BodyShop Business, May 2014 by Babcox Media

Marketing to Millenials Âť Boat, RV & Trailer Repair Âť Paint Efficiency

May 2014//Vol. 33 No.5

www.bodyshopbusiness.com

Deep faith combined with business savvy is key to some shop owners' success.

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Inside

May May 2014

Vol. 33

No. 5

ON THE COVER Keeping the Faith Combining deep faith with business savvy, these shop owners have found peace of mind as well as loyal customers.

FEATURES

40 Are You Missing the Boat? TECHNICAL

Getting aluminum ready can open up new possibilities for you, including boat, RV and trailer repair.

48 Maximum Efficiency PROFIT IN THE PAINT SHOP

Any time we streamline the refinish process, we’re moving toward maximum efficiency.

SHOP TALK Editor’s Notes

10 12 Detours Clark’s Corner 14 20 Web Presence Management 30 Viewpoint

It’s not just aluminum we need training on. The fastest body shop in town.

Think before you add on to your service offerings. How to effectively market to Millenials. Does your vehicle have better technology than your data?

BODYSHOP BUSINESS (ISSN 0730-7241) (May 2014, Volume 33, Number 5): Published monthly by Babcox Media, Inc., 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333 U.S.A. Phone (330) 670-1234, FAX (330) 670-0874. Copyright 2014 Babcox Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Periodical postage paid at Akron, OH 44333 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BODYSHOP BUSINESS, P.O. Box 13260, Akron, OH 44334-3912. Member, BPA Worldwide

DEPARTMENTS Guess the Car ....................................................................................4 e-Buzz ..............................................................................................6 Industry Update ................................................................................8 Tech Tips ........................................................................................24 Product Showcase............................................................................76 By the Numbers ..............................................................................80

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Guess

the Car

SOLVED!

Reader Contest! Win $50! What vehicle MODEL does this picture represent? Fax your guess to (330) 670-0874. Include name, title, shop name, city, state and phone number. Or submit your guess with our online contest form by visiting bodyshopbusiness.com/guessthecar. The winner will be randomly selected from correct entries and awarded $50. Entries must be received by May 31.

#133

Tempest in a teapot = (Pontiac) Tempest

*Only one winner will be selected. Chances of winning are dependent upon the number of correct entries received. Employees of Babcox, industry manufacturers and BSB advertisers are not eligible to enter.

WINNER #132

#134

May 2014 | BodyShop Business

See the June issue for winner of Guess the Car #133.

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Regina Green, secretary, Phillips Autobody Inc., Peoria Heights, Ill.

Arrow-star = (Ford) Aerostar

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They Said It On

e-Buzz

bodyshopbusiness.com

The latest online content from BodyShop Business

Aluminum: Not Difficult, Just Different

April 14 — Wow, this next keynote speaker at the PPG MVP Conference is painting on stage...wonder what’s next?

Like • Comment • Share

Comment by Greed Is Good: It’s mostly the MSOs and consolidators that will keep aluminum repair a losing profit center. They run on investor money. Profit is not that important to them, but growth is, with going public the end game. These organizations are 100 percent DRP fueled as it gives them the revenue stream to appear that they will be profitable someday when the rapid growth tapers. That day may never come as the IPO investors will be the ones holding the bag for better or for worse. In the meantime, the insurance companies base an average labor rate off of them even though they could not stand on their own feet and burn investor cash to stay afloat. DRP MSOs are dumping cheap labor rates on the repair market, and there’s really not much you can do about it. The only way to stop the demise of the industry is to eliminate the DRP. MSOs and consolidators will fight to the death on this one as they will cease to exist without the DRP model. PartsTrader Rolls Out Across U.S.

: BodyShop Business Readers Group

@BSBMagazine: Meet the @SCRScollision Board of Directors:

POLL: Are you currently certified to do aluminum repair for a certain automaker? We are not currently, but it looks like we will be on the fast-track for the new F-150.

Find 1,000’s of BodyShop Business articles online at www.bodyshopbusiness.com 6

May 2014 | BodyShop Business

John Shoemaker, director, Bowditch Collision Centers

Comment by Owner: I have mixed feelings on the numbers posted. I feel its biggest drawback is the cycle time over the entire region. The quote time is probably true. I would like to see some numbers in delays per vehicle based on real time assuming PartsTrader wasn’t used! I’ve seen vehicles sit for 11 days waiting on parts that were in stock down the street at our local dealer, who’s now getting out of the wholesale business due to losing his best customer – my stores. With the rental factor, I just don’t see saving any insurance company any money. I feel that this, after a short while, will go away. Howard Hughes was a wealthy man and also had to say, ‘I think I made a bad decision.’ Someone in the near future is going to have to step up to the plate and take it like a man and say, ‘I made a bad decision.’ Just an opinion.

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Industry

Update SAFECars to Hold Symposium

for Collision Repairers AFECars, a network of integrity-driven collision repairers and experienced legal counsel formed to harness the power of their collective efforts to promote consumer awareness and choice for automobile safety, is holding an educational symposium in Chicago, Ill., May 30-31, 2014, at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel. The organization says the event

will “attract quality-conscious repairers and experienced legal counsel to address the pressures the insurance industry has applied to threaten the safety and integrity of vehicle repairs.” Featured speakers will include: 䡲 Jim Hood, Mississippi attorney general since 2004. 䡲 John Mosley, Ray Gunder and John Eaves Jr., who have been leading a national effort to stop PartsTrader and also stop

the “unjust enrichment of insurers on the backs of body shops and customers.” 䡲 Pat McGuire, a longtime, nationally recognized attorney advocating for collision repairers. “In a time when manufacturers are trying to develop more sophisticated, more fuel efficient and safer vehicles, collision repairers and attorneys are alerting consumers that their right to a quality and safe vehicle repair is being compromised,” said a representative of SAFECars. “Confusing insurance policy language and the cost control claims practices of most insurers are pressuring quality-driven collision repairers to insist that consumers demand the highest qualified expertise in determining what mandates are required to repair Continued on pg. 58

PPG Turns Up the Heat at MVP Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. It was easy for the hundreds of collision repairers who attended the PPG MVP Conference April 13-15 in Scottsdale, Ariz., to warm up to the fun and education offered, as temperatures hovered in the low 90s. The MVP Randy Dewing Memorial Golf Tournament on Sunday at the JW Marriott Camelback Golf Club got everyone in a relaxed and fun mood, setting the stage for the next day’s hilarious opening keynote session from Scott Stratten of UnMarketing, who afterward signed copies of his book, “QR Codes Kill Kittens.” The closing keynote later in the day had famous graffiti artist Erik Wahl of Unthink sketching a portrait of Michael Jordan and pleading with the crowd to reconnect with their creativity. Breakout sessions in between covered topics such as “performance analytics,” industry trends and how to aggressively go after work instead of waiting for it to come to you. Finally, a trade show gave attendees a taste of the technology and services that can take their businesses to the next level.

May 2014 | BodyShop Business

»| Industry Update |« National Lawsuit Discussion Highlights Southern Automotive Repair Conference ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of justice,’ and you have the right to pursue justice,” Eaves declared, openhe secing his discusond sion. “This is a annual simple case: if Southyou do the ern Automowork, you tive Repair should get paid Conference for it. And you was held April have to remain 11-12 in Biloxi, financially Miss., and John Eaves Jr. strong, not only more than 500 for yourself collision repairers got to listen to attorney but for every consumer.” Ray Gunder of GunJohn Eaves Jr. and others der’s Auto Center, fadiscuss mous for taking on State the nationwide effort to Farm and other insurers stop PartsTrader and rein Florida, talked about coup monies for repair the time several years ago procedures. when he knew his shop “In 1776, the American had to change. Constitution stood for By Gina Kuzmick and Janet Chaney

PartsTrader Rolls Out Across U.S.

“All of a sudden, I was looking at my financial statements and saw I was not making money,” he said. “I realized then I was going to have to make a choice – cut corners and deceive the customer or fight to get paid to do the right thing. “Direct-repair programs force good men to do bad things. I promise you, in the next two to three years, our industry is going to change. I’m going to leave this industry better than I found it.” John Mosley, owner of Clinton Body Shop in Clinton, Miss., who has been traveling the country with Eaves to educate repairers on their fight, Continued on pg. 60

Ford Reveals More Details on F-150 at CIC By Jason Stahl epresentatives of Ford Motor Company offered a more detailed look at the military grade, aluminum alloy 2015 F150 at the Collision Industry Conference April 9 in Portland, Ore., with the goal of providing collision repairers with the repair information they need prior to the best-selling truck hitting showrooms this fall.

Reparability » One point that was emphasized several times was that, from when the vehicle was first conceived at Ford in 2009, engineers discussed not only whether the vehicle was feasible to build but easily reparable. “Design for reparability was No. 1,” said Larry Coan, damageability product

concern engineer for Ford’s customer service engineering group. “We meet with the engineers and go over vehicles early in the design, and if we recognize any concerns with collision, we take it to the engineers and figure those things out.” According to Coan, the high-strength steel frame will be sectionable, with front stub, front third and rear third available sections for service, but the key difference is that there will be separately serviceable front lower control arm mounting brackets. There are sectioning procedures for the floor pan, too, where you can section the floor pan skin in many areas and also section the floor pan crossmembers. And repairers will have a choice of two different repair methods: rivet bonding or welding. Continued on pg. 64

PartsTrader has completed the national deployment of its parts procurement platform, which began in August 2013. As of April 17, 2014, collision repairers and parts suppliers are active on the system in all 48 continental states and the District of Columbia. Throughout the initial pilot and subsequent rollout stage of the program, full adoption and use of the system has continued to grow each month, according to PartsTrader. There are currently more than 7,500 repairers and 8,500 suppliers active on the system, and of the active suppliers, more than 75 percent are OEM dealers. “A dedicated field presence in each new market by knowledgeable PartsTrader staff has been a big help in assisting our customers adapt to a new parts purchasing process,” said Dale Sailer, PartsTrader’s vice president of business development. “Our field staff has focused most of their effort on training users and listening – bringing suggestions for new functionality and integration back to the product team that have increased our value to users with each new release.” Since launching its initial pilot product 25 months ago, PartsTrader says it has processed more than 750,000 quote requests, with an average response time from suppliers of less than 15 minutes. These

Continued on pg. 58

www.bodyshopbusiness.com 9

Editor’s

Notes

Publisher

S. Scott Shriber, ext. 229 sshriber@babcox.com Editor

Training, Training t last month’s Collision Industry Conference, Ford gave a much anticipated presentation on the F-150, revealing more details, especially on repairability, of the vehicle with the military-grade aluminum alloy body and high-strength steel frame.

