November 2016 Southwestern Edition

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VOL. 34 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2016

After Matthew, Insurance Claims Pour In and Some Policyholders Realize Hard Truth

First Auto Body Association Trade Show in Texas

Homeowner and auto insurers are dealing with thousands of claims in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew. And some policyholders are discovering—or

The first Auto Body Association Trade Show (ABAT) was held Sept. 16-17 at the Doubletree Hotel in Richardson,

by Robert McCabe, The Virginian Pilot

rediscovering—a hard truth: standard homeowners’ policies typically do not cover flood damage; that is, damage from rising water.

While comprehensive auto insurance can cover flood damage, that’s not the case for homeowner’s coverage.

Protection from flood damage to homes must be obtained separately through the National Flood Insurance Program, which is typically purchased through one’s existing homeowner’s insurer.

State Farm, the largest inSee After Matthew, Page 52

OSHA Launches New Whistleblower Pilot Program

for a whistleblower’s case to move to the administrative law judge on an expedited basis, the following criteria must be met:

● The claim is filed under a statute that allows for the administrative law judge to newly review, or review de See OSHA Whistleblower, Page 24

P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018

Meeting Criteria to Expedite In announcing the program, OSHA acknowledged that the investigation

process can be lengthy and therefore wants to facilitate complaints receiving a quicker determination, if possible, by electing to expedite. In order

Change Service Requested

OSHA has launched a new pilot program, titled “Expedited Case Processing Pilot,” in its Western region, which covers California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. The new program allows a whistleblower who has filed a complaint to ask OSHA to stop its investigation and issue findings in an expedited fashion that can be reviewed by a Department of Labor (DOL) administrative law judge. Here is OSHA’s press release describing the program.

by John Kopriva, Kopriva Body Works, with Janet Chaney, Cave Creek Business Development

‘Wow’ and ‘over the top’ are the first things that come to mind to describe the two day event.

“We are excited to welcome the Houston Auto Body Association as a strategic business partner in the Texas market,” said Burl Richards, president

The Auto Body Association of Texas shows their appreciation to Mike Anderson (black shirt) by giving him a pair of real Texas boots with the ABAT logo on them

Texas. This was the first major collision industry show in Texas since NACE in 2002. It’s now in the books and what a success!

of ABAT and owner of Burl’s Collision in Henderson, Texas. “HABA is a welcome addition to this great Texas

Alcoa has announced a breakthrough in resistance spot riveting called the RSR™ joining system, a high-performance joining solution for multi-material vehicles. RSR technology can join dissimilar materials using the same equipment as conventional spot welds but offers automakers the flexibility to switch between it and conventional welds, depending on the material.

This RSR resistance spot riveting technology solves long-time automotive challenge of joining dissimilar materials, according to the company. ● The RSR joining system allows for the flexible joining of various combinations of automotive material and results in joints that are 10-20% stronger than joints utilizing competing technologies ● Automakers can utilize Alcoa’s RSR technology with existing spot welding

equipment and robotic automation, saving capital expense, minimizing production interruption and providing greater flexibility in deploying a variety of materials in their vehicles ● Alcoa engineers are working with Honda R & D Americas, Inc, in DOE project to demonstrate the use of RSR joining on a prototype scale “Our RSR technology is going to be a powerful tool in the array of joining options for the automotive industry,” said Ray Kilmer, Alcoa’s Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President. “As automakers continue to design vehicles using multimaterial combinations, RSR technology is the ideal joining solution. It can easily accommodate stack up changes on the assembly line and it leverages existing welding robots outfitted with our automatic feeding systems.”

See ABAT Show, Page 16

Alcoa Unveils Breakthrough RSR™ Joining System For Next Generation Lightweight Vehicles

See RSR Technology, Page 10

Presorted Standard US Postage PAID San Bernardino, CA Permit #2244

2 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

COLUMNISTS Attanasio - Northern California Body Shop Paints Huge Coffee Cup for Major Artist . 50 Attanasio - Signs, Signs–Everywhere are Signs. So How Do You Stand Out? . . . . 32 Luehr - The Art of Business . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Luehr - The Simple Rule on Pre-ordering Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Phillips - Bodyshop Revolution Expands to United States with Unique Technology & Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Phillips - Mohawk Collision’s New Collision Facility in the NY Capital Region Has “Fixed What Was Broken” and Built a Solid Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Yoswick - Retro News: Infant Deaths in 96, Customer Retention, Suggestions for DRPs, OEM Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Yoswick - Shops Nationwide Need To Understand Federal Overtime Change Slated For December 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 NATIONAL A New Tool For Estimating Reaps $6.3M for Estify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 A Second-Generation Female Shop Owner Fights the Odds and Wins . . . . . . . . . . 34 After Matthew, Insurance Claims Pour In and Some Policyholders Realize Hard Truth . . 1 ARA Applauds Introduction of New OEM Parts Indemnification Legislation . . . . . 66 ARA President and CEO Attended Three Affiliate Chapter Events in September . . 30 ASA Hosts Largest Regional Education Program of 2016 during AAPEX . . . . . . 64 Attendees Receive Industry Training at IGONC’s 2016 ASTE . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Auto Care Association Identifies Alibaba as Notorious Market for Counterfeits . . 60 Automotive Recyclers Admonishes General Motors for Position on Recycled Parts . 58

Axalta Launches New Resins, Talks Diversity, Awards “Best in Blue” . . . . . . 62 BASF Makes 37 Custom Jaguar/Land Rover Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 CAA Meeting Hosts Gary Ledoux from American Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 CAA Supports Changes to Anti-Steering and Labor Rate Survey Regulations . . . 20 California Revises Self-Driving Rules, Drops Third-Party Requirement, OK’s No Human Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Carfax: Number of Flood-damaged Cars on Roads is up 30% from 2013 . . . . . . 57 CCC Introduces DRIVE™ Platform, Secure Share™ Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Chief® Introduces Industry’s First Computerized Measuring System for Heavy-Duty Collision Repair . . . . . . 56 Collision Repair Education Foundation Receives Highest Rating From Charity Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Florida’s No-Fault Insurance Reforms Finally Appear to be Lowering Premiums as 2012 Reforms Kick-in . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Killer Tools Gives SEMA Preview, Discusses Future of Collision Repair Products. . . . 27 Many Steps Add to Huge Productivity Gains. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Mercury Names the Safest and Most Affordable Cars to Insure for Teens . . . 64 MI Attorney General Warns On Flood-Damaged Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Mike Cassata Joins AR Direct . . . . . . . . . 68 Mike Causey’s Campaign for Insurance Commissioner Gains Support from Collision Repair Professionals . . . . . . . 15 Mitchell Partners with Tractable to Bring Artificial Intelligence to Insurance Claims for the First Time . . . . . . . . . . . 60 National AutoBody Research Creates Collision Economic Index, Make Profit Preserving Price Adjustments . . . . . . . 52 NHTSA Probes Inadvertent Airbag Deployments on Nissan Versa, Unclear Who Supplied Airbag Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 NHTSA Investigates F-150 Models for Brake Failure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 OSHA Launches New Whistleblower Pilot Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 PCI Says CFA Insurance Rating Study is Flawed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Portland, OR, Body Shop Owner Becomes Homeless Advocate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 SCRS Announces Panelists for OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit Session on Scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Sherwin-Williams Approved for American Honda and Acura US Warranty Repair. . 64 Study: Consumers Want Option to Control Autonomous Cars . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Symach’s Innovative FixLine System Increases Productivity and Efficiency in Body Shops Worldwide . . . . . . . . . . 65 Tips for First-Time SEMA Attendees from Industry Veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 WIN Kicks Off 2017 “All In For WIN” Membership Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

The Northwest Louisiana Collision Repair Association met at the Country Tavern Barbecue at 6:30 PM. Our meeting was called to order by our President, Chris Shepherd, Collision Instructor for the Caddo Career and Technology Center. We were led in prayer by Duane Kimball, retired Collision Instructor for the Northwest Louisiana Technical College.

Abigail Shepherd led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Chris then read the Anti-Trust law.

Old business covered seems like a repeat, but some of the information is still current. We only have one ad left to sale. For those that haven’t paid their dues, you can fill out our online form for your dues by clicking here. You can then print the email you receive and mail it in with your dues, or bring it to the next meeting. If you are interested in sponsoring us, just click on one of

the “Advertise With Us” buttons at the top of this newsletter. Our newsletter is seen by shops over the tri-state area. The Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT) is having a Texas Auto Body Trade Show with Mike Anderson as the Keynote Speaker. It will be held on September 16th and 17th. For more information, click here. The BPCC 100 will drop the green flag on September 24, 2016. For those that don’t know, this is an annual race to raise money for scholarships. It’s a great family event, so mark your calendars. For more information, click here. Other business that was discussed was the Johnny Dickerson Memorial Golf Tournament that ICAR is having on October 8, 2016, at the Firewheel Golf Course in Garland, TX. Next we discussed some new

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Online Editor and Copywriter: Deana Cacus Contributing Writers: Tom Franklin, John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, David Brown, 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 Sales Assistant: Jessica Day Content/Social Media Specialist: Cass Heckel Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Michelle Lucas

Audi South Austin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 41 AutoNation Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . 54 AutoNation Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam NRH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 AutoNation Chrysler-Jeep-DodgeRam of North Phoenix. . . . . . . . . . 8 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . . 5 BASF Corporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Bill Luke Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram . 6 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 56 Bob Howard PDC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Car-Part.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Celette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA). . . . . . . . . . . 35 ChemSpec USA, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Chevyland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Chief Automotive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Classic Auto Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Classic BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Dallas Dodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Diamond Standard Parts . . . . . . . . 53 DJS Fabrications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Don Carlton Auto Group . . . . . . . . . 34 Eco Repair Systems of North America, LLC . . . . . . . . . . 32 ECS Automotive Concepts . . . . . . . 22 EMM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . 39 FBS Distributing Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . 14 Finnegan Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge . . . . 2 Flatirons Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . 67 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 61 Herkules Equipment Corporation. . 24 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37

See NWLCRA Meeting, Page 12

Serving Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, Colorado, Arizona, Utah and adjacent metro areas. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the autobody industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2016 Adamantine Media LLC. Autobody News Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018; (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com E-mail: news@autobodynews.com

Southwest

REGIONAL Dallas Cowboys and Caliber Collision Announce Long-Term Partnership to Host Military Combine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 First Auto Body Association of Texas Trade Show Held in Richardson, TX . . . . 1 Heavy Storms Blow Roof Off Central Texas Body Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Northwest Louisiana Collision Repair Association Meeting Presents on Clean Up and Nitrogen Welding . . . . . . . 3 Robert “Paul” Hulsebusch Passes Away in Texas, Age 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Service King Breaks Recycled Rides Donation Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Service King Named Among Top Places to Work in DFW, Again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Service King Names Stu Crum as COO . . 14 Team Hopes to Raise $1M for Veteran Charities with Tricked-out Corvette . . . . . 8 TSTC in Waco Auto Collision Program Celebrates New Equipment . . . . . . . . . 10 United Insurance Group Partners With TechnaGlass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 UTI Houston Graduate Shares Her Challenges and Triumphs in Male-Dominated Industry. . . . . . . . . . . 12

Northwest Louisiana Collision Repair Association Meeting Presents on Clean Up and Nitrogen Welding

Indexof Advertisers

Contents

Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers. . 60 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Killer Tools & Equipment. . . . . . . . . . 7 Lusid Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 69 Mercedes-Benz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Mercedes-Benz of Houston Greenway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Mike Calvert Toyota. . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 43 Nissan Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . 69 North Freeway Hyundai . . . . . . . . . 58 O’Reilly Auto Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Pacific Produx Reps . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Polyvance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 PPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Preval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 ProLine Tool & Supply . . . . . . . . . . 44 Ray Huffines Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . 57 SATA Dan-Am Company . . . . . . . . 19 Sorbothane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 South Pointe Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge. 20 Subaru of Little Rock . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . 65 Symach srl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Toyota of Laredo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . 64 U-POL US . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Valspar Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Vibac Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 WyoTech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21, 28 Young Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 3

Study: Consumers Want Option to Control Autonomous Cars

by Michael Wayland, The Detroit News

Public acceptance of self-driving cars could hang on one thing: Not completely taking away the keys from human drivers.

A Future Autonomous Vehicle Driver Study commissioned by Kelley Blue Book found four out of five people believe a human driver should always have the option to drive themselves instead of having a full selfdriving vehicle.

“They’re not really ready for a fully autonomous vehicle,” said Rebecca Lindland, senior analyst for the vehicle valuation and information company.

About one in four people (26 percent) would be interested in a self-driving vehicle for their next vehicle lease or purchase by 2020 as long as there’s an option for a human driver to take over. That compares to one in five (20 percent) for partial autonomy and about one in eight (13 percent) for a purely self-driving vehicle.

Ford research engineer Ghassan Atmeh, left, and supervisor Andrew Richardson “drive” an autonomous car in demonstration on Dearborn roads. Credit: David Guralnick, Detroit News

The study assumes all levels of autonomy will be available in the next four years. Several automakers have announced ambitions to offer self-driving vehicles in the coming years— mainly for controlled fleets such as ride-hailing or car-sharing services.

The responses are based on a scale of autonomy from level 0 for human only, to level 5 for full autonomy with no option for a human driver to take control. The vast majority of vehicles on the road today are considered level 0 and level 1 “modern vehicles,” according to the study.

“People definitely feel like level 4 (full autonomy with human control available) is the sweet spot,” Lindland said. “They want a vehicle that can drive itself, but then there’s also times they want to drive.”

The survey results call into ques-

tion strategies by some automakers to offer level-3 partially automated vehicles as well as fully self-driving in the coming years.

Some automakers—most notably Tesla Motor Inc.—have launched or plan to launch what is considered partial autonomy (level three) vehicles that have the ability to keep a vehicle in its lane, drive with the speed of traffic and even change lanes with the touch of a turn signal. But a driver is still necessary to monitor in case of a system not being able to drive.

“There is definitely an opportunity to skip over level 3,” Lindland said, adding that airplanes with autopilot are still considered level 4. “Not being able to fully relax is the biggest deterrent for level 3.”

General Motors Co. plans to release its level-3 competitor to Tesla’s Autopilot system called Super Cruise in 2017. The company has said it will keep steering wheels and other humancontrolled components in cars for the foreseeable future.

“We believe through an evolution we’re able to put the technology into the vehicles,” GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra told reporters ahead of the automaker’s annual shareholders meeting in June. “And it is very important that we demonstrate safety. We think that having that capability when the steering wheel and the pedals are still in the vehicle is a very good way to demonstrate and prove the safety.”

That contrasts with Ford Motor Co. The Dearborn-based automaker in August announced plans to have a fully driverless car without a steering wheel or pedals for braking and acceleration in 2021.

Going straight to a car that doesn’t need a driver, steering wheel or pedals offers bigger benefits to passengers and is more profitable, the automaker said.

The cars, Ford said, would be available only for commercial applications like ride-sharing in major cities at first.

However, even current ride-share users aren’t sold on fully autonomous vehicles, according to the KBB study.

About 40 percent of current ridesharing users said the most appealing level of self-driving vehicles would be for full autonomy with the driver able to take over. That compares to 28 percent of ride share users for full autonomy.

“Even among those ride-share

4 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

“No Steering” says Celphy.

users, we’re still seeing level 4 as the peak, or sweet spot,” Lindland said. “It’s just a running theme that we found.”

More familiarity with advanced automated technologies would likely increase acceptance rates: The study found 48 percent of people who own a level 2 vehicle with limited autonomy would purchase a level 5 vehicle for their next car or truck. That compares

to 11 percent of those who do not own a level 2 vehicle.

The Future Autonomous Vehicle Driver Study was conducted by Culver City, California-based Vital Findings. It is based on an online survey of more than 2,200 people age 12-64 during the week of May 20.

We thank The Detroit News for reprint permission.

California Revises Self-Driving Rules, Drops Third-Party Requirement, OK’s No Human Driver

Last month California unveiled revised rules that carmakers will have to comply with the 15-point NHTSA assessment instead of self-driving cars being required to be tested by a third-party, as in the original proposal. California would allow for the absence of a human driver and a steering wheel in advanced self-driving cars, provided there is twoway communication with the vehicle and NHTSA approval. California will hold a public hearing on the proposal Oct. 19. President Barack Obama wrote a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette op-ed last month saying the administration is asking automakers “to sign a 15-point safety checklist showing not just the government, but every interested

American, how they’re doing it.” Cain also raised concerns about whether the NHTSA guidelines are too vague.

“The problem is there is going to be accountability and there is going to be enforcement,” Cain said, saying in some areas NHTSA needs to offer more specific guidance. “We need to go through this with a fine tooth comb.” Former NHTSA Administrator David Strickland, who now represents Google, Ford Motor Co. and Uber, raised concerns at the forum about whether NHTSA has the expertise to review all of the data they are seeking on self-driving vehicles. Congress may need to “better resource the agency for this new mission,” he said.

www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 5

Heavy Storms Blow Roof Off Central Texas Body Shop

by Kandace Thomas, KXXV

On Sunday, September 25, residents were cleaning up after storms from Saturday night rocked several cities in Central Texas.

In Marlin, several residents saw snapped trees and power outages. One business owner even lost the roof to

Credit: KXXV

one of the buildings.

Monty Glover said he was not in Marlin, but waiting out the rain delay at McLane Stadium in Waco.

“Everything I know about last

night is second-hand because I was at the Baylor football game and left my cell phone at home,” Glover said.

Glover was unaware that just miles down the road, winds and heavy rain battered the town. One of the managers at Glover Ford, Lorne Guitzkow, was home when the storm rolled in.

“Oh, the winds were terrible—I saw a tree get lifted in the air and slammed to the ground; broke a branch off,” Guitzkow said.

Just before 8:00 p.m., Guitzkow got a text from his wife. “Something has happened,” the text read. And right after that, he got the picture of the roof of the Ford Auto Body shop on the ground.

Guitzkow said he immediately walked out the door and called other employees to come down to the dealership to help out.

When he arrived, he began to assess the damage. “Nothing looked out of place on the inside; it looked like somebody came with a can opener and took the roof off,” Guitzkow said.

It wasn’t until hours later that Glover returned to Marlin and his wife told him about the damage.

Glover expressed his gratitude that his employees all stepped up in his

United Insurance Group Partners With TechnaGlass

United Insurance Group, a provider of personal and commercial insurance in the State of Utah, has partnered with TechnaGlass to provide automotive glass repair and replacement services to its policyholders.

According to the company, United Insurance Group—which is affiliated with 115 Utah-based agencies—chose TechnaGlass because of its ability to meet the needs of its customers, reduce costs and provide high-quality service.

“At United Insurance, our goal is to deliver insurance products that improve the lives of our policyholders,” said Chuck Westover, vice president of insurance operations.

“We are always looking for ways to provide an enhanced level of service and coverage to our customers. TechnaGlass has achieved this through its leading position in Utah, its outstanding customer service and a com-

pelling overall value proposition.”

Should a United Insurance Group policyholder experience a cracked, broken, or chipped piece of glass on their vehicle, policyholders simply call the toll-free number listed on their policy to report the incident. They indicate when and where they would prefer to have their window repaired or replaced and an appointment time is scheduled.

“TechnaGlass is proud to be a service provider to a company like United Insurance,” said Troy Mason, CEO of TechnaGlass. “Our company philosophies and daily activities are in sync with a complete focus on satisfying the consumer in need of auto glass repair and replacement services. We will continue to work closely with the United Insurance team and their agents to enhance the services offered to their policyholders through advances in technology and an ongoing commitment to exceptional service.”

For more information, visit www .technaglass.com.

6 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

absence, lending a hand.

Glover said roofers are scheduled to look at the building. After their assessments, he will decide the business’ next steps. Until then, Glover said he’s counting his blessings.

Credit: KXXV

Normally, on Saturdays, the auto body shop has cars receiving service.

“It was just a stroke of luck that there were no customer cars inside the building at the time. I can’t even tell you when the last time that happened was, so that was really lucky,” Glover said.

The rest of the Glover Ford Dealership reopened on September 26.

We would like to thank KXXV for reprint permission.

Service King Names Stu Crum as COO

Service King Collision Repair Centers® announced the organization has officially named Stuart (Stu) Crum to the newly-created role of Chief Operating Officer (COO). A longtime industry thought-leader with experience spanning numerous international automotive brands, Crum joins Service King after serving as President and Chairman of Bridgestone America Retail Operations. He will begin his new role with Service King, effective today, at the organization’s home office in North Texas. “It is an honor to join Service King’s world-class executive team,” said Crum. “The organization is in the midst of explosive national growth, grounded in exceptional operations with a focus on the customer and its teammates. Service King’s reputation for superior repair service and a family atmosphere makes this a phenomenal opportunity to join an already high-impact leadership team.” As Service King COO, Crum will provide national oversight of the company’s network of collision repair operations at 304 U.S. locations. We are immensely proud to welcome Stu Crum to the Service King family,” said Chris Abraham, Service King CEO.

www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 7

Team Hopes to Raise $1m for Veteran Charities with Tricked-out Corvette After about seven months and more than 1,000 man-hours of work, the team at Prescott Auto Center are hoping to raise about $1 million for veteran charities by auctioning off a 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray they’ve custom-designed.

The idea for the project came when Mike Brown, owner of Vettesthetics and VetteLife in Prescott, was on his way to In-N-Out Burger with National Football League nose tackle for the Buffalo Bills Marcell Dareus.

Brown had just sold Dareus a couple corvettes that day.

“I said, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be great if we did this,’” Brown said. “The next day, he picked me up and we went and picked up the car.”

Brand new 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray’s start at about $55,400.

Once General Motors heard about what Dareus had in mind for the vehicle, the company sold it to him for about half, Prescott Tire Pros co-owner Jayme Salazar said. Dareus also provided a budget for Brown to work with for doing the custom work on the vehicle.

