Autobody News May 2014 Southwestern Edition by Autobody News

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At CIC, Ford Outlines its Strategy to Help Repairers Prepare for the New F-150 by John Yoswick

Ford Motor Company representatives at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) held in Portland, Ore., in April provided more information not only about the automaker’s 2015 F-150 pick-up, but also about the “Ford National Body Shop Network,” through which Ford hopes to promote both dealership and independent shops to owners of Ford vehicles needing collision repair. Paul Massie, collision product marketing manager for Ford, acknowledged that his company may have

fallen behind other automakers in developing a certification or recognition program for independent shops. But it also is clearly the new F-150, an aluminum-intensive vehicle expected to hit showrooms in November, that is behind Ford’s push to increase the Paul Massie number of body shops equipped and trained to work on aluminum. The F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the country for See Ford’s Plan, Page 22

Louisiana Collision Industry Association Affiliates with Society of Collision Repair Specialists

if it had a life of its own,” said LaCIA executive director Alysia Hanks, who was instrumental in organizing the formation of the group. “Hundreds of collision repairers turned out in December 2013, for a meeting to gauge initial interest, which was far beyond what we were expecting. Repairers understood the importance of standing together for our future survival. The response has been great to see.” SCRS played a pivotal role in aiding LaCIA in its infancy, offering guidance and resources that helped it get up-and-running. “SCRS leadership was very generSee LaCIA, Page 18

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The Louisiana Collision Industry Association (LaCIA) was established in January 2014, and is now the first Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) affiliate association in the state of Louisiana. Though recently formed, the LaCIA has already captured the interest of Louisiana collision repairers seeking to change the collision repair industry for the better and boasts 70 members. “Toward the end of last year we spread the message through a grassroots word of mouth and email campaign that we were thinking of forming an association, and the news spread as

VOL. 32 ISSUE 5 MAY 2014

Indiana Autobody Association and Indiana Shop Owners File Suit to Block Tortious Interference The Indiana Autobody Association (IABA) along with fourteen Indiana Collision Repair Shops filed legal action against twelve Property and Casualty Insurance Companies and their subsidiaries on April 2, 2014. The suit seeks unspecified financial damages and names 27 insurers including Illinois-based State Farm, which has the largest market share in the state at about 25 percent. Others with large market share inTony Passwater clude Ohio-based Progressive Insurance and locally based Indiana Farmers Mutual Insurance Co.

The suit accuses the insurers of “engaging in an ongoing, concerted and intentional course of action and conduct with State Farm acting as the spearhead to improperly and illegally control and depress the automobile damage repair costs.” In addition, “The insurance companies (“Insurers”) are improperly intruding upon the relationship between the Shops and consumers, and placing the driving public at harm by their practices.” As it pertains to DRP shops, the suit also accuses the insurers of “engaging in an ongoing pattern and practice of coercion and implied threats to

Service King Collision Repair Centers has reached an agreement to acquire Sterling Collision Centers and its 62 stores. This acquisition will bring the total number of Service King locations to more than 170 across 20 states, reinforcing its position as one of the country’s largest multi-shop operators (MSOs). Sterling Collision Centers was founded in 1997 with the goal of redefining the collision repair experience. Purchased by Allstate in 2001, the company quickly grew to 1,200 employees with more than 60 collision repair facilities across 16 states. Sterling Collision Centers is the largest of the so-called tied shops’ chains. Service King is a leader in the collision repair industry, having offered customers a superior service experience for more than 38 years. After being established as an industry leader in Texas, Service King began expanding its footprint in 2012 to include Arizona, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Nevada, and Oklahoma. This acquisition of Sterling Collision Centers marks a key milestone for Service King and its more than 2,600 teammates while undoubtedly changing the MSO landscape. “This venture of two well-established and reputable brands will result in many opportunities for Service King and our ever-growing team. We wel-

come our new teammates to the Service King family and are excited about what the future holds for us all,” said Chris Abraham, CEO of Service King. “We are honored and appreciative of the profound opportunity this acquisition creates for the collision repair industry. We will continue to provide all of our customers and business partners with the consistent level of service that they have come to expect from Service King.” “Today marks the culmination of many months of hard work, preparation, and planning,” said Jeff McFadden, president of Service King. “We have positioned ourselves to continue to deliver on the promise of the Service King brand.” Service King’s acquisition of Sterling Collision Centers is expected to close in the second quarter of 2014. For more information on Service King, visit www.serviceking.com. Service King is one of the largest regional MSOs of collision repair facilities in the country, dedicated to offering customers an overall superior service experience. Founded more than 38 years ago in Dallas, TX, Service King is a leader in the collision repair industry currently serving customers at 111 locations across Texas, Arizona, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Nevada, and Oklahoma.

See Tortious Interference?, Page 22

Service King Acquiring MSO Sterling Collision Ctrs

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2 MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

COLUMNISTS Attanasio - What Ever Happened to the Return Phone Call? . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Franklin - Gender Marketing Power is a Trend Already in Evidence . . . . . . . . . 32 Sisk - ABAC Hosts Larry Montanez of P&L Consulting at March 18 Meeting. . . . . . 19 Sisk - Arkansas Collision Repair Association Seeks New Members to Educate for the Industry’s Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Sisk - Thousands Attend Record-Breaking Northeast™ 2014 Show . . . . . . . . . . . 14 NATIONAL 3M Continues Funding Scholarships For 2nd Year in Collision Repair for Returning Veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 ALLDATA’s VIN Decoder Has Been Enhanced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 American Honda Announces Two Body Repair Bulletins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Are Aluminum Cars Really Better for the Environment? Study Says ‘Yes’ . . . . . . 41 At CIC, Ford Outlines its Strategy to Help Repairers Prepare for the New F-150 . . . 1 Attanasio - WaterCar Has Body Shop Owner Swimming in Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 AudaExplore Enhances MAACO’s Operational Efficiency with Repair Platforms. . . . . . 43 AutoBody-Review.com Improves Geo-Targeted SEO, Authority for Shops

by Adding “Articles” to Profiles . . . . . . 46 CCC Updates: Carwise Shop Finder Solution, Contact Center Solution, TRUE Parts Network Suppliers, and Crash Course 2014 Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Chaney - Buses of Yellowstone—How About These for Barn Finds? . . . . . . . . 40 Chief Opens New Specification Center in Malaysia to Provide Customers with Better, More Timely Specs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 CNN Recognizes NABC for Donating 200+ Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Collision Industry Foundation Announces New Trustees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Colorado Springs Duo Develop ‘Ding Stinger’ App to Track Minor Dings. . . . . . . . . . . 39 IBIS to be Held in Barcelona on May 19-21 . 40 I-CAR News: New Board of Directors, Collision Repair Training for 2015 Ford F-150, Industry Support, Limited-Time Promo, and Revamped Steering/Suspension Course . . . . . . . . 34 Industry Week Fundraiser. . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 KS Body Shop Temporarily Closed for Tax Non-Payment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Limited-Time Promo on 2 New I-CAR Training Bundles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Matrix System 2015 Finishes Calendar Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 MB Approves Elektron Spot Welders for HSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Missing Class Ring Found 14 Years Later at Body Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Missouri Shop Owner and Consultant Favors Common-Sense Solutions for Common Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 NACE/CARS 2014 Website Live, Hotel Reservations Open for Detroit . . . . . . . 44 One-day ‘Future is Now’ Midwest Auto Body Trade Show Gets 400 Attendees, 65 Exhibitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Outsourcing Accident Management Saves Time, Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Premier Services Donates $2.5K to the CRE Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 SCRS 2014-2015 Board Elected in April 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 SEMA Board of Directors Candidates Announced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Sherwin-Williams Supports NASCAR Green Initiative, Applies Low VOC Paint to No. 51. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Society of Collision Repair Specialists Roundtable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 St. Louis Shop Helps Raise Money for Parkway School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 WIN Announces 2014 Conference Brochure, Most Influential Women and Scholarship Winners, Corporate Sponsors, and New Board of Directors Members . . . . . . . . 42

Happy Easter from ALL of Us at AUTOBODY NEWS!

Where to? Now that Spring has finally sprung, we hope all shops see a return to normalcy in weather and business. We wish you all a prosperous and successful rest of 2014.

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

Southwest

REGIONAL Baton Rouge Body Shop Tech Injured in Explosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Body Found Behind TX Shop is that of Teen Missing Since Feb. 13. No Foul Play Suspected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Body Found Following Auto Body Shop Fire in Austin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Body Shop in McKinney and Allen, TX, Creates Extra Capacity for Hail Repair . 31 Car at TX Body Shop Leads Police To Hit-And-Run Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Ding Guard Offered by Texas Credit Union to Loan Buyers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Gullo Toyota Receives Toyota Certified Collision Triple Crown Award for Second Consecutive Year. . . . . . . . . . . . 7 HABA Holds 4th Annual Body Shop Appreciation Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Houston Auto Body Association Luncheon on April 9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Louisiana Collision Industry Association Affiliates with Society of Collision Repair Specialists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 One Stop Shopping a Goal for Austin Body Shop After 60 Years in Business . . . . . . 4 Service King Acquiring MSO Sterling Collision Ctrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Indexof Advertisers

Contents

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. ©2014 Adamantine Media LLC.

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Absolute Mitsubishi-Hyundai . . . . . 27 Accudraft Paint Booths . . . . . . . . . . 14 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 39 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA). . . . . . . . . . . 21 Chevyland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Chief Automotive. . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 19 Classic BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Creative Metal Manufacturing. . . . . 22 Dallas Dodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 David McDavid Auto Group . . . . . . 11 Dent Tools Direct USA . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Don Carlton Auto Group . . . . . . . . . 28 Finnegan Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge . . . . 2 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers TX, OK, LA, NM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Fowler Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Freedom Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram. 23 Gillman Acura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 GlasWeld Systems, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . 8 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 45 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25 Houston Auto Body Association. . . 36 Huffines Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge Lewisville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Huffines Hyundai Plano . . . . . . . . . 34

Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . 41 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 LKQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Malco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Martech Services Company . . . . . . 10 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 45 Mercedes-Benz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Mike Calvert Toyota. . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers . 43 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 29 North Freeway Hyundai . . . . . . . . . 30 PreFab Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Rare Parts, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Ray Huffines Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . 31 Reliable Chevrolet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Replica Plastics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 SATA Spray Equipment . . . . . . . . . . 7 Scoggin-Dickey Buick . . . . . . . . . . 12 South Pointe Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge. . 9 Toyota of Fort Worth . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Toyota of Laredo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 42 Valspar Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Volvo Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 44 Young Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 3

One Stop Shopping a Goal for Austin Body Shop After 60 Years in Business

There have been plenty of changes in the automobile industry since Ellis & Salazar Garage & Body Shop first opened its doors for auto body repairs in 1953, President Jack Nash told Austin’s Impactnews.com. “It used to be a car came in, it was made out of heavy metal and you’d pop the metal back out and put a lot of Bondo [auto-body filler] on it and repaint it and send it down the road. And now … it’s just technically advanced,” he said. New technology in cars ranges from computer controls to framemounted machines equipped with collision repair systems that measure where every part is supposed to be inside a vehicle, he said. Ellis & Salazar is an Austin-based automotive repair business offering auto body repair, mechanical services, collision repair and painting. Its owners grew up in Austin’s car business, working for body shops and dealerships. Nash purchased the company along with co-owner Wayne Burklund in 1989 from Chester Salazar. Joseph Lewright joined the business in 1990 and became a co-owner 10 years later. “We’ve always tried to stay true to our roots,” Lewright said. The company now operates four Ellis & Salazar locations, including a

shop in Buda that opened in 2013. Competition from national chains has increased significantly during the past several years, Lewright said. The company has survived, Nash

Joseph Lewright, Ellis & Salazar Garage & Body Shop co-owner, stands with President Jack Nash and co-owner Wayne Burklund outside the company’s location at 4501 S. Congress Ave.

said, because Ellis & Salazar has remained steadfast in its core values for the past 60 years—performing quality repairs, treating customers fairly and taking care of employees. “We’re not in the tire business, but if a customer comes in here and wants tires we’ll find the best deal on the tires and get [them] put on for them because a lot of times they’d rather not have to go to three locations,” Nash said. Ellis & Salazar aims to serve as a one-stop shop, Burklund said.

Body Found Behind TX Shop is that of Teen Missing Since Feb. 13. No Foul Play Suspected

The Smith County Sheriff’s Office identified the body discovered in Whitehouse, TX, on March 17. The body of a young white male was discovered by someone working on a fence at Nipper’s Auto Body just north of Whitehouse, south of Toll 49. Dental records have confirmed the remains belong to 14-year-old Jacob Hamilton Garrett of Whitehouse. His body was found in a wooded area behind the fence of an auto body shop off Highway 110. Jacob went missing on February 13th and was reported as a runaway. As of now, no foul play is suspected in his death, but authorities are still waiting for the results of additional tests. It’s tragic news to this small East Texas community. An employee at a local body shop in Whitehouse, found Jacob’s body in the woods, leaned up against a tree. It was only a mile away from his house. For those who knew him best, it was news, they didn’t want to hear. “As a campus we were all shocked, of course his family was shocked as well, it didn’t seem like something that was characteristic of Jacob,” said Randi Dunn, Jacob’s former English teacher.

The teenager was reported missing by his family on February 13 of this year. Officials had received reports from his school that he had been texting fellow students, but there were never any confirmed sightings of Garrett. It’s possible Garrett’s body had been at the location of his discovery since the day of his disappearance, said Sheriff Smith. She said it has been difficult for everyone since he went missing because there has been “so many unanswered questions, the lack of Jacob being at school, and the lack of answers.” Those answers, coming from Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith, left many in disbelief. “Even until this morning students were hopeful he was going to reappear,” said Dunn. Jacob was a seventh grader at Whitehouse Junior High that “loved his friends deeply” and “was also very giving.” Dunn said he was an exceptional writer, and wanted to be a professional musician some day. She said it’s hard to believe he won’t be back to her first period class again, and “he had a lot to offer and his life was too short.”

4 MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

“I have customers that I’ve worked on their car back in ’83 that have followed me and are still doing business with me today,” Burklund said. Nearly half of Ellis & Salazar’s business is repeat business, Lewright said. “We try to develop a relationship with our customers... We want the customer to be here by choice,” Lewright said. Ellis & Salazar Garage & Body Shop. 4501 S. Congress Ave., 512444-5555, www.ellisandsalazar.com, Hours: Mon.–Fri. 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

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Baton Rouge Body Shop Tech Injured in Explosion

A man is in stable condition following a gas can explosion at an auto body shop in North Baton Rouge on March 22. Curt Monte, spokesman for the Baton Rouge Fire Department, said the man was cutting on a car with a torch at Stampley’s Auto Body on Scenic Highway, near Walnut Street, shortly before noon when a gas can exploded. Fire investigators say they think slag from the victim cutting on the car struck the can, causing the explosion, Monte said. The victim told firefighters he tried putting the fire out with a fire extinguisher, but the can exploded before he could get the fire out, Monte said. The explosion damaged the car he was working on as well as three other cars in the shop. Firefighters arrived at about 12:02 p.m. and had the fire out about five minutes later, Monte said. The fire caused about $50,000 in damage to the vehicles and the building, Monte said. The victim suffered second-degree burns to his upper body from the explosion, but was in stable condition when he was transported to a nearby hospital.