Yes, I’m talking aluminum again, just like last month. And in so doing, I might be doing the very thing that someone at the conference suggested we as an industry not do: put too much focus on aluminum. Because the technical challenges today aren’t just about aluminum. They’re about highstrength steel. Carbon fiber. Collision avoidance systems. The newer, more vibrant, translucent finishes coming from OEMs. Even glass. The person wondered aloud how we could focus so much on aluminum when we haven’t even mastered welding on steel yet. I could see his point, given that a welding instructor once

told me you could get 10 welders in a room and ask them if they think they’re a good welder, and all 10 will raise their hand. But give them a destructive weld test, and only two of the eight will pass. But he wasn’t trying to call out welders; his point was that, aluminum aside, we need a total culture change in the industry, from “I have all the knowledge I need to fix cars because I’ve been doing this for 20 years” to accepting that continual training is necessary. Sometimes I wonder myself how great it would be to go back to the good ol’ days of heat and hammers, but last I checked, no one has invented a time machine yet. The fact is that these modernday marvels we call cars are here to stay, and they’re only going to have more and more exotic materials introduced into them as automakers strive to hit the CAFE standards of 35.5 miles per gallon in 2016 and 54.5 by 2025. As Mitch Becker says in our technical article, “Are You Missing the Boat?” on pg. 40, “Ignoring change and not accepting it has only one outcome.”

Jason Stahl, Editor Email comments to jstahl@babcox.com

Jason Stahl, ext. 226 jstahl@babcox.com Managing Editor

Gina Kuzmick, ext. 244 gkuzmick@babcox.com Contributing Editors

Mitch Becker, Mark Clark, Mark Claypool, Erica Eversman, Tom Ferry, Curt Harler, Kristen Hampshire, John D. Lyman Sr., Hank Nunn, Carl Wilson Graphic Designer

Lisa DiPaolo, ext. 281 ldipaolo@babcox.com Advertising Services

Kelly McAleese, ext. 284 kmcaleese@babcox.com Director of Circulation

Pat Robinson, ext. 276 probinson@babcox.com Director of eMedia & Audience Development

Brad Mitchell, ext. 277 bmitchell@babcox.com Subscription Services

Ellen Mays, ext. 275 emays@babcox.com Tel: (330) 670-1234 Fax: (330) 670-0874 Website: bodyshopbusiness.com Corporate

Bill Babcox, President Gregory Cira, Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Stankard, Vice President Beth Scheetz, Controller A limited number of complimentary subscriptions are available to those who qualify. Call (330) 670-1234, ext. 288, or fax us at (330) 6705335. Paid subscriptions are available for nonqualified subscribers at: U.S.: $69 for one year. Canada/Mexico: $89 for one year. Canadian rates include GST. Ohio residents add current county sales tax. Other foreign rates/via air mail: $129 for one year. Payable in advance in U.S. funds. Mail payment to BodyShop Business, P.O. Box 75692, Cleveland, OH 44101-4755. VISA, MasterCard or American Express accepted.

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Detours

By S. Scott Shriber, Publisher

The Fastest Body Shop in Town his month, I’m returning to my format of showing you a unique body repair shop. My travels took me to NASCAR in Charlotte last month, so I decided to see how the North Carolina race teams handle our type of work. The people at Joe Gibbs Racing were gracious enough to allow me behind the scenes to see what goes on in a first-class NASCAR race team shop. Needless to say, this was an opportunity of a lifetime. Most of what I saw has to remain in my memory because I was not allowed to take photos. The pictures I was allowed to shoot focused on our end of the body repair business. Take it from me, I was overwhelmed by the level of design, manufacturing and precision involved in campaigning a race car today. Heading into the shop was like taking a trip to a high-end, low-production exotic auto manufacturer. Everything was lined up perfectly by function and in order of next procedure up. I’m used to the organized assembly areas because of my years in the Ford plants, but what I wasn’t expecting was the surgical cleanliness of this shop. It was unreal. Then, it was time to hit the body shop (no pun intended). I asked to see a wrecked car, and the response was startling. It was Wednesday, and by then all the wrecks had been disassembled, measured and sent off for repairs. In two days? I guess they wreck ’em fast and fix ’em fast. The team races three cars every week, and each driver takes two cars to a race. So that means there has to be six race-ready cars available by mid-week when the trucks pull out. So, at any given time, there are 55 cars in various stages of readiness. I got to go to the body shop and, to my

May 2014 | BodyShop Business

surprise, discovered that most of the body shop work is building new cars. You see, these cars only race about six to eight races before they’re retired to other non-racing duties. The build process is very interesting in that the cars are fabricated with a tubular chassis and then a body is built around them. The bodies are metal with a carbon fiber front, rear, deck lid and hood. They fill and fair all seams just like we do, and sand with 320 abrasives. Then the big difference comes in – no primer. Just wrap it up! The bodies are left raw and recovered almost every week depending on which team is using the vehicle. And the frames and insides all feature Sherwin-Williams paint. Once the racecars are built and wrapped, they must pass the NASCAR dimensions test. This is similar to frame measuring, except every measurement of the body in about sixinch increments has to be within thousandths of standards. Yes, they do check it – especially if you win. My experience at Gibbs was phenomenal. They’ve got this thing figured out, making lean look like bacon. The interesting thing is that their goals are really the same as yours and mine. Give the customer their vehicle as fast as possible – perfectly repaired and at a price that allows the shop to make a profit. Thanks again to my colleague Dean Martin, publisher of Fleet Equipment, and my hosts at Joe Gibbs Racing. Amy was a great hostess, and I hope you guys win at Talladega! BSB

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Clark’s

Corner

By Mark Clark

Think Before

You Add On a Service t’s the rare shop owner who hasn’t considered selling something besides collision repair from their existing building with their existing staff. Sadly, many shops have tales of woe from adding on some business to collision repair that didn’t work out so well.

same low-dollar threshold. And it took lots of logs to add up to serious money. I also knew shops that sold fireworks as a sideline. This had great margins because the wholesale costs were much less than the retail prices – you’ve seen the billboards along the highway: “Lowest Prices Anywhere, 75% Off!” And even with that deep discount, you knew darn well those places were still makInitial Concerns » Concerns as I see them include the equipment costs for the new ven- ing good money. Downsides include the flammability and exploture and, most sion potential. Storing the importantly, technician ABC COLLISION REPAIR bulk fireworks inside the training to perform the body shop rather than a new service profitably. separate (and distant) Recall that the existing building seems like a poor shop employees weren’t risk, no matter what the born knowing how to flag gross margins are. Finally, 80 hours a week. They got talk about a seasonal prodbetter at their jobs as time uct! Like Christmas trees, went by. Expecting any the fireworks sell like hottechnician to be quick and cakes during June and not good at something new so much in November. during the first few months is probably foolish. Finally, the problem is that no one will know about your new business offering. Women’s Fashion » The most unrelated They know you’re a body shop because item I ever saw sold in a body shop was you’ve been there for years with nice big women’s dresses. This one-man shop specialsigns that say so. ized in restorations and usually had four or five antique cars under repair. He and his Wood and Boom-Booms » I had several wife found some offshore source for rural customers who sold firewood. They women’s wear, and rather than rent another owned a log splitter and sent underbuilding, they decided they could use the employed techs outside to chainsaw and front of the shop as a showroom. Not surprishydraulically split trees into neat hunks of ingly, few women shoppers thought to head to a body shop looking for a new frock – not fuel. Some of them heated their own shops with wood as well. The equipment costs were to mention they had to cover the dresses with plastic sheets to keep the sanding dust off manageable, and technician training was them. Fine retailing for sure! pretty straightforward: “Don’t cut yourself with the saw or smash your hand with the ram!” The downside was lots of competition; Hurdles to Success » Services like others could get in the same business at the sprayed-on bedliners, window tinting,

May 2014 | BodyShop Business

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»| Clark’s Corner |« windshield repair, decal application, headlight restoration, paintless dent repair and detailing all lend themselves more to an auto body environment and are additional sales your current customers may be interested in. Some shops have had great success adding on these offerings, while others threw

in the towel after a few frustrating months and went back to just doing body work. What’s the difference? As I see it, there are four hurdles to success: space to perform the new work, equipment to apply it, training to do it quickly and correctly, and, finally, some method to tell the world about it.

Space » There are certainly things you could offer for sale, like headlight restoration, that could be completed within an ordinary shop stall. Services like bedliners will need curtains or walls to contain the overspray and fans to exhaust the fumes. I’ve watched many shops add on to their building based on all the new business that came their way once they offered the “new” thing. As with any business venture, keep your fixed costs low until you’ve made enough money to afford expansion. And don’t build on in the beginning; find some way to cordon off the current shop to accommodate the new tasks.

Equipment » Costs vary greatly; a fancy two-component bedliner gun might cost $3,000, a new electric polisher might cost $300 and new plastic wash buckets might cost $3. I’ll share some advice I got from a multi-shop owner who found great success by selling more than collision repair in his five locations – try to buy used equipment. It was his experience that finding a shop that had tried and failed at whatever add-on service you were interested in was pretty easy. They were glad to get some money back, and he seldom paid more than 50 percent of the price for new equipment.

