Collision Repair 18#6

CAN PAINTLESS DENT REPAIR BE A GAME CHANGER FOR YOUR BUSINESS? FIND OUT INSIDE!

Volume 18, Number 6 l December 2019

APPRAISING

MAYHEM

INSURERS

IN THE

Collision pros grade the insurance sector!

MOJAVE An inside look at what the largest-ever SEMA Show offered the industry!

EXECUTIVE DECISION Meet the two-man team transforming the traditional business model at CARSTAR Downsview!

PLUS Mitchell International’s Jack Rozint explains the proof-of-concept product aiming to extend reality in the collision repair sector; the Co-Operator’s guide to co-operating with collision repair pros; how Abrams Towing CEO Joey Gagne turned a $2,500 loan into a towing empire; and much, much more!

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collisionrepairmag.com

CONTENTS

VOLUME 18, ISSUE 6 | DECEMBER 2019

14

EXECUTIVE DECISION Pino Gagliardi and Michael Menna turn the auto repair business on its head at the newly renovated CARSTAR Downsview facility.

Photos by: Eddie Chan Insta: eddiemarkhampyro

Learn why seasoned entrepreneur Pino Gagliardi brought his talents to the collision industry!

46

DEPARTMENTS PEOPLE ON THE MOVE | 12

Familiar names in unfamiliar titles!

REGIONAL NEWS | 76

A deep dive into collision repair news from all across Canada.

TOWING NEWS | 92

Hauling and recovery industry secrets.

How one tech buckled down for Best of Belron competition!

RECYCLING NEWS | 97

Cycling through auto recycling!

90

FEATURES ANNUAL APPRAISAL | 28

Collision professionals provide auto insurer grades!

TOMORROW’S TECH TODAY? | 44

Is the industry ready for VR tech?

REGAL REPAIRER | 48

How Tristan England-Johnson blends beauty pageants with auto body repair!

Joey Gagne explains the goals and growth of Abram’s Towing!

42

PDR PARTNERSHIPS | 51

Why shops should consider subcontracting specialized procedures!

KEYS TO CO-OPERATION | 54

How one insurer thrives in the collision sector!

Jack Rozint, Mitchell International’s senior vice president of sales, service and repair, discusses the proof-of-concept product that aims to change industry operations forever!

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 5

CONTENTS

EVENTS SEEN AT SEMA | 56

CANADA NIGHT | 62

This year’s SEMA Show!

AIA’s networking event of the year!

BUSY IN BOCA | 72

OARA | 94

The 2019 Maaco Conference.

Registration for next year’s convention is now open!

56

69 Look back on advice from industry professionals as the decade comes to a close!

COLUMNS Witness the 2019 SEMA spectacle!

PUBLISHER’S PAGE | 10

Keep calm and repair on

by Darryl Simmons

CATERING TO THE CUSTOMER | 32

66

Defining customer experience

by Chelsea Stebner

PUBLIC DEFENDER | 34 Auto businesses nationwide are honoured with end-of-year awards!

The move to a Canadian repair standard

by Andrew Shepherd

THE ART OF CORRECTION | 36

Employee discipline versus guidance

by Jay Perry

ORCHESTRATING ENERGY | 37

93

The towing industry honours one of its fallen, Todd Burgess.

Do EV fleets have the juice to deliver?

by Anne Mellano

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS | 38

The collision business around Christmastime

by Steve Knox

A SHADE GREENER | 40

Calling on the industry for environmental awareness

by Rob Kraft

THE LAST WORD | 98

En garde, OEMs

HAVE YOUR SAY. We welcome your comments on anything you see in Collision Repair magazine. Send your feedback to editor@collisionrepairmag.com.

YOUR ONLINE SOURCE Canada’s collision repair information resource. New articles and top news stories daily. Visit collisionrepairmag.com.

6 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

by Gideon Scanlon

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

2020 VISION A new decade brings with it boundless opportunities

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER OREST TKACZUK orest@mediamatters.ca

BY DARRYL SIMMONS

T

he year’s last issue always provides a great opportunity to reflect on the state of the industry and to look forward to what it will face in the coming months. These certainly are interesting times for the collision repair industry in Canada.

One of the most prominent events in the past year was the heating up of a subtle, yet obvious brouhaha between insurance companies and OEMs. Certification based on brand is no longer a foreign concept. It won’t be long until it is no longer the exception, but the norm. Make no mistake, there will be some challenges.

No matter what side of the OEM certification fence you sit on, you should recognize the importance of scanning and calibration during repairs. Many OEMs require it be done, and the brands that have not made that position

As we ring in 2020, we should look at where the business is heading with a fresh perspective— and that is not just a pun on vision. absolute leave less ambiguity on their support for this with every revised statement. Yet auto insurers are not entirely on board. We have already heard from businesses that are still facing problems getting pre- and post-repair calibrations and scans paid for by insurance companies. This is not acceptable. And this is just the beginning.

If anyone should be cognizant of the importance of driver safety and consumer satisfaction, it is members of the auto insurance profession. It is high time they get on board.

This past year has also seen the increased growth of networks, not only with within existing ones, but new and successful startups. This only goes to reinforce how strong and important these networks are in the eyes of the shops,

PUBLISHER DARRYL SIMMONS publisher@collisionrepairmag.com

consumers, and insurance companies. Canada has set the stage for the growth of networks, and around the world we see them happening on a regular basis. This is not to say independents are at a disadvantage. There is room for all progressive and professional repairers.

One of the biggest disappointments, personally and as a media outlet, was the SEMA show. Oh how I miss the congeniality and community of NACE! This year SEMA was unbearable. Sure, it was great to see everyone, but the crowds, the inflated prices and overall anomie and chaos was all quite vexing. It was not something I would do again.

In my opinion, the show has outgrown itself.

This is not to say that the other facets of the automobile aftermarket are not interesting.

They are. But if you don’t get time to see what you want to see, then what’s the point? It’s like a 1,000 item lunch buffet. Just because it’s offered, doesn’t mean you can take advantage. The straw that broke this camel’s back was when a group of media people (myself included) was denied entrance until well after the show opened. An administrative glitch, I’m told. An unforgivable one, though.

Thank goodness there are alternatives, such as local events and, of course, the CCIF. But is it time to take a look at another annual industry event on a national or international level? I think it is. I wonder how the Automechanika team feels.

So looking back, things are great in the collision repair industry. Those doing well are doing very, very well.

As we ring in 2020, take a look at where your business is heading with a fresh perspective—and that is not just a pun on vision. Be clear about what you are planning to do, as an individual business and as an industry. Use the holiday season to reflect and determine what you can do better for your staff, your business, and the industry, and, of course, your family.

Good luck in the New Year, and may peace be with you all!

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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR GIDEON SCANLON (905) 370-0101 gideon@mediamatters.ca ASSOCIATE EDITOR ALLISON ROGERS allison@mediamatters.ca ASSISTANT EDITORS SAM HOUPT samuel@mediamatters.ca ELIZABETH SARGEANT elizabeth@mediamatters.ca GRAPHIC DESIGNER JILL THACKER jill@mediamatters.ca VP OF INDUSTRY RELATIONS & ADVERTISING GLORIA MANN (647) 998-5677 advertising@collisionrepairmag.com INTEGRATED BUSINESS SOLUTIONS ELLEN SMITH (416) 312-7446 ellen@mediamatters.ca INDUSTRY RELATIONS ASSISTANT WANJA MANN (647) 998-5677 advertising@collisionrepairmag.com CONTRIBUTORS CHELSEA STEBNER, ANDREW SHEPHERD, JAY PERRY, ANNE MELLANO, ROB KRAFT, STEVE KNOX

SUBSCRIPTION One-year $39.95 / Two-year $64.99 Collision Repair™ magazine is published bimonthly, and is dedicated to serving the business interests of the collision repair industry. It is published by Media Matters Inc. Material in Collision Repair™ magazine may not be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statements made by its advertisers or independent columnists. All facts, opinions and statements appearing in this publication have been compiled and included with the permission, though not necessarily the endorsement, of the editor, or of independent columnist contributors, and are in no way to be construed as those of the publisher, or as endorsements of them.

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NEWS

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE CONSTANTINO ULIANO - SPANESI AMERICAS Spanesi Americas has welcomed industry veteran Constantino Uliano as the company’s Canada area manager. In his 20-year career, Uliano has developed technical training programs, created workshops directed towards management and has even become a welding specialist. At Spanesi, Uliano will oversee product development, work alongside OEMs and work on increasing distributor presence in Canada.

PIERRE BOUTIN - VOLKSWAGEN GROUP CANADA Pierre Boutin, the head of Volkswagen France, will begin leading the automaker’s Canadian operations in 2020. Boutin, who holds Canadian citizenship, has led VW’s French operations since 2017 and reportedly delivered the organization’s best French performance in seven years. In his new role, Boutin will join VW as it adapts to declining new-vehicle sales and the shift away from sedan models—which once dominated its lineup.

CHAD COUNSELMAN - ARA Chad Counselman of Mobile, Alabama’s Counselman Automotive Recycling was named the Automotive Recycler’s Association 2020 president at the recent ARA convention and exposition. Born into the business as a third-generation auto recycler, Counselman’s father and grandfather established the business in 1966. He has previously served as secretary, first vice-president and second vice-president for the ARA.

SUNGWON KWON - KIA CANADA Sungwon Kwon quietly ascended to the position Kia Canada’s CEO on August 1. Previously working with the Americas Group at Kia Motors South Korea, Kwon has been with the company since 1995 and delivers a wealth of experience in global business to the Canadian branch. He takes over from previous CEO Kyle Lee, who will serve as president and CEO for Kia Motors Central and South America.

TRACY GARRISON - GEON PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS GEON Performance Solutions, which specializes in the formulation, development and manufacturing of polymer solutions, announced the appointment of Tracy Garrison as its new CEO. Garrison has previously served a president and CEO for HEXPOL Compounding and looks forward to “partnering with the executive team and all associates to leverage the company’s unique product portfolio.”

ROB MOLENAAR - FINISHMASTER Following the resignation of president and COO Chris Adams, FinishMaster, a subsidiary of Uni-Select, announced that Rob Molenaar will assume the role of president and COO on an interim basis. Molenaar boasts significant industry-specific expertise, a deep knowledge of the automotive refinish space with 25 years of experience and has been a member of Uni-Select’s board of directors since 2017.

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ON THE COVER

CARSTAR Downsview CEO Pino Gagliardi and general manager Michael Menna outside the recently renovated facility.

Photo by: Eddie Chan

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ON THE COVER

THE PERFECT

PAIRING Serial entrepreneurship and the automotive industry

By Gideon Scanlon

A

s he stands in his office overlooking the bustle of his freshly renovated GTA facility, it is difficult to understand how Pino Gagliardi had time to oversee such an enormous project.

Even if you put aside his work as CEO of CARSTAR Bolton, CARSTAR Woodbridge and CARSTAR Downsview, Pino Gagliardi is a very busy man and has been for a very long time.

Since 1995, the Canadian entrepreneur has been the CEO of Impact Transportation Logistics, a refrigerated freight transportation logistics company operating throughout North America.

In 2013, Pino only added to his workload when he founded Studio Lagree, a boutique fitness studio with locations in several major cities around the globe.

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 15

ON THE COVER

The crew at CARSTAR Downsview.

So, what the heck is a seasoned senior executive from the transportation industry and fitness sector doing in collision repair?

It is a long story. In fact, Pino first became peripherally involved in the sector in the early 2000s, when an intriguing business proposal was floated to him by none other than Sam Mercanti—master franchisor for CARSTAR in Canada.

Sam Mercanti brought the CARSTAR franchise to Canada in 1994 as the master franchisor. However, Lirel Holt, on the belief that high-quality repairs and premier service would benefit consumers, founded CARSTAR in 1989.

“Sam knew this business inside and out— better than anyone in Canada. Not only that, but he knew the value CARSTAR could bring to the industry and I just couldn’t pass the opportunity up.”

By 2012, Pino decided to commit to his position within the collision sector. He also saw the benefits of scaling his business to continue to bring value to his investment, motivating Pino to purchase CARSTAR Bolton and CARSTAR Woodbridge.

“I decided to also double-down on the entire CARSTAR Downsview store—from the front office to new equipment, new employees, and—the biggest thing—a new culture.”

It was a transformation that took two years to complete, and Pino soon found that work was turning him “upside-down.” Fortunately for Pino, he hired the perfect right-hand man

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Photo by: Eddie Chan

A serial entrepreneur, Pino Gagliardi also helms a transportation logistics business and an intercontinental fitness business.

ON THE COVER

Born into a family of collision repairers, Michael Menna impressed Pino Gagliardi with his indepth knowledge of the repair industry.

“Bringing my experience as a serial entrepreneur brings an understanding of where to invest, what to invest in and where to stop throwing money—but it doesn’t make me an expert in how to repair vehicles. Michael has that. We do well together because we respect each other’s abilities.”

Photo by: Eddie Chan

to help make this transformation possible, Michael Menna.

An industry insider who had grown up in the trade, Michael had worked at his father’s GTA store for close to a decade.

“He impressed me within sixty seconds of our meeting—with his demeanour, his industry knowledge, and his vision,” says Pino. “Of course, I hired him.”

“We hit it off. I think it was because we both had no interest in running a nice bodyshop,” explains Michael,“We wanted to run the best facility around.”

With Pino’s traditional business background and Michael’s in-depth understanding of the repair process, the two were able to entirely remake the Downsview facility.

“Even as renovations, installations and new hires were disrupting the business, we managed to keep our doors open throughout

the transformation,” says Michael. “It meant a lot to our clients and insurance partners.”

Both Pino and Michael agree that the transformation would have been impossible, had it not been for their excellent “peanut-butter-and-jelly” working relationship.

“Pino has taught me a lot in our time together—including how to get people to follow you through fires,” says Michael. “In this business, every good project and leader requires the right attitude. These guys have seen Pino’s attitude. There isn’t a person working here who doesn’t know he is there for them.”

The value of this reinvestment into his facilities not only ensures he upholds his commitment to providing premier collision repairs for his customers, but also ensures his team is equipped to do so with the resources they need.

“Bringing my experience as a serial entrepreneur brings an understanding of where to invest, what to invest in and where to stop throwing money—but it doesn’t make me an expert in how to repair vehicles. Michael has that. We do well together because we respect each other’s abilities.”

This dynamic hasn’t just made an impression on the team at CARSTAR Downsview, but also on the entire CARSTAR network.

At its annual network conference, this year named CARSTAR Acceleration, Gagliardi received the widely praised President’s Award for the business’ success in 2019.

“Next, we bring what we’ve done here to our other locations. After that—well, there are a lot of possibilities. And I’m excited to help Pino pursue them,” says Michael. “No question—he is going to stick around for the ride.”

As CARSTAR closes out its landmark 30th anniversary year, it expects to see its existing franchise family to continue raising the bar for excellence, continued growth across North America and continued emphasis on giving back to the communities it serves. As for Pino?

“Oh yes,” says Pino.“I’ve caught the collision business bug.”

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 17

BUSINESS NEWS

STRUCK DOWN

A (CAR)STAR IS BORN

On October 31, it was announced that United Auto Workers union president Gary Jones has been forced into a paid leave of absence amid a federal corruption investigation. The news came less than one week after the end of the monthlong strike between General Motors and the UAW. Recently released federal court papers accuse Jones of splitting US$700,000 in union funds with another union official. In August, federal agents allegedly searched Jones’ home, where they seized more than US$32,000. UAW vice president Rory Gamble will assume Jones’ role of president in the interim.

CARSTAR showed its customers a little extra love in October in a super stellar way—by registering and naming stars after its CARSTAR customers. Wanting to brighten recently some clients’ days while celehonoured customers by brating its 30th anniversary as a naming stars company, the North American after them. brand thanked 30 customers for choosing CARSTAR as their trusted repair centre. According to Michael Macaluso, president of CARSTAR, the company is looking forward to celebrating its 30th anniversary by continuing to give back to local communities. CARSTAR is not unfamiliar with giving back to its customers—the company has previously raised funds for cystic fibrosis and regularly refurbishes and donates cars to deserving community members.

TRICKY TRANSITION Boyd investors may be facing some bad news—come the company’s transition from an income trust to a corporation in January 2020, unitholders could be met with massive capital gains taxes. In September, Boyd Income Group announced its proposed plan to transition from an income trust to a corporation structure, saying it had “outgrown” the income trust model. If the transition is approved, unitholders will receive one publicly traded common share of the new corporation for each unit they hold and the Boyd Income Group will become Boyd Group Services. The exact amounts of capital gains taxes are not yet known.

PARTS POWER After delivering what market analysts are calling “blowout” third-quarter results, automotive parts provider LKQ announced that it plans to buy back an additional $500 million of its shares, increasing its aggregate repurchase program authorization to $1 billion. Since launching its buyback program in October 2018, the company has bought back 13.2 million shares for $352 million, allowing it to aim for higher earnings-per-share on its remaining units. Moreover, LKQ reported a third-quarter profit of 61 cents per share, topping Wall Street’s expectation of 57 cents per share for the parts providers.

PPG’S POWERPLAY In what can only be described as a slapshot in the face of the paint company’s competitors, the NHL has announced that the existing contract between PPG and the NHL has been extended for three more years. The contract, which was first signed in 2017, stipulates that all game pucks used in the 2019-2020 NHL season will make use of PPG’s color-changing thermochromic coating, which goes from purple to clear if the temperature of the puck rise above freezing. A ‘hot puck’ is seen as less predictable than a frozen one, and a clear one provides an indication that a change in puck is needed. The special coating was developed by PPG in partnership with Dulux, Sico, Glidden and Olympic Stains. It remains to be seen if an automotive variation of this technology could one day be available to OEMs.

COLOUR SWAP Fix Network and Uni-Select have entered into an agreement that will see Fix acquire Uni-Select’s Carrossier ProColor business. Following the acquisition of the Speedy Auto Service and Minute Muffler and Brake in 2016 and the NOVUS Glass brand in 2017, ProColor is the next step in executing president Steve Leal’s vision of a global force in the automotive aftermarket.

Fix now offers three repair services under one network: collision repair, mechanical repair and glass repair.

PPG’s colour-changing puck.

20 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Fix Network has acquired Uni-Select’s Carrossier ProColor.

INDUSTRY NEWS

ROBO RECALL

PARTS PROMISE

We may never be able to fully rely on AI solutions in collision repair facilities, says James Spears, founder of Spears Consulting Group. During Guild 21’s recent conference in its Inventing the Next 3 Years Of Collision Repair series, in which Spears was a guest speaker, the consultant gave caution towards using AI software as a crutch. Spears maintained his belief that we will never have 100 percent reliance on AI, though he is fascinated by its use in the industry—he himself works with AI software in his consulting group. He commended the use of AI in collision repair facilities, saying it allows shops to get closer to customers. Spears reiterated that the software “helps us get in the right direction” during a repair, but still brought up the question: “How well would the consumer be protected if we completely let AI do estimates?” He concluded, “every factor–newer materials, ADAS systems, sensors– would need to line up perfectly as to ensure we’re not putting someone’s life at risk, I hope we never get to that 100 percent reliance.”

The LKQ Corporation has taken a step in providing its customers peace-of-mind by introducing its new Promise of Calibration, further assuring the quality of its recycled OEM, reconditioned OEM and KeysIQ parts.

Alternative replacement parts, along with glass sold

by LKQ companies, are now additionally warranted to permit vehicle calibration on any ADAS-equipped vehicle. LKQ will also provide further assistance by supplementing the Promise of Calibration to include the actual diagnostic and calibration labour operations.

According to James Spears, we may never be able to fully rely on AI.

PROCEDURE PRESSURE “Every single vehicle, every single make, every single model,” was the sentiment passed by Mike Anderson, Collision Advice consultant at the SEMA Show. Anderson shared his views on researching OEM guidelines for cure times and painting around ADAS sensors during a SEMA presentation. His concern lies in the misstep of repairers and that they may be missing vital instructions during the refinishing process of repairs.

