Western April 2015 Issue by Autobody News

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Takata Responds to Pressure from NHTSA, Honda’s Consumer Education Campaign, Recyclers Respond by: Victoria Antonelli, Online Editor

The cascading number of vehicle recalls caused by defective Takata airbags has been making front page

Photo Credit: 5newsonline.com

news from 2008 to the present day. During that time, automakers have recalled about 17 million vehicles with airbags that can rupture when deployed, producing fragments that can kill or seriously injure motorists. In the latest action, Honda has launched a multi-million dollar print, digital and radio advertising campaign on March 16 to urge Honda and Acura owners to check for open recalls and complete airbag inflator repairs. “The goals of this campaign are to save lives and prevent injuries,” said John Mendel, Executive Vice PresiSee Takata Takes Steps, Page 12

City of San Mateo at Odds with Local Body Shop

See City, Shop at Odds, Page 8

P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018

The owners of a long-standing family auto body shop are alleging the city of San Mateo has violated their civil rights after they were ordered to fix code violations while city officials looked the other way for nearby businesses. Sean and Jill Hudson, owners of Hudson Automotive at 186 South Blvd, claim the city violated their first and 14th amendment rights after they spoke out against the city’s attempts to crack down on South Claremont Street automotive repair shops in late 2012 and have since been ordered to take down infrastructure vital to their

business. City officials disagree, claiming they are simply responded to specific complaints about Hudson and consequentially filed a suit in San Mateo County Superior Court last September seeking the company remove two outdoor automotive lifts—which the Hudsons claim have been there since the 1970s—and create six parking spaces for customers. San Mateo officials have a history with automotive repair shop owners in the South Claremont Street and Railroad Avenue area after they attempted to crack down on numerous code violations but were met with upset owners who questioned why

Change Service Requested

by Samantha Weigel, San Mateo Daily Journal

VOL. 33 ISSUE 4 APRIL 2015

Caliber Auto Mechanics File CA Wage & Hour Class Action Suit A California labor law class action lawsuit has been filed against Caliber Collision by mechanics who allege they were not paid for all the hours they worked. Filed by lead plaintiff Samuel Castillo, the lawsuit alleges Caliber Bodyworks of Texas Inc., which operates the chain Caliber Collision, pays its mechanics on a piece-rate system for each task they perform, and that the workers are assigned piece-rate hours per tasks, regardless of the time it actually takes them to perform. Castillo claims he recorded the hours he worked, but Caliber only paid him under the piece-rate system. “As a result, defendants did not pay plaintiff for all hours worked at the minimum wage, as defendants failed to pay plaintiff for nonproduc-

tive hours, i.e., hours that he was not performing piece-rate work,” the complaint states. Further, the lawsuit contends that Castillo worked for Caliber from 2007 through to the end of January 2014, classed as a nonexempt technician under the piece-rate system. According to the suit, under Caliber’s pay system, if a task were assigned a value of 0.8 hours, the mechanic would be paid for 0.8 hours of work, regardless of whether the task took 10 or 90 minutes to perform. According to the suit, the method Caliber uses of meeting their minimum wage obligations, dividing daily piecerate earnings by daily hours worked, violates California labor law. The suit also alleges Caliber paid Castillo

by Ed Attanasio

Day, Molodanof briefs the members in attendance about the best ways to get results from their local legislators and here are some of these:

See Caliber Auto Mechanics, Page 16

CAA Lobbyist: How Things Get Done at the Capitol With the California Autobody Association’s (CAA) upcoming annual Legislative Day happening on April 14 in Sacramento, CA, body shop owners will once again converge at the State Capitol to meet with their legislators and discuss issues that affect the collision industry. As an attorney/lobbyist practicing for over two decades at the California State Capitol, Jack Molodanof is frequently asked: “Can one person really make a difference?” And his response is always an emphatic “Yes!” “Not only can one person make a difference, but one person can also make others change their perception of an issue,” Molodanof explained. “You have the power in that you have firsthand experience as it relates to issues that are most important to you. Let the lawmakers know how you feel about these issues. You must be heard to make a change.” To open every CAA Legislative

Do Your Homework First First off, do you know the names of your local legislators? If not, it’s very easy to find out by going to www.legalifno.ca.gov. Learn about their backgrounds and maybe more importantly, learn how to pronounce their names. If you live in Santa Cruz and your assemblyman’s name is Mark Stone that’s no problem, but what about if you’re from San Luis Obispo and your assemblyman’s name is Katcho Achadjian? If and when you’re able to meet your legislator, mispronouncing their name is definitely not a great way to start any conversation. In addition, try to learn some other interesting things about your local legislators—including their political affiliations and the names of their key assistants, for example. It’s also very See How to Get Things Done, Page 26

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

2 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Google Compare Now Live in California

COLUMNS Attanasio - Four New Apps for Techs, Painters, Estimators and Service Advisors . . . . . . . . 52 Attanasio - Online Remarketing Gets Your Name Out There... Again . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Chess - How Much Do You Know About 2015 Vehicle Technology and Trends? . . . . . . . . . 40 Luehr - Putting First Things First . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Sisk - Automechanika Comes to Chicago . . . . 49 Yoswick - ASA-MI and DRPs, Carstation.com, Right to Repair and Toby Chess’ Legal Threat. 46 Yoswick - Legal Battle That Began with Non-OEM Parts Back in 1997 Still Being Waged Today. 58

NATIONAL $11M Award in Camry Unintended Acceleration Suit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 25-yr-old Twins Take Over Grandfather’s Body Shop in Middletown, CT. . . . . . . . . . . 32 AkzoNobel Releases New Color Trend Guide . . 59 Annual Vendor Awards Announced by Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes . . . . 54 Arizonians Face High Car Insurance Rates After DUIs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Assured Performance Introduces Insurer-Facing Certified Shop Locator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Attanasio - Chief and Elektron Play a Prominent Role at 2015 NADA Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Automotive Recyclers Association Contacts US Attorney General After CNN Report . . . . 26 BASF Sponsors Ridler Ball at 2015 Detroit Autorama; Displays Buick Riviera “Rivtile” . 53 Berkshire Hathaway Completes Van Tuyl Acquisition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 CARSTAR Hosts Aluminum Program at Automechanika. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 CCC ONE® Repair Workflow Has Reached 5,000 Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 CO Police Plan to Solve Hit-and-Runs at Body Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Collision Avoidance Sensor Market Expected to Reach $10B by 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 CREF to Highlight Collision Career Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Customer ‘Unhappy’ With Car Repairs in IL, Pulls Gun, Commits Felony Armed

Robbery Prosecutors Say . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 GEICO Philanthropic Awards $100,000 to CREF . 62 Gunder’s Auto Center Defeats Progressive’s Motion to Dismiss & Invoke Appraisal Clause. 22 Industry Groups Support Save American Workers Act Passed in House . . . . . . . . . . 50 Industry Sponsors Sought to Help Local Collision School Instructors Attend Nace 2015 . . . . . 50 Inside the Aluminum Revolution: Factors to Consider When Upgrading . . . . . . . . . . . 24 January Used Vehicle Prices Up Y-O-Y, M-to-M . 64 Longest Autonomous Drive Underway: CA to NY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 LORD Announces New Panel Bonding Adhesive Offering No Tack and No Odor. . . . . . . . . . . 70 Martin Senour Announces Second Quarter Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Martin Senour Launches New Automotive Refinish Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Matrix, USC Brands Renew Partnership with “Counting Cars” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Mitchell Launches RepairCenter Hub, a Real Time Communication and Collaboration Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 MSO Symposium Returns to NACE 2015 . . . . 60 NJ Man Sentenced to 12 Years After Involvement in Carjacking Ring That Trafficked High-End Cars to West Africa . . . 48 Over 100 Dealerships Join Suit v TrueCar Buying Site Contending Deceptive Business Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 PartsTrader Adds 3 Strategic Account Managers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Plaintiffs’ Attorneys at Eaves Law Firm Encourage Shops to Share Stories About Alleged Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Quest Donates Nearly $600,000 for Education . 48 RARE PARTS’ Extreme Duty Pitman and Idler Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Record $13M Plus in Support to Collision School Programs Through CREF. . . . . . . . . 69 Record360 App Documents Damages in One Step, Saving Industry Members Time and Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Rich Evans Discusses the Making of “Wheels for Warriors” and His Appreciation for Veterans . 34 Safety Groups Ask NHTSA for Collision Avoidance Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 ShopRepTV: A Personalized TV Channel for Body Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Sisk - ABAC Teaches Senator Blumenthal about ‘Imitation’ Parts, Senator Asks DOJ to Investigate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Spanesi Expands Operations in IL and Hires Tom McGee as Business Development Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Takata Responds to Pressure from NHTSA, Honda’s Consumer Education Campaign, Recyclers Respond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Talent Monger Holds Collision Industry Job Fair in PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Texas Collision Repair Shops Cite Legal Issues with GEICO Regarding Certain Fees . . . . . . 23 Three-C Body Shops File Lawsuit Against At-Fault Driver Due to Insurer’s Underpayment . . . . 45 Transportation Secy Calls on Congress to Close Safety Gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Urethane Supply Company Offers New Kenworth T800 Hood Repair Kit . . . . . . . . . 57 Urethane Supply Company Releases I-CAR Course® on Nitrogen Plastic Welding . . . . . 31 Vehicle Safety Bill Introduced in House Would Raise NHTSA Budget by $100M for 2017 . . 50 WIN Acknowledges 2015 Corporate Sponsors . 61 WIN Member Sees Huge Opportunities in Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 WIN’s 2015 Most Influential Women in Collision Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Google launched a new auto insurance shopping website on March 5 known as Google Compare. When Autobody News talked to Google Spokesperson Joe Osborne, he said the website has launched in California and the plan is

to expand to other states throughout the year. The stand-alone website can be found at Google.com/compare and allows consumers to analyze auto insurance quotes. Osborne said the goal is to present the information to Google users in an intuitive, relevant and userfriendly way. According to the company’s website, a Google internal study found that, “...when it comes to buying car insurance, 80% of drivers think they’d find a better policy if they could compare more than two

Indexof Advertisers

REGIONAL ABRA and NABC Donate Vehicle to UT Recipient from Family Promise . . . . . . . . . . . 4 ASCCA/CAA to Hold ‘Legislative Fly-In’ on April 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Attanasio - East Bay CAA Chapter Visits Future Ford, Talks Ford F-150 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Attanasio - Northern California Collision Veteran Celebrates 36 Years in the Industry. . . . . . . 56 Auto Damage Experts Grand Opening in Portland, OR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 CAA Lobbyist: How Things Get Done at the Capitol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 CAA Responds to CNN Report . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Caliber Auto Mechanics File CA Wage & Hour Class Action Suit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Carl’s Auto Body & Rotary Team Up for CA Car Giveaway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 CAWA Manufact. Advisory Council Adds John Dolder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 City of San Mateo at Odds with Local Body Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Google Compare Now Live in California . . . . . . 3 House of Kolor by Valspar Announces Multiple Wins at CA Car Shows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Las Vegas Shop Earns Elite Tier 2 Mercedes Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Owner of Downtown Autobody in CA Brings Volunteer Work into Sharper Detail . . . . . . . . 4 Wedge Clamp Opens U.S. Office in Long Beach, CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Assistant Editor: Stacey Phillips Online Editor: Victoria Antonelli Contributing Writers: Tom Franklin, David Brown, John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Sales Assistant: Louise Tedesco Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia

providers.” There are currently 14 insurance partners that are part of Google Compare. These include Mercury Insurance, Metlife, The General Insurance, Infinity Auto Insurance, Titan Insurance, Stillwater, Dairyland Auto, CSE Insurance Group and six others. Google drew on its current advertising base to begin building a selection of companies to partner with. The billion dollar company launched a similar site for credit cards last year and Osborne said the company is continually improving the site to ensure it is as useful as possible. When searching for car insurance, the website has a questionnaire box that asks for information such as a consumer’s zip code, license number and make and model of vehicle. Once this information is inputted, the site shows the various price quotes from the insurance companies. “As Google Compare for car insurance rolls out to more states, we’ll also be introducing ratings and reviews, as well as local agent support for providers and agent networks,” according to Google’s official blog posted by Jerry Dischler, VP of Product Management, AdWords.

Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . .56 Automotive ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 AutoNation Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam-FIAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 AutoNation Chrysler-Jeep-DodgeRam of North Phoenix . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . .63 Bob Smith BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Bob Smith MINI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Capitol Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Car-Part.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Cerritos Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram . . .14 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Chicago Pneumatic Compressors . . . . .4 Chief Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17, 25 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68-69 Colortone Automotive Paints . . . . . . . . .16 Courtesy Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Del Grande Dealer Group . . . . . . . . .20-21 Downtown Motors of LA (Audi, VW, Porsche) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Earnhardt Buick-GMC . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 East Bay BMW-MINI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Eco Repair Systems of North America, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Elk Grove Toyota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Enterprise Rent-A-Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers AZ, CA, NV & UT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Galpin Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 GlobalJig North America . . . . . . . . . . . .11 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . .65 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36-37

Serving California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. 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. ©2015 Adamantine Media LLC. Autobody News P.O. Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com Email: news@autobodynews.com

Western

Contents

Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . .64 Kearny Mesa Subaru-Hyundai . . . . . . .49 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . .67 LKQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Los Gatos Luxury Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Maita Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Malco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Mark Kia-Mitsubishi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Martech Services Company . . . . . . . . .18 Matrix System Automotive Finishes . . .13 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . .54 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . .62 Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . .52 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . .39 Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Pro-Spray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Puente Hills Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Riverside Metro VW-Honda-HyundaiNissan-Mazda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 SATA Spray Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26, 27 Shingle Springs Nissan-Subaru . . . . . .53 Sierra Chevrolet-Honda-MazdaSubaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Sonnen BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . .59 The Bay Area Automotive Group . . . . . .33 Toxic Toad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . .60 Urethane Supply Company . . . . . . . . . .31 U.S. Chemical & Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Valspar Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . .57 Volvo Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . .70

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 3

Owner of Downtown Autobody in CA Brings Volunteer Work into Sharper Detail by Kayla Webster, The Community Voice

Aside from running a successful local business, Gus Trevena, owner of Downtown Autobody in Rohnert Park, CA somehow finds the time to be one of Rohnert Park’s community service Supermen. He was voted the Rotary Club Business Volunteer of the Year last year for his numerous contributions to the local community. Like many other local business owners, Trevena donates gift certificates to be raffled or auctioned off for fundraising events supporting local schools and youth organizations. Although his business deals mostly with post-accident vehicle repairs, the gift certificates cover a free detailing—a service normally not provided at Downtown Autobody. A detailing includes having the carpets cleaned, windows cleaned, the interior redone and the outside and bumpers waxed; up to a $350 value. He typically donates about six of these certificates every year. Paint Donations However, Trevena has also been known to donate paint jobs for vehicles that serve the local community. His most recent project was painting the Rancho Cotate High School band’s trailer that is

used to transport the band’s instruments to performances. A few years ago, Trevena repainted the Sonoma County Book Mobile, a portable library that gives books to local children in underprivileged schools. He’s also responsible for painting the Senior Van, a shuttle that transports senior citizens around town. “Sometimes a business is in a better place to help a youth organization than you and I are as individuals,” said Trevena. “I think it’s kind of everybody’s responsibility ultimately to do what they can.” Gerard Giudice, longtime friend/business associate of Trevena and owner of Sally Tomatoes, says that Trevena spends Gus Trevena, owner of Downtown much of his free Autobody in Rohnert time putting in volPark, was voted the unteer work for the local parks. This Rotary Club Busiincludes, but is not ness Volunteer of limited to, mainthe Year last year for his contributions taining the baseball to the local commu- fields and cleaning nity. Photo Credit: up graffiti. Guidice The Community says that Trevena Voice also provides car

ABRA and NABC Donate Vehicle to UT Recipient from Family Promise

ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a national damaged vehicle repair company, announced in partnership with the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides™ program, the gifting of a refurbished 2012 Mazda 3 to a recipient from Family Promise. Shawn (who prefers not to have his full name released) and his twoyear-old daughter accepted the vehicle loaded with food, household items, gift cards, Utah Jazz tickets and a new car seat. The gifting ceremony took place on January 6 at the ABRA Riverton repair center in Riverton, Utah. Receiving the gift makes it much more convenient for Shawn to take his ailing daughter to chemotherapy appointments because she’s unable to take public transportation due to her condition. Owning the vehicle will help him become more independent and open up additional job opportunities. Most importantly, it will allow him to spend more time with his daughter. “This event was a great example of what a community can do when everyone works together on a common mission to change someone’s life,” said Laurie Robinson, shelter

& housing manager of Family Promise. “This will transform Shawn’s life for the better and we are very grateful that we were able to participate in this giveaway. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this a reality for a family in need.” “We are truly honored and excited to have the opportunity to work with our partners to give a helping hand to a family in need,” said Greg Peeters, ABRA Utah’s VP. “Lack of reliable transportation is a challenge for many families, and we are happy to help ease that burden.” The National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides program is a collaborative effort by auto body shops, insurers, parts suppliers and others in the collision industry to repair and donate vehicles to deserving families and community service organizations throughout the United States. The Mazda 3 was donated by Allstate Insurance and repaired by ABRA with donations from Utah Jazz, Utah Highway Safety, Pep Boys, Dent Pro, LKQ, Sherwin Williams, Ogden Auto Towing & Recovery, Westland Ford, Nate Wade Subaru, Bountiful Mazda and Mobile Diagnostics.

4 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

restorations for local car shows, such as the one on Founder’s Day.

‘Nicest guy in RP’ “Gus is the nicest guy in Rohnert Park,” said Giudice. “He would give you the shirt off his back; he has for me many times. Any time my Rotary Club needs something done, he’s the first to step up…The local parks would not be in as good a condition as they are without him.” According to Giudice, he and Trevena have a business arrangement where the two of them offer special perks to one another’s employees. If an employee at Sally Tomatoes needs to get their car repaired, but can’t afford to get it done, Trevena will do it for free. Many of these employees have been single mothers and struggling students. Likewise, if any of Trevena’s employees at Downtown Autobody have a major life event, like a wedding, Giudice will rent out his event space at a reduced rate. Trevena also serves as the current president of the Cal Ripken Youth Baseball League. He’s responsible for managing the league’s 64 teams as well as maintaining the fields and making sure all the kids are registered and uniformed. He got involved with the Cal Ripken League when his kids started playing and

has served as the president for four years. “From my perspective, it’s important to support him (Trevena),” said Guidice. “He’s got a lot of competitors, but he gives so much to the community that we all need to help keep him in business.”

Strong SSU Supporter In addition to his other charitable contributions, Trevena is also an active supporter of Sonoma State University athletics and helps contribute to the university’s athletic scholarship fund. He has also been named the number one sponsor for Love in a Shoebox from 2009-13. This organization collects hygiene products and gifts to distribute to Sonoma County homeless and foster children during the holiday season. “It’s the right thing to do, it’s our responsibility, but it’s also good for business,” said Trevena. “It all comes full-circle.” Guidice believes that the neighborhood would be at a loss without generous spirits like Trevena donating their time and energy into building a strong sense of community in the local Rohnert Park, Cotati, Penngrove area. Thanks to The Community Voice for permission to reprint their article.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 5

House of Kolor by Valspar Announces Multiple Wins at CA Car Shows House of Kolor by Valspar announced that Greg Meyer received numerous wins at the Grand National Roadster Show and Sacramento Autorama. Meyer displayed a 1933 Chevy Custom Roadster “Admeyer” at both shows in January and February of

tured five awards, among them Outstanding Paint and Outstanding Street Rod. “I did not want to sacrifice anything with the Admeyer build. Our goal was an elegant, quality roadster with flowing lines and glowing paint. With that in mind, we had to have the best paint available, House of Kolor. Ben’s Custom Paint delivered an exceptional paint finish only available from House of Kolor,” said Meyer. Other winners featuring House of Kolor include John D’Agostino’s 1968 Buick Riviera, which took home the H.A. Bagdasar1933 Chevy Custom Roadster “Admeyer”displayed by ian– World’s Most BeauGreg Meyer tiful Custom and Bob 2015. This build was 13 years in the Bruhn’s 1965 American Motors Marmaking and featured House of Kolor lin with the Steve’s Auto Restoration Kandy Tangerine, painted by Ben Award. House of Kolor and Valspar AuConley of Ben’s Custom Paint, Oretomotive are on Facebook and Instagon City, OR. “Admeyer” was honored with gram. For information about House of Outstanding Paint in the America’s Kolor, visit www.houseofkolor .com. For additional information about Most Beautiful Roadster category at The Grand National Roadster Show. Valspar Automotive, visit: At Sacramento Autorama, Meyer cap- www.valsparauto.com.

Wedge Clamp Opens U.S. Office in Long Beach, CA

Canada-based Wedge Clamp Systems Inc. has a new US office and head of operations. Peter Allan became chief operating officer for the United States, with responsibility for sales and customer service of all Wedge Clamp products. These products include innovaPeter Allan, Wedge tive anchoring, a Clamp Chief Operat- pulling and measing Officer for the uring system, its United States NitroHeat nitrogen-based spraypaint system, and its new static-fighting Stat-Gun, which launches this spring in North America. Allan moved from his home in Sydney, Australia to assume duties at the company’s new office in Long Beach, CA. His background is in financial management and commercial property management. “My immediate goal is be to build brand awareness in California,” he said. “I also want to build a distribution network, initially in California and then into surrounding states, particularly Arizona and Nevada. There will be a lot of knocking on doors.”

Allan added, “I have always had a passion for cars. I once took a 1971 Mini engine apart and put it back together. I’m excited to have this opportunity to work in the automotive industry. I also spent most of this morning working as a body tech.” He laughed about a recent training session at one of the 37 Craftsman Collision shops in Western Canada, also owned by new Wedge Clamp owner Bill Hatswell. “Apparently I’m a natural.” Allan said sales have been steadily rising in China since the company opened its office and training facility in Suzhou, near Shanghai in 2012. “The typical shop’s limited square footage combined with the system’s moderate price point makes it the go-to system there,” he said. “Chinese bodyshops are saving both space and money.” He said Wedge Clamp has sold particularly well in its home territory of British Columbia. “We’re aiming for similar success in other parts of Canada and the United States,” says Allan. For information about Wedge Clamp and its products, phone 1-800615-9949, visit www.wedgeclamp .com or email info@wedgeclamp.com.

6 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Las Vegas Shop Earns Elite Tier 2 Mercedes Recognition

On March 2 Mercedes-Benz sanctioned the New Look Collision Center as a virtuoso in the art of aluminum structural repair. The local auto body shop earned the highest award direct from the automaker: Tier 2 Elite Certified Collision Program certification, to service current SL-Class and SLSClass vehicles and future C-Class and E-Class vehicles. The Tier 2 Elite status authenticates Mercedes' trust in New Look Collision Center’s tools, technicians and customer service. MercedesBenz limits the number of Elite repair shops per market area. In order to achieve Tier 2 status, the shop had to demonstrate proficiency in aluminum body and structural repair. The center’s sophisticated Celette benches, rivet guns and franchise bonding methods were scrutinized closely. A thorough and objective audit proved that New Look Collision Center’s results surpassed Mercedes-Benz’s standards for excellence in aluminum body and welding repair work. The Elite certification was awarded to locations in both Henderson and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Auto Damage Experts Grand Opening in Portland, OR

Auto Damage Experts (ADE) Northwest office recently celebrated the grand opening of its re-modeled vehicle inspection facility. Invitees included collision repairers, legal professionals, insurers and others from the area. “We’re excited to share our recently remodeled facilities with others and allow them to gain a better understanding of the services we offer they and their clients, both locally and across the country” stated David Smith, VP of Operations. ADE’s Founder and President, Barrett Smith stated: “I’m excited and proud of David’s accomplishments in helping to develop ADE to the well known and nationally respected company it has become. This facility will provide ADE clients and guests with amenities specifically designed for vehicle inspections in a highly professional environment.” The facility is located at 3905 SE 141st Ave Suite 1, Beaverton, OR 97005. To learn more, visit www.Auto DamageExperts.com and www.DiminishedValueExperts.com or call (503) 642-4259.

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City, Shop at Odds

their years-long practices were suddenly being scrutinized. Unpermitted vehicle lifts, which is what the Hudsons are being ordered to remove, were a common violation business owners said they’d never heard of before. Ultimately, after city officials met with business owners, then-city manager Susan Loftus sent an October 2012 letter saying the city would put a moratorium on enforcement until it found a more comprehensive way to deal with the public nuisance problems ranging from graffiti to businesses conducting repairs on the street. Since then, the Hudsons allege they’ve been targeted for enforcement while other shop owners have been left to their ways. “As far as we know the city has not gone back to any of the other shops in the area but instead vigorously pursued the Hudsons,” said Camilo ArtigaPurcell, an attorney representing the Hudsons with the firm Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy. “We firmly believe the reason is the Hudsons were very vocal in some of those meetings in essentially

saying for years they’d worked with the city and taken steps to make sure they were safe.” City Attorney Shawn Mason said Loftus’ moratorium on enforcement of South Claremont violations is still in place but the Hudsons are located in another part of downtown and its issues stem from public complaints years earlier. The city received specific complaints about the Hudsons’ unpermitted shed two-years prior to general complaints about South Claremont Street auto body shops practices, Mason said. “Each case and each matter is a unique piece of property and really has its own history and the Hudsons’ enforcement measures began before the Claremont issue,” Mason said. “The Hudsons’ matter was raised, complained about to the city two years before the Claremont situation and so we were responding like we do to any other code violation to address that complaint.” But the Hudsons argue varying city employees instructed them to do different things while making promises their violations would be settled. “Mr. Hudson [told the city] ‘look I’m happy to work with you.’ The

problem is the city told him to do X, then Mr. Hudson did X. Then the city came back and said no, that’s not good enough, now you’ve got to do Y,’” Artiga-Purcell said. “There’s a back and forth, back and forth and the Hudsons are constantly trying to abide and work with the city in good faith and the city comes back with changes that are costing them money.” According to the Hudsons’ complaint, they removed the small shed that was used as a waiting area for customers at the city’s insistence and thought that would settle the issue. Instead, the city is now ordering they also take down two of their outdoor lifts that have been on site for decades, an issue that’s being overlooked at South Claremont businesses, according to the suit. “The final threat to the Hudson business we believe, is because Mr. Hudson spoke out when the city was attacking the life blood of the auto repair business in San Mateo and the city said you have to take down two of your five lifts, which would essentially have crushed their business,” Artiga-Purcell said. While the suit argues Sean Hudson’s freedom of speech was threat-

ened, Artiga-Purcell would not confirm exactly what was said as the litigation is still pending. The parties are due in court for a case management conference May 15. The Hudsons originally filed a federal lawsuit, but that case is on hold until the local court handles the city’s suit through which the Hudsons have filed a cross complaint alleging their freedom of speech and equal protection rights have been violated. Mason contends the Hudson case isn’t personal, and that officials are following protocol and intend to readdress former complaints about other auto body shops. “With respect to the Claremont properties, it’s not over,” Mason said. “Our intention is to go back to the Claremont properties to address those as well.” Autobody News thanks The San Mateo Daily Journal for permission to reprint their article.

