Southeastern July 2015 Issue

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Virginia Tennessee North Carolina South Carolina

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NACE | CARS Announces Detroit Destination & Technical Tours for July 22–25, 2015 NACE | CARS announced details for the destination tours in Detroit for 2015. These tours have been organized to provide attendees with the opportunity to visit some of Detroit’s historical venues, as well as gain firsthand insight into the original automotive plants through both docent guided and self-guided tours.

The tours will take place throughout the week during NACE | CARS. Interested parties must pre-register through the NACE | CARS registration process. All are available, with limited capacity. Charter buses will be provided from the COBO Center to

take attendees to and from the tours.

NACE | CARS Destination Tours feature nine unique oppotunities in 2015: Ford Rogue Factory Tour (F-150): This tour will put you in the center of the manufacturing of the new military grade aluminum-alloy bodied Ford F150, including an opportunity to view the final assembly process from an elevated walkway. You will view the latest Ford technology, their “living roof,” and experience the Manufacturing Innovation Theater. The tour includes admission and guided tour

U.S. District Judge in FL Recommends Dismissing Complaints Without Prejudice in Multi-District Lawsuit

Fry, the litigation director and designated plaintiffs’ liaison counsel, said that in certain instances a district court judge, the trial court judge in the federal system, is permitted to send certain motions to the magistrate judge for what is essentially a “first look.” After reviewing the motion, the judge will prepare a legal opinion on whether or not the motions have merit and whether they should be granted or denied.

U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell asked Magistrate Judge Smith to See MDL Recommends, Page 25

Change Service Requested

P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018

In the Multi-District Lawsuit involving more than 500 collision repair shops across the country, U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Smith recommended in June that the antirust complaints filed against the nation’s top insurers be dismissed without prejudice. Eaves Law Firm, the lead attorneys for the Plantiffs, is able to file amended complaints

by June 30.

Autobody News spoke to Allison Fry at Eaves Law Firm, based in Jackson, MS, to find out how this development will affect the case.

Allstate Reunites GA Customer with 1972 Corvette Stingray Stolen 43 Years Ago, A Record for Recovery

A love story 43 years in the making now has a happy ending after Allstate Insurance reunited a long-time customer with her stolen 1972 Corvette Stingray. Terry Dietrich bought the car when she was 19 using money from her first job to make a down payment. Just six months later, the car she called her

See NACE CARS Tours, Page 12

NACE | CARS Preview in this issue... p. 8, 21, 48, 49

VOL. 6 ISSUE 5 JULY 2015

Allstate customer Terry Dietrich hugs retired Allstate agency owner Jim Dykstra after she is reunited with her 1972 Corvette Stingray that was stolen 43 years ago

‘first love’ was stolen. Dietrich never knew what happened to her beloved sports car. Neither did police. That is, until now.

This past fall, a local car dealer in North Carolina purchased the car and found the vehicle identification number

Dietrich hugs the steering wheel of her the classic car she referred to as her “first true love.” Allstate reunited her with the vehicle that was found in North Carolina

See Long Lost Corvette, Page 22

GCIA Meeting Featured Speakers from GM and RAE

On Tuesday, May 19, the Georgia Collision Industry Association (GC IA) held a member meeting at Rick Hendrick Chevrolet in Duluth, GA. Featuring guest speakers from GM and Reliable Automotive Equipment, the meeting attracted over 30 attendees.

GCIA’s Executive Director Howard Batchelor said, “It went quite well. Attendees took away a lot of information and wisdom. There were also quite a few parts people in attendance to learn about GM’s MyPriceLink program, and I think we reached our goal of providing useful information to educate our members.”

The meeting began with GM representative Billy Evans discussing their new MyPriceLink program which is designed to help eliminated aftermarket parts manufacturers from using the OEM list price to determine their price. Estimating systems will interface with MyPriceLink to update prices. GM first announced the program last year at SEMA, but it was put on hold until they could fully develop the interfacing component; GM plans to

release MyPriceLink in the near future as a way to help them provide competitive pricing.

Next, Dave Gruskos of Reliable Automotive Equipment talked about vehicles being manufactured with new metals. He explained how to rivet and use adhesives to achieve manufacturer-grade bonds in newer, higher-end vehicles. Gruskos also noted that being certified by one brand does not give a shop the knowledge and ability to repair all vehicles. Shops should earn certification from each OEM in order to work on their vehicles.

Batchelor briefly discussed the association’s ongoing communication with the Attorney General before announcing that GCIA will begin conducting their 9th Annual Labor Rate Survey in the middle of June. GCIA will collaborate with NABR to gather survey information, but unlike past years when information was only collected for one month, this survey will be available all year. Contact GCIA at www.gcia .org.

For more on MyPriceLink see p. 10 this issue.

Presorted Standard US Postage PAID San Bernardino, CA Permit #2244

2 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Contents

NATIONAL 10 CARSTAR Locations Named AutocheX Solution Premier Achievers by Mitchell . . 21 ABRA Auto Body & Glass Awards 10 Students with Tool Grants Through CREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 ASA Congratulates AudaExplore on Feather, Prime, Block Estimating Solution . . . . . 50 ASA Survey Measures OEM Service Info Website Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Body Shops in Sioux Falls, SD, Still Working Out Kinks One Year After Hail Storm . . . 10 Cal-West: Where Silicon Valley and the Collision Industry Meet . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 CARS to Feature Expanded Mechanical

● GM-patented radiant tube ovens for exceptional paint finish and lower energy use; ● New equipment that accommodates the many variations of the truck cab and box being placed on the chassis; and ● New skillet conveyance systems for instrument panel assembly intended to improve worker ergonomics, leading to better product quality.

“These new technologies and equipment will help fulfill the mission of the men and women of Fort Wayne Assembly and UAW Local 2209 to build the best full-size trucks available,” said UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada. “The investment improves the plant’s competitiveness so we can continue contributing to the community as well.”

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said, “Around the world, Indiana is known as a proven leader in advanced manufacturing. Powered by a pro-growth business environment and a highlyskilled workforce, GM is leveraging Indiana’s strengths to help it remain competitive across the globe.”

More information on Fort Wayne Assembly and its subsidiaries, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Assistant Editor: Stacey Phillips Online Editor: Victoria Antonelli Contributing Writers: Tom Franklin, John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, David Brown, Rich Evans, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Sales Assistant: Louise Tedesco Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia

Allan Vigil Ford-Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . 39 Athens Dodge-Chrysler-JeepRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 53 Axalta Coating Services . . . . . . . . . . 2 BASF Corporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 51 Car-Part.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 CarcoonAmerica Airflow Systems . 31 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA). . . . . . . . . . . 37 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Coggin Deland Honda . . . . . . . . . . 34 Crown Automotive Group . . . . . . . . 19 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet. . . . . . 17 Dent Magic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Diamond Standard Parts, Inc . . . . . 15 Eco Repair Systems of North America, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . 30 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 49 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 45 Gus Machado Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 H & S Autoshot Mfg. Co. . . . . . . . . 17 Hendrick Automotive Group . . . . . . 11 Hendrick BMW/MINI . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Hendrick Dodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Hendrick Honda Bradenton . . . . . . 22 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 28-29 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers. . 46

Serving Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and adjacent metro areas. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the autobody industry.

Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2015 Adamantine Media LLC.

Autobody News

Southeast

COLUMNISTS Attanasio - Get Old School Again with Time-Proven Business Networking . . . . 18 Attanasio - New System Helps Shops to Get Reimbursed for PLIOGRIP® Adhesive Usage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Attanasio - The Do’s and Don’t’s of Body Shop Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Chess - A Closer Look at New Generation of Pulsed Aluminum MIG Welders . . . . 40 Franklin - How To Hire The Best Bodyshop Marketing People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Luehr - A Better Way to Measure Cycle Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Yoswick - 1995 CIC Survey, CARA Files Chapter 11, 2005 Non-OEM Crash Parts, Select Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Yoswick - Insurers, PartsTrader and CAPA Share News and Views at Non-OEM Parts Convention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Specialty and Technical Training. . . . . . 51 CARSTAR Jungerman in St. Peters, MO, Named Franchisee of the Year . . . . . . . 26 CCC Information Services and CREF Announce Winners of Annual Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Enterprise Rent-A-Car is Now CARSTAR’s Preferred Provider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Equipment and Tool Institute Moves Headquarters to Detroit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 GM Reaffirms Commitment to Launching MyPriceLink. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 GM to Invest $1.2 Billion in Full-Size Truck Plant in Fort Wayne, IN . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 I-CAR Gold Class Shops and Platinum Techs Get 50% Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Major Paint Companies Will Color-up NACE | CARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Mazda Adds 540,000 Vehicles to Takata Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 NACE | CARS Announces Detroit Destination & Technical Tours for July 22–25, 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 NACE | CARS Makes 2014 TSNN Top 250 Trade Show List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 NACE | CARS to Support Breast Cancer Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 New Chief Dust Extractor Makes Repairing Aluminum Less Explosive . . . . . . . . . . 44 New I-CAR Weld Demo Held at Marina Auto Body in CA With MIG Pulsed Aluminum Welders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 New Instructors for Urethane Supply Company’s I-CAR® Training Alliance Course® on Nitrogen Plastic Welding . . 22 New Martin Senour’s PCC® 2.8 VOC Factory Packaged Colors . . . . . . . . . . . 49 PPG Industries Foundation Awards Student Scholarships through CREF . . . . . . . . . 47 Redesigned Automotive Lift Institute Website Houses Certified Lift and Inspector Directories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Rick Leos of Toyota and Nathan Sellers of Mitchell — Some Startling Predictions for 2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Ron Perretta to Lead Innovative Coating Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Spanesi Americas to Hold Touch Training in IL in June. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Takata Admits to Fault in Airbag Design, 34 Million Vehicles, Largest Recall in History Ensues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The Carlyle Group Closes Acquisition of NARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 U.S. House Committee Addresses Auto Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 U.S. House Subcommittee Addresses Aging Postal Fleet and Efficiency of Government Repair Facilities . . . . . . . . 48 U.S. Senate Committee Examines EPA’s Proposed Air Quality Standards . . . . . . 52 Valspar Plans to Strengthen Quest’s Brands After Acquiring Their Performance Coatings Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

General Motors is investing $1.2 billion in its full-size pickup truck plant for upgrades and technology that will improve the plant’s competitiveness in assembling high-quality light- and heavy-duty models.

Construction of the new pre-treat, electro-coat paint operation and sealing facility, expanded body shop, expanded and new material sequencing centers, and upgraded general assembly area is expected to begin in June and take several years to complete.

Full-size truck production schedules will be unaffected by the construction.

“This investment is more evidence that the customer is at the center of every decision we make,” said Cathy Clegg, GM North America Manufacturing Vice President. “Truck customers demand top quality. The upgrades at Fort Wayne Assembly will enable our team to continue delivering for them for years to come.”

The investment includes many technological and environmental upgrades: ● New pre-treatment facility featuring thin-film paint pretreatment; ● E-coat paint customized to each vehicle style, resulting in superior coverage and curability;

Indexof Advertisers

REGIONAL Allstate Reunites GA Customer with 1972 Corvette Stingray Stolen 43 Years Ago . . 1 Atlanta I-CAR Committee Awards Grants Through CREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Auto Shop in Savannah, GA Donates Elaborate Custom Toy Car to Charity . . 20 Durham, NC, Repair Shop Surveillance Video May Help Solve Fatal Hit-N-Run Case. . . 6 Fifth Annual Petty’s Garage Car Show in North Carolina Sponsored by ALI . . . . . . 4 GCIA Meeting Featured Speakers from GM and RAE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 NC Attorney General Warning to be Wary of Vehicles Damaged by TX Floods. . . . . 6 New River Auto Mall in SC Has New Holding Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Service King Announces 13th Florida Location, Partners With Tampa’s Creative Body Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Site Prep Underway for 3rd Body Shop on Greer’s BMW Campus in SC . . . . . . . . . 9 U.S. District Judge in FL Recommends Dismissing Complaints Without Prejudice in Multi-District Lawsuit . . . . . 1 Volvo Cars Selects South Carolina for First American Plant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

GM to Invest $1.2B in Full-Size Truck Plant

Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018; (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com Email: news@autobodynews.com

Jon Hall Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Kernersville Chrysler-DodgeJeep-Ram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers. 41 Land Rover South Dade . . . . . . . . . . 6 Lexus Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 50 Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 51 Mirka Abrasives, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 33 Nalley BMW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Performance Automall . . . . . . . . . . 38 Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers . 42 Radley Chevrolet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Rick Case Automotive Group . . . . . 56 Rick Hendrick Dodge-ChryslerJeep-Ram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Riverside Ford-Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Safety Regulation Strategies . . . . . 32 SATA Spray Equipment . . . . . . . . . 13 Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 21 Subaru of Gwinnett . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 47 Tameron Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 UniCure Spraybooths . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Urethane Supply Company . . . . . . 16 Valspar Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 3

Fifth Annual Petty’s Garage Car Show in North Carolina Sponsored by ALI

love they have for the Petty mains at $35 per car. This includes a family and racing legacy,” goody bag, dash plaque, free entry into says R.W. “Bob” O’Gor- the Richard Petty Museum, and cookout man, ALI President. tickets for the first 100 registrants. The “We’ve expanded the car show is open to all makes and modfield this year to let more els, with awards given to the top 50 vecar owners participate with- hicles and specialties. out losing the intimacy we In addition to the anticipated 300 established with the first cars on display, the Petty’s Garage Car show five years ago. Fans Show will feature a DJ, vendors and of all ages really enjoy the entertainment for the entire family.

The Fifth Annual Petty’s Garage Car Show presented by opportunity to not only take Spectator tickets are available at the the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) will be held Oct. 9-10 in Randleman, NC. It includes up to 300 show cars, free in a great car show, but to gate for $5, and include admission to admission to the Richard Petty Museum, music, food also thoroughly explore the the show, grounds and museum. Kids and entertainment for the whole family museum and the working ages 10 and under get in free. speed shop where the Gates are open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The annual Petty’s Garage Car Show Petty’s Garage team builds high-per- on Saturday, Oct. 10, and judging bepresented by the Automotive Lift In- formance Mustangs, Chalstitute (ALI) has expanded. The fifth lengers, Chargers and more annual event, Oct. 9-10, is open to every day.”

300 vehicles, an increase of 100 The first 100 people to cars. The Petty’s Garage Car Show register vehicles for the is held on the historical Petty com- show will receive two tickpound in Level Cross, NC, where the ets to an exclusive cookout famous #43 cars (and Richard Petty at 6 p.m. on Oct. 9 at Reverie himself) were born. It’s the only car Place, Richard Petty’s ranch show that includes free admission to just up the road from Petty’s the Richard Petty Museum and of- Garage in Randleman, NC. fers a VIP cookout at Petty’s home, At the cookout, guests can Reverie Place. park their cars on the Petty The first 100 registrants for the Fifth Annual Petty’s “The Petty’s Garage Car Show is lawn for a “show before the Garage Car Show each receive a pair of VIP tickets to unique in the way it combines the love show.” The entry fee for the an exclusive cookout at Reverie Place, home of Richard people have for cool cars with the Petty’s Garage Car Show re- Petty, on Oct. 9

gins at noon. The Richard Petty Museum opens at 9 a.m. The museum features trophies, cars, memorabilia and more to tell the story of Richard Petty’s unmatched NASCAR career.

There’s a special exhibit for the kids, featuring Mr. and Mrs. The King and the Hudson Hornet from the Disney Pixar movie, Cars.

Stop by the ALI display at the show to learn about vehicle lift safety and enter to win Richard Petty Museum gift cards and a limited edition No. 43 scale model. Additional door prizes will be awarded.

The Petty’s Garage Fifth Annual Car Show will be held on at the Level Cross Petty Enterprises Historical Site, 311 Branson Mill Road in Randleman, NC. To register for the event, visit PGCarShow2015.eventzilla.net or call (336) 498-3745. Connect with Petty’s Garage on Facebook at www.facebook .com/PettysGarage and on Twitter at twitter.com/PettysGarage.

To learn more about ALI, visit www.autolift.org or call (607) 7567775. You can also connect with ALI on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ LiftInstitute, on Twitter at twitter.com/ LiftInstitute and on YouTube at www .youtube.com/LiftInstitute.

Service King Announces 13th Florida Location, Partners With Tampa’s Creative Body Works

Service King Collision Repair Centers announced the expansion of its service in Tampa, FL with the acquisition of family-owned Creative Body Works.

Service King and Creative Body Works together closed terms on the partnership, of which details were not disclosed, on May 29. Service King now offers collision repair services at three convenient locations in the immediate Tampa area.

“We’re invested in the success of our Florida growth and the service to our customers in the Tampa area,” said Scott Ward, Service King Regional Vice President. “This is an important step in our mission to provide superior collision repair services to residents in the Tampa Bay area. In this particular process, we felt our values of excellent service and quality work were aligned with Creative Body Works from the beginning. We’re excited to welcome its teammates to the Service King family.”

Service King now operates a total of 13 locations in the state of Florida and 240 in 21 states across the country. Each location backs

work with a written lifetime warranty valid at any Service King Collision Repair Center.

“We are excited to join the Service King team,” said Dave Bailey, Creative Body Works Owner.

“Our teammates are very important to us and now they will have so many new opportunities and benefits that they deserve. We are looking forward to watching the facility expand again in the near future and feel Service King has the support team and processes to take Creative Body Works to the next level.”

Creative Body Works joins the Service King family after serving Tampa customers for more than 25 years with state-of-the-art equipment and a reputation for excellent customer service. The collision repair center is a long-time member of the Better Business Bureau with a coveted A+ rating.

Creative Body Works operated within a 15,000-square-foot facility that can accommodate 125 vehicle repairs per month.

For more information and to view a full list of Service King locations, visit www.serviceking.com.

4 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 5

Volvo Cars Selects SC for First American Plant

Volvo Car Corporation has selected Berkeley County, South Carolina for its first manufacturing facility in the Western hemisphere.

The new facility will have an initial estimated annual production capacity of around 100,000 cars. Located in northwestern Berkeley County on a portion of the Camp Hall site, the plant will manufacture latest-generation Volvo models for sale in the United States and for ex-

Volvo chose South Carolina as the locoation of its first American factory, investing up to $500 million

port. Construction will begin in early fall 2015, with the first vehicles expected to roll off the assembly line in 2018.

Once completed, Volvo Cars will be able to manufacture vehicles on three continents. It already operates two plants in Europe and two in China. Additionally, the new U.S.

plant forms part of a medium-term expansion plan to double global sales, boost market share and lift profitability.

Volvo began importing cars to the U.S. in 1955.

South Carolina is home to more than 250 automotive-related companies and suppliers and, as a result, leads the nation in the export of both tires and automobiles, which is why Volvo chose this location.

An economic impact analysis compiled by Dr. Frank Hefner at the College of Charleston estimates that, for an initial 2,000 direct jobs, more than 8,000 total jobs would be created as a result of the Volvo production facility. Operating with 2,000 employees, the plant would contribute approximately $4.8 billion in total economic output on an annual basis.

Additionally, the development of the Camp Hall site will lead to the preservation, restoration and enhancement of more than 1,500 acres of wetlands in a critical, neighboring watershed that is a priority of Audubon South Carolina.

For more information on Volvo Cars, visit www.volvocars.com/us.

Durham, NC, Repair Shop Surveillance Video May Help Solve Fatal Hit-N-Run Case Isidro Razo, 49, was riding his bicycle westbound on Angier Avenue in Durham, NC, when he was struck by a vehicle on the morning of May 24, reported wral.com. His body was found hours later by passers-by.

Isidro Razo, 49, was struck by a vehicle on the morning of May 24 while riding a bicycle. A repair shop owner believes his security footage could help find the culprit behind the fatal hit-n-run. Photo credit: www.wral.com

Police are still searching for the driver, and a video released by Rhodes Auto Repair in Durham, NC may help, reported wral.com.

The shop is just feet away from where Razo died, and the shop owner said he believes his security

camera caught the aftermath of the impact.

