Western December 2014 Issue by Autobody News

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VOL. 32 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2014

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Final 2014 CIC Meeting Includes GM Parts Pricing Announcement, Human Resources Quiz by John Yoswick

The biggest collision industry news during SEMA week in Las Vegas last month got all of five minutes at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC). Kris Mayer of General Motors took no questions at CIC after the automaker’s announcement that week that it would be discontinuing the publication of list prices for crash parts, in favor of MyPriceLink.com, a new, online and real-time pricing system that would always quote “competitive prices.” Coming just three weeks before the change was initially going to go into ef-

fect, the announcement stunned many dealers, shops and insurers. “We know it’s disruptive. We are taking that into account. We know what those disruptive points are,” Mayer said at CIC. “Every single workflow disruption that we’ve come across we have a possible

Kris Mayer of General Motors announces that the company will be discontinuing the publication of list prices for crash parts. Photo credit: John Yoswick

See Final 2014 CIC Meeting, Page 24

Pro Spot Gives Autobody News a Facility Tour by Stacey Phillips and Victoria Antonelli

Ashley Olsson, the company’s Director of Communications, conducts a tour of the Pro Spot plant floor

but to show that with the right equipment, training, and attention to detail, anyone can become competent at welding. See sidebars. Our Pro Spot tour began with a See Pro Spot Shines, Page 48

Change Service Requested

P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018

Autobody News reported in our November issue that the Ford Motor Company Rotunda Program has recognized Pro Spot International for being their 2014 Supplier of the Year. Our editorial staff recently toured the 45,000 square foot facility in Carlsbad, CA, to learn more about the innovative products and equipment Pro Spot is developing, particularly in preparation for the new 2015 Ford F150 aluminum body truck now being produced. We were joined by Toby Chess, who took the opportunity to give the two newest editorial team members a lesson in welding. Toby’s intent was not to create expert welders

GM Pauses MyPriceLink.com Implementation General Motors announced on Nov. 10 that it had paused its MyPriceLink.com program that was launched a week earlier. See other cover story this issue. According to GM, the decision was based on industry feedback to enhance and streamline the workflow for all collision industry partners. MyPriceLink.com is a free automated “real-time” pricing program that will provide Genuine GM collision parts to the market that are competitively priced “upfront” at the initial repair estimate. The company said the repair facilities will have access to Genuine GM Parts at the best available price and in timely manner. “For our GM dealers to be more competitive in the estimate writing process, we are going on the offensive with our collision parts pricing. Our objective is to quote the most competitive OEM list price the first time, reducing supplements and adjustments, while at the same time improving cycle time for repairers, insurers and ultimately the customer,” said Kris Mayer, General Director,

Wholesale Dealer Channel. GM said it has received overwhelming interest and support for its best price forward pricing strategy from all constituents throughout the collision repair industry. By providing the price up front in the estimating process, GM said it can continue to focus on helping the See MyPriceLink.com Paused, Page 13

Special ppec ecial eciiaal Coverage

Pages: 10, 12, 20, 26, 29, 40, 44, 46, 47, 51, and 58

More Lawsuits Filed in Additional States Against Nation’s Top Insurers by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor

Nearly 500 collision repair shops across the country have now joined the antitrust Multi-District Litigation originally filed by five states in April against the nation’s top insurers. Over the past month lawsuits have been filed against insurance companies in the additional states as part of “The Movement” by body shops to take back control of the industry. Recent reports have stated that body shops in at least 35 states turned in paperwork by the Oct. 31 deadline. When Autobody News contacted lead attorney John Eaves, Jr. to learn the results of the most recent court hearing scheduled on Nov. 14 in Orlando, he reported that the judge took the hearing under advisement. “This whole thing is not about us body shops. This is about the con-

sumer,” said Ron Perretta, owner of Professionals Autobody Body in Pennsylvania. As an active participant in “The Movement,” he said, “What this is doing is it’s not allowing the body shop to fix consumers’ cars properly. This isn’t about us.” Perretta and Tony Passwater, Executive Director of the Indiana Autobody Association and President of AEII Consulting Services, have traveled across the country talking to shops and helping them understand “The Movement.” “We believe that direct repair needs to stop. Direct repair is nothing more than something that was formed to be able to control our industry,” said Perretta. “The direct repair was not formed to make it easier, better, quicker for the consumer.” See MDL and Insurers, Page 13

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Contents Collision Repair Trends Report . . . . . . . . . . 60

Alleged Staged Auto Accident Ring Busted

BASF Glasurit and R-M Paint Earn Awards

Art Morse Auto Repair Expands Operations

CarMax Returns to AutoTrader & Cars.com. . . 12

Attanasio - CAA Gets a New Web Site with

Creating Engaging Consumer Videos

in Arizona. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 in Battle Ground, Washington . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 More Features and Better Navigation. . . . . . 54

at SEMA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

CCC’s Parts Shopping through CCC ONE® Touch. 60 for Marketing with Kristen Felder. . . . . . . . . 47

Attanasio - Car Giveaways Become Regular

Creative Productions Launches Automotive

Attanasio - Utah Auto Body Association

Final 2014 CIC Meeting Includes GM Parts Pricing

Caliber Collision Adds CA & Exceeds

Ford, Chrysler, and GM Approve DeBeer

Monthly Events at G&C Auto Body . . . . . . . 34 Hosts its First-Ever Trade Show . . . . . . . . . 36 200 Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Franklin - CAA Glendale/Foothill Chapter

Meeting Hosts Mike and Mike . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Gerber Opens New Repair Location in WA . . . . 4 Kadel’s Auto Body Announces the Addition

of Two Shops in Treasure Valley, ID. . . . . . . 10

Repair Technology at SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Announcement, Human Resources Quiz . . . . . . 1 Refinish Waterbase 900+ Series by

Valspar Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Four Collision Schools Awarded GEICO Grants . 30 GCIA Met on DEG; Plans Golf Tournament

October 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Gerber Opens First Repair Location in Idaho . . . 9

LARTE Design Debuts Four Custom

GM Pauses MyPriceLink.com Implementation. . 1

Pro Spot Gives Autobody News a Facility Tour . . 1

Honda Owners Can Request New

Infinitis at SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Sisk - An Educational October for ASA-AZ . . . 56

Hertz Introduces New Web-based HIRS Tool. . 54 Airbags Without Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Whittier, CA, City Council Split on Contract

IGA & SCRS Partnership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

COLUMNS

Insurance Review for Transportation Companies . 9

Franklin - “Inventing the Next 40 Years of Collision

Repair” — The Guild 21 Conference Call . . 16

Industry Looks to Plant DNA to Solve

Scrap Metal Theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Leading Edge Auto Refinishes Merges

with WESCO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Franklin - Autobody Associations—A Great

Military Family of Seven Receives

Luehr - Competing with MSO Consolidation . . 28

More Lawsuits Filed in Additional States

Source of Marketing Information. . . . . . . . . 30

Sisk - CARA Held Estimating Seminar

Van from CARSTAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Against Nation’s Top Insurers . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

on October 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Muñoz Waxman Gallery Art Based

Internet, 2-Way Estimating, Steering Suits. . 38

NAPA/Martin Senour Unveil Custom

Plenty of Focus on Aluminum Repair . . . . . 44

O’Reilly Automotive Reports Record-Breaking

Yoswick - Prevailing Practices, Doing Business on Yoswick - SCRS OEM Technology Event Includes NATIONAL

‘Departmental Quality Control Can Prevent

Incorrect Repairs’ Says Larry Montanez

in SCRS RDE Seminar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

3M™ Automotive Offers Products and

Indexof Advertisers

Renewal with Hadley Tow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

on Collision Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

1966 Mustang at SEMA 2014. . . . . . . . . . . 58 3Q Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

PPG Launches New Clearcoat and Latest

Branded Image. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Rotary Lift Debuted Wheel Wing™

Tire Hanger at SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Safelite Renews Annual Contribution to CREF . . 59

Processes for Aluminum Repair . . . . . . . . . 27

SEMA 2014 Entertains, Informs and

AutoLink™ Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Service King Raises $112,000 for Breast Cancer . 3

ACD Adds Collision Select to

Acura TLX Earns Top Safety Pick+ Award . . . 60

AkzoNobel Hosts 4th Annual Sustainability

Wows the Crowd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Sherwin-Williams Donates $170,000

in Products to CREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Symposium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Sisk - LaCIA October Meeting Features

Cars at Annual SEMA Luncheon . . . . . . . . . 26

Steeling Yourself for Changes—New High-Strength

Attanasio - NABC Gives Away Four

Attanasio - New Product Showcase

Winners a Big Hit at SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Attanasio - WD-40/PowerNation Jeep

Debuts at SEMA 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Auto Care Association Releases 2014 Digital

Service King Collision Repair Centers and its teammates raised more than $112,000 in support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc.® (NBCF) during the month of October. Service King pledged to match teammate donations to NBCF during its National Breast Cancer Awareness Month initiative. In an overwhelming and inspiring response, teammates from across the country rallied to raise $56,000 to support the cause. “The response from our teammates was truly inspirational,” said Chris Abraham, Service King CEO. “Breast cancer touches countless lives in so many ways. We are honored to come together as a family and raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation and its mission to raise awareness and find a cure.” Throughout the month of October, Service King encouraged teammates at its locations nationwide to raise awareness by wearing Eliminate Breast Cancer t-shirts and pink wristbands. Service King also shared messages of hope with its customers by including pink warranty packages

Guest Speaker Mike Anderson . . . . . . . . . . 42

Steel Poses Additional Challenges

According to 3M™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Two CARSTAR Owners Team Up for

New Location in Washington State . . . . . . . . 4

and mirror hangers in each vehicle repaired. Additionally, Service King honored its teammates who had personally been affected by breast cancer through its “Faces of Breast Cancer” series, hosted on its social media platforms and new blog, The Service Advisor. “Service King’s dedication and support of our mission to help women now has truly been inspiring,” says NBCF Co-Founder & CEO, Janelle Hail. “The funds raised by Service King will help us provide thousands of free early detection services for women in all 50 states.” Service King and the NBCF’s efforts focused primarily on raising early detection awareness. The funds raised will help the NBCF provide education and support services, as well as early detection services through the National Mammography Program, which offers free diagnostic screenings to under-served women across the country. To learn more about Service King and NBCF’s partnership during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, visit The Service Advisor.

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

Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . .50 Automotive ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 AutoNation Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam-FIAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 AutoNation Chrysler-Jeep-DodgeRam of North Phoenix . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 BMW MINI of Escondido . . . . . . . . . . . .29 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . .57 Bob Smith BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Bob Smith MINI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Capitol Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Car-Part.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Cerritos Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram . . .22 Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Colortone Automotive Paints . . . . . . . . .20 Courtesy Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 DCH Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram . . . . . . .8 DCH Kia of Temecula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Del Grande Dealer Group . . . . . . . . .14-15 Dent Magic Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Downtown Motors of LA (Audi, VW, Porsche) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Earnhardt Buick-GMC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 East Bay BMW-MINI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Eco Repair Systems of North America, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Elk Grove Toyota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Enterprise Rent-A-Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers AZ, CA, NV & UT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Galpin Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Glenn E. Thomas Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep .17 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . .59

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. ©2014 Adamantine Media LLC. Autobody News P.O. Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com Email: news@autobodynews.com

Western

REGIONAL

Service King Raises $112,000 for Breast Cancer

Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32-33 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . .54 Innovative Tools & Technology, Inc. . . .12 Kearny Mesa Subaru-Hyundai . . . . . . .47 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . .61 LKQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Los Gatos Luxury Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Maita Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Mark Kia-Mitsubishi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . .58 Mercedes-Benz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . .56 Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . .52 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . .37 Moss Bros. Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge . . . . . .7 Mossy BMW of Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Mossy Volkswagen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Puente Hills Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Replica Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Riverside Metro VW-Honda-HyundaiNissan-Mazda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Sacramento Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 SATA Spray Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Shingle Springs Nissan-Subaru . . . . . .27 Sierra Chevrolet-Honda-MazdaSubaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Sonnen BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . .53 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . .58 Valspar Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . .51 Volvo Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . .60

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 3

Alleged Staged Auto Accident Ring Busted in Arizona The owner of a Phoenix auto body shop and another man were arrested on Nov. 6, accused of staging auto accidents and collecting on fraudulent insurance claims. Guillermo “Willie” Altamirano, 33, owner of Champion Auto Body in Phoenix, AZ was a key member of an organized crime syndicate that staged crashes to collect at least $200,000 in fraudulent claims. The group relied on forged drivers’ licenses from Mexico and Guatemala, as well as disposable cell phones and prepaid credit cards, to purchase auto insurance under fictitious names. Acting on a tip from State Farm Insurance, an undercover operation began in April at the 1536 West Broadway auto body shop. Arizona Department of Insurance agents took an undercover vehicle into the shop for collision-related repairs. Agents had a pretext policy on the vehicle, which Guillermo “Willie” was supplied for Altamirano, owner the investigation by of Champion Auto Farmers Insurance Body in Phoenix, AZ and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Altamirano took over the claim on the vehicle and allegedly caused additional damages to the

vehicle to offset the deductible on the policy. Farmers Insurance issued a check for $3,625.83 under the name of Champion Auto Body, as well as the name used by the undercover agent whose signature was forged when the check was cashed. In another incident, Altamirano, using a fictitious Mexico driver’s license under the name of Victor Delgadillo, filed a hit and run claim with State Farm. He reported that his vehicle, a 1988 Volvo, was damaged by a hit and run driver while it was parked at the YMCA parking lot at 67th Avenue and Campbell. State Farm paid Champion Auto Body and Victor Delgadillo $4,122.23 on the claim. Altamirano was charged with conspiracy, assisting a criminal syndicate, fraud schemes, theft and forgery. Also arrested was Rigoberto Lara-Corral, 48, the suspected ringleader of the operation, who was arrested on six counts ranging from conspiracy and participating in a criminal syndicate to forgery and identity theft. Lara-Corral is accused of conspiring with others to submit fraudulent insurance vehicle claims against several companies. He is accused of supplying vehicles, fraudulent Mexico drivers’ licenses, prepaid credit cards, prepaid cell phones and forged Arizona motor vehicle titles. Lara-Corral, an

undocumented Mexican National, is in the U.S. illegally awaiting a deportation hearing. A third man, Juan Alejandro Villa, 25, was arrested Sept. 24th for his participation in the ring, which included filing at least five false claims worth nearly $20,000. The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected. Officers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Phoenix Police Department assisted Rigoberto Larain the arrests, which Corral, the alleged occurred early in the ringleader of the morning on Nov. 6 operation at two locations. Both State Farm and Farmers Insurance cooperated in the investigation. Arizona Insurance Director Germaine Marks praised her investigators and those who assisted them. “It took months of intense investigation by our agents, as well as close cooperation between other law enforcement agencies and the insurance companies, to make these arrests,” she said. “I’m very pleased that after everyone’s hard work we were able to shut down this crime ring.”

Gerber Opens New Repair Location in WA

The Boyd Group announced on Nov. 11 the opening of a collision repair location in Seattle, Washington. The location has approximately 7,900 square feet of production space and previously operated under the name Malo’s Auto Body.The Boyd Group operates in 16 U.S. states under the name Gerber Collision & Glass. “We are very pleased to increase our presence in the Seattle market with this center in West Seattle, which is located between our shop at Thorndyke Avenue in Seattle and another in Renton, Washington,” said Tim O’Day, President and COO of the Boyd Group’s U.S. operations. “The convenient location and additional capacity will allow us to better serve our customers and insurance partners in the Seattle area. Our portfolio continues to grow and we are on track to meet our targeted growth rate of 6 to 10 percent through single store additions.” “We are also proud to acquire this location, which has served West Seattle for over 58 years,” O’Day said. “We look forward to becoming part of the community and providing the high-quality service we are known for at all our Gerber repair centers.”

Two CARSTAR Owners Team Up for New Location in Washington State

CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts announced an expansion in Seattle, Washington, with two multi-store operators teaming up for a new location. The new shop is located at 11731 120th Avenue NE, Suite A, in Kirkland, WA, and is a partnership between two well-established collision industry leaders in the Seattle area, Kevin Parsons and Jeff Middleton. Parsons is the owner of three other CARSTAR locations, mainly on the north side of Seattle – ARA CARSTAR Everett in Everett, ARA CARSTAR North in Marysville, and CARSTAR Bothell Auto Rebuild in Bothell. Middleton’s three locations are mainly on the south end of the city – Exhibition Automotive CARSTAR in Kent, Ballard Collision CARSTAR in Seattle, and Complete Collision CARSTAR in Federal Way. This is the first time either of them has opened a shop on the east side, which is a well-populated suburban area. This is also the first time the two have partnered in a new location. CARSTAR said Parsons and Middleton had been having conversations about the challenges of growth and expansion, when the opportunity arose for the pair to purchase an ex-

isting collision repair shop. “This store fell into my lap,” said Parsons. “I knew the owner, and he was ready to get out and contacted me. We put the deal together in about 30 days, so it went very fast.” “We’re both CARSTAR owners in the same business group, and decided it would be advantageous to work together,” said Middleton. “It was financially a no-brainer. The new shop is in an area that has room for growth.” “I have a really good relationship with several insurance companies, and Jeff has a really good relationship with the other insurance companies,” said Parsons. “We figured if we pooled our resources together as we grow, it would be easier to expand.” CARSTAR Northwest Collision Center-Kirkland is a 10,000 square foot, state of the art facility. Part of the appeal to Parsons and Middleton was how well equipped the shop is. It features a paint department that is less than two years old. The paint booth, prep decks and measuring system are all new. Mel Hartley, who was the general manager under the previous owner, will continue to run the shop.

4 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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Whittier, CA, City Council Split on Contract Renewal with Hadley Tow by Peter Fullam, Whittier Daily News

A seemingly routine request for a renewal of Hadley Tow’s contract with the city mushroomed into a contentious debate between two factions of City Council at its Oct. 14 meeting. During the meeting, council discussed the use of lobbyists by Hadley and a list of violations by the towing company put forward by Police Chief Jeff Piper. “The Police Department has had significant concerns with Hadley Tow,” states the memo, which the Daily News obtained through a public records request. The problems with Hadley Tow listed in Piper’s memo include failing to maintain evidence for vehicles that were involved in serious or fatal collisions, intimidating clients to use Hadley’s auto collision center with high tow and storage fees, “hard selling” Hadley’s body shop, and other incidents. The memo said the father of the victim of a fatal collision was allowed to enter the car after it was impounded for evidence, a motorcycle impounded after a serious traffic collision was left out in the rain, and a vehicle involved in a fatal collision was improperly handled while it was being held as evi-

Leading Edge Auto Refinishes Merges with WESCO

Leading Edge Auto Refinishes, headquartered in Tempe, AZ, has joined The WESCO Group, headquartered in Seattle, WA. Servicing Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and Alaska, WESCO is now one of the largest privately-owned paint distributors in America. According to John Rang of Leading Edge, “This partnership allows Leading Edge to maintain our family-owned business roots and retain ownership in the combined companies. The synergies of Leading Edge and WESCO create exciting opportunities for our customers and industry partners.” Roger Howe of WESCO comments, “I’m always interested in strategic growth opportunities and partnering with Leading Edge makes sense because of their vision, integrity, innovation, their competitive culture and an incredible staff. And, they comprise the entire state of Arizona and Las Vegas which establishes a strong WESCO foundation in the Southwest. We welcome Leading Edge to the WESCO family.”

dence. It also included allegations of assaults between Hadley drivers and rival tow companies and numerous citations. On Oct. 26, 2013, an officer “observed a Hadley vehicle parked in a disabled parking space at Circle K, 12603 Beverly Blvd. The vehicle was unoccupied and upon looking inside the vehicle attempting to locate a placard, (the officer) saw an opened can of beer and an empty bottle of hard liquor. He eventually contacted the driver, a Hadley Tow maintenance worker, and verified he not only had a suspended license but an outstanding warrant for DUI,” states Piper’s memo. Towing contracts are typically extended “upon approval of the Chief of Police,” the memo states. In May 2013, the Police Department decided not to extend Hadley’s contract. Mark Hassan, owner of Hadley Tow, acknowledged that there have been some problems in the past. But he said those have been corrected and the company has a zero-tolerance policy, a drug-free workforce of trained employees who are screened before hiring. “In the past, we’ve always done a good job for the city of Whittier, and if any issues arose, we addressed them accordingly, just like any other business,” he said.

