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U.S. Deficit 60.7% Higher Than This Time Last Year by Bethany Blankley, The Center Square
The federal deficit in the first three months of the b ud get year is 6 0.7 % higher than over the same time period as last year, a record -b reaking $ 57 2.9 b illion. The deficit surged as a result of C ongressional spend ing of $ 3 .5 trillion in 2020 in response to the coronavirus, although critics note that spend ing on pork b arrel programs that had nothing to d o with the virus increased and also drove the deficit. A t the same time, revenue d eclined b ecause of ongoing state lockd owns.
T he T reasury D epartment reports that the deficit is 21 .3 billion higher than the same Octob er-D ecemb er period in 201 9 . A record in spend ing for the period represented an 1 8 .3 % increase of $ 1 .3 8 trillion, while at the same time revenues fell 0.4 % to $ 8 03 .3 7 b illion. I n the month of D ecemb er alone, when C ongress passed , and P resid ent D on ald Tru m p signed several spending bills, the deficit reached a record $ 1 4 3 .6 b illion. T he shortfall for the 2020 b ud get year, which end ed Sept. 3 0, reached an all-time high of $ 3 .1 trillion. See U.S. Deficit, Page 6
‘Who Pays for What’ Survey: About 2 in 5 Shops Itemizing Diagnostic Time Separately from Scanning M ore than a third of shops ( 3 9 % ) itemiz e on invoices the d iagnostic lab or time they spend researching d iagnostic troub le cod es ( D T C s) apart from the charge for the vehicle scan itself, accord ing to j ust-released results from a “ Who P ays for What?” survey. A mong the more than 500 shops respond ing to the survey’ s new q uestions related to d iagnostic time, ab out half acknowled ged never having includ ed an itemiz ed charge for d iagnostic time. B ut among those that d o, ab out three in 1 0 ( 29 % ) say they are paid
“ always” or “ most of the time” for the charge b y the largest eight auto insurers, and the maj ority ( 55% ) say they are paid at least “ some of the time.” M i k e A n d erson of C ollision A d vice, which cond ucts the “ Who P ays” surveys in conj unction with C RA SH N etwork, b elieves those numb ers will grow b ecause d iagnostic time is b ecoming an increasingly significant portion of collision repair work. I know firsthand how much time it takes to research and troub le-
Vol. 11 / Issue 12 / February 2021
2009 redux? Biden cites ‘urgent’ need for his $1.9 trillion stimulus by Philip Wegmann, RealClearWire
T he economy was b ad , and the White House planned to go b ig. On the d ay the mammoth $ 8 00 b illion Recovery A ct b ecame law, however, the new presid ent took care to stress how his ad ministration would keep a close eye on every d ollar going out the d oor. T his task of provid ing oversight, B arac k O b am a announced at the b ill’ s 2009 signing ceremony, would go to J oe B i d en . “ T o you, he’ s M r. V ice P resid ent,” Ob ama q uipped to a room that includ ed more than one skeptical Re-
pub lican lawmaker. “ B ut around the White House, we call him the sheri . I n a few d ays, the country will call him M r. P resid ent. A d ecad e later, B id en confronts a d eeper economic crisis, this one b rought on b y a glob al pand emic, and the incoming ex ecutive has proposed a $ 1 .9 trillion stimulus package meant to b uoy families and communities and small b usinesses as his ad ministration pushes to step up d istrib ution of the coronavirus vaccines. All that old sheri has to do See $1.9 trillion stimulus, Page 12
American Honda Motor Launches New Certification Program by Stacey Phillips
N early six years ago, Am eri ca n H on d a M ot or launched the P roF irst C ertified Body Shop Program. Many were skeptical ab out ob taining OE M certifications, according to R ossan a A lvarez , assistant manager of collision certification and parts marketing for A merican Hond a M otor.
See ‘Who Pays for What’, Page 18
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Over time, she said , shop owners began to realize the benefits of certification for their businesses and momentum b egan to b uild . I n response to feed b ack A merican Hond a M otor has received from shops across the country, the OE M has taken steps to update its certified
collision program. A s a result, the Hond a and A cura Certified Collision Program will replace the P roF irst program d uring a grad ual transition throughout 2021 . “ T he automotive ind ustry continues to make technological ad vances at b reakneck speed , highlighting the need for repair shops to b e fully eq uipped and trained with access to necessary repair proced ures to cond uct a safe and proper repair,” said A lvarez . “ OE M collision certifications are no longer simply popular; they are essential. T he d ays of them b eing consid ered a fad are long gone.” A lvarez said the collision ind ustry is rapid ly changing and it was important for the Hond a team to keep pace. As OEM certification programs continue to gain traction with other sectors of the ind ustry, the immed iate recognition b y those entities and our Hond a and A cura vehicle customers becomes e ponentially beneficial See New Certification Program, Page 16
1/18/2021 3:57:46 PM
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2 FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com
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CONTENTS Gerber Collision & Glass Acquires Repair Center in Morrow, GA ......................................8 Lucid Motors Expands Retail Locations in the U.S. with First East Coast Studios in South Florida ..................................................6 Murphy Auto Group and Golden Harvest Food Bank Changing One Life at a Time ..................6 ProColor Collision Hires Strategic Operations Specialist for South Atlantic Region ...............10 Tesla Owners Rally in GA in Powerful Statement Against Human Trafficking..............8
American Honda Motor Launches New Certification Program ......................................1
Ensure New Talent is Actually Talented ..........36 Congressional Leaders Reach Deal on New COVID-19 Stimulus Relief Package .................4 COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Begins After Pfizer Receives Emergency Use Authorization .........37 CREF Board Welcomes New Members ................4 Driven Brands Collision Group Stands ‘UNIT3D’...14 FDA Approves Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine a Week After Granting Emergency Use
COLUMNISTS
Freeman Joins NABC ........................................11
Anderson - Two-Way Dialogue a Good Way
GM Pays $121M Over Ignition Switches,
Ledoux - The Rise of the Electric Vehicles .........28 Phillips - COVID Edition: Collision Repair
Power Steering, Airbags ................................39 IGONC Tireside Chat: Setting Your Business Goals for 2021 ..............................................37
Owner and Entrepreneur Develops
NACTOY Reveals 2021 Winners.........................31
Technology Claims Solution for Industry ........32
Objections to Payment and Requested
ltedesco@autobodynews.com
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ASE Entry-Level Certification Helps Shops
for Pfizer’s ....................................................11
to ‘Maintain’ Employees ................................24
800-699-8251
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
REGIONAL
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Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Contributing Writers: John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr, Stacey Phillips, Victoria Antonelli, Gary Ledoux Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Norman Morano, Griffin Reinhard (800) 699-8251 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Digital Marketing Manager: Bryan Malinski Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Vicki Sitarz Online and Web Content Editor: Abby Andrews Accounting Manager: Heather Priddy Permissions Editor: Randi Scholtes Office Assistant: Dianne Pray
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American Icon Automotive Finishes ................. 12
Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers .19, 20-21
Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers .......................... 37
Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers .................... 39
AutoNation Collision Part ................................... 9
Jim Cogdill Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram ........... 10
AutoNation Ford-Lincoln ................................. 17
John Heister Automotive ................................. 22
BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers ........................ 34
Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers ................ 35
Certified Automotive Parts Association ............ 14
Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers ...................... 36
City Kia of Greater Orlando .............................. 30
Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers ........ 34
Classifieds ...................................................... 38
MINI of Charleston .......................................... 30
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Buick GMC Cadillac ............ 29
MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers.......................... 34
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet ............................ 29
MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers ..................... 27
Autobody News P.O. Box 1516 Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com editor@autobodynews.com
Yoswick - Panel Reviews Why OEM Repair
Procedures Outlined in SCRS Class ...............22
Procedure Legislation Has Mostly Failed
Safelite to Close Business Unit ..........................38
Eckler’s Automotive ....................................... 11
NOROO Paint & Coatings ................................. 40
to Be Enacted ...............................................25
Stellantis Born as PSA and FCA Shareholders
Equalizer Industries, Inc. ................................... 6
Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Naples ...................... 18
Florida Filtration & Spray Booth Services........... 8
Riverside Ford-Lincoln .................................... 31
Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers .......................... 39
SATA Dan-Am Company .................................. 15
GM Wholesale Parts Dealers ........................... 33
Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes .............. 2
Gus Machado Ford .......................................... 24
Southside Kia.................................................. 16
Hendrick Automotive Group............................. 23
Spanesi Americas ............................................. 5
Hendrick BMW/MINI .......................................... 7
Sport Durst Automotive Group ......................... 13
Hendrick Honda Pompano Beach .................... 26
Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers...................... 32
Hendrick Kia Cary ........................................... 25
Tameron Hyundai ............................................ 28
Hendrick Kia Concord ..................................... 25
Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers .............. 36
Vote to Approve Merger.................................18 NATIONAL ‘Who Pays for What’ Survey: About 2 in 5 Shops Itemizing Diagnostic Time Separately from Scanning ...............................1 1.1M PPP Loans Forgiven So Far.......................10 2009 redux? Biden cites ‘urgent’ need for his $1.9 trillion stimulus..................................1 39% of U.S. Reduced, Eliminated Insurance ......11 A Closer Look at Calibration Documentation
Tesla Full Self-Driving Subscriptions Get a Tentative Release Date .................................4 Toyota to Release an Electric Car with 10-Minute Fast Charging in 2021....................4 U.S. Deficit 60.7% Higher Than This Time Last Year .........................................................1 Used-Car Sales Likely Down for 2020, but Close Year on High Note ..........................39 Watch Out for Odometer Fraud..........................18
and Technical Changes .................................38 Hendrick Volvo Cars of Charleston................... 30 autobodynews.com / FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS 3
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CREF Board Welcomes New Members T he C ollision Repair E d ucation F ound ation ( C RE F ) announced the appointment of six new memb ers to its B oard of T rustees in 2020. T hrough the guid ance, support and d irection of the B oard of T rustees, C RE F can continue its support of high school and college collision programs, stud ents and instructors across the country, and ad d ress the ind ustry’ s need for properly trained , entry-level sta . T he six B oard of T rustees memb ers who j oined in 2020 includ e Tom B row n , 3 M ; P au l F oli n o, L K Q C orporation; B ren d a H og en , P arts T rad er; K en H u d son , F armers I nsurance; S c ot t K oh l, L ib erty M utual I nsurance; and S an d ee L i n d orf er, A llstate I nsurance C ompany. C ompanies looking to partner with C RE F in supporting local high school and college collision programs can email info@ ed -found ation.org. Source: CR E F
Tesla Full Self-Driving Subscriptions Get a Tentative Release Date by Simon Alvarez, Teslarati
A recent tweet from E lon M u sk has revealed a tentative release d ate for T esla’ s F ull Self-D riving suite sub scriptions. A nd if the C E O’ s estimates are correct, it would mean that a good numb er of T esla owners will have the opportunity to sub scrib e to the
“I should say, it will still make sense to buy FSD as an option as in our view, buying FSD is an investment in the future,” — Elon Musk company’ s b est ad vanced d river-assist features as they are need ed . On D ec. 20,T esla enthusiast @ pad geuk inq uired on T witter if F SD could b e paid for through an annual plan. A ccord ing to the T esla fan, it d oesn’ t really make sense to opt for the full price of F SD if a vehicle is leased . Respond ing to the inq uiry, M usk noted that F SD sub scriptions are ind eed coming soon. “ A b solutely. We will release F SD sub scription early
Congressional Leaders Reach Deal on New COVID-19 Stimulus Relief Package by Dan McCaleb, The Center Square
C ongressional lead ers have agreed to a new stimulus package that will provid e more aid to struggling small b usinesses and send a second round of d irect payments to A mericans. Sen. M aj ority L ead er M i t c h M c Con n ell and others confirmed the $ 9 00 b illion coronavirus relief d eal D ec. 20. I f approved b y C ongress and signed b y P resid ent D onald T rump, the measure will includ e $ 6 00 in d irect payments to ad ults and child ren from q ualifying household s, more than $ 28 0 b illion in forgivab le loans to small b usinesses through a renewed P aycheck P rotection P rogram, and $ 3 00 a week in fed eral unemployment benefits on top of state benefits. “ I b elieve I can speak for all sid es when I say I hope and ex pect to have a final agreement nailed d own in a matter of hours,” M cC onnell said on the Senate floor. At this point, we’ re d own to the last few di erences that stand between struggling A mericans and their ma-
nex t year,” M usk wrote. A s the price of T esla’ s F ull Self-D riving suite increases, the id ea of F SD sub scriptions b ecomes a lot more compelling for consumers. C urrently, T esla’ s entire F SD suite costs a whopping $ 1 0,000. With the release of the F SD b eta, T esla has taken some solid steps toward s autonomy, b ut there is
j or rescue package they need and d eserve.” T he proposed legislation also includ es ab out $ 25 b illion in rental assistance and an ex tension of an eviction moratorium put in place earlier this year, which it was set to ex pire this month. A n ad d itional $ 8 2 b illion would b e set asid e for schools and colleges to prepare to safely reopen classrooms. I t also would help pay for the d istrib ution of C OV I D -1 9 vaccines. M od erna’ s vaccine was approved for emergency use b y the U.S. F ood and D rug A d ministration F rid ay, a week after Pfizer’s vaccine also received emergency use authoriz ation. “ We are going to crush the virus and put money in the pockets of the A merican people,” House Speaker N an c y P elosi and Senate M inority L ead er Ch u c k S c h u m er said in a j oint statement. W e t h a n k Th e Cen t er Sq ua re f or rep ri n t p erm i s s i on .
