January 2025 Southwest Edition

Insurer-Repairer Collaboration Important For Both To Make Customers Happy

By Stacey Phillips Ronak Autobody News

An ongoing challenge in the collision industry is improving customer satisfaction and retention following a vehicle accident. In October, CCC Intelligent Solutions released findings from its Moments of Truth study, identifying the key drivers of customer satisfaction and retention in the auto insurance claims and repair process.

The study examined 47 “Moments of Truth” based on data from 2,400 policyholders who had been in an accident between August 2021 and December 2023 and completed the repair process as a first-party claimant.

The study was co-authored by Maryling Yu, vice president of marketing at CCC Intelligent Solutions, and Dr. Ranjini Vaidyanathan, director of CCC’s data science team.

“The study sought to define the

critical points in time -- or moments of truth -- in which carriers and repairers must perform well to achieve a good outcome for customer satisfaction, and for carriers, customer retention,” explained Yu.

Autobody News talked to Yu about the study and the implications for insurers and repairers. She will provide an in-depth analysis of the findings during a Dec. 5 CIECA Webinar.

What prompted CCC to conduct the Moments of Truth study?

Prior to joining CCC in 2023, I worked in the financial technology (fintech) sector. Over my career, I have enjoyed sharing insight

Gulf States Collision Association Strengthens Industry in Louisiana and Beyond

By Leona Scott Autobody News

The Gulf States Collision Association (GSCA) is working hard to make inroads into the collision repair industry in Louisiana. It fosters collaboration, training and education for shop owners, technicians and students.

Led by Executive Director Josh Kent, GSCA carries out its mission to elevate the collision repair industry through advocacy and education. It remains a vital resource for collision repair businesses navigating today’s complex market challenges.

The association is dedicated to preparing shops for success amid rapid technological advancements in automotive repair.

REGIONAL NEWS

A December Focus On Training And Development

On Dec. 12, the GSCA held a virtual training, as part of the association’s quarterly meeting. Titled “From Claims to Solutions,” it focused on negotiating proper repairs confidently, giving attendees the confidence to handle every claim with expertise and professionalism. Kent emphasized the importance of continuous education in the field. As technology evolves faster than ever, he said GCSA is committed to equipping its members with the skills and knowledge they need to stay competitive while maintaining safety

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ABAT Reflects on 2024 Achievements, Prepares for Promising 2025

By Leona Scott Autobody News

The Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT) is a strong and influential force in advancing the interests of the collision repair industry across Texas and beyond. Under the leadership of Executive Director Jill Tuggle, ABAT celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, and achieved significant milestones in 2024, setting the stage for an ambitious 2025. From

Ed and Crystal Griffin of Griffin’s Paint & Body in Winnsboro, TX, highlighted how the Right to Appraisal bill helps small body shops and their customers secure fair repair coverage

REASONS

TO BUY FROM

MAC HAIK FORD

Competitive Pricing with clean and accurate inventory.

Servicing Ford, Lincoln & Mercury parts and Ford Medium-Duty Truck parts up to F-750.

Our huge inventory of collision parts qualifies us as one of the few Ford Authorized Crash Parts Centers

Collision price matching through Collision Link, Parts Trader and OPS.

We can do business how you like to do business with Collision Link, RepairLink, OPS, Parts Trader, CCC Parts, email, fax, or a good old-fashioned phone call with our experienced parts sta .

We buy our collision parts by the truckload to get you the very best deal and the largest inventory.

Very competitive on Motorcra , Diesel and all maintenance parts.

We deliver as far north as Waco, south to San Marcos, west to Marble Falls, East to Bastrop, southwest to Dripping Springs, and everything in between multiple times per day!

Overnight delivers to over 200 cities across Texas + service to Oklahoma and Louisiana with 1 - 2 day service.

Noon delivers to most cities within 100 miles of the dealership.

PARTNER BRANDS

NATIONAL

‘Techs for Tomorrow’ Students Gain Experience, Make Connections at 2024 SEMA Show 32

Abby Andrews

Investing in the Right PPE Increases Safety

Insurer-Repairer Collaboration Important for Both to Make Customers

Happy 1

Stacey Phillips Ronak

OEM Summit Explores Laser Welding Opportunities in Collision Repair ������� 6

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and Productivity – in Collision Repair Shops

Abby Andrews

NABC Recycled Rides Presents Vehicles to 11 Las Vegas-Area Recipients at 2024 SEMA Show ������� 34

Abby Andrews

Negotiate with Insurance Carriers Using Facts and Emotional Awareness

36

Abby Andrews

SEMA Show Attendees Talk About What They Gained to Address Their Shops’ Biggest Challenges 23

Abby Andrews

EV Collision Claims Rise as National Policy Changes Expected������������������� 4

Brian Bradley

‘Two Bites of the Apple’: Small MSO Sales Can Mean Double Rewards for Investors ����������������������������������������� 26

Elizabeth Crumbly

Stacey Phillips Ronak

Red Carpet Awards Night Honors Those Who Go Above and Beyond 22

Stacey Phillips Ronak

As Fisker Bankruptcy Drives Up Repair Costs, Owners Spark Parts Revolution 8

Ben Shimkus

GM’s New Collision Assistance App Contacts Driver at Accident Scene, Helps Them Choose Repair Shop 20

John Yoswick

MSO Symposium Looks At Economic Forecast, Discussion of Customer Satisfaction ������������������������������������� 28

John Yoswick

Shops Say Specialization of Employee Roles Improves Production, Eases Finding Qualified Workers ��������������� 16

John Yoswick

REGIONAL

ABAT Reflects on 2024 Achievements, Prepares for Promising 2025 ������������� 1

Leona Scott

Gulf States Collision Association Strengthens Industry in Louisiana and Beyond ���������������������������������������������� 1

Leona Scott

OKABA Reflects on Year of Progress, Looks to the Future ������������������������� 12

Leona Scott

COLUMNS

Collision Repairer Shares His Perspective

with Insurers 18 Mike Anderson

EV Collision Claims Rise As National Policy Changes Expected

By Brian Bradley Autobody News

Claims frequency for collisiondamaged battery electric vehicles (BEVs) rose year-over-year in the U.S., while claims severity for BEVs decreased during the same timeframe, according to Mitchell’s Q3 2024 “Plugged In: EV Collision Insights” report, released Nov. 13.

The report showed claims frequency for BEVs rose to 3.01% in the U.S., an increase of 47% over Q3 2023.

However, claims severity for repairable vehicles in the U.S. fell across the board: BEVs, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), mild hybrid electric vehicles (MHEV) and internal combustion engine (ICE) cars all notched a lower claims severity in the U.S. than Q3 2023, reporting year-over-year decreases in repair costs ranging from 2% to 14% for these various types of vehicles.

BEVs logged the highest average repair costs at $5,560 per car in Q3, followed by PHEVs at $5,229 per car, ICE vehicles at $4,741 per car, and MHEVs at $4,426 per car.

BEVs also took longer to repair than their counterparts through the first three quarters of 2024. The U.S. year-to-date average keys-to-keys cycle time for BEV collision repairs was 19.5 days, a full three days and 18% more than ICE cars, according to the report.

Prices are equalizing between BEVs and ICE vehicles, creating more similarity in total loss outcomes. The average total loss market value for BEVs in Q3 2024 was $32,718 in the U.S., only $1,648 more than for ICE vehicles. Further, total loss frequency hit a rate of 9.9% for BEVs and 9.98% for ICE vehicles.

Front-end crash avoidance technologies and potentially fasterthan-expected deceleration in BEVs contributed to a higher rate of rearend impact for those cars compared to ICE vehicles, which more frequently sustained front-end damage. Nearly 36% of BEV repairs were classified as back-end impacts in Q3, versus just over 27.5% for ICE vehicles. But more than 31.5% of ICE automobiles had a front-end point of impact, compared to just 26% for BEVs.

BEVs also significantly outpaced ICE vehicles in terms of OEM parts usage, logging 90.3% compared to only 64.4% for ICE vehicles.

California had a greater repairable claims frequency for BEVs than any other state, hitting 5.86% in Q3, a nearly 0.7% increase from the Q2 2024.

Mitchell also reported that while overall hybrid sales appear to be steadily rising, “headwinds” appear to be boding against widespread PHEV adoption. The report cited an August 2024 J.D. Power study that stated PHEVs score much lower than BEVs in nine of 10 EV categories, particularly for battery range and total ownership cost.

That same study cited consumer concern with public charging infrastructure as another “persistent headwind” on EV sales.

Changing EV Policy

The Mitchell report comes at a time when federal EV policy is expected to shift under the coming Trump administration.

it’s the private sector’s dedication and consistency that can help provide stability going forward.”

EV Recommendations Adopted

The working group passed at least two recommendations related to light-duty EVs — one related to a public education and awareness campaign and one related to managed charging.

Pursuant to the former recommendation, the working group will launch a program to promote the “ease and awareness of EV charging,” targeting the general public, rental car customers and car dealerships.

A federal public-private entity on Nov. 13 expressed a continuing intent to strongly advocate for widening EV adoption even amid expected changes to EV approaches under the next administration.

The federal Joint Office of Energy and Transportation established the Electric Vehicle Working Group in June 2022, to make recommendations to the secretaries of energy and transportation regarding the development and adoption of EVs into the U.S. transportation and energy systems.

“Obviously, there was an election last week, and changes in administration may bring changes in priorities, a natural part of our democratic process,” Joint Office of Energy and Transportation Executive Director Gabe Klein said during the working group meeting. “The Joint Office, however, will continue to address these priorities across the departments of Energy and Transportation.”

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 formed the working group.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is not just a name only,” Klein said. “It’s a fundamentally bipartisan effort that’s delivering billions of dollars in investment and good-paying jobs in states and communities across the country, regardless of political affiliation….In times of change like this,

Two good reference points to inform the campaign may include the federal “Click It or Ticket” and Airbag and Seat Belt Safety campaigns, where the private sector joined the federal government to promote seat belt use and recognize the benefits of seat belt and airbag technology, Alliance for Automotive Innovation President and CEO John Bozzella said during the meeting.

“How far does a car go on a charge if it’s an EV, and how and where and when do I charge it?” are a few common concerns that customers share regarding EVs, Bozzella said.

To stimulate charging efficiency, the working group is also considering a recommendation to create a national “EV Charging Station Competition to the Top” program, aimed at incentivizing charging stations to follow consumer-facing minimum National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure standards. The program may be structured similarly to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR rating framework, according to the recommendation.

The ENERGY STAR score rates performance on a percentile basis,

and is expressed as a number on a 1-100 scale. For example, buildings with a score of 50 perform better than 50% of their peers.

Charging efficiency would not be structured in a cut-and-dry format that says “’this is a failure and this is a success,’” Bozzella said. Rather, “there’s ‘good, better, best.’ There’s three, four, five stars.”

The working group did not hold a vote to adopt that recommendation, but members of the working group plan to soon retool the recommendation to include either a generic description of the entity that will rate charging infrastructure or the name of the entity itself.

The working group will next meet Nov. 20.

During the Nov. 13 meeting, the working group also voted to encourage large-scale “managed charging,” which refers to the optimization of EV charging for cost and electric grid benefits. Managed charging can either be scheduled by consumers to charge during the most cost-effective times to use electricity, or it can be done through an electric utility that is permitted direct control to a customer’s EV load to reduce grid stress and/or charge when renewables are abundant.

The working group identified two major challenges associated with managed charging that need to be addressed: lack of signals indicating grid conditions and the need for “flexibility” from EVs; and uncertainty of “dependable response” from EV or EV equipment providers to shift load.

“Successful [managed charging] lower volume demonstrations have occurred; now there is a need to align and scale,” the recommendation said. “Scaling requires standard communications among utilities, auto OEMs, EV equipment, software and service providers (collectively, EV Equipment Providers), as applicable, to receive and use data to adjust consumer charging.”

OEM Summit Explores Laser Welding Opportunities in Collision Repair

By Stacey Phillips Ronak Autobody News

With automakers introducing laser welds in the manufacturing environment over the last few years, many collision repairers are recognizing its potential use as an alternative to MIG and TIG welding.

Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), noted examples of laser welds being used on the 2021 Acura TLX and 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer.

As part of this year’s SCRS OEM Summit, held during the November 2024 SEMA Show, information was shared about laser welding opportunities in automotive and aerospace manufacturing.

Presenters included Dean Brennan, North American sales manager at IPG Photonics, the largest fiber laser manufacturer in the world; Rex Alexandre, president and principal engineer at the Handheld Laser Institute and a former senior welding engineer on SpaceX’s Starship program; and Jeff Poole, manager and subject matter expert at I-CAR.

“It’s not every day that we are able to interact and learn directly from former senior welding engineers for SpaceX about everything learned exploring, experimenting and ultimately putting the technology to use on the Starship,” Schulenburg noted.

He said the speakers did an amazing job talking through the evolution of this welding technology, while making it clear to attendees how much work is still being done to better understand perceived future use cases in the repair environment.

“We recognize that utilizing laser welding in a repair environment is still yet to be proven or approved but saw an opportunity to learn directly from individuals who are pioneering the opportunities,” said Schulenburg.

Brennan has been marketing laser systems since their early adoption in the metal fabrication industry in 1990 and is now spearheading the North American launch of Light Weld, a handheld laser welding product.

During the laser welding presentation, Brennan shared information about fiber laser technology, the advantages of laser welding and its applications in automotive repair.

Brennan defined laser welding as the process of transferring a laser beam’s photonic energy into heat to fuse or join parts. He said it’s like using a magnifying glass to capture the sun’s energy.

“This transferred heat melts the materials to form a molten weld pool that subsequently cools and fuses the targeted area together,” Brennan explained.

He said laser welding is a flexible process that can be performed with or without filler material and is used to create seams and joints that are narrow, wide, shallow or deep with a variety of materials including metals, dissimilar and reflective materials, and non-metals.

Although lasers create a relatively small spot on the parts to be welded, Brennan said weld pools that are significantly wider than the spot can

be created by oscillating the beam in customizable patterns.

“For parts and materials that cannot handle excessive thermal input, lasers can be optimized to achieve rapid weld penetration and scanned along the joint to reach speeds as high as several meters per minute,” he noted.

Brennan said handheld laser welding has many advantages. These include high precision, speed and repeatedly, with a low heat input. In addition, minimal maintenance is required.

“Laser welding is an easily automated solution for creating excellent quality welds rapidly and reliably,” he said. “The power control of the laser is extremely consistent and predictable so it can be repeated over and over.”

Brennan explained that MIG and TIG welding use electrical resistance that can interfere with automotive electronics.

“Laser welding uses photons of light, not electricity,” he said. “This is why EV batteries are manufactured with laser welds.”

Brennan noted that laser welding does not compromise electronics and hand-held laser welding yields superior aesthetics.

He shared research conducted by IPG, which included preparing laser welding samples sent to Sturbridge Metallurgical Services Inc. (SMS) for

third-party evaluation. Butt joints in plates of 0.036 in., 0.075 in., and 0.120 in. were produced and sections were prepared using ASTM standard methodology. A total of 26 cross sections were inspected at 50 times the magnification. In all cases, Brennan said there was no cracking, incomplete fusion, porosity, inclusions or other defects. The weld profiles passed all tests and no underfill was noted.

“Laser welding is an excellent choice for automotive repair, especially considering that many factory welds in vehicles are laser welds,” said Brennan.

Alexandre talked about the adoption of handheld laser welding in the industrial and aerospace industry, which he said is a growing technology. Schulenburg noted that Alexandre helps educate and empower businesses and industries with knowledge and resources to usher in a new era where handheld laser welding can be recognized as an industrially accepted process.

Alexandre has spent most of his career developing laser welding, cladding, cutting and additive manufacturing processes for the aerospace industry. His first introduction to handheld laser welding was in 2020 while working as a senior welding engineer on SpaceX’s Starship program.

