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VOL. 1 ISSUE 10 DECEMBER 2010
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Results of non-OEM Parts Crash Testing Revealed at November CIC in Las Vegas by John Yoswick
Non-OEM parts again dominated much of the agenda at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC), held in Las Vegas in November in conjunction with the SEMA show. The daylong meeting included presentations by Ford Motor Company, the Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA), and NSF International, the organization that launched another certification program for non-OEM parts earlier this year. Ford announced at the meeting that it had followed up its simulated crash testing of some non-certified
non-OEM bumper parts last summer with some actual low-speed crash testing of the parts (sold as replacements for the 2005–09 MusFord’s Paul Massie tang) in October. The effect of the use of non-OEM parts in a subsequent crash was clear, Paul Massie, powertrain and collision product marketing manager for Ford, said. “It will change the discussion from it ‘might’ change the airbag deSee CIC: Bumper Testing, Page 13
SEMA Week Collision Meetings Focused on Industry Standards and Estimating Systems by John Yoswick
Collision industry meetings held in Las Vegas in November centered around significant changes in the estimating systems, the development of formal industry standards, and related industry issues. The meetings were held in conjunction with the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) tradeshow in Las Vegas, a massive automotive aftermarket event that in recent years has been working to attract more exhibitors and attendees from the collision repair in-
dustry. During the previous six years, the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) was also held in Las Vegas the same week as SEMA, but NACE organizers moved that event several weeks earlier this year because of competition from SEMA. The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) said its first-time partnership with SEMA this year was successful and that the association will participate in the event again next November. Although only about 125 people attended the first-ever See SEMA Week Meetings, Page 27
CollisionHub.com founder
KRISTEN FELDER
“SOCIAL MEDIA”– Personal networking technology and its applications is more than just the chatter mechanism that teens use to communicate with other teens. It has made its presence unavoidable in the business world in recent years. Is it profitable? Worthwhile? Here to stay? Autobody News sat down with Kristen Felder, founder and CEO of CollisionHub.com—a new social media website for the collision repair industry—to ask what all the buzz is about. ABN: What sparked your idea to create Collision Hub? KF: Well, five years ago, when Hurricane Katrina hit, I was working with State Farm Insurance Company. Most everybody’s cell phones were down after the storm, but a lot of people still had access to their social media accounts, which allowed the insurance companies a way to get a hold of customers. So I started to see social media as a very helpful tool thanks to that. Then, at NACE two years ago, I was talking to some colleagues and I thought it would be great if we could recreate that dialogue and debate within the industry more than just at expos once or twice a year. I wanted to create a place where people in the industry could talk openly and have a place to really get to know each other. I decided I wanted to build something to really connect the different segments of the industry.
ABN: What did it take to get Collision Hub off the ground? KF: I spent 3–4 months programming and building the site. I didn’t have any formal web or HTML training so I sort of learned on the fly.
INTERVIEW by Erica Schroeder Also in this issue...
continued on page 12
Collision Hub Implements its Social Media strategy by David M. Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 18 Social Media 101: Why Social Media Matters in Collision Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p. 19
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2 DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Contents AAA Auto-Repair Shop Approved in Phoenix
Despite Opposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Alabama-Made Auto Sales Up 23% from Dismal
2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
APMM Taking Applications for 250 Positions
at Baldwyn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
AutoBody America Acquires Little Rock Shop . . . 9 CAPA Says Georgia’s Fox News Atlanta’s
Weaver- Dude, Meet My Daughter . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Yoswick- Results of non-OEM Parts Crash Testing
Revealed at November CIC in Las Vegas . . . . . 1
Yoswick- SEMA Week Collision Meetings Focused
on Industry Standards and Estimating Systems. 1
NATIONAL
AutoNation Sees Major Acquisitions in 2011 . . . 21
AutoTrader.com to Purchase Kelley Blue Book . . 30
Aftermarket Parts Report is Invalid. . . . . . . . . 24
Bush Book: Automaker Bailout was “Responsible
Atlanta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
China to become GM’’s Largest Market in 2011. 21
Dealership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
GM IPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Classic Collision opens 8th Location in Metro Crown Automotive Buys Chattanooga, TN,
Action” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
China’s Largest Automaker Plans 1% Stake in
First Porsche Approved Collision Center Comes
Detroit Sales Erosion 1997–2010 and Retailer
Hail Damage Keeps Repair Crews Busy in East
Five More Las Vegas Families Receive Reliable
High-Risk Driver Rates Falling in Texas. . . . . . . . . 9
Ford Cuts Mazda Stake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Generates $16–23 Billion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Texas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Maxzone Auto Parts Invests $10M in Norcross, Mobile County, AL, Could Recruit High
Market Gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Transportation at SEMA from NABC . . . . . . . . 11
General Motors IPO, One of Two Largest in History,
GM to Phase out Goodwrench Brand Name . . . . . 16
Performance Automaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
GM Wins Award with New DuPont Plastic . . . . . 16
California will be Jan 12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
in the U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Out of Montgomery, AL, Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Financier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
NABC Annual Golf Outing in Palm Springs,
Sleeker Sportier Hyundai Elantra Ready to Roll TMMMS Plant Supplies up to 1500 temporary
Los Angeles Dealership to be first to sell Fiat Mercedes-Benz Financial is new Daimler Mickey Harris’ American Pride Camaro
and 2000 Full-time Jobs for Mississippi . . . . . . 6
Commands Attention at SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
County, AL, Gets Investment Boost . . . . . . . . 10
PPG & NEXA Brands Get Nod from Chrysler. . . . 14
Toyota Parts Supplier Plant— Amtex—in Walker Woman Named in $80,000 Texas Glass
Distribution Suit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
COLUMNISTS
NCOIL Tables Model Steering Act, for Now. . . . . 26 Rome Technologies Now Integrates with
PMCLogic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
SCRS Thanks Repairer Education Sponsors at
SEMA 2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Amaradio - My Customer, the Crash Test
Social Media 101: Why Social Media Matters in
Brown - Collision Hub Implements its Social
Study Says Drowsy Drivers are Involved in
Espersen, Webster - Got Information? . . . . . . . . 28
Tesla Offers Battery and EV Tech to Toyota,
Schroeder- Social Media Interview with
Toyota Expects 13% Rise in U.S. Sales . . . . . . . 21
Dummy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Media Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Franklin- Promotion Up Close and Personal . . . . 23 Kristen Felder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Schroeder- Three Autobody News Collisions Illustrate Balancing Act Between DRPs and Shops . . . . . 7
Collision Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
17% of Fatal Crashes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Wicklund’s CARSTAR Honors Kansas City Area
Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Editorial Assistant: 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 Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Christina Shubert (800) 699-8251 Sales Assistant: Kristy Mangum Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia
Indexof Advertisers
to Atlanta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Veterans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
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. ©2010 Adamantine Media LLC.
Autobody News
Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018; (800) 699-8251 (760) 721-0253 Fax www.autobodynews.com Email: news@autobodynews.com
Arrigo Dodge-Jeep-Chrysler . . 14
Kia Motors Wholesale Parts
Bill Penney Toyota. . . . . . . . . . . 6
Malco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Autoland Scientech . . . . . . . . . 16
Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers. 21
Maroone Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge 4
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts
Delray Acura / Hyundai . . . . . . 18
Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts
Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers
Nalley BMW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
City Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Crown Automobile Company . 11
Edwards Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . 9
Mazda Wholesale Parts. . . . . . 19 Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
FL, GA, AL, MS . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Nissan Wholesale Parts Dealers 13
Garmat USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Performance Radiator . . . . . . . 19
Galloway Mazda . . . . . . . . . . . 10
GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . 27 Gus Machado Ford . . . . . . . . . 26
Honda Wholesale Parts Dealers 30
Hyundai Wholesale Parts
Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Palmers Toyota . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Scorpion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Tameron Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . 27
Taylor BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers 30 VIM Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS 3
General Motors IPO, One of Two Largest in History, Generates $16–23 Billion by Joe Overby, Auto Remarketing Staff
GM Revving up at the Opening Bell of NYSE
General Motors enjoyed the most substantial initial public offering the country has seen this year, generating at least $16 billion in its much anticipated IPO that launched the morning of Nov. 18. GM chief executive officer Dan Akerson rang the opening bell of the NYSE, which, in this case, was accompanied by the sound of a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS engine revving and tires squealing. GM stock began selling, and eventually the IPO would reach one of one the highest levels in history. “General Motors returns to the NYSE as a company with a great global brand and heritage, and a renewed focus on innovation, quality and the customer,” stated Duncan Niederauer, CEO of NYSE Euronext. “We welcome GM to the NYSE, and we are committed to providing the highest levels of market quality and service to the company’s leadership team, employees and shareholders.” The IPO began selling on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Nov. 18, as well. GM had priced the 478 million shares of common stock it issued at $33 per share. There were also 87 million shares of mandatory convertible junior preferred stock that totaled $4.35 billion. GM had estimated the offering to be $20.1 billion, and if underwriters pick up their option, a total of $23.1 billion. Shortly after the market opened Thursday, Akerson and GM vice chairman and chief financial officer Chris Liddell had a teleconference to discuss the IPO. Liddell said the company had been speaking with several investors in the last few weeks and had really honed in on three key points. For starters, the CFO stressed to investors that GM’s profile was very
low risk , regarding both cost and balance sheet. Second, he said: “We believe we’ve got tremendous growth prospects both in mature markets, such as here in North America, but also in emerging markets, like Brazil and China. “And third, and probably most importantly, we believe in the concept that we have talked about a lot, which is designing, building and selling the world’s best vehicles,” Liddell added.
Retail, Mutual Fund Demand While he was not able to name any specific mutual funds that bought in, Liddell said during the call that “there was a huge amount of interest both on the retail side and the mutual funds. “And we saw, essentially, all of the largest mutual funds over the last couple of weeks and I know—at least I think I know—that virtually all of them put orders in and I hope they certainly got an allocation,” he added. As far as the retail side, GM saw “a very strong retail demand and we were, through the underwriters, very keen to see as much retail participation as we could,” he added.
Government Involvement U.S. government’s share will decrease “not quite by half,” Akerson said. Looking at it on a basic basis, the government’s ownership would drop from just over 60% to 33%, Liddell explained. Looking at it on a fully diluted basis and accounting for things like options, the government’s share falls to the 26% to 27% range, Liddell pointed out. When asked the potential impact the reduction in the government’s ownership with have on the automaker’s image, Akerson said that considering the “excitement throughout the United States and Canada,” GM having repaid its federal government debt with interest and all the preferred shares to the U.S. government and the fact that the government’s ownership has been reduced, the public reaction would likely be positive. “I would say that the average taxpayer in the United States would look at this particular transaction as very, very positive and we’re seeing that,” Akerson shared in the conference call Nov. 18.
4 DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
“There’s no question Ford took a different path. We arrived at about the same location. We’re both viable, strong competitors with a level playing field,” he continued. “And at this stage of the game, the best car wins. “We’re going to have to continue to prove ourselves. At the end of the day, the quality of the product, the design of the product will rule in the marketplace. And that’s where we intend to participate,” Akerson added. Possible Debt Offering Ahead When asked if GM would consider debt offering, Liddell said: “Over the short term, we may look to do a small debt offering simply to establish a credit benchmark. But that will be modest, at most … it will be in the context of just providing some more liquidity and moving toward, eventually, the concept of repaying all our debt. “So, we may take some actions over the next year, but there’s nothing of any significance from a debt point of view that you’re going to see,” he added.
Reaction Sharing her perspective, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi released a statement Nov. 18 that lauded the IPO, calling it a “sign of progress.” “General Motors’ initial public offering is a sign of progress for America’s auto industry, for our nation’s workers, for our manufacturers and our long-term prosperity. In the midst of a severe recession, Congressional Democrats and President Obama took difficult emergency action to rescue American auto companies and strengthen critical pillars of our manufacturing sector, while protecting taxpayers,” the statement said. “Today we have more evidence that those actions are paying off, and the American people are one step closer to being made whole,” Pelosi continued. “Preserving, bolstering and expanding our manufacturing base is central to our economic growth, our national security and our competitiveness on the global stage, and key to establishing America’s manufacturers as centers of innovation.”
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Mobile County, AL, Could Recruit High Performance Automaker The sign says ‘Future Home of the Alabama Motorsports Park’. But it could be the home of the Revenge Supercar, according to Fox 10 TV News Alabama/Florida. The Revenge is a high performance car for the high tier of the market, said former Mobile Mayor Mike Dow. Dow, who spearheads the racetrack movement, said automobile maker Revenge Supercars has its sights set on 200 acres of land on the Prichard-Saraland line. The land is on the Highway 158 corridor and Highway 45. Dow is asking the Mobile County Commission for support enticing the automaker to move to the area. He said Revenge Supercars would bring 600 jobs, with an average pay of $50,000. Revenge Supercars also plans to build a 4.2 mile endurance and high performance track at the site, he said. “Eighteen suppliers have shown an interest in our area if the automaker comes here. Three have committed to coming, if it does,” said Dow. Willie Lanier invested in the original Motorsports Park idea to
Mobile County Commissioner Mike Dean said he is hesitant to jump on board so fast, since he isn’t sure how the plan would affect bond rates, and what if it doesn’t perform as well as Dow hopes it will. Prichard Mayor Ron Davis hopes commissioners will vote to support the project. “I went in with a hope and a prayer to hope that their hearts are in touch with mine. This could help everyone, especially the city of Prichard,” said Davis. Davis said it could completely change Prichard’s tax base. Residents in Prichard said this economic boost is just what the city needs. Especially a city some consider is on its last leg. The $190,000 Verde Supercar, built by Revenge, has The city is struggling to pay its an aluminum and carbon fiber body. At 3500 pounds pensioners, and facing heightit’s capable of 0-60 in less than five seconds ened crime and poverty. Officials said the automobile Dow won’t say how much finanplant wouldn’t replace the racetrack, cial support he’s asking the county for. it would help jump start the project. “This is economic development. It’s a project politicians, business You know me, I don’t talk about the details. Regardless this car will pay owners and residents alike are counting on in Prichard. for itself,” added Dow.
build a world class race track in north Mobile. Lanier said he’s behind this idea as well. “Many of us who took a risk five, six years ago to bring something here. Without us there would be no Revenge, would be no nothing,” said Lanier.
Maxzone Auto Parts Invests $10M in Norcross, Georgia
Taiwanese auto company Maxzone Auto Parts has chosen Norcross, Georgia, for its Southeast Headquarters, creating 30 jobs in Gwinnett County. The company will invest $10 million in the facility, which includes 200,000 square feet of space. “Gwinnett is the leader in attracting internationally based companies by cultivating a community that prides itself on excellence and commitment,” said Polo Hsu, president of Maxzone “We have the same commitment to our customers across the globe and we are excited to build a home in Gwinnett with future plans for expansion and job creation.” The company selected Norcross for its access to major roadways, critical for national transportation connectivity. Maxzone distribution auto headlights, along with some other vehicle parts.
