October 2018 Southeast Edition by Autobody News

37 YEARS

SOUTHEAST EDITIO N

AUTOBODY

Vol. 9 / Issue 8 / October 2018

AL / FL / GA / MS / NC / SC / TN / VA / WV

AL Auto Body Shop Restores Reverend’s Faith, Truck by Donna Thornton, The Gadsden Times

What the devil meant for bad, God made into good, the Rev. K. Solomon Williams said August 23 as he picked up a completely restored truck from Blair Body Shop in Hokes Bluff, AL. Earlier that month, Williams had discovered his truck vandalized outside his home. Tires had been flattened, swastikas and the n-word had been spray painted on the vehicle, and someone had left his water hose running inside the truck. It was an act that outraged many, according to social media, but not Williams. He was upset that the truck

The Rev. Soloman WIlliams poses with his repaired truck August 23 at Blair Auto Body Inc. in Hokes Bluff, AL. His truck was vandalized at his home in Gadsden, AL. Credit: Marc Golden, Gadsden Times

he and Curlie Deramus use in the Coosa River Valley Association minSee Faith, Truck Restored, Page 18

ASA’s Attorney Discusses Overtime Laws by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Wednesday, August 22, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) hosted a webinar on “Making the Overtime Law Work for You” as part of its Webinar Wednesdays initiative. The presentation featured Brian Farrington, ASA’s wage and hour attorney and expert, who addressed federal overtime laws and the costly impact they have on non-compliant shops. ASA Vice President Tony Molla opened the webinar by welcoming attendees and introducing

Farrington. Farrington began by discussing the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA), which is the basic wage and hour law in the United States and establishes standards in four areas: minimum wage, overtime, child labor and recordkeeping. As of July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Farrington emphasized that when state law varies from federal law, an employer must follow whichever standard most benefits the employee. For example, if the state’s minimum wage is higher than the federal minimum wage, but there is no state overSee Overtime Laws, Page 34

AUTOBODYNEWS.COM

Classic Collision Becomes 10th-Largest Independent MSO Atlanta-area-based Classic Collision Inc. recently became the 10th-largest independent MSO in the country after opening locations 21 and 22. Classic Collision’s owner, Manfred Kammerer, announced new locations in Augusta, GA, a 70,000square-foot former Toyota dealership, and a 10,000-square-foot location in Sugar Hill, GA. “Augusta is a thriving marketplace, and we saw a great opportunity to expand and serve this market,” said Scott Britt, director of IT for Classic Collision. “We use many tools to de-

termine where to put our next locations. What we determined, among other things, was a growing population in the Augusta area, plus the U.S. Army is building a new Cyber Command that will bring thousands of jobs to the area. This confirmed that Augusta was a market we wanted to be in. We also plan to add another Augusta location by next spring as well. “Most of our locations aren’t quite as large as the new 70,000square-foot Augusta location. Our average size is 40,000 sq. ft. But See 10th Largest Ind. MSO, Page 20

INTRODUCING A NEW COLUMN! From the Desk of Mike Anderson with Mike Anderson

See page 46 in this issue.

Like a Good Neighbor... State Farm Settles by Bruce L. Roistacher, Esq. NY, FL and DC Bar

A brief history of this very long case is in order. Back in 1999 in Avery v. State Farm, a class action lawsuit was filed claiming State Farm was using non-OEM parts. The class included more than 4 million State Farm policyholders. The jury found that the non-OEM parts were inferior to OEM and that State Farm breached its contract in failing to return the damaged vehicles to “pre-loss condition.” It also found that State Farm concealed known problems with the non-OEM parts. The jury returned a $1.2 billion judgment against State Farm. In 2001, State Farm appealed and an appellate court affirmed the decision but lowered that award to $1.05 billion. State Farm then filed an appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court.

This is where it gets really interesting. In 2004, Judge Lloyd Karmeier was elected to the Illinois Supreme Court. The Avery judgment was eventually overturned. The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that there was no breach of contract by State Farm, no damages were proven and that the “class” was not legally shown based on a legal technicality. The plaintiffs appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and they denied hearing it. THE CASE SEEMED DEAD at this point. The plaintiffs continued to investigate and in 2012 filed a new lawsuit in federal court (Hale v. State Farm) claiming, among other issues, that they had newly discovered evidence that State Farm recruited Judge Karmeier as a judicial candidate and heavily financed his campaign that led to his election to the See State Farm Settles, Page 27

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CONTENTS AL Auto Body Shop Restores Reverend’s Faith, Truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Alabama Ranked One of the Best States for Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Atlanta I-CAR Committee Raises $30K for CREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Auto Body Advantage Seeks To Make Auto Repair Comfortable for Women in TN. . . . . . . 6 Cabell County, WV, Vo-Tech Enrollment Boosted by Attitudes, Job Market . . . . . . . . . 8 Classic Collision Becomes 10th-Largest Independent MSO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 NABC F.R.E.E. Program Teaches New Skills in VA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 NABC Recycled Rides Presents Vehicle to FL Veteran During CIECA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 NC Body Shop Owner Targeted in Attempted Car Theft by Teens He Tried to Help . . . . . . . 19

by Mark Kane, InsideEVs

Value Out of SEMA 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Attanasio - Who Should Be Your #1 Audience for Your Advertising and Marketing? . . . . . . 48 Chess - Plastic Bumper Repair Part 1: Adhesives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Ledoux - Honda Collision Parts Program Sets New Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Phillips - Sherwin-Williams Study Reveals Primary Reason Body Shops Prefer Waterborne Coatings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Phillips - The Power of Peer Groups and Why to Join One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Sisk - ASA’s Attorney Discusses Overtime Laws . 1

Sisk - Mike Cassata Presents on DRPs at NCACAR 3rd Quarter Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Sisk - NCACAR 3rd Quarter Meeting Features Mike Cassata, Doug Irish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Takata Airbag Explosion Damages NC Woman’s Eye, Lawsuit Claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 TN Collision Repair Instructor Wins People’s Choice Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 TN DOT Commissioner Talks Autonomous Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Illustrate Shops’, Insurers’ Practices for Scanning Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Yoswick - 5 Years Ago at NACE, Keynote Speaker Said Industry Was Headed Toward Catastrophe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

NATIONAL ACA 2018 Impact Award Recipients . . . . . . . . 66 ACA’s Bill Hanvey Testifies on 301 China Tariffs . 19 ACA’s Gabrielle Hopkins VP, Federal Affairs . . . 11 AutoX Launches Autonomous Grocery Delivery in San Jose, CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Axalta Introduces Online Chat Support for Refinish Customers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 CIF Disaster Relief for 2018 Hurricane Season . 12 Haunting Images of Cars Caught in the CA Wildfires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Hurricane Florence: What To Do if Your Car

COLUMNISTS Anderson - Are You Upgrading Your Shop’s Customer Service Experience? Or Losing Out to Shops That Are? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Attanasio - After the Donation: Kathleen St. John Gets a Car and a Job . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Attanasio - How To Squeeze Maximum

cuted repair at the Tesla Body Repair Centers. “My Tesla was in and out same day with amazing service.” “He showed up with a loaner, had me sign a couple of forms and left with my car. He texted me when my car arrived at their shop. He let me know they corrected my reported issue. He texted to let me know they noticed my trunk latch was out of spec and asked my permission to fix it. And he texted to let me know my car was ready and met me with it (washed and vacuumed.) A few minutes later, I was back behind the wheel of my fully sorted Model 3. “Tesla spent a fraction of what it would have cost to coordinate and hire a 3rd party body shop and a rental loaner— and the car was fixed by a knowledgeable Tesla employee who cares about their mission and their customers. “I’m impressed.” We thank InsideEVs for reprint permission.

Yoswick - ‘Who Pays for What?’ Surveys

Peacock Automotive Collision Center Earns Certifications in SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Tesla continues to evolve and adapt to the changing environment with its vertical integration of its offer over the entire value chain. It has launched its own body repair shops to solve the long wait times at 3rd party body repair shops in the Tesla Approved Body Shop Network. The idea is to achieve same-day body repairs. Currently, the first nine Tesla Body Repair Centers, envisioned only for light collision repair, are open in the U.S.: • Bellevue, WA • Dallas, TX • Eatonville, FL • Houston, TX • Las Vegas, NV • Marietta, GA • Owings Mills, MD • Van Nuys, CA • Villa Park, IL. If the repairs overwhelm the Repair Centers or there are none in the area, consumers will be directed to a 3rd party body shop in the Tesla Approved Body Shop Network. Electrek cites an example (from reddit) of a well-exe-

Is Caught in a Flood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Like a Good Neighbor... State Farm Settles . . . . 1 Oldest Body Shops in America: Keene Auto Body. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 SEMA Show Week Member Buyer Rewards. . . 16 Tesla Opens Its First 9 Body Repair Centers . . . 3

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

REGIONAL

Tesla Opens Its First 9 Body Repair Centers

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Contributing Writers: John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr, Stacey Phillips, Victoria Antonelli, Gary Ledoux Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Digital Marketing Manager: Bill Pierce Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Michelle Lucas Online and Web Content Editor: Rochelle Beckel Accounting Manager: Heather Priddy Editorial/Sales Assistant: Randi Scholtes

Serving Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and adjacent metro areas. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the autobody industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2018 Adamantine Media LLC.

AMH CANADA LTD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . 63 AUTEL Automotive Intelligence . . . . . . . . . 25 AutobodyLaw.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 AutoNation Collision Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 19 BASF Automotive Refinish. . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 BMW of North America, LLC.. . . . . . . . . . . 29 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . 64 Braman Miami . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Carcoon America Airflow Systems. . . . . . . 42 Certified Automotive Parts Association . . . 10 Chicago Pneumatic Compressors . . . . . . . . 8 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Coggin Deland Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Dent Magic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Diamond Standard Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Dynabrade, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Eckler’s Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 ECS Automotive Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 EMS Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . 62 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Gus Machado Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Hendrick Automotive Group. . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Hendrick Automotive Group of Charleston . 72 Hendrick BMW/MINI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Hendrick Honda Pompano Beach . . . . . . . 44 Hendrick Kia Cary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Hendrick Kia Concord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 32-33 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . 66 Jim Cogdill Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram . . . 28

Jon Hiester Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Kernersville Lexus-CDJR-GM . . . . . . . . . . 22 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 67 Killer Tools & Equipment Corp . . . . . . . . . . 11 Launch Tech USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Lexus Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . 64 Malco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Mercedes-Benz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37 Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers . 68 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . 64 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . 39 Motor Guard Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Polyvance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . 68 Radley Chevrolet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Rapid Tac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 RBL Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Reliable Automotive Equipment. . . . . . . . . 35 Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Naples . . . . . . . . 54 Rick Hendrick MOPAR Southeast Wholesalers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15 Riverside Ford-Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Robaina Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 SATA Dan-Am Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes . . . . 9 Shop-Pro Equipment, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Smith Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Southside Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Stateline Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram. . . . . . 6 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . 65 Symach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Tameron Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Wedge Clamp Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 West Broad Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 YesterWreck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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AutoX Launches Autonomous Grocery Delivery in San Jose, CA AutoX is launching a grocery delivery and mobile store pilot in San Jose, CA, allowing public users to order and receive fresh produce and other goods delivered by AutoX selfdriving cars. Arriving in time for the autumn harvest produce season, the new amenity will be available to customers in geo-fenced areas throughout the city.

and is a testament to our cutting-edge AI and all its potential capabilities. We believe self-driving car technologies will fundamentally change people’s daily lives for the better.” AutoX’s featured partner on fresh produce is e-commerce company GrubMarket.com, which is one of the key partners fulfilling the grocery orders. GrubMarket sources organic and healthy food directly from

“We’re very excited to launch the first autonomous grocery delivery and mobile store service in the heart of Silicon Valley with self-driving vehicles on the road,” said AutoX Founder and CEO Jianxiong Xiao, who has a PhD from MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab and is a pioneer in the research field of 3D computer vision and robotics. “It’s the first step of our mission to democratize autonomy

producers and offers fresh food at the lowest cost to popular retail stores such as Whole Foods, Blue Apron, Hello Fresh and Chipotle. “AutoX is a true innovator in the autonomous driving industry, as evidenced by their pioneering self-driving delivery vehicle,” said GrubMarket CEO Mike Xu. “We are thrilled to combine the fresh and affordable grocery experience of GrubMarket with the ingenuity

“You can order goods from an app and get them delivered by a self-driving vehicle. Or, our self-driving car brings a shelf of goods to you, and you can select and purchase onsite in front of your house.” — Jewel Li

TN DOT Commissioner Talks Autonomous Vehicles by Matt Masters, Lebanon Democrat

Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer spoke about the coming revolution of autonomous vehicles August 23 at the Lebanon-Wilson County Chamber of Commerce’s Lunch and Learn event at Five Oaks Golf & Country Club in Lebanon. Gov. Bill Haslam appointed Schroer the 29th TDOT commissioner. Schroer is also former mayor of Franklin. He spoke to a packed room of about 70 people with a presentation on the future of transportation and more specifically, the coming revolution of autonomous vehicles that will operate almost completely free of human operators with the goal of safer, cheaper and more efficient forms of transportation. “Those cars are going to be available in the next two or three years in our country,” Schroer said. “You’re not going to be able to go buy a Ford Escort or whatever they’re selling because those cars will be for their autonomous fleet. You won’t probably buy autonomous vehicles, and the reason being is because [of] 4

the way insurance is working and the way the national government is talking about autonomous vehicles. They’re making the car producers— the manufacturers—insure that vehi-

cle, so you won’t have to have [car] insurance. They’re going to make sure they maintain them, they’re in control of them and everything is working on them because ultimately it’s the technology that’s doing the driving. “So we’re going to belong to the services, the Ford service or the

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

from the L4 autonomous driving crowd is its emphasis on inexpensive but high-resolution cameras as the primary sensor, rather than expensive LiDAR laser arrays and other costly sensors. AutoX’s high resolution camera sensing enables the AI to safely detect small objects, such as kids and pets, and see farther ahead than other autonomous driving technologies that heavily rely on LiDAR. “Highest safety and lowest cost; this is where our key technology lies,” said Jianxiong. With a diverse team of research minds from the likes of MIT, Stanford, CMU and AutoX is launching a grocery delivery and mobile store Berkeley, along with engipilot in San Jose, CA. Credit: Business Wire neering talent from Google, “We are enabling two shopping Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Ford, experiences with self-driving cars,” AutoX is determined to make a mark explained AutoX COO Jewel Li. on the autonomous driving industry. AutoX’s grocery delivery and “You can order goods from an app and get them delivered by a self-dri- mobile store pilot will roll out in two ving vehicle. Or, our self-driving car phases: The first pilot is in San Jose, brings a shelf of goods to you, and and phase two will expand the pilot you can select and purchase onsite in west to Mountain View and Palo Alto with more delivery partners joining front of your house.” What sets AutoX’s system apart soon. and delivery capabilities of AutoX. We look forward to providing our customers with even more convenient delivery options.” When the AutoX car arrives, the window rolls down with AutoX’s selections for customers to pick.

General Motors service or the Audi service, and that’s how we will go to and from work. We’ll probably own a car for a while. We’ll use it when we drive to the grocery store or go out on the weekend, but most of the time, we’ll use autonomous vehicles, and as we do that we will start saving lives, and that’s really what this is all about.” Schroer gave an example of New York City from 1900–1913, where the mode of transportation changed from horse and buggy to the automobile in a relatively short timeframe. Schroer said it’s currently in the first five years of a similar revolution that will take about the same amount of time, 13 years, to become fully integrated in society. Schroer cited several numbers and said the average cost to own a car in the United States is between $700– $800, coupled with the near 40,000 highway deaths per year, 94 percent of which are caused by human error. Schroer said the goal of TDOT is to make sure government investments are compatible with the future of autonomous vehicles. He said safety is the main concern with any efforts to which TDOT commits.

Schroer also promoted a hightechnology corridor between Murfreesboro and Nashville that will act as a pilot program to implement a variety of technologies to make travel safer and more efficient. “We’re putting every type of technology available to us in that corridor of I-24 and Murfreesboro Road, which will include [dedicated shortrange communications] units that will receive and transmit information from the cars and to the cars. We’ll have traffic-signal coordination on Murfreesboro Roads, dynamic message boards telling drivers what to do and where to go, what speed to drive in order to reduce congestion; so lots of new technology that’s going to be involved,” Schroer said. We thank Lebanon Democrat for reprint permission.

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Auto Body Advantage Seeks To Make Auto Repair Comfortable for Women in TN by John Evosevic, The Daily Herald

Contrary to the popular saying, what you don’t know can hurt you. Too many find out the hard way that they’ve been taken for quite a ride at an auto repair shop: repairs that necessitate even more repairs, unnecessary or unauthorized work performed, padded bills and hidden charges—the list goes on. Perhaps even more intimidating are shops in which women feel as though they’re being patronized at best and outright deceived at worst. Dawn Grimes, co-owner of Auto Body Advantage at 1500 Thompson’s Station Rd. West in Thompson’s Station, TN, aims to make auto repair a more comfortable experience. At the Thompson’s Station location, a clean-smelling waiting area first greets the customer. Lining the upper wall is a hobby train set that traverses above a large flat-screen TV. A gaming console makes children feel at home. Nearby sits a massage chair. Lest one get the wrong idea, Auto Body Advantage is not set up like some frilly Victorian-era tea party setting. Men can feel just as

comfortable. Grimes is equally aware that many men have struggled to understand cryptic repair descriptions and repair bills. “I have been there, which is why Auto Body Advantage wanted to offer women and men another choice when it comes to automotive repair and service,” Grimes said.

Grimes touts Auto Body Advantage as the only repair shop owned and operated by women in the area. “I don’t know—especially in our area—of any repair shop that’s woman-owned,” Grimes said about the business that also lists her husband, Jim Grimes, as a co-owner. “My husband started the collision repair business in Spring Hill in 2008,

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

so we’re celebrating our 10-year anniversary in collision repair. Both of us have worked in the automotive industry for 30 years. I came in five years ago.” Two years ago, the Grimes sought to venture from strictly performing collision repair to encompass auto repair and maintenance. The Thompson’s Station facility was chosen as the proving ground for the expanded service. The Spring Hill location continues to focus on auto body work. “Slowly but surely, we’re growing our business, but there still are a lot of people who don’t know that we even offer mechanical services and auto repair. The other piece of that is that it’s woman-owned and womanoperated,” Grimes said. Grimes’ sister, Stephanie Gindlesberger, runs the front of the Thompson’s Station shop with an emphasis on knowledgeable and patient translation of automotive jargon for customers who might otherwise feel unsure or intimidated. Customers are also often invited to look at their vehicles on the rack so that they can understand what a repair will entail.