That year, Alexandre began laser welding on a device ordered from Amazon that ran on 380 volts. In 2021, he began using IPG’s first light weld unit to laser tag parts. A year later, he purchased a wire feeder IPG released for the laser.

“To me, this was a game changer,” he recalls. “The wire feeder controls your travel speed and makes it really quite simple for almost anyone to make a high-quality weld.”

He was convinced that laser welding had future potential but was unsure how.

Eventually, Alexandre developed a wide range of unique welds for many applications and began laser welding structural joints.

“We’ve made thousands and thousands of handheld laser welds that have not only flown to space on Starship but also come back,” said Alexandre. “That speaks volumes about the capability of this technology when used appropriately.”

Alexandre said he has helped develop bespoke applications that have required considerable development. He also helped build a laser welding training program, standardized procedures and design guidelines for engineers.

“One of the things that can’t be oversold with a handheld laser is how easy it is to pick up,” he said. “It does require some skill to do it on realworld hardware, but nowhere near the amount that it takes to be a good arc welder.”

Although there is growing interest in laser welding, Alexandre acknowledged some people have concerns over safety.

“Any industrial equipment is dangerous when not used properly,” he noted. “It [laser welding] is safe and strong and absolutely can be done to code.”

He currently teaches people across North America how to use handheld laser welding. Some of the early adopters are primarily focused on non-structural and aesthetic purposes.

“It started as a pet project and I didn’t expect it to go anywhere,” said Alexandre. “I just thought it was something neat to do in my limited amount of free time. But before I left SpaceX, I would walk to the office, sit down at lunch and people would talk about using it like it was no big deal, like it was MIG or TIG welding.”

Poole sees the potential for using laser welding in the collision industry and encourages repairers to be openminded.

“As I look at the prospect of being able to repair a vehicle and use the same processes that the vehicle manufacturer uses, it just blows my mind,” said Poole. “I’m excited about this technology.”

However, he forecasts it will be some time before laser welding is an accepted practice.

This is due in part to the huge investment. He also acknowledged that laser welding is a different process than repairers are used to, so there will be a learning curve for those doing MIG welding.

“There is a lot we need to research and learn about the process,” he said.

I-CAR is working with outside third-party organizations that perform testing and validation to better understand laser welding. The organization plans to share its research while working with the industry to identify future opportunities.

“We want to make sure that we do this right for the industry,” he noted. He said gaining confidence to get OEM approval for the process will be paramount.

“When we repair a vehicle, we have to repair it to the OEM recommended or required procedures,” noted Poole. “I’m hopeful to see a day where we start to see this as an accepted process.”

Pictured, left to right, are Aaron Schulenburg, Dean Brennan, Rex Alexandre and Jeff Poole during the third session of the OEM Summit at the 2024 SEMA Show

As Fisker Bankruptcy Drives Up Repair Costs, Owners Spark Parts Revolution

By Ben Shimkus Autobody News

The Fisker Ocean — a Toyota Highlander-sized electric SUV with 350 miles of range and a base price below $40,000 — debuted in American showrooms with massmarket appeal. The vehicle blended a well-appointed design with promises of cutting-edge tech. But after it sold more than 7,000 units in the U.S., things went awry.

Wracked by faulty technical releases, reported financial mismanagement and delivery issues, the brand’s bankruptcy plan received federal approval in October. For collision shops and customers in need of repairs, wading through parts distribution issues after the bankruptcy has been anything but smooth.

“At present, the car is unable to turn on, doors are locked and are unresponsive to the keyfob,” an Ocean driver complained in a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA.)

“Since Fisker is bankrupt, there is no way to contact them or any other relevant authorities to fix my car.”

In just over a year of sales, Fisker issued six NHTSA recalls, including a stop-sale for a cabin water pump issue a week after declaring bankruptcy.

Hundreds of complaints filed with the NHTSA, combined with insights from a former Fisker employee, Ocean drivers and technicians at Fisker-certified repair shops, reveal a pattern: Fisker’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy has triggered a costly chain reaction across the vehicle repair industry. Some drivers are even facing liability concerns and gaps in their insurance coverage because of the parts prices.

However, interviews with management in the Fisker Owners Association (FOA) and its for-profit Tsunami Automotive parts pipeline show a four-pronged strategy to lessen price shocks across the industry. Executives believe their cost-quelling and parts solutions will go online in four to five months and should ease insurers’ worries.

Fisker didn’t immediately respond to Autobody News’ request for comment.

Fisker’S

Parts Fallout

Ed Rios, Fisker’s former director of service operations, customer experience and parts operations, has extensive knowledge of Ocean parts. He spearheaded the launch of the collision repair network and the body

repair manual. Since the bankruptcy approval, Rios said, Ocean owners seeking basic parts repairs remain in a “state of limbo.”

For example, windshields are virtually unavailable. According to FOA management and technicians, only 36 windshields were released post-Chapter 11 — 18 to the public and 18 to American Lease, a Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) company that bought Fisker’s remaining fleet. One collision shop that spoke to Autobody News has three Oceans awaiting window repairs with no replacement timeline.

“There were over 200 windshields requested by customers before we shut down,” Rios said. “We [didn’t] have any. Something as simple as a windshield is really tough to repair.”

Customers turned to eBay after dealer parts ran out, and scarcity drove prices up. Bumpers are listed for up to $2,800, and hoods for $1,800. Autobody News found a damaged hood for $500 plus a $375 delivery fee.

A Knowledge Gap

Rios alleged Fisker struggled to disseminate critical vehicle maintenance information to certified parts repairers. In some cases, he claimed the maintenance playbook wasn’t completed before the Chapter 11 filing.

“There are some specifications within the body repair manual,” he said. “However, all the actual instructions on how to properly make certain repairs were not finalized. When we went into Chapter 11, a lot of that information never made it out [to the public.]”

Rios noted that current iterations of the body repair manual don’t include specifications for frame and jig machines.

“The cars weren’t built for service,” a technician at one of the FOAappointed shops told Autobody News.

A Tsunami Forms

After spending between $70,000 to $80,000 as early adopters of the Ocean, Fisker owners banded together. Members of the FOA forged Tsunami Automotive, a for-profit company negotiating with suppliers, IP holders and regulators to create a steady pipeline of vehicle parts. According to Sybil Yang, the company’s CEO, many parts will come online in four to five months.

However, Rios said not all parts require full replacement, which could save money for shops and owners.

“The bumpers on this vehicle, the fenders and the rear quarter panels are all made out of plastic,” he said. “If [collision shops] could find a plastic refurbishment company, I would recommend going that route before they look to buy a new one.”

Once the plastic is remolded, ADAS cameras and radars — mostly mounted on bumpers — must be recalibrated using Fisker’s proprietary Fisker After Sales Tool (FAST) for diagnostics, which Rios and the FOA say is also in short supply for now.

Clint Bagley, head of marketing and public relations for FOA, told Autobody News a shop remolded a door panel on his Ocean after a small collision in a parking lot.

“They did a beautiful job repairing it,” Bagley said, but without the FAST tool, the shop didn’t know how to recalibrate his car’s ADAS. “For a few months, there was no way for me to get that done.”

Yang predicts the second prong in the strategy will go live in four months. The third prong will bring products to the U.S. in four to five months. For example, Yang located 77 windshields in an insurance warehouse in Europe.

“Until now, we have literally been scrounging for already-made stock,” she said. Despite initial challenges, she’s optimistic about the Magnamanufactured cars, produced by the same company behind the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Toyota Supra. “When we get over this hump of backlog, there is going to be no work for technicians. Regular stuff doesn’t go wrong mechanically on the car.”

As for the fourth prong, Tsunami believes they should have regulators on their side.

California’s right to repair laws require manufacturers to provide parts, tools and documentation for diagnosing and repairing electronic and appliance products for up to seven years after production. According to Fisker’s website, the company said it would “provide the necessary parts and diagnostic tools at no cost” but added the customer might later be reimbursed for labor costs.

“When Fisker died, things were a mess,” Yang told Autobody News. “Parts were abandoned all over the place.”

Tsunami employs four key strategies to secure parts for Fisker drivers.

First, it salvaged parts from closed Fisker dealerships and U.S. locations. Second, it partners with refurbishing companies to create molds for remanufacturing. Third, it collaborates with original Fisker parts manufacturers, like Magna Steyr and Saint-Gobain. Finally, Tsunami plans to leverage California’s right to repair laws and the NHTSA recall mandates to expand shop access to the FAST tool.

Yang also said the company is in talks with American Lease to build more robust parts supplies. She added the New York-based TLC shreds through bumpers as a yearly consumable.

“They get into a lot of fender benders,” Yang said. “We’ve had discussions with them to start up a supply chain for a lot of different parts.”

Fisker’s remedy to the water pump recall was to improve the “conformal coating coverage on Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) to cover resistor (R11).” Implementation of the new parts may require the car’s FAST tool.

According to Rios, most Ocean deliveries occurred on the West Coast. Four states — California, Arizona, Washington and Nevada — accounted for more than 50% of the Fisker Ocean market share, with California alone representing about 33%.

Rios hopes these customers will continue building supportive networks like the FOA. Otherwise, he recommended filing complaints with the NHTSA, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and loan providers if they encounter more cost-prohibitive parts issues.

Meanwhile, Tsunami and FOA are optimistic their growing pipeline of parts will reinstate insurers’ confidence.

“Thankfully, our small but mighty volunteer team is outrageously tenacious and committed,” Bagley told Autobody News. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

AUTOBODY

and quality in their repairs.

Championing Louisiana’S Trade And Technical Schools

GSCA’s impact is key to its partnerships with local trade and technical schools. In Louisiana, institutions like BossierParish Tech School, Baton Rouge

Advocacy and Support for Collision Professionals

GSCA’s influence extends beyond training and education. As an advocate for the collision repair industry, the association works closely with policymakers and insurance companies to address challenges that shops face, from fair compensation to regulatory compliance.

Community College and others serve as members, helping to shape the industry’s future. These schools offer robust collision repair programs, and GSCA supports their efforts by providing resources, mentorship and opportunities for students to engage with professionals.

Through its work with schools, GSCA also encourages young talent to explore careers in collision repair.

This advocacy is vital in Louisiana, where shops often navigate unique market conditions. By serving as a unifying voice, GSCA ensures collision professionals have the resources and representation they need to thrive.

Why Membership Matters

Membership in GSCA offers collision repair professionals access to exclusive training, industry updates and a supportive network of peers. Whether a small independent shop or a large-scale operation, members benefit from the association’s collective strength and knowledge.

In addition to training events, GSCA provides online resources, monthly newsletters and opportunities to engage with industry

leaders. The association also attends national events like SEMA as part of its commitment to staying at the forefront of industry trends.

Looking Ahead

With its December training just around the corner, GSCA is poised to

end the year on a high note. For 2025, it plans to have a training event April 5 in New Orleans. Event details, training topic and registration will be coming soon.

As GSCA continues to grow and adapt to its members’ needs, its mission remains clear: to empower collision repair professionals and foster a thriving industry for generations to come.

For more information on GSCA’s upcoming training event and how to get involved, visit gulfstatescollisionassociation.com.

The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) has opened registration for its 2025 Annual WIN Conference, set to take place May 5–7, 2025, at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista –Disney Springs Area in Lake Buena Vista, FL.

This year’s theme, “Create Your Own Magic,” emphasizes innovation, empowerment and professional growth within the collision repair industry.

The conference aims to inspire attendees to refocus on their career paths and reignite their passion for the industry, while also providing a space for reflection and growth.

Early-bird rates of $600 for WIN members are available until March 1. Afterward, member rates increase to $700, and non-member tickets are $750. WIN membership, which costs $95 annually, offers discounted registration rates.

For additional details, visit thewomensindustrynetwork. site-ym.com/page/Conference

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OKABA Reflects on Year of Progress, Looks To the Future

By Leona Scott Autobody News

As 2024 draws to a close, the Oklahoma Auto Body Association (OKABA) is celebrating a year of milestones and preparing to kick off 2025 with its highly anticipated trade show, scheduled for Feb. 7-8 at the Oklahoma City Convention Center.

With the theme “Year of the Vendor,” this year’s event promises to highlight vendors’ vital role in supporting the auto body industry while offering opportunities for education, networking and fun.

The Year Of The Vendor: Spotlight On OKABA’S Trade Show

Ementi Coary, executive director of OKABA and a solutions adviser for Mitchell International, has infused this year’s trade show with a renewed focus on vendors. “Our whole focus is our vendors. Without them, it would be hard to do what we do,” Coary said.

Legislative Advocacy And Grassroots Initiatives

Advocacy remains a cornerstone of OKABA’s mission.

“We’re taking a proactive approach, focusing on grassroots efforts until we can raise more funds for a lobbyist,” Coary explained. The association’s legislative committee, chaired by Brian Shellam, continues to monitor and combat bills that could negatively impact the industry.

OKABA’s commitment to advocacy resonates with its members. Craig Schupp, co-owner of Diamond Auto Body in Stillwater, OK, emphasized the importance of the association’s vigilance.

“We’re so busy taking care of cars and customers that we don’t have time to monitor legislation. OKABA looks out for repairers like me,” Schupp said.

By keeping members informed and involved, OKABA ensures the industry’s interests are represented at the state level.

Enhancing Membership Value

graduate, played a key role in preserving the program. “Without the program, the technician shortage would only get worse,” Henry said.

His son, Jacob, is a testament to the program’s success, earning his I-CAR welding certification and gaining practical experience at Diamond Auto Body.

The program’s updated curriculum, which includes hands-on training and advanced techniques like aluminum welding, equips students with the skills needed to excel in modern auto body shops.

Jessica Stegner, OKABA vice president and co-owner of Tim’s Body Worx, emphasized the importance of apprenticeships and collaboration. “Meridian Tech listened to what we needed and stepped up,” she said.

The program’s success underscores the importance of partnerships between educational institutions and the industry. OKABA is grateful for the leadership of Jordan Short, an instructor at Meridian Tech, for his vision and support of young people.

to its mission to uplift the auto body industry in Oklahoma. By fostering connections between vendors and repairers, advocating for fair policies and investing in education, OKABA is building a stronger, more collaborative community.

The plans for 2025 also include an increased focus on engaging members through new programs and platforms.

“Our goal is to ensure our members have the tools and knowledge to succeed while promoting safer, proper repairs,” Coary said.

With initiatives designed to address both current challenges and future opportunities, OKABA’s leadership is committed to driving progress across the state’s auto body sector.

For more information on OKABA’s trade show and membership benefits, visit www.okaba.org.

Attendees will have seven hours of dedicated trade show floor time to connect with vendors and explore the latest industry innovations. The event kicks off Friday evening with appetizers on the show floor, followed by a comedy showcase featuring three comedians to set a lighthearted tone for the weekend.

Saturday’s schedule is packed with educational sessions tailored to auto body professionals, featuring a maximum of 50 attendees per room to ensure an intimate and engaging experience. This year’s trade show introduces two technical training sessions, including courses from the Collision Training Institute and I-CAR.

“We’ve expanded our offerings to include more hands-on technical training,” Coary said.

Attendees can expect a mix of practical insights and networking opportunities designed to enhance their skills and grow their businesses. To learn more, visit okaba.org/home/ event/okaba-2025-trade-show-okc/

To provide greater value to its members, OKABA is working on launching a members-only platform offering specialized benefits. The association also plans to introduce more roundtable discussions in 2025 on estimating, paint materials and shop culture. “Culture is important. You need a good culture to retain and attract talent,” Coary said.

Additionally, based on shop size, OKABA’s dues structure ensures accessibility for a diverse range of businesses, from small-town repair shops to larger operations.

“We push our shops to be active,” Coary said. “Breaking down silos and sharing knowledge makes everyone better.”

The association’s efforts to foster a collaborative environment extend beyond its events, creating a network of professionals committed to improving the industry.

Education: Building The Future Workforce

OKABA’s dedication to education extends beyond its members to the broader collision repair community. The revitalization of the Meridian Technology Center’s Collision Repair Technology program serves as a shining example.

