December 2016 Southeastern Edition by Autobody News

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Toyota to Settle U.S. Truck Rust Lawsuit for up to $3.4 Billion, Approximately $15,000 Per Vehicle According to Reuters, Toyota Motor Corp has agreed to a settlement of up to $3.4 billion for a federal class action brought by U.S. owners of pickup trucks and SUVs whose frames could rust through, plaintiffs lawyers have said in court papers.

2008 Toyota Tacoma

The proposed settlement covers about 1.5 million Tacoma compact pickups, Tundra full-size pickups and Sequoia SUVs alleged to have received inadequate rust protection that could lead to corrosion serious enough to jeopardize their structural integrity, according to court papers. Attorneys for the plaintiffs, in court papers supporting the settlement, estimated the value of frame replacements at about $3.375 billion based on a cost of about $15,000 per vehicle and the inspections at about $90 million at $60 per vehicle. See Class Action, Page 62

CIC, I-CAR Continue to Work on Issues Related to Vehicle Scanning, Calibrations

issue came up: What happens when you do a pre-repair scan and you unScanning of vehicles for diagnostic cover something that’s not related to trouble codes as part of the collision the loss,” committee chairman Jack repair process continued to Rozint said. “It could be be a key topic at meetings something serious, related to held in conjunction with a safety system or some critSEMA in Las Vegas in Noical functions of the vehicle. vember. A Collision Industry You talk to the vehicle Conference (CIC) committee owner about it, saying that examining some of the issues it’s not related to the accithe industry needs to address dent but it needs to be fixed. Jason Bartanen, related to scanning, for ex- director of Industry But the consumer says, ‘I ample, reported in Las Vegas Technical Relations barely have the money for for I-CAR that it continues to identify as my deductible. I just need many questions as answers. you to fix the collision damage.’ What “On the last [conference] call, the See Vehicle Scanning, Page 30 by John Yoswick

VOL. 7 ISSUE 10 DECEMBER 2016

Collision Industry Veteran Mike Causey Wins in Fifth Attempt to Become NC Insurance Commissioner

Most significantly for collision repairers, he has extensive experience NC Insurance Commissioner chal- in the industry and is widely known as lenger Mike Causey has prevailed in a pro-shop advocate. Causey’s familhis contest against Democratic iniarity with collision repair issues and cumbent Wayne Goodwin. Goodwin insurer policies has come from exposure to both repairers and insurers, having represented North Carolinabased, but now-defunct, Independent Auto Body Association. Causey, a retired insurance agent, lobbyist and former Autobody News columnist, has been a five-time candidate for the office. As recently as July he spoke at the North Carolina Association of Collision and Auto Repair (NCACAR) Mike Causey (r) with local Sheriff Donnie Harrison meeting in Charlotte, NC. (Search Autobodynews.com and autobodynews was seeking his third term as NC In.com/index.php/mike-causey.html for surance Commissioner. Causey ran on more.) a platform of modernizing the insurNorth Carolina is the only state in ance industry and making the system See Causey Elected, Page 16 more competitive. by Autobody News Staff

You Charge How Much for Labor? Figure Out Your Costs First!

finishes, it will be critical for collision repairers to invest in their facilities, With vehicle construction and tech- equipment, and training to stay curnology evolving at the most rapid rent and capable to properly repair vepace in history within the automotive hicles. industry, what steps will auto body Since this will most likely be a significant additional cost of doing business, he encouraged shops to take the time to build a pricing model that allows companies to accurately identify these additional costs. The purpose would be to quantify the actual amounts the company will need to seek to get reimbursed for this significant new and ongoing investment Tim Ronak, Senior Services Consultant with AkzoNobel – of capital. Vehicle Refinishes “Once you know the amount shops across the country need to take costs have increased, you can use this to remain successful? According to information to calculate a suitable adTim Ronak, Senior Services Con- justment or increase in prices and will sultant with AkzoNobel–Vehicle ReSee Charge How Much?, Page 23

by Stacey Phillips

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2 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Contents

COLUMNISTS Attanasio - AkzoNobel Unveils Celebrity Vehicle and New Partnership with David Kindig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Attanasio - NABC Presents Six Deserving Recipients with Refurbished Cars at 2016 SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Attanasio - PPG Shows Support for Paralyzed Veterans of America at 2016 SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Attanasio - SEMA Announces Collision Repair & Refinish Product Award Winners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Attanasio - WD-40®/SEMA Cares 50th Anniversary Camaro Debuts at 2016 SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Attanasio - WyoTech Celebrates its 50-Year Anniversary at SEMA 2016 . . . . . . . . . 50 Luehr - Automobile Technology Now and in the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Phillips - How to Market to, Sell and Service Today’s “Connected Consumer” . . . . . 58 Phillips - Taking Personal Responsibility and Listening with Intent Will Help Your Business Grow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Yoswick - NACE ‘96, Insurer-Owned Body Shops, CIC on Estimates, DuPont Seeks Buyers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 NATIONAL 3M and CREF 2nd Annual Hire Our Heroes Fundraiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Online Editor and Copywriter: Deana Cacus Contributing Writers: Tom Franklin, John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, David Brown, Rich Evans, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr, Stacey Phillips, Victoria Antonelli Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Sales Assistant: Jessica Day Content/Social Media Specialist: Cass Heckel Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Michelle Lucas

gen, Fiat Chrysler and General Motors. As a leader in painting and injection processes, the plant has an average production capacity of 4.5 million rear view mirrors and will add nearly 500 new and advanced manufacturing jobs in the U.S. and Tennessee. This cutting-edge production center, whose construction started in June 2015, celebrated its grand opening on October 28, with the Rep. Diane Black, Cookeville City Mayor Ricky Shelton, Putnam County Executive Randy Porter and other main authorities of the area and key automotive manufacturers present. Job applications are invited. Send resumes to jobscookeville @ficosa.com.

3M Automotive Aftermarket Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19 Audi of Charlotte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 38-39 Axalta Coating Services . . . . . . . . . . 2 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 59 Car-Part.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 CarcoonAmerica Airflow Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA). . . . . . . . . . . 45 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Coggin Deland Honda . . . . . . . . . . 24 DJS Fabrications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Eagleville Marketing Group . . . . . . 26 Eckler’s Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Eco Repair Systems of North America, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 ECS Automotive Concepts . . . . . . . 10 Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . 37 Everett Chevrolet-Buick-GMCadillac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 55 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 53 Gus Machado Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Hendrick Automotive Group . . . . . . 25 Hendrick Automotive Group of Charleston. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Hendrick BMW/MINI . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Hendrick Dodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Hendrick Kia Cary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Hendrick Kia Concord . . . . . . . . . . 51 Herkules Equipment Corporation. . 30 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 34-35 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Jim Cogdill Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Serving Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and adjacent metro areas. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the autobody industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2016 Adamantine Media LLC.

Southeast

ALLDATA Achieves Customer Milestone . . 62 ASA and AMi Call for Presentations for NACE Automechanika Chicago. . . . . . . 64 Axalta Announces 2016 Custom Finishes Calendar Competition Winners . . . . . . . 63 Axalta Launches New Self-bonding Electrical Steel Coating . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 CarCareers.org Now Features a Job Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 CARSTAR Opens Door to 500th Location . 59 CIC, I-CAR Continue to Work on Issues Related to Vehicle Scanning, Calibrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Clarence Ditlow, 72, Auto Safety Advocate, Passes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Consultant Tells CAA “The Rest of the Story” Behind Paint Material Shortfalls . . . . . . 40 CREF Prepares Spring 2017 Career Fairs, Introduces 2017 Golf Fundraiser Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Event Organizers Release Information on New NACE Automechanika . . . . . . . 65 Experimental Honda/Acura Crash Test Demonstrates Importance of Proper Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 FBI Takes Guns and Money from What is Believed to be VA Body Shop . . . . . . . 6 Feds Want Pre-Approval of Safety of Self-Driving Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 GM Directs Body Shops to Scan for Pre- and Post-Repair DTCs . . . . . . . . . 12 Mopar Introduces Awareness Campaign on ‘Right to Request’ OE Collision Parts . . 12 NFL Network Shifts Gears With New Reality Series “Tackle My Ride” . . . . . . 64 NHTSA Confirms 11th U.S. Fatality Tied to Rupture of Takata Air Bag Inflator . . . 12 OSHA Cites Ohio Vehicle Parts Manufacturer for Failing to Protect its Workers. . . . . . 15 Self-Driving Car Accidents: Who Will Be Held Liable? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 She’s Driven: Shawsheen Tech Senior Has Dream Co-Op and a Clear Vision . . 44 Sherwin-Williams Unveils New Dynamic Clearcoat Offering Superior Appearance and Productivity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Snap-on to Acquire Car-O-Liner . . . . . . . . 16 Support CREF by Shopping on AmazonSmile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Toyota to Settle U.S. Truck Rust Lawsuit for up to $3.4 Billion, Approximately $15,000 Per Vehicle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 WIN Scholarship Program Opens Applications for 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 WIN® Opens 2017 MIW Nominations for May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 You Charge How Much for Labor? Figure Out Your Costs First! . . . . . . . . . . 1

Ficosa, a global provider devoted to the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of high-technology vision, safety, connectivity and efficiency systems for the automotive and mobility sectors, has opened a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Cookeville, TN. With an investment of over 50 million dollars, the new plant is equipped with the sector’s latest technology, becoming the most advanced in Ficosa’s global portfolio. According to the company, the Cookeville facility, which has a total surface area of 270,000 square feet, is dedicated to producing rear view systems for automotive manufacturers such as Nissan, Ford, Volkswa-

Indexof Advertisers

REGIONAL Awards Given, Milestones Met, and Future Plans Discussed at Maaco Conference in NC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Collision Industry Veteran Mike Causey Wins in Fifth Attempt to Become NC Insurance Commissioner . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 CREF and Atlanta I-CAR Committee Award Makeover Grant to Athens Technical College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Customer Goes on Rampage with Sledgehammer at FL Body Shop . . . . . 21 Ficosa Opens a New Plant in Tennessee . . . 3 NASCAR Technical Institute Partners with FCA US LLC to Offer Mopar Technical Education Curriculum Training Program . . 6 Nashville-area Maaco Owner Restored Car for Columbine Victim Memorial . . . . 9 NCACAR October Meeting: The Possibilities are Limitless!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 O’Reilly Auto Parts Robbed at Gunpoint . . . 6 Was Your Vehicle Damaged in Hurricane Matthew? Federal Assistance. . . . . . . . 10 Wyatt Johnson Kia in TN Celebrates ‘Topping Out’ of New Dealership & Body Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Ficosa Opens a New Plant in Tennessee

Autobody News Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018; (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com Email: news@autobodynews.com

Jon Hall Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Kernersville Chrysler-DodgeJeep-Ram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers. 61 Killer Tools & Equipment. . . . . . . . . . 7 Lexus Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 58 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 65 Mercedes-Benz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 59 Miracle System/Equipment Gateway, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 41 Nissan of Richmond . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 O’Brien Hyundai-Subaru-Mazda . . 47 Polyvance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 62 Preval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Priority Automotive Group . . . . . . . 43 Radley Chevrolet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Naples. . . 52 Rick Hendrick Dodge-ChryslerJeep-Ram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Riverside Ford-Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . 16 SATA Dan-Am Company . . . . . . . . 11 Shop-Pro Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Southside Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Stateline Chrysler-Jeep-DodgeRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 57 Tameron Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 U-POL US . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Unicure Spraybooths . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Valspar Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 West Broad Hyundai. . . . . . . . . . . . 50 WyoTech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 23

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 3

Self-Driving Car Accidents: Who Will Be Held Liable? by Matthew C. Casey, Partner, Casey & Devoti

As I stated in my blog from earlier this month, self-driving cars are here. [See url at bottom of article.] In fact, the federal government is so sure autonomous cars will save lives they are pumping millions of dollars into a ‘Zero Deaths’ campaign. Their goal is to eliminate traffic fatalities in 30 years. The irony is that since the launch of the ‘Zero Deaths’ campaign, traffic fatalities have actually increased—up 10.4% in the first half of 2016. Industry experts and the government are using these alarming statistics as even more of a reason to move full-speed ahead with fully autonomous cars. But, the technology is still very much in the beta stage. As someone who fights for the rights of those injured by the negligence of others—the concept of self-driving cars and the developing technology leaves me with a multitude of questions. The two biggest questions: #1 Who will be held liable when a car using the autonomous mode crashes? #2 How will automobile insurance coverage evolve with the changing technology?

First, the issue of who is liable in the event of crash of a car in ‘autopilot’ mode. Right now, most ‘self-driving’ cars are only semi-autonomous and thus come with major disclaimers stating the driver must be ready to take the wheel at any second. But, realistically if a person is not fully engaged in the act of driving—how much are they really paying attention?

Will they have enough time to react? What if a driver claims he tried to override the autonomous mode and the technology wouldn’t allow him to take over? Man vs. Machine. These questions bring up another area of concern—insurance coverage and

Free

how will it evolve as the self-driving car technology evolves. Right now, insurance is state-regulated. Each jurisdiction has its own set of rules and regulations for auto insurance, and so far, for self-driving cars. The federal government has yet to take a larger role. But, will this change in the future? RAND Corporation, a nonprofit global policy think tank, has suggested a no-fault auto insurance system be implemented. Such a system might help prevent manufacturers from becoming overwhelmed by litigation. The industry and the government certainly don’t want product liability lawsuits to interfere with the development of the technology. The thought is a no-fault insurance system helps spread the burden of the cost of litigation related to crashes. If there is a dispute over who is at fault—the driver or the technology (manufacturer), all parties involved will have to increasingly rely on ‘black-box’ data recorders to decipher what happened. This raises even more questions—Who controls the ‘blackbox’ data? How will it be preserved? How forthcoming will a manufacturer be with the data when the technology fails? Only time will tell how quickly self-driving cars actually become mainstream. One thing is certain right now—the more the concept and technology are examined from all sides, the more questions I have.

Matt Casey is a partner with Casey & Devoti, a St. Louis-based personal injury law firm. Matt handles a variety of personal injury cases, including automobile, truck and train accidents, medical malpractice, product and premises liability, elder care and sexual abuse, Workers’ Compensation, and wrongful death. Matt and his law partner, Matt Devoti, are also authorized speakers for EndDD.org’s ‘End Distracted Driving’ We thank Matt Casey and Casey and Devoti for reprint permission. See more at http://www.caseydevoti.com/

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4 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

HARMAN – Has It Been Acquired by a Tier-2 or a Consumer Electronics Supplier? On November 14, Samsung announced plans to acquire HARMAN for $8 billion. The fundamental question that this news raises is how it is likely to affect the automotive industry as a whole. Although Samsung has been making approaches as a direct partner to carmakers for many years, it has, to date, failed to make any traction beyond integration of its consumer electronics devices. On the face of it, HARMAN provides Samsung with a firm entry point to the automotive market and the ability to build stronger partnerships. Lee Colman, Head of Connected Car at SBD, said, “HARMAN was among the first to identify the trend towards commoditized infotainment as well as the associated risks from which it has protected itself through a combination of innovation and acquisitions. It is now uniquely positioned to offer a holistic proposition of hardware, software, services, analytics, firmware updates and even cybersecurity.” As a result of this positioning, SBD’s research shows HARMAN having a significant market share. According to SBD’s USA Head Unit Tracker, HARMAN currently supplies 26 brands and 35% of models in the USA with advanced infotainment systems. The impact of the acquisition on vehicle manufacturers and other sup-

pliers depends very much on whether Samsung has acquired HARMAN as a Tier-2 supplier moving up the automotive supply chain or as a consumer electronics player moving across into the automotive industry. As a Tier-2 supplier, it can offer significant synergies in closely coupling its component-level hardware with HARMAN’s infotainment stack. Although some vehicle manufacturers are cautious of giving away too much of the pie to a single supplier, the enhanced experience that Samsung/ HARMAN can now offer could be compelling. As a consumer electronics player moving across to cars, the acquisition stands starkly against Apple and Google’s strategy of opting for a disruptive clean-slate approach. Although less ambitious than going it alone, Samsung’s proposition may yield more positive results in the short-term by enabling closer partnerships with vehicle manufacturers. In SBD’s view, it is likely to be both—although in the short-term, it is more probable that Samsung will focus on the synergies of vertically integrating infotainment components and systems. In the medium-term, watch out for further acquisitions by Samsung to complement HARMAN’s infotainment capabilities with sensor/autonomy capabilities from elsewhere.

Gerber Opens Second Location in Greenville, NC

Gerber has announced the opening of a second new collision repair center in Greenville, NC. The center

previously operated as Bland & Newsome Auto Body Repair and served the community for 38 years. Greenville is located about 85 miles east of Raleigh, NC, and the new center is located in a busy retail corridor about four miles from the other Gerber Collision & Glass center in Greenville that opened on October 17th. “This is a fast growing region, and when we saw the opportunity, we added a second location in Greenville,” said Tim O’Day, pres-

ident and COO of the Boyd Group’s U.S. operations. “This will enable us to better serve customers and insurance partners in North Carolina’s Tidewater region.” The Boyd Group is continuously looking to add new collision repair locations to its existing network in Canada and the U.S. Interested collision repair center owners should contact Kim Allen, director of business development, at (847) 410-6003 or kim.allen@gerbercollision.com.

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 5

O’Reilly Auto Parts Robbed at Gunpoint

Two businesses in the Mobile, AL area were robbed at gunpoint over the weekend of October 14, according to the Mobile Police Department. On October 14 at approximately 7:56 p.m. officers responded to O’Reilly Auto Parts located at 2801 Springhill Road for a report of a commercial robbery. The victim told police that an unknown male subject armed with a handgun entered the business and demanded cash. A little more than 24 hours later on Saturday night, police received another report of a commercial robbery. Police said that at approximately 11:12 p.m., officers responded to Marco’s Pizza located at 5055 Cottage Hill Road. The victim stated an unknown male subject entered the business and insinuated he was armed with a handgun. The suspect demanded cash before fleeing the scene. No injuries were reported in either incident, and police have classified the crimes a first degree robbery. No additional details have been given at this time. We thank AL.com for reprint permission.

NASCAR Technical Institute Partners with FCA US LLC to Offer Mopar Technical Education Curriculum Training Program Universal Technical Institute, a provider of post-secondary education for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, in part-

UTI students participate in Mopar TEC training at NASCAR Technical Institute campus in Mooresville, NC

nership with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) US LLC, recently began offering its Mopar Technical Education Curriculum (Mopar TEC) advanced training program at its NASCAR Technical Institute campus in Mooresville, NC. The 12-week Manufacturer-Specific Advanced Training program, offered exclusively at NASCAR Technical Institute, provides students with the training and skills needed to secure ca-

FBI Takes Guns and Money from What is Believed to be VA Body Shop

by WTKR.com

The FBI’s Norfolk Field Office confirms a federal law enforcement operation was underway in Newport News on October 20. At least a dozen police and undercover cars were present at the more than twenty-year-old body shop. Credit: Allison Mechanic, WTKR

Officers loaded bags of money into an an unmarked pickup truck. Credit: Allison Mechanic, WTKR

The investigation took place at Roanoke Avenue and 39th Street. It appeared to be centered on an auto body repair shop. During the investigation, a heavy law enforcement presence was in the area. Several men were seen handcuffed and law enforcement officials were seen taking bags of money from

Several men were handcuffed behind a truck

the business. At this time, it is still unknown what the circumstances behind the investigation are. We thank WTKR.com for reprint permission.

6 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

reers in the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) dealership network. The curriculum provides students with classroom education as well as hands-on laboratory experience using the same tools and technologies used in FCA dealerships, including the Chrysler 300, Fiat 500 and Dodge Dart. “By adding the Mopar Tech advanced training program to our campus curriculum, we are continuing to provide our students with the best industry-leading training and educational opportunities,” said Jennifer Bergeron, NASCAR Technical Institute campus president. “Through working with the latest-and-greatest technologies in our Mopar Tech lab, we will provide our students with the skills needed to succeed in the competitive FCA dealership network.” Over the course of the threemonth Mopar TEC program, students learn how to maintain, diagnose and repair Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and Ram Trucks as well as learn Mopar service procedures and how to troubleshoot problems using the latest technologies, including analyzers, handheld scanners and additional diagnostic equipment.

“The demand for skilled FCA technicians in our region has never been greater,” said Jack Salzman, owner of Lake Norman Chrysler. “We are proud to partner with Universal Technical Institute to launch the Mopar Tech program and develop the

The first graduating class of Mopar TEC training at NASCAR Technical Institute campus in Mooresville, NC

future generation of skilled FCA technicians who will be able to meet the needs of our dealership for many years to come.” The Mopar TEC curriculum was developed in partnership with the FCA Performance Institute. Applications for future class enrollment are currently being accepted.

