates in Hazard Communication standards aligned OSHA’s standards with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) standards already used internationally. When the new updates began going into effect in 2013, many businesses did not properly implement revisions or train employees on the new standards. Most violations, though, were due to employers not having a written hazard communication program at all, or not providing training and information on hazardous chemicals to workers. #4 Violation. Respiratory Protection (1910.134) - 3,305 Citations About The Standard: Employees who work around harmful dusts, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smokes, sprays and vapors are at risk of very dangerous occupational diseases if precautions are not taken to protect their respiratory systems. OSHA’s Respiratory Protection standards set expectations for control measures, respirator use, cleaning and repair, written programs and worker medical evaluations, and these citations are most frequently issued for medical evaluation requirements, implementation of a written respiratory protection program and fit testing. What does this mean collision shop employer? An unlabeled container falls into the Serious Violation—Each Unlabeled material is subject to a $1500 fine beginning 8/1/2016. Furthermore, Other-ThanSerious Violation, a violation that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm. OSHA may assess a penalty from $0 to $1,000 for each violation. The agency may adjust a penalty for an Other-
48 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Than-Serious violation downward by as much as 95 percent, depending on the employer’s good faith (demonstrated efforts to comply with the Act), history of previous violations, and size of business. Serious Violation — A violation where there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result. OSHA assesses the penalty for a serious violation from $1,500 to $7,000 depending on the gravity of the violation. OSHA may adjust a penalty for a serious violation downward based on the employer’s good faith, history of previous violations, and size of business. Last topic I would like to discuss is MSDA to SDS. June 1, 2016 – By this date employers should be fully compliant with HazCom 2012. That includes making
any necessary updates to their HazCom program, training employees on any newly identified chemical hazards (identification of new hazards is likely during the reclassification process chemical manufacturers undertake), and updating safety data sheets libraries and secondary labels. I have included a SDS Check List for Compliance. The following checklist will help to ensure you comply with the rule: ● Obtained a copy of the rule. ● Read and understood the requirements. ● Assigned responsibility for tasks. ● Prepared an inventory of chemicals. ● Ensured containers are labeled. ● Obtained SDS for each chemical. ● Prepared written program. ● Made SDSs available to workers. ● Conducted training of workers. ● Established procedures to maintain current program. ● Established procedures to evaluate effectiveness.
I realize that our days in the body shop business are filled with many major concerns (where do I find new techs for instance), and a work place label is not at the top of the list, but large OSHA fine can be devastating.
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Shop Showcase She Went from Receptionist to GM in Just 3 Years at NJ Shop with Ed Attanasio
Her customers love her and her team respects her and that’s why things run smoothly at Hampton Body Works in Newton, NJ. Her name is Dee Mathews, and when she entered the field of collision repair three years ago, she didn’t know the difference between a bumper and a fender. But by using all of the skills that she accumulated working in the corporate world for two decades at a large manufacturing firm, Mathews has been able to flourish in a whole new environment with a completely new set of challenges. Mathews was hired initially to answer the phones at Hampton Body Works, which has three distinct departments—collision repair, RV sales and towing. Within a short time, she designed the company’s website and started doing sales and marketing for the RV sales department. Her can-do attitude and desire to learn new things set her up for success in collision repair, an industry in which she had zero experience. Things changed literally overnight for Mathews when the large corporation she was working for changed hands. “After 20 years at the same company, the original owners sold and I had no connection to the new people, so I left,” she said. “It worked out well, because I took that time to raise my grandson from age two through pre-school. Now he is five and we have an amazing relationship. It was a fortunate thing and something I will always look back at fondly, but when he started attending pre-school, I figured I better get back to work.” By operating a towing company in a town of approximately 8,000 people, damaged vehicles come to Hampton Body Shop all the time, which gives Mathews a chance to retain towing customers for collision repairs, she explained. “I treat people like my long lost brother and walk them through the entire repair process from beginning to end. I put them at ease and spend time with them and that’s how I retain the customer. All you have to do is pay the deductible and pick up the car when we’re done, I tell them. I also tell them that their insurance company is going to try and bully them, but it’s their choice and their decision and my success rate
is roughly 75 percent doing it that way.” Mathews doesn’t mind doing whatever she can to keep towing customers in her shop, because she has seen it from the other side and it isn’t good business,
Dee Mathews worked her way up from answering phones to becoming the GM at Hampton Body Works in Newton, NJ in just three years by using skills she attained while working in the corporate world for two decades
she said. “Yes, steering is bad around here, because all these shops are fighting for the same cars. The main problem is that the customer just wants to get their car fixed without drama, because they’re already stressed out when they come in here initially. I try to educate the customer so that they won’t get manipulated by their insurance company. I tell them that they don’t have to settle for what the insurance company offers them—it’s negotiable—and I think that puts them at ease, because I’m on their side.” William Dianella (Bill) is the current owner of Hampton Body Works. He purchased the shop from its original owner Jack Burke in 1984 and four years later, he opened Hampton RV Trailer Sales. One year later, he purchased 1.7 acres adjacent to his lot, where a showroom with a display area, service bays and offices exist today. Dianella was impressed by his new hire, but wasn’t ready to offer her the manager’s job—at least initially, Mathews said. “I was working 60 hours a week and we were not having any luck finding a manager that was going to stick around,” she said. “It became the ‘musical chair’, because these guys would come and go. Each time one would get fired or quit I figured I would get a shot, but it wasn’t happening. Then, when the last guy quit, Bill came in and said, ‘If you want it, you can have it.’ And that’s how I got hired,
50 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
after five managers came and went.” Mathews literally hit the shop floor running upon landing the manager’s job, she said. “I came in on a Monday and we ripped that shop apart. We cleaned and re-organized everything and updated whatever we could. We streamlined our production processes, added a prepper to help the painter and started ordering all of our parts electronically by using CCC.” To become a better manager and continually prove herself to Dianella, Mathews is now proactively trying to learn as much as she can about the technical side of the collision repair industry. “With my background in the corporate world, I wasn’t scared by any aspect of this business, except for maybe the technical side,” Mathews said. “I realized that I need to know about things like severity and the integrity of a vehicle after a collision. So now I am taking I-CAR classes and asking our techs a lot of questions, be-
cause I want to know it all.” Another way to be a good manager is to network with other shop owners and pick their brains if they’re willing, Mathews said. “We joined AASP-NJ because I want to meet the top operators in the state and ask them questions. I would like to meet another woman who is managing a shop here in New Jersey, to see if she is encountering the same problems I am. But I haven’t actually met one yet, so if you’re out there girl, give me a holler.” Now that Mathews has proven herself as the unquestioned manager at Hampton Body Works, she doesn’t take flack from her crew or male customers, she said. “I was talking to a male customer one day and he said, ‘You know, you have a certain sex appeal about you.’ I just blew it off, but later I thought, who says that? I realized yes, I am still working in a man’s world here and I can tolerate it, but at least I’m doing it my way.”