Everett Henry, manager of Diamond Auto Body and a Meridian

Looking Ahead

As OKABA gears up for its trade show and continues to expand its initiatives, the association committed

OKABA Board Member Brian Shellam is passionate about keeping members current on legislation impacting them and leads the association’s grassroots legislative efforts, including organizing visits to the Oklahoma State Capitol

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Gary Allen

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legislative advocacy to rebranding efforts and an upcoming trade show, the association is tackling the industry’s challenges with energy and a vision for its future.

During a recent interview with Autobody News, Tuggle shared insights into ABAT’s journey over the past year and its plans for the year ahead, including the association’s legislative priorities and potential national impact.

2024: A Year Of Growth And Transformation

Reflecting on 2024, Tuggle emphasized this year was about strengthening ABAT’s foundation. One of the most notable achievements was the successful rebranding campaign.

“ABAT’s rebranding was more than a cosmetic change,” Tuggle explained. “It was about redefining who we are, what we stand for, and how we can better serve our members. We wanted to modernize our image to reflect the forwardthinking and innovative association we’ve become.”

ABAT’s rebranding effort included a refreshed logo, updated

messaging and a more user-friendly website. ABAT also invested in a new membership module through GrowthZone and looks forward to serving its members better through this platform.

Another key accomplishment was the expansion of training opportunities for members. In 2024, ABAT hosted several workshops and seminars covering topics such as estimating accuracy, advanced vehicle technologies and business management. These programs addressed the evolving needs of repair shop owners and technicians, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to thrive in a rapidly changing industry.

“Our training initiatives are tailored to ensure that Texas shops remain competitive,” Tuggle said. “We’re committed to helping our members stay ahead.”

Legislative Advocacy: A Steadfast Commitment

Legislative advocacy has always been a cornerstone of ABAT’s mission, and 2024 was no exception. The association worked tirelessly to protect the interests of collision repairers and ensure fair treatment by insurance companies.

“Advocacy is at the heart of everything we do,” Tuggle said. “This

year, we made significant strides in educating lawmakers about the challenges facing our industry and laying the groundwork for future legislation.”

While ABAT saw progress in building relationships with legislators, Tuggle acknowledged more work lies ahead. One of the association’s key victories was raising awareness about the importance of safe and proper repairs. ABAT emphasized the critical role of OEM repair procedures in ensuring vehicle safety, pushing back against cost-cutting measures that jeopardize repair quality.

Looking Ahead: Legislative Priorities For 2025

As ABAT looks to 2025, legislative advocacy remains a top priority. Tuggle outlined several key initiatives the association will focus on, including fair reimbursement rates for repair shops and stronger consumer protections.

ABAT addresses insurance practices that undermine repair quality and shop profitability. According to Tuggle, it is critical to ensure insurers comply with OEM repair procedures and provide adequate compensation.

“We’re not just fighting for Texas,” Tuggle said. “Our work here can set a precedent for other states. If we

succeed, it could have a ripple effect across the country.”

ABAT plans to mobilize its members and collaborate with other industry organizations to strengthen its legislative efforts. Tuggle emphasized the importance of grassroots advocacy and encouraged members to engage with their representatives.

“Lawmakers need to hear from the people on the front lines,” Tuggle said. “Our members’ voices are powerful, and together, we can drive meaningful change.”

Right To Appraisal

The collision repair industry in Texas is gearing up for a legislative fight to protect the Right to Appraisal, a crucial clause in many auto insurance policies that allows independent appraisers to resolve disputes over repair costs. This process ensures consumers receive fair compensation and vehicles are repaired to proper safety standards. However, recent discussions suggest this right may be at risk, sparking concern among repair professionals and advocates.

ABAT has placed the Right to Appraisal at the top of its 2025 legislative agenda, working to mandate its inclusion in all auto insurance policies. ABAT is raising $82,000 to help educate lawmakers

and support lobbying efforts, emphasizing the clause’s role in preventing insurer-dictated repair estimates that could compromise vehicle safety. To learn more, visit ABAT.us/RTA and take the Champion Pledge by donating $1,000.

Tuggle said that even if repairers cannot give that amount, smaller donations of $50 or $100 are welcome, as they all add up.

The Right to Appraisal has been transformative for shops like Griffin’s Paint & Body in Winnsboro, TX. By helping customers invoke the process, shops can challenge insurers’ initial estimates, often resulting in substantial increases. In one case, a repair estimate rose from $8,000 to $19,000 after invoking the clause. However, smaller shops face financial challenges, as the appraisal process costs $800 to $1,500 per claim, though the long-term benefits for both consumers and shops often outweigh these costs.

Educating consumers about their rights is vital. Many must be made aware of the appraisal process or hesitant to confront insurers. By maintaining transparency, providing referrals to trusted appraisers, and sharing resources, shops can empower customers to advocate for fair claims.

In addition to protecting the Right to Appraisal, ABAT is pursuing

broader initiatives, including defining repair standards for aftermarket parts and ensuring repairs meet OEM specifications. These efforts are critical to safeguarding repair quality and consumer safety, making the 2025 legislative session pivotal for Texas collision repairers.

2025 Trade Show: A Showcase Of Innovation

Another highlight on ABAT’s 2025 calendar is its annual trade show, which will be held Sept. 12-13 at the Marriott Dallas Allen Hotel & Convention Center.

Tuggle shared a sneak peek of what attendees can expect, promising an event to inspire and educate.

The 2025 trade show will feature an expanded exhibitor lineup, interactive demonstrations, a car show, compelling educational sessions, a Big Shots Competition and the fun elements the show is known for.

“We want our trade show to be more than just an event -- it’s an experience,” Tuggle said. “Our goal is to leave attendees feeling energized and equipped to tackle the challenges ahead.”

Collaboration And The Future Of ABAT

Tuggle credited ABAT’s success to the dedication of its members and partners. The association has cultivated a strong sense of community, uniting shop owners, technicians and industry stakeholders to pursue common goals.

Looking ahead, Tuggle envisions ABAT continuing to grow and evolve. She emphasized the importance of staying adaptable and proactive in addressing industry challenges.

“The collision repair industry is constantly changing,” Tuggle said. “ABAT will continue to be a voice for repairers and a champion for safe and proper repairs.”

A Call To Action

As ABAT prepares for another transformative year, Tuggle encouraged members to get involved and support the association’s efforts. Whether by attending training sessions, advocating for legislative change, or participating in the trade show, every contribution makes a difference.

“ABAT is here to serve our members, but we can’t do it alone,” Tuggle said. “Together, we can build a stronger industry and a safer future for drivers.”

With its track record of success and ambitious plans for 2025, ABAT is poised to continue making a lasting impact.

The Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (AACF) announced nominations are open for the first-ever AACF Humanitarian Award, sponsored by NEXUS North America.

This prestigious award aims to recognize and honor outstanding individuals, companies, associations or groups within the automotive aftermarket industry who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to improving the lives of others through humanitarian efforts. Nominees for this award should exemplify compassion, selflessness and a strong sense of social responsibility. Their actions should have made a significant and positive impact on communities locally, nationally, or globally.

Nominations for the AACF Humanitarian Award can be submittedatwww.aftermarketcharity. org/humanitarianhero through Jan. 31. Nominations will be reviewed by a committee consisting of AACF Board and Executive Committee members as well as a NEXUS executive.

Shops Say Specialization of Employee Roles Improves Production, Eases Finding Qualified Workers

By John Yoswick Autobody News

A panel of collision repair shop owners shared how they’ve moved to more specialized employee roles within their company, during a Society of Collision Repair Specialists’ (SCRS) training class during the 2024 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

The three opened the discussion by first talking about the benefits of such specialization in manufacturing, particularly at another transportation sector company like Boeing, where exacting tasks are handled by specific people who become very skilled and productive at that work.

Barry Dorn of Dorn’s Body & Paint in Mechanicsville, VA, said he believes that just as more shops are specializing in the repair of fewer makes and models, more specialized roles for employees will similarly boost expertise and productivity.

“When you are able to narrow it down as far as the roles and responsibilities of that person, it’s a lot easier to introduce younger people into it.”

KRIS BURTON ROSSLYN AUTO BODY IN ALEXANDRIA, VA

Dorn said with all the duties shops have traditionally given to estimators, for example, how high a priority will it be for them to mirror-match parts or handle parts returns and credits?

“They’ve got to take care of the customer. They’ve got to get the car going. They’ve got to get this supplement approved. They’re not worried about parts,” Dorn said, saying his shop, which repairs about 160 cars a month, has a dedicated parts team.

Similarly, he said, if a technician is also handling supplements, they will likely be focused primarily on body labor hours because in a flatrate system, that’s the basis of their compensation.

“You can’t blame them,” he said. “So that’s why you have to have at least some level of a blueprinter or a repair planner that’s with them who is also focused on parts and focused in on the procedures.”

Having a detailer or someone other than an ADAS specialist do the pre-scanning of a vehicle isn’t likely to ensure the shop has all the information it needs as repairs begin, Dorn said.

“That’s the initialization of you finding out what’s wrong with that

car,” he said. “Yet most of the folks doing it in most shops are literally hitting ‘print’ and hoping that somebody, somewhere, will know what it means, yet it’s often sitting in the file not being read. It has to be somebody who actually knows diagnostics so he can read it, and know what he’s looking for, and more importantly, know when they scan something, depending on if it’s an OEM tool or if it’s an aftermarket tool, how far down into the modules is it going?

can promote from within. I don’t want to say that we don’t face a technician shortage, but it’s not as drastic.”

By segmenting out all the roles the typical estimator handles, Burton has been able to bring in customer service reps who just handle all customer interactions, including explaining the process and selling the job.

“Some of the best CSRs that I’ve found have been from restaurants,” he said. “Lately it’s been from even like vet’s offices and doctor’s offices and dentist’s offices. They’ve dealt

“Is your estimator going to know that? Probably not. That’s not what they were trained for,” Dorn continued. “I don’t know that I can, because I was never trained to be a diagnostic service tech. The point is, if you hire folks for that role, they’ll give you the information that you need to know what’s wrong with that car prior to even writing the blueprint, instead of finding out five hours before the customer is supposed to come pick the car up.”

Starting In The Body Department

Kris Burton of Rosslyn Auto Body in Alexandria, VA, said he started the transition to more specialized roles in his shop’s body department, developing assembly and disassembly teams and adding helpers and apprentices -- three of the five are under age 19 -- to help keep structural technicians focused solely on that highly-skilled work on the 78 cars the shop repairs per month on average. That helps make it easier to bring in entry-level technicians to train.

“When you are able to narrow it down as far as the roles and responsibilities of that person, it’s a lot easier to introduce younger people into it,” Burton said. “People always say: ‘There’s not enough techs. We have a shortage. We need to have more people.’ But having a kind of a reduced role makes it a lot easier to bring people in. It’s like we’re creating our own farm system internally, and

planner is usually somebody that’s probably a little nerdy because it’s super technical, and maybe isn’t the best at interacting with the customer. Those two people are rarely the same personality type,” Bradshaw said. “But we wonder why we don’t have success. Why are we missing parts? Why are we not closing on the opportunities that we have? Because we don’t have the right individuals in the right place, and we’re asking one individual to do way too much.”

Bradshaw’s shop has 31 employees, but just one structural technician, with a helper, who does all the welding and frame work — becoming very efficient at it because it’s all he does — while others handle disassembly and reassembly, glass work, scanning and calibrations, etc.

Similarly in the paint shop, Bradshaw said, having one person handling all color matching helps that person become very efficient.

some with insurance companies to a different level, and kind of have an understanding of admin and processes.”

His shop’s 21 employees include a 19-year-old technician who specializes in ADAS and diagnostic work.

“He started with us when he was 16, and flies all around the country for training and loves it,” Burton said. “The reality is that it’s become a specialized role, and it’s something that’s attractive to a lot of young techs.”

Only One Structural Tech Needed

Like Burton, Michael Bradshaw of K&M Collision in Hickory, NC, said few people have all the different skills needed for the tasks many shops have traditionally required of estimators: technical knowledge, customer service and sales abilities, negotiating, collections, etc.

“Is there any one [task] that they’re really going to be able to excel at if they’re trying to manage all these others?” Bradshaw asked. “I know sometimes we look at things from a perspective of ‘I can’t afford to have somebody else to do this task or this role.’ But if you look at the inefficiencies that are created, you really can’t afford not to have somebody alleviate some of that stress.

“Think about it: We want somebody up front who can sell and is pleasant and nice to deal with. But a repair

The parts team at Bradshaw’s shop includes one person who does all the mirror-matching of parts and checking for any damage to those parts; another ensures all the invoices are received, that discounts are correct, that parts price updates are applied to the estimate, and returns and credits happen.

“We’re processing about 100 vehicles a month,” Bradshaw said. “At one time we had one individual doing all those [parts-related] tasks. He worked for us about a year and a half and then resigned. He resigned because he couldn’t deal with the stress. It was hard for him to have the

time to mirror-match because he was handling all the communication with the dealers and follow-up on backordered parts and all that.

“After we hired an individual dedicated to doing all the mirrormatching, I was able to bring back that parts manager, and he’s as happy as can be now,” Bradshaw added. “And he’s really good at the accounting side of things.”

Pictured, from left, shop owners Barry Dorn, Kris Burton and Michael Bradshaw discussed how they’ve moved to more specialized employee roles within their business

Michael Bradshaw said it’s rare to find someone who has all the technical and customer service and sales skills shops have traditionally required of estimators

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Mike Anderson — From the Desk of Mike Anderson

Collision Repairer Shares His Perspective on Negotiating with Insurers

I had the privilege at SEMA this past November to teach a class on negotiating for collision repairers with my colleague, Sheryl Driggers Autobody News was kind enough to run an article about that class.

A gentleman I know in this industry — who has attended a similar class I taught in the past — read the article, and contacted me to say he that while he’s implemented many of the strategies he’s heard from me over the years, he wanted to respectfully offer his own view on the topic of negotiating with insurers. I always welcome new perspectives, so I contacted Drew Plischke

Plischke is the director of client / insurance reconciliation at Gold Coast Auto Body in Chicago, a company he’s been with for 20 years. In all, he’s spent nearly four decades in the industry, starting as a porter at a shop after leaving college, becoming a technician and then an estimator before taking management and leadership positions.

“In every role, I’ve focused on one central mission: ensuring that our customers feel supported, valued and guided through every aspect of the repair process,” Drew told me.

After we talked about his view of negotiating, I invited him to put his thoughts into writing. He did so, sharing why he believes “negotiating with insurers can be detrimental to collision repairers.” I decided to turn this month’s column over to him.

Drew wrote:

“After our shop severed our last DRP relationship with a major insurance carrier, everything changed. It was from that point on that I began to see the collision repair landscape shift in ways that fundamentally changed how repairers should approach negotiating with insurers. As the insurance industry has evolved, I’ve come to realize that while negotiating with insurers may have been a viable strategy in the past, it may no longer be the best solution for collision repairers today. In fact, in many cases, this kind of negotiation may be counterproductive.

“In the past, it may have seemed that insurers were partners in ensuring that vehicles were repaired safely and correctly. But the reality has always been that insurers have been focused primarily on controlling repair costs. While safety and quality should always be the top priority, it’s

become clear that insurers’ efforts to cut costs have often come at the expense of these essential factors.

“Over time, we’ve seen a shift in the language and tactics used by insurance companies. Terms like ‘prevailing market rates’ and ‘industry standard’ have increasingly replaced concrete standards such as OEM repair procedures, position statements, and owner’s manual guidelines. Rather than relying on clear, evidence-based repair standards, insurers now often use ambiguous language to set limits

made for the full scope of necessary repairs.

“However, as repairers have become more involved in negotiations with insurers over cost, this duty has been complicated. Instead of ensuring that repairs meet documented safety standards, insurers are increasingly focused on managing costs. This shift in focus can sometimes work against the best interests of the vehicle owner and the repair facility, putting safety at risk.