“Not only are we women-owned, but we cater to women because a lot of times, women are the ones stopping and getting oil changes, having the brakes looked at and a lot of times, we’re made to feel like we don’t know what we’re talking about. We’re also made to feel like we’re being taken advantage of a lot of times. But don’t get me wrong, we love our guy customers too,” Grimes said. “I want a place [where] people can come [and] know that they can trust us [to provide] a quality repair. That’s the whole point: Treat people the way you want to be treated.” Active duty military, reservists, veterans, law enforcement officers and firefighters receive a 10 percent discount. For more information, please visit autobodyadvantage.com. We thank The Daily Herald for reprint permission.

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Cabell County, WV, Vo-Tech Enrollment Boosted by Attitudes, Job Market Schools. Enrollment also has shifted toward far more full-time CCCTC students, who take all their core classes such as math and English at the career center, rather than what have

sus as an adult. “I’d rather come here as a high The Cabell County Career Technolschool student and get the opportuogy Center’s student enrollment in nity than to come as an adult and Huntington, WV, has hit an all-time pay,” Smith said. “As a high school high with more than 300 high school student, it’s free. You get the educastudents participating for the 2018– tion and you go straight into 19 school year. the job market.” That’s nearly double the number About 100 adult learners of students enrolled five years ago. are also enrolled at the caEducators attribute the rise in reer center in auto technolinterest to the changing attitudes toogy, electricity, HVAC and ward career-technology education licensed practical nursing. among the public, employers and Adult tuition can cost as students, an increased demand for much as $8,000, while Caskilled labor and the career center’s bell County students receive expanded vocational offerings. the same training, often in “The big change now is that stuthe same classes, for free. Lakisha Cremeans works during a collision repair class at dents are no longer seeing this as an “It’s nice, especially that the Cabell County Career Technology Center on August 22 in option for just those who want to go it’ll be good pay,” Smith Huntington, WV. Credit: Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch to work right after high school,” said said. “And it’s nice that I Frank Barnett, CCCTC principal. traditionally been mostly part-time won’t have to spend a lot of money “They see the earning potential (in students who would take their vo- on college to get a good education.” vocational trades), but also that they tech classes at the center but return Over the screeching of metalcan still attend college after gradua- to their regular high schools for core on-metal in the career center’s auto tion. classes. garage, Griff Adkins rattled off all “Kids are looking at it as that they CCCTC now offers all core that he’s already learned in the auto can start here and finish anywhere as classes except Advanced Placement collision program—from plastic far as their career.” courses, meaning most students will welding to patching a rust spot on a The career center offers student spend their entire high school career programs in welding, automotive col- at the center in Huntington. Only 35 lision and technology, machine trades, CCCTC students are currently partHVAC, electricity, building facilities time. maintenance, carpentry, construction, “Now students want to go out there and stay all day,” Cunningham said. “They have a chance to finish all their core programs there, not just their program of study.” Career literacy has been more strongly promoted in recent years in the county’s younger grades, especially in eighth grade, highlighting a broader scope of the jobs available after graduation Students work during a collision repair calss at the Cabell rather than simply those that County Career Technology Center on August 22 in Huntington, require a traditional college WV. Credit: Sholten Singer/The Herald-Dispatch education. coding/game and app design, business “There’s been a changing attitude technology, graphic design, and law in the world that we need more skilled and public safety. labor,” Cunningham said. “And here’s The district is also looking to a perfect place to get some of that expand CTE programming to offer training.” plumbing and cosmetology in the Enrolling was a sound financial near future. decision for Eric Smith, a sopho“If we added those programs, more from Glenwood in the career they’d quickly fill up to capacity center’s electricity program—not too,” said Joedy Cunningham, ex- only in the promise of substantial ecutive director of secondary/post- pay in electrical work, but also in the secondary schools at Cabell County price of training in high school verby Bishop Nash, The Herald-Dispatch

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car.

“These are some of the goodpaying jobs in America, and I’d rather be rich than poor,” Adkins said. The junior from Guyandotte added it was more engaging than typical high school classwork for those who’d rather make their living with their hands. “You can learn to use a computer all you want, but if you crash your car, you’re going to have to pay somebody to fix it if all you know is to type something on the computer,” Adkins said. The Cabell County Career Technology Center is located at 1035 Norway Ave. in Huntington, WV. We thank The Herald-Dispatch for reprint permission.

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Takata Airbag Explosion Damages NC Woman’s Eye, Lawsuit Claims by Kurt Niland, Righting Injustice

A North Carolina woman has filed a personal injury lawsuit against Nissan North America, Takata Corporation and related companies, alleging that a defective Takata airbag in her vehicle blasted metal fragments into her eye. In 2015, Kelijah Hall, then 19 years old, was driving her Nissan Sentra in Charlotte when she was involved in a collision on Lawyers Road. The driver-side Takata airbag in her vehicle deployed on impact, but instead of protecting her in the crash, it seriously damaged her eye, according to her lawsuit. Charlotte’s WSOCTV Channel 9 uncovered the lawsuit and noted in a recent report that Hall seeks more than $75,000 plus punitive damages from the automaker and its airbag supplier. According to her complaint, the Takata airbag “exploded, ruptured and burst,” shooting metal shrapnel from the airbag’s container at her face. Now 22, Hall has undergone “multiple operations” on her damaged eye and continues to receive

treatment for the injury. She experienced pain, bleeding, infection, discharge and a loss of vision, her lawsuit alleges, according to WSOCTV’s report. In addition to her physical in-

juries, Hall also alleges she suffers from permanent cosmetic problems. Hall is one of about 300 people who have been injured by Takata airbags, which can explode with lethal force even in the most minor collisions. Several others injured by Takata airbags have suffered eye damage, including U.S. Air Force Officer Stephanie Erdman, who was featured in a public service announcement urging motorists to take the Takata airbag recall seriously. Mary Lou Rodriguez, a resident of the Rio Grande Valley city

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

of Harlingen, TX, also suffered a serious eye injury when the Takata airbag in her Honda deployed with violent force. Takata airbags are also linked to 23 deaths worldwide, most of which have occurred in the U.S. The defect in the airbags stems from Takata’s use of ammonium nitrate in the inflator mechanisms that deploy the airbag in a crash. The chemical compound becomes more unstable and hypersensitive as it ages, especially if exposed to hot and humid conditions, and can cause the airbags to explode in a collision. The Takata airbag recall is the largest and most complex vehicle recall in U.S. history, involving 19 vehicle manufacturers, 37 million U.S. vehicles and approximately 50 million airbag units. We thank Righting Injustice for reprint permission.

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Atlanta I-CAR Committee Raises $30K for CREF by Chasidy Rae Sisk

During NACE Automechanika on August 8—10 in Atlanta, GA, the Atlanta I-CAR Committee hosted its Annual Rockin’ Rides Car Show, normally held as a separate event. According to Gerry Poirier, Chairman of the Atlanta I-CAR Committee, “NACE Automechanika provided us with space to do our fundraiser for CREF. We raised $30,000 this year, compared to the $3,000 we normally raise at our annual car show. I am extremely grateful to the folks at NACE Automechanika for their willingness to host us and all their support. “Holding the Rockin’ Rides Car Show on the NACE floor, in the air conditioning, was very nice, and we had over 30 vehicles on display. The funds we raised are donated to CREF, who awards the money to local collision repair programs in the metropolitan Atlanta area. AkzoNobel was our main sponsor this year.”

TN Collision Repair Instructor Wins People’s Choice Award by Staff, Times-Gazette

Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Shelbyville collision repair technology instructor Eric Brown received the People’s Choice Award at a car show held during NACE Automechanika.

The 1951 Ford pickup

The car show was held on the event floor and sponsored by the Collision Repair Education Foundation and I-CAR. Providing 90 percent of all proceeds collected for schools, the Collision Repair Education Foundation helps support collision programs at high schools and technical colleges all over the

country. It offers makeover grants, scholarships, tool grants for veterans and a host of other programs. Much of its success is through volunteers. Brown displayed his 1951 black Ford F1 pickup to help promote the collision repair field. At the conclusion of the car show, the 1951 Ford F1 brought home the People’s Choice Award. “We were so proud to have Eric represent our college and the collision repair program, and to so many partner industries for their help in supporting ongoing education in the collision repair field,” said TCAT-S President Laura Monks. Brown was provided an opportunity to speak to groups of local high school seniors in order to spark interest in technical college as a pathway to a very rewarding career. Many of the approximately 700 students who attended the event had never seen a classic car. “It was a great opportunity to share the collision repair career oppor-

tunities for those students on a technical career path after high school,” said Brown. Brown thanked the Collision Repair Education Foundation for its continued support of the TCAT-S collision repair program.

Eric Brown of Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Shelbyville holds the People’s Choice Award he received during a car show held in conjunction with NACE Automechanika in Atlanta

“Their assistance has helped get our program to tier one status, which means we are one of the top training facilities in the country to teach late model collision repair,” he said. We thank Times-Gazette for reprint permission.

ACA’s Gabrielle Hopkins VP, Federal Affairs

The Auto Care Association recently announced the addition of Gabrielle Hopkins as vice president, federal affairs. Hopkins joins the Auto Care Association’s government affairs department, where she will assist in the leadership of the department. The new role will task Hopkins with identifying legislative initiatives for the association to pursue and recommending advocacy efforts on both Capitol Hill and with federal agencies. Hopkins will represent the association’s policies and positions at appropriate legislative and policy hearings and meetings and will monitor and inform staff and board members of legislative, regulatory and other issues of importance to the auto care industry by developing appropriate context and communication channels. She is a graduate of Clemson University and received both Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration degrees from American University.

autobodynews.com / OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

Alabama Ranked One of the Best States for Manufacturing by Sean Ross, Yellowhammer News

In August, Global Trade magazine ranked Alabama as one of the best eight states for manufacturing in the nation. The states named in the rankings have a “combination of factors, like an existing industrial base, the availability of talent, investment incentives and favorable tax and regulatory environments.” Besides Alabama, the states that made the cut were Florida, Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio. Alabama received a glowing write-up from “the authority for U.S. companies doing business globally.” The state has seen a continued influx of manufacturing investment—much of it from the international auto industry—and it’s not hard to understand why,” the magazine wrote. “Alabama ranks fifth in the nation in auto production, with Toyota, Mazda, Mercedes, Hyundai and Honda all locating factories here. Vehicles are now Alabama’s numberone export.” The new Toyota-Mazda plant announcement proved Alabama’s

prowess. “When Toyota and Mazda chose Alabama for a new plant, the state’s package of incentives was reportedly worth over $350 million. The package included jobs and investments credits, capital costs reimbursements, sales- and property-tax abatements, and the building of a training center at the site of a state agency,” explained Global Trade. Alabama also has government agencies that understand how to help job creators instead of creating excess red-tape. “The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) expedites investments by coordinating the work of state and local economic development agencies at the project outset,” the magazine outlined. “Barring any serious issues, all permitting can be completed in 120 days.” Site selection opportunities are key to Alabama’s ranking, too. “Pre-certifying development sites tend to attract major projects, and Alabama’s the AdvantageSites program has attracted over 20 projects in the last decade, generating $1 billion in capital investment and 4,000 jobs,” emphasized the magazine.

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Alabama also has world-class workforce development initiatives. The magazine noted, “AIDT, Alabama’s workforce development agency, initiates training programs to attract new industries. Training is often provided in mobile training units that meet specific company needs. Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes, Navistar, and Airbus are among the companies that have benefited from AIDT training.” While the automotive industry in the state is well-known, Alabama’s aerospace industry is also set to take off, especially with a possible role in the coming Space Force. The magazine pointed out that Alabama already “enjoys a leadership position in aerospace production.”

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CIF Disaster Relief for 2018 Hurricane Season

On Sept. 12, the Collision Industry Foundation (CIF) announced its Disaster Relief Task Force is continually poised to render assistance to industry members who may be impacted by natural disasters. As Hurricane Florence barrels toward the East Coast and the 2018 hurricane season goes in full swing, the CIF wants to bring awareness of its mission and seek support for this cause. “It’s comforting to know the Collision Industry Foundation exists to assist our fellow brothers and sisters impacted by natural disasters,” stated Dale Matsumoto of Auto Body Hawaii and board member of ABPAH. “If you or others you know are impacted by any storms or other natural disasters, please go to the CIF website and request aid,” said Michael Quinn, CIF Disaster Relief Task Force chairman.

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Peacock Automotive Collision Center Earns Certifications in SC

Peacock Automotive recently earned new manufacturers’ certifications and completed building renovations at its collision center, located at 1667 N. Okatie Hwy in Ridgeland, SC. “We have been working on continuous improvement since the facility opened in 2014, continually educating our technicians and estimators,” said Joanie Iaco, manager of Peacock Collision Center. “We have been able to earn several certifications with additional manufactur-

tified status with manufacturers, the company has worked to maintain its current equipment while investing in new equipment and technology. The new certifications, which primarily focus on the repair of specific manufacturers’ vehicles, include: • Assured Performance Certification • FCA-Recognized Certified Repair Facility Program (Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat, MOPAR)

• Enterprise Elite Service Partner Program • Ford National Body Shop Network

ers and have added new technicians to our staff.” Specializing in all types of collision repair from frame straightening to suspension, Peacock Collision Center’s 36,000-square-foot, stateof-the-art facility features precision equipment and computerized paintmixing systems. To achieve the cer-

Program

• Hyundai-Recognized Certified Repair Facility

• Kia-Recognized Repair Facility Program

• Audi Aluminum & Factory-Certified • VW Factory-Certified

NABC F.R.E.E. Program Teaches New Skills in VA

In crashes where minutes can spell the difference between life and death, first responders to the accident scene need up-to-date information so they can act quickly and safely. Knowing specifically where and how to efficiently cut and extricate can save precious minutes and lives as well as the safety of the first responders. Keeping first responders up to date on the latest new technology in vehicles is a challenge for every local fire department. The National Auto Body Council F.R.E.E.™ keeps first responders abreast of the rapid changes in vehicle design. High-strength steel, airbags, advanced restraint systems, onboard technology and safety around alternative fuel vehicles are all covered in the program. Tuck’s Collision and Restoration at 1001 E. Main St. in Pulaski, VA, hosted 37 first responders from 13 area fire departments and four counties at a special NABC F.R.E.E. education and guidance program on Tuesday, Sept. 11, to help ensure Pulaski-area drivers have the best prepared response in case of an accident. Partners in the program were 16

Hurst Jaws of Life, Al’s on First, Always and Forever Photo, Advance Auto, DCT Towing, Duncan’s, Food City, Little Debbie, Northwest Hardware, O’Reilly, PRS Towing & Recovery, Roger Caudell, Shelor’s, State Farm, Thompson Tire and Tractor Supply. The NABC F.R.E.E. program provides advanced instruction and guidance to help first responders practice cutting techniques on advanced vehicles, addressing highstrength steel and composite materials, multiple airbags, onboard technology and changing vehicle design. Hurst Jaws of Life is providing classroom instruction and extrication demonstration. The growing popularity of high-voltage hybrid and electric vehicles and the many safety concerns surrounding these vehicles make this program a necessity. Alternative fuel systems present different challenges when first responders arrive at the scene of an accident. Electric cars, hybrid cars and natural gas vehicles have fuel systems that pose dangers for first responders if need arises to cut or pry the vehicle for rescue.

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

• Honda/Acura ProFirst-Certified

• Nissan/Infiniti Factory-Certified • I-CAR Gold

“We are dedicated to maintaining strong manufacturer affiliations and performance certifications,” Iaco explained. “This helps assure our customers that their vehicles will be attended by a team of experienced technicians who do everything possible to get them back to like-new condition, no matter the extent of the damage.” Other recent improvements include renovations to the customer lounge and employee lounge. New individual desk spaces were also added to the adjusters’ area. “Customers can now enjoy watching a big-screen TV from comfortable leather chairs or from new café-style high-top tables while they wait to get back on the road,” Iaco added. “We strive to make the repair process as pleasant and hassle-free as possible and offer the kind of stellar hospitality that drivers expect from Peacock Collision Center.”

SEMA Show Week Member Buyer Rewards

SEMA members attending the 2018 SEMA Show as buyers have access to the Member Buyer Rewards (MBR) program perks. Just by wearing their MBR cards and lanyards during the SEMA Show, they will be recognized as MBR members, giving them access to the following: ● VIP Taxi Line: Enjoy shorter lines available Tuesday–Friday during select hours. ● Members-Only Lounge: Book meeting rooms, charge your devices, network with other SEMA members, purchase food options and more. ● MBR Lounge: Located inside the Members Lounge–North, this lounge offers MBR members exclusive access to a space to relax and enjoy complimentary refreshments during the SEMA Show. ● MBR cards will be mailed in late October. Be sure to stop by the MBR lounge early to pick up your gift; they will go fast!

