Southeast Edition Florida Georgia Alabama Mississippi
30
YEARS
VOL. 2 ISSUE 9 NOVEMBER 2011
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MS Insurance Commissioner Post Up for Election in November, Meet the Candidates Mississippi voters will have three candidates to choose from in the race for Mississippi Insurance Commissioner come the Nov. 8 general election: Republican incumbent Commissioner Mike Chaney, Democrat Louis Fondren, and Reform Party candidate Barbara Dale Washer, according to gulflive.com. The position has a four-year term and $90,000 annual salary. As the incumbent, Chaney’s campaign emphasis has been his achievements during his time in office. According to Chaney, his in-office accolades include; modernization
of the department’s records system, streamlining of the agent licensing process, collection of more than $4 million in refunds and additional claims for policyholders, transfer of $99.9 million to state’s windpool to help stabilize rates, an increase of 125 new companies writing policies on the Coast, and a $1 million program that led to grants for homeowners who strengthened their homes against wind damage. Chaney describes his campaign as grassroots. Chaney, who served in the Mississippi House of Representatives See MS Commissioner, Page 36
Health Care Panel at: NACE/CARS 2011 Moderator, ASA’s Bob Redding
Steve Grimshaw, Caliber Collision
Cathy Bonner, Service King
Rollie Benjamin, ABRA Auto Body and Glass
CEOs of Four of the Largest MSOs in the Industry hold first-time MSO Symposium at NACE/CARS See MSO Insights, Page 24
Chip Foose on Bringing it to SEMA by Chip Foose
Terri Seefeldt, Rogers Benefit Group
See preview at: autobodynews.com Don Seyfer, Seyfer Automotive
Brock Bulbuck, The Boyd Group
Jim Houser, Hawthorne Auto Clinic
An auto service-oriented Health Care Panel at NACE/CARS revealed surprising misconceptions, passionate disagreement, divided opinions and competing priorities for Health Care and how it should be paid for and managed in America. A three-part series on Health Care and its likely impact on shop owners begins here next month.
The SEMA show (Specialty Equipment Marketing Association) has always been a big part of Foose Design. I have personally been attending for well over 25 years. Some of our guys at Foose Design first attended more than 25 years ago. One of them even Chip Foose went to the very first SEMA show when it was under the bleachers at Dodger Stadium! For the past ten years Foose Design has
featured or unveiled specialty vehicles at SEMA. For three years in a row we built cars live in front of the SEMA audience for TLC’s TV Show Overhaulin’. We were proud in 2005 when Foose Design featured total of 32 Foose Vehicles at SEMA, a record for any designer/fabricator and more than any of the OEM’s that year. So, needless to say, we have history at SEMA. For SEMA 2011 Foose design will be featuring three vehicles. We are currently working feverishly like all of the other shops to make the deadline. This year we will be proudly displaying the following Foose DeSee Foose Brings It, Page 18
The 2011 SEMA show will occupy the Las Vegas Convention Center from October 31 to November 4 and attendance numbers continue to climb as the show draws closer. The show boasts over 2,000 exhibiting companies already registered for booths, more than 500 of which are exhibiting for the first time. The ever-popular Paint, Body and Equipment section will also return this year, showcasing companies who offer products, services and equipment suited for the collision repair professional. See page 15 for I-CAR and SCRS RDE Schedule.
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Contents Chrysler’s Southeast & Southwest Business
Centers’ 2011 Service and Parts Business
Conference and Expo Held in Orlando, FL. 25
FL’s Gatto’s Tires & Auto Service Turns 40 . 6
for Rear Hatch Hinges . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
AAIA ‘Shop of Tomorrow’ Vehicle Service
at AAPEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
AAPEX Learning Forum to Provide 30
A/M Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Florida Auto Collision Alliance Looking to
ALLDATA Expands Integration with
Florida Auto Collision Alliance to Coordinate
ALLDATA Training Center to Exhibit at
Frustrated Florida County Tackles Auto PIP
Allstate and Progressive Agree to Settle
Georgia Collision Industry Association
AM Tow Package Wiring Harnesses for
Revamp Orlando and Miami Chapters. . . 4 Recycled Rides for FL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Insurance Fraud On Its Own . . . . . . . . . . 6 Hosts 15th Annual Golf Tournament
in Alpharetta, GA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Hialeah Auto Repair Shop Leaves Some
Customers Without Vehicles Even After
Payment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Electronic Parts Catalogs . . . . . . . . . . . 38
AAPEX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Patent Litigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Hyundai/Kia Recalled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
At NACE, State Farm Announces Change
to Shop Locator to Allow Ranking Based on Internal Performance Score, Will Use
‘PartsTrader’ for DRPs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Korean Company to Open West Georgia
California Man Guilty of Selling Counterfeit
LKQ Founder Donald E. Flynn Passes Away . 4
CEOs of Four of the Largest MSOs in the
MS Insurance Commissioner Post Up for
Election in November, Meet the Candidates. 1
State Farm Concedes to Settle Three of
Gunder’s Customers’ Lawsuits . . . . . . 14
Technician at Florida’s Auto Damage Experts
Provides Expert Testimony in Criminal Trial. 8
Trademark Metals Recycling Acquires GA
Scrap Dealer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
COLUMNISTS
ALLDATA Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Industry hold first-time MSO Symposium
at NACE/CARS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chip Foose on Bringing it to SEMA . . . . . . . 1
Dollar Thrifty Halts Sale Process, Hertz
Still Interested in Acquisition Despite
Missed Deadline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
DuPont Exhibit at SEMA Show Live Paint
Demonstrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Florida and Michigan AAA Clubs Join
Forces, Now 2nd Largest . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Attanasio - How to Use 5 Forms of Social
Girl Scouts Gear Up at NACE for Collision
Chess - SEMA’s Repair Driven Education
GM Introduces Industry-First Front Center
Franklin - Choosing a More Profitable
I-CAR Repairability Summit: Don’t Section
Gesterkamp - Taking a Fresh Look at an
IRS Offers Employers Tax Relief if Workers
Media to Pack the House . . . . . . . . . . . 28 and Government Regulations . . . . . . . . 32 Market. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Old Debate—Color Matching, Blending,
or Both? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Insurance Insider - Can the Collision Industry
Support Two Major Trade Shows? . . . . 27
Sisk - Cape Coral, Florida’s West Coast
Collision’s Waterborne Exclusivity . . . . 12
Weaver - Dealing with Angry Customers
and Growing ‘Alligator Skin’ . . . . . . . . . 23
Williams - A Relatively Young Audi
Dealership Makes Quality Pay Off . . . . . 16
Yoswick - SCRS Affiliate Groups Help Members Address Legislative and
Regulatory Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 NATIONAL
2011-2012 Chevrolet Corvettes Recalled
Hub’s Tools for Success . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Ultra-High-Strength Steel . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Reclassified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Kristen Felder Nominated for Car Care
Council “Aftermarket Woman of the
Year” Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Mitchell Partners with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Integrates with Update Promise.com to
Deliver Services via RepairCenter™ . . . 38
Mitchell RepairCenter™ Standardizes Special Materials Repair Data within TechAdvisor,
Single Source Access to Multiple OEMs. 39
NABC Nominees for 2012 Board of
Directors Announced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Polk Execs Speak about Aftermarket at
AAPEX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Virginia Branded Title for Water Damage
Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Assistant Editor: Erica Schroeder Contributing Writers: Tom Franklin, Stefan Gesterkamp, John Yoswick, Lee Amaradio, Toby Chess, Mike Causey, Dan Espersen, Tom McGee, Jeff Webster, Rich Evans, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman (800) 699-8251 Sales Assistant: Kristy Navarro Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia
Indexof Advertisers
Factory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Settles at $2500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Southeast
REGIONAL
Serving Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and adjacent metro areas, Autobody News is a monthly publication for the auto body industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2011 Adamantine Media LLC.
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Arrigo Dodge-Jeep-Chrysler. . . . . . . 4 Autoland Scientech. . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 BASF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Bill Penney Toyota. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 30 Chief Automotive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Crown Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Delray Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Don Mealey Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . 24 Don Reid Ford. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Equalizer Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers FL, GA, AL, MS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Galloway Mazda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Garmat USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Global PDR Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . 15 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 29 Gus Machado Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . 33 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers. 17
Malco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Mattei. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Mazda Wholesale Parts . . . . . . . . . 36 Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 8 Nalley BMW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Nissan Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . 31 Palmers Toyota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers . 37 Safety Regulation Strategies . . . . . 25 SATA Spray Equipment . . . . . . . . . 19 Serra Mazda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Shop-Pro Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 11 South Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Southtowne Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Subaru of Gwinnett . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 37 Tameron Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 32 VIM Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS 3
Hialeah Auto Repair Shop Leaves Some Customers Without Vehicles Even After Payment At Edwin Rodriguez’s auto repair shop, cars check in but sometimes don’t check out, even after payment is received, according to a litany of complaints reported by the Miami Herald. Luis Conde and Julissa Galarza just want their car back; more than three months after an accident mangled the couple’s 2009 Smart Car, it still sits, disassembled, in Rodriguez’s Hialeah body shop—even though their insurance company has paid the mechanic thousands to have it fixed. Rodriguez says he used the repair money to pay for his 2009 divorce; but dissatisfaction with Rodriguez and his repair business dates back longer than that. Over the past three years, more than 90 consumer complaints have flooded the Miami-Dade Consumer Services Division about Rodriguez, his current shop and a previous location near FIU’s north campus called the South Florida Collision. “We can’t sleep; we’re constantly tossing and turning,” said Galarza, a 33year-old secretary at Jackson Memorial Hospital. “My car is busted in pieces.” Rodriguez’s business could soon face a similar fate: this week, MiamiDade Consumer Advocate Leonard Elias filed a lawsuit asking the MiamiDade circuit court to impose $70,000 in penalties against the Collision Center. The Collision Center, run by Rodriguez and associate Jason Viera, has operated without a valid county license since July 12. It has repeatedly delayed the completion of car repairs, often for months longer than originally estimated, and engaged in unfair and deceptive business practices, the complaint says. “The purpose of the lawsuit is to preclude them from operating at another location under another name, and to arrest this problem,” Elias said. Ivan Marzoa, Rodriguez’s landlord, said he is evicting the Collision Center—possibly by November. “They haven’t paid for three months,” Marzoa said. “Before that, he had been late, had violations, and had customers complaining to us. They would call, trying to pick up their cars.” At Miami-Dade Consumer Services, the stack of complaints regarding Rodriguez, the Collision Center, and South Florida Collision is more than a foot tall. Marsha Kallstrom, of Weston,
wrote on behalf of her 85-year-old mother Elaine Cook, who hired Rodriguez after wrecking her car. Cook signed over a $5,700 check from Allstate. Weeks later, the car remained untouched. Sileimys Barreda racked up $824 in rental fees while her car sat at South Florida Collision for months. Rodriguez refused to reimburse her for the charges as she said he had agreed to do. The Better Business Bureau gives the Collision Center an “F” rating. On some occasions, customers couldn’t get their car back until involving the police. And even then, Rodriguez would refuse to refund the money they already paid. Rodriguez, a 33-year-old Miami resident, has been arrested four times by local law enforcement since 1998, state records indicate. In May of that year, Miami-Dade police charged him with burglary and larceny, to which he later pleaded guilty. Rodriguez has since been booked on charges of fraud, tampering with a witness and grand theft of a vehicle, although the latter two charges were ultimately dropped. The theft arrest came just a month after Viera and Rodriguez incorporated the Hialeah shop, and not long after South Florida Collision registered with the state. In July, the county suspended the Collision Center’s license for failing to pay fines after it violated two MiamiDade repair ordinances. The fines remain unpaid. Despite the suspension, Rodriguez has continued to operate. Rodriguez approached Conde on June 16 at the corner of Northwest 183rd Street and 67th Avenue, where a wreck had sandwiched the couple’s Smart Car between two vehicles. Rodriguez promised to repair the damages, help the family work with State Farm and get them into a rental car. They agreed, and watched as the car was towed to the Collision Center at 7801 W. 26th Ave. They say they’ve since paid Rodriguez four different times, totaling more than $5,000 in all, but the pair claim he has never ordered the parts from Smart Car. Every time they’ve pushed him for the car, he has promised to have the car fixed within two weeks. Finally, on Aug. 11, he admitted that he spent their money on his divorce and child custody proceedings, the couple says.
4 NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Florida Auto Collision Alliance Looking to Revamp Orlando and Miami Chapters
The Florida Auto Collision Alliance is looking to reinvigorate two chapters in the state’s largest metro areas—Orlando and Miami. The group’s active chapters currently include Jacksonville, South Florida, Tampa, Lakeland and Space/Treasure Coast. According to FACA’s Executive Director Cathy Mills the Orlando chapter was active several years ago but has fallen away from that currently. “Orlando is such a large market. They have reached out to me and expressed a desire and need to bring the association back,” said Mills. The FACA has been actively strengthening their membership since Mills’ appointment in January of this year. “We also are looking at expanding in Miami where they too have reached out and expressed a need and desire to start a chapter there,” said Mills. Interested parties can contact Cathy Mills at Cathy@facafl.com. For more information about the FACA please visit www.facafl.com.
LKQ Founder Donald E. Flynn Passes Away
Donald F. Flynn, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of LKQ Corp., passed away on October 10, 2011. "We are saddened by the loss of a great leader and friend to so many. Don's vision and leadership were key to the amazing growth LKQ has witnessed since 1998, the year the Company was founded. The Company and our shareholders owe Don a debt of gratitude for his dedication to LKQ," stated Joseph Holsten, Vice Chairman and Co-CEO of LKQ.
