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I-CAR Wants to Get OEM Info to Techs and to Educate Consumers about Tech Training

VOL. 5 ISSUE 7 SEPTEMBER 2014

Louisiana AG Buddy Caldwell Files Suit Against State Farm Alleging Unsafe Business Practices

by John Yoswick

A glimpse at future vehicle technology and what it may mean for collision repairers and insurers filled much of the agenda at I-CAR’s annual conference in Detroit in late July, but the organization saved perhaps its most significant news for a presentaJason Bartanen presents the Repairability Technical tion at NACE the following Support Portal on the NACE Show Floor day.

There, Jason Bartanen unveiled mation into technician’s hands,” said Bartanen, director of industry technical the new “Repairability Technical Support Portal,” I-CAR’s effort to put repair relations for I-CAR. “They may not walk up to the front of the shop to ask procedures and vehicle information as a technical question. But if they have close to technician’s as the nearest comthe answer in their pocket, maybe they puter, tablet or smartphone screen.

“We really want to put this inforSee I-CAR Wants, Page 30

Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell has filed a lawsuit against State Farm Insurance alleging the nationwide insurer has engaged in a pattern of unfair and fraudulent business practices aimed at controlling the auto repair industry and forcing unsafe repairs on vehicles without the knowledge or consent of Louisiana consumers.

Attorney General Caldwell said, “State Farm has created a culture of unsafe business practices in which consumer vehicle repairs are performed with cost-savings as the primary goal rather than safety and reliability.”

The suit, filed in Louisiana’s 19th Judicial District Court, alleges State Farm violated Louisiana’s Un-

fair Trade Practices Act and Monopolies Law by using scare tactics to steer Louisiana consumers to State Farm’s preferred repair shops and forcing shops to perform vehicle repairs cheaply and quickly, rather than in accordance with consumer safety and vehicle manufacturer performance standards.

See LA AG Files Suit, Page 34

NACE Coverage Online at autobodynews.com

Technology & Telematics Expo Hole in One Winner at CREF Expo Overview and Sessions NABC and Recycled Rides Media Debriefing After Show Show Photos on our Facebook

Assured Performance Network Makes the Case and Details Growing OEM Insistence on Being Part of Repair and Certification in the Future, NACE Attendees Clearly Impressed

Ronald Doerr, new Senior V.P. of Strategic Initiatives (l) and Scott Biggs point out the features of the new Chrysler app.

P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018

NACE is known for new product releases, fast breaking technology and fancy classic cars, but it’s also a place to get the latest news in the collision industry. Scott Biggs, the charismatic CEO, President and Founder of Assured Performance Network in Irvine, CA, delivered the goods when he spoke to a full room at this year’s NACE show. The message Biggs conveyed concerned the present and

growing importance of manufacturer certifications and the associated referral programs that will soon become prevalent in the collision industry. His speech was both timely and relevant to any body shop, whether it’s a small independent all the way to a large MSO. The times are a-changing and you don’t need to be Bob Dylan to See see ???, it, accordPage ??

Change Service Requested

by Ed Attanasio

ing to Biggs. “You need to know that this isn’t your grandfather’s or even your father’s certification program.

The biggest difference is that now the automakers are rewarding the shops that invest in compliance with customer referrals.

OEM’s have already begun to refer their vehicle owners to these forward-thinking shops for their collision repair needs, and this will only increase over the coming months. The

playing field has changed and business as usual is over. The biggest automakers with mass-produced and mass-market brands are using a very aggressive referral approach and that will place the certified shops at a whole different level.”

That Ford is leading the pack with this body shop certification program is a clear indication of where things are headed, Biggs explained. “Ford has made a new truck (the best selling vehicle in the country for 30 years) that cannot be fixed in the old-fashioned way—period. Following suit are other OEM’s. If you want to repair any of these vehicles, and there will be millions of them soon, you’re going to have to do it the right way—which requires new tools, equipment, training and facilities. Shops who do not embrace these changes put themselves and their customers in a very tenuous and unsafe position. So, certification really isn’t even elective in this See Assured Performance, Page 42

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

2 SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Contents Auto Burglaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Audi Tests Automated Car on FL

Expressways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Car Slams Into Auto Body Shop In

Charlotte, 2 Injured . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Florida Residents Arrested for PIP Fraud. . . 4 Higher Alcohol-Related Crash Fatalities

Sisk - Repair Documentation Series, Part 2: Assignment of Proceeds and Writ of

Replevin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

92-year-old Owen Crist Auto Body

Closed July 31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

ABRA Auto Body Expands Operations ABRA Launches in Missouri and

will be Filled In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Assured Performance Network Makes

Louisiana AG Buddy Caldwell Files Suit Against State Farm Alleging Unsafe

Business Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

NC Body Shop Owner and 12-Year Old Help

Authorities Solve Hit and Run . . . . . . . . 10

Registration Open for PPG MVP Fall

Conference Sept 21-23 in Nashville . . . . 6

Expands in Washington State . . . . . . . . 13

the Case and Details Growing OEM

and Certification in the Future, NACE

Attendees Clearly Impressed . . . . . . . . . 1

Attanasio - Master Painter JoAnn Bortles Gets Dose of Reality on Motor City

Masters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Attanasio - MCRS Lobbyist Represents

South Carolina Reports Rise in Insurance

Attnaasio - ICRA Lobbyist Defends Rights

Tampa Television Station Highlights Poor

Gerber Collision Donates Car Through

Fraud Complaints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Quality Repairs, Body Shop Lawsuits

Against Insurers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Tennessee Cracks Down on Drunken

Driving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Collision Repairers in Big Sky Country . . 44

of Iowa Body Shop Owners . . . . . . . . . 38

Recycled Rides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

I-CAR Wants to Get OEM Info to Techs and to Educate Consumers about

Tech Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Tennessee Highway Patrol Pilot Program

IN Shop Owner Charged in Child

Three Arrested in Tire Swap Scheme

Sisk - ASA-AZ Serves a Big State

VA’s AA Auto Collision & Repair Offers

Sisk - ASA-NW Members Enjoy

Aims to Increase Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

at VA Body Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Wheel Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

COLUMNISTS

Exploitation/Porn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

with Diverse Interests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Summer Retreat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Sisk - IADA Holds 46th Annual Conference,

Hopes to Attract New Members . . . . . . 18

Attanasio - How Can I Squeeze More

Sisk - Wheels to Prosper’s Annual

Attanasio - Is Your Reception Area Making

Two Regional Insurers and USAA get

Out of My SEMA Experience?. . . . . . . . 12

a Good First Impression? . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Luehr - Better Blueprinting, Part 1:

Why is Blueprinting Important? . . . . . . 16

Wexford, PA

Insistence on Being Part of Repair

Roanoke County Officers Dispatch

Coyote at Body Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Roslindale, MA

in Minnesota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Along Mississippi Coast. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

KY Sinkhole that Swallowed 8 Corvettes

Lexington, KY

NATIONAL

Giveaway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Top Grades from Oregon Collision

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Contributing Writers: Tom Franklin, Stefan Gesterkamp, John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, David Petro (800) 699-8251 Sales Assistant: Louise Tedesco Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia

Repair Shops. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Southeast

3 Arrested in String of Middle Tennessee

Boulder, CO

Indexof Advertisers

REGIONAL

How Does Industry Pay Compare?

Serving Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and adjacent metro areas, Autobody News is a monthly publication for the auto body industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2014 Adamantine Media LLC.

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Allan Vigil Ford-Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . 36 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 40 CarcoonAmerica Airflow Systems . . 6 CCC Information Services . . . . . . . 17 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA). . . . . . . . . . . 35 Chief Automotive. . . . . . . . . . . . 28, 29 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Coggin Deland Honda . . . . . . . . . . 38 Crashmax Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Crown Automotive Group . . . . . . . . 31 Dent Magic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Dent Tools Direct USA . . . . . . . . . . 20 DJS Fabrications, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . 48 Dominion Sure Seal, Ltd. . . . . . . . . 10 Don Reid Ford. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . 12 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers FL, VA, GA, AL, MS. . . . . . . . . . . 45 GlasWeld Systems, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . 9 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 43 Gus Machado Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Hendrick Automotive Group . . . . . . 11 Hendrick BMW/MINI . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Hendrick Honda Bradenton . . . . . . . 4 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, 24-25 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers. . 34 Innovative Tools & Technology, Inc . . 8 Jon Hall Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Kernersville Chrysler-DodgeJeep-Ram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers. 47 Lexus Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 44 Malco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Mercedes-Benz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 40 Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers . 44 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 27 Nalley BMW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Performance Automall . . . . . . . . . . 32 Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers . 34 PPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 PreFab Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Priority Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Safety Regulation Strategies . . . . . 14 SATA Spray Equipment . . . . . . . . . 33 SEMA Trade Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 19 Subaru of Gwinnett . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 41 Tameron Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 TG Products, Inc. - The Rail Saver . 10 Toyota of Easley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 42 UniCure Spraybooths . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Valspar Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

www.autobodynews.com | SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 3

Audi Tests Automated Car on FL Expressways for its ‘Traffic Jam Pilot’

Raghu’s short hands-free journey on a recent scorching afternoon is the prequel to a much more formal event during which Audi engineers will show off their piloted driving technology to Gov. Rick Scott and State Sen. Jeff Brandes, a driverless car proponent.

During a short break in a day-long test before the big reveal, Raghu demonstrates how the car takes over for the driver in bumper-to-bumper traffic at speeds up to 40 miles per hour.

Over the course of four miles on the road that was shut down for the testing, Audi engineers test a new level of piloted driving that alRaghu lets the automated A7 lows the driver to let the car drive in stop-and-go traffic at take over as the cars ahead of less than 40 mph. The elevated portion of the Selmon Exit stop, speed up and slow pressway was closed to traffic while Audi did the testing down, exhibiting the technolThe ability to conduct research in ogy for a handful of journalists followthe real-world conditions offered by ing in chase cars.

“I love it,” says Raghu after stopping Florida and the Expressway Authority is crucial to pre-production development, for a few shots of the car with the Tampa skyline in the background. “I’m not drivAudi said in a statement.

Engineer Kaushik Raghu took his ing it. It is doing the driving.”

To make that happen, Audi has bunhands off the steering wheel of the gray 2012 Audi A7 with a vanity license plate dled several sensory technologies from reading “SELF1E.” Yet the sleek Ger- existing vehicles—like those assisting man sedan continues rolling along, stay- drivers to stay in their lanes and avoid ing in the lane and keeping pace with the blind spots—with newer equipment, says Brad Stertz, communications director cars ahead of it.

Audi demonstrated during week long tests how its “Piloted” driving technology installed in an Audi A7 was able to handle driving functions on freeway conditions up to 40 mph during a Florida freeway road test. Audi plans to begin offering the initial version of Piloted driving called Traffic Jam Pilot to the public within five years.

Three Arrested in Middle TN Auto Shop Burglaries

Authorities say three people have been arrested in connection with a string of car burglaries in Middle Tennessee.

The Tennessean reports that 18year-old Tyler Butler, of Gallatin, and a 16-year-old juvenile were arrested Aug. 5.

Authorities say 18-year-old Dakota Emler, of Nashville, was arrested Aug. 6.

Butler and Emler are each charged with eight counts of burglary and four counts of theft under $500.

Gallatin Police Department spokesman Bill Storment said Aug. 8 that the arrests have helped the department solve 27 auto burglaries in Gallatin dating back to January.

Storment said the suspects have also been connected to similar cases that occurred in Millersville, Nashville and Sumner County.

Purses, laptop computers and cellphones were among the items stolen.

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for Audi of America. The demonstration vehicle has between 17 and 20 sensors using radar, sonar and lidar—a laserbased remote sensing technology. Working with cameras, the system, developed in Germany, “makes millions and billions of decisions every minute,” Stertz said. It will still be about five years before the system as tested will hit the showrooms, says Stertz, adding that he expects it to ultimately cost a little more than the current Audi sensor packages that run upwards of $10,000.

But you will have to wait another couple of decades for a car that really drives itself, he says. Aside from technological hurdles, there are potential regulatory roadblocks as well. While states regulate drivers, the federal government regulates vehicles. “Who will regulate a driverless car?” Stertz asks.

The Selmon Expressway was selected as a test site because of its certification as a testing ground for the new technology, says Stertz. Aside from testing the technology on realistic traffic conditions, engineers wanted to test another factor. “We wanted to see how it works in the heat,” he says. Florida is among a handful of states receptive to the technology, and this test will “call attention to the way Florida is approaching its laws dealing with this new frontier,” Stertz says.

KY Sinkhole that Swallowed 8 Corvettes will be Filled In

credit: National Corvette Museum

The sinkhole that swallowed up eight cars at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY, will be partially filled in with plans for a bridge built over the top of the section left open.

National Corvette Museum spokeswoman Katie Frassinelli says the facility will keep a 25-by-45-foot section that’s about 30 feet deep with a bridge over it as a tourist attraction. Frassinelli told WDRB-TV in Louisville that officials wanted to leave the Skydome room as is, for people attending their 20th anniversary celebration at the end of the month. The sinkhole appeared in February and did more than $1 million in damage to cars that fell on rocks.