GCIA Met on DEG; Plans Golf Tournament October 2

Service King Collision Repair Centers, a multi-state operator of collision repair facilities and one of the fastest growing collision repair companies nationwide, announced on Nov. 17 it has finalized the acquisition of Car West Auto Body, a multishop operator in Northern California. “The acquisition of Car West greatly enhances our platform in the California market,” said Chris Abraham, Service King CEO. “We’re very excited to officially bring this strong and well-run operation on board, and we welcome Car West teammates to the Service King family. We will continue to deliver the Car West and Service King standard of excellent customer service in these communities.” Service King now offers collision repair services to customers in the cities of Dublin, San Jose, Santa Clara, Fremont, Yuba City and Mountain View, CA. These locations currently repair more than 1,800 vehicles a month. With the addition of Car West, Service King now operates a total of 18 collision repair centers across the state of California.

6 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

The company, located at 11819 Hadley St., was founded in 1952 and has more than 75 employees, he said. In February, the memo states, an officer stopped a Hadley Tow vehicle for speeding on Mar Vista Street. The driver said he was trying to get to a call for service from a person locked out of a vehicle. “The Hadley driver banged his fists on the steering wheel in anger as the officer attempted to explain the citation,” said the memo. “The employee then grabbed the citation from the officer and sped away. The officer pointed the radar at the vehicle and determined he was yet again speeding but correctly chose not to initiate another stop.” Those who had lobbied for Hadley’s renewal in the process were later identified as former City Councilman Greg Nordbak and former Executive Director of the Whittier Uptown Association Allan Nakken. Nordbak did not return a call for comment. However, Nakken, who described Nordbak and himself at friends of the Hassan family, defended Hadley, saying it has received letters of citation from the Sheriff’s Department and AAA and operates 24 hours a day. He said Hassan is committed to providing

good service to the city. “He’s being treated like a criminal, and that’s not right,” said Nakken. “It’s a good family.” The issues triggered a lengthy discussion at the Oct. 14 council meeting. “I see a consistent pattern of improper behavior,” said Councilman Owen Newcomer. “I do not see any indication their behavior has changed.” But Councilmen Joe Vinatieri and Fernando Dutra spoke in favor of it. “As a business-friendly city, we need to work with them to see if they can’t fix their issues,” said Dutra. “I think they deserve a second chance.” The renewal request fell short on a 2-2 vote, with Vinatieri and Dutra in favor and Newcomer and Warner opposed. The matter was continued to the Oct. 30 meeting when all five members of the council were present. Autobody News contacted Whittier City Council and learned the matter was postponed until the Dec. 9 meeting. The original link to this article can be found on www.autobodynews.com

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 7

Art Morse Auto Repair Expands Operations in Battle Ground, Washington by Joanna Michaud, thereflector.com

When Art Morse Sr. first started his auto repair business back in 1980, he was working out of a three-bay shop at his place of residence three miles east of Battle Ground. Once he saw the need for an auto repair facility in Battle Ground, however, his dream and business began to grow. “Being a visionary, starting his own business was the first step towards building a future for his family and he could see Battle Ground needed a state of the art auto repair facility,” said Art Morse Jr., who became president of Art Morse Auto Repair, Inc. after his father passed away from cancer in 1998. Morse said that his father purchased two blackberry-covered acres on West Main Street in Battle Ground in 1987. At that time, the only two businesses on that side of town were Rocky’s Pizza and Wayside Market. Over the next four years, Morse’s father put together the plans to build a 10-bay, 5,000square-foot shop on one acre. The business moved into the new building in December 1991. The original building plans for the repair center included using the first two bays as a quick lube and the other eight for auto repair. “Well, needless to say, the business took right off and we outgrew the build-

ing by 1996,” Morse said. “At that point my father decided to build a standalone, four-bay building for the quick lube in 1997 and we moved that portion of the business to gain two extra bays in the main shop for auto repair.” Morse said growth has been constant and steady over the past 23 years, and they have added even more services and have really become a “one-stop shop” for auto repair. Some of those added services include alignments, tires, transmissions, windshields, reflashing network modules, diesel repair and almost any other auto repair service one can think of. After his father passed away, Morse and his mother, Sherry, and his brother, Kevin, continued to run the shop. In 2003, the family built a collision center, Elite Collision & Auto Spa, on the other acre of property. Sherry retired around that time and Morse currently runs the auto repair shop and the quick lube, Battle Ground Quick Lube, while Kevin runs the collision center. Art Morse Auto Repair offers a full range of auto repair, and Morse said if they can’t do it they will sublet it so the customer only has to deal with one shop or person for any given repair. Some of the repairs they most commonly see at the shop include servicing fuel injectors, tune ups and timing belts.

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“Art Morse Auto Repair prides ourselves on staying up to date with technology,” Morse said. “We have the latest diagnostic equipment and we will work on all makes and models of vehicles.” Morse said that he believes their great customer service is what sets Art Morse Auto Repair apart from the competition. “You will be greeted with a smile and we will work hard to deliver same-day repairs,” he said. The repair shop is AAA approved and they also offer a two-year, 25,000mile warranty on repairs. Complimentary shuttle service is also offered to and from the shop, and a loyalty rewards program gives back five percent of the repair cost to be used on future repairs. Morse said they are also an authorized emissions shop. Art Morse Auto Repair offers six months same-as-cash financing and all technicians are ASE certified. Currently, Morse said there are five highly trained techs on staff, and between the quick lube and the shop they have 15 employees. Morse said they are currently running a complimentary winter inspection at the shop that covers 27 different points on the vehicle. The special will continue until Dec. 31. A link to the original article is available at www.autobodynews.com

Caliber Collision Adds CA & Exceeds 200 Locations

Caliber Collision Centers, announced their expansion in California with the acquisition of FCC Collision Centers on November 17. FCC Collision has been an industry leader for more than 35 years in California and has four locations in Silicon Valley. Steve Grimshaw, Caliber Collision CEO announced, “The FCC Collision facilities and management team perfectly complement Caliber’s purpose, vision and mission with the California market. FCC has consistently delivered unparalleled customer satisfaction and industry-leading operational consistency in Silicon Valley for decades. We are very excited to add these new members to the Caliber family.” “We are pleased that Caliber Collision will offer our associates a bright future, with continued involvement in our local communities,” said Adam, Jason and Matt Piper, Owners of FCC Collision. “Our acquisition of FCC Collision increases Caliber’s network to 203 locations as we continue to grow into the collision repair provider of choice in every community we serve,” said Mark Sanders, Caliber Collision Centers’ President and COO.

Insurance Review for Transportation Companies

California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced on Nov. 13 that his department is ready to accept insurance company filings to create new commercial coverage or endorsements to personal auto insurance policies that will provide coverage for Californians who transport passengers for Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) like Uber, Lyft and Sidecar. “In January my department issued a notice to drivers that personal auto insurance policies would not likely cover claims arising from transporting passengers for money,” said Jones. “A new law, while not perfect, requires TNCs to provide coverage or make sure their drivers have coverage during all time periods the TNC application is on. In order to get drivers covered as soon as possible, we are prepared to review new auto insurance coverage for TNC drivers, ahead of the deadlines set by the new law calling for this insurance coverage.” A new law, Assembly Bill 2293, authored by Assembly member Susan Bonilla, encourages insurers to create a new type of insurance coverage for these drivers. Transporting passengers for hire, also known as livery, has long been excluded from coverage under

the personal auto insurance policies most Californians maintain on their personal vehicles. The new law allows the creation of endorsements to drivers’ personal automobile insurance companies to cover some TNC use. AB 2293 provides that TNCs like Uber, Lyft and Sidecar and/or their drivers must maintain $1 million primary insurance coverage from the time the driver accepts the match to the time the passenger exits the car. The recent fatal Halloween collision involving a Lyft driver in Sacramento was a post-match collision. AB 2293 mandates a minimum of $50,000 for injury to one person, $100,000 for injury to multiple persons, and $30,000 for property damage for the pre-match period. The fatal UberX 2013 New Year’s Eve collision involving a family in a San Francisco crosswalk occurred during pre-match. TNC drivers are encouraged to read endorsements carefully to ensure they buy one that provides liability coverage to protect passengers and third parties, and also provides optional coverages drivers need to protect themselves and their cars such as: uninsured/under-insured motorist; comprehensive; collision; and medical payments coverage.

Military Family of Seven Receives Van from CARSTAR

On November 21, 2014, the 21 Puget Sound locations of CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts donated a Dodge Caravan to a military family of seven. James Dunahoe served in the U.S. Army in Kosovo and Iraq, where he received multiple combat related injuries from TBI, back and leg injuries, along with PTSD. He retired from the Army after his injuries. After losing two family members, Dunahoe and his wife Leahana, and their five children, moved back to Washington. Then their moving van was stolen and everything in it was taken or destroyed. CARSTAR located a van in need of minor body work and, with the help of Keystone and Tacoma Dodge donating a few parts, they provided this family with a reliable van. “Across the Puget Sound area, we have many of our customers and community members who are currently serving in the military or are veterans,” said Kevin Parson, CARSTAR Puget Sound Business Group. “We want to recognize their many contributions to our country’s freedom and security.”

Gerber Opens First Repair Location in Idaho

The Boyd Group Inc. announced on Nov. 4 the opening of a collision repair location in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The location has approximately 13,500 square feet of production space and previously operated under the name Lake City Auto Body. The Boyd Group operates in 16 U.S. states under the name Gerber Collision & Glass. “With this new center, we have the opportunity to introduce our highquality brand to a large base of new customers, while continuing to improve our platform for our insurance partners” said Tim O’Day, President and COO of Boyd Group’s U.S. operations. “Our first Idaho center has the benefit of being well-positioned, within about 30 miles east of our Spokane center, which will allow our Washington leadership team to manage the location.” “Coeur d’Alene, also known as Lake City, has a year-round tourism industry due to the mountains and lakes that surround it, which will allow us to introduce our brand to all who may require our services when they visit here,” said O’Day. “We look forward to providing the Idaho market with the high-quality experience we are known for at all our Gerber repair centers.”

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 9

Creative Productions Launches Automotive Repair Technology at SEMA

Creative Productions, a marketing and licensing agency for automotive technology based in Long Beach, CA, presented a new estimating tool for the collision repair industry at SEMA 2014. The tool, named OEM Recommended Procedures, is a template technology that will ensure collision repair shops and insurance companies have manufacturer-recommended repair procedures and associated parts, including non-reusable parts, along with Collision Repair Information Bulletins (CRIBs) and technical repair information, all in one place. The goal of introducing this tool to the market is to create parity across the collision repair industry by providing a consistent approach to all collision repairs, whether they take place at a certified dealership repair center or independent body shop. Creative Productions President/ CEO Deborah Castro addressed key stakeholders from the OEM Collision Repair Roundtable, Inc., comprised of representatives from vehicle manufacturers, in an invitation-only session with a presentation that consisted of video interviews and testimonials, a demonstration of the product’s key features, and the value the tool will bring to the OEMs.

“This tool benefits manufacturers and their customers by ensuring that the correct procedures and parts are revealed to assure safe, accurate repairs and restore vehicles to pre-accident condition,” stated Castro. “Ultimately, overall customers satisfaction is improved, greater retention is gained, and the safety of vehicle owners and passengers is maintained. Additionally, it is expected that manufacturers will see a significant increase in their OEM parts sales as a result of more parts being exposed during the repair process − it’s a win across the board,” she added. OEM Recommended Procedures will be first launched into market with Toyota, the world’s largest auto manufacturer, in 2015 with repair procedures for 29 Toyota and Scion vehicles, available through the Mitchell system. In addition to Toyota, a number of other manufacturers in the U.S. and internationally have shown interest in the technology. Creative Productions Licensing Division was selected as the licensing representative to commercialize this template technology based on its 22year history working with OEMs primarily on parts, accessories, service and retention marketing programs.

Rotary Lift Debuted Wheel Wing™ Tire Hanger at SEMA

Rotary Lift, based in Lemon Grove, CA, has created a car lift accessory for technicians to ease the removal of wheels for tire rotations and brake and suspension work. Introduced at SEMA, the new Wheel Wing™ tire hanger attaches to a two-post or inground lift’s swing arm, providing a resting place for wheels. “With the Wheel Wing tire hanger, technicians no longer have to bend down to place a wheel on the floor or lift it back up to a raised vehicle’s height,” says Ron Lainhart, parts and service manager for Rotary Lift. “This saves valuable time with each wheel removal. It also reduces back strain, since turning to move the wheel to the hanger is more ergonomic than constantly bending over. Fewer back injuries lead to less downtime for the shop’s workforce and can reduce the risk that the shop owner will be liable for worker’s compensation claims.” The Wheel Wing tire hanger has a 100 lb. capacity for holding a variety of car, truck, SUV and van wheels. The hanger arm can be folded flat against the lift arm or positioned vertically to keep it out of the way when not in use. A protective coating and end cap prevent

wheels from being scratched or dinged as they are placed on the hanger arm. Each Wheel Wing tire hanger kit (P/N FA5974) comes with two tire hangers. For easy installation, the kits include hex keys and mounting shims. The shims can be used to adjust the tire hangers’ mounts to fit nearly any swing-arm style lift, including Rotary Lift’s best-selling SPOA10 two-post and SmartLift® inground lifts. For further convenience, each Wheel Wing tire hanger kit comes with two magnetic tool trays. The trays can be attached next to the hangers on the lift’s arms or on a tool cart, providing a secure place to store lug nuts. “The Wheel Wing tire hanger kit is a simple, easy-to-use add-on that can greatly improve working conditions for technicians,” said Lainhart. To learn more about the Rotary Lift Wheel Wing tire hanger, contact a local Rotary Lift distributor, visit www.rotarylift.com or call (800) 640-5438.

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10 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Kadel’s Auto Body Announces the Addition of Two Shops in Treasure Valley, ID

Don Braden, President and CEO of Kadel’s Auto Body, announced the acquisition of Rick’s Body Shop’s two collision repair shops in Caldwell and Nampa, ID. They officially become part of the Kadel’s family of collision repair centers on November 17, 2014 and will continue to operate with the same staff.

more customers throughout the Idaho market and believes the opening of these locations in addition to the existing Boise and Meridian locations, will provide better market coverage. “We are very excited to have the opportunity to grow our business, so we can better meet the needs of customers throughout the entire Treasure Valley,” Braden expressed.

Rick’s Auto Body in Caldwell, ID. Photo credit: Yvonne Sundstrom, Marketing Coordinator, Kadel’s Auto Body

Rick’s Auto Body in Nampa, ID. Photo credit: Yvonne Sundstrom, Marketing Coordinator, Kadel’s Auto Body

Rick’s Body Shop was founded by Rick Reynolds in 1996 at the Caldwell location. He opened the Nampa location in 2002. Reynolds explained, “Kadel’s Auto Body shares the same philosophies as I when it comes to providing an excellent customer experience, and they are committed to staying on the front edge of technology.” Rick and his wife Crystal plan to continue to play an active part in the community. Kadel’s has had a desire to serve

Headquartered in Tigard, Oregon, Kadel’s Auto Body was founded in 1954. Kadel’s is the region’s largest provider of auto body repair, and the sixth largest independently owned auto body collision repair provider in the U.S. Since opening the first shop in Tigard, the company has expanded to 23 locations throughout the Pacific Northwest including Oregon, Idaho and Washington. For more information go to: www.kadels.com.

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 11

LARTE Design Debuts Four Custom Infinitis at SEMA

kit, which comes with a redesigned front and rear end among other custom styling features. The LR3 radiator grille features specially designed panels and air intakes, which provide cooling to the QX80’s V8 engine. LED Daytime Running Lights and Fog Lights have also been added. Completing the exteThe LARTE Design QX80s LARTE Design produces three tuning kits rior are Matte-Black Lightfor the Infiniti QX80 including the QX80- Weight Alloy Wheels with LARTE Design Sales Manager Roman Pitsil in front of the angular spokes. LR1, QX80-LR2 and QX80- LR3. Austrian company Infiniti QX80, displayed at the company’s SEMA booth Both the white and the black QX80s presented at SEMA were equipped with REMUS, a LARTE Design QX70-LR1, QX70-LR2 and QX70-LR3. the LARTE Design’s QX80-LR3 body partner, created a four pipe stainless-steel The LARTE Design Infiniti QX70 preexhaust system finished in sented at SEMA was equipped with black chrome to replace the LARTE Design’s QX70-LR2 body kit. stock system on the QX80 The luxury tuner of the LARTE Detuning kits. LARTE’s QX80 sign Infiniti QX70 changed the front and body kit with teak wood is the rear bumpers, installed LED Daytime featured on the floor of the Running Lights, side skirts, a new exhaust foot well, trunk and door-sills system with impressive tailpipes giving (encased in brushed metal). the current QX70 a more elegant and The LARTE addition alu- sporty touch. The tailpipes at the edges of minum pedal pads are also the rear bumper support the dynamic style available. of the front part. LARTE Design is based in Mission The LARTE Design QX70s Viejo, CA. U.S. customers interested in LARTE Design produces LARTE Designs personalization options Interior of the white Infiniti QX80, displayed at the LARTE three tuning kits for the In- can learn more by visiting www.larteDesign SEMA booth finiti QX70 including the design.com. LARTE Design, a European luxury tuning company specializing in premium SUVs, debuted four custom SUVs including two QX80s, a QX70 and a QX60 at SEMA. SEMA attendees viewed a custom white Infiniti QX80 in the company’s booth, while the QX60, QX70 and a black Infiniti QX80 were featured in the SEMA Featured Vehicles display.

12 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

CarMax Returns to AutoTrader & Cars.com

After a 16-month hiatus, CarMax Inc. started posting inventory on Cars.com and AutoTrader.com in October 2014, according to reports by David Barkholz at Automotive News. Although third-party shopping sites reach a wider audience than some of the most well-known auto groups according to senior automotive analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, Kevin Tynan, the fees can be a deterrent. Dealers vouched it can cost $3,000 to $25,000 a month to get a prominent online position on Autotrader.com or Cars.com. Pricing depends on the advertising package and the number of vehicles listed. A dealership group executive said tht a store paid $16,000 a month to list 150 vehicles on AutoTrader.com. Barkholz reported that Carmax’s net profit and revenue jumped more than 10 percent in its fiscal quarter ending Aug. 31 vs. the yearearlier quarter, total vehicle sales at the company’s stores open at least a year stalled at 0.2 percent year-over-year growth. Tynan said CarMax stopped using these sites during the recession, which reduced supply of available used vehicles. More late-models will be coming off leases shortly so these websites are profitable again.

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MDL and Insurers

After 35 years in the business, Perretta said he has never seen the industry in this state. “I grew up in this industry taking pride in what I do, doing safe, quality repairs. That’s what they’re trying to take away from us because it’s cheaper to do it that way,” said Perretta. “But they are putting the consumer at risk because of the way these repairs are being done.” Perretta acknowledges that many shop owners are fearful that the insurers will steer work away from them. “They’re scared for their families because if they don’t have work, then their families can’t eat.” However, he said shops have a choice. “They can either do it the right way or do it the wrong way. There’s no in between. But when they choose to do it the wrong way, they’ve made that choice.”

State Farm Responds to MDL “We anticipated the possibility of additional litigation similar to what had been previously filed, given the deadline for filing these complaints,” said

Dick Luedke, spokesperson for State Farm Insurance. “State Farm is a defendant along with dozens of other insurers in the litigation relating to issues that have been raised by some auto body repair facilities.” Luedke said State Farm has excellent working relationships with thousands of body shops across the country and they serve millions of customers who consistently indicate their satisfaction with their handling of claims. He said the just-released American Customer Satisfaction Index from the University of Michigan rates State Farm above all other national insurance companies. In addition, he said the company has consistently scored well above average in the JD Power auto claims satisfaction surveys. Among the 23 auto insurers included in the latest survey, State Farm was third, said Luedke. “As a leader in advancing vehicle safety, State Farm wants safe and reliable vehicles on the road,” said Luedke. “Customers are free to choose where to take their vehicle for repair. If they choose an independent auto body repair facility that takes part in our Select Service program they receive from that repair facility a national, limited life-

time repair warranty, something they don’t necessarily receive from a repair facility that is not part of our Select Service program.”

The ‘Movement’ Perretta said the next step for the ‘Movement’ is to continue encouraging more shops to get involved. “If they feel the way I feel and a lot of others feel, the only way to stop that is to get on board with us,” said Perretta. Meanwhile, shops are gathering documentation on the allegations being made. “It’s not a matter of what we say. It’s a matter of what we give them and show them.” Another trip to Congress is also on their agenda. Autobody News reported on their September trip to Washington D.C. in the (last) November issue of the magazine. The goal is to educate the house and senate about the 1963 Consent Decree, in hopes of getting the law enforced by U.S. Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch. Autobody News will continue to follow this story and keep readers upto-date about developments with the lawsuit. More information about ‘The Movement’ can be found online: www.TakingBackOurIndustry.com

GM’S CONQUEST PARTS PROGRAM Bump The Competition Com mpettitio on “Bump” keeps growing and now includes over 7,000 part numbers.

