Bodyworx Professional 4#3

special edition of

SPECIAL FEATURE: THE WORLD OF FLEET REPAIR

PRIME TIME Tips and tricks from the pros on the best ways to use primer

YOUNG GUN

HIS TORY STOR Y

LESSON

Emilie Duguay is serious about her passions

Students restore 50 year old Ford Falcon to celebrate Fanshawe College’s 50th

+ Plus An inside scoop on I-CAR’s most popular course, painters meet their matches at PPS World Cup and much, much more!

October 2017

l

$7.95

l

Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40841632

l 86 John Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 1Y2

40

CONTENTS

cover story 15 Falcon’s Rise Fanshawe College brings iconic Ford Falcon back to life for the school’s 50th anniversary. regulars World Class

4 Publisher’s Page

Expert painters from around the world show off their skills and style at the 3M PPS World Cup Event.

by James Kerr

6 News The Sam Piercey Foundation awards bursaries, and much, much more!!!

42 Education

by Bill Speed

44 Industry Insight

by Mark Millson

46 Final Detail

by Mike Davey

28

45

Corporate Builds

Young Gun

360 Fabrication takes custom coorporate vehicles one, or seven, steps further.

Emilie Duguay fights for what she wants. And what she wants is to excel in this industry.

10

features New Products 20 Career Profile

36 School Profile

The twisting journey that led John Turner to become head of SATA Canda.

BCIT offers courses in bodywork, painting and vehicle restoration.

24 Tech Talk

38 WorldSkills Competitor

Industry expert Justin Jimmo explains when we should use various types of primers.

Vyolaine Dujmovic on training, influences and inspirations.

32 Rare Repair

43 Serious Skills

Fleet repair facilities help keep city owned vehicles working great.

I-CAR has a Trends and Technology course. Learn what it’s all about.

DeVilbiss Automotive Refinishing has introduced the new TEKNA Clearcoat Spray Gun.

on the cover: Fanshawe College students Garrett Kemp, Dustin Haycock and Mike Laframboise. Photo

by Kyle Rooks.

October 2017 bodyworx professional

3

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

Repairing Lives You’re fixing more than the car

Publishing Director James Kerr 416.628.8344 james@mediamatters.ca EDITorial Director Mike Davey 905.549.0454 editor@collisionrepairmag.com EDITorS Erin McLaughlin 905.370.0101 erin@collisionrepairmag.com Alex Dugas 905.370.0101 alex@collisionrepairmag.com

James Kerr

W

h e n t h e b a c k of m y w i fe ’s car met with a concrete post, she was distraught. When she pulled away and her bumper stayed behind, she got angry.

“Parking lots are the worst!” she said, blaming the grocery store, a car manufacturer, and even the way bumpers are made today versus the imagined construction of yesteryear she has in her head. She was lashing out, because she was shaken up.

It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind of the shop and forget that this car isn’t just an object, or a puzzle to solve.

To the customer who brought it in, their car is a special place. My wife, for one, spends more waking hours commuting during the week than she does at home.

somehow she thought this would guard her against any in the future. The longer she went without an accident, the worse it was going to feel when it happened. I’m sure this is a familiar story.

And, to no surprise, the shop was very kind.

It may not feel like it sometimes because there’s so much work to do in the day, but you help people. You are stewards of safety in a frightening world.

People come to you shaken and unsure. You make sure they leave again with confidence, a feeling of safety, and security.

When my wife came to pick up the car she was an entirely different person, as far as the shop was concerned.

She was downright bubbly. It was like

Putting a car back together also rebuilds someone’s life.

Spending this much time in a vehicle, it can become more than familiar to you, it can feel like you. When my wife had to bring her car into the shop, she said it was like bringing her dog to the vet.

Working in collision repair, you’re not just repairing a car; you’re putting a life back together.

Sure, the collision repair industry doesn’t get recognition for this the way a doctor, firefighters or even vets do, but collision repair still helps people re-assemble their lives after something has gone wrong. Putting a car back together also rebuilds someone’s life.

I’m afraid that at our local collision repair shop, she wasn’t easy to deal with.

It was her first accident, and I think

4

PUBLISHER Darryl Simmons 647.409.7070 publisher@collisionrepairmag.com

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

getting her dog back from the vet, she said. She got her car back, which feels like her. She got to be home again.

She may spend thousands more hours commuting in that car. You rebuilt that dream.

I know the shop can be a busy place, but remember to take the time to appreciate that you’re not just doing something important, you’re doing something good.

A little pat on the back wouldn’t hurt.

Creative Department Michelle Miller 905.370.0101 michelle@mediamatters.ca Greg Smith 905.370.0101 Staff writer Jeff Sanford jeff@collisionrepairmag.com VP Industry Relations & Advertising Gloria Mann 647.998.5677 advertising@collisionrepairmag.com Managing Director iMM/Director Business Solutions & Marketing Ellen Smith 416.312.7446 ellen@mediamatters.ca SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER Mike Cameron 905.370.0101 mike@mediamatters.ca Contributors Rick Francouer, Mark Millson, Bill Speed, Justin Jimmo SUBSCRIPTION One-year $29.95 / Two-year $49.95

Bodyworx Professional™ is published bi-monthly, and is dedicated to serving the business interests of the collision repair industry. It is published by Media Matters Inc. Material in Bodyworx Professional™ 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, statements appearing in this publication are those of the writers and editors themselves, and are in no way to be construed as statements, positions or endorsements by the publisher.

PRINTED IN CANADA ISSN 1707-6072 CANADA POST CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES PRODUCT AGREEMENT No. 40841632 RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED Send change of address notices and undeliverable copies to: 455 Gilmour St., Peterborugh ON K9H 2J8

“We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.”

Bodyworx Professional is published by Media Matters Inc., publishers of:

>>>

NEWS

Sam Piercey Foundation awards initial bursaries Skills Canada recently announced that the Sam Piercey Foundation has agreed to award financial assistance to each of the four winners of the 2017 National Skills Competitions for automotive paint and body repairs.

Each winner of the 2017 Skills Canada competition for automotive paint and body repair will receive a bursary of $800 on behalf of the Sam Piercey Foundation.

The Sam Piercey Foundation partnered with Skills Canada to recognize students who are competing nationally in body repair and paint competitions. Winning students will be provided with the bursary to be utilized for tuition and other recognized post-secondary courses in the collision and paint industry.

Budds’ has committed to funding the first five years of recipients’ awards as the Foundation continues to grow.

