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Vol. 37 / Issue 12 / December 2019
SCRS Captures First Place at SEMA 2019 New Products Showcase by Ed Attanasio
To officially kick off the week, SEMA always announces its Best New Products Award winners at its opening morning breakfast. There’s
always a lot of anticipation, because companies know about the importance of these awards and this year was surely no exception. Nearly 3,000 products were en-
tered this year into the 16 different Showcase categories to be considered for a SEMA New Product Award this year. Winners were selected based on a variety of factors that included superiority of innovation, technical achievement, quality and workmanship, consumer appeal and marketability, among others. The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) won first place in the collision repair and refinish product category for its SCRS Guide to Complete Repair Planning – Blueprint Optimization Tool. The runners-up included GUNIWHEEL for its GUNIWHEEL
SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg’s organization won the first place in the collision repair and refinish product category for the SCRS Guide to Complete Repair Planning – Blueprint Optimization Tool. Credit: Ed Attanasio
and Spray Booth Services for its Airflow=Cashflow Remote Spray Booth Monitoring System. SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg discussed his organization’s winning entry. “Nine years ago, we created our Repair Planning Plan, which is a static document that lists items that are potentially overlooked. We received feedback over the years about it and we have refined it a few times. People told us that it
See 2019 New Products, Page 12
Industry Hears From Texas Couple Who Sued Shop Over Faulty Repairs
Six Cars Given Away by NABC Recycled Rides at SEMA 2019
by John Yoswick
by Ed Attanasio
CIC chairman Jeff Peevy said everyone in the industry regularly makes decisions that can have a profound impact on other people’s lives. Credit: John Yoswick
In an emotional on-stage interview at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) held in Las Vegas in early November, the Texas couple who successfully sued a dealership body shop over its failure to follow OEM repair procedures talked about the dramatic changes in their lives caused by their substantial injuries in a subsequent accident. Marcia Seebachan said she remembers nothing from the time of the accident until four days later, on Christmas, when she regained consciousness in the hospital and wasn’t See Industry Hears From, Page 14
Every year at SEMA, the National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides luncheon is on many peoples’ calendars, and the room is always packed with industry leaders, insurance companies, body shops, parts manufacturers, and more. Invariably, the event often features crying (in joy), happy faces everywhere, and a vibe that can best be described as pure benevolence. This year, NABC presented six deserving Las Vegas residents with the gift of transportation via refurbished vehicles that will now enable them to take care of their families, get to work, manage medical appointments and gain their much-desired independence. The Recycled Rides program partnered with a wide range of insurance carriers this year, including State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. Rental car companies such as Hertz and Enterprise, and collision repair facilities and MSOs like Caliber Collision, Service King,
CARSTAR and Gerber Collision, vendor partners such as 1.800.Charity Cars, LKQ and others that have been involved in the program for many years.
Undercover but waiting to change lives forever, six cars went to six worthy families at the NABC Recycled Rides presentation at SEMA 2019. Credit: Ed Attanasio
The NABC Recycled Rides recipients gathered with their children, spouses, and friends to unveil their newly refreshed vehicles in spectacular fashion. Karl Champley, an Australian master builder, television personality and actor who is currently appearing on Ellen’s Design Challenge, served as the emcee for See Six Cars Given Away, Page 22
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