Everything needed to start repairing aluminum today!

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 7

Wyatt Johnson Kia in TN Celebrates ‘Topping Out’ of New Dealership & Body Shop by Lee Erwin, ClarksvilleNow.com

Wyatt Johnson Kia held a topping out ceremony to celebrate the construc-

tion of the new Kia dealership on the corner of Trenton Road and 101st Parkway in Clarksville, Tennessee. In building construction, “topping out”

refers to placing the top beam atop a structure. During the event, attendees signed the white beam with black markers so that their signatures will forever be part of the building.

“The topping out ceremony marks another significant milestone for Wyatt Johnson’s growth and commitment to Clarksville, Montgomery County and surrounding communities,” said Katherine Johnson Cannata, Dealer Principal. “On behalf of all of us at Wyatt Johnson, I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in designing and constructing this beautiful new dealership.” Once it’s finished, Kia customers will enjoy the clean and modern environment. The intent behind the updated Kia storefront is to show customers that something new and different is going on with the brand. The storefront glass creates a modern appeal while allowing for unencumbered views of the inside. The new dealership will include 24,000 square feet and 11 service bays on a ten acre campus. Wyatt Johnson is partnered with T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc., Lyle Cook Martin Architects, DBS & Associates Engineering, Morgan Contractors and a host of local sub-contractors on this project. The new location of Wyatt Johnson Kia is expected to open in mid-2017.

8 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Kia ranks the highest in JD Power’s 2016 US Initial Quality Study. It’s the first time in 27 years that a nonpremium brand has topped the rankings. It’s also the second consecutive year that Kia, which ranked second in 2015, has led all non-premium makes in initial quality. “It’s an exciting time to be a Kia dealer and we are really proud of this brand and the cars they’re producing,” said Sidney Johnson, Dealer Principal. Kia offers 18 models including the Kia Optima, Kia Soul and Kia Sorento. Visit the current Wyatt Johnson Kia showroom at 511 N Riverside Drive, Clarksville, TN, or contact Wyatt Johnson Kia at 931-552-1111. Wyatt Johnson Automotive Group was founded in 1946 by Henry Wyatt. Wyatt’s entrepreneurial son-in-law, the late Sid Johnson, developed the enterprise into the award-winning dealership it is today. Wyatt Johnson offers Buick, GMC, Hyundai, Subaru, Mazda, Toyota, Kia and Volkswagen as well as certified pre-owned vehicles. Comprehensive services include repair and maintenance, parts and accessories and a state-of-the-art collision center,

ABRA Auto Body and Glass. Wyatt Johnson Automotive has continued the family legacy, offering quality, in-

tegrity and product knowledge in a fun and friendly professional environment. Stores are located at 2425, 2595 and 2600 Wilma Rudolph Blvd. and 511 and

505 N. Riverside Drive in Clarksville, Tennessee. For more information, visit the website at www.WyattJohnson.com. We thank ClarksvilleNow.com for reprint permission.

WIN® Opens 2017 MIW Nominations for May

Women’s Industry Network (WIN®) has announced that nominations are now being accepted for the prestigious Most Influential Women (MIW) Awards and will be accepted through December 30. The winners will be recognized at a gala held during the 2017 WIN Educational Conference, May 8-10, 2017 at the Westin Denver Downtown in Denver, CO. Nominations of women working in any segment of the collision repair industry across the United States and Canada are welcome, and WIN membership is not a requirement. Once again, WIN has retained an independent consultant to interview those who have been nominated for the award and select the winners so that WIN can remain unbiased in the selection process. “I am honored to have the opportunity through WIN to work with so many amazing women in this industry,” stated Cheryl Boswell, CFO DCR Systems, LLC., MIW committee cochair and 2015 MIW honoree. "The MIW program gives us the opportunity to recognize those extraordinary women who are leaving a positive mark on our industry.” See more at www.womensindustrynetwork.com.

Nashville-area Maaco Owner Restores Car for Columbine Victim Memorial The film “I’m Not Ashamed,” based on the diaries of Columbine victim Rachel Scott, made its official movie premiere on October 10 at the Belcourt Theater in Nashville. The film features Rachel’s

Derek Jameson and his crew at the Maaco body shop in Antioch, TN restored Columbine victim Rachel Scott’s 1988 Acura Legend in memoriam

original car, which became a nationwide memorial after the tragedy. Thanks to donated auto repairs from Derek Jameson and his team at the Maaco body shop in Antioch, TN, the renovated vehicle made its red carpet debut at the premiere. Following the 1999 Columbine tragedy, the car spent most of its time unused at the home of Rachel’s mother, collecting routine damages over the years. Jameson and his crew repaired hail damage to the top surface, restored the left quarter panel and repainted the entire vehicle. The most challenging repair was tracking down a front left door

that would fit the car, which Jameson was able to locate after a rigorous search. The vehicle played a prominent role in the film “I’m Not Ashamed” and made its first public appearance in 17 years at the premiere. “This car is extremely cherished, so when Rachel’s mother asked for the car to be renovated, we needed to find a trusted auto body shop we could depend on for such a delicate project. Derek Jameson and his team at Maaco went above and beyond to restore this car,” said Benny Proffitt, producer of “I’m Not Ashamed” and founder of First Priority Global. “Not only did Derek donate the repairs to Rachel’s family, but he made an incredible effort to find auto parts nearly thirty years old to replace on the vehicle. The final product looks unbelievable, and it was a highlight on the red carpet.” Rachel Scott’s red 1988 Acura Legend was pictured on the cover of Time magazine as an iconic symbol of the community coming together in solidarity after the tragedy. The flowercovered memorial for grieving students remained in the high school parking lot for weeks before returning to Rachel’s home. According to Proffitt, the car is scheduled to be featured in several museums after the premiere before being

returned to Rachel’s mother. “We are honored to receive the opportunity to restore this special car for Rachel, her family and all the people affected by this tragedy,” said Jameson. “At Maaco, we take pride in our work, and the body shop technicians went to great lengths to ensure this vehicle was restored to its natural beauty.

Jameson and his crew repaired hail damage to the top surface, restored the left quarter panel and repainted the entire vehicle

As a Maaco franchisee, the opportunity to use our talents and expertise to participate in such a meaningful repair in honor of Rachel and her family is extremely rewarding.” “I’m Not Ashamed” was released nationwide on October 21. For more information about the movie, visit www.imnotashamedfilm.com. For additional information about Maaco, visit www.Maaco.com.

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 9

Was Your Vehicle Damaged in Hurricane Matthew? Federal Assistance by WECT Staff

People who had their automobiles damaged or destroyed by the flooding caused by Hurricane Matthew may be eligible for assistance in repairing or replacing their vehicles, according to the NC State Emergency Response Team. Owners should first check their automobile insurance policy or contact their insurance agent to see if the damage is covered. They also may be eligible for federal assistance. According to the NC State Emergency Response Team, in order to be eligible for FEMA assistance, the following conditions apply: ● The damaged vehicle must have complied with applicable state laws regarding title, vehicle registration and insurance requirements at the time of the damage.

● Only those who maintain at least liability insurance will be considered to receive federal disaster assistance to repair or replace their vehicles. Liability coverage is the minimum insurance requirement for North Carolina drivers. Liability insurance policies do not cover storm-related damage.

Survivors who register must submit proof to FEMA that they maintain liability coverage to be considered for federal disaster assistance to repair or replace their vehicles.

● Vehicle owners who have a comprehensive policy should first file a claim with their insurance company. Comprehensive policies usually pay for storm-related damage to a car. However, federal disaster assistance may help fill the gaps for those whose comprehensive insurance coverage does not pay for any or all storm-related damage costs.

● Vehicle owners need to return a completed U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan application. After registering with FEMA, the SBA may contact survivors concerning disaster loan applications. It’s important for vehicle owners to submit their application. Homeowners and renters may be eligible to borrow up to $40,000 to repair or replace personal property, including automobiles damaged or destroyed in the disaster.

● FEMA grants to repair or replace a vehicle must clear the SBA disaster loan process. Vehicle owners may re-

10 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

ceive a grant from FEMA to repair or replace their car if insurance is insufficient and they were declined for an SBA home loan. Grants do not need to be repaid.

●Vehicle owners must submit an itemized document showing the car damage was storm-related and a receipt, estimate or verifiable bill of the repair or replacement costs. Federal disaster assistance is available to people only if their cars had damage as a result of Hurricane Matthew, beginning on Oct. 4. The 27 counties eligible for individual assistance in the federal disaster declaration are: Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, Pender, Pitt, Robeson, Sampson, Tyrrell, Washington, Wayne and Wilson. We thank WECT for reprint permission.

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3M and CREF 2nd Annual Hire Our Heroes Fundraiser

In partnership with the 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division (AAD), the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) has announced it has donated more than $750,000 since 2013 to be used toward scholarships and tool grants for more than 210 military veterans and their families through the 3M Hire Our Heroes program. In 2017, 3M AAD and CREF will mark the fifth year of the program, and both organizations will be facilitating the second annual 3M Hire Our Heroes Calendar for 2017. With a $200 donation to CREF, designated to the 3M Hire Our Heroes fund, shops will not only be giving to a worthy cause, they will also receive the commemorative calendar, which contains approximately $1,700 worth of monthly deals on 3M products. This year when a shop participates in all 12 months of promotional offers, they will qualify to receive a sample of new products introduced by 3M AAD in 2018. Additionally, the first 500 people to make the $200 donation will also receive a Hire Our Heroes replica hood designed by automotive designer Chip Foose. Visit http://3mcollision.com /hire-our-heroes.

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 11

NHTSA Confirms 11th U.S. Fatality Tied to Rupture of Takata Air Bag Inflator

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has confirmed that a crash fatality in Riverside County, California, is tied to a rupture of a recalled Takata air bag inflator. The victim, a 50-year-old female, died after sustaining injuries in a crash on Sept. 30. NHTSA investigators have inspected the vehicle, in cooperation with local authorities. This is the 11th confirmed U.S. fatality tied to ruptures of Takata air bag inflators. The victim was driving a 2001 Honda Civic. The vehicle was first recalled in 2008, and records show that the recall repair was never completed. The vehicle is included in a population of Honda and Acura vehicles which has been identified by NHTSA as holding “substantially higher risk.” The air bag inflators in these particular vehicles contain a manufacturing defect which greatly increases the potential for dangerous rupture when a crash causes the air bag to deploy. Ruptures are far more likely in inflators in vehicles that have spent significant periods of time in areas of high absolute hu-

midity—particularly Florida, Texas, other parts of the Gulf Coast, and Southern California. Testing of the inflators from these vehicles show rupture rates as high as 50 percent in a laboratory setting. The Department of Transportation continues to ask for the news media and public’s assistance to find the remaining unrepaired vehicles. Drivers of these vehicles should immediately visit SaferCar.gov to check whether their vehicle has any outstanding safety recalls. Those that do should contact their nearest dealer to schedule a no-cost immediate repair. Replacement parts for these vehicles are available immediately. The higher-risk inflators are in the following 2001-2003 Honda and Acura vehicles: 2001-2002 Honda Civic 2001-2002 Honda Accord 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL 2002 Honda CR-V 2002 Honda Odyssey 2003 Acura 3.2CL 2003 Honda Pilot

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GM Directs Body Shops to Scan for Pre- and Post-Repair DTCs General Motors Company has issued a position statement for the collision repair industry directing technicians to scan damaged vehicles for diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) both before and after repairs. According to the company, GM’s goal is to ensure that all necessary repairs are diagnosed during the estimate process, and that vehicles are returned to customers in pre-crash condition. Testing is especially critical when safety systems are impacted. “Even minor body damage or glass replacement may result in damage to one or more safety-related systems on the vehicle,” said John Eck, collision manager, GM Customer Care and Aftersales. “Any action that results in loss of battery-supplied voltage and disconnection of electrical circuits requires that the vehicle be tested post-repair to ensure proper electrical function.” Many safety and security-related components, sensors and Electronic Control Units (ECUs) require calibration and/or “learns” when replaced, Eck stresses. These systems must be repaired according to the

corresponding GM repair procedures. “Technicians who follow proper pre- and post-repair scanning procedures have an edge when it comes to customer satisfaction because dashboard lights can’t tell you everything that’s going on with a vehicle’s electronics,” Eck said. “With pre- and post-scans, techs will start with the right diagnosis and right parts out of the gate; they’ll reduce repair cycle times and they should see fewer follow-up visits. More importantly, the scans will help ensure that the vehicle and its safety systems are returned to their pre-crash conditions.” All of GM’s position statements can be downloaded at http: //www.genuinegmparts.com/forprofessionals/position-statements. For more information, visit www .gm.com.

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Mopar Introduces Awareness Campaign on ‘Right to Request’ OE Collision Parts

The Mopar brand is rolling out a new multi-faceted awareness campaign designed to both inform consumers of their “Right to Request” Original Equipment (OE) collision parts and highlight the benefits of choosing Mopar products over the aftermarket for collision repairs. The initiative will include a new informational ad that details the rights of owners to ask for OE parts for collision repairs. The “Right to Request” ad will be featured on the brand’s YouTube page, as well as on its official website (www.mopar.com/collision). A Mopar collision repair guidebook showcasing OEM Mopar collision products will also be distributed for display at collision shops and FCA US LLC dealers. According to the company, additional videos and images will reinforce the Mopar brand’s commitment to helping repair vehicles the right way with OE parts. “Consumers have the freedom to choose, and that includes the freedom to insist on OE Mopar collision parts to protect their investment in their vehicles,” said Ross McGinnis, vice president of Parts Sales and Field Operations for Mopar. “Own-

ers have the right to ask for OE parts created by the same engineers who designed and built their vehicles in order to protect their vehicles and the people riding in them.” “In some cases, repair shops can be pressed to install generic, lower-quality aftermarket parts instead of OE factory products,” a statement from the company read. “The case for insisting on OE parts is even more critical considering the complex technology and safety systems integrated into the manufacture of today’s modern vehicles. In areas such as corrosion resistance, material strength, appearance and even packaging, OE Mopar collision parts provide factory performance and reliability that unknown aftermarket parts often lack.” For more information, visit www .mopar.com.

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NCACAR October Meeting: The Possibilities are Limitless! by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Tuesday, October 25, the North Carolina Association of Collision and Autobody Repair (NCACAR) held its meeting at the Gaston County Wildlife Club on Lake Wiley. Meredith Bradshaw, Marketing and Social Media Manager for NCACAR, noted, “It was the largest meeting yet—the attendance was close to 80 which is very impressive. I’m very excited about the vision and goals our association has, as well as the support we’ve received from shops and vendors! The possibilities are limitless as to what we can accomplish together!” Beginning at 5PM, NCACAR’s third meeting attracted participants from every segment of the collision repair industry, including shop owners, technicians and vendors. NCACAR President Brian Davies welcomed attendees and spoke about the importance of belonging to an association and leaving the NC industry in a better condition for future collision repair professionals. Davies stated, “Some or most of us have a legacy that we are following from a family story of how we got started in the collision industry, and your story may be similar to mine... I

grew up in the industry, gaining a passion and a love for repairing cars in the correct way. I went off to engineering school and worked in the corporate world for a while, only to find myself pulled back into something I truly love. Putting this association together is about the legacy for me and

the country have taken the road less traveled, knowing it would be harder but still doing it because it’s the right road which allows us to always see the value of the precious cargo contained within the cars we repair!” Billy Walkowiak of Collision Safety Consultants, then introduced NC’s Commissioner of Insurance Wayne Goodwin. According to Davies. “Insurance Commissioner Goodwin was very informative as he spoke about the importance of belonging to a trade association. He discussed the rules of insurance in NC and how they impacted the consumers and the repair industry, and he also (l to r) Ed Kizenberger, Brian Davies & Meredith explained how the NC InsurBradshaw ance Commissioner is an leaving this industry better than it was elected position which comes with the when it was handed to us. I’ve made responsibility of being the state’s Fire lots of friends along the way that be- Marshall. Finally, Insurance Commislieve in its sustainability and want to sioner Goodwin expressed his office’s see it grow into a stronger, more pro- willingness to work with our associafessional industry in NC. I’m standing tion for the improvement of the autohere because of the help received from motive collision industry and the NC so many before me and who are with consumers and took several questions me now—Pack Brothers, K & M Col- from the audience.” lision’s Michael and Meredith, Mike Next, Bradshaw spoke briefly on Anderson and countless others across the association’s educational initiatives

14 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

before introducing Ed Kizenberger, Executive Director of LIABRA and the New York State Auto Collision Technicians Association. Recounting the history of the NY associations, Kizenberger spoke passionately about the strength in numbers and the importance of standing together for a better future. He discussed the differences in NY regulations and how implementing some of the positive aspects of the DMV and the Department of Financial Services (NY’s Insurance Department) could benefit the NC group. Kizenberger emphasized NCACAR’s responsibility to provide educational opportunities to all members, regardless of shop size, stressing his belief that “knowledge is power.” Kizenberger fielded questions from attendees and offered his assistance in helping the new association move forward. As the meeting concluded, several donated prizes were raffled off. NCACAR’s October meeting was sponsored by Ronnie Pack at Pack Brothers Collision Center, Collision Safety Consultants and Carolina Colors, who also treated attendees to a delicious dinner prepared by Kyle Fletcher’s BBQ. NCACAR’s next meeting will be held in January 2017 with details yet to be determined.

OSHA Cites Ohio Vehicle Parts Manufacturer for Failing to Protect its Workers from Machine Hazards

The absence of adequate machine safeguards led to an amputation and other machine-related injuries at a Mansfield manufacturer of parts used by automobile, motorcycle and appliance brands. One of these injuries involved a 22-year-old temporary employee who suffered the partial amputation of two fingers on his left hand on his first day of work. On October 21, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed penalties of $536,249 to Milark Industries Inc. for three willful egregious, one willful, and three serious violations of safety standards stemming from multiple investigations of injuries as well as complaints received alleging unsafe working conditions. The agency has placed Milark in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program. “Milark Industries continues to create an environment where employees are allowed to bypass machine safety procedures and are threatened to be disciplined if they don’t meet the production quotas. By doing so, the company is creating an unacceptable culture of risk and get-

ting people hurt on the job,” said Kim Nelson, OSHA’s area director in Toledo. In May 2016, OSHA opened a complaint investigation at the company. A review of injury logs revealed that an employee received a laceration injury on April 22, 2016.

OSHA’s May and June investigations cite the company for hazards at both its Baird Parkway and Rupp Road facilities in Mansfield. OSHA found the company: ● Failed to lock-out robotic welding cells and tube bender. ● Bypassed safety interlocks in order to maintain the production rate. ● Bypassed safety devices while conducting maintenance activities. ● Failed to train workers in procedures to prevent unintentional machinery operation during service and maintenance, a process known as lockout/tagout.

Milark has been the subject of other recent OSHA inspection activity. In September 2015, a 20-year-old worker suffered a serious injury and in July 2015, a machine amputated three fingers and part of a fourth from the right hand of a 19-year-old worker. The company contested OSHA citations issued in both those cases. A December 2016 court date has been set before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. In all, OSHA has inspected the company 10 times since 2007. The company’s worker’s compensation carrier is Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation. Based in Mansfield, Milark Industries is a privately-owned company, employing over 150 workers, and specializing in metal stampings, tube bending, welded parts and subassemblies. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Source: OSHA

Clarence Ditlow, 72, Auto Safety Advocate, Passes

The Detroit Free Press has reported that Clarence Ditlow, a consumer advocate who spent a lifetime trying to make cars safer, died on Thursday, November 10 at age 72. Ditlow is best known as a tireless safety crusader, campaigning for recalls of faulty GM ignition switches, Toyota models with unintended acceleration, and exploding Takata airbag inflators. Ditlow was famous for advocating for safety features to be added to cars and for recalls to be implemented when patterns of trouble emerged. Since 1976, he had served as the executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a group that was founded by Ralph Nader and Consumers Union. According to Michael Brooks, the Center's acting executive director, Ditlow had battled cancer for the past year but had continued to work throughout his treatment. Ditlow was admitted to the hospital a few weeks ago after his condition worsened. “He leaves us with an incredible legacy and remains our inspiration going forward,” Brooks said in a statement.

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 15

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Causey Elected

the country that still has a Rate Bureau a vestige of days gone by when government control “stifled free enterprise in the insurance industry,” according to Causey. He has said the consumer suffers in this system as they pay more for bad drivers and prop up an outdated process. Causey spent 25 years in the insurance industry and first ran for commissioner in 2000, working with body and auto glass shops during the campaign on what at the time were “huge issues.” The commissioner regulates the insurance industry and also serves as the state fire marshal.