The video shows a “small car is swerving out the way like it’s trying to prevent from hitting something.

Then you have a small van,” Derrick Rhodes, the shop’s owner, told wral.com. “By the time it gets in the camera’s sight, the headlight is pointing at the ground and they brake but they never stop.”

The video, recorded eight minutes after Razo left home, doesn’t show the collision. Durham police have not commented on the white van or whether they believe it was involved, according to wral.com The city of Durham is working to update its 2006 bike plan in hopes of improving conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.

Karla Razo, Razo’s niece, hopes any changes will keep other families from the pain hers is feeling now.

Razo was a construction worker with three adult children who live in Mexico, reported wral.com

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6 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

NC Attorney General Warning to be Wary of Vehicles Damaged by TX Floods Following flooding in Texas and Oklahoma, on June 2 North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper warned consumers in the market for a new or used car to watch out for flood-damaged vehicles.

“Our hearts go out to flood victims as they work to clean up and rebuild,” said Cooper. “Even though the floods didn’t hit North Carolina, consumers here need to watch out for dishonest dealers who may try to trick them into buying flooded cars.”

Following other storms and floods, dealers and individuals tried to sell flood-damaged cars without revealing their true history. Prior to being sold, flooded vehicles are put through a cleaning process that can make it difficult to spot water damage, which can take weeks to appear.

Under North Carolina law, flood damage to a car must be disclosed in writing before the car is sold. A flood vehicle is one that has been submerged or partially submerged in water causing damage to the body, engine or transmission. Violators of the law can face civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, and failure to disclose damage to a vehicle is also a class 2 misdemeanor prosecutable by local District Attorneys.

Thousands of cars have been flooded in Texas and Oklahoma, and it won’t be long before they pop up for sale across the country,” said Cooper.

“Be on guard so you don’t get stuck with a flooded car.”

To decrease the chances of buying a flood-damaged car: ● Ask to see the title of any used car.

Check the date and place of transfer to see if the vehicle comes from a state that recently experienced flooding.

Keep in mind that the title will only indicate flood damage if the insurance company officially totaled the car. Consider checking a vehicle’s history. ● Ask the seller directly whether or not the car has been damaged in any way, including by water or storms. ● Check for signs of rust and mud in the trunk, glove box and beneath the seats and dashboard. Look for rusty brackets under the dash and carpet, discolored upholstery and carpet that fits poorly or doesn’t match. ● Test the lights, windshield wipers, turn signals, cigarette lighter and radio.

Check the heater and air conditioner several times, and look in the vents for signs of water or mud. Make sure all gauges on the dashboard are accurate and in working condition.

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www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 7

Spanesi Americas to Hold Touch Training in IL in June

Spanesi Americas will be holding Touch measuring system training June 16 and 17 at the company’s showroom in Naperville, Illinois.

The classroom and in-shop training course covers Touch setup and functionality, measuring underand upper-body locations on front, rear and side impacts. Also in-

cluded are suspension diagnostics, wheel alignment measurements using Touch Wheels, adding additional measuring locations and images, and much more.

There are 10 spots available.

The class will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and lunch will be served daily. Assistance with hotel accommodations and discounts are available on request.

For more information and to reserve a space, contact customerservice@spanesi-americas.com or call 224.SPANESI (772.6374).

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Equipment and Tool Institute Moves Headquarters to Detroit

The Equipment and Tool Institute (ETI) announced the relocation of its corporate office to its new headquarters in the Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan area.

The address is now: 37899 W.12 Mile Rd, Suite 220, Farmington Hills, Michigan 48331.

ETI’s new corporate headquarters will be the base of operations for all corporate and administrative functions. In addition to the move, ETI has hired a new Office Administrator, Jean Peltier, to assist in the day-today operations of the institute.

“As we finalize the transition of our corporate management, we will consolidate our operations in the Detroit area to help facilitate our growing business and to continue to support our members as we move into the next stages of the association,” stated Greg Potter, ETI’s Executive Manager.

For details about ETI programs, contact Jessie Korosec, Marketing and Events Manager at 248-656-5085 or e-mail: jessiek@etools.org.

8 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Major Paint Companies Will Color-up NACE | CARS

AkzoNobel, Axalta, BASF, Matrix, PPG Automotive Refinish, and Valspar-House of Kolor have committed to NACE | CARS 2015 with exhibit space and sponsorships.

Companies closely related to the paint market actively participating, as well, including 3M, DeVilbiss, Pro-Spray Finishes, Painters Supply & Equipment Co., Anest Iwata, UniCure Spraybooths, DHI Equipment, Shop-Pro Equipment, Inc., and more.

“Having the support of the paint companies is significant to the success of NACE,” stated Dan Risley, ASA President and Executive Director. “Historically, the paint companies have represented some of the biggest supporters of the show and the industry. Attendees routinely seek the paint manufacturers while walking the show floor, and this years lineup of demonstrations and displays will not disappoint.”

In addition to exhibits and sponsorships, spray demonstrations will also take place on the show floor highlighting new paint technologies, colors, color matching, and more.

Atlanta I-CAR Committee Awards Grants Through CREF

The Atlanta I-CAR Volunteer Committee awarded two $5,000 scholarships through the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) this spring. The scholarships will be used to assist students with educational expenses such as tuition, books, tools and equipment. Funding for this scholarship was made possible through the committee hosting annual golf and car show fundraiser events.

The 2015 grant winners include: ● Kevin Galloway (Chattahoochee Technical College, Jasper, GA) and ● Nicolas Ramirez (North Georgia Technical College, Clarkesville, GA) I-CAR Georgia State Chairman and Atlanta Committee Chairman Gerry Poirier stated, “The ability to be able to provide these deserving future collision technicians with scholarships is due entirely to the dedication of the volunteers on the Atlanta Committee and the generosity of the collision industry in supporting the committee’s fund raising events. The scholarships have been offered by the committee for the last three years.”

For information, contact Brandon Eckenrode at Brandon.Eckenrode @ed?foundation.org or 847-463-5244.

Site Prep Underway for 3rd Body Shop on Greer’s BMW Campus in SC

by Jim Fair, GreerToday.com

Site preparation is underway for a 675,000-square-foot body shop, the third on Greer’s BMW Manufacturing Co. campus, off of Brockman McClimon Road in South Carolina. The new road has been completed and suppliers are already making deliveries using that entrance.

ond paint shop.”

Some gas infrastructure has been added by Greer Commission of Public Works. “We’ve added a gas line along

produces the family of X vehicles – X3, X4, X5 and X6.

BMW reportedly filed the site plan with the Spartanburg County Planning and Development Department last year. It also included expanding an existing employee parking lot to 371 more spaces and additional space for an “energy center” in the future. “The energy center may not be as big as it sounds,” Wilson said.

The new entrance off Brockman McClimon Road provides truckers an alternative to delivering parts and supplies to the Greer plant. Photo credit: Jim Fair, GreerToday.com

Site preparation is underway for a 675,000square-foot body shop, part of BMW’s $1 billion expansion, off of Brockman McClimon Road. Photo credit: Jim Fair, GreerToday.com

“The body shop is part of BMW’s $1 billion expansion,” Steve Wilson, spokesman for BMW Manufacturing, said. “We’ve just completed our sec-

Brockman McClimon,” CPW General Manager Jeff Tuttle said. “We’ve done a few other things but nothing major was needed.”

The expansion, announced last year, includes production of the X7, the company’s largest SUV. The X7 will have three rows of seats, unlike the company’s other SUV offerings.

The X7 will be built on the same platform as the X5 and X6 and reportedly be the first SUV offering a V12 engine. The Greer plant, the only United States manufacturer of BMWs,

Site preparation for the third body shop on the campus is expected to include production of the X7, the largest of the SUV family, providing three rows of seats. Photo credit: Jim Fair, GreerToday.com

BMW captures methane gas from a Spartanburg landfill and uses it to more efficiently cogenerate electrical power and heat water. The pressurized gas is then transported to BMW’s En-

ergy Center.

The billion-dollar expansion, according to BMW, will increase plant capacity 50 percent with up to 450,000 vehicles annually and creates an additional 800 new jobs.

The expansion, when completed, means Greer will have the largest production capacity of any plant in BMW’s global production network.

Wilson said the launch of the X7 is more “in the distant future and not one I can put a timetable on,” he said.

The Greer plant produced nearly 350,000 vehicles in 2014, and more than 70 percent of the total volume exported.

Already this year, BMW: ● Celebrated its 3 millionth vehicle produced in Greer ● U.S. Department of Commerce confirmed that BMW, with its annual value totaling $9.2 billion, is the largest U.S. automotive exporter of passenger vehicles by value ● BMW has completed its $900 million expansion announced in 2012 that increased annual production to 350,000 vehicles per year.

Thank you to GreerToday for permission to reprint this article.

www.autobodynews.com

www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 9

GM Reaffirms Commitment to Launching MyPriceLink

New River Auto Mall in SC Has New Holding Company

oped by GM that provides Genuine GM collision parts to the market that are priced up-front during the initial repair estimate.

In November 2014, GM announced the implementation of MyPriceLink. A week later, the company delayed the launch based on industry feedback and said it was going to work on enhancing and streamlining the workflow for all collision industry partners.

Since then, the company has gained feedback from industry players including the GM Dealer Network, information providers, dealer management systems, independent

Head, Hilton Head Chrysler/Jeep/ Dodge/Ram, all in the Hilton Head, SC area, and Jaguar Land Rover Columbia in Columbia, SC. The automotive group also just purchased Subaru South Orlando on May 18 in Orlando, FL, which includes a collision center. A $1 million+ renovation is planned this year to provide even more improvements to the relatively new facilities.

GM announced on May 12 that the company is still committed to its collision parts initiative, MyPriceLink.

MyPriceLink is a free automated “real time” pricing program devel-

body shops, collision associations and insurance providers.

In addition, GM has been working with industry estimating suppliers such as AudaExplore, CCC Information Services and Mitchell International to integrate with MyPriceLink.

In the interim, GM has continued to publish list prices for collision parts.

The company said the next step prior to launching the product is a market test planned at various locations this summer.

“We are taking this step to ensure MyPriceLink, when launched, will be an integrated technology solution that the collision industry will be able to use with minimal disruption to their existing workflow,” GM said in a press release.

“GM appreciates the industry interest and support MyPriceLink has received and looks forward to announcing the official industry launch of MyPriceLink in the near future,” the company added. “GM is committed to improving and streamlining processes that allow us to provide our customers with original parts, ensuring proper fit, function, safety and appearance, and returning their vehicle to pre-accident condition.”

Body Shops in Sioux Falls, SD, Still Working Out Kinks One Year After Hail Storm

by Rachel Skytta, KDLT News

It has been a busy year for Sioux Falls, South Dakota body shops, following a major hail storm that hit the city in June 2014. One year after the storm, body shops are still working out the kinks, and feeling the benefits.

Body Shops in Sioux Falls still busy repairing vehicles that were damaged during last year’s hail storm. Photo credit: KDLT News

“A lot of 70 hour weeks, weekends, late night Friday nights,” said Tyler Vanheerde of Pierre’s Body Shop.

‘Great’ isn’t a word most people would use to describe the scene that unfolded in Sioux Falls June 5, 2014. Unless you’re in the auto body business.

“We knew that we were going to have work for a year, at least,” said Dean Vanheerde, Owner of Pierre’s Body Shop.

Tyler’s father, Dean says business has been good.

“It added about $1.5 million worth of business here,” said Dean.

That number is the result of repairing nearly 300 vehicles with hail damage in the past year. Each one has cost anywhere from $2,000 all the way to $20,000.

“We all made a very good living and we’re very thankful for that,” said Dean.

Depending on the level of damage, Pierre’s has had cars at the shop from two weeks up to a month. After a while, Dean says that can take a toll on customer satisfaction.

“This is what we do. I don’t wish it on people but it is what we do,” said Dean.

A pain for some, but a major profit for places like Pierre’s.

“Are we tired? A little. But if it happens again, let’s go. We’ll make it happen,” said Dean.

Dean expects they’ll be done with hail repairs from last year in about three weeks. He says they still have people coming into the shop who haven’t done anything about their damage just yet.

Thanks to KDLT News for permission to reprint this article.

10 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

New River Auto Mall’s President and CEO Warner Peacock announced a name change to Coastal States Automotive Group, LLC. Coastal States Automotive Group, LLC (formerly New River Auto Mall, LLC) owns Hilton Head Hyundai, Audi Hilton Head, Hilton Head Volkswagen, Hilton Head Nissan, Infiniti of Hilton Head, Porsche of Hilton Head, Subaru of Hilton Head, Jaguar Land Rover Hilton

Coastal States plans to expand with the acquisition of other dealerships in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and potentially North Carolina.

“This is an exciting time for our company. We are looking forward to our growth and contributions to the economy here in the Lowcountry, coastal Georgia, and the midlands of South Carolina, as well as our expansion with dealership acquisitions in Georgia and Florida,” said Peacock.

“We will remain active in our local community efforts, in the Lowcountry and the midlands of South Carolina, as well as other communities where we make dealership acquistions.”

All dealerships are located in the Hilton Head area of South Carolina.

For more information visit http:// www.newriverautomall.com/

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Continued from Cover

NACE CARS Tours

with a docent.

■ Wednesday, July 22: Board 12:45pm - Depart 1:15pm - Return 5:00pm ■ Thursday, July 23: Board 8:45am - Depart 9:15am - Return 12:30pm

The Ford Piquette Plant Museum: This is the oldest auto plant open to the public in the world and is the birthplace of the Model T. This tour provides you with a one-of-a-kind experience at a truly historical plant, almost unchanged since Henry Ford and his team developed the car that led to an automotive and social revolution. The tour includes admission to the museum as well as a guided tour.

■ Wednesday, July 22: Board 1:00pm - Depart 1:30pm - Return 4:00pm ■ Saturday, July 25: Board 11:00am - Depart 11:30am - Return 2:00pm

The Henry Ford Museum: This museum is a destination that showcases American ideas and inventions, past and present, bringing them to life across an expansive space. The display of classic cars, trains, planes, and

inventions sweeps across the museum’s nine acres. The tour includes admission to the museum for a selfguided tour.

■ Wednesday, July 22: Board 12:00pm - Depart 12:30pm - Return 5:30pm ■ Saturday, July 25: Board 8:30am - Depart 9:00am - Return 3:30pm

General Motors Heritage Center: The GM North American Heritage Collection is made up of approximately 600 cars and trucks, reflecting industry firsts, technological experiments, concept cars, and significant race cars, as well as milestone production vehicles. The Center also houses a massive collection of archived documents and auto artifacts. The tour includes admission and an introduction by staff.

■ Friday, July 24: Board 9:00am Depart 9:30am - Return 12:30pm

Walter P. Chrysler Museum: Sponsored in part by Mopar, this can’t miss tour is guided and includes a lunch at the Viper Cafe on site. The museum covers 55,000-square-feet, featuring three floors of over 65 antique, custom, and concept vehicles interspersed with interactive displays and historical ex-

hibits about Chrysler’s contributions to automotive design, technology and innovation, as well as their impact on American culture.

■ Wednesday, July 22: Board 11:30am - Depart 12:00pm - Return 4:00pm

General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck (Chevy Volt) Assembly Plant: This tour will begin with an introductory video and presentation, then guests will board motorized carts, which will transport everyone through the assembly area in a guided tour of the facility. The plant is home to every Chevrolet Volt ever manufactured, as well as many other models, including those from throughout the world, and the Cadillac ELR. ■ Friday, July 24: Board 7:30am Depart 8:00am - Return 11:00am

The Conner Avenue (Dodge Viper) Assembly Plant: This plant, originally opened to produce Champion spark plugs in 1966, has been used for smallscale specialty production since 1996, producing vehicles such as the Dodge Viper and Plymouth Prowler. The tour of this plant includes admission and a docent guide.

■ Wednesday, July 22: Board 12:00pm

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- Depart 12:30pm - Return 3:00pm ■ Friday, July 24: Board 7:00am - Depart 7:30am - Return 10:00am

The Yankee Air Museum: With admission and guided tour included, this museum allows you to experience military aviation history and view sky giants such as the B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-25 Mitchell, the C-47 Skytrain, and others. This aircraft manufacturing complex, which opened in 1941, was an innovation of its time—the first to use Ford’s automotive mass production technique.

■ Saturday, July 25: Board 8:45am - Depart 9:15pm - Return 1:00pm

Diamond Jack River Boat Cruise: This narrated cruise will allow you to see Detroit from a whole new perspective. This tour will allow you to learn about the city’s rich history from the Belle Isle on the Detroit River, the world’s busiest international waterway.

■ Saturday, July 25: Board 11:45am - Depart 12:15pm - Return 3:30pm

Name badges are required to participate in the tours. Transportation See NACE CARS Tours, Page 14

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On Creative Marketing

Tom Franklin has been a sales and marketing consultant for fifty years. He has written numerous books and provides marketing solutions and services for many businesses.

He can be reached at (323) 871-6862 or at tbfranklin@aol.com.

See Tom’s columns at www.autobodynews.com under Columnists > Franklin

How To Hire The Best Bodyshop Marketing People with Thomas Franklin

Collision repair shops are mainly in the people business. The days of oneman shops are long gone. Every shop has employees, and most have technicians specialized in body, paint, structural and more. The typical shop owner came up through these ranks and is sufficiently knowledgeable about the details to hire competent workers. But marketing is different.

Few shop owners come from a background in sales or marketing. And only fairly affluent shops can afford to hire personnel solely for marketing and sales. But that doesn’t mean the need isn’t there. To survive today every shop needs to bring in new customers and that means reaching out with sales and marketing. And it may mean that some employees have to do double duty. Generally that means estimators and front desk people, but it could include the parts guy and even some unusually communicative technicians.

It could also mean hiring from a different point of view. For example, a shop may generally hire an attractive lady for the front desk who is friendly and can handle the paperwork. A recent article entitled “Build a Killer Team” in the June issue of Inc Magazine quoted a co-founder of a company that requires every employee to “work reception once a month.” Many businesses have found that rotating employees through public contact jobs on a regular basis keep them in touch with prospective customers’ real priorities. Ideally a shop owner or manager might want to simply rotate the estimators through the front desk po-

sition regularly, but if there aren’t enough estimators to do that, the front desk person should be treated as a key new business developer for the shop and paid accordingly.

While hiring practices vary greatly by industry, methods of interviewing and evaluating prospective employees are relatively consistent.

Some frequent suggestions include giving all your candidates the same interview with a standard set of questions that you ask all candidates.

They say using the same questions in each interview gives you greater control of the situation by preventing a clever interviewee from hiding pertinent information. Questions should also test an applicant’s ability to think quickly. For example a good salesperson should be able to handle the unanticipated and to meet challenges with confidence. Although an applicant knows you will check references, you should ask, “When I call your references, what will he or she tell me about your past performance?” This emphasis on reference checks might help avoid prospect exaggeration. If you have a trusted employee already performing similar tasks, you might consider having him or her sit in on the interview to help you determine if the candidate truly has what it takes to mesh with the existing team.

Dealerships hire new people much more frequently than body shops, and sales people are their most frequent new hires. DealerRefresh.com specifies how most dealerships look for new prospects and evaluate prospective

Continued from Page 12

can be found on the NACE | CARS website.

NACE CARS Tours

will depart from (and return to) the COBO Center Atrium/Riverside entrance on Atwater Street. Please check in no later than 15 minutes prior each tour’s scheduled departure time. Attendees and exhibitors at NACE | CARS are encouraged to participate in the destination tours to experience the Motor City at its finest.

Further information about the tours

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14 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

hires. They say 50% of the most successful companies have given up on job boards. Social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are cheaper and more effective. They also say people hired by referral are 47% more likely to stick around after three years, compared to 14% for job-board applicants. They say cash bonuses are the best way to get current employees to refer others. Start by notifying current employees. If the job pays well, employees will often brag about how much they love their work and attract others to your business. You could also offer a bonus to customers who refer others. Everybody knows somebody looking for a job. Suppliers are another possible source of prospects. There could be someone good they know of who’s burned out at their present job and needs a change. This is an especially wise method for finding good help because your suppliers won’t recommend a dud. Their reputation with

you would be ruined and they might lose your business.