The winners of the Sam Piercey Foundation’s first annual bursaries are: Autobody Repair • Colin Bailey (ON), Gold Post-Secondary • Gabriel Richer-Guinard (QC), Gold Secondary Car Painting • Jaycobb Hooper (NB), Gold Post-Secondary • Matthew Norris (ON), Gold Secondary “We would like to thank the Foundation for this generous contribution,” says Shaun Thorson, CEO, Skills/Compétences Canada. “It’s with contributions like this that we continue to encourage and reinforce the passion young Canadians have for skilled trades careers.”

Sam Piercey was the co-owner of Budds’ Collision in Oakville, Ontario. Piercey passed away on July 24, 2016 as a result of complications arising due to leukemia. Piercey was well-known in the industry for his strong opinions and his willingness to voice them. He was also widely known for his willingness to mentor young technicians and shop owners, helping them to understand the collision repair industry.

The Sam Piercey Foundation was established in his memory and as a way of continuing his legacy. The idea started with Sam Piercey Jr., one of Sam’s sons. He approached Terry Budd of the Budds’ Group of Companies, and the Sam Piercey Foundation was officially launched on December 16, 2017 at the Budds’ Collision Annual Christmas Pig

6

Roast. The Foundation aims to provide annual scholarships and/or funding for students studying or competing in collision and paint repair across Canada on an annual basis.

Terry Budd, one of the Principals at the Budds’ Group, says, “Sam would be extremely proud of this endowment and the legacy it will leave. He was a one-of-a-kind champion for the collision repair industry.”

The Foundation is seeking similar matching annual contributions and commitments along with raising funds at the Budds’ Collision Annual Christmas Pig Roast and other scheduled events throughout the year. To the extent the Foundation continues to accumulate a capital base, Colin Bailey (centre), the winner of the the 2017 Skills Canada further annual contributions competition Gold medal for autobody repair in the Post-Secondary will be awarded to deserving category. Bailey will be one of the first recipients of the new bursaries provided by the Sam Piercey Foundation. young people.

Consolidated Dealers and the CCS Network are early supporters of the Sam Piercey Foundation. Mike Beier of Consolidated Dealers says, “When the opportunity presented itself, we jumped at the chance to contribute on behalf of the CCS Network and Consolidated Dealers. Sam was a friend, mentor and influence in the lives of many in our industry and we are proud to support his continued legacy through the Foundation.”

Sam Piercey Jr. explains, “We’re starting Sam Piercey Jr. of Canadian Hail Repair and with Skills Canada at the national level, but Mike Beier of Consolidated Dealers,which runs we would like to award winners at the regional the CCS Network. The companies are early supporters of the Sam Piercey Foundation. level in the future, depending on the funding the foundation receives.”

Donations and commitments can be made Sam Piercey Jr. and his business partners, online by visiting ocf.org and clicking DONATE Canadian Hail Repair have committed to managNOW. This will take you directly to Canada ing all of the operating expenses and activities Helps, a secure payment platform for online of the Foundation for the time being. donations.

Bing Wong of Canadian Hail Repair will In the Fund drop-down menu, choose Sam be directing the activities of the foundation.

Piercey Foundation (a fund established by Wong can be reached directly by email at Budds’ Group of Companies). Follow the bwong@hailrepair.ca. prompts to finish the donation.

Sam often shared his insights through his An acknowledgement and tax receipt will column in our sister publication, Collision Repair magazine. In coming issues, we will be emailed to the donor immediately after be rerunning some of Sam’s best columns making the donation. to help ensure that the next generation of Alternatively, donations may be directed to repairers can continue to benefit from his Sam Piercey Foundation, c/o Budds’ Group, wisdom, and to help promote the work of 2454 South Service Rd West, Oakville, Onthe Sam Piercey Foundation. tario, L6L 5M9.

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

NEWS

<<<

Collision 360 hosts training session on detailing Collision 360 recently hosted a special training session on how to maximize quality and efficiency in the detailing department.

According to Anthony Iaboni, Owner and Operator of Collision 360, many shops utilize apprentices or general labour to complete detailing and delivery of repaired vehicles. He believes that with the appropriate set of skills and training, efficiency and customer satisfaction can be increased to the point where detailing becomes a profit centre.

“With the right training, I believe detailers could not only become more efficient, they may end up creating a new revenue stream for the collision repair facility,” says Iaboni.

“This training session helped to highlight the modern use of all chemicals, equipment and accessories to maximize efficiency and quality.”

The event focused on technique rather than products, and aimed to teach students the best way to apply the products they have access to, in order to get the most value out of what they have on hand. The students were trained on car washing, detailing without washing and other techniques.

The training event was conducted in conjunction with Auto-Chem. The training itself will was presented by expert detailer Danny Grenier of Auto-Chem.

For more information on future training programs, contact Anthony Iaboni at 416-649-0063 or email him at anthony@ collision360.ca.

Detailer Danny Grenier of Auto-Chem (centre) teaching students how to maximize quality and efficiency in the detailing department.

Some of the students at the Collision 360 training session. Students were trained on car washing, detailing without washing, and other techniques.

October 2017 bodyworx professional

7

>>>

NEWS

Submissions open for third annual Glasurit Best Paint competition basecoat and clearcoat.

BASF and Glasurit will honour the winner’s outstanding excellence in painting at SEMA 2017 with Chip Foose presenting. The legendary restoration expert and long-time Glasurit advocate will judge the vehicles based on fit and finish, quality of preparation and final presentation.

Last year’s winner was a 1969 Mustang, owned

by Tim Spencer, and painted by Jonathan Goolsby of Goolsby Customs.

The 2016 Glasurit Best Paint Award winner was this 1969 Mustang painted by Jonathan Goolsby.

To enter, vehicles must be painted with Glasurit and on display at the 2017 SEMA Show.

“The Goolsby Glasurit Gray was appropriate for the body style with the sleek panels and BASF is now accepting submissions for the third annual Glasurit sharp edges. It really enhanced the design of the vehicle,” Best Paint Award. To qualify, photos submitted must be of a Glasays Foose. “Goolsby’s paint job was flawless—the Mustang surit-painted vehicle. Additionally, all vehicles must also be on has great gloss, depth and impeccable colour.” display at the upcoming 2017 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Photo submissions of Glasurit-painted vehicles will be accepted and utilize Glasurit 22, 55 or 90 Line products, including primer, now through October 27, 2017 at refinish.basf.us/bestpaintaward.

CIIA to host Certificate of Qualification prep courses Collision Industry Information Assistance (CIIA) has scheduled a number of new classes to help unlicensed techs successfully complete Ontario’s provincial trades license exam. CIIA will offer the Certificate

of Qualification prep course in London, Ottawa and Vaughan/Belleville.