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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS 5
TMMMS Plant Supplies up to 1500 temporary and 2000 Full-time Jobs for Mississippi New jobs related to Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi are growing steadily in number and impact in Northeast Mississippi, even though production of the best-selling Corolla sedans won’t start until about this time in 2011 at the TMMMS assembly plant near Blue Springs in Union County, according to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. TMMMS officials announced that all major internal construction work at the Wellspring site campus has been completed, and that new hires every week (including contract construction of a railroad marshaling yard and other external elements) are building steadily toward a 1,4001,500 employee pre-production work force on site by March 2011. That will make Toyota and related enterprises one of the largest employers in north Mississippi before the first car is produced. David Copenhaver, TMMMS vice president of administration, said major construction at the 2 millionsquare-foot plant is complete. All the new jobs—whether direct
Toyota hires or through contractors and Tier 1 suppliers like Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi in Baldwyn—will be a healthy wage, and monthly regionwide economic impact will be measured in millions of dollars before production begins.
Those 17,800 people are roughly equal interestingly to the total manufacturing employment of the PUL Alliance area (Pontotoc, Union and Lee counties) in 2009: 17,690 jobs, reported by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. PUL is the legal entity formed to promote an auto assembly plant in the region. The growth on-site makes the reliability of the Corolla brand increasingly important in the region’s mindset. By small-car standards, it is an old reliable, introduced in 1966 and first sold in the U.S. in The new styling of the 2011 Toyota Corolla as shown at the 1968. 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show At full production The production and maintenance employment of 2,000, TMMMS will jobs at TMMMS will pay between be linked to one of the largest single$15 and $25 an hour, while the avercompany networks in North America age manufacturing wage in the region with 35,000 employees, investment is about $13 an hour, all plus benefits. valued at more than $23 billion, and Nearly 17,800 people have apannual purchasing of materials, goods plied for the hourly positions at and services from North American TMMMS, according to the Mississippi suppliers at more than $25 billion. Department of Employment Security. The Mississippi Development
Authority projects that full production at the Toyota plant will lead to 7,000 direct and indirect jobs, equivalent to one of Northeast Mississippi’s typical small cities.
APMM Taking Applications for 250 Positions at Baldwyn
Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi in northeast Mississippi is taking applications for about 250 jobs at its Baldwyn facility. The job listings for the Toyota supplier in Baldwyn, were posted on the Mississippi Department of Employment Security website as of October 29. Kiyoshi Tsuchiya, the general manager of Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi, told The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal that the company wants to “build a strong and diverse corporate family.” The plant will supply stamped body parts, plastic bumpers and plastic instrument panels for the Corolla sedans to be built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi in Blue Springs, starting in fall 2011.The company will begin hiring production workers in late November.
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6 DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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Erica Schroeder is a writer and editorial assistant for Autobody News in Oceanside, CA. She can be reached at eschroeder@autobodynews.com.
with Erica Schroeder
Three Autobody News Collisions Illustrate Balancing Act Between DRPs and Shops Autobody News was under a collision cloud in September this year. Three of our employees, myself included, required the immediate services of colwith John Yoswicklision repair shops and insurers in three unrelated accidents in the Oceanside area of Southern California. While all of us in the company experience collision repair in the abstract as a course of reporting on the industry, we each got a real world experiwith Christina’s choice: World AutoEd BodyAttanasio in ence this time. Both of our sales Encinitas, CA account managers, Christina Shu-
Industry Insight
Shop Showcase
bert and Joe Momber, also participated in our ‘collision cluster.’ Although the damages occurred in different scenarios and were of different severity, each experience provided a first-hand look at the DRP model and its prevalence in modern collision repair. What they underscored was that, although the relationship
Christina’s car suffered a “double-reverse” rear-end impact...
between an insurer and a direct repair shop within their network is a valued partnership, it is a strained one. Lots of repair shops have come to rely on one or two insurers to send them their customers through their network of ‘trusted shops,’ but feelings on behalf of collision repairers on whether or not this relationship is worth the trouble are mixed. The tradeoff for a collision repairer in a DRP is familiar and simple in principle. Although the shop will take a dollars-per-job cut, in theory they have more customers coming in, as referred by the insurer advising customers who don’t have a preferred shop. Insurers get a dis-
..but came back to life courtesy of World Auto Body
count on the repairs but they are scrutinized on legal issues, including steering, and sometimes get pushback from shops. Learning to work with insurers’ standards and requirements has become a necessary obligation for DRP shops, but many don’t like having an insurer directing them as to what procedures they have to follow in order to be a part of the direct repair relationship. Christina’s damage was caused when she and another vehicle backed into each other in a parking lot. Her claim was handled through See Three Collisions, Page 22
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS 7
First Porsche Approved Collision Center Comes to Atlanta
The Porsche Approved Collision Center Program was established to ensure that when a Porsche vehicle is involved in a collision that the exacting repair and reconstructive techniques and materials are used and that the Porsche owner’s “Porsche perfect” driving experience is not diminished. Via a rigorous process of on-site audits, and over 1,000 hours of training at the Porsche Academy, Porsche has ensured that their high standards of performance and construction are fully restored by skilled and trained professionals. Porsche Approved Collision Centers commit to these procedures, and to the use of genuine Porsche parts, materials, tools and equipment. Porsche Approved Collision Centers are also continuously supported and monitored by factory technical personnel. The Jim Ellis Collision Center was sponsored to participate in the Porsche Approved Collision Center Program by the team at Jim Ellis Porsche. “I am very proud of our Collision Center team, led by Marc Sizemore in achieving the coveted Porsche Certification,” says Doug McIntyre, General Manager of Jim Ellis Porsche. Five of the technicians and three estimators on staff at the Jim Ellis
Collision Center have attended the Porsche Academy training sessions over the past 14 months, often after a full shift or on Saturdays. There are only twelve collision centers to have successfully completed this program. Jim Ellis Collision Center is the first to be Porsche Approved in the state of Georgia, and one of three in the Eastern US. Remarkably, it is only the second dealership shop to complete the program. Notably, Jim Ellis Collision Center is the only dealer shop in the United States to become Audi Certified, Volkswagen Certified, and Porsche Certified. “Our personnel recognize the challenges in repairing today’s automobiles, particularity Porsches,” says Marc Sizemore. “New safety standard ratings and fuel efficiency requirements are driving new materials and technology into today’s vehicles. Only a collision center dedicated to new training and equipment can repair these vehicles correctly. Jim Ellis Collision Center is proud that Porsche has recognized our efforts.” To learn more please visit the Jim Ellis Collision Center website (http://www.jimelliscollision.com).
Crown Automotive Buys Chattanooga, TN, Dealership Crown Automotive Group, a leading national auto dealer group, announced the purchase of the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram dealership in Chattanooga November 16 according to WTVC News Chattanooga. The purchase process began in February 2010 and was finalized on October 26 of this year. The new dealership is expected to bring 100 jobs to the area. “Over the past year, dealerships of all brands across the nation have been up for sale. We researched many of these options and identified Chattanooga and Chrysler as the best opportunities,” commented Dwayne Hawkins, founder and president of Crown Automotive and Birmingham, Alabama native. “Chattanooga is a beautiful city with great people and a thriving economy. The more we looked, the more we liked it. Any time an automotive company decides to go into a market it’s because they see tremendous potential, and we are investing $11 million.” Crown Automotive chose the Chattanooga area and the Chrysler brand for numerous reasons. Chattanooga’s vibrant economy, highly educated work force and family-oriented community were key factors in Crown’s decision.
Further, the group has worked with Chrysler for decades and operated multiple Chrysler stores. Chrysler has recently undertaken extensive design modifications and upgrades to offer consumers world-class vehicles with new products, new technology and greater fuel efficiency. An extensive, multi-million dollar renovation and redesign of the Chapman Road facility is currently underway. When the new store opens this January, it will be state of the art including all of Chrysler’s latest dealership design and image styling, for both the interior and exterior. It will also hold the distinction of being a “Chrysler Image Facility.” The dealership will open with about 300 new and used vehicles and offer parts, service and financing centers. In addition to consumer vehicles, Crown Automotive will offer trucks and vans for commercial use. The new dealership will also be heavily involved in charitable and civic organizations in Chattanooga. Being a part of and giving back to the community are core values of Crown Automotive and the group’s existing dealerships support children, education and health oriented organizations in their respective communities.
See these Hyundai dealers below for all your collision parts needs! FLORIDA
Bill Seidle Hyundai
City Hyundai
MIAMI
TALLAHASSEE
305-635-4871
850-575-1000
305-633-5671 Fax
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kwest@cityhyundai.com
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DO THE RIGHT THING ENOUGH TIMES, AND PEOPLE BEGIN TO NOTICE. Hyundai Sales Up More than 14% (year on year). In 2008 Hyundai became the world's fifth-largest automaker, with 7% market share in the United States. 8 DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
727-527-5250 727-525-6830 Fax Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm Sat 8am - 1pm
abranca@crowncars.com
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High-Risk Driver Rates Falling in Texas
Insurance rates for high-risk drivers insured through the Texas Automobile Insurance Plan Association (TAIPA) will decrease overall by 7.6 percent from 2010 rates effective Jan. 1, 2011. According to TAIPA, Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin’s order decreases overall rates for TIAPA personal auto insurance policies according to Insurance Journal. Also effective Jan. 1, the minimum amounts of motor vehicle liability insurance coverage required to establish financial responsibility in Texas will be: 30/60/25, or $30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in an accident; $60,000 for bodily injury to or death to two or more persons in one accident; and $25,000 for damage to or destruction of property in an accident. Texas currently requires motorists to carry a minimum of $20,000 protection for bodily injury liability per person, $40,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage liability—or 20/50/25. In 2010, TAIPA rates saw a 2.2percent increase from 2009 rates, according to OnlineAutoInsurance.com.
AutoBody America Acquires Little Rock, AK, Shop
AutoBody America, a multi-shop operator with locations throughout Tennessee and Mississippi, acquired Greg Helmbeck’s Collision Repair in Little Rock, Ark. This is the 13th location in the AutoBody America family and the first in Arkansas. The 9,000-squarefoot facility is located in Sherwood. AutoBody America said it is the largest independently owned and operated collision repair organization in Tennessee. It operates facilities in the Tennessee cities of Memphis, Nashville, Clarksville, Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, Jackson, and Columbia. It also has locations in Southaven, Miss. and Jackson, Miss. Patrick James, CEO of AutoBody America stated, “After building out our footprint in Tennessee and Northern Mississippi, we felt it was important to enter the central Arkansas market to serve both our retail and insurance customers. We have spent the past year searching for the right facility and ... found that with Greg Helmbeck’s.” AutoBody America continues to seek companies in TN, MS and AK. For more information visit www.autobodyamerica.com.
Woman Named in $80,000 Texas Glass Distribution Suit
A Humble, Texas, woman is among the defendants being sued by a Texas glass distribution company, alleging that it is owed nearly $80,000 for automobile glass goods it delivered to the defendants according to Ultimate Lake Houston News. All American Glass Distributors filed a lawsuit on Oct. 15 in the Harris County District Court against Texas Auto Glass & Upholstery LLC, formerly known as Apache Auto Glass Co., Laura Carden and Humbles Meghan Jaks, individually and as custodian for Trevor Jaks, alleging fraud, breach of contract and deceptive business practices. The plaintiff says that it was not paid for the goods it delivered and attempts to collect went ignored. Furthermore, the plaintiff alleges that in an effort to get out of its debt, the defendants transferred the business name to a minor. The plaintiff is seeking damages including actual damages, exemplary damages, court costs and any other damages it is entitled to by the court. The plaintiff is being represented in the case by Houston attorney Stacey L. Barnes.
AAA Auto-Repair Shop Approved in Phoenix Despite Opposition
The Phoenix Planning Commission voted to allow AAA-Arizona to convert an abandoned emissions station near 40th Street and Greenway Road into an auto-repair shop according to the Arizona Republic. Neighbors had objected to the change, and the Paradise Valley Village Planning Commission failed to approve the facility in two separate votes. Pending appeal by the neighbors, the commission decision now goes to the Phoenix City Council for final say. AAA asked to rezone the property where the emissions station was located from light commercial (C-1) to intermediate commercial (C-2), as required for an auto-repair shop. Neighbors objected on grounds of noise, and said the emissions station never should have been permitted there. They also expressed concern that if the AAA shop does not survive, other undesirable uses could take over the facility if it has lC-2 zoning.But AAA promised to take steps to mitigate noise and improve security, drainage and lighting. The commission voted 6-1 last week in support of AAA’s plans.
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Toyota Parts Supplier Plant— Amtex—in Walker County, AL, Gets Investment Boost
Walker County, AL, has steered a Toyota supplier plant into its industrial park. The mostly rural county is banking on more than 400 acres near the future Interstate 22 to boost its economic development profile and its fortunes, according to the Birmingham News. Inside an industrial building at Bevill Industrial Park, workers for Birmingham’s Gray Construction are moving to complete work on what will be home to Amtex, a subsidiary of the giant Japanese automotive supplier Hayashi Telempu. Amtex is investing $12.8 million to finish the building and install equipment to produce carpeting and interior trim for the Corolla cars that Toyota will build at its new plant near Tupelo, MS. Both the Amtex and Toyota plants are scheduled to open in 2011. David Knight, executive director of the Walker County Development Authority, said the plant will have up to 45 jobs when it opens and could grow to 60 within a few months. More growth is possible if the company wins work with other automakers, which it is pursuing, he said. “They have indicated they would like to do work for other companies, which is one of the reasons they chose to locate here,” Knight said. “They are within 80 to 85 miles of the new Toyota plant, the Honda plant in Lincoln and the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance.” The Alabama Technology Network owns a building inside Bevill Industrial Park that provides temporary office space for companies like Amtex and classrooms for training by Bevill State Community College and the Alabama Industrial Development Training program, which is handling worker hiring and training for Amtex. Knight said the 53,000-squarefoot building Amtex is leasing also has 14 acres of property that would allow for expansion and there is enough adjacent property to allow it to more than double its current size, if necessary. Growth stories are not uncommon in Bevill Industrial Park, which is now home to around a dozen companies, including several different operations for Fontaine Trailer Co. and Honda supplier Nitto Dinko. Companies in the park have invested more than $35
million and employ more than 500 people, Knight said. The Jasper Industrial Development Board began investing in Bevill in the late 1980s but the park sat mostly as undeveloped land for nearly a decade until the city put in a speculative building that was purchased by a company. Alabama Power Co.’s speculative building program added two more spec buildings that have been filled and the city invested nearly $2 million in a fourth that is now being prepared for Amtex. “The industrial development board and the city have been aggressive and determined to be prepared for any jobs and growth from I-22,” said David O’Mary, chairman of the Jasper Industrial Development Board. Knight and O’Mary said the two entities work closely together because the authority needs sites to market and the city is willing to invest to bring in new jobs and investment. “It really took the vision and the patience of the Jasper Industrial Development Board and the support of our partners to get us to where we are today,” said Knight, whose organization is charged with marketing sites in the county and recruiting prospective companies to those sites. Thanks to a $7 million investment by the Jasper Industrial Development Board, the authority now has 405 acres to market to companies. Next week, officials will break ground on a $3.5 million access road off Industrial Parkway leading into the new Jasper Industrial Park. Alabama Power’s speculative building program has already funded a 50-acre prepared site in the new park. Knight said all of the infrastructure is in place for the new park, which will have access to both Burlington-Northern/Santa Fe and Norfolk-Southern railroad lines. It also will have access to Corridor X, the future I-22, via the Industrial Parkway connection. Patrick Murphy, head of economic development for the Birmingham Business Alliance, said the new Jasper Industrial Park is more than a boon just for Walker County. It also fills a critical need for the entire Birmingham metro area, he said. “We don’t have any industrial sites this large in any other county in our region,” Murphy said. “Having a
10 DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
400-plus acre site to market to prospects will allow us to compete for projects we have not been able to go after before.” Knight said though the new park is being marketed as having up to six different sites, the entire 405 acres are connected and could be sold to a single mega-project that needs the space. Its access to rail and the interstate will make the new park attractive to the companies expected to be drawn to the metro area by a new Norfolk Southern railroad hub in McCalla, Murphy said. “For those companies that will want to ship a percentage of their products through the McCalla facility and then transport them to markets to the north, I think this location is going to have a lot of appeal,” he said. With I-22, travelers can go from Jasper to downtown Birmingham in slightly more than 30 minutes. That link will help diversify the work force in Walker County, something Knight said is critical. “We were hurt when mining took a downturn. We were hurt when tex-
tiles took a downturn,” he said. “Diversification is important to us going forward.” Along with sites left in Bevill Industrial Park and the new Jasper Industrial Park, the Walker County town of Cordova has more than 54 acres in what is known as the Cordova Docks property. It’s one of the few sites in this part of the state that has a railroad line, operated by Burlington Northern, that is linked to a navigable waterway, the Mulberry Fork that leads to the Black Warrior River. “We feel like we have a lot to offer,” Knight said. “More companies are starting to discover that.” Knight said he has seen an increase in project activity since I-22 has begun approaching completion. Several companies have requested information or toured sites in the last six months. Jasper Mayor Sonny Posey said the prospects eyeing the city are impressive. “We’re getting some good inquiries, including a couple that are off the charts,” he said.