Mike Causey Campaigning

Causey also focused on consumer complaints and frustrations saying insurance leadership needs to be more responsive and more transparent in the way consumer insurance claims are handled. “We need better customer service and having real people answering phones in government offices is the best way to serve taxpayers.” Causey called for overhauling the

state’s insurance system to attract companies offering new products and discounts not available in North Carolina. Goodwin defended the status quo, citing the state’s low auto insurance rates and his office’s track record of recovering money from insurers that overcharged or misled consumers. Billy Walkowiak, owner of Belmont, NC-based Collision Safety Consultants, said to an industry media source that Causey’s experience as a lobbyist for state auto glass and auto body associations will make him more effective given the familiarity with collision repair issues. Causey had a stronger grasp of not only collision consumer issues— including what carriers were “refusing to do to assist consumers”—but health care consumer issues as well, Walkowiak said. “Mike Causey will be a huge asset to the collision industry and the consumers that were being taken advantage of,” he added. K&M Collision general manager Michael Bradshaw, who hosted Causey at the summer NCACAR meeting, also noted Causey’s familiarity with shop issues. When collision repairers traditionally go to an insurance commissioner or attorney general, “they’re spending a great deal of time educating them,” Bradshaw said. “He knows as much as most of us,” he said of Causey, and repairers wouldn’t encounter “skepticism” that the practices they describe are actually happening. He was approached by the North Carolina Glass Association and the In-

Snap-on to Acquire Car-O-Liner Snap-on Incorporated recently announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Car-O-Liner Holding AB (“Car-O-Liner”) for approximately $155 million in cash. Based in Gothenburg, Sweden, Car-OLiner, with trailing 12 month sales of approximately $95 million, is a global provider of collision repair equipment and information and truck alignment systems. Subject to certain closing conditions, the transaction is expected to close within 30 days. “Car-O-Liner’s product offering and special expertise are important additions to our Repair Systems & Information Group, bringing greater capabilities in collision repair and strengthening Snap-on’s position

in the heavy duty segment,” said Nick Pinchuk, Snap-on chairman and chief executive officer. “Given trends in the collision space, including the need for greater precision, the requirement to accommodate new materials and the higher emphasis on shop efficiency, we believe this acquisition will further Snap-on’s progress along its strategic and coherent growth runway of expanding with repair shop owners and managers. We look forward to welcoming Car-O-Liner associates to the Snap-on family.” According to the company, founded in 1920, Snap-on is a $3.4 billion, S&P 500 company headquartered in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

16 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

dependent Auto Body Association to become a lobbyist, Causey said. He accepted, playing a major role in the state’s shop choice legislation and regularly contributing to trade publications for years.

Unfortunately, “the same problems still exist,” he said Wednesday, 16 years later. In fact, despite the antisteering law, “the problem’s a whole lot worse today.” He said “the control the insurance companies exert” seems to be worse, not just with shop selection but also with parts and repair decisions themselves. “They just have too much control over the repair process,” Causey said. Insurers should pay the bill and let the shops perform repairs, he said.

Causey said that he was a “fan of OEM parts” and expressed support in the idea of OEM repair procedures. Causey also said that smaller and medium-sized shops hadn’t gotten the attention they deserve. “I will make that a priority in the Mike Causey administration,” he said. Asked about the new trend of OEM certifications—which includes OEMs recommending shops they feel are best equipped to repair their customers’ vehicles—and if that deserves similar antisteering protection, Causey said, “I’ve not seen that end of it being a problem.” “Safety should be the primary factor,” he said. He was also open to the idea of licensing techs or auto body shops, an idea floated during the 2015 legislative session. “I’m not a big fan of overregulation,” Causey said. However, he said “we do need to have some oversight.” “We certainly don’t want the shops out there repairing substandard, [for cost reasons instead of] for safety’s sake,” he said.

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Awards Given, Milestones Met, and Future Plans Discussed at Maaco Conference in NC by Victoria Antonelli

On Saturday, October 15, Autobody News listened in as Jose Costa, president of the paint and collision division of Driven Brands, and Jason Ryan, president of Maaco, capped the Maaco Conference in Charlotte, NC. The teleconference covered the milestones that Maaco and Driven Brands have met in 2016 as well as their plans for 2017. Costa explained that Driven Brands, which is headquartered in Charlotte, has four main divisions with 10 brands that operate about 2500 locations across North America. They generate about $2.5 billion in sales. Their four divisions–the largest and most important one being paint and collision, which encompasses Maaco, CARSTAR, and Drive N Style–generates $1.3 billion with a little under 1,100 locations. “In 2017, Maaco and CARSTAR will add between 100 to 200 locations each,” explained Costa. “We’ve had a very aggressive growth projection over the last four years, with plans to continue that growth into next year.”

Ryan added that Maaco recently celebrated their 500th location, after adding over 50 stores to the map in 2016. “We’ve had a really solid, fantastic 2016 performance,” he said. “We’re celebrating the third year of five percent or greater same store sales growth, so organic business is very healthy.”

Ryan also stated that Maaco’s fleet department, which is one of the MSO’s major initiatives to help grow the top line for their sales, has grown about 30 percent again this year to exceed $100M in annual sales. “We’ve also been working on the marketing side of things,” he said. “We’ve redesigned our websites so we can continue to engage with customers. We’re also bringing back the ‘Uh Oh, Better Get Maaco!’” Maaco sponsored Martin Truex Jr.’s Furniture Row Racing Toyota the

20 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

weekend before the conference for the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “We are looking to continue seeking out these partnerships going forward,” said Ryan. Ryan added that the MSO is also working on a new estimate program to help close more sales, as well as a recycling program that they hope will increase top line sales by another five percent. The Maaco president also acknowledged this year’s winner of the SYL Young Award, Katie Inge, who is based in Chesapeake, VA. “She is the first female recipient of this award,” Ryan said. “She highlighted tremendous performance in a short period of time.” The young shop owner joined the Maaco system last year. Inge increased sales in 2015 by 15 percent, and accelerated sales in 2016 by 30 percent, resulting in a $2 million profit, according to Ryan. Here is the full list of award recipients: Terry Taylor Award – Frank Furino, Orlando, FL

SYL Young Award – Katie Inge, Chesapeake, VA

David M Lapps Award – Brian Greenley, Litteton, CO

MAACO Cup – Hector Loyo, New Berlin, WI

Rookie of the Year – Tim Ciri, Vancouver, WA

Multi-Shop Owner Award – Mike Drum, Atlanta, GA 25 Year Milestone – Joe Ambuul, Colorado Springs, CO

Maaco franchisees are also recognized on a regional level with the Regional Cup Awards for stellar performance and operations that leads to an increase in both car count and overall sales. The 2015 Regional Cup Winners are: Northeast Region - Dennis Raftopoulos, North Brunswick, NJ Mid-Atlantic Region – Ron Raio, Del-

ran, NJ

Southwest Central Region – Bill Lytle, Oklahoma, City, OK Southwest Region – Joe Ambuul, Colorado Springs, CO

Southeast Region – Bill & Heather McCollim, Jacksonville, FL

Midwest North Region – Tim Wright, Farmington, MI Northwest Region – Dave & Kathy Konkle, Seattle, WA

For more information about Maaco, visit www.maaco.com. For more information about Driven Brands, visit www.drivenbrands.com.

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Customer, Possibly High on Drugs, Goes on Rampage with Sledgehammer at FL Body Shop

A man went on a rampage at an auto body shop in what a sheriff’s dispatcher described as a case of excited delirium. Part of the incident was caught on a surveillance camera. As horrified employees watched in disbelief, a man in a black T-shirt took out his rage on a car at Dave’s Auto Body at 3550 Northlake Boulevard in Lake Park, FL. Surveillance video shows he was so aggressive he even went after some of the employees, taking swings at them. “He was just flipping out; he was crazy,” said the manager of the body shop, who would not give his name.

Credit: CNS12.com

The heavy-set man came into the office at Dave’s Auto Body about 4:30pm on October 26. Right away,

workers knew something about him shop manager said. wasn’t right. Employees say the guy was “We’ve never seen him before. He clearly under the influence of somejust was really out of control, like he was on flakka or something,” said Paul Ritchie, a Dave’s Auto Body employee. Was this another case of excited delirium or someone high on flakka? Officials have reported flakka, or bath salts, may have played a role in another recent case where Austin Credit: CNS12.com Harrouff, 19, whom deputies say exhibited incredible strength for his thing and running around like he was size, allegedly killed a couple near out of his mind. Tequesta and bit pieces of “He reeked of alcohol. He had flesh off of their faces. The drugs in his socks. When he took his FBI is testing his blood for socks off, they fell on the ground. He flakka. was very scary,” Ritchie said. In this case, the attacker As far as we know, none of the picked up a chair, knocked employees were injured. over a tool box, and grabbed Deputies responded. We are a sledgehammer. waiting for details on the name and He stormed out to the age of the attacker and what charges parking lot, pounding a cus- he’s facing. Employees say he did tomer’s Jaguar, denting the about $2,000 worth of damage to the hood. Jaguar. “He threw some stuff around. We thank CBS12.com for reprint Punched a car. Kicked it,” the body permission.

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Continued from Cover

Charge How Much?

help determine the shop’s new desired labor rates,” said Ronak, during a recent SEMA 2016 presentation: “You Charge How Much for Labor?” “Savvy business owners will recognize that they require additional returns on the recurring additional invested capital.” When calculating how much your business should charge for labor, Ronak advised shop owners to know their costs before trying to figure out a price. “It is not something that is dictated to you by the insurance industry as many people might seem to think,” he said. “Figure out what it is going to cost you, including technology, facility and people in a capable fashion and then work backward to determine what you need to sell that for to preserve the profit level you enjoyed before the additional capital expense.” New technologies such as onboard safety systems, telematics, and hybrid power systems are expected to be at the forefront of development for another two decades. In addition, there is pressure to increase vehicle fuel efficiency due to CAFE require-

ments. He said these two factors are driving advancements in both technology and vehicle construction methods and materials. How much should a shop invest? Ronak said it depends on a shop’s individual circumstance.

Some considerations include: Aluminum repair equipment ($75,000 to $150,000) New measuring/fixture equipment ($15,000 to $20,000) Hybrid technology ($15,000 to $35,000) New welding equipment requirements ($15,000) OEM certification training ($2,500 to $12,500/tech/year) Certification documentation fees ($2,500+/year) Carbon fiber repair (?) Ronak created a three-part spreadsheet (available from the Autobody News website) for shops to enter their data in terms of labor. Although individual results will vary, he said it was devised to help shops identify, quantify and track what they are currently spending and perform the calculations. Training: With training expenses increasing as shops attempt to keep

pace with changing and emerging technologies, the idea is to annually track all training-related expenses (including tuition, testing, wages paid while training, travel expenses, etc…). By clearly identifying this aggregated annual training expense, Ronak said it will more accurately determine how much to allocate the following year per unit produced/billed. The key is to spread the expense out over ALL of the potential billable units to get reimbursed for the valid usable life of the investment made to ensure that technicians remain capable of repairing the technology-laden vehicles. Facility: Ronak mentioned two different strategies. One is expanding the facility, in which he said owners would need to look at additional volume. This is a different return model than taking an existing workstall and reconfiguring it for an alternate specified use (i.e. using it for aluminum repair) and ensuring there is a payback on the expenses for that unique type of work being done. Equipment: As more complex technology is developed, the cost of new equipment for the industry is rising while during the same period shops are realizing a return that is decreasing due to old technology and tooling being displaced too soon by new technology. Ronak said many shop owners are finding they need to purchase new (updated) equipment every year or two in order to repair vehicles properly per OEM specifications. Ronak said this is a difficult investment option as many scenarios result in equipment becoming obsolete before a real return is captured. After determining these costs, Ronak said shops would have a better idea on how to price labor to ensure they can price in such a way as to create a sustainable investment cycle. According to an industry survey, Ronak said a decreasing percentage of shops reported that net profit improved de-

spite reporting significant increased net sales. “This increase in sales with decreasing net profit is an unsustainable trend as it will choke out investment,” he said. At the same time according to PCI, claim dollars paid through insurance providers increased $2 billion or roughly 10 percent from $19.9 billion the 12 months ending Q1 2015 to $21.9 billion the 12 months ending Q1 2016. Ronak said that the information seems to imply that while the expenditures are going up, there is pressure on severity that is forcing facilities to dramatically reduce what they charge for repairing vehicles. “Facility net profit is declining, and a large part of that decrease in profitability may very well be through this massive increase in financial investment required to understand this new technology,” he said. “These investments are not optional and in fact just to be able to be capable of fixing the technology, in addition to significant equipment and facility investments they are also being faced with massive annual per technician training expenses.” He said businesses need to recognize it’s now an ongoing and recurring expense and the only option available is to adjust what they choose to resell that labor for. “To remain profitable, you need to consider ALL of the costs of providing capable labor, including training,” said Ronak. He added that the annual costs associated with being capable of repairing these new vehicles is going to continue to accelerate, and keeping up with the additional training expenses will also be a necessity. “Technology is not going away and all reports indicate it will continue for another two decades; Just like Moore’s Law regarding Transistor compaction, vehicle technology is likely going to increase by doubling every 18 months,” said Ronak. “Clearly understand your costs … and figure out a way to get paid for it!”

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My SEMA

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

Taking Personal Responsibility and Listening with Intent Will Help Your Business Grow with Stacey Phillips

In a large meeting room filled to capacity during the recent SEMA show, Mike Jones asked attendees to “listen with the intent of being influenced.” During his two-hour seminar, the human behavior expert and president of Discover Leadership Training talked about how to better understand yourself, which will in turn help you better understand others. This will not only lead to better relationships personally, it will help you create and manage teams and become more successful and profitable in your business. “You don’t lack anything in this present moment to have the highest performing team in the industry— wherever you are right now,” said Jones. Honored for his past work by both President Bush and President Clinton, the author, keynote speaker and master trainer has worked extensively with small- to medium-sized business owners and their teams for the past 30 years. He told his audience that if they only remember one concept when they leave his presentation, walk away knowing that small steps lead to small wins. “It’s transformative,” said Jones.

community. “As long as I’m besting my best, then there is no point of reference to anything outside of me,” said Jones. “I can now get on a journey where I’m in a state of growing every day of my life.”

5 Tips on growth

personal responsibility, it completely transforms your relationships with others.” There are 86,400 seconds in every day. “One of the greatest gifts that every last one of us has is the gift of choice,” said Jones. “We can choose to believe anything we want. Why not choose to believe in yourself?”

Although everyone can be given the same instructions, they will all deliver on them differently due to their unique perspective. In terms of working at a body shop, Jones suggested finding ways to somehow get on the same page, and look at the same picture before executing any plan.

Mike Jones

1) Vulnerability is not synonymous with weakness “If you really want to grow and learn and if you want to expand your personal capacity, you have to learn how to allow yourself to get vulnerable,” said Jones. “That’s when real courage shows up.” Rather than being considered a weakness, being vulnerable means getting out of your comfort zone. If you want to experience real courage in your life, Jones recommended getting out of that comfort zone and allowing yourself to experience vulnerability.

5) Team building Jones talked about the difference between reactive listening and responsive listening. Reactive listening is based on viewing the world through your own views and perspective, whereas responsive listening is being present and in the moment with others. “To live effectively, recognize the presence of your reactive listening and take care that it isn’t distorting your perceptions so as to mislead you in your communication and decisionmaking,” said Jones.

4) Take personal responsibility In order to bring about change, Jones stressed the importance of taking personal responsibility for your attitude and all of your actions, rather than blaming others. “Own your stuff,” said Jones. “As soon as you do, it’s game on. As long as you are blaming somebody else, it’s game over.” He pointed out that change is inevitable in this industry, but growth is optional. “You get to choose,” said Jones. “You can stay where you are or you can choose to grow. By taking

See Help Your Business Grow, Page 47

2) Courage is not absence of fear Jones said that courage is acknowledging fear, focusing on your outcome, and doing it anyway, recognizing that the worst thing that could happen is that you could fail. “This is critical if you plan to become a game changer,” said Jones. “If you risk nothing you are risking everything!”

3) Your perspective By four years old, Jones said that over 45 percent of a person’s belief system is in place, which is the lens that you view the world through. From Mike Jones, president of Discover Leadership Training, 4 to 18 years old, over 99 perduring SEMA 2016 cent of your belief system is An alumni of Northwestern Uniin place. This includes all of the things versity’s Executive Leadership Proyou learned from another human gram, Jones said a study conducted at being and all of your experiences. the school found that the average “My perspective, or ‘my truth,’ by human being only realizes about 10 the time I’m 18 years old is what I’m percent of their full potential over the actuating on in every relationship I course of a lifetime. have,” said Jones. “As long as we are Throughout his career, Jones has managing our relationships as if our worked with students teaching them truth is the truth, there is conflict in the how to have an internal barometer and relationship.” He said there is no good ‘best their best.’ He said this same or bad, right or wrong, positive or negconcept can be applied to the business ative; only your thinking makes it so.

24 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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Lean Operations

David Luehr is the owner of Elite Body Shop Solutions, LLC, a collision business consulting firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a 30 year veteran of the collision repair industry. David is an expert in Body Shop Operations and specializes in Lean, and Theory of Constraints methods. Email him at dluehr@msn.com

Automobile Technology Now and in the Future with David Luehr

What would happen to the collision repair industry if automobile collisions no longer happened? This is a serious concern to many people in our industry and I hear a lot of differing opinions on the subject. Clearly, crash avoidance technology is already a reality. Many speculate that crash avoidance technology will soon become standard equipment on most vehicles, and I don’t see any reason to doubt it given the progress we are already seeing. I am positive that such technology will create the intended safety consumers seek in their automobile purchases, and it will have a dramatic effect on the number of vehicles that need to be repaired. I believe that if not for the increased use of cell phones and other distractions by drivers in the past few years, we would have already felt a steeper decline in repair work than we already have. I don’t have a crystal ball to predict the future, but I don’t think we need one to predict that vehicle accident frequency will likely continue to decrease and we may end up having a surplus of shops as a result. Now before you jump off a bridge, let me point out a couple things. There is always an opportunity contained in every adversity. Despite the decrease in the number of repairs, many believe, as do I, that severity will increase due to the additional technology involved and the expense to repair this technology. As I write this, there are serious conversations taking place all over the industry about the added expense diagnostic scanning both before and after repairs as well as the many other calibrations that are required. Yes, fixing cars will continue to require new skills, new equipment, and new expense, but for the

shops with the right mindset to embrace these changes, I think a very prosperous future could be in store for those that can weather the technological storm. Sadly, some shops will not survive. If you embrace the change, you can not only survive but benefit and prosper from our quickly changing world.