The format is four full days. Locations and details have yet to be announced for the London and Vaughan/Belleville classes.

The course in Ottawa runs on two consecutive weekends, starting on Saturday, November 4 and continuing on Sunday November 5. It continues the following weekend, taking place Saturday November 11 and Sunday November 12. The course requires students to attend for all four days. The cost for the course is $1,000, plus HST, for non-members of CIIA and $800, plus HST, for CIIA members. According to CIIA, most employers who have employees attending the class are eligible for training fee rebates from the government totaling two-thirds of the course cost.

To register, obtain information or receive a no charge Technician Equivalency package to help those that have the necessary hours of work experience, but no formal apprentice training, please contact CIIA at 1-866-309-4272 or via email to info@ciia.com.

White & Peters and BASF present bursaries to students White & Peters, with the support of BASF, has provided $1,000 bursaries to two College of New Caledonia (CNC) students, Gavin Campbell and Samuel Rogers, as part of an annual commitment of the CNC Student Awards program. These bursaries are given with the purpose of aiding graduating students in purchasing necessary tools, and to help them begin their careers in the collision repair and refinish fields.

Mort Hall is the General Manager of White & Peters. He expressed his excitement towards the bursaries, stating, “We are always very enthusiastic to support the young talent and technical schools in our industry. The College of New Caledonia has a great program that feeds Northern British Columbia and we’re happy to support it. In an effort to support all of the regional markets that we serve, we also support the vocational colleges in the Greater Vancouver area, and the BC interior by way of grassroots scholarships.”

8

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

NEWS

<<<

Canada’s autobody competitor demonstrates her skills for MP Vyolaine Dujmovic, Canada’s autobody competitor at the upcoming WorldSkills competition in Abu Dhabi, recently got a chance to show off her skills for her Member of Parliament, Hélène Laverdière.

Dujmovic is employed with Fix Auto Henri Bourassa.

In just a few weeks, WorldSkills Team Canada 2017 member Ashley Weber will meet with Robert-Falcon Ouellette, MP for Winnipeg—Centre. Ashley will represent Canada in Car Painting when the competition takes place in Abu Dhabi.

Many more WorldSkills Team Canada 2017 members are scheduled to meet with their MPs in their constituencies between now and the team’s departure for the United Arab Emirates in early October.

WorldSkills Team Canada 2017 is made up of 31 outstanding young women and men who are the top competitors in Canada in their chosen trade or technological field. To qualify, each member successfully competed a rigorous selection process.

“Skills / Compétences Canada very much values its relationship with all parliamentarians,” says Skills Canada CEO Shaun Thorson.

“We were thrilled to welcome the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, Patty Hajdu, to the Skills Canada National Competition last May in Winnipeg, and we look forward to continuing our work with elected officials to ensure that the youth perspective of skills development is well captured in policy creation and implementation. After all, young people like our WorldSkills Team Canada 2017 members serve as important role models in their respective communities across Canada, and beyond.”

Hélène Laverdière, MP for Laurier—Sainte-Marie and Vyolaine Dujmovic, Canada’s competitor in autobody at WorldSkills Abu Dhabi.

WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 will be the first competition to be held in the Middle East. National ministers, as well as business, industry and education leaders have been invited from all the WorldSkills Member countries and regions. They will tackle pressing issues that span many sectors of the skilled trades: global youth unemployment, the mismatch between skills and jobs and the mobility of skills qualifications.

October 2017 bodyworx professional

9

>>>

NEW PRODUCTS

Professional grade polishing from Shurhold Shurhold Industries has introduced a high-powered Pro Rotary Polisher aimed at the professional market. According to the company, the new polisher will quickly bring out a mirror-like finish in even the dullest surface.

A statement from Shurhold Industries says that unlike consumer-quality orbital polishers, the Pro Rotary Polisher features axial rotation, and that motion is quick and effective in experienced hands, especially when removing scratches, oxidation and other surface defects.

With 12 amps and 1,400 watts of power, it requires constant movement and balance to avoid leaving swirls and blemishes.

The Pro Rotary Polisher features a softstart power switch with a locking on button, and a thumb-controlled variable speed dial for setting between 600 and 3,200 rpm.

The polisher offers three different right- or left-hand ergonomic gripping styles to deliver full-day comfort. Other features include EZ Clean mesh air intake vents and EZ Change carbon brush ports.

The Pro Rotary Polisher runs on 120V AC and comes with a 20-foot cord to provide

access to extensive jobs. Shurhold’s Pro Rotary Polisher comes with a canvas storage bag, tools, replacement brushes and a oneyear warranty.

For more information on the Pro Rotary Polisher, please visit the company’s website at shurhold.com.

The Pro Rotary Polisher from Shurhold Industries offers axial rotation and three different ergonomic gripping styles to prevent operator fatigue. Other features include EZ Clean mesh air intake vents and EZ Change carbon brush ports.

DeVilbiss adds to material-specific line DeVilbiss Automotive Refinishing has introduced the new TEKNA Clearcoat Spray Gun. According to a statement from DeVilbiss, the new gun is designed to spray the latest generation of higher-solid clearcoats. TEKNA Clearcoat is the newest addition to a series of material-specific spray guns from DeVilbiss.

The TEKNA Clearcoat gun features an all new TE25 High Efficiency air cap. This is the latest generation of DeVilbiss air caps, which the company says is engineered to produce even material distribution and uniform atomization. A statement from DeVilbiss says

10

the TE25 offers painters better control and seamless overlapping of clearcoat to provide improved gloss levels from finishes, while using noticeably less material.

The gun is anodized inside and out for corrosion and scratch resistance. The TEKNA Clearcoat kit also includes an HV30 (HVLP) air cap, HAV-555 digital gauge, disposable cup adapter, colour ID rings and gun wrench, as well as 1.2mm, 1.3mm and 1.4mm fluid tips.

The new TEKNA Clearcoat guns began shipping on August 14, 2017 and are now available for order in Canada and the US.

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

The new TEKNA Clearcoat is the latest addition to a series of material-specific spray guns from DeVilbiss.

NEW PRODUCTS

<<<

Get more organized with Polyvance Polyvance has introduced a new product, 5003-01 welding rod organizer boxes, designed to fit the large tool area on all Polyvance welding carts. According to Polyvance, you can fit three boxes in the area with a little room to spare. Each case has five compartments with two snap latches to hold the top securely.