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Owner of PDR Company in Buffalo, NY, Says He Sees an Industry in Trouble by Ed Attanasio
Glenn Kumm, 61, has been working in the collision industry for more than 40 years and by adapting to changes in the market and reinventing himself more than once, he has survived both good and bad times. As a result, he has been able to make it in a highly competitive environment, but not without many trials and tribulations along the way. The owner of Scratch Busters in Buffalo, NY, Kumm is troubled by things such as under-the-radar shops, underpaid body techs, rampant steering, a lack of qualified personnel and that talented people are gravitating away from the collision repair industry, he said. Hiring good employees is probably his #1 concern. Kumm has had his share of bad technicians who simply don’t want to work, he said. “The bottom line is if you don’t have pride in your work, it’s evident and the finished product will be substandard,” Kumm said. The problem is compounded because the insurance companies won’t pay body shops sufficiently on repairs, Kumm says. “The insurers don’t give us enough time to fix these vehicles, so
we’re constantly struggling with that. They tell me it will take 2.5 hours to prep, tape, paint and re-assemble a panel and I know that it’s going to take more like four hours and I’m fairly confident that they know that, too. That panel could be in bad shape and it may take more time, but will the insurance company adjust for that and give us some additional time? No.” A shop that wants to do top-tier, high-quality work is at a disadvantage from day one, Kumm explained. “One of the main issues is that the insurance companies don’t consider us skilled workers, and in the end, they have us by the short hairs. Our labor rate has been stuck at $46 per hour for many years and that’s where they want it to stay. These big insurers spend millions and millions on advertising, yet they want to cut corners when their customers get into accidents. There is one word to describe it: greed.” 16 years ago, Kumm changed his business model and started doing Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) after finding a new way to fix scratches easily and quickly. “I worked with a chemist to find a better solution and we developed
a system that requires minimal sanding and zero buffing. There is so little clear coat on these cars now that if you sand too much, you’re done. With my system, we are experts at blending clear and doing touch-ups that are dead-on.” With four decades under his belt, Kumm realized a few years ago that his days of hard, physical labor were no longer a reality. “Once I turned 50, my body started to feel the wear and tear of this business,” he said. “I had to get one of my shoulders replaced and it’s now all made of steel. I have a herniated disk in my back and arthritis in all of my joints, left shoulder and hip. All of these things are related to all of those years of working on cars.” What would Kumm tell people interested in a career in collision repair? “I get calls all the time from young people asking me how to get into the business and I tell them this is not a great career to get into, honestly. In a body shop, you will never make a fair wage, because there are too many forces preventing it from happening. They’re now raising the minimum wage, which will not help us, because we can’t afford to pay these entry-level people more than
what they’re making now. If someone wants to work in automotive repair, I tell them to get into the mechanical side, because those people are paid better than body techs.” With an average wage for collision technicians starting at $15 and maxing out at around $20 in the Buffalo area, more and more young candidates are looking elsewhere, Kumm said. “To be honest, the really good ones are starting their own shops, because they want the control and they can’t find good people either. In this market now, it makes more sense for these people to start their own shops, if they have the right attitude and are willing to work long hours.” After painting a dire picture of the future of the collision repair industry, does Kumm know where it’s headed? “We need more people in this industry who are proud of their work, like ourselves, and can take on the insurance companies,” he said. “And we need highly-trained techs to work on these cars, so that we can demand more money and get it. If we can achieve those two things, everyone can win— consumers, insurance companies and body shops.”
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Industry Insight
—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has a body shop in the family and has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.
OEM Summit Includes Discussion of Scan Tools, Collision Repair Training Costs with John Yoswick
The “OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit,” hosted in November by the Society of Collision Repair Specialists, gave representatives of the automakers an opportunity to weigh in on a variety of topics raised by collision repairers. A panel of OEM trainers, for example, was asked what shops should look for in the technicians they choose to send to OEM training. Some of their answers were surprising. “The main thing that I notice is technicians who come to training who don’t have basic computer skills,” Mike Kukavica of Porsche said. “They really need to be able to get to the workshop manuals. It’s not a paper book any more. They have to be able to use a computer. They need to be able to look things up.” Shawn Hart, a trainer with Audi of America, said some students show up with little understanding of why they are even there. “They’ll say, ‘My manager just said here’s your ticket, you’re going to training,’” Hart said. “That happens quite often.” He said shops should make sure technicians are really interested in the particular training being offered; he recalled one student who was told by his employer he was going to training to become the shop’s aluminum technician even though that wasn’t the type of work the technician wanted to do. “If they’re passionate about something, they’ll learn it,” agreed Rick Miller of Jaguar Land Rover. “They’ll really get engaged.” The panel was also asked what the automakers are doing to curb the expense of OEM training for shops. “It depends what your definition of ‘high cost of training’ is,” Kukavica said, noting that Porsche training is included in the company’s shop certification fee. “You just have to bring the people to us, and we have two different training locations where you can do that. So we really try to keep the burden both for equipment and training as low as we can. We’ve been charging the same fee for the nine years the program has been going on. We haven’t raised it. I don’t know if that’s going to change, but we’re re-
ally trying to do the best we can.” Miller pointed out that Jaguar Land Rover has I-CAR conduct its training in the United States, and that the cost for that “went down, not up, after 13 years, which is very unusual.” James Meyer, senior collision repair trainer for Toyota Motor Sales USA, said anyone who has been to one of his company’s training facilities has to recognize the automaker isn’t even recouping its investment in those centers from training fees. He said he thinks the real expense of training for shops is not class fees, but the lost productivity while technicians are away. “That’s an expense of any training, OEM or otherwise, unless you’re training in your shop, and we’ve found that not to be a very good atmosphere for training,” Meyer said. In-shop training, he said, can be hampered by limited equipment or by technicians interrupted for production-related issues. Perhaps not surprisingly, the panelists raised some concerns about shops relying solely on third-party sources of OEM repair procedures and not checking OEM information directly. Miller said a shop once called him trying to find rivets using an outdated part number from a third-party information source. “It’s not up-to-date and sends them down rabbit-holes they might not need to go down, and wastes time,” Miller said. Audi’s Hart agreed that “a lot of times there’s information, fairly important information, that may be missing,” in such third-party sources. Kukavica said other sources of OEM information “are a god-send if you have no other access” to repair information. “But at the same time, they’re trying to recreate a database that is updated continuously,” he said. “There’s always some time lag. It’s really important to have the latest information if you can.” Meyer raised similar concerns. He said a collision repairer back in August was talking to him about some wording in a Toyota procedure that was helping the shop negotiate better. “I said, ‘I don’t think we would
52 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
have ever written that,’” Meyer said. “But he sent me the bulletin, from another information provider, and it was a bulletin of ours that was changed or edited, and [he had] the original one, not the revised version. So the information might not be up-to-date or accurate.” Another panel of during the summit offered their views on the pros and cons of collision shops buying OEM versus aftermarket scan tools. John Hughes of Fiat Chrysler argued that OEM tools tend to be updated more frequently. “We update it every week,” Hughes said of his company’s scan tool, noting that it could be months before such changes are incorporated into aftermarket tools, and that some minor changes that may only affect a few hundred vehicles might never be incorporated into those tools. Jason Gabrenas, national diagnostics trainer for Snap-on, acknowl-
edged his company does regular updates to its vehicle communication software app two times per year. But he and Bob Pattengale of Bosch both said that although an OEM tool may make sense for a brand of vehicle a shop is specializing in, a quality aftermarket tool is generally sufficient. “Let’s say you get a particular late-model car and you just don’t have the feature [needed] in your [aftermarket] scan tool,” Pattengale said. “If you have a J-2534 (compatible) device, you go to a website, you download the diagnostic software that you need, paying for a 2-day or 3-day subscription for under $100, you solve the problem, you put your J-box away and move on. You don’t have to buy the whole [OEM] scan tool and own it for life.” Gabrenas said the likely lifespan of any tool should also be a factor in a shop’s purchase decision; he said See OEM Summit, Page 56
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Historical Snapshot
—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has a body shop in the family and has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.
