November 2019 Southwest Edition by Autobody News

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Vol. 37 / Issue 11 / November 2019

5th Annual Texas Trade Show Breaks Records, ABAT Announces Merger With HABA

Speakers Discuss Need to Know and Follow OEM Calibration Steps for ADAS

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

by John Yoswick

The Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT) hosted its 5th Annual Texas Auto Body Trade Show at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas, on During the 5th Annual Texas Auto Body Trade Show, ABAT’s main goal was to ensure that every attendee learned Sept. 20 and 21. Attracting something they didn’t know before, and based on the hundreds of collision repair feedback they’ve received, their goal was accomplished. industry professionals from Credit: Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc. Texas and around the country, the show broke every previous seminars, and learn about exhibitors’ year’s attendance record, with atten- latest products and services. ABAT dees excited to network with peers, also used the opportunity to publicly See ABAT Announces Merger, Page 24 engage in invaluable educational

George Lesniak, Autel’s director of sales and training, said one of the biggest challenges for shops working to follow OEM collision repair procedures – in particular, the steps necessary for calibration of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) – is the variation among automakers. “There’s a complete lack of consistency across the different OEMs when it comes to their service information: where that information is located, where you find the procedures and specifications,” Lesniak said during the recent Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) “Connex” conference. But some of the challenges shops encounter in following OEM proce-

Walker High School in Walker, LA, Opens Body Shop for Instruction

Walker High School students interested in a career in automotive repair and maintenance can get hands-on experience and earn certification. The new job opportunity is thanks to a new 1,200square-foot paint and body shop that’s been constructed on the campus in Walker, The shop will give students hands-on training in automotive LA. painting and repairs, which will qualify them to earn certification in the industry. Pictured from left to right: Gerry Lane The new facility houses Enterprises President Eric Lane Walker; School Board two bays, one for holding Member Bo Graham; Career Technical Education Coordinator the painting booth and the Staci Polozola; Walker High School Principal Jason St. Pierre; other for bodywork lesand Walker High School CTE Teacher Chris Ledoux.

by Staff, WAFB 9 News

Credit: Livingston Parish Schools

dures, he said, has little to do with that inconsistency in how the information is organized. “The one thing that I’ve found to be very consistent is technicians’ ability to skip steps,” Lesniak said. “The key skill set required to do calibrations is the ability to read, interpret and follow complex instructions and make detailed measurements. Knowing how to use a metric tape measure is absolutely foreign to most technicians. We’ve found that 50 percent of calibration failures come down to missing or skipping steps in those preliminary instructions.” Those steps, he said, include having the required space with the right environmental conditions, such as proper lighting, and ensuring that nothing is interfering with the field See Speakers Discuss, Page 13

Collision Repair Shops Learn How to Attract, Retain Military Veterans by John Yoswick

Collision repair businesses of all sizes have a potential talent pool of new employees, including those conclud-

See Walker High School, Page 26

Roxann Griffith of the Department of Labor said military veterans can be a good source of new employees for collision repair businesses of all sizes.

ing their service in the U.S. military, according to a speaker at this past summer’s Collision Industry Conference in Indianapolis.

Roxann Griffith, with the U.S. Department of Labor’s employment and training services, said Texasbased Service King, which operates more than 340 shops in 24 states, has hired hundreds of veterans over four years. Griffith encourages body shops to hire those who have served our country in any capacity by sharing tips and resources with collision repair businesses on how to hire and retain those who have exited the military. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “Hiring Our Heroes” program, for example, offers free hiring fairs on military bases and at other locations around the country, she said. Those looking to hire veterans should check out the advice and resources included in the free 22-page See Military Veterans, Page 44

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NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

CONTENTS

A Texas School Receives a Donation Towards Its Automotive Program

REGIONAL

COLUMNISTS

5th Annual Texas Trade Show Breaks

Anderson - ‘Skate to Where the Puck Is Going,

With HABA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 A Baytown, Texas, Body Shop Accuses Competitor of Unfair Practices. . . . . . . . . . . 46 A Texas School Receives a Donation Towards Its Automotive Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 ABAT Seeks to Expand, Notes Growth in San Antonio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Not Where It Has Been’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Antonelli - Cheerleader, Gymnastics Coach, Collision Repair Student All in One. . . . . . . . 20 Attanasio - Do You Know Anyone Who Needs to “Digitally Diet?” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Ledoux - The 1980s – “A Time of Awakening”. . 33

Attanasio - Podium Based in Lehi, UT, Poised

Importance of Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

NATIONAL Amazon Buys 100,000 Rivian Electric Trucks

to Perform for Body Shops Online . . . . . . . . 22

in Pursuit of Carbon Neutrality. . . . . . . . . . . 52

Collision Works Acquires DeShields. . . . . . . . . 36

Boyd Autobody & Glass President to Retire . . . 54

Colorado Springs Body Shop Owner Is Under Investigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Ford Picks Austin, TX, for Self-Driving Vehicle Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Fort Morgan, CO, Hosts 19th Fall Harvest Car Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Gerber Collision & Glass Acquires Three Locations in South Carolina. . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Group 1 Automotive Reports Aftermath of Tropical Storm Imelda in Texas . . . . . . . . 18 Navy Vet Receives Free Car at Service King in Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 RI, OK, and WV Top the Nation for Worst Road Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Sisk - Rick White Teaches ASA North Texas to Succeed and Conquer With KPIs . . . . . . . 16 Texas Shop Partners With ATEQ TPMS Tools to Give Tools for Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

force, or for those who simply want to learn more about engines. Martin High School Teacher Jesus Quijano says the purpose of the course is to have students jobready. Quijano says they appreciate everything that has been done for the program. Students have already been able to work with the engine as of this weekend. We thank KGNS News for reprint permission.

Sisk - ASA’s September Webinar Emphasizes

ASA-CO’s 2nd Annual Golf Tournament Supports Scholarship Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Kids at a local high school will be able to get hands-on experience thanks to a local business. A donation by Family Chevrolet of Laredo, Texas, will give Martin High School students the opportunity to further extend their auto mechanics education after a V8 engine was donated to the automotive program. The program coordinator says this will be a big help for all students who are looking to enter the job

CIECA Unveils New Logo & Announces Winner of Logo Refresh Contest . . . . . . . . . 50 Collision Repair Shops Learn How to Attract, Retain Military Veterans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Does Automatic Emergency Braking With Pedestrian Detection Work? . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Effective Repair Planning Utilizing PCE (Process-Centered Environment) . . . . . . . . . 38 Millennials Will Keep the Car Alive, Says Report . 4 MNCARS Expands Efforts to Promote Careers . 49 Speakers Discuss Need to Know, Follow OEM Calibration Steps for ADAS . . . . . . . . . . 1 Tesla Pickup Truck Still on Track for November Unveiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Tesla’s ‘Holographic Glass’ Patent Makes Way for Better Vehicle Displays . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Volkswagen CEO Claims That the Shift to Electric Cars Won’t Hurt Margins. . . . . . . . . . 4

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

Records, ABAT Announces Merger

by Staff, KGNS News

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Contributing Writers: John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr, Stacey Phillips, Victoria Antonelli, Gary Ledoux Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano, Kelly Hall (800) 699-8251 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Digital Marketing Manager: Bill Pierce Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Vicki Sitarz Online and Web Content Editor: Alexis Wilson Accounting Manager: Heather Priddy Editorial/Sales Assistant: Randi Scholtes Office Assistant: Dianne Pray

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. ©2019 Adamantine Media LLC.

Accuvision-3D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Fowler Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

AkzoNobel Coatings, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . 49

Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists, LLC . . . . . 18

Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts

Autobody News Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com editor@autobodynews.com

Audi South Austin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-29

Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . 53

Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . . . 50

AutoNation Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram

Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . 51

of North Phoenix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Launch Tech USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 23

Malco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Big Mike Naughton Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Matrix Automotive Finishes . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Blowtherm USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Mercedes-Benz of Littleton . . . . . . . . . . . 27

BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . 48

Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers . 46

Bob Howard PDC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Mirka USA, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Car-O-Liner Southwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 42

Certified Automotive Parts Association . . . 24

MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . 31

Chevyland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Motor Guard Corp.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Christopher’s Dodge World . . . . . . . . . . . 27

North Freeway Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Classic BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

O’Reilly Auto Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Part of the Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Covert-Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram. . . . . . 22

Peak Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Dallas Dodge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

PPG Refinish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Dent Fix Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Ray Huffines Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Diamond Standard Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

SATA Dan-Am Company . . . . . . . . . . 15, 25

Dominion Sure Seal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center . . . . . . . 10-11

Eckler’s Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Sorbothane Soft-Blow Mallet . . . . . . . . . . 30

ECS Automotive Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

South Pointe Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge . . . . . 12

Emich Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Spanesi Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Emich Volkswagen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Stevinson Toyota West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Equalizer Industries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . 52

Finnegan Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge . . . . . . . . . 2

Symach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Fisher Acura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Toyota of Laredo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Fisher Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . 46

Flatirons Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 27

Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . 42

Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . 44

Young Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Tesla’s ‘Holographic Glass’ Patent Makes Way for Better Vehicle Displays Screen Color Matching,” outlines a way for the electric car maker to imThe user experience of Tesla’s electric prove the viewing angles of its vehicars is centered mostly on the vehicles’ displays. In the patent, Tesla cles’ large, high-resolution displays. notes that “because display screens Coupled with custom software that typically have a periodic micro-strucprovides a quick, smartphone-like ex- ture (e.g., a pixelated structure), the perience, Tesla’s screens in its vehi- color of the display screen may be cles are already among the best in the dependent on the angle at which a auto industry. But in the spirit of the viewer is looking at the display company’s habit of constant innova- screen.” This results in viewing antion, it appears that Tesla is looking gles that have significant room for to improve the quality of its dis- improvement, even among highquality screens. plays even more. “The non-displaying portions of the device may be unable to match this angular color dependence of the display screen, resulting in a readily visible boundary between the display screen and the non-displaying portions of the device. Accordingly, there is a need for better color integration between the displaying portions of a device and the Tesla model 3 vehicle display. Credit: Andres GE, non-displaying portions of Teslarati.com the device,” Tesla wrote. To address this, Tesla opted to A recently published patent from the electric car maker, titled utilize a pigmented frame and index “Holographic Decorated Glass for match glue to coat its vehicles’ by Simon Alvarez, Teslarati.com

Millennials Will Keep the Car Alive, Says Report by Gavin Braithwaite-Smith, Motoring Research

Millennials hold the key to reversing the slump in the automotive industry, according to the Millennials and Auto Trends Report. Market uncertainty, anti-diesel legislation, low emission zones and the popularity of ride-hailing apps such as Uber paint a gloomy picture for the industry. But the survey of 2,150 millennials (aged 23 to 28) from across the world presents a brighter outlook. In Europe, 79% of millennials already own a vehicle, while half of the respondents who do not own a car expect to buy one within the next five years.