AUTOBODY
still a lot of work to b e d one. T his makes F SD ’ s $ 1 0,000 price more of an investment for the system’ s capab ilities in the future. I t is no surprise some T esla customers who lease their vehicles are hesitant to pay the full price of F SD for their vehicles. A sub scription service for the F ull Self-D riving system, however, makes a lot of practical sense, since the ad vanced d river-assist features would only req uire payment when
they are need ed . T his could b e valuab le for T esla customers who only take long trips a few times every year, as F SD functions such as N avigate on A utopilot can make long d rives easier. I t remains to b e seen ex actly how much a sub scription to F ull Self-D riving would cost. T esla ex ecutives have emphasiz ed that ultimately, it is still a far better financial d ecision to purchase F SD outright. T his was ex plained b y C F O Z ac h ary K i rk h orn in the Q 1 2020 earnings call. “ I should say, it will still make sense to b uy F SD as an option as in our view, b uying F SD is an investment in the future,” M usk said d uring the earnings call. “ A nd we are confident that it is an investment that will pay o to the consumer—to the benefit of the consumer. W e t h a n k Tes l a ra t i f or rep ri n t p erm i s s i on .
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Toyota to Release an Electric Car with 10-Minute Fast Charging in 2021 A
by Loukia Papadopoulos, Interesting Engineering
new report revealed T oyota plans to unveil an electric vehicle with a new solid -state b attery b y 2021 . I t promises a 3 1 0-mile ( 500 km) range in a single charge, and a rather rapid recharge from z ero to full in 1 0 minutes. “ T he technology is a potential cure-all for the d rawb acks facing electric vehicles that run on conventional lithium-ion b atteries, includ ing the relatively short d istance traveled on a single charge as well as charging times,” states the report. “ T oyota plans to be the first company to sell an electric vehicle eq uipped with a solid -state b attery in the early 2020s. T he world ’ s largest automaker will unveil a prototype nex t year.” Solid -state b atteries are b elieved to b e a lot safer than the more common lithium-ion ones. T hey also have more potential for higher energy d ensity---the energy a b attery can d eliver compared to its weight. However, as of yet, they have not b een prod uced in largescale and at a reasonab le enough
price point to b e competitive in the lithium-ion b attery d ominated market. C ould T oyota have achieved this lofty goal? I t’ s hard to tell at the moment as we have yet to hear ab out the numb er of cycles their solid -state b atteries can achieve and how their capacity hold s up at di erent temperatures. These two have previously b een a source of prob lems with novel b atteries. N ikkei A sia d oes mention T oyota has more than 1 ,000 patents involving solid -state b atteries. We’ d like to b elieve that is energy and time well spent. I n a glob al shift to more eco-friend ly options, electric vehicles will soon likely b e a necessity rather than a more attractive option. T esla seems to have the lead on supplying all those new vehicles b ut that may change over time of course. I t seems T oyota is working hard to b ecome competitive in the electric vehicle scene. I f it d oes ind eed master the art of solid -state b atteries, it will likely secure itself a unique profitable place. W e t h a n k I n t eres t i n g E n g i n eeri n g f or rep ri n t p erm i s s i on .
4 FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com
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Continued from Cover
U.S. Deficit D ue to ongoing state lockd owns, millions of A mericans are still out of work, and tax revenues also d ropped , while at the same time, the d emand by states for federal financial support d ramatically increased . T he T reasury reports that outlays in D ecemb er were a record $ 4 8 9 .7 b illion; receipts were $ 3 4 6 .1 b illion. T he D ecemb er total ex clud es the $ 9 00 b illion C OV I D -1 9 spend ing b ill, which includ ed $ 6 00 payments to ind ivid uals, ex tend ed unemployment benefit programs, and directed hund red s of millions of d ollars to programs overseas, ab out which critics also complained . F rom Octob er to D ecemb er 2020, unemployment benefits totaled $ 8 0 b illion. D uring the same time period last year, they totaled $ 5 b illion. P rior to the $ 9 00 b illion spend ing bill, the Congressional Budget Office forecast that 2021’s deficit will total $ 1 .8 trillion, and remain ab ove $ 1 trillion every year though 203 0. W e t h a n k Th e Cen t er Sq ua re f or rep ri n t p erm i s s i on .
Lucid Motors Expands Retail Locations in the U.S. with First East Coast Studios in South Florida L ucid M otors, which is setting new stand ard s for sustainab le mob ility with its ad vanced lux ury E V s, announced D ec. 1 7 the opening of its newest retail location, the L ucid Stud io in M iami at B rickell C ity C entre on D ec. 1 9 . This location is the first of a network of L ucid Stud ios that will open on the E ast C oast over the nex t year, includ ing the West P alm B each Stud io at Rosemary Sq uare in early 2021 . A ll L ucid Stud ios are d esigned to give customers the opportunity to ex perience L ucid ’ s ad vanced electric vehicle technology and reserve their own L ucid A ir all-electric sed an. A t any L ucid Stud io, customers can review options for the full L ucid A ir lineup of lux ury, high-performance E V s, which resets the b ar for electric vehicle performance and efficiency with up to 51 7 miles of proj ected range on a single charge for select mod els and a 0-6 0 mph time as low as 2.5 second s. T his includ es the L ucid A ir
Murphy Auto Group and Golden Harvest Food Bank Changing One Life at a Time M urphy A uto G roup ( M A G ) , with locations in G eorgia, F lorid a and South C arolina, is proud to d onate chest freez ers to four local G old en Harvest F ood B ank agencies to allow them to serve more healthy food s to more people than ever b efore. Since the b eginning of the pand emic, food insecurity has risen in the community. On D ec. 2, J u li e F erg u son , corporate d eveloper officer for GHFB, and B eat ri c e S an d ers, d irector of C oncerned Women, I nc., a food pantry and partner agency that has b een around for 1 8 years, met at B ob Richard s N issan to pick up the freez er M A G d onated . G HF B relies on this agency and others like it to id entify those people in need for food within the C SRA community. “ We have seen so much hunger since the pand emic, it has b een a b lessing to work with G HF B and other community partners like you, we are b lessed ,” Sand ers told R od n ey Cart er, M A G area presid ent.
M ike M urphy stepped up to provid e fund ing to meet the increased cost of the food b ank and was the presenting sponsor of the Spooky to b e Hungry event. T his event raised a record $ 1 9 0,000, surpassing the goal of $ 1 00,000. Spooky to b e Hungry is a food and fund s competition that takes place all across C olumb ia, Richmond and A iken counties in G eorgia. T eams are mad e up of neighb orhood s, schools and b usinesses that compete to win b ased on the amount of food and money they raise for G old en Harvest F ood B ank. E very pound of food is worth one point, and every d ollar raised is worth four points. T here were opportunities to get b onus points, such as getting a team registered early, so the winners are often q uite surprising. M A G looks forward to d oing more for its community and can’ t wait to work with the G old en Harvest F ood B ank in 2021 . Source: M urp h y Aut o G roup
P ure, a very well-eq uipped mod el availab le from $ 6 9 ,9 00; the L ucid A ir T ouring, which starts at $ 8 7 ,500; and the L ucid A ir G rand T ouring that starts at $ 1 3 1 ,500.
The first available ucid Air mod el will b e the ex clusive, limited prod uction D ream E d ition, availab le from $ 1 6 1 ,500, featuring up to 503 miles of range, with 1 08 0 hp and a q uarter mile time of 9 .9 second s. L ucid A ir prod uction b egins inSpring 2021 at the newly completed L ucid A d vanced M anufacturing P lant ( A M P -1 ) in C asa G rand e, A Z .
The opening of our first East Coast Studio in Miami signifies a remarkab le milestone for L ucid , marking the ex pansion of our retail network across the United States and introd ucing L ucid to an ever-growing aud ience,” said P et er R aw li n son , C E O and C T O, L ucid Motors. Our first product, L ucid A ir, a true lux ury E V , is setting new stand ard s in power, efficiency, comfort and range. I’m confident that these attrib utes will resonate with F lorid ians attracted to the benefits a state-of-the-art E V can have upon their family, their community and ind eed , the world .” T he newest Stud io in South F lorid a is j ust one of a network of 20 locations set to open throughout N orth A merica b y the end of 2021 . Other Stud io locations will includ e N ew Y ork C ity, B oston, D .C . M etro, C hicago and multiple C alifornia locations. Source: L uci d M ot ors
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Tesla Owners Rally in GA in Powerful Statement Against Human Trafficking by Joey Klender, Teslarati
“ When something is important enough, you d o it even if the od d s are not in your favor.” T hose word s were said b y T esla C E O E lon M u sk when speaking ab out the struggles that his companies faced in d ire times of ad versity. T hey were also spoken b y E li z a B leu , a victim of human trafficking who was lucky enough to b e rescued after nine years. B leu was at the L ongest T esla P arad e on D ec. 1 2, where an estimated 3 4 0 T esla owners rallied in A tlanta, G A , to combat human trafficking in a massive parad e of electric vehicles. T he M iles T hrough T ime A utomotive M useum, in conj unction with T esla Owner’ s C lub A tlanta, coord inated the largest parad e of all-electric vehicles from the Silicon V alley-b ased automaker in an attempt to raise awareness ab out the issues of human trafficking. T he parad e took place D ec. 1 2, and a total of 3 4 0 T esla cars checked in to the event, making it the largest parad e of T eslas ever.
T he previous record was set in 201 7 in B eij ing, C hina, where 1 4 5 T eslas lined up in an attempt to set a G uinness World Record . While the M iles T hrough T ime A utomotive M useum provid es an in-d epth timeline of automotive history and d evelopment within their facility, their mission was to raise money for Operation Und erground Railroad , commonly known as O.U.R. A ccord ing to its web site, the organiz ation intend s to rescue children from se trafficking and sex ual ex ploitation and has saved thousand s of people in 28 countries and 26 U.S. states. T he L ongest T esla P arad e, as it was lab eled b y the M iles T hrough T ime M useum, was coord inated b y S ean M at h i s, the found er of the museum. “ D ays b efore d iscovering the G uinness record , A tlanta had j ust had sting that resulting in the rescue of 3 0-plus kid s from human trafficking, Mathis told Teslarati. “ M y wife apparently followed Ti m B allard on social med ia who is the found er of O.U.R. and suggested we turn the world record at-
Gerber Collision & Glass Acquires Repair Center in Morrow, GA T he B oyd G roup I nc. announced the acq uisition of a collision repair center in M orrow, G A . M orrow is a south sub urb of A tlanta and home to C layton State University. This location, situated o a well-traveled road way referred to as “ D ealers Row” d ue to many car
firms our commitment to growing our footprint throughout N orth A merica.” T he B oyd G roup is continuously looking to ad d new collision repair locations to its ex isting network in C anad a and the U.S. I nterested collision repair center owners are asked to contact J ason H op e,
tempt into a fund raiser to help save kids from human trafficking and O.U.R. was going to b e the perfect nonprofit that is already set up to help make a di erence. T he total route of the parad e stood at 1 5.2 miles, mostly d own Highway 4 00 in A tlanta. T he parad e req uired some assistance from local G eorgia P ub lic Service C ommissioner Ti m E c h ols, who assisted in shutting d own Highway 4 00 to help iron out the traveling process of the parad e. B y the time the parad e had wrapped up, 3 4 0 T eslas had checked in. Sean and his wife, Tori e, d id ind icate in a Y ouT ub e vid eo after the fact that 340 would not be the official numb er; it would likely b e less. “ A t some point, the parad e was b roken, b ut it isn’ t a b ig d eal. We only needed 14 to actually officially take the record ,” Sean said in a video. The official number, which will need to be confirmed by Guinness World Record s to take the world record status officially, will b e valid ated shortly. I t is estimated 50,000 people are trafficked into the U.S. each
year, from M ex ico and the P hillippines most often, accord ing to D oSomething.org. M ore than half of these cases involved child ren und er the age of 1 8 . A d d itionally, 4 0.3 million people are estimated to b e victims of human trafficking globally. T he message was simple: raise awareness for human trafficking, and it worked . A total of $ 8 ,1 9 7 was raised at the event, J oh an n a Cri d er of C leanT echnica, who d onated and attend ed the parad e, said . A lthough the parad e has conclud ed , there is still time to d onate. $ 7 ,209 .20 of the $ 1 0,000 goal has b een raised so far, and 1 7 d ays remain in the online fund raiser. T o d onate, we’ ve includ ed the link here. W e t h a n k Tes l a ra t i f or rep ri n t p erm i s s i on .
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ProColor Collision Hires Strategic Operations Specialist for South Atlantic Region P roC olor C ollision is pleased to announce the appointment of S c ot t K ost y ac k as strategic operations specialist for the network’ s operations in N orth and South C arolina, G eorgia and F lorid a. I n this role, K ostyack will actively support the d ay-to-d ay operations of franchisees, includ ing training and implementing stand ard operating proced ures. He will also support franchisees in managing relationships with suppliers and insurance partners, max imiz ing revenue and provid ing great customer service. “ Scott b rings a wealth of ex perience in Scott Kostyack sales and operations in all areas of the automotive aftermarket ind ustry,” said P au l R an d les, P roC olor C ollision’ s regional general manager, E astern U.S. “ He has a solid und erstand ing of how to help franchisees improve their d ay-tod ay operations while also imple-
menting b est practices through training and performance management.”