Advocating for the Vehicle Owner

on repair costs. Unfortunately, these terms can be used to justify reducing payments or even denying necessary repairs, which leaves repairers in a difficult position.

“I’ve seen this firsthand in our shop, especially since ending our DRP relationships. What used to be a more predictable process for dealing with insurance claims now often feels like a constant struggle. Insurers have increasingly relied on vague terminology like ‘usual and customary’ or ‘not being charged by others’ to justify reduced payment amounts, and that leaves us with limited leverage to negotiate a fair rate for the repairs needed.

“The challenge is not just the payment amounts but shifting expectations regarding the scope of work. Terms like ‘industry standard’ are so open to interpretation that it becomes nearly impossible to have a productive discussion about what is necessary to restore the vehicle safely and properly.

“It’s also important to remember that insurers aren’t just neutral parties in the repair process. They have a legal obligation to act in good faith on behalf of the policyholder. Insurance companies have fiduciary duties to their clients, which include ensuring that vehicles are repaired properly and safely, with payment

“My role at our shop has always been to advocate for the vehicle owner, ensuring they receive the best possible repair according to OEM repair standards — not to haggle with insurers over labor rates or discount procedures.

“As vehicles have become more complex, with advanced technology such as ADAS and safety features that require specialized knowledge, tools and certification, today’s repairs are not just about returning a car to its previous state; they’re about returning it safely, with every necessary procedure followed to ensure the vehicle’s integrity.

“In this environment, negotiating with insurers over the cost of repairs can be both inefficient and potentially unsafe. The focus should always be on ensuring that the vehicle is repaired correctly, not on what the insurer is willing to pay. Repairers should be empowered to work directly with the vehicle owner to ensure the proper repairs are made — without being constrained by what the insurance company is willing to cover.

Focus on Quality Repairs, Not Negotiating Rates

“Rather than getting bogged down in negotiating with insurers, collision repairers need to shift our focus back to what really matters: providing high-quality, safe repairs for the vehicle owner.

“A simple solution is to begin directly billing the customer for the repairs we perform, while allowing the insurance company to settle the claim separately. This allows repairers to focus solely on the work at hand — performing the repairs

according to the highest safety standards — without the distractions of insurers trying to limit the scope of work or delay payments.

“And here’s the critical part: This method works. It’s been successful for us over a large sample size of both first-party insureds and thirdparty claimants. By focusing on delivering the necessary repairs, providing clear documentation of what’s required, and directly billing

“In this environment, negotiating with insurers over the cost of repairs can be both inefficient and potentially unsafe.”

DREW PLISCHKE

the vehicle owner, we’ve been able to reduce the time spent fighting over arbitrary rates or unnecessary negotiations, and instead focus on the repair. This method of billing directly to the consumer has been a game changer for our shop, allowing us to maintain control over the repair process, prioritize safety, and continue to deliver high-quality work.

Time to Focus on What Matters

“I believe the time has come for the collision repair industry to focus on ensuring that vehicles are repaired correctly and safely, according to OEM standards, without being drawn into constant negotiations with insurers. We should not allow insurers to dictate the terms of repair decisions or payment through vague language that only serves to reduce costs, often at the expense of safety. We should advocate for what is necessary to restore the vehicle to its pre-accident condition and trust that the claims process between the policyholder and the insurance company will unfold as it should.

“It’s time we reclaim control over the repair process, prioritize the safety of the vehicles in our care, and ensure that all parties involved — repairers, vehicle owners and insurers — work together for the greater good.”

I want to thank Drew for taking the time to share his perspective so professionally and respectfully, and for allowing me to share it with you through my column this month.

GM’s New Collision Assistance App Contacts Driver At Accident Scene, Helps Them

By John Yoswick Autobody News

When the number of automakers offering collision shop certification programs began to grow more than a decade ago, shops foresaw automakers playing a much larger role in a driver’s decision where to have their vehicle repaired after a crash. After all, automakers had access to vehicle telematics data that could detect a collision and enable the automaker to contact the driver ahead of that customer even contacting their insurance company.

That’s been happening on a limited basis with some automakers, but it took a big step forward in recent weeks. A new General Motors mobile app can now contact drivers after an accident to assist them at the scene and help guide them to a GMcertified collision repair facility.

Launched in October but announced just this month during the 2024 SEMA Show, the GM Collision Assistance app differs from OnStar, which will still contact subscribers through the vehicle immediately after a crash is detected. The new app sends a pop-up notification to the

“We help guide [the driver] to the Certified Repair Network facilities that we have in our program to choose from.”

JOHN ECK GENERAL MOTORS

driver’s phone about 10 minutes later.

“We don’t want to interrupt what’s already going on with OnStar,” John Eck, who leads the GM Collison Assistance program, said during the second session of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists’ (SCRS) OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit in Las Vegas.

The app can then guide the customer through the process of documenting what occurred and obtaining the other driver’s information.

“And then we help guide [the driver] to the Certified Repair Network facilities that we have in our program to choose from,” Eck said, noting he’d met shop owners at SEMA who had already received customer referrals through the app. “We actually put a note in there saying, ‘Hey, it’s your choice of where you go to get your vehicle repaired.’ But we identify the certified network. And then we also provide the customer with the opportunity to download a report

or all the information that they’ve collected at the scene to use as they see fit.”

Limited Use Of The Data

While the app, which is branded differently for each GM line of vehicles, receives vehicle telematics data that indicated an accident occurred, that’s as far as that data goes, Eck said, clearly cognizant of

Ryan McMahon of Cambridge Mobile Telematics said insurers are increasingly benefiting from crash detection by improving the claims process from the start, but other companies could benefit from the information as well

the lawsuits filed earlier this year related to GM’s collection and sale of vehicle telematics data.

“I want to make it very clear: General Motors is not doing anything internally with this data,” Eck said. “I only see aggregate numbers, the total number of events. But I don’t see any customer data. Nobody does. Nobody gets to use it for any purpose. It’s not sold, it’s not utilized for any other purpose. The customer would have to download the report themselves [through the app] as a PDF and then they could email it off to their insurance company.”

Eck said because GM will know how many customers are choosing a certified shop through the app, that information can help those shops see their return on investment from the GM certification program.

“Our purpose is to guide them to a repair professional that’s in our network for a safe and proper repair,” Eck said, “but also to be there in the moment that…if your car is totaled, how do we help you get into your next vehicle?”

He said earlier in November he received a photo of a wrecked vehicle from a GM executive, whose daughter had been driving when the accident occurred. No one was injured, but the executive wanted Eck to know he had been contacted at the time of his daughter’s accident -- the app notifies the vehicle owner -- and he wanted Eck to know “your product works.”

“He was grateful that we were

there to help,” Eck said.

Accident Detection Could Be Used By Others

But insurers are using vehicle telematics to track driver’s behavior if they’ve signed up for usage-based insurance, so it may be more than just automakers reaching drivers at the accident scene.

During the same session in which GM announced its new app, Ryan McMahon of Cambridge Mobile Telematics said his company’s vehicle telematics system — running through an app on the driver’s cellphone, which much of the insurance industry already uses — also can detect crashes and help start the claims and repair processes.

“Because data is available, we are moving into a world where you can be proactive versus reactive,” McMahon said. “For the insurance company, it means a significant savings. The insurers are going to continue to push in this direction because for them, time is money, whether that’s in storage costs or rental costs.”

In addition to reducing those direct costs, McMahon said, capturing vehicle telematics data to help with the claims process can also reduce indirect costs, by reducing the

number of adjusters needed, for example.

But McMahon said it isn’t just insurance companies that can benefit from crash detection.

“This crash assistance process and environment is really opening up the doors to providing relationships with customers that otherwise wouldn’t be there, whether that’s from an insurance company, from an automaker, from another trusted brand,” McMahon said. “So why couldn’t this happen from SCRS? Why couldn’t this happen from a body shop themselves? It just has happened that the insurance industry got this started, but it doesn’t necessarily have to stay there, because this technology is really democratizing the information.”

2025 Series Topics:

End of the Era of Single Store Generalist Shops

Technology Takeover: The Impact of ADAS & Calibration

Talent Shortage & Workforce Development

Sustainability in Collision Repair: Going Green

Evolution of OEM Certifications

And more…

Red Carpet Awards Night Honors Those Who Go Above and Beyond

By Stacey Phillips Ronak Autobody News

This year’s Red Carpet Awards Night, held Nov. 5 during the SEMA Show, recognized excellence in the collision industry. Nine organizations gave out a total of 20 awards.

“Tonight, we will honor those who go above and beyond, who dedicate their skills and time to elevate our standards, and who serve as role models for their peers,” said Stacey Phillips Ronak, owner of Radiant Writing & Communications and the emcee of the event. “The awards represent more than just accolades; they are a testament to the hard work and determination that drives our industry forward.”

BodyShop Business

BodyShop Business presented two Executive of the Year Awards.

Barry Dorn, owner of Dorn’s Paint & Body in Mechanicsville, VA, received the Single-Shop Award. “There are so many other folks who should be up here besides me,” said Dorn. “I’m incredibly honored and truly shocked.”

Wendy Patrick, chief administrative officer of Joe Hudson’s Collision Center in Pike Road, AL, won the MultiShop Award. Jason Stahl, editor of BodyShop Business, said Patrick’s peers look up to her for guidance because her energy is unparalleled.

Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA)

Three individuals received an award from CIECA for Outstanding Contribution.

Chris Martinez, lead integrations developer at Nexsyis Collision, was the first. Since joining CIECA’s Architecture Committee in April 2024, Martinez has contributed technical expertise from the collision repair industry perspective.

“Being part of CIECA helps reduce the challenges of sharing the digital information you need to communicate,” said Martinez. “Having an industry standard facilitates business communication, ensuring a smooth flow of information

between all stakeholders, benefiting the industry and its customers.”

Gaurav “Rav” Mendiratta, CEO of SocioSquares and chief product officer at Propel, also received an Outstanding Contribution award for his volunteer efforts. Mendiratta said he learned about the collision industry after his wife was in a car accident and the vehicle was repaired at an Oakland, CA, body shop.

The third recipient, Stacey Simmons, sales operations director at Enterprise Mobility, has volunteered for CIECA for the past few years, including at the CIECA CONNEX Conference.

“I never expected this,” Simmons shared. “I’m very proud to be part of Enterprise and part of joining CIECA and partnering together in the industry for what we do.”

Ken Eagleson, OEC’s vice president of insurance solutions, was the recipient of the Chairperson’s Award. Eagleson, CIECA’s secretary on the Executive Board, is an active CIECA member who volunteers on several CIECA Committees.

“CIECA’s commitment to open standards is something that benefits, I would say, most everybody in this room,” said Eagleson. “I am grateful to be a part of an organization that facilitates electronic commerce across all segments of our industry ecosystem, allowing us all to be more efficient and profitable in our endeavors.”

CCC Intelligent Solutions, a CIECA founding member, was named Electronic Commerce Company of the Year. “CIECA truly does power e-commerce in this industry,” said Mark Fincher, vice president of product management at CCC Intelligent Solutions. “We’re thankful for the work that so many of the volunteers do every single day to create these standards to facilitate this open commerce.”

Collision Industry Conference (CIC)

This is the second year the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) has given out a Volunteer of the Year Award.

This year’s recipient was Aaron

Schulenburg, executive director of SCRS. In presenting the award, Darrell Amberson said Schulenburg is one of CIC’s hardest-working committee chairs and is “exceedingly dependable, willing to take on tough topics.”

“This is very cool and very unexpected and I’m super grateful,” said Schulenburg. He said his first CIC was more than 20 years ago, when March Taylor told him that that more young people needed to attend the meetings, stand up and be vocal, write articles and “say the stuff that matters.”

Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF)

CREF presented three Fueling the Future Awards.

The first was given to Josh Kent, executive director of the Carolinas Collision Association (CCA). Amber Ritter, of CREF, said under Kent’s leadership, CCA has brought 32 regional schools into its network and has raised nearly $13,000 over the past three years for student scholarships and uniforms.

Greg Brink, a retired instructor and advisory committee member of Rock Valley College, and Julie Lombardo, executive director of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Illinois (AASPI), were the other two recipients. They worked together to help open a new collision repair program at Rock Valley College.

FenderBender

FenderBender and ABRN magazines gave out two awards.

The Best Repair Planner/Estimator

Award was presented to Anthony McNee from Ultimate Collision Repair in Edison, NJ.

“I would like to thank everybody who put this event together; it means a lot to me,” said McNee.

The FenderBender Award, which recognizes outstanding owners and operators whose businesses represent quality, service, culture and community involvement, was given to Amber Alley, general manager of Barsotti’s Body & Fender in San Rafael, CA, for fostering a team-based work structure, OEM certifications, quality repairs and OEM training.

“I reflect back over the last 10 years, coming to these meetings and the mentorship that I’ve received from so many people in this room, and I don’t think I’d be here without it,” Alley said. “I think it is very important to surround yourself with people who you look up to and respect and want to see you … do the right thing.”

Hall of Eagles

A legacy industry award added this year was the Collision Industry Hall of Eagles, the industry’s hall of fame. The award was presented by two inductees: Chuck Sulkala, inducted in 1989, and Stacy Bartnik, inducted in 2010.

Sulkala announced Janet Chaney as this year’s Hall of Eagles inductee.

“I’ve always had such great respect for our industry and our people and the Hall of Eagles,” said Chaney. “I never ever dreamed I would be getting to share the stage with these champions of our world.”

I-CAR

The Jeff Silver Memorial Award for Platinum Individuals was presented to Jared Nicholson of Collision Leaders in Lee’s Summit, MO. The award honors an individual who has been a champion of the Platinum credential — I-CAR’s highest recognition for individuals — and has held their Platinum status for a minimum of five consecutive years.

Barry Dorn, left, and Jason Stahl, right.

Aaron Schulenburg, third from right, accepts the award from CIECA

Chris Martinez, left, Ashley Denison, center, and Paul Barry, right.

Julie Lombardo, left, Amber Ritter, center, and Greg Brink, right.

Andrew Johnson, left, Amber Alley, center, and Jay Sicht, right.

SEMA Show Attendees Talk About What They Gained To Address Their Shops’ Biggest Challenges

By Abby Andrews Autobody News

The 2024 SEMA Show drew more than 2,400 exhibitors and tens of thousands of attendees, many of whom work in the collision repair industry.

Autobody News spoke to several shop owners and employees throughout the week to get their thoughts on the state of their business and why a trip to the SEMA Show was worth their time, whether it was their first or 20th.

Building Body Shop Staff

Brad Kickert is the shop manager at Auto Palace in South Holland, IL. A first-time attendee, Kickert said he came to the SEMA Show to learn about new technology and materials being used in auto production.

“We wanted to make sure we’re staying on top of the game,” Kickert said.

Staffing is the biggest issue at Auto Palace, he said.

“It’s very hard to find a qualified individual,” Kickert said. “A lot of our employees now are getting up there in age, and getting young employees is proving difficult. We’ve been lucky so far, but that’s our biggest thing that we struggle with.”

Kickert had just attended Mike Anderson’s presentation on negotiating with insurance companies, part of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists’ Repairer Driven Education series.

“I learned how to communicate to attain what you need to give customers that come into my shop the proper repair,” he said. “Our customers are very loyal.”

Kicker said his business doesn’t do a lot of custom work, but he was excited to see the builds other people brought to the show.

“The level of professionalism and fabrication is amazing, just seeing what people can accomplish with their hands,” he said.

Decreasing Cycle Time

Doug Bowman has owned Superior Auto Body in Ranson, WV, for 35 years. He has been attending the SEMA Show for 20 years.

Three estimators from his shop, and his daughter and shop manager, Marissa Bowman, also came to the show.

“I wanted everyone to see it, what goes on and to get some education,” Doug said.

Efficiency and cycle time are the biggest issues at Superior Auto Body.

“There’s a lot of delays that can

occur,” Marissa said. “We are trying to avoid them and make everything move as efficiently as possible.”

