46 minute read
SEMA New Product Winners
If you’re the inventor of a cutting-edge piece of equipment, tool or product that can help auto body shops to do a better job, the people at SEMA will give you an opportunity every year to honor your achievement and recognize it throughout the automotive industry worldwide.
These are the Academy Awards for automotive product innovators, and you can almost guarantee success for an established or growing business by capturing one of these highly-respected awards.
This year, more than 1,300 products were entered into 16 different showcase categories to be considered for the SEMA New Product Awards.
Each category has one winner and two runners-up. Winners were judged on a wide range of criteria, including quality, marketability, innovation, technology and consumer appeal, among others.
SEMA’s annual New Product Awards competition recognizes outstanding achievements in the development of products being introduced to the automotive specialty-equipment market at the SEMA Show.
This year’s New Product Award Winners Collision within the Repair & Refinish Product category are:
Winner: The Keco Collision Glue Pull Repair System made by Keco Body Repair Products Runner-up: The Eagle made by Celette, Inc. Runner-up: The Drain Cleaner SR250 made by Reliable Automotive Equipment, Inc.
The winning Keco Collision Glue Pull Repair System includes all of the tools required to complete level 1 repairs requiring minimal body filler to finish. The company website claims “this kit handles medium to x-large damages with ease and precision. Tools are easily organized on the designated GPR cart. The tab organizer will ensure you limit lost tabs and keep your shop looking clean and tidy.”
The system’s ideal for technicians looking to simply rough out damage that will ultimately need
Chris White, owner of Keco Body Repair Products, holds the trophy his company received when its Keco Collision Glue Pull Repair System was named a SEMA Best New Product Award winner in the Collision Repair and Refinish category
a filler for finishing, and features K-Beam® and Slide Hammers to provide the ability to make double-action pulls, and the K-Bar to perform leverage pulls that move tons of metal fast.
JVF Body Hammers and Slappies are great for knocking down crowns and releasing tension while repairing damage, and include medium-sized crease tabs as well as large and x-large Centipede and Supertabs in all the most popular shapes, sizes and materials.
It also includes a designated glue pull cart and tab organizer to keep tools and tabs clean and organized in your auto body shop.
One of the two runners-up awards goes to the Eagle 3D Electronic measuring system made by Celette, Inc., headquartered in Lombard, IL.
It’s a high-definition laser system that shoots the target in milliseconds with the measuring results displayed in the software. It features a self-learning user interface that enables users achieve more accurately when compared to traditional technology.
A 65-year-old company, Celette delivers highly productive and
• OE COLLISION PARTS, MECHANICAL REPAIRS AND HEAVY REPAIRS PARTS • SPECIAL PRICING FOR COMPETITIVE COLLISION AND MOTORCRAFT PARTS • EXPERT COUNTER LOOK-UP WITH MASTER CERTIFIED COUNTERMAN
Largest Inventory of Ford • Lincoln • Mercury Parts In Miami-Dade County In Miami-Dade County 1200 W. 49 Street, Hialeah, FL 33012
HOURS:
Monday - Friday 8 am - 7 pm Saturday 7 am - 4 pm
innovative auto body repair equipment to the collision repair industry. With everything they make, Celette designs products with the aim to offer solutions for repairing accident damages as well as to increase profitability of the body shop by reducing process time and the insurance man-hour time.
The company is well-known for its worldwide Celette Technical Training Academy, and recently expanded its international footprint by establishing a new training facility in Chonburi, Thailand.
Other features of the Eagle 3D Electronic measuring system features include online 3D software for vehicle database; and wireless connectivity between the laser gun, targets and software, with WiFi technology.
Unlike traditional technology, the Eagle does not require reference points measurement. Leveling of the vehicle is not required and it provides an insurance diagnosis report after the measurement to create documentation using OE data. With Eagle, users can perform a complete vehicle body measurement in less than 10 minutes with an accuracy of +/- 0.5 mm.
Celette’s North American National Manager Bob Stevenson is thrilled to capture one of the two runner-up spots at SEMA because he knows the value of this coveted award.
“We want to do a simple thankyou to the people of SEMA and recognizing us for being an innovative company and a leader in the collision repair industry,” Stevenson said. “We did a soft launch of the Eagle starting back in 2019 and the feedback we received from body shops all over the country has been very positive. Technicians appreciate its ease of use and body shop owners love the price, which is 75% less than the competition.”
The other runners-up award went to The Drain Cleaner SR250 made by Reliable Automotive Equipment, Inc. (RAE).
Founded in 1987, RAE designs and markets equipment solutions to the ever-changing automotive market in the U.S., Europe and Asia, as it produces repair training curriculum and certification programs for use by collision repair facilities.
In partnership with the OEMs and equipment manufacturers, RAE has both influenced and provided instructor-led training in OE repair procedures and their related tools and equipment. With RAE’s experience and its connection to those who engineer both the vehicle and its repair, the company has built a reputation for outstanding product performance, unsurpassed product quality and most of all, the human touch.
Field Engineer at RAE Robert Gruskos made a statement immediately receiving the award.
“We at Reliable Automotive Equipment and Wielander & Schill are honored to be selected as a runner-up for SEMA’s New Product Showcase,” Gruskos said. “We have developed a reputation for being problem solvers and our new Drain Cleaner SR250 definitely falls neatly into that category.”
www.autobodynews.com UPDATED DAILY
ALLDATA’s latest update makes it easy for auto repairers to instantly access Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) information, direct from the OEMs.
Now, clicking on ADAS Quick Reference takes users directly to vehicle-specific ADAS information in ALLDATA Repair® or ALLDATA Collision®, the industry’s leading repair information software products.
The ADAS Quick Reference feature links directly to the ADAS system/component by name, provides the location of the component that may have been damaged in a collision, identifies component removal/replacement that could result in extra labor for calibration or sublet costs and includes basic calibration information, required tools and prerequisites for servicing ADAS components.
