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Hundreds of Individuals in the Industry Get Much-Appreciated Help from Foundation by John Yoswick
Bryan Kim’s collision and mechanical repair business, like many others, was struggling this spring as the COVID-19 virus and economic shutdown hit the Catonsville, MD, area. Sales at ASE Auto Center were down as much as 50% some months, not enough to cover rent and payroll. “We started bleeding money a little than some shops, that actually shut down for a week or two, but once we started, we bled a lot of money,” said Kim, who has owned the nine-employee business for seven years.
Adding to the challenge: Kim’s fiancé and his shop manager’s wife both contracted COVID-19, forcing Kim and his manager to each stay away from the shop for several weeks. “I didn’t want to bring it to the facility, and luckily no one who works here got sick,” he said. The situation was made a little bit easier, he said, because of some assistance from the Collision Industry Foundation, the nonprofit dedicated to providing emergency financial help or other assistance to members See Help from Foundation, Page 12
8 Things to Know in the Wake of Civil Disorders by Patricia L. Harman, PropertyCasualty360
Following days of riots and protests in cities and towns across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death, there are many questions concerning insurance coverage, how to manage the risks and what other factors business and property owners should address in the aftermath. According to the Insurance Information Institute website, there is a cost to these events. Before the riots in Minneapolis and other areas—for which numbers are not yet available—the most expensive civil disorder events occurred from April
29 through May 4, 1992, in Los Angeles, following the acquittal of the police officers involved with the arrest and beating of Rodney King. Property Claims Services (PCS), a unit of Verisk Analytics, found the riots and looting caused $775 million in insured losses. More recently, there were $24 million in insured losses following the civil unrest that occurred in Baltimore, MD, in 2015 following the death of Freddie Gray, who died while in police custody after he suffered a spinal cord injury. Here are eight factors to considSee 8 Things to Know, Page 40
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AUTOBODYNEWS.COM Vol. 38 / Issue 7 / July 2020
How CIF Assistance Has Benefited Collision Repair Professionals in Time of Need by Stacey Phillips
When the coronavirus restrictions were first put into place, the Collision Industry Foundation (CIF) recognized the challenges being faced by the industry. As a result, the nonprofit organization set up a special COVID-19 fund to support collision repair professionals impacted by the pandemic. “Since 2001, CIF has been dedicated to raising, managing and donating funds to provide emergency relief to collision repairers who have
been impacted by natural disasters or other catastrophic events,” said Michael Quinn, CIF board president and SVP of business development at AirPro Diagnostics. “The donations we received for the COVID-19 fund were vital to help repairers across the country.” CIF established the fund with $100,000 raised previously, and CCC Information Services matched that amount. Other industry organizations and individuals then donated to the fund, including AirPro Diagnostics, Guy Bargnes, Colette See CIF Assistance, Page 18
CarParts.com to Open Cutting-Edge TX Distribution Center U.S. Auto Parts Network, Inc., one of the largest online providers of automotive aftermarket parts and accessories, announced June 1 it would open a new 210,000-square foot distribution center in Grand Prairie, TX. The distribution center, slated to begin operations in late 2020, will create a minimum of 150 new jobs and $10 million in economic impact in its first 18 months alone. When operational, the facility will deliver new parts to customers across the South and Southwest, servicing all of the brands U.S. Auto Parts Network has to offer, including CarParts.com and JC Whitney. “CarParts.com has been experiencing exponential growth, and we needed to build this distribution center to stay ahead of demand,” said U.S. Auto Parts Network CEO Lev Peker. “We expect this trend to accelerate as customers become ever more comfortable buying car parts online. For so many of our customers, getting a part quickly is not optional―it is essential to keeping their
vehicle on the road and helping them get to work. Thanks to this distribution center, we will be able to reach 64% of the country in one day or less. “Everything is bigger in Texas, physical distances included,” he continued. “If we want to get our Texan customers their parts quickly, we had to build a distribution center here!” The facility will include a “will call” window where local residents who have ordered online can pick up their parts on-site. Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen was happy to welcome the new members of the community. “We are proud to be working closely with companies like U.S. Auto Parts Network to bring jobs to Texas,” he said. “Texas has seen far too many job losses recently, so we are humbled to see a growing company like U.S. Auto Parts Network put down roots and create jobs here in Grand Prairie.” For David Meniane, U.S. Auto See TX Distribution Center, Page 6
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