October 2022 Southeast Edition

Toyota Announces $2.5 Billion Expansion of North Carolina Battery Plant

Toyota announced an additional investment of $2.5 billion in its newest North American facility, Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina (TBMNC).

This investment adds capacity to support battery electric vehicle (BEV) battery production and adds 350 jobs,

bringing the total employment to approximately 2,100.

Scheduled to begin production in 2025, the facility will produce batteries for hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and BEVs.

Last year, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced a global investment of approximately $70 billion for electrification efforts.

On Aug. 31, as part of this aspirational goal, TMC announced a future battery production commitment of up to $5.6 billion, which includes the new North Carolina investment.

See Battery Plant, Page 20

California Officially Requires All New Cars Sold to Be Zero-Emission by 2035

by Madison Hirneisen, The Center Square

California air regulators have set a 2035 deadline for all new passenger cars and trucks sold in the state to be zero-emission vehicles, a move that will make the Golden State one of the first jurisdictions in the world to enact this increasingly-costly re quirement.

The state’s plan, adopted by the California Air Resources Board on Thursday, sets specified targets to phase out sales of zero-emission vehicles in the state starting in 2026. According to the plan, 35% of vehi

cles sold in the state will be required to be zero-emission in 2026, 68% in 2030, and 100% in 2035.

Another Hyundai Supplier Accused of Using Child Labor in Alabama

by Sebastien Bell, CarScoops

The U.S. Department of Labor has accused SL Alabama LLC, a Koreanowned auto parts maker, of violating federal and state child labor laws at its Alabama factory.

SL Alabama is a subsidiary of Korea’s SL Corp that supplies headlights, taillights and other components to Hyundai and Kia. Hyundai operates a plant in Alabama that produces the Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Tucson and Elantra.

The supplier’s Alexander, AL, plant was accused of “repeatedly”

violating labor regulations by using “oppressive child labor” and employing “minors under the age of 16,” according to a six-page complaint from the U.S. department of labor seen by Reuters.

In a statement, SL Alabama

See Child Labor, Page 17

The regulations will largely phase out the sale of gas-powered vehicles in California, though there

See Zero-Emission, Page 20

California Gas Vehicle Ban Faces Pushback from 17 States

by William Johnson, Teslarati

Seventeen states have filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Court of Appeals, suing to prevent California from banning new ICE vehicle sales after 2035.

California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) voted Aug. 25 to ban the sale of new ICE vehicles after 2035, but 17 states’ attorneys general have sued in federal court to block the move. California’s regulations are accepted as regulations in 14 other states and Washington, D.C.; an approval or blocking of this regulation could prove far-reaching.

“If California can set restrictive ‘gas emissions’ standards, manufacturing becomes astronomically expensive, and those additional costs are passed onto consumers, many of which are Missourians,” the Missouri attorney general said.

From a legal approach, the opposition to CARB’s regulation aims for the federal government to regulate what it sees as interstate commerce, as it is allowed via the U.S. constitution. At the same time, CARB

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri’s attorney general, along with the attorneys general in Ohio, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and West Virginia, have sued to prevent CARB from banning new ICE vehicles after 2035.

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CONTENTS

REGIONAL

22-Year-Old NC Auto Body Shop Moves to New District to Continue Its Legacy 4

Another Hyundai Supplier Accused of Using Child Labor in Alabama 1 Augusta, GA, Woman Receives NABC Recycled Ride 4

Buchholz Paint & Autobody Now a Porsche Approved Collision Center 8

Classic Collision Expands in Georgia 8

Hyundai Partners with Children’s Hospital of Savannah to Promote Child Passenger Safety in Georgia 8

NABC Joins USAA for Its Ongoing 100th Anniversary Celebration with Presentation of 5 Vehicles to Georgia Veterans 14

North Carolina EV Plan Would Use $109M in Federal Funds to Build Statewide Network of Charging Units 6 Tie to California Law Could Kill Virginia Gas Vehicle Sales by 2035 10

Toyota Announces $2�5 Billion Expansion of North Carolina Battery Plant 1

COLUMNISTS

Anderson - Your Auto Body Shop Needs to Provide Consumers ‘Social Proof’ You’re Their Best Choice 16

Attanasio - Are Your Processes and People Strategically Aligned? 32

Attanasio - Auto Collision Instructor Makes Industry Employment a Priority 30

Phillips - EV Safety Precautions for Collision Repair Facilities 22

Phillips - Florida ‘Shop of the Future’ Focuses on OEM Certifications, Building a Culture & Customer Reviews 40

Yoswick - CIC Panel Looks at How Auto Body Shops Can Respond to Rising Costs of Paint and Materials 36

Yoswick - Insurers, Collision Repairers

Discuss How to Improve Estimating, Claims Adjusting Process 18

NATIONAL

12 Can’t-Miss SEMA Show Features 46

2022 SEMA Show New Products Showcase Expands 54

AAPEX Ranked Among Top Trade Shows 44

ASE Summer Testing Registration Ending 44

California Gas Vehicle Ban Faces Pushback from 17 States 1

California Officially Requires All New Cars Sold to Be Zero-Emission by 2035 1

CIECA Webinar Focuses on New Technologies in Paint and Coatings 44

Driven Brands Adds Auto Glass Fitters, Becomes 2nd Largest in U S Auto Glass Services 55

Drivers Find Relief at the Pump, For Now 34

Ford Blower Motor Recall Issued After 25 Expedition, Lincoln Navigator Fires 38

Kia Recalls 2023 Sportage Following 2 Fires 34

Mitchell Transforms Estimating Platform to Meet the Needs of Electric Vehicles 51

New-Vehicle Prices Increase for 5th Straight Month, Set Record Again in August 26

NHTSA Updates Cybersecurity Best Practices for New Vehicles 24

Not Enough Lithium to Satisfy U S EV Adoption Goals, Says Mining CEO 52

SEMA Scholarship Fund Winners Announced 17

Solera VP Joins CIECA Board 50

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst

General Manager: Barbara Davies

Contributing Writers: John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby

Chess, Ed Attanasio, Stacey Phillips

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Office Manager: Louise Tedesco

Digital Marketing Manager: Bryan Malinski

Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia

Graphic Designer: Vicki Sitarz

Senior Editor: Abby Andrews

Accounting & HR Manager: Heather Priddy

Permissions Editor: Randi Scholtes

Office Assistant: Dianne Pray

Serving Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and adjacent metro areas Autobody News is a monthly publica tion for the autobody industry Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher ©2022 Adamantine Media LLC

Autobody News P O Box 1516 Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com editor@autobodynews com

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Kia Motors Wholesale

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Mazda Wholesale

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by Ed Attanasio

Body Works Plus in Charlotte, NC, is moving to a new location to dou ble its volume and continue its lega cy of performing OE-standard colli sion repairs on luxury brands.

The new location of Body Works Plus will feature a 20,000-square foot facility, with an adjacent 15,000-square foot warehouse on an additional 1-acre parcel of land.

Owner Brian Davies recently acquired the new facility adjacent to Charlotte’s Camp North End, a 76acre historic site known as the city’s “hub for innovation and creativity,” where redevelopment has turned the area into a coveted place to do busi ness.

“It’s a growing area where people want to live, shop, dine and hang out,” Davies said. “Since 2000, we have been doing business in the NoDa (North Davidson) area of Charlotte. We witnessed that area grow and expect to see the same evo lution in Camp North End. The loca tion will also be very convenient for our longstanding customers because now we are only 1 mile from our for

mer location.”

As a second-generation body shop owner/operator, Davies entered the collision repair industry early, where his passion for fixing cars grew.

After a successful career in me chanical engineering, he eventually branched out on his own, founding Body Works Plus in 1995. Since its inception, Davies has been heavily involved in daily operations, con tinually improving and growing the business.

He launched the formation of the North Carolina Association of Collision and Auto Body Repair, for the betterment of the collision indus try in the Tar Heel State. The orga nization has since merged with the South Carolina Association of Colli sion and Auto Body Repair to form the Carolinas Collision Association (CCA).

In addition to remodeling his new facility to accommodate his increased volume and adhere to his dedication to performing worldclass repairs, Davies acquired a wide range of new high-tech tools and equipment.

“We bought two downdraft paint booths from Global Finishing Sys tems (GFS) that are among the finest in the industry,” Davies said. “We also purchased an additional longer Car-O-Liner frame machine to work on larger vehicles and trucks, and a Tsunami Air System, which is stateof-the art when it comes to com pressed air solutions. Our goal is to always stay ahead of the ever-chang ing technology in this industry and be as green and cutting-edge as we possibly can in everything we do.”

With a new facility and plans to double his capacity, Davies is poised and prepared for ongoing success.

“We have done well because we are committed and dedicated to what we do. Our diversified team of men and women are exceeding ev eryone’s expectations,” Davies said. “We take pride in our certifications, evidenced by many of the OEM and I-CAR designations we possess. Our

rigid quality standards and attention to detail have led many of our cus tomers to exclaim ‘My vehicle looks better after the repair than before the accident ever happened!’”

Davies is happy with his new location, but will miss the two-plus decades he spent at his former shop.

“We really enjoyed the time spent building the business in NoDa,” he said. “This community has been very loyal. We have helped each oth er grow over the last 22 years. My team and I will miss the old location, but we are very excited for the op portunities the new location will pro vide to the health of the business and the community.”

When he isn’t motivating his team at the shop, Davies enjoys coaching football, motorsports and spending time with his family.

The company has tentatively scheduled its grand opening for Dec. 10, so stay tuned for further details.

Recently, a deserving Augusta, GA, woman was presented a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan to provide her independence and the ability to work and take care of her family, thanks to the National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides® program, along with car donor GEICO and Kendrick’s Paint & Body.

tomer service representative for a call center. She is also a nurse who provides private, in-home care to help make ends meet.

Paschal had secured a job as a security guard this past spring, but her vehicle broke down and she was unable to repair it, so she had to relinquish that job and the car. She dreams of being in law enforcement and needs transporta tion to achieve that. The gift of re liable transportation will now help her pursue her career and take care of her family.

The presentation was held at Kendrick’s Paint & Body, located at 1333 Broad St., Augusta. This is the third NABC Recycled Rides project Kendrick’s Paint & Body has completed and donated to an Augusta community member.

NABC, GEICO and Kend rick’s Paint & Body presented the vehicle to Carla Paschal, a single mother of three teenagers who cur rently works from home as a cus

NABC Recycled Rides is a unique program in which busi nesses 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 NABC Recycled Rides program in 2007, members of the NABC have donated nearly 3,000 vehicles valued at some $42 million.

Additional partners in the NABC Recycled Rides presenta tion include 1-800 Charity Cars.

Source: NABC

North Carolina EV Plan Would Use $109M in Federal Funds to Build Statewide Network of Charging Units

by Victor Skinner, The Center Square

North Carolina officials have submitted a plan to spend an expected $109 million in federal funds to build a network of electric vehicle charging stations along the state’s major highways, though some believe the effort is better left to the private sector.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation submitted a statewide Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan to federal officials in August as part of a National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program in the infrastructure law approved by Congress last year.

The law provides nearly $5 billion over the next five years to help states create a nationwide network of 500,000 charging stations spaced out every 50 miles along designated alternative fuel corridors, of which North Carolina expects to receive up to $109 million.

The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan is also a component of Gov. Roy Cooper’s mission to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Cooper ordered 1.25 electric vehicles to be registered, and half of vehicles sold in North Carolina to be electric, by 2030.

Currently, North Carolina has a total of 1,408 electric vehicle charging stations across the state, though that figure does not include Tesla chargers only available to Tesla owners. While many are within NEVI program guidance that requires locations within a mile of identified alternative fuel corridors, only 10 comply with a requirement that each station have four or more chargers with 150 kilowatt capacity.

The EV plan identifies a total of 3,831 miles of alternative fuel corridors in the state, with 1,549 miles already meeting federal requirements and 2,283 “pending corridors” eligible for grants. Corridors considered ready include sections of Interstates 26, 40, 85, 485, 77, 87 and 95 along with U.S. Highways 74, 52, 64 and 70.

The plan calls for two phases to spend NEVI funds, the first to build 33 stations and 132 chargers through

fiscal year 2024, and a second to focus on community-based charging in urban and rural areas.

North Carolina officials hope to fund Phase 1 of the plan with federal funds for fiscal years 2022 and 2023,

a truly market-supported phenomenon, it wouldn’t take mandates, decrees, financial incentives and press releases touting ‘extraordinary cooperation’ between state, federal and local governments to provide charging and

expectation that customers would voluntarily do business with them.

