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ASCCA/CalABC/CAA Joint Legislative Day Focuses on Four Bills: Auto Repair (2), Towing & Oil Changes
The special guest at this year’s Legislative Day was With major concerns about State Senator Ben Allen, four bills that can greatly imwho is authoring SB 778 (Oil pact their businesses, repreChange Bill). He explained sentatives from collision and that the intent of his bill is to mechanical repair companies stop the unnecessary selling came from all over the state of 3,000 mile oil changes and Guest speaker to attend ASCCA/CalABC/ State Senator Ben expressed his desire to work Allen, discussed CAA’s Joint Legislative Day with the automotive industry on April 12 in Sacramento, SB 778 (Oil Change on language that will satisfy Bill), a bill he CA. The main focus of the the stakeholders. This bill afauthored. ASCCA day’s activities at the Capitol fects body shops that do me/CalABC/CAA where to meet with local leg- currently oppose it, chanical work and every unless amended islators and discuss a quartet mechanical shop in Califorof bills that could all be game chang- nia, so this is a big deal, according to ers for automotive repairers statewide. See Joint Legislative Day, Page 14 by Ed Attanasio
Repairer Driven News Notes Hyundai is an Exception in Not Providing OEM Collision Repair Instruction
after they have been in a collision,” Hyundai customer satisfaction Executive Vice President Frank Ferrara said last year. “Hyundai owners benefit from this program through the assurance that centers will ensure the fit, finish, durability, safety and value of the vehicles being repaired. Having a network of recognized shops is critical to make sure our cars are repaired properly.” However Hyundai remains the only major American OEM lacking collision repair instructions for U.S. auto body shops, according to the See Hyundai Repairs, Page 24
Change Service Requested
P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018
Since 2015 Hyundai has had a “Recognized Collision Repair Center” network administered by Assured Performance to indicate which body shops it feels are truly qualified to fix its vehicles correctly. “This program ensures both independent and Hyundai dealershipowned collision repair centers have the training, tools, equipment, and facilities needed to properly repair Hyundai vehicles after they have been involved in a collision,” Hyundai said at the time. “We want our customers to know we have their well-being in mind
VOL. 34 ISSUE 5 MAY 2016
CAA Call to Action for All Shops: Support New Labor Rate Regulations by Ed Attanasio
The California Department of Insurance (CA DOI) recently proposed regulations that would clarify and require insurers that conduct auto body labor rate surveys to perform them in a fair, reasonable and accurate manner. These regulations will also clarify and strengthen existing anti-steering laws, according to the CA DOI. The purpose of these proposed regulations is three-fold—to guarantee that auto body labor rate surveys are fair and equitable; save consumers money who are forced to pay unnecessary out-of-pocket costs and prohibit insurers from making disparaging and discrediting statements against repair shops. Public hearings on these regulations are scheduled for April 21, 2016
(Auto Body Repair Labor Rate Surveys) and April 22, 2016 (Anti-Steering in Auto Body Repairs) at 10:00 am at the Employment Development Department, 722 Capitol Mall, 1st Floor Auditorium in Sacramento. These regulations are good for consumers and auto body shops in California, but CAA Lobbyist/Attorney Jack Molodanof is a little skeptical, based on past experiences. “Unfortunately, we believe that some insurers may try to circumvent the public regulatory process and introduce legislation that would stop these new regulations from moving forward and taking effect,” said Molodanof. “That is why we’re urging CAA members to contact (call, write and speak directly) to See CAA Call to Action, Page 30
Service King Grows to 22 Southern California Locations Service King Collision Repair Centers announced on April 5 the opening of its 22nd repair center in Southern California. The announcement comes as Service King officially closed on a partnership with Greg’s Collision Center located at 8732 Park St. in Bellflower, CA. Service King and Greg’s Collision agreed upon and finalized terms of the merger Friday, April 1 as operations transitioned to Service King management immediately. “We could not be more proud to partner with the Service King Family of Repair Centers,” said Greg Castro, owner of Greg’s Collision Center. “Through this entire process we were provided the opportunity to learn about Service King’s rich history, vision for the future and the culture that defines its teammates. We’re confident our teams align seamlessly and look forward to a bright future together as one
organization.” As part of the Service King Family of Repair Centers, the 32,000 square-foot Greg’s Collision Center now provides customers with its premier service backed by the organization’s lifetime warranty valid at any Service King location nationwide. “The Service King team is purposeful in its growth and aligning with team’s like Greg’s Collision is part of that strategy,” said Alan Saviano, Service King Market Vice President for Southern California. “Greg Castro and his team have built an organization rooted in serving the community with exceptional customer service and firstclass repairs. We’re honored to welcome them to the Service King family.” For more information on Service King and to locate a local collision repair center please visit www.Service King.com or follow Service King on Facebook and Twitter.
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2 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Contents ASA Northwest ATE Sells Out 3 Years in a Row . 8 ASCCA/CalABC/CAA Joint Legislative Day
Focuses on Four Bills: Auto Repair (2),
Towing & Oil Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Auto Care Association Warns CA Legislature
of Threat to Consumer Choice . . . . . . . . . . . 6
CAA & UTI Host Technician Showcase . . . . . . 34
From My Position: Kerry Soat, CEO Fas-Break
Surveys Can Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Yoswick - ASA Lobbyists, Allstate Acquires Sterling, Recycled Parts Market Share,
Chinese OEMs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
NATIONAL
A Double Standard for Setting and
Raising Rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
CAA Call to Action for All Shops: Support
AASA Hosts Connected Cars Panel at
CAWA Announces Speakers at June Meeting . 12
American Honda is ASA Corporate Member . . 34
New Labor Rate Regulations. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Communication Was Key at Mopar Masters
Guild Annual Meeting in Las Vegas . . . . . . . 25
Vision Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
BASF Named GM Supplier of the Year &
Launches Norbin Brand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Fix Auto Announces 14th Annual Conference
BASF’s Glasurit 90 Line Introduces
Gerber Collision & Glass Acquires MSO
Caliber CEO Accepts Prestigious National Award
in Oregon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Grand Opening of 2 Maaco Locations in
New Boosters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Recognizing Company’s Support of
Indexof Advertisers
in CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
U.S. Military . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Las Vegas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Car-O-Liner Group Has New Website Updates. 26
AZ Glass Bill 2500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chief® Introduces Three New Tools for
Letter to the Editor: Kerry Soat on
NABR Launches VRS Labor Rate Survey in HI . 68 NACE 2016 MSO Symposium Agenda and Topics
CARSTAR’s Bob Keith Receives I-CAR Award . 60 Collision Repair: New Welder, Rivet Gun
and Debonding Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Announced, Held Aug. 11 in Anaheim. . . . . 28
Collision Financial Services Offers 0% Loans . . 64
of Killer Tools Unique Products . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Farmers Insurance Launches All-New Claims
New Ideas from Technicians are Backbone
Self-Driver Navigates Roads in Total Darkness . . 4 Service King Grows to 22 Southern California
Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Tours Announced for NACE | CARS 2016 in CA. 62 UTI Rancho Leads STEM Day Activities, UTI Long Beach to Offer Power &
Performance Courses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Wesco Adds St. Anthony’s Supply
to Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
COLUMNS
Attanasio - Do Vehicle Wraps Make Sense
for Your Shop? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
ETI Hires Rick Matz as Technical Manager . . . . 60 Filing to Maximize Ease of Use for Customers
Nationwide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Five OEM Representatives Explain OEM
Certification at NORTHEAST 2016 . . . . . . . 66
Golden Oldie Vehicles Soar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Herkules Adds Two New Lifts to BossLifts Line . 24 ITW Evercoat Launches New Body Filler . . . . . 31 NHTSA Won’t Consider Takata Impact
in Recalls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
PDA Expands Team with New CFO Appointment. 51 Police: College of Southern Idaho Student Stole, Pawned More Than $9,500 Worth of
Auto Body Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Attanasio - Mixing Paints During the Day
Polyvance Finishes First Day of LeMons Race in
Attanasio - Women Shop Owners and Female
PPG Names Color Systems in RI Platinum
Phillips - Bill Luke Hosts Bass Days Family
PPG Refinish Continues Commitment
Phillips - Collision Shop Benefits from
RAND Corp. Report Says Calling Driverless
and Cocktails at Night. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Consumers Get Help from AskPatty.com. . . 38
Event in Arizona. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Improved Cycle Time, CSI and Closing
Ratio After Joining CARSTAR Network . . . . 46
AL, Releases New Plastic Repair Workstation . 17 Distributor of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
to Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Cars Safer than Human Drivers is
Statistically Impossible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Phillips - Florida Body Shops Help Make Box Car
Recap of Mitchell Industry Trends Report:
Phillips - OH Auto Body Shop Benefits from
SCRS Board of Directors Meeting Held . . . . . . 69
Racing a Reality for Special Needs Children . 58
The High Cost of High Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Hiring & Training Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Sherwin-Williams’ New Custom &
Exception in Not Providing OEM Collision
Toyota Establishes Third Autonomous
Repairer Driven News Notes Hyundai is an
Repair Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Yoswick - Anderson Shows NORTHEAST
Shops How His “Who Pays for What?”
The Auto Glass Fraud Law changes of HB 2500 or SB1162 were stopped in the Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee of the Arizona Senate on March 17th, 2016. This is not to say “some” changes to the law should have been made but what it was attempting to accomplish from the insurance company’s perspective was to give them a hammer in which to keep shops in line on billing and pricing. Dealing with Marketing, Billing and Pricing should
Restoration Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Driving US Research Institute in MI . . . . . . 60
Turtles, Dolphins, Gators, Oh My! FL Shop
Steps Up to Help Non-Profits . . . . . . . . . . . 42
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 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Sales/Research Associate: Cass Heckel Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia
never be the intent of a fraud law. In this case, the original purpose of the law got lost in the details. Representative David Livingston, the bill’s main original sponsor, made a valiant attempt at putting a bill in place to pass. He compromised on sections of the bill most glass shops were upset with, including me, but the final bill in committee still fell short for what I call “realworld” impacts. I asked the MAPS committee to vote no on the bill because the “penalty does not fit the crime.” Simple enough but if passed this law would have put someone in jail for merely operating
1-800EveryRim / Capital Original Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Alfred Matthews Buick-GMC-Cadillac .45 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . .62 Automotive ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 AutoNation Chrysler-Jeep-DodgeRam of North Phoenix . . . . . . . . .24 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . . .5 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . .67 Bob Smith BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Bob Smith MINI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Capitol Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Car-Part.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Carstar Automotive, Inc. . . . . . . . . .15 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) . . . . . . . . . . .43 Chief Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Colortone Automotive Paints . . . . . .14 Completes Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Del Grande Dealer Group . . . . . .10-11 Dent Magic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Diamond Standard Parts . . . . . . . . .47 Dominion Sure Seal, Ltd. . . . . . . . . .12 Downtown Motors of LA (Audi, VW, Porsche) . . . . . . . . . . .55 Eco Repair Systems of North America, LLC . . . . . . . . . . .34 Elk Grove Toyota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 EMM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Enterprise Rent-A-Car . . . . . . . . . . .32 Equalizer Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . .38 First Auto Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . .59 Galpin Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Glenn E. Thomas Dodge-ChryslerJeep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . .58 Herkules Equipment Corporation . . .8 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36-37
See AZ Glass Bill 2500, Page 18
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. ©2016 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
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REGIONAL
Letter to the Editor: Kerry Soat on AZ Glass Bill 2500
Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . .60 Kearny Mesa Subaru-Hyundai . . . . .44 Kia Elite Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Killer Tools & Equipment Corp . . . . .26 Lusid Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Maita Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Mark Kia-Mitsubishi . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Maserati of Marin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . .69 McPeek Dodge of Anaheim . . . . . . .30 Mercedes-Benz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . .66 Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers . .64 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . .41 Moss Bros. Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge . .21 NACE / CARS Trade Show . . . . . . .29 Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Orio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Pacific Produx Reps . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Polyvance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 PPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Pro-Tech Collision Automotive . . . . . .4 Puente Hills Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Reliable Automotive Equipment . . .20 Riverside Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Riverside Metro VW-Honda-HyundaiNissan-Mazda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 SATA Spray Equipment . . . . . . . . . .27 Shingle Springs Subaru . . . . . . . . . .50 Sierra Chevrolet-Honda-MazdaSubaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . .65 The Bay Area Automotive Group . . .35 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . .68 Valspar Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Volvo Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . .71
www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 3
Self-Driver Navigates Roads in Total Darkness
A self-driving car has successfully navigated winding desert roads in complete darkness in trials in Arizona. The Ford Fusion Hybrid tipped around a closed circuit in the dark—with its headlights off. It could do so because of LiDAR technology—a series of sensors that make a 3D map of everything around but doesn’t rely on visible light.
Ford Fusion
Jim McBride, Ford technical leader for autonomous vehicles, says LiDAR “allows autonomous cars to drive just as well in the dark as they do in the light of day.” The car drove at night through the Arizona desert without human interference and with its headlights switched off, to test the limits of its artificially intelligent navigation system. The new LiDAR system is made by Velodyne, a company that Ford has been closely working with for a decade. These sensors shoot 2.8 million laser pulses per second, to scan the surroundings precisely. The car uses
high-resolution 3D maps in conjunction with the LiDAR sensors to pinpoint itself on the map, all in real time. In addition, the car also uses a conventional radar which gathers additional information and enhances the sensing capabilities of the vehicle. Wayne Williams, research scientist and engineer at Ford said,” Inside the car, I could feel it moving, but when I looked out the window, I only saw darkness. As I rode in the back seat, I was following the car’s progression in real time using computer monitoring. Sure enough, it stayed precisely on track along those winding roads.” LiDAR addresses the need to recognise objects, road signs and signals, which is especially difficult in the night. Also, irregular signage standards and bad weather make it difficult for autonomous vehicles to perceive the road ahead. This LiDAR equipped Ford Fusion Hybrid can drive in practically any condition.The cost of these LiDAR systems are high at present, but Ford’s CEO, Mark Fields says the advancement in this technology and the downward trend of technology costs in general, will make it a viable option for full scale production cars in the future. For 2016, Ford plans to triple its autonomous car fleet, to 30 Ford Fusion Hybrids.
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Celphy Gets Pulled Over Dark Driving in AZ.
www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 5
Police: College of Southern Idaho Student Stole, Pawned More Than $9,500 Worth of Auto Body Tools
When the instructor inventoried the program’s tools, he realized they were indeed missing several of the A man who police say is a student at tools that were reported stolen, court the College of Southern Idaho’s Auto documents said. Body Technology program Police found that Kassis charged with stealing and ner was the person who pawning more than $9,500 pawned the tools at Magic worth of mechanic’s tools Valley Pawn and also disfrom the school. covered he pawned tools at Police say James LoWashington Street Pawn, gan Kassner, 24, of Twin Canyon Pawn and Pawn 1, Falls stole a $1,700 vehicle court documents said. Prescanning tool, a $235 wrench, sented with a list of the James Logan two $350 battery chargers stolen tools and where they Kassner. Credit: and 16 multi-meter tools were pawned, Kassner adCourtesy Twin Falls ranging from $400 to $675. mitted to taking the tools. County Jail Kassner was arraigned A warrant was issued for April 4 in Twin Falls County Magis- Kassner’s arrest March 9 and was trate Court on a felony count of grand served Monday. He’s being held in theft by disposing of stolen property. Twin Falls County Jail in lieu of An instructor at the CSI auto $25,000 bond and a preliminary hearbody program called police in De- ing is scheduled for April 15. cember to report the possible thefts, court documents said. The program We thank Times-News/magicdirectors did not know the tools were valley.com for reprint permission. missing until a pawn shop employee, who was also a student of the auto body program, called and reported that he believed several tools that had been pawned belonged to the college. by Alex Riggins, Times-News/ magicvalley.com
Auto Care Association Warns CA Legislature of Threat to Consumer Choice Auto Care Association Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Government Affairs, Aaron Lowe, testified on behalf of the association, Coalition for Auto Repair Equality (CARE) and California Automotive Wholesalers Association (CAWA) before the California Senate Judiciary Committee on March 15, warning legislators about the impact of vehicle telematics on the auto care industry. Lowe told the committee that, “While the advent of telematics on late-model vehicles has the potential to provide significant benefits to consumers regarding how their vehicle is serviced, it also has the potential to unnecessarily distort the market, providing extensive control to the vehicle manufacturer on where and how car owners obtain repairs, ultimately disrupting the current competitive landscape for vehicle repair to the detriment of small business and consumers. “Specifically, armed with the extensive data about a customer’s vehicle combined with the means to communicate directly with the driver in real time, the vehicle manufacturer has the ability to steer the motorists to the dealership
or to a service establishment that may be a strong purchaser of their parts and information. This situation represents a major change in the repair marketplace.” Lowe called for manufacturers to provide more transparency and control to consumers, regarding the data that is being sent by the car. He further urged the car companies to work with third parties to develop a method that permits data from embedded systems to be shared with responsible entities who the car owner is aware of. “The auto care industry fully supports the advances in technology brought about by the increasingly connected vehicle,” Lowe said in his testimony. “However, it is important these advances are not hamstrung by the vehicle manufacturer drive to increase their service dollars after the vehicle is on the road. In fact, providing more choices to motorists will result in more competition, increased innovation and ultimately better service for car owners at more affordable prices.” For more information, call 301654-6664, or email aaron.lowe@autocare.org.
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www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 7
ASA Northwest ATE Sells Out 3 Years in a Row by Chasidy Rae Sisk
During the weekend of March 18-20, ASA Northwest produced their 2016 Automotive Training Expo (ATE) at the Doubletree Hilton Seattle Airport. Some of North America’s best management and technical trainers presented 60 classes for mechanical, collision and service industry professionals. Jeff Lovell, President and Executive Director of ASA Northwest, said, “We had over 900 industry professionals at ATE 2016 with a record number of shop owners, managers, service advisors, technicians, and 68 instructors from high school and college attending our three days of management and technical training.” Lauded as the West Coast’s largest automotive training venue, ASA Northwest’s 2016 ATE featured a variety of automotive industry leaders, including Cecil Bullard, Maylan Newton, Bill Haas, Donny Seyfer and dozens more. Bolt On Technologies sponsored Mike Kisich’s keynote presentation,”The Power of Automating Your Shop’s Process,” which took place during lunch of Friday. Keynote speaker Bogi Lateiner presented “Not Your Father’s Auto Shop” during Saturday’s breakfast. Lateiner’s presentation was spon-
Gerber Collision & Glass Acquires MSO in Oregon
Gerber Collision & Glass has added five collision repair centers in the Oregon region through the acquisition of a multi-store operation (MSO) in the Portland area. The MSO was acquired on March 21 and opened as Gerber Collision & Glass on March 22. It previously operated as J&M Body Shops, with the first location established in 1975 in Oregon City. “In October 2015, we opened our first location in Oregon. We are very pleased to add these centers, which increase our presence in the Portland metropolitan area,” said Tim O’Day, president and COO of the Boyd Group’s U.S. operations. “This is in line with our strategy to build out a network of centers in each region in order to optimize efficiencies and ensure high quality customer service.” In addition, centres were acquired in Canby, Milwaukie and Portland. The two locations acquired in the city of Portland include a repair center and an intake center, which allows for vehicle pick-up and drop-off.
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sored by WORLDPAC. Chris Chesney’s keynote presentation, “Service Readiness - Are You Ready for Tomorrow” took place during lunch Saturday, and was sponsored by CTI. The seminars were selected by ASA Northwest’s ATE Committee, and Brian Smith, Chairman of the association’s Board of Directors. The speakers “did a great job of choosing seminars that the automotive industry needs. ATE is one of the most affordable training events on the West Coast. The goal of the ASA Northwest Board is to make everyone attending ATE feel like they are special and more than just a face in the crowd,” the committee agreed. In addition to the educational seminars, ATE 2016 once again featured an extensive showing on the expo floor with a variety of vendors demonstrating parts, services and equipment. Over 60 exhibitors had booths on the expo floor, including AllData, Autozone, I-CAR, Jasper Engines & Transmissions, LKQ, Mitchell 1, NAPA, Snap-On Equipment, and many more. ATE attendees all had a chance to win a variety of door prizes. The official media sponsor for the event is Parts and People Northwest. Lovell was very pleased with the
Wesco Adds St. Anthony’s Supply to Organization
The Wesco Group Inc. announced on March 30 the acquisition of St. Anthony’s Supply’s warehouse and six jobber stores, located throughout the state of Idaho and Utah. According to Roger Howe of the Wesco Group, “This will strengthen our commitment to these two markets and bring substantial synergies, allowing Wesco to better serve our customers in both markets. We are very excited to partner with the St. Anthony Group of stores.” Vance and Royce Dalley, coowners of the St. Anthony Group, have owned and operated St. Anthony’s Supply for over 30 years and both Vance and Royce agreed it’s a “win win” for everyone. “We are very excited to integrate and join with a much larger organization, allowing us run our current operation and compete at a much higher level. This partnership will keep us viable to serve and support our shop customers now and into the future.” “Wesco is always open to explore similar opportunities with other jobbers who understand the competitive advantages and additional value added services by combining resources,” said Howe. Wesco Group currently serves nine western states through 67 PBE locations.