The Bowmans had also just listened to Anderson’s presentation on negotiations, and they planned to attend more classes to learn how to improve customer experience, to “help customers understand the process, why it takes so long, and everything that goes into repairing your vehicle back to the way it should be,” Marissa said.

“There’s always something new [at SEMA],” Doug said. “That’s why we come every year, just to try to stay ahead of the curve.”

Improving Insurance-Shop Relations

Dan Biggs, owner of Rick’s Auto Body Shop, which has two locations in South Bend and Mishawaka, IN, was attending his fourth SEMA Show.

Biggs said he took over the business from his father, who brought him to SEMA. Biggs now has five children who have joined the business, all of whom came to SEMA with him this year.

“This is the future,” Biggs said of SEMA. “I hope [my children] get out of this what they can. This is where the future comes to get the best ideas they can to rise to the better level.”

His daughter, Marina Biggs, a detailer, was attending her first SEMA Show.

“I came because my dad invited me and I thought it’d be a cool experience to see what it’s all about,” she said.

Dan said the biggest issue at his shops, which do not participate in DRPs, is relationships with insurers.

“It’s at an all-time low,” he said. “They just decided they don’t want to pay for things they’ve paid for for 20 years. It’s a constant argument. We have the best proof, all the data they need, but they went down the road to not pay for things now.”

Dan said he believes in the power of networking, and SEMA is a great place to do it. He attended the Collision Industry Conference on Nov. 5 to connect with other industry leaders, to find out what they’re seeing.

“It’s pretty uniform what we’re all going through,” Dan said. “I believe in the power of relationships, and it’s here.”

Dan said custom cars aren’t his thing, but he likes to come to Las Vegas and the SEMA Show because it brings back memories of his dad, who has passed, and makes new memories with his children.

“The biggest thing is having my kids with me; that’s the thing I treasure the most,” he said.

Marina, a movie buff, said the coolest thing she had seen so far was DeloreanRental.com’s Delorean Time Machine, a recreation of the car featured in “Back to the Future.”

Training Techs for the Future

Gerald Rosenbarker, general manager of Mohawk Collision Center in Schenectady, NY, said he tries to come to SEMA every other year. This was his seventh or eighth time at the show

Mohawk has 20 OEM certifications, so Rosenbarker comes to SEMA to make deals on new equipment, which the shop upgrades constantly.

Rosenbarker said he also enjoys the educational opportunities. He had just attended an SCRS RDE class on AI tools that can enhance customer service.

“These [classes] get you started, get you an idea of what you’re looking to do,” he said. “Then you can deep dive into it later, look other avenues to help you grow your collision business.”

He said his shop is looking to grow its staff for long-term success, and training is key to reaching that goal.

“We have grown quickly over the last few years,” Rosenbarker said. “Developing them, training them, bringing them here and seeing what other learning opportunities there are after SEMA is a great option for us to grow our staff into the technicians we need for the future.”

Rosenbarker said he’s “not that much of a car guy,” but he always enjoys the technological innovations on display at SEMA.

“Anyone in this industry needs to come out here, if you haven’t been,” he said. “I think people often think of it as a car show, but it’s so much more.”

Streamlining Operations

Nicolas Quiambao, an estimator at Oka’s Auto Body in Waipahu, HI, said the company is planning on expanding. He was sent to SEMA for the first time to learn more about the industry and specifically look for a system or company that can help Oka’s streamline operations.

“Admin work is heavy and being able to bring in more customers, be more efficient, will help us grow,” Quiambao said.

He was looking for an all-inclusive system or company to help speed up processes like making first contact with customers, keeping them updated throughout the repair process, accounting and ordering and receiving parts.

“There are a lot of really nice cars and trucks to see out here, but what gets me excited is seeing all the tools and systems that are being created to help companies become more efficient and effective,” Quiambao said.

Attracting More Customers

Ryan Timmons, owner of Ryan’s Rod Service in Florence, CO, was at his 15th SEMA Show. He said he comes to SEMA every year to make more connections.

Timmons said his shop, which does not do insurance work, has run into a “slight slowdown” in jobs and a problem getting some customers to pay.

“It’s been minimal,” he said. “We’re surviving and making it happen.”

This year, Timmons said, he was also at SEMA to look for new equipment and vendors to appeal to more potential customers.

He said the coolest thing he saw was the Golden Sahara II in Goodyear’s booth. The custom car was built in 1954 by George Barris using a wrecked 1953 Lincoln Capri. Barris equipped it with voice commands, sensorbased automatic emergency braking, futuristic styling and other amenities like a built-in TV and refrigerator.

Expanding Business By Upgrading Technology

Tracy Kroon, owner of Krown Restoration LTD, in Wilsall, MT, was at his first SEMA Show.

“We have a major project we’re working on that requires newer technology, and we thought this was the perfect place to come to view it,” Kroon said.

Finding qualified staff is Krown Restoration’s biggest challenge, Kroon said.

He had a tough time picking his favorite part of the show. “We’re just kind of overwhelmed with the whole thing,” Kroon said.

Dan Biggs

Ryan Timmons

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‘Two Bites of the Apple’: Small MSO Sales Can Mean Double Rewards For Investors

By Elizabeth Crumbly Autobody News

As the collision world consolidates and owners of multi shop operations (MSOs) sell their businesses, a trend is emerging: investors purchasing smaller shop chains. That’s because private equity firms have a tough time making larger deals, explained Chris Lane, president of California-based Focus Advisors.

Sales of larger chains the size of Classic Collision or Crash Champions don’t happen that often because organizations that size are few and far between, he said, and the buying

“There are only maybe eight, nine, 10 of those that can possibly happen, and they happen every four, five, six years. So, there aren’t that many of those available. And they’re incredibly competitive,” he explained. “At least five years ago, we were approached by a number of private equity firms looking at that next size of platform -- a little bit smaller — something independent and not owned by a consolidator.”

That number, he said, has risen sharply in the past 18 months.

New Platforms

Private equity firms, Lane explained, look for platforms to purchase — typically MSOs that span more than one market. These MSOs, he said, have proven they can develop across multiple units in different markets with success, making them attractive to investors. In the past, he said, he recommended investors look at platforms in the $50 million to $100 million range in terms of annual sales, but those platforms were rare, and the purchase process when one does come to market is “incredibly

“I think what happened over time is as more private equity firms became interested in getting in collision repair … I think they recognized that getting in at the size that they would ideally like to get in at — the odds of doing that are very small.”

Rapid Growth

Private equity firms are now considering smaller platforms with three or four locations, and after making a purchase, firms try to grow those platforms rapidly through acquisitions. They may add two or three new locations in the first six months, he observed, to get close to the platform size they’re more comfortable with.

On the flip side of those sales, shareholders of independent MSOs are often looking to exit — to sell businesses outright.

Another scenario is recapitalization. Shareholders, Lane explained, want to “adjust the capitalization table.” In this case, he said, shareholders who each hold a certain percentage of ownership sell some of their equity to become part of a reorganized ownership group with added partners.

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A variation of the recapitalization scenario sees owners continuing to run a business after an equity firm buys it. Investors, Lane pointed out, naturally have far less knowledge of the collision repair industry than independent MSO owners. In this instance, he said, the former owners partner with their buyers in a continued vision for the business.

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Focus Advisors helps with these sales frequently, and Lane said the best case isn’t always about finding

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Chris Lane

the most money for sellers.

“The idea here isn’t just to get the highest dollar amount,” he said. “It’s to find the partner that you’re going to be operating alongside to grow this for the next five to seven years, so it had better be somebody you trust and that you like who shares your values. You get to choose who the best partnership is for you.”

Lane typically sees sellers putting some financial skin in the game, too.

“What they will do is they’ll come in and buy your business and then ask you to reinvest some of those proceeds back into this new entity that you’re both growing together,” he said. “Typically, an owner will have somewhere between 10% and 40% ownership in what they’re growing.”

The advantage to the owner, he explained, is that they’re selling a business for a decent valuation in the present, but they’re also helping to grow something over the next five to seven years, which they can sell again, eventually.”

“We call that two bites of the apple,” he said.

A Growing Trend

As to why this trend is growing so quickly now, Lane said he sees the collision industry as relatively recession-resistant since third-party players — insurance companies —

foot so many of the bills. Cars are becoming increasingly complicated to work on, too, he pointed out, which means they’re more expensive to fix. The price of parts continues to rise.

“Everything sort of has a builtin inflationary measure to it, which means that revenues are going to go up almost no matter what.”

That dynamic, he contended, makes the market attractive to investors.

The trend of smaller chain sales, Lane said, is taking place across the country, but it’s important to investors to seek out healthy markets where they feel they can truly grow. Those markets, he said, are typically metropolitan and not already heavily consolidated, making for more choices for acquisitions. He’s seeing most private equity investors who are typically keeping in place existing leadership with added depth for new skill sets. That process might include adding a chief financial officer who can bring in sophistication with financial planning.

“If you’ve already grown your MSO to three, four, five locations and you’re doing a great job with it, they don’t want to monkey with that,” he said. “What they’re going to say is ‘Let’s look ahead and say that you’re going to be 10 locations. You don’t have the staff to do that. So let’s kind of bone up on that.’”

Careful Consideration

It’s especially important for MSO sellers, contended Madeleine Roberts Rich, senior associate with Focus Advisors, to do thorough due diligence on potential private equity partners.

“They are going to thoroughly vet and do due diligence on any owner they partner with,” she said. “Be reciprocal … You’re going to be putting years of your life and, potentially, your team members’ lives, and probably a very significant portion of your net worth on the line. Not all private equity firms are created equal or have the same personality types or have the

same industry expertise.”

Private equity partnerships aren’t for every MSO owner looking to hand off their business, Rich said, but it’s for those hungry for something more.

“This is a perfect match for really hungry, ambitious entrepreneurs that want to take their collision repair business to the next level and that have teams they want to incorporate into that growth,” she said. “You’ve got to go in with a plan to get this kind of capital, but it can have massive rewards and eliminate bottlenecks to growth if you have a vision in mind.”

MSO Symposium Looks At Economic Forecast, Discussion of Customer Satisfaction

By John Yoswick Autobody News

The MSO Symposium, an annual one-day conference created by and for multi-shop owners and operators, was among the events kicking off SEMA week in Las Vegas in early November. About 400 people attended the event, the most in its 13year history.

With consolidation continuing in the industry, David Roberts of Focus Advisors provided a market update, saying he sees no decline in private equity firm’s involvement in the industry.

“It’s clear there is really continued strong interest from private equity firms,” Roberts said. “There’s going to be money to help you grow or to exit when you feel it’s time. We don’t see any slowdown in this.”

In a presentation titled, “Where the Economy is Headed in 2025 and Beyond,” Nasdaq chief economist Phil Mackintosh said the U.S. is in what he called a “Goldilocks” economy.

“We’re not too hot, we’re not too cold,” he said, noting that inflation is essentially back to the Federal Reserve target level, and the unemployment rate is “close to multi-

decade lows.”

“Most of the developed economies in the world have avoided recession but kind of ‘just’ avoided,” Mackintosh said. “They’re not growing that strongly. The U.S. is a little bit of an exception. It’s growing much stronger than most of the other markets. So we’re doing really well.

“But the reality is there’s not too much heat in the global economy anymore. So it makes total sense that interest rates are coming down from the highs that they got to as

central banks started to tackle the inflation problem. I could argue that maybe the U.S. should have followed Canada’s lead and started a bit earlier

Ford Reassigns 400 Bronco Workers Amid 10% Sales Drop

Ford Motor Co. plans to reassign 400 employees from its Michigan Assembly Plant, which produces the Bronco SUV, to other nearby facilities in early 2025, as Bronco sales dropped 10% in 2024 through October despite recent signs of recovery.

The reassignments will move workers to either the Dearborn Engine Plant or Monroe Parts Depot in the first quarter of next year, a Ford spokesperson confirmed. The Michigan Assembly Plant will maintain its current three-crew schedule to continue production of both the Bronco and the Ranger midsize pickup truck.

“We are encouraged by the momentum heading into the end of the year, which, along with this production adjustment, should further balance inventory of model year ‘24 vehicles as we head into the launch of model year ‘25,” Ford spokesperson Lars Weborg said in an email to the

and gone a bit further by now,” he said, adding he thinks the current 5% interest rates should be closer to 3% “sooner rather than later.”

The Fed cut rates by a quarterpoint three days after Mackintosh spoke.

He shared data showing that wage increases have outpaced inflation at all income levels by 3.3% or more.

“I know it’s hard to believe because people seem to think inflation has been much higher than wage growth,” he said. “But across the board, wages gone up more than inflation.”

He said the recent uptick in unemployment is different from the past in that it’s not being caused by layoffs.

“We are pretty close to 20-year lows in terms of layoffs,” he said. “So what’s interesting is what is causing the uptick in unemployment is prime age workers coming back into the workforce. There’s a lot more people looking for work. It’s totally different from a consumption perspective because when they get a job, they’ll start spending, rather than it being people losing their job and stopping spending. So that’s really kind of good news that the unemployment rates are coming up because people want jobs, not the opposite. Good

news for companies, too, because it takes a bit of pressure off wages.”

At one point during the “Great Resignation,” there were two advertised job openings in the U.S. for every person looking for work. “That’s now come back down pretty close to one-to-one,” Mackintosh said. “So for a company thinking about labor shortages, things look a lot better now than they did two years ago, three years ago. So again, not too hot, not too cold, right?”

Impact Of Election Outcome

Speaking the day before the U.S. presidential election, Mackintosh was asked what effect the outcome might have on the economy next year. He shared a chart showing data back to the Nixon administration, with periods of growth and recession during both Democratic and Republican presidencies.

“So I have some good news: The reality it, it doesn’t really matter in terms of the stock market who wins,” he said. “For anyone who’s got an investment portfolio, it doesn’t matter who wins.”

Beyond that, he said, either candidate is likely “to increase the deficit and that could keep interest rates higher for longer, so that’s not great.”

Detroit Free Press.

Ford’s decision reflects broader adjustments across the automaker’s operations to align production with market demand. For example, the company recently announced a temporary suspension of operations at its F-150 Lightning electric truck plant in Dearborn through the end of 2024 due to slower-thanexpected demand for electric vehicles.

In Europe, Ford is also reducing its workforce by 14%, citing sluggish EV adoption in markets like Germany, where subsidies for EVs ended in late 2023.

The Michigan Assembly Plant will temporarily halt production during the first two weeks of January to prepare for the model year changeover. Ford remains optimistic that adjustments across its operations will help align supply and demand while positioning the company for future growth.

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Nasdaq chief economist Phil Mackintosh kicked off the “MSO Symposium” with a generally positive outlook on the economic outlook heading into 2025

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Trump’s proposed tariffs will likely raise prices, he said.

“I guess the expectation is everyone’s taxes will go down at the same time, so incomes go up again, but that’s inflationary,” Mackintosh said. “So I think if there was an inflation risk on either side, it would be Trump winning. But then Harris wants to increase corporate taxes, and I’m guessing none of you guys want that either, right? So is that a

“So if there’s anything that you take away from this today, there is a real opportunity to ensure that transparency and the efficiency of supplement review and supplement approvals.”

good diplomatic answer?”

Key Moments Impacting Customer Satisfaction

CCC Intelligent Solutions generally offers a look at the latest industry data at the MSO Symposium, and this year was no exception, with CCC’s Kyle Krumlauf providing

context to industry stats and trends his company is seeing.

Krumlauf highlighted a couple key points from a recent CCC study into the “moments of truth” in the claims and repair process, the focal points that have the most impact on customer satisfaction.

“The top driver is transparent, detailed explanation of repair needs,” Krumlauf said. “One thing I would call out here is having a good translator — or being a good translator — on the repair side when you’re talking to a customer and helping them understand. They may not be familiar with the technologies in a vehicle, what it requires to do the repair. Making sure that someone is able to speak a language that they can understand. That seems to be the No. 1 driver in satisfaction with consumers.”

