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Collision Repair Instructor Shares Harvey Experience by Victoria Antonelli
Hurricane Harvey tore through Houston at the end of August, causing an estimated $70 to $200 billion worth of damage and taking the lives of 70 Americans. It was the first hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Harvey was also the wettest tropical hurricane on record in the United States, with peak accumulations of 51.88 inches. The resulting floods destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes, displaced more than 30,000 people, and prompted more than 17,000 rescues. Jeff Wilson, a collision repair instructor at Kingwood Park High
School in Houston who started his career in education in 1995, shared his experience with Autobody News.
“I can say for certain that in my personal sub division over 2/3 of the homes, including mine, flooded,” said Wilson. “The entire community was affected and many were displaced due to flooding.” See Instructor Reports, Page 22
See Flooded Cars, Page 11
P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018
ginning of the storm, and that trickle could become a stream in the coming
weeks, according to a local vehicle inspection company. “We’ve inspected over 100 cars in the last three days. We’ve already found seven flood-damaged vehicles, new and used. But yes, they’re ending up back on the streets, back to consumers,” Shane Vaughn, president of Auto Exam, a pre-sale vehicle inspection company, said. An estimated 500,000 vehicles are flood-damaged in the Houston, TX, area. About 30,000 of those vehicles have been
Change Service Requested
Flooded cars were already starting to trickle off dealer lots days after the be-
Hurricane Harvey Wreaks Havoc on Houston, Affected Body Shops Report on Damage by Chasidy Rae Sisk
When Hurricane Harvey hit the Southeast part of Texas during the weekend of August 25–27, many small towns
Harvey Flooded two-thirds of the homes in Jeff Wilson’s neighborhood
Flooded Cars Already Being Put Up for Sale by Joel Eisenbaum, Click 2 Houston
VOL. 35 ISSUE 10 OCTOBER 2017
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Credit: Patch.com
along the coast were utterly devastated and destroyed. However, the most damage was
sustained in Houston due to the city’s large size and denser population. Homes, vehicles and businesses were flooded, and at least 45 Houston lives were lost as Harvey unleashed its fury on the Lone Star State. Harvey hit the Texas coast on the evening of Aug. 25 as a Category 4 hurricane, with winds as high as 130 mph, ravaging the coastline. Houston residents awoke on Sunday to flooding that turned roads into rivers. John Kopriva, President of the Houston Auto Body Association (HABA), reported, “We normally get about 50 inches of rain annually in Houston, but during Harvey, we got 53 inches in just a few days.” Kopriva’s shop had 3 feet of water See Shops Affected, Page 12
Additional Hurricane Coverage p. 10, 16, 40, 63 SEMA Preview Coverage p. 9, 10, 18, 28, 48
Hurricane Harvey Ravaged Cars and Trucks — Bad for Drivers, Good for Automakers by James F. Peltz and David Montero, McRee Ford, Dickinson, Texas Los Angeles Times
with his insurance carrier yet; he’s been busy helping his parents clean out their wind-damaged house along the coast. He said he doubts he’ll get much anyway and is instead hoping
Perry Smith tried to race Hurricane Harvey. He lost. Now his white Toyota Corolla sits with a broken axle in the parking lot of a Strips convenience store in Rockport, Texas. It is, he admits, probably the end of the road for his trusty car with almost 190,000 miles on it. “The hurricane was right Harvey created epic flooding throughout Houston and on my tail,” Smith said. “It southeast Texas. Credit: Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times caught me. It lifted the back of the car up and I was looking down for some assistance from the Federal at the road through my windshield. Emergency Management Agency. Still, Texans already have filed Then—bam—it slammed back down more than 100,000 storm-related and that was it.” See Harvey Ravage, Page 20 Smith, 56, hasn’t filed a claim
Presorted Standard US Postage PAID San Bernardino, CA Permit #2244
2 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
COLUMNISTS Attanasio - Veteran Shop Owner Energized by Son and Daughter at Panel Craft . . . 30 Attanasio - Young Painter Creates “Girls Behind the Gun” to Support Women in Collision Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Phillips - Riding Wave of Change: Hawaii Shop Shares Initiatives That Will Take Family Business Into the Future . . . . . . 46 Yoswick - CCC Defends Shift to Secure Share, Faces Tough Questions from CIC Task Force. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Yoswick - Talk of Other Insurers Requiring use of PartsTrader Goes Back Five Years . 34 NATIONAL 3M PPS World Cup Features 10 of the World’s Best Car Painters. . . . . . . . . . . 44 All New SEM Website Delivers ‘Best in Class’ Experience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Attorney John Eaves Jr. is ‘Extremely Excited’ about Reversal . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Bouncie Smart-Device Turns Any Vehicle into a Connected Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Caliber Collision Announces Changing Lanes Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 CARSTAR Names Top Shops at Annual Conference in Charlotte, NC . . . . . . . . . 61 Charley Hutton’s Color Studio Recommends Innovative Tools & Technologies, Inc. . . 59 CHEMSPEC USA Releases NextGen Color Selector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Collision Student of the Year Nominations due Sept. 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Consumer Watchdog: New Federal Robot Car Guidelines Threaten Highway Safety. . 4 CREF Fundraiser Co-Hosted by PPG Raises $120,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Darin Smith Discusses His SEMA Battle of the Builders Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Don’t Settle Your Auto Insurance Claim Until You Have All The Facts . . . . . . . . . 60 Eleventh Circuit Reinstates Body Shops’ Lawsuit Against Insurers, Attorney “Extremely Excited” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Estify Adds Industry Veteran Toan Nguyen to Executive Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Fourth Annual SEMA Battle of the Builders to Feature Top Customizers in Three Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 GFS Releases Booth Shield Peelable Booth Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 HDDA Developing Product Data Standards for Heavy Duty Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 House OKs Bill to Allow Thousands of Self-Driving Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Industry Invited to Sponsor Work Uniforms for Local High School and College Collision School Programs . . . . . . . . . . 22 Magna Unveils MAX4 Autonomous Driving Platform. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 MyPriceLink Providing Dynamic, Real-Time Pricing, Receives Patent. . . . . . . . . . . . 61 New SEMA Program Supports Automotive Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 New Types of Claims Management ‘Insurtech’ Could Disrupt Auto Body Industry . . . . 42 Project Underdog Heads to Auction, Actor’s Project to Benefit SEMA Scholarships . . 48 Repairify, Inc., Parent Company of asTech™, Acquires Mobile Diagnostics, LLC . . . . 40 SCRS and March Taylor Memorial Fund Award SkillsUSA Gold Medalists Tool Scholarships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 SCRS Announces Details on OEM Summit Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 SEMA Student Career Day Focuses on Job Opportunities and Industry Growth . . 9 Seminars Give Hawaii Body Shops Opportunity to Learn Advanced Techniques and Procedures . . . . . . . . . 56 Tesla’s Autopilot Played Key Role in Deadly Florida Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
pair facilities, announced the opening of CARSTAR Autopro Collision Chandler in Chandler, AZ. The CARSTAR location is owned by Lynda Riecks, and her husband Ron serves as the CFO. CARSTAR Autopro Collision Chandler will provide comprehensive services, from full auto collision repair to small dent and ding fixes, storm damage repair and paint jobs. The new CARSTAR location provides courteous, professional and unparalleled collision repair services to residents of Chandler, Gilbert and the surrounding South-
east Valley. They are a Veteran- and First Responder-friendly collision repair center with a technician team that has more than 95 years of combined experience in collision repair. All technicians are trained and qualified, ICAR and ASE certified with strong family and community values. “We are proud to welcome Lynda Riecks and CARSTAR Autopro Collision Chandler to the CARSTAR family,” said Michael Macaluso. “The Phoenix market offers a tremendous opportunity for us, as we are able to serve our U.S. customers as well as our many Canadian customers who visit Phoenix during the winter.”
Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Contributing Writers: John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Rich Evans, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr, Stacey Phillips, Victoria Antonelli Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Digital Marketing Manager: Bill Pierce Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Michelle Lucas Online and Web Content Editor: Rochelle Beckel Accounting Manager: Heather Priddy
AIRCAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 AMH Canada, Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Ancira Volkswagen . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Apollo Sprayers International . . . . . . 9 Audi South Austin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 37 AutoNation Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . 54 AutoNation Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam NRH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 AutoNation Chrysler-Jeep-DodgeRam of North Phoenix. . . . . . . . . . 8 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . . 5 BASF Corporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Bill Luke Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 55 Bob Howard PDC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA). . . . . . . . . . . 19 Chapman Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 ChemSpec USA, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Chevyland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Classic BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Dallas Dodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Dent Magic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Dominion Sure Seal . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Don Carlton Auto Group . . . . . . . . . 50 ECS Automotive Concepts . . . . . . . 40 Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . 34 Eurovac, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Finnegan Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge . . . . 2 Flatirons Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 53 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 57 Greeley Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Herkules Equipment Corporation. . . 6
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REGIONAL A Half-Million Flooded Cars and Trucks Could be Scrapped after Hurricane Harvey in the United States . . . . . . . . . 10 Antonelli - High School Student Shares Plans for Future Amidst Hurricane Harvey Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 ARA Prepares for 74th Annual Convention in Dallas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Buyer beware: Hurricane-Flooded Vehicles May Soon Hit Arizona Market . . . . . . . . 16 Cambridge Automotive Group Acquires Maaco Locations in Houston, TX . . . . . . 8 CARSTAR Autopro Collision Chandler, AZ, Opens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 CARSTAR Campbell’s Auto Body Opens in Burleson, TX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 CARSTAR Color Build Collision Center Opens in Dallas, TX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 CIF Rallying to Support Industry Flood Victims of Hurricane Harvey. . . . . . . . . 63 Collision Repair Instructor Shares Experience of Hurricane Harvey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Copart Announces Expansion of Its New Orleans Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Flooded Cars Already Being Put Up for Sale . 1 Gerber Collision & Glass Opens Location in Lafayette, LA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Hot Rod Captivates Students at Aims Community College in CO . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Hurricane Harvey Ravaged Cars and Trucks — Bad for Drivers, Good for Automakers . 1 Hurricane Harvey Wreaks Havoc on Houston, Affected Shops Report on Damage . . . . 1 Maaco Locations in Houston Now Part of Cambridge Automotive Group . . . . . . 8 Maylan Newton Teaches ASA-CO Members to Manage Difficult Interactions . . . . . . 21 Pep Boys to Acquire Advanced Auto Service & Tire Centers in Phoenix . . . . . 6 Phillips - How Being a ‘Values-Driven Company’ Has Set New Mexico Shop Apart from Competition. . . . . . . . 24
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts, North America’s largest Multi-Shop Operator Network of independently owned collision re-
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CARSTAR Autopro Collision Chandler, AZ, Opens
Autobody News Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018; (800) 699-8251 / (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com / editor@autobodynews.com
Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33 Hyundai Motor America . . . . . . . . . 30 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers. . 59 Insta Finish Car Care . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Lancer Insurance Company . . . . . . 38 Malco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 60 Mike Calvert Toyota. . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Mirka USA, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 41 Motor Guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 MWMtools.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Nissan Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . 63 North Freeway Hyundai . . . . . . . . . 46 Polyvance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 ProLine Tool & Supply, LLC. . . . . . . 15 Ray Huffines Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . 47 Reliable Automotive Equipment . . . 10 SATA Dan-Am Company . . . . . . . . 17 Sorbothane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 South Pointe Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge. 14 Spanesi Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Subaru of Little Rock . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 51 Toyota of Laredo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 58 Valspar Refinish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Wizards Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Young Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 3
House OKs Bill to Allow Thousands of Self-Driving Cars Automakers would each be allowed to operate up to 100,000 self-driving cars per year on U.S. roads, and states would be prevented from passing laws to prevent them from doing so under a bill that was approved Sept. 6 by the U.S. House of Representatives. The measure, approved on a voice vote, would allow the Secretary of Transportation to grant exemptions to federal motor vehicle rules that require cars to have human operators. Initially, 25,000 cars per automaker could be operated if companies can prove they meet existing safety standards for traditional cars. After a 12-month period, the number of exemptions per manufacturer would increase to 50,000, and it would go up to 100,000 in the third and fourth years. The current limit for such exemptions to federal auto standards is 2,500 cars for two years at a time. Under the bill approved Sept. 6, exemptions to federal auto standards would be limited to three years at a time. The measure, which goes now to the U.S. Senate, was approved after weeks of backroom negotiations between Republicans and Democrats on the panel over issues involving the number of test vehicles that would be exempt from federal safety standards requiring a human to be in control of the car and the length of time for which those exemptions would be valid. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said the compromised legislation will boost safety of U.S. roads, and also represented a rare bipartisan con-
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, DDearborn, added, “This wasn’t something that was thrown together at the last minute. A lot of time has been spent addressing everybody’s concerns.” The bill passed Sept. 6 requires the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule requiring automakers to submit a safety assessment certification for their self-driving cars within two years of passage of the measure. In the interim, the legislation directs carmakers to submit letters to the National Highway Traffic Safety Ad-
ministration that mirror a set of 15 guidelines that were recommended by the Obama administration in 2016. The guidelines called for automakers and technology companies to voluntarily report on testing and safety to federal regulators before autonomous cars are sold to the public. Under Obama’s proposal, automakers would have been required to report how they were tested, how the systems work and what happens if those systems fail before self-driving cars are allowed to roll on U.S. roads. Democrats in the House had sought to greatly reduce the number of exemptions that would allow automakers to put thousands of self-driving cars on the road in the immediate future, but they said they could live with the compromise that calls for gradually increasing the number over several years. “Self-driving cars have the potential in the future to reduce deaths and injuries from car crashes, particularly those that result from driver distraction,” Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said. “This bill allows for testing and deployment of self-driving cars to help the United States reach that potential sooner.” Automakers praised lawmakers for moving the bill to increase the number of self-driving cars that can be operated on U.S. roads. General Motors Co. said in a statement that the measure “represents good progress toward a law that will facilitate realization of the safety, mobility, and environmental benefits of self-driving vehicles.” The company added a caveat that “more work is needed” before the bill is signed into law, how-
The new Federal autonomous vehicle policy released today poses a threat to highway safety, Consumer Watchdog warned and the nonpartisan nonprofit group called for the enactment of enforceable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards specifically covering self-driving cars. Dubbed a “Vision for Safety 2.0” and released by Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, the new policy emphasizes the voluntary nature of the new federal guidelines. “This isn’t a vision for safety,” said John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project Director. “It’s a roadmap that allows manufacturers to
do whatever they want, wherever and whenever they want, turning our roads into private laboratories for robot cars with no regard for our safety.” The new Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration policy focuses only on voluntary guidance for Level 3, Level 4 and Level 5 selfdriving cars, not Level 2 technology where only some driving technology is automated, Consumer Watchdog noted. “This a serious short-coming and ignores the fact that Level 2 technology, like Tesla’s Autopilot, has killed people,” said Simpson. “How the
human driver monitors and interacts with Level 2 technologies is potentially life threatening and requires Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.” The DOT claims the revised voluntary policy “incorporates feedback received through public comments.” “This simply isn’t true,” Simpson said. “There hasn’t been a NHTSA public hearing on autonomous vehicle policy since President Trump was inaugurated and the highly touted DOT Advisory Committee on Automation in Transportation (ACAT) has not even met and has been completely ignored by Trump’s appointees.” The new robot car guidelines raise
by Keith Laing, Detroit News Washington Bureau
sensus in a typically bitterly divided Washington. “This legislation on autonomous vehicles ...will go a long way to taking the human error out of driving and making roads safer for all Americans,” said U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph. “Forget about the Jetsons, it’s over. The future of the autonomous industry is here, and this bill will give the automotive industry the tools to revolutionize how we’re going to get around for generations to come.”
The measure, approved on a voice vote, would allow the Secretary of Transportation to grant exemptions to federal motor vehicle rules that require cars to have human operators. Credit: Gene J. Puskar, AP
ever. Safety groups complained the exemptions give automakers too much freedom to test self-driving cars on roads with other drivers. “This bill leaves a Wild West frontier by pre-empting the states’ ability to do anything to protect consumer safety, while there is nothing yet at the federal level,” said John Simpson, Consumer Watchdog privacy project director. The legislation prohibits states and other local jurisdictions from adopting regulations related to cars’ design, construction, software or communication. States still would be allowed to regulate registration, licensing, liability, education and training, insurance or traffic laws. Michigan had already taken steps to position itself as a haven for selfdriving car testing: last year, the state legislature passed into law a measure that allows robotic cars to be operated on any Michigan road without a driver behind the wheel. Supporters of the measure moving now in Congress anticipate the U.S. Senate will take up a similar version of the self-driving measure this fall. Lawmakers in the upper chamber have said they also are working on a bipartisan bill to regulate self-driving cars. They have released a set of principles that call for prioritizing safety, promoting innovation and strengthening cybersecurity, but have not agreed on specific language.
questions for state regulators, Consumer Watchdog said. For example, proposed self-driving rules in California mandate that manufacturers would have to file a federal safety assessment with NHTSA. The new guidance, however, says states should not codify any portion of the voluntary guidance in their regulations. “The DOT and NHTSA ‘Vision for Safety 2.0’ tells auto manufacturers to think about a few things involving robot cars and then do whatever they want,” said Simpson.
We thank the Detroit News for reprint permission.
Consumer Watchdog: New Federal Robot Car Guidelines Threaten Highway Safety
4 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 5
Pep Boys to Acquire Advanced Auto Service & Tire Centers in Phoenix Pep Boys, a wholly owned subsidiary of Icahn Automotive Group LLC, recently announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Advanced Auto Service & Tire Centers in Phoenix, AZ.
“We are pleased to increase our store density in the metropolitan Phoenix area with the acquisition of Advanced Auto Service & Tire Centers, the third-largest independent automotive service chain in the market,” says Icahn Automotive President of Service Bill Ihnken. “This expansion of our service center network in Arizona will allow us to serve more customers in more neighborhoods, from Flagstaff in the north to Nogales in the south, with the highest quality total car care, includ-
ing free services such as tire rotations, A/C checks, brake inspections and a year of roadside assistance with every tire purchased.” Advanced Auto Service & Tire, with 15 service centers, a wholesale tire business and more than 120 employees, has operated in Arizona since 1989. The majority of its locations are situated in the Phoenix area in the densely populated East Valley, with three in the West Valley and three further north in Prescott, Prescott Valley and Flagstaff. Its shops are full service with an average of seven bays. These locations will be transitioned to Pep Boys Service & Tire Centers. “With this acquisition, we continue to grow our national service center network, focused on providing superior customer service as well as a broad selection of tires and parts, always at a great value,” said Dan Ninivaggi, CEO of Icahn Automotive. “We welcome the outstanding Advanced team to Icahn Automotive and look forward to building on the great customer relationships they have developed over the last 28 years.”