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Five More Las Vegas Families Receive Reliable Transportation at SEMA from NABC Imagine the negative impact a lack of reliable transportation has on a lifestyle. Getting to work, going to the doctor, or even grabbing a quart of milk at the store becomes a challenge. Most of us probably can’t imagine existing without a car at our immediate disposal, yet the United States Bureau of Transportation estimates that over 15 million Americans have difficulty getting the transportation they need.
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Auto Zone Representatives with some of the SEMA Recycled Rides recipients
For this reason, the National Auto Body Council (NABC) is pleased to say that the lives of five deserving Las Vegas families was dramatically impacted on Thursday, November 4, at the SEMA Show located outside of the
Las Vegas Convention Center. Each of the families received the gift of a refurbished vehicle from NABC members through its Recycled Rides™ program. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman was in attendance, as he was last year. This was the second time within weeks that such a donation has occurred. Five other families also received vehicles from Recycled Rides at the NACE Show that took place Tuesday, October 12 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Insurance companies Esurance, Allstate and State Farm donated the vehicles to be repaired. NABC members Sterling Collision, 911 Collision and Gerber Collision & Glass were responsible for refurbishing the vehicles. The recipient families were all graduates of the Family Promise of Las Vegas program, a non-profit interfaith network that provides support to families in crisis. The first family included a mother of three that could no longer afford her apartment after being recently laid off. After only 44 days in the program she is
Crown Automobile Company
The second recipient is a father of two boys, one of whom is a special needs child. The Mazda they receive will be used to get the father to work and his boys to school. The third recipient is a single mother of three daughters. All are honor students. One is graduating high school this year in anticipation of attending a prestigious college. Their vehicle will help keep their scholastic winning streak alive. The fourth family consists of a couple with two children who were in
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Nadeeryah reacts after Nick Notte presents her with her new recycled ride
the Family Promise program two years ago and who married while in the program. Their donated Chrysler van will get mom to school and get dad to his job helping him to maintain his perfect attendance record at work. The fifth recipient is a single mother of two toddler daughters forced to take the bus to get to work, and to get her daughters to preschool. By receiving her recycled Acura MDX, mom will be able to breathe easier knowing that the only schedule she will now have to follow is her own. “We’re really happy to be back in Las Vegas to give five more families the vehicles that will help provide them a fresh start,” said Recycled Rides Chairman and President of Sterling Autobody Centers, Nick Notte. “These are just ten examples of the 150 families who this year will receive the gift of reliable transportation to make better lives for themselves due to Recycled Rides and its participants. I am grateful to be part of a project that clearly illustrates the giving nature of NABC members and the collision repair industry in general.”
Crown Automobile Company
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back on her feet and the Chrysler Pacifica she received will be used to get her to her new job and her children to school.
mtramell@crownautomobile.com
1800 Montgomery Highway - Hoover, AL 35244
Fax: 205.402.2252
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1800 Montgomery Highway S. - Hoover, AL 35244 www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS 11
Continued from Page 1
Kristen Felder
The site itself looks completely different now then it did when I first started it. I was fortunate enough to have phenomenal mentors to call and ask for advice when I was creating the site and even to eventually call and ask to join and create a page once it was done. It would not have launched so successfully without my mentors in the collision and insurance sides of the industry joining the site. It definitely grew by word of mouth after that. When it first got started, I remember thinking, ‘if people from both sides [of the industry] were willing to join, I had done something right in my career.’
ABN: You have a family background in collision repair, don’t you ? KF: I was born into this industry. My Dad owned a collision repair shop when I was growing up and I really spent my life in it. I worshipped my Dad, so I was in the shop every day watching him work. I did a little bit of everything to help once I got older; frame, body and paint, to name a few. Looking back I wasn’t that great of a technician, so I went to college and got a job working with State Farm Insurance in their marketing department. While working there my perspective on the insurance industry changed a lot, but I missed the people in the body shops. Car people will do anything for anybody—they’re really good people. That’s one thing I really enjoy about Collision Hub, it lets people see both sides of the industry. ABN: Where do you see the relationship between social media and the collision repair industry in 5 to 10 years? Do you think it’s a long-lasting, valuable tool? KF: I think in 5 years we will see everything involved in the social media environment. Facebook, youtube, and twitter will become complete news sources and information sharing mediums. These sites promote friendship and respect and open up some channels for users. I think we will also see a lot more people plugged in this industry specifically. ABN: What are CollisionHub.com’s numbers when it comes to number of pages and traffic?
KF: CollisionHub.com currently has about 3,000 personal pages in 22 countries. The pages break down to 54% body shops, 14% insurance and the rest are vendors and educators. As far as views, Collision Hub gets about 50,000 page views a month from about 13,000 individual IP addresses. Most of our traffic is organic; not a lot of people are coming to the site from a link on another site.
ABN: The last two years have been especially tough in the industry. What have your first two years been like for CollisionHub? Have there been any major problems or challenges? KF: It’s been hard. There have been some hard months. There are highs and lows with every business, but for Collision Hub the lows haven’t been so low recently.
ABN: What are Collision Hub’s goals business-wise 5 to 10 years down the road? KF: Overall we want to develop a community that is accepting and respectful of everyone in the industry, no matter if they’ve been a top-level CEO of a major body shop for 30 years or are just starting out as a technician. We want everyone to have an equal voice and equal footing and really create a community for this industry online. We want newcomers to the industry to have a place to share ideas and have them be heard, as well as a place for them to learn and gain industry mentors.
ABN: Tell us about your plans for Collision Hub TV. KF: I think that the size and scope of this industry isn’t really appreciated; what all we are involved with isn’t appreciated. Collision Hub TV just provides another way for people to see what goes on, to be there without having to buy a plane ticket. CH TV will give more stories a face. For example, one thing I’m hoping CH TV will be able to do is to help SkillsUSA winner Kayla Toncik be able to get enough exposure to get some more financial sponsorships for her WorldSkills event in 2011. Participants from the USA have to earn their own way to WorldSkills, unlike some participant from other countries whose ways are paid. Through CH TV people can see her, see her train and connect to her story. CH TV provides people with a way to see it, feel it and hear it; to be more involved and plugged in. Colli-
12 DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
sion Hub TV is the site’s number one driver right now.
ABN: What are some new features in the works at CollisionHub.com? KF: Well, there are quite a few things in the works, some more complete than others. First, there’s Collision Hub University, which will probably be launched in Q1 of 2011. Everyone right now is training driven and the industry wants more training, but it is expensive and time consuming for businesses to send their staff to training events and classes. So CH university would allow technicians to watch 5 to 10 minute videos to gain more technical knowledge. We’re working with some of the training organizations to set that up. We’re also working on a classifieds/auctioning section of Collision Hub, which will hopefully go live also in Q1 of 2011. This would be a marketplace where people could post job openings, for-sale items and jobs wanted posts. Also the Girl Scouts project Collision Hub did at NACE this year was very successful, so we will be expanding on that in the coming months. We’re thinking of doing a Gear Heads Kids Car oppor-
tunity where the Girl Scouts can attend some classes and work regularly on projects to gain better knowledge about this industry. After the last Girl Scouts project we also have tossed around the idea of creating an 18 and under section of Collision Hub where people under 18-years-old can have a Collision Hub page and use it as a venue to learn more about this industry, but only be able to view certain, age appropriate content. We have also been experimenting with the idea of creating virtual trade shows. Collision Hub would provide a program where people can create avatars and visit virtual booths at any participating trade show. Then users can click on a booth and it will video call the physical booth where someone there will be able to answer questions and talk to them as if they were physically at the show. We’re thinking of trying this out at next year’s ASA Vision show. ABN: I know a lot of social media sites have had issues generating much income from usage, how has Collision Hub done and how do you pay the bills? See Kristen Felder, Page 20
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CIC: Bumper Testing
ployment to it ‘will’ change the airbag deployment,” Massie said. Massie showed video of the testing, which found that a Mustang with the non-OEM reinforcement beam, energy absorber and isolator sustained $2,982 in damage in a 5-mph crash as opposed to $1,224 in damage to the same vehicle when equipped with Ford service parts. Massie said there was only about $400 difference in the estimated repair costs in an 8-mph crash, unless the reduced energy absorption of the non-OEM parts resulted in airbag deployment. Ford engineer Dave Bauch said such a deployment is more likely with the changed “crash pulse” that the testing showed is a result from the use of the non-OEM parts. Also at CIC, CAPA announced its new standard and certification for non-OEM bumper-related parts, saying that as it developed the new standard, it found “very few bumper parts that actually matched the car company brand parts in terms of
performance, materials and durability.” Jack Gillis of CAPA said that in order to confirm that its new standard accurately identifies parts that match OEM, CAPA worked with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) to crash test some non-OEM bumper parts. IIHS tested some bumper reinforcement beams that met CAPA’s CAPA’s Jack Gillis certification standards and some that did not. A non-OEM beam for the 2009 Toyota Camry that wouldn’t have met CAPA’s new standard didn’t buckle similarly to the OEM version in a lowspeed crash. One for the 2005 Ford F150 actually resulted in lower estimated repair costs than the OEM version, but only because the fog lamp recesses were different than the OEM; the difference actually protected the fog lamps better, but still would prevent the part from being certified as matching the OEM. But a non-OEM bumper reinforcement beam designed for the
2008 Dodge Ram pick-up and that does meet CAPA’s new standard was also crash tested; the resulting estimated damage costs to the vehicle were virtually identical to the damage costs sustained when the OEM version was crash-tested at low and high speeds. Ford’s Massie was asked to comment on the CAPA crash testing. “I’ve got to say, I think what Jack showed today was promising,” Massie said. “The IIHS piece of it adds a lot of credibility. I think there’s a lot more we’ve got to know before we could put our stamp of approval on it, if we ever put our stamp of approval on it, but I think it was a compelling effort.” NSF’s Bob Frayer Also at CIC, Bob Frayer of NSF International spoke about his company’s nonOEM parts certification program launched in February of this year. He said about 100 parts have been certified through the program to date, with 100 more expected to be
certified by the end of this year. He said he expects that number to be close to 2,000 by the end of 2011. Like CAPA, NSF certification requires the manufacturer to meet quality control requirements, and that parts undergo testing to determine they match OEM in terms of content, fit and function. But unlike CAPA, NSF does not require that its labs conduct the actual testing of the parts; NSF merely audits that the parts manufacturer has had testing done by a qualified facility. “The manufacturers control testing,” Frayer said. “We can do the testing, but we only require the testing be done at an ISO 17025 accredited facility. I worked very closely with the OEMs in a previous life, and this is the same criteria they held us to in our testing.” NSF-certified parts bear the NSF mark, Frayer said, and certification requires the manufacturer to have a system in place to conduct a part recall if there is a safety concern. Although CAPA accepts and investigates complaints about parts it certifies, under the NSF program the parts manufacturer must have a system in place to
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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS 13
accept and respond to complaints. How does a shop know how to file such a complaint? Frayer said a phone number or email address for the manufacturer must be included on either the part or packaging. Gillis and Frayer were asked how the industry should view the fact that there are now multiple standards and certification programs for non-OEM parts. Gillis said he doesn’t see it as a good thing, and could create confusion, just as it would if competing drug stores had different standards for aspirin that consumers had to try to sort through. “Multiple standards often signify a diminution of the concept of standards,” Gillis said. He welcomed critics of CAPA to contact him to get a better understanding of what it takes to meet CAPA standards, saying that those who have often are surprised and impressed by what they learn. He acknowledged that all of the significant changes to the CAPA program over the decades have been the result of challenges by collision repairers. “We want that. We welcome that,” Gillis said.
Frayer pointed out that when NSF launched its program, it began with a standard for non-OEM bumper parts, a category of parts CAPA wasn’t certifying until this fall. He also said he doesn’t see multiple standards as a bad thing. “If we were interested in only one standard, we would probably be buying only OEM parts and say that’s the standard and why don’t we stop there,” Frayer said. “I’d argue that both CAPA and NSF are not the first standard but the second and third in the industry (after OEM). I don’t personally think that’s a bad thing.” Frayer was asked at CIC why he thinks the NSF program will succeed when CAPA still struggles to gain acceptance by shops, insurers, parts manufacturers and distributors. “I think the people in this room will make that decision over time,” Frayer said. “I’m not going to comment directly on that. I think a year from now we’ll be talking again and see how we’re doing.”