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It’s easy to get Genuine GM Parts at aftermarket competitive prices. 1. Send a complete insurance repair estimate to your GM dealer. 2. Your GM dealer will review and notify you about Genuine GM Parts that are eligible for “Bump The Competition” discounts. 3. Place your order and take advantage of the savings!

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MyPriceLink.com Paused

customer, allowing the vehicle to be returned to pre-accident condition, with original parts, ensuring safety and appearance. Since GM announced this new program, the company said the workflow pressures on outside parties has brought to light enhanced solutions and the increased desire for integration opportunities. In the interim, GM will resume the publishing of list price until MyPriceLink.com is implemented. GM expects to have a fully functioning dynamic pricing process through MyPriceLink.com by early 2015. GM said it appreciates the interest and support MyPriceLink .com has received and looks forward to collaborating with all constituents in the collision repair industry to implement the new way in which GM list prices will be obtained.

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 15

On Creative Marketing

Tom Franklin has been a sales and marketing consultant for fifty years. He has written numerous books and provides marketing solutions and services for many businesses. He can be reached at (323) 871-6862 or at tbfranklin@aol.com. See Tom’s columns at www.autobodynews.com under Columnists > Franklin

“Inventing the Next 40 Years of Collision Repair” — The Guild 21 Conference Call with Thomas Franklin

Many have asked, “What is Guild 21?” After the VeriFacts Symposium of 2013, a group of industry representatives attended a Leadership Course at George Mason University through their MBA Program. As a call to action, this Guild 21 group created an Oath for our industry calling for individuals to commit to being inventors of our future. Members take the oath: “We are repairers, insurers and vehicle manufacturers who hereby declare the possibility of aligning our industry to a common vision, which puts the consumer first.” We stand for sweeping innovation. We commit to transparent customer focused solutions. We are accountable to invent a radical new future where safety, efficiency and a cost-effective process are our guiding principles. Once a month we host a one-hour conference call to keep the conversation and the projects alive. We seek others to join us in inventing a bright future for the automotive repair industry! The speaker this past November 12th was Brady Wilson, a Canadian and Co-Founder of Juice, Inc. Their

mission is “Inspiring Businesses to Pulsate with Creative Energy!” For 20 years Wilson has inspired companies like American Express, Loblaws, Co-operators and many Fortune 500 companies to find the courage to consider the possibilities beyond traditional human resource strategies. To unlock latent physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energy within their organizations, and harness employee's potential to get them to the point of A-B-C-D, going above and beyond the call of duty. For this audience Brady said he planned to provide concrete tools to move people from a state of being exhausted and depleted to being truly energized. He said for the last 50 years industrial psychologists have measured employee satisfaction by retention, a faulty measure. The right measure should evaluate if the employee was engaged but also energized. The engaged employee may be committed and say the right thing, but also be exhausted. Wilson suggested that the employee is operating on “dirty fuel.” He told a personal story of his running a marathon and falling

Honda Owners Can Request New Airbags Without Recall

After recalling about 7.6 million U.S. vehicles over potentially lifethreatening Takata airbag inflators, Honda will replace airbags, as appropriate, for concerned customers who were not subject to the recall, Automotive News has reported. In a document on Honda’s owners website, dated Oct. 28 and revised Nov. 6, the automaker said there is no safety concern for Honda models outside the humid regions where vehicles were recalled. But for certain Honda and Acura vehicles nationwide, “customer service will make arrangements for, as appropriate, the replacement of airbag inflators and the provision of or reimbursement for temporary alternative transportation” at customers’ requests. The company’s willingness to make those arrangements has been known publicly since at least Nov. 3, as reported by Automotive News that day, but the expanding Takata airbag crisis has magnified the scrutiny of Honda and other au-

tomakers. A U.S. Senate committee is holding a hearing on the crisis. Executives from Honda, Chrysler and Takata are expected to testify, along with David Friedman, deputy administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Honda spokesman Chris Martin told The Detroit News that Honda is “doing this not because these vehicles have been secretly included” in the recall, but if a customer who owns a vehicle outside the recall is worried, Honda is offering the replacement of airbag inflators, as appropriate. Martin said that Honda has replaced some airbag inflators outside the recall, but he didn’t know how many. Honda said earlier it was working to buy parts for the remaining vehicles. “This condition is changing on a daily basis as parts are in production, and we continue to receive additional replacement part supplies as they become available,” the automaker said in a statement.

16 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

behind, and then running even worse contaminated by fear and shame --the essence of “dirty fuel.” But then he saw some observers holding a sign for him saying, “We love you too, Canada.” The sign restored his sense of purpose and commitment -- the essence of “clean fuel.” In business, intimidation and threats create “dirty fuel” that sabotages purpose and productivity. Recognition and trust build “clean fuel.” Brady suggested employers must move from parenting to partnering. He provided some examples of companies that used the partner principle so that two employees would stand for each other's success and hold each other accountable. An example in law enforcement had a staff sergeant willing to say, “I have love for you guys,” a recognition that it was their efforts that made the day. A new book by Brady Wilson will be “Love at Work,” not an expose of intimate re-

lationships, but rather a look at the benefits of creating a culture of caring that translates into both a great customer and employee experience. He noted that when times get tough and business results are suffering, the first thing that often gets cut is the most costly top, high-energy producers. Management slips into dictatorial or over-nurturing behaviors, parenting rather than partnering. He said where management may think the monetary paycheck is what motivates poeple the most, actually it's the emotional paycheck -- the recognition of innovative efforts and sincere contributions to providing a great customer experience! Farzam Afshar, CEO, VeriFacts Automotive, and the Guild 21 Board of Directors, invite interest parties to email questions to guild21@verifactsauto.com, and to help make the Guild 21 vision a reality. The target is 5000 new members.

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 17

‘Departmental Quality Control Can Prevent Incorrect Repairs’ Says Larry Montanez in SCRS RDE Seminar by Victoria Antonelli, Online Editor

Larry Montanez, co-owner of P&L Consultants in Brooklyn, NY, began his SCRS seminar at SEMA with a scenario almost all body shops can relate to. It’s Friday afternoon. You’re trying to get the car you’re working on back to its owner in one piece, and the detailer (who Montanez refers to as “the smartest guy in the shop”) starts noticing every dink you overlooked. Whether it’s a blown out tire left in the trunk, or a misaligned door frame, the last thing anyone wants to do is stay late on a Friday, correcting errors that could’ve been prevented “if you took an extra 10–15 minutes.” Montanez’s seminar teaches body shop owners have to avoid late nights, unhappy customers, and unnecessary expenses. “The shop has to put in place accountability,” said Montanez. “I found that doing checks per department help, even doing peer reviews, as well as initiating standard operating procedures. All of us love to say we have [standard operating procedures] but we don’t want to do it, or we try to do

ways take pride in work? Do my counterparts take pride? Do I see my employees taking pride?’” Montanez also asked the body shop owners in the room, “How many times do you see the same tech making the same mistake over and over again? Why is he still working for you?” “I knew a painter who came into work at 8:45am, even though the shop opened at 8, and would leave at 3pm every day to bring his kids to school,” said Montanez. “I asked the owner, “’How Larry Montanez, Collision Damage Analyst, CDR Technimany cars does he do a day, cian, Trainer Mentor, CDR Operators Technician, CDR Data and he responded, ‘two, and Analyst, and co-owner of P & L Consultants, LLC every fourth car he has to re“Change is the most hated thing paint.” “If the guy was pushing out four in any aspect of life, and because we hate it so much, it becomes impossi- cars a day with little to no errors, I’d understand striking a deal,” said Monble,” said Montanez. Pride in one’s work is another as- tanez. “The owner use to be a painter, pect of the collision repair industry and when I asked why he didn’t get that Montanez feels takes a hit, and rid of the guy and start painting, he responded, ‘I don’t have time.’ And can lead to sloppiness. “All the body shop owners in the that’s the problem right there- he audience – ask yourselves, ‘Do I al- made excuses and got lazy because he it and it goes to waste.” “Why is that?” Montanez asked the audience. “Change,” responded a woman in the second row, and she was right.

18 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

didn’t want change.” In order to avoid laziness and error, Montanez implemented “The P&L Repair Process” which was featured on one of his slides:

1. Documentation and photographs of the vehicle upon arrival 2. Triage, disassembly 3. Damage analysis and preliminary measurements 4. Set up for structural realignment 5. Preliminary realignment 6. Final realignment and trial fitting of parts 7. Metal repairs and cosmetic repairs 8. Prep and refinish 9. Detail and final checks for delivery

“I can guarantee those of you who are on DRP systems or even those of you who aren’t, can shave one to two days off your overall cycle time per month if you follow these steps,” said Montanez. “So, you can add up to a three day cycle time within six months, for the DRP shops, that will look great for you, for the non-DRP shops, that’s money in your pocket quicker.” Montanez’ next slide made the

distinction between estimates and blueprints. “The primary function of triage is creating a blueprint for the repair process,” said Montanez. “Remember, an estimate is an opinion or a tentative price approximation. A blueprint is an accurate plan and price for processing the repairs and procedures.” He also developed the “EME 54 Theory” to apply to every vehicle that comes through a body shop’s doors:

- Every collision damaged vehicle must be measured for structural integrity - Most measured vehicles will require structural realignment - Every structurally realigned vehicle will require at minimum a 4-wheel alignment check

When performing filling and painting work on the bumpers, Montanez states, “It is important to ensure that the maximum paint coat thick ness is not exceeded at the short range radar sensors. This can lead to radar sensors, which leads to malfunctions when the sensors detect excessive paint coat thickness as an obstacle. The limit value for the paint coat thickness

at the sensors is two coats of paint (primer, color and clear).”

Montanez also stresses the importance of using individual checklists for each department:

Teardown Structural Repair Metal Prep Detail Final

Each slide of the PowerPoint dedicated to these different segments included a thorough review of the original photos and measurements, in order to ensure that every possible angle has been covered.

The final checklist, included at the end of Montanez’ PowerPoint, is the most important, because it is the last chance to correct any errors that have been overlooked (mistakes happen, we are only human):

• Front license plate • Underside of front bumper cleaned • Headlamps operational

• Headlamps aimed • High beam low beam operation • Fog lamps operational • Fog lamps aimed • Under-hood bolts touched up • Registration sticker date • Inspection sticker date • Doors operational • Door strikers tightened • Door locks operational • Door windows operational • Signal lamps operational • Parking lamps operational • Backup lamps operational • License lamps operational • Tail lamps operational • Parking sensors operational • Hazard lamps operational • Battery connected and tight • Hood latch lubricated • Rocker panels/molding underside cleaned • Pillar labels installed (tire, VIN, etc) • Stone guard tape installed • Trunk lid operational • Trunk lid bolts touched up • Emblems and nameplates installed • Rear license plate installed • Underside of rear bumper cleaned • Dash lights MIL • SRS lamp • Passenger SRS OFF lamp

• Temperature lamp • Navigation • Time and date • Spare tire and jack installed • Floor mats installed • Test drive performed • Lug nuts torqued after drive • Temperature lamp • Oil lamp • Alternator lamp • Oil level • Power steering fluid full • Washer fluid full • Transmission fluid level • Antifreeze level • Fuel level • Radio unlocked and presets • Lug nuts torqued after drive • Tire pressure and valve caps • Power seats operational • Seat belts operational and buckles • Windshield wiper blades • Windshield washer fluid level • AC and heater operational • Windows cleaned • Mirrors cleaned

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Industry Looks to Plant DNA to Solve Scrap Metal Theft Justice for Scrap Metal Thieves Arrives from Overseas by Victoria Antonelli, Online Editor

The thievery of aluminum, copper, and other scrap metals continues to haunt all corners of the international auto industry, despite a steady decline in prices since its peak in 2008 (nearly $500 a ton). Michael Cavanaugh, owner of J&D Auto Salvage in West Warwick, RI, is all too familiar with scrap metal scandals. “We used to have a list on a pad, and we could pick and choose which cars we were going to get, and which ones we’d send to the town over. Our truck would always come back with three to four cars a day. It never came back empty,” said Cavanaugh. “Now, for the past year, year-and-a-half, we’re lucky if we get three to four cars a week. It’s slim pickins’ now that everything has been scrapped.” Cavanaugh blames unlicensed scrap metal yards for his decline in business. He said that he and his wife have contacted the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation about the issue.

“I have emails going back to 2009,” said Cavanaugh. “The position that deals with these types of issues was left unfilled for 10 months, so the department said they would keep my complaints in a folder until they hired someone, but even when they did, I never heard back.”

Photo courtesy of Mitchell Miller, Director of Communications at Applied DNA Sciences in Stony Brook, NY

“I understand [Cavanaugh’s] frustration that there are unlicensed people out there. That’s why, give us more tips,” said Maria D’Alessandro – the Deputy Director of Securities, Commercial Licensing, and Racing and Athletics at the Rhode Island DBR – in an article written by

22 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

wpri.com reporter Tim White. “We are acting on these tips.” Autobody News contacted the DBR for comment, but never heard back. Cavanaugh has noticed a change outside his auto salvage yard as well. “When you used to drive through a neighborhood, there would be junk cars in everyone’s yard,” he said. “Now there’s not a car to be found – your car breaks down on the side of the highway, after no more than a day somebody comes and grabs it for scrap.” Body shops have also felt the pain of scrap metal theft. Travis Dowling of Great Plains Auto Body in Nebraska said their shop on Emmet Street has been robbed three times. “The burglars sliced through cables, torched the key hole on one side of the building, and then cut the pad locks on the containers where the scrap metal is kept,” said Dowling. “Luckily, they stole the older scraps – aluminum hoods, containers and condensers – and not the newer ones that are worth more.” After the third break-in, Dowling contacted authorities, and the property

now has constant police surveillance after hours and on weekends. “It’s time-consuming and costly to have to replace the locks, chains, and make 12 new keys for the employees,” he added. Also in Nebraska, a man was arrested for stealing wheel rims from Ron’s Body Shop and scrap metal from Precise Fabrication and T.O. Haas Tired Company back in 2012. Rhory M. Ivy became a suspect after police found a receipt from Beatrice Scrap Processing Co. stating that he brought in 2,800 lbs of scrap metal, which is worth about $554, according to reports by the Beatrice Daily Sun. Authorities were then able to trace the scrap metal back to the three locations. At a body shop in Elizabeth, N.J., five male burglars tied up patrons and employees before pursuing catalytic converters and cash in April 2014. No injuries were reported, according to ABC Eyewitness News, New York. Unassuming vehicle owners have also experienced the aftershock of these crimes. Five catalytic converters

were cut off of vehicles parked in Silver Lake, Los Angeles during a span of one week in June 2014, according to an article by eastsiderla.com. Police stated that on average, there is about one catalytic converter theft per week. A Silver Lake resident reported that his Honda Element sounded like a “jet engine” when he turned it on in the morning after parking in the street. Sure enough, the catalytic converter had been severed off. “Cat-Clamps” have become a popular solution, since most car alarms do not react to this type of intrusion because windows or doors are not being accessed. Another alternative to stopping scrap metal theft has “taken off” in the UK and other parts of Europe, and is making its way to America’s shores. Applied DNA Sciences, a biotech company in Stony Brook, NY, has found a way to synthesize plant DNA into, well, anything, and then track the object from there. “There are so many applications, it’s almost a problem,” said Tony Benson, managing director of ADNAS, who is based in London, England. “You dream it and it’s there, I don’t think we’ve found anything we can’t

apply it to, it’s that flexible.” The product, called SigNature DNA, has a complex characteristic, which allows for the endless possibilities. “The fluorophore within the product or liquid glows bright red under UV light, but cannot be seen at all under normal conditions,” said Benson. “Law enforcement is aware

An example of the SigNature DNA in visible light vs. UV light. Photo courtesy of Mitchell Miller, Director of Communications at Applied DNA Sciences in Stony Brook, NY

of this, so when they scan an item with a UV light and it turns red, they know it is one of our products and from there we can track where it came from and who stole it.” The product was initially developed to combat the rising number of armored car attacks in England. In 2006, there were 1,006 attacks on ar-

mored cars driving to and from banks with cash. The first deterrent – an ink spray that was released when the robber opened a cash box – didn’t stop them, according to Benson. “They would just wash the ink off the cash,” he said. “But once the plant DNA was synthesized into the cash boxes in 2008, attacks dropped by 75 percent – close to 100 criminals have been put away with a combined sentence of 500 years, thanks to DNA technology.” Today, car dealerships, body shops, insurers, vehicle manufactures, boat owners, electrical and railroad companies, and even homeowners in Europe use DNA technology to target scrap metal theft. “A car dealer can use the kit we sell on the interior of their car, like in the leather seats for example, or on the underbody,” added Benson. And the improvement is monumental. “We have seen an 85 percent reduction in crime in areas where we’ve applied the DNA to copper and other scrap metals,” said Benson. Benson feels that getting the word out about this product will help prevent crime from happening in the

first place, which is the ultimate goal. “Criminals understand DNA, they all watch CSI, and they know they’d be in trouble if they got caught with that, so it’s a fantastic deterrence.” Another popular product created by Applied DNA Sciences is SmokeCloak® DNA. “As soon as someone enters a building after hours, the fog triggers, and fills the whole place,” said Benson. “You can’t see your hand in front of you. It’s like you’re at a pop concert.” “I’ve experienced it − and you literally don’t know where you are – it’s like you’re in a plane upside down,” added Mitchell Miller, director of communications at ADNAS. The fog is filled with: you guessed it, DNA molecules that stick to the trespassers’ clothes, hair, and skin, and can fill warehouses that are 200,000 sq. ft. or bigger. “Europeans understand it and get what it does, and it’s starting to get traction in the US,” added Benson. “In fact, it could be bigger in the US − the main thing is, it works − people love it, insurers love it, car dealerships love it.”

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 23

Continued from Cover

Final 2014 CIC Meeting

or alternative solution to minimize that workflow disruption.” GM subsequently delayed the launch until sometime in the first quarter of next year, but it initially announced it would happen on December 1. As described by GM, the system will allow a shop using one of six supported estimating systems to create an estimate itemizing the GM parts needed (the parts prices will show only as “$0.00”). That estimate would then automatically be transmitted to the MyPriceLink pricing engine, which then sends notice back (generally in less than a minute) to the estimating system that the parts prices have been changed. When the user reopens the estimate, the parts prices would be listed. Alternatively, users can log into MyPriceLink to manually get parts prices through the website. There’s no charge to shops for using the system. It operates through OEConnection, which gives dealers access to information about all parts listed on the estimate including non-OEM and recycled parts. In his 5-minute presentation at CIC, Mayer acknowledged, “there’s probably some disruption and some unintended consequences in this process,” but he said, “We’re trying to be open and work through those.” California shop owner Randy Stabler jokingly thanked GM for providing “a controversial topic” for discussion at CIC just as his term as chairman of the quarterly conference begins in January. Stabler succeeds State Farm’s George Avery, who concluded his 2-year term as chairman at CIC in Las Vegas. Stabler said GM’s unexpected decision “to hold their data proprietary” is a good example of California shop the need for a owner Randy Staforum like CIC. bler speaks at the “Making that de2014 CIC meeting cision in a silo has held at SEMA. Photo credit: John some consequences Yoswick that maybe are not going to be the best for everyone in the long run,” Stabler said of GM’s announcement. “It shows the validity of having a forum where the disparate

parts of the industry can get together and talk and come up with some potential solutions.” With CIC being held just two days after the November 4 election, California attorney Cory King addressed one of the human resource issues effected by the vote in several California attorney states and cities: Corey King minimum wage. addresses the King began his minimum wage issue. Photo credit: presentation at CIC John Yoswick by reminding shops that minimum wage impacts shops even if, for example, their technicians are paid flat-rate and earn significantly more than minimum wage. Though wagehour laws vary by state, most jurisdictions are covered by federal fair labor law which allows flat-rate or commission employees to be exempt from overtime provided two provisions are met. “One, they make more than half of their money from flat-rate or commissions,” King said. “And two, they must make at least 1.5 times the minimum wage for all hours worked. If you’re not running this number every pay period, if you ever get audited or sued, you’re not going to be able to prove that you’re not paying your people overtime because they are exempt.” To do that calculation, shops need to be aware of the minimum wage. In last month’s election, voters in at least four states passed minimum wage hikes, joining more than 20 others that have done so. Workers in San Francisco and Oakland, Calif., also will see voter-enacted minimum wage increases; San Francisco, for example, joined Seattle in enacting a minimum wage that rises to $15 over several years. The other data point shops need is the actual clock hours every employee works. That’s why all employees, including flat-rate or commission technicians, should be using a time clock, King said. King’s presentations at CIC are structured as quizzes, with attendees asked to gauge the possible legal ramifications for employers of various human resource issues King lays out. One such question he posed at CIC in Las Vegas: An employee with a statesanctioned medical marijuana card crashes a customer car into the shop’s paint booth.