He said customers want “consistent frequency of contact with a shop throughout the process,” and “they expect a timeline and the work to be done within that timeline.” In fact, the length of time to get the vehicle repaired and back can have the biggest negative impact on customer satisfaction.

Krumlauf noted the one element of this are supplements. On claims that included a supplement, he said, the average number of supplements

per claim has risen from about 1.7 as recently as mid-2021 to 2.1 this year. The average dollar amount of those supplements has risen from about $1,001 in early 2020 to $1,574 this year.

“Of course carriers want to be very, very careful in reviewing those and being sure that they’re approving what is necessary,” Krumlauf said. “But CRASH Network in their quarterly surveys consistently report that one of the major causes for backlog is carrier responsiveness on [supplement] approvals. So if there’s anything that you take away from this today, there is a real opportunity to ensure that transparency and the efficiency of supplement review and supplement approvals.”

He said he’s watching corporate return-to-office policies as that, too, affects the industry because of when and how much people are driving.

“Amazon changed their policy and starting in January, they are requiring everyone to return to office full time,” Krumlauf said. “In my mind, there could be a domino effect, with other major corporations. You could see a lot more people driving during rush hour, Monday through Friday every week.”

Caliber Appoints Chief CDO

The Caliber family of automotive repair and service brands has appointed Shawn Hezar, its current chief client officer, to the newly formed position of chief corporate development officer. In his new role, Hezar will be responsible for evaluating opportunistic acquisitions, supporting Caliber’s efforts to diversify its offerings, and building strategic partnerships.

Hezar brings 39 years of experience in the automotive collision industry to his new role, including a decade with Caliber, where his efforts have significantly contributed to Caliber’s unprecedented growth. As chief corporate development officer, he will focus on business opportunities that will create new possibilities for Caliber teammates and support the company’s vision of improving the automotive service experience.

Under his leadership as chief client officer, Hezar has helped Caliber maintain excellent and growing client relationships while ensuring the company anticipates industry trends.

through proprietary research on outcomes that customers care about.

CCC worked with Magid Research, a prominent market research firm, to collect the data used in the study. Our goal was to examine the connected claims and repair journey.

How would you describe a ‘Moment of Truth?’

A moment of truth is a concept that comes from the service industry. It’s a critical point in time during the customer journey that significantly impacts customer satisfaction and retention.

The outcomes we were studying were the satisfaction scores that consumers give their insurer or repairer after a claim. Typically, they will tell you everything is important, so you need to use statistics and regression analysis to learn what really drives that score.

Some of the moments studied included how consumers perceived communications, the empathy received, and the time it took to repair the vehicle.

What did the research reveal and what were the key takeaways?

Our research showed that during the claims experience, consumer satisfaction with insurers and repairers is closely linked and their collaboration plays a pivotal role in each other’s satisfaction scores.

For example, respondents were more satisfied with carriers when they perceived overall vehicle repair quality to be high; they were more satisfied with repairers when they received clear communications about how the claims process would work. This suggests that the entire post-accident journey from “crash to keys” is one unified experience in which the providers are, in some instances, indistinguishable from one another.

The top moment of truth for consumers going through the collision repair process was a detailed explanation of repair needs. The top moment on the insurance side was clear communication about the claims process. Both of those speak to transparency.

What is truly impactful about this is the industry has long been focused on speed with repairers measuring themselves on cycle times. We found things have shifted. If consumers felt they received a transparent and detailed explanation

of repair needs, that was the single biggest impact on the overall score that the consumer gave the repairer at the end of the journey.

The second impactful takeaway is that insurers’ actions help repairers score points. If an insurer clearly communicates about the claims process to the consumer and he or she has a satisfying first contact with the insurance company, those two moments of truth help the repairers score points on the repair satisfaction side.

We also found this to be true when we looked at insurer satisfaction. When high-quality repairs were performed or a consumer was able to get a loaner vehicle from a repair facility, insurers scored points.

This suggests that the process is very intertwined and connected and consumers view the entire process as one experience.

These findings have implications for how insurers and repairers work together to put policyholders at the center of the experience.

What was CCC’s reaction to the findings?

Certain findings were very revealing. The research casts doubt on a long-held belief by insurance claims professionals that customer satisfaction, a metric by which claims teams measure their performance, helps predict customer retention.

We found that most of the moments of truth that helped carriers achieve a positive customer satisfaction score were relatively insignificant in helping to determine carrier defection.

Three moments were the most powerful predictors of switching behavior. In a total loss, the policyholder was upside down in their outstanding loan and was able to cover the gap, the presence of an injury in the accident, and being a first-time claim filer. When all three are present, there is greater than a 3x increase in the likelihood of the policyholder leaving the carrier.

When we presented the findings to the industry and our customers, we found they were surprised. As a technology company that connects 35,000 entities in this industry, we have a unique lens and perspective on what’s going on. We want to offer insight to benefit the industry and help our customers achieve better outcomes.

How can repairers and insurers use the findings to improve customer satisfaction and retention?

We suggest insurers and repairers work more seamlessly together and that, in doing so, they focus on

transparency. The goal is to find how to provide transparency and speed to customers and utilize technology to achieve this.

On the insurers’ side, we found that repair satisfaction is really important to insurer satisfaction. The more an insurer can ensure a customer has a satisfying repair experience, the happier that customer will be and the higher their satisfaction rating will be. Therefore, my top piece of advice for insurers is to work more closely with repair partners.

I also recommend repairers and insurers understand the three moments of truth that help predict when a customer is likely to defect.

Are there plans to conduct additional studies?

Yes, we’d like to delve further into the moments of truth that are causing technicians the greatest frustrations and potentially conduct future studies focused on the employee experience.

Is there anything additional you would like to share about the study?

If there was anything that I wanted to leave in the minds of a repairer, it would be how to inject transparency if the insurer is not communicating clearly about the claims process.

I think the other moments in the study are also worth exploring. For example, the No. 2 moment of truth was having a satisfying dropoff experience. Repairers need to determine how they want to serve customers and how that translates into the drop-off experience. Do they want to offer a waiting room and refreshments while an estimate is being prepared for the customer, or do they want to offer a loaner vehicle right away?

Overall, the study highlights the importance of interconnectedness and the shared responsibility of carriers and repairers in customers’ minds to get them back on the road, regardless of who is responsible. This underscores the need for a unified, customer-centric approach focusing on configurability, personalization and retention management.

Red Carpet Awards

Jerry’s Body Shop of Mankato, MN, received the Russ Verona Memorial Award for Gold Class Shops. The recognition honors a collision repair center that has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to excellence, upholding the Gold Class Standard and actively promoting training. The family-owned shop has held its Gold Class designation since 1991.

National Auto Body Council (NABC)

NABC’s Changing and Saving Lives Award was presented to Arroyo, owner of Fix Auto Cathedral City, Indio, Palm Desert, Palm Desert South and Palm Springs in California. The award recognizes individuals in the collision repair industry who have delivered exemplary service to their

community.

“Henry Arroyo has participated in National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides programs for a decade through Fix Auto USA and has gifted a number of vehicles to families in need and veterans over the years,” said presenter Debbie Teter. “I’m totally moved by his passion for giving back

to the community. He’s an amazing example of those in our industry.”

Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS)

SCRS gave out three awards this

skilled professionals equipped to serve the collision repair industry.

Mary Mahoney, who accepted the award on behalf of the Enterprise Mobility Foundation, stressed the importance of industry, education and community coming together. “Nobody can do this on their own. It’s an honor to work with every one of you,” she said.

The 2024 National Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Ron Reichen, owner of Precision Body & Paint in Oregon. A past SCRS chairman, Reichen has been involved in several industry organizations, including CIC, CIECA and I-CAR.

Mike Anderson, owner of Collision Advice, received the 2024 March Taylor Kīnā ‘Ole Award. Kina’ole, a Hawaiian belief sometimes interpreted as flawlessness, was embodied by March Taylor, who owned Auto Body Hawaii and served on the SCRS Board of Directors. It represents doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time, in the right

Taylor, he was someone I wanted to be proud of me,” said Anderson.

SCRS also recognized Jeff Hendler for his role in influencing the generations of people who followed him, working on the industry through CIC, SCRS and everything in between, and the energy and passion he has invested over the years to make the industry better.

“It’s hard to not think of a lot of

some of you as kids, and yet you’re full-grown, full-functioning adults that are taking this industry to another level that some of us wish

Doug Schlueter, left, Henry Arroyo, center, and Debbie Teter, right.

Pictured, left to right, are Aaron Schulenburg, Mike Anderson, Michael Bradshaw and Barry Dorn.

Janet Chaney

BASF ‘Techs For Tomorrow’ Students Gain Experience, Make Connections At 2024 SEMA Show

By Abby Andrews Autobody News

BASF and the TechForce Foundation teamed up to grant five $2,500 scholarships and a trip to the 2024 SEMA Show to aspiring collision repair students, as part of the Techs for Tomorrow initiative.

The students selected for the BASF Techs for Tomorrow scholarship and

Mindi Cogdill of UTI Houston in Texas; Jocelyn Pandolfo of the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, PA; and Farren Moody of Fayetteville Technical Community College in North Carolina.

The students’ SEMA experience included three days and two nights of immersive activities at the convention that enhanced their knowledge and industry connections. The students

SEMA experience included Nolan Sousek of WyoTech in Laramie, WY; Dustin Detwiler Jr� of Aims Community College in Greely, CO;

attended industry events, visited exhibitors showcasing their latest innovations, and engaged directly with team members. Additionally,

students had the unique opportunity to meet industry experts and participate in mentoring sessions with leading custom builders, who serve as BASF ambassadors.

During the SEMA experience, students received mentorship from BASF’s Marketing Communications Manager Tina Nelles and Business Development Manager John Shoemaker, who helped the students make industry connections to jumpstart their careers.

“We believe that investing in the education and development of young talent is crucial for the future of our industry,” said Nelles. “This partnership with TechForce Foundation and the opportunity to engage with students at SEMA exemplifies our commitment to nurturing the next generation of skilled technicians.”

Cogdill, 22, originally from Marysville, OH, is a student in the collision repair and refinishing technology program at UTI Houston.

After she graduates in June 2025, Cogdill will intern at a hot rod shop, thanks to the scholarship and connections she made at SEMA.

Cogdill is pursuing a career in customs and restoration, and plans to

intern and learn as much as possible for the next few years to gain the knowledge and experience to one day own a shop.

“My trip to SEMA had a huge impact on the vision I have for my future,” Cogdill said in an email to Autobody News. “I learned about different techniques and new technology for body repair and refinishing that left me speechless. Sometimes I forget how advanced technology is, but I was quickly reminded!”

After meeting with representatives of BETAG to learn about their new paintless dent repair (PDR) technology, Cogdill was offered a free seat in a training program.

“I’ve never had an experience like that, and I was overwhelmed with gratitude,” she said.

Cogdill also admired a 1966 Ford Bronco, built by RMD Garage and nicknamed “Pure,” and talked with Ralph Holguin about his role in the build.

“Every step of the build was incredibly thought out,” Cogdill said. “[Holguin] had an in-depth reason for each part that he assembled, and those reasons are things that most people never think about.”

Cogdill said she has a 1974 Toyota Land Cruiser that she plans to build

Students chosen for this year’s Techs for Tomorrow program received a $2,500 scholarship and a trip to the 2024 SEMA Show.

after she graduates. Her conversation with Holguin gave her “a lot of insight on how I want to proceed with my Land Cruiser and every car I build in the future,” she said.

Cogdill encouraged all eligible students to apply for the BASF Techs for Tomorrow scholarship.

“The amount of people in the industry that attend SEMA is mindblowing. The conversations that come from simply introducing yourself to someone could

and better each and every day. The people I met, the experiences I had, and the builds I saw were so impactful. I am so grateful for this scholarship, TechForce and BASF.”

Moody is pursuing an associate degree in collision repair at Fayetteville Technical Community College. After college, she is aiming to work in a collision center, first as a technician and then an estimator. She plans to also pursue her diesel engine repair certificate to start her own business.

completely alter your future for the better; you just have to take hold of the opportunity,” she said. “I took hold and my future looks bigger

Moody said her experience at SEMA was outstanding, both as a car enthusiast and an aspiring member of the collision repair industry. She

said she learned a lot about new equipment and techniques.

“One thing that struck me the most is learning from everyone we met, [they] all began in the shop,” Moody said. “By building their network, gaining experience and applying for positions they know they will excel at, it shows that there are more opportunities than remaining in an auto body shop.”

Moody also advised all eligible students to apply for a Techs for Tomorrow scholarship. She credited her own instructor, Doug Irish, for pushing her to apply.

“I had the thought there were so many students out there, no way I would have been chosen,” Moody said. “I was beyond the stars excited that I was picked, not only for the SEMA experience but also the scholarship. Don’t hesitate, apply, and have a positive mindset. When you think it won’t happen to you, it will. BASF is an amazing organization and outstanding folks who represent them.”

Also joining the Techs for Tomorrow recipients were three young collision repair industry members who attended SEMA courtesy of Operative Talent: Jesse Simpkins, Austin Shepherd and Aliya Lentowicz Operative Talent is a collaboration between The Petty Family Foundation, Collision Repair Education Foundation

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Shepherd is a recent graduate of Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial design with a concentration in product design. He is now working as a designer at KTL Restorations in Danville, VA, with a goal to “continue designing in the automotive industry and see where it takes me,” he told Autobody News.

“SEMA was an absolutely incredible experience,” Shepherd said.

Shepherd said a lunch with several custom car builders was among his favorite moments at the show.

“I had the privilege of meeting some truly talented people within the custom automotive industry, such as the Ring Brothers, Jonathan Goolsby, Tyler from Revision Rods & Rides, and many others. I also got the opportunity to meet Chip Foose, which was something I never thought would happen. It was truly amazing,” Shepherd said.

“My advice is to just reach out and build those connections. You never know where they will lead you,” Shepherd said. “I would not have been able to go to SEMA or do anything I’ve talked about if I did not reach out to people.”

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The five BASF Techs for Tomorrow recipients, along with three young industry members sent by Operative Talent, at the 2024 SEMA Show.

NABC Recycled Rides Presents Vehicles To 11 Las Vegas-Area Recipients At 2024 SEMA Show

By Abby Andrews Autobody News

On a chilly, windswept morning Nov. 6 on the roof of the Renaissance Hotel parking garage in Las Vegas, NV, 11 local families’ lives were changed for the better by the gift of reliable transportation, thanks to the National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides program.

The recipients, who included single parents, U.S. military veterans and a young adult who recently aged out of foster care, were recognized for their perseverance in the face of various hardships. The presentation eased one burden they all had in common – having to rely on public transportation, rideshares or their own two feet to get to work, school, the grocery store and medical appointments.

Representatives of car donors GEICO, Allstate, Farmers, Travelers, USAA, Nationwide and Enterprise, and repair partners Caliber Collision, Crash Champions, Gerber Collision & Glass, Classic Collision, Fix Auto USA, Updated Auto Body, a member of Certified Collision Group, Car Crafters/Allard Collision, part of the OpenRoad Collision network, and Universal Motor Cars, a member of CSN Collision, were also on hand to see their hard work come together to improve others’ lives.

Also recognized during the event were Dave Adams, the “grandfather” of what is now the Recycled Rides program, and Henry Arroyo , owner of five Fix Auto stores in Southern California, who the night before had been announced the winner of the 2024 NABC Changing and Saving Lives Award.

Recipients Share Words of Gratitude

Joy Hoover is a consultant for Foster Kinship, a Las Vegas-area nonprofit that helps children who can’t live with their parents live with other family instead. Hoover and her family recently suffered a house fire and are struggling with an older car with high mileage. She was presented with a 2021 Hyundai Tucson, donated by GEICO and repaired by Caliber Collision.