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PPG & NEXA Brands Get Nod from Chrysler
Rome Technologies Now Integrates with PMCLogic
Rome Technologies has announced a Chrysler has approved, for North new capability with PMCLogic and America, a new line of low-VOC PPG Rome’s CompleteShop 2011 manageand Nexa Autocolor™ clears, primers ment software. PMCLogic is a manand sealers for use on its vehicles. The agement tool designed to easily and products have all been developed exaccurately calculate the amount of pressly for use with PPG’s previously paint and materials used to repair and approved Envirobase® High Performrefinish a vehicle in order to return it ance or Nexa Autocolor Aquabase® to pre-accident condition. Information Plus waterborne basecoats. generated from this program can be Chrysler’s approval encomused to better manage paint and mapasses PPG’s EC700 series of terial inventory and purchasing while clears, ECP10 series of primers and providing accurate job costing for ECS20/ECS60 series of sealers. The each vehicle repaired. The integration Nexa Autocolor series of P190also allows shops to create a paint and 6759/6790 clears, P565-314x/212x material estimate and invoice. sealers, and P565-540x primers Scott Rome, President of Rome have also been approved. EC700 seTechnologies said, “Having PMries and Nexa Autocolor P190CLogic’s paint information and asso6759/6790 are characterized as ciated products cost feed directly into “one-visit clears” which eliminates CompleteShop provides collision rethe need for long flash times bepair facilities with accurate detailed tween coats. This feature reduces information that can be used to justify cycle times without compromising these expenses to their customers and the quality and appearance highthe insurance providers.” production shops require. Chrysler “The integration with Rome brings also approved PPG’s D8113 matte Give us your opinion affecting theof industry. PMCLogic to the heart the collision clearcoat. While other clears on use matters repair industry; giving shops the inforflattening agents to achieve low mation they need to better manage their gloss, D8113 was specifically creresources and inventory,” said Computated in a matte finish to address erLogic’s CEO, Rick Palmer. growing OEM trends. publisher@autobodynews.com
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Detroit Sales Erosion 1997–2010 and Retailer Market Gains Autobody News
by Jim Lang, Lang Marketing
Foreign vehicles (imports and transplants) more than doubled their share of new car and light truck sales in the U.S. between 1997 and 2010. Over this 13-year span, foreign vehicles made more progress in expanding their new vehicle market share in the U.S. than they achieved in the previous 50 years. Foreign models captured 26.1% of 1997 new vehicle volume in the U.S., topping 28% of the 2000 market. Over the next five years, foreign cars and light trucks recorded steady growth in new vehicle share, climbing to 35% of the 2004 market. Then, foreign new vehicle share exploded. By 2007, foreign cars and light trucks accounted for 49% of new vehicle sales in the U.S. with their share soaring to 53% in 2008 and reaching an estimated 55% of the 2010 market.
Japanese Cars and Light Trucks Japanese models captured 37% of 2007 new car and light truck sales, and will account for an estimated 39% of the 2010 market. Growth of Japanese models would have been stronger had it not been for Toyota’s recent safety issues, which reduced Toyota’s 2010 sales share below its 2007 performance. Over the next several years, Japanese models will regain sales momentum and continue expanding their new vehicle share.
European Vehicles European vehicles, lead by German nameplates, captured 7% of 2007 light vehicle volume. European cars and light trucks are expected to capture 8% of the 2010 market. Not achieving the strong share growth projected for Japanese models over the coming years, European vehicles
December 2010
will, nevertheless, steadily expand their U.S. new vehicle sales position.
Korean Surge Hyundai, along with Kia, added dramatic punch to foreign vehicle share growth over the past 24 months. Rapidly adding dealerships, Korean nameplates will record nearly 20% sales growth during 2010, pushingup their market share more than twothirds from 2007. Covering a wide range of market niches, Korean vehicles will continue expanding their sales and market share, growing at a much faster pace than European or Japanese models. Chinese Entry Chinese nameplates will begin making a strong impact on the U.S. new vehicle market in five to seven years. Their growth will be rapid in the U.S., particularly if acquiring another carmaker is part of a Chinese market entry strategy, or Chinese vehicles are sold through an existing dealer network.
2021 New Vehicle Sales Lang Marketing expects foreign vehicles (imports and transplants) to account for at least two-thirds of new car and light truck 2021 sales in the U.S. This projection allocates only 4% of 2021 sales to Chinese vehicles. If Chinese models exceed this estimate, foreign vehicle share could rise higher than two-thirds by 2021.
Aftermarket Impact The aftermarket impact of this new vehicle sales trend will be dramatic and irreversible. By 2021, foreign models will top 60% of vehicles in the so-called age sweet spot for vehicle repair (five to ten years).
Surging foreign vehicle aftermarket product share will have a revolutionary impact on product brands sold in the aftermarket, how products are distributed, as well as where parts and service are purchased.
Retailer Commercial Market Gains A recent in-house study by Lang Marketing found Retailers are making gains in the commercial (wholesale) market against several leading Programmed Jobber groups. Retailers are getting high marks from Installers on a number of key competitive issues in several markets studied. Each of the battleground cities studied by Lang Marketing contains AutoZone, Advance, and O’Reilly stores as well as NAPA and CARQUEST Jobbers. While it is not possible to generalize with great confidence from this in-house study to the commercial market nationwide, some major findings are significant: Retailers are improving commercial services, Service Stations and Garages are willing to explore alternative buying sources, and a large portion of Installer volume is “in play”.
Convenience The growing convenience of buying from Retailers cannot be underestimated as a major reason they are gaining commercial business. This convenience reflects several factors: Retailers (at least in the cities studied) have inventories to support Installer business, Retailers have delivery capabilities which meet Installer expectations, and, because of their growing numbers, Retailers often are closer to Installers than are Programmed Jobbers. More “Commercialized” Retailers While the Jobber population is declining nationwide (at a slowing
pace), the Retailer count continues to rise. Although some leading Retailers have not rolled out commercial programs to all stores, where they are emphasizing commercial business, “commercialized” Retailers often outnumber Jobber locations. Pricing Issue The in-house Lang Marketing study did not focus on pricing in-depth, but there is evidence sharp pricing by Retailers is a critical issue in some markets covered. In other research conducted by Lang Marketing over the past several years, sharp pricing was found to be a tactic of some “commercialized” Retailers in competitive markets. While availability and service still rank highest as product buying criteria among Installers, the issue of pricing can be ignored only “at peril.” Commercial Market is Fluid In battleground cities covered by Lang Marketing’s in-house study, Service Stations and Garages, for the most part, were open to explore alternative products sources, with Installers generally free of strong negative feelings toward purchasing from Retailers.
Jobbers Still Control Commercial Market Programmed Jobbers still control the largest share of auto parts sales to Installers in the battleground cities covered by Lang Marketing’s in-house study. That said, the major underlying finding of this study is that the commercial market is more fluid than ever before, with a large share of Installer business “in play.” From Aftermarket Insight™ by Jim Lang, President of Lang Marketing Resources, Inc., www.langmarketing.com.
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS 15
GM to Phase out Goodwrench Brand Name
GM will phase out the Goodwrench brand name effective Feb. 1, 2011 in the United States. GM is dropping the GM Goodwrench car mechanic brand in the United States as the company moves to redirect the marketing emphasis around its four core vehicle brands. The company says the move is to better connect GM’s brands with customers, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac will each receive its own Certified Service brand: Chevrolet Certified Service, Buick Certified Service, GMC Certified Service and Cadillac Certified Service. GM marketing chief Joel Ewanick wants the vehicle brands, not corporate, to be the stars of GM, and that includes service and repairs, said one source familiar with the new campaign. “This is another part of the effort to clear out brand clutter,” the source said. “Our number one priority is providing a world-class ownership experience that creates positive long lasting relationships with our customers,” said Steve Hill, vice president and general manager, GM Customer Care and Aftersales. “Certified Service supports GM’s strategy to focus on the four brands – Chevro-
let, Buick, GMC and Cadillac -- and is a natural extension of the customer’s vehicle purchase experience at the dealership. “This is more than a name change—it is a declaration of our commitment to our customers, with exclusive vehicle diagnostics and connectivity via OnStar, competitively priced services and parts, increased advisor and technician training, and working jointly with our dealers to focus on customer satisfaction.” Customers will continue to receive competitively priced service performed by trained experts who know their vehicles best at dealerships across the country. Service is an integral part of vehicle ownership, and customers who are satisfied with their service experience are much more likely to return to the dealership. The brand, launched as Mr. Goodwrench in 1974, was once a household name when GM was a much bigger automaker. The name, which GM changed from Mr. Goodwrench to Goodwrench Service Plus in the ‘90s, also was a major sponsor of NASCAR racing—including Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s car—for several years until it dropped its involvement in 2007.
GM Wins Award with New DuPont Plastic General Motors captured a significant innovation award from the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) for rapidly adopting a new lightweight plastic developed by DuPont. The General Motors Ecotec Turbo engine cover won a materials innovation award for adopting new long-term, heat-aging DuPont nylon just 90 days after launch, helping underscore the role of DuPont innovation in the automotive industry. “The automotive industry is hungry for long-life, lightweight materials they can quickly use to cost-effectively cut weight to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions,” said DuPont Performance Polymers President Diane H. Gulyas. “The speed with which this remarkable material was adopted shows how collaboration combined with materials expertise can accelerate cost-effective innovation.” General Motors capitalized on new DuPont™ Zytel® PLUS nylon just 90 days after it was introduced and earned the “Most Innovative Use of Plastics Award” for an engine-appearance and acoustic cover on the Ecotec 2.0-liter Turbo powering Cadillac CTS vehicles. Nearly 70 percent of new small- and mid-sized engines scheduled to be launched between now and 2016 will
use charged air induction to boost performance, according to IHS Automotive, Englewood, Colo. “This trend toward downsized, turbocharged engines to meet fuel and emissions regulations without sacrificing power drives up heat, pressure and challenges many traditional plastics,” said Gulyas. “New materials must withstand increasingly demanding engine environments without adding cost or complexity.” DuPont introduced four Zytel® PLUS nylon products in March and recently added three new polymers that stand up to long-term exposure to hot oil, calcium chloride, impact after aging and temperatures as high as 230 C. All are based on DuPont™ SHIELD Technology, which provides the kind of long-term protection against aggressive environments that can double the life of a component. Zytel® PLUS nylon was used in this turbo application because it retains mechanical properties and great surface appearance despite long-term exposure to hot temperatures—180 C and above —common in turbocharged engines. The award-winning engine-appearance and acoustic cover is molded by Camoplast Polymer Solutions, Richmond, Quebec, Canada.
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16 DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Gonzo’s Toolbox
Dude, Meet My Daughter with Gonzo Weaver
When it comes to dealing with cus“Oh, I guess you could say you tomers, there are always a few things get used to it. It’s nothing; she’s just that are sure to be an issue, i.e., Cost?, upset that she’ll have to buy another how long will it with take? and When isArnold it car. Thanks for asking, it’s no big Richard deal… what can I do for you?” I said going to be done? Then there are those times when as I took that deep breath. the unexpected happens. When that “My headlights go off if I tilt my front door opens and a new customer wheel all the way up.” comes in and your expectations are “No problem to look at it. Do high. Will this customer become a you need to wait on it?” withis Ed regular? Then there the Attanasio type that “If it won’t take long, that would make you say to yourself: What’s it be nice.” I filled out the paperwork and put going to be this time? the truck in the shop. Sure enough, if you put the wheel all the way up, the lights would go off. Down they worked fine. with Erica SchroederRemoving the steering column trim revealed the problem. The main wire that leads to the dimmer switch had come free from the multifunction switch connector. Every time the column was up the wire would separate. It Gonzo takes a moment between repairs to was quick fix… nothing special. Just man the service desk himself with Erica Schroeder push it back into place, make sure it The other day I was in the office “clicked” into place and strap it down when in walked a young man with to the other so it couldn’t pull free that “clean-cut, kid-next-door” look. again. I even adjusted the entire harHe looked to me like a nice kid who ness so there was a tad bit more room had his head on his shoulders. for the swinging motion of the column. At the time I was busy finishing Before I put all the trim back on I up with an aggravated customer who tried it several times. It worked fine. I was having a fit over paying for her pulled the car around front, and he paid car’s outcome. The lady’s car had bro- for my time and was back on the road. ken a cam which took out the engine. It was going to need a new one. She couldn’t afford the engine replacement, and her frustration was audible. She was completely out of it because a cheaper solution wasn’t possible. So she let the shouting commence at the front desk. Who would ya think had a front row seat to this show of shows? You guessed it… me! Second daughter Amanda (Mandy) checking As the lady continued with her to see what her dad wrote about her this time rant, the young customer sat in the background waiting for his turn at the He was the kind of person who makes counter. She soon left with her cell your day special. Especially after dealphone stuck to her ear calling for a ing with a lady and her dead engine… tow truck. (‘Maintenance’ people… it makes a difThe lad walked up to the counter ference… but that’s another speech.) with a concerned look on his face. A day or so later the same young “Do ya need a minute? How about lad was back with a different attiyou take a deep breath, just inhale tude… but now it wasn’t because the slowly and exhale. Wow, dude… she headlights wouldn’t come on while gave you an earful. How do ya deal tilting the wheel. It was because the with that kind of thing?” headlights blinked off and on. He
Jobber Journal
This is a new story by Scott “Gonzo” Weaver as posted on his website, www.gonzostoolbox.com. 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
seemed very stern with his explanation. He made his point, and then stood there waiting for my answer. Normally, I would be thinking it’s time to get defensive. I just fixed his “no headlight” problem the other day and now this. The wheels are turning in my head. I could feel the steam reaching the flash point. This kid was looking at me with that same look the lady with the dead engine was looking at me with… (You know the look). I didn’t want to blow my top over this but I kept thinking ‘this guy is going to tell me it’s doing the same thing. I just know it.’ He stood there staring me down. I was waiting for “It’s doing the same thing” response.
Shop and Product Showcase Shop Showcase Shop Snapshot
First daughter Katrina (Katie) taking a break with Autobody News
With his arms folded across his chest, sure enough: “It’s doing the same thing.” I’m about to go ballistic. My daughter, Mandy, was running the service desk that afternoon. I could see she was looking for that “safe zone” to get out of the reach of dad’s soon-to-explode tantrum. But this kid was so concerned with my well being the other day I figured I’d give him one more chance. I looked outside at the truck, turned to look at him and growled out something like, “Doors unlocked?” He answered, “Sure are.” Without another word I walked out and turned the headlights on while he followed me out to the truck. He started to tell me how the headlights would fail, and how often it would happen. As he explained the situation he seemed more concerned that I was going to blow my top. He was sorry to bother me, but he wanted to be sure to tell me it only blinks after he’s been
driving for more than an hour or so, and not when it’s tilted as it did in the past. He noticed when the headlights do start to blink he could wiggle the headlight switch knob and they would come back on. “Well, that’s NOT what was wrong with it the other day. What made you say it was the same thing?” I asked. “Just wanted to razz ya man. I thought it would be funny. You seem like an uptight guy who doesn’t get a lot of laughs. Thought you might get a kick out somebody playing ya,” he answered, chuckling and patting me on the back. I don’t know how this kid pegged me for an uptight guy, but I’m starting to like him. OK, ya got me. Good one kid. I’ll give you that. I had to laugh. There’s nothing like somebody from outside the industry seeing the difficulty and stress that this job can put you under. We struck up a friendly conversation about college, family, and work, while we were waiting to see if the headlights would blink. After about a half hour or so the headlights did exactly what he predicted. It was a faulty headlight switch. After wasting the better part of an hour just chatting and small talk, the two of us went back into the office and asked Mandy to order a new headlight switch. Mandy was expecting me to come in, slam something on the counter, say a few choice words, and rant my way back to the shop kicking doors open all the way. But instead I had a big smile on my face, and my new found bud alongside. “Dude, meet my daughter, Mandy.” You can guess her reaction. (Mandy wasn’t all that impressed with the guy.) When the switch made it to the shop I went right to work installing it, and sent my friend down the road. I’m sure he’ll be back. He made my day with his quick observations of the goings on at the repair shop. I just wish more people acted that way. It would make my life a lot easier. As for Mandy… she hasn’t decided yet. I guess my buddy wasn’t her type. Hey, but a Dad can dream, can’t he?