Self-driving cars What about autonomous vehicles? I believe that self-driving cars are indeed a reality of our future, mainly because they already exist in our present. The big questions that remain unanswered is how long will it take to perfect the technology for practical use and how long it will take for humans to embrace it from a consumer standpoint? While the concept of the driverless car has been around for nearly a century, in 2009 Google decided to make it a priority. While Google has no interest in becoming a car manufacturer, they have been relentless in their pursuit of the perfect autonomous car. Logging millions of miles, Google, several vehicle manufacturers, and even UBER, are doing some impressive things with the technology and learning very quickly how to make self-driving a reality. UBER is already running cars all over the city streets of Pittsburg, while Google has been running its friendlylooking Google car that has no interior driving controls whatsoever all over our roads with only minor negative instances. These cars utilize a combination of lasers, cameras, and radar technology to identify objects and respond accordingly. Proponents of the technology say that it will save lives by reducing cars crashes, reduce traffic

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congestion, and give people with disabilities access to transportation they may not have otherwise. No one can seem to give an exact answer to our tough question though. How long until it affects the collision repair industry? I hear answers that range anywhere from three to 30 years, and I am not losing any sleep over it. I do not believe autonomous cars will completely replace cars with drivers anytime soon because other than being stuck in traffic, many of us still love to drive. The technology while possibly providing more safety than human drivers, is currently in a stage of what Google calls “paranoia.” The vehicles are learning very quickly how to identify objects and react appropriately, but there is a lot of learning still to be done before these computer-driven cars do it with confidence. It is like a nervous teenager just learning how to drive, paying very careful attention, but never willing to

risk pulling out into traffic and trusting that the oncoming car will slow down for us. I would hate to be the guy behind one of these! There are other limitations too. As of now, the sensing technology has difficulty working in inclement weather, and is useless on snow-covered roads. I believe when self-driving cars do become widely available to the public, they will initially be targeting carpool-type transportation, the elderly, and those with disabilities. I think it would be logical to assume that in the early stages of adoption, self-driving cars will be used for HOV or express lane freeway applications. I am excited to watch as this technology unfolds and hopefully makes the world a better place, instead of just another useless gadget. This has been an excerpt from the book The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops to be released early 2017. See www.bodyshopsecrets.com

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 27

Sherwin-Williams Unveils New Dynamic Clearcoat Offering Superior Appearance and Productivity by Stacey Phillips

Celebrating its 150th anniversary, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes recognized its past achievements and looked toward the future during the 2016 SEMA trade show. This included the unveiling of a NEW category for the refinish industry: Dynamic Clearcoat, CC200. Bryan Draga, Global Director of Marketing, said the product is a new category among premium clearcoats providing a “speed glamour finish” that offers superior appearance in half the time of a typical glamour clearcoat. It was designed to provide consistent, premium results across a wide range of repair sizes and environments. “New Dynamic Clearcoat offers the ultimate in gloss for high-end refinishing while maintaining shop productivity,” said Draga “With its excellent application properties, this versatile clearcoat is the perfect fit for the majority of collision repair work, providing simplified decision-making and consistent performance.” The product was developed over the last three years at the company’s

Warrenville Heights facility in Ohio, where the Sherwin-Williams’ Automotive Refinish headquarters is based. Draga said an internally-developed

resin was specifically created to help the product cure quickly at lower bake temperatures while providing a high gloss finish. To ensure the Dynamic Clearcoat exceeds customer’s expectations, it was thoroughly tested in shops across the country from Arizona to Massachusetts, including Mayfield Collision

28 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Centers in Ohio and Gullo Ford and Toyota in Texas. “After our paint technicians sprayed this new Dynamic Clearcoat from Sherwin-Williams on dozens and dozens of customer’s vehicles at both of our high volume/high production shops, they all instantly became raving fans,” said Tom Griffin, president of Mayfield Collision Centers. Griffin said it’s the best of all worlds. “For the first time, you don’t have to sacrifice quality for speed. Plus, what you see when you’re spraying it, is what you get when it dries.” He said another benefit is that it is a very forgiving product (hard to run/sag). “The bottom-line is: it works and it’s great…” said Griffin. “We tested the new Dynamic Clearcoat from Sherwin-Williams and my people loved it,” said Billy Coleman, body shop manager at Gullo Ford in Conroe, Texas. “It has a nice combination of the great clears the company offers now; this Dynamic Clearcoat provides the speed that we need, and final finish our customers always expect. Plus, it cuts my bake time in half. With collision repair shops under

pressure for increased productivity, Draga said the new premium clearcoat provides multiple benefits including a quicker application time, energy savings from low temperature and short bake options, shorter reassembly time and less buffing required. “We wanted to create a product that was really user-friendly across a large range of repair sizes, skill sets and environments so you can get a good consistent result,” said Draga. He added that the clearcoat can be utilized for 90 percent of all jobs so shops can streamline the number of clearcoats and hardeners they carry, simplifying decision-making for the painter and reducing working capital for the owner. The new product was introduced at the Sherwin-Williams’ booth during the SEMA show, where the paint brand featured examples of its innovative products sold through more than 190 company-owned stores. It also showcased two unique Ford vehicles, which were entered in the SEMA 2016 Battle of the Builders: a 1965 Mustang Fastback and a 1934 Ford Pickup. Both were finished with the Ultra 7000 re-

finish system and the new Dynamic Clearcoat. The Mustang, being considered for Muscle Machine of the Year in 2017, features the first Roush Yatesbuilt NASCAR engine in a street car, and produces 850 horsepower (hp) at 9000 rpm. The Ford Pickup, a hot rod with sports car driving characteristics, is powered by a 620 hp LSX454 and has a custom-built frame, bed, hood and lower half of the cab built from scratch. The company also offers training and consulting services for the collision repair industry. “SherwinWilliams Automotive Finishes understands that it takes ‘more than just great paint’ to maximize the potential and profitability of any collision repair shop,” said Draga. “That’s why the brand works with owners to help increase revenue through a variety of training and onsite consulting services to help accelerate their business.” These include the EcoLean workshop series, shop impact assessments, Collision Repair Design Services, managed collision repair training, and Vision 20-Groups. For more information, visit www .sherwin-automtive.com/contact-us/

Experimental Honda/Acura Crash Test Demonstrates Importance of Proper Repair by Stacey Phillips

Body shops across the country learned during a recent SEMA presentation the importance of always following Honda and Acura recommended repair procedures. Steve Osborne, assistant vice president of American Honda Parts, Service & Technical Division, shared highlights of a proper repair during his SCRS seminar: “Lessons from Beyond the Repair.” “A safe and proper vehicle repair after an accident is of critical importance to American Honda and to the SCRS,” said Osborne. “It’s so important to us that the car be repaired properly, we give away the information absolutely free.” He said that some body shops think they don’t need to repair vehicles the way Honda/Acura specifies. In response, the car manufacturer set out to see what could happen if the OEM’s repair procedures aren’t followed. In 2015, they learned of a 2014 Acura MDX car that was improperly repaired in Southern California. The passenger’s door stiffener ring was sectioned and the door ring was installed

the vehicle looked great after being repaired, they wanted to find out how it would perform if it were in an accident. A small overlap crash test was conducted according to IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) specifications at 40 miles per hour. Osborne said the result was a body structural collapse that caused an inoperable driver’s door, intrusion in the driver’s cabin, and a broken dashboard support beam. Many of the improper MAG plug welds also failed during the crash test, although the factory spot welds remained intact. “Had a person been in this car, they would have been injured severely,” said Osborne. He said the crash test Steve Osborne, assistant vice president of American helped demonstrate the imHonda Parts, Service & Technical Division portance of always following disassembled it and examined it thorthe body repair manual procedures for oughly. Then they took a brand new proper collision repairs. He encourMDX and replicated the poor repairs, aged shops to access the free informawhich included using MAG welding tion provided and share it with others rather than the recommended spot in the industry. The website is www welding. Osborne said that although .techinfo.honda.com. with MAG welding rather than spot welding, which should have been done according to the OEM’s recommended repair procedures. Osborne said that Honda did not want the car on the road. The company brought it into American Honda,

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 29

recalibration. It also indicates whether a scan tool, aiming targets or other special tools are needed for calibration. do you do as a repairer? That’s a tricky “We’ve spent thousands of hours question.” on this search tool to save you time Another scenario Rozint raised: during the damage analysis process,” What if a diagnostic trouble code isn’t Bartanen said. The guide is available to found in a pre-repair scan, but only in subscribers of I-CAR’s “Repairability the post-repair scan? Technical Support” portal (https://rts.i“Did I create that from car.com/). the repair, or is that related to The CIC meeting in Las the loss?” Rozint asked rhetorVegas also marked the end of ically. California shop owner Randy He said there are comStabler’s 2-year term as chairmittee members who say the man of the conference. Starecent automaker statements bler said just as the vehicle on pre- and post-repair scans modifications displayed at mandate such scans on every Jack Rozint, Vice SEMA often become feaPresident of Sales repaired vehicle. Others, he tures on future vehicle mod& Service, Repair said, believe such decisions els, he sees CIC as often an for Auto Physical need to be made more on a Damage Business “incubator” for ideas and soUnit, Mitchell vehicle-by-vehicle basis. lutions adopted within the inInternational, Inc. “There are people on the dustry. and CIC Committee calls who have said, ‘If it’s To that end, he asked CIC Chair true, you need to scan every participants in Las Vegas to use vehicle 1996 or newer, and we haven’t the “open mic” portion of the meeting to scanned 90 percent of the vehicles share topics and ideas they’d like to see we’ve repaired [over the last 18 years]; CIC address in the next chairman’s two have we been repairing cars incorrectly years. since 1996?” Rozint said. “That’s two New Jersey shop owner Joe Luends of the spectrum, and I know the anbrano said he remembers starting to atswer may be somewhere in the middle, tend CIC decades ago because he saw but there is a very valid dis“hope” at those meetings. cussion about when is a scan “Hope that we could get necessary, and I think we need together and resolve many of to do more work on that.” these issues,” Lubrano said. An I-CAR representaHe said that too often, howtive at the CIC meeting ever, the meetings have depointed out that his organizavolved to a “waste of time” tion has recently developed because “nothing gets accomJoe Lubrano, NJ industry-vetted definitions of plished.” shop owner “pre-scan,” “post-scan” and “Change has to be made “post-repair calibration.” Jason Baras part of the discussion,” Lubrano tanen also said I-CAR has created a said. “If you don’t agree to change, vehicle-by-vehicle guide to help shops nothing is going to change.” determine what driver assistance sysHe suggested that eliminating tems may need to be calibrated fol- rekeying of estimates, which would lowing repairs. Bartanen said that by make things better for shops, is a topic the end of the year, the guide will CIC might want to revisit. Solutions cover all 2016 vehicles, and I-CAR for this exist, he said, but aren’t always will then begin adding 2017 vehicles making it down to the street level field and “hopefully go back on 2015 and adjusters. 2014 models.” Missouri shop owner Brett BaiThe guide is not VIN-specific, but ley said he sees a need for the industry instead shows the names and locations to reach consensus on “recommended” of all cameras and sensors that are opOEM repair procedures. tions on each make and model to assist “For some reason in our industry, shops in looking for the systems on a we take that term ‘recommended’ and particular vehicle in their shop, as well spin it in 17 different directions,” Baias to more quickly find OEM calibraley said. “If we have open-heart surtion documentation. gery and the surgeon recommends that The guide also indicates what we go to some sort of physical traintypes of events – such as glass removal ing, we’re probably going to be there. or replacement – result in the need for At the same time, if an OEM recomContinued from Cover

Vehicle Scanning

30 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

mends that we put a frame rail in a certain place, as an industry we need to adopt that and make sure it happens. Bailey also said the industry is sometimes overly focused on “key performance indicators” as a management tool. “They may be a target or a goal, but we need to remember the No. 1 goal is to put that car back safely,” Bailey said. “As an industry, I think we all can point to instances where, because of speed or cost, there’s some bad things taking place. As an industry, we need to clean that up.” Scott Biggs of Assured Performance said controversy and opposing viewpoints have not seemed as welcome at CIC in recent years. “The truth is, we should embrace that,” Biggs said. “If there are major topics of interest to the industry, they should be aired out here and not controlled or manipulated. Having a place where people can come and argue and discuss and express their concerns should be exactly what we’re here for. I think the more we do that, the more relevant CIC is. What we discover in this room is what other people feel. Not what our camp feels, but what the other camp feels. Then you start think-

ing: ‘If we did something slightly different, it wouldn’t be so painful for them or it will be more acceptable to them.’ Hearing the way others feel about something allows us to make a better mousetrap.” Another long-time CIC attendee suggested there be some follow-up on proposed resolutions to industry issues that have been developed by CIC committees but have not been acted upon. He noted that at CIC in Las Vegas exactly 10 years ago, for example, a CIC committee suggested that if refinish labor times on repaired panels are adjusted, the estimate should also show the original labor time to allow someone receiving that estimate to know not just that the time was changed but also the magnitude of that change. All three estimating system providers at the 2006 meeting acknowledged the request, but the change was never made, so it could be something CIC could revisit. CIC in November launched a survey allowing anyone to submit issues they would like CIC to address next year. The conference’s biennial planning meeting will take place January 12 in Palm Springs, Calif.

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Feds Want Pre-Approval of Safety of Self-Driving Cars by Keith Laing, Detroit News Washington Bureau

Federal regulators want to require automakers to meet a set of 15 guidelines before they can place self-driving cars on public roads. The proposed rules, released in September by the U.S. Department of Transportation, call for automakers and technology companies who are working to develop autonomous cars to voluntarily report on their testing and safety to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration before the cars are used by the public. The rules are meant to steer the development of the technology as states like Michigan and California create their own rules for allowing self-driving cars to hit the road. Consumer groups have raised questions about the safety of self-driving autos since a fatal accident this summer involving a Tesla car being operated in “Autopilot” mode. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the agency is pushing ahead with the autonomous vehicle framework because the safety benefits outweigh the risks. “Today we put forward the first federal policy on automated vehicles. The most comprehensive national automated vehicle policy that the world has ever seen. It is a first of its kind, taking us from the horseless carriage to the driverless car,” Foxx told reporters in Washington on September 20. The proposed regulations call for states to allow federal regulators to create rules for self-driving autos, while state and local governments continue to regulate the drivers that are behind the wheel. The rules would be a sharp departure from NHTSA’s typical posture of largely waiting for automakers to selfreport problems before recalls are issued. Before self-driving cars are allowed to roll on U.S. roads, automakers would be required to report how they were tested, how the systems work and what happens if they fail. Other areas in the 15-point assessment include: data recording and sharing; privacy; how drivers interact with

Free

cars; and consumer education and training. Automakers have said they are willing to voluntarily comply with the proposed federal guidance for now. “We think guidance is the right action to take since the technology is developing quickly and collaboration

Federal regulators want to require automakers to meet a set of 15 guidelines before they can place self-driving cars on public roads. Credit: David Guralnick / The Detroit News

between automakers and NHTSA is critical to avoid policies that become outdated and inadvertently limit progress in reducing the number of crashes and saving lives,” said Wade Newton, director of communications at the Washington, D.C.-based Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. The group represents 12 automakers including Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. Newton said automakers will continue working with federal and state lawmakers to develop favorable rules. NHTSA said the reporting process “may be refined and made mandatory through a future rule-making,” but for now, compliance would be voluntary. Congressional approval would be required to make many of the regulatory changes that are being proposed by NHTSA legally binding. Michigan and other states have moved to develop rules to allow selfdriving auto testing in a bid to attract development by companies like Ford, Google and Uber that already are working on prototypes. However, the Department of Transportation said Tuesday that it strongly encourages states to allow the federal government alone to regulate the performance of autonomous tech-

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32 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

nology and vehicles. It said if states do pursue regulation, they should base those efforts on the guidelines announced September 20. The Michigan House of Representatives is now considering the legislation that would allow the public to buy and use fully driverless cars whenever they are available. It would allow companies to run fleets of driverless ride-hailing services. A vote could be taken as soon as September 21. Under current law, autonomous vehicles can only be driven in Michigan for test purposes, and a driver must be at the ready. California has taken the opposite tack with a proposal that would require a licensed driver—and a steering wheel—to be in the car at all times. NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said Tuesday that the differing proposals show the need for a set of national guideline for self-driving autos. Safety advocates warned regulators about the potential perils of rushing into self-driving autos. “The advent of driverless cars holds great promise to advance safety,” said Jacqueline Gillan, president of

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. “However, federal oversight, minimum performance requirements, rigorous testing as well as transparent and verified data are essential in the development process. Consumers cannot be ‘human guinea pigs’ in this experiment and the federal government cannot be a passive spectator.” Michigan lawmakers in Congress cheered the proposed guidelines. “Today’s announcement from NHTSA marks a major milestone in the effort to bring automated vehicles to America’s roads and ensure our country remains at the cutting edge of automotive technology, and I look forward to carefully reviewing this guidance,” Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, said in a statement. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, said the policy should help establish a baseline for a national framework. “Automated vehicles,” she said, “are creating a paradigm shift in the auto industry due to their potential to save lives and reduce congestion.” We thank The Detroit News Washington Bureau for reprint permission.

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 33

Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs. HO ND A AL AB A M A

FL O RIDA

FLOR ID A

GEO RG I A

Holman Honda of Ft. Lauderdale

Gwinnett Place Honda

F T. L A UDERDAL E

800-277-8836 678-957-5151

Freeway Honda

Classic Honda

B ir m in g h a m

O r l an do

800-987-0819 205-949-5460

888-893-4984 407-521-1115

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

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

Jerry Damson Honda

Coggin Deland Honda

Hu n ts vi lle

D e l an d

800-264-1739 256-382-3759

800-758-0007 386-626-1811

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

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

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

Ed Morse Honda

South Motors Honda

FL O RI D A

AutoNation Honda Clearwater Cle a rwa t er

R i v i e ra Be a ch

800-232-1098 561-844-8089

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

Rick Case Honda Davie

877-544-2249

M ia mi

888-418-3513 305-256-2240 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7 mfranceschi@southhonda.com

888-205-2564 727-530-1173

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

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

Headquarter Honda C l e r mo nt

Carey Paul Honda

AutoNation Honda Hollywood

800-497-2294 407-395-7374

770-985-1444

Ho lly wo o d

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

Braman Honda of Palm Beach

S ne ll vi ll e Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-6 gperkins@careypaul.com

Hendrick Honda Bradenton

Ed Voyles Honda

877-706-2021 941-752-2123

M ar i e tta

800-334-3719 770-933-5870 Direct

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

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

888-479-0695 561-966-5185

Hendrick Honda Daytona

Gerald Jones Honda

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4:30 parts@bramanhondapb.com

800-953-4402 386-252-2301

G re en a c re s

D a y to n a Be ach

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4 Hondadaytonaparts@hendrickauto.com

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

Honda Mall of Georgia Bu f ord /G win net t

678-318-3155 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 cdunlap@penskeautomotive.com

Milton Martin Honda Gain esv ille

770-534-0086 678-989-5473 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 robertthomas@mmhonda.com

Nalley Honda

GEOR GIA

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

B ra de n to n

Du lu t h

A ugus ta

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

Un ion City

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

Southern Motors Honda Savann ah

888-785-8387 912-925-1444 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 angela@southern-motors.com MI SS IS SI P P I

Patty Peck Honda Rid g elan d

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

AC U R A AL AB A M A

FL O RIDA

GEOR GIA

GE OR G I A

Jerry Damson Acura

Duval Acura

Jackson Acura

Hu n t svil le

Ja ck s o nvi ll e

Ro swe l l

Savann ah

800-264-1739 256-533-1345

800-352-2872 904-725-1149

877-622-2871 678-259-9500

800-347-0596 912-232-3222

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

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

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-2 Tim.johnson@acuraofsavannah.com

Rick Case Acura

Nalley Acura

F o rt La u de rda l e

M ar i e tta

800-876-1150 954-377-7688

800-899-7278 770-422-3138

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

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

FL O RI D A

Acura of Orange Park J ack so n vi ll e

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

34 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Southern Motors Acura

N O . CA RO L IN A

Flow Acura Win st on -Salem

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

NO . C AR O LI N A

NO . CAR OL INA

TEN NE SS EE

V IR GIN I A

Apple Tree Honda

Vann York Automall

Bill Gatton Honda

As he v ille

High Point

Br is to l

Stau n ton

800-476-9411 828-684-4400

336-841-6200

800-868-4118 423-652-9545

800-277-0598 540-213-9016

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-1 hondaparts@billgattonhonda.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 9-5 bwimer@myvalleyhonda.com

Wolfchase Honda

West Broad Honda

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

Crown Honda Southpoint Du r ha m

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

Hendrick Honda Ch a r lo t t e

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

Leith Honda Ra le ig h

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

McKenney-Salinas Honda G as t on ia

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

Metro Honda I nd ian Trail

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

N O . CAR OL IN A

Hendrick Acura

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-3 SO . CAR OL INA

Breakaway Honda G re e n vi l l e

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

Midlands Honda C o l u m bi a

877-273-4442 803-691-8585

Valley Honda

Ba r tle t t

Rich m on d

800-982-7290 901-255-3780

800-446-0160 804-672-8811

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7 ekerr@wolfchasehonda.com

Dept. Hours: M-Thu 7:30-6:30; Fri 7:30-6; Sat 8-3; Sun 11-3 wbhonda@aol.com

VIRGINIA

Checkered Flag Honda No r fo l k

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-4 www.copytk.com

800-277-2122 757-687-3453

Piedmont Honda

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

A n de r so n

800-849-5057 864-375-2082 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 swhite@piedmontcars.com TE NNES SEE

Airport Honda Alcoa

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

AutoNation Honda West Knoxville

Colonial Honda C he ste r

800-564-9836 804-414-1960 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-4 rreese@i95honda.com

Hall Honda Vi rgi ni a Bea ch

800-482-9606 757-431-4329 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-7; Sat 8-5 fox@hallauto.com

K n ox v i l l e

Hendrick Honda Woodbridge

800-824-1301 865-218-5461

703-690-7777

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 rossd1@autonation.com

Wo o db ri dge Dept. Hours: M-Fri 7-6 Sat 8-5; Sun 10-4

VI RG INIA

Karen Radley Acura

Ch a r lo t t e

Woo d br i dg e

800-768-6824 704-566-2288

800-355-2818 703-550-0205

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-3 coreythompson@radleyautogroup.com

Leith Acura

Radley Acura

Ca r y

F a l l s C hu rch

800-868-0082 919-657-0460

800-550-5035 703-824-5785

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-6; Sun 10-5 jimgraf@radleyauto.com www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 35

SEMA Show Goes On

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

SEMA Announces Collision Repair & Refinish Product Award Winners with Ed Attanasio

If you’re designing and manufacturing an innovative, cutting-edge piece of equipment, tool or product that can help the collision repair industry in any way, shape or form, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is willing to give you some major kudos. But they

If a company can walk away with a SEMA New Products Showcase Award, it can be a game changer and provide a quick route to ongoing success for an established or growing business. More than 3,000 products were entered into 16 different showcase categories to be considered for the SEMA New Product Awards this year. Winners were judged on a wide range of criteria, including quality, marketability, innovation, technology and consumer appeal, among others. This year’s New Product Award winners in the Collision Repair and Refinish Prod(l to r) Dave Holgate and Hugh Atkins from Drew ucts category were awarded at Technologies proudly display its company’s Remote the opening breakfast at the Assisted Programming kit (RAP) that makes auto SEMA Show. First place went diagnostics easier for shops who don’t want to keep expensive diagnostic equipment sitting around in to Drew Technologies, Inc. of their shops Ann Arbor, MI with its Rehave to the best-of-the-best, and to be mote Assisted Programming kit (RAP). honest, the competition is always fierce. One runner-up award went to Bonding

Solutions’ Like90 Quick Check Temporary Gloss Simulator, and the other runner-up was Betag Innovation of

spot with its Remote Assisted Programming (RAP) system, designed to assist automotive repair collision technicians that are not comfortable working with computers or don’t want to keep expensive diagnostic equipment sitting around in their shops. “We understand that J2534 programming is not easy, and that’s why we’ve developed a simple, drama-free approach to enable shops to complete their repairs properly,” Hugh Atkins, sales rep for Drew Technologies said. “By using the RAP, they’re keeping One of the two runner-up awards went to Bonding Solutions’ these vehicles in their own faLike90 Quick Check Temporary Gloss Simulator. At left, Ed cilities, which allows them to Woodhull with Doug Badham with Bonding Solutions, retain more control of the relocated in Salt Lake City, UT pair process while making more money and providing better servWollerau, Switzerland for its Aluminum ice to its customers.” T-Hotbox. The RAP kit includes a Windows Drew Technologies won the top

Th The Carcoon A W Features: tttur The T Th he C Carcoon Ca C arcoon America arco Amer Am A America eriiica ca Workstation W Workstation orkk ork ksttati kst ati tiion io i nF Fe F ea e eat atures: a tu es: tures: es

• A massive 179 square feet of filtration area. • Two huge input filters (over 36sf ) clean the air going through the Workstation.