Training » Knowing how to do the new service right the first time is critical. If your initial customers aren’t super satisfied, you’ll have a hard time finding more. I would also advise that your shop train two people to do the new task. Training one tech who then quits and moves on often leaves expensive equipment standing unused in the corner of the shop. Training opportunities in descending order of effectiveness include: the manufacturers’ facility, your facility, the Internet and DVDs. There is no substitute for visiting a facility set up exactly right for the task and having a Circle 16 for Reader Service

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»| Clark’s Corner |« knowledgeable instructor show you how it’s done. Having the instructor visit your shop to train is still good as you can ask questions as you go. Watching others do the work on film is much better than just reading about it, but a long way from oneon-one explanations.

thing that the successful shops did better than those that tried and gave up on the new service, it would be marketing. How will customers know about your wonderful offerings? Advertising is expensive to get them to your door, and then your estimator needs to be an enthusiastic salesperson to close the sale.

Tell the World » Buying a franchise to perform some service is expensive, but may be money well spent. In addition to proven formal training programs, the franchise will have stellar marketing materials. From colorful brochures to radio scripts to loop video to show in your waiting room, they’ve got a plan to drive customers to your door. However you acquire or produce the marketing materials, plan to spend much more time and money than you thought necessary to get the word out. If I had to pick one

Should You? » If you can buy bedliner kits for $150 to $200 and sell the installation for $500, there’s money to be made. If you can spare the wash stall and your cleanup person for some outside work, then a $100 wholesale detail or a $200 retail detail will put some cash in the till. Be realistic about the time and money required to get up and running. I see many shops who underestimate how much and how long it will be before the new service makes money. Keep your initial costs as low

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as possible, train the techs thoroughly, establish a marketing plan and budget (and stick to it), and start by asking around first if the new service is needed and reasonably priced. Ask all the shop’s customers next month if they would be interested in whatever you’re considering. Get in the car and visit likely commercial consumers. Tell them your plan, tell them your price, and see what they say before you drop the shop’s money and time on something no one wants. BSB Mark R. Clark is the owner of Professional PBE Systems in Waterloo, Iowa; he is a well-known industry speaker and consultant. He is celebrating his 26th year as a contributing editor to BodyShop Business.

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Web Presence

Management

By Mark Claypool

Marketing to

Millenials

MG! It’s about time there’s an article about Millennials (also known as Generation Y) and how they use the Internet. Millennials were born between 1980 and 2000, and there are more than 79 million of them in the U.S. Got any of them coming into your shop? Of course you do. And here’s a hint…they’re different!

Throw Out Tradition » Traditional ways of communicating, marketing and advertising will likely go unnoticed by the vast majority of this generation, so you need to do things differently. They were the first generation to grow up with digital communications as the norm. Ever see a three-year-old with an iPad? That was them first. Understanding the way those under-34 people interact online can help you build a loyal customer base during the early years of their driving lives. Me-Me-Me » In May 2013, Time wrote an article titled “The Me Me Me Generation” that stated, “They’re narcissistic. They’re lazy. They’re coddled. They’re even a bit delusional. Those aren’t just unfounded negative stereotypes about nearly 80 million Americans. They’re backed up by a decade of sociological research.” On the positive side, Millenials are openminded, exude confidence, express themselves well, upbeat and willing to consider new ideas and new ways of living. They aren’t into big houses or flashy cars. They’re the largest generation on the planet and have more spending power than any other generation in history. And they don’t trust your traditional advertising (only 6 percent trust online advertising). 20

May 2014 | BodyShop Business

Trust » So who/what do Millenials trust? Their friends, social media: 98 percent of them will engage a friend’s post on social media rather than a brand’s post. That can be misleading if you don’t understand what’s behind this number. When someone likes, comments or shares something related to an experience they’ve had with a business, it shows up on newsfeeds their friends see. More than 50 percent of Gen Y can be expected to engage with friends’ posts at least one time each day. If they tweet about their experience (Gen Y uses Twitter more than any other generation), their friends see it. Same for Google+ and Facebook. Ninety-five percent of millennials point to their friends as the most credible source of product/service information, and 91 percent indicate they would consider purchasing a product or service based off a friend recommending it. Turn that around: What if they have a poor experience? Millennial friends don’t let their friends drive uninformed. Instant communication, engagement and participation are fast enough for these young people. Studies have shown that seven out of 10 millennials feel a sense of duty to share feedback about companies they’ve done business with, good or bad. Are you ready for that? Are you taking advantage of that? If you can increase Millennials’ engagement with your social media sites, get them to follow you, like you, add you to their Google+ circles and talk about their experience with you, you win. If you can get them to continually engage with your social media sites, that’s a bonus. But that means you must regularly post things of interest and seek participation in the conversation.

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»| Web Presence |« Don’t Be An Interruption » You must not be an interruption in Millennials’ daily online lives. You must be what they’re interested in or they won’t care. As a 24year-old female told us, “Your brand is either working with me, or you’re working against me.” Don’t approach it as promoting yourself so much as wanting to talk with Millennials, hear them and give their voice a place of importance. Remember, this generation got trophies simply for participating on their soccer teams, not necessarily for achievement. They want to participate with you. And since they aren’t that into cars, why are so many body shops posting nothing more than automotive-related stuff on their social media sites? Before-and-after photos, cool new cars, etc. Some is fine, but if that’s all you’re posting, you’re missing the boat. Millennials’ life source seems to be their smartphones, and they’re on them more than two hours per day on average. Check out the graphic to the right to see how they use their phones during those two-plus hours. Pay it forward to Millennials socially and you’ll win their hearts, especially if you continue to do so repeatedly. Support causes they’re concerned about, get their participation and you’ll have a great chance of earning their trust, and their business, for life. But be genuine. A

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Internet Social media Music Games Phone calls Emails Texts TV/Film Books Camera

19% 14% 12% 11% 9% 9% 8% 7% 7% 4%

phony effort will be transparent, and then you’ll have these instant communicators all over your brand, negatively, and could lose them and their BFFs for life. BSB Mark Claypool has spent 30-plus years in workforce development, apprenticeships, marketing and Web presence management with SkillsUSA, the I-CAR Education Foundation, Mentors at Work, Veri-Facts Automotive and the NABC. He’s the CEO of Optima Automotive (www. optimaautomotive.com), which provides website design, SEO services and social media management services.

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Tech

Tips

By Karl Kirschenman

Bumping Up Against Jeep Bumper Repairs he Jeep was a recognizable symbol of American fighting forces in World War II, just as the “Huey” helicopter was an iconic symbol of Vietnam. Just about anyone who cares about machines on wheels – and that should include everyone reading this – probably knows that the name “Jeep” was derived from the initials “G.P.,” which stands for “general purpose.” That explanation has been repeated so many times that hardly anyone questions it. Originally, the U.S. Army approached more than 130 companies requesting prototypes of a four-wheel drive vehicle. Ultimately, only American Bantam, Willys-Overland and Ford became involved in developing the classic World War II Jeep. Ford’s entry carried the label GPW, but not because it stood for general purpose. The G stood for government, the P was a wheelbase designation and W meant it was powered by a Willys

May 2014 | BodyShop Business

engine. The Willys-Overland design was selected, and although its parent company has changed a few times, the Jeep nameplate has outlived many other long-established makes. One theory is that military Jeeps were informally named after Eugene the Jeep, a strange little animal in early Popeye cartoons who could magically disappear and reappear at will. You can check out Popeye and Eugene the Jeep on YouTube. Wikipedia, the current authority on just about anything, past or present, says that the term Jeep was used as early as 1914. The website quotes “Words of the Fighting Forces” (a 1942 dictionary of military slang) by Clinton A. Sanders to offer this alternative origin of the term: “Jeep: A four-wheel drive vehicle of one-half- to one-andone-half-ton

capacity for reconnaissance or other army duty. A term applied to the bantam-cars, and occasionally to other motor vehicles... Also referred to as ‘any small plane, helicopter or gadget.’” Regardless of the origin of the name, several models of Jeep are familiar sights on the road today and, consequently, also in collision shops. Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Patriot, Compass and Wrangler are a far cry from their bare bones military ancestors. Pretty much the only option back then was a machine gun. But we’re not just talking comfort features, electronics and airbags. Let’s talk about bumpers.

Bumpers » The bumpers on a 1940s Army Jeep were solid pieces of flat steel, whereas today’s bumpers are multi-component “systems.” They do a great job, but, like every aspect of today’s vehicles, they’re complex. Currently, one of the most researched collision procedures in the ALLDATA OEM database is the removal and installation of the front bumper on the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Why? Well, in order to service the new Grand Cherokee grille, you have to

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»| Tech Tips |« remove the front bumper fascia. Unless you’ve done your homework up front, your technicians will suddenly realize that in order to remove the bumper fascia, there are a lot of fasteners involved – on top, underneath and even plastic rivets in the wheel wells. By the way, did you order those plastic rivets in your parts order? One more thing – if the vehicle is equipped with adaptive cruise control, the sensor is located behind the bumper fascia. According to Chrysler, “The adaptive speed control sensor (also known as the Adaptive Cruise Control/ACC sensor or module, or the radar sensor or module) requires alignment whenever the ACC sensor is removed and reinstalled, whenever front end struc-

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This procedure is published here for general information only and is not the entire article, which includes several detailed diagrams. A representative OEM image is included above. Here’s an excerpt from the OEM information:

Fascia, Front – Removal

tural repairs are performed or whenever a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) indicates ACC sensor adjustment is required.” For an efficient, safe and accurate repair, OEM information is essential.

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1. Remove the plastic rivets at each wheel well that secure the flares to the fascia. 2. Release the clips and partially remove both front fender flares. 3. Remove the fasteners that secure the wheel liners to the fascia. 4. Remove the ¼-turn fasteners

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»| Tech Tips |« and separate the lower wheel liner from the fascia. 5. Remove the four lower retainers (4). 6. Release the integral latches at the wheel well openings (2) and the radiator grille assembly. 7. Disconnect the fog lamp electrical connectors, if equipped (3). 8. Remove the fascia assembly (1).