Interestingly, despite the common perception of millennials as an environmentally conscious generation, petrol and diesel are the engines of choice for 53%. On the flip side, that would suggest 47% of the respondents drive an alternative fuel vehicle (AFV). Perhaps surprisingly, 82% of the respondents have never used a ride-hailing app or use them less than once a week. Those who thought the rise of Uber, carsharing schemes and short term rentals would kill the car could be mistaken. What Do Millennials Look for in a Car? What’s important to young car buyers? The infotainment system? Smartphone

ference in user experience. A car that boasts some of the most advanced automotive tech available in the auto segment today, after all, deserves a screen that is on par with some of the best mobile devices on the market. Tesla’s display design outlined in its recently published patent can come in handy as well, particularly as the electric car maker introduces more updates to its fleet of vehicles. Among these is a “Fade Mode,” which Elon Musk has hinted at in the past. While responding to a Twitter follower last year, Musk responded positively to the suggestion of adding an option that allows drivers to dim their vehicles’ display while a car is in motion. This, together with An illustration depicting a system where a display is features like V10’s Joe surrounded by a holographic glass panel. Credit: US Mode, could help make Patent Office long trips in Tesla’s electric A color-matched display with vehicles much more convenient for optimal viewing angles might be a passengers. rather minor aspect of a vehicle, but for connected cars such as Tesla’s, it We thank Teslarati.com for reprint is these little things that make a dif- permission. screens, as well as a holographic glass panel. By adopting these techniques, Tesla expects to provide its vehicles with a screen that can offer optimal viewing angles for all passengers. This is especially useful when paired with the company’s entertainment features such as Tesla Theater or Tesla Arcade.

connectivity? The color? Not necessarily. More than half of the respondents said price is an important consideration, which suggests competitive PCP deals could be around for a little while longer. Other factors include fuel economy (59%), style (34%) and safety (30%). Paul Teuten, managing director at Duff & Phelps, the company behind the survey, said: “Our Millennials and Auto Trends Report challenges conventional wisdom that millennials prefer alternatives to car ownership and provides encouraging evidence that millennials will drive the automotive industry forward. “The European findings, in partic-

Volkswagen CEO Claims That the Shift to Electric Cars Won’t Hurt Margins by Chris Young, Interesting Engineering

Volkswagen doesn’t expect its new focus on electric cars—in order to avoid heavy EU regulatory sanctions —to hurt its profit margins, Chief Executive Herbert Diess reported in a newspaper. Diess claimed the car manufacturer expects to sell nearly 20,000 Audi e-Tron in 2019, and also highlighted the fact that the electric Porsche Taycan was already sold out, in its first year of production. 4

Strong Sales in Electric As Reuters reports, Diess said, “we do not expect a deterioration in margins,” in an interview with daily la Repubblica’s supplement A&F. “Our advantage is that all our brands have the same platform for electric products and the same batteries that we buy in China,” Diess claimed. In his reports, Diess also said that orders for the VW ID.3, the group’s recently revealed compact electric model, are already covering the production planned until mid-2020.

NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

A Drop in Chinese Sales Rather than the shift to electric, Diess claimed he is concerned about the trade war between the U.S. and China, which has caused a drop in Volkswagen’s Chinese sales — though the company’s market share in the country has grown over the past six months, to 19%. Despite this, Diess emphasizes that Volkswagen is not planning to reduce its efforts and cut exposure in the Chinese market. In a 2017 press conference, the

ular with over 80% of millennials never or rarely using ride-hailing and car-sharing services, underscores this and casts doubt on the presumed notion that ride-hailing services are increasingly used by this population. The automotive industry should take note and adapt to this by continuing to make the right technological investments to satisfy millennial preferences.” With 77% of the respondents saying car ownership is a necessity for independence, it’s going to take a major shift in culture and legislation to release the automobile’s grip on our lives. We thank Motoring Research for reprint permission. company said it would invest $40 billion into electric vehicles. Since then, it has stuck to its word by investing in the Audi e-Tron, Porsche Taycan, electric Beetle, and other electric vehicles. It has done so, in large part, to avoid billions of euros in European pollution fines. We thank Interesting Engineering for reprint permission. We thank Motoring Research for reprint permission.

autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Navy Vet Receives Free Car at Service King in Texas Service King Collision partnered with GEICO and local charity, Allies in Service, to donate a 2015 Honda Accord to Bernard Gourlay, a local Navy veteran, through the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides program.

Thank you, Service King, GEICO, and Recycled Rides for recognizing those who have given so much to us!” Service King has a longstanding partnership with the NABC. One of the organization’s most memorable contributions includes the donation of over 40 vehicles to families in need on the same day in celebration of Service King’s 40th Anniversary.

Credit: Service King Collision

The ceremony took place Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019, at Service King’s 808 S. Central Expressway location in Richardson, Texas. “Service King and GEICO have given so much more than a vehicle to Bernard. They have given him hope for a brighter tomorrow through the Recycled Rides program,” says Allies in Service Chief Operating Officer David L. Whitley, MSgt, USAF (Ret.). “It touched my heart to see all of the people who made this day possible for Bernard.

Bernard Gourlay, recipient of the 2015 Honda Accord. Credit: Service King Collision

“Service King was honored to be a part of this event on 9/11 in partnership with Allies in Service and GEICO,” says Service King Market Vice President Matt Robbins. “To have the opportunity to give back to our local veterans is part of the Service King way.”

NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Texas Shop Partners With ATEQ TPMS Tools to Give Tools for Schools by Chasidy Rae Sisk

Jeff Buckley, owner of My Father’s Shop in Midlothian, Texas, partnered with ATEQ TPMS Tools & Solutions for the second year to give away three ATEQ VT36 tools to deserving automotive high schools, technical centers or colleges. Buckley stated, “I am so honored and excited to be involved with great companies that believe in giving back. It means a lot for the instructors to have the latest technology to teach on today’s vehicles. This is a great concept to support the schools; we are investing in the future of our industry.” ATEQ donated two tools, while Buckley will contribute a third tool. Buckley explained, “My hope is that contests like this will encourage other shop owners to get involved with their local school programs. I also hope this encourages other companies to find ways to help our future techs and the educational programs where they are trained. Last year’s winners were so excited about the TPMS tools, and this year, I’ve

had a couple larger schools ask how they can help a smaller program in the next town. Wow, when we all come together – that’s what makes an idea really succeed!”

The contest began on Oct. 7 in honor of National Car Care Month, and to enter, students submitted a video explaining why their school deserves the tool. Buckley said, “ATEQ TPMS has the fastest tool on the market, and it works with the OEs and sensor manufacturers. I love collaborating with great companies who create products that exceed performance expectations and show they care about the industry’s future by investing in students and their educations.”

autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Ford Picks Austin, TX, for Self-Driving Vehicle Testing by Tony Cantú, Downtown Austin Patch

The Ford Motor Co. has picked Austin as the third city to launch a commercial self-driving vehicle expected to be on the roads by 2021, according to reports. CNBC reported Ford and self-driving technology partner Argo A1 will start mapping out the city by mid-November with testing of the Ford Fusion hybrid autonomous vehicle launched as early as next year. Company officials previously reported Miami-Dade County, FL, and Washington, D.C., as the other two cities for such testing. Ford’s CEO for its autonomous vehicle unit, Sherif Marakby, told CNBC that Austin was tapped for the testing given the city’s willingness to work with the company as it deals with brisk population growth and, subsequently, increased traffic congestion. “With increased traffic, we think we can solve some issues and work with the city on understanding what the challenges are in the city,” Marakby told reporters, the news outlet reported. We thank the Downtown Austin Patch for reprint permission.

ABAT Seeks to Expand, Notes Growth in San Antonio by Chasidy Rae Sisk

The Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT) has been working to expand its reach within the state by adding chapters. Since the end of 2018, association members in the San Antonio area have been working to organize a series of educational opportunities for local collision repair

industry professionals to help them stay up-to-date on the industry’s constantly evolving technology, requirements and concerns. Manuel Rubio, ABAT board member and owner of Miracle Paint & Body, has been actively involved in this initiative. He states, “In San Antonio or in any market throughout

NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

the country, you’re able to visit with peers within your industry. There’s always information to share on the challenges of proper repairs, technology, equipment, ongoing education, better estimating, and understanding insurance companies and their positions.” Rubio said it’s important for collision repair professionals to share information to help create a stronger, more professional industry that safely repairs vehicles. He points out, “I try to encourage everyone who’s in our business and association to hold their heads up high and keep doing good work for their customers – the owners of the cars. Make sure you take care of them and that they’re happy, and they’ll go back to you if their car is wrecked again.” The San Antonio chapter’s most recent meeting attracted almost 100 collision repair industry professionals and featured an update on ABAT’s recent legislative activities delivered by ABAT President Burl Richards. The meeting also included a special role-play with Richards acting as an adjuster while John Booker of Crossroads Collision Center assumed the role of a

shop owner, and the pair demonstrated ways to improve documentation and the explanation of necessary supplemental items when discussing with insurers. The chapter next plans to host the first ABAT Holiday Celebration as well as other member gatherings, and Rubio encourages other industry professionals in Texas to get involved with their local chapter or to form a local chapter if one is not already available. “We’re lucky that we get to operate under the umbrella of ABAT. They are fighting for the entire state, so we’re a branch or division. There are more resources, because we’re not just hearing thoughts and ideas for San Antonio. We’re branched out with Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Lubbock … It’s statewide knowledge and information. Once these chapters form within cities, then we’re all brothers. The door is open.”

For more information about ABAT and its upcoming events, visit abat.us.

www.autobodynews.com

UPDATED DAILY

autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

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NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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Parts Local: 806-798-4013 autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

ASA-CO’s 2nd Annual Golf Tournament Supports Scholarship Fund

fabulous prizes.” The day of golf, contests, On Sept. 7, ASA-CO hosted its prizes and networking opportuni2nd Annual Golf “Fore” ASA ties served to support the associtournament at Walnut Creek Golf ation’s initiatives and raise money for its automotive student scholarship fund with Lincoln Tech. “It is great to come together as a community,” Massaro stated. “This year’s event was a huge success, and ASA-CO is grateful to everyone who parASA-CO members had a great time at the 2nd Annual ticipated as a golfer Golf Tournament. Credit: ASA-CO and as a sponsor.” Preserve in Bloomfield, CO. According to ASA-CO Executive For more information about ASADirector Julie Massaro, “Our 2nd CO and its future events, visit asaAnnual Golf Tournament went colorado.org. great, and we had 122 golfers, nearly double the number we had at our first one in 2018. Everyone had a great time golfing at a wonderful course, and lunch provided an opportunity for everyone to network, plus attendees had a chance to win a variety of by Chasidy Rae Sisk

NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Colorado Springs Body Shop Owner Is Under Investigation by Stephanie Sierra, KRDO News

Big promises and zero return: several complaints have been made against a local auto body repair shop accused of defrauding customers before vanishing. Over the past three years, complaints have piled up against Dan Donner of Concept Auto Body in Colorado Springs. “My El Camino was just sitting there torn up,” said William Lanier, the owner of a local speed shop. Lanier hired Donner in 2016 to spruce up his El Camino. Lanier traded an engine for the work. “It was worth $3,570,” he said. A year later after constant calls and texts, Lanier never heard back. “Shortly after, I found it all torn up down the street from my shop,” said Lanier. The same thing happened to Troy Matos. “I’m out like $1,000 to $1,200,” Matos said. Matos hired Donner in March 2016 to do paint and repair work on his truck. “He never did any work to it,”

he said. Both Lanier and Matos never heard from him again until recently, when Donner’s company ads resurfaced on Facebook. Reporter Stephanie Sierra interviewed him on the phone. “Do you have any intention on getting back to these people?” we asked. At some point, I plan on making things right,” Donner said. “In some of these cases, it’s been a three-year period. Do you think that’s fair to your customers?” we asked. “No it isn’t,” he said. “So where is the money now?” we asked. “Uh. Gone. Like I said, I made some bad decisions,” Donner said. “Are you going to make this a priority now to get that money back to them?” “Uh as soon as I can, yes.” We thank KRDO News for reprint permission.