• Four Paint Arrest Filters (140+ square feet) and two Activated • Charcoal Filters ensure the air going back into the environment is clean and EPA compliant.

Different Diff fferent ffe ren nt Sizes Sizes Sizes Available—Including: S Availab A Availabl ble le—IIncludin ncllud diing: g:

• 13’x11’—Parts, pieces and motorcycles. • 30’x14’—Any full size vehicle. • 35’x16’x12’5” tall—As above but also Sprinter vans, small boats, and smaller RVs.

• 60’x16’x12’5” tall—Full size RVs, boats, large trucks, etc. Lighting: LLighting: Ligh ghtiing g:

• Four large clear windows provide ample lighting. • Additional stand lights can be placed outside the booth.

36 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

A Smart Solution. The The Carcoon Car arco co oon on America Am A meric rica Workstation Wo orksta atio on works work wo orks ks the the he same sam sa me and and just ju ust as effectively eff ffecctivvely as as a cross-flow ccrros rosss--fl flow flo fl w paint paiint booth. ootth The Th T he Carcoon Ca C Carrco oon America oo Am me erricca Workstation Work W Work kstation kst ation n is is EPA E A Certified. Cer fi C fie ed Ideal Ideall for fo or the the busy bus b sy body b dy bod dy shop-mobile sh p-m mob bile technician/smaller techn tech hn nician/smaller nici ian n/sma aller shop sh hop ho p with w th limited lim l mited facilities. fa facil cilliti ities. es

866.910.0899 www.carcoonworkstation.com

PC, J2534 device, Internet Access Modem, OEM Subscriptions, and Battery Maintainer. It’s everything a shop will need packed in an easy-to-use, allin-one kit. By using the RAP kit, shops no longer need to purchase additional tools or OEM subscriptions or have the expertise to perform the necessary diagnostics. Once a technician has completed a job, he or she can call the RAP support team using their toll-free number. The team then performs all of the J2534 programming to make the process easier. Then once the job is done, they simply pack up the RAP kit and move onto the next one. The shop pays only for each service and the results are always guaranteed. A company that has won several SEMA New Product Awards in the past and stepped up again this year with a new cutting-edge product is Like90 of Sunnyvale, CA with its Like90 QuickCheck™. This product simulates the depth and clarity of fresh clear on base, eliminating the need to spray expensive clear coat on spray-out cards. Unlike clear coat, Quick Check can be sprayed anywhere that is convenient or wherever the lighting is best

for matching color. It dissipates completely so that another color coat can be applied to the same spray-out card if the first attempt does not match. It requires no clean-up and has no odor. It sprays on the surface more evenly, better simulating the glossy finish of a clear coat. Two more distinct bene-

Betag Innovation of Wollerau, Switzerland received one of the other runner-up awards for its Aluminum T-Hotbox

fits of Like90 QuickCheck is that it stays wet long enough to allow plenty of time to judge a color match, even in hot, dry weather and dissipates completely without leaving any residue behind, according to the com-

pany’s website. Bonding Solutions Sales Manager Bill Kernahan was honored by the award and hopes that more and more shops will use their product as a result. “It’s an honor to receive SEMA’s new product award,” Kernahan said. “Bonding Solutions is dedicated to creating innovative products that make it easier and faster for our customers to do top quality work. When we analyzed the traditional color-matching and panel-checking processes, we knew there had to be a more efficient and safer way. Quick Check comes in an aerosol can which makes color-matching faster and more convenient than using clear coat. And it’s safer because it has no isocyanates. Quick Check also allows you to see body work defects at early stages of the repair process where they cost the least to fix.” The other runner-up winner is Betag Innovation, which produces a full range of equipment and training for small damage repairs, medium panel repairs and plastic repairs. The company’s North American Business

Development Director Dave Flockhart said that what’s really been turning heads lately is Betag’s T-Hotbox, and winning this award will surely continue the buzz. “It is a compact handheld unit designed for easy use and we also added an extra long cable to make the unit easier for its hand application,” Flockhart said. “We have two versions–the T-Hotbox PDR for the dent removal or dent reduction and the T-Hotbox Mech designed for the mechanical side to heat up nuts and bolts.” In addition, Betag Innovation has developed small damage repair and medium panel repair programs for BMW, that are all part of the current BMW North America Group University curriculum, held at BMW’s training centers in New Jersey, California and South Carolina. So if you’re thinking about a new product that can help the collision repair industry, start brainstorming now. Because maybe there is a SEMA New Product Showcase Award in your very near future, but next year’s show will be here before you can SEMA!

www.autobodynews.com C

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 37

Audi dealers strive to make you an Audi Genuine Parts fan

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

Audi Huntsville Huntsville 256.724.3499 256.721.4066 Fax M-F 7am-5:30pm; Sat 8am-2pm ihagler@hileyhuntsville.com www.audihuntsville.com

Florida

Helping you do business is our business. Order Audi Genuine Parts from these select dealers.

Audi Fort Myers Fort Myers 239.454.9099 239.790.3092 Fax M-F 7am-5:30pm; Sat 8am-4pm parts@audifortmyers.com www.parts.audifortmyers.com

Audi Jacksonville Jacksonville 866.413.8557 904.565.2216 Fax M-F 7am-7pm; Sat 8am-5pm cdrake@audijax.com www.audijax.com

38 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Audi Melbourne Melbourne 888.554.3115 321.956.1959 Fax M-F 7:30am-5:30pm parts@audimelbourne.com www.audimelbourne.com

Audi Naples Naples 866.267.0060 239.643.8582 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm Sat 7:30am-3pm tcanglin@audinaples.com www.audinaples.com

Audi North Orlando Orlando 407.643.2980 407.206.9565 Fax M-F 7am-6pm vswany@audinorthorlando.com www.parts.audinorthorlando.com

Audi Pembroke Pines Pembroke Pines 888.434.2756 954.620.2036 Fax M-F 8am-5:30pm; Sat 8am-2pm notto@holmanauto.com www.audipp.com

â&#x20AC;˘ Audi parts departments provide professional customer service that gets you the right part, the first time â&#x20AC;˘ Audi dealerships have access to over 200,000 Audi Genuine Parts Audi West Palm Beach West Palm Beach 561.615.4175 561.615.4179 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm wholesaleparts@audiwpb.com www.parts.audiwpb.com

Prestige Audi North Miami Beach 305.952.5952 305.944.4009 Fax M-F 8am-6pm; Sat 9am-1pm amartinez@prestigeaudimiami.com www.prestigeaudimiami.com

Georgia Audi Atlanta Atlanta 770.454.5951 678.547.0984 Fax M-F 7:30am-7pm; Sat 8am-4pm audi1parts@jimellis.com www.jimellisaudiparts.com

No. Carolina Audi Asheville Asheville 828.232.4002 828.350.3560 Fax M-F 7:30am-5:30pm Sat 8am-4pm

Flow Audi Winston-Salem 336.761.3698 336.723.6911 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat 8am-1pm mmueller@flowauto.com www.flowauto.com

www.audiasheville.com

Audi Cary

Tennessee Audi Knoxville

Cary 877.204.5449 919.469.1431 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat 8am-5pm

Knoxville 800.382.2787 865.251.3227 Fax M-F 7:30am-5:30pm

parts@leithimports.com www.audicary.com

brianmaillet@harperdealerships.com www.audiknoxville.com

Audi of Charlotte

Virginia

Matthews 877.217.9603 704.815.2782 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm bbivens@drivedag.com www.audiofcharlotteparts.com

Audi Northlake Charlotte 704.379.8353 704.379.2113 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat 9am-5pm Isaac.curiel@hendrickauto.com www.audinorthlake.com

Audi Virginia Beach Virginia Beach 757.687.3488 757.687.3490 Fax M-F 8am-6pm audi_parts@checkeredflag.com www.audivirginiabeach.com

Flow Audi Charlottesville 434.951.6160 434.293.5151 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat 8am-1pm spalmer@flowauto.com www.flowaudicharlottesville.com

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 39

Consultant Tells CAA “The Rest of the Story” Behind Paint Material Shortfalls $30, even though paint and material pricing varies little across the country. Industry Consultant Ralph Defibaugh It all depends on what is acceptable in presented knowledge gathered over 40 each respective market. It’s the refinyears in the collision repair industry at ish hours multiplied by the accepted a meeting of the East Bay chapter of reimbursement rate that determines the California Autobody Aswhat the insured and shops sociation (CAA) held at the gets paid. PPG Training Center in Con“There are several refincord, CA. His workshop, ish time deductions,” De“The Rest of the Story” refibaugh explained. “Overlap veals the facts behind paint is a prime example, when material shortfalls. By utilizpainting a hood and a front Ralph Defibaugh ing basic business principles fender at the same time there recently spoke at a and applying his strategy on meeting of the East would be an adjacent overlap how to treat ‘paint like a part,’ Bay CAA to reveal deduction of .4. If you were Defibaugh revealed to the painting a hood and a trunk the facts behind paint material 100 members in attendance lid, there would be a non-adshortfalls that training and negotiation jacent overlap deduction of will enable them to attain fair material .2. The reason for that overlap deduccompensation on repairs. tion is because there are duplications From 1986 to 2010, Defibaugh of refinish time operations when paintwas president of Spa Body Works Ltd., ing multiple panels. Included in those an MSO in Upstate New York. For the operations is time for mixing the color, past two decades, he has represented loading and cleaning the spray gun, and PPG Industries, providing manageseveral other things that you would not ment training classes on behalf of the have to do more than once.” company throughout North America. These calculations appearing on In 1997, he established Benchmark Motor, Mitchell and AudaExplore dataConsulting Services to assist collision bases are not going to change anytime shops in the areas of process improvesoon, Defibaugh said. “I had a territory ment and profitability. manager call me one day and asked me While covering topics such as dealfor some help. One of his shop cusing with “refinish overlap,” “blending tomers refinished the better part of a within the panel” and “clear coat cap” Ford F-150 Crew Cab pickup. The estideductions, Defibaugh discussed the mating program calculated $850 for adverse effects of these major refinish material reimbursement. The printout time deductions on paint material reimfrom their digital scale after completing bursement. the job was $1,800, quite a difference. “For years, these deductions have The insurance company said, been grandfathered into the collision sorry—that’s what is being accepted in estimating databases and software,” the market. If a hood was specified for Defibaugh said. “Shops are being that truck at $350 and the actual price short-changed with the shell game of was $400, I would prepare a suppleusing refinish times to formulate paint ment, prove the price change and be material reimbursement. Today, there paid for the balance. Everybody unis no reason to be trapped into underderstands fluctuations in prices for payment of the required materials to hard parts, but not everyone looks perform insurance covered repairs. On closely at the actual pricing of refinish nearly every repair, shops are being materials. Overlap taken on a Ford Fishort-changed.” esta should be different than that taken According to Defibaugh, the big the F-150 for the sheer difference in three database companies “Calculate the size of panels and the additional the time required to refinish a panel, materials needed to cover them, yet the then the insurance companies multi- same overlap deduction is taken. In ply that time by a market-accepted most cases, the time designated to reprice per refinish hour standard,” he finish a section of a vehicle is enough said. “For example, in San Francisco, to complete the task even after overlap it can be as high as $40 per hour for is taken. Yet, if adequate time doesn’t every paint hour sold on an estimate. provide for adequate material reimIn other parts of California, it could be bursement, what is the shop to do?” as low as $32; in Tampa, FL. the midAnother deduction insurance com20s; and in NY, where I live, under panies are now exploiting is a 50% reby Ed Attanasio

40 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

duction when refinishing a “repaired panel.” The term applied is ‘blend with-in-full clear.’ If this is the fourth or fifth panel painted and the 2.5 clear coat cap has been reached, no additional time is recorded on the estimate and no additional money allocated for clear materials. According to all three sets of P-Pages, this deduction should only be made on an ‘undamaged panel’. Under the guise of ‘user defined’ settings in estimating software, P-Page rules are being misapplied.” It all comes down to out of sight, out of mind when it comes to P-Pages in many shops, he said. “Shops don’t understand or pay enough attention to the Procedure Pages, that are the rule books about how to fully interpret database operation times. When the new updates come out, estimators don’t analyze them. If you asked an estimator, when was the last time you read the PPages, most would admit it was years ago. The average shop estimators goalong-to-get-along and in the end, they’re leaving a significant amount of money on the table—literally thousands of dollars weekly.” In the end, shops need to start treat-

ing paint like a part. “Shops can prove exactly what they use down to the hundredth of an ounce and to the penny, plus provide an invoice that lists exactly what was required,” he said. “The operation times may be enough, but multiply it by an ambiguous refinish rate, that is subject to arbitrary ‘user defined’ refinish reductions that is further complicated by variable paint cost and it’s easy to see the problem is out of control. Shops must provide a materials invoice to eliminate this estimating shell game. Insurance companies must reimburse their insureds with reasonable compensation for the damages covered under their policies.” Using Defibaugh’s techniques, shops can get paid for the material they’re using on each repair. “The insurance companies are taking a 50% deduction on refinish time that Motor calculated to be 26%,” back in 2004, he said. “So if they can’t rely on refinish time for proper reimbursement, they should use their paint management software to prove the real cost of repairs. In the end, it all comes down to building a case and backing it up with refinish standard (P-Page) facts.”

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 41

SEMA Show Goes On

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

WD-40®/SEMA Cares 50th Anniversary Camaro Debuts at 2016 SEMA with Ed Attanasio

Over the years, WD-40 has worked with some of the best car designers and fabricators on the planet, including Chip Foose, Ian Johnson from PowerNation and others. For the seventh time now, WD-40 unveiled a

working with WD-40 on all of their SEMA rebuilds over the years. The company and the charity joined forces again to create a custom 1967 Chevrolet Camaro to celebrate both the 50th anniversary of the SEMA Show as well as the 50th anniversary of the Camaro. It made its debut at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas on November 3 during a press conference hosted at WD-40’s booth. The vehicle was then featured at the SEMA Cruise that concluded the SEMA show on Friday, Nov. 4. The eventual sale of this ® The WD-40 /SEMA Cares 50th Anniversary Camaro spectacular vehicle will raise marks the seventh time that SEMA and WD-40 have combined their forces. More than $700,000 has been more funds for SEMA. By raised by the sales of the first six vehicles, and this auctioning off the other six Camaro will undoubtedly add to that total significantly vehicles, more than $700,000 stunning vehicle at SEMA to be auc- has been raised by the sales of these tioned off later to raise money for SEMA cars. The WD-40®/SEMA Cares 50th SEMA Cares, a charity that has been

Anniversary Camaro proceeds from the sale of the vehicle will go to Childhelp®, an organization that provides services to abused and neglected children, and the SEMA Memorial Schol-

sources of the SEMA community together to make a positive difference in children’s lives. Annually, the SEMA Cares Committee leads significant fundraising efforts including the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races and participation in custom industry-build vehicles that are auctioned off. The Camaro project was designed by noted car builder Neil Tjin and built in partnership with Tjin and instructors from Universal Technical Institute™. The engine, transmission, suspension, wheels WD-40 Brand Manager Shannon Edwards discusses the and tires were installed on WD-40®/SEMA Cares 50th Anniversary Camaro and PowerNation™ TV, and the WD-40’s commitment to SEMA Cares entire build showcased how arship Fund, which provides schol- WD-40 Company products are used arships to students entering the auto- by automotive professionals in their motive aftermarket. restoration and customization projects The SEMA Cares Committee, es- all over the world. In addition to WD-40® Multi-Use tablished by the Board of Directors in Product with its thousands of uses, the 2007, aims to bring the voice and re-

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Falken Tires, Baer Brake Systems, LR Auto Body and Optima Batteries. Neil Tjin is one of the top up and coming designers within the automotive industry and has been involved in the sport compact market for more than a decade. Tjin has always been a strong, passionate individual, especially when it comes to the cars he creates. He is worldrenowned for pushing the envelope and going against the grain. Over the years, Tjin and his talented staff have been responsible for designing and building more than fifty highprofile vehicles showcasing their creative talents on nuCar builder Neil Tjin checks out the interior of the WD-40® merous Hondas, Acuras, Nissans, Infinitis, Scions, Volvos, /SEMA Cares 50th Anniversary Camaro. Tjin did the entire build in an incredible four and a half weeks, unheard of in Chevrolets and Pontiacs. In the industry recent years, Tjin has also Dirt & Dust Resistant Dry Lube, Electeamed up with major OEM manufactrical Contact Cleaner, Industrial- turers such as Chevrolet, Pontiac, Scion Strength Degreaser and the newest and Honda North America. addition to the lineup, Spray & Stay Tijn was relieved to get the WDGel Lubricant, according to Shannon 40®/SEMA Cares 50th Anniversary Edwards, WD-40 Brand Manager. Camaro done on-time and looking so Build partners that donated prodfine because the vehicle’s deadline uct for use on the Camaro include Eckwas insane, he explained. ler’s, Budnik Wheels, Axalta, Eibach, “We had to get this project done entire line of WD-40® Specialist® products were put to use during the build. These include the WD-40® Specialist Rust Release Penetrant Spray, Water Resistant Silicone Lubricant, Protective White Lithium Grease, Long-Term Corrosion Inhibitor, Rust Remover Soak, Machine & Engine Degreaser,

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in four and a half weeks, while many shops would have needed something more like 12 months or more. I work primarily with the OEs, so this was an unusual job for us, but we loved doing it and we’re so happy with the finished product. The people at UTI did a lot of work and I think we did an excellent job of showcasing a lot of WD-40.” WD-40 Brand Manager Shannon Edwards is a veteran of these SEMA car builds and has seen firsthand the importance of the cause and the buzz that is always created with these showstopping vehicles.

“This is a winning formula and it helps all of the parties involved–WD40, SEMA Cares, the companies that donate their time and materials and the builders, such as Neil Tjin, who gain national attention with these cars,” Edwards said. “Plus, we all do it for the charity, which makes it even more special!”

