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NACE | CARS Announces Detroit Destination & Technical Tours for July 22–25, 2015 NACE | CARS announced details for the destination tours in Detroit for 2015. These tours have been organized to provide attendees with the opportunity to visit some of Detroit’s historical venues, as well as gain firsthand insight into the original automotive plants through both docent guided and self-guided tours. The tours will take place throughout the week during NACE | CARS. Interested parties must pre-register through the NACE | CARS registration process. All are available, with limited capacity. Charter buses will be provided from the COBO Center to
take attendees to and from the tours.
NACE | CARS Destination Tours feature nine unique oppotunities in 2015: Ford Rogue Factory Tour (F-150): This tour will put you in the center of the manufacturing of the new military grade aluminum-alloy bodied Ford F150, including an opportunity to view the final assembly process from an elevated walkway. You will view the latest Ford technology, their “living roof,” and experience the Manufacturing Innovation Theater. The tour includes admission and guided tour See NACE CARS Tours, Page 21
Other NACE | CARS Previews... p. 16, 22, 33, 51, 54
U.S. District Judge in FL Recommends Dismissing Complaints Without Prejudice in Multi-District Lawsuit
See MDL Recommends, Page 4
P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018
In the Multi-District Lawsuit involving more than 500 collision repair shops across the country, U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Smith recommended in June that the antirust complaints filed against the nation’s top insurers be dismissed without prejudice. Eaves Law Firm, the lead attorneys for the Plantiffs, is able to file amended complaints by June 30. Autobody News spoke to Allison Fry at Eaves Law Firm, based in Jackson, MS, to find out how this develop-
ment will affect the case. Fry, the litigation director and designated plaintiffs’ liaison counsel, said that in certain instances a district court judge, the trial court judge in the federal system, is permitted to send certain motions to the magistrate judge for what is essentially a “first look.” After reviewing the motion, the judge will prepare a legal opinion on whether or not the motions have merit and whether they should be granted or denied. U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell asked Magistrate Judge Smith to
Change Service Requested
by Stacey Phillips
VOL. 33 ISSUE 7 JULY 2015
Flooded Vehicles Fill Shops Following Historic El Nino-driven Rainfall in Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska
Flooding near Meyer Park, TX, on May 26. Photo credit: Julia Andrews, Houston Chronicle
The month of May is typically known for its severe weather season in the Plains states—tornadoes, damaging winds and large hailstorms. But this May will be remembered more for its prolific rain and flooding—a series of brief but destructive events spurred by an intensifying El Niño in the Pacific Ocean. The wettest May on record for Texas and Oklahoma is over but the states and their businesses continue to
fight the floods. The torrential May rains caused at least 31 deaths since Memorial Day weekend and at least 10 people remain missing. Weather.com’s Jonathan Erdman calculated that the National Weather Service offices across Oklahoma and Texas issued a combined total of 594 flash flood warnings in the month of May, which was 97 more than all of last year. The National Weather Service in See Flooded Vehicles, Page 6
See Other Weather STORY in this issue... p. 12
NC Attorney General Warns to be Wary of Vehicles Damaged by TX Floods
Following flooding in Texas and Oklahoma, on June 2 North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper warned consumers in the market for a new or used car to watch out for flood-damaged vehicles. “Our hearts go out to flood victims as they work to clean up and rebuild,” said Cooper. “Even though the floods didn’t hit North Carolina, consumers here need to watch out for dishonest dealers who may try to trick them into buying flooded cars.” Following other storms and floods, dealers and individuals tried to sell flood-damaged cars without revealing their true history. Prior to being sold, flooded vehicles are put through a cleaning process that can make it difficult to spot water damage, which can take weeks to appear. Under North Carolina law, flood damage to a car must be disclosed in
writing before the car is sold. A flood vehicle is one that has been submerged or partially submerged in water causing damage to the body, engine or transmission. Violators of the law can face civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, and failure to disclose damage to a vehicle is also a class 2 misdemeanor prosecutable by local District Attorneys. Thousands of cars have been flooded in Texas and Oklahoma, and it won’t be long before they pop up for sale across the country,” said Cooper. “Be on guard so you don’t get stuck with a flooded car.”
To decrease the chances of buying a flood-damaged car: ● Ask to see the title of any used car. Check the date and place of transfer to see if the vehicle comes from a See Flood Damage, Page 13
Presorted Standard US Postage PAID San Bernardino, CA Permit #2244
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COLUMNISTS Attanasio - Get Old School Again with Time-Proven Business Networking . . . . 14 Attanasio - New System Helps Shops to Get Reimbursed for PLIOGRIP® Adhesive Usage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Attanasio - The Do’s and Don’t’s of Body Shop Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Chess - A Closer Look at New Generation of Pulsed Aluminum MIG Welders . . . . 44 Franklin - How To Hire The Best Bodyshop Marketing People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Luehr - A Better Way to Measure Cycle Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Yoswick - 1995 CIC Survey, CARA Files Chapter 11, 2005 Non-OEM Crash Parts, Select Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Yoswick - Insurers, PartsTrader and CAPA Share News and Views at Non-OEM Parts Convention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
NATIONAL Allstate Reunites GA Customer with 1972 Corvette Stingray Stolen 43 Years Ago, Record for Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Aluminum Body Tools Required for Vacuum Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 ASA Congratulates AudaExplore on Feather, Prime, Block Estimating Solution . . . . . 53 ASA Survey Measures OEM Service Info Website Usage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Atlanta I-CAR Committee’s 6th Annual Golf Tournament Raises Over $35,000 . . . . 26 Cal-West: Where Silicon Valley and the Collision Industry Meet . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 CARS Will Feature Mitchell National Training Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 CARSTAR Jungerman in St. Peters, MO, Named Franchisee of the Year . . . . . . . 18 CCC Information Services and CREF Announce Winners of Annual Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Enterprise Rent-A-Car is Now CARSTAR’s Preferred Provider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 GCIA Meeting Featured Speakers from GM and RAE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 CARSTAR Expands Insurance Relations Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
GM Reaffirms Commitment to Launching MyPriceLink. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 I-CAR Gold Class Shops and Platinum Techs Get 50% Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Industry Veteran Creates “Body Shop of the Future” Using Overseas Technology . . . . 9 Italian-based Company Symach Offers North American Body Shops New Products & Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Major Paint Companies Will Color-up NACE | CARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Mike Anderson Explains How Learning an Employee’s “Love Language” Can Benefit Your Business at CARSTAR Event in CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 NACE | CARS Announces Detroit Destination & Technical Tours for July 22–25, 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 NACE | CARS Hosts U.S. Department of Commerce Program to Identify Global Opportunities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 NACE | CARS Makes 2014 TSNN Top 250 Trade Show List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 NACE | CARS to Support Breast Cancer Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 New I-CAR Weld Demo Held at Marina Auto Body in CA With MIG Pulsed Aluminum Welders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 New Martin Senour’s PCC® 2.8 VOC Factory Packaged Colors . . . . . . . . . . . 51 PPG Industries Foundation Awards Student Scholarships through CREF . . . . . . . . . 51 Redesigned Automotive Lift Institute Website Houses Certified Lift and Inspector Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Rick Leos of Toyota and Nathan Sellers of Mitchell — Some Startling Predictions for 2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Ron Perretta to Lead Innovative Coating Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Self-Driving Cars Allowed on California Roads Getting Dinged, Four out of 50 Have Minor Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Six Heroes Receive Recycled Rides™ Vehicles from Caliber Collision over Memorial Day Weekend . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 South Dakota Insurance Division Reaches Settlement with Insurance Companies . 17 Takata Admits to Fault in Airbag Design, 34 Million Vehicles, Largest Recall in History Ensues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 The Carlyle Group Closes Acquisition of NARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 U.S. District Judge in FL Recommends Dismissing Complaints Without Prejudice in Multi-District Lawsuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 U.S. House Committee Addresses Auto Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 U.S. House Subcommittee Addresses Aging Postal Fleet and Efficiency of Government Repair Facilities . . . . . . . . 48 U.S. Senate Committee Examines EPA’s Proposed Air Quality Standards . . . . . . 50 Valspar Plans to Strengthen Quest’s Brands After Acquiring Their Performance Coatings Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Williams Collision Equipment Joins with Spanesi Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Spanesi Americas, an Illinois-based company specializing in body shop technology, announced that it is expanding its team to better serve its customers and the collision industry. “We are extremely pleased to announce that Williams Collision Equipment, led by owner Tim Williams, has joined the Spanesi team. Williams Collision Equipment will be distributing the complete Spanesi product line in Northern and Central California and Northern Nevada,” said Timothy Morgan, Managing Director of Spanesi Americas. “I have previously worked with Tim for nearly 15 years and know that his experience in the collision repair industry will be extremely valuable as we continue to grow and provide exceptional products and service to our customers and the collision repair industry.” Williams brings more than 40 years of experience in the collision industry to Spanesi Americas. His experience includes all phases of collision repair beginning at the painter’s helper level and advancing over several years to a full structural repair technician. His experience then grew into equipment sales, where he also provided support, in-shop training and
technical services to his customers. Since 2002, Williams has been instructing courses on various topics including vehicle design, collision theory, computerized measuring and damage analysis, full frame repair and the use of secondary anchoring and fixturing systems in accordance with many of the OEM certified collision repair programs and approved by the I-CAR Industry Training Alliance. Williams has also worked with several major insurance companies, conducting classes and seminars to help appraisers in the field gain a better understanding of the collision repair process. “I’m very excited and pleased to be joining forces with the Spanesi organization,” said Williams. “Those of us in the equipment segment of our industry recognize Spanesi for their passion, quality and innovation, which truly makes them a major influence in the industry. Spanesi's emphasis on creating systems with the technician in mind is a compelling argument for any body shop looking to invest in their future.” Tim Williams and Williams Collision Equipment can be reached at: 1-530-906-0546 or tim@prettysmart tools.com.
Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Assistant Editor: Stacey Phillips Online Editor: Victoria Antonelli Contributing Writers: Tom Franklin, John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, David Brown, Rich Evans, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Sales Assistant: Louise Tedesco Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia
Allen Samuels Chevrolet. . . . . . . . . 22 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . 55 BASF Corporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 41 Bob Howard PDC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Car-Part.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA). . . . . . . . . . . 23 Chevyland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Classic Auto Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Classic BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Dallas Dodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Dent Magic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Diamond Standard Parts, Inc . . . . . 15 Don Carlton Auto Group . . . . . . . . . 32 Eco Repair Systems of North America, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . 25 Finnegan Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge . . . . 2 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 39 Fowler Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 43 H & S Autoshot Mfg. Co. . . . . . . . . 17 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-29 Huffines Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge Lewisville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
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. ©2015 Adamantine Media LLC.
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Southwest
REGIONAL Albuquerque, NM, Shop’s 30-Year Committment to Excellence . . . . . . . . . 34 East El Paso, TX Body Shop Fire Causes $20K in Damages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Flooded Vehicles Fill Shops Following Historic El Nino-driven Rainfall in Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska . . . . . . . . . . 1 HABA Hosts Shop Owner & Manager Appreciation Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Hospitals, Shops, and Other Businesses Deal with Flooding in Texas . . . . . . . . . 12 LaCIA July Meeting; “Steered” Shops Asked to Report Insurers . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 NC Attorney General Warns to be Wary of Vehicles Damaged by TX Floods . . . . . . 1 OK Shop Employee Takes Car, Passes Out in Drive-Thru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 TX Instructor for Urethane Supply Company’s I-CAR® Nitrogen Plastic Welding Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Williams Collision Equipment Joins with Spanesi Americas
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Huffines Hyundai Plano . . . . . . . . . 44 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . 49 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers. 35 Mac Haik Ford. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 53 Mike Calvert Toyota. . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Mirka Abrasives, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 31 NACE/CARS Trade show . . . . . . . . 47 North Freeway Hyundai . . . . . . . . . 26 Ray Huffines Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . 37 SATA Spray Equipment . . . . . . . . . 11 Scoggin-Dickey Buick . . . . . . . . . . 33 Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 21 South Pointe Chrysler-JeepDodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Toyota of Fort Worth . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Toyota of Laredo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 46 Urethane Supply Company . . . . . . 24 Valspar Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Volvo Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 54 Young Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 3
Continued from Cover
MDL Recommends
prepare what is known as a “Report and Recommendations.” Fry explained that the report and recommendations are not orders. Presnell will have the option to accept the recommendations in whole or in part or completely reject it. “In this instance, Magistrate Judge Smith did issue a number of reports and recommendations on the cases that have been gathered in the MDL,” she explained. In his report, Magistrate Judge Smith wrote, “After due consideration, I respectfully recommend that the motions be granted in part and denied in part, that the complaints in the Pending Cases be dismissed, that the dismissals be without prejudice and with leave to amend except as otherwise stated in this report and recommendations, and that Plaintiffs be afforded 21 days’ leave to file amended complaints.” The recommendations are twotiered and include the federal Sherman Anti-trust claims for price fixing and boycotting as well as the state law causes of action—tortious interference
and unjust enrichment—which are unique to each individual state. She said that state law is mainly consistent on these types of claims, but it does vary in regards to the evidence you need to bring forward to succeed. In regards to the claim of quasi estoppel, the judge recommended dismissing it with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled. “The court has taken the position that quasi estoppel while it is a legal doctrine is not a cause of action in and of itself,” said Fry. “However, it does not preclude us from using this evidence.” According to the court report, “Defendants argue that the Court should dismiss all of the complaints because Plaintiffs engaged in impermissible group pleading by making collective allegations against ‘Defendants.’ In response, Plaintiffs argue that group pleading is perfectly acceptable, and that when they refer to ‘Defendants’ collectively, they are only alleging that all Defendants engaged in the same conduct.” In each of the cases, the defendants have filed motions to dismiss, the plaintiffs have filed a consolidated response, and the defendants have filed replies. Originally filed in 2014, the Multi
TX Instructor for Urethane Supply Company’s I-CAR® Nitrogen Plastic Welding Course
Urethane Supply Company announced a new instructor in Texas who is able to deliver the company’s new I-CAR® Industry Training Alliance® course on plastic repair. “Introduction to Nitrogen Plastic Welding” is a three-hour course delivered in the customer’s shop for up to three technicians. Each technician gets hands-on training with five common bumper repair scenarios, including on thermoset polyurethane, a.k.a. the “yellow plastic.” Lupe Hererra, owner of CCC Supply in Abilene, Texas, is a distributor for Chief Automotive and specializes in collision shop equipment sales. He has recently received factory training on Urethane Supply’s I-CAR Industry Training Alliance course and will be able to deliver training to shops in central and west Texas at their request. In business since 1981, Urethane Supply Company has focused exclusively on plastic repair and refinishing products. Kurt Lammon, the company’s President, said their airless and hot-nitrogen welders are the industry standards for automotive plastic repair across North America. Lammon said technician training on the nitrogen plas-
tic welding system has been a recent challenge for the Alabama-based company and this I-CAR Industry Training Alliance initiative is a big part of the company’s efforts to meet the demand. Lupe Hererra, The company is owner of actively seeking CCC Supply other instructors in Abilene, TX across the country to deliver this new course in shops. Contact Kurt Lammon at 800633-3047 with any questions or inquiries.
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4 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
District Lawsuit in Florida now involves 18 cases already filed by Eaves Law Firm. Fry said they anticipate filing approximately 17 more after the court has made a final determination regarding the factual detail it requires of a case. “The reports and recommendations that Judge Smith entered were not a surprise to us,” said Fry. “They are extremely consistent with the prior recommendations that were made to Judge Presnell in the six originally filed cases.” These include FL, IN, LA, MS, TN and UT. She said the court’s work with the report and recommendations was very thoughtful. “I actually find them rather encouraging because it gives us an idea of the path the court wants us to follow,” she said. Eaves Law Firm has until June 30 to enter an objection to any part of the report and recommendation and Fry said they plan to file several on specific points. They entered a number of objections to the previous report and recommendations as well. Fry said that shops should not lose heart about the case. “It is actually moving toward positive ends. There is pretty good movement here and we’re very optimistic.”
HABA Hosts Shop Owner & Manager Appreciation Event
The Houston Auto Body Association (HABA) will hold their fifth annual body shop owner and manager appreciation event on June 23 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event will be held at The Cadillac Bar, 1802 Shepherd Dr., Houston, TX 77007. There will be food, beverages and networking with peers and vendors servicing the local industry.
Members and non-members are welcome. HABA asks that attendees are limited to either the owner/manager of a body shop or a supporting vendor. Space is limited so HABA recommends registering prior to the event so the restaurant can properly prepare. Contact Greg Luther at 713-533-6226 or bmember1@haba online.org.
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Flooded Vehicles
Forth Worth calculated that Texaswide May rains amounted to over 35 trillion gallons, an amount that would cover the entire state in water eight inches deep. Texas reservoirs alone received 8 million acre-feet of water, enough to meet New York City’s water needs for seven years. Other estimates of Texas rainfall said it was enough to supply the world’s population with drinking water for over 27 years. State Farm, which insures more than 3.5 million vehicles in the state of Texas, received hundreds of calls for damaged, mostly flooded, vehicles across the state. An estimated 90 percent of the claims are for vehicles so badly damaged that they can’t be driven Oklahoma also set a new statewide record for wettest month, topping the previous by an unbelievable 3.65 inches. “The rains began the first week of May and by the end of the month the state had seen the most rainfall on record for any month in its history,” writes Gary McManus, the Oklahoma state climatologist. The National Weather Service in
LaCIA July Meeting; “Steered” Shops Asked to Report Insurers
The Louisiana Collision Industry Association (LaCIA) will hold their next meeting, which will include a repair class, on July 18 in Baton Rouge, LA. This event is open to all, including office staff and technicians. LaCIA also announced that Matt Parker of Parker Auto Body in West Monroe, who is running for Insurance Commissioner this year, is asking for support from locals in the industry. For information, visit www.mattparkerforlouisiana.com/ LaCIA received a request from the Attorney General’s office asking shops to contact them if they had issues with any insurers regarding short pays, procedure denials, steering, etc. ● File a complaint on their website https://www.ag.state.la.us/Insurance Complaints.aspx ● Contact Stacie Lambert deBlieux Assistant Attorney General Louisiana Department of Justice Public Protection, Antitrust PO Box 94005 Baton Rouge, LA 70804 225.326.6458/deblieuxs@ag.state.la.us ● Contact Randy Ishee at isheer@ag .state.la.us Include info such as audio files, photos, supplement refusals, customer and claims info, insurance details, estimates, vehicle information, etc.
Norman, was forced to issue a flashflood emergency for the first time in the history of the office. Amy Milstead, President of the Spring, TX-based Milstead Group, said phone began ringing around midnight on May 26 when her fleet of 40 tow trucks moved hundreds of vehicles affected by the floods. Milstead Group tows, stores and repairs vehicles. The The Auto Doc on Montrose Boulevard also received a lot of calls for tow trucks. The auto repair and maintenance shop had four flooded vehicles dropped off by early afternoon. Owner Dave Skorka said it requires a lot of space to take apart flooded cars and to hang their carpets to dry. He added that it’s important to act quickly, before the car begins to mildew. Skorka also warned against starting a car that has been flooded. If the car is parked and water rises around it, starting the engine can do more damage. He recommends towing it to a shop and letting a mechanic check it out, reported chron.com. But if water gets to the dashboard, that car is totaled. Meyerland resident Rachel Weber told chron.com that her
East El Paso, TX, Body Shop Fire Causes $20K in Damages
The El Paso Fire Department responded to a condition three fire at a body shop on the eastside at 6140 Yaqui Way at 6 a.m. on May 27 in TX. According to fire officials, a condition three fire is when heavy smoke and flames can be seen. Heavy smoke was seen com-
Officials responded to a condition three fire at Casa Automotive on May 27. No one was injured
ing from the second floor of Casa Automotive. No one was inside the building at the time, fire spokesman Carlos A. Briano told kfoxtv.com. A total of 14 units and 36 firefighters responded and had the fire under control by 7:07 a.m., Briano told kfoxtv.com. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The structural damage to the property is estimated at $20,000, said Briano.