Source: ALLDATA
The Parts You Need When You Need Them
• Team of Dedicated Kia Parts Specialists • Competitive Discounts • Extensive Inventory • Free Daily Delivery
Save Time, Increase Profits and Satisfy Customers
Mon-Fri 7-6 l Sat 7-5
Parts Dept. 888-837-3085
919-466-6354 Fax
90 MacKenan Drive Cary, NC 27511 www.hendrickkia.com
Mon-Sat 7-7
Parts Dept. 877-686-9320
704-566-2140 Fax
7550 Hendrick Auto Plaza NW Concord, NC 28027 www.hendrickkiaofconcord.com
hart encourages repairers to act differently.
“If we keep doing the same things, we are going to keep getting the same results,” he noted. “We know we have to find ways to attract new talent, but we also have to find ways to reduce staff turnover, which is in a business owner’s control.”
Flockhart cautioned shop owners and managers to not lose sight of the significant cost attached to someone leaving an organization and having to find a replacement.
“The cost is approximately one and a quarter times their salary and benefits package,” he said.
Flockhart shared five ways to improve a team’s performance in a collision repair facility:
1) Identify the skill gaps 2) Attract people with potential even if they don’t have the skills today 3) Create a career path for them and invest in their development 4) Ensure they have a sense of purpose and recognize their efforts 5) Reward their performance, not necessarily financially
Flockhart recommends moving away from the structure of A, B and C technicians and focus instead on apprentices, entry-level journeymen and master technicians.
He also encouraged owners and managers to focus on the culture in their shop so it is considered a great place to work. Although it can be challenging at times, he said business owners shouldn’t lose sight of how much of a positive impact that can make.
How Work Mix Impacts Performance The typical work mix in shops today, according to Flockhart, is 6065% outer panel repair, 15-20% structural repair and 20% total loss.
“The percentage of outer panel repair is increasing as a portion of the total because ADAS features are reducing impact speeds and by extension, the heaviness of the hit,” explained Flockhart. “However, severity in terms of dollars is increasing because of the cost of repairing/ replacing the same ADAS technology when there is a collision, even if it is at a slower speed.”
During COVID, with less traffic on the road, the average impact speed trended upwards but this should be an anomaly when considered over a longer timeframe, he added.
Approximately five years ago, total losses were about 13-14% of the work mix, according to statistics from CCC Intelligent Solutions shared by Flockhart. He pointed out for the first time, just over 20% of
vehicles—one in five coming into the shop—were deemed to be total losses. Not only are these vehicles taking up space, but they also take up estimating time.
Although shops must deal with the total loss side of the business, Flockhart said they are ultimately in the business of repairing vehicles.
“With some very good reasons, the focus and investment tend to center on structural repairs,” said Flockhart. “If we are going to be in the business of repairing cars, there is no question as repairers we must be able to do that properly.”
However, he pointed out that structural repairs represent the smallest part of the work mix but take up a disproportionate amount of investment dollars, time, training and technicians.
In light of this, Flockhart recommends shops put their focus and investment dollars toward outer panel repair to improve performance. Although it has typically been an overlooked area over the years, Flockhart said it represents the majority of work now and continues to grow.
“Materials have evolved but repair methods have not; performance is suffering as a result,” he said.
With OEMs incorporating more complex, lighter-weight materials in vehicles, such as aluminum, thinner steels and composites, repair methods have not kept up.
“The challenge is that we have this ever-present pressure to focus on the repair,” he said. “I think this has manifested itself and has become disruptive in the shop. This is where the skill shortage comes in.”
By focusing on outer panel repair work, Flockhart said shops have an enormous opportunity to become more proficient in this area and improve performance metrics, increase touch time and reduce cycle time, and lead to higher gross margins and more workflow. “If we can find a way as repairers to become better than we currently are in that section, the opportunities are significant,” said Flockhart. “It enables apprentices and journeyman technicians to become super productive outer panel repair specialists, allowing the master technicians to focus their skills
on the complex repairs that demand experience.” To help find ways to attract, train and develop the skills of apprentice and entry-level journeyman techs, BETAG created a technicians’ training and accreditation program for an outer panel repair specialist (OPRS) to help businesses increase productivity and repair quality. Flockhart said the program aims to help equip the technician of tomorrow with the skills they need to have a direct impact on business performance today. For more information about BETAG, email Dave Flockhart: flockhart@betaginnovation.com. For more information about Dave Luehr’s Elite Body Shop Academy and to watch this webinar, visit: https://elitebodyshopsolutions. com/academy. For more information about BETAG’s program to grow skilled technicians and perform better, visit: https://betagnorthamerica.com/tech Part of BETAG’s Outer Panel Repair Specialist (OPRS) nicianAccreditation.php. program includes aluminum panel repair training www.autobodynews.com Curtain Walls Rotary Vane Compressors Dirt Trap Superior Exhaust Products Dust & Fume Extraction Aluminum Airlines 402 North G Street, Lake Worth, FL 33460
Automotive, Marine and Industrial Paint Spray Booth Equipment • Repair, Service, Parts and Installation for
Most Types of Paint Booths • Cleaning and Filter Plans for Paint Booths • In House Installation of all the Equipment
We Sell Compressed Air Filtration
FLORIDA FILTRATION & Spray Booth Services, Inc. CBC1263946 CAC1817246
e, Parts and Installation for • We Service Southern, Northern Pi B h and Central Florida • All Techs are Factory Trained and Certified and Fully Insured www.flfiltration.com CRAIG S. HOWELL c.howell@live.com
561-758-1878 • We Service Sou dC lFl
Auto Body Shop, College Working in Tandem to Transform Collision Repair Program
Collision repairers sometimes grouse about the body shop training programs at schools in their area. But Justin Clubb didn’t just complain. He did something about it.
Speaking as part of a panel discussion at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) on Nov. 2 in Las Vegas, Clubb, general manager of Deery Collision Center in Burlington, IA, said he’d served for some time on the advisory council for the collision program at nearby Southeastern Community College. He came to realize, however, the program seemed to be more about “restoration” and “working on stuff that is not relevant to the collision industry.”