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Continued from Cover

Faith, Truck, Restored

istry to collect and distribute items for homeless people and others in need was lost to them. But he was quick to let people know he didn’t think the incident was tied to national protests on the anniversary of the conflicts in Charlottesville, VA. When Joe Pastorie read about the incident, he wanted to help. Thinking the truck had been totaled, he first turned to a friend at a Ford dealership. Then he talked to Heath Blair at Blair Auto Body. “I’ve brought my truck here umpteen times,” Pastorie said. Blair had read about the incident, too. He didn’t want that to be the impression people had of the entire community. “We’ve got a bad reputation as it is,” he said. Blair told Pastorie and Williams to bring the truck to him to let him see what he could do. 24/7 Towing towed the truck in free of charge, and Blair was pleased

“Somebody took the windows out of his truck,” Williams said, “and put them into mine. Oh, man. That’s a lot of love.” There was a lot of love through the whole project—and not a lot of people anxious to take credit. Blair said it wouldn’t have been possible without Pastorie’s efforts. Pastorie would prefer to be left out of the story entirely—but he was obviously pleased with the outcome. “This is one of the best days of my life,” he said. “That’s my bucket list, to try to help other people.” Rev. Soloman Williams, left, talks with his new friend Joe Pastorie, Blair and others Pastorie Agust 23 at Blair Auto Body Inc. in Hokes Bluff, AL. are helping Williams and Credit: Marc Golden, Gadsden Times Deramus get back to helpfixing broken windows and slashed ing others, too. “There’s a quiet homeless poptires, Blair turned to some other busiulation in Gadsden” Williams said, nesses to help. Baker Tire donated replacement “that people don’t really talk about. tires, Blair said, and Kelley & Spur- I guess they’re embarrassed.” He hoped to be back to work the lock Auto Parts in Attalla donated next day, helping them. windows. “It’s needed,” he said. “It’s “I’m sure any of the vendors I work with would have donated,” Blair needed.” Blair said he believes anyone in said. to see that damage was not as bad as expected. At the shop, they were able to clean the graffiti off rather than having to repaint the truck. The water didn’t damage the electrical system, and when it came to

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

the community would have helped to right the wrong done in this incident. However, Williams noted, it was Blair and those he contacted who did—others didn’t offer. Etowah County Commissioner Carolyn Parker came out to see the restored truck. She said the incident happened in her district, and she wanted to get a complete list of the people who helped Williams so she could recognize them at a future commission meeting. “I want people to see a good ending to a bad story,” she said. Williams said he appreciated her support since the incident occurred and was amazed at how good the truck looked. “It hasn’t ever been so clean,” Williams said. Pastorie said he was struck by Williams’ attitude regarding the incident—by his realization that the vandals did not reflect his community. “Who am I going to be angry at?” Williams said. “I don’t know who did this. “I’m angry about racism. I hate that it still exists today. We should See Faith, Truck Restored, Page 35

NC Body Shop Owner Targeted in Attempted Car Theft by Teens He Tried to Help

Salem police to send a message to kids that their actions have consequences. Southside Rides Body Shop in Win“It’s just important for individston-Salem, NC, gives recently reuals to understand that if you do the leased inmates and troubled teens a crime, you’re going to do the time,” said Winston-Salem Police Com“I was very disappointed, but I’m not munity Relations Specialist Pam Peoples Joiner. giving up on them. I will never give up She met with Moore on August on them,” — Dave Moore 21 about planning the Stop the Violence rally. She said one of the main place to work and learn the automo- flashing on the car and people walk- focuses of the event will be about bringing in parents and the rest of ing around the parking lot to the car. tive business. “I was upset; I am upset. But at the community. But it appears that one night, “It does take a village to raise a teens the shop was trying to help the same time, they’re kids, and we child, and as Mr. Moore tried to take advantage of the people mentioned, it starts in the giving them a chance at a better life. household,” she said. Dave Moore had just wrapped Moore said he wants to up a summer program for teenagers. turn this negative into a “So we cleaned up the shop; positive and hopes this we pulled all the cars out. But when will teach kids there are we started putting the cars back, the people out there who want kids were gone and a set of keys to help. was missing,” Moore said. “I was very disappointed, He said he thought he might Dave Moore said he’s not giving up, dispite attempted car but I’m not giving up on have misplaced the keys to one of his theft by the teen he was helping. Credit: Fox 8 them. I will never give up vehicles on the lot, but he blocked it in a spot just in case. Later that night, need to spank them or something, and on them,” he said. one of his neighbors noticed some- show them there are consequences,” We thank Fox 8 for reprint permishe said. thing suspicious. He’s working with Winston- sion. “One of my neighbors saw by Lindsay Tuman, Fox 8

about 10 kids in the parking lot trying to take the car even though we [had] blocked it in,” Moore said. Surveillance video from a neighboring business showed the lights

ACA’s Bill Hanvey Testifies on 301 China Tariffs

Auto Care Association President and CEO Bill Hanvey testified August 23 before the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in Washington, D.C. on the latest proposed tariff list on imports from China. Hanvey warned the administration that the cost of an additional tariff would cause severe economic harm to the U.S. automotive industry and U.S. consumers. The tariffs are part of USTR’s Section 301 investigation to address unfair acts, policies and practices by China that are related to technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation. “The greatest impact from this action will be on U.S. consumers who will experience higher repair costs, likely leading to the delay of critical vehicle maintenance procedures that may result in serious highway safety concerns,” Hanvey said in his testimony.

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NABC Recycled Rides Presents Vehicle to FL Veteran During CIECA On Tuesday, Sept. 18, Tampa, FL, veteran Deundre Williams experienced a life-changing event—the presentation of a car to provide him independence and the ability to work and take care of his family. The donation was made possible by the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides™ program, Allstate Insurance Company, Caliber Collision – St. Petersburg and CIECA. The car presentation was held in conjunction with the annual CIECA Symposium. “It is an honor to work with our collision repair industry partners to help make a difference in the life of someone who valiantly served our country,” said Bill Garoutte, president and CEO of the NABC. “We are inspired by his commitment to his family and to his independence, and we thank him for his service. And, we thank all of our partners for their generosity and hard work in making this car presentation happen. Together, our industry can make a difference in the communities where we live and do business.” “This car means the world to me,” said Williams. “I was in need of transportation and I couldn’t get Continued from Cover

10th Largest Ind. MSO

given our projected annual revenue, we have more than enough room for 30 repair bays in this former dealership. This location was originally set up for repairing cars anyway, so the build-out wasn’t as involved as a greenfield would have been.” The new Augusta location will employ 25–30 people, and Sugar Hill will employ 10. Classic Collision utilizes many different resources for identifying job candidates and is in the process of researching and building an apprenticeship system inhouse. Classic’s intent is to connect with the local Department of Labor’s Career One-Stop Centers and also work with veterans’ representatives to find and hire the best possible candidates. In addition to the second location in Augusta that is coming in the next year, Classic Collision will expand out of state for the first time and open a location in Birmingham, AL. “We are in the process of training a location manager right now for 20

around. Now I can look for work and take care of my daughter, get her to where she needs to be and to her doctor’s appointments. Without Caliber, I would still be looking for rides, so thank you very much.” Williams, 43, a U.S. Army veteran, has a 40 percent disability due to his service. He is a single dad with a 6-year-old daughter. A participant in the HUD-VASH program, he needs reliable transportation to get a job to support his daughter, take her to school and handle daily errands. Williams was selected by Soldiers’ Angels, a national charity that provides aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, their families, and a growing veteran population. For Paul Knight, advisory council member for Soldiers’ Angels and a service-connected disabled Marine, the presentation of the car really was a life-changing event. “I know from my own experience being homeless and not having transportation and not being able to work,” said Knight. “Being affiliated with a group that provides vehicles for veterans is great. It provides them a new lease on life. It gives them

our Birmingham store,” Britt said. “The workforce of our future is out there, and we will be competing as hard for people as we do for vehicles to repair.” Classic Collision’s locations are in Atlanta (Buckhead and Brookhaven, Buford Highway), Alpharetta, Augusta, Marietta (Airport Road and Cobb Parkway), Chamblee, Duluth (Gwinnett Place), Kennesaw, Lawrenceville, Lilburn-Stone Mountain, McDonough, Morrow, Rome, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Union City, Douglasville, Cumming, Gainesville, and Sugar Hill, GA. For more information about Classic Collision Centers, visit its new website at www.classiccollision .net

Your leading source for SOUTHEASTERN Collision Repair News! southeastern.autobodynews.com

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

hope that they can make it through life and take care of their family.” This NABC Recycled Rides™ presentation was made possible with partners:

• Allstate, which donated the 2016 Kia Optima • Caliber Collision – St. Petersburg, whose teammates volunteered personal time to refurbish the vehicle • CIECA • Soldiers’ Angels, which nominated the veteran for the NABC Recycled Rides™ gift • LKQ/Keystone • 1-800 Charity Cars and its partners Auto Zone, Stepp's Towing & Heavy Transport and Crown Kia

“This is a huge program. One of Allstate’s biggest components is giving back to our local communities,” said Brian King, a leader in the virtual assist Florida Auto office. “When we gift cars, it goes to a very deserving individual. It means a lot to give back to our community and our veterans. And it adds something extra to give back to someone who served our country. We are very proud to be here today.” “Being involved in the NABC

Recycled Rides puts everything in perspective of how we take things for granted, transportation being one of those,” said Mark Self, regional manager for Caliber Collision in Tampa Bay area. “Being able to give back to our military veterans who have served our country and served us—this is a no-brainer for us. All of the labor is volunteered, and the parts are donated. We work long hours to restore our military veterans back to the rhythm of their lives. That is Caliber’s highest purpose, and we love doing it and will continue to do it.” NABC Recycled Rides™ is a unique program in which businesses representing all facets of the collision repair industry team up to repair and donate vehicles to individuals and families in need of reliable transportation. Since the inception of the Recycled Rides™ program in 2007, members of the National Auto Body Council have donated 1,800 vehicles valued at more than $24 million.

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Hurricane Florence: What To Do if Your Car Is Caught in a Flood by Fiza Pirani, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Hurricane Florence downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm Sept. 14, but the floods continued to threaten the North Carolina coast. “This wasn’t a storm that was just going to wrap up, go away and that’s it,” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said from Wilmington, NC, the morning of Sept. 14. “We [talked] about days of rain.” Experts predicted 20–40-inch rainfall totals due to Florence. More than 500,000 Carolina residents lost power and many areas reported more than a foot of rain, Channel 2’s Brad Nitz said. As storms surge and flooding worsened, drivers faced especially challenging circumstances—both during and after the storm. According to the Federal Highway Administration, wet pavement is a factor in approximately 75 percent of weather-related crashes. And rain accounts for about half of deaths and

injuries. “Floodwater is dangerous when you’re driving because there’s no way to judge how deep or rapid the water is until it’s too late and you’ve put yourself and any passengers in

danger,” the AJC previously reported. “This is even more true when you’re driving in heavy rain or at night when your vision is limited.” While hydroplaning isn’t unique to floods, it can also be quite dangerous. Anyone caught in a hydroplaning incident should ease off the gas and steer the wheel in the direction they want the vehicle to go. Try to resist the urge to slam on the brakes or over-steer.

If flooding is in your forecast, the number one tip is to avoid wading or driving through the floodwaters. In fact, more than half of all flood-related incidents of drowning happen when people drive vehicles into floodwater. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, it only takes about six inches of water to reach the bottom of most cars, and that can easily cause you to lose control of your vehicle. “A foot of water will float many vehicles,” the agency warned, and “2 feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles, including sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pick-ups.” Caught in a flood? Call your insurance company. Better yet, call before you’re in a dire situation to ensure you’re covered by comprehensive insurance. If you’re inside the vehicle, don’t try to turn your car on until it’s been through a thorough vehicle in-

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spection, as there may be water in the engine. Starting the car could further damage it. Your insurance company will help determine the best next steps and will typically begin with an inspection from a qualified technician. A technician should inspect contamination inside the car and aim to drain floodwater from any contaminated components before cleaning and drying electrical system components and connections. Unfortunately, “depending on the vehicle year, make and model, the cost of repairing flood damage can easily exceed a car’s value,” the AAA noted. And repairs depend on a variety of factors, such as how deeply the vehicle was submerged in water and how contaminated the engine, transmission, drivetrain fuel, brakes and steering systems are. “Unless every part is thoroughly cleaned and dried, inside and out, problems caused by corrosion can crop up weeks or even months after

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Industry Insight with John Yoswick

—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.

‘Who Pays for What?’ Surveys Illustrate Shops’, Insurers’ Practices for Scanning Vehicles Two recent “Who Pays for What?” surveys offer a glimpse into shops’ and insurers’ practices related to vehicle scanning. The most recent of the quarterly surveys found that of more than 500 shops that responded from across the country, 78 percent said they are paid “always” or “most of the time” to conduct post-repair “health scans” of vehicles by the country’s eighth-largest auto insurers. That’s up significantly from the 64 percent in the same survey a year earlier.

There was an even bigger jump in the percentage of shops reporting they are being paid regularly for prerepair vehicle scans. Though the percentage being paid regularly is a bit lower (71 percent) than those reporting being paid for post-repair scans, it is still up 20 percentage points over a year earlier.

supplies, is open throughout October. Shops can go to https://www.crash network.com/collisionadvice to take the current survey before Nov. 1. Last spring’s survey found that more than half of shops say they conduct scanning in-house, using their own equipment. Of those, about 1 in 4 charge a flat fee, and just over 40 percent charge one labor hour (or less) at a mechanical labor rate. The remaining 35 percent of shops conducting scanning in-house were all over the map—some charging up to two hours at a body labor rate, some charging more than one hour at mechanical labor rate, a few not charging at all and some saying the charges vary by vehicle. That particular “Who Pays” survey focused on “not-included” body repair operations. It found, for example, that compared to the same survey in 2016, more shops are seeking (and receiving) payment for the notincluded process of duplicating the OEM texture of seam-sealer. “Although the labor to apply seam sealer on a welded-on or bolted-

Most shops conduct vehicle scanning in-house, using their own equipment, according to a “Who Pays for What?” survey earlier this year; almost 30 percent use a remote scanning service, but less than 3 percent said they do not scan vehicles at all

A “Who Pays for What?” survey earlier this past spring found that fewer than 3 percent of shops said they are not scanning vehicles at all. There are four “Who Pays for What?” surveys per year, each focusing on different aspects of the collision repair process. The surveys are conducted by CRASH Network and Mike Anderson of Collision Advice. The current survey, which asks shops about their billing practices—and insurer payment practices—related to aluminum repair and various shop 24

on part may be included (depending on which estimating system you use), the additional labor required to match the OEM appearance is not included and can be very time-consuming for the technician,” Anderson said. Two years ago, more than 50 percent of shops surveyed said they had never charged any of the eight largest national insurers for the additional labor time to match the OEM texture of seam-sealer. The same survey this year showed that number has dropped to about 43–46 percent,

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

meaning more shops are charging for this procedure. Similarly, only 34 percent of shops two years ago said that when they did charge for the procedure, they were paid “always” or “most of the time,” but today, even with more shops billing for it, a higher percent-

ing,” Anderson said. Some of the other procedures asked about in the survey were:

• Replace vapor barrier. Anderson said it’s important for shop estimators or repair planners to check OEM procedures to determine whether the vapor

About 60 percent of shops report being paid “always” or “most of the time” for “replace vapor barrier,” yet the “Who Pays for What?” survey also found that nearly one-third of shops say they’ve never billed for that procedure when it was necessary and completed

age (40 percent) say they are paid “always” or “most of the time.” “Educating collision repair professionals is a big part of what these surveys are about, and findings like this indicate to me that that’s happen-

barrier is designated as a one-time use part and must therefore be replaced. “This is common if there are airbag pressure sensors in the door,” he said. In either case, labor to R&I or replace vapor barriers is a not-in-

autobodynews.com / OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

cluded operation that 3 in 5 shops say they are regularly paid for when it is necessary. About one-third of shops, however, haven’t sought to be paid for this labor.

• Labor to gain collision access. “It is very surprising to me that, in most regions of the country, 25 percent of shops have not sought to be paid for this,” Anderson said. “It has been my experience that it is not uncommon for a collision technician to need to cut an access hole to remove components from a damaged door, for example, or to get the latch open when the hood is damaged.” Anderson believes more shops would seek to be compensated for this labor when it is necessary and performed if they knew, as the survey in April found, that 54 percent of shops that bill for this are paid for the procedure always or most of the time. • Clean up old urethane. When glass is removed, there’s often labor required to remove or level the old urethane left behind. The “Who Pays” survey found that more than one-third (37 percent) of shops who bill for it

said they are paid always or most of the time for this procedure when it is necessary, yet more than half of shops have not sought payment for it. Four out of five shops that participated in the “Who Pays for What?” survey series reported that they have

are required as part of the repair. About half of participating shops (46 percent) also said they have shared the survey results with insurance representatives, and more than 1 in 10 have occasionally shown the results to vehicle owners. Others have

Of the eight insurers asked about in each “Who Pays for What?” survey, six are more likely to pay their DRP shops for the “replace vapor barrier” procedure, but Progressive and GEICO tend to more regularly pay shops outside their DRP for it

been able to use the surveys and the results to improve their business. Most (about 75 percent) said they use the surveys as a regular reminder of procedures that are “not-included” in the estimating systems and to train their staff about “not-included” procedures they could be charging for when they

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

even shared the results with state regulators. The surveys, now in their fourth year, have consistently indicated that whether or not a shop gets paid for various procedures depends largely on whether the shop includes the item on estimates or invoices. One

independent shop owner from New York confirmed this. “I was an insurance company staff adjuster for over 20 years, and as a staff adjuster you were instructed not to give if the shop doesn’t ask for it,” he commented with his survey responses. Shops can take the current “Who Pays for What?” survey (or sign up to be notified about future surveys) at www.crashnetwork.com /collisionadvice. The four different surveys, conducted at one per quarter, each take about 15–25 minutes, and Anderson said they should be completed by the shop owner, manager or estimator who is most familiar with the shop’s billing practices and the payment practices of the largest national insurers. Individual responses are not released in any way; only cumulative data is released. On the website, shops also can download the results of previous surveys, reports that break the findings down by region, by insurer and by DRP vs. non-DRP. The reports also include analyses and resources to help shops better understand and use the information presented.

Continued from Cover

State Farm Settles

Illinois Supreme Court. (A record $9 million was spent on the election that Judge Karmeier ultimately won.) Further, it was alleged that a State Farm attorney actually was the individual who recruited Karmeier and had discussions about the case with his campaign manager. This new evidence persuaded the federal judge to agree with the plaintiffs, and despite State Farm’s objection, the federal case was allowed to continue to a jury trial. The federal case included civil racketeering claims and claims of fraud. Essentially, plaintiffs alleged that State Farm recruited and funded Justice Karmeier’s 2004 campaign to be elected to the Illinois Supreme Court without revealing it. Further, the plaintiffs alleged that this was done for the purpose of getting a favorable ruling in favor of State Farm in the appeal of Avery. On August 5, 2013, the plaintiffs in Hale v. State Farm told the

federal judge that their “stated intention” was to ask Justice Karmeier to address the allegations in a deposition. The plaintiffs contended that State Farm violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, by using the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Illinois Republican Party and other entities or conduits to conceal its role in funding and operating the Justice’s campaign. RICO allows plaintiffs to sue persons or entities involved in a conspiracy to engage in improper activities such as bribery, fraud or violent crimes. State Farm’s motion to dismiss the above claims was denied and the federal court ruled that discovery and the case may continue. In 2016, the federal court certified the class, denied all motions to dismiss by State Farm and ultimately set a trial date for Sept. 4, 2018. State Farm denied the allegations and Judge Karmeier maintained that he didn’t know who or how much was given to his campaign. Indeed, prior recusal motions were all denied by Justice Karmeier. Moments before the case in fed-

eral court was to begin, State Farm agreed to pay $250 million to settle the federal lawsuit (which now charged them with Civil RICO violations). The settlement will provide benefits to more than 4 million current and former State Farm policyholders who were members of the class in Avery. Obviously, the settlement saves State Farm from any further transparency and humiliation that would result from the case going to trial. Most importantly, it prevents further monetary damage being inflicted upon them. The Avery case demonstrates that insurance companies can and should be challenged if they engage in unfair, unethical or illegal conduct. A low and unfair estimate can be challenged in small claims, civil court or a higher court. Tortious interference with your business is an actionable tort under the law that can be the basis of a lawsuit. Defamation is also a serious allegation that can affect your livelihood and reputation within your community, and that, too, is action-

able in court. Remember that insurance companies are for-profit businesses, and like any business, they want to lower costs and make as much money as they can. When they intrude in any significant way on your livelihood, it’s time to act! In the very near future, I will be holding seminars in which you can address any unfair or potentially illegal issues that you have had with insurance companies. They may include: steering, low or unfair appraisals, unfair or no negotiations, declaring vehicles totaled when they are fixable, defamation against you, your shop or reputation, tortious interference with your business, denial of PainTex accounting or any other issue that has damaged your business that you can prove.