24 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

“And he was higher than a kite when he did it,” King said. “Can I fire him?” About half of CIC attendees indicated they thought the shop could fire such an employee, and King said they are generally correct. Most (though not all) states with medical marijuana cards protect the holder only from criminal penalties. In those states, King said, you also do no have to hire a medical marijuana user “as long as you have a quality alcohol and drug policy that prohibits having measurable amounts of illegal drugs in their system.” (Marijuana is still illegal under federal law.) Even in the few states that offer civil protections to medical marijuana card holders, he said, the law “does not allow the employee to possess, use or be impaired [by marijuana] while they are on company premises or during working hours.” The employee who crashed the car, therefore, could be fired, King said. King’s next scenario: A shop wants to fire a newly-hired and underperforming receptionist. She recently refused to put up the Christmas deco-

rations in the shop office, citing religion reasons. Can she be fired for insubordination? No way, King said; that would be seen as religious discrimination. As with someone with a disability, King said, the shop should have talked with the employee and found a reasonable accommodation (in this case, found someone else to put up the decorations) and moved forward. But the shop also found the receptionist had left a window open on her computer screen that indicated she’d been looking for a job while at work. Can the shop fire her for that? It depends, King said, on what the shop’s employee handbook says about Internet usage. It might say shop computers cannot be used for personal use. But when was she using it? She could have been legally looking for a job while on her break. And does the shop enforce the Internet rule consistently with all employees? “It’s a little dicey to say you’re going to fire her because you don’t like what she was doing on the Internet even though you allow other people to do it,” King said. It comes down to the “smell facSee Final 2014 CIC Meeting, Page 35

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National Associations

NABC Gives Away Four Cars at Annual SEMA Luncheon with Ed Attanasio

Giving cars to the needy is a perfect and proven way for the collision industry to give back. Most of the time, body shops and insurance companies work together to fix cars and return them back to their owners.

Allstate Insurance, GEICO, Enterprise Rent-a-Car and Hertz. The local repairers included Caliber Collision, Service King and Gerber Collision and a fourth vehicle was repaired by South County Collision in California. The recipients selected by Family Promise were: La Cara and Marice Washington and their three children received a Hyundai Sonata donated by GEICO and repaired by Caliber Collision. They both recently graduated from the Family Promise shelter program and are currently employed and have their own housing. La Cara and Marice Washington and their children with their Hyundai Sonata donated by Gerber Collision and Cassandra Waller, a single Enterprise Rent-A-Car mother with two children reFour formerly homeless Las Vegas ceived a Dodge Durango donated by families visited the SEMA Show last Allstate Insurance and repaired by week and left as proud owners of pracService King. Physical disabilities tically brand new cars presented by limit her mobility so a Recycled Rides members of the National Auto Body vehicle will greatly help her to imCouncil (NABC) at its annual Recycled prove her quality of life. Rides Luncheon on Nov. 5. Magan and Wayne Sykes and These four families were selected their two children received a Nissan by Family Promise of Las Vegas, an Maxima donated by Hertz and reorganization that has been partnering paired by the Van Tuyl Group. This with the NABC for the past seven years to provide at-risk families with reliable transportation, so they can begin to rebuild and regain their financial stability. NABC’s Recycled Rides program is a unique collaboration of the collision industry. Since the program’s inception in 2007, repairers, insurers, rental car companies and suppliers have teamed up to restore and donate over 1,000 vehicles to individuals and Janiecia Fernandez and her daughter admire their Hyundai Sonata Hybrid donated by Caliber Collision and GEICO non-profit organizations nationwide. couple is successfully enrolled in FamCollision repair professionals ily Promise’s Community Partnership from facilities in Las Vegas volun- for Opening Doors Housing Program. teered their time and expertise to reJaniecia Fernandez, received a store damaged vehicles donated by Hyundai Sonata Hybrid donated by

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

Gerber Collision and Enterprise RentA-Car. Fernandez is a single mother of two young children and a participant of the Promises to Keep Housing Program. This vehicle will allow her to devote her time to being a good

ing through our Family Promise programs,” said Terry Lindemann, Executive Director of Family Promise of Las Vegas. “Reliable transportation is the critical link that enables these families to continue on the road to recovery and we are grateful for the support and impact that the National Auto Body Council has made in our local community.” NABC Executive Director Chuck Sulkala is proud of the NABC’s Recycled Rides program and the success it’s achieved especially this year. “We’re going to give away almost 300 vehicles to people in need in 2014,” he said. Magan and Wayne Sykes, with their two young children received a Nissan Maxima donated by Hertz and repaired “With all of these great insurby the Van Tuyl Group ance companies, collision remother and working with her chilpairers, paint suppliers, parts vendors dren’s education. and other companies onboard, this is “Each of these recipient families a joint effort every year and it’s amazhave successfully transitioned from ing to see so many people who go out homelessness into independent housof their way to make this happen.”

3M™ Automotive Offers Products and Processes for Aluminum Repair

Preparing for aluminum repair is a big challenge, considering the investment, shop renovations, new processes and training for the repair experts. 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division is helping shops better understand what’s needed to efficiently handle aluminum repairs, including standard operating processes, tools, training and products for disassembly, re-assembly, sanding and paint preparation. Aluminum has several unique characteristics compared with other vehicle materials such as steel. Repairing this heat-sensitive metal requires use of advanced repair techniques and methods. That means updated training and key equipment. In addition to knowledge, the shop must have the dedicated space to make the repair within a clean room containing separate tools, where technicians perform all welding, bonding, riveting, sanding, grinding and structural procedures on aluminum components. 3M has been working with OEMs for several years to validate the tools, products and processes for aluminum repair. Now, shops can implement 3M’s portfolio of products, tools, SOPS and materials to repair aluminum-body vehicles. “The key in handling non-structural or structural aluminum repairs is

to create an entirely separate environment from the rest of the shop to avoid contaminating aluminum with iron oxide components that can cause corrosion. Contamination can lead to adhesion and paint failures, which translate to re-work and damaged parts that impact KPIs,” said Shawn Collins, Technical Expert for 3M AAD. “Most shops create their clean room by using a curtain structure or by utilizing a separate room or building. Regardless, aluminum repair will require a separate tool cart with an entirely separate set of tools, products and materials used only for aluminum repairs. Additionally, self-generated vacuum tools from 3M AAD can provide low-cost dust extraction.” Separate safety equipment is also important, as technicians will need dedicated respirators, eye protection and gloves for aluminum repairs. 3M also makes the seam sealers, premium body fillers, undercoats and abrasives that can be used on both aluminum and steel. Premium 3M AAD body fillers and glazes contain adhesion promoters and are approved for use on aluminum. For sanding, 3M AAD recommends the 3M™ Cubitron™ II abrasives.

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O’Reilly Automotive Reports Record-Breaking 3Q Results

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. announced on Oct. 22 record revenues and earnings for its third quarter that ended Sept. 30. The following are comparisons for the same period one year ago. Sales increased $149 million, or 9%, to $1.88 billion from $1.73 billion. Gross profit increased to $968 million from $879 million, representing an increase of 10%. Selling, general and admin expenses increased to $624 million from $579 million, representing an increase of 8%. Operating income increased to $344 million from $300 million, representing an increase of 14%. Net income increased $31 million, or 16%, to $217 million from $186 million. Diluted earnings per common share increased 22% to $2.06 on 105 million shares versus $1.69 on 110 million shares. Greg Henslee, President & CEO, said, “We are very proud to report another very successful quarter. Team O’Reilly’s unwavering commitment to providing excellent customer service to every customer who calls or walks into our stores continues to be the key to our ability to grow our market share and generate record breaking results, highlighted by our 6.2% increase in comparable store sales, which exceeded the top end of our quarterly guidance by 120 basis points.”

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Lean Operations

Competing with MSO Consolidation with David Luehr

“The 3 Vital Behaviors of the Best of the Best Shops” There are shops that are located in heavily MSO consolidated markets that instead of becoming a victim, became a beneficiary! I call these shops “positive deviants.” When many shops in these parts of the country are struggling or selling out, the positive deviants are actually doing quite well and in many cases outperforming the consolidators! One of these best of the best shop owners told me they have all four big MSOs (Caliber, Gerber, ABRA, Service King) within a five mile radius of his shop! So I am prompted to starting asking the question, what are these guys doing differently than the independents that are struggling in the same markets? After speaking to many positive deviant shops, and asking them what they do to get great results, I got many of the usual answers that you would expect from a successful organization.

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

Good leadership, high quality work, good customer service, great employees, bla, bla, bla. But these things anymore are kind of a “given.” Even to be a mediocre business you need to have some level of these qualities. So I searched deeper to distill the findings into what I call the Vital 3 Behaviors. 1. Culture of Learning 2. Participation in a peer group or network 3. Measure the Right KPIs All the positive deviant shops strongly display these 3 Vital behaviors, struggling shops don’t!

Vital Behavior 1 - Culture of Learning These businesses crave knowledge! If you don’t believe me, look at the indepth I-CAR study on the subject. (Check it out at www.i-car.com ) ICAR contends that A Learning Culture is at the very foundation of all the super successful shops they studied. The very understanding of things such

28 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

as proper business management, leadership skills and process development skills stem from the leaders desire to learn. They seek their knowledge from sources such as I-CAR, Webinars, and Clinics. They typically read books regularly, and are continuously looking for new sources of education.

Vital Behavior 2 - Participation in a peer group or network Some of the positive deviants are very involved with their associations such as ASA, others join franchise organizations, and many get involved in round table groups that their paint manufacturers host. Shops that feel like they are alone on an island, can’t and probably won’t succeed. There is power in numbers far beyond the sum of its individual members. Some of the benefits that participation in a group includes… ♦ Mastermind principal – a group of

like-minded individuals with the same challenges working together to achieve great things ♦ Friendly competitive spirit between members ♦ Accountability to one another ♦ Massive knowledge resource. When you are on the island you only have your own knowledge, in a group, you can have everyone’s! ♦ Leadership skills – by participating in a group of people trying to better themselves and their shops, skills such as leadership are enhanced, you learn to present, become a more professional and rounded person. ♦ You learn to “See beyond you own walls” so to speak. Vital Behavior 3 - Measure the right key performance indicators The third vital behavior was Measure KPIs, but I was reminded by one of the positive deviant shops that it is imporSee MSO Consolidation, Page 36

PPG Launches New Clearcoat and Latest Branded Image by Stacey Phillips, Assistant Editor

PPG Industries’ whimsical “Toy Store” booth at SEMA showcased brightly-colored cars, bikes and even a boat, reflecting the latest trends in paint designs and finishes. During the show, PPG introduced customers to its new EC530 En-V™ Performance Clearcoat as well as the company’s latest packaging design for its Envirobase® High Performance waterborne product. PPG launched a new look for this product line in October. A modern, molecular-shaped design replaced the water drop image they have used since 2007. “With the brand’s broad market acceptance around the world, we thought it was time to give Envirobase® High Performance a fresh look that would reinforce its foremost position in the industry,” said John Outcalt, Vice President of global automotive refinish. He said the structured graphic represents innovation, color and technology. Although the packaging has been updated, there were no changes made to the technology of the products. Since launching its two brands, Envirobase® and Aquabase®, in the United States in 2007, PPG has continued to develop waterborne products for the collision repair industry.

The company recently reached a milestone, with more than 10,000 of their customers using waterborne basecoat throughout the U.S and Canada. Waterborne was introduced in the United States and Canada to meet the low VOC compliance of 3.5 basecoat. Currently, the compliant areas include California, Delaware,

PPG employees at their “Toy Store” booth during the SEMA show (from left): Stacie Toothman, Product Manager Collision; Jeff Matauch, Tech. Sales Instruction Supervisor; Paul Stoll, Tech. Sales Instruction Supervisor; and Tim Jones, Waterborne Product Manager at their booth during the SEMA show

Maryland, five counties in Utah and all of Canada. Texas, Arizona and13 states in the Northeast, referred to as the Ozone Transportation Commission, are working toward implementing low VOC requirements as well. “We now have more customers in the

areas that don’t require low VOC using waterborne than we do in all of the compliant areas combined because it improves their productivity,” said Tim Jones, PPG’s Waterborne Segment Manager. He attributes this to the consistent color it offers customers, allowing technicians to complete vehicles more quickly. “We’ve worked very hard to make sure our colors match our chips,” said Jones. He said when a technicians pulls out the color deck and it matches, it gives them the confidence that when it’s mixed together it will be the correct color. PPG debuted its waterborne technology to the automotive OEM market in 1986. The company then acquired ICI’s refinish business, based in the UK, in 1997. “Following that integration, we worked to get the best attributes of both of those two systems and that’s what we now call third-generation Envirobase® High Performance,” said Jones. Over the years the company has been adding clears and primers that are engineered to work with the waterborne basecoat. Jones said as a leader in waterborne technology, they are working toward having the first waterborne fully integrated system over the next few years. “Having a full waterborne system will continue to lower emissions to improve air quality,” said Jones. “We want to be able to offer the collision repair in-

dustry all of the products they need to be successful.” One of these products includes their EC530 En-V™ Performance Clearcoat introduced in late October. “EC530 is a significant expansion of the Envirobase High Performance system,” said Jones. “This is an excellent, compliant clearcoat for our waterborne basecoat.” He said it is easy to use will help shops improve their productivity and throughput. “It also consistently provides the beautiful finish, gloss and appearance expected of PPG products,” said Jones. “We believe these are features collision centers and their customers will find very attractive.” EC530 uses a traditional two-coat application process. Offering four reducers, it works in a variety of temperature and humidity conditions. It has a short bake cycle of 25 minutes or can be aired dried in less than four hours. Jones also said it doesn’t require polishing and dirt nibs can be buffed after cool down. Jones said the industry has always been geared for solvent borne products. “Now that waterborne is gaining a higher percentage of the market, suppliers are also getting onboard with supplying better pigments, better additives and better resins for the waterborne market and that’s going to be better for everyone as well,” he said.

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On Creative Marketing

Autobody Associations—A Great Source of Marketing Information with Thomas Franklin

Recently I had the pleasure of being the only reporter at a local autobody association chapter meeting. This was an especially interesting meeting focusing on the new Ford F150 truck and its aluminum body. There was a great panel of industry experts whose comments could significantly impact the success of a shop trying to perform more competitively and profitably. So I was troubled when one member of the panel asked how many shop owners were present and only about six or seven raised their hands. This was a room containing an audience of more than one hundred people. One would think that at least a quarter of the attendees would be major shop decision-makers. But I shouldn’t have been surprised. I’ve heard the same question at numerous meetings with the same low decisionmaker count. The last few meetings I’ve attended focused on elements that will determine the survival and success of most collision repair shops. The focus on new vehicle designs, materials, reparability and management processes prepares shop owners and managers for a business future that may be extremely challenging. That same focus tells these owners and managers what messages they need to get out to current and prospective customers to keep vehicles coming into their shops. This particular meeting provided ammunition for a marketing attack based on the hazards of dealing with aluminum and potential dangers for vehicle owners if they choose an ill-informed and illequipped shop to do their repairs. That message is appropriate for nearly every potential customer, whether an individual vehicle owner, fleet manager, dealership principal, or insurance DRP.

The message I’ve heard in many association meetings this and last year is that technology will now be driving the emphasis in shop marketing. That same message says that collision repair professionals can now command a new, higher level of respect. The days of thinking of a body shop as a place where low-paid workers pound dents out of fenders and massage damaged metal back into place has come to an end. Vehicle manufacturers have raised the bar and a typical shop today must have certified technicians and costly equipment to work on computerized vehicles, dangerous electrical and hybrid systems and exotic metal and carbon fiber bodies. Websites and other media that emphasize the old systems and equipment are missing the marketing boat. The time has come to seize this higher level of respect for the complicated new practice of restoring these complex vehicles to pre-accident condition. A much earlier meeting about this time of year was addressed by a V.P. from SEMA. This was when NACE abandoned Las Vegas to host the NACE show in a different city. The executive talked about the new benefits that can come from a collision shop attendance at and participation in a SEMA show in Las Vegas. The SEMA people were doing all possible to make the show informative and of value to collision repair attendees. Although the V.P. focused on amenities and conveniences for shop owners and managers, there were numerous references to new products and processes collision shop marketers could add to their repertoire of products and services. I attended SEMA that year and saw first hand

Four Collision Schools Awarded GEICO Grants The Collision Repair Education Foundation announced the winners of GEICO’s collision school grants for 2014: Hillsborough Community College (Tampa, FL); Norwalk High School (Norwalk, CA); Texas State Technical College (Waco, TX); Wilson Tech (Dix Hills, NY.) Each of the winning schools applied for a grant from the Ultimate Collision Education Makeover program, and each will receive

$6,750 to purchase items off their collision tool, equipment and supply wish list from their application. The winners were named Nov. 4 at the Education Foundation’s industry reception held at SEMA 2014. “GEICO recognizes that the collision repair industry needs highly-qualified, well-trained and knowledgeable technicians to repair today’s car” said Bill DeGrocco, Assistant VP at GEICO.

30 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

what he meant. One lady from a local shop was at the show and she noted that her shop could immediately profit from providing customers with alarm systems, child restraints, pet restraints, backing-up lights and cameras, specialty wheels and more. She saw a way to attract new customers and enjoy greater profits. While these were autobody association meetings that could aid marketing efforts, I think the best meetings focused on providing what is most needed for effective marketing: MONEY! Business analysts generally say about seven percent of gross should be put into sales and marketing. I’ve seen only a few shops that begin to approach that figure. Serious efforts to generate new customers can cost serious money. Two recent autobody association meetings I attended focused mainly on how to negotiate effectively and how to get paid for the many repairs and operations some in-

surance adjusters like to weasel out of. The information at just one of these meetings could have paid for some very high quality on-line marketing and also a live gal or guy in the field bringing in business! The complaint I’ve heard most frequently about association meetings was that there were uninformative programs and a tendency to be no more than a place to come to eat, drink and complain. What I’ve observed at these highly productive meetings is that there is a core group of members who want to use this irreplaceable forum to bring in speakers and panels with truly valuable information. Association members who complain about a declining volume of business and lower profits have failed to seize the opportunity to get these highly desirable presenters in front of their chapter. All it takes is someone willing to make the calls and arrange the time and place.