The cars were eventually pulled out of the hole.

The Skydome area will close in September, so repairs can begin.

Car Slams Into Auto Shop In Charlotte, 2 Injured

Two people were taken to the hospital after smashed into a Charlotte business. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police say a silver sedan lost control and crashed into Worley’s Auto Shop on Graham Street Sunday afternoon. The male driver and female occupant were both taken to the hospital with injuries police described to be non-life threatening.

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Florida Residents Arrested for Staged Crash Fraud

Three Jacksonville, FL, residents were arrested for personal injury protection (PIP) fraud, according to Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater. Yolanda Vargas, Christian Vargas and Willdelyn Rodriguez are each charged with one count of committing a staged motor vehicle accident and one count of insurance fraud. Investigators are still searching for Felix Vargas who is accused of recruiting the arrested individuals to participate in the PIP scheme. He is believed to be connected to a large scale identity theft ring in New York City as well an IRS scam in which he directed the payment of others’ tax returns to himself.

4 SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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www.autobodynews.com | SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 5

Registration Open for PPG MVP Fall Conference Sept 21-23 in Nashville PPG has announced that registration is now open for the Fall MVP Business Solutions Conference at the luxurious Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center on September 2123 in Nashville, Tenn.

The keys to driving toward a competitive edge and to stay well ahead of the pack is to accelerate development and engage with leaders of the industry and the semi-annual PPG MVP Conferences have a proven history of providing the knowledge and cutting edge technologies to help PPG shops do just that. Those who have attended previous MVP Conferences know what a great venue they are for obtaining a wealth of relevant information and being energized by networking with industry leaders and peers.

“To continue to assist in our customer’s development as they prepare for new challenges and excel in the collision repair business is our principal goal,” says Jim Berkey, PPG, Director, MVP Business Solutions. “By staying not just two but several steps ahead of the competition is what will provide a sustainable business model for our customer’s future.”

The comprehensive conference schedule is highlighted by prominent keynote speakers: Peter Sheahan, Ross Shaffer and Ross Bernstein.

In his keynote address titled “FL!P”,

CREATIVE STRATEGIES: FOR TURNING CHALLENGE INTO OPPORTUNITY AND CHANGE INTO COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, Peter Sheahan, a National Speakers Association Hall of Fame recipient who is known internationally for inspiring innovative business thinking and creating lasting behavior change will explore best practices from multiple industries that have experienced similar transformative change and unpack the key insights from those who profited from the change compared to those who have become victim to it.

Ross Shafer is one of the most sought after keynote speakers and seminar leaders on the subjects of Customer Urgency and Empathy, Personal Motivation, Reinvention, and Market Relevance.

In his keynote address, “THE FUTURE OF GROWTH IS TO BE A PERIPHERAL VISIONARY, Ross delivers the know how to help your team find new opportunities from outside your immediate scope, even when you are under extreme pressure. Ross’ session explores ideas to eliminate dangerous tunnel vision, to harvest an endless supply of good ideas, how to find competitors in your blind spot, and ways to capitalize on your competitor’s weaknesses.

“THE CHAMPION’S CODE”, Life Lessons of Ethics and Accountability from

the Sports World to the Business World is the closing headline and Bernstein’s keynote session is to get attendees thinking about their own DNA — and about the differentiators they possess which would ultimately lead customers to CHOOSE to do business with them. At the core of his message is the simple fact that we like to do business with people who we trust, who we like, and who just “GET IT” — in other words CHAMPIONS! The conference will start with a day of golf at thethe MVP Randy Dewing Memorial Golf Tournament at the Gaylord Springs Golf Links followed by a welcome reception.

Breakout sessions during the event include: ● Making Change Happen ● Get More From Your Gen Y(oung) Workforce ● Estimate Evolution ● DRP Compliance Training – A Roadmap to Success with DRP Relations ● Culture and Service the Rocks! ● Becoming a Talkable Brand ● Superpower Success! ● Aluminum – The Future of Automotive Design The conference is open to owners and managers of collision centers using PPG Refinish products and more information is available online.

Three Arrested in Tire Swap Scheme at VA Body Shop

Three Norwalk men were arrested the night of Aug. 5 after they took the bald front tires off of their car and tried to swap them with newer tires from a car stored at Fedor’s Auto Body, police said. All three charged with sixth-degree larceny and criminal trespass. The suspects were arraigned at Norwalk Superior Court after being held overnight on a $2,000 bond. Each suspect was released on a promise to appear in court due to their lack of a criminal record. Police came upon the tire swap scheme after responding to a call reporting that someone had hopped the fence that separates the apartment building at 49 Day St. from Fedor’s Auto Body property at 11:43 p.m. When police arrived, they found two men inside a car that was missing its two front tires. An officer saw movement inside of Fedor’s lot and discovered the third man inside of a vehicle on Fedor’s property, police said. Two bald tires were near the vehicle and tire removal equipment was outside of the car.

Clark later told police that he hoped to exchange the bald tires on his car for newer tires from a car in Fedor’s lot.

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www.autobodynews.com | SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 7

South Carolina Reports Rise in Insurance Fraud Complaints

Insurance fraud complaints in South Carolina have reached an all-time high with more than 1,200 pouring in last year, according to a report released by Attorney General Alan Wilson.

The annual report from his office’s Insurance Fraud Division noted attorneys prosecuted cases that resulted in 37 convictions and in more than $700,000 being returned to the victims of insurance fraud. The report cites several notorious cases.

In one Darlington County case, three defendants sought payment from a health insurance company claiming they each had all four limbs amputated. None of the defendants had lost their limbs and one was convicted and sent to prison for 18 months. Restitution of more than $60,000 was made to the insurance company.

In another case from the same county, a woman using a stolen credit card got an insurance policy worth $100,000 on home she did not own or live in and conspired with a man to burn it down. The scheme was discovered before the house could be torched, the woman pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five

years in prison.

“Insurance fraud continues to drain our system and raise premiums for our citizens. We must send the message that it is not tolerated in South Carolina,” Wilson wrote in the report. Almost three quarters of the complaints received last year involved automobile insurance fraud.

Fraud involving property was next accounting for about 17 percent of the complaints.

The report noted that the most complaints about insurance fraud came from Richland County with 159, following by Greenville County with 86 and Charleston County with 77. Since 1995, the first year the Insurance Fraud Division was operating, almost 14,000 insurance fraud complaints involving almost $110 million have been received by the state Attorney General’s office.

During the period there have been almost 1,400 criminal convictions while restitution was made in almost 800 cases through civil courts.

Higher Alcohol-Related Crash Fatalities Along Mississippi Coast

Data from a federal study shows more people died in alcohol-related crashes in Harrison and Jackson counties than most other counties in Mississippi from 2008 to 2012.

Harrison County ranked second behind Hinds County. That’s according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration analysis of fatal crash data.

Hinds County had 68 alcoholrelated fatalities during the five-year period, compared with 49 in Harrison County.

Jackson County had the thirdhighest number, with 33 deaths, the same as Panola County.

The Sun Herald reports Mississippi had 3,336 traffic deaths in the five-year period. Of those, 994 were alcohol-related.

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8 SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

ABRA Auto Body Expands Operations in Minnesota

ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a leading national damaged vehicle repair company, announced the opening of its newest franchise repair center in Princeton, Minnesota.

ABRA is one of the largest and fastest growing multi shop repair operators in the country. The company now operates 48 independently-owned franchises and 182 company-owned locations for a total of 230 in 18 states.

The new ABRA repair center is located at 32018 125th Street NW in Princeton, Minnesota, about 50 minutes north of downtown Minneapolis. It is the third ABRA franchise owned and operated by Kedrick Johnson and family.

“Opening the Princeton repair center is about meeting the demand of our customers in the community,” said Kedrick Johnson, owner of ABRAPrinceton. “We are delighted the market is thriving and look forward to offering top-quality collision repair services to the Princeton area now and for years to come.”

Mark Wahlin, ABRA’s Vice President of Franchise Development/Relations said, “We are dedicated to increasing our presence in the markets we serve. Opening the Princeton repair center is an opportunity to better serve our customers and insurance partners in Minnesota.”

Tampa Television Station Highlights Poor Quality Repairs, Body Shop Lawsuits Against Insurers

Report highlights repair quality issues and collision repairer lawsuits against insurers. Warns consumers their families could be “…at risk on the road.”

Consumers in Florida were exposed to the controversies surrounding collision repair quality and insurance company practices that are the subject of lawsuits in the state and around the U.S. when Tampa ABCaffiliate, WFTS, aired a segment on its Action News broadcast. The ITeam investigation detailed consumer complaints of poor quality collision repairs that, according to the report, were performed by insurance company direct repair facilities. The report included an interview with Ray Gunder, owner of Gunder’s Auto Center, who is one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit, A&E Auto Body, Inc., et al. v. 21st Century Centennial Insurance Company, et al, brought against more than 30 insurance companies operating in Florida.

In the segment, embedded below, the reporter details consumer complaints on the quality of repairs received and explains for viewers the legal action taken by repairers against the insurers.

In the report, an emailed statement from Insurance Information Institute defended insurance company DRPs saying steps to manage repair costs benefit consumers and that consumers have a choice of repairer.

In late June, plaintiffs in the A&E Auto Body suit filed an amended complaint after the initial complaint was dismissed by the Judge in the case. In a press release announcing the filing of the amended complaint, Gunder states, “In reading the complaint, everyone in this industry knows it to be the truth… I am looking forward to bringing the issues to a jury and exposing the insurer’s egregious practices and ending the suppression that has been so harmful to our industry and to the consumers we serve. All repairers want is to serve our customers in an unencumbered manner and to see our employees earn a fair wage for their efforts.”

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Tennessee Highway Patrol Pilot Program Aims to Increase Safety

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is testing a software system that aims to increase the safety of motorists and decrease the number of crashes.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports the agency has been piloting a system called Crash Reduction Analyzing Statistical History, or CRASH, over the last six months. The software helps analysts predict the spots where crashes are likely to occur.

The system has been accurate about three-fourths of the time in the six months that THP has been using it. The agency has also started a model aimed at predicting when and where to find intoxicated drivers.

Tennessee Highway Patrol Colonel Tracy Trott said it’s too soon to determine the effectiveness of the program, but noted that traffic fatalities have decreased by 5.5 percent this year.

Tennessee Cracks Down on Drunken Driving

The Tennessee Governor’s Highway Safety Office is kicking off its campaign to crack down on drunken driving.

The director of the Safety Office and other law enforcement will kick off the campaign at an event in Murfreesboro on Thursday.

Law enforcement in every state will be cracking down on drunken driving from Aug. 15 through Labor Day. In 2013, Tennessee experienced 6,699 alcohol-related traffic crashes.

On average each year, more than 10,000 people die on the nation’s roads due to drunken driving.

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www.autobodynews.com | SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 9

Roanoke County Officers Dispatch Coyote at Body Shop

Roanoke County Animal Control officers killed a coyote Thursday morning after it wandered into a body shop on July 24. Roanoke County police spokeswoman Amy Whittaker said police received a call at 11 a.m. regarding an injured coyote in the body shop of Haley Toyota of Roanoke Collision Center in the 6400 block of Merriman Road. The Animal Control officers soon determined that the coyote was either very sick or injured. Rabies was considered a possibility. The officers removed the animal from the building, and decided to euthanize it by using a firearm, Whittaker said. They took three shots to dispatch the animal.

“Animal Control officers are occasionally faced with this difficult task in order to protect the safety of residents,” Whittaker said in an email. “It is the only means possible... there is no option by state law to relocate wild animals.” Whittaker said the incident took a total of 15 minutes.

Mitzi Martin, who is a coowner of Cave Spring Auto Body near Haley Toyota, saw the officers put down the coyote and found the ordeal to be distressing because of how long she felt it took.

NC Body Shop Owner and 12-Year Old Help Authorities Solve Hit and Run The North Carolina State Highway Patrol honored three citizens on a recent afternoon after they went the extra mile to help catch the killer of a woman that lost her life in a hit-andrun accident on May 21, according to reports by Annie Blackburn writing for the Lincoln Times News.

First Sgt. Daryl Conley and Lt. Doug Amos were on hand to present the Second Mile award to 12-year-old Randy Guardado, William “Bill” Boone and Gary Gaston, for going out of their way as citizens to help law enforcement in solving the hit-and-run death of Sherry Kittle.

The antennae from the vehicle of interest was found in the grass just beyond the scene of the investigation on U.S. 321 near Summerow Road where Kittle was hit, said Sgt. Kelly Stewart.

Travis Kirk Fitzpatrick, 33, was charged with felony hit-and-run after officials say he struck and killed Sherry Kittle on Highway 321 near Lincolnton.

Fitzpatrick eventually turned himself in.

Troopers worked with Skeet’s Auto Body Repair & Wrecker Service in Conover, where William “Bill” Boone was able to determine that the antennae, together with pieces of a broken right front headlight, were from one of three Chevy models—a Suburban, Tahoe or Silver-

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ado—from between 2001 and 2006.