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 5

SCRS 2014-2015 Board Elected in April 2014

Four members of the Society of Collision Specialists (SCRS) 2014-2015 Board of Directors were re-elected to the SCRS Executive Committee on April 8, 2014, during the SCRS annual meeting in Portland, OR. Six candidates ran for four positions, including four incumbents and two new individuals who were proposed by the SCRS Nominations Committee. All incumbents were reelected by members, so there were no changes to the SCRS Executive Committee. The re-elected board members are Andy Dingman of Dingman’s Collision Center in Omaha, NE, Ron Reichen of Precision Body & Paint in Beaverton, OR, Brett Bailey of A&B Body Shop Inc. in Kansas City, MO, and Dusty Womble of Roger Beasley Collision Center and Roger Beasley Auto Glass in Austin, TX. “We are excited the membership has recognized the efforts of our leadership team,” stated SCRS executive director Aaron Schulenburg. “The results of this election really instill a sense of confidence that we are serving our members in the appropriate manner, and that this strong and diverse group of thoughtful and articulate collision repair representatives is

well suited for their positions.” SCRS bylaws allow elected board members to hold executive positions for a maximum of two, oneyear terms, and each member of the SCRS Executive Committee was eligible to maintain their current position.

receive such support and confidence from our members.” Though elected to a new threeyear term, Reichen is serving his final eligible year as chairman, and the remainder of his term will be appointed to a replacement candidate by the incoming chairman in 2015. In 2013, national director Jim Sowle was appointed to the remainder of immediate past chairman Aaron Clark’s term. “This past year has been such an enormous, eye-opening The 2014-2015 SCRS Board of Directors (left to right): CJ Vermaak, experience for me Domenic Brusco, Jim Sowle, Dusty Womble, Aaron Clark, Bruce into how engaged this Halcro, Luis Alonso, Ron Reichen, Brett Bailey, Kye Yeung, Rodes board is on the issues Brown, Andy Dingman, and Paul Val (Photo provided by Joel of national imporGausten, TGP, Inc.) tance to the industry,” SCRS chairman Ron Reichen shared Sowle. “Like many of our commented, “I’ve accomplished a members, I attentively followed the great deal in my career, but nothing association’s activity, and worked to quite compares to the work that we be involved as frequently as I could; tackle at SCRS. I am fortunate to be but it wasn’t until I joined the board surrounded by brilliant and hard- that I really could appreciate how working individuals who have dedi- much work this group does quietly in cated themselves to rolling up their the background to make our industry, sleeves and going to work for the in- and our members’ businesses, more dustry we all love. It is an honor to successful. For anyone who has a decarry forward with that work, and to sire to be a part of something bigger

that makes a difference outside of your own four walls, this is where it happens.” Nominations committee chairman and second-generation SCRS national director Dusty Womble encourage those with similar interest in leadership positions to become engaged now. “Almost everyone sitting around this table was involved in SCRS activity long before running for the board of directors,” he shared. “This group is fortunate to have regular interest from new volunteers, and the position requires a great deal of commitment and involvement. Attending the quarterly meetings and interacting with the board and membership is one of the best ways to make sure that future potential candidates have the time, energy, and support at home necessary for board members to be successful in their term. I’m honored to be able to continue on in my service, and look forward to the opportunity to work with and welcome new individuals with similar passion for improvement.” For more information about SCRS, visit www.scrs.com.

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Gullo Toyota Receives Toyota Certified Collision Triple Crown Award for Second Consecutive Year For the second year in a row and the third time overall, Gullo Toyota of Conroe, TX, received the 2013 Toyota Certified Collision Triple Crown Award, formerly known as the Toyota Collision Center of the Year. Gullo Toyota was honored at a formal awards dinner and ceremony on March 27, 2014.

Gullo Toyota Receives Toyota Triple Crown Award for the third time!

Michael Cortez, Gullo Toyota Collision Center manager, is proud of his team’s accomplishment. “It is very prestigious, and having won it two years in a row is validation that we are continuing to provide our customers with the very best collision repairs possible. We are extremely proud of the Gullo Toyota Collision Center team!” The Toyota Triple Crown Award is based on customer satisfaction,

growth, benchmark achievements, and individual certifications of managers, estimators, and technicians over a 12month period. Gullo Toyota came out ahead of more than 170 other Toyota Certified Collision Centers to win the 2013 award. Cortez notes, “Having our organization again receive the 2013 Toyota Certified Collision Triple Crown Award reaffirms the attention and expertise we devote to every repair.” Nationally, over 170 Toyota Certified Collision Centers competed for the award. Travis Rice, Gulf States Toyota collision operations manager, notes, “We are very proud of the collision team at Gullo Toyota and their ongoing dedication to Toyota owners’ satisfaction, not only by the quality of repair, but throughout the entire customer experience.” Gullo Toyota Collision Center employees enjoyed the awards ceremony immensely. Cortez shares, “We had many of the top managers and presidents from both Toyota and Sherwin Williams attend, as well as our families. We laughed and celebrated the accomplishment together. It was very memorable.” Gullo Toyota, a family-owned business, was founded in 1970 and has

Gullo Toyota employees enjoy award ceremony honoring their victory

been located in Conroe since 1992 when owner Tony Gullo developed a 16,000 square-foot collision repair facility that has 17 employees with an average tenure of over seven years. The shop participates in four DRPs with AllState, State Farm, Safeco, and Mercury insurance companies. Gullo Toyota is well-known in their community for their charitable spirit. The Gullo family has created Gullo Christmas for Kids, a charity that supports over 60 underprivileged families who may not be able to enjoy the holiday season otherwise. Along with supporting numerous schools

with Earning by Learning, marquees and scoreboards for their athletic events, Gullo has created more than 40 scholarships to aid these local high school seniors in their future educational endeavors. When asked about what makes Gullo different from other shops, Cortez proudly explains, “We have many long-term employees, which helps us stay consistent in the quality of our repairs and our customer service. We consider ourselves to be a small-town shop that truly follows our motto ‘we treat you like family’.”

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 7

Ding Guard Offered by Texas Credit Union to Loan Buyers Ding Guard, an automobile service contract provider, and First Community Credit Union announced that members will now have access to a value-add service through Ding Guard, a leading product in automotive cosmetic reconditioning. The partnership provides a non-interest income product offering as part of the loan package for prospective members. Clients can protect their purchase from the first day of car ownership with Ding Guard’s restorative service plan. Ding Guard is an automobile appearance service plan that uses Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) to restore auto body exterior damage to its original factory condition without conventional methods like sanding, painting or panel replacement. These cosmetic repairs help retain the vehicle’s value without additional out-of-pocket cost to the consumer. Cost savings is also realized through faster repair times than traditional body shop cosmetic treatments, as well as leased vehicle turn-in costs. A limited lifetime warranty accompanies all repairs.

Car at TX Body Shop Leads Police To Hit-And-Run Driver

A man who hit and killed a former University of Texas track athlete on North MoPac in early March turned himself in a week after the crash. According to court documents, Joseph Cantu, 34, admitted to authorities that he was the driver who struck Philip Wood, 23, around 2 a.m. on March 2. Witnesses said Wood was walking across the freeway when he was struck. Even though Cantu didn’t stop when the crash happened, parts of his vehicle were discovered at the scene. Detectives were able to trace a Chevrolet Malibu back to him when he dropped it off to be repaired at Austin Body Works. The car pieces left at the scene matched the missing pieces of the Malibu at the auto body shop. Austin police said Cantu turned himself in on March 10. Cantu is charged with failure to stop and render aid.

Houston Auto Body Association Luncheon on April 9

The Houston Auto Body Association (HABA) held its second lunchtime meeting on Wednesday, April 9, 2014, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Texas Land and Cattle at 8015 Farm-to-Market 1960 Road, West Houston, TX. The cost of lunch was not included. As always, member and non-member shops were welcome. For more information about HABA, visit www.habaonline.org.

“We’re proud to partner with First Community Credit Union to offer the Ding Guard service plan because it’s another way we bring quality and convenience to loan applicants,” said Doug Beaty, executive vice president of national sales at Ding Guard. “This proven repair method can benefit a great number of consumers, and it provides another source of non-interest income financial institutions. The service plan provides a practical solution as dents and dings happen throughout the life of the vehicle.” Ding Guard covers hail damage, dents and dings up to 3.25 inches x 2 inches and all repairs are performed by a certified technician. “Member service is first and foremost in our role as a local credit union and Ding Guard gives our loan applicants an option they know is reliable, backed by the global leader in automotive cosmetic reconditioning,” said T.J. Tijerina, senior vice president of branch operations at First Community Credit Union. “It’s peace of mind, put into action.”

Outsourcing Accident Management Saves Time, Money

At the Oklahoma Public Fleet Management Association (OPFMA) 2014 Meeting in Oklahoma City, OK, on April 3, 2014, Kathi Croze, CEI Group Inc. (CEI) national sales manager for the government fleet market, provided case studies showing government fleets across the country that have saved time and money by outsourcing their accident management activities. “Two of the primary reasons government fleets use CEI for collision repair services are that their repair cycle time is greatly reduced, and the data we collect and return to them is in an easily-manageable format," said Ms. Croze. "We can break down their repair costs and accident information so they know the who, what, when, where, and how much of each accident, by department. That information is very powerful to them and helps make them look good in the eyes of their management.”

HABA Holds 4th Annual Body Shop Appreciation Event

The Houston Auto Body Association (HABA) 4th Annual Body Shop Owners and Managers Appreciation Event on Wednesday, May 21, 2014, at the Cadillac Bar and Grill in Houston, TX. Save the date to join for a night of food, fun, and fellowship. To learn more about HABA, visit www.habaonline.org.

8 MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Body Found Following Auto Body Shop Fire in Austin

Austin Police Department said it doesn’t believe foul play was a factor in a deadly fire in Southwest Austin at a repair shop that went up in flames, but it’s still under investigation. Once firefighters were able to tame the early morning blaze on April 7, they found a body inside the burning building. The body was found inside a three-car garage at the Nippon Motorworks, though officials say the body was not inside a car. There was only one car inside the garage, where officials think the fire started. The shop near Monterrey Oaks Boulevard is now the site of a joint investigation between the Austin Police and Fire departments. Fire crews fought the blaze at the auto repair shop that started around 3:45 a.m. on the westbound service Road of U.S. Highway 290. When crews arrived, they found heavy fire coming out of Nippon Motorworks. The business advertises that it services Toyota and Nissan cars. The fire spread to cars there, as well as to QSI Truck Sales next door. The fire caused some power lines to fall, so an Austin Energy crew worked to shore up that problem. Texas Gas Service also responded.

ALLDATA’s VIN Decoder Has Been Enhanced

ALLDATA LLC has enhanced its core products, ALLDATA Repair S3000 and ALLDATA Collision S3500 with a VIN Decoder. Said ALLDATA President, Jeff Lagges, “Anything we can do to help technicians save time and move vehicles through faster will help shops increase revenue. So many of us at ALLDATA have worked in the bays turning wrenches, so we understand what can make a positive difference to a shop on a daily basis.” Entering the VIN into the system will automatically pull up the year, make, model and engine for the specific vehicle being worked on. This can help save time and frustration and help ensure the technician is working on the correct vehicle-engine combination. Further enhancements to ALLDATA Repair S3000 and ALLDATA Collision S3500 include easier scroll bar navigation and greater control when displaying saved articles. These enhancements are in response to direct feedback ALLDATA received from its customers. “While we never stop researching and developing new products, we are always very aware of the product that put us on the map,” said Lagges.

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 9

Missouri Shop Owner and Consultant Favors Common-Sense Solutions for Common Problems by Ed Attanasio

Dave Tritz is the well–known owner of Don’s Auto Body in St. Charles, MO and a former president of Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Missouri (AASP–MO) from 2006–2008. A second–generation body shop owner and with his son Adam now working in the shop, Tritz has a 40–year perspective on the collision industry and approaches the business with a common sense approach. His consulting business, Business Forward, helps body shops all over the country by advising them on what Tritz calls “the big three”—sales, operations and profit. AASP–MO Executive Director Ron Reiling calls Tritz “one of the best body shop operators not just in Missouri, but in the country.” ABN recently sat down with Tritz to tap into his huge reservoir of knowledge and experience in the collision industry in Missouri. Q: Okay, David—let’s get it out of the way. What are your feelings about PartsTrader?

DT: PartsTrader was implemented in St. Louis market later last year, but prior to that, I was asking around and the consensus is it hasn’t been a good thing. In Missouri just like in any state, we have specific concerns but in the end we’re all in this business to do good work and get paid fairly for it. But, one thing the industry has to be aware of is the fact that we’re in fluid motion here in this industry. This is not where we stop and then that’s it— we’re constantly changing and we’re a work in progress. One thing that I’m concerned about are these additional processes that are now required. Some of them come mandated by the insurance companies and Parts Trader seems to be one of those types of things, and I think there will be more and more of those coming around, tied into DRPS. But, it’s not just about the processes; it also has to do with all of the other things that are attached to them. Somebody has to perform these tasks and in most cases, they will require more administrative staff to get them done. In Missouri, we’ve definitely seen that the ratio between shop employees versus front office administrative people has changed, because now the shops are requiring more of the latter.

Dave Tritz (right) was honored as the AASP– MO’s 2010 Outstanding Member of the Year for his service to the organization and dedication to the collision industry in Missouri. Presenting Tritz with the award is former AASP–MO President Greg Bartnett

Back in the day, you could have one manager and 4–5 techs, but now we’re seeing more of a one–to–one ratio of techs opposed to office people, to accommodate all of this new paperwork created by the DRPs. For MSOs, it’s obviously an economy of scale situation, but I don’t care if you’re talking to a shop that’s doing $600,000 a year versus an MSO that is doing $7 million a year, the amount and costs of administrative work is getting everyone’s attention, because it’s getting up there. I can foresee in the future that programs like PartsTrader will bleed into how we get other things like paint, for example. I can see an insurer that at some point will try to build relationships with paint companies from a direct buy type scenario. Those are some of the things that are concerns of mine. Another concern is the shrinking profit margins. If you look at those across the board and talk to people that have been in this industry for a significant amount, they’ll tell you the same. And I believe that one of the main reasons is this deluge of added procedures and all of the things that come with it. These guidelines that come along with many of these DRPs assure that we’re going to make less profit. There’s always going to be a little push–and–shove between the buyer and seller, regardless of the industry or the market. Somebody always wants too much and the other guy is telling him, I don’t want to pay that much. That’s business and it won’t ever change. But, I think the real issue as we’re going forward should be that collision shop owners are going to have to be continually improving their businesses and know what their product costs are and determine what they want to sell it for In this industry, we

10 MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

wanted to be in this business we needed to participate in the DRP system and get involved in a few of these networks. The bottom line is that these DRPs bring you a steady flow of work, depending on who you’re talking to. The most important thing is keeping it all in balance, between DRP and non–DRP work.—and that’s been one of the biggest challenges in this industry. Many body shops have welcomed numerous DRPs, because it brings them business, but now that we’ve been in this DRP thing for 20 years or so, we’re starting to see there’s a cost that comes with this. So, we’ve had to re-learn some of the things we were doing before we could rely on these DRPs, like going out and meeting people, marketing to them and branding your shop—things that shops don’t feel they need in a DRP environment. So, in many ways, we’re reverting back to the old ways of doing things, because they work. The downside is that if you get almost all your work from your DRPs, what happens when you lose a few of them?

need to be better business people when it comes to knowing the cost and value of our product and charging a fair amount to fix these cars. Sometimes you have to say no—I can’t do it at that amount and draw the line. And that’s tough when you’re looking for work to do and stay busy. On top of it, we now have fewer cars to fix. There are more total losses now and fewer accidents and these new accident avoidance features are going to mean there will be even fewer accidents in the future.

Q: When your father started in this business, DRPs were non–existent and you’ve seen them as they’ve evolved. Have DRPs helped or hindered the collision industry?

DT: When the DRP network system became prevalent, there was definitely a large undercurrent of bad feelings and many shops didn’t like the process. A lot of shops in this area especially just didn’t like it and to be honest, I was one of those people, including my father. It finally got to the point where we realized that if we

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Q: Based on your experience, where do shops tend to drop the ball when it comes to marketing?