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Speakers Discuss

of “view” of any sensors. “I actually got called out by a customer who couldn’t get this vehicle calibrated. He had tried multiple times,” Lesniak said. “They sent me out to trouble-shoot, and there was what looked like a grasshopper splattered right in the middle of the camera on the windshield. Step number one in the instructions was to make sure the windshield is clean, especially in front of the camera. They skipped the basic steps.” Lesniak was just one of several speakers discussing OEM procedures and ADAS calibrations during the CIECA conference, held in Charlottesville, VA. Sean Guthrie, director of operations for the seven Car Crafters Collision Centers in Albuquerque, N.M., said one thing he thinks may slow the expected reduction in claims count based on ADAS is whether consumers are buying vehicles equipped with such systems. He said he and his wife were recently in the market for a new

with that technology. They said, ‘It’s simple, Sean: We don’t sell them. And if we do sell them, the customer wants us to turn it all off. So why would we have a car on the lot that’s $6,000 more for something that someone is just going to turn off?’” Guthrie thinks it may just be that consumers aren’t seeking out ADAS because it’s not something that is being marketed to them. Regardless, Guthrie said his company is working to do more of ADAS calibrations inhouse, in part because dealerships often aren’t prepared to do so. He believes that even shops subletting the work should still research the calibration procedures to know George Lesniak (right) of Autel said technicians often skip important steps in the calibration process. Other speakers what needs to be done. on the panel included (from left) Mark Allen of Audi, Sean “It’s disappointing how Guthrie of Car Crafters Collision Centers, and Darrell often when you tell dealerAmberson of LaMettry’s Collision. Credit: Sheri LaFlamme ships, ‘We removed and remodel to the top tier, there wasn’t one installed all these things, and replaced available with the full ADAS suite. I these things, so this is what we need asked the dealer why is it that your calibrated,’ they look at you and say, cars are among the safest out there, ‘But it drives fine and there are no with the most available technology, codes or dash lights,’” Guthrie said. yet you don’t have one on the lot “This is from a dealership that sells

car and found no dealer in their region with the model vehicle they wanted that included all the ADAS features the automaker makes available for that vehicle. “It wasn’t just a matter of finding one in the trim model we wanted,” Guthrie said. “From the base of that

and services that vehicle. Unfortunately, more than once we’ve had an argument with a dealership about what needs to be done. We couldn’t have that argument unless we knew the OEM repair procedures.” He said subletting the work also doesn’t relieve a shop from the liability that ADAS calibrations were done fully and properly. The only way to ensure that has happened is to road-test the vehicles, something his company does even if a dealer did the calibration work on a sublet basis and should have done its own road test. “We’ve picked up many cars after they get done at the dealership and had to turn right back around and take it back because they’re not calibrated right,” Guthrie said. “You have to test drive the car to know that. And you need to test every system, not just the ones you affected [during repairs] because they all talk, they all work together. If you affect one, you may have affected five.” Guthrie said although it varies by make and model, dynamic system calibrations and post-calibration road tests often require two people. See Speakers Discuss, Page 42

autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Fort Morgan, CO, Hosts 19th Fall Harvest Car Show by Doug Larkey, The Fort Morgan Times

Once upon a time in a faraway land called Detroit, there lived Titans named General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Chrysler. They built four-wheeled chariots that were bigger, faster and trimmed in chrome. For three days beginning on Friday, Sept. 20, many of these chariots were parked along Main Street in Fort Morgan, CO.

tage tractors. The tractor winners were: Larry Lenhardt with a 1937 John Deere A; Bruce and Lois Allen with a 1939 Farmall A; Lenhardt with a 1939 John Deere BR; Tony Baltazar with a 1958 John Deere 720 and John Eisenach with a 1941 John Deere B. The Colorado State Patrol had a car that was dedicated to remembering the troopers who had died in the line of duty, and they had it on display. “This car has the initials of Corporal Daniel Groves and his badge number,” Trooper Marty Plakorus said. “It also has the names of Colorado State Troopers who have died in the line of duty since 1935. It’s a 2018 Dodge Charger.”

Ron Motley makes sure his ’30 Ford Firetruck is good and shiny Saturday, Sept. 21, for the Fall Harvest Car Show. The Brighton resident received a Top 50 award at this year’s show. Credit: Doug Larkey, The Fort Morgan Times

A total of 304 participants took part in the 19th annual Fall Harvest Car Show in downtown Fort Morgan. There were luxury cars, classic hot rods, ‘60s muscle cars, customized pick-ups, tractors and more. The show kicked off on Friday, Sept. 20 with the vehicles’ owners getting registered and claiming their spots.

The Juke Joint Cruisers played on Friday, Sept. 20, in the Dahms-Talton Band Shell on the first night of the 2019 Fall Harvest Car Show. Credit: Doug Larkey,The Fort Morgan Times

On Sunday, Sept. 22, the car show awards were handed out, bringing the show to a close. David Sharman, of Brush, CO, was a Top 50 winner for his 1929 Ford Model A. “I got it in 1957. I worked on it off and on and finally decided to get it done,” Sharman said. “I got a lot of memories with it.” Cars cruise Main Street on Friday, Sept. 20, in Fort Morgan The Goetz Insurers Award during the first night of the Fall Harvest Car Show. Credit: went to a 1929 Chevy John Doug Larkey, The Fort Morgan Times Deere Roadster. On Saturday, Sept. 21, Main “It’s built on a 1929 Chevy frame Street was closed from Platte Avenue with a 327 Chevy engine. It’s made to Railroad Avenue for the car show. from John Deere parts. The cab is the On the first block were the vin- standard John Deere year round cab

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with actual John Deere Series 1 seats,” Daniel Werth of Brighton, CO, said.

Colorado State Patrol Troopers Marty Plakorus, left, and Ken Nelson display the Fallen Trooper Car during the Fall Harvest Car Show. Credit: Doug Larkey, The Fort Morgan Times

Bob and Donna Benallo of Arvada, CO, entered their 1932 Ford 5 Window Coupe and received a Top 50 award. “I built the car in 1995,” Bob Benallo said. “It’s been all over the country and it has 73,000 miles on it. In 2013, it was a National Street Rod Association winner. It’s been a good old ride.” Gary and Carol Foos of Fort Morgan were Top 50 winners with

their 1962 Chevrolet Corvette. “I’ve had this car for maybe 32 years or something like that. It’s been three different colors since I’ve had it,” Gary Foos recalled. Dan Tacker served as Master of Ceremonies for the awards presentations.

Gary Foos displays his 1962 Chevrolet Corvette in the 2019 Fall Harvest Car Show. He received a Top 50 award. Credit: Doug Larkey, The Fort Morgan Times

“The City of Fort Morgan makes this event possible,” Tacker said. “A big thank you to Fort Morgan Mayor Ron Shaver, the city council, and all of the city departments for their help.” We thank The Fort Morgan Times for reprint permission.

autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Southwest Associations with Chasidy Rae Sisk

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.

Rick White Teaches ASA North Texas to Succeed and Conquer With KPIs On Sept. 21, ASA North Texas hosted a full-day training event at Holiday Inn Express & Suites DFW West in Hurst, Texas, featuring Rick White of 180BIZ. During the morning, White presented “Succeed and Conquer

With KPIs,” and the afternoon focused on “Becoming a Talent Magnet.” An officer election was also held during the meeting, and newly elected ASA North Texas President John Firm noted, “ASA Texas prides our-

selves on bringing nationally known automotive repair industry instructors to our state so members can learn from the best without having to take on the expense of traveling around the country.” “The top shop owners and service writers from the Dallas-Fort Worth-Denton market attended Rick’s training and learned a lot,” Firm continued. “The class on KPIs was a great way to spend the morning, and we learned that we should be watching the KPIs continually instead of waiting until there’s a problem that needs to be fixed while we’re in panic mode. During the afternoon seminar on how to be a talent magnet, Rick explained how paying our techs better can help shops find better staffing from different fields.” “The classes with ASA North Texas were well received, and attendees asked lots of good questions

NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

and were very interactive,” White said before describing the seminars. “The KPI class is really all about getting people to stop thinking their business is fixing cars and recog-

Rick White of 180BIZ presented two half-day seminars to ASA North Texas members on Sept. 21. Credit: ASA North Texas

nize that their business is to create and keep customers so they can generate a profit. Understanding the benchmarks for the industry and moving towards those with a

plan is really what that seminar is all about.” Referring to his afternoon seminar on “Becoming a Talent Magnet,” White explained, “With unemployment as low as it is, 3.7% as of August 2019, the pool of qualified help has turned into a puddle, and the old ways of attracting help just doesn’t work. This session was all about helping shop owners envision the kind of business they could have, one where ideal candidates are waiting in line to work for them.” Firm agreed that the feedback from the event was great, and he was also pleased with the attendance. “There were lots of good questions asked after the class was dismissed – it seems like we stayed an extra two hours to share advice and discuss issues we all face in our shops. We had a lot more students than we originally planned for; two students called at the

autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

last minute, and we were luckily able to squeeze them in. These types of events are really important for ASA North Texas members because ongoing training and education is vital to

ASA North Texas voted in new officers during their September meeting. (l to r) Vice President Cesar Vit, President John Firm & Secretary Chris Murphy. Credit: ASA North Texas

correctly repair modern vehicles. As an association, we are able to pool our funds, plus sponsors help offset the cost of the training and even provide refreshments.” During the meeting, association members also voted in their new officers. Firm will serve as the president of the ASA North Texas Chapter

with Cesar Vit serving as vice president and Chris Murphy filling the role of secretary. Furthermore, ASA North Texas hosted a new training event on Oct. 11 and 12 with Mike Cleary of Automotive Technical Support Services who presented two classes on Auto and Truck Electrical, and Powerstroke Diesel Training. The training took place at Tarrant County College, Automotive Department in Fort Worth, Texas. On Oct. 17, ASA North Texas held its chapter meeting at the Golden Corral in Irving, Texas. Jim Silverman of the Automotive Training Institute discussed how to locate hidden money in the shop and the advantages of ATI’s program. The association also held an open discussion about digital vehicle inspections with three shops sharing their processes, which include Flex Check Auto, Bolt On and Shop Boss. Firm says, “We find it really valuable to have open discussions between shops so we can discover best processes and learn a little more about what we don’t know. Helping each other makes all of us better.”

NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Group 1 Automotive Reports Aftermath of Tropical Storm Imelda in Texas

more limited basis, as that area was significantly impacted by the flooding. Total financial damages associated with the storm are estimated at approximately $12.5-15.0 million. “Our top priority is supporting our employees in the areas affected by Tropical Storm Imelda,” said Earl J. Hesterberg, Group 1’s president and chief executive officer. “Beyond Tropical Storm Imelda causes closure of Interstate helping our employ10 in Houston. Credit: Sean Hannon, acritelyphoto, ees, we are also movShutterstock.com ing quickly to get our ages across its southeast Texas deal- stores fully online to support the erships in the aftermath of Tropical community’s needs for replacement vehicles, which includes Storm Imelda. Despite significant damage to working with our OEM partners inventory and some facilities due and other Group 1 dealerships to to extensive flooding in the region, redeploy inventory to restock our preliminary assessments indicate operations in Beaumont.” Obtained via PR Newswire. all facilities are intact. Group 1’s Houston stores reopened on Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. Operations in Beaumont, Texas, are open on a Group 1 Automotive, Inc., an international, Fortune 500 automotive retailer, announced it has completed a preliminary assessment of dam-

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autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Techs of Tomorrow with Victoria Antonelli

Victoria Antonelli is a freelance writer and model, based in Los Angeles. She has been writing for the collision industry since 2013. She can be reached at vantonelli.autobodynews@gmail.com.

Cheerleader, Gymnastics Coach, Collision Repair Student All in One Eighteen-year-old Michelle Perschall discovered her love for automobiles at the age of four when her grandparents bought her a bright yellow racing Corvette Power Wheels. Perschall’s affection grew even more when she saw the movie Cars, which inspired her to create her own

Michelle Perschall is her second year of the Kingwood Park High School collision repair program. Credit: Cheryl Perschall

extensive collection of toy vehicles from the film. When Perschall was in eighth grade, her dad came home with a baby blue Challenger, and that sealed the deal. “[The Challenger] really made me realize the beauty a car can possess in its paint and mechanical makeup,” she said. Perschall is now in her second year of the collision repair program at Kingwood Park High School in Kingwood, Texas. She said Automotive is her favorite class. “I really enjoy it because it gives me the freedom to create unique pieces along with the sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing a repair,” she added. Perschall said she is the only girl in her collision repair classes. “Exploring a male-dominated industry can be intimidating, but my instructor, Jeff Wilson, has been extremely supportive by helping me find my talents and exploring possible career opportunities with me,” she explained. Autobody News reached out to Wilson to learn more about his expe20

rience instructing Perschall. “I have taught Michelle her junior and senior years in the following courses: Automotive Basics, Collision Repair, and Refinishing,” he said. “I have worked closely with her on her major refinishing tasks for high profile projects.” Wilson said one of Perschall’s top talents is her “eye for detail.” “Michelle’s ability to retain information in the classroom and convert it to a hands-on task in the lab is remarkable,” he said. “Whether it is the breakdown of a spray gun or the actual mixing and application of paints, her tasks are done to perfection.” Perschall said she loves the car community and frequently participates in it by bringing her very own navy-blue Mustang to meets. “Experiencing all different types of people and their unique love for each of their cars is really cool,” she said. “I am also enjoying learning to work on my own car and slowly make it into the car of my dreams.”

Michelle Perschall is on the Kingwood Park High School cheerleading team and she also coaches children at her local gymnastics gym. Credit: Cheryl Perschall

Wilson added, “Michelle is passionate about connecting with people across all skill levels, whether that means exploring new ideas through collaborating with local businesses and other vehicle enthusiasts or creating events her peers can also participate in.”

NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

“Both collision repair and cheerleading take practice and dedication,” she said. Wilson added, “Beyond Michelle’s studies and cheerleading, as well as volunteer work within the community, she manages to find extra time to perfect her skills in the lab during breaks throughout the day and after school.” Perschall said her next step after high school graduation is attending university Michelle Perschall brings her navy-blue Mustang to car to get her business degree. enthusiast meet ups and shows. Credit: Natalie Lindberg “Following that I hope Photography to attend a trade school, which will help me to be Outside of the automotive realm, Perschall said she has been cheerlead- well-rounded to pursue a larger field ing since seventh grade, and also of automotive jobs,” she said. To learn more about Kingwood coaches younger kids in gymnastics, tumbling and cheerleading at her local Park High School in Kingwood, Texas, visit humbleisd.net/kphs gym.

autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Media and Publicity for Shops with Ed Attanasio

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

Podium Based in Lehi, UT, Poised to Perform for Body Shops Online It’s that special moment when the customer comes to pick up their vehicle and smiles from ear-to-ear. “Wow, it looks better than before!” “How did you do that?” “You matched the paint perfectly!” Anyone who has worked in a body shop knows how satisfying those reactions can be, but the big question is—how can you successfully monetize this amazing feedback? In most cases, the customer’s praise for a job done well never goes past the verbal stage. “We like you a lot,” they say. “But, not enough to give you a Yelp review.” If you ask directly for it, you might get lucky, but in general, it’s just another one of those things that get lost in the mix. In many ways, you can’t blame the customer for not acting promptly. Almost every time you do any transaction now, you’re asked to do a quick survey about the customer experience

… over and over again. We have become guinea pigs for the world’s marketers. Sure, they want your money, but they also covet your data, which includes your shopping habits, buying decisions and of course, online reviews.

more and more to help them improve their online reputations. It all started in 2014 when Podium’s Co-Founder Eric Rea got a call from his father, the owner of a tire shop in Canada. He was concerned about his shop’s online reviews because the verbal responses he was getting from his customers weren’t showing up the same way online. Instead of managing his online reviews, he was scrambling along and stumbling around in the dark. Can you help me, Rea’s father asked his son? Rea wanted to help his Jamie Jensen at Straightline Collision in Staten Island, NY, dad get better reviews for is experiencing an avalanche of online reviews by using the family business, but he Podium. Credit: Straightline Collision didn’t know where to start There is a fast-growing com- looking. After some initial research, pany called Podium in Lehi, UT, with he realized that existing solutions 150,000 users that shops are using were largely antiquated.

NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Simultaneously, Dennis Steele was working for a public relations firm focused on helping businesses improve their online reputations. Steele, accustomed to the process, saw many businesses and agencies were building online reputation strategies that were time-consuming and largely unsuccessful. Determined to build a better service, Rea and Steele formed a team to develop a tool that would help small businesses build their online reputation through online reviews. Almost immediately, it was clear this was a common problem for business owners. Rea and Steele rolled up their sleeves and created a product that helped local businesses to build an accurate and authentic online reputation through reviews. They quickly went from selling the product door-todoor to occupying a tiny office above a bike store, and now employs more

than 600 people. By providing one platform for customer interaction and streamlining the process of gathering reviews, Podium is stepping up and gaining national attention. The secret sauce is the fact that their system does not scare away consumers who are already asked for countless reviews all the time. Upon the completion of a repair, Podium sends the customer a brief text asking them for a review. It’s easier than doing it via an e-mail, and it’s done in three steps. The client accepts the invitation, writes the review and then with one click, it’s sent to Google, Facebook, and the Better Business Bureau (but not Yelp). We asked Podium’s Vice-President of Sales Kyle Carbine several questions about the advantages of using the system.

How does the Podium platform better the customer experience?

“The Podium platform gives businesses the ability to have critical touch-points with their cus-

tomers throughout the entire customer journey with convenient messaging,” he said. “From the customer discovery phase to the payment transaction, to asking their customers for feedback. Making all engagement between the customer and business simple, fast, and familiar.”

comes an integral part of everyday business at body shops and collision centers nationwide.” One body shop that has benefitted greatly by using Podium is Straightline Collision, a family-owned shop that has been in business on Staten Island, NY, since 1992. They have a GEICO DRP, but the majority of their customers come via word of mouth clients since they’ve been around a long time.

with customers on their term without losing touch. And regardless of what questions customers needed answered, they could count on Jensen and Straightline to respond. “Sometimes on the weekend, I’ll get something like ‘I just hit something—is this fixable?’’’ Jensen said. “And then they’ll send me a message and a picture of their car because we’re not open. It’s convenient

“Podium gives collision centers the toolset to get found more often by increasing the number of received reviews and their overall rating on Google via a review invite tool,” Carbine said. “They get connected with their potential customers more easily via a messaging platform that covers all channels of discovery for the customer. In addition, shops can get an insight via a reporting tool on what discovery channels produce higher quality leads and higher volume of leads to help them understand where they should invest more of their marketing budget. Time and time again, we see that Podium’s Customer Interaction Platform be-

The company used to be managed by the patriarch of the family, and now it is run by his daughter, Jamie Jensen. Since signing on with Podium in December, Straightline has received 30 times more reviews it originally had. The body shop has gone from 56 reviews (accumulated over the course of 27 years) to 20 reviews per month. What’s exciting for them is that due to Podium’s two-way messaging, they’ve been able to connect

because it’s a way to keep in contact with customers and them to keep in contact with us after hours, even when we’re closed.” Podium is a fast-growing company that is gaining major traction helping collision repairers with their online reputations. In the end, it all comes down to performing quality work, so when you do a great job for a customer, you deserve your due and Podium helps to make that happen.

How does Podium play an integral part in the work-life of collision centers?

“The Podium platform gives businesses the ability to have critical touch-points with their customers throughout the entire customer journey with convenient messaging,” — Kyle Carbine

autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

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ABAT Announces Merger

announce its decision to merge with the Houston Auto Body Association (HABA) to create a larger united front and better serve the industry at-large. ABAT and HABA have had a close relationship for several years. ABAT President Burl Richards communicates with HABA President John Kopriva frequently to discuss what each association has going on. Richards explained, “ABAT and HABA have been joined at the hip for some time since we’re all striving to improve the collision repair industry in Texas and create stronger businesses that perform safe, quality repairs. A lot of ABAT’s past successes have been increased due to HABA’s support and involvement, and we believe that merging the two associations will give us a louder voice and make us that much stronger.” “Together, I believe that we can get more traction and accomplish more for this industry,” Richards continued. “We want to move the needle, to make changes in the collision repair industry. The status quo, quite frankly, just isn’t good enough; we need results! If we can’t move the needle, all the hard work many of us do behind the scenes and all the time we take out of our lives to dedicate to the industry is all for naught. We don’t want to simply say we’re an association and get together once a year to network – we want to effect real change for the industry’s benefit.” Before the public announcement, both Richards and Kopriva presented the idea to their respective boards, and both groups voted unanimously for the merger. According to Richards, “Everyone was 100% on board and really excited about it.” While the logistics of the merger have yet to be resolved, HABA will become the Houston Chapter of ABAT, joining ABAT’s chapters in East Texas, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin, and ABAT hopes to add a Rio Grande Chapter in 2020. ABAT anticipates electing several Houston members to their Board of Directors. Reiterating the importance of ABAT gaining strength in numbers through this merger, Richards pointed out, “We all know that insurance com24

Trade Show was a huge success with a variety of educational opportunities for attendees on topics ranging from estimating to proper compensation to procedures, in addition to a large trade show that boasted over 60 exhibitors sharing their latest equipment and services. Platinum Sponsor AkzoNobel drew a lot of attention with their virtual spraying unit. Some of the event’s additional sponsors included ABAT publicly announced its merger with HABA during the BASF, Autel, Axalta, English 2019 Texas Auto Body Trade Show. Pictured: Front row, left to right: ABAT Board member Manuel Rubio, ABAT member Color and Supply Inc., PPG, Brandon Gillespy, ABAT Board member Chad Neal, ABAT Reliable Automotive EquipExecutive Director Jill Tuggle and HABA President John ment, Sherwin Williams, Kopriva. Back row, left to right: ABAT Board member Chad Single Source, Tasco Auto Kiffe, ABAT Board member Mike Williams, ABAT Chairman of the Board Corey Pigg, ABAT President Burl Richards Color, AirPro Diagnostics, and ABAT Treasurer David Osburn. Credit: Thomas Greco CARSTAR, FinishMaster, Publishing, Inc. and KRI Tech, among others. “This year’s Trade Show was ate a single collision repair industry in Texas; we want all regions to be bigger and better than we could have talking about the same things, to be imagined. The show floor saw great educated on the same things. Then, traffic, and our seminar rooms were we’ll be able to say it’s not just one full both days. We’ve always had segmented market doing things dif- great classes, but we took it to anferently – it’s the whole collision re- other level this time,” Richards said. “With technology changing so quickly, pair industry in the state of Texas.” The 2019 Texas Auto Body you need to get educated and know panies treat different markets in different ways, and various markets do things differently. Our goal is to cre-

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what’s going on in the industry. I’m confident that attendees walked away from this show with information to utilize their first day back to work. We’re already planning for an even stronger show in 2020.” ABAT Executive Director Jill Tuggle added, “This was the best show we’ve had in the five years we’ve hosted the event. We’ve already received encouraging feedback from exhibitors and attendees who are already gearing up to return next year. We couldn’t have done this without the amazing support of our ABAT members and the exhibitors who took the time to attend both days to network and grow our industry here in Texas.” The 2019 Texas Auto Body Trade Show commenced on Friday, Sept. 20, with a private association roundtable. Early that afternoon, attendees chose from three educational sessions. Danny Gredinberg of the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG) presented “Commonly Missed, Included and Not Included Estimating Items,” while 3M’s Shawn Collins discussed “Corrosion Protection: Is Your Shop Prepared for the

autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Post Repair Inspection Era.” Robert McDorman of Auto Claim Specialists taught industry professionals “How to Get Paid for Your Work: Receiving Proper Compensation for Proper Repairs.” On Friday, Sept. 20, at 3 p.m., three additional seminars were available, all of which offered a second iteration on Saturday, Sept. 21. Gredinberg and Ron Reichen of Precision Body and Paint collaborated in “Blue Printing: Not Your Grandfather’s Estimate,” Matthew McDonnell from Big Sky Collision Center shared information on “Shop Procedure Implementation,” and Richards partnered with Verifacts Automotive’s Chris Olilla for “Collision Repair Coaching: Giving Technicians What They Need to Do the Right Thing.” Friday’s educational session concluded with a Body Shop Panel. Additional seminars on Saturday included an OEM Panel Discussion moderated by Reichen and Mark Olson of VECO Experts, and Collins’ presentation on “Using Proper Materials and Getting Paid for It.” Sam Valenzuela of National Auto Body Research also informed attendees on

how to “Use BillableGenie to Get Paid for More Procedures at Better Rates.” The final educational seminar during the 2019 Texas Auto Body Trade Show was “Life After the Lawsuit: An Hour with Todd Tracy.” Dallas-based attorney Tracy shared takeaways from the $42 million Seebachan litigation, discussed shop liability and the importance of OEM guideline adherence, and much more in a presentation that left attendees motivated and engaged. ABAT is very pleased with the 2019 Texas Auto Body Trade Show and the feedback they’ve received. The day after the event ended, Richards received an email from an attendee who admitted that he learned unexpected amounts of information about proper vehicle repair and intends to completely reevaluate the way his shop does business. Richards excitedly stated, “That’s the message we’re trying to spread! Get certified, obtain the training, invest in the equipment – do the right thing for your customers!” Richards hopes to see the show continue to grow, and ABAT is eager to uncover ways to get more shops in-

NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

volved. Richards stressed, “We should have thousands of shops coming to the trade show, not hundreds. We know that if we can get a shop or its management team to come out and attend the educational piece, they can’t help but change how they do business on some level, and it will definitely benefit them. It’s a great event, and our number one goal for next year will be exploring ways to motivate more shops to come check out next year’s show.” This was the first year that ABAT’s Texas Auto Body Trade Show was overseen by Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc. whom the association partnered with earlier this year to produce Texas Automotive magazine. The education schedule was managed by Janet Chaney of Cave Creek Business Development. ABAT’s next major event, a Gala, will be held on the evening of Nov. 16 in San Antonio. The association’s Board of Directors will meet before the Gala to work on next year’s agenda.

