April 2013 Southwest Edition by Autobody News

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Texas HB 71, If Passed, Would Lower Tax Bills for ‘Non Retail’ Collision Repair to Dealer Rates The Automotive Service Association (ASA) is urging all independent automotive repairers in Texas to contact their state legislators and voice their support for a bill that would bring balance to the state tax laws. Current Texas tax code allows automotive service and collision repair shops owned by new or used car dealerships to be taxed at half the rate of independently owned businesses doing identical work. The tax code in Texas classifies dealership sales (including repair work) as “retail,” allowing their service and repair departments to be included under that category.

The bill consists of a one sentence insertion to create a new clause C of the “retail trade” definition: “the activities classified as Industry Group 753 of the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification Manual published by the federal Office of Management and Budget.” SIC Industry Group 753, Automotive Repair Shops is part of: SIC Major Group 75 - Automotive Repair, Services, and Parking. Texas House Bill 71, if passed, would allow independent repair shops to be taxed the same amount that dealers, parts stores, and tire stores are now See HB 71, Page 54

VOL. 31 ISSUE 4 APRIL 2013

TIAA to Host Annual Convention and Training Event May 25 in San Antonio The Texas Independent Automotive Association will hold its annual convention and training event on May 25 in San Antonio, TX. This convention is designed for shop owners, service writers, managers, shop foremen and anyone in the business involved in selling or management. The event will feature two speakers, one for collision repair and the other for mechanical repair. Michael Anderson of Collision Advice will speak to collision repairers and suppliers with two presentations:

PAINT AND REFINISH TECHNOLOGIES First of 2 Issues

• “Parts Procurement Best Practices” addresses every aspect of parts management, from accounting for parts on a Profit and Loss Statement, how to make adjustments for WIP, the best reports for managing parts Mike Anderson from your management system and much more. • “Negotiation Best Practices—Educate not Alienate” focuses on the negotiation process between an insurer See TIAA to Host Convention, Page 12

• Custom Painter Stories, p. 23. 32, 34, 42, 44, 48 • Companies Talk Tech p. 13 • Tips and Tricks p. 22 • Training and News, p. 8, 33

Indiana Convention & Exhibition Takes Control of the Future: “What are You Doing to Prepare?”

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“Taking Control of Your Future” was the motto of the 2013 Bi-Annual Convention and Technology Exhibition sponsored by the Indiana Auto Body Association in Indianapolis, February 22–23. This two-day convention was a solid mix of collision repair technology, education and industry issues. The freezing rain that hit Indi-

anapolis the night before didn’t slow down this show one bit, although Mike Anderson, who was scheduled to open the show Friday morning, got trapped in Toronto by the storm. IABA Executive Director and manager of the Convention, Tony Passwater, took over and gave the event a great start. The convention was held at the Lincoln College of Technology, a perfect venue for the event. Over 65 ven-

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dor booths populated the main hall and educational programs were in the classrooms. The Industry Panel Discussions were built into the Technology Exhibition. “The success of this event Rich Evans, fabricator, customizer and Autobody News columnist, was a joint effort gets the students’ attention at the Indiana convention (see p. 48) between the Indiana Auto Body Asso- Passwater. “I can’t thank them enough ciation and Lincoln College of Tech- for its success.” The show opened with Tony nology instructors and staff,” said Passwater delivering the theme “The Future Is Not Locked In Stone.” The meeting moved right into a panel discussion “The Future of the Collision Repair Industry,” which featured, Nick Notte, Sterling Auto Body Centers, Jim Keller, 1Collision, Tim Adelman, ABRA and Erick Bickett, FIX Auto. These industry leaders collectively represented MSOs, insurerTony Passwater, Executive Director of the Inowned shops, networks and franchises diana Auto Body Association, opens the 2013 Bi-Annual Convention and Technology Exhibit

See Indiana Convention, Page 24

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Contents

NATIONAL ABRA Auto Body & Glass in Clinton, Iowa, Wins Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 ABRA Opens Four Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Allstate’s Overton Joins Education Foundation Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Anthony Fisher Obituary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 ASA Announces Details for 2013 Annual Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Automaker, OEM and Recall News . . . . . . . . 30 CAPA Testing on Safety of Aftermarket Bumper Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 CARSTAR Promotes Rick Miller and Melissa Miller (no relation) to Leadership Roles . . . 46 Edward “Randy” Bevis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Feds Spend $1 Billion on Repair Bill for Vehicle Fleet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Florida Senate Panel Wants Ban on Texting & Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Ford Adding 450 Jobs at Northeast Ohio Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Four Collision Industry Members Join Education Foundation’s Leadership Circle . . . 50 Hertz and Penske Agree to Franchise Deal in Indiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 I-CAR Adds 4 New Online Courses, Expands Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 ICRA Adds ‘No Free Lunch’ to Tradeshow . . . 46 Indiana Convention & Exhibition Takes Control of the Future: “What are You Doing to Prepare?”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Industry Gives $5 Million in Support of Collision Repair Programs through Education Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Industry Gives 1,000 Uniforms to Collision Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Industry Veteran Mike Spagnola Joins SEMA . . . 47

Maryland Delegate Mark N. Fisher (R-27B) has introduced House Bill 1375 regarding replacement parts for damaged vehicles. The bill would prevent insurers from requiring a “specific vendor or process for parts procurement”—in effect it would block requirements like State Farm’s PartsTrader initiative in the state. This legislation is one of the first attempts to address recent insurer initiatives relative to parts procurement. The bill language prohibits an adjuster, appraiser, insurance producer or employee of an insurer from requiring a motor vehicle repair facility to use a specific vendor or process for parts procurement or other necessary material for vehicle repair. The legislation requires an insurer to authorize repairs to be made using genuine crash parts, prohibiting an insurer from requiring repairs to be made using aftermarket crash parts during the five years after the vehicle is manufactured. The insured may consent to the use of aftermarket crash parts in writing at the time of repair. The Automotive Service Association (ASA) and its Collision Division Operations Committee have con-

PAINT SPECIAL Collision Painter Enjoys Custom’s Freedom of Expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Custom Painter Aaron Wachholz Paints Cars, Boats & Bikes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 From Hot Wheels to Hot Rods: Kindig-It Designer Works for Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 How to “Touch Up” A Scratched Car in 60 Minutes and Make $95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Jon Kosmoski—Painting Legend Uses SATA Guns Exclusively . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Mitch Lanzini Extends his Art from Toy Cars to Overhaulin’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Preval Wins Prestigious Sherwin-Williams’ Vendor of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 The Art of Atomization: Thermo Regulated Compressed Air and Atomization . . . . . . . 13 Waterborne Breathable Air Combo System Available from Martech Services Company . 22

ducted educational meetings around the country, met with insurer representatives and convened other collision industry segments to discuss crash parts and parts procurement policy. The Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA) worked closely with Delegate Fisher in drafting the language. Said Jordan Hendler, Executive Director of WMABA, “We aided his efforts to introduce this bill in this session by providing guidance and information on the subject matter, outlining the issues currently faced by our membership. We support the Delegate’s pro-consumer viewpoints, and agree that the language will offer added protection for our members’ customers in the state of Maryland. Additionally, we firmly believe that it is outside of the business of insurance to specify any process or vendor in the repair process, and this legislation will provide much-needed protection in this area, given growing advancements of insurers mandating parts procurement practices.” “We are one hundred percent in support this bill,” said Hendler.

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Assistant Editor: Melanie Anderson Contributing Writers: Tom Franklin, John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, David Brown, Rich Evans, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Jay Lukes (800) 699-8251 Sales Assistant: Louise Tedesco Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia

Southwest

COLUMNISTS Attanasio: Blogging for Fun and Profit . . . . . . 14 Evans: Sharing the Love of Custom Painting with Students at Lincoln . . . . . . . 48 Franklin: The Selling Estimator’s Job Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Insider: Shops’ Inefficiencies Are Legitimate Concerns for Insurers . . . . . . . 36 Sisk: Charles Bryant Updates Us on What’s Going On in New Jersey . . . . . . . . 37

Joe Gibbs Racing Hosts Sherwin-Williams Worshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Keenan Launches Operation Comfort Fundraiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Lexus of Pembroke Pines, FL, Named 2012 Lexus Certified Collision Center of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Maryland Legislation Would Block Insurer-Mandated Parts Procurement, WMABA: Yes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Mitchell Releases 2013 Insurance Predictions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 NABC Appoints 3M Sales Manager Ricciotti to Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 NABC Ramps Up Its Social Media Efforts . . . 40 NABC To Take Stock of Future at April Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 NASCAR Champion Jeff Gordon to Drive No. 24 Chevrolet with New Imron Elite Paint Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 New Indiana Shop to Follow Lean Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Post Office Unveils 1967 Shelby Forever Stamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 PPG Marketing on Demand Website Breaks New Ground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Rhode Island Body Shop Prompts Zoning Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 SCRS Donates General Memberships to 245 Collision School Programs through Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 SCRS, CREF Ask Industry to Support Their Local Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Seidner’s Hires Mike Stacy as Corporate Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Self-Driving Nissan Leaf Controlled from iPad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 SEMA Exhibit Summit Takes Place April 15–17 in Las Vegas, 7 Months Prior to Nov. 5–8 Show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 SEMA Show Hotels Now Accepting Reservations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Sherwin-Williams Introduces Body Shop Phone App for Consumers . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Shop Owners, Managers Asked to Complete Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Show Attendees React to AASP 2013 Northeast Tradeshow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 State Farm to Grow in Phoenix . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The Industry Can Unify and Change; Many Have Made an Impact . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Used Vehicle Wholesale Prices Up 1.3% in January . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 VA Police Make 383 Arrests for Insurance Fraud in 2012. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Vermont Introduces Aftermarket Bill . . . . . . . 53 WIN May 5–7 Conference to Focus on Recruiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Indexof Advertisers

REGIONAL Arkansas Electronic Proof of Insurance Goes to Governor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Caliber Collision Acquires Two New Texas Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Chrysler Delivers First Shipment of Compressed Natural Gas–Fueled Ram Trucks to Oklahoma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Dallas Attorney Buys Auto Body Shop to Redevelop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Delgado College in New Orleans Hosts SkillsUSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Inspection, Maintenance Bill Introduced in Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Jan. 2012 Less Deadly for OK . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Louisiana Hail Storm Brings More Customers . . . 19 Lund Acquires Prestige Fender Flares in Texas . . . 6 New Service King in Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 NWLCRA Met March 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Oklahoma Safety Officials Want Texting Ban . . . 6 Senate May Reject TX Insurance Commissioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Single License Plate Bill Introduced in Texas Legislature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Texas HB 71, If Passed, Would Lower Tax Bills for ‘Non Retail’ Collision Repair to Dealer Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 TIAA to Host Annual Convention and Training Event May 25 in San Antonio . . . . . 1 Van Tuyl’s Firefighters’ Extrication, Tradeshow, and Fundraiser . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Maryland Legislation Would Block InsurerMandated Parts Procurement, WMABA: Yes

Serving Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico 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. ©2013 Adamantine Media LLC.

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Absolute Mitsubishi-Hyundai . . . . . 23 Anderson Artworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 BASF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 37 Car-Part Pro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 CCC Information Services . . . . . . . . 7 Chevyland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Chief Automotive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Classic BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Dallas Dodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 David McDavid Auto Group . . . . . . . 2 Don Carlton Auto Group . . . . . . . . . 26 Equalizer Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers TX, OK, LA, NM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Fowler Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Fowler I-240 Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge. 21 Garmat USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 44 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-29 Houston Auto Body Association. . . 36 Huffines Hyundai Plano . . . . . . . . . 32 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . 47 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers. 39

LKQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Malco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 50 Mike Calvert Toyota. . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers. 41 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 25 North Freeway Hyundai . . . . . . . . . 40 Ray Huffines Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Reliable Chevrolet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Replica Plastics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 River Oaks Chrysler-JeepDodge-Ram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 SATA Spray Equipment . . . . . . . . . 19 Scoggin-Dickey Buick . . . . . . . . . . 31 South Pointe Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge. 15 Toyota of Fort Worth . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Toyota of Laredo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Toyota STAR Elite Dealers . . . . . 16-17 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 45 VIM Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Volvo Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 53 Walcom USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Young Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 3

Caliber Collision Acquires Two New Texas Locations

Caliber Collision Centers recently acquired and opened two new locations in Killeen and Harker Heights, TX. “We are proud to announce our newest locations with our acquisition of Quality Paint and Body,” said Steve Grimshaw, Caliber Collision Centers’ Chief Executive Officer. Caliber Collision’s new centers are located at 415 Avenue F and 5300 East Central Texas Expressway, Killeen, TX. The new Killeen Downtown location on Avenue F is just over 25,000 square feet and the Harker Heights location on East Central Texas Expressway is 16,000 square feet. “Our two new Texas locations bring Caliber Collision’s total number of locations to 125 as we continue to provide greater operational consistency, single-minded customer focus and client cost management in every community we serve,” added Mark Sanders, Chief Operating Officer for Caliber Collision Centers.

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Dallas Attorney Buys Auto Body Shop to Redevelop

Dallas attorney Chad West recently bought a former auto body shop at 900 W. Davis St. in the community of Oak Cliff in Dallas, TX, and plans to convert it into office space for his criminal defense practice. Terms of the deal were undisclosed, the Dallas Business Journal reported. West is currently renovating the 1,432-square-foot building and plans to move his practice to Oak Cliff by this spring. “Chad saw an opportunity to move his practice to a freestanding building and decided to go for it,” said Austin Schenkel, the broker for The Weitzman Group, who represented the lawyer in the deal. “This building hasn’t been occupied for years and he’ll take it and reconvert it, which is pretty standard for that area,” said Schenkel, who sits in the board of the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce. Other Oak Cliff businesses sit in redeveloped property in close proximity to the Bishop Arts District. A restaurant, Bolsa, was originally a gas station. The Pour House by Kessler Theater was a former auto body shop.

Chrysler Delivers First Shipment of Compressed Natural Gas–Fueled Ram Trucks to Oklahoma

Oklahoma received its first shipment of compressed natural gas-fueled Ram 2500 pickups from Chrysler. The state ordered 242 pickups for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. The state’s order is Chrysler’s largest since it began producing CNG trucks in October. Chrysler’s Ram is the only CNGpowered pickup in North America built by an original equipment manufacturer. The bi-fuel trucks were built at Chrysler’s heavy-duty truck plant in Mexico. Gov. Mary Fallin took the keys to one of the trucks from Peter Grady, Chrysler’s vice president of network development and fleet. “Chrysler Group is delighted that we can deliver these unique Ram pickup trucks today to Gov. Fallin, a steadfast champion in the use of compressed natural gas vehicles in state fleets,” said Grady. “Through the governor’s tireless efforts to form a coalition of states, 13 Ram Truck dealers have landed contracts with 19 states to supply their fleets with the new Ram 2500 CNG pickup trucks,” he said.

Fallin led a bipartisan coalition of 22 states interested in adding more CNG vehicles to their fleets. Natural gas is a cheaper, cleaner fuel than gasoline or diesel. “Converting the state’s fleet to CNG will save taxpayers millions of dollars in fuel costs,” Fallin said. “The use of cleanerburning CNG fuel is good for the environment and promotes Oklahoma-made natural gas which in turn supports the creation of more Oklahoma jobs. “Our multistate bidding process was aimed at encouraging automakers to provide states with more affordable and more functional CNG vehicles.” The trucks delivered March 6 to the Transportation Department were purchased through John Vance Motors in Guthrie. They will be used primarily as service trucks on the state’s roads and highways. “These are heavy-duty trucks and we have highway crews in every county in the state who will put them to work immediately,” Oklahoma Secretary of Transportation Gary Ridley said.

4 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Arkansas Electronic Proof of Insurance Goes to Governor

The Arkansas Legislature approved a bill to allow drivers to use their cell phones or other portable electronic devices to display proof of insurance. By a 91-0 vote, House lawmakers passed a proposal that would permit drivers to show their proof of insurance cards electronically when registering their vehicle or during a traffic stop, but it does not automatically give police permission to search a driver’s phone or electronic device without probable cause. The proposal now goes to Gov. Mike Beebe.

Jan. 2012 Less Deadly for OK

The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety says fewer people were killed in auto accidents in January, 2013 compared to January, 2012, and the overall number of traffic deaths for the year is also down from a year ago. A department report says that there were 31 traffic fatalities in January that included one motorcyclist and five pedestrians. There were 44 traffic fatalities in the state during January 2012. The department says that as of Feb. 19 there had been 60 traffic fatalities compared to 71 as of the same date in 2012.

Single License Plate Bill Introduced in Texas Legislature

Legislation to require the issuance of a single motor-vehicle license plate for attachment at the rear of the vehicle was introduced in the Texas House Of Representatives. The bill, favored by state hobbyists, would apply to passenger cars and light trucks. Among other things, the bill would save money, conserve resources and bring Texas in line with other states that have moved to a single plate requirement.

NWLCRA Met March 5

The Northwest Louisiana Collision Repair Association met March 5 at the Silver Star Smokehouse in Bossier City, LA. Guest speaker was Tom Roche of Pro-Dip Aquagrafix. His company specializes in vehicle and boat wraps and other graphics. The process can be used on plastic, metal, fiberglass and hardwoods.

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 5

Lund Acquires Prestige Fender Flares in Texas

Lund International Holding Company, a portfolio company of Highlander Partners, L.P., recently announced the acquisition of the Prestige Fender Flare assets of Empower Group, Inc. Prestige Fender Flares is headquartered in Allen, TX, and is a leading designer and producer of premium quality fender flares sold throughout the United States. Co-founders Anthony Liu and Robert Chen, who have successfully built Prestige into a leading provider of fender flares in the automotive aftermarket, will join Lund in a management capacity focusing on new product development. In six short years, they have developed a thorough and complete offering of fender flares for light trucks and SUVs. Mitch Fogle, President of Lund, said, “The addition of Prestige’s fender flares to the Lund family of products solidifies our leadership in the automotive aftermarket accessories industry. We look forward to working with Anthony and Robert to maximize the potential of the excellent product offering they have developed and exploit their combined new product ideas.”

Senate May Reject TX Insurance Commissioner Texas Insurance Commissioner Eleanor Kitzman could have trouble winning Senate confirmation to keep her job, as Democrats with enough votes to defeat her nomination question her credentials, the Insurance Journal recently reported. Kitzman was appointed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry in 2011 between legislative sessions. She faces a formal confirmation process starting with the Senate’s Nominations Committee, before a vote of the full Senate in which she will need twothirds support. Several Democrats have questioned her leadership and her past ties to the insurance industry, the Austin American-Statesman reported. At least one Republican, Sen. Bob Deuell of Greenville, suggested that Kitzman “has ignored a lot of rules.” “I don’t think the votes are there to confirm her,” Deuell said. Kitzman told the newspaper she wanted to talk to each senator and correct any misconceptions, though she didn’t specify what those were. “I’m aware there are some members that have a view about certain things,” Kitzman said. “And some of those views may be pretty

Oklahoma Safety Officials Want Texting Ban

The mother of a teenager killed in a traffic accident while using a cell phone delivered a tearful plea to legislators on Feb. 27 to approve a bill that would ban texting while driving in Oklahoma, the Insurance Journal reported. Gina Harris, whose 19-year-old daughter Brittanie Montgomery was killed in a crash in Oklahoma City in 2006, was among a group of health and safety officials, legislators, teenagers and insurance industry officials who rallied at the Capitol and urged lawmakers to approve the texting ban as a step toward making Oklahoma’s roadways safer. “She chose to pick up her phone,” Harris said. “Within a two-second time span she lost control of her vehicle and hopped all the way across four lanes of traffic and was hit in her driver’s door. She did not survive the impact.” House Bill 1503, which would make it illegal for any driver to “compose, send, or read a text-based communication” while driving, passed through the House Transportation Committee and, if approved by the House Calendar Committee, will be heard on the House floor. The bill calls for a fine of up to $500 for violations. Oklahoma drivers can be cited

for inattentive driving, but cannot be stopped or ticketed simply for a using a cell phone, even if an officer witnesses them texting while driving, said Kerry Pettingill, chief of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. “If we see them crash, then we can stop them,” Pettingill said. The Oklahoma Legislature three years ago approved a measure that would allow teens with a learner’s permit or intermediate driver’s license to have their license suspended or revoked from using cell phones while driving, except in emergency situations, but more far-reaching proposals have faced resistance. Sen. Ralph Shortey, R-Oklahoma City, said he questions whether a ban on texting actually would make the roads any safer, suggesting drivers simply would try to hide the fact that they were using their phones. “I don’t think this is going to do anything,” said Shortey, R-Oklahoma City. “Saying something is illegal is not going to change the behavior of an individual.” Chuck Mai, a spokesman for AAA Oklahoma, cited statistics from the National Safety Council that show at least 24% of crashes involve drivers talking and texting on cell phones.

6 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Inspection, Maintenance Bill Introduced in Texas

entrenched. Others are, I think, based on–let’s say –less than the whole story on some things. And I just want to give them an opportunity to, like I say, have complete information and make an informed decision.” Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, said Kitzman has “serious problems” and accuses her of not protecting consumers enough. Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, wrote a letter earlier this year criticizing Kitzman for removing a rule that she said would require insurers to warn patients in advance about added out-of-pocket expenses related to services provided out of network. State Sen. John Whitmire, DHouston, accused Kitzman of being beholden to consultants, as fees paid to a New York-based firm have passed $1.5 million. “I just think you’ve kind of, really lost control,” Whitmire told Kitzman at a Senate Finance Committee hearing earlier this month. “Or maybe you’re very much in control of the use of consultants.” Kitzman denies any bias toward the insurance industry. Kitzman isn’t without allies, according to the newspaper’s report.