Industry History Includes Diminished Value, Rating Insurers, a New Direction for CARSTAR with John Yoswick
committees. 20 years ago in the collision repair “We did bury it a couple years industry (February 1997) “This isn’t a club; it’s a business,” back, but the discussion has been to put CARSTAR President Lirel Holt said it into several committees so we can get of new directions the collision repair several perspectives,” CIC Chairman franchisor is pursuing. Lou DiLisio said. “I think the fire has Those new directions include an died down a little bit from where it was increased emphasis on company-owned a couple years ago, so now we wouldoperations as opposed to the n’t just be adding fuel to that conversion type the 8-year-old fire but addressing a very real corporation has been pursuissue.” ing. Conversion franchising, A significant portion of meaning the signing up of exthe next CIC meeting in isting shops, has brought the Nashville, TN, has been set group to more than 300 shops aside for discussion of DV, since Holt founded CARSTAR from which a CIC task force In 1997, Lirel Holt in 1989. That figure includes was the president on the issue may be estabsome 30 shops in Canada. lished. of CARSTAR, the “Acquisition of shops by “I think collision repairers collision repair CARSTAR has been in the franchise company think it’s an insurance issue,” mix from day one,” Holt said. he founded in 1989; Georgia shop owner Gene he left CARSTAR in “But we’re now just begin- the late 1990s and Hamilton said at CIC. “I proning to buy company stores to today is co-founder mise you, it’s coming right fill areas where we can’t get a straight at us just like a freight and CEO of suitable conversion. We need MotionU, an online train. Everything you read calendar of the coverage to bring brand says [the State Farm settleautomotive events awareness up, and we’re gainment of the Georgia lawsuit] ing the capital and the experience to do will cost $250 million. Well, $50 milit.” lion of that is going right to the lawyers – As reported in Parts & People. who will propagate it right back into Just a few years later, CARSTAR other lawsuits in all kinds of different abandoned its emphasis on corporate- areas of the repair process.” owned shops, selling many of those – As reported in Autobody News. shops back to franchisees and returning to primarily a conversion-franchise 10 years ago in the collision repair model. It took CARSTAR almost 20 industry (February 2007) years, until 2016, to reach the 500- State Farm and several smaller Northshop mark, with much of that growth west-based auto insurers remain among coming in Canada, where the company the best at taking care of their customers now has about 250 shops. after an accident. And some of the companies best-known for their tele15 years ago in the collision repair in- vision commercials – including Progressive and GEICO – are among the dustry (February 2002) Diminished value is back on CIC’s worst. radar screen. That was the finding of a new surCollision Industry Conference vey of businesses that interact with (CIC) leaders and participants several auto insurers on behalf of vehicle-ownyears ago decided that diminished ers every day: Oregon collision repair value (DV) – the issue of whether a shops. vehicle’s value is decreased after it has “Collision repair shops on a daily been wrecked and repaired – was not basis see how various insurance coma topic that would benefit from dis- panies take care of Oregon drivers after section and discussion at the conferan accident, so we felt it was worthences. But at CIC’s annual planning, while to ask how they rate the various just days after State Farm announced a insurers,” said Barbara Crest, execu$250 million settlement of a class active director for the Northwest Autotion DV lawsuit it lost in Georgia, DV motive Trades Association (NATA), was being assigned to several CIC which conducted the survey of Oregon
54 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
shops. “We believe their views will be helpful to insurance companies and consumers.” The survey asked shops to grade the Top 21 auto insurers in the state in terms of as to how well that company’s “policies, attitude and payment practices ensure quality repairs and customer service for Oregon motorists.” The association conducted a similar survey in 2004, allowing for some comparisons of how shops’ views of insurers have changed. Crest pointed to a number of items of interest in the findings of the latest survey: ● Although State Farm remains the only insurer to receive an overall grade of A-, three Northwest insurers – North Pacific, Oregon Mutual and Mutual of Enumclaw – were once again the only three to receive grades of B or B-. ● Four companies received below-average overall grades of D+ or
lower. These companies were Farmers, GEICO, Progressive and Safeco. ● Allstate showed the most improvement from the 2004 survey in which it was ranked 19th with a grade of D+. This year, Allstate received a grade of C and moved up to be tied for 14th. ● Progressive became the first insurer in the survey to receive a D-, replacing Farmers Insurance at the bottom of the ranking. ● In most cases, the grades given a particular insurer from shops involved in that insurer’s direct repair program (DRP) were higher than those given by shops that are not part of that DRP. This was particularly true with GEICO, USAA, Unitrin and California Casualty, whose DRP shops gave them grades of B or better while non-DRP shops gave these same insurers grades of C+ or lower. But even Farmers’ “Circle of Dependability” See Industry History, Page 66
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I-CAR Launches Seven New Vehicle and Technology Specific Training Courses
I-CAR® has released seven new onehour online courses as part of its new Vehicle and Technology Specific Training curriculum portfolio. The courses include three that are Nissan/INFINITI specific, a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Collision Repair Overview, a course on calibration of front facing cameras and front radar, an introduction to diagnostics and scan
tools, and a new one-hour online version of the 2017 edition of I-CAR’s popular vehicle technology and trends course. All seven courses are offered online and have been specifically designed to provide collision repair technicians with cutting-edge knowledge that targets today’s innovative vehicles. The three Nissan/INFINTI courses are:
Safety Shield Technologies (NI001E01) – Nissan’s Safety Shield Technologies are a suite of advanced safety features that are designed to
provide an extra set of eyes for the driver and help reduce response time in braking situations. This course provides detailed explanations of how to identify if a vehicle is equipped with Safety Shield Technologies, how the systems function, what parts are associated with each system, what kind of damage is typical when the systems are involved in a collision and what procedures are required when parts are removed or replaced.
Nissan Repair Considerations (NI002E01) – This course familiarizes the technician with the vehicles that make up the Nissan model lineup. Additionally, it looks at how to access the repair procedures required for quality repairs. Students will become familiar with the unique repair considerations that are required by Nissan.
INFINITI Repair Considerations (NI003E01) – This offering is designed to provide technicians with specific details on vehicles in the INFINITI model lineup. Students will learn about required repair considerations that are unique to INFINITI, as well as how to access specific repair procedures. Other new courses include:
Calibration of Front Facing Cameras and Front Radars (VT200E01) – Systems that require either a front facing camera or front millimeter wave radar are intricate and procedures for repairing them are complex. Students will learn what is involved with calibrating these two advanced electronic systems.
Introduction to Diagnostics and Scan Tools (VT210E01) – Students will gain knowledge on the differences between certain electrical troubleshooting tools, when OEM scan tools are required, and how they can most effectively handle their diagnostic needs.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Collision Repair Overview (VT205E01) – The course provides an overview covering everything from FCA’s rich repair history to their position on modern repair issues including their position on cold straightening, partial replacements, types of specified joints for repair, and pre- and post-scans for collision repair.
Vehicle Technology and Trends (VT017E01) – This course covers new features and collision repair procedures for 2017 Model Year vehicles, both foreign and domestic. Technology high-
lights include composite reinforcements, a battery-powered GMA pulse welder and resistance spot riveting.