In addition to organizing and holding all of the plastic welding rods, a statement from Polyvance says the new organizers allow you to easily see when supplies of a particular rod are running low, to easily keep track of what needs to be reordered.

The 5003-01 can be ordered as a single case or as a pack of three. Polyvance notes that there is a discount when ordering the three pack.

In addition, Polyvance is offering a set of three cases with a complete selection of welding rods. According to Polyvance, the included rods have a retail value of $300 and includes the company’s most popular profiles and colours.

For more information on the new organizer boxes, please visit polyvance.com/Rod-Organizer-Case.

Images provided by Polyvance show the dramatic differences in organization that the new boxes allow.

august 2017 bodyworx professional

11

>>>

NEW PRODUCTS

Presta picks up the pace with new finishing system Presta Products has introduced the Presta PACE Paint Finishing System, a one-step process that, according to Presta, is easy to operate, reduces cycle time, uses less product and eliminates potential guess work.

“For a bodyshop, speed is critical. You need something that provides a quality finish quickly; something that’s user friendly and won’t leave swirls,” says Mary Kimbro, Director of Marketing, Presta. “Bodyshops don’t have time to go back and do it again because time is money.

PACE cuts through all of that to solve their problems in one step.”

Designed to work with an orbital polisher, the core of the PACE system is the choice of two compounds, an optional polish and an optional glaze. Each PACE compound has its own unique buffing pad calibrated to work on specific types of sand scratches and clearcoats. All of the products are water-based and bodyshop safe.

Presta is offering a variety of PACE products.

According to Presta, PACE Heavy Cut Compound is a correcting and polishing compound that removes up to P1500 sand scratches, and polishes to a deep gloss in one step. PACE Medium Cut Compound is a correcting and polishing compound that removes up to P2500

Presta says its new PACE Paint Finishing System helps to reduce cycle time.

sand scratches and polishes to a deep gloss in one step. PACE Ultimate Polish is a finishing polish to be used as a final step after using PACE Heavy Cut or Medium Cut Compound.

It can also be used as a one-step finish for enhancing the appearance of a vehicle where light correction with a deep gloss is desired.

PACE Protective Glaze is a breathable and durable protective coating that is an ideal last step in the PACE process. According to Presta,

this advanced formula goes on easily and wipes off quickly, producing a deep, long-lasting gloss.

Presta also stated that the PACE Protective Glaze not only beautifies and protects freshly painted surfaces, but also allows them to fully cure without causing solvent pop. It can also be used to heighten gloss on non-repaired vehicle areas, making it ideal for pre-delivery prep.

For more information about Presta’s products, please visit prestaproducts.com.

AccuVision-3D does away with targets, cables and adapters AccuVision-3D, Arslan Automotive Canada’s newest 3-D measuring system, was introduced to the North American market this year. The system premiered earlier in Europe to great success. It might be due to the system’s overall flexibility. According to Arslan Automotive, the new system needs no targets, lasers, arms, magnets, cables or adapters.

Arslan Automotive states that the system can be used even if the floors are uneven.

The company says the system works if the car is on a jig or bench, on the floor or on a lift in any position.

12

Arslan Automotive states that the system can be used even if the floors are uneven, and that the car may be on a jig or bench, on the floor, or on a lift and in any position.

According to Arslan Automotive, the AccuVision-3D is the world’s quickest, most accurate and least complicated 3-D chassis measuring system available to the industry today. A further statement from the company says the system requires no calibrations or levelling to operate and accurately measures

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

the 3-D coordinates of each point.

The new measuring system is great for estimating and repairs, with measurements typically taking less than 10 to 15 minutes, according to Arsland Automotive. For more information, please visit AccuVision-3D.com or arslanauto.com

<<<

Cover Story

Project of a Lifetime

By Erin McLaughlin

Fanshawe transportation technology students Garrett Kemp (left) Dustin Haycock and Mike Laframboise pose beside their own creation, a 1967 Ford Falcon.

A

50th anniversary is big. London, Ontario’s Fanshawe College celebrated its 50th anniversary over the summer of 2017 with the debut of a refinished Fanshawe-themed 1967 Ford Falcon. The Falcon was transformed into a striking cherry red beauty, done lovingly by the school’s transportation technology students.

It was completed with the help and support of the faculty and many sponsors, including BASF and 3M. The Falcon and Fanshawe College have a lot in common, making the car an obvious choice to represent the school. Introduced to the streets in 1967, the same year Fanshawe College opened its doors, the Falcon was built locally at the former St. Thomas Ford assembly plant. Even better, Fanshawe College’s school mascot is a falcon. It’s as though the two were meant to be together.

Mike Kennelly, Program Coordinator for the Transportation Technology program, explained

Students restore Ford Falcon to celebrate Fanshawe’s

50th

anniversary

that the autobody branch of the program covers industry foundation, equips students for the workforce and trains apprenticeships to meet industry demands. “We have a brand-spanking new facility and work on new vehicles to train our students on repairing modern vehicles,” said Kennelly. “Working on a vehicle this old is unusual for our program.

Nonetheless, the students are getting many real life experiences out of this project.”

Students had about 11 months to complete the vehicle. It was a hard deadline to meet, given the amount of time and work the project required. As well, the Falcon had a dingy white paint job and needed quite a bit of work to be restored to its former glory.

And so, project management, working under pressure, high customer expectations and working under strict deadlines were just some of these “real life” skills the students had the opportunity to develop.

As well as the development of good work-

October 2017 bodyworx professional

15

>>>

Cover Story

“Students had about 11 months to complete the vehicle. It was a hard deadline to meet, given the amount of time and work the project required. ”

place skills, modern procedures that are commonly used in today’s shops were necessary to restore the 1967 Ford Falcon. The Falcon needed metal and fabrication work to fix holes and restore parts of the body structure. The students and faculty put in all new fuel injection components, computerized control, and a new transmission was rebuilt in-house. The finished vehicle boasts custom seats embroidered with the Fanshawe falcon mascot, a new engine, a glossy red paint job, a powerful sound system and fuzzy dice on the rear-view. Performance brakes, an automatic transmission, power steering and electronic gauges were also installed.

“It was a huge undertaking,” said Kennelly.

“They had to stay later and work harder because the deadline was so aggressive.”

Johnny, an autobody and collision damage repair student added, “We were once here until 5 o’clock in the morning,” and that wasn’t the only time students were working through the night. Kennelly was also on campus until

16

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

Students working on the Ford Falcon. The Falcon was introduced to the streets in 1967, the same year Fanshawe College opened. This particular car was built locally at the former Ford assembly plant in St. Thomas, Ontario.