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Collision industry members can support the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) in their annual campaign fund this holiday season by shopping on AmazonSmile, a website operated by Amazon.com that lets customers enjoy the same selection of products as are available on Amazon.com. When collision industry members shop on AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to CREF once it has been selected as the desired charitable organization. Instructions for signing up for AmazonSmile are as follows: • Visit www.smile.amazon.com to sign in or create an account. • Go to Your Account from the navigation and select option to Change Your Charity. • Search for “Collision Repair Education Foundation” and select as your charitable organization. • A message at the top of your browser should read “Supporting Collision Repair Education Foundation.” • Amazon will automatically donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazoneSmile purchases to CREF. See www.collisioneducationfoundation.org.

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 43

She’s Driven: Shawsheen Tech Senior Has Dream Co-Op and a Clear Vision by Rick Sobey, Lowell Sun

It seems that a lot of people are jealous of Maren Williams. Her classmates at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School in Billerica, MA, are envious; her teacher wishes he once had the same opportunity. Working in the back of a Billerica auto body shop, the 17-year-old standout student has her hands on a 1967 Corvette.

day at the Billerica shop. With the 1967 Corvette, she has retouched a fiberglass area, straightened out waves in the panels, cleaned the back edge and more. “You want to make sure all the panels don’t have huge waves in them,” Williams said. “A lot of it is by feel.” “My friends at other shops don’t do a lot of body work,” she said. “They just paint and replace new panels and put them on. Here, you actually get to recreate the panel that’s already there.”

Shawsheen Valley Tech senior Maren Williams, of Tewksbury, works on a 1967 Corvette that she is helping to restore during her co-op at The Bowtie Shop in Billerica. Credit: Sun / John Love

“The cars are pretty cool,” she said, admiring the classic Corvette that’s stripped to the fiberglass. “Not many 17-year-olds get to do this,” she adds. For her co-op, Williams is restoring Corvettes at The Bowtie Shop on Dunham Road in Billerica. The Shawsheen Tech senior, from Tewksbury, has been employed there for almost a year. It has been an exceptional match, said Joseph Scafidi, shop owner. “Many people who’ve done this for a long time don’t get what she gets,” he said about Williams. “Today, a lot of kids don’t understand how to work, but she does a great job,” Scafidi added. “She may be an exception.” Growing up with a father who’s a “big car guy,” Williams knew from a young age that she wanted to work on cars. Her father has a 1973 Dodge Charger, yellow and black, and she’s been bugging him to let her restore it. “His excuse is there’s no garage for it, but it’s because he’s too protective of it,” Williams said. While her father won’t let her do it, she does get to restore cars every

Fifty percent of the cars at The Bowtie Shop get completely disassembled, according to Scafidi. A typical restoration takes 700 to 800 hours, which consumes 9 months to one year because they’re working on numerous Corvettes at the same time. “We touch every last piece, so when they go back together, everything’s new,” he said. “There’s not a nut or a bolt that’s not touched.” In addition to Corvettes, the shop restores Chevys, Chryslers and others. But the shop’s bread and butter is Corvettes – taking up about 95 percent of its business. Scafidi opened the location in 2005 and has been restoring Corvettes for 30 years. In college, he bought his first Corvette, a 1963 red convertible. Now he owns seven Corvettes – 1953, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1996 and 2014. “Once you buy your first, you’re in,” he said. “You never want to own anything else.” Williams, who drives a Ford Taurus everyday, doesn’t have her eyes on a Corvette. She’s hoping to own a 1987 Chevy K10 pickup truck. Williams loves the old box-style trucks, and is currently scouring Craigslist for a deal. She’s also focusing on college ap-

44 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

plications. Her goal is to attend Stanford University for chemical engineering. She’s also applying to UMass Amherst, University of New Hampshire, Northeastern University and others. After college, she’d like to return to the Billerica shop. “I’ve had such a great experience here,” she said. “I never would have touched this in school.” In addition to her co-op, Williams recently finished sixth in the nation in Auto Collision repair at the SkillsUSA competition. Dennis Reppucci, Shawsheen Tech’s lead teacher for the auto body program, called Williams “incredibly driven” with a “great head on her shoulders.” “It’s refreshing,” he said. “It’s almost to the point of amazing.” “If something doesn’t go the way she wants it to go, she’ll figure out how to correct it. She won’t give up,” Reppucci said. “It’s hard to find a student with such a clear vision.” Shawsheen Tech SuperintendentDirector Tim Broadrick said that Williams will be able to do anything she wants after graduation.

“She represents the best of modern career vocational technical education students,” he said. “She excels both in academic studies and in her trade skills.”

Joseph Scafidi, owner of The Bowtie Shop in Billerica, talks about his shop and Shawsheen Tech student Maren Williams. Credit: Sun / John Love

“Like so many of our students, Maren has found meaning in the strong connections between her work in the shop and her work in the classroom,” he added.

We thank the Lowell Sun for reprint permission.

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 45

CREF Prepares Spring 2017 Career Fairs, Introduces 2017 Golf Fundraiser Changes by Chasidy Rae Sisk

As 2016 draws to a close, the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) has begun preparing its Career Fair schedule for spring 2017. Brandon Eckenrode, Director of Development for CREF, believes it’s important for collision repair industry professionals to get involved and attend these career fairs in order to meet

up and help cultivate the next generation who will soon be entering the workforce. “We will be holding as many career fairs in the Spring of 2017 as we did in all of 2016.”

According to Eckenrode, “One, if not the most critical, issue that this industry faces is a shortage of properly trained, qualified entry-level staff to fulfill career opportunities in many industry segments, not just for body shops. These career fairs serve two purposes: 1) To help connect students seeking full-time, par-time, internship work with local industry employers and 2) motivate younger students who may just be starting out in their technical education to see the various companies that are awaiting them when they do graduate. Many of our past career fair participating companies are those who are seeking entry-level employment candidate but others are tool, equipment, paint, and other companies that are there to showcase their products and services to the future industry members. You see the issue of “where is the next generation of techs/staff going to come from”

being asked and featured within industry press article and at industry events.” The Spring 2017 Career Fair schedule will begin on February 2 in

Des Moines, IA, moving to San Diego, on March 9, Houston on March 22, and Dallas the next day. On April 8, they will be in Phoenix, AZ, followed by a trip to Pittsburgh, PA on April 19 and a stop in Atlanta, GA on April 25. On May 1, 3, 8 and 17, CREF will host career fairs in Chicago, IL; Madison, WI; Denver, CO; and Nashville, TN, respectively. The organization also plans to host events in Indianapolis, IN; St.

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Louis, MO; and Seattle, WA, but those dates have yet to be determined. Eckenrode encourages the industry to get involved, stating “For those industry members who truly look to have this issued solved need to start acting now to 1) connect with local collision school programs and work with the instructors to ensure that the skill sets being taught are those that will make the students employable after graduation and 2) together (as an industry) we need to start working towards attracting the “best of the best” student candidates to the collision programs while also connecting with other school (non-collision) programs in making them aware of the non-technical positions that this industry offers in fields like customer service, marketing, accounting, business, etc.” Collision repair industry professionals interested in getting involved See CREF Prepares, Page 51

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California Legislation to Thwart Unlicensed Dismantlers Signed Into Law Assembly Bill 1858, environmental justice legislation authored by Assembly Majority Whip Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown in September. Co-sponsored by the State of California Auto Dismantlers Association (SCADA) and the California State Board of Equalization (BOE), AB 1858 creates a multiagency team to investigate tax evasion, environmental damage, and public harm that occurs as a result of unlicensed automobile dismantling. California faces an illegal underground economy in the auto recycling industry which has led to numerous public health and environmental violations. Illegal dumping and disposing of vehicles, inadequate hazardous waste handling, car thefts, improper worker safety protections, and other violations threaten vulnerable and underserved communities. “Unlicensed dismantling is a ‘sleeper’ environmental justice, economic, and public health issue,” Santiago said. “The resulting environmental and public health damage to our communities calls for urgent action from the state. The governor’s signature prioritizes the health and safety of all people and ensures that all Californians

have the right to live, learn, and work in a healthy environment.” Of the 28 million registered vehicles in California, about 1.2 million are disposed of annually. Of those, approximately 360,000 (30 percent) endof-life vehicles are being processed through unlicensed and unregulated automobile dismantlers. Unlicensed automobile dismantlers do not follow licensing requirements by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that include insurance obligations, work place safety requirements, tax liability, and environmental regulatory standards as required by law. “I want to thank Assemblymember Santiago for successfully advocating for comprehensive policy change on an issue that has been plaguing the State Board of Equalization,” BOE Fiona Ma, CPA, said. “Everyone should be paying their fair share of taxes, including auto dismantlers who are dealing with end-of-life vehicles that normally have toxic and waste issues such as safely removing and recycling unused gasoline, brake fluid, engine oil, transmission fluid, antifreeze, catalytic converters, tires, mercury switches, lead acid batteries, and Freon. It is imperative that these business owners are registered, li-

Continued from Page 24

censed, and regulated like others to minimize toxic impacts and ensure the best environmental and health safety standards are adhered to.” Greg Pirnik, president for the State of California Auto Dismantlers Association, added that this measure “will help small businesses, protect jobs, and increase environmental protection by addressing the very serious and growing problem in California of unlicensed, unregulated, and underground automobile dismantling.” The multiagency team created by AB 1858 includes the DMV, the BOE, the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), and other departments within CalEPA, including the State Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). Those agencies will be required to submit a report to the legislature outlining findings and policy recommendations by Jan. 1, 2019. AB 1858 will take effect on Jan. 1.

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SEMA Show Goes On

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

AkzoNobel Unveils Celebrity Vehicle and New Partnership with David Kindig with Ed Attanasio

AkzoNobel kept it a secret until Nov. 2 at 1 pm, when the company finally unveiled its 2016 SEMA celebrity vehicle to Show attendees. When the cover was removed by master car builder Dave Kindig, the four-tone 1955 Chevy Nomad Wagon received thunderous applause and everyone agreed that it surely did not disappoint.

tured on the Velocity Channel. AkzoNobel and Kindig will work together over the next year to mutually develop a new custom color line of automotive paints. While announcing the AkzoNobel celebrity car, Kindig also discussed his new relationship with the company. “We are going to be developing a whole new line of amazing colors for AkzoNobel,

This spectacular four-tone 1955 Chevy Nomad Wagon was built and designed by David Kindig of Kindig-It Design in Salt Lake City for AkzoNobel for the 2016 SEMA Show

Kindig and his team put more than 1,500 hours into the build, adding nuances throughout, including flipping the bumpers, installing a Kicker stereo system and a whole wide range of new enhancements. The Nomad was first manufactured by Chevrolet from 1955 to 1961 and then brought back into production from 1968 to 1972. Today, Nomads made in the 1950s are the most coveted by car collectors and rebuilders who love working on them. As owner and chief designer at Kindig-It Design in Salt Lake City, UT, Kindig runs a state-of-the-art custom shop where mostly classic cars are converted into breathtaking creations. Kindig operates the shop with his wife, Charity, and they are wellknown for their highly-rated reality show, Bitchin’ Rides, which is fea-

with a classic look. These are colors that car lovers will want to use and painters will also want to spray. They will have a ton of depth and will be absolutely incredible. So hang on to your socks because this year is going to be amazing!” Jennifer Solcz, North American Marketing Manager for AkzoNobel Vehicle Refinishes made some opening remarks to the crowd at their booth prior to the unveiling. “AkzoNobel is proud to join forces with Dave Kindig, a true automotive artist, who is known throughout North America for his exceptional quality, workmanship and style,” she said. “AkzoNobel is in the business of color, and we are dedicated to color innovation through product development and dynamic strategic partnerships.”

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the AkzoNobel booth, I was pleas“I’m thrilled to be working with AkzoNobel on developing this brand antly surprised and absolutely thrilled. Dave Kindig is an amazing builder, new custom color line,” said Kindig. and to be associated with him is a big “Since I started spraying Sikkens Autowave, my projects have looked better than ever before. So I am super psyched because I’ll now be able to combine my style and quality and mix it with these terrific products. To really open up and dial in the colors that I want to see on great vehicles–that’s my goal with this new line.” The owner of the Celebrity Nomad is Mark Timlin, the owner of Burnett’s Auto Parts Kindig (r) shows the car’s owner, Mark Timlin (l) of in Green River, WY. When he Burnett’s Auto Parts in Green River, WY, what he has saw his vehicle for the very done with his 1955 Nomad during the unveiling first time at the unveiling, he looked shocked for a moment before deal. They filmed the build, and hopefully it will appear on an episode of smiling from ear-to-ear. Bitchin’ Rides at some point so that “The last time I saw that car was a year ago, and it was down to the bare people can see all of the creativity and metal,” he said. “So when I saw it at hard work that went into this car.”

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 49

SEMA Show Goes On WyoTech Celebrates its 50-Year Anniversary at SEMA 2016 with Ed Attanasio

To mark its 50th anniversary, WyoTech unveiled two vehicles that students, graduates and instructors customized at this year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Students at their Blairsville, PA campus designed and built a ‘Shagadelic

ebrate a half-century teaching the collision repair professionals of the present and future. WyoTech’s Industry Relations Specialist John Hurd was one of the main driving forces behind the planning of the reception and is hoping that it will become an annual event. ‘We had roughly 80 people at the reception and everyone was excited by the turnout,’ Hurd said. ‘We had one alumnus from our 1973 graduating class here and another who graduated in September of this year, so more than five decades were represented. This was our first alumni asWyoTech’s Industry Relations Specialist John Hurd (left) had the school’s alumni sign this 50th anniversary bansociation event and we are ner. At right, that’s Allen Froschauer, a 1985 graduate now planning to do this every Van’ and a Harley Davidson Chopper year. Our graduates have a ton of knowledge and experience and if we with bells and whistles galore. In addition to showcasing the two can share that with our current stuvehicles at its SEMA booth, the school dents, staff and instructors, that is one also hosted an alumni reception to cel- of one of our main goals with the

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

alumni association.’ Another goal for the school was to make a big splash with their ‘Shagadelic Van’ and they indeed achieved it and more with their eye-catching concept vehicle. Ford Authority named

‘It is so cool and a real tribute to the 1970s, when everyone had vans like these!’ Featuring a custom grille, rear window louvers, and bubble window, this van was painted completely with PPG custom hues. Although it looks like a 1970s conversion van in many ways, it also contains a lot of technology from today, including a cockpit with a top-tier Kenwood audio system

The original drawing of WyoTech’s “Shagadelic Van,” a 2016 Ford Transit concept van designed with a 1976 “Cruising Van” Ford advertisement in mind

it one of the top five Ford vehicles at SEMA and attendees flocked around it throughout the entire show. ‘I keep expecting Scooby Doo and Shaggy to jump out of the back of this van,’ Brian Frame the owner of Gene’s Auto Body in Montrose, CA said while visiting WyoTech’s booth.

WyoTech graduate Marc Christ, the co-host of the TV show Detroit Muscle, produced by PowerNation, enjoyed the alumni reception at SEMA

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WyoTech’s “Shagadelic Van” is a party on four wheels

leather seating. HushMat soundproofing will keep more of the music inside and with a XK-GLOW lighting system, it’s like a disco within a van. Mechanically, the van still has its 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine, but enhanced with the existence of a SCT XR 4 Performance programmer. A Gibson Performance Exhaust system with cus-

tom-made side pipes enables the engine to perform better which gives the vehicle a nice look and a strong sound. Hurd discussed the van and its role at this year’s SEMA show. ‘Ford gave us the van and acted as our corporate partner for this project,’ he said. ‘WyoTech graduates and instructors really took the lead on this build and they did an exceptional job. To see how it went from the original sketch all the way to the finished product was a great experience for everyone involved. The little nuances really make this van truly special–from the custom shag carpeting to the lighting system and the custom-fabricated side pipes– it takes that 1970s look and pumps it up with modern additions.’ MAVTV documented the Ford build from start to finish with a 12-part series for ‘Chop Cut Rebuild,’ to air after the show, so the van will be getting a lot more than just its 15 minutes of fame, Hurd said. ‘It’s exciting, because we succeeded with this van in several ways,’ he said. ‘Showcasing this vehicle is a big deal, but it is going to provide us with continued exposure, which was of course one of our main goals with the ‘Shagadelic Van.’ To show the rest of the world the

creative zeal and technical aptitude of its students, WyoTech students and staff also customized a Harley Davidson chopper-style motorcycle, which was also displayed in the WyoTech booth at SEMA.

WyoTech’s Operations Manager Bruce Gamroth (left) and Dean of Curriculum Rick Hartman networked at the alumni reception

WyoTech was founded more than 50 years ago in Laramie, Wyoming, and has since become one of the premier providers of technical training in the United States. WyoTech offers training for mechanical and technical occupations in automotive, diesel, collision/refinishing, motorcycle and marine technology. WyoTech has campuses in Blairsville, Pennsylvania; Laramie, Wyoming; and Daytona Beach, Florida. For more information, visit www.WyoTech.edu.

Continued from Page 46

CREF Prepares

with CREF’s Career Fairs should contact Eckenrode at 847-463-5274 or Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation .org. CREF is also planning ahead for its 2017 Golf Fundraiser, to be held in Chicago next summer in conjunction with NACE and Automechanika. Eckenrode explains how next year’s fundraiser will be different from those of past years: “In addition to us pledging to raise at least $100,000 at our golf event, we plan on pledging to raise an additional $100,000 between now and the week of NACE that would go directly towards Chicago Public School high school collision school programs and Chicago City Colleges collision program. This type of “extra” funding goal in conjunction with our golf event is a new program but with the industry coming to Chicago next summer, we wanted to create this goal of $100,000 towards those school programs and help inner-city students with their technical education.”

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Shop Strategies

Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications. She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.

Mohawk Collision’s New Collision Facility in the NY Capital Region Has “Fixed What Was Broken” and Built a Solid Business with Stacey Phillips

About five and a half years ago, Gerry Rosenbarker took over as collision center manager at Mohawk Honda in the Capital region. Based in Scotia, New York, Mohawk Honda is an Elite President’s award winner and one of the top Honda dealers in the country for volume. Rosenbarker recently had the opportunity to help design and set up a 23,666 state-of-the-art collision

Mohawk Honda is based in Scotia, New York

repair facility, located near the dealership. Autobody News spoke to Rosenbarker about the new facility and what makes it so successful.

Congratulations on the opening Q: of the new collision repair facility this past December. Can you tell

us what prompted the move?

way of doing things. The shop had been operating like it was in the 1970s rather than the 2000s. A lot of it was putting the right people in the right places and just coming into it with a fresh look at things. We stepped back to figure out where are we broken the most and we started working on fixing those problems. We would take everything possible on the spot. Anything that came into the door that we could close right then, we would put the customer in a rental car and lock the car down. We didn’t give them the opportunity to go to two or three other shops that might at that point in time might have had better customer service than we did. Our service department was solid but our customer service wasn’t up to par in the collision center. We always had a good reputation for quality work but without the service to back it up and without the follow through from management, it didn’t make any difference.