6 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
vehicle, as well as her husband’s, was completely submerged. Their apartment complex has two levels: at and below street level. They parked in the lower one, which completely filled with water. Their insurance company arranged rental cars, though it was a struggle as most places were either out of cars or had been flooded. Allstate added claims adjusters and other resources to handle the increase in Texas claims for flooded cars and damaged properties, largely caused by wind. Allstate insures more than 300,000 vehicles in Harris County. Farmers was expecting people to file more claims. It sent insurance adjusters from around the country to Texas to expedite the process, reported chron.com. To speed up the claims process, Farmers spokeswoman Carrie Bonney recommended filing a claim as soon as possible while Farmers has extra adjusters in Texas. According to the U.S. National Climate Assessment, days of heavy rainfall are becoming more frequent across the country, and the amount of rain that’s falling in the heaviest events is on the rise, as well. See Flooded Vehicles, Page 10
OK Shop Employee Takes Car, Passes Out in Drive-Thru
Tahlequah, OK police officers said a man was jailed on May 16 after taking a Xanax, driving the car of a body shop customer to McDonald’s, and then passing out in the drivethru lane. Officer Thomas Donnell arrived just before 1 a.m. and saw the white Mercedes Benz with one door open, reported www.tahlequahdaily press.com. Sitting in the front seat was Lymon A. Vanwinkle, 27, who has a Richmond, IN address. He had left the motor running and the radio playing. Donnell told tahlequahdailypress.com he woke Vanwinkle after turning the car off. Vanwinkle told Donnell that he had not been drinking and had not taken any prescription drugs, despite his slurred speech. Vanwinkle was confused and unable to find his identification for Donnell, who arrested him for driving under the influence, reported tahlequahdailypress.com. According to Donnell’s arrest report, the officer later found Vanwinkle to have Xanax bars in his possession. Vanwinkle then allegedly told the officer he had taken some of the medication, and got tired.
www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 7
Allstate Reunites GA Customer with 1972 Corvette Stingray Stolen 43 Years Ago, Record for Recovery A love story 43 years in the making now has a happy ending after Allstate Insurance reunited a long-time customer with her once stolen 1972 Corvette Stingray. Terry Dietrich bought the car when she was 19 using money from her first job to make a down payment. Just six months later, the car she called her
to trace the car back to a police report in 1972. The car belonged to Allstate Insurance for all these years after the claim was paid off shortly after the car was stolen. For the loyal customer, her first love was closer than it had been in more than four decades and
Allstate customer Terry Dietrich hugs retired Allstate agency owner Jim Dykstra after she is reunited with her 1972 Corvette Stingray that was stolen 43 years ago
Dietrich hugs the steering wheel of her the classic car she referred to as her “first true love.” Allstate reunited her with the vehicle that was found in North Carolina
‘first love’ was stolen. Dietrich never knew what happened to her beloved sports car. Neither did police. That is, until now. This past fall, a local car dealer in North Carolina purchased the car and found the vehicle identification number in the window didn’t match up with the original VIN imprinted on the car. Police were notified and were able
she reached out to her original Allstate agency owner who had since retired. After months of work behind the scenes by employees at Allstate and government officials in both Georgia and North Carolina, a new title was issued and the original Allstate agent was able to drive the car up Dietrich’s driveway so that she can enjoy the car all over again – 43 years later.
GCIA Meeting Featured Speakers from GM and RAE
On Tuesday, May 19, the Georgia Collision Industry Association (GCIA) held a member meeting at Rick Hendrick Chevrolet in Duluth, GA. Featuring guest speakers from GM and Reliable Automotive Equipment, the meeting attracted over 30 attendees. GCIA’s Executive Director Howard Batchelor said, “It went quite well. Attendees took away a lot of information and wisdom. There were also quite a few parts people in attendance to learn about GM’s MyPriceLink program, and I think we reached our goal of providing useful information to educate our members.” The meeting began with GM representative Billy Evans discussing their new MyPriceLink program which is designed to help eliminated aftermarket parts manufacturers from using the OEM list price to determine their price. Estimating systems will interface with MyPriceLink to update prices. GM first announced the program last year at SEMA, but it was put on hold until they could fully develop the interfacing component; GM plans to release MyPriceLink in the near future as a way to help them provide competitive pricing. Next, Dave Gruskos of Reliable Automotive Equipment talked
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about vehicles being manufactured with new metals. He explained how to rivet and use adhesives to achieve manufacturer-grade bonds in newer, higher-end vehicles. Gruskos also noted that being certified by one brand does not give a shop the knowledge and ability to repair all vehicles. Shops should earn certification from each OEM in order to work on their vehicles. Batchelor briefly discussed the association’s ongoing communication with the Attorney General before announcing that GCIA will begin conducting their 9th Annual Labor Rate Survey in the middle of June. GCIA will collaborate with NABR to gather survey information, but unlike past years when information was only collected for one month, this survey will be available all year. Contact GCIA at www.gcia.org. For more on MyPriceLink see p. 17 this issue.
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Industry Veteran Creates “Body Shop of the Future” Using Overseas Technology
After spending 30 years in the industry, Patrick O’Neill, co-owner of BodyShop Revolution and Body Shop Express, was “trying to figure out what to do next, other than retire and play golf.” He had owned eight body shops in AZ and NV, managed others, and worked on running a market and a couple of acquisitions for Caliber Collision. That was when fellow industry veteran, John Parker, introduced him to a new technology that had been transforming body shops overseas, and was ready to make its way to the U.S. These gas catalytic infrared drying robots, created by Green Tech Italy, have made waves in Europe, Australia, and the Middle East for the past eight years. “Europe is like 15 years ahead of the U.S. when it comes to meeting the demands insurers can put on a company, not to mention competing with insuranceowned collision networks. Body shops were forced to be as efficient as they could be,” said O’Neill. “The average shop in England makes one percent net, and a number of the networks are owned by insurance companies.” He added that shops that operate with the technology and process
Bodyshop Revolution offers in the European market make 10 percent plus in comparison. A handful of shops in the U.S. have taken advantage of this new technology since O’Neill and Parker obtained equal shares of North America distribution rights one year ago. When paired with the duo’s “Theory of Constraints” process for body shops, it becomes BodyShop Revolution. “We were able to easily integrate the Green Tech curing technology into our process,” stated Dan Sjolseth of Superior Service Center in Apple Valley and Eagan, MN. “It has allowed us to work more continuously during the repair and priming process, and we can begin reassembling the vehicle for same day delivery immediately upon exit from the paint booth. The equipment has not only impacted our throughput, but has actually removed quality concerns commonly associated with high production processes.” “The Theory of Constraints process requires a lot of discipline to implement, but it works,” said Darrell Amberson, president of operations at LaMettry’s Collision, with eight locations in MN. “The trainers are competent and effective,
which helped make the transition easier.” O’Neill stressed that the technology itself is not enough to ensure profit. “It doesn’t make a difference if I can dry 100 cars super fast if I’m just throwing them into a chaotic environment,” he said. “I’m an advocate for the Theory of Constraints, which can be applied to any business. Essentially, it’s about taking a holistic approach to new technology— how can we process cars so we have no lines and we are able to work nonstop?” O’Neill said, “If there are eight technicians in the shop, then there are eight cars being worked on. When the technician’s vehicle is in the paint booth, we won’t give that technician a new car because it would disturb the process. While the car is being painted, the technician can take that time to check repair procedures, identify a welder, figure out what type of high-strength steal will be used, and check the estimate. If there is still time left after all that, they can help another technician get one more car out.” As O’Neill and Parker travelled throughout the country, making multiple trips to each shop to spread the word about BodyShop Revolution, they began to realize there had to be a more effective
way to really show the owners how the process works. That’s when O’Neill decided to build a model shop—Body Shop Express in San Diego, CA—so shop owners can see first-hand how BodyShop Revolution can enhance their business. A built-in camera system will allow O’Neill and Parker to access the facilities remotely while giving presentations. Body Shop Express, located in San Diego, CA, is scheduled to open the week of June 29. O’Neill said the shop will be on the road to I-CAR Gold certification when they open and will also be certified to work on the new Ford F-150. He is also working with a handful of OEMs toward certifications, as well as Assured Performance. O’Neill disclosed that Body Shop Express will have a couple DRPs to start, and several other are interested. “Bodyshop Revolution gives insurance partners metrics they have never seen before, and in the process, it not only gives employees their sanity back, but ultimately their lives back,” said O’Neill. “We give our team members the ability, once and for all, to make our insurance partners say, ‘we want more of this.’
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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
How To Hire The Best Bodyshop Marketing People with Thomas Franklin
Collision repair shops are mainly in the people business. The days of oneman shops are long gone. Every shop has employees, and most have technicians specialized in body, paint, structural and more. The typical shop owner came up through these ranks and is sufficiently knowledgeable about the details to hire competent workers. But marketing is different. Few shop owners come from a background in sales or marketing. And only fairly affluent shops can afford to hire personnel solely for marketing and sales. But that doesn’t mean the need isn’t there. To survive today every shop needs to bring in new customers and that means reaching out with sales and marketing. And it may mean that some employees have to do double duty. Generally that means estimators and front desk people, but it could include the parts guy and even some unusually communicative technicians. It could also mean hiring from a different point of view. For example, a shop may generally hire an attractive lady for the front desk who is friendly and can handle the paperwork. A recent article entitled “Build a Killer Team” in the June issue of Inc Magazine quoted a co-founder of a company that requires every employee to “work reception once a month.” Many businesses have found that rotating employees through public contact jobs on a regular basis keep them in touch with prospective customers’ real priorities. Ideally a shop owner or manager might want to simply rotate the estimators through the front desk po-
sition regularly, but if there aren’t enough estimators to do that, the front desk person should be treated as a key new business developer for the shop and paid accordingly. While hiring practices vary greatly by industry, methods of interviewing and evaluating prospective employees are relatively consistent. Some frequent suggestions include giving all your candidates the same interview with a standard set of questions that you ask all candidates. They say using the same questions in each interview gives you greater control of the situation by preventing a clever interviewee from hiding pertinent information. Questions should also test an applicant’s ability to think quickly. For example a good salesperson should be able to handle the unanticipated and to meet challenges with confidence. Although an applicant knows you will check references, you should ask, “When I call your references, what will he or she tell me about your past performance?” This emphasis on reference checks might help avoid prospect exaggeration. If you have a trusted employee already performing similar tasks, you might consider having him or her sit in on the interview to help you determine if the candidate truly has what it takes to mesh with the existing team. Dealerships hire new people much more frequently than body shops, and sales people are their most frequent new hires. DealerRefresh.com specifies how most dealerships look for new prospects and evaluate prospective
Continued from Page 6
cipitation events, whether it be mid-latitude cyclones in the spring, hurricanes in the summer or even snowy winter storms. “Nearly all studies to date published in the peer-reviewed literature agree that extreme precipitation event number and intensity have risen, when averaged over the United States,” the National Climate Assessment states.
Flooded Vehicles
The connection between a warming world and an increase in extreme rainfall events — the kind you only see every 10 or more years — is rooted in rudimentary atmospheric science. As air temperature increases, it can “hold” more water vapor. This means that, even if global weather patterns and the driving force behind storms doesn’t change, it’s more likely we will see more heavy pre-
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hires. They say 50% of the most successful companies have given up on job boards. Social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are cheaper and more effective. They also say people hired by referral are 47% more likely to stick around after three years, compared to 14% for job-board applicants. They say cash bonuses are the best way to get current employees to refer others. Start by notifying current employees. If the job pays well, employees will often brag about how much they love their work and attract others to your business. You could also offer a bonus to customers who refer others. Everybody knows somebody looking for a job. Suppliers are another possible source of prospects. There could be someone good they know of who’s burned out at their present job and needs a change. This is an especially wise method for finding good help because your suppliers won’t recommend a dud. Their reputation with
you would be ruined and they might lose your business. So what are the qualities and skills a collision shop applicant should possess? The Inc Magazine article again reported several bosses that watched for a job applicant’s tendency to mainly talk and self-promote, as opposed to asking questions and carefully listening with follow-up questions. Another tactic suggested is to have prospective employees do some “homework.” For a collision repair shop this could be having them write a list of the questions they think would most effectively get a prospective customer to reveal what they value most in a body shop. And would most likely get them to come back and refer the shop to a friend. Any position dealing with the public requires the ability to ask questions and get key answers. This can take time, but the cost of hiring another person to ask and listen may be far less than losing prospective customers.
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Hospitals, Shops, and Other Businesses Deal with Flooding in Texas by Denise Marquez,Lubbock Avalanche -Journal/lubbockonline.com
Several businesses and hospitals were busy cleaning up the mess from the May 28 rainstorms and flooding, which meant temporary closures for some, but a boost in business for others. By the morning of May 29, Lubbock, TX had received 3.23 inches of rain within 24 hours. With that much rain in a short period of time, streets flooded, and some, like Avenue Q, were closed off. Parks like Mackenzie Park were under water and many vehicles and homes were left with water damage. Charles Pharies, Carpet Tech Vice President, said by 1 p.m. Thursday the carpet cleaning and repair shop had about 75 water damage calls. “We’ve had another 30 to 35 today (Friday),” Pharies said. “Normally, when we get really big storms like that it’s more commercial, but it’s probably 75 percent residential. We have about 1,500 blowers and about 300 humidifiers so we’re well equipped. Nobody’s slept around
here in a few days. We haven’t turned anybody down.” Pharies said getting water damage taken care of quickly is the key in saving money on repairs. He said Carpet Tech employees will go in homes, suck out the water, dispose of
Gary Phillips, an employee at Joyland Amusement Park, cleans water out of the bumper cars arena on Friday. The park is shut down for the remainder of this week and next week to clean up after flooding that occurred during Thursday’s storms. Photo credit: Shannon Wilson / A-J Media
the carpet pads and determine if the carpet is salvageable. “Time is not your friend,” he said. “The worst thing you can do is wait because what starts to happen is (the water) starts to deteriorate the carpet and it starts to soak up into the
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walls. That’s the most costly thing to do in a water damage situation — to dry out the actual structure.” Shain Rebber with Christian Brothers Automotive said the car repair shop’s employees worked on 10 cars with water damage, and about 40 total this month. He said the worst damage that can happen to a car is for water to get in the engine. “If water gets inside the engine, water doesn’t break down,” Rebber said. “There are metal rods that run the engine and (water) bends those metal components internally. If you get enough water it essentially ceases the entire engine.” Rebber said many of the cars had some internal upholstery damage from being in the water. “Most that we seen here have been in enough water that there is water that came into the vehicle internally, but mostly a good detail can save it,” he said. “They do remove it, suck out all the water, they clean it, they dry it and reinstall it.” Businesses in the Avenue Q area had to close their doors early on May 28 and some had to deal with
water damage for the second time this month. Brent Bloodworth said he had to close iOrchard, a computer store at 2306 Ave. Q, right after the city closed off Avenue Q around 3 p.m. May 28. He said there was no flood damage to the store but there were a couple of cars stranded in the water on Avenue Q. “That street always floods because of the drainage pond just south of Orlando’s,” Bloodworth said. “There was a white minivan stuck out there and a four-door vehicle that was stuck as well.” Just two buildings away from iOrchard is Orlando’s, which was closed May 28 from flooding in the restaurant. The restaurant at 2402 Ave. Q also had flood damage from rainstorms earlier this month. “There is one building between us and Orlando’s and they’re downhill from us,” Bloodworth said. “They’re in the low point.” Pharies said Carpet Tech helped with flood damage at Orlando’s on both occasions. He said damage to the restaurant on May 28 was less severe.
As of May 29, Orlando’s was open for business. “They used sandbags and it was much less severe when we got there than it was last time,” Pharies said. “There are people that know they’re in a flood plain so those people use sandbags and build barricades around their properties or doorways.” Joyland Amusement Park at Mackenzie Park also saw flooding expected to shut down the park for a week. Kristi Dean, Joyland sales representative, said officials have to
see what’s happened,” she said. “We know most of the things that water has got into. We just have to see how far up into the park it got. With the creek overflowing there is this murky mess everywhere. Sometimes there are dead fish and whatever washes up out of the creek ends up here.”
Hospitals Officials at University Medical Center had no estimate for water damage at the hospital after the May 28 rainstorm. Eric Finley, spokesman for UMC, said everything is open and running at the hospital. UMC had rainwater in the basement that affected IT and medical records; on the first floor of a portion of the hospital that has only one floor in administration; on the second floor surgery in the operChristian Brothers Automotive employees at the Lubbock location worked on a total of 50 cars with flood damage ating room unit; and on the during the month of May. Photo credit: www.merchant fourth floor in the medical incircle.com tensive care unit. The second floor surgery area is wait for the water to dry to assess the near an outer wall, Finley said, while damage and clean up the mess. “We have to wait for the water to the fourth floor ICU is on the top go down to even get into Joyland to floor of the west tower.
The first-floor administrative area and fourth-floor ICU floods can probably be attributed to leaky roofs, Finley said, but he said he is not sure why the second-floor surgery area leaked. As of the morning of May 29, Finley said nothing was closed at UMC. UMC did not have to move patients because of the flooding, he said, but considered going into diversion status, in which the hospital could not take more patients and would divert them to another medical facility. Nearby at Covenant Health, Leslie Cransford said the hospital is seeing no residual effects from the storms May 28, “just some cleanup from the minor leaks.” In an email, Cranford said patient care was not affected and there were no power outages. Thank you to Lubbock Avalanche-Journal/lubbockonline.com for permission to reprint this article.
Continued from Cover
Flood Damage
state that recently experienced flooding. Keep in mind that the title will only indicate flood damage if the insurance company officially totaled the car. Consider checking a vehicle’s history. ● Ask the seller directly whether or not the car has been damaged in any way, including by water or storms.
● Check for signs of rust and mud in the trunk, glove box and beneath the seats and dashboard. Look for rusty brackets under the dash and carpet, discolored upholstery and carpet that fits poorly or doesn’t match.
● Test the lights, windshield wipers, turn signals, cigarette lighter and radio. Check the heater and air conditioner several times, and look in the vents for signs of water or mud. Make sure all gauges on the dashboard are accurate and in working condition.
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www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 13
Media and Publicity for Shops Get Old School Again with Time-Proven Business Networking with Ed Attanasio
There are two ways to promote your shop: 1) Advertising and 2) Marketing. Advertising is when you buy space or time or impressions and you pay a fee for the exposure. Marketing is an enormous category that includes product marketing, branding, re-branding and a whole list of other things that are used to hopefully bring you new business while strengthening your position in your market. I tell shop owners that advertising is the easy way out Nancy Friedman and marketing is the (aka the Telephone workhorse and the Doctor) said that elbow grease of the business-to-business networking is promotional world. where the smaller Advertising is like independent shops Babe Ruth and marcan shine and compete on a level field keting is like Pete Rose. If you’re not with the bigger MSOs in their area a baseball fan, let’s put it another way—advertising is ideal for large corporations and for big MSOs, primarily because they have larger budgets to do it. Marketing is for smaller, independent shops that do great work but have less money to tell people about it. So, I’m not trashing print media or broadcast media, I’m just saying for the average body shop out there with a limited budget, marketing is the smarter way to go. You can get a lot more mileage out of your marketing dollar by doing things as opposed to buying things–such as calling on dealerships for business, keeping in touch with the insurance agents in your area and maybe most importantly—doing some business-to-business networking. Many shop owners don’t like the idea of getting out there in the community, meeting people and shaking hands. They feel comfortable working in their shops and fixing cars; as soon as they’re outside of that environment, they feel like fish out of water. If they stick their heads out and see their shadows, they’re likely to retreat and wait for spring. But the shops that understand the value of networking know that it works and that is brings them a ton of
business if they continually get out there and meet other people in their community. This can be achieved in many ways, but the core concept is the same—meet as many folks as you can and become an integral part of your business community. Nancy Friedman is known as the Telephone Doctor and she speaks at SEMA and other automotive-related events year-round about customer service, best practices and yes—B2B networking. The doctor was in recently when we discussed networking and its value, especially for smaller shops. “Networking is where the smaller independent shops can shine,” Friedman explained. “They can be a big fish in a small pond in a chamber of commerce or with the Elks, Rotary or even through a networking group, such as the Business Networking Institute (BNI). No one really cares how big you are or how many locations you have, as long as the work is good and your rates are fair.” Be active and involved in any networking group and you’ll reap the benefits over time, Friedman said. “Become an integral part of the group, which means attend the meetings and other events and take on some responsibility. That’s the only way you’ll ever get anything from a networking group. I tell people sponsor events within the organization and be very proactive in getting out there. Most of these associations sponsor charity events and those are a great way to connect with the members of the group and the community as a whole. Great friendships—both personal and professional—start there and then build over time.” Some body shop owners say— hey, I work 10–12 hour days ... how do I find the time to get to these meetings and events? Well, the doctor has the answer. “Many businesses have 23 people who go to the meetings and share that responsibility,” she explained. “Maybe one of your techs or estimators is the social type and not afraid to meet new people? As the owner you should still get out there periodically and wave your flag, but delegate the rest to the right people and let them shine.”