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CAWA Manufact. Advisory Council Adds John Dolder

CAWA Chair of the Board, Ward Myers of Worldpac, has appointed John Dolder of DAYCO Products, LLC to the association’s Manufacturers’ Advisory Council (MAC). When Myers announced the appointment he commented: “Mr. Dolder and DAYCO have been long time supporters of CAWA and we are pleased he will join our leadership team and get further involved in the association.” Dolder started his 33-year plus career with the Wagner Brake Company as a field sales manager, continued his career with Moog Automotive as Director of Heavy Duty Fleet Sales, then was appointed Director of O.E. S. Sales for Federal Mogul, before taking a position as Territory Sales Manager for RPS Marketing. He has spent the last seven years with DAYCO Products, LLC, as their Western Regional Sales Manager. CAWA is an automotive aftermarket trade association, which represents auto parts jobbers, retailers, warehouse distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives and program groups. The association provides educational, legislative and business support to the industry and its membership.

Arizonians Face High Car Insurance Rates After DUIs

Arizona drivers with DUIs can face more than a 100 percent increase on car insurance costs, one of the most expensive increases in the nation, according to an article written by Becca Smouse, abc15.com. Across the United States, drivers with DUI see an average boost of 92 percent for insurance rates, according to analysts from insuranceQuotes.com. Arizona drivers face an increase of 104 percent, a 12 percent increase from the national average. Arizona drivers also see a 59 percent increase in rates after charges of reckless driving, compared to the 83 percent national increase. The least expensive driving violation in the state, according to Smouse’s article is a seat belt violation, increasing insurance costs by four percent, compared to the national average of six percent. Averages are based on a hypothetical 45-year-old married, employed female driver with a clean driving record, driving a 2012 sedan.

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Carl’s Auto Body & Rotary Team Up for CA Car Giveaway by Mira Brody, The Community Voice

Carl’s Auto Body and the Rotary Club of Rohnert Park-Cotati in CA are partnering to donate a repaired car to a family in need. They received a Honda Accord with low miles, minimal damage and a clean record from a friend of the shop’s owner, Helen Schollmann, and Carl’s staff have been donating their labor time to fix it up, using donations from Rotary to purchase any needed parts. Schollmann got the idea from an auto body shop in Santa Rosa that started doing the same thing every year and decided it would be a nice contribution to the community. “We all need a vehicle to get around, to make money and support our families,” Schollmann says. “Some people have a perfectly good car and it gets totaled, hit by someone else or just bad luck. It’s not easy to live without a car.” Applications for the car giveaway can be filled out at Carl’s Auto Body at 8755 Pine Lane in Cotati for yourself or if you know of a family who would benefit. In order to qualify, applicants must live in Rohnert Park or Cotati, have a job and driver’s license in good standing, a clean

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DMV record and auto insurance. Although it is their first time doing this, Schollmann hopes that if it is successful to make it an ongoing tradition. Applications must be turned in by the second week in April when they will choose a family. Besides Carl’s Auto Body, applications can be turned in to the following locales:

● Mojica Insurance, 6650 Commerce Blvd. No. 25, Rohnert Park; ● Dave Wasson Investments, 100 Professional Center Dr., Suite 107, Rohnert Park; ● The Community Voice, 100 Professional Center Dr., Suite 110, Rohnert Park; ● Exchange Bank, 6290 Commerce Blvd., Rohnert Park; ● George Malkemus, 2 Padre Parkway, Suite 200, Rohnert Park; ● Vision Health Optometry, 1440 Medical Center Dr. No. 2, Rohnert Park; ● Property and Mortgage Network, 818 Mendocino Ave., Suite 200, Santa Rosa. Thank you to The Community Voice for permission to reprint this aritcle.

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National Associations

Chief and Elektron Play a Prominent Role at 2015 NADA Expo with Ed Attanasio

Chief Automotive Technologies and Elektron converged on the City by the Bay when they exhibited their equipment and products at the 2015 NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association) Expo, Jan. 23–25 in San Francisco. With an eye on working with more collision centers throughout North America, Chief and Elektron met decision makers from dealerships; not just all over the United States, but also throughout the world.

way. Here at the NADA Expo, we’re meeting with dealers who want to upgrade their equipment in order to meet the new standards and requirements of modern vehicles.” Perry believes that his company is in the right place at the right time as the collision industry enters the Aluminum Age and looks to incorporate new materials and the new repair techniques that will accompany them. “Aluminum is here and no one can

OEM & Strategic Account Manager Richard Perry of Chief Automotive Technologies and his team had a strong presence at this year’s NADA Expo in San Francisco, Jan. 23-25

When car dealers from Bangor to Beverly Hills weren’t attending shows such as Beach Blanket Babylon, attending posh parties aboard yachts on the bay and enjoying cracked crab and sourdough bread, they were walking trade show floors that seemed to never end. During these three days packed with activity, Chief and Elektron were right in the middle of it all, with a very prominent, double-sized booth located in the Moscone Center’s South Hall. OEM & Strategic Account Manager Richard Perry of Chief Automotive Technologies was excited about showing all of his company’s equipment and other products to GMs of dealerships, collision center managers and existing dealerships looking to add collision repair departments to their locations. “With roughly 34,000 car dealerships in the U.S., the independent shops do the majority of the work, but the collision centers still make up a segment of the industry that we obviously want to serve in a big

deny that,” he said. “Aluminum and things like nano steel aregoing to be more and more prevalent in new vehicles, both domestic and European, so tooling, welding and mapping is obviously going to change as the industry evolves. It is all happening fast and we’re working hard to stay ahead of the changes, which is why we’re constantly developing new products.” New Elektron products featured at the NADA Expo included the MULTISPOT™ MI-100 control T inverter spot welder with TrueAutoMode™, the first fully automatic spot welding system. TrueAutoMode automates the welding process to provide OEM-approved spot welds every time. It automatically identifies the material’s composition and thickness, interference factors, resistance, and which electrodes and arms are in use, so the tech can simply position the welding gun and begin. “TrueAutoMode automatically detects which tools are in use and

10 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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

makes any necessary adjustments as it welds, which saves time over other welders that force the techs to stop and program the welder each and every time they change tips,” Perry said. “With some other welders, the tech has to inputinformation which can cause errors, but with TrueAutoMode, they can just turn it on and start welding.” Chief was on hand to also show collision center managers the measuring capabilities of its LaserLock™ Live Mapping™ system at the NADA Expo by using a vehicle raised on a two-post lift. LaserLock’s ability to measure vehicles on a two-post lift frees up the frame rack to be dedicated to repairs, according to Perry. “LaserLock’s dual monitor is another great feature, because all of the information the tech will ever need is right there, which makes him or her more efficient and productive. We introduced the LaserLock ™ Live Mapping™

system last year and techs love it, because it’s easy-to-use and highly accurate.” In addition to a wide range of other Chief tools, the company showcased its new Structural Holding Package for frame racks. The Structural Holding Package includes more than 50 components that can be combined in a variety of ways to secure a vehicle during repair. This ensures the vehicle does not shift out of place during the sectioning of aluminum panels, and helps to better distribute pressure when pulling steel frames. “Our package is currently designed to adapt to the new aluminum Ford F150, and as the OEs start unveiling their new vehicles, we will do the same for them as well,” Perry explained. “Ten years ago, you could get a package and it would work on several brands, but now we need to develop vehicle-specific tools that are reliable and affordable.”

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Takata Takes Steps

dent of the Automobile Division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Honda hopes that this new consumer information campaign will bolster our existing and continuing efforts to reach our customers and maximize the vehicle repair completion rates associated with recalls to replace Takata airbag inflators. These ads are a strong call to action from our company designed to break through the clutter, grab the attention of customers driving affected vehicles, and urge that they get required repairs as soon as possible.” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced in a press release on February 25 that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has ordered Takata to preserve all air bag inflators removed through the recall process. The airbags will be used as evidence for both NHTSA’s investigation and private litigation cases. The order also ensures the regulators’ access to all data from the testing of those removed inflators. “This department is focused on protecting the American public from these defective air bags and at getting to the bottom of how they came to be included in millions of vehicles on U.S. roads,” Foxx said. “This preservation order will help us get the answers we need to accomplish those goals.” Foxx also announced that NHTSA will upgrade the Takata investigation to an engineering analysis, which will help determine the actual cause of the air bag failures, and what the next step will be. It will also establish whether Takata’s refusal to notify the agency of a safety defect violates federal safety laws or regulations. In 2014, five automakers— BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda and Mazda—launched national recalls for defective driver-side air bags after pressure from NHTSA. Those five, plus General Motors, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota, are recalling vehicles for defective passenger-side air bags in areas of consistently high absolute humidity, which is believed to be a factor in the ruptures. Most of the recalls are for various model years varying from 2000 to 2007, according to a Takata Corp. representative. Automakers have announced

plans to form a testing association, and private plaintiffs have sought access to inflators in federal court to conduct their own tests. NHTSA has also hired an outside expert on the use of propellants. “There is a strong public safety interest in ensuring that testing moves forward, and that NHTSA has access to all test data,” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said. “We have worked closely with attorneys for private plaintiffs to construct this order so that it protects plaintiffs’ legal rights while also supporting our efforts to protect public safety.”

Photo Credit: blog.caranddriver.com

On Feb. 20, the NHTSA began enforcing $14,000 a day in civil penalties against Takata for failure to respond to requests for information about more than 2.5 million pages of documents it has produced under NHTSA orders. On March 2, 2015, the Takata Corporation convened at a meeting in Michigan to discuss the Japanese airbag manufacturer’s next steps. Engineers from its automaker customers, including independent OEM association engineers, were updated on testing into the root cause of recent airbag inflator issues. The engineers were also provided with a presentation by an expert from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute, which is supplying independent research to determine the root cause of the airbag inflator failures. Shigehisa Takada, Chairman & CEO of Takata, stated, “While the testing by Takata and research by the Fraunhofer Institute continues, and definitive conclusions have not yet been reached, the work so far has supported our initial analysis that age and long-term exposure over a period of many years to a climate of persistent heat and high absolute humidity are significant factors in the small number of inflators that have malfunctioned. Variability in vehicle makes and models is an additional factor indicated by the testing results thus far, and Takata also continues to consider variability in the inflator manufacturing process

12 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

as a potential contributing factor.” Takada added, “We are continuing testing and research and will continue to work openly and transparently with our OEM customers and to do everything we can to support the replacement of all the airbags covered by the automakers’ recalls and safety campaigns. The safety of the driving public is our number one priority and we are committed to do what it takes to achieve this.” Takata has dramatically increased the production of airbag replacement kits in support of automotive recalls and safety campaigns. The company has increased production capacity to 450,000 replacement kits per month, up from 350,000 in December, and expects to be producing approximately 900,000 kits per month by September 2015. The company remains confident that newer inflators and those not exposed to prolonged humidity and heat are safe. Takata also is working with other suppliers to further increase the availability of replacement kits for its automotive customers.

Recent Background on the Takata Corp. Airbag Recalls

A 2012 NHTSA-sponsored survey study found that 21 to 25 percent of the problems covered by recall notices between 2006 and 2010 remain un-repaired. There are 36 million cars on the road that have uncompleted recall work, according to Carfax. In October and November 2014, multiple lawsuits were filed across the country concerning Takata airbag recalls. The Law Offices of Jason Turchin in Ft. Lauderdale, FL announced in a press release on October 24, 2014 that a lawsuit had been filed on behalf of an accident victim allegedly injured by an exploding airbag. Nunez, a Miami Gardens, Florida resident, was driving her car when she was involved in an accident. As a result of the impact, her airbag deployed but a piece of metal allegedly shot through her airbag and struck her in her forehead, narrowly missing her eyes. The airbag that failed was allegedly designed and manufactured by Takata for use by Honda. The allegations against the airbag manufacturer include that Takata failed to properly design, test and manufacturer its airbag unit. It is also claimed that Honda breached several duties it owed to Nunez and the

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public in general. “The biggest concern we have is that a driver doesn’t know if his or her airbag is faulty until the moment of impact, and by then it is too late,” says Jason Turchin, lead attorney in the case. Turchin and his law firm are currently representing several other victims allegedly injured by defective airbags. On November 4, another class action complaint was filed in the Southern District of Florida that alleges Takata, Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and others “knew or should have known that the Takata air bags installed in millions of vehicles were defective.” The complaint seeks compensation for any consumer who purchased or leased a vehicle involved in the Takata airbag recall announced earlier that month. A third Takata airbag lawsuit was filed at the beginning of November in California by five individuals who either purchased or leased BMW, Honda and Toyota cars that plaintiffs claim are unsafe because of Takata airbags. The Takata airbag recall lawsuit alleges that Takata and other defendants “did not fully investigate or disclose the seriousness of the issue and in fact downplayed the widespread prevalence of the problem.”

In November 2014, the Associated Press reported that at least four deaths in U.S. auto accidents have been tied to defective Takata airbags. Reuters reported earlier that month that Takata was targeted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the South-

Hiroshi Shimizu, senior vice president of global quality assurance at Japanese air bag maker Takata. Photo Credit: www.ideastream.org

ern District of New York. The officials were trying to determine if the Japanese company misled U.S. regulators about the number of defective air bags it sold to automakers. On November 22, the Law Offices of Jason Turchin announced in a press release that a fourth lawsuit had been filed in Florida on behalf of an accident victim injured by an exploding airbag. The lawsuit alleges that South

14 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Florida resident Claudia Jana was the driver of a 2001 Honda Civic who was injured when the passenger airbag exploded after an accident and a piece of shrapnel caught fire and landed on her. The lawsuit also alleged that the passenger airbag unit also detached from the dashboard and propelled into the rear passenger seat of the vehicle. The airbag that failed was allegedly designed and manufactured by Takata for use by Honda. The allegations against the airbag manufacturer include that Takata failed to properly design, test and manufacturer its airbag unit. It also claimed that Honda breached several duties it owed to Jana and the public in general. “This is the second Honda Civic lawsuit involving a 2001 model and third airbag shrapnel injury claim that our office filed recently,” said Jason Turchin, lead attorney in the airbag lawsuit. Turchin hopes the lawsuit will get answers as to what is causing the airbag defects, and to compel production of safer airbags. “These airbag lawsuits are not just about money. We want answers,” added Turchin. December 1, 2014 was the deadline that the NHTSA set for Takata

Corp. to respond to its request for documentation and other information, according to the Detroit Free Press. The NHTSA said in a press release that it was “demanding” the automakers to provide the information to “compel Takata and the affected industry to be frank with not only NHTSA, but the American public” about when they discovered that the airbags were subject to rupturing, and why it was not reported sooner. The agency also ordered Takata to provide information on what type of propellant it uses in its inflators because Takata publicly stated it recently changed the chemical mix of its airbag inflator propellant in the newly designed inflators. By the deadline, Takata was also supposed to give the public a time frame for when safe inflators would be made, and when air bags would be replaced in the nationwide recall of 7.8 million vehicles. The airbag recall was initially limited to Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands, areas with above-average humidity. However, the recall went nationwide after cases were discovered in Arizona, California, Minnesota and North Carolina.

Court documents indicate that plaintiffs in five class-action airbag lawsuits filed since October 2014 against Takata Corp. have asked a panel of federal judges to transfer the lawsuits to the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida. The plaintiffs also requested that the actions be consolidated for pretrial proceedings. According to the plaintiffs’ motion to the U.S. Judicial Panel of Multidistrict Litigation (JPML), the first class action lawsuit proceedings are further along than the four other classaction lawsuits pending in California and Michigan. On December 2, 2014, CNNMoney reported that Chrysler jumped on the recall train after the NHTSA ordered the manufacturer to start recalling its cars with the exploding Takata airbag inflators. The federal safety regulator was “extremely concerned” about the automaker’s “slow pace of the recall.” In its response to the NHTSA, Chrysler conducted a regional recall, and started contacting its customers on December 8, 2014. Chinese authorities stated on December 16, 2014 that Honda Motor Co. and its two joint ventures in China would recall 569,769 cars due to po-

tentially defective air bags, Reuters reported. The recalls in China were also implemented due to the risk that “fragmented shards” could fly from the deployed Takata airbags, potentially injuring or even killing motorists.

Photo Credit: www.baronandbudd.com

Vehicle regulators in the United States issued a warrant on January 29, 2015 for whistleblowers with knowledge “of possible defects or any wrongdoing” by Takata Corp. The NHTSA stated in a press release that it was urging potential informants to call its hotline at 1888-327-4236, promising legal protection.

“We encourage all individuals with information about the manufacture or testing of Takata air bag inflators, or who have knowledge of possible defects or any wrongdoing by the company, to make this information available to NHTSA,” agency spokesman Gordon Trowbridge said. Six former Takata employees interviewed by Reuters said they were asked to hide or alter data that showed certain parts and materials did not meet Takata’s specifications or indicated potential issues with key components such as inflators and cushions. Two of these employees said they witnessed others hiding, altering or ignoring unfavorable test results. Company officials testified in 2014 at two U.S. congressional hearings, and the Japanese safety equipment maker remains the subject of at least two federal investigations, and the target of dozens of lawsuits. After being asked to comment on the whistleblowers, a representative of the airbag manufacturer said in a statement, “Takata has a deep commitment to honesty and integrity. Since our founding in 1933, we have worked tirelessly to develop innovative and high-quality products that exceed our

customers’ expectations, save lives and prevent injuries. Our number one priority is the safety of the traveling public.” Most former Takata employees who spoke with Reuters did not want to be named while discussing incidents and situations of a sensitive nature. But they related similar or shared experiences at Takata facilities in Washington, Georgia, Michigan and North Carolina. Two former Takata employees, Mark Lillie and Michael Britton, have spoken to the New York Times, and Lillie also spoke to congressional investigators about their concerns with the safety of propellant manufactured in a Takata facility in Moses Lake, Washington. The propellant was used to create the gas that inflates air bags in case of a crash. In interviews with Reuters, Lillie, a chemical engineer who is now retired and living in New Mexico said he left the company before it began manufacturing a new, more volatile type of chemical propellant, ammonium nitrate. Lillie said some Takata engineers thought the material was not thoroughly tested to make sure it was safe. He left the company in 1999.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 15

“I literally said if we go forward with this, someone will be killed,” Lillie told Reuters. “I couldn’t in good faith pump this stuff out believing that it was unsafe to put in front of a passenger in a car.” Ammonium nitrate was the principal propellant chemical used in hundreds of millions of Takata inflators made since 2000, including those installed in more than 24 million cars recalled in the United States, Japan, China and other global markets. Britton described an incident in the late 1990s where a test batch of experimental propellant that had not been validated by Britton’s technical group was used without his knowledge in production. This occurred because the company was running out of approved material. Even though it had not been proven that the propellant would remain stable over the expected vehicle lifespan, it was still used in inflators that wound up in customers’ cars, Britton said. He added that he was not able to get the inflators recalled from the customer. Britton, in an email on January 29, 2015, said investigators from NHTSA and the Department of Justice have not contacted him. Lillie said on the same day that he has not been contacted by

federal officials, either. Takata did not address specific allegations made by Lillie, Britton or other former employees. On February 10, 2015, the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) announced the filing of a class action lawsuit against Takata Corp, relating to the massive recall of vehicles containing defective airbags manufactured by the Japanese company. The ARA brought the class action on behalf of those who operate professional automotive recycling facilities in the United States who have purchased for resale any of the vehicles containing un-deployed and allegedly defective airbags manufactured by Takata. The complaint alleges that Takata and the Auto Manufacturers misled Automotive Recyclers about the safety and reliability of the allegedly defective airbags. According to the complaint, Takata was aware of the airbag defect as far back as 2004 when it conducted ‘secret tests’ on several airbags. It also states that following the disclosure of the airbag defect, the Automotive Recyclers are not able to sell or trade these airbags because they are valueless. The ARA alleges that it and the

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the suit states. Finally, the lawsuit contends that Caliber requires its mechanics to buy their own tools that are necessary to perform their job duties, without reimbursing the workers for the cost of the tools. California Labor Code section 2802 requires employers to indemnify employees against all “necessary” expenses, including the costs of tools needed to perform job duties. If the employer is already supplying the “necessary” equipment, there is no duty to reimburse for buying superior or superfluous equipment. The employment class action is seeking certification on behalf of classes of workers denied minimum wage, overtime hours, expense reimbursements and more. The plaintiff is represented by Paul K. Haines and Fletcher W. Schmidt of Boren Osher & Luftman LLP. The suit is Castillo et al. v. Caliber Bodyworks of Texas Inc. et al., case number BC572767, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.

Caliber Auto Mechanics

nondiscretionary bonuses and other forms of compensation that aren’t excludable from the regular rate of pay. “Despite defendants’ payment of incentive pay to plaintiff, defendants failed to include all forms of incentive pay when calculating plaintiff’s regular rate of pay, thereby further causing plaintiff to be underpaid all of his required overtime wages,” the complaint states. Castillo alleges that he regularly worked in excess of eight hours per work day and over 40 hours each week, without receiving overtime compensation. Further, because the company only pays its workers in the piece-rate system, it also fails to maintain any compensation system for compensating rest periods. “As a result of defendants’ failure to pay all overtime and minimum wages, defendants maintained inaccurate payroll records and issued inaccurate wage statements to plaintiff,”

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Automotive Recyclers had an expectation that Takata and the Auto Manufacturers would disclose known defects in a timely manner to abide federal, state and common law. The failure to properly disclose the defect caused the Automotive Recyclers to purchase vehicles containing the Takata airbags for amounts greater than their worth. “Right now, 49 states allow for the sale of recycled, non-deployed OEM airbags,” ARA CEO Michael E. Wilson told Autobody News. “New York is currently the only state in the country where professional automotive recyclers are unable to sell recycled, non-deployed OEM airbags.” Wilson added, “The Automotive Recyclers Association supports only the reutilization of the recycled nondeployed OEM airbag module. ARA has a protocol for the use of original equipment non-deployed airbags, ARAPro, which provides guidelines for the practice of removing an OEM non-deployed airbag, including rigorous inspection, documentation, storage, audit procedures.” As of March 2015, evidence shows that at least six motorists have been killed by defective Takata airbags.

CO Police Devise Plan to Halt Hit-and-Runs with Body Shops

by Ryan Severance, The Pueblo Chieftain

The Pueblo Police Department in CO and local auto repair shops are teaming in an effort to help solve hitand-run crimes. The initiative—dubbed the Pueblo Auto Body Alert Program— resembles a program started by the Denver Police Department last year. It creates a partnership with automotive repair professionals to assist with identifying hit-and-run damaged vehicles, according to a release the police department sent out. Through the program, auto repair shops will receive email and/or fax transmissions from the police department traffic section/hit-and-run unit when they are investigating hitand-run accidents. Police will provide as much detailed information possible about the vehicle they are attempting to locate. Repair professionals can call the police department’s non-emergency number at 719-553-2502 or call the hitand-run unit directly at 719-553-2521 or 719-553-2536. They can also email puebloautobodyalert@pueblo.us. Thank you to The Pueblo Chieftain for permission to use this article.

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ABAC Teaches Senator Blumenthal about ‘Imitation’ Parts, Senator Asks DOJ to Investigate by Chasidy Rae Sisk

In February, CNN’s investigation into unsafe repairs performed with aftermarket parts at preferred shops, due to insurer pressure, generated a lot of attention from the general public and government officials. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a former Con-

Senator Richard Blumenthal (at podium) meets with repairers at Tony Ferraiolo’s A & R Body Specialty

necticut Attorney General who has been a long-time observer of the issues, took particular notice. Blumenthal has asked the Department of Justice to investigate repairs that may have been performed with imitation parts that could possibly result in unsafe vehicles being returned to the road. Seeking to understand the issue of imitation parts in greater depth, Senator Blumenthal turned to the Auto Body Association of Connecticut (ABAC). On Saturday, February 28, Senator Blumenthal visited ABAC President Tony Ferraiolo’s A & R Body Specialty for a lesson on imitation parts and to hold a press conference. Ferraiolo notes, “Senator Blumenthal has been a long-time supporter of ABAC ever since he was CT’s Attorney General. Like Attorneys General in LA and MS, he has al-

ways been consumer-oriented, and he has been a major proponent of our ‘your car, your choice’ slogan. He promotes this idea in ads he produces and in radio interviews and he is trying to alert the public that using imitation parts is not in the consumers’ best interest.”