1.1M PPP Loans Forgiven So Far
K ostyack. “ T he collision repair industry o ers a lot of opportunities to innovate as cars b ecome more
T he U.S. Small B usiness A d ministration has alread y forgiven more than 1 .1 million P aycheck P rotection P rogram ( P P P ) loans for over $ 1 00 b illion, provid ing an ex traord inary amount of critical relief to A merica’ s small b usinesses j ust three months since the earliest P P P b orrowers’ covered period s end ed . T he SB A has so far received 1 ,3 4 6 ,1 25 forgiveness applications for approx imately $ 1 7 0.5 b illion. SB A has mad e payment on nearly 8 5% of the applications, forgiving over $ 1 00 b illion. F or the smallest b orrowers with loans up to $ 50,000, 8 8 % have b een approved for forgiveness. T he new d ata comes as the P P P has recently reopened as a result of the E conomic A id to Hard Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and V enues A ct, signed into law D ec. 27 .
“He has a solid understanding of how to help franchisees improve their day-to-day operations while also implementing best practices through training and performance management.” — Paul Randles K ostyack has ex tensive ex perience in the paint, b od y and eq uipment ( P B E ) b usiness, as well as in improving operational performance and d riving sales results. He was the southeast regional sales manager for T ranstar A utob od y T echnologies, where he realiz ed more than 1 0% aggregate growth within two years. His previous ex perience includ es area sales manager of P B E for K eystone A utomotive and operations manager for A kz oN ob el. “ I ’ m d elighted to j oin the P roC olor C ollision network at the start of its j ourney in the US,” said
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complex ; it’ s an ex citing time to b e part of the automotive aftermarket space.” P roC olor C ollision is part of Fi Network World and o ers ind epend ent auto b od y shops stand ard iz ed management tools and training to support their b usiness performance. P roC olor aims to b e a repairer of choice in the U.S. and is b ringing together a team of ind ustry professionals with proven ex perience in sales, operations and marketing to grow its network at a regional and national level. Source: P roCol or Col l i s i on
Source: SB A
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FDA Approves Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine a Week After Granting Emergency Use for Pfizer’s by Dan McCaleb, The Center Square
T he U.S. F ood and D rug A d ministration ( F D A ) on D ec. 1 8 granted emergency use authoriz ation to M od erna’ s new C OV I D -1 9 vaccine, the second approval of a coronavirus vaccine in a week. “ T he emergency use authoriz ation allows the vaccine to b e d istrib uted in the U.S. for use in ind ivid uals 1 8 years and old er,” the F D A announced on T witter. “ T he F D A has d etermined that the # C OV I D 1 9 vaccine has met the statuatory criteria for issuance of an E A U. T he totality of the availab le d ata provid es clear evidence it may be e ective in preventing # C OV I D 1 9 .” A b out 6 million d oses of the M od erna vaccine are ex pected to b e shipped around the country the week of D ec. 21 . Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, which it d eveloped with B ioNTech, was the first to receive emergency use authoriz ation when the F D A approved it D ec. 1 1 . T ens of thousand s of health
care workers across the country have already received their first dose of Pfizer’s vaccination. Both Moderna’s and Pfizer’s vaccines req uire two d oses taken a few weeks apart. T he two vaccines proved to be about 95 e ective during trials. With the approval of M od erna’ s vaccine, more d oses will b e availab le throughout the U.S. Health care workers and resid ents and sta of long-term care facilities are first in line to receive the vaccines. A straZ enica and J ohnson & J ohnson also have vaccines in the accelerated approval pipeline. W e t h a n k Th e Cen t er Sq ua re f or rep ri n t p erm i s s i on .
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Freeman Joins NABC T he N ational A uto B od y C ouncil announced J an. 1 3 that S an d i F reem an has j oined the organiz ation as the program manager for the N A B C Recycled Rid es initiative. F reeman will lead the popular N A B C program that has gifted more than 2,6 00 vehicles to families in need since it was launched in 201 2. F reeman was previously the manager of replacement accounts for Hertz , where she worked for more than 20 years. She b rings a wealth of ex perience in the automotive ind ustry, along with a passion for philanthropy, to the position. F reeman replaces longtime N A B C team memb er L i n d a S u lk ala, who retired at the end of 2020. T o learn more ab out the N A B C Recycled Rid es program, visit https: / / nationalautob od ycouncil.org/ programs/ recycled -rid es/ . Source: NAB C
39% of U.S. Reduced, Eliminated Insurance D ue to the pand emic, unemployment rates skyrocketed in 2020 to astound ing levels, forcing many A mericans to struggle to make end s meet. A s a result, when looking to cut costs, though 26 % said that insurance would never b e trimmed from their b ud gets, others had no choice b ut to cut or eliminate insurance coverage altogether. V alueP enguin’ s most recent survey found almost 3 9 % of A mericans had to red uce or eliminate insurance costs to help them save money or b ecause they found themselves unemployed . A lmost four in 1 0 A mericans cut b ack on insurance coverage in 2020, primarily to save money. T hat numb er j umps to 6 5% of those laid o or furloughed due to the coronavirus pand emic. Health insurance was the most common policy consumers d ecreased coverage for or eliminated altogether, followed b y auto insurance and d ental insurance. Source: V a l ueP en g ui n
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$1.9 trillion stimulus now is get C ongress to come together – in the mid d le of another b itter impeachment fight. But in announcing the initiative T hursd ay evening, B id en d id n’ t mention the partisan b attle currently consuming C apitol Hill. I nstead , he emphasiz ed in a prime-time speech that the d ark winter he warned ab out d uring the campaign had arrived . C OV I D cases are spiking across the country. T he economy is faltering. T he nation, the presid ent-elect argued , simply can’ t a ord not to act. Y es, it will b e ex pensive. P erhaps remembering the fights over the 2009 stimulus, B id en d id n’ t shy away from that fact. With interest rates low, he said it was a great time to b orrow even though it guarantees ad d ing more to the ever-growing national d eb t. J ust a few minutes into his remarks, he said that deficit spend ing� wasn’ t j ust in ord er. I t was “ more urgent than ever� to make smart fiscal investments. “ T he return on these investments – in j ob s, in racial eq uity – will prevent long-term economic damage and the benefits will far surpass the costs,� B id en argued b efore ad d ing that top economists had conclud ed that spend ing more now to spur the economy would ensure “ our d eb t situation will b e more stab le, not less stab le, if we seiz e this moment with vision and purpose.� F irst, the presid ent-elect req uested $ 4 00 b illion in ad d itional fund ing to ad d ress the health crisis. A ccord ing to his plans, the money would b e spent rushing the vaccine into the arms of A mericans at community vaccination sites nationwid e, scaling up testing and tracing to track and contain the d isease, and investing in the infrastructure and supplies need ed to reopen schools safely. Once mad e safe for stud ents and sta , Biden wants the majority of A merican stud ents from kind ergarten through eighth grad e b ack in the classroom in his first 100 days. He also promised to lay out a vaccination plan “ to correct course and meet our goal of 1 00 million shots by the end of our first 100 days. Second , B id en req uested $ 1
trillion in family relief. T he b iggest item in this spend ing b ucket: a $ 1 ,4 00 per-person check ( a payment to b e ad d ed on top of the $ 6 00 alread y agreed to b y lawmakers) . He wants housing assistance and nutrition assistance, more money for sub sid iz ed child care, an ex tension of unemployment insurance through Septemb er, and a $ 3 ,000 tax cred it for every child und er 1 7 years old . What’ s more, the incoming presid ent wants a $ 1 5 minimum wage: “ N o one working 4 0 hours a week should still b e b elow the poverty line.� F inally, the presid ent-elect will ask C ongress for an ad d itional $ 4 4 0 b illion to provid e relief for small b usinesses and to shore up struggling state and city and trib al governments. B id en proposes no less than $ 1 5 b illion in d irect grants as well as $ 1 7 5 b illion in government-b acked lend ing for small b usinesses. He promised that the focus would b e on “ M ain Street,� with particular emphasis on ensuring that “ minority-owned small b usinesses and women-owned small b usinesses finally having equal access to the resources they need to reopen and reb uild .� He also promised emergency fund ing for essential workers like municipal firefighters and police, warning that “ the people putting their lives at risk are the very people now at risk of losing their j ob s.� Biden o ered a broad sketch of the rescue package in his 25-minute ad d ress while his team passed along a 17-page fact sheet to fill in more of the d etails. I t will b e up to C ongress to put flesh on these legislative b ones. While D emocrats hold the Senate after their twin victories in G eorgia, their grasp is tenuous. T he chamb er splits 50-50, meaning that V ice P resid ent-elect Harris would cast tie-b reaking votes. B ut power-sharing will still b e a fact of life in the chamb er and the incoming presid ent d id n’ t o er details about how the ambitious agend a would b ecome more than an aspiration. B id en wasn’ t short on soaring rhetoric, however. “ We d id n’ t get into all this overnight. We won’ t get out of it overnight, and we can’ t d o it as a separated and d ivid ed nation,� he said . “ T he only way we can d o it is to come together.� T his, along with the outlined
spend ing, was enough to have congressional D emocrats cheering. “ House and Senate D emocrats ex press gratitud e toward and look forward to working with the P resid ent-elect on the rescue plan,� M aj ority L ead er Ch u c k S c h u m er and House Speaker P elosi said in a press release. T he pair herald ed the spend ing as “ the right approach� and a sign that D emocrats “ have a partner at the White House that und erstand s the need to take swift action to ad d ress the need s of struggling communities.� E ven the party’ s most prominent progressives were impressed with the d ollar amount. D emocratic-socialist B ern i e S an d ers, B id en’ s 2020 campaign rival, released a statement calling the plan “ much need ed � and pled ged to work with his colleagues in C ongress to get it passed . Repub licans were pred ictab ly unimpressed . Rep. K evi n B rad y , the ranking memb er on the House Ways and M eans C ommittee, said B id en had “ launched yet another economic blind bu alo that does nothing to save M ain Street.� T he Repub lican Stud y C ommittee, the
largest G OP caucus in the House, tweeted that the stimulus checks alone in the plan “ cost as much as the inflation adjusted cost of World War I .� T his sud d en red iscovery of the d angers of too large a national d eb t harked b ack to the Ob ama d ays when the G OP prid ed itself on b eing the party of fiscal responsibility. C ongressional Repub licans regularly warned then that the D emocrat in the White House was a profligate spend er mortgaging the future of generations to come. I t’ s an old conservative chestnut that Repub licans only seem to rememb er when Democrats occupy the Oval Office: Und er P resid ent T rump, the d eb t b allooned b y $ 7 .8 trillion. F amiliar with those old arguments, B id en moved to head them o Thursday evening. I know what I j ust d escrib ed will not come cheaply,� he said . “ B ut failing to d o so will cost us d early – the consensus among lead ing economists is we simply cannot a ord not to do it.� T his won’ t b e his only spend ing plan either. He promised that this See $1.9 trillion stimulus, Page 18
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Driven Brands Collision Group Stands ‘UNIT3D’ by Stacey Phillips
E arly in D ecemb er, D riven B rand s C ollision G roup held a virtual summit themed “ UN I T 3 D .” D uring the event, speakers talked ab out the challenges the ind ustry is facing and the importance of unity among the D riven B rand s’ franchises to pave a path forward . A fter welcoming attend ees to the event, M i c h ael M ac alu so, D riven B rand s’ group presid ent and E V P , paint, collision & glass, d iscussed the importance of strength for the company’ s family of family b usinesses. “ T his year has certainly b een trying b ut ab solutely reward ing,” said M acaluso. “ We’ ve ad j usted , we’ ve pivoted and we’ ve persevered .” M acaluso said that most importantly, throughout 2020, D riven B rand s has tried to ensure the safety and health of the team, customers, franchisees and partners within the network. G uest speaker M i k e A n d erson , owner of C ollision A d vice, d iscussed the state of the ind ustry and then held a panel d iscussion focused on current ind ustry issues d uring the pand emic. “ I und erstand that there are challenges in our ind ustry right now with C OV I D … ” said A nd erson. “ Y ou don’t have to have it all figured out. A ll you have to d o is b e willing to reach out to other people and say, ‘ C an you help me?’ I t’ s really that simple.” He pointed out how the D riven B rand s family has recently grown and ad vised attend ees not to und erestimate the value, importance and strength of the franchisees reaching out to one another to help accomplish a goal. A n ad d itional keynote speaker was N an c y F ri ed m an , found er and chairman of the T elephone D octor. F ried man shared tips and techniq ues on the “ G old en N uggets of Sales & C ustomer Service” d uring the pand emic. She encouraged attend ees to prepare for the unex pected , emb race change, d o something ex tra, return phone calls and make sure not to b e too b usy. T hroughout the event, b rand upd ates were given b y company lead ers. “ 2020 has b een a year to forget,”
said L and on T hompson, vice presid ent of operations, F ix A uto USA . “ A ll b usinesses have faced challenging cond itions this year, b ut few have really gone through what we have.” He pointed to the three-and -ahalf-year d ispute with M ond o that was resolved F eb . 5. He also talked ab out the acq uisition b y D riven B rand s six weeks after the coronavirus b roke out.