The idea was to create a militarythemed vehicle. Given the sleek lines of a Corvette, they decided to model it after an F-35 fighter jet.

Brown and the crew at Prescott

Auto Body (a partner of Prescott Auto Center) put in most of the man-hours required for designing and building the vehicle.

The wheels and tires were collectively paid for and built by the other partners of the Prescott Auto Center,

Auction Company in Scottsdale.

“We’re hoping to raise about $1 Million for veteran charities with it,” Brown, a U.S. Navy veteran, said.

Sounds like a lot, but it’s not uncommon for specialty vehicles being sold for charitable causes at high-end auction houses like Barrett-Jackson to raise significant figures.

“The person that buys it is getting a tax benefit from doing so, so usually guys like Robert Gates will buy things like this,” Brown said. “Something similar like this last year went for about $500,000 and it wasn’t detailed to this level.”

Prescott Auto Center hopes to raise about All of the proceeds will be $1 Million for veteran charities by auctioning split among the Wounded Warrior off a customized 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Project, USO and Disabled AmerStingray in January. (From left) Jayme Salazar, ican Veterans, all of which are Gary Sharp, Louie Gomez and Mike Brown charitable organizations that aswhich includes the owners of Prescott sist United States veterans in various Tire Pros, Louie Gomez and Jayme ways.

The car was unveiled during a cusSalazar.

“We made the wheels custom,” tomer appreciation event at Prescott Tire Pros on Friday, Sept. 23.

Salazar said.

It was also available for public “Toyota jumped on board and put viewing during the 10th annual Historic tires on it,” Gomez said.

Combined, the wheels and tires Prescott Corvette Car Show on Saturalone could go for about $8,000 “at the day, Sept. 24, at the Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza in downtown Prescott. drop of a hat,” Gomez said.

We would like to thank The Daily In January, the vehicle will be auctioned off at the Barrett-Jackson Courier for reprint permission.

8 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

BASF Makes 37 Custom Jaguar/Land Rover Colors

The collaboration between BASF and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is expanding globally. BASF will supply 37 unique colors for the Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) for 2017 models. The new colors represent a combination of both R-M Onyx HD and Glasurit 90 Line, available in both gloss and matte satin finishes. The new colors will initially be available for the Range Rover L405 and the Range Rover Sport L494. “The programs implemented with JLR globally are very similar to the solutions offered

by BASF in North America to track KPIs and help shops benchmark their numbers so they can implement strategies to improve efficiencies,” said Jeff Wildman, BASF Manager OEM & Industry Relations. “The strong collaboration between Jaguar Land Rover and BASF, in production and in aftermarket, is aimed at putting the customer first,” said Arjan Klijn, BASF Global Key Account Manager for JLR. Media Contact: Mary Ann Short, BASF, +1 248 948-2253 or maryann.short@basf .com

Service King Named Among Top Places to Work in DFW, Again

Service King Collision Repair Centers was officially named the No. 3 Best Place to Work in Dallas-Fort Worth, as announced by The Dallas Business Journal. The announcement

came at the official awards banquet held inside the historic Fairmont Hotel in Dallas and represents a familiar recognition for the company.

Service King, which was named the No. 1 Best Place to Work in Dallas-Fort Worth in 2015, has been named among the Top-5 businesses in the Metroplex for six years straight.

The company was also exclusively recognized for being named among the Best Places to Work in DFW each year for the entire 14-year history of the award.

“It’s certainly special to consistently be recognized by both the Dal-

las Business Journal and our very own teammates,” said Jeff McFadden, Service King president. “There is an immense pride in continually cultivating a strong family environment at Service King.

It’s who we are, and marked by the passion, commitment and hard work of our teammates across the country. This recognition is solely a reflection of their drive to make Service King the collision repair operator of choice.”

To qualify for the Best Places to Work list, employees voluntarily complete comprehensive surveys conducted by the Dallas and San Antonio Business Journal’s partner company, Quantum Workplace. Companies are then ranked by employee engagement.

Service King operates 35 locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which the company has been operating in since its founding in 1976.

For more information, visit www .ServiceKing.com.

Dallas Cowboys and Caliber Collision Announce Long-Term Partnership to Host Military Combine

The Dallas Cowboys and Caliber Collision recently announced a long-term partnership.

According to the company, a highlight of the partnership will be the Dallas Cowboys Military Combine, presented by Caliber Collision, which will be held on November 5 at Hood Stadium in Fort Hood, Texas.

Active-duty service members will participate in a football combine for a chance to compete in a final competition hosted at The Star in February 2017.

The Military Combine winner will have the opportunity to announce a Cowboys 2017 draft pick at AT&T Stadium.

The event is open to all Department of Defense cardholders across Ft. Hood and will include a full day of activities including appearances by Dallas Cowboys Alumni, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Rowdy and the Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame truck.

In addition, Caliber Collision will donate a vehicle to a military family in need as part of its Recycled Rides program during the break between morning and afternoon competitions.

“Caliber Collision looks forward to a long and prosperous partnership with the Dallas Cowboys as we work

together to honor and recognize those who serve through our Military Combine coupled with our giftings of refurbished vehicles to military families in need of reliable transportation,” said Steve Grimshaw, Caliber CEO. “As a company inspired to serve, we believe this unique partnership will take our involvement in the communities we serve to a whole new level over the coming years.”

Along with the Military Combine, Caliber Collision will also join the Cowboys in various community efforts, including supporting programs such as the Cowboys Taste of the NFL effort in 2017 and beyond.

“We are incredibly proud to have Caliber Collision join our corporate partnerships family,” said Dallas Cowboys vice president of Corporate Partnerships Sales and Service Eric Sudol.

“Caliber Collision shares the Dallas Cowboys commitment to assist in the community and support our military service men and women. We look forward to the incredible opportunities this partnership will bring both organizations.”

For more information, visit www .calibercollision.com.

www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 9

MI Attorney General Warns On Flood-Damaged Vehicles

On September 30, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette cautioned Michigan drivers searching for a new vehicle to be on the lookout for flood damaged cars, trucks and SUVs. Heavy rains in MetroDetroit during the last couple days of September have likely damaged vehicles, and many will end up in the used car market. Vehicles with flood damage can appear for sale on the Internet or at car lots without any mention or obvious signs of the damage.

Water can damage vital parts of a car including airbag sensors, brakes, and electrical systems, and the damage may not show up right away. Weeks or months could pass before evidence of damage is known, putting the purchase past warranty and leaving a driver without a car.

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RSR Technology

Alcoa recently received a grant from the Department of Energy to work with Honda R & D Americas, Inc and Ohio State University to continue to demonstrate the use of RSR joining on a prototype scale. Ultimately, the goal is to enable multi-material automotive body structures that achieve an additional 10–20% weight reduction over those made from conventional high strength steel.

“We are working with Alcoa on advanced alloys and the RSR joining technology in conjunction with the Department of Energy because we are optimistic about the new value these advanced technologies will enable us to deliver to our customers in terms of performance and fuel efficiency,” said Eric Boettcher, Technical Leader, Advanced Body Design of Honda.

Multi-materials in vehicles can achieve lightweighting objectives and improved performance so Alcoa developed the RSR technology to enable automakers to join a variety of dissimilar materials, including conventional aluminum, high-strength aluminum, steel, high-

TSTC in Waco Auto Collision Program Celebrates New Equipment nik, chairman of the Collision Repair Education Foundation. “They want to make sure the students were entry-level ready and have a passion for the industry.”

Faculty members bought paint guns, sockets, red storage carts, paintless dent repair tools, bumper stands, an induction heater and other items.

“Obviously we have the right stuff to train a student to be a technician going into the auto repair field,” said Kevon Kleibrink, a program instructor. “Without the support of industry partners saying good things about our students and ac(l to r) Kevon Kleibrink, an instructor in the Auto Collision tually hiring our students, and Management Technology program at Texas State we would not exist.”

Technical College in Waco, talks to Auto Collision Students have begun Management and Technology majors Justin Hathcock working with four Pro Spot of Hico and Victoria Betts of Whitehouse about new welding machines purchaequipment sed through the grant that The program received a $50,000 can do four different types of welding: Dallas Makeover Grant, which is part TIG, MIG, stick and aluminum. of the initiative and awarded by the Geoffrey Whitlock, 25, an Auto Collision Repair Education Founda- Collision and Management Technoltion. ogy Refinishing Specialization major “We saw the instructors’ commit- from Waco, said that having the new ment to the students,” said Stacy Bart- machines will broaden his and other

The Auto Collision and Management Technology program at Texas State Technical College (TSTC) in Waco recently celebrated its selection as a 2015 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover school.

strength steel, ultra-high strength steel, magnesium and composites. It can be used in nearly any application, including frames, floors, closeout panels, pillars, roofs, seats and intrusion beams.

Notably, automakers can utilize Alcoa’s RSR technology with minimal modifications to existing production lines. Conventional spot welding equipment and robotic automation can be adapted for use with RSR technology, which can easily shift between material combinations and fastener types. Alcoa expects the first commercial application for the RSR technology by 2018. RSR technology has been in development for several years as a pilot program at the Alcoa Technical Center (ATC) near Pittsburgh, PA and manufacturing facility in Waco, TX. The team has also been working on developing the rivet feed system in its Kingston, NY facility.

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students’ range of knowledge.

“It’s helped out a lot,” the La Vega High School graduate said. “Before, we had just one aluminum welder. Now, we have several welding machines, including the old one. Learning with these will help when we get out in the industry. We will be better prepared for that.”

David Noyola, 20, of Killeen is working toward an Associate of Applied Science degree in Auto Collision and Management Technology Repair Specialization. He said it took a few days to learn how the welding machines function.

“I’ve always been into cars, more of the body side, making it look good and fixing it back to its normal shape,” said Noyola, a 2014 Shoemaker High School graduate.

For more information about the Auto Collision and Management Technology program, visit www.tstc.edu.

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www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 11

UTI Houston Graduate Shares Her Challenges and Triumphs in Male-Dominated Industry

by Victoria Antonelli

Three years into her undergraduate degree, Jasmine Storey made the decision to pursue her lifelong dream of working on cars. The Atlanta, GA na-

Jasmine Storey and fellow graduate Vernel Titus Simpson

tive transferred to Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Houston in September 2015, despite push back from her parents.

“Attending a trade school was always my first choice, so transferring to UTI Houston wasn’t a spur of the moment decision. It was one I had conContinued from Page 3

NWLCRA Meets

business. ServPro of South Shreveport will offer a two hour training course on Bio Hazard Clean Up. For more information, click here and look for the BioHazard Clean UP. Louisiana Department of Insurance is having an all day conference on October 12th about Insurance Fraud and Automobile Theft. For more information, click here. Chris said Caddo Career & Technology Center will have his “Back-To-School” night, Thursday September 15. Mark Monroe, Collision Instructor for the Bossier Parish School of Technology and Innovative Learning will have theirs next week.

Our guest speaker was Thad Greer with PaintWorks, one of our newest sponsors! Thad talked about Nitrogen Welding. He had several videos that showed the Nitrogen Welding System. One showed the proper way to set up the welder and another video showed the proper way to start up and shut down the welder.

Failure to properly perform these functions will cause damage to the welder. He also demonstrated how to

templated for years prior to actually moving,” explained Storey. “I’ve loved the body lines and sleek finishes of cars since I can remember.”

Being the only woman in her classes, Storey said she had to prove herself.

“Before classmates called me by my name, [I was referred to as] ‘girl,’ ‘chick’, or my personal favorite ‘that female,’” Storey said. “I was constantly questioned and treated like a damsel in distress. I couldn’t just show up and be respected like everyone else.”

She added that she would refuse help just to make a point.

“If I couldn’t figure it out alone, my preference was to fail until I did to prevent having to be saved,” Storey explained.

She said she doesn’t know where she’d be without support from her friends.

“My closest friends knew I wanted to be happy and could be successful at whatever I put 100 percent into,” she added.

A year later in September 2016, Storey graduated amongst the top students in her class with a 3.94 GPA, three perfect attendance awards, several scholarships, and two job offers.

She specializes in refinishing and me-

Identify the plastic to be welded, and what can and can’t be welded. He had a door panel that had a large split that had been repaired and a smaller area of damage on the same door panel.

Both areas had been repaired with the Nitrogen Welder. He recommended that you assign certain technicians to the Nitrogen Welder, as practice is key. He said to have the assigned Technicians practice using the Nitrogen Welder on old plastic parts that won’t be used, so they can get good using the techniques of Nitrogen Welding. We watched another short video on the basic welding process using a Nitrogen Welder. The final short video showed how to repair a tear to the edge of a bumper. To watch these videos and other, click here. Thad also had a worksheet that once completed, will show you how quickly a Nitrogen Welding System will pay off for you.

We had a special event at this meeting where the NWLCRA thanked Duane Kimball for his years as the Collision Instructor for the Northwest Louisiana Technical College. He touched many lives throughout the years. He was presented with a small token of our appreciation, a plaque commemorating his years as a ColliSee NWLCRA Meeting, Page 24

12 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

chanical repairs related to collision.

Storey said the most rewarding aspect of attending UTI Houston was “being in a supportive environment where I didn’t have to validate why I love collision repair and refinishing.

Everyone understood.”

investment that will always yield a return,” she added.

In 5 to 7 years, Storey said she hopes to acquire her Master Technician status and prepare to enter management. In 10 to 20 years, she said she plans to own and operate a collision repair and refinish shop.

When asked what advice she’d give other women looking to pursue the same career path, she said, “Ignore the noise and have tunnel vision-like

Jasmine Storey repairs damage to the body of a vehicle

Storey said that, in her experience, the benefits of attending a trade school outweighed those of attending a four year program. “‘If you give a man a fish, he dines for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he dines for a lifetime,’” she quoted. “Hard skills equip a person with resources to live and work well for a long period of time. You also save money and are then able to make a living much sooner.

“A trade school education is an

Jasmine Storey takes a quick break to pose for a photo

focus. Set a goal of being and staying in this industry and fight to accomplish it everyday. Do not be deterred by naysayers. They aren’t going anywhere; become comfortable with this reality.”

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Robert “Paul” Hulsebusch Passes Away in Texas, Age 50 Beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend, Robert “Paul” Hulsebusch, went to be with the Lord on October 8, 2016 at the age of 50 after losing his fight with cancer. He was born on August 18, 1966 in Portland, Oregon.

Paul gained his work ethic and values as a young man in the family business. He started working in the collision industry in his grandfather’s business Chuck Chaney’s Automotive in Portland, Oregon. He started washing cars, cleaning the shop as a young boy. In high school, he did everything

in the shop when needed. He painted cars, did front end alignments, estimates. Always saying ‘yes’ to get the job done.

He is survived by his wife, Alyssa Hulsebusch; his daughter, Taylor Hulsebusch, 20, of Phoenix, AZ; his sons, Daniel Hulsebusch, 23, Maxwell Hulsebusch, 18, and Charles Hulsebusch, 13, of Boerne, Texas; his mother, Janet Chaney of Cave Creek, AZ; his sister, Kristen Syburg and her husband Charlie of Cave Creek, AZ; his stepfather Hans Hulsebusch of Mesa, AZ; and numerous business partners, roping buddies, friends and associates.

Paul grew up in Scappoose, OR, and was very active in sports, rodeo, 4H, choir, and Key Club for most of his childhood. As the 1984 Oregon State High School Rodeo Champion he chose to attend Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton, OR, as part of their rodeo team.

Following college, he began a career as a catastrophe claims adjuster and found great success in that field.

His profession and charismatic personality carried him across several state

14 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

lines, touching many people along the way, eventually settling to make his home in Boerne, Texas as the Principal of Sonora Insurance Group.

Paul’s professional accomplishments gave him great pride, as well as time spent volunteering with Habitat

For Humanity, teaching Sunday School and coaching youth sports. His longest and strongest hobby was team roping where he could combine his love for the animal, the sport and the camaraderie.

But nothing surpassed his love and dedication to his four children; Dan, Taylor, Max and Charlie who each held a

special and unique place in Paul’s heart.

Paul was fortunate enough to finally meet his One, Alyssa, in the summer of 2014 and they were married on March 11, 2016. Paul and Alyssa simply loved each other and loved spending time together. Their marriage was peaceful, unconditional and unwavering.

Paul’s warm, kind heart, sarcastic humor, infectious smile and unrivaled dedication to his beloved Oregon Ducks will be missed.

A memorial celebration was held Friday, October 14, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Boerne with a reception following.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation be made to the savings account established at Jefferson Bank, Boerne, Texas in order to cover college expenses for Paul’s four children.

To leave condolences for the family and view a video of Paul’s life, please visit www.ebensbergerfisher.com and select the Obituaries tab.

Mike Causey’s Campaign for Insurance Commissioner Gains Support from Collision Repair Professionals

Since announcing his campaign to run ever, I lost the election in early voting for North Carolina Insurance Commis- numbers, being clobbered by the sioner, collision repair industry veteran Obama success in the big cities. So Mike Causey has spoken at a variety close, but no cigar. Out of 4.3 million of venues across his state, including votes, we came up short 30 votes per several industry events. He precinct (2709 precincts in attended the August and SepNC)! In many ways, this tember meetings of the North year is similar to 2012 – inCarolina Association of Colsurance companies backing lision and Autobody Repair an incumbent ‘friend’ and (NCACAR) to speak about showering him with camsome of the issues he’d like paign donations, but in 2016, to tackle if elected, but he insurance companies have faces a huge challenge in pulled out all the stops to get Mike Causey combatting the influence of money to the commissioner. big insurance companies.

Also, financial giants like Causey stated, “It’s a classic David vs. Genworth are hosting fundraisers for Goliath battle, but I am getting support him.” from the body shops that want to see Causey’s claims are supported change. If people pay attention to this by the NC State Board of Elections, race and go vote, I will win!” since all campaign contributions are Causey, a Republican, is running public record and available online at for NC Insurance Commissioners ncsbe.gov. Additionally, an article against Wayne Goodwin, the Democ- was published in The Daily Hayrat incumbent Insurance Commissioner maker in September which stated that of NC. According to Causey, “I ran Goodwin had received nearly oneagainst the same wealthy lawyer/career third of the $222,580 raised for his politician four years ago. In 2012, I campaign from people tied to Floridawon the Republican primary and had based insurance and health care interlittle money against his $1.3 million ests on just four separate days, campaign war chest, but still got more totaling $65,550. This support from votes than he did on election day and FL raises the question of why these won 55 of the 100 NC counties; how- folks from another state are so in-

vested in the political prospects of the NC Insurance Commissioner.

Meanwhile, Causey’s campaign is struggling financially, but he noted, “We have a lot of volunteers, grass roots activists, little guys helping, and we are competing well in the polls. A statewide poll by Civitas Institute released in mid-September showed these results: Goodwin 37, Causey 32, Undecided 29, with a margin of error +/- four points. This is ahead of where I was in 2012. Momentum is going our way, and all kinds of people, including Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Libertarians and other concerned citizens are coming forward to help in these final days before the election.”

Another interesting inconsistency in Goodwin’s campaign arose on September 6, when five officials held a reception and a fundraiser in Goodwin’s honor at the Sheraton Hotel in Charlotte. Of these five individuals, three are career Republicans: Jim Donelon, LA’s Insurance Commissioner; John Doak, OK’s Insurance Commissioner; and Barry Goldwater, Jr., a former Republican U.S. Congressman. Additionally, Goldwater has major investments in the insurance industry.

The two Democrats showing sup-

port for Goodwin were Ben Nelson and Eric Serna. Nelson is a former U. S. Senator, Governor and Insurance Commissioner, but although he runs as a Democrat, he is very conservative and frequently voted against his party. The former Insurance Superintendent in New Mexico, Serna agreed to retire in 2006 during an investigation of accusations that he had intervened in his daughter’s auto insurance claim.

Causey has been a longtime advocate for the collision repair industry, and his campaign has faced challenges as he goes up against the incumbent Insurance Commissioner, who has support from the insurance industry. Causey stated, “It’s me against the powerful insurance cartel – insurance companies and corporations are financing the incumbent commissioner’s campaign to the tune of millions. As a former legislative lobbyist representing body shops and the Independent Autobody Association, the insurance companies do not want Mike Causey in that office! As a writer for body shop publications, I have stood up for the little guy, the small shop owners and all body shop owners against the unfair trade practices of the insurance industry.”

www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 15

prove repair efficiency and add more to the shops’ net bottom-line.

On Friday, Burl Richards and ABAT hosted a closed door luncheon event.” for members of his board, HABA,and It was well-attended with particdirectors of other State associations. It ipants from all corners of the State as was an excellent way to get to know well as others traveling from Okla- what is happening around Texas and homa, California and Virginia. I know meet other leaders who want to join in they did not go home disappointed. a common cause of improving and strengthening the auto collision repair industry.

The Meeting officially got underway at 1:00 pm on Friday with a “Welcome to Texas” opening remarks and it never slowed down from there.

Robert McDormand, Vehicle Value Experts, a consulting firm that specializes in helping body shops fix more 3M Brought Dallas-based Television Personality K.C. vehicles, spoke, followed by Mathieu (center) to the Texas Auto Body Trade Show the featured panel on “OE ReHABA was represented by five pair Recommended Procedures, Cerof our members and we were well re- tification, Proper Repairs, How Do ceived. There were collision shop You Get Paid—What Is Right For owners, managers and I was really im- You.” pressed by the number of techniThe panel was moderated by cians that attended. Vendors filled the Mike Anderson, Collision Advice exhibit hall with the latest in repair and included panelists: Ron Reichen, technology, hardware, computer sys- past SCRS Chairman and shop owner tems and programs designed to im- with 26 OE Certifications; Pete TagliContinued from Cover

ABAT Show

16 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

apietra, NuGen IT,OE Procedure Connectivity; Eric McKenzie, Collision Centers Manager, Park Place Dealerships, Dallas, with 23 OE Certifications; Sam Valenzuela, National

His fast paced presentations, humor and group participation held everyone’s attention all the way to his closing remarks on Saturday afternoon.