Ferraiolo clarifies that their battle is not against all aftermarket parts, as some may be viable and safe to use, but their issues are specifically with imitation parts made for crash repairs. He claims, “No imitation parts I’ve seen in my twenty-five years of business matches up to the original manufacturer part.” In order to demonstrate the differences to Senator Blumenthal, Ferraiolo set up several imitation parts and OEM parts to perform a comparison. When examining two hoods and the necessary replacement parts, Ferraiolo noted that the welds were smaller on the imitation parts and the latch connection was weaker. “Our biggest demonstration was a reinforcement beam for a Ford Mustang,” Ferraiolo says. “We were able to bend the imitation part with pliers, but we couldn’t budge the OEM part. Senator Blumenthal held the part to find it was noticeably lighter which creates obvious potential to negatively impact the safety of the repair.”

the danger of shops using substandard parts. Ferraiolo is “proud to have Senator Blumenthal as our senator. He’s taking a pretty radical stand against the insurance industry for someone in government.” Although one local television station was present at the press confer-

greatly endangers consumers.” Ferraiolo explains that no test crash data is gathered to guarantee that these parts perform the same as OEM parts. This issue is compounded farther by modern technology, such as new safety systems. Ferraiolo said that “until data substantiates that imitation parts work the same, there is no reason to use them unless the consumer wants them. I don’t see these parts as comparable quality. Shops should not use imitation parts until testing is completed on them. We don’t use them in my shop; instead, we inform the consumer that the insurer is requesting them and explain why they are not recommended. If the consumer does not want to use them, the insurer will usually concur. Now, some manufacturers, such as GM, are offering price-matching programs so we can use OEM parts at the reimbursement rate of some imitation parts.” Senator Blumenthal is pressing the Department of Justice to investigate this issue, and he has also expressed concern with the 1963 Consent Decree. He has been reiterating his message in articles and radio interviews to emphasize

ence on February 28, the story was deemed “not newsworthy” and never ran. Ferraiolo does not know the reason the report didn’t run, but he finds it “interesting. I can’t understand how something that affects consumer safety isn’t newsworthy.” *[Karen Fierst has pointed out in commentary posted at autobodynews com that OEMs have no mechanism to See Blumenthal, Page 22

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When investigating the headlights, Senator Blumenthal could see an apparent difference in the shape, color and intensity of the beam. Ferraiolo also informed the senator about the lack of effectiveness in the aftermarket parts recall process. Because no single entity monitors aftermarket parts recalls, the consumer has no idea that a part on their vehicle may be defective unless the shop doing the repairs informs them. In comparison, OEM part recalls are linked to the car’s VIN, allowing vehicle owners to be properly informed of a possible safety issue. Ferraiolo believes that the same recall process needs to be instituted for aftermarket and imitation parts also.* Blumenthal said he s working on policy for safety recalls now. Ferraiolo emphasizes, “even though the parts may look identical, the recall information indicates that the part subject to recall could cause an accident or even death, so this is a serious concern that

18 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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Gunder’s Auto Center Defeats Progressive’s Motion to Dismiss & Invoke Appraisal Clause On February 23rd, 2015, the Honorable Judge Susan B. Flood of the County Court of the Tenth Judicial Circuit in and for Polk County denied Progressive Casualty Insurance Company’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Ray Gunder of Gunder’s Auto Center, acting on behalf of his customer and strike claim for attorney’s fees. Furthermore, the court denied the insurer’s efforts to invoke the Appraisal Clause as provided for in their policy contract. This is not the first time that Gunder, who is part of a large lawsuit involving 45 other repair shops in Central Florida, has spoken out against State Farm and other major insurance companies. In an article published by the Orlando Sentinel in August 2014, he stated, “This is a real safety issue. So many shops are forced to do shortcuts with the money that’s being paid, and insurance companies end up free of liability. We’re just looking for enough money to fix the cars right, in a safe and efficient way.”

Gunder added that he has seen many cars that were repaired improperly at other shops under insurer-imposed expense limits. One of those instances, discussed in the orlando Sentinel article, occurred after a 2007 Toyota Camry hybrid, owned by Joan Dick of Lake Wales, FL, got into a collision. Dick said, she had the car repaired first at a shop that is part of State Farm’s repair program. She said the car still shook violently on the road, so she took it to Gunder. His inspections indicated a cracked block and bent steering column, among other problems, Dick said in an interview. The car eventually had to be totaled. The lawsuit filed by Gunder at the end of February was on behalf of another customer who executed a Durable Limited Power of Attorney, allowing Gunder to stand in his shoes for this litigation. The suit was necessitated by Progressive’s failure to pay for the reasonable and necessary costs to perform repairs to Gunder’s customer’s damaged vehicle.

22 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

“Progressive tried hard to keep our legal action from going forward by invoking their bogus “appraisal clause” and motion for dismissal, stated Gunder after learning of the judge’s ruling. “I sat in that courtroom and watched our brilliant Attorney, Brent Geohagan, destroy Progressive’s legal counsel’s arguments and offer the Judge reasoning as to why our position was correct. The Judge agreed and rendered her decision in favor of our customer.” Gunder went on to say, “This ruling is huge as it allows us to proceed with the multiple lawsuits we currently have in process on behalf of other customers who have been shortchanged by this insurer as well as other insurers who have underpaid their policyholders.” The lawsuits seek full payment of the underpayments, plus costs, expenses, attorney fees, prejudgment and post judgment interest.

Continued from Page 18

Blumenthal

identify the channel of distribution of their parts are sold into the aftermarket. In fact, they are not always sure which new vehicles were built with the faulty part. She says the collision repair aftermarket has a mechanism for addressing recalls. Every certified aftermarket part, whether certified by Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) or NSF, is clearly designated so that it can be tracked by the manufacturer to the distributor. NSFcertified distributors can track the parts to the exact collision repair shop. I believe that some distributors can also track to the vehicle if the shop has provided the R.O. or claim number, but I don’t know how common that ability is. In any event, the distributor can definitely track the part to the shop, if not to the exact job. Ironically, while shops often erroneously allege that aftermarket parts cannot be recalled, as is reported to have happened at the forum, the fact is the breakdown in the certified aftermarket part recall process is between the shop and the vehicle owner.

Texas Collision Repair Shops Cite Legal Issues with GEICO Regarding Certain Fees by Stacey Phillips

Numerous collision repair shops in the Houston, TX, area are having legal issues with GEICO insurance company regarding the payment of certain rates for tow bills, administrative fees, and storage on total loss vehicles. Autobody News recently spoke to some of these shops to find out more. “It is the opinion of the Houston Auto Body Association (HABA) that this is a calculated effort by GEICO to strong arm shops to accept unfair compensation for work completed by shops on total loss vehicles,” said James Brown of the Houston Auto Body Association (HABA). One of these shops is Kopriva Body Works in Houston. This thirdgeneration family-run business is currently being sued by GEICO for damages under theories of fraud, violations of the DTPA, conversion, replevin and trespass to chattels. John Kopriva, the owner of the 85-year-old collision repair shop, said, “We have never been sued or have had anything to resemble what is going on with GEICO.”

Travis Crowder of Crowder Law Firm, who is representing Kopriva Body Works, said the suit is a result of fees charged by Kopriva in connection with vehicles determined to be “totaled” by GEICO. “Kopriva has generally denied the claims of GEICO and has asserted its own claims against the insurance company for sums due under a customer’s repair order and damages for bad faith prosecution of its groundless claims,” said Crowder. The court date is currently pending. Kopriva first noticed a situation with GEICO in April 2014 when a customer’s vehicle was brought to the shop after an accident. GEICO was the insurance carrier and came out to write an estimate. “We have a good working relationship with GEICO,” he said. “People who come out to estimate are fair. The way we look at it: the car writes the estimate.” When the estimator indicated the car might be a total loss, Kopriva notified the customer of the situation. The customer explained to Kopriva

that due to her financial condition she couldn’t afford to lose her car and wanted to explore possibilities to save it. He helped her come up with different scenarios to put some money into repairing the vehicle. In the meantime, GEICO called to say they were going to total the car, and asked Kopriva to determine the costs incurred. He said they seemed to have no issue with the majority of costs, but “when we told them our administrative fee was $225 they said there was no way that we’re going to pay and the amount was excessive.” GEICO informed the shop that they were only going to pay $50 towards the administrative fee. “All insurance companies that we work with—non-DRP as well as DRP—have no problem with our administrative fee,” said Kopriva. After all of the time spent working on a total loss vehicle, he said, “$225 is a reasonable cost and is certainly appropriate.” Kopriva said the next thing he knew he received a letter from GEICO stating that they were only going to pay $50 towards the administrative

costs and if that was not acceptable they were going to sue. He was told to hold the car and not dispose of it. Kopriva Body Works currently has four of GEICO’s total loss vehicles at their shop. “The clock is still running on them and they don’t seem to be interested in picking these cars up,” he said. “Basically, it’s like they’ve abandoned these cars,” said Kopriva. “What’s going to be next on their list of things that they want to control?” Crowder said, “GEICO is thwarted by the fact that independent, non-aligned body repair shops are not regulated and are therefore free to charge any fee that they believe to be reasonable. In an attempt to force these independent shops to accept fee schedules that are acceptable to GEICO, the insurer has initiated these baseless suits in order to coerce the shops into accepting GEICO’s fee schedule.” Crowder represents two other body shops with suits pending against them by GEICO for similar reasons. “The most troubling thing to me is the total lack of basis upon which See Legal Issues with GEICO, Page 27

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 23

Inside the Aluminum Revolution: Factors to Consider When Upgrading Not since the introduction of the unibody vehicle has there been as revolutionary a topic to hit the collision repair industry as aluminum repair. With more and more cars and trucks equipped with this innovative material—as well as tools, products and equipment specifically designed for them—entering the market every day, the debate on how and with what to best perform proper aluminum repairs rages on. The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) recently sat down with representatives from the equipment and tooling sides of the industry, as well as several collision repair facilities who have taken the plunge of upgrading, to get their perspectives on repair safety, the importance of accurate information and their personal experiences on the front lines of the aluminum revolution. As someone who has seen his share of tools, fasteners and repair solutions, Bastian Hartmann, project manager of Advanced Joining Technologies for Indiana-based Bollhoff, Inc., a self-piercing rivet (SPR) fastener and tooling company, is well aware of the importance of a good tool—and the devastating consequences of an inferior one. “A company who wants to provide a proper SPR repair kit should not only sell a tool, but also have the experience and competence to guide their customers on how to set an SPR properly based on the application or material combination,” he said. “SPR equipment in mass production runs with high setting forces of up to 80kN (approximately 1.5 seconds per joint), and full process monitoring on parts fixed and clamped in engineered devices. To match the same joint quality with a handheld tool in a workshop requires not only different parameters, but also training on the technology itself. Training should be provided to all operators in the correct use of the tooling and appropriate personal safety equipment should be worn at all times.” “Rivets can take up to 11,000 pounds of force on an 8-millimeter tip,” noted Dave Gruskos, President of Reliable Automotive Equipment (RAE). “Tip quality and arm stability is vital to performing a safe and proper repair. Also, the types of rivets vary from one OEM to another, so one needs the ability to adapt the rivet to

fit each job. A battery-powered rivet gun for a tiny rivet, for example, may not be the best direction.” So how can repairers be sure they’re using the right tools for the job, and more importantly, stay safe while working with them? “Collision repair professionals should be purchasing tools that have been approved and tested by car manufacturers,” enforced Gruskos. “There should be training provided on the tools’ proper use by suppliers that have a tech line. But it doesn’t stop there; repairers should continue to be trained—and retrained—yearly, and should also have tools certified on an annual basis as well.” “For the installation of the SPR, body shop operators should follow the tool’s operation manual and OEM guidelines, including all safety procedures,” added Hartmann. “For the application, in the best case, there is an OEM repair guideline existing which describes the exact setting parameters and the rivet/die combination to use at a certain location. This takes away the ‘guessing’ on the operator side and keeps both body shop and customer safe. If such a document is not available, the OEM should provide a general SPR guideline and the provider for the equipment should be able to help the operator achieve the joint quality described in the document.” There is a plethora of information to consider when researching the decision to upgrade or modify tooling and equipment in the shop. However, in many cases, some of the most valuable data can often come straight from the real life experiences of those who have experienced it firsthand. SCRS Past Chairman Gary Wano of G.W. and Son Auto Body, Inc. in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is a facility owner who has adopted advanced equipment and tooling to prepare for the future. As he advised, the decision cannot be made overnight. “The adoption of advanced programs, tooling, equipment and procedures has to be birthed from leadership, but a continual culture of learning must also be embraced, from the very top to the very bottom of the shop,” he says. “This is not just a plaque on a wall; it’s about making sure the correct processes are in place, about continually investing in the improvement of your business and about making sure that the people you have along for the journey are as dedicated

24 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

to the business’ success as you are.” Once a shop has committed to upgrading, SCRS board member Kye Yeung of European Motor Car Works, Santa Ana, California, noted that the research process into tool and equipment purchases should encompass the past, present and future. “As a shop owner, [deciding on equipment for advanced materials], I would look back at which lines I repaired, who my customers were, and whether those OEs were thinking about changing their production or technology in the near future, i.e. carbon fiber. You don’t want to circumvent a process where a manufacturer comes up with something unique, leaving you with outdated equipment. If you’re going through that push to upgrade, start slowly; get all the basics out of the way before deciding exactly what large purchases to buy.” As Yeung continues, those large purchases should be considered with universality and convenience in mind whenever possible. “Like any type of purchase, the so-called ‘right’ brand would in my eyes have to include a service network that’s easily attainable. Our shop was originally involved with

the Aston Martin factory-approved program, and every piece of equipment had to be imported. Even their adhesives were Euro-specific; you simply could not get them in the States. The accessibility of service is huge. And my suggestion would be, before you jump, see what required equipment can be used on multiple lines.” “The manufacturers dictate the tools, the equipment and the training that are mandatory [for the repair of advanced materials],” added SCRS Chairman Ron Reichen, Precision Body & Paint, with multiple locations in Oregon. “If you’re going to take that plunge and invest in becoming a certified shop, you need to make that decision to either dip your toe in the water, or to jump in and become certified for several lines. If you invest in building a clean room for Audi’s certification program, for example, you’ll be able to use that space for several lines. Some pieces of equipment also have crossover, and with an average cost of $10,000 apiece or more on rivet guns and between $20,000 to $30,000 on welders, the economies of See Aluminum Revolution, Page 54

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Continued from Cover

How to Get Things Done

easy to sign up for their e-newsletters and get on their mailing lists to keep updated about what they’re doing. By doing your research and due diligence, you’ll be ready to make a favorable impression when you meet your local legislator, whether it’s at an organization-sponsored Legislative Day, a meet and greet event or a local fundraiser.

Open the Dialogue & Keep it Open After your initial interaction with your legislator, don’t back off or disappear into the mist. Write a thank you letter for that first meeting and keep the lines of communication open. Check in but don’t call weekly. If you don’t get a timely response, don’t be dissuaded, because these are busy people and just because they did not respond doesn’t mean they aren’t hearing your voice. By becoming a resource for your legislator on topics you’re familiar with, you can help your legislator on issues that impact the automotive repair industry and the collision repair industry specifically.

Stay Classy When talking to your legislators, obviously threatening them or suggesting a bribe is strictly taboo. Just as importantly, never mislead a legislator and don’t be pushy, even if you’re passionate about the issue. And don’t waste their valuable time—get in there, make your point and get out. Your legislator will respect your professional behavior and more likely remember you the next time. Also, it’s important to know each member of your legislator’s staff, because in many cases those are the people you’ll be meeting with, at least initially. They gather information and brief their legislator about issues and rely on their judgment, which means they can influence a decision with new information. Know the staff members’ titles (Chief of Staff, Committee Staff, Legislative Aide, etc.) and ask them questions, such as what they’re hearing from the opposition; do they have enough information to advise their legislator on the issue and/or does the legislator need to listen to more of their constituents before making a decision? And never talk down to a staff member or underestimate his/her power. If you get an aide or your side about an issue, you can get a lot done

Automotive Recyclers Association Contacts US Attorney General After CNN Report Dear Attorney General Eric Holder:

The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) represents over 4,500 professional automotive recyclers across the United States and in 14 countries internationally. It is on their behalf that I feel compelled to comment on a February 13, 2015 letter addressed to your office from Senator Richard Blumenthal regarding a recent CNN Anderson Cooper 360 segment on automotive insurers and insurer-preferred repair shops. ARA has responded to both CNN and Senator Blumenthal expressing grave concern over their mischaracterizations of recycled, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts sold by professional automotive recycling facilities. Similarly, I write to you to caution you about the Department of Justice placing credibility in what was unfortunately a biased, misleading piece of reporting. The automotive repair indus-

try and the role of insurance companies in the marketplace are very complex and any accurate analysis requires a comprehensive review that takes into consideration the role of all stakeholders in the process. ARA does not believe that a Department of Justice investigation of the automotive insurance industry is necessary. If however, your office does conduct a review, the Association requests that this letter be submitted for the record stating that if a review is conducted, that it must be done in a thorough, fair, comprehensive manner. ARA would appreciate being contacted to help provide Department officials critical background information on the automotive parts supply chain and repair processes if an investigation does occur.

Sincerely,

Michael E. Wilson, CEO of the Automotive Recyclers Association

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26 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

without walking the hallways of the Capitol or sending countless letters.

Focus, Focus, Focus When interacting with any legislator or its staff, stay on point and talk only about things that are directly related to the issues at hand. He or she doesn’t need to know your life story, so get to the facts quickly and make your case without dallying. If you can get past the first initial meeting, maybe you can get chummy with your legislator down the road. But never lose sight of the fact that your #1 deliverable is getting your voice heard, clearly and succinctly on the issues that concern you.

Do It the ‘Write’ Way It’s great to contact your legislators via phone or in person, but writing to them is just as effective. When you write a personal letter or email to your legislator, they’re first off obligated to respond in a timely fashion. Secondly, it creates a record and documents your actions, so that later you can use them possibly as leverage. Make copies of your letters and send them to other body shops. By cc’ing them to your legislators, your message will have more impact and get more attention.

Get the Word Out Once you have your legislator’s ear, tell other body shops what you’re doing and what you’ve achieved. There are always a handful of shop owners out there who want to be heard and if your efforts will spark their desire to join in, it can only help. If you can get other legislators to listen to shop owners throughout the state, now you’ve taken it past your backyard and right to the steps of the Capitol. This is when real change can take place, when business owners work as a team for a better industry. Jack Molodanof is a California attorney and lobbyist who has distinguished himself in areas of automotive legislative and regulatory law over the past 30 years. He’s the go-to lawyer/lobbyist in California for the automotive repair industry and represents several statewide automotive associations, including the California Autobody Association (CAA) and Automotive Service Councils of California (ASCCA). Molodanof also serves on the California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) Advisory Group, which provides input on BAR programs. For questions, contact Jack Molodanof at jack@mgrco.org.

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Legal Issues with GEICO

these suits have been filed,” said Crowder. “While there are undoubtedly shops that charge unreasonable and insupportable fees for their services, none of the clients I am representing fall into that category and yet they are being forced to incur significant attorney’s fees to defend themselves.” Ed Griffin, owner of Griffin’s Paint & Body Inc., said he had a similar experience with GEICO. A customer brought in a car in July 2014 that was severely damaged. Although Griffin thought the estimator might total the car, instead she said it was re-

pairable. “As normal protocol, she left me the estimate and I called the customer,” said Griffin. “After beginning repairs, our technicians found more damage.” Griffin said once they got the supplement in place, GEICO re-inspected it and finally deemed it a total loss, a considerable amount of time had passed. At that point, Griffin put together a bill, including the parts ordered and a $20 daily storage fee, which he said GEICO didn’t like since the car had been there three months. Griffin received a call from the law firm and said he was told that GEICO would pay under protest and duress. “I was kind of taken back and I didn’t know how to react to that,” said

Griffin. “I feel like they are just bullying shops to get their way. We have costs of doing business that they don’t want to recognize.” In business since 1989 and a member of the Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT), Griffin said he has never had a situation like this before or been in a lawsuit. “GEICO’s policies and procedures are difficult to work with for us,” said Griffin. “They encourage you to do cut rate work with what they are allowing, in my opinion. That’s my battle with them. I need to be compensated and to compensate my workers fairly in order for us to do a good quality, safe repair on a vehicle.” Griffin said as a small business in a small town, it can be challenging.

He finds that a lot of work is steered away from him because he isn’t a DRP. “If you don’t fully go along with their money-saving policies and procedures, you get labeled hard to deal with and potential customers are steered away via the insurance company’s strong influence they have on customers. “A lot of times I’ll have to go in my pocket to go that extra mile to make a customer happy and I should get paid for that but I don’t most of the time.” Corey Pigg, a manager of S&W Expert Collision Repair, said the shop’s relationship with GEICO as well as other insurance companies has been somewhat of a feast or famine. “At one moment it’s great, at other times it’s rocky,” he said. S&W has operated in Lufkin and East Texas since 1975 and opened their second location in Nacogdoches in 2001. Pigg said at the beginning of 2014, the company realized that in order to maintain profitability they would need to increase their rates. As a DRP for multiple insurance companies, S&W sent out notification to almost all of the companies they work with on a regular basis that their rates were changing in April after nearly four years of being the same. S&W also began charging a markup on outside tow bills and an administrative fee on total losses. Even though S&W is not on any sort of DRP program with GEICO, “GEICO had a big problem with all of these changes and refused to pay,” said Pigg. S&W received letters from a GEICO attorney stating the insurance company is only making “payment under protest and duress” because S&W charged an $800 markup on a tow bill that they had to pay. “We asked GEICO to leave some blank checks with us in order to pay tow tickets with, but they declined. They want us to use our own funds to pay their tow bills for free,” Pigg said. “We had no choice but to get our customers involved.” S&W found their customers to be more than willing to step up and help. Many called GEICO supervisors as well as the Texas Department of Insurance. Pigg said the response was surprising. “GEICO informed many customers that if they wanted S&W to reSee Legal Issues with GEICO, Page 66

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 27

ShopRepTV: A Personalized TV Channel for Body Shops Developed by CA Company by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor

During the summer of 2014, Frank Terlep recalls walking into a body shop lobby and noticing all of the paper, plaques and reviews strewn across the counter and taped on the walls and windows. Terlep, owner of Summit eMarketing Sherpas, wondered if it would make sense to digitize all of this information. (see more on Frank Terlep p. 46 this issue.) This led him to create ShopRepTV, an in-house sales, marketing and advertising platform specifically designed for auto body and repair shops. Terlep said the product allows a business to use HDTVs, PC monitors, laptops and/or tablets to present their online reviews, certifications, affiliations and partnerships, as well as share videos, labor rates special offers and much more. “It is basically like a shop’s own personalized TV channel for their business,” said Terlep. Whether it is used in a shop’s lobby or estimating bays, he said that it will help shops better communicate with customers, reduce perceived wait times, improve customer service, reinforce the shop’s brand and increase exposure to a shop’s special promotions and additional services. After creating a test version, Terlep introduced ShopRepTV at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, NV in November 2014. He had no idea what the reaction would be and said he was pleased to hear the positive feedback. Although there are dozens of digital signage companies, Terlep said this product is different. ShopRepTV is preformatted with content so shops can pick and choose what they want to present to their customers. It can also be customized for each body shop. “We have this product we think is valuable to the business,” said Terlep, who has worked with body shops for the last 30 years. “We think it’s something that most collision centers are

going to use in the future.” Terlep said his company, based in Poway, CA, specializes in helping shops retain more customers, revenue and profit through digital sales, marketing and advertising.

Star ratings, promotions and customer reviews are just some of the choices that can be included on ShopRepTV

Over the last few months, Terlep asked some of his previous customers to test ShopRepTV in their shops. The goal was to find out if they are gaining value from presenting information to their customers in this way. Barry Reddick, owner of Collision PRO in Helena, Montana, has tested ShopRepTV over the last few months. The monitor is set up on his lobby counter and Reddick said he has found that a lot of people are watching it, especially the videos and commercials. The body shop has showcased their certifications and star rating, as well as information about their relationships with insurance companies and DRPs. “I think it gives them a little more insight into the business,” said Reddick. “In one spot you can really showcase the inside of your business with photos or slides.” Terlep said ShopRepTV is relatively easy to set up. First, the company

Berkshire Hathaway Completes Van Tuyl Acquisition

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway completed its purchase of the Van Tuyl Group, the largest dealership acquisition in industry history. All aspects of the sale were finalized March 9. The new Berkshire Hathaway Automotive is the fifthlargest dealership group in the US with over $9 billion in revenue and 81 independently operated dealer-

will install Google Chromcast, which allows any computer to connect wirelessly to a TV. This will allow ShopRepTV to run on the monitor. The company is currently in the process of partnering with Best Buy to set up a

complete turnkey solution for shops. After spending time studying other industries with similar products, Terlep said, “We think it will be a very

affordable solution for the shops.” Whether a business has two stores or 300, it has the ability to control the content at each location from a single computer. “We will continue to enhance the content, which will give the shops more capabilities and more options to present to the consumer,” said Terlep. The plan is to offer ShopRepTV in North America as a monthly subscription for $59. An annual subscription will also be available for a discount. Customers who are considering signing up receive a 30-day trial to see how it will work at their business. Terlep said he would also like to introduce an interactive kiosk and mobile app version of the technology this summer for customers. “Ultimately we think that the shops that really care about the appearance of their lobby are going to love it,” said Terlep. “Over the past 30 years shops have moved their estimating, frame measurements, shop management, accounting and production management into the digital age, ShopRepTV can now help shop shops move their lobby into the digital age.”