When the school announced a new dean, Ashlee Spannagel, for its career and technical education programs, Clubb asked to meet with her. Spannagel told CIC attendees at the meeting she previously knew nothing about the collision repair industry other than being “a frequent flier of Campbell’s Auto Body, because I kept running into things.”
But she had concerns of her own about the collision program when in response to her own question at an advisory council meeting, she was told “OSHA didn’t apply to the industry.”
“I knew nothing, but I did know enough that OSHA did apply,” Spannagel said. “That was the biggest thing I had to do as a leader and educator, to figure out how to not be so ignorant about this industry,” even while overseeing dozens of other degree and certificate programs at the school as well.
Clubb spent a lot of time working with Spannagel, and helped connect her with contacts at I-CAR, Tradiebot, the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) and the ASE Education Foundation.
Along with faculty and other volunteers, the two spent hours moving and sorting through dozens of totes of tools and supplies stored in the program’s shop, including 3,000 rolls of electrical tape, and more than 12 pallets of bulk tools.
Shop Showcase “If you need 800 10-millimieter wrenches, I am your girl. I know with Ed Attanasio where they are,” Spannagel said, soliciting laughter from CIC attendees. About 18 months later, she said, their combined efforts have “completely transformed” the school’s Social Media for Shops collision repair program. “We now have invested over with Ed Attanasio $500,000 into a state of the art facility,” Spannagel said. “We now have a relationship with the industry. The industry before was specifically telling us that our students were not SEMA Show Goes On what they needed, but in some cases, we simply weren’t listening. We are with Ed Attanasio Justin Clubb of Deery Collision in Iowa has been helping improve the collision repair trainlistening now. We are acting now. We are changing as a result of that. ing program at community college in his area We are undergoing a curriculum revision right now. As a result, we will Media and Publicity for Shops have better qualified students, more well-equipped students, and more with Ed Attanasio students in the future.” Clubb and Spannagel agreed
Shop Strategies
with Stacey Phillips
Audi Genuine Parts make your repair easier
• Large Inventory of Audi Genuine Collision Parts Updated Daily • Body Shops Giving BackFast, Dependable Twice Daily Deliveries throughout Georgia • with Stacey Phillips
• Professional, Knowledgeable, Attentive Staff Ready to Help
Competitive Pricing and Discounts Always
Mon-Fri 7:30am-6pm
Tips for Busy Body Shops
with Stacey Phillips
My SEMA
with Stacey Phillips
Audi Gwinnett
3180 Satellite Blvd., Duluth, GA 30096 Parts Direct: (678) 258.2535 Fax: (770) 476.9311 parts@audigwinnett.com www.audigwinnett.com
Shop Strategies
P H : M-F 7:30 -5:30 8530 I B . C , NC 28262
Over 2 Million in Inventory Professionally Trained Wholesale Parts Specialists with 200+ Years Combined Experience Deliveries and Local Hot Shot Deliveries Competitive Pricing and Discounts
S T :
R C : 6038 Z W : 6040
Your Source for OEM GM Parts in North Carolina.
P D :
800-722-3994
D : 704-598-4020 F : 704-596-9989 . .
D H : 6044 T S : 6036
such a turnaround requires the buyin—and “hundreds of hours” of work—by faculty and the industry, but Clubb especially credited Spannagel’s outlook and commitment.
“Teach me what I need to know, so that we can move forward and serve our local communities the way community colleges were designed to do,” Spannagel said, drawing applause at CIC.
Aaron Schulenburg, who chairs the CIC Parts and Materials Committee, said CIC attendees have become more interested in the committee addressing the topic of parts supply chain disruptions
Lidar coming to a car near you soon
Another panel discussion at CIC focused on how lidar works as part of a vehicle’s advanced driver assistance systems, and what collision repairers will need to know about the technology.
General Motors, Lucid and Volvo have announced some new vehicles in 2022 and 2023 will include lidar.
“Most of the major manufacturers have a desire to put lidar on their vehicles by 2024 or 2025,” said Cibby Pulikkaseril, chief technology officer and co-founder of Baraja, an Australian company developing lidar systems. “It will be a major trend in automotive.”
Whether positioned at the front roof line, behind the windshield or within the grill or headlamps, lidar needs a surface in front of it that is clean and free of abrasions.
“Definitely paint is something you’d never put over the lidar,” Pulikkaseril said.
Typical laminated windshields are designed to block the type of infrared lasers used in lidar systems, so any replacement windshield installed in a vehicle with windshield-mounted lidar will need to meet the proper specifications, including related to tinting.
“The windshields have to be designed for lidar transmissivity, so you would not be able to just replace it with any other windshield,” he said. “You’d need to get the specified one.”
Abrasions from road debris or other sources to the windshield or other glass in front of lidar will also obscure the system’s “view” of the road ahead.
“I think what you’ll see is that many of the lidars mounted to the vehicle will have ‘obscure detection,’ so it will self-report that the windshield, or whatever the lidar is going through, has stopped transmitting,” Pulikkaseril said.
Upcoming CIC meetings
Citing the stricter COVID-related restrictions in place in Palm Springs, CA, CIC organizers announced in November the January CIC will instead be held in Phoenix, AZ. Details are available at www.CIClink. com.
One topic that may be on the agenda: the disruptions in the global parts supply chain.
Aaron Schulenburg ended the Parts and Materials Committee session in Las Vegas by polling meeting attendees about whether they currently see parts delays as an issue—90% said yes—and whether they wanted “supply chain disruptions” to be a topic the committee explores at future meetings.
When the committee asked that same question last April, fewer than half—44%—of CIC attendees said yes. But in Las Vegas in November, nearly twice that percentage—83%—answered affirmatively, clearly an indication of changed business conditions in recent months.