He showed examples from OEM documents that gave a range of curing temperature and time requirements he feels are not being taken into account by many repairers. Not only do the specific requirements for curing times and temperatures have a vast range, but the repercussions for missing them do as well. Anderson warns that while the effectiveness of paint and adhesion could be jeopardized, further damage could occur to the vehicle’s electrical systems. When it comes to EVs, this could mean completely killing the central battery. Anderson also spoke to the process of painting near ADAS sensors. Again, he gave examples from official OEM papers—all of them having unique instructions when painting near the sensitive systems.

Anderson worries that, as repair shops continue to learn how to work with complex and ever-increasing ADAS systems in vehicles, the correlating refinishing guidelines will once again be missed.

Mike Anderson, a consultant for Collision Advice, is concerned about the future of refinishing.

CERTIFICATION STATION Honda Canada has selected Certified Collision Care as its strategic partner to administer and manage the Honda and Acura ProFirst collision repair facility program, which will identify, certify, and promote dealership and independent facilities as collision repair providers of choice to Honda and Acura drivers across Canada. The program aims to ensure that Honda and Acura owners have the option of repairing their vehicles at a facility that, certifiably, meet Honda and Acura requirements.

Facilities wishing to participate in the program will require a dealer sponsorship. Existing Certified Collision Care providers that acquire sponsorship will not face additional fees in adding ProFirst recognition to their Certified Collision Care credentials; however, they will face additional certification requirements. Further details will available when the program launches in December.

E-TAILING ESTIMATE Online shopping for collision repair shops may be seeing significant growth in the near future, according to AIA Canada’s latest report, titled What’s in Your Online Cart?

A Study of Automotive E-tailing in Canada. The report aims to breakdown newly observed purchasing habits of automotive aftermarket shoppers after a survey of more than 2,000 Canadian consumers. Some key nuggets of information include: online purchases of parts and fluids have nearly doubled since 2016; there is no single website dominating the online automotive retail scene, despite the presence of giants like Amazon, Costco, Canadian Tire and Walmart; and, online shopping might end up hurting the ability of independent repair shops to build real-world customer relationship. The full report is available for $199.

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 21

OEM NEWS

DOUBLING DOWN

FORD FLEX FINISHED

Subaru is set to recall all 2018-2019 model year Subaru Crosstrek compact SUV models, as well as 20172019 Impreza sedans and five-door models in Canada, among other countries. The engine control module may continue to power the ignition coil after the engine is shut off in affected models, which could potentially result in a short circuit. But there’s more—the same models have an issue with aluminum positive crankcase ventilation valves, which could fall apart and allow debris to enter the engine. Subaru will begin notifying affected vehicle owners on Dec. 13. The exact number of Canadian vehicles affected by the two recalls has not yet been released.

On October 28, Ford Canada announced that 450 employees from its Oakville, Ont. assembly plant will be laid off. Unifor Local 707, which represents the Oakville Ford plant workers, confirmed that, effective February 3, 2020, the company will lay off 450 of its lowest seniority members indefinitely as a result of the automaker’s plans to discontinue the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT. Both models will stop production in late-November, while remaining Oakville plant employees will continue to produce the Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus.

FORD’S FALL When Ford reported its third-quarter results in late October, the automaker’s net income dropped nearly 60 percent. The company reported a net income of $425 million for 2019’s third quarter, down 57 percent from Q3 in 2018. Market analysts blame hefty investments in special charges, including $1 billion for global restructuring, for the drop.

The report did have some highlights, however: Wall Street had predicted earnings-per-share of 26 cents, but, excluding restructuring charges, Ford made 34 cents per share. Despite its Q3 results, the brand said it remains optimistic in its future.

AUTOMAKER AWARDS The winners of the 2020 Innovation Awards have been announced after finalists presented their technologies and systems to the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

Subaru took home the award for Best Safety Innovation with its DriverFocus system, which allows for facial scanning from the Subaru’s dashboard that monitors the driver for signs of distracted driving or fatigue.

AJAC also voted for the Canadian Car of the Year, awarded to the Kia Stinger, making it the manufacturer’s first win in the award show’s 35-year history.

MILLION MILE BABY Back in April, Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed Tesla batteries The Kia Stinger, AJAC’s 2019 Canadian Car of the Year. would, one day, have a life of one million miles. A recent paper by researchers from Dalhousie University in Halifax, N.S. describes such a battery and, days after its release, Tesla filed a patent to match. The technology is said to be capable of producing batteries that withstand more than 4,000 charge cycles and one million miles in an EV. According to a tweet by Musk, the current Tesla Model 3 battery can be expected to last about 1,500 charge cycles, or roughly 483,000km to 805,000km. A 4,000-cycle battery

by Tesla would mean a 166 percent increase in the number of cycles an EV battery can withstand. Moreover, the close timing of the paper and the patent is no coincidence—the Dalhousie group has an exclusive agreement with Tesla, and, physicist Jeff Dahn, one of the group’s researchers, is listed as an inventor on Tesla’s patent.

ROBOTIC RETROFIT

CAMERA CATASTROPHE

By teaching a pair of robots to craft steel automotive parts for a fraction of the cost, Nissan hopes to give its discontinued vehicle models a new chance at life. The automaker taught a team of robots to craft car parts out of sheets of steel using two robotic equipped with diamond tips. The process offers flexible production, short lead times, and minimal upfront costs, making it appealing for commercialization, where it could be used to produce replacement parts for discontinued models—something yet to be pursued in the industry.

Nissan is recalling 1.36 million vehicles in four countries for issues with rear visibility camera displays. Submitted September 12, the recall affects 126,195 vehicles in Canada.

According to the automaker, certain models have a camera issue wherein system displays fail to return to the required default image when the vehicle is shifted into reverse, increasing the risk of a crash.

The automaker began notifying customers in late October.

Nissan has taught a pair of robots to craft car parts.

Nissan is recalling 1.36 million vehicles globally.

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 23

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

PEDESTRIAN PROBLEMS New technology designed for avoiding pedestrian collisions often proves ineffective in real-world conditions, according to a recent study conducted by the American Automobile Association (AAA). In closed-street tests conducted by AAA, cars equipped with automated braking systems struck dummy pedestrian targets 60 percent of the time. Vehicles were travelling around 32km/h when tested with adult dummies and encountered real-world situations, such as a vehicle turning right into the path of a crossing pedestrian. In this particular scenario, AAA’s testing found that emergency braking systems failed to react at all.

Do emergency braking systems work?

AUTOMAKERS IN THE AIR

SUCKED DRY

In an effort to rise above the rest, Porsche has announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing to develop a concept for a luxury electric-powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The automaker, working alongside Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences, aims to develop a working concept for an eVTOL aircraft—which essentially flies like a helicopter—in order to “explore the premium urban air mobility market and the extension of urban traffic into airspace.”

James Dyson, billionaire, inventor and chairman of British technology company Dyson recently announced that his company has pulled the plug on its ongoing EV project.

Dyson released an email to his staff saying he and his board of directors made the decision to stop the EV effort after unsuccessfully trying to find a buyer. He said the Dyson automotive team had built a “fantastic car” but the project is no longer commercially viable.

The EV was originally set to debut next year, but was pushed to 2021 before its cancellation.

Porsche is working on a flying concept car with Boeing.

TURMOIL AT TESLA

PREEMPTIVE PLANNING

Tesla is staring down some serious software issues, with some repairs wracking up bills of more than $1,800 at the shop. Teslas log massive amounts of information in the vehicle’s filesystem every day, which operates using an eMMC flash chip. The chip is a standard choice for automotive use that presents just one—albeit, serious—drawback; each memory bit can only be written to a limited number of times before the data becomes corrupt. After a certain number of cycles, the chip cannot receive data without corrupting it and fails to transmit information to the vehicle. When one block fails, other parts of the firmware can become unreadable, leading to poor operation or complete failure of the main control unit.

Tesla Model S and Model X units from 2018 and earlier are equipped with these chips and, when the chip fails, the car simply stops, according to Tesla forums.

The brand has reportedly been aware of the eMMC flash drive issue since 2015 but has taken no steps to correct it.

While Ford does not actually offer any electric vehicles yet, it announced that, when it does, it will offer the largest North American network of electric vehicle chargers—more than any other automaker, including Tesla. Alongside EV charging manufacturers Greenlots and Electrify America, Ford is creating its FordPass charging network, which will include more than 12,000 charging stations and 35,000 plugs across the U.S. and Canada. Unlike Tesla, the chargers used for Ford’s network will be compatible with most EV models sold today. According to the automaker, FordPass chargers will able to boost a battery to 80 percent in about 40 minutes. While the chargers will be compatible with and accessible to multiple vehicle models, only Ford drivers will be able to use the FordPass app.

Despite not offering any electric vehicles, Ford is developing an electric charging network.

24 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

TACTICAL TORONTO The City of Toronto’s Automated Vehicles Tactical Plan, which was unveiled October 17 and sets plans to have the city AV-ready by 2022, has been green-lit by the Toronto city council. The strategy includes five projects, including an automated shuttle trial in the West Rouge neighbourhood; special zones dedicated to autonomous testing; the development of AV testing responses and incident preparedness protocols; numerous public education initiatives and human interaction tests; and further research and development. Toronto will even pursue research projects in automated snow removal on sidewalks and the impact of AVs on landuse planning.

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INSURANCE NEWS

IRREGULAR INSURANCE Quebec’s financial regulator, Autorite des matches financiers (AMF), and Groupement des assureurs automobiles (GAA), an insurance group, announced the launch of Quebec Auto Insurance Policy No. 2 on October 14. The new policy caters to drivers who do not own their vehicles and use vehicles belonging to third parties—such as a friend or parent—but wish to benefit from auto insurance. It aims to reflect the emerging needs of consumers, who are more frequently turning toward ridesharing and shared economy. Policyholders will be covered when the rented or borrowed vehicle damages property, or injures or kills another person. Losses that occur while the vehicle is being used as a “taxicab, sightseeing vehicle, bus, coach or other chauffeur-driven vehicles” are excluded, although they could potentially be covered through the policy’s endorsements.

WINTRY WARNINGS It’s time to think about heavy snowfalls, slippery road conditions, frigid weather and dead car batteries. With flurries in the forecast, CAA South Central Ontario is reminding motorists to get their vehicles ready before the worst wintry weather CAA SCO has issused a winter warning. hits. Breakdowns aren’t the only worry during the winter months: there is often an increase in collisions. CAA reminds drivers to watch road conditions closely and remain alert.

EBY’S EFFORTS

Quebec is introducing a new insurance policy.

26 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

As the B.C. government pushes on with changes designed to rein in costs against ICBC, the B.C. Supreme Court ruled that attorney general David Eby acted outside his authority when he imposed restrictions on the number of medical expert reports that can be used in auto insurance court claims. On October 24, the Chief Justice slapped down Eby’s efforts, calling them unconstitutional. This could be a hurdle, as the change was heralded as a way to save ICBC $400 million a year. When asked if an appeal will be filed, Eby said the government has yet to decide what direction it will go.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT NEWS

BOVINE BUFFING An Alberta man was treated to a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife sighting and a free spit-shine after a curious moose greeted him with a car wash. Rich Schuh was driving near Maligne Lake in Alberta’s Jasper National Park when a moose trotted from the brush and began to lick his vehicle. Schuh said the moose gave his Nissan Rogue the full cleaning package: lapping at the bumper, sampling the grille and paint job, even slobbering on the hood before moving on to offer its services to other vehicles in the area. He thinks the moose had a hankering for road salt, and licked several other vehicles before disappearing back into the woods.

CRAZY TOWN CRASH

Horatia, a moose cow from Alberta, offered free spit shine service on a provincial highway.

BAD HAIR DAY When Christine Debrecht and her daughter witnessed an explosion that shattered her Honda Civic’s sunroof, they were left shaken, shocked and absolutely baffled as to what caused the blast. It wasn’t until 15 minutes later when Debrecht’s daughter found a bottle of dry shampoo with the bottom blown off that they realized the aerosol container, which had been stored in the centre console for a full day, had been heated to the point of combustion.

The metal canister had burst, blowing the console cover off its hinges, shattering the car’s sunroof and landing 50 feet away from Debrecht’s vehicle.

Be wary of what you store in your centre console!

RAT-ONOMOUS VEHICLES Move over, Ratatouille—there’s a new rat in town, and he’s got a need for speed. Kelly Lambert, a professor of behavioural neuroscience, was recently able to train a team of lab rats to drive a car.

The vehicle was built from aluminum, a plastic food container, an electric motor and four wheels.

Inside are three copper bars and steering is achieved by the rat touching either the left, centre or right copper bar, which propels the car forward. The report states that 17 rats—11 male and six female—were effectively taught to drive and steer the vehicle toward bowls of food. Further, the study found the animals found learning to drive, among other skills, relaxing. By measuring hormone levels, scientists found that the levels of a stress-counteracting hormone in the rats’ feces increased as they were taught how to drive.

American rap-rock band Crazy Town, best known for their 2000 hit song “Butterfly,” endured a crazy crash when their tour van collided with a moose in Ontario. The band’s frontman, Seth Binzer, guitarist Elias Tannous and drummer Roland Banks were driving along Highway 17 near Sudbury, Ontario when the van hit a moose wandering on the road.

Binzer detailed the van’s extensive damage by sharing footage of the crash scene, along with graphic photos of his bruised and bloodied bandmates immediately after the crash. Sure enough, the band went on to play its remaining Canadian shows.

BLAST FROM THE PAST What do you do when you accidentally purchase a turbojet engine instead of a regular turbine engine? Well, if you live in Amish country, you attach it to a wooden cart to create a jet-powered buggy, of course. When an auto enthusiast purchased what is essentially a miniature jet engine instead of a regular turbine engine, he decided to make the most of his mistake and construct a jetpowered buggy. While the buggy tops out at between 88.5 km/h and 96.5 km/h, that is a heck of a lot faster than any horse could ever pull it. Even if it’s not that quick, you can’t deny the buggy puts on an impressive show—the blue flame that spews from its backend has left crowds mesmerized.

AMHERSTBURG TRIANGLE Authorities and residents are stumped—why won’t vehicles start after being parked at 400 Sandwich Street in Amherstburg, Ontario? Amherstburg resident Linda Crawford took to Facebook in early October to ask whether other people had noticed a dead zone near the Sandwich Street South retail plaza. The responses flooded in: one person had climbed through her van window after being locked out, while another panicked when it happened to her across the street in a different plaza parking lot. Local authorities have said it “has something to do with radio frequencies.” The town is looking into the problem and has reported the issue to authorities—though it’s not the first to experience these issues. Earlier this year, key fobs stopped working at a grocery store parking lot in a small Albertan town.

A faulty remote car starter was ultimately found responsible for the interference.

When one man accidentally purchased a jet engine instead of a regular turbine engine, he attached it to an Amish buggy and hit the road.

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 27

INSURANCE ROUND-UP

CLASS DISMISSED Collision repairers issue insurer report cards

C

ollision repair facilities and auto insurers have a delicate—sometimes fractious—relationship. Unfortunately for the brave men and women of Canada’s repair sector, the balance of power is rarely on the repairer side of the equation.

Last year, Collision Repair turned the tables on auto insurers. It issued a survey to Canadian auto repair companies.

In the survey, the magazine asked readers to issue grades to the big players in the auto insurance sector. The areas up for review related to the timeliness of insurer payments, the dispute management practices used by the insurers, and the businesses’ overall approach to bodyshop relations.

Grades were given out to private insurers (Intact, TD Insurance, Aviva, Statefarm, Wanwessa, Desjardins, Co-operators) and public ones as well (Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, Saskatchewan Government Insurance and Manitoba Public Insurance).

This year, the magazine reissued the survey.

This year’s ‘class average’ of C+ across all fields, slightly down from 2018’s B+. While this could be the result of the participants feeling less generous than last year, there is a more likely explanation. As the top-scoring

insurer actually saw its grades rise, it seems that relations between auto repair facilities and businesses have not improved.

And who was the top-scoring business?

Yet again, the Co-operators came out on top—with an A, up from an A- last year.

In fact, this year, the Co-operators was the highest rated auto insurer in every category.

SGI also deserves special mention. Its dispute management practices—rated 70 percent last year—were rated a 75 percent this year, up six places and into second in the category.

One respondent explained that SGI was actively working to improve its disputes management process.

“Lately SGI has been pretty good. They are at least listening to the industry’s concerns and trying their best to address them well, at the same time they are trying to keep cost in line.”

Another wrote that its billing process had been well received by businesses.

“As long as the shop has the paperwork done properly, SGI pays via E-transfer every Monday. Sometimes a larger claims thing gets held up in the system, but, for the most part, it is pretty good.”

While Aviva, TD Insurance and Wanwessa

each dropped three places in the category, Intact was widely criticized for letting its disputes with shops turn nasty.

“Intact has become the bullies of the insurance industry,” wrote one respondent.

“They have image desk reviewers that are there to cut and chop with no justification.

It is beyond comprehension.”

“Intact bullies the client to move the vehicle to a non-certified facility,” wrote another.

“As part of a 20 group, we hear Intact is an issue across Canada. Who can afford a 6 percent rebate to Intact to be on their Rely Program?” wrote yet another.

Yet again, public insurers MPI and ICBC brought up the rear, each scoring last or second last in every field. The pair scored C- for its efforts—down from C+ in 2018.

MPI received particularly sharp reviews, with one repairer writing, “MPI is not concerned with settling disputes. They only are concerned with winning and making sure the body shop loses.”

“Intact hasn’t increase labour rates in Edmonton since 2007,” complained a second repairer.

Another put it more simply.

“All levels of MPI are belligerent towards shop owners.”

Final Grades

2018

2019

2018

CO-OPERATORS

TD INSURANCE

INTACT

DESJARDINS

WAWANESA

AVIVA

STATE FARM

ICBC

SGI

MPI

28 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

2019

INSURANCE ROUND-UP

Repairer Relations A+ 95% -100% A 87% - 94% A- 80% - 86%

B+ 77% - 79% B 73% - 76% B- 70% - 72%

C+ 67% 69% C 63% - 66% C- 60% - 62%

2019

82%

2019

78.5% 75%

2018

78%

81%

2018

2019

2019

2019

68%

2018

2019

2019

73% 71% 71% 63% 2018

67%

2018

72%

2018

68%

2018

67%

2019

2019

2019

58.5%

58%

58%

2018

70%

2018

70%

2018

69%

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR  29

INSURANCE ROUND-UP

Dispute Management A+ 95% -100% A 87% - 94% A- 80% - 86%

B+ 77% - 79% B 73% - 76% B- 70% - 72%

C+ 67% 69% C 63% - 66% C- 60% - 62%

2019

82.5%

2019

75% 70%

2018

2019

69% 68% 2018

83%

2018

70.5%

81%

2018

2019

2019

75%

74%

2018

2019

2019

67.5%

66.5%

2018

78%

2018

75%

2019

2019

2019

64.5%

63.5%

62%

2018

72%

30 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

2018

67%

2018

67%

INSURANCE ROUND-UP

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR  31

INSIDER TIPS

CATERING TO THE CUSTOMER Parr Auto Body’s Chelsea Stebner on creating customer experience

BY CHELSEA STEBNER

C

ustomer experience is a buzzword these days.

Officially, it is defined as “the product of an interaction between an organization and a customer over the duration of their relationship” One of my favourite quotes is from Zig Ziglar: “If people like you, they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you, they’ll do business with you.” It has helped my business define and build our customer experience plan.

How does your business define customer experience? Do you have a plan in place to practice your customer experience protocols?

Do you have a goal in creating the best customer experience?

Often what happens in business is that customer service starts when things go wrong.

And let’s face it—when there are humans involved, things are bound to go sideways occasionally. The reality of it is—for all our

businesses—that the reason customers walk through our doors is that something did go wrong. Collision repair businesses are simply the reactionary requirement of something going wrong!

It’s not usually about the car Do you stop and ask your customers if they are okay? Being in an accident can be a traumatic experience—trust me. Every ten years or so I seem to get my very own reminder of that.