D espite the challenges with C OV I D -1 9 , 21 new franchise locations were ad d ed over the year. “ We’ ve prid ed ourselves on b eing great performers and not only have we sustained our performance, we’ ve improved it,” T hompson said . M ark W ah li n , V P , franchise d evelopment & operations, A B RA , said 2020 for A B RA actually started in Octob er 201 9 , when D riven B rand s acq uired the franchise. Since the pand emic, Wahlin noted , there has b een ad d itional work at the shop level related to the safety protocols for b oth employees and consumers. “ I t was an amaz ing shift and through it all, the centers stayed open,” he said . “ T he comeb ack has b een amaz ing. A t the end of Octob er [ 2020] as a group, our sales are slightly ahead of that same time period as 201 9 . A s we look forward to finishing up this year and growing into 2021 , the ex pectations are high for that growth to continue.” Jeff Labanovich, G M of C A RST A R C anad a, gave an upd ate on C A RST A R N orth A merica and then spoke ab out the network’ s resilience in 2020 d uring the pand emic. He said through all of the challenges, C A RST A R has persevered and learned to ad apt. “ B eing thrust into this change, I ’ ve j ust seen such resilience,” said
L ab anovich. “ … store owners, marketing groups stand ing together to figure out how to do things di erently in an environment where honestly the market share is shrinking and that is something we need to b e seriously protective of.” I n ad d ition to the b rand upd ates, A rlo J oh n son , SV P I nsurance, talked ab out the learnings from the year and key ind ustry upd ates in regard to network performance and strength. “ Our primary responsib ility is to help C A RST A R, F ix A uto USA and A B RA stores grow sales,” said J ohnson. “ We’ re very focused on ad d ing D RP s and that’ s how my team is measured .” J ohnson estimated they ad d ed more than 1 ,000 D RP s in 2020 across all three b rand s in the U.S., and 7 7 % are with top 1 0 carriers. T op-performing franchise partners for A B RA , C A RST A R and F ix A uto USA were also honored for their ex cellence in L ength of Rental ( L OR) and C ustomer Satisfaction I nd ex ( C SI ) . Honors were given to the following:
ABRA LOR: A B RA , Rochester, M N , owned b y Tom K ad lec , D istrict M anager K ri s J oec k el and M anager A n g i e H en ry CSI: A B RA , Sparta, M I , owned b y P ab lo R od ri q u ez , D istrict M anager D el K i n g and G eneral M anager D an R ow an CARSTAR Canada LOR: C A RST A R B rid gewater, B rid gewater, N S, owned b y W en d y and K evi n E n i m o CSI: C A RST A R C ollingwood , C ollingwood , ON , owned b y G ary B ou c h er CARSTAR U.S. LOR: C A RST A R P remier, Houston, T X , owned b y M oe S h ab an CSI: CARSTAR Greenfield Autobody, Greenfield, WI, owned by M ari u sz S t an i sz Fix Auto USA LOR: F ix A uto I rvine, I rvine, C A , J am es H u ard and A m an d a F az i o, See Stands ‘UNIT3D’, Page 17
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14 FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com
SATA Southeast_Issue_0221.indd 14
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autobodynews.com / FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS 15 SATA X5500.indd 1
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Continued from Cover
New Certification Program to our certified shops and American Hond a M otor,” she ad d ed . I recently talked to A lvarez ab out the new program and some of the highlights: W
h at p rom p t ed t h e d ec i si on t o replace the ProFirst Certified Body S h op P rog ram ? T he P roF irst program was one of the first OEM certified collision programs to launch, and has mad e great strid es. We’ ve found it is held in high regard and has b een wid ely accepted b y repair facilities. The Honda and Acura Certified C ollision program provid es several improvements, includ ing enhanced and ab solute customer recognition. The program will e ectively leverage b oth b rand s b y triggering instant recognition in the larger population, and more importantly, vehicle owners. With P roF irst, customer recognition was an uphill e ort not just for A merican Hond a M otor, b ut also
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16 FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com
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for certified shops. We heard our certified shops loud and clear in regard to changing the program’ s name. We have b een working toward this for a long time and I am thrilled to ad d ress the need for an immed iate b rand connection b etween our customers and certified shops. W
h at are som e of t h e p rog ram ’ s highlights and how does it differ f rom t h e f orm er on e? T he P roF irst program includ ed free access to the Hond a and A cura Service I nformation System, parts catalogs, d ed icated regional collision market managers, a customiz ed plaq ue, promotional items and a shop locator listing. B uild ing on this incred ib le value, the Honda and Acura Certified C ollision P rogram provid es immed iate customer recognition, more effective ad vertising logos and a newly red esigned plaq ue that will showcase the multiple years a shop has achieved certification. I n ad d ition, there will b e an annual certification fee. American Hond a M otor has held the same price point since the program was
launched . A fter evaluation, we felt this was a good time to implement a fee ad j ustment and remain competitive. A nother change will b e the stand ard iz ation of the option for renewing shops to select a guid ed virtual aud it or an on-site aud it. D uring 2020, guid ed virtual aud its were offered as a temporary measure to aid with C OV I D -1 9 state and regional restrictions and will now b ecome stand ard . T raining for b oth programs will increase in 2021 b ased on vehicle need . W h at t y p es of f ac i li t i es c an b ec om e part of the certified network? Our certified network will continue to b e comprised of ind epend ent shops, M SOs and shops aligned with a d ealer group. We will ex ercise a high d egree of selectivity in inviting new shops to apply and certified shops to attempt certification once more. Shops will b e d etermined b y each collision market manager in their region. A merican Hond a M otor is very proud of managing our certified network and will continue to do so.
FORD
I s t h ere an y t h i n g ad d i t i on al y ou w ou ld li k e t h e c olli si on i n d u st ry t o k n ow ab ou t t h e p rog ram ? T he ultimate goal is to connect vehicle customers with certified shops. These shops have agreed to d o the right thing in cond ucting safe and proper repairs per the provid ed Hond a/ A cura repair proced ures. With the increased visib ility, this goal b ecomes even more important. A s the program progresses, we will continue to evaluate shops to d etermine if they are following the req uirements and should b e invited to apply for renewal. I urge all shops, prospective and currently certified, to make sure they und erstand the req uirements and evaluate whether they will b e ab le to support the req uirements and intent of the program. I f the answer is anything other than a resound ing “ yes,” then it is not for them. Read the “ T erms and C ond itions” to make sure you make the b est b usiness d ecision for your b usiness.
Continued from Page 14
Stands ‘UNIT3D’ corporate ops lead ers, Store M anager J essi c a D elg ad o CSI: F ix A uto M od esto-C ity C enter, M od esto, C A , owned b y K ri sh Ch an d A t the close of the event, D ean F i sh er, presid ent of the D riven B rand s C ollision G roup, shared some final thoughts as the group looks ahead to moving forward together for a successful 2021 . “ T hrough what has b een a year like no other, these franchise partners have risen ab ove to consistently outperform in operations, customer ex perience and community engagement,” said F isher. “ We’ re proud to recogniz e their accomplishments. T hey are truly role mod els for our D riven B rand s family and the collision repair ind ustry.” F or more information ab out D riven B rand s, visit https: / / www. d rivenb rand s.com/ . Social med ia tags: @ F ix A utoUSA , @ C A RST A R, @ C A RST A RC anad a
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Stellantis Born as PSA and FCA Shareholders Vote to Approve Merger by Christopher Smith, Motor1.com
It’s official, or at least, almost official. Sharehold ers for F iat C hrysler and P SA voted to merge and b ecome Stellantis, a new mega-automaker comb ining the two companies with 1 4 automotive b rand s und er one umb rella. A ll that remains in the process is finalizing the deal and offering Stellantis stock, which will b e trad ed at three ex changes: P aris, M ilan and N ew Y ork. T he merger was accelerated in recent weeks, possib ly d ue to the pand emic. T he plan was always to seek sharehold er approval and an official launch in the first quarter of 2021, and Jan. 4 had b een targeted for the vote. With that step completed — and with the approval in place— Stellantis is all b ut here. T he transition is ex pected to finalize Jan. 1 , and it will become official once Stellantis shares hit markets J an. 1 8 . Stellantis will have the capab ility of b uild ing 8 .7 million cars per year, accord ing to the A ssociated P ress. V olkswagen, T oyota and Renault-N issan still have higher capacities, b ut ex ecu-
Continued from Cover
‘Who Pays for What’ shoot D T C s,” A nd erson said . “ D iagnostic lab or time should really b e separated from the scan lab or time b ecause there are j ust too many variab les involved . “ J ust as j ud gment times vary b ased on the siz e and location of the d amage and the sub strate involved , d iagnostic time varies as well,” A nd erson continued . “ I sn’ t the time it takes to research one d iagnostic trouble code di erent from researching five? “ A nd it’ s not j ust looking up the cod e. Y ou also have to navigate the OEM repair flowchart to determine what the most prob ab le cause is,” he said . “ I f there are several possible causes, it might be the first one you try, or the last one. A ll this takes time.” T he latest q uarterly “ Who P ays for What? survey is now open through J anuary, focusing on “ not-included refinish labor operations. Shops can take the survey at https: / / www.surveymonkey.com/ r/
tives of the new conglomerate are likely more interested in an annual savings of $ 5 b illion resulting from the merger. T his is higher than previously estimated , though the nature of the savings d oes have some people looking closely at those 1 4 b rand s and wond ering how many could b e d ropped . A particular eye falls on F C A b rand s such as C hrysler, which presently includ es the just the Pacifica and Voyager minivans, and the 3 00 sed an. T hough b illed as a merger of eq uals, the structure of the d eal technically has P SA acq uiring F C A . P SA C E O Carlos Tavares will b ecome Stellantis C E O, while F C A C E O M ike M anley will oversee all U.S. operations. T he A ssociated P ress states 4 0% of the planned savings from the merger will come from comb ining platforms among the various b rand s. B etter purchasing power will also provid e savings, notab ly with investments into hyb rid and electric technology which b oth entities d esperately need . W e t h a n k M ot or1 . com f or rep ri n t p erm i s s i on .
6 J N H3 P F Survey participants receive a free report with complete survey findings along with analysis and resources to help shops b etter und erstand and use the information presented . A nd erson said the survey, which will take ab out 1 5 to 20 minutes, can b e completed b y anyone in a shop familiar with the shop’ s b illing practices and the payment practices of at least some of the largest national insurers. E ach shop’ s ind ivid ual responses are held in the strictest confidence only aggregated d ata is released . T he results of previous surveys are also availab le online at https: / / www.crashnetwork.com/ collisionad vice. C ollision A d vice ( www.C ollisionA d vice.com) is an ind epend ent training and consulting firm featuring some of the most respected and ex perienced ex perts in the collision repair ind ustry. C RA SH N etwork ( www.C rashN etwork.com) is a sub scription newsletter o ering news and information not availab le from other ind ustry sources. Source: CR ASH Net w ork
Watch Out for Odometer Fraud T here is a b ig misconception that od ometer fraud d isappeared with d igital od ometers, b ut that’ s not so. C A RF A X d ata suggests more than 1 .8 million vehicles on the road tod ay have had their od ometer rolled b ack, a 1 3 % annual increase over 201 9 . T he N ational Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates more than 4 50,000 vehicles are sold each year with false od ometer read ings, costing A merican car b uyers more than $ 1 b illion in value annually. N ot only that, od ometer rollb ack can also lead to unex pected repair costs for b uyers whose cars have more wear and tear than they ex pected . Several heavily populated states saw d oub le-d igit increases in cases of possib le rolled -b ack od ometers, with T ex as lead ing with a 3 1 % rise over 201 9 . T o help protect consumers, CARFA o ers a free Od ometer F raud C heck tool and tips to protect yourself at www.carfax .com/ od o. Source: CAR F AX
Continued from Page 12
$1.9 trillion stimulus $ 1 .9 trillion initiative is an opening b id to C ongress with more spend ing to come later. As the first legislative priority of his ad ministration, the plan will test the new presid ent’ s d eal-making acumen. B id en seems comfortab le in the role. He d id n’ t b alk at d eb t and deficits the last time he was in the White House. He hasn’ t gotten skittish in the last four years either, as he heralded the first multi-billion-dollar spend ing package he managed . “ We will b e responsib le with tax payer d ollars, ensuring accountab ility that red uces waste, fraud , or ab use,” he promised , “ like we d id with the Recovery A ct d uring the Ob ama-B id en ad ministration.” W e t h a n k R ea l Cl ea rW i re f or rep ri n t p erm i s s i on . www.autobodynews.com
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18 FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com
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s
autobodynews.com / FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS 19
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Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs. HONDA ALABAMA
FLORIDA
Freeway Honda Birmingham
800-987-0819 205-949-5460
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5 greg_thomas@freewayhondaal.com
GEORGIA
Honda Mall of Georgia
Apple Tree Honda
954-425-8244
678-318-3155
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 cdunlap@penskeautomotive.com
800-476-9411 828-684-4400
Pompano Beach
Dept. Hours: M-Fri 7-6; Sat 7-5; gerardbruno@hendrickauto.com Davie
AutoNation Honda Clearwater Clearwater
888-205-2564 727-530-1173
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5; Sun 10-3 santosr1@autonation.com
AutoNation Honda Hollywood
877-544-2249
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-5 hernandeze@autonation.com
Buford/Gwinnett
Milton Martin Honda Gainesville
770-534-0086 678-989-5473
678-423-8183
McKenney-Salinas Honda
Nalley Honda
888-703-7109 704-824-8844 x 624
866-362-8034 770-306-4646
Vann York Automall
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7 mfranceschi@southhonda.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-4 samuel.trapani@henrickauto.com Union City
GEORGIA
Carey Paul Honda Snellville
770-985-1444
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-5 hondawp@nalleycars.com
Patty Peck Honda
800-334-3719 770-933-5870 Direct
800-748-8676 601-957-3400
Clermont
800-497-2294 407-395-7374
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-5 pepe.guevara@headquarterhonda.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-6 hondaparts@edvoyles.com
Dept. Hours: M-Thu 7-11; Fri 7-6 Sat 7-5; Sun 11-5 www.southpointhonda.com
Gastonia
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 parts@mshonda.com High Point
B
Dep hon
W
336-841-6200
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-3
Ed Voyles Honda Marietta
A
855-893-8866 919-425-4711
888-418-3513 305-256-2240
Newnan
Dept.