“I don’t think it was a big enough issue when we asked the first time, but I think it is now, and that’s obviously reflected in the response,” Schulenburg said.
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK:
Autobody News
Genuine Collision Parts, Fit and Finish.
Proudly Serving: Georgia, Alabama, No. Carolina, S. Carolina, Tennessee & the Florida Panhandle
CERTIFIED PARTS SPECIALISTS
Roger Rowland 478-464-2937 rrowland@riversideford.net Wesley Burchfield 478-464-2961 wburchfield@riversideford.net Ken Mills 478-464-2955 kmills@riversideford.net Darian Thompson 478-464-2958 dthompson@riversideford.net Andy Stokes 478-464-2946 astokes@riversideford.net Will Mizell 478-464-2962 wmizell@riversideford.net Ted Siepman 478-464-2914 tsiepman@riversideford.net Buddy Tucker 478-464-2953 btucker@riversideford.net Cody Turner 478-464-2947 wturner@riversideford.net • 3.8 Million in Ford, Lincoln,
Mercury Inventory • Next Day Delivery Available • Over 150 Years Combined
Parts Experience • Top 25 Parts Wholesalers in the USA.
Parts Hours: Mon-Fri 8am - 5:30pm
Parts: 800-637-4807
877-750-0590 Toll free fax
As new vehicles are manufactured with complex electronic systems that require extreme precision to function safely, Repairify’s Chief Technology Officer Maurice Tuff said the company will continue to focus on providing solutions to ensure the electronic vehicle systems are returned to OEM specifications post-collision repair.
Repairify, a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries, recently made several announcements as part of its strategic initiative to support the collision repair industry. These include a rebranding of its company, the introduction of a new product, asTech Duo, and a process for validating if an aftermarket tool can or cannot be used in place of an OEM tool on specific vehicles within the car parc.
“By growing our organization through the acquisitions of like-minded industry innovators, we have established a powerhouse of brands that are all playing critical roles in transforming the way today’s increasingly complex vehicles are repaired, serviced and main-
tained,” said Cris Hollingsworth, president of Repairify.
“Repairify continuously provides innovative solutions to meet the evolving demands of the indus-
Maurice Tuff, left, and Lesley Sparkes, right, stand near the Tru-Point ADAS Calibration System try,” said Tuff. “We are now a full solution provider; once a vehicle is scanned, we identify the ADAS calibrations required and then provide tools necessary to perform the calibrations on-site, ensuring the vehicle is returned to OEM specifications.”
Uniting Under the Repairify Brand
Lesley Sparkes, Repairify’s vice president of global marketing, explained Repairify was traditionally the holding name for the business, which operated as asTech and owned FleetGenix. Over the last year, the company has made four acquisitions: adasThink, BlueDriver, Mobile Tech RX and RED (EU).
“All our companies were strategically acquired in order to deliver an end-to-end solution and uniting them under the Repairify name gives our customers a single trusted source they can rely on for the full repair process,” said Sparkes.
The strategic initiative brings together the company’s six brands: • asTech provides remote diagnostic and calibration services to collision repair shops. • adasThink is a platform that integrates with a shop’s estimating system to identify required ADAS calibrations based on the estimate lines and provides the documentation needed for the repair. • BlueDriver provides consumer aftermarket diagnostic scan tools and services. • FleetGenix offers mobile/remote technicians for key replacement, pre- and post-vehicle scans, calibration and personal identifiable information removal services. • Mobile Tech RX delivers an app for auto repair technicians to estimate, invoice, manage teams and capture data. • RED (EU), based in the UK, is a distributor of advanced aftermarket diagnostic tools.
Tuff said the goal is to build out an ecosystem where Repairify can provide shops with a beginning-to-end solution.
THE RIGHT FIT FOR THE PERFECT FINISH.
Your Trusted Source for Genuine Mercedes-Benz Parts in South Florida Since 1957
Check out MoparRepairConnect.com for resources, promotions and technical information.
Protect Your Customer’s Investment With Original Mopar® Parts
Authentic Mopar® Parts are built to fit perfectly and function properly every time. This ensures your customers are getting the highest quality parts manufactured to meet the original specifications and safety standards of their vehicle. Providing more peace of mind for each customer you serve.
BENCHMARK AUTOMOTIVE
1837 Grants Mill Road Birmingham, AL 35210
Toll-Free: (800) 633-4304 Local: (205) 823-5237 Fax: (888) 815-5238 Mon.-Fri. 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. • 3M+ Inventory of Genuine
Mercedes-Benz Parts
• Experienced Team of Wholesale Specialists Ready to Serve You
• Fleet of 14 Dedicated
Delivery Trucks
305-278-6000 M-F HOURS 7am-6pm Sat 7am-4pm
Mercedes-Benz of Cutler Bay 10701 SW 211th Street Cutler Bay, FL 33189 305-251-7206 24 Hr. Fax partswholesales@mbcutlerbay.com www.usseryautomotive.com
“This will give shops the ability to fully understand that the vehicle has been properly serviced, calibrated and is safe to go back on the road,” said Tuff. “As a result, it makes it easier on a shop to not have to use multiple vendors, providers and tools, throughout the different parts of the process.” said Tuff. “With Duo, we are pleased to deliver this choice to our customers, giving them the flexibility and convenience to safely and accurately complete repairs.”
Tuff said they were finding shops were buying aftermarket tools, unaware if they were accurate on a particular vehicle. As a result, the
Tru-Point ADAS Calibration System
With the support of asTech’s 400plus ASE and I-CAR certified master technicians, the company has been offering remote scanning to customers by connecting a device to the vehicle to obtain access to the OEM tools at the data center.
“Our solutions, combined with our trained technicians, keep up with the ever-changing vehicle technology so the shop can focus on the repair,” said Tuff.
To help shops perform static calibrations in-house, he said asTech teamed up with Snap-On to deliver the easy-to-use all-in-one Tru-Point ADAS Calibration System. The product, which combines camera technology, targets and advanced software, is currently being used by shops across the country and was on display in November at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
“With cars becoming more sophisticated, more calibrations are necessary. Traditionally, shops have to send those out to the dealership and the car may be gone for days,” said Tuff.