<<<

Cover Story

The vehicle served as a great learning experience, and showed school spirit.

The Falcon’s new engine.

The students and faculty put in all new fuel injection components, computerized control, and the transmission was rebuilt in-house.

5 a.m. that day and noted, laughing, that he was back on campus the next morning at 8 a.m to teach a class. Another student, Tyler, commented on the work involved, saying, “There were hours and hours and hours of sanding. There was sanding the epoxy primer, there was sanding the metal and primers, sanding it for prep, priming again, sanding again.”

According to Kennelly, “The students were excited about the purpose and the meaning behind the build, which propelled them to do good quality work because it was for a good cause. When they finished, they were extremely excited. It was like they had climbed over a mountain.”

October 2017 bodyworx professional

17

>>>

Cover Story

The students ran into hurdles, but Kennelly described them as “normal problems.”

Another student commented, “I don’t get to do projects like this at work, and I really don’t have the finances to do it on my own, so this was a really fun project to do.”

The students ran into hurdles, but Kennelly described these hurdles as “normal problems.” There were troubles finding replacement parts for such an old vehicle, and the aggressive deadlines posed a major challenge. Johnny commented, “I think the paint is probably the most sensitive part of it. Thousands of things could go wrong in the paint booth.”

Despite the roadblocks, the Ford Falcon was completed just in time for Fanshawe’s 50th anniversary celebration, which hosted over 6,000 current staff and students, retirees and alumni. The event included live performances by the Barenaked Ladies and Hedley, but they couldn’t quite compare to the remarkable, drool-worthy Fanshawe-themed 1967 Ford Falcon.

“Everyone outside the program has been blown away,” said Kennelly. “They’re so impressed that students built this car,

18

because even from a professional standpoint, it’s pretty damn good.”

The completed 1967 Ford Falcon is an accomplishment these students can be proud of for years to come, but its real significance will lie in what the students have learned, and the hard work and dedi-

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

cation they demonstrated leading up to the reveal of the Falcon in its final form.

This car is sure to keep anyone who sees it wondering, “What will they do for their 100 anniversary?” Time will tell.

For more information on Fanshawe College, please visit fanshawec.ca.

Students would often work on the vehicle until late in the evening or early in the morning.

>>>

career profile John Turner (centre) at the Grand Opening of SATA Canada, flanked

by Albrecht Kruse, CEO of SATA and Gila Martow, MPP for Thornhill.

Turner has developed both handson and entrepreneurial skills over his career. That’s part of why SATA chose him to open the company’s Canadian division in 2017.

Keys to the

Future

For John Turner of SATA Canada, it was education and an open mind

By Mike Davey

I

t’s rare for a major international company to open a new office in another country, because it’s a big job. Plans must be carefully made if the new location is to find success. SATA is a major spray gun manufacturer headquartered in Germany, with distribution all around the world. When the company decided to open an official branch in Canada, they turned to John Turner.

Today Turner serves as the General Manager of SATA Canada. He was the first employee when the company officially opened for business in early 2017, but the team has since grown to nine people.

Turner has first-hand experience with SATA products and spray guns, having worked as a professional painter and technician. His journey into the automotive world began early.

“I probably started out at 12 or 13, really, putting bikes and lawn mowers together for my father’s Canadian Tire store,” he says. Turner’s father owned a succession of Canadian Tire stores around the country. In general, his father would start with a small store, grow the business over the next few years, and then sell it and start somewhere else.

“I graduated from lawnmowers and bikes

20

“If you’ve got the knowledge and you like what you’re doing, you’ll progress quickly.”

– John Turner

to doing tires and oil changes at our last Canadian Tire in Listowel, Ontario,” says Turner.

“I would have been about 16 when he retired and sold his last Canadian Tire store.”

Although his father had retired, Turner still had the automotive itch. He went to high school in the nearby community of Palmerston.

That particular high school was also a trade school, so Turner enrolled in the automotive mechanic course in his first year.

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

“I rebuilt my first engine in grade 9. I remember it to this day. It was a 225 Slant 6 Chrysler. Our project was to get an engine from a wrecking yard and rebuild it. This engine was seized solid, but when it was finished, it ran and we put it into a car. The friend of mine who got it said it was a great engine.”

He clearly had the ability to excel in class, but Turner says he didn’t continue with it.

In brief, his early exposure to the business and automotive knowledge meant the basic classes were “too easy.”

Don’t think that he left the automotive world behind, though. He wasn’t involved in the high school auto program after grade 9, but he did work at a local garage during high school. Doug’s Auto Service in Harriston is where Turner first got the itch to paint.

“I bought a ‘67 Ford pickup that was creamy white and light green,” he says. “It was a really rusty piece of junk. I painted it black, which was just about the worst thing I could do. With black, you see every mistake.”

It may have been the “worst thing” at the time, but in hindsight it might have been the right decision, as this paint job led to an interest in bodywork.

<<< <<<

career profile

John Turner and Yunus Tak (right) at the offices of SATA Canada prior to the Grand Opening in early 2017. Tak, who worked with SATA in Germany, was SATA Canada’s second employee.

Turner working on a Datsun 240Z. Even during his years in the business machine industry, Turner kept his passion for automobiles alive by working on and selling cars, but he’s not a curbsider.

He secured a dealer license when they were first introduced by the government.

“I’m a bit of a nut when it comes to my vehicle,” he says. “If I see a dent or rust, I have to fix it. I had this truck, and I was proud of what I had. I wanted to make it as nice as possible.”

Expanding your skill set is always valuable. There’s nothing wrong with being a specialist, but a good generalist is often worth their weight in gold. Doug Campell, owner of Doug’s Auto Service, encouraged Turner and led by example.

“He could paint cars, he could weld and he was an excellent mechanic,” Turner says.

“He taught me an awful lot and I consider him a mentor.”

A mechanical aptitude and a passion for technology led Turner to his next step. He went to University of Waterloo to study engineering.

“It didn’t go well. I stuck with it for about six months, but I simply didn’t have the mathematical skills for it. I believed I could

do it because of my technical ability, but I just didn’t have the math. I’m a MacGyver, not an engineer,” he says.

There’s a lesson here for anyone starting out in a career. Sometimes, what you’re tr ying to do just doesn’t work out, but you can always go forward. For Turner, an employment ad in the Kitchener-Waterloo Record showed him the path.

“I saw an ad for Adtype Business Equipment looking for a service tech to repair typewriters and adding machines. Having what I considered to be fantastic technical knowledge, I applied and got the job.”