Reflecting back over the two day meeting, I came away supercharged, not with some warm and fuzzy feeling, but armed with information that I know will make a difference in my shop. Resources that are easily accessible that I can call on to prove that I am “Not the only One”, others who have been paid for denied procedures, ways to assist customers battling total Auto Body Association of Texas President Burl Richards, loss vehicle value, variable of Burl’s Collision Center in Henderson Texas welcomes rate systems by insurance attendees to the Texas Auto Body Trade Show companies, for specific vehiAuto Body Research; Wayne Kraus. cle repair and by locale. Issues such as Mitchell International; Ken Boylan, enforcing payment and usage of PChief Industries Global Training Manpage procedures, and the topics go on ager; L.D. Andrus, American Honda; and on.

Jake Rodenroth, Collision DiagnosOn Saturday a technical seminar tic Services. was led by Chief’s Ken Boylan foFollowing the panel was a netcusing on rivets, bonding, welding work reception where TV painter K.C. and more, and also a presentation Mathieu, appeared at the 3M booth. from BASF Advanced Process SoluIf you have never heard Mike tions Group on how paint and mateAnderson, of CollisionAdvice, speak rial profitability can be improved with you don’t know what you are missing.

See ABAT Show, Page 42

www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 17

CAA Hosts Gary Ledoux from American Honda * 2012-14 Honda CR-V has a 780 MPa body steel limit – No UHSS The California Autobody Association * 2015 model looks similar, but add Glendale/Foothill Chapter met on 980 & 1,500 MPa steel September 21 at 6pm at Los Angeles * Welding restrictions are required Trade Technical College (LATTC). when repairing 2015+ models The meeting started with the * This information can be found in the Pledge of Allegiance, led by chapter BRM Ledoux’s next set of slides depresident and manager of Eli’s Colliscribed Honda and Acura sion Repair, Hillel Shamam.

Shortly after, a Mexican1,500 MPa steel usage: style buffet was served to the ● Where is 1,500 MPa typiattendees, courtesy of the cally used in the vehicle?

LATTC culinary program. * Front door opening and sill Gary Ledoux, Assistant areas; usually applied at National Manager at Amerimodel changes can Honda Motor Co., Inc., * May be one or multiple CAA Glendale/ then took the stage to discuss pieces Foothill Chapter the OEM’s repair procedures * Highest strengths generally President, Hillel and certification programs. used in front and center pilShamam Ledoux started his preslars, plus side sills entation by framing the question, * Steel usage patterns have some sim“What’s driving body design change?” ilarity, but always refer to BRM He detailed his points in a Powerpoint ● 1,500 MPa steel unique repair representation: quirements: ● Every automaker must meet * No sectioning allowed; replace comthese two targets: plete parts only at factory seams using * Fuel efficiency STRSW and MIG Brazing according * Cars that are more crash worthy to BRM procedures ● He then reviewed Honda and * MAG welding prohibited except as Acura’s use of high strength specified in BRM steel (HSS) and ultra high * Use manual spot welding strength steel (UHSS): conditions in BRM, not * HSS introduced on certain welder’s auto mode redesigned 2001 models Ledoux followed up with * Strengths limited to 340, basic sectioning rules and 440, & 590 MPa through tips for the attendees: 2006 * Only steel parts with tenGary Ledoux, * 780 and 980 MPa steel in- Assistant National sile strength < 780 MPa may troduced between 2007-09 be sectioned Manager at American Honda models * New guidelines are not a Motor Co., Inc. * 1,500 MPa steel introduced “Sectioning Free-For-All” (file photo) on some 2009+ models * Design requirements make ● Where is HSS/UHSS used in areas of many vehicles ineligible for the 2015-17 Honda Fit model series? sectioning * Multiple grades of HSS/UHSS used * All conditions must be observed and in body construction met to avoid unsafe repair * Highest strengths generally used in * Sectioning must be done only in a front & center pillars/side sills single-layer area of part * Steel usage patterns have some sim- * Multi-layer internal steel reinforceilarity, but always refer to body repair ments and stiffeners must not be cut manual (BRM) He then disclosed what informa● Where is HSS/UHSS used in tion the free body repair news publicathe 2015-17 Acura TLX model series? tions from Honda and Acura provide * One-piece 1,500 MPa door outer to shops: stiffener ring, like 2014+ MDX * Body structure—grades of HSS/ * Replaces multiple welded parts of UHSS and where used different steel grades * Aluminum/magnesium body com* Must be replaced as a complete unit ponent location and repair at factory seams – NO SECTION- * How to use heat for straightening ING! and sectioning during collision repairs ● Looks can be deceiving. HSS/ * Approved welding/brazing proceUHSS and Minor Model Changes: dures and wire requirements

by Victoria Antonelli

18 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

* Airbag system and general electrical repair requirements/guidelines * Special tool and repair requirements for driver support systems Ledoux then outlined the different OEM body repair training programs that are now available online for Honda and Acura through I-CAR: * HON10e - Using Honda & Acura Service Info * HON11e - Honda & Acura High Strength Steel Repair * HON12e - Honda & Acura Restraints Collision Repair * HON14e – Honda & Acura Electrical Collision Repair * HON15e – Honda & Acura A/C Collision Repair * HON16e – Honda & Acura TPMS Collision Repair

Ledoux then discussed why shops should be ProFirst Certified: * Honda and Acura products are increasingly sophisticated due to new technology used * Technicians cannot properly repair today’s cars with yesterday’s tech, tools and methods * Shops will gain increased recogni-

tion for their professionalism * Helps promote customer confidence and loyalty * Increased opportunities to reach more people * Receive cost and time-saving tools to help technicians make a better, faster repair Ledoux concluded with a discussion about what’s next for Honda and Acura: * Towing—Collision-damaged Honda and Acura vehicles towed to closest ProFirst shop via roadside assistance program * KPI Dashboard—allows shops to compare themselves to other ProFirst shops throughout the country * A new ProFirst Quarterly Magazine (to be introduced at SEMA 2016) features tech articles, new model information, shop best practices, guest editorials, shop profiles, and more.v Fred Morago, collision instructor at LATTC, took the stage after Ledoux to thank everyone for coming out and supporting the local technical college.

The meeting ended with a raffle, and a word from the president. Shamam See CAA Presentation, Page 33

www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 19

CAA Supports Changes to Anti-Steering and Labor Rate Survey Regulations

by Ed Attanasio

Before any regulation goes into effect, it has to be carefully reviewed, re-written in many places, edited and tweaked before it becomes more than just text written on pieces of paper. Until regulations are reviewed by all of the parties involved, they are discussed at public hearings while lawyers and other stakeholders go through the fine print wordby-word. After passing through various stages, a regulation is finalized and is hopefully on its way to becoming a rule, but obstacles can often impede it from reaching its ultimate goal.

Despite its most recent set of changes, the California Auto Body Association (CAA) still supports the new versions of the anti-steering and labor rate survey regulations that they have been working with in conjunction with California Insurance Commissioner David Jones for the past six years or more. With the enactment of both regulations now in sight, CAA Lobbyist Jack Molodanof is hopeful, but wary as well.

“The California Department of Insurance (CDI) received a ton of feed-

back in the form of comments and suggestions, many of which occurred after the DOI’s April hearings about both regulations,” Molodanof said. “Based on these, the department made a series of revisions in reaction to the input. A few weeks ago, they released the new regulations to the public, and now there is a 15-day period in which people can only comment about the proposed changes that were made.”

From his many years as a lobbyist working in Sacramento, Molodanof has seen this process in action countless times. “This is the way things go, but there are usually fewer and fewer comments each time a regulation goes through this process,” he said. “We never know how many comments CDI gets, but the general idea is to let everyone have a say in what the regulations will eventually do so that there is a consensus and a regulation that shops, insurers and consumers can all live with.

“This is the funnel approach, where they aggregate comments and consider them carefully,” Molodanof continued. “There may be another round of changes after the designated 15-day period, or it could also be good

20 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

to go and the CDI will proceed and get them implemented. So this stage is another bite at the apple, so to speak.”

The final version of CDI’s proposed anti-steering regulation lightens the requirement that insurers must support statements made to a customer about the policyholder’s decision to work with a specific body shop. But it also alters the scope of what can be considered as an unacceptable statement, according to the revised regulation.

The labor rate survey regulations, even with these latest changes, will clarify the situation and standardize these surveys in order to make certain that they will provide equitable claim settlement practices for consumers.

“This regulation will finally enable insurers to conduct consistent and reliable auto body labor rate surveys,” Molodanof said. “CDI provided more information and clarification about the geocoding aspect of the regulation in order to determine how many shops from one area will be included in the surveys.”

With these most recent revisions to this regulation, CDI has expanded the number of shops to be included

because they discovered that in urban areas, you’re going to have more density. “They expanded it further to make it fairer for both the shops and insurers and make sure that the survey uses a representative sample,” he said.

“The geocoding is very accurate, so they can rather easily find the six shops closest to the shop surveyed by capturing their longitude and latitude and using this technology.”

Will this be the last round for these regulations before they go into practice? “If I were to guess, I would say yes, unless there are some comments that for some reason will require a further response,” Molodanof said. “I doubt it, but it can happen.

There have been numerous workshops, hearings and several rounds of changes, so these things should be ready to roll. CDI has invested a lot of time and effort into working with all of the various stakeholders and have really reached out to everyone to get their feedback. They have been very thorough and fair, and these regulations have been well thought out, so I can’t imagine that there would be another round of changes at this point.

The next step is to send them to the Office of Administrative Law and get them reviewed there.”

Perhaps most importantly, how are the insurance companies going to respond to the new regulations once they go into effect, we asked Molodanof. “Are they going to litigate; that is an excellent question. In the meantime, they are waiting on that Supreme Court case that questions CDI’s authority to enforce regulations like these at all. Can that impact these regulations? Maybe. Will the insurance industry file a lawsuit to stop these regulations, like an injunction? They could do that as well. Or do they introduce new legislation next year to fight them? There are a lot of intangibles out there right now and only time will tell.”

Molodanof said that the time to pull the trigger, light that candle and get these regulations implemented is now. “Overall, the package is not perfect, but the CAA is still supporting it because it goes a long way to address a lot of the concerns about steering and labor rate surveys in the auto body repair industry. So let’s get these regulations done and implemented.

At some point, there is only so much tweaking you can do.”

Tips for First-Time SEMA Attendees from Industry Veterans

by Stacey Phillips

Autobody News reached out to body shop managers and employees who have visited the SEMA show over the years to find out their recommendations for first-timers.

Nichole Hubbard from European Motor Car Works, Inc. in Santa Ana, CA, recommends first-time SEMA visitors pick up a program guide, bring a camera, wear comfortable shoes, a hat and sunglasses. “There’s plenty to see outside the SEMA Halls,” said Hubbard.

If you’re staying in a nearby hotel, she suggests purchasing a weekly tram pass so you have easy access to the show. “If you’re a collision repairer, the North Hall is the place to start,” said Hubbard. In addition to highly informative educational classes offered by SCRS and I-CAR, there are an array of collision industry presentations available throughout the week.

“Visit the New Product Showcase,” said Hubbard. “There are plenty of new tools and products for your review. Also, get ready to be amazed at the automotive aftermarket; it will keep you talking about it for months to come.”

In Bedford Hills, New York, Avi

Harrindranauth from North State Custom said the SCRS pass is very worthwhile and will allow you to attend all courses SEMA offers as well as the Sky Villa After Party held at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on November 3.

Harrindranauth attended SEMA for the first time last year. “There was a lot to take in,” he said. “There are so many different exhibitors that you definitely need the entire week out there.” Harrindranauth recommends first-timers attend SEMA Ignited on November 4 at the Gold Lot, which is across the street from the Las Vegas Convention Center and includes vehicles, food, demos, entertainment and more. One of the highlights is the Battle of the Builders competition, which features top automotive builders from across the United States. He said it is one of his favorite parts of the show.

“You can really see some unique things and everything is customized, built by people from all over the world,” said Harrindranauth.

Also from New York, Gerry Rosenbarker offered insight on the Las Vegas show. “Anyone who has an interest in the industry should definitely go to SEMA—at least experience it once,” said Rosenbarker, the

collision manager from Mohawk Honda. He recommends bringing a great pair of walking shoes and picking up a map!

He said the classes offered during the show are phenomenal. “These people are the best in the industry,” said Rosenbarker. “Anything that you are typically interested in, you should be able to get the answers there.”

When Rosenbarker was looking for equipment to purchase for Mohawk Honda’s new state-of-the-art collision repair shop (see Shop Strategies article about Mohawk Honda), he visited SEMA to find out what was currently available on the market.

“We saved tens of thousands of dollars by purchasing equipment at SEMA,” he said. Attending the show has given them the opportunity to compare paint booths, frame machines, welders, and other shop equipment. “That show is an absolute necessity for anyone who wants to be on the cutting edge of this industry,” said Rosenbarker.

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Bodyshop Revolution Expands to United States with Unique Technology & Processes workflow.”

The idea is to change the way the When I sat down to talk to Jon Parker, entire body shop operates including esowner of Bodyshop Revolution, he had timating, parts control as well as the just returned from a two-week trip that way the technicians repair vehicles. “By included stops in London, Paris, Dubai, changing the system by which they Singapore, Auckland and Melbourne. work, we can actually get much more Parker was traveling the world sharing throughput,” said Parker. The goal is to information about his UK-based comstrive for continuous workflow. “When we start repairing a car, we never stop repairing it until it’s finished.” Parker said the result is lower key-to-key cycle time, more efficiency in the shop, and tremendous cost savings.

Bodyshop Revolution was established in 2010. Two years later, collision repair shops in the United Kingdom began With no previous knowledge of the San Diego market, Patrick O’Neill opened Bodyshop Express a year and a implementing the company’s half ago processes. “When we came out pany’s technology and processes. They with this theoretic process to repair cars were created to change the collision reit was a big leap of faith for some of pair industry by providing a high-qualthese shops to actually change their ity and fast turnaround car repair. shops to do it,” said Parker. “We spent “We developed a process and techour own money building out our own nology that enables shops to halve their shop in the UK to actually prove it out.” cycle time from wherever it is today,” The company now operates in nearly said Parker. “If it is 10 days today, it every English-speaking country. will be five; if it’s seven today, it will be After expanding to the United three and a half. This is a game changer States, about a year and a half ago, to the way you repair cars.” with the opening of Bodyshop Express The process, which has been used in San Diego, CA. Owned by Patrick in Europe for more than 10 years, was designed for all types of body shops—whether they are dealer-owned, MSOs, large or small independents.

The equipment has been certified for use in the United States and there are currently 15 shops powered by Bodyshop Revolution across the nation.

The process is primarily O’Neill said he has been able to fill the shop with customers, bring in $300,000 to $400,000 per month based on the Theory of Constraints and systems thinking, which O’Neill, the body shop includes all of Parker said is something many are not the equipment, software and technolfamiliar with in the United States. He ogy from Bodyshop Revolution. explained that the Theory of ConO’Neill previously owned eight straints is based on understanding collision centers in Arizona and Newhich part of your business detervada, which he sold in 2012. He came mines throughput, the speed at which across Bodyshop Revolution’s unique things flow. He used the example of technologies in the UK and decided to turning over an hour glass. The narset up his own shop to better underrowest part in the center is where the stand the technology. With no previous sand slows down the flow. In terms of knowledge of the San Diego market, he a body shop, Parker explained that has been able to fill the shop with cussomewhere in a shop there is a slower tomers, bring in $300,000 to $400,000 part where it bottlenecks. “What we per month and form DRPs with several do is eliminate all of those bottle- insurance companies. necks,” said Parker. “It’s a process that O’Neill said there are four things is designed to provide continuous that stop production in the body shop:

by Stacey Phillips

22 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

departments, cure time, philosophy and beliefs, and mistakes. “Our goal is to eliminate departments and eliminate as many mistakes as humanly possi-

hicles. The shop’s cycle time is currently 3.9 days and touch times are 5.7 to 6.2 hours per day depending on the insurance company.

Parker said he has found there are typically two types of customers who are interested in implementing Bodyshop Revolution’s processes: those who own their own shop and want to retrofit the system into their business; and MSOs that are expanding into new shops.

“Rather than buying an existIn September, Bodyshop Express painted 264 cars with one ing shop where they need to spray booth and rolled prime on 98 percent of the vehicles change the culture and bring ble,” said O’Neill, who has found that them on board to their way of thinking the hardest thing to do is to get people and their own process, we try to perto step outside of their box and try the suade them to find a new building and new process. drop our solution straight in,” said “One of our value propositions is Parker. that we say you can get 55 cars a week A typical body shop has multiple through one paint booth (during a nortechnicians working on multiple cars. mal work-week) and you can run a Instead, each car is treated as an indibody shop without a prep deck,” said vidual project. “We create a very proO’Neill, who is also a distributor for fessional and organized working the technology. “We’ve been able to environment,” said Parker. Imagine a prove that.” In September, the shop perfectly white shop floor, with techpainted 264 cars with one spray booth nicians working on one car at a time. and roll primed on 98 percent of the veSee Bodyshop Revolution, Page 24

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Continued from Page 12

NWLCRA Meets

sion Instructor. He stated that he has been stopped while out in public by former students that thank him for teaching them the necessary skills for performing collision repairs. Some of these students have had their families with them and Mr. Kimball stated the gratification he feels every time he sees that his efforts are helping families. He said he was grateful to have

the opportunity to teach, because every time a former student thanks him, it means so much to him. There were several of his former students at this meeting, as you can see by the pictures. Thank you Mr. Kimball for your years of service as a Collision Instructor.

Mr. Kimball received his plaque of appreciation for his years as a Collision Instructor. He was telling us stories about former students and how they touched his heart. He enjoys meeting them again years later and seeing how they have developed.

NHTSA Probes Inadvertent Airbag Deployments on Nissan Versa, Unclear Who Supplied Airbag Components The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into 252,756 Nissan Versa vehicles after complaints of inadvertent airbag deployments.

Complaints indicate that the driver or passenger curtain and seatmounted airbags deployed when the front door was shut in a “possibly aggressive manner,” a summary on NHTSA’s website said.

“I closed the passenger side door and the airbag from the door exploded.

Just that easy,” read one complaint.

Continued from Page 22

Bodyshop Revolution

“Although it’s peaceful and calm, at the same time we’re invoicing out 40 to 50 percent more work.”

Rather than doing just a subsection of someone else’s repair, technicians see it through the entire process.

“We actually combine more skills into one tech which makes him able to do more of the repair and gives him more responsibility and pride in what he is doing,” said Parker.

The company’s robotic technology enables paint, along with fillers and primers to dry very quickly and it is fully cured. “You can still achieve continuous workflow because you can carry on sanding or buffing or rebuilding the car immediately once you’ve painted it,” said Parker.

Part of the process also includes a vehicle damage assessment (VDA).

If the car is drivable with superficial damage, a full estimate is conducted on the vehicle within a half hour to 45 minutes and the customer is able to use the vehicle until the parts arrive. This ensures that every car goes into the production process with all of the

No injuries have been reported. It was not clear which company supplied the airbag components to Nissan.

“Nissan is committed to the safety and security of our customers and their passengers,” a Nissan spokesman said in an email. “The company has received an inquiry from NHTSA concerning the MY2012 Nissan Versa Sedan. Nissan is actively investigating this issue and, as always, working cooperatively with the regulators to answer their questions.”

The 2011 model year Versa was also included in the investigation.

parts. “The customer is driving his own car and happier than in a rental and the car is in the shop for a very short period of time,” said Parker. “We bring predictability into the system.”

Bodyshop Revolution has a United States-based global training team in place to help shops get up to speed on the new technology and processes. Parker said it takes about a month to settle in and the goal is to create self-sustaining shops.

He said that the average payback time is about six to eight months. “It’s not cheap to implement but a really quick return on investment,” he said.

The company offers financing packages that can be paid off over a threeto five-year period.

The company is continuing to reach out to shops across the United States and educate them about Bodyshop Revolution’s processes. “People are skeptical about what we do because it really is radically different than traditional thinking,” said Parker. “It’s a really exciting and unique solution.”

“We are showing that we are building a shop of the future that processes cars correctly the first time and delivers them in half the time,” said O’Neill.

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Continued from Cover

OSHA Whistleblower

novo, the claims. ● Depending on the statute, 30 or 60 days have passed from the date the employee first filed the claim with OSHA.

● OSHA has interviewed the employee.

● Federal investigators have evaluated the complaint and the employee’s interview to determine if the basic elements of a retaliation claim exist.

● Both the employee and the employer have had the opportunity to submit written responses, meet with an OSHA investigator and present statements from witnesses.

● The employee has received a copy of the employer’s submissions and had an opportunity to respond.

Once the employee submits the request for an expedited process, OSHA will provide one of three responses:

● it will dismiss the claim, which allows the employee to then file an ap-

peal with an administrative law judge; ● issue merit findings as quickly as possible; or ● deny the employee’s request for the expedited process.

Benefits of the New Program If successful, this program will be very beneficial to whistleblowers who struggle with the delays of the current system. As employers continue running their businesses while waiting for a response from OSHA, terminated employees are often looking for work, with added difficulty if they were fired. An expedited process can lead to quicker remedies for an aggrieved whistleblower, which include back pay, compensatory damages, punitive damages where authorized, attorney fees and reinstatement. Even if the outcome is that the employee’s claim is dismissed, an administrative law judge may grant all the same remedies as OSHA. Whistleblowers in the Western region, however, should be mindful that they must affirmatively request the expedited process. Without the request, OSHA will continue on its usual timeframe.

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26 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Killer Tools Gives SEMA Preview, Discusses Future of Collision Repair Products

by Victoria Antonelli

Autobody News reached out to Killer Tools president Gerry Trueit to learn more about what new products the company will be releasing during the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV, from November 1–4.