After information from a resulting Crime Stoppers tip, troopers went to a residence on Little Mountain Road in Sherrills Ford, where they found a gray Silverado truck with damage to the windshield, grill, headlight housing area and passenger side

Members of the Kittle family, at left, pose with individuals who helped the Highway Patrol investigate the hit-and-run death of Sherry Kittle: telecommunications shift supervisor Gary Gaston, Randy Guardado and Bill Boone of Skeet’s Auto Body Repair

mirror, as well as a missing antennae.

The truck was in a secluded wooded area, parked next to a building down a dirt drive from the home, officials said, noting it was not visible from the road.

Fitzpatrick was not at home. But his mother, who also lives at the residence, gave investigators his cell-

phone number, they said.

He was charged with felony hit and run and placed under a $25,000 secured bond.

Kittle was walking along Maiden Highway/Business 321 when she was struck by a vehicle that left the scene. Kittle was later pronounced dead at CMCLincoln. According to Sgt. Kelly Stewart, the supervising investigator on the scene, were it not for the actions of Guardado, Boone and Gaston, Highway Patrol might still be investigating the crime.

Sgt. Stewart credited the chain of events beginning with Guardado and his respect for human life. The 12-year-old was so devastated by Kittle’s death that he scoured the debris field in his yard until he found an antenna that helped Highway Patrol narrow down the search for the suspect vehicle to a Chevy.

It was Gary Gaston that went a step further. Though employed by the Highway Patrol as a telecommunications manager, Gaston used his knowledge of the area and his own time to further narrow the search to vehicles of the particular make and model that were owned by people who lived around the scene of the hit and run.

After knocking on numerous doors, Highway Patrol was given the final tip they needed to identify the suspect which led to his arrest.

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National Associations with Ed Attanasio

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

How Can I Squeeze More Out of My SEMA Experience?

Trade shows are huge right now and that’s why SEMA is more popular than ever. If you’ve ever attended one of these events, you know they’re frenetic, fun, packed full of things to do and your time is usually limited. So, that’s why we’re offering some invaluable tips about how to take full advantage of any trade show, but specifically the upcoming SEMA show, in Las Vegas November 3-7.

When the economy took a hit in 2008, many body shops started dialing down their participation in industry conferences, but now that the economy seems to be a little healthier, this is a smart time to re-engage. The main question for any business owner considering SEMA is this –will the money and staff that I will invest into a show like SEMA really pay off in the long run?

After discussing the “SEMA Experience” with collision professionals from all over the country for at least

the past decade and attending many as an automotive journalist, I’ve heard a wide range of responses about the

ers getting wiped out at the tables and other foolishness were probably halftrue when originally told and undoubtedly pure fiction by now.

On the serious side, I’ve heard things like “Too crowded and we spent too much time trying to find the right booths;” “The classes were either packed or not suited for us;” or “Now we’re back to work and we need to take a vacation just to recuperate from SEMA!” But in the end all of them said the same thing about the show— Peter Macillvray, VP of Communications and Events for “It was useful and we did SEMA and his staff work hard to make the show a winhave a good time!” win for both attendees and exhibitors Since SEMA is an indusshow, both positive and negative. Be- try-only show, you’re obviously not cause the setting is Las Vegas, many going to get any customers from of these anecdotes are not suitable for SEMA and that’s not the goal. The this article, but you can imagine. Tales main reasons you attend conferences of quickie marriages, body shop own- such as SEMA are to connect with

12 SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

current and prospective vendors and to learn about new technologies or products that will influence your future.

The first step is to make a list containing your goals with realistic objectives, while determining the costs involved. For example, you may want to visit a dozen equipment companies, paint companies and other suppliers. If you’re going to be at the show for three days, you will obviously need to visit at least four every day, pacing yourself and hydrating continually.

To decide if SEMA is right for you and your business, ask yourself these questions: ■ Is SEMA going to offer you the most cost-effective way of sourcing products, services and information in the collision industry?

■ Is SEMA the best forum for you to keep up- to-date on the collision industry’s newest technologies, state-

of-the-art products, innovations and new developments in your market?

Are you going to encounter a highly targeted audience of your fellow industry professionals?

■ If your answer is yes to more than one of these questions, SEMA is probably a slam dunk for you, your manager and even other members of your crew as well.

Peter Macillvray, VP of Communications and Events for SEMA, offered some helpful tips about how to squeeze the most out of your SEMA experience. “We’re extremely vested in making sure that all of our attendees and exhibitors will leave here with a year’s worth of new business ideas. We’re committed to doing everything we can to bring value to your time here at SEMA. We want you to make more money by using what you’ve learned at SEMA, so that’s we’ve created a whole range of things to make it happen.”

Everyone’s goal at any trade show is different, so the first thing you need to do is define what success means for you at SEMA. Before you jump in, make a list and plan your show. “We call it ‘shaping’ the show and it’s so valuable,” Macillvray said.

“Too many people jump on a plane and don’t register until they get here and then start wandering through the aisles without any real plan. Time is so precious and by aimlessly walking around you’re losing opportunities.

Being prepared at any trade show or industry event is imperative, so map it out and don’t leave anything to chance.”

To get more out of your SEMA, take a few classes and learn things you can take back to your business.

“We have top companies that have partnered with us on these classes,” Macillvray said. “We’ve got some of the world’s top experts on things like marketing, technology and management. Everything taught at SEMA is created with two words in mind— useful and relevant.”

If you’re looking for cuttingedge products and equipment that can help your shop and make your life a little easier, SEMA is the place to be.

“This show is always about unveiling new technology and we’re proud to lead the way,” Macillvray said. “Our New Product Showcase is always a huge attraction and a great place to get an overview of what’s new. Many products that have won awards at past

SEMA shows are now used by body shops all over the world and the first time anyone saw them was here at SEMA.” SEMA has two ways to help you as you navigate through the show— by calling on their popular Pocket Guide, available almost anywhere at SEMA, as well as by using their 2014 SEMA app, available for free at any Apple Store or online, sponsored by Showcase.

“We have been fine-tuning our app over the years by listening to our customers and we believe it’s stateof-the-art,” Macillvray said. “It contains some planning tools that can really help you to get more out of the show while also allowing you to stay in the loop about the show yearround. Lots of people walk around with the app open on their iPads and iPhones and refer to it during the entire show. We want to offer every tool we have available to us to help you, and that’s why we’re heavily involved in social media. You can like us on Facebook, connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. We have the largest social media following of any automotive show in the world.”

ABRA Launches in Missouri and Expands in Washington State

On July 25, ABRA Auto Body & Glass announced the purchase of three TEAM1 Auto Body and Glass collision centers in St. Louis, Missouri and one Auto Hound Collision Center in Seattle, Washington. The company’s repair center portfolio now totals 234 in 19 states.

“Our vision for growth is in full swing,” said Duane Rouse, ABRA’s president and chief executive officer.

“We are poised to continue expanding across the country. Our team is excited to introduce ABRA to new markets and show customers firsthand the operational excellence philosophy and processes that make us an industry leader.”

“ABRA has established itself as a well-respected and trusted front-runner in the collision repair industry,” said Tom Hutton, owner of TEAM1 Auto Body and Glass.

“The company’s industry-leading processes and commitment to excellence assure customers will receive the highest-quality workmanship and superior customer service moving forward.”

Terms of the deals were not disclosed.

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Two Regional Insurers and USAA get Top Grades from Oregon Collision Repair Shops State Farm may still be the largest auto insurer in Oregon, but it’s no longer the best liked by repairers, according to the latest survey of Oregon collision repair shops.

The survey by the Northwest Automotive Trades Association (NATA) asked shops to grade the Top 20 auto insurers in the state in terms of how well each company’s “policies, attitude and payment practices ensure quality repairs and customer service for Oregon motorists.”

This was the eighth time the association has conducted such a survey since 2004, and State Farm had topped the list each time, finishing last year with a solid B+ grade. But in a year in which State Farm required its “Select Service” shops in Oregon to use PartsTrader, shops dropped the insurer’s mark by a full grade to C+, putting it in fourth place in the survey, virtually tied with Progressive, California Casualty and other insurers.

Multiple shops commented on PartsTrader as the reason for giving the insurer a low (or lower than in past years) grade.

Two smaller Northwest-based auto insurers continue to be among the best at taking care of their customers after an accident, according to shops.

Oregon Mutual’s grade slipped a bit from a B+ last year to a B this year, but that was still good enough to share the top spot with Mutual of Enumclaw.

Both companies have consistently been among the top four insurers in the survey every year. Shops in this year’s survey commented that the two are “excellent to work with” and “take care of their customers.” In terms of market share in Oregon, Mutual of Enumclaw and Oregon Mutual are ranked 12th and 13th, respectively.

USAA nudged up from a C+ to a B- this year, jumping from sixth place to third, its best showing ever in the survey. “They really care about their customers,” one shop noted.

Farmers Insurance was the only insurer to receive a D+ this year, keeping it at the bottom of the rankings for the third year in a row.

“Just as medical providers see how health insurers take care of patients, collision repair shops interact with auto insurers on a daily basis, so we feel it’s worthwhile to ask how those insurers treat Oregon drivers after an accident,” said Barbara Crest, NATA executive director. “We believe their views will be helpful to insurance companies and consumers.”

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About 500 collision repair shops throughout the state received the survey and more than 50 shops responded to the survey. Crest pointed to a number of items of interest in the findings of the latest survey: In addition to USAA, two other insurers saw their grades improve from the 2013 survey. Geico (which had a D+ in 2012) and Safeco each nudged up to a C this year, up from a C- last year.

Though State Farm’s drop was the most severe, seven other insurers saw their grades decline this year.

Travelers was ranked 4th last year with a B-, but fell to a C this year. American Family, Allstate and Esurance (which is owned by Allstate) each dropped from a C to a C-. Shops cited inconsistency in the claims staff and policies at these companies.

Progressive has continued to work its way up the list, having had a D+ or worse (and the lowest or second-lowest ranking) in every survey between 2004 and 2009. It was 16th on the list in 2012, 8th last year and 5th this year.

Farmers received a “F” from about one-in-four shops, the most failing grades received by any insurer. (By comparison, Allstate and Esurance, the

other lowest-graded insurers, each received about half as many Fs as Farmers.)

About one-in-three shops gave Oregon Mutual and Mutual of Enumclaw a grade of “A.” Last year, State Farm received an “A” from well over half of shops, but this year less than one-in-four shops gave it an “A” grade.

In most cases, the grades given a particular insurer from shops involved in that insurer’s direct repair program (DRP) were higher than those given by shops that are not part of that insurer’s program. This was particularly true with California Casualty and USAA; their DRP shops gave them grades of A- or better while non-DRP shops gave each of these insurers a C and C+, respectively. But even Farmers Insurance direct repair shops gave that insurer only a C. “Collision repairers say the insurers receiving the highest grades – which includes both larger and smaller insurance companies – do the best job of taking care of Oregon drivers after an accident,” Crest said. “We hope consumers will take these ratings into account when choosing an auto insurer, and that insurers that received lower grades will work to improve their performance.”

www.autobodynews.com | SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 15

Lean Operations

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

Better Blueprinting, Part 1: Why is Blueprinting Important? with David Luehr

In the collision repair business, the only time the shop makes money is when the technician is actually working on the car. So for a shop to optimize profitability, systems must be put in-place to ensure that wasteful delays are eliminated. Some of the more common delays are.

■ Techs wandering around looking for parts, fasteners, or information ■ Missing, damaged, or incorrect replacement parts ■ Waiting for approval and parts on supplemental (missed) damage A great way to reduce or eliminate such delays is through the process of damage analysis or “blueprinting.”

Blueprinting is one of the most important processes a shop can implement to reduce or eliminate delays and can have a dramatic effect on important KPIs such as cycle time, customer satisfaction and profitability.

The Goal of this Article Blueprinting is not a new concept by any means, but many shops still fail at either successfully implementing it, or if they have implemented it they are not getting the results they expected.

My goal is to guide the reader through some reasons why shops fail at Blueprinting and then in part two give some proven simple techniques that are being used by shops that do have successful Blueprinting programs.

Why Shops Commonly Fail at Blueprinting We Make it Too Difficult for the Real World When lean concepts including Blueprinting were first introduced to our industry, the initiatives were often led by well-intended paint companies that had over-complicated curriculum.

Lean was the “new kid on the block” and came with all the bells and whistles; in many cases, too many bells and whistles. When concepts such as these are taught to us by people from the manufacturing industry from a 30,000 foot level, many of the basics were over-looked or misconstrued. So as the years progressed, most people stopped doing Blueprinting, a lucky few figured out better and simpler ways of performing it. Those that were successful

found ways of using lean thinking and applying it to Blueprinting in a “real world” manner, a manner that would work on the shop floor and not from a philosophical 30,000 foot high vantage.

Lack of Visual Mistake Proofing Systems As someone that has been teaching Blueprinting for many years, I hear excuses all the time why damage was missed during Blueprinting. The one that kills me is “We are only human.”

Tell that to a surgeon or a Blue Angels pilot some time. The point is, that yes, we are human, so in order to be successful at Blueprinting, we have to put systems in place that make mistakes VISIBLE so that we can catch them before it’s too late. This is an old trick introduced by Japanese manufacturers.