So what are the qualities and skills a collision shop applicant should possess? The Inc Magazine article again reported several bosses that watched for a job applicant’s tendency to mainly talk and self-promote, as opposed to asking questions and carefully listening with follow-up questions. Another tactic suggested is to have prospective employees do some “homework.” For a collision repair shop this could be having them write a list of the questions they think would most effectively get a prospective customer to reveal what they value most in a body shop.

And would most likely get them to come back and refer the shop to a friend. Any position dealing with the public requires the ability to ask questions and get key answers. This can take time, but the cost of hiring another person to ask and listen may be far less than losing prospective customers.

www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 15

New Product Showcase

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

New System Helps Shops to Get Reimbursed for PLIOGRIP® Adhesive Usage with Ed Attanasio

For many years, body shops have not been able to precisely quantify how much adhesive they are using on each particular repair. By basically guessing and operating in the dark when it comes to figuring out the volume used to perform plastic repair and related procedures, shops have not been getting properly reimbursed from the insurance companies, in many cases.

Well, according to the people at PLIOGRIP and Bonding Solutions, there is now an app that will allow body techs to report exact numbers when it comes to their adhesive usage on every repair. It’s called the PLIOGRIP Material Cost Recovery System —the brainchild of Jeff Miller, PLIOGRIP’s technical sales manager and developed by Shaun Worthen, a former body tech who now works as an independent insurance adjustor and moonlights as an app developer.

Miller believes that this app is a breakthrough that will benefit both

This screen shot from the new PLIOGRIP Material Cost Recovery System shows that techs can easily create an invoice showing exactly how much adhesive they’re using on each repair, thereby increasing their chances of getting reimbursed by the insurance company

16 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

body shops and insurance companies.

“We wanted to come up with a system that would be fair for the shops and the insurance companies and I am confident that we’ve achieved both,” Miller explained. ”In the past, collision repairers were using a method that wasn’t providing them with definitive numbers that everyone could really count on. They were relying on a visual inspection and getting close, but now they don’t have to settle for just a ballpark figure. With this app, we’re eliminating the guesswork and making the process for reimbursement easier for the shops by using the latest technology available.”

It all comes down to documentation and an accurate way

to quantify the use of a product that has been traditionally hard to get a bead on, according to Shaun Worthen, the developer of the PLIOGRIP Material Cost Recovery System.

“Most insurance companies don’t ask questions when it comes to reimbursement about paint and paint-related materials, but when it comes to adhesives, they will sometimes be a little reluctant. But, if they can get accurate numbers that are well-supported, we’re confident that the insurers will be comfortable with our system, which means that the shops will be compensated.”

The system will allow users to measure how much adhesive they’re using on every repair by picking a bead size and then accurately measuring the amount used in linear feet. With dropdown boxes and intuitive navigation throughout, the PLIOGRIP Material Cost Recovery System also contains a calculator and an area where the user

can make notes about the repair. At the end of the process, they now have a concise invoice that can be submitted electronically to the insurance company.

Developing the app wasn’t an easy process, but after eight months of hard work and after looking at 10 different interface designs, the system was ready to stick.

“We knew it had to be easy-touse and we also wanted it to be simple for techs to accurately gauge how much adhesive they’re using. We made it as straightforward as it can be, with fewer steps, so that techs can use it and then move on to the next job without inputting a bunch of information that isn’t crucial.”

Josh Lofrano from F. Lofrano & Son in San Francisco and Marin County, CA manages one of his family’s shops in San Rafael, CA and has had an opportunity to look at the recovery system prior to hitting the market. He definitely sees a need for the system and anticipates using it on a daily basis.

“Finding a system that can help us to get compensated for the PLIOGRIP adhesives that we use is important” Lofrano said. “With four locations, we do a lot of plastic work and in many

ways, measuring the usage of any product is an iffy proposition. Now with this system, we’ll be able to capture more revenue on each plastic repair we do, which will help the bottom line and make us more effective overall.”

For shops that are interested in incorporating the PLIOGRIP Material Cost Recovery System into their production, Miller explained how to get it.

“It’s free to use, but you have to be either a jobber or a shop customer of PLIOGRIP,” he said. “All of our 75 reps nationwide will have the system on their iPads after June 1st and they can show you how to use it. They’ll set you up with a username and a password and then you can try it out.”

Miller thinks it will quickly become the go-to system for body techs from the Big Apple all the way to the City by the Bay, he said.

“The PLIOGRIP Material Cost Recovery System will enable shops to make a profit on every plastic repair they perform, which means more money stays in the shop. Every shop owner in the country will appreciate the accuracy, accountability and timesaving qualities of this system.”

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Media and Publicity for Shops Get Old School Again with Time-Proven Business Networking with Ed Attanasio

There are two ways to promote your shop: 1.) Advertising and 2.) Marketing.

Advertising is when you buy space or time or impressions and you pay a fee for the exposure. Marketing is an enormous category that includes product marketing, branding, re-branding and a whole list of other things that are used to hopefully bring you new business while strengthening your position in your market.

I tell shop owners that advertising is the easy way out Nancy Friedman and marketing is (aka the Telephone the workhorse and Doctor) said that the elbow grease business-to-business networking is of the promotional where the smaller world. Advertising independent shops is like Babe Ruth can shine and comand marketing is pete on a level field like Pete Rose. If with the bigger MSOs in their area you’re not a baseball fan, let’s put it another way—advertising is ideal for large corporations and for big MSOs, primarily because they have larger budgets to do it. Marketing is for smaller, independent shops that do great work but have less money to tell people about it.

So, I’m not trashing print media or broadcast media, I’m just saying for the average body shop out there with a limited budget, marketing is the smarter way to go. You can get a lot more mileage out of your marketing dollar by doing things as opposed to buying things–such as calling on dealerships for business, keeping in touch with the insurance agents in your area and maybe most importantly—doing some business-to-business networking.

Many shop owners don’t like the idea of getting out there in the community, meeting people and shaking hands. They feel comfortable working in their shops and fixing cars; as soon as they’re outside of that environment, they feel like fish out of water. If they stick their heads out and see their shadows, they’re likely to retreat and wait for spring.

But the shops that understand the value of networking know that it

works and that is brings them a ton of business if they continually get out there and meet other people in their community. This can be achieved in many ways, but the core concept is the same—meet as many folks as you can and become an integral part of your business community.

Nancy Friedman is known as the Telephone Doctor and she speaks at SEMA and other automotive-related events year-round about customer service, best practices and yes—B2B networking. The doctor was in recently when we discussed networking and its value, especially for smaller shops.

“Networking is where the smaller independent shops can shine,” Friedman explained. “They can be a big fish in a small pond in a chamber of commerce or with the Elks, Rotary or even through a networking group, such as the Business Networking Institute (BNI). No one really cares how big you are or how many locations you have, as long as the work is good and your rates are fair.”

Be active and involved in any networking group and you’ll reap the benefits over time, Friedman said.

“Become an integral part of the group, which means attend the meetings and other events and take on some responsibility. That’s the only way you’ll ever get anything from a networking group. I tell people sponsor events within the organization and be very proactive in getting out there. Most of these associations sponsor charity events and those are a great way to connect with the members of the group and the community as a whole.

Great friendships—both personal and professional—start there and then build over time.”

Some body shop owners say— hey, I work 10-12 hour days ... how do I find the time to get to these meetings and events? Well, the doctor has the answer. “Many businesses have 2-3 people who go to the meetings and share that responsibility,” she explained. “Maybe one of your techs or estimators is the social type and not afraid to meet new people? As the owner you should still get out there periodically and wave your flag, but

18 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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

delegate the rest to the right people and let them shine.”

Collision repair shops all over the country are members of the Business Networking Institute (BNI) — the world’s largest referral organization with more than 150,000 members in 58 countries worldwide. BNI was founded in 1985 by Dr. Ivan Misner for the primary purpose of building powerful referral networks.

BNI works by creating a group of people from various industries and encouraging the regular distribution of referrals. Each chapter allows one person per occupational classification, and prospective members must be approved via an application process. BNI’s philosophy is “Givers Gain” - members are expected to focus on giving referrals to other members to build relationships and receive referrals in return.

Chapters have specific rules regarding required attendance in order to

cultivate the relationships needed to create a comfort level in referring business. Chapters carefully track the monetary amount of passed business in order to prove the value of the money and time commitment.

By joining a BNI chapter and working it hard, body shops all over the country have made this organization a big part of their marketing plan.

One owner has used it to foster a young, small shop by joining his local chapter and getting out there into the promising world of networking.

Kendall Glines is the owner of Lone Peak Collision Repair in Midvale, Utah, a small shop with five employees that fixes 5-7 cars weekly.

One year after opening the shop in late 2012, Glines joined his local chapter (the Boom Chapter in West Jordan, UT) by paying $420 in annual fees after a $150 one-time registration fee, but those have been paid back many See Old School Again, Page 45

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Crown Ford of Fayetteville 256 Swain St. Fayetteville, NC 28303 Parts: (800) 682-5092 www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 19

Auto Shop in Savannah, GA Donates Elaborate Custom Toy Car to Charity Nationals at Daytona Beach’s Ocean Center, one of the East Coast’s biggest mobile electronics trade shows.

The toy truck was custom-made Mike Kimball’s family owned Kimball’s Mobile Electronics has been a and fully loaded by Kimball’s Mobile go-to car audio dealer in Savannah, Electronics and won first place at the competition. After the win, Kimball GA for more than 40 years.

Earlier this year, Kimball and announced he would donate the toy longtime employees Chris Rawlins truc —valued at around $2,000—to St. and Nick Hall put their expertise to use Joseph’s/Candler Foundations to be sold to support advancements in cancer care at the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion in Savannah.

This initiative will be the biggest charitable contribution Kimball’s Mobile Electronics has had to date.

“We’re really excited about donating to the hospital,” Kimball said. “When we first started to build the toy truck, we didn’t really have a plan to An I-pad mini, custom installed into the dashboard, can donate it to charity. But then adjust the sound in the custom toy car built at Kimball’s the more the truck came along, Mobile Electronics. Photo credit: Steve Bisson/Savannah the more it seemed like a great Morning News idea.”

Kimball’s wife Connie works at in a different way: They spent more than a month preparing for a toy truck J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilbuild-off March 21 at Spring Break ion and helped inspire the idea.

by Eva Fedderly, businessinsavannah.com

“We’ve had a lot of close loved ones suffer from cancer. And people at our church,” he said. “Everyone seems to be affected by it in some way or another. This donation seemed like a really good fit.”

Mike Kimball of Kimball’s Mobile Electronics adjusts the sound in the custom toy car that has been donated to St. Joseph’s/Candler Foundations to raise money to support advancements in cancer care at the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion in Savannah. Photo credit: Steve Bisson/ Savannah Morning News

Kimball is working with St. Joseph’s/Candler Foundations on an event to raffle off the toy truck.

The foundation will take the toy truck on a “Tour of Savannah,” and it

will be displayed at locations throughout the city, including the research pavilion as well as J.C. Lewis Ford.

The truck will be raffled on July 1. All proceeds will support Advancements in Cancer Care at the research pavilion as a part of the St. Joseph’s/ Candler Foundation’s current fundraising initiative, which is called Advancing Excellence: Touching Lives.

“We are particularly grateful to Mike Kimball and his co-workers,” said Vernice Rackett, Executive Director of the foundation. “Mr. Kimball is creating a once-in-a-lifetime surprise for one lucky child.”

The toy truck is loaded with about $1,200 worth of equipment, and the truck itself costs $450. It has a back bumper that is a motorized amp rack, right-hand drive steering, an I-pad mini-custom installed into the dashboard, a fiberglass front speaker enclosure, custom LED lighting, flashy auto wrap in flat black in addition to Sony audio gear.

“The entire interior was completely fabricated from scratch,” Kimball said. “... All of the panels are covered in ei-

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ther vinyl or suede and were handformed out of fiberglass or wood.

“The motorized amp rack was also a challenge as we had to cut and reform the truck’s under-frame to house the parts needed for the rack to slide in and out.”

Kimball, Rawlins and Hall spent their workdays with customers, so they mainly worked on the truck after hours.

“We really didn’t really mind, though, as this was so different from our average job,” Kimball said.

Rawlins, who took the helm on the truck’s design, said the work was fun.

“You don’t get to do projects like this all the time. And it was a good bit of work,” he said.

Kimball said a couple of different people and companies wanted to

buy the truck during the show in Daytona Beach.

“A guy from Sony wanted to even borrow it for a trade show Sony was participating in. But I thought it would be of much better interest to a charitable cause,” he said.

The truck won first against five other car audio retailers in the southeast who were asked to build custom 12-volt battery-powered ride-on toy trucks that feature car audio equipment from major manufacturers.

Thank you to businessinsavannah.com for permission to reprint this article.

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10 CARSTAR Locations Named AutocheX Solution Premier Achievers by Mitchell

At the annual CARSTAR conference in San Diego in June, 10 CARSTAR stores were recognized by Mitchell as recipients of the 2014 AutocheX™ Solution Premier Achiever Award.

“Mitchell is honored to recognize repair shop owners who are committed to customer satisfaction.” said Frankie Costa, Client Program Manager for AutocheX. “These elite shop owners not only embrace their commitment to their customers, but find ways to consistently exceed their expectations.”

The 10 CARSTAR shops recognized consistently achieve the highest customer satisfaction scores as meas-

ured by the AutocheX solution. The CARSTAR shops honored this year are: ● CARSTAR Champion Collision – Hightstown, NJ

● CARSTAR Gullotta’s Autobody – Englewood, FL

● CARSTAR Hawken Collision Repair – Osage Beach, MO

● CARSTAR John’s Collision Center – Schererville, IN

● CARSTAR Kurt’s Collision Center – Maryville, IL

● CARSTAR Liss Auto Body – Crown Point, IN ● CARSTAR Murray’s Collision – Des Moines, WA

● CARSTAR Red Bud Collision Center – Red Bud, IL ● CARSTAR Arnold – Arnold, MO

● CARSTAR Utzig Collision Service – Janesville, WI

“Mitchell’s AutocheX solution confirms what we feel has always been true—no company in this industry works harder to deliver superior customer satisfaction than our owner operators,” said David James, Vice President of Marketing at CARSTAR. “”We congratulate these shops on their achievement and for being recognized as among the best in the business.”

I-CAR Gold Class Shops and Platinum Techs Get 50% Off

NACE | CARS will offer a 50% discount for I-CAR Gold Class Shops & Platinum Designated individuals, as well as ASE Blue Seal Shops & Master Tech individuals, to attend the conference and exposition July 21-25th in Detroit, MI. This program encourages the top performing shops and individuals to attend the trade show, cutting edge training, and conference sessions at the best price.

Shops and individuals who have attained these designations from ICAR and ASE are highly trained and are some of the most skilled in their respective industry.

www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 21

New Instructors for Urethane Supply Company’s I-CAR® Training Alliance Course® on Nitrogen Plastic Welding Urethane Supply Company announced new instructors in Alabama, Florida and North Carolina who are able to deliver the Alabama-based company’s new ICAR® Industry Training Alliance® course on plastic repair. “Introduction to Nitrogen Plastic Welding” is a threehour course delivered in the customer’s shop for up to three technicians. Each technician receives hands-on training with five common bumper repair scenarios, including on thermoset polyurethane, a.k.a. the “yellow plastic.”

Bob Zelano, a native of Cranston, Rhode Island, has 39 years of experience in the colliBob Zelano sion repair industry as a combo body/paint tech, estimator, manager, insurance adjuster, re-inspector claims manager (17 years with Allstate Insurance Company) and is currently with Filterworks USA as Director of Operations for Car-O-Liner and collision repair products in Southeast Florida. Zelano has been an I-CAR instructor since 1998, teaching all live programs and hands-on certification welding tests for steel and aluminum.

Zelano recently Leon Roberts received factory training on Urethane Supply’s I-CAR Industry Training Alliance course and will be able to deliver training to shops all over Florida.

Leon Roberts is an independent sales representative for Urethane Supply Company, covering the entire Southeast and many other territories.

Roberts has a long history with Ure-

thane Supply; he started distributing the company’s airless plastic welder in the early 1980s as a complement to his crash part business. Roberts has over 40 years of experience in the collision repair industry as a body tech, distributor, trainer and plastic repair instructor and consultant. Roberts recently received factory training on Urethane Supply’s ICAR Industry Training Alliance course and will be able to deliver training to shops all over the Southeast, Midwest and beyond.

Bill Athon is an independent sales representative for Bill Athon Urethane Supply Company, covering the entire Southeast and many other territories. Athon has worked with Urethane Supply Company since 2002, and is largely responsible for educating the industry on the company’s Bumper & Cladding Coat Adhesion Primer.

Athon began demonstrating the nitrogen plastic welder to body shops in 2011 and has trained hundreds of people on it over the past few years.

He recently received factory training on Urethane Supply’s I-CAR Industry Training Alliance course and will be able to deliver training to shops all over the Southeast, Midwest and beyond.

Bill King has been a part of the automotive aftermarket industry, in many different caBill King pacities for over 35 years. His current position is lead technical consultant with National Coatings and Supply (a paint and equipment company operating in 43

Continued from Cover

first love was closer than it had been in more than four decades and she reached out to her original Allstate agency owner who had since retired.

After months of work behind the scenes by employees at Allstate and government officials in both Georgia and North Carolina, a new title was issued and the original Allstate agent was able to drive the car up Dietrich’s driveway so that she can enjoy the car all over again—43 years later.

Long Lost Corvette

in the window didn’t match up with the original VIN imprinted on the car. Police were notified and were able to trace the car back to a police report in 1972.

The car belonged to Allstate Insurance for all these years after the claim was paid off shortly after the car was stolen. For the loyal customer, her

22 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

states) and is also I-CAR Platinum Certified. He covers North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. The company said his knowledge and sales experience have benefitted the industry and enhanced the performance of his body shop customers. He recently received factory training on Urethane Supply’s I-CAR Industry Training Alliance course and will be able to deliver training to shops all over his territory.

John Wilburn is currently foreman of Urethane Supply’s Encore Plastic Bumper Recycling division John Wilbur and has served in this role for four years. Wilburn has 17 years of experience in plastic bumper recycling, his career starting in Jackson, Mississippi, then taking him on to New Jersey and Tennessee before coming to Urethane Supply. The company said Wilburn’s expertise has been a benefit to Urethane Supply’s

customers over the past few years as he is the star of many of the company’s instructional YouTube videos.

He recently received factory training on Urethane Supply’s I-CAR Industry Training Alliance course and will be able to deliver training to shops across the Southeast.

In business since 1981, Urethane Supply Company has focused exclusively on plastic repair and refinishing products. Kurt Lammon, President of the company, said their airless and hot-nitrogen welders are the industry standards for automotive plastic repair across North America. Lammon said that technician training on the nitrogen plastic welding system has been a recent challenge for the company and this I-CAR Industry Training Alliance initiative is a big part of the company’s efforts to meet the demand.

The company is actively seeking other instructors across the country to deliver this new course in shops.

Contact Kurt Lammon at 800633-3047 with any questions or inquiries.

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Takata Admits to Fault in Airbag Design, 34 Million Vehicles, Largest Recall in History Ensues

by Victoria Antonelli, Online Editor

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced on May 19 that the air bag manufacturer Takata has acknowledged that a defect exists in its air bag inflators, leading to a national recall of nearly 34 million vehicles.

The action, which was initially limited to states with high humidity, has increased the recall to more than 16 million defective passenger-side inflators and more than 17 million driverside inflators.

“Vehicles are increasingly bought and sold across state lines and may move long distances across the country … it is in the best interest of consumers to expand this recall to all states,” AAA President Marshall Doney said in a company press release.