ARA Prepares for 74th Annual Convention in Dallas
by Chasidy Rae Sisk
The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) will hold its 74th Annual Convention and Exposition at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Dallas on Nov. 1–4. ARA CEO Michael E. Wilson says, “We expect big things out of the 74th Annual ARA Convention and Exposition this year in Dallas—big ideas, big opportunities, and big attendance. ARA has been busy planning a program that showcases speakers that you won’t see elsewhere as well as plenty of opportunities for peer-to-peer discussions.” The largest annual gathering of the automotive recycling industry, ARA’s Annual Convention and Exposition generally attracts more than 1,000 industry professionals from around the world and offers a wonderful opportunity for building strong relationships with peers. The four-day event will be packed with association updates, automotive recycling training, and important industry information as well as many social activities. On Wednesday evening, attendees can participate in ARA’s Recyclers Appreciation Night at Crashed Toys, a large nightlife venue. Thursday’s educational offering features the popular and interactive Recyclers Roundtable, which provides industry professionals with a chance to
tackle tough issues they face in their daily business operations as well as Self-Service Operations Peer Group sessions. The day’s agenda also includes an introduction to ARA’s new awareness campaign and seminars on building wealth, economy principles, social media and eBay sales. A unique addition to this year’s event will be the Buckle and Shift Fashion Show at 1 p.m., showcasing a clothing line created entirely from antique car upholstery and automotive accessories. The educational portion of the day will conclude with a keynote presentation and book signing with historian and educator Dr. David Lucsko, author of Junkyards, Gearheads, and Rust, as he delves into the role recycled parts play in the circular economy. The evening concludes with the Past Presidents Reception and Expo Opening. Among Friday’s many sessions are “Changes in the Collision Repair Industry and the Impact on Automotive Recyclers,” “Discovering a Bigger Piece of the Pie,” “Environmental Compliance,” and “Public Speaking for Recyclers.” The final day of ARA’s 2017 Convention and Exposition will provide an opportunity for attendees to visit the Texas Motor Speedway to watch the AAA Texas 500 NASCAR race. For more information or to register, visit: araexpo.org.
6 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
CARSTAR Campbell’s Auto Body Opens in Burleson, TX
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts, North America’s largest MultiShop Operator Network of independently owned collision repair fa-
cilities, announced the opening of CARSTAR Campbell’s Auto Body at 451 N. Burleson Blvd., Burleson, TX 76028. The CARSTAR location is owned by Steve Davis, Allen Massey and Matthew Gonzales. CARSTAR Campbell’s Auto Body first opened in 1985 as Campbell’s Auto Body. Since that time, it has served the collision repair needs of customers in Burleson and Johnson counties. Their mission is to provide the residents of Johnson and surrounding counties with exceptional collision repair at a competi-
tive price by a staff of professionals who take pride in their work and the company for which they work. Services include frame repair, cutting and welding, metal straightening, application of up-to-date body materials, metal finishing and painting, alignment of body components and paintless dent repair. “We are proud to welcome Steve Davis, Allen Massey and Matthew Gonzales to our CARSTAR network and expand our presence in Texas,” said Michael Macaluso,
President, CARSTAR North America. “Our store owners, our insurance partners and our vendor partners have embraced our North American model and are excited about the new benefits they bring. We look forward to finishing a great year and continuing to grow toward our 1,000-store goal.” For more information on CARSTAR visit carstar.com.
www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 7
Maaco Locations in Houston Now Part of Cambridge Auto
Cambridge Automotive Group (CAG) has acquired two existing Maaco locations surrounding Houston, TX. Following these resales, CAG now owns close to 40 Maaco shops across the country and is Maaco’s largest multiple center owner.
Maaco League City and Maaco Katy plan on offering several specials throughout the year on customer auto body repair and paint needs. Maaco is currently offering a paint sale for its 45th anniversary.
Your leading source for SOUTHWESTERN Collision Repair News! southwestern.autobodynews.com
Hot Rod Captivates Students at Aims Community College in CO by James Redmond, Greeley Tribune
The hot rod’s bright, red paint job caught Abel Flores’ eye. Flores, 18, a Fort Lupton resident and Aims Community College automotive collision repair student, said he likes painting cars.
Daniel Vehse starts up the engine to the hot rod as a crowd gathers around to see at the Aims Automotive and Technology Center, 1120 Southgate Drive, in Windsor, CO. Vehse, co-creator of the hot rod, designed it with the Jerry Magnuson before Magnuson died. The car was Magnuson’s final project. Credit: Joshua Polson, The Greeley Tribune
“The paint job is one of the first things people notice,” Flores said. He certainly noticed the expert paint job on the Trackmaster hot rod on display at the Aims Automotive and Technology Center, 1120 South-
8 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
gate Drive in Windsor, CO. Flores stood in a crowd of more than 70 huddled around the mechanical marvel. He took a couple photos with his phone and when everyone started to leave, he hung behind for a moment to get a closer look. “The paint job is so detailed,” he said. “Everything about (the hot rod) took so much effort and attention to detail.” The 1923 Roadster was the last hot rod engineered and built by Jerry Magnuson. Now deceased, Magnuson, a legend in the hot rod community, was a substantial supporter of the Aims automotive programs, Aims Automotive Director Fred Brown said. In 2010, Magnuson built “Magnatude,” which won Hot Rod Magazine’s Car of the Year Award. Magnuson’s second—and final— car was finished earlier this year. The car features a hand-fabricated body based on a 1923 Model T roadster. On Sept. 11, the hot rod’s cobuilder Daniel Vehse talked Aims students and instructors through the process of designing, tweaking and building the vehicle. The presentation, Brown said, was reminiscent of the one Magnuson would give when he used to visit the school.
A local, Magnuson grew up in Greeley and Eaton and started his own custom auto shop as a high school sophomore. In 1957, he helped establish the Igniters Car Club of Weld County, which still supports the Aims Car Show each year.
A crowd gathers around the hot rod as Daniel Vehse talks about what went into the design and creation of the unique vehicle
From there, he had a number of careers in the automotive industry, including working as a franchisee of Snap-On Tools, a mechanic on the crew of racing star Dan Gurney and finally, owner of Magnuson Products Co. He always supported Aims and the students there, Brown said. Monday morning’s presentation and Vehse’s visit with the hot rod carried on that tradition. We thank Greeley Tribune for reprint permission.
CARSTAR Color Build Collision Center Opens in Dallas, TX
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts, North America’s largest Multi-Shop Operator Network of independently owned collision repair facilities, announced the opening of
CARSTAR Color Build Collision Center at 410 S. Kirby St., Garland, TX 75042. The CARSTAR location is owned by Frank Nunez. For 15 years, Nunez and his team have been providing friends and neighbors in Garland with dependable, trustworthy collision repair services. From minor dent repairs to restoration after an accident, their trained collision repair technicians are skilled at using topof-the-line equipment to return vehicles to pre-accident condition. The Garland location is the third CARSTAR facility in the Dallas region. CARSTAR Color Build Colli-
sion Center will provide comprehensive services from full auto collision repair, small dent and ding fixes, to storm damage repair and paint jobs. Its team of technicians is up-to-date on the latest vehicle and collision repair technology, and has professional, hands-on experience working with all brands and models of vehicles. They use the most current collision repair equipment and materials available, meaning that they can quickly repair vehicles and get customers back on the road in a timely manner. For more information on CARSTAR, visit carstar.com.
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SEMA Student Career Day Focuses on Job Opportunities and Industry Growth
As the automotive aftermarket industry continues to grow and business demand for qualified employees rises, the second annual Student Career Day will bring SEMA Show exhibitors and
students passionate about the automotive aftermarket industry together during the world’s premier automotive trade show. Held on Monday, Oct. 30, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Westgate Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, the Student Career Day will include hundreds of high school and college students from across the country and more than 60 SEMA Show exhibitors. “Student Career Day is unique in that we focus solely on the automotive industry and bring students who are passionate about the automotive aftermarket,” said SEMA Senior Director of Education Zane Clark. “Many times, career fairs are limited to local opportunities and represent a number of industries. At
the SEMA Student Career Day, all participating companies are specific to the automotive aftermarket and represent a national footprint. Further, it is held against the backdrop of the SEMA Show, where students get the opportunity to learn more about our industry and experience it firsthand.” The 2016 program included more than 40 companies and 650 students, many of whom were offered jobs from the event. “It was exciting to meet the next generation of our industry and see their enthusiasm for what we do. They were all well-prepared, confident, and educated about our companies,” said ididit’s Kimberly Johnson, who participated in last year’s inaugural event. “I highly recommend that all SEMA member companies participate in SEMA Career Day.” Companies that sign up for Student Career Day to meet the future generation of the automotive aftermarket industry are provided a table, chairs, and basic signage. To register or for more information, email Clark at zanec@sema.org.
www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 9
A Half-Million Flooded Cars and Trucks Could be Scrapped after Hurricane Harvey by Justin Kavanagh, Car History Check Experts, MyVehicle.ie
Car dealers stateside are expecting a huge surge in business once Houston gets back on its feet. Used-car values are already at a record high, and prices could climb even higher over the next couple of weeks due to the tighter supply. Thousands of cars and trucks have been totaled, with water up to their windows and in some cases, over the roof.
The flooding is so extensive that it is estimated that a half-million vehicles may wind up being scrapped. Jonathan Smoke, the chief economist for Cox Automotive, said, “This is worse than Hurricane Sandy. Sandy was bad, but the flooding with Hurricane Harvey could impact far more vehicles.”
After Hurricane Sandy hit New York and New Jersey in October 2012, there were an estimated 250,000 vehicles that had to be written off and scrapped. The New York metropolitan area may have a bigger population than Houston, TX, but the number of vehicles per household is much higher in Houston, hence double the number of cars written off. With so many vehicles in the flood zone, insurance companies will be busy handling claims and sorting out insurance payouts for flood victims so they can buy new vehicles. Car prices could climb even higher over the next couple of weeks due to the tighter supply in the Houston area, but not all of the flooded vehicles will wind up being scrapped. Many will be cleaned up and resold, often without the new buyer realizing they are buying a salvaged car or truck. Frank Scafidi with the National Insurance Crime Bureau said, “It’s going to happen, that’s inevitable. Look at all those vehicles floating around. There are people who will try to take advantage of the situation.” The resale of repaired flooded
cars is not illegal in the US, as long as the flood damage is disclosed on the title to buyers. After Hurricane Katrina, thousands of rebuilt flood vehicles were sold to unsuspecting buyers
with titles that had been washed or reissued in a different state. “We didn’t see this on a huge scale until Hurricane Katrina,” said Scafidi. “Since then, the public awareness of the problem is greater, but with thousands of flooded vehicles it’s hard to prevent this from happening.” We thank Car History Check Experts, MyVehicle.ie for reprint permission.
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Continued from Cover
Flooded Cars
towed to Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown. The facility’s expansive outdoor acreage is serving as a waypoint for the vehicles before they are junked, and in some cases, auctioned. Auto Exam and other companies are doing brisk business, inspecting cars brought in by potential buyers. For a little more than $100, buyers get peace of mind in a sea of uncertainty. Car shoppers can do some of the homework with these quick tips to identify potential flood cars: • Avoid cars with moisture trapped in headlights/taillights • Check under the seat, avoid cars with rusty seat rails • Pull up the carpet. Brittle carpet pad could mean the area was wet, then dried • Check the spare in the trunk. The spare “well” can hold water, even if the rest of the car is dry
We thank Click2Houston for reprint permission.
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Shops Affected
in the back of the building, but fortunately, he had moved all his customers’ vehicles to the front of the building, and neither his nor his children’s homes sustained damage. Others were not so lucky. Several Houston area dealerships were completely flooded with all inventory lost; however, no casualties have been reported in the automotive community. Many shop and dealership employees, as well as the general Houston population, have experienced major property losses, with homes and vehicles suffering severe damages or being completely destroyed. Greg Luther, one of HABA’s Directors, noted, “A few guys in our shop had personal damage, and none have flood insurance, but employers are being as helpful and understanding as possible. Also, the National Automobile Dealers Association stepped in with some donations to help them. “Harvey damaged 140,000 homes and at least 280,000 vehicles in Harris County alone, plus half a dozen other counties were impacted by the floods, and over 80 percent of the flooded homes don’t have flood insurance. Still, it’s amazing how fast the city is recovering.” Jill Tuggle, Executive Director of the Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT), said, “In the days immediately following the hurricane, many people were unable to get to work due to flooded roads and highways. Some of the water has since receded, and some people are able to return to work, but we haven’t gotten word on specific shops and how much damage was sustained. I can’t imagine the emotional toll this has taken on business owners and team members alike. Many are still trying to assess the damage done to their homes, remove debris and water from damaged surfaces, and determine what type of insurance coverages they have—or don’t have— all while trying to make sure they can continue to earn a paycheck to replace basic necessities and feed their families. That’s a large burden to bear.” Fortunately, most ABAT shops are located in areas that received minimal impact from the storm, but the association has decided to donate all proceeds from raffle sales during August’s Texas Auto Body Trade Show to Harvey Relief and will be
organizing a campaign to help in the upcoming weeks alongside HABA and CIF. HABA’s Legislative Advisor Larry Cernosek estimated that around 500,000 vehicles were flooded in the Houston Metropolitan area, but “the biggest problem is insurance companies are writing $900 estimates that
structive path, several large oil refineries have been closed, causing a gas shortage felt across the state, as well as increased prices. More than three weeks after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, Kopriva added, “Here we are, 23 days after the initial storm coming on shore, and Houston is still dealing with the after-
A dumpsite in Houston for residents to discard property damaged during Harvey’s assault on the city
barely cover towing and require supplements, arguments and complaints to fix these cars people bring in to be repaired. The insurance companies should work with the shops that do the repairs, but it’s just getting worse every day.” Debris broke the windows of Cernosek’s shop, allowing 6 inches of rain to get in, but he easily pumped it out. He also lost some personal property, a boat and jet skis, during the storm, but knows that others had it much worse with up to 6 feet of water being reported in some homes. Because of the sheer volume of damaged vehicles and the subsequent number of rental cars needed, the repair process has been slowed down while rental cars are being transported to Texas in an attempt to meet demands. Although 18-wheelers are bringing more supply hourly, the list of customers waiting for rental car availability keeps growing. Kopriva said, “The number of damaged and flooded vehicles continues to rise. As flood waters recede, more cars are being discovered, straining the availability of rental cars. Repairers have back logs of customers waiting to drop off their vehicle for repair, but not until a rental is made available.” Traffic is also horrendous, according to Kopriva, who says roads are overloaded, but no one seems to know why. Due to the increased traffic, there have been more accidents, but the lack of available rental cars continues to be an inconvenience for consumers. Also, due to Harvey’s de-
12 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
effects of Harvey. In some areas of the city, it is projected that there is a possibility that it will take 10 months or longer before things finally get back to normal. In downtown Houston, many parking garage basements still hold flood water and are slowly being pumped dry and aerated to prevent mold. Bayous are just now starting to
recede back to normal levels. Numerous subdivisions that never had a history of flooding were covered due to emergency release of water from area reservoirs to prevent potential breach in levies and spillways. Around Houston in rural outlying areas, the city is using military C-130 aircraft to spray for the control and to combat mass mosquito infestation, which is a growing problem.” Still, amidst all the chaos and heartbreak, Harvey resulted in one positive thing. “It pulled everyone together,” Kopriva shared. “I have a number of friends who took their boats out to help others evacuate, and it seems everyone reached out to help one another, even at risk of their own lives. Despite all the loss and tragedy, everyone came together to help one another and show that not even this massive storm can divide us.” Among the many organizations collecting donations for victims of Hurricane Harvey, CIF is offering disaster relief, and information is available for those who need assistance or anyone interested in contributing at: collisionindustryfoundation.org/disaster -relief/. See story this issue.
www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 13
Young Painter Creates “Girls Behind the Gun” to Support Women in Collision Repair Connie Manjavinos, 25, started her career as a detailer at a CarMax in her hometown of Virginia Beach, VA, seven years ago. Recently, she was honored as one of the world’s top painters at the 3M Automotive Aftermarket PPS World Cup in Detroit, MI. It has been an unexpected and wonderful journey for Manjavinos as she pursues her dreams
her a full-fledged painter. “I transferred out there to be a detailer, but with the idea that I would become a painter there,” she said. “After that first week I started going over to the paint department to learn as much as I possibly could. At that point, they really hadn’t figured out a role for me, so I was getting paid as a detailer, but I was in the paint department for 6–8 months. I learned everything from masking, unmasking, how
while providing a support network for female painters worldwide and gaining national attention for her work. Right out of high school, Manjavinos wanted to become a police officer, but she knew that in the interim, she would need to get what she called a “big girl job”. After exhibiting her ability to learn quickly along with a knack for painting, Manjavinos seized an opportunity to transfer to another CarMax location in Colorado, where they were seemingly willing to make
to buff fresh paint, primer, bodywork, PDR—and then into the booth. I became an unofficial part of their paint crew, but I was just waiting for a job. So, when the position as a painter finally opened up, I got it, because I was already doing it all anyway. After a while, I became the paint manager there.” With original plans of attending school to study Administration of Justice and riding along with the local police department, Manjavinos then
by Ed Attanasio
“I want to learn it all and play a role in this industry as it changes” — Connie Manjavinos
14 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
as well as planned, Manjavinos said. decided to pursue a new direction to“I was learning under a guy who ward collision repair—and she’s happy had no desire to teach me, so it was that she did. “I saw that I could do this, so I de- definitely very frustrating,” she said. cided to step up and give it a real try,” “But, I kept plugging away and after she said. “It makes me happy when about eight months I could see that people see my work and say, “Wow, a there was no chance of becoming the girl did that.’ I am only 5” 2’ and I number one painter there, even though weigh a little more than 100 lbs., but the head painter was retiring and they when people see me banging out these cars, they are kind of surprised, and I love that!” After leaving her job at CarMax, Manjavinos landed a job at a vehicle restoration shop called Emmel’s Enamels in Denver, CO, where she was allowed to learn how to paint cars the right way, she said. “I had to commute a couple hours every day and I definitely took a financial hit to work there, but I wanted to learn from these people, and I Connie Manjavinos was the only female painter featured did. After eight months there, I at the 3M Automotive Aftermarket PPS World Cup in Detroit, MI, in August decided that I was ready to jump into collision repair,” she said. had promised me the position. When I So, she got another job at a body asked them directly if I was going to shop in the area, but things did not go eventually move up, they said no.