“Vehicle manufacturers are continuing to innovate with regards to the technologies and materials that are going into their new models,” said Josh McFarlin, I-CAR director of curriculum and product development. “The need for, and the value of, I-CAR training to the industry continues to increase. We are committed to working with the OEMs so that we are able to deliver the most relevant courses possible, and help repair facilities and technicians by providing the information and knowledge they need to perform complete, safe, and quality repairs. As repairs become more vehicle specific, the industry will find that our new Vehicle and Technology Specific Training curriculum offering is both relevant and complementary to I-CAR’s core training programs.” All of the new courses are currently available. For more information, visit www.i-car.com.
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Solera Holdings Inc., a global leader in data and software for the automotive, home ownership and digital identity management ecosystems, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Autodata, a leading provider of technical information and knowledge solutions for the automotive service, maintenance and repair (“SMR”) industry.
“Throughout a car’s life, there are over 54 transactions that occur between motorists and automotive businesses,” said Tony Aquila, Solera’s founder, chairman and CEO. “One of Solera’s missions is to digitize the vehicle ownership ecosystem by developing cognitive applications that not only power connectivity and engagement, but also proliferate awareness and transparency across the entire automotive lifecycle.” Founded in 1975, U.K.-based Autodata has evolved from publishing iconic DIY manuals for car enthusiContinued from Page 54
Industry History
shops gave the insurer relatively low scores, and Nationwide’s “Blue Ribbon” shops actually gave the company lower grades than shops not on the program. – As reported in Parts & People. When NATA conducted a similar survey in 2015, Oregon Mutual and Mutual of Enumclaw earned the top spots, while State Farm slipped into a tie with USAA for the No. 3 slot. Progressive continued to improve, getting a C+ in 2015, while Farmers and Geico remained in the bottom three among the insurers. More than 1,200 shops participated in a recent similar survey conducted nationally by CRASH Network; results from that survey are expected soon.
5 years ago in the collision repair industry (February 2012) Speaking at a recent conference, David Strickland of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said his agency will decide next year whether to mandate vehicle-tovehicle communication technologies
asts and garages, to delivering fully digital cloud-based diagnostics and repair intelligence for professional mechanics. Powered by data from 136 vehicle manufacturers covering more than 40,000 models worldwide, Autodata’s solutions today are deployed by more than 90,000 repair shops in more than 40 countries for best-in-class coverage, accuracy, reliability and efficiency, according to the company. Autodata has been owned by Bowmark Capital and Rothschild & Co’s Five Arrows Principal Investments since 2014. “Solera’s proprietary ‘Invent & Acquire’ strategy drives both the innovation and proliferation of our data and software platforms,” said Aquila. “The acquisition of Autodata will not only complement our expanding/existing suite of digital SMR solutions, such as Identifix and Inpart, but will also accelerate the expansion of Solera’s asset protection and risk management solutions in emerging and maturing markets across the globe.” As technology continues to rapidly drive complex automotive designs, vehicle repair shops increasingly demand sophisticated digital
in new cars to improve crash avoidance. “We have been working on this notion for over a decade,” Strickland said, according to the Detroit Free Press. “We really do feel very bullish on the prospect of getting it on the ground.” Strickland said such technology could address up to 80 percent of crash scenarios. But even with such mandates, it can take decades before new safety features are in 95 percent of vehicles on the road, according to a recent report from the Highway Data Loss Institute. It won’t be until 2016 that 95 percent of vehicles have front airbags, for example, and until 2028 for side airbags. – As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), February 13, 2012. It wasn’t until this past December that federal regulators announced a proposed regulation that would require that automakers begin phasing in the vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology within two years; four years after the regulation is finalized (expected in 2019), every new car sold would have to have a V2V system.
56 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Continued from Page 52
solutions that can enable and sustain efficient aftermarket operations with the highest levels of customer satisfaction. “Today’s motorists expect automotive service professionals not only to understand every vehicle make and model, but also to provide a faster and more accurate service at highly competitive prices,” said Rod Williams, CEO of Autodata. “Joining the Solera family will not only amplify Autodata’s ability to meet the growing needs of the industry, but will also provide our customers and partners with access to Solera’s highly innovative mindset and forward-thinking solutions.” “Vehicles are not only being driven longer than ever before, but are becoming more technologically advanced and digitally sophisticated,” said Aquila. “The SMR industry must be prepared to manage this evolution in mobility with the right mindset, equipment and training. Solera’s integration of Autodata will accelerate delivery of the data and software that the global SMR marketplace needs today, as well as the innovative technologies and solutions that the industry will need tomorrow.”
OEM Summit
Snap-on generally supports its tools long after it stops selling any particular model. Doug Kelly, CEO of Collision Diagnostic Services, agreed that “OEM tools change a lot more often,” and thus may have a shorter useful life than aftermarket tools. But “to keep up with the 2016 and 2017 vehicles with all this new technology, I honestly don’t know how a repair shop would start if they aren’t using factory tools,” he said. He said his company’s remote scanning service via its “asTech” tool, however, prevents a shop from having to invest in either OEM tools that more quickly become outdated or in aftermarket tools that are not as comprehensive nor as frequently updated. “By delivering the [scanning] service as opposed to the technology, we eliminate the need to have to worry about what version [of scan tool is needed],” Kelly said. “We sell a device that [remotely] connects [the vehicle in your shop] to our OEM scan tool and…our trained technicians.”
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IGONC’s Triangle Chapter Enjoyed Xmas Celebration by Chasidy Rae Sisk
On Tuesday, December 13, the Triangle Chapter of the Independent Garage Owners of North Carolina (IGONC) held its annual Christmas party in a private room at the Peddler’s Steak House, a favorite dining spot for many in Raleigh, NC. According to IGONC Executive Director Bob Pulverenti, “This
December gathering is just an opportunity to enjoy old friends and a great meal. Our attendance increased this year, allowing us to use the entire back room area, giving guests more space to mingle and socialize.” Pulverenti continued, “This year’s dinner was very nice. It’s always good to get to check in with everyone on a more personal level, meeting their family and sharing stories outside of the shop environment. This event, in particular, is a great way for like-minded business owners to spend some time together relaxing and to swap ideas, industry events and industry news.”
Mopar Celebrates 80 Years The Mopar brand, born on August 1, 1937 as a contraction of the words “Motor Parts,” celebrates 80 years in 2017, marking an amazing evolution over eight decades. First introduced as the name of a line of antifreeze products, the Mopar brand has since transformed to encompass total service, parts and customer care for FCA vehicle owners around the globe. “The Mopar brand holds an unparalleled place in the automotive world, possessing name recognition, scope of service and passionate enthusiasts unmatched by any other service and parts organization in the industry,” said Pietro Gorlier, Head of Parts and Service (Mopar), FCA – Global. “From humble beginnings as a simple name for antifreeze products, now the Mopar brand reaches customers in over 150 markets offering parts, service and innovative care throughout the whole customer journey.” After its introduction in 1937, the Mopar brand quickly began to stand for more than just antifreeze. The brand made a name for itself in the muscle-car era of the 1960s, cementing a legacy on the streets and at the dragstrip that by decade’s end would have owners referring to their vehicles as “Mopar” cars.