For our technicians and team, this is all regular day to day business. For our customers—it’s an on -average every sevenyears or so experience. So, while your team is busy working, thinking it is business-as-usual in their heads, our role is to help them slow the process down and allow every customer situation to be managed with the utmost empathy and care.

Often what happens in business is that customer service starts when things go wrong. And let’s face it, when there are humans involved, things are bound to go sideways occasionally. The reality of it is for all our business is that the reason customers walk through our doors is that something did go wrong. Collision repair businesses are the reactionary requirement of something going wrong!

32 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Expectations Are you teaching your team to read every customer? Let’s be real—each customer has different needs and expectations, and when we can take the time to learn what they need; it makes the entire experience easier. It is refreshing when we get a low maintenance customer.You know the one—he drops the car and says, “just let me know when it is done.”

I know this because my team teases me all the time about being high maintenance. I tease them right back, saying that I have high expectations, that it’s not high maintenance.

And besides, the fact of it is, that I’m just training them to step it up to the highest level to best serve our customer’s needs!

Or do you have that customer that needs somewhere soft to land? Guidance and reassurance through that whole process. Is that customer a mom with three little kids who just hit a curb and took out her wheel?

This is when you bring out the box of Kleenex and the colouring books for the kiddos.

Dialling it back and giving someone your full attention face to face can make a world of difference in someone’s experience. That means, at our shop, it’s rare that a real human doesn’t answer our phone. And that if a customer emails me after business hours, they’ll hear back usually before the start of the following business day. The human connection never goes out of style.

Communication Segueing right into communication, we’ve learned—often the hard way—that clear communication is highly necessary for a smooth repair and customer process. The best way, kudos to technology, is electronically. It is simple, it doesn’t interrupt a customer’s day and it is easy to be very clear about what’s going on with the repair process or any

INSIDER TIPS

roadblocks we need to address. However, if our customer would rather a text message, a phone call or to stop on in, we’ll always adapt to their needs. The key lesson is to always tell your customer what they need to hear, not what they want to hear, in the kindest way possible.

The role When you’re building a customer service role or hiring for that position, what are your key requirements to look for? I look for and try to model patience, attitude and the ability to extend grace in many situations. So, ask yourself, do you have people on your team that will do whatever it takes to make a customer experience great? If so, lucky you and then what are you doing to support them, thank them and reward them?

When it goes right Let’s face it, we all continue in business because things do go right most of the time and we are earning enough profit and having fun along the way. Are you working

on building relationships or are you more focused on transactions? If you focus on your relationships with your customers, you have an opportunity sitting in front of you to build ambassadors of your brand. Thank them. Be genuine in your thanks. Surprise them with something extra–your customer expects great repairs–what are you doing to wow them? Ask them for a review, ask them to share their experience on social media. But most importantly? Blow them away with your smile, with your connection, with your service and they will tell others about your business.

If you do what you do with genuine passion and commitment, your customers will see that. And they will champion your business and your team!

Chelsea Stebner the co-owner and operator of Parr Auto Body, a collision repair facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She can be reached at chelsea@ parrautobody.com.

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 33

TRAINING

PUBLIC DEFENDER How repairers are staying ahead of the collision curve

By Andrew Shepherd

I

n Canada, three provinces are embracing the certification of all collision repair shops against public standards. This system has existed in Manitoba since 2018, will be implemented by Saskatchewan in 2021, and is expected to be implemented by B.C. some time later.

These provinces are demonstrating an exemplary commitment to collision repair quality and efficiency.

provinces are moving on the most commonly accepted equipment standards such as those found in the Canadian Collision Industry Accreditation Program (CCIAP) and its B.C. corollary, the Certified Collision Repair Program (CCR). These are embraced precisely because they are ‘public’–they are non-profit, serving no specific private company, whether OEM or certifier, and hence can be trusted to serve the broadest public interest.

foundation certification program, built and managed in the public interest, and let shops pursue various specific OE programs as their ROI dictates.

What are the advantages of this approach for individual shops? The adoption of a national repair quality standard forces the untrained and unequipped and sometimes fraudulent share of the market to ‘step up or step out’, to the benefit of repairers, insurers and the public.

How should Canada proceed given the plethora of collision certification programs coming onto the market and the increasing cost of multiple programs for individual repairers? The answer lies in the experience of the public insurance provinces–develop and deliver a foundation certification program, built and managed in the public interest, and let shops pursue various specific OE programs as their ROI dictates.

The common denominator in these jurisdictions is, of course, public insurance, an approach which is motivated by the key understanding that consumer safety and insurance cost control are served by the application of rigorous collision repair standards.

Luckily for those involved, all three provinces have chosen to base their standards on the most commonly accepted OE, private and public norms. I-CAR Gold Class stands as the North American measure of collision repair training and forms the core of most shop certification programs.

In similar fashion, the public insurance

The other vital piece of any certification system is compliance. Provincial insurance entities deliver very rigorous auditing and enforcement services. CCIAP/CCR auditing is never conducted by supplier personnel or others with a potential conflict of interest.

More importantly, overall costs are kept to a minimum because of their not-for-profit status.

How should Canada proceed given the plethora of collision certification programs coming onto the market and the increasing cost of multiple programs for individual repairers?

The answer lies in the experience of the public insurance provinces–develop and deliver a

34 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

It reduces the cost of declaring competence and professionalism. And it puts the largest and the smallest in the industry on an equal, and world-leading, footing.

Andrew Shepherd is the executive director of I-CAR Canada, a non-profit organization that provides collision repair training and ongoing education. He can be reached via e-mail at andrew.shepherd@aiacanada.com

WHO’S DRIVING?

THE ART OF CORRECTION The difference between disciplining and guiding your employees

BY JAY PERRY

R

esearch shows that employees want to be productive and succeed in their workplaces. Obviously, that’s what you need them to be as well.

Which of your people are perfect? Of course, the logical answer is none of them.

Which is also why you need to have the right viewpoint of discipline in the organization.

Lately, I have taken to replacing the word ‘discipline’ with ‘guidance’. It is not just a semantic adjustment, but it also denotes a different type of mindset required if you

absolutely is elementary, but also, how many of the handbooks that are currently in use are now out-of-date and have redundancies and errors and even no-longer legal things in them but are still in use? Too many!

The employee handbook should be reviewed at least once per year to bring it up to code and realign with changes such as privacy policies and/or customer interaction policies. The other important piece a lot of companies do is assume the handbook has been reviewed by all employees. That’s simply

become successful within their post at your company or are looking for the pound of flesh? Are you totally invested in the success of your people? Tough questions for she who wears the crown!

Lots of guidance—pun intended—is available to us. When situations arise, be sure to gather all sides of the story. Always avoid talking down to an employee, and definitely leave anger out of the session. Talk about the behaviour, not the person. Create correctional steps and recognize where someone has been

Lately, I have taken to replacing the word discipline with guidance. It is not just a semantic adjustment, but it also denotes a different type of mindset required if you are going to be successful as a leader. This is what people actually need to thrive, not threats and warnings. Discipline is not the same as punishment and the word guidance better suits that distinction.

are going to be successful as a leader. This is what people actually need to thrive, not threats and warnings. Discipline is not the same as punishment and the word guidance better suits that distinction.

The overall viewpoint should always be one of correction (guidance) when it does become a necessity. Guidance should never be viewed punitively. There are some things that you must have as prerequisites if you are going to supply a positive, corrective, guidance session for someone in need of it.

First on the list is an employee handbook.

Now I’m sure you are saying to yourself, “Of course, that’s elementary.” You are right; it

not true, and you need to check that it has been reviewed and further, understood by every employee to ensure success.

Do you have a set disciplinary policy?

Many do not, but all lines to the exit door through discipline—or guidance—should be clearly marked so people know where they stand. What are the grounds for immediate dismissal? What would be an infraction that might require suspension of the employee?

The more detail you have around these things the less variability (read: favouritism) is going to show up in your workforce.

Next, we must check our attitude. Is it constructive? Are you aiming to help people

36 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

doing well for the company. Handle matters privately, with at least one other person present and document the conversation. These tips can help you stay the one who’s driving!

Jay Perry is the co-author of the book Success Manifesto with Brian Tracy and the founder of Ally Business Coaching, a process improvement and leadership development firm. He is also an education partner with California Coast University in Santa Ana, California. He can be reached at jayperry@a-b-c-inc.com.

EV CORNER

ORCHESTRATING ENERGY Assuring electric fleets have the juice to deliver

BY ANNE MELLANO

A

mazon recently announced the order of 100,000 electric vans to be delivered by 2030. For perspective, that’s more vehicles than FedEx currently uses worldwide. Of the many points of discussion around autonomous electric vehicles and the services they are expected to deliver, one underrepresented topic is the battery capacity of electric vehicles and the limitations this imposes.

Most autonomous vehicles, in the long term, are expected to be electric for several reasons.

Electric drive trains require less maintenance than their gas counterparts. The fuel is less expensive than gasoline. They are easier to refuel without human intervention. Electric vehicle batteries are subject to variations of range and power that introduce new variable for fleet orchestration.

More than Just Range Vehicle range is usually the first topic that comes to mind when it comes to electric vehicles—how far can the vehicle travel. But that is a tricky issue as range is impacted by several factors unrelated to sheer distance.

As with a gas-powered vehicle, electric vehicles use more power as their speed increases. Autonomous vehicles use energy as they process data, and the computers driving the cars process some 11 terabytes of data per day by some estimates.

Battery capacity is also influenced by temperatures—lithium, the type of battery most electric vehicles use, doesn’t like cold, and some AV shuttle services have been forced to shut down during cold weather.

Air conditioning is another power drain, to the chagrin of an agency in Rhode Island, U.S. that found its shuttles were not equipped with air conditioning and had to keep them garaged during summer heatwaves.

Vehicle weight, including the number of passengers, presence of bicycles or

wheelchairs, etc., is another factor in energy use—and there are limits to the steepness of the grades that some vehicles can climb due to power constraints.

No Two Rides Are Alike As a result, no two rides consume the same amount of battery power.

Vehicle energy availability becomes an even bigger issue when it comes to managing on-demand mobility services using electric vehicles. Whether moving packages or people, if there are constraints like guaranteed delivery times, ride times, and wait times, a vehicle’s battery strength is one of the many variables that need to be considered when deciding what vehicle to send to what traveler at what time.

Does the vehicle have the juice to complete a mission? Does it have enough battery power to reach a charging station after the mission?

Where is the nearest charging station? Are there any hills or other energy intensive features of the route? How many vehicles are already waiting to be charged? How long can a vehicle afford to wait before it runs out of power?

Those are the issues on the front side of autonomous vehicle refueling. On the backside are questions like, when will a vehicle that is being charged return to service? Where should it be positioned if there are no current ride requests near the charging station?

Service Design Issues The location and capacity of charging stations are important considerations in service design.

The number of vehicles, their passenger/ package space, and service area dimensions and geography will be limited by the proximity and capacity of charging depots. Because each mission will consume different amounts of energy on every trip, this data must be monitored and factored into every dispatch in real-time.

Energy use and availability are just two of the factors that make fleet orchestration so complex. For passenger services, the locations of every ride request; the number of passengers; the available vehicles; the vehicle locations; status; traffic; construction; weather; geography; ride times; wait times; and more all factor into matching the right vehicle with the right mission.

Included in the “more” are the considerations of surrounding demand and predicted future demand. Operators must make sure that there is always enough supply on hand and in the right locations to meet demand within defined service levels and operator utilization requirements.

Doing More with Less The goal of fleet orchestration is all about sending the right mission to the right vehicle at the right time. Most mobility providers aim to carry as many paying riders (or goods) as possible while driving the fewest vehicles and miles/kilometers. Service providers that own their fleets and/or pay drivers by the hour want to make the most of every vehicle kilometre. Deadheading, the time-traveling empty to fetch a new ride or to move to a different neighborhood, incurs driver, pay and fuels costs while reducing revenue. For autonomous vehicle services using electric vehicles, battery power plays a critical role in assigning missions to vehicles and is an important service constraint that needs to be factored into fleet performance and fleet orchestration.

Anne Mellano directs Bestmile’s global management activities. She is a civil engineer with a specialization in innovative transportation and is a recognized expert in mobility advocating for safe, efficient, accessible mobility for all.

Anne can be reached at anne. mellano@bestmile.com.

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 37

ENGINE KNOX

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS The collision repair business during Christmastime

BY STEVE KNOX

I

t came to me in the wee hours of the morning. I’m 47 years old. I have a wife and two daughters. One seven-years-old, the other, nine-years-old. I run two collision centers; I have 33 employees. It’s December.

I have become Santa Claus.

My daughters want every toy and game they’ve seen on YouTube. They’ve spent hours and days watching other kids and a few youthful adults opening every toy the manufacturers can possibly advertise over these channels. They’ve seen them

to check it twice. I go to the mall. I spend hours comparing some fluffy little critter in oversized packaging, thinking the whole time, “don’t they already have three of these?” Oh well. Part of being a dad is giving in to your kids’ wishes. Who am I to stifle their dreams?

With my wife, it plays out a little differently.

I’m like a squirrel collecting nuts. I listen to each clue, write it down, and order it from Amazon or wherever I find it, and make my secret collection of everything I think she might have hinted about. Her needs are

is wishing for his apprenticeship to move along. Andrew wants all of his paint jobs to be perfect, dust-free and colour matches to be spot on. Manoli wants his parts to all come in correctly with no blemishes. Shelly wants the paperwork to be easier to account for. Jackie just wants all of her customers to love her and be well. These are the wishes of only one of our shops. I’m still working on the list for the other.

Me? I just want everyone to work hard, be successful. Get along all the time, and push

I’d also like to retain a few more percentage points of gross before it gets eaten up on its way to the bottom line. I’d like to get another $500,000 worth of work through the door without knocking the walls out of our shop. If we can do that, my Christmas wishes are granted. unpackaged, unwrapped, and played with.

Most get excellent reviews.Why wouldn’t they?

The manufacturers supply the merchandise and the dollars to these YouTube stars. The YouTube stars provide the manufacturers with my daughter’s Christmas wish list.

My wife Jennifer has far more simple Christmas aspirations. She wants to have the house in good shape, the kids looked after, and maybe, just maybe she’ll slip me a hint of something she’d really like. I have to be far more attentive to her wish list, she doesn’t broadcast it as my kids do.

So I listen to them. I write secret notes to remind me of what these things are that they want. I make my list, and pray I have time

small, so I have to operate on her wish list with surgical precision.

Then there are my big kids. My employees.

These folks are a lot more expensive to grant Christmas wishes to. Jay wants more estimating space. Meaghan wants a better process for following jobs through the shop.

Peter would like to have a new belt sander.

Nick wants more bay space to work on vehicles. Brian wants just to be left alone to do his work, and no German cars, please.

Renald wants us to invest in more frame equipment. Erin wants four more arms so she can triple her current workflow. Will would like a process to keep the vehicles free of snow and organized better for production. Dusty

38 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

to constantly improve. I’d also like to retain a few more percentage points of gross before it gets eaten up on its way to the bottom line.

I’d like to get another $500,000 worth of work through the door without knocking the walls out of our shop. If we can do that, my Christmas wishes are granted.

CARSTAR Fredericton and CARSTAR Fredericton North general manger Steve Knox is a member of the CCIF Steering Committee and an I-CAR instructor. He can be reached at sknox@carstarfredericton.ca.

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PAINTER’S CORNER

A SHADE GREENER Calling on the paint and solvents industry for better environmental awareness

BY ROB KRAFT

D

id you know that the paint and solvents industry has been emitting consistent levels of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions since the 1990s? That’s nearly 30 years of methodic air pollution.

And what’s been done about it within the industry? Within the tens of thousands of bodyshops across Canada? Very little.

For those that do not know, volatile organic compound emissions—or VOC emissions— are solvents that are released into the air as paint dries. They can be found in many popular compounds, including adhesives, aerosol coatings and even household cleaning supplies. Moreover, a reaction occurs when the invisible chemicals come into contact

industry—which is only second to numbers from the gas and oil industry.

Contributions from the gas and oil industry can be understood; the industry is stable in Canada. There will always be more cars on the road, and there will always be Canadians that need fuel to heat their homes.

What can’t be understood is the fact that the paint and solvent industry has seriously neglected practical measures and discussions on reducing its VOC air pollutant emissions.

The industry’s VOC emissions have remained at consistent levels from 1990 through to 2017. In 1990, paint and solvents Manufacturing were theTransportation second-place contributor and (road, rail, air producedand 357.5 kilotonnes of VOC emissions. marine)

with natural sunlight, where nitrogen oxide and ground-level ozone are emitted—two of the main components of smog.

In recent years I have researched statistics from Environment Canada on climate change demonstrating air pollutant emissions for all of the top-emitting industries—whether it be the manufacturing, gas and oil, home woodfire burning, and so on. The two industries with the largest volatile organic compound (VOC) air pollutant emissions numbers are none other than the gas and oil industry and the paint and solvents industry.

According to data from Statistics Canada, 18.5 percent of Canada’s VOC emissions in 2017 were born from the paint and solvent

Off-road vehicles and mobile equipment Manufacturing Other sources Transportation (road, rail, air Home firewood and marine)burning

Emissions in kilotonnes Manufacturing

3 500

Transportation (road, rail, air and marine)

3 000Emissions in kilotonnes

Off-road vehicles and mobile Paints and solvents equipment Oil and gas industry Other sources

Off-road vehicles and mobile equipment

3 500

Home firewood burning

Other sources

2 500

Paints and solvents

Home firewood burning

3 000

Oil and gas industry

Paints and solvents Oil and gas industry

2 000 2 500 1 500 2 000 1 000 1 500 500 1 000 0

1990 500

0 1996

1998

1992

1990

2000

1994

1992 2002

1996

1994 2004

1998

1996 2006

2000

1998 2008

2002

2000 2010

40 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

2004

2002 2012

2006

2004 2014

2008

2006 2016

2010

2008

2012

2010

2014

2012

2016

2014

2016

Paint and solvents emissions—seen secondfrom-the-bottom—have remained at consistent levels for nearly 30 years, thanks to lax reforms and outdated procedures in schools.

PAINTER’S CORNER

In 2000—395.9 kilotonnes. And it only got marginally better from there, with the industry remaining at consistent levels through 2010, when it produced 316.4 kilotonnes of VOC emissions. The most recent data provided

by Canadian records states that paint and solvents emitted 334.6 kilotonnes of VOC emissions into the atmosphere in 2017.

Why has nothing changed for nearly three decades? It’s fairly simple—there have not been enough regulatory changes by the federal government, nor mandatory enforcement when it comes to VOC emissions. It personally startles me that it remains perfectly legal to paint a car in your backyard, openly releasing considerable amounts of VOC emissions into the atmosphere.

While the federal government has taken steps to regulate both manufacturers and suppliers, little has been done to enforce the VOC emissions being emitted from the tens of thousands of body shops across Canada. And further than that—I’ve come to learn that trades colleges often teach decades-old procedures and practices to our young, impressionable students.

I’ve hired young staffers that, when they step into the shop, cannot believe how opposite today’s advanced procedural applications

The main discussion needs to be why there hasn’t been any discussion in regulatory changes along with mandatory enforcement for immediate environmental sustainability within our automotive paint and refinishing industry. The reality boils down to the fact that, until we start talking about our startling consistent levels in VOC emissions and the factors leading us toward 30 more years of consistent numbers, all is for naught. are versus what they were taught in schools.

The main discussion needs to be why there hasn't been any discussion in regulatory changes along with mandatory enforcement for immediate environmental sustainability within our automotive paint and refinishing industry.

Something needs to be done. The reality boils down to that, until we start talking about our startling consistent levels in VOC emissions and the factors leading us toward

30 more years of consistent numbers, all is for naught.

Rob Kraft is the owner and developer of Flawless Automotive Paint Repair in Moncton, N.B, which has been recognized by the government for its environmental efforts. He can be reached at robk@ mail.com.