Florida Auto Collision Alliance to Coordinate Recycled Rides for FL
The Florida Auto Collision Alliance (FACA) will coordinate the National Auto Body Council’s (NABC) Recycled Rides Giveaways in the state of Florida this year. The NABC and FACA are gifting 6 cars this year to charity organizations in Florida. Sterling Autobody Centers will work on two of the vehicles, CARSTAR will work on three and Sunbeam Autobody in Jacksonville, FL, will work on one. For more information please contact Cathy Mills at Cathy@facafl.com.
www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS 5
Frustrated Florida County Tackles Auto PIP Insurance Fraud On Its Own One county in Florida has decided not to wait on state lawmakers’ promise to address the insurance fraud and fix the state’s automobile no-fault law. It has passed its own ordinance to crack down on fraudulent medical clinics, according to Insurance Journal. The Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners, by a unanimous vote, passed a series of regulations that will require medical clinics to obtain a county license if they primarily treat people involved in automobile accidents and earn the majority of their income through auto personal injury protection insurance claims. Commissioner Kevin Beckner said the new ordinance is needed if the county has any hope of stopping the fraud that he said is costing county residents up to $350 each in higher premiums. “In Hillsborough County, we are paying $15.5 million in higher premiums due to fraud,” said Beckner, citing a National Insurance Crime Bureau report. “This is impacting everyone’s rates and is having a significant impact on our local economy.” Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, has become ground zero in the debate over PIP (personal injury protection) fraud. The NICB ranks Florida number one in staged accidents with the number of such accidents in Hillsborough County increasing by 166 percent between 2008 and 2009. The county also has seen a proliferation of medical and pain clinics that primarily treat PIP patients. In Hillsborough County alone there are an estimated 158 such clinics, compared to 74 in Pinellas County, 22 in Pasco County, 20 in Manatee County and 17 in Polk County. Beckner¸ who headed the initiative to enact the ordinance, said the regulations are narrowly drawn and are based on the experience of law enforcement officials that investigate clinics and PIP fraud. “We wanted to be clear how clinics operate, what it takes to shut fraudulent clinics down, while protecting legitimate clinics,” Beckner said. Based on a 15-month study on the issue by local officials, law enforcement, and other interested parties, the ordinance requires PIP medical providers to obtain a county license. The ordinance doesn’t apply to clinics where the majority of the
physicians are surgeons or to clinics that only provide magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, or positron emission tomography services. Clinics owned by publicly help corporations, affiliated with a medical school, or owned by a federal tax-exempt corporation are also exempt. Targeting a clinic’s operations, the ordinance requires clinics to be open for business at least three days a week, during regular business hours from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., to see walk-in patients or allow patients to make appointments for services, therapy, and other treatment. A physician must oversee the clinic’s operations and be physically present at the clinic at least three days a week for four hours per day. A physician may not serve or operate more than five PIP medical provider clinics. A license application requires a nonrefundable fee of $500 and a $1,500 annual fee. Failure to comply with the ordinance can result in a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail. Also, physicians whose clinic license has been revoked are prohibited from operating another clinic for five years. While fully supported by the commission, the ordinance is not without its critics. Cindy Barsa, who has operated several clinics in Tampa, said the new ordinance added a layer of regulation to an already overregulated industry. Other critics also complained that the ordinance was an example of government overreach since it dictated the working hours of physicians and placed limits on their source of income. However, proponents of the ordinance, who included insurance agents, said it is necessary to stem the growing fraud problem, which is pushing up driver premiums. The Hillsborough County ordinance is the first of its kind in the state. Officials say it allowed under the county’s home charter, which grants it the authority to enact regulations affecting the health, safety, and welfare of its residents. The county’s action reflects the frustration many have with state lawmakers’ failure to reform the state’s PIP law. Although state officials have said that PIP reform will be a top priority when the Legislature meets next year, there are no guarantees that reform will actually pass.
6 NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
FL’s Gatto’s Tires & Auto Service Turns 40
In 1971, Mike Gatto started Gatto’s Tires & Auto Service in Melbourne, FL. The business is now celebrating its 40th anniversary, according to Florida Today. There are other numbers to note: Seven, as in how many stores the family-run business has on the Space Coast. And three, as in generations now involved in the business. It’s run by Mike’s daughter, Pam Gatto, with her two sons, Scott McHenry and Mike McHenry, and son-in-law, Mike “Kiwi” Nevin. During their 40 years in Brevard County, the family has learned a lot about providing good customer service. Pam Gatto said the No. 1 rule is to hire quality people. “We have a lot of good people who work for us,” said Gatto, whose is president of the company. “And they often tell me that they love working with us because they can be honest and straightforward and do the right thing when they take care of the customer.” Mike Gatto spent 22 years in sales and marketing for Goodyear before striking out on his own in 1971. Pam soon joined him, and the family business grew from there.
She said, “Dad always told me, ‘We don’t sell tires and auto service. We sell safety and peace of mind.’ “ To help celebrate the 40th anniversary, Gatto’s is offering a few novel promotions. “Anyone still driving a 1971 vintage vehicle can bring it in to one of our stores and get a free oil change,” Pam Gatto said. “Obviously, a 40year-old car has received a lot of TLC to keep it going, and we want to make sure that trend continues into the future.” And if customers stop by wearing paisley bell bottoms or other ‘70s attire, such fringe jackets, headbands or love beads, they will get a coupon for $19.71 off their next purchase. “We really look forward to seeing them,” she said. Gatto’s Tires & Auto Service stores are in Cocoa, Merritt Island, Viera, Palm Bay and Melbourne in the state of Florida. Learn more about Gattos (and about what happened back in 1971) at gattos.com.
www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS 7
Trademark Metals Recycling Acquires GA Scrap Dealer
Korean Company to Open West Georgia Factory
Trademark Metals Recycling LLC (TMR), an operating division of the David J. Joseph Company (DJJ), has purchased the assets and business of Rice Iron & Metals, Valdosta, Ga. TMR, headquartered in Tampa, Fla., operates more than 20 scrap metal recycling facilities in Florida. The company says it is the largest scrap metal recycler in the Southeast. DJJ, based in Cincinnati, is a subsidiary of steelmaker Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C. In addition to purchasing Rice Iron & Metals, TMR also announced it has opened a new scrap metal recycling facility in Sanford, Fla. According to a DJJ news release, the acquired location and the new facility will process both ferrous and nonferrous scrap metal. The company says the addition of the two facilities “demonstrates DJJ’s commitment to expanding its existing regional recycling platforms.” In total, DJJ operates 61 scrap recycling facilities and seven U-Pull&-Pay self-service auto parts stores in the United States.
Seoul-based Mando Corp., which produces suspension, steering and braking systems, will open a facility in Meriwether County, GA, that is set to create 426 jobs. The company plans to invest $200 million in the facility, which will make electric power steering gears and anti-lock brakes for automobile manufacturers, including General Motors Co., Hyundai and Kia Motors. The location gives Mando access to its customers in North and South America and also provides the company with a well-trained work force. “Mando’s presence in our state helps Georgia live up to our commitment to be a competitive place to do business for this business and other automotive supplier companies,” said Chris Cummiskey, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, in the release. “A company such as Mando will provide a tremendous economic boost to our county and surrounding area, and provide jobs that are vital for our citizens,” said Nancy Jones, chair of the Meriwether County Commission. Mando has 8,000 employees worldwide. For more information, visit www.mando.com.
The 15th Annual GCIA Invitational Golf Tournament was held on Wednes-
day, October 12th, 2011 at the Trophy Club of Atlanta in Alpharetta, GA.
1st Place Team: Toyota/Finishmaster: Chuck Paris, Josh Monk, Rick Eve, AJ Craighead
Nick Bozzacco, Craig Roberts, Tom McGarry, and Joe McCaleb
Georgia Collision Industry Association Hosts 15th Annual Golf Tournament in Alpharetta, GA
3rd Place Team: PPG: Steve Barnes, Steve Rosier, Tony Moore, Brad Parker
Technician at Florida’s Auto Damage Experts Provides Expert Testimony in Criminal Trial David Smith of Auto Damage Experts (ADE) was recently called upon in criminal court in Oregon to render expert opinion on behalf of the defendant in an Oregon state criminal case. The matter involved the accusation and ensuing assault charges filed by the state of Oregon against a man who broke the side glass of his estranged wife’s vehicle. The accusation was made that the accused struck the window with his fist out of anger to gain entry of the vehicle. Conversely, the defendant stated he merely tapped on the glass with the tip of his key asking that the window be rolled down and upon doing so the glass broke. The defense counsel called upon Auto Damage Experts to research and to testify as to what would be required to break the side glass. David Smith, with the aid of demonstrative evidence showed that breakage of the side glass could occur with as little as twelve pounds of force when applied with the tip of a pointed metal object such as the tip of a key. The sitting jury found the testimony and evidence to support the de-
The GCIA thanked everyone who participated and especially the events sponsors: BASF, DuPont, PPG, Single Source, 3M, Akzo/Nobel, FinishMaster, Sherwin-Williams, LKQ, RBM of Atlanta, Enterprise Staff, and National Coatings & Supplies. For more information please visit gacollisionindustry.wordpress.com.
Give us your opinion on matters affecting the industry.
write us! publisher@autobodynews.com
8 NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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fense and finding the accused man not guilty. Attorney Ryan Colbridge of Corbridge & Kroll Attorneys at Law, LLC, and the lead defense attorney in the case stated: “I have had the chance to work with David Smith from Auto Damage Experts in multiple trials both civil and criminal. Most recently his testimony on the stand and expertise in the auto industry was a primary factor in getting my client acquitted in a criminal matter for which he was wrongfully charged. David’s clear and professional presentation to the jury was a key factor in their understanding of facts relevant to the case. I would, and do, recommend Mr. Smith and Auto Damage Experts freely and liberally to anyone who is need of such services.” Barrett Smith, founder and President of Auto Damage Experts, Inc. stated; “with the many services ADE provides, we never know what we’ll be called upon to assist with next. This was a unique case and we are pleased that we were able to aid the jury and the court in rendering a sound and proper verdict.”
South Motors HONDA
BMW
INFINITI
MAZDA
SUZUKI
VOLKSWAGEN
www.southmotors.com Original BMW Parts
bmwusa.com
South Motors Honda 16165 South Dixie Hwy., Miami, FL 33157
Parts: 888.418.3513 Hours: M-F 8:30am - 7:00pm Sat 9:00am - 3:00pm
South Motors BMW 16215 S. Dixie Hwy. Miami, FL 33157
Phone: (305) 256-2360 Hours: M-F 7:30am - 7:00pm Sat 8:00am - 3:00pm
INFINITI
South Motors Infiniti
South Motors Mazda
16915 South Dixie Hwy., Miami, FL 33157
18010 South Dixie Hwy., Miami, FL 33157
Parts: 305.256.2070
Parts: 888.628.1548
Hours: M-F 7:30am - 7:00pm Sat 8:00am - 3:00pm
Hours: M-F 7:30am - 7:00pm Sat 8:00am - 3:00pm
South Motors VW
South Motors Suzuki
17920 South Dixie Hwy., Miami, FL 33157
17920 South Dixie Hwy., Miami, FL 33157
Parts: 305.256.2370
Parts: 305.256.2370
Hours: M-F 7:30am - 7:00pm Sat 8:00am - 3:00pm
Hours: M-F 7:30am - 7:00pm Sat 8:00am - 3:00pm
www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS 9
Industry Insight
John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has a body shop in the family and has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.
SCRS Affiliate Groups Help Members Address Legislative and Regulatory Issues with John Yoswick
State and regional associations—that together represent more than 2,000 body shops—participated in the sixth annual “Affiliate Leadership Conference” organized by the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) and held near Chicago in mid-September. SCRS Chairman Aaron Clark said the event is designed to help the national association gather input from its state affiliates on its direction and efforts, as well as to help those groups work with one another and with the national organization. The affiliate groups reported on their recent and upcoming legislative efforts, their interactions with shop and insurer regulators, and other activities and issues in which they have recently been involved. In Montana this past spring, for example, Governor Brian Schweitzer signed into law a bill, sponsored by the Montana Collision Repair Specialists, that prohibits a insurer from “unilaterally disregard(ing) a repair operation or cost identified by an estimating system” that the insurer and shop have agreed to use to determine the cost of repair. Bruce Halcro, a Montana shop owner and president of the association, said getting the state auto dealers’ association involved in backing the legislation was part of what helped push it through the legisBruce Halcro lature, where it narrowly failed just two years earlier. The Montana association this year had also backed a bill that would have allowed body shops and others – rather than only consumers—to file complaints with the state insurance commissioner’s office. That bill was overwhelmingly approved 97-3 by the Montana House, but died in a Senate committee. Jordan Hendler, executive director of the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA), said that this was the second year the association battled efforts in Virginia to raise the threshold of damage requiring
a flood-damaged vehicle to receive a branded title from $1,000 to $5,000. Proponents—including a state legislator whose vehicle was totaled after the sunroof of his vehicle was left open in a rainstorm—argued that the threshold had been set decades Jordan Hendler ago, and was unrealistic given inflation and the increased value of vehicles. Hendler said her group tried to point out that today’s vehicles have far more electronics than cars had decades ago, and that no consumer should unknowingly buy a vehicle that has had thousands of dollars in water damage. In the end, she said, the threshold was raised to $2,500. Hendler said the association is also working with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality on a possible shop registration program that could prohibit the large-quantity sale of automotive paint to anyone other than registered shops. A sales tax issue has recently arisen in Indiana, according to Tony Passwater, executive director of the Indiana Auto Body Association. A shop in that state contacted the association after a sales tax audit resulted in a $13,000 assessment plus penalties for failure to collect and remit sales tax on items such as sandpaper and tape consumed in the repair of vehicles. Passwater said the auditor relied on a document that refers only to dealers of new cars and trailers. “There’s no possible way you would infer it had anything to do with a collision repair facility,” Passwater said. “The very last section says a dealer must pay sales tax on shop rags and towels and consumables that are not billed to the customer.” He said he is discussing the matter with the state revenue department in a effort to clarify and resolve the issue. Ron Stamm of the Automotive Service Council of Kentucky said his group expects to make a third attempt next year to push for consumer notification legislation in that state. The association-backed bill, which has
10 NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
narrowly missed making it through the legislative process this year and last, would require insurers to include notification of a consumer’s right to select a repair shop on the bottom of printed estimates, and to tell the consumer of that right prior to explaining any direct repair program. The Texas Senate this past March approved a bill to establish an advisory board of shop, insurer, and public representatives to provide recommendations on the regulation of auto insurance in that state, But the bill never gained traction in the Texas James Brown House, according to James Brown of the Houston Auto Body Association. Likewise the Senate passed (but the House did not) a bill that would
have required insurance companies to provide written notice to both shops and consumers explaining how their payment policies and claims procedures differ between direct repair facilities and non-direct repair facilities. The bill also would have required insurers to provide to shops, upon request, a written explanation of the requirements to become a DRP facility with that insurer. It also would have made county mutual insurers— which account for about 45 percent of the Texas market—subject to state antisteering and consumer choice laws (from which they remain exempt). More recently and even closer to home for the Houston association, Brown said his group is opposing (in its current form) new shop and auto recycler licensing requirements being considered by the Houston City Council. The proposal sets out new discloSee SCRS, Page 13
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www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS 11
Shop Showcase
Chasidy Rae Sisk is a freelance technical writer from Wilmington, Delaware, who writes on a variety of fields and subjects, and grew up in a family of NASCAR fans. She can be contacted at crsisk@chasidyraesisk.com.