“We’re enabling our customers to do more calibrations in-house,” added Sparkes. “This greatly enhances efficiency resulting in a more profitable shop.”
asTech Duo
Prior to the SEMA Show, asTech introduced asTech Duo, a solution that provides local and remote scanning, diagnostics and calibrations for collision and mechanical repair as well as dealerships.
“Our customers expressed the need for an integrated solution with access to both local and remote scanning options in one device,” company began validating when an aftermarket tool is compatible with the OEM tool and when it is not.
“We made a significant and ongoing investment in validating when a local aftermarket scan can be performed versus when a remote OEM scan is required,” said Tuff. “In all cases, we always leave the choice to the user which type of scan they perform regardless of our recommendation. The choice is always with the customer.”
Moving forward, shops will have access to both a remote OEM scan supported by ASE and I-CAR certified technicians or a local OEM-compatible scan.
Tuff said there was some concern in the market that the company was shifting away from OEM tools.
“That isn’t true,” he clarified. “Customers always have the choice to use our OEM tools. Our focus remains on the safest and most accurate way to repair the vehicle. If a user would like to perform an aftermarket scan, with Duo, they know if it has been validated as OEM compatible for that vehicle before performing the scan.”
Currently, the company uses more than 1,000 OEM tools, and Sparkes said that number is growing every day.
In October, the company began offering the OEM scan report, in addition to the comprehensive diagnostic scan report that has always been provided.
“This gives shops extra peace of mind,” said Sparkes.
“The delivery of the original OEM scan report will provide our customers with an additional layer of confidence and transparency so they can remain focused on properly repairing today’s complex vehicles,” said Hollingsworth.
The reports are also available in asTech Connect, which includes a mobile application for both iOS and Android. Connect allows customers to view the status of their devices, talk with master technicians in multiple languages and access invoices, reports and more.
In November, Chris Chesney was hired as vice president of training and organizational development. In this role, he will establish a comprehensive training initiative for customers, industry partners, employees and the network of technicians throughout the global Repairify ecosystem.
“As we look toward continued expansion of our global footprint, we are proud of the Repairify brand and the technology and expertise we’re bringing to the market,” said Tuff.
Choose Original MINI Parts.
MINI of Charleston
Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-6 Sat 8-5
rhminiparts@hendrickauto.com
©2021 MINI USA, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The MINI name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.
HENDRICK VOLVO CARS OF CHARLESTON
843-556-4604 Fax
www.hendrickvolvocars.com M-F 7:30am-5pm Sat 8am-5pm
Wide Delivery Area Competitive Wholesale Pricing
Volvo Genuine Parts.
FREE
4x Monthly E-Newsletter. www.autobodynews.com
City Kia of Greater Orlando
9550 S. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL 32837 407-956-6601
407-554-5910 Fax parts@citykia.com M-F 7am-7pm Sat 7am-3pm Sun 8am-4pm
n Wide Delivery Area n Competitive Pricing
When I got my first writing assignment from Autobody News in 2006, I was excited.
I was also a little anxious because I knew very little about the collision repair industry at the time. I also don’t know anything about cars, and can’t even change my own oil. So, I’ve been basically faking it for the past 15 years!
At my very first SEMA Show, I met some of my fellow automotive journalists and picked their brains about hot topics to write about and other tips they were willing to share.
One veteran reporter painted a rather unpleasant picture of the state of the industry and all of its issues. He described insurance companies coercing auto body shops into bad— and unprofitable—“partnerships,” and midnight shops sneaking around and doing unsafe and poor-quality repairs performed by shady types not afraid to break local regulations while cutting corners on every repair.
My first impression was wow— this is going to be a lot of fun. That reporter’s account of the industry turned out to be a gross exaggeration. Yes, there are positives and negatives as in any industry, but in the end, the good things outweigh the bad. I have never seen a mid-
night shop—because I don’t stay up that late—and most shops must perform quality work to keep the doors open. Plus, unless you’re an investigative journalist, you normally end up writing about the more successful shops and collision-related companies out there.
One thing I noticed right away is many body shops—from large MSOs all the way to mom-andpops—aren’t afraid to help local nonprofits and people in need in each of their respective communities. Giving cars to deserving people is a perfect charity model for body shops because it involves the shops, their employees, local vendors and the insurance companies that normally provide the vehicles to be given away.
The National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides program has turned into a huge nationwide effort, with collision repairers all over the country getting involved. Since its inception in 2007, they have given away more than 2,500 vehicles valued at $36 million, and more than 300-plus auto body shops have been involved.
Many shop owners covet the opportunity to be involved in the program, while others do not.
One shop manager told me, “We are in the business of fixing cars, not giving them away!” But then he attended an NABC Recycled Rides event at a SEMA Show one year and was so moved he changed his mind, and now the shop gives away two or three vehicles every year.
When people see others helping those in need, it creates a ripple effect, and pretty soon it takes on a life of its own.
Helping people is infectious and there’s no vaccine for it. Once it gets in your blood, you’re hooked. I don’t often remember famous quotes, but for some reason this one from Muhammad Ali stuck with me: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”
When I began witnessing these Random Acts of Kindness (RAKs) with body shops stepping up to help others, it made a strong impression on me. My first thought was how can I give back? I’m not rich, so donating money is not an option. So, I began looking around for things that
Ed Attanasio is now the publicist at Oscar’s Place, a donkey sanctuary in Hopland, CA
Competitive PricingCompetitive Pricing Free and Free and Fast DeliveryFast Delivery Knowledgeable Wholesale Parts Staff
Hendrick Honda Pompano Beach 5381 N. Federal Hwy. Pompano Beach, FL 33064
PH 954.425.8244
Start something special.