For more information about ABAT and its future events, visit abat.us.

Continued from Cover

Walker High School

sons. Gerry Lane Enterprises donated the facility, while PPG Paints has given much of the paint needed for the work. “This is a collaborative effort of educators and industry professionals working together to give our students greater opportunities in a career field that offers good-paying jobs in the local area,” Walker High School Principal Jason St. Pierre said. St. Pierre said 22 students are already enrolled in the career-based paint and body shop class. Former special education teacher Chris Ledoux, who underwent training with Gerry Lane Enterprises, is leading the class. We thank WAFB 9 News for reprint permission.

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P HONDA COLORADO

Mike Maroone Honda Colorado Springs

888-431-0294 719-785-5045 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-5 rick.williams@mikemarooneauto.com

Mile High Honda

Denver

800-548-4730 303-369-7800 Dept. Hours: M-S 7-6 lhoover@autotree.net LOUISIANA

Superior Honda Har vey

800-943-4227 504-368-5687 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-5:30 parts@superiorhonda.net

Walker Honda Alexandria

318-448-8255 318-445-6677 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 hondaparts@walkerautomotive.com

ACURA ARIZONA

Acura of Peoria Peoria

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

Mile High Acura Denver

800-548-4730 303-369-7800 Dept. Hours: M-S 7-6 lhoover@autotree.net

Pikes Peak Acura Colorado Springs

800-456-9568 719-955-1715 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 joe_benson@pikespeakacura.com

NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs. NEW MEXICO

Garcia Honda

TEXAS

Honda of Frisco

Russell & Smith Honda

Albuquerque

Frisco

Houston

800-677-6632 505-260-5002

866-442-2711 972-731-3176

800-833-0180 713-663-4266

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-5:30 cedgar@mcdavid.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 7-4 ggregory@russellsmith.com

Honda of San Marcos

Rusty Wallis Honda

San Marcos

Dallas

866-392-1313 512-392-1313

877-466-3272 214-328-3891

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 darryldotsy@rustywallis.com

Kelly Grimsley Honda

Wholesale Parts Direct

TEXAS

Bankston Honda Lewisville

800-344-8611 972-219-0021 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 www.bankstonhonda.com

Northside Honda San Antonio

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

Honda Cars of McKinney McKinney

972-569-4276 972-569-4222 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 Gene.chenault@hendrickauto.com

LOUISIANA

Odessa

Austin

844-453-5594 432-334-6632

800-234-4441 512-458-2910

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-12 april@kellygrimsley.com

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

McDavid Honda Irving Ir vi ng

800-492-4464 972-790-6003 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6 srichardson@mcdavid.com

TEXAS

UTAH

Acura of Baton Rouge

David McDavid Acura

Baton Rouge

Aust i n

S a l t L a ke C i t y

866-733-2861 225-756-6166

800-575-3553 512-401-5976

800-234-0875 801-323-0492

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 mkratky@mcdavid.com

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

Walker Acura

David McDavid Acura

Mike Hale Acura

Metairie

Pla n o

M u r ra y

800-359-8555 504-465-8555

972-964-6044

800-292-4595 801-263-0202

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

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 dgrajczyk@mcdavid.com

Sterling McCall Acura

Jody Wilkinson Acura

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-5 pgoold@mikehale.com

Hous t o n

TEXAS

Autonation Acura League City

800-749-6227 713-371-4700

713-596-2337 713-596-2338 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 7:30-4 jlambert@sterlingmccallacura.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 CarranzaB1@autonation.com

autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Social Media for Shops

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

with Ed Attanasio

Do You Know Anyone Who Needs to “Digitally Diet?” Many of us have been on diets over the years. Anything in excess is bad, which was precisely what my aunt told me after she saw me eat an entire large pizza on a dare at age 12. Her advice resonated with me a few hours later when I got a Babe Ruth size stomachache and had to live on Pepto-Bismol for the next 48 hours. The valuable lesson I learned back then is that anything pleasurable is addicting and, evidently, spending time on our personal devices fits neatly into that category. It’s become a big problem that’s affecting both men and women, young and old equally, it seems. It’s easy to get addicted to our personal devices that can change our lives in many ways—both good and bad. As a busy collision repair professional, you’re balancing half a dozen things simultaneously, and much of it involves your cellphone. You need to

text an insurance agent; call your paint his phone. If he’s awake, it means jobber; send several emails to em- he’s connected to his earplugs which seals him away from the real world, ployees, customers and vendors, etc. Digital overload is affecting which he likes. The Millennial is now a hardcore app addict people so much that many with more than 100 on his are doing a “digital detox,” phone (the national average where they go cold turkey is 30, how many do you over a period of time. To have?) And as the senior in me, that sounds a little the room, I’m not techdaunting and I fear I might savvy enough to get adlose my mind from digital Roger-Henson dicted, but that doesn’t withdrawal. Everyone has their own Credit: Ed Attanasio mean I’ll ever stop trying. reason to digitally diet. The other day, The other day, it took me more than I was out with some people who rep- 20 minutes just to change my fantasy resented three age groups—I was the football lineup via my new iPhone! Digital addictions are not limited senior (61); there was a Millennial (32), and we were accompanied by a to smartphones either. Video game Gen Xer (23). We didn’t have much addiction is a serious issue worldwide in common, except for the fact that with kids (and adults) playing games we all admittedly spend too much for 15-plus hours daily and have detached from society completely as a time on our personal devices. The Gen Xer is a huge music result. My friends had to recently fan and has more than 800 songs on send their 17-year-old son to a video

game rehab boot camp to the tune of $15,000—and it did not work. My niece sent more than 1,200 texts one month, many of which were pictures of food. I can see if you’re eating a fancy dinner, but McDonald’s? In this always-on and connected world, it’s just too easy to find ourselves repetitively staring at screens and mindlessly swiping through pablum online for countless hours while the real world quickly passes us by. In a study conducted this year by KDA Engineering, most Americans (92%) believe that smartphone addiction is a real issue. Although 60% of Americans believe they touch their cellphone 100 times or less daily, the reality is that a typical user taps, touches, glances at or swipes their phone a shocking 2,617 times per day, according to Dscout Research. See “Digitally Diet?”, Page 36

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From the Desk of Mike Anderson with Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson is the president and owner of Collision Advice, a consulting company for the auto body/collision repair industry. For nearly 25 years, he was the owner of Wagonwork Collision Center, an OEM-certified, full-service auto body repair facility in Alexandria, VA.

‘Skate to Where the Puck Is Going, Not Where It Has Been’ Each year, I apply various presentation themes, and this year, I based my theme on something Wayne Gretzky, the legendary hockey player, once said. He was asked what he learned that made him such a great player, and he said, “Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.” In other words, he looked ahead, anticipating where the puck would be. As this year begins to wind down, we all need to think about not where the “puck” is in our industry right now, but where it is going to be—where you’ll want to be and how you’ll get there. Here are four examples of how, like Gretsky on the ice rink, you may want to be looking ahead rather than looking at things as they are now. 1. Scanning has become the norm in the industry, which is good, but where the “puck” is going is a related

process—calibrations. Shops need to be investigating the time, money and, most importantly, investing in shop space to be able to perform more ADAS calibrations in-house. Understand what types of vehicles you most commonly work on that require calibrations. Research those procedures, understand what targets or tools are needed, and look for the potential space to do them. The space can be a hurdle; the average body repair stall is 300 to 400 square feet, but some of these calibrations can require 1,200 to 1,800 square feet. This is where the “puck” is going, and starting to head there now will help you succeed.

2. We need to start thinking about artificial intelligence (AI). While it remains to be seen whether AI can be used to write estimates, I believe it is or soon will be used to identify total

NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

losses. What does that mean for shops working to anticipate where the “puck” will be? Think about the nonDRP work you do, and how much total losses contribute to your revenue in terms of tear-down costs, storage fees or administrative fees. Storage is generally 100% gross profit, right? All that shop revenue may start to decline as AI is introduced. The consumer will send in some photos, and if the AI system identifies their vehicle as a total loss, that vehicle is going straight to the auction yard, not a shop. That’s something you need to start preparing for in terms of “skating to where the puck is going.” 3. The estimating system providers say claim counts have declined somewhat, albeit not a lot. That slow decline seems likely to continue, if not accelerate, as more vehicles on the road have ADAS features. It’s not

likely to be a dramatic shift, but even a 5% or 10% decline will have an impact on your business. In this case, skating to where the puck will be means working on your capture rate. For those on DRP programs, for example, you need best practices in place to ensure you follow-up on any assignments in a timelier manner. It’s easy when we get busy to not be as quick to jump on those; however, as claim counts decline, you need a designated person or a well-defined process to follow-up on those assignments quickly. For work outside of DRP programs, shops should prioritize responding to potential customers seeking estimates or appointments, to capture that work rather than lose it to competitors. 4. A fourth way you can “skate to See Where the “Puck” Is Going, Page 42

In Reverse

Gary Ledoux is an industry veteran with 50 years’ experience in the automotive and OEM collision parts industry. His column appears exclusively in Autobody News. He can be reached at YesterWreck@yahoo.com

with Gary Ledoux

The 1980s—“A Time of Awakening” Those who have been in the collision industry for a long time remember the 1980s as the advent of automotive unibody construction. New equipment purchases would reach a frenzied pitch and industry shows would blossom to accommodate the equipment purchases, but it was a lot more than that. Industry veteran Tony Passwater called the 1980s, “A Time of Awakening” for the collision industry.

Enter the Computer Today, computers come second-nature to us. Everyone has a laptop or a tablet or some portable device. We use them for everything; but, in the early 1980s, computers were a new “unknown” to most of us. Computerization affected the lives of practically everyone on the planet—the collision industry included. More specifically, 1982 will be marked as the beginning of the collision indus-

try’s “information age” with the advent of electronic estimating systems, shop data management systems and trade publications. In a 1998 industry trade magazine, Passwater noted that the mid1980s was a “… time of awakening for our industry. Shop owners wanted

body shop and what to look for in a small business computer. One of the shop owners interviewed for the articles noted, “A good manager runs a shop by the seat of his pants. The manager in the future will manage numbers rather than manage people.” At the end of the piece was a handy

to not only learn the computer program in and of itself, but how to be better business people. As such, some shop owners began to rise to the top of the industry, others struggled, and some just could not keep up and fell by the wayside.” A couple of trade magazine articles appearing in early 1984 discussed the pros and cons of computerizing a

“Glossary of Computer Terms” which included now-quaint terms such as: backup, cathode ray tube, central processing unit, cursor, hard disc, kilobyte, megabyte, menu, menu-driven, and modem. In a trade magazine article, industry veteran Chuck Sulkala notes that it is important to know your own market in terms of customer demo-

“Getting involved in a trade association is probably the first thing a new shop owner should do after he puts his sign over the door.” ” — Bill Wicklund

graphics. This would include male/female, type of car driven, insurance carrier, etc. He also notes that keeping track of all that information is a lot easier if tallied and maintained by … you guess it … a computer. And with the advent of computers came a concept that would drive the business management side of the collision business into the future – the Auto Repair Management System (ARMS). It was the dawn of business management for shops. Cleaning House As far back as 1910 when horse stalls were being “mucked-out” by livery stable owners to accommodate the parking and servicing of cars, a call has gone out from the earliest of “motoring magazines” to clean up the new “parking garages” and service areas so that “women may enter them.” Eventually, the “horse drop-

autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

pings” and attendant smells were replaced with bondo dust, lead filings, crumpled masking paper and all sorts of waste products strewn on the floor. In many shops, a customer could not sit down to discuss a repair job without getting covered with dust. Again, with the advent of collision-specific magazines in the early 1960s, trade magazine editors and industry pundits had been asking shop owners to physically clean up their shops—get rid of the bondo dust, dirt, overspray and nasty smells and make the shop more pleasing and presentable to the average person. It was said that neat, clean, and professional-looking places of business would attract walk-in customers. One magazine editor lamented, “Many shop owners say that they have the best body men in town, the best painters, and the latest equipment and years of training and experience so it shouldn’t matter what the shop looks like.” To which she also offered her favorite retort, “That’s all very commendable, but how do your potential customers know all this?” Industry veteran Tony Lombardozzi who managed the body shop at