Q:

Can you give any type of hint or preview of the new tools you will be announcing at SEMA?

A:

We have two exciting new tools that we have built here in California and will be showing at SEMA.

We have designed and built an electronic dent removal system for collision professionals.This tool revolutionizes the way a technician pulls the dents out of steel panels. We will be demonstrating it at our booth (#11377).

We are also very excited to be unveiling our new Self Piercing Riveter (SPR), which we built here in Sacramento, CA. Riveting body panels are becoming more and more common with the advent of aluminum in vehicle construction. When the time comes for a collision shop to decide which SPR to purchase—and that time will come—we want to be considered, as a US-based quality supplier.

Have you released any other tools Q: over the course of 2016? If so, which ones, and what are their functions?

A:

Yes, we have. We have come out with a telescoping, calibrated mini tram gauge plus a variety of magnetic tools that help organize and hold everyday items. One example is the magnetic “painter’s helper” that allows painters to paint items and then attach them to the paint booth

wall. It encompasses a “monster grip.”

We also came out with a three rail parts glider that mounts to the inside

Did you attend NACE? How Q: was your experience?

The Killer Tools team, pictured (l to r): Ryan, Stewart, Mario, Gabe, Maggie, Gerry, and Edward

of a spray booth. When used, it cuts the bake cycle in half.

How do your tools (current and Q: upcoming) aid body shops as well as the collision repair industry as

a whole?

We did attend NACE, primarily because it was in California, A: where we are based. We are growing

and need the International pull that SEMA brings, so we have a larger presence there.

The collision industry is on the What do you think is the future A: front line in innovation of new Q: of the industry in terms of prodtools, as any technician will tell you. ucts? How is your company preparing

New cars get into accidents just like older vehicles. Many times, technicians have to invent new tools to accomplish new tasks, which is how a lot of our tools came to be. We have paid hundreds of thousands in royalties to the people who have shared their ideas with us that we have gone on to design and build.

for that?

OEMs are now using metals A: like aluminum and boron and are attaching them differently through

riveting and other methods. We have responded by coming out with our own aluminum stud welder and now a hydraulic riveting system.

Is there anything else about the Q: company that you would like to share with readers?

Our company has been designA: ing and building tools for the collision industry for over 15 years. We

Behind the scenes at the Killer Tools facilities in Sacramento, CA

What is your most popular Q: tool?

We have sold over 30,000 of A: our pneumatic door skin tools in the US, used for putting on door

skins. Our surge protector is sold all over the world. It protects the computers when people weld on vehicles.

We have lost count of how many of those we have sold.

take pride in the work that we do and the fact that our sales have doubled in the last four years. Our goal is to continue to grow and develop new tools and equipment while maintaining a high level of quality that our customers have come to expect.

To learn more about Killer Tools, visit their website at www.killertools.com. The company does not sell products directly, but Trueit said their tools can be purchased through any consumer’s favorite jobber.

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Lean Operations

The Simple Rule on Pre-ordering Parts with David Luehr

There are numerous philosophies in our industry on the subject of pre-ordering parts. I have noticed that in some markets across the country, most people pre-order everything, and in other markets, not so much. So, just to clarify, a pre-order is when a collision repair shop orders the parts for a repair job after they have written an initial estimate with the expectation that they will have the parts they need onhand before the damaged vehicle is returned for its repair appointment. The thinking here is that we are attempting to reduce the repair cycle time by having the parts we need available to quickly fix the car when it arrives. This thinking makes sense, but only when executed properly.

Some collision repair companies, including some well-known large MSOs, believe that pre-orders are actually a waste of time, and therefore prefer to wait until the vehicle has been thoroughly disassembled and the damage has been properly analyzed prior to ordering anything. I also agree with this philosophy. So who is right? It depends.

In some parts of the country, primarily in rural parts of the country that are many miles away from a parts distribution center, pre-ordering is felt to be a necessity for obvious reasons. But in many markets today, you can have the parts you need within twenty-four hours, and in many cases, the same day you order them. This can make a difference in your particular pre-ordering philosophy. Regardless of your geographical situation, I would still challenge you to take a deeper look at your philosophy to understand why it is that you do what you do and if your philosophy is really helping you move cars through your shop efficiently, profitably, and with reduced chaos.

The sad truth for most shops that pre-order parts is that they are actually wasting a lot of time and resources simply because the estimate they are using to order the parts is inaccurate. When you pre-order parts from an inaccurate repair plan, you are setting yourself up for failure before the car has even arrived! Stop it! Even worse is that a lot of shops will actually order parts based off of an insurance company written estimate without even inspecting the car first. This is total insanity, and yet we do

David Luehr is the owner of Elite Body Shop Solutions, LLC, a collision business consulting firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a 30 year veteran of the collision repair industry.

David is an expert in Body Shop Operations and specializes in Lean, and Theory of Constraints methods. Email him at dluehr@msn.com

it anyway because we either believe it is normal or because the insurance company convinced us that it is the smart thing to do. The local insurance adjuster says “Here’s the estimate for Mr. Jones’ car, go ahead and schedule them for Monday and get those parts here first!”

Sound familiar?

A few of the problems we create by ordering parts from an inaccurate estimate include: ● Interruptions in continuous workflow ● Chaos and stress in the workplace environment ● Return parts and all the extra work it causes ● Strains on vendor relationships ● Poor cycle time ● Unhappy customers ● Unhappy insurance company relations ● Additional expense and lower profits

If you want to measure if your “pre-ordering” program is successful, consider this: with all things being equal when it comes to the use of aftermarket and recycled parts, the best shops in the country operate with a return rate of under 5%; most shops that are pre-ordering based on poorly written repair plans are operating well above 10% percent, and I have seen as high as 40%! You can see what yours is simply by viewing a parts report from your computerized management system. So not only are we guessing what parts we may or may not need during our “curb-written guestimate,” we often order “just-incase parts” with the thinking that we can take these off the estimate later on.

What a horrible way to treat our vendors! So what is the solution? What can you do to improve your cycle time while still reducing our return parts rate and make everybody happy? You may first have to change your philosophy.

In all the years that I have spent in this industry, I spent many of them doing a lot of stuff wrong. One day I was asked to challenge my own beliefs of whether pre-ordering was really the right solution, so I put it to the test. I quit pre-ordering parts, and I even quit writing as many estimates instead of favoring scheduling repair appointments instead of estimate appointments. At several collision repair businesses that

28 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

I was working with in the early 2000s, we actually improved our cycle time dramatically by refusing to order any parts (with a few exceptions) until we had disassembled the damaged vehicle and created an accurate repair plan. We had most complete parts orders within twenty-four hours and then the repair jobs would “fly” through the shop without all the usual interruptions. Repeatedly, we had managed to improve our keys to keys cycle time to a very respectable six to seven days on average without pre-ordering anything except some hard to find parts such as back-orders and some occasional recycled assemblies.

So what about those shops in rural parts of the country where they consider pre-ordering a must? Or how about some of those small jobs where it might make sense to pre-order so you can turn it in one or two days? I have some suggestions, but please give me a moment. After a period of time never

pre-ordering, I began to adjust my own philosophy a little bit, and here’s why: in recent years, I have been keenly watching some of the shops in other countries and particularly in the U.K. They have a set of challenges surpassing anything I had seen in America, yet many of them have amazing cycle times, some as low as 2-3 days on average! In the U.K., they have been forced into disciplines that required they reduce their work in process to only allow for vehicles on the property that were “production ready,” having all the parts on hand needed to get it through the shop quickly. With space in short supply and the need to give out loaner cars to their customers, these British shop owners have had to be very creative and disciplined with their systems. They have a simple philosophy, which I now share. Pre-order parts, but only if you have properly analyzed the damage first! They have a See The Simple Rule, Page 54

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www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 29

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.

She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.

Mohawk Collision’s New Collision Facility in the NY Capital Region Has “Fixed What Was Broken” and Built a Solid Business with Stacey Phillips

About five and a half years ago, Gerry Rosenbarker took over as collision center manager at Mohawk Honda in the Capital region. Based in Scotia, New York, Mohawk Honda is an Elite President’s award winner and one of the top Honda dealers in the country for volume. Rosenbarker recently had the opportunity to help design and set up a 23,666 state-of-the-art collision

Mohawk Honda is based in Scotia, New York

repair facility, located near the dealership. Autobody News spoke to Rosenbarker about the new facility and what makes it so successful.

Congratulations on the opening Q: of the new collision repair facility this past December. Can you tell

us what prompted the move?

way of doing things. The shop had been operating like it was in the 1970s rather than the 2000s. A lot of it was putting the right people in the right places and just coming into it with a fresh look at things. We stepped back to figure out where are we broken the most and we started working on fixing those problems.

We would take everything possible on the spot. Anything that came into the door that we could close right then, we would put the customer in a rental car and lock the car down. We didn’t give them the opportunity to go to two or three other shops that might at that point in time might have had better customer service than we did. Our service department was solid but our customer service wasn’t up to par in the collision center.

We always had a good reputation for quality work but without the service to back it up and without the follow through from management, it didn’t make any difference.

Our old facility had 13 stalls, A: one booth, and only one door.

When you were designing the The building was 80 years old. It used Q: new facility, what were the most to house our dealership and

then we had an opportunity to move the dealership about six years ago. The company purchased a new property and built a state-of-the-art facility. Meanwhile, the collision center stayed in the old facility until recently.

Meanwhile, our prior collision manager had left the The heavy and light body shop floor in the Mohawk company and I took over that Honda collision center position. I reassembled the team and we started building up the Important components you wanted to collision repair shop. We changed include? quite a few things, came up with some The single most important thing standard operating procedures (SOPs) we built in was the proper flow. and started operating differently.

In our old facility, it was very difficult How have operations changed to get cars from one end of the shop to and what has the benefit been? the other without moving four or five cars first. When we were planning the We basically changed every- new facility, we started with a clean thing that was the old broken sheet of paper and we built a proper

Q: A:

A:

30 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

flow in the building. Everything moves from one end all the way around in a horseshoe throughout the building.

Cars are constantly moving in a racetrack pattern and we never go back-

What other types of changes did Q: you implement in your shop and with your technicians?

I am a big proponent A: of training. Our technicians are all I-CAR gold

trained now and we are a Honda ProFirst certified body shop. We work with AXALTA and all of our painters go to AXALTA paint schools. All of our management staff and estimators go to AXALTA’s repair planning Reassembly and detail area in Mohawk Honda’s collision with Mike Anderson. repair shop I’m sure you’ve heard that if you change too many things at once, ward. We now have seven doors that you are going to fail. We changed we can use to get in and out of the faeverything! We should have failed so cility. miserably. But I had a core set of guys, What was the result of focus- brought in new employees and we ing on good customer service took that facility six years ago and and raising the quality of expectations went from five employees and an avat your business? erage of $50,000 a month in total sales to 13 employees and about $225,000 a We are fortunate enough to have month in total sales when we left that a very dealer-loyal product. facility.

Ninety-five percent of the time Honda Before we moved, we had to shutcustomers go back to the dealership. tle things back and forth from the dealThat gives us an edge. However, we ership where the customers dropped off want to keep those customers from their vehicles. We went from doing a going other places. standard wash of the car to a full detail.

It actually worked so well it overWe tried to give the car a facelift. It is whelmed us early on. I couldn’t hire pricey to do that, but I thought it made people quickly enough to handle the more sense to do that than to put billamount of work. We went from a shop boards up all over the place. We already that was in a situation where we had had the customers; we simply had to slow weeks, then busy weeks—the make sure those customers kept comstandard peak and valleys that you see ing back and spread the word to their in the industry—to being a shop that friends and family about the great exwas consistently booked six weeks perience they had at Mohawk Honda. out.

Now at the new facility with one In the past, our closure rate was DRP, we are operating with 23 emabout 27 percent. Within six months ployees and averaging $375,000 to of our new SOPs, we built that up to $400,000 a month. The shop is always about an 80 percent closure rate on full and we don’t suffer the peaks and customers that we were writing esti- valleys that most facilities do. It has mates for. been phenomenal.

Q: A:

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www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 31

Media and Publicity for Shops

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

Signs, Signs–Everywhere are Signs. So How Do You Stand Out? with Ed Attanasio

I walked into a beautiful reception area at a body shop one day and was immediately impressed. With highend furniture, a big walnut counter and one of those glass wall fountains, I thought, “Wow.” But as I was leaving the shop a short time later, I was surprised to see their sign out front.

If you have an old classic neon sign that has been there forever, hang on to it if you can, but neon today is costly and not a green alternative to signage. (Erie-LaSalle Body Shop, Chicago, IL)

Marketing studies show that consumers are easily persuaded by a first impression, and this shop was not im-

pressing anyone with its battered old sign. It was crooked, rusting in a few spots and the paint was fading. Not a good image for a company that specializes in returning vehicles back to their pre-accident condition, because this sign looked as though it had been in an accident itself.

It got me thinking: how important is signage when it comes to the collision repair industry? Every business that sells anything should have a sign, but since most shops’ work comes through insurance companies, can’t they save a little money on this aspect of their business?

Signs have many functions, but Point of Purchase (POP) signage is designed to advertise a product at the location in which it is displayed. Experts say effective signage is a vital component of any company’s marketing plan, too many of which concentrate on other things more intently, such as broadcast advertising, direct mail, social media

32 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

and other forms that cost a lot more than engaging signage.

If you’re looking for signs today, there are a plethora of options to choose from, including illuminated and non-il-

If you decide to go with a pole sign that has a bulletin board on it, you will need to come up with compelling (or funny) messages. (Hoffman Auto Body in Boise, ID)

luminated signs, vinyl graphics, monument signs, channel letter signs, pylon signs, illuminated cabinet signs and even the old “A” frame sandwich signs

that are mobile and ideal to place out on the sidewalk in front of your shop.

Marketing experts often use terms like “drive-up appeal” and “engagement rate” and many of them say that signage is the most valuable investment any business can make. Studies claim that building (aka wall) signage is the most important in attracting customers, with digital LED signs gaining the most awareness and visibility. Pole (pylon) signs are becoming more and more popular with body shops while monument (ground) signs are also good. But in the end, it all comes down to your available real estate and the local restrictions in your city or town.

According to the Small Business Association, the most effective signage will consistently create a lasting memory for a company’s products or services in the minds of consumers. A good sign reinforces a recollection and extends the overall recall of other advertising efforts and bringing in new clients and affect-

ing their buying decisions.

A major problem that body shops encounter is that they don’t update or change their signs. If it works, why change it, right? From Walmart to REI, almost every major retailer updates their signage every 10-20 years, so they obviously see value in it. And yet, some shops have a 25-year-old sign hanging out there looking like something that was pulled out of the Titanic.

Once your shop’s old sign has seen better days, don’t be afraid to replace it. (McGrath Collision Center, Cedar Rapids, ID)

Some shops might be perplexed by all of the different signs to choose from. Back in the old days (pre-1980’s), there were only a few options when it came to signs. If you had the money and wanted to make a big impression, neon was the only way to go, and it was the rage for 40 years.

In the fifties and sixties, body

shops invested in expensive neon signs to attract customers away from the other shop down the street. Having a neon sign sent a message that said “We are successful.” But neon is costly, so after a while, only big retailers like car dealers had neon signs. In the eighties, consumers viewed neon signs as garish and tacky, so body shops began finding cheaper alternatives. Now, of course, they are back in vogue, like everything else.

But unless you have an old neon sign and you simply need to update it or rehab it, neon may be too pricey for you. Since it also burns electricity and you’re striving to be a greener business, maybe neon is not your best solution.

Roger Henson, the owner of ABC Marketing in Silicon Valley, CA, has placed numerous signs of all types for a wide range of companies by working with sign contractors and companies such as Clear Channel Outdoor. Henson’s strategy when it comes to signage is “get your name out there without being too aggressive.”

“I had a client who was an auto glass company, and he had signs on all of his trucks, painted on every one of their parking spaces, six on his building and 2-3 banners hanging from every-

where,” Henson said. “It became offensive, and he even got a few bad Yelp reviews as a result. When it comes to signs, you can indeed have too many, and if they’re too big or too bright, people don’t like that.”

For body shops, Henson would suggest using all of the newest signs that are available on the market today to tell your message and leverage your

A new, updated sign utilizing today’s newest technology can create a positive and professional image. (McGrath Collision Center, Cedar Rapids, ID)

brand. “Why not use some digital signage in addition to the old painted letters on the side of your building?” he said. “It all comes down to your budget and your goals with your signs. You want good signs so that people can find you easily, but you also want signs that people will remember.”

Continued from Page 18

CAA Presentation

thanked the guest speaker, Ledoux, Mitchell for sponsoring, Axalta for the raffle prizes, LATTC for a providing the facility, parking, food, and service, as well as all those who attended.

“We are starting an advisory meeting for LATTC’s collision repair program and we could use as much participation as possible as it only benefits our industry,” Shamam stated in a follow-up email to all CAA Glendale/Foothill members. “We will have our first meeting on Wednesday, November 16th. Please let me know if anyone is interested.”

He also enclosed in the email new regulation amendments in regards to the Anti-Steering law and labor rate surveys and encouraged members to give feedback.

The next CAA Glendale/Foothill meeting will be held in January 2017.

Stay tuned for more details on the date and location.

For more information on CAA Glendale/Foothill, contact chapter president Hillel Shamam at Hillel@ elisauto.com.

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www.ppxreps.com info@ppxreps.com www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 33

A Second-Generation Female Shop Owner Fights the Odds and Wins in this male-dominated industry. “It was definitely on-the-job training,” she Some people are born into the body said. “Since I had the accounting backshop business and embrace it while ground, I was able to track the numbers others fight it for a while and then well, and that really helped me over the eventually relent. The sons and daugh- years. This is surely not an easy busiters of shop owners usually either love ness to be in, but by stressing quality the collision industry and take to it and customer service, we’ve been able like ducks to water, while others will to perform at a high level for almost 40 do just about everything they can to years.” opt out of the business and pursue In 1988, Bertolli became the something else—anything else. shop’s general manager as her father In this case, Laura Bertolli, the began stepping away from the business owner of Bertolli’s Autobody in San to pursue a highly lucrative second caRafael, CA, is a prime examreer in commercial real estate. ple of a second-generation After a series of shop manshop owner who initially reagers came and left, Laura asjected the collision industry sumed full control of the and then later embraced it. By business. But when she fiworking hard to learn everynally announced to the shop’s thing she could while changcrew that she was now in ing her approach to managing Laura Bertolli, the charge, their reaction wasn’t people, Bertolli has been able owner of Bertolli’s positive, to say the least.

Autobody in San to keep the shop that her father “I called a meeting that Rafael, CA, is a started in 1977 flourishing in very first morning and after I Marin County, where there are second-generation told them that I was now runshop owner who more hot tubs than cars. ning the show, they all walked never imagined Bertolli began working out,” Bertolli said. “They all that she would eventually take at her father’s shop on the quit on the spot, which was over her father’s weekends and after school as terrible, but in a way it was business a teenager, but she never enalso exciting. So, I immedivisioned it as a career. “At first, I was ately called all of my vendors and told doing a lot of filing and organizing pa- them I need people. Thankfully, there perwork,” she said. “And then, when I were some friends out there who was 16, I began working after school helped me until I was back with a new doing the bookkeeping. This is where crew. It took a while, but I eventually I got the drive to be a business major was able to put together a good team. and become a CPA.” One of those original hires is still here After graduating from high school, after all those years.”

Bertolli earned a B.S. in Business AdOnce she had a new crew, Bertolli ministration from UC Berkeley’s highly- decided to change her managerial style respected Haas School of Business. After for a fresh start. “I realized that I could graduating from Cal, she went to work not manage these guys successfully by barking our orders, because they did not want that from a woman. So, instead of telling them what to do, I started asking them questions about what should we do and it worked right away. How long is the job going to take? What parts do we need, etc.? If you ask a tech a question, he buys in— because he wants to do the job right and he feels like a team member when you ask instead of tell.”

With a small crew, Bertolli’s Autobody repairs approximately 60 vehicles out of a 7,500 With a modest, highly-productive square foot facility without a DRP crew currently repairing roughly 60 for an accounting firm in Novato, CA, vehicles every month out of a 7,500 but her father was having issues with his square foot facility, Bertolli has cut the bookkeeper, so in 1985, Laura returned fat without sacrificing quality. “We to do of all of the shop’s bookkeeping have four people on the shop floor— and accounting. two body techs, one painter and one Bertolli learned on the fly and detailer and they all do an amazing eventually figured out how to succeed job,” Bertolli said. “We keep them

by Ed Attanasio

34 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

working and busy and it makes for a because by now we’re well-known in positive environment because they Marin for doing excellent work, and in share my passion for doing a great job a town like this, a solid reputation goes on each vehicle that comes in here.” a long way.”

Every car that Bertolli’s repairs To build a strong customer base, comes from referrals, repeat business, Bertolli has done TV commercials and local networking through a local Busiembraced the internet and social media ness Networking Institute (BNI) chap- before many others were even considter and other sources, but not through ering it. “We did TV ads during the any DRPs with insurance companies, San Francisco Giants games until they Bertolli explained. started winning the World “When the DRP sysSeries every other year and tem started, we got a few of it became too expensive,” them, and the relationships she said. “And we got a were totally different back website back in 1995, when then,” she said. “The insurthey were still pretty much ance companies let us pretty in their infancy.” much fix the cars the way Looking back and seeFrom her shop’s logo we wanted to, but eventuing where she is now, does all the way to her TV commercials and social ally that changed. Pretty Bertolli feel that taking media, Bertolli likes to soon, they were telling us over her father’s shop was take a fun approach what to fix and how to do it, a good move? “Yes, defito marketing and that’s when I began nitely,” she said. “I came telling them no. I’m not going to cominto a very tough, male-dominated inpromise my standards to meet their fidustry and the odds were probably not nancial needs, because my family’s in my favor. But, by working hard, name is attached to that vehicle. So we learning along the way and focusing haven’t had a DRP here for many on the things I know how to do—like years and have had less drama as a reselling and marketing—I built a good sult. It has not affected our business business, and that is truly satisfying.”