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DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 41

EXECUTIVE VISION

THE FUTURE—THROUGH A GLASS SPARKLY Senior vice president of sales and service at Mitchell International discusses the rise of XR Smart glasses technology

I

n early October, Mitchell International held a proof of concept demo to demonstrate the predicted capabilities of its extended reality smart glass technology.

Co-developed with Qualcomm, the glasses promise to provide technicians with all the information needed to complete any job right within their line-of-sight.

To clarify what these benefits are, the senior vic president of sales and services for Mitchell International, Jack Rozint, sat down with Collision Repair.

Collision Repair: While most people have heard of augmented reality technology, not everyone is clear on what extended reality is.

Could you start by clarifying the differences?

Jack Rozint: XR is actually a term that Qualcomm is using, and it’s an umbrella term encompassing Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR).

It’s the term they are using to blend these bleeding edge technologies together into what they’re calling Extended Reality (XR)–a platform in which to build solutions on.

CR: What role can XR technology take in collision repair facilities?

JR: The amount of information needed

to process a collision repair is increasing expontentially.

Years ago, if a technician studied 5,000 pages of documentation, they would know how to perform repairs on all existing vehicles.

Today, that has increased to tens-of-millions of pages of documentation for existing OEM repair procedures.

This explosion of information has led to the need for different platforms and architectures to allow for access to the information.

Technicians know there is a need for a seamless, on-demand information delivery platform. They are the ones facing new challenges with every vehicle that rolls through their doors. Today, every manufacturer’s vehicles–even within their own product line–is different. The joining methods, the

42 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

diagnostics, the ADAS systems–all are unique in each vehicle platform. This now requires specialized information to process, which is where XR technology can really help.

CR: What can repairers and technicians expect when using Mitchell’s XR smart glasses once they come to market?

JR: We’ve been looking at several use cases.

One of the most compelling is the ability for a technician, while repairing a vehicle, or a repairman, while disassembling a vehicle, to be able to access the OEM repair procedures on the smart glass screen while keeping both hands free to work. For example, if I’m sectioning a rail, I can have the rail-sectioning procedure right in front of me and with a simple voice

EXECUTIVE VISION

JR: Because there are so many use cases for this

Jack Rozint, senior vice president of sales and services for Mitchell International.

command, I’m able to page through it, zoom in and out, or to move on to the next procedure– all through voice commands.

While traditional methods would force a technician to stop what they’re doing, look up a repair procedure, print it out and bring it back to the car, smart glasses complete these tasks in real-time alongside the repair. They make for a simpler and faster process.

CR: With concerns over smart device distractions at the workplace, is there any worry that the glasses will be a bit much for some people to handle?

JR: Well, I’ve checked with my daughters and

they do not seem worried. They spend every day with their noses in their screens without a single worry!

I think we’re all getting used to digital content in all aspects of our lives–even my car has a heads-up display while I drive. The glasses are just another computing platform.

When you think about it, using the glasses is similar to using a seven-inch tablet a couple of feet away from your face in an area that’s slightly to the side in your peripheral vision, holding it at the angle so that you can maintain your field of vision and keep your eyes on the work you’re doing. It may take a few minutes at most to get used to the sensation, but our eyes are able to adjust back and forth quickly. We’ve had good experiences so far during our trials.

CR: Why did Mitchell bring the project to the collision community while it was still in its proof-of-concept phase?

technology in a collision repair environment, we were looking at all the scenarios in which it could be used. We did a lot of the proof of concept work in Canada and found that there are at least three scenarios that could heavily benefit from this technology.

One is the vehicle checking process, so that when you need to observe the vehicle and take pictures to document any pre-existing damage as well as get the VIN number–all of that is done elegantly with the XR smart glasses.

You can zoom in and scan the VIN number automatically, do OCR reading of the VIN on the dash, and go all around the vehicle taking pictures and annotating any damages you find through voice commands.

What we’ve seen is that this can reduce the check-in time from 20 minutes to eight–which, in a high-volume facility, is an integral reduction.

All of our diagnostic solutions at Mitchell have the ability to support a remote technician connecting to the diagnostics tool to assist a user on-site get through a difficult job. So, you can also use the glasses as a diagnostic tool connected to the vehicle, and a highly experienced technician can assist you remotely while they’re seeing what you’re seeing.

The third is vehicle teardown. During disassembly when the estimate is being initially developed along with the repair plan, being able to take quick snapshots and document any findings significantly streamlines the process.

CR: When do you predict the glasses, or other related smart technology, could be fully integrated into collision repair workspaces?

JR: One of the things that came out of our

conference last week was the prediction that cell phone use, in the general sense of the world, will be migrating to smart glasses.

Many who are observing the consumer space are predicting that smartphones migrating towards glasses as the most common platform for personal computing will occur in the next three years. If this scenario is close to being accurate, you could expect that most, if not all of customer service representatives and technicians in a collision repair facility will be wearing this technology five years from now.

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 43

BY THE NUMBERS

THE PRODUCT REVOLUTION Repairers share their thoughts on the high-tech solutions hitting the collision scene

I

n the age of rapidly increasing technology, the collision repair sector has seen its fair share of comprehensive solutions in recent years. Products such as ultraviolet lamps, which promise to reduce extensive paint drying times to fractional numbers, or diagnostic scanners that allow technicians to remotely dial in to receive assistance with repair procedures are garnering popularity among repairers.

These products are making big promises— so Collision Repair asked its repairer readers what they thought about these new, hightech products.

Out of all respondents, 50 percent said their facilities always keep up with the latest waves of new product technology, while the other 50 percent said their shops keep their

50%

products up-to-date “most of the time.”

The latest products hitting the scene are designed to streamline repair procedures, allowing technicians to look up procedure guides remotely, and without stepping away from the vehicle they are repairing.

Product development teams have the right idea here—more than 60 percent of respondents said they feel their workflow is interrupted when they need to step away from the vehicle to look up a procedure, while 37.5 percent said they never feel their workflow is disrupted.

One reader pointed out that modern diagnostic solutions can help reduce repair times by providing accurate diagnoses.

“If we correctly diagnose the repair up

50%

37.5%

NEUTRAL

NO

NO

50% YES

My facility keeps upto-date with the latest waves of product technology.

I believe that new tech can help provide faster, more efficient repairs.

37.5% NO

62.5% YES

44 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

front, the total repair will take less time and be more profitable,” said one respondent.“That’s my thought process in all of this.”

But are the new waves of product technology really necessary? Only 25 percent of respondents agreed that high-tech products help in streamlining repairs. While another 25 percent said they disagreed with this statement, 50 percent felt neutral about new product technology.

“Let’s give all these products the good old college try before we can agree,” said one reader.

“Rental makes more sense,” said another.

“Technology just changes too fast. Ask all the shops that bought the first water-based air dryers or aluminum repair equipment that are now obsolete.”

25% YES

I feel my workflow is disrupted when I need to step away from the vehicle to look up a procedure.

TECH TALENT

WINDSHIELD WARRIOR Charles Morin, the winner of Ontario’s regional Best of Belron competition, talks windshield repairs, replacement and ADAS recalibration

Charles won the Ontario Best of Belron competition, earning himself a spot in January’s Canadian final.

T

hroughout the year, Belron Canada has been scouring its facilities nationwide in search of the company’s top technician.

Finally, on October 30, the company’s hand-picked selection of Belron technicians took to Scarborough, Ontario for the regional “Best of Belron” competition.

Charles Morin, a technician from Lebeau Vitres d'Autos from Gatineau, Quebec, whizzed through the competition’s 125-step windshield replacement challenge and further proved his skill and

Collision Repair: Charles, how did you first become involved in the industry?

Charles Morin: I have been interested in cars

since I was a kid, so that’s what originally piqued my interest and made me want to work in auto repair. I’ve been working in collision repair for 18 years now, so I’d say I am fairly experienced.

CR: What originally made you want to compete in the Best of Belron competition?

CM: This was my third time competing at

the regional Best of Belron competition. I’ve been a technician for Belron for 15 years and I’m always pushing my limits. I thought the competition would be a great way to 46 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

great speed of execution by perfectly completing the windshield repair challenge.

Charles, who boasts more than 18 years of hands-on repair experience, won first place in the Ontario regional competition, earning himself a spot at the Canadian final in January.

Collision Repair caught up with Charles post-competition to ask him about his industry experience, training process and thoughts on the state of ADAS recalibration in the collision repair industry.

improve my skills and become the absolute best tech I can be. I’m aiming to perfect my technique, as well as meet and network with other technicians from around the country.

I am very proud of myself because, in spite of the stress of the competition, I remained focused on the final objective, which is to achieve the two challenges in a timely manner while respecting the high standards of windshield replacement and repair at Lebeau Vitres d’autos. I look forward to representing Ontario at the Canadian final.

CR: What sorts of tasks and judging criteria did the competition entail?

CM: The Best of Belron competition is

essentially the Olympic Games of regional

collision repair and windshield replacement.

To start, interested contestants must fill out an application form, then Belron officials visit the shop to evaluate them and assure they are fit for competition. This year, more than 100 candidates were evaluated by Belron Canada's technical team trainers to qualify for regional competitions.

At the regional competition, techs are asked to complete an 80-step repair challenge and a 125-step windshield replacement according to Belron’s standards. The judges look for the technician that efficiently completes the challenges with respect to Belron’s standards. In each of the five regions—Ontario, the Maritimes, Quebec, the Prairies and British Columbia— the top technician is selected for the national

TECH TALENT

competition, which will be held in Montreal in January. The national winner will then go to Barcelona, Spain in June 2020 to compete at the international level.

CR: How did you train for the competition?

CM: Preparation was full of teamwork. There

were a lot of different people involved in my preparation process, but I used my nights and weekends to focus on studying repair procedures.

There was lots of time invested in working on vehicles, improving my techniques. I made sure I knew Belron’s standards inside and out.

I’ve also hired a personal coach to help me manage my stress during the competition, but, for the most part, studying the required repair procedures is up to me.

CR: Why do you think so many collision repair facilities are wary of offering glass repair and replacement in-house?

one-stop-shop for windshield repair and ADAS services, partnering with the Bosch company to develop and acquire its ADAS calibration equipment.

That’s always a big investment to consider.

Smaller shops and boutiques don’t always have the means or finances to get this equipment and offer ADAS recalibration, so they avoid it.

CR: Many repairers say that advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are presenting some

of the industry’s most pressing challenges right now. Would you agree?

CM: I’ve been working with ADAS since 2014,

and yes, it is a lot of work and there is a lot of time invested in these repairs. But the issue of complexity isn’t with ADAS itself—the system is fairly straightforward. It’s more about the cost of the equipment. As I said, Belron made the conscious choice to offer recalibration, and it’s paid off.

CM: I can’t speak for other facilities, but I know

that Belron consciously decided to become a leader in this field. The company made the choice to offer recalibration and become a

The dedicated tech even hired a personal coach to help him manage stress during the training process.

Pride.

Passion.

Skill.

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DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 47

BEAUTY, BRAINS AND BODYWORK

REGAL REPAIRER How Tristan Johnston-England blends beauty pageants with auto repair

by Allison Rogers

W

hen Tristan Johnston-England was 10 years old, her parents happened to drive by an auto body shop with its doors wide open. Inside a technician was completing a paint job, airbrushing detailed designs onto the car’s body with ease. Witnessing the scene, Tristan begged her parents to pull over so she could go inside and sneak a closer look. When they obliged, she quickly skirted from their sides and took post beside the painter. She was mesmerized.

“Ever since then, that’s what I’ve wanted to do,” she told Collision Repair.

Once old enough Tristan attended Saskatchewan Polytechnic, where she successfully completed the first and second levels of her work placement. She’s striving to finish her autobody schooling to become a journeyperson and aims to later work in business operations before eventually opening her own aftermarket shop.

“That was the original plan, at least,” she says.

But Tristan’s career path took a turn four years ago. While enduring a late-night study session she happened to spot an advertisement for a local beauty pageant. Intrigued by the idea and looking for a hobby to fill her spare time, she decided to fill out an application.

Now, Tristan holds the title of Miss International Tourism Canada and recently represented Canada on an international level while competing in Malaysia. More than that, she’s a triple threat—the 23-year-old is also involved with the Cadet program, working with National Defense this past summer.

When it’s time to repair, Tristan ditches the evening gown for her painting digs.

It’s no secret that her two passions are drastically different. Rather than succumb to societal norms, Tristan chose to tackle her dreams head-on to combine her hobby of beauty pageants with her career of collision repair and bodywork.

Even though the pageant world cascaded upon her by chance, Tristan has found some elements to be helpful to her career as a repairer.

“The confidence aspect really ties the two together. There’s a lot of confidence training with beauty pageants and I feel like a lot of that confidence has directly translated into what I’m doing for work.”

Tristan wants to pass on what she’s learned

48 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

to other girls considering careers in the trades. Navigating her two passions can be tricky when they are so starkly different, but she wants other young girls to embrace her stick-to-itiveness.

“If you’ve found something that you’re passionate about you shouldn’t care what other people are telling you,” she said. “If you like to deal with wires and want to be a technician, stop worrying about what the haters have to say. Worry about what you want.

You’ll always have a family and friends who will support you, so if someone is trying to be rude or mean or put you down, it doesn’t matter. You’re the one who is doing it, not them.”

Auto-enthusiast Tristan and her fellow beauty queens pose for group shots while exploring Malaysia.

GOLDEN OLDIE

“Mental health has touched us in ways that we would have never imagined”

VIVAT REGINA 95-year-old Regina Auto Body gives back

By Samuel Houpt

I

t has been 95 years since the doors of Regina Auto Body (RAB) first opened on the outskirts of the city’s downtown core.

What was once a blacksmith’s shop soon transformed into a full-fledged auto body shop as more and more vehicles hit Saskatchewan’s roads. Now, almost a century later, the collision repair centre continues to serve communities in the heart of the province.

While most shops might celebrate this lengthy milestone internally, RAB decided to give back to a community it has served for generations by donating a portion of its October earnings to the Canadian Mental Health Association.

“It started with tossing around the idea of having an open house to show the changes from the horse and buggy all the way to becoming a Tesla Certified Repair Facility,” explained Mike Mario, the co-owner of RAB. “Chad (another co-owner) and I started to look at the costs of putting something like that together and we heard about our neighbours down the street, Canadian Mental Health Association Regina Branch, and how it was in need of some renovations and we thought, ‘why don’t we scrap that idea and donate the money we may have spent on an open house along with our budgeted donations and do a month-long blitz using the $95 to coincide with the 95 years?’”

By taking $95 from every repair in October, Mario and his team managed to raise over $10,000 towards replacing worn flooring in the mental health facility.

Mario explained his choice as benefactor: “We decided to donate to the Regina Branch for a few reasons,” he said. “One, they are our neighbours and have always reached out to us when they need any vehicle repairs. Two, their building is old and in need of repairs constantly.

Three and most importantly, mental health has touched us in ways that we would have never imagined. When people have a broken leg or arm, it is usually fairly visual. When someone has mental health issues, there are no visual signs, but that person is hurting inside and it is difficult to cure because of the shortage of resources around.”

Mario said he does not believe executing the donation strategy was difficult, and, with the century milestone just over the horizon for the shop, he said he and his staff have already begun brainstorming more donation opportunities.

“The planning has started and we felt so good about what we accomplished with our October donation that we might even do $96 next year, and follow that up until we hit $100 in 2024,” he said. “We will likely have a big party in the shop like we did in 2013 when the Riders won the Grey Cup here in Regina! There are lots of ideas being tossed around so we are in the planning stage. Stay tuned!”

Go to cmha.ca to donate to the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Mike Mario and the RAB team.

50 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

INDUSTRY RELATIONS

PDR PARTNERSHIPS Why shops should consider subcontracting specialized procedures

by Gideon Scanlon

WHAT’S NEW IN PDR:

A

t a business level, collision repair facility owners often view the services of PDR businesses as being in direct competition to their own services.

This is not the attitude seen within the businesses that focus on providing PDR services. In those organizations, the consensus view is that the two sectors are fundamentally different, and that both could benefit from an increase in co-operation.

In a series of interviews with representatives of Canadian Hail Repair, Hail Specialists, DCC Hail and PDR Canada, Collision Repair has allowed the PDR sector to make a direct pitch for the importance of bringing PDR and classic repairing into alignment.

“PDR is a real game changer. Working with PDR firms can bring in business to collision facilities, improve cycle times, and improve a businesses relationship with customers and auto insurers,” says Domenic Serra of PDR Canada. “It is a win-win-win.”

While some businesses do maintain dedicated PDR-trained technicians on staff, many others do not. When hail strikes, it can be difficult for these repair facilities to offer competitively priced hail repair solutions.

Collision repair facilities can promote PDR on dents that are not related to collision repair to increase sales,” says Ricky Chin of Hail Specialists. “They can offer discounts on dent repair while having collision repair done. Most vehicles have door dents on them, it is more convenient for clients to have the dents fixed while their vehicles are in the body shop than to bring their vehicles in just to get some small

dents fixed.”

Like Chin, Devon Fenton of DCC Hail believes that the business case for working with a subcontracted PDR firm is one that many firms would be wise to consider.

“I’d encourage industry representatives to not view PDR as the enemy. Partnering with an established PDR company and potentially incorporating some of the collision repair pdr methods available can really help a shop increase their bottom line,” says Fenton.

Bing Wong of Canadian Hail Repair also makes the case for subcontracting PDR work, and says that subcontracted services have significant advantages over hiring in-house PDR technicians full-time.

“Your best option is to partner with a reputable PDR company with a strong mix of work and a large team of technicians,” says Wong. “If you train your own staff they will leave as soon as your work dries up or as soon as there is a major hail storm.”

Fenton also points out that this relationship between collision facility and PDR service provider can be a two-way street.

Just like good bodyshops, reputable PDR vendors don’t massively discount their work, but will provide better repairs leading to repeat clients,” says Fenton. “PDR companies with DRP relationships may also have the ability to drive work to bodyshop partners.”

“In fact, I have started to see some of our collision partners advertising the fact that they offer PDR services for hail damage,” says Serra. “They know it is what drivers are looking for.”

After its successful debut performance in 2019, PDR Canada will be hosting PDR Repair Secrets Seminar in 2020.

While the details have not yet been released, the event will have big shoes to fill. Last year’s three-day seminar, hosted in Sherwood Park, Alberta, brought technicians from around the world together to learn about a variety of PDR topics. Speakers included Domenic Serra, Don Kavanagh, and Žan Vidic.

“It was a great event that brought together the greatest minds in PDR. I’m really looking forward to talking about what is planned for next year,” says Serra.

DCC Hail is launching a state-of-the-art damage estimating scanner.

More information on the scanner can be found at dcchail.com.

DCC Hail also offers classes for full PDR training, push for paint/conventional repair PDR training, as well as hail damage estimating classes.

Information about these classes can be found on DCC Hail’s PDR tool sales website denttools.ca The next Mobile Tech Expo, to be held in Florida this January will put a heavy emphasis on PDR with many dent companies and PDR tool manufacturers in attendance.

For more information visit mobiletechexpo.com The next CCIF conference, to be held in Toronto from Jan. 30 to 31, will include demonstrations from a number of PDR businesses.

For more information, visit ccif.ca.

Canadian Hail Repair’s general manager Bing Wong.

General manager of DCC Hail, Devon Fenton.

PDR Canada president Domenic Serra.

Director at Hail Specialists, Ricky Chin.

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 51

EDITOR’S LOG

COLLISION WITH FATE Why the auto aftermarket is vulnerable to systems collapse

BY GIDEON SCANLON

C

ollision Repair recently celebrated the 95th anniversary of Regina Auto Body. At the time of its founding, auto repairing—like automobiles themselves—was a relatively new concept. Obviously, it isn’t today.

Now, even the longest-serving members of our community have careers that stretch through less than a third of the span of Canada’s auto repair sector. This gives most of us involved in the sector the impression that the industry itself is a historical constant.

While the way auto repairing is performed is constantly evolving, the idea that vehicle repairing will always be an economically relevant activity seems certain. But is it?