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS 17
Collision Hub Implements its Social Media Strategy use this social model to bring that level of open communication to our Kristen Felder believes that members industry as a whole,” recalls Felder, of the collision repair industry should who earned a public relations degree meet and meet often — and not by ac- from Arkansas State University, incident. terning for State Farm Insurance. Her Web site, www.collision- After graduation, she worked for State hub.com, is a network for those in the Farm as a claims representative, then collision repair and related industries moved to Nationwide. In November to share information, talk shop, dis- 2009, she began running Collision cuss issues and get to know each Hub full time. other. Benton, Arkansa-based Colli“I like to tell people that I spent sionHub.com encourages technicians, 20 years in collision repair and 14 shop owners, suppliers, insurance years in insurance,” she adds. “It is companies, auto glass installers, tow- that experience on both sides of the ing companies and rental car agencies fence that really drives Collision Hub. to log on and join in. I see and feel both sides of our indus“After looking at groups in try’s issues.” Facebook and LinkedIn, I deterFelder realized that four or five mined we needed our own safe space annual industry events wouldn’t acwith some content controls,” says complish connectedness. After NACE Felder, who notes being “born” into 2008, she returned home, thought and researched. She saw a study on Gen X and Next Gen which discussed the importance of social connections on sites such as Facebook and MySpace and how those relationships will revolutionize business. “The participants interviewed for the study stated they had stronger connections Kristen interviews Dan Bailey from CARSTAR at NACE 2010 with their ‘virtual’ the collision repair through her dad, friends through social networking Ted, who began working in the busi- then their ‘real’ friends,” she says. ness in 1965 after leaving the Air “Could we forge strong bonds Force. He opened his first shop in and not be at a social cocktail recep1970 with a business partner and re- tion during some industry event? tired in 1997. Could we forge stronger bonds ‘virShe began Collision Hub quietly tually’ so that our face time was more in May 2009 and then officially at productive and respectful?” Because NACE 2010 as a social networking Collision Hub is a social media busisite for professionals within the in- ness site—and not news based— dustry, she explains. “It was a way to Felder says that this establishes neubring a successful open model of tral ground for insurers, vendors and friendship and communication to life repairers to participate freely. “We and make it accessible to our industry focus on the positive and what should as a whole,” she says. be celebrated in our industry,” she Two years earlier, at NACE 2008, says. “We monitor and control the site she and a group of collision industry to ensure interactions are professional professionals had discussed commu- and respectful.” nication among themselves—espeAs a result, the site focuses on cially as they represented different other aspects of the industry to discuss segments of the industry. and develop content such as The “We came to the conclusion that Women’s Project, Girl Scout NACE our friendships were at the core of this Day and Future Leaders. “We want ability to communicate openly and Collision Hub to be a fun place to conhonestly and wondered how we could nect, learn and grow,” Felder says. by David Brown
18 DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
from NACE and SEMA. Kristen: “We understand the power and importance of video and using the Internet to bring the industry to everyone that cannot travel to industry events.” She notes, too, that the site’s sponsor support allows content to be member driven, providing photos, blogs and discussions. Sponsorship packages are Kristen Felder interviews (l to r) I-CAR’s Jeff Peevy with SCRS’ Barry Dorn and Aaron Schulenburg at SEMA 2010 annual or for specific events such as The site also facilitates connec- NACE/SEMA, she explains. Limtions according to specific interests, ited spots can be purchased such as she says. The Collision Hub platform for a featured product, job postings is based on topical communities such and hot links. “Collision Hub is as pets, diet and health, women, shop whatever the industry wants it to be owners and marketing, allowing or needs it to be at any given mousers to find niche groups and build ment,” she says. relationships within them. In addiStill, some analysts caution tion, the Collision Hub has broadcast against an overemphasis on social netNABC, I-CAR, CIECA events and working, urging caution about social will feature live upcoming shows See Collision Hub, Page 20 That makes us different and refreshing in the industry.”
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Social Media 101: Why Social Media Matters in Collision Repair Kristen Felder, founder and CEO of Collision Hub, and Jordan Hendler, with Admin Concepts, taught the Social Media 101 session on Thursday, November 4 at the SEMA show as part of SCRS’ Repairer Driven Education. Both social media gurus Jordan Hendler expressed that social media has become a necessity for body shops. Felder began the session by talking about the pervasiveness of social media in business these days. “Your customers and competition are both using social media,” said Felder. Facebook, youtube and Twitter are the three sites that she sees as being really necessary for body shops at this point. “We want you to be there when they come looking for you,” said Hendler, suggesting that body shops’ online presence and the social presence in their physical waiting rooms should be connected. Their online
presence should reflect their store presence and vice versa. Both speakers told attendees during the session that they should focus on customer loyalty, repeat business and referrals when it comes to offers and posts they put on their social media pages. “People do not care about collision until they have one,” said Hendler. One tip Hendler offered was for body shops to have a presence and share news that’s relevant. “Make it interesting, just start with having a presence,” said Hendler, “If they get it [information] from you, they will feel like you care.” Felder explained that social media is really a portal; a two-way interaction between body shop and the customer, unlike a regular website where the information is dispersed one way, from body shop to the customer. This gives customers a way to interact with a business outside of the physical location. “If you’re going to do your own [social media pages], it’s about a 20 minute per day commitment from you or someone in your office,” said Felder.
PERFORMANCE RADIATOR Looking For That First Time mee Fit?
When it comes to content, Felder and Hendler both told shops to focus on local issues, causes and events. “Don’t let irrelevant stuff get on your page,” said Hendler. Felder told shops to try to focus on creating a local network by posting on other local pages and posting about things your specific community cares about. “Social Media isn’t just about your presence, it’s about your community involvement,” said Felder. At the end of the session the pair laid out some do’s and don’t’s for body shops using social media. DON’T: Use closed statements, put up strictly ads or engage in political or religious debates. DO: Listen to posts on your page (accept the negative comments and don’t just delete them), engage in conversations, not just campaigns and measure your success through followers and comments. “Everyone is a potential customer ... but on social media you don’t need to treat them like one,” said Felder. For more information visit collisionhub.com or admin-concepts.net.
Hail Damage Keeps Repair Crews Busy in East Texas
Following the violent storms that moved through East Texas on October 24, both auto body shops and roofers have been flooded with calls about hail damage. “The wind was ferocious and the hail was coming down,” said Mike Flynn, a Flint homeowner. Hail poured from the East Texas sky, pummeling thousands of rooftops, leaving cars to fend for themselves and residents taking cover. The damage is keeping technicians at Keith Hodges Collision in Tyler, TX, busy. He’s been repairing hail dings on cars all day. “It would probably take about three hours or so to take all the dents out. So, it’s a pretty tough job,” said Hodges.
TX Hail Storm Damage
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Mon - Fri 7:30-6; Sat 8-4 bpfaff@gallowayauto.com www.samgallowaymazda.com
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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS 19
Continued from Page 18
Collision Hub
networking hazards such as phishing, identity theft, reputation damage, decreased employee effectiveness and other cyberdangers. “Social networking and collaborative Web sites can offer their users a great wealth of resources at their fingertips. However, they do have their place and should not come without limits,” says Mike Carson, a former bodyman, insurance appraiser, and owner of Joliet, Ill.-based Integrated Technology and Design, an Internet technology company. “Collision shop owners need to be aware that these Web sites can offer Continued from Page 12
Kristen Felder
KF: Collision Hub runs on a sponsorship model. I went to companies I had existing relationships with from my insurance background when I first had this idea and asked them if
valuable industry-related information but can also waste employee resources,” he explains. So, too: “An employee may say something damaging on these Web sites and discussion boards without even realizing that he or she has done harm to your company.” Many collision repair industry members, however, are using Collision Hub regularly—and lauding it. “Collision Hub is great way for the industry to come together via the Internet,” says Gigi Walker, president of the California Autobody Association. “It’s an open format for everyone related to the industry to talk shop: estimator to appraiser, shop owner to shop owner.” Dave Henderson, CEO of
they would like to participate. Those companies make yearly donations to Collision Hub and in turn Collision Hub does advertising and product videos on our site for them. I picked products I believe in for these positions. It meant a lot that these companies had faith in my idea so early on, it was a big vote of confidence. Our founding sponsors were
Brighton Mich.-based AutoWatch, has been involved with Collison Hub almost since start-up — posting items, receiving feedback and connecting with customers and potential customers. “I have found it a great media to get the AutoWatch name in front of many in the industry,” he says. “I also like that I can look up others in the industry and keep up on what is going on. This is for sure going to be an icon in the industry and a good forum to the global market.” Alex Hahn, lead estimator/body shop manager for Fairfield, Calif.based Fairfield Auto Body, agrees: “Collision Hub is a first of a kind place for the whole auto body industry, from preppers all the way up to
3M, PPG and Enterprise and we recently landed Chief as a sponsor just before the SEMA show.
ABN: What is your sense of the value of social media for collision repairers? KF: People don’t want to choose a product anymore that they don’t have a connection to. Social media allows
corporate CEOs. It’s a community soap box where anyone can reach out to another or ask for specific help in any aspect of the business.” He recently used it to learn more about establishing a DRP, ensuring the accuracy of estimates, and finding answers to technical questions that others at the shop couldn’t answer. “Searching for autobody resources was almost impossible. In the information age, I was astonished that there was not a central site,” he recalls. “It took many weeks of searches but finally I stumbled across CH in its infancy and was instantly addicted. I posted questions and got answers—most times within minutes.” customers to have more of this connection easily. Social media allows a business to be there before, during, and after the customer’s need is met. I really think social media is the best business and marketing tool we’ve ever had. If you’re not on social media now, get there and get there now. Thanks, Kristen. Sign up for free at www.collisonhub.com.
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China’s Largest Automaker Plans 1% Stake in GM IPO
Tesla Offers Battery and EV Tech to Toyota, Others
SAIC Motor, China’s largest automaker, is in talks to acquire about a 1% stake in General Motors, according to the Wall Street Journal’s web site. The stake would be worth about $500 million. The automaker is prepared to sell more than $1 billion worth of shares to sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East and Asia, giving foreign investors about 16% of the IPO’s shares. The IPO will mark GM’s return to being a publicly traded company after it filed for bankruptcy protection in June 2009.
Tesla Motors has offered to license its battery and other EV technologies to Toyota and others, according to its CEO Elon Musk. Tesla has already contacted tie-up partners Toyota and Daimler and asked them if they are interested in licensing its technologies, Musk said. Tesla is also interested in partnering with Toyota in the area of customer service, Musk said, adding that Tesla’s cars can be serviced at Toyota facilities. Musk expects Japan to become the company’s largest market outside of the US. Two of Tesla’s major shareholders are Toyota and Panasonic.
This year, for the first time, GM could sell more vehicles in China than in the United States. So far in 2010, GM says its Chinese joint ventures sold 1,977,000 units, up nearly 36 percent. Over the same period, GM sold 1,819,000 vehicles in the United States, up 6 percent. Since industry sales in China are expected to exceed 17 million units this year—well above the U.S. market’s likely 11.5 million units—China is virtually certain to become GM’s biggest market this year. GM’s sales were up 20% from Oct. 2009.
Toyota Motor Corp sees U.S. new light vehicle sales rising as much as 13 percent next year, buoyed by several factors including a slight rise in sales of pickup trucks. Bob Carter, sales chief for the Toyota brand in the United States, said the company expects 2011 industry sales at between 12.5 million and 12.9 million, up from this year’s expected rate of 11.4 million to 11.5 million. U.S. sales are slowly recovering from the low of 10.4 million new cars and trucks sold in 2009, after a 10-year stretch when annual sales averaged 16.4 million vehicles.
China to become GM’’s Largest Market in 2011
Toyota Expects 13% Rise
Mercedes-Benz Financial is new Daimler Financier
LA Dealership to be first to sell Fiat brand in the U.S.
Ford Cuts Mazda Stake
AutoNation Sees Major Acquisitions in 2011
Daimler Financial Services has changed its name to Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA. The change is the last step in a “clean sheet of paper” approach to the U.S. market, according to a company statement. The company separated from DaimlerChrysler Financial Services Americas in 2007 after Daimler sold Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management. Nothing else will change for the financier, which remains the financial unit for Mercedes-Benz USA, its dealers and customers, as well as Smart USA dealers and customers.
Ford will be transferring the majority of its shares in Mazda to various business partners of the Japanese automaker, thus lowering its ownership stake. However, the two OEMs will remain strategic partners, according to Mazda. Ford has 11% ownership stake in Mazda. Ford will hold on to a 3.5% stake in the automaker and is transferring the rest of its shares to Mazda’s business partners. “Ford will remain one of Mazda's largest shareholders, and both companies are committed to continuing our strategic partnership,” said a Mazda spokesperson.
A factory-owned Chrysler dealership in downtown Los Angeles will be the first store to sell Fiat-brand vehicles in the U.S. when it opens the first week in January. Motor Village of Los Angeles will have three showroom floors and sell Fiat vehicles, along with Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles, said Ramon Cabral, sales manager at the dealership. The dealership has been known as La Brea Chrysler Jeep, is currently located about five miles west of downtown Los Angeles. Chrysler has owned La Brea Chrysler Jeep for about five years.
AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson is about to take advantage of industry stability and the falling price of dealerships. With 13 million in annual U.S. light-vehicle sales expected shortly, AutoNation plans to renovate or expand 24 stores (nine renovations will cost more than $5 million each) and open 11 completely new stores, including seven Fiat stores. The company is taking advantage of dramatically lower dealership and real estate costs. Jackson wants to have at least one of every brand in each of AutoNation’s 25 major markets. Original BMW Parts
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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS 21
www.ncountybm
(800) 564-8222
with Dick Strom
Action Counts
Lee Amaradio, Jr. is the president and owner of “Faith” Quality Auto Body Inc. in Murrieta, California. Lee is president of the CRA as well as an advocate for many other industry groups. He can be contacted at lee@faithqualityautobody.com
My Customer, the Crash Test Dummy with Lee Amaradio Jr.