According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) press release, over time, moisture causes changes in the structure of the chemical propellant that ignites when the Takata air bag deploys. The degraded propellant, based on ammonia nitrate — commonly used in fertilizer — ignites too quickly, producing excess pressure

that causes the inflator to rupture and sends metal shards into the passenger cabin that can lead to serious injury or death.

There have been over 100 injuries linked to faulty Takata airbags.

Secretary Foxx announced that the NHTSA issued a Consent Order to Takata.

The Japanese manufacturer stated in a May 19 press release, “Under the Consent Order, Takata also has agreed to continue to cooperate with all future regulatory actions and proceedings that are part of NHTSA’s ongoing investigation and oversight of the Takata airbag inflators and accompanying remedial actions, continue to respond to all NHTSA information requests in a complete and timely fashion, and continue to provide NHTSA with all test results and data related to Takata inflators, among other provisions. While the Consent Order does not release Takata from potential civil penalties, NHTSA will not seek any civil penalties demanded under its letter dated February 20, 2015, beyond those that may be applicable before May 18, 2015. Under the Consent Order, NHTSA will take

24 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

into account Takata’s cooperation in seeking any civil penalties against Takata in the future. Takata will work with its automotive customers to develop plans for reaching out to vehicle owners in order to maximize recall completion rates.”

In addition, NHTSA announced its intent to begin a formal legal process to prioritize the replacement of defective Takata inflators under the agency’s legal authority.

“Today is a major step forward for public safety,” Secretary Foxx said.

“The Department of Transportation is taking the proactive steps necessary to ensure that defective inflators are replaced with safe ones as quickly as possible, and that the highest risks are addressed first. We will not stop our work until every air bag is replaced.”

According to a May 19 New York Times article, prior to recent investigations, the NHTSA had been criticized by lawmakers and safety advocates as being “too lax” on the industry. Back in 2009, the agency opened an investigation on Takata airbags that lasted for only six months due to “insufficient evidence.”

The New York Times article credited the NHTSA’s new found vigilance with the appointment of administrator Mark R. Rosekind.

“The steps we’re taking today represent significant progress toward that goal. We all know that there is more work to do, for NHTSA, for the auto makers, for parts suppliers, and for consumers,” said Rosekind. “But we are determined to get to our goal as rapidly as possible.”

It is expected that the service order of the vehicles will be based on which airbags hold the greatest risk of unsafe deployment, based on age and geographic location.

In the New York Times article, Rosekind stated that consumers could still drive their cars in the meantime, considering it could take several years until all repairs are completed.

“Although Takata has devoted tremendous resources to these efforts with some of the leading researchers in this field worldwide, including Fraunhofer ICT, it is clear that this is a complex issue which takes time to fully evaluate,” Takata stated in a May 19 press release. “The analysis to date

suggests that the potential for this long-term phenomenon to occur was not within the scope of the testing specifications prescribed by the vehicle manufacturers for the validation and production of the subject inflators as original equipment.”

The Department has established a new website, www.SaferCar.gov /RecallsSpotlight, to provide regular updates on the status of this and other recalls and of NHTSA’s investigation.

“With the summer season approaching, we are reminded that 33 million Americans will be hitting the roads in their vehicles for Memorial Day travel and as time passes more motorists remain at risk from the faulty air bags that have been linked to at least 6 deaths [worldwide],” stated Doney in a May 19 press release.

“Motorists’ safety is a national issue that is not confined by regional boundaries and should take precedence over profits.”

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Continued from Cover

MDL Recommends

prepare what is known as a “Report and Recommendations.”

Fry explained that the report and recommendations are not orders. Presnell will have the option to accept the recommendations in whole or in part or completely reject it.

“In this instance, Magistrate Judge Smith did issue a number of reports and recommendations on the cases that have been gathered in the MDL,” she explained.

In his report, Magistrate Judge Smith wrote, “After due consideration, I respectfully recommend that the motions be granted in part and denied in part, that the complaints in the Pending Cases be dismissed, that the dismissals be without prejudice and with leave to amend except as otherwise stated in this report and recommendations, and that Plaintiffs be afforded 21 days’ leave to file amended complaints.”

The recommendations are twotiered and include the federal Sherman Anti-trust claims for price fixing and boycotting as well as the state law causes of action—tortious interference and un-

just enrichment—which are unique to each individual state. She said that state law is mainly consistent on these types of claims, but it does vary in regards to the evidence you need to bring forward to succeed.

In regards to the claim of quasi estoppel, the judge recommended dismissing it with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled.

“The court has taken the position that quasi estoppel while it is a legal doctrine is not a cause of action in and of itself,” said Fry. “However, it does not preclude us from using this evidence.”

According to the court report, “Defendants argue that the Court should dismiss all of the complaints because Plaintiffs engaged in impermissible group pleading by making collective allegations against ‘Defendants.’ In response, Plaintiffs argue that group pleading is perfectly acceptable, and that when they refer to ‘Defendants’ collectively, they are only alleging that all Defendants engaged in the same conduct.”

In each of the cases, the defendants have filed motions to dismiss, the plaintiffs have filed a consolidated response, and the defendants have filed replies.

Originally filed in 2014, the Multi

District Lawsuit in Florida now involves 18 cases already filed by Eaves Law Firm. Fry said they anticipate filing approximately 17 more after the court has made a final determination regarding the factual detail it requires of a case.

“The reports and recommendations that Judge Smith entered were not a surprise to us,” said Fry. “They are extremely consistent with the prior recommendations that were made to Judge Presnell in the six originally filed cases.” These include FL, IN, LA, MS, TN and UT. She said the court’s work with the report and recommendations was very thoughtful. “I actually find them rather encouraging because it gives us an idea of the path the court wants us to follow,” she said.

Eaves Law Firm has until June 30 to enter an objection to any part of the report and recommendation and Fry said they plan to file several on specific points. They entered a number of objections to the previous report and recommendations as well.

Fry said that shops should not lose heart about the case. “It is actually moving toward positive ends. There is pretty good movement here and we’re very optimistic.”

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www.subaruofgwinnett.com www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 25

Rick Leos of Toyota and Nathan Sellers of Mitchell — Some Startling Predictions for 2025

by Tom Franklin

The California Autobody Association Glendale-Foothill Chapter met Thursday, May 28, 2015, at Gene’s Paint & Body in Montrose, CA. Chapter President Daniel Panduro opened the meeting and introduced the two speakers, Rick Leos, from Toyota, and Nathan Sellers from Mitchell.

The topic for the evening was Toyota’s new Predictive Estimating software that is set to be released in the very near future, and the increased technology being built into today’s vehicles and what that means for us repairers trying to “fix cars correctly and safely.”

Leos opened with a video on hydrogen-powered vehicles. He made the startling prediction that by 2025, all vehicles will be hydrogen-powered! The next video showed a massive manure pile and the steps needed to turn it into hydrogen. A combination of steam and heat turns this inexpensive crap into highly profitable energy — a process cheaper than oil, corn, solar, and electricity combined.

Leos also said that these vehicles would be nearly unrepairable! Vehicle manufacturers will develop such complete collision avoidance technology, that the few accidents that do occur will require vehicles to be completely replaced, (effectively eliminating the collision repair industry)!

Although 2025 is a long way off, in November this year, 60,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles will be put on the road. Shops hoping to repair any of these vehicles will have to have x-

ray equipment capable of finding cracks in the many carbon fiber panels and parts that will make up much of these vehicles. Leos also predicted the OEMs will seek to put the liability for faulty repairs and subsequent prob-

Rick Leos, from Toyota, and Nathan Sellers from Mitchell covered Toyota’s new Predictive Estimating software at the May 28 CAA Glendale/Foothill Chapter meeting

lems squarely onto the repairer, to protect the manufacturer’s brand name as the top priority.

With this startling part of the presentation finished, Leos and Sellers turned to Toyota’s new Predictive Estimating software, already available on Mitchell’s Ultramate and being shipped on all user’s next update. The essence of the system is the reversal of current estimating systems where parts to be repaired or replaced must be added line-by-line. With this system all parts are displayed on the estimate and those not affected must be

deleted. In the demos presented by Leos and Sellers, most repairs that would run to 10 or 12 lines on a usual estimate would suddenly jump to 16 or 20 lines. Small parts often missed, like clips, are added automatically.

Even usual add-ons like color sand and buff or seam sealer are displayed in detail. The estimator can still delete parts on the estimate with no visible asterisk or other mark, but the deletion, change or omission is time stamped in the computer. If an adjuster chooses to delete a line, the time stamp can indicate the deletion if a problem occurs later as a result of that deletion.

Ultramate was chosen for the first test run because of insurer DRP relationships. Also the Ultramate could be converted to a CCC or ADP estimate by using Estify. Leos said he was surprised at a meeting with insurers where the new software was well received even though it could be more costly for insurers. The reason most said was the desirability of having a standard base rather than the arbitrary negotiated estimates common today.

Perhaps the most stabilizing feature is

the instant availability of parts documents and technical and CRIB bulletins. A simple click of a black dot and all of the supporting information jumps up. Documentation to resolve a dispute with an adjuster is readily at hand. Also technicians can be saved from costly errors like one-time-use parts. A few of Leos’ examples showed how a tech might miss a onetime-use part if the documentation hadn’t been consulted. Leos showed how the system can quickly pay for itself and increase shop profitability.

Most remarkable is the willingness of Toyota to make the templates for the system available to other vehicle manufacturers. All they have to do is plug in their own parts and related documents and the system is ready to go. Certification training is also now much simpler. It is no longer necessary to have a dealer recommendation.

Leos also talked about the way scanners are getting better all the time at creating instant estimates. iPad and smartphone scans will soon create an accurate estimate. Like most other aspects of life now, technology is driving the future of collision repair

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CARSTAR Jungerman in St. Peters, MO, Named Franchisee of the Year

Each year at its annual conference, CARSTAR recognizes the top owners and business groups throughout its network for their leadership and performance. In the categories for top operations, CARSTAR presented four awards to stores for their achievements.

Franchisee of the Year Taking home the top honor as Franchisee of the Year was CARSTAR Jungerman in St. Peters, MO, owned

by Kerry Woodson and Toni Donius.

Franchisee of the Year is the highest award given in the CARSTAR system, and it represents the best of the best that is CARSTAR. Rookie of the Year

The Rookie of the Year was CARSTAR Friendly in Roselle, IL, which is run by Body Shop Director, Eric Schmit. This award is given in recognition to a new CARSTAR franchisee as it gets “up and running” with CARSTAR.

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Business Group of the Year The award for Business Group of the Year went to CARSTAR Puget Sound Business Group, which represents 22 stores throughout the region.

Next Generation Award For 2015, the Next Generation Award was presented to husband and wife, Tony and Sharon Kempen, who run CARSTAR Pat’s Auto Body in Plover, WI, and CARSTAR Eau Claire South, in Eau Claire, WI.

26 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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800-542-8121 954-964-8300 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-5 hernandeze@autonation.com

Braman Honda of Palm Beach G re en a c re s

888-792-7189 954-763-7157 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5:30 rguido@holmanauto.com

Rick Case Honda Davie

877-544-2249

M ia mi

888-418-3513 305-256-2240 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7 mfranceschi@southhonda.com

Du lu t h

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

Honda Mall of Georgia Bu f ord /G win net t

678-318-3155 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 cdunlap@penskeautomotive.com

Milton Martin Honda Gain esv ille

770-534-0086 678-989-5473 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 robertthomas@mmhonda.com

Nalley Honda C l e r mo nt

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-5 pepe.guevara@headquarterhonda.com

Hendrick Honda Bradenton B rad e nto n

877-706-2021 941-752-2123 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-4 Kris.kitzman@hendrickauto.com

888-479-0695 561-966-5185

Hendrick Honda Daytona

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

800-953-4402 386-252-2301

D a y to n a Bea ch

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

Un ion City

GEOR GIA

Carey Paul Honda S ne ll vi ll e

770-985-1444 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-6 gperkins@careypaul.com

Ed Voyles Honda M ar i e tta

800-334-3719 770-933-5870 Direct Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-6 hondaparts@edvoyles.com

Gerald Jones Honda

866-362-8034 770-306-4646 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-5 hondawp@nalleycars.com

Southern Motors Honda Savann ah

888-785-8387 912-925-1444 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 angela@southern-motors.com MI SS IS SI P P I

Patty Peck Honda

A ugus ta

Rid g elan d

800-733-2210 706-228-7040

800-748-8676 601-957-3400

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

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

AC U R A AL AB A MA

FL OR IDA

GEOR GIA

GEO RG I A

Jerry Damson Acura

Duval Acura

Jackson Acura

Hu n ts vi lle

J ack so nv il le

Ro swe l l

Savann ah

800-264-1739 256-533-1345

800-352-2872 904-725-1149

877-622-2871 678-259-9500

800-347-0596 912-232-3222

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

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

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

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

Rick Case Acura

Nalley Acura

FL O RI D A

Acura of Orange Park J a cks on v ille

888-941-7278 904-777-1008 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-8; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-3 msweeney@acuraoforangepark.com

F o rt La u de rda l e

M ar i e tta

800-876-1150 954-377-7688

800-899-7278 770-422-3138

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

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

28 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Southern Motors Acura

N O. C AR O LI NA

Flow Acura Win st on -Salem

800-489-3534 336-761-3682 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-1 www.flowacura.com

NO . CA R O LI N A

NO . CAR OL INA

Apple Tree Honda

Metro Honda

Ash ev ill e

I n di a n Trai l

800-476-9411 828-684-4400

866-882-9542 704-220-1522

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 appletreeparts@hotmail.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 6:30-6:30; Sat 7-4 www.copytk.com

Burlington Honda B ur l in g t o n

Vann York Automall

800-822-5108 336-584-3431

336-841-6200

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6:00; Sat 8-1 parts@burlingtonhonda.com

High Point Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-3 SO . CARO LI NA

TEN NE SS EE

VIR GIN I A

AutoNation Honda West Knoxville K no xvi l le

800-824-1301 865-218-5461 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 rossd1@autonation.com

Bill Gatton Honda Br is to l

800-868-4118 423-652-9545 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-1 hondaparts@billgattonhonda.com

Crown Honda Southpoint

Breakaway Honda

Du r h am

G ree n vi ll e

855-893-8866 919-425-4711

800-849-5056 864-234-6481

Dept. Hours: M-Thu 7-11; Fri 7-6 Sat 7-5; Sun 11-5 www.southpointhonda.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 fmarshall@breakawayhonda.com

800-982-7290 901-255-3780

Midlands Honda

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7 ekerr@wolfchasehonda.com

Hendrick Honda Ch a r lo t t e

800-277-7271 704-552-1149 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 rob.thomas@hendrickauto.com

Leith Honda R al ei gh

800-868-6970 919-790-8228 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-5 parts@leithhonda.com

G as to n i a

888-703-7109 704-824-8844 x 624 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 parts@mshonda.com

NO. C AR O L IN A

Ba r tle t t

C o l u m bi a

877-273-4442 803-691-8585 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-4 www.copytk.com

Piedmont Honda

Colonial Honda C he ste r

800-564-9836 804-414-1960 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-4 rreese@i95honda.com

800-849-5057 864-375-2082

Duncan’s Hokie Honda

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

Airport Honda Alcoa

800-482-9606 757-431-4329 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-5 fox@hallauto.com

Hendrick Honda Woodbridge Woodb ridg e

703-690-7777 Dept. Hours: M-Fri 7-6 Sat 8-5; Sun 10-4

Valley Honda Stau n ton

800-277-0598 540-213-9016 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 9-5 bwimer@myvalleyhonda.com

West Broad Honda Rich m ond

VIRGINIA

A n de r so n

TE NNES SEE

McKenney-Salinas Honda

Wolfchase Honda

Hall Honda V irg inia B each

800-446-0160 804-672-8811 Dept. Hours: M-Thu 7:30-6:30; Fri 7:30-6; Sat 8-3; Sun 11-3 wbhonda@aol.com

C hr ist ia nb urg

800-979-9110 540-381-3200 Dept. Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30 Sat 8:00-5:00 rthompson@duncanauto.net

800-264-4721 865-970-7792 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6:30; Sat 7:30-5 parts@airporthonda.com

NO . CARO LI NA

VIR GIN IA

VIR GIN I A

Hendrick Acura

Performance Acura

Crown Acura of Richmond

Ch ar lo tt e

C h ap e l H i l l

Ri chmo nd

Falls Ch u rch

800-768-6824 704-566-2288

888-788-7301 919-942-3191

800-523-4411 804-527-6865

800-550-5035 703-824-5785

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

Dept. Hours: M-Th 7-7; Fri 7-6; Sat 8-5 performanceparts@hendrickauto.com

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6:00; Sat 8-6; Sun 10-5 jimgraf@radleyauto.com

Leith Acura

Radley Acura

Karen Radley Acura

Ca r y

Wo o db ri dge

800-868-0082 919-657-0460

800-355-2818 703-550-0205

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-3 coreythompson@radleyautogroup.com

www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 29

Industry Insight

—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has a body shop in the family and has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988.

He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.

Insurers, PartsTrader and CAPA Share News and Views at Non-OEM Parts Convention with John Yoswick

Although non-OEM parts were, not surprisingly, the focus at the recent Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) convention in Chicago, there were plenty of other topics of interest to collision repairers.

PartsTrader, for example, announced that vendors can now designate in the system which parts a shop returned and why. A year earlier, parts distributors at the ABPA conference told a PartsTrader speaker that because the monthly fees they pay PartsTrader are based on their total sales through the system, they should be able to indicate in PartsTrader if a part was returned (and thus potentially lower their fees) even if the shop doesn’t indicate the return in the system.

“I understand what you’re saying, but I think there’s a little bit of concern if you start returning [in the system] your own orders,” Ken Weiss of PartsTrader responded last spring.

Apparently those concerns have been addressed, because at this year’s ABPA conference, Weiss said suppliers now can do just that. Weiss showed how a shop can designate within PartsTrader that a part has been returned and cite a reason for the return; then he showed parts vendors how they can do that even if the shop hasn’t.

“You can open up the order and select the part and select the explanation and hit return,” Weiss told parts vendors. “At that point, it’s a return from the shop on their side as well as on your side. It would be nice if [the shop] did it first, but you have the ability.”

Another speaker whose comments may have raised some eyebrows among collision repairers was Allstate’s Randy Hanson who discussed his company’s belief in customer choice in terms of parts.

“So if a customer says they want a particular part on their vehicle, ‘I want OEM parts,’ we allow that,” Hanson

30 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

said. “We absolutely accommodate the customer’s request associated with that.

We do. We always will.”

(Several shops that participate in Allstate’s direct repair program later confirmed this was the case, but a number of shops who aren’t part of Allstate’s DRP said this was the first they’d heard about Allstate’s willingness to honor a customer’s preference for OEM parts.)

Hanson also discussed the company’s long-standing support (financial and otherwise) of the Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA).

“We believe that certification allows us to tell a very powerful story in terms of the consumer,” Hanson said.

“We only use CAPA-certified crash parts on our estimates.”

(Even a shop on the Allstate direct repair program subsequently questioned Hanson’s CAPA-only claim. “I believe the adjusters write the lowestpriced part available,” even if those are

non-certified aftermarket parts or lowquality used parts, he said. “They will allow us to change the estimate to the appropriate part,” but that’s not what is always on the initial estimate, he said.)

Hanson also weighed in on the future of published list prices for OEM parts. General Motors is launching MyPriceLink in some market this summer. As described by GM last fall, the new system will mean that parts prices would no longer be available within the estimating systems. Instead, shops would need to upload all estimates requiring prices for GM parts to MyPriceLink, which would then return the estimate back with current, competitive prices. (GM has more recently said it has worked with the three estimating system providers to ensure that shops will be able to use the program “with minimal disruption to their existing workflow,” but has provided little in the way of detail.)

NACE heading to California

The complete details about when and where NACE will be held next year won’t be announced formally until the event takes place in Detroit this month. But at the recent Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) convention, Automotive Service Association Executive Director Dan Risley offered a few clues. He said moving forward at least in the short-term NACE will return to Detroit every other year, rotating the other years between a West Coast location and an East Coast location. Though he declined to name any other specific cities that will host NACE in the future, he did say NACE 2016 would be held in California, the first time in the event’s 33-year history it will have been held in that state.