Durham
Honda of Newnan
Miami
888-893-4984 407-521-1115
Headquarter Honda
Crown Honda Southpoint
South Motors Honda
Classic Honda
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-4 parts@classichonda.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 appletreeparts@hotmail.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 robertthomas@mmhonda.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-6 gperkins@careypaul.com
Orlando
Asheville
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-4 robbutton@rickcase.com
Hollywood
800-542-8121 954-964-8300
TENN
Hendrick Honda Pompano Beach
Rick Case Honda
FLORIDA
NO. CAROLINA
MISSISSIPPI
Ridgeland
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 pmartin@pattypeckhonda.com
Gerald Jones Honda
SO. CAROLINA
Breakaway Honda Greenville
800-849-5056 864-234-6481
VIRG
Che
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 fmarshall@breakawayhonda.com
Piedmont Honda
Augusta
800-733-2210 706-228-7040
Anderson
800-849-5057 864-375-2082
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 tdunn@geraldjoneshonda.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 swhite@piedmontcars.com
ACURA FLORIDA
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
NO. CAROLINA
VIRG
Acura of Orange Park
Rick Case Acura
Nalley Acura
Leith Acura
888-941-7278 904-777-1008
800-876-1150 954-377-7688
800-899-7278 770-422-3138
800-868-0082 919-657-0460
Jacksonville
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-8; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-3 msweeney@acuraoforangepark.com
Duval Acura Jacksonville
800-352-2872 904-725-1149
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 Cecil.adams@duvalacura.com
Fort Lauderdale
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 rubenramos@rickcase.com GEORGIA
Marietta
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 byoung@nalleycars.com NO. CAROLINA
Cary
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-4:30 parts@leithacura.com VIRGINIA
Jackson Acura
Flow Acura
Duncan Acura
877-622-2871 678-259-9500
800-489-3534 336-761-3682
800-990-0069 540-562-0168
Roswell
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7:30-6 kmcmillan@jacksonacura.com
Winston-Salem
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-1 www.flowacura.com
Roanoke
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5 roanokeparts@duncanauto.net
20 FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com
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K
Dep corey
a
4
oint
-6
onda
4
TENNESSEE
VIRGINIA
Airport Honda
Hall Honda
800-264-4721 865-970-7792
800-482-9606 757-431-4329
Alcoa
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6:30; Sat 7:30-5 parts@airporthonda.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-5 fox@hallauto.com
AutoNation Honda West Knoxville
Valley Honda
Knoxville
800-824-1301 865-218-5461
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 rossd1@autonation.com
Bill Gatton Honda Bristol
800-868-4118 423-652-9545
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-1 hondaparts@billgattonhonda.com
ll
Wolfchase Honda
-3
800-982-7290 901-255-3780
a
5 om
Virginia Beach
Staunton
800-277-0598 540-213-9016
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 9-5 bwimer@myvalleyhonda.com
West Broad Honda Richmond
800-446-0160 804-672-8811
Dept. Hours: M-Fri 7:30-6:30; Sat 8-5 wbhonda@aol.com
Bartlett
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7 ekerr@wolfchasehonda.com VIRGINIA
Checkered Flag Honda Norfolk
800-277-2122 757-687-3453
Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7:30-6 honda.checkeredflag.com
-5
30
VIRGINIA
Karen Radley Acura Woodbridge
800-355-2818 703-550-0205
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-3 coreythompson@radleyautogroup.com
et
autobodynews.com / FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS 21
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Objections to Payment and Requested Procedures Outlined in SCRS Class by Ed Attanasio
L et’ s imagine you’ re getting surgery and right b efore they put you und er anesthesia, they tell you your heart replacement is an unnecessary proced ure, or they want to save money b y installing an aftermarket one.
AkzoNobel Small Business Consultant Tim Ronak presented “Overcoming Objections to Payment and Requested Procedures” as part of the SCRS 2020 Repair Driven Educational Series presented at SEMA360
What would you d o other than scream at the system, d esperately try to renegotiate or ask the surgeon to d oub le up on the anesthesia? T his is similar to the unend ing tug-of-war b etween b od y shops and insurance companies over what the latter is willing to pay for repairs. I n many cases, the relationship works well and seamlessly, while others go sid eways and end up b eing a b ad ex perience for b oth parties involved . I t d oesn’ t matter if you’ re a D RP shop or not they will grind you at every turn anyway, and if you’ re not prepared , they can hamstring your b usiness in more ways than one. A kz oN ob el Small B usiness C onsultant Ti m R on ak presented “ Overcoming Ob j ections to P ayment and Req uested P roced ures” as part of the SC RS 2020 Repair D riven E d ucational Series presented at SE M A 3 6 0. M any shops nationwid e are having issues getting OE repair proced ures approved , or persuad ing insurance companies to reimb urse for certain repairs when they sub mit their b ills and estimates. T hrough a series of round tab le d iscussions with shop owners and managers, Ronak has b een ab le to d evise some strategies to ad d ress these issues and how they can b e resolved . I f you’ ve b een in the collision
repair ind ustry for even a short time, you’ ve und oub ted ly heard these lines more than once the leading 1 4 ex cuses any shop can encounter: “ We d on’ t pay for that.” “ T his is the cost of d oing b usiness.” “ T hat’ s part of the j ob .” “ I t’ s the market rate in your area.” “ T hat’ s not a competitive rate in your market.” If those don’t float your boat or persuad e you in any way, it’ s time for their P lan B : “ Sorry, b ut the prevailing rate in your area is fill in the blank. So, we cannot pay more.” “ We can ad d some ex tra time on something else to cover the d ifference.” “ N o other shops in your area are asking for that amount.” “ T hese rates are too high.” ( M eaning a prevailing rate d oes ex ist.) “ T his is a four-hour repair, not a six -hour repair.” “ We pay for aftermarket and used parts only.” “ Y ou d on’ t need to perform that proced ure.” “ T he OE M repair information d oes not say ‘ req uired ; ’ it says ‘ recommend ed ’ or ‘ suggested .’ Since they d o not ‘ req uire’ the operation, we will not pay for it.” And finally, after all of the wrestling d oesn’ t work, the insurer might say, “ P lease accept our non-D RP rate.” Shops run into all of these “ reasons e cuses often, when all they want to d o is return the car to its 1 00% pre-accid ent cond ition without compromising safety and functionality, Ronak said . I nsurers will wrestle with collision repairers customarily ab out things such as scanning proced ures, pre-fit on a quarter panel before it’s installed , or a road test at the completion of the repair, now called a “ d ynamic systems verification, Ronak said. Ronak d eveloped a comprehensive list of G eneral Ob j ection C ategories. One of the main ob j ections is rates, and the prob lem is many shops are unab le to make their case when
negotiating rates with the insurer. Without enough sub stantiated proof, the insurance company will win almost every time, Ronak said . C hallenging the asserted rate assumes you have d one your own research to d ispute it, Ronak ex plained . Use of any contracted or D RP rates in the calculation of “ prevailing market rate” could b e a violation of the Sherman A ct, and could b e d escrib ed as purchaser price fi ing, which is illegal and a federal o ense. I f an insurance company has negotiated a certain rate with one shop and then uses that negotiated rate when calculating an average rate for a market, it has “ b ought d own” the market rate and may b e an unfair trad e practice. T o d etermine the rates, shops are familiar with lab or rate surveys provid ed b y the insurers with z ero oversight. “ T hey provid e a survey that can’ t b e ed ited ,” Ronak said . “ T hey tell you that this is how much you should accept b ecause they think it’ s fair. T hey pick the shops to use
and then d etermine how much they will pay in each market. T he q uestion here is should you really trust someone who owes you money to tell you how much they owe you or d o you need to verify that?” F or shops to successfully challenge rates, they will need to prove the prevailing rates provid ed b y the insurance companies are inaccurate, outd ated or unfair. I n summary, it’ s the shop’ s ob ligation to make a case every time when an insurer tries to cut its rates or coerce it to perform an inferior repair and compromise q uality. B eing proactive is key. D o your own lab or rate surveys and b ack them up with the proper d ocumentation. B e prepared for the insurer’ s talking track and b e read y to respond promptly and definitively. Develop a plan and a strategy and make sure anyone d ealing with the insurance companies is on the same page. Ronak grew up in the collision repair ind ustry b eginning at age 1 4 working within his family’ s b usiSee Objections to Payment Page 31
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with Stacey Phillips
From the Desk of Mike Anderson with Mike Anderson
Mike Anderson is the president and owner of Collision Advice, a consulting company for the auto body/collision repair industry. For nearly 25 years, he was the owner of Wagonwork Collision Center, an OEM-certified, full-service auto body repair facility in Alexandria, VA.
Two-Way Dialogue a Good Way to ‘Maintain’ Employees J ust as regular maintenance of your shop’ s eq uipment and facility is critical to keep it functioning well, “ maintenance” of your employees is j ust as important. A fter all, replacing a good employee can be every bit as costly and often more difficult than replacing a weld er or frame rack. I t was that goal of maintaining ongoing two-way d ialogue with employees that led me, when I had my shops, to cond uct employee reviews on an annual b asis. I know some shop owners avoid such reviews b ecause they assume employees will ex pect increased compensation as part of the process. B ut b efore I even sat d own with employees, they each would fill out a q uestionnaire, rating how they think they were meeting the company’ s stand ard s for attend ance, q uantity and q uality of work, teamwork, or-
ganiz ation and enthusiasm. I t asked them to rate their supervisor, and how they are treated b y coworkers. I t asked them what they feel they need to improve, what their specific goals were for the coming year, and how we could help them meet those goals. And it asked specifically about pay, includ ing this important follow-up q uestion: What would you b e willing to d o to make more money this year? T his helped emphasiz e they have to take a role in increasing their income, not j ust come into the review ex pecting a raise. I would look over their responses and their employee file before I met with them. A nd I came into the review with an agend a. F irst item on that agend a: E nsuring we had their current home ad d ress and phone numb er( s) , that their emergency contact information
was correct and that their insurance need s had n’ t changed , mayb e b ecause of a change in d epend ents or b ecause they were now covered und er a spouse’ s plan. We also collected information on their b irthd ay, wed d ing anniversary and kid s’ b irthd ays so we could note those events throughout the year. N ex t, we worked through their responses to the q uestionnaire. T he b eauty of the self-review is it’ s a lot less uncomfortab le than having to b ring up the fact an employee, for ex ample, is often late for work. T hat employee will often acknowled ge on the form he’ s not meeting the shop’ s ex pectations for attend ance. So rather than d well on the prob lem, you can immed iately move into d iscussing why it’ s occurring and what can b e d one ab out it. T hat was far more e ective than a heat-
ed d iscussion ab out it at some time when I was angry and they were d efensive. I f they listed areas of their performance that need improvement, we d iscussed what tools or training they need ed to help them d o that. I ’ ve always felt it’ s the b usiness owner’ s responsib ility to give employees what they need to success in the b usiness. So reviews are a chance for open d ialogue ab out how you can help them improve their performance. T hat also helped us map out employee training for the coming year, to ensure we got them the classes they need ed with the least d isruption to prod uction. D uring the reviews, we’ d also d iscuss the areas in which they were ex celling, giving them some “ attab oys” and positive reinforcement. See Two-Way Dialogue, Page 26
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with Erica Schroeder
Industry Insight
—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon who 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.
with John Yoswick
Panel Reviews Why OEM Repair Procedure Legislation Has Mostly Failed to Be Enacted
Shop Showcase
With more than a d oz en states pro- even more if any of these pieces of posing legislation over the past three legislation get passed .” P anelist W ay n e W ei k el of the years related to the use of OE M colwith Ed Attanasio lision repair proced ures, why have A lliance for A utomotive I nnovanearly all of them failed to b e enact- tion, a trad e group representing the ed ? T hat was the q uestion at the heart of a G overnmental C ommittee panel d iscussion d uring a recent virtual C ollision I with nd ustryEd C onference Attanasio ( C I C ) this month. One reason cited : Opposition to the id ea of pushing for or req uiring the use of OE M proced ures from alternative parts ind ustry. “ I think the b iggest prob lem we Darrell Amberson said many Minnesota have is there are OE M repair pro- lawmakers’ ties to the insurance industry with Ed Attanasio ced ures that very b latantly d eny the have made it difficult to even get a hearing in that state for legislation on OEM collision use of aftermarket or recycled orig- repair procedures inal eq uipment parts,” said panelist S an d y B laloc k , ex ecutive d irector automakers that manufacture nearly of the A utomotive Recyclers A sso- all the passenger vehicles sold in ciation. “ So wewith have Ed veryAttanasio serious the U.S., pointed out in some of the concerns that that would b e pushed state legislative e orts, automakers
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took parts o the table, by agreeing to legislative language “ saying that, notwithstand ing what OE M repair proced ures may say ab out parts, you’ re supposed to follow the repair proced ures.” B ut B lalock said the OE M position statements remain. “ A s long as there’ s anything out there that is telling people it’ s not wise to use [ alternative] parts, or that they d o not recommend that they b e used , this is going to b e an issue for us,” she said . “ A nd that’ s why you see why compromise on this will be difficult,” Weikel said . “ A gainst all of my memb ers’ views on parts, we tried to focus j ust on proced ures, and even after we’ ve d one that, we continue to hear ob j ections such as these. I can tell you, our manufacturers are not going to walk away from saying that the b est part is a new OE M part.