8 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
success of this year’s ATE. “It is so gratifying to have ATE grow each year and establish itself as the West Coast’s premier training event. Our volunteers help make this exceptional event that provides quality training to all levels of the service and repair industry.” ASA Northwest has plenty more events in store for members this summer. The association will hold its 2016 Semi-Annual Summer Retreat and Management Conference at the Shilo Inn in Ocean Shores, WA on June 2326. The 2016 ASA Northwest Annual Golf Tournament will be held on August 17 at the Eagles Pride Golf Course in Dupont, WA, and the 2016 ASA Northwest Annual Family Fun Night will take place on August 23 at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, WA. Next year’s ATE will be held March 24-26, 2017.
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Fix Auto Announces 14th Annual Conference in CA
Fix Auto has announced that its 14th Annual National Conference themed “Believe. Achieve. Succeed.” will take place September 18–21 at the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, set in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter in CA. The invitation-only conference remains a signature event for Fix Auto, bringing together Fix Auto’s members and franchise partners, insurers, suppliers, OEMs, and industry leaders. “Each year the Fix Auto Conference puts on display our culture of community and camaraderie shared among highly driven professionals,” stated Fix Auto President and COO Paul Gange. “This combined with the rich content we provide creates a must attend event that we anticipate will sellout again this year. That we’re hosting our 14th Annual National Conference in our hometown of San Diego makes it even more special.” For more information about the 2016 Fix Auto Conference, or to request an invitation, contact Jonathan Herrera at jherrera@ fixauto.com. For information about Fix Auto, go to www.fixautousa.com
www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 9
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PPG Names Color Systems in RI Platinum Distributor of the Year PPG Automotive Refinish has recognized Color Systems of Warwick, R.I., as its 2015 Platinum Distributor of the Year. Bob Wenzinger, director of the PPG Platinum Distributor program, presented the award at the annual PPG Platinum Distributor Conference held February 25–28 at the Green Valley Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Steven Choiniere, Color Systems president and owner, and sales manager Steve Lauro attended the conference and accepted the honor on behalf of the company. Michael McGarry, PPG president and CEO, and John Outcalt, PPG vice president, Global Automotive Refinish, also participated in the presentation. “We are proud to present the Distributor of the Year award, an annual award that exemplifies the tradition and success of the Platinum Distributor program,” said Wenzinger. “The award recognizes a company for outstanding performance, loyalty, product knowledge, and customer service and support. Color Systems has excelled in every area. It is a privilege to honor Color Systems as the Platinum Distributor of the Year.” “When the award was announced I was extremely surprised and genuinely delighted,” said Choiniere. “Not for myself but for everyone at Color Systems.
We work very hard all year long, and we’ve been growing. Getting noticed for our efforts is rewarding and gratifying.” Color Systems is a second-generation family business. It was started in 1982 by Choiniere’s older brother, Michael, as an offshoot of the fam-
(l to r) Michael McGarry, PPG president and CEO; Steven Choiniere, Color Systems president and owner; Steve Lauro, Color Systems sales manager; John Outcalt, PPG vice president, Global Automotive Refinish
ily’s successful auto parts business, Carparts, Inc., which was established by their father, Frank, in 1971. Steven Choiniere, fresh out of college, joined Color Systems at the time of its inception. The two companies operated side by side in the same building, as distinct entities, with separate staffs. In 2008, the auto parts business was sold so the brothers could concentrate on
paint distribution. In October of 2011, Color Systems decided to promote only PPG products and became a Platinum Distributor. “It was the best business decision we ever made,” Choiniere said. “Going single-line with the best paint company in the world was smart. I’m very happy we did what we did.” The company, with its 14 full-time employees, has since established itself as the go-to paint distributor among collision centers throughout Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts. The company said that much of its success can be attributed to its emphasis on building customer relationships that are based on trust and service, a practice that reflects the company’s marketing tagline, “More than just paint.” Customers receive the complete support of Color Systems’ technical staff. Consequently, more than 95 percent of Color Systems’ collision customers, despite being located in non-regulated regions, are using the Envirobase High Performance brand, according to a company press release. For information, call (800) 6476050 or visit www.ppgrefinish.com For further information, please contact Cynthia Schauer, schauer@ppg .com / (440) 572-2800
CAWA Announces Speakers at June Meeting
CAWA will be holding its June leadership meeting on June 22 and 23 in Long Beach, California. According to their president and CEO, Rodney Pierini, the guest speakers at the event will be: Bill Hanvey, president & CEO of the Auto Care Association, and Chris Gardner, VP of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association. “We are pleased that these two leaders in the auto care industry are taking the time to visit with CAWA’s leadership and membership to discuss contemporary industry issues,” stated Pierini. The event will include a reception for the Young Auto Care Network Group (YANG) and will conclude with an Industry Summit with representatives from the Auto Care Association and the Automotive Service Councils of California (the repair garage owners association). Formal notice of the leadership meeting will be sent out in May. For further information, contact CAWA at programs@cawa.org or call 800332-2292, ext. 6.
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12 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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Molodanof was delighted to see the political process in action during Legislative Day. “From the feedback I received from our members, it was a CAA Lobbyist Jack Molodanof. great success,” he said. “We reviewed “Senator Allen was asked some all of the key bills before hitting the very good questions from our mem- hallways of the Capitol to meet with bers and it was an opportunity for the our legislators and I know we made a industry to explain our concerns with very positive impression as a group. Overall, it was a very productive day. We are only as strong as our membership and I always tell people that we need to be our own advocates, because if we don’t, who will?” With more than 60 scheduled appointments throughout the Capitol’s offices all day long, ASCCA/CalABC/CAA members broke into smaller groups to cover as much territory as possible. As members searched the hallways looking CAA/ASCCA State Lobbyist Jack Molodanof (left) and for politicians’ offices, body Ben Clymer, Jr. CFO of Ben Clymer’s Body Shop in shop and mechanical shop Riverside, CA, together reviewed the four bills that were owners were intently focused the main focus of this year’s Legislative Day on meeting with their repreSB 778,” Molodanof said. “It was also sentatives to discuss the two main good for the Senator to see for himself bills on their radar. how professional and thoughtful the CAA Executive David McClune industry is and open to working with believes in the political process and him on the bill. Currently, all three orthat’s why he knows that legislative ganizations oppose the bill, unless days just like this one are valuable to amended.” his members and the industry as a Other Legislative Day speakers whole. “With Jack telling the memincluded Doug Balatti, assistant chief bership how to navigate through this of the Bureau of Automotive Repair labyrinth at the Capitol, we’re able to (BAR), Mark Fernandez, BAR pro- convey a clear and direct message to gram manager for its enforcement op- our representatives,” he said. “If we erations branch and Tim Bowden, who performs BAR enforcement for three cities (South San Francisco, San Jose and Hercules, CA). All three discussed their regulations and how shops can deal with violations for when they are cited or eventually fined. Following a welcome from ASCCA State President, Dennis Montalbano, everyone was briefed by Jack CAA Northern California Representative Pete Bezeck (left) and CAA Executive Director David McClune were on hand Molodanof, the lobbyist for to lead the charge on the Capitol ASCCA and CAA, who taught the members about the correct don’t block bills that are going to harm protocol to be used while meeting us, they will pass and vice versa.” with their legislators or their repreBen Clymer, Jr. CFO of Ben sentatives. Molodanof always opens Clymer’s Body Shop, with five locawith a joke or amusing story, but then tions, met with many of his local leghe’s all business. Coaching the mem- islators’ assistants to discuss bills that bers of ASCCA/CalABC/CAA about can impact his business. “I’ve built rehow to approach their local represen- lationships with all of my legislators tatives is always crucial and that’s in our region, which really makes why Molodanof always sets down the things a lot easier, because they alrules first. ready know me,” Clymer said. “When Continued from Cover
Joint Legislative Day
14 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
up last year’s AB 1222 (Bloom) relating to towed vehicles. Due to privacy and identify theft issues, tow trucks are refusing to provide their driver’s license number to businesses that accept towed vehicles. The intent of AB 2167 is to clarify that tow truck drivers can provide alternative forms of identificaAB 1174 (Bonilla): Automotion other than a driver’s tive Repair Act: Oppose licenses but limits those forms The bill would require BAR to to government sanctioned or publicly post on its website authorized. The intent is to any complaint without the auAlvaro Valencia, also clarify and provide busitomotive repair facility having the owner of A&B nesses that attempt in good an opportunity to challenge Collision in Clear any of the complaint findings Lake, CA was pre- faith to obtain tow truck driver pared to visit his information but cannot beor right to due process. Posting local politicians’ ofcause of “after hours” drop off complaints on the BAR withfices at this year’s situations, thus alleviating any out due process is unfair and Legislative Day potential criminal exposure harms small business owners. The bill would also establish authority for small businesses. for issuance of citation and fines when paperwork violations occur. However, SB 778 (Allen): Repair—Oil Changes: this is unnecessary. Paperwork mistakes Oppose, unless amended. This bill requires automotive repair are currently addressed through educadealers, prior to performing any work tion and training rather than citation and to notify customers purchasing oil fines. These educational/training efforts changes of recommended oil drain inhave been proven successful. tervals, oil grade and viscosity speciAB 2167 (Achadjian): Towed Vehicles fied in the maintenance schedule of the vehicle’s owner’s manual. AcAcceptance: Support This bill is intended to clarify and clean See Joint Legislative Day, Page 20
it comes to pushing legislation that helps our industry as a whole, it has nothing to do with being a Democrat or a Republican. It’s all about being pro-business and passing bills that will help us rather than harm us.”
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16 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Polyvance Finishes First Day of LeMons Race in AL, Releases New Plastic Repair Workstation
Polyvance, formerly Urethane Supply Company, completed the February 2016 24 hours of LeMons race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. “This was a fun team-building exercise for our company,” said Polyvance President Kurt Lammon. “The 24 Hours of LeMons is all about mak-
The Polyvance race team during the LeMons Race at Barber Motorsports Park
ing real racing affordable by limiting the price of the car to $500, excluding safety equipment.” The Polyvance race car, bought from company employee Fortunato Ruiz, was a 1997 Nissan 200SX that had been damaged by a tree that fell on it in the tornados that struck Rainsville, Alabama on April 23, 2011. “The car was a real trooper,” said
company Vice President Keith Lammon. “It had nearly 200,000 miles on it and the compression was so low you could turn the engine over by hand with the spark plugs in. We had to weld the front bumper with our nitrogen plastic welder and fabricate a rear window out of acrylic since the tree busted it out.” The Polyvance race team finished in 52nd place out of 93 cars, and would have placed in the low 40s except for a CV joint that went bad on the morning of March 13. “Luckily the local parts store had an axle on the shelf, so we dove in there and fixed it and were back on the track in an hour and a half,” said manufacturing employee Mason Martin. “It was a setback in terms of our finishing place, but it added to the team-building experience, for sure,” said Kurt. “Our most important modification was the brakes,” said Scott Bixler, Polyvance’s R&D and tech support manager. “We swapped the stock brakes, which looked like they should have been on a golf cart, for some big Wilwood brakes with four piston calipers. They lasted the whole weekend with no fade.” Polyvance’s race car survived the weekend unscathed, so the team is
planning to contest the 24 Hours of LeMons race at Carolina Motorsports Park in September as well. “This was a super-fun event, and I’d encourage our industry peers—manufacturers, body shops, or distributors—to get out
The new 6075 Bumper Mate 2 from Polyvance
there and race with us,” said Kurt. “We haven’t got the money to sponsor NASCAR teams like some of our esteemed peers, but I guarantee we had more fun than they did writing their checks!” For more information on the 24 Hours of LeMons series, visit www .24hoursoflemons.com Polyvance also announced a new plastic repair workstation. According to a company press release, “The new
6075 Bumper Mate 2 from Polyvance makes it easy for a repair technician to hold floppy plastic bumper covers solidly in place so repairs can be made most efficiently. One technician can fixture the bumper and do the needed repair work without any additional help, maximizing the shop’s productivity.” Weighing only 12 pounds, the Bumper Mate 2 is constructed in the USA of a plywood table top and aluminum extrusions. It can be folded open and rested on top of a common folding work stand. The aluminum extension arms support the ends of the bumper and the cutouts in the table top make it easy to secure the bumper cover using spring clamps or bungee cords. The table can be dropped down with the extension arms resting on the chains to support the bumper in a facedown position so work may be performed on the backside of the bumper easily. The rectangular cutouts in the table top allow for awkwardly shaped headlights to be stabilized as well. The 6075 Bumper Mate 2 is available from auto body jobbers and equipment distributors around North America. Suggested list price is US$425.00. Questions? Contact Kurt Lammon at 800-633-3047.
www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 17
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AZ Glass Bill 2500
their auto glass business. Paragraph 17, as written, stated it would have been illegal to “perform auto glass repair or replacement without the insured’s and insurance company’s approval.” The key words in this paragraph being perform not approval. When someone is in your shop with a broken door glass at 115 degrees; they really don’t care if the insurance company approves of the replacement or not. They want it replaced and they want it “now.” “Snowbirds” or out of state winter visitors are traveling in and through Arizona all the time and their insurance company is “back east” with a 3 hour time difference. When you are stuck in Arizona and need work done on your Motorhome waiting for approval from your insurance company isn’t always an option. Even if the client “paid cash for the job” the glass shop could still face a Class 6 felony for “performing” the work without the approval of the insurance company. Facing “Possible Jail time for taking care of your client” is just wrong. The Auto Body Industry wasn’t involved in this battle on this bill but they should have been for nothing more than my example of the above paragraph. Auto Body Shops replace door glass all the time and sometimes deal with it exactly as I have stated. They take care of their clients but in doing so they might have risked jail time. Insurance companies should not be allowed to have this much power over a shop conducting business with their clients. Because when you get right down to it, the insurance company may assume “the client” is their customer but “the client” is our “glass client” and for good service we will always “take care of our clients.” Clients have been known to change insurance companies but our clients always use us for glass needs, which should be the true mark of a great glass company. And of course, the infamous Paragraph 16, which if the shop didn’t accept the “insurance company’s price” then they had to follow the next 5 steps “to the letter of the law” or face a Class 6 felony charge. The opposition would not budge on this clause. I believe the purpose of this clause was to effectively allow the insurance company to tell a shop “if you don’t accept our price you could be facing jail time.” I might be
taking this to a higher level than the insurance companies want to admit but it would have gone something like that. If a shop doesn’t want to accept the insurance company’s price then the APPRAISAL and ARBITRATION clauses in all polices takes over. In my opinion, there was no need whatsoever to put this clause in the law except to accomplish my above statement. If a shop doesn’t want to accept the insurance price then the shop should be risking “not getting paid” not “going to jail” because you missed one of the 5 steps. “The penalty does not fit the crime.” Representative Farnsworth of the MAPS committee saw this bill for what it was, over reaching, when he himself stated the current fraud law covers all the fraud instances the insurance companies stated this law was needed to cover. Through-out all of the discussion of this bill it was stated there is “massive amounts of fraud” being perpetuated in the auto glass industry. When Representative Farnsworth asked what the number of fraudulent claims was, not one insurance company representative had an answer. When they were asked how about a percentage, not one insurance company representative had an answer, not even the Safelite representative. No one could identify this “massive amount of fraud.” Chuck Gregory of the Arizona Department of Insurance testified there were “66 possible claims last year with 3 convictions.” Arizona had somewhere over 300,000 auto glass claims last year and 66 possible fraud claims with 3 convictions. Quite often the insurance company reps would state shops are talking clients into replacing their windshields for a repairable chip. Replacing someone’s windshield for a repairable chip is not fraud. Nowhere in law or in the policies does it state it is but the insurance company reps’ continued to state it is fraud to replace a “repairable” windshield. At best, it would be a questionable claim. Sometimes “overstating” your position can come around to bite you in the rear. The other issue here is throughout this discussion the other side kept referring to how when you crash your car you are required to get a “written estimate” and the Insurance Company’s approval before any work is performed. I, as a licensed insurance agent in the state of Arizona, would like to state; “read your policy.” The policy spells out clearly, under the Collision portion,
18 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
what you are “required” to do in the event of an accident. Auto Glass damages are covered under the “Comprehensive” portion of the policy and it does not spell out everything like the Collision portion does. In most cases it merely states if you have Glass damage we will pay. It doesn’t refer to if it is repairable, we will repair or if it is replaceable, we will replace. It states if it is damaged, we will pay. A lot of times the client wants a new windshield even when it could be repaired. The shop is not committing fraud by taking care of “their” client’s wishes. They would be committing fraud if there wasn’t “any damage” and the current law states that. The Insurance Companies need to change the language of the Comprehensive portion of the policy to something closer to the Collision portion. I can assure you it should be easier to make changes in a policy instead of attempting to create a new law to threaten an Auto Glass Company with. If the insurance companies would have stayed focused on the lack of Safety Standards in the law or merely “rewrite” their policies to deal with these issues then all this talk of changing the law would not have been
needed. As it turns out all of the “great things” we wrote into this bill are now out the window also. The inclusion of the Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standard and the Repair of Laminated Automotive Glass Standard, which are ANSI accepted safety standards, would have strengthened our law but not at the expense of the two paragraphs I mentioned above. As I had testified before in the House Committee, the current Auto Glass Fraud law is adequate to cover all of the auto glass fraud being committed in the state of Arizona but “enforcement” is the key lacking for this “massive amount of fraud.” I was told the other side had put up over $500,000 to get this bill passed. I would recommend they should have “donated” the money to the Arizona Department of Insurance to create an “Auto Glass Fraud Division” to focus on the fraud. The law already exists but needs greater enforcement. This is not to throw the Department of Insurance under the bus but when an insurance investigator is faced with finding a felon who has perpetuated a $100,000 fraudulent insurance claim or a $400 auto glass claim I believe they are foSee AZ Glass Bill 2500, Page 20
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Continued from Page 14
Joint Legislative Day
cording to the author, the goal of the bill is to address the myth that all vehicles must have their oil changed every 3,000 miles. As written the bill will not accomplish stated goals. Under current law, the BAR does not regulate oil changers that sell oil change services because oil changing is considered a “minor” service. Amending SB 778 to provide BAR oversight will protect consumers by addressing unnecessary oil changes and level the playing field for all automotive repair dealers in the state. Automotive repair dealers are trained and required to inspect/diagnose the vehicle before making recommendations and performing work. As written, the bill discourages automotive repair facilities from performing such procedures. Newer model vehicles are now equipped with oil life monitors (predicts when oil will begin to degrade based on factors such as engine revolutions, temperature, driving time, etc.) that alerts the vehicle owner when it is time to change the oil, making any recommendations through window stick-
ers or other means unnecessary in the future.
AB 873 (Jones): Automotive Repair: Support This bill provides the DCA/BAR the authority to create regulations and determine what constitute minor services. Current law (more than 40 years old) declares certain minor services such as: repairing and changing tires, lubricating vehicles, installing light bulbs, batteries, windshield wiper blades, replacing spark plugs, replacing fan belts, oil and air filters are exempt from BAR regulation/oversight. Because of advances in automotive technologies many of those minor services now require more specialized training and skills and necessitate the removal of automotive systems, engine components and other electrical and computer equipment. This bill will help protect consumers from unqualified service providers and also allow the DCA/BAR to take a comprehensive technical approach to determine which current minor services should be regulated and overseen by BAR.
Continued from Page 18
AZ Glass Bill 2500
cusing on where their time is best utilized given the resources they have. With all the bills our Representatives and Senators have to deal with each year, I find it hard to pass laws to create good behavior. Laws do not guarantee stopping crime, Enforcement does. The Insurance Companies should put their money where their mouths are, especially if they want to stop glass fraud.
Kerry Soat CEO Fas-Break Inc. Chandler, AZ 480-246-2182
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Your leading source for WESTERN Collision Repair News! western.autobodynews.com
Grand Opening of 2 Las Vegas Maaco Locations
Maaco expanded into the Las Vegas, NV market with the addition of two new locations under new ownership. Customers were invited to come out for the grand opening celebration with BBQ, music, a car show, and more on April 2. The new Maaco shops can be found at the following lo-
The grand opening took place at the Spring Mountain Road location in Las Vegas
cations: 4475 Spring Mountain Road (where the event was held) and 3290 E. Freemont Street. Maaco teamed up with KXNT News/Talk Radio 840 AM and the American Legion for the grand opening event. The Heidi Harris Show gave away a free Maaco paint job on air each day leading up to the April 2 event. Customers could also stop by either Maaco location before the event to enter a raffle [BN1] to win a Base Coat Clear Coat paint service, donated by Sherwin Williams, that was given away the day of the grand opening.