“By way of comparison, we haven’t seen bureaucrats from all walks of government puzzling together how and where to place gasoline stations,” Sanders said. “That’s because the private sector is really good at that sort of thing in serving people’s needs and wants. With highly limited knowledge but seemingly unlimited hubris, central planners are terrible at it, as history has proven over and over again. They’re even worse when they try to manage dictating what product people must use by dictating how other people must provide the support infrastructure for it.”

Credit: Shutterstock

expected to be released upon federal approval. Phase 2 would be funded by leftover Phase 1 money, as well as federal allocations for fiscal years 2024, 2025 and 2026.

The state expects to spend a total of more than $112 million on site costs and nearly $10 million on operation and maintenance costs over the five years, with 80% coming from the federal government and 20% from a required cost share match for grant applicants.

The EV infrastructure plan follows legislation introduced in the General Assembly last session that aims to crack down on publicly funded charging stations.

House Bill 1049, introduced by Keith Kidwell, R-Beaufort, would require stores that offer free electric vehicle charging stations to disclose what the service is costing customers and would ban free charging on state properties that do not also offer free gasoline and diesel. The bill is currently in the House Committee on Transportation.

Jon Sanders, director of the Center for Food, Power and Life at The John Locke Foundation, has also repeatedly pointed out the downsides of the government directed shift to EVs and infrastructure to support them.

“Electric vehicles have been around for a long time now. If EVs were

other necessary infrastructure,” he said. “Risk-taking enterprisers would see money-making opportunities and voluntarily provide all of that on their own initiative, in the hopes and

Classic Collision Expands in Georgia

Classic Collision, LLC, a leading national multi-site collision repair operator based in Atlanta, announced a new closing Sept. 9 the acquisition of the Premier Collision Center locations in Georgia. Georgia’s family-owned Premier Collision Center group is made up of four locations servicing the Duluth, Buford, Cumming and Commerce communities. “Our certified team has been dedicated to providing customers with the highest degree of quality, workmanship and customer service for years in the communities we serve,” said Hunter Ikerd, former owner of Premier Collision Centers.

“We’ve admired Classic Col lision’s growth and now our team is excited to be a part of it,” said Brian Eve, former owner of Pre mier Collision Centers. “With the addition of Premier Collision Cen ters, we will be able to offer our customers even more options now providing 35 locations to choose from across Georgia,” said Toan Nguyen, CEO of Classic Collision.

Source: Classic Collision

Buchholz Paint & Autobody of Gainesville, FL, is now an approved Porsche collision center, which ensures customers their collision repairs will adhere to the latest industry quality and safety standards.

This new certification guarantees collision repairs will be performed according to Porsche’s repair protocol by a properly trained and qualified technician, using the correct tools and equipment for the job.

A Porsche isn’t just transportation. You can’t be casual about a Porsche. A luxury car deserves the best treatment and highly qualified experts to look after it especially after an accident.

“At Buchholz Paint & Autobody, we understand that you want to return to the exquisite driving experience offered by your Porsche as soon as possible,” said Brad Buchholz. “That’s why we ensure all of our technicians are fully trained and certified to repair luxury vehicles like yours. It’s part of our commitment to offer the best service possible to our customers. Our auto body shop in Gainesville can provide

you with a written estimate that will detail the repair recommendations to restore your Porsche to a like-new condition.”

to training in the collision repair industry.

The shop ensures each of its technicians have the up-to-date knowledge and skills they need to expertly repair luxury vehicles, so customers can feel confident leaving their beloved Porsche vehicle in their hands.

Buchholz Paint & Autobody is the leading auto body repair center serving Northern Florida. With hundreds of five-star ratings on Google, it continued to exceed expectations with its quality workmanship, professional technicians and excellent customer service. The shop is certified Gold Class by I-CAR, the highest rating a business can achieve in regards

This approval by Porsche adds to the group of manufacturers who have approved certification of Buchholz Paint & Autobody, including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Honda, Acura, Nissan, Infiniti, Alfa Romeo, Ford, GM, Fiat/ Chrysler, Kia, Hyundai, Subaru and Nissan GTR.

Buchholz Paint and Autobody is located at 4340 NE 49th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32609. Call 352-3735482 or fax 352-373-8366, or visit https://buchholzpaintandautobody. com/

Source: Buchholz Paint and Autobody

Hyundai Partners with Children’s Hospital of Savannah to Promote Child Passenger Safety in Georgia

Hyundai Motor America an nounced its partnership with Me morial Health’s Dwaine and Cyn thia Willett Children’s Hospital of Savannah and Safe Kids Savan nah to support child passenger and driver education programs.

The Memorial Health Dwaine & Cynthia Willett Children’s Hos pital of Savannah is the lead agen cy for Safe Kids Savannah, a local coalition of organizations and con cerned individuals with the com mon goal of preventing accidental childhood injuries and deaths.

Hyundai’s donation will assist with consumer educational events, including upcoming car seat safety check events with Children’s Hos pital of Savannah and Safe Kids Savannah.

During the events, certified child passenger safety technicians will inspect car seats for expiration, manufacturer recalls and/or proper fit of the seat for children. Families will receive a free replacement car seat, if needed. Technicians will also help caregivers and families learn how to select an appropriate

child seat and install and use it cor rectly.

“Proper education and instal lation of safety seats is critical to injury prevention of children, driv ers and others on the road,” said Brian Latouf, global chief safety officer, Hyundai Motor Company. “We are proud to partner with the Children’s Hospital of Savannah and share in the mission of bring ing leading safety programs to make communities and roads safer for families.”

According to NHTSA’s Child Restraints Usage Study, an estimated 46% of car seats and booster seats are installed incor rectly or improperly used. Hyun dai’s partnership with Children’s Hospital of Savannah will allow Safe Kids Savannah to help more families in need of assistance in southeast Georgia and continue its child passenger and driver safety efforts to support its goal of preventing accidental motor vehicle injuries.

Source: Hyundai Motor America

Green is more than just a color to us.

The green SATAjet X 5500 FUTURE is not only a reference to nature, it is also a symbol of harmony and hope, especially for the future! We are striving for a sustainable and connected future that makes the most out of the potentials of the digital transformation.

The globe-shaped circuits on the spray gun represent the technology which is connecting people and thus enables the globalized world of the future. The radiant green color with the black components not only looks harmonious, it stands for aligning our actions with sustainability and the preservation of nature.

As a manufacturing company, sustainable growth is of great importance to us and an integral part of our daily activities. This includes the consistent conservation of resources and avoidance of waste. As an example, we produce part of our electricity with our own solar power and have reduced our waste volume by around 20% in the last five years.

by Tyler Arnold, The Center Square

Tied to California law by a 2021 de cision, Virginia sales of gas-powered vehicles could be done by 2035 un less Republicans get help from Dem ocrats.

The California Air Resources Board voted to gradually tighten reg ulations on gas-powered vehicles un til their sales are ultimately banned in 2035, with an exception for used vehicle sales. Even though no Virgin ia board and no Virginia lawmakers ever voted on a ban, a 2021 law that binds the commonwealth to some of California’s energy decisions will subject Virginia to a similar policy, unless the General Assembly acts to reverse the law.

Virginia was governed by Ralph Northam a year ago, and its General Assembly under leadership from pro gressives.

“In 2021, Gov. Northam and the far-left controlled General Assembly signed a law that binds Virginia to California’s emission vehicle regu lations, which, among other things, bans the sale of gas-powered cars in Virginia by 2035,” Victoria LaCivi

ta, a spokeswoman for Virginia Attor ney General Jason Miyares, told The Center Square.

“The attorney general is hopeful that the General Assembly repeals this law and discontinues any trend that makes Virginia more like Cali fornia,” LaCivita added. “Unelected California bureaucrats should not be dictating the will of Virginians.”

By 2026, under the California rules that Virginia must adhere to or adopt similar policies to, 35% of new vehicles sold will need to run on hy drogen or batteries. That number will gradually increase until more than half of new cars sold will be run on hydrogen or batteries by 2028 and all new vehicles sold will need to run on hydrogen or batteries by 2035.

Green energy standards are al ready shaking up the automobile industry this year. Ford cut about 3,000 corporate jobs to fund its shift toward electric vehicles and Dodge will discontinue its iconic muscle cars, the Charger and the Challenger, in 2023. Some scholars are also wor ried the rules could increase costs for consumers.

“Frankly, the controls over sup

ply will drive up the prices for every thing, gasoline or electric,” Stephen Haner, a senior fellow for state and local tax policy at the free-market Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy, told The Center Square.

“This is no different than all the other misguided efforts to eliminate the use of fossil fuels and will have the same devastating cost impact, mainly hurting the lowest income Virginians,” Haner added. “The advo cates don’t care, they want everybody on an electrified bus instead.”

Republican Gov. Glenn Youn gkin said he is working to prevent this ban from going into effect, but a change will likely need to come through the General Assembly. House Republicans intend to intro duce legislation that would repeal this law during the 2023 legislative session.

“Not one Virginian got to vote on this, or even comment on it, nor will they,” House Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Woodstock, said in a statement.

“The law passed by Democrats and signed by a Democratic governor not only requires that the common wealth adopt California’s rules, it ex

empts this adoption from the Admin istrative Process Act.

“This means no public hearings and no outside input,” Gilbert added. “House Republicans will advance leg islation in 2023 to put Virginians back in charge of Virginia’s auto emission standards and its vehicle marketplace. Virginia is not, and should not be, California.”

The law passed when Democrats controlled the House, the Senate and the governor’s mansion in 2021. Al though the current governor is now a Republican and Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House, the Senate is still controlled by Demo crats. Unless the makeup of the Sen ate changes, Republicans will need some Democratic support to repeal the law.

The Center Square reached out to Senate Democratic leadership for comment, but did not receive a re sponse by the time of publication. The Center Square also reached out to two Democratic senators who could be swing votes, Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Henrico, and Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Henrico. Neither senator respond ed to a request for comment.

NABC Joins USAA for Its Ongoing 100th Anniversary Celebration with Presentation

Vehicles to Georgia Veterans

On Aug. 25, five deserving Geor gia veterans and their families were honored at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Sa vannah, GA, and presented with Na tional Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides® vehicles, all donat ed by USAA.

The vehicles were refurbished by collision repair partners Hen drick Luxury Collision of Charlotte, NC, Hendrick Chevrolet Collision of Buford, GA, and Gerber Colli sion & Glass of Hinesville and Sa vannah, GA, and Zephyrhills, FL.

munities, and many in the collision repair industry, vehicles are repaired and donated to those identified as in need of reliable transportation.

The recipients were selected by Southern Crescent Veterans Ser vices, American Veteran Post #911, YMCA of Coastal GA and My Vet erans Place Savannah.

The recipients included: Tyreonna Singletary, a U.S. Army veteran, was nominated by My Vet erans Place and received a 2018 Hyundai Elantra repaired by Gerber Collison & Glass of Savannah.

Cary Tanrath, a U.S. Army veter an, was nominated by the YMCA of Coastal GA and was gifted a 2018 Mazda CX-5 repaired by Gerber Collision & Glass of Hinesville.

Obioma Eze, a U.S. Army veteran,

in any way they can. We are grateful that NABC asked us to help; they are tremendous partners and are im pressive in their longstanding and deep commitment to our veterans. These projects were the least we could do for everything they have afforded us.”

The NABC shared it grateful ness for USAA’s tremendous com mitment to giving back to military members.

Additional partners in the pre sentation included 1.800.Charity. Cars, Enterprise, Axalta, LKQ and Keystone.

The presentation was part of USAA’s 100th anniversary celebra tion, through which it will gift 100 NABC Recycled Rides vehicles to military families across the coun try, including Nashville, Seattle, Chesapeake, Savannah, Charlotte, Colorado Springs, Denver, Phoenix, Tampa, San Diego and finally San Antonio later this year.

“Today USAA is presenting vehicles to five deserving military families to give them the gift of reli able transportation in commemora tion of USAA’s 100th anniversary,” said Matthew Stewart, vice presi dent of P&C claims, USAA. “Our commitment is to serve our military members, and we are proud to help these veterans today with the gift of reliable transportation to help them along their journey. Thank you to our many partners, including the NABC Recycled Rides program, for making this possible.”

For 100 years, USAA’s mission has served active-duty service mem bers, veterans and their families. Recipients have been nominated by nonprofit organizations to receive a NABC Recycled Ride. With the partnership of the NABC, a nonprof it committed to serving their com

“We are so proud to join our member USAA in their 100th an niversary celebration, and grateful to our members Gerber Collision & Glass and Hendrick Collision which refurbished all of today’s beautiful vehicles,” said Dale Ross, NABC Recycled Rides program manager. “It is such an honor to meet these military members and their families and hear their stories. We are indebt ed to their service to the country and are committed help them continue their path to independence and suc cess with the gift of reliable trans

NABC Recycled Rides is a unique program in which busi nesses 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 NABC Recycled Rides program in 2007, members of the NABC have donated nearly 3,000 vehicles valued at some $42 million.