Recently, state Sen. Carlos Uresti (D-19) introduced Senate Bill 888 in Texas—legislation making extensive changes to the current state inspection and maintenance program for vehicles. Under the existing state inspection and maintenance program, vehicles are inspected every year. The bill includes provisions requiring that the state inspection and maintenance program must apply to gasoline-powered vehicles between five and 25 years old. This would change the initial inspection from two to five years for passenger cars sold in the state and not previously registered in Texas or another state. If this bill becomes law, it will take effect September 2013. The Automotive Service Association (ASA) opposes Senate Bill 888, which will harm consumers and the environment. ASA urges Texas independent repairers to contact their legislators and ask them to oppose Senate Bill 888. To send a letter and view the full text of the bill, visit ASA’s legislative website at www.TakingTheHill.com and click on the “Track State Legislation” tab in the left menu.

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PPG Marketing on Demand Website Breaks New Ground by Ed Attanasio

PPG Automotive Refinish. “Our goal is to help our customers gain a competitive edge with their online and offline marketing programs. By teaming up with Brandmuscle, we’re able to assist our customers in executing the types of marketing programs that are often available only to larger organizations.” Marketing Director Lori Alba is proud of the program PPG invested in for its customers. “PPG wanted to provide its distributors and body shops with a user-friendly, web-based tool for creating marketing materials ondemand,” Alba said. “We reached out

In the automotive paint industry, manufacturers are eager and willing to help their customers in areas such as production, recordkeeping and cost analysis. But now forward-thinking companies like PPG are reaching out to help jobbers and body shops in their marketing, advertising and media-buying efforts. Launched in April 2012 for distributors and body shop customers, the PPG Marketing on Demand website was created to perform a wide range of marketing functions—website development, the creation and production of advertising and marketing materials, and other tasks to help clients grow their businesses and establish a presence in their particular markets. PPG developed the website in conLaunched in April 2012, the PPG Marketing on Demand website can help PPG distributors and body shop cusjunction with Brandmuscle, tomers to perform a wide range of marketing functions a marketing software and to PPG sales reps, distributors and services firm based in Chicago. “We are passionate about helping body shops to find out what they wanted and needed in order to grow our distributors and body shops to suctheir businesses. With our research ceed,” said Cristina Fronzaglia, manager of marketing communications, and experience and their feedback, we

were able to create a site that acts as a also reach out to the PPG Marketing on Demand support team for personalized one-stop marketing resource.” Alba has additional insight on body one-on-one help with their advertising,” Alba said. “Rather than guessing what shops and their marketing needs because her husband manages a large body kinds of advertising to run or using a shop in Ohio.“There are thousands of shotgun approach, the PPG Marketing shops out there with little time and limited budgets and even fewer resources to focus on marketing and advertising. We knew we had to create a site that PPG distributors and body shops could use easily and quickly. By making the navigation straightforward and pro- By using PPG Marketing on Demand, PPG distributors and viding features like a work body shop customers can create customized websites center where customers can fast and affordably on Demand support center can help dissave and later retrieve ads they’ve created, an asset library where they can tributors and body shops by providing grab images and logos, and an extensive recommendations and helping to negotiate the best advertising rates.” how-to section, PPG Marketing on DeFor distributors and body shops mand is very easy to use.” Shops and distributors can create looking to create a website without high-quality customized ads and other spending thousands of dollars, PPG tailored marketing materials with a Marketing on Demand can make it few clicks of the mouse using PPG happen easily and affordably, Alba extemplates for use in newspaper, mag- plained. “PPG customers can create a azine, trade and broadcast advertising. professional site at a fraction of the cost “While shops will have access to of doing it on their own, and we can create materials online 24/7, they can maintain it for a nominal monthly fee.”

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Delgado College in New Orleans Hosts SkillsUSA

The 30th annual Louisiana SkillsUSA Postsecondary Championships will be held April 10-12 at Delgado Community College in New Orleans. Technical and community college students from across the state will compete in two dozen skill areas, including allied health, automotive service technology, welding, collision repair technology, advertising, practical nursing and other in-demand career fields. The event is considered a “Workforce Olympics” of career and technical education in Louisiana. During the competitions, students will match their abilities against their peers in various contests designed and judged by experts from local industry. The championships are one of the state’s largest gatherings of business, industry and education. The event is hosted through a partnership between the Louisiana Community and Technical College System and the National SkillsUSA Office as underwritten by the Carl D. Perkins Grant for Career & Technical Education. This is the first time the Louisiana SkillsUSA Postsecondary Championships have been hosted by Delgado Community College. “We are very happy to have this spotlight on the skills of Louisiana’s

students shining on them here in New Orleans,” said Larissa LittletonSteib, Delgado’s SkillsUSA Conference Committee chair. “Our college grew from a trades school established in 1921, and a focus on technical skills education is part of our overall mission of providing workforce education as well as college courses to residents of the New Orleans region.” “This competition is the ideal demonstration of students, business and colleges as it builds and advances the workforce of Louisiana’s tomorrow,” said Jawan Ross, Louisiana SkillsUSA Post-Secondary director. “It is more than the competition or winning medals. Rather, SkillsUSA provides a foundation for students to realize their full potential.” The competitions will be held April 11, with closing awards ceremony on April 12, and webcast live by the Louisiana Public Broadcasting at www.lpb.org/live. Gold medal winners at the Louisiana championships will go to the National Leadership and Skills Conference in Kansas City, MO, this summer. SkillsUSA is a national organization in all 50 states with support of 1,100 corporations, trade associations and labor unions.

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Van Tuyl’s Firefighters’ Extrication, Tradeshow, and Fundraiser tronic measuring system, Hunter alignment rack and Prospot STR welders. This past January at the CIC meeting The shop was packed with repairs and I in Palm Springs, CA, Darren Hugwas wondering how they were going to gins, the National Collision Director get all those cars outside. When I came back on Friday to prep my two total loss vehicles, the shop was totally cleaned out and the floors washed. By noon, 50 vendor tables were set up, plus 3M demonstration areas (plastic repair, vehicle prepping and detailing) were organized. By late in the afternoon, nearly all sponsoring vendors, including national companies Hertz, Enterprise, CCC, Summit Solutions, Prospot, Car-O-Liner, Toby Chess (l) with the Arlington firefighters’ extrication Matrix Wand, Kent Automofor the Van Tuyl Automotive Group, tive and 3M were set up. There were asked me if I would be interested in five cars with big ribbon bows on top. conducting a fire extrication demonHere is what was so unique about stration for his tradeshow and fund this multi-event which had more than raiser. Of course I said ‘yes.’ I con3,200 attendees: It was a fundraiser for tacted Craig Oliveira, Regional Sales Trinity River Mission and Family PromManager of Kent Automotive, and ise of Irving; it was a Recycled Rides asked him if his company would sponGiveaway; it was also a training day for sor my trip and he said, “Definitely, betechnicians and an invitation for students cause Kent was one of the sponsors of in interested in the collision industry as a the event.” I also contacted Progressive career path. Let’s look as some of the Insurance about getting a couple of late events that made this day really special: model total-loss vehicles for the event. Trinity River Mission is a volunWithin 24 hours, they committed to teer-based community learning center providing a 2009 Ford Focus and a that promotes literacy, encourages ac2011 Hyundai Sonata. Knowing I had ademic success and develops effective two late model cars, I contacted the life skills among disadvantaged youth by Toby Chess

Charley Hutton (l) and Chip Foose inside the booth

Battalion Chief for the city of Arlington, and he committed two ladder trucks and two engine trucks for the event. I was now ready to rock and roll. On February 14, I flew into Dallas and proceeded to Team Vandergriff Collision Center in Arlington, TX. This is a brand new 50,000-square-foot center (open less than six months). I met with David Shirley and his staff and he gave me a quick tour of the facility, which included two Garmat booths and prep stations, a top of the line Car-O-Liner bench system, EVO1, 2 & 3, Car-O-

Homer Delgado (l) and Craig Oliveira of Kent Automotive

in West Dallas, in the belief that education connects them to life’s possibilities. Nearly $25,000 was raised for this group. The Van Tuyl Automotive group sponsors two local vocational schools with equipment and training. The two schools, Texas State Technical College and East Field College, sent 50 students to be part of this industry event. Chip Foose is a well-known hot rod shop owner, automotive designer and fabricator, and star of the reality TV series Overhaulin’ on Velocity.

10 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Foose, with nationally-recognized custom painter Charley Hutton, demonstrated their unique skills and talked with the attendees about a career in the collision repair industry. The Recycled Rides event gave away five late model vehicles that were donated by Hertz, Enterprise, Farmers Insurance, Grapevine Ford and Westway Ford. The parts were donated by the many vendors that supply the Van Tuyl Automotive group and five of the 15 area Van Tuyl collision centers furnished the labor. I have been to num-

Darren Huggins (r), Natl Collision Director for Van Tuyl, announces the Recycled Rides recipients

ber of these giveaways and they still make me teary eyed. I will also say that Darren became very emotional after announcing the second family and you

could really see pride for his employees who volunteered their time for the project and deep emotion for the special needs families. Vandergriff Chevrolet North, Vandergriff South, Vandergriff Toyota, Grapevine Ford and WestwayFord all participated in the giveaway. If you and your shop are not involved with the Recycled Rides Program, you are really missing the boat. Everyone who attended were treated to a real Texas barbecue. Lastly, the fire extrication demonstration and training exercise was a real hit. All of the firefighters were really appreciative to be able to train on late model cars that produce new challenges with all the high strength and ultra high strength steels. I set off all the side air bags, seat air bags and frontal air bags, which everyone including the firefighters, really enjoyed. I want to thank Progressive Insurance for their donations and Cowboy Towing for picking up, moving and delivering the cars in a most professional manner. In closing, I hope that the Van Tuyl Automotive Group makes this an annual event and invites me back.

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New Service King in Texas

Service King Collision Repair Centers has opened a new shop location near Austin, in Lakeway, TX. The new 19,000-square-foot facility has the capacity to repair more than 200 cars a month. “We are very proud to be able to service the community of Lakeway,” said Jeremy Lennox, VP of Service King-South Texas. “Lakeway is a high growth demographic market, which aligns with the goals of our strategic growth model. Service King is pleased to expand our Austin footprint to seven locations.”

State Farm to Grow in Phoenix

State Farm will grow its operations in the Phoenix area. A State Farm spokesman recently confirmed that the company will boost its established operations in metro Phoenix, as well as in Dallas and Atlanta. Tempe is home to State Farm’s current Arizona operations. State Farm, based in Illinois, reportedly plans to build on its existing presence to create regional hubs that could employ thousands of new workers. The Arizona Republic says State Farm had almost 1,300 full-time employees and 26 part-time workers in Arizona as of December 2011.

Continued from Cover

TIAA to Host Conventiion

and a collision repair facility. Using real-world examples, Anderson will share his proven methods for getting paid what is owed without alienating the insurer. Terry Greenhut, author of “How to Market and Sell Automotive and Transmission Service and Repair,” will present: • How to do the best possible job of selling to wholesale, fleet and retail customers. He will also speak on managing the shop efficiently and running a profitable business. This one-day event will be held at the La Mansion Del Rio Hotel on the Riverwalk. Cost is $100 per person for the first two people from the same shop, and $50 per person additional. Breakfast and lunch are included. After April 26, prices increase $25 per person.

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Sponsorship opportunities are available:

• Diamond Sponsor: $1500, Sponsorship of Speakers. Sponsorship includes 2 tables (8 guests) ($800 value)

• Emerald Sponsor: $1000, Sponsorship of Venue. Sponsorship includes 1 table (4 guests) ($400 value)

• Ruby Sponsor: $750, Sponsorship of Food & Beverages. Sponsorship includes 1 table (2 guests) ($200 value)

• Gold Sponsor: $500, Sponsorship of Educational Equipment

• Bronze Sponsor - $50 - $300 Make checks payable to: Texas Independent Automotive Association P.O. Box 65148, San Antonio, TX 78265 For more information, contact Hunter Hooge, TIAA Executive Director, at (210) 445-7625 or hunter@tiaa.net. The Texas Independent Automotive Association (TIAA), a non profit organization, is dedicated to improving the automotive industry by educating members, employees, and consumers and by providing scholarships to individuals considering a career in the automotive industry.

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The Art of Atomization: Thermo Regulated Compressed Air and Atomization by Robert Mercier, Walcom Thermo Dry Technology Specialist

The coatings industry is constantly formulating new ways to adapt their products to new environmental standards, ease of use, and color match. The atomization of these coatings through the spraygun nozzle is an ongoing challenge for paint and spraygun manufacturers alike and is ever-changing. It only makes sense that the physical application side of the process, i.e compressed air delivery-spraygun specifications and spraybooth design, change with it. A painter is faced with a different set of circumstances to take into consideration, depending on changing environmental conditions in order to adapt accordingly each day, especially with the new generation waterborne coatings. The tools provided to him are an essential part of his success rate and cycle time. The spraybooth is meant to provide a clean, consistently heated, filtered work environment so the technician can prevent contamination of the job. The demand is the same of the com-

pressed air delivery system. It is equally important to the application process and performance of the spraygun. Compressed air used in paint booths is negatively influenced by low temperatures in the winter and by high relative humidity in the summer. Even with adequate booth heating or, in the summer, cooling dryers, the temperature of compressed air entering the spraygun stock has a hard time reaching 20 °C (68 °F). Remember also that air expansion causes temperature to drop an addition 10–12 °C (50 °F–54 °F), lowering paint atomization air to a temperature under 10 °C (50 °F). With relative humidity under room temperature ‘dew point,’ a micro-mist that mixes with the paint may be generated. Therefore, the ideal 20 °C (68 °F) conditions indicated by paint manufacturers for satisfactory results are not met, with correspon-

ding loss of brilliancy, orange peel effects and poor distribution. Thermodry Technology heats and maintains the set compressed air temperature regardless of climate/room conditions. This allows the painter to use filtered, heated and thermo regulated compressed air, which maxi-

mizes results by eliminating environmental factors both in the booth and from external weather conditions. The operator can set temperature from 20 °C to 50 °C (68 °F–122 °F) for the painting phase and up to 70 °C (158 °F) for the drying phase. The

PID retroaction system (proportionalintegrated-derived) and instant regulation of the heating power at SCR (wave cut) keeps the temperature set by the operator constant. The IPH heating system has the same heating element features as the equipment, thus providing both tube heating and internal temperature control, keeping it constant during the entire paint cycle. A Heated and Thermo Regulated air delivery system that maintains 68 degree nozzle temperature free of humidity and gaseous impurities guarantees the technician superior atomization at the spray gun nozzle. This results in faster drying times, better paint flow out, lower paint consumption, and the elimination of imperfections or die back (loss of gloss.) Painters will immediately feel the difference in terms of faster drying time, better paint flow-out, lower paint consumption and higher application speed. In addition, painters can expect significant improvement in the quality of work when using both waterborne and solvent based paints.

THERMODRY TECHNOLOGY: BENEFITS

Heat your materials at the point of atomization within yourr spraygun nozzle and eliminate costly spraybooth retrofits 1. 25% to 40% reduction in drying time for waterborne and solvent based paints 2. Material savings from 15% to 30% due to higher transfer efficiencyy with maximum coverage 3. Reduce cycle times & operating temperatures of your existing spraybooth saving time and energy(additional cycles) 4. Clean paint work equals considerably less buffing and faster delivery to your customer 5. Simple installation works with your existing compressed air system and 110volt outlet 6. Superior atomization with zero impurities equals the “Quality in the finish” your customers deserve “We have invested in the Walcom system and our painters can’t imagine painting cars without it. We paint cars faster, with higher quality, and have experienced a significant savings in materials.” — Jack Lamborghini Total Care Accident Repair Raynham, Massachusetts

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The complete and efficient solution to resolve problems related to new generation paint application. www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 13

Social Media for Shops

Blogging for Fun and Profit with Ed Attanasio

People used to think that blogs were light and breezy, written mostly by soccer moms or retired teachers and featuring their poetry, baby pictures and long-winded opinion pieces. But over the years blogs have changed in a big way. Nowdays, experts on certain subjects will go to blogs exclusively to see what they can’t find anywhere else on the Internet. Blogs have gone from irrelevant to pertinent within the past five years, and today more companies than ever (including body shops) have one blog and maybe even more. For those of you who have been inside fixing cars too long and don’t know what a blog is, here is my elevator speech. A blog is the morphing of two words (web–log) and in simple terms, it’s a discussion-based or informational site published on the web and including a series of entries (also known as posts) typically displayed in reverse chronological order. Until 2009, blogs were normally the work of a single individual or a small group, and often covered one particular subject. More recently ‘multi-author blogs’ (MABs) have developed, with posts written by large numbers of authors and professionally edited. More and more companies, including body shops, are creating blogs for many reasons, according to Angel Iraola, a blog expert and the owner of Net Business Consulting & Services (NBCS) in Santa Rosa, CA. Iraola has been designing websites and blogs for his clients since 2006 and has seen a huge spike in their overall popularity. “I used to get 1–2 calls every month from people asking about blogs and now I get about 5–6 calls a week. Why are they so in style right now with companies of all sizes? Because for one, they see their competitors doing blogs and they want to keep up. Also, they’re easy and affordable to set up and maintain, moreso than websites. In addition, people read blogs now more than ever and they enjoy interacting with other readers.” To get top search rankings on sites such as Google and Bing, blogs can play an instrumental role, Iraola said. “By using meta tags and the

proper keywords, blogs can help companies to spread the word and enhance their Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts. I’ve helped some of my clients to become #1 on Google and their blogs are one of the main reasons for their success online.” How can body shops use blogs to get more customers? Iraola isn’t giving away his secrets, he said, but he offered some basic advice. “Post at least once every week, otherwise your blog will become stale and people won’t read it. And change up the content, with articles about helpful news and tips about driving and cars and interviews with your employees and funny, entertaining stories including videos, in some cases. Make it interesting and varied and solicit comments by doing polls and promoting discussion with your readers.” Laurie Kaiser is the marketing director at LaMettry’s Collision, with seven locations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Kaiser contracted an outside firm to create LaMettry Collision’s blog in 2011 after it developed the shop’s website, she explained. “They recommended a blog to enhance our SEO, tell our story and keep engaged with our customers. We also attached the blog to some of our social media, such as Twitter and Facebook. We’ve made the content for our blog a team effort, soliciting feedback and gathering ideas about future blog articles from our employees, customers and even vendors.” Some of the more popular posts on LaMettry’s blog include: Best and Worst Car Commercials for 2013; Why Your Car Gets Poor Mileage in the Winter; Green Auto Repair: LaMettry’s Commitment to the Environment; and Congratulations to Lakeville High North’s Class of 2012. Stefanie Almendares is the marketing manager at Eur-Asia Motors in San Francisco, CA. One of the first things she did after getting hired early last year was create a blog and connect it to the shop’s website and its social media. “We specialize in information and education on our blog, because we want to be an advocate for the industry and a source our readers can trust,”

14 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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

Almendares said. “Sometimes I have to ask our techs about how to fix certain items, so that I can write about them for our blog. For instance, we wrote a post recently about how long it takes to repair a bumper. I didn’t know, so I had to learn how a fender is repaired and how long it takes to complete the job, so that I could pass it on to our readers.” Does Almendares have any tips on how to make it in the blogsphere? “I post as often as I can and we always use lots of photos. Our SEO person told us to use plenty of pictures and write alternate text for each photo we post. That way, we get more readership and enhance our searchability.” Kevin Rains is a second-generation owner of Center City Collision in Cincinnati, OH. He delegates the majority of his shop’s day-to-day tasks to his managers and employees, but handles all of his company’s marketing

himself, he explained. “I really enjoy the marketing aspect of this business, because it’s always changing with the technology. I started blogging way back in 2001 for my church, long before most people even knew what blogs were. Then, three years later I started a blog for our shop. Now I also publish a blog called the Auto Guru Blog, on which I teach readers about the technology involved in car repair, so that they know what to expect.” How does he know if people read his blog and has he seen any benefits from it? “There is no doubt about the power of blogging, because I have seen it firsthand. Everything we do online is there for a reason and SEO is of course a big factor. “We can’t rely 100% on our blog or our website, because marketing is a mix of different things but blogging is a part of that.”

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 15

16 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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STERLING MCCALL TOYOTA

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TEJAS TOYOTA

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GULLO TOYOTA OF CONROE

TEXAS TOYOTA OF GRAPEVINE

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HOY-FOX TOYOTA

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JIM MCNATT TOYOTA

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JOE MYERS TOYOTA

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LITHIA TOYOTA OF ODESSA OD ESSA |

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PAT LOBB TOYOTA OF MCKINNEY M C KIN N EY |

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Louisiana

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PRICE LEBLANC TOYOTA

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RAY BRANDT TOYOTA

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BOHN BROTHERS TOYOTA

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 17

Show Attendees React to AASP 2013 Northeast Tradeshow by Chasidy Rae Sisk

After spending such a wonderful weekend at the AASP Northeast Tradeshow at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, NJ, on Friday, March 8 through Sunday, March 10, I was curious to see how my reaction compared to those more experienced in the industry. Luckily, several industry leaders and a few exhibitors took a moment to talk to me about their reactions to the tradeshow. Jeff McDowell, President of AASP NJ, was pleased with this year’s event, noting that, despite the snow, turnout was better than he thought it would be, and the number of attendees and the show as a whole “far exceeded expectations.” Regarding the seminars, McDowell stated that they were all much fuller than expected. He found Larry Montanez’s seminars particularly useful, and in regards to the parts procurement panel, he stated “It was great; a lot of information got disseminated to people who weren’t fully aware of what’s going on.”