Fascia, Front – Installation 1. Position the front fascia and connect the fog lamp electrical connectors, if equipped. 2. Install the fascia, locking the integral latches at the radiator grille assembly and at the wheel well openings. 3. Install the four lower retainers. 4. Install the fasteners that secure the wheel liners to the fascia. 5. Position the front fender flares

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and press in place, engaging the retaining clips. 6. Install new plastic rivets to secure the fender flares. 7. Install the ¼-turn fasteners and secure the lower wheel liner to the fascia. NOTE: This repair/service information is excerpted from information published by the vehicle manufacturer and is intended for the purpose of promoting OE collision repair information to trained, professional technicians with the knowledge, tools and equipment to do the job properly and safely. Before attempting any repairs described, refer to the complete article in ALLDATA Collision S3500. It’s recommended that these procedures not be performed by “do-ityourselfers.” BSB

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Karl Kirschenman, ALLDATA collision product manager, holds a bachelor of science degree in communication. He has more than 10 years of experience in the collision industry. © 2014 ALLDATA LLC. All rights reserved. All technical information, images and specifications are from ALLDATA Collision S3500. ALLDATA and ALLDATA Collision are registered trademarks of ALLDATA LLC. Jeep, Grand Cherokee, Cherokee, Patriot, Compass, Wrangler and Chrysler are registered trademarks of Chrysler Group LLC. Popeye is a registered trademark of King Features, a subsidiary of Hearst Corporation. YouTube is a registered trademark of YouTube. All other marks are the property of their respective holders.

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Viewpoint Does Your Vehicle Have Better Technology Than Your Data? re there any lessons the collision industry can take from the latest innovation in automobile technology? The Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) thinks it can and should. Technology has inundated the collision industry, from new vehicle materials to new tools to new processes to the new software we use. And now, the vehicles themselves are becoming even more complex and smarter.

V2V » The U.S. Department of

gether. This was accomplished by the development of a set of voluntary standards that were implemented by the different automakers and parts companies. (For more information, search “DOT v2v” online.)

Voluntary Standards » This is an example of the power of voluntary standards and a willingness to collaborate for the benefit of an industry and its consumers. It’s difficult to find a more competitive arena than OEM vehicle manufacturers, yet, along with the parts companies, they’re making significant progress toward important innovations and improvements by working together.

Transportation (DOT) announced in February that it would propose making all new cars “talk to each other” so they can “warn” drivers of approaching collisions. Time for an Upgrade » What’s By Fred Iantorno the lesson the collision industry can This technology is called V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) communications, and it take from this? It’s time the industry upgrades has been proven to work in the real world. to the newest data exchange technology. Cars with V2V wirelessly transmit safety inThe CIECA Business Message Suite (BMS) formation such as speed and location among has operational advantages over its predecesthemselves 10 times per second. It can work sor, EMS. The BMS has been fully developed more than hundreds of yards between cars and proven to be an upgrade to the EMS. that aren’t visible to each other. The real-time Rather than sending an entire EMS file and all data can feed on-board warning systems that the estimate data, the BMS provides repairers tell drivers when a collision is imminent. It with the flexibility and security to transmit could prevent common types of accidents specific subsets of estimate information. such as rear-end collisions, crashes in intersecThe industry needs to keep pace with the tions and collisions during lane changes. latest advances in vehicle and consumer techThe DOT is analyzing the results of a pilot nology. Therefore, when you purchase, lease program and plans to publish a report, then or build your next application suite, insist that seek public comment, before crafting a proit contains the CIECA BMS. BSB posal to make the technology mandatory. It said its road test involved almost 3,000 cars Fred Iantorno is the executive director of CIECA. and showed that products from different auHe can be reached at (847) 498-6945 or fred@ tomakers and parts companies can work tocieca.com. The views expressed in this editorial do not necessarily reflect those of BodyShop Business magazine.

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COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

Combining deep faith with business savvy, these shop owners have found peace of mind as well as loyal customers.

Pastor Greg » Some industry members bear another title in addition to that of “collision repairer.” For Greg Hagan, director of operations for D-Patrick Body & Glass, that title is “pastor.” “I knew early on that I was called to preach,” said By Gina Kuzmick the Evansville, Ind., native. “I had my faith and my religion long before I had a job. It’s just always been a part of me.” on Perretta went on a health kick a few years Religion has taught Hagan a lot about relationback. He was exercising regularly, eating ships – a key factor in day-to-day business dealings. healthy and simply maintaining his overall “I try to be very relational to [my staff] and see them physical well-being. as people, not just a worker or employee or a statistic Everything changed when the Pennsylvania body or a number,” he said. “I shop owner discovered he try to treat my people with had prostate cancer. Like anythe utmost respect.” one in that situation, he iniAlong with respect comes tially found the news to be fairness and honesty. Hagan upsetting. But soon he felt tries to maintain a transreassured that God had a parent, moral work envigood reason for the illness. ronment by conducting “I was in really good business properly and shape when I was diagabove the table. nosed,” said Perretta. “I re“What we say is what alized the reason was we do. That’s the bottom because…it prepared me to line,” he said. go through what I needed Jecker echoes Hagan, statto go through.” ing that having her cusPerretta’s Catholic beliefs tomers’ best interests is her evolved and strengthened throughout the experience, Sherri and Nick Jecker have this sign posted in their shop as a nod No. 1 priority. and ultimately he was able to their faith as well as their sense of humor. “It’s not all about the dolto beat the cancer. But his lar,” she said. “It’s about faith not only gave him the strength to combat the illhaving happy customers. We’re just trying to run an ness, but also to run a better business. honest business.” Like Perretta, many body shop owners’ faith branches out beyond their personal lives and into their jobs. Peace of Mind » Running an honest and fair business But most believe that faith alone won’t drive a shop – doesn’t just comfort the customer; doing God’s will you have to balance religion with business savvy. also offers the shop owner or manager peace of mind. “You have to be smart and wise,” said Sherri Jecker, “My beliefs don’t allow me to lie to my customers,” who owns Highlander Collision Center in Floyd Knobs, said Perretta. “I can leave at the end of the day and my Ind., alongside her husband, Nick. “You have to use mind is clear. I’ve done the things that I tell people that I do. We aren’t fictitious. We’re very much in your gifts to make [your business] grow and run.”

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COVER STORY » Keeping the Faith belief that we do the right things for people every day. That’s what’s kept me in business for the last 34 years.” Honesty doesn’t just apply to customers, though; it’s also relevant to insurance companies. Every shop has likely butted heads with insurers,

but Hagan and Jecker both emphasize the need to be fair. “You have to be the better person and stand up for what’s right, but do it in a respectful way,” said Jecker. “Sometimes maybe the only Jesus [others] see is through a Christian.”

Integrity has its price, though. “We lose some sales sometimes because I’m not willing to do anything dishonest or deceitful,” said Hagan. One example he cites is covering customers’ deductibles. “Whenever I have a customer ask me about covering their deductible, the first thing I say is that you have to cut corners somewhere. The profit margins are so thin in this business that you can’t afford to take $500 off the repairs. You’re going to do something deceitful in the repair process to make up for that $500.”

Customer Empathy » Another religious principle that’s applicable to the industry is empathy. A car wreck is obviously an extremely traumatic situation for any person, and Jecker keeps that in mind when interacting with customers. “There’s always troubles, you know. You just pray and get through day by day,” she said. Jecker recalls one instance when a customer came into the shop and appeared to be going through some personal difficulties. “Her mom had cancer and she was having a really hard time,” she explained. In the spirit of a Good Samaritan, her husband Nick gave the woman some money to ease her financial burden. “He was financially blessing her. We didn’t even really know her, but she was so appreciative.”

Community » Religion also gives collision repairers a chance to contribute to their communities. After his battle with prostate cancer, Perretta saw an opportunity to educate fellow industry members about the disease – an opportunity he believes was presented by God. “[God] healed me of the cancer and, knowing that I’m in a maledominated industry and that I’m a pretty vocal guy, he also decided Circle 34 for Reader Service

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COVER STORY » Keeping the Faith

Although Greg Hagan of D-Patrick Autobody & Glass serves as a pastor in his community, he doesn’t want customers to “feel like they’re in church.”

that I’m going to be a spokesman for [prostate cancer],” he said. Perretta conducts training for PPG throughout the country, and prior to every session, he discusses the testing and screening process with attendees. “I’m able to touch so many people and maybe save

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somebody’s life, all because of what I was put through.” For the Jeckers, their customers are also their neighbors. “We’ve been in this community all our lives, and when we go to the grocery store or when we go out to a restaurant, we’re more than

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likely going to run into one of our customers,” said Sherri. “I want to be able to not be embarrassed by the workmanship or quality of our repairs.” As a pastor, Hagan uses his community prominence as a means to organize social events. His church

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COVER STORY » Keeping the Faith

From this sign, it’s clear Ron Perretta is big on educating his customers. But he also educates his colleagues – on prostate cancer, an opportunity he believes was given to him by God.

partners with his shop to host events “I try to be very careful with that. I such as Race for the Cure and other don’t want people to be overlocal functions, and he also works whelmed or feel like they’re in church or offend anybody who might have as an I-CAR instructor. “I have multiple hats that I wear, a different faith or belief.” Similarly, Perso I’m pretty “Your beliefs and your retta believes busy connecting,” he said. business savvy have to that religion alone cannot Faith and intermix with each other. drive a busiBusiness » For ness. You pray for God to “Your beliefs some, finding that balance of improve what you do, not and your business savvy have work and faith for him to give you to intermix with is easier than for something. And when each other,” he others. Hagan believes a com- you do that, he seems to said. “You pray for God to imbination of the always give you prove what you two allows for do, not for him business to something anyway.” to give you thrive. — Ron Perretta, something. And “With reliProfessionals Auto Body when you do gion, you’re looking at how you can help others that, he seems to always give you and meet their needs, whereas in something anyway.” For these three individuals, it business, if you’ve got a painter, he has to meet your needs and the cus- seems that this balance has resulted in success that will continue for years tomers’ needs,” Hagan says. Hagan also emphasizes that find- to come. “It’s not a church,” said Hagan. ing a balance helps maintain a pro“You don’t have to compromise your fessional work environment. “I know a lot of people who use faith, but you do have to run the Christianity overzealously,” he said. business.” BSB Circle 38 for Reader Service

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TECHNICAL

Are You Missing the hanges in automotive repairs are coming at a very rapid pace. Most people don’t like change. Change in the repair industry can lead to some problems in areas such as equipment and training. The one thing that’s always guaranteed in the repair industry and any industry is change. The ability for shops to adapt and change with the industry is how they will survive. Ignoring change and not accepting it has only one outcome. Technicians will be required to acquire new skills and procedures in the repair of vehicles due to exotic materials: plastics, carbon fiber and metals such as ultra high strength steels, aluminum and magnesium. These new skills will be required for shops to continue in the automotive repair industry. But these same skills and equipment can open doors for new customers and services. Shops are always looking to improve their customer base and services provided. Marketing your shop is always a challenge in any community. What sets you apart

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Getting the equipment and training for welding aluminum can open up doors for new services such By Mitch Becker as boat, RV and trailer repair. from anyone else? How do you get the customer to the door?