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UTI Rancho Leads STEM Day Activities, UTI Long Beach to Offer Power & Performance Courses On March 18, 2016, UTI Rancho Cucamonga led hands-on diagnostic activities at the 7th Annual Auto Club Speedway STEM Day. Nearly 500 eighth grade students from 17 different schools in San Bernardino and Riverside counties were invited to experience a day of STEM activities at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA.
brands to create some of the most innovative and sophisticated education programs in the automotive, diesel, motorcycle, marine and motorsports industries,” added Speer. Also on March 18, 2016, Roush Yates Engines visited UTI Rancho Cucamonga’s Power & Performance Class. UTI partner, Roush Yates Engines, discussed the opportunities a UTI degree affords – and exactly what they are looking for in their next hire. “Being able to walk in with a UTI degree is phenomenal, and provides another layer of confidence for our new hires,” said Todd English of Roush Yates. Partnership is “#1” in helping students land successful To date, Roush Yates Encareers in the automotive industry gines has hired more than 75 The purpose of the event was to UTI graduated in various positions; emphasize why science, technology, from quality assurance to Ford race engineering and math are skills critical calibrators on the Ford GT program. to the motorsports, auto and diesel inDuring the visit, Roush Yates Endustries. The event is a collaborative gines representatives Todd English, between the Auto Club Speedway, the Jeff Clark and Jeff Paxton encouraged San Bernardino County Superintenstudents to continue their hard work at dent of School’s Alliance for EducaUTI. UTI students also experienced tion and dozens of partners including “powerful and educational” Dyno UTI. Power & Performance presentations UTI Education Manager, Todd by the Roush Yates Engines team, said Gaither, led hands-on activities about Instructor Marty Zuniga. diagnostic software. The curriculum is “The popular series of Power & also taught in UTI’s Ford FACT elecPerformance courses is a capstone to tive, which requires 15 weeks of trainUTI’s core automotive training,” said ing authorized by the Ford Motor Zuniga. “They cover topics such as Company. cylinder head preparation, camshaft Using a Ford F series truck, the students learned the ins-and-outs of engine horsepower and how different components, like adding fuel, enhance vehicle performance. They also learned about inputs, like sensors that monitor pressure, and outputs, like computer systems, that control turbo levels. The UTI tent at the Auto Club Speedway STEM event was “Today’s cars have more a hit with 8th grade students like Claire who wanted to computing power than the see first-hand how science, technology, and math can be system that guided Apollo as- used in a real career tronauts to the moon,” said Rancho Cutechnology, working in a zero-defect camonga Campus President Roger environment, and performance modiSpeer. “Advanced, computer-based fications including turbocharging and technologies are at the heart of modern nitrous oxide, giving students skills industry, and modern service technithey can put to work in the motorcians must be experts in the complex, sports industry, or as service techniinnovative digital systems that power cians for leading auto manufacturers.” modern vehicles.” Since 2004, Roush Yates Engines “UTI has partnered directly with has achieved over 255 combined vicmanufacturers of more than 30 top tories in the NASCAR and IMSA Se-
22 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
ries. Roush Yates Engines supplies Ford FR9 V8 engines to the prestigious NASCAR Sprint Cup race teams of Roush Fenway Racing, Team Penske, Richard Petty Motorsports, Wood Brothers Racing, Front Row Motorsports and Go Green Racing as well as Xfinity and Camping World Series teams. In 2016, Roush Yates Engines will also build the twin-turbo Ford EcoBoost V6 engine for Ford Motor Company’s historic return to Le Mans with Ford Chip Ganassi Racing teams. Not only does the company’s cutting-edge technology win on race tracks, it ultimately makes it into the automobiles we drive today and benefits the more than 30 industry-leading manufacturers. This includes companies like Ford Motor Company, Toyota, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz — with which UTI has training partnerships. Power & Performance courses are a requirement in the final leg of training as part of UTI’s in demand auto and diesel technician training program. “They’re a student favorite,” said Zuniga. This April and May, UTI Long
Beach will begin offering additional Roush Yates Power & Performance courses. Students will have the opportunity to apply the techniques and technology that legendary NASCAR
(l to r) UTI Rancho Cucamonga instructor Marty Zuniga huddles up with the Roush Yates team for Power & Performance Dyno presentations
speed shop Roush Yates Engines uses to power its championship winning NASCAR race cars. This series of three, three-week courses (9 weeks total), gives students specialized training in designing, building and modifying high-performance engines.
www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 23
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Hyundai Repairs
2016 I-CAR Technical Information Matrix released recently, and as reported by SCRS’ Repairer Driven News. However, plans are in the works to finally change that, according to the OEM. Hyundai on confirmed a set of U.S. procedures doesn’t exist. However, one is coming, Hyundai connected care publicity manager Miles Johnson told Repairer Driven News. “I know that we’re working on it,” he said. Johnson said he couldn’t provide more details at this point. More than 1,000 shops were certified on Hyundai’s OEM repair network; an I-CAR representative who’d worked on the matrix said he didn’t believe they could obtain U.S. procedures either. Johnson said the data just didn’t exist yet for the U.S. I-CAR teaches industry best practices for the increasingly advanced materials and technology inside latermodel Hyundais. A shop current with training and equipment—and with “Ask I-CAR” bookmarked—should be able to deliver an expert repair.
But what happens in a shop whose techs need more guidance? And why would even the best shop want to rely purely on “I think this is correct” to fix the kind of complex vehicles being produced today? (For example, the advanced-high-strength steel Hyundai Elantra or hybrid-toelectric Ioniq?) The three major auto body trade groups have declared that OEM recommendations should be followed during a collision repair. I-CAR also supports OEM procedures as the “manual” for shops, though the organization also works to fill gaps in the information provided by automakers. I-CAR surveyed 34 OEMs for the 2016 matrix, a quick-reference chart indicating which automakers provide details on certain auto body topics or forbid certain actions (for example, using weld-through primer) during a repair. It also contains links to automakers’ technical information websites for easy shop access. Repairer Driven News can be accessed for free at http://www.repaire rdrivennews.com
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24 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
BASF’s Glasurit 90 Line Introduces New Boosters
BASF’s Glasurit® 90 Line automotive refinish introduced eight new Color Advance Boosters that increase efficiency and performance for challenging red, blue and green colors, according to a company press release. The boosters provide a higher pigment concentration to reduce the number of coats required to achieve a flawless repair. “Our Glasurit chemists developed these boosters to significantly improve hiding and still provide a high quality Glasurit finish for many tri-coats, metallics and vivid colors,” said Shefali Cromer, Glasurit market segment manager for BASF. “The boosters can reduce base consumption by up to 50 percent, resulting in lower film thickness, faster drying and reduced process times.” The Color Advance Boosters are available in three red, three blue and two green boosters. When added to the Glasurit 90 Line toners they enable a more even application and harder curing, allowing for better ease-of-use, improved tape resistance and easier sanding, according to the company. For information, visit http:// www.refinish.basf.us/GlasuritColor Advance
Herkules Adds Two New Lifts to BossLifts Line
Herkules Equipment Corporation has two new vehicle lifts. The BossLift VLA06 provides pneumatic lifting power, while the BossLift VLH01 is the low-profile hydraulic lift offered by the vehicle lift line. Previewed at the SEMA Show last November as the T515, the VLA06 leverages the airbag technology of the company’s popular T200 (now VLA03) lift to offer a straight vertical lift with a raised height of up to 29 inches by using two platforms, each 31 inches by 67.5 inches, placed on each side of the quick lube pit. The VLA06 has a lift capacity of 10,000 pounds, and a lowered height of 4.25 inches. The company’s low-profile hydraulic lift for shops, the VLH01, was previewed last spring in prototype form as the T260. Like the VLA03, the VLH01 offers a straight vertical lift with a raised height up to 32 inches on two platforms, each 19.25 inches by 53.5 inches, with a lift capacity of eight thousand pounds (8,000 lbs.) and a lowered height of 4.625 inches. “Leveraging the technology and capabilities of our VLA03 lift, we developed two alternatives that offer similar functionality with the different capabilities our customers find valuable,” said Todd Bacon, Herkules president and CEO.
Communication Was Key at Mopar Masters Guild Annual Meeting in Las Vegas by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor
Parts and service directors across the country gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada March 29-April 1 for the Mopar Masters Guild (MMG) annual meeting. Susan McDaniel, newly elected president of MMG, said that communication was the main item on the agenda.
(l to r) Rick Cutaia, Susan McDaniel, Don Cushing
“We wanted to build a solid, up-todate database and get as many people involved as possible so that we could have great discussions about the current state of our businesses and help each other grow,” said McDaniel, who is the parts director at Bill Luke Dealerships in Phoenix, Arizona. With record attendance of 36 members, the group shared ideas and best practices during the four-day meet-
ing, which was held in conjunction with the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) annual convention. Mopar is the parts, service and customer care organization within Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Established in 1992, the MMG’s motto is “The exchange of information by like-size dealers in a non-competitive environment.” McDaniel said the goal is to strengthen themselves as managers in order to deliver the best service to customers. She said their conquest program still remains strong, referring to the FCA Match the Estimate – Price Matching Program. (FCA was formerly known as the Chrysler Group.) “Our collision shops present a copy of their original estimate and we can match the price to ensure that their customers receive quality OE parts on their vehicle,” she explained. “FCA is more competitive with their pricing than ever and driven to learn new ways to be even stronger in the marketplace.” Some of the highlights during the annual meeting included presentations from FCA/Mopar executives and supporting vendors. “We pride ourselves on building strong relationships with
our vendors to help each other grow,” said McDaniel. The third day of the meeting— March 31—began with a tribute to one of the MMG members who recently passed away. The guild celebrated the
(l to r) Tiny Bubbles, Barbara Davies, Tony Strongarm
life of Crete Colby, on the day that would have been his birthday. Elections were also held on March 31 and the following individuals began their two-year terms: President Susan McDaniel – Bill Luke CJDR; Vice-President Andy Reed – Autonation; Treasurer J.D. Ipsen – Ken Garff W. Valley CDJR; Secretary Matt Jarvis – Bald Hill DCJR
The week ended with a reception on April 1 themed “Gangsters and Flappers.” Members had the opportunity to dress up in their favorite costumes while discussing the previous few days of presentations. MMG will be celebrating its 25th anniversary beginning January 24, 2017. Two days later, they will hold their next meeting in New Orleans, LA, January 26-29. Until then, MMG plans to focus on its membership drive and community outreach programs throughout the year. McDaniel said the hope is to increase membership to 50 by next January. McDaniel encourages those who qualify to be Mopar Master dealers and have not yet been contacted to call her at 602-336-1557 or email smcdaniel@billluke.com. A list of qualifying dealers are listed on the Dealer Connect website (dealerconnect.com >>Home Page> 2016 Dealer Recognition Programs> Mopar Masters Tracking). For more information about the Mopar Masters Guild, visit: mopar mastersguild.com. Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Mopar and SRT are registered trademarks of FCA US LLC.
www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 25
Body Shops Giving Back Bill Luke Hosts Bass Days Family Event in Arizona with Stacey Phillips - ASSISTANT EDITOR
Families were invited to take part Carnival rides, live entertainment and a car show were all part of the Bass in the annual bass tournament and $50,000 was given out in Days Tournament hosted by cash prizes. This included Bill Luke Chrysler Jeep Doge hourly cash awards for the & Ram in Arizona March 1820. 10 biggest largemouth bass weighed. A ladies-only tourMore than 13,000 visinament was added this year tors attended the three-day and an overall winner was event, which was held at the named for the weekend. Pleasant Harbor Marina in Younger guests In addition to fishing, a Peoria. The dealership said were invited to corn tournament was held for it is the largest family fishwatch a reeling tournament in the south- casting educational the third-year straight with demonstration 300 people participating. Atwest. during the fishing tendees could also take part “Our main goal is to tournament in face painting, shopping make an affordable event,” said Don Luke, owner of Bill Luke in with more than 50 vendor booths, hot Phoenix, Arizona. “It’s a great way to dog races, magic acts and viewing get out, enjoy the outdoors, go fishing military vehicle displays. The tournament started in 1998 with the kids and enjoy free carnival and Bill Luke originally became inrides and music.” volved as a sponsor. Eventually they decided to run the event themselves. Luke said it has become a family summer tradition. Established in 1927, Bill Luke has a 150,000-square-foot service and body shop facility that repairs all makes and models of vehicles. The company combined five parcels of land into a 19-acre facility that was completed in 2015. It now includes a café, Enterprise car rental and daily shuttle service. “We have 40 body shop employees,” said Luke. “What really sets us apart Face painting, hot dog races and magic acts is that the average experience of our were all part of the festival
Car-O-Liner Group Has New Website Updates
Car-O-Liner Group announced an updated design to their website, www.car-o-liner.com. The group includes Automotive, Commercial Vehicle and Training Solutions. Automotive Solutions for collision repair, branded Car-O-Liner, include frame benches, anchoring and fixturing, 3-D data and digital measuring systems, joining, welding, advanced materials and work management solutions. Commercial Vehicle Solutions for the heavy vehicle industry are branded TruckCam, the largest global supplier to OEM assembly plants, specializing in axle, wheel alignment, lane departure and radar calibration systems. Aftermarket collision repair equipment and wheel alignment are
branded Josam. Training Solutions for both automotive and commercial are branded Car-O-Liner Academy. “We are excited to see the expansion of our company into related market segments, strengthening our brand while reinforcing our total solutions in terms of products and customer support around the globe,” said David Scribner, technical director, Americas of Car-O-Liner.
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The three-day event included a car show
technician is 23 years!” Wally Stokebrand, body shop manager, said it is a priority for the
More than 13,000 visitors attended the Bill Luke Bass Days Tournament
collision repair shop to continuously update its equipment as well as train technicians to ensure repairs are completed properly and professionally. “Our status as an I-CAR Gold Class repair facility tells the customer that Bill Luke Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge & Ram has made a commitment to stay up-to-date,” said Stokebrand. “With our facility located at the dealership, we can offer full service to our customers. We can also incorporate such service into the repair process if needed.”
www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 27
NACE 2016 MSO Symposium Agenda and Topics Announced, Held Aug. 11 in Anaheim
Details have been announced for the 2016 MSO Symposium, taking place during NACE | CARS on Thursday, August 11 in Anaheim, CA. The sought-after program will cover business growth, M&A, private equity, insurance and industry trends, management-focused topics, industry trends and market intelligence. The Symposium features support from several sponsors, including Car-O-Liner, Axalta, AkzoNobel, Arrowhead Insurance, AudaExplore, and Celette. Now in its 6th year, this popular and exclusive event draws attendance from dynamic and fast-growth multishop operators throughout the collision repair industry. This year, the Symposium incorporates a broader group of collision repair executives, allowing more inclusivity for some of the best operators in the collision repair industry. The MSO Symposium will open on Thursday, August 11 with a private luncheon at noon and conclude with a private reception at 6:00 pm. The agenda-at-a-glance: 1:00pm – 1:30pm: Industry Update PRESENTER: Vincent Romans, Founding Principal & Managing Partner, The Romans Group 1:30pm – 3:00pm: Insurer Panel MODERATOR: Marcy Tieger, Sym-
phony Advisors LLC. PANELISTS: Russ Hoffbauer, State Farm; Clint Marlow, Allstate; Chris Andreoli, Progressive 3:00pm – 3:30pm: A Capital Markets View of Collision Around the World PRESENTER: Rex Green, Managing Director and Global Co-
Head of Automotive Aftermarket Investment Banking at Jefferies LLC 3:45pm – 5:15pm: MSO Panel MODERATORS: John Walcher, Veritas Advisors, Inc.; Dave Roberts, FOCUS Investment Banking LLC. PANELISTS: Jeff Middleton, Exhibition Automotive CARSTAR; Jake Nossaman, Collision Work; Jim Keller, 1Collision; Darrell Amberson, LaMettry’s Collision; Jim West, CARSTAR Collision Care Centers; Twila Harris, Auto Art; Rick Wood,
28 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Cooks Collision 5:15pm – 6:00pm: OE Panel MODERATOR: Russell Thrall, CollisionWeek PANELISTS: John Eck, GM; Jeff Hilton, Toyota; Gary Ledoux, Honda; Mark Allen, Audi. Beginning in 2015, the MSO Symposium added an advisory board to ensure the sessions are a direct fit for the audience. The advisory board works diligently to build the most competitive and insightful program possible for the industry each year. Advisory board members include: Randy Stabler, President, Pride Collision Centers, Inc.; Erick Bickett, Owner, Fix Auto; Marcy Tieger, Principal, Symphony Advisors, LLC.; Mike LeVasseur, Director of Corporate Development, ABRA Auto Body & Glass; Dave Roberts, Managing Director, FOCUS Investment Banking, LLC.; Tim Adelmann, Executive Vice President, ABRA Auto Body & Glass; Russell Thrall III, Publisher & Editor-In-Chief, CollisionWeek; Chris Abraham, CEO, Service King; Scott Benavidez, Owner, Mr B’s Paint & Body Shop Inc.; Tony Molla, Vice President, ASA; Courtland Gates, President, Vesper Investment Com-
pany; Mark Sanders, President & COO, Caliber Collision Centers; Darrell Amberson, President of Operations, LaMettry’s Collision; Larry Siembab, Sr. Director of Insurance Relations, CARSTAR; Tim O’Day, President & COO, Gerber Collision & Glass; John Walcher, President, Veritas Advisors, Inc. The closed and exclusive half-day program is limited to qualified multishop owners/operators, large independent shops planning for growth or divestiture, and insurance professionals. No other event offers this level and diversity of repair training while bringing together all facets of the automotive industry like NACE | CARS. Targeting business owners, management and technicians, this conference & exposition brings together all market segments for the latest and most comprehensive repair solutions, services, education, products and technology. Make your plans to attend NACE | CARS 2016 in Anaheim and find additional information at www.NACE expo.com or www.CARSevent.com. For information on booking exhibit space or sponsorships, contact Robert Martin at robertm@stonefort group.com or 832-646-0176.
www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 29
Continued from Cover
CAA Call to Action
their legislator (Assembly member and Senator) and request that they oppose any legislative effort that would stop these regulations from moving forward.” Deputy Commissioner Geoff Margolis from CA DOI elaborated on the new proposed regulations. “California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has noticed new regulations that address inconsistent, unreliable, and inaccurate labor rate surveys that are used by insurers to settle insurance claims,” he said. “The proposed regulations establish clear guidance and standards when conducting auto body labor rate surveys, including requiring current and reliable data. It is expected that the regulations will result in fairer and more equitable insurance claims. “The Commissioner has launched this regulatory effort in response to the hundreds of complaints the Department of Insurance has received from consumers and auto body repair shops concerning instances where consumers were forced to pay out-of-pocket costs, or shops were deprived of their reasonably charged rates due to outdated and unreliable surveys,” Margolis explained. “Some of these complaints have resulted in enforcement actions which the department has filed against several insurance companies.” The proposed anti-steering regulations are also much-needed, according to Margolis. “Commissioner Jones has also devised regulations that address the problem of insurance companies who communicate deceptive and untruthful information in order to improperly steer policyholders to an insurer-chosen repair shop after an automobile collision,” he said. “These proposed regulations also provide guidelines for reasonable time frames for insurers to inspect damaged vehicles and for what constitutes unreasonable distances in cases where an insurer requires the claimant to travel to obtain a repair estimate or have a vehicle repaired. The proposed regulations are intended to address the issue of inconsistent, unreliable and inaccurate auto body labor rate surveys used by insurers to settle or adjust claims. The proposed regulations will clarify the standards that govern the procedures for conducting and report-
ing labor rate surveys and shall do the following: Standardization: Standardize auto body labor rate surveys to effectuate fair and equitable claim settlements or adjustments of labor rates Up-to-Date: Surveys conducted shall contain current labor rates. Sample Size: Insurers shall be required to send a survey questionnaire to all Bureau of Automotive (BAR) licensed auto body repair shops in the specified geographical area. Auto Body Repair Facilities: Labor Rate Surveys shall use only labor rates of auto body shops licensed with BAR. Equipment & Insurance: Only labor rates reported by auto body shops that meet specified equipment, insurance and other specified require-
30 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
ments may be used in the Labor Rate Survey. No DRP’s Rates: Labor Rate Surveys shall not use any discounted rate or DRP rates in survey to determine prevailing auto body rate. Geographical Areas: Labor Rate Surveys must follow specified geographical areas as outlined in the regulations. Standard Questionnaire: Insures must use a specified Standardized Labor Rate Survey Questionnaire as outlined in the regulations. Direct Responses from Shops: Only direct responses from the shop based on the Standard Questionnaire will be acceptable. Labor rate surveys cannot rely on estimates, third-party estimating software systems or subro-
gation reimbursements. Surveys Public Information: The Labor Rate Survey shall be submitted by insurers and reported to the Dept of Insurance. Results made public. For more information and to access documents concerning these proceedings go to: www.insurance.ca.gov. Click on “Insurers” then “Legal Information” then “Proposed Regulations” then “ Search for Proposed Regulations.” When “Proposed Regulations” screen appears, you may choose to find documents by conducting a search for “REG-2012-00002” or by browsing for them by name as “Auto Body Repair Labor rate Surveys” and “REG201500015” or browse by name “AntiSteering in Auto Body Repairs”.