What if the foundations of the sector are built on quicksand, and could suddenly disappear? History suggests it could be.

At some point in the 12th century BC, the Bronze Age came to a close. The great civilizations of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East—including the Achaeans, Egyptians, Hittites, Canaanites and Babylonians—were in for a rough time. Within a few decades, all

but Egypt had collapsed entirely.

There have been a number of explanations to describe this sudden catastrophe, but one has become widely accepted in recent years.

It states that, after centuries of building up a complex intercontinental trade network, the civilizations’ basic functioning assumed it could always rely on international trade. When it

couldn’t, civilizations tumbled one after another.

Tin, the metal alloyed with copper in bronze, is not found everywhere. In fact, the source of the Bronze Age civilizations’ tin was likely somewhere in Central Asia. When the steady supply stopped coming in, governments stopped being able to perform basic functions.

Desperate citizens took to raiding neighbouring

Ask yourself if your business model has the flexibility to survive unexpected market movements—or end up like the Bronze Age civilizations.

communities for basic resources. This caused problems for other governments, and other governments collapsed.

Bronze Age societies were based on the false principle that tin would always be available.

Canada’s auto repair sector assumes that auto insurers will provide coverage that is affordable enough for drivers to bother with, and profitable enough to cover the full cost of repairs.

A few years ago, this assumption would have looked a lot safer than it does today.

Then, insurers held far more cards than they do now. Without ADAS systems, aluminum or pearlescent paints, the cost of repairs was

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EDITOR’S LOG

relatively low. Without mainstream OEM certifications and extensive repair procedures, drivers looked to insurers for assurance that repairs—and repairers—were appropriate.

In one hand, insurers could leverage prices down with shops, while, in the other, keeping costs down for drivers.

Today, auto insurers are losing grip on the costs of repairing. New technology and materials have given rise to a whole raft of procedures—ones not written by auto insurers, but OEMs. Many repairers are in a position where it is riskier to abide by auto insurer rates than argue them. As OEM initiatives drive more drivers to branded facilities, it seems likely something will have to give.

That something? Premium prices.

Even in relatively efficient insurance markets, price shocks are already hitting hard—Albertans are likely to pay an extra 15 to 20 percent for the right to drive their own cars next year.

Of course, the cost of auto insurance influences the cost of car ownership. As car ownership costs rise, more people will elect not to drive.

Even more will elect to drive less expensive vehicles. As Canada’s vehicle fleet’s value dips, the point at which it is more profitable to repair, rather than replace a vehicle rises.

When that balance point rises, individual repair facilities will see profits fall. When profits fall, businesses will close.

I am getting carried away.

None of this is to say that Canada’s collision repair sector is about to go the way of the Hittites, nor that individual auto technicians are about to start raiding nearby auto facilities.

I do not think the foundations of the collision industry will disappear any time soon. Nor am I set against the increasing

Bronze Age societies were based on the false principle that tin would always be available.

Canada’s auto repair sector assumes that auto insurers will provide coverage that is affordable enough for drivers to bother with, and profitable enough to cover the full cost of repairs.

influence of OEMs in driving business to collision facilities.

What I do think is that the industry is going through changes that could affect the very foundations of the industry. Ask yourself if your business model has the flexibility to survive unexpected market movements. Even the most progressive and attentive business owners can overlook long-standing issues in

operations, suddenly facing serious problems when circumstances change.

If you are still concerned about my historical comparison, here’s something that might make the Bronze Age collapse less daunting: after the smoke had cleared and the various peoples of the Mediterranean began to rebuild their cities, their chariots still needed regular repairs.

What if, like the civilizations of the Bronze Age, the foundations of the sector are built on quicksand, and could suddenly disappear? History suggests they could be.

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 53

INSURANCE ROUNDUP

CO-OPERATIVE CO-OPERATORS Collision Repair talks to Gerry Martineau, AVP of auto claims, to learn more about the insurer’s success among its collision repair clients

A

ccording to Collision Repair’s recent survey, the Co-Operators are the top-rated auto insurance provider in Canada.

When the magazine re-issued its annual ‘Repairers Give the Grades’ survey, asking industry members to grade private and public auto insurers in three categories—repairer relations, dispute

management and billing payment—the Co-Operators came out on top of every category, earning an A in each category.

To learn its secret to the Co-Operator’s success among repairers, Collision Repair spoke to Gerry Martineau, area vice president of auto claims.

Collision Repair: To start, the Co-Operators scored an overall letter grade of A this year—the only insurer to do so! How does it feel to be the top-rated private insurer in Canada based on Collision Repair’s survey?

Gerry Martineau: We’re absolutely honoured to have been recognized once again by our collision industry partners for a strong, positive working relationship. And I don’t use the word ‘partner’ by accident—I believe that that collaboration, standing together side-by-side really brings value to the relationship that we have with our partners.

CR: Results from both 2018 and 2019 show that the Co-Operators have remained far ahead of other insurers in terms of repairer relations. This year, it was almost a full letter grade ahead of the second-place insurer. What sorts of steps does your company take to assure healthy relations between repair facilities and insurers?

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INSURANCE ROUNDUP

GM: I think that, as an insurer, we deliver

on a promise to take care of clients in their time of need and really strive to give them peace-of-mind as they work through a process that they—hopefully—will only have to go through once or twice in their lives.

Now, we can’t deliver on that promise on our own. We need the help of partners who can deliver services to clients so they can be fully restored. We see collision shops as an extension of us in being able to bring that peace-of-mind to our clients.

I think we have a shared commitment to client service, quality workmanship and providing value to the client, and that’s an unbeatable combination—it’s win-win-win, really.

What makes us unique as a cooperative is that we truly try to live out our cooperative values and how we interact with both our clients and our service providers. It’s about more than just the bottom line for us—our business decisions are guided by our cooperative principles and philosophies. The need for profitability is always balanced with the needs of our members and their communities and, by making people a priority and taking a long-term view in business decisions makes us fundamentally different from other insurers.

I think that culture, that philosophy really helps us in cultivating the relationships that we have with our shops.

CR: The Co-Operators scored an 82.5 percent, or a letter grade of A, for its dispute management practices. While most insurers saw ratings drop, the Co-Operators saw its overall dispute management score rise. How do you explain why your company is such an anomaly in this category?

GM: It’s really all about trying to work together—we prefer not to have adversarial relationships with our partners and instead aim for collaborative partnerships. We will always do everything in our power to resolve disputes.

The way we look at it, the client is generally in the middle of the dispute—both us, as the insurer, as well as the shop wants to move things forward quickly and get the situation resolved as cleanly as possible.

One thing that we do differently at the Co-Operators is something called a Service Review Panel: it’s more for clients, but it is certainly worth noting here. The panel is made up of a group clients that meet regularly to review disputes that clients were potentially dissatisfied with. Submissions are made to the panel on a regular basis and our group reviews the decisions that were made in each particular case. From there, the panel decides whether it should stick to the Co-Operators’ decision or do something different for the sake of the client. They’re not bound by policies; the panel looks at the situation with a different set of eyes.

The Co-Operators is bound by the decision of the service panel, though the client is not.

They can always choose to handle the dispute in a different method.

Regardless, it shows that we are giving voice to our own clients in helping us make decisions in those kinds of situations. I think that’s a great example of how the Co-Operators handle dispute management a little differently than other insurers. It’s been in place for a long time and, to my knowledge, we’re the only insurer that has this sort of service review panel, but I can’t speak for the others.

CR: In 2018, the only category that the Co-Operators did not top was the billing payment section. However, this year the CoOperators came out on top when it came to the timeliness of payments. Other insurers also saw improvements, but the Co-Operators saw billing payment ratings rise by 4.5 percent, garnering a rating of 85.5 percent, or a letter grade of A for its 2019 payment times. Would you say your company has a unique approach to billing payment?

GM: We always try to set our partners up

with e-transfer to assure timely payments.

I don’t know that there’s anything unique about what we do here, really—we pay our bills! We understand that we’re responsible to our partners and that they have bills as well—parts to pay for, staff to pay out— so we always make sure that payments are as timely as possible.

Dispute management diligence The Co-Operator’s have used the Service Review Panel program as an additional method of dispute management since 1990.

Made up of volunteer clients—regular people, rather than insurance experts—the Service Review Panel brings a “fresh set of eyes and open minds” to potentially mishandled situations and gives the CoOperator’s a second chance at the claim.

To voice a concern with the panel, you must follow these steps: 1. L et the Co-Operator’s know by contacting an insurance representative or claims adjuster.

2. I f unsatisfied with the outcome of step one, ask to escalate the concern with a manager or other representative.

3. I f still left unsatisfied with the claim’s outcome, the Co-Operator’s recommend contacting the Ombuds office, where—depending on the situation—the case may be sent to the Service Review Panel.

The Co-Operator’s are bound to the decision of its Service Review Panel and there are no repercussions for submitting a request.

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 55

SEMA SHOW

All that North America’s largest-ever tradeshow had to offer!

By Samuel Houpt

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SEMA SHOW

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR  57

SEMA SHOW

Rob Retter of Eurovac.

PPG’s colourful display illuminated the show floor.

Show Floor

I

f you went down to Las Vegas looking for some auto aftermarket-themed excitement, this year’s SEMA Show had it in spades. If you missed out–no sweat–Collision Repair has your back! Our staff had their cameras ready to capture the big moments, bright smiles and warm reunions seen on the convention floor.

Lauren Schoonover, Dave Foster and Brian Newberry of CARSTAR.

Pro Spot’s Lorinda Teague and Ashley Olsson alongside Gloria Mann.

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Dave Flockhart of Betag; Media Matters’ Wanja Mann; and Pro Spot’s Art Ewing.

Matt Wagman, Ameerah Saine and Steve Freidell.

SEMA SHOW

Gabriel Guerin, Arman Gurarslan and Sylvain Landry.

The SATA team: Jason Couillard, JP Kleniewski, John Turner and Michael Murphy.

Bob Leibel of Sherwin Williams. Automotive.

Fred Daoust and Saad Ouaddahou.

Dan and Nick Dominato.

Steck’s John Brill.

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 59

SEMA SHOW

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SEMA SHOW

Craig Jalbert, business manager of 3M’s automotive aftermarket division, and Darryl Simmons, publisher of Collision Repair.

AIA Canada Night

D

uring SEMA week, many of the movers and shakers of Canada’s collision sector arrived at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas for the AIA’s annual Canada Night event.

Joining some of the most influential Canadian business owners were a number of representatives from aftermarket sector, including: Mitchell International, Fix Auto, BASF Canada, SATA, Specialty Product Sales, 3M Canada, CSN, Autohouse Technologies, Lift Auto Group, CosmosSync, CARSTAR, NAIT, Western Paint and Equipment, Gilbert Supply Co., Color Compass, Transit Inc., Baan Powertrain, NRS Brakes, SOGHU, NEXERASYS, NUCAP, Uni-Select, Dynamic Tire, DCI Solutions, TerraCan AutoPro, Canadian Tire, WD-40, AkzoNobel, AARO, Grand West Auto, Piston Ring Service, Consolidated Dealers Co-Operative, Symach, Peinture et pieces d’autos DR, Armatures DNS 2000, Vast Auto, Active Group Inc., Wakefield Canada, Craftsman Collision,

LKQ Corporation, AutoChoice, PPG Canada, and more.

While the event has traditionally been held at Caesar’s Palace, this year’s guestlist outstripped the occupancy limits of the long-serving venue. The Paris Hotel, however, did not disappoint. Guests were particularly impressed by the ice sculpture–and by the array of lobster and crab surrounding it.

With refreshments in hand, guests circulated the room. Daryll O’Keefe and Kate Tapley of Fix Auto made the rounds as a team, making sure no hands were left unshaken, while Craig Sykora of 3M and Wade Bartok of Elite Body Shop illuminated the dimly lit venue with their brimming energy.

When the night came to a close it took quite a bit of effort for AIA officials to convince the Canadians to wrap things up and head for the doors—folks simply wanted to keep networking in what was the AIA’s most successful Canada Night to date.

Eric Coppée and Chris Peterson.

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Andrew Neufeld and Gloria Mann.

SEMA SHOW

BASF’s Trista Anger and Jean-François Champagne, president of AIA Canada.

Dave Foster, Collin Welsh and Ryan Isherwood of CARSTAR.

From left to right: Adam Tolowitzski of Mitchell International; Kate Tapley, coowner of Fix Auto Stratford; Jacqui Bresee; Andrew Neufeld of Fix Auto; and Sinh Quan of Mitchell International.

Kelvin Campbell, owner and operator of Halifax’s Chapman Auto Body CSN; Danny Frangione, manager of Turpin Collision Centre; Wade Bartok, president of Northern Vancouver’s Elite Body Shop; Rebecca Fyfe, manager of client development at AutoHouse Technologies; and Ed Breault of Crown Collision Centres and Autohouse Technologies.

Sam Houpt, Liam Simmons of Media Matters with PPG Canada’s Norm Angrove.

Josh Stoesz of SPS.

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 63

TOP TRAINING

A GOLD STANDARD The country’s first post-secondary I-CAR training

By Samuel Houpt Sask. Polytech’s autobody technician is now the first post-secondary program to achieve I-CAR Gold Class Certification.

A

post-secondary educational institution in Saskatchewan has become the first of its kind in the country to receive I-CAR Gold Class Certification for its autobody technician program.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic in Regina and Saskatoon, Sask. has ensured that all faculty members have gone through I-CAR training— with some having achieved Platinum status.

“This is a significant achievement,” says Andrew Shepherd, the executive director of I-CAR Canada. “Canada has a world-leading apprenticeship system feeding the collision repair industry—and Saskatchewan Polytechnic has demonstrated its leadership in that elite group.“ The faculty of the two campuses are now using I-CAR procedures as instructed by the certification in the education of all its enrolled auto body technician and motor vehicle body repairer students. All graduates will receive I-CAR certification upon the completion of their programs, which will give them the chance to be employed by I-CAR recognized facilities post-graduation.

“This certification is a testament to the excellent Auto Body Technician program and our outstanding faculty at Saskatchewan Polytechnic,” says Dr. Larry Rosia, the president

and CEO of Saskatchewan Polytechnic. “The I-CAR Gold Class recognition is putting our students and apprentices ahead of the curve to continue training on SGI Salvage vehicles in an I-CAR Gold Class shop.”

Since 2002, auto body technician certificate students and motor vehicle body repairer

apprentices have trained by repairing SGI Salvage total-loss vehicles. By using total-loss vehicles from the provincial insurance provider, students get to work on current model vehicles that the industry repairs on a daily basis. Students enter the workforce with relevant training, which benefits them and their future employers.

This certainly not the first time Sask Polytech has been certified by a nationally renowned program; in the fall of 2018, the trades college was recognized by Certified Collision Care, which manages the collision repair facility OEM certification programs for Fiat Chrysler, Ford, Nissan and Kia in Canada.

Through Sask Polytech’s partnership with SGI, recognition as a Certified Collision Care provider and I-CAR Gold Class shop status, Auto body technician certificate students and motor vehicle body repair apprentices are receiving thorough and comprehensive auto body training in Canada.

Sask Polytech offers a one-year certificate and provides the in-school portion of motor vehicle body repairer apprenticeship training for the auto body technician programs.

From 2021 onwards, I-CAR Gold Class will be recognized as a requirement for SGI accreditation.

Faculty at both the Regina and Saskatoon, Sask. Campuses have undergone I-CAR training—some even achieved Platinum status!

1-866-325-2886 | autoquip.ca DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 65

AWARDS

ANNUAL AWARDS Collision repairers are cleaning up as end-of-year awards are issued!

By Allison Rogers

A

s 2019 comes to a close, Canadians of the collision repair sector are heralding the new year by celebrating their achievements this year alongside their communities. Check out all the local businesses that have been honoured for all that was done in 2019!

Marystown Auto Glass and Graphics has been servicing the town for more than 16 years.

MERRY MARYSTOWN According to the Burin Peninsula chamber of commerce, the employees of Marystown Auto Glass and Graphics in Marystown, Newfoundland and Labrador are the merriest bunch around, earning the facility an ‘employer of the year’ award.

On October 23, the Burin Peninsula chamber of commerce in Newfoundland and Labrador honoured its members during its annual business awards ceremony. The event was held at Marystown’s St. Gabriel’s Hall and presented awards to eight local businesses, including collision repair service Marystown Auto Glass and Graphics. The facility was awarded ‘employer of the year’ where small businesses are concerned.

Marystown Auto Glass and Graphics has

six full-time employees. Each employee has access to medical and dental benefits and the business is always seeking other attractive means to draw in and retain employees.

The local repair shop has been in operation for more than 16 years. Owners Phonse and Angela Stacey took over the business six years ago and have since expanded it from a threebay garage to a seven-bay facility.

Lake’s Auto Service, which is reportedly the only repair facility in Fortune, NL, was also honoured at the event. The shop, now boasting the title ‘family business of the year,’ was started by Clarence Lake in 1953 and is now run by his sons Don and Neal.

THE STAR IN CARSTAR A local collision repair centre in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia has won its local Reader’s Choice Award for the sixth year in a row.

CARSTAR Bridgewater integrated into the community 10 years ago, with its owner,

CARSTAR Bridgewater, located in Nova Scotia.

Kevin Emino, having been in the repair industry for almost 40 years.

“We know collision repairs can be confusing, so our team

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Lake’s Auto Service, the ‘family business of the year’, was opened

by Clarence Lake in 1953 and is now run by his sons, Don and Neal.

AWARDS

The facility, run by husband and wife duo Kevin and Wendy Emino, has won the local Reader’s Choice award every year since 2014.

works hard to make sure customers always stay informed, understand the work that is being done to their vehicle and are happy with the repair quality when it is done,” said Emino.

“We are grateful to the community for their submissions and look forward to continuing to

provide this best-in-class service to Bridgewater.”

Kevin Emino runs CARSTAR Bridgewater alongside his wife, Wendy. Since 2014, they have been awarded the Reader’s Choice award for Best Autobody Shop each year after reader submissions are tallied.

THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILING The Grand Prairie and District Chamber of Commerce in Alberta held its annual Awards of Distinction ceremony, honouring nine local businesses for achievements in mentorship, entrepreneurism, marketing and more. The event was held in conjunction with Grand Prairie, Alberta’s ‘Small Business Week,’ and honoured local auto detailing service Shinez Auto Detailing with a ‘Small Business of the Year’ award.

Shinez Auto Detailing offers a range of cleaning and restoration services to the Grand Prairie community, including interior and exterior detailing, power and hand polishing, semi-detailing—even boat detailing. Shinez

CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDOUT On October 24, the finalists for the Campbell River Mirror’s fifth annual Readers’ Choice Awards gathered to toast to their successes and bask in the local community’s appreciation.

Among the 143 categories was an award for the community’s favourite new car dealer, as well as a title for the fan-favourite local auto service shop—both of which were taken home

by Steve Marshall Ford in Campbell River, B.C. The Readers’ Choice Awards operated on an open-ended structure, meaning, rather than readers voting for previously nominated businesses, readers nominated whomever they chose in whatever category they wanted. All entrants were determined by the Campbell River Mirror’s readers.

Steve Marshall founded Steve Marshall Motors in 1966. The facility was originally a Mercury dealer and came equipped with a two-bay gas bar. Now, 53 years later, the

was honoured as the ‘Small Business of the Year,’ now boasting the title of Grand Prairie’s best business with fewer than 10 employees.

Shinez Auto Detailing in Grand Prairie, Alta. took Shinez says it prides itself on home the district’s ‘Small Business of the Year’ award during October’s ceremony. customer service and comprehensive cleaning and detailing procedures.

“Thank you so much to all Megan Bolin, the owner of Shinez, also the people who voted,” Shinez wrote on its Facebook page.“We still can’t believe we won! received a nomination for the ‘Young This award wouldn’t be possible without our Entrepreneur Award,’ sponsored by the city wonderful Shinez crew and our amazing of Grand Prairie.