This mistake proofing is a technique called “Poka Yoke.” So if you want to have a successful Blueprinting program, mistake-proof it by using some of the “Poka Yoke” techniques in this article.

No Written Repeatable Process The lucky few that were able to achieve Blueprinting success at some level often doomed the process from future success by not carefully documenting the Blueprint system they worked so hard on into a Standard Operating Procedure. Because of this lack of standardization, the program was susceptible to failures caused by new employees, lapses of memory, or many other reasons. If a process has simple written instruction, and people are well trained, the likelihood that the vital steps needed to produce a consistently accurate Blueprint is increased immensely.

Technicians are hired to Repair Vehicles, Not Write Supplements To this day, most shops continue to ask their body technicians to perform a teardown and then write a supplement. This IS NOT Blueprinting!

Please keep in mind that the only time a shop is making any money is when the technician’s hands are touching the car. So if we ask them to perform supplement writing for us, not only are we inviting problems with esti-

16 SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

mate accuracy, we are also not making money! Technicians are a very integral part in the Blueprinting process, and can offer a lot of insight into good damage analysis, but their involvement should be limited to collaboration during the disassembly plan, and damage analysis, then disassembling the vehicle and placing the damaged or R&I parts in their designated areas.

A Common Misconception Having a dedicated Blueprint Analyst or Department always causes bottleneck delays The reason that many say that they don’t like having a dedicated Blueprint Department or Analyst is because it often causes a bottleneck and delays.

All the repair jobs have to go through one resource, so by definition the Blueprint guy is a bottleneck, but here’s what some people don’t understand.

Every system is going to have a bottleneck that dictates the shops throughput

ability and that is okay, the problem is that shops continue to bring all their work in on Monday. If smarter scheduling was practiced, the bottleneck will manage to produce the needed amount of work. This misunderstanding of production management is another main reason people abandon their Blueprinting attempts. In the real world, even when using good scheduling habits, bottlenecks do become a problem at times. When Blueprinting starts getting behind schedule, it is extremely important to stick to the program with discipline and not abandon it. Instead additional resources or extended hours may occasionally need to be dedicated.

In next month’s continuation of Better Blueprinting by David Luehr, we will discuss how to setup a proper Blueprinting area regardless of the size of your shop, and then we will discuss some great techniques that will allow you to get consistent and positive results with your Blueprinting efforts.

www.autobodynews.com | SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 17

National Associations with Chasidy Rae Sisk

Chasidy Rae Sisk is a freelance technical writer from Wilmington, Delaware, who writes on a variety of fields and subjects, and grew up in a family of NASCAR fans. She can be contacted at crsisk@chasidyraesisk.com.

IADA Holds 46th Annual Conference, Hopes to Attract New Members Although the Independent Automotive Damage Appraisers Association (IADA) was forced to move the location of their 46th Annual Vehicle Repair Conference to the Lord Baltimore Hotel, located at 20 West Street, Baltimore MD 21201 at the last moment, the conference was successfully held on June 18-20, 2014 as “an educational tool for our members and the industry,” John Williams, Executive Vice President of IABA explains. “For guest speakers, we have experts in various fields relating to current methods of repair as well as what to expect from manufacturers in the future. Our expectations for this event are to promote our association and members as professionals committed to exceeding industry expectations as well as providing our members an educational and social venue to network with clients.”

According to Williams, “attendees were very pleased with both the

location and the agenda. Our event always focuses on education and training as well as being a social event for members and guests, and it is important because it provides members with an opportunity to train and remain a viable force in the industry. This year, our conference exceeded expectations.

We try to build on what we learned in the past to make our next event even more dynamic.”

Registration for the conference began on Wednesday, June 18, at 1PM and continued until 6PM when IADA held their Welcome Reception followed by exhibitor showcases which concluded at 9PM. After breakfast on Thursday morning, IADA President Leo Maki’s Welcoming Address served as the opening to the event.

IADA planned an exciting agenda filled with informative seminars led by nine industry leaders. Around 8:30AM, the educational seminars began with Wayne R. Schaumburg’s “An Illus-

trated History of Baltimore,” followed by “Best Claims Practices” which was presented by Harvey Lightstone, Vice President of the Directory of Claims and Risk for Management Claims Professionals Liability Insurance Company. Before lunch, Jim Aulby, Vice President of Claims Protective for Sagamore Insurance, discussed “Heavy Equipment Estimating.”

The seminars resumed at 12:45PM with the Highway Loss Data Institute’s Senior Vice President Kim L. Hazelbaker’s “New Technology of Electronics in Vehicles.” Thursday’s lectures concluded at 4PM with “Investigating Fuel System Contamination” as presented by Jeff Lange, President of Lange Technical Services LTD. Attendees then enjoyed a two-hour break which gave them a chance to visit exhibitors before attending the President’s Reception and dinner banquet.

On Friday morning, Dan Oscarson, Vice President of Global Market-

ing Insurance Auto Auctions, explored “Marketing Salvage in a Global Economy.” He was followed by CIECA Executive Director Fred Iantorno’s “Getting It Done for the Industry.” The final presentation, “Aftermarket Truck Parts,” was led by Donald B. Cameron, President and Founder of Dawson Truck Parts. After their closing remarks, IADA’s conference culminated with their membership meeting.

“Our 46th conference went well, even after facing the challenge of relocating to the Lord Baltimore Hotel at the last moment due to unexpected issues with the hotel we had contracted with. Our conference has always focused on education and training; this year was no exception!” Williams recalls, “our conference started with an excellent presentation by a local historian speaking about the history of Baltimore, and attendees were amazed to learn how Baltimore’s history helped shape many industrial and cultural ad-

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vances we enjoy to this day. Attendees were given a glimpse of future vehicle technology as well as a look at the past to learn how far vehicle technology has progress and what to expect in the future.”

In regards to the valuable information provided at the conference, Williams also notes that “a presentation on Global Salvage was of great interest to learn how salvage vehicles are being purchased in the US, then shipped in cargo containers with available parts to repair included with each vehicle. Vehicles that would not be put back on the road are repaired in many third world countries due to cheap labor and a shortage of vehicles. Vehicles we take for granted are a luxury in many countries since few have op-

tions such as air or other power options.”

IADA was first founded in 1947 as the Independent Appraisal Plan (IAP) with a mission “to offer an unbiased automotive specialist appraiser to assess vehicle damage and establish a fair cost of repair,” Williams recalls.

That same year, IAP was approved by the Association of Casualty and Surety Companies and the National Association of Mutual Companies. In 1964, the IAP reorganized and was reborn as the IADA, a national not-for-profit trade association.

Currently, IADA has 98 members in 43 states who employ more than 600 appraisers in over 400 service locations. Over the past 15 years, membership in IADA has increased around

15%. Williams details their membership process: “in order to apply for membership, applicants are required to have five years’ experience in the industry and owned and operated an appraisal firm for the past two years.

We conduct a background investigation on all applicants, followed by a site inspection requiring the applicant to prepare a professional damage appraisal. Our Board of Directors then vote on the applicant.”

Though obtaining membership to IADA seems somewhat involved, the cost-savings benefits offered to members makes it well worth the effort. For starters, E&O/GL insurance is provided under a blanket policy and is included in membership dues with no additional charge. Members

receive discounts on estimating software from all three providers plus discounts on CarFax, NADA Online and Old Cars Price Guide reports.

IADA members are also listed on the association’s website as well as in their annual service directory, around 7000 copies of which are distributed throughout the industry. In addition to the national marketing supplied, members have the opportunity to attend IADA’s national conference which provides them with useful educational seminars as well as the chance to network with other IADA members.

Still, IADA strives to continually add new member benefits in their efforts to attract new members. They also continue to promote educational and training seminars at regional and national events. The association works toward securing new business for their members by “upholding the integrity of the association and being consistent with our honesty policy to enhance our position with the public, insurance industry and automotive repair businesses,” Williams explains. “Our current goal is to recruit new members who have an interest in joining a professional organization dedicated to serving the industry with truly ‘Trained Professionals.’ Our members take pride in delivering professional, unbiased damage appraisals.

Our goal is to treat the consumer the way we would expect to be treated if we had a claim.”

Regarding challenges currently facing the industry, Williams notes, “DRP programs have impacted our volume of business to a great degree.

While DRPs may be a good concept for smaller losses, I feel some carriers’ attempts to completely control the repair process, no matter how large or small the loss, is a mistake. Having owned and operated an appraisal firm for 24 years, I enjoyed a great working relationship with repair facilities.

Preparing an accurate appraisal and securing an agreed price with a reputable shop is quickly becoming a lost art. The industry is losing qualified appraisers at a rapid pace. Many of our members had second, third and fourth generation family taking over their businesses, but we are no longer seeing as much of that.”

IADA Association PO Box 12291 Columbus, GA 31917 www.iada.org 800-369-4232

www.autobodynews.com | SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 19

The Legal View

Erica Eversman is an attorney, frequent speaker and author on automotive legal topics.

She has been quoted in such publications as The Wall Street Journal Online, USA Today, Kiplingers Personal Finance, Cars.com, Yahoo! News and other trade magazines.

Repair Documentation Series, Part 2: Assignment of Proceeds and Writ of Replevin with Erica Eversman

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

Repair documentation plays an important role in your collision repair business, but many shop owners are not very familiar with what they need to protect their interests, so I’ve turned to an industry-leading attorney to provide crucial information on what you need to know about documentation in the collision repair industry. Last month, Erica Eversman, Chief Counsel for Vehicle Information Services, Inc. and founder of the Automotive Education and Policy Institute, a nonprofit organization geared toward educating consumers, explained how collision repair facilities can use the Authorization to Repair and Repair Contract to receive proper compensation from insurers in legal battles.

While those two documents are extremely important, they may not be the only documents you need to successfully pursue a shortpay case in a courtroom. Here, Eversman explains the relevance of an Assignment of Proceeds and Writ of Replevin in these situations.

The purpose of the Assignment of Proceeds is to create a bridge between the insurance company and the collision repair shop, and this is especially important when you have a consumer who is unwilling or unable to pursue proper compensation via a shortpay lawsuit on the shop’s behalf.

Though the insurance company owes their customer the duty of indemnity and the customer thus expects their insurer to pay the shop that repairs their vehicle, many consumers simply do not know or care enough to pursue litigation in instances of shortpays. By asking your customers to sign an Assignment of Proceeds, your shop creates a necessary bridge to the insurance company, giving you the right to step into the consumer’s shoes (for purposes of collecting the full repair costs), force the issue and get paid.

The “devil is in the details”, so your first step is going to be hiring an attorney with experience in the collision repair industry who can assist you with properly wording the document. Eversman cautions, “you don’t

have the right to sue on the consumer’s behalf for everything, such as diminished value; because you’re only being assigned the rights to proceeds, you can only sue the insurance company to collect proceeds for the repair.

You need to understand what this industry is about, clarify exactly what’s going on, and specify which rights are being assigned to you.”

Though a Power of Attorney (POA) would also serve this purpose, customers are less likely to agree to sign this type of document. The problem with the POA is that, while it gives a repairer more power, it is also more complicated, leaving the repair facility with the burden of making all decisions for the customers, so Eversman discourages the use of the POA. While every insurer has an anti-assignment clause written into their policies, most states permit the use of post-loss agreements, making the Assignment of Proceeds a viable option.

It also makes sense for the shop to assume responsibility for prosecuting the insurance company, if necessary, since it requires less action on the part of the consumer.

Once you get to the point of pursuing litigation in order to receive proper compensation, you must remember that the burden of proof falls on you, the plaintiff. In court, you should try to avoid allowing the insurance company to present their estimate as evidence because part of your battle entails proving that their estimate is meaningless – as the collision repair professional, YOU are the one with the right to determine how the vehicle should be repaired, while the insurer is merely obligated to pay for the repair, not to control the process (unless the insurance company has elected to repair).

In order for an Assignment of Proceeds to be legitimate, it is imperative that the consumer understand what they are signing, so it is also a good idea to ask your customers to sign a separate document confirming their comprehension of the Assignment of Proceeds. When constructing your Assignment of Proceeds, begin by defining what it is and how it will be used. The purpose of the document

20 SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

is to allow “a transfer of property or other rights from one person (the assignor) to another person (the assignee) which confers a complete and present right in the subject matter to the assignor… Essentially, this means that the assignee stands in the shoes of the assignor,” Eversman explains.

Because the assignment serves as a contract between the assignor and the assignee, it is thus subject to contract law and interpretation. An important item that must be included in Assignments of Proceeds is a definition of the assignable rights which will identify causes of action issuing from a wrong that causes injury to property or from tort by which property is diminished or damaged; both of these are generally assignable. It is also vital to inform your customers that they can assign their right to recover damages to their property without conveying the title to that property.

For an Assignment of Proceeds to be valid, it must contain clear evidence of the intent to transfer rights in addition to a description of the subject matter in question. The assignment must be clear and unequivocal and be noticed to the obligor. While there are no formal requirements regarding the verbiage used in this document, the language must clearly indicate the owner’s intention to transfer the claim.