MacMulkin Chevrolet in Nashua, NH, during the late 1960s and early 1970s noted, “On Fridays, we stopped work at noon and everyone cleaned their own work bays. We hosed down the walls and got rid of as much dust as possible. We tried to make the place look neat and clean.” Another industry veteran who worked in a body shop at a neighboring Lincoln-Mercury dealership noted, “Our shop was a like a coal mine. The dust was terrible.” Public Perception Since the 1940s, the public had a dismal view of the collision repair industry … and rightfully so. The shop owner was perceived as an unkempt, cigar-chomping Neanderthal in dirty, dusty clothes working in a dirty, dusty shop with a bunch of dirty, dusty guys. But by the mid-1980s, that was changing. One industry pundit noted that because shops had to buy lots of new, expensive equipment, and were starting to do things on a computer, there was a newfound pride among shop owners. They wanted to be seen, and be perceived as more professional—because they were more professional. A trade

magazine editor wrote in 1985, “The man running the collision shop has changed. He is now a business owner, a business executive, and he looks and acts the part.” Another editor wrote, “To match their new physical image, many shop owners still needed some phone-answering and basic people skills.” It would all come eventually. Training Training became crucial, but shops had not yet bought into the concept of “continuing education.” This would change. Equipment companies would continue to provide training for their own products. In 1984, the Car-OLiner company announced the opening of a training facility at its headquarters in Livonia, MI. The company offered a three-day, generic course open to anyone. The course covered automobile construction, wheel alignment, analyzing structural damage, repairing metal, MIG welding, and bench procedures. Formed in 1979, I-CAR was continuing to grow. In 1986, I-CAR was looking for more trainers to teach a growing number of students and

class material. Classes included about a 50/50 mix of shop people and insurance people. Despite their growth, in 1986, I-CAR was still searching for credibility and wider acceptance with the insurance industry, repair industry, and consumers. Their goal was to have insurance companies specify that cars be repaired at a shop that had I-CAR trained technicians. Banding Together The ‘80s was certainly a time for new organizations to spring-up, many becoming mainstays well into the 21st century. The ‘80s gave the industry the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), the Collision Industry Conference (CIC), ASE and the NACE show. During the early 1980s, from New Mexico to New Jersey, it seemed every month a new local or regional collision industry organization was popping up. In a February, 1983 trade magazine article, Bill Wicklund of Wicklund Body Shop in Liberty, MO, noted, “In order to operate a business and know how to handle it, the shop owner has to get involved with trade associations to keep up with what’s

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going on in the real world. Getting involved in a trade association is probably the first thing a new shop owner should do after he puts his sign over the door.” Despite the proliferation of associations by forward-thinking individuals, not every shop owner was joining. An open letter appearing in a trade magazine to all body shop owners asked, “… if there were 58,000 body shops in the U.S., and only 2,500 were members of the Automotive Service Councils, 1,400 were members of the Independent Automotive Service Association, and in its first 120 days, 225 were members of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists, then where were the rest of the shops and had they not joined any industry association?” The letter was written and signed by John Loftus, then president of the SCRS. Today, there is still a call for more people to get involved in trade associations and take an active role in their own industry. Human nature says we will never get everyone involved; but, look how far we’ve come with the people who have donated their time and expertise.

Continued from Page 30

Collision Works Acquires DeShields

Collision Works acquired DeShields Truck Services Inc. in Oklahoma City on Sept. 13, 2019. Collision Works, an auto body collision and paint repair company, is locally owned and operated now with 21 locations across Oklahoma and Kansas. The acquired company, DeShields Truck Services Inc., provides full collision repair including frame repair, painting and bodywork services for heavy-duty vehicles including semi tractor-trailers and RVs. DeShields is one of the only facilities in Oklahoma City to provide heavy-duty vehicle repair, which dovetails into the Collision Works existing business model. “We are proud to announce DeShields Truck Services Inc. is now part of the Collision Works family,” said Barry Hadlock, president of Collision Works. “Our top-notch customer service standards combined with the new heavy-duty repair technology and equipment will allow us to serve an expanded audience.” For more information about Collision Works, visit CollisionWorks.com.

“Digitally Diet?”

Going to sleep at night doesn’t release you from a cellphone addiction. It’s the last thing most people look at before going to bed at night, according to the study. Of the respondents, 44% had been woken up by the noise, and 41% by the light from a mobile phone in the bedroom. 74% of the respondents used mobile technology in the shared bed at least once a week. However, only 18% reported using a shared smartphone or tablet together in bed. Americans claim that they “somewhat or strongly agree that periodically ‘unplugging’ or taking a ‘digital detox’ is important for their mental health. So, how does all of this digital dieting impact your business as a body shop owner or manager? The owner of Advertising Business Consultants, Inc. in San Jose, CA, Roger Henson is a 40-year advertising/marketing veteran, so he was there before the Internet and smartphones began impacting our lives. The evolution is a good thing, but

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many people can’t handle it, Henson said. “I tell my kids to control the amount of time they spend on their smartphones because extreme use can cause problems like Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), ‘text neck’ and eye strain. If you need to be connected, try to use your laptop, ideally at a proper workstation. People are now designating no-device times; stepping away from incessant buzzing notifications for incoming calls, emails, texts, etc. and giving social media a timeout.” As a marketing guru, what does Henson tell his body shop clients about their presence online and how digital dieting might affect them? “In today’s collision repair industry, there are plenty of great apps out there that are convenient for consumers and make the industry more efficient altogether,” he said. “I never blame technology when people complain about using it too much or having other issues with it. Technology makes our lives easier both personally and professionally, but the impulse to overdo it will always be there. If you’re using a photo app or aggressively pursuing social media for your shop, continue doing it.”

autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Effective Repair Planning Utilizing PCE (Process-Centered Environment) lision industry-specific PCE principles, according to Tim Ronak, senior Many collision repairers are famil- services consultant at AkzoNobel. iar with the process improvement “A body shop might be clean and methodologies such as Lean, The- tidy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean ory of Constraints and Six Sigma. that the best processes are in place to AkzoNobel has taken components of support repair planning,” said Ronak, during a presentation to a group of body shops in Honolulu, Hawaii, which was sponsored by Island Concepts. “Once a facility has assessed the effectiveness of its current repair planning process, the next step is to identify the best practices that drive improvement and standardization.” In part two of a two-part Tim Ronak from AkzoNobel talked about having the best series, Ronak talked about processes in place to support repair planning the building blocks of Akeach of these disciplines specific to zoNobel’s PCE principles, which the collision repair industry and la- include 5S, standardization, waste beled them as a Process-Centered reduction, visual management, Environment (PCE). Those who have continuous flow, in-process quality implemented repair planning in their and continuous improvement. businesses, but are still experiencing How would you describe 5S? supplements and other delays, have found success after incorporating colby Autobody News Contributor

5S is a systematic approach to creating and maintaining a manageable work area where everything has its place. The facility is specifically organized to create a visual environment that “talks to you” through visual guides that support the repair planning process, which makes it conducive for employees to do their jobs in a consistent, repeatable way. The objective is to build a strong foundation for a PCE transformation, establish discipline and produce quick and visible results. The 5S process was first defined in the 1960s by Hiroyuki Hirano from Toyota Motor Company. The English version of 5S is based on five Japanese words:

Sort (seiri): Remove what is not needed, add what is missing and store or discard unnecessary items.

Set in order (seiton): Arrange items for ease of use and employ visual tools to identify where everything belongs.

Sweep/shine (seiso): Clean the workplace.

Standardize (seiketsu): Establish standards and schedules to maintain the first three.

Sustain (shitsuke): Adopt 5S into corporate culture by continued application and auditing.

How does standardization promote conformity within the repair process?

Standardization is an agreedupon set of work procedures established to maintain quality, efficiency, safety and predictability in a shop. It maximizes performance and minimizes waste. The key is to do the same things the same way each time. There are three important components of this: standard operating procedures (SOPs), standard work and standards. SOPs are the instructions that explain the operations in detail. This may involve regulations, stan-

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dards and specifications. Standard work is the sequence of job tasks that must be performed to complete a job effectively. They are designed to be repeatable, eliminate waste, increase productivity and ultimately become the framework to

thing operates more efficiently. If you don’t have a strong foundation, eventually the process can disappear; then, you are forced to reinvent it or backfill it with an alternative. The SCRS Complete Guide to Repair Planning is an excellent, free resource available to shops that I highly recommend downloading from the www.SCRS.com website.

What are the components of a good repair

A good repair plan should:

plan?

(l to r) Camille Phillips, Island Fender; Todd Stogdell, Island Concepts; and Gary Higa, Island Fender

build on continuous improvement. Standards are rules that provide clear expectations. For example, there might be a shop poster displaying the process for edging parts or spot welding. A standard can help build consistency in your business, so employees know what is expected of them, there are fewer errors, and every-

• Identify all damage, including frame and sublet; • Identify all necessary parts and labor;

• Identify the repair methodology that is going to be used including refinish;

• Identify the correct color variant; • Ensure DRP guidelines are followed if applicable;

• Ensure the repair is completed within the customer and insurance guidelines; and

• Ensure the established triage and methodology are followed and involve all stakeholders including mechanical, body, refinish and parts.

Q: A:

What is important to know about waste reduction?

Understanding waste is critical to a process-centered environment. Waste is anything that doesn’t add value to the customer or process. In states like Hawaii, there is a lot of vehicle movement due to space limitations. This means every time there is a work stoppage or a change in production direction, it wreaks havoc on throughput for facilities that don’t have room to move cars. It’s imperative to come up with an easy way to standardize throughput so vehicles can move freely through the facility. Different types of waste include: • Transportation – the ability to move

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vehicles;

• Inventory – balancing the amount of work;

• Motion – the movement of people; • Downtime;

• Overproduction; • Overprocessing;

• Defects – which include errors, redos and comebacks; and or

• Underutilizing human potential so employees aren’t used to their fullest capacity.

Waste can be categorized in three different ways. There are value-added activities that the customer is willing to pay for and change the fit, form or function of the vehicle to pre-accident condition. Second, there are necessary, non-value adding activities that don’t alter the fit, form or function and the customer isn’t willing to pay for, such as moving the car and equipment maintenance. Finally,

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there is non-value adding waste that the customer also isn’t willing to pay for, like the excessive movement of cars and the extra time it takes for repair due to supplements.

Q: A:

What are the ways a shop can reduce waste?

There are multiple ways to do this in a shop. Having a repair planner sit at a mobile workstation near the vehicle while it is being disassembled can be effective. Shops can also track how the business is doing in terms of sales and if repair planning is actively being done each day. Shops can monitor when cars come in and if the technicians are notified quickly during disassembly. Other ways include verifying the color at the repair planning stage and having a lot plan where vehicles are parked. How can a shop control its workspace through visual management?

Visual displays provide information to everyone on the shop floor, so they understand the process

at a glance. This ensures the safe and proper execution of operations. Some examples of how shops can implement visual management tools include displaying a standardized ‘map’ of how to store parts on a parts cart, where that cart should sit and even delineating a box on the floor in the stall where the vehicle is to be parked for repair planning. Overall, it is important for a shop to be consistent to be successful.

Q: A:

What is the role of continuous flow?

In a continuous flow environment, cars flow through the shop without any backflows, unnecessary idle time, rework, excess inventory or delays. It is the sequence of repair process steps that are practical to implement in a highly variable environment. In the last article, I talked about Shop A being the repair planning department and Shop B being production. The goal is when a vehicle leaves Shop A, it can continuously flow through Shop B. I recommend setting your internal

production date in a way that makes sense for your operation. Know your cycle time and how much you can produce and then balance your production input. This will start to improve your operations, cycle time and the number of days cars are onsite. It is important to limit the number of cars in production on-site to just the amount that maximizes the process time of each repair. We refer to this as your Optimal Work in Production (WIP). For continuous flow to be successful, you need all the parts, tools and equipment at the facility; good organization; skilled, trained employees; and standards so there are clear expectations. By doing repair planning without the other procedures in place, you will merely be creating a process where you are writing the best estimate without the profitable gains of increasing throughput.