Action Counts
As 2011 approaches and we move forprocessing and watching our numbers, ward into another year in the collision there were few resources left over to Amaradio Jr. training and equipment that industry, we canwith be sureLee of one thing: purchase vehicles are changing. The way we as actually fixes the cars. Most shops collision repairers do business is also have found themselves so caught up changing. We are running our compain the claims process that the repair nies leaner. We are measuring our efhas become secondary to the handling ficiencies and comparing our numbers of the claim. Getting the vehicle out with other shopswith aroundSheila us. We have Loftuswithin the cycle time allowance and all become better at running busimaking the metrics look right is more nesses. We have changed drastically important than doing the research to in how we manage our customer. We know if you are even equipped and have improved our customer service. trained to repair the vehicles. Many of us have started our own cusIn this economy very few shops tomer marketing campaigns. We have will turn work away and this becomes with Sheila CSI programs that measure our Loftus cusvery dangerous for the shop and the tomers’ satisfaction down to the last customer. So, while you may have the detail. It would be safe to say that we blessing of the insurance company have become customer-oriented comand your numbers may look good and panies. We communicate with our even your customer leaves happy, you customers better. We return their ve- unknowingly have sent them out in an hicles faster. We give them completed unsafe vehicle because you really didwith Janet Chaney paperwork at the same time we give n’t understand the proper repair prothem their vehicles. We take the time cedure or use the proper OEM parts to explain even the smallest details to for that particular vehicle. them and even offer them a cup of cofMany argue that “Safety” is NOT fee while they wait. We are concerned a problem because there is no docuabout them andwith we want them Chaney to be mented proof of a vehicle passenger Janet treated in a professional and honest getting hurt because of aftermarket manner. bumper reinforcements or aftermarket The entire collision industry has structure parts such as core supports, really “stepped up” and made the cus- etc. This is a foolish argument. Are you tomers experience with collision re- really saying there cannot be a safety pair a much better than issue because there is no proof yet? withexperience Janet Chaney ever before. Our customers trust us This argument is analagous to and we are beginning to replace the saying: ‘This intersection doesn’t need ‘alley body shop’ image of the past a RED LIGHT until we have some with a new service-oriented ‘dealerdead bodies.’ The tobacco companies ship’ image. knew that smoking was unsafe years with Janet Chaney BUT... While we were staffing up before the bodies started piling up. our offices and updating our claims They took the same stand: “There Is
Your Turn Your Turn
Shop Showcase Shop Showcase
Industry Overview Industry Overview
Industry Insight
Continued from Page 7
Three Collisions with John Yoswick
her insurer, Mercury Insurance. She took her ‘06 Honda Civic to World Auto Body in Encinitas, CA, which is part of Mercury’s withCARS Johnnetwork Yoswick of customer authorized repair shops. Mercury receives a $14/hr labor rate discount and a parts discount only when they recommend their customers go to World Auto Body, according to Janet owner Reily with ChaneyErica’s car took a hit to the rear-end Wilder.
Industry Insight
Industry Interview
22 DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Industry Interview
No Proof Smoking is Dangerous,” and continued doing business as usual. Big Tobacco cited the longevity of some smokers to ‘prove’ smoking was not hazardous to your health. We as a repair industry have stepped up our claims processes but we have neglected the collision repair itself. We reap the benefits of the one while the insurance company reaps the benefits of the other. We need to be efficient in both, but NEVER should the insurer control the repair process. It is not their business to repair collisions. It’s their business to handle claims and keep the costs down. No matter how many classes their adjusters attend, you would never assume they could repair a vehicle. We are still the ones liable for what we do, or don’t do, to each and every vehicle that rolls through our doors. We are the ones responsible for the parts we use and for every circumstance in which we use them, so it is important to know the facts. It is important to invest in the training and to purchase the equipment necessary to call yourself a collision expert. We have a lot of so-called Collision Experts within our industry but as a shop owner you must be the real collision expert with the credentials to back up what you say and do. If you were a surgeon you would have years of training and certificates to justify who you claim to be. A surgeon can’t just talk some one into a surgery by inviting them into their garage that is set up as an operating room.
Shame on those insurers that know about the crappy repairs that are being performed with crappy parts and crappy repair procedures. Shame on the crappy parts people for trying to deceive the insurers into thinking that a component test is a thorough and complete crash test when they know it is not. Shame on those collision shops that repair vehicles with out the proper knowledge and equipment. And shame on all of us for allowing this to happen when we all know the truth and the consequences. Would you send your kid to be operated on by an unlicensed doctor in a back yard clinic because there was a sign on the door? No. You would demand credentials that proved everyone knew what they were doing. You would want to see a sterile operating room, properly equipped to perform the necessary procedure. You would want to know the doctor was an expert and had only your kids’ best health in mind. I am a collision expert and I know there are some serious issues related to safety. I know that things must change because, as we speak, our customers are being used as crash dummies by those that continue to make false claims without the credentials to even have an opinion. The industry may never be fixed to the point it should be, but as collision shop owners the buck stops with you. Are you going to change the way you repair collisions or are you going to continue to make your customer a Crash Test Dummy?
One of the other benefits for World Auto Body when Mercury customers come in is the level of communication between the shop and Mercury. The customer does not have to be the middleman between insurer and repair shop when a DRP shop is used. Wilder said the shop uses Mitchell’s E-Claims Manager which allows information from repair
shop to go directly to insurer without the claims adjuster having to make multiple visits to the shop. It is an easy way for collision repair shops to have their estimates quickly approved by insurance adjusters and start making the repairs sooner. This also has added value for the customer, who not only doesn’t have to be the liaison for communication between the two, but also benefits from quicker repairs. “My insurance agent and the body shop communicated directly after I See Three Collisions, Next Page
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On Creative Marketing
Tom Franklin has been a sales and marketing consultant for forty-five 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
Promotion Up Close and Personal with Thomas Franklin
Recently a shop owner in my area friend who told me about his first marconverted a 12-by-14 foot space in his riage when he was a young guy. He said shop into a conference room to host after the honeymoon he and his new meetings for insurance managers and bride settled into their new apartment. agents, dealership principals, and Both sat down and breathed a sigh of relief, as much as to say, “Now I’ve got other group sources of business. He also put in a computerized projection her (or him). I can relax now, and stop putting on the big act.” You can imagsystem and screen. The cost of creating this space wasn’t cheap. Was it re- ine how long that marriage lasted. with Dick Strom If “interest” could be described as ally worth it? Like most of you, he found that a commodity, it would be one of the trying to call on these people genermost sought after commodities in the ally resulted in very little if any face world. A young woman seeking a hustime. He finally decided if going to band wonders, “Is he interested in them didn’t work, he would try bring- me?” He wonders, “Is she interested ing them to him. The last time I spoke in me?” The shopkeeper hopes the to him it was beginning to work very young woman will be interested in the well. He had hosted an insurance clothing he sells. The film producer manager and agent meeting and had hopes the public will be interested in his film. And a collision shop owner an excellent turnout. Plus he saw some immediate increase in business from hopes he or she will be able to interest with Lee Jr. owners who have accidents in that insurance company. He Amaradio was al- vehicle ready planning another insurance coming to his or her shop. The amount of attention given to group meeting and possibly a dealersomething is generally proportionate ship group as well. to the degree of interest in it. It’s easy This shop owner already had sevto study “interest” in a baby. The baby eral major insurance DRPs. Was it resees something bright and shiny and ally necessary to go to this expense? I’ve noticed many shop owners who, once is CURIOUS. The object has captured they finally get a DRP they’ve been the baby’s INTEREST. But now we can see the complete “interest specseeking, sit back and wait for the jobs to trum.” Next the baby DESIRES to come flowing in. It makes me think of a
Opinions Count
Action Counts
Your Turn
with Sheila Loftus
rear ended by a heavier vehicle in traffic. I went through the other driver’s insurance (USAA), since they were at fault. Over the phone the brought my car in,” said Christina, USAA Claims Department told me I “They took pictures of my car and put could choose any shop I would like to them in the system, andshowed me the have my repairs done at. I chose the estimation process on the comLen’s because I had been there reputer screen that they were going cently to do an interview and liked through for my insurer.” their shop and their staff. Len’s just Christina consulted a couple of happens to be a USAA direct repair shops before choosing World Auto shop—I would have taken my car Body and saw with dramatic differences there either way. Janet Chaney between the estimation process beLen’s offers a labor discount to tween shops where she had estimates USAA when customers come to Len’s taken at that were not part of Merthrough them, but USAA does require cury’s CARS program. that Len’s use certain aftermarket cos“One place didn’t even open my metic parts. trunk,” said Christina, “They didn’t In my case, USAA required that walk me through their estimation Len’s use an aftermarket rear bumper process at all.” cover on my car. I was told by Body As for me (Erica), I took my bat- Shop Manager Alex Torres that if I tered ‘08 Toyota Yaris to Len’s Auto- wanted an OEM rear bumper cover, body in Oceanside, CA, after I was the difference in price would come out Continued from Page 22
Three Collisions
Shop Showcase
Industry Overview with Janet Chaney
touch, play with, or eat the object. If no one responds to the baby’s interest by giving her the object to touch, play with, or eat, she may DEMAND it by crying, screaming, or otherwise trying to get her desire fulfilled. Assuming the child is given the (inedible) object to play with, eventually the child will LOSE INTEREST and REJECT (throw on the floor) the object. We now have a complete “interest to no-interest” attention spectrum, beginning with CURIOSITY, INTEREST, DESIRE, DEMAND, LOST INTEREST, and ending with REJECTION. The duration of the spectrum may be only a few minutes with the baby, or many years from the time a girl is interested in a guy, marries him, has children, cohabits for years, loses interest and finally rejects (divorces) him. The same sequence may occur when a shop has entered into a DRP arrangement with an insurance company or a contractual agreement with a dealership. The sequence will usually move from curiosity, interest, and desire to the satisfaction of demand. Of course not every set of circumstances that begins with curiosity and interest eventually declines to “no interest” and “rejection.” But in a society obsessed
with entertainment, excitement and celebrity, the full spectrum is experienced by many people in a wide variety of situations from school to jobs to relationships, whether personal or business. When interest and attention are gone, a decline begins. Once a shop has entered into a DRP arrangement with an insurance company or a contractual agreement with a dealership, after the sequence has moved from curiosity, interest, and desire to satisfaction of demand, to keep the relationship continuing without declining to no interest and rejection periodically at least one of the parties must take the initiative to re-fire the curiosity and interest. And so we come to the question of whether the shop owner who invested in conference space and presentation equipment made a good investment. Certainly there can be other ways to stimulate interesting interactions with DRP coordinators, dealership principals and other referral sources, but this seems to be a particularly attractive resource from the viewpoint of those invited to use the space (and be fed -- he provided the food for the meeting he hosted). I’m inclined to think it was a good investment.
of my pocket. This is one of the negatives for customers in body shops having a direct repair relationship with an insurer. Our other Sales Manager, Joe Momber, had his car hit in the parking lot of his gym in what amounted to an early morning hit-andrun. The driver who hit his car bolted without Len’s Autobody in Oceanside, CA leaving any information. prepared as a ‘cash’ transaction and Joe’s front bumper had been side- Central Autobody offered a modest swiped and was hanging off the car. discount to customers paying cash Joe took his ‘04 Dodge Stratus for their repairs. into Central Autobody Repair in What we all learned is that there Oceanside, CA, because he knew are a lot of good options for consumers the owner, Sam. Joe decided not to out there and a lot of ways to get good go through his insurer since the as- results if you ask the right questions and sessed damages were under his consult the right people. And yes, we’re $500 deductible. His estimate was all still driving carefully.
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS 23
Mickey Harris’ American Pride Camaro Commands Attention at SEMA Airbrush artist, Mickey Harris showed off his most recent art flour-
ishes on a 2011 Camaro at the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA) show this year. The American Pride Camaro car was commissioned by GM in the summer of 2010 and was a top secret project for the artist. The car was painted at Mountain Muscle Cars in Cosby, TN, and Detailing right down to the rocker panels on the American Pride Camaro took about three months from start to finish. This car was the brainchild of Scott Settlemire from GM’s Show car division. Mickey Harris has been painting for 30 years and has produced thousands of murals on metal. Mickey began his professional career with American Pride Camaro on the prowl
the airbrush at the age of 19, in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. He mastered the airbrush, becoming one of the leading airbrush artists in the world. Mickey also founded Airbrush Magazine in 1994 and has been the
President of the International Airbrush Association twice, once in 1992 and again in 1999. Mickey has been teaching the art of airbrushing for over twenty years. Mickey is now working with Badger Airbrush Co. of Chicago.
Painter Mickey Harris (R) with Marine guard and the American Pride Camaro on the SEMA floor
CAPA Says Georgia’s Fox News Atlanta’s Aftermarket Parts Report is Invalid The Certified Automotive Parts Association October 19 has released a reanalysis of the demonstration shown in a July televised report by Fox 5 News in Atlanta that appeared to show that a CAPA-Certified aftermarket radiator support was substantially inferior in strength and quality to its BMW-made counterpart. The comparison by Performance Auto Collision of Alpharetta, Georgia and the FOX 5 News “I-Team” of the “bendability,” and thus strength, of a BMW brand radiator support with an aftermarket counterpart was invalid because the two supports were, in fact, completely different parts made to fit on different models of BMW 3-Series vehicles, CAPA says: 1) The demonstration compared two items that were actually completely separate and distinct parts. a. The BMW-made part shown in the FOX 5 report was an upper tie bar radiator support (BMW#51717114123) manufactured specifically by BMW to be installed in its 3-Series Convertible. b. The aftermarket part Perform-
ance Auto Collision used in the FOX Newsreport shown was a piece of the combined upper and lower tie bar radiator support manufactured specifically to be installed in a different vehicle, the 3-Series Sedan/Coupe/ Wagon, as a replacement for BMW part #51717111691. The part BMW designed for the 3-Series Sedan/Coupe/Wagon is dramatically different than the comparable part it uses in its convertible. (The actual aftermarket part used in the demonstration was manufactured by Gordon Auto Body Parts Co. and certified by CAPA.) c. The BMW cast aluminum upper tie bar for the BMW convertible would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to bend by hand. Both the BMW and CAPA-Certified wrought aluminum upper tie bars for the CAPA BMW Sedan/Coupe/Wagon would be relatively easy to bend by hand, especially if separated from the lower tie bar. d. These two parts are not intended to be interchangeable. For whatever reason, Performance Auto
24 DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Collision represented to FOX 5 and its viewers that the CAPA-Certified aftermarket radiator support part shown was manufactured and marketed to be identical to the BMW-made support when, in fact, they were comparing two different parts. 2) The Gordon aftermarket combined radiator support part for the BMW Sedan/Coupe/Wagon which Performance Auto Collision used in the FOX 5 demonstration had been modified in a manner to more closely resemble the very different BMW Convertible upper tie bar radiator support. Specifically, the rivets attaching the upper tie bar piece to the lower tie bar piece had been removed and only half of the aftermarket part was used by Performance Auto Collision in the FOX 5 demonstration. CAPA’s analysis concludes that the comparative demonstration performed by Performance Auto Collision for FOX 5 News was flawed and invalid. FOX viewers were left with the
misleading impression that the CAPA Certified aftermarket part was of inferior strength and quality to its BMWmade counterpart. CAPA says that not only did Performance Auto Collision conduct an invalid comparison of two different parts, they also performed an unauthorized and potentially unsafe modification on the Gordon aftermarket part to make it appear to be the same as the BMW-made part in the demonstration. CAPA has asked both Performance Auto Collision and FOX News to issue a retraction of the report. A report on CAPA’s analysis is available on CAPA’s website at http://www.capacertified.org/press/An alysis_of_Fox_AM_Parts.pdf For more information see CAPAcertified.org.