14 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
Collision repair shops all over the country are members of the Business Networking Institute (BNI) — the world’s largest referral organization with more than 150,000 members in 58 countries worldwide. BNI was founded in 1985 by Dr. Ivan Misner for the primary purpose of building powerful referral networks. BNI works by creating a group of people from various industries and encouraging the regular distribution of referrals. Each chapter allows one person per occupational classification, and prospective members must be approved via an application process. BNI’s philosophy is “Givers Gain” - members are expected to focus on giving referrals to other members to build relationships and receive referrals in return. Chapters have specific rules regarding required attendance in order to cultivate the relationships needed to create a comfort level in referring business. Chapters
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carefully track the monetary amount of passed business in order to prove the value of the money and time commitment. By joining a BNI chapter and working it hard, body shops all over the country have made this organization a big part of their marketing plan. One owner has used it to foster a young, small shop by joining his local chapter and getting out there into the promising world of networking. Kendall Glines is the owner of Lone Peak Collision Repair in Midvale, Utah, a small shop with five employees that fixes 5-7 cars weekly. One year after opening the shop in late 2012, Glines joined his local chapter (the Boom Chapter in West Jordan, UT) by paying $420 in annual fees after a $150 one-time registration fee, but those have been paid back many times over, he explained. “I love the fact that I am the only collision repairer in the chapter, which
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means I don’t have to compete with other shops within the group for referrals,” Glines said. “We had to go through an interview process to qualify for membership and they checked out all of our references, because they want only top businesses that are honest and do quality work. Everyone knows 250 people in their community if they’ve lived there for any period of time, so the concept is to connect to
those people and then indirectly connect to their group of 250 people.” (I did the math and if 250 people have 250 friends/associates/colleagues, that equals 62,500 people and if every one of them gets into an accident every nine years, that’s a grand total of almost 7,000 cars annually.) Glines knows exactly down to the penny how much business he’s received through his BNI chapter and
the numbers make him smile. “We’ve brought in $212,000 through BNI referrals and I also get work from a local car dealership who is a fellow member of our chapter. The referrals reach a point where they take off exponentially and as more members get to know you, it gets even get better. We’re going to do at least $1 million this year and BNI has been a big part of that. It has allowed us to avoid the
DRPs and retain more control on all of our repairs.” But, don’t apply for membership his chapter, Glines said, because he’s already that little fish in a big pond and happy about it. “Revenues are getting better every month and BNI has become an integral part of our business model now. We’ve become a part of the BNI family and proud of it.”
NACE | CARS Announces U.S. Department of Commerce Program to Identify Global Opportunities
NACE | CARS has announced the involvement of the U.S. Commercial Service (part of the U.S. Department of Commerce) in offering a complimentary program to identify international business opportunities. The U.S. Commercial Service will be working in cooperation with the Automotive Service Association for this all-new session, entitled Global Market Insights. The Global Market Insights session will be presented in a briefing format on Thursday, July 23 from 7:30am - 9:30am in room 359. This will provide participants with the opportunity to hear from U.S. Embassy Commercial Specialists on how they track the automotive products and service
equipment market trends in their respective countries. U.S. Embassy industry experts from ten countries have committed to attend to date. These countries include Canada, El Salvador, The Netherlands, Mexico, Morocco, South Africa, China, Nigeria, Kuwait, Turkey and UAE. These industry professionals from around the world can help your company to expand its international reach. In addition to valuable insight offered on international business opportunities, companies that attend will receive three complimentary resources. These items are as follows: 1. A Country Commercial Guide of choice: These U.S. Embassy-pre-
pared reports present a comprehensive look at a single country’s commercial environment, using economic, political and market analysis. 2. The 3rd edition of the Global Automotive Resource Guide: A compilation of international market intelligence such as industry trends, main competitors, trade barriers, statistical data and resources in 51 countries to help small and medium-sized enterprises identify markets where U.S. automotive products or services are likely to succeed. 3. The highly anticipated Top Markets Report on automotive parts and service equipment. From discussing your company’s sales potential around the world to
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learning about how to take advantage of free trade agreements, opportunities in attending Global Market Insights are vast. Attendees will discover how the U.S. Commercial Service can help locate new business partners and learn about the best sales opportunities in overseas markets. In addition to receiving valuable knowledge, attendees will be able to take home materials, including the Country Commercial Guide, Global Automotive Resource Guide and Top Markets Report, all on a complimentary basis.
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GM Reaffirms Commitment to Launching MyPriceLink GM announced on May 12 that the company is still committed to its collision parts initiative, MyPriceLink. MyPriceLink is a free automated “real time” pricing program developed
by GM that provides Genuine GM collision parts to the market that are priced up-front during the initial repair estimate. In November 2014, GM announced the implementation of MyPriceLink. A week later, the company delayed the launch based on industry feedback and said it was going to work on enhancing and streamlining the workflow for all collision industry partners. Since then, the company has gained feedback from industry players including the GM Dealer Network, information providers, dealer management systems, independent
body shops, collision associations and insurance providers. In addition, GM has been working with industry estimating suppliers such as AudaExplore, CCC Information Services and Mitchell International to integrate with MyPriceLink. In the interim, GM has continued to publish list prices for collision parts. The company said the next step prior to launching the product is a market test planned at various locations this summer. “We are taking this step to ensure MyPriceLink, when launched, will be an integrated technology solution that the collision industry will be able to use with minimal disruption to their existing workflow,” GM said in a press release. “GM appreciates the industry interest and support MyPriceLink has received and looks forward to announcing the official industry launch of MyPriceLink in the near future,” the company added. “GM is committed to improving and streamlining processes that allow us to provide our customers with original parts, ensuring proper fit, function, safety and appearance, and returning their vehicle to pre-accident condition.”
South Dakota Insurance Division Reaches Settlement with Insurance Companies, Full Report Due July 6 by Jenna Reed, glassBYTES.com
The South Dakota Division of Insurance has settled with Farmers Insurance Group and Foremost Insurance Group over allegations of industry “violations.” The deal includes a $750,000 penalty. While the specifics of the allegations are under wraps until the full report is released July 6, 2015, this could impact the AGRR industry. Ron Evans, owner of Ron’s Auto Glass in Yankton, SD, is particularly interested in learning more. “The insurance industry is a challenge,” he said. “I don’t know what’s in the report, but I would like to find out. At this point we’re making more on rock chip repairs than installations.” “A lot of our industry’s issues are with networks and insurance companies,” added Shawn Nielsen, owner of Fast Auto Glass in Vermillion, SD. “Like steering is an issue we deal with. I don’t know if this is a steering issue. … I’ve sent complaints into the state insurance division but I’ve never heard back.” When asked if the settlement has anything to do with automotive glass claims, a spokesperson for the state’s insurance division declined to answer. “The exam report will be available July 6,” said Dawn Dovre, a spokesperson for the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. “The examination report must re-
main confidential for 30 days,” according to an insurance division statement. Five insurance companies within Farmers and Foremost were reviewed. The Farmer Insurance Group companies that came under analysis included Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange and Mid Century Insurance Co. The Foremost Insurance Group companies examined included Foremost Insurance Co. and Foremost Property and Casualty Insurance Co., according to a statement from the state’s insurance division. The insurance division reports it “found various deficiencies in the companies’ practices that needed to be corrected.” For its part, Farmers does not agree that it is doing anything wrong, but decided to resolve the issue through settlement, says a Farmers’ spokesperson. “Farmers has reached a settlement agreement with the South Dakota Division of Insurance to resolve a market conduct exam. While we do not agree with many of the Division’s findings of alleged violations, we have agreed to this settlement in order to resolve the matter,” said Luis Sahagun of Farmers. Autobody News thanks glassBYTES.com for permission to reprint this article. www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 17
Rick Leos of Toyota and Nathan Sellers of Mitchell — Some Startling Predictions for 2025 by Tom Franklin
The California Autobody Association Glendale-Foothill Chapter met Thursday, May 28, 2015, at Gene’s Paint & Body in Montrose, CA. Chapter President Daniel Panduro opened the meeting and introduced the two speakers, Rick Leos, from Toyota, and Nathan Sellers from Mitchell. The topic for the evening was Toyota’s new Predictive Estimating software that is set to be released in the very near future, and the increased technology being built into today’s vehicles and what that means for us repairers trying to “fix cars correctly and safely.” Leos opened with a video on hydrogen-powered vehicles. He made the startling prediction that by 2025, all vehicles will be hydrogen-powered! The next video showed a massive manure pile and the steps needed to turn it into hydrogen. A combination of steam and heat turns this inexpensive crap into highly profitable energy—a process cheaper than oil, corn, solar, and electricity combined. Leos also said that these vehicles would be nearly unrepairable! Vehicle manufacturers will develop such complete collision avoidance technology, that the few accidents that do occur will require vehicles to be completely replaced (effectively eliminating the collision repair industry)! Although 2025 is a long way off, in November this year, 60,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles will be put on the road. Shops hoping to repair any of these vehicles will have to have x-
ray equipment capable of finding cracks in the many carbon fiber panels and parts that will make up much of these vehicles. Leos also predicted the OEMs will seek to put the liability for faulty repairs and subsequent prob-
Rick Leos, from Toyota, and Nathan Sellers from Mitchell covered Toyota’s new Predictive Estimating software at the May 28 CAA Glendale/Foothill Chapter meeting
lems squarely onto the repairer, to protect the manufacturer’s brand name as the top priority. With this startling part of the presentation finished, Leos and Sellers turned to Toyota’s new Predictive Estimating software, already available on Mitchell’s Ultramate and being shipped on all user’s next update. The essence of the system is the reversal of current estimating systems where parts to be repaired or replaced must be added line-by-line. With this system all parts are displayed on the estimate and those not affected must be
CARSTAR Jungerman in St. Peters, MO, Named Franchisee of the Year
Each year at its annual conference, CARSTAR recognizes the top owners and business groups throughout its network for their leadership and performance. In the categories for top operations, CARSTAR presented four awards to stores for their achievements.
Franchisee of the Year Taking home the top honor as Franchisee of the Year was CARSTAR Jungerman in St. Peters, MO, owned by Kerry Woodson and Toni Donius. Franchisee of the Year is the highest award given in the CARSTAR system, and it represents the best of the best that is CARSTAR. Rookie of the Year
The Rookie of the Year was CARSTAR Friendly in Roselle, IL, which is run by Body Shop Director, Eric Schmit. This award is given in recognition to a new CARSTAR franchisee as it gets “up and running” with CARSTAR. Business Group of the Year The award for Business Group of the Year went to CARSTAR Puget Sound Business Group, which represents 22 stores throughout the region.
Next Generation Award For 2015, the Next Generation Award was presented to husband and wife, Tony and Sharon Kempen, who run CARSTAR Pat’s Auto Body in Plover, WI, and CARSTAR Eau Claire South, in Eau Claire, WI.
18 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
deleted. In the demos presented by Leos and Sellers, most repairs that would run to 10 or 12 lines on a usual estimate would suddenly jump to 16 or 20 lines. Small parts often missed, like clips, are added automatically. Even usual add-ons like color sand and buff or seam sealer are displayed in detail. The estimator can still delete parts on the estimate with no visible asterisk or other mark, but the deletion, change or omission is time stamped in the computer. If an adjuster chooses to delete a line, the time stamp can indicate the deletion if a problem occurs later as a result of that deletion. Ultramate was chosen for the first test run because of insurer DRP relationships. Also the Ultramate could be converted to a CCC or ADP estimate by using Estify. Leos said he was surprised at a meeting with insurers where the new software was well received even though it could be more costly for insurers. The reason most said was the desirability of having a standard base rather than the arbitrary negotiated estimates common today. Perhaps the most stabilizing feature is
the instant availability of parts documents and technical and CRIB bulletins. A simple click of a black dot and all of the supporting information jumps up. Documentation to resolve a dispute with an adjuster is readily at hand. Also technicians can be saved from costly errors like one-time-use parts. A few of Leos’ examples showed how a tech might miss a onetime-use part if the documentation hadn’t been consulted. Leos showed how the system can quickly pay for itself and increase shop profitability. Most remarkable is the willingness of Toyota to make the templates for the system available to other vehicle manufacturers. All they have to do is plug in their own parts and related documents and the system is ready to go. Certification training is also now much simpler. It is no longer necessary to have a dealer recommendation. Leos also talked about the way scanners are getting better all the time at creating instant estimates. iPad and smartphone scans will soon create an accurate estimate. Like most other aspects of life now, technology is driving the future of collision repair.
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www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 19
Six Deserving Veterans and Officers Receive Recycled Rides™ Vehicles from Caliber Collision Six veterans and officers who have given themselves in service to others were honored over the Memorial Day weekend in Dallas and Austin as each received a refurbished vehicle from Caliber Collision through the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides™ program.
Marine veteran Matthew Joyce (Center) with his wife, Stephanie, and Tom Burch, Center Manager at Caliber Collision-Frisco
The vehicle presentations were part of the annual, weekend-long Carry The Load Memorial Day events to honor veterans, active duty military service members and first responders. The first vehicle was presented at the opening ceremonies in Austin and five additional vehicles were gifted the next day at the closing ceremonies in Dallas. The six recipients were selected by the Carry The Load non-profit committee. Over 120 nominations were submitted by the community at large throughout North Texas and Austin. Team members at Caliber Collision volunteered personal time to repair and donate the vehicles as a way to give back to those in the community who are facing challenges with basic transportation. The six heroes selected to receive vehicles were:
● Brandon Walden, an Army infantryman who escaped gunfire in Afghanistan only to sustain injuries when he went back in danger’s way to save his squadron leader, received a 2012 Honda Civic Sedan EX.
● Paul Bales, who wears many hats with his “triple certification” as an EMT, firefighter and law enforcement officer. An unexpected health issue left him in a coma for several months and his family is facing financial difficulties with him unable to work. Bales received a 2012 Hyundai Elantra.
● YaSheere Denson, a U.S. Army veteran, single mother of three boys, who until recently, was homeless as she
struggled with combat–related disabilities. She received a 2014 Toyota Camry, which will enable her to return to school to complete training in the IT field, and eventually find rewarding work and dramatically improve the quality of life for her entire family.
This is the third year that Caliber Collision has donated vehicles during the annual Carry The Load Memorial March events. This year represents the first year that Caliber Collision has ac-
also participated in the Carry The Load walks to raise additional funds to support their mission to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day. In the past three years, Caliber
● Matthew Joyce, a Marine veteran who served two tours in Iraq before medically retiring last year due to two reconstructive hip surgeries that still has him living with chronic pain. A 2014 Hyundai Elantra will provide reliable transportation for the family as Joyce works to obtain his degree for better job prospects and a better life for his family.
● Blake Maberry, a detention officer for the Rockwall Sheriff Department. Maberry’s lack of reliable transportation left his family in a desperate situation recently when their six-year-old son had a medical emergency and both their vehicles encountered breakdowns as they rushed to the hospital. Maberry was awarded a 2013 Honda Civic.
● Jim Tarbet, a Vietnam-era Special forces Green Beret, who had to give up his job to be a full-time caretaker for his wife of 50 years. Their one vehicle is unreliable so Tarbet who is staunchly independent, declines rides and walks to the grocery store when he has to get food and prescriptions, even in the heat of the summer. He re-
Caliber Collision staff and families cheer participants at the Carry The Load Memorial March in Dallas, Texas
cepted nominations for recipients from the general community. In addition to donating the vehicles, Caliber Collision was a corporate sponsor of the Carry The Load Memorial March and National Relay. Caliber Collision team members nationwide
Collision has donated more than 60 vehicles nationwide. Caliber plans to donate a minimum of 25 vehicles in 2015 to military service members, veterans and first responders as a way to give back to the communities that Caliber serves.
Announces: A
2015 Third Quarter 2 Training Schedule T
All Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Training Centers feature state-of-the-art teaching tools, such as iPads, to enhance the learning experience for today’s collision repair professions. Explore our robust training programs in a variety of areas designed to improve productivity and profitability. Recipient Blake Maberry with family members
ceived a 2014 Nissan Sentra. “Caliber Collision is a proud supporter of the many brave men and women who serve and protect us,” said Steve Grimshaw, Caliber Collision Chief Executive Officer. “They have carried the load for us, and now, in their time of need, it is our turn to give back and provide a helping hand for these families as they face unique challenges in their lives. We hope these gifts of reliable transportation will help restore these families to the rhythm of their lives.”
20 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Training Center
Date
Dallas
08/03/15
Painter Certification
3
Dallas
08/06/15
Estimating Solutions for Profit
1
Training Course Description
For more information about Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes training visit its training section at: http://www.sherwin-automotive.com/collision-repair/training-support/ or call 1-800-SWULTRA (1-800-798-5872).
Number of Days
Continued from Cover
NACE CARS Tours
with a docent. ■ Wednesday, July 22: Board 12:45pm - Depart 1:15pm - Return 5:00pm ■ Thursday, July 23: Board 8:45am - Depart 9:15am - Return 12:30pm
The Ford Piquette Plant Museum: This is the oldest auto plant open to the public in the world and is the birthplace of the Model T. This tour provides you with a one-of-a-kind experience at a truly historical plant, almost unchanged since Henry Ford and his team developed the car that led to an automotive and social revolution. The tour includes admission to the museum as well as a
guided tour. ■ Wednesday, July 22: Board 1:00pm - Depart 1:30pm - Return 4:00pm ■ Saturday, July 25: Board 11:00am - Depart 11:30am - Return 2:00pm
The Henry Ford Museum: This museum is a destination that showcases American ideas and inventions, past and present, bringing them to life across an expansive space. The display of classic cars, trains, planes, and inventions sweeps across the museum’s nine acres. The tour includes admission to the museum for a selfguided tour. ■ Wednesday, July 22: Board 12:00pm - Depart 12:30pm - Return 5:30pm ■ Saturday, July 25: Board 8:30am - Depart 9:00am - Return 3:30pm
General Motors Heritage Center: The GM North American Heritage Collection is made up of approximately 600 cars and trucks, reflecting industry firsts, technological experiments, concept cars, and significant race cars, as well as milestone production vehicles. The Center also houses a massive collection of archived documents and auto artifacts. The tour includes admission and an introduction by staff. ■ Friday, July 24: Board 9:00am Depart 9:30am - Return 12:30pm Walter P. Chrysler Museum: Sponsored in part by Mopar, this can’t miss tour is guided and includes a lunch at the Viper Cafe on site. The museum covers 55,000-square-feet, featuring
three floors of over 65 antique, custom, and concept vehicles interspersed with interactive displays and historical exhibits about Chrysler’s contributions to automotive design, technology and innovation, as well as their impact on American culture. ■ Wednesday, July 22: Board 11:30am - Depart 12:00pm - Return 4:00pm
General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck (Chevy Volt) Assembly Plant: This tour will begin with an introductory video and presentation, then guests will board motorized carts, which will transport everyone through the assembly area in a guided tour of the facility. The plant is home to every Chevrolet Volt ever manufactured, as well as many other models, including those from throughout the world, and the Cadillac ELR. ■ Friday, July 24: Board 7:30am Depart 8:00am - Return 11:00am
The Conner Avenue (Dodge Viper) Assembly Plant: This plant, originally opened to produce Champion spark plugs in 1966, has been used for smallscale specialty production since 1996, producing vehicles such as the Dodge Viper and Plymouth Prowler. The tour of this plant includes admission and a docent guide. ■ Wednesday, July 22: Board 12:00pm - Depart 12:30pm - Return 3:00pm ■ Friday, July 24: Board 7:00am - Depart 7:30am - Return 10:00am
The Yankee Air Museum: With admission and guided tour included, this museum allows you to experience military aviation history and view sky giants such as the B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-25 Mitchell, the C-47 Skytrain, and others. This aircraft manufacturing complex, which opened in 1941, was an innovation of its time—the first to use Ford’s automotive mass production technique. ■ Saturday, July 25: Board 8:45am - Depart 9:15pm - Return 1:00pm
Diamond Jack River Boat Cruise: This narrated cruise will allow you to see Detroit from a whole new perspective. This tour will allow you to learn about the city’s rich history from the Belle Isle on the Detroit River, the world’s busiest international waterway. ■ Saturday, July 25: Board 11:45am - Depart 12:15pm - Return 3:30pm See NACE CARS Tours, Page 52
www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 21
Takata Admits to Fault in Airbag Design, 34 Million Vehicles, Largest Recall in History Ensues by Victoria Antonelli, Online Editor
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced on May 19 that the air bag manufacturer Takata has acknowledged that a defect exists in its air bag inflators, leading to a national recall of nearly 34 million vehicles. The action, which was initially limited to states with high humidity, has increased the recall to more than 16 million defective passenger-side inflators and more than 17 million driverside inflators. “Vehicles are increasingly bought and sold across state lines and may move long distances across the country … it is in the best interest of consumers to expand this recall to all states,” AAA President Marshall Doney said in a company press release. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) press release, over time, moisture causes changes in the structure of the chemical propellant that ignites when the Takata air bag deploys. The degraded propellant, based on ammonia nitrate — commonly used in fertilizer — ignites too quickly, producing excess pressure that causes the inflator to rupture and sends metal shards into the passenger cabin that can lead to serious injury or death. There have been over 100 injuries linked to faulty Takata airbags. Secretary Foxx announced that the NHTSA issued a Consent Order to Takata. The Japanese manufacturer stated in a May 19 press release, “Under the Consent Order, Takata also has agreed
I-CAR Gold Class Shops and Platinum Techs Get 50% Off
NACE | CARS will offer a 50% discount for I-CAR Gold Class Shops & Platinum Designated individuals, as well as ASE Blue Seal Shops & Master Tech individuals, to attend the conference and exposition July 21-25th in Detroit, MI. This program encourages the top performing shops and individuals to attend the trade show, cutting edge training, and conference sessions at the best price. Shops and individuals who have attained these designations from I-CAR and ASE are highly trained and are some of the most skilled in their respective industry.
to continue to cooperate with all future regulatory actions and proceedings that are part of NHTSA’s ongoing investigation and oversight of the Takata airbag inflators and accompanying remedial actions, continue to respond to all NHTSA information requests in a complete and timely fashion, and continue to provide NHTSA with all test results and data related to Takata inflators, among other provisions. While the Consent Order does not release Takata from potential civil penalties, NHTSA will not seek any civil penalties demanded under its letter dated February 20, 2015, beyond those that may be applicable before May 18, 2015. Under the Consent Order, NHTSA will take into account Takata’s cooperation in seeking any civil penalties against Takata in the future. Takata will work with its automotive customers to develop plans for reaching out to vehicle owners in order to maximize recall completion rates.” In addition, NHTSA announced its intent to begin a formal legal process to prioritize the replacement of defective Takata inflators under the agency’s legal authority. “Today is a major step forward for public safety,” Secretary Foxx said. “The Department of Transportation is taking the proactive steps necessary to ensure that defective inflators are replaced with safe ones as quickly as possible, and that the highest risks are addressed first. We will not stop our work until every air bag is replaced.” According to a May 19 New York Times article, prior to recent investigations, the NHTSA had been criticized
CARS Will Feature Mitchell National Training Manager
Tim McDonnell, Mitchell 1 National Training Manager, in a “Shop Management Unleashed” session brought to you by Mitchell 1 on Wednesday, July 22 from 1pm - 2:30pm at the COBO Center. This session targets those involved with leadership management and mechanical technical tracks, will address the optimization of repair shop efficiency. This session is based on content from Mitchell 1’s popular two-day shop management workshop.