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autobodynews.com / OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

Southeast 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.

Mike Cassata Presents on DRPs at NCACAR 3rd Quarter Meeting Mike Cassata of Hammer Insights delivered an eye-opening presentation on DRPs during North Carolina Association of Collision and Autobody Repair’s Third Quarter Meeting in Fayetteville, NC, on August 16. According to NCACAR President Brian Davies, “Our keynote speaker was Mike Cassata, whose main focus was ‘How to Create a World Class Culture to Communicate and Respond to our Clients from an Insurer’s Point of View.’ Mike also spoke on the science

comfortable and well-equipped facilities. “Many shops will not maintain their shop, purchase equipment or train their staff unless required by a DRP partner,” he said. “Better carriers are interested in partnerships with shops who have already embraced these initiatives and are not interested in shops who promise to do so if approved. “Be sure to weigh the options prior to committing to any DRP relationship. Once you decide that the DRP model is right for your business, you must commit to being all in. If your attitude is that they are a necessary evil and you really dislike them, you will not thrive in this environment. You must train your staff that the insurance partMike Cassata of Hammer Insights presented on DRP ner is just that: a partner and relationships during NCACAR’s Third Quarter Meeting not the enemy. Again, pick behind NPS (Net Promoter Scores) and your partners wisely.” how it relates to our business. Finally, To learn about an insurer’s DRP he spoke about the three C’s: Clear– program, shops can contact local apComplete–Concise. He shared his praisers, attend industry events, join thoughts on how critical file docu- associations or contact the DRP manmentation is to the insurer and re- ager directly. Researching each carrier pairer and what negative effects it before approaching them is imperative can have on cycle times. If the notes, as well. Cassata recommended diverpictures and documents are not clear, sification when selecting DRP relait can create delays in supplemental tionships to pursue. approvals along with subrogation “Several smaller DRP partners claims handling.” may be better than a few large ones,” Cassata began his presentation he said. “Consider all options---not by providing insights on DRPs, every carrier is a good fit for your pointing out that the top 10 insurance business. Do your homework, and carriers by written premiums have carefully consider the agreement. approximately 75 percent of the mar- Read it more than once, question any ket share, while the top five write 50 clause that doesn’t add up, and seek percent of market share. All 10 top legal counsel. Do not accept a verbal insurers have aggressive DRPs, con- commitment or waiver from a local tinually update their criteria, use a or national representative.” scorecard to measure performance When completing a DRP appliand reward or penalize performance; cation, shops should be honest about the scorecard is used to dictate how their certifications and equipment, much work is referred to each shop. and Cassata reminded attendees that Cassata explained that DRP insurers seeking DRP partners are managers look for shops that have looking for well-equipped, wellbeen Gold Class for years, have OEM trained and properly certified shops. certifications, employ ASE-certified He also stressed the importance of technicians, have earned industry- ensuring that office staff has received leading NPS scores and have clean, the proper training.

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Turning to equipment requirements, Cassata noted, “Update equipment because it is necessary to provide a quality repair, not because it is required by a DRP program.” He listed the following as mandatory equipment for most insurers’ DRP partners: federally approved spray booth (waterborne), STRSW welder, MIG welder, MIG brazing welders, aluminum welders, 3D electronic measuring systems and computerized estimating software capable of EMS extract. Emphasizing the importance of file documentation, Cassata stated, “Your estimate is now an appraisal! Anyone can write an estimate. Learn to write an appraisal of the situation. DRP partners are actually taking the place of the staff or IA. You are writing the appraisal of record, so you have to put on the appraiser’s hat and think like an IA or staff appraiser.

“Follow the carrier’s requirements. Comments and remarks should be restricted to the file only … your personal opinion of the appraiser, customer, vehicle or situation has no place here. This information is discoverable in court. Keep a chronological record of activity. Get good information on YouTube and Collision Hub. Consider I-CAR DOC 01. DRP managers will tell you this can be a bigger problem than quality of the repairs.” When it comes to file and photo documentation, it’s imperative to be clear and complete. “Photos must clearly depict damages. All written documentation should be properly punctuated and clearly describe the situation,” Cassata said. “Remember, you are writing an appraisal of the claim, not just a repair estimate.” See Cassata at NCACAR, Page 64

autobodynews.com / OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

Vision, Foresight Help Launch This PBE Jobber by Gary Ledoux

It was the mid-1940s. GIs were home from the war, the U.S. economy was booming and shiny new cars were filling America’s highways—cars that needed gasoline and service work. Only a few blocks from the downtown area in a primarily residential part of Nashua, NH, Vic Chaput opened Vic’s Garage, a Gulf station that also performed service, repairs and provided machine shop service. In typical fashion, the one work stall featured a drive-on pit to facilitate oil changes and other chassis work. Business was good. But in 1951, Vic had a vision that the parts business was the future, and so, being located on Pine Street, Pine Motor Parts was born. For his new business, Vic needed more enclosed business space and less open lot. That meant erecting a new addition to his building. But a customer and friend had a better idea. A local manufacturing company was diversifying and didn’t need all of

their building space, which was located only a few blocks away. Parts of that company’s building were physically moved down Pine Street— bricks, mortar, large wooden beams and all—and became the new Pine Motor Parts building. At the time there were only three, and a few years later, four other auto parts jobbers in

the entire city—all of them fairly small, family-run operations. All had their customer base, and all co-existed in relative harmony. It was also in 1951 that Vic’s son, Roger Chaput, joined the business and began working the front counter and helping out in the very busy machine shop. Through the 1950s and 1960s, the parts business was good … as was the machine shop business.

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

But by the end of the ‘60s, Roger could sense change in the air. Inevitably, cars would be built better and not consume so many parts at the blistering rate seen in the earlier ‘60s. There was talk in the industry of large, vertically integrated auto parts jobber chains taking over. Large companies were remanufacturing carburetors, starters and alternators faster and cheaper than could be done in their machine shop. Engines were better-built, so engine rebuilding and valve jobs would soon be a thing of the past. Roger looked around the industry, saw how well a local competitor was doing with paint and body supplies, saw a steady increase in the number of body shops in and around town and decided that was the direction his company should take. There was just one problem. Roger’s father, Vic Chaput, saw no reason to get into the PBE business. He had made his money in the mechanical field, parts business and machine shop business, and he was determined that his son would carry on that tradition. In time, Vic retired,

Roger bought his share of the business, and in 1976 Pine Motor Parts got into the PBE business with the Acme line of paint. Traditionally, auto parts jobbers had been selling paint and related products since the 1930s. By the 1970s, PBE jobbers would start to emerge. In fact, for the first time, in 1972 the Automotive Service Industry Association (ASIA) recognized PBE jobbers as a valid entity for the industry. Roger knew he was headed in the right direction. Also in 1976, Roger’s son, Dan Chaput, was fresh out of high school and had taken an interest in the paint side of the business. In fact, he had been hanging around a local body shop where the shop owner was also involved in auto racing. Young Dan was in his element there, fast cars and the smell of paint thinner. The shop owner showed Dan how to lay on a fresh, shiny coat of paint. There was a certain satisfaction that came with a well-painted car, and Dan wanted to learn all he could about body work. Soon, Roger and Dan had “the See Vision, Foresight, Page 68

autobodynews.com / OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs. HONDA ALABAMA

FLORIDA

GEORGIA

Holman Honda of Ft. Lauderdale

Gwinnett Place Honda

Ft. Lauderdale

800-277-8836 678-957-5151

Freeway Honda

Classic Honda

Birmingham

Orlando

800-987-0819 205-949-5460

888-893-4984 407-521-1115

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5 greg_thomas@freewayhondaal.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-4 parts@classichonda.com

Jerry Damson Honda

Coggin Deland Honda

Huntsville

Deland

Rick Case Honda

800-264-1739 256-382-3759

800-758-0007 386-626-1811

Davie

678-318-3155

877-544-2249

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

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-4 robbutton@rickcase.com

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

Ed Morse Honda

South Motors Honda

Gainesville

R i viera Beach

Miami

800-232-1098 561-844-8089

888-418-3513 305-256-2240

770-534-0086 678-989-5473

888-205-2564 727-530-1173

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-5 tonyrocha@edmorse.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7 mfranceschi@southhonda.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5; Sun 10-3 santosr1@autonation.com

Headquarter Honda Cler mont

Carey Paul Honda

AutoNation Honda Hollywood

800-497-2294 407-395-7374

770-985-1444

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

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

Hendrick Honda Bradenton

Ed Voyles Honda

Bradenton

Marietta

877-706-2021 941-752-2123

800-334-3719 770-933-5870 Direct

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-6 hondaparts@edvoyles.com

Hendrick Honda Pompano Beach

Gerald Jones Honda

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

Duluth

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

Honda Mall of Georgia

Buford/Gwinnett

Milton Martin Honda FLORIDA

AutoNation Honda Clearwater C l e a r wa t e r

H o l l y wo o d

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

Braman Honda of Palm Beach G re e n a c re s

888-479-0695 561-966-5185 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4:30 parts@bramanhondapb.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 robertthomas@mmhonda.com

Nalley Honda

GEORGIA

Union City

Snellville

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

Southern Motors Honda Savannah

888-785-8387 912-925-1444

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 angela@southern-motors.com MISSISSIPPI

P o mpano Beach

954-425-8244 Dept. Hours: M-Fri 7-6; Sat 7-5; gerardbruno@hendrickauto.com

Augusta

800-733-2210 706-228-7040 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 tdunn@geraldjoneshonda.com

Patty Peck Honda Ridgeland

800-748-8676 601-957-3400 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 pmartin@pattypeckhonda.com

ACURA ALABAMA

GEORGIA

Jerry Damson Acura

Duval Acura

Jackson Acura

Huntsville

J acksonville

Roswell

Savannah

800-264-1739 256-533-1345

800-352-2872 904-725-1149

877-622-2871 678-259-9500

800-347-0596 912-232-3222

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

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

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 travis.morrison@southernmotors.com

Rick Case Acura

Nalley Acura

FLORIDA

Acura of Orange Park J a ck s o n v i l l e

888-941-7278 904-777-1008 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-8; Sat 7-5; Sun 9-3 msweeney@acuraoforangepark.com 32

FLORIDA

F o rt Lauderdale

Marietta

800-876-1150 954-377-7688

800-899-7278 770-422-3138

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

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

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Southern Motors Acura

NO. CAROLINA

Flow Acura Winston-Salem

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

NO. CAROLINA

Apple Tree Honda

Vann York Automall

Asheville

H i g h Point

800-476-9411 828-684-4400

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-3

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

Crown Honda Southpoint Durham

855-893-8866 919-425-4711 Dept. Hours: M-Thu 7-11; Fri 7-6 Sat 7-5; Sun 11-5 www.southpointhonda.com

Hendrick Honda Charlotte

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

Leith Honda Raleigh

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

McKenney-Salinas Honda Gastonia

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

Metro Honda I n d i a n Tra i l

866-882-9542 704-220-1522 Dept. Hours: M-F 6:30-6:30; Sat 7-4 www.copytk.com

NO. CAROLINA

336-841-6200 SO. CAROLINA

Breakaway Honda G re e n ville

800-849-5056 864-234-6481 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 fmarshall@breakawayhonda.com

Hendrick Honda Easley E a s l ey

888-513-5869 864-850-1200 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5 christopher.gagnon@hendrickauto.com

Midlands Honda C o l u mbia

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

Piedmont Honda

TENNESSEE

VIR G I N I A

AutoNation Honda West Knoxville Knoxville

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

Bill Gatton Honda Bristol

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

Wolfchase Honda Bartlett

800-982-7290 901-255-3780 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7 ekerr@wolfchasehonda.com

Norfolk

800-277-2122 757-687-3453

800-849-5057 864-375-2082

Colonial Honda

Airport Honda

Valley Honda Staunton

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

800-446-0160 804-672-8811 Dept. Hours: M-Fri 7:30-6:30; Sat 8-5 wbhonda@aol.com

A l c oa

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

TENNESSEE

VIRGINIA

B re n t wood

Falls Church

800-768-6824 704-566-2288

800-653-6723 615-377-0500

800-550-5035 703-824-5785

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-2 jtrail@garyforceacura.com

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

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

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-4 rreese@i95honda.com

Gary Force Acura

800-868-0082 919-657-0460

Woodbridge

703-690-7777

Chester

Charlotte

Cary

Hendrick Honda Woodbridge

800-564-9836 804-414-1960

Hendrick Acura

Leith Acura

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-5 fox@hallauto.com

Richmond

Checkered Flag Honda

Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7:30-6 honda.checkeredflag.com

TENNESSEE

800-482-9606 757-431-4329

West Broad Honda

VIRGINIA

A n d e rson

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

Hall Honda Virginia Beach

Radley Acura

VIRGINIA

Karen Radley Acura Wo o d b ridge

800-355-2818 703-550-0205 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-3 coreythompson@radleyautogroup.com autobodynews.com / OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

Continued from Cover

Overtime Laws

time law, an employee in that state will receive the state’s minimum wage while being paid overtime under federal provisions. Farrington stressed, “Employers must be familiar with the state laws in every jurisdiction where they operate.” Although overtime is often viewed as a reward for an employee who works a long week, Farrington explained, “It is actually a penalty on the employer for working an employee over 40 hours. Overtime is paid out at one and a half times the employee’s regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 hours in a workweek. The primary purpose of overtime is to spread employment because the government wants you to work more people for fewer hours. It is meant to be punitive, cost you money and be difficult to comply with.” Clarifying that a fundamental principle of overtime is that “each workweek stands alone,” Farrington defined a workweek as a “fixed and

recurring period” of seven consecutive 24-hour days that may not be altered unless it is being changed permanently. However, daily overtime is not required under FLSA, which means an employer can schedule employees within the workweek as they see fit, moving hours around to minimize overtime. Averaging workweeks is forbidden, even if the employer pays bi-weekly. For example, an employee who works 48 hours one week and 32 hours the next is still entitled to eight hours of overtime for that first week. Paid time off does not count toward overtime. If an employee utilizes eight hours of vacation, sick or holiday pay, they will be paid for 48 hours, but since only 40 hours were actually worked, there is no overtime due. “Overtime is based on time worked. Only hours that are actually worked beyond 40 hours count toward overtime,” Farrington said. Overtime must also be paid at an employee’s regular rate, which is the employee’s total remuneration for employment within the workweek divided by the total number of

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

hours worked. This means that overtime must be paid on the employee’s base rate and all compensation, including bonuses and commissions. Farrington explained how to calculate overtime on bonuses and commissions on a monthly or quarterly basis. Hours worked is defined as all time the employee is required to be on the employer’s premises, all time the employee is required to be at a prescribed work site and all time the employee spends in activities that benefit the employer. Because management has the total power to control, schedule and require the hours worked, it is therefore completely management’s responsibility to record and pay for hours worked, meaning an employer must pay for overtime even if it is unauthorized or unknown. “Make sure it’s a proactive management responsibility to see that employees record and are paid for hours worked,” Farrington stressed. Meals are not required by FLSA, but if they are given, they do not need to be paid as long as these three conditions are met: the break is long enough for the employee to consume

a meal or use the time for their own purposes (typically 30 minutes), the break is uninterrupted and the employee is relieved from their duties during the break. It is important to note that many states have requirements pertaining to lunch breaks. While short 15-minute breaks are not required by FLSA, they must be treated as paid work time when given. Noting that there is an overtime exemption for most employees paid on flat rate hours, Farrington explained that overtime is not required for “salesmen, parts men and mechanics” employed by a “dealership,” which is defined as an establishment that derives over 50 percent of its gross revenue from the sales of automobiles, trucks or farm implements. Farrington continued to describe another applicable exemption for establishments that do not derive 50 percent of its revenue from selling vehicles. Employees are exempt from overtime if the following three conditions are met: They work for a retail establishment, their regular rate is more than 1.5 times the federal minimum wage, and they are paid primarily (more than 50 percent of their

earnings) by commission. A retail establishment is considered such under FLSA if 75 percent of its income is derived from retail sales and sales made to the general public. In a collision shop, this means individual customers, even when the insurance company is paying. The three common types of nonretail income are income from work on heavy trucks (16,001 pounds or more) or specialized equipment; income from fleet work, where work is done for a fleet customer pursuant to a contract or agreement and where the customer gets a fleet discount; and income from sales for resale, in which a dealer engages a shop to refurbish a used car that the dealership then sells, or a dealership farms out its body work to a body shop. In each case, income to the shop is non-retail. If these types of income constitute more than 25 percent of the business’s income, it is not eligible for the exemption. Farrington provided several examples of how these requirements can be analyzed. He also explained the benefits of drawing against commission. He warned, “The danger is if the

draw is so high that the employee never gets commission. Then, the courts will determine that is a salary, not a commission. For example, techs paid on commission of 40 percent of labor draw $700 per week. Commissions are settled at the end of the quarter. At the end of the first quarter, employees generated $25,000 in labor charges and have therefore earned $10,000 in commissions at 40 percent. The employee has drawn $9,100 ($700 x 13 weeks), so at the end of Quarter 1, the employees get another $900 in excess commissions above the draw. “Employers should ensure that regular payments to employees are not considered salary payments. The best way to do this is to carry forward any deficits (amounts by which draws exceed commission), and charge them against future commissions,” Farrington suggested. “For instance, say the commissions had been $9,000 for the quarter. There is a $100 deficit, so it gets carried forward to the next quarter and subtracted from Quarter 2’s commission. “Under this system, a fixed number of hours are attributed to a partic-

ular job, regardless of how long it actually takes to do the job. The customer pays for the number of hours to the shop at the labor rate, and the technician receives money so what they receive is a function of what the customer pays, and that’s a commission. A painter or mechanic may work for seven, eight or nine hours in a day and still receive credit for 10, 11 or 12 flat rate hours, depending on how much work is done and regardless of the actual time it takes to complete a certain job.” As his presentation came to a close, Farrington emphasized the importance of engaging legal counsel that is familiar with your specific state’s legal requirements. Molla stated, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Seek competent legal advice when in doubt.” For more information on ASA, visit asashop.org.