Cape Coral, Florida’s West Coast Collision’s Waterborne Exclusivity with Chasidy Rae Sisk
West Coast Collision in Cape Coral, FL, focuses on customer service by striving to make customers feel at home and answering all their concerns and questions. They also focus on informing customers about their envi-
ronmentally friendly habits. They say they were the first—and to their knowledge—the only shop in Southwest Florida to only offer waterborne paints exclusively, emphasizing the importance they place on lowering harmful emissions as well as exploiting the other well-known benefits of waterborne. West Coast Collision was originally founded in 1981 by Kevin Eck, but current owners, Chuck and Brenda Romano, purchased the business in 2008. Chuck Romano had previously run a shop in the Philadelphia area for twenty-five years, and when the opportunity to buy the West Coast Collision name arose in 1998, he jumped at the chance since it had a very similar history to his previous
WCC’s paint booth
business which he had sold to a consolidator in 1997. After acquiring the new business, the Romanos relocated to a more convenient location two blocks away and invested nearly $1,000,000 in new equipment, remodeling and renova-
tions. They fully computerized the office, adding CCC One as a management system, and they created an internet presence through social networking, creating a logo and creating a brand tag line, Cape Coral’s Leading Collision Repair Center. Their website informs customers “At West Coast Collision, we want you to know that your car is as important to us as it is to you. We treat every car as if it were our own”. Additionally, the Romanos converted exclusively to waterborne paints in order to reduce hazardous wastes by 96%. According to Chuck Romano, “we were the very first shop in Southwest Florida to use SherwinWilliams Waterborne exclusively with no other paint line as an option… Since being the first shop to use waterborne and using a new Garmat 3000 with Accele-Cure™, there have been many, many inquiry phone calls as to how we like the product and our input into the production aspect of the product. There have been a number of shops that have added waterborne; however, I believe that we are still the only one that is exclusively waterborne.” In addition to utilizing waterborne paints, the shop also contributes to the current green efforts by using an ultraefficient air compressor and aluminum air lines. They have also installed high efficiency and high output lighting to reduce the amount of energy they use, and all recyclable materials are handled as such, helping West Coast Collision to reduce their carbon footprint and protect the environment. As they inform customers on their website, “the trend in the marketplace is definitely moving toward greener, environmentally friendly products and methods of doing business. We are doing this before it becomes mandatory by law here in Florida as it is now in California and Canada”. West Coast Collision receives a balanced number of older and recent model vehicles, but they have not have any serious matching problems as they have been able to handle any issues that arise by blending. This is impor-
12 NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
tant to Chuck Romano who feels that the industry has recently trended toward a requirement for more efficiency with no tolerance for error. Chuck believes that the future of the industry lies in collision centers
WCC’s paint mixing area
becoming more like claims processing centers as collision front offices are working more closely with the insurance direct repair programs and deal-
ing directly with customers. This is important as both insurance companies and customers are becoming more demanding. “We see that the evolution and expense of the automobile has created a customer that is more aware and wants to know more about how the vehicle is repaired so as to retain its value at trade-in time. They are very fearful of CARFAX reports! Also, we see insurance partners wanting more detail and photo documentation in how a claim is handled for their files and future reference, with an increasing number of forms that need to be detailed and signed,” Chuck told Autobody News. The shop encompasses 7,100 square feet and is staffed by nine employees. Of the nine employees that
work at West Coast Collision, three are body professionals, two are painters and one focuses on parts while the remaining three employees are office personnel. The shop repairs approximately fifty-five vehicles per month. In addition to collision repair services, the shop offers towing, frame straightening, paintless dent repair, detailing, scratch removal and end of lease repairs and clean-up. West Coast Collision is stocked with standard body equipment, as well as ProSpot welders, a Garmat 3000 with Accele-Cure™ to flash waterborne, Garmat Prep stations, a Chief Impulse EVHT frame rack and a New International flatbed. They also use a Genesis computer measuring system and CCC One management and estimating system. Technicians are I-Car certified. The shop is AMI and AAM Manager certified, and they participate in direct repair programs with State Farm, Allstate and California Casualty. The Romanos are proud of their curb appeal, location and professionalism, listing these as reasons for their success. “My wife, Brenda, and I just love the business. We created a type
of Feng-Shui atmosphere here in our offices that instantly makes people feel relaxed and at east. It’s actually a real pleasure to come here to work”. They plan to continue growing and refining their business through the use of Defined Measurable Improvement (DMI). West Coast Collision is also involved with the community through the local Chamber of Commerce and supporting the local Police departments. They have also donated to local sports teams, Jr JC’s and Toys for Tots. They even donated funds to the roadway improvement in front of the shop to build a landscaped center island. West Coast Collision 901 Country Club Blvd. Cape Coral, FL 33990 239-574-1505 www.westcoastcollision.net
www.autobodynews.com C
Continued from Page 10
SCRS
sure and documentation requirements, and establishes an 11-member “automotive board” appointed by the mayor (and not necessarily including a collision repair shop representative). While the proposal includes no minimum requirements for equipment or training, it has detailed rules regarding fencing around the business property, and makes it unlawful for “grass or vegetation to grow to a height of more than nine inches above the ground.” Brown said there is a lot to like in the 28-page proposal, and he applauds the council’s effort to deal with the businesses—including shops connected with towing storage lots—that “hold vehicles hostage” and charge exorbitant fees to release a vehicle that a consumer wishes to move to another repair facility. But, he said, some of the mandates—such as requiring customer signature on any supplement over $100, and storing (at customer request) old parts for up to three days to return to the customer—are just too
cumbersome. His group is also concerned that the proposal essentially gives insurers, as the “authorized agent” of the consumer, the same rights as the owner of the vehicle. In an unrelated effort, Brown said the Houston association recently had a shop labor rate survey conducted by an independent third-party. Shops are being urged to notify state insurance regulators if an insurer is unwilling to pay the shop’s posted labor rate by taking a photo of the posted rate and emailing it along with the estimate at the lower rate (with customer and claim information omitted) to the Texas Department of Insurance. “Right now they’re just collecting those and we’re laying the groundwork,” Brown said. In addition to discussing ways to address issues that many of the state groups are facing, the affiliates also discussed some of the issues SCRS is pursuing, including a survey to insurers about their policies on parts usage, and interaction with the Environmental Protection Agency regarding interpretation and enforcement of its new refinishing regulation.
www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS 13
State Farm Concedes to Settle Three of Gunder’s Customers’ Lawsuits Following Ray Gunder’s charge alleging altered documents that show State Farm’s manipulation of their market survey of rates and allowances, State Farm has elected to pay the charged amounts of Gunder’s Auto Center and avoid further discovery of its business records. See sidebar. In seeking discoverable information pertinent to three separate lawsuits by three of Gunder’s customers (of which Gunder was acting on behalf of each customer through power-ofattorney) State Farm’s refusal/failure to provide the requested documentation within the time-frame provided resulted in a court’s order compelling the nation’s largest personal auto insurer to comply and present the subpoenaed records ‘or else.’ As a result, State Farm first made overtures of a global settlement to avoid further litigation (and discovery) by inviting Gunder’s to mediate the more than 30 pending lawsuits pressed against them on behalf of Gunder’s customers for claims including, but not limited to Tortious Interference against State Farm employees including Larry Swearengin and Bob Davis as well as Breach of Contract and Bad Faith claims against State Farm Insurance. While guarded, Ray Gunder agreed and thus the Contempt of Court hearing scheduled for September 22nd was postponed and mediation was scheduled for October 6th, 2011. On September 27th, Gunder received notice that State Farm would provide full payment for the amounts outstanding on the three lawsuits which were pending which included the issue of Contempt of Court. ● Raymond Ellsworth Gunder [Wincey] v. State Farm Florida Insurance Company Case No.: 53-2008SC005094-0000-00, County Court, Polk County, FL Initial amount at issue $163.31 ● Raymond Ellsworth Gunder [Miller] v. State Farm Florida Insurance Company Case No.: 53-2008SC005093-0000-00, County Court, Polk County, FL Initial amount at issue $124.48. ● Raymond Ellsworth Gunder [Dewey] v. State Farm Florida Insurance Company Case No.: 5320011SC-00895-0000-LK, County Court, Polk County, FL Initial amount at issue $1,461.01 The payments included consideration for the underpaid amounts for
paint & materials (supported by PMC Logic invoicing), low labor allowances and refusal to provide consideration for rarely questioned simple procedures from R&I of hardware and trim operations to refinish related processes such as car-cover, color sand and buff, etc. The initial mediation between Gunder’s and State Farm took place on the morning of October 6th and while a monetary offer (which would no doubt be considered substantial by some) was presented by State Farm’s legal counsel, it was found by Gunder to be insufficient and thus rejected. Following the mediation Gunder stated: “While I'm disappointed that we couldn't come to an agreement; as I would very much like to put the issues behind us and be compensated fairly to restore people's vehicles and their peace of mind; we are encouraged to continue on with discovery and having our day in court. We have no fewer than 30 similar cases in the process of being filed on behalf of our customers; all with same or similar issues. State Farm is paying approximately $120,000 in legal fees and costs for these three cases which they have now elected to settle and will no doubt be paying substantially more in the coming months and years should things continue as in the past.” Shortly after mediation, a settlement letter came from State Farm. Review of the letter from State Farm legal counsel states in part: “After further consideration, and to discontinue the need for further litigation, State Farm has decided to tender the amounts at issue in each of the above-referenced matters, with interest.” The amounts State Farm will pay are: $163, $124 and $1,461, totalling $1748 and change. “In summary, with this letter, State Farm has paid the amount asserted by the insured to be in dispute for the above referenced claim, thereby curing any circumstance relating to any alleged improper estimate of damage or payment under the applicable policy, and any claim or coverage denial, claim handling or trade practice as the result of same,” the settlement continued. Ray Gunder stated further; “we've been sharing our legal journey with the collision repair industry and we'll continue to do so in the hopes our successes will encourage others to consider their legal options. Meanwhile, we'll continue to ‘Pound the Rock!’”
14 NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
A Bit of History in Gunder’s Case Against State Farm
These claims on behalf of customers of Gunder’s Auto Center are part of a long legal history between the auto center and State Farm. In early 2010 Gunder filed a claim against State Farm for Tortious Interference and Slander following disparaging comments allegedly made by employees of the insurer to their customers regarding the body shop. “This entire matter hinges on whether any insurer, including State Farm, can merely target a repairer and have the right to say anything they wish with the intent to harm the repairer and disparage their good name in an effort to interfere with the relationship between the repairer and their customer; so long as the insurer does not breach the legal limit referred to as ‘Expressed Malice’, said Ray Gunder, owner of the shop, in a statement last May. The suit has gone through the appeals process multiple times since the initial complaint was filed. Most recently, in April of 2011, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upheld a lower court’s order granting summary judgment in favor of State Farm in Gunder’s claim of
slander and tortious interference with a business relationship against the nation’s largest personal auto insurer. In June Gunder filed an appeal of the decision with the U.S. Supreme Court. “After considerable thought, counsel and discussion with family and close friends, and as a result of recent activities on other pending cases against State Farm, I decided to proceed with submitting what is referred to as a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court requesting their review and opinion of the lower court’s ruling,” Gunder said. “As we continue to ‘pound that rock,’ I see we are standing on a substantial amount of gravel…and as I’ve said before, we’re all-in and we’re too close to quit now and will continue until we either prevail or exhaust all opportunities to do so.”
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I-CAR is returning to the SEMA Show in 2011 with I-CAR training available to attendees each day of the Show. The Repairer Driven Education series developed by SCRS is over 300% larger than the debut year. Following are the highlighted training sessions being offered. Nearly every collision repair related group is meeting at SEMA: CIC, I-CAR, SCRS, NABC, The OEM Collision Repair Roundtable, AASP, and the Collision Industry Foundation, have all planned meetings and functions at the show.
November 1
Tuesday / 8am
Title: I-CAR: Plastic and Composite Repair (PLA03) / Where: Las Vegas Convention Center, N231-242
Title: I-CAR: Exterior Panel Damage Analysis (DAM10) / Where: Las Vegas Convention Center, N231-242
Tuesday / 12:30pm
Title: Having Your Cake and Eating it Too: Marketing Practices /
Title: Load Leveling – The Hidden Enabler for Shop Performance
Title: Understanding Design Based Repairs
Tuesday / 3pm
Wednesday / 3pm
Thursday / 3pm
Title: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know - How New Auto Regulations Impact the Body Shop
Title: Design Thinking for the Collision Repairer
Title: Right and Wrong Ways to Repair New Metals and their Reactions / Where: LVCC
Title: Economic Pricing Considerations for the Collision Industry in 2012
Title: SCRS Repairer Driven Education: Leading for Performance & Profitability
November 2 Wednesday / 8am
Title: I-CAR: Restraint Systems Damage Analysis (DAM11) / Where: Las Vegas Convention Center, N231-242
Title: I-CAR: Corrosion Protection (CPS01) / Where: Las Vegas Convention Center, N231-242
Wednesday / 12:30pm
Title: Educate NOT Alienate: The Key to Successful Collision Negotiations (Part I)
Title: How to Capture More Cars, Customers and Revenues Through Digital Marketing Title: Lean 3.0 = A Practical Path to Using Lean to Improve Process Flow
Title: Educate NOT Alienate: The Key to Successful Collision Negotiations (Part II)
Title: Getting Ready for the Water Wave
Title: Achieving Service Excellence (Part II) / Where: LVCC
Title: Contracts: Terms and Ties that Bind / Where: LVCC
Thursday / 5:30pm
November 3 Thursday / 8am
Title: I-CAR: Steel Unitized Structures Technologies and Repair (SPS07) / Where: Las Vegas Convention Center, N231-242
Title: I-CAR: Unitized Structures and Full-Frame Damage Analysis (DAM12) / Where: Las Vegas Convention Center, N231-242
Thursday / 12:30pm
Title: Estimology and P-Page Logic 101
Title: A New Legal Era in the Collision Industry: The wins, the losses and a view of the future Title: Achieving Service Excellence (Part I) / Where: LVCC
Title: Mission: Control – Flawless Execution in Business Combat / Where: LVCC
November 4 Friday / 8am
Title: I-CAR: Advance Material Damage Analysis (DAM08) / Where: Las Vegas Convention Center, N231-242 Title: I-CAR: Recycled Parts for Collision Repair (RCY01) / Where: Las Vegas Convention Center, N231-242
Friday / 12:30pm
Title: SCRS Repairer Driven Education: Using the DEG to Make Dollars and Sense of the Estimating Systems / Where: LVCC
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www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS 15
Parts Profiles
Larry Williams is an innovative parts manager with national awards and over 30 years of experience in creating and managing profitable departments. He can be reached for consultation at ljoew2@gmail.com. To read all his columns go to http://www.autobodynews.com/columnists/williams-larry.html
A Relatively Young Audi Dealership Makes Quality Pay Off with Larry Williams
The newest member of the Autobody News Distinctive Dealerships Group is Audi-Mission Viejo in Southern California. A relatively new dealer, only seven years old, Audi-Mission Viejo has managed to thrive by always putting quality first.
Quality is in all areas of the parts department. Justin Stinnett is a parts director who knows how to make quality pay off. Justin began only two years ago, with a bloated inventory and untrained personnel. He needed all of his twenty years experience to change that. Since then, there has been a steady rise to the top and is one of the best Audi parts departments in the region. His secret has been to insist on quality. Quality means the newest and best available technology for his department, and the best employees he can find. Justin’s investments in technology include state-of-the-art inventory control, and a simple and easy internet order system. Audimv.com is a good example of how to set up a simple online parts link. A well organized department holds over a half-million
dollar inventory, and a modern communications system completes the basics. Justin has four quality countermen, led by Armando with twenty years experience, then Henry and Robin with eight years, and Mario with six. A bilingual crew works well in the southern California market, language issues are no problem. This team works together with common goals, to keep their department the best in the region. Their efforts have been rewarded, their wholesale business has tripled! Customer service is the standard here, promises are kept, and orders are always completely filled. Such service creates the friendships and loyalty so necessary to success in these times. Justin sees himself as a businessman, instead of a parts man, and regards the changes he has made as investments, not expenses. He believes “You get what you pay for. And if you have great people, you will achieve great results.” Results, for a dealer, equal profits. This parts department creates profit, which is exactly my philosophy. With proper management, the parts department will be a dealership’s best investment, not its worst.