Don Carlton ACURA OF TULSA

918-627-6457 Fax

888-550-7278

Member of the Tulsa Parts Connection

Don Carlton

HONDA OF TULSA

918-392-9665 Fax

800-722-2379

Member of the Tulsa Parts Connection

Excellent service Competitive pricing

Knowledgeable staff First class service

4905 S. Memorial Dr. Tulsa, OK 74145

4141 S Memorial Dr. Tulsa, OK 74145

Parts Hours: Mon-Sat. 7:00am - 6pm

Parts Hours: Mon-Sat. 7:00am - 6pm

Parts Manager: Diane Finch acuraparts@doncarlton.com

Parts Manager: Nick Young hondaparts@doncarlton.com

www.doncarltonacura.com

www.doncarltonhonda.com

www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 35

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

Benson Honda S a n A n t on io

800-727-8705 210-340-0831 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-12 hondaparts@bensonhonda.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

36 NOVEMBER 2016 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

AR IZONA

Wholesale Parts Direct

Walker Honda

Au s t i n

A l exa nd r i a

Tu c s o n

866-392-1313 512-392-1313

800-234-4441 512-458-2910

318-448-8255 318-445-6677

800-461-6744 520-202-5770

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 9-5 csmith@hondasanmarcos.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6 sales@wholesalepartsdirect.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 hondaparts@walkerautomotive.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 robertevenson@chapmantucson.com

Honda of San Marcos San Ma rco s

Howdy Honda A u stin

877-941-6513 512-443-4300 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 Hou st on

800-833-0180 713-663-4266 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 7-4 ggregory@russellsmith.com

Rusty Wallis Honda Dall a s

O K LAHOM A

Don Carlton Honda

N EW MEX IC O

Tu l s a

A l bu qu erque

800-677-6632 505-260-5002

Fowler Honda No r m a n

888-715-3197 405-573-5719 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-9; Sat 8-4 parts@fowlerhonda.com LO UIS IANA

Superior Honda

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8:30-5 Jscott@garciacars.com

Av o n d a l e

800-350-6537 623-463-4380 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-9; Sat 7-6 gluna@earnhardt.com

C OL OR AD O

Fisher Honda B ou l de r

800-274-0985 303-415-1528 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-2 parts@fisherauto.com

Honda of Greeley

Harvey

G ree l e y

800-943-4227 504-368-5687

888-903-1101 970-506-2795

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-5:30 parts@superiorhonda.net

Earnhardt Honda

Garcia Honda

800-722-2379 918-622-9670 Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7-6 hondaparts@doncarlton.com

Chapman Honda

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-4:30 parts@hondaofgreeley.com

877-466-3272 214-328-3891 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 darryldotsy@rustywallis.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

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-2 parts@walkeracura.com

OK LAHO MA

CO LO RADO

Don Carlton Acura of Tulsa

Pikes Peak Acura

Tu lsa

C o l o ra d o S p ri ng s

888-550-7278 918-664-2300

800-456-9568 719-955-1715

Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7-6 acuraparts@doncarlton.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 joe_benson@pikespeakacura.com

C OL OR AD O

U TAH

Flatirons Acura Bo ul de r

800-648-4488 303-442-1767 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5 parts@flatironsimports.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

AR IZON A

Acura of Peoria Pe o r i a

866-347-4507 623-792-2559 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-5 dcavanaugh@vtaig.com

Murray

800-292-4595 801-263-0202 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-5 pgoold@mikehale.com

www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 37

Industry Insight

—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has a body shop in the family and has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988.

He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.

Shops Nationwide Need to Understand Federal Overtime Change Slated for December 1 with John Yoswick

Important changes being made to fedsome “white-collar” workers to be exeral overtime regulations are likely to empt from overtime. King said the sorequire significant changes for some called “executive exemption” is most body shop employee pay plans, accordcommonly used by shops for salaried ing to business attorney Cory King. managers.

King, a California attorney who “One of the biggest problems that regularly addresses such issues at the I see in this industry is shops that Collision Industry Conferthink, ‘If I pay that employee ence (CIC), often prefaces a salary, they’re exempt his presentations with the from overtime and I don’t caveat that the changes won’t have to worry about tracking impact California shops betheir hours or paying them cause many state wage-hour overtime,’” King said. “But laws there are already more [payment by salary] is only stringent than those at the one part of the test to qualify Cory King federal level. for that [particular] exempBut speaking at CIC in Anaheim, tion for overtime.”

Calif., this past summer, King said In order for such managers to be even California shops must be aware of exempt from overtime, they also must what a federal overtime change could meet certain duties tests, such as mean for some of their employee pay spending the majority of their time plans. doing managerial work, and they The change made by the U.S. Demust regularly supervise two or more partment of Labor affects the salary workers, King said. They must have thresholds that must be met in order for authority to hire and fire those em-

38 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

ployees, or at least have their recommendations as to those decisions given significant weight by the company. Those duty tests are not changing under the new federal regulation.

But in order to qualify for the overtime exemption, those employees also must be guaranteed a certain salary; that minimum income is what is slated to change nationwide as of December 1. That minimum threshold is currently $455 a week ($23,600 annually) but that will more than double later this year to $913 a week ($47,476 annually). (See sidebar: “Legislation, lawsuits seek to adjust change to overtime regulation”.)

“Don’t ask me how they came up with that number,” King said, although he acknowledged it was the first increase in the federal threshold since 2004.

King said the change does not necessarily mean shops with a manager paid a salary under the new higher

threshold have to necessarily increase that pay. A change in the manager’s pay plan can suffice.

King cited an example of a manager currently paid a guaranteed base salary of $30,000 (above the current minimum threshold) and who works an average of 50 hours per week (but meets the other requirements to be exempt from overtime). That manager also may be getting additional incentive pay based on shop sales, gross profits, etc., but because that portion of income is not guaranteed, it cannot be taken into account when determining if the minimum salary threshold for the overtime exemption is being met.

King said the shop could convert that $30,000 guaranteed salary to an hourly wage instead. At $10.50 per hour, that employee would still be making $30,000 per year for the same number of hours (40 hours per week at $10.50 per hour, plus 10 hours per

Legislation, lawsuits seek to adjust change to overtime regulation

Unless the courts or federal lawmakers act, the minimum amount certain salaried employees will need to be paid to be exempt from overtime will increase dramatically as of December 1.

Although employers probably should act as if the change will occur as scheduled, several efforts are underway to challenge the Deweek at $15.75).

“You’re not cutting their pay,” King said. “You’re just changing the manner in which you get them the pay for the same hours and the same work they have been doing.”

The managers will also have to punch a time clock to ensure the business tracks their hours worked, King said.

He said several shops that are his clients have made such an adjustment in pay plans, and not surprisingly found some managers were apprehensive about the change. But once they go

partment of Labor’s new regulation.

First, officials from 21 states and more than 50 business groups filed two lawsuits in a federal court in Texas in September seeking to overturn the new regulation. Some legal experts think such lawsuits face an uphill battle, although they do say the challenge may put a halt to regulation’s annual increases

(based on inflation) to the minimum amount exempt employees must receive.

Second, the U.S. House of Representatives this fall passed a bill that would delay the change in the overtime regulation for six months (presumably in the hopes that a new Administration would be less supportive of the increased

through several pay cycles, they see emption is less of a dramatic change that it’s not impacting their income, because state law already set a minimum salary threshold of two times the King said.

“You help them understand the state minimum wage (so currently $41,600 per year). But that’s mindset that this is what you still below the new federal probably have to do to be minimum, so California shops able to stay in business, bewill need to adjust as well, eicause you’re not going to be ther raising the guaranteed able to afford to raise those salary (to $47,476) or shifting [guaranteed] salaries to the to the hourly system described level to keep the [overtime] above. exemption,” King said.

Randy Stabler King said wage-hour isFor shops in California, the new December 1 federal minimum sues are at the heart of growing number of lawsuits, so shops have all the more income threshold for the overtime ex-

minimum salary requirement). But that effort seems unlikely to succeed, given that similar legislation would have to be passed by the Senate and signed by the President (who has promised to veto any such legislation) in order to become law before the overtime change is slated to go into effect December 1. reason to understand and comply with overtime regulations.

“I just want you to walk away from here realizing ‘I have to do something,’” King told shops at CIC. “Because the worse thing you can do is do nothing.”

“You have to be proactive and get ahead of this,” agreed Randy Stabler, a California shop owner and chairman of the CIC. “Even though your competitors may not be observing all the laws, it’s incumbent upon you to do so because you want to protect your company for the long-run.”

www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 39

Florida’s No-Fault Insurance Reforms Finally Appear to be Lowering Premiums as 2012 Reforms Kick-in

by Autobody News Staff

Only a dozen or so states have no fault auto insurance, down from twice that many in the 1970’s. Advocates say it simplifies and minimizes the invasiveness of insurance law, but it’s increasingly costly and problematic for most residents who are starting to see it as a form of double taxation.

Most states use a tort system in which at-fault drivers in a crash are responsible for paying the other driver’s medical expenses. The at-fault driver must also pay for additional damages, such as loss of wages and “pain and suffering.”

Michigan has the most comprehensive no-fault law and continues to tinker with the process, but states such as Colorado have dropped their no fault system and have seen a reduction in premiums of up to 35% or $322 per vehicle annually. In Georgia, where nofault was repealed in 1991, premiums dropped 20% almost immediately.

Florida drivers currently pay the nation’s fourth highest car insurance premiums. Florida’s no fault law provides that after a vehicle accident an injured person’s own insurance company will provide coverage for medical expenses and lost income, no matter who was at fault for the accident. This works reasonably well for minor incidents and minimizes frivolous claims, and court claims in general. However, auto accidents involving major injuries or wrongful death are much more complex, and even simple accidents are prone to fraud and abuse, all the more so when staged to secure PIP benefits.

Florida began no-fault in 1972 with a seemingly simple rationale. People injured in crashes, whether at fault or not, would get compensated quickly. In return, the injured would have less incentive to file lawsuits. Courts would not get bogged down and premiums would decrease, but from day one, frauds and scams took hold, with ‘clinics’ certifying injured drivers and insurance companies being billed accordingly.

By design, ‘no fault insurance’ means that no matter who is at fault, you need to use your own insurance to settle claims. No matter who is at fault—unless ‘serious injury’ thresholds are met—no one can sue the person who hit them, nor can anyone be sued for hitting someone else.

The ‘serious injury’ threshold set out in Florida law basically addresses

losses of major bodily function, permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability, death, significant scarring or disfigurement.

The law creates a right for insureds not to be sued if they’re carrying this insurance unless the person they injured meets those thresholds.

In Florida, all drivers must buy at least $10,000 of Personal Injury Protection coverage, even if their policy includes other coverage that might apply. But fraud is so rampant in some areas that $10,000 worth of personal injury protection can cost thousands of dollars a year in premiums. PIP costs have risen by $1.4 billion since 2008, largely because of the runaway fraud that threatens the system, most notably in the metropolitan Miami and Tampa areas. Florida ranks first nationally in staged accidents.

PIP is designed to be a form of nofault insurance that takes claims out of the court system. It makes up 20–25 percent of the cost of the average premium. For most Floridians, its cost has been rising, even if they haven’t filed a claim. PIP generates most of the fraudulent claims, especially due to acupuncture and chiropractic care, and it has been a target for reform. The reforms started to take hold in 2011.

First, the Hillsborough County Commission passed a county ordinance in September 2011, intended to license PIP clinics and decrease the number of suspicious vehicle collisions—staged accidents—in Hillsborough County, however that ordinance remains blocked by court injunction.

The Florida legislature passed House of Representatives Bill 119 in March of 2012. HB 119 enacted a number of substantive changes to Florida’s PIP system. It made these changes in three stages.

The first set of amendments included changes in the reporting of automobile accidents, therapy clinic licensing, use of fee schedules when reimbursing claims, the creation of Florida’s Automobile Insurance Fraud Strike Force, and timetables for reporting on the premium rate reductions to be realized from HB 119’s amendments.

Second, effective December 1, 2012, documents pertaining to PIP could be transmitted by secure electronic data transfer, without first obtaining an agreement of the parties.

Finally, effective January 1, 2013, a number of changes were made to

40 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Florida Statutes Section 627.736 (the “PIP Statute”), such as requiring a patient to visit an “initial care provider” within 14 days of an accident, limiting the available benefits to $2,500 unless the patient has an “emergency medical condition,” granting the insurer an additional 60 days to investigate fraud, permitting the insurer to require the patient attend an examination under oath as a condition of receiving benefits, and requiring trial judges to make written findings supporting an award of attorney’s fees in PIP litigation.

Legislation targeting auto insurance fraud has produced savings on personal-injury claims of 17.5 percent, and reduced premiums by a little more than 15 percent. Claim frequency and severity were reduced, too — by 10.2 percent and nearly 11 percent, respectively, producing a reduction in total loss costs of 20 percent.

That compared to an increase in average loss costs of more than 4 percent elsewhere in the United States, according to an analysis conducted for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation

by Pinnacle Actuarial Resources Inc., a consulting firm in Bloomington, IL.

The findings represent “further proof that the 2012 PIP reforms from House Bill 119 continue to reduce fraud and abuse, while providing cost savings to Floridians,” the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America said in a written statement.

The Legislature was told in 2012 to expect between 14 percent and 24.6 percent in PIP rates.

Repealing the state’s no-fault insurance mandate would save the average driver 9.6 percent per year, or $81 per car, in liability coverage, Pinnacle said. Drivers who replaced PIP with $2,500 first-party medical coverage would save nearly 5 percent, or $49 annually. Boosting health coverage to $5,000 would decrease premiums by 1 percent, or around $9.

The analysts found “a small erosion” in the savings since 2014. Data for the year ending March 31 saw a 5 percent increase in claim severity compared to Dec. 31, 2014, and an increase in new claims of 2.3 percent, for a combined loss cost of 7.5 percent.

The only category that didn’t see a decline was death benefits. They increased by about 0.2 percent.

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National Associations

Chasidy Rae Sisk is a freelance technical writer from Wilmington, Delaware, who writes on a variety of fields and subjects, and grew up in a family of NASCAR fans. She can be contacted at crsisk@chasidyraesisk.com.

ARA President and CEO Attended Three Affiliate Chapter Events in September with Chasidy Rae Sisk

September was a busy month for the affiliate chapters of the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA), and ARA CEO Michael Wilson and ARA President Mike Swift showed the national association’s support by attending events in AZ, CA and VA. The State of California Auto Dismantlers Association (SCADA) held its Annual Convention and Trade Show at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, NV, on September 15-17 with Wilson in attendance. During SCADA’s Convention, attendees had the opportunity to learn from renowned automotive industry speaker D. J. Harrington, a trainer and motivational speaker commonly known as the Car-Diologist.

Harrington’s presentation covered a wide range of topics, including sales training and customer service. Attendees also received updates on the latest developments from the industry’s inventory management system providers: Hollander, Car-Part and CCC Informa-

tion Services.

Attendees were able to interact with industry vendors from around the country during SCADA’s Trade Show.

Wilson noted, “It provided an opportunity to personally thank Tom Klauer and Kendig Kneen of Vehicle Recycling Services of Fresco, CA, ARA’s newest member.”

On September 19, Swift was present at the Arizona Auto Recyclers Association’s 18th annual summer meeting in Phoenix, AZ. Held in memory of Mark Buessing, former ARA President, the meeting serves as a major fundraiser for the ARA Educational Scholarship Fund which benefits the children of ARA members’ employees.

Funds were raised through the Mark Buessing Memorial Golf Tournament, held at the San Marcos Golf Course.

During the meeting, Swift spoke about HR5967, legislation recently introduced in the U. S. Congress by Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-

Continued from Page 16

Great Again!”.

Congratulations to ABAT, Burl Richards and Janet Chaney for an outstanding, well organized program! Way to go guys.

In our last HABA Board meeting October 11 (7–9 pm), at Mossy Nissan, for a presentation by Chris Dobbs, CCC. He presented “Improving your Estimating Skills and Maximizing your CCC System”.

The meeting was open to estimators, managers, owners and others interested in learning and improving CCC skills. If you know of other shop owners who would like to attend, encourage them to do so. We need to grow our Association! Growth is our number ONE priority! “Each One Reach One”

ABAT Show

good processes.

Our second day luncheon speaker was Travis Clardy, a State Representative who reinforced Austin’s support for the auto collision network. His presentation covered ways to ensure that we are effectively heard and ways to gain greater legislative success.

Richard and Sam Valenzuela, National Auto Body Research, gave a report on Variable Rate Survey Information. Throughout the morning Mike Anderson gave a 3-hour estimating seminar.

Mike Anderson’s closing remarks were really uplifting and very motivational. There was no way to walk out at the end of the two days feeling anything other than total motivation armed with a bucket load of dynamite information.

I spoke with Mike Anderson, Sam Valenzuela (President of National AutoBody Research/Variable Rate Systems), Burl Richards and others who are excited and willing to come to Houston and “Make HABA

Your leading source for SOUTHWESTERN Collision Repair News! southwestern.autobodynews.com

42 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

IL) which would require OEMs to provide professional automotive recyclers with all part numbers and specific build data sheets. HR5967 expands upon the legislation enacted in December 2015 which requires OEMs to share recalled part numbers.

While attendance was lower this year than at previous meetings, Swift observed that “the ones who attended learned from the vendors and from other recyclers who are going through the very same issues.”

Vendors in attendance at AARA’s annual meeting included URG, CarPart and Phoenix Cores. SA Recycling was one of the event’s main sponsors and also sponsored the golf tournament.

On September 24, Wilson attended the annual meeting of the Virginia Automotive Recyclers Association (VARA) which was held at the Woodland Hotel and Suites in Colonial Williamsburg, VA. Over 50 automotive recycling professionals attended the

meeting. Speakers included Thomas Penny, Director of the Law Enforcement Division within the VA Department of Motor Vehicles, and HR Consultant Katherine Earle who spoke about employment law and issues with employees.

The Keynote Speaker for the event was Benny Cunningham of Cunningham Brothers Auto Parts, a member of both ARA and VARA, who spoke about the importance of expanding opportunities from cores and commodities in the automotive recycling industry. Earlier this year, Cunningham’s business was honored as a General Motors 2015 Supplier of the Year at the Automakers Awards Ceremony held in Detroit, MI. During the VARA meeting, Wilson provided updates on recent ARA activities, including automakers’ ongoing negative campaigns against quality recycled OEM parts and the introduction of HR5967.

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—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.

Historical Snapshot

Infant Deaths in 96, Customer Retention, Suggestions for DRPs, OEM Procedures with John Yoswick

20 years ago in the collision repair industry (November 1996) Kim Hazelbaker of the Highway Loss Data Institute reported there have been 22 infant deaths in the United States because children were riding in the front seat o vehicles when passengerside airbags deployed. He said within several years, “smarter” airbag systems will include seat sensors to prevent these types. of deaths. Until such systems are developed. he said, the vehicle manufacturers and his organization are asking federal regulators to allow them to download the energy in the bags” being installed in today’s news vehicles.

– As reported in Autobody News. Automakers have indeed developed “smarter” airbag systems, although many require new procedures for collision repair shops, including the mandatory resets (via vehicle scan) of the passenger seat weight sensors.

15 years ago in the collision repair industry (November 2001) Insurers risk losing market share because their field claims staff focuses too much on reducing costs and not enough on customer retention, according to industry consultant Dale Delmege.

Industry consultant Dale Delmege in 2001 suggested that insurers could reduce field staff by shifting more responsibility for – and benefit from – both cost-containment and customer retention to shops

In a presentation at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Anchorage, Alaska, Delmege said such claims staff often are “driven powerfully and instinctively by self-preservation, are isolated and entrenched, are insulated from such issues as policyholder defection, are impervious to their own employer’s goals, are institutionally incapable of acknowledging reality, and share none of the common interests” of shops, vehicle-owners and insurer upper management.

Delmege, a past chairman of CIC, emphasized that the views he was sharing were only his own based on some research he conducted for a client interested in what factors would likely result in U.S. insurers gaining or losing market share.

He said you generally have to look six or more management levels above field staff in an insurance company before you find someone with accountability for both expenses (severity and

loss adjusting expense) and marketing or customer retention. Staff below that level care primarily for one or the other but not both.

He suggested that because consumers often base their decision on whether or not to switch insurers on the “claims experience,” an insurer could retain and gain market share by transferring accountability for both costcontainment and customer retention closer to those controlling that experience.

“By that I mean a regional executive who sweats both bullets, who makes decisions about the administration of claims as a function of his other responsibility, which is retention of policyholders,” Delmege said.

Delmege and others at the meeting pointed out that insurers could also reduce field staff by shifting more of the responsibility for – and benefit from – both cost-containment and customer retention to shops.

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“Never before have insurers had so many opportunities to have claims repaired honestly, to have policyholders treated superbly, to have repairers make a massive contribution to loss adjusting expense,” Delmege said.

– As reported in Hammer & Dolly.

10 years ago in the collision repair industry (November 2006) Some level of standardization, guaranteed work and other changes to insurer direct repair programs (DRPs) could give repairers the ability and incentive to offer such things as 24/7 customer service and new performance guarantees, a recent study of the industry concludes.

“Look at the investments and the innovation we in collision repair have brought to the relationship so far— and we don’t have one guarantee that a car is going to show up tomorrow,” industry consultant Beryl Carlew of Carlew & Associates said at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Las Vegas in early November, where he presented the results of his firm’s research. “Do you think for a minute if we had the work to the door, we had metrics that we knew we could exceed, and we were rewarded for that

performance, that we wouldn’t entertain… the dreaded 7-days-a-week, might even entertain 24-hours-a-day as an industry opportunity.”