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Continued from Page 18

Faith, Truck, Restored

rise above that.” The help he’s received reinforced his impression of the community he moved to 10 years ago, and he believes this story should restore faith in the people of this community. Gadsden police continue to investigate, and Williams said he hopes they find who did it. But if they don’t, he still thanks them for their effort. Before the restoration of his truck was arranged, free of charge, Williams said some people had donated money toward repairs. He said that money will go into the ministry effort. “Nobody’s going to personally benefit a dime,” he said, from any donations. We thank The Gadsden Times for reprint permission.

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Southeast Associations with Chasidy Rae Sisk

NCACAR 3rd Quarter Meeting Features Mike Cassata, Doug Irish On August 16, the North Carolina Association of Collision and Autobody Repair (NCACAR) hosted its third quarter meeting in Fayetteville, NC, featuring presentations by Mike Cassata of Hammer Insights and Doug Irish from Fayetteville Technical Community College.

coming events and the importance of using the association’s website to see current events and industry trends as well as details about the group’s ongoing collaboration with its South Carolina counterpart, the SCACAR. In addition to pointing out the organization’s core focus on building a group that repairs vehicles correctly and joining resources to sustain the collision repair industry for the future, NCACAR reiterated the importance of membership in the association and emphasized how it has helped the local industry. Doug Irish of FTCC spoke about the high-quality technicians The evening’s first preshe is releasing into the industry entation was delivered by NCACAR President Brian Doug Irish, who spoke about the Davies said, “The event was well-at- high-quality technicians he is releastended with approximately 50 mem- ing into the industry who are eager to bers that came, which was a good learn and adapt to working environturnout—especially for the first time ments. in this new market. The event was Shaw explained, “These technihosted at the FTCC Collision Repair cians are trained to be teachable by & Refinish Technology Training their potential shop owners and are Center by Doug Irish, who was a trained to perform on today’s relevery gracious host. The arrange- vant equipment with current techments were seamless, and he and his nique. Fayetteville Tech holds ‘Draft team had everything from tables to Days’ where shop owners can attend video equipment ready to go. A big their state-of-the-art facility and esthanks to Doug for making things sentially ‘speed date’ the students. easy! He spoke for a brief period This is an awesome resource for about the facility and their programs shops in the southeast to create a reand standards and how we can get lationship with a technician factory involved as an association, which in- for an industry that is facing a potencludes their upcoming draft event in tial crisis of technician shortages.” October.” Next, attendees were treated to NCACAR board member Brian “Getting the Most Out of Your DRP Shaw stated, “This meeting was Relationships” with DRP manager packed full of information on sub- Mike Cassata, who shared informajects that are often in the spotlight of tion about “the indicators insurers are our industry but with many details looking for when reviewing an applineglected. We had two speakers cation for a DRP program,” Shaw reavailable that are knowledgeable on called. the subjects and are making a differHe continued, “Some of those ence in our industry. We are grateful indicators include the obvious grofor their commitment and the time cery list of certifications/training, that they made for NCACAR.” welders, frame measuring and repair The meeting began with normal equipment, estimating software, etc. housekeeping items, including intro- What was really interesting about the ductions and antitrust guidelines. presentation is the idea that the shop Davies then shared the most recent should be interviewing and researchhappenings with the NCDOI, up- ing the insurer as well. This is an as-

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

pect that most shops neglect to consider. The fact is that DRP relationships are not for everybody; what works for one shop may not necessarily work for another shop.

be understood, AM best ratings should be checked out, the agreement should be read more than once, have an attorney read over the agreement and question the DRP manager about any clauses or statements that don’t add up. Most agreements are not negotiable; you either choose to meet the terms or not. NCACAR neither promotes nor rejects the idea of DRP relationships but rather promotes eduOn August 16, the North Carolina Association of Collision cation in the repair indusand Autobody Repair (NCACAR) hosted its third quarter meeting in Fayetteville, NC, featuring presentations by try so that we can achieve Mike Cassata of Hammer Insights and Doug Irish from the safest repairs possible. Fayetteville Technical Community College When it comes to relation“When considering entering ships between a repair facility and into a DRP agreement, there is lots an insurer, the decision is best left to of research to be done. Their website the repair facility decision maker.” should be reviewed, specifically the (See “Mike Cassata Presents on DRP page. The difference between a DRPs at NCACAR Third Quarter See NCACAR 3rd Qtr, Page 65 ‘mutual’ or ‘stock’ company should

autobodynews.com / OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

Hey Toby! with Toby Chess

Toby Chess is an I-CAR program instructor, Training specialist, and former salvage yard operator. Toby is universally known in the collision industry for his work with first responders and advocacy for body shops and consumers. He can be reached at tcspeedster@gmail.com

Plastic Bumper Repair Part 1: Adhesives Check out this ‘57 Chevy Impala. Look at all that chrome. The bumper had to weight over 200 pounds. The hood weighed another 150 pounds, and who knows what the rest of all of that steel weighed.

Let’s move forward to the 2018 Chevy Impala, which is composed of plastic headlamps, a plastic bumper, plastic grills and an aluminum hood.

I would venture to say that all these parts would weigh less than the bumper on the ‘57 Chevy. A couple of months ago, I was at a welding at an MSO in Southern California. A large bumper recycler had delivered six recon bumpers. The parts manager inspected each recon bumper and rejected three. He took his pictures, ordered three new covers and had the estimator reflect the change in the estimate. I asked when he thought the new covers would be delivered, and he stated that it would be between one and three days. Sounded familiar. At another collision center welding, I saw this Audi Q5 rear bumper on a cart with damage to the left corner about the size of a basketball. I inquired why they didn’t repair the bumper. They said that it couldn’t be repaired and that they made more money on the new bumper. I asked them when they expected the new bumper. They didn’t know (the new bumper had been ordered six days 40

earlier). The rear bumper was slightly under $400, and with their discount they would gross about $100. I told them they could have repaired the bumper and charged the carrier for five hours ($275 total sale and gross profit of $185), which would have translated to an additional gross profit of $125. Furthermore, the vehicle would have been in and out in two to three days instead of waiting for the new bumper. Granted, not every bumper can be repaired. I have a real hard time with the insurance appraisers, who attend a one-hour bumper class put on by the equipment manufacturers, telling the shop how they can repair the cover. Let the shop professionals make the decision to replace or repair and compensate the shop fairly and not some arbitrary number they (insurance appraisers) pulled out of the air or even worse, a flat number of hours the insurance company will only pay. Let’s take a look at what a shop should do: repair or replace a bumper cover.

Here is a list you may want to look at prior to writing the estimate: • Repair cost vs. OEM new • Will repair allow from life time warranty? • Can the repairs be seen? • Will the repairs stand up to stress? • What does the OEM state about repairing its bumpers? • What is the availability of another bumper? • Warpage or memory • Age of the vehicle • Damage in area of parking sensor • Bumper has been repaired before and/or repainted

We made the decision to repair the bumper. What is next? There are two ways to proceed. First, you can use adhesives for the repair, or second, you can use a plastic welder or even better, a Nitrogen

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

welder. In this article, I will use adhesives, and in my next article, I will use a Nitrogen welder. When finish,

I will provide you with the pro and cons of each and look at a number of Nitrogen welders on the market. Pictured above are three different companies that supply bumper adhesive products that I am very familiar with. There are also a number of other fine adhesive manufacturers, but I will use one company’s products to demonstrate the repair process. I will add one major warning: Do not mix other companies’ products with the one you are using because it may cause a chemical reaction that will

autobodynews.com / OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

lead to a failure. So let’s get started. First and foremost, you need to check manufacturers’ SDS for personal protection equipment or PPE. Section 8 of the SDS from Kent Automotive states, “If the exposure limits are exceeded, an NIOSH-approved respirator is recommended.” Since I was just filming, it was not necessary to use a respirator, but I would highly recommend that a respirator be worn when working with any chemicals in a body shop environment. Gloves are recommended for prolonged or repeated skin contact. Again, I did not have the tech put on gloves for the photos due to limited exposure. One final note: Kent Automotive does not use isocynates in its plastic chemistry.

not car wash soap.

4. Push out the dent with a dolly and cool with water (sets the plastic).

I am going to outline a number of steps that need to be done on any type of bumper repair. They are as follows:

1. Wash the front and back with soap and water for both single-sided and two-sided repair. You should use a grease-cutting soap such as Dawn,

5. Remove paint on the outside of the bumper 80 grit DA at low speeds

2. De-grease the bumper repair area with Acrysol WB or any waterbased de-greaser (do not use a solvent-based de-greaser).

3. Remove stressed plastic with heat. I would recommend the Revo Hand-Held Short Wave IRT.

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

(high speeds will melt the plastic). Note the slight low spot on the bumper. It can be filled with epoxy filler.

6. Clean again with wax and grease remover to remove mold release agent that has been exposed.

its chemistry (step #7 is not needed with Kent Products).

11. Apply Kent High build primer (has flex added to it), apply a guide coat and fill any low spots.

8. Equalize the twin tubes for epoxy adhesive. Run a bead about 4 inches before applying the adhesive to the bumper to make sure the repair is getting totally mixed material.

Next, I will show a two-sided adhesive repair. Follow steps 1–6 for a two-sided repair. 7. Some manufacturers require a surface modifier (aka adhesion promoter) prior to applying the adhesive. Kent Automotive uses an epoxy adhesive with a surface modifier in

10. Allow the adhesive to dry (15– 25 minutes depending on the temperature). Sand with 220 grit DA sander.

7A. Sand the front and backside of the damaged bumper with an 80 grit DA sander at low speeds. High speeds will melt the plastic (small, shiny

9. Apply adhesive to the bumper and spread the material over the repaired area.

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black beads), and adhesives do not like to adhere to burnt plastic. It will be necessary to remove the burnt plastic before moving on with the repair.

15A. Apply a thin layer of epoxy finishing adhesive. Sand.

11A. After equalizing the twin tubes of epoxy adhesive, apply material to the hole (covered by the aluminum tape). Make sure that pressure is applied when spreading the adhesive. You want the adhesive to be higher than the surrounding plastic, which will allow you to sand it down flush with the surrounding plastic (thus eliminating the need for additional adhesive).

14A. Sand the front side of the repair with 220 grit DA and clean again with water-based wax and grease remover.

8A. Clean the front and back side again with a water-based wax and grease remover.

16A. Apply High Build Kent Primer. You can use the Revo light to cure the primer at this time. It takes about two minutes to fully cure the primer and be ready for final sanding. The bumper is now ready for the paint department. It should be noted that this whole repair, including the High Build Primer, was done in the body technician’s stall. Let’s look at the pros and cons of using adhesives.

Pros: • Much easier to learn compared to Nitrogen welding • More than one tech can use materials at one time See Plastic Bumper Repair, Page 46

12A Cover the hole with reinforcing tape. I add an additional strip of reinforcing tape at a 45 degree angle to the first strip. This method gives the repair additional strength. Apply adhesive to the repaired area and spread out the material.

9A. A surface modifier would be applied at this time. Remember, Kent products have adhesion promoter in their chemistry; therefore, this step is eliminated.

10A. Apply aluminum tape to the front side of the bumper using a spreader.

13A. Remove the aluminum tape from the front side after the adhesive has cured (20–30 minutes)

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From the Desk of Mike Anderson with Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson is the president and owner of Collision Advice, a consulting company for the auto body/collision repair industry. For nearly 25 years, he was the owner of Wagonwork Collision Center, an OEM-certified, full-service auto body repair facility in Alexandria, VA.

Are You Upgrading Your Shop’s Customer Service Experience? Or Losing Out to Shops That Are? First, just a quick note to say I appreciate Autobody News offering me an opportunity to share some of my thoughts, opinions and ideas with you here. I know many of you may have only an occasional chance to attend one of my presentations or classes, so this is a way for me to try to offer you some information every month. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about a term I first heard from Mark Fincher at CCC Information Services: “liquid expectations.” What it means, in a nutshell, is that your customers and potential customers aren’t comparing their experience interacting with your shop based solely (or even at all) on their experience with another body shop. They’re actually comparing it with their experience with other types of companies. Think about it: You can book a hotel room or airline ticket any time of day or night. Order almost anything from Amazon (24/7) and it likely can be delivered in the next day or two—often with free shipping. You can use OpenTable to make a restaurant reservation in the middle or the night, and the large movie theater chains enable you to buy tickets in advance online. Have you picked up a

rental car from an airport recently? You likely could walk straight from the plane right to a designated parking space where your car was waiting with the keys in it – with no stop at a rental counter. Are you offering any type of conveniences like this? I’ve been told as many as one-third of consumers want (or even expect) to be able to do business with you outside of business hours. Are you making that possible? Or are you at risk of losing those potential customers to shops that understand the customer experience they want? Can your customers go online in the evening or on weekends and book an appointment for an estimate or to drop off their car? CCC’s “CarWise” is just one of the ways you can enable this. Customers can punch in their zip code to see a listing (and possibly reviews) of shops in their area. But go to the site and you’ll see only some shops have it set up to also allow a customer to click a “Schedule Appointment” button to see what appointment days and times are available and book online. A potential customer might not think to go to the CarWise site if they already know your business. So

Continued from Page 44

lack of training and not following manufacturers’ recommended procedures • Different material than the plastic • Repairs are very visible on the backside • Cannot repair small side brackets (hold bumper edge to fender and quarter panel • There are some limits to what can be repaired • Cannot charge out for materials

Plastic Bumper Repair

• No retraining if tech leaves • Faster than nitrogen welding • Start-up cost is considerably less than purchasing a Nitrogen Welder system • Materials are readily available • Faster cycle time • Charge out for materials Cons: • A greater chance of failure due to

AUTOBODY

Next time, I will show you how to use a plastic welder, hot stapler and a Nitrogen plastic welder.

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OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

some of the shops I work with have the CarWise appointment scheduling system embedded right into their own shop website. Do your customers have to be at the shop to sign a paper document to authorize repairs? Or do you offer them the option of providing an electronic signature remotely? As you walk around a vehicle to check for prior damage, are you still using pens to mark the damage on the car, or are you capturing that information electronically? I know there’s lots of controversy about photo estimating, and I absolutely agree that you can’t write an accurate complete estimate from photos. I also know estimating by photo is not legal in some states. But with those limitations in mind, does providing photo estimating offer you a way to start the process with a potential customer who doesn’t

find it convenient to come in for that initial step? Another client of mine has a two-minute video on their shop’s website that walks the customer through the process of shooting and submitting photos for an estimate using a cell phone app that they can download there at the shop’s website. Other shops offer a concierge service that sends an estimator to the customer’s home or work to prepare an estimate, perhaps even outside of traditional work hours. I know shops that use independent appraisers to provide this service on behalf of their shop. The bottom line: We have to provide a much more modern customer service experience, particularly if we don’t want to risk losing the estimated 1-in-3 customers looking to interact with us outside of typical shop hours.

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Media and Publicity for Shops

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

with Ed Attanasio

Who Should Be Your #1 Audience for Your Advertising and Marketing? Depending on what part of the country you’re in, most body shops are highly dependent on their insurance partnerships (DRPs). Every once in a while, a shop owner or manager will ask me, “Why do we market to the consumer, when in the end we get most of our work through our DRPs?” It’s a logical question, so what is the answer? Should shops’ advertising and marketing efforts focus more on insurers than customers? Many of them must agree because some large shops are cutting back their marketing budgets and moving away from consumer advertising, such as broadcast, print, collateral, direct mail or various forms of online marketing. Is it a wise move or will it come back to hurt them down the road? Jim Keller, president of 1Collision Network, has heard the same question time and time again. His 45 locations nationwide are always aggressively marketing themselves to their DRPs under his organization’s direction. “We do a significant amount of marketing for our locations in addition to all of our many other programs and have seen positive results by developing unique programs catering to DRPs and agents,” he said. “Through marketing efforts that are specifically designed for both insurers and insurance agents, our shops are more likely to land a new DRP(s) when the opportunity presents itself, which can help drive revenue and the bottom line. Our performance system also enhances shop operations to gain more work from existing DRPs.” Pursuing and attaining OE certifications is another way to attract DRPs because it indicates to the insurer that a shop is committed to repairing vehicles properly and using OE procedures and recommended equipment. Keller said, “This is a huge opportunity for shops to get onboard because now we have four parties involved in the claim procedure: the shop, the customer, the insurance company and the OE car manufacturers. The certifications are becoming

recognized by the insurers, including those that have DRP programs. We make certain to promote our location’s OE certifications and I-CAR Gold Class status on their websites, social media, collateral advertising and other forms of marketing. A body shop with multiple certifications creates an added level of legitimacy and integrity, making that shop more at-

and bringing them donuts is not effective anymore,” Keller said. “We continue to have a strategy with the agents and make sure that we get enough touches per year with them because they’re the front line when it comes to the customers. We focus more on conveying a strong, relevant message through our marketing, and the results have been very positive. We stress

tractive to insurers, DRPs, agents and the consumer. We also believe certifications will aid in recruiting the better technicians to our shops because it ‘raises the bar’ within the industry.” An effective strategy for marketing to insurance agents is beneficial because in the end, a percentage of agencies will make referrals and often are connected to their clients. “At 1Collision Network, we have programs that we use to get in front of the agents and build relationships with them,” Keller said. “The biggest concern for any insurance agent is retaining their customers because they rely on those renewals, along with new customers, each year to grow their business. We believe marketing to agents is a necessary component to a solid marketing [strategy].” In the end, shops must address all parties involved—the consumer, the repairer, the insurer and the OE—when it comes to their marketing, public relations and advertising, Keller explained. “Yes, the OEs are becoming more important now, but the insurance companies aren’t going away. To be successful, we must cater to all parties involved, and to leave any of them out of the loop is short-sighted. Good companies adapt and change as the market changes and continually seek new methods and techniques to increase their visibility,” he said. Interacting with insurance agents remains an effective way to connect with them and harvest referrals, but that approach has changed as well. “Meeting with insurance agents

things like driving safety education, CE classes and the dangers of distracted driving programs, rather than social media messages about how to make the best cookies or what breed of dog is the best to buy. 1Collision has also developed a simple and effective policy retention program for agents that involves making the customer feel special, on behalf of the

“Meeting with insurance agents and bringing them donuts is not effective anymore,” — Jim Keller

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

agent, upon completion of the repairs at the point of delivery at the collision center. This has proved to increase agent loyalty and in turn, referrals.” When it comes to any effective form of marketing, Keller said that it all comes down to conveying your shop integrity and creating brand and name recognition. “When someone gets into an accident and contacts their insurance company, they will often ask about a shop that they’ve seen through the media or various forms of advertising,” he said. “If a shop has a positive, meaningful presence and continually leverages it, customers will inquire about that shop over others for obvious reasons. Having a strategic mixture of marketing and advertising will lend itself to strengthening the relationships with the DRPs. Being on their list is important, but that’s only the first step.”