It’s important to note that, at this point in his life, Turner had never tried to repair office equipment. He was confident he could do it, however, and that’s half the battle. The other half, of course, is actually doing the work.

“The gent who owned the business asked

me why I thought I could do it when I had never even seen the inside of a typewriter. I said ‘bring me one.’ It was a Facit 1850, a cumbersome piece of equipment from Sweden.

I opened it up and was able to fix it.”

That was the start of a new career path for Turner. He went from Adtype to a company called Hofstetter Business Technologies.

Turner soon found himself as the service tech, looking after all of the company’s typewriters in downtown Toronto. It may be difficult for some of our younger readers to grasp just what a big job this was at the time. Think of all the computers at all of the major league companies in downtown Toronto, including Bay St., and you start to get a sense of the scale and importance that typewriters had to the business community at the time.

Turner didn’t stay a service tech for long.

He excelled at the work, but the company’s owner, Mark Hofstetter, believed he would be even more successful in sales.

“My father had always preached that you should dress for success. As a service tech, I always wore a tie and I was the only one who did,” he says. “You garnish a different type of respect and people think of you differently.”

That sort of attention to detail and the overall customer experience may have been what caught Hofstetter’s eye. Soon Turner was on the road, travelling the company’s dealer network across Ontario and the Maritimes. His technical background turned out to be an enormous benefit in his new role.

“I was not only able to sell the products, but help our customers with service problems,” he says. “I had customers tell me ‘We’ve always had problems with this machine! We’ll never buy another!’ I could fix it for them and then sell them another one.”

Later Turner went to work for Canon, selling inkjet printers in the days when they cost $4,000 apiece. He also worked for NCR, the cash register company, eventually rising to National Director of Sales.

There’s another lesson here, if you know where to look for it. The path you follow in life may have some twists and turns, but if you keep up with your passions, you’ll continue to grow your skills, no matter what you’re doing to bring home a paycheque.

“All that time, I was always playing with cars,” says Turner. “When the government introduced auto dealer licenses, I went and got one. I was painting and selling cars throughout my career in business machines.”

October 2017 bodyworx professional

21

>>>

career profile

A Dodge Challenger Turner restored. Keeping your skills sharp is one way to keep your passion alive.

Turner decided to leave NCR after the company changed hands a couple of times.

Guess which industry he moved into?

“I bought a garage in Aurora. Hans’ Motors.

They fixed German cars. That was their focus.

Hans was retiring and I bought it,” says Turner.

While he had worked in the automotive industry previously, ownership was a new experience for Turner.

“It was very exciting. In a way I had come full circle, back to what my father had taught me,” he says. “I’ve always had the entrepreneurial will and skill. I reregistered the business as Turner Automotive and made it a NAPA Autopro facility. We took it from fixing German cars to all makes and models. Later we added a bodyshop and started doing restorations.

That’s where a lot of my passion lay.”

In fact, the last car Turner painted at that business was a restoration: a ’68 Mustang GT. “A friend, the wife of the Vice President of Hewlett Packard, told me the family wanted to give him a special present for his 50th birthday,” says Turner. “We bought the Mustang in Texas and took it down to nothing. We rebuilt it from the ground up, transmission, wiring, the interior, everything. I painted the car the night before his birthday.”

Turner sold the business in 2009 and thought about retiring. Those thoughts didn’t last long.

“The guys from NAPA came to me and said ‘you’ve got a ton of experience in different things, and we need somebody for the NAPA Autoparts store in Newmarket or we’re going to have to close it. Why don’t you buy it?’ I did, and stuck with it until 2013, but frankly it was a pretty bland business.”

Turner left NAPA and took a job with Advantage Parts Solutions. After about a year, though, he felt it was time for a change.

“In November of 2015, I decided to go

22

back to school. I started taking a paralegal course,” he says.

Turner’s next step probably would have been into the legal profession in some capacity, but fate intervened in the form of a call from SATA. “It was just too exciting an opportunity to pass up. They flew me out to Germany to discuss what was needed. They were look-

It’s not just about selling spray guns for Turner. It’s about providing education on the best way to use them.

ing for someone who had entrepreneurial skill and hands-on ability, as well as what it takes to mentor a team. They decided I was the one,” he says.

It may have been exciting, but that doesn’t mean it was easy. SATA products had been distributed in Canada for the previous 36 years by a company in Calgary. Turner essentially had to restart the business on the other side of the country in Toronto.

“First of all, we needed a building, inventory and a team. The first team member, other than myself, was Yunus Tak from SATA in Germany. He actually just celebrated his eighth anniversary with the company, and he’s

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

only 25. He’s worked in just about every possible part of that company. He went through an apprenticeship with them, and got an MBA. He’s worked in every department from manufacturing to sales.”

In the first three months, the team grew to five people, then later to nine. Turner and his team are constantly on the move. He personally travels coast-to-coast, meeting with warehouse distributors, jobbers and visiting bodyshops. It’s not just about selling spray guns for Turner. It’s about providing education on the best way to use them and, just as important, how to stay safe while doing so.

“I’m always amazed at the number of people who don’t have the information they need on CSA standards, or don’t really know the differences between one type of breathing mask and another. What happens when the Ministry of Labour comes in and starts handing out fines? I like to think we provide a lot of education along with the sale,” he says.

Education has been an important part of Turner’s career, either delivering it or receiving it. He believes this is vital to success.

“Education is the key to everything,” he says. “If you’ve got the knowledge and you like what you’re doing, you will progress quickly. You may become a head painter, a trainer for a painter company, or possibly a travelling mechanic for Porsche. Keep your mind open and your education continuous.

It doesn’t have to be strictly automotive. It could be something like what I was doing.

Studying paralegal will give you insight in the legal world, which is always a benefit. Or maybe you could just study music in your spare time. Keep your mind open. That’s the key.”

For more information on SATA Canada, please visit sata.ca.

>>>

REFINISH ZONE

Prime Time Never wonder which primer you should use again

P

rimers are an unavoidable aspect of working in the collision repair industry, so it’s vital to know how to use them well. The most basic function of a primer is to protect and ensure proper bond to the surface you will be applying paint to, and the primer that will best perform this task depends on many different factors.

Educating yourself on what primer is best suited

to your specific needs can go a long way in increasing workflow and improving shop profitability. Using the wrong primer in the wrong way can result in lower quality final products, due to adhesive issues. There are several different primers you will come across in the collision repair industry. In this “how to” series, we will take a look some of the most common primers, when they should be used, and how.