Moreover, Shinez was the only automotive customers! Thank you to everyone who business recognized with a nomination. continues to support our business.”

Steve Marshall Body Shop in Campbell River, B.C.

shop boasts facilities in Campbell River, Comox, Courtenay, Port Hardy and Powell River, B.C. According to the business, customer service is its top priority.

The facility hosts frequent community events and contests and recently teamed up with another local business to give away a new barbecue and all the necessary supplies.

The facility is also currently hosting a $5,000 giveaway to get its Facebook page to 15,000 likes. To enter, participants must invite their entire Facebook friends list to like Steve Marshall Ford on Facebook, then post a screenshot of their empty invited friends list under the facility’s contest post. After entering, contestants are invited to visit the shop, where they can pick up their free Steve

Marshall Motors t-shirt. For more information about the contest, click here.

Steve Marshall Motors also keeps up with its online presence, posting daily content to keep connected with its customers and the local community.

Several other local auto facilities were also celebrated during the ceremony.

Island Own Truck and Auto Sales was named the town’s favourite used auto dealer, while Associated Tire and Auto claimed the title of ‘most community-minded business.’

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 67

PAST REFLECTIONS

WHERE WE’VE BEEN Industry advice throughout the year

By Samuel Houpt

F

rom employee retention to managing ADAS-equipped vehicles, we have seen a slew of tips and predictions throughout the year after keeping our finger on the pulse of the industry. Taking a look back on past insights can be an effective way to distinguish what works and what does not in a collision repair facet.

LEADERSHIP: Jay Perry, founder of Ally Business Coaching, recommending new leadership techniques: “The new generation needs a different type of engaged leadership that automatically happens when you work on having fun at work. I particularly love it when I see customers interacting with employees in fun ways, getting caught up in the wave of fun! Fun at work has proven conclusively that the better the experience an employee has while at work, the higher the profitability of the business. This is a fact, not an anecdote.”

Caroline Lacasse, the director of CCIF, reminding owners of the most vital instrument in their inventory: “Shop owners now have no choice but to invest time and money in their most important tools: their human resources. Employees stay loyal to an employer when they feel useful, get proper skills and are part of the team. Therefore recognizing employees by facilitating training access or consulting them before making some decisions are a big part of the solution. Shops will struggle if they do not find a way to adapt to this fast-evolving environment. Change management is the only option here because everybody reacts differently to change. Shop owners and managers need to be aware of their own reactions to changes. Developing skills in conflict resolution, communication and active listening or strategic thinking can only facilitate the adaptation.”

Both sentiments still readily applicable to today’s collision repair centres. The very last thing you should want a loyal employee to feel is that they no longer care. As one of our former associate editors Jordan Arseneault puts it, “finding the time to let someone know they’re doing a great job, and that you’re appreciative of their efforts, is such a minor task, but something that has the power to completely turn someone’s day around.”

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 69

PAST REFLECTIONS

TECHNOLOGY: Fred Iantorno, the vice president of VeriFacts Automotive, looks towards the impact of 5G infrastructure on the industry: “The tech is here. The number of connected devices already exceeds the number of humans on Earth. In the next few years, it is estimated that there will be 1,000 devices per person, and this new network infrastructure is going to cut the amount of time in our industry wasted with bad connections.”

Nick Dominato, a business development representative for asTech, stresses the importance of not shying away from ADAS systems: “There is no excuse for neglecting this important area. The major players in the auto glass repair industry have been on board with ADAS recalibrations for years.

We cannot stick our heads in the sand and cross our fingers when it comes to delivering an ADAS equipped car back to the customer.”

While we are still on the cusp of feeling the impact 5G infrastructure will have on the industry, the number of benefits we will be seeing is becoming increasingly apparent. It can no longer be considered an emerging technology. As for delivering quality work on ADAS-equipped vehicles, it is uplifting to note the vast quantity of big-name manufacturers that have hit the ground running when it comes to developing intuitive solutions to this growing challenge.

IMPROVEMENT: Gabriel Merino, founder of Motivated Painters, on keeping painters motivated: “Shops should be providing self-development courses for their employees to keep them motivated and focused, teaching them to have goals and personal targets to aim for. Happy painters produce better results, care more for the people around them, are always willing to learn and, of course, earn more money because they focus and double down on the positive aspect of the job at hand and give it their 187 percent.”

Patrice Marcil, the chairman of CCIF, offers ideas to increase new talent: “A good place to start would be a much bigger grant at the end of the school year for tools. Buying tools is crazy expensive and a huge reason why people would not even bother with it. A full set of tools is around $5,000-$8,000.”

Health, recruitment and continuing education--three pillars that any shop worth its salt should be constantly seeking to improve as well as three key factors into retaining the industry’s best and brightest workers. With recent outcries of labour shortages in the collision repair industry, improving facility conditions, from knowledge to safety, is one giant leap towards circumventing this challenge.

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EVENTS

Event entryway.

BREAKTHROUGHS IN BOCA The 2019 Maaco Conference

C

ollision repair franchise owners braved torrential downpours in Florida to attend the 2019 Maaco Conference— the annual platform to showcase the company’s goals and objectives.

Held in Boca Raton, Florida, franchisees got the chance to attend educational workshops, sessions and networking events, all of which lead to the announcement of Maaco’s newest pan for success.

“The theme of the 2019 Maaco Convention is Breakthrough and that’s what we are ready to do,” said Bob Benjamin, the president of Maaco. “We launched our Go Forward Plan at the 2018 Maaco Convention, and we’ve spent the past year visiting our Maaco store centers, launching our center certification program,

improving our operations and driving our franchisees’ financial performance.”

Several Canadian franchisees received awards.

They exemplified the “Breakthrough” convention theme with awards for top performance, including outstanding sales performance, operational excellence, leadership, growth and overall performance.

“It’s an honor to recognize the top performers in the Maaco system,” said Benjamin, “These franchisees are a great example of the success that is possible as a Maaco owner. They have embraced our ‘Go Forward Plan’ and have achieved strong sales, operational excellence, excellent customer service and are performing at the highest levels.”

This year’s award winners from Canada

Daryl Hurst, Maaco’s director of learning and development, with Collision Repair’s Gloria Mann.

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are: The Mirante Family, Edmonton AB (2019 Regional Cup winner) and 2019 Maaco Milestone Award winners Wade MacKay, Dartmouth NS, Allan Mann, Regina SK, The Mirante Family Edmonton, AB, Steve Celli Newmarket ON, Darrell MacKay, Halifax NS. The new Breakthrough initiative is meant to be a continuation of last year’s plan. Both strategies will combine to improve both performance and profitability for all Maaco centres—a key point in the strategy being the revitalization of Maaco’s image along with its certification program for repair facilities. This revitalization will begin with the continued learning of all attending franchisees.

“Attendance at this year’s convention is up 38 percent over last year, with 30 percent

Walter Mirante accepted this year’s Regional Cup on behalf of his family, who run a Maaco facility in Edmonton, Alta.

EVENTS

“The theme of the 2019 Maaco Convention is ‘Breakthrough,’ and that’s what we are ready to do.”

- Bob Benjamin, president of Maaco.

more Maaco centers attending,” said Benjamin. “That demonstrates the enthusiasm and engagement of our franchisees. They are excited about the future of the Maaco brand and are ready to Breakthrough in 2020 by adapting new technology, innovation and embracing change.”

To cap off the conference, Maaco laid out five factors it said will continue the growth it has seen this year into 2020, the aforementioned Go Forward plan along with its new Breakthrough

Walter Mirante, co-owner, Maaco Edmonton, Alta.; Steve Celli, owner, Maaco Newmarket, Ont.; Linda Wiebe, national account manager, Driven Fleet; and Mario Magno, president, M.S.O, Maaco Etobicoke, Ont.

Jehad Sayyah, owner of Maaco Indianapolis, his wife, Inam Sayyah, and their children enjoyed Florida’s sunny skies during the conference.

strategies, the group’s Operations Playbook; the guideline for franchisee’s on how to manage their Maaco centres, the Scale of Purchasing; the term used for the groups combined buying power from more than 4,000 locations, the National Fleet Program; the groups plan to further increase car count, as well as an overhaul to Macco’s marketing approach.

Benjamin summed up Macco’s strategies, “The strategic foundation is in place, and our capability to win in this segment has never been stronger.”

Sabrina Thring, vice president of multi-site operations for Driven Brands.

FinishMaster’s Mike Cohen, marketing brand manager, and Brian Stebbins, national key account manager, set up shop at Maaco.

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DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 73

COMPANY PROFILE

CrashBay.com founder John Harvey is already planning on taking the company across the border.

CRASHBAY’S BOLD PLAN Canadian start-up set to expand

BY GIDEON SCANLON

J

ust six months after its creation, Canadian start-up CrashBay. com, an online portal described as North America’s first online open marketplace for collision repair, is looking to expand into the United States.

The company’s founder, John Harvey, told Collision Repair,“CrashBay is poised to grow to 300 Canadian locations in under 24 months, and plans to launch in the USA in 2020.”

Harvey first pitched the idea of CrashBay to members of the collision industry at the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) in May, with its search engine going live in August.

“Insurers complain that there is a capacity shortage and little they can do to confirm that industry certifications and training exist within independent and non-partner shops. There was a gap in the market

for qualified collision capacity with third-party confirmations–and that was what I set out to provide.”

Offering independent and franchised collision repair facilities access to insurance and other programs, Crashbay.com now has 85 member shops, each of which has undergone a thorough approval process.

“Part of CrashBay’s mission is to be brand-agnostic—we are ultimately a conduit,” says Harvey.

CrashBay is working with an independent auditor to provide coaching, development and audit services to subscriber shops.

All approved members must prove either membership in one of the major industry certifying programs, or prove they have the equipment, tools and training needed to conduct repairs on today’s vehicles.

HOW DOES CRASHBAY WORK? As a member shop: Car owners can view your shop through CrashBay’s website or mobile app.

Insurers may view your shop through a system-integrated locator or CrashBay’s public website at the first notice of loss.

Your shop will have an online calendar, updated daily, where clients and insurers can book directly into your calendar, reducing inbound calls and administrative duties.

Harvey first pitched the idea of CrashBay at CCIF in May, and its search engine went live in August.

For more information, visit CrashBay.com.

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Part of being successful is having a plan, and ensuring the team is onboard with it.

Katelyn flagged by her support team, from the left: Marc, Rocky, Jesse, Katelyn, Dennis, Jeff & Guerino

UNKNOWN OPPORTUNITY What happens when you know absolutely nothing about cars

K

atelyn Tinkis started life after high school like many of us, choosing a field of work she was interested in, and then selecting a post-secondary institution that would help her prepare for that role. She completed career tracks in the areas of human resources management and office administration at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Ontario. Given Katelyn’s exceptional aptitude, it didn’t take her long to find a role in a human resources environment, but she found herself dealing with extensive problems and red tape rather than actually helping those in need. She began to rethink her career choice and came to the conclusion she needed to take a chance on something else.

While previewing job ads on Indeed, she came across a posting to work at Assured as a CSR. Reading the blurb, she was intrigued by the role. Working in a team environment and having formal training in office administration would make her transition into the role a fluid one—but Katelyn knew nothing about cars, other than how to drive one. This didn’t frighten her, though; it was actually what she was looking for, a challenge and a chance to learn something completely new.

Cory Nero and Molly Green were the first two people she saw when she first walked into the Assured facility. What she saw—youth, energy and Molly—made her instantly feel comfortable and gave her the confidence she could make an impact at Assured. What Cory spoke to her about— opportunity and building a future—sold

her on joining the Assured team. Katelyn was hired on November 5, 2018, as a CSR, and in August of 2019, she was offered the role of repair planner.

So you’re probably thinking: when did she learn how to write an estimate? Or learn how to use estimating software? Didn’t she only know how to put gas in a car?!

Katelyn is fiercely driven by the urge to learn, to absorb challenges and overcome VISIT OUR WEBSITE: ASSUREDAUTO.CA

ADVERTORIAL

them. But if you ask her how, in under a year, she secured a role which takes others years to work toward, she will respond by saying,“I have awesome people who believe in me and I am surrounded by a team that supports me.”

When asking a body technician to explain something, they are never bothered and instead look at this as a teaching moment.

They share their expertise with her and in turn, she applies the shared knowledge in a way that makes their jobs easier and more efficient. She remembers Cory never yelled at her when she made a mistake; he would instead ask her,“how can we fix this?”

She got a push from Jason Ryan when he became her mentor and shared with her his operational knowledge and how to be more structured.

Katelyn’s advice to anyone thinking of joining our realm, or are already in it: “No matter what role you are in, learn as much as you can about that role. The skills you learn will overlap with other roles, and these are the building blocks you need for upward mobility in a company. Success won’t fall in your lap, you need to make it happen.”

Funny, Katelyn sounds like she works in HR.

REGIONAL NEWS | BRITISH COLUMBIA

PENTICTON GOES PINK A Speedy Glass location in Penticton partnered with the Canadian Cancer Society for the month of October in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Penticton Speedy Glass, a windshield repair and replacement shop donated two dollars from every pair of windshield wipers sold in October to the Canadian Cancer Society’s Drive Pink campaign.

The Drive Pink program partners the Cancer Society with car dealerships and other auto

service businesses across the country to show support and raise funds for local women battling the disease and providing overall awareness.

“Breast cancer is an issue that affects many local people,” said Fernando Pierri, director of operations for Belron, Speedy Glass’ parent company. “It is for these reasons that we are committed to supporting breast cancer research, services, screening education and awareness work.”

Penticton Speedy Glass donated two dollars from every pair of windshield wipers sold in October to the Canadian Cancer Society.

RED SEAL READY Ashton College has launched a new online program, offering Red Seal preparation courses for six Red Seal trades—including one for automotive technician.

Ashton College—which has two B.C. campuses, one in Vancouver and another in Abbotsford—announced the new prep courses in an October 23 press release. Offered courses include prep for Red Seal’s carpenter,

plumber, construction, electrician, industrial electrician, heavy equipment operator and automotive technician programs.

The prep courses may be pursued from anywhere in Canada and will help students review all the trade-specific concepts and theories necessary to challenge and successfully pass the Red Seal examination.

The online programs will be led by

Ashton College is now offering Red Seal prep courses for six Red Seal trades.

experienced Red Seal certified faculty who will work with students to identify and address the areas they require the most help in.

Regular assignments and multiple-choice tests will aim to prepare students to take on the Red Seal exam with confidence.

“Red Seal gives tradespeople the option to work anywhere across Canada without being stuck to one province or territory, particularly new immigrants,” said Colin Fortes, president of Ashton College. “The program will also appeal to existing tradespeople who may have worked in the field for many years but never really thought about challenging the exam and getting their Red Seal certification.”

The Red Seal program was initially established in 1952 to support the mobility of apprentices and skilled tradespeople across Canada. Today, it is a nationally-recognized standard for skilled trade workers.

Founded in 1998, Ashton College offers career-ready courses and programs in a variety of disciplines, including business, accounting, consulting and more.

EBY’S EFFORTS As the provincial government pushes on with changes designed to rein in injury costs against ICBC, the B.C. Supreme Court ruled that attorney general David Eby acted outside his authority when he imposed restrictions on the number of medical expert reports that can be used in auto insurance court claims.

Back in February, B.C. attorney general Eby announced an attempt to impose a limit on the number of medical experts that can testify in personal injury claims in an effort to curb the ongoing financial bleeding at the ICBC. On October 24, the Chief Justice

of the Supreme Court of British Columbia slapped down Eby’s efforts, calling them unconstitutional.

The ruling could introduce a hurdle for the provincial government, as the change was heralded as a way to save the ICBC more than $400 million a year. When asked whether an appeal will be filed, Eby told a local news source that the government has yet to decide what direction it will go.

“We have 30 days to make a decision about that,” he said.

The ICBC reported a net loss of $1.3 billion

76 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

for its 2017/2018 fiscal year. In February, it reported a net loss of $860 million for the first nine months of its fiscal year.

Many of the attorney general’s suggested changes are facing opposition. Trial lawyers launched a challenge to Eby’s move to impose a $5,500 cap on “pain and suffering” awards in collisions, as well as on moving injury claims below $50,000 to a civil resolution tribunal rather than a court.

Regardless, Eby maintained that the ICBC’s finances are stable and it is projecting a breakeven year.

ALBERTA | REGIONAL NEWS

AFTERMARKET ADJUSTMENT AIA Canada will be absorbing the Canadian Independent Automotive Association (CIAA), which represents a number of repair facilities across Alberta.

Wayne Paulsen, CIAA president and owner of Kingsgate Automotive in Edmonton, Alberta said economic conditions had shrunk the association’s roles and frustrated upcoming plans. CIAA recently approached AIA Canada to discuss the possibility of

shared resources and a closer relationship between the two organizations.

AIA accepted CIAA’s members as part of its automotive service associate program (ASAP), heralding “a great new partnership” between the associations.

In a Facebook Live video, Champagne said the partnership would give CIAA members a national voice, along with allowing AIA Canada to pursue engagement opportunities

in Alberta.

CIAA formed in 2004 with a mission to create a sustainable aftermarket sector while encouraging the advancement of its members. The association represents about 50 independent auto repair businesses across Alberta.

“We’ve had our victories,” said Paulsen.

“We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished.

We’re heading into a new chapter now.”

longer be solely Edmonton-based.

“Now, we’re more Alberta-based and more regional because of it,” explained Mueller.

“That’s ultimately our goal–to expand across Alberta.”

He also mentioned that Herbers would be

looking at other opportunities on the side, whether it be up north or more central Alberta.

“We would like to be in the Red Deer area, we would like to be in the Calgary area, it’s all just predicated on opportunities to look forward to,” said Mueller.

A GRANDE EXPANSION On October 1, Herbers’ Autbody signs went up on the new Grande Prairie facility, marking the end of a four-month operation and the beginning of a new scope for the business.

Fred Mueller, president of Herbers Autobody, reflected on the expansion process.

“It’s been a goal for the past four or five years to look for expansion opportunities,” Mueller said. “We’ve scoped out different markets over the years and felt Grande Prairie would be great for us, but it was both the market and opportunity timings that aligned and allowed us to move forward.”

The new location means the MSO will no

Herbers’ Autobody has opened a new facility in Grande Prairie.

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 77

REGIONAL NEWS | SASKATCHEWAN

PRAIRIE PROGRAM Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) has officially recognized Certified Collision Care as an approved third-party OEM certification program, as part of SGI’s provincial accreditation program and its Safe and Quality Auto Repair project.

The training and tooling incentive was announced by Joe Hargrave, the minister responsible for SGI, on September 21, 2019, at the Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers (SAAR) annual general meeting as one of many changes to its accreditation program designed to ensure a healthy, sustainable collision repair industry.

Certification is awarded to shops that have invested in the tools, equipment and technical training required to repair vehicles to OEM specifications, and who successfully complete the Certified Collision Care assessment, pass an onsite inspection and audit and are then approved by OEM partners.

Facilities that become certified before March 1, 2021, will be eligible for a $6,000 one-time lump-sum payment for meeting the minimum accreditation requirements, plus an additional one-time lump-sum payment of $9,000 for becoming OEM certified (total of $15,000).

In a bulletin, SGI acknowledged that the Safe and Quality Auto Repair project represents “a significant change for the industry.” The bulletin states it is “a big change for repair shops, and it’s a big change for us. As vehicles continue to become more complex, we need to ensure we have an industry capable of repairing them safely.”

The Certified Collision Care program is the largest OEM certification program in Canada. Managing and administering OEM certification programs for Ford, Fiat Chrysler,

78 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Kia, Nissan, Infiniti, Toyota and Lexus, the program represents more than 50 percent of vehicles on today’s roads.

Certified Collision Care Providers gain access to a suite of marketing tools including OEM-certified signage, use of OEM logos, listing on multiple online consumer and insurer-facing locators, press releases, OEM marketing initiatives and customer referrals.

For more information or to join Certified Collision Care, collision repairers can visit certifiedcollisioncare.ca.