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Bush Book: Automaker Bailout was “Responsible Action”
George W. Bush says he decided to ‘rescue’ General Motors and Chrysler in November 2008 because of the huge consequences for the economy if he did not act—and he acted despite his belief that the carmakers had dug their own holes. “My economic advisers had warned that the immediate bankruptcy of the Big Three could cost more than a million jobs, decrease tax revenues by $150 billion and set back American’s GDP by hundreds of billions of dollars,” he writes of his bailout of the U.S. auto industry in his memoir, Decision Points. Bush blames the auto industry’s woes on “decades of poor management” that “saddled automakers with enormous health-care and pension costs. They had been slow to recognize changes in the market. As a result, they had been outcompeted by foreign manufacturers in the product and price.” Bush also discloses that he rejected a request for a bailout before the 2008 presidential election from GM CEO Rick Wagoner. Bush says he reversed his stance that government should stay out of the auto business when he saw how a bankruptcy would hammer the econ-
omy. Bush also considered his successor in the decision. “I told Barack Obama that I wouldn’t let the automakers fail,” Bush writes. “I won’t dump this mess on him.” President Bush announced on Dec. 18, 2008, that the U.S. government would provide GM and Chrysler $13.4 billion in emergency funding. An additional $4 billion was made available for the car companies in February. This funding allowed the companies to survive until bankruptcy reorganization saved them. At the time President Bush said: “These are not ordinary circumstances, in the midst of a financial crisis and a recession allowing the U.S. auto industry to collapse is not a responsible action.” In his reflections on the subject recently Bush made no mention of his efforts being a stop-gap measure or Obama’s follow up to the crisis. The Obama administration financed the bankruptcy reorganization of GM and Chrysler, effectively rescuing the U.S. auto industry, including Ford, which has acknowledged it would have been decimated by Tier 1 (supplier) failures in the domestic supply chain. See related details on the GM IPO this issue.
SCRS Thanks Repairer Education Sponsors at SEMA 2010
The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is thanking the group of sponsors that provided significant financial support to get the inaugural Repairer Driven Education (RDE) program off and running. The sponsors were: BASF, GM, PPG, LKQ, and 3M. RDE’s introduction cycled over 125 individuals through two days of educational offerings. “As a collision repairer, I have attended this show numerous times, but this one was the best. The one thing missing from the past SEMA Shows I felt was a stronger presence of the collision industry segment and there was truly a big difference this year,” said Joel Lofton, RDE attendee and owner of Barnett’s Body Shop in Ridgeland, Mississippi. “The Repairer Driven Education courses were fantastic! All of the speakers were great and left a tremendous impression on all who attended.” “Now, more than ever, the industry needs relevant education,” said BASF OEM and Industry Relations Manager, Joseph Skurka. “The complexity of modern vehicles and the products and techniques needed to repair them is growing all the time. BASF’s philosophy is to make our
customer, the shop, more successful, and they can’t be successful without the up-to-date information and training that a program like RDE provides. SCRS provided a great opportunity for the industry that we were more than happy to support.” “I was so impressed with how great the SCRS RDE training classes were at the SEMA Show,” added Forest Holt, Owner of Southwest Body Shop in Amarillo, Texas. “The series added so much relevance to my experience at the show, and I received very usefull information that will help me in my business tomorrow. As an industry we need this information desperately, and I can’t thank SCRS or the sponsors of the series enough for providing this opportunity to the industry!” “The magnanimous contribution of our RDE sponsors demonstrates their understanding of the need for quality instruction,” SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg said of the sponsoring companies, “Their vision and foresight in being involved during the first of many years for this event, helped SCRS to address a critical industry need, and create a solid foundation that RDE can build upon going forward.”
Study Says Drowsy Drivers are Involved in 17% of Fatal Crashes educational organization that conThe New York Times and The Washington Post both have reported on a ducted the study. study showing driving while drowsy Being sleep-deprived decreases and falling asleep at the wheel are reawareness, slows reaction time and sponsible for more deadly crashes impairs judgment, similar to the imthan previously thought, according to pact of drugs or alcohol, said Mr. the study by the AAA Foundation for Kissinger. “People often overestimate Traffic Safety. their ability to deal with it,” he said. An estimated one in six fatal The study was based on the AAA crashes—nearly 17 percent—involves Foundation’s 2010 Traffic Safety Cula drowsy driver, which is about four ture Index, a nationwide telephone to five times higher than previous survey of 2,000 residents in the United studies have found. Although drowsy States, conducted earlier this year by driving is eclipsed as a highway haz- Abt SRBI Inc., and new in-depth ard by speeding, drunken driving and analysis of crash data from 1999 to distracted driving, drowsy drivers are 2008 from a National Highway Traffic involved in one in eight crashes that Safety Administration database. result in serious injury, the report The report found that 41 percent found. of respondents admitted to falling Falling asleep while driving reasleep or nodding off while driving at sults in 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries some point in their lives. One in 10 acand more than 100,000 accidents each knowledged doing so in the past year. year, the National Highway Traffic More than a quarter (27 percent) of Safety Administration estimates. those surveyed admitted that in the “People need to be honest with previous month they drove despite themselves, be aware of the symp- being so tired that they had difficulty Giveand usrecognize your opinion on matters affecting theopen. industry. toms the dangers of keeping their eyes driving while drowsy,” said Peter “That’s just a really scary sceKissinger, president and chief execu- nario,” Mr. Kissinger said. tive of the AAA Foundation for TrafThe study is being released in publisher@autobodynews.com fic Safety, a nonprofit research and support of Drowsy Driving Preven-
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of Columbia, MO, wished that he had tion Week (Nov. 8 to 15), sponsored paid more attention to. “When your by the National Sleep Foundation. body reaches its breaking point, you Thomas J. Balkin, a sleep rehave no control over it. You’ve got to searcher and chairman of the National Sleep Foundation, said sleep-related stop,” said Mr. Burris, who at age 18 fell asleep at the wheel about a mile crashes were likely to be severe. Peofrom home after having been awake ple “tend to have worse crashes because they didn’t do anything to for more than 36 hours. mitigate the crash,” like hitting the Mr. Burris was paralyzed from the chest down when his car hit a brakes or steering away from a collidriveway embankment and flipped sion. over. Dr. Balkin said there is some sug“It doesn’t matter how many gestion that people are more sleep deprived than 30 to 40 years ago, when times you do it and get away with it,” the average amount of sleep was about he said. “It’s that one time you don’t. You pay for it for the rest of your eight hours a night. life.” Today, it is about seven hours. NTSB reports it's almost certain “People on the lower end, who get that more people than the official about five to six hours a night, pose a danger to themselves and others,” he 1,550 die in the United States because of driver fatigue. Such data rely on adsaid. “People think that by rolling missions from the driver, who may not down the window or turning up the be aware of what caused the crash or radio they will be able to offset who may not be forthcoming. Not all drowsiness comes late at drowsiness and make it to where they night. More than one in four drivers are going,” he said. “But they lose Contribute to thistold Southwest Edition? AAA they had fallen asleep durtouch.Want When to we’re sleepy, we know ing the afternoon within the past year. we’re sleepy, but the process of actuTips to remain alert and identify ally falling asleep, we’re not good at symptoms, and the full report can be identifying that.” publisher@autobodynews.com seen at AAAFoundation.org. It’s something Rusty Burris, 38,
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Promote your business with an exclusive article featuring
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Sleeker Sportier Hyundai Elantra Ready to Roll Out of Montgomery, AL, Plant
Hyundai and its Alabama operations will be in the industry spotlight in November, as the redesigned Elantra is unveiled at the Los Angeles Show and the Korean automaker’s Montgomery factory starts mass production of the updated vehicle. The new 2011 Elantra is the first compact sedan to join the state’s auto assembly lines, which have long been dominated by SUVs and other light trucks. Its arrival at Hyundai’s Alabama plant comes as employees already are working overtime to produce the hotselling Sonata, a midsize sedan and the subject of a recent redesign of its own. Industry observers expect the Elantra to make a similar splash in the market, thanks to changes like those found on the updated Sonata, including a sleek new shape and improved fuel economy. Hyundai has been on a roll lately, with new products, aggressive incentives and a value-oriented brand image that helped the company buck a widespread industry slump that started in 2008. Last year, the automaker’s U.S. sales rose 8 percent over 2008. “They pretty much dodged a bullet completely in a year when everybody declined in sales,” said Jesse Toprak, vice president of industry trends and insights for TrueCar.com. “They have the right kind of product for the type of demand we have now, which is, ‘How can I get the most car for my money?’” So far this year, Hyundai’s U.S. sales are 21 percent ahead of last year, a boost that’s largely due to the suc-
cess of the Sonata. The Sonata’s year-to-date U.S. sales total 166,628, or about 65,000 more than Hyundai sold during all of 2009. As a result, Montgomery workers have been on the job 50 to 60 hours a week at times, including some Saturdays. While adding the Elantra will be a challenge for the plant, “it’s a nice problem to have,” Toprak said. The official debut of the Elantra happened Thursday, November 18 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. In Korea, the Elantra is sold as the Avante, and its redesign was unveiled earlier this year. The new Elantra is expected to look like the new Avante, which has sweeping lines and a sportier look than its predecessor. “It looks good,” Toprak said. “It isn’t overly aggressive, it’s pleasing to the eye and it actually creates a lot of interior cubic volume because of that rounded design.” For the first few months after its launch, it’s reasonable to expect the new Elantra’s year-over-year sales growth to range from 30 to 50 percent, Toprak said. Unit-wise, however, it likely won’t match the Sonata, because the compact sedan class isn’t as big as the midsize sedan class. Hyundai also will continue to build the new Elantra in Korea, so the Montgomery plant will not be solely responsible for supplying the U.S. market. But the advantages of moving at least a portion of production to a U.S. site are cost savings associated with building a product where it’s sold and
NCOIL Tables Model Steering Act, for Now At their annual meeting the weekend of Nov. 20 in Austin, Texas, the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) Property and Casualty Insurance Committee “indefinitely tabled” the Model Act Regarding steering. After a meeting to hear commentary on the proposed model, the committee made the decision to effectively kill the measure that had only existed as a stand-alone bill since March of this year. What began as a three-sentence sub section of the Crash Parts Model Act (still under consideration by the committee) evolved into a one page stand-alone document and soon became a multiple page, contentious proposal that drew plenty of comments and criticism from insurers, re-
pairers and the auto glass industry. As originally introduced, the steering proposal banned requiring use of a facility or recommending it, except by consumer request. After inviting interested parties to submit proposals for amending the model this summer, the committee received several suggestions. The insurance groups (American Insurance Association (AIA), the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) and the Property Casualty Insurers of America (PCI) submitted a proposal to add a whole new section of the bill containing a list of repair facility prohibitions, among them: repair facilities would be required to wait three days after an accident before See NCOIL Model Act, Page 29
26 DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
an improved image for the vehicle in the eyes of American consumers. In September, Hyundai shifted production of the Santa Fe SUV from Montgomery to a factory in Georgia operated by its sister company, Kia. That was one move that helped free up production space and prepare for the coming Elantra. In another preparatory move, the plant has continued to build the Sonata at a wide-open pace. For example, Sonata production topped 25,000 in September and again in October, more than U.S. sales during each of those months. “We have built up a little bit of inventory,” said Robert Burns, spokesman for the Montgomery plant. This month, employees have been working 10-hour days, five days a week, building Sonatas along with test models of the new Elantra. Mass production of the new Elantra begins Monday, and current long-range plans call for future output to be 65 percent Sonata and 35 percent Elantra. Those numbers could change depending on market demand, Burns
said, adding that the Sonata will continue to be the plant’s main focus. “We will pull back on Elantra if we need to build more Sonatas, and then more Elantras will come from Korea,” he said. In addition, the plant could add Saturdays back into employees’ work schedules, a move that also depends on market demand. Employees are excited about the new Elantra, Burns said, along with suppliers, some of which have their own employees working overtime. In fact, the full economic impact of the Hyundai plant is being felt across the Montgomery area for the first time. That’s because the facility is on target to reach its annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles this year, the first time the automaker has hit that milestone since setting up shop in 2005. “The good times are rolling, everybody is enjoying the prosperity and we’ve got to take advantage of it,” Burns said. “We feel confident that 2011 is going to be a very busy year.”
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SEMA Week Meetings
SCRS-sponsored classes at the event, SEMA attracted about 115,000 people overall, up about 20 percent from last year. The “Paint, Body and Equipment” section of the show included more than 120 exhibiting companies, with many other companies that sell to the collision repair industry—including most of the major paint companies and many automakers—exhibiting elsewhere among the 9,000 booths and 2 million square feet of SEMA exhibit space. SCRS also held a board meeting during the event, reporting on the association’s recent and upcoming activities. At the meeting, for example, SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg said the association is building a matrix showing which insurer direct repair programs (DRPs) require use of a specific vendor for such services as rental vehicles, estimating systems or customer service indexing. The goal, Schulenburg said, is to show that some programs are more restrictive than others in terms
of vendor choice, and to show the burden and added expense such requirements can have on shops participating in multiple DRPs. Also at the meeting, SCRS board member and industry trainer Toby Chess made a presentation on the need to recalibrate the steering angle sensor that is part of the electronic stability control system on an increasing number of new vehicles. Such systems are standard equipToby Chess ment on 85 percent of 2010 new vehicles, and will be required on all new vehicles as of model year 2012. The recalibration is an additional procedure that must be done after the vehicle alignment. “It’s an added step, and there’s also no more 2-wheel alignments with these systems,” Chess said. “That won’t work.” Chess said he has not yet seen this necessary step added to the estimating systems. He’s also concerned because even though no “trouble light” will be lit on the dash and the vehicle may
handle properly under normal driving conditions even if the system is not calibrated, the electronic stability control function may not work properly in a subsequent “emergency maneuver.” Estimating system changes discussed At the meeting, Schulenburg also presented the association’s discussions with Audatex regarding the automated “prep raw bumper cover” feature that Audatex added and then retracted from its estimating system this fall. The change provided an automated 20 percent of the bumper refinish time (plus refinish materials) for the raw bumper prep operation. But Audatex removed the feature from the system a month after launching it, citing concerns raised by the industry. Indeed, in October, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) announced that a majority of the members of its “Collision Operations Committee” said they felt the 20 percent formula was adequate enough to remove the issue as an ongoing point of negotiation or friction. But Schulenburg said he voiced to Audatex SCRS members’ view that the system should only prompt the es-
timator when a raw bumper has been added to the estimate, allowing the estimator to determine the necessary labor time to be entered. Audatex has said it plans to restore some type of raw bumper prep prompt to the system based on input from the industry and review by its technical advisory council. In other discussion at the meeting, Bud Center of the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG) shared several examples of changes to the estimating systems that have resulted based on DEG inquiries. The DEG, developed and supported primaBud Center rily by three national repairer associations, allows users to submit concerns via website (www.DEGweb.org) about the accuracy of any of the Big Three estimating databases and systems. Center said one such inquiry, No. 2839, submitted in late October, raised a concern about data in the Motor Information Systems’ database (used by See SEMA Week Meetings, Page 31
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Dan Espersen is ALLDATA® CollisionSM Program Manager. Dan is a Gold Pin Member of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) and holds an AA Degree in Automotive Technology. He has 17 years of experience in the collision industry and 17 years of experience in the automotive industry.
ALL OEM Information
with Dan Espersen and Jeffrey Webster
Got Information?