By Justin Jimmo, Technical Representative, Refinish Sales for Consolidated Dealers

Primer Surfacer A primer surfacer is used to provide some filling during a repair. It may be applied over body fillers, or used to rebuild any area of paint where levelling is required.

Used to provide some filling during a repair, primer surfacers can be applied over body fillers or rebuild any area of paint where levelling is involved.

24

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

To properly use a primer surfacer, it will require sanding after its application, before layering on a coat of paint. Generally, this breed of primer is urethane based, and can in some instances be applied directly to metal or plastic.

REFINISH ZONE

<<< <<<

Non-Sanding Primer/Sealer This primer is similar to a primer surfacer, but does not need to be sanded and is applied at the time of painting.

A painter using a non-sanding primer/sealer.

Non-sanding primer/sealer does provide some filling, and commonly, this primer is coated on top of new OEM parts or over repairs to provide better holdout.

E-Coat E-coat is a factory coating found on new panels. It is applied by dipping electrically charged parts into a paint vat. E-coat is extremely thin, which means paint cannot be applied directly over it. Instead, nonsanding primer or primer surface must be used in conjunction with the E-coat, and applied on top of it.

E-coat primer being applied to a vehicle.

This primer is only found on newer panels.

Epoxy Primer A durable primer that can be used in a variety of ways, including beneath a urethane primer to provide additional corrosion protection, as a primer surface, or as a non-sanding primer.

Epoxy Primer, pictured above, can be used in a variety of ways and includes a handful of helpful features.

This primer will take longer to dry than a urethane based primer, but has many handy features that make up for this. It can be applied directly to metal, has good sanding characteristics and provides superior holdout.

October 2017â&#x20AC;&#x201A; â&#x20AC;&#x201A; bodyworx professional

25

>>>

REFINISH ZONE

Etch Primer This primer is an acidic-based coating designed to be applied on bare metal.

It contains no filling properties, and is specifically designed to prepare bare metal to be coated with another primer or paint product.

Etch primers are an acidic-based coating, designed to be applied on bare metal.

Plastic Primer/ Adhesion Promoter The purpose of this primer is to prepare a plastic part to be coated with another primer or paint product.

A painter using a plastic primer/adhesion promoter.

These primers are used to prepare a plastic part to be coated with a paint or primer product.

UV Primer With the recent advancements in UV lamp technology, UV curing primer is becoming a more popular choice in high production shops. UV primer is a very high building product that can be completely cured and ready to sand in seconds. Activated by exposing the coating to a UV light source, this primer will be more transparent in order to allow for light to penetrate though it.

26

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

UV primers, pictured above, are becoming an increasingly popular choice in high production shops, due to recent advancements in UV lamp technology.

REFINISH ZONE

<<< <<<

Extras You may also encounter additional specialty primers, such as waterborne or polyester primers. In some cases, these primers can be a great solution.

In some cases, waterborne primers can be a good alternative.

Avoid

One-part aerosol primers lack the required strength to do their job well, and should be avoided.

You generally want to avoid one-part aerosol primers that claim to provide filling characteristics. Primers of this sort lack the required strength to do the job well. If using one-part aerosol primers, you may also encounter compatibility issues with the paint applied over it.

October 2017â&#x20AC;&#x201A; â&#x20AC;&#x201A; bodyworx professional

27

>>>

CUSTOM CORNER

Promo Builds Inside the world of corporate customs

By Rick Francoeur

S

howing off an eye-catching promotional vehicle is one thing. Having a one-of-akind, head-turning, jaw-dropping machine is another. While some companies are opting for simple wrapped vehicles to act as rolling billboards, brand leaders such as Red Bull, General Motors, Netflix and Tim Horton’s want promo vehicles that illustrate their sector leading organizations in a much more dramatic way.

360 Fabrication in Abbotsford, British Columbia, has a reputation for developing industry leading vehicles that go far beyond ordinary wraps. Take, for example, some of the work done for Red Bull, from custom Volvo Suggas to North America’s loudest rolling concert stage—the Red Bull Bus.

28

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

“When we looked at building the Bus, we had a specific list of deliverables,” said Lead Designer and Head Fabricator Daryl Francoeur. “They wanted it to drive like a tour bus, sound like a rock concert and set up as easy as a tent trailer, and that’s what we delivered.”

The Red Bull Bus is an example of true automotive (and engineering) ingenuity. Built from a Freightliner chassis, the Bus was completely torn down at 360’s 22,000 sq. ft. facility in Abbotsford, British Columbia, and rebuilt from the wheels up.

The Bus includes a fully cantilevering sound stage that unfolds in less than 10 minutes from within the centre of the bus. At 45-feet long and equipped with a 120,000-watts sound system, the Red Bull

[TOP] The Red Bull Bus is an example of true automotive ingenuity. At 45-feet long and equipped with a 120,000-watt sound system, the Red Bull Bus is said to be the loudest rolling sound stage in North America.

CUSTOM CORNER

<<<

The Red Bull Bus has specially designed big screens fitted with Xbox gaming systems; cooling for your favourite preconcert beverages as well as a full sound control room.

Bus is said to be the loudest rolling sound stage in North America. Fully outfitted for its rock star guests, the Bus has specially designed big screens fitted with Xbox gaming systems; cooling drawers for your favourite pre-concert beverages as well as a full sound control room. On top of it all, the Bus fully embraces the subtle art of looking good even when standing still.

360 Fabrication has built a series of custom Suggas for Red Bull. Built off diesel F-350 Ford pickup trucks that are custom fitted with 1957 Volvo military vehicle bodies, the Suggas are used to “bring the brand and the funk” to events across Canada.

It doesn’t end at Red Bull. 360 Fabrication was hired by a popular Netflix show to produce a working concept vehicle imaged for the production. 360 brought to life the fictional vehicle, a wide-bodied, hot pink convertible, created entirely from scratch. The design was so popular that it was recreated as a Hot Wheels toy car.

The Netflix Car in the making. The design is so popular that the vehicle has been recreated into a Hot Wheels toy car.

October 2017 bodyworx professional

29

>>>

CUSTOM CORNER

360 Fabrication also completed specialty projects for GMC. The first was to build a custom ski lift gondola designed to replicate a Denali pick-up truck. This experiential promo project gave skiers the exterior visual of the truck, right down to the hood, bumper, working headlights and taillights. Inside, the gondola was fitted with a replica of a luxury Denali interior. The project drew international attention for its creativity and attention to detail, right down to the custom

30

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

rock-bed 360 Fabrication designed and built for the gondola “truck” to sit on.

Additional modifications included a full LED lighting system and over the top sound system.