Our old facility had 13 stalls, A: one booth, and only one door. When you were designing the The building was 80 years old. It used Q: new facility, what were the most to house our dealership and

then we had an opportunity to move the dealership about six years ago. The company purchased a new property and built a state-of-the-art facility. Meanwhile, the collision center stayed in the old facility until recently. Meanwhile, our prior collision manager had left the The heavy and light body shop floor in the Mohawk company and I took over that Honda collision center position. I reassembled the team and we started building up the Important components you wanted to collision repair shop. We changed include? quite a few things, came up with some The single most important thing standard operating procedures (SOPs) we built in was the proper flow. and started operating differently. In our old facility, it was very difficult How have operations changed to get cars from one end of the shop to and what has the benefit been? the other without moving four or five cars first. When we were planning the We basically changed every- new facility, we started with a clean thing that was the old broken sheet of paper and we built a proper

Q: A:

52 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

flow in the building. Everything moves from one end all the way around in a horseshoe throughout the building. Cars are constantly moving in a racetrack pattern and we never go back-

and raising the quality of expectations at your business?

are fortunate enough to have A: aWeNinety-five very dealer-loyal product. percent of the time

Honda customers go back to the dealership. That gives us an edge. However, we want to keep those customers from going other places. It actually worked so well it overwhelmed us early on. I couldn’t hire people quickly enough to handle the amount Reassembly and detail area in Mohawk Honda’s collision of work. We went from a repair shop shop that was in a situation where we had slow weeks, then busy ward. We now have seven doors that weeks—the standard peak and valleys we can use to get in and out of the fathat you see in the industry—to being cility. a shop that was consistently booked What was the result of focus- six weeks out. ing on good customer service See Mohawk Collision, Page 55

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Historical Snapshot

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

NACE '96, Insurer-Owned Body Shops, CIC on Estimates, DuPont Seeks Buyers with John Yoswick

20 years ago in the collision repair industry (December 1996) Texas shop owner Joe Sanders delivered a hard-hitting NACE Chairman’s opening address, touching on nearly all of the industry’s hottest issues. He criticized the computerized estimating system provider for focusing more on removing overlap than on automating “add-ons.” He called on paint manufacturers to strop trying to block pointof-sale controls on product clearly labeled as “for professional use only.” He said shop owners are tired of doing more work to use non-OEM and salvage parts while benefitting less finan-

In 1996, Mike Anderson was a Virginia shop owner and on a CIC committee calling for the estimating system providers to add more information about refinish labor times that have been manually changed

cial for doing so. And he called on I-CAR to define an “industry-acceptable repair” in order to help the industry cope with rising consumer expectation and the threat of diminished value claims. Many of his comment were directed toward the insurance industry. He criticized their use of unfair caps on materials. He praised State Farm and USAA for developing internal systems to accept any of the three automated estimating systems, and called on other insurers to follow their lead. He said it was up to the top insurance executives who attend NACE to relay needed information to others in their company and industry. “Please help us carry the message back to other insurers, adjustors, supervisors and appraiser that the abuses of the automated estimating systems must stop,” Sanders said. “If we are to stay controlled to the tenth of the hour by the times posted in these systems after overlap deductions, then we must be compensated for the additional op-

erations not included at the original calculation. We are tired of hearing we’re ‘the only one who asks for it.’” – As reported in Automotive Report. In the year following his address at NACE, Sanders sold his two Texas shops to Caliber Collision (his son Mark is president and chief operating officer of Caliber); he continued to work as a consultant and in various capacities in the industry before retiring in 2005.

15 years ago in the collision repair industry (December 2001) Another insurer has invested in a collision repair industry consolidator. The Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club, an affiliate of the Automobile Club of Southern California, has invested $30 million in Caliber Collision Centers. Caliber, based in Irvine, Calif., has 62 locations in California and Texas. Despite its substantial investment, the Automobile Club will have no control over day-to-day operations, and will not have access to information other than what pertains to its insureds. “We have been using Caliber since 1991, and we just like what they do,” said Jim Gilmartin, senior vice president for insurance operations at the Automobile Club. “Their performance has been exceptional, not only I the way they deal with our members, but the services they provide: the speed with which cars are repaired, the good feelings our members have in their relationship with Caliber, the quality of the repairs.” Caliber has been part of the Automobile Club’s “Immediate Repair Program” since 1991, and Gilmartin said that in investing in Caliber, his company hopes to see Caliber expand into other areas where the Automobile Club sells insurance. – As reported in Hammer & Dolly. Caliber is now based in Texas and has more than 400 shops in 16 states and the District of Columbia. In 2003, Texas passed a law restricting insurer ownership of collision repair shops, a law that insurers challenged for five years all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court but was eventually upheld. So in order to continue expand-

54 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

ing in Texas, Caliber in 2008 sought funding from a Canadian investment firm that enabled both Zurich Financial Services (of which Farmers Insurance is a subsidiary) since 1997, and the Automobile Club of Southern California to cash out their investments in Caliber.

10 years ago in the collision repair industry (December 2006) If refinish labor times on repaired panels are going to be adjusted from those in the estimating systems – something 96 percent of shops say they have seen insurers do –the printed copy of the estimate should show what the original labor time is. That was the recommendation of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) Estimating Procedures Committee at the conclusion of a panel discussion on the topic in Las Vegas. “The committee’s recommendation is to show the reduction amount as a separate negative line entry, or clearly

document the calculation,” Mike Anderson, a member of the CIC committee who moderated the panel discussion, said. “So on the bottom of the estimate, for example, line 42 would tell you a refinish time was changed from, say, 2.2 to 1.6. Then as the end-user of that estimate, you would be able to know the time was changed and by what magnitude.” Anderson, owner of Wagonwork Collision Centers in Alexandria, Va., opened the panel discussion with the responses he received from the estimating system providers to a series of questions the committee asked about manual changes to refinish times. [Anderson said that shops say] the justification they are given for such changes is that the changes are being made on refinish labor times for “partial refinish” of repaired panels. “In some cases, the system generated blend times are being applied to repaired panels, which appears to be in

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contradiction of database guidelines,” Anderson said. If a shop received a printed estimate written in an estimating system the shop doesn’t have, the only way to know that refinish time has been changed is to note the asterisk by the labor time. But even so, Anderson said, the shop has no way of knowing what the original labor time was if they don’t have that estimating system, so there is no way to audit how significant a change has been made. – As reported in Autobody News. Continued from Page 52

Mohawk Collision

In the past, our closure rate was about 27 percent. Within six months of our new SOPs, we built that up to about an 80 percent closure rate on customers that we were writing estimates for.

What other types of changes did Q: you implement in your shop and with your technicians?

I am a big proponent of trainOur technicians are all IA: ing.

Anderson sold his shops in 2010 and is now an industry trainer and consultant. Representatives of all three estimating systems at the CIC meeting acknowledged the committee’s request for the additional information on estimates. None has made the change.

5 years ago in the collision repair industry (December 2011) DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman said last week the company is giving its automotive paint unit an opportunity to meet financial targets before DuPont consid-

ers its options for the business. The Bloomberg news agency reported last month that “people knowledgeable of the matter” said DuPont hired Credit Suisse Group AG to seek buyers for its “Performance Coatings” unit, which includes its automotive paint division. DuPont promoted John McCool a year ago to president of the Performance Coatings segment, and gave him “very specific performance targets,” Kullman told reporters last week. “From a performance standpoint, we’ll give them a chance to see if they

can get there… If any of our businesses can’t obtain their targets, we’ll look at alternatives, whatever that means.” – As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), December 19, 2011. Nine months later, DuPont announced it was selling its 11,000-employee automotive paint business to private equity firm The Carlyle Group for $4.9 billion in cash. The company was later renamed Axalta Coating Systems, and The Carlyle Group sold off its remaining interest in the company this past summer.

CAR gold trained now and we are a Honda ProFirst certified body shop. We work with AXALTA and all of our painters go to AXALTA paint schools. All of our management staff and estimators go to AXALTA’s repair planning with Mike Anderson. I’m sure you’ve heard that if you change too many things at once, you are going to fail. We changed everything! We should have failed so miserably. But I had a core set of guys, brought in new employees and we took that facility six years ago and went from five employees and an average of $50,000 a month in total sales

to 13 employees and about $225,000 a month in total sales when we left that facility. Before we moved, we had to shuttle things back and forth from the dealership where the customers dropped off their vehicles. We went from doing a standard wash of the car to a full detail. We tried to give the car a facelift. It is pricey to do that, but I thought it made more sense to do that than to put billboards up all over the place. We already had the customers; we simply had to make sure those customers kept coming back and spread the word to their friends and family about the great ex-

perience they had at Mohawk Honda. Now at the new facility with one DRP, we are operating with 23 employees and averaging $375,000 to $400,000 a month. The shop is always full and we don’t suffer the peaks and valleys that most facilities do. It has been phenomenal.

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SEMA Show Goes On

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

PPG Shows Support for Paralyzed Veterans of America at 2016 SEMA with Ed Attanasio

painters on the list, including Charley Hutton’s Ridler award winner “Olds Cool;” Darryl Hollenbeck’s Ford, named America’s Most Beautiful Roadster; Ryan Korek’s merlot red International pickup dubbed “Eight-Dollar Corn;” Jerry Kjensrud’s Chevy, “Halo,” a Grand National Roadster Show award winner; Nathan Curry’s tribute motorcycle, making its show debut; and Joe Ballard’s multi-awardwinning tribute custom bike. In addition, PPG booth visitors were able to meet, get autographs, and listen to legendary paint icons talk about their PPG product preferences, including Charley Hutton from Charley Hutton’s Color; Bobby Alloway from Alloway’s Hot Rod Shop; Tom and Mitch Kelly from Kelly & Son Crazy Painters; Darryl Hollenbeck from Vintage Color Studio; Kenny Youngblood from Youngblood Art/Motorsport Gallery; Mark Worman and Will Scott from Graveyard Carz and Doug Dorr, aka “The Master of Pinstripes.” PVA is a congressionally chartered veterans service organization founded in 1946 that has developed a unique Julia Walker, the Director of Corporate and Venture Philanthropy for Paralyzed Veterans of America with expertise on a wide variety of paralyzed veteran Bill Lawson at the PPG booth at issues involving the special the 2016 Show needs of members – veterans make a lasting impression. They al- of the armed forces who have experiways have exciting new products to enced spinal cord injury or dysfuncdisplay, and some of the best automo- tion, according to the organization’s tive painters in the world are featured. website. You can always count on the fact that Julia Walker, the Director of PPG will pump up the creativity of Corporate and Venture Philanthropy their booth for that “wow” factor. Last for PVA, was on-hand during the four year, the theme was Mardi Gras, and days of SEMA and brought three this year it was “A Salute to Color,” members of the organization with her with a patriotic World War II theme to spread the word about the organithroughout the company’s enormous zation and its mission. booth. “When PPG invited us to be a part As always, PPG also showcased of their booth at SEMA, it was unexan impressive lineup of cars, trucks pected and definitely a thrill,” she said. and bikes with some big designers and “We brought three members of PVA to To bring awareness and support to its cause and mission, PPG Refinishing invited the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) to be a part of their booth during the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nov. 2-5. Because PPG believes in this non-profit organization that is dedicated to veterans’ service, medical research and civil rights for people with disabilities, they invited PVA to SEMA 2016 in order to bring national exposure for its vehicle donation program “Wheels Helping Warriors.” Every year, people are anxious to see the theme for PPG’s booth at SEMA because they know that the company is going to go over the top to

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Las Vegas—Bill Lawson, Jason Reyes and Ryan Lindstrom—and it provided a great opportunity for them to see the

Everyone anticipates PPG’s SEMA booth and this year it surely did not disappoint with “A Salute to Color,” a patriotic World War II theme

show and gain some exposure for our organization. We wanted to use this forum to tell people about what we do and also about our Vehicle Donation Program. Everyone was telling us that the PPG booth at SEMA is always a big deal and people anticipate what theme they will come up with every year. The Americana theme for this year’s booth was perfect for us and our mission, so the entire experience was outstanding.” In addition to sharing their stories with attendees who visited the PPG booth at SEMA, the PVA also asked for cash donations, Walker explained. “The people were so supportive that we ended up raising more than $3,500, which was exceptional. This money can go a long way toward helping our members and taking our mission further. Relationships like these can really benefit PVA in many ways now and in the future, so we’re delighted to be associated with an amazing company like PPG.”

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My SEMA

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

How to Market to, Sell and Service Today’s “Connected Consumer” Many collision repair businesses are worried about getting cars in and out of their production areas and having better cycle time. During a recent Guild 21 webinar, Frank Terlep said to never lose site of how important the customer is to your business. “If individual businesses are not focusing on the consumer, there is a very good chance of them going somewhere else,” said Terlep, founder of eMarketing Sherpas. In 2014, a study conducted by Accenture asked consumers how likely they were to stop doing business with their auto/home insurance provider and switch to another one in the next 12 months. About 42.5 percent of those surveyed said they were likely or somewhat likely to switch insurance providers. The following year, a survey conducted by JD Power found 29 percent of people switched insurance companies in 2015. According to CCC statistics, as of 2015 less than 45 percent vehicles were repaired through a DRP. Part of really knowing and connecting with your customers includes finding out how they are currently using technology. A.T. Kearney found that more than 50 percent of the 10,000 consumers they surveyed said they are “connected” every hour and research has shown that the average adult spends nearly six hours a day in front of digital media, of which 19 percent is on social media. “Mobile is the way they want to be connected with the rest of the world,” said Terlep. The number one thing they look at on these devices is email (78%). “If you are utilizing an email system and sending email to your customers, you need to make sure the emails you send are easily read on a mobile device,” said Terlep. The other most popular activities on smartphones include web browsing (73%), Facebook (70%), maps/directions (64%) and games (60%). “The typical person who interacts with their smartphone interacts with their smartphone 150 times a day,” said Terlep. He recommended that shops figure out the percentage of their customers who are connected and then determine what the percentage of sales

and marketing budget and activities are focused on for that connected consumer. He said most likely, there will be a gap between the two numbers. Nine ways to sell, market to, and service today’s connected consumer: Web presence: Terlep said a business’s website is really an online lobby. “Your business will get more visitors to your online lobby than you’ll ever get into your physical lobby,” said Terlep. “The number one reason to have a website is to drive business to your door.” He said some of the important components include a call to action, welcome and educational videos, a blog, appointment options, and ratings and reviews. Online/mobile search: Terlep stressed the importance of ensuring your website is mobile compatible and consider SEO (search engine optimization). All businesses that have a physical location have a Google My Business, which is tied to Google reviews. “You must make sure you claim it and you must drive people to give you reviews,” he said. He also recommended categorizing the business and integrating with social media sites. Social media: “From a business perspective, it’s our belief that every business needs to have a position on Facebook, Google My Business, LinkedIn and YouTube,” said Terlep. Other social media, such as Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, are options a business can look into after the first four are in place. All social media sites should be an extension of the company website and be complete and professional. Online reviews: Terlep said online reviews are critical to every business. They will increase sales, help you better understand your customers, create customer engagement and improve your website ranking. “If you don’t have an active/formal process set up in your business to request and capture online reviews, it’s one of the most important things you should do,” said Terlep. “Online reviews are trusted more than any other marketing and advertising medium available today.” He said it’s simple to do and can give businesses the highest ROI (return on investment) from a market-

58 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

ing perspective. Email: In 2013, there were 3.9 billion email accounts around the world. By 2017, Terlep said that number is expected to rise to 4.9 billion. “Email is growing and growing,” said Terlep. “Most companies use email today and feel it is much better for marketing communication and retention than any other marketing tool.” Some of the emails he recommended sending include thank you emails with surveys and/or requests for online reviews, informational emails, new service offerings, event invites, and 30-day follow ups. SMS/Text: The average voicemail callback takes over an hour, while an average text response takes 15 minutes. Terlep said 97% of adults use texts daily and 98% of texts are read in five seconds or less! Types of texts businesses can send include unsold estimates/proposals, repair status information, special offers, review requests

and recalls. Mobile Apps: Terlep said that 86% of what is done on smart phones is through an app. “It gives the business an opportunity to own a piece of real estate on that consumer’s phone,” said Terlep. In addition, it helps build brand recognition, helps you stand out from the competition and cultivates customer loyalty. He said if shops can convince consumers that an app delivers enough value for them, they will have a distinct advantage over the competition. Video: Some compelling reasons businesses should consider video marketing include: it helps shops end up on page one of the searches; it increases email open rates; it’s the fastest growing communication; YouTube is the second largest search engine; 59% of senior executives prefer video and they will watch for longer; and 95% of people are more likely to purchase. In addition to welcome videos and shop

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tours, other video suggestions include www.autobodynews.com repair stories and cool cars. “I believe video is going to replace photos as the CHECK IT OUT! best way to document damage and other things in regard to repair,” said Terlep. Customer Relation Management System: “If the consumer is important to your business, you must consider a Customer Relationship Management system (CRM),” said To advertise Terlep. There are multiple benefits call Advertising when shops make it a Sales priorityat: to put 800-699-8251 their customers first, according to Terlep. Not only does it improve sales and e-mail: employee productivity, it also helps advertising@autobodynews.com with branding, customer service and www.autobodynews.com improves social media presence and performance.

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CARSTAR Door to 500th Location The sourceOpens for timely

CARSTAR recently celebrated information that every the opening of its 500th store. The milebody shop needs! stone was reached with the conversion of two Cincinnati centers owned CALL 800-699-8251 by multi-shop owner Kevin Rains. Formerly known as Precision Body and Frame and Center City Collision, the auto body shops have reMail Subscription branded to CARSTAR West Chester and CARSTAR Center City respectively.

the brand as we continue to grow. By will get me there faster. Converting adding successful, business-minded to CARSTAR is also a wise defenowners like Kevin Rains to our brand, sive strategy because it protects my CARSTAR will continue to be a pow- shops against competitors entering Call for details! erhouse in the paint and collision seg- the market. Under CARSTAR, I’m ment.” 800-699-8251 able to leverage large-scale opportuRains entered the auto aftermar- nities with a national brand while ket industry as an independent shop maintaining freedom and control as owner in 2003 when he purchased a small business owner.” Center City Collision in Cincinnati, CARSTAR and its franchise netand again in 2015 when he acquired work employs 4,000 automotive proPrecision Frame and Body fessionals throughout the United States in West Chester, OH. Rains and Canada. Headquartered in Charobserved massive consoli- lotte, NC, CARSTAR was founded in dation taking Register Your Email for Ourplace in the 1989 and has repaired more than four paint and collision indus- million vehicles since opening its try, which led to his explo- doors. CARSTAR’s parent company, ration of joining a national Driven Brands, Inc., was recently anAccording to the company, the brand. According to the company, nounced as a new member of Roark brand is on pace to reach its goal of CARSTAR was able to offer support Capital Group, an Atlanta-based pridoubling its total unit count to 1,000 to help accelerate growth plans, and vate equity firm that specializes in over the next four to five years. he ultimately rebranded due to franchise, brand management, envi“Seeing CARSTAR hit the 500 CARSTAR’s exceptional purchasing ronmental services and marketing shop milestone is a testament of the power, sophisticated operations plat- services companies with attractive Email for Our with leading growth prospects. exceptional support Register we are able toYour form and relationships offer our franchisees,” said president insurance carriers and vendors. For more information, visit www 4Macaluso. Times Monthly E-Newsletter of CARSTAR Michael “Joining the CARSTAR fran- .CARSTAR.com. “After joining our parent company chise network helps me both offenDriven Brands last year, CARSTAR sively and defensively,” said Rains. shop owners have been empowered “On the offensive side, I’m aiming with more resources needed to grow to acquire ten additional body shops their business. Our outstanding fran- in the Cincinnati area over the next chisees play a major role in propelling five years, and CARSTAR’s support

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SEMA Show Goes On

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

NABC Presents Six Deserving Recipients with Refurbished Cars at 2016 SEMA with Ed Attanasio

Half a dozen deserving individuals and families as they attempt to recover families from Nevada received keys to from catastrophic circumstances such completely refurbished by the as unexpected job loss and homelesswith vehicles Ed Attanasio National Auto Body Council (NABC) ness,” said Chuck Sulkala. “Our goal at its annual Recycled Rides Luncheon with Recycled Rides is to positively on Nov. 2nd at the 2016 SEMA Show change lives by donating vehicles that in Las Vegas. More than 300 people represent hope, independence and freedom. Of all the things we do here at NABC, this is probably the most satisfying–givwith Stacey Phillips ing cars to people who truly deserve them.” The six recipients this year included Suidi Ali, who received services from Family Promise’s Shelter Program earlier this year after losing her job with Stacey Phillips and apartment. She now has a great career and an apartment that she and her children are Recycled Rides vehicle recipient Patrick Kelly (center) poses with Ted Rupert, owner of Rupert’s Auto Body happy to call home, but her car (right) and one of last year’s car recipients, Michael (until now) was a major conAtkinson, a Navy Corpsman who now works as a cern. Suidi Ali has been workmetal technician with Stacey Phillips ing hard to leave homelessness enjoyed the presentation luncheon held in her rear window, and her nearly new at the Westgate Las Vegas Paradise 2016 Hyundai Accent will help her Convention Center, with many of the achieve it. Ali was nominated by Family sponsors, body shops and insurance Promise of Las Vegas and the car was companies that donate their time and donated by Enterprise and refurbished money to the Recycled Rides Program by Gerber Collision. with Stacey Phillips Brigette Garcia and her husband each year in attendance. This year’s six Recycled Rides rehave two young sons with special cipients were selected in partnership needs. To get to her sons to the their with three local nonprofit service organizations – Family Promise of Las Vegas, The Shade Tree, and The Marine Corps League. This year’s vehicles were donated by Allstate, GEICO, with Victoria Antonelli State Farm, USAA, Enterprise Rent-aCar, and Hertz and were refurbished by collision repairers, including Caliber Collision, Fix Auto Henderson, Gaudin Ford, Gerber Collision & Glass and Rupert’s Auto Body. Parts, materials Six completely refurbished cars sat quietly under their covers until they were unveiled at and services were contributed by LKQ NABC’s annual Recycled Rides Luncheon on Corporation, Axalta, AkzoNobel, ColNov. 2nd at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas orGlo, High Sierra Glass Works, LT Mufflers and Brakes, Milne Auto Tow, medical appointments, Garcia deReno Buick GMC, Sierra Wheel Repends on public transportation, and it pair, The Pit Shop, Alpine Lock and is stressful at times. Brigette recently Fast Glass. landed a good job in the medical field, Executive Director of the National and her husband works from home so Auto Body Council Chuck Sulkala he can be available to care for their has been hosting these car giveaways children. Their 2008 Ford Edge will since the program began, and he was help the Garcia family manage their back on the dais again this year. “Lack daily transportation without the stress of transportation is in many cases a and expense of taking the bus. The major obstacle for people and their Garcia family was nominated by Fam-

ily Promise of Las Vegas; the car was Media and Publicity for Shops donated by Allstate and refurbished by