Source: NABC

When I was in Chicago recently, I had an opportunity to go to lunch with Nick Schoolcraft and Tina Biancalana from Phoenix Solutions Group, which offers marketing and strategic solutions for collision re pair businesses.

One of the things they shared with me was the term “social proof.” Here’s what that is, and what it should mean to you and your busi ness.

First, a definition. One source says “social proof” is a term coined back in 1984 by author Robert Cialdini in his book, “Influence.”

“This phenomenon is also called ‘informational social influence,’ and essentially it’s the idea that people

saying I in no way am claiming to be an expert on “social proof.” But as I did some research into it, I realized it fits with one of my key messages

day have a “trust but verify” men tality. So just because an insurance company, automaker or dealership says, “This is a body shop we rec ommend,” that consumer is still going to seek out “so cial proof,” evidence that you can be trusted and that the referral to you is a good one.

So what can be used as “social proof”? Certainly, if a customer can see you’re engaged with your custom ers through social media, that offers them some proof you’re creating customers who feel good about their experience with your busi ness. So “likes,” “shares” and com ments on your social media feeds is good “social proof.”

Then there’s “stamps,” things

tions. Is it easy for customers to find evidence of your training and cer tifications with clear explanations of what that means to them? Just saying your shop has earned I-CAR Gold Class Professional status isn’t enough: They need to know how and why that sets you apart.

Are you providing them links to where they can see the OEMs real ly are saying you are qualified and certified to repair their brand of ve hicle?

“Social proof” also includes customer-generated content, like Google or Carwise reviews, that help potential customers follow the “wisdom of the crowd.” When I had my shops, I kept a list of Audi, BMW and Porsche owners whose vehicles we’d repaired and who gave us per mission to share their contact infor mation if someone wanted to speak

Mike

of social proof can now be done on line through reviews and car club blogs, etc.

If you’re not convinced “social proof” is important in our industry, spend a couple minutes visiting a few websites. State Farm’s shop locator, for example, now includes customer reviews of the shops list ed. Nissan’s certified shop locator now includes customer reviews of certified shops. Something I haven’t heard talked about much is CCC’s consumer-facing website, Carwise, now allows consumers to search for shops based on OEM certifica tions—more “social proof.”

I know many shops are so busy they may not be thinking as much about their marketing right now as they should. (Check out my column on “Pigs get fat and hogs get slaugh tered.”) But you need to market when you’re busy so you stay busy even when other shops are not.

And as an industry, we need to understand the way customers think today. They are out there looking for evidence you can be trusted. Just saying it isn’t enough. You need to provide them with “social proof.”

SEMA Scholarship Fund Winners Announced

The SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund issued a total of $297,250 in scholarships and loan forgiveness awards to help 119 individuals who currently work for, or are planning to pursue careers in, the automotive aftermarket industry.

The winners include 103 stu dents who received scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, and 16 employees of SEMA-mem ber companies who received loan forgiveness awards to help pay off student loans.

The SEMA Memorial Schol arship Program was established in 1984 to help support the future of the automotive aftermarket indus try. Since its inception, more than $3 million has been awarded to de serving students. One of the prima ry criteria for scholarship recipients is that the winner must have clearly demonstrated a passion for the au tomotive industry.

The online application for next year’s program will open in January at www.sema.org/scholar ships.

Source: SEMA

Child Labor

admitted children had worked at its plant, which employs 650 people. The supplier claimed the children it employed had been hired by an outside recruitment firm it did not identify. Firms such as these have been criticized in the past for enabling employers to avoid responsibility for vetting employees and their eligibility to work.

In addition to the complaint, a proposed settlement between SL Alabama and the government was also filed with the courts. Although it still needs to be signed by a judge, in it, the company agreed to stop hiring minors, punish managers aware of the use of underage employees, and suspend any relationship with recruiters who supply child labor.

“We fully cooperated with the investigation by the Department of Labor, and we are in the process of complementing our verification system so that minors will not work going forward,” SL Alabama told Reuters in a statement.

The filing did not detail how many children worked at the plant, nor what type of jobs they performed.

It is also unclear whether the company or the recruitment firm will face fines or penalties for this violation.

The news is particularly stunning because it isn’t the first time a Hyundai supplier has been accused of violating child labor laws in Alabama.

Just in July, SMART Alabama LLC, a subsidiary of Hyundai that supplies the automaker with metal-stamped parts, was accused of employing children as young as 12.

In both cases, Hyundai said its human rights policy forbids the use of child labor. What steps it is taking to remedy the fact that the policy has been broken is unclear. from

Collision repairers and insurance company representatives at this summer’s Collision Industry Con ference (CIC) discussed the friction that exists between the two segments of the industry in terms of estimat ing damages and adjusting claims.

An appraiser for Erie Insurance seemed to surprise some collision repairers at the meeting when she suggested shops and insurers should keep customers in the loop about the claims adjusting processes.

“So if you’re emailing the shop, ‘cc’ your customer in that for infor mation purposes,” Connie Hutton

my first line says: If you need a sup plement—photos, invoices, sublets, whatever—just send all that’s clear, and you’ll be paid,” she said. “Half of [shops] don’t even read that. It just wastes time for you, not me.”

Hutton was asked what types of repair operations are the hardest for her to approve.

“A sublet to a [dealer] that doesn’t include any documenta tion when the bill is $3,500,” Hut ton said. “It just says, ‘Calibration done.’ I need a little bit more than that. I’ll pay it, but give me a lit tle bit more information. And the shop should need it, too. Any time you sublet something, it’s on you,

shop involving the same Lexus ve hicle, with virtually the same dam age and the same insurer involved. Shortly after the shop completed the

suggested during the CIC Estimat ing Committee panel discussion. “And continue the thread. It keeps them informed and, believe it or not, when I was on the shop side, I got paid for most everything I did because I kept [the customer] in

Panelist Rob Wagner Wagner Auto Body in Pittsburgh said he was “blown away” by Hutton’s suggestion.

“We need to invest in cloning technology,” Wagner said of Hutton, drawing laughter. “Because that’s literally something that’s created friction between me and appraisers before. It’s, ‘What are you doing talking to the customer about this?’ But it’s their car.”

Insurer Estimate Not a Repair Plan

Hutton also emphasized there’s a clear difference between an insurer estimate and a repair plan.

“When I send my estimates out,

the second repair there was a shortpay of about $2,500,” Wagner said. “But items that the insurer said on the first claim they would never pay, got paid on the second claim, no problem. And vice versa. It just seems like they reach a quitting point [when reviewing a claim], and decide, ‘That’s good enough.’”

Wagner also drew applause at CIC when he challenged the es timating system providers to do a better job including small and onetime-use parts often needed during repairs in their systems.

“Clips, O-rings, screws are parts, and they need to be in the da tabase,” Wagner said. “If you want

lutely irritates me to no end, it’s all the time I have to spend digging to

Wagner said his shop recently Process

Connie Hutton of Erie

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is an allowance for a small portion of vehicle sales to be plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, which can run on gas. These vehicles are “designed to prioritize their electric function and use their gas engines in limited cir cumstances,” according to CARB.

Officials acknowledged Aug. 25 that, despite the new regulations, combustion engine vehicles will likely remain on California roads for years after 2035.

Electric vehicles tend to be more expensive than their com bustion engine counterparts, rais ing concerns among consumers regarding affordability. In October 2020, the average transaction price for a new gas-powered vehicle was $46,000, while the average EV av eraged above $56,000, according to Kelley Blue Book. Costs have inflated since 2020 due to a world wide microchip shortage and record inflation.

The new rules also include in centives to expand electric vehicle access to more Californians, par ticularly in low-income and disad vantaged communities. The board’s resolution directs officials to con tinue working with manufacturers and environmental justice advocates to develop strategies and incentives to expand zero-emission vehicle access to low-income communities starting in 2025.

The rules also set minimum du

rability standards for zero-emission vehicles, which aim to ensure vehi cles can maintain 70% of their elec tric range for 10 years in the first few years after the regulation takes effect in 2026. Come 2030, that percentage will rise to 80% of electric range.

Officials emphasized Aug. 25 that the new regulations will help re duce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change in the Gold en State.

“A clean transportation sector is essential to protect the health of both our communities and our climate,” CARB Chair Liane M. Randolph said Aug. 25. “More stringent mo bile source emission controls are necessary to help California achieve federal air quality standards and the state’s greenhouse gas target that will protect public health and miti gate the effects of climate change.”

The regulations are expected to result in additional cumulative costs of $29.9 billion to manufacturers be tween 2026 and 2040, representing $2 billion on average per year, ac cording to an analysis from CARB. The board estimates that the regula tions will result in the total statewide cost of ownership net cost savings of $92.9 billion between 2026 and 2040 for businesses, fleets and in dividuals who purchase these vehi cles.

“Much of the [total cost of ownership] savings stem from re duced gasoline consumption, with gas prices conservatively assumed to remain relatively constant around $4 per gallon, with even greater sav

of 1,750 new jobs. With today’s announcement, TBMNC’s total investment is $3.8 billion.

ings if prices remain at their current elevated levels or increase further,” CARB’s summary stated.

The adopted regulations imple ment Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pre vious executive order that required new car sales to be zero-emission by 2035. Newsom called the CARB’s new regulations “groundbreaking” and “world-leading” in a statement Aug. 25.

The board’s regulations gar nered praise from vehicle manufac turers, including Ford. In a state ment, Ford’s Chief Sustainability Officer Bob Holycross called the regulations a “landmark standard that will define clean transportation and set an example for the United States.”

“At Ford, combating climate change is a strategic priority, and we’re proud of our partnership with California for stronger vehicle emis sions standards, forged during a time when climate action was under at tack,” Holycross said.

The Advanced Energy Econo my, a national business group, also praised the board’s decision on Aug. 25, saying the decision “charts the

path toward a zero-emissions trans portation future for the whole coun try.”

“The California program will have a major ripple effect nation ally, opening the door for states to increase EV adoption, encourage economic growth and reduce emis sions,” AEE Transportation Policy Director Ryan Gallentine said in a statement. “We call on other states to take this opportunity to drive the growth of electric transportation na tionwide.”

California has historically set the standard for more than a doz en of other states when it comes to vehicle emission standards, and 16 other states could follow Califor nia’s lead with these new standards, according to the New York Times.

CARB staff said Aug. 25 the plan to transition away from gas-powered vehicles is “well-sup ported” by the recently signed state budget, which includes $2.9 billion this year and $3.9 billion over three years to invest in the state’s electric vehicle infrastructure and provide incentives for in-state manufactur ing.

“This marks another significant milestone for our company,” said Norm Bafunno, senior vice president, unit manufacturing and engineering at Toyota Motor North America. “This plant will serve a central role in Toyota’s leadership toward a fully electrified future and will help us meet our goal of carbon neutrality in our vehicles and global operations by 2035.”

In 2021, Toyota, in partnership with Toyota Tsusho, announced the new Liberty location with an initial investment of $1.29 billion for battery production and the creation

“This is an exciting time for Toyota, the region and the many North Carolinians we will soon employ,” said Sean Suggs, TBMNC president. “This incremental investment reflects our continued commitment to ensuring jobs and future economic growth for the Triad region.”

Toyota North Carolina is seeking motivated individuals to join its leadership team. To view and apply for open positions, visit www. toyota.com/careers. Production and maintenance employee positions will be available in early 2023.

Source: Toyota

Tech Talk

with Stacey Phillips

EV Safety Precautions for Collision Repair Facilities

When body shop technicians ask Dirk Fuchs about the risks involved while working on electric vehicles (EVs), I-CAR’s director of technical program and services says the dan ger is “very real.”

To help prepare and educate shops and their teams to repair EVs, Fuchs recently shared information

electrical power in the high-voltage system and the current, which runs the flow of electricity through a con tactor.

“The current kills you, not the volt,” he explained. “Therefore, you need to know what kind of current there is.”

The following graph outlines

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

ratory arrest can occur, which has deadly consequences.

Although EV technology can be very dangerous, Fuchs said that auto manufacturers have “many, many safety systems in place.” He stressed the importance of technicians being aware of the risks.