The system is expected to give the automaker more flexibility in parts pricing to compete with non-OEM parts.

Allstate’s Hanson said he thinks other automakers will eventually follow General Motor’s lead and stop publishing list prices for crash parts.

“All of the OEMs are probably going to go down that path,” he predicted. “I think most of them are watching GM to see how it goes.”

Hanson and several other speakers at the ABPA event made reference to the February 11 “Anderson Cooper 360” segment on CNN examining insurer involvement in the collision repair industry. Hanson told the non-OEM parts suppliers at the event that the message of the segment was damaging to their industry.

“It rang pretty loud and clear to me. I heard ‘cheap’ and I heard ‘junk,’”

Hanson said. “And I know that’s not the case, but that was the message they wanted to send. Those things are damaging. They take time to recover from.

That’s not the case, but how do you find the right outlet to continue to tell your story? I can tell you that I tell your story every day, and I will continue to do that.”

Bob Passmore of the Property-Casualty Insurance Association of America (PCI) said his organization also is watching to see if Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) follows through on references he’s made in the CNN piece and elsewhere to “wanting to do something about direct repair programs” at a federal level.

“We have no idea what that is but we continue to try to engage him to see what he’s up to,” Passmore said.

Sen. Blumenthal has not made any public comments about any legislation he might introduce related to DRPs, but earlier this year he did urge the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether insurers are directing consumers to collision repair shops that have agreed “to charge below-market labor rates and to use cheaper, salvaged, used or even counterfeit parts of questionable quality and safety.”

Speaker Jack Gillis, executive director of CAPA, also said his organization has been working with Sen. Blumenthal and his staff.

“I’m relatively optimistic that the Senator is going to be a strong supporter of quality aftermarket parts,” Gillis said. “He knows about the CAPA program. He believes in certification, and he also believes that competition for the car companies is very important.

So I’m pretty confident that we can work closely with the Senator’s office and turn him around in terms of aftermarket parts.”

Gillis also offered a brief update on his organization, noting that when CAPA was founded it was funded virtually entirely by the insurance industry.

“When I started 26 years ago, almost 100 percent of our funding was from the insurers,” Gillis said. “Today we’re down to about 11 percent. We now have the ability as a much more independent organization to work solely in the best interests of consumers and the industry. And that’s our goal.”

Gillis said CAPA also is in the process of developing standards to certify non-OEM radiators, condensers, fan assemblies and external mirrors.

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Lean Operations

A Better Way to Measure Cycle Time with David Luehr

For those of you that are using your management system to measure your cycle time, congratulations! Too often, collision repair shops don’t measure their shop’s cycle time performance, instead allowing our insurance partners to measure it for us with questionable reliability. Much of the cycle time information that insurers use to measure & judge you by, is derived from rental car length of rental “LOR.” While this outside information can be useful, you are much better off using detailed cycle time measurements that will contribute to your shop’s continuous improvement.

Cycle time is usually measured in terms of days from vehicle drop off to vehicle pick-up. What has come to be

known as “keys to keys.” As I said, knowing your keys to keys cycle time and comparing it against a known standard is helpful to know, but it doesn’t really help you identify specifically where in your system improvement opportunities lie. I offer a better way!

In every computerized management system, there are three separate time segments that you should use in addition to looking at your keys to

Free

David Luehr is the owner of Elite Body Shop Solutions, LLC, a collision business consulting firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a 30 year veteran of the collision repair industry.

David is an expert in Body Shop Operations and specializes in Lean, and Theory of Constraints methods. Email him at dluehr@msn.com

keys cycle time performance.

• Vehicle In to Start ■ Use this segment to measure how long it takes to get a vehicle from drop-off to production ready. “Production ready” is your shop’s definition of when the vehicle is ready to flow seamlessly through the body work and refinish stages of production. For most shops that means blueprinting has been completed, full approval from the customer and insurance companies has been obtained and all critical parts are on hand.

Once this criteria has been met and there is an available technician to work on it, enter the start date. For most shops this time segment averages 1 day (same day) for jobs under

can measure this segment in either days or in hours per day. Things that have the biggest effect on your suc-

this time segment, assuming you are diligent about your date management.

cess or failure while vehicles are in production are things like blueprint accuracy, parts correctness etc. Top shops will typically produce between 4.0 to 6.0 Hours per day while the vehicle is in the Started to Completed segment.

Take control of your cycle time performance by taking a deeper look into the individual areas that affect the overall cycle time performance. As you have heard, you cannot improve what you don’t measure. By viewing your computerized management system’s cycle time report, you can analyze this information, but you have to first be diligent with your date management.

If you would like more information about how you can apply this date management strategy at your shop, please contact me at david.luehr@elite bodyshopsolutions.com

• Repairs Completed to Vehicle Out ■ This time segment is probably the most overlooked area of cycle time opportunity. How long does it take you to get rid of the cars when you get them finished? Your management system cycle time reports will also show you how you are performing in

$1500, 2 days for $1500-$4000, and 5 days for the heavy hit $4000+ jobs.

The overall goal is 3 days on average for all jobs.

• Repairs Started to Repairs Completed ■ This is the most important segment of time because it is the only segment where anybody makes any money!

For that reason, you clearly want to measure this segment of time. You

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www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 33

—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has a body shop in the family and has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988.

He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.

Historical Snapshot

1995 CIC Survey, CARA Files Chapter 11, 2005 Non-OEM Crash Parts, Select Service with John Yoswick

20 years ago in the collision repair industry (July 1995) A [1995] Collision Industry Conference (CIC) survey… found that 70 percent of shop owners, and 83 percent of insurers, are dissatisfied with the way business is practiced between the two industries.

The survey results are among the first steps taken by a CIC committee focusing on the “invoicing methods and practices” used within the industry. The committee’s long-range goal is to try to help the repair and insurance industries develop a new method of doing business.

At the CIC meeting in San Antonio, committee chairman Scott Biggs described the results of some inter-industry brain-storming about various other methods by which collision repair shops could be compensated for their work by insurers. Biggs pointed out, however, that each of the methods described had potential pitfalls and

that no one was proposing them as the “perfect solution.”

Among the ideas discussed were: • A “cost-plus” method in which shops are paid for their actual costs in labor and materials plus an agreedupon “mark-up.” This would require the two sides to agree upon what true costs are and what is an appropriate “plus,” Biggs pointed out, and some insurers say this method offers no incentives to shops to keep costs down.

• A “real time, real dollars” method, but again, this requires that “real time” be determined, and agreed-upon “real dollar rates” be established.

• An “incentive method” in which shops that meet certain requirements (regarding training, equipment, customer satisfaction, etc.) would have their labor rate multiplied by an agreed-upon modifier. Establishing the requirements to receive the incentive could be tricky, CIC participants pointed out; should a shop, for exam-

Equus

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ple, receive extra compensation just because they purchased a certain piece of equipment?

• A “matrix method” in which a set of flat-rate repair prices are determined and each damaged vehicle is assigned one of these rates based on the type of vehicle, the severity of the damage, the quality of the repair work, etc.

“This one actually got more raised eyebrows than any others because of its simplicity,” Biggs said.

But, he said, it would require the Scott Biggs in 1995 industries to work closely to develop the categories, repair standards, etc.

– As reported in Bodyshop Connection. Obviously, 20 years later, there’s been little long-term shift toward any of these alternative systems.

15 years ago in the collision repair industry (July 2000) CARA Collision & Glass’ lender…has frozen CARA’s bank accounts, leaving CARA with no cash to operate its business. CARA will be filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.

– From a sign posted on the locked doors of 13 shops operated by Minnesota-based CARA Collision & Glass, prior to the liquidation of its assets by its bank, as reported in The Golden Eagle, July 2000. At its peak in the late 1990s, CARA had 26 locations in five states and $40 million in annual revenues. After losing $2 million in 1999, in mid-2000, it locked the doors on its remaining 13 shops – leaving customers’ cars inside and 150 employees without their final paychecks – and filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy. CARA founder Randy McPherson (a founding partner of ABRA Auto Body & Glass prior to leaving that company in 1996) blamed the collapse on CARA’s

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rapid and far-flung growth. His goal, he readily admits, was to capitalize on the late-1990s Wall Street appetite for industry “roll-ups” or consolidators.

“I’m not going to spend a nickel on TV (advertising for CARA),” McPherson had said in a 1997 interview. “I’m going to put all that money into valueadded services for insurance companies and their customers.” To that end, CARA offered free rental cars, free pick-up and delivery, and free towing.

10 years ago in the collision repair industry (July 2005) “Digging through my files one day recently, I came across a fascinating, though discolored document. Right in the beginning of its 62-page report (in 1989), Canada’s Automobile Protection Association (APA) questions the insurance industry’s stated motive for supporting aftermarket crash parts. The idea was that once the OEMs had competition, the price of crash parts would come down, thereby lowering the cost of repairs and, hopefully, what car owners paid for insurance premiums. APA asked the insurance industry for data to support this notion, and got nothing.

I asked Jack Gillis, executive director of the Certified Automotive

Parts Associaiton, if any data had surfaced since. He concedes he knows of no numbers that make the connection between non-OEM crash parts and consumer savings… Gillis grants the market penetration by non-OEM parts remains so small, even after all of these years, as to have little or no effect on overall repair costs.

APA cited data from the Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) that claimed that non-OEM crash parts comprised 10 percent of the market in Canada in 1989. APA’s own research indicated 14 percent. The figure commonly cited today for the United State is 15 percent. If that number sounds familiar, Gillis has been putting it out for years based on the best information he can collect. He admits that it is “accepted by the industry in large part because there is no better data.”

– From a column by Tom Slear published in Autobody News, July 2005. The ABPA percentage for the market share of non-OEM parts was probably more correct than either the APA’s or Gillis’ number. The market share for non-OEM parts cited by Mitchell International for 2007 (two years after Slear’s column was written) was 10.5 percent. That has climbed

slowly but steadily to 16.5 percent last year, according to Mitchell. The battle over whether this has resulted in lower insurance premiums for consumers continues. Doubters point to a statement

by Neal Menefee, CEO of Rockingham Mutual Insurance, who acknowledged at a 2012 Congressional hearing that he “would not expect premiums to go down as a result” of passage of legislation that would reduce the length of time automakers’ could patent the design of crash parts and stave off nonOEM competition for those parts. But backers of such patent change say Menefee went on to say that while not reducing costs, competition from nonOEM parts helps “avoid a significant increase in the cost of parts and insurance premiums.”

5 years ago in the collision repair industry (July 2010) State Farm “Select Service” shops will now receive a 3-digit number – similar to a credit score—from the insurer based on its measurement of the shop’s performance. The number, on a scale of 1 to 1,000, will be updated monthly and is established using a proprietary formula that takes into account the key performance indicators

(KPIs) State Farm uses to track each shop’s performance.

Specific KPI data will still also be shared with the shop, according to State Farm’s George Avery, but the new score offers a quick way for a shop to understand how it is doing in terms of State Farm’s measurements.

The report also indicates how the shop’s number compares with other shops in the program (even taking into account, Avery said, such things as differences in the types of vehicles repaired), and lists three areas that the shop could focus on to improve its score.

Avery said implementing the new score does not signal any new planned reduction in the number of Select Service shops, though the company continues to change the number of shops on the program in some markets based on its capacity needs.

– As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), July 26, 2010.

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Media and Publicity for Shops

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

The Do’s and Don’ts of Body Shop Advertising with Ed Attanasio

You’ve decided to do some advertising—in your local newspaper, radio station, TV or cable station, but are wondering what can you say in your ads without getting into trouble? If your ad is effective, consumers will hopefully see it and/or hear it, but also remember—your competitors will too! Even though you have the best of intentions, if your advertisement is deemed false and misleading, it could become your worst nightmare.

Unlawful advertising is one of the most frequently ways why California auto repair shops get into trouble with the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR), leading to civil and criminal penalties, disciplinary action and revocation of your BAR license.

The fact that you didn’t know the information in your advertisement was misleading or deceiving is irrelevant.

Recently, we sat down with Jack Molodanof, an attorney and lobbyist who has been specializing in automotive legislative, administrative and regulatory law for the last 30 years.

He’s considered an expert in California for the automotive repair industry Jack Molodanof is and represents sevan attorney and eral of the largest lobbyist who has been specializing in state-wide automoautomotive legislative repair associative, administrative tions, including the and regulatory law California Autofor the last 30 body Association years and represents body shops and the Automoin numerous cases tive Service Councils of California. Molodanof also serves on the California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) Advisory Group, which provides input on BAR programs.

Below are some of Molodanof's Do’s and Don’ts with regard to automotive repair dealer advertising and how to comply and stay out of trouble. If you don’t dot your I’s and cross your T’s, the penalties for getting caught surely aren’t petty. In fact, the BAR disciplinary guidelines for getting busted for misleading advertising are a minimum penalty of 180 days suspension, two years probation and

the maximum penalty also means that your license is revoked.

Do’s Perform all Services as Advertised.

“This seems so obvious but you would be surprised how often it is violated,” Molodanof explained. “You must perform/sell the services/parts in the advertisement as advertised. If you advertise a free service, without charge or at specified price you must perform the service as advertised, otherwise you can be accused of using “bait and switch” tactics. Be sure there are no unstated terms or conditions that qualify the offer. If there are limits, state them clearly and conspicuously. What is important is the overall impression created by the advertisement, not the technical truthfulness of the individual parts. Taken as a whole, the advertisement must fairly inform the ordinary consumer.”

Clear and Conspicuous Disclosures. “All ads must accurately, clearly and conspicuously disclose all pertinent information about the services.

This includes all conditions and disclaimer statements,” Molodanof said.

“If you advertise specific credit terms, you must provide all relevant details, including down payment, terms of repayment, and the annual interest rate.

See BAR regulations section 3372.1 (d).Disclosure Statements. “If you know or should have known that the advertised service cannot usually be performed in a good and workmanlike manner without additional parts, services or labor, you must disclose that additional labor, parts or services are often needed, to that extent.”

According to BAR guidelines, any such disclosure statement shall indicate that many instances of performance of the service involve extra cost and, if the automotive dealer reasonably expects that the extra cost will be more than 25% of the advertised costs, that the extra cost may be substantial.

The type size shall be at least ½ the type size used in the advertised price and the statement shall either be shown near the price or shall prominently footnoted through use of an asterisk or similar reference. See BAR regulations section 3372.1 (d)Include Name & Ad-

36 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

dress. The advertisement must include the auto repair dealer’s name and address as they appear on the BAR registration certificate. See BAR regulations section 3371 (a)Telephone Numbers. If a telephone number appears in an advertisement or on an advertising sign, this number shall be the same number as that listed for the dealer’s firm name and address in the telephone directory or in telephone company records. See BAR regulations section 3371 (b)

Don’ts False & Misleading Advertisements.

“Failing to perform, as advertised will get you in trouble,” Molodanof said.

“An advertisement that is false or misleading is illegal. An advertisement that fails to disclose information or is unclear may be unlawful if the public is likely to be deceived” Bus & Prof section 17500 Not intending to sell as Advertised: Bait and Switch. “Advertising

goods and services with the intent not to sell them as advertised and then switching them for other goods or services that are at a higher price or on terms more advantageous to the automotive repair shop is unlawful,” Molodanof said. Civil Code 1770 (a) (9).

Examples include using a photo that misrepresents the advertised item; showing an item that is not suited for the purposes represented in the advertisement; advertising claims based on flawed research; disparagement of products or services of others; false testimonials or endorsements and false offers for free products, rebates or contests. Mislead the extent of anticipated services. According to BAR, It is unlawful if the advertisement has the capacity to mislead the public as to the extent that anticipated parts; labor or other services are included in the advertised price. See BAR regulations section 3372.1 (b)Mislead as to additional related repairs and services. It is

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also unlawful if the advertisement for service or repair has the capacity to mislead the public as to the need for additional related parts, labor or other services; See BAR regulations section 3372.1 (c).

Offering services that cannot be performed at advertised price. It is considered false and misleading if you know or should have known that the advertised service cannot usually be performed in a good and workmanlike manner without additional parts, services or labor. See BAR regulations section 3372.1 (d)Many shops see other shops advertising the claim that they can pay their customers’ deductibles and the main question is— can they do that? “The law about advertising that a shop will cover the customer’s deductible is OK as long as the shop does not deviate from the insurance company accepted estimate,” according to Molodanof.

California’s penal code is clear on this topic. A shop may not waive or discount a customer’s deductible if it means the shop will deviate from the insurer company accepted estimate.

Except in cases in which the amount of repair has been determined by the insurer and the repair services are per-

formed in accordance with that determination, it is unlawful for a shop to offer or give any discount intended to offset a deductible required by a policy of insurance covering repairs. The law does not prohibit an advertisement for repair at a discount as long as the amount of the repair has been determined by the insurer and the repair is performed in accordance with that determination. See Penal Code section 551 (b).

Be careful when making any promotional offer, Molodanof warns.

“With any free give away, the old adage applies: If it's too good to be true, it usually is. Also the BAR regulators I speak with confirm that one way they investigate shops is to review their auto shop ads, websites, social media, etc. Remember the ads not only attract customers, but they also attract regulators too! The shop could become a target and have a big bull’s eye if the ad falls into one of the don’t categories. Also competitors turn in shops (forward ads to BAR) if they feel the ad is too effective and is taking business from them, so make sure if you offer something free or at a discount, you can back it up.”

What is the Standard to test Advertising Compliance?

In determining whether any advertisement, statement, or representation is false or misleading, it shall be considered in its entirety as it would be read or heard by persons to whom it is designed to appeal. An advertisement, statement, or representation shall be considered to be false or misleading if it tends to deceive the public or impose upon credulous or ignorant persons. See BAR regulations section 3372. If the answer is yes, or if you are in doubt, you better go back to the drawing board and make sure it’s compliant.

Bar regulations refers to California Code of Regulations If you ever have any questions regarding BAR compliance and California automotive repair laws, feel free to contact Jack Molodanof at: 2200 L Street Sacramento, CA 95816; Phone 916-447-0313; e-mail address: jack@ mgrco.org; website www.mgrco.org

Mazda Adds 540,000 Vehicles to Takata Recall

Mazda is recalling nearly 540,000 older cars and pickup trucks in the U.S. and Canada, adding to the list of models under recall for air bags that potentially can explode with too much force.

The Japanese automaker said in documents posted by U.S. and Canadian safety regulators that it is recalling nearly 503,000 cars to fix driver’s air bags and 35,000 small pickup trucks to fix passenger air bags.

Affected models with potentially faulty driver’s air bags are the 20032008 Mazda 6, 2006 to 2007 MazdaSpeed 6 and the 2004 to 2008 RX-8.

The company also is recalling 20042006 B-Series pickup trucks to replace passenger side inflators.

Some of the vehicles are part of a previous recall. Last year Mazda recalled about 330,000 cars in the U.S. to fix driver’s air bags.

The best way to tell if a car or truck is being recalled is to key in the vehicle identification number at https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/. The number is stamped on the driver’s side of the dashboard near the windshield and also is on many state registration cards. Automakers are still posting recall information by number. For more details on the recall, go to www.safer car.gov/rs/takata/index.html.

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New I-CAR Weld Demo Held at Marina Auto Body in CA With MIG Pulsed Aluminum Welders

by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor

Six weeks after opening a new 27,500square-foot facility in Inglewood, CA Marina Auto Body hosted I-CAR instructor Toby Chess and seven welding manufacturer representatives on June 3. The goal was to demonstrate the latest models of MIG Pulsed Aluminum Welders and test a new I-CAR weld. (see accompanying article on page 40) Participants first explained the highlights of the welders they brought and then Ara Guekguezian, a certified welder from Pride Auto Body in Van Nuys, CA welded a butte weld with backing on 1 mm with each one. “It’s a brand new I-CAR weld that is starting July 1 and the machine has to be able to do it,” said Chess.