Over the last decade, Mopar has pegged the needle in its push to transform into a global service, parts and customer-care brand for all FCA vehicle owners. In 2008, Mopar Express Lane service, offering fast oil changes and more, was introduced at dealerships, with more than 1,000 operational today in the United States, and more than 1,750 open in more than 20 countries around the world. Construction is in progress on two new Mopar Parts Distribution Centers (PDCs) in the United States, adding to the brand’s current network of more than 50 PDCs established to service the more than 500,000 products in the Mopar portfolio. In the last decade, Mopar has blazed a trail with a number of industry firsts, including the first smartphone vehicle-information apps, in-vehicle wireless charging and factory-connected tablet technology in the service lane via Mopar wiADVISOR. The Mopar brand also introduced a series of limited-edition Mopar vehicles built at the factory, beginning with the Mopar ‘10 Challenger. A new special-edition Mopar vehicle has been introduced each year since, the most recent being the Mopar ‘16 Ram Rebel, with 3,650 limitedrun Mopar vehicles sold since that first
in 2010. On the product side, in conjunction with the Jeep® brand, Mopar created a new Jeep Performance Parts line to deliver trail-ready parts to offroaders. In late 2016, new Mopar Crate HEMI® Engine Kits were brought to market, enabling enthusiasts to drop modern HEMI power into classic, 1975 or earlier rides.
Celebrating 80 Years of Mopar Throughout 2017, the Mopar brand will mark its 80th year with a large slate of initiatives, including limitededition anniversary vehicles, 80th anniversary-themed service, parts and customer-care offers for customers, special merchandise, events, celebrations and much more. The year-long celebration will kick off at the 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, January 8-22. Befitting the brand’s global expansion, media and industry leaders from around the world will have the opportunity to experience the start of the Mopar brand’s year-long birthday party and view the 80th anniversarythemed Mopar Garage NAIAS display. For more information, visit www.mopar .com.
I-CAR Atlanta’s 8th Annual Golf Tournament Planned for April 26, 2017
by Chasidy Rae Sisk
The I-CAR Atlanta Committee has scheduled its 8th Annual Golf Tournament for Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at the Golf Club at Bradshaw Farm in Woodstock, GA. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Collision Repair Education Foundation.
On April 26, registration will begin at 8:30 with the 19th Hole Experience and the Putting Contest taking place from 8:30 to 10:30AM. The Tee Off on Eric will take place from 9-10AM, and the 2nd Annual Helicopter Ball Drop will occur at 10:30AM; for $10 per ball, participants receive a chance to win $2000, and the winner does not need to be present to receive the grand prize. The golf tournament will begin at 11AM with a shotgun start. Lunch will be served on the course at the turn, and at 5PM, attendees can par-
ticipate in the 19th Hole Experience Playoff. Dinner will be served at 5PM with awards and raffle drawings at 6PM. Raffle and Mulligan packages will be available for purchase on the day of the event. Registration is open until March 29th at a cost of $125 per individual golfer or $500 for a team of four. Registration includes 18 holes of golf, range balls, cart fees, three drink tickets, the putting contest, the 19th Hole Experience, golf ball launcher, custom glove fitting, lunch, reception dinner, and a goody bag. The I-CAR Atlanta Committee is also seeking event sponsors with opportunities ranging from a $100 bronze tool grant up to the $8000 platinum sponsorship opportunity.
For more information, visit icaratlanta golf.weebly.com.
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Axalta Donates Liquid Coatings to Haitian Hurricane Relief Effort Axalta Coating Systems donated a 20ton container of liquid coatings to help rebuild homes in Haitian villages devastated by Hurricane Matthew. The shipment, which is equivalent to 3,602 gallons of paint and valued at $33,000, arrived in Haiti the week of January 9 and was received by Maxima S.A., a Haiti-based woodworking company. The donation will cover more than 1.4 million square feet of surface area. “Haiti is one of the most vulnerable nations in the world in the face of natural disasters, including most recently Hurricane Matthew, which has left families and whole communities devastated,” said Michael Cash, Axalta senior vice president and president of the company’s industrial coatings business. “We are very fortunate that the products we make every day can, in some small way, help the families and communities in Haiti recover. We are thankful that our donation will help the country continue to rebuild, and we are grateful that FAMIS, one of our longest standing customers, shares this same energy to help our neighbors in Haiti.” Maxima S.A. delivers starter homes to rural Haitian families suffering from natural disasters including the 2010 earthquake and now those affected by the recent damage from Hur-
ricane Matthew. A single housing kit covers 250 square feet, is hurricanecertified to withstand 108 mph winds, and has been tested and approved in Haiti. The coatings donation from Axalta will be used to cover the exterior of 5,600 Maxima starter homes. “We’re so grateful for the donation from Axalta of liquid coatings for our starter homes,” said Stefan Vervloet,
president of Maxima S.A. “Haitians are eager to rebuild, and we’re happy to partner with an organization that can help bring healing to a community recovering from Hurricane Matthew.” The 20-foot container of coatings was coordinated and shipped from Miami, FL by FAMIS, Inc., the foremost industrial finishing supply distributor throughout the southeast. “There was no question about helping with this project. We said ‘yes’ before we even had all of the details; that’s
how much we believe in Axalta and the philanthropic work they do,” said Mario R. Hernandez, vice president of FAMIS, Inc. “Our family-owned company was happy to help Axalta, Maxima, and the Haitian people,” he said. Various colors of solvent-based anti-corrosive and decorative coatings, water-based decorative paint, water-based sealer and fast dry alkyd paint were shipped to help the reconstruction of Haitian villages. Axalta is committed to helping sustain communities through partnerships and initiatives that connect to the nature of its business as a technologybased manufacturing company. In addition to three key areas of support (education with a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics or STEM focus, sustainability initiatives, and community service where employees and customers live and work), Axalta also partners with companies and institutions that share an interest in safety and health, environmental stewardship, and quality products and services. For more information about Maxima S.A.’s Haiti Housing Fund, visit www.maximahaiti.com. For more information about Axalta, visit www.axaltacoatingsystems .com
ASA Announces Dates, Location for 2017 Annual Business Meeting
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) will hold its next annual business meeting April 24-26 at the Magnolia Hotel in Denver. The event will kick off with a Welcome Reception on Monday evening, April 24 at 6 p.m. All ASA members are invited to attend an open board meeting Tuesday, April 25, from 1-5 p.m., where there will be a swearing-in ceremony of the board of directors for 20172018. Prior to the open board meeting, there will be a luncheon for all attendees. Following the open board meeting, there will be a by-invitation-only recognition dinner. On Wednesday morning, April 26, the Mechanical and Collision Operations Committees, as well as the Automotive Management Institute’s (AMi) board of directors, will conduct their meetings. A group event will be planned for the afternoon of April 26. The attendee registration fee for the ASA Annual Business Meeting is $99.95, which includes the Monday night reception and Tuesday luncheon. Housing and transportation arrangements are the responsibility of each attendee. More details, including online registration, will be coming soon. Visit www .ASAshop.org/annualmeeting for general information on the event.