When an EV arrives at a col lision repair facility via tow truck/ flatbed, Fuchs reminds technicians

one time without pressing the brake pedal. The light on the dashboard will come on, signifying you are in axillary mode and the battery con tactors are open. Fuchs said no high voltage can go into the system using this method, which is important to know when connecting a diagnostic tool and pre-scanning the vehicle.

“Pre- and post-scanning EVs is really important to know the system configuration,” he said. “If there is a problem, we want it contained in the battery where the risk is.”

He also talked to shops about using a factory scanner to see the fault codes. By viewing the live data, technicians can check the bat tery/cell balancing.

“It’s important to know the dif ference between the minimum and maximum voltage between the indi vidual battery cells,” he said.

dustry stay safe,” said Fuchs.

Before removing the battery, he encouraged technicians to always follow the described pre-scan proce dure and check the battery tempera ture, as well as the live data and/or use a heat gun.

In a case where there is a prob lem with the battery, Fuchs highly recommended not bringing the ve

hicle into the shop until the vehicle can be monitored and the battery is removed.

Fuchs also advised shops to create a designated safe zone where EVs can be repaired apart from ICE vehicles in a very clean environ ment. “If someone grinds on a quar ter panel or does a repair that is full

High-Voltage disconnecting procedure tips:

* Remove the ignition key and lock it in the lockbox so only the technician working on the vehicle has access

* When the ignition is off, discon nect the 12-volt battery (plus and minus cable) and then remove the high-voltage disconnect with prop er personal protective equipment (PPE)

is to let the capacitors completely drain because they can store energy like a battery and contain the same voltage, which is dangerous�

* Use PPE to remove the connec tions closest to the high-voltage bat tery and use a two-pole voltmeter or multimeter to verify zero potential

to take precautions to stay safe. “You’re working on the unknown and that’s what can kill someone,” he said.

Fuchs recommended never double-clicking the start button of an EV. Instead, he advised pushing it

The difference between two cells can lead to a higher internal re sistance, which creates higher tem peratures and can “end up in a fire.”

New OEM and aftermarket di agnostic tools are being introduced to the market to read the live data.

“It’s a great way to help the in

* Place the removed battery discon nect in the lockbox�

* Ensure high voltage is isolated in the battery and perform a Zero [elec trical] potential test after the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended wait time The reason for the wait time

* Always take the following three measures on both the battery and the system side to check if the high-voltage battery is isolated and the system is safe: high voltage plus against high voltage minus, high voltage plus against ground, and high voltage minus against ground

The U.S. Department of Trans portation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration re leased Cybersecurity Best Prac tices for the Safety of Modern Vehicles, an update to its 2016 edition.

The document describes NHTSA’s guidance to the auto motive industry for improving vehicle cybersecurity for safety.

“As vehicle technology and connectivity develop, cybersecu rity needs to be a top priority for every automaker, developer and operator,” said Dr. Steven Cliff, NHTSA’s administrator. “NHTSA is committed to the safety of ve hicles on our nation’s roads, and these updated best practices will provide the industry with import ant tools to protect Americans against cybersecurity risks.”

The 2022 Cybersecurity Best Practices leverage agen

cy research, industry voluntary standards and learnings from the motor vehicle cybersecurity re search over the past several years, and is updated based on public comments received on the draft that was published in the Federal Register in 2021. Though the doc ument is non-binding, it contains important best practices that will influence the industry going for ward.

NHTSA routinely assess es cybersecurity risks as well as emerging best practices and will consider future updates to these best practices as motor vehicles, motor vehicle equipment, and their cybersecurity evolve.

For more on NHTSA’s cy bersecurity work, visit ww.nhtsa. gov/technology-innovation/vehi cle-cybersecurity

Source: NHTSA 35210

The EV Lab at I-CAR’s Chicago Technical Center in Vernon Hills, IL

The average price paid for a new vehicle in the U.S. in August topped July’s record and kept the average transaction price (ATP) solidly above the $48,000 mark, according to new data released Sept. 12 by Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive company.

The Kelley Blue Book new-ve hicle ATP increased to $48,301 in August, beating the previous high of $48,080 set in the prior month. Au gust prices rose 0.5% ($222) month over month from July, and 10.8% ($4,712) year over year from August 2021.

New-vehicle inventory days’ supply held steady in the mid-to-high 30s during the summer and is show ing signs of increasing. In August, days’ supply was 43% higher than it was in the same timeframe of 2021, when inventory shortages first start ed to impact the market. Still, with roughly 1.2 million units in invento ry in the U.S., new-vehicle inventory remains significantly below levels seen in 2020 and 2019.

In the face of tight inventory and high prices, new-vehicle sales remain depressed, averaging just 1.1 million units per month in 2022. For

Continued

operates under the assumption the federal government is limited in how it can affect state-level regulations.

CARB has long faced legal challenges from other states and corporations alike. GM and Toyota have notably sued CARB for imposing emissions regulations; however, both have since rescinded their suit.

With such a big case, this suit could end up in not only federal court but the Supreme Court to finally legally define if states may regulate emissions.

comparison, sales in the first eight months of 2019 averaged 1.4 million per month.

Hyundai, Land Rover, Honda and Kia continue to show the most price strength in the market, transact ing between 5% and 9% over sticker in August.

Ram, Volvo, Lincoln, Buick and the smaller Italian brands Alfa Ro meo and Fiat showed the least price strength, selling 1% or more below MSRP in August. Understandably, the brands with the lowest price strength also have the highest days’ supply of vehicles.

“Prices are still high and climb ing incrementally every month,” said Rebecca Rydzewski, research manager of economic and indus try insights for Cox Automotive. “New-vehicle inventory levels have been rising through August, now reaching the highest level since June 2021. However, supply of pop ular segments like subcompacts, hybrids and EVs still remain very low. Automakers are focusing on building and selling high-margin vehicles. Essentially, the product mix is the primary factor keeping

prices high.”

The average price paid for a new non-luxury vehicle in August was $44,559, up $132 month-overmonth and a record for non-luxury vehicles, beating out the high set the prior month. Car shoppers in the non-luxury segment paid on av erage $1,102 above sticker price, an increase from the prior month. Non-luxury shoppers paid nearly 2% above MSRP in August, compared to 1% above MSRP a year ago.

One bright spot for buyers: truck shoppers paid $142 below sticker in August.

In August, the average luxury buyer paid $65,935 for a new vehicle, up $878 from the prior month, when luxury ATPs hit a record $65,057. Luxury buyers continue to pay more than MSRP for new vehicles, al though prices are trending closer to sticker prices. Luxury vehicle share remains historically high as well, al though share decreased to 17.5% of total sales in August from 17.7% in July. The high share of luxury sales is helping to push the overall industry ATP higher.

The average price paid for a

new electric vehicle (EV) rose in Au gust by 1.7% compared to July and increased by 15.6% versus a year ago. The average price for a new electric vehicle more than $66,000, according to Kelley Blue Book esti mates remains well above the in dustry average, aligning more with luxury prices versus mainstream prices.

Incentives decreased slightly in August versus July, remaining historically low at only 2.3% of the average transaction price. A year ago, incentives averaged 5.5% of ATP. Full-size cars and luxury cars had the highest incentives in August, while high-performance cars, vans and electric vehicles had the lowest incentives.

Brands with higher inventory levels offered higher incentives in August. The Stellantis brands, for example, generally had higher than average inventory in August and also higher than average incentives. While still low from a historical per spective, Stellantis’ incentives in Au gust averaged 4.4% of ATP, up from 4.1% in July.

Source: Kelley Blue Book

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Auto Collision Instructor Makes Industry Employment a Priority

by Ed Attanasio

Abe Sells is a collision repair in structor at Tidewater Community College in Chesapeake, VA, teach ing in the dual enrollment program at the Chesapeake Career Center.

His students and industry part ners—vendors and local auto body shops—know Sells is in it to win it when it comes to making great things happen for everyone he en counters.

It’s a lot more than just a job for Sells.

“I like what I am doing and I guess it shows,” Sells said. “This industry has been good to me, and I want to help fill the void in the collision industry by creating career opportunity for them. When you see a young person embracing what I am teaching it is a great thing, and I want to tap into that as much as I can.”

Sells, 51, is constantly busy and enjoys the variety. When he isn’t teaching, he runs Dent Chasers, where he performs paintless dent

repair (PDR) for his clients in the Chesapeake area. It works out well during the summer months when he is not teaching full-time.

It’s remarkable Sells ended up teaching collision repair classes be cause at first, carpentry was what he wanted to take at his local vocation al school in Ohio. Auto body was his second choice and he had no interest in it.

income and was moving in the right direction.

Center to revive the program.

After graduating from high school, Sells needed a job. His fa ther worked two hours away at a steel mill. But Sells didn’t want to move and have to work as hard as his father did, so he thought maybe he should give collision repair an other shot.

Sells started at $4.25 an hour, making $170 for a 40-hour week. Then he made $7 an hour, averaging 50-55 hours a week, making $380 a week—which meant he doubled his

When Sells took ownership of his future, fortunate things started to happen for him in the collision field. In 2013, he was approached to run the collision repair program for Tidewater Community College. Working with the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), Sells was able to apply for grants that helped finance some of his equipment for the program.

“We have received grants through the past years ranging from $3,000 and up over the years, which really helped to strengthen my pro gram with updated tools and equip ment,” Sells said. “Starting out, we had to find a facility for our pro gram and a local career center had just closed their auto body program down. So TCC was able to lease and partner with Chesapeake Career

“Collision repair is a two-year program where we provide dual en rollment for high school kids and adults,” Sells said. “They both take the same course using the same cur riculum at the same time.”

Sells appreciates the fact he is getting a self-motivated student in his classrooms, in most cases.

“We have a lot of former mili tary people who take my class, so I get a better quality student,” he said. “In addition, even the high school students have to pay to take our program because they get college credits. When they graduate from college with a career study certifi cate, they also receive their I-CAR pro-level 1 and 2 certifications.”

When Sells started the program, the school had solid enrollment numbers, but students weren’t get ting good placement in the job mar ket, he said.

“My goal from the beginning was to create good quality techni cians and fill the void,” Sells said. “That first year, I had 16 students

and I got jobs for four of them, and now I make sure that 100% of my students get hired. It is important to us and our program that we create careers for these young people and set them up for ongoing success.”

Members of his advisory com mittee, industry partners and body shops offer praise and criticism as well, Sells said.

“We value their feedback and make changes to help accommodate their needs,” he said. “Employers of ten come and speak with the kids to offer possible employment opportuni ties when they graduate. Hiring them is the first step, but then retaining them is another part of the equation.

“I implemented several ideas for retention. One idea was putting a tool box with basic tools for en try level techs. They are given the tools if a student stays with the com pany, say for six months to a year. The largest expense that a collision repair student will encounter is their tools. So $700-$1,000 on average for a tool kit, so helping them in that regard is a major deal.”

This summer, the Chesapeake Career Center held Camp Collision,

a four-day camp hosting 11 rising freshmen and sophomores from lo cal schools. Students were exposed to several parts of the collision field like welding, dent repair and panel replacement.

“This gives us an opportunity to expose them to the industry,” Sells said.

One of the projects Sells got them involved in was the design and painting of Tervis tumblers, which every student got to make and take home.

With classes of 26 students cur rently, Sells is hopeful he will be able to add more as the pandemic looks more and more like a thing of the past.

“Yes, the COVID set us back like it did at a lot of other schools,” Sells said. “But we are in a very good position because we have es tablished a great repertoire with our business owners and industry part ners. We have their support and the parents are onboard too—so I antici pate further growth and a very bright future here at Tidewater Community College and the Chesapeake Career Center.”

EV Safety

of dust or debris that goes into the environment, it can have severe con sequences for an EV,” he said.

Ongoing EV Education Implemented

Earlier this year, Fuchs helped host an I-CAR EV Technical Repair Summit with vehicle makers, colli sion repairers, insurers and tool and equipment manufacturers. The goal was to gain industry input, share learning and other EV information and training required to keep the in dustry safe.

During the summit, Fuchs ex plained current EV disconnecting procedures can be challenging for technicians to follow due to the number of hyperlinks included.

As a result of industry input, I-CAR developed and published best practices and safety protocols for high-voltage disconnecting proce dures, modeled after the European regulation ECE-R-100. “It was cre ated so everyone can perform a safe disconnecting procedure,” said Fuchs.

The document can be found at https://rts.i-car.com/best-practices/ high-voltage-disconnecting-proce dure.html

Due to strong engagement and interest, regular EV Technical Re pair Summits are being planned. A September summit will focus on handling high-voltage batteries and their disposal.