New Ideas from Technicians are Backbone of Killer Tools Unique Products by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor
With an interest in the collision repair industry and a background in inventing and marketing products, Gerry Trueit began selling tools from shop to shop about 16 years ago. He and his wife, Maggie, and their dog, Ruby, drove a motor home throughout the United States selling an Eagle dent removal machine. After selling nearly 3,000 units, he said they gained a reputation for providing “Killer Tools.” This led Trueit and his team to form Killer Tools and Equipment Corp. “When we developed a tool for putting on door skins pneumatically, we were selling so many we could no longer go on the road and settled down to manufacturing and shipping,” he said. Since incorporating the company in 2002, they have sold more than 30,000 of these tools. Their products come from the ideas of those currently working in the collision repair industry and Trueit said that every tool is unique in its design. “We are very fortunate to be in a unique position by having original tools, thought up by collision technicians and designed and built by us,” said Trueit.
He said collision technicians can be quite hard on their tools so everything has to be rugged. “I want to make sure that our brand is known for quality first and the service to back it up,” said Trueit.
Killer Tools, based in Orangevale, California, has seven employees and offers more than 30 products through mobile jobbers, paint stores and warehouse distributors. The company recently introduced the following four tools for the industry: ART55 Cordless Tool Garage: allows you to store cordless tools in your tool box or on the side of your tool box. Powerful magnets hold unit to any steel surface without falling.
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ART88 Corner Pocket: a powder-coated steel peg board attaches to any tool cart to create vertical space for organizing your tools and tapes, etc. Comes with six steel peg holders. ART44X The Painter’s Helper: Heavy duty Truck Mirror Support holds over 10 lbs. Attaches to any steel surface with powerful magnet and exclusive “load extender.” ART81X Heavy Duty 1/2” Impact Support: Quality anodized aluminum support will hold over 10 lbs with exclusive “load extender.” Several of Trueit’s technicians, many who were referred by jobbers or friends, have received royalties for helping to design his products. One technician has earned more than $250,000 over the last 10 years. Trueit said the company decided to reward them with $1,000 each for their part in sharing ideas for any tool they produce. “Collision technicians are independent thinkers and have always had to design something new to complete a task,” said Trueit. “That is why I enjoy this industry. I feel connected.” For more information, contact Gerry Trueit at 800-369-4262 or killer toolsandequipment@gmail.com or visit http://www.killertools.com/.
ITW Evercoat Launches New Body Filler
ITW Evercoat announced the launch of Evercoat Commercial Ultra™ Body Filler, which has been developed to meet the needs of large industrial and commercial vehicle manufacturers including ambulance, fire truck, bus and train manufacturers. Evercoat Commercial Ultra Body Filler has been formulated to have a 10-minute work time and can be sanded in 30 minutes, allowing technicians to mix, spread, and work large quantities of body filler at one time. Evercoat Commercial Ultra can also be mixed with other Ultra products to meet customer requirements such as viscosity and cure times. “Until now, large industrial and commercial users have had to adapt existing products to meet their production requirements,” said Marvin Gillfillan, VP and general manager of ITW Evercoat. “Evercoat Commercial Ultra was developed in cooperation with industrial users to meet their exacting needs. Evercoat Commercial Ultra is available in one gallon containers (Part # 100181) and three gallon pails (Part #100183). For information, visit www .evercoat.com.
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A Double Standard for Setting and Raising Rates by Richard Valenzuela, CEO, National AutoBody Research
First, a reminder: National AutoBody Research (NABR) is an independent, third-party research, technology and consulting company that provides trusted, objective market-based labor rate data, and whose primary concerns are for the care, safety and welfare of the crashed vehicle consumer. NABR does not have a personal stake in the important issue of setting and raising prices (i.e. premiums or labor rates) for either the insurance or collision repair industry. However, as an independent observer, we see a double standard that exists between insurance companies and collision repairers about when and how much labor rates can be increased. When we say “double standard,” we mean a rule or principle that is applied differently to different groups of people when it should be applied the same. Why are labor rates a concern to NABR? For us, it all comes back to the proper care of the consumer. We believe labor rates are the “lifeblood” of the auto body shop. Without healthy labor rates, collision repairers are less able to generate sufficient profits to reinvest in people, training, equipment and certifications. Limited resources can adversely impact their skill and ability to repair today’s vehicles, which increasingly includes new technology, manufacturing techniques and advanced materials. This in turn may seriously jeopardize consumer care and safety, which is irrefutably unacceptable. Thus, NABR believes that it crucial that collision repairers raise rates when the demands of business conditions and sound economic standards merit the increases in order to maintain a sufficient and necessary profit. However, our research shows that as a group, collision repair rates often have not even kept up with the rate of inflation. At the same time, insurance companies’ premiums have continued to increase. The obvious question is why are insurance premiums rising, while collision repair rates remain relatively stagnant (and in some cases even drop)? With insurance companies routinely charging higher premiums, why do they continually fight against collision repairers raising their rates? We suggest it is because there exists a double standard for raising rates that is followed by many insurance companies. I’ll illustrate this with an example in-
volving Allstate Insurance. From a recent article in the collision industry press, we’ve synthesized Allstate’s standards for raising insurance rates: 1. Raise rates when profit margins aren’t acceptable 2. Raise rates on a market-by-market basis 3. Raise rates for an appropriate and acceptable return to investors 4. Raise rates even when the inflation rate is 0 5. Raise rates quickly when costs increase to recover those costs quickly 6. Raise rates as long as necessary and as justified by market and economic factors Overall, we find these principles to be very logical, acceptable, and consistent with many for-profit corporations. However, the analysis of these six standards begs a question: Why are collision repairers not provided the same prerogative to raise their labor rates by applying the same standards? Here is a clear case that a double standard exists. I will elaborate on a couple of these to further make the point. 1. Allstate raises rates when profit margins aren’t acceptable. Another recent article draws attention to Allstate’s four-part “comprehensive program” to improve margins. Among the areas of emphasis are cost trends causing Allstate to take a harder look at costly auto claims. Given increasing cost trends that Allstate and other insurers are experiencing in auto repairs, the insurer is making a heightened focus on both effectively and efficiently managing claim-loss costs, and leading to an increased denial of claims. Why? Because as is true in any business, as costs increase and rates remain the same, the result is an unacceptable decline in profit margins. Have collision repairers experienced any cost increases and profit erosion over the last several years? Of course! By the insurer’s own logic and behavior, they ought to accept repairers raising rates to earn acceptable, necessary, and sufficient profit margins, but in true double-standard fashion, they often don’t. 2. Allstate raises rates quickly when costs increase to recover those costs quickly. Auto claims displaying higher crash frequency and severity seem to be driving Allstate’s margin woes. “About a year ago, actually, the frequency and severity started to take off,” CEO Tom Wilson said. “… [And] when you have a rapid spike in costs like that, we need to obviously
32 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
recover those costs quickly.” Here lies another Allstate double standard. Has any shop had a cost increase in their paint or materials recently? Of course! So by the insurers’ same logic and behavior, they ought to accept a shop raising their prices to recover these costs quickly and maintain profitability, but again in true double standard fashion, they often don’t. But what profit margins should shops shoot for? What really should be the labor rate for their individual shop? If they experience a five percent increase in expenses, what new labor rates should they charge to keep profits even? What would minimum labor prices be for a shop if they just kept up with inflation over the last 10 years? This is where the Variable Rate System (VRS) comes in. Through the VRS national database of marketbased posted (or retail) labor rates (not discounted rates), key shop characteristics (such as training, equipment and certifications), a collection of pricing tools and exercises, and NABR consulting, shops can get a much better handle on their labor prices to help get paid what they’re worth. Shops that actively use the VRS in their business
are having the most success collecting the right rates for their shop. In the end, the VRS enables a win-win solution for all stakeholders. While it’s not a magic wand or an easy button, the VRS is a compelling, innovative solution to proper pricing in the collision repair industry and light years ahead of the double standard that exists today between insurers and collision repairers. Contact us and see for yourself. Allstate has a proven history of protecting and serving its customers. Allstate’s pricing has been and continues to be determined by risk and costs. We continuously update our pricing so we can make sure customers benefit from the most advanced approaches and as a result, our prices are highly competitive and fair. Allstate provided the following statement, “Allstate has a proven history of protecting and serving its customers. Allstate’s pricing has been and continues to be determined by risk and costs. We continuously update our pricing so we can make sure customers benefit from the most advanced approaches and as a result, our prices are highly competitive and fair.”
www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 33
CAA & UTI Host Technican Showcase
The California Autobody Association (CAA) Glendale/Foothill chapter and Universal Technical Institute (UTI) are hosting the first UTI Technician Showcase. It will be held May 18 at the UTI Auditorium in Long Beach, CA.
The coordinators of the event said it is an opportunity for local body shops to get a glimpse of how UTI creates eligible body shop apprentices. Tickets cost $45 and include dinner. Members and non-members are welcome. A campus tour will take place from 6-7:15 p.m. Dinner will start at 7:30 and the UTI president will speak from 8:15-8:45 p.m. A Q&A discussion will follow from 8:45-9:30 p.m. The UTI Auditorium is located at 4175 E. Conant St. in Long Beach. To RSVP, visit http://bit.ly/ 25YuoNg or call Cindy Shillito at (714) 944-4028.
American Honda is ASA Corporate Member
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) has announced one of its latest corporate members: American Honda. Gary Ledoux, assistant national manager for American Honda, said, “ASA is a big supporter of the auto repair industry, and especially the collision repair side of the business, so we are pleased to be able to support and help them in their work.” Dan Risley, ASA president/executive director, also commented, “American Honda has been a longtime supporter of the industry and ASA. Its leadership is in sync with ours, and as a result, the relationship continues to grow to the benefit of the automotive service and collision repair industries and ASA members as a whole.” To learn more about ASA’s corporate membership program, contact Dan Risley at danr@asashop.org.
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BASF Named GM Supplier of the Year & Launches Norbin Brand
BASF Automotive Refinish was named a General Motors (GM) Supplier of the Year for 2015 at an awards ceremony in Detroit, MI on March 10. Wayne T. Smith, chairman and CEO, BASF Corporation, accepted the award, which BASF has received 11 times since 2002. “GM is an important customer for BASF and this award signifies the value of the relationship we have developed over the years,” said Smith. “Working closely with GM colleagues, we integrate modern paint processes with special effect pigments and technologies to offer car buyers a wide array of colors and coatings for their vehicles.” “We are focused on building positive supplier relationships, bringing new, customer-centric innovations to GM and being the OEM of choice among suppliers,” said Steve Kiefer, GM vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. “The companies we recognize not only have brought innovation, they delivered it with the quality our customers deserve.” The Supplier of the Year award winners are chosen by a global team of GM purchasing, engineering, quality, manufacturing and logistics executives
and selected based on performance criteria in product purchasing, indirect purchasing, customer care, aftersales and logistics. BASF also announced the launching of Norbin®, a new brand of products, in the U.S. and Canada, on March 28. Norbin® primers and clears are now available for purchase through BASF distributors. “Made with BASF technology and easy-to-use, Norbin is designed for the economy segment,” said Amy Kramer, BASF inside sales manager. “Norbin allows our distributors to grow their business by targeting all segments of the automotive refinish market.” “Customers will benefit from Norbin’s consistent quality and its competitive price,” said Gordon Erdelean, BASF market segment manager for Norbin. “First launched in Asia in 2015, Norbin uses urethane technology and joins the BASF family of refinish products, which includes Glasurit®, R-M® and Limco®.” All Norbin products are a 4:1 mix ratio and do not require reducers. For information, visit basfrefinish.com/norbin or call 800-334-1400. You can also contact Mary Ann Short at (248) 9482253/ maryann.short@basf.com.
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Fremont Mazda
Parts Dept. 650-550-3700 Hours: M-F 8-6 / Sat 9-4 707 Serramonte Blvd., Colma, CA 94014
Parts Dept. 510-372-2800 Hours: M-F 7:30-6 / Sat 9-4 24644 Mission Blvd., Hayward, CA 94544 www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 35
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
800-834-8886 707-551-3202 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-5 parts@averygreenemotors.com
Barber Honda Bakers field
661-396-4235 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5:30 bestchoice@barberhonda.com
First Honda Simi Valley
888-523-0698 805-584-6646 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7:30-5 hondaparts@firstautogroup.com
Galpin Honda Miss ion Hills
800-GO GALPIN 818-778-2005 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5 blemen@galpin.com
Honda Cars of Corona Corona
800-557-3652 951-734-9045 Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7-5 terry.love@pscauto.com AC U RA C AL I FO RN I A
Acura of Fremont Fremon t
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
888-985-6342 925-251-7126 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-6 mitch.cash@hendrickauto.com
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 36 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs. C AL IFOR N I A
CAL IFO RNIA
C ALIF OR N IA
AR IZONA
Honda of Hollywood
Ocean Honda
South Bay Honda
Ho lly wo o d
S a nt a C ru z
M il pi ta s
Av ond ale
800-371-3719 323-466-3205
831-464-1800
877-475-1142 408-324-7460
800-350-6537 623-463-4380
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5 parts@southbayhonda.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-9; Sat 7-6 gluna@earnhardt.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 parts@hondaofhollywood.com
Honda of Oakland
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4:30 mickw@oceanhondasantacruz.com
Robertson Honda N o rt h H o l ly wo o d
University Honda
510-547-8047
800-508-3894 818-301-3511
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-8; Sat 7-6
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5
800-585-8648 530-758-8770
Honda of Pasadena
San Francisco Honda
Dept. Hours: M-Sat 8-6; Sun 8-5 dfortier@uhdavis.com
Oa k la nd
P as ad e n a
S a n F ra n ci sc o
800-433-0676 626-683-5880
415-913-5125
Davis
N EVAD A
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-4
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5:30 partsws@sfhonda.com
Findlay Honda
Kolbe Honda
Scott Robinson Honda
702-982-4260
R es ed a
800-735-1424 818-609-7441 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-5 carparts@kolbehonda.com
Larry Hopkins Honda Su n n y vale
408-720-0221 408-736-2608 Dept. Hours: M-Sat 8-5 parts1@hopkinsdirect.com
Metro Honda Mo n t c la ir
800-446-5697 909-625-8960 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 7:30-4 wholesaleparts@metrohonda.com
C AL IFOR N I A
AutoNation Acura of South Bay To r ra n c e
310-784-8680 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5 iwashitas@autonation.com
Cerritos Acura Ce r r it o s
855-895-2678 562-207-0554 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-6 srandall@browningautogroup.com
Marin Acura C or t e M ad era
800-77-Acura 415-927-5350 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5:30; Sat 8-4 parts@marinacura.com
To rran ce
310-371-8320
Selma Honda
888-234-4498 702-568-3531
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7:30-4:30 hondapartsmgr@selmaautomall.com
Sierra Honda Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 parts@sierracars.com
CAL IFO RNIA
Og den
800-821-8797 801-627-6762 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6 smiles@kengarff.com
He nde r s on
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5 fhhparts@findlayauto.com AR IZON A
Chapman Honda Tuc so n
M o nr ov i a
800-322-8540 626-932-5614
Ken Garff Honda Ogden
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-5 fsanchez@findlayauto.com
Findlay Honda Henderson
Selma
U TAH
L a s Ve g as
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6:30; Sat 7-5 mluna@scottrobinson.com
800-717-3562 559-891-5111
Earnhardt Honda
800-461-6744 520-202-5770 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 robertevenson@chapmantucson.com
AR IZON A
U TAH
Metro Acura
Acura of Peoria
M o n tc l ai r
Pe o r i a
800-446-5697 909-625-8960
866-347-4507 623-792-2559
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 wholesaleparts@metrohonda.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-5 dcavanaugh@vtaig.com
Mike Hale Acura Murray
800-292-4595 801-263-0202 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-5 pgoold@mikehale.com
Acura of Tempe
NE VA DA
Te mpe
Findlay Acura
866-455-6601 480-344-6703
H e nd e rs on
877-770-5873 702-982-4160 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 jmoore@findlayauto.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5 acuraparts@acuraoftempe.com U TAH
Jody Wilkinson Acura 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 | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 37
Social Media for Shops
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
Women Shop Owners and Female Consumers Get Help from AskPatty.com with Ed Attanasio
When a car needs repairs, it’s likely that retail market by educating business a woman will be bringing it into your owners and repair professionals to the shop. Those numbers have climbed needs of their women customers. over the years and now the experts For consumers, the AskPatty.com claim that 73% of all automowebsite is a safe and reliable tive repair customers are fesource for expert automotive male. In 2012, there were advice and research. For auto more women than men with dealers, tire dealers, collision driver’s licenses for the very centers, auto service and refirst time. On top of that, pair centers, the AskPatty.com women have become more Certified Female Friendly® program is designed to train savvy consumers and can’t be Jody DeVere and certify automotive retail bamboozled anymore with established and service centers including technical terms and industry AskPatty.com a body shops, on how to attract, speak. decade ago to help women as body sell, retain and increase loyIn addition, the automotive repair world now has shop professionals alty with women customers. and also as The idea is that knowledge is more female shop owners, consumers of empowering and by doing a techs and estimators than automotive repair better job, more and more ever, but there is still much services women will be able to sucwork to do and that’s why ceed in a male-dominated industry. AskPatty.com was created to help. Jody DeVere is the CEO of With its headquarters in Thousand AskPatty.com and the founder of the Oaks, CA, AskPatty.com, Inc. aims to organization. She’s anationally-known revolutionize the women’s automotive
38 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
expert on social media marketing to women as well as being a renowned journalist, car care expert and safety spokesperson within the automotive industry. Her life’s mission is to promote, mentor and support automotive careers for women and she speaks to groups including the American Car Care Council, Mercedes-Benz Corporate, the National Automobile Dealer Association (NADA), National Independent Automobile Dealer Association (NIADA), Car Care Council Women’s Board and the Association of Automotive Internet Sales Professionals. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, AskPatty.com was started by DeVere when she saw a problem and began looking for a viable solution. “There was such a disconnect between qualified women and automotive businesses such as car dealerships, service departments and collision centers, for example,” DeVere said. “So, back in
2005 when I was at SEMA, I began to formulate a program to help women in this industry. I knew it had to be built on education, interactive training and it had to have a certification module.” With more women working in a wide range of other professions, DeVere knew that the auto repair industry needed to catch up. “After talking to literally thousands of women, I found out that they were so discouraged by the prospects of getting hired in this industry, that they weren’t even applying. So, we decided to flip the script and become a champion and advocate for women in these fields. For women in the automotive industry, we often serve as the first point of contact for those who are seeking the very best in car sales and service across the United States and Canada.” The AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly® program enables women and female-owned businesses to improve their skill sets and increase
their revenues, DeVere explained. “For body shops, we teach women professionals about how to enhance their customer service through a series of internet 3.5-hour classes. There are 18 different modules and all of them are designed specifically for the automotive industry. It isn’t just testing either, we also provide training, interactive teaching and personal coaching. When it comes to succeeding in a retail culture— whether it’s a tire store, an aftermarket parts distributor, car dealership or a large collision center—there are many skills that are universal and will work in all these environments.” When women join AskPatty.com, they also get an opportunity to send questions to a panel of female automotive experts, access to a certified female-friendly automotive retailer search database of car dealers, tire dealers, collision centers and service and repair centers, as well asa wide range of educational webinars and other helpful information through the organization’s blog, according to DeVere. The message behind AskPatty.com is that women need to stick together and by doing so, they can revolutionize
the consumer experience for female consumers while becoming better owners and employees. “At AskPatty.com, we have a two-pronged mission and a big part of that is helping female consumers to become more informed and savvy about all things automotive,” DeVere said. “We want them to have a positive experience every time they take their car in for a repair. It’s still a male-dominated industry, but the game is changing, so we need to be as educated as we can as customers as well as owners and managers. In the old days, the men would take the car into the shop, but those roles have now changed and are constantly evolving.” What will AskPatty.com be doing in 10-15 years, when more and more women are in upper management positions with automotive-related businesses? “We’ve created a lot of trust with our members and women in general, by being transparent and proving that we really care about women, as both automotive professionals and consumers. So, I believe that the next decade will be amazing for women in this industry and that’s why we’re looking forward to helping them and enabling them to be even more effective and successful.”
Caliber CEO Accepts Prestigious National Award Recognizing Company’s Support of U.S. Military
Steve Grimshaw, CEO of Caliber U.S. Veteran’s Initiative, Heroes On Collision, was one of five leaders rec- The Water, Adaptive Training Founognized with the prestigious America dation, Semper Gratis, and Support First Series (AFS) 5 Star Award for The Enlisted Project (STEP). In addition, Caliber has develtheir corporation’s support of the miloped a collision repair military trainitary. ing program around the Grimshaw accepted the Veteran’s Opportunity To award on behalf of Caliber Work Act, training active Collision at the 2016 AFS duty service members prior Awards Ceremony and Nato separation. tional Security and EcoCaliber is actively nomic Symposium in Dallas, working with the military TX. at Ft. Bragg, North CarAs CEO, Grimshaw olina to recruit and train has spearheaded Caliber Collision’s efforts to sup- Steve Grimshaw, more than 50 active duty CEO of Caliber service members for Calport active military personCollision iber center manager, technel and military veterans across the U.S. through a variety of nician and customer service jobs in philanthropic and employment ini- 2016. Over the course of 2016, Caltiatives. Over the past four years, iber will also be expanding this proCaliber Collision has donated more gram to Ft. Hood and Ft. Bliss in than 80 vehicles, valued at approxi- Texas and Camp Pendleton in Calimate $800,000, through their Recy- fornia. “On behalf of our more than cled Rides program to active service and military veterans across the U.S. 8,800 teammates, we are honored to Caliber also partners with a host of have the opportunity to recognize best-in-class military organizations and give back to the many military serving today’s active service per- heroes who have sacrificed and given sonnel and military veterans includ- of themselves to serve our country,” ing Carry the Load, Allies In Service, said Grimshaw.