One of the guys told me that he would never let his daughter become a painter, so I bailed and went back to work at Emmel’s Enamels for a short time.” Recently, Connie made another move from Colorado to Florida to work for Kiddy’s Classics Automotive Repair in Jensen Beach, FL. “It’s a great opportunity, and I am so excited,” she said. “I get to do everything here, [including] shadowing the owner who specializes in metal fabrication. I’ve learned a lot about heavy bodywork and restoration paint jobs here. They have a new painter there, and I have trained her to be my helper and become a painter so we can tagteam projects later. She is so happy to be learning, and I am delighted to help her after all of the things I had to go through.” To network with women who are either painters or work in some capacity within the collision repair industry, Manjavinos created an online group called “Girls Behind the Gun.” “I could see that the guys were getting major recognition for their work, but the women were not,” she said. “After a while, I started thinking, ‘Am I the only one out there?’ When I
started the group on Facebook and Instagram back in February of 2015, the ladies started flocking to it, and now we have 16,500 followers. It’s a place where women who work in this industry in any capacity can communicate, interact and share ideas.”
gaining momentum. “Painting is our shared obsession, and now we’re communicating back and forth on a daily basis,” she said. “It’s become something that we can hopefully build upon because we all need friends in this business.” Manjavinos has bigger and better plans for “Girls Behind the Gun” and looks forward to meeting new female painters at SEMA and other networking events this year. “Now I am reaching out to young women who are going to be the future refinishers of this industry; to encourage them and mentor them,” she said. “We need to work together and create a community where we can share information and set ourselves up for success. If young girls can find this career early in their lives, they can achieve so many things and even though they might encounter setbacks, we’ve got their backs. I want to focus on the future of ‘Girls Behind the Gun’ now to inspire them.” With a long career ahead of her, Manjavinos is ready for whatever happens next, she said. “I want to learn it all and play a role in this industry as it changes,” Manjavinos said. “That’s why I am try-
Manjavinos was going to be a police woman until she decided to become a car painter seven years ago
As Manjavinos connects with more and more female painters all over the world through her efforts on social media, her mission is quickly
ing to inspire women and help them as they take it to the next level. Right now, I am learning everything I possibly can to find out what I am really good at,
Manjavinos is using social media to connect with female painters and other women working in collision repair through “Girls Behind the Gun,” an online group she started back in 2015
and that includes metal work and every aspect of fixing or restoring a car. My passion for this business runs deep, and that’s why I love what I do every day!”
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Buyer beware: Hurricane-Flooded Vehicles May Soon Hit Arizona Market by Carol Ann Alaimo, Arizona Daily Star
Up to a million vehicles submerged by the recent hurricane in Houston are expected to be totaled by insurers. Tom Epperson is determined to keep them off his used car lot in Tucson, AZ. Similar write-offs happen after nearly every major storm, but this time the volume is “staggering,” said Epperson, owner of Clyde Wanslee Auto Sales on South Sixth Avenue, the dealership that’s been in his family since the 1930s. “Those flood cars are going to end up everywhere, in every state,” so local dealers and car buyers need to take extra care to avoid getting stuck with them, he said. Vehicles aren’t safe to drive once their electrical and computer systems are soaked by saltwater, experts say. Even if they look fine and seem to run well, corrosion makes them prone to fail without warning and airbags may not deploy in a crash. Such vehicles often re-enter the market when insurers sell them as salvage to buyers who clean them up for resale. Some are transferred from state to state first, a practice known as “title-washing” that can mask their
history and origins. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, “authorities reported truckloads of flooded vehicles being taken out of Louisiana to other states … where they were dried out, cleaned,
and readied for sale to unsuspecting consumers,” according to the website of the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System. Epperson said most dealerships take pains to ensure flood vehicles don’t end up on their lots, but lessthan-reputable operators may not be as diligent about quality checks. A salvaged or flood-damaged vehicle is supposed to be identified as such on title, but “many times it is not,” said Ryan Harding, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Transporta-
tion.
“So it’s important for consumers in the used vehicle market to do their due diligence,” Harding said. ADOT recommends checking floorboards, under dashboards, under carpets and in trunks for sand, silt, mold or corrosion and under the hood for random new parts. Rusted door hinges, musty smells, brittle wiring and broken gauges can also be telltale signs. “We expect to see flooddamaged vehicles put up for sale in the next few months,” said Arizona attorney general spokeswoman Mia Garcia, who also stressed the need for consumer vigilance. Garcia said vehicles should be inspected by a reputable mechanic before purchase. She also recommends using the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s free VIN-checking service at nicb.org. Even that isn’t foolproof though, since it only captures the status of vehicles with comprehensive insurance coverage. Flood-damaged vehicles have ended up in Tucson before, said Frank
“Buck” Buckner, owner of Buck’s Automotive Service Center on North First Avenue. He recalled a local who, not long after Hurricane Katrina, brought in a low-mileage Lexus to have it inspected before buying. “The car looked gorgeous. But there was sand in the battery box, sand in the floorboards, and the whole underside was covered in surface rust.” Sellers of suspect vehicles may be evasive if questioned, so consider that a danger sign too, said Harding of ADOT. “If the seller is acting suspiciously, being evasive or uncooperative, walk away,” he said. We thank Arizona Daily Star for reprint permission.
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Fourth Annual SEMA Battle of the Builders to Feature Top Customizers in Three Categories SEMA Show exhibitors enlist top vehicle builders to create custom cars and trucks that generate worldwide attention and stand out at the premier automotive trade show each year. More than 250 builders will compete in the fourth annual SEMA Battle of the Builders competition, with the finalists announced during the 2017 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and the winner announced during the nationwide television filming at SEMA Ignited, Friday, November 3. “It’s great to see the amazing array of vehicle builds at the SEMA Show each year,” said Peter MacGillivray, SEMA vice president of communications and events. “It’s inspiring to watch the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition, as we meet the builders and learn about the products and stories behind the cars and trucks.” All SEMA Battle of the Builders competitors are recognized in SEMA Show publications and on signage at the event. Also during the Show, finalists are narrowed down in three categories (hot rod, truck and tuner), and the winner is announced Friday, Novem-
ber 3, at SEMA Ignited (www.semaignited.com), the official SEMA Show after-party where thousands of consumers join SEMA Showgoers. This year’s competition includes special recognition of builders 27 years or younger, named Young Guns, who enter the contest with a vehicle at the SEMA Show. The recognition serves to inspire and encourage young builders to pursue their passions and shine the light on up-and-coming customizers, including a select number of young vehicle builders who were awarded a Young Guns prize package from partnering consumer auto shows. The prize package includes an invitation to bring their vehicles to the SEMA Show and compete in the 2017 SEMA Battle of the Builders. The competition and its builders, vehicles and manufacturers are profiled in a one-hour television special that will air exclusively on the Velocity Network in 2018. Exclusive online footage is also posted at www.SEMA Show.com/botb, featuring additional behind-the-scenes stories and interviews.
New SEMA Program Supports Automotive Education
SEMA has launched a new program designed to support and engage highschool students in the automotive hobby. As part of the pilot program, high-school students will oversee and execute the build of an entire project vehicle, including tracking time, expenses and associated resources, using a pre-owned vehicle purchased and donated by SEMA. The project will create a self-sustaining program with the completed vehicle sold to raise money for the purchase of another vehicle that can be used for a similar project the following school year. “Our hope is that the one-time purchase and vehicle donation will initiate an ongoing program at the school and allow hundreds of students to participate over the years,” said SEMA Board of Directors Chairman Wade Kawasaki. “We are optimistic and excited about this program, and look forward to seeing what the students accomplish.” The pilot program began last month with the delivery of a ’15 4WD Jeep Wrangler Unlimited to students at the Santa Fe Early College Opportunities (ECO) Auto Shop Program in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Students have begun identifying priorities and creating a plan for the
project, which will be sold by the end of the school year in May 2018. “The Santa Fe ECO program is dedicated to training and preparing students for careers in the automotive industry,” said Auto Collision Technology Instructor Chris Coriz. “Having an actual vehicle to work on is incredibly valuable. We’re excited and appreciative to SEMA for supporting our program.” SEMA continues to support the project, and is helping to secure parts donations and volunteers to serve as mentors to the students. Those interested in supporting the project, or wanting more details should contact SEMA Senior Director of Education Zane Clark. As one of several SEMA programs designed to support and encourage youth in the automotive industry, SEMA hopes to be able to replicate the program at high schools throughout the country.
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Darin Smith Discusses His SEMA Battle of the Builders Project
Darin Smith has been building and restoring classic vehicles with DWS Classics for more than 20 years. He handles everything from nut-and-bolt restorations to custom-built vehicles. SEMA had a chance to preview the build he’s entering in the Battle of the Builders competition. Smith is
blending old school with new school in his custom-built ‘64 Chevy pickup. The red-themed truck includes unique craftsmanship throughout and custom touches that will make the vehicle stand out in the competition. Smith says winning the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition would be an unimaginable honor. Open to all customizers with a car or truck on display at the SEMA
Show, the competition shines the spotlight on the amazing talents and craftsmanship of builders who have already proven themselves by being a part of the premier automotive trade event in the world. It allows enthusiasts and fans a chance to learn the stories behind the builds, get to know the builders and be inspired along the way. All builders with a feature or booth vehicle on display at the 2017 SEMA Show are invited and encouraged to participate. (Note that your vehicle must NOT be under embargo at the time of entry) Young, up-and-coming builders who are under the age of 27 (as of November 3, 2017) will receive special recognition as a ‘Young Gun’ in the competition, designed to spotlight and inspire future industry icons. Builders who meet the age requirements of a Young Gun but may not have a confirmed feature or booth vehicle for the 2017 SEMA Show may be awarded a ‘SEMA Prize Package’ from one of our regional partners and invited to compete in the competition in Las Vegas.
www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 19
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Harvey Ravage
claims on their car- and truck-insurance policies, said Mark Hanna, a spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas trade group, and some analysts estimate that figure will climb as high as 500,000. With hurricane season in full swing and the tally from Irma just beginning, Harvey has been projected to be one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history, with experts estimating damage could exceed $100 billion. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has even suggested that damage could reach $150 billion to $180 billion. About 15% of Texas motorists don’t have vehicle insurance, even though liability insurance is mandatory in the state. Of the remaining 85% of motorists, three-quarters of them carry comprehensive coverage, which would include protection against flooding, on their policies, Hanna said. “That’s very good news,” he said, for getting Texans back on the road. There are just slightly less than 14 million total passenger vehicles and 6
million trucks in Texas, according to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Of that total, 3.5 million vehicles were registered last year in Harris County, which includes Houston, according to the DMV. “We’ll see people wanting to replace their cars in a pretty quick fashion” because Houston, much like Los Angeles, is a sprawling city heavily
new vehicles on dealer lots in Texas were damaged by Harvey, including 150,000 to 200,000 new vehicles in the hardest-hit areas such as Houston and Corpus Christi. Many of those new vehicles are trucks; Texas is the top market for new-truck sales in the United States. One dealership, McRee Ford in Dickinson, southeast of Houston, had
dependent on the car for transportation, said Jessica Caldwell, director of industry analysis at Edmunds.com. “You will see auto sales higher in the affected areas, probably for the rest of the year, with people needing to replace their vehicles,” she said. “It’s hard to go without a car in a place like Houston.” The typical surge in vehicle sales after a natural disaster provides some economic boost to the affected area. A month after Superstorm Sandy slammed New Jersey and New York, New York City-area vehicle sales jumped 49%. Edmunds estimated that 366,000
temporarily closed because all of its 500 new and used vehicles were damaged by the storm. But the Houston Automobile Dealers Assn., which represents about 175 franchise dealers selling new cars and trucks, said 85% of its dealers in Houston were fully operational with zero or minimal damage. “All but a handful of dealers I spoke to this morning are all open today at full service and regular hours,” association spokeswoman RoShelle Salinas said Aug. 31, only the second day of sunshine for Houston after Harvey’s deluge. “This is a great position to be in to help Houstonians get back
Our entire inventory is no longer available for sale. — McRee Ford, Dickinson, Texas
20 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
into transportation and on to moving about the city.” She said some dealers “have multi-story parking garages, and a lot of them put their vehicles into those garages” before the storm hit “so they wouldn’t suffer damage if the water was to rise.” For those dealers who lost cars, replenishing their lots with new vehicles “is not an issue” because “there’s an overabundance of new cars” in the U.S. market, Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Autotrader, said in an email. “All of this inventory can be shuttled around the country,” Krebs said. “In fact, AutoNation, which has numerous dealerships in the Houston area that were hit by Harvey, said it would do exactly that.” But it could be a tougher situation for Texans who can afford only a modestly priced used car that’s a few years old, Krebs said. “Shortages exist in the very affordable [market for] 4- to 8-year-old cars,” she said. “That could spell trouble for consumers with few resources or with resources stretched.” It’s also unclear how rapidly flood-weary Texans will jump into the
market for another car. “The hard thing to figure out are the insurance claims, and how fast that process will work,” Caldwell said. “Most people can’t buy a new car while waiting for an insurance check for the old one.” Dealers also carry insurance to cover losses for the vehicles on their lots — notably for hail storms that are common in Texas—so the insurers would suffer the biggest financial hit from the storm, Hanna said. Dean Crutchfield, chief information officer at CDK Global, a provider of software and services to auto dealerships, said many Houston-area dealers removed or relocated their computers ahead of the storm “and now they’re coming back into their stores and trying to reestablish normal operations.” “One of the key themes we’ve seen is the dealers’ interest in maintaining their payroll operations” so that their employees don’t miss a paycheck even though car sales were disrupted by Harvey, Crutchfield said. And what of the flood-damaged cars? “Most of the vehicles are sold to parts companies who dismantle them and resell usable parts that were not damaged by the flooding,” the National
Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance trade group, said in an advisory. But the bureau advised buyers to “be particularly careful in the coming weeks and months as thousands of Harvey-damaged vehicles may reappear for sale in their areas” across the nation, a problem that also occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. That disaster led the bureau to create the free VINCheck database, which lets vehicle shoppers check a vehicle identification number to see if the car or truck was deemed “salvage” by an insurance company because of flood or accident or if it was reported stolen. Uninsured vehicles, however, would escape the insurance industry’s scrutiny. “Unfortunately, some of the flooded vehicles may be purchased at bargain prices, cleaned up and then taken out of state where the VIN [vehicle identification number] is switched and the car is re-titled with no indication it has been damaged,” the bureau said. “Buyers should have a vehicle checked by a reputable mechanic or repair facility before handing over any cash,” the bureau said.
Mark Holstein decided he would bypass insurance and dealerships altogether. The Port Aransas resident left his white 1980 Camaro in the garage during the hurricane as he high-tailed it out of there and headed for drier land in San Antonio in his truck. The low-to-the-ground sports car had been a labor of love for him over the years as he had refurbished the black leather interior and was working on replacing the transmission to give it better performance. After Harvey, the car took in 3 feet of water. Mold was growing. The engine had drowned in the salty Gulf of Mexico water. The flared exhaust pipes along the running boards were already caked in rust. Holstein, 59, said he wouldn’t bother with insurance. Instead, he said he’d just consider it another project. “I guess I’ll start over,” he said. “Something to keep me busy.”
Peltz reported from Los Angeles, Montero from Houston. We thank the Los Angeles Times for reprint permission.
Maylan Newton Teaches ASACO Members to Manage Difficult Interactions by Chasidy Rae Sisk
On August 28, ASA-CO hosted an educational seminar on “Extreme Communication” with Maylan Newton of ESI, located at Kenz & Leslie BG Training Center in Wheat Ridge, CO. ASA-CO Executive Director Julie Massaro shared, “The event went very well. Communication in difficult situations was discussed, specifically how to turn a difficult situation into a productive communication experience.” The 49 collision repair professionals in attendance were very pleased with Newton’s presentation on managing difficult interactions, and everyone learned many valuable tips on communication skills. “ASA-CO offers these training sessions to meet the needs of our members and the automotive service community as a whole,” Massaro said. For more information, visit: asacolorado.org.
www.autobodynews.com
www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 21
Continued from Cover
Instructor Reports
Wilson added that many homes closer to the West fork of the San Jacinto river are completely gone. “The homes were washed away from their foundations,” he explained. “Many people are in hotels, renting apartments or homes close to the community that weren’t damaged by the storm, and others are doing as I am, living in an RV in the driveway.” It’s been close to three weeks since Hurricane Harvey hit, and many people are still in limbo. “All of us are sitting waiting for responses for the resolutions to the issues of rebuilding,” Wilson said. “Fortunately, my family has flood insurance and will rebuild.” However, that wasn’t the case for everyone. “Many families in the area do not [have flood insurance] because they felt that since it didn’t flood in the past, they were safe,” he explained. Humble Independent School District (Humble ISD) in Houston has five high schools; out of the five, only three opened for the first day of class
program, received minimal damage, including roof leaks and secondary water issues,” he explained. “Luckily, it never flooded.” As far as the role of local body shops in the recovery process, Wilson said he’s sure they’ve had their hands full. “The local area businesses are very busy dealing with flooded vehicles,” Wilson said. “There is a local vehicle disaster overflow staging area for flooded vehicles just north of Kingwood that seems to get fuller by the day.” He explained that he always includes flood damaged In addition to flood damage hurricane force winds brought vehicles in the curriculum at a lot of tree damage Kingwood Park High School. “Unfortunately, Kingwood High “But we seldom receive live veSchool received most of the damage hicles with this type damage,” Wilson of all the schools; it completely said. “I create real-world scenarios flooded,” said Wilson. “The campus with the students and how its associhas been closed until further notice to ated with insurance and the plan and rebuild.” procedures dealing with it.” Wilson said students who atWhen Autobody News asked Wiltended Kingwood High School are son what supplies were needed by the being transported to Summer Creek collision repair program, he recomHigh School on a split schedule day. mended the following items for dona“Kingwood Park High School, which tion: houses the collision and refinishing ● paint toners on Thursday, September 7th and the other two opened on Monday, September 11th. Wilson explained that there are two sister campuses in the Kingwood area; Kingwood Park High School, where Wilson teaches, and Kingwood High School.
Industry Invited to Sponsor Work Uniforms for Local High School and College Collision School Programs The collision industry is invited to help make “Back to School” more professional for its local high school
and college collision school programs by sponsoring Cintas work uniforms for students through the Collision Repair Education Foundation. Industry businesses can select the local collision school programs that they are already working with or the Education Foundation can help locate local programs for them. The work uniforms will add a new level of professionalism to programs during the 2017-2018 school year. A local collision student can be sponsored for $50 each and would be provided with a Cintas work shirt and pants. Those businesses that sponsor more than 20 uniforms for a school will have their corporate logo added as a patch to the front of the work shirts. The Collision Repair Education
Foundation will coordinate the work uniform orders and the sponsoring company will be invited to visit the school to meet the students and distribute the uniforms that they helped make possible when they arrive. Collision Repair Education Foundation Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode said, “We hear from instructors across the country that of all the support that we have been able to provide over the years, these student uniforms have made the most significant impact on collision programs. It changes the mindset of the students as they look like employed industry professionals, school administration and guests treat them with respect, and the students feel like a family. We invite you to help a local collision program in your local area by making these student uniforms possible.” Companies interested in sponsoring work uniforms for a local high school or college collision program should contact Collision Repair Education Foundation Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation .org/ 847-463-5244.
22 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
● consumables like hardeners and reducers ● tapes and masking materials ● GFS paint booth filters ● DeVilbiss airline filtration coalescing, element and dessicant filter replacement Despite the severity of the situation, Wilson remains positive about the recovery process. “As always, everyone in the community will pull together and we will rebuild and persevere,” he said. All donations are greatly appreciated and can be sent to: Kingwood Park High School attention J L Wilson 4015 Woodland Hills Dr. Kingwood, Texas 77339
Your leading source for SOUTHWESTERN Collision Repair News! southwestern.autobodynews.com
www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 23
Shop Strategies
Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.” She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.
How Being a ‘Values-Driven Company’ Has Set New Mexico Shop Apart from Competition with Stacey Phillips
Just one year ago, Pamela Weese joined ReCARnation Total Automotive Solutions as the company’s COO. With extensive experience in organizational management and business development, Weese was named CEO this past April. Autobody News reached out to Weese to find out more about the Albuquerque, New Mexico body shop and how it sets itself apart from neigh-
You often describe the business Can you tell us about the LifeXQ: as a “values-driven company.” Q: tend™ certification program What are some of the ways that you and other initiatives that set your comincorporate this into the business?
pany apart from others in the industry?