The aluminum MIG welding comparison was held in the aluminum prep area at Marina Auto Body’s new location. Tom Williamson, the owner of the shop, said they fix a high volume of Mercedes-Benz vehicles and the prep area is expected to be certified over the next couple of months.

Williamson has operated a collision repair business in the Marina area of Los Angeles, CA for the past 16 years. He decided to expand and re-locate in 2012.

“I looked for a year and a half all over LAX proper area,” said Williamson.

“You’re really limited in the City of Los Angeles today where you can build a body shop.” The business owner said it was very challenging in terms of permitting.

Ralph Bribibsca, Senior Body Tech at Marina Auto Body, with his sons Cesar (middle) who started in 2004 and Jesse (left) who has worked there since 2010

“Inglewood welcomed me,” said Williamson. “They said, ‘if you’re not in 50 feet of a residence, let’s do this.’

It was actually kind of exciting when we went to City Hall, when we brought them the plans and said this is what we want to do.”

The shop’s long-time manager Jeff Lawson, who had recently retired, agreed to help open the shop, which

took six months to complete once the building was located. Williamson said Al Ortiz from Rely On Technologies, a Garmat spray booth distributor for Southern California, was instrumental in helping him find a location.

As a general contractor, Ortiz would lay out plans for the shop at every building they visited. They eventually chose the Inglewood location because of the quality of the building. The two have worked together on various projects over the last 20 years.

Currently, there are 11 body techs and a mechanic at the facility. Williamson brought over four body techs to open his new location, including Ralph Bribibsca and his two sons. Williamson said they already understand the culture of the business and will help get things running smoothly. He expects to eventually have 11 or 12 body techs plus a full-time mechanic.

New equipment was purchased for the shop including a double downdraft heated prep station, the latest in Garmat spraybooth technologies, Hunter 4 wheel alignment and Car-O-Liner Bench Rack and EVO equipment.

“It’s all about faster and better.

You can’t expect people to deliver if you don’t give them a good environment, equipment and training,” said

Williamson. “A body shop is limited by the number of cars they can paint in an eight-hour day.” Marina Auto Body can paint 15 in an eight-hour shift.

Plans are also in place to bring over equipment from the Marina del Rey location over the next several months.

That shop will be demolished after it closes in February 2017 and apartment buildings are expected to be built.

Williamson operates a second location in Huntington Beach, CA which is 10 minutes from his home.

He said it is a small, efficient shop that has a dedicated staff of employees who have worked there many years.

Williamson started working in body shops when he was 12 years old.

He worked as a body technician for 10 years before running an independent shop in Huntington Beach. He bought his own shop there in 1995.

Marina Auto Body has received multiple awards, including the Top Shop Award for Customer Service for the last three years in its market area from the Automobile Club of Southern California.

“Our vision is to continue to deliver quality repairs, provide great customer service and create an environment where our team members want to deliver on the promise to the customer,” said Williamson.

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Hey Toby!

Toby Chess is an I-CAR program instructor, Training specialist, and former salvage yard operator.

Toby is universally known in the collision industry for his work with first responders and advocacy for body shops and consumers. He can be reached at tcspeedster@gmail.com

A Closer Look at New Generation of Pulsed Aluminum MIG Welders with Toby Chess

The 2015 All Aluminum Ford F150 has brought a whole new interest in aluminum repair to the main stream of collision repair. One area of that has exploded in the welding process on aluminum. I-CAR has changed its WCA 03 test to reflect this change.

There are a whole new generation of Aluminum MIG welders on the market today. What I would like to discuss is what is new about these welders and take a closer look at them, but first, I think we need to have a little better understanding of the aluminum and the welding process. Before moving to the welding process, lets look at some of the important properties of aluminum as compared with steel.

The typical weld characteristics of steel or stainless don’t apply when mig welding aluminum. Aluminum has higher thermal conductivity and lower melting temperatures, both factors will influence weld solidification, weld burn through potential and warpage problems.

Aluminum is three times lighter than steel and yet can offer 30 percent higher strength when alloyed.

Aluminum can conduct electricity six times better than steel.

Aluminum has a thermal conductivity rate five times higher than steel.

The high thermal conductivity creates a great heat sink which can create insufficient weld fusion on parts over 4 mm and weld burn through issues on parts less than 3 mm.

Aluminum has a low melting point 1,200 degrees F, this is more than half that of steel.

Aluminum provides excellent corrosion resistance due to the formation of aluminum oxide. Bare aluminum will oxidize when oxygen and moisture are present and acts like a sponge can readily trap moisture, oil, grease and other materials. The aluminum oxide layer provides excellent corrosion resistance, however this is a layer that must be removed for optimum weld quality. Due to its higher melting point (3700 degrees F) the oxide layer if not removed can decrease the weld fusion.

The oxide layer is removed during the weld with the fore hand (push) technique (See Fig. 1). During the forehand weld travel, the gas molecules in the arc plasma collide with the oxide surface

moving the oxides. The oxides are also disrupted through mechanical cleaning (80 grit DA at low speeds or finer), wire brushing (needs to be a stainless steel brush to prevent galvanic corrosion), solvents and chemical etching.

Fig. 1. Push MIG welding

minum. The aluminum is liquefied and poured into a mold and when it has cooled, it is machined. All OEM that use cast aluminum on their vehicles, state if damaged or cracked, that the part is replaced. In series 7 aluminum, the major alloying element is zinc and this material is used for bumper reinforcements. Aluminum bumper reinforcements, when damaged are replaced and not repaired.

The aluminum that is found on vehicles that can be repaired and welded, will be either series 5 or series 6 aluminum. The next item that we need

to look at is the welding wire.

There are three major filler wires, 4043, 5356 and 5554 (recommended wire for the Ford F150 (See Figs. 4 & 5) used to weld aluminum. Some manufacturers, such Tesla, use a different 5 series wire that was mentioned earlier.

Series 4 wire compared to Series 5 wire are as follows: Softer material, melts at a lower temperature, smoother weld surface, less shear strength, cleaner and prone to

It should be noted that the gun angle is 5-15 degrees from vertical (See Fig. 2).

(l to r) Fig. 4 and Fig. 5.

Fig. 2

Aluminum in its purest form is very soft. To add strength to the aluminum, elements are added to change the physical properties of the Aluminum. All aluminum is designated by a 4 digit number and the first digit (Series 1-9) will represent what series of aluminum that is being mentioned.

In the automobile construction, 4 different series of aluminum can be used, which are Series 4,Series 5, Series 6 and Series 7. The major alloying element in series 4, is silicon, 5 is magnesium, 6 is a combination of silicon and magnesium and 7 is zinc. Series 4 aluminum is cast (See Fig. 3) Alu-

Fig. 3

40 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Fig. 6

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Testing Aluminum Welding Capabilities

I spoke with Kye Yeung from European Motor Car Works, Ken Boylan from Chief Automotive about the idea of bringing all the Pulsed MIG Welder together. Both agreed with the idea and I sent out invites to seven of the welder manufacturers. Tom Williamson, the owner of Marina Autobody furnished his aluminum bay for the demo, along with a great lunch. I contacted Steve Morris, Director of Operations for Pride Autobody about sending one of his certified aluminum technicians and he sent Ara Guekguezian. Casey Breeden, Southern California Region Manager for Miller Electric furnished all the welding gear. Craig Oliveira, Regional Manager of Kent Automotive, sponsored the rest of the event.

less cracking. Look at the next 2 pictures (Figs. 6 & 7).

Fig. 7

quired on the updated I-CAR Aluminum Certification Test, which is a butt weld with backer using 1MM coupons. Being a real this material, really put these welders to the test. I will mentioned that all the machines were able to perform the weld within the parameters for a successful pass.

(Fig. 6) looks like an excellent weld, but when I did a destructive test, you will notice that the upper coupon has no tear out or no penetration. In other words, no fusion between the wire and base metal. A rule of thumb- ‘the welding wire needs the same the same major alloying element as the base metal’. In the above example series 5 aluminum (major alloying element in Magnesium) and 4043 wire (major alloying element is Silicon) do not mix.

You will note the black soot around the weld which is a combination of aluminum and magnesium alloys. These alloys combine with oxygen to form aluminum oxide, which is black in color. Expect more soot from higher

magnesium alloys. For example the common 5356 filler metal can provide more soot than E4043 filler metal and excess soot is usually an indication of weld porosity issues. One way to control the formation of aluminum oxide in the weld, is to increase the CFH (cubic feet per hour) of the gas.

When welding aluminum, we will use 100 percent Argon with a purity factor of 4.6. This is the recommended shielding gas for the Ford F150. There are other shielding gases that can be used on aluminum such as a mixture of Argon and Helium or 100 percent Helium, but these shielding gases are for welding thicker aluminum that is not found on the Ford F150. The flow rate for welding aluminum is 25 CFH to 50 CFH. When pushing the puddle, the shielding gas acts like a snow plow to push out the oxides that are forming in the weld. A couple of other important items when welding aluminum are as follows: a longer stick out when compared to steel, slower travel speed and no weaving of the gun. There are a few other terms that need to be discussed, which are Pulsed Welders, synergic, hot start and crater fill. Let’s look at pulsed welding.

Miller Electric describes pulsed

Casey Breeden from Miller Electric

The welders from left to right are Car-OLiner, Elecktron, GYS, Fronius, Miller, Prospot International (3 models) and Wielander & Schill

Each manufacturer went through the set up, features and controls for the respective machines with Ara prior to him starting the welds.

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The welding test that Ara performed was the new weld that is re-

The backside of the weld with Prospot SP5 Welder. Pictured with Ara, Ashley Olsson and Bob Pluth

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welding as follows” Pulsed MIG works well with both thin and thick sections because it is a modified spray transfer process. The welder switches between a high peak

too low for metal transfer to occur.

The peak current pulse ensures good fusion, overcoming concerns related to cold lap, a common issue with short circuit MIG on aluminum. It also

Fig. 8. The welding circuit consists essentially of the following elements: Taken from www.mechanicalinfo.wordpress.com

current and a low background current 30 to 400 times per second (see Fig. 2).The peak current pinches off a spray transfer droplet and propels it toward the weldment. The background current maintains the arc, but the heat input is

provides faster travel speeds, which improves productivity. The background current lowers overall heat input (See Fig. 3), addressing the burn-through and warping issues commonly associated with spray transfer MIG.

To understand pulsed welding look at (Fig. 8).

When you are using a standard MIG welder, the process is known as short arc transfer. What happens is the electrode wire which is positive, touches the metal surface, which is negative, causing a shorting of the circuit which inturn produces heat that melts the electrode wire. In simple terms, pulsed MIG is a non-contact transfer method between the electrode and the weld puddle. This means that at no time does the electrode ever touch the puddle, which happened is short transfer welding. This is done through ahigh-speed manipulation of the electrical output of the welding machine.

It is designed to be a spatterless process that will run at a lower heat input than spray or globular transfer methods.

“The pulsed works by forming one droplet of molten metal at the end of the electrode per pulse. Then, just the right amount of current is added to push that one droplet across the arc and into the puddle. The transfer of these droplets occurs through the arc, one droplet per pulse” (Quote is from Lincoln Electrics web site). The next term you will hear and read about is “synergic” I started to do research on syneric pulsed welding, and I immediately re-

alized that I needed an advanced degree in engineering, which ain’t going to happen at my age. So here it goes.

There are four parameters that need to be set to perform form a good weld.

They are voltage, wire speed, pulse frequency and background current (The background current maintains the arc, but the heat input is too low for metal transfer to occur). Engineers were able to determine the optimum size of the droplet for a particular wire size. Furthermore, they could determine the peak current to dislodge the droplet from the wire. Next, add in a computer with a program that can change the frequency of the electricity, and you get a synergic pulsed welder. What does that mean? In layman terms, all you need is to set the metal thickness and tell the computer what wire size and diameter that is being used and welder will produce a steady and consistent droplet size that will be transferred to the base metal.

In other words, the welding technician does not have to set any of the critical parameters to obtain a good weld. The next item that I want to discuss is a cold start when welding aluminum.

Please look at (Fig. 9) before proceeding to on.

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Mercedes-Benz of Richmond

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mbwsparts@mbofrichmond.com www.mbofrichmond.com www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 43

Model

Phone

Origin

1) Car-O-Liner CMI273 800-521-9696 Denmark 2) Car-O-Liner CMI3000 Same Denmark 3) GYS-Advanced Collision Repair NeoPulse270t2 415-497-4515 France 4) Prospot International SP-1 USA/Italy 5) SP-2 USA/Italy 6) SP-5 USA/Italy 7) Miller Electric 350p automotive Contact Local Dealer USA 8) Wiedlander & Shill IP 6-2 ACT 732-495-7900 Germany 9) Fronius 2700 Austria 10) CMT2700 USA/Austria 11) Chief Automotive-Elektron 522 Italy

On line Training

Repairs Done By

Sell Approved Wire

Car-O-Liner Distributor

Yes

1) No

Car-O-Liner Distributor

3) No

ADVCRS

2) No 4) Yes

Local Distributors & Factory

6) Yes

Local Distributors & Factory

5) Yes 7) No

8) No 9) No

10) No

11) Yes

Local Distributors & Factory Local Distributors

Reliable Automotive Equip

Chief Distributor

Consumable

Yes

Car-O-Liner Distributor

Yes

ADVCRS

Car-O-Liner Distributor

Yes

Local Distributors & Factory

Yes

Local Distributors & Factory

Yes Yes Yes

Yes

Local Distributors & Factory Local Distributors

Reliable Automotive Equip

Chief Distributor

Warrant 2 Years Same 2 Years 2 Years 2 Years 2 Years 3 Years 1 Years 2 Years 2 Years 1 Years

Price

8,245 16,478 5,500 3,995 5,995 8,450 5,585 11,835 11,700 18,877 9,61

AMPs Needed 20 AMPS 30 AMPs 25 AMPs 30 30 30 30-60 30 30 30 20

Single 3 Phase In House Cost of Additional Video Phase 440 Volts Training Training Training Yes

Yes

No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes

Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes No

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Set Up Hot Start Crater Shipping Offer Lease Fee Fill Included Financing Program No

Yes

Yes

Varies

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No No No No No

No

No

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes

Yes Yes

Yes Yes

Yes

Varies No No No

Yes No

No

Yes Yes Yes Yes

Local Distributor

Yes

Yes

OE-USA MFG

Certification Program

Yes

Ford, GM, Honda, Audi, VW, Jaguar, Land Rover, MB, Porsche, Volvo

Yes

Ford, GM

Yes

Ford, GM

Yes Local Distributor

Yes

Yes

No No No Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes

Features CMI 273: Progamable updates, 4 roller drive system, easy to set up NeoPuse-270: Color Display, easy to set up, 220-440 Volts auto SP-1: Least Expensive Welder, portable, programable SP-2: 2 guns, easy to set up, works on single phase

SP-5: 5 guns, on line training, programable

Ford, GM

Miller 350P-Auto: 220 single 0r 3 Phase, Spool Gun Attachment, Program able

MB, Audi, Jaguar, Audi

2700: Adjust at torch, program updates, stored OE setting

MB, Tesla

MB, Tesla, Jaguar, Range Rover, Porsche, VW, Audi

Ford, GM

IP6-2: 2 guns, program updates, easy to set up

522: 2 guns, double pulsed welds, push-pull gun

When welding aluminum the base metal needs to be hot for the welding wire to fuse to it. If you look

at the blow up of the beginning of the weld, you will notice that wire is sitting on top of the base metal. A cold start is a weak point in the weld. In the past to prevent a cold start, you could hold the gun a little longer at the start before proceeding on with you weld.

Another way to prevent a cold start is known as tailing in.

The weld in started off the joint (usually perpendicular to weld joint) and by the time is gets to the joint, there is sufficient heat to proceed up the joint with the weld.

In other words, the machines throw a higher amount of amperage at the be-

ginning of the weld to heat up the aluminum quickly. Moving on, we will look at craters. (See Fig. 10).

A characteristic of aluminum as I previously mentioned is its high expansion and contraction rate. When the weld is finished, the weld bead will shrink, which intun leads to a crater forming at the end of the weld. Furthermore, the crater being a weak spot can lead to crack formation in the crater.

One method to eliminate the crater is backfill it before stopping the weld.

Again all the new machines that I compared had a crater fill option (more on this later).

Chief Automotive Technologies introduced a dust extractor that collects and contains the harmful aluminum particles released when aluminum vehicle body panels are sanded. The dust extractor features all-stainless steel construction and high-efficiency immersion separation technology, which make it an ideal solution for modern collision repair facilities.

Aluminum is increasingly being used in vehicle bodies to save weight.

When sanded, it produces dust that can corrode any bare steel it contacts. Aluminum dust is also explosive if a spark is

present to ignite it. Therefore, collision repair facilities should isolate aluminum jobs from steel repair, and collect aluminum dust at its source as it’s generated.

“A dust extractor ensures that no metal particles become airborne and travel through the shop,” said Bob Holland, director of collision in North and South America for Chief parent company Vehicle Service Group (VSG).

“But not all dust extractors are suited for use with aluminum. Some are made of basic, non-stainless steel alloys, which can corrode from the inside once alu-

minum dust enters the system. Since the new Chief dust extractor was designed specifically for use during aluminum repairs, it was built with the capabilities collision repair shops need to safely restore the vehicles of today and beyond.”

To maximize productivity, the dust extractor comes with a wye connector that enables two sanders to connect to it at the same time. As a result, technicians spend less time waiting for equipment.

Heavy-duty castors allow technicians to move the extractor through the shop.

The Chief dust extractor’s water-

based immersion separation system wets aluminum particles so they can be filtered into a containment vessel. Unlike traditional dust extractors, the Chief extractor’s containment vessel can be emptied independently of its water tank. This allows users to properly dispose of the collected solids in compliance with environmental regulations, instead of pouring them down a drain with the wastewater.

To learn more, contact your local Chief distributor, visit www.chiefauto motive.com/Shop-Tools/Dust-Extractor or call (800) 445-9262.

Fig. 9

The welding machines that I will be looking at all have a hot start feature,

Ford, GM

Varies Varies Per Hour Varies Varies Varies No Varies Varies Varies Varies

Fig. 10

New Chief Dust Extractor Makes Repairing Aluminum Less Explosive

44 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Continued from Page 18

Old School Again

times over, he explained.

“I love the fact that I am the only collision repairer in the chapter, which means I don’t have to compete with other shops within the group for referrals,” Glines said. “We had to go through an interview process to qualify for membership and they checked out all of our references, because they want only top businesses that are hon-

est and do quality work. Everyone knows 250 people in their community if they’ve lived there for any period of time, so the concept is to connect to those people and then indirectly connect to their group of 250 people.” (I did the math and if 250 people have 250 friends/associates/colleagues, that equals 62,500 people and if every one of them gets into an accident every nine years, that’s a grand total of almost 7,000 cars annually.)

Glines knows exactly down to the penny how much business he’s re-

ceived through his BNI chapter and the numbers make him smile. “We’ve brought in $212,000 through BNI referrals and I also get work from a local car dealership who is a fellow member of our chapter. The referrals reach a point where they take off exponentially and as more members get to know you, it gets even get better.

We’re going to do at least $1 million this year and BNI has been a big part of that. It has allowed us to avoid the DRPs and retain more control on all of our repairs.”

But, don’t apply for membership his chapter, Glines said, because he’s already that little fish in a big pond and happy about it. “Revenues are getting better every month and BNI has become an integral part of our business model now. We’ve become a part of the BNI family and proud of it.”

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INSIST ON GENUINE GM PARTS Only Original Parts Protect The Vehicle’s Value.

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www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 45

Cal-West: Where Silicon Valley and the Collision Industry Meet 1979, we were ready to get a new facility.”