SGI now recognizes Certified Collision Care as an approved third-party OEM certification program.

MANITOBA | REGIONAL NEWS

REMEMBERING A REPAIRER The aftermarket industry is mourning the loss of Neil Herbert Creek, who died on September 22, 2019.

Neil began his aftermarket career in July 1979 at Gillis and Warren, part of the Booker Automotive Group in Winnipeg, Man. after graduating from the University of Manitoba.

Shortly thereafter, he transferred to Western Warehouse Distributors, the automotive arm of Acklands Ltd. Throughout Neil’s career he was exposed to many aspects of the automotive aftermarket – warehousing, purchasing, banner programs and of course sales–that which would serve him well in his future.

In the ’80s and ’90s, Acklands Ltd. expanded its Bumper to Bumper program and Neil was transferred to the sales department. In 2001, the Prairie automotive assets of AcklandsGrainger were purchased by Uni-Select Inc. Neil was a valuable asset to the consolidated

organization. He participated in the sale of the Corporate Bumper to Bumper stores to associates, and the consolidation of two automotive distributing center inventories.

Through to his retirement in January of 2019, Neil was the Uni-Select sales and development manager for Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario.

Neil was an active volunteer with AIA (Automotive Industries Association) Manitoba for 20 years. Neil was nominated chairman of the Manitoba Division 2017/2018.

Those who knew Neil personally have offered their condolences.

“I had the pleasure of knowing Neil and working with him for several years at both Acklands and Bumper to Bumper,” wrote one person. “So incredibly sorry to hear of his passing.”

AIA Manitoba said it will make a donation to Cancer Manitoba in Neil’s memory.

The aftermarket mourns the loss of Neil Herbert Creek, who died on September 22, 2019.

RADAR REVIEW The provincial government says it is going to review its photo radar system, a traffic enforcement tool that has been heavily criticized as expensive and inefficient.

Rob Schuler, the province’s infrastructure minister, says the review will look at where and how photo radar is being used on local roads and whether it is actually improving road safety in the areas it has been implemented.

“The current legislation has been in place for 17 years,” said Schuler. “It is time for us to evaluate the system to see if it’s working and where we can make improvements.

Photo radar has been used in many areas of Winnipeg since 2003. There are fixed cameras at many red-light intersections, as well as mobile cameras that are often set up in school and construction zones.

Certain groups, such as WiseUp Winnipeg, a traffic safety advocacy group, argue that

photo radar technology has not improved timely to ensure that the system continues safety, but has served as a money stream for to support its intended goal. the government.

“It’s a little overdue, but it’s welcome news,” said one group member on the government’s review announcement.

The four-month review will look at all traffic enforcement strategies in the province’s road safety plan, but will narrow in on the use of photo radar systems.

“One of the plan’s key principles recognizes that speed is a fundamental factor in the severity of a collision,” said Schuler.“Photo enforcement is intended to reduce speed violations and therefore a review of it within The provincial government is reviewing its the context of all speed-related 17-year-old photo radar legislation. enforcement programming is

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 79

REGIONAL NEWS | ONTARIO

ADAS ADHESIVE After announcing a partnership in July, Ontario’s 407 Express Toll Route and 3M Canada have installed ADAS-optimized marking tapes on 2.5km of the 407 ETR. While much of the work and research around ADAS technology and autonomous vehicles focuses on sensors, software and other in-vehicle technology, 3M and 407 ETR are focusing on improving the roads that ADAS-equipped vehicles are sensing.

The experiment will compare two types of marking tapes: the traditional white version as well as a retro-reflective version with “a unique contrast between black and white.”

The markings are designed to work with how machines read infrastructure and are said to have four strengths: they are reflective when wet, possess a contrast that equals improved lane definition, deliver longlasting performance and assist in improving road conditions for ADAS-enabled vehicles.

The tape has been installed on either side of lane two from east of the Humber River, to Weston Road, in Vaughan.

407 ETR and 3M Canada have installed ADAS-optimized marking tapes on the 407 ETR.

CYBER CHASE After Strathroy-based lightweight automotive metal supplier Meridian Lightweight Technologies suffered a cyber attack in late September, OPP contacted the FBI for assistance in dealing with the matter.

Strathroy police were contacted shortly after the attack was realized. From there, Strathroy contacted the OPP, which then reached out to the FBI for assistance.

The nature of the Meridian cyber attack,

or whether the hackers demanded a ransom from the company to release date, is not yet known. The company has not commented on whether September’s incident affected the plant’s production but, as of Monday, September 30, it said all operations were running normally.

Meridian is a supplier of lightweight cast magnesium and metal solutions for the transportation and automotive industries.

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Considering the company also has plants in the U.S., Mexico and the U.K., the OPP felt it only made sense to contact the FBI for assistance.

The company is also one of Strathroy’s largest employers, with about 600 people working at the town’s plant. Employees have been cautioned to refrain from connecting their laptops to the company’s internet network “until further notice.”

ONTARIO | REGIONAL NEWS

ONTARIO’S ON IT The provincial government is taking steps to address the province’s skills shortage by expanding its investment in preapprenticeship training by more than $2.5 million, the province announced on Nov. 8.

Ontario’s government passed the Modernizing the Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2019 as part of the Protecting What Matters Most, 2019 Budget Act to help transform the skilled trades and apprenticeship program, reduce red tape, and make Ontario open for business and open for jobs.

The province will provide an additional $2.5 million in funding for local colleges and community organizations throughout Ontario to deliver pre-apprenticeship training programs, which give students invaluable experience and knowledge in the trades, as well as foundational job skills needed to secure fulfilling and vibrant jobs.

The expanded investment will fund 91 projects across the province, including the Tropicana Employment Centre’s Auto Body and Collision Damage Repairer program, and will prepare more than 1,800 Ontarians for careers in the skilled trades.

“Since 2009, Tropicana has consecutively delivered a preapprenticeship Level 1 Auto Body program, providing youth with essential collision repair skills and training,” said Vincent Ke, member of provincial parliament for Don Valley North. “Through this program, many youth develop the necessary tools to assist them in gaining meaningful employment in local shops.”

The province has announced additional funding for skilled trades.

TESLA’S TAKEOVER Tesla has mysteriously acquired Hibar Systems, an Ontario-based company that specializes in high-speed battery manufacturing systems for electric vehicles.

It is unclear when Tesla’s acquisition of Hibar Systems took place, but the automaker lists Hibar as a subsidiary in an October 2 filing with the Canadian government.

Further, Hibar’s once-populated website has been reduced to a single page in recent months.

The terms of the deal, including price, were not disclosed.

Hibar was founded in 1974 and has at least 50 employees. In April, the company was awarded a $2 million grant from the National Research Council of Canada to support its efforts to develop lithium-ion battery manufacturing systems.

The move comes in the wake of Tesla’s well-known struggles in manufacturing, having consistently missed its own ambitious production targets. The company has been working on gradually strengthening its portfolio of energy tech companies. In February, it acquired Maxwell Technologies, for US$218 million–a 55 percent premium over its market value.

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 81

REGIONAL NEWS | QUEBEC

UNEARTHED GEM Shop management systems company GEMCAR cut the ribbon to its renovated Montreal headquarters in late October, unveiling the results of a multi-million-dollar expansion and renovation project.

To celebrate the primed and polished renovations, GEM-CAR hosted a grand opening event on the evening of October 24, letting its invited customers and guests explore the facility and its $4 million renovations.

The modernized headquarters includes two floors of offices, a call centre, a new webinar lab and a spacious two-storey atrium. A third floor is dedicated to administration and features a brand-new training centre capable of accommodating more than 60 guests.

According to GEM-CAR, the company will offer its training centre free-of-charge for training events related to the automotive repair and service industries.

“I am very proud to offer my team an amazing headquarters to support our growth and achieve our dream,” said Mathieu Brunel, president of V2V Technologies.“Our employees have access to a modern coffee corner, a beautiful kitchen, a resting area with a foosball table, a gym and finally an amazing rooftop terrace offering a gorgeous view of Montreal.”

Established in 2001, GEM-CAR is an auto repair shop management systems company that offers user-friendly software designed for the automotive, fleet, boat, bike truck and tire industries. The company offers a single-software solution designed to help shops better serve customers by streamlining, strengthening and growing shop operations to achieve heightened customer experience while saving time for both the customer and the shop.

According to GEM-CAR, the company offers its services to thousands of repair facilities and garages across the country, in addition to a roster of more than 200 U.S. customers.

GEM-CAR said it pursued the renovation to support its growth of more than 30 percent each year.

“At GEM-CAR, we aim to make our office a great place to work so we can serve our customers even better,” concluded Brunel.

GEM-CAR cut the ribbon to its new Montreal headquarters in late October.

PAS BIEN POUR LA TERRE TERREBONNE Warehouses A.B., a Quebec-based auto repair wholesaler operating out of the Montreal suburb of Terrebonne, will pay more than half-a-million dollars in environmental fines.

In late October, the company plead to three charges of breaking Canada’s environmental codes for its handling of volatile organic compounds (VOC).

The violations were first brought to the attention of the Department of Environment and Climate Change when its inspectors auto refinishing chemical products VOC concentrations higher than are allowed in Canada. The ministry also says the company did not act on enforcement orders.

On top of the fine, the auto repair supplier must pay the costs of the destruction of the chemical products, which are considered to be illegal imports in Canada.

The company has also had its name registered on the environmental offenders’ registry.

It is believed that the illegally imported, high VOC products were sold to collision repair facilities. Facilities that purchased the products from Warehouses A.B. could also be facing legal trouble.

Repairers wishing to review Canada’s laws on VOC concentration limits will struggle to find the information online. While the government does make the information readily available online, the website was offline at the time this story went to press.

Ironically, the name “Terrebonne” roughly translates into English as “Good Earth.”

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ATLANTIC | REGIONAL NEWS

WINNING WOMAN On October 29, the Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs (NLOWE) hosted its 22nd annual Entrepreneur of the Year awards, dedicated to celebrating local businesswomen. This year, NLOWE honoured seven Newfoundland and Labrador business owners, including Michelle Melendy, CEO of the Western Group of Companies.

Melendy, who owns and operates six local automotive businesses in Corner Brook, N.L., took home the pinnacle Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. Sponsored by RBC Royal Bank, the award recognizes a long-time entrepreneur who has made a significant impact on the economy, and whose success is an inspiration for other businesswomen.

“For me, being in a male-dominated industry, often when I talk to my colleagues across the country the approaches they would take are not what I would do,” said Melendy. “But that’s okay because everybody’s different, and it goes back to what your values are and you need to trust your instincts. I think that, for women, in particular, that’s really important.”

Western Group of Companies is a familyowned business consisting of Western Collision, an autobody repair shop; several automotive dealerships, including Western Toyota, Western

Kia and Western Mazda; Western Motorsports, success is your people,” said Melendy. “We a recreational dealership; as well as Western believe strongly in the importance of team Glass, a commercial glass, door, fabrication development as our competitive advantage and installation service. and invest in it. I don’t feel that I’m totally Melendy grew up in the family business but responsible for our success in the last ten originally opted for a career in social work. In years. I think it’s the team, our leaders and 2001, when her father, Clyde, approached her our employees working together that has got about working the family business, Melendy us where we are today.” took a leave from her position as regional NLOWE’s awards ceremony, now in its 22nd year, is supported by the federal government director of mental health to help out.

But before the year was over, she resigned through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities fully and embraced the family business under Agency and the government of Newfoundland her father’s direction. From 2009 to 2016 and and Labrador. under Melendy’s leadership, Western Group of Companies saw dealership sales revenue grow by 90 percent, with total sales of up to $100 million.

Western Group of Companies remains active in the Corner Brook community—the company even hosted a concert and classic car show this past July.

Despite the success of her businesses, Melendy credits her team for all their hard work.

Michelle Melendy, CEO of Western Group of Companies.

“I think the key to your

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 83

ADHESIVES

THE STICKING POINTS What your business needs to know about the changing role of adhesives in the collision industry

I

n the collision industry, it isn’t always easy to see where things are going, but one idea that seems to be sticking in the minds of industry analysts is that structural adhesives are going to start playing a much bigger role in repairs—they could soon replace rivets and even some welds. The idea is, of course, controversial.

The use of glue in structural repairs resulted in the multi-million-dollar judgement against an American repair business in the John Eagle case. But times are changing—just like the materials in vehicle construction.

For a long time, structural glues were best suited to binding thin and light materials.

Until recently, mechanical fasteners had the edge of chemical adhesives in bonding together dissimilar materials, though neither were particularly good at the job.

This is no longer the case, and the strength of acrylic adhesives is greater than rivets in this regard. In fact, some modern structural adhesives are capable of feats once unimaginable—like bonding together different plastics at a molecular level and maintaining strong and longer-lasting adhesion than welds or rivets.

The reason for this change?

A revolutionary discovery that changed the approach taken by industrial adhesive researchers

around the world.

“I call it my ‘Eureka!’ moment. I realized that the key lay is saturating the adhesive with an adhesion accelerator, which intensifies chemical reactions,” says discoverer Don Meyers.

“The process is quick, easy and, after 30 days of curing, the structural integrity is there.”

It isn’t just adhesives enthusiasts who are actively promoting an increased role for their chemical compounds in the repair of automobiles—OEMs are too.

With its use of steel and aluminum, the F-150 turned to an epoxy-based structural adhesive to support the binding of the two metals.

General Motors also made use of them in

the body of the Cadillac CT6. Its 2020 model, composed of a number of different steels and aluminum parts, will also be bound together with structural adhesives.

Adhesives have other advantages over mechanical fasteners as well, being both faster to use and less dependent on equipment. While advances in chemistry ever allowing them to completely replace welds may still sound like a long shot, their rapid replacement of rivets has left many riveted.

We’re sure your eyes will be glued to the next few pages, where you will see sets of game-changing adhesives. Get stuck in it!

“A stronger chemical reaction generates a stronger bond. Every time. Regardless of the material. Whether the substrate is to itself or to another type of material.”

—Don Meyers, an adhesive process pioneer and inventor of the first polymer bonding process to bond dissimilar materials at a molecular level.

Don Meyers, founder of Tech Bond Solutions.

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ADHESIVES

SUPER FAST PLASTIC REPAIR 3M Canada The designers of this high-performance two-part semi-rigid urethane adhesive can be pretty boastful about everything their product can do. According to 3M Canada, it will not run or snag, and is even good at filling wide gaps.

Consisting of a base and accelerator, the two-parts are always mixed together curing quickly after it gels. It is designed to be dispensed with the 3M Automix Dispenser.

3mcanada.ca

PROFESSIONAL GOLD BODY FILLER 3M Canada Ah, Bondo—the iconic body filler. While famous for its easy application, sandability and smoothness, today’s Professional Gold Body Filler formulation, designed by 3M for use by industry professionals, fully cures in 21 minutes. Made using polyester resin, the this body filler adheres securely to galvanized and e-coated surfaces, fibreglass, wood and steel.

3mcanada.ca

INSTANT ADHESIVE GEL Finixa Careful! with its ability to bond a wide range of materials quickly, you might just find yourself stuck on Finixa’s Instant Adhesive Gel. The formulation has a medium viscosity, and cures at room temperature. Heck it even works on vehicle interiors—it can be used to bond porous materials like woods, paper, leathers and fabrics.

finixa.com

SPRAYABLE SEAM SEALER SERIES Wurth Canada Wurth Canada’s Sprayable Seam Sealer Series is a water-proof MS polymer-based sealant range that is best used with a caulking or spray gun. Free of isocyanate it effectively bonds to steel, aluminum, galvanized metal, fiberglass, urethane, epoxy, polyester, water-based primers, glass, and many plastics. According to Wurth Canada, the sealer is fully cured in a matter of 24 hours and doesn’t require a primer. wurth.ca

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 85

ABRASIVES

THE ROUGH STUFF Making the tough choice on what abrasives to use in your collision repair facility

M

removal of old varnish. Coarse sanding provides comprehensive solutions for the cutting of automotive body parts and sanding weld seams, burrs, compact areas, old varnish, rust, stone guards, beading and edges. The basic process can also remove plastic film and any adhesive residues.

Repair sanding involves rebuilding various layer thicknesses by using proper filling and sanding methods. It can be completed with a machine or manually for paint removal and sanding out scratches, as well as for fine sanding of edges, curves and surfaces. The process is typically applied to primer filler, which is finely sanded using either manual or machine-driven methods. It is also used in dust removal and refining and offers effective sanding solutions for electro-deposit primer-coated new parts and ultrahard factory primers.

Professional “The technical complexity of vehicles has treatment of clear significantly changed in recent years, meaning lacquers calls for

aterials and their requirements in the collision repair industry are subject to constant, ongoing technological change and know no bounds. The entire industry is constantly facing new challenges, and that includes abrasive products.

Changes to abrasive materials may seem undetectable to the naked eye, but, in recent years, even products as seemingly simple as a sheet of sandpaper have undergone dramatic changes. Manufacturers have created new materials and processes which enable them to make changes on a nano-scale. The very grit itself is different—when viewed under a microscope, modern abrasives look very different from traditionally offered products.

There is a variety of sanding methods available to collision repairs, including coarse sanding, repair sanding and lacquer sanding. Abrasives also come in several different mediums, including discs, sheets and file sheets, sponges and scuff pads and wet sanding materials.

Coarse sanding products can offer technical support for process-oriented cutting, sanding off and flatting, sanding any hard-to-reach areas, smooth sanding of stone guards and

the paint shop has to meet certain requirements in regard to efficiency, process reliability and investment in order to be well-prepared for the future. This means clearly defined products and grit increments that are matched to the paint material used, all with the aim of making the painter’s jobs easier and achieving a top finish faster.”

-- Peter Eggenberger, industrial consultant at sia Abrasives.

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specially co-ordinated sanding and polishing systems. Lacquer sanding is applied to conventional and reflow lacquers as well as scratch-resistant, hard clear lacquers through wet sanding. It can also be applied for flatting surfaces, dry sanding, scuffing, fine sanding and moist sanding for a desired orange-peel effect.

When it comes down to the nitty-gritty, picking an abrasive that is right for you, your business and its operations can be a tough choice. A glance through the following pages of abrasives should help to smooth out your worries.

ABRASIVES

SPIES HECKER PREMAHYD SANDING PASTE 1120 Axalta Axalta’s ready-to-use Premahyd sanding paste is said to be easy to use, especially when trying to get those hard-to-reach areas not quite reachable by a sheet of sandpaper. The paste can be thinned out with water to create a sanding solution suitable for prepping blending areas. The paste contains thousands of tiny microcrystals that are said to create a homogeneous, flat surface when applied. The paste comes in cases of six, with each bottle containing about 650ml (22 oz.) of product. products.axaltacs.com

SURE-SOLVE UNIVERSAL SOLVENT CLEANER Dominion Sure Seal This solvent blend by Dominion Sure Seal is designed to safely and effectively remove sealants, adhesives, waxes and most other contaminants from painted and non-painted surfaces. It is said to be ideal for cleaning up uncured urethanes with minimal mess.