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Media and Publicity for Shops Are Green Shops Truly Green or are They Just Greenwashing? with Ed Attanasio
I have often seen signs at body shops consumers are now opting to buy prodtouting that they are a “100% Certified ucts and services from green companies, Green” and proudly exclaiming things because they believe in making our like “We Use Only Waterborne Paint” planet a better place to live. Customer or “We Save Energy” or “We Recycle” reviews show that indeed that people and in most cases, I don’t doubt these will gravitate toward shops that recycle claims. But within the last few years, I or use waterborne paint, for example.” have heard more and more about shops If too many shops start greenthat aren’t truly as green as they claim, washing, it could adversely impact the yet they aren’t afraid to tell the world collision repair industry nationwide, that they are. Schillinger said. “Some shops are sinGreenwashing, also known as cere in their efforts and want to make “green sheen,” is a form of deception a positive impact by becoming enviwhere companies falsely promote the ronmentally friendly. But there are perception that an organization’s prod- shops out there that have figured out ucts, claims or policies are that making the public think planet-friendly. It’s greenthey’re green can be just as washing when a company or beneficial. The most harmful organization spends more reeffect of greenwashing is that sources claiming to be “green” it takes away from those through advertising and marshops investing in true energy keting than actually impleefficient and eco-friendly immenting business practices that provements. The automotive Steven E. diminish environmental impact. services industry is risking the Schillinger is the president of GRCFalsely claiming or impossibility of all shops being Pirk Management plying that a shop is helping placed in the same category and has witnessed the environment has become and the public confidence in more and more widespread in the automotive green being diminished. shops that falsely service industry. Using lowIf you’re truly a green shop claim that they’re green, which is emission products such as and your competitors are waterborne paints does not called greenwashing greenwashing, fear not, benecessarily save energy – the real cause there is good news on the way. source of environmental pollution. ReThe U.S. Environmental Protection alize that while there are few, if any, Agency is now getting involved, with a perfectly green shops in the world, mandate to manage carbon as a polluthere are shades of green. Figuring out tant. And the U.S. Federal Trade Comwhere a shop falls in the range of enmission is taking a close look at the vironmental positives or negatives is standards for “green labeling.” the trick to identifying a true green In simple terms, if you’re telling the shop from a greenwashed one. world that you’re green, you better prove Steven E. Schillinger is the pres- it and back it up or risk your reputation, ident of GRC-Pirk Management, an not to mention fines and penalties for accredited independent auditor for getting caught. “Whether you are a manU.S. Energy Policy Act Performance ufacturer, supplier or service provider in Rating Method (PRM) for green certithe automotive industry, be savvy about fication and monitoring and he often what you say and do,” Schillinger said. speaks to industry groups about green- “Ask yourself these questions when you washing. He helps body shops to save advertise ‘going green.’ You owe it to substantial amounts of money through yourself, your customers and the envienergy rebates and also works with ronment for that matter; make sure that shops that have been caught violating green claims can be backed up with certheir local environmental regulations. tification and facts about efficacy.” Schillinger has seen greenwashing J.R. Hubbard is the owner of Sein many forms, but the bottom line is lecta Auto Body in San Francisco, CA. that it’s fraud. “Body shops all over the His shop has won several sustainabilcountry have realized that there is real ity awards and is a B Corp company, value in being a green business,” the only collision repairer in the counSchillinger said. “A growing number of try that has met the rigorous standards
60 FEBRUARY 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency to attain this designation. As a truly green shop, Hubbard gets a little irritated when he sees other shops greenwashing. “I see it a lot, actually,” he said. “I won’t name them, but there are a few that actively advertise claiming that they are a green business when they are not. These shops know that being green will bring them more business, especially in the Bay Area, where people respect it and will flock to that.” In some cases, it’s too easy for shops to greenwash, Hubbard said. “Shop owners or managers will take a sustainability class offered by one of the paint companies, for example, and then all of a sudden they’re a green shop. They get a certificate and they put it on the wall and then advertise it on their web site, but that’s as far as they go.” Marie Kuykendall, the owner of Kuykendall’s Collision Repair in Sunnyvale, CA does not tout the fact that her
shops are all-in when it comes to being green, because she feels it is her responsibility to her family and her community. “I live two blocks from the shop and my family works here, so it’s important for us to be a green operation,” she said. “We don’t have any plaques on the wall and we don’t advertise it because we don’t think it’s anything special. We have been here for 35 years and we started recycling back then. We don’t wash our cars here, we take them to a car wash and we do everything possible to be environmentally responsible in every way we can.” Kuykendall hopes that collision repairers who are deceiving their customers should stop the practice or pay the price. “If shops are saying they’re green and they are not following through, they should be cited for that. There is a lot of competition here in Silicon Valley, so I guess everyone is looking for an advantage. But to mislead the public, that’s just wrong.”
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Mitchell International Introduced as Newest SCRS Corporate Member The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is pleased to announce that Mitchell International has pledged their support as the newest Corporate Member. “Our goal is to make our customers successful, and when we do, we become successful,” shared Mitchell VP of Sales & Service Jack Rozint. “Our customers in the collision repair business are experiencing change at a rate that is unprecedented, and we want to work hand in hand with the groups that are best positioned to help those businesses adapt and succeed. The mission and vision of SCRS says it all—SCRS educates, informs, and recognizes best in class performers— all of which serves to improve the industry.” Mitchell International has over 70 years of history in the repair industry. Glenn Mitchell first founded the company to use his technical knowledge, repair expertise and ability to connect pieces of information to simplify complex processes. The initial product was designed to meet the practical demands of the automotive industry, delivering the industry’s first functioning car parts replacement resource for collision-damaged vehicles. The focus on simplification, efficiency
and access to accurate information drove Mitchell’s entry into the collision repair market and then into auto physical damage claims. “There is actually a great deal of history of involvement from Mitchell,” explains SCRS Chairman Andy Dingman. “At the onset of the Corporate Membership program in the 1980s,
Mitchell was one of the first companies to offer their support, recognizing the positive impact that was possible from a repair market that was led by an effective association. With a focus on the future, and the demands presented by modern-day automotive technology, Mitchell has expressed a keen interest on being an active participant in market solutions.”
“We support the industry achieving better outcomes that include quality/safe repairs and improved customer service in an environment where the parties work together cooperatively,” added Rozint. “We at Mitchell are proud to support SCRS, and its principles of working together and inspiring positive advancement in the collision repair industry.” Mitchell’s growth and expansion into new markets has been driven by the company’s practice of proactively seeking opportunities to provide additional value to its customers. The company marked its 70th year with notable acquisitions and several new key customers. SCRS appreciates the support of Mitchell International. “We’re pleased to have the continued involvement that reflects the early days of the association, while looking forward to the future of the industry,” says SCRS Executive Director, Aaron Schulenburg. “Membership often leads to ways of collaboratively addressing the needs of the industry to provide solutions, and we look forward to those opportunities.” For more information, visit www .mitchell.com.
Video Shows 2016’s Worst Red-Light Runners
American Traffic Solutions (ATS), a manufacturer of road safety cameras, wants drivers to see their compilation of the worst red-light running crash videos of 2016 and realize they are too dangerous to ignore. “Seeing is believing, and ATS urges drivers to watch this public service video and recognize the danger red-light running presents,” said Liz Caracciolo, ATS Safety General Manager. “Every day in the United States, drivers running red lights cause an average of two fatalities and more than 340 injuries. When drivers ignore a red light, they put themselves and innocent pedestrians, motorcyclists, bicyclists, other drivers and passengers at great risk. ATS urges all drivers to choose safety over recklessness and stop on red.” The video, compiled from ATS red-light safety cameras in operation in communities throughout the country, is available for viewing at https://www .atsol.com/2016-worst-red-lightrunners. “The collisions captured by our road safety cameras can be avoided. For your own safety, ATS encourages all drivers to abide by traffic laws and stop on red,” Caracciolo said.