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818-346-3144 Toll Free 818-340-9455 Fax BOBSMITHMINI.COM Hours: M-F 7am-6pm; Sat 8am-5pm 24500 Calabasas Rd. • Calabasas CA 91302 ©2013 MINI, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The MINI name, model names and logo are registered trademarks. www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 39
Golden Oldie Vehicles Soar by Jim Lang, Lang Marketing
Golden Oldie Vehicles Soar “Cars and light trucks 15 years and older will be the fastest growing vehicle age group in the U.S. over the next four years (2016 through 2019). More than 11 million light vehicles 15 years and older will be added to the nation's VIO (vehicles in operation) by the end of 2019, an unprecedented 17% surge.” “Rapid growth of older vehicles will influence four key aftermarket dynamics: parts proliferation, product volume, where vehicles are repaired and the product brands used to repair them.” – Jim Lang
Older Vehicles On The Rise Virtually all VIO (vehicles in operation) net growth in the U.S. over the next four years (2016 through 2019) will be generated by vehicles 15 years and older. This boom in the oldest segment of the vehicle population reflects the increasing life-span of vehicles on U.S. roads. Improved vehicle design, advanced engineering and more durable materials combine to extend the operational life of cars and light trucks produced since the mid-1990s.
Longer Vehicle Life Despite record gains in annual vehicle sales over the past six years, vehicle scrappage rates remain low relative to the historic surge in new vehicle sales. Although new car and light truck annual sales rose 70% between 2010 and 2015, the annual rate of light vehicle scrappage has trended downward. The high costs of vehicle replacement and moderate gas prices at the pump are helping to keep older vehicles (which often are less fuel efficient than newer models) on the road longer, increasing their population. Since 2013, average pump prices have annually declined, reducing the financial incentive to replace older gas guzzlers with new, more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Golden Oldies Dominate VIO Growth Virtually all car and light truck VIO growth on U.S. roads between now and the end of 2019 will be generated by the surging population of vehicles 15 years and older. This historic increase in the number of older vehicles will influence
four key aftermarket dynamics: parts proliferation, annual product volume, where vehicles are repaired, and the product brands used to repair them.
Parts Proliferation Rises With cars and light trucks lasting longer and the older-vehicle population rising, Manufacturers, Distributors, and Retailers must maintain parts inventories for older vehicle age groups for much longer than they ever have before. This is increasing parts proliferation as parts for new vehicles are being added to inventories at the same time that parts for the large and growing group of vehicles 15 years and older must be maintained At the end of 2015, there were approximately 66 million light vehicles at least 15 years old in the U.S. By 2019, the number of cars and light trucks 15 years and older will climb more than 17% (up 11 million) compared to 2015.
Aftermarket Volume Grows Older cars and light trucks use more aftermarket products per-mile than younger light vehicles. Rapid growth of this high-age vehicle group will boost aftermarket product volume, especially with the recent surge in annual miles driven (2015 total mileage rose 3.5%).
Independent Repair Outlets Boosted Fast-growing older vehicles are adding to the repair and maintenance volume of Independent (non-Dealer) outlets, as older vehicles are disproportionately taken to Independent outlets for repair rather than to Vehicle Dealers.
Aftermarket Brands Gain Strength The growth of older vehicles (15 years and up) is positive for aftermarket brands (as opposed to OE brands) for two reasons. First, older vehicles have a disproportionate share of their repair and maintenance performed at Independent (non-Dealer) outlets which generally use aftermarket brands to repair these older vehicles. Second, aftermarket brands are used with much greater frequency than OE brands for older-vehicle repair because owners of these vehicles are generally more cost conscious than consumers with newer model
40 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
cars and light trucks. Aftermarket brands are generally less expensive than OE brands both in the DIFM and DIY markets.
Six Major Takeaways ■ Cars and light trucks 15 years and older will comprise the fastest growing vehicle age group in the U.S. over the next four years. (2016 through 2019).
■ Virtually all the growth in VIO (vehicles in operation) over the next four years will be generated by the oldest vehicles aged 15 years and up.
■ Independent (non-Dealer) outlets will benefit from older vehicle growth, since consumers are much less likely to take them to Dealers for repair (because of higher prices) than they are to take them to Independent (non-Dealer) repair outlets.
■ Owners of older cars and light trucks are more cost conscious about vehicle repair than are owners of latemodel vehicles. This will boost sales of aftermarket (non-OE) brands, which are generally less expensive then OE brands.
■ The growing number of older vehicles on U.S. roads demands that Manufacturers, Distributors, and Retailers maintain inventories of parts for older vehicles over a much longer time than ever before, increasing parts proliferation.
■ Since older vehicles use more aftermarket products per-mile than younger cars and light trucks, growth of vehicles 15 years and older will boost aftermarket product volume.
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www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 41
Turtles, Dolphins, Gators, Oh My! FL Shop Steps Up to Help Non-Profits by Ed Attanasio
Body shops are asked to clear coat and/or paint all the time for charitable causes and many of them are sculptures of animals. This movement began back in 1986 when fiberglass lions were painted in different colors and staged throughout the city of Zurich, Switzerland.
JR Nocera is the owner Supreme Auto Collision in Naples, FL. When asked to clear coat 50 sculptures of Loggerhead sea turtles for a community art project called Turtles on the Town he said yes
Two years later, the lions were replaced by cows. The “CowParade” later became a hugely successful international public art exhibit that has been featured in major cities throughout the world. These sculptures of cows were decorated by local artists, and distributed in public places such as train stations, museums and parks. Since then, cities all over the world have gotten involved in these art projects to protect wildlife and raise money for animal preservation. In almost every case, they feature artwork and designs specific to the local culture, as well as city life and other relevant themes. After each exhibition in each city concludes, the statues are auctioned off and the proceeds donated to charity. From Bears in Berlin to Crabs in Baltimore; Buffaloes in Buffalo, Sharks in San Jose and Cats in the Catskills, these animal sculptures are now in the thousands. So, when a Florida body shop owner was asked to clear coat 50 Loggerhead sea turtles for a good cause, he wasn’t surprised, because he had already painted statues of dolphins, gators and pelicans for other exhibitions. The owner is JR Nocera, and the shop is Supreme Auto Collision in Naples, FL. To say the least, Nocera has never had any problems sticking his head out of his shell and telling the world about his 60,000 sq. ft. shop that takes up an entire city block. So, he
surely wasn’t going to hide in the sand when he was asked to paint 50 turtles gratis for the Turtles on the Town, a public art project and fundraiser on display in Naples and throughout Collier County. Supreme Auto Collision is a onestop shop, with a mechanical repair division, a car detailing department, a trim shop and even a Vespa scooter dealership in addition to being a body shop that fixes 200-300 cars every month while maintaining 13 DRPs. The shop is known for working on high-end vehicles, specifically Bentleys, Audis, BMWs, and Aston-Martins and is aluminum-ready, with its own separate clean room. With 30 employees, including his two nephews, Nocera, 48 is a secondgeneration shop owner with a son (age 10) who will hopefully get into the business one day. “My dad had a shop and we had a lot of mechanics in my family,” Nocera said. “My father still works here at age 73 and my brother Jimmy also works here. I started when I was 16 and quickly I knew that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. Most kids at age 16 don’t know what they want to do, but I had my path right then and there. I hope my youngest can get into this industry one day, because I know that my daughter isn’t at all interested, which is fine.”
fiberglass-reinforced polyester from an original bronze sculpture, and they stand about five ft. tall. It takes a community of many different people and
All of the turtles will eventually be auctioned off to benefit three local non-profit organizations
organizations contributing different things to make a project of this size happen. Among those contributing were 50 patrons who gave $5,000 each to sponsor a turtle. While many of
these patrons are businesses that have their sponsored turtles on site for the public exhibition, other patrons are individuals and those sculptures are on exhibit at area parks and non-profits. Even though his shop is busy all the time, Nocera took the time to clear coat all of the 50 turtles, with the product donated by Axalta, the paint he uses on every vehicle he repairs. “It lays out real sweet,” Nocera said. “Those artists put so much time into these amazing creations, so we made sure that we did a great job for them. It was a team effort and all of our people stepped up. This is like the fourth time we’ve been asked to do something like this and each time I just can’t say no.” Without compromising his cycle time, Nocera called upon his crew to work a little overtime and get the turtles ready to roll onto the streets of Collier County. “They came out beautifully and we’re happy that we were able to be part of this community effort. I don’t know what they’re going to ask us to paint next–vmaybe manatees? Whatever it is, we’ll be there!”
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The 50 turtles were molded of fiberglassreinforced polyester from an original bronze sculpture, and they stand about five ft. tall
All of the turtles will be auctioned at a gala later this Spring, with proceeds to benefit the three non-profit organizations involved in the exhibition — the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, the Community Foundation of Collier County and the United Arts Council of Collier County. The project began as a way to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the community foundation, but once the project grew, more people swam into the project. The 50 turtles were molded of
42 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
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www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 43
Day Job/Night Job Mixing Paints During the Day and Cocktails at Night with Ed Attanasio
Sean Fitzgerald, 33, has a busy work schedule as he balances two jobs—as a body shop owner and a bartender— but he makes it all work because he
is off to work as a bartender to help him pay the bills. Fitzgerald started working initially in the printing industry, but he always had his sights on painting cars and making them look spectacular. “I was working as a printer during the day when I was 18 and 19 and then in the evenings and on the weekends I was building street race cars,” he said. “We would install turbo kits and do everything we could to make them as fast as we could. All of my friends had their own cars, so we had Sean Fitzgerald is only 33, but he’s already owned Phantom this group that would work on Autobody in Jeffersonville, IN for three years now each other’s vehicles.” stresses quality in everything he does. With bigger plans and a drive to get there, Fitzgerald decided to go back to While running the show at Phantom Autobody in Jeffersonville, IN, he is a school to get a degree in collision repair. hands-on owner who still paints most “I went through UTI’s one year program of the vehicles that come into his at their school in Houston, TX,” he said. shop. And after his 10-12 hour days “It was intense with more than 9-10 fixing cars and doing custom paint, he hours of instruction and lab work every
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Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
day, but when I graduated from there, I was ready to get a job at a shop.” Returning to the Louisville, KY area where he grew up, Fitzgerald started working at a local shop to learn more about the trade. “I worked as a prepper for four years and they never let me paint an entire car, mostly door jambs and things like that,” he said. “It
Known for his custom paint jobs on motorcycles, Phantom Autobody gets rave reviews on choppers, hogs and even a few newer foreignmade bikes
was a very competitive environment there, so all of the painters were fighting for work.” Because Fitzgerald was crosstrained as both a painter and a metal technician, he decided to start working at another shop in Louisville as a body tech, he explained. “I did that for 2-3 years, but it never really became full-time, so that’s when I started bartending. It helped to pay the bills and it also allowed me to sock away some money, because I started thinking about possibly opening my own shop around that time.” At first, he didn’t have a permanent location and that’s why people began calling it Phantom Autobody. “I started by doing side work in the evenings and on the weekends,” Fitzgerald said. “We would do it at the shop I was working at or anywhere we could. We really didn’t have a real location, so I named it Phantom Autobody and it became an inside joke.” PARTS DEPT. HOURS:
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their own collision center a few years back,” Fitzgerald said. “Now that we have a permanent location, things are really picking up.” At first, things were a little rocky, so the bartending became a way to keep the bills paid. “I was working at the shop all day long and then bartending at least three nights a week to make ends meet,” he said. “I still work on the weekends as a bartender, because it’s easy money. Occasionally, one of my customers at the bar By bartending at night and on the weekends, Fitzgerald will become a customer at the was able to get some of the seed money he needed to shop-either for collision repair open his shop or a car restoration or even cility and an address in 2013, he said. some custom paint.” “I put together almost $25,000, with Although Fitzgerald is a skilled some savings from the bartending painter and does a lot of motorcycle thrown in there too. We started on a builds featuring his custom paint, he very small scale first and now we still feels like he wants to get better have four employees and operate out and grow as a painter. “Some people of a 10,000 square foot facility. We do say I am an artist, but I don’t think of full collision repair, but we don’t have it that way. I just enjoy doing custom any DRPs, so it is pretty much word work and that’s where my interests reof mouth.” ally lie. We fit it in, but we make sure By knocking on doors and stressthat it does not interfere with the coling excellence, Phantom Autobody has lision repair or overwhelm our progrown steadily. “We do a lot of work duction by doing it.” for a local car dealership that closed Does Fitzgerald have a five-year After borrowing some money from his friends and selling three of his beloved cars, Fitzgerald got his fa-
plan for himself and his growing business? “We want to grow and fix more cars,” he said. “There is a lot of competition in this area, with shops that have been around for 15-20 years. So, I am still the new kid on the block.” Will he ever be able to step away from the bartending and be able to enjoy his weekends every once in a while? “I don’t know, I like doing it
Thrasher gets tired during motorcycle builds, but he is a valued member of the crew at Phantom Autobody
and I’m good at it, so no—I will still be working at that bar mainly on the weekends until I decide it’s enough. The bartending helped to get me here, so I’m not ready to retire just yet.”
PPG Refinish Continues Commitment to Training
PPG Automotive Refinish will offer an expanded array of classes throughout 2016, with subjects ranging from basic and advanced product line training to custom painting techniques, business management, shop operations and customer service. “PPG’s commitment to training is the strongest in the industry,” said Randy Cremeans, PPG director of training. “We understand that training is a continuous process; it’s never complete, especially with the ongoing changes we see in this industry.” Courses will be available in 16 state-of-the-art PPG Business Development Centers in the United States and Canada. Specific locations are being upgraded with new equipment and remodeled to accommodate the increased demand. PPG trainers will also travel to numerous vocational schools, PPG distributors and other PPG-affiliated locations across North America. For more information about PPG Automotive Refinish training classes, schedules, locations and course descriptions, call (800) 6476050 or visit www.ppgrefinish.com
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Shop Strategies with Stacey Phillips - ASSISTANT EDITOR
Collision Shop Benefits from Improved Cycle Time, CSI and Closing Ratio After Joining CARSTAR Network Autobody News spoke to Steve Ranck at CARSTAR John Hine in California about the collision center’s decision to join the network in April 2015 and find out how it has benefited the business.
Steve Ranck, CARSTAR John Hine collision manager
John Hine Sr. established John Hine Pontiac in San Diego, CA in 1957 and the John Hine Mazda franchise in 1971. He received the Time Quality Dealer Award in 1991 and his son, John Hine Jr., accepted the same award in 1994. Two years later, Hine, Sr. passed away at 91 years of age. “He believed in hard work, equality and fair treatment of both customers and employees,” said Ranck, CARSTAR John Hine’s collision service manager, who has worked there for 37 years. “His legacy is our dealership’s dedication to delivering complete customer satisfaction and employee goodwill. I know that the continued success of our dealership lies within every employee’s ability to deliver his/her personal best.” The collision repair shop is located at John Hines Mazda, which is in Mission Valley, CA and run by John Hine, Jr., who had worked with his father since 1971.
Q:
What prompted the decision for John Hine Mazda to become a CARSTAR franchise in 2015?
A:
Most insurance companies are now going to MSOs to do their business. I saw the trend moving that way about a year and a half ago and we looked at it as an opportunity to get involved. The way I used to get my business is that I’d meet an adjuster and their boss and then I’d join their program. Everything is done at the corporate level now.
We have shops right next to each other that are in the same industry. Years ago, I never used to see that. It’s strange because what happens is that people will come in and shop you to see what you are going to do with their deductible. We currently have seven DRPs with different insurance companies. I didn’t lose any of those since joining CARSTAR.
What has the reaction been from Q: your employees and your customers? It’s an exciting new process. We A: have 32 employees and a lot of them have been here a long time. I have
one employee who started with his dad as a helper 42 years ago. You worry about people when it comes to change. Anytime you rock peoples’ world and change it around, it’s not always easy for them. When we took on this change, we started keeping our team involved in all of the processes. We let them know what CARSTAR is all about, and what they were going to bring to the table. They really got onboard with the change. Since the change, the moral has improved greatly.
incorporated into your shop, which is part of the new look in shops across the country?
We’ve done a lot of CARSTAR branding and it was a fairly easy A: process. Our office was completely dif-
ferent before we joined CARSTAR. When an insurance company sends a client to a body shop, they want it to feel the same way, whether it’s in Texas or San Diego, so name recognition becomes important. In addition to the fresh new paint and CARSTAR graphics, we also rebranded our 60-foot-tall sign that sits right on Interstate 8, where more than 350,000 cars pass each day. The remodeled lobby has also had an impact on the customer experience. Just seeing the CARSTAR “Relax, We’ll Take it from Here” slogan in the office seems to have a calming effect when a customer, who has just been in an accident, sits down with the service
writer to start talking about their repair. To add to the professional look, all of our employees wear CARSTAR uniforms. They have even gone so far as to take it upon themselves to coordinate their dress. One week will be black shirts, the next week red. The appearance of the staff has added to the positive impact on the customer perception of the shop. Also, the uniforms are different from the dealerships’ uniforms. We decided to pull ourselves away a little from the dealership, just to let people know we’re not just a Mazda body shop but that we work on all makes and models of vehicles.
What are some of the changes Q: that have taken place since joining CARSTAR?
We’ve taken advantage of CARA: STAR’s knowledge and experi-
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Can you tell us about the CARbranding that you have Q: STAR
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www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 47
Continued from Page 46
Collision Shop Benefits
ence to revamp our production area for a better workflow. Going through CARSTAR’s tier process, our shop is a lot cleaner and more organized than what it used to be. For example, we purchased 25 parts carts, which have made a huge difference in shop efficiency. There are no longer parts scattered on the ground. They are able to clean the entire floor every night. The change has been a complete 180 from what the shop used to look like. Not only have the carts made for a much cleaner production area, the end result has also made an impact on the way customers perceive the the shop when they go in the back. We also noticed about a day and a half improvement in our cycle time just by making that change. Another change was incorporating the DFR (dissemble for repair) process. We always called it tear down – you take the car apart and write your estimate. DFR is more than just taking the car apart. Now, instead of taking the bumper off, we take everything off that bumper, including the clips, side maker lights, etc. We do this because we want to know at the beginning of the repair process everything that is wrong with the car instead of at the end. This has helped us tremendously by being more organized and improving our cycle time.
After visiting other CARSTAR Q: locations, what new processes have been added?
After talking to two other CARA: STAR locations in San Diego and the corporate store in Kansas, we
decided to add a second computer monitor so customers can see the actual estimate being built. We also started mapping the car, which entails showing the damage on the windshield of cars with marker pens. The main advantage is that we bring it to the attention of everyone involved in the repair process so things aren’t being missed. Then the car is disassembled for repair. It is an efficient process because you are trying to catch it at the beginning instead of at the end. Our Area Director of Operations (ADO) manager, Mike Calens, comes in about once a month and helps us evaluate our shop. What CARSTAR
does is help you put certain goals into place. If you want to be part of a DRP program, you have to be one of the top elite shops in the industry. They want
Javier Zamora, head painter at John Hines
you to reach a certain tier level. If an insurance company markets our shop to get more business,we need to have our cycle time, CSI and closing ratio in the right spot.
Q:
What are the benefits you’ve experienced as a result of joining CARSTAR? When working at the same shop A: for 37 years, there is a tendency to do things the same way. You don’t
see new ideas that much. By joining CARSTAR, getting involved in their Edge process and going through the three Cs – cycle time, CSI and closing ratio – it really fine tunes your store. Edge performance stands for Education, Development, Growth, and excellence. It starts with working on your shop’s foundation and culture and then moves in operations, and the CARSTAR Lean process. We did our research and talked to other CARSTAR locations. The first thing you do is ask ‘Did they bring you business?” I talked to two different CARSTARs and was told,’Steve, even if I don’t get one DRP, they are making me a better store.” They come in with their procedures and work with you to get your numbers in the right position so you become more appealing to the insurance companies. When you have been in the same shop for so long sometimes you can get tunnel vision. You don’t see the big picture. Being with CARSTAR, they really looked at our procedures and said, ‘Steve, this is what we suggest.’ Then we tried them out and it works.
Q:
Have you encountered any challenges and how have you addressed them?