Carlew’s presentation at CIC was based on a nationwide gathering of input from shop owners around the country. More than 380 collision repair business owners participated in meetings held in 20 North American markets to gather ideas and opinions on improving DRPs. Carlew discussed a list of more than two dozen problems shop owners currently see with DRPs. That list included concerns that DRP guidelines and the “weight” given to various key performance indicators (KPIs) change frequently with little or inadequate written notice to shops; and that discounts and other concessions are required without any guarantee of how much work the DRP will bring to the shop.

The 130-page report that resulted from the meetings also offers a series of recommendations to improve DRPs. It suggests, for example, that:

■ all guidelines and the weighting of various KPIs for a particular DRP be posted to a secure website, along with

established timelines for when notices of changes will be posted;

■ shops be allowed to use a “blueprinting” rather than “estimating” system, dismantling the vehicle sufficiently to determine all parts and repairs needed prior to beginning repairs; and,

■ if a particular part, regardless of type, is not available within 24 hours, the shop be allowed to instead use a part that meets quality standards and is more quickly available.

With such changes, Carlew said, shops indicated a willingness to accept more detailed performance contracts, such as contacting consumers by Noon of the day following receipt of an assignment, seven days a week. But offering additional services or discounts, he said, should be based on rewards for performance and most importantly, an assurance of work.

“How can a carrier walk into a shop and say we’re looking for DRP partners who can handle 100 cars a month, and at the same time say, ‘We cannot guarantee you volume,’” Carlew said.

– As reported in Parts & People.

5 years ago in the collision repair industry (November 2011) In response to ongoing efforts fostered over the past five years by the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) to develop a set of formalized repair standards, four national repairer groups have jointly issued a statement recognizing published automaker repair procedures as the “official industry-recognized repair standards for collision repair.”

The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP), the Assured Performance Network, the Automotive Service Association (ASA), and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), last week at CIC read a statement that said where OEM procedures exist, they should “be the basis for the establishment of training, testing, repair practices and documentations.”

The groups said they recognize OEM repair procedures are “incomplete in comparison to the full scope of vehicles and repair operations which exist in the marketplace,” but they serve as a baseline from which further development of procedures are necessary. Although a CIC Repair Standards Advisory Committee has explored the idea of a new industry organization See Retro News, Page 57

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Portland, OR, Body Shop Owner Becomes Homeless Advocate handlers and judge them,” he said. “Get a job, I would tell them. But I wasn’t In our October issue we ran an article looking at them clearly or with compasabout Steve Spinnett, a Portland body sion until one incident changed my shop owner who became an advocate mind forever. It was a complete turnfor local homeless people. Autobody around and it happened in about a News reached out to Spinnett to learn week.”

One Sunday evening, Spinnett had more about him and his progression toto run by his shop to pick something up. wards advocacy.

Steve Spinnett has owned and opAs he entered the business, he noticed a erated Steve’s Imports in Portland, OR tall black gentleman across the street for the past 40 years, doing car restoralooking at his shop. “I was a little surtions, collision repairs and offering the prised, so I went over to him and asked full gamut of mechanical repairs. He him what he was doing. He told me that does $2.5 million in business annually he was watching my business for me, so with 20 employees. He works with his that no one would break in. ‘That’s my job,’ he said. ‘If anyone messes with your shop, they have to go through me.’”

Spinnett was fascinated by the remark, so he introduced himself to the homeless man, Otis “Diamond” Britton, a 6’7” African American man who had lived on the Springwater Trail right next to Steve’s Imports for the past five years.

Britton introduced Spinnett to (l to r) Thommy, Steve and John Spinnett run the show at Steve’s Imports in Portland, OR, a business Steve started the world of being homeless, 40 years ago. When he saw homeless people living in a and with understanding came camp near his shop, he decided to take action compassion. “Through Diason Johnny, who is the shop’s manager; mond, I met a lot of other homeless peohis other son, Thommy, who is the shop ple,” he said. “I discovered how these foreman and his daughter Rebecca, folks were living and heard their stories who runs the front office. Steve’s Imand my whole attitude changed. So I ports is truly a second-generation family asked myself—what can I do for these business. folks without giving them hard cash?”

Whenever Spinnett, 62, sees someAfter asking the right questions, thing that moves him way one or anSpinnett was able to find a significant other, he doesn’t just talk about it—he way of helping the homeless living near acts. Once a conservative small-town his shop. “Diamond told me that water mayor in Damascus, OR, Steve isn’t and electricity were important and it afraid to take on issues that enter his life would make their lives easier if they and affect him. could get more access to it,” he said. “So His time as a mayor ended up being they now can use our hose at any time more like a Mr. Smith Goes to Washfor water and they can charge their cell ington scenario, but Spinnett looks back phones right outside the shop with a few at it as a valuable learning experience. electrical outlets that we provide. Except “I saw some elitist behavior going on at for leaving the water on one time, they that point, related to land use, so I dehave not taken advantage of it, which cided to jump into local politics and then shows that they appreciate what we’re I jumped out,” Spinnett said. “But the doing.” experience was an eye-opener about When Portland Mayor Charlie things like power, human nature and Hales said he was going to get rid of the how politics works, so I’m happy that I homeless camps on the Springwater did it.”

Trail a while back, Spinnett wasn’t One of the major problems with going to let it happen without a fight. homelessness is that most people don’t “We got them an additional month, but want to deal with it or consider homethen they did a sweep and shut it down,” less people to be losers, addicts or crahe said. “They’re not working on the zies. One of those closed-minded people problem—they’re just moving it around admittedly was himself, Spinnett exand hoping that it goes away.” plained. “I would walk by these panBy studying the cause of homelessby Ed Attanasio

46 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

ness, Spinnett is able to help homeless people more effectively, he said. “There are three types of people living out on the street and I have encountered all of them. One-third is what I call legitimate homeless people who have experienced some form of trauma and can’t get out of their current situation. Another onethird of them are straight up addicts, either hooked on drugs or alcohol, and

One day, Steve Spinnett got into a conversation with Otis “Diamond” Britton, a homeless man who had lived on the Springwater Trail right next to Steve’s Imports for the past five years. Their brief encounter changed both men’s lives as a result

they obviously need legitimate help to get off them. And the last one-third is the criminal element. They prey on the homeless and they deal them the drugs.

I know what the drug dealers look like

now. They wear the same backpacks with their goods in there and it’s sickening to see.”

One young woman that Spinnett encountered at the homeless camp broke his heart, so he reached out to help her and change her life, he said. “She was selling herself for $10 in order to get her next fix. She was skin and bones and I could see that she was going to die pretty soon. So I got her in our church and connected with a local family. She has been clean now for a while and is going through treatment. She gained 10 pounds and recently reconnected with her father, so hopefully this story will have a happy ending.”

Spinnett’s next mission involves education and compassion, he explained. “I am trying to get business owners and residents to start looking at the homeless differently. Some of their problems are self-inflicted and others are caused by bad luck or other issues, but in the end, they are human beings who have struggled in their lives for whatever reason. They need to be loved and treated like people, but too many folks categorize them and believe that they are subhuman.”

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www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 47

Lean Operations

The Art of Business

with David Luehr

I grew up in a family of artists. Not always the kind of people that come to mind when thinking of the dog-eatdog business world. As a young man, my own artistic expression found its way into the automotive repair business as an automotive painter. I loved painting cars, especially the custom stuff. It wasn’t long before my artistic nature sought the freedom of self-employment; after all, an artist like me does not want the constraints of having to work for someone else! Soon I found my artistic interests beginning to shift, like a portrait painter discovering impressionism for the first time. I had discovered entrepreneurship!

I love being an entrepreneur.

To me, it is one of the most amazing forms of self-expression. Creating a business from a mere idea or thought it a beautiful thing. It is also a huge responsibility, and not one that every artist can or should pursue. Some artists are better off working for someone else, and here is why...

Car painters and body technicians may be artistically great at fixing cars, but not everyone is willing to put in the work to learn the skills that are required to run a collision repair business, especially in today’s world! Most of the collision repair businesses that exist in our country today were started by a technician, and far too many of them have never invested the time it takes to learn the art of building a business and are struggling because of it.

Sadly, many business owners don’t know what they don’t know and therefore live each day in an ignorant fog of despair and chaos.

Those that were lucky enough to survive and grow a collision business did so through pure determination, and many, many, hours of hard work. A solid business always requires hard work, but the solution to a truly sustainable business is working hard on the right things. We must be willing to work on the business as well as in it.

David Luehr is the owner of Elite Body Shop Solutions, LLC, a collision business consulting firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a 30 year veteran of the collision repair industry.

David is an expert in Body Shop Operations and specializes in Lean, and Theory of Constraints methods. Email him at dluehr@msn.com

Successful entrepreneurship means focusing your artistic abilities towards creating a better business, not just the product it produces. This is the “trap of the technician” and only a handful of collision repair businesses grow beyond mediocrity because of it.

I know of dozens of instances where collision business owners manage to grow their single location and decide it is time to pursue the American dream even more, so they open up a second or third location before they realize their mistake. The skillset that allowed them to operate one location is very different than the skillset needed to run an MSO. To be successful at operating multiple locations, or even one really successful location, shop owners can no longer attend to the day to day crises management many have come to accept as their “normal” way of life.

Shop owners need to learn the skills of preventing crises before they occur, and a great way to do this is through spending more time working on building a sustainable business model like a franchise.

I am suggesting that you start to build your business like you were going to build a franchise. You don’t have to actually franchise your business, but think of it as a turn-key business model that can eventually exist without you as the business owner working IN it all the time. What does this sustainable model look like in your mind? Use your artistic mind and create! Does it have consistent and repeatable standard operating procedures? Does everyone know what their job is and how to perform every task?

Do your systems consistently create an amazing customer experience, even if you are not there personally every moment? This is your ball of clay my artistic friends, and you can do anything with it that you want if you are willing to work ON your business a little every day.

Fortunately, many of the skills re-

48 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

quired to be successful in today’s collision repair world are available to all of us. Organizations such as the Automotive Management Institute (AMi) have many resources for shop leadership and their teams to acquire the skills needed to take their businesses to the next level of performance excellence. (See www.amionline.org).

Elite Body Shop Solutions, LLC assists shops in creating a sustainable business model through education, coaching, and mentoring solutions.

Elite uses a 5-Pillar approach to help clients work ON their businesses using a holistic approach designed to create a balanced foundation that will allow a business to grow to any size. (See www.elitebodyshopsolutions.com).

The problem with artists focusing on only one aspect or “pillar” is that the business will become unstable and unsustainable. For example, if you are placing all your focus on making money (Financial Health) and you

don’t place enough emphasis on the Cultural Health of your organization, eventually, the whole operation will become unstable and you will jeopardize your ability to make money for the long haul. Another example is that if you don’t pay enough attention to environmental or human resource laws, (Risk) you can jeopardize everything you have worked for!

Each day, smart operators will place small amounts of time on each of the 5 Pillars in order to enjoy sustainable growth and prosperity. The trick is to be disciplined enough and to have learned some basic time management skills in order to make better use of your time each day. Many shop owners and leaders tell me they don’t have the time to work on all aspects of their businesses. To this, I call BS. These same people say they don’t have time because they have created a life of jumping from one crisis to the See The Art of Business, Page 51

www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 49

Shop Showcase

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

Northern California Body Shop Paints Huge Coffee Cup for Major Artist with Ed Attanasio

Body shops are adept at painting cars, but they often get asked to paint a wide range of other things such as golf carts, kid’s toys, old appliances, statues and in this case, an enormous coffee cup

looking for a body shop that was willing to take on a rather large project for an upcoming art show at the CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts in San Francisco last August. When one shop opted out, Regal Collision in Vallejo, CA, stepped up and completed the project on time and with an artistic flair.

After visiting one shop that his curators had found for him, Fried decided to start looking around for another shop via Yelp. “The first shop we went to didn’t seem to be very excited when we deArtist Howard Fried (far left in the blue shirt) was a scribed the project to them,” hands-on customer and oversaw the delivery of his he said. “I wasn’t getting a sculpture from start to finish real positive vibe from these that was displayed at an art gallery in folks, so we bailed. So I started San Francisco, CA by a major nationsearching for a shop near to my studio ally-renowned artist. in Vallejo. I used Yelp and found It all began when Howard Fried, Regal Collision. Their reviews were an artist based in Vallejo, CA, was great, and I got the sense that they

might be the right shop for our unusual request.”

Kirk Kapfenstein, the general manager at Regal Collision, has painted a lot of things in his career as a painter, but never a 1,000-lb. coffee mug, that’s for sure. “Howard called

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us out of the blue and we were definitely interested in talking to him about it,” Kapfenstein said. “We love out of the ordinary, challenging jobs, so we looked at it and said ‘Heck yes.’

The gallery was pretty much up against their deadline so if we didn’t agree on the spot, they probably would have been in real trouble.”

Howard Fried, 70, is a highly-regarded conceptual artist who became known in the 1970s for his pioneering work in video art, performance art and installation art.

He founded the video and performance department (currently the New Genres Department) at the San Francisco Art Institute and is associated with the first generation of In excess of eight feet tall, painting Howard Fried’s conceptual artists in the San enormous coffee cup (Derelict #5) was easier to paint Francisco Bay Area, includthan move, according to the crew at Regal Collision in Vallejo, CA ing other trendsetters such as

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ing, but the cost was prohibitive. So we were basically in the hands of Jim, Shellie and Kirk at Regal. We knew that we would be juggling 100 things right up until the show and getting this cup painted and delivered to the gallery was at the top of the list.”

In addition to priming and painting the sculpture, it also had a few cracks to repair from past shows, due to the fact that the cup (called Derelict #5) was the reincarnation of five previous art pieces. “We worked out the changes and Regal had to repair all of the cracks that had developed over the years. Before this show, it was on display at the University of Berkeley back in 1983. Regal also had to repaint it with a waterborne paint, because the paint we used in ‘83 was oilbased and now it’s illegal.”

Jim Boyle, the owner at Regal Collision, isn’t going On its big opening night at the CCA Wattis Institute for to disclose how much he Contemporary Arts in San Francisco, Derelict #5 wows charged for the job, but he the critics and art lovers alike will at least admit he made a people at Regal Collision assured me nice profit. “Working on this project not to worry,” Fried said. “At one has given us a better understanding of point, we considered the idea of re- how an artist develops his work and fabricating the piece using 3-D print- how much they care about their creTerry Fox, Lynn Hershman, David Ireland, Paul Kos and Tom Marioni.

His early works dealing with issues like decision-making, conflict situations, control, predictability, learning, and cognitive processes gave him international fame.

With a tight deadline of two weeks and a show that was well-publicized and anticipating a large turnout for opening night, Fried was concerned but not ready to panic—yet. “I admit, I was a little nervous, but the

ations. Howard was intense and was here in the shop almost every day, sometimes before I showed up in the morning. Working with him was a lot different from painting a customer’s vehicle because he had a vision and passionately wanted it achieved.”

In the end, the shop made money and they also received the most unique 5-star review on Yelp that they’ll ever get from the CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts in San Francisco.

“Regal Collision went above and beyond for us. We had an artist who needed a sculpture repaired with the same methods that are used in auto body repair. The sculpture is very large and extremely heavy. When we asked Regal Collision if they were interested in a very different than normal challenge, they jumped at the chance, despite being a consistently busy shop. They spent weeks working with our artist and treated the sculpture with unbelievable care. The end result is absolutely perfect. We feel so lucky to have found them. They are one in a million!”

Continued from Page 48

The Art of Business

next because they DON’T work ON the business. They are sadly caught in a spiral of doom of their own making.

Right now is an excellent time to be in the collision repair business, but only for those with the right mindset, and only for those artists that are willing to learn new skills. I am a champion of small business and the hardworking people in our industry which makes me hate to say this, but, this time in our industry’s history will be very, very, tough for many business owners that are reluctant to change. The good news is that those of you reading this article all the way to the end have demonstrated that you may have what it takes to plow through the challenges and take full advantage of this time of great opportunity to create the business of your dreams. Go for it!

For assistance creating a sustainable business model, contact Dave at david.luehr@elitebodyshopsolutions.com

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Continued from Cover

After Matthew

surer of homes and cars in Virginia in 2015, reported 850 homeowner claims and 560 auto claims statewide as of Monday, October 10.

“We’re just really in the initial stages,” said Michal Brower, a State Farm spokeswoman, who added that the number of claims is expected to increase.

Virginia so far has generated more State Farm auto claims than any other Southeastern state affected by Matthew, Brower said.

Florida and South Carolina each have reported about 500 auto claims for the Illinois-based insurer.

“Honestly, we don’t necessarily know why,” Brower said.

State Farm reported 8,350 total homeowner claims and 2,150 auto claims from Florida through Virginia as of Monday, October 10.

USAA and Allstate were the No. 2 and No. 3 homeowner insurers in Virginia last year, according to the Insurance Information Institute, a New York-based industry association. State Farm, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and

USAA were the top three auto insurers in the state, the association reported.

“We’ve had roughly 15,000 total claims” from Florida through Virginia, said Rich Johnson, a spokesman with Texas-based USAA. “We’re seeing a lot of wind damage.”

There appeared to be a higher incidence of flood-damage reports in Virginia extending into North Carolina, he added.

USAA has sent a catastrophe unit to Fayetteville, N.C., because of the flooding impacts in that area.

As more people return to their homes, more claims are expected to roll in.

“I think we’re going to see it change and alter in the days to come,” Johnson said, adding that the additional claims volume could continue for weeks.

Allstate said it could not provide a claims-volume estimate by late afternoon on Oct. 10.

“It is too soon to know the number of claims we expect to receive, but our adjusters are working closely with customers in affected areas to help guide them through the claims process,” said April Eaton, an Allstate spokeswoman, in an email.

National AutoBody Research Creates Collision Economic Index, Make Profit Preserving Price Adjustments

NABR has announced the creation of its new Collision Economic Index™ (CEI) and calculator, to help both collision repairers and insurers make periodic adjustments to the labor and paint & materials rates they charge or pay, based on rising costs of key components of the collision repair business. These price increases help to defray the increasing costs of collision repairers and to maintain and sustain repairer profit margins, improving the economic health of the industry.

Similar to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks changes in price over time for a market basket of consumer goods and services, NABR's Collision Economic Index (CEI) tracks changes in price over time for key elements of repairers' business such as paint and materials; general business costs such as health care, energy, and insurance; as well as overall price inflation.

“Collision repairers are continually faced with a variety of cost increases such as paint, materials, health care, insurance, and much more,” said Sam Valenzuela, President of NABR. “Yet, we've found that many repairers need help in translating these increasing costs to increases in their labor and

paint & materials rates. Just like other businesses who increase their prices from time to time based on costs, profit goals, or other business factors, collision repairers too need to make price adjustments to offset cost increases and maintain profit margins.”

“NABR's new Collision Economic Index is exactly what this industry needs,” said Burl Richards, owner of Burl's Collision Center in Henderson, Texas, and President of the Auto Body Association of Texas.

“This will enable repairers to quickly and easily make necessary price adjustments to maintain and sustain their profits, like any other business would do, and base those price increases on sound reasoning, robust data, and good business principles.”

For collision repairers, the Collision Economic Index report and calculator will be included with their subscription to NABR's Variable Rate System (VRS), while non-VRS-subscribers may purchase the report and calculator separately.

Contact: Sam Valenzuela, President, National AutoBody Research, 602466-1900 or Sam@NationalAutoBodyResearch.com

52 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

“We’re getting a number of floodlike claims that are not actually covered,” said Susan Tinsley, general manager of the Richmond-based Virginia Property Insurance Association, which was formed in 1968 to provide dwelling and commercial coverage for those who can’t find it in the standard market for any number of reasons.

The association reported receiving 60 claims in Virginia as of Monday morning, primarily related to trees fallen on homes, roof damage and flooding, in that order, Tinsley said.

About 10 of those are for flood damage.

The association insures roughly 29,000 policyholders, about 8,000 of them in its “sea-coast territory,” extending from Hampton Roads up through the Eastern Shore.

It expects, based on current volume, to get about 150 claims from that region within the next two to three days, Tinsley said.

Virginia is one of 19 states that have in place some form of so-called hurricane or “named storm” deductibles, which were introduced as a way to shift more of the risk from hurricanes to policyholders “without raising overall premiums to unaffordable

levels,” according to the Missouribased National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Hurricane deductibles can take the form of a fixed-dollar figure or, more often, a percentage of a home’s insured value, varying from roughly 1 percent to as high as 10 percent, according to the NAIC. Brower, the State Farm spokeswoman, said that the hurricane-deductible provision for Virginia policyholders was not triggered because no hurricane warning or watch was issued for the state.

Asked whether that was good news or bad news for State Farm customers in Virginia, Brower recommended that policyholders check with their agents to find out what deductibles were set in their policies.

“Customers, in many cases, will be paying a lower deductible,” said Erin Zabel, a State Farm agent in Chesapeake.

As of late afternoon Oct. 10, it was unclear whether Matthew had triggered the hurricane-deductible provision for other insurers.

We thank The Virginian Pilot for reprint permission.

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CCC Introduces DRIVE™ Platform, Secure Share™ Network CCC Information Services Inc. has launched a new suite of telematics-enabled claims offerings that the company claims will improve and speed accident notification along with the steps and decisions undertaken by insurers after their policyholder has been in an accident. Powered by the CCC DRIVE™ telematics platform, these offerings include electronic crash detection, automatically initiated first notice of loss (FNOL), and predictive solutions that will inform real-time decisions including vehicle repair versus replace, preferred method of inspection (based on carrier guidelines), and injury triage.