I-CAR currently offers eight EV courses and 29 electrical, diag nostics and calibration courses, in cluding a new five-day EV HandsOn Skills Development EV course taught at I-CAR’s Chicago Tech nical Center. Learners will receive in-depth instruction, with activities and practical hands-on exercises performing electrical measurements vital to determining the status and safety of HV systems using specif ic high-voltage systems test equip ment. Additionally, attendees will perform hands-on high voltage shut down, zero potential verification, bonding and isolation testing, and power up in a shop environment.

Find the latest course news, re sources and webinars at info.i-car. com/electric-vehicles

Are Your Processes and People Strategically Aligned?

by Ed Attanasio

An auto body shop owner or manager might say “we are a process centric shop,” “we stress processes here and focus on efficiency and productivity” or “it’s all about workflow here and everyone knows their role.”

But they are thinking “our pro cesses need to be updated, but is ev eryone on board,” “we are forgetting about the people part of the equa tion,” “do we have the right crew to achieve our goals” and “our process es take too long and don’t help our cycle time.”

To achieve consistent results, every successful body shop needs to devise a series of processes that maximize its strengths while com ing up with viable solutions for problematic areas. It’s Business Management 101—“strategic align ment,” a mechanism by which an or ganization uses tools to visualize the relationship between processes and strategies.

Every auto body shop owner and manager is always looking to optimize workflow because they know it’s a critical component that can significantly impact productivi ty and performance.

Production often gets caught up in the day-to-day roller coaster and managers fail to realize the shop’s processes are outdated, inefficient or no longer in use. Continually changing processes and workflow strategies isn’t a bad thing. In re ality, frequently assessing internal operations to ensure they are lean and working efficiently is something every body shop should do.

The rub here is how to take theory and put it into practice while using the technology and tools avail able. In many cases, body shops devise methods that look good on paper but don’t offer practical solu tions for real-world applications.

When a shop is in a rut, it’s time to re-calibrate and update its processes to better coincide with the workplace environment. In many instances, the plan is reliable, but if the crew does not strictly adhere to the strategic policies devised, the department will never realize its full potential.

Rick Selover, industry insider/

consultant, gives a historical per spective on how processes eclipsed the importance of people over the years.

Selover, a former refinish in structor, is a multi-award-winning sales leader, collision industry con sultant and advisor, motivational coach and host of a personal and professional development podcast series, “The Mind-Wrench Pod cast.”

“Today, you’ll hear things like ‘your people are your business’s greatest asset,’ ‘teamwork makes the dream work’ and ‘your compa ny is only as strong as your weakest link,’” Selover said. “But this wasn’t the credo that body shops lived by back in the 1970s to 1990s, not at all. Back then if you could bump a panel, skin a door and pull a frame or unibodies, or you could DA, paint and rub a car, and didn’t mind hard work, you could work in this indus try, or even start your own shop!

“Baby Boomers were probably 90% of the workforce in those days, and just plain old hard work was the standard,” Selover said. “Concepts such as job satisfaction, fulfillment and work-life balance weren’t a thing yet! If a shop owner didn’t like your work, or your attitude, or the fact that you came in late—or hungov er—every other day, they would fire you and your replacement would be unloading his toolbox the same time you were rolling yours out the door.

“The technology—or really, lack of—and finish of those vehicles set the talent bar relatively low com pared to what is needed to repair to day’s vehicles,” Selover continued. “Most shop owners couldn’t swing around a seized-up come-along without hitting eight to 10 body and paint guys looking for work.”

But as car technology started to advance through the 1990s into the 2000s, paint companies started teaching lean concepts, introducing repair processes, MSOs started tak ing root in the industry and things began to change, Selover said.

“The growing groups of MSO shops started focusing on creating, defining and implementing repair processes and operating procedures that increased the efficiency of their shops and increased production, or

the number of cars going out the door each week,” he said.

As this transformation evolved, the focus was really on the process es, not the technicians, Selover said.

“They were treated more as assembly-line workers than crafts men,” he said. “Remember, techs were easily replaceable in the past. But today, the required talent level has been increasing and the talent pool has shrunk drastically smaller.”

Fast forward a couple decades and vehicle technology and com plexity has grown exponentially, Selover said.

“The talent level required to do the work has increased to an unbe lievable degree, and meanwhile, in surance company DRPs have ruined the mindset and broken the will of the 90% of the workforce that was the ‘engine’ of collision repair for the past 30 or 40 years,” Selover said. “As the average age of those Boomer techs creeps up on 60, they have been on a steady march right out of this industry at an alarming rate—either aged out, burned out or

just grown too tired to fight the fight anymore.

“The collision repair business is highly unique in the service sec tor of business, as the combination of intelligence, creativity and pas sion require unique individual men and women,” Selover said. “Finding them is more challenging now than ever in our history. But that is where collision center owners need to en gage their own intelligence, creativ ity and passion to mold their busi ness, create a desirable culture and provide a unique place that appeals to multiple generations.”

If you are currently in a po sition where you want to re-work your processes and shake things up a little, here are three takeaways to ensure ongoing success.

Get Input from Everyone

If management creates workflow strategies for all employees at ev ery level, there is going to be some disconnect along the way. After all, it’s never easy to ensure the process es being installed without getting

WHO IS CARSTAR?

feedback from your service writers, technicians, parts people and front office personnel.

If you’ve discovered your em ployees are drifting away from your workflow, you may need to make adjustments to eliminate potential obstacles. Getting input from staff at various levels can help give the insight needed to devise the most ef fective and solution-based approach that works.

Be Realistic

In addition to polling your crew and letting them play a role, also be trans parent and accountable when deter mining what they can and cannot do. This requires an accurate assessment of the challenges your department currently faces. Some strategically aligned processes will work for some staff and not others, and a good man ager will be able to recognize that and pivot successfully.

There is never a one-size-fitsall approach to business process management. What works for some service departments might not for yours. That’s why it is essential to ensure your processes are tailored to

your department’s individual needs.

But you also have to be truth ful about their strengths, weakness es and tendencies. Too many shop owners and managers install pro cesses that are based more on wish ful thinking than anything else— so be real and deal with the cards you’ve been dealt.

Select the Right Tools, People and Technology

If your employees don’t have the right resources and tools to perform their job responsibilities properly, it will undoubtedly disrupt your entire workflow and impede every aspect of your business. The more intuitive your technology, the better posi tioned you will be to make intelli gent decisions to help enhance your efficiency, streamline your workflow and uncover even better processes.

To be effective and stay at the top, body shops need to create a se ries of processes that will position their crews for ongoing success. By using new technology, soliciting valuable feedback from the team and being realistic when assessing staff, collision repairers will score big.

by David A. Wood, CarComplaints com

It may be 2022, but Kia has already recalled nearly 20,000 of its 2023 Sportage vehicles right from the get-go.

According to Kia, the Sportage alternator battery positive terminal nut may loosen and cause a stalled engine or even a fire due to electrical arcing at the B+ termi nal.

ing a customer who complained the 2023 Sportage lost power, shut off and wouldn’t start. The Kia dealer found melting of the alternator B+ terminal and nut.

Kia is aware of two 2023 Sportage fires, one that involved melting at the B+ terminal and one with localized damage around the alternator. But Kia says it is un aware of any fatalities, injuries or crashes.

Kia says the alternator battery positive (B+) terminal nut ensures the electrical connection is main tained between the battery wire harness terminal plate and the al ternator B+ terminal. But the B+ terminal nut may not have been properly torqued by the supplier during assembly.

In May, Kia learned about a complaint made to a dealer re garding a 2023 Kia Sportage that wouldn’t start. The dealer found a loose alternator cable and thermal damage to the alternator, wire har ness and intake manifold.

Kia then received a second re port in July from a dealer concern

A Sportage driver may notice an illuminated charging system warning light.

Kia Sportage recall letters will be mailed Sept. 23, and Kia dealers will tighten any loose alternator B+ terminal nuts.

Kia Sportage owners may contact Kia at 800-333-4542. Kia’s number for this recall is SC248.

by Andrew Gross, AAA

Stable global oil prices and modest domestic demand for gasoline led pump prices to fall a nickel in the past week to $3.90.

“Drivers are now benefiting from gas prices that are $1.11 less than their peak in mid-June,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesper son. “But now we need to keep an eye on the weather as hurricane sea son arrives. These storms can affect prices by disrupting oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and impact ing large coastal refineries.”

AAA found drivers are mak ing significant changes to cope with high pump prices. In a recent sur vey, almost two-thirds of U.S. adults said they have changed their driv ing habits or lifestyle since March. Drivers’ top two changes to offset high gas prices are driving less and combining errands.

According to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand rose slightly from 9.12 million b/d to 9.35 mil lion b/d the week of Aug. 15, which is nearly identical to this time last

year. Total domestic gasoline stocks decreased by nearly 5 million bbl to 215.7 million bbl. Although gaso line demand has risen and supplies have tightened, easing oil prices have helped lower pump prices. If oil prices edge lower, drivers will likely continue to see falling pump prices.

The Aug. 22 national aver age of $3.90 is 51 cents less than a month ago but 74 cents more than a year ago.

The nation’s top 10 largest weekly decreases: Florida (-12 cents), West Virginia (-11 cents), Maine (-11 cents), New Jersey (-11 cents), Rhode Island (-11 cents), Vermont (-11 cents), Massachusetts (11 cents), Wyoming (-10 cents), Connecticut (-10 cents) and Missis sippi (-10 cents).

The nation’s top 10 least ex pensive markets: Arkansas ($3.41), Mississippi ($3.43), Georgia ($3.43), Texas ($3.44), Tennessee ($3.44), Louisiana ($3.46), South Carolina ($3.46), Missouri ($3.47), Alabama ($3.47) and Kansas ($3.48).

Source: AAA

A panel discussion at this summer’s Collision Industry Conference (CIC) related to the impacts of inflation fo cused primarily on how body shops can address increases in the costs of paint and materials—including how to discuss rising costs with insurers.

No matter which of the major refinish paint lines is being used within a shop, virtually all colli sion repair businesses have received at least one letter—and generally multiple—in the past 18 months an nouncing price increases for those materials.

One paint company, for exam ple, notified its U.S. shop customers in January 2021 of a “weighted av erage increase of 4.1%,” followed by a similar “weighted average in crease of 4.25%” in May 2021, and another of 9.8% in February of this

Panelists at CIC noted some

shops may be confused by the term “weighted average,” particularly if they see their paint costs rising above the percentages noted in the letters.

Paint company representatives said those average increases are

“So some products may be raised more, some will be raised less,” said Braxton Ewing of BASF. “A lot of that is dependent on supply chain issues and raw material avail ability.”

Tim Ronak, senior services con sultant for AkzoNobel, concurred.

“An individual shop may not buy that entire weighted range of products in the same distribution that we’ve averaged it,” Ronak said, noting most companies offer a vari ety of clear coats, for example, that might increase in price at different rates. “What that means is that each shop may see its own unique price increase, irrespective of what’s pub lished.

Track and Document Costs

Panelists noted one way a shop can better document its costs is through the use of a paint materials calcu lator or billing system other than the traditional “paint labor hours times a given rate.” A “Who Pays for What?” survey in January found although the percentage of shops using that method has been falling, about half still do.

Committee co-chairman Aaron Schulenburg pointed to an article on the CCC Intelligent Solutions website stating although most of its customers use the “rate times hours” method for calculating materials charges, “this is also usually inaccu rate.”

an aggregate average across all the various products that manufacturers may include in the notice.

“A 10% published number might be, for an individual shop, a 12% increase in actual expenses, whereas another might see an 8% increase,” Ronak said.

Ronak said most shops in the 20 Groups he oversees have moved away from using a “rate times paint labor hours” billing method for ma terials.

“In fact, they’re becoming far more specific about what is a paint material, and creating invoices and documentation for that,” Ronak said. “They’re taking some of the things that used to be called materi als, like panel bonding adhesive and seam sealers, and billing for those independently on a per-job, docu

he recommended. “You need to truly understand job-costing. The trans formative moment for most shops that I’ve worked with in all the years I’ve been doing this is when they un derstand job-costing and they stop doing the things that take money away. That’s typically all you need to do: Stop doing the stuff that costs you money, and start doing more of the things that make you money.”

Ewing, a performance group manager for BASF, said shops using the Mitchell Refinishing Materials Calculator, PMCLogic from Com puter Logic or their paint scale to more accurately track and invoice for the actual materials used will see two otherwise identical jobs may have different paint costs just be cause of the color. Charging based on paint labor hours doesn’t take into account so many factors like that, he said.

continue to become more detailed over the long term, just as estimates themselves were once as basic as “replace and paint fender for $xxx.”