22 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
by lawmakers and safety advocates as being “too lax” on the industry. Back in 2009, the agency opened an investigation on Takata airbags that lasted for only six months due to “insufficient evidence.” The New York Times article credited the NHTSA’s new found vigilance with the appointment of administrator Mark R. Rosekind. “The steps we’re taking today represent significant progress toward that goal. We all know that there is more work to do, for NHTSA, for the auto makers, for parts suppliers, and for consumers,” said Rosekind. “But we are determined to get to our goal as rapidly as possible.” It is expected that the service order of the vehicles will be based on which airbags hold the greatest risk of unsafe deployment, based on age and geographic location. In the New York Times article, Rosekind stated that consumers could still drive their cars in the meantime, considering it could take several years until all repairs are completed. “Although Takata has devoted tremendous resources to these efforts
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with some of the leading researchers in this field worldwide, including Fraunhofer ICT, it is clear that this is a complex issue which takes time to fully evaluate,” Takata stated in a May 19 press release. “The analysis to date suggests that the potential for this long-term phenomenon to occur was not within the scope of the testing specifications prescribed by the vehicle manufacturers for the validation and production of the subject inflators as original equipment.” The Department has established a new website, www.SaferCar.gov /RecallsSpotlight, to provide regular updates on the status of this and other recalls and of NHTSA’s investigation. “With the summer season approaching, we are reminded that 33 million Americans will be hitting the roads in their vehicles for Memorial Day travel and as time passes more motorists remain at risk from the faulty air bags that have been linked to at least 6 deaths [worldwide],” stated Doney in a May 19 press release. “Motorists’ safety is a national issue that is not confined by regional boundaries and should take precedence over profits.”
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www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 23
Industry Insight
—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has a body shop in the family and has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.
Insurers, PartsTrader and CAPA Share News and Views at Non-OEM Parts Convention with John Yoswick
Although non-OEM parts were, not surprisingly, the focus at the recent Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) convention in Chicago, there were plenty of other topics of interest to collision repairers. PartsTrader, for example, announced that vendors can now designate in the system which parts a shop returned and why. A year earlier, parts distributors at the ABPA conference told a PartsTrader speaker that because the monthly fees they pay PartsTrader are based on their total sales through the system, they should be able to indicate in PartsTrader if a part was returned (and thus potentially lower their fees) even if the shop doesn’t indicate the return in the system. “I understand what you’re saying, but I think there’s a little bit of concern if you start returning [in the system] your own orders,” Ken Weiss of PartsTrader responded last spring.
Apparently those concerns have been addressed, because at this year’s ABPA conference, Weiss said suppliers now can do just that. Weiss showed how a shop can designate within PartsTrader that a part has been returned and cite a reason for the return; then he showed parts vendors how they can do that even if the shop hasn’t. “You can open up the order and select the part and select the explanation and hit return,” Weiss told parts vendors. “At that point, it’s a return from the shop on their side as well as on your side. It would be nice if [the shop] did it first, but you have the ability.” Another speaker whose comments may have raised some eyebrows among collision repairers was Allstate’s Randy Hanson who discussed his company’s belief in customer choice in terms of parts. “So if a customer says they want a particular part on their vehicle, ‘I want OEM parts,’ we allow that,” Hanson
24 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
said. “We absolutely accommodate the customer’s request associated with that. We do. We always will.” (Several shops that participate in Allstate’s direct repair program later confirmed this was the case, but a number of shops who aren’t part of Allstate’s DRP said this was the first they’d heard about Allstate’s willingness to honor a customer’s preference for OEM parts.) Hanson also discussed the company’s long-standing support (financial and otherwise) of the Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA). “We believe that certification allows us to tell a very powerful story in terms of the consumer,” Hanson said. “We only use CAPA-certified crash parts on our estimates.” (Even a shop on the Allstate direct repair program subsequently questioned Hanson’s CAPA-only claim. “I believe the adjusters write the lowestpriced part available,” even if those are
non-certified aftermarket parts or lowquality used parts, he said. “They will allow us to change the estimate to the appropriate part,” but that’s not what is always on the initial estimate, he said.) Hanson also weighed in on the future of published list prices for OEM parts. General Motors is launching MyPriceLink in some market this summer. As described by GM last fall, the new system will mean that parts prices would no longer be available within the estimating systems. Instead, shops would need to upload all estimates requiring prices for GM parts to MyPriceLink, which would then return the estimate back with current, competitive prices. (GM has more recently said it has worked with the three estimating system providers to ensure that shops will be able to use the program “with minimal disruption to their existing workflow,” but has provided little in the way of detail.)
NACE heading to California
The complete details about when and where NACE will be held next year won’t be announced formally until the event takes place in Detroit this month. But at the recent Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) convention, Automotive Service Association Executive Director Dan Risley offered a few clues. He said moving forward at least in the short-term NACE will return to Detroit every other year, rotating the other years between a West Coast location and an East Coast location. Though he declined to name any other specific cities that will host NACE in the future, he did say NACE 2016 would be held in California, the first time in the event’s 33-year history it will have been held in that state. The system is expected to give the automaker more flexibility in parts pricing to compete with non-OEM parts. Allstate’s Hanson said he thinks other automakers will eventually follow General Motor’s lead and stop publishing list prices for crash parts. “All of the OEMs are probably going to go down that path,” he predicted. “I think most of them are watching GM to see how it goes.”
Hanson and several other speakers at the ABPA event made reference to the February 11 “Anderson Cooper 360” segment on CNN examining insurer involvement in the collision repair industry. Hanson told the non-OEM parts suppliers at the event that the message of the segment was damaging to their industry. “It rang pretty loud and clear to me. I heard ‘cheap’ and I heard ‘junk,’”
Hanson said. “And I know that’s not the case, but that was the message they wanted to send. Those things are damaging. They take time to recover from. That’s not the case, but how do you find the right outlet to continue to tell your story? I can tell you that I tell your story every day, and I will continue to do that.” Bob Passmore of the Property-Casualty Insurance Association of America (PCI) said his organization also is watching to see if Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) follows through on references he’s made in the CNN piece and elsewhere to “wanting to do something about direct repair programs” at a federal level. “We have no idea what that is but we continue to try to engage him to see what he’s up to,” Passmore said. Sen. Blumenthal has not made any public comments about any legislation he might introduce related to DRPs, but earlier this year he did urge the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether insurers are directing consumers to collision repair shops that have agreed “to charge below-market labor rates and to use cheaper, salvaged, used or even counterfeit parts of questionable quality and safety.”
Speaker Jack Gillis, executive director of CAPA, also said his organization has been working with Sen. Blumenthal and his staff. “I’m relatively optimistic that the Senator is going to be a strong supporter of quality aftermarket parts,” Gillis said. “He knows about the CAPA program. He believes in certification, and he also believes that competition for the car companies is very important. So I’m pretty confident that we can work closely with the Senator’s office and turn him around in terms of aftermarket parts.” Gillis also offered a brief update on his organization, noting that when CAPA was founded it was funded virtually entirely by the insurance industry. “When I started 26 years ago, almost 100 percent of our funding was from the insurers,” Gillis said. “Today we’re down to about 11 percent. We now have the ability as a much more independent organization to work solely in the best interests of consumers and the industry. And that’s our goal.” Gillis said CAPA also is in the process of developing standards to certify non-OEM radiators, condensers, fan assemblies and external mirrors.
www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 25
Atlanta I-CAR Committee’s 6th Annual Golf Tournament Raises Over $35,000 by Chasidy Rae Sisk
On April 23, the Atlanta I-CAR Committee held their 6th Annual Golf Tournament at the Golf Club at Bradshaw
participants from all segments of the collision repair industry, including industry leaders, representatives from paint and parts suppliers, insurance companies and body shops. Maxwell High School of Technology’s Vice Principal also attended in recognition of the support the school has received from the Atlanta I-CAR Committee. Participants had the opportunity to win a variety of prizes, including golf equipment, two iPAD Airs, a tablet, tickets to local events and much more.
Farm in Woodstock, GA. The event allowed the Atlanta I-CAR Committee to generate more funds than it ever had in previous years, which were then donated to the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF). Gerry Poirier, Chairman of the Atlanta I-CAR Committee, felt the tournament “went very well. The temperature was in the midseventies, so we couldn’t ask for better weather.” The Atlanta I-CAR Committee’s 2015 Golf TournaGolfers goof off in between holes ment yielded over $35,500 in proceeds, a significant increase over Some prizes were donated, while others were purchased by the Atlanta I-CAR Committee. Golf tournament registration cost $100 per golfer and included 27 holes of golf, range balls, cart fees, three drink tickets, contest holes, lunch, a reception dinner and a goody bag. Poirier has only received Atlanta I-CAR Committee’s 6th Annual Golf tournament positive feedback from attentook place at the Golf Club at Bradshaw Farm dees, many of whom praised their previous record of $27,000 for a the event as “one of the best golf tourtotal of over $125,000 that the Atlanta I-CAR Committee has raised in support of CREF over the past six years. The Committee believes that supporting CREF is vital to the industry’s future, and Poirier states, “We want to ensure that schools’ collision repair programs have the funds and equipment necessary to prepare these students This year, 25 of 27 holes were sponsored by industry vendors to enter a career in the collision repair naments in the Atlanta area, especially industry. It’s important to attract new for networking, as all industry segments people into this field.” are represented.” This year’s event attracted 204 The 2015 Golf Tournament also en-
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26 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Poirier and the rest of the Atlanta I-CAR Committee were “extremely pleased” with this year’s sold-out event which was the second year that the golf tournament was held at the 27-hole course. Poirier notes, “The speed of play, as well as the registration process, went very well. This year’s event once again exceeded my expectations, and I would like to thank all
Attendees enjoy refreshments
joyed an increase in sponsorships with 18 main sponsors as well as three premium sponsors, compared to one premium sponsor in 2014. In 2014, only 21 of the 27 holes were sponsored, but this year saw an increase to 25 holes with sponsorships. In addition to many repeat sponsors who’ve supported the event for six years, the Atlanta I-CAR Committee was excited at the addition of several new sponsors. Expressing the Committee’s gratitude, Poirier states, Golfers enjoyed a beautiful day at the course “We are very appreciative of all the sponsors who supported this year’s the volunteer members of the Atlanta Itournament - it is because of them that CAR Committee who made this tournawe are so successful!” ment such a success!”
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Mike Anderson Explains How Learning an Employee’s “Love Language” Can Benefit Your Business at CARSTAR Event in CA by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor
Mike Anderson recently spoke to a room full of 150 people about the “Five Love Languages” during a CARSTAR event in Carlsbad, CA on June 13. One might be curious why this dynamic, inspirational speaker chose to talk about love at an auto body conference. Anderson explained that feeling loved or appreciated motivates us. Mike Anderson He said that by finding out how your employees feel most appreciated, it can ultimately benefit your business. Based on a book written by Dr. Gary Chapman, entitled “The Five Love Languages for Couples,” Anderson taught attendees how to understand and speak the five love languages, not only to their spouse and children, but also how to apply it to coworkers, teammates and employees. “People speak many different lan-
guages of love. If someone does not understand what you’re saying, then what you mean to say is lost,” said Anderson, founder of CollisionAdvice.com. “People are motivated by different things. You can find out what makes them feel appreciated.” During the presentation, Anderson discussed how he used this tech-
change during a crisis. He invited the CARSTAR employees and owners to participate in a 30-question survey to find their own love language. Afterwards, he explained how love languages can apply to the workplace. He referred to it as the five languages of appreciation and recommended the
nique at his own body shop with much success. When hiring employees he always tested their “love language.” Some of the benefits he found include improved cycle time, an enhanced work climate, less turnover, more productivity, better customer service and improved profitability and teamwork. Anderson said your “love language” is established when you are a child, although it can temporarily
book, “The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace” written by Gary Chapman and Paul White. “What makes one person feel appreciated is different than another,” he explained. He also said there is a difference between appreciation and recognition. Some companies that adopt employee recognition programs can still have low moral. “People don’t want to be recognized. They want to feel appre-
“The number one reason people stay at a company is that they feel valued and appreciated,” said Mike Anderson
ciation,” he said. Studies show that more than 80 percent of employees say they are motivated to work harder when their boss shows them appreciation. Fifty percent said they would stay longer if they felt appreciated by their boss. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 64 percent of employees who leave their jobs say they did so because they didn’t feel appreciated. Anderson stressed the importance of building a culture where employees feel appreciated. “If the only time we interact with people is when they make a mistake, they don’t feel appreciated,” said Anderson. According to a Gallup Poll he cited, 70 percent of people say they receive no praise in the workplace. He said this can lead to a lack of connectedness with others, the organization and its goals. Team members who feel discouraged and complain about their jobs ultimately end up looking for other employment. “Only 12 percent leave their job See Love Language, Page 37
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28 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs. HO N DA T EX AS
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Bankston Honda
Honda of Frisco
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Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 www.bankstonhonda.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-5:30 cedgar@mcdavid.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6 sales@wholesalepartsdirect.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 hondaparts@walkerautomotive.com
Benson Honda
Honda of San Marcos
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Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 9-5 csmith@hondasanmarcos.com
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Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 parts@cleobay.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-3 partsmgr@howdyhonda.com
Fenton Honda of Longview
Russell & Smith Honda
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800-228-1910 903-753-5921 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4 victor.ortega@fentonmotors.com
Honda Cars of McKinney M cK in ne y
972-569-4276 972-569-4222 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 Gene.chenault@hendrickauto.com
H o us t o n
800-833-0180 713-663-4266 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 7-4 ggregory@russellsmith.com
Rusty Wallis Honda D a ll a s
OKLAHOM A
Walker Honda
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Don Carlton Honda Tu l s a
800-722-2379 918-622-9670 Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7-6 hondaparts@doncarlton.com
Garcia Honda A l b u q u e rq u e
800-677-6632 505-260-5002 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8:30-5 Jscott@garciacars.com
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888-550-7278 918-664-2300 Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7-6 acuraparts@doncarlton.com
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www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 29
Lean Operations
A Better Way to Measure Cycle Time with David Luehr
For those of you that are using your management system to measure your cycle time, congratulations! Too often, collision repair shops don’t measure their shop’s cycle time performance, instead allowing our insurance partners to measure it for us with questionable reliability. Much of the cycle time information that insurers use to measure & judge you by, is derived from rental car length of rental “LOR.” While this outside information can be useful, you are much better off using detailed cycle time measurements that will contribute to your shop’s continuous improvement. Cycle time is usually measured in terms of days from vehicle drop off to vehicle pick-up. What has come to be
David Luehr is the owner of Elite Body Shop Solutions, LLC, a collision business consulting firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a 30 year veteran of the collision repair industry. David is an expert in Body Shop Operations and specializes in Lean, and Theory of Constraints methods. Email him at dluehr@msn.com
keys cycle time performance.
• Vehicle In to Start ■ Use this segment to measure how long it takes to get a vehicle from drop-off to production ready. “Production ready” is your shop’s definition of when the vehicle is ready to flow seamlessly through the body work and refinish stages of production. For most shops that means blueprinting has been completed, full approval from the customer and insurance companies has been obtained and all critical parts are on hand. Once this criteria has been met and there is an available technician to work on it, enter the start date. For most shops this time segment averages 1 day (same day) for jobs under
can measure this segment in either days or in hours per day. Things that have the biggest effect on your suc-
this time segment, assuming you are diligent about your date management.
cess or failure while vehicles are in production are things like blueprint accuracy, parts correctness etc. Top shops will typically produce between 4.0 to 6.0 Hours per day while the vehicle is in the Started to Completed segment.
Take control of your cycle time performance by taking a deeper look into the individual areas that affect the overall cycle time performance. As you have heard, you cannot improve what you don’t measure. By viewing your computerized management system’s cycle time report, you can analyze this information, but you have to first be diligent with your date management. If you would like more information about how you can apply this date management strategy at your shop, please contact me at david.luehr@elite bodyshopsolutions.com
• Repairs Completed to Vehicle Out ■ This time segment is probably the most overlooked area of cycle time opportunity. How long does it take you to get rid of the cars when you get them finished? Your management system cycle time reports will also show you how you are performing in
TOYOTA of LAREDO • Toyota Star Elite Dealer • Free Delivery to All of Texas • Free Toyota Electronic Parts Catalogue for our Wholesale Customers known as “keys to keys.” As I said, knowing your keys to keys cycle time and comparing it against a known standard is helpful to know, but it doesn’t really help you identify specifically where in your system improvement opportunities lie. I offer a better way! In every computerized management system, there are three separate time segments that you should use in addition to looking at your keys to
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$1500, 2 days for $1500-$4000, and 5 days for the heavy hit $4000+ jobs. The overall goal is 3 days on average for all jobs.
• Repairs Started to Repairs Completed ■ This is the most important segment of time because it is the only segment where anybody makes any money! For that reason, you clearly want to measure this segment of time. You
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Media and Publicity for Shops
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Body Shop Advertising with Ed Attanasio
You’ve decided to do some advertising—in your local newspaper, radio station, TV or cable station, but are wondering what can you say in your ads without getting into trouble? If your ad is effective, consumers will hopefully see it and/or hear it, but also remember—your competitors will too! Even though you have the best of intentions, if your advertisement is deemed false and misleading, it could become your worst nightmare. Unlawful advertising is one of the most frequently ways why California auto repair shops get into trouble with the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR), leading to civil and criminal penalties, disciplinary action and revocation of your BAR license. The fact that you didn’t know the information in your advertisement was misleading or deceiving is irrelevant. Recently, we sat down with Jack Molodanof, an attorney and lobbyist who has been specializing in automotive legislative, administrative and regulatory law for the last 30 years. He’s considered an expert in CaliforJack Molodanof is nia for the automoan attorney and tive repair industry lobbyist who has and represents sevbeen specializing in eral of the largest automotive legislastate-wide automotive, administrative and regulatory law tive repair associafor the last 30 tions, including the years and repreCalifornia Autosents body shops body Association in numerous cases and the Automotive Service Councils of California. Molodanof also serves on the California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) Advisory Group, which provides input on BAR programs. Below are some of Molodanof's Do’s and Don’ts with regard to automotive repair dealer advertising and how to comply and stay out of trouble. If you don’t dot your I’s and cross your T’s, the penalties for getting caught surely aren’t petty. In fact, the BAR disciplinary guidelines for getting busted for misleading advertising are a minimum penalty of 180 days suspension, two years probation and
the maximum penalty also means that your license is revoked.