Our core values are simple and LifeXtend is a full reconditiondrive everything we do at Recing process that can take a high A: A: CARnation. mileage vehicle and make it safe, reli-
We are a team united and driven by our commitment to a set of common values, which we have all agreed to: be transparent and truthful, serve compassionately, improve constantly, choose joy and laughter, and create success. We are transparent and truthful with our clients. Trust is the bedrock of a healthy relationship. We tell the truth as we understand it and are completely transparent about our products, processes and abiliThe team at ReCARnation Total Automotive Solutions in ties. Albuquerque, New Mexico Serving others is our highboring shops by being a “values-dri- est purpose. We respect all people, ven company.” without judgment, and serve with humility, gratitude and heartfelt comAs a prior director of business passion. development, how did you get In terms of improving constantly, we involved in the collision repair indus- are committed to continuous assesstry? ment and action to get better at everything that matters in our personal and The business was established professional lives. in 2009 by Marc Powell as a We also try to create joy and laughcar dealership with in-house financ- ter. Happiness is not an accident. It is a ing. A small garage was created the decision. Each of us makes the confollowing year and the company has scious choice to bring joy and laughter continued to grow. We now operate every day to our clients, venvdors and the mechanical, paint and body shop each other. out of an 18,000-square-foot facility where our 15-person team provides electrical, mechanical and paint and body services. We offer a full range of services to both corporate fleets and retail clients, including 24-hour roadside assistance and towing. I joined the company in May of ReCARnation was established in 2009 and 2016 after working in venture capithe company now operates out of an 18,000tal. Marc asked me to come on as the square-foot facility COO to streamline operations, implement cutting-edge software, and Success requires common effort improve process and procedure. I and is meaningful only when shared. have no background in the world of We do everything possible to particicars so knew this would be a chal- pate in the success of every individual lenge, which is exactly what I needed we touch. Some days that is easier for personal and professional devel- than others?, but we try to stay on the opment! journey?.
Q: A:
24 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
able and beautiful for another 50,000 miles, depending on the vehicle. For most people, it makes more sense to give their existing car a makeover rather than sign up for seven years of car payments. We also offer short-term financing.
What are some of the ways shop puts customers first? Q: your My number one goal for ReA: CARnation is to continue and improve upon the exceptional cus-
tomer service that the staff provides to our customers. Every day, with every customer, we focus on provid-
ing high-quality auto repair services coupled with top-notch customer service. When customers arrive at our shop, we adhere to a strict “no wait” policy. This means all customers are seen at their scheduled appointment times, or at the moment they drive in for service. We value their time and their experience as our customer is our first priority! Working in the automotive industry, I have gained so much knowledge about the customers’ stress around having their cars in the “shop” and the invoice that awaits them. Very few people walk into an automotive shop happy. I want our clients to leave happy and satisfied with the quality service we deliver. With countless five-star reviews, we are proud of our reputation as one of the Albuquerque area’s most trustworthy auto repair shops. See New Mexico Shop, Page 27
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www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 25
26 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Continued from Page 24
New Mexico Shop
You wrote an article about why data matters in the automotive Q: industry. What is the importance of
data to a shop?
that does not need to be fixed right away and therefore feels a sense of trust in our company. As the CEO, I go in to AutoVitals every day and check the most important, cost effective, and baseline work
We make a priority to use the A: most updated software in order to serve customers in the manner they
expect. Each one of our staff members has an iPad that is their constant companion all day long to use the software system, called AutoVitals, that ReCARnation has adopted. Every car that comes into our shop receives a Digital/Visual Inspection (DVI) that tells us what is going on with the car. Pictures are taken of all the places where service is performed on an automobile. The DVI with the photos is then emailed or texted to the customer so he or she can pick which services are the most important. The services are all indicated with a color: red for needs immediate attention, yellow for needs attention soon, and green for no services required. Customers are clear that we are not up-selling them on something
ogy and auto repair services. All of our technicians are ASE or I-CAR certified. We take pride in performing exceptional quality work in terms of mechanical precision, paint and body detail, thorough inspections and emissions compliance. We often tell our customers that we offer dealership quality knowledge and experience at an affordable price.
The shop ensures that employees stay up-to-date with the latest in technology and equipment
that is performed by all employees. We are able to find out about shop and technician effectiveness, technician efficiency and productivity, and other metrics.
How do you ensure the techniQ: cians stay up-to-date with new technology and procedures? Our team receives ongoing A: training in automotive technol-
it brings morale to the crew here at ReCARnation. We work together to help those in need and to create change in our community. We have sponsored blood drives and events for a wide range of nonprofit organizations, including The Domestic Violence Resource Center, the Veterans Integration Centers, The NM Philharmonic, the Kirtland Partnership Committee, NM Dog, University of New Mexico, Paws & Stripes and many more.?
What is the importance Q: of body shops giving As an independent body shop, back to the community and Q: how will you prepare for the what are some of the events changes ahead in the industry?
you have hosted in the past?
A:
Our auto repair business is built around our clientele, our commitment to service and our community. We like to say that we are “Communitarians” at ReCARnation. Giving back to the community that supports our business is the only way that we are ever going to better our society. In New Mexico, there are so many nonprofits that need help, as we rank very low in education, food security and pay scale. I also feel that
Our industry is in for proA: found change in the coming decades. The advent of electric cars
will reduce vehicle maintenance requirements? and autonomous vehicles will lower the accident rate. These two things will likely develop simultaneously. We don’t know who the winners will be, but scale and professional management are likely keys to navigating the new realities.
www.autobodynews.com
www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 27
SCRS Announces Details on OEM Summit Sessions The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) announces session details outlining the content of the upcoming OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit (Summit) at the 2017 SEMA Show (Show.) The Summit, held on Thursday, Nov. 2, was first launched by SCRS four years ago to put Show attendees in a room with innovators in automo-
tive structural design and technology that can create context around sophisticated advancements in vehicles and emerging technology, and the impact it will have specifically on collision repair businesses. This year’s three sessions will address the impact that automotive research has on vehicle construction and functionality, the impact that construction and functionality has on performing once-commonplace repair procedures, and the impact that those OEM procedures—or failure to implement them—have on liability and safety. The sessions will include:
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. OEM1 | N241 | OEM Session I: How Automotive Research is Driving Change in Vehicle Design, Technology and Function The automotive industry has proven to be a ripe landscape for revolutionary technology intended to address everything from autonomy and connectivity to structural developments for advanced vehicle light weighting. These technological advancements rely heavily on innovative research for developing and testing complex solutions to be deployed to
the motoring public. This research often stems from collaborations between automakers, in the aftermarket, and through educational institutions; all looking to advance safe, efficient and groundbreaking transportation solutions. Moderated by John Waraniak, Vice President Vehicle Technology for SEMA, this distinguished panel will share insight into the research going on today that has the potential to reshape how you repair vehicles tomorrow.
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. OEM2 | N241 | OEM Session II: The Impact of Advanced Vehicle Systems on Routine Repair Process and Procedure New technology is rapidly advancing in vehicles today, and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are becoming increasingly more popular in new vehicles. They can have significant effect on how you perform previously routine services in your collision repair facility. While those on the road benefit from ADAS, the repair industry must change how they approach traditional services, as many OEMs require additional procedures, calibrations and tools to ensure restoration of vehicle functionality. Kaleb Silver, Senior Product Manager for Hunter Engineering, will present on challenges facing the industry and the impact of advanced systems on routine services such as wheel alignments. After the presentation he will welcome the following panel to discuss the growing complexities facing the repair marketplaces.
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. OEM3 | N241 | OEM Session III: The Hidden Dangers of Vehicle Technology, Improper Repair Methodology and Your Liabilities Those operating within the collision repair industry find themselves in tumultuous times. While the functional and structural technologies in
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28 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
modern-day vehicles are evolving at a neck-breaking pace (and expected to evolve even faster on our way to autonomous vehicles), the collision repair industry faces a growing gap in skilled workers, and continual downward pressure to mitigate repair expenses and operations performed. In an industry culture that seemingly rewards those who charge the least, rather than those who perform the best, it is an increasing challenge for businesses committed to repairs that are fully compliant with OEM methodologies. In 2017, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) reaffirmed its longstanding position that “if an OEM documents a repair procedure as required, recommended or otherwise necessary as a result of damage or repair, that those published procedures would be the standard of repair until such time the documentation changes. Disregarding a documented procedure that is made available to the industry creates undue and avoidable liability on the repair facility performing the repair.” This panel, moderated by John Ellis, Managing Director of Ellis &
Associates, will address an industry grappling to reconcile how to move forward for the consumer when certain automotive manufacturer requirements are expected to be performed on every occasion, but insurance claims positioning leans towards “case-by-case” approval. The participants will feature litigators, technology experts, and those with experience in facing liability and safety implications with performing repairs in today’s environment. As current litigation exposes flaws in the rationale for deviating from OEM repair procedures, there isn’t a more critical discussion in which to participate for today’s collision repair operator. Panelists will be announced in a forthcoming release, but registration for these sessions is open. Space will be limited and early registration is encouraged. Sessions can be selected individually at www.scrs.com/rde or as part of the RDE Full Series Pass. For more information about SCRS, or to join as a member, please visit www .scrs.com, call toll free 1-877-8410660 or email us at info@scrs.com.
www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 29
Shop Showcase
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
Veteran Shop Owner Energized by Son and Daughter at Panel Craft with Ed Attanasio
David Habu, 55, is the owner of Panel Craft, a 30-year-old shop in Berkeley, CA. He started as a high schooler with a one-piston compressor on wheels and by 18 years old, had a small shop with one employee. Four years later, he opened Panel Craft. By working hard and learning everything he could on his own, Habu was able to take his passion for classic cars and use it to fix vehicles for his customers throughout the East Bay.
(l to r) Brianna, David and Brenden Habu now run the show at Panel Craft in Berkeley, CA
He calls himself self-trained, but Habu’s work is well-known throughout the East Bay for being precise while focusing on the customer, rather than simply placating the insurance companies. One of his Yelp reviews said it best when Vijay R. wrote, “Dave isn’t a big city shyster, he’s just an honest guy who grew up in an honest town at an honest time. Talk to him and you get the feeling that he’s always been that way and doesn’t appear that he has any need or desire to change.” However, change is on the way, and Habu is prepared for it. Now, with seven employees and his two children, Brianna, 25, and Brenden, 22, on staff, Habu has undergone a Renaissance and is finding a new purpose for his business, he said. “To be honest, I was thinking about winding this business down and retiring, because I have been in this industry since I was 16,” he said. “But, when I saw that my children might want to get involved and eventually take over the shop, I found some new energy and decided to stay in it to work with my kids.” Brianna and Brenden are now an integral part of the business, but it was
not a path their father originally anticipated. “They started helping out around here when they turned 18, but I never wanted them to have careers in this industry, because it can be a roller coaster at times,” Habu said. “But, they seemed to like it and they want to learn, so I figure, why not?” With Brianna concentrating on the front office while Brenden manages the shop floor, Dad has served as a mentor for his kids, and now they have plans to open a second location in the nearby city of Oakland. “Brianna is very good at organizing, and she’s got the ability to work well with people,” Habu said. “Brenden has a knack for everything technical, and I think he was born with it. He never went to school for it, so it’s intuitive and it’s been great, because he is bringing all of this new technology to the shop.” Not exactly known as an early adopter to technology, David Habu is now being a little more open-minded about things such as computers and automotive diagnostics. “For many years, I fought it all— the computer, management systems, the Internet—I figured I knew it all anyway,” he said. “But, my kids have helped shed a different light on this business and it’s helped us. I still do write some things down once in a while, but I’m getting better!” To fast-track their growth and impending expansion, the Habu family decided to join the California Autobody Association (CAA) to become more involved in the industry and network with top shops all over the Bay Area, Brianna explained. “We want to be on top of everything, because we realize that eventually the smaller shops will be fading away if they don’t stay current,” she said. “By joining CAA and meeting these successful people, we are associating ourselves with the best shops in the area. We have attended several of their events since joining, and we love the idea that these other shop owners are willing to help us.” One valuable lesson Dad has taught his children is to do repairs the right way without being coerced by
30 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
the insurance companies. “We don’t have any DRPs here, and we’re making more money without them,” he said. “I am not afraid to tell them that if you want me to fix the car the way you want me to, then you can
The Habu family has plans to open a second location in Oakland, CA, before the end of the year
warranty the vehicle. But, then they tell me that they’re not repairing the car, we are. If I am going to warranty that vehicle, I am going to do it right and usually I get exactly what I want. I’ve lost money fixing cars correctly quite a few times, but we’re not ever going to skimp on quality to save a few bucks,
because it’s the only way I know.” By networking with other professionals in the collision repair industry throughout the East Bay, Habu is able to survive without DRPs. “I have relationships with the local car dealerships, service writers, mechanics and techs at other shops and other people attached to the industry, and they give us referrals,” he said. “When someone recommends us, that’s an obligation to the customer and to the person who referred us for the work. We take that very seriously.” David Habu is transitioning from a boss to a mentor and he couldn’t be happier, because his children are learning a trade he’s been doing his entire life. “I am seeing it all now through their eyes, and that is wonderful,” he said. “I am going to support them every step of the way and do everything I can to set them up for ongoing success.”
www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 31
H OND A TEX AS
Bankston Honda L e w is v i ll e
800-344-8611 972-219-0021 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 www.bankstonhonda.com
Fiesta Honda S a n A n t on io
800-727-8705 210-340-0831 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-5 hondaparts@safiestahonda.com
Cleo Bay Honda K i ll e en
877-253-6229 254-699-2478 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 parts@cleobay.com
Honda Cars of McKinney M c K in n ey
972-569-4276 972-569-4222 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 Gene.chenault@hendrickauto.com
Honda of Frisco F ri s c o
866-442-2711 972-731-3176 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-5:30 cedgar@mcdavid.com
AC U RA TEX AS
Autonation Acura Leag u e Cit y
800-749-6227 713-371-4700 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-5 hoehns@autonation.com
David McDavid Acura Aus t in
800-575-3553 512-401-5976 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 jraygo@mcdavid.com
David McDavid Acura Plan o
972-964-6044 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 dgrajczyk@mcdavid.com
32 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs. T E X AS
TE XAS
LOU IS IA NA
C OL ORA DO
McDavid Honda Irving
Rusty Wallis Honda
Superior Honda
Ir vin g
D a ll a s
Harvey
Boulder
800-492-4464 972-790-6003
877-466-3272 214-328-3891
800-943-4227 504-368-5687
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6 srichardson@mcdavid.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 darryldotsy@rustywallis.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-5:30 parts@superiorhonda.net
800-274-0985 303-415-1528 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-2 parts@fisherauto.com
Honda of San Marcos
Wholesale Parts Direct
Walker Honda
Honda of Greeley
Au s t i n
A l exa nd r i a
G re el e y
800-234-4441 512-458-2910
318-448-8255 318-445-6677
888-903-1101 970-506-2795
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6 sales@wholesalepartsdirect.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 hondaparts@walkerautomotive.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-4:30 parts@hondaofgreeley.com
San Ma rco s
866-392-1313 512-392-1313 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 9-5 csmith@hondasanmarcos.com
Howdy Honda
O K LAHOM A
Mile High Honda
N EW MEX IC O
A u stin
Don Carlton Honda
Garcia Honda
877-941-6513 512-443-4300
Tu l s a
A l bu qu erque
800-722-2379 918-622-9670
800-677-6632 505-260-5002
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-3 partsmgr@howdyhonda.com
Kelly Grimsley Honda Od ess a
844-453-5594 432-334-6632 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-12 april@kellygrimsley.com
Russell & Smith Honda
Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7-6 hondaparts@doncarlton.com
Fowler Honda No r m a n
866-369-5376 405-573-5719 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-9; Sat 8-4 parts@fowlerhonda.com
Hou st on
Fenton Honda of Ardmore
800-833-0180 713-663-4266
Ard m o re
580-226-1000
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 7-4 ggregory@russellsmith.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-2 travis.pierce@fentonmotors.com
T E X AS
LO UIS IANA
Mac Churchill Acura
Acura of Baton Rouge
Fo r t Wo r t h
B a to n R o u ge
888-824-9634 817-806-0571
866-733-2861 225-756-6166
Dept. Hours: M-F 6-7; Sat 8-5 jguin@macchurchill.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 dlavigne@acurabr.com
Sterling McCall Acura
Walker Acura
Ho u st on
M e ta i r i e
713-596-2337 713-596-2338
800-359-8555 504-465-8555
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 7:30-4 rkahl@sterlingmccallacura.com
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Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8:30-5 Jscott@garciacars.com
D en v er
800-548-4730 303-369-7800 Dept. Hours: M-S 7-6 lhoover@autotree.net
AR IZON A
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800-461-6744 520-202-5770 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 carlkeefe@chapmantucson.com
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800-350-6537 623-463-4380 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-9; Sat 7-6 gluna@earnhardt.com
C OL OR AD O
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800-548-4730 303-369-7800 Dept. Hours: M-S 7-6 lhoover@autotree.net
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800-456-9568 719-955-1715 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 joe_benson@pikespeakacura.com
Jody Wilkinson Acura Salt Lake City
800-234-0875 801-323-0492 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 rick@jodywilkinson.com
Mike Hale Acura Murray
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866-347-4507 623-792-2559 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-5 dcavanaugh@vtaig.com www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 33
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.
Talk of Other Insurers Requiring use of PartsTrader Goes Back Five Years with John Yoswick
20 Years ago in the Collision Repair Industry (October 1997) In a meeting with the Automotive Service Association (ASA) earlier this year, Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) Executive Director Jack Gillis outlined CAPA’s new standards and additional testing that will help ensure the quality of CAPA-certified crash parts. Gillis reviewed the plans with ASA in response to ASA’s dissatisfaction with CAPA’s performance. Gillis said that CAPA’s new standards officially went into effect in May of 1997. “Parts produced after this date will meet the needs of today’s collision repairers,” Gillis said. “Furthermore, additional testing and inspections should result in more consistency in CAPAcertified crash parts. The downside is that the new standards are so tough that as many as 40 percent of the parts currently certified could become decerti-
fied. CAPA is committed to pursuing the new, more stringent standards in spite of the many parts to be decertified.” – As reported in Professional Auto News. See also the news item from October 2012, exactly 15 years after CAPA’s 1997 standards upgrade.
15 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (October 2002) While insurers’ involvement in the collision repair industry may not be the cause of fraud within the industry, Doug Walsh says it does make it more difficult to eliminate fraudulent activity. “You’re not in a free enterprise system,” Walsh, an assistant attorney general for Washington state, told attendees at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC), held in Seattle in mid-October. “The purpose of the free enterprise system is to have the consumer’s dollar chase the highest qual-
34 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
ity goods at the lowest price; that has nothing to do with your industry. The third party payer perverts it. The normal market forces are not operating.