48 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
When you have any change in A: your shop, you’re going to have some challenges to address. First
of all, you have to really look at the buy in from your employees. When CARSTAR came in, they focused on our foundation first. They looked at our employees. When our ADO Mike first came in, he took the time to get to know the employees. Now when we implement something new, we do it together. When you being to change and clean up your shop, your employees start to notice and say, ‘Wow, there is something going on here.”
are your upcoming goals Q: atWhatCARSTAR John Hine? Our upcoming goal is to bring more jobs into our shop. We are A: still a relatively new CARSTAR shop,
but our goal is to be their flagship collision center in San Diego. We currently work on about 135-40 cars per month. We can handle a lot more than that. I set up a goal board and every week I post what needs to be done that month. Then we can see how we are doing and track it. We’ve incorporated
that recently and we’re finding that it brings everyone together so they are focused on the main goal of the shop. We also have a production meeting twice a day. This is when all of our employees meet and talk about what they have planned for the day.We keep the meetings under 10 minutes and all the Metal men and Painters attend.
What is your advice to other shops considering joining an Q: MSO?
I’ve noticed over the years inA: surance companies are putting a lot of emphasis on MSOs. It makes it
easier for insurance companies to deal with one contact person for a large qroup of shops. But the main reason for joining is that they are going to make you a better shop. With the Edge performance platform and there support with human resources, marketing, insurance contacts, legal, they will be a great partner in your business.
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—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has a body shop in the family and has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.
Historical Snapshot
ASA Lobbyists, Allstate Acquires Sterling, Recycled Parts Market Share, Chinese OEMs with John Yoswick
20 years ago in the collision repair industry (May 1996) At the 1996 Automotive Service Association annual convention in Washington, D.C., the association brought together a panel of attorneys to address complex but critical questions, such as if preferred provider networks a violation of antitrust laws. Don Randall, who retired in 1993 as ASA lobbyist and legal counsel, moderated the discussed and reminded ASA members that it is often difficult to provide “black and white” responses on legal issues. “The law is not an exact science,” he said. “It is an ever-evolving, live institution. Randall asked the panel: Do laws allow insurers to establish direct repair programs, or could such relationships be seen as an illegal “tying arrangement,” tying the purchase of a policy to the consumer’s agreement to use certain shops for repair?
“I’m not sure we have an answer to that now,” George Slover, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, said. “All that
David Snyder, an attorney with the American Insurance Association, said he felt the law was more clear on insurance programs. “These types of plans have already been repeatedly challenged in federal and state courts, and repeatedly upheld under the antitrust laws,” Snyder said. – As reported in Collision Expert
15 years ago in the collision repair industry (May 2001) Allstate acquisition of Sterling Collision Centers, a conIn 2006, Don Porter was a national claims consultant with solidator with 39 collision State Farm and a speaker at the Automotive Recyclers repair shops in seven states Association event. He retired from State Farm in 2012, and nine metropolitan areas and in 2014 became CEO of the United Recyclers Group sent shockwaves across the the antitrust statute says about this is industry much like State Farm’s nonone sentence: no contracts, combina- OEM parts verdict. “It will change the industry, one tions or conspiracies in restraint of way or the other,” predicted John Rattrade.”
tan, a multi-shop owner in Dallas, Texas. “If Allstate succeeds, you’ll probably see other consolidators selling out. If they don’t buy or open any more shops, it will answer the question once and for all about insurers owning body shops.” – As reported in Autobody News It’s not clear the question has been answered once and for all, but a 2003 law passed in Texas prohibiting insurers from owner body shops there largely put the brakes on Sterling’s growth as an Allstate subsidiary. Sterling added fewer than two dozen shops in the 13 years it was owned by Allstate, though it did double its sales to about $200 million by 2014 when it was acquired by Service King. Rattan remains CEO of The Body Shop, a 3-shop operation in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. 10 years ago in the collision repair industry (May 2006)
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Don Porter, a property and casualty claims consultant with State Farm, kicked off the morning session of the Automotive Recyclers Association Mid-Year Business Development Conference outlining his company’s interest in increasing the amount of salvage parts used in repairs—and what he believes individual recyclers and their industry as a whole can do to increase their sales of parts for use in collision repair. Based on his company’s numbers, recycled parts as a percentage of total parts sales has remained stagnant – at between 12 and 13 percent—from 2003 through 2005, while the aftermarket segment is rebounding to reach a similar market share (after declining to a low of 9.2 percent in 2000). Porter said in order to increase the use of recycled parts, an automated approach to sourcing those parts is necessary, to provide immediate availability and condition information and to reduce the number of contacts to individual recyclers by shops and insurers. Convincing shops to use more of the parts, he said, will require helping shops identify “best in class” recyclers that use systems to ensure on-time delivery of the correct part in the de-
scribed condition. – As reported in Autobody News Spending on recycled parts peaked at just over 14 percent (of total dollars spent on parts) in 2001 according to data from Mitchell International, then has drifted downward back to between 12 and 13 percent, just as it was when Porter spoke at the recycler event. (Non-OEM parts, on the other hand, have increased steadily to a account for more than 16 percent of total parts dollars.) Porter retired from State Farm in 2012, and in 2014 became CEO of the United Recyclers Group.
5 years ago in the collision repair industry (May 2011) Speaking at an industry event, Greg Horn of Mitchell International offered a look at some of the vehicles that Chinese automakers—a number of which have plans to enter the U.S. market— currently produce. Horn said Great Wall Motors is predicting a U.S. launch in 2015, following the model used by Kia some years ago, with sales in several states and entry into the rental fleet. The company will use feedback from that limited launch to make improvements
before selling on a broader scale. Horn said the expected low cost of early Chinese vehicles in this country will likely lead to more totals than repaired vehicles. But the success of any of the Chinese automakers here will largely be dependent on their ability to set up the replacement parts infrastructure that is needed, Horn said. Sterling Motors and Daihatsu, he said, failed largely because a lack of parts availability led to repair delays and total losses. “The folks that have the best infrastructure for supporting their brand will be the Chinese brands that survive going forward,” Horn said. – As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), May 30, 2011. Despite Great Wall Motors’ optimism five years ago, it has yet to sell a vehicle in the United States. The company has been plagued in recent years with quality issues, recalls and unpopular models, but it remains China’s largest sport utility vehicle maker.
PDA Expands Team with New CFO Appointment
Jennifer Salazar joined Property Damage Appraisers’ (PDA) C-suite leadership team as chief financial officer. “Jennifer is the perfect addition to PDA’s family,” said Tom Dolfay, CEO of PDA. “She has experience across diverse industries including media, nonprofits, oil and telecommunications and in various roles such as accounting, IT, operations, planning and analysis as well as strategic development and execution. Her background adds a different perspective and allows the company to tap deeper into what’s important to customers.” Salazar is responsible for aiding PDA’s executive team in developing, implementing and executing PDA’s strategic business plan. She directs all strategic and tactical matters as they relate to responsibility for profit and loss management. She is also responsible for the finance department, including accounting, financial reporting, cash/treasury, accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets, risk management and employee benefits. To learn more about PDA, visit http://www.pdacorporation.com/.
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Media and Publicity for Shops Do Vehicle Wraps Make Sense for Your Shop? with Ed Attanasio
You’ve seen them everywhere and the graphics are pretty spectacular. Food trucks, large 16-wheelers, vans of all sizes and cars of every type now have advertising messages that entice viewers. Some people have allowed companies to put their logos on their daily
green alien with a spaceship that’s damaged. “An Out of This World Body Shop” is the shop’s slogan emblazoned on the car. And in Bluffton, SC the Carriage Shoppe has a wrap on a van that is a real attention-getter, because from a distance the vehicle looks badly damaged. But, when you get a little closer, you can see that it’s just a very deceptive (and creative) wrap. Creative Colors Studio in Burnsville, MN has been creating award-winning vehicle wraps that drive business since 1998, according to the company’s founder Jeff Volino. The King of Wraps in San Jose, CA did this wrap that tells “We sit down with every client a story and uses humor to promote the Waffle Roost in and create the image that they northern California want,” he said. “The graphics drivers and paying them handsomely and the message have to go hand-infor doing so and this movement is hand or they won’t work. We want to growing fast. tell a story, instead of just sticking your Body shops all over the country logo on the side of a van.” have invested in car wraps to push After the staff at Creative Colors their brands and gain valuable expo- Studio comes up with a design everysure. They’re like moving billboards, one is happy with and a price they can except you don’t have to rent them all afford, the installation process is once you’ve put them on your vehi- fast and drama-free, Volino said. cles. So, the real cost is only the initial “Without damage to the car, we siminvestment, but the big question is— ply adhere the wrap to the vehicle do vehicle wraps pay for themselves quickly. We can even safely cover the over time and do they actually attract customers? It’s all about ongoing branding and continually getting your name out there to the community. If you get vehicle wraps put on your delivery vans, will people see them and flock to your shop? Not likely, but the advertising message on your vans, in conjunction with your other marketing efforts, will eventually Simple, understated vehicle wraps are ideal for businesses make your shop’s name a that want to spread the word without them being too household word. So, when elaborate someone gets into an accident, they will think of you instead of glass and windows, allowing individyour competitor down the road. uals inside the vehicle to see out while Interesting and fun vehicle wraps those outside are shown your logo or seem to garner the most attention. company’s message. Vehicle wraps Collision Specialists in McAllen, TX can pretty much meet any budget and has a car wrap that features its logo we’ve gotten very good at doing efbreaking through a wall of concrete. fective partial vehicle wraps to cut Offutt Collision Repair in Bellevue, down the cost.” NE has a wrap featuring a cute little The King of Wraps in San Jose,
52 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
CA is well-known for its high impact advertising car wraps. Owner Magno Lopez started creating and installing wraps for a wide range of Silicon Valley companies 13 years ago. “Our motto is maximum impact with tremendous results, Lopez said. “A full wrap commands attention and turns your vehicle into a powerful moving billboard. It doesn’t matter what angle it is viewed from, because peoples’ eyes will always be drawn to it.” If you’re intrigued by the idea of putting vehicle advertising wraps on your delivery fleet or your companies cars, consider the pros and cons first. For $500-$5,000 a car wrap can be as simple and direct or as intricate and involved as you desire, but make sure it’s within your budget and keep your expectations realistic. If you think the wrap will have the phone ringing off the hook within a few weeks, think twice.
With any sign or message on your vehicles, there also comes a level of transparency and accountability. Since wraps are a moving advertisement for your business, a bad driver can bring you unwanted attention. And if one of your vehicles possibly gets into an ac-
Some wraps include window wraps, like with this one for Auto Body World in Erie, PA
cident—get ready for some more adverse feedback. The positive aspects of using car wraps for your marketing and advertising are numerous. A vehicle wrap is a far more effective tool than a basic magnetic sign. In fact, most magnetic See Vehicle Wraps, Page 54
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www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 53
Shop Strategies OH Auto Body Shop Benefits from Hiring & Training Students with Stacey Phillips - ASSISTANT EDITOR
In business for more than 56 years, Brown’s Body Shop in Zanesville, Ohio has 15 employees, including two students who work on a part-time basis. Autobody News spoke to Dusty
2007. I wanted to get involved in order to help train young people coming into the field the correct way. In 2010, I hired another student who is now our head painter.
partment where he disassembles incoming vehicles. Both are paid positions.
Q: One major benefit of hiring stuA: dents is the fact that they have not developed any bad habits. A chalWhat is the benefit and challenge of hiring students?
lenge is that they require a lot of hands-on instruction and supervision.
Q:
What is your advice to other body shops considering using students to help out in their facility?
Located in Zanesville, Ohio, Brown’s Body Shop has 15 employees, including two students who work there part-time
Brown, the owner of the auto body shop, about the benefits of hiring students to assist with their collision repair work.
Q:
When did you first begin hiring students and what prompted your decision?
We first hired a student from Mid Ohio Vocational School in A: East
Continued from Page 52
Vehicle Wraps
signs look cheap, to be honest. In addition, a wrap can convert any vehicle into a billboard. You wouldn’t be allowed to put a sign in front of a restaurant or a store, but if you’re stopped in their parking lot you don’t need a permit or permission to wave your company’s flag. And finally, wraps are removable, so if you change your name for whatever reason, you won’t have to get the vehicle re-painted. Wraps offer flexibility and some shops will change them every 2-3 years, in order to stay fresh while conveying a new message. You can design a wrap to target a specific demographic--such as women, millennials, senior drivers and even
I would encourage them to do A: so. It is hard to find good quality technicians in this field and this is
a great way to train them the proper way.
How often do the two students Can you tell us about the reQ: work at Brown’s and what are Q: cent relocation of your shop their primary responsibilities? They work every day after A: school and all day on days that school is not in session. One student
works in our paint department prepping cars, masking parts and doing final clean up before paint. The other student works in our tear down deyoung drivers. Some shops use their wraps to convey a safety or community-related message. One shop used their vehicle wraps to communicate anti-texting and other distracted driving warnings to the public and another shop promoted the local schools and Little Leagues through their wraps. But, the bottom line is this—do vehicle wraps ever lead to new customers? The answer from Offutt Collision Repair in Bellevue, NE is an emphatic maybe. “I don’t think anyone has ever come in here and said that a car wrap brought them here,” Carissa Williams explained. “They all work together in a marketing and branding plan, so to track the results is a little difficult to do. But, it’s all about getting the shop’s name out there and for that purpose they do a very good job.”
54 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
and some of the new technologies that you added?
My father started the business A: in 1960 in a shop the size of a two-car garage. I took over the busi-
ness in 1996 when we built an 8,000-square-foot shop. In September of 2015, we moved into our new 19,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility.
The new shop has two Nova Verta 31 foot heated downdraft with wind system paint booths; four Car-O-Liner frame machines with computerized Car-O-Tronic measuring systems; three phase-resistant welders; and drive-through estimating. It is also a complete Sikkens Autowave water collision repair center. Dusty Brown, owner of Brown’s Body Shop, can be reached at 740454-1655.
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—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has a body shop in the family and has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.
Industry Insight
Anderson Shows NORTHEAST Shops How His “Who Pays for What?” Surveys Can Help with John Yoswick
About 37 percent of shops who bill for “masking the vehicle for priming” say they get paid by insurers for this operation “always” or “most of the time” – yet about an equal percentage of shops say they have never asked to be paid for this not-included operation. That’s one of the survey findings that Mike Anderson told attendees at the NORTHEAST trade show in New Jersey in March that he was most surprised about as he continues to conduct a series of four different “Who Pays for What?” surveys nationally in conjunction with CRASH Network. “Every time you prime, you have to mask, utilizing labor and materials,” Anderson told a packed seminar room at the trade show. “I was very surprised to see so many shops were not even charging for this. Almost 40 percent of shops said, ‘I’ve never even asked for it.’” The seminar was one of the first times Anderson has focused an entire
presentation on his “Who Pays for What?” seminars, which began last year. Each of the four surveys – one is conducted each quarter – ask shops for their billing practices in terms of about two dozen not-included operations. For
cluded on the refinish-related survey that took place in February this year, but the other surveys focus on body labor operations (that survey took place in April), frame and mechanical operations, and aluminum repair and
each procedure, shops are asked to describe how often they are paid, by each of eight insurers, whether it is “always,” “most of the time,” “some of the time,” or “never.” The masking question was in-
shop supplies (the latter two surveys will next take place later this year). Anderson’s seminar at the trade show highlighted some of the results of past surveys, which are available online. (Anyone who takes one of the
surveys automatically receives that survey’s findings for free.) As with masking for priming, for example, Anderson said nearly 40 percent of shops reported being paid always or most of the time to match the original OEM texture of chip/gravel guard. “The three estimating systems all clearly say that when you get paid to do gravel guard, that does not include the additional labor required to match the OEM texture,” Anderson said. “So if your painter has to go out and play with it, and get a spray pattern set-up, etc., that can take a long time, right? That’s not included.” Anderson said this year’s refinishrelated survey specifically asked shops that have never asked to be paid for this process why they haven’t. More than 82 percent said they either were not aware it was a “not-included” operation or just never thought to charge for it. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m not saying that insurance companies are
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always going to pay you for every single thing,” Anderson said. “But at the end of the day, if you want to get paid more, you have to first ask. It’s a Biblical principle: ‘You have not because you ask not.’” The surveys compare the payment practices among the largest eight auto insurers nationally, and also show how responses vary by region. The survey have continued to draw responses from an average of more 700 shops each time, Anderson said. “It’s one survey response per shop, so that’s 700-plus shops each time, not like some other surveys that might include responses from 10 people from one shop,” Anderson said. He said the surveys ask shops to also report what direct repair program affiliations they have, and the findings have fairly consistently shown that direct repair shops are paid, overall, more frequently for “not-included” estimate items than are non-DRP shops. “I’m not pro-DRP, I’m not antiDRP,” Anderson said, noting that he’s faced some skepticism from those who are surprised that DRP shops appear more likely to be paid for not-included operations. “I’m all about doing a safe and proper repair. Whatever your busi-
ness model is irrelevant to me. But what I can tell you is DRP shops clearly are getting paid for more procedures than non-DRP shops.” He said the aluminum survey asked shops not only about their labor rates for aluminum work but also how much they invested in training, equipment and other costs to become OEMcertified for aluminum. He said some survey respondents said that adding up those numbers made them realize their labor rates were inadequate. “What we realized is that when some people were setting their rates, they were just grabbing some number out of the air without ever having done a financial analysis on it,” Anderson said. He said his overall goal with the surveys is to raise awareness of operations shops may be doing but aren’t charging for. He said he hopes over time have the surveys find that the percentage of shops billing and being paid for the procedures increase. But he acknowledged that awareness is only part of the issue; the second-half of his presentation at the NORTHEAST show focused on how shops can successfully negotiate for whatever procedures from the surveys
they are regularly doing. “I mean this in love. I’m not here to make any enemies. I want you to be successful. But honestly, the majority of body shops use the insurance companies as an excuse for their ignorance and lack of knowledge,” Anderson said. ‘They say, ‘The insurance company won’t pay for it,’ when the reality is they didn’t even know they could charge for it.” Anderson recommended that shops start with one or two of the items at a time, focusing on including them on estimates on jobs when the procedure is being done, and being prepared to support why they should be paid for it. He said shops should have documentation from the automakers or paint companies showing the procedure is needed; documentation from the estimating systems showing the procedure is not-included and whether there is a formula for calculating the labor time for it; and an understanding of what the procedure is worth. “You have to figure out what your labor is going to be and any materials you’re going to use,” Anderson said. “I can’t tell you what to charge. But the time you charge should reflect how long it takes the average technician to gather up their tools, equip-
ment and supplies and perform the task in a safe and proper manner, and then return their tools and equipment.” He said shops rarely do the research to gather the documentation they need to confidently make their justification for the charge. Anderson said each of the survey reports includes suggested resources shops can use in this process. “The only thing that matters if you want to get paid for something is what you can prove, substantiate and justify,” Anderson said. “That’s all that matters. Your opinion means absolutely nothing.” Shops interested in being notified about upcoming surveys, or in getting results from previous surveys, can visit: https://www.collisionadvice.com /survey As is generally the case, Anderson’s presentation at the NORTHEAST trade show won him new fans in the industry. “I’ve been attending these seminars for over 50 years, and this is the single-most compelling session I’ve ever attended,” Mike Porcelli of Central Avenue Collision in Glendale, N.Y., told Anderson during the question-and-answer session.
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Body Shops Giving Back
Stacey Phillips is the assistant editor at Autobody News magazine. She has more than 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications. She can be reached at sphillips@autobodynews.com.