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 29

Plaintiffs’ Attorneys at Eaves Law Firm Encourage Shops to Share Stories About Alleged Steering by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor

Auto body shops in 36 states are now part of the antitrust Multi District Lawsuit (MDL) in Florida. John Eaves Jr., the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, is encouraging shop owners across the country to share their stories about alleged steering and other insurance practices, regardless whether or not they are part of the lawsuit. Eaves Law Firm in Mississippi plans to use these experiences to help prepare affidavits for an injunction the firm is about to file. “This injunction is going to be asking the court to stop the insurance company’s steering practices and other retaliatory practices,” he said. In March, Autobody News reported that Judge Gregory Presnell in Florida had dismissed a large portion of the lawsuit. “Since that has happened, we actually found out more information,” said Eaves. The law firm has been preparing the documentation to refile the claims that were dismissed without prejudice. When Autobody News spoke to

ASCCA/CAA to Hold ‘Legislative Fly-In’ on April 14

The California Autobody Association (CAA) is partnering with ASCCA for the 2015 Legislative Fly-In on Tuesday, April 14. Transportation from the airport, food, and the scheduling of legislative appointments will be taken care of by the organizations, while registration and airfare must be taken care of by the individual. Reservations will be accepted on a first come, first-serve basis, and space is limited. Past speakers have included: ● Chief, Bureau of Automotive Repair; ● Governor’s Small Business Advocate, Governor’s Economic Adviser; ● Chair, Select Committee on Career Technical Education & Workforce Development ASCCA has arranged for Chaz Cab to provide round-trip transportation to/from the Capitol at no charge. Once you have arrived at the airport, call 916952-8531, give them your name, and mention that you are with the ASCCA group. Chaz Cab will direct bill ASCCA. If you require hotel accommodations, contact Lauren at 916-924-9054 x105 or lstoddard@amgroup.us 8-9 a.m. Welcome Breakfast 9-9:30 a.m. Special Guest Speaker 9:30-noon Legislative Appointments Noon-1 p.m. Lunch 1-2:30 p.m. Legslative Appointments

Eaves, he said that Judge Presnell indicated that he wants more specifics in regards to the lawsuit. In response, Eaves Law Firm has been rewriting the lawsuits to include specific information from the auto body shops. Although Eaves said this was not their original intention, the Eaves team has been collecting information from the shops. “We’ve tried to give the judge enough detail and enough information so he can have the confidence to move forward,” he said. He also said that some of the lawsuits have been put on hold until the firm can best determine how the judge wants them filed. Then the other lawsuits can be filed in a similar manner. Each state’s lawsuit has a different deadline. Eaves and his team have also been focusing on answering the defendants’ move to dismiss the lawsuit. There is a standing court date once a month, with the latest one held on March 6. Eaves said the purpose of that hearing was to speed up the process. “Thanks to the leadership of Judge See Eaves Law Firm, Page 31

CAA Responds to CNN Report

The California Autobody Association recently responded to the CNN report, “Are Cheap Repairs Part of an Insurance Scheme?” The segment can be viewed at http://cnn.it/1EZTGPa. California Autobody Association (CAA) members adhere to a code of ethics of honesty, integrity and craftsmanship and include performing high quality repair service at a fair and just price; to have a sense of personal obligation to each individual customer; to use only proven merchandise of high quality and distributed by reputable firms; to uphold the high standards of our profession and to always seek to correct any and all abuses with the auto body industry; and to comply with all laws and regulations. CAA members invest in sophisticated equipment and specialized education and training to ensure customers’ vehicles are properly and safely repaired. The CAA has worked closely and will continue to work with the vehicle manufacturers, state legislature, government protection bureaus, department, agencies, and industry stakeholders and to take active measures that are needed to strengthen consumer protections and add accountability for auto body repairs. For information, contact CAA Executive Director David McClune 916557-8100 or www.calautobody.com.

30 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

PartsTrader Adds 3 Strategic Account Managers

PartsTrader has announced the appointment of three collision industry veterans as Strategic Account Managers. Michael Noirot, Mike Stacy, and Dave Apseloff join the company and will advocate for specific segments of the collision repair industry. Michael Noirot is the Strategic Account Manager focused on insurance accounts. Noirot is a 26 year veteran of the collision and insurance claims industry. He was director of national accounts for Mitchell International and ADP Claims Services Group (AudaExplore) and vice president of the collision division of the Automotive Service Association (ASA). For the past eight years he worked at CARFAX, Inc. as the primary liaison to the P & C insurance industry. Mike Stacy joins PartsTrader as the Strategic Account Manager serving the multi-shop operator market. A seasoned automotive sales professional when he joined CCC in 1992, Stacy quickly became the company’s #1 auto body sales representative for several years, ultimately rising to the position of Zone Vice President and managing 28 colleagues in CCC’s Western Region. After a decade of service, he opened up and ran two award-winning AAMCO franchises before joining VeriFacts as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Stacy served as Director of Corporate Strategy for Seidner’s Collision Centers, a southern California MSO

with 14 locations, for the last two years. Dave Apseloff joins PartsTrader as the Strategic Account Manager serving the OEM and Dealer Group segment, bringing over 20 years of industry experience to his new role. His unique combination of high level relationship management skills paired with his deep knowledge of the needs and capabilities of automobile industry software and applications make Apseloff a strong fit for the organization. Immediately prior to joining PartsTrader, he was the OEM General Manager for Dealer Tire. He spent 18 years at Reynolds & Reynolds, where he rose through the ranks to hold several regional management roles, including software implementation and professional services, before moving into managing key OEM accounts. “We consider ourselves fortunate to be able to attract such industry leaders to our team, allowing us to continue the forward momentum PartsTrader has experienced over the past year,” said Dale Sailer, Vice President of Business Development. The three new Strategic Account Managers will join Ken Weiss, PartsTrader Strategic Account Manager for the alternative parts channel, in working across the organization to ensure that the necessary corporate resources are aligned to deliver on the company’s client commitments and its own internal business plan.

Urethane Supply Company Releases I-CAR Course® on Nitrogen Plastic Welding

Nitrogen plastic welding, a technology first commercialized by Urethane Supply Company in 2006, has been growing in popularity over the years as shops look to keep more labor dollars in-house. Unfortunately, many shops that have purchased welders have not been able to take full advantage of their capabilities due to inadequate training or technician turnover. To address this need for training, Urethane Supply Company is announcing the availability of a new training course: PR-01 Introduction to Nitrogen Plastic Welding. This training is approved for ICAR credit hours and/or Knowledge Area recognition through the I-CAR Industry Training Alliance® program. The PR-01 Nitrogen Plastic Welding course is designed for delivery to up to three technicians in the customer’s shop. The training takes roughly three hours and focuses primarily on the hands-on skills necessary to repair bumpers. The learning objectives for the course are as follows: ● Identify different plastic types

● Explain the basic nitrogen welding process ● Properly operate the plastic welder ● Weld a tear to the edge of the bumper ● Repair a torn slot tab ● Repair a torn flange ● Repair a torn flexible hinge tab ● Repair a thermoset polyurethane (PUR) bumper

North American shops interested in scheduling this training must register online at www.urethanesupply .com/training. The cost of the course is $400 for up to three technicians. Once a reservation is made, Urethane Supply’s training manager will contact the shop’s representative and schedule an appointment. Questions? Contact Kurt Lammon at 800-633-3047

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Talent Monger Holds Collision Industry Job Fair in PA

Talent Monger LLC will be holding a Collision Industry Job Fair for shops and technicians in the Western PA area on May 7. Talent Monger is a collision industry service launched in late 2014 to connect qualified employees with the collision shops looking to hire them. Co-founder Greg McVicker said he created Talent Monger after a decade of frustration trying to find and hire employees for his dealership collision center. Talent Monger is committed to connecting the industry through partnerships with trade schools, industry groups and job fairs. The job fair will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn at Southpointe, PA from 10 am to 2 pm on May 7. It will be free for students and technicians to attend, and free for shops to have a booth. Space is limited so McVicker recommends registering early. To register for the job fair, visit www.talentmonger.com or email info @thetalentmonger.com.

Continued from Page 30

Eaves Law Firm

Smith, who is the magistrate on the case, we discussed several ways to expedite the process.” Meanwhile, auto body shops are continuing to join the MDL, with 20 more being added the week prior to Autobody News going to press. Eaves said he wants the case to be the best it can be. “We’re working to ensure it is as comprehensive as possible and lays out all of the unfair trade practices and all of those things that have made it difficult for our shops to do their job,” he said. Auto body shops across the country that wish to share their stories should contact steve@eaveslaw.com

Check out our NEW website at: western.autobodynews.com

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 31

25-yr-old Twins Take Over Grandfather’s Body Shop in Middletown, CT by Valerie Bannister — Special to the MiddletownPress.

Sabrina and Adriana Indomenico, 25-year old twins from Middletown, CT, learned the importance of connections at an early age. While they were growing up, they had a close relationship with their grandfather and hung around his auto body repair business. Now, they are running the shop. “Interdependence is better than independence,” was a phrase Stephen Covey used in his bestselling book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, says Sabrina, and it is a saying that has stuck with her. His message was that if we all work together, the better off everyone would be. The fraternal twins own Santostefano Auto Body at 105 Saybrook Road and take care of their grandfather, Sebastian, in his retirement— going to the grocery store and taking him to doctor’s appointments—much as they had once relied on him in their younger years. When Sabrina told her grandfather she wanted to take on the business, he had tears in his eyes. The twins’ mother and an aunt had tried it for a time, but it didn’t last long. The grandfather was a great role model and someone on which the women could always rely, the women said. “If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be the person I am today,” says Sabrina. “He’s taken care of us throughout our lives. And now, it’s our turn to help.” The twins’ ownership is also significant in other ways. Not only are they most likely the youngest people to run such a business in the state, but also the youngest twin girls to work in auto body repair. They manage marketing, insurance and customer service, while longtime employees continue to work in the shop. Joe Russo has been there since 1987 and Mark Reiman has been there since 1979. The newest member of the team is Nick Pagani, who started in January, part-time. “We wouldn’t be able to do it without them,” says Sabrina. She and her sister are extremely grateful for all the staff has done and continue to do. At the start, the men in the shop had secretly bet the two women wouldn’t last six months, but after a time they eventually fessed up, seeing that the twins were committed to the business. All staff share a ritual coffee break in the morning.

Santostefano Auto Body is now run by the founder’s granddaughters, fraternal twins Sabrina, left, and Adriana Indomenico, who are working together, along with long-time employees (l-r) Joe Russo, Mark Reiman and newcomer Nick Pagani. Photo Credit: Valerie Bannister—Special to the Press

“We do anything from minor to major collision work,” said Adriana. In the future, the women also hope to be selling cars. Sebastian, “nannu” to the twins, started the business in the early 70s in the garage bays he built behind his home, after 10 years of working for others. He still lives in the same house and the twins and their mother live next door. The twins took over for their grandfather, a Sicilian immigrant, in September 2013. They both had other jobs after graduating from college that same year, but quit to run the business. Sabrina was at a bank and Adriana was selling radio advertising. They graduated from Central Connecticut State University, Sabrina with a degree in public relations and communication, Adriana with a degree in marketing. A graduation picture of the girls and their grandfather sits in the office, along with pictures of the twins in their younger years scooting around in a go-cart. The twins want people to know that the business offers the same quality service as it has in the past, with a few updates. They created a website and replaced handwritten paperwork with computer printouts. In the office, they replaced a metal desk with a wooden counter, painted walls, hung photographs and Brent Aresco, an art student at the University of Hartford, is painting a mural of a Ferrari in Tuscany. “We decided to give it a nice little facelift,” says Sabrina. They also repainted the sign along the road. They always knew they wanted to run their own business, but weren’t sure what it would be. They also knew they would make good part-

32 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

ners. They obviously get along, talking and laughing easily. Perhaps their relationship works because they aren’t exactly the same. “She sees things differently than I do,” says Sabrina, who agrees that she focuses on the big picture and her sister the details. The women have had many adventures along the way, many humorous. Sabrina said she needed to cut the grass at her grandfather’s shoreline cottage. This meant driving an ’86 Chevy truck to carry the tractor mower. She cut the grass and headed out, but the truck broke down along the way and she had to call her sister. Adriana had to come down to get her with a tow truck. “I could barely get it out of the parking lot,” says Adriana, who drove the tow down with another girl. Anyone looking at them would have thought it unusual to see three Italian girls with sunglasses in a tow truck, but they kept their cool, they said. “It’s all good. We got this,” Adriana said they told themselves. Indeed, that is now how they feel about the business overall. The twins had to learn about auto

body repair from start to finish, including bookkeeping and taxes. “This is honestly a great learning experience,” says Sabrina. Adriana jokes: “I’m still learning how to pay my own bills.” It was challenging in other ways. “Walking into this business was very hard. It’s a manly business,” says Sabrina. The sisters make an extra effort to make sure everyone feels comfortable coming into their shop, especially women who might not be used to dealing with car matters. “We want it to be an easy experience,” says Adriana. “We care about quality. We care about overall customer experience.” When told the owners were probably the youngest twins in the business, customer Eileen Thomas of Portland, said: “They’re wonderful, too, so nice. I was referred by my sister who was a very happy customer and my regular mechanic said he’s never heard a complaint.” Santostefano Auto Body is at 105 Saybrook Road, Middletown. Visit www.santostefanoautobody.com, email santostefanoautody@gmail.com or call 860-346-8886.

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Rich Evans Discusses the Making of “Wheels for Warriors” and his Appreciation for Veterans by Victoria Antonelli, Online Editor

Rich Evans, automotive TV personality and owner of Huntington Beach BodyWorks in California, first got the idea for the show “Wheels for Warriors,” after speaking with an active duty Navy veteran in San Diego. “Ernesto Aquino contacted me after watching the Car Warriors series and told me that a body shop promised to fix his truck, but after eight months, nothing had been done,” said Evans. “At the time, I was in the process of creating a new show, and it seemed like a great opportunity to give back to those who served by helping them build their dream cars.” Evans decided to focus on work with disabled veterans, rather than active duty military personnel, which would be more logistically complicated. He eventually caught wind of Carlos Moleda’s story through former California Highway Patrol Officer Tony Pedeferri. Pedeferri became a client of Evans’ after an on-job accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. Evans’ helped build a motorized Gold-Wing

Ford Flex that catered to Pedeferri’s every day needs. Moleda, a former Navy Seal living in South Carolina, suffered an injury during his tour in Panama in 1989 that left him paralyzed from the waist down. He has been a motivational speaker since his injury over 25 years ago, and is also a renowned athlete in

(l to r) Rich Evans, John Struller, Sarah Moleda (wife of Carlos Moleda), Joanne Bortles, and Tom Kula pose with Wheels for Warriors star Carlos Moleda (front)

the world of parasports. “Carlos’ story inspired me,” said Evans. “After meeting with producer Skoti Collins on the set of another project, Wheeler Dealer, he asked me if I had any ideas for another show. I told him Ernesto’s story and he agreed that helping veterans build their dream

cars would be a great premise for another show. “Then, Scotti introduced me to Michael Feifer and Elizabeth Stirling of Bolt Media. We all sat down and started brainstorming a simple treatment, as well as a name. Feifer wrote the treatment shortly after the meeting Rich Evans Presents Wheels for Warriors—Making Veteran Dream Cars Come True.” Executive producers Michael and Sandy Matthews joined the team later on to help make the show a reality. After Feifer and Stirling met with Moleda, they agreed that he would be the perfect candidate for the launching of Wheels for Warriors. Evans then reached out to three of the “best build-techs,” who helped him create a shop on wheels. They were then ready to hit the road. The group began their cross-country trek to South Carolina to aid Carlos in building his dream car; a 1952 Buick Wood. “It’s a whole other ball game with wood and steel,” said Evans. “I had to get out of my comfort zone, which is what I strive to do every day. Too many people get stuck doing what’s comfortable.”

Evans stresses the importance of providing each veteran with the type of car he or she can enjoy driving. “We want to create the cars that disabled veterans dream about. A big van shouldn’t be their only option,” said Evans. “But at the same time, safety is our priority, as well as function-ability.” Evans co-hosts with Dean Cain, known for his role as Superman in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. “The biggest reward for me is making veterans’ dreams come true; such a great feeling,” said Evans. “I’ve never served [in the military], so this is a way to serve those who have fought for the freedom I enjoy every day.” Evans has been involved in a variety of automotive shows, including Junk Yard Wars (TLC in 2003), Chop Cut Rebuild The Series (2005), and Car Warriors (Speed Channel for 10 episodes in 2011). He was also the automotive producer and co-host for Motor City Masters during its 10 episode run in 2014. Now, in his latest project, he balances the roles of creator, co-host, and executive producer on Wheels for Warriors.

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Dear Mr. Evans,

My name is Tammy. My dad was always the one everyone went to for anything. He is always there for people, family, friends and soldiers. He served his country well and never asked or expected anything in return. A wonderful family man, my dad is my world! After he got sick, his health took a drastic decline and there were several times we thought this is the end. But he always hung on, because that’s what he does; he never gives up or gives in not even when he is too weak to walk. My dad buying a ’58 Impala was an achievement; he worked so hard for so long, he should have something for himself. The only problem was he was too sick to give “Big Red” the love and care she needed and could only do so much. He put countless hours of blood, sweat and tears into his car and in the end she’s as good as she could get. He doesn’t have the energy or strength to make her what he always pictured she would be. I really hope you will consider choosing my dad and his car for this wonderful transformation. I know that it would make everything he has done worth it. I love my dad and would love to invest the time and money into making his dream come to life but I don’t have the knowledge. Thank you for your time. Your consideration is more than I could ask for. But any Veteran you choose will be lucky and blessed.

“Being on TV is not really a big deal for me,” said Evans. “It's about using a small screen to inspire others to believe in themselves—you can do things that people say are impossible—never let anyone prevent you

Rich Evans (left) with his three build-techs: (l to r) Ray McCelland, David Rivera and Alan Lee

from going after your dreams.” Evans grew up in a family muffler shop, where he discovered at a young age that he had a mechanical mind and a passion for cars. “I live for custom designs, fabricating, and painting, but will take on a project of any kind,” said Evans. “My dad use to always tell me, if you don't use it, you will lose it.” After working as a body tech for five years, he opened Huntington Beach

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BodyWorks in 1992 when he was 22 years old. “Since age 13 I’ve been building cars—this is my passion, and I'm going to continue to challenge myself, and help as many people as I can in the process,” he said. Evans looks forward to making more episodes of Wheels for Warriors, and will notify Autobody News when a network picks up the series. The show focuses on veterans’ stories, morals, integrity, community, and most importantly, making their dreams come true. Rich Evans would like to thank the following sponsors: Vintage Air, ABS Disc Brakes, American Auto Wire, Steel Rubber, California Car Covers, Dakota Digital, Vintage Flatz, 3M Automotive, Woodie World, Ranger, Curtis, Max Jax, DJS, Goliath, KCsliders, Gull-Wing, and LA Wraps. He would also like to thank the South Carolina community and his friends in the industry who traveled from all over to help out: Joanne Bortles from North Carolina, J.R. Drake from North Carolina, Cory Jarriel from Florida, John Struller from New Jersey, Tom Kuka from New Jersey, and his three buildtechs, Ray McCelland, Alan Lee, and David Rivera.

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Or even easier... 1. Use CollisionLink. 2. “Bump” eligible parts are marked and discounts automatically applied to your order. www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 35

Whaat ar What are re ccrash rash parts? Your insurance coverage. coverag ge. ChoosChoos ing th he right Great bodyy shop shop. All parts not crreate ed equ ual. Info for are Shops Take e a clo closer loo cl ok. k C Collision ollision 101. 101 What What’s a D DRP RP an nd dw why hy should I care? Where do airbags com e from? Co ounterfeit airb baags - what you need to know. Take a clo oser e look. What arre e crassh parts? Your rights as a consumer. Your Y insurance e coverage. Choosing the right body sh ho h op. p Helping you u through the collision repair processs. Collision o 101. Wh haat’ss a DRP and why sh hould I care? Where do airbags co om me from? Counterfeit airbags - what you need to know w. Take a closer look. What are crash paarts? Take www.collision.honda.com a closerr look. Your insurance coverage. Choosing i the right bo ody shop. What are crash parts? Your riigh hts as a consum me er. Your insurance coverage. Choosing the h right body sh ho op. All parts are not created equal. Take a closer look. Co olllision 101. What’s a DRP and why should I care? Where do airbags come from? Counterfeit airrbags what yo ou need to know. Take a closer look. Wh hat are www.airbagaware.com crash parts? Your rights as a consumer. Your insurance coverag ge. Cho ge hoosing ing the he rig right ht body sho hop. He Helpin ng you through h the collision repair process. Collision 101. What’s a DRP and why should I care? Where do aairbags come ffrrom? Counterfeit airbags - what you need e to know. Take a closer look. What What are are ccrash rash parts? s Your rights as as a consumer. Your insurance coverage. C Choosing the e right bodyy shop p. What are crrash paarrtss? Your rights as as a consumer. You ur insuraance co overage e. C Choosing the right body sh hop. Alll parts are not created equal. www.crashrepairinfo.com Collisio Co olliisiion 1 101. 01. Y Your our rrights ights aass a consumer. consumer. Choos Choosing g tthe he e rig ght bodGreat y shop. Info Helping through the colllisio on foryou Consumers parts. Helping you through the collision repair process. 36 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

H OND A C AL I FO RN I A

AutoNation Honda Roseville Ros ev ille

800-262-3201 916-783-5628 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5:30 autonationhondaparts@hotmail.com

Avery Greene Honda Vallejo

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Barber Honda Bakers field

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First Honda Simi Valley

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Galpin Honda Miss ion Hills

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Honda Cars of Corona Corona

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888-435-0504 510-431-2560 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 mike.ohare@acuraoffremont.com

Acura of Pleasanton Pleas ant on

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Acura of Riverside Riv ersid e

888-701-0725 951-688-1500 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-8; Sat 7-5 Ricardo.pena@hendrickauto.com Mark.reed@hendrickauto.com Jason.torres@hendrickauto.com

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collision.honda.com airbagaware.honda.com crashrepairinfo.com

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H e nd e rs on

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S al t L a ke C ity

800-234-0875 801-323-0492 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 rick@jodywilkinson.com www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 37

Western Associations

East Bay CAA Chapter Visits Future Ford, Talks Ford F-150 with Ed Attanasio

They discussed rivets, certifications, the costs of setting up to work on aluminum vehicles and everything in between when the East Bay chapter of the California Autobody Association (EBCAA) last met. The chapter visited Future Ford in Concord, CA on February 18 to view the new aluminum F-150 and network with other collision professionals from throughout the Bay Area.

Future Ford in Concord, CA was the setting for the EB-CAA’s February meeting

Meeting at Future Ford was fitting, because every collision expert believes that the F-150 is going to eventually be the future of the industry, as more and more manufacturers join the rush to aluminum. The big question in the room and also in the minds of every body shop owner in this country right now is ‘Will there be enough F-150s out there to justify the costs and training involved?’ After Victor Barrera polling the room of from the RMD approximately 70 Group was on hand people, not one sinto discuss the Ford gle shop has yet F-150 and all of the new, cutting-edge seen one of these technology vehicles in their contained in the shop or even heard vehicle of one being fixed. The featured speaker for the evening was Victor Barrera, a representative from RMD Group in San Jose, CA. This company does what’s called ‘experiental marketing’ for a wide range of major companies including Ford Motor Company. Representatives from RMD are traveling

throughout the country right now, talking to customers, dealerships and both mechanical and collision shops to tell them about the F-150 and its emerging role in the industry. “This is an exciting time for the F150 and Ford in general,” Barrera explained. “I’ve been traveling to Ford dealerships all over the west coast to show people the amazing innovations on this new vehicle. We’re introducing the public to this truck and hitting all of the major cities. People have so many questions about it and it’s definitely an exciting time for the manufacturer. The F-150 is already selling off the shelves and Ford is making them in Dearborn, MI, as fast as they can.” Tiffany Silva, the EB-CAA chapter’s president and owner of Accurate Auto Body in Richmond, CA, is one of the few body shops that are both certified and fully capable to work on aluminum Ford F-150s right now in the Bay Area. She moderated the discussion and offered her perspective. “As an organization, we want to share as

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

just a month or two away from being ready to roll. When other shops in the room were asked about aluminum and its future for their company, the responses were mixed.

technician who asked not to be named said. Another body shop owner (also unnamed) said I’m not going to invest all that money until I get an idea of how many F-150s will be sold in our region. A lot of us are testing the waters and meetings like this one really help.” Almost all of the people we talked to did say that one way or another, aluminum will be a part of their future “but maybe not just now.” In other chapter news, Silva announced that last year the EB-CAA raised approximately $6,000 during its raffles held at each meeting, with From left, Mario Hernandez, the owner of Hernandez Collision & Towing in Pittsburg, CA; Leah Burns, a marketing the money going to three local coordinator/estimator at Hernandez Collision & Towing and ROPs and two Bay Area tech Jose Paez, operations manager for National Body Parts in schools. The chapter’s next Oakland, CA got a first-hand look at the new all-aluminum meeting will feature motivaFord F-150 tional speaker D. B. Outlaw “I want to see one F-150 in a shop on April 22 at PPG’s Training Center before I start taking this seriously,” one in Concord, CA.

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much information as we can with our members, because aluminum is obviously here to stay,” Silva explained. “We want to be able to repair these trucks correctly and be able to get the right parts for it. And of course, we need to make money too. By pooling our skills and sharing information, we can be stronger and better to do the job.” When Silva asked if any other shops in attendance were currently certified and geared to work on F-150s, only one other shop said that they were

38 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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Hey Toby!

Toby Chess is an I-CAR program instructor, Training specialist, and former salvage yard operator. Toby is universally known in the collision industry for his work with first responders and advocacy for body shops and consumers. He can be reached at tcspeedster@yahoo.com

How Much Do You Know About 2015 Vehicle Technology and Trends? with Toby Chess

Hey Everyone, I am back and I hope you all are enjoying a great start to the new year. I recently gave the following test to the CIC audience in Palm Spring this past January and to an association group meeting. What was

amazing after giving the test, how many repairers and insurers did not know the correct answers. Out of 40 repairers, only one knew what R1234

yf was and this new refrigerant is found in over a dozen vehicles with more converting to this Freon. Not good at all. Take the test and see how well you and staff do with it. All these questions were taken from I-CARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

New 15 class* (Vehicle Technology and Trends 2015). There are no trick questions.