Trina Hope Beavers , nominated by U.S. Vets, received a 2020 Hyundai Accent donated by GEICO and repaired by Crash Champions. After she lost a job opportunity that required her to move to a new state, Beavers also lost her job, car and home. In Las Vegas, she worked hard to secure a job and permanent

housing, but then faced the heat as she walked or used public transportation to get to work and run errands.

“This is a very tremendous blessing,” Beavers said. “This is a great opportunity to get back up on my feet. This makes so many things in my life so much easier to do.”

Lauren Washington-Holston, a U.S. Air Force veteran, received a 2021 Kia Sportage, donated by GEICO and repaired by Classic

car will further improve her family’s stability.

Parnell’s long-term goal is to start a transportation service for special needs children, inspired by her own experiences caring for her son, who has autism, and the support from Family Promise, which nominated her for the donation.

“I just want to say thank you,” Parnell said. “This will really help our family continue to strive to do our best.”

Collision. Washington-Holston faced challenges after the pandemic, including the loss of her job and military benefits, a battle with addiction and depression, and a painful divorce, but she worked with Veterans Services and U.S. Vets to overcome them. With support from her children, Washington-Holston has stayed clean and sober, brought her family together, and created a stable environment. The donated car will provide access to better job opportunities, allow her children to participate in activities, and let her continue counseling and support meetings.

Washington-Holston said it has been a blessing to face the struggles she has, as it has allowed her to take part in the cycle of accepting help from others and then paying it forward to others in need. “I can use this car to do that,” she said

Jasmin Parnell and her family received a 2023 Toyota RAV4, donated by Allstate and repaired by Classic Collision. The family of four was homeless after a flood ruined their previous home. After moving multiple times, Parnell was able to get a job with a major health care company, relieving the stress on her family caused by the unstable housing situation, but her car was inoperable. The donated

Lukas Guden , a single father to a 4-year-old daughter, received a 2019 Nissan Rogue, donated by Allstate and repaired by Crash Champions. Guden once faced homelessness, unemployment and losing custody of his daughter. However, with dedication, focus and the help of Hopelink of Southern Nevada, he has a second chance to become self-sufficient by achieving employment and maintaining financial and housing stability.

The donation will reduce his transportation costs and improve his ability to visit his son, be more present for his daughter’s school activities, and manage daily errands.

“This is awesome,” Guden said. “It’s going to help a lot.”

Serenity Rush-Khan was presented a 2019 Honda Accord, donated by Travelers Insurance and repaired by Gerber Collision & Glass. Rush-Khan, a young adult who recently aged out of foster care without support, remained positive and used grit and determination to graduate from high school, find a job, get a driver license and secure housing. She currently spends

hours using public transportation to get to work, school and to visit her nine siblings. The car allows her a sense of freedom and a fresh start.

“This is a big step for me,” said Rush-Khan, who was accepting the keys to her first vehicle ever. “A whole new chapter of my life is starting now.”

Dennis Moustakas and his family were given a 2020 Mazda CX-9, donated by Farmers and repaired by Car Crafters/Allard CollisionMcKellips, part of the OpenRoad Collision network. Moustakas, a seafood clerk at a local grocery store, and his wife, Melanie, have five children. When the family fell on hard times, they were without a home or a car. They came to Hopelink of Southern Nevada for support.

Transportation challenges have impacted the whole family’s daily lives, as they currently walk everywhere in the Las Vegas heat. The new SUV will enable the family to spend quality time together and attend medical appointments and visit family, and the children will benefit from safer, shorter commutes to school.

“This is a true blessing,” Moustakas said. “We are very honored. Thank you so much.”

Carlotta Phillips received a

2019 Nissan Sentra, donated by Nationwide and repaired by Universal Motor Cars. For 12 years, Phillips, a single mother of two, has balanced 12-hour night shifts at the VA hospital with raising her children and co-parenting with her ex-husband, also a member of the nonprofit Forgotten Not Gone. She was already busy when her vehicle became unreliable. Constant repairs strained her finances and caused stress, as she worried about her car failing at critical times. The new car will provide peace of mind, ease the financial burden and allow Phillips to focus on her family and supporting veterans.

“Today I stand in a moment of answered prayers,” Phillips said. “I felt forgotten, but somebody saw me. I am truly grateful.”

Alex Bernal, aka “Pops,” was presented with a 2019 Ford Edge, donated by Nationwide and repaired by Universal Motor. Bernal is a true community advocate, opening his heart and home to foster children, particularly those who have been turned away elsewhere, sitting on boards for several organizations and volunteering with nonprofits. As a father figure, mentor and big brother, he guides young men towards becoming productive community members, according to A Whole

Lotta Kindness, the nonprofit that nominated Bernal for the donation.

However, without reliable transportation, Bernal has to borrow cars from friends and family to get around. Having his own transportation will enable him to continue his invaluable work with foster kids, inner city youth and more.

“I’m really good at helping people but I suck at receiving it,” Bernal said. “I had to learn to ask for help.

“Having this vehicle takes some stress off me,” he said. “Everyone who touched that vehicle – may you also be blessed.”

Leslie Jeanos received a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu, donated by Enterprise and repaired by Fix Auto Las Vegas Spring Mountain. Jeanos, nominated by Speedway Children’s Charities, and her family have been giving back to their community as much as possible. Jeanos and her husband took guardianship for their grandchildren after their daughter passed away. They have also been foster parents for eight years. They are now caring for seven children, and one vehicle cannot accommodate all nine people. The addition of the new car will allow them to go places as a family.

“I want to be able to get my family safely to where they all need to be so

we can all go together as a family,” Jeanos said.

The final presentation of the day was to Timothy White , who received a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu, donated by USAA and repaired by Updated Auto Body, part of the Certified Collision Group. White is a U.S. Army veteran, serving from June 1987 to June 1989, who was awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal and a grenade Expert badge. He is now a customer specialist for a lending company, but he faced a challenging period when his previous car broke down after he lost his previous job, which led to a precarious living situation. However, White was able to secure temporary housing and enroll in the U.S. Vets Workforce Program. He then secured remote work, providing a steady income despite his mobility limitations. Now, with the new vehicle, he can look forward to more job opportunities and greater commuting flexibility.

“I thank God,” White said. “I was always a believer, but recently I’ve had a few true miracles.”

Negotiate With Insurance Carriers Using Facts and Emotional Awareness

By Abby Andrews Autobody News

Mike Anderson and Sheryl Driggers of Collision Advice spoke at the 2024 SEMA Show to teach collision repairers how to negotiate with insurance carriers to get paid for everything they do to return a vehicle to pre-accident condition — with a few updates.

Driggers was recently a contributing author on “Influence and Impact,” written by Chris Voss, a former FBI investigator. The book, which “redefines persuasion in modern business, emphasizing empathy as a cornerstone of success,” can be applied to the business of collision repair.

Negotiating Based on Facts

Before reviewing how emotions can affect negotiations, Anderson — who said he had to learn how to negotiate when he owned multiple shops in the Alexandria, VA, area, where real estate costs were high, so he could pay his bills — talked about fact-based approaches.

“Negotiations are a discussion aimed at reaching an agreement — not a fight or an argument,” he said.

Get the Customer On Your Side

“The No. 1 thing that you can do to help you to be more successful negotiations is to get the vehicle owner on your side,” he said.

That can be useful when negotiating with an insurance appraiser. “If I can get the vehicle owner to believe that I’m competent, then they’re going to trust me when it comes to taking my side or the appraiser’s side,” Anderson said.

Anderson quoted Ryan Taylor of BodyShop Booster: “People are more afraid of making a wrong decision than they are of spending money.”

For collision repairers, that means they have to convince vehicle owners the recommended repair procedures an insurance company may be refusing to pay for are, in fact, necessary.

“The No. 1 way to do that is to review the vehicle owner’s manual with the customer when they walk into your facility,” Anderson said.

Anderson said he shows customers what their owner’s manual says about OEM vs. non-OEM parts and ADAS recalibrations.

“Every single owner’s manual will say you must inspect the seat belt [after a collision], because not inspecting it could result in injury or even death. I’m establishing with them that I’m the expert,” Anderson said. “Now, when I ask the insurance carrier to pay to inspect the seat belt and the carrier says no, I’ve already set myself up for success with the

vehicle owner.”

Then Anderson can tell the vehicle owner to reach out to the insurance carrier and tell them they want the seat belts inspected.

Also, shops not in a DRP with an insurer can tell the customer to call the insurer, to encourage them to expedite supplement reviews.

“I will do this every single day,” Anderson said. “Not a text, not an email. I will use my phone to call every single day, because after about the third call, now the customer’s gonna get involved.”

“When I get a ‘no,’ I’m uncovering the objection. That gives me the opportunity to make them believe it is required,” he said, by showing documentation like an OEM repair procedure, resources from scrs.com or degweb.org, or various material manufacturers’ bulletins.

Once they agree it is required, ask if it is included in any other labor time. If they say it is, now the repairer can prove it’s not.

If the appraiser says it’s not included, go to your estimating system to see if there is a pre-determined labor time, because that’s what should be paid.

Whether the insurance company approves the supplement or the customer decides to pay the difference themselves, it’s better than the vehicle waiting for weeks in the shop.

The Rules of Negotiation

Anderson said there are four rules of negotiation:

1� Your opinion don’t mean jack

The only thing that matters is what you can prove, substantiate or justify. “Every time you write a repair plan, ask yourself, if you had to stand before a jury of your peers, will they think I’m overcharging, or will they understand why I need to do what I say I need to do?” Anderson said.

2� Don’t take the bait�

Anderson said insurance appraisers are trained to tell repairers they are the only ones charging for certain procedures. “That is a negotiation tactic that is entirely made to distract you,” he said.

3� Stick to the facts�

There are four questions to ask when an insurer refuses to pay for a procedure: Is it required? Is it included? Is there a pre-determined time? If not, what is it worth?

4� Prove it�

Repairers should ask the appraiser if they believe the procedure is required to restore the vehicle back to pre-accident condition.

question is how much the procedure is worth in labor. The degweb.org site also comes in handy here, as repairers can submit inquiries to have missing procedures added to estimating systems, or have labor times adjusted.

Anderson said he once paid a professional videographer to record his shop’s techs performing certain tasks — from prep to clean up — to show insurance appraisers exactly how long each procedure takes.

“Do you want easy, or do you want worth it?” he said.

Always close a negotiation request by stating the negative consequences if the repair procedure is not performed, Anderson said. For example: “If I do not inspect the seat belt, it may not deploy in a future accident, and somebody could die.”

“When you ask without drawing attention to the negative consequences, you’re asking versus telling,” he said.

Anderson said often, repairers use the insurance company’s refusal to pay as an excuse for their own lack of knowledge.

“The real reason [they don’t pay] is we couldn’t explain [why it was necessary],” Anderson said. “No doesn’t mean no. No means they don’t know enough to say yes.”

If there is not a time, the final

Anderson said the collision repair

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Mike Anderson, standing left, and Sheryl Driggers, standing right, present during the 2024 SEMA Show.

industry needs to stop conditioning estimate writers to expect insurers to refuse to pay for procedures.

“Never underestimate the power of 0.1 [labor hours], because when you get them to pay for 0.1, six months later that becomes three tenths, then five tenths or an hour,” Anderson said.

How Emotions Affect Negotiations

Driggers said emotions absolutely impact negotiations — negative feelings can hurt the process — but research has shown there is no way to completely remove them.

When it’s clear an insurance adjuster, customer or employee is having a bad day, the best thing to do is to acknowledge it.

“It’s addressing the elephant in the room,” Anderson said. “Labeling is giving a voice to the other side’s feelings.”

Driggers said to do so, avoid firstperson statements, like “what I’m hearing” and “what I think,” because it makes it sound like your opinion is more important. Instead, use phrases like “it sounds like,” “it feels like” or “it looks like.”

“When I say, ‘It sounds like you’re upset with me,’ I’m addressing their negative energy but in a respectful, polite way,” Anderson said.

Labeling the negative is also useful when asking for an insurer to pay for a new line item.

For instance, instead of saying, “I know you’re going to think I’m overcharging,” say, “I’m sure this is higher than what you’re accustomed to seeing.”

Use the Pause

Anderson said insurance companies use “the pause” – or dynamic silence — on estimators all the time.

“When you ask for labor time on an estimate line and the insurance appraiser doesn’t say anything, it causes the estimator to second guess themselves and lower their request,” Anderson said.

“Use the pause back on them,” he said. “Say I want eight hours [of labor time], but they just want to give me four. I’ll say, ‘You only wanna give me four?’ And then I’m just gonna be quiet. And now what do they do? They start to second guess themselves.”

Staying quiet also gives the adjuster more time to share more information.

Mirroring

Mirroring is when you repeat one to three words someone just said, to encourage them to elaborate.

“The more you mirror back, the deeper you’re going to get on why they’re saying no,” Driggers said.

For instance, when an adjuster says “I can’t pay for that procedure,”

repeat, “You can’t pay for that?”

She said to make sure your tone of voice isn’t aggressive, because that puts the other person in a defensive place. “People always say no when they’re defensive,” she said.

Calibrated Questions

Use “how” or “what” questions, as opposed to “why” questions.

“If they say ‘I’m only going to pay for you to remove the steering column if it turns out there’s damage,’ you can say, ‘How am I supposed to do that?’ instead of ‘Why don’t you want to pay for it?’” Anderson said.

Driggers recommended keeping emails as short as possible, to use calibrated questions and to never type in all caps, because it looks like you are yelling at the recipient.

Anderson said anyone can receive the full presentation on negotiation tools by emailing his assistant, Tiffany Driggers, at tiffany@collisionadvice.com.

The Collision Industry Foundation (CIF) announced the election of Cindy Reeves, vice president of the Replacement & Leisure Division at Enterprise Mobility, to the CIF Board of Trustees.

CIF provides emergency relief by securing and distributing donations to collision repair professionals who have experienced significant losses due to natural disasters or other catastrophic events.

Reeves has a long history of philanthropic involvement, including volunteering for Cochlear Americas for the past 15 years and serving on several DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) committees at Enterprise Mobility.

CIF is looking forward to Reeves’ participation in advancing CIF’s efforts, including its Annual Donor program, which was designed to provide consistent financial resources for the CIF Disaster Relief Fund.

Claim Transparency Innovations, founded in September 2022 by Robert McDorman and Brian Deorsam , has joined the Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Associataion (CIECA) as a corporate member to advance transparency and efficiency in collision claim management.

The company’s flagship product, Transparent Claim, is a proprietary portal designed to transfer control of collision claims from insurance carriers to body shops, offering a more transparent and streamlined process for all stakeholders.

McDorman and Deorsam were introduced to CIECA through CCC Intelligent Solutions, leading them to join the organization. Their collaboration underscores the importance of standardization in the collision repair industry — a goal both parties share.

Distracted Driving Remains Colorado’s Top Road Safety Concern

Colorado’s roads are seeing a slight improvement in safety, with an 8% decrease in road fatalities compared to the same time last year. However, distracted driving — especially among drivers aged 25 to 44 — continues to be a significant challenge, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) 2024 Driver Behavior Report.

The report, which surveyed 945 residents, highlighted alarming statistics about distracted driving. A majority of drivers (77%) admitted to using their phones while driving, and 73% reported eating or drinking beverages behind the wheel. Drivers aged 25–44 were the most likely to engage in these behaviors, with 54% picking up their phones to make calls and 53% reading messages in the past week.

Encouraging Trends In Speeding And Impairment

The report also showed promising trends in speeding and intoxicated driving. Sixteen percent of respondents admitted to speeding most or all the time, a 4% decrease

from last year. Additionally, 57% of drivers said they never drive while intoxicated, and the majority (67%) understood the DUI risks of consuming alcohol within an hour of driving.

Among drivers surveyed, 19% admitted to driving within two hours of consuming alcohol, while 6% said they had used cannabis, and 3% had taken prescription medications. Public perception of enforcement was high, with 77% believing police can detect recent alcohol use and 60% confident in cannabis detection capabilities.