DT: One common mistake shops make is they don’t track the source of each customer or lead. We spend a lot of time and effort into finding out each and every customer through the door how they found us and what they saw or read that caused them to call us. Was it social media, a neighbor referral, an agent referral, an email blast, newsletter, advertising—or is our name of their insurance company’s list? What we learn is that usually it’s a combination of several things and rarely just one of them. The key is to keep your name out there, so that when there’s a dip in business for whatever reason, you’re prepared.

Q: In some states, there is a still problem with unlicensed body shops operating under the radar and taking money away from legitimate operators. Does this exist in Missouri?

DT: The old days of shady operators in this area of Missouri at least are a thing of the past. They’ve gone away and what’s left are good shops that do

good business. But, there are a ton of them and consequently, this is a very competitive market. The midnight body shops can’t survive now, because of the technology, specialized equipment and training. They couldn’t fix today’s cars or simply chose not to, probably because they could no longer tie on to an oak tree with a pull along and fix them that way. It’s better for the whole industry, because in the past these under the radar shops were doing unsatisfactory work, which gives us all bad name.

Q: Body shops all over the country are setting themselves up to repair cars containing aluminum. Are you part of this movement wither currently or in the near future?

DT: As far as aluminum goes, I think I’m going to wait and see how this plays out. It is here and more of it is coming, but at what pace? The new Ford F–150 will bring a lot more shops to the party, but will all of the added equipment and training pay for itself over time? We’re interested, of course, but we want to do it in a smart way and not just rush into it just because the guy down the street is doing it.

Q: Do you embrace new technology as part of your business model?

DT: We’re always trying to improve ourselves by continually looking for new technologies, but there are so many things out there that it’s a little overwhelming. So, we have to decide what works for us and what doesn’t, because it’s a big universe. Most of my employees are considerably younger than I am and we often have discussions about technology and how to use it. For a long time a young woman in our office said we need everyone to have dual computer monitors to be more effective and I fought it for a time. Then one day she was out and I sat down and could quickly tell why she wanted two monitors. As soon as she got back from vacation, everyone got two monitors, because it makes them more effective and they can do a better job.

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American Honda Announces Two Body Repair Bulletins

American Honda is pleased to announce two new Body Repair News bulletins. The first covers the 2015 Honda Fit model including new model body technology, body repair information, welding information, air bag systems, and more. Body Repair News summarizes new body and vehicle technology that may affect collision and other body repairs. It is not intended to replace the detailed information contained in the body repair and service manuals. Rather, it simply helps collision repair industry personnel understand why using the factory service information is so important to make safe and complete repairs. The second Body Repair News bulletin covers welding and sectioning guideline revisions that apply to all models. This is in response to industry requests for more information about the proper repair of Honda and Acura vehicles as the amount of high strength steel continues to increase in our vehicles. Body Repair News covering these and other topics can be accessed at: https://techinfo.honda. com/rjanisis/pubs/web/ABN51267. pdf and ABN51152.PDF

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One-day ‘Future is Now’ Midwest Auto Body Trade Show Gets 400 Attendees, 65 Exhibitors by Ed Attanasio

The the Iowa Collision Repair Association (ICRA) held the 2014 Midwest Auto Body Trade Show on March 20, 2014, at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, IA. Over 400 collision professionals attended the one-day event, which consisted of training sessions, informational panel discussions, an I-CAR class on new car technology, and 65 exhibitors, including some of the country’s top vendors and organizations in the field of collision repair. “The Future Is Now” was the theme of the 2014 show, and it surely lived up to its name, according to Janet Chaney, ICRA executive director. “The day was jammed-packed, starting with the I-CAR New Technology 2014 Class taught by I-CAR regional manager Ed Mayer, I-CAR senior director of segment development, and I-CAR instructors Bill Stage and Scott Schuerman, who were onhand to present the class and network with attendees throughout the day.” Mayer was happy to be involved in such a well-attended show. “Janet Chaney extended an invitation to us,

and we were happy to attend,” Mayer said. “We conducted a 2014 Technology Class, and it was standing room only. Body shop owners and techs are very interested in the newer vehicles, and this class is always popular. People who attended this four-hour class earned three I-CAR credits, and I can safely say it was a huge success. We also had a booth at the show so that people could ask us questions about ICAR and discuss anything they wanted to talk about.” A six-member panel discussion about new technology was also a big hit later in the day. “There have been so many changes in this industry recently and all of these great things that are coming around the corner, so we thought a focus on new technology would be timely and appropriate,” Chaney said. “There Is No Free Lunch” was the theme of the luncheon presentation, featuring keynote speaker Iowa Senator Brad Zaun, who encouraged everyone in the Iowa collision industry to work together by joining the ICRA and staying involved with their local legislators. Zaun was followed by the Insurer Mandate Panel Discus-

sion, which included six panelists representing all segments of the collision industry. Janet Chaney was the moderator and the panel answered questions regarding the insurer mandate of PartsTrader. “This was a spirited discussion, and the overall consensus from the panel and audience was that Parts Trader is cumbersome and not userfriendly,” Chaney explained. “In addition, PartsTrader does not allow for businesses that have built strong working relationships to continue working together as they have, as long as they choose to participate in this program.” It appears from this discussion that the industry is paying close attention to all insurer mandates and realizes that there is a flurry of activity in the parts procurement arena. Pete Tagliapietra of NuGen IT wrapped up the luncheon by speaking about “Information Technology and The Future of Collision Repair.” Tagliapietra was pleased by the response he received from the collision professionals in attendance. “There must have been 150 people there, and everyone seemed very interested in

what I was sharing,” Tagliapietra said. “There has been a huge change in the industry with things like PartsTrader, and one of the biggest is this new burden on body shops to do more of the administrative work associated with a program like PartsTrader. But there is a paradigm shift happening as we speak, and it will result in more body shops being able to outsource much of this admin work in the future. Technology will help because it will lead to more information sharing and connectivity between the shops, their insurance partners, and their vendors as well.” Aeromotive, ALLDATA, and Optima Automotive offered educational training sessions on the showroom floor. Ford Motor Company sent a video and answered questions about the new aluminum Ford F-150 pickup in a live webinar. Paul Massie, Ford Motor Company, Power Train, and Collision marketing manager, answered questions for at last 90 minutes. As trade show chairman Dick Merron said, “Awesome show, with education, training, cutting-edge equipment—an allin-one show right here in Iowa. And the admission was free. What a deal!”

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 13

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.

Thousands Attend Record-Breaking Northeast™ 2014 Show with Chasidy Rae Sisk

The 37th annual Northeast Automotive Services Show presented by the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) was held at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, NJ, March 21–23, 2014. Filled with useful and informative seminars, demonstrations on the showroom floor, and over 100 exhibitors from all segments of the industry, the 2014 show was well-attended and successful!

PartsTrader Panel Discussion The seminars kicked off with “PartsTrader Comes to the Northeast: NOW WHAT,” a panel discussion that included Barry Dorn of the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA); Ed Kizenberger of the Long Island Auto Body Repairmen's Association (LIABRA); Tom Elder of Auto Body Distributing; Mitch Portnoi, Esq. of Post, Polak, Goodsell, MacNeill, and Strauchler, PA (PPGMS); and Joshua S. Bauchner of Ansell, Grimm, and Aaron, PC. After AASP/NJ president Jeff McDowell welcomed attendees and Kizenberger read the “Anti-Trust Statement,” Dorn began the discussion by noting that PartsTrader has been in effect in his market for approximately two months and has had a significant impact on shops and vendors, especially on the administrative

Barry Dorn of WMABA explains how PartsTrader has impacted his business

aspect of their work. He explained that after writing the estimate, the shop submits a list of needed parts to their vendors and waits for the estimate, which should be received within an hour. The response may involve ordering four parts from four different vendors, and it’s causing quite a bit of confusion since shops cannot order all

of the parts from their normal vendors. Because many local vendors signed up for PartsTrader, Dorn hasn’t experienced frequent delays or problems with returns. When an attendee asked if the shop must accept the least expensive bid—implying that the insurer only implemented the program to exert more control over the repair process—Dorn deflected the debate regarding the program’s merit by explaining that the shop chooses the aftermarket part based on quality and SLA time. Noting that he hasn’t heard of a single shop that thinks PartsTrader is a good thing, Kizenberger pointed out that the problem with any parts procurement system is its mandated use, indicating that State Farm should allow PartsTrader to stand on its own two feet, rather than requiring Select Service shops to use it and extorting parts vendors with the threat of losing business if they don’t sign up for the program. One attendee pointed out that though the mandate is currently specific only to Select Service shops, State Farm has only begun within their network because that’s where they can exert the most coercion and influence, and he believes the trend will expand to other carriers in the near future. Those attendees with shops where PartsTrader has been implemented disagreed with the State Farm claim that it improves efficiency, estimating that the administrative duties associated with the program take twice as much time as before. Shop owners also object to being unable to use the same vendors they’ve developed relationships with over many years. Additionally, Elder mentioned that he has heard complaints from several non-DRP shops that have experienced delays from vendors that are too busy dealing with PartsTrader to service their normal customers. Though no shops have come forward claiming that PartsTrader is good for their business, the State Farm free trial period lures shops and vendors in, and this behavior of using the system becomes standard practice. A shop owner from Mississippi proudly announced that he

14 MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

withdrew from the State Farm DRP because he owes it to his customers to use the best available parts. The group proceeded to discuss ways to alleviate the mandated use of the PartsTrader program, such as injunctive relief and other legislative actions. Attendees expressed particular concern with the fact that the 1963

impacts consumer safety to get the federal government involved, and Bauchner noted that “we have to start a fire to get the government’s attention,” suggesting that the best method for doing so is to get consumer groups involved. Because DRPs are voluntary, the main response to those objecting to mandated parts procurement is to remove themselves from the program. This led to a conversation about whether the lack of work resulting from leaving the DRP proves steering and how this is connected to anti-competition laws. The group discussed the influx of MSOs and what that LIABRA’s Ed Kizenberger responds to questions about posmeans for independent shops sible litigation of PartsTrader as well, but, as the seminar Consent Decree is not being enforced. concluded, the most prevalent attitude The overall consensus was that the among attendees seemed to be “the collision repair industry needs to show longer you stay on this program, the how the mandated use of PartsTrader See Record-Breaking, Page 20

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 15

Southwest Associations

Arkansas Collision Repair Association Seeks New Members to Educate for the Industry’s Future with Chasidy Rae Sisk

On April 8, 2014, the Arkansas Collision Repair Association (ACRA) held their monthly meeting in the Pulaski Technical College Body Shop Department in Little Rock, AR. Members gathered to discuss current issues and network with their peers. Jay Scott, ACRA executive director, and Larry Golden, former ACRA president and current ACRA member, took some time to talk about ACRA. ACRA began in 1986, “... When a group of independent shop owners were looking for a better way to get information on the latest technological changes and the equipment necessary to repair the unibody cars coming out,” Golden recalls. “They also wanted to work together to improve the image of the collision repair industry and to bring more professionalism to their image.” Since its inception, ACRA has progressed quite well. “We have experienced times of tremendous growth and other times where interest has faded, but we have always remained focused on education for our shop owners and vendors,” Golden elaborates.

ACRA services the entire state of these future technicians acquire the Arkansas, but Scott notes that it’s chalnecessary skills and experience to belenging to attract shop owners and come effective employees. managers from all over the state beBecause of their dedication to fucause Arkansas so large. To partially ture technicians, ACRA tries to support alleviate this dilemma, ACRA attempts to hold at least one meeting each year in a different part of the state. Currently, ACRA consists of approximately 31 members who attend monthly meetings to gain insight on how to improve their businesses in an ever-changing market. In addition to their ACRA members and guests touring the newly-opened continual goal of providing Harry Robinson Body Shop in Fort Smith, AR education, ACRA also strives to grow the organization with engaged their local SkillsUSA competitions. and enthusiastic members. Scott takes pride that one of their stuLike most collision repair indus- dents from Pulaski Tech placed seventh try associations, ACRA contends with in refinishing at the SkillsUSA Nationthe struggle of attracting new mem- als several years ago. bers to rejuvenate and strengthen their organization. Golden explains, “Revenue is a challenge. We receive annual dues [from members] and donations from vendors, but we need to grow our base. We have transitioned from mailing our monthly newsletter to emailing our bulletins to manage our costs better.” ACRA holds member meetings on the second Tuesday of every month (except December) in the Body Shop Department at Pulaski Technical College. Scott and Golden are grateful for their great relationship with the ACRA members being instructed on aspects of aluminum college, and ACRA reciprowelding cates by offering support to The ACRA mission is, “To pro- students at the facility, who are invited vide education for shop owners and to attend their educational meetings. managers to help them run more effi- This system also allows the shop owncient and profitable businesses.” ers and managers in ACRA to get acACRA puts a lot of emphasis and con- quainted with the students who will centration on the importance of con- become future employees. tinuing education within the industry, Additionally, ACRA collaborated so they ensure that each meeting in- with North Point Nissan, who donated cludes an educational segment pre- approximately $20,000 in damaged sented by local vendors or faculty at new parts over the past few years, althe college. Their June 2014 meeting lowing Pulaski Tech students an opwill feature an I-CAR class as part of portunity to get more hands-on their efforts to provide valuable edu- experience. In turn, this also benefits cation to ACRA members. ACRA members as it ensures that

16 MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

In recent years, members of ACRA have participated in Recycled Rides, a charitable program that works to refurbish vehicles that are donated to families in need. Jody Gatchell, who heads their community-focused committee, also contributed his services to paint a fire truck pink for the city of Conway, AR, to help generate breast cancer awareness. When questioned about the biggest challenges impacting the industry today, Golden noted, “Changes in technology and the advanced electronics on vehicles will continue to present shops with challenges. Staying involved with associations like ACRA will help shops see what equipment and training is necessary to correctly fix the cars of today. Historically, advancements in technology—from unibody cars to air bags to high-strength steels to drive-by-wire suspension—have always been the core

www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 17

challenges for shops that want to provide high-quality, safe repairs to their customers.” Scott believes that recent changes in some insurers’ DRP requirements also pose a challenge for collision repair facilities. In particular, he began monitoring PartsTrader about five years ago when it became effective in New Zealand and continues to keep an eye on the issues it presents. The program has proven itself to be yet another challenge to contend with, and because it was recently implemented in Arkansas, ACRA is exploring various options for dealing with PartsTrader. To Golden, “PartsTrader is another change in our industry. Moving forward, there will be more vendors in the future that work to develop software to compete with PartsTrader and to look at new ways to control parts. In the past, we have seen manufacturers try to get into the recycled business and many other attempts at change to the parts side of the business. Some have helped the industry, and some have fallen by the wayside. The parts business is evolving as it always has, and each business will have to decide for itself what fits in with its business model and what does not.”

Although rarely involved with legislation directly, ACRA closely monitors the bills introduced at the Arkansas General Assembly every other year. Scott clarifies, “Few of these bills impact our industry, though some affect dealerships. Our attorney explores these laws and their effects on our members when necessary, and those meetings are usually pretty well-attended. We also look at some national legislation to make sure our members are kept informed. For example, when 6H was instituted, we convinced the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality to hold classes to educate our members on the new requirements.” ACRA has not taken an official stance on the Parts Act, but Golden notes, “In most conversations where parts are discussed, we talk about the need for high-uality parts that perform the way the vehicle was designed to perform. Today’s cars are very complex, and the systems within the car are designed to work together to ensure safety. Parts used in the repair process must ensure those systems continue to work together as designed.” For more information about ACRA, visit www.arkansascollisionrepair.com.

18 MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

LaCIA

Continued from Cover

ous with their time when we were in the preliminary steps of establishing ourselves,” added Hanks. “This was new territory for us and we were hungry for information. They shared a lot that helped in our formation-examples of by-laws, sample documents, and of course, the experience of SCRS’ board and network of other affiliates. It allowed us to model ourselves after the best, and get started in the right direction. SCRS provides an important national perspective for our members and they’ll be a group we proudly work closely with as we continue to grow and evolve.”