Valuable consideration is essential to support the assignment, and while the word “consideration” doesn’t necessarily have to appear on the document, Eversman recommends it as evidence of the exchange required to make an Assignment of Proceeds valid. Essentially, this allows you to take possession of the vehicle without receiving payment if the document is signed, but you are also agreeing not to sue the consumer for money owed as part of the assignment.

See Documentation Series, Page 29

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www.autobodynews.com | SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 21

Wheels to Prosper’s Annual Giveaway

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Saturday, July 26, Wheels to Prosper shops across the country gave away 15 vehicles to deserving people in their communities. Dino DiGiulio, owner of Body Best Collision Center in Sonoma, CA, and founder of Wheels to Prosper, notes that it is “mind-blowing to be able to change people’s lives in this type of way” and wonders “how big it could be if we got all the shops in the country involved?”

This year, Body Best awarded their car giveaway vehicle, a 2004 Saturn L300, to Irene Morgan. DiGiulio’s son, Chance, helped Body Best’s technician with the body repairs as his senior project, which his father proudly reports received a grade of “A”.

In 2010, DiGiulio took a public relations class at Management Success, and he admits “I didn’t realize how important it was until I took the class.”

When the topic of car giveaways came up, DiGiulio thought it seemed like a practical way of giving back to the community. His friend, Jody Gatchell who owns A & J Collision Repair in Conway, AR was involved with a sim-

ilar concept through Recycled Rides, and when DiGiulio saw an emotional video about a giveaway recipient, he knew he had to do it.

Chance DiGiulio poses with winner Irene Morgan in front of the car he helped repair for his senior project

After acquiring information about the program from Gatchell, including how to organize a car giveaway, DiGiulio began planning Body Best’s first Car Giveaway with the initial intention of donating two to three vehicles yearly. Rather than choosing a person in need, DiGiulio put together a committee to choose a winner, enlist-

In the four years since its inception, Wheels to Prosper has increased to include 34 shops donating around 25 cars annually, but the program is growing consistently; DiGiulio hopes, by next year, 100 shops will participate in Wheels to Prosper’s annual giveaway because “Jody and I cannot do as much alone as we can when we involved the entire industry. Wheels to Prosper is all about telling shops how easy it really is.”

Though Wheels to Prosper is expanding to include non-Management Success shops, shops interested in participating in the program need to acquire approval from DiGiulio and the program’s administrator, Jim Anderson, because they want to elicit involvement from shops committed to giving away at least one car each year.

Anderson, owner of Anderson Automotive in Marion, IA, did a giveaway called “Wheels of Change” several years before DiGiulio began his program, but Anderson joined Wheels to Prosper’s board as their administrator because he wanted to be part of something bigger.

ing the aid of a diverse panel of public officials and community leads to select a deserving individual. Early on, DiGiulio decided to choose winners who deserved a vehicle, rather than simply donating to someone in need, because “need is always there,” he explains. “We wanted to help people who help others. Everyone has to do their part, and this is my way of volunteering. By helping this person, he or she can help so many others.”

Gatchell suggested Wheels to Prosper as the name for DiGiulio’s giveaway, and Management Success advised DiGiulio to secure the name and website, helping him build the site. The idea behind Wheels to Prosper was to establish a program to help shops begin the process of sponsoring car giveaways, and when he pitched the idea for a national giveaway to 30 shops in hopes of getting more interest in the program, 11 shops signed up that same day. “We laid out some parameters and established a process, including marketing – there’s a lot of marketing you can do for free because people want to help,” DiGiulio states.

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See Annual Giveaway, Page 26

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www.autobodynews.com | SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 25

Continued from Page 22

Annual Giveaway

Participating shops pay a one-time fee for inclusion on Wheels to Prosper’s website, but this provides a place to promote their business as it generates traffic back to the shop’s website; DiGiulio estimates receiving around 100 visits to his shop’s website annu-

Dino DiGiulio hands over the keys for Body Best’s 2014 Car Giveaway through Wheels to Prosper

ally through the link from Wheels to Prosper. He states, “it demonstrates that you actually care about the community. It’s a little about business but not really – it’s mainly about how many people are impacted by the donation.”

Wheels to Prosper does not hold any type of contest to determine their

winners. Instead, they solicit stories from community members about a person who deserves to win the car giveaway, and a panel of judges reviews the stories to select a winner.

“The difference between Wheels to Prosper and other giveaways is that it’s about who is deserving,” DiGiulio explains. “There’s always a need, but we want to help someone who is helping the community, so our winners are always majorly involved with volunteering efforts.”

In May 2011, DiGiulio held his first giveaway, awarding a car to a five-person family run by a local woman who is very active in her community. “She always thinks of everyone before herself. Even though she didn’t have the means to buy a car, she was still actively volunteering in the community, so we rewarded her efforts by giving her a car which allows her to help others even more.”

Gatchell held his giveaway in July 2011, and DiGiulio held a second giveaway that same year. Afterwards, they decided to choose a consistent date for the annual giveaway, electing the last Saturday in July at 12PM CST. Ultimately, the goal is for all

Wheels to Prosper shops to hold their annual giveaway on the same day each year.

While the participating shops acquire the giveaway vehicles through various means, Wheels to Prosper requires the donated vehicle to be in good shape with less than 100,000 miles on it in hopes of servicing the winner for at least five years without any troubles. DiGiulio’s first giveaway was a salvage loaner with low mileage, and for his second giveaway, he purchased a vandalized car that just needed a new paint job. No matter how the vehicles are acquired, the Wheels to Prosper shop makes any collision and mechanical repairs necessary before donating the vehicle to their deserving new owner.

Thus far, nearly 50 cars have been given away through Wheels to Prosper with a few more giveaways scheduled to take place in October. A film company is currently in negotiations to develop a 12-part miniseries on a shop sponsoring a giveaway, and DiGiulio is optimistic about the publicity that such a program would provide for Wheels to Prosper.

Gerber Collision Donates Car Through Recycled Rides

Gerber Collision & Glass, a member of the National Auto Body Council (NABC) has restored a vehicle as part of a nationwide vehicle donation program called Recycled Rides. Recycled Rides is a community awareness project whereby members of NABC repair and donate recycled vehicles to people in need. Gerber Collision & Glass refurbished a 2005 Ford Explorer, donated by Farmers Insurance.

This is Gerber Collision & Glass’s 21st vehicle donation to families and community service organizations. “We continue to refurbish and donate cars for needy families, and/or charitable organizations, not only in the Chicagoland area but around the country,” said Jim Maliszewski, Director Program Management & Centralized Support for Gerber Collision & Glass.

Gerber partnered with Naperville CARES, a charity whose mission is to help local families in financial crisis meet their essential needs by providing financial support and resources. The Naperville CARES Car Program provides reliable transportation to clients in need by providing donated vehicles to eligible households who lack critical transportation to get to work.

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Northwest Associations with Chasidy Rae Sisk

Chasidy Rae Sisk is a freelance technical writer from Wilmington, Delaware, who writes on a variety of fields and subjects, and grew up in a family of NASCAR fans. She can be contacted at crsisk@chasidyraesisk.com.

ASA-NW Members Enjoy Summer Retreat During the weekend of June 19 through 22, ASA-Northwest held their Semi-Annual Summer Retreat and Management Conference at the Red Lion Hanford House in Richland, WA. The four-day event featured educational seminars, industry roundtable discussions, networking opportunities and general fun for all present. Jeff Lovell, President and Executive Director of ASA-NW, noted that the event went very well with around 80 participants, though this year’s retreat was smaller than in the past were attendance was closer to 100 individuals, a fact he attributes to many graduation ceremonies taking place that weekend.

On Thursday, attendees had the option of enjoying a free day or playing golf with their peers, and those who chose to golf seemed to immensely enjoy the day in the sunshine.

Later in the day, a group of ASA-NW members traveled to the Bombing

Range Sports Complex in West Richland for their “Hogs & Dogs” event where over 2000 motorcycles were on display.

sues in the industry as well as their biggest challenges. Lovell shares, “most agreed that finding good technicians is one of the biggest challenges currently facing the automotive industry today. Our members shared information on how they advertise for employees and where technicians come from. Another topic was the challenge of running a family-owned business; how do you fire your son? Being the boss can be tough on families!”

During the roundtable disRick White of One Eighty Business Solutions presents cussions, the Ascettes played Communicating for Success a game of croquet in the courtOn Friday, the group gathered for yard, and in the evening, the Cool their Board of Directors meeting Desert Nights event allowed attendees where conversations ensued about the to enjoy two hours of classic cars cruising past the hotel. From 9-11PM, the association in general and their financial plans, followed by a Mechanical evening concluded, as did all others during the trip, with ASA-NW’s Hosand Collision Roundtable which alpitality Suite, allowing members to inlowed members to discuss common is-

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dulge in hors d’oeuvres and adult beverages while socializing with their peers in a relaxed setting which provided “an excellent networking opportunity,” according to Lovell.

On Saturday morning, Rick White of One Eighty Business Solutions presented a seminar, approved by the Automotive Management Institute (AMI), entitled “Communicating for Success.” Lovell states, “the seminar was great, and everyone loved Rick… He praised ASA-Northwest as one of the most fun associations he gets to work with!”

When the group gathered for lunch, Joel Baxter, Past Board Chairman, presented plaques to Brian and Zoya Johnson as well as ASA Honorary Member Ron Willand. Current Chairman Todd Black also presented the “Hunt Endowment” to Travis and Renee Mosley of My Auto Pro. That afternoon, ASA-NW members gathered for a productive General

Business Session, while the Ascettes held an equally fruitful business meeting. Saturday evening’s main event was a barbeque in the hotel courtyard where attendees partook of ribs and chicken while playing lawn games

nated by Jude and Lindsy Larson of CompTrek Consulting, Brian and Jen Smith of Gig Harbor Automotive, Beven Weeks of ICM, Mark and Sara Simons of Rolf’s Import Auto Service, Bryant and Melissa Kelley of Valley Automotive Electric, Janel Black of Unlimited Services, and Janae Schindler of Rod’s Japanese Auto Care. Between the live auction and the raffle, the Ascettes raised over $2300 towards their scholarship fund.

ASA-NW is grateful to the members who took time from their busy schedules to make ASA-NW members enjoyed a weekend filled with the event such a success. socializing and discussions Lovell believes everyone had such as croquet and ladder ball. Dura great time networking and dising the barbeque, the Ascettes auc- cussing the issues, and he looks fortioned off a “Pamper Yourself” basket ward to the next retreat this winter. donated by the Ascettes, a two-person fishing trip donated by Scott and ASA Northwest Rachael Tveten, and a Butter Pecan 7403 Lakewood Drive W, Suite 7 cake donated by Casey Hall; the cake Lakewood, WA 98499 was so popular that a second one was 253-473-6970 also auctioned off, to be supplied at a www.asanorthwest.com later date.

At the Hospitality Suite later Satwww.autobodynews.com urday evening, the Ascettes held their CHECK IT OUT! raffle prize drawings with prizes do-

Continued from Page 20

Documentation Series

In your supporting documents, you should also include an Assignment for Money Due which must identify the customer, the repair facility, the vehicle and the loss. As long as this is without defects, it should be enforceable without being notarized (dependent upon state laws).

The Writ of Replevin is a document that the insurance company typically uses to retrieve a total loss vehicle, filing it to say a shop is unlawfully withholding a vehicle when they do not want to pay for the repair.

Because this document is only valid if the insurance company can prove the shop is wrongfully withholding the vehicle, it is imperative that you are prepared to defend yourself against a Writ of Replevin by including a clause in the Repair Contract that states the consumer cannot transfer the title of the vehicle without ensuring the repair bill is paid in full. With the vehicle owner’s signature affixed to this verbiage, the insurance company has no right to the vehicle until they have paid for the repair, making their Writ

of Replevin effectively useless.

So, with the Authorization to Repair, Repair Contract, Assignment of Proceeds and defense against the Writ of Replevin, you are well on your way to protecting your business interests, but you’ll also need a Parts Notice and Authorization as well as an Indemnification Letter (we’ll cover these next month in the third and final installment of this series). You can still get started right away by contacting a local attorney to start drafting these important documents which will allow you to recover proper compensation on every repair that comes through your shop doors.

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Continued from Cover

I-CAR Wants

are more likely to take a look to see what they can find on the website.”

After more than a year in development, the website is available through the “Technical Knowledge” section of I-CAR’s website – www.i-car.com – or directly at http://rts.i-car.com. It feature six primary features: 1. The “OEM Information” section includes a page for each automaker, listing what types of collision repair procedures and information each makes available and how to access it. But Bartanen said the section offers not just links to the automaker’s repair information websites (though there are short videos explaining the navigation of each automaker site) but often some of the actual procedures, bulletins and information technicians or estimators may need. In the Acura section of the portal, for example, Bartanen opened a bulletin showing that sectioning cannot be done on the B-pillar reinforcement on the 2014 Acura MDX. 2. Another section, searchable by year-make-model, offers a guide to

automaker information on which parts require inspection or replacement following an airbag deployment.

3. The “partial part replacement” section, also searchable by year-makemodel, lists what sectioning procedures are available from the automakers. The procedures themselves still generally need to be downloaded from the OEM website, Bartanen said, but this guide at least allows users to know whether what they are looking for exists at those sites.