Mon-Fri 7:00am-6:00pm Sat 7:00am-5:00pm
We’ve Got the Genuine Chevrolet Parts You Need!rolet Parts You Ne 919-557-9103
Parts Hours: Mon - Fri: 7:30 - 6:00 Sat: 8:00 - 5:00
John Hiester John Hiester Chevrolet
3100 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
I could do as a writer and an artist.
I have been to countless car giveaways over the years and every time I cry. I am a crier, what can I say?
One of the first ones I attended took place in 2007 in Northern California’s East Bay, when Mike’s Auto Body gave five cars to deserving families during the holidays. Eventually, they asked me to be their Santa Claus at their annual presentations, and of course, I was happy to oblige. This month, Mike’s Auto Body will be giving away its 100th vehicle as part of its 21-year Benevolence Program.
Over the years, I’ve interviewed a lot of people in the collision repair industry who are well-known for their charitable efforts.
Jimmy Lefler, the owner of Lefler Collision and Glass, embarked more than a decade ago on an amazing journey to help people in Myanmar, formerly Burma.
Lefler, his family and some of his crew work closely with an organization, Uncharted International, that has 12 orphanages with more than 600 orphans in Myanmar. He established a home for elderly widows, a human trafficking recovery center and The Loom House, which provides jobs for the children who grow up in the orphanages and for the women who, without a job, would end up in horrible situations. Another article I wrote recently was about Kendrick Paint & Body, a third-generation MSO with eight lo-
cations in Georgia. This shop sponsors more than 40 to 50 charitable events every year, giving lunches to first responders and raising monies for organizations such as SafeHomes Domestic Violence Center, American Red Cross and the City of Augusta, just to name a few.
In another story I wrote, Tim Morgan, COO at Spanesi Americas, founded Second Chance Ranch, a nonprofit pet rescue organization, in 2018 when he witnessed pit prejudice and felt it was just a bunch of bull. So, he purchased a 3-acre farm and converted his barn into a kennel that can accommodate a pack of pit bulls.
Morgan’s total dedication to helping animals really resonated with me, so I began looking around to play a role myself in some capacity. For many years, I volunteered at the Humane Society—walking dogs and doing laundry and for a time, I went to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco to catch feral cats. One day, an angry feline scratched me so bad people thought I was in a fight. So, I decided to stick with helping dogs to avoid cat scratch fever.
A lot of other people in the collision repair industry have influenced me to become a chronic giver. I started Amazing Groceries a few years back, buying groceries for needy folks during the holidays. During the pandemic, I started the Pandemic Pet Project, using my art to raise money for pet rescues all over the world. Then, it led me to the donkeys.
Randomly and wonderfully, the people at Oscar’s Place in Hopland, CA, found me and asked me to be their publicist. Most people aren’t aware of the fact thousands of donkeys are being destroyed every month to be used as medicine in other countries. At Oscar’s Place, they go to donkey auctions in Texas and California to outbid representatives from Canada and Mexico, thereby saving them from certain deaths. I tell people I have been working for donkeys for many years, and now I am working for them!
If you’ve been thinking about giving a vehicle to a deserving family, organization or individual, NABC Recycled Rides is always looking for auto body shops to get involved. If you want to help your community, just look around or even better—create your own benevolence program and pick the causes and charities close to your heart.
Make 2022 the year you step up and make a difference in your community and make it part of your DNA. Good things happen to good people and if you can do it, why not?
Attanasio started the Pandemic Pet Project, using his art to raise more than approximately $100,000 for 200-plus pet rescues all over the world
SUN Collision Repair Information Offers Complete OEM Procedures & Mechanical Insights
by Stacey Phillips
When a collision occurs, any damage to the body and frame is likely to affect the sensors, cameras and other mechanical components.
Scott DeGiorgio, general manager at SUN Collision, said these must be repaired and/or recalibrated so the vehicle can be returned to its preexisting condition.
To provide technicians with the information they need to properly fix a car, SUN Collision Repair Information was created by SUN®, a brand of Snap-on Incorporated.
The web-based, mobile-friendly product includes all of the relevant repair details based on OEM procedures. This includes ADAS repair and recalibration information, OEM data for materials, paint, body and frame, the latest recalls and TSBs, as well as insights for mechanical repairs.
“You can easily access all of the procedures and specifications needed to efficiently repair damaged vehicles,” said DeGiorgio.
The database encompasses complete OEM-licensed procedures for 1960-2022 automobiles and is updated regularly by a team of editors. DeGiorgio said the product provides technicians with complete
data related to just about any vehicle that could pull into an shop’s bay.
“If you were to print out the data that is in this application, it would be about 35 million pages,” he said. “It’s very comprehensive. We did some intuitive things with the application to assist the technician.”
DeGiorgio explained SUN Collision was introduced to the market to offer collision facilities a single source of information that covers both collision, based on OEM procedures, and mechanical, using SureTrack® Real Fixes based on actual mechanical repair solutions. “Some shops are farming out the mechanical piece because they don’t have the knowledge to do it,” said DeGiorgio. “SUN Collision assists technicians to be able to do more of that repair, bringing more profit into the shop.”
A significant challenge for technicians is the time it takes to look up OEM repair procedures. As a result, DeGiorgio said SUN Collision was designed to be easy to use.
“All of the information for vehicles is laid out in the same way across all makes and there is full access to both collision and mechanical information,” he said.
By providing it all in one place, DeGiorgio said it will help shops reduce repair times and become more efficient.
“I could take a B tech and turn him into an A tech with this information,” he said. “At $100/hour for a technician, I can’t have him spend a half-hour looking for information and struggling, so we made this as simple and fast as possible. They have all of the information they need with a few clicks of a mouse.”
Since it was first introduced at the 2019 SEMA Show, new content, increased coverage and enhanced features have been added to SUN Collision. This includes an ADAS Quick Link, which provides technicians a complete picture of the ADAS repair details in a table with clickable links.