40 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

1. Estimator A states that a 2015 BMW with Head-up displays needs a special windshield. Estimator B states that a 2015 Mini Cooper with HUD needs a special windshield. Who is correct? A. Estimator A only B. Estimator B only C. Both Estimator A & B D. Neither Estimator 2. More 2015 vehicles are switching to the new R-1234-yf refrigerant. Estimator A states that there now retro fit kits for earlier vehicles equipped with R134 Estimator B states that Toyota is moving in the direction of R-1234-yf. Who is correct? A. Estimator A only B. Estimator B only C. Both Estimator A & B D. Neither Estimator

3. A 2015 Jeep Renegade front floor

panel is made of A. High Strength Low Alloy Steel B. Quiet Steel (Laminated) C. Advanced High Strength Steel D. Ultra-high Strength Steel

4. An estimate is being written on a 2015 Chrysler 200 to section the right front rail. All of the following statements are true except one. Which question is the exception? A. The left and right rail use different sectioning locations B. An open butt joint is used to section the rail C. Chrysler does not recommend weld thru primer D. Same sectioning procedure as the 2014 Jeep Cherokee

5. A Left front door on a 2015 Ford F150 is damaged. Estimator A states that the intrusion beam is made from Series 7 alu-

minum to prevent galvanic corrosion. Estimator B states that there is no outer door panel available at this time and new door is needed if the old panel is not repairable. Who is correct? A. Estimator A only B. Estimator B only C. Both Estimator A & B D. Neither Estimator

6. A 2015 Heavy duty GM truck is involved in a front end collision and the front portion of the frame is not repairable. Estimator A states the GM is now offering a front repair section that is similar to the one offered on the half ton pickup. Estimator B states the drive train still will need to be removed to replace the front repair section. Who is correct? A. Estimator A only B. Estimator B only C. Both Estimator A & B D. Neither Estimator

7. A 2015 Honda Accord is involved in a side impact collision and the outer rocker and rocker reinforcement need to be replaced. What pieces of equipment and or fastners are approved by

Honda? A. Any single or 3 phase spot welder & MIG brazing B. STRSW and MIG welding C. STRSW and Glue D. None of the above

8. A 2015 Honda Fit is involved in a front end collision. The left front rail is not repairable. A. Estimator A states that Honda now recommends weld thru primer between the mating surfaces. B. Estimator B states that Honda has a front rail section procedure. Who is correct? A. Estimator A only B. Estimator B only C. Both Estimator A & B D. Neither Estimator

9. A 2015 Honda Accord has a left front fender that needs to be replaced. The front door needs to be blended. The vehicle is equipped with Lane Watch. Estimator A states that camera will need to be reaimed and this procedure can only be done authorized Honda Dealer. Estimator B states that the mirror can be aimed with a laser attached to

the mirror and following the procedures outline in OEM service manual. Who is correct? A. Estimator A only B. Estimator B only C. Both Estimator A & B D. Neither Estimator

10. A 2015 Nissan Rogue is made from plastics and if it is damaged, it needs to be replaced. A. True B. False

11. A 2015 Ford F150 is being repaired from a side impact. A. Technician A states that the roof does not need to be replaced to install the B pillar reinforcement. B. Technician B states that the maximum temperature that can be applied is 425 degrees F, but the duration of heat is limited as per Fordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s repair manual. Who is correct? A. Estimator A only B. Estimator B only C. Both Estimator A & B D. Neither Estimator Answers: 1. A 2. B

3. D 4. B 5. D 6. A 7. D 8. C 9. D 10. A 11. A *Vehicle Technology and Trends 2015 provides information on upcoming vehicles and technology trends that will impact the repair processes, including structural design innovations, system changes and new materials and electronics throughout new and redesigned vehicles. The course also gives a glimpse into some of the aluminum-intensive vehicles coming to market that will require aluminum repair training.

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Media and Publicity for Shops Online Remarketing Gets Your Name Out There... Again with Ed Attanasio

“Tell them once and then tell them again,” an old ad executive told me years ago, long before the Internet, web sites or applications existed. And it still pertains today, because although marketing and advertising change almost daily, the main concept behind branding is still the same. When it comes to branding, it’s still all about impressions and getting your message to the right audience. The goal is to brand your name into the customers’ psyche, so that when someone says “body shop” or “car accident” they think of you, immediately and even sub-consciously. When I think of burgers I think of In ‘N Out and when I think of nice cars, my mental Rolodex goes now to Tesla (used to be Mercedes). I don’t consciously do it, my brain does all the work—and that’s called effective branding. To make your name the go-to brand for collision repair in your area means you have to hammer away at your branding efforts all the time. Many body shops have gravitated away from things such as e-mail marketing, broadcast advertising and direct mail to put their money into online remarketing. So, what exactly is remarketing and how does it work? The world of online advertising is a whole new game, as marketing people get more sophisticated about the delivery of their branding messages. Remarketing allows you to show ads to consumers who have previously visited your website or used your mobile app. When people leave your website, remarketing helps you reconnect with them by showing relevant ads as they browse the web, use mobile apps, or do searches on Google, Bing, etc. The websites on which your ads will appear can be found by browsing through over 2 million websites and mobile apps that are part of the Google Display Network, for example. Automotive sites, insurance sites and sites belonging to popular companies in your region are ideal. Any company doing online marketing can assist you in designating websites that are affordable for your needs and are most likely to attract people who have previously visited your site. Pricing for remarketing ads revolves around automated bid strate-

gies like target CPA and ROAS. Realtime bidding calculates the optimal bid for the person viewing your ad, thereby helping you to win the ad auction with the best possible price. There’s no extra cost to use Google’s auction, because it’s totally based on what the market will bear. Web sites with heavy traffic may not be ideal for you, because they will cost you too much per impression. But, by using a strategy and sticking to it, such as choosing sites that are more targeted for your shop, you can get your price of each impression down to a very affordable level. Luke Middendorf, a Marketing Consultant at WSI Connect in Concord, CA, believes that dynamic remarketing offers a lot of options for any business that wants to push their brand online. “Remarketing is an ideal vehicle for the collision repair industry, because it keeps your name on the users’ computers or smart devices,” he explained. “We know from research that 96% of the time people visit a website and then don’t complete an action. With remarketing, we can track them once they’ve visited your site and then follow them as they go to other sites. We can more specifically targeted them and hopefully re-connect with them several times, if possible. We know they showed some level of interest in your company because they looked at your site, so remarketing keeps them in the loop and leverages your brand over and over again. It’s all about targeting and re-engaging your audience, because frequency is crucial.” David Moore, the owner of Collision Websites in Tulsa, OK sees definite value in remarketing for automotive repair companies, because branding is king in any service-related industry. “Obviously, getting your car fixed is not an impulse buy, like purchasing products such as clothing, electronics or food online,” Moore explained. “Remarketing is an ideal way to leverage your brand over and over again and it allows for fairly precise targeting. If you’re looking for women between the ages of 20-30, you can easily devise a plan to reach them. With remarketing, you already know that they have some

42 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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

interest in your shop, because they’ve visited your site once or more in the past. You’re reemphasizing your message, so it’s more powerful than as if you’re trying to reach people for the first time. They know your name already, so in a way you’ve done half the work in advance.” There are several ways to remarket your shop online using remarketing techniques: ● Standard remarketing: Show ads to your past visitors as they browse through select websites you select.

● Dynamic remarketing: Show dynamic ads to past visitors with products and services they viewed on your website as they browse through sites you’ve selected.

● Remarketing for mobile apps: Show ads to people who have used your mobile app or mobile website as

they use other mobile apps or browse other mobile websites.

● Remarketing lists for search ads: Show ads to your past visitors as they do follow-up searches for what they need on Google, after leaving your website.

● Video remarketing: Show ads to people who have interacted with your videos or YouTube channel as they use YouTube and browse through videos, websites and apps you’ve designated. For companies that aren’t running sales or promotions and are simply trying to get their name out there on a regular basis, remarketing online is one of the best and newest ways to do it. Start with a small budget to test the waters and gauge the response, but if you’re doing any online marketing or advertising online, remarketing may be the ideal way to tell them once and then tell them again.

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 43

Lean Operations

Putting First Things First with David Luehr

If you are anything like me you are probably wondering, “WOW, where has this year gone already!?”It’s amazing how quickly time can slip by and then you realize you haven’t really made the progress on the goals you have set for yourself or worse yet haven’t set aside the time to create goals in the first place. You no doubt have been very busy working in your shops, it is the “nature of the business.” That is what I want to talk to you about today. This supposed “nature of the business” might as well be called “doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result”… insanity right? It is indeed, but that is exactly what most of us do EVERY DAY. It upsets me to watch it, because I was guilty of inadequate time management for a large part of my body shop career. I constantly found myself attending to

David Luehr is the owner of Elite Body Shop Solutions, LLC, a collision business consulting firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a 30 year veteran of the collision repair industry. David is an expert in Body Shop Operations and specializes in Lean, and Theory of Constraints methods. Email him at dluehr@msn.com

thousands or millions of others that have read it. There are two habits that are especially meaningful to me. Begin with the End in Mind and First Things First. Begin with the End in Mind is just as it sounds. You visualize your funeral. What will people say about you at your funeral? So by being clear on what you want to accomplish in life and what you stand for and want people to remember you for is pretty much what you need to get working on now. Before it’s too late! First Things First explains the time-management methods used to keep you on track towards the goals, values, and vision you have for your life. Only by truly knowing what it is you want in life (Begin with the End) and then setting goals and plans for achievement will you break the cycle of madness that many of us continue to struggle with.

■ Dealing with missing/wrong parts ■ Rework ■ Some phone calls ■ Some meetings ■ Stoppages in production

Quadrant 2 (Not Urgent, Important) ■ Calling customers ■ Documenting activities ■ Improvement projects ■ Relationship building ■ Some meetings ■ Problem prevention ■ Safety prevention ■ Planning ■ Damage analysis ■ Mirror matching ■ Updating system information ■ Inventory management

Quadrant 3 (Urgent, Not Important) ■ Interruptions ■ Some phone calls ■ Some emails ■ Some meetings

■ Some reports

Quadrant 4 (Not Urgent, Not Important) ■ Trivia & Busywork ■ Irrelevant emails ■ Some phone calls ■ Time wasters ■ Smoking ■ Playing on the internet

I implore you to read Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People or even better is First Things First that really expands on this idea of prioritizing your life. Life is too damn short to be chasing your tail. It’s time to get to work on things that really matter. Read these books, or call me if you would like help organizing and helping you and your organization create the values, vision, and, goals necessary to live the fulfilling life that is truly possible. It is possible even in the collision repair industry!

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whatever situation screamed the loudest and while doing so, perpetuated even more problems to attend to. I was young and didn’t mind at the time, in fact I kind of prided myself on my ability to fight fires all day long and “make things happen.” The problem was I wasn’t making things happen at all. I was simply creating a vicious cycle of unnecessary activity that later on contributed to the loss of my business! In the early 1990s I was introduced to a book called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. This book changed my life as it has the

I have created a four quadrant time management matrix that is based on Covey’s work. Which quadrant do you find yourself spending the most time? The idea is that if you spend a lot more of your time pursuing activities in quadrant 2, you will be working on the right things and thereby reduce the activities that occur in quadrants 1 and 3. Avoid quadrant 4 altogether.

Quadrant 1 (Urgent and Important) ■ Pressing Problems ■ Expediting due to missed deadlines ■ Dealing with angry customers/ins. Co.

44 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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Three-C Body Shops File Lawsuit Against At-Fault Driver Due to Insurer’s Underpayment

On behalf of their customer, Three C Body Shops filed suit against the atfault party due to their insurance company’s denials and underpayments. The complaint was filed in the Municipal Court of Franklin County in Ohio against Caleb Brickey due to Brickey’s insurer’s (Allstate Insurance Company) failure and refusal to provide a Three C Body Shop’s customer full payment for numerous reasonable and necessary charges for processes and materials. The issues stemmed from an auto accident in which the at-fault party, Brickey, was negligent and admitted liability for damages to Three C Body Shop’s customer’s 2005 Jeep Liberty. Three C’s submitted their estimate to the at-fault party’s insurer and after four supplemental attempts to attain the full and proper compensation, at the direction of their customer, Three C Body Shops proceeded with the recommended and proper repair. The final cost of the authorized repair was $5,687.83 and the at-fault party’s insurer, Allstate, tendered the underpayment of $3,585.43 towards the repair leaving a difference and deficit of $2,102.40 of which Three C Body Shop has incurred and is now seeking recovery on their own behalf.

The lawsuit seeks full payment to Three C’s of the difference plus costs, expenses, attorney fees, prejudgment and post judgment interest. Bob Juniper, second generation President and owner of Three C stated, “Up to now many repairers have found that to properly meet their customer’s needs and expectations it is necessary to make a proper and thorough repair and take an Assignment of Proceeds and through ensuing litigation, seek recovery against their customer’s own insurers by an assignment contract clause and a Power of Attorney signed by the customer. This matter involves a third-party claimant seeking recompense for the insurer’s denials and underpayments directly from the at-fault party. This process exposes the insurer’s poor behavior to their policyholder and places the at-fault party in a position of vulnerability and exposes them to liabilities. Liabilities they expected their own insurer to shield them from. Their failure to shield their policyholder may place the insurer in a position of potential breach of contract and other potential legal liabilities. Our hope is this exposure will cause for a positive change in insurer behaviors; regardless if a first or third party claim.”

Customer ‘Unhappy’ With Car Repairs in IL, Pulls Gun, Commits Felony Armed Robbery Prosecutors Say

On December 20, a Bronzeville, IL, shop customer who wasn’t impressed with his mechanic’s work pulled out a gun and took back his money, prosecutors told Erica Demarest of dnainfo.com.

Perry Hines, 24, was charged with felony armed robbery. Photo Credit: Shutterstock; Chicago Police Department

Police pulled Perry Hines, 24, over during the week of February 23 for a minor traffic violation. After checking his background, they uncovered an alert linking him to the assault and arrested him on the spot. Hines was charged with felony armed robbery. Hines had paid the victim $100 cash on Dec. 20 for repairs done to his car, Assistant State’s Attorney Lorraine Scaduto alleged in court on

February 24. The two went to an ATM machine that afternoon to retrieve the money, and shortly after, Hines and an accomplice attacked the victim in the 400 block of East 45th Street, reported Demarest. The accomplice has not been charged as of press time. Allegedly, Hines pulled a gun while the accomplice punched the victim, telling him to give Hines his money back or he’d “blow [the victim’s] head off,” Scaduto told Demarest. Hines then took the cash and the duo fled the scene. Officers arrested him about 12:30 p.m. Monday in the 4900 block of South Halsted Street, the arrest report said. Hines told police he’d been unhappy with the repair work, according to prosecutors. Cook County Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil ordered Hines, of the 4700 block of South Martin Luther King Drive, held in lieu of $250,000 bail, reported Demarest.

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Historical Snapshot

—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has a body shop in the family and has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.

ASA-MI and DRPs, Carstation.com, Right to Repair and Toby Chess’ Legal Threat with John Yoswick

20 years ago in the collision repair industry (April 1995) Tucked into a referendum on the ballot in Michigan last November was a provision that would have allowed an insurer to establish a direct repair program only if all repair facilities meeting the insurer’s criteria are allowed to participate in the program. But the provision was part of a larger referendum on renewal of the state’s no-fault insurance regulations, and opponents of no-fault insurance successfully defeated the measure. The Automotive Service Association of Michigan now hopes to attach the DRP provision from the unsuccessful ballot measure to one of several other bills making their way through the state’s legislature in 1995. – As reported in Spray Dust Magazine. The legislation was never passed in Michigan, but a similar bill was passed in Montana in 2009. Some believe that law was among the reasons Travelers discontinued its direct repair program in Montana last fall, as part of the insurer’s effort to “ensure regulatory requirements and customer service expectations are met.”

15 years ago in the collision repair industry (April 2000) Nine months after its first panel discussion on “e-commerce,” a second Collision Industry Conference (CIC) panel convened on the same issue. “At that time, parts and e-commerce in our industry was just an idea,” Russ Thrall, chairman of the CIC Electronic Commerce Committee said of last July’s panel. “There were a lot of people working on it, but it really wasn’t happening to a large extent. Today, the situation is drastically different.” The panel at CIC in Kansas City, MO, in April included representatives of three organizations currently or soon using the internet to allow shops, insurers and vendors to conduct business. Frank Terlep of CarStation.com, said his company has determined that the cost for a shop to order one part using current methods is between $2.50 and $10; automatic parts ordering via the internet can not only reduce errors but

also cut these administrative costs by at least half. Terlep said online parts ordering would require the shop to do little more than prepare a computerized estimate. “Instead of printing out that document and faxing it [to parts suppliers], once you upload that estimate to an e-business hub, we communicate it automatically to the vendors you’ve chosen,” Terlep said. “You’re not going through the printing; you’re not faxing it to multiple vendors. We want

In April of 2000, Frank Terlep was a vice president at CarStation.com, an early electronic parts ordering hub that, like many “dotcom” start-up companies of that era, did not survive much more than two years. He is now CEO of Summit eMarketing Sherpas

to integrate the procedure into the existing workflow.” Shop owners on the panel and in the CIC audience raised some concerns about online parts ordering, questioning whether it may be another step toward direct purchase of parts by insurers and raising privacy issues. “I certainly have a problem with giving every dealership all that [customer] information [from the estimate], because I don’t want that dealership selling my customer a new car just because he got in a wreck,” California shop owner Kevin Caldwell said. “Information is valuable. Who owns the information is a bigger question.” – As reported in Autobody News. Carstation.com, like many of the “dotcom” start-up companies of that era, did not survive; by early 2001 it had laid off staff, closed offices and sold rights to its technology to another company. Terlep is now the CEO of Summit eMarketing Sherpas, a body shop marketing firm focusing on use of social media and technology. Cald-

46 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

well is now a senior claim service consultant with Allstate Insurance.

10 years ago in the collision repair industry (April 2005) U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) predicted passage in 2005 of federal “Right to Repair” legislation (the “Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act”) during remarks to more than 250 people at the Aftermarket Legislative Summit. Wearing a “Support the Right to Repair Act” button, Barton urged summit attendees to follow-up on their experience in Washington, D.C. by meeting with their elected officials in their home district, reinforcing the value of grass-roots advocacy. Barton’s remarks preceded the attendees’ 200 appointments with legislators and key staff from 37 states. “Everyone at the summit was energized by the encouraging words from Rep. Barton, the bill’s sponsor and chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee,” said Kathleen Schmitz, president and CEO of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), a key backer of the “Right to Repair” bill. “There is truly a sense that momentum and support for our legislation is growing. – As reported in Parts & People. The federal “Right to Repair” legislation, designed to ensure independent shops have access to the same OEM repair information as dealership shops, was never passed, although the AAIA (now the “Auto Care Association”) pushed for it for nearly a decade after Rep. Barton predicted its imminent approval by Congress. A state version of “Right to Repair” was enacted in Massachusetts in 2012. Although long critical of any volunteer agreement with automakers, the AAIA in 2014 signed just such a voluntary agreement with the automakers to suspend efforts to pass the legislation in exchange for the automakers agreeing to extend the terms of the Massachusetts law nationwide.

5 years ago in the collision repair industry (April 2010) Just hours before industry trainer Toby Chess was to make another presenta-

tion about non-OEM bumper and structural parts at last week’s Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Atlanta, Chess said he was threatened with a lawsuit if he did so. He declined to reveal who threatened the legal action, but said because he had not had a chance to consult with an attorney, he chose to forego making his presentation at the meeting. In presentations at the last two CIC meetings, Chess showed potential problems with a number of non-OEM bumper parts, including apparent significant differences in the material and structure of the parts. In one presentation last November, Chess used a firefighter’s extrication saw to show how much easier it was to cut through the metal used to make a non-OEM bumper bar being sold as a replacement for an OEM part made from ultra-highstrength steel. That has led at least four insurers to pull back from the use of such parts; it has also led parts suppliers to develop tracking and recall programs for the parts, and to the launch of several testing and certification programs for such parts. Chess was clearly frustrated by the threat of legal action against him, saying he never portrayed the demonstrations as scientific research but merely as a way to “bring light” to a potential problem. “I was asked last month why I did this,” Chess said. “I said that I don’t work for insurance companies, I don’t work for parts companies, I don’t work for body shops. I work for the consumer. I’m a trainer. I teach. So I have no vested stake in this. I thought it was necessary to say these things.” – As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), April 19, 2010. Although Chess chose a different topic for his presentation at the next CIC in 2010, the non-OEM structural parts issues he had raised still got plenty of attention. Ford reported on testing the automaker did comparing non-OEM bumper beams, bumper brackets, and radiator core supports to the corresponding Ford parts, finding differences in spot welds and the types, thicknesses and weights of the materials used.

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NJ Man Sentenced to 12 Years After Involvement in Carjacking Ring That Trafficked High-End Cars to West Africa

Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced on March 16 that a Newark man was sentenced to state prison for his role in a major international carjacking ring that stole highend cars in New Jersey and New York and shipped them to West Africa. Deandre Stevenson, 43, of Newark, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, including four years of parole ineligibility. Stevenson pleaded guilty to first-degree money laundering and second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon on Sept. 16, 2014. Stevenson served as a fence and car thief for the stolen car trafficking ring. Investigators recovered roughly 160 stolen cars worth more than $8 million, primarily at ports in New Jersey and New York. The Division of Criminal Justice indicted 26 defendants on Dec. 18, 2014, on charges including first-degree racketeering. Those defendants included three alleged ringleaders, two alleged shippers for the ring, and 21 associates who fenced cars, committed carjackings and thefts, and acted as wheel men who moved and hid the luxury vehicles. Four defendants, including Stevenson, pleaded guilty before the indictment. The ring targeted high-end vehicles, particu-

larly luxury SUVs made by Land Rover, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Honda, Porsche, Jaguar and Aston Martin. Twenty-seven of the recovered vehicles had been taken in carjackings, a majority of which involved a gun or other weapon, while the others were stolen from various locations where the thieves were able to steal them with one or more of their electronic keys or key fobs, which are critical to the resale value of the cars. In West Africa, the luxury vehicles trafficked by the ring commanded prices in excess of new market value in the U.S. “Through Operation Jacked, we addressed a very dangerous form of street-level crime by locking up ring members who were terrorizing our communities with armed carjackings,” said Acting Attorney General Hoffman. “Carjackings have declined dramatically across the region, thanks to the work of the Essex County Carjacking Task Force, and thanks also to the fact that we dismantled this major criminal enterprise, which was offering the kind of profits that motivated offenders to commit these crimes.” “Stevenson is one of the first members of this carjacking ring to be sentenced, and he rightfully has received a lengthy prison term,” said Di-

Quest Donates Nearly $600,000 for Education

Quest Automotive Products, a global manufacturer of automotive paints, finishes and repair products, made product donations for educational use valued at $593,962 in 2014, the company has announced. The donations were made to the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) to help bolster the automotive repair industry, which is confronting a critical shortage of collision repair technicians due to insufficient funding for technical education programs and an aging workforce. The paints and abrasives Quest donated were distributed to high school

and post-secondary collision school programs. “To state that the collision industry is in high demand for quality, entrylevel staff is an understatement,” said Brandon Eckenrode, CREF Director of Development. “High school and college collision school instructors need current tools, equipment and supplies to prepare students. Quest’s involvement will have a significant impact on these programs.” “If we can help even one student get a job in the industry, our goal was achieved,” said David Brunori, President, Quest.

Longest Autonomous Drive Underway: CA to NY

Six engineers at Delphi, an auto-parts makers, left San Francisco, CA on March 22 to begin their cross country trek with four radars, three cameras, six lidars, a localization system, and absolutely no hands except on small roads where drivers will take over, reported qz.com. Delphi flagged off a modified Audi SUV on a 3,500-mile (5,600-km) automated trip, which will be the longest ever competed by a driverless car in North America. The six engineer passengers will collect

data, reported qz.com. The SUV will be subject to a wide range of conditions, both in terms of weather and terrain, helping developers understand how such a vehicle performs out in the real world. It will reach the Atlantic in early April, just in time for the New York Auto Show. Delphi’s interest is in selling auto electronics to carmakers, so the high-profile test is more about development and creating new technologies, not selling automated cars.

48 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

rector Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Many more will follow, because we’ve charged over two dozen defendants with first-degree racketeering. We’re making sure these criminals will not be joining together again to endanger our communities.” “Stevenson will have 12 years to think about how his actions, and the actions of his co-defendants, have hurt and traumatized victims,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “We look forward to the upcoming prosecution of the additional defendants charged as a result of Operation Jacked.” Individuals filled various roles in the ring, including carjacker, car thief, wheel man, fence, shipper and buyer. Carjackers and thieves, who worked in “theft crews,” would typically be paid $4,000 to $8,000 for a stolen car by street-level fences, who sold cars up the chain to higher-level fences. Shippers would load the cars into shipping containers, which were taken to ports for transport by ship to West Africa. Of the roughly 160 vehicles recovered, 140 were recovered at ports, including Port Newark, Port Elizabeth and Howland Hook Seaport in Staten Island, N.Y. The ring oper-

ated in multiple counties in New Jersey, including Essex, Union, Morris, Monmouth, Middlesex, Bergen and Somerset Counties. Theft crews used various methods to steal cars, including carjackings. They always had a goal of obtaining keys or key fobs. Carjackers would often target victims by bumping their vehicles from behind on the highway. When victims stopped to address the situation, the carjackers would take their key by force or threat, or simply jump into the vehicle and drive off if the key was left inside. Guns or other weapons were used in a number of carjackings. Thefts also occurred at carwashes and at airports, where drivers would leave cars running at terminals to unload luggage. In other cases, members of the ring would obtain cars through fraud, using bad checks to buy cars from new and used car dealerships.