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Shop Showcase

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

Car Giveaways Become Regular Monthly Events at G&C Auto Body with Ed Attanasio

G&C Auto Body, with 10 locations in the Bay Area has always done everything over the top, especially when it comes to its philanthropy and specifically when they give re-furbished vehicles to needy families, individuals and organizations. Touched by countless letters and requests submitted to

and setting records, but that’s not why they do it, according to G&C Auto Body’s Owner Gene Crozat. “There are so many people out there struggling right now for whatever reason and these letters touch my soul every time I read them,” he said. “Things are not going well for them for whatever reason, but they don’t give up and they never lose hope. If we can help them by giving them a reliable vehicle so that their lives will be a little easier, I feel like it’s our obligation to do it.” Saying yes to some and no to others is obviously difficult G&C Auto Body helped Nicole Ruys and her family with a and that’s why Gene tries to much-needed vehicle. That’s Govinda Crozat, G&C’s outreach program director on the far right say yes to as many as he can. G&C through a car giveaway promo- It’s a tough job to sift through these retion, the company gives away cars not quests, and that’s why Govinda annually or even quarterly anymore Crozat, the company’s outreach pro—but monthly. The Crozat family is gram director plays an important role fast tracking their charitable efforts in reading all of the letters and work-

ing with the other members of the Crozat family as they pick their recipients. It’s a huge undertaking helping those in need and making a difference in the communities in which they do business. “We have given away 21 cars so far this year and we will be

away the cars, we also help people by giving them Safeway, Shell and Target gift cards, as well as occasional help with rent, funeral expenses, utilities and other needs.” By partnering with insurance companies, the Crozat Family Foundation is now giving away more and more cars. “We have had three insurance partners (State Farm, Geico and Allstate) all donate cars which were fixed by our Santa Rosa, Windsor and Petaluma techs on their own time with parts that were also donated by local vendors. It’s amazing and really satisfying to The Purugganan family received a mini-van from the see more people and compaCrozat Family Foundation nies getting involved. ther giving away four more pretty quickly, companies have stepped up to help hoping to hit 24-30 by the end of the G&C in their charitable efforts, year,” Govinda said. “We created the Govinda Crozat explained. “We also Crozat Family Foundation to help have all of the cars processed through people in need. In addition to giving the DMV by a company called B&C

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Registration Services. They’re doing it all free of charge which is exceptional. They know all of the ins and outs with the DMV, which is so helpful. When dealing with salvage titles, total losses and cars purchased at auction, we need a company like B&C to help us to navigate through the DMV. It can be tricky and there is a lot of paperwork involved and Brenda Smith at B&C has helped us tremendously.” Instead of buying cars randomly, now G&C is acquiring vehicles specifically earmarked for particular families in need. “We have gone from buying cars haphazardly at the local car mart to buying ‘in bulk’ at the surplus government vehicles auction every three months in Davis, CA,” Govinda said. “I purchased six cars at the last auction

and will be attending for the third time the Ukiah area,” Govinda said. The air in two weeks. We spend an average of time is donated by the Sonoma Media $5,000 per car after purchase, repairs Group and KWNE. A TV spot is curand DMV registration fees and the recipients get safe, reliable transportation that can last them for many years to come.” “I also purchase cars to fit specific needs,” she continued “I have searched for vans for families with several kids, wheelchair van for a woman and her handicapped Bobbi O’Sullivan (third from right) and her family were son, nd a construction truck borrowing cars from their friends, but now they have their own, thanks of Gene Crozat (far right) and his family for a woman who took over her husband’s construction job after rently running on KOFY TV and we he fell through a second story roof and have received letters from their viewbroke his neck. She was going to lose ers. We also receive some of the letters the job if she didn’t have a truck by directly, as people hear about us from Friday… literally! They also had a friends or sources other than the radio one-year-old so I made sure stations.” that the truck had a rear door Fixing cars is easy, but repairing for easy access in and out of lives is a little tougher, but that doesthe car seat.” n’t mean he will ever stop trying, By constantly touting their Gene said. “If we can change one life car giveaway program on for the better, we’ve done our job. local radio stations, G&C is Sure, we’re in the business of fixing getting the word out in a big cars and doing a quality job on every way. “We receive the request car we repair, but if we can give a litletters through Froggy 92.9 tle back, why not? It’s not all about and Hot 101.7 here in Sonoma money in the end, because you can’t The Perry family now has a car that can make their lives County, as well as KWNE in take it with you.” easier, thanks to G & C Auto Body

Continued from Page 24

Final 2014 CIC Meeting

tor,” King said. “It smells like you’re coming up with violation of our computer policy as a pretext for what you’re really getting rid of her for, which is you don’t like her religious affiliation and the fact that she refused to do something based on religious grounds,” he said. Instead, he said, as with all employees, notify her of how she is under-performing in her job, explain why that is important, and give her the reasonable assistance she needs to be successful along with time to improve. If she does not, you will have a defendable basis for firing her.

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Western Associations

Utah Auto Body Association Hosts its First-Ever Trade Show with Ed Attanasio

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

insurers, vendors and students the collision repair industry from Utah and surrounding might look like in the future. areas. UABA Executive DiChaney was impressed by rector Janet Chaney said that Felder’s talk and thought it it came together beautifully provided invaluable informaand is already looking to next tion for the body shop profesyear’s trade show. “For a first- sionals at the luncheon. time event, this went well,” “Kristen is a dynamic she said. “We’d like to thank speaker and she really enterAutomotive Industry Supply tained and educated us,” The Utah Auto Body Association (UABA) held its first-ever for stepping up and making it Chaney said. “She gave us a Bob Mackey (left) the I-CAR Regional Director for Utah Collision Industry Expo to Utah on Oct. 4 at Salt Lake and I-CAR Instructor Ralph Groves both taught classes at all happen. We had nearly 100 glimpse of the future in this the UABA’s trade show Community College attendees and a wide range of industry and it was eye-opening in many ways. In collision, inforvendors offering difThe Utah Auto Body Association mation is king, so whenever we get a (UABA) held its first-ever Collision ferent products and services, chance to gather useful, timely and Industry Expo on Oct. 4 at Salt Lake so we’re happy and looking relevant information from a speaker, Community College. More than 50 for 2015.” it’s great.” Cary Robarge, vice presvendors showcased new product disFelder was happy to see a healthy ident of the Utah Auto Body plays, technology and many interacturnout for her speech. “This is my Association, was also entive demos. second opportunity to meet and work The Collision Industry Expo was thused by the trade show’s with the Utah collision industry,” said free and welcomed collision repairers, turnout and the great reactions Felder. “It’s good to see the positive by body shop owners in Utah. Chris Perkins (left) from Perkins Auto Body and the forward movement of this young as“It was our first annual Colli- treasurer of UABA with Cory Stanger, the president sociation.” sion Industry Expo in Salt of the organization networking at the show Lake,” he said. “The Utah Auto Body Association is working to bring more education and training to Utah, and we’re proud to bring this high level of education, training and networking to the collision industry. We have to be prepared for what is coming, and now is the time to do it.” Kristen Felder of Collision Hub and Engage Target Media, was the CEO Stuart Barr from Industrial Finishes and event’s luncheon keynote speaker. In TV Reality star Dave Kindig (Bitchin’ Rides on her presentation, she analyzed indusVelocity) were on hand at the UABA’s first-ever trade show, held in Salt Lake City try trends to present a picture of what

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MSO Consolidation

tant to measure the “right ones.” He was right, there are some shops that become immersed in the minutia of meaningless metrics. It’s important to identify which numbers will truly guide your business to success and then you have to look at them daily, not at the end of the month when it’s too late, but every day or as often is required to make course corrections. Positive deviant shops know that you cannot improve what you do not measure. These shops try to get a little better each day, each week, and

each month and they know their numbers! In order for independent shops to continue to be successful in today’s challenging marketplace it is critical that we learn by carefully studying the habits that make best of the best positive deviant shops successful. It is also advisable to study the administrative processes that give the MSO consolidators the ability to grow at such a rapid pace while still performing repair jobs with amazing timeliness and consistency. Independents can in fact remain very relevant with both customers and insurers, but you may have to do things a little different and perhaps a little better.

36 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 37

Historical Snapshot

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

Prevailing Practices, Doing Business on Internet, 2-Way Estimating, Steering Suits with John Yoswick

20 years ago in the collision repair industry (December 1994) The cause and effect of “prevailing practices” was just one issue addressed by an inter-industry panel at the National Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) Forum in Las Vegas in December (1994.) Moderator Meryl Comer opened the discussion by asking panelists who they believed is responsible for setting “prevailing practices.” “I think if you ask some of our insurer friends, they’d probably say prevailing practices are set by the shops in the area,” California shop owner Jack Caldwell said. “Whatever most shops do, that sets the pace. And I guess to be totally honest, I’d have to agree, that’s where it starts. However, prevailing practices can be and are modified by the guy with the checkbook.” Insurers on the panel agreed that prevailing practices are their attempt to “mirror” the majority of collision repairers in a given area when preparing or auditing estimates, but shop owners criticized the “one-size-fitsall” approach insurers sometimes use. “It’s important to note that cars are changing,” Texas shop owner Joe Sanders said. “We perform operations today that weren’t necessary a few years ago. Resetting electrical components, for example. That may have only been done in our shop once or twice a month two years ago. But we do that routinely now every day. That process is prevailing in our operation, and I shouldn’t be held back because the shop down the street works on older cars and doesn’t have to do that.” Most of the questions from the audience during the forum were addressed to the insurers on the panel. Gerry Westerfield of State Farm was asked how shops can respond when adjusters “quote unwritten and undocumented company policy for not paying standard P-page procedures.” “If a State Farm representative comes to your shop and says, ‘We don’t pay for that, it’s company policy,’ take it from me, we don’t have that policy,” Westerfield said. “So tell them, ‘I know your policy and that’s not it. Who’s your supervisor?’”

During a panel discussion at NACE in 1994, Gerry Westerfield of State Farm urged shops to question any State Farm adjuster claiming to quote company policy “for not paying standard P-page procedures.”

– As reported in Spray Dust magazine.

15 years ago in the collision repair industry (December 1999) Soon there will be no choice. If you aren’t already using the Internet, you’ll have to in order to stay in business. By 2001, GM will require all of its suppliers to do business over the Internet. Ford has similar Internet plans. Allstate announced last month that it would soon sell insurance over the Internet. In today’s business world, it’s get online or go home. To remain competitive, collision repair faculties will need to use the Internet to their advantage. How will collision repairers be using the Internet? Parts ordering, for one. You can already tap into lustineparts.com and CarStation.com to order parts. And there may come a time very soon when ordering parts over the Internet is handled regularly through brokers. Just as a person looking for an inexpensive airfare can go through Priceline.com, a collision repairer looking for the best quality part at the cheapest price will be able to go through a middleman. The bad news is twofold. For starters, the Internet gives the insurance industry a whole new arena to control. With its financial emphasis on price (sometimes at the expense of quality), the insurance industry will be looking to use the Internet to find the cheapest parts it can. In cyberspace, look for price to reign over quality. A second disadvantage to the In-

38 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

ternet is that it will be more difficult for collision repairers to keep information about their businesses private. In addition to brokering deals, Internet middlemen will be compiling information about the buying habits of collision repair shops. They in turn will sell this information to others interested in making a profit on the industry. – From an editorial in Hammer & Dolly by Sheila Loftus.

10 years ago in the collision repair industry (December 2004) The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is circulating a petition in support of two-way communication between like estimating systems. This is the ability to electronically transmit and receive the vehicle owner’s assignment information, estimate, sup-

plement or attachments between insurers and repairers that are using the same estimating system regardless of whether a DRP relationship exists between the companies. “Two-way communication, as SCRS defines it, would eliminate many of the inefficiencies inherent in the current claims handling process, most specifically the rekeying of the estimate,” said Lou DiLisio, chairman of SCRS. – As reported in Autobody News. It took nearly a decade, but two of the Big Three estimating providers now offer systems that enable shops and participating insurers to exchange data electronically outside of a DRP relationship. 5 years ago in the collision repair industry (December 2009) In fining Allstate Insurance $5,000 for “interfering with (a) consumer’s free choice of repair facility,” the Insur-

ance Division of Rhode Island’s Department of Business Regulation also clarified what constitutes such interference by an insurer. In reviewing a complaint brought by Providence Auto Body, the Department said that “without a legitimate business reason, an insurer may not take actions that make it more difficult to have the repair done at a (shop) with which the insurer does not have a contractual relationship.” In this case, the Department found that a combination of actions by Allstate constituted interference with claimant Dennis D’Ambra’s shop choice. These actions included: – delaying arrangements for repair of the vehicle (after the shop contacted Allstate saying D’Ambra had hired it to do the repairs) until Allstate could locate and contact D’Ambra seven days later; – telling D’Ambra that Providence Auto Body was not “approved”; – suggesting that D’Ambra take the vehicle to a drive-in claims center after he had already said he wanted Providence Auto Body to repair the vehicle; and, –taking 15 days after contacting D’Ambra to conduct an appraisal of

the vehicle at the shop. The ruling states that discussion by an insurer about its DRP or drivein claims center is not in and of itself an indication of steering. “However, when the customer indicates that he does not need or want that information, as D’Ambra did here, the conversation must stop,” the ruling states. “The customer has the right to simply choose a shop and have the shop ‘handle’ the repair.” – As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), November 14, 2009. Almost five years later Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt last month issued a warning in his state about the practice of “steering” by insurers, in which “insurers strongly push consumers to autobody repair shops,” sometimes “crossing the line, making dishonest statements.”

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BASF Glasurit and R-M Paint Earn Awards at SEMA

During SEMA, many vehicles earned industry accolades featuring Glasurit® and R-M® paint by BASF. The top honors given to show vehicles featuring BASF paint include: ● Chevrolet Design Award for the Best Chevy in Show; Mothers® Choice Award; and the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association Gold Award – The 1966 “Recoil” Chevelle from the Ringbrothers, painted in a custom Sand Storm color from the Glasurit® 90-Line, took home these honors. The “Recoil” was also named the “Car Everyone is Talking About” by Car and Driver magazine in its SEMA show round-up and received recognition from both Hot Rod magazine and the General Motors official news blog. ● Ford Motor Co. Best in Stand Design – Given to the 2015 Ford Mustang convertible. Styled by designer Chip Foose, Glasurit® ambassador, with light green metallic paint and orange accents from BASF Glasurit® 90-Line. ● Scion Tuner Challenge Award – The Speedhunters Scion FR-S from Keith Charvonia, painted in a Pure White from BASF’s R-M® line took home first place honors. ● Gran Turismo Award – The Garrett X GReddy R35 GT-R was named as the Gran Turismo Best Asian Import award winner and featured Solid Red

paint from Glasurit® 90-Line. The car will be featured as a downloadable option in an upcoming installment of the Gran Turismo video game series. ● Autobytel’s Best Paint Jobs at SEMA – Two vehicles on Autobytel’s list feature BASF paint: the Chip Foose 2006 Ford Mustang GT in the Magnaflow booth featuring Tungsten Grey paint from the Glasurit® 90Line; and the 1972 Buick Riveria “Rivtile” from Juergen Book that was painted “snake-style” to represent an “automotive reptile.” The colors scheme features a range of reptilian greens, custom painted with gold contrasts from BASF’s R-M® Carizzma line. ● SEMA Battle of the Builders: Top 10 Builders Finalists – Two finalists in the Top 10 Builders award were BASF Refinish customers: The Ringbrothers with the “Recoil” Chevelle; and Gordon Aram, who uses the BASF R-M® Line, was nominated for his 1978 Ford Mustang II, featuring Kona Blue paint. “We’re very proud of these accolades for our Glasurit® and R-M® paint systems, as well as the recognition of the artistic skills of these dedicated designers. Congratulations to all the winners,” said Paul Whittleston, VP, Automotive Refinish & Industrial Coatings Solutions North America.

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SEMA Show Goes On

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

New Product Showcase Winners a Big Hit at SEMA with Ed Attanasio

It’s the Academy Awards, the Emmys and the Tonys all rolled into one if you’re a manufacturer of any automotive product on the planet. Being a winner in the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s (SEMA) New

Evolution 3D Measuring System’s software and LumaIII Inc. is also a runner-up in this category for the Aurora. Malco Products Inc. captured the top spot with their Quarter Panel Hemming Air TurboXTool. This tool uses existing air supply to bend and close up to ¾ inch (19.05mm) deep wheel arc flanges of replacement quarter panels on late model cars. It can replicate a hammer and dolly motion at high speed and is 80 percent faster, based on field trials. The cushioned anvil protects the panel finish while the hammer rolls and flattens the flange from the back. Mike Janey, creative servThe Collision Repair & Refinish Product winner was ices specialist for Malco, Malco Products Inc. for the Quarter Panel Hemming knows the value of this award Air TurboXTool and that’s why he’s already Products Showcase can be a game working hard to leverage it. “Just changer and the beginning of some- being associated with a respected thing truly big. And that’s why when name like SEMA gives us immediate four collision-related companies heard help with things like distribution and their names at the 2014 SEMA Show’s name recognition,” Janey explained. opening breakfast on Nov. 4 they were “Malco was founded in 1950, but obviously thrilled and even a little products for auto body work is a new shocked in some cases. market for our company, so winning These awards are given to the this award means a lot to us. Our goal most innovative and cutting-edge new is to introduce innovative products automotive aftermarket products in that make the lives of body technithe industry today, judged by some of cians easier and alleviate repetitive inthe biggest names in the automotive juries on the user’s shoulders and world. Nearly 2,000 products were entered into 16 different showcase categories to be considered for SEMA New Product Awards this year. Winners were selected based on a variety of factors that included quality, marketability, innovation, technology, consumer appeal and more. The Collision Repair & Refinish Product winner is The LumaIII team was thrilled about their two runners up Malco Products, Inc. for their awards. From left: Owner/CMO Richard Routon, Owner/ Quarter Panel Hemming Air CEO Kirk Lucas, Owner/CFO Jimmy Zluticky and Director TurboXTool. The two run- of Sales Chris Williams ners up in this category are 6 Hands, arms, so that they can work without for their 6-Hands Universal Body interruption and get the results they’re Panel Holder and LumaIII, Inc. for looking for. Technicians want superior their Aurora LED attachment. In the quality performance that saves time Tools & Equipment Product category, and labor while also being reliable, Celette is a runner up for their Naja safe and easy-to-use and with our

40 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

award for his Universal Body Panel Quarter Panel Hemming Air TurboXTool, we’ve answered all of those Holder. “As a first-time exhibitor and a needs!” One of the runners up in the Col- young business, this award is a shot in lision Repair & Refinish Product cat- the arm,” Sapak said. “We invented egory is 6 Hands with their Universal this device for ourselves to use in our Body Panel Holder. Adjustable to fit any panel, this device consists of three pairs of different length “hands.” After the panel is attached to the 6 hands, it can be rotated using the 6 hands on an X and Y axis. This gives the tool the unique ability to allow the panel to effortlessly be placed in ergonomic positions while performing metal work, sand- 6 Hands captured a runner-up award in the Collision Repair ing, body work and painting & Refinish Product category for their Universal Body Panel Holder more efficiently. Ben Sapak, the owner of 6 restoration business doing custom Hands in Holland, MI has only been metal work, because nothing else did in business for approximately six the job we wanted it to. Now a tech months now, so he’s obviously de- can hold onto a panel without damaglighted about capturing a runner-up See SEMA New Products, Page 43

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 41

Southwest Associations with Chasidy Rae Sisk

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

LaCIA October Meeting Features Guest Speaker Mike Anderson On Thursday, October 16, the Louisiana Collision Industry Association (LaCIA) held their October meeting, featuring renowned industry speaker Mike Anderson, at the Marriott in Metairie, LA. The meeting focused on the association’s collaborative efforts with the Louisiana Attorney General’s office and the association’s future plans before their collisionadvice.com guest speaker took the floor to provide a general update on the state of the industry as well as to address a variety of topics relevant to the collision repair professionals in attendance. The evening began with LaCIA Chairman Lynn Lejeune calling the meeting to order and informing members of the association’s intent to hold a members-only meeting in the imminent future in order to discuss their agenda for 2015 and to elect new board members. Lejeune also updated attendees on the Attorney General’s lawsuit which is still at the federal courts as they await a decision on whether the case will be returned to a state court as the Attorney General’s office hopes. Accordingly, LaCIA’s Chairman reminded everyone that the Attorney General’s office “would like to hear from members who can provide evidence on secondary crashes that resulted in increased damages or parts not reacting properly (air bags not deploying, crumple zones not crumpling like they should, welds not holding, etc.) due to the use of non-OEM or used parts on a prior repair, or due to poor workmanship on a prior repair.” Anyone with such evidence should contact Assistant Attorney General Stacie deBlieux at 225-326-6458 or via email at deblieuxs@ag.state.la.us. Next, Derek Stubbs, Vice Chairman of LaCIA, read the Anti-Trust statement and the association’s mission as follows: “LaCIA is committed to serving in the best interests of the collision repair industry through education, support, leadership and business connections in our trade. We hope to achieve the open sharing and exchanging of ideas which will help make this field better for everyone who serves it and to promote consumer awareness. From the porter to office assistants to

shop owners, we are here to provide everyone a voice and hope for the future of our livelihood. LaCIA is an organization that was started so that the collision repair industry of Louisiana has a chance to exchange ideas and provide a voice and support for the collision repair professionals in our state.” Stubbs also reminded attendees that, as an association of education, it Mike Anderson is very important file photo for LaCIA members to stay educated and keep abreast of all that is happening in the industry if they hope to be successful. Next up, guest speaker Mike Anderson of www.collisionadvice.com presented an update on the state of the collision repair industry and discussed many other topics. Anderson began by asking attendees if the industry is changing them or if they are changing the industry, suggesting that LaCIA can be “the wind of change our industry needs” and encouraging everyone to do more than just sit around waiting for change lest, by biding their time, the collision repair industry allows the insurers to make all the changes. He asked, “are you controlled by your circumstances, or are you taking charge of your own destiny?” Anderson provided information about many laws from other states that are beneficial to the collision repair industry as a means of helping LaCIA establish some new goals in the future. Noting that only 430 body shops in LA claim payroll taxes while 1459 do not, Anderson noted that shops that do not claim any employees are more likely to be the “backyard” shops who are hurting the state’s industry as they may not be properly repairing vehicles or investing in the overall well-being of the industry in any way. LaCIA is considering investigating this matter further, and Anderson suggested that they may be able to get the attention of the State Senate by presenting the data to demonstrate the potential money the state is losing in payroll taxes. Another suggestion Anderson made was for shops to collect estimates with discrepancies to send to LaCIA to