Q: A:

How can a shop ensure inprocess quality? The goal is to do everything one time effectively and accu-

rately. This includes numerous inprocess quality checks (QCs), where the work is assessed against predetermined standards before advancing to the next step. The goal is to have clear quality standard checkpoints to ensure that the desired quality is achieved. Implementing standardization within repair planning creates in-process quality. There are two types of inspection. Self-inspection is when a technician inspects the work he or she does after it is complete and fixes any defects before sending it to the next area. Successive inspection is when the next technician performs a quality inspection when receiving the vehicle. If there is a problem, both techs decide who will fix it and how to prevent it from occurring again.

ment?

What is important to know in terms of continuous improve-

The idea is to continually look at the process of repair planning and determine ways to improve it, so we’re evolving. By seeking the

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involvement of employees and giving them the “why” behind the decision, you’ll gain their confidence and trust.

Q: A:

What are the critical audit points of repair planning?

Creating an audit process is the optimal way to sustain repair planning. It takes about 15 minutes per car once you have it established. The critical points of an audit include: • Triage: Did someone QC the checkin process and prioritize the vehicles for repair planning? In triage, always repair plan the smallest job first. You can’t afford an extra day on a oneday job; that’s 50 percent longer than it should take. However, on a ten-day job, one day longer is only 10 percent. • Complete disassembly: Are all the damaged and R & I parts exposed and laid out to tell the story of the repair plan?

• Writing the repair plan: Are all the necessary repair processes included?

• Communication: Are all stakeholders involved in the repair plan?

• Parts organization: Does the process allow you to find and visually identify the status of the parts to all stakeholders?

• Administrative process: Have you gone through the repair plan and checked if there are any missed administrative tasks? • Scorecard: Have you measured and tracked the results each day?

Before you begin repair planning, certain elements need to be built. You must have those pieces in place for it to be sustainable for the future. By organizing your work environment and then being able to sustain it, your shop will thrive. This is part two in a two-part series.

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Continued from Page 13

Speakers Discuss

“You’ve got somebody who needs to be manning the scan tool, while the other person is safely driving,” he said. “There are some cars that you can put into [test] modes and then drive and confirm that it worked. But for the most part, two people make it much safer.” Guthrie was asked what happens to a vehicle his company has repaired if neither his shop nor a local dealer is equipped and prepared to calibrate the ADAS. “The car sits,” Guthrie said, comparing it to a car not being released if an airbag hasn’t been installed. “We had a Subaru for which we didn’t have the calibration equipment. The dealership had the equipment but had never set it up or used it. So that car wasn’t safe to be back on the road. It took almost two months. We ended up helping the dealer getting the equipment set up and getting it done.” Another speaker at the conference concurred. Darrell Amberson

of LaMettry’s Collision, which operates nine collision shops and two stand-alone mechanical shops in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota, has developed ADAS calibration stations at two of its locations. He said companies such as his can be another source of calibration help for other shops if dealers in a market are not set-up to do so. He said that like Guthrie, his company won’t release a car until calibrations are completed; in one case, that even meant not taking on a particular job. “It was a Toyota van that was a handicap conversion,” Amberson said. “They had put in heavy-duty springs in the back of the vehicle. There was no data from Toyota in terms of how we should calibrate it. We reached out to the conversion company, and they admitted they just performed the conversion and didn’t do anything about the ADAS. We found that situation scary and just stepped aside and didn’t perform the repairs because there was no way we could know how to properly calibrate that vehicle. It was probably fixed by someone who probably didn’t do anything with the ADAS systems.”

Continued from Page 32

Where the Puck Is Going

where the puck is going” is by reviewing your staffing. Do you have technicians, estimators or managers who are likely to retire in the next three-five years? Have you thought about what you are going to do to replace them? Start working on that strategy now rather than later. Get a game plan in place. Start building your “bench” or “farm team” of talent, so that when those people retire, you are prepared with someone who you can move into those positions. It’s not always easy to know exactly where the “puck” is going. Being able to do that is part of what set Gretsky apart from so many other hockey players. I believe the same will be true for the shops that keep looking for where the industry is headed and taking steps to be there.

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Continued from Cover

Military Veterans

“Employer Guide to Hire Veterans” prepared by the Department of Labor, Griffith suggested. The department also offers a webpage addressing frequently-asked questions about hiring and retaining veterans. Griffith said many veterans transition jobs several times after leaving the military before finding their niche, but tend to stay in organizations that provide training opportunities, and that showcase “a military-friendly” attitude or a “veteran culture.” When a tornado hit near Service King’s headquarters in the DallasFort Worth area in 2016, Service King touted the role that more than 100 members of it staff – including veterans – played in serving hot meals to those in the affected area. That year, it also aired a 30-second ad highlighting Jeremiah Kuehl, one of 100 veterans the company had already hired. “He talked about feeling like he had transitioned from one family – the military – to another family,” Griffith said of the ad.

He said that Service King welcomed him, understood he had posttraumatic stress and worked around it. “‘They found a job that was perfect for me,’” Griffith said Kuehl communicated in the ad. “Because of that one ad, I think Service King had about 400 or 500 applications immediately, all veterans,” Griffith commented. Griffith said one other key to successfully hiring and retaining veterans for your business is providing something that most young employees want: a clear career path. “At the end of the day, most veterans want to help take your organization to another level,” Griffith said. “So if you tell them where they fit in, if you tell them why their job is important to your mission, they tend to want to stick with it. That’s one of the things that employers don’t do all the time; they don’t show them a growth potential in the organization, they don’t show them that pathway. In the military, we do that. We give them a career path, and employers tend to fail to do that.” One way businesses of any size can offer such a path, Griffith said, is

though a Department of Labor (DOL) Registered Apprenticeship Program. “If you take a chance on people through an apprentice program, they tend to want to stick with you,” she said. Creating such a program doesn’t have to be complicated for the employer, Griffith said. Another entity, like a community college or for-profit

Aaron Schulenburg of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) said the association is seeing ‘test estimates’ showing up on vehicle history reports.

program like Universal Technical Institute, can do the actual training. The program just has to have a structured system that involves both the training and paid on-the-job experience. If the program is DOL-registered, any veteran completing it receives a nation-

ally-accredited certification, which should entice veterans, Griffith said. A DOL website includes information to help employers with the process, and Griffith said there are also state-level consultants that can assist. Last year alone, she helped build 168 registered apprenticeship programs, at businesses of all sizes, and said she can be a contact for shops seeking to get started. Please email Griffith with any questions at griffith.roxann.s@dol.gov Data Privacy Concerns Discussed During a discussion at CIC about new consumer data privacy laws being enacted by states around the country, Aaron Schulenburg of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) said he thinks many shop owners may be unaware of how much data they are actually sharing with other entities. “Most of them don’t think about it as a sharing of data,” Schulenburg said. “What they think is: I’m ordering a part, or I’m extending a rental vehicle agreement for a customer, or using a CSI service. But in all of those interactions, if they are allowing

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pumps or programs on their computers from those companies to access [estimate data] files, all of those are in fact an exchange of data.” While the state data privacy laws tend to apply only to larger companies than most collision repair businesses, Schulenburg pointed out that shops are likely sharing customer data with those larger businesses that come under the new requirements of the law. As an example of how shops may be unaware of what data is being pumped from their servers or desktop computers, Schulenburg said the association has seen an increase in members reporting that estimates they have written – in some cases just ‘test estimates’ on undamaged cars have resulted in incidents showing up on vehicle history reports, such as CARFAX. “We’ve talked about this before at CIC, but it’s always been kind of cast aside as a one-off situation, or something that could be explained away,” Schulenburg said, citing publicly-available police accident reports as one potential source. “I can tell you that the volume of inquiries that we as an association have fielded in the last 18 months to two years cannot be explained away by circumstance.” He said SCRS is continuing to look into the issue. “I’m disappointed that I can’t come up here and say, ‘This is how the information is getting there. This is what’s happening,’” Schulenburg said. “That is the intent of the research.” Couple Who Sued Shop to Speak at Next CIC During CIC meetings this year, chairman Jeff Peevy has left an empty chair on the stage as a reminder to attendees of an important industry constituent not generally represented at the meetings: the consumer. “Those families who ride in the cars that our industry repairs should be at the forefront of our thoughts,” Peevy said at CIC in Indianapolis in July. He’s taking that message to the next level at the upcoming CIC in Las Vegas on Nov. 5 by inviting two such consumers to speak: Marcia and Matthew Seebachan. The Texas couple in 2017 won a $42 million judgment against a Texas dealership body shop after a jury found the 46

shop’s failure to follow OEM repair procedures for a 2010 Honda Fit contributed to the severe injuries the Seebachans sustained in that vehicle in a subsequent accident. “Here is a young couple who had their whole life ahead of them when this happened to them,” Peevy said. “The Seebachans really want the industry to know some things.” Peevy said he was particularly compelled to invite the Seebachans to speak at CIC after realizing the couple had many similarities to his daughter and son-in-law, who also live in Texas, who are about the same age as the Seebachans, and who also bought a used Honda Fit from a dealership at about the same time the Seebachans did.

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A Baytown, Texas, Body Shop Accuses Competitor of Unfair Practices by Carrie Bradon, SE Texas Record

A Baytown, Texas, auto collision repair company is suing a competitor alleging it used unfair practices. Baytown Motors Body Shop (BMBS), doing business as Frank’s Collision Repair, filed a complaint on Sept. 24 in Galveston County District Court against Fam Auto Repair LLC, alleging service mark infringement and unfair competition. According to the complaint, the plaintiff has been providing auto collision repair services in Galveston, Liberty and Harris counties for many years while

using the service mark Frank’s Collision Repair. The plaintiff said it has spent more than $1 million in advertising its mark to promote its services in the area. The suit alleges Fam Auto Repair has used the same names and mark as Frank’s in order to turn a profit and cause the plaintiff financial damages. Frank’s Collision Repair seeks trial by jury, exemplary damages, attorney fees, court costs and all other just relief. It is represented by attorneys John T. Polasek and Douglas H. Elliott of Elliott & Polasek PLLC in Bellaire, Texas. We thank the SE Texas Record for reprint permission.

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National News with Chasidy Rae Sisk

ASA’s September Webinar Emphasizes Importance of Cybersecurity On Sept.18, ASA hosted the newest installment of the association’s monthly Webinar Wednesday series featuring Tekmetric CEO Sunil Patel who presented “Cybersecurity 101 for Shop Owners.” Attendees were welcomed by ASA Vice President Tony Molla who introduced the webinar’s presenter and explained that the webinar was designed to teach the basics of shop’s internet security, firewalls and how to protect data, as well as to explore best practices involved in securing your network and the differences between cloud-based and locally-installed shop management systems. Attendees also learned about the most common security holes that currently exist in collision repair and automotive shops and what can be done to protect against them. Molla introduced Patel who began by explaining, “Cybersecurity is a newer buzzword, and one of the

hardest things for people to grasp is that cybersecurity is not tangible; it’s security that you can’t see or feel or touch. It’s a matter of protecting yourself against the criminal or unauthorized use of electronic data or the measures taken to achieve this. Security is one of the utmost things we’ve created in our software.” Some people argue that the threat to cybersecurity has been somewhat inflated, and Patel concurred that most individual single shop operators probably have little to worry about because they don’t have enough data that is marketable on the black market. He said, “We’re not a major target for these hackers, but we still need to be careful with the changes in technology.” Patel began his presentation by defining some technological terms. He compared the IP address to a shop’s physical address and ports to

a shop’s windows, noting this is where information is transferred. He also explained that firewalls are used to protect the user’s internet and devices, defining it as “the guardian or gatekeeper that allows traffic between your network and the internet.” After briefly describing some notable security attacks in 2019, including Lake City, FL’s, payment of $460,000 after a ransomware attack and the attack against 30,000 computers in the Atlanta Police Department, Patel answered the most pressing cybersecurity question: why? The reasons for cybersecurity attacks are various. A victim may have valuable data that is worth something on the dark web, though Patel said that’s rare in the automotive industry. Some hackers just attempt attacks for fun or practice, while the most common reason is to earn money through ran-

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somware attacks since victims are usually willing to pay to unlock their data. Cybersecurity attacks can be crippling to a business, and though competitors can initiate such an attack, Patel said that’s uncommon and not generally expected. The biggest threats for the automotive industry in 2019 are phishing, ransomware and vehicle jacking. Phishing is a means of attempting to fish for valuable information and becomes increasingly sophisticated with machine learning. Ransomware is the most common attack and usually occurs as a result of a simple click on an incorrect link which locks the computer down and encrypts the data, preventing the user from unlocking it unless they pay the ransom, most commonly in the form of a wire transfer. In vehicle jacking, hackers take control of the victim’s vehicle. In