In 2007, Tom Fleming of Mitchell International said his company would participate in the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG) project
And as regulators, we’re confused about your industry because you’re finger-pointing between the insurers and the auto body craftsmen.” Walsh’s comments came during a panel discussion on ethics and fraud
within the industry, a discussion that raised at least as many new questions as it answered. “If insurance companies and auto collision repairers can get together and recognize their responsibility to the insured and the customer, and work to fulfill that, that’s the only way your system can work,” Walsh said. “Because market forces are not going to get rid of businesses that aren’t doing that.” – As reported in Autobody News. 10 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (October 2007) The architects of the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG) project applauded Mitchell International’s decision to collaborate with the DEG to collect broad industry data to identify, monitor and analyze wider collision industry trends and issues. The DEG is a joint effort between the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP), the Automotive Service Association (ASA) and the
Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). It aims to create a single industry website to submit requests for reviews when technicians question the accuracy or a labor time or identify missing, incomplete or incorrect data within any one of the three information providers’ estimating products. It also would allow users to view responses from the database providers.
In 2007, Darrell Amberson worked to help establish the Database Enhancement Gateway as a representative of the Automotive Service Association. He is currently president of operations for Minnesota-based LaMettry s Collision
“Mitchell welcomes the formation of the DEG project as a vehicle for the collision repair industry to voice concerns and issues about sourced data,” said Tom Fleming, vice president of
industry relations for Mitchell. “Mitchell’s announcement is very good news,” said Darrell Amberson, a member of the ASA database task force. “We met with all three information providers in June, and there was some hesitancy on their part because we are in effect critiquing their service tool.” CCC Information Services is also supporting the project, while Audatex appears to be taking more of a waitand-see attitude to be certain the project makes sense for its business. – As reported in Auto Body Repair News. All three estimating system providers were eventually onboard with the DEG, and today the DEG website (www.DEGweb.org) now has a database of more than 11,000 inquiries (to which the information providers have responded) about labor times and other elements of the estimating systems. Fleming retired from Mitchell in 2010 after 25 years with the company.
5 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (October 2012) Florida shop owner Ray Gunder received affirmative responses this month to two complaints he filed about non-
OEM parts certified by the Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA). CAPA acknowledged that it found fit problems with a front bumper cover for the 2010 Chevrolet Impala and that it has notified the Taiwanese manufacturer, Y.C.C. Auto Parts, of the “nonconformances” and “will work with the manufacturer in order to verify that the deficiencies have been corrected.” CAPA said it similarly found fit problems with a TYG Products rear bumper cover for the 2002 Honda Accord, has decertified the lot of those parts, and will work with that manufacturer as well to ensure the problems are corrected. – As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), October 29, 2012. Gunder, who also was an outspoken critic of many insurance company practices, filing dozens of lawsuits against insurers over the past decade, sold his Lakeland, FL, business to Car Guys Collision Repair this summer.
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Copart Announces Expansion of Its New Orleans Location
Copart, Inc. a global online vehicle auction company, is announcing the expansion of its New Orleans, Louisiana location at 14600 Old Gentilly Road. The New Orleans expansion marks the twelfth Copart expansion announced this calendar year. “So far in 2017, we’ve expanded locations as far west as California, as far east as New Hampshire, and several in between,” said Jay Adair, CEO of Copart. “Across the United States, each expansion bolsters our ability to serve our insurance customers.” The New Orleans location holds online vehicle auctions every Wednesday at noon CT. Eligible buyers can bid on current inventory from computers, smartphones and tablets, or they can bid via bidding kiosks at the location. Prospective car buyers are encouraged to do their research on any vehicle they are considering purchasing through Copart. “We recommend visiting our locations to inspect vehicles in person—or hiring an independent inspector to do the job for you,” said Bobby Ashford, General Manager of Copart’s New Orleans location. A list of certified, third-party inspectors is available on the Copart website. Learn more about Copart’s locations, including New Orleans, by visiting Copart.com/Locations.
www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 35
Industry Insight with John Yoswick
—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.
CCC Defends Shift to Secure Share, Faces Tough Questions from CIC Task Force This summer, CCC Information Services defended the dramatic changes that the shift to CCC’s “Secure Share” system will bring to the industry, calling it necessary for data security, a step forward for the industry, and reasonably priced. “We’re a software company that builds software as a business,” CCC’s Mark Fincher said at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Chicago in July, when asked about CCC’s pro-
Mark Fincher of CCC discussed “Secure Share” at the first CIC meeting CCC attended since a task force was formed based on concerns about Secure Share
jected profit from the 50-cent-perwork file fee that management system providers and other vendors will pay CCC when they receive a shop’s estimate data through Secure Share. “We think the price is fair and equitable for all the participants.” Fincher’s presentation in Chicago was noteworthy because CCC wasn’t represented at two previous CIC meetings this year at which a task force was formed to address industry concerns about Secure Share. The new data-exchange system went live this past spring, and as of next April, CCC users will only be able to transfer estimate data to others through Secure Share. That’s a change from the longstanding current method under which a CCC ONE user can transfer the data from an estimate—to a shop management system, a CSI provider, a rental car company, etc.—using a standardized “Estimate Management Standard (EMS)” file. In many cases, those third-parties have—with a shop’s permission—placed a “data pump” on the shop’s server to automatically pull the
EMS files the shop has agreed to share. CCC’s “Secure Share” changes this arrangement in several key ways. First, it transfers the data using a “Business Message Suite (BMS)” file, largely viewed as a positive change. The industry-developed BMS standard gives users more control over which portions of an estimate are transferred. It can limit a parts vendor’s access, for example, to only the portions of the estimate needed to accurately fill the parts order, rather than also including (as the EMS file does) information about the vehicle owner as well. But the required use of Secure Share for the data transfer means that by next April, shops will need to ensure any vendors or systems (CCC refers to these as “apps”) with which they share estimate data has completed the CCC approval process to be part of the “Secure Share Network.” Those system providers will then pay the 50-cent toll per work file each time they receive data from the shop. Fincher acknowledged CCC will recoup its development costs and profit from this arrangement, but declined to provide any of the company’s projections for the revenue Secure Share will generate. He focused on why CCC sees Secure Share as a necessary improvement for data-sharing within the industry, saying that first and foremost it helps ensure the security of estimate information. “We know this information is sitting on thousands of shop servers or PCs, [in some cases] unencrypted and accessible to third parties,” Fincher said. “In many cases, as a repairer you had no idea who was accessing that information. You may have known there was a data pump or two data pumps on your system, but you had no visibility to that.” Instead, keeping this information encrypted “in the cloud” and under CCC’s control, he said, helps ensure only authorized parties have access to it, and the BMS file transfer “gives repair facilities the ability to send just the relevant information” to different apps. “That app provider does not have the ability to share that information with anyone that they want to,” Fincher
36 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
also noted. “You retain control of that information as a repairer, and know its only going to be used for the purpose for which you designated.” If a shop chooses to terminate a relationship with an app provider, Secure Share ensures that a third party will no longer have access to the shop’s estimate data, Fincher said. “I’ve heard these stories that there was a company you were working with five years ago, but you terminated the relationship and moved on to a different software solution, but meanwhile that [old] data pump is still residing on your server, tracking that data, and you might not have had any idea that it’s pulling it,” Fincher said. “Now you have complete transparency with Secure Share.” Fincher faced some tough questioning from the CIC task force established in the wake of CCC’s announced plans for Secure Share last fall. That task force developed a position state-
ment that is supportive of the shift to the BMS file transfer standard, but critical of other limits on a shop’s sharing of estimate data. “Any third party that restricts or prevents industry stakeholders from accessing or using the data generated and permitted by the collision repair facility and industry stakeholders will adversely impact the industry,” the task force position statement reads. “In addition, it will inhibit advancements in technology, restrict competition and adds cost into the marketplace. Technological advances should enable sophisticated, secure and more collaborative data usage, not impede industry progress.” It is the shop’s responsibility to protect the privacy and proper use of the data, the task force acknowledges, but “the repair facility is entitled to and must have the freedom and flexibility to utilize the data as they deem approSee CCC Defends Shift, Page 38
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www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 37
Continued from Page 36
CCC Defends Shift
priate, [including] the ability to copy or export data to separate servers, trading partners or online data warehousing services, without approval from a third party.” Dan Risley of the Automotive Service Association, one of three chairs of the CIC task force, asked Fincher if data security really has been a problem within the industry during the decades in which the current data exchange system has been used. “There has not been a significant compromise from a security perspective,” Fincher acknowledged. “But we don’t want to be in a reactive mode. We are processing thousands of files per day, and there are thousands of collision repair facilities that are using this data that is sitting unencrypted. The last thing we want to do is be in a reactive mode.” Shouldn’t a shop have the right to share its estimate data as it chooses, Risley asked Fincher. “Unfortunately, it’s not just the shops that own that data,” Fincher said. “There are others who claim ownership
of that data, and we have a commitment to secure the data of all of our customers and other providers we work with who provide us that source data.” Risley said one alternative that he has heard is being worked on is a sys-
Dan Risley represented a CIC task force formed to address concerns related to CCC’s “Secure Share.”
tem in which the shop exports a PDF file of an estimate to a third party that then translates that file back into a data file the shop can share. “We agree there are other alternatives that could exist to share this information,” Fincher said. “As long as it’s within the guidelines of the contractual agreement that the repair fa-
38 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
cility has with CCC, then absolutely… [But] it’s also important to understand other contractual relationships that as a repair facility you might have with insurance companies, and look at those DRP agreements to see what your limitations are. There is specific language about what and who you can share information with.” Risley acknowledged CCC has been responding to some of the concerns raised by the industry about Secure Share, reviewing its contract language with app providers that some vendors found troubling, and potentially establishing an advisory board to allow for ongoing feedback. Still, following Fincher’s presentation, 70 percent of CIC attendees in Chicago voted to not disband the task force, believing “there is additional work to be done.” CIC Chairman Guy Bargnes praised the task force’s work. “Regardless of your position, your thinking on this issue, the work done by this task force…absolutely exemplifies…CIC’s mission: To discuss issues, to enhance understanding, to find common ground,” Bargnes said. “That’s the objective of CIC, to bring more information.”
Gerber Collision & Glass Opens Location in Lafayette, LA
The Boyd Group Inc. (the “Boyd Group” or “Boyd”) announced the acquisition on Sept. 8, 2017 of a collision repair center in Lafayette, LA, previously operated as Prestige Auto Body & Customs of Lafayette.
Lafayette is located in southwestern Louisiana, and the location is close to the high traffic intersection of interstate highways 90 and 10. “With the opening of this strategic location in Lafayette, an hour west of our Baton Rouge location, we are now better positioned to serve our customers and insurance partners in southwestern Louisiana,” said Tim O’Day, President and COO of the Boyd Group’s U.S. operations. “We are pleased to broaden our reach into the state and we look forward to increasing our footprint with further accretive locations.”
Eleventh Circuit Reinstates Body Shops’ Lawsuit Against Insurers by Katherine Coig, GlassBytes
Five auto body shops, who claimed several insurance companies fixed repair prices, have had their case reinstated by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The shops, which are located in different states throughout the country, originally had their case dismissed by a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida based on insufficient evidence proving the insurers have an agreement to fix prices. However, on September 7, the Eleventh Circuit reversed the dismissal. The repair shops allege State Farm, as well as nine other insurers, “depress
the shops’ rate for automobile repair,” by setting a market rate which would only benefit the insurance provider. The shops also claim the insurers steer consumers away from non-compliant auto shops, violating federal antitrust and state tort laws. According to court documents, the Eleventh Circuit elected to move the lawsuit forward, stating the shops supplied reasonable allegations to support their claim of an agreement among insurers to set a market rate for repairs. The market rate—allegedly devised by State Farm—is determined by the market labor rate and market material costs, both of which are set by the insurance companies, the docu-
ment states. “The insurance companies use the market labor rate that one company, State Farm, determines by using a method that is unverified and the results of which State Farm manipulates,” the documents reads. “Also, the insurance companies depress the market material costs by pressuring body shops into using inferior parts and into offering discounts and concessions.” The document says State Farm uses a “half plus one” method to determine market labor prices. This method calculates the total number of employees or work bays (whichever is fewer) in a market area and lists the shops from fewest employees or bays to the shop
Attorney John Eaves Jr. is ‘Extremely Excited’ about Reversal Repairer Driven News’ Writer John Huetter has reported that an attorney for dozens of auto body shops nationwide said he expects the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals’ favorable ruling Sept. 7 will lead even more collision repairers from as yet unrepresented states to join the sweeping multidistrict steer-
John Eaves Jr. (file photo)
ing and antitrust case against the nation’s largest auto insurers. John Eaves Jr. of Jackson, MI-based Eaves Law Firm said Sept. 11 he was “extremely excited” about the ruling reversing Middle District of Florida Judge Gregory Presnell’s 2015 dismissals of eight collision repairers’ law-
suits in four states. Eaves said he was “really proud” of the collision repairers who “kept the faith.” He said he expected shops in other states to join the litigation. The five cases had been dismissed without prejudice and appealed without being amended to correct what Presnell considered deficiencies. Another four cases—Leif’s v. State Farm (Oregon), Rodenhouse v. State
with the highest. After the list is totaled, the half number, plus one, is chosen to set the market rate. Therefore, if there are 10 auto repair shops in a market area, the shop listed at number six would determine the market labor price. However, the document states it is unclear how the method determines a market area. The shops that filed the lawsuit operate in various states, including Kentucky, Virginia, New Jersey and Missouri. Other insurers included in the lawsuit are 21st Century, Allstate Insurance Co., Geico, Hanover Insurance Group, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Mutual Insurance Co., Nationwide, Progressive, Travelers and USAA. Farm (Michigan), Pacific Coast v. State Farm (California) and Haury’s v. State Farm (Washington)—were dismissed mostly without prejudice but were subsequently closed after not being amended. Presnell refused to consider motions for attorney’s fees or sanctions on Leif’s, Rodenhouse or Haury’s until the Eleventh Circuit reached a decision on the appeals. These lawsuits should presumably all be reopenable.
www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 39
Techs of Tomorrow
Victoria Antonelli is a freelance writer and model, based in Los Angeles. She has been writing for the collision industry since 2013. She can be reached at vantonelli.autobodynews@gmail.com.
High School Student Shares Plans for Future Amidst Hurricane Harvey Recovery with Victoria Antonelli
Kingwood Park, TX, native Cameren May discovered his love for “anything with a motor” when his dad brought home a 1981 Firebird for them to work on just two years ago. Now 17 years old, May is enrolled in the auto collision program at Kingwood Park High School, located in greater Houston. “Jeff Wilson, an instructor at my high school, came to me my freshman year after he found out about me rebuilding the Firebird with my dad,” May explained. “He knew my family through the Kingwood Park FFA program, and he talked to me during my AG class one day about his auto collision program.” According to Wilson, May holds I-CAR certifications in both nonstructural and refinishing. He is also OSHA and 6-H trained and certified. “Cameren is an outstanding young man both in and out of school,” said Wilson. “He is a student with impeccable ability and talent, and his collision and refinishing skills are truly a sight to see.” May said his favorite project so far has been refinishing the Harley Davidson tin set during his spring semester in 2017.
“I found metal forming and laying Bondo [to be] the most challenging,” he added.
Cameren May in Happier times
In addition to his involvement with the Kingwood Park FFA program, May also helps his parents with their horse boarding facility. “I’m also very involved in my youth group at our church,” May said.
Repairify, Inc., Parent Company of asTech™, Acquires Mobile Diagnostics, LLC
Repairify, Inc., owners of asTech™, completed its acquisition of Mann’s Mobile Automotive Services, LLC.
Mann’s Mobile provides mobile electrical automotive diagnostic services and programming in the Cleveland area, and will continue operating under the asTech™ brand. The addition of Mann’s Mobile will complement the company’s current staff of field technicians already operating in the Cleveland market, as well as in Arizona, D.C., Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, Texas and Virginia.
Brian Mann, owner of Mann’s Mobile, said, “We built a good business in Cleveland and experienced strong growth over the years. By joining team asTech and tapping into the resources they offer, we expect to significantly expand our business in the coming years in Cleveland and the surrounding areas.” Mann will be assuming the role of Cleveland market manager, overseeing the company’s expansion in the Cleveland and Akron markets. Doug Kelly, CEO said, “The addition of Mann’s Mobile in Cleveland is another example of asTech’s commitment to providing mobile services in the top 100 metro markets throughout the US. We are on track to having greater than 50 percent of the top 100 markets served in the next 12 to 18 months.”
40 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
However, May and his family’s lives were turned upside down when Hurricane Harvey, the wettest and one of the most destructive tropical hurricanes on record in U.S. history, made landfall in Houston just three weeks ago. “Hurricane Harvey affected my family considerably. We lost pretty much everything on the first floor of my house,” he said. “We also lost my Mom’s 2015 GMC 3500, my Dad’s 2015 Chrysler 300 and my 1982 Chevy Silverado C-10.” May added that his home retained a total of 18 inches of water, while lower areas of his family’s 22-acre property were 10 feet under water. “We lost our tractors, a zero-turn mower, a Swisher weed eater and much more,” he said. May said that the Monday morning when the hurricane hit was when their property received the bulk of the damage.
“Around 4 a.m., the water had risen 3 feet overnight and was already in our barn. By 7 a.m. that morning it was up to my calf, and at 1 p.m. it was up to my waist,” he explained. “By that night, our house had water and the barn had 4 feet in it.” May and his family are still in the recovery process, and expect a long road ahead before their property is back to normal. Luckily, May’s high school, Kingwood Park, received minimal damage, but is still in need of supplies (please see the related cover article on Jeff Wilson for more information). As for future career plans, May said he wants to join the U.S. Coast Guard or the Texas National Guard sometime in the fall semester after he graduates high school. “My dream job is to own my auto collision / mechanic and custom paint shop someday,” he added.
www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 41
New Types of Claims Management ‘Insurtech’ Could Disrupt Auto Body Industry by John Huetter, Repairer Driven News
Developments in “insurtech” could radically change how collision repairers interact with insurers and customers in the next few years—and the nature of that disruption will depend on how automated and “touchless” a claims management method the carrier chooses. We encountered at least three accident management models at TU-Automotive’s Connected Car Insurance USA 2017 last week. It’s possible your customers will encounter any of these (or potentially a blend of them) depending on their carrier’s strategy and budget. At least one scenario is also an option for OEMs to influence the collision repair shop selection process, creating another potential external market condition to which shops must adapt. One framework involved detecting a collision through telematics and getting the claims process started immediately from the moment of loss. One involved photo-estimating artificial intelligence. Another was simply a means of reporting a claim through
video cha—sort of a combination of a call center and photo estimating. The appeal to an insurer varies depending on the product, and a benefit suggested by one insurtech provider might extend to a competing product.