42 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

allow the association to fight for them because shops fighting on their own run the risk of being blackballed or deemed hostile while having a representative acting on behalf of multiple shops can go a long way toward receiving proper compensation without being detrimental to their relationships with insurers. Anderson also mentioned that shops can use yext.com to help improve their online search ratings. Turning the discussion to aluminum repairs, Anderson noted that shops can check with their paint suppliers for help deciding whether it is necessary to invest in aluminum repair immediately since suppliers can provide information on how often aluminum trucks actually get fixed. Most aluminum trucks are work trucks, and Anderson does not believe there’s a need for the investment right away if these trucks are not being repaired frequently in a specific area; however, he informed the group that they should not write off the need for this investment

completely as the use of aluminum in vehicles is becoming increasingly common. Among a variety of other things, Anderson also directed attendees to the Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) which is designed to help veterans get work and even offers a GI Bill to help pay for employee training. Alysia Hanks, Executive Director of LaCIA, states, “it was a very educational evening, and I left there more motivated than ever to be the change this industry needs! We have a lot of work to do ladies and gentlemen! I hope I have your support as we move forward.” In addition to their last meeting of the year, tentatively scheduled for November 15 in the Lafayette/Alexandria area, LaCIA is planning a function with the Attorney General’s office for Buddy Caldwell’s re-election which is scheduled to be held at 5:30-7:30PM on November 22 at The Hall in Lafayette, LA. LaCIA www.la-cia.com

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SEMA New Products

from Wichita, KS that didn’t even know if they could make it to SEMA initially. “We’ve had to pool our money together and even some of us sold vehicles to get to SEMA, because we are so confident that this product is needed in this industry,” Owner/CMO Richard Routon said. “People are really embracing the Aurora, because body shop owners can

ing it. We’re so happy that the judges saw a need for this tool and by recognizing it they’ve given us a whole new level of value in the collision and restoration industries. It’s obviously huge.” Another runner-up award went to LumaIII, Inc. for their Aurora, an LED attachment that fits snugly directly behind the nozzle of any spray gun. Lightweight and durable, this battery-operated device allows painters to get an immediate visual confirmation of the center of their spray, saving considerable time and money on primer, paint, sandpaper, The Collision Repair & Refinish Product winner was buffing compound and other Malco Products Inc. for the Quarter Panel Hemming costly alternative illumina- Air TurboXTool tion solutions. By reducing technician clearly see the benefits of it. It’s errors, the Aurora has quickly become quickly changing the industry, bepopular with several industries, in- cause it saves time and labor and cluding collision repair, according to makes painters more efficient and acthe company’s web site. curate. SEMA was great for us and The award will provide a major this award is a big part of it, because it boost for LumaIII, a young company shows that the industry is recognizing

our product and its role in the collision repair industry.” Celette captured a runner-up award in the Tools & Equipment Product category for their newly released NAJA Evolution 3D software. Taking measurements directly from OEM-provided 3D CAD drawings provides technicians with unique views of the control points in relation to length, width and height, allowing an efficient damage analysis on a database of more than 14,000 vehicles. Bastien Dias Da Costa, operations manager for Celette was delighted by the award. “We’re honored to have received such a prestigious award for our newest product at a highly recognized event like SEMA,” he said. “Our software for the Naja Evolution 3D Measuring System has gained some significant recognition for its accuracy and superior graphics. The software is easy to update with direct access to our web site and offers users individual space in the Celette cloud. It’s also compatible with computers, desktop computers and laptops and by adding approximately 9,000 vehicles to the database, it’s the most complete in the industry.”

Muñoz Waxman Gallery Art Based on Collision Repair

The Art Collision & Repair Shop™, created by Santa Fe/Brooklyn-based artist Susan Begy and co-curated with Santa Fe-based art historian Kathryn M Davis, is a process-driven project about creativity and collaboration. A repair shop owned by Begy's father serves as a metaphor for this experimental, ongoing community event. Viewers will enter the exhibition through an artistic version of a mechanic's waiting room, where they can watch a short video that helps define the project. Another group of invited artists, the Art Mechanics, work in teams to decide how to complete the artwork they have chosen without knowing its source or back story. Once an artist delivers an artwork to the mechanics, the piece no longer belongs to the artist. The exhibition features nine refurbished works, alongside documentation of the original artworks. There are no rules governing the process − paintings are transformed into sculptures, sculptures have become video installations, poetry is woven into objects. The exhibit will be open from November 14 to February 1, 2015 at Muñoz Waxman Main Gallery.

www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 43

Industry Insight

John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon who has been writing about the collision 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.

SCRS OEM Technology Event Includes Plenty of Focus on Aluminum Repair with John Yoswick

Aluminum was front and center throughout much of the collision repair portion of the 2014 SEMA tradeshow, including at one of the new features of this year’s event: the “OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit,” hosted by the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). The day-long summit brought together shops, automakers and equipment manufacturers to discuss what SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg called a “topic that affects every segments of the industry.” “There is no bigger conversation right now than the changing landscape of automotive design and how that influences the repair of a vehicle,” Schulenburg said as the summit began. Sessions during the event covered OEM shop certification programs, changing vehicle designs impacting repairs, and the increasing use of steel alternatives, including aluminum. Doug Richman, vice president of engineering and technology for Kaiser Aluminum, said Ford’s introduction of the all-aluminum 2015 F-150 pickup is just part of a 4-decade-long expansion in the use of aluminum by automakers. Over that time, the average vehicle has come to have about 400 pounds of aluminum, including such parts as wheels and cylinder heads and blocks. That’s about 10 percent of the curb weight of the average vehicle. It’s gone up by about 7 pounds per year since the mid-1970s, but has risen by 14 pounds per year for the last three years. While Richman is quick to note that steel is not going away, the rate of growth in aluminum use is expected to be maintained over the next decade, according to a recent study commissioned by the aluminum manufacturers association. The study, Richman said, is conducted every three years and relies not on projections but on actually vehicle programs committed to by automakers. It forecasts that by 2025, seven out of 10 pick-ups will be all-aluminum, and 547 pounds (or 16 percent) of the average vehicle weight will consist of aluminum, including an increasing percentage of crash parts and body structures. “Our experience has been [the

study has] been conservative for 21 years,” he said. “For seven consecutive reports, [it has] been very close but conservative.” The most obvious reason for the shift is the weight savings aluminum offers as automakers work to meet increasing federal fuel efficiency requirements. The new F-150 is about 700 pounds lighter than its predecessor, and 400 pounds of that savings is accounted for by the switch to aluminum, Richman said.

“Your industry has a great deal of know-how in managing – at least technically what needs to be done – the aluminum side of the business,” he said. “But I’ve heard repeatedly in conversation on the [SEMA tradeshow] floor that the skillsets to do that work properly may not be on the shop floors yet. In the case of aluminum body structure repair in particular, the skillsets are really critical, because it’s not like welding and repairing steels body structures.”

Separate area, dust extraction crucial for aluminum repair safety, not just quality

Most European automakers call for a separate “clean room” – set off from the rest of the shop by brick-and-mortar – for repair of aluminum. Though its requirements for Ford F-150 certification are somewhat less stringent, Ford requires the repair area be curtained off. A separate dust extraction system for these repair areas is also required. Most shops recognize the need to prevent steel or aluminum dust from contaminating vehicle parts made of the other type of metal. But the dust extraction is also critical to prevent a potentially hazardous build-up of aluminum dust which can be explosive. Sixty-eight people were killed this past August in such an explosion in a factory in China that polishes aluminum wheel rims. During a session at the Society of Collision Repair Specialists’ “OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit,” in Las Vegas in November, ”Mark Allen of Audi of America noted that aluminum oxide was a key ingredient in the “bunker buster bombs” that the U.S. military used in Afghanistan. “For a shop to say they can’t afford to designate a certain amount of square footage in a shop for aluminum is not a good statement to make,” agreed General Motors’ Leo Gruzas, who said his company has new aluminum-intensive vehicles in the pipeline. “Everybody needs to have an area where they can do that specialized work and to make sure the materials are separated and that everybody stays safe.” But the change also improves how the truck rides and maneuvers, he said. There are also safety advantages. “Every single vehicle that has been converted to aluminum has had higher safety ratings than the steel version it replaced,” Richman said. “A lot of that is design, but also the energy absorption capability of aluminum.” Richman focused much of his presentation on “repair considerations” related to aluminum.

44 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Richman offered several key pieces of advice for shops as they prepare to work on more aluminum vehicles. First, he said, automaker recommended procedures are going to be more crucial than ever. Car companies can choose from a wide variety of aluminum materials, each with its own tempers and characteristics, he said. Even knowing the “number” designating a type of aluminum isn’t enough.

“When you see a number like ‘6061,’ what you need to understand is every manufacturer of 6061 has a different formulation – or in fact multiple formulations – that are 6061 materials,” he said. “Just because it says ‘6061’ doesn't mean it acts like the ‘6061` on the next vehicle you see. They are very different. Be certain that you consult the OEM recommended repair practices for the specific model, because even within a manufacturer, they have varying practices depending on the specific design or model.” Dust management is another crucial element of aluminum repair, Richman said, even aside from the risk of galvanic corrosion if aluminum or steels ‘contaminate’ the other (see sidebar). “I want to make sure you understand that aluminum dust is potentially an explosion hazard,” he said. “I personally don’t ever want to hear about a shop having a fire or explosion with aluminum dust. I know this isn’t news to you, but I want to reinforce it. There’s lots of stories about businesses that burned to the ground because they didn’t manage this.” Using the automaker-specified joining process is also critical, Richman said, given the impact to aluminum’s strength in the heat-affected zones around welds. That’s why use of self-piercing rivets and bonding are often the process-of-choice in the manufacture and repair of aluminum vehicles. Again, following manufacturer guidelines for rivets and adhesives are critical, he said. Use of the incorrect adhesive, for example, may not ensure the necessary gap for the adhesive is maintained between the pieces being joined, he said. Schulenburg said the response SCRS received to its inaugural OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit convinced him it is an event that will continue. “This does not end here today. This is the beginning of a very long conversation,” Schulenburg said. “It will be ongoing. As technology continues to evolves so should the discussion. This is the first of many ‘OEM Collision Repair Technology Summits,’ and we’re excited to launch this program.”

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SEMA Show Goes On

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

WD-40/PowerNation Jeep Debuts at SEMA 2014 with Ed Attanasio

WD-40 Company and PowerNation pooled their skills and resources together to create a custom, off-road Jeep that debuted at the SEMA Show that wowed people all over the world for four days. This amazing vehicle will go to one very lucky winner in June 2015 via a sweepstakes sponsored by WD-40 and promoted on PowerNation’s TV shows.

went into building the WD-40 Specialist Xtreme Machine before putting their hat into the ring to win it via the sweepstakes,” said Tim Lesmeister, vice president of marketing for WD40 Company. “The PowerNation team did a phenomenal job building something that’s both head-turning and unique, and the guys used a lot of our top-of-the-line WD-40 Specialist products in the process.” Ian Johnson, host of PowerNation’s “Xtreme Off-Road,” was on hand to sign autographs at the SEMA Show inside WD-40 Company’s booth and discuss the vehicle he helped to create in conjunction with WD-40. “We’re proud and pleased to be working with a major name like WD-40,” Johnson said. “The Before it was the WD-40 Specialist Xtreme Machine that Xtreme Machine is truly exappeared at this year’s SEMA, it was simply a 1990 Jeep treme in many ways and we Wrangler YJ went all-in with this vehicle.” The custom 1990 Jeep Wrangler WD-40 Brand Manager Shannon YJ, dubbed the WD-40® Specialist® Edwards gave a little perspective on Xtreme Machine, has an aluminum the history of WD-40’s custom vehibody and tube chassis and is equipped cles, all of which have appeared at with an LS engine, 42-inch tires and SEMA over the years. “This is now coilovers throughout. Located as a feaour seventh vehicle and we’re always tured vehicle in the hallway outside of trying to make the next one the best the North Hall, this Jeep was getting a one,” she explained. “The WD-40 huge response during the entire SEMA show, which is pretty impressive when you consider that all of the world’s best custom vehicles are always there. PowerNation, a twohour block of four automotive shows that air on NBC Sports Network, SpikeTV, the CBS Sports Network, PowerNationTV.com and the PowerNationTV app, includes “Xtreme Off-Road,” “Engine Power,” “Truck Tech” and “Detroit Muscle.” The WD-40 Specialist Under the direction of PowerNation’s Ian Johnson and with some help from the students at UTI San Diego, this Xtreme Machine vehicle is the amazing finished product build will be featured on two episodes of “Xtreme Off-Road” Specialist Xtreme Machine that we in January 2015, with a sweepstakes built with PowerNation is an amazing to give away the vehicle running Jan. Jeep. We wanted an off-road vehicle 2 – May 31, 2015. this year, so we pitched the people at “TV viewers will get to see the PowerNation and they said yes. Ian hard work and attention to detail that wanted to take a stab at it and it was

46 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

obviously a smart decision. Of the seven, five have been for charity; it has been a great program. We’ve raised more than $750,000 for charities raised by auctioning those five vehicles.”

Ian Johnson from PowerNation partnered with WD-40 on this year’s SEMA vehicle

This year’s vehicle can be won through a sweepstakes, so that anyone who signs up can walk away with it, Edwards said. “We did it this way, so that any pros or Joes out there can take this thing home, if they’re lucky. You don’t have to know anyone and you don’t have to be rich to own the WD40 Specialist Xtreme Machine and that’s why we decided to give it away via a sweepstakes.” Once again this year, young body technicians in training worked on the vehicle to make it as spectacular as it is today. “The students at UTI San Diego stepped up and did a lot of the work on this vehicle,” Edwards said. “We’re happy that they were able to contribute, because we want to start these young people in the right direction in their careers in the collision industry. These projects allow us to educate and mentor these students as they get some real-life experience along the way.”

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Creating Engaging Consumer Videos for Marketing with Kristen Felder by Victoria Antonelli

Kristen Felder of CollisionHub started her SCRS Repairer Driven Education seminar at SEMA with a jolting statistic—“80 percent of visitors on your website will watch your videos, but only 20 percent will read your text.” Felder said she always asks body shop owners, “Do you have video on your website? If the answer is ‘no,’ does your competitor have video on their website? If the answer is ‘yes,’ then 80 percent of that company’s vis-

Kristen Felder of CollisionHub gives advice on creating engaging videos for marketing during one of her SCRS seminars at SEMA

itors are learning about their business, not yours.” What does this mean for body shops who have only recently come to terms with Facebook, for example? It’s time to break out the camera and open up iMovie, or hire someone who can. Lee Emmons, video expert and vice president of AP Media, Inc., K. Michael Bradshaw, vice president of operations at K&M Collision, Meredith Bradshaw, owner of K&M Collision, joined Felder on the panel. Emmons has helped Michael and Meredith create cutting-edge videos for their body shop’s website. K. Michael and Meredith Bradshaw have recently been covered in Autobody News. “We wanted a high-quality product, but we also had a budget,” said K. Michael. “The more I looked at it all the video, the editing, the type of video, where to put it to get the most exposure, etc., the more I realized I couldn’t do it all on my own,” said K. Michael. “I hired Lee, which was a really good decision. He’s very professional.” Felder addressed the fears many non-tech savvy shop owners have about creating video with a reflection on the

Kristen Felder of CollisionHub; Lee Emmons, Vice President of AP Media; Michael Bradshaw, VP of Operations at K&M Collision; and Meredith Bradshaw, co-owner of K&M Collision, discuss the importance of video in the auto industry

advertising, nothing, it just grew solely on using the internet, using video. But it was the only video in the industry for anyone to watch, so if you wanted to watch something on collision repair, or products, we were your only option. So the quality didn’t matter, what mattered was the content. That’s why I always tell shops, ‘don’t worry, just get started.’ ”

Another major concern is budget. Here are a few aspects to consider when creating your video, according to panel responses by Felder, Emmons, K. Michael, and Meredith Bradshaw. ■ What is your time mark? If you’re making the video yourself—filming, writing, and editing—how much time will you allot to this process? Time is money. ■ Is there another company in your town that you collaborate with frequently, i.e. a tire company? If so, is there a chance you could share expenses to create a video that benefits both parties? ■ Half and half: When Felder first started creating videos, she would shoot the footage herself, and then hire someone to edit it. “Editing is the magic,” explained Felder. ■ Do you want to hire talent? If you don’t want to be in your video—it’s best to hire actors/actresses or an outside spokesperson. Employees, managers and technicians come and go, so including them in a video may not be the best choice. The best places to find talent are craigslist or a local talent agency. ■ Do you want to hire a film crew? “Local film schools are the best See Creating Engaging Videos, Page 51

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first one she made during NACE back in 2009. “You could hardly see it, the white balance was off, and I had horrible audio, but it still worked,” said Felder. “CollisionHub grew with no print media, no

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 47

Continued from Cover

Pro Spot Shines

close look at the assembly process for the top of the line welding and repair products. As one of the manufacturer’s approved by Ford to supply aluminum repair equipment for the collision repair industry, Pro Spot is also well known for its resistance spot welding equipment. In particular, Pro Spot was approved by Ford to supply their Collision Repair Program with SP Pulse MIG welders, Aluminum Dent Repair Stations, Fume Extractors and the SPR Riveter. Ron Olsson, the company’s founder and president, an electrical engineer, grew up in Sweden before moving to California in the 1980s. With a passion for riding motorcycles, Olsson’s inventive engineering started by creating a frame straightening machine for motorcycles. He soon realized there were more cars on the road than motorcycles and opened Pro Spot in 1986 to focus on creating quality collision repair equipment for vehicles. Ron’s daughter, Ashley, the com-

pany’s Director of Communications, explained about the different products Pro Spot designs and builds and gave us a brief history about the company. She recalled memories of the early days of the business and the change they’ve experienced over the years.

Ashley Olsson demonstrates how welder assemblage begins with aluminum billet stock

Now settled after moving two years ago to its fourth location, Pro Spot manufacturers more than 30 products. With nearly 100 employees at their facility, the company owns and manages its own machine shop, a research and development department, a fabrication facility and production lines for various welders.

Victoria Antonelli’s First Welding Experience

When I-CAR-certified instructor Toby Chess told Stacey and me he wanted to teach us how to weld steel, we looked at each other nervously, and proceeded to say how excited we were. I never thought I’d be taking a welding class as part of my job, but I also never expected to become an automotive journalist, so I guess it comes with the territory. The nervousness and excitement returned when we arrived at Pro Spot International. By the end of our tour of the facilities, I was looking forward to getting my hands on the state-ofthe-art welding equipment. Before I knew it, I was putting my gear on. The mask and eye protection felt awkward, but I appreciated their purpose. Toby explained the equipment Victoria Antonelli’s (right) first welding further before we used it, cracking experience as Toby Chess casts a critical eye. jokes and asking surprise questions at every turn—just to make sure we were paying attention. I watched Stacey complete her first MIG weld with flying colors, and then it was my turn. Toby guided my hand, and proceeded to tell me numerous times to slow down as I moved the wire from top to bottom, sparks flying the whole time. That was fun! I did the same one a few more times, and after only a couple of tries, I was able to successfully complete a MIG weld on my own. I couldn’t wait to take pictures of my completed weld, and a selfie with my mask on. “You two are better than a lot of the full-time guys that come in here,” Toby reassured us. Next was the Spot Weld. This one gave me a little bit of trouble, but then again, drawing circles always has. Toby patiently worked with me until I came close enough to completing a small circle with a filled-in spot. After more pictures and gear removal, we headed back to Autobody News, feeling accomplished and ready for our next challenge—welding aluminum! This time I’m going to do my homework first. 48 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Stacey Phillips’s First Welding Experience

Looking through my heavy mask, I was carrying the torch with shaky hands and holding my breath. Then I saw the first sparks light up the room. I realized at that moment that I was actually welding. With an abundance of patience and his trademark sense of humor, Toby Chess from I-CAR Training & Certification, recently spent a good part of his morning teaching Victoria and I how to weld. First, he gave an overview of the type of welding we would learn – MIG weld brazing. That’s metal inert gas, he explained. The advantage of MIG brazing is the lower heat input. The wires typically used for MIG brazing have a melting temperature of 1,000 degrees, which puts less heat on the vehicle’s panels. After installing the wire, Toby talked about gun angle. Whether welding steel or aluminum, he stressed the Toby Chess (left) and welding student Stacey importance of always holding the gun Phillips (right) work on her first weld using at 80 degrees. Pro Spot’s MIG welder. He gave a quick demonstration of the weld we were going to do using the state-of-the-art Pro Spot welder we were lucky enough to learn on, and I was ready. Mask on. Gloves up. Glasses down. After completing my first weld, Toby put it to the test: did it fall apart under stress? He said I passed with flying colors. Now I was hooked and wanted to learn more. However, I realized it takes more than just skill and training. If done improperly during a collision repair, a poor weld can compromise the vehicle’s structural integrity. I may have just welded sheet metal, but what I really learned are some of the challenges real technicians face. Realistically, how would a collision repair shop hire one? Shop infrastructure and equipment are both important components as well. I-CAR offers these help with their courses as well as an on-site assessment. Looking back at my first welding experience, it gave me a better appreciation for all of the technicians who weld on the vehicles we drive everyday. A proper weld can save lives. What’s next? I asked Toby. Learning how to weld aluminum... Stay tuned.