4. A “collision news” section of the portal is replacing I-CAR’s longstanding “Advantage” newsletter, and will include three or four new articles a week; this is where, for example, ICAR announced in July that in part due to I-CAR’s encouragement, Kia Motors recently released comprehensive collision repair manuals in the United States for the first time. Bartanen said shops and technicians can receive “push notifications” about news posted to the portal by following the “@tech_briefs” Twitter feed (no push notifications are available via email at this time).

5. I-CAR has posted it “Uniform Procedures for Collision Repair” (UPCR) at the new portal. First devel-

oped in the late 1990s but more recently updated, the UPCR outlines industry-accepted repair procedures for such things as adhesive bonding, corrosion protection and wheel alignment.

6. The “Ask I-CAR” section is just that, a way for a portal user to email or call I-CAR with a technical question for which they haven’t been able to find an answer. In a live demonstration of this feature, Bartanen called I-CAR’s toll-free number and said he was looking for sectioning procedures for the B-pillar on a Dodge Dart; within minutes, the I-CAR representative checked the Dodge OEM information website and found that given the type of steel used for that B-pillar, Dodge offers no sectioning procedures.

She also emailed John Van Alstyne Bartanen that information, and posted it to the portal in a searchable (by year-make-model) database of other such questions ICAR has researched.

Bartanen said more information will continue to be added to the portal; many automakers, he said, are

anxious to use the portal to put technical information and procedures into collision repairers’ hands, often at no charge.

Current I-CAR Statistics I-CAR also used its annual conference to update the nearly 400 people in attendance on the organization’s other current and future activities.

I-CAR CEO John Van Alstyne reported that 56,000 student from more than 8,600 businesses received I-CAR training last year. That training now includes 77 live classroom courses, almost an equal number of online course, and 14 virtual classes that are taken online but with an I-CAR instructor teaching the course live.

He said about 3,000 businesses have achieved I-CAR Gold Class status, and about 2,300 more have been categorized as “Road to Gold,” businesses that are working toward achieving Gold Class status.

I-CAR reaching out to consumers Those businesses, and others with ICAR-trained technicians, may be glad to hear that I-CAR is launching a consumer awareness campaign to help See I-CAR Wants, Page 34

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Social Media for Shops

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

with Ed Attanasio

Is Your Reception Area Making a Good First Impression?

I was recently at a body shop that does tanic; magazines from 2010; a coffee amazing work, garners incredible cus- machine covered in what looks like tomer reviews and skillfully fixes mud and an old, beat-up sign on the nearly 200 cars monthly. All of the wall that the guys from American with Ed Attanasio shop’s techs are dressed in clean uni- Pickers wouldn’t even want. forms and you could eat off the shop My first reaction was shock. Why floor. But, then I took a look at their does this shop work so hard to provide amazing customer service, maintaining a professional image with a highly-trained staff and then they badly fumble the appearance of their reception area (or some call it a “waiting room”), the only part of their shop that customers will definitely see?

Think about it. Collision repair is one of the only inVictorEric Design in Vancouver, British Columbia designed dustries in the world where this high-end reception area for B&D Autobody & Glass, your average customer is unalso in Vancouver happy before they even interreception area and it’s an OMG mo- act with you. They’re looking for ment. Ugly yellow walls covered with reasons to take you off their list, in greasy handprints; one little table that some cases, so why give them any looks like it was pulled out of the Ti- ammunition? A body shop’s reception

SEMA Show Goes On

area should be comfortable, clean and inviting, but so many of them just don’t make the grade. So, we found three examples of body shops that understand the importance of a waiting room that fits the aforementioned qualities. They see the value in making a good first impression, because like the old deodorant commercial used to say, “You may never get a second chance.”

Towne Auto Restoration & Collision Specialists in Randolph, NJ hired Aurora Kitchens and Interiors of Somerville, NJ to completely re-do their reception area in 2011. It won a design award in the National Association of Remodeling’s annual contest in 2012, according to Kelley Evens, the owner and chief designer at Aurora Kitchens and Interiors.

“The owner of Towne Auto wanted to provide his customers with a different experience than is usually found in auto body shops,” Evens

said. “A comfortable, upscale waiting area for customers was top priority.

Other amenities on the owner’s wish list included a television viewing area, a working area with free Wi-Fi for customers, a gourmet coffee/tea center, an inviting reception desk, an area for insurance adjusters to speak with clients privately, multiple employee work stations and beautiful restrooms.”

Figuring out how to keep the waiting room clean in an auto body shop environment was one of the biggest challenges. “Collision technicians often track oil and grease from the shop into the waiting area when they are speaking with customers,” Evens said.

“The key was a durable yet attractive concrete floor with a multi-sized tile pattern, some texture and a color variation from gold to terra cotta. Cleaning is a breeze with just water and a mop.

To make the seating area more inviting, a multi-colored jewel-toned rug was

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used to anchor the space. A brown leather sofa and gold leather chairs were grouped for seating.

Their colors complement the concrete floor and area rug.”

While many auto body shops have a single unisex restroom, which is often dark and dingy, the owners at Towne

keep the restrooms from feeling cold and sterile,” Evens said. “The combination of bold colors, wall art and accent pieces created exactly the effect that the owner was trying to achieve.”

Another award-winning reception area designed by a leading interior design firm was created by VictorEric

Ace Architects designed this cool and comfortable reception area for Uptown Auto Body in Oakland, CA

Auto insisted on separate restrooms, each modern, clean and well-lit. “We achieved this through the use of mirrors and artwork, with warm paint colors to

Design, a Canadian design firm located in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“B&D Autobody & Glass, (also in Vancouver) came to us looking to up-

grade their space,” according to the company’s blog.

“B&D Auto body is the preferred auto body shop of the Vancouver MINI Cooper Club – they are factorytrained for repairing MINI’s and are used exclusively by MINI Yaletown for body work. That being said they wanted to update their look to suit their new clientele. We wanted to design a waiting area for our client that offered style and comfort, and one that conveyed organization and efficiency.

We took a blank concrete canvas and chose to create a cool vibe with bold colors of grey, black and white. We custom fabricated a table topped with glass with a base of stacked tires, added colorful automotive themed artwork and threw in accents of chrome and silver. This is not your ordinary auto body shop. Customers don’t even mind waiting.”

Our third example of a well-received reception area that is both cool and comfortable was designed for Uptown Auto Body in Oakland, CA by Ace Architects, also located in Oakland.

Ace’s Co-Owner Lucia Howard loved working on the design and dealing with the shop’s owners Lisandro Allende and Giovanna Tanzillo was a creative and

enriching experience, she said.

“Giovanni’s idea behind this project was to create a space where people could forget that they were in a body shop,” Howard explained. “Both owners collect art, so they wanted art to play a role. We were also interested in using car images in the overall look, because Lisandro is a big car guy and loves racing cars. We wanted to inject a ton of their personality into the reception area and I believe that’s what we achieved. We also wanted it to be open, so that when customers enter, they can also see part of the offices, so that they don’t get that stifling feeling.

We didn’t want the customers to feel like they were being stored off in some room waiting for their car. When you sit in this reception area, there is so much happening throughout the room that you don’t’ even have a chance to be bored.”

So, maybe it’s time to take a longer look at your reception area.

When was the last time you did anything to it? It’s all about what the public sees and perceives, so if you do A+ work, but your reception area is getting low grades from the people who matter the most, a makeover might just be money well-spent.

www.autobodynews.com | SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 33

Continued from Page 30

I-CAR Wants

drivers understand the value of having their vehicles repaired by trained shops and technicians.

“During my first three years with this industry, I have been told many times that the consumer just doesn’t care about collision repair until the moment their car is hit,” Van Alstyne said, acknowledging that he too had previously not thought much about the topic before joining I-CAR in late 2010.

“But no one ever told me I should think much about repairs, so I was ignorant.”

With that in mind, he said, I-CAR first benchmarked the level of awareness among consumers about collision repair, finding it very low. As part of this benchmarking, he said, “We gave them some information about things they should be aware of, and their interest perked significantly. They cared and wanted more information.”

“We need to educate and empower consumers to help them make informed collision repair decisions,” Van Alstyne said.

Speaking at a press conference following the day-long conference,

Ann Gonzalez, senior director of marketing for I-CAR, said the organization is now working with a Detroit-based agency on a “larger-scale national and regional creative campaign,” to reach consumers. That will include public service announcements and social media advertising, she said. Those campaigns, which focus on “safe repairs” and “trained technicians” are currently being tested in some markets.

Elise Quadrozzi, I-CAR’s director of development for the insurance segment, said as more insurers include Gold Class or other training requirements as part of their direct repair program (DRP) agreements, they are interested in reaching consumers with a similar message about the value of that training.

“So I think you will see some initiatives coming to fruition pretty quickly where they will start to include that in their messaging. not just as part of the DRP structure, but actually as part of the messaging out to their consumers,” Quadrozzi said.

By getting this information directly to vehicle-owners, Van Alstyne said, “the consumer is going to help our industry do more of the right things.”

Continued from Cover

LA AG Files Suit

The lawsuit alleges that State Farm steers consumers to direct repair providers that have signed agreements with the insurance company.

As part of the terms of the agreement, those repair shops must comply with the standards for repair laid out by State Farm. The insurance company, not the repair shop, dictates how long the repair should take, what types of repairs are made and the quality of replacement parts. In many cases, the repairs are completed with sub-standard parts without the consent of the policy holder.

“In some cases, we’ve found that these parts are nothing more than used junk yard parts. In others, we’ve found them to be foreign knock-off parts of questionable quality,” said Caldwell. “Auto repair is not an industry where you can cut corners to save a little money,” he said. “It could be a matter of life and death.”

Caldwell says the suit aims to change the culture of unsafe business practices led by State Farm in the auto insurance and repair industry. State

Farm currently holds the largest share of auto insurance policies in Louisiana. In 2012, State Farm wrote one third of all auto insurance policies in the state totaling over $1 billion in premiums.

“Each month Louisiana consumers give their hard earned money to State Farm under the assumption that the insurer will take care of them if an accident occurs. This simply isn’t happening. Quite frankly, State Farm has been there for State Farm, not the Louisiana consumer,” Caldwell stated.

A PDF copy of the lawsuit can be found at www.autobodynews.com.

VA’s AA Auto Collision & Repair Offers Wheel Repair

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Master Painter JoAnn Bortles Gets Dose of Reality on Motor City Masters

by Ed Attanasio

Renowned automotive and motorcycle painter JoAnn Bortles was eliminated at the conclusion of episode #3 on Motor City Masters (Tuesday nights, 10 p.m. PST on truTV) a re-

ality series that pits 10 mega-talented designers from different parts of the automotive industry against each other week after week in the ambitious task of creating concept cars based around a different theme.

One by one, designers who fumble their role during each weekly build will be sent home by the judges until one lone Motor City Master will remain. The winner gets $100,000, a new 2014 Camaro Z28 and becomes a Chevy ambassador for the carmaker.

Bortles is a 33-year veteran painter, the owner of Crazy Horse Custom Paint in Waxhaw NC and an

author of seven books about automotive painting and airbrushing techniques. Known as a leader in custom hot rod and motorcycle paint, Crazy Horse Painting has been producing show winning and road worthy paint jobs for 33 years. Known as the “Queen of Flame”, Bortles has won numerous awards for her work including some of the top custom painting awards in the country. In 1998, 2005, and 2012 her work won Best Motorcycle Paint of the Year and in 2006 she won PPG’s Top Five Most Outstanding Paint Award.

Bortle’s paint work has been featured in Street Rodder, Hot Rod Milestones, Hot Rod, and other automotive publications. Her paintwork has appeared in nearly every bike magazine and on the covers of many magazines, including American Iron, Easyriders, VTwin, Biker, In the Wind, Auto Graphics. Her custom chopper was featured on the cover of Easyriders in Sept 2004, making her the first woman to have her own personal bike appearing on the cover.

ABN interviewed Bortles the morning after the world discovered

that JoAnn had been eliminated during episode #3 of Motor City Masters.

She sounded a little down, but appreciative of the fact that she was asked to be on the reality series.

“Yes, it was frustrating, but a lot of good things have come from it,”

JoAnn Bortles is an award-winning custom painter, airbrush artist, car builder, journalist, and book author with over 30 years of experience in the automotive industry

Bortles said. “My approach to my work is by always focusing on the future, so I’m not going to dwell on what happened on Motor City Masters.

I’ve been getting a steady stream of new followers on Facebook and people have been really great. One of the main themes of the show stressed my leadership skills and my positive approach to everything I do. I thought I made some solid decisions about the design elements, especially on the truck we designed in episode #3. As soon as we were doing trucks, I wanted to do suicide doors; I wanted to give our team’s truck a step side look, so we did the suicide doors immediately and everyone took my concepts and ran with them. After that, it was all about keeping my team going to make sure they had what they needed so that we could build a nice vehicle. But in the end, you’re depending on three other people you don’t know and you can’t do it all by yourself.”