Toys » Vehicles are a large investment to any family, but one that’s deemed necessary. But another investment can be just as expensive or important to some owners. We have long had a passion for our cars and trucks, but we also love our toys. In many cases, our toys are more important to us as they represent our fun and relaxation. Look at the bumper sticker that says, “A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.” This person usually is towing a lot of money behind that truck. These toys can have collisions and mishaps, too. Their repair can be an opportunity to build a relationship

with a customer – and a profitable one at that. The cost of our toys can range from a couple hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mishaps will occur as streets, highways, trails and waterways get more crowded. We also must realize that sometimes, we all make mistakes.

Boats, RVs and Trailers » Many boat repairs are similar to the plastic repair procedures we currently use. Some may be on a bigger scale, but similar. In a market where hours are controlled by other sources, a straight time project could be a profitable relief to technicians and shops. But boats are just one of the toys to consider. We know many minor mishaps on RVs can also be handled. By demon-

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TECHNICAL » Missing the Boat

Before (left) and after shots of a boat made pretty again.

strating the ability to repair more than just vehicles, your shop becomes a staple to many communities for a variety of jobs. The equipment needed for change on the automotive side is also the best to use for other types of repairs. I recently acquired a spot welder, one of the recommended machines for the 2015 Ford F-150. I bought it to train and practice with and to learn more with aluminum. A friend of mine who I do some cattle competi-

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tions with found out I got a new aluminum welder, and just by that word of mouth, I have people from all over asking how much I would charge to do some welding repair on their aluminum horse trailers. Most of the people who do welding for them are accomplished steel welders but are not familiar with aluminum. The amount of requests I’ve been getting has made me nervous as I can’t keep up with them all. Many trailer repair companies are over-

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whelmed, and it can take weeks to get a trailer in for repair. Knowing the type of aluminum and what gauge I’ll be welding helps me obtain the correct wire and repair the damage on the trailer. It’s normally less than an hour worth of work as much as it is reattaching a hinge or welding a crack. Hmm, does that sound familiar? I have a whole new service to provide, and the shop sets the labor and prices. What about this does not appeal to shops? And to top it all off, the majority is a cash sale.

Gone Fishin’ » This made me think about one of the ABRA Auto Body & Glass franchise shops in Elk River, Minn. The franchise owner, Kedrick Johnson, General Manger Danyell Wendland, and technicians Todd and Scott (Kedrick’s sons), decided to venture into a new market when an opportunity presented itself.

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TECHNICAL » Missing the Boat The opportunity: John Doe is at a large sports retailer in Minnesota picking up his new boat. The new Ranger he has purchased has a price of more than $75,000. Mr. Doe hitches up his new boat and is off to the lake. Once he arrives at the lake, Mr. Doe preps the boat for a day on the water. He removes all boat ties and preps to back

into the lake. He puts in his gear and backs up. He stops just shy of the landing to wait his turn. You guessed it – he had released the winch lock for the boat, and off the trailer the boat goes. The damage to the transom and engine is $35,000, and the boat has never been in the water yet. Mr. Doe’s attempt at finding a

boat repair facility was slim at best. The sporting goods store where he purchased the boat suggested he try the ABRA Auto Body & Glass shop down the road. At first, he was skeptical, and so was the ABRA shop. After doing some research, Kedrick and his sons agreed the repair could be done. They had all the equipment needed, and ordering materials and parts was similar to any vehicle. What started off as a courtesy by the shop to a customer is now flourishing into a steady flow of work. It’s not uncommon to see a Ranger or a Sylvan boat right next to a steel version F-150, which is currently the version you would see. But soon, it could be the new aluminum version

Before (top) and after: getting aluminum ready can open up a world of possibilities.

of the F-150. The interesting point is that there are some similarities in repair procedures between the boat and this vehicle, so a technician with a certain skill set and equipment can handle it. Many of the repairs on the Alumacraft boats are $6,000 to $8,000 with a quick cycle time. Boat dealers are keeping shops with a steady flow of work. Circle 44 for Reader Service

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TECHNICAL » Missing the Boat This repair worked by Kedrick and Danyell working the front office and Todd and Scott working as the technical team. This team approach, and the foresight to take advanced training, get the right equipment and see the benefits for the shop, made the change much easier to accept. The parts are all available

with some research, similar to any vehicle.

Something New » How do you get your team to approach something new? Approaching change as positive is key. Complaining and worrying makes a team apprehensive and stressed. Approaching

proactively and training techs to be the best will make change a whole lot easier. Change does not have to be hard. It’s just different. So what are you going to do? Many want to stay in the past and even ignore the changes. To those people, I wish you the best of luck. To those who want to learn and embrace change as it comes at us, here is some simple advice: research equipment, make some calls and make a decision. Then, get moving on training. Let your techs know they’re the best, and you want to be sure they stay the best. Let them know they’re worth the investment in training. With some positive reinforcement and some good coaching, a shop can make change a good thing. Pride in work makes a shop the top

This engine was made like-new after an unfortunate mishap.

shop to work for and represent. This opens doors for you and builds customers for life. The diversity of services that keep presenting themselves to us every day is amazing, so don’t miss your boat. BSB Mitch Becker is a technical instructor for ABRA Auto Body & Glass. Contact him at (763) 585-6411 or mbecker@ abraauto. com. Circle 46 for Reader Service

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PROFIT IN THE PAINT SHOP

Profit in the Paint Shop Series:

Maximum Efficiency Any time we streamline the refinish process, we’re moving toward maximum efficiency. Part 5 of a six-part series on how to maximize profit in the paint shop.

By Carl Wilson he way I see and articulate the term “maximum efficiency,” I realize we’re looking down one heck of a rabbit hole. But it makes it a little less daunting when I focus on the context of this series, “Profit in the Paint Shop.” OK, good, we’re only talking about the paint shop. However, to make the claim of “maximum,” we’re going

to have to pull back and consider a bit more than just the paint shop – at least initially. Then, we’ll laser back down to the painter.

The Common Way » Let’s review the average shop and its operation. Work comes in, sometimes scheduled, sometimes not, but we’ve got a preliminary estimate one way or the other.

Proper paint prep procedures up-front can save a lot of time on the back end.

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Parts are ordered and received. The job is dispatched to the bodyman, parts are often ordered again and he sends the vehicle to the paint shop when he’s done. Painted, detailed and delivered. Repeat. However…what we’ve glossed over here is the waiting: for approval, parts, supplement approval and additional parts. Wait, wait, weight. The weight of the wait often falls on the paint shop, and we suddenly have a sense of urgency that simply didn’t exist elsewhere in the

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PROFIT IN THE PAINT SHOP » Part 5 process. Odds are a painter isn’t reading this unless management read it first and passed it on to him, believing there might be some value. Therefore, I must address management first.

Practices and Procedures » Efficiency begins at the starting gate through intelligent planning and sched-

uling, which involves implementing clearly defined and communicated practices, procedures and expectations. These must be consistently and predictably applied to everyone, as well as the entire process. There aren’t enough pages in this magazine to break down all the procedures your shop could benefit from, but suffice it

to say the changes for a more efficient operation must begin at the beginning. Consider my biased schoolboy analogy: the technicians – painters, in this example – are mules pulling a wagon. Rather than whipping them harder to get further down the road, get off the wagon and move some rocks out of the way. As to what rocks or how to move them, your paint line manufacturer undoubtedly has business management tools that can assist you in standardizing and streamlining your operation. I’m not talking about simply blueprinting or 100 percent teardown, but helping you to see the benefit of the logical sequence, which suggests things as simple as: ensuring pinchwelds are being properly dressed in the body shop before the vehicle is moved to the paint shop, and properly protecting vehicle interiors to avoid wasting time and material mopping up the messes made during the repair process. You know, simple stuff like that. Processes and procedures that make for a smooth flow. And smooth is fast! In the absence of those procedures, we’re back in the paint shop whipping mules. This results in an environment of chaotic scrambling – chickens

Protecting the interior of the vehicle before body work can help you avoid wasting time later by cleaning up a mess.

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PROFIT IN THE PAINT SHOP » Part 5 without their heads – which, in turn, has a tendency to breed mistakes. I’m sure we agree that we can never correct an error fast enough after the fact for it to be as profitable as accuracy would have been the first time around. Nothing is faster or more profitable than accuracy. So how do we get that scrambling culture to change? To stop and

correct an error right now, as opposed to pushing through and dealing with it later? You have to lead by example. I should add that it’s prudent to bear in mind the old saying, “Perfect is the enemy of good.” Let’s not kid ourselves about perfection. The only thing perfect about us is the “…pure perfect reflection of human imperfec-

tion…” (thanks, Robert Earl Keen). So while we don’t strive for perfection, we do strive for excellence. My father was flat-rate and understood you must draw the line somewhere, but he would not tolerate the words, “That’s good enough.” He understood the thinking and culture it represented, a mindset of stopping short of the goal. And with that, the lecture is over. I will now back out of this rabbit hole and address the painter.

One More Look » Is it as simple as saying, “Do it properly the first time. Be accurate?” Cutting down on any number of redos will indeed be more efficient, but we’re going be a bit more specific, dissect the paint shop further and consider things such as economy of motion – chess instead of checkers – and the realization that we’re all in the same boat and must row together in order to win the race. However, let me repeat that there’s nothing faster than accuracy. So, I find it advantageous for the painter to “take one last look.” Whatever operation you’re in, whatever you’re working on, before going further, take one more look. You may see a pinhole to address before you prime, a transparent edge before you clean your color gun or a bit of dry spray in the clear prior to kicking off the bake cycle. Just take one more look. Identify and correct the issue now, rather than downstream. I assure you, this is huge.