“You can’t work on a vehicle
Scott DeGiorgio, general manager at SUN Collision, conducted demonstrations of SUN Collision Repair Information at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV, in November. Credit: Stacey Phillips
anymore without this type of information,” he said. “Technology is so complex that you have to have some type of resource for this knowledge.”
SUN Collision also offers advanced search engine technology using 1Search™ Plus. DeGiorgio explained technicians can easily access the relevant information they need through the search function by clicking on what is referred to as a “data card.” These are subcategories that contain in-depth specifications and procedures for the car.
SUN Collision was showcased during the 2021 SEMA Show at the Snap-on Total Shop Solutions booth, with its sister brands: Mitchell 1, John Bean®, Car-O-Liner® and Hofmann® products.
DeGiorgio and other SUN Collision representatives conducted product demonstrations at the event and discussed the significant growth of the product.
SUN Collision offers comprehensive training to shops that use the software to help maximize its effectiveness and customer service representatives are available to provide support.
In addition, technicians have access to a large community of technicians online to ask questions and learn about the product.
With a background in the automotive repair side of the business, DeGiorgio said the company is confident about what it has built for the industry.
“As technology continues to change, we are changing with it,” he said. “We’re excited about what we built and hopefully, it’s in every shop soon.”
Don’t Miss the Weekly Industry NEWS Your Shop Needs. Sign Up Free Today!
AUTOBODY www.autobodynews.com
by Joey Klender, Teslarati
Rivian Automotive’s initial public offering, trading on the NASDAQ under the stock symbol RIVN, officially opened 37% higher than its initial pricing at $78 per share.
Rivian shares started public trading at around 1 p.m. ET Nov. 10, with shares opening at $106.75.
Rivian priced 153 million shares at $78 each, giving the automaker a massive valuation of $66.5 billion just a month after it started initial deliveries of the R1T pickup. However, the IPO price popped 60% to levels of around $120 per share, before settling into its $106.75 price, giving Rivian a valuation of $93.3 billion.
Rivian is now the fifth most valuable automaker globally, with Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen and BYD being the only car companies with a higher valuation than the Normal, IL-based company headed by CEO RJ Scaringe.
By comparison, Tesla has a $1.063 trillion market cap, while Lucid has a valuation of $67.68 billion.
At the time of writing Nov. 10, Rivian shares were trading at $112.51.
“It’s an exciting day,” Scaringe told Ed Ludlow of Bloomberg during an interview that morning. “For us, this is the result of lots and lots and lots of effort from a variety of different folks across the whole business. We spent years and years putting this together, and really what’s so exciting is seeing such a diverse group of people with diverse backgrounds and interests really coming together to create these products.”
Rivian has sizeable financial backing from e-commerce giant Amazon, which owns 20% of the automaker. Amazon disclosed its 20% ownership position in Rivian in a 10-Q filing earlier in November. Rivian is currently producing and delivering the first of 100,000 units of an all-electric delivery van. Rivian intends to deliver all 100,000 units by the end of 2030.
You’re Going To Love
The Way You’re Treated!
Local (205) 443-7651
Toll Free Fax
(800) 467-0699 (205) 823-4697
David Bonnett (205) 443-7655
dbonnett@tameron.com Mike McKoewn (205) 443-7654
mmckoewn@tameron.com Frank Jackson (205) 443-7651
ackson@tameron.com
Dale Nall (205) 443-7653
dnall@tameron.com Outside Sales
David Cartee (205) 443-7651
dcartee@tameron.com
• Delivery to 100 Mile Radius of Naples
PARTS HOURS: M-F 7am to 6pm Sat 8am to 5pm
PARTS DIRECT LINE: Call Us! Us! !l a Ul all Us!
239-734-3215 134793 22 239 734 3215
Fax: 239-591-3051 239-591-3051
5665 N. Airport Pulling Rd. / Naples, FL 34109
At Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Naples, ’re ye’ree we’w o ouroneyou e-stop shoe-store yer p she y r onestop p fo for rfor Parts
LexisNexis® Risk Solutions on Nov. 9 announced a new analysis of the relationship between Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) features and U.S. auto insurance claims, which counters common insurance industry sentiment that ADAS repair costs offset ADAS loss cost benefits.
The results are featured in the new white paper, “True Impact of ADAS Features on Insurance Claim Severity Revealed,” which examines the effect of ADAS on claim severity in a multivariate setting.
The findings represent the second half of a two-part study that also examined the relationship between ADAS and claims frequency. The combined findings show the change in claim severity in vehicles with ADAS were minimal; however, the decrease in claim frequency was significant.
The LexisNexis Risk Solutions study shows an overall reduction in loss cost by coverage, which can warrant ADAS feature-based policy discounts and benefits for both drivers and insurers.
“Insurance companies can use this new ADAS data as part of their rating segmentation to better meet the expectations of insurers’ customers, who often purchase vehicles with advanced safety features with the expectation that it will help lower their insurance rates,” said John Kanet, director, auto insurance, LexisNexis Risk Solutions. “U.S. insurers have been trying to get ADAS feature information at a VIN level for years, but many believe technology has advanced too quickly and the expense of repairing these features neutralizes the loss cost impact of ADAS.
“LexisNexis Risk Solutions has good news for insurers—this ADAS data helps show there is a distinct loss cost benefit, and VIN-level feature information is now available through LexisNexis Vehicle Build,” Kanet continued. “Insurers focused on total risk analysis can begin to understand the safety features on the vehicle in combination with the risk factors associated with the driver.”
Results from the LexisNexis Risk Solutions multivariate analysis reveal by having at least one core ADAS feature, there was a reduction in loss cost. Loss cost will vary—more or less—depending on the combination of core ADAS features and how each specific combination of features performs.