According to the company, the CCC DRIVE platform is designed to collect driving data from any source and integrate important pre-impact and impact data with CCC’s solutions to help users make decisions earlier within the claims process.

“Our CCC DRIVE platform is designed to address the broad spectrum of telematics use cases, including marketing, underwriting, and claims, giving insurers a single, flexible solution to address their telematics pursuits,” said Greg Bannon, VP, Product Management, CCC. “When it comes to applying telematics to claims, the only

Continued from Page 28

The Simple Rule

system that is popular in the U.K. with shops and insurers alike called Vehicle Damage Appraisal or “V.D.A.” VDA is a standardized method that performs temporary minor disassembly on drivable vehicles through scheduled damage appraisal appointments with their customers.

The simple rule: “Pre-order parts, but only if you have properly analyzed the damage first!”

Lately, I have been working with a handful of shops around the U.S. that have also been applying this way of thinking. One shop I work with uses what they call “Enhanced Estimating” that schedules forty-five-minute estimating appointments for their customers. Their program has proven to be very effective and has had a serious positive impact on their cycle time and customer satisfaction as well as their return parts percentage.

Conclusion Perhaps you will share my philosophy to only pre-order parts when you know the true extent of the damage. And do

way to deliver value is to make the data actionable for insurers. Current users of CCC’s solutions will see tremendous benefits because of our network and data capabilities, which put driving

data into context to enable real decisions, in real time. This creates tangible benefits in the areas of efficiency gains, cycle time improvements, and increased policyholder satisfaction without disrupting the existing workflow of insurers.”

The CCC DRIVE telematics platform is capable of collecting driving data from any source – mobile, embedded or connected car. Upon impact, detailed information about the pre-accident driving behavior and the crash itself are instantly run through CCC’s predictive analytics engine, which is

yourself another favor: insist on placing one order and receiving all the parts on a single invoice whenever possible (unless ordering from multiple vendors). Don’t let the dealer’s parts guy send out partial orders just so he or she can make their commission. If anything, they will be more motivated when they know they can’t ship until the order is complete! Something else to consider is that top shops commonly require complete parts orders to be delivered the day prior to the scheduled arrival of the vehicle. Whether you consider scheduling “Enhanced Estimates” or choose to blueprint all the vehicles prior to ordering any parts, you can be guaranteed more success than you are likely experiencing using traditional thinking. Or perhaps you can choose an alternative hybrid system that triages small repairs into an Enhanced Estimating appointment and directs all medium to large jobs into a blueprinting program after they are dropped off for repairs. This approach would be my recommendation for most of you.

For assistance creating a customized program at your shop, please contact us today at david.luehr@elite bodyshopsolutions.com or visit www .elitebodyshopsolutions.com

54 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

powered by the insights gleaned from millions of claims transactions, and more than 20 years of injury data, including thousands of human crash tests. An alert can automatically be sent from the vehicle to the insurance carrier’s FNOL representative, presenting the facts of the accident in map and dashboard formats, indicating the vehicle’s location, direction of travel prior to the accident, speed, braking and steering movements, and impact severity.

In addition to crash notification, FNOL representatives can receive insights, derived from CCC’s predictive solutions, helping them determine whether the vehicle is likely to be repairable or totaled, the best appraisal option (using the carriers’ guidelines), if an injury is likely, and if emergency and/or tow services should be dispatched.

The company has also announced the launch of its CCC Secure Share™ Network (CCC Secure Share), a network using a cloud-based application program interface (API) that will allow collision repairers to control the distribution of their data and secure the data shared with third-party application providers. CCC Secure Share will utilize the Business Message Suite (BMS),

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the current data standard published by the Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA). In addition to further securing collision repairer data, CCC Secure Share enables application providers to deliver their services to CCC’s network of collision repairers through a single connection, eliminating the need to create individual connections with hundreds or thousands of collision repairers.

CCC Secure Share will be provided to collision repairers as part of the CCC ONE® Total Repair Platform at no additional charge.

CCC Secure Share will be available for collision repairers in 2017.

CCC will continue to support the export of Estimate Management Standard (EMS) files for a period of time to allow companies to prepare for the change.

For more information, visit www .cccis.com.

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Chief® Introduces Industry’s First Computerized Measuring System for Heavy-Duty Collision Repair Chief’s new Cam Scan HD is the first computerized measuring system in North America designed to identify and document all collision damage on heavy-duty vehicles, including trucks and buses.

points anywhere on a vehicle using PanoVision Technology, a patented process for making precise measurements from stereophotogrammic images. It can measure the condition of a frame in the X, Y and Z axes to detect

“Our new Cam Scan HD computerized measuring system provides the precise, accurate measurements technicians need to eliminate any guesswork when analyzing frame damage on heavy-duty vehicles,” said Lee Daugherty, heavy-duty sales manager for Chief. “With all the engineering advancements being made in the vehicle design and manufacturing process, shops need the precision of our computerized measuring system to properly repair collision-damaged vehicles. Cam Scan HD is also faster than other measuring methods and provides documentation of damage and completed repairs.”

The Chief Cam Scan HD computerized measuring system allows technicians to measure and compare two

diamond, mash, sway and twist. The Chief Cam Scan HD system can be used for frame rail analysis, axle and trailer alignment analysis, and to measure areas that the centerline gauge and string method can’t, such as upper body damage and cab openings. According to Chief, because it is faster and more accurate than traditional measuring methods, it is more profitable for shops, with the added benefit of providing documentation of each measurement.

Insurance companies are increasingly demanding documentation of damage in order to approve an estimate for repair. They are also requiring documentation demonstrating that the repairs were made prior to initiating payment. This documentation is also valuable to the shop. Re-

pair documents provide peace of mind to the customer and instill confidence in the shop’s professional abilities. From a liability standpoint, repair documentation provides proof

The new Chief® Cam Scan HD computerized measuring system allows technicians to see and document the full scope of the damage to a heavy-duty vehicle, develop a plan for repairs, and print out professional, documented proof that the repairs were completed

of the exact condition of the vehicle when it entered and left the shop.

“Printed, verifiable repair documents are an important part of today’s shop function that will only grow more critical in the future,” Daugherty explained. “Heavy-duty shops need to transition to the accuracy of a computerized measuring system to improve repair accuracy, save time and money, and satisfy the insurance industry’s growing requests for documentation.”

The Chief Cam Scan HD measuring system includes a laptop computer loaded with PanoVision software, wireless mouse, 32-inch monitor, and color document printer, all housed in a portable locking cabinet. The cabinet also houses the lightweight portable camera measuring assembly that is equipped with a visual display and two cameras on each end. According to Chief, the lightweight camera is easy to use both inside the shop and offsite, if needed. The system comes with 12 calibration boards and measuring attachments as well as a halogen lighting system.

For more information about the full line of Chief heavy-duty collision repair equipment, visit www.chiefautomotive.com/Chief-HD/.

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Carfax: Number of Flood-damaged Cars on Roads is up 30% from 2013

Continued from Page 45

Retro News

being formed to finalize and implement industry standards, the four groups issuing the statement last week instead called on I CAR to create an industry council “to identify gaps in existing OEM procedures and develop processes to close gaps, vet industry proposed alternatives, modifications and additions to OEM procedures.”

– As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), November 7, 2011. I-CAR did indeed take on the task of working with the automakers to close the gap in the availability and industry accessibility to OEM collision repair procedures. ICAR developed the “Repairability Technical Support Portal” (https://rts.icar.com/),which includes the “Ask ICAR” feature that allows users to email or call I-CAR with a technical question.

www.autobodynews.com

New research from Carfax indicates a sizable number of previously flooded vehicles are on the road or up for sale in the U.S. More than 271,000 cars reported as flood damaged by a state’s department of motor vehicles, insurance companies or other entities are back in use. That’s a nearly 30-percent increase from 2013, Carfax said.

Recent flooding in Louisiana is fresh in people’s minds, and in fact that state comes in at No. 10 among the top states with waterlogged vehicles.

Here are the states with the most: ▪ Texas: 43,000 ▪ Pennsylvania: 20,000 ▪ Florida: 17,000 ▪ Kentucky: 14,000 ▪ Illinois: 13,000 ▪ South Carolina: 11,000 ▪ Michigan: 11,000 ▪ New Jersey: 10,000 ▪ New York: 9,000 ▪ Louisiana: 9,000 “Flooded cars are a buyer’s worst nightmare,” said Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax.

“They’re ticking time bombs because when you least expect it, the electrical,

mechanical or safety systems on these cars will fail, often without warning.

Consumers everywhere need to be vigilant about checking a vehicle’s history for flood damage and getting a pre-purchase inspection to avoid buying cars that rot from the inside out.”

Powerful storms and epic flooding in major areas are creating more opportunities for professional con men to clean up and resell flooded

was branded as a flood vehicle. By using Carfax, we were able to save both our bank and our customer a lot of money.”

Carfax says that these are telltale signs a vehicle has been in a flood: ▪ A musty odor in the interior, which can sometimes be covered with a strong air-freshener ▪ Upholstery or carpeting which is loose, new, stained or doesn’t match ▪ Damp carpets

vehicles. Research has shown it takes only a few hours to restore them cosmetically, at little cost to the criminals. However, buying one of these dangerous cars costs unsuspecting consumers thousands.

“A customer was requesting a loan on a used car, so we ran a Carfax Report as part of our underwriting procedures,” said Willie Macko, president of PriorityOne Bank in Mississippi. “We discovered that the car had been a total loss and the title

▪ Rust around doors, under the dashboard, on the pedals or inside the hood and trunk latches

▪ Mud or silt in the glove compartment or under the seats ▪ Brittle wires under the dashboard

▪ Fog or moisture beads in the interior lights, exterior lights or instrument panel Consumers may check VINs for flood damage free of charge at http://flood .carfax.com/.

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Automotive Recyclers Admonishes General Motors for Position on Recycled Parts

The Automotive Recyclers Association is admonishing General Motors and its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra for what it says is GM’s new anti-environmental position on the utilization of recycled GM parts.

“GM’s revised position statement on recycled and salvage original equipment manufacturers’ (OEM) parts, found on the corporation’s updated “Genuine GM Parts” website, significantly backtracks on the company’s economic stewardship commitments to conserve resources and protect the global environment, and contradicts its publicly stated Environmental Principles by now attacking the use of environmentally friendly recycled GM parts.

“Despite touting a commitment to the basic tenants of a circular economy—recovering all products, components and materials at their highest utility and value—GM now fails to embrace fundamental reutilization of their very own parts once they have left a dealership. It is reprehensible for GM’s corporate position to be one that does not support the reuse of recycled GM parts in vehicle repair while claiming a leadership role in the circular economy movement.

“The utilization of recycled OEM automotive parts has been widely accepted for decades and has a long track record of successful and safe use in vehicle service and repairs. In fact, GM acknowledged in their company’s 2010 position statement on the issue that

“Recycled original equipment parts may also be used for repair... A recycled original equipment part, may be an acceptable choice to maintain your vehicle’s originally designed appearance and safety performance.”

“GM’s revised position statement is not only a reversal, but is potentially misleading consumers with insinuations that recycled GM parts are “non-GM” parts. In the revised position statement GM includes the following paragraph: “Genuine GM Parts are designed and constructed using metals with specific properties, thicknesses and stamping features built to perform in a consistent and predictable way during a collision event. The use of non-OEM structural components may compromise the overall crashworthiness and occupant safety of General Motors vehicles in a subsequent collision. In summary, General Motors does not support the use of salvage or recycled parts in a vehicle’s repair. GM recommends the use of Genuine GM Parts in repairs to help ensure the vehicle is returned to pre-collision condition.”

“Recycled parts are not the same as non-OEM parts. GM parts do not cease to be OEM parts when moved from one car to another. References to the “use of non-OEM structural components” immediately before GM states that it does not support the use of salvage or recycled parts in the company’s position statement is deceptive and ARA believes

it is stated in this way to confuse consumers into thinking that recycled GM parts are not GM’s components.

“As their market shares shrink from legitimate competition, auto manufacturers have responded with unfounded attacks and misleading information about recycled OEM parts and other part replacement options. ARA believes that the Federal Trade Commission should take a serious look into the actions of GM and other auto manufacturers that continue to engage in activities that malign the recycling of their own products without a shred of research to substantiate their claims.

“GM and other manufacturers continue to fail to cite any specific data or research to back up their claims that recycled parts are inferior to new parts.

“We believe the campaign by GM continues to be part of a coordinated and concerted effort among auto manufacturers to limit competition in the automotive parts replacement market by engaging in an ongoing campaign to undermine the recycled OEM part market,” says ARA CEO Michael E. Wilson.

“Regrettably, GM’s revised “Genuine GM Parts” campaign seems to be

a rather transparent attempt to hoodwink consumers to boost sales of expensive “new” parts and malign entirely appropriate, environmentally beneficial recycled GM replacement parts,” says Wilson.

“Recycled OEM parts are genuine OEM parts built to the same quality, durability, fit and finish specifications as new replacement parts. These recycled OEM parts went through the same rigid GM testing to ensure they are integrable and functional with all specified vehicle systems. These recycled parts are fully functional and in most cases match or exceed the condition of the components before the repair or service.” explains Wilson.

It is disappointing that GM has now taken a corporate position to disavow basic reuse principles that offer undisputed environmental benefits.

ARA believes that GM should stand by the durability and quality of the parts it produces and calls on GM leadership to cease their current anti-environmental and misinformation activities related to maligning recycled GM parts—the very parts that they manufactured.

No response yet from GM.

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A New Tool For Estimating Reaps $6.3M for Estify

Estify, a company that’s developed a new tool for auto repair businesses to better gauge the cost of its services for insurance claims, has raised $6.3 million in new financing. It’s a way for car repair businesses to get payouts from insurers faster and better service customers. And, at least until autonomous vehicles are a reality, it’s a service that’s becoming increasingly important. Mainly because U.S. drivers are really awful. There have been 10,710 accidents in the U.S. already this year, according to a website called AccidentsinUS.com. That means we might be on track to beat last year’s record of 12,293 accidents, according to data collected by the site. Los Angelesbased Estify, basically raised the money to gin up its executive suite.

And now boasts a deck stacked with some pretty hardcore LA-based executive talent. The company has named Rochelle Thielen (a longtime executive with Mitchell International who has direct experience in dealing with

the network of repair shops and insurance providers) as its new chief executive. Estify also added Randy Adams, the former founder of Navitel, Newsnet, AutionDrop, Searchme, Funny or Die, Celebrity Apps, and WTF Studios as chief technology officer. According to a release from the company, Adams boasts having raised $250 million in capital and returning over $28 billion to investors. The company’s new round was led by Romulus Capital with participation from ff Venture Capital. “While we’re thinking about making cars autonomous, it’s important to remember that nearly 100 Americans die every day in automobile accidents.

While the process of repairing vehicles continues to increase in complexity, the technology available to repairers has not kept up,” says Romulus partner Neil Chheda. “The lack of data-driven accuracy in this industry costs lives and billions of dollars. This problem must be solved, and Estify’s team and technology is uniquely positioned to solve it.”

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Mitchell Partners with Tractable to Bring Artificial Intelligence to Insurance Claims for the First Time Mitchell International, a provider of technology, connectivity and information solutions to the Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance industry,

has announced an exclusive partnership in North America with Tractable, a UK-based technology firm specializing in the development of artificial intelligence solutions capable of automating manual tasks.

According to the company, Mitchell will integrate Tractable’s solutions within its WorkCenter™ Automobile Physical Damage platform, enabling customers to make better decisions and accelerating the vehicle repair and claims management processes.

“Our industry is ready to adopt intelligent solutions leveraging machine learning technologies,” said Debbie Day, executive vice president of Mitchell International. “There are many activities we believe can be improved using these capabilities and we are thrilled to partner with Tractable to bring innovative solutions forward.”

“Our technology is going to change the way that auto claims are managed in the future,” said Alex Dalyac, CEO of Tractable. “We have trained computers to see exactly what humans see so that vehicle damage can be assessed within seconds and consistent decisions made. Artificial intelligence will make the process quicker, more cost effective and more efficient. We are excited to partner with Mitchell, as we believe their long history and market-leading expertise combined with their modern cloud-based solutions will enable us to create unique opportunities that deliver the benefits of artificial intelligence to the Insurance Claims sector.”

For more information, visit www.mitchell.com.

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Auto Care Association Identifies Alibaba as Notorious Market for Counterfeits

During the week of October 3rd, the Auto Care Association submitted comments urging the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to relist Alibaba and its family of e-commerce platforms, including Taobao and Aliexpress, as notorious markets that facilitate the sale of counterfeit auto parts.

The letter was submitted as part of the USTR’s request for comments in identifying Internet and physical markets based outside of the United States that engage in copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting for its annual Special 301 Out-of-Cycle Review of Notorious Markets Report.

“Although Alibaba had been removed from the Notorious Markets list in recognition of efforts to address counterfeit activities, we remain very concerned with the drastic amount of counterfeit automotive products sold on these sites daily and the difficulty our members are experiencing in obtaining enforcement,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO, Auto Care Association.

The Auto Care Association submitted comments in response to member complaints regarding the

proliferation of online supply chains based in China that allow the online distribution of counterfeit parts.

These online B2B and e-commerce sites advertise branded counterfeit products for sale at rates that significantly undercut the margins of members’ original products. Counterfeit auto parts represent a significant danger to the safety and welfare of the general public, and also pose a significant economic threat to the auto care industry.

In its letter, the Auto Care Association outlined general principles that Alibaba should adopt to address the proliferation of counterfeit products on its various platforms.

“The Auto Care Association commends the USTR’s efforts to combat piracy and counterfeiting.

The association looks forward to continuing this dialogue with the USTR and representatives from the identified websites to protect and enforce intellectual property rights,” a statement from the Association read.

For more information, visit www .autocare.org.

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Collision Repair Education Foundation Receives Highest Rating From Charity Navigator

For the fourth consecutive year, the Collision Repair Education Foundation has been awarded the highest rating for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency

by Charity Navigator, the country’s largest and most-utilized independent evaluator of charities. Charity Navigator has awarded the Collision Repair Education Foundation an “exceptional” ranking of four stars out of a possible four, demonstrating adherence to good governance and fiscal responsibility.

“Since 2009, the collision industry has provided over $50 million in product and monetary donations to high school and college collision school programs, instructors, and students through the Education Foundation,” a statement from CREF read.

“With the organization averaging 90 cents of every dollar donated being returned to this group, its supporters can be assured that their donations are being reinvested properly.” $110,000 Raised During CREF’s Annual Industry Fundraiser The annual CREF industry fundraiser, co-hosted by PPG Automotive Refinish, raised $110,000 through the support of attendees and sponsors.

Sponsors and participants enjoyed a

day of golf at the Black & Gold Golf Course in Yorba Linda, CA, on August 10th, 2016 and the funds raised from this event will go toward supporting scholarships and grants for collision schools and students.

“PPG is proud to support this event at such a high level, not only as it brings together industry profession-

“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,” said CREF director of development Brandon Eckenrode.

“A special thanks to PPG Automotive

als from around the country, but also for the fact that it assists the Foundation’s efforts to ensure that high school and college collision students are jobready when they graduate and enter the industry,” said Domenic Brusco, PPG Automotive Refinish senior manager, Industry Relations. “As the Education Foundation staff will be working towards another great event in 2017, I would encourage industry members to consider participating through a sponsorship, attendees, and/or donating items to the events raffle table and silent auction.”

Refinish for their continued co-sponsorship. We are already starting to plan for the 2017 event, and with it taking place in our hometown of Chicago, we believe it will be the best yet.”

CREF Wraps Up Career Fair Schedule With Atlanta and Columbus Events After a year of 14 successful high school and college collision career fairs around the country, CREF is hosting two remaining events this fall, taking place in Atlanta, GA on October 20th and Columbus, OH on No-

vember 16th. Both are anticipated to be successful, as Atlanta will host a record 25 participating companies and the Columbus event brings 400+ students.

“These career fairs have been an incredible success in connecting soonto-be graduating collision students with industry employers, but they have also served as motivation for students who are just starting their technical education, as they can see and meet all the companies who are interested in their futures,” noted Eckenrode. “We are looking to take these events to another level by working together with local associations and groups in major geographic markets around the country in order to expand the number of these events and reach even more students in 2017. We invite all collision industry members to join us at these events and help address the need for highly trained young professionals to enter the industry.”

To continue these successful events next year, the Collision Repair Education Foundation will be announcing the spring 2017 schedule of career fairs this fall, which will include events taking place in new cities/markets while also hosting events in major markets that took place this past spring.

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NHTSA Investigates F-150 Models for Brake Failure

NHTSA opened an investigation into certain 2015 and 2016 Ford F150 trucks equipped with the automaker’s 3.5-liter, turbocharged V6 engine. The feds received 25 complaints of sudden brake failure – as in, the brake pedal goes to the floor and, on 2015 models only, warning lamps may illuminate.

Some of these complaints say the dealer blamed the issue on a brake master cylinder failure.

There’s some precedence here.

Earlier this year, Ford recalled 2013 and 2014 F-150s, also equipped with 3.5-liter V6 engines, for a similar issue. The automaker claimed the problem came from a brake master cylinder reservoir leaking into the brake booster. That caused both a loss of brake pressure and a “low brake fluid” light to illuminate.

NHTSA will investigate the issue and, if need be, compel Ford to issue yet another recall. Investigations are the first step after receiving a number of complaints, which is why it’s important to submit issues like these to regulators. Ford may issue a voluntary recall before the feds make a decision, as well.

Axalta Launches New Resins, Talks Diversity, Awards “Best in Blue”

Axalta Coating Systems has announced the introduction of the Voltahyd® 2250 series T, M and E electrical insulation coatings, the company’s first waterborne impregnating resins available in China. This new series of Energy Solutions products, whose waterborne formulation is designed to be more environmentally responsible than conventional products, is suited to a number of specialized applications.