Seat Belt And Motorcycle Safety

Seat belt usage was another area of interest in the report. While 89% of respondents reported buckling up regularly, compliance dropped to 80% for trips under 2 miles. Seat belt use was more common among women (92%) compared to men (86%). Drivers of newer cars (91%) also showed higher compliance rates than those driving older vehicles.

Motorcycle safety data revealed that 62% of riders always wear

helmets, and 73% possess a motorcycle endorsement. Encouragingly, 62% of drivers give motorcycles additional space when following them.

Crosswalk And Pedestrian Awareness

The report also assessed driver behaviors around pedestrians. Eighty-five percent of vehicles stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, but compliance drops to 45% in noncrosswalk areas, signaling room for improvement in pedestrian safety awareness.

Methodology

CDOT’s findings were derived from a survey sent to 5,000 randomly selected residential addresses, with 945 responses collected via mail and online. The margin of error is ±4.1%.

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Allstate Sues Hyundai, Kia Over Fire Risk and Recalls

Allstate and several subsidiaries have filed a federal lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia, claiming the automakers knowingly failed to address defects in millions of vehicles, resulting in severe fire risks.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, accuses Hyundai and Kia of “purposefully and knowingly” neglecting to recall defective vehicles, thereby putting lives and property at risk. The issue dates back to at least 2006 and has reportedly led to numerous incidents of cars spontaneously erupting in flames, even when parked.

The suit highlights consumer complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) beginning in 2011. One complaint involved a Hyundai vehicle that caught fire while parked in a driveway. A forensic engineer attributed the fire to moisture in the braking system, which caused a short circuit in

the engine compartment.

Hyundai and Kia have issued 17 safety recalls to date, but the lawsuit alleges that some fixes were inadequate. “The unfair and deceptive trade practices committed by defendants caused plaintiffs’ damages,” the insurers stated in the lawsuit.

Allstate and its subsidiaries, including Esurance, National General, Integon and Safe Auto, claim their insured customers suffered extensive damages, including repair costs, loss of vehicle use, rental expenses and property damage caused by vehicle fires.

In November 2020, Hyundai and Kia reached a consent order with the NHTSA, agreeing to pay a record $210 million civil penalty for failing to recall over 1.5 million vehicles in a timely manner.

The lawsuit aims to recover the costs paid to insured customers for damages, holding Hyundai and Kia accountable for their alleged negligence.

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NHTSA Updates 5-Star Safety Ratings To Highlight Pedestrian Protection, Advanced Tech

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has finalized significant updates to its 5-Star Safety Ratings program, known as the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), introducing advanced technologies and safety standards aimed at reducing road fatalities.

“These changes to the 5-Star Safety Ratings will speed up adoption of technologies that reduce the frequency and severity of crashes while helping consumers make informed decisions about buying a new car,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement.

Key updates to the program include the addition of pedestrianfocused crashworthiness evaluations and four new advanced driver assistance technologies (ADAS), such as pedestrian automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assist. Existing ADAS features, like automatic emergency braking, will also undergo enhanced testing to meet strengthened performance criteria.

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“Our goal with NHTSA’s 5-Star Safety Ratings program has always been to help consumers choose safer vehicles and to encourage manufacturers to improve vehicle safety,” said NHTSA Chief Counsel Adam Raviv. “With these NCAP updates, we’re ensuring consumers have more useful and relevant information on the latest safety technologies.”

The revisions also include mid- and long-term plans to integrate future innovations in vehicle safety, particularly in crash avoidance and crashworthiness for bicyclists and motorcyclists, alongside an updated rating system. These changes are part of the Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy to achieve zero road fatalities.

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State-level franchise laws are creating significant hurdles for automakers like Rivian and Tesla, which rely on direct-to-consumer sales models. Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe recently criticized these regulations, describing them as “horrific” and alleging they result from dealer lobbying efforts that stifle competition and limit consumer options.

“These laws make it really hard for us to interact directly with the consumer,” Scaringe said during a roundtable with reporters. He went on to argue that such rules protect entrenched dealer networks at the expense of new manufacturers who don’t operate traditional dealership models.

Dealer franchise laws, designed decades ago to prevent manufacturers from undercutting their own dealership networks, now serve as barriers for companies like Rivian, Tesla, and potentially Volkswagen’s new Scout Motors, which aim to sell vehicles directly to consumers. In states like Texas, Tesla cannot sell vehicles through company-

owned stores and must rely on online sales and delivery at service centers. Similarly, in Washington, Rivian representatives are barred from discussing pricing or taking orders at their physical locations.

“These laws were intended to protect dealerships from their own manufacturers, but now they’re stifling competition for new brands,” Scaringe noted.

The issue extends to service networks as well. While Rivian’s recent partnership with Volkswagen has sparked speculation about potential service collaborations, Scaringe said using VW’s service centers in the U.S. would be unlikely due to regulatory hurdles. “The issues we face with direct-to-consumer sales become exacerbated if we were to use a mixed model,” he said.

Rivian has prioritized building its own service infrastructure, with more than half of its current service visits handled by mobile technicians. However, Scaringe acknowledged that scaling service capabilities remains a pressing challenge. “We have a service

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Despite these challenges, Scaringe remains optimistic about Rivian’s long-term service strategy.

“You don’t need 5,000 retail locations in the United States to sell 3 or 4 million cars a year. Tesla is a good example,” he explained, noting that technological innovations like vehicle selfdiagnosis can help improve efficiency.

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Investing in the Right PPE Increases Safety – and Productivity – in Collision Repair Shops

By Abby Andrews Autobody News

Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is a must in collision repair settings, where technicians are exposed to potentially harmful fumes and particulates on a regular basis.

Scott Shinn, advanced technical service specialist in 3M’s Personal Safety Division, and Jason Scharton, 3M’s global industry relations leader for the collision repair industry, spoke about the latest advancements in PPE and what shops can do to keep their teams safe and productive on a recent episode of The Collision Vision podcast, driven by Autobody News and hosted by Cole Strandberg

The Critical Role of PPE in Collision Repair

“People are really our biggest asset in any industry, but certainly in collision repair,” Scharton said. “And we want them working for us for a long time. We want them to be safe and healthy as they work. And we want to make it a pleasant working environment wherever possible.”

Scharton pointed out an environment like a collision repair shop has a lot of potential for dangerous situations. The preference is to prevent

one from happening, but PPE is the “last line of defense” in the event it does.

Shinn said some of the more common hazards technicians may encounter — welding fumes, paint vapors, and particulates from grinding and sanding – affect the respiratory system.

It’s critical that shops inspect and identify those hazards, and then pick the PPE that will be “right for not only the hazard but for the worker,” he added. “Because if it doesn’t fit the worker, they tend not to wear it when they need to wear it, and that’s where injuries can occur.”

Scharton said in the more than 20 years he has been in collision repair shops, he has seen a “dramatic change in attitude” about PPE.

“It used to be, if I walked into a shop and I was wearing safety glasses, I was probably the only one,” he said. “Now, safety glasses are almost universal. Everybody’s wearing them.”

More technicians are using respirators, cut-proof gloves and ear protection as well.

“It has become much more accepted, much more normal, to have these things in place, rather than maybe the ‘tough guy’ image of 15 to 20 years ago where, ‘I don’t need that stuff. I’m already missing

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of honor,” Scharton said. “Now people are really taking care of themselves. And I see that trend continuing.”

The shift in attitude is partly attributed to an aging technician workforce wanting to take better care of themselves now that they are growing older, but also to younger technicians starting with those habits already in place, Scharton said.

Younger people are also looking for employers that care about safety, he said.

“They want to work in an environment where it’s brightly lit, it’s not dirty, it’s a comfortable temperature,” Scharton said. “They want to see that their employer is taking care of them. And the PPE that is there for the workers to use is one of those key things that they start to look at.”

Scharton said he has seen job ads for collision repair shops that tout the type of PPE offered. “It’s become very much an attractor,” he said.

Advancements in Collision Repair PPE

Shinn said 3M designs all of its PPE for a wide range of industries and applications. The company is always looking at improving how PPE functions, making it not just more protective, but also easier and more comfortable for the wearer to put on

and use.

He offered two examples of recent developments that can be used in collision repair: an intrinsically safe powered air purifying respirator that can be used in potentially explosive environments like a paint booth without risking a spark, and a new welding helmet with a curved autodarkening filter -— the first of its kind — that provides the welder with a better field of view, especially in tight spaces.

Scharton said 3M is also working to improve seemingly basic PPE, like safety glasses, developing flexible hinges that create a better fit, no matter who is wearing them.

Shinn said one trend in PPE is “connected solutions,” that use technology, like a mobile phone app or wearable device, to track metrics and suggest adjustments.

“There’s a big emphasis now at the federal and a lot of state levels with heat stress concerns,” Shinn said. “How do we measure heat stress on an individual or warning signs before they actually have any adverse health effects? Sensor technology is something that people are starting to investigate with wearable [devices].”

Scharton said developing technology could also be used to eliminate hazards, like using engineering controls to

capture dust at the source before it can be breathed in by technicians.

“Depending on what else is going on in the shop, you still may need a respirator, but it changes the dynamics of how often you’d need to change that or what type you may need,” he said.

Challenges in Adopting PPE Policies

Scharton said the first thing a shop should do is a detailed assessment of hazards present, and then figure out how to address them, taking into account safety regulations at the state and federal levels.

Shops need to engage employees in that process, he said, and then create a “culture of safety” by reinforcing its importance on a regular basis.

“It needs to be every day that we’re talking about it. It takes an extra step, as a management team, to make sure everybody is not only being safe, but understands why it’s important to be safe,” Scharton said.

“If the workers are involved in the selection process, it greatly increases the likelihood of adoption,” Shinn added. “Let them select product that’s going to work for them.”

Shinn said the biggest mistake he sees in shops is simply a lack of use of PPE.

“There’s lots of reasons why somebody would remove the respirator, safety glasses, face shield,” Shinn said, including being uncomfortable or

restricting the ability to complete tasks.

“It’s on the shop owners to watch out for this type of behavior,” Shinn said. “Get on the shop floor. Investigate if injuries are happening, why they’re happening, and reinforce the need to wear PPE 100% of the time when it’s required to be worn.”

Scharton said 3M representatives are extensively trained before being sent out to visit shops, so they can act as a consultant on the need for and use of PPE, and help a shop complete a hazard assessment.

Shinn said OSHA frequently looks first at a shop’s hazard assessment. “That’s one of the more common deficiencies we see across all industries,” he added.

Companies often “jump right into personal protective equipment,” when in reality, “that should be the last resort. There’s other controls that are more effective,” Shinn said, including engineering controls, local exhaust ventilation or using a less hazardous chemical.

“Those should be investigated and implemented when feasible,” Shinn said. “Only then should you be looking at personal protective equipment, which, that said, is still a very critical part of the overall safety program.”

Shop Liability

Shop owners are liable for everything that happens in the shop, Shinn said,

including PPE.

“Regardless of whether the worker is following their program, not following the program, wearing PPE, not wearing PPE, there’s some extent of liability there, if something does happen,” Shinn said.

It comes down to teaching and reinforcing the importance of using it. “Next time you see [an employee using PPE] properly, give them the kudos, give them some type of reward,” he said.

“There’s no getting away from liability. That’s part of being a business owner. But there’s a lot of steps you can take to minimize that liability,” Shinn added.

EV PPE

EV high-voltage battery technology

“is still, we’ll say, somewhat volatile,” Shinn said. “There’s certain issues with overheating, fires.”

Scharton said as new technology develops in one industry, 3M probably already has PPE to address it that it created for another industry.

“The issues [with EVs] are new to the collision repair industry. They aren’t necessarily new to the world,” he said. “Protecting ourselves from high voltage, fire suppression, those sorts of things are happening in other industries, and solutions exist. It’s just making sure that collision repair shops understand what those solutions are, where they can get them and what’s available.”

Strandberg asked Shinn and Scharton what advice they would give to a shop owner about investing in PPE and the long-term safety of their employees.

“Realistically, [PPE] is such a minor percentage of what a shop owner spends. They could double the spending and it still wouldn’t be a blip on the radar of on anybody’s books,” Scharton said. “Go the extra mile and get the PPE that your technicians find comfortable, that they want to wear. Give them some sense of choice as a group on what to bring in, because that’s going to help it move forward.

“And ultimately that’s what’s going to shine through when people come to visit your shop, either as customers or as future employees,” Scharton added.

“They’re going to see how comfortable, safe, healthy, happy everybody else is in the shop and are going to want to be there because of it.”

Shinn emphasized again the importance of involving employees in the safety process start to finish, starting with the hazard assessment — “Nobody knows the hazards of the job better than the technician performing the job” — and then selecting the PPE.

“Your chance of success greatly increases,” Shinn said. “We want to keep workers healthy and happy, and healthy and happy workers are typically more productive, so it’s a win-win.”

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Serving Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, Colorado, Arizona, Utah 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.

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Electrified New-Vehicle Sales Drive Overall Gains For Automakers in November

Automakers on Dec. 3 began releasing sales results for November, reporting strong results for light trucks and electrified models, including plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles.

Honda

American Honda sold 121,419 units in November, a 14.5% increase year-over-year, driven by strong sales of light truck and electrified models for both the Honda and Acura brands.

The Honda brand sold 110,020 units, up 15.9% over November 2023, keeping the brand on course for a 10% annual increase.

The Honda brand also set an all-time monthly sales record for electrified models with more than 38,000 units, led by strong demand for hybrids and a new monthly sales record for the Prologue, which sold 6,823 units.

Honda light truck sales are up 15.7% so far in 2024, with 79,982 units sold in November. Pilot sales of 12,652 and Odyssey sales of 6,644 kept both models at the top of their respective segments.

CR-V sales are on track for an alltime annual sales record, topping

34,300 units in November. More than half — 54% — were hybrid models.

The Acura brand sold 11,399 units in November with strong demand despite supply issues due to retooling of both the Marysville and East Liberty Auto Plants in Ohio in preparation for EV production in late 2025.

2024, an increase of 8.2% compared with November 2023, when it sold 53,327. Subaru also reported year-to-date sales of 605,854, a 5.5% increase compared with the same period in 2023.

Crosstrek achieved its best November ever with 16,948 vehicles sold, a 13% increase compared to November 2023, and its fifth month in a row as the top performer by volume.

Acura sold 9,031 SUVs in November, a 16.3% increase yearover-year. The All-electric ZDX posted its best sales month since its launch with 1,317 units; more than a quarter of those sales were the ZDX Type S.

Subaru

Subaru of America, Inc. reported 57,690 vehicle sales for November

Forester was the secondhighest selling carline in November with 14,843 vehicles sold, and Outback sales increased to 14,004 vehicles sold. Solterra also continued to see sales growth, achieving its best November ever, up 13% over the previous year.

Hyundai

Hyundai Motor America reported record-breaking total November sales of 76,008 units, an 8% increase compared with November 2023.

Hyundai set total sales records in November for Santa Fe HEV (+64%), Tucson PHEV (+23%), Tucson HEV (+227%), IONIQ 5

(+110%) and Elantra N (+140%).

Hybrid vehicle total sales jumped 114%, while total EV sales grew 70%. This was the best-ever month for Santa Fe HEV, Tucson PHEV, Tucson HEV and IONIQ 5.

Retail sales for November 2024 set new records, climbing 15%. EV retail sales increased 77% year-over-year, hybrid retail sales grew by 104% and electrified (EV, hybrid, plug-in hybrid) retail sales jumped 92%.

Mazda

Mazda North American Operations reported total November sales of 33,422 vehicles, an increase of 20.6% year-over-year and the automaker’s best November sales in history. Year-to-date sales totaled 384,181 vehicles sold, an increase of 18.6% compared to the same time last year. With 26 selling days in November, compared to 25 the year prior, the company posted an increase of 16% on a Daily Selling Rate (DSR) basis.

Certified pre-owned sales totaled 6,451 vehicles in November, an increase of 38% compared to November 2023.

Wishing You a Happy & Prosperous 2025 from the Team at

AUT OBODY