According to the white paper, having ADAS feature information can result in the following: • 23% reduction in Bodily Injury loss cost • 14% reduction in Property Damage loss cost • 8% reduction in Collision claim loss cost in ADAS-equipped vehicles compared to non-ADAS vehicles
“We find it interesting from an actuarial perspective that all coverages resulted in a decrease in severity in ADAS-equipped vehicles,” said Gabe Hinton, senior data scientist, insurance, LexisNexis Risk Solutions. “An educated guess is that the decrease in severity for liability coverages can be justified by the idea that vehicles with ADAS may collide with less force, resulting in less damage to another vehicle (Property Damage claim) or injury to a third party (Bodily Injury claim).
“A decrease in Collision severity, however, deserved a deeper look. By controlling for common rating variables, we were able to isolate the impact of ADAS,” Hinton continued. “With collision, within a given cluster of values of control factors, there tends to be proportionally lower percentages of high severity claims with ADAS, resulting in an overall lower severity.”
The level of warranted discount varies based on which ADAS features are present. Understanding which vehicles have which ADAS features, combined with loss cost performance, equips insurance carriers to apply appropriate discounts to the individual and the vehicle, delivering on consumer expectations along the way.
In developing LexisNexis Vehicle Build, LexisNexis Risk Solutions identified core ADAS features shown to have the highest impact on claim frequency.
Source: LexisNexis
INSIST ON GM GENUINE PARTS
Call Any of These Wholesale Parts Dealers Below Call Any of These Wholesale Parts Dealers Below
No. Carolina John Hiester Chevrolet
FUQUAY-VARINA 919-557-9103
910-552-6862 Fax
M-F 7:30 am - 6 pm Sat 8 am - 5 pm www.hiesterautomotive.com
Parks Chevrolet
CHARLOTTE 704-598-4020
704-596-9989 Fax
M-F 8am-5pm www.parkscharlotte.com
So. Carolina Jim Hudson Buick GMC Cadillac
COLUMBIA 888-852-1606
803-695-2485 803-776-1666 Fax
M-F 7:30 am - 6 pm jwash@jimhudson.com Florida Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet
TALLAHASSEE 850-580-7658
850-574-2034 Fax
M-F 7am - 6pm Sat 8am - 4pm Benny.bishop@hendrickauto.com
Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Naples
NAPLES 239-734-3215
239-591-3051 Fax
M-F 7 am - 6 pm Sat 8 am - 5 pm
The nationwide surge in used vehicle prices has given an unexpected boost to auto insurance customers who experience a total loss---their vehicles might be worth more than they thought.
This phenomenon of higher replacement values, combined with advancements in straight-through-processing (STP), has driven customer satisfaction with auto insurance claims to a record high in the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, released Oct. 28.
Despite these gains, however, the industry is facing new challenges with increased vehicle complexity thanks to the growth of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), which are contributing to rising severity cost.
“The auto insurance industry has been investing heavily in streamlining the claims process and those investments are starting to pay off in the form of faster cycle times and record levels of satisfaction,” said Tom Super, head of property and casualty insurance intelligence at J.D. Power. “The challenge now will be continuing to drive service improvements as vehicle prices normalize and claim severity continues to increase. Those carriers with more sophisticated claimant triage will be better positioned to navigate the growing cost and complexity ahead.”
Following are key findings of the 2021 study: • Record-high customer satisfaction: Overall satisfaction with the auto insurance claims process increases to a record-high 880 (on a 1,000-point scale), up eight points from 2020. This is the fourth consecutive year of improvement in auto claims satisfaction, which has been driven by year-over-year increases in performance across five of six factors measured in the study: first notice of loss; claim servicing; estimation process; repair process; and settlement. Growth in settlement, first notice of loss and estimation process factors were the primary drivers of the overall increase in satisfaction. • STP investments paying off: Claims that can be processed via a low-touch experience in which the entire process from first notice of loss to a direct repair shop resulted in the highest levels of satisfaction (915) in the study. By contrast, claimants who had to interact more manually and with three or more representatives during the claims process had the lowest levels of customer satisfaction. • ADAS features add complexity, cost: Among claimants with low- to mid-severity claims, 66% indicated their vehicle was equipped with ADAS features. Claims associated with ADASequipped vehicles are about 13.5% higher on average than non-ADASequipped vehicles. • Claimant profile predictive of claims outcomes: Claimants whose at-fault status is in dispute have the lowest overall customer satisfaction scores. Claimants who are the most price-sensitive can still experience a positive claims process, in which case their likelihood to renew can be heavily influenced.
Study Ranking
The Hartford ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction with a score of 905. Erie Insurance (901) ranks second and Auto Club of Southern California Insurance Group (897) ranks third.
The redesigned 2021 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 7,345 auto insurance customers who settled a claim within the past six months prior to taking the survey. The study excludes claimants whose vehicle incurred only glass/windshield damage or was stolen, or who only filed a roadside assistance claim. The study was fielded from November 2020 through September 2021.
For more information about the U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, visit https://www.jdpower. com/resource/jd-power-us-autoclaims-satisfaction-study.
Source: J.D. Power
FREE
4x Monthly E-Newsletter. www.autobodynews.com
Think Genuine Subaru Parts.
We’re focused on getting you the Genuine Subaru Parts you need — fast and competitively priced. Put us to the test on your next Subaru repair or service job.
The following dealerships are eager to serve your needs. Call your local Subaru collision parts specialist today!
GEORGIA Stivers Decatur Subaru
Decatur (800) 833-0454
Troncalli Subaru
Cumming (770) 889-8951 Direct (678) 341-4220 Fax (678) 341-4221 www.troncallisubaru.com
NO. CAROLINA Flow Subaru
Winston-Salem (800) 489-3534 (336) 725-3554 Fax Mon.-Fri. 8-5; Sat. 8-1 subarupartsws@flowauto.com www.flowsubaru.com
NO. CAROLINA Jim Armstrong Subaru
Hickory (888) 905-6135 (828) 322-9372 opt 5 Mon.-Fri. 8-5 parts@jimarmstrongsubaru.com www.jimarmstrongsubaru.com
Parkway Subaru
Wilmington (800) 424-9434 (910) 793-8710 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 8-2