Title: SCRS Repairer Driven Education: Exposed and Vulnerable: Learn How to Cover Yourself / Where: LVCC
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Title: SCRS Repairer Driven Education: Dealing with Resistance to Change / Where: LVCC
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Again, no dealership can succeed without support. Audi is a company that wants to have the best parts delivery system possible. They have instituted a “local parts council,” which meets quarterly, to communicate with dealers and ensure a smooth flow of parts to all of their customers. Audi recognizes Justin’s hard work, and has chosen him for membership in their council. When important visitors arrive from Germany, Audi-Mission Viejo’s parts department is on their tour, as an example of growth, organization, and cleanliness. An aside to all body shops in the Mission Viejo area… Should you need any parts for an Audi, call AudiMission Viejo. You are guaranteed to get great service, and I am proud to include them in my list of Distinctive Dealerships. In other areas, I’d also like to recommend Audi of Downtown LA in
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To see all of Larry Williams’ articles go to autobodynews.com and select Williams under the Columnists menu. See also Larry’s popular series of Parts for Profit articles in his column section. You can also link directly at: www.autobodynews.com/ columnists/williams-larry.html
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www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS 17
crafted from brass stock has been machined, milled, filed and polished before the final chrome plating. New headlight bezels have been machined out of billet aluminum and carefully
Continued from Front Page
Foose Brings It
sign vehicles:
1957 Mercedes 300SL “Gullwing” Built on behalf of BASF Corporation the Gullwing was delivered to the Foose Design shop in Huntington Beach, California. This pristine German wonder car is going through a subtle, but significant customization process. Most noticeable, the front and rear bumpers were removed and stored, being replaced by newly custom fabricated units which have been artfully re-designed into slimmer and more elegant versions. The new bumpers fit neatly up against the body for a seamless integrated look. A slight modification to the signature rear bulge above the rear wheel house brings it in line with the front wheel house bulge. Minor modification to the grille and grille shell will still focus on the elegant opening of the stock version. The nose emblem has been removed along with the rear markers with all bodywork being smoothed. New side trim, hand
Stock ‘57 M-B Gullwing, wait till you see the Foose custom version
fit to the front fenders, which were massaged for a seamless blend of fender to chrome ring. New headlights are being installed for a clean European look. A two tone paint job featuring BASF Waterborne material will combine an upper charcoal silver and a lower bright silver separated by an interior matching red accent line. The
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separation line is still in the design phase as I want to focus on the elegant body lines of this classic vehicle. We will be installing a custom made set of springs to bring to Gullwing to just the right ride height. A custom set of Foose Wheels shod in Pirelli P Zero Nero tires will finish off the design. If you plan on attending SEMA, make sure to drop by the BASF Booth were we will unveil and feature the BASF Foose Gullwing Project. SEMA Cares WD40 Feature Vehicle I can’t tell you much about this car, because it will be a complete surprise and will be unveiled to a live audience at SEMA. For the past couple of years, WD40 Corporation has sponsored the design, fabrication and auction of a vehicle on behalf of SEMA Cars; the Children’s Charity and the Richard Petty supported Victory Junction Camp. Previous vehicles have included a Camaro, and a Mustang, so it’s your guess what this year’s vehicle will be! All I can say is that it will be awesome and All American Muscle!! I am designing the
paint scheme and coordinating the efforts on the build which is scheduled to include a full Hotchkis Suspension, Street Scene body modifications, Magnacharger, Pirelli Tires, MHT/Foose Wheels, MagnaFlow Exhaust, Katzkin Leather Interior, and of course BASF Paint. Make sure to stop by the WD40 Booth for the unveiling of this car and stay tuned to the Barrett Jackson Auction in January, Pebble Beach, Florida as this cool car goes across the blocks for the benefit of Children’s Charities. I am thrilled to be involved in such a important project with great partners. 1932 MUROC Roadster “Magnatude” Based on a design I developed some
years back for Jerry Kugel, ten fenderless, and ten fendered versions of
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this basic design were produced. The elegant roadster body was my design and hand-formed by Marcel De Lay. The result is a custom body that is longer, lower and sleeker than a stock ’32 Ford, but one that retains the all of the character of that iconic roadster.
When Jerry and Maureen Magnuson of Magnusun Supercharger fame purchased theirs, they asked if I would be interested in working with them. When finished mechanically, essentially a blank canvas, it was turned over to us at Foose Design for the all-important paint, interior design and the Foose one-off signature billet wheels. We selected a two-tone BASF Waterborne butterscotch pearl paint with champagne metallic overtones.
The buckskin tone leather interior was fabricated by Jim Griffin Upholstery and provides the perfect contrast to the paint. The subtle but artful details such as the hand-form moldings around the Carson top and body, a Duval-style split windshield and the copious amounts of plated and polished components set this ’32 Ford roadster apart from all others. It features an LS-1 Chevy with an intercooled Magnacharger (not surprising, being that Jerry Magnuson is the owner and CEO of Magnuson Products!) Magnitude runs on custom one-off Foose Design wheels 17×7 in front and 20×10 in back and huge Pirelli Scorpion P-Zero tires all around. Many of the mechanical systems were designed and fabricated by Jerry Magnuson at his supercharger company, Magna Charger that builds superchargers for cars and trucks like Corvettes, Camaros, Hemi Challengers and Hemi Rams. Magnuson’s early background included working on Dan Gurney’s Eagle Indy cars, so his ability to de-
sign, fabricate and integrate mechanical systems is second nature. Unique items like the remote actuated hideaway headlights give the Magnatude sleekness and function. The innovative air inlet scoop feeds the Magna Charger supercharged engine that is monitored by a custom billet dashboard. All were engineered and fabricated at Magna Charger. We finished it at Foose Design and debuted it at SEMA 2009. After SEMA, the Magnatude toured the country hitting the Good Guys car show circuit where it won every competion it entered and garnered the Street Rod d’Elegance Crown at the Goodguys Del Mar Nationals. Jerry Magnuson and his wife Maureen accepted a challenge from the editors of HOT ROD magazine who dared them to drive the Magnatude on the 2010 Hot Rod Power Tour, a 1370-mile cruise that encom-
passed eight days and seven impromptu car shows. The Magnatude, fresh off the California indoor show circuit, made the trip without incident. HOT ROD readers were thrilled to see this Foose creation in person. After the Power Tour, the Magnatude was taken to the Good Guys event in Columbus, Ohio where it was critically judged and won the prestigious Good Guys Street Rod of the Year. I am proud of our work at Foose combined with the great skills of Magnuson, and especially with how well it performed on Power Tour. Hopefully the above details on the above will whet your appetite for more and you will join us at SEMA 2011. It’s bound to be another standout year. If you make it, stop by the Foose Booth out in the front and say hello. See you at SEMA 2011!!
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Jerry Damson Acura
www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS 21
Service, Service, Diagnostic Di Diagnostic gnostic and an d Mechanical M e chanical ch aniccal al NEWS nd Mec echanical Mech ech ec hanical ca
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GM Introduces Industry-First Front Center Airbag Autobody News
General Motors announced the industry’s first-ever front center air bag on September 29. The airbag is an inflatable restraint designed to help protect drivers and front passengers in farside impact crashes where the affected occupant is on the opposite, non-struck side of the vehicle. The front center air bag will be introduced on the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Chevrolet Traverse midsize crossovers in the 2013 model year. This new safety feature will be standard on Acadia and Traverse with power seats and all Enclaves. The front center air bag deploys from the right side of the driver’s seat and positions itself between the front row seats near the center of the vehicle. This tethered, tubular air bag is designed to provide restraint during passenger-side crashes when the driver is the only front occupant, and also acts as an energy absorbing cushion between driver and front passenger in both driver- and passenger-side crashes. The air bag also is expected to provide benefit in rollovers.
FLORIDA • GEORGIA • ALABAMA • MISSISSIPPI
GM analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System database, found that far-side impact crashes, which the front center airbag primarily addresses, accounted for 11 percent of the belted front occupant fatalities in non-
GM’s industry-first front center airbag will deploy from the right side of the driver’s seat and protects the driver in side crashes
rollover impacts between 2004 and 2009 involving 1999 model year or newer vehicles. These far-side fatalities, where the occupant is on the nonstruck side of the vehicle, also represent 29 percent of all the belted
AM Tow Package Wiring Harnesses for Hyundai/Kia Recalled
Curt Manufacturing is recalling about 2,400 tow package wiring harnesses because moisture can seep into the converter module and defeat the internal circuit protection, according to reports made by Consumer Reports. This could potentially cause the module to overheat, leading to a fire hazard. Sold as an aftermarket product (not through Hyundai), the tow package wiring harnesses connect tow vehicle lighting circuits to trailer lighting circuits for 2009 through 2011 Hyundai Veracruz and Kia Sorento vehicles. The affected units that are not water tight, will have part number 56024. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Curt Manufacturing has also identified a similar problem with the tow harnesses designed for 2009 to
2011 model year Hyundai Santa Fe SUVs. NHTSA and Curt have expanded the recall to include these models, part number 55538, believed to be installed in approximately 2,254 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles. The safety recall to notify owners begins this month, and the tow package wiring harness will be replaced for free. Veracruz and Sorento owners who are uncertain the brand of tow gear on their vehicle should check, as it is possible that many consumers did not register their purchase and therefore would be difficult for Curt Manufacturing to reach. For more information, consumers can call Curt Manufacturing at 715-831-8713, or contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at 888-327-4236, or visit Safercar.gov.
22 NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
front occupant fatalities in side impacts. “The front center air bag is not required by federal regulation, and no other air bag in passenger vehicles today offers the type of restraint and cushioning this air bag is designed to provide for front occupants,” said Scott Thomas, senior staff engineer in GM’s advanced restraint systems. The front center air bag is expected to add to the vehicles’ record of third-party crash test performance. The 2012 model year editions of these midsize crossovers have received five-star Overall and Side Crash safety ratings from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program, and 2011 Top Safety Picks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “The front center airbag has real potential to save lives in side crashes,” said Adrian Lund, president of the insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “GM and Takata are to be commended for taking the lead in this important area.”
November 2011 GM and technology supplier Takata developed the front center air bag over the course of three years, testing many design iterations to achieve packaging, cushioning, and restraint for a variety of crashes and occupant positions. Numerous elements of the air bag’s jointly patented cushion design address the restraint’s unique performance characteristics while considering a range of occupant sizes. “While no restraint technology can address all body regions or all potential injuries, the front center air bag is designed to work with the other air bags and safety belts in the vehicles to collectively deliver an even more comprehensive occupant restraint system,” said Gay Kent, GM executive director of Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness. “This technology is a further demonstration of GM’s above-and-beyond commitment to provide continuous occupant protection before, during and after a crash.” More information can be found at www.gm.com.
2011-2012 Chevrolet Corvettes Recalled for Rear Hatch Hinges The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced a recall for 2011 and 2012 model year Chevrolet Corvettes, according to reports made by Consumer Reports.
The sport coupes have rear hatches that can separate during a collision and cause further injuries. According to NHTSA, the problem stems from faulty hinges, which may not be able to bear the weight of the sport car’s rear hatch.
These rear hatch hinges, which fail to meet federal safety standards, may have been installed in about 5,755 Chevy Corvettes from January to September of this year. General Motors is currently working to identify which Corvettes are involved in this latest recall. The company will contact owners affected by this recall to bring their cars to local dealerships where mechanics will replace both rear hatch hinges free of charge. For more information, consumers can contact Chevrolet (800630-2438) or NHTSA (toll-free: 888-327-4236) or visit the Safer Car website: www.SaferCar.gov.
Gonzo’s Toolbox
This is a new story by Scott “Gonzo” Weaver as posted on his website, www.gonzostoolbox.com. Gonzo has been serving the Tulsa area at Superior Auto Electric for over 27 years. See his book “Hey Look! I Found The Loose Nut”, which provides a Good Laugh for Mechanics of Any Age. The book is available at amazon.com. Contact Gonzo at Gonzosae@aol.com.
Dealing with Angry Customers and Growing ‘Alligator Skin’ with Gonzo Weaver
If there is one thing I find hard to deal with in this topsy turvy world of the auto repair business is the way some people will react when they are at the repair shop. It’s the way they conduct themselves at the shop when it comes time to get their car repaired. Over the years I’ve been praised, and degraded. I’ve been called a saint and I’ve been called the devil (or worse). I’ve heard the shouting and the stuff I probably wasn’t suppose to hear (walls don’t always block sound you know). After awhile you’ve heard it all before, and the attitudes that you see at the front desk become a part of the daily grind. Coping with all this is what I call; “growing alligator skin”. I try not to take things so personal, I’ll let the alligator skin handle it, and then take off my protective coat before I get back home to the wife and kids. What gives with the need for such a thing as “alligator skin”? I be-
lieve there a several factors inherent to the automotive industry that brings on this crocodile coat of protection. Mistrust of the automotive repair world in general is what I believe is the number one factor; but what brings on that mistrust? Is it the incompetent mechanic? I doubt that is always the case. Is it the money out of their pockets which they were not expecting when they drove down the road to the repair shop? I believe it’s more in the hands of the unknowing consumer who reads and watches too many evening news reports on the unscrupulous business practices of the few out there that really are rip offs and not the normal operations of countless decent shops in this country. If you tie that into the other part of the equation it starts to make some sense. What is that other part? The customer, their car, and what they do or don’t do with their family transportation.