In 1980, Cal-West moved into a Cal-West Specialty Coatings, Inc. is in Sunnyvale, CA; right smack in the 22,000 sq. ft. building and the busimiddle of Silicon Valley. Facebook, ness grew rapidly as Silicon Valley Google, Intel and many of the world’s exploded. By now, Woodhall was inleading high-tech companies are all corporating new production processes within a 5-10 minute drive from Cal- into his shop and started working priWest’s facility—encountering a marily on Porsches, Mercedes-Benzes Google self-driving car in the neigh- and BMWs, because when the money borhood is an everyday occurrence. starting flowing in the valley, German Start-ups crop up faster than new vehicles became more prevalent. In commercial buildings can be built in Silicon Valley’s heyday, Woodhall time to house them and if you’re not was fixing cars for many of the top working for stock options or antici- names in the high-tech game, includpating a looming IPO, you’re likely ing Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and looking for the next new thing.

Robert Noyce, who co-founded Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel and invented the integrated circuit.

In 1982, Cal-West became just the second shop in the country to spray Sikkens paint and was also the first to use a production line process to improve efficiency and quality. The shop was also the first to use a computer management system to manage a repair facility. Later, WoodFounder Ed Woodhall (left) and Vice-President Brian hall developed his own cutWong have taken a Silicon Valley approach to creating cutting-edge products at Cal-West Specialty Coatings, ting-edge shop management Inc. is in Sunnyvale, CA. The company is probably bestsystem that was ultimately known for the invention of Slime, the collision industry’s sold to 3M. first liquid overspray mask There were many other Cal-West is a Silicon Valley suc- firsts in Woodhall’s career in collision, cess story that began when a body but he is best known for is the invenshop owner had a problem and was tion of Slime, the industry’s first liqseeking a solution, which eventually uid overspray mask. Although he has led to the invention of several prod- invented a wide range of other body ucts that today are used in body shops shop products over the years, Slime is all over the planet. Owner and Inven- still his company’s most widely-used tor Ed Woodhall, 69, opened his col- product. lision repair shop in 1970 in For over twenty-five years, CalSunnyvale, CA and named it Cal- West Specialty Coatings has been the West. He was just 24, but already had leader in innovative products that prebig ideas that would eventually pare and protect high-value surfaces change the collision industry forever. during construction, refinish, and inToday, he’s known as a pioneer in transit operations. Cal-West’s cusmore ways than one—as an innovator, tomers include some of the world’s inventor and the creator of state-of- largest, most respected companies the-art products, processes and sys- who distribute its products globally, tems. serving a broad range of markets inBut in the beginning, Woodhall’s cluding automotive, marine, manufacmain concern was getting enough cars turing, construction and aerospace. to fix and keeping his doors open.

“NASA laid off a lot of engineers The genesis of Slime goes back to shortly after opening the shop, so we 1989 lost those customers,” he said. “But, “We were running into overspray iswe did whatever we could to stay sues primarily with Porsches and even afloat, which meant buying used cars, though we were masking the cars the repairing them and re-selling them. old way (with tape, plastic and paper) The business grew steadily and by we still had overspray,” he said. “To

by Ed Attanasio

46 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

satisfy these demanding customers, we started experimenting with a protective coating we could spray that wouldn’t damage the finish when the time came to remove it. Slime was ideal, because all you have to do is rinse it off when you’re done.”

After arduous testing, Woodhall went out and got Slime patented.

Body techs using the product began calling it Slime from Ghostbusters, a popular movie of the time and the rest is collision history. Since hitting the market, Cal-West has sold millions of gallons of Slime and today there are more than 40 million cars that have been protected by the product.

When Woodhall’s Slime took off and gained traction worldwide, CalWest stopped being a body shop and became Cal-West Specialty Coatings, Inc. “At the time, I was thrilled—kind of,” Woodhall said. “The product was becoming popular fast, but I still had a whole new company to manage in addition to a flourishing shop. So, I sold the body shop and embarked on a whole new adventure.”

Every product that Cal-West de-

signs and sells either through wellknown private labels or under its Like90 brand is designed to be easyto-use, so that people can be adept at using it rather quickly.

“We make products that are designed to improve the lives of body shop techs and painters and we achieve that by making things that are new and unique,” Woodhall said. “We are always looking for something that can enable them to be better and more efficient at their jobs. For example, having a clean booth is critical and our new clean booth products can reduce contaminants by 50% and make an old booth look new in just two hours.”

Cal-West products are designed to be as green as possible without sacrificing quality and performance, according to the company’s VP, Brian Wong. Wong is a Silicon Valley veteran, who worked for Atari during its glory years and was one of the founders of Worlds of Wonder, a $400 million toy manufacturer that’s best known for the Teddy Ruxpin Bear.

“One of the biggest sources of solid waste in a collision repair facilSee Cal-West, Page 54

QUALITY IS ALL WE THINK ABOUT. THAT AND QUALITY.

See these Hyundai dealers below for all your collision parts needs!

TENNESSEE

Downtown Nashville Hyundai NASHVILLE 1512 Br oadway

888-707-0658 615-341-3176 Fax Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm partsmanager@downtownnashvillemotors.com www.downtownhyundainashville.com

ABRA Auto Body & Glass Awards 10 Students with Tool Grants Through CREF

ABRA Auto Body & Glass awarded 10 collision students each with $2,000 in tools through a tool grant opportunity with the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF). The tool grant was made available to select high school seniors and post-secondary students studying in collision repair programs. The winning students were able to select $2,000 (retail value) in tools and equipment from a list of entrylevel body tools. The student winners of the 2015 ABRA Auto Body & Glass spring tool grant include:

● Alfonza Cooper – Chattahoochee Technical College (Marietta, GA) ● Jonathon Groom – Southwest Technical College (Fennimore, WI) ● Derek Holzknecht – Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (Rice Lake, WI) ● Antonio Huizar – Pickens Technical College (Aurora, CO) ● Jamari Linder – WyoTech (Blairsville, PA) ● Cesar Mercado – Walla Walla Community College (Walla Walla, WA) ● Anthony Pung – Dunwoody College of Technology (Minneapolis, MN)

● Cory Seal – Tennessee College of Applied Technology (Morristown, TN) ● Victor Vuchetich – Chippewa Valley Technical College (Eau Claire, WI) ● Jacob Will – Hennepin Technical College (Brooklyn Park, MN)

“One of the long-term goals of ABRA is to foster and support high school seniors and post-secondary students with their training and education in collision repair programs,” said Michelle DeMarais, ABRA’s recruiting manager.

“With these grants and our partnership with the Collision Repair Education Foundation, this goal can be a reality for students all across the country.”

For additional information about ABRA Auto Body & Glass, visit www .abraauto.com.

Industry members interested in working together with the Collision Repair Education Foundation in supporting secondary and post-secondary collision repair students, instructors, and their school programs should contact Director of Development, Brandon Eckenrode at 847.463.5244 or Brandon.Eckenrode @ed-foundation.org.

PPG Industries Foundation Awards Student Scholarships through CREF The PPG Industries Foundation, working with the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), recently awarded scholarships to four students who have demonstrated a career interest in automotive repair and refinish. The scholarships, $5,000 each, are awarded annually to fulltime students attending a post-secondary school with a focus or degree program in collision repair. The funds may be used to assist the students with educational expenses such as tuition, books, tools and equipment.

The winners of the 2015 PPG Foundation Scholarships are Chris Cranford (Pulaski Tech, Little Rock, AK.); Marly Luna (Lincoln College of Technology, Denver, CO.); Eric Piper (Highland Community College, Freeport, IL.); and Aaron Rollins (Universal Technical Institute, Houston, TX).

In addition, money was raised for the PPG MVP Industry Student Scholarship Fund during PPG’s 2014 Fall MVP Business Solutions Conference in Nashville, TN. The fund was able to award a $990 scholarship to Jessica Hedgecock (Manhattan Area Tech College,

Manhattan, KS.).

“Through PPG Automotive Refinish and the PPG Foundation, we continue to work closely with the Collision Repair Education Foundation to support future professionals and develop the educational facilities the collision industry requires,” said Domenic Brusco, PPG senior manager, industry relations and treasurer of CREF. “By taking an active role in the education of collision repair and refinish students across the country, we help grow a workforce to meet the demand for highly competent technicians amid ever-evolving technology.

We congratulate our 2015 scholarship recipients.”

Industry members interested in working with CREF to support secondary and post-secondary collision repair students, instructors and school programs should contact Brandon Eckenrode, director of development, at (847) 463-5244 or Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org.

www.autobodynews.com CHECK IT OUT!

Flow Subaru

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Winston-Salem (800) 489-3534 (336) 725-3554 Fax Mon.-Fri. 8-5; Sat. 8-1 subarupartsws@flowauto.com www.flowsubaru.com

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Subaru of Gwinnett Duluth (678) 584-7245 (678) 584-7246 Fax Mon.-Fri. 8-6; Sat. 8-4 www.subaruofgwinnett.com

The following dealerships are eager to serve your needs.

Call your local Subaru collision parts specialist today!

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Chapel Hill (888) 377-1664 To942-3191 advertise (919) call Advertising Sales at: (919) 932-2574 Fax Mon.-Thu. 7-7; Fri. 7-6; Sat. 8-5 800-699-8251 performanceparts@hendrickauto.com e-mail: www.hendrickauto.com advertising@autobodynews.com www.autobodynews.com

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Chattanooga www.autobodyn (423) 490-0181 (423) 385-7269 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5:30; Sat. 8-2 parts@kellycars.com www.kellycars.com To advertise call Sean Hartman at:

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www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 47

www.autobodynews.com

Valspar Plans to Strengthen Quest’s Brands After Acquiring Their Performance Coatings Businesses

by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor

Soon after The Valspar Corporation announced in May that it had reached an agreement to acquire the performance coatings businesses of Quest Specialty Chemicals, the company began discussing plans to integrate the auto-

motive product line within the Valspar automotive division.

When Autobody News spoke to Florian Girthofer, Valspar’s VP of Channel Strategy, he had just participated in a global town hall meeting with employees about the recent announcement. He said the news has been received extremely well.

“We are not planning on any immediate changes. Naturally, it’s a bit of an evolutionary process that we want to take here,” said Girthofer. “What will very clearly remain, however, are the quality brands that we have acquired. You can fully expect to see them more prominent in the future

than today in their form.”

Quest’s performance coatings businesses include automotive refinish and industrial coatings. In 2014, com-

under three brands: Matrix, Prospray and USC. Quest Industrial Products serves the professional and consumer markets with

bined sales of the two were approximately $190 million.

Quest Automotive Products formulates, manufactures and distributes advanced technology paints, coatings systems and accessories to refinishers, primarily in North America and Europe

aerosol spray products and highly-specified coatings for industrial applications under the Patriot, Raabe and Precision Color brands, mainly in North America.

In the fall of 2014, Valspar learned that Quest was going to be sold. “It was a fantastic opportunity for us,” said

NACE | CARS to Support Breast Cancer Programs

The NACE | CARS conference is proud to announce its involvement in fundraising to support local breast cancer programs in Detroit and national research. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the local and global breast cancer movement.

Susan G. Komen Detroit Race for the Cure representatives will be in attendance in the afternoon on Friday, July 24th to provide breast health education and accept a donation on behalf of NACE | CARS and the automotive industry.

The program will be addressed during the opening session, and special NACE | CARS commemorative pins are being produced for the show to help raise awareness. The Automotive Service Association (ASA), the owner and host organization of NACE | CARS, has committed to match up to $5,000 based upon the number of pins sold. Some companies are already planning to incorporate the color pink in the show attire for their booth staff, while others have committed to financial support through matching gift programs. As those companies come forth, ASA will issue press releases to acknowledge their support and contribution.

The cause hits close to home for many involved in NACE | CARS. With so many companies and people coming together for industry training, education, and networking, it creates an opportunity to raise awareness and support. Dan Risley, ASA president and executive director, explained, “Virtually everyone in the automotive industry has a friend or family member that has been negatively impacted by this disease. My family is no different, having lost one family member (JK) and another (KL) is courageously battling. Immediately preceding our decision to support local breast cancer awareness efforts, a friend of mine (TC) in the industry was diagnosed.

It’s times like these that many of us don’t know how to help. This is one way I know that we can.”

If you or your company is interested in making a large donation and/or in purchasing pins for your staff or customers, you can contact Dan Risley directly at danr@asashop .org. Pins will be sold throughout the show at the convention center.

www.autobodynews.com

48 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

CHECK IT OUT!

Girthofer, who has worked for Valspar since November 2013. “We’re at the point where we can bring both companies together and really look forward to being a much stronger market participant.”

Girthofer said the organizations will work side by side until he and his team have had time to really understand Quest’s businesses and its products, and have developed a clear plan to communicate to customers. “I think we have everything that independent body shops and MSOs are requiring in today’s environment to be a top supplier of automotive refinish coatings.”

“The acquisition strengthens Valspar’s value proposition in automotive refinish,” said Gary Hendrickson, Valspar’s Chairman and CEO, in a statement. “Our customers will benefit from expanded distribution of a portfolio of preferred brands they know and trust, a broader range of high-performance products and a stronger service network. We are pleased to welcome the Quest team to the Valspar family to help deliver these benefits to our customers.”

Valspar’s brands include DeBeer Refinish, Octoral, Valspar Refinish and House of Kolor.

The transaction closed on June 1.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

U.S. House Subcommittee Addresses Aging Postal Fleet and Efficiency of Government Repair Facilities

The U.S. House Subcommittee on ties and outsourcing vehicle repairs Government Operations under the to the private sector.

Committee on Oversight and GovCarter said, “I was a mayor at ernment Reform held a hearing May one time, and I had to manage fleets 21 on “Issues Facing Civilian and of vehicles similar to the postal Postal Service Vehicle Fleet Pro- fleet. We used best practices and curement.” During the hearing, the found that sometimes it was more subcommittee heard from represen- cost-efficient to go to the private tatives from the General Services sector to have maintenance and reAdministration, U.S. Government pairs done on our vehicles. The Accountability Office, United States USPS, especially in their current fisPostal Service (USPS) and NAFA cal situation, must also be responsiFleet Management Association. ble stewards of the dollar and ensure During the hearing, members the repairs on their fleet are done in addressed the issues of vehicle main- the most cost-efficient way.” tenance and repairs. U.S. Postal ServThe USPS was asked to report ice Chief Financial Officer Joseph back to the committee with a response Corbett responded to the subcom- to concerns about federal government mittee that of the $700 million vehicle vehicle maintenance facilities. repair costs per year at the USPS, Donny Seyfer, ASA Chair$200 million is outsourced to private man, said, “We appreciate Rep. facilities and $500 million in repairs Carter’s willingness to speak out on are made by the USPS. Corbett esti- behalf of automotive repair shop mated that there are approximately owners across the country. Small 500 USPS vehicle maintenance facil- businesses should not have to comities in the United States. pete with the federal government.

Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter There are thousands of privately (R-GA) suggested that the USPS owned vehicle repair facilities consider the potential cost savings across America that can make these of closing of federal on gov-matters repairs affecting in a competitive, cost-effiGive ushundreds your opinion the industry. ernment vehicle maintenance facili- cient, professional environment.”

write us! publisher@autobodynews.com

ASA Survey Measures OEM Service Info Website Usage

The Automotive Service Association (ASA) is conducting a survey on the usage of OEM service information websites by independent automotive service and repair shops.

“On behalf of NASTF, ASA is conducting this survey to help the industry understand better how the industry utilizes and finds service information,” said Donny Seyfer, ASA chairman and coowner of Seyfer Automotive in Wheat Ridge, Colo. “We hope that everyone who repairs cars will take two minutes and complete the survey.”

The survey asks 11 simple questions and is available at https:// www.surveymonkey.com/s/JNZSGCV. Survey results will be shared at a later date in AutoInc. magazine, ASA’s official publication. ASA hopes to gather all results by July 1.

To become a member of ASA, visit www.ASAshop.org or call (817) 514-2900.

For additional information about ASA, including past media releases, go to www.ASAshop.org, or visit ASA’s legislative website at www.TakingThe Hill.com.

New Martin Senour’s PCC® 2.8 VOC Factory Packaged Colors

The Martin Senour Company has launched its new PCC® Premium Commercial Coatings 2.8 VOC Factory Packaged Colors (FPC).

The urethane single stage products are designed for overall refinishing on a variety of fleet, commercial equipment and industrial applications.

Martin Senour representatives said that the PCC285 series delivers notable dry times and gloss content while meeting 2.8 VOC regulations.

Available in 10 popular factory packaged colors, Martin Senour reps added that they are easy to apply, easy to mix, and feature a simple 4:1 reduction ratio.

The PCC285 series can also be used for multiple types of industrial and commercial applications such as construction machinery, farm equipment and fleet vehicles.

For more information regarding Martin Senour or its paint products, visit the new website at www.martin senour-autopaint.com or call 1-800526-6704.

NACE | CARS Makes 2014 TSNN Top 250 Trade Show List The NACE | CARS conference and exposition made the Trade Show News Network (TSNN) Top 250 US Trade Show list of 2014. The list was released last month, compiled from show management and data supplied to TSNN. It represents the top 250 trade shows in the United States last year, ranked by net square footage.

The 2014 show broke previous records with 180 exhibitors and 8,497 attendees with the event spanning over 61,190 net square feet. NACE | CARS, now in its 33rd year, is the largest, longest-running North American event serving the automotive service and repair industries.

NACE | CARS 2015 will take place at the same location July 21 -25.

The show is expected to expand even further this year, featuring an Expo double the size of 2014. Training and education opportunities have expanded, as well, with a level of OEM training that is unmatched by any other event. Additionally, Industry Week is back with over a dozen colocated events.

No other event brings all facets of the automotive industry together like NACE | CARS. Targeting business owners, management and technicians, this conference & exposition

brings together all market segments for the latest and most comprehensive repair solutions, services, education, products and technology. NACE | CARS is the best source of industry education & training, networking and world-class exhibits for all segments of the automotive service and repair industry.

The full Top 250 Trade Show list can be found on the TSNN website at http://www.tsnn.com/toplists-us.

More information about NACE | CARS 2015 can be found at www.NACE expo.com or www.CARSevent.com.

For those interested in exhibiting, space is still available but moving fast.

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ASA Congratulates AudaExplore on Feather, Prime, Block Estimating Solution The Automotive Service Association (ASA) applauded AudaExplore on its creation of the industry’s first estimating software solution for Feather, Prime and Block (FP&B).

Whenever a panel is repaired and a user-judgment time is entered, the new feature will allow an estimator the option of allocating some of the repair

ing industry issue. They are truly pioneers and committed to helping repairers and insurers accurately document and estimate the necessary steps, as well as cost, to properly repair a vehicle,” said Dan Risley, ASA President/Executive Director. “We appreciate AudaExplore’s willingness to tackle this issue and provide tools to better assist every-

time to a new labor operation—Feather, Prime and Block—that will calculate as Refinish Labor (Rate Code 4).

AudaExplore has also created a new material calculation to address Feather, Prime and Block. This will operate in much the same way as Paint and Materials, as it will be a user-entered dollar value that will act as a multiplier for all FP&B hours in the estimate.

“AudaExplore has taken a significant step to help address a long-stand-

one who prepares or negotiates an estimate. An industry with less friction is a more efficient one. Today, there is a little less friction.”

According to AudaExplore, all of this information will be clearly displayed on the estimate as line items, as well as in the summary at the bottom of the estimate. The use of the Feather, Prime and Block feature is configurable at the discretion of the user.

The industry has recognized Feather, Prime and Block as a refin-

“We appreciate AudaExplore’s willingness to tackle this issue and provide tools to better assist everyone who prepares or negotiates an estimate. An industry with less friction is a more efficient one,” said Dan Risley

ish operation necessary to perform quality repairs through the Collision Industry Conference. However, two collision repair summits and multiple shop-user focus groups held by AudaExplore within the past 14 months have clearly indicated that FP&B remains an industry concern.

This feature will help repairers to properly allocate labor resources within their shops and the materials need to be clearly addressed. In some states, regulations stipulate that FP&B labor has to be delineated as a refinish operation.

“We are very pleased that AudaExplore is the first provider to address this important issue and has created a software solution for the industry,” said Risley.