Rapid-acting and scent-free, this solvent blend can also be used to remove stains, grease spots and other related messes from interior fabrics and upholstery. It is available in four sizes: one quart, 454 grams, four litres, or 20-litre cans or canettes.

dominionsureseal.com

DUST FREE SANDING COMBI-WORKSTATION Pro Spot Pro Spot’s Dust-Free Sanding Combi-Workstation is designed to keep any repairer’s work-environment clean and safe. Saving money and time, the Combi-Workstation does not require electricity, and runs off of a low-air flow, keeping distracting noises to a minimum while saving on air compressor needs and unnecessary extra costs.The sanding system comes with everything a repairer would need to perform any task that requires efficient and safe sanding. Included in the kit is a Dual Action Sander, a Sanding Block, and a complete selection of ProSpot’s Sanding Discs, disposable Anti-Static Vacuum Bags and much more. prospot.com

PALM SANDER Finixa Cute, coy and just a little bit sassy, this 75mm orbital palm sander has a precision-engineered grip that provides users with the ability to work in comfort and in control. The peppy little tool is equipped with a built-in regulator for accurate speed control, and features a muffler system to reduce sound. While it might be small, the tools engine runs at 13,000 rpms. finixa.com

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 87

ABRASIVES

SUPER ASSILEX 3-INCH SUPER-TACK DISCS Eagle Abrasives These three-inch super-tack discs from Eagle Abrasives are said to work well in completing small jobs and reaching any hard-to-reach areas. Available in three trendy pastel shades—tastefully named “orange”, “lemon” and “sky” by the company—the discs have sanding speeds ranging from ±P320 to ±P800 and finish equivalents between >P600 and >P1200. The discs are designed for use with most three-inch pal sanders or the Kovac mini-sander and each box comes with one interface pad. eagleabrasives.com

ALUGRIND MINI FLAP DISCS Extreme Abrasives These mini flap discs from Extreme Abrasives are said to be an effective solution when it comes to the grinding and finishing of aluminum and soft metals. The symmetric net structure of ABRANET MAX abrasive material allows for efficient cuts and consistent stock removal while reducing the number of steps in the process for finishing aluminum.

Extreme Abrasives maintains its discs will enable clog-free grinding without generating excessive heat. The discs are designed for longevity, resulting in fewer discs required to complete a job, saving a business money. extremeabrasives.com

S PERFORMANCE SANDING DISCS Sia Abrasives The high level of efficiency of the S Performance sanding discs from sia Abrasives is the result of an optimised hole pattern. The high concentration of holes in the core zone increases the extraction performance, which reduces dust exposure for employees and accelerates the cleaning of work pieces and machines. Moreover, it also reduces the risk of blockage for the disc, which significantly increases the disc’s lifetime and removal rate and reduce life-cycle costs as well. The center hole on the new sanding discs facilitates the positioning of the disc on the machine, and makes it possible to mount it without any issues. This new convenient feature is the response to a frequent request from users. siaabrasives.com

G3 PREMIUM ABRASIVE COMPOUND Farecla Farecla’s G3 Premium Abrasive Compound is the designed to remove P1500 or finer sanding marks from all modern paint systems, while leaving a swirl free, high gloss finish.

G3 Premium has a transparent characteristic which allows the operator to see the work area when compounding, which can prevent unnecessary delays caused by checking that the job is complete. The G3 Premium Abrasive Compound is designed to be clean in use, easy-to-remove and work with all paint types. farecla.com

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TOW TIME

Introducing Canadian Towing Professional, a new magazine from Media Matters Inc. Media Matters is embarking on a new mission—to bring the industry news that matters to Canada’s towing community in a sharp, tightly written magazine—Canadian Towing Professional. Dedicated to improving the image of the industry, CTP is dedicated to celebrating the heroes, industry best practices and novel strategies being pursued by members of Canada’s towing sector.

For close to twenty years, Media Matters’ coverage of the collision repair and auto recycling sectors have been celebrated by both areas of the automotive aftermarket. That dedication is why both are the most widely read Canadian publications in their respective fields.

With more than half of Canada’s towing businesses owned by collision repair or auto recycling facilities, the towing community has a vested interest in many of the issues Media Matter’s editorial team are experts in. What is more, more than half of Canada’s 3,000 towing businesses are already readers of the publisher’s other magazines!

PREVIEW

IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL How Abrams Towing CEO Joey Gagne started a towing empire with $2,500 and an old tow truck

J

oey Gagne grew up in the towing industry with his parents owning a local towing company so, naturally, he was hooked from an early age. As soon as he hit 16, he began working as tow truck operator for his parents and briefly left the industry as a teen for a job at a local pizza joint, where he met his wife.

But, even as a waiter, Joey couldn’t stop thinking or talking about tow trucks and the surrounding industry. Finally, his wife said,“you’re always talking about tow trucks, why don’t you buy a tow truck and start your own business?”

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So he did.

Back in 1984 a 19-year-old Joey Gagne loaned $2,500 from his mother-in-law to start his own towing business. Now, Gagne, CEO of Abrams Towing Group, manages 200 employs at more than nine locations in Ontario.

Collision Repair sat down with Gagne—who even holds a place in the International Towing Museum’s hall of fame—to hear how broke into the business and built a successful towing company in today’s competitive market.

TOW TIME

Collision Repair: How did you first get into the towing industry?

Joey Gagne: My parents owned a towing

company, so I grew up around it and got hooked. When I was old enough to drive, I drove a tow truck for them.

Once I met my wife, she kept saying,‘you’re always talking about tow trucks, why don’t you buy a tow truck and start your own business?’

She came from a family of business owners and so did I, so it seemed logical to me, but I didn’t have any money.

So, her mother lent me $2,500 and I went out to find myself an old tow truck. I found one that no one was using, and I pestered the owner for a few months before he eventually sold it to me for $1,500. After that, I was off to the races.

It took a lot of help from my wife, my family, but we did it. That was 36 years ago now.

CR: How was it starting the business?

JG: I started kind of blind, really. I was 19 and, because I had been around towing, I thought I knew the business, so it took me a little while to realize what I didn’t know. I just went into it and did what I had to do. There

was lots of trial and error. I didn’t work up to it at all — I quit my job in May 1984 and started the business the following September.

CR: 1996 was a big year for Abrams Towing in terms of growth. Could you talk a little more about that?

JG: We were really interested in diversifying the business and opening a mix of new locations. In early 1995 we opened a location in Mississauga, so that really got us into our initial diversification. We then had the capabilities to carry some of our relationships into different territories and it worked out very well for us.

Then the winter came, and we started brainstorming for other cities and, slowly but surely, it all started coming together.

We’ve also had a lot of exclusive contracts with government agencies and police departments. In 1996 we had a contract with the Toronto police, which was a new type of business for us that helped us grow a bit more.

We just made sure we kept doing business with as many different people as we could.

CR: What are some misconceptions in the industry?

Joey Gagne, CEO of Abrams Towing, even holds a spot in the International Towing Museum’s Hall of Fame.

JG: There’s a lot of confusion as to what we

represent and who we are. We represent regular people—sometimes people have a misconception of this big, burly tow truck driver that lives on the shady side of life. But our guys are nice; they go out there providing great service and protecting people from bad situations.

Sometimes customers are surprised; the public hears a lot about negative experiences with tow truck drivers and they tend to generalize.

It doesn’t matter if there are a thousand good guys to one bad guy, we all get painted with the same brush. It’s not unusual for us to be misrepresented, but that’s not who most of us are.

CR: Who or what was your biggest inspiration throughout your business development?

JG: My wife. She’s been my rock and my

biggest supporter all the way through. She encouraged me to start my business and helped me through thick and thin. She really helped me elevate the business to a level I don’t think I would have been able to achieve without her.

HAUL YOUR MESSAGE HOME! Advertise with Canadian Towing Professional TODAY! Visit towpromag.com today to order for 2020!

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 91

TOWING NEWS

TOW-RONTO In early October Toronto launched a sixweek towing blitz in the city’s downtown core, targeting vehicles that are illegally blocking lanes during rush hours.

On October 4, Toronto mayor John Tory announced that the city will be launching a towing pilot project to remove illegally parked vehicles from Queen Street. The project began October 7 and was scheduled to continue for six-to-eight weeks.

During those weeks, Toronto tow trucks will patrol a 13-kilometre stretch, removing illegally parked vehicles between the Fallingbrook Road and Queen Street East intersection all the way through Roncesvalles Avenue and Queen Street West.

The city has dedicated about $80,000 in funds the for the pilot project. Similar towing endeavours have launched in the past, but Tory has maintained that this project is different, as vehicles will be towed to spots on nearby sidestreets rather than an impound lot. That way, tow trucks will have can get back onto Queen Street to

continue towing in a more timely matter.

If someone suspects their vehicle has been towed, they are advised to call the Toronto police non-emergency line, where they will be told the location of their vehicle.

While the towing fee will be waived for Toronto’s offenders, drivers will be issued a $150 no-stopping ticket.

“I think everybody in the city has felt the frustration of sitting behind a vehicle with its flashers on,” said Tory. “Traffic congestion that is caused by illegally parked vehicles is dangerous and frustrating.”

In 2018, officials said that nearly 11,000 no-stopping tickets were issued on Queen Street during rush hours, forcing 2,400 vehicles to be towed.

Tory said the city is targeting Queen Street based on its public transit accessibility;

Toronto mayor John Tory launched a towing blitz on the city’s downtown core in early Oct.

illegally parked cars and trucks have been hindering public transit vehicles, delaying them from completing scheduled routes in a timely manner.

The city has also installed Bluetooth monitoring software on the street to measure traffic flow and determine the project’s overall effeciency. If successful, the project could become a permanent practice.

MAINTENANCE MERGER Two Alberta businesses—a towing company and a landscape maintenance company—announced a merger in mid-October, forming one of Canada’s largest municipal external service providers.

The merger is between City Wide Towing and Recovery Service, a Calgary, Alta.-based towing service, and ULS Maintenance and Landscaping in Rocky View, Alta. ULS provides snow and ice management, garbage

collection, landscape maintenance and other related services to municipal and commercial clients across Western Canada.

Signal Hill Equity Partners provided growth capital for the transaction. According to the companies, the new partnership will form a market leader in exterior services, with more than 500 employees and five operational hubs in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The new company will serve more than 30 towns, cities and

City Wide Towing and ULS Maintenance have announced a merger, forming one of Canada;s largest municipal service providers.

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municipalities. The two companies said the transaction creates Western Canada’s largest diversified municipal external services company.

“We are looking forward to working with ULS,” said Eytan Broder, CEO of City Wide Towing. “By partnering with Western Canada’s largest landscape maintenance and snow removal company, we are executing on our strategy of building a diversified national municipal and commercial services provider.”

City Wide Towing has provided towing and recovery services across Alberta since 1963. Its services include towing, equipment transportation, boosting, lockouts, fuel delivery, tire changes and other specialty services in the surrounding areas. According to the company, it operates the largest towing and recovery fleet in Western Canada, providing services to various auto clubs, insurance companies, equipment rental companies, auto dealerships and municipalities.

Established in 1989, ULS has provided year-round services in landscape design, construction, maintenance, and snow and ice management to clients in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

A FOND FAREWELL Ontario towers pay tribute to friend and colleague

T

he endless rows of parking at the Pickering Flea Markets were lit up by the lights of Ontario’s towers on November 13 as the industry gathered to honour Todd Burgess, who tragically died in a roadside accident on November 7.

More than 30 towers and trucks gathered for Todd’s Last Ride, a memorial to honour their fallen colleague and dedicated towing professional.

Todd Burgess was a 56-year-old tower and former taxi driver lovingly known around town as “the unofficial Mayor of Port Perry.”

He was attending a call when a car struck him on Highway 12, near Port Perry, Ont.

He died on the scene.

“Todd would have given anyone the shirt off his back before they even asked,” said Todd’s friend and co-worker Brad Fenney.

“We’re setting up this GoFundMe in hopes of being able to raise enough money to give him the proper send-off that he deserves.”

Though the Nov. 13 gathering spawned from tragedy, towers were eager to converse with their peers and other guests—especially where the subject of roadside safety was involved.

“It’s just a shame that something like this has to happen to get people’s attention,” one tower told Collision Repair. “People need to

56-year-old tow truck operator Todd Burgess was killed in a roadside accident on Nov. 7.

move over when they see emergency lights.”

Police in the Greater Toronto Area are cautioning drivers, advising them to slow down and even prepare to stop when they see emergency towing lights.

“When you see flashing lights, just slow down, move over, give them space,” said OPP Sargeant Kerry Schmidt. “They are trying to clear the scenes and highways and make the roads safe for everybody else.”

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up in honour of Todd.

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 93

RECYCLING

From left: Carolyn, Justin and Michael Carcone of Carcone’s Auto Recycling and Gloria Mann.

RECYCLING REGISTRATION Registration now open for the 2020 OARA Convention and Trade Show

G

E AV

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ear up, auto recyclers— registration for the 2020 OARA Convention and Trade Show is now open.

Next year’s event will be held from Thursday, March 26 through Sunday, March 29 at the Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale in Mississauga, Ont. It will feature a portfolio of exciting events, including a trade show, comprehensive industry seminars and some exciting new changes.

There are two notable changes this year:

first, the event will end at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 29 so that those not staying over may travel home safely without missing any of the convention’s compelling content.

Second, the OARA is adding a technology lab on the morning of Saturday, March 28 to extend the educational portion of the trade show and allow tech-oriented vendors to train, answer questions and demonstrate different aspects of their solutions and capabilities.

As in previous years, renewing direct members will receive one complimentary full registration—but you are still required to register for the convention in order to claim this benefit.

The technology lab at the Hilton Mississauga/ Meadowvale will provide an area for all software, data, technology-based vendors to set up training and demonstration tables. The lab will operate from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and will serve as an opportunity to specifically address

Becky Berube, president of the United Catalyst Corp., and Al Berube at last year’s convention.

software issues, training needs and to preview products not already being used. The open format aims to allow vendors and trainers to tailor assistance to the needs of each user.

So far year’s confirmed vendors are Buddy Automotive Innovations, Car-Part.com, Hollander, Power DB by Solex and more to come.

Industry juggernaut Lee Worman, who grew up in auto recycling and has won five President’s Club awards from LKQ Corporation, will serve as a featured keynote speaker during the event. Mike Kunkel, owner of Profit Team Consulting, will also be in attendance, delivering informative tidbits sure to benefit your company.

“We are well over half full for the trade show,” said the OARA. “And the hotel is filling up— don’t delay in booking a room if you know you are coming as the hotel and our room block will fill up!”

For more information, visit oara.com/ events.

AUTO RECYCLING CONVENTION MEADOWVALE 2020 Hilton Meadowvale Mississauga Hotel

MARCH 26-29 To book Exhibit Space or Sponsorship contact: Steve Fletcher 519.858.8761 or steve@oara.com

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Steve Fletcher , OARA’s executive director; Scott Robertson Jr., owner of Robertson’s Auto Salvage; Andrew MacDonald, owner of Maritime Auto Parts; and Chad Counselman, owner of Counselman Automotive Recycling and incoming ARA president at the 2019 OARA Convention.

METAL MEDDLERS

SEEING GREEN

Police in Hamilton, Ontario have seen more than 61 catalytic converter thefts on their streets since May of this year. Catalytic converters contain high-value metals–like platinum, palladium, rhodium, copper, nickel, cerium, iron, and manganese–that can easily and undetectably be sold to scrap metal yards. Precious metal prices have skyrocketed in recent months, providing ample motivation for thieves to target the crucial car part. There have been 61 reported catalytic converter thefts since this past May. Most of the incidents occurred overnight, but there have also been a few brazen daytime attempts, where thieves crawled under parked vehicles and cut out the converter in two minutes or less.

Hamilton police arrested David Stewart, of no fixed address, in connection with the crimes.

Two OEMs appear to be muscling into the auto recycling industry on a massive scale. Suzuki and Toyota have announced a collaborative venture to open vehicle dismantling facilities in India.The OEMs expect to open a facility based in Noida, in the northern province of Uttar Pradesh, in 2020. It is reportedly being designed to dismantle 24,000 vehicles each month. “Scrapping of older vehicles in a scientific and environment-friendly manner will help reduce pollution and also make roads safer,” said Suzuki’s Indian subsidiary director Kenichi Ayukawa. “A team of experts at [Toyota’s Indian subsidiary] will dismantle the vehicles using international technology and global standards.” While the number of other facilities planned is unknown, the companies plan to construct several before the end of 2021.

ION THE FUTURE Akira Yoshino, a professor at Meijo University in Nagoya, Japan has been awarded the Nobel prize in chemistry for his development of lithium-ion batteries–the most popular battery used in modern EVs. Yoshino predicts that EVs will make up 15 percent of new car sales by 2025, though the world will need to be able to meet higher demands for nickel and cobalt–a dependency that may only be feasible through recycling batteries. In his acceptance speech, Yoshino spoke about environmental issues, maintaining that “the words of a Nobel laureate can be a significant message to the world.”

DECEMBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 97

LAST WORD

ADVERTISER INDEX COMPANY

PAGE

3M Automotive .........................35 AkzoNobel ............................... 11 Arslan Automotive ................... 25 Assured Automotive ...............751 Audatex | Solera .......................26 AutoQuip .................................. 65 Axalta ...................................... BC BASF........................................... 4 Betag........................................ 49 Car-Part.com ........................... 96 Carcone’s Auto Recycling ....... 97 Cardinal Couriers .....................79 CARSTAR Canada ....................71 Color Compass ........................80 DentFix ......................................64 Dominion Sure Seal ..................13 Fix Auto Canada .......................61 Formula Honda .........................88 Garmat ......................................81 Global Finishing Solutions .......77 Hail Specialist ...........................45

PRIORITIES IN DISORDER Are OEMs putting safety before profit? Not yet.

BY GIDEON SCANLON

I

n January, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of Global Automakers issued a joint statement about OEM repair procedures.

“All post-collision vehicle repairs must be conducted in accordance with the repair procedures issued by the vehicle’s original equipment manufacturer (OEM), specific to that vehicle’s year, make, and model,” wrote the Association. “This includes any directives contained therein relative to pre- and post-scanning of vehicle systems.”

It continued with a stark warning for industry professionals: “Failure to follow OEM repair procedures in the course of a post-collision repair should be considered an unauthorized modification of a vehicle and its systems, introducing the potential for bodily injury and death to any future drivers and occupants of the vehicle, as well as occupants in other motor vehicles on the roadway.”

A cynic might crib the message as: do as we say,

make a business case, but difficult to see how this restriction on access prioritizes safety over profitability. Surely, if manufacturers want all repairs to follow their proscribed procedures, they should be published in a free-to-access manner. When it comes to procedural databases, doubts are frequently cast on the accuracy of some procedures.

This magazine has been alerted to examples of differences between third-party procedures ostensibly written by OEMs, and the original documents. While this may not be the fault of OEMs, the information would be reduced by providing across-the-board access to the latest procedures.

The greatest irony is that, though manufacturers may be the best-placed group to decide what is needed to return a vehicle to pre-accident condition, they do not come up with procedures in a vacuum. Procedural guides are thorough, but they also undergo frequent updates as automakers respond to new collision information. In

Impact........................................95 KIA ............................................. 7 LKQ ...................................... 18,19 Martech ....................................12 Max Flow Maintenance Inc. .....54

And as “an automaker’s top priority is its customers’ safety,” it is also an automaker’s duty to work closely with auto repairers.

Nitroheat ...................................33 Polyvance .................................78 PPG Canada ............................2,3 ProSpot ................................... 8,9 SATA Canada ............................39 Spanesi .................................... 31 Steck ........................................ 82 Thorold Auto Parts....................83 Valspar...................................... 99 WD CO-Auto............................. 68 Wurth........................................ 22

or suffer the potential legal consequences. This magazine is not written by cynics. While the rest of the note may seek to absolve manufacturers for any liability resulting from repairers performing off-book procedures, it opened with a statement describing the accepted duty common to all of its signatory members.

“An automaker’s top priority is its customers’ safety, as is safeguarding the overall health of the motor vehicle fleet utilizing our nation’s shared roadways every day.”

While this magazine is prepared to take manufacturers at their word, it notes that they have failed in their expressed duty. Rather than improving access to procedures and the parts required, most OEMs have taken steps to restrict them. This gives certified and branded repair businesses an advantage over their peers, or to the repair procedure database provider of choice.

As for prioritizing branded facilities, it is easy to

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several cases, remote diagnostic repair providers have contributed to the writing of OEM procedures. In turn, providers have relied on information direct from auto repairers.

This should, of course, be celebrated—but it shows the more feedback manufacturers get from those actually repairing vehicles, the better they can write out procedures. And, as “an automaker’s top priority is its customers’ safety,” it is also an automaker’s duty to work closely with auto repairers.

This magazine welcomes the day they live up to their word.

Gideon Scanlon is the editor of Collision Repair magazine. He can be reached at 905-549-0454 or by email at gideon@ mediamatters.ca.