Conversely the LaCIA will undoubtedly prove to be another great asset to the SCRS family. “The growth, focus, and determination we have seen from LaCIA really demonstrate the appetite that repairers have to be connected to organizations that reflect their voice on issues of importance to their businesses. It also stands as a great example of the value in making a connection and networking with knowledgeable professionals who have a history of experience in the association realm,” stated Schulenburg. For more information about LaCIA, visit www.la-cia.com. For more information about SCRS, visit: http://scrs.com

Missing Class Ring Found 14 Years Later at Body Shop Geraldine High School’s senior class of about 65 students walked across the podium to accept their diplomas in Huntsville, AL, including a senior who had just lost her class ring. Now, 14 years later, the ring has finally been found. “Underneath one of the seats in a little pile of gunk was this little class ring,”said Checker Auto Body Repair Manager Bill Goebel. He decided to take to social media to see if he could find the ring’s owner. “I made a post

on the Geraldine High School’s page. Within four hours, we had tracked down the young lady who owned this ring and she had lost it 14 years ago,” said Goebel. The owner soon discovered the ring belongs to Kelli Willingham, now known as Kelli Miller. Not only was Miller reunited with the ring, but also with her high school car. It’s something she never thought she’d see again. “It was a graduation gift,” said Miller.

Northeast News

ABAC Hosts Larry Montanez of P&L Consulting at March 18 Meeting with Chasidy Rae Sisk

The Auto Body Association of Connecticut (ABAC) quarterly meeting was held on March 18, 2014, at the Country House Restaurant in New Haven, CT. Encouragingly, the meeting was well-attended with a packed house of ABAC members, shop owners, and managers gathered for an educational evening. After calling the meeting to order, ABAC president Tony Ferraiolo expressed gratitude to the sponsors who made the evening possible, which included the Albert Kemperle Organization, Richard Chevrolet, Bishop’s Tony Ferraiolo Auto Parts, and Environmental Risk Services. Crediting Dave Fogarty for the recent Consumer Alert Bulletin that was distributed to attendees and will be provided in the ABAC newsletter, Ferraiolo reinforced

the importance of using the bulletin to aid and educate consumers. The first presenter at the meeting was Rob Rainwater, general manager at Bishop’s Used Auto Parts, who discussed the exclusive ABAC discount that allows ABAC members to receive 10 percent off all inRob Rainwater voices at the time of delivery. Rainwater also detailed the other benefits of purchasing parts from his company, a member of the Premium Recycled Parts Network, including reduced cycle time, no supplements, rental car services, quote guarantees, and no-hassle return policy. Bishop’s Used Auto Parts also offers a 24-hour turnaround on their re-manufactured products. Ferraiolo next provided updates on some current ABAC projects, dis-

cussing initiatives on the Hartford, CT, lawsuit, the Progressive lawsuit, and the LKQ wheel recall, before introducing the evening’s main speaker Larry Montanez, education and training advisor for P&L Consultants. Montanez’s presentation covered the following topics: Materials, Material Sciences, and the Future; Non-Included Forgettable Procedures along with Advanced Estimating Procedures; Estimating Case Studies; and How to Prove Why It Is What It Is. He delved into the differences between standard, high-strength, and ultra-high-strength steels, as well as Larry Montanez the necessary precautions when working with steel and Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) Crash Management. Speaking on “Understanding In-

dustry Training,” Montanez identified vo-tech schools as where a collision repair education begins, while third-party training programs provide ongoing training. Specific information can be acquired through OEM training, and the OEM Welding Certification can be seen as “the ultimate test of skill.” Because of time constraints and the tremendous amount of useful information that had been prepared, Montanez was unable to conclude his presentation, but ABAC has invited him to resume the remaining portion of this vital information at their next meetingon Tuesday, May 20, 2014. For more information about ABAC, visit www.abaconn.com.

@autobodynews Accept no Substitutes!

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Continued from Page 14

Record-Breaking

faster you’re going to kill your future.”

Ford 2015 F-150 Collision Repair Support Plan Demonstrations Over the course of the weekend, Ford held several demonstrations and meetings regarding their 2015 F-150 Collision Repair Support Plan. The demo focused on the ease of repairability for the new design, which is intended to be tougher, smarter, and more capable with its military-grade aluminum body and high-strength steel frame. The aluminum body reduces the truck’s weight by up to 700 pounds, which, in conjunction with increasing the use of high-strength steel by 77 percent, creates a lighter but stronger vehicle. The demonstration also

rect cost information to keep repair costs down and standards high. In addition to developing instruction sheets, Ford ias developed an online training course and is also collaborating with I-CAR to offer training courses specific to repairing these aluminum F-150s. Ford plans to attend trade shows throughout the country— including the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in April 2014, International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) in July 2014, and the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in November 2014—to disseminate this information throughout the industry.

Tactically Lean: Connecting the Dots Between High-Minded Concepts and Real-World Results Lee V. Rush, manager of business consulting services for SherwinWilliams, presented “Tactically Lean: Connecting the Dots Between High-Minded Concepts and Real-World Results,” a seminar intended to alter the way the industry views the term ‘lean.’ Rush’s approach was developed with collision repairers for collision repairers, and one of the mysteries of the lean concept is that Douglas Sherman and Mitch Portnoi share some advice on though many shops attempt to buying and selling businesses go lean, few succeed. While served to highlight the new class-ex- the industry has explored this idea for clusive technology that has been used decades, not much has changed in the and the gains in fuel economy through industry because there is frequently a the introduction of smaller displace- disconnect between the architects of ment engines. lean programs and the shop floor. Ford representatives also dis- Rush stressed that “lean is a way of cussed the manufacturer’s support thinking about how you operate!” plan, which includes an enhanced Though Rush did not explore workshop manual, instruction sheets, specific strategies in depth, he extraining courses, and a list of the spe- plained that lean is a set of concepts, cific tools and equipment necessary to principles, and tools used to create the repair the new F-150. Aluminum is most value for customers while consimilar to steel and will require most suming the fewest overall resources, of the same tools, but Ford recom- and it is effective for any business that mends a second set of tools and supplies a product or service. The lean equipment that can be dedicated to strategy is all about changing the aluminum repairs to avoid steel con- process to consistently deliver the tamination. The Ford representatives right results. emphasized that repairing these vehiTo make the lean concept work cles will be different, but not more for them, shops must standardize their difficult. They also lauded the variety work and stabilize their process, but a of repairability options that will save shop can’t just flip a switch and go many vehicles from being declared lean—they have to be strategic about total losses. implementing the process. “It’s a jourThroughout the designing ney,” Rush explains. “By connecting process, Ford has been working with the dots, we improve operational perseveral insurers to ensure they are formance through the use of lean tools being trained on the proper repair with the longer term goal of becoming techniques and that they have the cora lean shop.”

20 MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Because shop owners are already running successful businesses, there is a stigma about how the lean concept is viewed, so it’s imperative to change the way you think to reach the desired outcome of increased productivity and

John Niechowiadowicz talks about “Unleashing Your Secret Power” by tracking the 5 most important KPIs

profitability. Rush insists there are two killers of the lean process: inaccurate repair orders and not having the correct parts. The process begins with a 100 percent accurate repair order in the beginning stages of the repair as this will reduce the amount of supplements needed and the overall repair time. He believes this is best achieved by dedicating one specific employee and area to the damage analysis piece of the re-

pair, and completing this process in its entirety upfront allows for shorter cycle times. Shops are already disassembling the vehicles, but doing it at the beginning of the process, rather than over the course of several days, allows for an accurate repair order the first time around. The other process that shops should implement is checking all parts for correctness to ensure you’re ready for the repair, and Rush recommends mirror matching to ensure you have the right parts and to allow you to discover problems in advance. In closing, he encouraged attendees to standardize their processes by finding the one best way to perform a task and making that the standard upon which to improve.

Business Continuation Planning: Inside Buying or Selling a Business Mitchell Portnoi, Esq. and Douglas J. Sherman, Esq., from PPGMS presented “Business Continuation Planning: Inside Buying or Selling a Business.” Portnoi, a litigation attorney, gets involved when there are problems with a contract or agreement, but because litigation is such a See Record-Breaking, Page 30

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Continued from Cover

Ford’s Plan

more than three decades; Ford sold more than 700,000 F-150 pick-ups last year alone. “The goal is to have enough capacity to be able to handle the F-150,” Massie said. “We know that roughly 80 percent of our customers are going to independent body shops. Less than 50 percent of our dealerships even have a body shops. Of those that have body shops, probably about 800 are really in really in the collision business. We realize we cannot have a mainstream repair process (for the F-150) if we were to direct all our customers only to our dealers.” Massie reiterated that Ford will not be limiting sale of replacement parts for the new F-150 only to network shops. “You can’t mainstream something if you’re restricting the parts sales,” he said.

Network requirements But to qualify for the network and listing on Ford’s shop locator, Massie said, an independent shop must be nominated by a Ford dealer. Ford dealers without a body shop will likely nominate the Continued from Cover

Tortious Interference?

the pecuniary health of the individual plaintiff businesses in order to force compliance with unreasonable and onerous concessions.” Tony Passwater, IABA Executive Director, states, “There’s going to be a battle. For decades the insurers have interfered with the collision repair professional’s obligation to restore the vehicle back to pre-accident condition as humanly possible. It has been well documented with the 1963 Consent Decree. Since then, over the last two decades, the pressure to compromise the repair quality and safety has increased with many insurer mandates and cost controls. It must stop, the driving public deserves a vehicle that has been repaired properly and is safe.” Passwater says, “I am sure that in the near future, possibly hundreds of shops will stand up and join this action, to allow our Industry to repair the vehicles properly for the safety of the consumer. It is unfortunate that the driving public are bombarded daily with billions of dollars of advertising

shop(s) to which it refers collision repair work, Massie said, and other shops may be nominated by the dealer from which they buy wholesale parts. Although the automaker is placing few limits on the number of shops a dealer may nominate nor the distance from a dealer an independent shop must be to participate, Massie acknowledged getting the right number of shops in the right locations is the “tricky” or “touchy piece of the whole idea of recognizing independents.” “It’s really difficult for us to bring in independent body shops but say we don’t want you within 5 or 10 or 50 miles of a dealership,” Massie said. “This is more about being consumer-centric.” Massie said as the program grows over time, there may be issues the automaker needs to address in some markets if, for example, a dealer is resisting bringing enough independent shops into the program. But Massie said those who sell the vehicle know it’s not in their best interest to tell a customer they will have to wait long or go far to get it fixed. “To the top of the house at Ford Motor Company, they recognize that we need to have independents involved,” Massie said. The initial requirements to join are focused on more general repair, Massie

the insurers are spending to convince them that they are a “good neighbor”, or “on their side”, but once this action begins to unfold, the real nature of what has been happening will certainly be revealed.” “John Eaves Jr., lead counsel for the actions across the country, is following a very organized and strategic plan to maximize the effect of the lawsuit for the industry, Some of the top tobacco litigators in the country are now included as legal counsel for many states. Former attorney generals are counsel for many members. The fight is beginning to shift to a more even playing field.” When insurers don’t cover the full cost of repairs, “it’s such a difficult thing to pass on to a customer,” said Kevin Wells, who operates Quality Collision Inc. in Bloomington and is a plaintiff in the suit. Wells said he often just eats the cost the insurance company won’t pay. “I’m taking it in the shorts by about $6 an hour for every job I do,” Wells said. The lawsuit takes aim at State Farm, which uses its dominant and influential position among other insurSee Tortious Interference?, Page 26

22 MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

said, but to remain in the program in 2015, a shop must be “aluminum capable,” including having an area separated off (by curtains or walls) for aluminum work. A specific self-piercing rivet gun is currently required (though Ford representatives said a second brand may soon be approved) but otherwise the required equipment list allows for multiple brands or models as long as they meet the required specifications. The list includes an aluminum MIG welding system, a set of hand and power tools dedicated to aluminum work, and aluminum dent and dust extraction systems. One online Ford training course and two specific I-CAR training courses and welding certification are required. Shops are only required to have one technician trained, Massie said, but the goal is to train anyone repairing the F150. In addition to about 800 Ford dealership shops, the automaker wants to add about 750 independent shops this year and each of the next two years for a total of about 3,000 shops in the program by the end of 2016. The program is being administered by Assured Performance, which said the $2,950 annual fee can enable qual-

ifying shops to participate in Chrysler and Nissan’s shop certification programs as well. There is an annual audit process to ensure a shop in the program still qualifies. Massie said independent shops with a Ford dealer sponsor can get more information about the program by calling (949) 221-0010 or visiting www.fordcertifiedshop.com. Is Ford planning for more use of aluminum in its vehicles that will help improve the return on investment for a shop becoming aluminum-capable? “Ford doesn’t speak about future vehicle programs, but you can see where the fuel economy has to be by 2025, so I think it’s fair to assume there will be more in the future,” Massie said.

Repairability addressed Ford representatives at CIC continued the automaker’s efforts to ensure dealers, collision repairers and insurers that F150 design engineers kept repairability in mind when developing the vehicle. Larry Coan, Ford’s damageability product concern engineer, said the new F-150’s high-strength steel frame will be sectionable. “You’ll have the very front stub, See Ford’s Plan, Page 26

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Continued from Page 22

Ford’s Plan

the front third, and the rear third available sections for service,” Coan said. “But we will also offer separately serviceable front lower control arm mounting brackets. So if those are damaged, they can be replaced separately from the frame.” The inner and outer rocker panels are sectionable (although the outer rocker on the crewcab model cannot be sectioned). The mounting tab for the Bpillar stops short of the roof, eliminating the need to remove or cut access in the roof. Two repair methods —welding, or a rivet-bond procedure—are acceptable for floorpan Larry Coan sectioning, Coan said. And every sheet metal replacement part for the vehicle will include an instruction sheet. “It will detail all the procedures to R&R that part, or where to section that part, for parts that are sectionable,” Coan said. “It will detail the rivet patContinued from Page 22

Tortious Interference?

ers in “spearheading efforts to control and artificially depress damage repair costs,” the suit alleges. State Farm spokeswoman Missy Dundov denied the allegations but declined to elaborate, according to the AP. “This suit has no merit and in no way accurately describes the business relationship State Farm has with thousands of body shops across the country,” she said. A spokeswoman for Indiana Farmers said the company had not received notice it had been named in a suit. A search of complaints against State Farm filed with the Indiana Department of Insurance did not reveal any filed by body shops, said department spokeswoman Alexandra Peck. Body shops say State Farm conducts surveys of the going labor rate shops charge in a given area. The data and methodology are not disclosed, shops complain. “Shops are simply required to blindly accept State Farm’s pronouncements regarding these matters.” The insurer attempts to prohibit

terns, the glue, all the steps you need to do in order to service that part.” Several repairers at CIC expressed concern that Ford is not limiting structural pulls on the vehicle as some European automakers do on aluminum-intensive vehicles. “Is there a fear that if we make a pull on that body structure it will break the bonding agent on the other side of the car,” Dusty Womble of Roger Beasley Collision Center in Austin, Texas, asked. Kye Yeung of European Motor Car Works in Santa Ana, Calif., expressed similar concerns, noting that insurers may presume shops can make structural pulls on other aluminum vehicles. “Is it because your aluminum vehicle is mounted on a steel frame,” Yeung asked. “It is a big benefit to have this steel frame underneath the truck,” Tom Green, Ford body and chassis commodity manager, responded. “We’re finding with pulling that we’ll actually tear or rip out the rivets before the bonding comes loose. So (pulling is allowed) most likely because we have more mechanical fasteners. But I really can’t speak for the other OEMs. All we shops from discussing the labor rates they provide as part of the surveys, “asserting any discussion may constitute illegal price fixing.” Shops that complain the labor rate is inadequate are often told they are the only body shop in the area to say so and that they don’t conform to the “market rate.” In fact, “State Farm knew multiple shops had attempted to raise their labor rates and advised State Farm of such,” the suit alleges. The shops allege insurers have failed to abide by industry standards for auto repairs and repair-estimating databases. At the same time, many insurers pressure shops to reduce costs by using recycled parts. But used parts like doors can require hours of additional labor to be made to fit properly and to be reconditioned. Ultimately, shops are required to either make “less than quality” repairs or suffer a financial loss. Taking shortcuts raises the specter of safety issues, but once a vehicle is repaired, it’s not easy to spot problems such as improper welds that might be hidden by seam sealer. Neither scenario is palatable to many body shops. See Tortious Interference?, Page 31

26 MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

know is we’re able to pull it. We’ve tested it out and we know it’s not compromised.” Massie agreed that shops nor insurers should not presume that one automaker’s guidelines apply to another automaker’s vehicles. “We all do things a little bit differently,” Massie said. “Follow the procedures you are given and you should be okay.” Ford will have a cut-away of the new F-150 and more information available for collision repairers at both NACE in July Kye Yeung in Detroit, and at SEMA in Las Vegas in November.