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Honda Collision Parts Program Sets New Standard by Gary Ledoux

In the earliest days of the collision repair industry, when shop employees needed a replacement part they picked up the phone and called a supplier, quite often an OE dealer. Simple? Yes. Quick? Maybe. Efficient? Not necessarily if the shop needed multiple parts, some possibly hard to find, and had to keep calling until they were found. Starting in the early 1980s and still true today, the fax machine saved time and effort for both shops and parts suppliers. By around 2006, OEConnection was able to do something no one had done before—electronically connect OE dealers with body shops, allowing the two to communicate, the shop to order parts and the OE manufacturers to run a conquest or price-matching programs utilizing the OEC software. This was a win for everyone, including the shop, the dealer, the customer, the OE and the insurance company. Utilizing OEConnection’s CollisionLink® software, American Honda launched its Collision Select conquest program on July 1, 2009. The program ran very well for several years. The program reached its peak around 2016 when the number of transacting body shops reached a plateau and growth had ceased. So, in true Honda fashion, the Collision Marketing Group went “to the spot” to interview dealers and body shops all over the country to see what was going on. Here is what they heard:

• Shops and dealers said, “It is taking way too much time to conquest parts.” In other words, after the estimate had been written using either aftermarket or salvage parts, it then became incumbent upon the OE dealer, using the OEC software, to contact the shop to negotiate the price of certain key OE parts to see if the dealer could change the shop’s mind about what parts to use. Ultimately, this resulted in more parts sales for American Honda and those OEs who followed this model, but it was more work on the part of the dealer and the shop. Plus, dealers were not always consistent using the program, and the number of shops using CollisionLink® was somewhat limited compared to the size of the body shop network. 50

• Shop owners said, “Give me your best price up front and let me make the decision. If I am in the middle of writing an estimate, I will use the OE part if I can. If you have a conquest price, why should I have to wait for a dealer to get back to me when I am ultimately making the decision anyway?” Now, 10 years later, technology has brought parts procurement to the next level. American Honda is again on the cutting edge as the first OE to use CCC One to promote parts ordering at the time the estimate is written, rather than after the fact, and offers an MSRP or promotional price that is consistent across all participating Honda or Acura dealers. They have also made the program’s execution easier, quicker and seamless. It is already changing the culture of many shops that use it. Here’s how it works: Shops using CCC One with the proper software engaged will be provided a list of parts suppliers for each part needed on an estimate. Depending on which parts suppliers have enrolled in the program and are using the software, the shop may see, for example, an aftermarket bumper cover, salvage bumper cover or an OE bumper cover from multiple OE dealers. In each case, the parts will have a price and availability listed. In the case of the OE part from Honda/Acura, each part number will show the MSRP price and a “Promotional Price” that will be the same no matter what Honda or Acura dealer is listed. Assuming the shop wants the OE part, it is then up to the shop to decide from which dealer to buy the part, depending on availability, the shop’s relationship with the dealer and the final price the shop will pay the dealer for that particular part. The program does not pit one Honda or Acura dealer against the other. The “Promotional Price” is what was referred to in past American Honda programs as the “conquest price,” or the price the shop would charge the insurance company to compete with aftermarket or salvage parts. For example, assume a bumper cover is $400 MSRP and carries a “Promotional Price” of $325. Under Honda’s former conquest program, the dealer would negotiate the price with the shop, which could have been

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

between $400 and $325. This led to inconsistencies, even within a single dealership, depending on the parts sales person dealing with the shop. With American Honda’s new “Collision Parts Promote” program, pricing will be consistent and require less work for all involved. Plus, “Promotional” parts, in most cases, are seen as an alt-OEM part. This helps shops trying to meet a parts-type objective as a DRP. And this business model eliminates the negotiation process, thereby saving both the shop and the dealer time and work. Once the shop has selected the parts they want from their vendor of choice, the order can be placed using a “shopping basket” similar to Amazon .com or other online services. For Honda and Acura dealers, a connection exists between CCC One and the dealer’s Dealer Management System (DMS), so the order is placed with the dealer electronically. There is no rekeying. The dealer only needs to bill the parts, pull them and ship them— a real time-saver for all. On the backside, each dealer knows what they

will pay American Honda for the parts and what their rebate amount will be from Honda for all parts sold in this manner. American Honda’s new “Collision Parts Promote” program was officially launched at the last SEMA show in November 2017. In a July 2018 phone interview, Kirk Adams, assistant national manager for American Honda’s Collision Group, noted, “We ran a pilot program for almost a year before we launched nationally last November, so we proved the concept and knew it would work well. In the intervening nine months, we have enrolled 900 Honda and Acura dealers for this program. That’s about 70 percent of our dealers. About 800 have ‘gone live’ and are currently active with the program. On the shop side, CCC One is in about 24,000 shops, and most of those shops are connected to at least one Honda or Acura dealer. About 12,000 shops are currently transacting using this program. If a shop does not have CCC One, we have a manual process to See New Standard, Page 54

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Sherwin-Williams Study Reveals Primary Reason Body Shops Prefer Waterborne Coatings by Stacey Phillips

With the usage of waterborne coatings on the rise, a recent study conducted by Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes found that quality was the primary reason collision repairers favor waterborne refinish coatings over traditional solvent systems. The study was conducted in July, prior to the company launching its new Ultra 9K Waterborne Basecoat System the following month. “As we prepared to launch our new product, we were interested in finding out general user opinions about waterborne coatings and what is driving the change to use them,” said Brian Shenk, marketing director for Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes. “The extensive market survey revealed a number of trends and information regarding the use and increased acceptance of waterborne systems.” Out of the 250 survey respondents across the United States, the majority classified themselves as body shop owners or managers. Sev-

[VOC] legislation and wanting to be ahead of the curve in regard to compliance,” said Shenk. What we’re finding is that the technology behind waterborne paint is so superior today that shops are changing for a completely different set of reasons other than because they are required to do so.” As a result of the study, Shenk said they learned the five key considerations from collision repairers when choosing a new waterborne system for their facility. Color match was at the top of the list followed closely by productivity and ease of system use. Price and OEM approvals were also factors in their decision-making process. The number one reason Courtesy of Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes shops aren’t using water“When we first started manu- borne coatings, according to the facturing waterborne coatings for study, is the cost of new equipment. the refinish market, we expected However, more than half of those that most people were going to want who currently don’t utilize them said to use them because of changing that they plan to do so or at least look

enty-seven percent work for or own an independent body shop, and 60 percent have annual revenue of $1.5 million or less. According to the survey, 64 percent of collision repair shops have used waterborne paint within the last year.

into it over the next year. “There’s a reasonably big contingent of underinformed shop owners who have misconceptions about waterborne systems,” said Shenk. Typically, he said those not using waterborne basecoats believe they are significantly slower than solvents and not going to provide the same color match or durability. They might have tried it years ago or heard mixed reviews. “It surprises me that people make up their mind one way or another about waterborne coatings and then don’t consider them again,” said Shenk. “Today’s products are vastly different.” Some of the recent innovations introduced to the market include increased production, quality of paint matching, better application equipment and supplier training. “By today’s standards, all shops should be switching to water,” said Greg Weaver, co-owner of Acworth Collision in Acworth, GA. “Shops need to forget the water-based horror See Sherwin-Williams, Page 65

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SEMA Show Goes On

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

with Ed Attanasio

How To Squeeze Maximum Value Out of SEMA 2018 pect more than 2,400 exhibitors at the 2018 SEMA Show. Among the new features at this Autobody News recently discussed the 2018 SEMA Show with SEMA year’s SEMA Show are features from Vice President, Communications and Hoonigan, Polaris, Kia and Mahindra. We’re also expanding the Monday Events Peter MacGillivray. His department organizes and Vehicle Reveal, which debuted last produces the annual SEMA Show in year, to give media a sneak peek at Las Vegas and several regional trade some of the vehicles from the SEMA shows, international shows and spe- Show and an opportunity to hear from the builders. cial events throughout the year. Additionally, the annual SEMA Why should a body shop Awards, given to the top trending veowner/manager or even a tech hicle models in five categories, will be /estimator/painter, etc. attend SEMA? presented during the SEMA Reveal on Monday. In addition to awards to the As the world’s leading auto- top car, truck, 4x4/SUV and sport motive trade event, the SEMA compact, an award will be presented Show is the best place for automotive for the first time to recognize the Powprofessionals to connect face-to-face ersport Vehicle of the Year. Another big change for this year with business partners, make new connections, see the latest trends and is the location of the after-party, new products and learn new skills to known as SEMA Ignited, and the SEMA Cruise route. On Friday, after help their businesses. It’s where the $43 billion spe- the show closes, all the vehicles from the SEMA Show exit the cialty aftermarket industry convention and make their gathers every year to conway to SEMA Ignited. Beduct business. There is no cause of construction at the other trade show like it. Las Vegas Convention CenOver the last few years, ter, the cruise will have a our attendance among the new route and the after-party automotive repair category will take place at what is has increased significantly. Peter known as the Platinum Lot, We’ve learned that attenMacGillivray which is on the east side of dees from this category are finding unique value in the show via the convention center on Swenson the widespread product offerings Street, between Desert Inn road and within their “home” category of col- Sierra Vista Drive. lision repair, but also among the nine How can attendees get maxiother sections of the show. mum value out of the show? What are some new and exciting things that will be taking Don’t just show up; plan in place at 2018 SEMA? advance. Reading this article is a good start, since it means you’re As the industry changes, so, thinking about what you need to do too, does the SEMA Show. In and how to get around the show. a lot of ways, a trade show like the We recommend that attendees SEMA Show is a reflection of the in- attend all four days of the SEMA dustry it serves. Show. One badge allows access to Our collision section includes each day of the event, so it’s actually more manufacturers than ever. This the most economical. Aside from not year, we have over 200 exhibitors in having to rush through the show the collision repair section alone and floor, attending every day ensures more than 250 in related sections like that you won’t miss a single thing. tools and equipment. Overall, we ex- Every day features new events, conby Ed Attanasio

Q: A:

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

ferences and networking opportunities. The show provides attendees an overall experience that includes more than 100 educational sessions, most of which are free of charge. The complete list of events is on www. semashow.com. Also, visiting the No. 1 destination at the SEMA Show, the New Products Showcase, is essential because it is where an attendee can see the hottest products hitting the aftermarket. In addition, we have worldclass education (visit www.sema show.com/education) and networking events that attendees can benefit from.

a great tool that an attendee can use to identify where exhibitors and features are located in order create a plan to navigate the show. The official SEMA Show Mobile App enables you to create a schedule, gives you access to the floorplan and helps you locate exhibitors and browse educations session, networking events and conferences before and during the show. Attendees can also stay up to date with the latest SEMA Show happenings by reading SEMA eNews each week and by following the official SEMA Show social media accounts.

What are some tips on how to cover as much territory at the show as possible?

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uids with you at all times to remain hydrated. Items like business cards, hand sanitizer, mints and a bag to carry them in will make networking a comfortable experience. We have sectionalized the show into 10 business categories. Work the section where you have the most interest first, and then move on to other areas. Also extremely essential is being familiar with the location of amenities such as food, restrooms and pickup locations for transportation services. Given the Gold Lot’s unavailability due to construction, parking at the 2018 SEMA Show will be even more scarce, so knowing where taxi drop-off spots are located will be valuable. Using the Las Vegas Monorail is another great option to travel to and from the show. The monorail is fast and makes multiple stops, many of which are within walking distance to most hotels.

How can attendees follow up once they get back from the show and get even more value from the event?

Continued from Page 50

New Standard

help that particular shop participate.” When asked how this will work with Honda’s ProFirst program, Adams noted, “We currently have 1,350 ProFirst shops around the country. Only 41 of them do not use CCC One. That’s a 96 percent penetration rate. It doesn’t get much better than that.” The Tonkin Parts Center, part of the Ron Tonkin dealer group in Portland, OR, handles wholesale parts operations for the 15+ lines of cars sold by the Tonkin group, including Honda and Acura. The center consists of 125,000 square feet carrying $13 million to $15 million in inventory. American Honda chose the Tonkin Parts Center as one of three pilot dealers for the program. Keith Burtram, senior manager for the center, said, “Honda is one of our fastest-growing lines, and we always take advantage of American Honda’s programs. The Collision Select program from 2009 was 54

One easy way to follow up with manufacturers of the hottest products to hit the market is to use the scanners at the New Products Showcase to create a list of all the products you’re interested in. The list, which will be provided to you when you return your scanner, will contain key information to contact those companies. Also, have exhibitors scan your badge when you visit their booth. This will generate a list of companies visited that will be sent via email to the attendee after the SEMA Show. The list will provide access to their personal list of exhibiting companies and their contact information. Our technology keeps track of your visits and reminds you to follow up. Be sure to also visit the SEMA Association Center in the Grand Lobby to learn more about how you can connect with others in the industry. Face-to-face time is more valuable today than ever before. The SEMA Show is the time to connect with others in the industry quickly and easily. SEMA can help, whether it’s through council events or an association activity.

alright but not very efficient, so we used it very little. Plus, to make the program work, we had to ask our shops to check the competitors first, then come back to us. The entire transaction was done after the estimate was written and many decisions had been made. Using CCC One and Honda’s new “Collision Parts Promote” program, everything is more efficient for us and the shop. There is no re-keying on our side or the shop side. That saves a shop hours and money. The best part is the shops are using a tool (CCC One) that they are already familiar with, so the learning curve is real short. We have already seen an increase in Honda and Acura parts sales with this program and CCC One.” Jim Kinsherf, vice president of OEM Business Development for CCC, said, “This parts acquisition model started as ‘True Parts’ around 2014 and has morphed into the CCC Parts Network. We are happy to help enable Honda’s Collision Parts Promote and other OEM programs on our platform.” See New Standard, Page 59

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Why is SEMA more valuable than other collision repair-related shows?

The SEMA Show is where the entire automotive aftermarket industry comes together to conduct business, so you’ll learn about cross-marketing opportunities and connect with more people than you will at any other trade show. The SEMA Show also partners with the Society of Collisions Repair Specialists, the leading organization for the collision industry. SCRS holds meetings at the SEMA Show, and they organize collision-specific seminars and workshops. Their partnership really brings a lot of value for the collision industry. Most important, we don’t try to mimic any other collision repair show; we offer a unique value proposition

for all our attendees.

If you wait until late October to make reservations to SEMA, what are some tips to get good hotel rooms, etc.?

If you wait until late October to make reservations to SEMA, what are some tips to get good hotel rooms, etc.? It’s never too late to register and attend the SEMA Show, but you obviously want to do so early so that your travel and lodging options are vast. Through our partner onPeak, we’ve negotiated travel discounts and secured reduced-rate hotel rooms to make the trip to Las Vegas affordable. A list of available hotels and other travel services for SEMA’s official travel partner is available at www.semashow.com/travel-andlodging.

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Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.” She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.

Tips for Busy Body Shops with Stacey Phillips

The Power of Peer Groups and Why to Join One Managing a collision repair facility Wikipedia defines a peer today requires an owner to wear many group as both a social group different hats and have a great deal of and a primary group of people who knowledge, according to Jim Keller, have similar interests (homophily) in CEO/president of 1Collision Network age, background or social status. The based in Milwaukee, WI. members of the group are likely to Those roles might include CEO, influence the person’s beliefs and COO, CFO, VP of marketing, VP of behavior. Peer groups also contain human resources, estimator, parts hierarchies and distinct patterns of manager, repair planner and behavior. customer service represenAccording to an article in tative. the New York Times, the av“Regardless of the size erage person knows 600 of the body shop, it’s very people. If only 50 of those difficult for one owner to individuals each influence be an expert in each one of 50 of their friends, that numthese fields,” said Keller Jim Keller, founder ber grows to be 2,500 people during his recent presenta- and CEO/president with whom you can potention for Dave Luehr’s Elite of 1Collision Network tially connect. If 50 of those Body Shop Academy. “We either people influence 50 of their friends, have to rely on people to fill those that number increases to 5,000. positions or we have to know all of With technology, the Internet this information ourselves, which I and social media, we can now conthink is a very daunting and difficult nect to people throughout the world task.” without having to go anywhere. The To address this challenge, espe- more people you know and posicially for a growing body shop, Keller tively influence, the more successful recommends that employees get in- you are likely to be. volved in organizations to build relaWhat is your personal experitionships and become the best they ence with peer groups? can be to help steer the business forward. The first individual who helped The industry veteran has held a me understand the peer group variety of industry jobs over the past 40 years, including paint technician, concept was Bob Goff of Goff’s Coldealer manager, entrepreneur, fran- lision Repair Centers in Wisconsin. chisee, consolidator and most recently, He is a real innovator. His body shop wasn’t far from founder of 1Collision Network. Established in 2012, 1Collision Net- mine, and one day he walked into my work is a network of independent and business and invited me to a body dealer collision repair businesses that shop association meeting. I didn’t rework with insurers and OEs to prop- ally understand the concept of a erly repair collision damaged vehi- body shop association at that time. I thought I was on my own and was cles. During Keller’s presentation going to run my business all by my“The Power of Peer Groups,” he self and make my own decisions. I thought it was really strange shared personal stories that were “game-changers” for him and helped that this guy came in and approached him operate his business more pro- me, but I went anyway. To me, it was fessionally and come up with strate- a little intimidating to go into a room gies to address any challenges that he full of my competitors without even faced. Keller said it all starts by join- knowing them. I remember going that Tuesday night and being in a ing a peer group(s). room full of body shop owners from What is a peer group and why around Wisconsin. They were great is it important to join one? guys and were friendly toward me

and made me feel at home. We saw a great presentation by Blackhawk and learned what the future held for the unibody car. It was very much like our industry is today with all of the technology we are facing. It was a revolutionary time in the industry. From that point on, I didn’t miss a meeting. It was one of the most powerful things that had happened in my professional life. I went from a guy who thought he was going to fix wrecks to a guy who saw there was a much bigger world with a much bigger opportunity than there was within my four walls. Bob got me out of my shop and into seeing what is happening in the world. Over the years, I’ve been involved in many peer groups such as the Dale Carnegie Leadership Training, ARMS management workshop, the Collision Industry Conference

(CIC) Total Loss Committee, Coyote Vision Group and CARA Collision Group, to name a few. The peer groups I joined met regularly, and we learned from one another. We visited one another’s shops and were able to reach the next level by sharing strategic information, data tricks and secrets.