Though AASP NJ Executive Director Charles Bryant expected the same success with the show as in previous years, especially with the additional of the Parts Procurement Panel, he was “pleasantly surprised how well the show turned out considering the snowstorm that hit the area on the first night, but with a record number of pre-registrations, we were pretty confident. Shops in the northeast are pretty tough. They won’t let a few inches of snow stop them from attending an event like the NORTHEAST™ show.” Bryant was pleased with the attendance at the seminars also, noting that the Insurer Parts Procurement panel discussion was very exciting since it was the first, to his knowledge, such panel that consisted of active shop owners talking about their experiences with the program. “It was great to see our region come out for such an incredibly important subject.” He was also impressed with Larry Montanez’s seminars and Metropolitan Car-O-Liner’s Frame/Unibody measuring presentation held on the exposition floor. BASF’s seminar on

Paint Costs was standing room only due to the large number of attendees. CCRE President Tony Lombardozzi was also impressed with this year’s event, noting that it was a bigger show than the last couple years, and an attendee for the past 25 years, he notes that it has gotten progressively better since moving to the Meadowlands. Lombardozzi states that, overall, it was a very good show, plus there was a lot of good information in the seminars, especially Digital Marketing by Frank Terlep of Summit Software & Marketing Solutions and the seminars taught by Larry Montanez of P&L Consultants. Ever a proponent of collision shop independence, Lombardozzi took a special interest in the Parts Procurement panel, warning that “PartsTrader is a manipulative tool for the insurer to control the industry, [and] once they have control of the parts, they’ll control everything.” The customer’s interests cannot be a shop’s top priority if they are involved in a control with the insurer since that contract takes precedence and “you cannot serve two masters.”

Larry Montanez of P&L Consultants also believes that the Northeast Tradeshow “seems to have grown each year.” He believes that, overall, the show was pretty well received as he noticed that there were more people in his classes than anticipated by pre-registration numbers, and he was particularly surprised by the number of people who attended the show on Friday night, given the snowy weather. Montanez found particular interest in the seminar on alternate fuels as well as the two hosted by GM Parts. He felt that the Parts Procurement panel elicited some good discussions, though he fears that programs such as PartsTrader are going to spread to other insurers. “Parts procurement is not going to stop because for every shop that pulls out, three more are willing to do what they ask to stay on their programs… if you’re unhappy being on a parts procurement program, you have no one to blame but yourself.” With attendance higher than expected, vendors informed McDowell that attendees were making purchases

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in greater frequency and volumes than in past years, as well. Mike Clancy, sales representative for Mirka, noted that the show was very good and there was a lot of good traffic which surprised him given the weather. Bill Northrop of Reliable Automotive Equipment’s reaction was similar, though he noted that Friday night seemed a bit slower due to the weather. While it was the first time that Automotive Art exhibited at AASP Northeast, President Glenn Camacho received an acceptable number of leads and noted “so far, so good.” Rick Weber, Parts Director at Maxon Mazda/Hyundai, was quite happy being at the Northeast Tradeshow where he could “see a lot of people, thank people you do business with and hope to meet people you can do business with in the future. It’s a win-win situation, and we’re already planning for next year.” Gina Mahan of Valspar agreed that the show went well in terms of traffic and responses, plus she was excited to show off their new look. Peter Teixeria, also from Valspar, added that it is nice to “represent the line, even for existing customers, [since it] assures

them that we’re here for the long haul.” Happy with the 2013 Northeast tradeshow, Bryant notes “Every year, we try to build on the prior show and make the next show a ‘must attend’ event. I think we accomplished that in every way. It's the only show of its kind and size that you can actually drive to, attend a few educational seminars, see just about everything that's new in equipment and technology, and be home in your own bed the same night. NORTHEAST™ continues to be the leading regional show in our industry, and AASP/NJ is looking forward to our 37th addition next year. McDowell agrees: “It was a great show, [but] we plan to make it bigger and better! Don’t miss it next year!”

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Louisiana Hail Storm Brings More Customers A late February hail storm brought out a long line of customers in the communities of Harvey and Marrero in Louisiana. Body shops in the area now have plenty of business with damaged and pock-marked vehicles to fix over the next several months. “As you can see, all of these little dents came from the hail storm,” said Fred Reiser from Marrero. “I was lucky it didn’t break any of the windshields. That would have caused even more damage. I got dents on the roof.” “Messed it all up,” said Cynthia LaMothe who was visiting a friend in Harvey when her car got pelted with hail the size of golf balls. “My windshield is all broken and the top is all messed up, all around the sides.” The owner of California Customs Collision Center on Manhattan Blvd., Bruce McKay says he brought in extra help, including his wife, to respond to the crush of customers with storm damage. “I had three cars that got hammered at my own house and I walked outside and I saw what everybody else saw and I realized the next morning what it was going to be like, so got on

the phone and rallied our troops together and got reinforcements in the office just to handle the phone calls,” he said. McKay’s shop and others across the metro area are now working overtime to repair the storm damage. He expects his business to fix 200 cars a month for the next six months. Customers waiting for service know it will be a slow process. “Everyone has to wait patiently until they can get to you because it’s all up on the Westbank,” said LaMothe. “Pretty much is going to be a waiting process,” said Reiser. “It might be several weeks before we can get the cars in the shop.” McKay recommends that people with damaged vehicles take them to a collision center they know and trust and to avoid the street corner repair shops that always seem to appear after a storm. “I would highly recommend to pick someone who’s going to be here tomorrow to deal with any problems you might have,” McKay said. “Giving you a lifetime warranty is important, just getting a repair you know somebody is going to stand behind.”

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 19

On Creative Marketing

Tom Franklin has been a sales and marketing consultant for fifty years. He has written numerous books and provides marketing solutions and services for many businesses. He can be reached at (323) 871-6862 or at tbfranklin@aol.com. See Tom’s columns at www.autobodynews.com under Columnists > Franklin

The Selling Estimator’s Job Description with Thomas Franklin

The collision repair world is changing rapidly these days. I recently attended an autobody association meeting where a representative from Toyota introduced their new Parts Bridge product. The estimating system with which they decide to integrate this product will have exact manufacturer’s billing prices and technical service bulletin information to ensure parts are installed properly. It was suggested that this product would eliminate most supplements. Suddenly a large part of the estimator’s job would be reduced greatly. At the same time, the competition for jobs is heating up more and more, and consolidators are buying up many of the existing shops. The result of this is sort of a Walmart versus local merchants war. Smaller shops are finding it much harder to compete when a chain of franchise or consolidator shops is gobbling up the lion’s share of the work in an area. How can they fight back? When I go around to smaller shops, I see a major difference in the way they see the estimator’s role. Often the estimator still has the old viewpoint that it’s only necessary to write an estimate when a customer comes in and to get that person to leave the keys for the shop to do the job. In a chain of corporate-oriented shops, the estimator usually has a different role altogether. I would be inclined to now call that job a ‘collision repair sales representative.’ Yes, the estimator still has to sell the customer on leaving his or her car, but much more is often required. I’ve taken the liberty of writing up an estimator job description that encompasses most of what could be expected of an estimator today. It is

true that in a larger shop, front desk people and customer service representatives may cover many of the elements I’ve listed. But I’ve found that even in some smaller shops that are part of a chain, the estimator may still have to perform the tasks of sales, customer follow-up, seeking customer referrals and more. For independent shops and shops like these, this could be a reliable guide:

Collision Repair Sales Representative Job Description • Primary duty: To show a customer the estimated cost and time of repair and to close the sale with the customer signing an authorization and leaving the keys to the vehicle. • Add-on sales: Estimator may see an opportunity to offer a specialty item, like running board or other item for a handicapped person, car seat for a child, animal restraint for a pet, or tinted glass, special lights, tires, rims, spoilers, etc. for cosmetic improvements. • Secondary key duty: Using the customer information form to discover follow-up and referral job information, like other vehicles in the family (especially young drivers and their vehicles), company vehicles at the customer's work place, and other possible vehicle repair needed. • Additional key duty: Using the customer information form to identify dates and times to re-contact the customer and maintain a long-term relationship. This can include birthdays, anniversaries, confirmations, graduations, and more. Inquiry should also be made about membership in a club, association or other group activity where the shop could provide promotional items.

To read full coverage of NoRThEAST™ Tradeshow 2013, please see: http://www.autobodynews.com/news/ regional-news/northeastern-news.html 20 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

• Delivery of completed vehicle: Whenever possible, the estimator should deliver the vehicle to the customer and use this opportunity to ask again about other family, friend and company vehicles that may need repair. • Follow-up calls: Keeping the customer advised of progress on the vehicle while in for repairs and refinishing. Also a follow-up call within thirty days after the repair to determine customer’s degree of satisfaction. If not fully satisfied, customer can be invited to come back and have repaired area buffed and polished. • Prospecting for customers during slow times: Calling customers on dates and times of events as noted, like birthdays, anniversaries, confirmations, graduations, and more. A general follow-up call should be made at one-year, two-year and three-year intervals. Call should always include an inquiry about the condition of all

family and company vehicles.

Why Good Salespeople Are Rare I’ve found in many companies where sales people are highly valued and highly rewarded, there is often an attitude among other personnel that sales people are pampered too much and paid too highly for what they do. It’s been my experience that effective sales people have an unusual talent and skill that not many people possess. The best sales people are aggressive without being offensive. They are empathetic without being timid or subdued. They’re able to persist in a pleasant way until they achieve their objective. While many people are reluctant to reach out and take command, the effective sales person is never reluctant to step up and ask for the job or the order. Without someone who possesses that forceful sales element, many shops and companies would not survive.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 21

how to “Touch Up” A Scratched Car in 60 Minutes and Make $95 by Robert Keppel, Applied Colors

Before

it meets the following criteria: 1. The car’s paint color is not light metallic. No silver, no gold, no light blue, no light green. 2. The damage is not to a horizontal surface. Only touch up vertical surfaces, including doors, fenders, and quarter panels. Here’s how to execute the Ultimate Touch Up, step by step: 1. Mix an oz. of the car’s paint with .25 oz. of catalyzed clear. Stir. 2. Apply to the scratch with a thick brush. Be sure to fill above the surface of the scratch.

Ever had a customer bring you their scratched car and ask, “I can’t pay you to make it PERFECT, but can I pay you to just make it look BETTER?” Here’s a little trick for making this type of customer happy, and pocketing a quick profit. I used to do this at my repair shop in Beaverton, OR, where we called it the Ultimate Touch Up. First, if you’re going to attempt Touch UP, make sure Apply paint with brush and cure

Waterborne Breathable Air Combo System Available from Martech Services Company

As the use of waterborne paints becomes more popular and, in some areas required, the need for clean and dry compressed sprayable air is a critical prerequisite. The need for proper filtration to remove moisture, oil vapors, gaseous hydrocarbons, dirt, rust, scale, and other potentially dangerous contaminants is a core requirement. Then, if the dew point and relative humidity can be drastically lowered, the user can create a quality of spray air necessary to properly apply today’s top of the line waterborne paint products. Tom Wright, Director of Sales & Marketing for Martech Services Company, says “The Model 50-WB has all the features of a Quality Air Breathing System, Model 50 series system, plus the additional ability to lower the dew point and relative humidity for spraying waterborne paints.” Furthermore, Wright states, “It only makes sense that if the air is safe as breathable air, then it would also be superior sprayable air. Add a way to lower the dew point and the

relative humidity and you have a complete combo system.” The convenience of having a solution to comply with OSHA regulations for proper air supplied respiratory protection, and delivering Ultra Clean & Ultra Dry Air from a single system, is cost effective and efficient. The Model 50-WB can process up to 50 SCFM of Breathable Air or 35 SCFM of Ultra Clean & Ultra Dry Air, or any combination within those parameters. The Model 50-WB is designed to work with your existing compressed air source to properly filter and monitor the compressed air for Grade “D” Breathable Air, plus this system also provides Ultra Clean & Ultra Dry Air for use in spraying waterborne or solvent based paints. This system can handle up to two painters at the same time. The Model 50-WB is a 50 SCFM system, and is also available in an 80 SCFM system. For more information contact Martech Services Company at 1-800831-1525, or see their website at: www.breathingsystems.com.

22 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

with electric polisher: compound and wool pad. 9. Polish with foam pad. In 60 minutes, you have a flat, hard-to-see repair that the customer can live with. We never had an unhappy customer who chose the Ultimate Touch Up. Robert Keppel is president of Applied Colors, (www.appliedcolors.com), a Tigard, OR, company that produces the ScratchOut paint touch up system. It allows auto body shops to touch up minor paint damage for half the time and cost of using their primary paint rack.

Wetsand 1000 & 2000 grit

3. Cure for 10 min. with infrared lamp. 4. Spray with water to cool and solidify paint. 5. Wrap 1000 grit sandpaper around a solid, flat surface. A firm foam sanding block or a credit card works well. 6. Wetsand in an “x” pattern until the touch up paint is level with the panel. Be careful not to “dig in” with your fingers and burn the clear! 7. Wetsand by hand the entire area with 1500 grit sandpaper. 8. Remove paint scratches Compound and polish

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Collision Painter Enjoys Custom’s Freedom of Expression Jonathan Phillips, 35, of Summit Collision Center in Lees Summit, MO, is new to custom painting but has been in the production painting side of the business for 12 years. Custom painting caught his attention a few years ago when he became interested in learning more about colors, tech-

Phillips, who said he’s always had an artistic eye, took art classes in school. But his career in auto body painting started because of a friend’s need for help in his shop. At the time, Phillips was in the construction business, but he decided to work for six months as an apprentice auto body painter learning the trade. When Phillips was ready to buy his own spray guns, the Sagola spray gun line was recommended to him. He liked the guns so much, he ended up buying three Sagola guns from SprayTech Solutions over an 8-month period: a base 4500 HVLP Xtreme, a HVLP 3300 Pro sealer gun and a XLT Xtreme clear gun. Phillips’ 1999 Mustang before custom painting ... “I was totally niques and effects. So he attended a blown away by these guns,” Phillips few Jon Kosmoski House of Kolor said. “I switched to Sagola after seeing seminars and practiced his skills on how well they are made on their webtwo motorcycles and his own ‘99 site. They have no distribution rings or Mustang, which he painted a dark packings that have to be changed. Sagola also offers a digital air gauge green with metallic flakes.

built in the gun. The HVLP Xtreme really lays out metallics beautifully.” Phillips loves the freedom of custom painting because it has less structure than collision painting and a mistake could be turned into a masterpiece with the creativity custom painting allows. He also enjoys the

... and after custom paint job by Phillips

freedom to mix of colors in custom painting as opposed to in collision repair where the paint is ‘non-negotiable.’ While custom painting is still mostly a hobby, he continues to paint collision repairs for Summit Collision Center, which also offers frame repair, body pulling, unibody repair and other services. Summit Collision Center has been serving the community in Kansas City since 2002.

Seidner’s Hires Mike Stacy as Corporate Director

Seidner’s Collision Centers, a 13shop operation based in Los Angeles, CA, has named industry veteran Mike Stacy as director of corporate strategy. Stacy has more than 40 years of industry experience. He launched his career in 1972 before opening his own collision repair shop in 1981. Stacy later served as zone vice president for CCC Information Services Inc., and most recently served as vice president of sales and marketing for VeriFacts Automotive. “Having Mike with his vast industry experience, knowledge and energy will allow Seidner’s Collision Centers the opportunity to continue our growth strategy to better serve our customers,” said Steve Seidner, vice president and co-owner of Seidner’s Collision. “Mike will be an important part of our executive management team.” “I have had the great honor of visiting many remarkable shops in my career and I absolutely can’t think of a better organization to be aligned with than Seidner’s,” said Stacy. “I am honored to be an integral part of Steve and his teams vision for the future.”

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 23

Continued from Cover

Indiana Convention

Certified Collision Repair Center serving New York’s prosperous Westchester County. Ray Gunder described his love for the business and in the late 1960’s started his own shop, which is now Gunder’s Auto Center, a large and successful collision center. Ray’s wife, Deannie, and two adult children, Travis and Jodi, work with him to carry on the 40-year Gunder tradition. Wade Ebert’s Dad had a particular love for Corvettes. He started fixing them but one day he noticed, “All my friends grew up and are driving station wagons.” That was the beginning of American Auto Body. Ebert said “I decided to take a shot and work with my old man.” He is now the second generation at American. Larry Cernosek from Pasadena, TX, graduated from college with a degree Tim Adelman, in marketing and Executive Vicecommunication. President ABRA, talks about CAFE However, an injury Standards, ABRA’s halted his career. shared manageWhen he received a ment approach and $3,000 settlement, the importance of Cernosek bought a marketing and staying close to $2,000 pickup and influencers started towing cars. That was in 1975. He now owns Deer Park Paint and Body and Cernosek Wrecker. The speakers on this panel were all independent shop owners and brought a different message to the audience, representing the backbone of the independent collision repairer. A few key points from this discussion: Understand who you are and what you want to do; You have to rely on yourself to make changes in your business; Know your own labor rate; Do not rely on the insurance estimate—it is not the blueprint of repair; Meet your legislators; Meet

speaking very candidly about their business models and the future of the industry. Discussion centered around the current market shift and action steps to meet new business demands. A few points from this discussion: There will be more strategic alliances with insurers and shops; insurers may fund “Thank you for being consolidators; cost pioneers in the inof training needs to dustry and coming be addressed with to Indiana,” said the insurers; MSOs Andy Tylka to the Taking Back Control offer insurers a prePanel. Tylka owns 3 dictable outcome shops in Indiana. such as a valuable single point of contact, call centers, etc; lower costs; marketing is more important than ever; insurers looking for less cost of claim, LAE (Loss Adjustment Expense); help carriers reduce LAE; independent shops use their entrepreneurial spirit; shops need to offer a predictable outcome; shops need to work on their SOPs and be consistent. The question asked by one panelist summed it up, “What are you doing to prepare yourself?” Ray Gunder, of Gunder’s Auto Center, Lakeland, FL, Larry Cernosek, Deer Park Paint and Body, Pasadena, TX, Greg Coccaro, North State Custom, Bedford Hills, NY, and Wade Ebert, American Auto Body, Springfield, IL, filled the next panel discussion, “Taking Back Control of Your Business.” Aaron Schulenburg, Executive Director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists, introduced the panelists and asked them to talk about how they got started in the business and how things have changed. The entrepreneurial spirit was truly represented on this panel. Greg Coccaro recounted how he and his brother borrowed $500 and started fixing cars, Great crowd at the Indiana Convention primarily foreign cars. They built a your Insurance Commissioner; Charge successful state-of-the-art collision for procedures; If you don’t ask you center based on their commitment to don’t get; You’re going to have trouble their customer and exceptional work. swallowing a warranty when you don’t This shop is now a Mercedes-Benz get paid for the procedure.

24 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Gunder has taken an aggressive AllData. Rick Leos from Toyota gave a legal approach in Florida to get com- class introducing Toyota’s ground breakpensated for the work his shop pering Predictive Estimating System. Mike forms. Greg Coccaro’s lawsuit with Anderson spoke on “Outsell Upsell and Progressive ended this year in Greg’s Close.” Rich Evans, well-known TV favor. The Texas Insurance Commis- star of Car Warriors and other shows, sioner personally visited Larry Cernosek’s shop because he wanted to meet the man who sent in so many complaints to his The Indiana Convention Trade Show Floor. Over 65 vendors particioffice. American pated, showing wares to over 600 attendees Auto Body was awarded an out-of-court settlement by packed the house with his ‘Vehicle Custom Layout and Design’ demonstration State Farm in 1999. At the end of this discussion, which was of particular interest to the Schulenburg asked them one last younger collision students attending. George Avery, Claims Consultquestion, “Are you more successful today?” Each man said ‘yes’ but all ant with State Farm Insurance, and Dale Sailer, VP Business Developsaid it is not any easier, although personally they are satisfied with what ment with PartsTrader, gave an upthey do. Ebert’s reply encapsulated the date of that pilot program. Aaron speaker’s sentiments: “There is great Schulenburg commented, “One of satisfaction in knowing wholeheart- the problems the industry is having edly that you work for the people that may be because this is a mandatory program.” State Farm does require put the keys in the ignition.” In addition to these two informative Select Service shops to use PartsTrader. The program is not yet syspanel discussions, this convention offered technical training classes by I- tem wide. The pilot program is still CAR, Car-O-Liner, Chief, Matrix and See Indiana Convention, Page 36

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The Industry Can Unify and Change; Many have Made an Impact tanez, Ohio lawyer Erica Eversman, and Tony Lombardozzi of the Coalition For Collision Repair Excellence. “They are challenging things and really making a change,” Bryant said. “They are just a few of the people who have said no longer will they accept just business as usual.” On behalf of his association as well as the Auto Body Association of Connecticut (ABAC) and the New York State Auto Collision Technicians Association, Bryant presented an

by John Yoswick

If there was a unifying theme to the presentations at the East Coast Resolution Forum and Leadership Meeting held in Secaucus, NJ, in March, a statement by Charlie Bryant may have summed it up as the session opened. “No one can tell me that we don’t have a chance to change things in our industry,” said Bryant, executive director of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP) of New Jersey, which hosted the event along with the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). “I don’t believe that.” Bryant cited a list of people he sees as having an impact on the industry including Florida shop owner Ray Aaron Schulenburg and Charlie Bryant Gunder, New York shop owner Greg Coccaro, New award at the event to SCRS Executive York-based consultant Larry Mon- Director Aaron Schulenburg, an-

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other of the people the associations see as “inspiring others to have the courage to stand up,” “Everyone in the room knows the lengths you have gone through to help change our industry, the things that you’ve done over the years to help fix the industry,” Bryant told Schulenburg.