Habits of Efficiency » I know the painter is pretty efficient already, particularly if he’s on commission or flat-rate. It’s just the way we work; we’re going to beat the time on the repair order. Notwithstanding, painters also have some incredibly inefficient operations and habits that are perpetuated simply because it’s always been done that way. The fact that we’re comfortable with it influences our belief that we don’t need to change. So I submit for your consideration a few habits that can contribute to a more efficient operation. If nothing else changed in the paint Circle 52 for Reader Service

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PROFIT IN THE PAINT SHOP » Part 5 shop but your “habits of efficiency,” you would see a smoother, faster flow and more accuracy that mattered. Material savings would be realized, and customers would be happier. The reputation as a shop with expert color matching would go before you.

Color Library » “So what is ‘this,’

Carl?” you ask. “This” is the color library. Simple, huh? It also has the benefit of being easy. You just need to develop a new habit of efficiency, specifically a sprayout card. Spraying, clearing and cataloging every color you paint, every time – sprayouts made with your equipment in your environment. Your cards. By the way,

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if I’m still talking with painters here, I’ve heard all the excuses as to why you don’t do that now: “It takes too long and I don’t have time,” “I have the color information in my head,” “I always blend so there’s no need for it.” Do me a favor and save the B.S. for the 20-year-olds – I’m all stocked up. I have firsthand experience saying those same things, and I was wrong. Over the course of the years, I’ve built five different color libraries between water and solvent, and between different paint lines. I never liked starting over with a new line and having to build a new library because, of course, I wanted to continue using what I was accustomed to. But there are those in authority over me who made those decisions, and I had to acquiesce. I’ve never regretted building a library, though, and having access to it. To me, it’s akin to a treasure map because it leads to money. I make the very slight investment of time now, and I can profit from that sprayout every time I see that color again. It does, however, require accurate documentation on the back of the card and cataloging in such a way that it’s easy to retrieve. I catalog my colors by vehicle manufacturer, but some painters prefer to group them by color – reds, blues, greens, etc. As long as it’s easy to access, you’ll use it. Plus, any time you “build” a color on the scale, which has 10 percent of the black withheld, for example, in order to render the color a little lighter and richer than it would have been otherwise – and have it match – how much time and material do you think you save? How did you know 10 percent was the amount to withhold? You checked a car’s color against an unadjusted sprayout card you already had from a previous job. It was dark and a little de-saturated – seemed like it had too much black in it. So you withheld a measured portion of black and made a new card to catalog. So on and so forth until you had hundreds of cards in your library. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it

PROFIT IN THE PAINT SHOP » Part 5 won’t happen at all if you don’t start. Incidentally, while working with the legendary Mr. Lee out of Oregon City, Ore., he and I each made two cards for every car we painted, one for him and one for me. That way, we each built our own libraries in half the time.

Economy of Motion » Each step we take should have a purpose so you minimize wasted effort. In short, “How can I operate like a production line?” By staying with the task at hand, by having what you need within arm’s reach. I’m talking about mobile work stations, commercial or homemade. I understand that the mix room and spraybooth are fixed work stations, but they’re examples of being properly set up for the task at hand. You don’t have to fetch an airline every time you paint a car – you have one in the booth. There’s no need to go to the parts department for a can or cup when you need to mix a color – it’s within arm’s reach in the mix room. And so the mobile work station is set up for the task at hand – a prepping cart stocked with abrasives, blocks, guide coat, machine sanders, etc. My masking tree not only had an ample supply of tape and paper, just like yours, but it also had razor blades, paper towels, degreasers and anything else I needed. I even utilized a modified carpenter’s hammer ring to hold masking tape so I always had the proper size immediately available hanging off my belt. An additional benefit of using it was that I didn’t lose a half roll of tape anywhere. A buffing cart or detailer’s station can be stocked with the same thought in mind. We don’t generate any value to ourselves, the paint shop or the shop in general by walking around. I took a little ribbing for all the “tools” I carried in my pockets, but I was a mobile work station. If you need a visual, consider the carpenter’s tool belt. He wastes little time running back to the truck for anything. Another habit of efficiency that worked well for me was loading the booth at night – “…cocked, locked Circle 56 for Reader Service

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and ready to rock, Doc…” (Thanks, Uncle Ted). Come morning time, all I had to do was a wipe-down and a tack-off and I was painting. Talk about a jumpstart to production for the day! That doesn’t work in every situation, but the broader point is to play chess instead of checkers. Think a step or two or three ahead. Get that rocker/chip guard applied now. Anticipate. Strategize. Communicate. This dovetails with being mindful of the fact that we’re all rowing the same boat. What can I do to make things easier downstream for the next guy?

The Next Guy » Notwithstanding any prima donnas, we should care about the responsibility we have to the next guy. This thinking and caring nets a return on investment. For example, switching your wet sanding to dry sanding, thereby eliminating the sludge left behind for the detailer to clean. By default, he would have more time to “shine” the car as opposed to mopping up a mess. That can only make the painter’s work look better. Other seemingly small efforts, such as inserting a piece of cardboard in the door/fender gap while priming to eliminate the overspray on the hinges (which, in turn, completely eliminates the cleanup of that mess), have synergistic results. Rowing the boat in concert. Moving the Boat » Previous articles in this series all had the thread of “efficiency” running through them. Whether properly prepping prior to priming, understanding the fundamentals of sanding or anticipating the blend, they all help to streamline the process. Any time we streamline the process, we’re moving the boat towards maximum efficiency. BSB Carl Wilson has been painting for nearly 30 years, with formal training from the GM Training Center, ASE, I-CAR and multiple product and color courses. He currently works as a technical rep for HiLine Distributors in Oahu, Hawaii. He can be reached at carl@refinishexpert. com.

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»| Industry Update |« SAFECars continued from pg. 8 today’s damaged vehicles.” Added John Arthur Eaves Jr., managing partner of Eaves Law Firm, Jackson, Miss., “In today’s world, the collision repairer’s ability to complete a proper repair, despite insurer intrusiveness to control costs, is at startling proportions. We’re all beginning to realize in subtle, less obvious ways that the unprecedented advancements necessary to meet fuel efficiency mandates and vehicle safety requirements have come

with a challenging tradeoff. It also means that the collision repair professionals entrusted to maintain a safe vehicle repair for their family and friends are pressured to make concessions with insurers that jeopardize the very people they’re trying to protect. It compels us to consider the actions and expense it takes to insure and repair these vehicles for the inevitable accidents that require heightened levels of training and equipment requirements to safely address these technological advancements.”

PartsTrader continued from pg. 9 quote requests have generated more than 1,000,000 confirmed parts orders. PartsTrader has provided the following overview of its program: 䡲 Repairers choose which OEM dealers they invite to quote. 䡲 Repairers choose who to order from after considering quality, service, delivery time, part types, the reputation of the suppliers and price. 䡲 Repairers choose when to order (the need may be so urgent that there is not enough time to seek competitive quotes). 䡲 All suppliers are given the same equal opportunity to compete for a repairer’s business. 䡲 Insurers do not have access to a repairer’s buy prices, other than for recycled parts, as they do today. “Our core application is now very different from when we started over two years ago,” said Rob Cooper, PartsTrader CEO. “We are committed to giving repairers and suppliers a product of choice by continuing to adapt it to their changing needs. Earlier this year, we introduced the industry’s first system for tracking two-way repairer and supplier performance feedback. For example, repairers now have the ability to rate suppliers based on service and quality of the parts delivered. This ensures that each party can make a fully informed business decision before placing or responding to an order. Most recently, we’ve enhanced vehicle mapping capabilities and improved integration with the estimating systems, and have many more exciting features on the nearterm horizon.”

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»| Industry Update |« Lawsuit continued from pg. 9 discussed how he reached his boiling point several years ago and reached out to Eaves, who was his customer. Other highlights of the conference included: 䡲 Randy Ishee from the Louisiana Department of Justice discussing his department’s exploration of consumer-related collision repair issues. “We want to

hear from shops if there is an issue relating to a consumer being damaged,” he stated. He said he was familiar with the collision industry, having been the fixed operations manager for a Ford dealership before moving to the attorney general’s office. He invited repairers to have their Department of Justice contact him for more information. 䡲 Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision

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Repair Specialists, who stated, “Our industry is beginning to have some backbone. We are willing to stand up at greater lengths than before.” He reminded all repairers in the room that “taking care of your customers should be our only objective,” advising all to utilize the data available and stay connected to the industry and their customer. 䡲 Keynote speaker and Medal of Honor recipient Mike Thornton

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»| Industry Update |«

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discussing how his courageous efforts saved the lives of fellow troop members during the Vietnam War. The takeway theme of “unity” resonated with attendees, who gave a standing ovation at the conclusion. 䡲 American Honda’s Dave Poston, Collision Select marketing manager for the ProFirst Recognition Program, who gave a detailed presentation of Honda’s recognition program for collision repairers. “Honda builds the most top safety-rated models,” he said. He profiled the 2013-2014 Honda Odyssey, demonstrating that it has 10 times the amount of ultra high strength steel as previous models. 䡲 Assured Performance Network Vice President of Network Development Aaron Clark presenting information on manufacturer certification programs and requirements shops may be facing in the future. “Are you willing to invest to stay current in the changing market?” he asked. “It’s not an option anymore.” 䡲 Richard Valenzuela of National Auto Body Research explaining the variable rate system, which has been developed to constantly manage labor rates. Valenzuela, a clinical psychologist, said he recognizes the chronic problem of labor rates in the collision industry. “The need is great to survive, and shops have no control over what is going on in their business – it is creating a ‘learned helplessness.’” 䡲 Ron Perretta, owner of Professionals Auto Body, conducting a social media workshop. 䡲 A cocktail reception on Friday opened the trade show, which featured 40-plus vendors. 䡲 Representation from the Mississippi Collision Repair Association, Alabama Automotive Repair Industry Society of Excellence, Georgia Collision Industry Association, Florida Autobody Collision Alliance, Tennessee Collision Repair Association and the Louisiana Collision Industry Association.