Shorter-term, he said, shops need to work with the manufacturer of the paint they are spraying “to re ally understand how to be profitable with their products,” and then “learn how to document and communicate that” to whoever is paying the bill for repairs.

Addressing Costs with Insurers

An insurance company representa tive on the panel said, like shops, insurers are seeing their costs rise quickly. Dan Tessadri, auto physi cal damage business consultant for CSAA Insurance, said at least in some states, there can be a long lag time before insurers can reflect their higher costs in premiums.

“That’s a little different than what [a paint company CEO said in a news clip played at the meeting] where every quarter they look to ad just prices,” Tessadri said.

Tessadri was asked about shops’ approach in seeking rate increases.

“There is an incredible differ ence in the documentation, in the communication, in the overall sort of understanding of the impact infla tion is having on their store,” Tessa dri said.

The most effective way he sees for a shop to start that conversation?

“From my perspective, it’s un derstanding that you’re not oper ating in a vacuum. We’re not all in the same boat, but we’re in the same storm,” Tessadri said.

Work for some open discussion, he recommended.

mented basis.”

He said “knowing your num bers” is even more crucial for shops in inflationary periods.

“Be able to break down how you look at your business, rather than just sales versus a pile of costs,”

“You may have a weak esti mator who writes lower hours than should be expected for that repair, or may have missed something during the estimating process,” Ew ing said. He said paint and materials documentation and invoicing will

In California—and some other states—insurers must get the premi um increases approved in advance. Between the process of determining the increases needed and getting ap proval, he said, it can take up to two years to see the increase reflected in premiums.

“‘This is what I want, but this is what I could potentially live with,’” Tessadri suggested. “Those are the discussions that end up probably more successful. I’m a data guy. So I do sort of enjoy seeing [some one who has] gone to the length of crunching that information to ex plain it to me.”

by David A. Wood, CarComplaints com

A Ford blower motor recall involves more than 198,000 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs covering 2015-2017 model years. Following at least 25 fires, the Ford blower mo tor recall involves the front blower motor located behind the glovebox. Even though this is a blower mo tor recall and engineers have spent months investigating, Ford isn’t sure of the exact root cause of the fires.

“No cause of these vehicle fires has been identified to date; howev er, they are believed to originate in the blower motor which is located on the passenger side interior behind the glovebox,” Ford said. Of the 25 reported fires, 13 were localized fires in the blower motor area and the re maining 12 reports involved more ex tensive damage to the vehicles. There were also three instances of property damage to structures and one Ford fire that caused another vehicle to catch fire. The 12 reports of extensive fire damage made it difficult for engineers to know for a fact the fires came from the blower motors. According to Ford,

all 25 fires occurred while the SUVs were running.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration informed Ford of five complaints about 2016-2017 Expeditions. Based on those five reports, there were two complaints about blower failures, two com plaints alleged fires under the glove boxes and one report of a melted har ness to the blower controller. Of the five complaints to NHTSA, only one customer had also contacted Ford re garding their concerns.

Customers have reported var ious symptoms, including fans that failed, burning smells and smoke from the instrument panel vents while the vehicles were running.

Based on blower motor testing, the fires may be due to an internal short or localized heating of the brush springs or holders. Ford blower mo tor recall letters will be mailed Sept. 12, and Ford dealers will replace the front blower motor assemblies. Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator owners may call Ford at 866-4367332 and ask about blower motor recall number 22S56.

Tim Ronak of AkzoNobel said collision repair ers really need to be on top of their numbers during inflationary periods

and Christina Molina, Collision Care Xpress, of ten tell customers no job is too big or too small. They take pride in build ing trust with customers and offering the latest auto body repair and paint technology at their Florida facility.

Robert always had a passion for cars. In 2008, during the Great Re cession, he worked as a body shop manager for Cadillac and Hum mer outside of Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

“The whole world was on fire back then,” recalled Robert. “I thought it was a great time to open a shop of my own.”

In 2010, Robert and Christina found a location in Pompano Beach, FL, north of Fort Lauderdale, to open their shop. For the first few years, Robert was a one-man show.

made the business successful.

How did you begin building the business?

Christina: In 2015, I had just given birth to our second child, and instead of returning to nursing, I stayed on board and helped Robert run and grow the business.

Working there was a natural feeling because my dad was a me chanic for 40 years and I was always at his shop. I have photos of myself in a diaper with grease from head to toe.

Robert and I purchased our first freestanding building in 2016, about a mile from our original location. It was really scary. We were promised that a DRP would come in and they never did. We looked at each other and said, “What did we get ourselves into?”

We have the expertise and re sources to provide insurers with documentation and procedures to justify necessary repairs, and that aids the insurance estimator to prop erly value the repair.

To be a high-caliber facility, we believe you have to be OEM certi fied and repair vehicles the way the OEM specifies.

About a year after opening the new facility, we began working with Tesla and were one of the first Tesla-certified shops in Florida.

Robert: We’re proud that as of to day, we have more than 20 OEM certifications. That goes a long way with customers. We find they put a lot more trust in us and feel they are bringing their vehicle into a shop that is well-versed in repairs.

What is the importance of customer

service and reviews?

Robert: We can’t afford to have cus tomers come in and not do a good job. After every repair, I follow up to find out if there was anything more I could do to help.

From the beginning of running the business, every time we finished a job, we asked customers to go online and leave a review on Goo gle or Yelp. We have thousands of five-star reviews. That wasn’t as common then as it is now, but it’s what started growing the company. We began picking up traction and getting more business because of those reviews.

We’re customer-centric and want to ensure our customers are happy. If we receive one star due to a situation we couldn’t control, we work hard to convert it into five stars.

“I did everything, including estimat ing, body repairs, welding, pulling, painting and dealing with insurance companies,” he said.

Christina was a nurse at the

“Those first years, she was con cerned that I had left my job to open my business,” recalled Robert. “I told her it’s going to be something special one day.”

The shop focused on custom restoration work, which helped them get through the early years until they built up the collision side of the business.

“Christina paid the bills and kept me alive there,” said Robert. “With her support, I was able to continue chasing my dream and was determined not to give up.”

I talked to Robert and Christina about OEM certifications, building a culture and initiatives that have

Looking back, it was probably the best thing that could have happened because it made us not be dependent on a DRP for steady work. We had to think outside the box and focus on marketing and so cial media to succeed.

Robert: We went from having about 3,000 square feet of shop space to 16,500. I thought we had made a huge mistake by listening to a DRP, but it was a blessing in disguise. We were able to figure out how to mar ket and grow our company.

An essential part of your busi ness is focusing on OEM certifica tions. Why is this important?

Christina: Our marketing efforts made us realize that we wanted to focus on OEM certifications. We have a great working relationship with all major insurance compa nies. Because we are an independent shop, we never deviate from facto ry-mandated restoration procedures and are always able to keep the best interest and safety of our customers as the top priority.

Christina: We want customers to have the best possible experience. Many think of a body shop as a dirty dark space where their car gets lost in a black hole. We hold a higher standard than that and customers can feel comfortable bringing their cars here and know they are fixed properly.

We’re serious with our tech nicians and ensure that they do the right thing with every repair, espe cially when no one’s looking. We re pair about 250-300 cars a month and neither Robert nor I can personally check every car.

How do you encourage teamwork?

Robert: We think outside the box. We have an on-site gym with a shower, an arcade, a recreation room for our 60 employees, and several employee lounge areas.

Christina: We also hold a lot of parties and events. We find these gatherings help build a culture and lead to happy employees who want to come to work. When you have happy employees, you get wonder

ful results. Unhappy employees are disgruntled and unlikely to put out a great product.

Robert: Customers can sense that. It’s like when you walk into a restau rant and know the servers are upset. You’re uncomfortable. It’s import ant to ensure our staff is happy be cause they will radiate that to cus tomers. It’s a critical part of being successful.

What are your plans for the busi ness?

Robert: We’ve purchased a new building almost every year since opening and are expanding again. We have more than 90,000 square feet of air-conditioned repair space and call it our campus compound. It’s a shop of the future that custom ers can drive their cars into and is gorgeous.

There are four buildings and each has a different focus and cus tomer base we market to: DRP, elec tric vehicle repairs, combustible engine repairs and fleet repairs. By breaking up each part of our busi ness, it is easier to coordinate em

ployee training, offer better service and be more efficient.

We recognize the industry is changing and we can no longer re pair everything the same way. We have to divide and conquer and provide customers with the best op tions.

Christina: Using this system, we’ve found our business is more organized. It allows us to spend time with employees and offer special ized training, especially with EVs.

If you aren’t focusing on OEM cer tifications and learning about EVs, you aren’t going to have a shop in the future. It’s important to be for ward-thinking.

Robert: Another development is the creation of a human-less valet system that moves cars automatical ly through the shop. This will help with repair planning and being more efficient. That’s the future of the collision business—less human and more interactive with computers.

was repairing a vandalized Jeep and needed to disassemble the dash to re move broken glass. The two O-rings needed as part of that work weren’t in his shop’s estimating system, so he had to locate them in OEConnec tion’s RepairLink, then manually enter them into his estimate.

“Luckily the O-rings were $24.30 each, so we’re at least mak ing a little more money than we would on a $3 O-ring,” he said. “But it still can make my blood boil when I just spent 20 minutes to sell $50 worth of O-rings that should have just been a simple click in the [esti mating] system.”

Panel moderator Danny Gre dinberg of the Database Enhance ment Gateway encouraged the in dustry to report such missing parts to his organization, something Wag ner does regularly.

“Submit that inquiry, and we’ll work with the information providers to hopefully get that added in there,” Gredinberg said.

ALABAMA

Benchmark Automotive Birmingham, AL 35210 Toll-Free: (800) 633-4304 Phone: (205) 823-5237 Fax: (888) 815-5238

GEORGIA

Troncalli Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram 818 Atlanta Road Cumming, GA 30040 (770) 889-8951

MISSISSIPPI

Landers Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram 315 East Goodman Road Southaven, MS 38671

Order Hotline: (800) 238-5919 or (662) 349-9090 Fax: (662) 349-9050

Mac Haik Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram 5395 I-55 North Jackson, MS 39206 (601) 500-5576

SOUTH CAROLINA

Spartanburg Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram 8200 Fairforest Road Spartanburg, SC 29303 (800) 849-3691

Stateline Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram 800 Gold Hill Road Fort Mill, SC 29745 (800) 533-5844

TENNESSEE

Beaman Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Wholesale Parts 615 Davidson St. Nashville, TN 37213 (615) 386-1100 (800) 624-6587

WEST VIRGINIA

Walker Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram 102 Orchard Park Road Hurricane, WV 25526 (800) 888-8264

by John Yoswick

Representatives of several automo tive paint companies on a CIECA webcast this summer cautioned that, like nearly every other aspect of collision repair, ADAS will im pact refinishing.

“Colors that are formulated with high metallic content, me tallic flake, can be a problem for radar and lidar, so that’s one area in the next three years that will be impacting actual colors,” said Dan Benton, global product director of color marketing for Axalta Coating Systems.

“It’s becoming much more important to follow the refinish procedures, just like we talk about following OEM repair procedures,” said Jeff Wildman, manager of OEM and industry relations for BASF North America. “You need to do the same thing with paint, be cause it really is a functional part of the safety systems.

“In some cases, especially with some of the translucent colors, we may be looking to reflect off the primer behind the color, rather than

the color of the vehicle,” Wildman said. “If you’re not applying the right color of primer, or if you’re applying too much base coat, that may not operate properly. I’ve

worked with a lot of painters who apply one extra coat, just to make sure they get coverage. Well, that one extra coat may cause a radar sensor not to work. So you really need to follow those procedures.”

Wildman also said it’s likely shops will at some point have to invest in some equipment changes in their paint department, but the “when” and “what” aren’t yet clear.

He said paint manufacturers are working, for example, on fin ishes that will reflect more heat off

ASE Summer Testing Registration Ending

Registration for the National In stitute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) summer test ing period ends Sept. 30.

Those service professionals who register will have 90 days to schedule an appointment to take the selected ASE tests, whether registering on the first day of the registration period or the last.

More than 50 ASE certifi cation tests covering nearly ev ery aspect of the motor vehicle service and repair industry are available for ASE certification. ASE testing is available through out the year and is conducted days, nights and weekends at nearly 450 secured, proctored test centers.

To register, visit ASE. com, click on register and signin. Once logged in, users can next click on “orders” and then “store” where they can find the tests they want to take, add those tests to the cart and check out, and registration is complete.

Source: ASE

of electric vehicles in order to help keep the interior cooler; the goal is to reduce air conditioning use to help maintain battery range. What that could mean in terms of refin ishing isn’t yet known, Wildman said.