Do’s Perform all Services as Advertised. “This seems so obvious but you would be surprised how often it is violated,” Molodanof explained. “You must perform/sell the services/parts in the advertisement as advertised. If you advertise a free service, without charge or at specified price you must perform the service as advertised, otherwise you can be accused of using “bait and switch” tactics. Be sure there are no unstated terms or conditions that qualify the offer. If there are limits, state them clearly and conspicuously. What is important is the overall impression created by the advertisement, not the technical truthfulness of the individual parts. Taken as a whole, the advertisement must fairly inform the ordinary consumer.” Clear and Conspicuous Disclosures. “All ads must accurately, clearly and conspicuously disclose all pertinent information about the services. This includes all conditions and disclaimer statements,” Molodanof said. “If you advertise specific credit terms, you must provide all relevant details, including down payment, terms of repayment, and the annual interest rate. See BAR regulations section 3372.1 (d).Disclosure Statements. “If you know or should have known that the advertised service cannot usually be performed in a good and workmanlike manner without additional parts, services or labor, you must disclose that additional labor, parts or services are often needed, to that extent.” According to BAR guidelines, any such disclosure statement shall indicate that many instances of performance of the service involve extra cost and, if the automotive dealer reasonably expects that the extra cost will be more than 25% of the advertised costs, that the extra cost may be substantial. The type size shall be at least ½ the type size used in the advertised price and the statement shall either be shown near the price or shall prominently footnoted through use of an asterisk or similar reference. See BAR regulations section 3372.1 (d)Include Name & Ad-
32 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
dress. The advertisement must include the auto repair dealer’s name and address as they appear on the BAR registration certificate. See BAR regulations section 3371 (a)Telephone Numbers. If a telephone number appears in an advertisement or on an advertising sign, this number shall be the same number as that listed for the dealer’s firm name and address in the telephone directory or in telephone company records. See BAR regulations section 3371 (b)
Don’ts False & Misleading Advertisements. “Failing to perform, as advertised will get you in trouble,” Molodanof said. “An advertisement that is false or misleading is illegal. An advertisement that fails to disclose information or is unclear may be unlawful if the public is likely to be deceived” Bus & Prof section 17500 Not intending to sell as Advertised: Bait and Switch. “Advertising
Don Carlton ACURA OF TULSA
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Member of the Tulsa Parts Connection
goods and services with the intent not to sell them as advertised and then switching them for other goods or services that are at a higher price or on terms more advantageous to the automotive repair shop is unlawful,” Molodanof said. Civil Code 1770 (a) (9). Examples include using a photo that misrepresents the advertised item; showing an item that is not suited for the purposes represented in the advertisement; advertising claims based on flawed research; disparagement of products or services of others; false testimonials or endorsements and false offers for free products, rebates or contests. Mislead the extent of anticipated services. According to BAR, It is unlawful if the advertisement has the capacity to mislead the public as to the extent that anticipated parts; labor or other services are included in the advertised price. See BAR regulations section 3372.1 (b)Mislead as to additional related repairs and services. It is
Don Carlton
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also unlawful if the advertisement for service or repair has the capacity to mislead the public as to the need for additional related parts, labor or other services; See BAR regulations section 3372.1 (c). Offering services that cannot be performed at advertised price. It is considered false and misleading if you know or should have known that the advertised service cannot usually be performed in a good and workmanlike manner without additional parts, services or labor. See BAR regulations section 3372.1 (d)Many shops see other shops advertising the claim that they can pay their customers’ deductibles and the main question is— can they do that? “The law about advertising that a shop will cover the customer’s deductible is OK as long as the shop does not deviate from the insurance company accepted estimate,” according to Molodanof. California’s penal code is clear on this topic. A shop may not waive or discount a customer’s deductible if it means the shop will deviate from the insurer company accepted estimate. Except in cases in which the amount of repair has been determined by the insurer and the repair services are per-
formed in accordance with that determination, it is unlawful for a shop to offer or give any discount intended to offset a deductible required by a policy of insurance covering repairs. The law does not prohibit an advertisement for repair at a discount as long as the amount of the repair has been determined by the insurer and the repair is performed in accordance with that determination. See Penal Code section 551 (b).
Be careful when making any promotional offer, Molodanof warns. “With any free give away, the old adage applies: If it's too good to be true, it usually is. Also the BAR regulators I speak with confirm that one way they investigate shops is to review their auto shop ads, websites, social media, etc. Remember the ads not only attract customers, but they also attract regulators too! The shop could become a target and have a big bull’s eye if the ad falls into one of the don’t categories. Also competitors turn in shops (forward ads to BAR) if they feel the ad is too effective and is taking business from them, so make sure if you offer something free or at a discount, you can back it up.”
What is the Standard to test Advertising Compliance? In determining whether any advertisement, statement, or representation is false or misleading, it shall be considered in its entirety as it would be read or heard by persons to whom it is designed to appeal. An advertisement, statement, or representation shall be considered to be false or misleading if it tends to deceive the public or impose upon credulous or ignorant persons. See BAR regulations section 3372. If the answer is yes, or if you are in doubt, you better go back to the drawing board and make sure it’s compliant.
Bar regulations refers to California Code of Regulations If you ever have any questions regarding BAR compliance and California automotive repair laws, feel free to contact Jack Molodanof at: 2200 L Street Sacramento, CA 95816; Phone 916-447-0313; e-mail address: jack@ mgrco.org; website www.mgrco.org
Major Paint Companies Will Color-up NACE | CARS
AkzoNobel, Axalta, BASF, Matrix, PPG Automotive Refinish, and Valspar-House of Kolor have committed to NACE | CARS 2015 with exhibit space and sponsorships. Companies closely related to the paint market actively participating, as well, including 3M, DeVilbiss, Pro-Spray Finishes, Painters Supply & Equipment Co., Anest Iwata, UniCure Spraybooths, DHI Equipment, Shop-Pro Equipment, Inc., and more. “Having the support of the paint companies is significant to the success of NACE,” stated Dan Risley, ASA President and Executive Director. “Historically, the paint companies have represented some of the biggest supporters of the show and the industry. Attendees routinely seek the paint manufacturers while walking the show floor, and this years lineup of demonstrations and displays will not disappoint.” In addition to exhibits and sponsorships, spray demonstrations will also take place on the show floor highlighting new paint technologies, colors, color matching, and more.
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An Albuquerque, NM Shop’s 30-Year Committment to Excellence Randy Luce, owner of Jay Walton Automotive in Albuquerque, New Mexico, said his business has set the standard in collision repair for more than 30 years. As one of the nation’s exclusive NAPA Collision Care Centers, Luce said it’s an automotive repair center that has built its business on quality and integrity. “This is evidenced by the fact that Jay Walton Automotive was the first auto repair shop in New Mexico to become an AAA approved shop in 1991,” said Luce. Accolades awarded to Jay Walton Automotive include an ICAR Gold Class standard – a level that about 10 percent of body shops in the country have achieved. The shop has been honored with the Super Service Award from Angie’s List®. It also utilizes only ASE certified technicians—something its principal owner said he saw as very reassuring to customers— both repeat and new. “Jay Walton Automotive is a full service auto repair facility serving the Albuquerque area for over 30 years. We are a family-owned and operated business that is committed to excellence and customer satisfaction,” said Luce. “Our repair facility strives to exceed customer expectations and our customer reviews prove it, being awarded the Autochex Premier Achiever in Customer Satisfac-
tion for three consecutive years. Luce said customers often tell him how much they appreciate that his business offers the NAPA “Peace of Mind” warranty. This covers parts and labor on qualifying repairs and services for 24 months/24,000 miles. It also includes a lifetime warranty on all paint work. Luce said the shop is able to do this because it features a state-of-the-art computerized paint booth and color matching capabilities, which include in-
collision centers like ours that specialize in high-quality repairs and refinishing that have to meet these regulations.” Luce said Jay Walton Automotive isn’t just about quality repairs; it’s about quality customer service as well. “Whether customer’s vehicles have major damage or whether it is minor, our collision and mechanical repair teams understand the stress of not having a vehicle,” he said. “Working directly with the insurance company and arranging a rental car pick-up are just a couple of ways that Jay Walton Automotive helps to reduce stress.”
house tinting and paint mixing. For almost 15 years, the shop has used NAPA genuine parts and Martin Senour automotive finishes. In regard to using Martin Senour, Luce said, “We use the brand’s ‘greenest and cleanest’ paint available for our customers’ vehicles. It meets the strictest North American VOC (volatile organic compounds) standards; in this case, we use its VORTEX® waterborne basecoat. This is especially suited for high-volume
A Look at the Shop’s History: The history of auto repair at Jay Walton Automotive’s Central Ave location in Albuquerque dates back to 1967 with a business called Auto Repair Service. Ironically, Luce started work there in 1972 as a teenager. During this time, eventual owner Jay Walton was beginning his career in the automotive field with Chevron Oil Company as a service representative. In 1974, he opened his first service station in Albuquerque, adding two more soon thereafter. In 1982, Walton purchased Auto Repair Service and renamed it Jay Walton Automotive. With a commitment to excellence, he soon expanded to a fullservice repair facility. After hiring Luce
of the four accidents, all of which involved speeds of less than 10 mph. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he/she was not authorized to discuss the reports publicly. Five other companies have testing permits. In response to questions from the AP, all said they had no accidents. Forty eight cars are licensed to test on public roads. John Simpson, a longtime critic of Google as privacy project director of the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog, pointed out that the company’s ultimate goal is a car without a steering wheel or pedals. That would mean a person has no power to intervene if a car lost control, making it “even more important that the details of any accidents be made public – so people know what the heck’s going on.” A selling point for self-driving cars is safety. Their cameras, radar and laser sensors give them a far more detailed understanding of their surroundings than humans have. Their reaction times also should be faster. Cars could be programmed to adjust if they sense a crash coming—move a few feet, tighten the
seat belts, honk the horn or flash the lights in hope of alerting a distracted driver. A higher priority so far is teaching them to avoid causing a serious accident that could set public and political acceptance of the technology back years, said Raj Rajkumar, a pioneer of the technology with Carnegie Mellon University. In the October accident involving Delphi, the front of its 2014 Audi SQ5 was moderately damaged when, as it waited to make a left turn, another car broadsided it, according to an accident report the company shared with AP. The car was not in self-driving mode, Delphi spokeswoman Kristen Kinley said. Google, which has 23 Lexus SUVs, would not discuss its three accidents in detail. The accidents are not Google’s first: A year ago, the leader of Google’s self-driving car program acknowledged three others between when the company first sent cars onto public roads six years ago—without the state’s official permission— and May 2014. In a written statement, Google said that since September, cars driving on streets near its headquarters in Mountain
Jay Walton Automotive in Albuquerque, NM
to work with him, Walton noticed he shared his commitment to excellence and promoted him to be his general manager. Luce served in that capacity for more than 20 years. When Walton retired in 2007, he sold his business to Luce and his wife Sandi. In honor of Walton’s legacy, they decided to maintain the shop’s name and continue the commitment to excellence established by Walton. In addition to providing customers with full-service car care and complete collision repair services, Jay Walton Automotive has a full service custom shop. = Luce Customs does everything from show quality paint jobs to complete custom builds and restoration, including fabrication and mechanical. Randy’s son, Caleb, runs the custom shop and is now in the process of creating a show quality re-build of a 1964 classic Ford Thunderbird. This will be a pro-touring car with extensive modifications. Named “the Dir-T-bird,” it will be unveiled in the NAPA/Martin Senour booth at the 2015 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV this November. “Our one-stop repair facility gets customers back on the road in the shortest amount of time possible,” said Luce. We are a family-owned and operated business that is committed to excellence and customer satisfaction.”
Self-Driving Cars Allowed on California Roads Getting Dinged, Four out of 50 Have Minor Damage
Four of the nearly 50 self-driving cars now rolling around California have gotten into accidents since September, when the state began issuing permits for companies to test them on public roads. Two accidents happened while cars were in control; in the other two, the person who still must be behind the wheel was driving, a person familiar with the accident reports told Associated Press. Three involved Lexus SUVs that Google Inc. outfitted with sensors and computing power in its aggressive effort to develop “autonomous driving,” a goal the tech giant shares with traditional automakers. The parts supplier Delphi Automotive had the other accident with one of its two test vehicles. Google and Delphi said their cars were not at fault in any accidents, which the companies said were minor. Since September, accidents must be reported to the state Department of Motor Vehicles. The agency said there have been four, but would not comment about fault or anything else, citing CA law that collision reports are confidential. The person familiar with the accident reports said the cars were in self-driving mode in two
34 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
View had “a handful of minor fenderbenders, light damage, no injuries, so far caused by human error and inattention.” Google said that while safety is paramount some accidents can be expected, given that its cars have gone “the equivalent of over 15 years of typical human driving” since fall. That would be approximately 140,000 miles. Google said its cars have gone over 700,000 miles in self-driving mode since they first hit the road in 2009. The national rate for reported “property-damage-only crashes” is about 0.3 per 100,000 miles driven, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In that context, Google’s three in about 140,000 miles may seem high. As the company pointed out, however, perhaps five million minor accidents are not reported to authorities each year, so it is hard to gauge how typical Google’s experience is. Three other states have passed laws welcoming self-driving cars onto their roads. Regulators in Nevada, Michigan and Florida said they were not aware of any accidents.
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New Product Showcase
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
New System Helps Shops to Get Reimbursed for PLIOGRIP® Adhesive Usage with Ed Attanasio
For many years, body shops have not been able to precisely quantify how much adhesive they are using on each particular repair. By basically guessing and operating in the dark when it comes to figuring out the volume used to perform plastic repair and related procedures, shops have not been getting properly reimbursed from the insurance companies, in many cases. Well, according to the people at PLIOGRIP and Bonding Solutions, there is now an app that will allow body techs to report exact numbers when it comes to their adhesive usage on every repair. It’s called the PLIOGRIP Material Cost Recovery System —the brainchild of Jeff Miller, PLIOGRIP’s technical sales manager and developed by Shaun Worthen, a former body tech who now works as an independent insurance adjustor and moonlights as an app developer. Miller believes that this app is a breakthrough that will benefit both body shops and insurance companies. “We wanted to come up with a system that would be fair for the shops and the insurance companies and I am confident that we’ve achieved both,” Miller explained. ”In the past, collision repairers were using a method that wasn’t providing them with definitive numbers that everyone could really count on. They were relying on a visual inspection and getting close, but now they don’t have to settle for just a ballpark figure. With this app, we’re eliminating the guesswork and making the process for reimbursement easier for the shops by using the latest technology available.” It all comes down to documentation and an accurate way to quantify the use of a product that has been traditionally hard to get a bead on, according to Shaun Worthen, the developer of the PLIOGRIP Material Cost Recovery System. “Most insurance companies don’t ask questions when it comes to reimbursement about paint and paint-related materials, but when it comes to adhesives, they will sometimes be a little reluctant. But, if they can get accurate numbers that are well-supported,
This screen shot from the new PLIOGRIP Material Cost Recovery System shows that techs can easily create an invoice showing exactly how much adhesive they’re using on each repair, thereby increasing their chances of getting reimbursed by the insurance company
we’re confident that the insurers will be comfortable with our system, which means that the shops will be compensated.” The system will allow users to measure how much adhesive they’re using on every repair by picking a bead size and then accurately measuring the amount used in linear feet. With dropdown boxes and intuitive navigation throughout, the PLIOGRIP Material Cost Recovery System also contains a calculator and an area where the user can make notes about the repair. At the end of the process, they now have a concise invoice that can be submitted electronically to the insurance company. Developing the app wasn’t an easy process, but after eight months of hard work and after looking at 10 different interface designs, the system was ready to stick. “We knew it had to be easy-touse and we also wanted it to be simple for techs to accurately gauge how much adhesive they’re using. We made it as straightforward as it can be, with fewer steps, so that techs can use it and then move on to the next job without inputting a bunch of information that isn’t crucial.” Josh Lofrano from F. Lofrano &
36 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Son in San Francisco and Marin County, CA manages one of his family’s shops in San Rafael, CA and has had an opportunity to look at the recovery system prior to hitting the market. He definitely sees a need for the system and anticipates using it on a daily basis. “Finding a system that can help us to get compensated for the PLIOGRIP adhesives that we use is important” Lofrano said. “With four locations, we do a lot of plastic work and in many ways, measuring the usage of any product is an iffy proposition. Now with this system, we’ll be able to capture more revenue on each plastic repair we do, which will help the bottom line and make us more effective overall.”
For shops that are interested in incorporating the PLIOGRIP Material Cost Recovery System into their production, Miller explained how to get it. “It’s free to use, but you have to be either a jobber or a shop customer of PLIOGRIP,” he said. “All of our 75 reps nationwide will have the system on their iPads after June 1st and they can show you how to use it. They’ll set you up with a username and a password and then you can try it out.” Miller thinks it will quickly become the go-to system for body techs from the Big Apple all the way to the City by the Bay, he said. “The PLIOGRIP Material Cost Recovery System will enable shops to make a profit on every plastic repair they perform, which means more money stays in the shop. Every shop owner in the country will appreciate the accuracy, accountability and timesaving qualities of this system.”
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Continued from Page 27
Love Language
to earn more money,” said Anderson. “Nine out of 10 look for a new job because they don’t feel appreciated.” Typically the most qualified and best trained employees leave and when they do it can be costly to hire and train someone new. A decline in productivity and overall low moral can also result. He pointed out the old school mentality among managers that no longer applies—“I pay them so they should be thankful for a job.” He said this no longer applies.” The number one reason people stay at a company is that they feel valued and appreciated,” said Anderson. “Employees desire to feel safe and secure. Showing appreciation provides security!” And he said improved employee satisfaction leads to higher CSI scores. Although Anderson said there are always roadblocks to implement new ideas in the workplace, “If our employees feel appreciated and satisfied with their jobs, they will look forward to coming to work. This is a huge com-
petitive advantage.” He encouraged participants to take the time to learn their employees’ languages of appreciation and consider purchasing the books for more details. By making the effort, ultimately there are multiple benefits for your business. “A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected.” For more information, contact Mike Anderson at mike@collisionadvice.com, call 301-535-3333 or visit www.collisionadvice.com. The Five Languages of Love
Words of Affirmation – Your unsolicited comments and encouragement mean the world to this person. They should be encouraging, humble and kind. He said women like to hear people praise them for who they are and men like to hear people praise them for what they do. In the workplace this translates into praising an employee’s personality and complimenting their character, whether it is your company’s bookkeeper or body tech. “Character is what a person will do when no one is look-
ing,” said Anderson.
Quality Time – For some people nothing says more than undivided attention. This includes quality conversation and activities. Whether it is participating in an office activity together or community service, Anderson said it doesn’t have to take a long period of time. “Some people desire shared experiences,” he said. The key is to remember that if someone does not participate, do not take it personally. It is just not their language of appreciation.
Receiving Gifts – This does not always have to be monetary but can be the gift of time. Anderson suggests finding out your employees’ interests and hobbies so the giver actually knows what is important and valued by the recipient. Movie tickets, gift cards and tickets to sporting events are just some of the examples he used. He also said that finding out your employees’ birthdays and anniversaries, it is even more personal.
Acts of Service – For these people, actions speak louder than words. In the workplace, Anderson reminded at-
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tendees to be sure that the person wants assistance and find out the way he or she wants it done. This might mean staying late to help them get the job done or be their helper for the day. “The single driver of engagement is whether or not workers feel their managers are genuinely interested in their well being,” said Anderson.
Physical Touch – For this person nothing speaks more than physical touch. It is the lowest language of appreciation for most people in the workplace. Displays of fist bumps, high five’s, a pat on the back and even a two-handed hand shake are most common.
The Five Love Languages Quiz is available on the Autobody News website.