National Auto Body Council Launches Search Campaign For New Executive Director
The National Auto Body Council (NABC) is launching a search campaign for a new Executive Director, following the recent announcement by NABC founder and current Executive Director Chuck Sulkala of his intention to retire by the end of 2017.
“Our Board of Directors is looking for a candidate who shares our passion and commitment to collectively leverage our industry resources to make a positive impact in local communities across the country,” said Domenic Brusco, NABC Chairman. “Over the past two decades under Chuck Sulkala’s leadership, our membership has grown exponentially. We look to our new executive director to capitalize on this momentum, provide the leadership and support to our growing network of members as they implement NABC
initiatives that help change and saves lives for thousands of individuals nationwide.” According to Brusco, the executive director position reports to the NABC Board of Directors and works collaboratively with the Board to implement NABC’s strategic annual goals. Responsibilities include oversight over NABC’s daily operations, membership, fundraising, marketing, finance and revenue growth. A detailed Executive Director Position Description is available on the NABC website. Deadline for submissions is March 31, 2017. Interested candidates should email resumes to Mike McManus at NABC office, (m.mcmanus @autobodycouncil.org) with copies to Nick Notte (Nick.Notte@i-car.com) and Renee Ricciotti (rcricciotti@ mmm.com), co-chairs of NABC Personnel Committee.
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A New Life, a New Job: A Success Story for Syrian Refugee Family Living in Ottawa, Ont.
Continued from Page 37
It’s been a pivotal year for a Syrian family living in Ottawa. A new country. A new language. And now, a new full-time job for the father, pursuing his passion working with cars.
“Cuesta College played a big role in my SkillsUSA preparation,” said Lehmkuhl. “They not only provided automotive classes, which taught me skills that I used during competitions, but they also facilitated training and practices for me to prepare for the competitions both nationally and internationally.” He now works as a Parts and Service Director at Alfano Motor in San Luis Obispo. Lehmkuhl stressed the importance of community college, and advised students who are interested in attending one to “not let pressure from friends or family get them down.” “I think there is an unfair expectation put on young people in our country to rush into a four year college before they know what they want to do with their lives,” he explained. “Community college programs offer the opportunity to gain valuable education, and try out different real-life skilled trades without spending a fortune.” To learn more about Cuesta College, visit www.cuesta.edu.
by Joanna Schnurr, CTV Ottawa
Nabil Al-Dabei at work in Bemac Auto Body shop
The thousands of Syrian refugees who have arrived in Canada have faced many struggles. Perhaps one of their biggest right now is finding work. For Nabil Al Dabei, the stars have aligned with a little help from some friends. After fleeding his home in Syria, Al-Dabei is at home in an auto body shop in west end Ottawa, doing what he has always loved to do. “Working good, every day,” says Nabil Al-Dabei, in his broken, newly-
acquired English. We first met Al-Dabei and his family a little over a year ago. They had recently arrived in Ottawa, sponsored by a group through St. Basil’s parish. While Nabil was not proficient in English, he was certainly proficient at fixing banged up cars. So one member of his sponsorship group hooked him up with the owners at Bemac Auto Body on Clyde Avenue for one day a week about 14 months ago. “You could tell from the first month that Nabil wanted to work,” says Marianne McLean, with St. Basil’s Refugee Committee, “He had worked all his life, and he had started work at 10.” That one day a week turned into a full-time gig. “Nabil has turned out to be an exceptional worker; great to have around the shop,” said Jamie Scace at Bemac Auto Body. “His craftsmanship is probably one of the best in the shops.” The owners of Bemac say they are so impressed with Nabil, they wish there were more autobody “artists” like him. “He’s an excellent worker, Nabil,” said Gaetano Frangione with Bemac, “and I always say I wish we could get at Original BMW Parts
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least another 10 employees like Nabil. The new generation today, nobody wants to learn the trade where they’re going to get their hands dirty.” It is the opportunity that thousands of Syrian refugees in Canada are hoping for. Their financial support, either through the federal government or private sponsorship, is running out. And many worry what happens after that, when they must either support themselves or apply for social assistance. Jamie Scace with Bemac offers this advice for other businesses: “You know, open your doors. They want to work.” This job has given Nabil a sense of accomplishment and pride. And it’s offered him a chance to work on his English. “Thank you for every people help for me, for children,” he said. “Thank you Canada.” We thank CTV Ottawa for reprint permission.
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Axalta Announces its Automotive Color of the Year 2017 – Gallant Gray
Axalta Coating Systems has announced its Automotive Color of the Year 2017: Gallant Gray. According to a statement from the company, “This luxurious color is enhanced by blue and silver flakes that produce a unique sparkle effect and dark undertones that enrich the finish, adding sophistication.” A year-long Color of the Year celebration will commence with a variety of events during the 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) Preview Days in Detroit, including a video reveal at the EyesOn Design awards program on January 10, 2017. The color will also be prominently featured at the Axalta-sponsored Charity Preview on January 13, 2017, which raises funds to support services for children. Daily inspirations, coupled with extensive research, helped Axalta color designers and product experts select Gallant Gray as the Automotive Color of the Year. A high percentage of the market is interested in a neutral palette and adding slight hints of hues can add life to these colors. “At Axalta, we monitor automotive trends and forecast how color tastes are changing in the automotive market,” said Nancy Lock-
hart – Axalta Global Color Marketing Manager. “We are pleased to partner with automakers by using our coatings to give their vehicles beauty and character, and we’re confident customers will appreciate Gallant Gray. With hints of blue and green, it exemplifies modernity and elegance. Taking everything into account, we think Gallant Gray is the new silver.” Axalta’s recently released 2016 Global Automotive Color Popularity Report, which documents vehicle color trends by geography, showed a rise in the popularity of gray shades around the world. Neutral colors have dominated the market over the last ten years. Although white and black maintained the top positions worldwide, gray is now tied with silver for third place at eleven percent. Gray leads silver in popularity in Europe (by six percent), North America (five percent), and South Korea (seven percent). Gray is most popular in Europe (17 percent), North America (16 percent), South Korea (19 percent), and India (12 percent). Axalta’s Global Automotive Color Popularity report is in its 64th consecutive edition. For more information, visit www.axalta.com/color.
NHTSA Opens Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Investigation The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation on December 20 after
the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received 141 reports of sudden, unexpected increases in stopping distance in model year 2007 through 2009 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan vehicles. The cause of the problem is believed to be the Antilock Braking System (ABS) Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU). Some of the complainants report that after an ABS type braking event—caused by braking on slippery surface, a rough or uneven surface, a manhole cover or similar irregularity in the roadway— the brake pedal goes soft, frequently described as “going to the floor,” and the amount of force required by
YANG Calls for Hosts for 2017 Meet-Ups
The Young Auto Care Network Group (YANG) of the Auto Care Association is currently taking applications for companies to host a Regional Meet-Up in 2017. Since
YANG started the Regional MeetUp program, there have been more than 20 meet-ups across the United States, designed specifically for young professionals in the auto care industry. These local events were launched in June 2015. All young professionals, both members and nonmembers, under the age of 40 in the industry are encouraged to attend these events for in-person networking without having to travel far from home. There is no fee to attend. The next YANG Regional Meet-Up is scheduled for Feb. 10,
2017 from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. in Grand Rapids, MI. This event is hosted by Auto-Wares and is being held in conjunction with the Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper Tech Expo. YANG members will receive complimentary access passes to the show floor on Friday night. The three-hour event includes a welcome address from Todd Leimenstoll, president, Auto-Wares; networking; opportunity drawings and more. Interested attendees should RSVP to a particular meetup location at www.autocare.org/ yangevents. Dates are limited, so companies interested in hosting a meet-up are encouraged to sign up early. For information on what it takes to be a host, visit http://autocare.org/WhatWe-Do/Professional-Development /YANG/host-a-regional-meet-up/.