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2014, DARPA funded a hacking attempt to prove how easy it was by inserting a line of code in a GM Impala and completely taking the vehicle over via WLAN. Patel noted, “As vehicles get more and more complex, technologies that were manual are now electronic and can be accessed remotely through the network. It’s easier to take over vehicles that are all electronic.” The biggest issues for independent repair facilities are employee theft of shop information, credit card skimming, outdated firewalls and security protocols being used, and too many holes in the infrastructure. Patel also discussed the increasing prevalence of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), which involves hackers piecing together data that enable them to steal someone’s identity. “If you’re storing information on premises which includes customer’s vehicle, address, date of birth, this is information you can use to identify a person, and you can’t store this information. If someone was to steal this data, they can identify a person, and this can lead to identity thefts,” Patel stated. “Be

careful with the ‘customer notes’ section of your shop management system – we’ve noticed some information being written here, such as credit card numbers, and this is not a secure space for confidential information.” Providing basic precautions that shops can take to protect their information from cybersecurity risks, Patel advised, “Keep your router and firewall secure. Change your default password – you should always change that. Update your router and firewall regularly with the latest firmware. Create a separate guest; your customer should not be on your private network. It shouldn’t even be open to employees unless they’re using a shop tool. Ensure all your computers are up-to-date. It’s annoying, but it’s very important to ensure it’s on the latest version. Updates usually come out because vulnerabilities were found.” Patel then explored the differences between cloud-based and onpremise shop management systems. An on-premise system relies on the security of the shop’s hardware which may be damaged, plus it requires

manual updates, constant infrastructure updates, and manual backups. In contrast, cloud-based systems are secure in the cloud with state-of-the-art technology trusted by banks. They are automatically updated and backed up and can be accessed from anywhere in the event of a disaster that prevents access to the repair facility. Patel stressed, “A locally installed system can never be as secure as a cloud-based system.” Once Patel’s presentation concluded, Molla presented attendees’ concerns for the question-and-answer portion of the webinar event. Patel pointed out, “It’s just another type of crime that’s going to continue to happen.” ASA’s October Webinar Wednesday on Oct. 16 will feature Brian Farrington, ASA’s Wage & Hour attorney, who will discuss “Countering the Dealership Overtime Exemption.” On Oct. 30, the association will also offer a Bonus Webinar entitled “Let’s Get Technical on Coolants” with Robert Bassett of the Gates Corporation. For more information on ASA, its events and future webinars, visit asashop.org.

MNCARS Expands Efforts to Promote Careers Minnesota Careers in Auto Repair and Service (MNCARS) is proud to announce the release of new video resources to expand its outreach and raise awareness of career opportunities in the automotive service and collision repair industry. The new videos feature students who are currently enrolled in automotive programs telling their stories about how they got there and what they love about the industry. These students are the future of the industry and they share their passion and excitement about the opportunities in front of them. The videos and other updated materials support the 2019 campaign message of “Turn Your Passion Into a Career.” In addition to refreshing the campaign’s look and feel and adding text message/SMS marketing capabilities, MNCARS will be advertising on the YouTube platform to reach students with automotive interests. To see a few of the studentfocused videos, head to the MNCARS YouTube channel.

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Tesla Pickup Truck Still on Track for November Unveiling by Simon Alvarez, Teslarati.com

It appears that Tesla’s highly-anticipated Pickup Truck is still poised to be unveiled sometime this coming November. The update was shared on Twitter by CEO Elon Musk while responding to an inquiry about the upcoming vehicle’s official reveal date. While Musk did not specify a date in his recent tweet, a previous announcement from the CEO last month estimated a November unveiling event for the Tesla Pickup Truck. Prior to this, Musk noted in late July that while the vehicle was “close,” the truck’s reveal was “maybe two to three months” away. This coming November is just a bit over this estimate. Interestingly, a November reveal for the Tesla Pickup Truck would mark around two years since the unveiling event of the company’s Semi, which could only be described as the company’s most exciting reveal event to date. Tesla surprised both its enthusiasts and the auto industry as a whole during

the Semi event by unveiling its next-generation Roadster, a successor to the car that started it all for the company that boasts an insane 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds and range of 620 miles per charge. Musk has teased several notable aspects of Tesla’s upcoming pickup truck, with the CEO stating during the 2019 Annual Shareholder Meeting that the vehicle will feature performance that’s comparable to a base Porsche 911 while boasting a towing capacity that can match industry leaders like the Ford F-150. “If the (Ford) F150 can tow it, the Tesla truck can do it,” Musk said. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Tesla Pickup Truck would be its starting price. Musk has stated that the vehicle will be priced at “well under” $50,000. The CEO also added that at most, the vehicle should have a starting price of around $49,000. “You should be able to buy a really great truck for $49k or less,” Musk said. We thank Teslarati.com for reprint permission.

RI, OK, and WV Top the Nation for Worst Road Infrastructure On top of taxpayer dollars, it’s estimated that driving on roads in need of repair costs motorists $120 billion in vehicle repairs and operating costs – $533 per driver, according to a recent report by QuoteWizard.

QuoteWizard found a correlation between states that use funds to maintain roads and states that rank well overall for road infrastructure. States with poor road infrastructure had higher costs per driver and typically poor road conditions across the board. Key Findings:

• Rhode Island, Oklahoma and West Virginia top in the nation for worst road infrastructure.

QuoteWizard, a LendingTree company, and one of the nation’s leading online insurance marketplaces released its report on states with the worst road infrastructure finding that 61% of highways nationwide are in fair to poor condition. Transportation for America estimates a cost of $231 billion a year to keep our existing road network in acceptable repair. While analyzing FHA data, 50

• Tennessee, Georgia and Florida best in the nation for road infrastructure. • Top ten states with the worst infrastructure cost drivers an annual average of $752 from poor road conditions.

• Top five states with the worst infrastructure spend below the national average of 30% on-road repairs. Obtained via PR Newswire.

NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

CIECA Unveils New Logo & Announces Winner of Logo Refresh Contest CIECA announced the winner of the organization’s logo refresh contest on Sept. 18 during the annual CIECA CONNEX conference in Charlottesville, VA. Lauren Stefanov, a graphic designer at Safelite Autoglass, created the winning design and received a $500 Amazon gift card. “As part of CIECA’s 25th-anniversary celebration this year, we wanted to refresh the CIECA logo,” said Steve Betley, chairman of CIECA. “We greatly appreciate the unique design Lauren created for the new CIECA logo.” Stefanov has been employed with Safelite for the past two and a half years and works in the company’s marketing department. “I was shocked and excited when I learned that my logo was the winning design and am honored that my logo was chosen,” said Stefanov, who also received the second-place prize—a $100 Amazon gift card—for an additional logo she created. Dina Magon, a visual designer at CCC Information Services, was the thirdplace winner and received a $50

Amazon gift card. Stefanov said the inspiration for the new logo came from the words connectivity, translating and simplification.

As part of CIECA’s 25th anniversary celebration this year, a refresh of the CIECA logo was created. Credit: CIECA

“I wanted to tie in elements from the previous logo to the design and used a single circle rather than the multiple circles in the original logo,” she said. “The three half circles radiating out from the main circle symbolize technology, translating and connectivity.” The finalists’ designs are featured on the CIECA website: https: //www.cieca.com/info.php?pnum= 85bc7d3febc918&preview=1.

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autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Amazon Buys 100,000 Rivian Electric Trucks in Pursuit of Carbon Neutrality by Nick Lavars, New Atlas

Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian has landed itself a new customer, and a monumental one at that. The world’s largest retailer, Amazon, has signed on to buy 100,000 of Rivian’s zero-emission trucks as part of a wider push to clean up its business operations, which includes a commitment to be completely carbon neutral by 2040.

These early glimpses of its engineering chops were enough to attract $700 million of investment in February this year, with Amazon itself leading the charge.

The e-commerce giant is now doubling down on its relationship with the automotive startup, announcing an order of no less than 100,000 Rivian electric delivery trucks. This, according to Amazon, is the largest order of electric vehicles in history. And considering that is around how many total vehiJeff Bezos launched The Climate Pledge on Thursday, cles Tesla was able to deliver Sept. 19, which commits Amazon to being completely carbon neutral by 2040. Credit: Amazon in an entire record-setting quarter after a tumultuous Rivian has made quite a splash time getting its manufacturing processes since rolling into 2018’s LA Auto up to speed, that will be no small underShow to debut a pair of electrified ve- taking for an electric vehicle maker, hicles, its R1T pickup and R1S SUV. much less one that is just getting started.

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In any case, having Amazon onside certainly won’t do these efforts any harm. The retailer expects these electric vans to begin delivering packages for customers as early as 2021, and to have all 100,000 of them on the road by 2030. This forms part of a new environmental initiative launched by CEO Jeff Bezos on Thursday, Sept. 19, called The Climate Pledge, which commits the company to being completely carbon neutral by 2040, im-

Amazon expects Rivian’s electric vans to being delivering packages for customers as early as 2021. Credit: Amazon

Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian has landed itself a new customer, and a monumental one at that in Amazon. Credit: Amazon

plement decarbonization strategies in line with the Paris Agreement and measure and report its greenhouse gas emissions along the way. It hopes other companies will sign on to be-

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NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

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a company with as much physical infrastructure as Amazon – which delivers more than 10 billion items a year – can meet the Paris Agreement ten years early, then any company can.”

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omarr@audifortworth.com jasons@audifortworth.com www.audifortworth.com autobodynews.com / NOVEMBER 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

Does Automatic Emergency Braking With Pedestrian Detection Work? by David A. Wood, CarComplaints.com

Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection is marketed as safety technology, but research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found the systems didn’t do much at all. And at night the technology did nothing to prevent crashes with pedestrians, a bad sign considering 75% of pedestrian deaths occur at night. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: “A pedestrian automatic emergency braking (PAEB) system is an emerging safety technology that provides automatic braking for vehicles when pedestrians are in the forward path of the vehicle’s travel and the driver has taken insufficient action to avoid an imminent crash.” About 6,000 pedestrians are killed each year in the U.S., so the prospect of technology to reduce those fatalities is seen as promising. AAA researchers used four midsize sedans equipped with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection (2019 Chevy

Malibu, 2019 Honda Accord, 2019 Tesla Model 3 and 2019 Toyota Camry) and put them on a closed course using simulated pedestrians. The best results involved a car doing 20 mph during the day with an adult crossing the road, but even then, the braking/pedestrian

Boyd Autobody & Glass President to Retire

time with the car traveling 20 mph when a child ran out from between two vehicles.

After 22 years of dedicated service, Eric Danberg, president of Boyd Autobody & Glass, has announced his retirement, which will be effective March 31, 2020. “Eric will be greatly missed not only for his tremendous business acumen, industry knowledge, leadership and significant contributions to Boyd Autobody & Glass, but also for his sense of humor, integrity and overall quality as a person. We wish Eric the very best in this next chapter of his life,” said Tim O’Day, president & COO of the Boyd Group. We are very pleased to announce Tony Canade, president of Assured Automotive, will be appointed to the role of Chief Operating Officer, Canadian Operations, for the Boyd Group Inc., effective Jan. 1, 2020. In this expanded role, Canade will assume responsibility for Boyd Autobody & Glass in addition to the Assured business. He will continue reporting to O’Day.

• All of the test vehicles collided with the adult pedestrian after the car made a right-hand turn.

• When approaching two adults standing alongside the road and with the vehicle traveling 20 mph, a collision occurred 80% of the time. • The systems were generally ineffective in all situations where the vehicle was traveling 30 mph.

systems avoided collisions only 40% of the time. By taking the speed of the car to 30 mph, most systems completely failed to avoid the pedestrian target. That may sound bad, but other driving scenarios were even more challenging for the braking systems. AAA provided the following depressing results. • A collision occurred 89% of the

• At night, none of the systems detected or reacted to the adult pedestrian.

According to researchers at the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, automakers have the right intentions in creating automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection systems, but the technology has a long way to go before drivers and pedestrians can feel safe. We thank CarComplaints.com for reprint permission.

Obtained via boydgroup.com.

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