What was her overall impression of Motor City Masters in general? “I love reality television personally and I

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selves to the limit, both mentally and great thing in my career. You physically. We had very little sleep always have to keep your feet during each build, so we were always on the ground so that you can a little on edge and cranky. I pushed be prepared for what’s comthe people in my team as much as I ing around the corner.” could, but one guy walked out of the You can meet JoAnn Borpaint booth after making one little tles at SEMA this year at Hysuggestion, so it was the battle of egos pertherm’s booth and also pretty much. If I had fought more, I some of her work will be on think I would have had a mutiny. display at the PPG booth.

When I paint a car or a motorcycle at This is her 10th anniversary my shop, it’s pretty much me and my Judge Jenn Jennings (left) discussed her team with Bortles of attending SEMA shows, during episode #3 of Motor City Masters people, so I’m not used to the type of she said. “SEMA is all about drama I encountered on Motor City the networking and I have and they chose me, so it means a lot.” made some amazing contacts there Masters.”

Bortles was energized by the ex- over the years, so I am anxious to It was a short run, but a great one for Bortles on the perience on the reality series and is make new friendships while re-conseries, she explained. “This now looking for more exciting proj- necting with old friends at SEMA this was the opportunity of a life- ects. “I look back at all the work I’ve year.” time, so when they asked me done and I think—wow I did this?” to be on the show, I jumped she said. “It’s a great feeling. I feel the same way for about Motor City Masters. on it. My attitudeRegister is always goYour Email Our for it. I don’t see how it can’t Camilo Pardo, a car designer on the help my business, because show, said something and I totally now I’ve been seen by a agree with it—‘Shut up and let your Be Seen by Our Readers! whole new audience. It’s a re- work speak for itself’ and that’s what CALL Advertising Sales at: sume builder and that’s im- I do. I let my body of work speak for Bortles made her case about the truck her team designed portant, because all of it itself and if people can see that I am on episode #3, without success, as she was voted off at fortheir Ourvision, then that’s ableEmail to share works together to Register support and Your the conclusion of this episode of Motor City Masters advertising@ @autobodynews.com com strengthen the brand—my the right customer for me. I try to stay we had build techs to help us. It was brand. Literally thousands of people humble because once I start thinking www.autobodynews.co www.autobodynews.com om that I’m all that, I might miss the next exhausting and we were pushing ourapplied to be on Motor City Masters always watch Project Runway and Best Ink,” she said. “This show is different in that you break into teams.

The team dynamic is a tough one, because you have a lot of very different people from different backgrounds and you have to put them together and hope they’ll work well together in a stressful situation. So, it was 100 times tougher than I thought I would.

It got pretty intense out there in the design studio and some people walked out and there was a lot of arguing. On top of it, we had to do much of the physical work ourselves, even though

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Midwest Associations with Ed Attanasio

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

ICRA Lobbyist Defends Rights of Iowa Body Shop Owners

R. Scott Weiser, 58, is the lobbyist for and putty and fillers and other ancilthe Iowa Collision Repair Association lary products that they need in order (ICRA) and works closely with the orto complete the work for their clients with Director Ed Attanasio ganization’s Executive Janet was being taxed.

Chaney to act on behalf of its memThey were paying bers throughout the state. six per cent on that Weiser established Capitol Strateand we were able gies Group, Inc, (CSG) in 1998 and to secure an exseven years ago he began working emption for them with the ICRA. He has been a regisfor the past three with Ed Attanasio tered lobbyist with 33 years and years. That was a R. Scott Weiser CSG is a full-service lobbying, connice rallying point is the lobbyist for sulting, and advocacy company profor our members the Iowa Collision viding services at the statehouse in and I think our Repair Association Des Moines, Iowa and in Washinggroup is stronger (ICRA) and the president of Capitol now than it has ton, D.C. Strategies Group, been in years beInc. in Des Moines, Q: Some lobbyists are attorneys, but cause of that vicIowa others are full-time lobbyists and not tory. We got that lawyers. Which are you and describe handled and it’s definitely a shot in the the difference? arm for the collision industry in Iowa, A: I am not an attorney. Some lobby- because now the body shops can take ists are lawyers and some aren’t. At- the six per cent and put it in their torneys are usually seeking negotiated pockets. outcomes, but when you’re an advocate like I am, you don’t always get Q: Is it difficult for the body shop negotiated outcomes. There are win- owners in Iowa to be heard by their ners and losers, so it’s an interesting legislators? dynamic. Sometimes we’re for some- A: No, not really because the ICRA, thing or opposed to it and that’s all has an excellent reputation for gainthere is to it. There’s no room for ne- ing access over at the State House. gotiation when it comes to many of We built a three-pronged approach to these situations, especially in the col- how to solve problems here in Iowa lision industry. So, that’s how a lob- and it works. We have our legislative byist can differ from an attorney. work which involves committee work and testifying and those sorts of Q: What do you do specifically for the things. We also are working on the ICRA? regulatory side to engage our InsurA: I represent a wide range of busi- ance Commissioner and our Attorney ness groups here in town. I took on the General as it relates to things like ICRA as a client several years ago be- PartsTrader and other things that cause I like these people and I’ve begin to be issues for them as well as stayed with them because I really the industry. enjoy working with them. They’re hard-working honest folks and top Q: What are some of the hotter issues business people and not afraid to fight, right now for you and the ICRA? so I enjoy working on their behalf at A: During this past session, we inthe State House. troduced some legislation after careThe ICRA has recently had some fully looking at some other states to successes and that’s really important see what they’re doing and how to any association in terms of building they’ve had successes. So we looked membership and visibility and track- at a couple of issues, one of which ining other winners. We had a tax issue volves the use of aftermarket and rehere about three years ago now. Our cycled parts in repairs and the other body shop guys were one of the last concern is with short pay. It was our businesses in Iowa that were still first shot out of the box addressing being taxed on the products they use the short pay issue and it wasn’t as on their repairs. In other words, tape fruitful as we imagined. We have a

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38 SEPTEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

pretty hard. So, right now we’re regrouping and during this past year, we’ve been working pretty hard to capture and quantify short pay issues that are going on right now in the collision industry in Iowa. We’re going to have some good, solid, well-supported and documented cases of short pay and will be able to go toe to toe with the insurance companies. We’re going to professionalize our approach more, so by owning the data that we’re assembling it’s really going be a key thing for us here.

very large insurance presence here in Des Moines. We’re second only to Hartford, Connecticut for insurance company headquarters, so we’re very insurance-friendly here. Almost all of the insurance companies are right here and of course they show up at the State House whenever you introduce a piece of legislation and they tend to have data–lots of data.

On top of that, we currently have one of the lowest auto rates in the nation here in Iowa, so we began to testify. The problem is that when our members are asked to testify on something such as short pay, for example (involving what we believe includes things such as safety issues and other issues) we don’t have any data on our side. We’re giving them individual stories from our members and they’re valuable, but here in Iowa it’s difficult to pass bills without the data. Our members are pretty sophisticated over here and they work it

Q: What are the main issues surrounding short pay?

A: Well, first off–the consumer is being short changed here—the customer is not being made whole.

There are safety concerns when certain parts of the vehicle are not paid for or used appropriately. In many cases, our own elbow grease is being See ICRA Lobbyist, Page 43

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Western Associations with Chasidy Rae Sisk

Chasidy Rae Sisk is a freelance technical writer from Wilmington, Delaware, who writes on a variety of fields and subjects, and grew up in a family of NASCAR fans. She can be contacted at crsisk@chasidyraesisk.com.

ASA-AZ Serves a Big State with Diverse Interests

As the sixth largest state in the nation, professionalism and excellence in the the association was in the process of automotive repair industry through merging with the Arizona Automotive Arizona is home to over 6.5 million citizens and over 6.8 million registered with Chasidy Raeeducation, Sisk representation and member Trade Organizations, an association comprised of service station dealers, vehicles. With services.”

With 169 members in the 113,909 convenience stores and repair facilities. such a large population and such square mile area, ASA-AZ consists of When the Arizona Collision Craftsbusy roadways, it seven chapters: Prescott, Mois no surprise that have, Tucson, Phoenix, Verde there is an overwith Chasidy RaeValley, Sisk Yuma and the Grand Canyon Chapter “which incorwhelming number of collision porated all businesses that are and mechanical not in close proximity to any repair facilities scattered throughout of the other chapters,” explains the state, and all those independent Luz Rubio, Executive Director ASA-AZ. “Each chapter businesses needwith a collective voice.

Chasidy RaeofSisk That’s where the Automotive Service provides local chapter meet- ASA-AZ provides educational opportunities for members Association of Arizona (ASA-AZ) ings and outreach to its members. Some chapters meet monthly, and man’s Association experienced some comes in!

Incorporated in 1976, ASA-AZ others not as often. These meetings membership fallout in 2004 and found was founded on the concept of estab- allow our members to exchange ideas, that they were unable to sustain their operations through their volunteer lishing collaborative efforts amongst discuss challenges and identify soluwith Chasidy Raetions, Siskthus elevating the professionalism force, they also merged with the forautomotive service professionals from merly all mechanical ASA-AZ, leading all across AZ. As a state affiliate, the of the industry.

Rubio assumed the role of ASA- to the creation of the association’s colassociation shares the same mission as ASA-National which is “advancing AZ’s Executive Director in 2002 while lision division.

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As a registered lobbyist, Rubio monitors legislation that may have an impact on the automotive industry.

When action is required on a legislative bill that may have a negative effect, members of ASA-AZ receive alerts requiring that they contact their legislators to share their views, and the association works with other small business organizations to strengthen their position. In 2012, ASA-AZ successfully defeated a bill that would have forced body shops to absorb the cost associated with vehicle storage in many situations.

Though ASA-AZ is not currently working on any legislation, Rubio plans to continue monitoring introduced legislation in January when the new session begins. She notes “ASA supports legislation that protects the consumer’s rights in the full repair process of their vehicle, both mechanical and collision related.” ASA-AZ monitors national legislation as well, and Rubio shares

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their stance on several current matters: “Though the Right to Repair no longer seems to be in the forefront for mechanical repairers, we continue to work with NASTF to ensure that information for repairing vehicles is available.

[Concerning PartsTrader and other insurer-mandated parts procurement systems], ASA-AZ believes that the insurance companies should stay in the business of insurance and leave all aspects of the repair process to collision repair professionals.”

In addition to providing legislative representation, ASA-AZ members receive discounts from various industry vendors, and the association also provides members with opportunities to interact with their peers in both educational and purely social situations. Some of the association’s current goals include providing ongoing activities for their membership to network and encourage all chapters to conduct monthly activities. Rubio says, “what would an association be without any fun? Our annual convention – Sunrise – offers everything: education, resources and lots of fun.

Next year’s event is already on the calendar for June 19-21 at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino. We are

looking to bring in a great line-up of speakers; there will be lots of learning, but also time for fun!”

At the State Office, Rubio collaborates with ASA-AZ’s Board of Directors to coordinate the technical, collision and management training that the association offers to their

Rubio poses with ASA-AZ Board of Directors

membership. She says, “we identify topics that our members need and host out-of-state speakers that will bring them the information that they need to improve their business, including topics such as ‘Survival Skills for the Service Advisor’ for our mechanical shops and ‘Profitability to Preserve Survivability’ for our collision members.”

In addition to reviewing and upgrading their website, one of ASAAZ’s current projects entails forming Automotive Roundtables for their various chapters. Rubio states, “these are forums that allow business owners with single operations to discuss the day-today challenges and identify solutions.”

Unfortunately, recent increases in the number of multi-shop operations in the mechanical industry and consolidators buying out collision repair shops has reduced the number of independent automotive businesses in AZ, creating a challenge for ASA-AZ to maintain operations. Another concern Rubio has noticed on both sides of the industry is “the lack of qualified young technicians. The current workforce is getting older, and there are not enough upcoming technicians in the field to replace those who will be retiring. We have not yet addressed this issue, but we have begun to discuss it as an association.”

As an affiliate of the national association, ASA-AZ offers both ASANational and state only benefits to their members, including partnering NO. CAROLINA

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with various vendors, or associate members, to provide the utmost customer service to members. “We encourage our associate members to attend the local chapter meetings and build relationships with the local shop owners, managers and technicians,” Rubio says. “It’s a business of relationships, and the sales will come when the need arises. We have a strong support network of vendors in this industry that offer great products and services, and we want to make sure that they too are educated and understand the industry.”

Through training, representation and member benefits, ASA-AZ continually seeks ways to improve their communication and outreach to member shops, but Rubio encourages “nonmember shops to join us and learn what ASA is about. We are a network of like-minded independent owners who are looking for ways to provide outstanding customer service to the motoring public.”

ASA-AZ PO Box 81517 Phoenix, AZ 85069 602-544-2600 www.asaaz.org

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Continued from Cover

Assured Performance

case—it’s essential to be on the playing field in the future.”

Assured Performance has positioned itself right in the middle of this obvious game change. They are a legal co-op, a non-profit consumer advocacy organization and management company. Combined, they operate as a third-party administrator for body shop certifications and marketing programs for Ford, Nissan, Chrysler, Enterprise, GM and others. They also provide consumer awareness to thousands of media outlets and manage various vendor rebate programs.