John Yoswick is 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). Contact by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.

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Society of Collision Repair Specialists Roundtable

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) (www.scrs.com) hosted the Repairer Roundtable meeting on April 9, 2014, in Portland, OR, to create a forum for collision repair professionals with conversational agendas that promote healthy dialog surrounding important issues. See cover story. Dave Gruskos of RAE Inc. began by focusing on the growing use of alternative materials and repair designs found in today’s modern fleet, and how those design changes influence the way repair professionals need to approach collision repair. “Dave is an excellent resource to expose our members and guests to the current technology boom we are seeing, and to underscore the requirements associated with preparation as these advanced high-production models enter our repair businesses. There is a great deal of commitment and investment involved in the pursuit of capability; and understanding what is, and will be, expected of repairers will help in the development of individualized strategy to serve the market,” said SCRS executive director Aaron Schulenburg.

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Attorneys for Collision Repairers Respond to State Farm’s Request for Dismissal Attorneys for repair shops that filed suit against State Farm and more than a dozen other insurers recently responded to the insurer’s request for the U.S. Middle District of Florida Court, Orlando division, to dismiss their antitrust and steering lawsuit, saying that there is “more than sufficient facts asserted to satisfy the pleading requirements.” The Florida repair shops sued State Farm and dozens of other insurers. See this issue and Autobody News April issue for more on the lawsuit, or search online at Autobodynews.com. “Plaintiffs allege that Defendants imposed maximum price limitations for automobile parts and services, adopted similar reimbursement policies and practices, and attempted to steer customers away from shops that refused to adhere to Defendants’ price limitations. The ‘crucial question,’ however, is ‘whether the challenged anticompetitive conduct stem[s] from independent decision or from an agreement, tacit or express,’’ State Farm’s attorneys write in their response. “As a general rule, businesses are free to choose the parties with whom

they will deal, as well as the prices, terms and conditions of that dealing,” they claim. “Section 1 of the Sherman Act does not preclude a party from unilaterally determining the parties with whom it will deal and the terms on which it will transact business. … At the pleading stage, ‘formulaic recitations of a conspiracy claim’ are insufficient, and ‘a conclusory allegation of agreement at some unidentified point does not supply facts adequate to show illegality.’ … The Complaint fails utterly to meet the standards set by the Supreme Court and the Eleventh Circuit for pleading conspiracy.” In response, the repair shops’ attorneys argue that the claims in their complaint are valid. “Defendant State Farm’s motion rests primarily upon the incorrect assertion the complaint fails to set forth sufficient facts to satisfy the pleading requirements,” attorneys write. “Repeatedly and throughout the motion, defendant State Farm misrepresents both the contents of the complaint and quite often the holdings of authority to which it cites. When the correct legal standards are applied, a straight-

forward reading of the complaint establishes there is more than sufficient facts asserted to satisfy the pleading requirements. “Defendant State Farm’s numerous misrepresentation of fact and law do not alter this. The motion to dismiss is without any merit, legal or factual. The plaintiffs respectfully submit it should denied in its entirety,” attorneys claim. The repair shops’ attorneys also responded to Geico’s request for dismissal, writing, “[Ge]ico’s motion rests primarily upon the incorrect assertion that the complaint fails to set forth sufficient facts to satisfy the pleading requirements. Repeatedly and throughout the motion, Defendant Geico misrepresents both the contents of the complaint as well as citations to authority, holdings of the cited courts and the procedural posture of those cases. When the correct legal standards are applied, a straightforward reading of the complaint establishes there is more than sufficient facts asserted to satisfy the pleading requirements.” The judge has not issued any decisions at press time.

Professional Auto Body joins Chrysler Collision Repair Facility Network

Professional Auto Body and Frame, serving Glenwood Springs, Rifle, and Grand Junction, CO, is now part of the Chrysler Collision Repair Facility Network. The network ensures Chrysler that its customers can find a repair facility that can repair vehicles to manufacturer’s standards, including fit, finish, durability and safety.

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Western News

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

WaterCar Has Body Shop Owner Swimming in Business with Ed Attanasio

Dave March, owner of Fountain Valley Bodyworks in Fountain Valley, CA, owns a busy body shop that repairs roughly 500 cars every month. When he isn’t wrestling with insurance companies and making sure every car leaves his shop in pristine condition, March is a dreamer and an inventor. He enjoys thinking outside of the ordinary. His brainchild is called the WaterCar, a hydro-friendly, amphibious vehicle that can be used to drag water skiers and tubers at more than 40 miles per hour. Inspired by the Amphicar of the 1960s, March started working on the WaterCar more than 15 years ago as a personal challenge to build the world’s fastest amphibious vehicle. He had no plans to ever offer it to the public, March explained, but as he began refining his creation, he saw a need and a market for the WaterCar. “We’ve designed several models over the years with the goal to make it better every time,” March said. “Our first version of the WaterCar was a purpose-built vehicle, to be very fast on both land and water. But, when the WaterCar established the amphibious speed record with our Python model, our attention turned to reliability, and we began designing a vehicle to offer

March, owner of Fountain Valley Bodyworks in Fountain Valley, CA, wants to sign up other body shops all over the country to assemble WaterCar kits as a new, exciting source of additional revenue.

to the public.” After numerous successes and failures, 27 patents, and literally thousands of labor hours, March’s dream has been achieved. It’s called the Panther—and the very first WaterCar to be offered to the public. March and his all-star team consisting of top automotive designers and technicians have tweaked the WaterCar’s design,

and, by using state-of-the-art equipment at Fountain Valley Bodyworks, they’ve come up with the ultimate vehicle for both land and sea. Is the WaterCar more automobile or more boat? Legally, amphibious vehicles need to be registered both as a car and as a boat in the U.S. and display both license plate and hull num-

People can fish, duck hunt, water ski, or even parasail behind the WaterCar

bers. “In some states, the Department of Transportation is still a little confused about the concept, but more and more they’re embracing the WaterCar,” March said. “Arizona, California, and Nevada have been a little tough in getting on board, but we’re confident that they will eventually embrace the idea. We’re getting them approved, but, in some cases, we have to jump through hoops to get it done.” During its development years, March was continuously approached by people around the world who wanted to purchase a WaterCar, but he wasn’t ready to put them on the market for a wide range of reasons. “While we were flattered that people wanted the WaterCar, we just felt it wasn’t ready,” March said. “It was difficult to say no for all those years, but we figured hey—let’s not rush it. In 2013, we realized that the WaterCar was ready for the public, and pretty much right away the orders started coming in.” March received a ton of publicity when he drove his WaterCar all the way from his shop in Fountain Valley to Catalina Island in January 2014. The story, “Amphibious water car dives into land and sea market,” made page one of the Chicago Tribune and created a buzz worldwide. “We made the 30-mile trip at around 40 miles per hour, and we used about 10 gallons of

28 MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

fuel one-way. Typically, a boat will get around four miles per gallon, so the WaterCar isn’t just fast, it’s also green and very economical. When we pulled into that harbor, the people were shocked and surprised when we drove up!” Celebrities and billionaires are showing interest in the WaterCar, but anyone with $140,000 lying around can buy one, March said. “Wealthy folks are always looking for the newest toy, and the WaterCar definitely fits the bill. These famous people make us sign non-disclosure agreements, so I can’t tell you any names. But I can tell you that one individual who is awaiting delivery of his WaterCar is the founder of a very well-known tech company.” (And his last name isn’t Zuckerberg, Ellision, or Wozniak!) “The attention this vehicle has received is pretty amazing, to say the least.” The hottest markets for the Wa-

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Celebrities all over the world want a WaterCar, but March can’t divulge their names for legal reasons

Car so they can taxi around and then hit the streets. With all of those little islands, the WaterCar is perfect for Dubai, as well as in the Florida Keys.” March is now selling WaterCar kits and believes that body shops would be ideal to assemble them. Since he has a backlog of orders and See Watercar, Page 46

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Continued from Page 20

Record-Breaking

huge expense for small businesses, business owners want to avoid potential litigation (“an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”), and this is where Sherman, a specialist in transactions, comes in. Even the best contracts can result in parties disagreeing on key terms, so using a transaction attorney is imperative, according to Portnoi. Sherman works with those buying and selling businesses, and he provided advice on the process. The most important step is to get your team together at the very beginning, including your attorney and your accountant as you need to know how much the business is worth. Begin by having an attorney draft a letter of intent to negotiate the key business terms of the deal (this letter is non-binding so either party can still walk away at this point if they are not satisfied). For family transfers, each individual should hire separate attorneys to avoid a conflict of interest and to ensure that both sides are adequately represented and protected.

Portnoi and Sherman also discussed the benefits of buying the business under a company name to protect the owner’s personal assets and interests; establishing a company that owns the assets shields the business owner from liability so that if they are sued, their other assets cannot be lost. Sherman recommends a Limited Liability Company (LLC) to avoid double taxation, though a transfer tax does apply. If the business and land are both being purchased, each should be placed in separate LLCs to provide the best protection from liability issues. After acquiring the letter of intent, the next step is to obtain a signed contract. There are two ways to sell a business: an asset purchase agreement or a stock transfer. Sherman recommends the former as it includes the acquisition of clients, permits/licenses, and equipment as well as the business name and brand because you’re buying the business in its entirety. Once the business is transferred, the asset purchase agreement provides a firm separation between the buyer and seller. In contrast, with a stock transfer, the buyer takes on the business as is, and though it sounds easier, it’s not the

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best idea from a liability standpoint because the buyer is now stepping into the seller’s shoes and assuming any issues that may arise. Regardless of the route you choose, Sherman stresses the importance of including indemnities and other provisions in the contract to ensure that the buyer continues to run the business in the same manner as prior to the sale, which will contribute to a smooth transition. The contract should also include confidentiality provisions, a non-competition clause, and a due diligence period to allow the buyer at least one month to ensure that they are getting what they expect. Be sure to research the business and property to be certain that you are not acquiring any liens, and, if there are any environmental issues, make sure the seller handles those problems before you assume responsibility for the business; these conditions can also be included in your contract.

Unleashing Your Secret Power: Key Performance Indicators John Niechowiadowicz of QLC, Inc. and Jerry McNee of Ultimate Collision in Edison, NJ, presented “Unleashing Your Secret Power.” For shop

owners interested in improving their businesses, the powerful information at their disposal that’s not being fully used is key performance indicators (KPIs), which allow shops to track their performance and compare it to industry benchmarks. Niechwiadowicz believes that tracking your KPIs is the first step to identifying the biggest areas of opportunity and creating action plans to improve your business. In addition to improving your negotiating position, tracking KPIs is motivational for you and your employees! The best way to improve something is to measure it, while not tracking your KPIs can limit your success; Niechwiadowicz insists “you owe it to yourself, your team, your families, and the industry to track your KPIs and be as successful as you can be!” Niechwiadowicz advised attendees to review how each KPI is calculated, where the information can be obtained, and what the top performers achieve. Next, you must transform that KPI from a number into an operational action plan and, most importantly, get motivated to improve your business by tracking and acting on your KPIs. He focused on the top five

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KPIs that should be tracked:

● Average repair order (RO): You can impact your average RO by taking estimating classes and using available information, but the best way is to ensure an accurate, complete RO by performing a complete tear-down and writing a thorough blueprint at the beginning of the repair process. ● Total sales: Improve total sales by tracking them accurately and setting goals to ensure your employees understand the importance of sales. ● Labor efficiency: Track labor efficiency as it is beneficial for everyone when efficiency increases. ● Total gross profit: Of course, it’s difficult to improve your business without discussing your bottom line, and focusing on the following categories will aid in impacting your total

gross profit: labor, parts, paint and materials, and sublet. Monitoring these factors will help you maintain focus on the significant and beneficial impact it can have on your entire team’s lives. ● Touch time: Improve touch time by eliminating inefficiencies in the repair process and focusing on anything that causes repairs to start and stop. Improving touch time will positively impact sales, profitability, productivity, customer satisfaction, your working environment, and even the personal lives of your employees and yourself!

Niechwiadowicz concluded with the reminder that “the first step toward improvement is to track your numbers.” Learn more about the AASP/NJ 2014 Northeast Automotive Services Show at www.aaspnjnortheast.com.

Continued from Page 26

Tortious Interference?

“There are a lot of them that have hung it up and said, ‘That’s it. I can’t take it anymore,’” Passwater said. “The guys can’t make it. It’s not that they are bad businesspeople,” said Scott Blake, of Blake’s Carstar Collision Center in LaPorte and president of the IABA. Some shops have survived cost pressures by adding services such as applying sprayed-on bed liners for pickup trucks. Some shops have purchased others through a rollup strategy intended to improve efficiencies. Passwater said the state once had about 2,000 shops; there are now 800 to 1,000. The 34-page suit alleges insurers have violated the federal Sherman Act,

both in price-fixing and through boycotting tactics. They contend the boycotting efforts include insurers telling policyholders that a certain shop will be more expensive and that choosing it also means they’ll be responsible for additional rental-car charges. Another tactic, body shops allege, is to tell consumers the work won’t be guaranteed by using a shop that doesn’t conform to a repair program agreement. That’s misleading, however, because insurers require all shops to stand behind their work for a period of time. The collision shops seek unspecified compensatory damages for underpayments as well as damage for lost business opportunities. They also seek an injunction that would require insurers to modify their practices.

Body Shop in McKinney and Allen, TX, Creates Extra Capacity for Hail Damage Repair by Leasing Additional Shop Space Linear Automotive is a certified Auto Paint & Body Shop for Hail Damage Repair in McKinney, Allen, Plano, Frisco, Denton, The Colony, and Little Elm, TX. Due to an overwhelming response to recent hailstorms, the shop is preparing to better serve customers. Recent hailstorms unleashed con-

siderable of damage on automobiles in the McKinney, Allen, Plano, Frisco, Denton, The Colony, and Little Elm areas around North Texas. The phones were ringing all day long at Linear Automotive with people wanting appointments for hail damage repairs in the body shop.