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Cal-West: Where Silicon Valley and the Collision Industry Meet In 1980, Cal-West moved into a 22,000 sq. ft. building and the business Cal-West Specialty Coatings, Inc. is in grew rapidly as Silicon Valley exSunnyvale, CA; right smack in the ploded. By now, Woodhall was incormiddle of Silicon Valley. Facebook, porating new production processes into Google, Intel and many of the world’s his shop and started working primarily leading high-tech companies are all on Porsches, Mercedes-Benzes and within a 5-10 minute drive from CalBMWs, because when the money startWest’s facility—encountering a ing flowing in the valley, German vehiGoogle self-driving car in the neighcles became more prevalent. In Silicon borhood is an everyday occurrence. Valley’s heyday, Woodhall was fixing Start-ups crop up faster than new comcars for many of the top names in the mercial buildings can be built in time high-tech game, including Apple coto house them and if you’re not workfounder Steve Jobs and Robert Noyce, ing for stock options or anticipating a who co-founded Fairchild Semiconlooming IPO, you’re likely looking for ductor and Intel and invented the intethe next new thing. grated circuit. In 1982, Cal-West became just the second shop in the country to spray Sikkens paint and was also the first to use a production line process to improve efficiency and quality. The shop was also the first to use a computer management system to manage a repair facility. Later, Woodhall developed his own cutting-edge shop management system that was ultimately sold to 3M. Founder Ed Woodhall (left) and Vice-President Brian There were many other Wong have taken a Silicon Valley approach to creating cutting-edge products at Cal-West Specialty Coatings, firsts in Woodhall’s career in Inc. is in Sunnyvale, CA. The company is probably bestcollision, but he is best known known for the invention of Slime, the collision industry’s for is the invention of Slime, first liquid overspray mask the industry’s first liquid overspray mask. Although he has invented Cal-West is a Silicon Valley success story that began when a body a wide range of other body shop prodshop owner had a problem and was ucts over the years, Slime is still his seeking a solution, which eventually company’s most widely-used product. led to the invention of several products For over twenty-five years, Calthat today are used in body shops all West Specialty Coatings has been the over the planet. Owner and Inventor leader in innovative products that preEd Woodhall, 69, opened his collision pare and protect high-value surfaces repair shop in 1970 in Sunnyvale, CA during construction, refinish, and inand named it Cal-West. He was just transit operations. Cal-West’s cus24, but already had big ideas that tomers include some of the world’s would eventually change the collision largest, most respected companies industry forever. Today, he’s known as who distribute its products globally, a pioneer in more ways than one—as serving a broad range of markets inan innovator, inventor and the creator cluding automotive, marine, manufacof state-of-the-art products, processes turing, construction and aerospace. and systems. But in the beginning, Woodhall’s The genesis of Slime goes back to 1989 main concern was getting enough cars “We were running into overspray isto fix and keeping his doors open. sues primarily with Porsches and even “NASA laid off a lot of engineers though we were masking the cars the shortly after opening the shop, so we old way (with tape, plastic and paper) lost those customers,” he said. “But, we we still had overspray,” he said. “To did whatever we could to stay afloat, satisfy these demanding customers, we which meant buying used cars, repairstarted experimenting with a protective ing them and re-selling them. The busicoating we could spray that wouldn’t ness grew steadily and by 1979, we damage the finish when the time came were ready to get a new facility.” to remove it. Slime was ideal, because by Ed Attanasio
38 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
all you have to do is rinse it off when you’re done.” After arduous testing, Woodhall went out and got Slime patented. Body techs using the product began calling it Slime from Ghostbusters, a popular movie of the time and the rest is collision history. Since hitting the market, Cal-West has sold millions of gallons of Slime and today there are more than 40 million cars that have been protected by the product. When Woodhall’s Slime took off and gained traction worldwide, CalWest stopped being a body shop and became Cal-West Specialty Coatings, Inc. “At the time, I was thrilled—kind of,” Woodhall said. “The product was becoming popular fast, but I still had a whole new company to manage in addition to a flourishing shop. So, I sold the body shop and embarked on a whole new adventure.” Every product that Cal-West designs and sells either through wellknown private labels or under its Like90 brand is designed to be easyto-use, so that people can be adept at using it rather quickly. “We make products that are designed to improve the lives of body shop techs and painters and we achieve that by making things that are new and unique,” Woodhall said. “We are always looking for something that can enable them to be better and more efficient at their jobs. For example, having a clean booth is critical and our new clean booth products can reduce contaminants by 50% and make an old booth look new in just two hours.” Cal-West products are designed to be as green as possible without sacrificing quality and performance, according to the company’s VP, Brian Wong. Wong is a Silicon Valley veteran, who worked for Atari during its glory years and was one of the founders of Worlds of Wonder, a $400 million toy manufacturer that’s best known for the Teddy Ruxpin Bear. “One of the biggest sources of solid waste in a collision repair facility is the plastic film used to protect vehicles from paint overspray,” Wong said. “This plastic invariably ends up in landfills, where it lingers for a few thousand years. A typical vehicle requires 125 to 150 square feet of plastic to mask against overspray. This means a single body shop repairing 300 cars per month is disposing as much as 45,000 square
feet of plastic in that same timeframe, or over half a million square feet annually. By using Slime, shops don’t have to create all that waste.” Less than a quart of Cal-West’s liquid mask effectively protects a vehicle against overspray. After the water has evaporated from the coating, less than 3 oz. of dry film remains on the vehicle. This dry film, similar in chemistry to single-use laundry detergent bags, dissolves in water and biodegrades in municipal water-treatment facilities, according to the company’s web site. In 1989, Woodhall was inducted into the Hall of Eagles, the collision industry’s Hall of Fame whose members include a who’s who list of every pioneering inventor and innovator that this industry has ever seen. He was also named “Man of the Year” by Automotive Repair Management Systems and from 1984 to 1990, he served as a representative for 3M conducting body shop management seminars and advising body shops nationwide. The collision industry has been good to Woodhall and vice versa, but it’s only just a small part of his busy life of philanthropy and outreach. To this end, Cal-West provides regular ongoing financial support to a school in Uganda through his church and he also works with addicts and alcoholics in the Bay Area. In 1985, one of Woodhall’s employees who had substance problems committed suicide and killed his girlfriend—a pivotal moment that changed his life forever. “I knew that God was telling me something there,” Woodhall said. “He was telling me that I need to help people with addictions and fill that role. We were losing staff and the quality of our work fell off, so it became apparent that there was a substance problem right here and that it wasn’t going away anytime soon, unless we did something about it.” Today, Woodhall holds Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at his church, as well as hiring and mentoring addicts and alcoholics at Cal-West. “We want to help them, but they need to be accountable too. They sign a contract when they get hired and they know we can drug test them at any time. We will gladly help them to get clean and stay clean, but they have to prove to us that they have the desire to get sober and change their lives.” With a company mission of unveiling two groundbreaking new prodSee Cal-West, Page 52
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Aluminum Body Tools Required for Vacuum Capture by Del Williams, Technical Writer
With the aluminum body here to stay, one critical factor that collision repair shops must get right is the tools and attachments used to capture potentially explosive airborne dust. This dust, created mainly during grinding and sanding, can also affect paint quality due to cross-contamination with steel. When it comes to aluminum dust, no vacuum can adequately capture it at its source without specialized shrouds, sanders, and hoses. Special vacuums called immersion separators are needed to capture and wet potentially explosive, aluminum dust. The best of these direct the air stream and aluminum dust through a series of air filtration baffles that burst the air bubbles to thoroughly wet the dust before the air exits the vacuum. But even these require tool attachments to sufficiently capture the dust at its source and direct it. To help collision repair shops optimize their safety and performance working with aluminum bodies, here is a tool selection guide for critical shrouds, sanders, and hoses.
Shrouds Because grinding, cutting, drilling, and routing can launch a large amount of dust in the air, shrouds have long been used to contain the dust as close to the source as possible. But traditional grinding shrouds have some significant limitations in terms of dust capture, operator visibility and precision. Many of these issues have been worked out in the aerospace industry, which has decades of experience with aluminum and composite, and the technology is now transferring to auto collision repair. “Grinding shrouds are typically very restrictive and cumbersome,” says Mike Donnelly, a composite specialist in Britain with decades of experience. “With typical grinders, the shroud is usually opaque or metallic and much larger than the grinding disc rotating inside it, so you can’t see the edge of the rotating disc inside it. This vastly reduces the composite repairman’s view of what he or she is grinding.” According to Donnelly, a new Clayton grinder shroud design, when used with an appropriate vacuum, has not only enabled the capture of respirable composite dust at its source, but also significantly improved opera-
tors’ hand control and view of what they are grinding. Clayton Associates (www.jclayton.com), a manufacturer of source capture tools and vacuum sanding equipment that has dealt with aluminum and composite for over a decade in aerospace, is bringing that expertise to auto body collision repair. “Before Clayton Clear Revolution grinding shrouds were introduced in Europe, it was virtually impossible to use a die grinder with high precision for composite repair without making a lot of dust,” says Donnelly. According to Donnelly, because the Clayton dustless grinding shroud system has been designed to be unrestrictive to the user, it is not bolted to the die grinder body or transmission like traditional units. Instead, it is a standalone shroud with a pair of internal precision sealed bearings, which an incorporated mandrel rotates on, and the mandrel shaft locks into the grinder collet. In use, a vacuum dust collection hose attaches to the shroud body. This allows the grinder operator to use the hose as an effective hand-steady, enabling two-handed grinder operation when very fine precision is required. “Because of the shroud’s unique design, when mounted on the grinder it can rotate 360 degrees on two internal precision bearings so the vacuum hose never gets in the way,” explains Donnelly. “The shroud is made of clear, tough, durable Lexan (the same material as NASCAR windshields, aerospace cockpits, and space helmets), which allows you to see through it. Since the shroud head’s outer diameter is no larger than the abrasive disc rotating beneath it, you can always see exactly what you’re grinding.” “The versatility of the Clayton grinding shroud enables proficient operators to do complex jobs they’d be reluctant to try with a traditional grinder or sander,” adds Donnelly. Gary Gardella Jr., a County Line Auto Body co-owner and production manager in Howell, N.J., uses Clayton Clear Revolution grinding shrouds for both dedicated aluminum and traditional bodywork. “Now we’re catching all the dust even when we grind down to bare metal or ecoat,” says Gardella, who credits the shroud’s design for a 99% dust capture rate at the source. Historically, dust control shrouds were attached to the tool body and designed to fit a single make or model
40 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
tool, which raised the cost of ownership since a new shroud was required for each new tool. In contrast, a universal shroud design can dramatically reduce the total cost of ownership, since the shroud can be moved from one tool to another, whether grinder, sander, or router, straight or right angle, Dotco or Dynabrade. “Since Clayton’s universal shroud design allows it to be compatible with any grinder or tool with a 1/4” collet, we don’t need to replace our existing tools or buy proprietary shrouds,” says Gardella. “This significantly lowers our cost of ownership, and makes the shrouds easy to use wherever they’re needed.”
Sanders Sanders must also be considered, since they can generate tremendous dust in repair processes from paint removal to surface prep, which can be particularly problematic for aluminum bodies. A major challenge with traditional sanders, in fact, is that most are not vacuum capable. Instead, they typically rely on ineffective skirts or dust bags that do not
adequately contain the dust. “With standard sanders in the past, we used a kit with a dust bag that made an absolute mess,” says Gardella. “The dust capture rate was horrible, particularly on long boards.” Gardella found what he was looking for when he turned to Clayton sanders, which are specifically designed to be vacuum capable with a 98% dust capture rate. As such, the dust shroud has been engineered to allow a clear, straight path for the dust to flow, and the sanders backup pads incorporate a large number of holes for more airflow and dust capture. “Our dust capture rate on sanders now approaches 100%, which has enhanced the safety and quality of our aluminum and steel body work,” says Gardella. Another issue to consider is that traditional sanders often only come in round shapes, which can limit their function in collision shops and quickly tire technicians if they are not ergonomic. Choosing sanders that offer a range of shapes suited the job, on the other See Vacuum Capture, Page 49
Italian-based Company Symach Offers North American Body Shops New Products & Technology by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor
Symach, an Italian-based company known for its fast-drying paint methods, is bringing its products to North America as well as setting up body shops with its patented technology. The company will be hosting a booth at the NACE show in Detroit, MI being held July 23-25. Established in Bologna, Italy in 2001, Symach began as part of a research project for drying paint in a few seconds. The company holds numerous patents, including one for Drytronic technology, which allows for the drying of a clear lacquer in 50 seconds. Osvaldo Bergaglio, CEO of Symach, said Drytronic technology generates various infrared wavelengths, which penetrate directly into the paint molecule, instantly drying it. It can be used to dry various paints, materials and thicknesses. Bergaglio said Symach has sold more than 2,400 drying robots to body shops. The company’s Symach Paint Application Process (SPAP) integrates the use of both Drytronic technology and a robot. “Since it dries the paint in just a few seconds, the Drytronic technology en-
abled us to develop a painting process that significantly reduces flash-off times, as the robot performs the process even faster,” said Bergaglio. “When combined with the SPAP process, in fact, Drytronic technology reduces application and sanding time by 60 percent.”
panels that represent nearly 85 percent of total repair jobs.” He said the company’s FixLine formula uses three different repair and layout processes, based on the number of panels to be repaired. “In this manner, the system is capable of optimizing repair times and reducing labor costs by as much as four or five hours for each repair,” said Bergaglio. “FixLine is a new layout and repair process which, when combined with Drytronic technology and the SPAP painting cycle, provides for a 50 percent to 60 percent increase in productivity, as well as an increase of 1.5-2 repairs per week per technician.” Since 2011, Symach has Symach, known for its fast-drying paint methods, constructed new body shops opened its first body shop in North America around the world, with its FixBergaglio said repair activities Line formula. These include indehave changed in recent years, with the pendent shops as well as MSOs. majority of repairs shifting from larger Over the last year, the company has and more structure-related issues, to focused its efforts on the North Amerismaller issues of a more aesthetic na- can market. ture. “Today, most body shops employ Symach sold its first body shop in a single repair process, which, while Burlington (Toronto), Ontario to CARS certainly suitable for more extensive ac- of Nick DiLuca, partner of CSN, a tivities, in our opinion is poorly suited group with more than 330 body shops for activities involving the one to three in Canada.
The new body shop is scheduled to be operational in November and will be built entirely with the Symach equipment and with the FixLine formula. “The process of preparation, painting and drying are automated with Symach robots,” said Bergaglio. He said the new body shop will be able to repair 50 cars a week, reducing the cost of repair around 25 percent and reducing the key-to-key time to 1.5 days on average for more than 80 percent of the repairs. “We are very excited about being the first shop in Canada to install the Symach system in our shop. The product is light years ahead of its competitors,” said DiLuca. “We at CSN Cars are confident it will reduce our key-tokey time drastically, and enhance our customers experience.” Others are scheduled to follow in December and January. In addition, Symach is organizing its own network of stores in North America to sell its products, which include: drying robots, spray booths, preparation bays, a sanding a vacuum system, a car mover system, a lighting system specific to the body shop, and a line of body shop furniture. For more information, contact info @symach.com or visit symach.com
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Historical Snapshot
—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has a body shop in the family and has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.
1995 CIC Survey, CARA Files Chapter 11, 2005 Non-OEM Crash Parts, Select Service with John Yoswick
20 years ago in the collision repair industry (July 1995) A [1995] Collision Industry Conference (CIC) survey… found that 70 percent of shop owners, and 83 percent of insurers, are dissatisfied with the way business is practiced between the two industries. The survey results are among the first steps taken by a CIC committee focusing on the “invoicing methods and practices” used within the industry. The committee’s long-range goal is to try to help the repair and insurance industries develop a new method of doing business. At the CIC meeting in San Antonio, committee chairman Scott Biggs described the results of some inter-industry brain-storming about various other methods by which collision repair shops could be compensated for their work by insurers. Biggs pointed out, however, that each of the methods described had potential pitfalls and that no one was proposing them as the “perfect solution.” Among the ideas discussed were: • A “cost-plus” method in which shops are paid for their actual costs in labor and materials plus an agreedupon “mark-up.” This would require the two sides to agree upon what true costs are and what is an appropriate “plus,” Biggs pointed out, and some insurers say this method offers no incentives to shops to keep costs down. • A “real time, real dollars” method, but again, this requires that “real time” be determined, and agreed-upon “real dollar rates” be established. • An “incentive method” in which shops that meet certain requirements (regarding training, equipment, customer satisfaction, etc.) would have their labor rate multiplied by an agreed-upon modifier. Establishing the requirements to receive the incentive could be tricky, CIC participants pointed out; should a shop, for example, receive extra compensation just because they purchased a certain piece of equipment? • A “matrix method” in which a set of flat-rate repair prices are determined and each damaged vehicle is assigned one of these rates based on the type of vehicle, the severity of the damage, the
quality of the repair work, etc. “This one actually got more raised eyebrows than any others because of its simplicity,” Biggs said. But, he said, it would require the industries to work closely to develop the categories, repair standards, etc. – As reported in Bodyshop Connection. Obviously, 20 years later, there’s been little long-term shift toward any of these alternative systems.
15 years ago in the collision repair industry (July 2000) CARA Collision & Glass’ lender…has frozen CARA’s bank accounts, leaving CARA with no cash to operate its business. CARA will be filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. – From a sign posted on the locked doors of 13 shops operated by Minnesota-based CARA Collision & Glass, prior to the liquidation of its assets by its bank, as reported in The Golden Eagle, July 2000. At its peak in the late 1990s, CARA had 26 locations in five states and $40 million in annual revenues. After losing $2 million in 1999, in mid-2000, it locked the doors on its remaining Scott Biggs in 1995 13 shops – leaving customers’ cars inside and 150 employees without their final paychecks – and filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy. CARA founder Randy McPherson (a founding partner of ABRA Auto Body & Glass prior to leaving that company in 1996) blamed the collapse on CARA’s rapid and far-flung growth. His goal, he readily admits, was to capitalize on the late-1990s Wall Street appetite for industry “roll-ups” or consolidators. “I’m not going to spend a nickel on TV (advertising for CARA),” McPherson had said in a 1997 interview. “I’m going to put all that money into valueadded services for insurance companies and their customers.” To that end, CARA offered free rental cars, free pick-up and delivery, and free towing. 10 years ago in the collision repair industry (July 2005) “Digging through my files one day re-
42 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
cently, I came across a fascinating, though discolored document. Right in the beginning of its 62-page report (in 1989), Canada’s Automobile Protection Association (APA) questions the insurance industry’s stated motive for supporting aftermarket crash parts. The idea was that once the OEMs had competition, the price of crash parts would come down, thereby lowering the cost of repairs and, hopefully, what car owners paid for insurance premiums. APA asked the insurance industry for data to support this notion, and got nothing. I asked Jack Gillis, executive director of the Certified Automotive Parts Associaiton, if any data had surfaced since. He concedes he knows of no numbers that make the connection between non-OEM crash parts and consumer savings… Gillis grants the market penetration by non-OEM parts remains so small, even after all of these years, as to have little or no effect on overall repair costs. APA cited data from the Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) that claimed that non-OEM crash parts comprised 10 percent of the market in Canada in 1989. APA’s own research indicated 14 percent. The figure commonly cited today for the United State is 15 percent. If that number sounds familiar, Gillis has been putting it out for years based on the best information he can collect. He admits that it is “accepted by the industry in large part because there is no better data.” – From a column by Tom Slear published in Autobody News, July 2005. The ABPA percentage for the market share of non-OEM parts was probably more correct than either the APA’s or Gillis’ number. The market share for non-OEM parts cited by Mitchell International for 2007 (two years after Slear’s column was written) was 10.5 percent. That has climbed slowly but steadily to 16.5 percent last year, according to Mitchell. The battle over whether this has resulted in lower insurance premiums for consumers continues. Doubters point to a statement by Neal Menefee, CEO of Rockingham Mutual Insurance, who acknowledged at a 2012 Congressional hearing
that he “would not expect premiums to go down as a result” of passage of legislation that would reduce the length of time automakers’ could patent the design of crash parts and stave off nonOEM competition for those parts. But backers of such patent change say Menefee went on to say that while not reducing costs, competition from nonOEM parts helps “avoid a significant increase in the cost of parts and insurance premiums.”
5 years ago in the collision repair industry (July 2010) State Farm “Select Service” shops will now receive a 3-digit number – similar to a credit score—from the insurer based on its measurement of the shop’s performance. The number, on a scale of 1 to 1,000, will be updated monthly and is established using a proprietary formula that takes into account the key performance indicators (KPIs) State Farm uses to track each shop’s performance. Specific KPI data will still also be shared with the shop, according to State Farm’s George Avery, but the new score offers a quick way for a shop to understand how it is doing in terms of State Farm’s measurements. The report also indicates how the shop’s number compares with other shops in the program (even taking into account, Avery said, such things as differences in the types of vehicles repaired), and lists three areas that the shop could focus on to improve its score. Avery said implementing the new score does not signal any new planned reduction in the number of Select Service shops, though the company continues to change the number of shops on the program in some markets based on its capacity needs. – As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), July 26, 2010.
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New I-CAR Weld Demo Held at Marina Auto Body in CA With MIG Pulsed Aluminum Welders by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor
Six weeks after opening a new 27,500square-foot facility in Inglewood, CA Marina Auto Body hosted I-CAR instructor Toby Chess and seven welding manufacturer representatives on June 3. The goal was to demonstrate the latest models of MIG Pulsed Aluminum Welders and test a new I-CAR weld. (see accompanying article on page 44) Participants first explained the highlights of the welders they brought and then Ara Guekguezian, a certified welder from Pride Auto Body in Van Nuys, CA welded a butte weld with backing on 1 mm with each one. “It’s a brand new I-CAR weld that is starting July 1 and the machine has to be able to do it,” said Chess. The aluminum MIG welding comparison was held in the aluminum prep area at Marina Auto Body’s new location. Tom Williamson, the owner of the shop, said they fix a high volume of Mercedes-Benz vehicles and the prep area is expected to be certified over the next couple of months. Williamson has operated a collision repair business in the Marina area of Los Angeles, CA for the past 16 years. He decided to expand and re-locate in 2012.
“I looked for a year and a half all over LAX proper area,” said Williamson. “You’re really limited in the City of Los Angeles today where you can build a body shop.” The business owner said it was very challenging in terms of permitting.