As I try to tell my customers; “Maintenance on a new car doesn’t do much to the value of the car or its current condition. It’s when it’s older and the miles are creeping up that all the previous maintenance pays off”. The inevitable degrading condition of the car doesn’t happen all at once, it takes time and miles for that to happen. And, sometimes some old failures will cause new failures to occur. “General Maintenance” isn’t a guy in the Army reserves, it’s something we all need to do. It is almost always overlooked, and a lot of times we will avoid or put it off, until it’s too late. That’s when the raised voices or mistrust starts at the service counter and that alligator skin becomes a necessity again. Of course, there are always those TV scammers that will try to tell you they have the latest greatest product to aide in the diagnosing of your vehicle. Let’s not forget about the inter-
net and the “wonderful” sources of information out there that the customer will no doubt inform you about when they show up with a complaint. I’m sure there are doctors, lawyers, and many other professional trades that know who’s the best and the worst in their field. We sometimes hear about those on the evening news, just not as often as the car repair business seems to be focused on. But cars are needed by everyone, no matter what the condition. Think about it, you may not need a lawyer tomorrow morning to get to work, but I’ll bet you’ll need your car. Educating the customer should start from the time they sign on the dotted line and purchase their vehicle. No recourse is given to educate the new owner on what needs to be done in the future with their new found horsepower. It’s up to the owner to deal with the maintenance issues and any repairs See Alligator Skin, Page 24
www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS 23
MSOs Share Insights During First-time Symposium at 2011 NACE by John Yoswick
More than 400 shops were represented on a panel discussion at this year’s 2011 International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) – but only four chairs were needed on the stage. That’s because the four speakers were representatives of some of the largest multiple shop operations (MSOs) in the industry, which combined have more than 7,200 employees and annual sales topping $1.26 million.Ca The four were speaking at a new forum held for the first time at this year’s NACE in Orland, Fla., a daylong session aimed at (and open to) only MSOs. Much of the content of the panel discussions during the symposium, however, could have been equally of value to the single-location shop owner who wants to expand his or her business. During the “Lessons Learned From the Big Four,” panel discussion, for example, Cathy Bonner, the president of the 47-shop Service King Continued from Page 23
Alligator Skin
that come up. I personally have never bought a car and had the salesman walk over to me and mention, “Now you know, you’ll need to set some money aside for general maintenance and the usual break downs.” Without the needed “know-how” the car is left to its own demise and the maintenance is left for another day. So, once you add up all these factors there is only one thing that is going to happen at the repair shop— a disgruntled owner with an issue about their car. Now we are back to the original problem, how do you deal with all of this? Start with a bit of Alligator skin, be prepared for the customer to tell you their life story about their car. They’re going to tell you what they think no matter what you say or do. Let them get it out and keep your alligator skin intact. Stay calm, but professional. Most of the time, if you explain the diagnostic procedures and the results of the repair in terms that they can understand. Things will go a lot smoother. Sometimes I might have to go through it a few times but it’s worth the effort. So the key to this whole ordeal is to do a good job, be prepared to back up
chain in Texas, was asked what role social media plays in her company’s extensive marketing efforts. Bonner said she thinks it’s a stretch to think that people want to “socialize” with a collision repair shop, and that measuring return on an investment in social media is difficult given how infrequently the average driver needs a shop’s services. Still, she said, Facebook and Twitter are reasonable inexpensive ways to help build a brand and name awareness by helping promote, for example, Service King’s charitable efforts. Social media are how a growing percentage of the population may find your shop and understand your reputation, she said. “People want to do business not just with good-performing companies, but with companies they like,” Bonner said. “They want an emotional attachment to that company. Social media can help you develop that.” The panel was asked what, other than improved pricing, they expect from their vendors as they have grown as buyers. Rollie Benjamin, CEO of
what you do with an explanation that can be understand by the typical driver. As long as you do that you can keep your wits about you and you won’t lose too much skin for your efforts. Keep in mind; it can be a little rough around the water’s edge. You may have to stand your ground and make your point known. Keep it as calm as possible and explain as best as possible. These issues usually don’t apply to the person who keeps up with their maintenance schedules or comes in on a regular basis. They understand the need and respect the work you do. It’s the ones that only show up when their car has reached the water’s edge and can’t go an inch further without falling into the crocodile infested water. They will stammer around trying to find a way to get their car repaired without stepping off into the deep end and risk losing money, time, and their temper. We’ve all been there, and we can all understand the problems involved. Let’s not forget that explaining things can only go so far. You don’t want to have to resort to their tactics, that’s not good business. But, remember one thing, the customer is still dealing with an alligator, and they can bite back if they’re not careful.
24 NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
the 110-shop ABRA Auto Body & Glass chain, said his company focuses more on service than price when working with vendors. In terms of parts, for example, ABRA looks for vendors that can do more to help with cycle time by getting the right part to the shop at the right time. “We survey our people to score the vendors on what level of customer satisfaction they giving our managers running these shops,” Benjamin said. “We give a report card to the vendors.” Steve Grimshaw, CEO of the Caliber Collision Center chain, which operates 92 shops in four states, he considers what aspects of business that vendors excel in – and then looks for ways to put that expertise to work for Caliber. “Rental car companies are experts at customer service,” Grimshaw said. “I expect them to leverage that expertise to help me train my people how to be customer service experts. You have paint vendors who are experts on lean processes; I expect them to dedicate resources to help improve
our operations. There’s generally a lot of willingness on their behalf to dedicate resources to help us achieve our objectives. So it becomes more of a strategic relationship than a vendor relationship.” What are the MSOs looking for in terms of expanding into new markets or acquiring other collision repair businesses? Benjamin said his company operates company-owned shops in currently six major metropolitan areas, but 35 of its shops are franchise operations in mid-sized cities. Bonner said her company’s model is to operate large shops in high-visibility locations. The average Service King location, for example, has 13 direct repair programs – nearly twice that of most other MSOs – and does $5.4 million in annual sales. A good candidate for Service King acquisition, she said, may be familyowned like Service King, will have a similar culture, and will have room to perhaps double its sales from $250,000 to $500,000 a month. She said that although all of the See MSO Insights, Page 31
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Chrysler’s Southeast & Southwest Business Centers’ 2011 Service and Parts Business Conference and Expo Held in Orlando, FL
tion, followed with a Service Operations Update and a Mopar Parts Update by Jim Sassorossi, Director, Mopar Field Service & Parts, concluded the morning. The afternoon sessions included Mopar Brand Vision by Trish Hecker, Director Mopar Marketing, and Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence by Jeff Noel from (L to R): Chris Lashley and Clint Edwards (Tom Edwards, (L to R): Rolf Assmuth (V.P. Mopar Technical Service OpInc.); Doug Stubblefield (Vero Beach CJD); Lumena Litts the Disney Institute. erations), Mike Mahalak (VP/GM, Winter Haven DCJ) (Vero Beach DCJ); and Bill Brobst (DCJ of Winterhaven) The second day of the and Frank Lasater (Service & Parts Operations Manager, Chrysler’s Southeast & Southwest conference provided Southeast Business Center). Service & Parts Business Conference over twenty Service, was held at the Disney Contemporary Parts and Dealer Principal dealer principals and managers in atResort in Orlando from October 12 break-out sessions for the at- tendance than any previous conferthrough 14. More than 375 dealers, ence. tendees to choose from. This parts managers, and service managers There was also a Vendor Expo year's conference offered enrolled in the conference; representmore flexible and diverse ed- Thursday night with over 100 vendors ing over 240 of the highest volume ucation sessions as a result of participating. dealerships in the country. The conference wrapped up on attendee feedback from the The 3-day conference provided previous years. This allowed Friday with various presentations by numerous educational sessions speattendees to better adapt their industry experts and closing remarks cific to dealer principals, service mansessions to their individual from Frank Lasater, SEBC Service The Vendor Expo was well provided by over 100 exhibitors needs, resulting in more agers and parts managers as well as a & Parts Manager. vendor expo. This is the third year that the show has combined representatives from their southwest and southeast regions into one show—previously each region had separate shows. The first day of the conference was kicked-off by Frank Lasater, SEBC Service and Parts Manager, and Bill Harry, SWBC Service and Parts Manager. Rolf Assmuth, V.P. Technical Service Opera-
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1595 Montgomery Highway • Birmingham, AL 35216 www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS 25
On Creative Marketing
Tom Franklin has been a sales and marketing consultant for fifty years. He has written numerous books and provides marketing solutions and services for many businesses. He can be reached at (323) 871-6862 or at tbfranklin@aol.com. See Tom’s columns at www.autobodynews.com under Columnists > Franklin
Choosing a More Profitable Market with Thomas Franklin
These days going to the movie theater can be very expensive. Theater owners have come to realize that former patrons now get their films online from services like Netflix. To compensate for the loss of these customers, they have begun to add luxury amenities like select seating and personalized service in the auditorium. And of course the price of a ticket has skyrocketed, in my area to around $14.00 for a ticket. Sadly, in this economy, lower-income car owners have also migrated to cheaper paint and body providers. Shops like “One Day Paint and Body” are getting much of the business that quality shops used to get to keep their technicians busy and keep paint purchase volume up. It may be time for shop owners to take a hint from theater owners and more thoroughly focus on higher income prospective customers. Many shops already do aim their marketing at higher end European vehicles like BMWs and Mercedes, but the range of vehicle choices has also increased greatly. The Korean automakers have begun to claim a larger share of the market. Like theater owners, a shop owner has to ask, “What special amenities will get all better quality car-buyers to choose my shop over any other?” Many shops have already focused on pampering their customers. They go beyond proving a rental car to taking the rental car to the customer and having a lock box for keys so the customer can drop off the rental car at the shop after hours. A shop may also
AAIA ‘Shop of Tomorrow’ Vehicle Service at AAPEX
AAIA will feature its new Shop of Tomorrow showcase at AAPEX in booth #3066 to highlight vehicle service using connected technology. Included will be: Diagnostic, service information and telematics services delivered from the cloud by ALLDATA; A plug-in telematics device and cloud-based services powered by Carma Systems; Back shop alignment and service solutions by Hunter Engineering communicating seamlessly with the shop management systems; Internet parts location and ordering services engineered by WHI Solutions.
choose to cover the difference in cost for a luxury rental vehicle. A luxury lounge with big TV, WIFI, computer games for kids and up-scale refreshments are already commonplace. Many shops offer a car wash and interior clean. For higher end customers, shops may even include exterior and interior detail. But who pays for all of these amenities when insurance companies are working to reduce what they will pay for? Like theater owners who raise the price of tickets, astute shop owners are realizing the need to offer more selfpay options even for insurance pay jobs. Unlike theater owners, they can’t ask for $5.00 for a box of popcorn or a cold drink. More ingenuity is called for. Time is a major concern for many vehicle owners, so one new specialty called “Cosmetic Car Repair” includes an in-house bumper repair kit that can sometimes enable the shop to turn out a bumper repair in just a few hours. This eliminates outsourcing costs and also delivers the rapid repair the customer wants. Another aspect of the same system is a more sophisticated version of paintless dent repair. Once again, speed of repair is the special value. Although cosmetic car repair is a specific system, other cosmetic improvements may be desired. Many shops have a contract with a vehicle graphics provider who will do pin striping, clear car bras and more. Another dimension of the luxury theater game is a focus on providing select films specifically chosen for an
AAPEX Learning Forum to Provide 30 A/M Programs
The AAPEX Learning Forum will feature 30 education sessions with specific classes recommended for general aftermarket audiences, warehouse distributors, manufacturers, retailers, auto repair shops and parts stores. 28 of the 30 sessions are offered at no cost. The two additional Lunch & Learn sessions are $25 each. Sessions will take place Tues., Nov. 1 to Thurs., Nov. 3, at the Sands Expo Center. Sessions will be held at the Venetian Hotel, Marco Polo Rooms 701-706. The Lunch & Learn sessions will be held in Marco Polo Rooms 801/802.
26 NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
audience with those preferences. Invitation-only showings have already begun. If a shop has managed to capture sufficient information about customers, it may be in a position to do invitation-only showings. For example, as baby-boomers age, there are more handicapped drivers. A showing of power lifts, power running boards and special driver’s seat modifications could bring in previous customers who were, or have become, handicapped. Prior customers whose children are reaching driving age may respond to an invitation to see black-box driving controls and speed governor systems. Parents of younger children are more concerned with child car seats. These must be placed properly to provide maximum protection. Manufacturers of products like these may be willing to send a representative to the shop to do an invitation-only demonstration for customers with small chil-
dren. More than a million pets are killed every year in vehicle accidents. Pet restraints and other controls are not only another add-on a shop can offer pet owner customers, but if a shop has collected customer information about pets, an invitation-only presentation of pet control products is possible. As a shop gets more involved in providing a few luxury accessories, significant opportunities open up to go beyond repairs and become an information provider. Like the child car manufacturers or distributors, these accessory providers have a wealth of representatives eager to go out to generate business for their companies. All you, as the shop owner, have to do is send out the invitations and provide the space and perhaps a few refreshments. In a sense, you become the new theater owner in a business once limited to collision repair.
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Inside Insurance
The Insider is a corporate-level executive with a Top 10 auto insurer in the U.S.. Got a comment or question you’d like to see him address in a future column? Email him at Auto.Insurance.Insider@gmail.com
Can the Collision Industry Support Two Major Trade Shows? with The Insurance Insider
“The Insider” is an auto insurance company executive who wishes to remain anonymous. This column reflects solely the opinion of The Insider in his unvarnished view of various issues impacting the collision industry.
Can NACE Survive as a ‘traveling regional trade show’? Well, it’s that time of year again: lights, slots, dice, scantily-clad women, lavish parties, casinos and NACE? Actually, it’s not—NACE is already over. In case you missed it, NACE (the International Autobody Congress and Exposition) took place in early October in Orlando, the first time it moved from Las Vegas in more than a half-dozen years. Yes, I was one of a handful of people that showed up to support the industry’s longest-standing national trade show. I have missed only four of the 29 of these annual extravaganzas,
and I wasn’t about to let a trip to sunny Florida deter me from attending. I have to admit, I was apprehensive about spending the money and time to attend two shows this year. . How this small industry can support two national trade shows (NACE and the SEMA show in November, which I will discuss in my next column) is beyond comprehension. In fact, I would say it’s not possible. Here’s my best guess: We will be back to one national industry trade show in the next three years. There’s no way that the large companies buying booth space will continue to throw good money after bad. Even aside from the poor economy, national trade shows like NACE are a dying breed. Yup, even the mighty dinosaur eventually went extinct. The once-almighty NACE is dying a slow death. Before anyone
submits an obituary, please note that the show still stands some chance of survival. Although this year’s NACE wasn’t the typical NACE we’ve been accustomed to, there was something different and positive. Aside from the fact that there weren’t a lot of people there, which made it easier to navigate the show floor, the smaller event meant my feet were intact after a few days of walking. Usually, I can hardly walk after the weekend marathon. All kidding aside, the positive news is the reality that NACE could survive and possibly reinvent itself as a traveling regional trade show. There is a small percentage of people who have attended NACE in the past few years who walk a trade show floor to find a special deal or see something new. But the vast majority of the attendees attend the show to participate in other related
industry events, or to network and reduce future travel expenses by meeting with large groups of people over a short period of time. Because this article is about sharing inside information and helping my dedicated readers gain a broader perspective, I suppose I should tell you something you probably don’t know. NACE transforming into just a large regional trade show didn’t happen overnight or by accident. It’s been a slow death. In the years leading up to its demise, the industry tried to tell organizers it was time for change. They assembled a committee of industry experts that were supposed to help guide them to “NACE: The Next Generation.” The goal: to actually create a trade show that met the demands of their customer and once again generated excitement. See Insider on NACE, Page 28
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Social Media for Shops
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
How to Use Five Forms of Social Media to Pack the House with Ed Attanasio
I mentioned social media to a body shop owner recently and, to say the least, it wasn’t received enthusiastically. There seems to be a very small group in the collision industry that values social media and this guy was not one of them. “Why would I put my shop on Facebook?” he said. “I don’t have a lot of customers who are teenage girls!” I told this gentleman that Facebook and most other forms of social media aren’t being used exclusively by teenage girls. Facebook’s 800 million members aren’t all teenagers, and they certainly aren’t all girls. Last month’s NACE meeting featured a keynote speaker, Chris Brogan, who’s a social media guru accustomed to talking to large automotive groups like those attending NACE/CARS, and the GM Dealers of Canada, for example.