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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

Gender Marketing Power is a Trend Already in Evidence with Thomas Franklin

Gender marketing; it sounds like it would be prejudicial and maybe even illegal. But in many collision repair shops the marketing is already heavily gender-oriented. A shop that focuses on race cars, muscle cars, classic cars and sponsoring events around these interests are already marketing to a mostly male audience. Add to that emphasis, all-male estimators, and you have a shop that has a definite male gender focus. Considering that as many as half of the collision repairs coming into the shop are brought in by female customers, adding a female focus to marketing would hardly be prejudicial. One huge, affluent segment wields more spending clout than any other: Baby-Boomer women born between 1946 and 1964, represent a portion of the buying public no marketer can afford to ignore. With successful careers, investments made during the “boom” years, and inheritances from parents or husbands, reports indicate they are more financially empowered than any previous generation of women. MassMutual Financial Group reports that senior women age 50 and older control a net worth of $19 trillion and own more than three-fourths of the nation’s financial wealth. 2.5 million of them have combined assets of $4.2 trillion. More than 1.3 million women professionals and executives earn in excess of $100,000 annually. 43% of Americans with more than $500,000 in assets are female. Can a shop afford not to market to these ladies? For shops that focus on luxury automobiles, a marketing emphasis on mature women can pay off. Pam

Danziger, president of Unity Marketing, says the mature luxury consumer places the highest priority in making memories and experiences. They don’t buy things to have more things; they want the experience to go along with it. Luxury consumers expect superior quality and are extremely discerning. The 55 to 75 year-old female has seen her role change from homemaker to purchaser of security, convenience and luxury items. Once the college bills are out of the way and children launch their own households, the discretionary spending power of 50-plus women soars. They spend 2.5 times what the average person spends. Women are the primary buyers for computers, cars, banking, financial services and a lot of other big-ticket categories. The shop that emphasizes security and convenience as part of the repair will be more likely to capture the attention of this customer segment. Shops that focus heavily on Internet marketing should be aware that affluent working women with family incomes of $75,000 or more are growing in number, and 94.3 percent access the Internet during an average month. “Ten Marketing Trends to Watch,” an article by Kim T. Gordon on Entrepreneur.com, stated that about half of these women are now considered heavy users of the Internet, while heavy use of radio, television, newspapers and direct mail has declined within this group. A female focus on Internet and social media sites could well pay off. Although it is generally assumed that a focus on sports is a male-oriented activity, 47.2% of major league

During National Volunteer Week in April 2014, CNN recognized a “littleknown industry group” whose members have donated over 200 vehicles worth over $3 million in 2013 to military veterans, homeless families, single parents, and others struggling to get back on the road to a stable life. The network went on to acknowledge the kind of work NABC’ Recycled Rides has accomplished.

Mercedes-Benz has approved the Elektron® MULTISPOT® MI-100control T resistance spot welder with C-pliers (model MTC-6000) for use in performing approved spot welding on high-strength steels like Boron, USIBOR, TRIP, TWIP and XIP. All approved workshop equipment is listed in Mercedes-Benz’s updated GSP Online Technics Information System (GOTIS).

CNN Recognizes NABC for Donating 200+ Vehicles

soccer fans are women as are 46.5% of MLB fans, 43.2% of NFL fans, 37% of NBA fans, and 40.8% of fans at NHL games. Women also purchase 46% of official NFL merchandise. Women are also involved in motorsports. Surprisingly in a motorsports survey, 74% of male respondents and 62% of female respondents agreed that “women racers bring fans out to the games.” Additionally, 40% of female respondents and 21% of male respondents stated that they would be “more” or “much more” likely to follow motorsport races if more females were involved. Shops that sponsor or tie marketing into motorsports should add a female focus. Women also rely more on wordof-mouth and sharing of experiences with friends than men do. A couple of shops I’m familiar with have brought in a woman to help with marketing. These new female marketers promptly joined some women’s networking

Welcome to the ALL NEW

groups and sought out opportunities to speak to women’s groups on accident avoidance and long-lasting quality repairs. Another shop added a female estimator and found her closing rate to be one of the best. She kept photos of her children and pets on her desk and had small toys for kids that accompanied a parent whose car she was estimating. When calling women customers about customer satisfaction, the big question shouldn’t be “were you satisfied with your repair,” but rather would she come back for cosmetic work or a self-pay repair if her insurance company had originally referred her? Few women would be willing to risk a loss of face with friends if she just recommended a shop that provided an average or mediocre repair. To get a referral from one of today’s more discriminating females, a shop has to provide an exceptional service experience!

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I-CAR News: New Board of Directors, Collision Repair Training for 2015 Ford F-150, Industry Support, Limited-Time Promo, and Revamped Steering/Suspension Course The Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) announced several milestone accomplishments made possible through its ongoing commitment to supporting the collision repair industry.

New Board of Directors The 2014 I-CAR International Board of Directors and Executive Committee was announced following the ICAR strategic planning session and annual membership meeting in San Diego, CA, in March 2014. The Board of Directors is comprised of representatives from each of the following six industry segments: collision repair; insurance; OEM vehicle manufacturers; equipment, tools, and supplies; education, training, and research; and related industry services. The I-CAR executive committee includes: Bob Keith of CARSTAR as chair; Joe Laurentin, Esurance, vice chair; Chris Evan, State Farm Insurance Co., treasurer; Mark Woirol, Tech-Cor, secretary; James Roach, member-at-large; Eugene Scambray,

Copart, member-at-large; and William Brower, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, immediate past chair. The remaining Directors include: Mark Algie of 3M; William DeGrocco, GEICO Insurance; David Henderson, AudaExplore; Todd Chizmar, Chrysler; John Donley, IAnet; Robert Hills, Universal Technical Institute (UTI); Christopher Northup, Professional Parts Group, Education Foundation Representative; Richard Perry, Chief Automotive Technologies for Equipment & Tool Institute; Roy Schnepper, Butler’s Collision Inc. for Automotive Service Association; James Spears, USAA; Randy Stabler, Pride Collision Centers Inc.; Dale Tripp, General Motors Company; Ron Vincenzi, Oakland Auto Body; and Dusty Womble, Roger Beasley Collision Centers for Society of Collision Repair Specialists. Bob Keith stated, “I am truly honored to have been elected chairman of the Board of I-CAR. The time that I have spent on the Executive Committee has shown me that I-CAR leadership and staff are all committed

to providing the highest quality training, certifications and resources to all segments of the collision inter-industry. The 2014 Board of Directors is a tremendous group of professionals who will supply strategic guidance to staff and keep them connected to the ‘heartbeat’ of all industry segments.”

Collision Repair Training Program for 2015 Ford F-150 In a groundbreaking collaboration, ICAR collision repair training experts worked alongside Ford Motor Company engineers during the 2015 Ford F-150 design and development process. Two years of development culminates in a new six-credit hour 2015 Ford F-150 Structural Repair course (FOR06) that covers all aluminum topics and dives deep into vehiclespecific repair information. The instructor-led course uses discussion, education, and decision-making exercises to help technicians repair the 2015 Ford F-150. Industry training for FOR06 opens June 1, 2014. “This is a game-changer in the

way the collision repair industry approaches training; to be fully-prepared with the knowledge, skills, and solutions needed before the vehicle debuts,” said John Van Alstyne, CEO and president of I-CAR. “Traditionally, repair solutions are not developed until after a vehicle is publicly launched, leaving a gap in repair readiness. I-CAR commends Ford for its proactive approach, working together with I-CAR to develop a repair solution that addresses complete, safe, and quality repairs for the new F-150, and doing so before the vehicle enters production.” Added Jason Bartanen, I-CAR director of industry and technical relations, “For a revolutionary vehicle like the 2015 Ford F-150, materialspecific training that highlights the unique processes associated with aluminum repair is critical for the frontline professionals faced with safely repairing these vehicles. I-CAR’s proven track record of aluminum repair technical expertise and training development solidified Ford’s interest in an early partnership to formulate a

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Supporting and Giving Back to the Industry In 2013, I-CAR committed to set aside $1 for every I-CAR class attended by students in 2014, which enabled I-CAR to donate $170,000 to the Collision Repair Education Foundation. In March 2014, I-CAR taught its ten millionth student credit hour over its 35-year legacy. John Van Alstyne, I-CAR CEO and president, explained, “Our ten millionth credit hour represents the hard work and dedication that collision repair professionals put into their work every day. Through ongoing, role-relevant training, our vision is that every person in the collision repair industry has the knowledge, education, and solutions required to perform complete and safe repairs— for the ultimate benefit of the consumer.” Van Alstyne said, “The evolution and impact of I-CAR over the last 35 years is exciting and impressive,” he continued, “And as vehicle technology continues to evolve, you can

count on I-CAR to do the same, expanding our relevance and the value we deliver to the collision repair industry.”

Revamped Steering and Suspension Course On April 7, 2014, I-CAR announced that the popular Steering and Suspension Damage Analysis (DAM06) course has been completely revamped. DAM06 now includes upto-date information on damage analysis procedures for the range of steering and suspension systems and parts featured in vehicles being repaired today and a series of interactive classroom activities designed to engage students and enrich their learning experience. Josh McFarlin, I-CAR director of curriculum and product development, explained, “This course provides an understanding of steering and suspension repair considerations that can help eliminate the chance of compromising the vehicle’s integrity during the repair and reduce comebacks,” he continued, “Content included in this course is beneficial to repairers, business owners, and ultimately consumers.”

DAM06 includes a detailed overview of steering and suspension systems and parts; an analysis of issues such as caster, camber, and toe; ride height difference and additional inspection methods; and how to use alignment angle readings. Students will participle in multiple activities throughout the course, including an interactive activity where they will determine alignment angles. This instructor-led, live, threecredit hour course meets training requirements for estimators and auto physical damage appraisers in the ICAR Professional Development Program (PDP).

Limited-Time Promotion on I-CAR Intro to Collision Repair Series Training Bundles On April 16, 2014, I-CAR announced two all-new, limited-time training bundle promotions from the Intro to Collision Repair Series. The exclusive training bundles are specifically tailored to employee career paths in the insurance and collision repair segments, including entry-level claims adjusters, call center staff, front office support, and career and technical school students.

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“Providing staff with foundational knowledge on the repair process can have a positive impact on everyone involved—from the customer, to the repairer or insurer, to the business,” stated Elise Quadrozzi, ICAR director of Segment Development – Insurance. The Intro to Collision Repair Series includes an overview of vehicle parts and terminology, reading damage reports, and repair and refinishing processes. Quadrozzi explained, “When your entire staff is trained, they can work together more productively, which can directly impact KPIs and CSI scores.” Both training bundles are comprised of eight of the most commonly-taken courses by the insurance and collision repair segments, including one of I-CAR’s most popular courses at no cost. Training bundles are $273 each for a limited time. Each online course takes approximately one hour to complete, is available on-demand, and has no expiration date once the bundle has been purchased. Visit www.i-car.com to learn more.

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Social Media for Shops

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

What Ever Happened to the Return Phone Call? with Ed Attanasio

I ran into someone at the 2013 SEMA Show who apologized profusely for not calling me back. “I was meaning to call you back,” he said. “I know you left a message.” “The one from 2012 or the one from 2013?” I inquired as nicely as I could. Why don’t people call each other back anymore? What is the psychology behind not returning phone calls? Do you have a group of friends or business associates in your life who will NEVER call you back, no matter what? The sad fact is that most of us do. Not returning phone calls has become an integral part of our society and a trademark of our times. And with all of the technology out there making it easier to connect (like smartphones, email, and text messaging), people have more ways than ever to not get back to you. So, the question is simple—is the telephone no longer the best way to connect with people and if so, what is the preferred method? In an attempt to analyze this phenomenon, I have spoken with a wide range of people about the subject, including body shop owners, insurance agents, parts managers, and general managers of large MSOs. Most people tell me that the anonymous nature of a phone call or phone message makes it very easy to disregard. Their attitude is that if the caller wants to contact me that badly, they’ll call back or text me or email me. Others believe that they’re already on the phone way too much as it is, so that’s why they only return those calls that seem pressing and/or important. “I spend an inordinate amount of time on the telephone, and I just don’t have the bandwidth to call everyone back,” one body shop’s marketing manager said. “Email is the best way to contact me, followed by texting— but phoning is a distant third.” “I get way too many sales calls,” a body shop owner claimed. “That makes me leery about returning any phone calls because I don’t want to sit through a sales pitch. I’m always doing five things at once, so if some-

thing needs to get cut, it’s probably going to be your phone call.” For others, it’s all about the quality (and brevity) of the phone call. “Some people are engaging and they know how to talk on the phone,” one insurance agent said. “Others get too chatty and for those people email is better. I don’t feel a need to respond immediately to an email, so it’s less stressful than a phone call.” While most people won’t rush to return a phone call, there are still a few “old school” types out there who will go out of their way to return a phone call, even if they’re busy or on the road. In my opinion, those people stand out because they’re the exception rather than the norm. I am often surprised by who returns calls because some of them are big names, yet they always make the time to reach out to me. In his book The Art of the Deal, originally published in 1987, Donald Trump discusses his theory surrounding the telephone and how it can be used as a tool. First off, Trump claims that he returns every phone call he receives because he realizes that each one represents an opportunity to make a deal. He talks to salesmen, office managers, and janitors because they can give him information he can possibly use to get any advantage in the future. In addition, Trump limits all of his phone calls to three minutes and actually uses an egg timer to do the job. That way he controls chatty callers and keeps everyone on point. I always ask salespeople about the subject of return phone calls because it’s their job to communicate with their customers, and most of them make multiple calls on a daily basis. When it comes to business, people have an entirely different theory about returning phone calls. If a salesman calls them, for instance, they will almost never call them back. “It’s their job to get a hold of me,” one collision center manager said when referring to salespeople. “If they’re selling something, they had better adapt to my schedule and figure out the best way to contact me. If I’m not interested in your products or services, I’m not going to call you

36 MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

back because I don’t have time to call you and tell you no thanks. Not calling you back is my way of telling you exactly that. Some call it the ‘Hollywood Brush-off,’ but I call it reality.” In an article called “Don’t Call Me, I Won’t Call You” that Pamela Paul wrote for The New York Times in 2011, she announced the demise of not just the return phone call, but the phone itself. “I don’t think it’s just me,” Paul wrote. “Sure, teenagers gave up the phone call eons ago. In the last five years, full-fledged adults have seemingly given up the telephone—land line, mobile, voice mail, and all. According to Nielsen Media, even on cell phones, voice spending has been trending downward, with text spending expected to surpass it within three years.” Paul interviewed an interior designer who made some interesting points about phone calls and their diminishing role in today’s society. “I lit-

erally never use the phone,” Jonathan Adler told Paul. “I’ve learned not to press ‘ignore’ on my cell phone because then people know that you’re there. I remember when I was growing up the rule was, ‘Don’t call anyone after 10:00 P.M.,’” Adler said. “Now the rule is, ‘Don’t call anyone. Ever.’” I have come to the conclusion that you should not take it personally if someone does not return your phone calls. It doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t want to speak with you. And if you work on your phone skills and become more pleasurable to speak with, you’ll find that more of your friends will call you back. I wish that I could have done a more thorough study of this subject, but most of the people who I called to interview never got back to me. Everyone interviewed for this piece asked to remain anonymous because, sadly, they don’t want anyone calling them either.

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CCC Updates: Carwise Shop Finder Solution, Contact Center Solution, TRUE Parts Network Suppliers, and Crash Course 2014 Report Carwise Shop Finder Solution CCC Information Services launched the Carwise Shop Finder solution (www.carwise.com), a free benefit to users of CCC ONE, on March 19, 2014. Carwise is a consumer-facing website that enables CCC ONE users to share repair status details with their customers. The new Shop Finder functionality allows shops to create a profile and share customer reviews, giving shoppers the information they need to find and select a collision repair partner. The Shop Finder functionality is integrated within CCC ONE so shops can manage and maintain their profiles from within their familiar application. “We see the Carwise Shop Finder solution as a great tool to showcase our shop and our offerings, and to provide us with another channel to connect with more potential customers,” said Karen Hansen, secretary treasurer of Hansen’s Auto Body & Paint. Configuring a compelling shop profile only takes a few minutes. Shops can upload pictures of the repair facility, highlight services that might set them apart, share the shop history, and indi-

cate the type of payment accepted. Shops that use CCC ONE Update Plus Status or UpdatePlus CSI can share customer reviews directly within their Carwise profile. Validated reviews and comments are presented in an unbiased manner ensuring others see what actual customers are saying about the shop. “CCC is focused on helping our customers be successful, and the Carwise Shop Finder solution will give shops a new channel to market their services to active shoppers,” said Joseph Allen, CCC general manager.