Ashley said the benefit of manufacturing the equipment on-site is the ability to maintain the quality of their products. “We’re really big on quality, we have control to make sure each product leaving our facility provides our customers with the best product available.”

Toby Chess is flanked by editors Stacey (left) and Victoria (right), who showed Toby enough ability to get to the next class

This past summer they visited Ford’s Deerborn Plant near the Detroit River, where Ford started building cars in the 1920s. Inspired by Henry Ford, Olsson modeled some of his own business practices on Ford’s ideas. “Ford did everything he could so that there would

be no bottlenecks in his production process,” said Ashley. “He had his own trains, trucks, forests, etc.” Like Ford, Ashley said her father is a true inventor and visionary. “For example, we were at Ford walking around, an idea came to him and immediately he’s drawing out designs for new equipment on the first sheet of paper he can find,” she said. Pro Spot has worked with Ford over the last five years in regards to the F-150. “Ford really considered the repairability in the design process,” said Ashley. “This is huge because we’re working with them on the possibilities of creating a collision repair program.” “With Ford announcing they are making America’s best-selling vehicle, their F-150, out of aluminum,” said Ron. “Any body shop anywhere, wherever they are, is going to be fixing a few F-150s every month and some of them are going to be doing it everyday.” In order to meet this need, Ron said the company is focused on supSee Pro Spot Shines, Page 53

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Western Associations

CAA Glendale/Foothill Chapter Meeting Hosts Mike and Mike with Thomas Franklin

The California Autobody Association Glendale-Foothill Chapter met Monday, November 10, 2014, at the Brookside Country Club, 1133 Rosemont Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91103. Chapter president Daniel Panduro began the meeting. Daniel opened by saying, “We’re excited to bring back Mike Anderson of Collision Advice and just as excited to introduce Mike Jones of Discover Leadership Training. We’re very excited to end the year with “Mike and Mike” and even more excited to continue to bring value to our members moving forward into 2015.” Cindy Shillito, CAA Representative for the area, introduced the new website, TALAutobody.com. She said members now have access to an amazing array of services and benefits. Mark D’Angelo and the entire D’Angelo Automotive Paint and Supplies team sponsored the meeting. Mike Anderson was the first speaker of the evening covering “The State of the Industry” and ways to take advantage of changes this year to prosper better in 2015. For example he began with the statistic, 13.3 milMike Anderson lion accidents in 2013, and a significant increase in the percentage of “customer pay” repairs. He noted that where customers opted to not use insurance, some shops offer zero percent financing through companies like GE Capital. He also noted that some shops now offer “good, better, best” options (with no sacrifice of safety) for those who prefer lowercost repairs. Surveys show people prefer options. Next Mike addressed the cost of upgrading a shop to qualify for certification on new model vehicles with demanding requirements. He noted that many aging shop owners would be re-

luctant to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars at this point in their lives. Some choose to sell at 3-to-3.5 times earnings to retire from the business. He also noted that in California, 3,832 shops filed tax returns and paid payroll taxes, while 8,987 filed but paid no payroll taxes, leaving the shops that pay at a significant disadvantage and a need to seek regulatory changes in 2015. Next Mike addressed the fact that fewer dealerships have body shops so work is being sent out to full-service shops that have the equipment, personnel and technology to handle today’s vehicles. He noted that a shop could now easily compete with a dealership. But he also noted that many shops that get most of their work from DRPs and dealerships fail to capture enough customer information to follow up 6, 12, and 18 months later to get a “customer-forlife.” Mike also raised the issue of current generation customers who are more concerned with wifi access, Bluetooth phone connection, and backseat DVD players for kids than they are with physical damage repairs to the vehicle. The top concerns are always “service, speed and accuracy,” getting the repair right the first time and delivering the vehicle on time. To meet new generation demands, shops now stay open 7-to-11, 7 days a week. He Mike Jones noted one shop took in 43 cars on a Sunday greatly reducing the number looking for a repair Monday morning. Mike also addressed the volume of vehicle repairs, noting that 6-to-8 year old vehicle make up only 2-3 per-

Give us your opinion on matters affecting the industry.

write us! publisher@autobodynews.com

50 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

cent of repairs, while luxury auto repairs have grown 62 percent. He also cautioned estimators to always ask if a vehicle is leased! The loss ratio is up 8.4 percent. Customers need to be counseled on their best options when seeking a repair. Finally Mike showed how competing next year would get tougher. Some MSOs offer valet service, going to the customer’s house. Insurance companies expect the time from assignment to estimate upload to drop from 2.6 days to 1.4 days, repairs with no supplements to 9 days or less, and rentals to drop to a maximum of eleven days. Mike Jones took the microphone and built much of his talk on a metaphor of a flag blowing in the wind. He said, “Be the wind, not the flag.” He passed out an “everyday Choices”

page, noting that we can, like the wind, act upon life or the flag. Or we can “be the flag” and be acted upon. Mike observed that most people use only about 10 percent of their innate abilities. That leaves 90 percent untapped. His discoverleadership.com programs strive to unleash that untapped potential. Mike stressed the tendency of humans to stay in their comfort zones. He described four types of individuals (DISC) and their natural comfort zones, comparing them to the wind blowing the flag. The “D” is like a hurricane force blasting the flag aggressively. The “I” says yes to everything, The “C” is analytical, always evaluating the best way to blow. and the “S” follows the rules and blows he ays it’s supposed to. Mike notes that to really “go beyond the call of duty,” one must take the risk to get out of that comfort zone and explore the other behaviors that will allow one to thrive, not merely survive.

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Creating Engaging Videos

place to look. Many students are eager to find work and gain experience,” said Emmons. If you do hire a crew, provide lunch on filming days: “Don’t let people leave, because you’re going to lose your schedule for the rest of the day,” warned Felder. “Even if you tell everyone, ‘be back at 1pm,’ it’s not [always] going to happen.” Finding the right topic, knowing your audience, and effectively getting your point across will all help to make your video a success, according to Felder and the other panelists. Some considerations: ● Whatever method you choose, make sure you have good audio. “An audience can handle bad picture with good sound, but not vice versa,” added Felder. ● Storyboarding: What do you want to say and what do you want to be showing in the background while you’re saying it? ● How to pick a topic based on your audience: According to Emmons, car enthusiast forums, customer testimonials, auto blogs, discussion boards

and other videos are great places to look. ● Scripted vs. Freestyle: The nature of the topic has a lot to do with this decision. “A customer testimonial shouldn’t be scripted, because you want it to sound real,” said Emmons. “If I’m using legal terms or other specific, factual information, then I definitely want to use a script,” said Felder. All panelists agreed that outlines are necessary, and if you’re using a script, you should memorize the information and not read off a piece of paper. ● Time: “You want to stay in that two minute sweet spot,” said Felder. The average retention rate on YouTube is 1:58. ● Location: It may not always be your body shop, and if it is, make sure it is clean and compliant. It may be necessary to shut your shop down during production days in order to minimize background noise. ● NEVER EVER cancel a preproduction meeting “The average life expectancy for a video is four years, compared to 72 hours for a Facebook post and 12 minutes for a Tweet,” Felder said. “We have become a visual and auditory receptive society. We want to see it and hear it, we don’t want to read it.”

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During the week of SEMA, Ford, Chrysler, and GM approved DeBeer Refinish WaterBase 900+ series. Ford’s approval is based on the WSS – M2P100-D specification and applies to all Ford vehicles. Any country that manufacturers, sells or repairs Ford vehicles can now utilize DeBeer Refinish WaterBase 900+ Series by Valspar Automotive. “Valspar Automotive is thrilled to announce the Ford approval. Dedication to excellence remains at the forefront of all we do at Valspar, and this approval is another symbol of our commitment to our customers” said Carl Wierks, Global VP of Valspar. Chrysler’s approval is based on the PF-10537 specification and applies to all Chrysler Group LLC brands. Every Chrysler collision repair center across the globe can now benefit from DeBeer Refinish WaterBase 900+ series coatings. “Chrysler Group LLC is an impressive force in the global automotive marketplace. After many rounds of extensive testing, Valspar Automotive is proud to announce this approval by Chrysler. Our continued dedication to color, technology and the trust of our

customers is prominently displayed in these ongoing Automotive OEM initiatives,”said Wierks. General Motors has given a global approval based on the GM Specification GMW15406M. Countries where GM vehicles are manufactured, sold or repaired can now utilize this series for warranty work. “General Motors performed meticulous and thorough testing of the 900+ product for global use and we are excited to report a successful approval. This approval shows Valspar Automotive’s continued dedication to our customers and our products. Valspar’s vision is to be the best coatings company in the world; this is another step in demonstrating our commitment to excellence in the coatings industry,” said Wierks. Valspar Automotive’s headquarters are in Minneapolis, MN.

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National Associations

CARA Held Estimating Seminar on October 25 with Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Saturday, October 25, the Choice phasized the importance of “doing the Autobody Repair Association (CARA) right thing, for the right reason, the with Chasidy Raeright Siskway.” held an educational meeting for their Southwestern Michigan chapter at the Palmer also explained why the Firekeepers Casino in Battle Creek, collision repair industry needs PMMI. Designed for shop owners, manCLogic: “insurers and repairers both agers, estimators, paint and materials agree that documenting the actual manufacturers and suppliers, and paint and material items used in the reOEM parts manufacturers and supplipair process is the proper and preferred ers, the seminar with featured guest method to use for reimbursement of Edthree Attanasio presenters who educated attendees on these costs. The old method of using a blueprinting practices and the imporrefinish hour multiplier to pay for paint tance of proper documentation. CARA and materials is obviously outdated President Rick Finney explains, “the and needs to be replaced with an accuwhole idea for the meeting is to better rate calculation of actual paint and maeducate shops on estimating and damterials used to repair each unique with InEdorder Attanasio age analysis practices. to be vehicle. By accurately documenting all successful, we have to perform certain paint and materials used for a repair, operations on a daily basis, and these PMCLogic takes the guesswork out of need to be included on our paperwork paint and materials costing.” so we can be reimbursed for these proNext, Gosney spoke about the cedures.” importance of documentation for colThe meeting ran Ed fromAttanasio 10AM lision repair facilities. He explained with until 6PM and included lunch as well that it is important to understand the as snacks and drinks. Tickets to attend P-Pages and other documents in order CARA’s estimating seminar were sold to provide an accurate analysis of the for $50 with the spouses of collision vehicle’s damage and to receive repair professionals paying a dis- proper compensation for all necessary counted rate of $35. labor and refinish operations. Furtherwith Thomas Franklin The three very special guest speakmore, Gosney elaborated that, even if ers who presented at CARA’s meeting a representative from the insurance on October 25 were Rick Palmer, company denies payment of a labor or President and CEO of Computer Logic, refinish operation that was performed Inc.; Chuck Gosney, President of Colon a vehicle, that operation must relision Billing Services; and Cleveland main documented on the facility’s Attorney Peter Traska. In addition, final invoice. After all, how can a reEdonAttanasio Finney providedwith updates several pair facility expect to be paid for an topics discussed at the association’s last operation if they don’t ask to be paid meeting. for their labor? Gosney believes that Palmer began the seminar by using Collision Billing Services on talking about itemization in estimates each vehicle would eliminate some of and the importance of accurately re- these problems and stressed that the porting the true cost of paint and mawith Chasidy Raecollision Sisk repair facilities are the only terials. Finney says, “we don’t do this ones who can alleviate this problem. correctly a lot of times in this indusFinney states, “the insurers often try, so Palmer taught collision repair want shops to remove some proceshop owners to be more accurate in dures from the blueprint because they their blueprints and billing as it perwon’t pay for them, but whatever you tains to material and paint costs.” do has to stay on the final paperwork, Palmer’s topics discussion ineven if the insurance company refuses withofThomas Franklin cluded the following: improving prof- reimbursement. We held this meeting its and not losing business with paint in order to share information and try and materials, the size of the gap be- to help shops communicate better with tween revenue and cost, what the each other because we can better serve gross profit margin should be, “You the consumer by improving commuCan’t Manage What You Don’t Meas- nication with our peers. We had open EdtoAttanasio ure,” and gettingwith insurers properly discussions at our meeting about what pay for paint and materials. He em- has and has not benefitted our mem-

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ber shops and their customers.” Finally, Traska led attendees in a discussion about the legal issues currently being pursued around the country with an emphasis on the importance of proper preparation of blueprint paperwork which is necessary in order for shops to get paid for the operations performed. Continuing the emphasis on proper repair documentation, Traska agreed with Palmer and Gosney about the importance of using data base information and itemization of paint and materials information that help the shop owners better understand their businesses and to be properly compensated for their services. Finney said “the topic of the 1963 Consent Decree was also discussed at the meeting. Many shop owners in attendance knew of it and exactly why it was written. Some of the shop owners in attendance were not aware of it previously but were very surprised to find out that the issues that we, as shop

owners, face today, such as steering, rate suppressions, labor operation denials and more, are nothing new to our industry, and in fact, in 1963, 265 insurers signed a Consent Decree drafted by the U.S. Justice Department and Attorney General Robert Kennedy.” Finney is grateful to Titia Gray, Director of the Southwest Michigan Chapter of CARA, and other members of her chapter for doing such a great job setting up the meeting and arranging for sponsorship. He notes, “CARA is trying to build up membership in Michigan, and we are hopeful that events like this will help to get collision repair shops and paint and parts vendors, as well as manufacturers, working together for the betterment of our consumers and our industry… In my opinion, the meeting was very successful, and I believe that everyone in attendance came away from the meeting with some positive thoughts

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52 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

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and realized that we can accomplish almost anything by working together because other repair shop owners should not be considered our enemies but our allies!” These types of educational seminars are important to CARA members “because the way the collision repair industry is going, we have a lot more demands on us with newer vehicles and how we deal with things. These changes are a burden, so it’s very important that the association and our members work together to become

better educated and stay in business; we have to be profitable to take care of our customers,” Finney explains. “It’s imperative that we share ideas and work together to best serve our customers because doing right by them and ensuring their safety is the most important aspect of what we do as collision repair professionals.”

Choice Autobody Repair Association PO Box 392 Cadiz, OH 43907 www.c-a-r-a.org

Continued from Page 48

Pro Spot Shines

plying the necessary equipment to collision repair shops. “We work with the technicians, using their feedback to make sure our equipment is user friendly,” said Ashley. They designed a special research and development area where engineers can build new things and test them out. During the tour, Ashley explained some of the challenges with aluminum

during the repair process. “Aluminum doesn’t have a memory like steel and is also sensitive to heat. The repair process requires a different approach. It’s not impossible, it’s not harder, it’s just different,” she said. “These shops are just going to have to learn a new procedure for preparing the aluminum.” “You can’t weld on aluminum the same way you would on steel because on a spot weld pressure and heat creates a resistance,” said Ashley. “With aluminum, you can’t heat it up because it becomes brittle and will break.

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 53

Media and Publicity for Shops

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

CAA Gets a New Web Site with More Features and Better Navigation with Ed Attanasio

Sprucing up your web site is like remodeling your house. You want it to look nice and you want your visitors to feel comfortable. You want people to come and stay for awhile and find your address easily and quickly. The California Autobody Association (CAA) recently launched a new web site for its members and consumers and now www.calautobody.com is the organization’s new residence online. CAA Executive Director, David McClune is pleased with the result and many of his organization’s 1,000plus members seem to agree. “Our developer, Optima Automotive, did an outstanding job on our new site,” McClune said. “It’s easy to use and it doesn’t look cluttered. The site provides a way for businesses to join online, an interactive calendar of events, a consumer advocacy section, chapter information, hot links, direct access to regional managers, and a ‘Find a CAA Shop’ feature for consumers. Our members have given the site some great reviews and once they work with it more, I’m confident that they’ll learn more about it and how they can use it to be effective within CAA.” Mark Claypool, President and CEO of Optima Automotive, spearheaded the development of the new CAA site. His company has produced more than 300 automotive-related web sites since opening its doors six years ago. “An association web site should be built with the member in mind, first and foremost,” Claypool said. “CAA members do the same things any member of any trade organizations does - paying dues and participating in association and chapter meetings. But, maybe most impor-

tantly, they run their businesses in this challenging industry. There’s only so much time in the day and that’s why there is nothing more frustrating than a poorly-designed association web site that members struggle to navigate through. Therefore, making a web site simple, easy to navigate, intuitive and proactive is what they deserve, and is beneficial for member retention and attraction and that was our CEO Mark Claypool main objective in and his company Optima Automotive building a new designed the web site for CAA.” California Autobody Optima also Association’s new built the new CAA web site that has web site in responmore features that both members and sive design. “Reconsumers can use sponsive design is taking the web by storm,” Claypool said. “A large percentage of CAA members are likely to be accessing the CAA web site from mobile devices - smart phones, iPhones and tablets, for example. A responsive design web site allows the site to be applied at different browser widths. This means that the site will automatically be altered based on the size screen the visitor is using, making their experience as visually and navigationally satisfying as possible.” The site will have a simple-to-use calendar the CAA staff and board members may use to schedule events, chapter meetings, etc. “This way, officers can easily add events to the calendar and keep all of their chapter members in the loop,” McClune said. “By constantly keeping connected to the membership, everyone can be effective and now we have the ability to

Hertz Introduces New Web-based HIRS Tool The Hertz Corporation introduced a new web-based portal, HIRS for Repair Shops. Developed in conjunction with the software company Information Builders, HIRS for Repair Shops assists shops in managing their key performance indicators and provides real time rental reporting. The tool was created to help repair shops reduce in-coming phone calls, give real time access to customizable reporting and manage Hertz rentals all in one place.

Set to launch in the first quarter of 2015, shops recently had the opportunity to demo the product and sign up for service during SEMA. “Hertz is committed to growing its network of neighborhood locations that service the collision repair industry,” said Hertz Senior VP John Holt. “Our new HIRS web portal was developed to assist shops in managing their performance and to provide real time Hertz rental reporting.”

54 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

continually update the information on the site, which is huge.” The new CAA site has a consumer section where people can search for member shops via zip codes. “We made this as easy as we could, so that people looking for member body shops can locate them quickly and easily,” Claypool said. “Everything is go, go, go today and if a consumer can’t find the information they need fast, they’ll move on, so we made this feature as intuitive and easy to access as we possibly could.” In addition, CAA’s new site has a link to LinkedIn groups, private to the CAA and also private to each chapter. “These LinkedIn groups make for a simple, affordable way to push communications to select members about events, milestones, legislation, etc.,” Claypool explained. “A step-by-step how to sign up on LinkedIn is provided on the site for members to get set up. Key events and actions can be pushed

through the suggested LinkedIn group designated for legislative purposes. This means that communications will link members on the world’s-leading professional networking site and also makes it possible to save CAA money. Rather than spending a significant amount of money to program this capability into the CAA site, why not take advantage of the technology that already exists and take advantage of all of its other residual benefits?” The new CAA web site went live in October, so that members can offer feedback as they tweak it. “The site will continue to evolve over time with member input and as times and technology change,” McClune said. “We want to have the best site we possibly can, and by developing it using Word Press, we can make changes seamlessly.” Visit CAA’s new home online and look around. You’ll be impressed by its easy navigation, clean look and numerous features.