Ralph Bribibsca, Senior Body Tech at Marina Auto Body, with his sons Cesar (middle) who started in 2004 and Jesse (left) who has worked there since 2010
“Inglewood welcomed me,” said Williamson. “They said, ‘if you’re not in 50 feet of a residence, let’s do this.’ It was actually kind of exciting when we went to City Hall, when we brought them the plans and said this is what we want to do.” The shop’s long-time manager Jeff Lawson, who had recently retired, agreed to help open the shop, which
took six months to complete once the building was located. Williamson said Al Ortiz from Rely On Technologies, a Garmat spray booth distributor for Southern California, was instrumental in helping him find a location. As a general contractor, Ortiz would lay out plans for the shop at every building they visited. They eventually chose the Inglewood location because of the quality of the building. The two have worked together on various projects over the last 20 years. Currently, there are 11 body techs and a mechanic at the facility. Williamson brought over four body techs to open his new location, including Ralph Bribibsca and his two sons. Williamson said they already understand the culture of the business and will help get things running smoothly. He expects to eventually have 11 or 12 body techs plus a full-time mechanic. New equipment was purchased for the shop including a double downdraft heated prep station, the latest in Garmat spraybooth technologies, Hunter 4 wheel alignment and Car-O-Liner Bench Rack and EVO equipment. “It’s all about faster and better. You can’t expect people to deliver if you don’t give them a good environment, equipment and training,” said
Williamson. “A body shop is limited by the number of cars they can paint in an eight-hour day.” Marina Auto Body can paint 15 in an eight-hour shift. Plans are also in place to bring over equipment from the Marina del Rey location over the next several months. That shop will be demolished after it closes in February 2017 and apartment buildings are expected to be built. Williamson operates a second location in Huntington Beach, CA which is 10 minutes from his home. He said it is a small, efficient shop that has a dedicated staff of employees who have worked there many years. Williamson started working in body shops when he was 12 years old. He worked as a body technician for 10 years before running an independent shop in Huntington Beach. He bought his own shop there in 1995. Marina Auto Body has received multiple awards, including the Top Shop Award for Customer Service for the last three years in its market area from the Automobile Club of Southern California. “Our vision is to continue to deliver quality repairs, provide great customer service and create an environment where our team members want to deliver on the promise to the customer,” said Williamson.
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Hey Toby!
Toby Chess is an I-CAR program instructor, Training specialist, and former salvage yard operator. Toby is universally known in the collision industry for his work with first responders and advocacy for body shops and consumers. He can be reached at tcspeedster@gmail.com
A Closer Look at New Generation of Pulsed Aluminum MIG Welders with Toby Chess
The 2015 All Aluminum Ford F150 has brought a whole new interest in aluminum repair to the main stream of collision repair. One area of that has exploded in the welding process on aluminum. I-CAR has changed its WCA 03 test to reflect this change. There are a whole new generation of Aluminum MIG welders on the market today. What I would like to discuss is what is new about these welders and take a closer look at them, but first, I think we need to have a little better understanding of the aluminum and the welding process. Before moving to the welding process, lets look at some of the important properties of aluminum as compared with steel. The typical weld characteristics of steel or stainless don’t apply when mig welding aluminum. Aluminum has higher thermal conductivity and lower melting temperatures, both factors will influence weld solidification, weld burn through potential and warpage problems. Aluminum is three times lighter than steel and yet can offer 30 percent higher strength when alloyed. Aluminum can conduct electricity six times better than steel. Aluminum has a thermal conductivity rate five times higher than steel. The high thermal conductivity creates a great heat sink which can create insufficient weld fusion on parts over 4 mm and weld burn through issues on parts less than 3 mm. Aluminum has a low melting point 1,200 degrees F, this is more than half that of steel. Aluminum provides excellent corrosion resistance due to the formation of aluminum oxide. Bare aluminum will oxidize when oxygen and moisture are present and acts like a sponge can readily trap moisture, oil, grease and other materials. The aluminum oxide layer provides excellent corrosion resistance, however this is a layer that must be removed for optimum weld quality. Due to its higher melting point (3700 degrees F) the oxide layer if not removed can decrease the weld fusion. The oxide layer is removed during the weld with the fore hand (push) technique (See Fig. 1). During the forehand weld travel, the gas molecules in the arc plasma collide with the oxide surface
moving the oxides. The oxides are also disrupted through mechanical cleaning (80 grit DA at low speeds or finer), wire brushing (needs to be a stainless steel brush to prevent galvanic corrosion), solvents and chemical etching.
Fig. 1. Push MIG welding
minum. The aluminum is liquefied and poured into a mold and when it has cooled, it is machined. All OEM that use cast aluminum on their vehicles, state if damaged or cracked, that the part is replaced. In series 7 aluminum, the major alloying element is zinc and this material is used for bumper reinforcements. Aluminum bumper reinforcements, when damaged are replaced and not repaired. The aluminum that is found on vehicles that can be repaired and welded, will be either series 5 or series 6 aluminum. The next item that we need
to look at is the welding wire. There are three major filler wires, 4043, 5356 and 5554 (recommended wire for the Ford F150 (See Figs. 4 & 5) used to weld aluminum. Some manufacturers, such Tesla, use a different 5 series wire that was mentioned earlier. Series 4 wire compared to Series 5 wire are as follows: Softer material, melts at a lower temperature, smoother weld surface, less shear strength, cleaner and prone to
It should be noted that the gun angle is 5-15 degrees from vertical (See Fig. 2).
Fig. 6
(l to r) Fig. 4 and Fig. 5.
Fig. 2
Aluminum in its purest form is very soft. To add strength to the aluminum, elements are added to change the physical properties of the Aluminum. All aluminum is designated by a 4 digit number and the first digit (Series 1-9) will represent what series of aluminum that is being mentioned. In the automobile construction, 4 different series of aluminum can be used, which are Series 4,Series 5, Series 6 and Series 7. The major alloying element in series 4, is silicon, 5 is magnesium, 6 is a combination of silicon and magnesium and 7 is zinc. Series 4 aluminum is cast (See Fig. 3) Alu-
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less cracking. Look at the next 2 pictures (Figs. 6 & 7).
Fig. 7
(Fig. 6) looks like an excellent weld, but when I did a destructive test, you will notice that the upper coupon has no tear out or no penetration. In other words, no fusion between the wire and base metal. A rule of thumb- ‘the welding wire needs the same the same major alloying element as the base metal’. In the above example series 5 aluminum (major alloying element in Magnesium) and 4043 wire (major alloying element is Silicon) do not mix. You will note the black soot around the weld which is a combination of aluminum and magnesium alloys. These alloys combine with oxygen to form aluminum oxide, which is black in color. Expect more soot from higher
magnesium alloys. For example the common 5356 filler metal can provide more soot than E4043 filler metal and excess soot is usually an indication of weld porosity issues. One way to control the formation of aluminum oxide in the weld, is to increase the CFH (cubic feet per hour) of the gas. When welding aluminum, we will use 100 percent Argon with a purity factor of 4.6. This is the recommended shielding gas for the Ford F150. There are other shielding gases that can be used on aluminum such as a mixture of Argon and Helium or 100 percent Helium, but these shielding gases are for welding thicker aluminum that is not found on the Ford F150. The flow rate for welding aluminum is 25 CFH to 50 CFH. When pushing the puddle, the shielding gas acts like a snow plow to push out the oxides that are forming in the weld. A couple of other important items when welding aluminum are as follows: a longer stick out when compared to steel, slower travel speed and no weaving of the gun. There are a few other terms that need to be discussed, which are Pulsed Welders, synergic, hot start and crater fill. Let’s look at pulsed welding. Miller Electric describes pulsed
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Testing Aluminum Welding Capabilities
I spoke with Kye Yeung from European Motor Car Works, Ken Boylan from Chief Automotive about the idea of bringing all the Pulsed MIG Welder together. Both agreed with the idea and I sent out invites to seven of the welder manufacturers. Tom Williamson, the owner of Marina Autobody furnished his aluminum bay for the demo, along with a great lunch. I contacted Steve Morris, Director of Operations for Pride Autobody about sending one of his certified aluminum technicians and he sent Ara Guekguezian. Casey Breeden, Southern California Region Manager for Miller Electric furnished all the welding gear. Craig Oliveira, Regional Manager of Kent Automotive, sponsored the rest of the event.
quired on the updated I-CAR Aluminum Certification Test, which is a butt weld with backer using 1MM coupons. Being a real this material, really put these welders to the test. I will mentioned that all the machines were able to perform the weld within the parameters for a successful pass.
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The welders from left to right are Car-OLiner, Elecktron, GYS, Fronius, Miller, Prospot International (3 models) and Wielander & Schill
Each manufacturer went through the set up, features and controls for the respective machines with Ara prior to him starting the welds.
Front of the weld with Elecktron Welder
The welding test that Ara performed was the new weld that is re-
The backside of the weld with Prospot SP5 Welder. Pictured with Ara, Ashley Olsson and Bob Pluth
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welding as follows” Pulsed MIG works well with both thin and thick sections because it is a modified spray transfer process. The welder switches between a high peak
inturn produces heat that melts the electrode wire. In simple terms, pulsed MIG is a non-contact transfer method between the electrode and the weld puddle. This means that at no time does the electrode
Fig. 8. The welding circuit consists essentially of the following elements: Taken from www.mechanicalinfo.wordpress.com
current and a low background current 30 to 400 times per second (see Fig. 2).The peak current pinches off a spray transfer droplet and propels it toward the weldment. The background current maintains the arc, but the heat input is too low for metal transfer to occur. The peak current pulse ensures good fusion, overcoming concerns related to cold lap, a common issue with short circuit MIG on aluminum. It also
Fig. 9
provides faster travel speeds, which improves productivity. The background current lowers overall heat input (See Fig. 3), addressing the burn-through and warping issues commonly associated with spray transfer MIG. To understand pulsed welding look at (Fig. 8). When you are using a standard MIG welder, the process is known as short arc transfer. What happens is the electrode wire which is positive, touches the metal surface, which is negative, causing a shorting of the circuit which
ever touch the puddle, which happened is short transfer welding. This is done through ahigh-speed manipulation of the electrical output of the welding machine. It is designed to be a spatterless process that will run at a lower heat input than spray or globular transfer methods. “The pulsed works by forming one droplet of molten metal at the end of the electrode per pulse. Then, just the right amount of current is added to push that one droplet across the arc and into the puddle. The transfer of these droplets occurs through the arc, one droplet per pulse” (Quote is from Lincoln Electrics web site). The next term you will hear and read about is “synergic” I started to do research on syneric pulsed welding, and I immediately realized that I needed an advanced degree in engineering, which ain’t going
be set to perform form a good weld. They are voltage, wire speed, pulse frequency and background current (The background current maintains the arc, but the heat input is too low for metal transfer to occur). Engineers were able to determine the optimum size of the droplet for a particular wire size. Furthermore, they could determine the peak current to dislodge the droplet from the wire. Next, add in a computer with a program that can change the frequency of the electricity, and you get a synergic pulsed welder. What does that mean? In layman terms, all you need is to set the metal thickness and tell the computer what wire size and diameter that is being used and welder will produce a steady and consistent droplet size that will be transferred to the base metal. In other words, the welding technician does not have to set any of the critical parameters to obtain a good weld. The next item that I want to discuss is a cold start when welding aluminum. Please look at (Fig. 9) before proceeding to on. When welding aluminum the base metal needs to be hot for the welding wire to fuse to it. If you look at the blow up of the beginning of the
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Fig. 10
to happen at my age. So here it goes. There are four parameters that need to
46 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
weld, you will notice that wire is sitting on top of the base metal. A cold start is a weak point in the weld. In the past to prevent a cold start, you could hold the gun a little longer at the start before proceeding on with you weld. Another way to prevent a cold start is known as tailing in. The weld in started off the joint (usually perpendicular to weld joint) and by the time is gets to the joint, there is sufficient heat to proceed up the joint with the weld. The welding machines that I will be looking at all have a hot start feature, In other words, the machines throw a higher amount of amperage at the beginning of the weld to heat up the aluminum quickly. Moving on, we will look at craters. (See Fig. 10). A characteristic of aluminum as I previously mentioned is its high expansion and contraction rate. When the weld is finished, the weld bead will shrink, which intun leads to a crater forming at the end of the weld. Furthermore, the crater being a weak spot can lead to crack formation in the crater. One method to eliminate the crater is backfill it before stopping the weld. Again all the new machines that I compared had a crater fill option (more on this later).
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Model
Phone
Origin
1) Car-O-Liner CMI273 800-521-9696 Denmark 2) Car-O-Liner CMI3000 Same Denmark 3) GYS-Advanced Collision Repair NeoPulse270t2 415-497-4515 France 4) Prospot International SP-1 USA/Italy 5) SP-2 USA/Italy 6) SP-5 USA/Italy 7) Miller Electric 350p automotive Contact Local Dealer USA 8) Wiedlander & Shill IP 6-2 ACT 732-495-7900 Germany 9) Fronius 2700 Austria 10) CMT2700 USA/Austria 11) Chief Automotive-Elektron 522 Italy
On line Training
Repairs Done By
Sell Approved Wire
Car-O-Liner Distributor
Yes
1) No
Car-O-Liner Distributor
3) No
ADVCRS
2) No 4) Yes
Local Distributors & Factory
6) Yes
Local Distributors & Factory
5) Yes 7) No
8) No 9) No
10) No
11) Yes
Local Distributors & Factory Local Distributors
Reliable Automotive Equip
Chief Distributor
Consumable
Yes
Car-O-Liner Distributor
Yes
ADVCRS
Car-O-Liner Distributor
Yes
Local Distributors & Factory
Yes
Local Distributors & Factory
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Yes
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Reliable Automotive Equip
Chief Distributor
Warrant 2 Years Same 2 Years 2 Years 2 Years 2 Years 3 Years 1 Years 2 Years 2 Years 1 Years
20 AMPS 30 AMPs 25 AMPs 30 30 30 30-60 30 30 30 20
Single 3 Phase In House Cost of Additional Video Phase 440 Volts Training Training Training Yes
Yes
No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes
Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes No
No
Yes
Yes
Varies
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No No No No No
No
No
ties and outsourcing vehicle repairs to the private sector. Carter said, “I was a mayor at one time, and I had to manage fleets of vehicles similar to the postal fleet. We used best practices and found that sometimes it was more cost-efficient to go to the private sector to have maintenance and repairs done on our vehicles. The USPS, especially in their current fiscal situation, must also be responsible stewards of the dollar and ensure the repairs on their fleet are done in the most cost-efficient way.” The USPS was asked to report back to the committee with a response to concerns about federal government vehicle maintenance facilities. Donny Seyfer, ASA Chairman, said, “We appreciate Rep. Carter’s willingness to speak out on behalf of automotive repair shop owners across the country. Small businesses should not have to compete with the federal government. There are thousands of privately owned vehicle repair facilities across America that can make these repairs in a competitive, cost-efficient, professional environment.”
48 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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U.S. House Subcommittee Addresses Aging Postal Fleet and Efficiency of Government Repair Facilities The U.S. House Subcommittee on Government Operations under the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing May 21 on “Issues Facing Civilian and Postal Service Vehicle Fleet Procurement.” During the hearing, the subcommittee heard from representatives from the General Services Administration, U.S. Government Accountability Office, United States Postal Service (USPS) and NAFA Fleet Management Association. During the hearing, members addressed the issues of vehicle maintenance and repairs. U.S. Postal Service Chief Financial Officer Joseph Corbett responded to the subcommittee that of the $700 million vehicle repair costs per year at the USPS, $200 million is outsourced to private facilities and $500 million in repairs are made by the USPS. Corbett estimated that there are approximately 500 USPS vehicle maintenance facilities in the United States. Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) suggested that the USPS consider the potential cost savings of closing hundreds of federal government vehicle maintenance facili-
Price
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Varies No No No
Yes No
No
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Local Distributor
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Varies Varies Per Hour Varies Varies Varies No Varies Varies Varies Varies
OE-USA MFG
Certification Program
Yes
Ford, GM, Honda, Audi, VW, Jaguar, Land Rover, MB, Porsche, Volvo
Yes
Ford, GM
Yes
Ford, GM
Yes
Yes
Yes
Features CMI 273: Progamable updates, 4 roller drive system, easy to set up NeoPuse-270: Color Display, easy to set up, 220-440 Volts auto SP-1: Least Expensive Welder, portable, programable SP-2: 2 guns, easy to set up, works on single phase
Ford, GM
Local Distributor
No No No Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes
SP-5: 5 guns, on line training, programable
Ford, GM
Miller 350P-Auto: 220 single 0r 3 Phase, Spool Gun Attachment, Program able
MB, Audi, Jaguar, Audi
2700: Adjust at torch, program updates, stored OE setting
MB, Tesla
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IP6-2: 2 guns, program updates, easy to set up
522: 2 guns, double pulsed welds, push-pull gun
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Redesigned Automotive Lift Institute Website Houses Certified Lift and Inspector Directories
The Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) launched a completely redesigned website on June 1 at www.autolift.org. The new site brings together information lift buyers, owners and users need, including: ● The official directory of every ALI certified car, truck and vehicle lift, including certified accessories. ● An exclusive directory of ALI Certified Lift Inspectors searchable by ZIP or postal code. ● A list of leading North American lift manufacturers with contact information and website links. ● Access to lift safety standards and materials, including online training. ● Information on purchasing a lift, including FAQs, explanations of lift types and facts about codes and regulations affecting the purchase and installation of vehicle lifts across North America. ● Buyer beware warnings about false or misleading lift claims.
redesigning the site to be more modern and user-friendly, we have made it as easy as possible for anyone with an interest in vehicle lifts to find the information they need to make smart choices. The website features all-new copy, photographs and navigation.”
ANSI/ALI ALCTV (current edition) “Safety Requirements for the Construction, Testing and Validation of Automotive Lifts” standard. If a lift is not listed, it’s not certified. Because lift testing and certification is generally voluntary for manufacturers, lift customers
The Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) website, www.autolift.org, has been redesigned to serve as a user-friendly resource for all important vehicle lift information
“As the trade association for the North American vehicle lift industry, it is our mission to promote the safe design, construction, installation, service, inspection and use of automotive lifts,” said R.W. “Bob” O’Gorman, ALI President. “Our new website was built from scratch to further that mission. By
As part of the redesign, ALI brought control of its Directory of Certified Lifts in-house and redeveloped it at the same time as the rest of the site. The Directory of Certified Lifts lists every automotive/truck/vehicle lift that is certified to meet the
must take charge of their own safety by tbuying only lifts that have been thirdparty tested and ALI certified. The new Directory of Certified Lifts can be browsed by lift type or searched by lift type, manufacturer, brand, model number and/or load ratContinued from Page 40
QUALITY IS ALL WE THINK ABOUT. THAT AND QUALITY.
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Vacuum Capture
hand, can improve work efficiency. For instance, 3”x4” orbital sanders can improve sanding in tight areas and corners where traditional round sanders can’t reach. 3-2/3”x7” orbital sanders, in turn, can facilitate paint removal with a longer pad that quickly covers more area, yet are narrow enough to fit tight spots that round sanders cannot. “The variety of sander shapes and types Clayton offers, a choice of over 20, helps us to work more efficiently, as does ergonomic wrist support,” says Gardella. The ergonomic wrist support included on all Clayton sanders, for instance, facilitates twohanded sanding, which can improve operator precision and reduce fatigue on long sanding jobs.
Hoses For dust collection to safely work as intended, choosing the right air and vacuum hose is also critical. Typical hose, for instance, can build up and discharge static electricity, which could ignite or explode aluminum dust. Traditional vacuum sanding also
ing. Each listing includes the lift’s specifications, certification date and manufacturer’s contact information. For lifts with certified accessories, the accessories are defined in the listing, including model number, description and rated capacity (if applicable). Listings may also include notes and a picture of the lift. One new feature of the ALI website is the ALI History section. Set up in a timeline format, the page takes readers from the Institute’s founding in 1945 through its near demise in the mid-1970s, its rejuvenation in the 1980s, and its lift-safety-focused activities in the 1990s through present. The timeline also calls out notable events in the Institute’s past, such as the extension of membership to Canadian manufacturers in 1983 and Aug. 5, 2012, when ALI was the primary partner on the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford Fusion driven by Aric Almirola in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pennsylvania 400. To learn more about ALI, visit www .autolift.org or call (607) 7567775. You can also connect with ALI on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LiftInstitute, on Twitter at www.twitter.com /LiftInstitute, and on YouTube at www .youtube.com/LiftInstitute.
requires technicians to carry separate air and vacuum hoses, which can be cumbersome. The ribbed edges of typical hose can also catch on table edges or auto body panels, pulling back on the hose and disturbing precise bodywork. And typical black or gray hose can pose a heightened trip hazard in dimly lit auto body shops. Some manufacturers have addressed these challenges with innovative hose designs. According to Gardella, for instance, a number of Clayton hose design features have enhanced safety and productivity for County Line Auto Body technicians. For example, to prevent potential aluminum dust ignition or explosion, conductive carbon black hoses and cuffs eliminate static buildup and prevent technicians from getting shocked. Bundling air and vacuum hoses allows technicians to carry one hose instead of separate air and vacuum hoses. A durable sheathing with no exposed fasteners enables hose to slide over edges and rough surfaces without snagging and catching, extending hose life. For more info, call 732-3632100; 800-248-8650 toll free; Fax 732-364-6084; email sales@JClayton .com; visit www.jclayton.com.
www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 49
U.S. Senate Committee Examines EPA’s Proposed Air Quality Standards
On June 3, the Senate Environment and air quality standards (NAAQS) until at to be addressed, the EPA is required to Public Works Committee (EPW) held a least 85 percent of counties that are in review the standards every five years to hearing titled, “Challenges and Implica- nonattainment areas have attained the make sure they are up to date. Despite tions of EPA’s Proposed National Ambient standard. what some of my Republican colleagues Air Quality Standard for Ground-Level Although the committee as a whole may try to claim today, scientists overOzone and Legislative Hearing on S. 638, agreed on the importance of cleaner air, whelmingly agree that EPA needs to S. 751, and S. 640.” the members took a more partisan stance adopt a stricter standard to protect the Currently, the ozone standard rests when it came to the proposal of changing health of the American people, espeat 75 parts per billion (ppb). Under the the standard. cially our children and the elderly. We EPA’s proposed change, the standard Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), have known since 2008 that the current would be between 65 and 70 ozone standard does not proppb. The EPA is now taking vide the necessary health “EPA’s ozone proposal is the most expencomment on an even more agsafeguards.” sive regulation in history with projected gressive standard of 60 ppb. The EPA is expected to During the hearing, commake a final decision on the costs of $1.7 trillion and 1.4 million lost mittee members heard from proposal to update the air jobs,” said Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), quality standards for groundsponsor of S. 638, the Comlevel ozone by November monsense Legislative Exceptional Events committee chairman, said, “EPA’s ozone 2015. For more information, visit Reforms Act (CLEER), and S. 640, the proposal is the most expensive regula- https://www.federalregister.gov/artiOzone Regulatory Delay and Extension tion in history with projected costs of cles/2014/12/ 17/2014-28674/nationalof Assessment Length Act (ORDEAL). $1.7 trillion and 1.4 million lost jobs. Up ambient-air-quality-standards-for-ozone If implemented, the CLEER Act to 67 percent of counties fail to meet the ASA has held meetings with the would amend the Clean Air Act with re- proposed lower standards, which means U.S. EPA at its National Vehicle and spect to an Exceptional Events rule, if this rule goes forward, they will face a Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann while the ORDEAL Act would delay the legacy of EPA regulatory oversight, stiff Arbor, MI, and on Capitol Hill regardreview and revision of the national am- federal penalties, lost highway dollars, ing the proposed new standard. In adbient air quality standards for ozone. restrictions on infrastructure investment dition, ASA has discussed the proposal Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) also ad- and increased costs to businesses.” with state air quality representatives dressed the committee to defend his bill, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), concerning the impact these new stanS. 751, the Clean Air, Strong Economies ranking member, disagreed with the dards could have on state implementaAct (CASE). This bill would prohibit the chairman, and stated, “To ensure the tion plans and vehicle emissions and EPA from lowering its national ambient health impacts of air pollution continue inspection programs.