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Gaudin Ford. The third recipient, Debbie Hatfield, and her two sons were in Family Promise several years ago until she could obtain employment and get back on her feet. Earning minimum wage, one of her sons was on the baseball team, and it was always a challenge to get him to his games. On top of it all, this single mother’s vehicle broke down earlier this year and eventually died, but her transportation problems are gone because she now has a 2014 Chevy Impala. The car was nominated by Family Promise of Las Vegas and donated by GEICO and refurbished by Caliber Collision-Reno. Lorae Chadwick, her husband and their one-year-old daughter were forced to leave their previous apartment due to an abusive situation with their roommate. They had to live in separate shelters initially until they

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were able to receive support from The Shade Tree organization and find housing together as a family. This is truly a family that is becoming self-sufficient,

Recipient Brigette Garces with representatives of Allstate and Gaudin Ford who donated her Ford Edge

and with their completely refurbished 2015 Hyundai Leandra, they will be able to live productive lives without the drama of not having reliable transportation. The Chadwick family was nominated by the Shade Tree and the vehicle was donated by Hertz. See NABC Presents, Page 62

My SEMA

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ALLDATA Achieves Customer Milestone

ALLDATA LLC, an AutoZone company, exceeded 100,000 subscribers in North America within the third quarter of 2016. ALLDATA solutions are now available across North America—in the United States, Canada and Mexico. “The growth in our North American customer base speaks to our emphasis on putting customers first, listening to each and every customer and tailoring products to meet their specific needs,” said Mitch Major, president of ALLDATA LLC. “It’s simple, really. We exist to serve our customers. We’re here to help them run their shops efficiently, serve their customers and succeed. Our team works hard to get it right, and we will continue to deliver the best solutions, from repair information to shop management to personalized support.” ALLDATA provides OEM-direct mechanical and collision repair information solutions to shops of all sizes. “Car Care Center is a familyowned business with a 47-year history, and we’ve kept our priorities pretty basic: helping people with their cars,” said Lynne Cardwell, CEO, Car Care Center in Sacramento, Calif. “It sounds simple, but to do it, we’ve

had to learn and re-learn the amazingly diverse and always-changing technology embedded in vehicles. The one constant we know to expect is change! In this demanding environment, we’ve kept pace thanks to ALLDATA’s updated repair information and easily navigated online resources. Our ASE-Certified technicians and service advisors depend on ALLDATA to solve diagnostic problems quickly and to estimate correctly what it really takes to do the job. All of this protects our bottom line. We know ALLDATA understands small business and values its customers as much as we value ours.” “We are proud to be a partner in the long-term success of so many shops,” added Major. “The ALLDATA portfolio of products is designed to help our customers succeed. We are constantly innovating to deliver what’s needed today, tomorrow and in the future, and we look forward to many more years of contributing to the success of shops across North America.” For more information, visit www .alldata.com.

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Henderson. The final recipient was Patrick Kelly, a Marine Corps veteran who still suffers from injuries sustained The final two Recycled Rides from a 2,500-ft. fall from a helicopter went to members of the military. First, during a parachute accident. After Navy Seabee veteran Jeffrey Hicks more injuries followed while on duty, To advertise was severely injured while on deploy- Kelly received an honorable discharge call Advertising Sales at: ment in Afghanistan and has faced from the Marines and then later a demany challenges adjusting to living gree in800-699-8251 medical illustration. He curwith the injuries he sustained. Jef- rently works e-mail: at the veteran’s affairs advertising@autobodynews.com office and volunteers with the Marine Corps League, and www.autobodynews.com now he will be able to get there easily with his 2011 Mitsubishi Gallant. Kelly was nominated by the Marine Corps League and the vehicle was donated by USAA Insurance and refurRecipient Lorae Chadwick with Scott Bridges of Hertz, bished by Rupert’s Auto Body which donated a 2015 Hyundai Leandra in Carson Be Seen by City, Our NV. Readers! frey’s wife is employed while he takes Kelly said that the car presentaCALL Advertising Sales at: care of their two sons, taking them to tion was a “major event” in his life, sports events, school and family gath- and he couldn’t stop thanking Ted erings. When his car died, taking care Rupert, whose shop refurbished the of the children was a daily challenge, caradvertising@autobodynews.com and brought it back to life. “So but with their completely refurbished many people have helped me along www.autobodynews.com 2012 Nissan Murano, they will be on the way, and Ted as well as USAA are time all the time. Hicks was nomiamazing to do this for me. With my nated by the Marine Corps League Gallant, I will be able to do so much and the Murano was donated by State more and get to where I need to be on Farm and refurbished by Fix Auto time.” Continued from Page 60

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62 DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Continued from Cover

Class Action

Toyota admitted no liability or wrongdoing in the proposed settlement filed on Nov. 9 before U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin in Los Angeles. “We want our customers to have a great ownership experience, so we are pleased to resolve this litigation in a way that benefits them and demonstrates that we stand behind the quality and reliability of our vehicles,” Toyota said in a statement. Under the settlement terms, Toyota will inspect the vehicles for 12

years from the day they were first sold or leased to determine whether frames need to be replaced at company expense and reimburse owners who previously paid for frame replacement. The settlement reached on Oct. 31 covers Tacoma trucks from the model years 2005 through 2010, Sequoias from 2005 through 2008 and Tundras from the 2007 and 2008 model years. Toyota also agreed to pay $9.75 million in attorneys’ fees, $150,000 in costs and expenses, and $2,500 each to the named eight class representatives as well as the cost of advertising the settlement.

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Axalta Announces 2016 Custom Finishes Calendar Competition Winners Axalta Coating Systems has announced the winners of its 2016 Custom Finishes Calendar Competition, who will appear in the 2017 calendar. Custom car owners and builders from across the United States and Canada vied to have their vehicles featured in the custom calendar that Axalta has produced annually since 1993.

Axalta experts looked for motorized passenger vehicles including automobiles (imported or domestic), motorcycles, aircraft or watercraft that are finished with Axalta’s custom Cromax®, Nason®, Spies Hecker®, Standox® brands, or Hot HuesTM products. Entrants must own or have painted the vehicle they entered into the competition. Entries were judged on “best use of color,” including finish quality, technical difficulty, design originality

and artistic merit. Twelve winners will appear in Axalta’s 2017 Custom Finishes Calendar. The grand prizewinner will receive $1000, a complimentary professional photo shoot of the winning vehicle, cover position on the 2017 Custom Finishes Calendar, one calendar page highlight and 35 copies of the 2017 calendar. Eleven first place winners will each receive $500 cash, a complimentary professional photo shoot of the winning vehicle, one in-calendar page position and 35 copies of the 2017 Calendar. The winners’ names and locations, descriptions of their vehicles, basecoat brand used and the months in which their vehicles will appear in the calendar are as follows: Grand Prize Winner - Cover and April: Derick Samson, Marshall, Missouri, 1952 Mercedes Benz 170S (Cromax®)

January: Scott Austin, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, 1965 Ford Falcon Futura (Hot HuesTM)

February: Michael Velek, Manuta, Ohio, 1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport (Spies Hecker®) March: Tim Strange, Lewisburg, Ten-

nessee, 1968 Chevrolet C10 Pickup Truck (Cromax®)

May: Lamar Ard, Westwego, Louisiana, 1961 Chevrolet Corvette (Standox®)

June: Jim and Pat DeFew, Benton, Kentucky, 2015 Custom Motorcycle (Hot HuesTM) July: PJ Burchett, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1950 International Harvester Metro Van (Cromax®)

August: Micky Heflin, Paducah, Kentucky, 1933 Ford Roadster (Nason®)

September: Robbin Sheets, Lodoga, Indiana, 1934 Diamond T 211 Truck (Cromax®)

October: Scott McCormack, Leesburg, Florida, 1967 Pontiac Tempest (Cromax®) November: Patrick Buse, Omaha, Nebraska, 1960 Pontiac Ventura (Cromax®) December: Bruce Ricks, Sapulpa, Oklahoma, 1956 Ford Victoria (Cromax®) For more information, visit www .axaltacs.com.

CarCareers.org Now Features a Job Board

Minnesota Careers in Automotive Repair and Service (MNCARS) has announced the addition of a job board to its website, www.carcareers.org. According to the organization, the purpose of the new feature is to facilitate connections between industry employers who have job openings with those seeking employment. The site will also reinforce MNCARS’ primary message: that there is a high demand for employees in the automotive service, parts, and collision repair industries, with a multitude of career paths available in a wide variety of employment settings. Those interested in posting available automotive-related jobs will receive introductory pricing of $25 for a 30-day listing. AASPMN members receive a $5 discount and should call the AASP-MN office to request the promo code. To post a job, visit https://jobs.carcareers .org/jobs. Job postings from the Automotive Career Network, which includes the Auto Care Association and Society of Collision Repair Specialists job boards as well as Indeed postings, will also appear on the job board. For more information, contact Judell Anderson at (612) 623-1110 or judell@aaspmn.org.

WIN Scholarship Program Opens Applications for 2017 The Women’s Industry Network (WIN®) is committed to financially supporting females who demonstrate a desire to excel in the field of Collision Repair.

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As such, applications for the 2017 scholarship program are currently being accepted through January 19, 2017. WIN offers scholarships that will provide tuition assistance as well as educational opportunities and enrichment events to qualified applicants. The program for 2017 consists of the College Student Tuition and Conference Scholarship awards. The College Student Tuition and Conference Scholarship awards are presented to students enrolled in a post-secondary collision repair technology program. Each scholarship recipient will receive a $1,000.00 scholarship to continue their post-secondary education in collision repair and a one-year WIN Membership. Some recipients will also receive pay-

ment of their registration fee and travel expenses to attend the 2017 WIN Educational Conference in Denver, Colorado May 8th-10th, 2017. In addition, scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to be mentored by a member or the WIN Board of Directors or a 2017 recipient of the Most Influential Women (MIW) Award. The deadline for applications is Thursday, January 19, 2017. For scholarship requirement details and submission instructions, please visit http://thewomens industrynetwork.ning.com/page/ scholarships. To learn more about WIN programs or for information on becoming a member or sponsor of WIN, visit the WIN website at www .WomensIndustryNetwork.com. For more information about the WIN Scholarship Program, contact Bev Rook-Twibell at (816) 678-4777 or beverly.rook@safelite.com.

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 63

NFL Network Shifts Gears With New Reality Series “Tackle My Ride”

NFL Network has announced the debut of Tackle My Ride, a new unscripted reality series premiering Tuesday, November 15 at 8:00 PM ET. The show features co-hosts former Pro Bowl linebacker and Super Bowl Champion LaMarr Woodley and Demented Customs founder and master car builder James Torrez, who surprise deserving football fans with ultimate fan car makeovers by their NFL hometown heroes. From Super Bowl Champion, media personality and executive producer Michael Strahan and Leftfield Pictures, Tackle My Ride calls on current NFL players including New York Giants defensive end Jason PierrePaul and Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden along with their respective teams (see full list below) to help deserving, loyal fans makeover their everyday vehicle into a customized, team-inspired dream ride. Each week, viewers go inside the onfield heroes’ garages, learn fascinating, loyal football fans’ stories, and get a behind-the-scenes look at Torrez’s highly creative and renowned auto restoration shop. The announcement of Tackle My Ride was made by Woodley and Torrez in front of automotive enthusiasts

at the 2016 SEMA Show. “We’re excited to continue to create this type of lifestyle programming, which allows us to highlight

“NFL Network has given us a tremendous opportunity to bring fresh, authentic and inspiring programming beyond the game of football to fans across the country,” said Strahan. “Through the lens of custom car restoration, the series highlights individual stories of loyal fans-in-need while giving viewers inside access to some of their favorite football stars.” “Tackle My Ride is the first unscripted program for NFL Media completely focused on the important relationship between the teams NFL Network debuts new reality series “Tackle My and players, and the millions Ride,” starring Super Bowl Champion LaMarr Woodley of fans that make the NFL (right) and Demented Customs master car builder, part of their lives,” said Julie James Torrez (left) with featured Cleveland fan, Joe Haddon, Senior Vice PresiWhitthorne (center) at 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas dent of Marketing for NFL on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016. Credit: Business Wire Media. “With this show, our players and their engaging per- we’ve made a strategic investment by sonalities and bring them together expanding our lineup to bring new auwith our most passionate fans,” said diences to NFL Network and continue Michael Mandt, Executive Producer to grow the NFL fan base. The program of Original Content for NFL Net- represents crossover content that will work. “The car customization indus- appeal to a wide audience across the try has an attitude, lifestyle, and country, including millions of car enculture all its own, and this series will thusiasts.” deliver cool access and a great story Tackle My Ride airs Tuesdays at in each episode.” 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network. Below

Axalta Launches New Self-bonding Electrical Steel Coating

Axalta Coating Systems has developed a new one-component selfbonding electrical steel varnish called Voltatex® 1175W-1K. According to the company, the new varnish offers longer shelf life and significantly improved handling with the same technical performance as standard two-component systems. “Voltatex 1175W-1K provides users with increased product reliability, more efficient processing and The source for timely very user-friendly handling,” said information that every Frank-Rainer Boehm, Global TechbodyManager shop needs! nology for Axalta’s Energy Solutions business. “An effective self-bonding one-component varnish CALL 800-699-8251 requires a highly-sensitive and wellcontrolled crosslinking system to ensure that the coating’s application, Mail drying Subscription and hardening all work well. Achieving that has always been a challenge chemically. Traditionally, it

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is a broadcast schedule for the 2016 season: • November 15 – featuring the Cleveland Browns and cornerback Joe Haden

• November 15 – featuring the Seattle Seahawks and defensive end Cliff Avril

• November 22 – featuring the Minnesota Vikings and tight end Kyle Rudolph

• November 29 – featuring the New York Giants and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul

• December 6 – featuring the New Orleans Saints and defensive tackle John Jenkins

• December 13 – featuring the Dallas Cowboys and cornerback Brandon Carr NFL Network’s Tackle My Ride is produced by Leftfield Pictures in association with SMAC Entertainment with executive producers Michael Strahan, David George, Shawn Witt, Sean Moran and Constance SchwartzMorini. For more information, visit www .NFL.com/nflnetwork.

ASA and AMi Call for Presentations for NACE Automechanika Chicago

If you have a presentation you would like to share with professionals in the collision repair industry, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) and its educational partner, the Automotive Management Institute (AMi), would like to hear from you. ASA/AMi are accepting proposals for presentations to be given during the educational conference at the 2017 NACE Automechanika Expo & Conference to be held July 26-29 in Chicago. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 1, 2016. Dan Risley, ASA president and executive director, said the presentations last August at NACE in Anaheim were well received. “We hope to build on that success and have even better presentations this year in Chicago at NACE | Automechanika. From the reviews we’ve received, our attendees look forward to the variety of sessions offered during NACE and give high marks for the content that they can take back to their shops and implement right away.” Selection will be based on a presentation’s quality of content, need/demand for the information and the

expertise of the presenter. If you would like to propose a presentation at NACE Automechanika, you will need to complete a Call for Presentations form. Access the form at: http://tinyurl.com/asaamicall. Tony Molla, ASA vice president, and Jeff Peevy, AMi president, are coordinating the organizations’ call for presentations. Presenters will be listed on the NACE Automechanika Expo & Conference website, onsite program materials and signage. Among other benefits, there will be pre- and postevent promotion to businesses across the United States and in multiple countries, and presentations will be promoted via email, social media, event marketing brochures and press releases. Questions? Molla can be reached by emailing tonym@asashop.org, or calling (703) 470-3243, and Jeff Peevy can be reached by emailing jpeevy @amionline.org, or calling (224) 7043840. For more information, visit www .ASAshop.org or visit ASA’s legislative website at www.TakingTheHill .com.

CREF and Atlanta I-CAR Committee Award Makeover Grant to Athens Technical College by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Wednesday, October 19, a ribboncutting ceremony was held at Athens Technical College to recognize the receipt of a $50,000 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover Grant awarded

to the school. While the grant was awarded through the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), it was also made possible through the Atlanta I-CAR Committee’s local fundraising efforts. Dr. Andrea Daniel, President of Athens Technical College, stated, “The CREF/I-CAR grant has been great for Athens Technical College, but most importantly, impactful for our stu-

dents. In the ever-changing market of collision repair, providing our automotive collision and repair students with an outstanding education in the classroom, coupled with hands-on instruction through the newly purchased industry standard equipment, sets our graduates apart in the marketplace. In speaking with current students that have been in the program pre- and post-grant makeover, they have commented to me that the change has really improved their overall educational experience and that they really enjoy working on the new equipment as they are adding to their industry skillset.” The ceremony occurred from 2–4 PM and showcased how the school’s collision repair program was transformed with new tools, equipment and supplies as a result of the makeover grant. “The CREF Makeover grant has made a huge difference in the automotive collision and repair program at Athens Technical College. Providing the students the best possible educa-

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tion for workplace success is one of our primary goals,” according to Greg Thomas, Chair of Athens Technical College’s Automotive Collision and Repair program. “The Makeover Grant provided by CREF, and Atlanta I-CAR Committee and industry partners is helping us to do that with state-of-the-art tools, equipment and improvements to the facilities. The students will benefit significantly in the automotive collision

repair program because of this amazing opportunity!” CREF’s Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grants are designed to honor schools doing an outstanding job of educating students in collision repair by providing some financial assistance to improve the school’s teaching materials and equipment. Brandon

Eckenrode, Director of Development for CREF, said “With strained school budgets, we are honored to have the opportunity to bridge the program’s financial gap and to make a difference in the lives of the students studying collision repair.” Makeover grant winners are selected by a committee comprised of members of CREF’s Board of Trustees, and this year’s winners were announced at SEMA 2016. Athens Technical College’s $50,000 Makeover grant ceremony was provided by the Atlanta I-CAR Committee in conjunction with the following industry partners: ABRA Auto Body & Glass, Allstate, American Family Insurance, Axalta, Caliber Collision, CCC Information Services, Classic Collision, Enterprise, Farmers Insurance, FinishMaster, Georgia Farm Bureau, Hendrick Automotive, IAAI, I-CAR, Liberty Mutual Insurance, LKQ/Keystone, Nalley Group, Rimkus, Progressive Insurance, Safeco, Service King, Sherwin-Williams, and Sports & Imports.

Event Organizers Release Information on New NACE Automechanika

Organizers of the new NACE Automechanika have released the following information regarding the 2017 event to be held in Chicago, IL from July 26th through 29th: Automechanika Chicago and NACE have joined forces to serve the automotive service and collision repair industry in one cohesive event. Moving forward, this event will be branded “NACE Automechanika” and will serve as a valuable event for product discovery, networking and training for shop owners and technicians and distributors. What’s Changing: New name—The International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) has a long history in the collision repair industry, serving as a staple event in the market for decades. NACE is an important gathering place for stakeholders of all types—collision repair shop owners, insurers, PBE distributors, manufacturers, service providers, OEMs and more. Therefore, it is essential for NACE to maintain its brand identity as part of this new partnership. At the same time, the Automechanika brand is undeniably

recognized globally as a leading trade fair producer within the automotive sector. The combined NACE Automechanika show plays on the strengths of both entities and shows our commitment to serving the overall automotive service and collision repair communities. New dates—Automechanika Chicago was introduced in 2015 as a biennial event. With this partnership, the decision has been made to make the combined NACE Automechanika show an annual event. The 2017 edition will be held July 26–29, 2017 at McCormick Place West in Chicago. Discussions are ongoing with other groups and industry associations— those who typically hold meetings around NACE and some who do not. The talks have been very positive and we anticipate an extended slate of activities as we reach agreements with other co-located events. Details of these agreements will be announced as they develop. Going forward, we will refer to “Automotive Service and Collision Repair Week” when referring to NACE Automechanika and events surrounding it.

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