DMV changes in Connecticut The number of people in the room for the annual event was curtailed somewhat by a snowstorm that hit much of the Northeast the night before. But as in the past, the meeting’s agenda consisted primarily of presentations by representatives of shop associations based in the Northeast. Tony Ferraiolo, president of the ABAC, for example, discussed his association’s opposition to a proposed state law (HB 6495) that he said would give inspectors from the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, which licenses shops in that state, arrest-authority and would raise some paperwork violations to potentially the level of a Class B misdemeanor. “So a good shop, trying to do the

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right thing, makes some simple clerical errors, and when they come into your shop and find paperwork violations, then your name gets put in the paper as a Class B misdemeanor,” Ferraiolo said. “What does that do to your business?” Ferraiolo said the association also has launched a “Monday Morning Motivator,” a weekly fax or email reminder to member shops about one thing that can help improve the accuracy of their estimates or otherwise improve their business. The association also organized an 8week, $18,000 radio ad campaign to remind motorists that when it comes to collision repair, it’s “Your car, your choice,” and to urge them to choose a participating shop. Ferraiolo also said that more than three years after an association-led class acTony Ferraiolo tion lawsuit resulted in a jury award of $15 million against The Hartford, the money has yet to be received. The jury essentially

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found in 2009 that unfair trade practices by the insurer led to suppressed shop labor rates. Ferraiolo was unsure why there has been such a long delay in the judge’s issuing of a final judgment on the verdict in the case but said that he expects that to happen soon, which would also bolster a similar lawsuit pending against Progressive Insurance. He said attorneys continue to pursue the Progressive lawsuit despite not having received payment in either case. “That’s telling you these class action lawsuits might have some merit for all of us when they pan out, but you’re talking 10 years before they are done,” Ferraiolo said. “That’s a long time. One of the named plaintiffs in the case has sold his shop in the meantime. So these class action lawsuits are important but not our total answer, and we’re committed to keeping them going.”

Battles in Vermont Mike Parker of Parker’s Classic Auto Works in Rutland, VT, said that in the past year he’s aware of 13 thirdparty claimants who have filed complaints with his state’s Department of Insurance after insurers have at-

tempted to take betterment as part of their auto insurance claims. “Basically the complaint is: ‘I don’t want to be made better. I want to made whole. If you can’t make be whole without making me better, that’s not my problem,’” Parker said. “And all 13 of them have been paid in full. The Department found in their favor all 13 times.” Parker said legislation (HB 362) has been introduced in Vermont that would place new restrictions on the use of non-OEM parts, including prohibiting their use on vehicles with 30,000 miles or less. Parker said that may sound like a consumer-friendly bill, but he believes any insurer involvement in Mike Parker parts choice is unwarranted. Insurers, he said, have three options under the policy: pay it in cash, replace the vehicle, or repair the vehicle themselves, actually taking possession of the vehicle and getting it repaired and returning it to the insured. Insurers generally opt just to pay the claim rather than repair the ve-

hicle themselves, he said, in which case “they owe the reasonable and necessary costs of repair, and have no right messing with the body shop or interfering in the contract between the shop and customer over what parts to use.” That’s why Parker currently has five lawsuits pending against different insurance companies for unpaid repair costs for more than 200 customers who have signed assignment of proceeds forms, allowing Parker to sue on their behalf. The five suits range from just under $5,000 to as much as $49,000. Parker acknowledged that even if he wins the cases, Vermont law will prevent him from collecting for the legal fees he’s had to spend on the suits.

Different routes work SCRS’ Schulenburg said the presentations and discussions at the East Coast Resolution Forum and Leadership Meeting demonstrate that “there are plenty of different ways to take back control and for collision repairers to get paid for the work that they’re doing.” “There is no perfect way. There is no one right way,” Schulenburg said.

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“Because every business represented by the associations in this room is run differently and has a different model. And what’s right for Tony is right for Tony. And what’s right for Mike is right for Mike. And frankly, what Mike does and what Tony does are two different things. The reality of why we’re in this room is to talk about the different solutions that do exist within the industry, to pull ideas from each other and to use those to make our businesses better if we can and where we can. It’s not about a perfect solution and it’s not about saying this is the right way or the wrong way.” The East Coast Resolution Forum and Leadership Meeting is held annually in conjunction with the NORTHEAST Automotive Services Show, which is scheduled next year for March 21-23. John Yoswick, a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988, is also the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). He can be contacted by email at: jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.

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AUTOMAKER, AU A UTO OM MA M AK AK ER OEM OEM AUTOMAKER KE R,, OEM, M,, AND AND RECALL RE R E C AL CA ALL LL EC Autobody News

Ford Recalling 230,000 Minivans for Rust

Ford Motor Co. is recalling 230,000 minivans because third–row seat latches can rust and fail to relatch. The recall of the 2004–2007 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans is in 20 ‘salt belt’ states, including Michigan, where the vehicles were sold or registered. Ford agreed to recall the vehicles in the face of a 14-month investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It includes vehicles equipped with a third-row seat. Ford said it is aware of 80 complaints but no injuries or crashes. In August 2011, Ford became aware of a customer with difficulty latching the third row seat into its seating position. Between January and November 2012, Ford and NHTSA continued an active dialogue on this subject and conducted vehicle surveys and testing. The recall includes about 196,000 vehicles in the United States and 33,250 in Canada. Ford dealers will install new third-row seat latch striker mounting brackets, which relocate the seat latch strikers from the potentially corroded area. In addition, dealers will install overlay panels on the exterior of the wheel wells to prevent entry of water and corrosive elements. The states where the vehicles were registered or sold are: Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Subaru Recalling Vehicles That Can Start on Their Own

Subaru of America is recalling 50,000 vehicles in North America because the remote engine starter could malfunction and start the vehicle without warning. The Japanese automaker said the recall covers 47,419 vehicles including the 2012–13 Impreza,

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2010–13 Legacy, 2010–13 Outback and 2013 XV Crosstrek. The recall includes 2,819 vehicles in Canada. The engine may start and run for 15 minutes, and the engine may continue to start and stop until the battery in the key fob dies or the vehicle runs out of gas. The vehicles could pose a danger if parked in a garage because of a buildup of carbon monoxide, which could cause asphyxiation. Subaru dealers will replace the key fobs and the recall campaign will begin by the end of April. Subaru noticed an increase in warranty claims in July after a supplier had made a change to improve the key fob in 2011. After issuing a technical report in December, Subaru mounted a new investigation.

Japanese Automakers Rank High in Consumer Reports

Japanese automakers led by Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. topped Consumer Reports’ annual auto rankings, while Detroit’s Big Three automakers lagged behind. The magazine unveiled its influential 2013 annual auto ratings issue in Washington, saying Toyota’s Lexus unit was top overall brand with all of its vehicles recommended, followed by Subaru and Mazda— which tied for second, and Toyota and Acura, which tied for fourth. All U.S. brands were in the bottom half of the rankings. Fewer than half of all U.S. vehicles were recommended by the magazine, and most of those came from General Motors Co.’s GMC and Chevrolet brands. The ratings are based on feedback from 1.2 million owners, Consumer Reports testing and other factors. Just 20% of Ford Motor Co.’s Ford models and 20% of Cadillac models were recommended. Chrysler also fared poorly. Just 25% of Chrysler models were recommended. Acura, Honda’s luxury brand, was the only other brand to have 100% of its models recommended by Consumer Reports.

30 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Feds Probe 724,000 Ford Models for Stalling

Federal safety regulators have opened a new safety investigation into 724,000 Ford Escape, Fusion and Mercury models over hundreds of reports of sudden loss of engine power. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has opened a preliminary investigation into the 2009–11 Ford Escape and Fusion, and Mercury Mariner and Milan. The vehicles can unexpectedly go into ‘limp home mode’ at reduced power, the agency said. NHTSA and Ford have received almost 1,500 complaints about the problem. There were three crashes and one injury. NHTSA said it analyzed 123 complaints about the cars or SUVs going into what’s known as limp mode, in which vehicle speed was limited to 20 mph. Drivers may interpret the limp mode as stalling, even though the engines still move the vehicles, the agency said. Vehicles usually go into limp mode when computers detect an engine problem. Ford made a design change in 2009 to address complaints but did not recall the vehicles. The Fusion and Milan are nearly identical cars with the same engines, as are the Escape and Mariner. Ford scrapped the Mercury brand in 2010. NHTSA said there have been 27,500 warranty claims for the issue. Ford has received more than 1,400 complaints about the issue.

Porsche Recalling 911 Models for Exhaust System

Porsche is recalling about 2,263 of its 2012–13 911 models because part of the exhaust system can fall off. Porsche said the models were the 911 Carrera, 911 Carrera Cabriolet, 911 Carrera 4 and the 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet equipped with the 3.4 liter, 6-cylinder engine and the standard rear muffler exhaust system. The automaker said its internal testing showed the exhaust systems “do not achieve the required service life” and might fracture, allowing the end to fall off.

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April 2013

Hyundai Recalling Velosters for Sunroof Malfunction

Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2012 Veloster vehicles manufactured from July 4, 2011, through October 31, 2011 and equipped with panoramic sunroofs. The panoramic sunroof assembly may have been weakened during installation at the factory. If the assembly was weakend at the factory, the panoramic glass panel may break while the vehicle is in motion leading to personal injury or a vehicle crash. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the sunroof’s integrity and replace the sunroof glass assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall will begin in March 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.

Ford Plans to Recall 7,000 Vehicles for Child Lock Flaw

Ford Motor Co. plans to recall 7,150 vehicles built in November, including the 2013 Escape crossover, because some models are equipped with a defective child lock on the left rear door. Also included in the recall are the 2013 Focus and C-Max cars. The action marks Ford’s fifth recall for the redesigned Escape since the vehicle’s launch last year. The company will inspect 5,638 Escapes that were built in Louisville Assembly Plant between Nov. 14– Nov. 24, Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker said. Ford is recalling 1,223 Focus cars as well as 283 C-Max vehicles. Both of the affected models were built at Michigan Assembly Plant between Nov. 17 and Nov. 21. In some of these vehicles, the child lock on the left rear door may not work when the driver tries to activate the locks. The driver may incorrectly believe that the locks are functioning properly, Ford said. About 5,650 of the vehicles covered by the recall are in the United States, Felker said, adding that Ford was not aware of any accidents and injuries due to the problem.

Nissan Recalls Five 2013 Models for Air Bag Problem

Nissan is recalling five of its 2013 models in the U.S. because a faulty sensor can permanently turn off the front-seat passenger air bag. The recall covers the Altima midsize car, as well as the Leaf electric car, Pathfinder SUV and the Sentra compact. Also covered is the Infiniti JX35 SUV. The Altima is Nissan’s top-selling car with 49,000 sold this year. Nissan says in documents filed with safety regulators that it hasn’t determined the number of vehicles affected by the recall. Front passenger seats have sensors that determine the passenger’s weight and turn off air bags off if a child is on board. The malfunctioning sensors can turn the air bags off permanently. Nissan says its dealers will inspect the sensors in April and replace them free of charge if necessary.

Chrysler Tells 2500 Owners of Challengers ‘Fire Risk’

Chrysler is telling owners of about 2,500 Dodge Challenger muscle cars with V-6 engines not to drive them because a short in a wiring circuit can set them on fire. Owners also are being told not to park the cars in a garage or near a structure until the problem can

NHTSA May Investigate Prius over Steering Shafts

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations will investigate whether 561,000 2004–09 Toyota Prius hybrids have defective steering shafts. NHTSA said it will decide whether to grant a defect petition claiming the steering column linkage was improperly assembled. Toyota has issued two recalls for steering issues in the Prius. In November, Toyota recalled 669,000 2004–09 Prius vehicles to replace the steering shaft extension assembly. Toyota said due to insufficient hardness of the extension shaft, parts that connect the extension shaft to the steering gear box may deform if the steering wheel is frequently and forcefully turned to the full-lock position while driving at a slow speed. In 2006, Toyota recalled 170,000 2004–06 Prius vehicles because the intermediate shaft in the electric power system can crack, which could result in a loss of steering control.

be fixed. The cars are from the 2013 model year and have V-6 engines. They were made during the eight weeks that ended Jan. 24. Chrysler didn’t identify exactly where the short occurs, but said it’s in a place that most owners would never see.

Honda Recalls 250,000 Vehices for Brake Problem

Honda is recalling nearly 250,000 vehicles worldwide for brakes that suddenly starting braking on their own. The problem is caused by improper electronics and wiring in the vehiclestability-assist system. No crashes have been reported related to the defect. Honda Motor Co. said it was recalling more than 183,000 vehicles in the U.S., including the Acura RL, Acura MDX and Pilot models. More than 56,000 vehicles were recalled in Japan, affecting the Odyssey, Legend, StepWgn and Elysion models. Also being recalled are nearly 8,000 vehicles in Canada, nearly 1,000 in Australia, about 300 in Mexico and 70 in Germany. The vehicles were produced from March 2004 through May 2006.

Chrysler Spends $1B on Paint and Body at Plant

Chrysler is spending more than $1 billion to build paint and body shops for the Sterling Heights plant in suburban Detroit. The projects will add a 1 million-square-foot body shop and a 425,000-square foot paint shop to the plant. Construction is expected to finish this year.

Toyota Recalls 209,000 FJ Cruisers for Seatbelt

Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 209,000 FJ Cruiser SUVs because their front seatbelt retractors could fall off. FJ Cruisers from the 2007 through 2013 model years are included in the recall. Toyota said the driver and front passenger seatbelts are mounted on the vehicle’s rear doors. If the doors are closed forcefully over a period of time, cracks can form in the door panel around the seatbelt retractor and the retractor can become detached. Toyota said it has received no reports of injuries due to the defect.

Chrysler 200 Redesign to be Built in January, 2014

Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said the next-generation 200 has been delayed until January. The 200 has been a strong seller. Its sales rose 44 percent in 2012 to 125,476 units, making it the automaker's best-selling car and fifth-best selling nameplate. Sales through the first two months of this year are up 21 percent to 20,292 units. On March 1, the company said it had a 68-day supply of Chrysler 200s.

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Custom Painter Aaron Wachholz Paints Cars, Boats & Bikes by Melanie Anderson

Customer painter Aaron Wachholz, owner of X-treme Paint Auto Body & Marine in Wyoming, MN, began his career nearly a quarter century ago when he was in the Navy, painting and repairing the landing and captain boats aboard the ship. After his stint in

Aaron Wachholz with a 2012 Tribute bike

“I like playing with different colors, filling out different designs and using my creativity to create something new,” Wachholz said. “I love creating something new and different, utilizing unique colors and color combinations. I take a vehicle and I’ll design a paint job that flows with the natural body lines on the vehicle. I like to take the shape and put a paint job to it that enhances all of the natural shape and contours of the body.” On the flip side, what he hates about custom painting is not always knowing for sure what exactly the customer has in mind, because some customers come in with a vague idea or concept that he brings to life. He has a fear of disappointing them, although that has never happened. He said one of his strangest requests for custom painting was a Hummer H2 where the customer wanted a two-toned bright pink. His most famous customer is Jesse Ventura, for whom he did custom paint on a favorite bike. Ventura is a former professional wrestler who utilized his skills learned in the ring to

the Navy, he worked at two body shops and eventually started doing his own custom work as well as custom painting new conversion vans that were sold on dealership lots. Wachholz, 43, started X-treme Paint Auto Body & Marine 16 years ago and now has four employees. The services provided by his business include custom painted graphics, custom airbrushing and murals, auto body collision and frame repair, fiberglass and aluminum boat repair and custom motorcycle painting. The shop serves the North Twin City Metro area with quality collision repair and custom paint with award winning unique designs. Awards include: DuPont Top Gun: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003; 2004 Cobra Mustang Donnie Smith Custom Bike Show: Best Paint 2009, Best in Class become Governor of Minnesota. 2009, Best in Class, 2006; as well as His favorite project was a donated several local car and bike show custom custom paint job he did last year on a paint awards. 2011 Harley Davidson Street Bob for Over the years, he estimates he’s ‘Tribute to the Troops.’ The custom custom painted over 5,000 cars, bikes paint utilized custom flakes and muland boats. tiple candy colors. Raffle ticket sales were over $40,000 and proceeds were donated to educational accounts for children of fallen soldiers. “The bike was phenomenal, especially in the sun. That was the coolest job I’ve ever done because it was the first time I ever did a custom 2005 Pugh race boat painted by Aaron paint that made a difference

32 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

in the lives of people.” This year he’s working on a Harley Davidson street glide for the ‘Tribute to the Troops’ fundraiser and the bike will be unveiled in mid March. As far as tips go, his paint is PPG Vibrance and he likes using stands made by Innovative Tools. He particularly likes the Octopus stand which allows him to easily Aaron airbrushing 2009 Boss Hoss Big block gas tank paint weird, odd-shaped parts. “You can clamp it the exact height and vertical angle he down at eye level and work all away needs to do intricate hood artwork. around the object.” He also likes their Wachholz used Innovative Tool’s Ulhood and bumper stands which make traRack Paint Stand to paint a custom it easy to paint a panel in the booth at hood for Innovative Tools and their SuperStand Bumper Stand for a custom painted bumper cover that the company displayed at SEMA. X-treme Paint Auto Body & Marine 5204 260th Street, Wyoming, MN 55092 651-462-4608 Info@X-TremePaint.com www.x-tremepaint.com

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Preval Wins Prestigious Sherwin-Williams’ Vendor of the Year Sherwin-Williams recently announced it has awarded its Vendor of the Year Award to Preval, a division of Chicago Aerosol. This is the first time the company has received

the prestigious award, which recognizes a small group of suppliers who have demonstrated substantial success in a variety of categories, including double-digit sales growth, high-quality and high-value products, ambitious new product devel-

opment and exceptional service and management. Peter Sedlak, vice president of Marketing & Purchasing at SherwinWilliams Co., said Preval was selected for the award, in part, because of the

company’s drive to succeed and the unprecedented success of its relatively new vFan, a portable airbrush system that has been enthusiastically welcomed among professional contractors as well as a number of other industries. The vFan led to a 12% sales gain in Preval’s Sherwin-Williams contracts. And despite the rapid growth in the paint and coatings industry and others, Preval has maintained as one of its core business values an unrelenting focus on quality, value and customer service. “Somehow, the Preval Spray Team can separate themselves from the pack by out-servicing most [of their competitors],” Sedlak said. Preval, and its parent company, Chicago Aerosol, were recognized with the award at the Sherwin-Williams’ vendor luncheon in Nashville, TN. “Winning this award from Sherwin-Williams, one of the biggest names in the paint and coatings industry, validates all of the hard work that we have put into bringing inno-

vative new products to the market and setting ourselves apart from the competition,” said Preval President Sam Averbuch. The vFan is used for precision paint and material dispensing; touchups and surface repairs; surface preparation; and curing. Distributed worldwide, the vFan is used in diverse

(l to r) Keith Ramsey, Ken Kamien, Matt Spagat, Sam Averbuch, Bryan Smith, Sheryl Ellenbrock, Shawn Orr and Teresa Chapman

markets across the globe, including the appliance, automotive, aerospace, arts, bookbinding, craft and hobby, container, converting, electronics, food and beverage, furniture, home improvement, life sciences and medical, light emitting diodes (LED),

metal finishing, marine, new home resurfacing, non-woven, packaging, scrap booking, semiconductor and solar energy and textile industries. The vFan Airbrush is the only device on the market that converts to an airgun and achieves both 3-inch fan and 1/16-inch hairline patterns. Amazingly portable, the vFan Airbrush can be used in all environments when powered by 150 Feet of Energy, Preval’s innovative, eco-friendly aerosol compressor unit. Each canister of 150 Feet of Energy contains 7 ounces of VOC-exempt propellant that powers more than 150 feet of linear paint coverage and up to 40 square feet of paint coverage. The vFan Airbrush is also compatible with most workshop compressors. In addition to the vFan, Preval is well known for its Sprayer, a portable, professional-grade, inexpensive spray system that is used for countless applications. The Sprayer is disposable, recyclable, easy to clean and where no compressor is needed. Preval has also recently introduced a number of other complementary products to the marketplace.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 33

Jon Kosmoski—Painting Legend Uses SATA Guns Exclusively by Ed Attanasio

He’s an artist, a painter, a car customizer, an automotive builder, a teacher, the author of five books, a paint manufacturer and the creator of a stunning finish for hundreds of breathtaking vehicles and thousands of custom motorcycles, including eight cars and six motorcycles featured at SEMA shows. His name is Jon Kosmoski, the founder of the House of Kolor® in Minneapolis, MN, and even though he’s 75, the man still builds incredible cars and travels throughout the country to teach new and veteran painters how to do it Kosmoski-style.