Florida Body Shops Help Make Box Car Racing a Reality for Special Needs Children with Stacey Phillips - ASSISTANT EDITOR
Imagine a child not being able to participate in a sport because of a disability. John Bomm from Sunshine State Superkids has taken on the mission to change that by giving special needs children the opportunity to experience box car racing. He called on the support of local body shops in Florida to help turn this dream into a reality. Hepler’s Auto Body in Kissimmee, Shamrock Auto Body Collision Pros in St. Cloud, Francisco’s Custom Body Shop in Lakeland and Orange Buick GMC in Orlando offered to paint box cars for upcoming races in the Sunshine state. Bomm said that he and his family have participated in box car racing for years and wanted to share their love of the sport. In March of 2015, they took part in a race for special-needs children in Florida. After watching how much the children enjoyed the experience, Bomm said he decided to dedicate his time to plan these types of races. This led to the formation of Sunshine State Superkids in 2015, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to host-
John Bomm from Sunshine State Superkids said the first race is planned for September 24 in Orlando
ing free box car races. Although Bomm said there have been some delays getting started, he is still working hard to get the project off the ground. The first race is currently schedule for September 24 in Orlando, Florida. Other races are planned for October 15 in Winter Garden, November 19 in St. Cloud, and December 10 in Plant City. All funding comes from sponsorships and donations and Bomm, as the race director, is currently reaching out to local businesses for support. Artois Cabinet Company built four
of the wooden cars that will be used in the cars in the likeness of Batman, Capways been an important goal of the the races. Constructed without an entain America, Hulk and Iron Man. family-run business. gine, Bomm said it’s like drag racing Reilly purchased the collision re“Ever since I came in here, this downhill. pair business 16 years ago. Showing town has been very good to me. My big The cars are specifically built for support of the local community has al- thing was always to give back,” said special-needs children. Reilly. “I always set aside x amount of They have two seats—one dollars per year to make sure I could for a child driver (10-18 give back to the community. I work on years old) and the other for a that very hard.” special needs passenger (7Francisco’s Custom Body Shop in 18 years old). Helmets are Lakeland was involved in prepping and provided for participants custom-painting three cars, which took and safety harnesses are inabout three weeks. side all of the cars. “To me, it’s very important to supThe first four cars port the community that has faithfully were painted by East Ridge supported me and helped my business High School’s body shop grow to what it is today,” said Steve class. Francisco, owner of Francisco’s CusBomm then reached tom Body Shop. out to Bobby Hepler, owner The small family-run business was established in 1988 and has of Hepler’s Auto Body, to paint one of the wooden grown to include 13 full-time emcars. It was brought in withployees, many of whom have worked out wheels or a steering Shamrock Auto Body Collision Pros in St. Cloud painted four of there more than 10 years. “We were wheel. Hepler said it took the race cars See Box Car Racing, Page 60 about 20 hours to sand the car, seal it and paint it. He worked with two other employees in his shop after-hours and on weekends to complete the job. “We do a lot of things here for charity as far as painting different Only Original Parts Protect The Vehicle’s Value. things,” said Hepler, who has owned his shop for 10 years. “I enjoy the opportunity to do that.” When asked what it takes to be successful in a small town, he responded, “Do good quality work, repCALL ANY OF THESE WHOLESALE WHOLES PARTS DEALERS BELOW. utation, and say what you do, do what you say.” No. California He also stressed the importance of helping the local community and givAlfred Matthews Dublin Chevrolet ing back, especially during tough times. Buick GMC Cadillac Cadillac Buick GMC “When the economy hit like it did, we MODESTO DUBLIN all have to be in it together,” said Hep209-549-4656 925-828-8251 ler. 209-577-6860 Fax 925-829-2941 Fax In addition to supporting local M-F 8am - 6pm M-F 7am - 6pm churches and single moms, Hepler is Sat 8am - 4:30pm Sat 8am - 4pm president of the rotary club. “We just So. California try to help out as much as we can to give back. That helps also with your Rydell Automotive Thorson reputation in the community.” Group Motor Center About 10 miles away, another body SAN FERNANDO VALLEY PASADENA shop offered to lend a hand. Shamrock 818-832-1660 626-793-0454 Auto Body Collision Pros in St. Cloud, 386-236-4754 Fax 626-795-6872 Fax Florida painted four of the race cars. It
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Toyota Establishes Third Autonomous Driving US Research Institute in MI Dr. Gill Pratt, CEO of the Toyota Research Institute (TRI), announced on April 7 that Toyota will establish its third TRI facility in the U.S. The new facility will be located in Ann Arbor, near the University of Michigan (U-M) campus where it will fund research in artificial intelligence, robotics and materials science. Joining the TRI facility established last January in Palo Alto, CA working with Stanford (TRI-PAL), and in Cambridge, MA working with MIT (TRICAM), TRI-ANN is scheduled to open in June and target a staff of approximately 50. “TRI was drawn to Ann Arbor because of the strength of the university; the utility of Mcity and the Mobility Transformation Center which we currently sponsor; the promise of the future American Center for Mobility at Willow Run; and the proximity to, and synergies with, our two well-established Toyota Technical Centers nearby,” said Pratt. The Toyota Technical Centers have been conducting research in the area of autonomous cars for more than a decade. A group of about 15 team members will transfer to the new TRI-ANN facility when it opens. U-M Professors Ryan Eustice and Edwin Olson are joining TRI-ANN as the area leads for map-
ETI Hires Rick Matz as Technical Manager
The Equipment and Tool Institute announced Rick Matz joined the organization as the technical manager. Matz will help manage the ETI TEKNET Library, including helping member companies understand the library and the data in it, and also helping to track down information from OEMs that may be missing. Matz will also be responsible for developing and gathering technical information and articles for the institute’s publications, coordinating the meeting activities of vertical groups and the technical committee, representing ETI in its cooperative efforts with other trade associations, and serving as the ETI representative at key SAE and ISO committee meetings that affect tool and equipment design and manufacturing. “Rick will bring us additional technical resources with his extensive background in automotive communications. His recent experience with our expanding telematics space is a big plus for our membership. With Rick’s addition, ETI will be much better outfitted for the challenges ahead,” stated Greg Potter, ETI’s executive manager. For details about ETI, contact Jessie Korosec at 248-6565085 or e-mail: jessiek@etools.org.
ping/localization and perception, respectively. Both will be based at the Ann Arbor office, and will retain their U-M faculty positions. “Sensor hardware and algorithms are improving at a tremendous pace. TRI researchers will push the frontier even further, with the goal of providing safer vehicles and more helpful robots in the home,” said Olson. Eustice added, “Ann Arbor is a fantastic location for TRI to expand its autonomous driving efforts. We will benefit from Toyota’s existing team and U-M’s research talent and facilities where we can perform extreme-limit testing in a wide variety of environments.” Although the focus of each of the three facilities will be broad, each will feature a different core discipline. TRI-ANN will focus primarily on fully autonomous (chauffeured) driving. TRI-PAL will work on what may be termed “guardian angel” driving, where the driver is always engaged but the vehicle assists as needed. TRICAM will dedicate a large portion of its work to simulation and deep learning. With initial funding of $1 billion, the Toyota Research Institute has four mandates. First, it will strive to enhance the safety of automobiles with the ultimate
goal of creating a car that is incapable of causing a crash, regardless of the skill or condition of the driver. Second, it will work to increase access to cars for those who otherwise cannot drive, including seniors and those with special needs. Third, it will help translate Toyota’s expertise in creating products for outdoor mobility into products for indoor mobility; moving people and goods across the country, across town, or across the room. Finally, TRI will accelerate scientific discovery by applying techniques from artificial intelligence and machine learning, particularly in the area of materials science. Using computation and machine learning, it hopes to accelerate scientific discovery in this area, lowering costs and improving performance of future mobility systems. TRI is also pursuing collaboration with other automakers, IT companies, suppliers, research labs and universities to jointly develop autonomous technologies. “Where we need autonomy to help most is when the driving is difficult,” said Pratt. “It’s this hard part that TRI intends to address. Toyota’s goal is safer mobility for all, at any time, in any place, and the tremendous improvements in quality of life that such universal mobility can bring.”
CARSTAR’s Bob Keith Receives I-CAR Award
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts congratulated Bob Keith for being recognized by I-CAR as the recipient of their annual Founders Award. The award was given based on his dedication and service to ICAR at the recent 2016 I-CAR Volunteer & Instructor Conference held in Orlando, Florida. Keith is a member of the CARSTAR corporate team, serving as senior director-operations training, as well as the owner of four CARSTAR locations. He also has a long history of dedicated service to I-CAR, having held several leadership positions in the organization. “It has been an honor to serve with some of the best minds in the industry who regularly take off their stripes in order to make sure that ICAR meets its vision that every person in the collision repair industry has the information, knowledge and skills required to perform complete, safe and quality repairs for the ultimate benefit of the consumer,” said Keith. “We are fortunate to have someone with Bob’s experience as part of our team,” said Michael Macaluso, president – CARSTAR North America.
Continued from Page 58
Box Car Racing
very interested in this project as many of us enjoyed soap box derbys in our youth and wanted the disabled children to experience the same enjoyment we had,” said Francisco. “We also like supporting youth sports, 4H and pageants. We enjoy encouraging and supporting the youth in our community.” Bomm’s ultimate goal is to hold eight racing throughout the year during the cooler months. He would also like to add “old school-style racing” and allow kids to build cars out of materials found in their garages. He said few people can afford to go out and purchase a $1,000 car and a trailer to haul it, as well as pay for registration and travel fees. By holding these races, Bomm said it gives special-needs children the opportunity to experience first-hand what racing is all about. “Giving back is a big thing,” said Bomm. “Everything I do is for children.” For more information, contact John Bomm at: sunshinestatesuperkids @gmail.com.
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Chief® Introduces Three New Tools for Collision Repair: New Welder, Rivet Gun and Debonding Unit 1) Three-Phase, High-Amperage MIG/ MAG Welder Chief has expanded its line of inverter synergic pulse MIG/MAG welders to include its first three-phase, high-amperage model, the MultiMig 621. The MultiMig 621 can be used to weld and braze aluminum, galvanized sheet metal, stainless steel and high-strength steel. “The MultiMig 621 is a great choice when welding certain thick structural aluminum components,” explains Mickey Swartz, director of global product management for Chief parent company Vehicle Service Group (VSG). “It is also ideal for inverter pulse brazing because it can operate at a lower temperature, with better temperature control, to protect the material characteristics of high-strength steel and any anti-corrosion coatings.” Like all Chief MIG/MAG welders, the MultiMig 621 features the synergicpulsed technologies required by most OEMs for aluminum welding. The MultiMig 621 has a double pulse feature that allows the weld to cool slightly during the low frequency operation. This reduces the chance of drips. It also
reduces deformation on thin pieces while providing full penetration on thicker sheets. The MultiMig 621 comes loaded with a large number of synergic programs that preset welding parameters so technicians can start welding immediately. Multiple programmable options, such as crater fill and hot start, are also available to customize the welder’s operation to meet specific customer needs, working conditions and technician preferences. The MultiMig 621 is multi-input line voltage capable: It can run on any voltage from 200 to 480 volts. It features Integrated Power Factor Correction (PFC) technology to reduce energy waste. The welder is equipped with a built-in cart that includes storage space for a gas cylinder.
New Chief® Heavy-Duty Rivet Gun Pierces Usibor® and Other HighStrength Steels Chief’s new Heavy-Duty Rivet Gun puts out almost twice the force of the company’s standard rivet gun, enabling collision repair technicians to use it to install rivets in even the strongest
Tours Announced for NACE | CARS 2016 in CA
NACE | CARS announced on April 12 details for destination tours during the event this August 9-13 in Anaheim, California. These tours have been organized to give attendees the opportunity to experience historical automotive venues, as well as top regional attractions, at a reduced rate while in town for NACE | CARS. Tour opportunities include: Peterson Automotive Museum – One of the world’s largest automotive museums, featuring over 100 vehicles on display in its 25 galleries with the remaining half of the collection is kept in a “vault,” located on the basement level of the building. The Marconi Automotive Museum – Opened in 1994 by Founder Dick Marconi, the Marconi Museum houses an impressive, $30,000,000 collection of historical, exotic, highperformance and classic cars. Universal Studios Hollywood – Go behind-the-scenes of the world-famous Studio Tour to explore real film sets where Hollywood movies are made. From magical spells to magical creatures, from dark villains to daring heroes, it’s all here at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™. The Best of Los Angeles – L.A., Hollywood & Beaches Tour – Get ready to experience a day of fabulous
facts, fun trivia, and famous locations that make L.A. one of the most exciting cities in the world. Famous locations include Downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, The Walk of Fame, Beverly Hills, Sunset Strip, Santa Monica and Venice Beach! Orange County Beaches – From Laguna Beach to Huntington Beach, enjoy an endless array of beach activities, shopping and dining, or simply relax and soak up the sun. Disneyland® Resort Theme Park – An exclusive link to discount tickets will be available after the conclusion of the registration process for NACE | CARS training, education courses, or expo passes. Please note: these specially-priced tickets are intended only for guests participating in NACE | CARS. Only the registered attendee is permitted to purchase tickets from this discounted ticket store link, and they can purchase up to six tickets maximum. We reserve the right to contact the ticket purchaser to request event registration confirmation. For more information, visit www .NACEexpo.com or www.CARSevent .com For information on booking exhibit space or sponsorships, contact Robert Martin at robertm@stonefort group.com or 832-646-0176.
62 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
steels, including Usibor®. The HeavyDuty Rivet Gun is approved by Mercedes-Benz. “The new Chief Heavy-Duty Rivet Gun was developed to meet Mer-
from our universal PNP90 rivet gun. While our universal rivet gun can be used on virtually any current automotive application, the Heavy-Duty Rivet Gun is designed for the next wave of vehicles that will incorporate even more high-strength steel.” The Chief Heavy-Duty Rivet Gun uses the same pneumatically driven hydraulic pump and pressure intensifier as Chief’s standard PNP90 rivet gun, but adds a few more built-in features. The Heavy-Duty Rivet Gun includes a retract feature and a dial to adjust the output working pressure. The mobile hydraulic tool not only outputs 10 metric tons of compressive force, it (l to r) Kristen Simpson, President Simpson Communications, also gives 8 metric tons of Vulcan Debonding Unit, David Fischmer, Marketing Manager tension force to hydrauliVehicle Services Group (VSG) for Chief Automotive cally retract the punching cedes-Benz specifications, including tool from metal sheets at the push of a being able to pierce Usibor,” explains button. The dial provides infinite adMickey Swartz, “This is our strongest justment of the working pressure so rivet gun, with a compression force of the output force can be controlled to 22,000 lbs. vs. 12,000 lbs. available the desired level. Audi Genuine Parts
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With a small adapter set that reduces the output pressure, the HeavyDuty Rivet Gun is backwards compatible to the PNP90, so shops that already have mandrels for the standard gun can use them with the HeavyDuty version. The Heavy-Duty Rivet Gun can be used to install self-piercing or flow form rivets and to punch holes. Because the Heavy-Duty Rivet Gun is larger than the standard model in order to deliver higher power output, Chief is offering it with a cabinet equipped with a boom to help reduce technician strain and fatigue.
Put Down the Chisel: New Chief® Vulcan Adhesive Debonding Unit Uses Infrared Heat to Separate Aluminum Panels As automotive OEMs incorporate more aluminum, high-strength steel, carbon fiber and other “exotic materials” into their vehicle designs, they are also using new methods to join these materials together. Structural adhesives are used extensively in vehicles designed with aluminum, but are also becoming increasingly popular with OEMs in the manufacture of traditional steel-based vehicles.
Repairing collision damage to areas built with structural adhesives can be challenging. The most effective method technicians currently have to separate bonded pieces of aluminum is to manually chisel them apart. This approach is not only physically tiring, but involves considerable risk of damage to the panel being removed, as well as the surface behind it. For panels made of carbon fiber, the only option is to grind through layers, releasing harmful carbon fibers if the dust is not properly captured. That’s where the new Chief Vulcan Adhesive De-bonding Unit (ADU) comes in. The patent-pending Chief Vulcan ADU is the first product specifically designed to break the bond of structural adhesives in automotive applications. The Vulcan ADU uses infrared radiation technology to quickly heat the surface to a temperature where the first layer of glue underneath releases cleanly—in as little as 20 seconds. With the adhesive bonds broken, the technician can then easily separate the materials with less risk of damage to either piece. The epoxy remains smooth and hard, not sticky, leaving behind a clean work surface. The Vulcan ADU
can be used on any vehicle surface, including aluminum, carbon fiber and steel. “The need to meet 2025 CAFE standards is driving automotive manufacturers to explore an incredibly wide range of materials, joining methods and other light-weighting technologies in a relatively short period of time,” says Swartz. “As a result, the collision repair industry is innovating like never before to develop new tools, equipment and repair techniques. The Chief Vulcan Adhesive Debonding Unit is a solution to an issue that wasn’t important just a few years ago. But as OEMs incorporate glue and epoxies into their manufacturing processes for more and more vehicles, collision repair shops need to be equipped to efficiently separate those bonded components to properly repair the vehicles.” Applying heat is a proven method for releasing adhesives, but although there are several options available for traditional steel panels, tight temperature control is needed to not overheat high-strength steels. Aluminum is more challenging because it dissipates heat very quickly and requires a lot of input energy: more than is found in traditional
SO. CALIFORNIA Galpin Volkswagen North Hills
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induction heaters or heat guns. The Vulcan ADU uses very short waves of infrared radiation to quickly produce up to 600 degrees of heat concentrated at the surface of the material being treated. Even though the unit produces very high output temperature, the lamp’s handles and sides remain cool to the touch for safe operation and prolonged lamp life. The Vulcan ADU has three modes of operation. 1) Manual: Pulling the trigger will produce whatever level of power the technician set until the trigger is released. 2) Automatic: The technician sets both a set point temperature and the power level, and the unit will control to that level while the trigger is pressed. 3) Programmable: The technician can set up to five steps including a specific temperature and how long the Vulcan should stay at that temperature. To learn more contact your local Chief distributor or call (800) 4459262. Chief is also active on Twitter, twitter.com/ChiefAutomotive and Facebook, www.facebook.com/Chief Automotive. For video, visit chiefauto motive.com/video-library.
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parts@dirito.com
www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 63
AASA Hosts Connected Cars Panel at Vision
The Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) held a panel on connected cars and the aftermarket during its annual Vision Conference. The panel discussed the future of vehicle-to-vehicle communications, the independent aftermarket supplier’s role with advanced vehicles and how the diagnostics community can better prepare for these advances. Panelists included: Nat Beuse, associate administrator, Vehicle Safety Research, National Highway Traffic Safety Administra-
tion (NHTSA). Donny Seyfer, AAM, chairman, Automotive Service Association (ASA) and co-owner of Seyfer Automotive Inc. Xavier Mosquet, senior partner and managing director, Boston Consulting Group. David Williams, senior planning manager, Marketing & Strategic Planning, DENSO. Following the panel, Seyfer said, “Emerging vehicle technologies continue to generate a high level of interest from industry leaders and policymakers alike.”
RAND Corp. Report Says Calling Driverless Cars Safer than Human Drivers is Statistically Impossible
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says more than 90 percent of car crashes are caused by human errors such as driving too fast, alcohol impairment, distraction and fatigue. NHTSA officials have said driverless cars could eventually lead to zero traffic fatalities, but RAND’s report calls that impossible given number of miles driven. How safe can autonomous vehicles be, given the statistics? The RAND report answers: “The answer is crucial for developing sound policies to govern their deployment. One proposal to assess safety is to testdrive autonomous vehicles in real traffic, observe their performance, and make statistical comparisons to human driver performance. This approach is logical, but it is practical? In this report, we calculate the number of miles that would need to be driven to provide clear statistical evidence of autonomous vehicle safety. Given that current traffic fatalities and injuries are rare events compared with vehicle miles traveled, we show that fully autonomous vehicles would have to be driven hundreds of millions of miles and sometimes hundreds of billions of miles to demonstrate their safety in terms of fatalities and injuries. Under even aggressive testing assumptions, existing fleets would take tens and sometimes hundreds of years to drive these miles —an impossible proposition if the aim is to demonstrate performance prior to releasing them for consumer use. Our findings demonstrate that developers of this technology and third-party testers cannot simply drive their way to safety. Instead, they will need to develop innovative methods of demonstrating safety and reliability. And yet, it may still not be possible to establish with certainty the safety of autonomous vehicles. Therefore, it is imperative that autonomous vehicle regulations are adaptive—designed from the outset to
evolve with the technology so that society can better harness the benefits and manage the risks of these rapidly evolving and potentially transformative technologies.
Key Findings ● Autonomous vehicles would have to be driven hundreds of millions of miles and sometimes hundreds of billions of miles to demonstrate their reliability in terms of fatalities and injuries. ● Under even aggressive testing assumptions, existing fleets would take tens and sometimes hundreds of years to drive these miles—an impossible proposition if the aim is to demonstrate their performance prior to releasing them on the roads for consumer use. ● Therefore, at least for fatalities and injuries, test-driving alone cannot provide sufficient evidence for demonstrating autonomous vehicle safety. ● Developers of this technology and third-party testers will need to develop innovative methods of demonstrating safety and reliability. ● Even with these methods, it may not be possible to establish with certainty the safety of autonomous vehicles. Uncertainty will remain. ● In parallel to developing new testing methods, it is imperative to develop adaptive regulations that are designed from the outset to evolve with the technology so that society can better harness the benefits and manage the risks of these rapidly evolving and potentially transformative technologies. “Our results show that developers of this technology and third-party testers cannot drive their way to safety,” Nidhi Kalra, co-author of the study and a senior scientist at RAND, said in a statement. “It’s going to be nearly impossible for autonomous vehicles to log enough test-driving miles on the road to statistically demonstrate their safety, when compared to the rate at which injuries and fatalities occur in human-controlled cars and trucks.”
64 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Collision Financial Services Offers 0% Loans
In today’s collision repair industry environment, there is increasing pressure for customers to bear a greater financial burden for collision repair services. After-insurance deductibles, short-pays, balance billing and uninsured events are creating customer responsibilities that can easily reach into the thousands of dollars. “Payment arrangements are growing exponentially and maintaining these arrangements are no longer cost effective for collision repair facilities.” – Jeff Steigerwald, CPACollision Financial Services Payment Plans are designed to be an integral part of a collision center’s overall collection process. They work in concert with each shop’s current payment alternatives and business office operations. CFS customized programs relieve financing burdens and the billing and collecting effort of customer payable balances. CFS programs are offered to any customer identified by a CFS shop client as having the willingness and ability to pay, but needing additional time to do so.