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Steeling Yourself for Changes—New High-Strength Steel Poses Additional Challenges According to 3M™ The collision repair industry is seeing more vehicles with high-strength steel, posing some new challenges for technicians. As OEMs push to meet future CAFÉ standards, they are looking to new alternative body materials that provide greater strength to meet crash and rollover standards, while also allowing them to lighten the vehicle to reach the 54.5 MPG goal for 2025. High-strength steel (HSS) parts present a challenge to body shops and body technicians for a number of reasons, including limited use of traditional repair methods for applying heat, pulling, hammering and sectioning. To create a safe and crashworthy repair with HSS parts, technicians now must use the proper equipment and tools to limit the amount of collateral damage to the host panel during panel disassembly and assembly. Tips from Branden Loesch, 3M Automotive Aftermarket Technical Service Engineer: “If you walk into a shop today, body technicians are likely using one of two tools to remove spot welds during disassembly – either a drill or a die grinder. There are other methods, like an oxyacetylene torch or plasma cutter that may have been used in the past for this operation, but we have finally

put those dinosaurs to rest with the drill or die grinder. “While die grinder or drill both work and get the job done, there are some concerns and negative impacts when using them. I see many technicians drilling to remove welds on vehicles today. This is always a challenging process because drill bits do not cut welds efficiently, and it takes a significant amount of time to remove all of the welds in a panel using a drill. They also have a tendency to damage the host panel, either through over-drilling and drilling into or through the host panel, or by missing a portion of the weld, resulting in tearing the panel when separating with an air chisel. “This leads to a loss of strength in the part and also extended repair times because the technician spends a significant amount of time repairing and straightening the flange prior to installing a new panel. Drills and drill bits can also send your material costs through the roof, especially on highstrength steel panels that require hardened drill bits that have a significantly higher cost and tend to have a shorter life span, which requires multiple drill bits per repair. “If your technicians prefer grinding, you must now be concerned with

heat generation and burning of the host panel, which could alter its strength. There are also concerns with overgrinding and spark control/protection. To make a long story short, drilling and grinding can get the job done, but there is a much better way to do it.” Enter the 3M™ File Belt Sander and Cubitron™ II file belts. The 3M™ File Belt Sander tool was brought into the collision market in 2013 to help meet the technician’s challenges with spot weld removal and part replacement on today’s vehicles, especially those made out of high-strength steel. The 3M™ File Belt Sander provides improved control and speed, as well as reduced fatigue for those technicians who are using it in place of drills and grinders. Technicians can now cut through spot welds, and control their depth of cut much more accurately so they do not damage the host panel during weld removal. The 3M™ File Belt Sander is a tool that efficiently removes all the weld material, which significantly reduces the collateral damage done to the host panel during weld removal. The cutting action of the 3M™ File Belt Sander used with 3M™ Cubitron™ II file belts have significantly improved technicians productivity

throughout the process. The precisionshaped grain abrasive technology used in 3M™ Cubitron™ II file belts slice through high-strength steel and remove welds much more efficiently than traditional methods. This new Cubitron™ II mineral technology allows you to cut welds faster, allowing more welds to be removed with a single belt. Using the file belt solution also leaves your technicians with renewed energy, no longer having to use excessive force to get a drill bit or grinder to cut through high-strength steel. They simply have to put the belt in contact with the panel and hold it in place during weld removal, which leaves technicians with much less fatigue at the end of the panel disassembly process. The versatility and design of the 3M™ File Belt Sander allows your technician to reach welds in difficult areas that historically have taken a significant amount of time to remove. Now your technician can reach and remove these welds by quickly adjusting the file belt arm.

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Western Associations An Educational October for ASA-AZ with Chasidy Rae Sisk

October was a busy month for the Au- we need to strike between management tomotive Service Association of Ari- and technical training. The goal of the zona (ASA-AZ) with educational withtwoChasidy Raetraining Sisk offered by ASA is to bring in seminars in addition to their monthly top quality training and speakers to AZ Board of Directors meeting and the where shop owners can save money in Phoenix Chapter’s Roundtable Dis- time and travel and are able to send additional employees to the training due cussion. On October 9, ASA-AZ held their to the savings. The training being conmonthly Board of Directors meeting with Chasidy Raesidered Sisk is for both the mechanical and where each chapter (Prescott, Yuma, collision repair shops we represent.” Both educational seminars took Mohave, Verde Valley, Phoenix and Tucson) is represented by their presiplace on October 11 at the Arizona dent, or another representative, as the Open Wheel Museum, located at 3534 group collaborates with Executive DiE. Broadway Road in Phoenix. From rector Luz Rubiowith and theChasidy association’s Rae8AM Siskuntil 5:30PM, their Tech Day secretary to discuss current issues. Beseminar, entitled “Advanced Drivabilcause the Board of Directors is comity Diagnostics Strategies,” was taught prised of members from all over the by Dean Parsons, an ASE-Certified state, these monthly meetings are held Master Technician with over 25 years via conference call for no more than of experience in the automotive service industry. Parsons explained top1.5 hours, to encourage consistent parChasidy Raedown Sisktests for engine mechanical and ticipation withoutwith requiring anyone to engine management to help technicians travel or miss work. In order to stick to this timeframe, drill down along the most effective dithe Board of Directors has agreed to agnostic path while attempting to isocover one main topic at each meeting, late a root cause for drivability and trouble code faults. The instructor also and in October, their topic of discuswith Chasidy Raedemonstrated Sisk some of the latest tools, sion was ASA-AZ’s 2015 Automotive Training and Exposition which has such as transducers and processed Scan been scheduled for June 19-21, 2015. Tool functions. According to Rubio, “Tech Day is Rubio says, “the meeting was focused on training discussions, such as ideas an advanced training class for experion which trainers should be considered enced technicians, and some of our with Chasidy Rae Sisk for our annual event and the balance most seasoned technicians came from

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as far as Sedona, Cottonwood and Tucson to attend.” Tech Day 2014 was attended by 23 automotive service professionals who responded positively to the training seminar. One attendee stated, “the interaction with the other technicians at this level is invaluable, and I usually pick up additional tricks of the trade during the breaks.” On the same day and at the same location, the Phoenix Chapter of ASAAZ also presented a two-part sales seminar, “Increase Sales 40% Through Efficiency” and “Advanced Pricing Strategies” from 8AM until 4:30PM. The first segment focused on 51 ways that shops can increase efficiency while also improving production and their sales revenue. The second half focused on the use of cost accounting for properly pricing operations without hurting your bottom line. The course was taught by Becky Witt, AAM, a leading industry expert

and an Automotive Management Institute (AMI) Approved Instructor. Rubio states, “Witt is very energetic and kept the class going through the full day. Several of the 20 attendees came from Tucson, driving two hours before sunrise to attend this class. The highlight of the class focused on specific steps that shops can take to increase efficiency and improve production and sales revenue; this included the front office, technicians and the overall operation. It also gave simple and easy ways to write estimates, use cost accounting and evaluate how to purchase equipment.” The Phoenix Chapter also held a Roundtable Discussion on October 15 at Impact Auto Body in Mesa. It began with a tour of the 23,000 square foot, modern collision repair facility, during which shop owner Bob Schubert explained his recent implementation of the lean process. At the end of the tour, attendees gathered to discuss industryrelated topics in a roundtable format.

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AkzoNobel Hosts 4th Annual Sustainability Symposium

The fourth annual Sustainability Lead- from the three companies—Rocco ership Symposium was once again part Neglia, Economical Insurance; Joe of SEMA’s 2014 Education offering on Hayes, GMG Envirosafe; J.R. HubMonday, November 3rd. This was the bard, Selecta Auto Body—participated with Ed Attanasio second year that the symposium was as panelists in the Leadership Sympohosted at SEMA. The cross industry sium. dialog was open to all show attendees “We are pleased to recognize interested in advancing this global ini- these businesses,” said Bill Orr, Comtiative within the North American col- munication Manager at AkzoNobel lision repair industry. The symposium Vehicle Refinishes North America. was moderated by Dr. Manish Mehta, “Sustainability is not simply an obligaDirector of Strategic & Sus- tion; it is an opportunity to grow withProjects Ed Attanasio tainability at The National Center for through the implemention of business Manufacturing Science and Michael practices that meet today’s needs for Shesterkin, President and Founder of profitability, while considering socieWhat’s Next? A keynote presentation tal and environmental issues. The 2014 was given by Dr. John Sutherland, honorees of the FIT Sustainability the Fehsenfeld Family Head of Envi- Award represent different facets of the ronmental and Ecological Engineering collision repair industry, yet they share with Ed Attanasio at Purdue University. Three North unique perspectives for implementing American companies were selected as focus, vision and talent to anticipate the winners of the fifth annual FIT Sus- impact that today’s decisions will have tainability Award. Representatives on future generations.”

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www.autobodynews.com | DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS 57

NAPA/Martin Senour Unveil Custom 1966 Mustang at SEMA 2014

The Martin Senour Company unveiled a custom-built and custom-painted 1966 Mustang during SEMA featuring the Martin Senour Pro//Base™ Automotive Refinish System and restored by Chris Carlson Hot Rods in Mulvane, Kansas. The unveiling/press conference of the Mustang custom coupe named “Good Karma,” displayed a paint job featuring a custom Martin Senour color “Velvet Red” (based off the new Rod & Restoration Color Deck, color code: PCRS36). “We were very excited to partner with Chris Carlson Hot Rods during the custom development of this truly magnificent Mustang,” said Brandon Devis, Martin Senour Director of Sales. “The attention to detail and Velvet Red color is beyond stunning. It is truly a testament to a vehicle that has become an American icon, particularly as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of its launch this year.” Chris Carlson Hot Rods practically did a complete custom makeover on the traditional ‘66 Mustang. “One of my biggest things is that I’m a true custom guy. Normally a Mustang renovation is not a ‘real custom’ project to us. So in this case, we wanted to do a full-body system without losing the nice Mustang look,” according to shop owner, Chris Carlson. “When it came to the exterior modifications we chopped two inches and

extended and raised quarters one inch; a pancake deck lid; a frenched-in ‘68 Camaro rear bumper; custom fabricated the rear roll pan; custom fabricated wheel openings and side scoops; extended two

Good Karma Mustang unveiled at SEMA

side body lines; shortened the cowl 3.5 inches; and molded the complete front clip together,” said Carlson. “We then added a hood scoop, frenched headlights, custom grille, front bumper cut and tucked, custom fabricated inner fender panels; a custom fabricated firewall; and finally, a flush-mount windshield and back glass.” For the paint, Carlson said, “Working with the NAPA and Martin Senour guys was a tremendous experience. Collectively we chose to finish the car in a

customized version of Velvet Red, based off the new Martin Senour Rod & Restoration deck. We then gave it a double dose of reflective crystals; plus, a Dark Red flake racing stripe.” The new Rod & Restoration custom color program includes 200 colors made from a series of optically enhanced automotive paints containing special combinations of highly reflective additives. Depending on the project and what the end vision of the car is, the Rod & Restoration custom color program is available in three color categories, including: Exact Match OE Classic, BarrettJackson Modified Muscle Car and Rod & Custom. The Mustang coupe is named “Good Karma” in honor of Chris’s wife, Karma Carlson (it is, after all, really her car – as promised to her by her husband as far back as just their second date, in 1990). She recalls, “Chris said that someday he’d build me my Mustang. I rolled my eyes – it was our second date after all – fast forward 18 years and four kids later... Chris drove me to check out a car. It

was a forest green 1966 Mustang Coupe, that we bought in 2008. I loved it! The kids and I made lots of memories in that car and every time it broke down, Chris would have to come and fix it.” “It even broke down mid-parade and had to be pushed the rest of the way by our car club members. We finally decided to park it in the barn until we could do a complete custom overhaul on it,” continues Karma. “Life happened and six years passed. Chasing out the raccoon family and pulling that car out of the barn was a momentous day! I truly can’t believe this is the same Mustang that I taught my son to drive in, took my daughter prom dress shopping in and hauled home the world’s largest pinata for my younger boys. It took 24 years but Chris came through on that promise he made to me on our second date, and it’s gorgeous. I love the Velvet Red color; it’s such a beautiful, deep red.” For more information about Martin Senour paints visit www.martinsenourautopaint.com or call 1-800-526-6704. To learn more and share in the ‘Good Karma’ 1966 Mustang custom build, or to Like Us on Facebook, visit: https://www.facebook.com/Martin SenourAutomotive.

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Sherwin-Williams Donates $170,000 in Products to CREF

Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes donated $170,000 in products to high school and post-secondary collision school programs through the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF). The products included mixing guns, orbital sanders, polishing pads, conditioning brushes, and much more. Instructors around the greater Chicago land area were invited to visit the Sherwin-Williams training facility in Burr Ridge, IL and select from 16 pallets of products, which will assist collision instructors in teaching proper collision repair with up-to-date materials. “Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes is proud to be working with the Collision Repair Education Foundation to make a difference in our industry by supporting secondary and post-secondary schools whose students are currently looking to enter into the collision industry and make it their career,” said Rod Habel, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes’s Director of Training Operations. “Thank you to Sherwin-Williams for allowing our school to receive so much of their paint supplies. I know that running a collision program can be a demanding job with all of the budget restrictions and red tape, just to get a few items at our school, but I

must say Sherwin-Williams has come through for us,” said Kenny McMillian, Collision Instructor at Kennedy King College in Chicago. “We had a paint class that had started and for some strange reason the paint supplies that we needed to teach the class never got ordered. I started panicking and didn’t know how I was going to teach the class with no supplies, which was maxed out in the enrollment. Sherwin-Williams stepped up to the plate and donated the supplies we needed to teach the class. I am so grateful to the Collision Repair Education Foundation and Sherwin-Williams for helping to support the collision technical schools.” CREF Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode noted, “SherwinWilliams comes through for collision schools and instructors each and every year through product donations and instructor training. These types of donations are vital for instructors who have the expectation of providing highly skilled entry-level students but face smaller and smaller program budgets.” Industry members interested in helping high school and/or college collision school programs through CREF, should contact Brandon Eckenrode at Brandon.Eckenrode@edfoundation.org or 847-463-5244.

Safelite Renews Annual Contribution to CREF

IGA & SCRS Partnership

The Independent Glass Association (IGA) has joined the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). IGA said its goal is to address education and industry best practices in relation to automotive glass repair and replacement services at collision repair companies. “We all share the common goal of providing quality repairs focused on safety while being fairly compensated and without obstruction from third-party administrators and their discriminative programs,” said Gary Hart, IGA Executive Director. “With the IGA’s support, we are confident that we can identify a lot of the commonalities and potential solutions that will ultimately benefit businesses in both industries. We are excited to have the support of membership from the IGA, and look forward to their participation with SCRS,” said Aaron Schulenburg, Executive Director of SCRS. SCRS members can apply for IGA membership at http://www. iga.org/scrs. The IGA is extending SCRS members $50 off any new membership through December 31, 2014 in addition to an IGA new member discount of an additional $50 off ($100 total savings).

Safelite® Group renewed their annual contribution of $10,000 to the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), displaying its commitment to the future of the collision industry. Safelite’s contribution benefits the industry by enhancing the Education Foundation’s ability to offer grants and scholarships to career and technical schools and colleges. The $10,000 gift from Safelite will support the Education Foundation’s CREF fund, which allows the foundation to provide its annual student scholarships, school grants, and the annual Ultimate Collision Education Makeover $50,000 school grant. “Training is critical for auto body and vehicle glass technicians,” said Jerry Beigel, Senior Vice President of Safelite® Solutions, the company’s P&C insurance claims business unit. “Their craft impacts the safety of everyone on the road, and we are pleased to contribute to the future of our industry by supporting the CREF.”

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Auto Care Association Releases 2014 Digital Collision Repair Trends Report

The Auto Care Association has released the 2014 Digital Collision Repair Trends report, an online 70-page analysis of data compiled from primary Auto Care Association research, federal government and independent research data sources. The report highlights the size and scope of the U.S. collision industry, including the paint, body and equipment (PBE) segment, with a brief analysis of the Canadian collision industry. It also includes analyses of factors influencing the collision industry, automotive collision insurance coverage and the Direct Repair Program (DRP). According to this year’s report, collision repair-related sales by industry repair shops dropped slightly (0.2 percent) in 2013 to $40.1 billion from $40.2 billion in 2012. Despite the drop in sales, the industry, since 2009, has managed a sustained growth at an annual rate of 2.2 percent, with most of the growth coming from the high-priced post-collision repair parts.Powered by Nxtbook Media LLC™, this digital publication re-

ACD Adds Collision Select to AutoLink™ Software

ACD, a national company that focuses in claims management, advisory, audit and technology solutions to the property and casualty industry, announced the release of Collision Select to its auto claims workflow management platform, AutoLink™. Collision Select is an enhanced feature within AutoLink™, which allows insurers to dispatch an assignment to any collision repair facility a vehicle owner chooses. Through ACD’s integrated response technology, the company said a repairer can quickly respond with required information eliminating the need to login to any system. Collision Select accepts any estimating software and can log digital imagery, video and all file types. “I’m very excited that we have added Collision Select to our AutoLink™ workflow technology. Our mission is provide every avenue of inspection for our clients whether it be Self(ie) Service™, a traditional appraisal or documentation from a repair facility,” said Ernie Bray, CEO of ACD. “Our goal is to provide a seamless solution that meets the needs of our clients and increases customer satisfaction.”

tains both the traditional design and high-quality content of Auto Care Association reports. This online production provides added value with many new functional enhancements. Users can: ● Download Excel-based files, charts, tables and graphs that can be copied and pasted for presentations. ● Turn pages with the click of a mouse. ● View pages in a variety of sizes and formats. ● Quickly locate what you are looking for through a “word search” feature. ● Save material for future reference through the “bookmarks” feature. ● Print the entire publication.

Copies of the new 2014 Digital Collision Repair Trends report are now available at $125 for Auto Care Association members and $250 for non-members. The report can be ordered by calling member services at 301-654-6664 or email info@autocare.org. About the Auto Care Association.

CCC’s Parts Shopping through CCC ONE® Touch

Auto repairers often must go to multiple websites, place phone calls or send faxes to track down and purchase the parts needed to complete quality repairs. CCC Information Services recently introduced Parts Shopping, a new CCC ONE® Touch feature that offers repairers the ability to buy parts during the estimating process. “The introduction of the CCC TRUETM Parts Network in 2013 and the parts quoting and procurement functionality are key milestones in our strategy,’ said Joseph Allen, GM of CCC’s Automotive Services Group. “The announcement extends our efforts, making it possible for repairers to access live pricing and to buy parts during the estimating process, where critical buying decisions are made.” The Parts Shopping feature is available to users of CCC ONE Touch at no additional charge. Users can search for parts, view live pricing, add items to their shopping cart and purchase selected items. It is also configurable by the user, so unique terms and parts pricing that may be pre-negotiated with suppliers are automatically reflected for each item.

60 DECEMBER 2014 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com

Acura TLX Earns Top Safety Pick+ Award

The 2015 Acura TLX, a new midsize luxury sedan, earnd the Top Safety Pick+ award for acceptable performance in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) small overlap front test, good ratings in four other crashworthiness evaluations and a superior rating for front crash prevention. In the small overlap test, the driver space was maintained reasonably well, with maximum intrusion of about seven inches at the lower hinge pillar. The dummy’s movement was well controlled. Its head hit the front airbag and stayed there until rebound. The side curtain airbag also deployed and provided sufficient coverage to protect the head from intruding side structure and outside objects. Measures from the dummy sensors indicated that injuries to the left lower leg would be possible, but the risk of other injuries in a crash of this severity was low. Introduced by IIHS in 2012, the small overlap test is more challenging than either the head-on crashes conducted by the government or the Institute’s moderate overlap test. In the test, 25 percent of a vehicle’s front end on the driver side strikes a rigid barrier at 40 mph. The crash replicates what happens when the front corner of a ve-

hicle collides with another vehicle or an object such as a tree or a utility pole. The TLX replaces the TL and the TSX in Acura’s lineup. The new car does better in the small overlap test than the TSX, which earned a marginal rating, but not as well as the TL, which earned the top rating of good. Neither predecessor vehicle had available front crash prevention. The TLX has two front crash prevention options, a warning-only system that qualifies for a basic rating and another that includes both the warning feature and automatic braking. In track tests of the autobrake feature, the car avoided the target in four out of five runs at 12 mph and in all five runs at 25 mph, earning a superior rating. The TLX earns good ratings in the institute’s long-standing moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. Good ratings in these tests, a good or acceptable rating in the small overlap test, and a front crash prevention rating of basic or higher are the requirements for the institute’s highest award for 2014, Top Safety Pick+. The TLX is the seventh vehicle from Honda/Acura to earn the award. Another three, including the TL, earned Top Safety Pick, which doesn’t require front crash prevention.

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