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Automechanika Comes to Chicago by Chasidy Rae Sisk

The first Automechanika show in the U.S. will take place on April 24-26 at McCormick Place West in Chicago. The trade show, designed specifically for shop owners and technicians, focuses on three pillars: education, innovation and inspiration. Show Director Bridget Ferris says, “this is a unique opportunity for shop owners and technicians to get advanced training, discover new technologies and innovations, and see the latest products and services from more than 400 exhibiting companies on the show floor. In addition to training, many exhibitors have confirmed that they will be introducing new products to satisfy the innovation expectations of our attendees. We expect each attendee to leave the show inspired after visiting the many diverse exhibits and interactive feature areas showcasing everything from welding to painting techniques.” Automechanika Frankfurt has grown to become the world’s largest trade event for the automotive aftermarket industry, featuring over 4600

exhibitors and 140,000 international buyers. Ferris states, “today, with a network of 15 events in 14 countries, the brand Automechanika offers exhibitors access to new markets around the world and has more than 16,000 loyal customers worldwide.” Messe Frankfurt’s decision to branch out into the U.S. was based on substantial research and communication with their customers who indicated a need for a trade show designed specifically for shop owners and technicians with an emphasis on a high-level educational program. According to Ferris, “the demand from our customer base, together with the opportunity to partner with the leading automotive aftermarket publication, UBM Advanstar, paved the way for this event to be launched.” Ferris continues, “we performed extensive research before deciding on a location to enter the U.S. market, and there were many compelling reasons that we believe Chicago is the ideal location. Of the 160,000 individual shops in the United States, 25% of them are within a 500 mile radius of Chicago, giving many shops

on the expo floor. Axalta Coating Systems and Global Finishing Solutions will each present hands-on automotive painting experiences, while other vendors will demonstrate their most innovative products. Ferris notes “Automechanika Chicago will offer independent shops the opportunity to evaluate the product offering of the U.S. market and build relationships with distributors, wholesalers and importers to become more competitive in the industry.” Automechanika Chicago will also host a career fair, The Career Connection, where technicians and future industry professionals in search of a job or information can stop by and discuss opportunities. Shop owners with available positions will collaborate with ASA-IL to list jobs and schedule interviews with potential candidates. The Career Connection will also host short sessions where shop owners will focus on the skills they are looking for and why. Ferris notes, “We have identified and invited the best-of-the-best trainers in the country to help us design a See Automechanika, Page 52

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the ability to drive to the show. Chicago is an international destination that is easily accessible from anywhere in the world, and the city of Chicago has made some major changes to make it more exhibitor and attendee friendly as a convention and trade show destination.” As a global trade show organizer who provides a platform for the automotive aftermarket industry to conduct business in different markets around the world, Messe Frankfurt is confident that Automechanika Chicago will benefit the collision repair industry by bringing key collision manufacturers and associations together with shop owners and technicians and allowing the industry to stay abreast of the latest technological innovations through product discovery, training, certification, and on-the-floor demonstrations. In addition to getting the chance to meet with more than 400 exhibitors to see the latest products and technologies to meet customers’ needs, Automechanika Chicago attendees will be able to view and even experience some of the equipment displayed

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Industry Groups Support Save American Workers Act Passed in House The Automotive Service Association (ASA), Auto Care Association, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), and WMDA Service Station and Automotive Repair Association joined with other small business groups to support the Save American Workers Act of 2015, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives in February. The bill would repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) 30-hour workweek definition for full-time employment, and replace it with a 40-hour workweek definition. The companion bill is up for consideration in the Senate, and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) held its first hearing on the matter on Jan. 22. President Obama has promised to veto the bill if it passes. Beginning in 2015, the ACA requires companies with 100 or more fulltime equivalent (FTE) employees to offer affordable insurance to full-time employees, or face financial penalties. That expands to cover businesses with 50 or more FTEs in 2016. However, the

ACA currently defines a full-time employee as one with an average of 30 hours of service per week. According to a letter in support of the House bill (H.R. 30) issued by the Small Business Coalition for Affordable Healthcare, “Without H.R. 30, employers will face higher employer mandate penalty taxes, and employees will continue to see reduced hours and take home pay.” The House bill was introduced on Jan. 6 with 145 co-sponsors from both parties. “When the employer mandate became effective on January 1, up to 2.6 million Americans were at-risk for seeing lost hours and wages at work,” said Rep. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who co-sponsored the bill. “Ironically, this unintended consequence hurts most those Obamacare was claimed to help: low- and middle-income Americans working hourly jobs. Repealing this provision and restoring the traditional understanding of a forty-hour work is necessary to protect their paychecks.” According to the bill’s supporters, the 30-hour workweek definition will

encourage employers to cut hours for employees so that they don’t meet the 100-FTE threshold. That will put wages and potentially jobs at risk. Many small business owners see the requirement as an unaffordable mandate. “During town hall meets we held at the NACE and CARS shows, our members told us they were very concerned about changing their business models to adjust to this new law,” says Bob Redding, the ASA’s Washington, D.C., representative. “That came up at every event we held, that our members would like to see this corrected.” However, the Congressional Budget Office issued a report that says the legislation would prompt 1 million people to be dropped from employer coverage, pushing between 500,000 to 1 million people onto government insurance and increasing the number of people with no insurance by several hundred thousand. That would increase federal spending by $53.2 billion over the next decade. At the Senate hearing, Democrats argued that raising the threshold to 40

hours would encourage even more employers to cut hours than under the current law. But very few employees that work 30 hours a week currently have health insurance, compared to those that work 40 or more hours a week, which could potentially provide more incentive for employers to cut hours. “Businesses in our industry struggled from 2008 to 2012, and we don’t need further regulatory restriction to our recovery,” Redding said. “This is just an additional burden that our members don’t need right now.” More Senate hearings are scheduled in the coming weeks to discuss the bill and other aspects of the ACA. While a few Senate Democrats support the 40-hour bill, it’s not clear at this point whether Republicans can muster enough votes to override a veto. “It’s going to be very close,” Redding says of the Senate vote. “When the Republicans took control of the Senate, we actually lost several Democrats that would have voted for the bill. In the House we had 12 Democrats vote for this, and that sends a strong message.”

U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) has introduced H.R. 1181, the Public Access to Motor Vehicle Safety Information bill. This legislation was introduced partly in response to recent automaker safety issues and airbag defects. Schakowsky said, “Over the past year and a half, we have seen a record number of recalls and far too many serious injuries and deaths. It’s time for stronger driver, passenger, and pedestrian safeguards, and the Vehicle Safety Improvement Act delivers on that need.” The bill would dramatically hike the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s auto safety budget by at least $100 million by 2017 by imposing a $3 fee on all new car sales that would rise to $9 by 2018. The bill is backed by Rep. Frank Pallone, D-NJ, and at least four other Democrats, Schakowsky’s office said.

H.R. 1181 aims to maximize public awareness by increasing the amount of vehicle safety information auto manufacturers must provide to their customers and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Specifically this bill would: ● impose harsher penalties on companies that fail to comply with federal safety standards, removing the current statutory maximum penalties; ● require new standards to reduce pedestrian and rear passenger injuries; ● ensure that used vehicles are repaired before they are resold; ● expedite auto recalls that pose an “imminent hazard” of injuries or deaths. ● bar automakers from conducting regional recalls limited to high humidity areas or places where road salt is used, for example. The bill requires that a remedy for a defective vehicle be provided with-

out charge, regardless of when the motor vehicle or replacement equipment was purchased. Under the current law, remedies are not required without charge for vehicles or equipment purchased more than 10 years before a recall. The bill provides additional funding to NHTSA to enforce its directives through the creation of the Vehicle Safety Fund, which will require automakers to pay $3 for each motor vehicle certified during the first year in which such fees are assessed, $6 during the second year, and $9 during the third year. This bill is currently before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Many auto industry officials think it is unlikely major reforms will be approved. In 2010, after severe criticism of NHTSA after Toyota recalled millions of vehicles, Congress considered but

never voted on major auto safety legislation. The bill would require auto dealers to repair recalled used cars before selling them and require disclosure of recalls and the status to prospective buyers. It would also give NHTSA sweeping new authority to get unsafe vehicles off the road immediately for “any condition that substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death if not remedied immediately.” The bill would require NHTSA to create new regulations, including new standards for passenger motor vehicles to reduce the number of pedestrian and cyclist injuries and fatalities. NHTSA would also have to research the development of safety standards to improve the crash worthiness and survivability for back-seat passengers. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers a trade group representing major automakers, hasn’t yet commented.

The Collision Repair Education Foundation is seeking industry members to sponsor local high school and/or college collision instructors to attend the upcoming International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) 2015 show taking place in Detroit this July. The requested $1500 (per instructor) sponsorship will include: travel to/from Detroit, hotel stay, meals, event registration, and an exclusive instructor-focused program that will provide the networking opportunities, product demonstrations, technical presentations, and more. Information gained

from the instructor’s attendance will help keep them current on collision industry topics, which can then be shared with their students this fall. This program will also serve as an opportunity for the Education Foundation to introduce the instructors to the organization’s donors and allow the instructors to express their gratitude for the continued support and share how these donations are making an impact on their collision student’s technical education. “Through this program, industry

members have an opportunity to sponsor a local high school or college collision school instructor to attend the NACE show, who would otherwise not have the ability to attend,” said Brandon Eckenrode, Collision Repair Education Foundation Director of Development. “As the demand for properly trained, graduating entry-level collision students grows, the sponsors can invest in the educators by assisting in their abilities to stay current with industry trends and information. Whether industry members have existing relationships with their

local school instructors who they would like to sponsor or would like to be introduced to an instructor through the Education Foundation, we encourage the industry to consider participating.” Companies or individuals interested in sponsoring a local high school and/or college collision school instructor should contact Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at 847.463.5244.

Vehicle Safety Bill Introduced in House Would Raise NHTSA Budget by $100M for 2017

Industry Sponsors Sought to Help Local Collision School Instructors Attend Nace 2015

50 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

www.autobodynews.com CHECK IT OUT!

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 51

Shop and Product Showcase

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

Four New Apps for Techs, Painters, Estimators and Service Advisors with Ed Attanasio

Several years ago, Jim Young, 55 of nesses throughout North America. Memphis, TN began a startup called Young’s father, 88, is a former My Business is a Wreck, a company he body tech and managed a Pontiac has described as a small team of pas- dealership for 17 years and that’s part with EricadeliverSchroeder sionate industry professionals of why his son developed these apps ing robust, reliable applications to the to help other collision professionals automotive industry. with daily tasks, he said. My dad told 35-year collision veteran Jim me to always think about the people Young started My Business is a Wreck, who helped you along the way, bea company that has created four applicause he said sales numbers are imcations that help body technicians, portant, but in the end the ones who with painters, estimators andJohn serviceYoswick advihelped you will be the people you’ll sors to be more effective and producremember. These apps can make peotive. ples’ lives easier and that’s the main The company has developed four reason why I invented them. applications for different sectors of the It’s truly a labor of love for automotive repair industry; iTechni- Young and his new company. “I’ve incian, iPainter, iEstimator and iAdvi- vested approximately $10,000 into Ed assistants Attanasiothese apps without a dime in return, he sorâ, to act as with electronic with the goal of helping them to do a explained. Eventually, I should be able better job and ultimately providing to get some revenue from advertising, improved customer service. All four but in the meantime I’m more focused are currently available and free at the on getting these apps into the hands of App Store for iPhones, iPads and the people who need them to make Google android devices, according to them more effective and productive.” Young. with Ed Attanasio Unveiled last November, Young It’s fitting that every app he’s cre- first developed iTechnician, followed ated starts with the letter ‘i’ because by iPainter, iEstimator and finally iAdYoung has put much of his heart and visor, an app that can be used in both soul into each one. Employed for mechanical and collision industries. more than three decades as a body “We’re covering pretty much every technician, service writer, shop man- role that exists in a shop,” Young said. ager, instructor, coach and consultant “We’ve heard back from users all over with Ed Attanasio for BMW and Toyota in the U.S. and the world and currently we have peoPuerto Rico, Young also owned his ple using them in 12 different counown shop, Young’s Collision in Mem- tries, including Ireland, Saudi Arabia phis for several years. He has also and Spain, to name a few.” been an I-CAR instructor for the past Convenience is obviously one of 15 years and is a business coach and the key features of these apps, Young with Ed Attanasio mentor for automotive-related busi- said. “Everything is in your pocket, so

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SEMA Show Goes On

you don’t have to walk over to your laptop or iPad and stop what you’re doing. Before we released these apps into the market, we gave them to service directors, estimators, techs and painters all over the country, in order to get their feedback during the modeling stage. We started tweaking them almost instantly, to make them better and stronger. By telling us how they were using them, we were able to make them better. It was a valuable process, because they saw things we might not have discovered on our own.” Here’s a brief description of what each app can do:

iTechnician: Enables users to log their assigned ROI numbers; record rates for flat rate technicians; track weekly or bi-weekly pay cycles; track paid and unpaid hours; calculate expected pay and record a weekly or biweekly work history report.

iPainter: Enables users to establish and maintain a spray-out inventory; record favorite formulas and custom lists; create a verified paint variances list and do all of the same things offered on the iAdvisor and iEstimator apps to track jobs, calculate hours and calculate expected pay.

iEstimator: Enables users to log customer information and ROI numbers; create a personal daily customer arrival and departure calendar and record important information, including a customer inventory form documenting all of the belongings left in vehicle; existing AM and FM radio pre-set stations; a vehicle old damage check-in form; a maintenance upselling opportunities form and a tires depth gauge form.

iAdvisor: Enables users to perform all of the functions also featured on the iEstimator app.

Parts You Need. People You Trust. Genuine Mitsubishi Replacement Crash Parts are close at hand through the following quality dealerships.

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Continued from Page 49

Automechanika

world-class educational event that will focus on real-world situations that collision repair and service repair shops will definitely embrace. In addition to the more than 100 seminars offered, Automechanika Chicago is providing attendees with the opportunity to receive ASE certification through our on-site testing facility.” The cost of attending Automechanika Chicago Training is priced at $400. Visit their website and regis-

ter to take advantage of everything the show has to offer. Show organizers will be sending updates with information about some surprises that await attendees at Automechanika Chicago. www.automechanikachicago.com

Check out our NEW website at: western.autobodynews.com

52 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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BASF Sponsors Ridler Ball at 2015 Detroit Autorama; Displays Buick Riviera “Rivtile”

BASF Automotive Refinish was a silver sponsor of the 2015 Ridler Ball that took place during Detroit Autorama March 6-8 in Michigan. One of the highlights of the ball, held at the Cobo Center on March 6, was the announcement of the Pirelli “Great Eight” finalists for the Ridler Award. The finalists included a ‘69 Mustang and a ‘69 Camaro, two traditional Ford favorites, a ‘32 roadster and a ‘37 woody wagon, and several models never seen in the Great 8 before, in-

dler Award winner Chip Foose, and using BASF paint, received the top prize. BASF has had its paint featured on seven of the past 13 Ridler Award winners, including the 2014 winning 1964 Buick Riviera “Rivision” designed by JF Launier of JF Kustoms. The car featured a custom Rivieran Sunset Pearl color from BASF’s R-M® Onyx HD line. The Ridler Award is named for Don Ridler, who started promoting Autorama in the 1950s. With his ex-

BASF displayed the 1972 Buick Riveria, “Rivtile,” owned by Juergen Book and designed by Gerd Muller and Erdal Demir

cluding a ‘65 Dodge Dart and a ‘56 Plymouth Convertible. The ‘65 Chevy Impala Sport Coupe owned by Don Voth, restyled by TV personality and multi-time Ri-

pertise, Autorama became one of the top hot rod shows in the country. Following Ridler’s passing in 1963, a decision was made to create an award to honor his memory. The Ridler award

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The 1965 Chevy Impala Sport Coupe restyled by Chip Foose received the top prize

In addition to sponsoring the Ridler Ball, BASF displayed the 1972 Buick Riveria, “Rivtile,” owned by Juergen Book and designed by Gerd Muller and Erdal Demir. The Rivtile is painted “snake-style” to represent an “automotive reptile.” The Rivtile’s color scheme features a range of reptilian greens, custom painted with gold contrasts from BASF’s R-M® Carizzma line. The Rivtile was recently recognized by Autobytel for having one of the best paint jobs at the 2014 Specialty Equipment Market (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas.

CARSTAR Hosts Aluminum Program at Automechanika

CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts is a sponsor of the inaugural Automechanika Chicago, being held April 24-26 at McCormick Place West in Chicago, IL. Automechanika Chicago is the tradeshow and training event designed specifically for automotive service and collision repair shop owners, technicians, distributors, jobbers and more. It will be the first year the European show has been held in the U.S. As part of its sponsorship, CARSTAR will host an education program on Saturday, April 25, live on the Collision Repair stage. It is entitled: Is Aluminum Repair Right for Your Business? Bob Keith, Senior Director-Operations Training, and Rick Miller, AVP of Operations, will discuss how to determine if aluminum repair is right for your business, and what you need to do get ready to repair. This class will cover an overview of aluminum repair, the current and future aluminum vehicles, the investment needed, how to determine your ROI and training your team. CARSTAR will also have an informational booth in the Repair and Maintenance section.

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Annual Vendor Awards Announced by Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes announced its annual Associated Products Vendor Awards. The announcement was made at a special reception for more than 300 suppliers, employees, and V.I.P. guests at its national sales meeting held at the Gaylord

Williams Operational Excellence “The goal at our almost 200 branches is to meet the needs of our collision repair customer base around the country and bring them greater value. Our vendor partners are an intricate part in helping us demonstrate the service

rectly manages the collision repair shop and/or MSO account, facilitates application training, and provides on-site consultative services as necessary. “No matter how many locations a customer may have, our direct distribution provides important standardized

and find, or have immediately delivered, the exact products and services they need to be profitable and productive. “More than 300,000 customers walk into our branches every year. Our vendor partners are important to the ongoing service and attention to detail

Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes 2014 Operational Excellence: P.P.C. Inc. 1st Row (l to r) Jim Zele, T.J. Miles, Danae Miles, Martin Powers, Dana Vonover, Brian Love. 2nd Row (l to r) Tom Hablitzel, Adam Chafe, Jake Mussay, Andrea Sovak, Tim Schmidt, Scott Minor, Greg Ocampo, Jeff Hartl

Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes 2014 Brand of the Year: DeVilbiss. 1st Row (l to r) Jim Zele, Steve Duff, Roger Henry, Jeff Bell, Linda Langford, Hans Horstik. 2nd Row (l to r) Tom Hablitzel, Adam Chafe, Jake Mussay, Andrea Sovak, Tim Schmidt, Scott Minor, Greg Ocampo, Jeff Hartl

Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes 2014 Sales Excellence - Canada: Dan - Am Company / SATA. 1st Row (l to r) Tom Hablitzel, Jim Zele, Jason Gravenhof, Andrea Sovak, Greg Ocampo. 2nd Row (l to r) Adam Chafe, Jake Mussay, Tim Schmidt, Scott Minor, Jeff Hartl

Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes 2014 Sales Excellence - U.S.A. - Garmat.1st Row (l to r) Dave Adams, Bill Morando, Gary Lehky, Debbie Teter, Kendall McGowen, Jim Zele. 2nd Row (l to r) Tom Hablitzel, Adam Chafe, Jake Mussay, Tim Schmidt, Andrea Sovak, Scott Minor, Jeff Hartl, Greg Ocampo

Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine (Dallas), Texas. Associated Products suppliers honored at this year’s Vendor Awards included: ● DeVilbiss - Sherwin-Williams Brand of the Year ● Garmat - Sherwin-Williams Sales Excellence: U.S. ● SATA - Sherwin-Williams Sales Excellence: Canada ● P.P.C. (Powers Paper Co.) - Sherwin-

excellence that our customers expect,” said Jeff Hartl, Director of Associated Products Marketing for SherwinWilliams Automotive Finishes. Hartl noted how the SherwinWilliams controlled distribution strategy provides a real difference as it directly supplies its collision repair customers: “Our company-trained employees manage the entire supply chain from product development to delivery. A Sherwin-Williams professional di-

Continued from Page 24

helpful in my research. Whether it’s calling around to get their experiences on a certain piece of equipment or getting their take on a particular tool, keeping the lines of communication open helps us all make more informed, realistic decisions for our customers.” Yeung added, “Your relationship with the OE and sponsoring dealer is very important because if you don’t have that affiliation, you might not know where to start in terms of purchasing equipment or getting training. Industry groups and communication are incredibly important to help facilitate that.” For more information about SCRS, or to join as a member, please visit www.scrs.com, call toll free 1-877-8410660 or email info@scrs.com.

Aluminum Revolution

scale really do come into play in some respects. Do your due diligence, do your homework and pay attention to the big picture.” While market demand is also hugely influential to the decision-making process, Reichen stressed, “Research whether your market will support the lines you want to work on before purchasing equipment to fix them. Outside of your relationship with the OE, the most important tool in a repairer’s arsenal can be one’s own peers. Wano agreed, “My relationships with my industry colleagues have been extremely

services—innovative products, training, delivery, consulting and centralized billing—and this drives consistency and cost-effective results. We want to be the one-stop-shop for the automotive repair and refinish industry and our stores make it easy for customers to come in

we provide all our collision repair customers whether they come straight to the counter in one of our branches or through delivery to their shops.” For more information, visit www .sherwin-automotive.com or call 1800-SWULTRA (1-800-798-5872).

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Give us your opinion on matters affecting the industry.

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write us!

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 55

Western Associations

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

Northern California Collision Veteran Celebrates 36 Years in the Industry with Ed Attanasio

David Mello, 64, is the owner of An- ship referrals as well as insurance derson Behel in Santa Clara, CA and company referrals and a healthy is celebrating his 36th year in the col- amount of repeat customer business. withmonth. Ed Attanasio lision industry next He has Dealership referrals are great bebeen involved in the California Auto- cause they’re late model cars and body Association (CAA) in several they’re nice to fix and people care different capacities for more than two about them. It’s very hard to make decades and has worked hard to make the kind of margins that people feel a real difference in the collision in- they’re entitled to or that they made dustry in California and nationally. in the Golden Age Chasidy Rae Sisk David was kindwith enough to answer (meaning prior to some questions for our readers. 1990). So, I want to have a mixture Q: How did you get in this industry? of business, but I do agree with a A: My father was a dairy farmer and he comment that a ended up leaving the farm and managfriend of mine David Mello, the Janet Chaney ing a creamery. I with liked cars more than I said recently. If I owner of Anderson liked cows, so in high school I went to didn’t have them Behel in Santa work for a service station where I could (the DRPs) I’d Clara, CA will be celebrating 36 mess with cars. While I was attending have less than years in the junior college, I got a job as a parts guy half the business I collision industry at the Oldsmobile dealership in Santa have right now. next month Cruz, CA and I was making $600 a David Luehr week, which waswith very good money for Q: What would you tell somebody a kid out of school. I thought I had it new coming into this industry? made. I became the parts manager and eventually landed a job at a body shop. A: Number one, I’d tell them that the I worked there for 10 years and then in pressure to contain prices from the 1989, I purchased my own shop—Aninsurance industry is to be expected. derson Behel in Santa Clara, CA. The medical industry expects it of with Jennifer Driscoll-Chippendale them and I expect it of them. What’s Q: What were some of the early ob- tough is that many of our colleagues stacles? are less than informed about charging for what they do and what must be A: It was a big leap buying a shop, but done. So they readily accept the inI thought I had all the answers. But surance company’s price pressure in with Erica Eversman then during that first year (after all the many cases. I mean, if you’ve got a money ran out) I really learned a lot $10 job and they offer you a dollar of things on the job, such as customer and you accept it and think that’s just service; hiring and firing; cash flow— great and then you go out and try to I mean, the upper level stuff. I had find a way to fix the car and make a taken accounting at junior college, but buck, you’re falling right into this I was shocked at what I didn’t know. I trap. Because now you’ve fixed it to with Ed Attanasio was spending money on labor and the price point rather than back to parts and it just chewed up that OEM standards. I would say that a money. It was definitely a struggle to number of shops are willing to just make money and also have cash on accept what they get from the insurhand and that was probably the ance industry. Some DRPs devise biggest obstacle during those first few these artificial price points obviously years. with Ed Attanasioto save money and not because the car was crashed in a certain way. Q: How have you been able to survive They’re trying to apply cost-saving during tough economic times? statistics to the car repair rather than what it really takes for a safe repair A: I’ve always maintained a steady in these cases. I know I can’t thrive stream of dealership referrals, so my or survive without getting that busibusiness modelwith consists dealer- ness, but at the same time I believe EdofAttanasio

Western News

Northeast News

Associations Update Lean Operations

my people are well-equipped, welltrained, certified and we do guarantee our work and we do seek to make our customers really happy. I think making customers happy, having a well-trained, qualified staff and having all the proper equipment needs to be our #1 priority. And that’s why we’re pursuing all of the manufacturers’ certifications and doing everything we can to provide the best service across the board. And number two, I would tell them to always do what is best for the consumer.

Q: So, you believe that certifications affect your bottom line? Do customers bring you cars because of the certifications?

A: How often does somebody come in and say ‘Hey I brought my car to you because I saw that you’re certified to work on it? It sure doesn’t happen often enough! It does happen

The Legal View

with our high-end OEM certifications. I think what it does, is when somebody is referred here by either a dealer or another customer or an insurance company, it gives some assurance to the customer and that’s good. When they come in and they have a Honda and they see a Honda certification sign I think that gives them a peace of mind that may not be verbalized. They may not say ‘Oh you’re Honda certified’ but they’re thinking it. I remember years ago people would come in and they would be driving a Toyota or a Ford or whatever and they would say ‘I see all these Porsches here, so they must be a good shop.’ Q: Are things better now than when you entered this industry 36 years ago? A: Yes, I do believe that overall the relationship between the collision repair

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industry and the insurance companies has improved since I began. That reality is still there for some people. There are some companies who say that being with certain DRPs is like selling your soul to the devil. And so those of us that have sold our soul to the devil, of course we’re going to say that it’s better because we can’t criticize the insurance companies. So, from my perspective, that has improved and made things easier for us. Now what has kept me awake at night is the infiltration and intrusion of the consolidators into our area. They threaten my status quo. I fall right into their slot: Baby Boomers Ready to Get Out. So, I am obviously very concerned about that.

Q: Do you still encounter steering?

A: It’s still alive and well. Even though it’s illegal in California, steering is on steroids. We used to joke when I was a state officer for the CAA and we were lobbying at the Capitol for Jackie Speir’s anti-steering bill. Well, when the car comes to me to be repaired then it’s called a referral, we joked. But when it goes to someone else, it’s called steering so I freely admit to playing

both sides of this, but my ideology is that it ought to be a free market and that customers should be able to go wherever they want to go. Q: What is the value of organizations such as the California Autobody Association (CAA)?