Contact Center Solution On April 15, 2014, CCC announced CCC ONE Contact Center solution, creating a single, central location for designated staff or call centers to view incoming assignments, contact customers, schedule jobs, and dispatch work quickly and easily. “Visibility across our locations has been a challenge for us, but we don’t have the need or the resources for a call center,” said Lance Bartczak, general manager of Kniesel’s Collision Centers. “The seamless integration between the CCC ONE

platform and Contact Center allows for a simplified user experience that results in instant callbacks, an increased positive customer experience, reduced cycle times, happier insurance partners, and increased profitability. To say it’s a winwin is an understatement.” “CCC ONE Contact Center was developed to serve MSOs looking to gain more control of their incoming opportunities. Integration, central visibility, and the ability to quickly and easily balance work were the key criteria shops said they needed, and that’s exactly what we’re delivering in CCC ONE Contact Center,” said Joseph Allen, CCC general manager.

TRUE Parts Network Suppliers On April 17, 2014, CCC announced that four additional parts suppliers joined the CCC TRUE Parts Network: Brandywine Economy Parts, Carro Pacific Inc., ECO Automotive Distributors, and PAM’s Auto Parts, Inc. Once fully implemented, the new suppliers will be able to display their inventories, provide real-time quote price quotes, and sell their available parts

through the CCC ONE platform, making it quick and easy for CCC repair shop customers to buy parts and receive electronic invoices. “We’re thrilled all of these great suppliers have signed on to join the CCC TRUE Parts Network and bring their parts inventories directly to collision repairers who look to purchase parts every day,” said David Boden, CCC vice president. “Since launching the CCC TRUE Parts Network, we’ve seen early adopters of the solution significantly reduce return rates on orders, which is a great benefit to our participating suppliers and the collision repairers that rely on them for parts.” Participation in the CCC TRUE Parts Network is open to all parts suppliers. Visit www.ccc-true.com for more information. Integrated parts quoting, procurement, and invoicing are available now, free of charge, to CCC ONE Repair Workflow customers. No setup is required. Crash Course 2014 Report The CCC Crash Course 2014 report

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now includes an infographic and a live webinar series. Crash Course, an indepth report that focuses on the factors driving auto collision repair and total loss costs, is compiled using research and information from a wide range of sources and an aggregated set of data from the CCC data warehouse, which includes approximately 140 million claims worth of information. “The auto physical damage industry continues to move quickly as weather patterns, regulatory factors, advancements in technology, and consumer preferences for products and services evolve and converge,” said Susanna Gotsch, lead analyst for CCC. “This year’s report looks at these factors individually and together to help provide perspective on the overarching impact they are, and will continue to have, on our industry. We’re excited to extend the information reported on in Crash Course to other formats, which we hope will provide a more comprehensive view of the broader marketplace for collision repairers, insurance carriers, parts suppliers, and other industry participants.” To download a copy of the Crash Course 2014 report visit: ccc.cccis.com/crashcourse.

Colorado Springs Duo Develop ‘Ding Stinger’ App to Track Minor Dings Ever had a customer claim your repair technician dented or dinged his vehicle while fixing the original problem. The customer wants the dent/ding fixed for free—though it likely had been there for some time.

James Bishop, left, and Jake Durfee, coowners of The Ding Guy, have developed an application that helps auto repair shops eliminate paper work and cut the time needed to create repair estimates. (Credit: The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

Tired of dealing with such false claims, the owner of a Colorado Springs body shop and his brother-inlaw came up with a high-tech solution: an app. James Bishop, 42, and Jake Durfee, 30, invented The Ding Stinger app as an easy way to let auto body repair and mechanic shops scan car or truck vehicle identification

numbers, take photos of hail and other body damage, write estimates and share the information with customers and other auto repair companies. So if a customer comes back with a false claim - or takes it to another shop—the app can divulge the truth. Bishop says such false claims happen a lot, and that’s why he and Durfee came up with the idea. But the app also has saved Bishop’s company the time it took to fill out paperwork for orders and estimates. “We are literally four times faster,” he said. “Since we did this app, we have tracked where it has saved us 15 hours a week.” The app works on any Apple mobile device and can be downloaded and used for a limited time for free. After that, the app costs $30 a month to use, or $299 a year. So far, it’s been downloaded more than 2,000 times in all 50 states and five countries, Bishop said. It has been purchased 226 times since it became available in July. Durfee, a manager and repairman at Bishop’s repair shop, “The Ding Guy,” said he helped develop the app after the two men realized the flaws in their check-in procedures,

such as transposed VIN numbers and triplicate paperwork. He said they created the app so it can be shared with repair and other auto service shops within the city and elsewhere. Bishop started working in the auto body repair business in 1991 when he was 19. After attending trade school in Bentonville, Ark., he returned to the Springs in 1992 and opened his first shop. In 2006, he started “The Ding Guy” at 3001 East Platte Ave. Durfee started working with Bishop the same year Bishop opened his shop, and Durfee’s older brother, Matthew, coded the application. When asked why someone should buy “The Ding Stinger” app instead of just having employees take photos of damaged vehicles, Bishop says, “Because the app organizes everything into an information package that can be attached to any other program, sent to customers, and it saves time.”

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Associations Update

Janet Chaney has been a long-time contributor to Autobody News. She’s a former shop owner and now owns and operates Cave Creek Business Development in Stevensville, Montana. Janet supports many auto body associations can be reached at jchaney.cavecreek@gmail.com

Buses of Yellowstone—How About These for Barn Finds? with Janet Chaney

North Star Body and Trailer Repair in Billings, Montana, has a wonderful story to tell. Don Mueller and his brothers, T.J and John run this third generation business where the doors opened in 1928. The shop was at one time called North Star Body and Blacksmith Shop.

Bus 401 in its barn condition

In 2008, Don, T.J. and John, along with a few other ardent collectors started the, “Buses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust”. This began for Don Mueller 25 years ago when helping a friend restore a 1936 Yellowstone Park Bus. In 2000 they restored a 1938 Yellowstone Park Bus (which took two years) then another historic Yellowstone Bus came through their door, and another and even a Glacier Park Bus. And the rest, we may say, is Yellowstone history; the Buses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust was born. A group of interested, passionate bus owners made the commitment to build this American legacy. The enthusiasm is infectious when you hear Don Mueller talk about the Trust and the buses they have. This

IBIS to be Held in Barcelona on May 19-21

IBIS, the International Bodyshop Industry Symposium, is once again bringing together the greatest global minds to share their knowledge and expertise. IBIS 2014 takes place at the luxurious Hotel Arts, Barcelona 19–21 May 2014. With the support of our partners—3M, AkzoNobel, Audatex, Automechanika, Axalta, EMM, Enterprise, Innovation, Quindell and Thatcham Research. Confirmed speakers include: Dr. Thomas Aubel, Sean Carey, and Michael Macaluso.

group lovingly maintains an important part of American history. Mueller smiles through the phone when he talks about, ‘a great barn find.’ A bus they found that had been in a barn in Bozeman, Montana for 45 years, bus Number 401, a 1937 Yellowstone Park Bus . Bus Number 401 went through the Trust Preservation and is now back on the roads, taking eager visitors on day trips to the Beartooth Mountains or even longer trips back through Yellowstone Park. When Bus Number 401 rolled through the Park entrance last year, it was the first time it entered Yellowstone Park since 1960s. The Buses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust have rented a building in Red Lodge, Montana, where several buses are stored. Mueller states quite clearly, “These buses are Preservations, not Restorations.” “ We clean them up, do maintenance, tune-up’s, brake jobs, change belts and hoses and wires, clean cooling systems; whatever it takes to keep them running.”

trips, with a picnic lunch, up the Beartooth Highway as a fund raiser for the organization. The Buses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust is a 501©3 non-profit organization and does depend on contributions to exist and keep those buses on the road back to our history. You can help keep these Yellowstone Buses on the road by sending a

Premier Services Donates $2.5K to the CRE Foundation

Premier Services has donated $2,500 to the Collision Repair Education Foundation to assist the charitable organization’s efforts to support high school and college collision school programs, instructors and students nationwide. “Premiere Services is pleased to support the initiatives of the Collision Repair Education Foundation as they assist the industry’s future,” said Joyce Kasmer, Premier Services executive director of sales and marketing.

40 MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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The 5 buses in Red Lodge are operable and shown off in parades and events throughout the year. During the summer months the Trust takes day

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Are Aluminum Cars Really Better for the Environment? Study Says ‘Yes’ One of the best way to make vehicles more energy-efficient is to make them lighter. Aluminum is often used to do that because it can be as strong or stronger than steel, but weighs a lot less. Initially, aluminum was mostly found in high-end models, like the Audi A8, but recently more of it has started to pop up in mass-market models, like the 2015 Ford F150 truck that will be mostly made of aluminum, reducing weight by 700 pounds compared to the previous model. So, are aluminum cars really better for the environment? Many people are still skeptical. But Oak Ridge National Labs has looked into the matter and seems to confirm that they are. Oak Ridge National Labs basically compared the whole life cycle of three different versions of the same vehicle: a normal, baseline vehicle; a lightweight, steel vehicle; and an aluminum-intensive vehicle. Their findings are that aluminum is absolutely worth it, with an energy break-even distance for their test vehicle of just 12,000 miles. That’s an energy payback of just one year for the average person, and after that all energy savings are 100 percent net gains over a traditional, steel-based vehicle. Oak Ridge Labs found that the aluminum vehicle has a mass that’s

about 25 percent lower than the baseline vehicle, which makes a pretty big difference on overall life cycle CO2 emissions (17 percent).

2015 Ford F-150

Aluminum also corrodes less than steel, so total useful life for vehicles could be lengthened, or at least money spent on maintenance and body work reduced. Another great thing about aluminum—and carbon fiber, which is also another great material to reduce weight without losing strength—is that it allows electric cars to have much longer range than if they were made out of steel. So, it looks like there is solid evidence backing aluminum as a material of the future in the transportation sector. Over time, as costs are reduced, carbon fiber could join it to help further reduce weight and save energy. Read the full story at: http://www.treehugger.com/cars/make -sense-make-vehicles-aluminum-howlong-energy-payback.html.

3M Continues Funding Scholarships For 2nd Year in Collision Repair for Returning Veterans “Hire Our Heroes” program, 3M™ is funding special scholarship opportunities for veterans that want to begin a collision repair career by attending a collision repair community college or college. The scholarship awards will pay for tuition and required books/tools for veterans enrolling in school collision repair programs in the summer/fall 2014, therefore easing the financial burden of education. This is the second year for the program. Interested veterans can apply for the scholarship opportunities by visiting the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s web site: www.CollisionEducationFoundation.org, under “Students” and “Hire Our Heroes.”.The deadline for the application is September 30, 2014. As part of the application, a veteran would submit information for the collision school he/she would like to attend and if a veteran is not aware of what schools offer collision training, he/she can contact the Education Foundation directly for a list of available schools. Clark Plucinski, Executive Director of the Collision Repair Education Foundation said, “The Collision

Repair Education Foundation is once again proud and honored to partner with 3M and the Hire Our Heroes program to offer this grant. This is a great industry with many opportunities for returning veterans, and this grant is a great first-step for veterans to get the collision education needed to become successful members of the collision industry.” “We are excited to be able to continue the 3M Hire Our Heroes program in 2014 and expand it to provide more resources to our returning veterans who want to pursue education, training and careers in the collision repair industry,” said Dale Ross, U.S, Marketing Operations Manager, 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division. The winners of the scholarship will be selected by members of the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s Board of Trustees Selection Committee and notified by mail and phone in November 2014. For more information, please contact us at Scholarships@ed-foundation.org or 888.722.3787, Ext. 283.

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WIN Announces 2014 Conference Brochure, Most Influential Women and Scholarship Winners, Corporate Sponsors, and New Board of Directors Members The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) has several announcements leading up to the 2014 WIN Education Conference at Paradise Point Resort and Spa in San Diego, CA, May 5–7, 2014. Electronic Conference Brochure To help reduce their carbon footprint, WIN created an electronic version of the conference brochure, which you can download at http://thewomensindustrynetwork.ning.com/page/2014conference.

Most Influential Women Winners On March 24, 2014, WIN announced the 2014 Most Influential Women (MIW) Award recipients: ■ Frederica Carter, President of F. Carter Events, LLC (former Communications Manager at AkzoNobel) ■ Jordan Hendler, Executive Director, Washington Metropolitan Autobody Association ■ Leanne Jefferies, Director, Collision Programs, AIA Canada The award is given annually to women in the collision repair industry who exemplify qualities of business and civic leadership, vision, and commitment to excellence. “I was impressed with the energy, accomplishment, and commitment of all the nominees who spanned a broad range of responsibilities,” said Russell Long of Change Innovations, the leadership development and executive coaching firm engaged to evaluate the nominees. Established in 1999 by AkzoNobel, WIN acquired stewardship of the MIW program in 2013.The inaugural MIW Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony will be held in conjunction with the 2014 WIN Educational Conference. “It was our privilege to bring this program innovation to the industry and Frederica Carter nurture it for 14 years,” said Doug Holmberg, director of vehicle refinishes for AkzoNobel Automotive & Aerospace Coatings North America, who will speaking at the 2014 MIW Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony. “As we approach the final stages of planning for the first MIW Award Ceremony under WIN’s care, we are excited to carry on this important tradition begun by AkzoNobel,” said Margaret Knell, chair of the MIW Committee and director of corporate administration at I-CAR.

Scholarship Winners On March 27, 2014, WIN announced the 2014 WIN scholarship winners:

■ College Student Tuition and Conference Scholarship: Stephanie Baker, who will attend WyoTech in Blairsville, PA, and Suzanna Hernandez, who will attend Southeast Community College in Lincoln, NE. They will each receive $1,000 to continue their post-secondary education in collision repair, a one-year WIN membership, registration fee and travel expenses to attend the 2014 WIN Educational Conference, and the opportunity to be mentored by winners of the 2014 MIW awards. ■ High School TuJordan Hendler ition Scholarship: Danielle Caballero from Converse, TX, Megann Holbrook from North Severn, MD, and Shelby Woods from Moberly, MO. They will each receive $1,000 to continue their post-secondary education in collision repair and a one-year WIN membership. The WIN scholarships are made possible by WIN sponsors, special events including the annual Scholarship Walk, and sales of the “There’s A Place For You” recruiting poster. “We believe that we have an obligation to support young women who choose to enter our industry,” said Beverly Rook, co-chair of the Scholarship Committee. “I am honored to be recognized by WIN, and I am even more honored to be a member of this amazing organization,” said scholarship recipient Megann Holbrook.

■ GEICO ■ Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. ■ MetLife Auto & Home ■ Mitchell International ■ Safelite Solutions ■ Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes ■ Sterling Autobody

“The importance of WIN’s mission to our industry is reaffirmed by the tremendous support we have received from our sponsors,” said Susanna Gotsch, chair of the Sponsorship Committee. “These sponsorships played a key role in our ability to expand our scholarship program in 2014, and extend our reach through programs such as the “There’s A Place For You” recruiting poster distributed to over 1,100 technical Leanne Jefferies schools and colleges by the Collision Repair Education Foundation. We are extremely grateful for our sponsors’ support.”