What’s going on here? Why would some shops and associations spend valuable time instructing on social media while others can’t run away from it fast enough? David Moore, the owner of CollisionBuilder.com, a company that designs web sites and develops social media plans for body shops and related businesses, has seen a recent spike in body shops getting involved in several forms of social media. “It’s unavoidable,” Moore explained. “Three or five years ago, having a company web site was enough, but now your shop’s customers are using more and more social media. It’s not just for students or people in their 20s anymore. Corporate types, senior citizens, your employees and your competitors are using it and in many cases, several times daily. To keep in touch with your clients on a regular basis and attract new ones, more and
Continued from Page 27
NACE no longer does: attendees, attendees and more attendees. Oh, and something else: attendees. SEMA can be found in the dictionary under the word “excitement.” SEMA will have about 10 times the number of attendees as NACE did this year. As far as the murder weapon, I think it was a vote at a Collision Industry Conference (CIC) meeting in early 2010. The attendees of this conference were asked to vote when and where they would like their fall meeting to be held: keep it as scheduled in November in Las Vegas, or move it a few weeks earlier to when NACE had been rescheduled to be held. They voted for the conference to be held in Las Vegas at the same time as SEMA [by one vote—Ed.]. The rest is history and we now have two trade shows to support. That’s it for now. See you in Vegas, baby.
Insider on NACE
NACE organizers slowly changed the direction of the show, but by then it was too late. The excitement of NACE was basically reserved for those looking for a Las Vegas vacation. Attendance plummeted. The reported show attendance became similar to an Enron annual report: There was a lot of inflated numbers and not a whole lot to support the fact that the trade show floor looked like a bocce ball court on the weekend. One would swear that they were using a dog-years multiplier where every one attendee accounted for seven [organizers said 15% more attended than last year]. Although NACE organizers made a lot of mistakes along the way and often acted with arrogance, there were other contributing factors. This is kind of like a murder mystery: There are a lot of suspects and clues, but we still aren’t sure of the killer or the murder weapon. But I think that the real killer of NACE was the SEMA show. SEMA is offering something that
The Insider is a corporate-level executive with a Top 10 auto insurer in the U.S. Got a comment or question you’d like him to address in a future column? Email him at Auto.Insurance.Insider@gmail.com.
28 NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
more body shops are gravitating toward sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and even Youtube, with solid results.” One of the first early adopters of social media in the collision industry was Wren’s Body Shop in Douglasville, Georgia, a company that repairs 160 cars monthly, employs 20 people and does approximately $3 million in annual sales. Owner James Wren jumped into the social media game with both feet several years ago and it’s paid off for him in a big way. “I know for a fact we’ve received a good amount of business through our involvement in Facebook and LinkedIn,” Wren said. “Sometimes we get several new customers every month and the social media keeps us in touch with our past customers. We’re still doing the other forms of advertising, but now we’re focusing
more on social media. All it costs us is our time, so it makes a lot more sense. Facebook has been great for us getting new business. LinkedIn has been booming for us more recently and we’re definitely interested in using Youtube to get exposure for a video we produced.” Facebook and LinkedIn are ideal vehicles for body shops or professional organizations, such as the California Autobody Association, to keep its members informed are in the loop about news and events. Rather than getting an avalanche of e-mails from you, people interested in your business can check in for updates along the way. It’s not as disruptive as email because you don’t have to worry about spam. When your neighbors and peers see your social media, it adds immediate value to your message, and the interaction among the group can rapidly build.
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The first thing you need to do in order to start a social media plan, (in my opinion), is to create a Facebook page. Then, invite friends to your page and spread the word. Get your employees, customers and vendors who use Facebook to invite their friends as well. This will enable you to contact anywhere from hundreds to thousands of people just be tapping into your employees’ friends’ lists. For a direct approach, it’s very easy to find specific people by searching for them on Facebook and sending them a message through the link that’s under their profile picture. What types of information should you post about your shop? Well, pretty much anything and everything to create ongoing online conversations among your friends. Did you recently repair a rare or classic vehicle? Did some of your techs win an award for their job performance or recently complete some I-CAR courses? Does your painter have an amazing hot wings recipe (forward it to me, please)? These are the types of things that will keep your circle of friends engaged and continually checking out your social media. Make it fun and readable
and people will come back again and again. The process with LinkedIn is basically the same, but focusing more on your professional contacts. With any form of social media, setting it up is a big step, but administrating and maintaining it is also crucial. Too many shops start doing it because their competitor down the street is doing it, but eventually they let their social media sit dormant. People think “If I build it, they will come” but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Ideally, you should have a person dedicated to keep the dialog flowing and your social media up-to-date, with at 2-3 new posts monthly. The advantage of Twitter is that anyone out there in cyberland can find your shop. I suggest putting the name of your city in your Twitter address (like @joesbodyshopsanjose) so that people can find you searching that way. Hopefully, if you’ve been tweeting for sometime already, you already have a considerable Twitter community assembled, but if not you can rapidly build one by letting all of your current and former customers, vendors and associates about your new Twitter
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but get them to sign releases first. And then post the videos on Youtube, linking them to your social media, including your blog and your web site. One suggestion is make your videos less than two minutes in length, because studies show that people have very short attention spans and won’t sit through anything longer. A step beyond a blog would be a more dedicated phone app which provides a service but also helps customers find your shop such as those created by shops like Nigro’s in Philadelphia. See last month’s Autobody News or go online to check this out. Hopefully we’ve outlined some basic forms of social media for you to use to promote your business, attract new customers, strengthen your relationships with your existing customers and make money. All it takes is time, a rudimentary knowledge of software and the willingness to induct yourself into the new age of customer-focused advertising.
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account, by sending notifications to everyone on your e-mail list. Blogspot.com (others are blogger.com, wordpress.com, tumblr.com) is an easy site to use for setting up and maintaining a blog for your shop. Blogs are stronger than ever before and they provide advantages over web sites, because they can easily be updated on a regular basis. Think of a newsletter concentrating on your shop. Blog readers will anticipate and expect fresh information. Give customers helpful tips; talk about your paint, parts and equipment vendors (they appreciate it) and continually sell your brand. It’s fairly easy to publish a blog and by leveraging it and linking it to your main web site, you’ll get major mileage out of it. To learn a lot quickly about blogging, there are a ton of books and online tutorials. But, trust me—blogs are easy to create. If you know how to attach a photo or cut and paste text, you’re already there. Finally, Youtube can help you to attract people to your company. Shoot some video of the shop, interviewing your managers or your techs and counter people. You can even interview your vendors and/or customers,
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This article first appeared in the I-CAR Advantage Online, which is published and distributed free of charge. I-CAR, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, is a not-for-profit international training organization that researches and develops quality technical education programs related to collision repair. To learn more about I-CAR, and to subscribe to the free publication, visit http://www.i-car.com.
I-CAR Tech
I-CAR Repairability Summit: Don’t Section Ultra-High-Strength Steel Unless specifically recommended by the vehicle maker, parts with a tensile strength over 600 MPa should only be replaced at factory seams. This is just
Knowledge Gap To prepare what information would be discussed at the summit, I-CAR conducted a survey of technicians in the field, asking what kind of information they would like to see from ICAR in a future course on the subject of advanced construction. The survey reAmaradio Jr. vealed a lack of information among technicians actually making the repairs, and a definite need for a course addressing the subject.
possible future uses (see Figure 3). To facilitate the conversation, I-CAR brought in two vehicles with similar side damage. The vehicles were of the same make and model,
Amaradio Explains CRA with Lee
Figure 1 - Industry experts discuss steel identification
one of the “best practices” identified Summit Discussions at a Repairability Summit hosted by IThe agenda for the summit was laid CAR earlier this year. Summit attenout like a repair plan. After the disdees consisted of subject matter cussion on steel strength identificaexperts from vehicle makers, tool and tion, the group discussed best equipment makers, collision repair fapractices for anchoring and pulling cilities, insurance companies, and the and different removal methods. The American Iron and Steel Institute. created heat-affect zone from heating The primary intention of the and removal methods was a major dissummit was to identify best practices cussion point (see Figure 2). for working with ultra-high-strength A discussion on attachment steels (UHSS) and the new construc- methods focused on GMA (MIG) tion methods found on late model welding heat-effect on UHSS, the vehicles. In February 2012, I-CAR changes in spot weld machine setwill premiere its Best Practices for tings, and how destructive testing of High-Strength Steel Repairs (SPS09) course, highlighting issues covered during the Summit and other best with Dan Espersen practices. While vehicle maker recommendations should be followed first and foremost, these best practices can be leveraged where none exist. For example, while there’s a lot more information on steel Figure 2 - Industry experts discuss anchoring and structural straightening of UHSS strengths in the vehicle service information with each new model spot welds differs on UHSS panels year, sometimes the information is not compared to HSS or mild steel. there. Summit attendees discussed Somewhat new attachment Mikecan Causey various tests thewith technician permethods like MIG brazing and selfform in the repair facility that help piercing rivet bonding were disidentify if the steel is mild, HSS, or cussed, including the applications UHSS (see Figure 1). where they are recommended and
Consumer Callout
Figure 3 - Industry experts discuss MIG brazing applications
and even though separated by only one model year, the later model contained significantly more UHSS compared to the previous model. The two vehicles were used to identify the necessary changes in re-
Give us your opinion on matters affecting the industry.
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Summary It became clear during the recent ICAR Repairability Summit that vehicles cannot be repaired using the same repair methods that were acceptable just a few years ago. Industry experts that attended the Summit addressed these issues and agreed on a list of best practices that can be used when vehicle maker Original BMW Parts repair information does not North C exist. The list will be available in the Best Practices For bmwusa.com High-Strength Steel Repairs (800) 56 (SPS09) course premiering in FebruOriginal BMW Parts North C ary 2012. Watch a video describing some of the highlights on the Best Practices For bmwusa.com High-Strength Steel Repairs (800) 56 (SPS09) course at www.i-car.com.
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Continued from Page 24
MSO Insights
17 shops Service King has added this year have been in Texas, the company is interested in expanding into other states. “My father used to tell me you can plan your work, but don’t plan on it working out,” Bonner added as a caveat. “It is important to plan, but in terms of growth and decisions about acquisitions, you have to have adaptability as well.” Grimshaw said reputation within a market is critical when considering businesses to acquire. “If you think you’re going to buy a (shop) that wasn’t performing well and that when you put your name on the sign, all will be forgiven, that’s being a bit naïve,” Grimshaw said. “It takes a long time and you have to mend a lot of fences to reestablish a reputation.” The panel was asked to comment on a proposition, espoused by an insurer in the United Kingdom, that business often “trip over themselves” trying to exceed customer expecta-
tions when they would be better off just ensuring they consistently meet those expectations every time. Brock Bulbuck, CEO of The Boyd Group, a Canadian-based firm that also operates 128 shops in the United States (many under the True2Form and Gerber tradenames) said the problem with that concept is that customer expectations keep rising. “If you don’t strive to wow and exceed and set the bar as high as you can, I think you run the risk of establishing a culture in your organization where just doing your job is good enough,” Bulbuck said. “I don’t think that’s conducive to create promoters (among customers) and growing your business.” Grimshaw, too, said exceeding expectations is the key to differentiating your business from the competition. But Bonner said there is some logic in what the U.K. insurer was espousing. “I think in collision repair, the primary customer is insurance, and if you don’t exceed their expectations, you will not be rewarded with
growth,” she said. “The secondary customer is the traditional retail customer. I think it’s true that you don’t have to exceed their expectations; you just have to satisfy them. That’s what we’re rewarded on by the primary customer, the insurance companies, whether we have satisfied those customers and given them great service.” As the panel discussion ended, Bulbuck said he’s interested in seeing other MSOs succeed because it demonstrates the success of the business model overall. “I truly believe the success of everyone in this room is dependent upon the collective success of the MSO sector,” Bulbuck said. “So my advice is a bit self-serving: Never put your business at risk, never bet the farm, either operationally or financially.” The MSO symposium was a new event at what was the first NACE held outside of Las Vegas in seven years. NACE organizers said the return to what will likely be a 3-city rotation (Orlando, New Orleans and Las Vegas) appears to have paid off; reported attendance at this year’s event (more than 18,000 people) was up 15
percent over 2010. About 40 percent of those who pre-registered indicated they were first-time attendees. Next year’s event will be held October 10-13 in New Orleans, and organizers say the success of this year’s MSO symposium will result in a similar session being held next year. While it will continue to be open only to MSOs, organizers point out that NACE includes nearly 90 other training sessions that have no such restriction on attendance.
John Yoswick, a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988, is also the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). He can be contacted by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.
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Toby Chess is an I-CAR program instructor, Welding specialist, and former salvage yard operator. Toby is universally known in the collision industry for his charitable works, worthy causes, and magic tricks. He can be reached at tcspeedster@yahoo.com
Hey Toby!
SEMA’s Repair Driven Education and Government Regulations with Toby Chess
SEMA is just around the corner and will also need to invest in training. Remany of you will be attending the trade pairing aluminum is not difficult, but there are a few techniques that need to show and SCRS repair-driven educabe learned to achieve a successful retion. I am teaching a class on how government regulations will impact the pair. You will also see smaller vehicollision industry right now, but for those who cannot attend, I am going to cles. With smaller cars, you will see an increase in the use of ultra high highlight my presentation here. McClune Let’s with David strength steels in cabin reinforcements look at the US Government CAFÉ (corporate average fuel economy) for passenger protection. Nearly all standards. By the year 2015, the CAFÉ manufacturers require full replacement standard for the industry (cars and of these reinforcements and that will lead to more total losses. Let’s look at trucks combined) is 31.6 MPG (35.7 for cars and 28.6 for trucks). How will Federal Motor Vehicle safety standard 216A. these standards affect body shops? FMVSS 216A deals with roof First, cars will need to get lighter and smaller. The use of aluminum will crush. The standard for 2009 was 2.5 times Gross Vehicle Weight. In other increase. You will see more hoods, deck lids, fenders and other body parts with John Yoswickwords, if a car weighs 2000 pounds, being made from aluminum. Many the roof would need to support 5000 aluminum hoods are double paneled lbs. The Insurance Institute for Highwith virtually no access to the back way Safety did not think the 2.5 standards were sufficient, so they set a side. Most shops today do not the castandard for 2009 at 3 times GVW and pability to repair this type of damage. 4 times GVW by 2012. To gain a 5 star What is needed is an aluminum stud rating, the vehicles manufacturers had gun. The unit pictured first comes with to increase the strength of the ‘B” pillar reinforcements. How does this increased strength affect the collision industry?
signed to transfer energy and deform. This energy will travel to the opposite side of the vehicle and, if not measured before an estimate is written, can lead to all kinds of problems. The “B” pillar on the opposite side of the car can move (side impact), but the floor may not and this can lead to all kinds of improper fit issues. You will need to look at measuring systems that can measure “A” and “B” pillars without placing a vehicle on a frame machine.