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T hat’ s j ust the reality.” T he insurance ind ustry also pushed b ack against proposed state legislation that would req uire them to pay claims b ased on OE M repair proced ure. P anelist D arrell A m b erson of L a M et t ry ’ s Col l i s i on in M innesota said his state’ s association twice pushed for legislation that would have mad e it an unfair claims practice for an insurer to refuse payment for a repair proced ure called for b y an OE M . The first year the bill didn’t even receive a hearing. T he association then worked with insurers on some “ watered -d own” compromise language introd uced in 201 9 , b ut even then insurers opposed the b ill d uring a hearing. A mb erson said the state’ s legislature has a high percentage of memb ers who currently work for, or have
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previously worked for, insurance companies, includ ing the committee memb er most critical at the hearing of the b ill’ s language. “ I t d id n’ t get out of that committee,” A mb erson said of the 201 9 bill. It’s been difficult to reason with some entities out there. I ’ m not saying every insurer is against proper repairs. B ut there are those out there that frankly are inclined to imply that it’ s OK to essentially cut some corners. T he phrase ‘ case-b ycase’ implies you can make a j ud gement, q uestioning the repair proced ures the manufacturer estab lished .” N ew Hampshire lawmakers passed OE M repair proced ure legislation in 201 9 , b ut it was vetoed b y Repub lican G ov. J oh n S u n u n u , who said the b ill “ would increase the cost of auto insurance premiums b y limiting the ab ility of insurers to negotiate what is reasonab le in the repair process.” Weikel pointed to what he sees as the irony in that argument. “ B e that true or not true, b y acknowled ging that these prices were going to change, he was acknowled ging on its face that repairs are not b eing d one the way they should b e,” Weikel said . “ B ecause if they are, the price isn’ t going to change.” P anelist J i n a P et rarc a-K aram p et sos of the A uto B od y A ssociation of Rhod e I sland said the association successfully passed such OE M proced ure legislation there in 201 8 after spend ing “ many, many years b uild ing momentum.” T he association has a history of getting legislation enacted d esigned to ensure consumers have informa-
applies only “ when OE M parts are used .” “ I t’ s b een a maj or success. A nd it was a compromise,” P etrarca-K arampetsos said . B lalock said such compromise is not out of reach, particularly in states, like Rhod e I sland , that have generally viewed used parts as OE M , unless they were non-OE M originally. C ompromise on an OE M proced ure b ill in Washington State earlier in 201 9 was also “ very close,” she said . “ B ut I think the b iggest compromise is we need to stop thinking we have to go A virtual panel discussion on OEM repair procedure legispass legislation to protect lation included, clockwise from top left, Darrell Amberson, every facet of our b usinessASA’s Bob Redding, Jina Petrarca-Karampetsos, Sandy es,” B lalock said . “ We need Blalock and Wayne Weikel to stop going to our legisfor vehicles up to four years old . latures and asking them to protect a “ K nowled ge is power, and certain segment of our ind ustry.” choice is power,” P etrarca-K aramP etrarca-K arampetsos said she petsos said . “ I f you’ re d oing the right d isagreed with the id ea that legislathing, giving consumers a choice is tion is not necessary, given consumnever going to b e a negative in your ers’ lack of awareness and und erb usiness.” stand ing of issues related to insurance T he Rhod e I sland OE M proce- and collision repair. d ure regulation is tied to the parts legislation. I t originally prohib ited insurance companies from req uiring any repairer “ to use repair proced ures that are not in compliance with the recommend ations of the original eq uipment manufacturer.” B ut P etrarca-K arampetsos said in a compromise based on opposition from the non-OEM parts industry the b ill was amend ed to say the req uirement for automaker proced ures
Continued from Page 24
L astly, the reviews were their opportunity to tell me what they felt the company was d oing right, and what they’ d like to see changed and why. I would always compile employee suggestions d uring reviews and follow up, ex plaining which we were implementing and which we weren’ t, and why. So rather than j ust a time to talk ab out pay, I found employee reviews a reward ing way to maintain open dialogue that helped everyone and the company improve.
Two-Way Dialogue A nd I ’ d have information on their total pay for the previous year and the current year to d ate. I f it looked like their wages were moving up or d own from the previous year, we’ d d iscuss the reasons and help them und erstand what they could be doing as they may have already identified on the questionnaire to improve their income.
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tion and choice, she said . T hat includ es an anti-steering b ill, a two-tier “ C lass A ” and “ C lass B ” shop d esignation system, a total loss threshold of 7 5% that prevents a vehicle with lesser d amage from b eing totaled without consumer consent, and a law that req uires consumer consent for use of anything other than OE M parts
“ T hey aren’ t versed in this,” P etrarca-K arampetsos said . “ T hey go to a shop. T hey ex pect to have their car repaired safely. T hey ex pect their insurance companies will treat them fairly. T hey’ re not aware of the nuances.” She said the association at one point took a year o from its legislative e orts to meet with insurers in an attempt to find useful solutions to issues of conflict, but there were no such solutions that the “ insurers would implement without legislation,” she said . “ T hat has b een proven here over and over,” P etrarca-K arampetsos said . A mb erson said he agreed that finding solutions short of legislation would b e wond erful, b ut it’ s very hard to accomplish, particularly when it comes to OE M repair proced ures. “ Who among us are ex perts on this to the point that we can claim to b e more knowled geab le ab out the proper repair than the vehicle manufacturer,” A mb erson said . “ Hence, we as repairers are caught in the mid d le, and unfortunately have to pursue legislative solutions to b e able to fi cars properly, to protect ourselves as well as the consumer.”
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The Rise of the Electric Vehicles by Gary Ledoux
Th e f ol l ow i n g a rt i cl e con t a i n s f orw a rd l ook i n g s t a t em en t s b ut d o n ot i m p l y en d ors em en t f or i n v es t m en t p urp os es . Ot h er com p a n i es , s uch a s Tes l a , h a v e firmly established market share and d om i n a n t m a rk et p os i t i on s E d . “ T od ay, electric vehicles are a d isruption in the collision repair world . B ut it won’ t b e long b efore they are mainstream… and the collision repair ind ustry has to b e read y,” said F ran k Terlep , recogniz ed ind ustry lead er and found er and C E O of A uto T echcelerators. D uring D ay 2 of the virtually-cond ucted N ovemb er C ollision I nd ustry C onference, the F uture D isruptions C ommittee, chaired b y T erlep and well-known ind ustry icon J ak e R od en rot h , gave a presentation and cond ucted a panel d iscussion surround ing electric vehicles and what their ad vent could mean to the collision repair ind ustry. G iven the gravity of the issues electric vehicles present, it is worth revisiting this sub j ect in more d epth. “ T he future is coming at us with alarming speed ,” said T erlep. “ I n less than 1 5 years, the UK wants to b an the sales of all ex cept electric cars. I n the U.S., C alifornia is following the same path.” Rod enroth noted , “ I t seems like it wasn’ t that long ago the ind ustry was all talking ab out the use of highstrength steel and how to repair it. T hen the d iscussion turned to aluminum and the all-aluminum F ord truck. T hen it was A D A S systems and how to d o proper post repair calib rations. “ N ow it’ s electric cars. I’m not sure we have all figured out high-strength steel yet and the ind ustry has mad e several technological leaps since. We all need to come up to speed .” I n his C I C presentation, T erlep mad e note of some of the more d ramatic changes that will occur as more and more electric cars enter the U.S. fleet: OE factories and suppliers will change d ramatically. Suppliers for internal comb ustion engine components and gasoline fuel systems
will b e greatly red uced or eliminated . T his will eliminate j ob s for some while creating many new j ob s for new electric d rive components. New, technology-based vehicle manufacturers will emerge, like L ucid and Rivian. Conventional dealer-service d epartment b usiness will d ecline d ramatically, as much as 3 5% , as will services performed b y ind epend ent mechanical repair facilities. Of course, the attend ant parts sales from b oth d ealers and aftermarket will d ecline and shift focus over time. Repair and diagnostic processes will change d ramatically. F ollowing OE repair proced ures will b e ab solutely crucial not only to perform a proper repair, b ut to ensure the physical safety of the technician. Vehicle owners will be buying sub scriptions for software upd ates much like they b uy ex tend ed mechanical warranties tod ay. The number of repair facilities, b oth mechanical and collision, will decrease as the EV fleet increases d ue to the knowled ge, training and tooling necessary to properly repair these vehicles. T hree key electric OE ’ s to watch, and the three featured in the C I C panel d iscussion, are L ucid , Rivian and A ud i.
P et er R aw li n son , is the former T esla M od el S chief engineer. T he company’ s L ucid A ir b ase mod el is claimed to have 4 8 0 horsepower and a 4 00-mile proj ected range, will sell for ab out $ 7 0,000 and is d ue to arrive in 2022.
T he top-line L ucid A ir D ream b oasts a 1 ,08 0-horsepower electric motor and a 500-mile proj ected range, will turn a q uarter-mile in und er 1 0 second s and will carry an almost $ 1 6 2,000 price tag. I ts 9 00-volt electric architecture will b e the ind ustry’ s fastest-charging vehicle to d ate, with a rate of 20 miles of travel per minute of charge. L ucid is ex pected to start d eliv-
ering vehicles in A pril of this year. The first U.S. ucid factory, known as the L ucid A M P -1 ( A d vanced M anufacturing P lant) located in C asa G rand e, A Z , was completed in early December 2020. It will first b uild the L ucid A ir mod el. T he factory’ s current iteration will b e capab le of b uild ing 3 0,000 A ir mod els per year. When the factory is fully completed , it will b e capab le of prod ucing 4 00,000 units annually, includ ing a second sed an and an SUV . B y comparison, the 1 9 6 4 ½ and 1 9 6 5 M ustang saw 4 3 5,000 units prod uced . A ccord ing to its web site, L ucid will use an “ aircraft-inspired riveted and b ond ed monocoq ue b od y structure replacing spot weld s.” T he manufacturer claims this will provid e a new “ state-of-the-art structural efficiency. A L ucid representative was not available to answer specific questions regard ing collision repair proced ures or training. However, accord ing to
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its web site, L ucid will have a nationwid e network of Service C enters, 20 to start in eight maj or metro locations on b oth the east and west coasts. M ob ile service provid ers and certified collision repair centers will b e linked to L ucid ’ s centraliz ed customer care group to ad d ress anything that cannot b e remotely d iagnosed and repaired . D escrib ed b y Rawlinson as a “ fusion of art, science and technology,” look for L ucid mod els on the street b y early summer this year. Rivian Rivian, an electric-vehicle start-up company b ased in C alifornia, plans to soon start prod ucing two all-elec-
tric truck mod els at a plant in I llinois, formerly occupied b y M itsub ishi. T hese will includ e the R1 T pickup, which will be the first to d eb ut, followed closely b y the R1 S SUV . I t is unknown at this point how many the company plans to sell or how they will b e sold , b e it through a trad itional d ealership network or some other system. B ut the b ig news, to collision repairers, isn’ t the numb er of Rivian vehicle in consumer hands at least initially. M ore importantly, Rivian has received maj or support from tech giant A maz on. I n Septemb er 201 9 , A maz on invested $ 7 00 million in Rivian, which at that time planned to prod uce 1 00,000 all-electric d elivery vans for A maz on. M ost recently, in Septemb er 2020, A maz on invested another und isclosed b ut b elieved to b e sub stantial amount of money in Rivian. Rivian has also received fund ing from F ord M otor C ompany and T . Rowe P rice, the mutual fund company. I n cities where A maz on has a maj or presence, especially a d istrib ution center a quick Google check revealed 7 6 A maz on d istrib ution centers across 20 states some colli-
sion shop or shops are going to need to keep those trucks running, and cycle time is going to b e critical. A maz on has committed to going emission-free b y the year 204 0, 1 0 years ahead of the guid elines set forth b y the P aris C limate A greement. T erlep notes, “ I t won’ t b e long b efore shops will need to d ed icate a portion of their shop and personnel to electric vehicles. T raining and use of proper repair proced ures will b e crucial.” Rivian representatives were not at lib erty to d iscuss collision repair plans for their prod ucts at this time, instead d eferring to an announcement in the spring of this year. Audi On d eck for the more than 1 00-year-old company is the A ud i e-tron for 2021 , the first electric SUV built with A ud i D N A ,” with a reported 4 02 horsepower, ab le to turn 0 to 6 0 mph in und er 6 second s with a 222-mile range. Starting at around $ 6 6 ,000, it features q uattro®
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all-wheel d rive. T he e-tron also comes in a Sportback configuration. B od y construction is a comb ination of steel and aluminum. A ud i’ s goal is to have one-third of all its vehicles electrified by 2025. T he company’ s web site notes charging an A ud i e-tron is as simple as contacting A maz on, who will have a local contractor set up a 1 20- or 24 0-volt, 50-amp charging outlet in the owners’ garage. A way from home, there is a growing numb er of commercial charging stations availab le. M ark A llen , manager of collision, eq uipment and E V after sales service at A ud i of A merica, was kind enough to answer a few q uestions.
pairs on your electric vehicles?