Q: A:

What is the advantage of being part of an association?

I can’t imagine any professional in any industry not being a member of a trade association. I think it’s critically important. We don’t always think of an association as a peer group, but it actually is. I think everyone who is in the industry should belong to a national and a local association. The Alliance of Automotive See Peer Groups, Page 60

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Historical Snapshot with John Yoswick

5 Years Ago at NACE, Keynote Speaker Said Industry Was Headed Toward Catastrophe 20 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (October 1998) Jack Gillis of CAPA perhaps best summed up a demonstration of nonOEM parts at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in October when he said, “Not one of our better days.” The demonstration, arranged by the CIC Parts and Airbags Committee, involved installing several nonOEM parts, including a hood and fender that bore the CAPA-certified sticker, on an undamaged 1994 Toyota Camry. Fit and other problems with the parts were obvious, and after the demonstration, Gillis said neither of the parts would be listed as certified in the next Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) directory. The fender, he said, had been decertified earlier in the week because of more than 20 complaints, including one the week of the CIC demonstration that was the second complaint after the manufacturer had supposedly fixed earlier problems with the part.

- Test fits of parts continued at CIC meetings over the next two years; OEM parts generally were found to score higher in attendees’ evaluations of fit and finish, but occasionally non-OEM parts were rated as equal to—and in one case, better than—the OEM. Gillis retired from CAPA earlier this year. 15 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (October 2003) In a special two-year study of the auto body repair industry, the California Department of Consumers Affairs’ Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) documented that in nearly half the transactions it studied, consumers were charged for parts and labor they didn’t receive. The BAR inspected 1,315 vehicles that qualified as part of a pilot program mandated by legislation. Of those, 551, or 42 percent, had parts or labor listed on the invoice that were not actually supplied or performed. The average dollar amount of overbilling was $811.93. 58

“We’re disturbed by the pattern of problems we found in some shops,” said BAR Chief Patrick Dorais.

– As reported in Autobody News. While the “42 percent” statistic received a lot of attention, the National Auto Body Council (NABC) noted

In 2003, Chuck Sulkala of the National Auto Body Council said a study of shop fraud by California regulators was skewed because of its methodology

(in the article) that the vehicles inspected were not randomly selected among all those repaired in California, but rather were vehicles brought to the BAR by owners concerned about possible fraud. “Considering the way the sample was skewed by the BAR’s methodology, it is more surprising that 57 percent of the repaired vehicles showed no problems at all,” Chuck Sulkala of the NABC said at the time. 10 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (October 2008) The estimating system providers are being very responsive to questions posted on the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG), according to Aaron Schulenburg, the administrator of the system. The website (degweb.org) is designed to provide a single, simplified way to question labor times or missing or incorrect information in any of the major estimating systems. The DEG, which was created and is jointly operated by SCRS, ASA and AASP, posts and tracks the inquiries and responses. “The information providers are doing a great job of providing strong responses that are useful and informative,” Schulenburg said. “And they

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

are doing it very quickly.” One example: Inquiry No. 713, a concern about the Audatex labor time for a right front side rail reinforcement on a 2007 Mercedes Benz SL 550. Two days after the DEG submitted the inquiry to Audatex, the labor time was increased by more than six hours. Schulenburg said 2–4-day responses by the system providers are not uncommon. But some in the industry have questioned whether such prompt responses will continue if competition among the estimating system providers is reduced by the proposed merger of CCC Information Services and Mitchell International (CRASH 6/9/08). That’s an issue more than one source told CRASH Network they raised with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) when the regulator spoke with them during its continuing

review of the proposed CCC-Mitchell merger.

– As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), October 20, 2008. Schulenburg left the DEG just two months later to become executive director of SCRS. The DEG has now processed more than 12,000 inquiries. CCC and Mitchell called off their merger plans in March of 2009 after a federal district court judge granted a FTC request for a preliminary injunction to halt the merger pending a FTC’s administrative trial that was slated for later that month. 5 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (October 2013) NACE organizers on Friday said it would be about a week before final attendance figures would be announced, and though the number would be down from 16,000 last year, it would

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meet their projections for this year’s event. The trade show, held in Las Vegas just three weeks before SEMA, included 170 exhibitors, down 28 percent from last year and the fewest since 1985. But the MSO Symposium

In 2013, Mike Anderson offered a keynote address at NACE, warning that efforts to reduce cycle time and severity could push the industry toward a “catastrophe like the Space Shuttle Challenger.”

continued to prove popular, attracting nearly 300 MSO representatives, and exhibitors said they appreciated that the welcome party and a dozen free informational sessions were held on the show floor. Also widely praised was the opening keynote address by industry trainer and consultant Mike Ander-

son. Among his messages: A study following the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster found that a culture at NASA of “relaxing safety standards to meet financial and time constraints” set the stage for that failure. “If we continue to let certain things dictate our industry, we’re going to have a catastrophe like the Space Shuttle Challenger,” Anderson said. In some ways, he said, insurer pressures to cut cycle time have forced the industry to improve. “But if we keep focusing on cycle time and … severity because we’re afraid about the costs being too high, if we start focusing on the wrong things, we’re going to have a catastrophic event just like NASA did,” Anderson said. – As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), October 21, 2013. Since 2014, the trade show has been renamed NACE Automechanika and has been held in Detroit, Chicago, Anaheim and Atlanta. It is slated to return to Atlanta in 2019.

Continued from Page 54

Continued from Page 22

When asked about the future of the CCC Parts Network and programs such as Honda’s, Kinsherf said, “This technology is very robust and presents many possibilities. A program using a promotional price like Honda’s could be applied geographically, by state for example. Or it could be applied by model year, based on a vehicle’s VIN number. For example, let’s say the same part number bumper cover fits four model years. Ordering that bumper cover for the latest model car may receive a promotional price that is different than a four-year-old vehicle. There are a wide range of possibilities.” Leigh Guarnieri, manager for American Honda’s Collision Group, said, “Due to the complexity of running two programs, we will be sunsetting the Collision Select program, started in July 2009, at the end of 2018. This will leave only the ‘Collision Parts Promote’ program … which is a win-win for everyone. It sets a new standard for the industry.”

the flooding,” experts warn. Hurricane Florence made landfall as a Category 1 storm around 7 a.m. Sept. 14 near Wrightsville Beach, NC, according to the National Hurricane Center. “On the forecast track, the center of Florence will move further inland across extreme southeastern North Carolina and extreme eastern South Carolina today and [Sept. 15],” the Hurricane Center said in an advisory. “Florence will then move generally northward across the western Carolinas and the central Appalachian Mountains early next week.” “We are not expecting any major impacts,” Channel 2 meteorologist Katie Walls said. “As a matter of fact, as we continue to get in new data, it really looks like the bulk of the wind, the bulk of the rainfall will be staying well to our north and east.” We thank The Atlanta JournalConstitution for reprint permission.

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Continued from Page 56

Peer Groups

Service Providers (AASP), The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) and the Automotive Service Association (ASA) are three of the primary national ones I recommend because they have the most events, education and publications available. Look at all three and determine the best fit with your culture. If you don’t have a strong local association in your area, then get involved in your state association or form one of your own. In the mid1980s I formed one in Milwaukee— the Milwaukee Collision Repair Association—because there wasn’t one where I lived. Talking to your peers locally can be really powerful. Now more than ever, I think associations need our support. With autonomous cars coming out, there are issues we are likely going to deal with, such as the legal challenges that will be the result of car accidents. We need to support those associations and organizations that support us. I understand that it can be challenging to make time to do that while running your business, but if you take the time to connect with people, you’ll learn from one another. Every time you go to a meeting outside of your shop, you’re probably going to meet more people in the industry, whether it’s two people or 500. It can be extremely eye-opening and informative.

Q: A:

What is a master mind group?

I think Napoleon Hill explained it best in his book “Think and Grow Rich.” He said a master mind is when one or two people come together in a spirit of harmony. It is believed that when they come together they will engage a third, greater mind that will allow ideas to come to them. Today, a master mind translates to a meeting or conference between two people, such as the way boards

of directors and senior staff get together to do business. The third mind represents the creative energy between two or more people who get together to improve something. A master mind could be two people coming together or a group of 20 trying to figure out the next steps for the group. The bigger the group, the more ideas and opinions you’ll have and the more sharing you’ll do. You’ll find things move faster, decisions get made more accurately and effectively and everyone feels involved in the process. Whether there are two people or 20, if they feel like part of the team, it creates a great synergy for success. The key is understanding that two heads are better than one and can be a really powerful collaboration.

Can you share the human relations principles you learned from attending the Dale Carnegie program you attended?

If you are attending a peer group meeting, whether that’s with one person or more, it’s virtually guaranteed that you will learn more from that person or persons, they will like you more and you will probably capitalize on opportunities from that relationship(s) more so than any other way by following these principles.

1) Don’t criticize, condemn or complain. 2) Give honest sincere appreciation. 3) Arouse in the other person an eager want. 4) Become genuinely interested in other people. 5) Smile. 6) Remember that a person’s name is the sweetest sound to them, in any language. 7) Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves. 8) Talk in terms of the other person’s interest. 9) M ake the other person feel important and do it sincerely. 10) The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.

11) Show respect for the other person’s opinion. Never say, “You are wrong.” 12) If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically. 13) Begin in a friendly manner. 14) Get the other person to say, “Yes, yes.”

Q: A:

How can a performance group be beneficial?

A good performance group will demonstrate how to achieve a higher level of success than you could most likely do by yourself. These types of groups often provide training and coaching and help develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for your shop. Many performance groups will track data on each shop, whether it’s financial, performance or both. Sometimes they even track marketing as well. You can then learn from analyzing the numbers in the group. Data can be really powerful for business growth, especially when you are sharing the information. Performance groups also offer 20 group-type meetings, purchasing

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OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Q: A:

Are there other groups you recommend taking part in?

There are also non-industry networking groups/organizations such as your local church, the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Kiwanis and Business Network International (BNI). Even the school PTA and athletic booster clubs can be good for networking. Overall, I’ve found that the business community can help grow your business after you get integrated in these types of organizations. They are very valuable resources. For more information about 1Collision Network, email info@1collision .net or visit http://1collision.com/ body-shop-partners/.

For more information about Dave Luehr’s Elite Body Shop Academy, email info@elitebodyshopsolutions .com or visit: elitebodyshopsolutions .com/academy.

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After the Donation: Kathleen St. John Gets a Car and a Job by Ed Attanasio

In some cases, cars donated by body shops come with vehicle insurance, gas cards or gifts from local retailers. But in Kathleen St. John’s case, it also came with a job. When Dino Di Giulio, the owner of Body Best Collision Center in Sonoma, CA, presented St. John with a completely refurbished 2003 Buick LeSabre in 2012, it changed her life in more ways than she could have ever imagined. For the last six years, St. John has been working at Body Best, a career path that began when she received her donated vehicle and her life started to improve. Di Giulio founded his car donation program in 2011 after looking for a way to help the community and pay it forward via the gift of transportation, he said. “I called my friend Jody Gatchell with A & J Collision to ask for help doing a car giveaway,” he said. “Jody had done a few, so I thought I would call the expert for tips and advice. He gave me lots of ideas, and I went to work on organizing my first car giveaway. But I was having trouble coming up with a name for my event—in fact, you could say I hit a wall.” A couple weeks later, Gatchell called Di Giulio on his way home from work and helped him to find the program’s name. “He said, I’ve thought of a great name for the giveaway–Wheels to Prosper!” Di Giulio said. “It was the perfect name, and believe me, I was grateful for Jody’s help. The name also seemed like it could be something bigger than one car giveaway at my shop, so I thought, what if Wheels to Prosper could become an entire movement? The word ‘prosper’ means to thrive, and that is what we wanted people to do after they received the car—thrive and grow as people.” Things took off from there, and today Wheels to Prosper is a nationwide program with 60 participating shops. “We get 3–4 new shops joining every year, and it’s become a wonderful experience. All of the shops do their car presentations on the same day, the last Saturday in July,” Di Giulio said. “We wrote the program’s map, and now many shops have made it a big part of their community out62

reach. We have helped single moms, teachers, military veterans and other people. Our goal is to find individuals who can use their vehicle to help others, and that is why we call it a handup as opposed to a handout.” St. John was in a bad way 11 years ago, she said, prior to when Wheels to Prosper changed her life.

In 2012, Kathleen St. John received a completely refurbished 2003 Buick LeSabre as part of the Wheels to Prosper program. The program was established in 2011 by Dino Di Giulio, owner of Body Best Collision Center in Sonoma, CA

“I injured my neck one day in 2007 as I was walking the dogs in a vineyard,” she said. “Being who I am, I waited to see a doctor who eventually had to fuse four discs together in 2010 and shortly after that, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I was in pain and aching all the time like I had a real bad case of the flu and an odd assortment of painful symptoms that didn’t go away. As a result, I had to stop my massage business after going strong for almost a decade, which really broke my heart.” In 2011, St. John’s Toyota was tboned and towed to Body Best Collision Center, where it was deemed to be a complete total. For almost a full year, she struggled with her health and did not have a car to get to doctor’s appointments. One year later, a friend and neighbor asked her if she had any hopes for a car, which she didn’t. He told her he was writing to his friend Dino Di Giulio and offering her as a possible recipient for Wheels to Prosper. She was asked to write up a page listing all of her volunteer experiences and give it to him so he could send it to Di Giulio. After several other people wrote to Di Giulio about St. John explaining her situation and outlining her years of volunteer work, it all came to fruition in July of 2012 when Body Best gave away three vehi-

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

cles—one of which went to St. John. “When they handed me the keys to that vehicle, it was a complete surprise, and my first thought was, ‘How can I ever pay these people back for this incredible act of generosity?’” she said. “So I told Dino that if his secretary ever gets sick, I’ll work for you for one week for free as my way of showing gratitude. I didn’t know if he would ever call me back, but it made me feel good to offer it and I knew that this was the right thing to do.” One month later, Di Giulio called St. John and offered her a parttime permanent job, and she said yes without hesitation. “I was praying for this and so happy when Dino called,” she said. “I am an outside sales person and I love it. I go out into the community and basically meet people. We get fresh cookies from a nonprofit called the Teen Center in Sonoma. I give them to insurance agents and local companies, and they love them. The organization keeps teenagers off the streets and teaches them a trade, so Dino is helping them as well.”

After receiving the car, St. John had to deal with colon cancer and then earlier this year, she lost her donated car when she was t-boned again on Lombard Street in San Francisco. But it didn’t dissuade or deter her from her journey, she said. “It’s been six years now, and I love every aspect of the job,” she said. “Everyone is so supportive and it helps me to reach out and touch so many wonderful people while representing a great company like Body Best. I’ve been blessed in so many ways in my 60-plus years on the planet, and this job is one of them.” Recently, Di Giulio found another vehicle for St. John, and after some mechanical work, she will be driving it as she continues meeting with people from Glen Ellen to Schellville on behalf of Body Best, she said. “Wheels to Prosper has enabled me to give back to Dino while giving me a purpose and a mission, and that’s why I love it,” she said. “The goal of the program is to give people cars so that they can pay it forward, and in my case, it’s done exactly that!”

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Continued from Page 28

Cassata at NCACAR

If an insurer requests a total loss evaluation, be thorough and include all options and relevant information. Proper photo technique is necessary for the claim file, but some carriers will pay for this service if you ask them. Cassata reminded attendees, “YOU are the appraiser of record. Fair payment to the policyholder will be based on your report.” Cassata’s presentation then focused on the importance of the customer as he explained the evolution of a relationship with the customer and the value of developing a connection with them. In order to deliver outstanding customer service, Cassata recommended, “Be a consultant to your customer. Explain the process. Assist with their insurance claim and their rental. Advise them on the repair process. Make phone calls on their behalf, and help them manage the claim. You are their advocate! You know the process, but it isn’t easy for

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them.” Communication via the client’s preferred method leaves a great impression, but customer service begins with the first call to the shop. Ensure friendly greetings as well as a positive first visit to your facility and an overall inviting environment to improve the customer’s experience. Net Promoter Scores (NPS) ask the ultimate question: How likely is a customer to refer friends and family to this automotive repair facility? Cassata shared useful tips to increase your NPS. “Don’t ask for a good score, but do ask if there was anything that you could have done better to serve them,” he said. “Tell them they may receive an email or phone call regarding a survey. You should not be in the habit of asking customers to give you a high rating---you should EARN it!” Cassata also taught attendees how to employ empathy, turn complaints into a gift and develop teamwork that enhances the customer’s experience. Discussing the difficult deci-

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sions that DRP managers must make, Cassata shared many insights. “Decisions are not made lightly,” he said. “Managers consider all of the facts and do what is ultimately right for the policyholder and the company. This will be discussed with the shop owner and advised why. It’s appreciated when the shop remains professional, and this leaves the door open for the future, but gross structural safety issues was a deal breaker for me and is with many carriers.” Cassata also covered tips on competing in a consolidating marketplace and the importance of honoring your commitments. He dubbed CCC Open Shop, similar direct communication portals and OEM certifications as the “DRP of the future.” “Many carriers currently use CCC Open Shop and other direct communication portals to vet future DRP partners, like an audition,” he said. “They won’t tell you this, but the DRP team is monitoring the activity. If you are able to communicate effectively now with the carrier, they may feel you are an excellent candidate for their DRP program. OEM certifications are a must to

compete. The vehicle control center will trigger a message to alert the driver to take the vehicle to the nearest OEM-approved collision repair facility and may notify the approved collision facility of the accident.” It’s imperative for shops to maintain up-to-date, user-friendly websites, and Cassata recommended attending industry events and joining associations as a great way to build DRP relationships. Cassata concluded, “Finally, it’s a matter of trust. You must be able to trust your insurance partner, and your insurance partner must be able to trust you, but most importantly, your mutual customer must be able to trust the relationship that they have with you and the carrier.” Davies recalled, “Mike finished up his presentation with a closing thought related to the evolution of our relationship with the customer: ‘A well-treated, well-satisfied firsttime customer becomes a repeat customer, and if they have another great experience, they become your client and then your advocate, and then actually feel like your partner and close friend.’”