California Autobody Association
Year in Quotes
OEMs for their current data (most of the time they make it available free) or check out ALLDATA. It is another investment that any body shop will need make. The stronger reinforcements have also created a need for pre-measuring for damage analysis. Besides the roof crush, these super strong reinforcements are de-
Collision Repair Association of CA. with Richard Steffen
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with John Yoswickis the need for OEM data. You cannot
do structural repairs or structural parts replacement without it. For example, you can section a “B” pillar on (lower portion) on a Toyota Venza, but you will need to replace the entire reinthe stud gun and a number of hand forcement on a Toyota Camry. tools for repairing aluminum. The maThe following page was taken chine pictured second is just the stud from Toyota’s Technical Information gun with the puller. You will need to System or TIS for short. The sheet invest in hand tools because aluminum shows where to section and the type of with Hendricks tools can’t be used on Karyn steel compowelds that are needed for a quarter nents because of the likelihood of galpanel replacement. You can subscribe vanic corrosion. Dent Fix, Reliable to TIS or you can subscribe to ALLAutomotive Equipment and ProSpot DATA (they obtain the OEM data for are a few examples of companies that you). sell aluminum repair equipment. You While at SEMA, check with the
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32 NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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to invest in an inverter spot welder. Ultra High Strength steels are very sensitive to heat. MIG welding produces a large heat affected zone.
2000 degrees Fahrenheit and UHSS steel becomes mild steel at that temperature. It’s weaker and it loses all of its energy transfer properties. A spot weld, on the other hand, has a very small heat affected zone.
Inverter Spot welding machines have computers to reduce the heat affected zone on HSS and UHSS metals. Manufacturers of these smart machines include Car-O-Liner, Elektron, Wielander+Schill, Tecna, and CompuSpot. Besides being able to produce a smaller heat affected zone, compared with their predecessors, they are fully automatic and can keep records on the welds for each repair job. But don’t run out and buy one without doing your homework. First and foremost, you will need to check your electrical supply. These machines only work on 3-phase power. They also require large gauge wires (minimum of 4 gauge is
Heat Affected Zone
The weakest part of the weld is in the heat affected zone. The temperature when MIG welding can approach
Some of the manufactures that make this type of equipment are, Celette, Car-O-Liner, The Collision Equipment Group and Chief Automotive Equipment. You see all of these machines at SEMA. Still dealing with the stronger “B” pillars, you will need
See Hey Toby!, Page 37
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www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS 33
Paint Management with Stefan Gesterkamp
Stefan Gesterkamp is a Master Craftsman and BASF representative who has been in the automotive paint industry for 27 years. He started his career in a custom shop before turning to collision repair. Stefan graduated from the University of Coatings and Colorants in Germany and is the author of “How to Paint Your Show Car.”
Taking a Fresh Look at an Old Debate—Color Matching, Blending, or Both? As a paint manufacturer’s rep, there is tion. Blending is for collision repairnot a single month that goes by with- ers and insurance companies, what arout being put in the middle of colli- ranging the food is to the restaurant sion repairers and insurers; expected business. It is a must have in today’s to chime in on a dispute about what is business world. with Gonzo Weaver So let’s assume we all agree on necessary for a proper repair. In the the point of blending, where does this July 2010 edition of Autobody News, I wrote an article on the debate about leave the color match portion of the Color Match, Blending or both and no estimate? During my last conversation matter how many industry experts I had with an insurance representative, since then have expressed a similar I noticed clearly why we go around in point of view—this debate never circles on this issue. It is the classical with Richard Arnold seems to loose momentum. case of misunderstanding or misinterWhile arguing my point a month pretation of the term color match. ago, I realized that we could end this When I asked what he felt constidebate once and for all. For a moment, tutes color match, he explained to me, let’s assume that in 2011, all parties what we all know as the process of involved in collision repair have come tinting the color. It is not overly surto the conclusion that blending is not prising to me to find this to be the case with Ed Attanasio only an option, but a necessary and re- with insurance adjusters. More often quired part of a quality repair process. then not, they didn’t repair vehicles as I like to compare this to the restaurant a professional prior to their current poexperience. If you go out for an ex- sition. It is nobody’s fault by the way, pensive dinner and the restaurant sim- just a matter of fact. What I found ply slaps the food on your plate, more disturbing was the fact that some without creatingwith a pleasant arrangecollision repairers felt similar when Erica Schroeder ment, the food will still tastes the asked. same. Chances are the customer will Let’s take a close look at what the not consider this a satisfying experiterm color match really represents. It ence, or be a repeat customer at this is a combination of a number of difestablishment. Just like the owner of ferent tasks and operations that have a restaurant, collision repairers and in- to be accomplished to get to the stage surers want the same thing to maintain of painting. This includes locating and withWe Erica Schroeder a successful business. need happy verifying the paint code on the vehivehicle owners that give us high CSI cle. If you repair a wide array of difratings and long-term customer reten- ferent makes and models, this can be a
Gonzo’s Toolbox Jobber Journal
tricky task. Paint codes are located in every imaginable location on automobiles. They can be located anywhere in the engine department, door opening, glove department, the center council or hidden somewhere in the trunk. And let’s not forget some cars that have no code anywhere on the vehicle. After locating and verifying the code, the painter has to retrieve all available information the paint manufacturer’s computer system provides for the repair. In general, the color retrieval systems will display more then just one solution. The next step from there is checking variant decks for the available solutions, or spraying out samples for what was not available as a chip. Although paint companies try to supply paint samples for the most common variants on the market, it is impossible to have a chip for each and every one of them.
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Dollar Thrifty Halts Sale Process, Hertz Still Interested in Acquisition Despite Missed Deadline
Consumer Callout
with Ed Attanasio One of Dollar Thrifty’s biggest Car rental firm Hertz Global Holdings shareholders said it was highly likely still wants to buy Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, despite missing a Hertz would win antitrust approval deadline to make a final offer, and is and would push to get a deal through chasing antitrust approval for a early. The shareholder asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the takeover of its smaller rival, accordissue. He noted that Avis, which ing to Reuters. Ed Attanasio On Octoberwith 11, Dollar Thrifty dropped out of the bidding last month said it failed by end-October 10 to citing volatile debt markets and its reflush out any final takeover bids that cent $1 billion acquisition of its Euromet antitrust concerns, and planned to pean arm, has the potential to return go ahead as a stand-alone company. to the bidding fray in a few months However, Dollar Thrifty, which when it has paid down its debt. has been at the center an 18-month Hertz was always seen as more withofChasidy Rae Sisk likely to win regulatory clearance as tug-of-war between Hertz and rival Avis Budget, said it would consider it serves the high-end market, and is already in the process of selling its any changes to Hertz’s offer or any other offer that might be made. low-cost Advantage brand.
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Now and only now are we getting to the portion of the color matching process that is debatable. Is the best variant found good enough for a successful blend? Reality is that 90% of the color matching activity has to be accomplished simply to paint, blending or not. I am not an expert on estimating. I haven’t written one in 17 years. I am also not a data provider to this industry, but it became clear to me that we need to change the terminology. It requires separating and itemizing all activities currently bundled under the color match line item on an estimate. The vast majority of what is considered color matching can be compared to and should be handled like setup time for frame work. A repair operation on its own that should not be bundled with color tint time. It has to be done, should be itemized and needs to be paid for.
Girl Scouts Gear Up at NACE for Collision Hub’s Tools for Success tory of DuPont with Petra Schroeder, the chemistry of paint and color with Laura Yerkey of ProSpray, advanced software and new technologies from CCC’s Susanna Gotsch, scholarship opportunities with the Women’s Industry Network, and more. Following the NACE Tools for Success tour, Collision Hub hosted a Women’s Panel sponsored by LKQ and moderated by Eileen Sottile, which featured: ● Kristen Felder—Founder and CEO, Collision Hub ● Denise Casperson— Manager, ASA Collision Division ● Audra Fordin—Owner, Great Bear Auto Repair and Auto Body Shop, Flushing, NY ● Stacee L. Royce—Laboratory Manager, Paint Applications and Local Girl Scouts were able to tour the NACE floor and get a taste of the collision repair industry in Masking Systems, 3M Collision Hub’s second annual Tools for Success Automotive Aftermarket Div. program ● Petra Schroeder—Brand Development Manager Standox, Dupont portunities available to young women Performance Coatings in the collision repair. ● Victoria Jankowski—P&C Claims The girls learned about frame Consultant, State Farm and President equipment and measurement systems of WIN with Bob Holland of Chief, the his-
With over 100 girls registered and nearly that number in attendance, Collision Hub’s second annual Girl Scouts: Tools for Success program was a huge success. For the event, the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council in Orlando came to the NACE show floor for an hour of conversations with leaders in the industry about the incredible op-
Women’s Panel Discussion and lunch Provided By LKQ. Other event sponsors included: Chief Automotive Technologies, 3M, PPG, VeriFacts Automotive, AutoBody America, AkzoNobel, Fix Auto, DuPont, CARSTAR, Mitchell, Esurance, Pro-Spray Automotive Refinishes, Automotive Service Excellence and CCC Information Services. The Girl Scouts is reforming its mission to incorporate an emphasis on engineering, science, and technology and are seeking avenues to achieve this goal. As the collision repair industry continues to seek ways to recruit new talent and creative methods for connecting with costumers, Collision Hub hopes to offer access to a truly untapped demographic. Tools for Success offered a unique opportunity for leaders in our industry to speak with a premiere group of goal-oriented and intelligent young women and capture their potential as future leaders and consumers as well as the support of each scout’s extensive personal network as potential customers and champions of the collision industry.
Kristen Felder Nominated for Car Care Council “Aftermarket Woman of the Year” Award
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Girls heard from these incredible women about everything from their personal journeys into the industry to words of advice going forward. Collision Hub offers this program as a way to connect with the leadership pipeline that is the Girl Scouts and to possibly light the spark that will one day usher them into the industry as our future CEOs, Marketers, Painters, Lobbyists, Technicians, Mechanics, Shop Owners, Engineers, Chemists, Industry Analysts and more. “In addition to their time on the NACE floor visiting selected company booths, we were able to introduce these dynamic young women to the work of the Women's Industry Network and the National Autobody Council's Recycled Rides Program,” said Kristen Felder, Collision Hub Founder and CEO. “We believe that October 8, 2011 was yet another step towards a wonderful career exploration and mentoring program between the Girl Scouts of America and the collision repair industry at large.” Tools for Success was Presented By Enterprise Rent-A-Car with the
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Collision Hub Founder and CEO, Kristen Felder was recently nominated for this year’s Car Care Council Women’s Board “Aftermarket Woman of the Year”, an award that honors women in the aftermarket for their dedication and service to the industry. The winner will be announced at the 14th Annual Car Care Council Women’s Board Reception on November 1; 5 p.m. 6:30 p.m. at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nevada during the annual Specialty Kristen Felder Equipment Market Association (SEMA) tradeshow. “Our Women’s Board ‘Aftermarket Women of the Year’ awards are a way for us to applaud exceptional women in the aftermarket for their dedicated service, as well as to recognize women who are going above and beyond to make a difference in the industry,” said AAA’s Ruth Ehlinger, president of the
Car Care Council Women’s Board. “I have always been passionate about education and supporting women in the industry as a Women’s Industry Network board member, an Akzo Nobel Most Influential Woman and the founder of Collision Hub,” said Felder upon receiving the nomination. “Collision Hub was created as a safe space for all parties in the automotive industry to come together and collaborate towards transformation and positive change.” For more information about the Car Care Council Women’s Board, visit http://women.carcare.org or email womensboard@carcare.org. For more information about Collision Hub, visit www.collisionhub.com or contact Elizabeth Blackman at Elizabeth@collisionhub.com.
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ALLDATA Training Center to Exhibit at AAPEX
ALLDATA has developed a new convenient training option for customers, the online ALLDATA Training Center. Launched in late August, over 400 customers have already taken advantage of this service. Demonstrations will be given in booth #3265 at the 2011 Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX), November 1-3, in Las Vegas. The Training Center is an interactive website where customers canlearn how to use ALLDATA products. Access is available 24/7 so customers can quickly get the most out of their product subscriptions.”
Polk Execs Speak about Aftermarket at AAPEX
Several Polk executives will provide aftermarket insight as part of the annual Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) Nov. 1–3, 2011 in Las Vegas. Polk presentations will include Polk’s unique perspective and broad expertise in both the OEM and aftermarket segments of the industry. Tim Rogers, Polk president, will kick-off the annual AAIA Town Hall meeting with comments on five key trends Polk sees affecting the automotive aftermarket, Wed., Nov. 2 at 7 a.m. in the Venetian Hotel Ballroom. Other talks will beld that afternoon. Continued from Front Page
MS Commissioner
from 1993 to 1999, and in the Mississippi State Senate from 2000-2008, was elected as Insurance Commissioner in 2007. Fondren, a self-employed attorney-at-law and previous public defender of Jackson County from 1977 to 1981, will focus his campaign on being a “friend to policyholders” through stopping rate increases. Part of the way he would do that, he said, is to involve a public actuary—a professional who analyzes the financial consequences of risk—in insurance premium hearings. Fondren plans to spend the few weeks before the election spreading his message both on the Coast and beyond. At press time Fondren planned to speak at the AARP in Hat-
At NACE, State Farm Announces Change to Shop Locator to Allow Ranking Based on Internal Performance Score, Will Use ‘PartsTrader’ for DRPs
State Farm has changed its shop locator system, accessible from its consumer website, to now rank its Select Service shops based on current performance scores as assessed by State Farm in the geographic region the customer selects. Previously the system listed shops in order based only on proximity to the address entered. State Farm’s Claims Consultant, George Avery said that once the system is fully implemented, if a customer is trying to find a Select Service shop within 15 miles of a certain zip code, they will see a list of all Select Service shops in that area. The system defaults at 15 miles, but they can contract their search or expand it up to a 50-mile radius. The shop with the best score in the area will be listed first, the shop with the second best score will be listed second, and so forth. State Farm said it’s possible the customer would have to advance a page to see the bottom-ranked Select Service shops if the search area is large enough, but again, all Select Service shops in the area specified by the customer will be shown. The scores themselves will not be shown on the shop locator, but Select Service shops always have access to
tiesburg during the last week of October, at the Mississippi Economic Council’s Hobnob Mississippi in Jackson on Nov. 2, and at the Tupelo Chamber on Nov. 4. Fondren also served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1972 to 1976 and was Mayor of Moss Point, MS, from 1969 to 1971. Like Fondren, Chaney also plans to speak at the Mississippi Economic Council’s Hobnob Mississippi. Washer, a retired teacher from Hattiesburg, will focus on achieving a balance between lowering rates and attracting new business, providing free windshield replacement for auto policyholders, and making sure that insurance companies do not breach contracts, according to the candidate. For more information please visit www.mid.state.ms.us.
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36 NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
their score and performance data. A shop’s score, on a scale of 1 to 1,000, is updated monthly and is established using a proprietary formula that takes into account the key performance indicators State Farm uses to track each shop’s performance. Several other features of the repair facility locator have been modified in a redesign of both Statefarm.com and State Farm’s B2B site for shops. “We’re not going to list the highest performing shop that’s 100 miles away,” said Avery. “It’s all pulled from the same source,” he said. “It’s the same data feed the repair facility uses. My guess is that the day the shops get their update, they may go to the locator to see where they fall in the list.” Avery continued: “We’ve evaluated what our capacity needs are based on the needs of our customers and asked local management to use some tools we have to determine how many Select Service shops they need in their given markets,” he said. “We’re always interested in dealing with high performers. Some repairers have improved, and if they have, we encourage them to contact local management and share some key KPIs to give them a sense of how they’re doing business. And then if there
is a capacity need, local management will approach them. Most local management has an ongoing dialogue with many repairers in their neighborhood because, just because you’re not on Select Service, doesn’t mean you’re not good. So don’t be offended if there are no openings.” As far as the electronic parts ordering system that State Farm is exploring, Avery says they continue to explore that concept as they feel it’s in the best interests of their customers and repairers. “We want to be very transparent that we’re gathering information and visiting people and getting their input to help us build an application,” said Avery. “We think it will help everyone.”