A: The big chains (MSOs and the consolidators) feel they don’t need associations like the CAA to work with or to better the Industry. They kind of create their own weather. They’re large enough to create their own environment and as individual shops we can’t compete with that without working collectively. I’ve been involved with the organization for 26 years now. I joined my local chapter’s board (Santa Clara chapter) in 1992 and I’ve been on the board ever since then. I served as President in 1997 and then in 2007 I became CAA State President, which means I served for six years on the Executive Committee. I have also been the Treasurer for our chapter probably for the last 15 years. So, I’ve seen firsthand how the CAA can make a difference, as long as shops are willing to step in to help to make it happen.

Urethane Supply Company Offers New Kenworth T800 Hood Repair Kit Urethane Supply Company’s new Kenworth T800 hood repair kit addresses a common problem on the hood of this particular model truck.

new hood requires about eight hours of labor and over $1,000 in parts.” Urethane Supply Company’s custom-designed repair kit bonds a cast aluminum plug into the “horseshoe” socket to make a much faster and much stronger repair than the original. Lammon said the installation time to repair both sides is less than an hour and the suggested User price for the kit is only $499.95. The Kenworth T800 hood repair kit comes complete with driver’s and passenger’s side aluminum repair plugs, steel bearing plates, Kenworth T800 hood repair kit two 2510 PlastiFix adhesive “The brackets for the hood guides kits, and all necessary hardware. Register Your Email for information Our See more about this at the back of the hood break the Metton plastic just about every time,” said Kurt new product at www.urethanesupply Lammon, President of Urethane Sup- .com/New-Products/KEN-T800/. For further questions, contact ply Company, based in Alabama. “The only repair other than buying a brand- Kurt Lammon at 800-633-3047.

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SO. CALIFORNIA Galpin Volkswagen North Hills

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951-894-4721 Fax: 951-894-6278

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Volkswagen of Downtown LA Los Angeles

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Dirito Bros. Walnut Creek Volkswagen Walnut Creek Fax: 925-934-0786

parts@dirito.com

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 57

Industry Insight

Legal Battle That Began with Non-OEM Parts Back in 1997 Still Being Waged Today with John Yoswick

Back in 1999, a Farm then filed an appeal with the Illicourt decision in a nois Supreme Court. class action lawsuit In 2004, Judge Lloyd Karmeier resulted a $1.2 was elected to his first 10-year term with Ed in Attanasio billion judgment on the Illinois Supreme Court. At that against State Farm time, lawyers for the plaintiffs in the – at the time one of Avery case sought to have Karmeier the largest judgrecuse himself from participating in Lloyd Karmeier ments ever levied the Avery decision because they against an insurer. The ruling changed claimed his election campaign had rethe way many insurance with Edcompanies Attanasioceived significant campaign contribudealt with non-OEM parts for years, tions from State Farm. But Karmeier and despite the fact that the judgment did not recuse himself. was later nullified, the “Avery vs State The next year, four of the six Farm” lawsuit even today is seen as Justices on the Court—including the basis for State Farm’s limited use Karmeier—voted to overturn the of such parts. Avery ruling. The court ruled that the But now, 18 years after that law- case should not have been approved Attanasio suit began, the with lawyersEd who repre- as a national class action because sented the vehicle-owners in the Avery State Farm uses different policy lanlawsuit are still fighting against the guage in different states and even overturning of that judgment by the within the same state. The Court Illinois Supreme Court. The amount found no breach of contract under they are seeking from State Farm this any of the three different policy with Ed Attanasio time is considerably larger: triple the wordings related to the use of parts. It damages of the Avery case plus more ruled that the plaintiffs in the case than a decade of interest, all adding up failed to demonstrate damages. And to more than $8 billion. the court pointed out that plaintiffs Though a portion of that money did not contend that non-OEM parts would still go to the vehicle-owners are defective, only that they are all who sued back in the late 1990s, the not as good as OEM parts. current lawsuit has nothing to do with The decision emboldened insurparts and everything to do with polit- ers, some of which had curtailed callical influence. The suit alleges that ing for the use of non-OEM parts for State Farm played a pivotal role in the some years after the 1999 Avery judgsuccessful 2004 election campaign of ment, to return to pushing shops to use a judge to the Illinois Supreme Court the parts. – a judge that the next year became the fourth vote on that court to overNew findings, new lawsuit turn the Avery decision and nullify the But in 2011, lawyers for the plaintiffs judgment against State Farm. in the Avery case filed a lawsuit claiming they had new evidence of State Farm’s involvement in the recruitment Some quick background The original Avery lawsuit on behalf of Karmeier as a candidate and in fiof about 4.5 million drivers who had nancing the campaign that lead to his non-OEM parts installed on their ve- election to the Illinois Supreme Court. hicles as part of their State Farm claim That campaign shattered state and naalleged that the parts were inferior to tional spending records for a judicial OEM, and thus the insurer breached seat, with the two candidates spending its contract to return those cars to more than $9 million combined. The “pre-loss condition.” A jury in 1999 current lawsuit argues that State Farm agreed, finding also that State Farm “delivered ‘tremendous’ financial suphad defrauded consumers by conceal- port (at least $2.5 million and as much ing known problems with the parts. as $4 million) to Justice Karmeier’s In 2001 in response to an appeal campaign.” by State Farm, an appellate court afThe plaintiffs’ attorneys argue, firmed the decision but lowered the for example that State Farm attorney damage award to $1.05 billion. State and lobbyist William Shepherd was on

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the executive committee of the Illinois Civil Justice League (ICJL), which recruited and endorsed Karmeier as a candidate for the seat on the court, and was involved with weekly conference calls with Karmeier’s campaign manager (the head of the ICJL). The money trail described in the court filings to date is a bit convoluted, indicating that the contributions largely came through intermediary organizations being influenced by State Farm. The ICJL, for example, through its political action committee made $1.1 million in direct and in-kind contributions to Karmeier’s campaign. Also at the time, the lawsuit argues, State Farm CEO Ed Rust was part of the U.S. Chamber’s leadership team that selected which judicial campaigns to target, and Illinois was identified as a “Tier 1” state to target. State Farm donated $1 million to the U.S. Chamber’s judicial election efforts, the U.S. Chamber donated over $2 million to the Illinois Republican Party, and that organization in turn bought $1.94 million in advertising for the Karmeier campaign. Attorneys say the new evidence should lead the court to reinstate the judgment against State Farm, or alternatively redecide the case without Karmeier’s involvement. State Farm has argued that overturning the Avery ruling would be “disruptive in the extreme” to the Illinois legal system because the ruling has been cited in more than 200 subsequent court opinions. The insurer argues the contributions to Karmeier’s campaign from State Farm employees and others connected with the insurer were “quite modest,” estimated to be about $350,000. And it says the notion of “State Farm-influenced contributions” relies on an unsubstantiated argument that the insurer controls such organizations as the U.S. Chamber and the ICJL.

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58 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Deposition of a Supreme Court Justice The most recent argument in the ongoing legal battle has been over whether Karmeier can be questioned under oath. A deposition of a sitting justice on a state supreme court is extraordinarily rate. A magistrate judge

earlier this year ruled the attorneys suing State Farm could submit 20 questions to Karmeier in writing, but that Karmeier could not be subjected to a formal deposition. But in a dramatic turn-about in March, U.S. District Court Judge David Herndon overturned that ruling, saying that having Karmeier give testimony is the only way to give both sides a fair opportunity to “explore the facts, and for the public, in the face of such allegation, to learn the truth.” Judge Herndon said Karmeier can be questioned about all aspects of his election campaign but not about his deliberations in any case while on the Supreme Court. In addition, he ruled that the plaintiffs’ attorneys also may depose State Farm vice president Robert Shultz about his involvement in Karmeier’s election. Shultz served on the Illinois State Bar Association committee that evaluated Karmeier and his opponent prior to the 2004 election. The attorneys argue that Shultz should have recused himself from that evaluation committee given the Supreme Court’s pending review of the “Avery” lawsuit. But Schultz did not recuse himself, and the committee rated Karmeier as “highly qualified,” while rating his opponent, Gordon Maag, as only “qualified.” Why might State Farm have preferred Karmeier’s election over Maag’s? One possible reason: Prior to unsuccessfully running against Karmeier in 2004, Maag was one of the five appellate judges who in 2001 had affirmed the judgment against State Farm in the Avery non-OEM parts lawsuit. Judge Herndon said the deposition of Schultz could explore “whether he made any attempt to persuade his fellow committee members in any way, and if so what his motives in doing so were, and whether he was encouraged to do so by anyone acting on behalf of State Farm.” No doubt many such interim legal skirmishes will be waged before next January when an actual trial in the case is tentatively scheduled to begin. The legal battle that began over non-OEM parts back in 1997 has still not seen its final chapter.

AkzoNobel Releases New Color Trend Guide

AkzoNobel has created their latest color and trend guide, which will help to transform the look and feel of a car interior, smartphone or tablet. All is revealed in the tenth edition (E10) of the company’s annual research into color and design trends for coatings in the automotive, consumer electronics and lifestyle markets. For the first time, the design team has also created a Color of the Year, Smooth Copper, which was selected in cooperation with the Aesthetics Center run by AkzoNobel’s Decorative Paints business.

“Our global design team searches the world for the tones that make people talk,” explained Stephie Sijssens, Performance Coatings Color Design Manager. “We translate these into four key trends, eight palettes and 72 color effects and textures. We want to inspire our industrial customers to develop together the colors, effects and textures that tell the story of the future.” She added, “We look for beauty in what we have; uniqueness in what’s already there and find the extra in the ordinary. Color and material trends are

moving into a sophisticated direction— elegant and playful at the same time, with attention for details. Designers are looking for different textures and tactile aspects to create subtle contrasts, or they find inspiration in the vivid accents of fashion and sport accessories.” Part of the 2015 trend is bright, almost neon, accents with a matte finish. Metallic effects are also back, while the more classic silver range is now complemented by different shades of browns and golds—including Smooth Copper. The four key trends identified in

the latest E10 report are: Living through layers inspired by the digital world, including mirror effects, kaleidoscopic patterns and subtle interference pigments ● Big nature, small me - exploring deep, natural colors and rough, sanded textures ● Unseen luxury – a reinterpretation of luxury, combining warm tone metallics with natural stone effects ● The currency of sharing - happy colors, soft neons, complemented by plain greys and milky transparency

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Sierra Subaru of Monrovia Monrovia (626) 359-8291 (626) 932-5660 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 8-4 parts@sierracars.com www.sierraauto.com NO. CALIFORNIA

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The following dealerships are eager to serve your needs. Call your local Subaru collision parts specialist today! SO. CALIFORNIA

Galpin Subaru

Santa Clarita (818) 778-2005 (818) 778-2090 Fax www.galpin.com

Kearny Mesa Subaru San Diego (800) 548-9124 (858) 300-3331 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6 cguth@kmhyundaisubaru.com www.kearnymesasubaru.com/parts

Marin Subaru

San Rafael (415) 257-4690 (415) 257-4684 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5:30; Sat. 8-4 marinmazdasubaru@yahoo.com www.marinsubaru.net

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Sacramento (877) 484-4870 (916) 484-4876 (916) 484-4878 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5:30 www.maitasubaru.com

Camelback Subaru

Phoenix (866) 641-9880 (602) 776-6407 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 8-4 wholesaleparts@camelbackdifference.com

AutoNation Subaru Scottsdale Scottsdale (480) 425-2950 (480) 425-2948 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 7-4

Subaru Superstore of Chandler Chandler (877) 443-3239 (480) 268-2402 (480) 621-3805 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 7-5 subaruparts@shopsubaru.com www.shopsubaru.com

Shingle Springs Subaru Shingle Springs (530) 676-0444 (530) 677-6528 Fax www.shinglespringssubaru.com

Subaru of Santa Cruz Santa Cruz (800) 549-8490 (831) 420-1402 (831) 420-1923 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6; Sat. 8-5 parts@santacruzsubaru.com www.santacruzsubaru.com

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 59

Spanesi Expands Operations in IL and Hires Business Development Manager

After opening operations in Illinois two years ago, Spanesi Americas recently announced that they have doubled both their warehouse and training space. The expansion project also includes an addition to their existing office building as well as the dock and loading area.

Spanesi Americas recently doubled their warehouse and training space in Illinois

Tim Morgan, Managing Director for Spanesi Americas, said the expansion is a result of an overwhelming response to the company’s products. Morgan began consulting for the company in 2012 and set up their North and South American operations in October of that year. “When I started this project I knew the products Spanesi had to offer were what the US and Canadian collision repair markets were looking for and the response has been extraordinary,” said Morgan. “This has allowed us to be able to expand our facility in

such a short time to meet the needs of our customers.” The family-owned equipment company is based in the small town Padova, Italy near Venice. Spanesi’s product lines are manufactured in Italy and include: Straightening Benches, Multibenches, Touch Electronic Systems, Vacuum Systems, Welding Machines, Infrared Lamps, Lifts, Painting Tools, Spray Booth Equipment, and Manual, Pneumatic, Electric and Hydraulic Tools. The Illinois facility will now have a dedicated warehouse space to store parts for spray booths and measuring systems as well as a single area for product training. Another recent development at Spanesi is the hiring of Tom McGee as Business Development Manager. “Tom’s experience in the collision repair industry will be extremely valuable to our group as we continue to grow and provide exceptional products and service to our customers,” said Morgan. McGee has more than 30 years of experience in the collision repair industry. This includes Collision Director for Automotive Training Institute, Collision Industry Relations Manager for ALLDATA, and nearly 18 years at I-CAR where he held a variety of posi-

tions including President & CEO and Technical Director. McGee graduated from Ferris State College in Big Rapids, MI, and is an ASE Certified Master Auto Body & Paint Technician and Collision Repair Estimator. McGee, a recognized industry speaker, was also elected into the Collision Industry Hall of Eagles in 2001. “I am very excited to join the Spanesi team,” said McGee. “I have been very impressed with how the Spanesi product line is designed to repair the latest vehicle technology. It is exciting to join an organiTom McGee was zation that has hired as Business such a strong focus Development on the technician Manager at and deploys its reSpanesi search and development to make their jobs easier.” Morgan said Spanesi Americas’ mission is to bring new products and technologies to body shops in the Americas to enable technicians to perform repairs to a high standard of excellence. “The unique feature of Spanesi over

the competitors is that we have our own body shop,” said Morgan. “We offer a full solution for the complete body shop.” Owner Orazio Spanesi started in the collision repair industry when he was 14 years old and in 1969 he opened his own body shop. In 1989, he decided he wanted to try and make better equipment so he traveled the world to find out what was available. “Everything that we design, we design it with the technicians in mind,” said Morgan. “It’s tested by technicians long before it ends up in the hands of end users.” Over the years even as the vehicles have evolved, the majority of what we’ve had in place for years is still the same way, especially with our universal fixturing system, that has been around since 1991. Morgan said with the company’s focus on products that are growing fastest in the market, Spanesi expects to increase overall shipment capacity by nearly 20%, while adding approximately 35 jobs in North America. The company has also increased inventory to enhance their delivery system. For more details, contact Timothy Morgan, 1.224.SPANESI (772.6374) tmorgan@spanesi-americas.com, www.SPANESI.com.

MSO Symposium Returns to NACE 2015

The MSO Symposium held during NACE will return after a one year break. Executives representing MSOs, along with multi-location and single location collision repair executives who attended in the past, requested the program return to its previous format. The business event will now cater to a broader group of executives allowing it to be more inclusive of some of the best operators in the collision repair industry. The content will cover business growth, M&A, private equity, insurance and industry trends, and other management-focused topics. But, the biggest change to the program in 2015 is an increase in industry input and direction relative to the content. There is now a Chair and Advisory Board for the symposium. This year’s chair, who will act as the symposium moderator, will be Michael LeVasseur. Dan Risley, ASA president and Executive Director, stated, “There are many meetings and conferences throughout the year. This is the only event that is exclusive to the leaders in the collision repair industry. The recent addition of the advisory board will mirror the changes we made in 2014 relative to NACE. ASA may own the event but it’s a show and now a symposium that is solely for the collision industry, about the collision industry and driven by the collision industry.

We remain the only national show strictly for repairers. Some businesses are preparing for expansion through growth or acquisition while others are preparing for merger or divestiture. This symposium will provide information essential in understanding market conditions and preparing for the future, regardless the size of the business.” The MSO will open with presentations beginning Thursday afternoon, July 23, followed by a private reception at COBO Center in Detroit. Registration for the MSO Symposium will open in March at www.NACEexpo.com, along with all other events taking place during Industry Week in Detroit July 21-25. These include the CIC summer meeting Tuesday-Wednesday, July 2122, the CREF Golf Fundraiser July 22, CCIF, MERA, I-CAR classes, training and demos, NABC, SCRS Board and open meetings, CIECA and featuring NACE | CARS 2015 Conference + Expo Wednesday-Saturday, July 22-25 (expo will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday). Now in its 33rd year, NACE CARS 2015 will feature opportunities for technical training, business education, demonstrations, networking and technology showcases for stakeholders, owners, managers and technicians in the collision and service repair industries.

60 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

THESE DEALERS are GENUINE WHOLESALE PARTS SPECIALISTS. C AL IFOR NIA

Elk Grove Toyota ELK GROVE

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916-405-8045 Fax Mon. - Fri. 7am - 7pm; Sat. 8am - 5pm www.elkgrovetoyota.com

WIN’s 2015 Most Influential Women in Collision Repair

The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) announced this year’s honorees for the Most Influential Women (MIW) of the collision industry. ● Cheryl Boswell, CFO, DCR Systems LLC, Duluth, Georgia ● Lauren Fix, President, Automotive Aspects Inc., Lancaster, New York ● Lisa Siembab, Owner, CARSTAR Berlin, Berlin, Connecticut ● Ruth Weniger, CEO, Airbag Solutions LLC, Ivins, Utah “The nominees this year showcased a breadth of responsibilities,” stated Russell Long, President of Change Innovations, the company contracted to conduct the interviews and select the honorees. “Each year, women from different facets of the collision repair industry are selected for their passion and commitment to progressive and positive evolution of the industry,” stated Denise Caspersen, WIN chair. Established in 1999 by AkzoNobel, WIN acquired stewardship of the Most Influential Women program in 2013. When the WIN Educational Conference convenes in Baltimore, MD on May 4-6 the honorees will be celebrated during an awards dinner. For information, go to: www.womensindustrynetwork.com.

WIN Acknowledges 2015 Corporate Sponsors

The Women’s Industry Network (WIN®) recently announced their 2015 corporate sponsorships: Gold Sponsors ($10,000): AkzoNobel Coatings Inc. Axalta Coating Systems PPG Industries Inc. Silver Sponsors ($5,000): National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) The 3M Company Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. Service King Collision Repair Centers State Farm Insurance Valspar Corporation Bronze Sponsors ($2,500): Allstate Insurance Company AudaExplore, a Solera Company Caliber Collision The Certified Automotive Parts Assoc. CARSTAR CCC Information Services Inc. FinishMaster Inc. Fix Auto USA GEICO Gerber Collision & Glass The Hertz Corporation MetLife Auto & Home Mitchell International Nationwide Safelite Solutions Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes

WIN Member Sees Huge Opportunities in Industry

As a college intern, Rosalie Tamburro supported sponsorship activities as well as learning and development for a major paint company. She found that the industry was filled with friendly, supportive professionals, and that the automotive industry peeked her interest. Upon graduation, Tamburro sought to continue her involvement by joining PPG Automotive Refinish as a Marketing Communications Specialist, based in their Strongsville, OH headquarters. Tamburro explained, “I was attracted to the automotive industry for two different reasons. One reason is credited to PPG, I knew after joining the team that this is where I was meant to be. In addition to the industry aligning Rosalie Tamburro with my interests, joined PPG Autothe culture and motive Refinish customers are exas Marketing ceptional. RefinCommunications ish is so diverse – Specialist from cutting-edge technology to the custom painter who can amaze with their creative talent, there’s always something to look for-

ward to.” After two years, Tamburro shifted in 2014 to a new role acting as a liaison to the Canadian market. Like many, Tamburro sees a huge opportunity for social media and other interactive marketing initiatives to be leveraged in the auto industry. “These platforms allow businesses to really engage with their customers in a whole new way. The technology and resources that are available to promote any business is something that offers endless opportunities.” Tamburro’s manager, Cristina Fronzaglia, encouraged her to get connected with those across the industry by joining and participating in the Women’s Industry Network (WIN). Tamburro has taken that advice, joining the Communications Committee and agreeing to take on the role of Scholarship Liaison within the first month of becoming a WIN member. “I am a member of WIN because I wanted to be part of a group that makes an impact in the industry.” Recently, she learned that one of her colleagues, Jessica Crowley, is actually a WIN Scholarship recipient from 2012. Thank you to WIN for providing this article to Autobody News magazine.

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MOSSY NISSAN

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 61

Over 100 Dealerships Join Suit v TrueCar Buying Site Contending Deceptive Business Practices Bellavia Blatt & Crossett, PC, an automobile dealer law firm, has filed a mass action lawsuit in Federal Court for the Southern District of New York against TrueCar. The suit charges that the online car buying site engaged in deceptive business practices. The firm is urging additional non-TrueCar affiliated dealerships who have been injured financially by TrueCar’s actions to join in the suit. So far, 117 dealerships are part of the mass action. A second lawsuit, on behalf of TrueCar-affiliated dealers, will be filed in the coming weeks. The suit alleges that the dealers have been injured as the result of TrueCar’s misleading claims and have lost approximately 35 to 85 sales per year, meaning $432,000 to over $1,000,000 in

lost revenue, depending upon dealer sales volume. In addition, TrueCar’s actions have led to the reputations of TrueCar-affiliated dealerships being damaged by the public’s perception of the TrueCar business model and its alleged deceptive business practices. The firm is charging the online car buying site for false advertising in violation of the Lanham Act and unfair competition and deceptive trade practices under state statutes. “TrueCar advertises that their service provides a ‘no haggle experience’ with statements like ‘no negotiation’ and ‘no surprises,’ “ said Leonard Bellavia, Senior Partner. “Yet the buying experience is anything but that as it sets consumers up for disappointment. Our clients have invested

hundreds of millions of dollars to enhance the customer experience, which TrueCar has managed to undermine.” The firm is also representing 1,048 clients in a separate $350 million mass action lawsuit against CARFAX, seeking recovery of alleged substantial overcharges over six years—multiplied by three—in accordance with antitrust laws. The suit claims that CARFAX has illegally aligned itself with major players in the auto industry and abused its monopoly power, resulting in inferior vehicle history reports, exorbitant pricing and a marketing campaign designed to damage the reputation of auto dealers. Mr. Bellavia has represented numerous automobile franchise dealers nationwide against the major players in the U.S. au-

tomotive industry, including auto manufacturers—such as Chrysler, GM and Saab—as well as the U.S. government, arising out of the Chrysler bankruptcy wherein dealers were unjustly terminated without compensation. In response to TrueCar’s alleged violations, Bellavia Blatt is seeking $250,000,000 in damages, as well as injunctive relief compelling TrueCar to change its business model. “We urge other dealers who have been injured by TrueCar’s actions to join in this lawsuit,” Bellavia said. “We will prove that TrueCar’s business model is a bad one—not just for the consumers and dealers, but for the industry in general.” Call 516) 873-3000 or www.TrueJustice.DealerLaw.com.

Mitchell International has announced the release of RepairCenter Hub, the Property & Casualty industry’s first real-time communication and collaboration platform. With built-in privacy controls, RepairCenter Hub leverages powerful social communication methods to enable collaboration within one and among several repair facilities. “We are extremely excited about the release of RepairCenter Hub. We believe that effective communication is key to effi-

ciently processing repairs, reducing service costs and increasing customer satisfaction,” said Jim O’Leary, VP of Product Management. “With RepairCenter Hub, collision repairers can communicate and collaborate with staff all from one central location. Streamlined communications will lead to improved efficiency, reduction in errors and ultimately higher profits.” In addition to information sharing, RepairCenter Hub provides alerts and updates

that notify users when actions need to be taken. Users can subscribe to jobs and receive real-time notifications for visibility into the repair process. Through these alerts, shops no longer have to seek out information during the repair process, streamlining communication and enabling proactive business decisions. “RepairCenter Hub has been readily used by our repair facilities for the past few months,” said Robert Waline, CEO

of Herb’s Paint and Body. “Hub has helped streamline communication and collaboration among our staff. The ability to consolidate real-time communications and events into a single repair order thread saves us time and headache.” Hub will be rolled out to all shops in North America over the next couple of months as part of the RepairCenter platform for the collision repair industry. To learn more about RepairCenter, visit www.repaircenter.mitchell.com.

Mitchell Launches RepairCenter Hub, a Real Time Communication and Collaboration Platform

GEICO Philanthropic Awards $100,000 to CREF

The GEICO Philanthropic Foundation has made a $100,000 donation to the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF). “GEICO is excited to make this contribution to the Collision Repair Education Foundation to aid its mission of supporting students and educational institutions that develop highly trained collision repair technicians to meet the changing needs of the industry,” said Ryan West, GEICO’s Vice President of Claims. CREF Executive Director Clark Plucinski noted, “GEICO has been a long-standing supporter and partner with the Collision Repair Education Foundation in recognizing the fact that collision school programs are in need of support in order to graduate properly trained students for industry employment. To receive this incredible donation to start off 2015 will bring our organization to another level, I cannot thank GEICO enough for the support, and would encourage other industry members to follow GEICO’s lead in working together with the Collision Repair Education Foundation.” For information visit www.GEICO.com. Or contact Foundation Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at 847-463-5244.

CREF to Highlight Collision Career Opportunities

To help provide school counselors from around the country with collision industry and career opportunity information for their students, the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) will be exhibiting and presenting at the 2015 American School Counselor Association Annual Conference. The event will be held June 28July 1 in Phoenix, AZ. The Education Foundation will have a booth during the conference’s trade show and present during the “Career Tracks” section of the event. CREF Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode noted, “The Education Foundation has increased our efforts to communicate to school administration and counselors about the need to support their high school and college collision school programs and participating in this event is key to ensure that the collision industry is visible to this group.” For information about the American School Counselor Association, visit www.SchoolCounselor .org. Those interested in making a donation should contact Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at 847.463.5244 or Brandon.Eckenrode @ed-foundation.org.