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»| Industry Update |« Ford continued from pg. 9 “In a lot of areas on this truck, you will have a choice based on the skill of the technician as far as which way you want to repair it,” Coan said. “So you don’t have to weld if you don’t want; you can rivet bond.” The front apron tubes on the 2015 F-150 were designed with reparability in mind, too. On the current F150, it’s a two-piece system of hydroformed steel. Two sections go inside the hinge pillar, and to remove and replace the part, you have to drop the instrument panel to get to the backside of the hinge pillar and drill out the spot welds. But on the 2015 F-150, it is now a single piece with all external joints. “You don’t have to get into the hinge pillar or instrument panel, which will save a lot of hours,” said Coan. “We thought it was a big win.” As far as the B pillar is concerned, if it takes a hit and the rockers and crossmembers are damaged, you don’t have to replace the entire assembly, according to Coan. “You can section it in by building a backer and either welding or rivet bonding in the joint. You can section the inner and outer rocker panel on the regular cab and super cab, but the exception is the crew cab. In the crew cab, the outer rocker reinforcement in front is an extruded part, so you would have to replace it in its entirety.” The B pillar itself has an improved design, said Coan, in that the mounting tab stops short of going over the roof tube and underneath the roof panel. Therefore, you don’t have to cut access to the roof panel or pull the roof panel to remove and replace the B pillar. “In not having to touch the roof, it’s a very easy, straightforward repair,” said Coan. As for the A pillar tube, you can section it right on top of the B pillar so that replacing the entire assembly won’t be necessary. Circle 64 for Reader Service

May 2014 | BodyShop Business

There are no castings in the truck; everything is a stamping, extrusion or hydroformed piece. Every sheet metal part will come with an instruction sheet in the box detailing all the procedures to remove and replace or section and listing the parts needed, such as rivets and adhesive. Coan’s final point was that, when you look at accident data and see that 80 percent are light hits that impact bolt-on parts and bumpers, most repairs on the F-150 will be nothing new. “The bumpers on this truck are still steel bolted, the grille is still plastic and the headlamps are still plastic. So a lot of collisions you’ll be dealing with will be business as usual.”

Certification/Recognition » Addressing certification, Paul Massie, powertrain and collision product marketing manager for Ford, said Ford will be developing a national body shop network where dealer shops will have the opportunity to become “certified” (because dealers in the past had a program called the “certified collision repair network” and Ford wanted to retain that for them), and independent shops “recognized.” However, if a shop is neither, it can still obtain parts. “Ford is not going to restrict parts sales,” said Massie. “The majority of parts is business as usual – steel bumpers, grilles and lights. It doesn’t make sense to restrict those. You can’t mainstream something if you’re restricting parts sales.” Eighty percent of Ford’s customers go to independent body shops because less than 50 percent of their dealers have a body shop. Of those who have one, only 800 are truly embedded in the collision business, said Massie. “We realized we could not have a mainstream repair process if we only directed our customers to dealers. Besides, the customer may not want to go to a dealer because

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»| Industry Update |« they have a good relationship with an independent.” The national body shop network will be administered by Assured Performance. The annual cost is $2,950, which will include both general repair and aluminum repair certification/recognition. Shops on the program will receive signage, marketing materials, business development support and inclusion in a national body shop locator. “Will everyone be on our program? No. Will some of those shops not on the program be capable? Yes. But for those who want to be recognized by Ford and listed on the locator, we think that will be the primary driver,” said Massie. “As the F-150 gets out there and the customer wants to know where they can take it for proper repair, we need to be ready to point them in the right direction.”

According to Massie, Ford will require a dealer sponsor for any independent shop that’s in the network. In the case of a dealer without a shop that’s working with an independent shop, they may choose to sponsor that shop. A shop that is not a dealer’s preferred shop could still be nominated by its wholesaling dealer. Shops that wish to be on the program will have to complete the general repair requirements in the Assured Performance program in 2014, at which point they would be recognized by Ford and included in the locator. By December 2014, they will need to also be aluminum capable to remain on the program for 2015 and beyond. “If you aren’t aluminum capable by that point, you won’t be allowed to be in the program for 2015, even in general repair,”

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Massie said. “So, by 2015, you will need to be recognized for both general and aluminum repair.”

Training » Coan said there will be three training courses offered. One is a Web-based Body Shop Essentials course accessible to dealers via the Professional Technician Society website and accessible to independents via www.motorcarservice.com. Two others will be I-CAR courses, one for structural repair and another for welding. Independents and dealers enrolled in the national body shop network will have priority in I-CAR training enrollment, which starts in June. “In working with I-CAR up front, we were actually able to put together the training materials and get techs trained before the vehicle

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»| Industry Update |« hits the street. A lot of techs will be trained this summer before the vehicle is out there,” Coan said. “Someone will wreck their vehicle on day one when they drive it home from the dealer, so we wanted to make sure that people are out there ready to fix it.”

Tools and Equipment » Coan says Ford thought

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long and hard about tools and equipment, and consistent with their goal of “mainstreaming” repair, they decided not to specify certain makes and models but rather offer general guidance as to what repairers will need technology-wise to repair the F-150. That includes: 䡲 220-volt pulse MIG welder dedicated for aluminum 䡲 Separate hand/power tool kit dedicated for aluminum 䡲 Dedicated aluminum dent extraction system containing an aluminum stud welder, heat gun, pyrometer, aluminum hammers and dent extraction systems 䡲 Dedicated aluminum dust extraction system with wet mix technology – system can be portable or a central installed system 䡲 Have a work separation system that isolates aluminum vehicles from vehicles undergoing steel repairs – separation can be a separate room or curtain system 䡲 Have a specialized aluminum SPR (self-piercing rivet) gun approved by Ford Paint and Body Technical Center 䡲 Optional equipment: a select number of qualifying frame alignment accessories are available for Chief and Car-O-Liner frame systems 䡲 Optional equipment: Fume extraction systems can be permanently mounted or portable

Insurer Involvement » As part of Ford’s communication plan, the automaker shared information on the F-150 with insurance companies from the start so they would understand the proper repair procedures and be able to write proper estimates. “To date, State Farm will be sending all their estimatic personnel through I-CAR training,” Coan says. “Allstate will be providing a series of webinars for their folks, and we’re reaching out to other insurers as well.” Circle 86 for Reader Service

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»| Industry Update |«

National Collision Industry Professionals Offer Their Take on Aluminum By Gina Kuzmick ver since Ford announced the release of the 2015 F-150, aluminum seems to be the talk of the industry. Due to Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards requiring automakers to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles, the maker of America’s best-selling vehicle turned to military grade aluminum alloy to make the truck 750 lbs. lighter. But some shop owners aren’t too enthusiastic about the change. For one, purchasing special equipment to properly repair aluminum is a significant investment – one that some speculate will offer little to no return. “The biggest challenge facing repairers isn’t becoming capable in aluminum repair; it is the downward pressure being placed on repairs from an expectation that somehow we are able to do more, and invest more, for a lesser return,” said Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). Dan Risley, president and executive director of the Automotive Service Association (ASA), estimates that less than 20 percent of the industry is ready to perform structural repairs on aluminum vehicles. “I think a larger portion of the industry is capable of repairing nonstructural aluminum parts, but they aren’t equipped to do it.” While the news of Ford’s most beloved vehicle taking on an aluminum design has got some people scratching their heads, the metal is no stranger to the automotive world. Brands like Jaguar and BMW have used aluminum in their vehicles

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since the early 2000s, and other automakers, such as GM, are preparing to follow suit in the near future. In addition to OEMs, some body shops have been riding the aluminum train for quite some time, too. Angelo DiTullio, assistant vice president and regional operations manager of Philadelphia-based Rocco’s Collision, said his shop invested in Jaguar aluminum repair certification about three years ago – a move that he optimistically anticipates will pay dividends in the long run. “I think there are probably a lot of people right now clamoring at the last minute as far as repairing [the F150] goes, and I think we already have most of what we need and the area to do it in,” he said. “The Jaguar certification is definitely no easy certification to get. It took us a lot of time, a lot of training and a lot of investment. But I think that the lesson they taught us and the equipment we had to buy and the things we had to learn really did put us in a good position for the F-150.” DiTullio estimates that his shop spent $25,000 to get aluminum ready. However, he was able cut some steps out of the typical process one would normally implement to prepare for aluminum because Rocco’s happened to already have a spare twobay area that was completely separated from the rest of the shop. “It has separate air conditioning, separate heating…it was just perfect to turn into an aluminum repair center. I’m glad we did, now that everything’s going in the direction it is.” But cases like DiTullio’s seem to be the exception, according to SCRS. And although Rocco’s is aluminum certified by Jaguar, Schulenburg says

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Spotlight PRO//BASE™ Refinish System he PRO//BASE™ Refinish System from Martin Senour® is a compliant, consistent and complete system that fulfills a unique position in the marketplace. Suitable for blendable spot repairs, PRO//BASE™ is ideal for the medium-volume end-user who does not require the fast cycle times of premium-priced systems, but still demands a better quality system than most value-priced systems can offer. With the PRO//BASE™ Refinish System, there is no need to adopt a parallel system that will have to be replaced in the near future. The Pro//BASE™ Refinish System is the ideal product line for refinishers who cannot support high-volume, premium waterborne systems. Being a solvent-borne system, the Pro//BASE™ Refinish System offers users a familiar application process and does not require the unique and expensive spraybooth equipment required for waterborne systems.

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For more information specific to Martin Senour® paint products, visit www.martinsenour-autopaint.com or call 1-800-526-6704. Circle 71 for Reader Service

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»| Industry Update |« that different vehicle manufacturers will have various standards of aluminum repair for their vehicles. “Even if a repair facility is aluminum certified by one OEM, they would still need to obtain make-specific training to become capable to work on another type of vehicle,” he said. “Ultimately, because of the commitment and upfront costs, I think it’s fair to say that a small mi-

nority of the market is currently involved in proper aluminum repairs.” A majority of vehicles on the road – and in collision shops, for that matter – are steel. For Ben Krom, a new owner of West Branch Collision & Classics, a rural shop in New York, he has yet to encounter an aluminum vehicle in need of repair. However, he’s not reluctant to invest in the necessary equipment.

