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Vol. 37 / Issue 10 / October 2019
Solving the Tech Shortage: Steps to Finding Qualified Employees
Best Body Shops’ Tips: A Roadmap to Repair Planning
by Stacey Phillips
You may be surprised to learn that many body shops create a “repair plan” at the end of the repair when everything has been documented and the final bill is created, according to Tim Ronak, senior services consultant at AkzoNobel. Rather than a repair plan, he said this is more like an invoice that includes all of the labor, parts and materials needed to put the vehicle back to pre-accident condition. “The objective of repair planning is to accomplish this before beginning the repair, not after,” said Ronak. “The goal is to eliminate any production delays from missed parts and labor procedures by identifying them up front.” Over the years, Ronak has worked closely with body shops to
From coast to coast, collision repairers are talking about the talent pool shortage facing the industry and what can be done to address what some are calling an impending crisis. As vehicles are becoming more difficult to repair due to the increasing amount of technology being used, shop owners and leaders are recognizing the risks associated with not having qualified technicians on staff. During a recent Elite Body Shop Academy webinar, host Dave Luehr explored the issue in-depth with Erick
(l to r) Justin Stokes, the first graduate of the protype program, pictured with his trainer, Zach Serhal. Credit: Collision Career Institute
Bickett, co-founder of Fix Auto USA, founder of the Collision Industry See Tech Shortage, Page 12
Gerber Collision & Glass Acquires Two Collision Shops Located in AL The Boyd Group Inc. (the “Boyd Group”) announced on Tuesday, Aug. 20, the acquisition of two collision repair centers in Alabama. These locations previously operated as Auto Collision Experts, originating with the Moody, AL, location in 2013. The Anniston, AL, location was added in 2018. Moody is one of the fastestgrowing cities in Alabama and is located 22 miles east of Birmingham and 9 miles east of Gerber’s recently opened Trussville (Alabama) location. Anniston is located approximately 65 miles east
of Birmingham and is home to the Anniston Army Depot, a major United States military facility that produces and repairs ground combat vehicles. “We look forward to providing the same high-quality service that these customers and insurance partners have come to expect in this region,” said Tim O’Day, president and COO of the Boyd Group. “These acquisitions reinforce our brand in this area and the Annison location helps fill a gap between our repair centers in Birmingham and Atlanta.”
by Stacey Phillips
assess the effectiveness of their repair planning process. He recently spoke to a group of body shops in Honolulu, Hawaii, about the recommended steps to effectively create and implement a thorough repair plan.
(back row) Rose Graham, Honda Windward, and James Carlos, Oka’s Auto Body. (front row) Larry Soto, Honda Windward.
“A shop will never complete the job efficiently unless repair planning is done correctly and an accurate See Repair Planning, Page 18
ADAS Calibrations Latest Challenge Facing Collision Repairers by John Yoswick
A presentation at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC), held in Indianapolis, highlighted some of the complexities the collision repair industry is facing in both “static”
Jack Rozint of Mitchell International said the test drive requirements for some system calibrations has led shops in some urban areas to do them at dawn when there’s less traffic congestion. Credit: John Yoswick
and “dynamic” calibrations of some advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Jack Rozint of Mitchell International and chairman of CIC’s “Emerging Technologies Committee,” said dynamic calibrations can require test driving the vehicle while connected to either an OEM scan tool or a specialized aftermarket scan tool. “Basically, only [an OEM tool or] the very best of the aftermarket scan tools are capable of doing these routines,” Rozint said. The calibrations may require that the vehicle maintains a certain speed for a set period. Road requirements can include a clear sideline and center line on a straight road in the daylight. To meet these requirements, Rozint said, some shops in urban areas are conducting dynamic See ADAS Calibrations, Page 22
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