Insurer will Require ‘PartsTrader’ Avery also said that PartsTrader will be the electronic parts ordering system the insurer expects it will eventually require its Select Service shops to use. He said testing of the system in several markets could begin in December. “It’s hard to tell for sure, but we would like to get some testing started before the end of the year,” Avery said. PartsTrader has yet to launch but has a provisional website at www.partstrader.us.com. Note this is not ThePartsTrader.com.
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better start doing the work yourself. That translates into more training and equipment.
seat air bags, the cost of repairs is going to skyrocket and that will in turn lead to more total losses. Moreover, with a number of insurance companies not paying sublet markups (they are now calling them handling fees), you
A scan tool will be needed to reset the codes on the SRS system. You need this tool to clear the codes on the occupant classification system, when you R&I the front passenger seat. You will need this tool to reset the steeringangle sensor. Let’s review the SAS. The government has mandated all vehicles by the year 2012 have some sort of electronic stability system. Part of that system is the steering angle sensor. The steering angle sensor counts the steering-wheel revolutions accordingly. The overall steering wheel angle is thus made up of the current steering
Continued from Page 33
recommended) due to the increase in amps that is needed. Again, before you purchase one of these “bad boys,’ get the electrical needs and consult with a qualified electrician. One more item pertaining to side impact, is the side curtain. Side curtains will be mandatory on all vehicles sold in the United States by the year 2013. With more vehicles with side curtains, knee bolsters, and between
wheel angle together with the number of steering wheel rotations. If a correction is needed, the ABS is activated and/or the engine is retarded to slow the vehicle down to prevent skids and rollovers. Every time an alignment is needed, a complete 4 wheel alignment is done followed by a recalibration of the steering angle sensor. If this is not done, the ESC may not work properly or, even worse, not at all. Most systems will not show a fault code on the dash, therefore, a scan tool will be needed to reset the steering angle sensor. A couple of other governmental items that are on the horizon that you should be aware of are the new Freon refrigerant—HFO-1234yf and, of course, waterborne paints for those not yet mandated. HFO-1234 yf is a new type of Freon that is now being used in Europe. GM will be using it on their U.S. vehicles next year. This new Freon is much safer to the environment than 134A. You will have to invest in a new recovery system, leak detection equipment, and new manifolds. Many states have mandated the use of waterborne paints in areas of poor air quality. It is only a matter of
time before the paint companies will switch entirely to waterborne so, if you’re not already there, you better get on-board soon. You will have to retrain your paint staff and invest in new equipment. It is easier to do it now and not when it is mandated. Where are you going to get the money to pay for all of this equipment? It comes from profits and every time you give something away, you are making a lot less in profits. I suggest that you visit the Society of Collision Repair Specialists web site (scrs.com). Scroll to the center of the page and click on the Guide to complete repair planning. There are over 800 not-included items on their estimating guide and by adding a few of these items to all your estimates; you can achieve some higher profits. The best part of all, it is free for everyone. Enjoy SEMA, I know I will.
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Allstate and Progressive Agree to Settle Patent Litigation
Florida and Michigan AAA Clubs Join Forces, Now 2nd Largest
Virginia Branded Title for Water Damage Settles at $2500
ALLDATA Expands Integration with Electronic Parts Catalogs
Allstate Insurance Co., Allstate Fire & Casualty Insurance Co. and Progressive Casualty Insurance Co. announced they reached a settlement agreement over litigation involving technology patents and questions of trademark infringement. In the suit, Progressive alleged that Allstate infringed on its usagebased car insurance and online insurance policy servicing technology. Progressive also alleged trademark infringement. The companies entered into a trademark co-existence agreement involving the Drive and DriveWise trademarks. They also cross-licensed certain patent rights with each other. “This was about protecting and leveraging Progressive's investment of more than 15 years in usage-based insurance research, development, testing and piloting,” Chuck Jarrett, Progressive's chief legal officer, said. “We have always said we are willing to license our intellectual property rights to others and that we will enforce those rights when necessary.” Allstate said: “Although confident in the merits of its case, Allstate is pleased to be able to leverage its patent portfolio in this settlement by providing a license to Progressive and to eliminate the distraction from this litigation.”
Jordan Hendler, executive director of the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association, said a Virginia state legislator whose vehicle was totaled after the sunroof of his vehicle was left open in a rainstorm was a proponent this year of legislation to raise the threshold of damage requiring a flooddamaged vehicle to receive a branded title from $1,000 to $5,000. Advocates for increasing the bar said that the fourdecade-old limit was unfair, especially because of inflation and rising sticker prices. They argued that the higher level would help consumers at resale as well as used-car dealers that don't want a vehicle branded because of $1,000 of damage to a luxury car's sunroof or leather seats. Hendler said WMABA tried to point out that today's vehicles have far more electronics than cars had decades ago, and that no consumer should unknowingly buy a vehicle that has had thousands of dollars in water damage. The threshold was raised to $2,500, down from the $3500 proposed. The Virginia water damage threshold had been unchanged since 1966. Only Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Hawaii set thresholds—all at $1,000—on water damage allowed before a vehicle's title is branded, according to the National Consumer Law Center.
Two AAA clubs have combined operations to become the second largest AAA club in North America. AAA Auto Club South, based in Tampa, Fla., affiliated and combined with The Auto Club Group based in Dearborn, Mich., effective Oct. 1. The new enterprise, known as The Auto Club Group, now serves members and customers across 11 states and two U.S. territories. They are: Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The group also serves most of Illinois, Minnesota and Tennessee, as well as a portion of Indiana. The new organization provides membership, travel, insurance and financial services to more than 8.4 million members through about 300 office locations. It is maintaining corporate headquarters in both Dearborn and Tampa. Robert Sharp, chair of the former Auto Club South board, is now chairman of the board of The Auto Club Group. Charles Podowski continues as CEO, and John Tomlin, former Auto Club South CEO, is chief operating officer. The Auto Club Group will provide access to a broader array of insurance products and services in the former Auto Club South region.
ALLDATA has recently launched updates to their shop management system, ALLDATA Manage. “The expanded features and parts catalog integration was in direct response to customer feedback,” said Mark Gunnerson, Director of Sales and Operations. ALLDATA Manage key features include: ● Integration with major parts catalogs: AutoZone, Internet Auto Parts, WHI Solutions/Nexpart, Autoi, Activant and WorldPac ● Expanded online ordering provides single click stock checks, pricing and parts order processing ● Easy to use catalog setup and viewing ● AutoZone parts images, specifications and availability ● Improved product speed and performance “Integration with leading parts catalogs has significantly lifted sales for both ALLDATA and our affiliated parts suppliers,” said ALLDATA President Jeff Lagges. “Ordering parts online is such a huge timesaver for shops. In today's competitive business environment, it is critical for shops of all sizes to lower expenses through efficiencies. Our system is designed to do just that.” For more information please visit www.alldata.com/manage.
38 NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Mitchell Partners with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Integrates with Update Promise.com to Deliver Services via RepairCenter™
Mitchell has announced a partnership with Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Under the terms of the agreement, Mitchell will directly integrate Enterprise Rent-ACar services into both its auto repair management software and insurance claims management software solutions, RepairCenter™ and WorkCenter™, by automating and simplifying the end-to-end vehicle rental workflow for insurance carriers. Planned for early 2012, the integration simplifies the rental process by eliminating manual updates and “middleman” communication between the insurer, body shop, rental agency and consumer. When a repair is delayed, an automatic notification can be sent from RepairCenter's shop management system directly to WorkCenter insurance users or to the Enterprise representative to let them know they need to perform a rental task. Representatives and claims handlers will be able to send rental requests, extend rentals and receive rental updates. Paul Rosenstein, Mitchell's Vice President of Claims Solutions, said “Partnerships with respected industry leaders like Enterprise Rent-A-Car are a part of our commitment to simplify and optimize complex claims and busi-
ness environments, ultimately creating an exceptional customer experience at every stage of the claims process.” Dave Smith, Vice President Strategic Solutions Sales, for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, said, “This is a significant opportunity for insurers to speed up automotive claims processing and increase customer satisfaction. In addition, direct integration of Enterprise Rent-A-Car into Mitchell's solutions empowers small insurers to gain access to rental integration without having to build it themselves.” Separately, Mitchell has also teamed with UpdatePromise.com™ to enhance its RepairCenter™ auto repair shop software with proactive repair status updates. UpdatePromise is a Web-based service provider that delivers automated repair status updates to collision customers via text message and e-mail. This allows body shop users to manage delivery date promises, repair status updates, and customer responses from within the RepairCenter body shop software workspace. The widespread use of text messaging gives auto repair shops an improved option to communicate and connect with their customers in a consistent, proactive way.
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California Man Guilty of Selling Counterfeit ALLDATA Products
On June 28, 2011 the ALLDATA AntiPiracy team in conjunction with the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force concluded a six-month investigation into illegally copied ALLDATA products being sold out of Northern California. The subject of this investigation was publicly advertising the pirated software in his efforts to distribute it. Undercover officers conversed with the target who agreed to provide the illegal product in exchange for cash. After the actions of the suspect placed him in violation of California law, he was taken into custody. The subject is being charged with felony counts of Possession/Sale of Counterfeit Articles in reference to penal code 350(A)(2) which states that the offense involves 1,000 or more articles. On July 27, 2011 the subject pleaded guilty to felony charges in Superior Criminal Court. ALLDATA has a team that actively investigates the illegal copying, sale and distribution of its products and works with law enforcement throughout the country to prosecute persons who sell ALLDATA products illegally. The Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force includes 32 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
IRS Offers Employers Tax Relief if Workers Reclassified
The IRS has launched a new program that will enable many employers to resolve past worker classification issues and achieve certainty under the tax law at a low cost by voluntarily reclassifying their workers. The new program will allow employers to get into compliance by making a minimal payment covering past payroll tax obligations rather than waiting for an IRS audit. The IRS says under the Voluntary Worker Classification Settlement Program companies will owe about 1 percent of wages paid to reclassified workers in the past year, with no interest or penalties due. The program is part of a larger “Fresh Start” initiative at the IRS to help taxpayers and businesses address their tax responsibilities. The program will allow businesses that have been improperly labeling their employees as independent contractors to reclassify workers and make only a small payment to cover past payroll taxes. To be eligible, a company must have consistently treated the workers as non-employees; have filed required 1099 tax forms for the past 3 years; and not be under a worker classification audit. Part of the program will be increased vigilance about misclassification of workers in the future.
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NABC Nominees for 2012 Board of Directors Announced
The National Auto Body Council (NABC) hasclosed nominations for the seven 2012 board positions coming open at the end of this year’s term. Every nominated individual has expressed their interest and desire to work for the NABC board. They were offered the opportunity to participate in the discussions and approval of the NABC’s new mission and vision statements, as well. The candidates are listed in their order of nomination: Keith Bell, Akzo Nobel; Stacy Bartnik, CARSTAR; Kenneth Seavey, Hertz First Edition; Mike Jordan, Manchester Collision; Karen Fierst; Fred Iantorno; Jon Faris, Enterprise Car Rental; Kristen Felder, Collision Hub; Elizabeth Stein, Fix Auto; David Niestroy, 3D Body Works; Richard Perry, Chief Auto Technologies; Mark Lovell, Precision Collision. Based on NABC bylaws, an official ballot will be sent to all NABC members for their consideration. The actual election will take place at the NABC annual meeting to be held in the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas on Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. concurrent with the SEMA Show. Only Individual members in attendance or the designated representative of a member can participate in the vote.
DuPont Exhibit at SEMA Show Live Paint Demonstrations
DuPont Custom Finishes (DuPont) will participate at the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) tradeshow in Las Vegas, Nov. 1–4. DuPont Custom Finishes, exhibiting in booth #22789 in Hot Rod Alley, Central Hall, will feature DuPont™ Cromax® Pro, Chroma Premier® and Hot Hues™ custom paint products. Industry airbrush and pinstripe artists will be showcasing their skills with live demonstrations in the booth using DuPont™ Cromax® Pro waterborne products. Vehicles on display in the booth will include a 2012 DuPont Calendar winning ‘61 Chevy Impala, owned by Tim Brown of Jacksonville, Fla.; a ‘71 Challenger owned by Bob and Karon Zeitler and painted by John Riehn of John’s Autobody and Paint. Imperial, Mo.; and a ‘50 Fleetline built by Tim Strange, owner of Strange Motion Rod & Custom Construction and host of PowerBlock TV series “Search & Restore.” Strange will make appearances to sign autographs in the booth 10 am–12 pm on Wednesday, Nov. 2 and 1–3 pm on Thursday, Nov. 3. More information about DuPont Cromax® Pro Waterborne, Hot Hues custom finishes or ChromaPremier® paint products is available at www.pc.dupont .com or phone 1-800-GET-DUPONT.
Mitchell RepairCenter™ Standardizes Special Materials Repair Data within TechAdvisor, Single Source Access to Multiple OEMs Mitchell International, Inc. has announced the integration of its Special Materials Quick Reference Guide into the RepairCenter™ TechAdvisor auto repair shop software solution. The integration simplifies the structural identification process for technicians by presenting the special materials data in Mitchell’s proprietary format that remains consistent across the different OEM’s. “Instant access to the Special Materials Quick Reference Guide via RepairCenter represents the first time that special materials specifications are available from multiple manufacturers in a consistent, user-friendly format from a single repair shop solution,” said Jason Bertellotti, Mitchell’s Vice President of Repair Solutions. “This enhancement is just one example of Mitchell’s ongoing commitment to optimizing the collision repair process. We continue to invest in TechAdvisor and find new ways to leverage Mitchell’s collision expertise to augment the OEM data and create a truly unique value proposition for the collision repair industry.” TechAdvisor’s Special Materials Quick Reference Guide helps ensure the proper repair of today’s advanced
vehicles by identifying and color-coding special materials such as HSS and aluminum consistently across all manufacturers in an easy-to-read format. Color codes indicate the composition of parts, helping technicians to perform the correct repair procedures and estimators to determine whether the parts can be repaired or replaced. Collision repairers are empowered to more quickly research today’s complex cars and trucks, write more accurate estimates, and ensure proper repairs with the end goal of reducing cycle times and increasing customer satisfaction. RepairCenter TechAdvisor is a leading-edge auto repair shop solution that provides a searchable database of historical vehicle repair reference data spanning up to 30 years and leveraging Mitchell’s 65 years of collision industry expertise. For more information about TechAdvisor and Mitchell’s other body shop software solutions for collision repair facilities, call Mitchell at 800-238-9111 or visit the website at www.mitchell.com.
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www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2011 AUTOBODY NEWS 39
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