Just as environmental issues have driven the development of waterborne primers and base coats, he said, waterborne clears are being used in other markets and other in dustries.

“We’ll see those in our indus try at some point,” Wildman said. “I don’t know when exactly, but they’re coming. When those come out, then I can tell you what equip ment you will need for them.”

Similarly, UV primers require only a small UV light. But if UV clears begin to be used, he said, that too would require equipment changes in body shop paint depart ments. Coatings

The Automotive Aftermar ket Products Expo (AAPEX) is among the winners of Trade Show Executive’s Gold 100 awards that recognize U.S. trade shows in 2021 that set the gold standard during a tumultuous year.

AAPEX is co-owned by the Auto Care Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppli ers Association (AASA) and is organized by trade show man agement specialist W.T. Glasgow Inc.

The Gold 100 awards recog nize trade shows for their accom plishments during the ups and downs of the pandemic, and for prevailing even with the many challenges and new protocols put before them.

AAPEX and its show or ganizer will be honored at this year’s Trade Show Executive’s Gold 100 Awards & Summit, Sept. 21-23 at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara, CA. AAPEX Ranked Among Top Trade Shows

by Douglas McColloch, SEMA

Celebrating its 55th anniversary in 2022, the annual SEMA Show has evolved to fit the times, reflecting and responding to changes in the specialty automotive industry, and this year’s Show should be no different.

With an extra 600,000 square feet of exhibition space courtesy of the new West Hall, last year’s Show provided attendees with more room to conduct business in a collegial environment while still having ample space to enjoy a dazzling array of enthusiast events, builds, competitions and networking opportunities. The 2022 Show promises more of the same.

While the SEMA Show floor is organized by category and numbered to improve navigation, an ideal way to simplify the Show experience is with the 2022 SEMA Show app, which contains detailed exhibitor information, interactive floor plans and daily event information all accessible from mobile devices.

The Show app also features a scanning function that allows

attendees to capture product information from the New Products Showcase and exhibitor information from feature vehicles on display. The app puts the entire SEMA Show in

SEMA Car of the Year, SEMA Truck of the Year, SEMA 4x4-SUV of the Year, SEMA Sport Compact of the Year, SEMA Powersports Vehicle of the Year and SEMA EV of the Year.

expected to exhibit more than 2,500 new and featured products in a brandnew, 30,000-square foot exhibition space in the Upper South Hall.

your pocket, and it’s available as a free download from your mobile device’s native app store or by logging on to www.SEMAShow.com/app.

SEMA Awards Presentation

5-7 p.m. Oct. 31, Silver Drive, Outside the Central Hall Entrance

The annual SEMA Awards, given to the top-trending vehicle models in six categories, will be presented Oct. 31, the day before the SEMA Show officially opens. The awards are presented to automakers for the

SEMA Award winners are determined and voted on by SEMA Show exhibiting manufacturers to recognize vehicles that manufacturers are investing in and developing products for. The program heightens awareness for aftermarket products and exemplifies the industry’s partnership between automakers and aftermarket manufacturers that develop products to improve vehicle performance, safety and convenience as well as appearance and comfort.

The New Products Showcase

Upper South Hall, Booth #31307

A first stop for many attendees and a must-see for everyone else, the New Products Showcase provides a window into the automotive aftermarket for the coming year as hundreds of manufacturers roll out their latest innovations. In all, the 2022 New Products Showcase is

For 2022, two additional product categories will be added to the Showcase: advanced driverassistance systems (ADAS) and EV technology.

The New Products Showcase enables buyers to focus their efforts on the companies they need to see to keep the product pipelines active and their inventories fresh, and media attendees can get a glimpse of the latest trends to emerge from the industry’s leading influencers. Additionally, scanning products with your mobile device using the SEMA Show app enables communications between buyers and exhibiting companies to generate leads and drive future sales.

SEMA Central

Grand Lobby, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 31–Nov. 3; 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 4

This year, SEMA Central expands to offer Showgoers a more

immersive industry experience than ever before. Visit this Show hub to see top-tier vehicle builds and center-stage interviews with iconic personalities. There’s even a boutique shop to outfit you with the latest SEMA Gear.

SEMA Central is also the place to see celebrity appearances, to take in daily panel discussions and Brew Talks with some of the industry’s most notable and knowledgeable figures, and to get an up-close look at last year’s Battle of the Builders winner Bob Matranga’s classic ’55 Chevy, which will be on display during Show Week. SEMA Central is also the site for the finals of SEMA Launch Pad, SEMA’s annual competition of automotive entrepreneurs.

Feature Vehicle Displays

Various Locations

The SEMA Show is renowned for the innovative parts and accessories displayed on show vehicles representing every industry niche, from cars and trucks to powersports. Much more than rolling works of art, the vehicles offer an inperson look at real-life applications

of the aftermarket’s latest and most impressive products.

Located throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center, inside and out, the displays connect with Showgoers as an extension to the exhibit booths of the product creators. The SEMA Show app features a scanning function that allows attendees to quickly capture product and exhibitor information from feature vehicles on display throughout the Show.

SEMA Overland Experience West Hall, Booth #62236

With many similarities and connections to off-roading, adventure travel, aka overlanding, has strong roots in Australia and South Africa, and in the U.S., its popularity has exploded over the past decade. Buyers at the 2022 SEMA Show will be able to see products and vehicles specifically for overlanding in the expanded SEMA Overland Experience area. This special exhibit will include dozens of customized vehicles with fully popped-out tents, survival accessories and portable kitchen systems all displayed among

exhibitors supporting the growing overlanding market.

SEMA Electrified

North Hall, Booth #11268

As a trade association, SEMA looks down the road for emerging trends in performance and hot rodding, and it views vehicle electrification as a modern-day expression of those enthusiast pursuits. Now SEMA Electrified offers the industry an opportunity to see where this growing segment might take us in the next five to 10 years and beyond.

Experience for yourself the surprising technologies that are advancing and redefining the performance aftermarket. At SEMA Electrified, you’ll encounter some incredible custom electric-vehicle conversions and noteworthy parts and products that are currently driving the market.

SEMA Launch Pad

Central Hall, Booth #22970

Fifteen executive-level innovators compete in a “Shark Tank”-like business competition for automotive entrepreneurs. The Top

5 are then selected for an elimination competition to be held Nov. 2 at SEMA Central, with the final two candidates presenting their pitches at the SEMA Industry Awards Banquet on Nov. 3. The ultimate winner will then receive a prize package of nearly $100,000.

Throughout Show Week, each of the 15 competitors will have their new products on display in the Launch Pad Corral and the Featured Products Showcase. Visit the Corral to learn about the products and businesses.

SEMA Battle of The Builders North Hall, Booth #10139

Since its debut in 2014, SEMA’s premier showcase of the builder’s art has become one of the Show’s biggest attractions. It returns for 2022 and runs all during Show week before culminating Nov. 4 in North Hall.

Forty of the world’s most creative builds will be judged by a panel of industry experts, with the Top 12 vehicles advancing to the finals in four distinct categories that are new for 2022: Hot Rod/Hot Rod Truck, 4-Wheel Drive & Off-Road, Sport/ Compact, Import Performance, Luxury

& Exotic and Young Guns (builders under age 29). The winning vehicles will lead the procession at SEMA Cruise, which takes place immediately after the winners are announced.

SEMA Cruise Silver Drive

Vehicles from the 2022 SEMA Show begin parading out of the Convention Center at Show close 4 p.m. Nov. 4 to the delight of thousands of fans in grandstands along the route.

More than 1,000 vehicles will take part in the SEMA Cruise, which proceeds toward the West Hall parking lot and SEMA Ignited, the Show’s official after-party that’s open the public. Spectators have a ringside seat to view the coolest cars on the planet, and the Cruise has become one of the Show’s most anticipated events.

SEMA Ignited

West Hall Parking Lot

The 2022 SEMA Show culminates at SEMA Ignited, the official after-party that launches immediately after the Show ends Nov.

Hall Parking Lot just a short walk away and is free to all credentialed Show attendees.

Introduced in 2014, the annual event is also open to the public, giving consumers the chance to glimpse some of the vehicles and excitement from the world-famous, trade-only SEMA Show. The party is a great way for Showgoers to unwind from the week while enjoying a night of food, entertainment, drifting demonstrations and more.

Gates open at 3 p.m., and your SEMA Show badge serves as your free ticket. For more information, visit www.SEMAignited.com.

SEMA Gear Various Locations

For your shopping convenience, SEMA Gear stores are located throughout the Show in the Bronze Lot, the East Lobby, SEMA Central, the Grand Lobby, the Grand Plaza, the Central Hall, the Skybridge and the West Hall. Don’t forget to stop by and pick up gifts and SEMA Show memorabilia for friends and business associates back home. You’ll find T-shirts, hats, bags and more at each

store. A portion of the proceeds from every sale is donated to SEMA Cares charities.

LVCC Loop West Hall, Central Hall, Lower South Hall

Walking the SEMA Show floor can eat into valuable time, so Showgoers looking to maximize their efficiency during Show Week can take advantage of the new LVCC Loop. A 1.7-mi. subway tunnel that connects West, Central and South Halls at three dedicated stations, the Boring Company-built Loop can save time by transporting attendees from one end of the Convention Center to another in roughly four minutes, and the system can transport more than 4,000 passengers per hour.

While all of the information contained in this article was accurate at the time this issue went to press, be sure to visit www.SEMAShow. com or the SEMA Show app for the latest updates and schedules.

Source: SEMA

www.autobodynews.com

CIECA announced Aug. 29 that Bill Brower, vice president of in dustry relations for Solera, joined CIECA’s Board of Trustees, effec tive immediately.

Brower is a claims leader across the insurance property and casualty (P&C) claims industry who has more than 35 years of experience leading claims teams with top brand companies, includ ing Solera, Nationwide Insurance, Liberty Mutual Insurance and LexisNexis Risk Solutions.

Additionally, Brower re cently joined the newly formed CEICA AI Committee and has a wealth of prior board experi ence. Previously, he served as a member and past chairman on the I-CAR Board, a former member of the Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) Board, past chairman of Simplicity Car Care Advisory Board (a Canada-based MSO), and a former member of North Fulton Community Char ities Board of Directors in Ros well, GA.

Source: CIECA

Mitchell the of Electric Vehicles

Mitchell on Sept. 13 announced en hancements to Mitchell Cloud Esti mating that can simplify the collision damage appraisal process for battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

and appraiser efficiency.

The enhancements to Mitchell Cloud Estimating will address these challenges by incorporating new functionality not available in other appraisal platforms. This includes tools designed to simplify the esti mating process and support proper, safe repair.

Among those new tools are EV-specific:

industry-standard definitions for EV battery capacity and motor size that appear on the vehicle selection screen and under the vehicle descrip tion detail on the printed estimate.

for damage appraisals on all vehicle types passenger, commercial and specialty is a real game changer.”

These enhancements which come as the electric vehicle (EV) sector is bracing for unprecedented growth establish Mitchell’s position as a trailblazer in the development of advanced appraisal and claims man agement solutions for automotive in surance carriers and collision repairers.

Historically, estimating plat forms have not accounted for the design differences between EVs and their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. This can create challenges for insurance apprais ers and collision repairers. Without EV-specific parts and categories, they have to write BEV damage as sessments using ICE alternatives, which can impact estimate accuracy

Vehicle Types: Once the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is de coded, Mitchell Cloud Estimating automatically updates the user in terface, making it specific to BEVs instead of ICE-powered passenger, commercial and specialty vehicles.

Part Categories: New part catego ries dynamically surface the relevant parts data in a way that specifically relates to EVs.

Data Organization: EV data is now consistently organized, helping ap praisers easily locate the information needed to complete the estimate.

Qualifiers: Mitchell has established

According to Bloomberg, the U.S. surpassed 5% of new car sales pow ered only by electricity this summer, a critical tipping point that signals the start of mass EV adoption. In Canada, IHS Markit reported one in 20 new vehicle registrations in 2021 were for BEVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), a jump of nearly 6% from 2020.

With some car manufactur ers shifting to all-electric fleets, EVs will inevitably appear in a greater number of collision claims going forward.

“We’re seeing more EVs in the shop than ever before,” said Jeff Baggett, owner of Classic Car Mo toring, Inc., an EV-certified collision repair facility for Mercedes, Tesla and Rivian. “Having an estimating platform that accounts for the differ ences in EV design and construction is really going to save us time. And being able to use that same platform

“Gas prices are accelerating EV adoption and driving one in four Americans to say that they will likely buy an EV the next time they purchase an automobile. This makes having a damage appraisal platform that can support these vehicles crit ical,” said Debbie Day, executive vice president and general manager of Mitchell’s Auto Physical Dam age division. “Mitchell continues to lead the industry in the development of ground-breaking technology that streamlines the automotive claims process and supports the safe return of both EV and ICE vehicle owners to the road.”