Jon Kosmoski’s 1967 Ford Mustang got a lot of attention at SEMA in 2004

Kosmoski’s current role and impressive legacy in the automotive painting industry through seven decades starting in the late ‘50s has earned him titles of “master,” “legend” and “icon.” Companies all over the world clamor to work with Kosmoski through either sponsorships or other projects, and that’s why SATA, the premier manufacturer of paint spray guns, is proud to say that this amazing painter uses its products and no other. Jon Kosmoski established the House of Kolor® 57 years ago, long before he was a world-renowned custom painter. As a 19-year-old student studying automotive repair, Kosmoski rebuilt a ‘40 Chevy Coupe and took it to the best shop in town to have his baby painted. “When I got that car back, I wasn’t happy at all,” Kosmoski explained. “The paint job wasn’t what I had expected. If this is the best car painter in town and this is what they’re giving me, I was disappointed. I thought I can do better than this. So, I took night classes on paint and collision repair and jumped into it pretty quickly.” Within a short time, Kosmoski was known throughout Minneapolis

for his skills as a custom painter. He loved being creative and producing outstanding cars and motorcycles, but he wasn’t enamored with the challenging lacquers and enamels of the late 1950’s, because he discovered that they would easily sun-fade or cold-crack. He experimented and absorbed valuable information like a paint sponge, because Jon Kosmoski isn’t afraid to learn as much as he can about any subject that will help him to do a better job. Kosmoski wanted something superior to apply to the numerous cars and motorcycles that were now flying through the doors at the House of Kolor® in the early 1960s. “I started working with a polymer chemist to produce custom paints that wouldn’t tarnish or crack and perform well despite all of the other problems I was encountering with existing products. There was nothing out there even close to what I wanted, so I had to invent it. I started using organic pigments way back in 1963, while most paint manufacturers were using only inorganic pigments.” With his new paint and by constantly honing his painting skills and tapping into his zeal for creativity and innovation, House of Kolor® became a household name by the mid 1970s. In 1996, the House of Kolor® was purchased by the Valspar Automotive Coatings Division. Today,

This 1948 International refinished by Jon Kosmoski was unveiled at SEMA in 2008

Kosmoski is still involved with House of Kolor® in a 12,000 squarefoot shop with “Tebo” his electrician, fabricator and mechanic. Jon produces 4–6 cars or motorcycles for car shows and magazine covers every year, while traveling worldwide to teach his painting techniques. He’s known for many things, but has become one of the leading experts on candy paint. One of his true loves is helping painters to learn what he’s discovered over 55 years in this in-

34 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

dustry, he explained. “Our unique product line gives custom painters the flexibility to use their creativity and skills to design, invent, and create “one-of-a-kind” custom paint jobs that last, Kosmoski said. “That’s why I love this business, because creating a one-of-a-kind paint job requires a combination of technical skill and artistic ability. I enjoy passing all of my knowledge and experience in my training classes, so that’s very satisfying.” With a plethora of award-winning vehicles created over the years, Kosmoski cites a handful as his most notable—all of which starred on the show floors of SEMA shows over a 12-year period. “I would say that my 1967 Mustang with a matching motorcycle; 1934 Ford 5-window coupe with a 383 in it; 1948 International Pickup, which was unveiled at the SEMA Show in 2008, and our 1932 Ford Roadster—those are the ones people seem to like the most.” After experimenting with a wide range of different spray guns for many years, Tony Larimer, the director of sales & marketing at Dan-Am Company, exclusive independent distributor of SATA in USA, gave a few of his company’s guns for Kosmoski to use in 1999. When he got his hands on SATAjet 2000 B RP (no longer in production) he quickly became a serious SATA supporter. “Tony said try this gun and let us know what you think,” Kosmoski said. “That 2000 RP really turned my head and I rarely say that about any product! I loved the way it handled almost immediately. Right then and there I decided to start using SATA guns exclusively. I used that 2000 for a while, and then when SATA came out with the 3000, I changed over. The 3000 was over-the-top and SATA really stepped up with that gun. Now I use the 4000 B RP, their newest gun and it is exceptional.” To kick off their association in 2000, SATA and Kosmoski worked together to produce a signature special etched jet blacks two-gun set. Only 500 were produced and they were sold quickly, but you can still find a few used ones on sale now and again over the Internet. Larimer values SATA’s relationship with Kosmoski and the House of Kolor® for many reasons. “We’re glad to be associated with Jon because he

uses our guns exclusively and teaches other painters about how to spray using SATA guns,” Larimer said. “He’s more than an impressive partner, because he’s also my friend of 15 years. We talk almost weekly and his passion for what he’s doing is contagious. When people meet Jon for the first time, they always come away saying wow—what a fascinating and driven guy and still going nonstop at age 75! He has the energy of six people. It’s unbelievable.”

Jon Kosmoski pictured here with his SATA 4000 B RP, the only spray gun he uses on his award-winning cars and motorcycles

Having a visionary like Kosmoski on the SATA team is important, because Jon offers feedback all the time about the company’s products and their capabilities, Larimer said. “One of the things I love about Jon is that he’s an unlimited source of information. Some artist/painters keep a lot of their tips and techniques secret, but Jon loves to share his knowledge to anyone that wants it. At SATA, we always listen to our painters, so that we can use their input for our next generation of products.” Why does Kosmoski covet his SATAjet 4000? “I’ve been working with this gun for almost three years now and it’s a beautiful gun. It gives me a very uniform pattern and I’ve learned that I don’t need to apply so much pressure with the 4000—only about 26–27 PSI. I am a heavy-handed painter by nature, when it’s required and the 4000 works great when I need to go that way. “Also, this gun saves money by improving my efficiency and using less paint, while getting a glossier and cleaner look. “I’ve been teaching painters for 35 years now, and I train everyone on a SATA.”

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 35

Inside Insurance

The Insider is a corporate-level executive with a Top 10 auto insurer in the U.S.. Got a comment or question you’d like to see him address in a future column? Email him at Auto.Insurance.Insider@gmail.com

Shops’ Inefficiencies Are Legitimate Concerns for Insurers with The Insurance Insider

I wrote an article a few months ago focusing on inefficiency within body shops. That is, inefficiencies that are most commonly associated with the repair process. If it takes you seven days to repair a vehicle and the shop down the street could have done it in five days, you’ve just cost everyone money. I recognize that all shops shouldn’t be painted with the same broad brush, but in my view, if you’re inefficient you’re guilty by association. Because of inefficiencies, insurers unnecessarily spend money every day that could have been used to lower premiums or offset the impact of a rate increase. Yes, most insurance companies are profitable, but it’s not as a result of all the great deeds and service provided by body shops. Most shop owners believe that insurance companies are penny-pinching Scrooges looking to take control over the shops and the industry. That viewpoint is shortsighted. We try to contain our losses by working with shops to ensure estimate accuracy (also known as taking control of the shop). And we also try to find way for shops to be more efficient in the estimate and repair process (also known as taking control of the industry). To recap the obvious, we will do whatever is necessary provided it is not illegal or completely unethical. I’m certain some of our business practices are less than ideal but the facts are the facts. Shops would not be as advanced as they are today if it weren’t for insurance companies leading them in the right direction. We try to help make you more efficient because when you aren’t, we lose and so does the vehicle owner. So do you, as the shop owner. How does the vehicle owner lose Continued from Page 24

Indiana Convention

developing in five different areas of the country. Over 600 people attended the show. The Indiana Auto Body Association hosted an Opening Party Friday evening. The juxtaposition of the two

because of your inefficiency? The inconvenience of being without their car for a few additional days is just the beginning. It can also lead to an increase in our customers’ premiums. Unfortunately, our customer won’t associate

that increase in premium to an inefficient repair industry riddled with under-performers. They blame insurers for the rate increase. The end result is that any additional unnecessary expense in the repair of a vehicle costs us money. How do we account for the additional expense? The only way we can. We pass along that cost through premiums. What do most consumers do when there is a price increase? They look for quotes from other carriers and we potentially lose a customer. For some, that’s just free enterprise, but for individual insurers, that’s a lose, lose and lost scenario. There is another area that can have an even more profound impact on our mutual customer: customer service. Back in the day, all shops were supposed to do was fix the car. Customer service was something you received at a hotel or from a switchboard operator. Even though the industry has evolved significantly, shops are still

powerful industry panels reflects the challenges and opportunities the collision repair industry faces. Panelist Jim Keller of 1Collision shared his thoughts: “In spite of the ice storm that hit Indy the night before, the show traffic was solid and the diverse industry-related panel discussions, seminars, and presentations were very enlightening.”

36 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

better at fixing cars than at servicing the customer. That’s where inefficiency and lack of process as it relates to customer service can be devastating to an insurance company. And God help us if your manager or estimator doesn’t like us. It shows in the customer service results. I would argue that poor customer service indirectly costs insurers more money than a few days of rental or extra hour on an estimate. While we don’t like to admit this publicly, we believe you are an extension of us. Our customers spend more time interacting with you than they spend with us. We can deliver outstanding customer service but if

you do a poor job of it, we are going to pay for it. In short: We need you to be more efficient. So that’s a look at what bothers insurance executives. You may not care because you have more pressing issues that require your attention besides appeasing the ‘rich insurance companies.’ The wish of every major insurance carrier is fairly simple. First, a high-quality, timely and a cost-effective repair should be assumed from a professional operation. Insurers shouldn’t have to monitor, correct, scold, chastise or force accountability in order to have it done right the first time. More importantly, we wish shops would value customer service as much or more than they care about the actual repair. Inefficient or lack of customer service processes hurts all of us. That’s something that none of us take to the bank.

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Northeast News

Chasidy Rae Sisk is a freelance technical writer from Wilmington, Delaware, who writes on a variety of fields and subjects, and grew up in a family of NASCAR fans. She can be contacted at crsisk@chasidyraesisk.com.

Charles Bryant Updates Us on What’s Going on in New Jersey with Chasidy Rae Sisk

At the NORTHEAST show I was able to talk to Charles Bryant of AASPNJ and ask him what’s going on in NJ in general. Here’s what he told me: There is always something interesting going on in New Jersey. First, we are proud that the NJ-MVC has abandoned the proposal to license Mobile Auto Body shops in our state. That was a battle that took over two years to accomplish. Another real exciting thing is new proposed legislation that would force insurers to follow the regulations that govern fair claim settlement practices or face serious consequences. Currently, a one-time violation of the NJ Unfair Claim Settlement Practices Act is not considered a violation of the act until it is established through what is referred to as a market conduct survey, that the insurer has violated the act with enough frequency to create a general business practice. Then, even when it has been es-

tablished that the insurer has violated the act with enough frequency to create a general business practice all that can happen is the NJ-DOBI can fine the insurer, if they choose to do so. To

Chasidy with Charles Bryant

make things worse, a violation of the NJ Unfair Claim Settlement Practices Act does not state a cause of action upon which relief may be granted by

civil action. As such, the act basically has no teeth and allows insurers to violate the provisions of the act without fear of any serious repercussions. In essence, the act gives the consumer a false sense of security and an unjustified feeling that the insurers have a set of rules that they must follow. If passed, these bills would allow an insured, claimant or the assignee of the insured to file a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction against an insurer for any single violation of the NJ Unfair Claim Settlement Practices Act even though the insurer did not violate any provision

of the act with enough frequency as to indicate a general business practice. In other words, it would make a one-time violation a valid violation. Upon establishing that (a) violation of the provisions of the Unfair Claim Settlement Practices Act has occurred, the claimant shall be entitled to the following: ● The full amount of damages as set forth in the final judgment (regardless of the coverage limits of the policy) ● Prejudgment interest ● Reasonable attorney’s fees ● All reasonable litigation expenses from the date of the institution of the action filed ● Punitive damages, when the insurer’s acts or omissions demonstrate, by clear and convincing evidence, actual malice or wanton and willful disregard of any person who foreseeably might be harmed by the insurer’s acts or omissions See Charles Bryant Updates, Page 49

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The Automotive Service Association (ASA) will hold its next annual business meeting April 19-20 at the Hurst Convention Center in Hurst, TX. The agenda will include an open meeting of the ASA board of directors on April 20. Ron Pyle, ASA president and chief staff executive, will deliver a state-of-the-association address during the Saturday luncheon, and a new chairman, along with other board members, will be sworn in. An open membership forum will also be on the agenda. All ASA members are invited to attend the open meeting on Saturday, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and includes lunch. The official registration form for the April 20 events, and information about hotel options close to the meeting facility, will be available on the ASA website at www.ASAshop.org. The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind dedicated to and governed by independent automotive service and repair professionals. ASA serves an international membership base that includes state and chapter groups from mechanical and collision repair segments.

Allstate’s Overton Joins Education Foundation Board

Claims Vice President Pam Overton of Allstate Insurance has joined the Collision Repair Education Foundation Board of Trustees. The organization’s Board of Trustees consists of industry members who provide guidance in the organization’s efforts to support secondary and post-secondary collision students nationwide. The Board selects recipients of the organization’s annual student scholarships and tool grants, in addition to the naming the winning Ultimate Collision Education Makeover schools. “I’m excited to be a part of such a forward-thinking and well-respected group of Trustees,” Overton said. “In this role, I’ll have the chance to influence the industry’s future and I look forward to that opportunity and working with such a distinguished group.” Overton began her Allstate career in Houston, TX, in 1981. She’s held several claim positions and leadership roles. Her most recent positions include: Vice President, Tech-Cor Research; Senior Manager, Allstate Auto Claims; Claim Field Director, Southern Region; Vice President, Claims Property; and Vice President, Claims Auto.

ABRA Opens Four Centers

In four separate transactions, ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a Minnesota-based vehicle repair company, announced the acquisition of two corporate repair centers and the opening of two franchise repair centers in four states. The latest deals increase the total number of ABRA repair centers nationally to 95 company-owned locations and 46 independentlyowned franchises for a total of 141 in 16 states. The four newly acquired repair centers are located in Omaha, NE; Wilmington, NC; Lebanon, TN; and Clearfield, UT. “There is no doubt we are in accelerated growth mode and are dedicated to following through on our long-term expansion and acquisition plan,” said Duane Rouse, President and Chief Executive Officer of ABRA. “We are focused on the future and fully expect to increase our business opportunities while expanding our national footprint in new and existing markets.” “Not only are we are gaining momentum, but it is full steam ahead,” said Tim Adelmann, ABRA’s Executive Vice President of Business Development.

Keenan Auto Body Inc. has launched a fundraising drive to raise money for the National Auto Body Council’s (NABC) Operation Comfort initiative. Operation Comfort was founded in 2004 and provides opportunities for wounded service members to participate in rehabilitative, adaptive sports and Automotivation, a program for wounded service members to work on cars. The organization also provides family financial assistance and therapeutic trips. The goal for the fundraiser is to raise $1.5 million to purchase, renovate and fully equip the 30,000 square foot training facility that will house the Automotivation program in San Antonio, TX. “We believe in this program and appreciate the opportunity to give back to those who have given so much,” said Mike LeVasseur, president and chief operations officer of Keenan Auto Body. “We have moved forward by equipping all 11 of our lobbies with donation pads and free standing posters that depict exactly what the program is all about. We are also matching dollar for dollar everything that we raise.”

ABRA Auto Body & Glass in Clinton, Iowa, Wins Award

Used Vehicle Wholesale Prices Up 1.3% in January

Feds Spend $1 Billion on Repair Bill for Vehicle Fleet

Self-Driving Nissan Leaf Controlled from iPad

ASA Announces Details for 2013 Annual Meeting

ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a Minnesota-based damaged vehicle repair company recently announced their Clinton, IA, repair center has earned the prestigious President’s Club Award for Excellence. The annual award honors top 2012 performing ABRA repair centers across the country for excellence in operations, leadership, customer service, and overall sales. The Clinton ABRA franchise is independently owned by John McEleney of McEleney Chevrolet-Buick-GMCToyota. Mark Wahlin, ABRA’s Vice President of Franchise Development, said, “John McEleney is a fantastic business owner who epitomizes the ideals of leadership and ABRA values and brand name. We are extremely pleased to present this award to him and his entire team in Clinton.” For franchise opportunities in small and midsize markets, contact Mark Wahlin, Vice President of Franchise Development and Operations (mwahlin@abraauto.com or 763.585.6315). ABRA plans to continue expanding in the years ahead.

The average used-vehicle wholesale cost rose above $10,000 in January, the Automotive Dealer Exchange Services of America reported, but used-vehicle shoppers may soon find a bit of price relief. Used vehicle wholesale prices rose 1.3% compared to last January, in part because so many cars were destroyed last fall in Superstorm Sandy, the Detroit News reported. But wholesale prices—the prices dealers pay at auction, which are much less than actual used-car resale values but provide a basis for price comparison—should soften in the months ahead, much like they did during the latter half of 2012, said Tom Kontos, executive vice president and chief economist of ADESA in a report. The average wholesale price of used cars rose 1.1% to $9,082. Crossover prices jumped 1.7% to $13,568. Truck prices fell 0.2% to $9,961. The average wholesale price of full-size vans continued to surge; the average price is now $10,116. Mid-size car prices leaped 4.2% to $8,365. January sales of certified used vehicles were up 14.9%, according to Autodata Corp.

38 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

The U.S. government spends nearly $1 billion annually maintaining its 588,000 vehicles, the Government Accountability Office said in an audit released March 7. In the 2011 fiscal year, the administration spent $975 million on maintenance. The report looked at whether federal agencies use original or remanufactured parts to fix vehicles and found that agencies have different policies on whether to use them. Remanufactured parts are generally cheaper. The U.S. Postal Service said it “relies heavily on the remanufacturing industry to sustain our vehicle.” The U.S Postal Service’s fleet of nearly 210,000 vehicles are on average 16.2 years old, while Homeland Security’s 48,917 vehicles are four years old on average. The General Services Administration’s fleet of 200,000 vehicles are 3.5 years old on average and need far less maintenance than other fleets. Some agencies like the FBI, U.S. Postal Service and Customs and Border Patrol, use in-house garages for some maintenance and repair work.

Keenan Launches Operation Comfort Fundraiser

Oxford University is testing out a driverless version of the Nissan Leaf electric car using technology controlled from an Apple iPad on the dashboard. The car is guided by a lowcost navigation system that gauges its surroundings through small cameras and lasers discreetly built into the body of the car and does not rely on GPS. The iPad flashes up a prompt offering the driver the option of taking over a portion of the route. Touching the screen can switch back to ‘auto drive’ where the robot system takes over. The system is currently being tested at Begbroke Science Park, near Oxford. The next stage of the research will work on enabling the new robotic system to understand complex traffic flows and to make decisions on the best routes to take, said Dr. Ingmar Posner, who is co-leading the project. It’s estimated that the current prototype navigation systems costs around $7,625 but, “Long-term, our goal is to produce a system costing around $151,” said Professor Paul Newman, the other co-leader.

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NABC To Take Stock of Future at April Meeting

The National Auto Body Council (NABC) is expanding the format of their April planning and board meeting to accommodate an agenda designed to help chart the future of the organization, which strives to promote a positive image of the automotive collision repair industry. The meeting will take place on Thursday, April 18 and the morning of Friday, April 19. It is being held at the I-CAR Training and Support Center in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The NABC is trying to encourage those who feel strongly about the work it does to participate in the process, so the meeting place has been selected for its convenient location just 30 minutes from the O’Hare Airport, with lodging nearby. There is no registration fee. The meeting will start at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday and run until 5:00 p.m. Matt Ohrnstein of Symphony Advisors, LLC will facilitate for the first half day, as the National Auto Body Council assesses its current goals, determines where it wants to be in five years, and charts possible courses to get there. Thursday afternoon will consist of committee sessions providing an opportunity for all participants to become engaged in discussions. Friday

NABC Appoints 3M Sales Manager Ricciotti to Board

The National Auto Body Council has appointed Renee Ricciotti, 3M national key account sales manager, to its 2013 national board. Ricciotti has been a member of the collision industry for nearly two decades, helping build the 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division across the United States. As national key account sales manager since 2008, Ricciotti has put her leadership skills and industry expertise to work to successfully build multi-functional teams to effectively serve 3M’s automotive customers. “It’s an honor to be selected to serve on the NABC board to give back to the collision industry,” said Ricciotti. “I look forward to addressing industry issues on behalf of the manufacturers, distributors and store owners I’ve worked with for 20 years. I look forward to being involved in great NABC programs like Recycled Rides and Automotivation.” Ricciotti joined 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division in 1994 and has received numerous awards for her performance, including the 3M Golden Step Award, Brick Layer Award and top sales performer.

morning will feature committee reports, with a wrap by noon to accommodate the booking of afternoon flights. “Just as our regular board meetings have open attendance, so, too, does this very special event,” said NABC National Director Chuck Sulkala. “It’s a chance for all to voice their opinions, concerns and thoughts together with members of the National Auto Body Council. It’s a great opportunity to see what we’re really all about. We look forward to seeing everyone there.” Rooms have been reserved at the Hampton Inn in Hoffman Estates located approximately two miles from the meeting site. The phone number for reservations at the NABC rate of $79 per night is 847-882-4301. Transportation from the hotel and to the center will be available from 7:30–7:45 a.m. Thursday morning. Room reservations should be made as quickly as possible as the room block is being held only until March 18. If you would like to attend or have questions, contact Chuck Sulkala at 888-667-7433 or e-mail chuck@autobodycouncil.org or Mike McManus in the NABC office at 414408-4957,

Shop Owners, Managers Asked to Complete Survey

The Collision Industry Snapshot survey remains open for new responses. Collision shop owners and managers are asked to consider completing the Collision Repair Industry Snapshot Survey, which is co-sponsored by the Collision Repair Education Foundation and I-CAR. Through the survey results, the industry will be able to view statistics on the current state of the industry and also to highlight career opportunities to collision students. Only through the participation of collision shop owners/managers can this survey accurately reflect current trends and information on the industry. An electronic tablet (retail value $400) will be awarded to one randomly selected respondent that successfully completes the survey. All responses will be kept confidential and results will be reported in aggregate; respondents will not be contacted; and the list will not be sold or shared. Collision shop owners or managers (one per location please) are invited to take the survey at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/C ollision_Industry_Snapshot_Survey.

40 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

NABC Ramps Up Its Social Media Efforts The National Auto Body Council (NABC) recently announced that it is undertaking its official ‘ramp up into the world of social media’ by inviting interested parties to create, share and exchange industry-related information ideas on its revamped Facebook and Twitter platforms. Craig Camacho, National Auto Body Council board member and chair of NABC’s marketing and pub-

lic relations committee, took the lead on the initiative, which includes renewing and modernizing the look, feel and message of the NABC’s Facebook page and Twitter feed (@AutoBodyCouncil). NABC’s Facebook page layout has been updated to be more attractive and inviting, including a link, www.facebook.com/NationalAutoBodyCouncil, that makes it easier for people to locate and access. Relevant content, industry news, thought-provoking riddles and, most

importantly, program updates, are now listed on an almost daily basis. Dates for Recycled Rides® and First Responder Emergency Extrication (FREE) events will be listed along with information on other campaign initiatives such as Operation Comfort, Distracted Driving, In-Language, the Body Shop Image Award and the Award of Distinction. In today’s digital and online world, it’s hard to imagine an organization achieving success without embracing the benefits of social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the many other available platforms at the fingertips of marketers around the world. “There is no better return on investment then when you grow your audience organically through social media and I am excited that the National Auto Body Council is now positioned to make an impact in this area,” stated Camacho, who is also the marketing director and social media manager at 11-shop MSO Keenan Auto Body. “If you use Facebook, come check us out and ‘like’ the new National Auto Body Council page which will also feed into our Twitter account.”