New Board of Directors Members On April 9, 2014, WIN announced that five new members were selected to serve on the WIN Board of Directors:

■ Jaclyn Byers, Estimatics Team Manager, State Farm Insurance Co. ■ Jessica Rob, Communications Manager / Online Web Communications, Akzo Nobel ■ Marie Peevy, Owner, Automotive Training Coordinators, LLC. ■ Nina Pedraza-Zinna, Director of Field Operations, SCA Appraisal ■ Trish Gould, Controller / Human Resources, Keenan Auto Body

The WIN Board consists of various industry segments including collision repair shops, jobbers, suppliers, consultants, information providers, and insurance companies. Board members may serve up to two three-year terms. “WIN is honored to have such outstanding individuals who are willing to share their time and talents on our Board of Directors,” said Denise Caspersen, chair of the Board Development Committee. New board members will be introduced and officially welcomed by seated directors and WIN members-atlarge at the 2014 WIN Educational Conference. To learn more about WIN, visit http://thewomensindustrynetwork.ning. com.

Corporate Sponsors On April 1, 2014, WIN announced the 2014 WIN corporate sponsors. Gold Sponsor ($10,000): ■ AkzoNobel Coatings Inc.

Silver Sponsors ($5,000): ■ National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) ■ The 3M Company ■ Axalta Coating Systems ■ BASF Corporation ■ Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company ■ PPG Industries Inc. ■ State Farm Insurance ■ Valspar Corporation Bronze Sponsors ($2,500): ■ ABRA Auto Body & Glass ■ Allstate Insurance Company ■ AudaExplore, a Solera Company ■ The Certified Automotive Parts Association ■ Car-Part.com ■ CARSTAR ■ CCC Information Services Inc. ■ FinishMaster Inc. ■ Fix Auto USA

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SEMA Board of Directors Candidates Announced

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Board of Director candidates were announced on March 20, 2014 (one open seat available per category): Manufacturers Category ● Tim Martin, COO of K&N Engineering Inc. ● Rick Trudo, President and CEO of SCT Performance, LLC ● Steve Wolcott, President and CEO of ProMedia LLC Distributor Retailer Category ● Greg Adler, CEO of Transamerican Auto Parts ● Larry Pacey, President and CEO of National Performance Warehouse Voting will take place online May 14 through June 10, 2014, and is open to current SEMA member companies. Votes must be cast by each company’s primary contact. Details with ballots and links will be sent to the member company’s designated primary contact in May 2014. Winners will be announced in June 2014, and formally inducted into the SEMA Board of Directors at the SEMA Installation Banquet in July 2014. For more information, contact Judi Ritchie at 1-909-978-6671 or judir@sema.org.

Collision Industry Foundation Announces New Trustees

On February 10, 2014, the Collision Industry Foundation (CIF) elected three new Board of Trustees members: Casey Steffen of Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Nick Notte of Sterling Collision Centers, and David Henderson of AudaExplore/Autowatch. The new trustees participated in the annual planning meeting in Chicago, IL, on March 12, 2014. “I’m excited to be part of the CIF Board of Trustees, said Notte. “I strongly believe that it is the responsibility of every person who makes a living in our collision industry to give back to those in need. The CIF is a wonderful vehicle by which to do that.” Steffen stated, “I feel privileged to have the opportunity to become a part of CIF. I am excited to work with my fellow board members in accomplishing the foundation’s vision of providing emergency relief for collision repair professionals.” For more information about CIF or to donate, visit www.collisionindustryfoundation.org.

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AudaExplore Enhances MAACO’s Operational Efficiency with Repair Platforms

AudaExplore™, a leading data-driven we are committed to leading the insolution provider to insurance carriers, dustry with new technology, quality repairers, dealerships and fleet own- products and providing the best servers, today announced that it has signed ice to our customers.” an agreement to provide its Driver ExMAACO currently operates 450 perience and Repair Platforms to auto painting and collision repair MAACO® Collision Repair & Auto shops in the United States and Painting. Canada. With AudaExplore’s Driver Customized specifically for Experience and Repair Platforms, MAACO’s franchisee owners, Auda- MAACO shops are equipped with Explore’s Driver Experience and Re- significantly more actionable and pair Platforms are designed to deliver real-time operational data, resulting unique customer moments and in- in positive gains in shop efficiency crease shop productivity through: for franchisees, and a more satisfying ● Empowering customers via mobile paint and repair experience for their devices to gain visibility into the en- customers. tire paint and repair process; “The collision repair market is ● Improving productivity and gener- highly competitive, so the quality of ating accurate estimates faster; and data—whether it’s an estimate or em● Easily managing all aspects of the ployee productivity rate—plays an repair and paint workflow—from advantageous role,” said Gordon tracking sales and cycle time to man- Henderson, VP of Collision Repair aging employee productivity and parts Solutions, AudaExplore. “By offerefficiency. ing improved visibility into its shops “We are excited about our part- operation and delivering applications nership with AudaExplore, their state- that create a differentiated customer of-the-art technology will help our experience, AudaExplore’s solutions Give usstreamline your opinion affecting industry. franchisees operationson and matters enable the companythe to adapt and enhance the overall customer experi- grow efficiently. We look forward to ence,” said Jose Costa, President, building out our partnership with MAACO. “As North America’s MAACO and help the company Bodyshop for more publisher@autobodynews.com than four decades, achieve its expansion goals.”

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Sherwin-Williams Supports NASCAR Green Initiative, Applies Low VOC Paint to No. 51 Sherwin-Williams, the “Official Transportation Finishes of NASCAR” sponsor, is honored to support the second annual NASCAR Race To Green initiative (http://green.nascar.com/raceto-green), March 29–April 27, 2014.

Sherwin-Williams is also supporting NASCAR green efforts through education initiatives, promoting awareness of low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints—like Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes AWX Performance Plus waterborne refinish system, which meets the strictest VOC limits in North America—and initial application for select teams in the industry. Roush Fenway Racing uses AWX Performance Plus on each of its six race cars. The No. 51 Turner Scott Motorsports Chevrolet driven by Justin Algaier ran a special Sherwin Williams paint scheme in Darlington, SC, and

was also painted using AWX Performance Plus. “Sherwin Williams and NASCAR should be applauded for educating NASCAR fans and the marketplace more generally about the value and availability of low-VOC paints. VOCs are commonly used in paints and can cause cancer and neurological and reproductive harm. Once applied, VOCs evaporate into the air for months afterwards. By using its market and cultural influence to educate fans and other businesses about the availability of low-VOC paints and its ease of use, NASCAR and Sherwin-Williams are helping to move the marketplace towards a less toxic environment,” said Allen Hershkowitz, Ph.D., senior scientist for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “More than a dozen NASCAR teams currently use Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes, and we aim to help teams cross the finish line and ensure that their cars and their sponsors always look good circling the track,” said Bobby Moody, director of motorsports for Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes. “We also want to assure them of our commitment to use the most environmentallyresponsible coating products in the world and plan to expand application and educational awareness of the lower VOC paint to more race teams.”

Chief Opens New Specification Center in Malaysia to Provide Customers with Better, More Timely Specs

Chief Automotive Technologies (www. chiefautomotive.com) opened a new training and specification center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with greater access to measure vehicles built in the Asia-Pacific region earlier in their life cycles. The facility will provide a home base for Chief staff to use when developing collision repair specifications, as well as a new location for Chief University training classes.

Chief Malaysia Spec Center Ribbon Cutting Team

Chief develops spec data for vehicles, giving technicians a single resource for accurate repair information. At the Malaysian spec center, Chief personnel will measure vehicles with the frames anchored and the suspensions unloaded to provide technicians with real-world data. “Many vehicle manufacturers operate out of Malaysia, so this center’s location gives us improved access to

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NACE/CARS 2014 Website Live, Hotel Reservations Open for Detroit The new website is now live for the International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) and the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service

(CARS) (www.NACEexpo.com or www.CARSevent.com) at the Cobo Center in Detroit, MI, July 30–August 2, 2014. In addition, hotel reservations can be made through the Travel section of the NACE/CARS website. The 32nd annual NACE/CARS, sponsored by Automotive Service Association (ASA), will feature numerous opportunities for technical training, business education, demonstrations, networking, and technology showcases for stakeholders, owners, managers, and technicians in the collision and service repair industries. Along with NACE/CARS 2014, a series of automotive repair industry

events and co-located meetings will take place July 28–August 2, 2014. Dan Risley, ASA president and executive director, stated, “With so many new things happening around this long-standing conference and expo, it was important to roll out a new website. The event has so many positive changes in training, education, and displays, and they are now accurately reflected by this site.” Highlights of the new site include a modern look, easy navigation, quick response, and a parallel mobile site. Updates on the show can be found on the home page and via social media channels. The official hotel partner for NACE/CARS 2014 and Industry Week is Travel Planners. The best rates have been negotiated at nine hotels in the downtown area, and Travel Planners will manage those hotel blocks. There are other groups promoting hotel reservations during the week, but they are not affiliated with NACE/CARS.

44 MAY 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

their products for measuring,” says Lee Daugherty, Chief global data product manager. “It will also facilitate travel to India and other strategic locations in Asia, where we can remotely measure additional vehicles. Chief traveling measuring teams have operated in Malaysia over the last several years, and now they have the benefit of working in a shop outfitted specifically for their needs.” The Malaysian facility is equipped with a Chief impulse-E/VHT frame rack and a four-post vehicle lift. Using the Chief LaserLock live mapping system, technicians will measure new vehicle dimensions and enter the information into the Chief spec database. Chief specs include comprehensive frame and upper body measurements for thousands of cars and trucks from the 1970s through today. They include under-body frame measurements, under-hood measurements, and body openings, so repair technicians can compare a collision-damaged vehicle to OEM specifications. Details about targets, attachments, and anchoring points are also listed. Chief’s sales and support staff will also serve regional customers from the Malaysian training and spec center.

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Matrix System 2015 Finishes Calendar Contest

Matrix System Automotive Finishes is now accepting entries for its 2015 Award Winning Finishes Calendar Contest: Showcasing Color Beyond Imagination. Each year, the calendar features exceptional finishes designed by restoration, custom, and body shop painters nationwide. The competition is open to projects painted exclusively with Matrix System products. Entries can be, but are not exclusive to, street rods, custom cars and trucks, motorcycles, and other passenger vehicles such as semi-trucks, boats, and planes. Entries are judged on finish quality, technical difficulty, design originality, and artistic merit. Winners will receive a featured spot in the calendar, the opportunity to appear in various Matrix System promotional materials, a Matrix System jacket, and a permanent home in the Photo Gallery section of the website. In addition, the first place winner will receive $1,000 in products. All entries must be postmarked by August 15, 2014. Download the entry form at http://matrixsystem.com/docs/news/ 2015%20Award%20Winning%20Fi nishes%20Calendar%20Entry%20F orm.pdf.

KS Body Shop Temporarily Closed for Tax Non-Payment

A Haysville, KS, auto body shop was temporarily closed by the state for not paying state sales taxes. Kansas Department of Revenue civil tax enforcement agents and Sedgwick County sheriff’s deputies seized the business assets of Showroom Auto Motive, located in the 7400 block of South Broadway in Haysville. The Kansas Department of Revenue said the business owed $5,976 in state sales taxes from February to September of 2013. Officers seized all known bank accounts, on-site cash, business inventory and personal property belonging to business owners Samuel A. Valdez and Samuel J. Valdez. The Kansas Department of Revenue says it has reached a repayment agreement with the business. Assets seized by the department have been released back to the business. The revenue department said it made multiple attempts to collect the taxes owed before exercising a tax warrant. According to the Revenue Department, warrants such as this are served when all other collection attempts have been tried and exhausted.

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Industry Week Fundraiser

The Collision Repair Education Foundation 13th annual golf fundraiser will be on Thursday, July 31, 2014, at the Northville Hills Golf Club in Detroit, MI, in conjunction with Industry Week meetings like the Collision Industry Conference (CIC), the annual Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR), the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE), and the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS). Funds raised assist the Collision Repair Education Foundation in providing support to collision repair students and school collision programs. The registration fee is $275 per player, which includes golf, lunch, dinner, contest holes, and more. In addition, you can sponsor the helicopter ball drop to win up to $7,000. You do not need to be present at the event to participate in the helicopter ball drop. To learn more, visit http://collisioneducationfoundation.org/2014collision-education-foundation-golftournament. For questions, email Brandon Eckenrode or call him at 1-847-4635244.

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On April 16, 2014, I-CAR announced two new, limited-time training bundle promotions from the Intro to Collision Repair Series that are specifically tailored to employee career paths in the insurance and collision repair segments. “Providing staff with foundational knowledge on the repair process can have a positive impact on everyone involved—from the customer, to the repairer or insurer, to the business,” stated Elise Quadrozzi, ICAR director of insurance segment development. The Intro to Collision Repair Series includes an overview of vehicle parts and terminology, reading damage reports, and repair and refinishing processes. Training bundles are $273 each for a limited time and comprised of the eight most commonly-taken courses by the insurance and collision repair segments, including a popular courses at no cost. Each on-demand course takes approximately one hour to complete and has no expiration date. To learn more, visit www.icar.com/html_pages/training/intro_to _collision_repair.shtml.

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AutoBody-Review.com Improves Geo-Targeted SEO, Authority for Shops by Adding “Articles” to Profiles

AutoBody-Review.com announces the release of a new feature to their customer shop profiles with the release of “Articles” in all body shop profiles in advance of upcoming Google algorithm changes. The Search Engine giant has hinted at some upcoming changes to its algorithm in their latest “Webmaster Help” video. Google's Head of Webspam, Matt Cutts, said they are working on some changes that will help Google better determine when a site is an authority on a topic such as auto body repair. Google continues to improve search results to allow for more accurate local rankings in the Hummingbird update, combined with upcoming algorithm changes that will determine which sites are more of an actual authority on a subject. AutoBody- Review.com has responded early with the addition of “Articles” to our customers shop profiles. Each client will receive one keyword-rich article written by our in house SEO writers that is targeted to each body shop's local geography, and is included in each shop profile in a

unique “articles” tab. From there, the body shops can continue adding their own articles as they see fit. “The geotargeted long tail keyword is crucial to ranking a local service business such as a body shop online, and now we have increased our ability to rank our customers on a local level through our nationally ranked website,” said Director of Marketing, Tom Zoebelein. “Our duty to our clients as a nationally recognized website is to get them found in a local search, by customers in their local area. After months of keyword research from our own web traffic, we discovered that we can leverage our ranking power, and our SEO expertise to assist our shops on a local level with the addition of our new articles feature,” said CEO Curtis Nixon. AutoBody-Review.com's new articles feature will function much like a mini-blog on each auto body shop profile. While most auto body shops lack the knowledge or the staff to properly blog for their shop on a local level, AutoBody-Review.com has simplified this task for them.

Continued from Page 28

Watercar

can’t make them fast enough, this might be the best time to jump into a sideline business by putting together WaterCar kits. “The kits cost around $75,000, so there’s plenty of room there for profit,” March explained. “We’d like to get body shops from different regions of the country involved, especially those that are close to lakes or the ocean, for example,” March said. “They already have all of the equipment needed to assemble the kits and paint them, etc. If you can assemble a Volkswagen, you can do this. You have to install the motor and transmission, do the upholstery, and paint it. A body shop can do

the job in three to four weeks, and if they really want to fast track it, they can do it in a week. It might be a good additional source of revenue for them, and they will definitely get some attention for these WaterCars.” We asked March what the future looks like for the WaterCar and he said, “I think it’s definitely bright. Once people start seeing them more and more, they’ll want them. The next big thing we’d love to do with the WaterCar is take a trip down the English Channel by Big Ben and then all the way to the Eiffel Tower. I’m pretty sure that would get some attention from the people at the Guinness Book of Records!” To learn more about the WaterCar, visit http://watercar.fountainvalleybodyworks.com.

St. Louis Shop Helps Raise Money for Parkway School If you’re a Parkway Alumni you can help raise money for current students by getting your car repaired at Schaefer Autobody in St. Louis, MO. Schaefer Auto Body has 7 area

locations. They offer complimentary pick up and drop off service, and live chat on their website. Find them online or give them a call at 636-3058288 to see how to help your schools.

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