For additional information about ASA, including past news releases, go to www.ASAshop.org, or visit ASA’s legislative website at www.TakingThe Hill.com

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The Carlyle Group Closes Acquisition of NARS

Global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group announced on June 4 that it has completed the acquisition of Nationwide Accident Repair Services PLC (NARS), a provider of automotive crash repair and accident administration services to the UK automotive insurance industry.

Following approval by the High Court of Justice of England and Wales, NARS has made an application to the London Stock Exchange for the cancellation of the admission to trading on AIM of, and cessation of dealings in, NARS Shares. Equity for the investment will come from Carlyle Strategic Partners III, a global special situations and corporate opportunities fund.

With accident repair centres located throughout the United Kingdom, NARS is the largest dedicated provider of accident repair services in the UK and has relationships with a number of motor insurers. It also provides its services to fleet operators.

Ian Jackson, Managing Director and Co-Head of Carlyle Strategic Partners, said, “Our extensive experience in working with businesses in this sector, including the Service King repair business in the US, means we are well placed to support management.”

CCC Information Services and CREF Announce Winners of Annual Scholarship

The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) and CCC Information Services Inc., announced four student winners of the CCC Michael Salvatore Memorial Student Repair Technician Scholarship.

The CCC scholarship program has been in place since 2006.

The CCC Michael Salvatore Memorial Student Repair Technician

● Silky Wheeler (Blue Ridge Community College, Flat Rock, NC) “CCC congratulates these students on their academic achievements and we’re proud to support them in their collision repair education and training,” said Joseph Allen, GM of CCC’s Automotive Services Group.

“As new technologies continue to drive vehicle design and repairability,

“CCC congratulates these students on their academic achievements and we’re proud to support them in their collision repair education and training,” said Joseph Allen

Scholarship awards scholarships to students currently enrolled in a repair program and who have demonstrated superior academic achievement.

The 2015 winners include:

Top Scholarship Recipient ● Sylvanah Wolff (Cerritos College, Norwalk, CA)

Additional Scholarship Recipients ● Chris Kelly (Hawaii Community College, Hilo, HI)

● Matthew Miller (Lake Technical College, Eustis, FL)

hands-on education has become even more critical. We wish these students well and look forward to having them in the industry in the years to come.”

For additional information about CCC Information Services visit www .cccis.com.

Industry members interested in working together with the Collision Repair Education Foundation in supporting secondary and post-secondary collision repair students, instructors, and their school programs should contact Director of Development, Brandon Eckenrode at 847.463.5244 or Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation .org.

50 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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CARS to Feature Expanded Mechanical Specialty and Technical Training CARS is proud to announce its expanded agenda at the NACE | CARS 2015 conference and exposition, taking place at the COBO Center in Detroit, Michigan on July 21–25. The CARS program will feature more mechanical specialty and technical training than ever before, with additional sessions focused on leadership from all segments of the automotive service repair industry.

“ASA has listened to the industry and we’ve made significant updates to CARS and the programming. The CARS content was and will continue to be driven by the very best in the service repair industry. Our industry is changing at an accelerated rate. Staying ahead of the latest advancements in technology isn’t something you can ignore,” said Donny Seyfer, Co-Owner of Seyfer Automotive, Inc. and Chairman of ASA. Some highlighted opportunities include: ● The Service Repair Leadership Forum (SRLF)—Inaugural event led by Bob Greenwood & Maylan Newton ● The Technology & Telematics Forum— Sponsored by Auto Alliance and ASA ● Service Ready Sessions—by Volkswagen and Honda ● Evaporative System Diagnosis Training—With trainer Kevin McCartney from NAPA Autotech

● Young Technicians Symposium— Powered by Bosch The inaugural Service Repair Leadership Forum will provide an opportunity for the industry to discuss issues, share

knowledge, network with decision-makers and gain insight into the future of the industry. SRLF will take place on Friday, July 24 and is open to all individuals and companies interested in advancing the automotive industry. The event will include a private reception the day preceding the event (July 23 from 4–6pm), a continental breakfast on the day of (7:30–8am), a half day program (8am–noon), and a keynote luncheon immediately following (noon–1pm). Newton and Greenwood will partner for the first time in their instruction of two programs at the Forum on the topics of marketing in the industry and shop profitability & efficiency, in addition to acting as Co-Masters of Ceremony.

Other topics will include the state of the industry, parts quality, motor vehicle inspections, multi shop operators, and emissions programs.

The Technology & Telematics Forum, sponsored by Auto Alliance and ASA, will provide a look into the future of shops and an overview of emerging technology for the industry. In its second year, the 2015 program will feature an expanded agenda with 5 key discussion areas—a telematics update and overview, a connected car technology panel discussion, driver assistance communication and electronic stability control, telematics innovation with aftermarket software, and Serial Edge Nibble Transmission (SENT). The event will take place in the afternoon of Thursday, July 23 from 2pm–4pm, and a reception will follow immediately after, concluding at 6pm.

Service Ready sessions will also be offered by Honda and Volkswagen. Valerie Sullivan will speak on behalf of American Honda to give a manufacturer’s point-ofview on what it takes to be ready when a Honda product is in your shop. The Honda Service Ready session will take place on July 22 from 1:30–3:30pm. Volkswagen is bringing in Service Publications Regulatory Specialist Kurt Immekus to share knowledge on what it takes to be ready when a VW or Audi product is brought into your shop. This will take place July 22 from 11am–12:30pm. Presented by the manufacturer, these sessions will focus on service information, tooling (scan and oth-

erwise) and tips from the OEM on understanding their culture and successfully servicing their brand.

The Young Technicians Symposium will be back, as well, on July 24 from 8am–5pm. Powered by Bosch, this Symposium will offer a two-part program to evaluate electrical system knowledge, and diagnostic approach to help you improve your skills. Part one of the program will cover pertinent topics in automotive electronics, and part two will focus on engine management fundamentals. A live training simulator will be used to demonstrate real world diagnostic examples and student response buttons will provide instant feedback on progress.

Saturday will offer training for Journeyman Technicians with topics ranging from Evaporative System Diagnosis to Electrical Diagnosis.

Dan Risley, President and Executive Director of ASA, stated, “CARS is committed to ensuring that you have the information and knowledge you need to today and the future. We look forward to seeing the leaders in the industry in Detroit and sharing information that you can’t get anywhere else.”

Visit the full conference program to view all available sessions: www .NACEexpo.com or www.CARSevent .com.

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www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 51

U.S. Senate Committee Examines EPA’s Proposed Air Quality Standards

On June 3, the Senate Environment and air quality standards (NAAQS) until at to be addressed, the EPA is required to Public Works Committee (EPW) held a least 85 percent of counties that are in review the standards every five years to hearing titled, “Challenges and Implica- nonattainment areas have attained the make sure they are up to date. Despite tions of EPA’s Proposed National Ambient standard. what some of my Republican colleagues Air Quality Standard for Ground-Level Although the committee as a whole may try to claim today, scientists overOzone and Legislative Hearing on S. 638, agreed on the importance of cleaner air, whelmingly agree that EPA needs to S. 751, and S. 640.” the members took a more partisan stance adopt a stricter standard to protect the Currently, the ozone standard rests when it came to the proposal of changing health of the American people, espeat 75 parts per billion (ppb). Under the the standard. cially our children and the elderly. We EPA’s proposed change, the standard Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), have known since 2008 that the current would be between 65 and 70 ozone standard does not proppb. The EPA is now taking vide the necessary health “EPA’s ozone proposal is the most expencomment on an even more agsafeguards.” sive regulation in history with projected gressive standard of 60 ppb.

The EPA is expected to During the hearing, commake a final decision on the costs of $1.7 trillion and 1.4 million lost mittee members heard from proposal to update the air jobs,” said Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.)

U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), quality standards for groundsponsor of S. 638, the Comlevel ozone by November monsense Legislative Exceptional Events committee chairman, said, “EPA’s ozone 2015. For more information, visit Reforms Act (CLEER), and S. 640, the proposal is the most expensive regula- https://www.federalregister.gov/artiOzone Regulatory Delay and Extension tion in history with projected costs of cles/2014/12/ 17/2014-28674/nationalof Assessment Length Act (ORDEAL). $1.7 trillion and 1.4 million lost jobs. Up ambient-air-quality-standards-for-ozone If implemented, the CLEER Act to 67 percent of counties fail to meet the ASA has held meetings with the would amend the Clean Air Act with re- proposed lower standards, which means U.S. EPA at its National Vehicle and spect to an Exceptional Events rule, if this rule goes forward, they will face a Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann while the ORDEAL Act would delay the legacy of EPA regulatory oversight, stiff Arbor, MI, and on Capitol Hill regardreview and revision of the national am- federal penalties, lost highway dollars, ing the proposed new standard. In adbient air quality standards for ozone. restrictions on infrastructure investment dition, ASA has discussed the proposal Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) also ad- and increased costs to businesses.” with state air quality representatives dressed the committee to defend his bill, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), concerning the impact these new stanS. 751, the Clean Air, Strong Economies ranking member, disagreed with the dards could have on state implementaAct (CASE). This bill would prohibit the chairman, and stated, “To ensure the tion plans and vehicle emissions and EPA from lowering its national ambient health impacts of air pollution continue inspection programs.

U.S. House Committee Addresses Auto Cybersecurity

On May 28, a bipartisan group from the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent letters to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and 17 automakers requesting information on automotive cybersecurity. The letters inquired about how the industry plans to address the challenges associated with expanding technologies such as in-vehicle Wi-Fi, infotainment systems and smartphone connectivity. They also asked how automakers are working with the federal government to identify and resolve cyber vulnerabilities.

The letters expressed optimism about the benefits of emerging technologies, but were realistic about the potential risks. In an excerpt from the letter to NHTSA, committee members stated, “While threats to vehicle technology currently appear isolated and disparate, as the technology becomes more prevalent, so too will the risks associated with it. Threats and vulnerabilities in vehicle systems may be inevitable, but we cannot allow this to undermine the potential benefits of these technologies. The industry and NHTSA have an opportunity to prepare for challenges that advanced vehicle technologies present and to develop strategies to mitigate the risks.”

Ron Perretta to Lead Innovative Coating Training

Ron Perretta teamed up with icoat (Innovative Coatings), which has launched Street Smart, a new series of training modules designed to benefit collision repair professionals.

The first training instructed by Perretta was held at icoat’s training facility in Windsor, Ontario, June 16-17. The objective of the two-day course was to provide a comprehensive knowledge of how to use KPIs to establish a culture of continuous improvement in a simple form.

Perretta said, “I will show by keeping it simple and knowing what buttons to push, which will allow attendees to only have to watch certain KPIs that will affect the entire process. Keeping it simple causes it to stick.”

“We believe our street smart approach of working interdependently with our customers is key to our mutual success,” said Wayne Brady, President of icoat.

For more information, contact Wayne Brady at 519-791-6383 or via email to wayne@icoat.ca, or contact Charlie Bathurst at 519-330-2439.

Perretta has been operating collision repair facilities for 35 years, and has been training and consulting for the last 16. In-store, classroom or phone coaching are available. To schedule, contact RonPerretta@aol.com.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car is Now CARSTAR’s Preferred Provider CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts, North America’s largest Multi-Shop Operator (MSO) network, selected Enterprise Rent-A-Car as its preferred car rental partner throughout the United States.

The Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand is part of the world’s largest car rental

tioned to provide replacement rentals to consumers throughout the country.

Through the partnership, CARSTAR is able to leverage Enterprise’s extensive network of neighborhood car rental locations, its low-mileage, well-maintained vehicles and Enterprise’s Automated Rental Management System (ARMS®) applications for customers in need of transportation while their vehicles are being repaired.

“Enterprise has partnered with collision repair centers and insurance companies for more than 50 years to help customers whose cars have been damaged or stolen,” said Mary Mahoney, Vice President, Insurance Replacement for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. “Partnerships with organizations like CARSTAR are important to Enterprise’s (l to r) David Byers, CEO of CARSTAR Auto Body Repair success in the replacement rental Experts, Frank LaViola, AVP of Enterprise Holdings, segment and further compleInc., Dan Young, SVP of Insurance Relations, CARSTAR ment our collaborations with inAuto Body Repair Experts, David James, VP of Marketsurance companies. We look ing, CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts, Ernie Laky, forward to strengthening our role VP of Purchasing, CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts within the collision repair indusprovider, and with more than 5,500 try as the preferred car rental partner to the fully staffed airport and neighborhood CARSTAR network and its customers.”

CARSTAR, which just celebrated offices located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population, the En- its 25th anniversary, has repaired more terprise Rent-A-Car network is posi- than 4,000,000 vehicles and delivers a

52 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

repaired vehicle every 30 seconds. With more than 430 independently owned and operated stores across the United States and Canada, it offers a nationwide warranty and 24/7 accident assistance.

When an accident occurs, CARSTAR sends the tow truck, contacts the consumer’s insurance company, arranges their rental car and repairs their vehicle.

“We are focused on providing the highest level of customer service, and one critical element of that is getting them back on the road to work and their families in a quality rental car,” said David Byers, CEO of CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts. “Partnering with Enterprise Rent-A-Car allows us to provide world-class rental car service to our customers and our store owners.”

In addition, CARSTAR will have access to Enterprise’s ARMS® technology, a free online platform that allows collision repair centers to book rental reservations and send vehicle status updates to insurance partners and customers in real-time. ARMS data helps collision repair centers increase operating efficiencies, enhance customer service and streamline communications with insurance companies and customers.

Through ARMS, repair centers also can track, measure and forecast labor needs, and generate monthly reports.

Redesigned Automotive Lift Institute Website Houses Certified Lift and Inspector Directories

The Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) launched a completely redesigned website on June 1 at www.autolift.org. The new site brings together information lift buyers, owners and users need, including: ● The official directory of every ALI certified car, truck and vehicle lift, including certified accessories. ● An exclusive directory of ALI Certified Lift Inspectors searchable by ZIP or postal code. ● A list of leading North American lift manufacturers with contact information and website links. ● Access to lift safety standards and materials, including online training. ● Information on purchasing a lift, including FAQs, explanations of lift types and facts about codes and regulations affecting the purchase and installation of vehicle lifts across North America. ● Buyer beware warnings about false or misleading lift claims.

“As the trade association for the North American vehicle lift industry, it is our mission to promote the safe design, construction, installation, service, inspection and use of automotive lifts,” said R.W. “Bob” O’Gorman, ALI President. “Our new website was built from scratch to further that mission. By

redesigning the site to be more modern and user-friendly, we have made it as easy as possible for anyone with an interest in vehicle lifts to find the information they need to make smart choices. The website features all-new copy, photographs and navigation.”

ANSI/ALI ALCTV (current edition) “Safety Requirements for the Construction, Testing and Validation of Automotive Lifts” standard. If a lift is not listed, it’s not certified. Because lift testing and certification is generally voluntary for manufacturers, lift customers

The Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) website, www.autolift.org, has been redesigned to serve as a user-friendly resource for all important vehicle lift information

As part of the redesign, ALI brought control of its Directory of Certified Lifts in-house and redeveloped it at the same time as the rest of the site. The Directory of Certified Lifts lists every automotive/truck/vehicle lift that is certified to meet the

must take charge of their own safety by tbuying only lifts that have been thirdparty tested and ALI certified.

The new Directory of Certified Lifts can be browsed by lift type or searched by lift type, manufacturer, brand, model number and/or load rat-

ing. Each listing includes the lift’s specifications, certification date and manufacturer’s contact information.

For lifts with certified accessories, the accessories are defined in the listing, including model number, description and rated capacity (if applicable).

Listings may also include notes and a picture of the lift.

One new feature of the ALI website is the ALI History section. Set up in a timeline format, the page takes readers from the Institute’s founding in 1945 through its near demise in the mid-1970s, its rejuvenation in the 1980s, and its lift-safety-focused activities in the 1990s through present.

The timeline also calls out notable events in the Institute’s past, such as the extension of membership to Canadian manufacturers in 1983 and Aug. 5, 2012, when ALI was the primary partner on the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford Fusion driven by Aric Almirola in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pennsylvania 400.

To learn more about ALI, visit www .autolift.org or call (607) 7567775. You can also connect with ALI on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LiftInstitute, on Twitter at www.twitter.com /LiftInstitute, and on YouTube at www .youtube.com/LiftInstitute.

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Continued from Page 46

Cal-West

ity is the plastic film used to protect vehicles from paint overspray,” Wong said. “This plastic invariably ends up in landfills, where it lingers for a few thousand years. A typical vehicle requires 125 to 150 square feet of plastic to mask against overspray. This means a single body shop repairing 300 cars per month is disposing as much as 45,000 square feet of plastic in that same timeframe, or over half a million square feet annually. By using Slime, shops don’t have to create all that waste.”

Less than a quart of Cal-West’s liquid mask effectively protects a vehicle against overspray. After the water has evaporated from the coating, less than 3 oz. of dry film remains on the vehicle. This dry film, similar

in chemistry to single-use laundry detergent bags, dissolves in water and biodegrades in municipal water-treatment facilities, according to the company’s web site. In 1989, Woodhall was inducted into the Hall of Eagles, the collision industry’s Hall of Fame whose members include a who’s who list of every pioneering inventor and innovator that this industry has ever seen.

He was also named “Man of the Year” by Automotive Repair Management Systems and from 1984 to 1990, he served as a representative for 3M conducting body shop management seminars and advising body shops nationwide. The collision industry has been good to Woodhall and vice versa, but it’s only just a small part of his busy life of philanthropy and outreach.

To this end, Cal-West provides regular ongoing financial support to a

school in Uganda through his church and he also works with addicts and alcoholics in the Bay Area. In 1985, one of Woodhall’s employees who had substance problems committed suicide and killed his girlfriend—a pivotal moment that changed his life forever.

“I knew that God was telling me something there,” Woodhall said. “He was telling me that I need to help people with addictions and fill that role.

We were losing staff and the quality of our work fell off, so it became apparent that there was a substance problem right here and that it wasn’t going away anytime soon, unless we did something about it.”

Today, Woodhall holds Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at his church, as well as hiring and mentoring addicts and alcoholics at Cal-West.

“We want to help them, but they need to be accountable too. They sign

a contract when they get hired and they know we can drug test them at any time. We will gladly help them to get clean and stay clean, but they have to prove to us that they have the desire to get sober and change their lives.”

With a company mission of unveiling two groundbreaking new products every year, Cal-West is looking toward a future of developing body shop products that will make the collision industry better overall.

“We’re currently developing products that will hopefully become as widely used as Slime,” Wong said.

“We want to make unique, special products that can change the industry and that’s why we never make ‘me too’ products. We want to use the technology and create tools for body techs and painters, so they can do a better job while making their lives easier.”

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www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 55

ARTS Hyundai Roswell Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-6:30 Sat 8-5

866-658-1508 11446 Alpharetta Hwy., Roswell, GA 30076

Hyundai Duluth Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-6:30 Sat 8-5; Sun 12-5

888-658-1469 3180 Satellite Blvd. NW., Duluth, GA 30096

Volkswagen Davie

Hyundai Davie Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-6 Sat 8-5; Sun 11-5

866-818-2519 3550 Weston Rd., Davie, FL 33331

Kia Ft. Lauderdale

Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-6 Sat 8-5; Sun 11-5

Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-6 Sat 8-5; Sun 11-5

877-325-9968

954-622-1655

Honda Davie

Hyundai Ft. Lauderdale Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-6 Sat 8-5; Sun 11-4

866-659-0131 925 N. State Rd. 7, Plantation, FL 33317

Kia Duluth Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-7 Sat 8-5

866-757-4645

Acura Ft. Lauderdale

Hours: Mon-Fri 7 - 7 Sat 7:30 - 6; Sun 11-5

Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30 - 6 Sat 8 - 5; Sun 11 - 4

954-364-3079

888-504-7242 Audi Genuine Parts

Audi Gwinnett Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-6:30 Sat 8-5

888-485-8814

Mazda Duluth Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-6:30 Sat 8-5

888-658-3225

Alfa Romeo Fiat Davie Hours: Mon-Fri 8-6 Sat 8:30-4:30; Sun 11-5

954-903-5412 56 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com