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VA Police Make 383 Arrests for Insurance Fraud in 2012

In 2012, the Virginia State Police Insurance Fraud Program received 1,976 notifications of suspected insurance fraud. 459 cases were opened, which is almost twice the number opened in 2011. They made 383 arrests for insurance fraud and other related offenses—a 66% increase over 2011. Court-ordered restitution was more than $3 million in 2012, the second highest amount of restitution ordered by the courts since 2001. This brings the total of ordered restitution since the program began in 1999 to almost $18 million. Suspected false insurance claims reported to the Insurance Fraud Program—both attempted and collected—topped $147 million. Since the program has been operating, more than 19,000 referrals have been made to the Virginia State Police, 4,574 fraud investigations have been initiated, and agents have made a total of 2,468 arrests for insurance fraud and related crimes such as arson and forgery. The Virginia State Police investigates suspected fraud in property/casualty lines of insurance, as well as suspected workers’ compensation fraud.

SCRS, CREF Ask Industry to Support Their Local Schools The Society of Collision Repair Specialists and the Collision Repair Education Foundation ask industry members to support their local secondary and post-secondary collision school programs, students and instructors. Now more than ever, instructors need the industry’s help to ensure their students are fully prepared to work within the collision industry after graduation, SCRS said. SCRS and the Education Foundation suggest the following ways the industry can help and participate: • Host a collision class field trip to your business • Volunteer on their advisory board • Mentor a student for potential future employment • ‘Adopt’ the school’s collision program and sponsor several minor projects to help provide a more professional atmosphere for the students (i.e. new epoxy floor coating, fresh coat of paint on the walls, student work uniforms, etc.) For more information finding collision school programs near you, and what type of assistance needed, please contact Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at brandon.eckenrode@ed-foundation.org.

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Anthony Fisher Obituary

Edward “Randy” Bevis

Edward “Randy” Bevis, 90, who owned Bevis Auto Body in Alexandria, VA, for four decades, died Feb. 16 at Inova Alexandria Hospital. He had pneumonia, his daughter Joy Gilstrap said. Mr. Bevis opened his business in 1949 and sold it in 1989. From the late 1940s to the early ’60s, he owned an Esso gas station in Alexandria. Edward Randolph Bevis was born in Rocky Mount, NC, and moved to the Washington area as a boy. He graduated from Mount Vernon High School and served in the Army in Europe during World War II. In 1971, Mr. Bevis, his son, Ed Bevis Jr., and two other boaters were rescued after being lost at sea off North Carolina’s Outer Banks for three days. Their ordeal was reported on the front page of The Washington Post. Mr. Bevis was past president of the Washington Auto Body Association. His wife of 35 years, Irene Lewis Bevis, died in 1982. Survivors include his wife of 19 years, Lois Ansel Bevis of St. Petersburg, FL, and four children from his first marriage.

Anthony Francis Fisher, 86, a resident of Chincoteague, VA, passed away at his residence on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013. Mr. Fisher was in auto body repair for many years and was in the United States Coast Guard during World War II. He was predeceased by his wife, Thalia Juanita Whealton Fisher; and a son, Mark Fisher. Born on Sept. 6, 1926, in Wilmington, DE, he was the son of the late Henry Fisher and Barbara Merkel. He was member of St. Andrews Catholic Church on Chincoteague. He is survived by his children, Anne Arnold and husband, James, of Disputanta, VA, and Delores Kaminski and her husband, Edward, of Northeast, MD; a daughter-inlaw, Roberta Fisher of Herndon, VA; two sisters, Barbara Austin of Carolina Shores, NC, and Theresa Sewell of Lewes, DE.; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. A funeral service was held on Feb. 15, at St. Andrews Catholic Church. Interment is at St. Peter’s Cemetery, Pilottown Road, Lewes, DE.

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From hot Wheels to hot Rods: Kindig-It Designer Works for Fun by Melanie Anderson

Kindig-It-Designs owner Dave Kindig started drawing cars when he was five years old. Self-taught in all aspects of custom car building, Kindig laughingly says, “I have a design and engineering degree from Legos and Hot Wheels.” Today, Kindig-It-Designs employs 17 people after 14 years in business in Salt Lake City, UT. Kindig, 42, is a custom car builder, designer and painter. “We do all aspects inhouse—everything from design, chassis engineering, body and paint, sheet metal fabrication, electronics, audio, graphics and custom suspensions,” he

Dave Kindig at work in his design studio

piece” once it’s finished, a combination of old and new. With a life built around cars, one would think Kindig would have several custom cars of his own, but that isn’t so. “That’s the funny part about it. I’m like the shoemaker that never has time for his own shoes,” he said laughing. His only completed custom car is a 1961 VW shortened wheelbased dune buggy. “After 14 years in business, I believe that is first car I ever built and finished for myself. I live vicariously my hot rod dreams through others’ wallets since I don’t have time for my own.” By age 20, he was rebuilding VWs and working across the street from High Performance Coatings. He admired the cars that were pulling into that place and the owner frequently borrowed Kindig’s forklift. One day the owner of HPC asked him when he was going to come work for him, and soon Kindig started a new career that lasted more than eight years. He started off sand blasting and ended up traveling across the country helping with marketing, operations and national sales. “It was a good opportunity for me. I saw the world and met a lot of racers and top builders.” However, Kindig never gave up drawing. Eventually, his renderings tacked up on his office wall caught the attention of those in the industry and his hobby became a side business, then a career. “I figured out that working 60 hours a week for someone else wasn’t

said. Kindig described his shop as a one-stop custom and restoration facility. “Our forte is not just street rods, or one style of car,” Kindig said. “We do cars from any era. We prefer to do customizing. We work on late model vehicles as well as the earlier muscle cars and street rods back from the early ‘30s.” On average, the shop is working on about 34 cars at any given time, many of which are long-term projects. As a young man, Kindig’s passion started with VW Beetles. “I started off buying Volkswagens and chopping the tops, taking tops completely off and making Roadsters out of them.” Playing around with the early Volkswagen Bee1964 Cadillac Coupe Deville Convertible built for speed tles snowballed into bigger skater Apolo Ohno and better cars, although he still loves the VWs because it’s his really cutting it. It wasn’t exactly what heritage. Currently, he has a bare I wanted to do,” he said. The amount metal finished VW that he’s still workof work he had with the renderings, ing on that he says will be a “radical painting cars out of his garage and

42 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

selling parts on the side allowed him to quit his full-time job with HPC and start his own business, and Kindig-It Designs was born. It started out of his garage with barely 1,000 square feet. That only lasted a little more than two months before he moved into a 4,500-

1932 Ford Tudor

square-foot space for two-and-half years before moving into 9,000 square feet. Five years later, the shop added another 9,000 square feet. Recently, Kindig signed a two-year lease option to buy the entire 27,000 square foot

1937 Chevy

customer’s taste, I build a car that’s very unique. Each car is different. It is something that will be timeless and classic, it will stop people walking through a show. I love to put the details into a car and a lot of design flavor.”

His favorite project is a white 1968 Mustang called ‘The Boss’ and is well-known in the show industry. His most famous customer is Apolo Anton Ohno, a gold medal Olympic speed skater who commissioned Kindig to rebuild a 1964 Series 62 Cadillac Coupe DeVille that was featured on Hot Rod Television on the Speed Channel. Currently, the shop is working on a 1953 GM Parade of Progress FuturLiner Bus, one of 12 originals. Of these 12 originals, nine are still in existence: one burned up, one was rear-ended, and one ended up being used for parts and is no longer trackable, according to Kindig. This bus, No. 3 of the series, is over 11 feet tall, 8 feet wide and 33 feet long and only seats

building, of which he subleases 6,000 square feet to an upholstery shop and window tinting business. Kindig loves his work, but “It’s not like work. It’s like a good-paying hobby. I go to work every day and I get to sit in my drawing office if I desire to and just sit here and draw. It’s been very rewarding. It’s calming, and it’s exciting. When I talk to a client about building a car, usually the very first thing we do is a Kindig-It Designs custom VW Bug renderings rendering. Within a couple minutes, I’m already driving this car three. The driver sits in the center, 10 up and down the street, imagining feet in the air. The doors are 16 feet what it would look like. You want to long and the interior includes a stairbuild a car to somebody’s taste and by case. Most of the structure needs to be adding your flare and playing off the rebuilt, and Kindig-It used computer-

generated scanned 3D schematics to measure all dimensions of the vehicle. Kindig said these vehicles are very sought after and that one of these remaining vehicles sold for $4.2 mil-

1956 Chevy Bel Air 2-door hard top

lion at Barrett-Jackson in 2008. He added that his shop has received a lot of national attention because of the vehicle. The owner of the #3 FuturLiner also found another original and has commissioned the shop to rebuild it from scratch, updating the replicated version with a full modern drive train, modern electronics, smoke machine

and air driven doors. This one will be used for tradeshows. One of Kindig’s favorite products is PPG paint. “PPG is a great product for us. I am really impressed with their clear coats, and the way they link up in

a baking situation is obviously more modern. The colors offer good coverage, and I like the ability to custom mix colors and have the backing of PPG as far as knowledge to making balanced formulas.” Kindig-It Designs has developed two of their own colors, called ‘KindigIt Cool Clay’ and ‘Bad Tomato.’

New Indiana Shop to Follow Lean Production

A new collision repair shop using lean production methods is slated to open in Terre Haute, IN, by November. Ted D. McClintic and Benedict “Dick” Cobb Jr., with a combined 50 years of experience in auto collision repair in the Indianapolis market, joined forces to create MC2 Collision. The new business will construct a new 14,000-square-foot facility near the intersection of First Street and Springhill Avenue. The new business will employ 15 workers, McClintic said, and expects to repair 50 to 60 vehicles a month. Cobb said the new business will use lean manufacturing methods to more quickly repair cars. “Short of a totally aluminum vehicle, we will be equipped to fix anything,” Cobb said. The two-acre property was sold in April by Dorsett LLC for $300,000 to Cobb and McClintic. Construction of the new business has started. “We thought that this corridor along U.S. 41 is a crossroads of western Indiana. We think it has a lot to offer, with a reach of six to nine counties,” McClintic said. Cobb sold his shares in Collision Solutions, which has five Indianapolis locations. “The average repair here is twice as long as in Indianapolis and it is not

because they don’t do good work,” Cobb said. “They [other collision repair shops] are busy and also are still doing things the old way. “Lean manufacturing, those same principles, can apply to our in-

MC2 Collision Grand Opening

dustry. It takes a lot of training, but when you successfully convert your business to that, you cut repair time in half,” Cobb said. Cobb and McClintic said they will be a referral for Dorsett LLC, which sells Mitsubishi, Kia and Nissan. Cobb said he also plans to approach Mace Ford about working with that dealership. “The trend is for dealerships to get out of the collision repair business, which is not their core business,” Cobb said.

Ford Adding 450 Jobs at Northeast Ohio Plant Ford Motor Co. is adding 450 jobs at a northeast Ohio plant to increase production of its 2-liter EcoBoost engine, the Detroit News recently reported. A $200 million investment will allow the plant to produce 2-liter engines for North American vehicles like the Fusion midsize sedan and Escape SUV. The engine is currently built only in Valencia, Spain. “Cleveland Engine Plant was the first to produce EcoBoost engines and will continue to be a cornerstone of Ford’s strategy to deliver affordable fuel economy for millions,” Ford President of the Americas Joe Hinrichs said in a statement. Ford, which in 2009 introduced the EcoBoost series—a marriage of turbocharging, direct-injection and twin independent variable-camshaft timing—is in need of additional engines for high-volume vehicles such as the Fusion and F-150. Buyers increasingly have opted for the EcoBoost engines, which offer boosts in fuel efficiency and performance but command a premium of about $1,000. Ford has sold more than 530,000 EcoBoost engines in the U.S. during the past 3-1/2 years through January and expects to sell more than 500,000

EcoBoost-equipped vehicles in 2013. Ford’s 2-liter EcoBoost is one of five powertrain options for Fusion, a high-volume vehicle in the ultra-competitive midsize segment; the 2-liter is also an option on the Escape SUV, Taurus full-size sedan, and Edge and Explorer SUVs. It is the only powertrain offered for the sporty Focus ST. The 2-liter could eventually rival the automaker’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 as the most popular of the engines sold in the U.S. The jobs are a welcome boost to the Cleveland plant, which currently produces the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6. Ford in recent years closed an engine plant and a casting plant in the Cleveland area. Plans for Europe will create even more demand for the 2-liter EcoBoost: Ford wants to triple production of European vehicles equipped with EcoBoost engines by 2015 to approximately 480,000. Production in Ohio would allow Ford to better adjust for EcoBoost demand in two regions, analysts say. Another investment, outlined in the 2011 UAW contract but not expected to bear fruit until next year, is a $400 million revamping of Ford’s Lima Engine Plant in Ohio.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 43

Mitch Lanzini Extends his Art from Toy Cars to Overhaulin’ by Melanie Anderson

Custom painter Mitch Lanzini of Lanzini Body Works in Huntington Beach, CA, began his career polish-

pieces for a prototype airplane that will be featured in the Hamburg Air Show in Germany in March. Other custom painting and designing jobs have included ambulances, surf

The Lanzini’s own 1933 Speedstar Coupe

ing and showing off his toy cars. As boards, guitars, race cars, bowling a kid, for Lanzini the Batmobile on pins, motorcycles, kids’ pedal cars and TV exemplified hot rods and custom their own line of roller derby skate cars, and by high school he was wheels. using cans of spray paint on bicycles However, building and restoring and motorcycles. At 21, he cus- hot rods is their main line of business. tomized his first vehicle, his own Their two favorite projects are their Datsun truck, that earned him his own cars, a gold 1933 Speedstar coupe first magazine cover. Today, Mitch, and a purple 1932 Zipper Roadster. The 54, has more than 30 years experience in the business, has been featured on many more magazine covers, and has owned Lanzini Body Works with his wife, Tara, for 20 years. You could say Mitch was born to be an artist. His grandfather Angelo Lanzini was a renowned painter and sculptor Mitch Lanzini in the paint booth in Italy. “Mitch comes from a long line of artists in his coupe, Mitch said, is “a piece of rolling family,” said Tara. “It’s in his blood. art” because many of the parts are His grandfather painted portraits for handmade. After working some 300 two U.S. presidents and was commis- hours on the body, he spent 24 hours sioned to paint the Pope’s portrait straight painting it. Over the course of which still hangs in the Vatican today. his career, Mitch figures he’s custom Angelo’s three sons, including Mitch’s painted nearly 200 show-stopping cars. “What I love about painting cars dad, were all artists too.” Like a typical body shop, Lanzini is that it really is a true form of art.” Body Works does collision repair and But getting to the painting means hunexterior custom painting work in a dreds of hours of prep time has al4,500 square-foot space. What’s not ready been spent. “Even if you’ve so usual is some of the other work done everything right, things can still they do, like custom painting interior go wrong,” said Mitch. “You’ve put so

44 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

much time into a car for so long, and when the day comes where you’re actually mixing paint and suiting up to go into the booth, you cross your fingers and pray to the paint gods that nothing goes wrong. Because there are days when things do go wrong that didn’t go wrong the day before, and any painter who tells you he hasn’t had that day is a liar,” Mitch said. “A little speck of dust can ruin hours of prep work. Today’s painters have to be part chemist and part weatherman because so many things can go wrong.” His current paint preference is BASF Onyx, and for clears and primers, he uses Young’s House of Klear. “The gloss factor of the clears are amazing and the other products are very user-friendly, affordable and mix well,” Mitch said. He also likes the universal flattening agent that is “outstanding.” In addition to cars, he uses the House of Klear products on highprofile artwork he does for an expressionist artist because “the clear looks amazing under gallery lights.” Between 2004–2009, the Lanzini shop was featured in the Velocity network TV reality show Overhaulin’

where the concept of the show was to ‘borrow or steal’ an old, tired or antique car and restore it in one week and return it as a surprise to its owner. The body and paint work was done at Lanzini Body Works, where 25 episodes of the popular car make-over show was filmed. “It was great to do the show, but

Mitch and Tara Lanzini

also really challenging because during filming, all the other work in our shop came to a halt, and working non-stop meant a lot of sleepless nights,” Mitch said. “On Overhaulin’, if the car was ready to paint at 2 a.m., you painted the car at 2 a.m. We worked through many sleepless nights, but as crazy as it sounds, the best paint jobs I’ve done were done in the middle of the night

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A collage of pictures from Overhaulin’

and when the tow truck showed up at 6 a.m., they sent the driver out for coffee while they walked around the

car with heat lamps. “The paint was still wet when the car rolled away,” Mitch said. “It was an intense build.” And that was just the first of many. That’s when Mitch got the wake up call that doing the show wasn’t going to be easy by any means, and so he asked the producers to rotate filming amongst other shops. A u t o m o b i l e 1972 Torino designer Chip Foose hosted the show, which ran for five seasons, and has now returned for its sixth season. Foose is Mitch’s neighbor, close friend and also has a shop nearby. “Chip is probably one of my best friends and someone I respect more than most. We always have so much fun hanging out and working together because we’re like two little kids who just love to create things. He’s been around cars his whole life too, so we have a lot in common and a lot of fun together.” Some of Mitch’s celebrity customers include comedian Christo-

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pher Titus who had his own FOX show, and race car driver Jimmie Johnson. However, Lanzini Body

Works gives everyone who walks in their doors the same level of attention and painting excellence. “The day I know everything as a painter is the day I will retire,” Mitch said. “As of now, that hasn’t happened, and it probably won’t for a long time to come.” Lanzini Body Works Inc. 17901 Sampson Lane Huntington Beach, CA 92647 Phone - (714) 375-2828 Fax - (714) 375-2830 E-mail: lanzinis@aol.com lanzinibodyworks.com

Hertz and Penske Agree to Franchise Deal in Indiana

Hertz Corp. and Penske Automotive Group have completed a franchisee agreement for Penske to become the operator of Hertz car rental locations in certain markets throughout Indiana. The partnership is part of Hertz’s company-wide initiative aimed at increasing its presence in targeted car rental markets. Penske Automotive Group has purchased the assets of Hertz in select Indiana markets, including more than 20 Hertz airport and off-airport locations. “Hertz’s partnership with Penske Automotive in the Memphis market has proven successful, and extending our relationship to Indiana was the logical next step,” said Mark Frissora, chairman and CEO of Hertz. “The Penske team is creating the most valued car rental experience in the Memphis market and we’re confident they will bring the same commitment to the Indiana car rental business. With this expanded partnership, we’re confident we’ll be able to accelerate our growth throughout the region and continue our expansion into the neighborhood market.”

SEMA Show Hotels Now Accepting Reservations SEMA showgoers may now secure hotel rooms from the official SEMA Housing Services at www.SEMAShow.com. Available through Travel Planners, the reservations come with guaranteed low rates and perks, such as no resort fees. “We know that showgoers are busy, and securing a hotel room shouldn’t be a time-intensive job,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA VP of events and communications. “By using the official SEMA Housing Services, attendees and exhibitors can rest assured that they are working with a legitimate company and paying the lowest rates.” SEMA began partnering with Travel Planners in 2011 to provide Showgoers with guaranteed low rates on dozens of hotel rooms in Las Vegas during the week of the SEMA Show. Among the benefits of using Travel Planners are: • Guaranteed low rate—The housing bureau actively monitors to ensure that they are offering the lowest possible rates. If guests do find a lower rate, Travel Planners will match or beat the lower rate. • No hidden fees—Many hotels in Las Vegas advertise lower rates and

charge a “resort fee” on top of that rate. SEMA and Travel Planners have worked with hotels to waive such fees. The price quoted through Travel Planners is all-inclusive and will not have other fees added to it. • Exclusive room blocks—SEMA and Travel Planners lock in prime blocks of rooms at host hotels. As a result, rooms may appear to be sold out to the rest of the world when in reality they are being held for SEMA Showgoers who go through the SEMA Housing Services. • Extra level of service—Because reservations made through Travel Planners identify guests as SEMA Showgoers, the hotel staff provides a higher level of service and helps direct guests to show-related programs such as free shuttles. Guests also receive confirmation numbers in advance of the Show and can get hotel help from Travel Planners staff at the SEMA Show. To secure rooms through the official SEMA Housing Services, reservations should be made from the SEMA Show site www.SEMAShow.com and include the official housing seal. Travel Planners can also be reached directly at 800-221-3531 or 212-5321660.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 45

ICRA Adds ‘No Free Lunch’ to Tradeshow An industry issues luncheon called “There is No Free Lunch” will kick off the Midwest Auto Body Trade Show, the Iowa Collision Repair Association (ICRA) recently announced. This luncheon, which will be held on March 28 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, IA, will address insurance-mandated parts procurement programs and the proposed Iowa Senate Bill 42, which is requesting an interim study on DRPs. Iowa Senator Brad Zaun, who introduced the bill, and ICRA lobbyist Scott Weiser will speak at the luncheon. The parts procurement discussion will include insurance representatives, collision repairers and parts managers. After the luncheon, the trade show will open at 2 p.m. and run till 7 p.m. Space has been added to facilitate more than 60 vendor booths this year. Product demonstrations and educational classes will be held on the stage in the same room as the trade show. The educational sessions will cover such topics as: • Social media • OSHA hazard communication/ global harmonization rule

• Plastic repair Show specials, gift certificates, special attendee show discounts and door prizes will again be offered at the show. Also, new car models will be on the floor for attendees to preview. “The grassroots approach with our members and vendors has proven to be a tremendous success for this industry event,” said John Arnold, vice president of ICRA and owner of Arnold’s Body Shop, Davenport. Added Mark Martin of Ankeny Auto Body, “This is a very dynamic show, and with everyone in the room for the entire event, it creates a great atmosphere for all the participants. We all look forward to coming back.” “This is a great venue for our industry to get together and learn more about what we do,” said Dale Wilgenbusch, ICRA president and co-owner of Avalon Body Shop in Rickardsville. “There is always so much to gain at one of these events.” The luncheon costs $25. Contact Janet Chaney at (480) 720-2565 with any questions.