According to the company, aside from significantly improved environmental, health and safety properties compared to solvent based products, the Voltahyd products offer superior bonding strength as well as good thermal and mechanical properties.

“This new Voltahyd waterborne series in our portfolio enables us to bring superior solutions to the electronic industry, giving our customers a greater edge on their competition,” said Bryan Gu, Product Manager of Axalta’s Energy Solutions business in China.

Recently, the company played a significant role at the Labor and Workforce Optimization for the Chemical,

WIN Kicks Off 2017 “All In For WIN” Membership Drive

On October 1, The Women’s Industry Network (WIN®) announced the kickoff of their 2017 #ALLIN4WIN Membership Drive. According to the organization, everyone who joins or

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Petrochemical, and Refining Industries conference.

Virginia Gronley, Axalta Operations Learning and Development Advisor at the company’s Mount Clemens, Michigan research and manufacturing facility, served as both a featured speaker and a panelist at the two-day event in Houston, Texas.

During her presentation, titled “Understanding Demographic Shifts and Incorporating Diversity into Workforce Planning,” Gronley spoke about Axalta’s continued focus on diversity, equality, and inclusion.

“We know our employees want to feel empowered, respected and valued for the work that they do,” Gronley said. “From a workforce development perspective, we focus on talent retention just as much as we focus on attracting new talent. In addition to competitive compensation and benefits, we offer mentorship opportunities, committees that focus on engagement, and varied internal communication tools to help foster a sense of community.”

Elsewhere, Axalta turned the Hagley Car Show blue to celebrate its

North American Automotive Color of the Year 2016: Brilliant Blue. Axalta’s booth featured a pedal car and mini hoods painted in Brilliant Blue, giveaways that featured the chromatic color, and a five foot trophy for the winner of Axalta’s “Best in Blue” award.

The car show, held in Wilmington, Delaware, hosted more than 500 automobiles including antiques, restored cars, and trucks. According to Axalta, many displayed an impressive use of the color blue, but the standout vehicle and “Best in Blue” winner was Dennis Whitaker’s 1965 Superformance Shelby Cobra replica from Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Whitaker was awarded with a trophy, a “Best in Blue” grille badge, and a replica No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet SS diecast car autographed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. The vehicle was also awarded pole position in the car show parade.

“It was a pleasant surprise to win Axalta’s Best in Blue award at the Hagley Car Show,” said Whitaker. “I am proud of my Superformance Shelby Cobra replica and it is an honor to be recognized by a leading paint supplier.”

For more information, visit www .axaltacs.com.

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www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 63

ASA Hosts Largest Regional Education Program of 2016 during AAPEX

The Automotive Service Association (ASA) has announced a strategic partnership with the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX), which is co-owned by Auto Care Association and Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), a division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), to promote and support ASA’s 2016 regional training initiative for automotive service facility owners and repair professionals. ASA’s largest regional education program of 2016 will take place during AAPEX in Las Vegas, NV at the Venetian from Monday, October 31 - Tuesday, November 1.

“The partnership and ongoing collaboration among the associations is a defining moment for the industry,” said Dan Risley, ASA president and executive director. “Working together and leveraging each other’s strengths will benefit service repairers, suppliers and consumers. We are committed to continue exploring ways to deliver value to our members and helping the industry.”

Shop owners and managers attending the two-day training sessions will receive credit from the

Automotive Management Institute (AMi) toward earning their Automotive Accredited Manager (AAM) designation. All sessions during this two-day management training are AMi-approved for credit. The cost is

$150 total for the two days, which includes free admission to AAPEX / SEMA. According to the ASA, the program will feature some of the top speakers in the industry, including: • Bogi Lateiner • Greg Marchand • Amy Mattinat • Bob Ward • Jeremy O’Neal • Bob Greenwood • Donny Seyfer • Jorge Antico • Bill Haas

Sherwin-Williams Approved for American Honda and Acura US Warranty Repair

• Jude Larsen

Sessions focus on vital topics for managers to run and grow their business, including profitability secrets, targeted marketing, succession planning, effective leadership, servicing connected cars, data management, process improvement & LEAN, selling maintenance, growing your customer base, hiring processes, and more.

“Delivering quality education and training at convenient times and locations for repair shop owners and managers is more important than ever,” said Bill Hanvey, Auto Care Association president and CEO. “Faced with rapidly developing vehicle technology, advanced management systems and higher customer expectations, these professionals must possess the knowledge and skills necessary to run efficient and profitable businesses. We look forward to collaborating with ASA on this and other initiatives to further enhance educational opportunities for the auto care industry.”

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. has approved Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes paints for its warranty and goodwill repairs. Included in the approval are the Sherwin-Williams AWX® Performance Plus™ waterborne system and Ultra 7000® solventborne refinish system.

“Sherwin-Williams has supported American Honda for many years, so we are proud to be included in the latest issued approved paint lines service bulletin,” said Jason Crager, Sherwin-Williams OEM business development manager. “These approved refinish materials will not only meet, but surpass, our customer’s needs and provide them with an outstanding finish when they receive their vehicle after a repair has been completed.”

According to the company, Sherwin-Williams will continue to provide Honda and Acura collision centers with training, color support and local service from its company-owned branches and training centers.

For more information, visit www.sherwin-automotive.com.

For the complete agenda and information, please visit www.aapexshow .com/asa.

Mercury Names the Safest and Most Affordable Cars to Insure for Teens

Kia Sportage is the most affordable vehicle with a NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating to insure for teen drivers, accor- ding to Mercury Insurance’s newest Top 10 list.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) 5Star Safety Ratings Program provides consumers with information about the crash protection and rollover safety of new vehicles, with more stars equaling safer cars. Mercury Insurance recently analyzed vehicles that received five stars to determine which would be the most affordable to insure for teen drivers.

The company examined 2016 model year vehicles for which ratings are available to compile the list, which was created based on the Mer-

cury price for full coverage—liability, comprehensive and collision—in California.

Here is the complete Top 10 list for 2016 vehicles with a 5-Star Safety Rating, beginning with the cheapest to insure: Kia Sportage Kia Soul Hyundai Tucson Honda CR-V LX Honda Fit Hyundai Elantra GT VW Golf Sportwagen SW Subaru Outback Dodge Dart Honda HR-V EX

“Teenagers are statistically the most likely to be involved in a collision, so it’s important for them to be in a vehicle that offers them the most protection if that happens,” said Jim Reeves, group manager, R&D for Mercury Insurance. “Mercury’s hope for members of our community is that they remain safe, and we’re proud to be able to provide them with affordable insurance options to help them do that.”

64 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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Symach’s Innovative FixLine System Increases Productivity and Efficiency in Body Shops Worldwide Symach is reinventing the way body shops operate with its unique FixLine system. The Italian-based company, known for its high-quality equipment, is building body shops around the world using this innovative repair process. There are currently 46 shops using the FixLine process in Australia, North America, Europe and the Middle East.

Established in 2001, Symach offers a wide range of equipment and technology aimed at increasing productivity and efficiency in body shops. The FixLine system consists of a layout and repair process that combines the company’s patented Drytronic technology, specialized drying robots and the Symach Paint Application Process (SPAP) painting cycle.

“Compared to conventional methods, the FixLine system reduces the average cost of repair by 25 percent and the key-to-key time to approximately two days,” said Osvaldo Bergaglio, CEO of Symach.

FixLine includes all phases of repair and is customized for every shop to ensure a more organized workflow and optimal repair times. There are three different layouts and repair processes, which are segmented based on the amount of damage and the number of panels involved in an accident. “This makes it possible to optimize each phase of the repair, the skills of the technicians

and the equipment,” said Bergaglio. “It also maximizes quality, efficiency and production.”

The FixLine conveyor allows a continuous workflow throughout the day, allowing a shop to use approximately 30

Symach CEO Osvaldo Bergaglio

percent fewer technicians than a conventional shop to repair the same number of cars per day. It is available in two different configurations. The SprayTron has the capability to repair 10 cars per day with one painter; the KombiTron can repair 20 cars per day with two painters.

When the company first opened, Symach developed and patented a new

technology to dry paint called Drytronic, which drastically reduces drying times. Bergaglio said the technology generates various infrared wavelengths, which penetrate directly into the paint molecule, instantly drying it.

“Symach’s Drytronic technology dries body filler, primer, waterborne and clear in one minute and 30 seconds per panel, which allows a continuous workflow during each phase of the repair,” said Bergaglio. “This means that damaged cars can be repaired without interruption and technicians don’t have to handle three or more different cars at a time during the

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working process like they do today.”

Symach is one of the first companies to have produced a robot for drying paint. The FixLine process uses the robots for body filler, the preparation of primer and for waterborne and clear inside the paint booth.

The company also developed a specific paint process called “SPAP,” Symach Paint Application Process. “It can save 60 percent of the application time compared to the conventional paint process and every brand of paint can be utilized,” said Bergaglio.

As part of the FixLine system, Symach assists with the design of the work process and body shop layout, which usually requires at least 30 percent less area compared to a conventional layout. The company also conducts a training program for technicians and management that includes programming roles, daily scheduling of repairs, correctly managing spare parts flow, maintaining a weekly report and addressing KPIs. “Symach is poised to become a worldwide leader in automated body shops,” said Bergaglio. “We are dedicated to assisting shops become more efficient, saving both time and costs in their shops with the use of our patented equipment and technology.”

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www.autobodynews.com | NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 65

SCRS Announces Panelists for OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit Session on Scanning The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) has announced additional details on the morning session (9:30–11:30am) of the OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit (Summit).

The Summit, to be held Thursday, November 3rd during the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV, will continue to focus on emerging trends in vehicle construction and technology and how those aspects influence vehicle repairability. According to the SCRS, the program is designed to put SEMA Show attendees in a room with innovators in automotive structural design and technology, providing one of the most unique networking and learning opportunities available to the collision repair industry.

Attendees can register now to attend any of the three different segments offered throughout the day, which can be selected individually or collectively as part of the RDE Full Series Pass. Registration options can be found at www.scrs.com/rde.

The first session (OEM1 | Restoring Vehicle Functionality through Electronic Technology and Diagnostics) will discuss how vehicle technology and function advancements meet consumer expectations for safety, convenience and luxury options, and the role of di-

agnosing accident and repair related failures in the systems. Restoring the functions, calibrating sensors and documenting the restoration of the technological elements in the vehicle become a pivotal part of the repair process.

Moderator John Ellis of Ellis & Associates will lead a two part panel to explore the responsibilities expected of the collision repair providers and solutions available for the industry to fulfill those tasks. This session will feature two distinguished panels.

The first will be comprised of automakers with documented positions outlining the necessity to perform preand post-repair scans as part of the repair process. The conversation will

cover the technological developments that are precipitating the need for a more systematic approach to identifying, documenting and correcting Diagnostic Trouble Codes. The panel will include: ▪ FCA | John Hughes, Collision Repair Responsible ▪ Nissan North America | Justin Miller, Planner, Certified Collision ▪ American Honda Motor Co. | Chris Tobie, Collision Business Specialist ▪ Toyota Motor Sales, USA | Eric Mendoza, Collision Repair & Refinish Training Assistant Manager The second panel will feature diagnostic equipment and service providers that have developed technological solutions for the industry. The conversation will identify different mechanisms available to the collision repair community and address the unique challenges and advantages associated with each. Repairers in attendance will leave with a better understanding of options available to their business. The panel will include: ▪ AirPro Diagnostics, LLC | Chuck Olsen, Executive Director of Operations ▪ Robert Bosch LLC | Bob Pattengale, Training Manager ▪ Collision Diagnostic Services |

ARA Applauds Introduction of New OEM Parts Indemnification Legislation

In September, Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would require automotive manufacturers to provide OEM parts data to professional automotive recyclers and other vehicle owners.

The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) commends the initiative, which the organization feels will “help protect consumers, support small businesses, and improve vehicle safety,” according to ARA CEO Michael Wilson.

The newly proposed legislation, HR5967, expands upon the new federal requirement included in the 2015 Highway Bill, which requires manufacturers to provide parts data for recall automotive parts. In addition to requiring automotive manufacturers to provide consumers with all part names, part numbers and build sheet data specific to individual VINs, HR5967 would dictate that automotive manufacturers provide this information in a standardized format via web access

which is electronically searchable with batch access to the information.

Congress has already shown support for requiring automotive manufacturers to provide automotive recyclers with parts data for all parts through the version of the Highway Bill introduced by Rep. Kinzinger, which has passed the House of Representatives. In Europe, automotive manufacturers are legally obligated to provide this information to insurance estimating companies and automotive service and repair facilities in the U.S. “Having the parts data on all vehicle parts allows professional automotive recyclers to more precisely match the needs of a consumer with the VIN specific vehicle,” Wilson pointed out. “Every consumer deserves access to a competitive replacement parts marketplace. We believe there is strong bipartisan support in Congress for protecting consumers’ service and repair rights that help ensure a level playing field for a fair and open marketplace for consumers.”

66 NOVEMBER 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Doug Kelly, CEO ▪ Snap-On Diagnostics | Jason Gabrenas, National Diagnostics Trainer ▪ I-CAR | Jason Bartanen, Director - Industry Technical Relations According to SCRS, this is a “can’t miss” session. “The future of the collision repair industry is highly skilled professionals working on highly sophisticated automobiles that require the industry to embrace the necessary investments in training and equipment; but it also relies on informed business owners who understand how to define for themselves what a sustainable and successful business model to support that investment looks like,” a statement from the SCRS read.

Attendees are encouraged to register early, as space will be limited for each of these sessions.

The 2016 OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit is made possible with support from Capital One® Spark Business®; PPG Automotive Refinish; Audatex; AkzoNobel; BASF; CCC Information Services Inc; Reliable Automotive Equipment; and Toyota Motor Sales, USA. For more information, visit www .scrs.com.

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Mike Cassata Joins AR Direct

AR Direct (AR.Direct) has an- cusing on Customer Service, Making nounced that Mike Cassata will the Most of Your DRP Relationships consult/serve as director of industry and Salvage Handling for DRP partrelations and technical advisor for ners. Cassata’s company, Hammer the company.

Insights, welcomes additional oppor“Mike brings a wealth of expe- tunities and speaking engagements. rience in the insurance, “Hammer Insights is salvage and collision invery excited about our reladustries in all facets of the tionship with ARD,” CasAPD claims cycle,” said sata said. “I invite all of my Barry Barbee, executive industry friends and coldirector of AR.Direct. “We leagues to take a close look are extremely fortunate to at what ARD has to offer. have Mike Cassata on Barry Barbee has put toboard in a technical advigether a very capable and Mike Cassata sory and industry relations knowledgeable staff to asfile photo role at AR.Direct. We are sist with the evaluation and proud to be a process leader in sal- claims process. I am looking forward vage returns, total loss compliance to representing ARD at industry events tools, APD claim support, vehicle and to assisting them with technical donations and auction platforms.” claims processes.”

Prior to joining AR.Direct, CasCassata is a past president of sata served in numerous leadership Greater Rochester Autobody Craftsroles at AMICA Insurance. men Guild and founding member Cassata has been speaking at and former chair of the Rochester industry events spreading the word ICAR Committee. He is also a memabout customer service, DRP rela- ber of the National Auto Body Countionships, the importance of proper cil, the WIN Network, and is a CIC photo and file documentation, ser- Gold-pin member. vant leadership, team building and pre and post scanning. According to AR.Direct, he is working with AMi, www.autobodynews.com developing DRP-centric classes fo-

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PCI Says CFA Insurance Rating Study is Flawed

The following statement by the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) is in response to the recent study by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) regarding auto insurance rating. The following statement is attributed to David Snyder, PCI’s vice president of policy development and research.

“The CFA’s latest study on auto insurance pricing is flawed and misleading. The central flaw in the report is that it fails to take into account that all the rating and underwriting factors insurers use are proven to increase the accuracy of predicting the risk of loss.

“Additionally, the driver profiles used by the CFA provide an apples to oranges comparison which calls into question their findings and conclusions. Without an apples to apples comparison, it is impossible to isolate the impact of individual factors as the CFA attempts to do by singling out a driver with a driving under the influence conviction. A component of one profile indicated that the driver went six months without insurance, which is a significant factor in predicting risk.

“The main factors that determine what a driver pays for insurance

include things such as the number of years of driving experience, previous claims, miles driven, the type of vehicle and type of coverage purchased.

Insurers use a wide variety of factors To advertise that have proven to be effective in call Advertising at: predicting the likelihoodSales of someone filing an800-699-8251 insurance claim or having a loss. By using a variety of rating factors, insurers are able to develop a e-mail: advertising@autobodynews.com more complete picture of a driver’s potential for filing a claim and in this waywww.autobodynews.com more accurately price the policy.

“Consumers should rest assured that auto insurance pricing is closely scrutinized by state insurance regulators and is subject to rigorous actuarial standards which ensure that all rating factors comply with the law.

“If consumers are not happy with an insurance quote or the cost of Be Seen Our Readers! insurance, theybycan always shop around for a better price another CALL Advertising or Sales at: company among the dozens of competitors in each marketplace. The auto insurance market is highly competitiveadvertising@autobodynews.com and consumers have a large variety of choices. “Insurers use approved ratingwww.autobodynews.com factors that accurately predict loss and we reject CFA’s attempt to characterize factors that measure risk as ‘social economic,’ these factors are highly regulated and based on cost.”

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Service King Breaks Recycled Rides Donation Record

The gift of a new vehicle helped change the lives of needy families in 15 cities across the country in September as part of a massive giveaway effort conducted by Service King Collision Repair Centers and its teammates. The event marked the company’s 40th Anniversary while breaking the record for the largest

donation by an auto repair company in the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides program’s history.

Service King and its teammates have handed over the keys to more than 40 refurbished vehicles this year as part of its Great American Recycled Rides Giveaway, each repaired voluntarily by the company’s technicians and delivered to a family selected by local non-profit organizations.

“Positively impacting our communities remains a cornerstone to Service King’s greater purpose as a family teammates,” Service Theofsource for said timely

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King president and 28-year teammate Jeff McFadden. “We uniquely recognize the impact a vehicle, and dependable transportation, has on the lives of families who need it most. It’s our sincere hope the volunteer efforts of our teammates and these vehicles touched lives in a positive way.”

The recent Great American Recycled Rides Giveaway provided vehicles to single mothers, transitioning homeless families, military veterans and more in cities across the country including Dallas, Houston, Tampa, Atlanta, San Antonio, Murfreesboro, Dublin, Bellflower and more.

On September 18, the effort took center stage at Chicagoland Speedway in front of more than 50,000 fans as Service King presented keys to a pair of recipients from the Women With Drive Foundation, which helps at-risk women achieve self-sufficiency.

Service King is a longtime partner of the Recycled Rides initiative, which has successfully donated more Promote your vehicles business than 1,000 refurbished to with families in need across the U.S. since an exclusive article featuring its inception in 2007. products visit or services.

Foryour more information, www .ServiceKing.com.

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Many Steps Add to Huge Productivity Gains

up front is one step but expediting parts, mirror matching parts and ensuring all parts are received before dispatching the repair, is another huge Recently I had the opportunity to sit in undertaking for the parts department. on a meeting with shop ownThis allows the vehicle to be ers discussing cycle time and “ready” to process for the touch time. The conversation technicians. The vehicle and centered on their KPI’s and parts cart need to be “kitted” how they thought implewith everything required for menting Damage Analysis the repair. and Blueprinting would imThink of your doctor or prove their output. Many dentist office – all paperwork, were stunned that their times supplies, tools and patient are Judy Lynch were not moving quickly just inspected and checked in beby adding a Damage Analysis bay. fore the physician actually sees the paWhat they failed to realize is that there tient. This should hold true for the is not one magic bullet for improving vehicle before it hits your production cycle time or touch time, but a require- floor! ment of several steps that together, will Although the above is imperative contribute to major production im- to reducing cycle time, there are also provements. many other factors in play. When the The concept of Damage Analysis vehicle is brought into the repair has many steps that need to be identi- process, it should be “pulled” through fied: Actually disassembling the vehi- your facility until completion. If it is cle, identifying all hidden damage, not, you need to ask your technician: ordering the correct parts, verifying “why the vehicle is idle?” parts received and then actually “kit- • Do you continue to have suppleting” the car for the technician to re- ments? Return to the Damage Analysis pair. This in itself is a major cultural and improve the process shift for many shops but the real • Are incorrect parts realized at time process is much deeper than this. Dis- of replacement? Improve mirror matchassembling and identifying all damage ing and parts receiving SOP’s

by Judy Lynch, Marketing Manager, Collision Repair Design Service, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes

• Are all the tools & equipment in working condition? Ensure each technician has the correct tools/equipment for task • Are supplies in the area necessary for specific task? Assemble mobile carts with specific supplies

• Is there large equipment (frame racks) in the shop not being utilized?

If so, then free up productive floor space • Are there quality issues when passing vehicles to the next technician?

Address training and/or SOP’s • Is one area of the shop outproducing another? Level your production and staff As you can see, many issues contribute to the cycle time of vehicles and reduce the touch time shown in your monthly reports.

Be aware that although improving one task can make an impact in your shop, multiple small improvements add up to large productivity gains. Want to know how to improve your cycle time?

Observe your shop floor with a Implementing Damage Analysis and Blueprinting are a good fresh set of eyes and talk to your start; but there are several more steps to consider when technicians! reducing cycle time Judy Lynch, Marketing Man• Are “dead” cars sitting in produc- ager, Collision Repair Design Service, tive work bays? Ask why – up to five for Sherwin-Williams Automotive Fintimes – if you need to get to root cause ishes, brings 29 years’ experience within of why this vehicle is even inside the the automotive industry and has become shop a key resource for assisting collision re• Is there sufficient lighting and/or pair facilities improve their performance space for each task? Mask off floor and enable them to become profitable areas to create process flow as neces- and productive in this changing econsary omy.

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