A:
Right now, we have no plans for a certified collision shop network for our electric vehicles. However, we are specifying that any mechanical or especially electrical work related to collision repair b e completed b y an A ud i d ealer. T hey have the training, tools and eq uipment to repair our electric cars properly and safely. We allow our current A ud i A uthoriz ed C ollison Repairers to d o collision repair work on the vehicle, b ut not b attery or any HV electrical repairs. T hat must b e d one at the d ealer.
Q:
Q:
A:
A:
A ud i has b een around for 1 00 years. Is this its first electric vehicle?
A ud i has had hyb rid electric cars since 201 3 . T he e-tron is a completely new generation of vehicle for us and the first full-electric car.
Q:
Will you have a certified network to hand le collision re-
What is the most important thing techs need to know b efore working on an electric vehicle?
B efore touching our E V , or any E V , it’ s important that repairers first look at repair procedures and safety precautions. Repairers can b e seriously hurt, or worse, if they d on’ t follow proper proced ures.
Q:
What will happen with a collision-totaled vehicle? How
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lans shop cles. any rical r be They uiprop-
Aucol, but l realer.
rtant becle?
V, or t reures irers e, if ures.
colHow
will the battery be safely disposed of?
A:
EV batteries must be properly disposed of according to EPA guidelines. Right now, there are two companies in the U.S. that can handle it. I am sure in the future as EV’s proliferate, additional companies will emerge. In our case, the batteries we use are modular, so if one section is damaged or goes bad, it may be possible to replace only that module.
Q: A: Q:
Will you have parts restrictions for EV parts? Yes, on structural and electrical components.
What kind of personal protection clothing will technicians need to wear to work on your EV?
A:
Depending on the work being done, a complete protective suit consists of a helmet with integrated special arc flash protection face shield, balaclava hood, arc flash protection jacket or lab coat, overpants, and three pairs of gloves
including an inner cotton glove covered by an insulated rubber glove, covered by a leather glove. The outfit is completed by electric hazard-rated work boots. Note: Audi recently announced a twoglove combination now available. Vehicle Charging Made Easy One of the drawbacks to electric-only vehicles has always been travel range. Depending on the vehicle, battery used and road and other environmental conditions, EVs can travel 200 to 500 miles on a single charge. Unlike internal combustion cars that can be refueled at the ubiquitous gas station, EVs must be charged at home or at outlets provided by companies like Electrify America, one of the largest public electric vehicle DC fast-charging networks in the U.S., with more than 500 charging locations totaling more than 2,200 individual charging units as of 2020. Considering that before an infrastructure of gas stations was built, gasoline for very early cars was sold in one-gallon cans at hardware stores, this is the electric equivalent.
Continued from Page 22
NACTOY Reveals 2021 Winners
Objections to Payment
The winners of the 2021 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) Awards were revealed Jan. 11 during a virtual event hosted by the organization’s officers. After hundreds of hours of test drives, research and evaluation, NACTOY’s independent jurors voted for Hyundai Elantra as the North American Car of the Year, Ford F-150 as North American Truck of the Year and Ford Mustang Mach-E as North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. Founded in 1994, these awards are the longest-running new-vehicle awards not associated with a single publication, website, radio or television station. They are judged by 50 professional automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada who work for and contribute to a wide variety of magazines, newspapers, websites, television and radio stations. Source: NACTOY
ness in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. At 17, he became the youngest interprovincially-certified auto body technician in Canada. In 1993, Ronak began working for the Canadian Federal Government, administering and developing advanced training programs for the automotive industry within Alberta that led to a management position with a large GM dealer in Calgary. Fifteen years ago, Ronak joined AkzoNobel and has since developed numerous seminars focused on operational improvements in the collision center. Over his 25 years with AkzoNobel, he has helped more than 1,000 collision repair businesses improve their overall operational performance.
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with Ed Attanasio
Shop Strategies
Stacey Phillips is an award-winning freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.” She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.
with Stacey Phillips
COVID Edition: Collision Repair Owner and Entrepreneur Develops Technology Claims SolutionBody for Industry Shops Giving Back organiz ation where people can show B i ll P ark , co-found er andStacey b oard memwith Phillips b er of Spartan V entures, said his b ack- up and d o their b est work. I want to ground is rooted in the auto b od y re- b e an integral part of creating the oppair trad e. portunity for people to really enj oy While growing up, P ark’ s father b eing prod uctive, serving others and told him if he wanted to d rive some- challenging themselves to b ecome a thing nice somed ay, he would have b etter version of themselves. to figure it out.with Stacey Phillips “ I b elieve people live a hapAfter painting his first vehicle pier life when they are prod uctive and have a voice in their d ay-to-d ay when he was 1 4 years old , he realiz ed work.” he had found a hob b y. He attend ed His vision for Spartan V entures the University of A riz ona to b ecome is to create glob al b usinesses withan orthoped ic surgeon and repaired and painted cars at night. A fter grad - in the automotive collision and hail with Stacey Phillips uating with a b achelor’ s d egree in repair ind ustry. T he companies inmolecular and cellular b iology and clud e A X I OM C ollision Repair in minoring in math, he couldn’t find the U.S., A X I OM accid ent repair a j ob . A d octor told P ark he felt his centres in the UK , T he 3 00 A d vantage, P D R M ob ile Solutions and passion lay elsewhere. T he C laims B rid ge I nternational. “ T hat was a wake-up call and I I recently talked to the entrepred ecid ed to open a b od y shop,” said with Antonelli neur ab out how he has operated his P ark. “ What d rives me Victoria is creating an
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companies d uring the pand emic and the recent platform technology his team d eveloped to support the various entities and the ind ustry.
My SEMA
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AXIOM accident repair centre in the United Kingdom
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is to d eliver 8 5% of all repairs in three d ays or less. We accomplish this b y using what I refer to as the A X I OM triage method for sched uling and repair allocation. D amage minimiz ation is a key factor as well. T he 3 00 A d vantage provid es hail repair management solutions for body shops, dealerships and fleet companies. With a national team of mob ile repair technicians, we have more than 3 0 teams working in the field at any given time. P D R M ob ile Solutions supports the hail repair b usiness estimatics, analytics and field operations for our mob ile hail technicians. T he C laims B rid ge I nternational consists of a team of ex perienced U.S. and international insurance, reinsurance, claims and repair ex ecutives who j oined forces to “ reimagine” cat-
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32 FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com
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astro b ette for c a tec
Q:
natio pand
A:
all o cust d ier ama seen d isru
acce hicle or c C OV on w or ta P eop unle
cons selfsum
astrophic auto hail claims and find a b etter way of hand ling these events for customers. We recently d eveloped a technology solution for the ind ustry.
Q:
What were your b iggest challenges this year operating a national repair network d uring the pand emic?
d igital/ virtual perspective, this will allow our b usinesses to prosper and leverage technology solutions to improve the customer ex perience. L astly, insurers had so many di erent requirements due to COVID-19 it was difficult to deliver what they need ed , especially in the format they wanted . I t was very
A:
It has been a difficult year for everyone. I ’ m appreciative of all of our employees, colleagues and customers across the U.S. for sold iering through 2020 and showing amaz ing resilience in a year that has seen the most significant economic d isruption of our lifetimes. T he N o. 1 challenge for us was access to customers and their vehicles to properly assess hail and / or crash d amage. T he fear factor of C OV I D -1 9 had a massive impact on when customers would file and or take action to settle their claim. P eople j ust d id n’ t leave their homes unless it was ab solutely necessary. T he silver lining here is that consumers are more engaged with self-serve options. With the consumer b eing more involved from a
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challenging and no d oub t frustrating for customers, and I feel that d rove cost higher. C OV I D may have stopped many things, b ut not accid ents and hail storms! T he silver lining is insurers are b ecoming open-mind ed and willing to interact with their insured s and repairers in a d igital environment. I t’ s not an easy leap, b ut a necessary one
that will d rive future interactions.
the ind ustry?
Q: A:
A:
How have you overcome these challenges?
Overcoming customer fear was outsid e our span of control however, we o ered a contactless d igital assessment tool that the vehicle owner could use to triage the d amage. We also provid ed a variety of ad d itional contact-free services, as well as a concierge service. Our goal was to provid e a level of peace of mind with customers, so they would feel their well-b eing was top of mind . T he b iggest challenge with insurers was provid ing the proper d ocumentation to support the d amage on the vehicle in this new norm. P hotos and vid eo were some options used , b ut this was all very difficult to process and time-consuming.
I b elieve the pand emic’ s challenges have fostered more collab oration and people’ s mind sets are b ecoming more focused on solving prob lems rather than hoard ing solutions. A s a result, b arriers will come d own, insurtech solutions will grow, and innovation will b e top of mind . F ortunately, we have access to estimating platforms that can link the entire supply chain, b ut can only b e used b y people outsid e of the insurers’ legacy systems. T his puts unnecessary constraints on the entire ecosystem. T he ind ustry norms, legacy systems and proprietary platforms often mean insurers are not taking ad vantage of the latest technology. However, C OV I D -1 9 has encouraged many insurers to reassess the role technology can play and I am sure 2021 will see insurers partner to accelerate their d igital transformation.
Q:
Q:
How is C OV I D -1 9 d riving more collab oration and innovative technology solutions across
What prompted your team to d evelop an I nsurT ech technology?
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A:
D uring the pand emic, we looked at ways to engage the claims process and the insured s’ need s through a virtual, contact-free ex perience. A s a b usiness owner, one of my priorities is to look for technology that can b ring speed and ease of settlement for the customer. I partnered with an international team, T he C laims B rid ge I nternational, to d evelop an end -to-end d igital solution for managing hail claims and repairs called E z iC laims Suite.
Q:
What are some of the highlights of E z iC laims Suite and how will it help the claims process?
A:
I magine 1 8 0,000 claims b eing filed from a hail event in a matter of a few d ays. When you think ab out the numb er of people impacted b y a hail storm, it’ s not surprising that the claims system and repairer networks get overwhelmed q uickly. E z iC laims Suite was d esigned to solve that prob lem b y provid ing the customer an instant link to a web -enab led app where they can initiate a claim and d ocument the d amage. T his provid es the vehicle owner with an im-
med iate solution to resolve the claim, and it provid es the insurance company with the d ata necessary to assess the overall severity of the storm. T his is an imperative step to properly allocate the resources necessary to serve customers. T he C laims B rid ge provid es access to a national paintless d ent repair
lead ers act soon. C ontactless and virtual solutions will need to b e an integral part of serving the customer; if not, it could b e a real d isaster from a customer ex perience stand point. P eople are read y to self-serve and the ind ustry need s to accept that and stop saying, “ We d on’ t d o it that
“I believe people live a happier life when they are productive and have a voice in their dayto-day work.” — Bill Park ( P D R) network that can red uce the wait time for repairs. I t’ s not uncommon for customers to wait eight to 1 2 months to get their cars repaired . T he ex pand ed repair network will red uce the wait time consid erab ly, which will improve overall customer satisfaction.
Q:
What are your views on 2021 from a b usiness perspective and the ongoing impact of C OV I D -1 9 in the U.S.?
A:
I think 2021 will b e very similar to 2020, unless ind ustry
way” or “ I t can’ t b e d one that way” or “ P ut your statement here.” L ooking ahead , I feel optimistic ab out 2021 . We will b e prepared to serve our customers b oth virtually and in person. T he ex pectations around the pand emic are in place across the country and there is a tremendous amount of e ort being put forth to enhance the customer ex perience.
A:
2021 can b e the year of innovation to b e sure, and the collision repairers who figure that out will reap the benefits long into the future. M y only fear is that organiz ations will b e too afraid to b e b old . M y ad vice is to “ N ever let a good crisis go to waste” ( C hurchillism.) T here has never b een a more perfect time for a d igital shift than tod ay. I’m 100 confident we can figure this out, and the benefits will be huge across the entire ecosystem. T hose who b elieve it can b e d one will get it d one. Think of Netfli and Blockbuster. B lockb uster could have owned Netfli for 50 million, but they didn’t have the vision or courage. T he rest is history.
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autobodynews.com / FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS 35
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ASE Entry-Level Certification Helps Shops Ensure New Talent is Actually Talented by Chasidy Rae Sisk
I t’ s no secret one of the largest challenges facing the collision repair industry is the need to find qualified entry-level technicians. D uring A SA ’ s monthly Web inar Wed nesd ay on D ec. 9 , J oh n S ai a, consultant to the N ational I nstitute for A utomotive Service E x cellence ( A SE ) , d iscussed how ASE Entry- evel Certification Helps Shop Owners F ind N ew T alent,” b y allowing entry-level cand id ates d emonstrate their knowled ge so shops can id entify which are b est qualified. ASE’s entry-level certification is the first professional credential availab le for new technicians. Unlike ASE’s other certification levels, the entry-level certification does not have a work ex perience req uirement since inex perienced stud ents d o not yet possess on-the-j ob ab ilities; it’ s intend ed as a way for stud ents enrolled in a technical training program to ind icate their workforce read iness. “ T here’ s not a shortage of cand id ates,” Saia ex plained . “ B ased on
stud ent enrollment numb ers, there’ s a huge level of interest in an automotive career, b ut the pipeline leaks b efore they enter the workforce. The ASE entry-level certification provid es a way for shop owners and managers to id entify the stud ents who are serious ab out their future in this ind ustry.” F or employers and stud ents, the A SE entry-level tests provid e a cred ential that ind icates workforce read iness and d emonstrates their commitment to a career in the ind ustry. Stud ents’ previous performance is also a great pred ictor of their future performance, and this test serves as a pred ictab le gauge for their success with A SE professional-level certification once they’ve ob tained workplace ex perience. Saia o ered advice to students: “ T ake the entry-level test seriously. I t prepares you for your career, and it is an ex cellent ex perience that grooms you to b e much more successful for professional-level A SE certifications. You’ll feel more comfortab le taking the tests in the future.”