Carrier benefits mentioned included reducing the lag until a policyholder actually reports the collision—shrinking it from days to seconds—and appearing heroic or high-tech to customers. With a connected car product that detects an impact and immediately alerts an insurer to a loss, the carrier has a chance to reach out to a customer “when he’s most vulnerable,” said CCC OEM Group general manager and Senior Vice President Andreas Hecht, whose company already
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sells a telematics service capable of facilitating this. “In those first crucial moments, you can help,” Hecht said. The ability to steer to OEM and DRP shops (and insurer-affiliated tow trucks) and to kick total-loss vehicles immediately to the salvage yard also were mentioned. Verisk claims Internet of Things and telematics Assistant Vice President Dawn Mortimer said her company had an artificial intelligence engine trained to detect total losses with 91 percent accuracy. “That’s happening already” in Europe, she said. Other applications included cutting fraud and leakage, giving the shop a jump on parts ordering and diagnostics, cutting the cost of physical appraisals, and replacing subjective analyses with vehicle and on-scene crash data and artificial intelligence predictive models. (The latter carries concerns about the quality and neutrality of the model, but we’ll address that in other coverage.) Here’s a look at the three models we saw. Collision repairers need to
consider the ramifications of these systems and prepare accordingly, for this technology is coming fast. In fact, all of these products appear to be in use today or are market-ready.
Accident data Attendees CCC, Verisk, Metromile, Octo and Redtail Telematics all have a model where an artificial intelligence studies data gleaned from a smartphone, OBD-II port “dongle,” another gadget or the vehicle’s own electronics to detect a collision by noticing variables like the change in vehicle velocity (“delta-V”) and direction. Generally, the closer one gets to the actual car, the better the data, CCC and Verisk both told us. (But phones are improving, and some OEMs yield better data quality than others, experts
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told us.) LexisNexis, which is selling a telematics data exchange and working on a pilot driving behavior program with Mitsubishi, humorously observed during the conference that phonebased telematics can erroneously read a cell signal drop as a sudden acceleration. The car, dongle, device or phone registers a collision and the relevant information from that crash. Depending on the program, this information might immediately be shared with an insurer, OEM or emergency services. Mortimer, whose company partners with General Motors and Ford to offer such a capability, described a system activated by collisions over 5 mph. OnStar and BMW’s telematics offerings will call the owner and see if he or she needs medical assistance, according to Strategy Analytics automotive connected mobility director Roger Lanctot and Mortimer. Ford cuts right to the chase and calls emergency responders, Lanctot indicated. Hecht said CCC already was deciphering crash pulses (and scoring driving behavior) today for insurer clients, and it was in the proof of concept and discussion phase with OEMs on the idea of the cars themselves transmit-
ting crash data to CCC for such electronic first notice of loss uses by other CCC clients. Luke Harris, director of claims for Metromile, said that while the solely usage-based insurer was “not currently” dispatching police or an ambulance, it can validate that a loss occurred.
“I’d say down the road” these capabilities could develop, he said. Metromile in June announced AVA, an “AI claims assistant” which helped get claims paid faster. “AVA can also use opt-in sensor data from the Metromile Pulse device to reconstruct the accident scene, expediting the approval process,” the company wrote. “For certain claim types, this enables the claim to be instantly approved.”
RedTail Telematics in its booth and on its website described a system that not only alerts an insurer that there’s been a collision, but also reconstructs the accident. “The INR platform enables detailed observation of incidents by sampling data at an extremely high frequency leading up to and during the event,” Redtail wrote. “Its data outstrips what can be provided by GPS alone and includes forensic detail relating to the impact, the accelerations and forces involved, together with evidence of any harsh braking immediately before and during the incident. “This intelligence replaces potentially unreliable human recollection of events with precise facts, which in turn enables timely and accurate assessments of liability and claim costs.” Nexar, one of the startups competing in a semi-formal audience-judged competition during the Connected Car Insurance event, offers an insurer similar crash data and analysis as its competitors, but pairs it with photos from the scene. The company’s fleet drivers—who can receive an attractive commercial insurance discount for allowing Nexar to score their driving and study their
collisions—mount a smartphone with the Nexar app to their windshield. In addition to spitting out traditional driver-rating and collision metrics, the app transmits images of the collision event back to the insurer.
Video estimating DropIn should probably feel the most familiar to customers, shops and insurers. The startup offers insurers a first notice of loss piece of software— which mostly involves live-streaming video chat—which can be integrated into a carrier’s app. This “gives the power to the carrier,” DropIn CEO Louis Ziskin said during the startup competition. The customer can be directed to produce the images an adjuster would need, he said. “It compresses admin costs,” Ziskin said. The insurer can start taking costcutting steps like picking the towing company, instead of emergency services calling a tow, Ziskin said. “The car’s on your hook,” he said, noting there’s a better chance of getting it to a DRP shop. Ziskin said customers could be diSee Claims Management, Page 52
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3M PPS World Cup Features 10 of the World’s Best Car Painters by Ed Attanasio
Ten of the world’s top painters from Australia, Germany, Canada and the USA displayed their unique automotive artwork at the inaugural 3M PPS
repair, paint preparation, vehicle painting, paint finishing and vehicle appearance during the Dream Cruise. The 10 leading painters who featured their amazing artwork on car hoods during the event included:
3M’s Automotive Aftermarket Division invited 10 leading painters from around the world to illustrate their vision of classic car culture on a hood, using the 3M™ PPS™ System and other 3M automotive products at the 2017 Woodward Dream Cruise
World Cup at the 2017 Woodward Dream Cruise on Saturday, August 19 in Detroit, MI. Invited by 3M to illustrate their artistic vision of classic car culture on a hood using the 3M™ PPS™ System and other 3M automotive products, the painters made themselves available to discuss their creations at the Dream Cruise, where the unique hoods were unveiled. In a celebration of classic car culture, the 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division stole the show at the Dream Cruise with special guest Chip Foose, legendary automotive designer, who signed autographs for fans and gave advice to the 10 painters featured in the event. The 3M Demonstration and Education Mobile Operations (D.E.M.O.) trailer showcased its latest 3M solutions for automotive repair and maintenance with hands-on demonstrations for body
Pablo Prado, KandynChrome, USA; Jacob Miles, Milestone Paint & Body, USA; Connie Manjavinos, PassionateInk, USA; Clay Hoberecht, Best
lision repair side of the business, while and Body in Mt. Juliet, TN, started out painting cars with his father, and today others were up and emerging, such as owns a top tier custom shop. He was Connie Manjavinos, who is only 25 honored to be one of the 10 painters years old, and Pablo Prado, who is known as one of the top upand-coming lowrider painters on the West Coast. All of the 10 painters had begun working on their hoods two days prior to the Dream Cruise at the PPG Training Center in Wixom, MI, where they sprayed together and shared stories. When a reporter asked Danny Schramm, one of the German painters, if the Pablo Prado (right) from KandynChrome Custom Paint painters were sharing ideas and Designs with one of his lowrider creations at 2017 Woodward Dream Cruise secrets, he replied, “Yes, all of these painters have learned much from selected for the event, and spent a lot of time meeting the other painters. me already!” “This is a great group, because we To open the weekend, 3M held a reception dinner at the Ford Piquette all come from different parts of the world and have different ways of paintAvenue Plant to welcome the painters ing cars,” Miles said. “The attitude here before the hard work began. Built in 1904, the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant is, ‘Let’s work together,’ and we’re alwas the second center of automobile ready making arrangements to stay conproduction for the Ford Motor Com- nected well after this weekend is over.” Carmine De Maria from C.A.D. pany. The Ford Model T was created Custom in Melbourne, Australia has and first produced there in 1908. See 3M PPS World Cup, Page 55 Jacob Miles from Milestone Paint
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Carmine De Maria from C.A.D. Custom in Melbourne, Australia created a hood featuring a boxing kangaroo with a green and gold background
Body Shop, USA; Justin Jimmo, Refinish Network, Canada; Carl-André Giroux, Canada; Danny Schramm, SchrammWerk, Germany; Christian Wilke, Germany; Carmine De Maria, C.A.D. Custom, Australia and Shane Wanjon, Exclusive Image Paint and Body, USA. With painters from all over the planet, the event offered Detroit a unique opportunity to learn the art of automotive from 10 different perspectives. Some of the participating world-class artists were Carl-Andre Giroux, a painter from Quebec, Canada with his custom hood seasoned veterans on the col-
44 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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Shop Strategies with Stacey Phillips
Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.” She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.
Riding Wave of Change: Hawaii Shop Shares Initiatives That Will Take Family Business Into the Future In Waipahu, Hawaii, employees from Oka’s Autobody and their families recently met at the local bowling alley for the company’s summertime family fun event. “We hope it helps bring our employees together in a different setting other than work,” said Brandon Okahara, co-owner of the body shop. “We often joke that we spend more time with these guys than our own families. You have to find that balance between working hard and still having family time outside.” Brandon and his siblings, Marlo and Kyle, have a good understanding of what it takes balancing family and business while working together. Oka’s was established by their father Eddie, uncle Fred and uncle Henry Okahara in 1965. The brothers ran the business out of a small three-stall garage and eventually moved into a 7,000-square-foot location after building up their clientele. When Fred retired, Eddie decided to buy him out.
Meanwhile, his three children, Marlo, Kyle and Brandon, began taking an active interest in running and expand-
ing the family business. After retiring three years ago, Eddie and his wife Marlene handed over the day-to-day operations of the shop to their children. Now, Marlo works as the office manager, Kyle is a repair planner, and Brandon spends his time as the lead estimator. Marlo’s husband, Carl, also takes an active role in the company, leading future development. Together, the Okaharas have grown the family-run business, which now employs 25 and operates out of a 19,000-square-foot facility. Autobody News talked to the owners of Oka’s to learn more about the initiatives they have taken to help their The Okahara family at Oka’s Autobody (l to r): Brandon, shop stay successful as well Carl, Marlene, Eddie, Marlo and Kyle. The shop as some of the challenges received the SBA Family-Owned Small Business of they have dealt with running the Year Award
a facility in Hawaii.
Operating a family business Q: can be challenging. What steps have you taken to work together ef-
fectively?
Brandon: Like anything else, A: whether we are a family or not, I think there are always situations that
are going to come up where there is a difference of opinion. That has to be expected. The benefit, of course, is knowing that the other parties involved genuinely have a vested interest in the company. We can trust the fact that the decisions being made are for the right reasons. In that sense, it’s great. There are not a lot of times that you can be in that situation where you have trust. Our team is very structured in the way we run our business and it has helped us accelerate our growth. We regularly sit down as a family and go over our mission and goals for the busi-
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ness. The industry is rapidly changing so we need to stay in touch with each other and stay on top of what is going on. There are a lot of moving parts running a body shop. Our meetings help keep us focused on our end goal. We are able to bounce ideas off one another and come to a consensus.
Q: Marlo: I believe that what sets A: us apart from other shops on the island is our customer service.
What sets your body shop apart from others in Hawaii?
Brandon: For us, the main focus is always our customers. Whether it’s a phone call, face-to-face interaction or delivering a vehicle, we always remember why we’re here—for our customers. I always tell our employees that they need to remember this might be the first accident the customer has been in and it can be stressful. It’s emotionally and mentally draining to get into an accident and what they are looking for is somebody to help them. Fixing a car is just part of that process. You have to be empathetic to what’s going on and treat everybody as an individual. Put your-
self into their position. What would you want to happen and how would you want the experience to roll out?
What methods have you found Q: to be most beneficial to operate the business?
Brandon: Over the past couple A: of years, we have been going down the road of incorporating a lean
and processed-centered environment at the body shop. The way we process cars is by using a team concept. We
day long. It makes the job very difficult. At least this way if the employees operate as a team, there are multiple levels of experience working together so they can accomplish more. It helps with communication and the newer techs’ growth can also be a little quicker because there are different people who can help train them in different aspects. It has had its ups and downs of course but the guys seem to like to work together as a team.
Q:
With the shortage of employees in the industry, how have you found new talent?
Brandon: Finding new techniA: cians is very challenging. We decided that moving forward we need
The photo voltaic system installed by Oka’s creates enough energy to run the shop
have multiple body teams and the paint department operates as their own team as well. With new technicians coming in, it’s next to impossible to be just one person and have a trainee with you all
to train our up-and-coming techs from the ground up. Recently, we hired four younger technicians that have little to no auto body experience. We also hired a student who will be graduating from Honolulu Community College’s auto body program this year. About two years ago, they began revising the college program in hopes of drawing more people. It’s a good thing that they are doing it but we are in the stage where
we just can’t wait. We have been growing sales-wise over the past five years but if you don’t increase the number of people producing the work, it puts a little stress on the guys. They have the extra set of hands but it’s a different type of stress because on top of the work they are already doing they have to help train someone new. However, they are realizing that it’s an investment on their part as well.
How much of your business is Q: reliant on DRPs? Brandon: Currently, our shop A: is heavily dependent on DRPs. Probably 95 percent of our business is DRP driven. We’re working to bring that number down because we want to be a little more diversified.
Carl: It’s important to have balance. If you think back to the history of body shops before consolidations, there were independent shops operating without DRP programs. There should be a balance between whatever your business model is: DRPs, wholesale business, corporate business, etc. and having a strategic plan is also critSee Riding the Wave of Change, Page 51
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Project Underdog Heads to Auction, Actor’s Project to Benefit SEMA Scholarships Project Underdog, a highly customized ‘72 Ford Maverick originally conceived by actor Sung Kang—known for his role as Han Seoul-Oh in The Fast and the Furious franchise—is finished, fine-tuned, revved and ready for auction. Sponsored by Shell and featuring Pennzoil, and supported by Ford Motor Co., Samsung, Nitto, GReddy, Rocket Bunny and Facebook, the unique vehicle build was completed at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California, with specialized tuning provided by Cobb Tuning, headquartered in Austin, Texas. Kang enlisted inner-city students Tony Chen, Alexis Hernandez and Christian Quiroz to successfully transform the unassuming “underdog” Maverick into a showcase performer and winner of a Ford Corporate Design Award for its significant contribution to vehicle design.
Debuting at the 2016 SEMA Show, the Maverick went on to continued refinement and a year-long media tour, which will now culminate at the October 19–21, Barrett Jackson auction in Las Vegas, where its sale will benefit the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Foundation. Providing financial support to young people pursuing automotive careers, the foundation delivers dozens of annual awards ranging from $2,000– $3,000 to deserving student recipients, with a $5,000 award going to a top achiever. The program also includes a loanforgiveness fund for employees of SEMA-member companies who are paying off loans from study at an accredited university, college or vocational/technical program. Since its inception in 1984, the memorial scholarship fund has granted $2.1 million to more than 1,200 students. Kang first drove the Maverick while shooting one of the Fast and Furious series’ installments in Brazil and immediately fell in love with the vehicle.
“The Maverick has always been The vehicle’s powertrain is based on the show here is the engineering ability of under-appreciated, overlooked and unreplacement of its outdated ‘72 inline the SEMA Garage,” said Mike Spagdervalued, but those who love her are six-cylinder engine with a new Ford nola, SEMA vice president of OEM loyal forever,” he explained. “This, EcoBoost 2.3L from a ‘15 Mustang. and product-development programs, and the chance to make a difference Originally rated at 305 hp, the Ecowho helped oversee the U3 Maverfor these students, is something I could Boost has been reworked to churn out ick’s development. “From the beginstand behind.” ning, we scanned the engine bay and in excess of 400 hp while delivering The actor had previously modern levels of efficiency, engine so we would know exactly how captivated fans throughout the fuel economy and lowered it would fit into the engine compartworld when he documented a ment. We got dimensions from Tremec emissions. The high-achievprior vehicle build, the FuguZ ing engine is now mated to a and their CAD files, so we knew what 240Z, through videos in social it would take to put that transmission six-speed Tremec T56 transmedia. In similar fashion, mission. A Currie Enterprises into the car. each step of the Project Un“The experience was something rearend and Baer brake sysderdog Maverick build was kind of new for us here in Diamond tem are other key performSung Kang recorded and presented in a Bar. Our four SEMA Tech Transfer ance upgrades. popular YouTube/Garage Monkey To create that unorthodox combi- engineers at the Garage help members online video series filled with raw, nation, Kang and his student team all the time to produce products, but behind-the-scenes footage, intimate leveraged advanced SEMA Garage re- they never had to do it themselves. It conversations and real-time progress sources, including 3D scanning and was neat to see them do that. It was a reports. But unlike the 240Z build, extensive CAD work to produce a great learning process for us that will Project Underdog was a markedly full-scale, 3D-printed “engine” that help us serve our members even betpurposeful experience for Kang, who greatly aided in the prototyping and ter.” hoped that it would help spark greater fitment of the actual engine block. Spagnola is especially proud of car enthusiasm among a new Meanwhile, the vehicle’s new body- the project’s unique incorporation of generation of young people— work boasts flared wheel arches, a the latest vehicle technologies. especially the disadvantaged. “The Ford 2.3 EcoBoost engine custom front bumper and forward“I feel like it’s been a long mounted black wing mirrors, all ridwas first introduced in the ‘15 Musroad, but it’s been very retang,” he said. “To our knowledge, ing on a set of deep-dish gold wheels. See Project Underdog, Page 50 warding,” Kang said of the “Part of what we were trying to completed project. “The whole spirit of it was working with kids and making new friends. Audi The most rewarding has been Genuine Parts the transformation that I’ve seen with the kids. I think when we first met them, each of them had a difAudi Genuine Parts ferent place they were coming from in terms of self-esteem—to see Alexis make your repair easier now at UTI as a student, to see his life transform in the sense of who he feels • Delivery to Austin, Kyle, Buda and San Marcos areas. he is and what his contribution is to • You can count on our customer service the community, and then to see Tony • Professional experienced staff come out of his shell and be more extroverted. And today I found out that he actually bought a go-kart, which is pretty awesome. It’s another step forward proactively to pursue his dream. And then I talk to Christian periodically on the phone, and he’s aggressively attacking school and seems very positive about where he is in his life. Another rewarding aspect is all the new friends that have been made on the journey. That’s something that you can’t put a price tag on, this magic Audi South Austi Austin tin n recipe that happens when you meet 4738 IH-35 // Austin, TX 78745 people that you actually enjoy workPhone: 888.703.4305 Fax: 512.660.5388 ing with.” Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7:00am-6pm; Sat. 9am-5pm The Project Underdog U3 Mavaudisouthaustinparts@hendrickauto.com erick is a showcase blend of humble, www.audisouthaustin.com old-school hot rodding and leadingedge, new-school performance tuning.
48 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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Continued from Page 48
Project Underdog
this is one of the first transplants to go into a street car that’s street legal with an aftermarket GReddy turbo on it. So we have a larger turbo, different tuning and all sorts of SEMA-member aftermarket products—all put into a ‘72 Maverick, of all things. It’s a one-ofa-kind vehicle featuring the first cratemotor offering from Ford, the first harness wire kit, the first of a lot of things. It’s fun and an honor to be on that cutting edge.” Spagnola also noted that the build team paid careful attention to the Maverick’s tuning. “The engineers at Cobb did the tuning in successive baby steps,” he explained. “They took their time, running it up to 2,000 rpm, checking it, then to 3,000 rpm, checking it, and mapping as they went along, because this had never been done before. Again, this is really the first 2.3 EcoBoost to get transplanted into anything of this kind. To get the mapping right with all the aftermarket products that were incorporated into the vehicle was skilled work.”