The Society of Collision Repair Spe- Foundation and the secondary and cialists (SCRS) has donated 245 post-secondary collision school promemberships to secondary and post- grams that our organization works tosecondary collision school programs wards assisting nationwide. Many through the Collision Repair Educa- collision instructors are facing limited tion Foundation, a $73,500 value. budgets and through working together Through the general membership do- with industry organizations like nation, each school will receive a win- SCRS, we can show the educators of dow decal, membership certificate, the industry’s future professionals that access to SCRS member information we care and are looking to keep them and all association communications. current on industry information. I SCRS Executive Director Aaron look forward to working together with Schulenburg noted, “Supporting our the SCRS Board of Directors on helpindustry’s education system is an ining to inform their members of where tegral part of our association’s mis- their local collision school programs sion to educate, inform and represent are located and how they can get inthe collision repair professional. It is volved in supporting the collision stuour hope that the schools and instruc- dents and instructors.” tors will take advantage of the inforIndustry members that are intermation and resources, to help educate ested in supporting secondary and their students on the activities taking post-secondary collision school proplace within the industry, and that the grams through the Collision Repair students will foster an appreciation for Education Foundation should visit the support structure that exists within http://collisioneducationfoundation.org the industry, once they enter the work- and contact Director of Development force.” Brandon Eckenrode at 847.463.5244 Collision Repair Education or Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundaFoundation Director of Development tion.org. Brandon Eckenrode noted, “I would like to thank their support Give us SCRS your for opinion on matters affecting the industry. www.autobodynews.com of the Collision Repair Education

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CHECK IT Worshop OUT! Joe Gibbs Racing Hosts Sherwin-Williams

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The next A-Plus™ Network EcoLean™ Level 1 workshop from SherwinWilliams Automotive Finishes will be held April 30 and May 1 at the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) facility near Charlotte, NC. Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, four NASCAR Nationwide Series teams, and a driver development program. Its driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Matt Kenseth in the Sprint Cup Series and is owned by Joe Gibbs, a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and four Nationwide Series owner’s championships, along with more than 175 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and a Daytona 500. These Sherwin-Williams exclusive EcoLean Level 1 workshops are designed to educate attendees about maximizing profitability by improving productivity and eliminating waste throughout their facilities. The program is offered to collision center

SCRS Donates General Memberships to 245 Collision School Programs through Foundation

write us!

publisher@autobodynews.com CARSTAR Promotes Rick Miller and Melissa Miller (no relation) to Leadership Roles

owners and dealer managers. “The EcoLean curriculum was deCARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts veloped specifically with collision shop has promoted field service managers operators in mind. This upcoming Rick Miller and Melissa Miller (no Charlotte workshop, held onsite at a relation) to leadership roles within its NASCAR championship team’s headTo advertise field service operations departThe and source for timely quarters, allows attendees to really see Advertising Sales ment. information that every leancall production in action,” saysat: Troy In addition, CARSTAR also reNeuerburg, Manager of Marketing 800-699-8251 body shop cently appointed Dean needs! Fisher as Business Services at Sherwin-Williams e-mail: vice president of service and operaAutomotive Finishes. “Through it they advertising@autobodynews.com tionsCALL for the U.S. will learn practical processes and useful 800-699-8251 Rick Miller, who joined tips on lean production’s application in www.autobodynews.com Start Your CARSTAR in 2007 as aFREE regional collision repair and methods to make serviceMail manager and most recently their collision shops more efficient, Subscription. served as director of field services productive, and subsequently more and operations, has led the impleprofitable.” mentation of the CARSTAR Service The EcoLean 1 workshop curEDGE model across the country. riculum includes: See the NEW With his promotion to assistant • Principles of reducing environmenvice president of the department, he tal waste will manage the execution of strate• An overview of lean production, and gic business initiatives for the its practical application in collision rewww.autobodynews.com CARSTAR stores, guiding the compair pany’s team of regional service man• Approaches to making the collision agers and leading stores as they facility more efficient and consistent embrace key programs. • How to build a lean culture from the Previously, Miller worked with ground up Carter & Carter International in EuTo register online for the upcomrope and North America since 1998. ing Charlotte A-Plus University He started his collision career in GerEcoLean Level 1 workshop, go to To advertise many as a refinish apprentice then http://www.regonline.com/Regismoved back to the U.K. to manage call Sean Hartman at: ter/Checkin.

Autobody News Website

800-699-8251

e-mail: 46 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

shartman@autobodynews.com

dealer body shops and import reconTo advertise ditioning centers. call Advertising Sales Melissa Miller has been at: promoted to director of field services and 800-699-8251 ToCARSTAR advertisein operations. She joined e-mail: callmanager Joe Momber 2004 as a project in Fran- at: advertising@autobodynews.com chise Integration, after working as the 800-699-8251 office manager and marketing direcwww.autobodynews.com e-mail:body tor in her family’s collision jmomber@autobodynews.co shop —Randy & Bob’s CARSTAR in Chicora, PA,—from 1999 to 2004. www.autobodynews.com She served as regional service manager for Pennsylvania in 2006 and was appointed senior See regional the N service manager in 2009. She is active in the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) andRegister serves on Your the Em communications committee. www.autobodyn “Our field service team members are the connection to our store owners, and their leadership, experience at www.autobod and expertise in working with our network are essential to our success as an organization,” said David Byers, CEO of CARSTAR. “We are proud to promote two members of our field Towho advertise service team have consistently call Sean demonstrated the Hartman commitmentat: to our stores, a passion for the industry and a 800-699-8251 true understanding of what it takes to succeed in thise-mail: business.” shartman@autobodynews.com

Autobody New Free Monthly

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Industry Veteran Mike Spagnola Joins SEMA SEMA has hired industry veteran Mike Spagnola to fill the newly created position of VP, OEM & Product Development Programs. Spagnola brings with him 40 years of specialty auto parts experience, including more than 20 years of product development and project vehicle work. Spagnola will oversee the new SEMA Product Development Center located adjacent to the SEMA headquarters in Diamond Bar, CA. The building has a history of serving as a vehicle technology center, giving SEMA the opportunity to offer these servMike Spagnola ices without having to start at ground zero.While based in Southern California, these programs and services will be available to SEMA members everywhere. “The SEMA Product Development Center is going to be an amazing resource for SEMA members,” Spagnola said. “I’m excited to be a part of the expansion.” “We’re excited to have Mike join SEMA in developing services that help members with product de-

velopment and OEM initiatives,” said Chris Kersting, SEMA President and CEO. “SEMA’s vehicle technology and OEM programs, led by John Waraniak and Bill Wolf, have proven to be extremely beneficial over the years.” Spagnola’s experience includes retail, distribution and manufacturing. Most recently, he served as President for Street Scene Equipment where he managed the company’s day-to-day business for 16 years. His project vehicles have been featured on the covers of more than 50 enthusiast magazines, and honored with more than a dozen design awards from various OEMs. Spagnola has also completed six years of service on the SEMA Board of Directors, a position from which he resigned effective with his new role as a staff member. “Through the use of new technology and partnerships, manufacturers can develop products faster, more accurately and less expensively than ever before. Programs such as SEMA’s Technology Transfer, Rapid Prototyping and Vehicle Measuring Sessions can all be enhanced to help our member companies make and sell more products,” said Spagnola.

Sherwin-Williams Introduces Body Shop Phone App for Consumers More than 5.3 million. That’s how many vehicle accidents there were in the U.S. in 2011, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If you were involved in one of these, then you know the confusion, stress and potential trauma that can occur right after a collision. Now Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes introduces a new Body Shop App for consumers to utilize in case they are involved in a traffic accident. The new mobile phone application provides users with all kinds of information and contact access. The new app will provide immediate access to the user’s friends and family contacts, insurance company or agent, vehicle identification data, local emergency services (police, fire, ambulance, and hospitals), geographic location of the accident and even tips of what to do if involved in an accident. It is capable of retrieving the contact information for nearby towing services, SherwinWilliams A-Plus™ Network body shops, and car rental locations. “Any time you’re in an accident, it’s a very stressful occasion. Fortu-

nately, most drivers now have their cell phones with them. This new app will supply drivers with the data and contact information through their cell phone to make the entire post-accident process go as smooth as possible,” says Troy Neuerburg, Manager of Marketing Business Services at Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes. According to Neuerburg, this mobile phone app also can help drivers prepare an accident report and share photos from the scene of the incident. The new app is free for consumers and can be downloaded for iPhone users at Sherwin-Williams iPhone App or for Google Android users at SherwinWilliams Android App, or by going to www.sherwin-automotive.com. Using GPS data, the SherwinWilliams Body Shop App is compatible with most smart phones and devices, including Blackberry, iPhone, Nokia/Symbian, Google Android, Palm, and Microsoft Windows mobile platforms. For more information, visit www.sherwin-automotive.com or call 1-800-SWULTRA (1-800-798-5872).

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Custom Corner with Rich Evans

Rich Evans is the owner of Huntington Beach Bodyworks and an award winning painter and fabricator. He offers workshops in repair and customization at his facility to share his unique talents. For contacts and design samples visit www.huntingtonbeachbodyworks.com

Sharing the Love of Custom Painting with Students at Lincoln I did a little traveling this month. I got rior episodes with 72-hour builds.’ a call from Tony Passwater, the di- But we were able to work it out rector of the Indiana Autobody Asso- where I thought I could squeeze in a ciation, who organizes the bi-annual paint job with graphics in a 10-hour Convention and Technology Exhibi- period, or worse case scenario, a 12tion which was held in Indianapolis hour period. So, I started reaching Feb. 22–23 at the Lincoln College of out for the tools I would need to pull something like this off. I went Technology. See Janet Chaney’s artiThomas to my stencil line. I have pre-drawn cle on the event,with cover of this issue.Franklin

On Creative Marketing

Opinions Count with Dick Strom

Action Counts with Lee Amaradio Jr.

out graphics, such as tribal flames and traditional flames. I got measurements from Tony, which allowed me get the graphics pre-designed, pre-cut and pre-masked before I showed up, which would save us a They wanted me to do an ap- lot of time. with Sheila Loftus pearance, which is cool, but interOn my way to Indianapolis, I acting with the students on a project heard there were ice storms and I would be even cooler. At the end of thought I’d be cancelled. However, I the day, I wanted the students to do got a text that said the show must go the project and get the experience on. Luckily, I made it into Indianapowith me guiding and helping. The lis. I was on the last plane in before challenge the IABA came up with they shut down the airport. was painting a truck and doing The next morning, I got a ride to some graphics, some flames. But Lincoln College of Technology and it’s the catch was, they wanted to do it a pretty impressive school. The auto in a five-hour period, and I thought, body shop had quite a few completed ‘Oh here we go, these guys have vehicles. Director of Operations Roger been watching too many Car War- Park showed me around. They were

Your Turn

Shop Showcase with Janet Chaney

48 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

equipped with spray booths, tools and equipment, frame racks, etc. What they had lined up for me was a 1998 green Dodge Dakota. I reached out to Vintage Collection Paint Line by Cumberland Products because they have a flat black paint that we would be using on this project. I envisioned a two-tone flame de-

sign with a flat black look. When I show up, the truck is sanded in 800 grit and now I am having to backtrack a little bit and rethink this. I talked to Bruce Barlow from Vintage Collection Paint Line by Cumberland Prod-

ucts—this product is over the top, and easy to use. They were willing to provide this product to me. I asked Mike English, Technical Manager, if we put down the flats, are we able to clear over it, and what timeframe we had to clear over it? The answer was ‘yes,’ we could clear over it and we had 24 hours. I was jazzed about that because it doesn’t throw a wrench in the project. I met with the top 12 students who were going to work along with me. They also had bleachers set up for the other students. I started with the basics and interacted with the students, and asked them what they were thinking. I said we could utilize the lines on the truck and make it look real cool. We had to take few more parts off the truck. I brought out the flames and I had them lay them out and get creative. I also gave the students some ideas and then let them run with it. There was no reason for me to do it for them. It was about them doing it.

Continued from Page 37 So, we get started and I am feeling clean it, sand out the blowthrough that chance to get legs. Therefore, we are pretty good about the pace we’re at. All come underneath the tape with 800 a close watch on this legislaCharles Bryant Updates keeping the students at the Lincoln College of grit, and tighten up the graphics and tion and ready to fight for the passage Technology were really into the projget it masked up. With a 1.3 RP gun, of it if it looks like there is a realistic The provisions of the bill intend to ect and excited about it. I gave them a the goal is to walk around it with three chance of actually passing. incorporate into statutory law certain little direction and let them get incoats. But we’re in a time crunch, We have two great training meetmatters affecting the industry. Want to Contribute to this Southwest Edition? aspects of New Jersey’s current case ings planned for April of this year and volved hands-on so they can walk nearing about 10 hours in, and I had law, which recognize private causes of away and say, “Hey, I did that.” We’re to jump on a plane in a couple hours. more meetings in the planning stage. action in first-party and third-party pacing pretty good. Five hours in, we We were able to walk around it three The AASP/NJ Lou Scoras Meclaims regarding the bad faith actions have it masked and ready for color. The times in 25 minutespublisher@autobodynews.com because the morial Golf Outing is coming up on utobodynews.com of insurance companies which result in students are working well together. heated booth allows you to move a litMay 20, 2013 and we are already harm to their insureds. See Pickett v. These guys are getting creative, runtle more quickly. Students mixed the getting players and sponsors signing Lloyd’s, 131 N.J. 457 (1993), Samuel up. ning flames over the shaker scoop and clear, and everybody worked together. Promote your Rova business with v.with Doe, 158 N.J. 134 (1999), down the sides, in the back. I brought In 12 hours, wePromote got a flameyour job, abusiness twoI could go on and on because new Farms Resort, Inc. v. Investors Ins. Co., featuring some reverse stencils so we could put tone complete an paint and re-assembled. things are always happening here in exclusive article featuring an exclusive article 65 N.J. 474 (1974). my Rich Evans Design series logo on The facilityyour and the staff were New Jersey. However, I think this will products or services. your products or services. advertise Although the prospect of this legtheir way into the phenomenal. I had a great visit and give you a pretty good idea of the y the truck. They madeTo Joe Momber islation passing sounds great, the booth and get itcall all masked up, tightenat: interaction with the students, the uphighlights for now. Thank you for givry might and power of the insurance inup a few places to get the masking coming next generation into the ining me the opportunity. 800-699-8251 dustry to fight such a proposal makes done right. We’re using SATA spray dustry. Jeff McDowell added that like e-mail: it extremely hard to get this type of guns withjmomber@autobodynews.com 1.3 tip. Using Vintage flat I’d like toCALL: thank IABA for having the rest of the country, shops in his reJoe Momber for details! Call for details! 51 black paint, we walked around it two me come out, and special legislation passed. However, because thanks to the gion are examining the benefits and www.autobodynews.com 800-699-8251 of the abuse of New800-699-8251 Jersey residents and half times. I let each individual stuguys from Vintage Paint! For more incosts of assignments of proceeds and harmed by Hurricane Sandy by cerdent get a little bit of spray time in to formation about Vintage, go to: parts procurement programs, amongst n. tain insurers, it has a much better get a chance to put some color on it. www.cumberlandproductsinc.com. other general industry concerns. We’re now about 8 hours in and we’re calling it quits for the day. We have a Register for Our Register Your Email for Our Follow us on Twitter: 24-hour window with the clear to Your come Email back and clear over the flat black with @autobodynews Free Twice Monthly Newsletter no sanding necessary. In the morning, the students deAccept no Substitutes! at www.autobodynews.com at www.autobodynews.com mask it, go back around it and pre-

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Lexus of Pembroke Pines, FL, Named 2012 Lexus Certified Collision Center of the Year

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Standox® has congratulated Lexus of Pembroke Pines in Florida for being named the 2012 Lexus Certified Collision Center of the Year. The national award is based on a 12-month measurement of customer satisfaction, sales growth, manager, estimator and technician certification,

facility and equipment requirements, and benchmark achievements. Nationwide, there are 233 Lexus Dealers with 16 dealers realizing the power of the Lexus Certified Collision Center program and that competed for the award. “At Lexus of Pembroke Pines, we are dedicated to providing our customers with a luxury customer experience, which includes maintaining

Lexus industry certification benchmark standards. Being named the 2012 Lexus Certified Collision Center of the Year is an honor and I am very proud of our team,” said Brian Martin, collision center director. As the 2012 Lexus Certified Collision Center of the Year, Lexus of Pembroke Pines was featured in a Lexus TV spotlight, which aired on February 11, 2013. Lexus of Pembroke Pines has been a proud user of Standox® since 2009. “We wish to congratulate Lexus of Pembroke Pines on being named the 2012 Lexus Certified Collision Center of the Year,” said Matt Robertson, DPC sales director–North America. “The award is a testament to Brian Martin and his team’s strong commitment to providing their customers with quality vehicle repairs.”

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 49

CAPA Testing on Safety of Aftermarket Bumper Parts Certified Automotive Parts Association, (CAPA) provides aftermarket parts that have been certified by CAPA to be comparable to the car company brand part. The claim is based on the notion that if an aftermarket part uses the same materials, construction features, dimensions and geometry as the car company brand part, then it can be expected to perform in a comparable manner to the car company brand part. Approved by CAPA’s Technical Committee in 2010, the CAPA 501 Bumper Parts Standard, like all other CAPA Standards, is based on comparative testing of an aftermarket part to the car company brand counterpart. In addition to requirements for material composition, mechanical properties (strength), construction features, fit and appearance, the CAPA 501 Standard also includes a series of full part dynamic crash tests. Test parts are mounted to a vehicle simulator and are crashed into a fixed, flat, rigid barrier at 5 mph. After the crash, high speed video and detailed graphs of the impact force and deceleration are used to compare the performance of the aftermarket part to the car company brand part. In addition, the amount of physical deformation is carefully examined and compared. “While this testing is extensive

(and the complete procedure is publically available), CAPA’s Board and Technical Committee wanted to insure that all performance characteristics were compared in detail to the car company brand parts,” said Jack Gillis, Executive Director of the Certified Automotive Parts Association. “Because of industry concerns about the safety-related aspects of structural parts, CAPA raised its own bar—we requested that the highly respected Insurance for Highway Safety conduct a series of high and low speed crashes. The sole purpose was to demonstrate the parts meeting the CAPA requirements will, in fact, perform in a comparable manner to the car company brand part in both high and low speed crashes. While this may appear to be an overly comprehensive requirement—crash testing is complex and costly—CAPA is committed to reassuring both consumers and the collision repair industry about the performance of the parts it certifies,” added Gillis. While CAPA 501 Bumper Parts Standard provides the industry with confidence in the use of a CAPA Certified bumper part, only one manufacturer has chosen to submit their parts to CAPA for Certification. Production Bumper Stampings Inc., (PBSI) a U.S.

Four Collision Industry Members Join Education Foundation’s Leadership Circle

Four collision industry members have joined the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s Industry Leadership Circle through their $1,000 personal contributions to the organization. Domenic Brusco of PPG Automotive Refinish; Bill Lawrence of LC Automotive Group; Tim Morgan of Spanesi Americas; and Tim O’Day of Gerber Collision & Glass have donated $1,000 personally to the organization. Monetary donations to the Collision Repair Education Foundation assist in the organization’s efforts to support secondary and post-secondary collision repair students and their school’s collision programs. Domenic Brusco, PPG Automotive Refinish, Senior Manager of Industry Relations, said, “I both professionally and personally believe in the purpose, vision and especially the staff and Board of Trustees of the Foundation, and it gives me great pleasure to give back to an industry and business that PPG supports and in which I have been blessed with many great opportunities.” Bill Lawrence, owner of LC Automotive Group noted, “The Foundation’s effort to enhance technical

education and to link qualified graduates to employment in our industry is a critical component of developing a skilled work force for today and the future. My businesses and I are committed to the Foundation’s work and we are happy to contribute to its efforts and successes.” Tim Morgan, Managing Director of Spanesi Americas, said, “As a product of technical education myself, back in my day it wasn’t such a ‘hi-tech’ field to learn as it is today. Schools and educators are faced with a big challenge to make sure they prepare students to enter this industry employable. My donation is a small part of what is really needed to make our students learn, grow, and succeed! I hope others can step up and help for the future starts today.” Tim O’Day, President & COO of Gerber Collision & Glass said, “Gerber Collision & Glass supports the Collision Repair Education Foundation, but a critical part of the Foundation’s donor base comes from individuals. I am proud to show my personal support for the Education Foundation as it helps to attract talent into our industry and educate our future employees.”