● 0% Vehicle Repair Loans up to $2500.00 ● No credit check – guaranteed credit
approval ● Affordable payments - up to 2 year payment plans ● No pre-payment penalties CFS will fully assume the management of your current and future in-house customer payment plans. This option allows bodyshops to generate an immediate influx of cash while CFS takes over the dayto-day billing, collection and customer interaction for these plans. There is an increase in customers’ out-of-pocket expense and an increased burden on collision centers to offer customers creative payment alternatives. Today’s leading collision business focusing on increasing profits need to work with a creative partner to offer multiple payment options to their customers, including longer term payment plans. CFS provides a superior system to manage and collect the customer pay portion of collision repair bills. CFS’s system creates customer focused payment plans that are implemented while measurably improving a collision center’s collection performance. For more information, please visit www.info@collisionfinancial services.com
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Subaru of Glendale Glendale (818) 550-1500 (818) 549-3850 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 8-4 parts@glendalemitsu.com www.subaruofglendale.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
Phoenix (866) 641-9880 (602) 776-6407 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 8-4 wholesaleparts@camelbackdifference.com
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
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San Bernardino (909) 888-8686 (909) 571-5483 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-5 parts@lovesubaruparts.com www.sbsubaru.com www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 65
Five OEM Representatives Explain OEM Certification at NORTHEAST 2016 with solid, quality parts, and we want to educate consumers to make the right On Saturday, March 19 at NORTHdecision.” EAST 2016 in Secaucus, NJ, Aaron American Honda’s Gary Ledoux Clark of Assured Performance Netagreed that technological advancework moderated “Body Certification ments in vehicles require additional and You: An OEM Panel Discussion.” training and specific tools to ensure a The panel shared information proper repair. In March 2015, Honda about each OEM’s requirements and launched their ProFirst network of goals in addition to answering attenOEM-certified shops, and halfway dees’ questions. It was comprised of through their two-year build, they have representatives from five different auadded over 500 shops to their network tomotive manufacturers: Mark Manso far. dle from Ford, Brian Wayne of “If you think things are intense Chrysler, American Honda’s Gary now, stay with us because it’s going to Ledoux, Mark Zoba from Nissan, and get more intense,” Ledoux predicted. Audi’s Mark Allen. When Chrysler saw a reduction Each OEM representative began in dealerships- less than 5 percent conwith a brief explanation of the com- taining a working body shop-Wayne pany’s certification program. said the OEM created their First, Allen explained that certification program to since Audi began using difdrive business to certified ferent materials in 2007, shops through the use of such as aluminum and hightheir Mopar companion app. strength steel, they realized He said they have a great they needed a network of partnership with the nearly shops that have been trained 1500 shops on their program, Gary Ledoux of to properly repair their vehibut Chrysler is still seeking American Honda cles and have access to the to expand their network. necessary tools to do so. They have a real need to see “vehicles Since then, they have developed a returned to the customer in as close to network of 167 certified shops. pre-accident condition as possible. Allen said, “It’s not about wholeWhen customers have issues with saling parts; it’s about taking care of their repairs, 60 percent of them trade our customers and ensuring that their their vehicle within a year, and 63% vehicles are repaired the right way. of those trades see a change in brands, This evolution is because of the mateso our goal is customer retention.” rials we use so this is why we recomFord also identified a clear need mend specific equipment and tools, for OEM-certified shops. According and we also provide training for techto Mandl, “The F-150 is the top-sellnicians, adding new courses as things ing vehicle in the U.S., so we need a change.” network who is able to perform a Next, Zoba said Nissan discovhigh-quality repair of this aluminumered that directing vehicle owners to intensive vehicle. Ford strives to suptheir insurance companies, rather than port our customers, and that support taking part in repairing the vehicles, shouldn’t stop when they’re in an acimpacted owner retention. Nissan reccident; we want to develop happier ognized a need to take a more active customers who will stick with our role in the repair process, so they apbrand, and in order to do that, we also proached 1100 shops to create a nahave to support the shops on our protional network geared at customer gram with the necessary training. service and retention by educating the We’ve developed a significant footshops and ensuring they possess the print of Ford-certified shops, and our proper tools and equipment. network is continuing to grow.” According to Zoba, “Since the inObserving that the OEMs seem to surance companies don’t care about share a common theme of customer our brands, we want to make sure the service and retention, Clark noted that collision repair industry is aligned in insurance companies are always conour common goal to take care of the cerned with protecting their interests, customer and their vehicle to ensure it’s but OEMs and body shops share the repaired properly. Although our initiasame concern. He asked the panel to tive isn’t about parts sales, we do beelaborate on the difference between the lieve that a solid, quality repair begins OEMs’ and insurers’ outlooks. by Chasidy Rae Sisk
66 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Mandle responded first, stressing that the consumer is at the center of Ford’s decisions. “It’s all about the customer’s experience. Shops are essentially rebuilding our vehicles one at a
Aaron Clark of Assured Performance moderated
time so we’re asking them to make an investment in the proper repair strategy. The insurer, OEM and shop need to try to come together to make the best possible decisions in order to provide good customer service to our mutual customers.” Zoba agreed that “it all comes back to the customer. We can go down the same path or take the path of making sure each vehicle is repaired right. We are helping the collision repair industry find a different perspective, and
together, we can make sure the customer is getting a fair shake and their vehicle is repaired as it should be so everyone within the process can continue to do the right thing.” Honda has ten marketing managers across the country whose goal, according to Ledoux, is to recruit shops and help them reach the right level of repairs. He stated, “We are working with these businesses to bridge the gap between Honda and the shops so our customers get their vehicles repaired right the first time.” Zoba added that Nissan does a lot of marketing with vehicle owners after a sale, promoting the use of their certified shops in the event of an accident. In addition to encouraging their dealerships to create stronger tie-ins, Nissan created a tool to direct customers to certified shops with market allocations designed to ensure the consumer has a positive experience. In order to make sure their customers understand the importance of a proper repair, Ford has undertaken the challenge of addressing this concern See OEM Certification, Page 68
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www.autobodynews.com | MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS 67
with the consumer from the time of purchase. Mandle stated, “It’s important for them to see this message on an ongoing basis so we’ve adopted our ‘always-on’ strategy to encourage dialogue.” Wayne also concurred on the challenges of providing necessary information to consumers, while Ledoux noted that Honda has employed a variety of tactics designed to encourage customers to visit certified shops, including inserts, mailers and social media. Honda also directs customers to their consumer-driven website, collision.honda.com, where they can learn more. Audi has also enjoyed some success with social media campaigns, and Allen states, “We’re trying to get the word out and really make a point that it’s not about shiny paint anymore - it’s a health and public safety issue.” As Clark directed the conversation to the cost of becoming certified and the training required, each OEM explained some of their requirements. Ford and Chrysler each require certified shops to be I-CAR Gold Class and to take a few manufacturer-specific costs. All of the OEMs strive to reduce costs by utilizing common industry designations, and in regards to equipment, many of their
required tools overlap with what is required by the other OEMs. Clark foresees more OEM-specific I-CAR classes being added to those prerequisites as time progresses. When asked about parts requirements and restrictions, Allen noted that Audi restricts certain structural parts because of “the high level of technical competency required to replace those parts.” Honda, Ford and Chrysler have no parts restrictions as they are trying to make it easier to obtain parts. Although Nissan currently doesn’t have any restrictions on parts, Zoba noted that they are revamping the program, and he is uncertain what the future may hold in this regard. Nissan also offers pricing incentives through OPS Track Tools, and they offer a rewards program for rebates and discounts. Zoba said, “We do our best to balance and maintain the overall cost of the repair.” Next, Clark asked about certified shops’ ability to use the OEMs’ logos to advertise their affiliation. Due to legalities, certified shops cannot use an OEM’s logo; however, each manufacturer recognizes the value for shops, so they have all developed alternate
NABR Launches VRS Labor Rate Survey in HI
In March, NABR announced the launch of the Honolulu VRS Labor Rate Survey, sponsored by the Automotive Body & Painting Association of Hawaii (ABPAH). The online survey is free for all Hawaii collision repairers and can be found at https://www.surveymonkey .com/r/hivrssurvey2 The VRS Labor Rate Survey provides collision repairers with an independent, third-party, trusted survey of labor rate data for all of Honolulu County (the island of Oahu). The VRS reports the true, market-based labor rate ranges throughout the area, based on shops’ actual prices, not on an artificially defined single prevailing rate for all shops. “The insurance industry has always reimbursed customers for the ‘prevailing’ or average shop rate,” said Van Takemoto, ABPAH board member and owner of Island Fender in Honolulu. “But with today’s complex vehicles, you need shops that have invested in the equipment and technical training to become certified repairers. These are not average shops, they are best-in-class repair facilities.” “All collision repairers are not alike,” said Sam Valenzuela, president of NABR. “Shops that make
huge investments in training, certifications, and state-of-the-art equipment deserve to get paid accordingly with sufficiently profitable labor rates. The VRS reveals that market prices for high-line collision repair facilities are higher than other facilities that don’t make these investments. In addition, other repairers who aspire to become better trained, certified, and equipped are now more enabled to do so, because the VRS can help them earn the rates and ROI they need to grow and prosper.” Hawaii is the 15th state to launch the VRS Labor Rate Survey, joining other states currently running the VRS Survey including Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Utah. Any collision repair owner or general manager may request a free, no-obligation demo of the VRS, to see firsthand how the system can help them charge and collect sufficiently profitable labor rates and get paid for more not-included procedures. For information, contact Valenzuela at 602-466-1900 / Sam@National AutoBodyResearch.com or visit www .NationalAutoBodyResearch.com.
68 MAY 2016 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
logos for certified shops to use as a way of promoting their capabilities and demonstrating that they’ve received the manufacturer’s approval. Nissan and Honda have developed specific logos for their certified shops, while Ford and Chrysler are working on this initiative. While Audi doesn’t allow branding on the outside of a shop, they offer plaques for display on the interior which can be used within specific parameters. The OEMs are seeking additional ways to help their certified shops advertise as well, mostly through promoting consumer awareness. Ford’s website was recently updated with shop locations and information about OEM v. aftermarket parts. Mandl stated, “We want to help consumers understand the difference between original and imitation parts so we are arming them with the information they need to make an informed decision.” Nissan has also developed a website to educate consumers on their rights. Zoba informed attendees that Nissan also plans to launch a new consumer app soon with the intention of providing the customer with the information they need when they need it.
“We don’t know when they may be in an accident so we’re hitting them constantly with awareness marketing in hopes that they’ll remember it after an accident occurs. All of the OEM representatives agreed that they choose shops for their certified programs based on the desire to improve the customer’s experience and retention. However, Allen pointed out, “We are going to market our certified shops, but we won’t engage in steering so it doesn’t necessarily mean our shops will get the work. We will market the correct shops and try to educate our customers, but ultimately, it’s the consumer who will decide which shop repairs their vehicle.” Nissan has developed a shop marketing tool that certified shops can purchase to market to their local customer database. Zoba said they are “trying to make it as easy as possible for shops to market to vehicle owners in their areas.” Although the OEMs plan to assist shops with marketing endeavors, they warned attendees not to rely on the OEMs to get more business and encouraged them to think outside the box when it comes to marketing their own shops.
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When questioned about insurers’ desire to use cheaper aftermarket parts in repairs, the panel stressed their desire to restore their customers’ vehicles to the safest possible condition. Conversation continued with information about how shops can get sponsored to become OEM-certified, the value of OEMs joining the Assured Performance Network, and equipment requirements. All of the OEMs claim that, rather than mandating the use of specific tools and equipment, they are attempting to set parameters for what is required to eliminate redundancies by creating synergies across the brands. Allen pointed out that the OEMs can’t guarantee that their certified shops will perform proper repairs and suggested, “Some of the answers need to come from within.” In closing, Clark reminded the collision repair professionals in attendance: “It is the moral obligation of the shop to repair each vehicle safely or to decide not to engage in a repair if they are not properly trained and equipped.”
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SCRS Board of Directors Meeting Held
On April 19, SCRS held an open board meeting in Seattle, Washington. The meeting was open to everyone wishing to learn more about the current state of the association’s activities and pressing industry topics. Attendees were not required to be a member of SCRS to participate. In addition to the regular committee reports, and updates of ongoing work SCRS is engaged in on behalf of its membership, the agenda featured another live education committee presentation led by committee chairman, Kye Yeung. The topic focused on understanding and identifying how energy flows through modern-day vehicles during a collision. Identifying structural misalignments and related damages as a result of energy transfer is a key component to restoring a vehicle to its pre-loss condition and a contributing factor in many post-repair inspections. Immediately following the meeting, SCRS invited active members of the association to cast their votes in the board of directors annual election process. As Autobody News went to press, there were four open board seats. Check autobodynews.com to find out the results.
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NHTSA Won’t Consider Takata Impact in Recalls
The chief U.S. auto safety agency says Takata’s share price has plunged it won’t take Takata Corp.’s financial 49 percent this year. viability into account when it decides Automakers including Honda whether to expand further the largest- Motor Co. have recalled more than 19 ever auto safety recall, Bloomberg million vehicles equipped with Takata news has reported. airbags, the largest automotive safety The National Highway Traffic recall in U.S. history. The airbag inflaSafety Administration will focus solely tors can explode, sending shrapnel into on safety, as it must under U.S. law, the the passenger compartment. More than agency said in a statement. 7.5 million inflators have been replaced, NHTSA is reviewing the findings including 5.4 million by Honda, acof three investigations into Takata’s cording to the agency. airbag ruptures while the recalls are under NHTSA has said Takata airbag inway, it said. Those probes attempted to flators have caused nine fatalities in the determine the root cause of the airbag U.S. by rupturing and spraying plastic failures, and the review could be the basis and metal shards at motorists. The regfor future decisions related to the recalls. ulator is investigating all Takata infla“NHTSA makes recall determina- tors that use a chemical propellant that’s tions based on safety, and safety alone,” been banned from future models and is agency spokesman Bryan Thomas said giving the company until as long as the in the statement. “The agency will take end of 2019 to determine the root cause all appropriate actions to make sure of the flaw or prove the inflators are airbags in Americans’ vehicles are safe.” safe. Takata’s costs could add up to Moisture seeping into Takata’s in$24 billion, according to a person fa- flators was determined to be the reason miliar with the matter, or four times Takata airbags have ruptured by Orbital more than Tokyo-based company’s ATK, a researcher hired by a coalition annual revenue. The figure is about $7 of automakers that announced its findbillion more than Jefferies Group LLC ings last month. Challenges with deterestimated in a February report. Takata mining root cause of the rupture issue Promote your with have held back automakers and the supsaid in a statement it’s business still investigatanroot exclusive featuring plier from deciding how the companies ing the cause andarticle can’t accurately projectyour its final costs. or services. will divvy costs. products
Sherwin-Williams’ New Custom & Restoration Websites
Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Call for recently launched twodetails! new websites focused on their color expertise within the custom800-699-8251 and restoration market segments, according to a company press release. These websites give the public an inside look at industry partnerships, visuals of color, and application tips designed to improve a technician’s knowledge.
Sherwin-Williams classic “Speed Shapes” that continually rotates to showcase how the color changes as a vehicle travels through different light. This website provides search and Mail Subscription customization features that allow users to pinpoint the exact color code desired. To advertise To inspire sharing pictures of call Advertising Sales at: cars, Sherwin-Williams also created a Killer Paint Job gallery. This gallery 800-699-8251 allows users to submit pice-mail: Order Genuine Mazda Parts from these Parts Specialists in your area tures and details of their Register Your Email for Our advertising@autobodynews.com Sherwin-Williams-painted vehicles. They are then www.autobodynews.com showcased on the site and are searchable with the associated color. The second new website SO. CALIFORNIA NO. CALIFORNIA launched was an entirely new featured section of the Sherwin-Williams launched a Color Visualizer website Galpin Mazda Mazda Vacaville sherwin-automotive.com as well as a Custom & Restoration website Van Nuys Vacaville website. The Custom & Register Your Email for Our 818-778-2005 707-222-4308 The first new website launched Restoration website (http://www Be Seen Our Readers! Faxby 818-778-2090 Fax 707-222-4309 4 Times Monthly was an online Color Visualizer (http: .sherwin-automotive.com/custom E-Newsletter www.galpin.com //sw-rodandrestocustomcolor.com/). vrestoration/) now features details CALL Advertising Sales at: M-F 7:30-5:30 Following the success of the Rod & about exclusive Sherwin-Williams info@mazdavacaville.com Restoration Color Collection, which color programs and gives behind-thewww.mazdavacaville.com was introduced in 2014, Sherwin- scenes insights from their media cenadvertising@autobodynews.com Williams took the 200+ colors within ter. Within the media center, they the collection and created one of the document step-by-step details of www.autobodynews.com industry’s first color tools, mimicking project vehicles they sponsor as well as blog-like articles answering some the movement of a vehicle. Each color was applied to one of of the most sought after questions.
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Recap of Mitchell Industry Trends Report: The High Cost of High Tech Mitchell recently released its first quarterly Industry Trends Report of 2016. The focus was on “The High Cost of High Tech.” Author Greg Horn analyzed repair cost inflation rates as reflected by total loss frequency, rising insurance rates and repair order costs. The following is an excerpt from the webinar Q&A. The full recording can be found on www.autobodynews .com.
Do you think crushed metals salvage value can hit rock bottom, and if so, will they rebound? When we talk about the bottom and crushed metal, salvage values are at a 10-year low, about $60 per ton. And that is influenced primarily because of the recession we’re experiencing in China. China was taking a lot of our scrap. That was the biggest market and that is down and it’s really dried up the shipping of crushed metal overseas. If you’re an insurance company, you’re seeing a big decrease in the overall salvage crisis. That’s because the bottom has really dropped out. When key currencies like the Chinese Yuan and Euro rebound against the U.S. Dollar, we will begin to see salvage values rise.
What will Bluetooth keys and a cellphone do to salvage values? Brilliant question. Yeah, I think what will happen is you’re going to have to have some sort of a valet key in order to be fully functional. Because, again, I think what we have is a problem with
The interesting thing is if you look at the 2016 Volvo S60 Inscription, that is actually fully assembled in China now so that is really the first Volvo to come in from China. And the smaller size Buick SUV is now officially coming in the spring of this year, so those are
the Bluetooth app. Again the phone dies or you lose your phone or what have you, there’s going to have to be some sort of fully functional valet key or fully functional fob that you would have to sell with the vehicle.
two of the first Chinese vehicles. The Volvo is here and the Buick is coming in the next few months.
What’s the percentage of total loss vehicles compared to all estimates written? It is right around 16% to 16.5% in the U.S. across all estimates written. And that is increasing as we see a softening of the actual cash value of the vehicles being appraised. Any update on the Chinese vehicles coming here?
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Do you anticipate more auto manufacturers will move to highstrength steel similar to what we’ve seen on the Honda Civic? Absolutely. As we are in our first year of the new CAFE standards, 2016 was the standard that passenger cars have to achieve 39 miles per gallon, or the car manufacturer has to pay fines back to the federal government. We’re going to see common, high-volume cars get these types of high-strength steels in them that will definitely add to repair costs overall.
Are Honda Civic rockers high strength steel also? Yes. If you look at the roof and the B pillar, you can see that those are ultrahigh-strength steel. And then you look at where the B pillar goes into the center rocker, which they are not an ultrahigh strength but high-strength steel. So there are some requirements when you come to applying heat to the lower part where the B pillar meets the center rocker. So while the 1,500 MPa hot stand has to be replaced in its entirety, there are straightening and heat application limits on the 550 and 650 MPa steel as well. So it’s going to be a complicated repair. It’s absolutely imperative that a collision repairer refer to Mitchell TechAdvisor to make sure that they’re doing repair in accordance with the Honda technical bulletins. That is a great add on to your RepairCenter or WorkCenter Appraisal system because while you’re in the estimate you don’t have to leave the estimate to get out and look up the repair procedures. You can just right click and refer to the full repair procedures for that piece while you’re in the estimate. See more at: http://www.mitchell .com/news/id/1382#sthash.Onv9Cg2t .dpuf
Farmers Insurance Launches All-New Claims Filing to Maximize Ease of Use for Customers Nationwide
Farmers Insurance®, one of the nation’s largest multiline insurer groups, has announced the launch of the company’s all-new Enterprise First Notice of Loss (EFNOL) system to provide customers with a single platform to
for our customers and agents,” said Keith Daly, chief claims officer for Farmers Insurance. “EFNOL reinforces our commitment to investing in new technology to enhance our customer experience and makes it much
more easily capture new loss information and advance the claims process. By accessing EFNOL through Farmers.com, Farmers Personal Lines customers can now report a loss and schedule needed services such as rentals, emergency services, and more. When the loss reporting process concludes, the system delivers a summary of key information, including selected repair facilities, the assigned claims representative’s contact information, and any scheduled services, to the customer’s computer or mobile device. Customers also can work with their local Farmers Insurance agent to access EFNOL together to report a claim. “The new platform is a big win
easier for customers to report a claim and have up-to-the-minute insight into the progress of their settlement.” Designed with customer-ease top-of-mind, the EFNOL platform provides a streamlined process for customers who want to keep their agent involved in the claim process or who are looking for a self-service option through Farmers.com. For Farmers agents, the new platform allows them to easily report a loss, secure pertinent loss details, and help set up services for Farmers customers. For more information about Farmers Insurance, visit Farmers .com, Twitter and Instagram, @We AreFarmers, or Facebook.com/ FarmersInsurance.
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