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Project Underdog helped inspire its other sponsors to push their envelopes as well. According to Jesse Kershaw, product manager for Ford Performance Parts, the Maverick accelerated the development of a new OE control pack, the electronic wiring kit that allows Ford’s late-model engines to be transplanted into non-original vehicles like the Kang team’s U3. “In this case, when the SEMA group decided to do Project Underdog and they contacted Ford [about making the new engine work in the Maverick], we said, well, we’re actually working on this great install kit that will make your life very easy there,” he explained, adding Ford had originally planned to debut its kit at the 2016 SEMA Show. With the Maverick also slated for a reveal at that same Show, Ford saw the project as the perfect chance to get some advance real-world feedback on the control pack in advance of its debut. Much of what Ford learned from the experience was eventually folded into the OE’s installation instructions, making the application easier for future builders. “What I liked about doing the Maverick with one of our 2.3L engines
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is that it’s a little unconventional,” Kershaw said. “I won’t say it can fit in anything, but if you can make it work in here, and you can work around the details and get all the small details right, the lessons learned here can be applied to so many other platforms.” The vehicle’s updated styling emanated from Pure Vision founder and well-known vehicle builder Steve Strope, a longtime friend of Kang’s. Strope believes the out-of-box thinking that went into the project helped teach its team of inner-city students valuable lessons in overcoming obstacles. Such empowerment, he said, was always key to Kang’s vision for the build. “He was formulating the idea for this project and already had the terminology Project Underdog, because these kids he envisioned were underdogs,” Strope said. “They were not the stars of the world, the football team, the homecoming kings. They’re from the inner city and don’t get a lot of opportunity, but they like to work on cars.” With their handiwork now going to auction, the young team can experience not only the pride of a job well done but also the feeling of satisfac-
tion that comes from giving back to the wider community, since the proceeds will benefit SEMA scholarship programs for other students like themselves. Spagnola said they won’t be alone in that satisfaction. A host of SEMAmember companies contributed significant support, technologies and specialty equipment to the project (see sidebar), resulting in a true “underdog” performer that will also make its highest bidder proud. “It was fun to see the car go from the 2016 SEMA Show, where we were mostly interested in getting it to look right, feel right and get the design right, along with fitting the engine and transmission, and feeling the thrill of actually starting it,” Spagnola said. “It’s been a long journey, but now it’s really a car. It’s been upgraded with aftermarket knowhow into something streetable that’s got some terrific horsepower— the same or more horsepower that you used to get out of a V8 but from a fourcylinder that is half the size and weight. And that’s a great combination.”
www.autobodynews.com
Continued from Page 47
Riding the Wave of Change
ical. We, as repairers, need to figure out how to diversify and that is something that we are working on daily.
Q:
years?
What do you attribute your growth to over the last several
How has financial planning been Q: instrumental in the growth of your body shop?
Brandon: We have been workA: ing on incorporating a processcentered environment in our shop,
which helped push us in the right direction. Our involvement in the Ak-
go over the mission and goals of the business and discuss financial planning. Although we are competitors, we talk about the common problems we have and ways to address them. That’s one of the biggest benefits. We have a core group of shops in Hawaii and we get together and are able to talk to each other honestly.
Brandon: Over the past five A: years, our business has been trending upwards. We’re starting to
make decisions that will allow us to be more profitable. We’ve found that having an attitude of just getting the work done, putting a car out and collecting a check is not necessarily the best thing to do sometimes. We are really looking into the way we are managing and building the business. Hawaii is a very unique environment. The processes are very different from the mainland. For example, we have to accommodate for parts delays. If a part is not available on the island, it usually takes about five days to arrive. Shops also have to make adjustments due to space constraints.
The team at Oka’s Autobody
zoNobel Acoat program has also been instrumental. They bring a lot of experience from multiple markets. Eddie became involved in the Acoat group many years ago. The top North America shops get together and
We feel that an important aspect of running our facility is financial planning. In addition to attending the Acoat meetings, we go over finances on a regular basis during our family meetings. Part of this is doing a cost analysis ARIZONA
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of our different cost centers, looking at the averages and our profit and loss statements. Then we ask ourselves, “What can we do better?”
What are some of the initiatives you have taken as a result Q: of your financial meetings?
Carl and Brandon: Going into A: 2008, we were already doing this type of financial analysis on a regular basis. The economy was in a little bit of a downturn and we began to look at how we could better manage the cost of doing business. One of the things that always seemed to stand out was our electric bills. They are much higher in Hawaii in general. The nation was focused on alternative energy sources at that time and there were grants being offered for progressive businesses that were doing things for the environment. Running a sustainable and environmentally-friendly company has always been an important priority for us. For example, we have used waterborne paint for many years, have set up recycling programs for the business and done other things that are See Riding the Wave of Change, Page 52 ARKANSAS
Subaru of Little Rock Little Rock (888) 690-8030 (501) 725-4375 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 7-3 micah@subaruoflr.com www.subaruoflittlerock.com COLORADO
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www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 51
Continued from Page 51
Riding the Wave of Change
good for the environment as well as the employees at our shop. There were other collision repair centers looking at installing photo voltaic systems, which we kept referring to as solar panels. Everyone we talked to corrected us. We decided to find out more about it and eventually installed a system of our own.
What are the benefits you have realized since installing the Q: system? Carl: It took us two years to A: fully research it. We talked to about 20 different companies and re-
ceived quotes that ranged from hundreds of thousands of dollars to a million plus dollars.
Continued from Page 43
Claims Management
rected to use the software for claims as a condition of a premium discount up-front, and the ability to knock out the entire claim immediately might be attractive to a policyholder.
Photo estimating AI Tractable is a little different than the others in that it doesn’t have a crash reporting feature. Rather, the company uses artificial intelligence to identify parts of a car and the damage to those parts based on photos of the vehicle. It trained the computer using what CEO Alexandre Dalyac characterized as a “gold mine” of hundreds of millions of insurance industry estimates and accompanying photos. “We are making sense of the vehicle,” Dalyac said during the startup competition (Tractable beat out Nexar by a hair). The AI can estimate if parts are likely to be repaired or replaced and estimate the overall cost, he said. He said that insurance experts typically see an agreement rate of 75– 80 percent, but Tractable’s AI is usually 2–3 percentage points higher. He
said the AI is only uncertain in about 8 percent of cases—and that number is dropping, he said. Overall, the company can generate $40 in value per claim for a potential billion dollars in value to insurers in the U.S., he said. It has
Brandon: By installing the system, we have been able to almost completely remove ourselves from the power grid. The system creates enough energy to run the shop. It is also a way of providing sustainable energy and is good for the environment. One of the biggest
M-F Sat
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52 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
As a progressive company in Q: this industry, what are the shop’s priorities looking into the future? Carl and Brandon: ContinuA: ous training is crucial. We have used the same vendor since the late
1990s—Island Concepts. We count on them to train our employees throughout the year and keep everyone current. We provide I-CAR and ASE training to all of our technicians as well as participate in safety and equipment training. We also understand the importance of learning about sales and negation. We try to stay on top of everything. Training is expensive and we expect that it will only increase in the future due to the complexity of vehicles. We have no choice but to figure out ways of gathering extra profit whether that is through increasing prices or decreasing our operating expenses. It’s up to us to figure out how to catch that wave now and lay it out on the table and figure it out. As a family, our goal is to do that together to remain a profitable family business moving forward.
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deals with Mitchell and half of the top 10 insurers in the U.S., and No. 3 United Kingdom insurer Ageas announced in May it would use the company on every claim. Dalyac predicted that next year, the industry would see entire estimates generated by artificial intelligence, and the innovation departments of its partner carriers had a goal of “touchless claims.”
benefits is that we were able to create a separate power company that helps fund our parents’ retirement.
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www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 53
GFS Releases Booth Shield Peelable Booth Protection Global Finishing Solutions® (GFS), a world leader in innovation for paint booth and finishing system technologies, has released Booth Shield™, a complete line of peelable coatings for protecting paint booth walls, windows, lights and floors.
“GFS is excited to offer our customers a fast, easy solution for booth protection and overspray capture,” said Mick Ramis, business unit manager at GFS. Compatible with all types of booths, Booth Shield provides a bright,
clean finish on paint booth surfaces and ensures prime visibility while working inside the booth. Booth Shield Peelable Translucent offers a protective coating for white pre-coated steel booths, windows and lights. Booth Shield Peelable White brightens and protects both galvanized and white pre-coated paint booths. Easy to apply and remove, and providing longlasting coverage, Booth Shield offers significant advantages compared to traditional paper wrap. The liquid coatings can be sprayed or rolled onto the surface and built up to desired thickness. Most wall applications are complete with just one coat of Booth Shield, and floor coatings can withstand heavy-duty traffic after just two layers. “Booth Shield dries quickly after application, allowing you to resume full use of your booth within a couple hours,” continues Ramis. In addition to improving booth brightness and appearance, Booth Shield creates a safer spraying environment by trapping overspray and minimizing fire hazards caused by
excess paint accumulation. When it’s time to remove and replace the booth coating, simply score the edges and
peel Booth Shield off your surfaces. The coating can be peeled off walls and floors in large sections, compressed and disposed of normally. Choose from a complete line of Booth Shield wall and floor prep coats, peelable white wall coats, peelable translucent wall coats and peelable floor products to quickly and easily protect your investment.
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CHEMSPEC USA Releases NextGen Color Selector
ChemSpec USA, LLC., is proud to announce the release of its 2nd generation Professional Color Selector. The redesign of the PCS system is a direct result of the company’s dedication to color excellence and efficiencies in improving the lives of their customers in the USA and worldwide. The Professional Color Selector™ system consists of over 5,600 color chips for solid and metallic color refinishing. Included within are 265 color updates for 2017. The swatches are arranged in color chromatic sequence to easily compare the color swatch to the color directly on the vehicles surface. This allows for the painter to make a correct color choice quickly and accurately for improved efficiency. Each swatch is manufactured with our original paint and applied with a spray gun to get a truer to life, accurate match. The chips feature a newly laminated coating for improved durability and prevention of solvent ingress. For more information on ChemSpec USA, call 800-328-4892, email us at sales@chemspecpaint. com, or visit our website chemspecpaint.com. Stop by our SEMA Booth # 10677.
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Magna Unveils MAX4 Autonomous Driving Platform The hurdles to reaching high levels of vehicle autonomy might be in infrastructure and legislation, but not necessarily in technology development. Magna is proving just that by unveil-
ing MAX4, a fully integrated, customizable and scalable autonomous driving sensing and computing platform that can enable up to Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities in both urban and highway environments. MAX4 combines cameras, RADAR, LiDAR and ultrasonic sensors with a compute platform that are designed for easy integration with any automaker’s existing and future platforms—including hybrid and electric vehicles. Additionally, Magna’s compute platform, scalable for high-volume production, is flexible, upgradeable and fully functional with a fraction of the power requirements of alternative solutions. Magna has leveraged its full-vehicle expertise in its design of MAX4
to overcome traditional obstacles in the development and production of an autonomous driving platform. Crucially, integration of MAX4 retains an automaker’s existing design and styling freedom for their vehicle, including not taking up cargo space in the rear of the vehicle and personal space in the main compartment. “At the heart of this development is a desire to show the market Magna’s breadth of capabilities and an autonomous driving enabling platform with subsystems that do not compromise the interior and exterior of a vehicle,” said Swamy Kotagiri, Magna’s Chief Technology Officer. “Our focus is on developing production-ready solutions that offer flexibility to integrate and the framework to enable Level 4 technology for when the market is ready.” One of the targets for Magna was to simplify the way drivers engage with autonomous driving systems, including the option of an intuitive and familiar cruise-control-like user interface that is controlled through the press of a button. A lighted display indicates the vehicle is in autonomous mode, and drivers can disengage that mode via brake pedal or an emergency button.
Continued from Page 44
Level 4 automation, according to SAE International, includes vehicles that can perform all safety-critical functions for the duration of a trip in a specified operational design domain with no input from a driver, save for destination or navigation input. To compare, most of the vehicles on the road today equipped with some automation features are classified by SAE as Level 1 or Level 2, requiring active monitoring by the driver. Magna has been developing and manufacturing autonomous technology features for automakers since the 2000s. Most recently, it showcased its Level 3 autonomous capability with a 300-mile test drive that crossed an international border, during which the vehicle drove autonomously for 92 percent of the trip.
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Original Thought #78
YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE AT THE FIRST REPAIR. TEXAS
BMW of Dallas
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been painting for 25 years. A decade ago, he came to the U.S. and met with other painters. It reignited his career and he began focusing on customs, hot rods and full restorations as a result. The hood De Maria created featured a boxing kangaroo with a green and gold background. “Coming here is truly a big deal for me and for my company, because it’s recognition that’s coming from 3M,” he said. “I am representing Australia, which means I have to do a good hood that people will like, but it also shows my style and creativity.” Pablo Prado from Los Angeles, CA, is one of the hottest painters of lowriders in the country right now. One of the younger painters invited to be in the 3M PPS World Cup, Prado brought some West Coast flavor to the event. “I’m self-taught pretty much, and it’s really an honor to be meeting all of these other painters,” Prado said. “I’ve been doing this for around 10 years now and I basically do lowriders, so I appreciate seeing other styles and techniques.”
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Albuquerque 800-642-2697 505-217-0289 Fax www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 55
Seminars Give Hawaii Body Shops Opportunity to Learn
Larry Montanez instructed attendees at two seminars hosted by the Automotive Body & Painting Association of Hawaii
Seminars Give Hawaii Body Shops Opportunity to Learn Advanced Techniques and Procedures by Stacey Phillips
The Automotive Body & Painting Association of Hawaii hosted two seminars in September instructed by Larry Montanez from P&L Consultants. On September 7, body shop owners, managers, technicians and estimators across the Hawaiian Islands attended “Tech Night-Repairing Cosmetic Aluminum.” It was held at Island Fender in Honolulu, which is owned by Van Takemoto. During the evening event, Montanez gave an overview of proper aluminum repair procedures and techniques for outer panels with cosmetic damage, which was followed by a hands-on demonstration. Two days later, on September 8, Montanez led an estimating class at
the Pagoda Hotel in Honolulu focused on metallurgy, crash management and advanced damage report writing. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about the different strengths of steel and aluminum, including their functions and designs, different attachment methods, reparability and the specialized equipment required. Montanez also covered diagnosing damage and pre-measuring and prerepair diagnostic scanning as well as how vehicles absorb, transfer or manage applied collision energy forces. For more information about P&L Consultants, contact info@PnL Estimology.com. For details about The Automotive Body & Painting Association of Hawaii and upcoming events, contact ABPAH@hawaii .rr.com.
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56 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Parts You Need. People You Trust.
Genuine Mitsubishi Replacement Crash Parts are close at hand from the following quality dealerships. ARIZONA
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www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 57
Charley Hutton’s Color Studio Recommends Innovative Tools & Technologies, Inc.
Charley Hutton began his custom car career at an early age, and is now widely recognized as a leading automotive fabricator and painter. Charley began his career working with the legendary Boyd Coddington, who had him work on the famous 1938 Lincoln “Led Zephyr.”
He appeared on the Discovery Channel’s “American Hot Rod” as Boyd’s body shop supervisor. In 2004, Hutton joined another legendary team, Foose Design, led by automotive icon Chip Foose. When working with Foose design, Charley worked on his first Ridler car, the 1936 Ford “Impression.” He also worked with Rad Rides by Troy, joining Troy and his team to work on the 1936 Ford “First Love.” In 2009, Charley, along with his wife, Teri, opened Charley Hutton’s Color Studio in Nampa, ID.
Charley has appeared on the automotive TV shows “Overhaulin’” and “Chasing Classic Cars.” He now makes personal appearances around the United States and around the world at automotive events. One of Charley’s favorite tool companies is Innovative Tools & Technologies in Minnesota. Recently, he demonstrated the assembly of a set of Innovative tool racks from the company for use in his studio, and shared it via social media. Innovative Tools & Technologies was founded in 1996 by Bryan Johnson. As an auto body technician for more than 21 years, he noticed the need for quality racks to hold plastic bumper covers. During his career, many shops placed the bumpers over trash barrels for painting. Bryan came up with a better way to support and secure bumpers during the repair and paint process by creating the SuperStand. This was the first of many innovative products, hence the name of the company. Currently, more than 275,000 Innovative products are in use throughout the U.S. and worldwide. Innovative’s customers range from small shops to large corporations to do-it-yourself individuals.
Bouncie Smart-Device Turns Any Vehicle into a Connected Car
Bouncie, a developer of innovative products and applications for the automotive industry, announced the launch of a connected vehicle device that provides drivers with access to valuable data from their automobile, and helps them become safer drivers in the process. Today’s automobiles are computers on wheels, producing large amounts of data that can be difficult to access or understand. With Bouncie, drivers can plug into the power of a connected car and view helpful information such as trip histories, driving habits, vehicle location, and maintenance reminders. The Bouncie smart-device plugs into the On-Board Diagnostics port (OBD) of a vehicle, through which the smartphone app provides a clean, simple way to view the information it retrieves. Drivers and families can access useful information and features such as: Driving Data - Bouncie delivers real-time insights into driving habits. By monitoring key elements such as hard braking events, rapid acceleration, average speed and trip history, parents can guide their teenager to becoming a
safer and more reliable driver. Vehicle Location - Drivers can view their vehicle’s location at any time. Plus, Bouncie can help parents create driving zones with Geo-Circles that alert them when family members enter or leave a designated area. Vehicle Health and Diagnostics Bouncie constantly keeps track of vehicle health. If anything mechanical ever needs attention, drivers will receive an alert on their smartphone, so they can manage the little things before they become big problems. Vehicle information - Bouncie helps manage all the important information about family vehicles in one place and reminds drivers when it’s time to update and renew insurance policies, vehicle registrations, licenses and more. Bouncie’s smartphone app helps families manage all of the vehicles in their household and gives them access to important safety features such as roadside assistance and maintenance reminders. When family members are connected to their vehicles, they have the peace of mind that they’re connected to one another even when they’re miles apart.
CREF Fundraiser Co-Hosted by PPG Raises $120,000
The annual Collision Repair Education Foundation industry fundraiser, co-hosted by the automotive refinish business unit of PPG, raised $120,000 through the support of attendees and sponsors.
Sponsors and participants enjoyed a day of golf at the Harborside International in Chicago, IL, on July 24, and the funds raised from this event will go toward supporting scholarships and grants for collision schools and students. “PPG is proud to support an event of this caliber,” said Domenic Brusco, PPG, Senior Manager, Industry Relations. “It’s an honor to bring together industry professionals from around the country and to assist the Foundation in making sure that collision repair students are well prepared for entering our industry. With the Education Foundation staff working towards another great event next year, I encourage industry members to participate through a sponsorship, by attending, or by donating items
for the raffle table and silent auction. This is a wonderful and important investment in our industry’s future.” “Through our incredible sponsors, attendees and volunteers, we had another great golf fundraiser event that will significantly assist in the Education Foundation’s abilities to support high school and college collision school programs. A special thanks to the automotive refinish professionals at PPG for their continued co-sponsorship,” noted Collision Repair Education Foundation Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode. The Collision Repair Education Foundation is already starting to plan for the 2018 event taking place in Atlanta, GA, in conjunction with NACE and Automechanika. The date and location should be announced in the coming weeks. Individuals and companies interested in getting involved with next year’s fundraiser should contact Education Foundation Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at 847-463-5244 or Brandon .Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org.
www.autobodynews.com
58 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
THESE DEALERS are GENUINE WHOLESALE PARTS SPECIALISTS.