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“I would find a way to [fix it], either by subletting the repair to a qualified shop or getting the equipment that’s required to do it. I don’t think you can go to a customer and say, ‘I just can’t do it, you’re going to have to go to another shop,’ because that sets a precedent.” While the return on investment won’t just magically appear overnight, ASA’s Risley says that the shops that make the investment in equipment and training will be the ones that survive in the end. “It probably doesn’t make financial sense for [shops] to pursue it today if they don’t have the capital. However, it will start to even out as more mainstream vehicles, such as the Ford F-150, are manufactured. If you don’t do this at some point, you’re going to be blocked out from repairing those cars.” And it’s not just the customers who will take their business elsewhere – shops will be facing increased scrutiny from insurance partners, too. “Insurance companies are going to start identifying which shops are equipped and trained to repair [aluminum] cars,” said Risley. “So if you’re a shop that’s reliant upon direct repair referrals, quite frankly some of those referrals will never make it to your door because you can’t properly repair the vehicle.” Rather than focusing purely on the material itself, Schulenburg suggests that there is a bigger issue at hand. “Aluminum isn’t the real issue, and the repairability isn’t going to be what determines the quality of the repairs. I think [the issue is] whether this market shift will provide incentive for more of the industry to focus on quality adherence, consumer experience and recovery on investment, or if there will be an intentional commoditization that expects more for less from the masses, producing the same mistakes we have seen both domestically and internationally in our business market.”

»| Industry Update |«

Consolidation ABRA Auto Body & Glass Acquires 24 Collision Centers of America Locations ABRA Auto Body & Glass purchased all 24 Collision Centers of America repair centers in Chicago, Ill., the surrounding communities and Northwest Indiana. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction boosts ABRA’s total number of collision repair centers to 218 in 17 states. “This is another major step forward in our growth strategy,” said Duane Rouse, ABRA’s president and CEO. “Acquiring Collision Centers of America introduces us to the city of Chicago and Northwest Indiana and assures our customers and business partners we’re prepared to serve them no matter where they are in the country.” Added David Mulder Sr., founder and president of Collision Centers of America, “ABRA is one of the most iconic brands in the collision repair industry. They’re a great company. I know our employees and customers will be in good hands moving forward and will receive the same personalized service and top-quality workmanship they have enjoyed with us over the years.”

Service King to Acquire Sterling Autobody Centers Service King Collision Repair Centers has announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Sterling Autobody Centers and its 62 stores. This acquisition, expected to close in the second quarter of 2014, will bring the total number of Service King locations to more than 170 across 20 states, reinforcing its position as one of the country’s largest multi-shop operators. “Today marks the culmination of many months of hard work, preparation and planning,” said Jeff McFadden, president of Service King. “We have positioned ourselves to continue to deliver on the promise of the Service King brand.”

The Boyd Group Acquires 25 Collision Revision Locations The Boyd Group closed the acquisition of Dora Holdings Inc., which owns and operates 25 Collision Revision centers in Illinois, Indiana and Florida. Collision Revision generated $50 million in sales. The total purchase price was $32.5 million. Boyd now operates 288 collision repair facilities across 15 states and five Canadian provinces. “In addition to being immediately accretive to earnings, adding the Collision Revision locations gives Boyd a commanding presence in the greater Chicagoland market,” said Boyd Group president/CEO Brock Bulbuck. “This is our seventh major multi-shop acquisition since 2010 and reinforces our position as the largest multi-shop operator in North America, in terms of number of locations. This has strategic value for Boyd relative to trends within the collision repair industry that have seen insurance companies consolidating direct repair program volumes with fewer providers.”

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ADVERTISER INDEX COMPANY NAME

Advanced Measurement Systems, Inc. Aflac Aframe Spray Booths Airomax/U.S. Body Products Airvantage Tools Inc. Anest Iwata USA Automotive Mgmt Institute Automotive Service Equip. Automotive Video/AVI AutoZone Axalta Coating Systems BASF Corp. Bendpak BendPak Bernardo Ecenarro Blair Car-O-Liner Co. CCC Cebotech Inc. Certified Auto Parts Association CJ, Inc. Clinton Body Shop DEKRA Dent Fix Equipment

PG #

44 55 54 36 18 27 66 42 63 75 5 19 70 Insert 26 60 17 11 68 7 28 72 73 41

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COMPANY NAME

Dominion Sure Seal DV Systems Eagle Abrasives Evercoat Garmat USA Herkules Equipment Corp. Homak Manufacturing Company Inc. I-CAR Innovative Tools & Technologies, Inc. International Epoxies & Sealers Intuit Kaeser Compressor Malco Products Martech Services Co. Matrix System Automotive Finishes LLC Messe Frankfurt Mirka Abrasives, Inc. Mobile Spray Technology Motor Guard Corp. NAPA NAPA Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reilly Auto Parts PDR Nation Performance Gateway

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PG #

22 50 74 3 68 46 59 45 13 43 21 34 29 56 25 58 52 23 73 51 71 69 58 58

COMPANY NAME

PPG Industries PPG Industries Pro Spot International Pro-Spray Finishes RBL Products RBL Products Reflex Truck Liners Rubber-Seal Products S.A.I.M.A. Of N. America Sata Spray Equipment Scorpion Truck Bed Linings Sherwin-Williams Co. Shop-Pro Equipment Southern Polyurethanes Spanesi Suburban Mfg. TYC/Genera Corp. TYC/Genera Corp. Urethane Supply Co. US Chemical & Plastics Valspar/Debeer Zendex Tool Corp.

PG #

Insert Cover 2-1 Cover 3 31 4 15 62 16 Cover 4 37 64 61 35 53 38 66 47 65 39 57 67 70

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Showcase High-Impact Clearcoat HI-IMPACT is a clearcoat that can last 20 years in full UV and all elements and still be glossy and durable. It’s self-healing, scratch resistant and drop resistant, yet can be applied by anyone. It contains brand-new nano technology and state-of-the-art resins and additives. The original use was for goalie masks, but it’s now being used for everything from showers (as it’s waterproof) to boats and fishing lures. It’s also great on motorcycles. It performs every time, but doesn’t break the bank. Check out Tamco’s full line of American-made products, which are made in-house in smaller batches for quality control and superior customer service. Receive 15 percent off if you mention reading this in BodyShop Business. Phone-in orders only. Tamco Paint www.tamcopaint.com Circle 150 for Reader Service

Leverless Tire Changer The R80DTXF tire changer features an automatic bead lifter, variable speed turntable and bilateral bead loosener with direct hand-operated controls. Other timesaving tools include a traveling drop-center tool, top bead assist rollers, dual lower bead lifting discs and a nylon non-marring wheel restraint device. It features a large 31-inch capacity turntable with adjustable hardened-steel RimGuard wheel clamps, designed to help shops broaden their service range. Ranger/BendPak www.rangerproducts.com Circle 151 for Reader Service

Clamp Hard-to-Reach Places Dent Fix Equipment’s Wheel Arch Clamps are used to clamp hard-toreach access points like a wheel arch and other lipped edges together for welding or other metal fabrication applications. The quick and easy-to-install clamps are versatile with a strong clamping force relative to its size. Clamping force is achieved when the wing nut is tightened and the wedge applies force to the hold points. Each package includes a set of four. Dent Fix Equipment www.dentfix.com Circle 152 for Reader Service

May 2014 | BodyShop Business

Portable and Efficient Air Compressors Kaeser Compressors’ SFC 18S and SFC 22S variable speed drive rotary screw compressors feature a new airend designed to optimize performance and efficiency. They come standard with TEFC premium efficiency motors and feature a compact design and two large hinged service doors, making it possible to service the unit from one side. The SFC 18S has a flow range of 33-119 cfm at 125 psig, while the SFC22S has a flow range of 33-141 cfm at 125 psig. Kaeser Compressors www.kaeser.com Circle 153 for Reader Service

Versatile and Fast Clearcoat Pro-Spray’s PSC-4500 Hyper Clearcoat is a high-solids product that amps productivity and can be mixed to meet National Rule or low-VOC compliance. Designed for use over Pro-Spray Solvent Basecoat and Pro-Spray H2O Waterborne Basecoat, PSC4500 features fast out-of-dust times and quick assembly, delivering a durable finish. This clearcoat is ideal for micro repairs, mobile repairs, spot repairs, and one- and twopanel repairs. Pro-Spray Automotive Finishes/ Quest Automotive Products www.quest-ap.com Circle 154 for Reader Service

Classifieds Body Shop Inventory & Web Software by Rossknecht Software www.rossknecht.com

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Stop wasting valuable time looking for cardboard or cleaning mixing boards! Clean Sheets® Mixing

Boards are used by thousands of repair shops to mix epoxies, body filler, fiberglass, plastics, gel, putty and touch-up paint. • Prevents costly reworks • Non-absorbing, heavy-duty paper with grip for mixing • Bonded on 3 sides • Pays for itself the first week you use them! CALL YOUR LOCAL JOBBER or

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»| Classifieds |«

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By the

Numbers Vital collision industry stats

Do You Think The DRP Concept Is Good Or Bad For The Industry?

What Is The Average Cycle Time For Jobs Going Through Your Shop?

90% 80% 79% 70% 68%

Percentage Of Shops

60%

Days For Drivable Jobs

50% 40% 30%

32%

20%

21%

10% 0% DRP Shop Responses

days

䡲

For Non-Drivable Jobs Source: 2013 BodyShop Business Industry Profile

Good

䡲

Non-DRP Shop Responses Bad

Source: 2013 BodyShop Business Industry Profile

Effectiveness Of Advertising Methods (A Lower Score = More Effective) Word-Of-Mouth

2.0

Website

5.1

Community Sponsorship

5.3

Radio

5.4

Social Media

5.5

Direct Marketing

5.5

Television

5.9 6.6

Billboards

6.7

Yellow Pages 0

Source: 2013 BodyShop Business Industry Profile

May 2014 | BodyShop Business

Circle 81 for Reader Service

Circle 82 for Reader Service