50 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

based manufacturer and member of the Diamond Standard Brand Group, has 29 CAPA Certified front bumpers representing over 40,000 parts available in the U.S. market. “Going forward we anticipate the market will demand that even more of our bumper products become CAPA Certified,” said Mike O’Neal, President of PBSI and Diamond Standard. “As the only manufacturer certified by CAPA to meet the CAPA 501 Standards, we are prepared to meet that demand.” “Unfortunately, the market is giving aftermarket manufacturers who produce structural bumper parts a mixed message,” stated shop owner and CAPA Technical Committee Chairman Mike Schoonover. “In spite of bumper sawing demonstrations and videos of ‘exploding’ energy absorbers, shops are still using nonCAPA Certified bumpers and other structural parts—regardless of the risks. As long as our various industries accept the cheapest parts, there’s really no reason for those manufacturers to produce high quality CAPA parts, despite the stated concerns about potential safety issues. The good news, for those shops concerned about reducing repair costs and protecting their customers from poor quality parts, there is a CAPA alternative.”

I-CAR Adds 4 New Online Courses, Expands Training

I-CAR® says a study has confirmed that training has a direct impact on performance, including improved touch time, cycle time, and CSI scores and that I-CAR training continues to lead as the industry standard for performance and knowledge. To deliver on this industry need, I-CAR has added four additional online courses to its course catalog: Stationary Glass (GLA02e), Mechanical Systems Analysis (DAM03e), Damage Analysis of Advanced Automotive Systems (DAM07e), and Wind Noise and Water Leaks (WNW01e). John Van Alstyne, I-CAR CEO & President stated, “To fully serve the growing training needs of the Inter-Industry, I-CAR has developed online and virtual instructor-led classes which are convenient, effective, and essential,” he continued, “That said, as our customer focus groups have told us, quality instructor-led, Live training with effective instructors remains the preferred way to learn for many, and the only way to learn when working with more advanced or complicated subject matter. Therefore, Live training remains an I-CAR priority for the ultimate learning experience.”

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Mitchell Releases 2013 Insurance Predictions by Mitchell staff

Mitchell, a provider of technology, connectivity and information solutions to the Property & Casualty claims and Collision Repair industries, recently released predictions for trends related to cloud computing and big data analytics that could affect the insurance industry throughout 2013. Focusing on trends expected to impact an ecosystem that includes repair and body shops, insurance companies, claims adjusters and payers, Mitchell is forecasting experiences workers’ compensation, auto casualty and auto physical damage professionals could undergo this year. “In today’s fast paced, competitive business landscape, there is increased pressure on the insurance industry to think creatively about the services they offer and how those services are delivered to maintain a competitive edge,” said Erez Nir, CTO at Mitchell. “Cloud computing strategies have been popular in the ITfocused environment. We have embraced cloud computing at Mitchell, in the way we deliver software-as-a-

service to our customers as well as in how we consume our own business systems. Beyond the core competencies our industry has, in part due to the complexity and change 2013 will bring, we expect the industry to continue to deploy various cloud and big data strategies to help overcome business and technology challenges.” The broad industry and specific predictions from the company’s core Auto Physical Damage, Auto Causality and Workers’ Compensation divisions include:

Large-scale trends: More attention will be given to leveraging complex data sets: The ability to incorporate data from multiple sources, such as different areas of a business or business lines, and combine them with external data sources to enable more intelligent decisionmaking will become central to business operations. In addition to addressing the complexities of big data (e.g. volume, velocity and data management), companies will explore how to incorporate ancillary sources and more sophisticated combinations

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of data sets to get an edge on the competition. The demand for cloud computing will increase: In 2012, adoption of cloud platforms and services continued to increase along with interest in a single environment and partner for cloud computing technologies. In 2013, insurance carriers will begin to consolidate cloud computing vendors and realize the benefits of working with a single provider, such as streamlined and accelerated deployment of new offerings, reduced operational costs, and improved data exchange and information sharing.

Micro trends: Recycled parts prices will decrease: We will see a softening of salvage vehicle values globally in 2013. As the European debt crisis continues to outpace our own, the Euro will further soften against the US dollar. This will make it more expensive for Europeans to purchase US-based salvage vehicles, reducing demand. An additional factor impacting salvage values is the increase in the annual rate of new car sales, expected to hit 15 million for 2012. Combining these factors with the 250,000 total loss vehicles expected out of Hurricane Sandy will depress salvage car values in 2013. For consumers, this means that there will be an increase in the availability of recycled parts for vehicle repairs at a lower cost. The average industry cost to repair auto collision damage will increase. This will occur, in part, to the softening of salvage values, putting more borderline vehicles in the ‘repairable’ column rather than ‘total loss’ and an overall inflation of labor,

Florida Senate Panel Wants Ban on Texting & Driving A Florida Senate panel has unanimously approved a bill imposing a statewide ban on texting while driving. But eventual approval by the House is far from sure.

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parts and paint in 2013. This will also occur from an increase in the cost of raw materials (such as paint mica and chemicals) as well as plastics and steel prices. In addition, we expect to see an increase in average hourly body shop labor charges if the economy continues to recover in 2013. There will be a rise in healthcare ePayment solutions: More carriers will use ePayment systems to gain a competitive advantage. They will work with the provider community to be better aligned with changes in healthcare regulation that promote eBill, eRemittance and ePayment through electronic funds transfer (EFT). ePayment systems provide the capacity to substantially lower transaction expenses, decrease the burden on adjusters and call centers, and enable similar benefits to accrue to medical provider trading partners. There will be increased attention on keeping out-of-network costs down: Despite increased efforts to direct injured workers to network providers, many state regulations or employer programs offer the flexibility to use providers of their choice, which puts workers’ comp insurance payers in the challenging out-of-network territory. Therefore, such payers will leverage third-party negotiation services to settle out-of-network claims. Tapping into an outside team of skilled negotiators will help workers’ comp insurance payers and providers reach mutually beneficial agreements. The negotiation process will be accelerated, and insurance payers will achieve an average of 30– 40 percent success rates in negotiating out-of-network charges.

The Senate Communications committee voted 9-0 for the bill, SB 52. The bill outlaws texting by driv-

ers but exempts police and other emergency vehicles. The proposed law makes texting subject to secondary enforcement. Police could cite drivers for it only if they had been pulled over for another violation such as speeding. A violation would lead to a fine and —if texting resulted in a crash—the driver would be assessed six points. The measure has failed four years in a row because critics in the House have likened it to needless government intrusion. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia already have bans.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 51

NASCAR Champion Jeff Gordon to Drive No. 24 Chevrolet with New Imron Elite Paint Scheme

Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon will drive the No. 24 Chevrolet SS featuring a new Imron® Elite “Real Truck Paint” theme design in the spring race at Talladega Superspeedway on May 5, 2013. A preview of the new Imron® Elite design will be revealed in their booth #90225 at the Mid America Trucking Show being held on March 21-23 in Louisville, KY. Gordon’s historic NASCAR Cup Series career started 20 years ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway as the young driver burst onto scene in the rainbowcolored Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet. The following season, Gordon started to take the motorsports world by storm. Now, 20 years later with four championships and 87 career victories under his belt, Gordon will race the commemorative No. 24 Imron® Elite Chevrolet only one time at the Talladega Superspeedway. Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports and DuPont Performance Coatings are celebrating their 21st full season together—the longest current running driver/owner/sponsor partnership in NASCAR. Gordon was successful winning the final race of the 2012 season in the

silver 20th Anniversary paint scheme on the No. 24 Chevrolet and is hoping for a repeat in the Imron® Elite Chevrolet at Talladega. DuPont Performance Coatings products have been a constant during the storied career of Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports. The new Imron® Elite paint scheme uses the popular flame design with DuPont™ flat black and specially formulated neon yellow, orange and red high gloss paint finishes. The unique design was created by NASCAR’s first officially licensed artist Sam Bass. DuPont Commercial Finishes, featuring an array of Imron® products, has earned more commercial and OEM approvals than any other paint manufacturer. When it comes to lasting appearance, Imron® Elite demonstrates superior impact resistance and retains its gloss and mirrorlike finish keeping heavy duty truck and fleet assets in service longer, and require less finish maintenance over time. Imron® Elite finishes are used on the OEM production line as well as in aftermarket repair and maintenance, allowing “repair-in-kind” capability to achieve an original factory finish that lasts.

Industry Gives $5 Million in Support of Collision Repair Programs through Education Foundation

The generosity of the collision industry in supporting its’ future professionals was displayed in 2012 as over $4.9 million was donated to collision school programs and students through the Collision Repair Education Foundation. This level of support was made possible through 175 total donors in 2012. In addition to the record amount of support, the collision industry surpassed the $10 million mark in total giving through the Collision Repair Education Foundation since 2008, when the organization began its philanthropic focus. Through both monetary and inkind product donations, the 2012 Collision Repair Education Foundation donors helped to provide student scholarships, student tool grants, school equipment and supply grants, several Ultimate Collision Education Makeover school grants, and much more. “It is a true testament of the industry’s generosity and support that the Collision Repair Education Foundation provided over $4.9 million in 2012 and the fact that over $10 million has been provided since 2008,” said Clark Plucinski, Collision Repair Education Foundation Executive

Director. “As 175 total donors provided this level of support in 2012, imagine the potential of what could be provided with even more involved. Collision school instructors need our support now more than ever to help prepare their students with a technical education that would best prepare them for entering the collision industry upon graduation. The collision industry should be celebrating these support numbers as I am not aware of any other technical industry that shows this type of support for their school programs. It is only through our industry donors that are we able to announce this level of support and we look forward to having an even better 2013!” For additional information about the Collision Repair Education Foundation, visit CollisionEducationFoundation.org. Inter-industry organizations and individuals who are interested in supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation in 2013 and providing assistance to collision schools and students should contact Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org.

52 APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Post Office Unveils 1967 Shelby Forever Stamp The United States Postal Service is featuring the 1967 Shelby GT500 as part of its new muscle car Forever® Stamp series.

Created by award-winning artist Tom Fritz under the art direction of Carl T. Herrman, the Guardsmen Blue with Wimbledon White stripes Shelby is one of five stamps in the U.S. Postal Service’s Forever® stamps collection. “The ‘67 Shelby GT500 is one of the most celebrated muscle cars in the world,” said Tracey Smith, Carroll Shelby Licensing president. “Carroll Shelby’s father was a postal worker and allowed him to ride around on his mail runs, so we’re excited to see one of his automobiles being featured in such a prestigious collection from the U.S. Post Office. It’s a beautiful tribute to the legacy of Carroll Shelby and his contributions to automotive history.”

The ‘67 GT500 featured on the stamp honors the original muscle car manufactured by Shelby American. Powered by a 428-cubic-inch, 355-horsepower Police Interceptor engine, the monstrous Shelby featured a rear spoiler, grille-mounted headlights and rocker panel stripes. With only 2,048 built in 1967, the Shelby GT500 is both exceptional and rare. The 1967 Shelby GT500 is one of five vehicles featured in the Muscle Car Forever® stamps series, which were unveiled at the Daytona 500 by racing legends Richard and Kyle Petty, and U.S. Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe on Feb. 22. The Muscle Car Forever® stamps are the third issuance in the “America on the Move” stamp series from the U.S. Postal Service. “The ‘67 Shelby is as legendary as the man who built it, so I wanted to keep with the traditional paint scheme and iconic look of one of the most popular muscle cars of all time,” said Fritz. “It was a tremendous honor to be the artist chosen to create the Muscle Car Stamps. Now my work will be among the special Forever® stamps that people will collect and pass down from generation to generation.”

Industry Gives 1,000 Uniforms to Collision Students

Through the sponsorship of Bar’s Products, CARSTAR, Cintas, Ford Motor Company, I-CAR, PPG Automotive Refinish, and Sterling Auto Body, 1,000 Cintas collision student technician uniforms will be distributed to secondary and post-secondary collision students through the Collision Repair Education Foundation this spring. The student technician shirt project also helped raise $10,000 for the Foundation’s Collision Repair Education Campaign fund that helps provide student scholarships, school grants, and the Foundation’s Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant. These technician uniforms will be distributed to students who applied for the Education Foundation’s spring scholarship/tool grant opportunities and also to all auto body and refinishing students competing at the national SkillsUSA event in Kansas City this June. Collision Repair Education Foundation Director of Development, Brandon Eckenrode commented, “What started off as a fun project back in 2009 has grown into a life-changing program that provides collision students with a sense of pride, professionalism, and belonging. To date, the Education Foundation has provided

nearly 10,000 Cintas technician uniforms to collision students nationwide through the support of industry sponsors. Instructors share stories with us that these uniforms provide their collision students with a new level of respect around school and other school departments are jealous of the support that the collision program receives. On behalf of the Foundation staff and the students that we are able to pro-

vide these uniforms to, thank you to the sponsors of our spring 2013 technician shirts and we look forward to distributing even more in the coming years.” The Collision Repair Education Foundation will be providing another run of 1,000 technician uniforms this fall which will be provided to students attending NACE, SEMA, and 2013 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover applicant schools.

SEMA Exhibit Summit Takes Place April 15–17 in Las Vegas, 7 Months Prior to Nov. 5–8 Show

SEMA Show exhibitors may participate in the SEMA Show Exhibitor Summit, a unique conference designed to help them improve performance at the upcoming event. Taking place in Las Vegas, NV, on April 15–17—seven months prior to the actual SEMA Show—the Exhibitor Summit is the ideal place for new and established exhibitors to learn how to maximize the return on their investment. SEMA 2013 takes place November 5–8, in Las Vegas, NV. For details, visit www.SEMAShow.com. “The summit is the best place for our team to connect with exhibitors and explain the many programs and services available to them,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA VP of events and communications. “During the summit, there are no distractions or interruptions. We’re able to spend quality time and give exhibitors a really clear understanding of the different resources that are available to them.” MacGillivray notes that a key aspect of the Exhibitor Summit is that workshops and individual meetings are conducted by SEMA staff and show organizers. “It’s important to us

that exhibitors know who to contact, and that their contact is someone who knows and understands our show,” he continued. “Since the Exhibitor Summit takes place seven months before the actual event, we’re able to build on the relationships as they execute their plans for the show.” Topics addressed during the summit include cost-effective ways to set up a booth, resources available to target buyers, value-added programs and more. Participants may sit down in one-on-one sessions where Show experts evaluate and analyze the exhibitor’s unique needs to help reduce expenses, and they are able to tour the convention center. To make it easy and affordable for manufacturers to attend in the summit, SEMA and its hotel partners offer a limited number of hotel rooms for the summit at no cost to participants. All meals at the Summit are included as well. Participants are responsible for travel to and from Las Vegas and incidental hotel charges. Certain conditions do apply. See www.semashow.com/exhibitorsummit, or can be obtained from Kate Peterson at kpeterson@convexx.com or 702/216-5831.

Vermont Introduces Aftermarket Bill Vermont State Rep. Bill Botzow (D1) introduced House Bill 362, a bill that regulates the use of aftermarket parts in automobile repairs covered by insurance. The bill has been referred to Vermont’s House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development. The language of the bill includes the following provisions: • No insurer shall require the use of aftermarket parts in the repair of an automobile unless the aftermarket part is at least equal in like kind and quality to the original part in terms of fit, quality and performance. An insurer that requires the use of aftermarket parts shall consider and be liable for the cost of any modifications that may become necessary when making a repair. • All aftermarket parts manufactured after Jan. 1, 2014, shall carry sufficient permanent identification so as to identify their manufacturer. Such identification shall be accessible to the extent possible after installation. • Aftermarket parts may not be required by an insurer in the repair of automobiles placed in service during the two years immediately preceding the claim report and which have 30,000 or fewer miles recorded on the

odometer. • An insurer shall identify clearly on the repair estimate all aftermarket parts installed on a vehicle, if any. If aftermarket parts are installed, the insurer shall disclose to the claimant in writing, either on the estimate or on a separate document attached to the estimate, the following information in bold-faced, capitalized font no smaller than 12-point type: “This estimate has been prepared based on the use of non-original manufacturer parts. Parts used in the repair of your vehicle by other than the original manufacturer, also known as aftermarket parts, are required to be at least equal in like kind and quality in terms of fit, qualitywww.autobodynews.com and performance to the original manufacturer parts they are replacCHECK IT OUT! ing.”

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The upcoming Women’s Industry Network (WIN) Educational Conference will focus on recruiting talent to the industry. “We know attracting talented people to the collision repair industry is a hot topic,” said Tina Clark, cochair of the WIN Conference. “Understanding the myriad sub-issues related to recruiting, such as how to attract the best talent, and legal considerations during the interviewing and hiring process, enables our members to be smarter employers, managers and employees.” This year’s WIN Educational Conference is scheduled for May 5-7 in Phoenix, AZ. WIN recently announced the keynote speakers who will present at the 2013 WIN Conference. The general session of the educational conference will feature author and motivational speaker Susan Fowler, who will present the conference theme, “Empower the Leader Within.” Fowler has more than 15 years of advertising, sales, production and marketing experience, and encourages finding the balance and connection among professional, personal and spiritual lives. Day two of the conference will

feature Barb Moses, who will present “Empower the Leader Within by the See the N Observer Becoming the Observed.” “We are proud to unveil the 2013 WIN Educational Conference theme and agenda,” said Jessica Voss-Kehl, co-chair of the conference planning www.autobodyn committee. “Conference attendees can expect to be inspired and educated on empowering the leader within themselves, as well as how to help support and develop the leaders in others. They can also anticipate engaging dialogue on careers, hiring and retention in our industry, along with hearing what the advertise future holdsTo with our emerging trends call Seanpanel Hartman at: and technologies discussion.” To800-699-8251 help welcome new women to the industry, WIN is offering several scholarships toe-mail: attend the conference. shartman@autobodynews.com WIN is offering six Student Conference Scholarships to students enwww.autobodynews.com rolled in a secondary or post-secondary collision repair technology program. Each scholarship recipient will receive a one-year WIN membership, paid WIN Conference fee, and free hotel and travel to the conference.

Autobody New

WIN is also offering scholarships to employees of collision repair businesses, including technicians, office employees and administrators.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2013 AUTOBODY NEWS 53

Rhode Island Body Shop Prompts Zoning Change A new auto body shop may now locate in Commercial-2 zones in Cumberland, RI, rather than being restricted to industrial sites, under an ordinance recently approved by the town council. The change paves the way for Charles Lombardi Jr. of Cumberland to move his Cumberland Collision shop from Diamond Hill Road to a new facility at 420 Mendon Road, the Valley Breeze reported. Wrapping up the zoning change and Lombardi’s petition in a single motion, town council members: •Amended the zoning code to allow auto body repair shops in a C-2 zone; • Rezoned Lombardi’s proposed site from C-1 to C-2; • Waived the need for Lombardi to win the zoning board approval that future auto body applicants will need. The final 6-0 vote means Lombardi returns to the Planning Board where his major land development application already has master plan approval. His lease expires at the old Joly’s Auto Body location in January 2014. Under the zone change, the town is restricting future auto body shops in

commercial zones to only those that use a water-based coating system and a dustless sanding system. All work must be done inside and landscaping must screen outdoor autos, parts and trash from public view. Lots must also be at least 10,000 square feet and set back from the road at least 25 feet. An applicant in a commercial zone must also secure a special use permit from the zoning board John McCoy, an attorney who heads Cumberland’s zoning board, waited in the audience until 10:30 p.m. for his chance to strongly object to the waiver for Lombardi. “The council can amend, can change from C-1 to C-2,” he said, “but the zoning board is the permitting authority and it’s a big project. You can’t say, OK make it a special use but we’re exempting this applicant.” However, Lombardi’s attorney, Scott Partington, as well as Council President James Higgins successfully argued that Lombardi has gone through the entire proposal for councilors and an appearance before zoners would be repetitive and costly. Lombardi has been before the

He said he generally handles four or five cars a week, but is hoping to grow. Lombardi, who says his hightech operation is a state-qualified top-tier level, is promising to run a tidy operation. “We’re not going to spend this kind of money and ruin it storing a smashed ‘02 Altima outside. I don’t do something like that,” he said. Opposed to the location was resident Frederick Mason, who lives nearby. When he moved in nine years ago, he felt he was seeing the area shift from commercial to residential, “more of a neighborhood and somewhat upper scale.” Planning and Community Development director Kelley Morris earlier told the Planning Board in a memo that the change “is not inconsistent” with the town’s long-term planning that calls for expanding the town’s tax base in part through “nodes of commercial development for small-scale, mixed-use neighborhood oriented commercial development.” Specifically mentioned, she said, is the Mendon Road corridor.

AUTOBODY MARKETPLACE

Continued from Cover

HB 71

taxed. The bill’s provisions would amend Chapter 171 of the Tax Code to permit repairers to use a tax rate of 0.5 percent rather than 1.0 percent. The Texas Legislative Budget Board estimates that, should the measure be adopted, the state would lose approximately $7.5 million in annual revenue used for the Property Tax Relief Fund. The office notes that any loss to the Property Tax Relief Fund must be made up with an equal amount of General Revenue to fund the Foundation School Program. The Texas House Ways and Means committee held a hearing on the measure on March 18 but the bill is still listed as pending in committee. The act would take effect Jan. 1, 2014. ASA is asking Texas repairers to help support House Bill 71 by contacting their state legislators urging support of this bill. The association has prepared a form letter that repairers may fill out and send to their representatives. See ASA’s legislative web site TakingTheHill.com.

Planning Board twice already, they noted. Town council member Bill Murray argued, “How do we help the businesses in town grow? This is a business that has spent a lot of money trying to improve. If we get tied up in red tape tonight or any other time we’ll start pushing businesses away from Cumberland.” And town solicitor Thomas Hefner reassured councilors, “You don’t bow to the zoning board; they do what you tell them to do.” Lombardi, who owns a home on Abbott Run Valley Road and is the son of North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi, is proposing a 14,000-square-foot addition to the current Mendon Road building that remakes the facade and creates three storefronts. It will sit on an acre and one-half of land with 200 feet of frontage. He plans three offices along the front. Behind the offices will be 12 bays for his auto body and repair operation, he said. The slope of the land will shield the operation from passersby, he says.

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