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Freeman Toyota Scion 888-628-7626 HURST
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Tesla’s Autopilot Played Key Role in Deadly Florida Crash
The National Transportation Safety Board’s finding that Tesla’s Autopilot shares the blame for a fatal crash with a truck in Florida last year underscores the need for Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards covering automated driver assistance technologies, Consumer Watchdog said Sept. 12. The NTSB’s findings came an hour before the Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released new autonomous vehicle guidance, “A Vision for Safety 2.0,” which explicitly ignored socalled Level 2 technologies such as Autopilot. At the DOT-NHTSA news conference in Ann Arbor, MI, announcing the new federal voluntary self-driving guidelines, an NHTSA spokesman said the agency hadn’t yet reviewed the NTSB findings. “NHTSA should have been a partner with the NTSB in this investigation, but they were not,” said John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog’s Privacy Project Director. “Instead they’re asleep at the
wheel and didn’t even bother to address Level 2 technologies in their new voluntary guidance.” NTSB chair Robert Sumwalt said the Tesla’s “operational limitations played a major role in this collision.” The board unanimously recommended that automakers be required to limit the use of partially self-driving technology by ensuring that drivers are actively engaged in driving at all times. The board concluded that Tesla’s method of making sure the driver’s hands are periodically on the wheel is not enough. A possible solution could be a camera that tracks eye movement. “Tesla CEO Elon Musk played an active role in leading drivers to believe Autopilot was more capable of self-driving than was the case,” said Simpson. “There were widely viewed videos of both him and his wife behind the wheel and waving their arms, clearly leaving the impression the car did everything. He should be held accountable for his deadly hype.”
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“We’re committed to delivering an exceptional SEM experience. Our products are engineered to the highest of standards. By extension, it’s critical our website delivers an exceptional customer experience as well,” says Andy Lewis, Director of Marketing. “The rapid consolidation within collision has created a new, more tech savvy, info-hungry consumer. Additionally, mobile has become an increasingly critical component of PBE’s digital space. We made the investment to ensure an industry leading .com exceeds the evolving information needs of our customers.” Visitors can easily drill into the specifics they seek via categories,
brands, or markets. Filtering and sorting tools quickly refine searches further. Product detail pages include every corresponding resource available, including the TDS, SDS, SOP, literature, how-to videos, and more. The Resources tab houses five sections of assets including SOPs /videos/literature, SDS/TDS search, training information, VOC rules, and formulas. Visitors can also learn more about SEM by reading through the About Us section and interacting with the company’s historical timeline. SEM designs intelligent products to reduce repair time, steps, and waste in every application. SEM PRODUCTS.COM now reflects the company’s “Built Better” brand promise.
UPDATED DAILY www.autobodynews.com
Estify Adds Industry Veteran Toan Nguyen to Executive Team
The RIGHT
Texas
All New SEM Website Delivers ‘Best in Class’ Experience
SEM Products, Inc. unveils its new website with simplified navigation, powerful imagery, and amplified search tools to deliver a best in class experience.
Saint George 1405 S. Sunland Dr.
435-986-8822 Fax
Mon-Thu 7am - 7pm; Fri 8am - 5pm; Sat 8am - Noon
Estify, the software company that is bringing efficiency and innovation to the collision repair industry, recently announced the appointment of Toan Nguyen as CIO/CTO/CSO. As Estify’s chief technologist, Nguyen will oversee the continued development of the company’s core products, Estify Transfer and Estify Pro, which simplify the rekeying process and generate repair plans that align with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) documentation, respectively. He will be responsible for spearheading projects and cultivating strategies that cement Estify’s position as a forward-thinking industry leader. “Core to Estify’s success is our laser-focus on ensuring we have a world-class technology team that can very quickly understand the unique challenges of our partners and create technology to anticipate the needs of our rapidly changing industry,” says Estify CEO Rochelle Thielen. “Toan has become one of the best-recognized technology leaders in our industry by creating ‘first-of-its-kind’ technology and fostering industrywide collaborations that have been responsible for advancing major breakthroughs for repairers. We are
elated to have him at the helm of our technology and strategy team going forward.” An automotive industry veteran, Nguyen has spent 14 years in executive roles in the automotive space, where he has focused on application development, software and hardware engineering, big data analytics, and cloud computing. He joins Estify after an illustrious career at ABRA Auto Body & Glass in Minneapolis, where he was most recently the Chief Information and Strategy Officer. In his past roles, Nguyen has been responsible for multiple divisions and has helmed product development in addition to leading enterprise growth strategy. His combined interests in technology and the collision repair space attracted him to Estify. “Witnessing recent advancements in vehicular technology really motivated me to venture back into the software space,” says Nguyen. “I wanted to do something bold and disruptive within our industry, so Estify was an obvious company with which to partner. The ecosystem we’re building will completely change the landscape of how automotive companies operate.”
www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 59
Spanesi Americas Partners with MB Motorsports Spanesi Americas, a global industry leader in Collision Repair, has partnered with the sole surviving original team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, MB Motorsports. Timothy Morgan, COO of Spanesi Americas, sees parallels between his company and the team. “MB Motorsports has a long, long history of finding young talent and grooming them for their future in NASCAR. At Spanesi Americas, we have been involved with the Collision Repair Education Foundation since our inception, and myself for over 20 years, supporting collision repair, equipment and process to high schools and colleges,” he said. Spanesi Americas specializes in supplying design, equipment and training for collision repair facilities. Spanesi Americas offers consulting, training and 3D plans through customized solutions and innovative processes. Spanesi products are innovative, highly technological and offer excellent performance in quality, productivity and profit. In conjunction with Spanesi technologies, the techni-
cian is able to repair a damaged vehicle within factory OEM specifications. “Timothy is absolutely correct,” says team owner Mike Mittler. “Both our organizations are heavily involved in developing young talent, so we have that synergy going forward. In addition, the people who purchase and utilize their equipment are the same people who fill our grandstands and watch our races week in and week out.” Adds Morgan, “There couldn’t be a better time to launch this partnership, as the Collision Repair Education Foundation and ASE will hold their third annual Cars, Careers, & Celebrities Expo event on Friday, September 15th at Chicagoland Speedway.” MB Motorsports is the sole surviving original team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, having competed in every season since the series debuted in 1995. The team has given many young drivers their start in NASCAR, including Sprint Cup Series winners Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, Brad Keselowski and Regan Smith.
HDDA Developing Product Data Standards for Heavy Duty Market
The Heavy Duty Distribution Association (HDDA: Heavy Duty), a community of the Auto Care Association, has announced that it will begin the formal creation of product data standards for the heavy duty (HD) aftermarket. Pre-
liminary development of these standards, which will improve product data communication across the entire HD market, is already underway. HDDA: Heavy Duty has contracted Pricedex Software Inc. to continue as its partner on this project. Additionally, the association will bring together volunteer product data experts from across 20 top parts categories to participate in subject matter expert subcommittees for the standards’ creation. This project was initiated to help independent HD distributors and their supplier community communicate product and system attributes more effectively to provide a faster, more ac-
curate experience for the end customer. In 2016, HDDA: Heavy Duty conducted a feasibility study for the standards’ creation. At AAPEX 2016 in Las Vegas, NV, Bill Hanvey, president and CEO, Auto Care Association, announced that the study produced a positive result for the ability to create HD standards. Since that announcement, several industry organizations, including the Technology & Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations, and multiple industry publications, featured the data standards project in articles and conferences. “Product data standards mean the heavy duty aftermarket, from manufacturer, to distributor, professional installer, and fleet maintenance managers will get the right part, at the right place, at the right time,” said Hanvey. “We want to reiterate to the HD marketplace that these will be HD standards based upon the way the marketplace looks up and presents its parts. We will seek the input and insight from distributors and data system providers, but particularly manufacturers wanting to communicate product data in a more efficient and consistent manner for all of their customers.”
60 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Don’t Settle Your Auto Insurance Claim Until You Have All The Facts
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, insurance companies will use a bag of tricks to pressure the owners of flood and water-damaged cars into settling their insurance claims for far less money than their vehicles are really worth.
Hurricane Harvey Vehicle Claim Alert Flood and water damaged vehicles are typically declared a total loss. Insurance companies usually lowball policyholders into accepting offers for automobile storm claims that are 40 percent less than the actual value of the car, according to data in a presentation made by independent public insurance adjuster
Auto Claim Specialists to the Auto Body Association of Texas in Hurst as Hurricane Harvey first hit the state’s gulf coast. When car owners feel most vulnerable, insurance estimators use tactics to quickly settle claims with lowball offers by stating that it is “a one-time offer”. They also resort to threats of cancelling the claim or not providing a rental car. This is bad faith insurance adjusting. Do not be taken advantage of by these high pressure closing tactics by insurance companies. An estimated half-million vehicles received flood and water damage during Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath.
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CARSTAR Names Top Shops at Annual Conference in Charlotte
For the first time at its annual conference, CARSTAR North America recognized both United States and Canadian CARSTAR owners and business groups throughout its network for their leadership and performance. In the categories for top system award winners, Michael Macaluso, President, CARSTAR North America, and Dean Fisher, Chief Operations Officer, CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts, presented three awards to CARSTAR stores for their achievements. The winners included:
Franchisee of the Year Franchisee of the Year is the highest award given in the CARSTAR system, and represents the best of the best that is CARSTAR. These two winners were chosen on criteria such as using all vendors possible, attending the annual conference, committing to the EDGE program, being image compliant, submitting reports on time online, and delivering consistently high CSI for the month and quarterly periods. For Canada, the 2017 Franchisee of the Year is Jeff Labanovich, owner of CARSTAR Oshawa Drake Street. He is a longtime franchisee with two locations, chair of the CARSTAR
Canada advisory board, has delivered double-digit growth over the past several years, is very engaged in the community and has an excellent brand presence in the marketplace.
In the U.S., the 2017 Franchisee of the Year is Sheila Samuels and her brother Jeff Samuels of CARSTAR Ideal and CARSTAR Arvada. They are a leader in the market on systems and processes and an integral part of the Denver business group. They have one of the most beautiful facilities in CARSTAR’s system, they have embraced a scheduling program, they have engaged in the advanced EDGE process and they are getting ready for eco-lean. They have created a great shop culture with long-term employees, and are always a leader in the market on charitable donations. Rookie of the Year The Rookie of the Year award is given
in recognition to a new CARSTAR franchisee as it gets “up and running” with CARSTAR. To qualify for the award, a franchisee must be in its first year with CARSTAR, have completed CARSTAR immersion and enthusiastically embraced the CARSTAR culture with active participation. For Canada, the 2017 Rookie of the Year is Ron Alberts / CARSTAR St. Stephen, New Brunswick. He has proven to be a very progressive thinker. He is a best-in-class location, is a true ambassador of the CARSTAR Brand, and is very integrated in the community. In the U.S., the 2017 Rookie of the Year is Kevin Raines, with CARSTAR Centre City and CARSTAR West Chester. Kevin opened two stores in the Cincinnati area late last year, becoming our 500th location, and is on track to open two more this year.
Next Generation Award The Next Generation Award honors a second or third-generation CARSTAR owner who excels at leading a family business, continues to meet high performance standards, participates in key CARSTAR programs like the EDGE Performance platform, attends
conferences and is image compliant. The 2017 Next Generation Award for Canada is presented to Joe and Paul Saputo, owners of CARSTAR Ancaster. These recipients were one of the first CARSTAR Franchise locations in Canada. They have been very successful in transitioning the business from their father and mother and have grown sales by 25 percent since taking over the business. They have just recently opened their second location in Ancaster, Ontario. For the U.S., the 2017 Next Generation Award is presented to Jamie White, owner of CARSTAR Ken’s North and CARSTAR Dalton South. Jamie purchased both locations from his uncle, Ken White, in January 2017, and is now staged for additional growth. “It is an incredible honor to be able to recognize the achievements of these great shops, owners, and executives,” said Macaluso. “Our North American award recipients not only set a great example for other shops to follow, they also spread their knowledge experience throughout the entire CARSTAR network to help each and every one of our shops grow.” For more information on CARSTAR, visit www.carstar.com.
MyPriceLink Providing Dynamic, Real-Time Pricing, Receives Patent
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OEConnection LLC (OEC), the leading automotive technology provider for original equipment manufacturers’ (OEM) distribution networks, recently announced the issuance of US Patent No. 9,747,481. This patent relates to MyPriceLink®, a service that delivers real-time dynamic list pricing on original equipment (OE) collision parts based on timing and local market conditions. “OEC continues to lead the way in pioneering new technologies that are revolutionizing the auto parts industry,” said Chuck Rotuno, OEC Chairman & CEO. “In 2001, we pioneered online collision parts procurement through our CollisionLink solution; in 2007, we introduced webbased parts conquesting technology through our Parts Marketing Administration (PMA) solution; and now we are providing real-time, dynamic list pricing through MyPriceLink. The combination of CollisionLink, PMA and MyPriceLink makes for a very comprehensive parts strategy for automakers.” OEC currently provides CollisionLink and PMA to 23 OEMs,
8,000 dealers and nearly 20,000 collision repair shops in the US and Canada, who use these solutions to complete nearly 400,000 transactions each month. Launched in December 2015, MyPriceLink currently fulfills 125 million pricing requests every day with an average response time of less than 0.5 seconds. MyPriceLink integrates with numerous collision estimating systems and dealer management systems, and is accessible through CollisionLink (for participating dealers), CollisionLink Insurance, CollisionLink Shop, or directly through participating collision estimating systems. “MyPriceLink is set to transform the industry,” added Bill Lopez, OEC Vice President & General Manager, Collision. “GM is currently using MyPriceLink to great affect and it won’t be long before every automaker makes using MyPriceLink standard operating procedure to more accurately and reliably present their parts pricing.” Several additional patent applications for MyPriceLink features are pending and expected to issue in the near future. Visit MyPriceLink.com.
www.autobodynews.com | OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS 61
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CIF Rallying to Support Industry Flood Victims of Hurricane Harvey
The Collision Industry Foundation (CIF) is committed to working with all industry segments to deliver aid to victims of Hurricane Harvey. The CIF’s mission is to deliver emergency relief directly to collision repair professionals. CIF is calling on all shops, trade groups, equipment companies, paint companies, insurance companies and all other industry organizations that can assist in this relief effort. The CIF Board of Trustees has assembled a committee that will organize and facilitate the relief efforts. Michael Quinn has been appointed chair of this committee. “Michael led the industry’s relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina, as well as chaired other industry-wide charitable projects like Recycled Rides and the First Responder Emergency Extrication programs,” says Kelly Broderick, CIF Vice Chair and Vice President of Sales & Marketing with Dedoes Industries LLC. “We couldn’t have selected a better person to lead the Harvey efforts.” Within the last 48 hours, donations have started coming in from shops, individuals and companies, including: CCC Information Services,
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Mitchell International and Parts Trader. We encourage others within the industry to support our efforts and donate. EVERY dollar counts and will help your fellow industry professionals! Donations can be made via collisionindustryfoundation.org, and no donation amount is too small. “We encourage all industry professionals to reach deep and make tax deductible donations to CIF so we can help those in need,” stated William Shaw, CIF chair and Director of Business Development US & Canada, PPG Automotive Refinish. “Please join us in sending our thoughts and prayers to those impacted by Hurricane Harvey. It’s time to roll up our collective sleeves and help our brothers and sisters in Texas and Louisiana.” To donate to the Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund or apply for assistance, please visit collisionindustryfoundation.org, or contact us directly at email: collisionindustryfoundation@gmail.com or Phone Toll Free (855) 424- 3243 - Direct (804) 4276982. CIF is utilizing all donations for emergency living and/or tool replacement expenses.
Collision Student of the Year Nominations due Sept. 22
The Collision Repair Education Foundation is currently accepting nominations for its “Collision Student of the Year” award. The deadline for nominations is Sept. 22, 2017.
Launched last year, the Collision Student of the Year award seeks to recognize truly outstanding students training for a career in the collision industry. Nominated students must currently be studying collision repair/refinishing at a school that has completed the Foundation’s 2017-18 Collision Repair School Solutions Survey. “We encourage instructors who would like to recognize the academic achievement, collision repair and refinish training success and drive of their best students to submit nominations for the award,” said Melissa Marscin, Director of Operations/Administration for the Foundation. Instructors who would like to nominate a student can download a nomination form from the Foundation’s website.
(www.collisioneducationfoundation .org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/ 2017-Student-of-the-Year-AwardApplication.pdf) In addition to an instructor endorsement, students must submit a one-minute video to the Foundation explaining his/her academic and collision course achievements, future plans for his/her career, and why he/she enjoys being in the collision industry. Winners of the Collision Student of the Year award and their instructors must be able to attend the Foundation’s reception on Oct. 31 at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV. The award will cover two nights of hotel each for the instructor and for the student, airfare (or mileage if driving), and meals.
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SCRS and March Taylor Memorial Fund Award SkillsUSA Gold Medalists Tool Scholarships As the industry and mainstream media report on increasing challenges related to shortages of skilled tradespeople, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), the March Taylor Memorial Fund (MTMF) and Snap-on are working to make sure that those entering into the collision repair industry—and working hard to excel in it—are both recognized and rewarded for their efforts. For the third consecutive year, SCRS and MTMF have partnered to provide a $1,250 tool scholarship to each of the SkillsUSA National Championship Gold Medalists in the high school and post-secondary levels to help the recipients secure tools they can use as they enter the trade.
Automotive Refinishing recipients awarded include: • Dylan Ahrndt of Ridgewater College Willmar in Minnesota
• Dylan Wertz of Vanguard Sentinal Career and Tech Center in Ohio
Collision Repair recipients awarded
include: • Joel Hartstack of Southwestern Community College in Iowa
• Second-time recipient Alan Zimmerman of Vanguard - Sentinel Career and Tech Center in Ohio.
“Snap-on is a longtime supporter of SkillsUSA,” stated Greg Rintala, National Sales Manager, Snap-on Industrial - Education Sales. “SkillsUSA, along with the technical training programs in high schools and colleges in the USA, are part of the solution to the skills gap. Teaming up with SCRS and the March Taylor Memorial Fund to give these winners the professional tools they need will ease their way to learning their craft and performing their job when they get out in the workplace. That should help them lead a successful life with a dignified career supporting themselves and their families.” “This is a way to fill a very critical gap in the future of our industry,” SCRS Chairman Kye Yeung said in a statement. “We need to get kids and their families to see trades
as a viable future, because the country needs talented, ambitious kids to fill the technical roles in working on the highly sophisticated vehicles we are presented with. We want to honor and encourage the ambition these competitors have demonstrated, and I want to see SCRS working to help students like these find really rewarding careers in our industry.” In 2016, SCRS announced the launch of the SCRS Career Center (scrs.com/jobs) intending to help students such as those awarded, to be able to post resumes and connect with employers in the industry. The SCRS Career Center was created as part of an extensive network that includes the Auto Care Association and the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA). For more information about SCRS, or to join as a member, please visit scrs.com, call toll free 1-877-8410660 or email us at info@scrs.com.
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64 OCTOBER 2017 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com