Uniquely, Assured Performance has the distinction of Scott Biggs, administering more President and than $13.5 million Owner of Assured Performance Netdollars of supplier work in Irvine, CA rebate rewards to their members since 2004 which helps shops reinvest in their business.

“We’re helping all of the shops to keep pace with a rapidly changing mar-

ketplace. We welcome those that want to be a part of the future; our best estimate is that, to-date, only about 1 in 10 shops have already begun this journey,” Biggs said. “Our industry needs to urgently embrace this challenge to meet the repair needs of today‘s vehicles.

The company has already enrolled nearly 1,600 shops in their joint-effort OE Certification program and is well on their way to their objective of 2,000 shops by year-end 2014 and 3,000 by year-end Ronald Doerr is 2015. Ford, NisAssured Network’s new Senior V.P. of san, Chrysler and Strategic Initiatives others now have similar coverage by leveraging the Assured Performance platform. Regardless of where a consumer lives or travels, they will have a Certified Collision Repair Provider choice, according to Biggs.

To handle the anticipated further growth of its third-party certification program, Assured Performance has added several industry veterans to its team. A significant recent addition

for Assured Performance is Ronald Doerr, the company’s new Senior V.P. of Strategic Initiatives. Through 30-plus years working for GM on the OEM parts side, he brings a broad industry perspective and is respected across multiple market segments.

“I’ve known Scott Biggs and witnessed the evolution of his company over many years,” Clark said. “Scott has asked me to help the company in getting all of the pieces together as we move forward in the certification aspect of the business. As a former member of the OEM Roundtable, I’ve seen first-hand how these programs have grown and changed. Multiple carmakers building multiple vehicle models that require multiple shop repair capabilities have created a confusing and unmanageable environment for most shops.

“Cars have become so much more complex that certification is going to be more and more integral to the day-today operations of a body shop, regardless of where they are or what their business model is,” Doerr explained.

“Assured Performance has interpreted and simplified the many moving parts, leveraging their commonalities instead of the exceptions. Assured Perfor-

mance’s program has struck a chord with the OE’s and the industry because they all see a definite need. Shops can get the certification they need and in return, the OE’s are stepping up with things like referral programs.”

To ensure that the company has first-hand shop knowledge and experience, Assured Performance has five former shop owners and MSO managers onboard. Aaron Clark is one such former body shop owner. He is now Assured Performance’s V.P. of Certification and Network Development. Clark sold his seven shops at Aaron Clark is the the end of 2012, company’s new anticipating retireV.P. of Certification ment, but started and Network Development. working for Assured Performance a few months later.

He‘s happy and excited to be with a growing company during an ideal time in the collision industry’s history, he said.

“The certification arm of this company is gaining more and more momentum every day because getting onboard See Assured Performance, Page 46

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92-year-old Owen Crist Auto Body Closed July 31

Owen Crist Auto Body Service in Des Moines closed its doors on July 31, ending a 92-year-old business, according to reports in the Des Moines Register. Closing the business was bittersweet for owner Larry Crist, 82, who auctioned off the contents of the business Aug. 9.

Crist planned to sell six or eight vehicles, air compressors, frame racks and auto body and towing equipment.

Continued from Page 38

ICRA Lobbyist

short paid, but sometimes it’s other things and so I think we’re hoping by the end of December we’re going to have a pretty good documentation to use.

Q: What does the future of the ICRA hold for you and your members?

A: Our body shop members have done a great job politically here in

Iowa, but it all comes down to the fact that we have to help ourselves ultimately. That’s where we find ourselves right now. Our Executive Director Janet Chaney is doing an excellent job and that’s important, because these body shop owners can’t do it alone. We’ve got some good things happening right now with the ICRA and with Janet onboard, they’re definitely headed in the right direction. I am paid to be an advocate for this organization and it’s a pleasure because they take

their own time, energy and money to try and make a difference and by achieving things for them is very fulfilling personally and professionally.

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

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MCRS Lobbyist Represents Collision Repairers in Big Sky Country

Drew Geiger, 44, is the chief lobbyist for Communication and Management Services in Helena, MT. He’s been a lobbyist for more than two decades and began working for the Montana Collision Repair Specialists (MCRS) seven years ago, representing the organization in the Capitol and acting as a watch dog as he steadfastly keeps an eye on proposed bills for its membership.

Geiger’s connection to the collision industry goes all the way back to his high school years, he explained.

“The body shop guys in high school kept my $500 car on the road, so I’ve been indebted to this industry ever since then.”

Geiger respects the collision repairers he works with at the MCRS, he explained. “The board at MCRS is a very mature group consisting of very successful body shop owners. You could take this board and give them another business and within six months, they’d

be running it successfully. They’re sharp business people who started out working on cars, but then they took it to the next level by understanding how to run a successful business. It’s been a good relationship, because they seem to like my counsel and we’ve been able to achieve some good things over the years. We’ve gotten some bills passed that have helped the collision indusDrew Geiger is the try significantly in chief lobbyist for Montana and so it’s Communication and worked very well.”

Management ServGeiger has been ices in Helena, MT. He’s been a lobbyist stressing from day for more than two one that body shops decades and began are good employers working for the and important conMontana Collision tributors to the Repair Specialists economy in Mon(MCRS) seven years ago tana. “Back when I

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started with MCRS, I did some research and found out that body shops in Montana pay 30% above the state average in wages and give the majority of their employees health care,” Geiger said “So, we’ve really tried to communicate to the legislature and the public about the industry in general. A proposed bill might be opposed by the insurance industry or have proponents, but we want to show that we have a broad public interest when we walk into the state Capitol to start talking about legislation, and we’ve been successful at doing that.

“We also stress the level of professionalism in this industry,” he said. “When a customer’s car is in the shop, the insurance company obviously plays a role, but ultimately, the body shop professionals are the ones that are saying, not only are we going to get you your car looking fine, but it’s going to be performing the same way it did when it was towed in here. There’s a huge public

safety component here as well, and we stress that. The point is that body shops are main street businesses and my clients are fixing their neighbors’ cars. We have more deer than people here in Montana and almost all of our legislators have been in a deerrelated accident, so our body shops have helped them more than once, in some cases.

We stress all of this, because we want to illustrate that we’re a useful industry that helps the public and that’s what legislators respond to.”

There have been some big wins for the MCRS and Geiger since he began in 2007, he said. “The most significant bill we’ve encountered during the seven years I’ve been in this position was HB 265, sponsored by Representative Gordon Vance, which prohibits the insurer from disregarding cost items identified by an estimating system. In some states, this same bill is 500 pages long, but here in Montana

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it’s basically one sentence: ‘An insurer may not unilaterally disregard a repair operation or cost identified by an estimating system that the insurer and the auto body repair business have agreed to utilize.’ It doesn’t get easier than that, does it? We had some major push back from the insurance side on this bill.

In the end, it’s a David vs. Goliath situation here. You have a larger industry being told by a smaller industry that we need to sit down and negotiate and you can’t tell us what to do, essentially. It took a couple sessions, but the legislature ultimately said that it shouldn’t be a problem for us to sit down with the insurance companies and work it out. It impacts the body shop, but if you’re a customer and it’s your car being repaired, you want your car back in that same condition. But, if procedures are denied by the insurance company, how can you be sure what’s being done and what isn’t being done? So it’s absolutely a consumer protection issue and that’s why it passed in 2011.”

Geiger is also concerned with steering practices in Montana, he said.

“Steering is absolutely a problem here

in Montana and an ongoing issue. If the insurance companies could take it off the books, they would do it absolutely. So, we have to be vigilant when it comes to steering. Our Insurance Commissioner Monica Lindeen is absolutely open to working with us and she’s had an open door policy since day one.

She’s pro-consumer and has been good for the collision industry in Montana. She knows many of our board members by name and we hold regular informal meetings in her office all the time. My office is two blocks away and I see her at the grocery store, which is definitely an advantage of working in a smaller state like Montana.”

One of Geiger’s jobs is going through each and every bill with a fine tooth comb. “Our legislature meets every other year for four months and there are roughly 2,000 bills that get thrown out there,” he said. “So, I have to read through all of them, to make sure they don’t contain anything that can negatively impact the collision industry in Montana. My MCRS members don’t have time to read 2,000 bills every year and that’s one of the main things that we provide.

Knowing how to act while working with the legislators in Montana is important, Geiger said. “With 2,000 bills in play, you want to have a presence but you don’t want to be pushy.

You want to maintain a fine balance between being around and being engaged, but you also want to be respectful of the fact that these legislators have to study, decide and vote on 2,000 bills.

You have to learn the process and the protocol if you want to get things done.

You don’t want to go in there and make demands and stomp your feet. You have to be professional and pragmatic with your presentation if you even want to be considered.

The people I work with at MCRS getwww.autobodynews.com it and understand that and I think that’s why we’ve had so much success.” CHECK IT OUT!

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IN Shop Owner Charged in Child Exploitation/Porn

An Alexandria, IN, shop owner was charged with possession of child pornography and child exploitation after police said they found evidence on his computer. The charges are so inflamatory that Autobody News is withholding the name of the owner and his shop pending resolution. The shop owner was turned in after he asked a woman if he could have sex with her minor daughter. According to a probable cause affidavit, the woman contacted police in April to report the incident. She said that after meeting theGive man inus February, the two spent your opinion on ma time together. One night when the two were at the shop office at the owner displayed pornographic movies on his computer, according to the woman. He publisher@auto showed videos that portrayed bestiality and later, videos with children ranging from ages 3 to 15 years old. The woman said he showed her about 20 clips, then allegedly asked the woman if he could have sex with her 3-yearold daughter. Detectives executed a The on source for office timely search warrant the owner’s and found video clips and submitted information that every them to the Indiana State Police Cyber body shop The needs!

Crime Unit for examination. arrest warrant was issued Aug. 13.

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Continued from Page 42

Assured Performance

with this program has quickly gone from an option to a necessity for body shops.” Clark said, “I was prepared to step away from the business after selling my shops, but when this opportunity was presented, I could not resist. We have a chance to reinvent this industry in a positive way and work to create something that never existed before.”

At NACE, Ford representatives discussed the details of repairing the 2015 F150 and their National Body Shop Network program and Clark elaborated on it. “As the maker of the number one selling vehicle representing nearly 700,000 sales per year, it was no wonder that all of their presentations had standing room only over three days,” Clark said. “The highpoint of the presentation was how shops would be rewarded with official Ford certification—recognition for making the investment to become retooled, re-trained and re-equipped.

Further, shops that can make the grade will ultimately receive referrals from not only Ford, but Nissan, Chrysler and others through their aggressive

OEM consumer-facing awareness and marketing efforts.”

Chrysler, Nissan, and Ford are the first ones to announce a referral program and others will be unveiling their programs right after the first of the year. Clark sees the referral aspect of these certifications as a real shot in the arm for the collision industry as a whole. “These are 100% OE-driven customer referral programs that didn’t exist before, so it’s huge,” he said.

“There is no question here—you will have to fix these new vehicles differently and therefore shops are going to have to invest in the training, tools and equipment. If you’re going to have to do all those things regardless, why wouldn’t you want to be recognized for it and receive referrals for doing it?”

The standard certification-recognition requirements used by Ford, Chrysler, Nissan, etc. are those developed by Assured Performance in cooperation with many OEM’s. Assured Performance supports the open competition approach to procure the tools and equipment required. This key aspect is illustrated well in Ford’s aluminum repair requirements for the new F150. To be Ford certified-recognized through 2015, the shop must become “alu-

minum capable” including having separate aluminum repair tools, a separate area (curtains or walls) for aluminum work, and specific repair training and welding certification provided by ICAR. While Ford has these requirements, the shop can buy from several good choices where competition exists.

Assured Performance’s approach to body shop certification is unique in other ways as well. Instead of a surprise “pass-fail” test, Assured Performance uses a business development process.

Even before the shop enrolls for the first time, they are able to evaluate their readiness by following the online capabilities assessment referred to as the “Pre-flight Checklist.” Shops interested in becoming certified are able to complete the “Capabilities Assessment” to review the requirements, see their deficiencies, and generate a business development plan, helping them get from where they are now to where they need to be, according to Doerr.

The turnkey system designed by Assured Performance even develops a shop—specific calendar, budget and equipment matrix with vendors listed to help the shop streamline the entire process. Even I-CAR working in conjunction with Assured Per-

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formance has developed a program called “Road to Gold” to address the evolving needs in the area of training. Equipment and tool vendors have also joined the effort, providing expedited online ordering and pricing to simplify and streamline the process of retooling for the shops willing to make the journey.

“Every aspect of this program is administered by Assured Performance, starting with the enrollment process, the shop capability assessments, their business development plans, the annual on-site physical audit-inspections, necessary online support systems, proof of compliance documentation, and even shop marketing,” Ron Doerr said. “Assured Performance’s joint-effort approach eliminates redundancy in equipment and duplication of the fees and the overall cost for a body shop to become certified. The cost savings for each shop is in the thousands of dollars, annually – a huge windfall by any calculation. And, in aggregate, the OEM’s are probably saving millions in non-core expenses - they can focus on building great cars and trucks and promoting the certified repair network while Assured Performance quarterbacks the improvements in repair business capabilities truly a best path forward for all.”

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