The patent-pending EV en hancements to Mitchell Cloud Es timating will be available later this year.

For more information on the company’s cloud-based appraisal solution, visit www.mitchell.com/ solutions/auto-physical-damage/esti mating/cloud

Source: Mitchell

ALABAMA

Audi Birmingham Irondale 205.986.7410 205.986.7438 Fax M-F 7am-6pm; Sat 8am-4pm daniel.williford@audiofbirmingham.com www.audiofbirmingham.com

FLORIDA

Audi North Miami North Miami Beach 305.952.5952 305.944.4009 Fax M-F 8am-6pm; Sat 8am-5pm amartinez@audinorthmiami.com www.audinorthmiami.com

Audi West Palm Beach West Palm Beach 866.441.3309 561.615.4175 561.615.4179 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm parts@audiwpb.com

GEORGIA

Audi Gwinnett Duluth 678.258.2535 770.476.9311 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm parts@audigwinnett.com www.audigwinnett.com

TENNESSEE

Audi Knoxville Knoxville 800-382-2787 865-691-3742 865-251-3227 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat 8am-2pm www.audiknoxville.com brianmaillet@harperdealerships.com

by Steven Loveday , InsideEVs

Automakers already made it clear the rules that will be put into law thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act will likely cripple EV produc ers long before promoting them.

This is because the U.S. sim ply doesn’t have the battery ma terial mining operations in place needed for the growing number of EVs on the road today. Now, the CEO of Piedmont Lithium is chim ing in.

For background, the new U.S. federal electric vehicle tax cred it has strict requirements related not only to the EVs being manu factured in North America, but also to where the materials are sourced from. More specifically, the EVs’ batteries must be made with ma terials sourced domestically, or from a country that has a free trade agreement with the U.S.

The rules aren’t as strict ini tially, but by 2026, vehicles will need 80% of critical materials to be sourced based on the rules.

Having rules that help make the U.S. less reliant on other coun

tries is arguably a positive. How ever, it’s going to take some time for the country to catch up when it comes to lithium extraction and

Lithium probably has a pretty sol id grasp of the supply and demand issues related to battery materials. Moreover, as we continue to add more electric cars to the mix, the materials will become more scarce.

In the meantime, companies are trying to do what they can to find solutions, but there simply ar en’t enough facilities or workers to make anything happen immedi ately. This is all contributing to the fact that lack of supply and grow ing demand are causing battery material prices to rise when we have been repeatedly promised EV batteries are going to get cheaper over time.

Piedmont Lithium is one of only a few lithium mining compa nies in the U.S. It has already an nounced plans to begin construc tion on a new lithium processing facility in Tennessee in 2023. It also has another similar project planned for North Carolina.

“The world has changed,” Phillips said. “We’re now in an era where everyone’s going to want an electric car. The car companies can’t make them fast enough, and people are now looking for the lith ium they need for the batteries to go in those electric cars.”

processing. “Yes, we’ll [eventually] have enough, but not by that time,” Pied mont Lithium CEO Keith Phillips told Yahoo Finance Live in a recent interview. “There’s going to be a real crunch to get the material. We don’t have enough in the world to turn that much [lithium] produc tion in the world by 2035.”

While we never suggest rely ing on one single individual to tell it how it is, the CEO of Piedmont

Despite the challenges that lie ahead, President Joe Biden has set a goal that all new cars sold in the U.S. by 2030 must be electric cars. To encourage people to make the switch, they’ll be afforded a credit of up to $7,500. However, once the new rules officially kick in, most EVs sold in the U.S. will no longer be eligible for a credit. It will take time for automakers to put the right pieces in place to ensure their elec tric vehicles are eligible.

Phillips is looking at a very long road ahead. He told Yahoo the U.S. has a very slow permitting process, which makes matters even worse. China continues to domi nate the industry, and Australia and Chile are the largest lithium pro ducers in the world.

Phillips noted lithium-related projects get permitted in Austra lia in less than a year, while it has taken as many as eight years in the U.S., though some permits only took two years, which is still way too long.

GEORGIA

Orlando Volkswagen South Orlando

Fax: 407-581-0671

M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat 7:30am-5pm rwright01@vtaig.com

Orlando Volkswagen North Orlando 321-214-3169

Fax: 407-644-9408 7:30am-6pm; Sat 7:30am-5pm

Jim Ellis Volkswagen Atlanta 800-653-5547 770-454-7711

Fax: 770-986-0001 M-Sat 7:30am-7pm vwwholesaleparts@jimellis.com

VIRGINIA

Checkered Flag Volkswagen Virginia Beach 757-687-3465

Fax: 757-687-3514

M-F 8am-5pm volkswagenparts@checkeredflag.com 7:30-6; 7:30-3

Credit: Shutterstock

ALABAMA

Brewbaker Kia Montgomery 334-420-8201 (334) 386-3487 Fax M-F 7:30-5:30 rfancher@brewbaker.com

FLORIDA

Deland Kia Deland 386-734-7800 (386) 822-9278 Fax parts@delandkia.net www.delandkia.net FREE Local Delivery

Kia of Cape Coral Cape Coral 239-829-1956 (239) 242-7002 Fax M-F 7-6; Sat 8-3 dgarabedian@kiaofcc.com

Kia of Orange Park Jacksonville 904-771-6078 (904) 674-0221 Fax M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5 dcarr@kiaoforangepark.com

Kia of Vero Beach Vero Beach 772-770-9887 (772) 562-0732 Fax M-F 7:30-5 mikep@toyotaofvero.com

GEORGIA

Sons Kia McDonough 678-783-2193 (678) 783-2298 Fax M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4

SO. CAROLINA

Kia of Greenville Greenville 864-516-2700 (864) 520-8981 Fax aburgos@kiaofgreenville.net

Consistently voted as the No. 1 destination by SEMA Show buyers and media, the 2022 New Products Showcase will expand to include two new product categories.

Showgoers will find products related to electric vehicles (EV) and Advanced Driver Assistance Sys tems (ADAS) along with products in 16 other categories, in what is the world’s largest display of new auto motive aftermarket products.

Accessible exclusively to SEMA Showgoers on Nov. 1-4, the New Products Showcase is the auto motive aftermarket industry’s most comprehensive collection of new and trending products. SEMA Show attendees visit the area to discover and see parts and accessories before they hit the market.

A Featured Products component includes items that may not qualify as new; the product may have been on the market for more than a year but is amongst an exhibitor’s top products.

“Through the SEMA Show New Products Showcase, buyers, retailers and distributors can easily discover and learn about all the hot products

that they may want to carry,” said Tom Gattuso, SEMA vice president of events. “They will find details about the products, including the exhibitor’s booth number. They can then connect directly with the man ufacturer on the Show floor to learn more. It’s no surprise that SEMA Show buyers rely on the New Prod ucts Showcase to help them stock their shelves.”

Details on all the products from the Showcase are also included in the SEMA Show mobile app, giving attendees a year-round resource to help them after the Show. The mo bile app’s product scanning feature enables attendees to flag items of in terest and create custom lists of note worthy products. Only at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas will attendees be able to connect with all product ex perts from the exhibiting companies for quality one-on-one discussions, demos and presentations.

Participation in the New Prod ucts Showcase, available as a ben efit to SEMA Show exhibitors, is easy and affordable. All exhibitors qualify to submit one product entry at no cost. Subsequent entries range

from $75-$150 each, depending on the submission date, and there is no limit to the number of entries. New this year is an on-site freight delivery service to make it easier than ever for exhibitors in West, North and Central Halls to participate.

Through the new service, exhib itors drop off their products at a near by designated area in their respective hall, and then coordinate to meet the product at the New Products CheckIn area in South Hall.

Qualifying products may also be recognized as a Best New Prod uct. Winners and runner-ups in 18 categories including the new EV and ADAS categories will be an nounced and presented at the Kickoff Breakfast on Nov. 1, just before the official opening of the SEMA Show. Additionally, all products in the Showcase are professionally photo graphed. The photos are often used by outside media and helps brand awareness.

“Exhibitors that participate in the New Products Showcase report much higher success than those that do not participate,” said Gattuso. “Research tells us that exhibitors

with products in the Showcase see more buyers in their booths and re ceive more media coverage than those who do not participate in the Showcase.”

A nearby transportation hub that includes taxi and shuttle drop-off, as well as an entry point for the Las Ve gas Convention Center underground tunnel, makes it easy for attendees to visit the Showcase. More than 2,000 product entries are expected to be in cluded in this year’s Showcase.

Exhibitors can enter the SEMA Show New Products Showcase by visiting www.semashow.com/newproducts-rules. To register to attend the SEMA Show, visit www.sema show.com/register.

The four-day SEMA Show is a trade-only event that connects man ufacturers of automotive specialty products with buyers from all over the world. Taking place in Las Ve gas, NV, exhibitors come to the an nual event to debut new products that enhance the performance, styling and functionality of cars, trucks and SUVs.

Source: SEMA

Driven Brands Holdings Inc. on Sept. 8 reported the acquisition of Auto Glass Fitters, making it the second largest player in the U.S. auto glass repair, replacement and calibration category after entering the U.S. market in early fiscal 2022.

This further densifies the com pany’s East Coast presence in auto glass services and significantly adds to its mobile capabilities.

The $5 billion and growing auto glass services market has been a strategic growth focus for Driven Brands, and this acquisition en hances its presence in this highly fragmented, needs-based category.

Leveraging operational exper tise from its Canadian auto glass servicing business and its existing blueprint for growth across seg ments like Quick Lube and Car Wash, the company has used its deep expertise in M&A to kickstart growth in the U.S. auto glass ser vicing market. At the same time, Driven Brands has built a robust pipeline of greenfield glass loca tions, using its proven playbook in real estate and development.

With the addition of Auto

Glass Fitters, the company now serves customers across more than 150 locations and more than 600 mobile units across 41 states after entering the U.S. market less than a year ago.

become one of the dominant players in the category. Auto Glass Fitters has been on an incredible growth trajectory growing sales 25% yearover-year with over 100% growth in glass calibration and we’re thrilled to add another phenomenal team to our growing Driven Glass family,” said Michael Macaluso, EVP and group president of paint, collision and glass.

than 35 states through a combina tion of service locations and mobile units.

Now part of the broader Driv en Brands glass portfolio, the Auto Glass Fitters business will have access to robust shared service capabilities like data analytics, di rect-to-consumer marketing, pro curement and commercial customer relationship management, includ ing the company’s insurance and fleet relationships.

“We have significant momen tum across our auto glass service business, propelling us to quickly

“Glass continues to be one of our focus areas of growth given its highly compelling economics including sales, 4-Wall EBITDA margins and cash-on-cash returns,” Macaluso said. “As we scale our already rapidly growing national presence, we have a massive oppor tunity to unlock the B2B potential by extending our glass services to our existing insurance, fleet and other commercial relationships furthering the already compelling economics of this business.”

Auto Glass Fitters has been in business for more than a decade and through its commitment to profes sional and efficient repairs, estab lished a strong East Coast presence, along with service coverage in more

“I’m deeply grateful for all the support our Auto Glass Fitters fam ily has provided to the many com munities we serve and for helping grow the business to become what it is today. I am humbled to see how much we have accomplished,” said Auto Glass Fitters founder Richard Rutta. “I’m excited to see what our amazing team can achieve with the resources and capabilities that Driven Brands will bring to the business.”

“We’ve demonstrated our ability to build and scale the glass business, becoming a leader in the category in such a short period, fol lowing our playbook for growth,” said Macaluso. “Once we further scale our glass business, we will be the only player in the category to provide a nationwide footprint for paint, collision and glass services together.”

Visit DrivenBrands.com for more information.

Source: Driven Brands

Stivers Decatur Subaru Decatur (404) 248-1888 Fax (404) 425-5800 Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6; Sat. 9-5 dway@stiversonline.com www.stiverssubaru.com

Troncalli Subaru Cumming (770) 889-8951 Direct (678) 341-4220 Fax (678) 341-4221 www.troncallisubaru.com

Jim Armstrong Subaru Hickory (888) 905-6135 (828) 322-9372 opt 5 Mon.-Fri. 8-5 parts@jimarmstrongsubaru.com www.jimarmstrongsubaru.com

Parkway Subaru Wilmington (800) 424-9434 (910) 793-8710 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 8-2

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