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Continued from Page 38

NCACAR 3rd Qtr

Meeting” for in-depth details about this eye-opening presentation). Two new collision repair industry professionals joined the association during the meeting. NCACAR is pleased to welcome Denise Cameron of Cameron’s Body Shop and Larry Haney from Raeford Collision Center. NCACAR is also excited to announce that Spanesi Americas recently joined the association as a business partner. Spanesi COO Timothy Morgan shared, “I am pretty excited to join the group that has ideals in place to bring proper repairs and ideas to the industry. Spanesi Americas looks forward to a longstanding relationship with NCACAR and supporting their activities.” Davies said, “I was happy to see Tim Morgan at the event, as he is a great supporter of the school, helping to improve the equipment and training. Tim has been at just about every event I’ve attended in the last several years, and it is clear Spanesi

is dedicated to helping the industry grow and improve through our local community colleges. The association continues to build momentum with shop owners as we continue to bring relevant guest speakers, training and cohesion within the independent collision owners.” The Fayetteville Technical Community College will be hosting its next Draft Days on October 16 and 17, and NCACAR members are encouraged to attend this event to observe students and recent graduates demonstrating their skills and knowledge by performing job-related tasks. Interested employers can also schedule interviews with prospective employees. For more information on NCACAR and any events it hosts or supports, visit ncacar.com.

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Continued from Page 51

Sherwin-Williams

stories. Today’s systems provide better color match, better speed and are equal to, or even less, in overall expense compared to solvent.” “We wanted to ensure our new product could perform in really busy collision shops,” said Shenk. “This research tells us that we’re on the right track. We’ve received an unwavering positive response from our customers, and it gives us confidence that the product is what our customers want.” Sold exclusively through the Sherwin-Williams branch stores in North America, the Ultra 9K system is compact, requiring less than 70 toners and a single reducer. Shenk said the new line was created to provide precise and quick color match to help shops improve cycle time and maximize throughput. It utilizes intuitive Color Retrieval Software and spectrophotometer as well as a wet-on-wet application. It is compliant in national rule and VOCregulated areas and can be used in various climates in high or low humidity.

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Steve Raines, manager for Acworth Collision, in Acworth, GA, said the shop’s painters love to spray Ultra 9K. “It goes on wet-on-wet so it’s faster than other systems, the color match is outstanding, and it’s really more production-friendly,” he said. “It even reacts well to humidity, which is something we struggled with using other systems.” “The new Ultra 9K system addresses what is most important to every collision center—productivity and efficiency,” said Rob Mowson, vice president of marketing for Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes. “It utilizes the finest speed primers, color basecoat and fast glamour-producing clearcoats. We wanted this system to be a true change for the industry. We re-thought everything to make sure that the entire shop experience is best-in-class.” Shenk said the bottom line is that there are two main considerations for a shop when considering a refinish system: color match and turnaround time, both of which Ultra 9K offers collision repairers. See Sherwin-Williams, Page 66

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Oldest Body Shops in America: Keene Auto Body

Eleanor, visited Keene, NH, about 20 miles away. They obviously liked If there has ever been a quintessen- it, and moved to Keene shortly theretial New England town, it’s Keene, after. In 1928, Ensio founded Keene NH. Auto Body & Welding Co. at 543 Main St., where the business has remained ever since. The building has undergone several changes and expansions, but after almost 100 years, the business remains in the same spot. Paul Piispanen, the son of Ensio, took over the business in the 1950s and ran it with his wife, Katherine PiKeene Auto Body founder Ensio Piispanen, date unknown ispanen. In the 1990s, Nestled in the southwestern third-generation owner Steven Pipart of the state, it is an idyllic area ispanen, Paul and Katherine’s son, for viewing the famous New Hamp- took over the reins. Keene Auto Body specializes shire fall foliage. It is the Cheshire County seat and the home of Keene in auto body repair and offers 24State College and Keene Auto Body. hour towing, serving the entire MonKeene Auto Body was founded adnock region. in 1928 by Ensio Piispanen, an immigrant from Finland. When he moved to the United States, he AUTOBODY worked for a car factory in Winchendon, MA. Later, he and his wife, www.autobodynews.com by Gary Ledoux

Haunting Images of Cars Caught in the CA Wildfires In October of 2017, wildfires ripped through Northern California, destroying everything in its path with 8,900 structures destroyed, 44 deaths and more than $3 billion in losses.

More than 100,000 people were displaced from their homes, and countless numbers of people have lost absolutely everything. When the fires and smoke eventually cleared, they revealed a cemetery of a wide range of vehicles across the land. Art Out of Ashes felt one way they could communicate the people’s losses was through photographs of these vehicles. While the collective of these vehicles represents the loss felt by all those affected by the fires, each unique vehicle represents how each individual's losses 66

are different. Art Out of Ashes has captured the souls of these vehicles through the incredible lens of talented photographer Scott Maddern and has turned the photos into artwork for you to help raise money for the victims still struggling. You can support the victims of the wildfires by purchasing tickets to the Art Out of Ashes dinner and auction on Saturday, Oct. 13 at St. Francis Winery & Vineyard, purchasing their photos or purchasing their photobook. They are looking for several volunteers who share their passion of helping the victims of the fires. They are also seeking donations to extend the fundraising efforts beyond the artwork. Vistit www.artoutofashes.org to donate or to get involved. The proceeds will go to benefit the victims of the fires through their partnership with the Sonoma County Resilience Fund to address the mid-to-long-term needs of those impacted by these devastating fires.

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Continued from Page 65

Sherwin-Williams

“We’ve been very pleased with our customers’ reaction to the new product,” said Shenk. “It’s fun to connect with customers and introduce a product that is welcomed by those in the industry who need it. It’s really satisfying to have something so meaningful in the work lives of painters and people who run body shops.” Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes manufactures and distributes a complete line of advanced technology paint and coating systems for automotive and fleet refinishing industries. The Automotive Finishes division is part of The Sherwin-Williams Performance Coatings Group, which supplies a broad range of highly engineered solutions in more than 120 countries around the world. Founded in 1866, The Sherwin-Williams Company is a global leader in the manufacture, development, distribution and sale of paints, coatings and related products to professional, industrial, commercial and retail customers.

ACA 2018 Impact Award Recipients

The Auto Care Association recently announced the 2018 recipients of its annual Impact Award: Four for the Future, which honors four auto care industry professionals, age 40 or younger, who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership or have made remarkable strides within the auto care industry.

The 2018 winners are: • JR Bishop, Federated Auto Parts Dist., Inc. • James O’Dell, Motown Automotive Distributing Co. • Nathan H. Shipley, The NPD Group, Inc. • John C. Washbish, Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, Inc. The four winners were formally announced by the Auto Care Association Marketing and Communications Committee during their recent meeting at the Auto Care Association’s Fall Leadership Days in Austin, TX. The recipients will be recognized during AAPEX 2018 in Las Vegas and will also be featured in AAPEX Express and Auto Care Insider magazine.

The RIGHT

COLLISION PARTS

For Your Collision Job. Visit these Genuine Hyundai Parts Dealers:

N. Carolina

Tennessee

LEE HYUNDAI OF GOLDSBORO

DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE HYUNDAI

919-587-0128

888-707-0658

M-F 7:30am - 6pm, Sat 8am - 2pm hutchparts919@gmail.com www.leehyundaiofgoldsboro.com

M-F 7:30am - 5:30pm partsmanager@downtownnashvillemotors.com www.downtownhyundainashville.com

Goldsboro 304 N. Oak Forest Rd.

(919) 778-7797 FAX

Nashville 1512 Broadway

(615) 341-3176 FAX

Kia.com

Precise fit and finish, easy installation and a limited warranty direct from Kia— all genuine advantages of Genuine Kia Parts. Your local Kia retailer has all the parts you need.

Fuccillo Kia of Cape Coral Cape Coral

From headlights to tail lights, bumpers to fenders and hoods, there is no substitute for genuine. The only way to assure that you are getting Genuine Kia parts, backed by the Kia Warranty, is to order them from your local Authorized Kia Dealer. Contact your local Kia dealer for assistance and delivery of the parts you need.

239-829-1956

(239) 242-7002 Fax

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*Genuine Kia replacement parts (except battery) sold by Authorized Kia Dealer under warranty are covered for the greater of (1) the duration of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty or (2) the first 12 months from the date of installation or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. Labor charges not included when not installed by an Authorized Kia Dealer. Warranty is limited. See Kia’s Replacement Parts and Accessories Limited Warranty for further details.

FLORIDA

Century Kia Tampa

800-250-8864

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Coral Springs Kia Coral Springs

954-344-8706

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Courtesy Kia

877-646-8080

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Deland Kia Deland

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Kia of Orange Park Jacksonville

877-674-0211

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GEORGIA Sons Kia McDonough

678-783-2193

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SO. CAROLINA Kia of Greenville Greenville

864-516-2700

(864) 520-8981 Fax

M-F 7-7, Sat 7-4 dcarr@kiaoforangepark.com

aburgos@kiaofgreenville.net

Merritt Island

Safford Kia of Fredericksburg

Smith Kia

888-429-5256

(321) 459-3094 Fax

M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4 smithkiaparts@gmail.com

Southside Kia Jacksonville

904-400-6634

VIRGINIA Fredericksburg

540-891-7400

(540) 891-7690 Fax M-F 8-6, Sat 8-5 www.saffordkia.com

(904) 400-6654 Fax

M-F 7-7 jneeley@southsidekia.net www.southsidekiajax.com

autobodynews.com / OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

Continued from Page 30

Vision, Foresight

talk” that many dads and sons have when the dad owns a business. Roger asked Dan if he would get more involved in the business if they went deeper into the PBE business. It seemed like a match made in heaven. In the winter of 1977, Dan (better known as “Mud” because of his propensity to race motorcycles through unpaved fields) took a larger role in his father’s business. They took on the RM paint line, found sources for other related products, abrasives, hand tools and the like, and Pine Motor Parts began a 30-year metamorphosis into a PBE jobber. In a telephone interview, Dan remembered those early days. “At first we were small—not able to buy products direct,” he said. “So, several times a week, I would leave my house early in the morning and drive to the AMREP warehouse in the Boston area, about a 120-mile round trip. I would get back just in time to open the store at 8 a.m. It made for some very long days.” When asked about the difference between the parts business and PBE business, Dan replied, “In many ways, the PBE business has way more potential because we can stretch our business area much wider. In the parts business, shops are calling for parts that need to be installed in a customer’s car within hours. Most repair customers want to pick up their car at the end of the day. So the geographic space you can cover is limited. However, many PBE products will be purchased today, delivered tomorrow or the next day and consumed maybe

days after that. In the parts business, we had to stay in maybe a 10-mile radius of our store. Now we can go south into Massachusetts, east as far as the Atlantic coast of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, north into New Hampshire’s Lakes region and west into New Hampshire’s Monadnock region. We have gone from about a 10-mile radius to about 100 miles. That’s a lot more customers and a lot more business.” As Roger had predicted in the mid-1970s, the auto parts business landscape changed dramatically. Many of Pine’s long-time customers eventually went out of business due to retirements, family issues, etc. The sources for a small mom-and-pop parts store to acquire parts inventory was drying up, and the “big boys” of the industry—Auto Zone, Pep Boys and O’ Reilly’s—were taking over. In July 2017, Pine Motor Parts sent out a letter to all its existing wholesale parts accounts announcing that, after 61 years, Pine Motor Parts would cease the auto parts business and be a full-blown PBE jobber. “It was a no-brainer,” said Dan’s brother, Dave Chaput. “Our accountant showed us how much money we were making on parts and how much on paint products, and there was no question in my mind where to go.” Dan and Dave exacted something their grandfather never wanted to do—turn his Gulf station into a paint store. One of the auto parts products that consumed a lot of space and had a rapidly dwindling sales volume was exhaust pipes and mufflers. Once the exhaust inventory was gone, there was enough space to reconfigure the store, add another line

Axalta Introduces Online Chat Support for Refinish Customers

Axalta announced the introduction of online chat support to provide refinish customers in North America with a convenient new option to reach customer care. Online chat allows customers to quickly reach a customer care agent who can provide color formula information, color match support, and product selection assistance on Axalta’s leading refinish brands including Spies Hecker, Standox, and Cromax. “With online chat support, customers who have color questions or 68

need product use and selection help can simply open an online chat session through their cell phone’s browser or the shop’s computer to get support quickly and efficiently,” said Troy Weaver, vice president, Axalta North America Refinish. Customers looking to access the online chat feature will find the chat button on the homepage of Axalta’s customer website after logging in to axalta.us. Chat is available during business hours in North America.

OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

of paint products and create a showroom. Dave assumed the task of managing the store on a day-to-day basis while Dan made the rounds calling on body shops. Pine still maintains a fleet of five delivery trucks running routes on a weekly basis. When asked about his present competition now that they have made the commitment to the PBE business, Dan said, “There is really nobody else in Nashua that goes after the business like we do. There are some jobber salesmen that come into NH from MA, but since our major local competitor sold their store a couple of years ago, we have been doing pretty well.” When asked if Finish Master, one of the largest PBE chains in the country, was a competitor, Dan replied, “They don’t have a brick and mortar store in NH …yet … but we can feel their presence.” Given the current state of the collision industry with so much consolidation and with smaller shops going out of business, Dan was asked how he saw the future for his business. He replied, “We don’t see the large MSOs coming to New England

and gobbling up smaller shops. We don’t see smaller shops going out of business around here. We don’t see small shops trying to act like big shops using new business practices or repair methods. In fact, we really don’t see a lot of change at all. I think for that [the] next five years or so, things will remain pretty much the same. My only worry is where new technicians will come from to carry the industry. One of our local voctech schools had to cancel their collision repair curriculum last semester for lack of students. That’s sad.” Today, more than 70 years after Vic’s Garage first hung out its shingle on Nashua’s Pine Street, thanks to the vision and foresight of the Chaputs, the family business has morphed several times—each time bringing success with a new business model. Today, it is known as Pine Motor Parts / PBE Specialists. The drive-on pit that once ran down the center of Vic’s work bay is still there, filled in with dirt and covered with a concrete floor holding displays of primer, paint guns and sandpaper. Hopefully, Vic Chaput is looking down on the success of his grandsons with a smile.

Finish it like a Masterpiece

Genuine Porsche Parts... Only The Best.

è USE GENUINE MERCEDES-BENZ PARTS. THE DEALER BELOW IS A MERCEDES-BENZ GENUINE PARTS SPECIALIST.

The Dealers Below are Genuine Porsche Parts Distributors.

VIRGINIA

Checkered Flag Porsche Virginia Beach

757-687-3488

757-687-3490 Fax M, Tu, Th, F 7am - 6pm W 7am - 8pm porscheparts@checkeredflag.com www.checkeredflagporschedealer.com

NO. CAROLINA

Mercedes-Benz of Winston-Salem Winston-Salem

800-489-6537

336-659-6004 Fax M-F 7:30am - 5:30pm

www.mbwinstonsalem.com

INSIST ON GENUINE GM PARTS ONLY ORIGINAL PARTS PROTECT THE VEHICLEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S VALUE.

Call Call Any Any of of These These Wholesale Wholesale Parts Parts Dealers Dealers Below Below

No. Carolina

Cadillac of Fayetteville FAYETTEVILLE

800-868-7288 910-864-8599 910-864-9184 Fax

M-F 7:30 am - 6 pm Sat 8 am - 2 pm brian.malcolm@ cadillacoffayetteville.com

John Hiester Chevrolet

FUQUAY-VARINA

919-557-9103

910-552-6862 Fax

M-F 7:30 am - 6 pm Sat 8 am - 5 pm www.hiesterautomotive.com

Parks Chevrolet CHARLOTTE

800-722-3994 704-598-4020 704-596-9989 Fax M-F 7:30 am - 6 pm

tmorgan@parkschevrolet.com

Renaldo Auto Mall SHELBY

800-849-3330 704-406-2000 704-406-8197 Fax

M-F 8 am - 6 pm Sat 8 am - Noon rdudley@drivedag.com

So. Carolina

Florida

Jim Hudson Buick GMC Cadillac

Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Naples

888-852-1606

239-734-3215

COLUMBIA

803-695-2485 803-776-1666 Fax

M-F 7:30 am - 6 pm jwash@jimhudson.com

Rick Hendrick Chevrolet CHARLESTON

800-868-2746 843-763-0271 843-769-2729 Fax M-F 8 am - 6:30 pm Sat 8 am - 5 pm

jerry.roberson@hendrickauto.com

NAPLES

239-591-3051 Fax M-F 7 am - 6 pm Sat 8 am - 5 pm

Virginia

Berglund Chevrolet Buick ROANOKE

800-999-7474

540-342-3169 540-345-7431 Fax M-F 8 am - 5:30 pm

dprice@berglundcars.com

autobodynews.com / OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

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OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

autobodynews.com / OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS

AUTOMOTIVE GROUP

www.hendrickcharleston.com

Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Charleston 1500 Savannah Hwy. › Charleston, SC 29407

Hendrick Honda Charleston At Hendrick Honda of Charleston we maintain a comprehensive inventory of high quality, Honda Genuine parts. Parts Dept. Hours

Parts: 800.868.2746 Fax: 843.769.2729

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ONLY ORIGINAL MINI PARTS. MINI OF CHARLESTON 1518 Savannah Hwy. Charleston, SC 29407 843-402-6544 Fax: 843-573-8302 Hours: M-F: 7:30 - 6 / Sat: 8 - 5 ©2018 MINI, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The MINI name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.

Rick Hendrick Fiat of North Charleston 8355 Rivers Ave. › N. Charleston, SC 29406 Parts: 800.456.5337 Fax: 843.553.0657

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ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT BMW REPLACEMENT PARTS. Rick Hendrick BMW Charleston

1518 Savannah Hwy., Charleston, SC 29407

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Lexus of Charleston 2424 Savannah Hwy. › Charleston, SC 29414 Parts: 843.852.0333 Fax: 843.852.4834

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Hendrick Volvo Cars of Charleston 1464 Savannah Hwy. › Charleston, SC 29407

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OCTOBER 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Parts: 800.342.9682 Fax: 843.553.5723 Mon-Fri: 7-7 • Sat: 7-6