When making repairs, collision proOE repair information benefits fessionals traditionally call on experi- the estimator, production manager, ence, training and generally parts manager, body technician, mewith Danaccepted Espersen practices to deliver a vehicle that sat- chanical technician and the person reisfies the customer, the insurer and sponsible for all of it, the general themselves. That formula worked well manager. OE information allows levfor many years. Cars were pretty sim- els of efficiency and accuracy that ple and repairs were relatively cannot be duplicated by any other straightforward back in the “old source. with Mike Causey days.” So what has changed? Just A system such as ALLDATA® about everything: the vehicles, cus- CollisionSM S3500 provides a precise blueprint for sectioning, welding, tomer expectations, economic pressures and, last but not least, insurer panel replacement, mechanical repairs, electronic system reset procerequirements. dures, hybrid precautions, detailed What has not changed is the need with Mike Causey upper body dimensions and more. to repair vehicles to their safe, pre-colAnd, don’t forget manufacturers’ techlision condition. As Dennis Dean nical service bulletins (TSBs), which Gamba of Cranston Collision Center alert you to known problems that may in Cranston, Rhode Island, puts it, “For me, it’s all about knowing that we have existed prior to a collision. ALLDATA Collision S3500 is a single are doing the jobwith right and that the veJanet Chaney hicle is safe when it leaves here. I have source for information on the vehicles a child and I want to know that any you see coming through your shop every day. child is safe in a vehicle we repair.” Here are a few examples of the So, how do you continue to adkind of OE information available in here to high standards of safety and quality while operating a profitable ALLDATA Collision S3500:
ALL OEM Information
The Right Cause The Right Cause
and inadvertently triggered during vehicle repairs may deploy various safety features (side and curtain airbags as well as seat belt pretensioners). As a result, the precautions listed below must be followed by all service personnel when diagnosing/ser-
Item 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
P/N
02038 16C274 02015 02030 01610 02039 16C275 16138A 16138B
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2009 Ford® F-150® Front Structure Material Identification
Description
Cowl side panel – high-strength low alloy (HSLA) 350 steel Inner fender reinforcement – HSLA 350 steel Cowl panel upper – HSLA 350 steel Cowl top inner panel – mild steel Dash panel – laminated steel Cowl side panel – HSLA 350 steel Inner fender reinforcement – HSLA 350 steel Radiator support – magnesium alloy Lower radiator support – HSLA 350 steel
Automaker Actions and Announcements
le in
a p L li
a u re o s
ALL OEM Information with Tom McGee
ALL OEM Information with Tom McGee
Shop Showcase
T
2011 Kia® Sorento® and 2009 Kia Borrego®. Caution during Airbag Control Unit Servicing
with Ed Attanasio shop given today’s market realities? Always refer to ALLDATA ColliEfficiency is an absolute must. And, sion for safety procedures, identificathe key to efficiency is accurate infortion of material types, recommended mation. Not just any informarefinish materials, and removal and tion—OE information. After all, the installation procedures. Always refer factory built the cars, trucks, vans and to the vehicle manufacturer for quesAttanasio SUVs, and the with factoryEd knows how tions relating to applicable or non-apthey need to be repaired. plicable warranty repair information. This bulletin describes precauFrom sophisticated collision tions necessary during Borrego (HM) avoidance systems, to new generation and Sorento (XM) Airbag Control Unit construction materials to hybrid tech(ACU) related diagnosis/repair/renology, it seems as if vehicles are becoming more complex by the minute. placement to prevent accidental airbag deployment during servicing. As an Mild steel, high-strength steel, ultra high-strength steel, aluminum, carbon added safety feature, a Rollover Sensor has been incorporated into the Borfiber, advanced plastics—who knows rego (HM) and Sorento (XM) ACUs. what the next model year will bring. This sensor determines if a rollover inHow do you keep up? With OE repair cident is imminent, and if improperly information!
IN • to 8 • in
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28 DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
vicing the Airbag Control Unit (ACU)
U)
and related components.
WARRANTY ALWAYS disconnect both battery cables from the battery and bleed-off residual voltage by holding the positive and negative battery cables together for 10 seconds before servicing or removing the Airbag Control Unit (ACU). ACU must be securely installed in its proper location/position during diagnosis/repair of the vehicle. All ACU bolts must be tightened to proper torque specifications and all grounds must be attached during vehicle servicing. NEVER turn the ignition ON unless the ACU is securely bolted down in its designated location/position. The application or use of panel adhesive is limited to the approved procedures published in Toyota, Lexus, and Scion model-specific Collision Damage Repair Manuals. The following illustration is an example of specifications that include the use of adhesive. Please review collision repair manuals (www.techinfo.toyota.com) for complete instructions and symbol translations.
2010 Hyundai® Genesis® Sedan Selected Upper Body Dimensions
Note: Panel-bonding and weld-bonding are not approved procedures. Definitions: • Panel-bonding is a substitution of any specified welds with adhesive material. • Weld-bonding is squeeze-type resistant spot-welding through adhesive. For more information ® ® ® on OE repair inforToyota , Lexus , Scion Vehicles Exterior Panel Adhesive mation, please visit http://www.alldata.com/promo/abn8tt/ INSTALLATION POINT • Apply adhesive (3MTM AuNOTE: This Repair/Service ProtomixTM Panel Bonding adhesive # cedure is excerpted from a Technical 8115) to the area indicated by *1. Service Bulletin published by the vehi• Perform spot-welding on the flange cle manufacturer, and is intended for use indicated by *2. by trained, professional technicians with
the knowledge, tools and equipment to do the job properly and safely. It is rec-
be required to disclose to vehicle owners that the insurer receives discounts and other financial concessions from its preferred repair facilities as a condition of becoming a preferred facility. SCRS has vocally objected to the Crash Parts model and since it was reintroduced to the committee in 2008. SCRS’ overarching objections to the model include, but are not limited to: a. The model does not place greater responsibility on the part manufactur-
ers/distributors to improve overall quality, or limit the market to only receiving high quality parts, but instead shifts the burden onto the repair facility and increases their liability unduly. b. Parts are sold interstate and this model has the potential to be adopted or ignored on a state-by-state basis. Parts regulation needs to be a federal initiative. c. Establishing equivalence between two different types of parts simply due to a certification insinuates that part of the
Continued from Page 26
NCOIL Model Act
they were allowed to solicit a vehicle owner and would be banned from seeking a power of attorney from a vehicle owner for the repair of the vehicle. Another suggestion came from the California Autobody Association (CAA) which proposed that insurers
2010 Toyota® Corolla® Selected Manufacturer Positions
ommended that this procedure not be performed by “do-it-yourselfers.”
certification process is to be equivalent in every way. There is a big difference between acceptable and equivalent parts. d. There is no requirement for testing of the parts outlined in the model, not any mention of traceability, and most importantly there is seemingly no responsibility resting with the insurer should they choose to involve themselves in repair decision such as part selection. The latest version of the Model is available on the NCOIL website.
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS 29
Wicklund’s CARSTAR Honors Kansas City Area Veterans On November 9, Wicklund’s CARSTAR Collision Center honored America’s active duty and military veterans with a special celebration as part of National Military Month. The event featured a free celebration for all veterans and active duty military members and their families, an appearance by the Kansas City Royals and presentation of a vehicle to a Kansas City area veteran by Cars 4 Heroes. Wicklund’s CARSTAR, a member of the nation’s largest family of auto body experts, owned and operated locally for 40 years held the event at their Liberty, MO shop. Thanks to the support and generosity of sponsors, the event was free to veterans, active military personnel and their spouses. In addition to prizes, food, soft drinks and beer, the Kansas City Royals distributed tshirts to the first 600 attendees. At the event, Cars 4 Heroes presented a vehicle to Greg and Debbie Kerr from Buckner, MO. They were submitted by neighbors and received a 1992 Toyota Camry. The organization takes in donated cars, makes sure they are mechanically sound and pass a
Missouri safety inspection for Veterans and their families. As part of the celebration, Wicklund’s CARSTAR partnered with the VFW Foundation on its “Return the Favor” national campaign designed to boost morale and fill-in governmental assistance gaps for troops (all Service Branches) and military families anywhere in the U.S. Liberty-area customers can simply make a donation of $5 and have their name featured on the “Return the Favor” donation cards featured in the store. All monetary donations raised will be split between the VFW Foundation and the local VFW post. Wicklund’s CARSTAR is also holding an “Adopt a Troop” donation program in conjunction with their local VFW to collect supplies for the troops. Wicklund’s CARSTAR is located at 941 Sutton Place Liberty, Mo. 64038.
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AutoTrader.com to Purchase Kelley Blue Book
AutoTrader.com, the Internet’s ulti- ture we believe together we can bring mate automotive marketplace and a host of new technologies and tools consumer information web site, an- to market that will significantly imnounces that it has signed a definitive prove the car shopping process for agreement to acquire Kelley Blue consumers, and help auto dealers and Book (www.kbb.com), one of the manufacturers better capitalize on the most recognized and influential fundamental efficiency advantages of brands in the automotive industry. the Internet.” As part of the deal, Auto“The future that lies before us is Trader.com will also acquire Kelley full of potential,” said Kelley Blue Blue Book’s sister companies CDM- Book President and CEO Paul Johndata and CDM Dealer Services. son. “Becoming part of the AutoDetails of the transaction are not Trader.com family of companies will being disclosed. Kelley Blue Book help us accelerate our growth in the will operate as a subsidiary of Auto- vehicle valuation and consumer car Trader.com and continue to be head- shopping spaces.” quartered in Irvine, CA. AutoTrader.com strongly beThe deal is expected to close by lieves in maintaining Kelley Blue the end of the year. J.P. Morgan acted Book’s independent and unbiased poas Kelley Blue Book’s exclusive fi- sition in the marketplace. Furthernancial advisor through this process. more, AutoTrader.com is committed Goldman, Sachs & Co. acted as fi- to maintaining and strengthening Kelnancial advisor to AutoTrader.com. ley Blue Book’s role as The Trusted “AutoTrader.com is excited Resource® for vehicle valuation and about becoming the new owner of other important industry information Kelley Blue Book because we believe among consumers, dealers, manufacthe company has a great future,” said turers, financial and governmental inAutoTrader.com President and CEO, stitutions. Give us“Kelley your opinion affecting thetheindustry. Chip Perry. Blue Book on has matters a Paul Johnson and rest of Kelwonderful history as an iconic brand ley Blue Book’s leadership team will and trusted provider of vehicle infor- remain in place and continue to enmation to generations of car buyers hance the company’s brand in collaband sellers, and as we look into the fu- oration with AutoTrader.com. publisher@autobodynews.com
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SEMA Week Meetings
the CCC Information Services estimating system) related to the replacement of rear floor pan on the 2006 Toyota Rav4. The inquiry indicated that this procedure requires the purchase and welding of five brackets and cross-members. The need for these parts isn’t indicated in the system, the inquiry points out, and no labor time is listed in the system for the parts. Within three days, Center said, Motor had responded by adding labor times of 1.5 hours for the seat crossmember and 1.3 hours for the rear reinforcement, and doubling the labor time for the third-row seat crossmember to 2 hours. “That’s almost four additional labor hours,” Center said. “And this was on a 2006 vehicle. I’m curious how many of those we’ve repaired in the last four years. It’s a big change.” Next step on standards In another meeting held during SEMA week, the effort to develop formalized industry standards for colli-
sion shops and repairs took another step forward with the formation of a committee to hire and fund a shortterm consultant to oversee the next stage of the process. About 30 people attended a halfday meeting organized by the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) “Repair Standards Committee.” Attendees discussed the committee’s efforts on the project to date, and discussed the pros and cons of developing formalized industry standards. At the conclusion of the meeting, the group formed a planning group that will work to hire a temporary project manager to develop a plan, timeline and budget for completion of formalized standards and for the creation or designation of an entity to oversee and implement adoption of the standards within the industry. “We’re building that broad industry consensus to take this massive amount of work the CIC committee has done, and the massive amount of work that still needs to be done, and give it the right structure and put it into perspective for everybody to be able to use,” said Scott Biggs, who helped chair the meeting.
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NABC Annual Golf Outing in Palm Springs, California will be Jan 12 The National Auto Body Council (NABC) has selected January 12 for their 2011 Annual Golf Outing presented by Hertz. The outing will take place at the Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort in Palm Springs, California. The golf outing is held each year in conjunction with the NABC’s open board meeting and the Collision Industry Conference (CIC). This coming year the meetings are scheduled for January 11– 14, 2011. The open board meeting is scheduled for January 12 from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. “The annual golf outing is a fun and relaxing way to network with industry peers, while raising awareness of the great work the NABC does to enhance the image of the collision repair industry,” says NABC Vice President Brandon Devis of Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes. “We are very excited to have Hertz on board as our presenting sponsor in 2011. They are a longstanding supporter of the NABC and have stepped up to the tee in support of our Annual Golf Outing.” The golf outing is open to both individuals and teams, and will be played using a four-person scramble format. Transportation will be pro-
vided by Hertz from the Palm Springs Hilton to Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort. Busses will depart at 11:00 a.m. with a shotgun start scheduled for Noon. Lunch and beverages will be provided along with the opportunity to win many outstanding prizes. The golf outing will conclude with an awards reception and return transportation will be provided by Hertz to the Palm Springs Hilton. To register for the NABC Annual Golf Outing presented by Hertz, please download an event registration form from www.autobodycouncil.org. Registration must be received by December 31, although interested parties are advised not to wait until the last minute to sign up as the event—which attracted over 100 participants last year—looks as if it will sell out. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available for those companies or individuals interested in supporting the NABC. Please download an event sponsorship form from www.autobodycouncil.org. If you have any questions please contact Cynthia Prisco at 888667-7433 or cprisco@autobodycouncil.org.
Classic Collision opens 8th Location in Metro Atlanta
Alabama-Made Auto Sales Up 23% from Dismal 2009
Classic Collision is proud to announce the opening of a state-of-theart collision repair center in Sandy Springs, Ga. The 70,000 square foot facility will occupy the former Tom Jumper parts and service buildings. The facility has been transformed from a typical service center into a very elegant and warm environment. When at capacity, the Sandy Springs location will repair as many as 8,000 vehicles annually and is scheduled to employ 40 to 50 people in the coming year. With the addition of the Sandy Springs location, Classic Collision, which was started in 1983, now operates 8 locally owned collision repair centers with 230 employees. All Classic Collision locations have state-of-the-art repair equipment that exceeds industry standards. They have worked to achieve the prestigious collision repair certifications of Mercedes Benz, Jaguar, and Sprinter and use the approved paint line — DuPont™ Spies Hecker® brand of paint products, which offers a lifetime warranty. Their facilities also provide collision repair work exclusively for 24 automotive dealerships, and are BMW and Lexus approved.
U.S. sales of Alabama-built vehicles this year continue to climb over the dismal results of 2009, although the industry has a long way to go before it reaches full turnaround, according to reports made by the Birmingham News. So far this year, combined sales of state-made models stand at 452,052 — a 23 percent increase over those sold through October of ‘09. Such numbers have the Alabama factories operated by MercedesBenz, Honda and Hyundai humming, a drastic change from the idled assembly lines in 2009. Combined sales of the Sonata and the Santa Fe SUV, which Hyundai moved out of Montgomery in September, total 223,738, a 35 percent improvement over last year. The Santa Fe is now being built at a Kia plant in Georgia, and production of the Hyundai Elantra compact sedan will start this month in Montgomery. Despite the rising numbers, total U.S. industry sales remain far below those seen earlier this decade, when annual totals ranged from 16 million to 17 million. For most of this year, the annual selling rate has hovered around 11 million.
www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2010 AUTOBODY NEWS 31
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