U.S. House Committee Addresses Auto Cybersecurity
On May 28, a bipartisan group from the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent letters to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and 17 automakers requesting information on automotive cybersecurity. The letters inquired about how the industry plans to address the challenges associated with expanding technologies such as in-vehicle Wi-Fi, infotainment systems and smartphone connectivity. They also asked how automakers are working with the federal government to identify and resolve cyber vulnerabilities. The letters expressed optimism about the benefits of emerging technologies, but were realistic about the potential risks. In an excerpt from the letter to NHTSA, committee members stated, “While threats to vehicle technology currently appear isolated and disparate, as the technology becomes more prevalent, so too will the risks associated with it. Threats and vulnerabilities in vehicle systems may be inevitable, but we cannot allow this to undermine the potential benefits of these technologies. The industry and NHTSA have an opportunity to prepare for challenges that advanced vehicle technologies present and to develop strategies to mitigate the risks.”
Ron Perretta to Lead Innovative Coating Training
Ron Perretta teamed up with icoat (Innovative Coatings), which has launched Street Smart, a new series of training modules designed to benefit collision repair professionals. The first training instructed by Perretta was held at icoat’s training facility in Windsor, Ontario, June 16-17. The objective of the two-day course was to provide a comprehensive knowledge of how to use KPIs to establish a culture of continuous improvement in a simple form. Perretta said, “I will show by keeping it simple and knowing what buttons to push, which will allow attendees to only have to watch certain KPIs that will affect the entire process. Keeping it simple causes it to stick.” “We believe our street smart approach of working interdependently with our customers is key to our mutual success,” said Wayne Brady, President of icoat. For more information, contact Wayne Brady at 519-791-6383 or via email to wayne@icoat.ca, or contact Charlie Bathurst at 519-330-2439. Perretta has been operating collision repair facilities for 35 years, and has been training and consulting for the last 16. In-store, classroom or phone coaching are available. To schedule, contact RonPerretta@aol.com.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car is Now CARSTAR’s Preferred Provider CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts, North America’s largest Multi-Shop Operator (MSO) network, selected Enterprise Rent-A-Car as its preferred car rental partner throughout the United States. The Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand is part of the world’s largest car rental
tioned to provide replacement rentals to consumers throughout the country. Through the partnership, CARSTAR is able to leverage Enterprise’s extensive network of neighborhood car rental locations, its low-mileage, well-maintained vehicles and Enterprise’s Automated Rental Management System (ARMS®) applications for customers in need of transportation while their vehicles are being repaired. “Enterprise has partnered with collision repair centers and insurance companies for more than 50 years to help customers whose cars have been damaged or stolen,” said Mary Mahoney, Vice President, Insurance Replacement for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. “Partnerships with organizations like CARSTAR are important to Enterprise’s (l to r) David Byers, CEO of CARSTAR Auto Body Repair success in the replacement rental Experts, Frank LaViola, AVP of Enterprise Holdings, segment and further compleInc., Dan Young, SVP of Insurance Relations, CARSTAR ment our collaborations with inAuto Body Repair Experts, David James, VP of Marketsurance companies. We look ing, CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts, Ernie Laky, forward to strengthening our role VP of Purchasing, CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts within the collision repair indusprovider, and with more than 5,500 try as the preferred car rental partner to the fully staffed airport and neighborhood CARSTAR network and its customers.” CARSTAR, which just celebrated offices located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population, the En- its 25th anniversary, has repaired more terprise Rent-A-Car network is posi- than 4,000,000 vehicles and delivers a
50 JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
repaired vehicle every 30 seconds. With more than 430 independently owned and operated stores across the United States and Canada, it offers a nationwide warranty and 24/7 accident assistance. When an accident occurs, CARSTAR sends the tow truck, contacts the consumer’s insurance company, arranges their rental car and repairs their vehicle. “We are focused on providing the highest level of customer service, and one critical element of that is getting them back on the road to work and their families in a quality rental car,” said David Byers, CEO of CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts. “Partnering with Enterprise Rent-A-Car allows us to provide world-class rental car service to our customers and our store owners.” In addition, CARSTAR will have access to Enterprise’s ARMS® technology, a free online platform that allows collision repair centers to book rental reservations and send vehicle status updates to insurance partners and customers in real-time. ARMS data helps collision repair centers increase operating efficiencies, enhance customer service and streamline communications with insurance companies and customers. Through ARMS, repair centers also can track, measure and forecast labor needs, and generate monthly reports.
NACE | CARS Makes 2014 TSNN Top 250 Trade Show List The NACE | CARS conference and exposition made the Trade Show News Network (TSNN) Top 250 US Trade Show list of 2014. The list was released last month, compiled from show management and data supplied to TSNN. It represents the top 250 trade shows in the United States last year, ranked by net square footage. The 2014 show broke previous records with 180 exhibitors and 8,497 attendees with the event spanning over 61,190 net square feet. NACE | CARS, now in its 33rd year, is the largest, longest-running North American event serving the automotive service and repair industries. NACE | CARS 2015 will take place at the same location July 21 -25. The show is expected to expand even further this year, featuring an Expo double the size of 2014. Training and education opportunities have expanded, as well, with a level of OEM training that is unmatched by any other event. Additionally, Industry Week is back with over a dozen colocated events. No other event brings all facets of the automotive industry together like NACE | CARS. Targeting business owners, management and technicians, this conference & exposition
brings together all market segments for the latest and most comprehensive repair solutions, services, education, products and technology. NACE | CARS is the best source of industry education & training, networking and world-class exhibits for all segments of the automotive service and repair industry. The full Top 250 Trade Show list can be found on the TSNN website at http://www.tsnn.com/toplists-us. More information about NACE | CARS 2015 can be found at www.NACE expo.com or www.CARSevent.com. For those interested in exhibiting, space is still available but moving fast. Contact Robert Martin at robertm www.autobodynews.com @stonefortgroup.com, Jason Anawaty at jason@stonefortgroup .com, or Joe CHECK IT OUT! Warring at joew@stonefortgroup.com.
To advertise call Advertising Sales at:
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PPG Industries Foundation Awards Student Scholarships through CREF
The PPG Industries Foundation, Manhattan, KS.). working with the Collision Repair “Through PPG Automotive ReEducation Foundation (CREF), re- finish and the PPG Foundation, we cently awarded scholarships to four continue to work closely with the students who have demonstrated a ca- Collision Repair Education Foundareer interest in automotive repair and tion to support future professionals refinish. The scholarships, $5,000 and develop the educational facilieach, are awarded annually to full- ties the collision industry requires,” time students attending a post-sec- said Domenic Brusco, PPG senior ondary school with a focus or degree manager, industry relations and program in collision repair. The funds treasurer of CREF. may be used to assist the students “By taking an active role in the with educational expenses such as tu- education of collision repair and reition, books, tools and equipment. finish students across the country, we Give us your opinion on matters affecting the industry. The winners of the 2015 PPG help grow a workforce to meet the Foundation Scholarships are Chris demand for highly competent techniCranford (Pulaski Tech, Little Rock, cians amid ever-evolving technology. AK.); Marly Luna (Lincoln College We congratulate our 2015 scholarpublisher@autobodynews.com of Technology, Denver, CO.); Eric ship recipients.” Piper (Highland Community College, Industry members interested in Freeport, IL.); and Aaron Rollins working with CREF to support sec(Universal Technical Institute, Hous- ondary and post-secondary collision ton, TX). repair students, instructors and In addition, money was raised school programs should contact for the PPG MVP Industry Student Brandon Eckenrode, director of Scholarship Fund during PPG’s development, at (847) 463-5244 or To advertise TheMVP source forSolutions timely Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-founda2014 Fall Business call Joe Momber at: Conference in Nashville, TN. The tion.org. information that every fund was able to award a $990 800-699-8251 body shop Hedgecock needs! scholarship to Jessica e-mail: (Manhattan Area Tech College, jmomber@autobodynews.co www.autobodynews.com
write us!
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Start Your FREE Mail Subscription. ASA Survey Measures OEM
Service Info Website Usage
The Automotive Service AssociaSee the NEW tion (ASA) is conducting a survey on the usage of OEM service information websites by independent automotive service and repair shops. www.autobodynews.com “On behalf of NASTF, ASA is conducting this survey to help the industry understand better how the industry utilizes and finds service information,” said Donny Seyfer, ASA chairman and coowner of Seyfer Automotive in Wheat Ridge, Colo. “We hope that To advertise everyone who repairs cars will call Sean Hartman at: take two minutes and complete the survey.” 800-699-8251 The survey asks 11 simple OKLAHOMA e-mail: questions and is available at https:// shartman@autobodynews.com Fowler Volkswagen www.surveymonkey.com/s/JNZSGCV. Survey results will be shared at Norman www.autobodynews.com a later date in AutoInc. magazine, 877-737-6986 ASA’s official publication. ASA hopes to gather all results by July 1. Fax: 405-310-3719 To become a member of ASA, www.fowlervw.com visit www.ASAshop.org or call (817) 514-2900. For additional information about ASA, including past media releases, go to www.ASAshop.org, or visit ASA’s legislative website at www.TakingThe Hill.com.
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New Martin Senour’s PCC® 2.8 VOC Factory Packaged Colors
The Martin Senour Company has Your Em launched its newRegister PCC® Premium Commercial Coatings 2.8 VOC To advertise Factory Packaged Colors (FPC). The urethane single stage products call Advertising Sales at: are designed for overall refinishing at www.autobody 800-699-8251 on a variety of fleet, commercial equipment and industrial applicae-mail: tions. advertising@autobodynews.com Martin Senour representatives www.autobodynews.com said that the PCC285 series delivers notable dry times and gloss content while meeting 2.8 VOC regulations. Available in 10 popular factory packaged colors, Martin Senour Seereps the N added that they are easy to apply, easy to mix, and feature a simple 4:1 rewww.autobodyn duction ratio. The PCC285 series can also be used for multiple types of industrial and commercial applications such as construction machinery, farm equipment and fleet vehicles. For more information regarding Martin Senour or its paint products, To advertise visitcall the new website at www.martin Sean Hartman at: senour-autopaint.com or call 1-800800-699-8251 526-6704.
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Continued from Page 21
NACE CARS Tours
Name badges are required to participate in the tours. Transportation will depart from (and return to) the COBO Center Atrium/Riverside entrance on Atwater Street. Please check
in no later than 15 minutes prior each tour’s scheduled departure time. Attendees and exhibitors at NACE | CARS are encouraged to participate in the destination tours to experience the Motor City at its finest. Further information about the tours can be found on the NACE | CARS website.
Continued from Page 38
Cal-West
ucts every year, Cal-West is looking toward a future of developing body shop products that will make the collision industry better overall. “We’re currently developing
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ASA Congratulates AudaExplore on Feather, Prime, Block Estimating Solution The Automotive Service Association (ASA) applauded AudaExplore on its creation of the industry’s first estimating software solution for Feather, Prime and Block (FP&B). Whenever a panel is repaired and a user-judgment time is entered, the new feature will allow an estimator the option of allocating some of the repair
ing industry issue. They are truly pioneers and committed to helping repairers and insurers accurately document and estimate the necessary steps, as well as cost, to properly repair a vehicle,” said Dan Risley, ASA President/Executive Director. “We appreciate AudaExplore’s willingness to tackle this issue and provide tools to better assist every-
time to a new labor operation—Feather, Prime and Block—that will calculate as Refinish Labor (Rate Code 4). AudaExplore has also created a new material calculation to address Feather, Prime and Block. This will operate in much the same way as Paint and Materials, as it will be a user-entered dollar value that will act as a multiplier for all FP&B hours in the estimate. “AudaExplore has taken a significant step to help address a long-stand-
one who prepares or negotiates an estimate. An industry with less friction is a more efficient one. Today, there is a little less friction.” According to AudaExplore, all of this information will be clearly displayed on the estimate as line items, as well as in the summary at the bottom of the estimate. The use of the Feather, Prime and Block feature is configurable at the discretion of the user. The industry has recognized Feather, Prime and Block as a refin-
“We appreciate AudaExplore’s willingness to tackle this issue and provide tools to better assist everyone who prepares or negotiates an estimate. An industry with less friction is a more efficient one,” said Dan Risley
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ish operation necessary to perform quality repairs through the Collision Industry Conference. However, two collision repair summits and multiple shop-user focus groups held by AudaExplore within the past 14 months have clearly indicated that FP&B remains an industry concern. This feature will help repairers to properly allocate labor resources within their shops and the materials need to be clearly addressed. In some states, regulations stipulate that FP&B labor has to be delineated as a refinish operation. “We are very pleased that AudaExplore is the first provider to address this important issue and has created a software solution for the industry,” said Risley. For additional information about ASA, including past news releases, go to www.ASAshop.org, or visit ASA’s legislative website at www.TakingThe Hill.com
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The Carlyle Group Closes Acquisition of NARS
Global alternative asset manager The Carlyle Group announced on June 4 that it has completed the acquisition of Nationwide Accident Repair Services PLC (NARS), a provider of automotive crash repair and accident administration services to the UK automotive insurance industry. Following approval by the High Court of Justice of England and Wales, NARS has made an application to the London Stock Exchange for the cancellation of the admission to trading on AIM of, and cessation of dealings in, NARS Shares. Equity for the investment will come from Carlyle Strategic Partners III, a global special situations and corporate opportunities fund. With accident repair centres located throughout the United Kingdom, NARS is the largest dedicated provider of accident repair services in the UK and has relationships with a number of motor insurers. It also provides its services to fleet operators. Ian Jackson, Managing Director and Co-Head of Carlyle Strategic Partners, said, “Our extensive experience in working with businesses in this sector, including the Service King repair business in the US, means we are well placed to support management.”
CCC Information Services and CREF Announce Winners of Annual Scholarship
The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) and CCC Information Services Inc., announced four student winners of the CCC Michael Salvatore Memorial Student Repair Technician Scholarship. The CCC scholarship program has been in place since 2006. The CCC Michael Salvatore Memorial Student Repair Technician
● Silky Wheeler (Blue Ridge Community College, Flat Rock, NC) “CCC congratulates these students on their academic achievements and we’re proud to support them in their collision repair education and training,” said Joseph Allen, GM of CCC’s Automotive Services Group. “As new technologies continue to drive vehicle design and repairability,
Scholarship awards scholarships to students currently enrolled in a repair program and who have demonstrated superior academic achievement.
hands-on education has become even more critical. We wish these students well and look forward to having them in the industry in the years to come.” For additional information about CCC Information Services visit www .cccis.com. Industry members interested in working together with the Collision Repair Education Foundation in supporting secondary and post-secondary collision repair students, instructors, and their school programs should contact Director of Development, Brandon Eckenrode at 847.463.5244 or Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation .org.
“CCC congratulates these students on their academic achievements and we’re proud to support them in their collision repair education and training,” said Joseph Allen
The 2015 winners include:
Top Scholarship Recipient ● Sylvanah Wolff (Cerritos College, Norwalk, CA)
Additional Scholarship Recipients ● Chris Kelly (Hawaii Community College, Hilo, HI)
● Matthew Miller (Lake Technical College, Eustis, FL)
www.autobodynews.com | JULY 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 53
Valspar Plans to Strengthen Quest’s Brands After Acquiring Their Performance Coatings Businesses by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor
Soon after The Valspar Corporation announced in May that it had reached an agreement to acquire the performance coatings businesses of Quest Specialty Chemicals, the company began discussing plans to integrate the auto-
motive product line within the Valspar automotive division. When Autobody News spoke to Florian Girthofer, Valspar’s VP of Channel Strategy, he had just participated in a global town hall meeting with employees about the recent announcement. He said the news has been received extremely well. “We are not planning on any immediate changes. Naturally, it’s a bit of an evolutionary process that we want to take here,” said Girthofer. “What will very clearly remain, however, are the quality brands that we have acquired. You can fully expect to see them more prominent in the future
than today in their form.” Quest’s performance coatings businesses include automotive refinish and industrial coatings. In 2014, com-
under three brands: Matrix, Prospray and USC. Quest Industrial Products serves the professional and consumer markets with
bined sales of the two were approximately $190 million. Quest Automotive Products formulates, manufactures and distributes advanced technology paints, coatings systems and accessories to refinishers, primarily in North America and Europe
aerosol spray products and highly-specified coatings for industrial applications under the Patriot, Raabe and Precision Color brands, mainly in North America. In the fall of 2014, Valspar learned that Quest was going to be sold. “It was a fantastic opportunity for us,” said
NACE | CARS to Support Breast Cancer Programs
The NACE | CARS conference is proud to announce its involvement in fundraising to support local breast cancer programs in Detroit and national research. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the local and global breast cancer movement. Susan G. Komen Detroit Race for the Cure representatives will be in attendance in the afternoon on Friday, July 24th to provide breast health education and accept a donation on behalf of NACE | CARS and the automotive industry. The program will be addressed during the opening session, and special NACE | CARS commemorative pins are being produced for the show to help raise awareness. The Automotive Service Association (ASA), the owner and host organization of NACE | CARS, has committed to match up to $5,000 based upon the number of pins sold. Some companies are already planning to incorporate the color pink in the show attire for their booth staff, while others have committed to financial support through matching gift programs. As those companies come forth, ASA will issue press releases to acknowledge their support and contribution.
The cause hits close to home for many involved in NACE | CARS. With so many companies and people coming together for industry training, education, and networking, it creates an opportunity to raise awareness and support. Dan Risley, ASA president and executive director, explained, “Virtually everyone in the automotive industry has a friend or family member that has been negatively impacted by this disease. My family is no different, having lost one family member (JK) and another (KL) is courageously battling. Immediately preceding our decision to support local breast cancer awareness efforts, a friend of mine (TC) in the industry was diagnosed. It’s times like these that many of us don’t know how to help. This is one way I know that we can.” If you or your company is interested in making a large donation and/or in purchasing pins for your staff or customers, you can contact Dan Risley directly at danr@asashop .org. Pins will be sold throughout the show at the convention center.
Girthofer, who has worked for Valspar since November 2013. “We’re at the point where we can bring both companies together and really look forward to being a much stronger market participant.” Girthofer said the organizations will work side by side until he and his team have had time to really understand Quest’s businesses and its products, and have developed a clear plan to communicate to customers. “I think we have everything that independent body shops and MSOs are requiring in today’s environment to be a top supplier of automotive refinish coatings.” “The acquisition strengthens Valspar’s value proposition in automotive refinish,” said Gary Hendrickson, Valspar’s Chairman and CEO, in a statement. “Our customers will benefit from expanded distribution of a portfolio of preferred brands they know and trust, a broader range of high-performance products and a stronger service network. We are pleased to welcome the Quest team to the Valspar family to help deliver these benefits to our customers.” Valspar’s brands include DeBeer Refinish, Octoral, Valspar Refinish and House of Kolor. The transaction closed on June 1. Financial terms were not disclosed.
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