62 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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Sacramento 916-486-1299

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Collision Avoidance Sensor Market Expected to Reach $10B by 2020 According to market research launched by Grand View Research, the Global Collision Avoidance Sensors Market Size was $3.22 billion in 2013 and will grow to $10.01 billion by 2020. The development of self-driving cars will support market growth during the forecast period. Updated ratings of safety agencies and incorporation of anti-collision sensors in mass-market models is expected to propel market growth over the next six years. Increasing awareness among consumers and extensive R&D by market players has fueled market growth. Collision avoidance sensors enable vehicles to carry out semi-autonomous and autonomous decision making. Rising need for security from consumers and governments is also expected to drive collision avoidance sensors market growth. Recent developments in sensor technology

are oriented towards making devices more sophisticated and augmenting them with various parts of an automobile. Anticollision sensors enable automotive OEMs to integrate more intelligence in order to achieve the goal of an autonomous car. Strict legal and regulatory standards have mandated inclusion of sensors in motor vehicles; this is further estimated to drive the collision avoidance sensors market. However, high cost of long-range radar and LiDAR-based sensors may restrain market growth as lowprice carmakers may abstain from adding onto the cost of vehicles. Further key findings from the study suggest: Radar-based sensors accounted for over 35% of the global market in 2013; the segment is further expected to gain market share over the forecast period.

Falling prices of radar have led to increased adoption of the technology by various automotive OEMs. Camerabased collision avoidance sensors are expected witness high growth, owing to government regulations mandating their incorporation into vehicles. Adaptive cruise control accounted for majority of the market share in 2013. Such systems rely on long-range radar sensors as well as medium and short range radar to automatically adjust the vehicle’s speed. Technological innovation may make their incorporation a standard in vehicles to counter the threat of accidents due to human error, which is the cause of 90% of all accidents according to a 2014 UN Road Safety Collaboration study. Europe is expected to continue being the market leader over the fore-

cast period; it accounted for over 30% of the market in 2013. Asia Pacific is expected to be a fast growing regional market over the forecast period due to low manufacturing costs and rising auto sales in the region. Key industry participants include Bosch, Continental, Delphi, Denso, Autoliv, TRW, etc. Major vendors differ on the basis of their pricing and system integration. Market players invest heavily in R&D to offer cost-effective and differentiated collision avoidance sensors to automotive OEMs and aftermarket. Get more information on Global Collision Avoidance Sensors Market or request for sample of this report: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/ industry-analysis/collision-sensorsmarket.

Several nonprofit safety groups have asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to mandate collision avoidance and mitigation braking systems for new heavy trucks and buses. The groups said in a Feb. 19 petition that a rule requiring the so called F-CAM technology would reduce crashes involving commercial vehicles weighing more

than 10,000 lbs. The petitioners included the Truck Safety Coalition, the Center for Auto Safety, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and Road Safe America. “The petitioners have been involved in safety issues involving large trucks for many years and are convinced that FCAM technology has the potential to result in significant safety, economic and

societal benefits,” the Feb. 19 petition said. Forward Collision Warning generates a visual, audible or vibration alert for the driver in the event the driver’s vehicle comes within a predefined distance and closing rate with a vehicle traveling in front of it. In situations where the driver does not respond to the signals, collision mitigation braking automatically applies

through the electronic stability control system to reduce the impact speed or entirely prevent a collision. NHTSA recently completed an evaluation of F-CAM systems in medium and heavy commercial vehicles that “provides substantial support for this petition,” the safety groups said.

$11M Award in Camry Unintended Acceleration Suit

January Used Vehicle Prices Up Y-O-Y, M-to-M

Safety Groups Ask NHTSA for Collision Avoidance Technology

An $11 million verdict has been awarded to the plaintiffs in a Toyota sudden acceleration personal injury lawsuit resulting from a defect in a 1996 Camry. The jury ruled that the defect contributed to an accident which left three people dead and two seriously injured. While the jury found that the Camry’s driver, Koua Fong Lee, was 40% responsible for the crash, they cited Toyota as being 60 percent responsible. In the 2006 crash Lee rear-ended an Oldsmobile after exiting a highway. The driver of the Oldsmobile, Javis Trice-Adams Sr., and his son were instantly killed. His niece, also in the Oldsmobile, became a quadriplegic as a result of the crash and died 18 months later. TriceAdams' father and daughter were also injured. The jury awarded both families a combined $11.4 million, though due to Lee's partial responsibility, his $1.25 million award will be reduced to $750,000, according to his lawyers. In 2008, Lee was convicted of negligent homicide and sentenced to eight years in prison. His conviction was overturned after Toyota's recalls of later-model cars for acceleration defects, tied to floor mats and pedals, brought new attention to the case.

Average wholesale used vehicle prices rose significantly in January on both a month-over-month and year-over-year basis, according to the latest Kontos Kommentary from ADESA Chief Economist Tom Kontos. According to Kontos, it‘s important to disaggregate averages and indexes in order to look at the underlying impact the supply of off-rental and off-lease vehicles is having on current-to-one-year-old models and three-year-old models, respectively. A somewhat different picture emerges here in that prices for these age segments did indeed take a hit in January, says Kontos. Auction “factory” sales were resumed for large inventories of off-rental program units that had been curtailed at year-end 2014, and growing numbers of vehicles leased approximately three years ago continue to reach maturity and enter online and in-lane remarketing channels. Strong retail demand, especially for CPO units, as well as moderate incentives, have partially offset these impacts for these age segments and the used vehicle market as a whole, says Kontos.

64 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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Record360 App Documents Damages in One Step, Saving Industry Members Time and Money

Record360 aims to avoid those dilemmas by using a video foundaTwo former Enterprise Rent-A-Car ex- tion, versus still-life pictures or paper ecutives first came up with the idea for diagram vehicle condition reports. an app that captures the condition of a This feature records the state of the vehicle at the time of exchange back in vehicle upon arrival to the shop, car2013. rental company, or dealership. “Throughout our combined 35 “The app eliminates the use of years in the auto industry, Damon paperwork and improves workflow, Haber and I frequently came in contact while ultimately saving the shop [or with issues during property exchange,” business] money and improving cussaid co-founder Shane Skinner of Seat- tomer service,” said Skinner. tle, WA. “I noticed that the same probInstead of having to take photos, upload them to a computer, and then label which photos belong to which car, the app does it all in one step. Skinner explained that the inlems occurred not only with loaner formation is organized by the VIN vehicles, but with cars coming in and number, which is scanned at the beYourginning Emailoffor out of body shops thatRegister needed work the Our process. When the cusdone.” tomer returns to pick up his or her car, These “issues” usually spark from the VIN number is scanned again to a “he said, she said” debate over when pull up all of the vehicle’s informaand where a particular dent, scratch, or tion. scuff occurred. Did that crack in the “When using the video feature back left window happen during the ac- while walking around the vehicle, cident or in the body shop? Was that ablefor to take still images and note Register Youryou’re Email Our scratch on the hood there before the them with data points,” said Skinner. customer rented the car? Who should “You’re able to say, ‘Okay there’s a pay for it? dent there,’ then touch the screen, take by Victoria Antonelli, Online Editor

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the still, and lock it into the record file for that document, all while still taking the video.” Skinner added that there is a patent pending on this feature. Todd Primo, service manager for Penske Automotive Group in Cerritos, CA, stated on the Record360 website, “We have been using Record360 to document our customers’ vehicles and been very satisfied with the results. We have virtually eliminated the problem of customers claiming damage while their vehicles are in for repair, seeing real savings in damage claims. Record360 has become an integral part of our process that is appreciated by our staff and our customers.” When Autobody News followed up with Primo, he said the dealership’s service advisors, who primarily use the app, gave it a 10 on a 1-10 scale; 10 being the easiest to use. He recommended that body shops download Record360, adding that he’s experienced nothing but success since Penske, Jaguar,Readers! Land Rover Be Seen by Our started using the app in July 2014. CALL Advertising Sales at: Another testimonial on the website, this one from Jennifer Carlson, general manager of Jucy Rentals North America, stated, “Record360 is enteradvertising@autobodynews.com prise ready; already used by leading rental asset management businesses.

Since implementing Record360 at all our North American locations, disputes over damage are a thing of the past, and we’re saving thousands on undocumented damage. Our employees and customers feel great about our documentation process.” The app hit the iOS market in June 2014 after nine months of development. On April 1, Android users will also be able download Record360, making it accessible on 95 percent of devices. It can be downloaded from the app website as well as the iTunes store for a licensing fee starting at $50 a month. “All the customers love it,” said Skinner. “The feedback so far has been great.” Those interested can check out the demo on the Record360 website.

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www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 65

Continued from Page 27

Legal Issues with GEICO

pair their vehicle then the customer would have to pay the differences out of his or her own pocket,” he said. In just one example, Pigg said GEICO towed a vehicle out of their facility to a shop 50 miles away to avoid paying their labor rates. “We have had GEICO supervisors email our customers contact information to other local shops in order to steer them away from S&W while the customer’s vehicle was already at our facility,” he said. Pigg said there have been some positive changes recently. GEICO began paying S&W’s new rates this year, which has helped the relationship they have with one another. However, he said GEICO still refuses to pay for certain required repair procedures and requires the use of aftermarket parts. Although Pigg said the company likes working with insurance companies for the most part, “The problem arises when an insurance company refuses to pay for work that is essential to repairing cars correctly or tries to steer customers to other facilities that may

RARE PARTS’ Extreme Duty Pitman and Idler Arms

RARE PARTS INC has announced the EXTREME duty pitman and idler arms for 2001–2010 Chevrolet/GMC 2500 and 3500 trucks. “When your customer’s truck has our heavy duty tie rod assemblies installed, the next weak link becomes the pitman and idler arm. The new Extreme arms have been developed to fix that,” said Danny Burgess, President of Rare Parts, located in Stockton, CA. In 2013, the company redesigned its heavy-duty tie rod assemblies, originally designed for AM General. “After seeing the final result, we wanted to apply our design to address another problem with the 2500/3500 trucks and SUVs,” said Burgess. “Namely the weak idler and pitman arm, which are known to allow center link roll and fail prematurely.” Made in the United States, the oversized forged pitman arms are designed with a full ball stud that swivels to eliminate binding between the pitman arm and idler arm when mounted in the center link. It is also heat treated. The Pitman arm and idler arm are never perfectly parallel to each other when mounted. The idler frame bracket can be slightly tilted and the gear box can also be tilted in relationship to the idler frame bracket. For more information, call at 800-621-2005.

use cost cutting practices that compromise the integrity of repairs.” “While partnering with insurance companies, we’ve always let our customers know that he or she and a correctly repaired vehicle are more important than any DRP program. We would rather take a loss on a repair or not repair the vehicle at all, than fix a car improperly,” he added. Pigg, who is an active member of ABAT, said the association has given Texas shops a voice. “We are no longer accepting the insurance company’s response, ‘Well, that’s a cost of doing business.” Or “you’re the only one that charges for that.” However, it seems the more we stand up for ourselves, the bolder some insurance companies get.” Burl Richards, Owner of Burl’s Collision Center, is not involved in a lawsuit with GEICO but is aware of other body shops that are. As the President of ABAT, he stressed the importance of shops coming together. “To me, the whole system is broken because everyone is scared to communicate because they’re afraid they’re going to step over an antitrust law,” he said. “Insurance companies have had us so scared and so concerned about

CCC ONE® Repair Workflow Has Reached 5,000 Users

CCC Information Services announced on March 12 that CCC ONE® Repair Workflow, a shop management solution available as a single application with repair estimating, has reached 5,000 users. “Our customers have been instrumental in the evolution of our shop management solution,” said Mark Fincher, Vice President, Market Solutions, CCC Information Services. “By taking advantage of the integrated feedback feature in CCC ONE Repair Workflow, users have been able to quickly and easily share input and suggestions about how to make the tool better. We want to thank our customers for their support in helping us create a workflow solution that broke the mold of traditional shop management systems. With the broad scale of industry adoption, we are well positioned to continue making ongoing investments in this platform.” CCC ONE Repair Workflow is a mobile-enabled solution that allows for intuitive and proactive shop management. The solution is differentiated by driving work to each role in the shop. Key features include resident estimating, production management and role-based dashboards and tasks to quickly identify exceptions. CCC ONE Repair Workflow is available for all popular mobile devices.

66 APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

that for years so we’ve started to educate ourselves and we’ve learned what antitrust really means.” Richards operates two body shops in the East Texas area. One of them is set up with the latest technology and equipment such as resistant spot welders, aluminum prep rooms and expensive frame equipment. About two and half years ago he purchased a second location without any frame equipment and an approximately 30-year-old paint booth. He said not all shops are set up for heavy collision repair, yet they are paid the same fees by insurance companies. “All costs are going up and insurance companies are saying we’re not going to pay for it because others aren’t asking for it,” said Richards. “We all have different expenses; each shop is different.” Richards said there is currently no incentive for shops to do things the right way. One of his goals is to implement a tiered pay system in Texas. He said this would reward the shops that invest in equipment, employees and training. He hasn’t purchased additional equipment at his other shop because the insurance companies will pay him the same rate regardless of his overhead.

“As a shop myself I felt like I was the only guy out there who was asking to get reimbursed and payed for procedures and processes that we were doing everyday,” said Richards. “It’s real simple. If we do the process and it is owed to us, we should be reimbursed.” During every ABAT meeting he passes on the same message to members: “If you’re not going to ask for it, you’re not going to get it.” Richards said the more shops get together they realize that “We’re competing against each other but we’re not against each other. It’s really the body shops versus the insurance companies… I don’t want it to be that way. At the end of the day it’s all about fixing the customers’ cars right.” GEICO and its attorney at David Knight and Associates in Houston, Texas were contacted but had not yet responded to Autobody News as of press time.

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Matrix, USC Brands Renew Partnership with “Counting Cars”

Quest Automotive Products, the manufacturer of Matrix and USC brand automotive repair products, paints and finishes, has renewed its partnership and support of the popular reality television series “Counting Cars.” The Matrix and USC brands have supported the show since its inaugural season in 2012. The show chronicles the repair projects undertaken by Danny “The Count” Koker, owner of Count’s Kustoms, a Las Vegas, NV, body and design shop that specializes in restoring and customizing classic cars and motorcycles. “Our support for Counting Cars has been a win-win for our brands and for Count’s Kustoms,” said Laura Yerkey, director of communications and marketing strategy for Quest. “The show connects with body shop owners and professional painters who are our customers, and it strikingly demonstrates the artistry that can be created with our Matrix paints and finishes.” Ryan Evans, the paint specialist on the show, said he is excited to be able to use USC and Matrix products again this season. “Our ability to make repairs, create custom colors and spray flawless

Danny Koker, AKA The Count, examines the finish on a new paintjob

finishes with USC and Matrix products is incomparable. We have very high standards, and the quality of their products doesn’t just meet those standards, it enhances them as well as the quality of our restorations.” Counting Cars airs every Tuesday on HISTORY at 9 p.m. EST/8 p.m. CST.

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Martin Senour Announces Second Quarter Training The Martin Senour Company announced its 2015 second quarter training schedule, with courses running from April 1– June 30. Training courses emphasize painter certification and maximizing shop profits, and will be held at Martin Senour training facilities nationwide. Martin Senour Automotive Finishes Director of Sales Jeff Hartl noted that the brand’s training sessions are designed to help shop owners, managers and technicians better execute environmentally-responsible practices, as well as improve their repair techniques and knowledge of today’s new innovative painting systems. In particular, Martin Senour professionals will teach the following course topics during the second quarter of 2015: ● VORTEX® Waterborne Painter Certification ● Estimating Solutions for Profit ● Color Adjustment and Blending ● Improving Workshop Efficiency ● Achieving Service Excellence ● Fleet FPG ● Jobber Level 1

A complete listing of the 2015 second quarter Martin Senour training schedule, course descriptions and training center locations is as follows:

Training Center Date Training Course Description Atlanta 4/27/2015 Jobber Level 1 (3 days) Atlanta 4/27/2015 Color Adjustment and Blending (3 days) Atlanta 5/4/2015 Fleet FPG (3 days) Atlanta 5/19/2015 Painter Certification (3 days) Atlanta 6/10/2015 Estimating Solutions for Profit (1 day) Atlanta 6/11/2015 Achieving Service Excellence (1/2 day) Atlanta 6/11/2015 Improving Workshop Efficiency (1 day) Burr Ridge 4/23/2015 Estimating Solutions for Profit (1 day) Burr Ridge 5/27/2015 Vortex® Waterborne Painter (3 days) Dallas 4/22/2015 Jobber Level 1 (3 days) Dallas 6/23/2015 Painter Certification (3 days) Philadelphia 4/20/2015 FLEET FGP (3 days) Philadelphia 4/23/2015 Estimating Solutions for Profit (1 day) Philadelphia 5/12/2015 Painter Certification (3 days) Philadelphia 5/18/2015 Vortex® Application and Color Simplicity (2 days)

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Philadelphia 5/20/2015 Estimating Solutions for Profit (1 day) Philadelphia 6/8/2015 Painter Certification (3 days) Philadelphia 6/11/2015 Pro//BASE™ Refinish System Painter (2 days) Philadelphia 6/15/2015 FLEET FGP (3 days) Reno 4/7/2015 Painter Certification (3 days) Reno 4/13/2015 Color Adjustment and Blending (3 days) Reno 5/18/2015 Jobber Level 1 (4 days) Reno 6/1/2015 Fleet FGP (3 days) Reno 6/15/2015 Jobber Level 1 (4 days) Reno 6/16/2015 Estimating Solutions For Profit (1 day) Reno 6/17/2015 Achieving Service Excellence (1/2 day) Reno 6/17/2015 Improving Workshop Efficiency (1/2 day) Reno 6/23/2015 Vortex® Waterborne Painter Certification (3 days) For information regarding the Martin Senour training or its paint products, visit the training section at martinsenourautopaint.com or call 1-800-526-6704.

Transportation Secy Calls on Congress to Close Safety Gap

Consumer Reports is saying that if a new car is recalled for a safety problem, it’s illegal for a dealer to sell you that car until the issue has been fixed. However, no similar protection exists for a person who buys a recalled used car or rents a recalled car. Under current federal law, rental-car companies and used-car dealers are not required to fix a defect—or even tell you about a problem—before you drive the vehicle off the lot. This gap in safety law puts millions of Americans at risk, and it has had tragic consequences. In 2004 sisters Raechel and Jacqueline Houck of Santa Cruz, CA, were killed when the 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser they had rented from Enterprise caught fire and crashed into an oncoming tractor-trailer. The car had been recalled the previous month because of the risk of fire from a leak in the power steering hose. But it was not repaired, and Enterprise kept renting it out. The defect led to the fatal crash. To address this serious problem Trans. Secy Foxx is calling on Congress to pass legislation that would prohibit rental-car companies and used-car dealers from renting or selling vehicles subject to a recall without first making the necessary fix.

Record $13M Plus in Support to Collision School Programs Through CREF

In 2014, the collision industry provided over $13 million in donations to high school and college collision school programs through the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF). Over $30 million has been provided since 2008 when the Education Foundation began its philanthropic focus of assisting collision school programs and the organization has seen a 4,300% increase in donations since the $300,000 was raised in 2008. In continuing its efforts to be a lean and responsible charitable organization, the Education Foundation was able to return over 90 cents of every dollar donated towards supporting the school programs, instructors and students in 2014. “The industry showed its true generosity again in 2014 as we are able to announce another record breaking year in support to the collision school programs,” said Clark Plucinski, CREF Executive Director. “To provide over $13 million in donations through a group of roughly 250 total donors this past year was truly awe-inspiring and the gratitude that these instructors and students displayed touches you deeply. We have heard from the industry that they are in desperate need of

properly trained entry-level graduates and we will continue to work towards that goal on behalf of the industry.” Terry Fortner, CREF Board of Trustees Chairman and LKQ Corp VP of Industry Relations and Market Development, noted, “On behalf of the Board of Trustees, staff and the collision school programs that we support nationwide, I would like to thank our 2014 donors in joining efforts to support the future professionals of the industry. Only through the industry coming together to help these collision school programs can we have a significant impact on ensuring that the students receive the best technical education possible with the end goal being their employment within the industry. I would also invite companies that aren’t currently supporting the CREF through monetary and/or inkind product donations to reach out to us and join our efforts in 2015.” For information about the CREF, visit CollisionEducationFoundation .org. Inter-industry organizations and individuals interested in supporting CREF should contact Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at Brandon.Eckenrode@edfoundation .org / 847.463.5244.

www.autobodynews.com | APRIL 2015 AUTOBODY NEWS 69

Assured Performance Introduces Insurer-Facing Certified Shop Locator

Assured Performance announced on February 27 the creation and launch of an insurer-facing Advanced Repair Capability (ARC) Certified Shop locator at: www.certifiedbodyshop.info. The site, developed and managed by Assured Performance, lists body shops that are Certified by Assured Performance and officially Certified-Recognized by the various participating auto manufacturers including Ford Motor Company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Nissan North America, and several other auto manufacturers. Insurers will have a secure portal specifically designed to identify Certified-Recognized body shops that have the proper tools, equipment, training and facilities to repair their policyholder’s vehicles to manufacturer specifications for fit, finish, durability and safety. The launch concides with the introduction of aluminum alloy into mainstream vehicles such as the Ford F-150. The key aspect of this site is for insurers to accurately and efficiently identify various auto manufacturers’ Certified-Recognized shops capable of advanced repairs in each market area. The shop locator was specially designed for insurers and uses a search

capability driven by the following: ● year, make and model of the consumer’s vehicle; ● the shop's advanced material repair capability status; ● and/or the shop’s official OE Certification status. This is critical as new vehicles are introduced, not every shop will have the capabilities to repair each new model even though they may be qualified. This site helps insurers identify which shops are capable for which repairs. This new insurer-facing site is a complement to the consumer-facing websites Assured Performance manages and hosts including: www.autobodylocator.com and www.bodyshop locator.com. In addition, the participating automakers Certified-Recognized shop locators are integrated into their consumer-facing vehicle sales and service sites. All of the sites leverage the combined list of Certified-Recognized body shops. “With the mass introduction of aluminum alloy, and other advanced materials in the designs of the new vehicle models, it is critical to assist insurers with identifying the shops that have the technical ability,” explained Aaron Clark, VP of Technical Com-

LORD Announces New Panel Bonding Adhesive Offering No Tack and No Odor

LORD Corporation, maker of Fusor® Aftermarket Repair Adhesives, announced the availability of a new metal and plastic panel bonding adhesive offering no tack and no odor. According to Kevin Creegan, Sales Manager for LORD Fusor Aftermarket Repair Adhesives in U.S. and Canada, Fusor® 208B Panel Bonding Adhesive is a versatile epoxy-based metal and plastic panel bonding adhesive with no odor during application that also features a tack-free surface when cured. He noted Fusor 208B was developed in response to customer requests for an alternative to other epoxy panel bonding adhesives that, at best, offer only marginal corrosion protection. Suitable for panel, weld and rivet bonding of all steel or aluminum panels, the adhesive provides corrosion protection and strength. It’s curing and handling strength can be accelerated with heat. Applications include installation of large steel, aluminum and SMC/FRP body panels such as quarter panels, floor pans, rear body panels and roof skins. It has also proven to improve CSI weld through with squeeze type resistance spot welding. Fusor 208B has sag resistance and may be dispensed manually or with a pneumatic applicator.

“Years of research and development have been spent in perfecting Fusor 208B and I urge all body shop technicians to try it as it’s one of our best products,” said Creegan. “Test market results prove that customers prefer odor- and tack-free Fusor 208B over competing panel bonding adhesives because of its versatility in bonding, weld bonding and rivet bonding a wide variety of substrates.” Test locations revealed a need for the tack-free, no odor panel bonding adhesive. “I tested the new LORD Fusor 208B and cannot wait to add this new tack-free, no odor panel bonding adhesive to our arsenal,” said Mike (Higgy) Higgins of Bud Baer Collision in Washington, PA. “Ensuring no come-backs, Fusor 208B gives shops the opportunity to improve customer satisfaction,” said Doug Craig, LORD Technical Application Engineer. “Cyclical corrosion results show that Fusor 208B provides superior corrosion resistance over the leading epoxy panel bonding adhesive. It also provides a cohesive failure mode, which prohibits under bond corrosion and is backed by our lifetime guarantee.” To order, contact a Fusor distributor, call 1-800-234-FUSOR (3876) or visit Fusor.com

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pliance. “We’ve already seen evidence of what can happen when an untrained and ill-equipped shop is selected.” “The goal of our insurer-facing Advanced Repair Capability Shop Locator is to create an accurate and efficient way for insurers to identify the shops that have proven they meet the requirements and passed an annual onsite inspection audit. Now, insurers can easily see who they are,” added CEO Scott Biggs, CEO. The ARC Certified shop locator is available to any insurer. Certification is open to shops that can meet the requirements. The Assured Performance criteria for “Certification-Recognition” are an accumulation of collision industry business standards and multiple OEM criteria focused on properly repairing the vehicle. Shops are able to become Certified by Assured Performance and simultaneously CertifiedRecognized by several of the largest auto manufacturers, through one technology-driven process, backed by onsite inspection audits at least annually. This approach saves shops fees and redundant equipment requirements. Once certified, shops receive signs, marketing tools, and listing on multiple shop locators and smart apps.

Martin Senour Launches New Automotive Refinish Website

The Martin Senour Company launched a new website to assist automotive jobber distributors, collision repair facilities, dealerships, fleet owners and refinishers, production shops, auto body builders and original equipment manufacturers. It can be accessed by visiting www.martinsenour-autopaint .com. The new website provides more connectivity for visitors in the following markets: collision repair, restoration & custom, fleet & commercial, industrial & manufacturing, and farm & agricultural. The new site features detail pages for each service and program offered through Martin Senour. The new website also allows immediate access to the brand’s informational press releases, events and training class schedules, special NAPA ‘Body Shop Buys’ PB&E promotions and profiles of successful Martin Senour end users. In addition, the new website provides more robust technical and handson application data, all of which is also available for mobile devices. For information regarding Martin Senour or its paint products, visit the new website at www.martinsenour-auto paint.com or call 1-800-526-6704.

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