For more information on the YANG Regional Meet-Up program, visit www.autocare.org/yang or contact Katy McQuiston at katy.mcquiston @autocare.org.
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the driver to stop the car increases significantly. In some cases, the driver is unable to stop within their desired stopping distance. Complainants have also reported going past the expected stopping points for stop signs or red lights, and some have reported being out into the flow of traffic before being able to bring the vehicle to a stop. It is believed that the ABS HCU experiences an internal malfunction which causes an inability to maintain required braking pressure. Reports allege that the condition can continue for some time until it corrects itself, but will then reoccur if another ABS type braking event happens while other reports indicate that the replacement of the ABS HCU corrects the problem. ODI has associated three crashes with this condition. A Preliminary Evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency, and safety-related consequence of the alleged defect.
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National Auto Body Council Executive Director, Chuck Sulkala, Announces Retirement Chuck Sulkala, founder, first president, and executive director of the National Auto Body Council (NABC) announced his retirement on January 3, effective the end of 2017. According to a statement from the NABC, during Sulkala’s tenure over the past 22 years, the National Auto Body Council has become the leading voice to highlight the professionalism and integrity of the collision repair industry through community service involvement.
“I am humbled to have been a part of the National Auto Body Council history,” said Sulkala. “It is incredible to think that this started out as a conversation with Tim Rooney, formerly with I-CAR, and Scott Biggs, with Body Shop Video at the time. It is amazing to see how it has now become a powerful force in improving the image of the collision repair industry. I will miss working with my colleagues and the NABC board to continuously improve the state of the entire collision repair industry.
“After 50 years in this industry, I gency Extrication (FREE™) which am also hoping to enjoy what life has provides invaluable opportunities for to offer. I’m looking forward to spend- first responders to practice life-saving ing some more quality time with my skills on complex late model vehicles. wife Linda—although she will still be involved with the Recycled Rides pro- • Partnering as a business advocate with gram—but with 6 children and 9 AT&T’s It Can Wait campaign to focus grandchildren, frankly, I would like to awareness of the dangers of texting also try and make up for all while driving through the the many nights and hours Distracted Driving Initiative. away from all of them as well. Of course, I am also • Exponential membership looking for more time to growth, with more than 2,000 enjoy our second home in shop locations, numerous inMaine with both family and surers and vendors representindustry friends as well,” Suling all facets of the collision kala said. industry. Chuck Sulkala Under Sulkala’s leadership, NA-BC’s member network of Other accomplishments since the collision industry companies and pro- NABC was founded in 1994 include: fessionals have united to collaborate on community service programs that • Fundraising support for Ronald Mchelp change and save thousands of Donald Foundation and Ronald Mclives across the country. These include: Donald Houses across the country. • Introduction of NABC’s Recycled Rides™ program in 2007, which has resulted in nearly 1300 vehicles valued at $17 million donated to individuals and service organizations in need of reliable transportation. • The unique First Responder Emer-
Refinish Distributors Alliance Adds New Member The Refinish Distributors Alliance (RDA) has added a new member, HiLine Distributors, with headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaii. With this addition, RDA continues to grow their membership across 27 states.
Hi-Line has been in business since 1985 and is based out of Honolulu. Gregg Schneider is the owner and manages the daily operations. The company provides PBE services and products to Oahu and all of the surrounding Hawaiian Islands as well as Guam, American Samoa, and Saipan. They operate a central warehouse in Honolulu and carry the Axalta line of automotive finishes (solvent and water based). “Schneider is no stranger to the PBE industry and knows many of the RDA members,” a statement from the company read. “He is supported by what is arguably the best sales, marketing, technical and operational
staff on the islands. He is looking forward to networking and exchanging best practices with the members which are the best and most innovative, forward-thinking independent distributors in the industry.” “We are excited to have HiLine Distributors [as] part of the RDA/IMPACT organization,” said Robert McKenzie Jr., executive director of RDA. “Hi-Line exemplifies what our group is all about: Premier PBE Distributors providing exclusive networking, products and services.” RDA/IMPACT is the largest national group of refinish jobbers dedicated to providing quality services and products to their collision shops. RDA has 20 members, representing over 200 locations. Members currently service over 4,000 collision centers throughout the United States. Those interested in joining RDA/ IMPACT should contact Robert McKenzie, Jr. directly at (731) 2179081 or robertemckenzie@me.com.
For more information, visit www .rda-impact.com.
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• A “Leave Behind Program” where the Collision Industry at every CIC meeting would take a collection and give the funds to a local Children’s hospital. • Raising over $60,000, along with manpower from the Collision Industry during a CIC week in Kansas City to
build a house for Habitat for Humanity.
• Raising over $625,000 for Camp Mak-a-Dream in Montana, which provides a cost-free, medically supervised camping experience for children with cancer. Funds were used to build a Health Center named after the Collision Industry and to purchase a new, handicap-accessible bus.
“We will certainly miss Chuck at the National Auto Body Council, but his legacy will live on through the solid foundation he built for this wonderful organization,” said Domenic Brusco, Senior Manager for Industry Involvement at PPG Automotive Refinish and NABC Chairman. “Chuck’s upcoming retirement marks the end of a dynasty,” added Nick Notte, immediate past chairman of the NABC. “All of us who have been fortunate enough to work with and get to know Chuck over his five decades in the industry recognize him as the iconic figure that is tough on the outside, but with a warm heart that will melt those snowy Boston winters. I don’t know anyone who has done more for our industry.” For more information, visit www .NationalAutoBodyCouncil.org.
ABRA Auto Body & Glass Announces Executive Leadership Promotions and Appointment of Chief Operating Officer
ABRA Auto Body & Glass recently announced that it has added three key executive leadership roles to help execute its national growth strategy. James Kessler has been appointed to the newly created position of chief operating officer. Kessler joins ABRA with substantial experience in the automotive space, spend-
ing 17 years in several senior leadership roles at Pep Boys. Most recently, Kessler served as president & COO for various private equity backed growth companies where he lead operations through remarkable revenue and market share gains. Scott Krohn has been promoted to the newly created position of chief process & quality officer. His responsibilities will be to ensure ABRA remains an industry leader in customer satisfaction, innovation,
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process improvement, and implementing best-in-class practices to address growing vehicle complexities. He previously held the role of ABRA’s executive vice president of operations. Toan Nguyen has been promoted to the newly created position of chief information & strategy officer. He will continue to lead ABRA’s critical technology area in addition to building the company’s analytical growth roadmap and corporate strategy. He previously served as ABRA’s chief information officer. ABRA’s president and chief executive officer, Ann Fandozzi, commented by saying, “I am thrilled to announce the appointment of these three talented leaders to their new roles. Each of them have outstanding performance records and an unwavering passion for the industry. Their knowledge and clear vision for ABRA’s future will be instrumental in our long-term growth.” ABRA’s current portfolio includes 335 locations in 25 states with more than 5,000 employees.
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