ASE o ers three entry-level series test groups: automotive, collision and med ium/ heavy trucks. Four tests are o ered in the Collision Repair Refinish series: Painting and Refinishing, Structural A nalysis and D amage Repair, N on-Structural A nalysis and D amage Repair, and M echanical and E lectrical. Saia shared ex amples of some of the tasks and specifications associated with the various tests. T he tests are proctored at the school by non-technical sta , and more than 1 ,4 00 schools ad minister more than 200,000 entry-level tests annually, with a pass rate that ex ceed s 50% . G enerally, the schools pay for the tests, which they use to evaluate stud ents’ progress and growth in learning, and the test is an ex cellent metric for the program’ s success, accord ing to Saia. Stud ents can attempt any test in a series up to twice per school year, b ut they must wait at least 3 0 d ays to re-test after their initial attempt. The school awards certificates to the stud ents who successfully
pass the entry-level test. ASE’s entry-level certification test q uestions are reviewed every two to three years b y up to 20 sub j ect matter ex perts, 4 0% of whom are working practitioners. F acilitated by ASE technical sta , the entry-level test workshop follows the same process as all other A SE test q uestion d evelopment workshops. “ I t’ s a stout test; it’ s very comprehensive,” Saia said . The entry-level certification ex pires after two years, and recipients are not eligible for recertification b ecause, b y that point, they should have progressed to the professional-level certification that d esignates them as an ex perienced working technician. L earn more ab out A SE ’ s entry-level certification at ase.com entry-level. Registration for A SA ’ s future Web inar Wed nesd ay series is availab le at asashop.org/ web inars.
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36 FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com
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IGONC Tireside Chat: Setting Your Business Goals for 2021 by Chasidy Rae Sisk
P reparing for the new year is important for all collision repair b usiness owners, and d uring a D ec. 1 5 T iresid e C hat, the I nd epend ent G arage Owners of N orth C arolina ( I G ON C ) d iscussed “ Setting Y our B usiness G oals for 2021 .”
IGONC members gathered virtually to discuss their shops’ 2021 business goals. Credit: Courtesy of IGONC
A ccord ing to I G ON C E x ecutive D irector Tri c i a S au ls, “ T he turnout was good , consid ering it’ s close to the holid ays and everyone is ex periencing a little Z oom fatigue. P lanning for the new year is an important part
of creating a successful path for shop owners. “ We had an informative d iscussion that flowed well. From the feed b ack we received , it was very encouraging and supportive to our memb ers,” Sauls continued . “ I am really ex cited ab out this format where we just o er time and space for shop owners to d ecompress and talk to each other without any structure or presentations involved .” I G ON C hold s its monthly T iresid e C hats as a way of b uild ing the association’ s community b y allowing memb ers and others ind ustry professionals to network and share id eas. “ B eing ab le to keep the connection b etween people in our ind ustry is crucial right now,” Sauls emphasiz ed . “ We cannot take time o on training just because of the shutd owns that are happening. B y continuing to host events, even online, we can continue to support each other and keep the e change of ideas flowing.”
COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Begins After Pfizer Receives Emergency Use Authorization by Dan McCaleb, The Center Square D istrib ution of a new C OV I D -1 9 vaccine is now und erway after the U.S. F ood and D rug A d ministration late D ec. 1 1 granted emergency use authoriz ation for the serum. Pfizer’s and BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine is the first to receive the authoriz ation and vaccinations were ex pected to b egin as soon as the following weekend . “ With this authoriz ation, we know that our fed eral partners are alread y moving to d istrib ute the first doses of the vaccine throughout the country,” F D A C ommissioner D r. S t ep h en H ah n said at a D ec. 1 2 news conference. C alling the d evelopment of the vaccine in less than a year an unparalleled scientific achievement,” Hahn said collab oration b etween the private sector, the scientific and academic community and the fed eral government allowed the process to move efficiently but safely. Efficiency does not mean cutting of corners,” Hahn said ,
noting that stud ies and testing are ongoing. What’s di erent during COVID -1 9 is that d evelopers, researchers and regulators have found new and hopefully lasting ways to b e d ynamic and efficient, he said. FDA officials said millions of d oses would ship within the first 24 hours after approval. The d oses would b e prorated b y population, with health care workers and residents and sta of congregate care settings such as nursing homes among the first to receive the shots. Pfizer has said its vaccine, which is to b e ad ministered in two d oses ab out three weeks apart, is more than 95 e ective. M od erna is ex pected to receive approval for its vaccine when the F D A reviews its emergency authoriz ation D ec. 1 7 . A straZ enica and J ohnson & J ohnson also have vaccines in the accelerated approval pipeline. W e t h a n k Th e Cen t er Sq ua re f or rep ri n t p erm i s s i on .
Order Audi Genuine Parts from these select dealers.
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Audi West Palm Beach
Irondale
866.441.3309 561.615.4175 561.615.4179 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm parts@audiwpb.com
Audi Birmingham 205.986.7410 205.986.7438 Fax M-F 7am-6pm; Sat 8am-4pm daniel.williford@audiofbirmingham.com
West Palm Beach
www.audiofbirmingham.com
GEORGIA
FLORIDA
Audi North Miami
North Miami Beach
305.952.5952 305.944.4009 Fax M-F 8am-6pm; Sat 8am-5pm amartinez@audinorthmiami.com www.audinorthmiami.com
Audi Orange Park Jacksonville
866.413.8557 904.565.2216 Fax M-F 7am-7pm; Sat 8am-5pm cdrake@audijax.com www.audijax.com
Audi Gwinnett Duluth
678.258.2536 770.476.9311 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm parts@audigwinnett.com
VIRGINIA Audi Roanoke Roanoke
800.990.0069 540.562.0168 540.562.4819 Fax M-F 8am-5pm roanokeparts@duncanauto.net
Audi dealers strive to make you an Audi Genuine Parts fan. autobodynews.com / FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS 37
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Safelite to Close Business Unit
A Closer Look at Calibration Documentation and Technical Changes by Emmariah Holcomb, glassBYTEs.com
“ T here are various steps involved when you d iscuss calib ration and it’ s important to und erstand and d ocument,” said D arrell A m b erson , C ollision I nd ustry E lectronic C ommerce A ssociation ( C I E C A ) calib ration committee memb er, as he b egan d escrib ing the b usiness review related to calib ration in an ind ustry web inar. T he event, 2020R2 C I E C A ST , was hosted b y C I E C A and gave a technical upd ate on changes that have b een mad e, a b usiness review on changes to calib ration and parts and materials procurement. Technical Review A new workflow was established for calib ration and scanning that includ ed A D A S features, and accord ing to D an W eb st er, C I E C A architecture committee chair, the d ata that was not shared b etween the collision and repair ind ustries b efore was now ab le to b e id entified. A calib ration aggregate was ad d ed to d escrib e information for
pre-, interim- and repeated for post-repair. A ccord ing to Web ster, a calib ration d etail aggregate was ad d ed to d ocument calib ration d etails properly. “ T here was also scan information and scan d etail aggregates that were ad d ed to d escrib e the scanning information as well as ex tra d etails,” said Web ster. Calibration Recap A mb erson q uickly outlined several steps associated with calib rations, the first being to properly record the D ocument Scan Results ( D T C s) . A ccord ing to A mb erson, there should b e a printout or a virtual copy of all of the D T C s and all of the mod ules tested , which should includ e the V I N associated with the scanned vehicle. “ I t’ s also important to notify the owner of the known A D A S systems and upd ate them on these features b efore it is returned to OE M specifications, said Amberson. A ccord ing to his presentation, it is important to note calib ration or re-learn information may or may
not reported via D T C s, and calib ration or re-learn information may b e found via Scan T ool D ata Stream, which is outsid e of the manufacturer’s specifications. D ocumenting should also includ e the vehicle’ s A D A S features, using a checklist, as well as the parts and repair operation includ ed . “ Y ou d on’ t always have to use a checklist, b ut you should have a form of verification for what is d one,” said A mb erson. He also noted one should also keep d ocumentation of the completed calib ration process. T oward the end of his presentation, he showed a vid eo that summariz ed all of the steps, from the first consultation with the customer, scanning the vehicle, completing d ynamic and static calib rations to testing the vehicle when the calib ration is complete. W e t h a n k g l a s s B YTE s . com p ri n t p erm i s s i on .
Safelite A utoglass notifyied employees and key customers J an. 4 it intend s to end its wholesale operation, Service A uto G lass, this week. Safelite G roup will officially sunset the Service Auto G lass b rand and the wholesale sid e of its b usiness J an. 5. “ I am ex tremely proud of the role our wholesale b usiness played in our company’ s history. T his d ecision is intend ed to allow us to fully focus our energies and resources on our core b usiness,” said Tom F een ey , presid ent and C E O of the Safelite G roup. T he warehouses are ex pected to remain open and to b e used for internal d istrib ution. Safelite’ s wholesale d ivision has faced challenges over the years most notab ly selling to a client b ase with which it often competes. “ M oving forward , our wholesale customers will still have access to parts through the same suppliers we use. We will b egin actively notifying these customers { J an. 4 } ,” said F eeney. W e t h a n k g l a s s B YTE s . com f or rep ri n t p erm i s s i on .
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38 FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com
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GM Pays $121M Over Ignition Switches, Power Steering, Airbags by David A. Wood, CarComplaints.com
G eneral M otors has agreed to settle class action claims for economic losses su ered by owners and lessees of vehicles that were recalled in 201 4 for prob lems related to the ignition switches, power steering, key rotations and sid e airb ag wiring. The plainti s claim they overpaid for their vehicles, allegations d enied b y G M which d ecid ed to settle the lawsuit b ecause of the continued ex pense of litigation. T he G eneral M otors settlement fund will b e $ 1 21 .1 million, and although the lawyers who sued are ex pected to receive $ 3 4 .5 million, no estimates have b een reached ab out what vehicle owners may receive b ecause much d epend s on how many owners and lessees file claims. I n ad d ition, payment amounts to eligib le class action memb ers will vary d epend ing on which recall applied to their vehicle, the cost to implement the settlement and the numb er of G M customers
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Used-Car Sales Likely Down for 2020, but Close Year on High Note
who file claims. T he settlement includ es all ind ivid uals, b usinesses and organizations, but daily rental fleet businesses, governmental entities and certain consumers are not includ ed in the settlement. T he settlement also d oes not includ e the release of claims for wrongful d eaths or inj uries. T he $ 1 21 million settlement follows multiple other actions related to G M ’ s ignition switches, includ ing $ 59 5 million to resolve d eath and inj ury compensation claims, $ 57 5 million to settle other d eath and inj ury claims and a sharehold er lawsuit, and another $ 9 00 million to settle a government criminal prob e. V isit G M I gnitionSwitchE conomicSettlement.com or call 8 7 7 54 5-024 1 to see if your vehicle is covered b y the settlement. W e t h a n k Ca rCom p l a i n t s . com rep ri n t p erm i s s i on .
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FOR YOUR COLLISION JOB.
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866-973-6996 904-565-2281 904-565-2210 Fax
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Used -vehicle sales for 2020 were e pected to finish softer than the final 2019 tally, but it appears the year at least closed on a positive note for pre-owned . I n a forecast released D ec. 28 , T rueC ar was proj ecting 3 .1 million used -vehicle sales for D ecemb er, which would b eat N ovemb er sales by 7 and prior-year figures by . That would put the final yearend total at a proj ected 3 8 .4 million used sales for 2020, a 6 % d rop from 201 9 , accord ing to T rueC ar. Separately, C ox A utomotive analyst K ay la R ey n old s said in an earlier D ecemb er interview that 2020 was ex pected to close with 3 6 .3 million used -car sales overall, with used retail ( sales from d ealers) at 1 9 .3 million. F or 2021 , it is ex pected that the used total will climb to 3 9 .3 million. On the new-car sid e, T rueC ar was forecasting total sales of 1 4 .6 million for full-year 2020, a 1 5% d rop. F or retail new-car sales, specifically, it was projecting 12.7 mil-
lion, an 8 % d ecline. F or D ecemb er, in particular, T rueC ar was proj ecting 1 .6 1 million total new-car sales a .5 year-over-year d ecrease, ad j usting for selling days and 1.43 million retail sales, d own 2.2% . In the final days of 2020, we can finally look in the rearview mirror and appreciate the tremend ous recovery that the automotive ind ustry has mad e since the pand emic d erailed auto sales in M arch. Retail vehicle sales have nearly reached normal levels with sales d own only 2.2% from last year, which is a truly impressive outcome,” T rueC ar D irector of OE M A nalytics N i c k W oolard said in a news release. “ T he momentum from a strong third q uarter carried into the fourth quarter and solidified the ind ustry’ s comeb ack,” Woolard said . “ P rod uction and inventory have gone b ack up in the fourth q uarter and , as a result, retail sales are up 3 4 % q uarter-over-q uarter.” W e t h a n k Aut o R em a rk et i n g f or rep ri n t p erm i s s i on .
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www.downtownhyundainashville.com autobodynews.com / FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS 39
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40 FEBRUARY 2021 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com
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