The truck has since been featured in auto shows, TV commercials and internet videos showing the Sierra racing up the sides of snow covered mountains in Whistler, British Columbia. The resulting Internet sensation has been featured in reports from around the world.

General Motor’s custom ski lift gondola. The truck has been featured in auto shows, TV commercials and internet videos showing the Sierra racing up the sides of snow covered mountains in Whistler, British Columbia.

CUSTOM CORNER

<<<

“Brand leaders such as Red Bull, General Motors, Netflix and Tim Horton’s want promo vehicles that illustrate their sector leading organizations. ” 360 considers it an honour to work on another corporation’s promotional vehicle, an extension of their corporate identity.

Francoeur noted that commercial builds are a great way to show off his company’s creativity and diversified skill set. “No matter what company we’re working for, the expectations are always the same: they have tight timelines and high expectations, which is why we love this kind of work. If they can imagine it, we can build it,” he said.

360 built a custom ski lift gondola for General Motors, designed to replicate a Denali pick-up truck.

This experiential promo project gave skiers the exterior visual of the truck. Inside, the gondola was fitted with a replica of a luxury Denali interior.

October 2017 bodyworx professional

31

>>>

RARE REPAIR

Fleet Fix Repairs to specialized vehicles bring unique challenges

By Barett Poley

F

leet management is the sort of job that stays in the background, quietly keeping its community’s roads running smoothly. Most people have no idea that behind every quickly completed hydro project, fixed roadway and ploughed street, there is a team of fleet managers, and moreover, a team of collision repairers dedicated to getting those vehicles back on the road as quickly as possible.

Non-governmental fleets usually have their own devoted collision repair facilities. Such is the case with companies like the famous Ascott’s Cab Company, dedicated to keeping the Black Cabs of London in tip-top shape at all times—entirely internally. There are collision repair shops that specialize in trades vehicles and fleet vehicles while still being open to the public, such as MK Autobody Repair out of Mississauga. MK Autobody Repairs, according to their website, “Provides body repairs for private customers, taxis and trade customers, specialising in all bodyworks from small scratches to major accident damage.”

32

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

An ambulance being repaired at a fleet maintenance centre for the city of Ottawa.

Fleet repair facilities often deal with obscure or unusual vehicles. Repairs to vehicles such as a Lenco BearCat (left) or a specialized sidewalk plough require a different approach. In addition to unusual construction, parts for vehicles like these can be a lot harder to come by than for a standardissue passenger vehicle.

RARE REPAIR

<<< <<<

The fleet maintenance centre in Ottawa naturally handles the city’s fire fighting vehicles. Specialized fleet vehicles frequently require special training to ensure they are properly repaired.

Police vehicles need to be kept in tip-top shape.

They are one of the many responsibilities of fleet repair centres.

For the cities and counties that do have dedicated fleet based collision repair shops, unique challenges are presented. The collision repair facilities that one would find in cities like Dartmouth, Victoria, Toronto and Ottawa all function nearly identically to your average collision repair facility. There are dedicated painters, sanders, frametechs, body-techs and estimators, and many of the tools are the same, as well. Nitrogen plastic welders and diagnostic scanners all have their place. Where things can get tricky is in the nature of the vehicles themselves.

According Yan St-Louis, Manager of Fleet Maintenance for the City of Ottawa, “The main challenge that comes to mind is the variety of the fleet; both in terms of type and manufacturers. This has a significant impact on both staff, in terms of training and skill set, and parts.” According to St-Louis, many of the vehicles require special training, as they aren’t standard fare on the roads. Things like snowploughs, street-sweepers, tractors and construction equipment all have to be accounted for.

Most cities in North America have a fleet management division, and quite a few even have in-house collision repair facilities and maintenance garages.

October 2017 bodyworx professional

33

>>>

RARE REPAIR

London Black Cabs lined up for repairs in the prestigious Ascott’s Bodyshop. Ascott’s of London, England is a collision repair facility like no other– they are dedicated to servicing only the famous Black Cabs of London.

Yan St-Louis, Manager of Fleet Maintenance for the City of Ottawa.

34

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

Parts can be difficult to source as well, and especially for the aforementioned “obscure” vehicles in the average city fleet. “OEM parts depend on the manufacturer,” says St-Louis. “Standard North American manufacturers usually don’t present a problem sourcing parts, whether OEM or aftermarket, but unconventional vehicles, particularly non-North American, are difficult to source and supply OEM parts for. Aftermarket parts are usually not available for these units.”

When it comes to the age-old replace vs. repair debate, St-Louis says it depends on the circumstance. “In terms of parts, we tend to replace much more than we repair. In terms of units, we repair as much as possible.”

<<<

RARE REPAIR Just like in regular collision repair, new technologies and conversations are emerging constantly in the world of fleet-based collision repair. Factors like pre- and post-repair diagnostic scanning, the pressures of coming automation, and the troubles challenges of carbon fibre or aluminum repairs are all finding their way into the world of fleet-based collision repair; and technology isn’t going to slow down any time soon.

Technology, as always, can be very useful in the world of a fleet-based collision repair, and St-Louis says that new technologies can be a help, not a hindrance. He added, “Multi-brand diagnostic tools have been a great addition to our tool set.”

Most cities in North America have a fleet management division, and quite a few even have in house collision repair facilities and maintenance garages that are responsible for keeping all of the various service vehicles that a city needs in working order. Some cities, such as Durham County, North Carolina, don’t have collision repair facilities, and opt instead to stimulate the local economy with their repairs. “We do not have an in-house collision repair facility,” says Keith Lane, Director, Budget and Management services for Durham County, North Carolina. They

A city tractor getting repairs done in a fleet repair centre. According to Yan St-Louis, Manager of Fleet Maintnence for the city of Ottawa, “The main challange that comes to mind is the variety of the fleet; both in terms of type and manufacterers.”

instead send their collision-damaged fleet vehicles to local repairers.

The world of fleet-based collision repair is an interesting one, and one that too-often works behind the scenes to keep day-to-day life going smoothly. Fleet management or fleet collision repair can be rewarding career paths for experienced technicians seeking long-term employment, and the benefits that often flow from civil service positions.

October 2017 bodyworx professional

35

>>>

School Profile

A student in the Motor Vehicle Body Repair program at BCIT uses a lift in one of the school’s autobody labs. The course of study in this program is apprenticeship focused, with students ideally going on to study Level Two and Three, and finally gaining a Red Seal license.

British Columbia Institute of Technology BCIT’s School of Transportation offers courses in bodywork, painting and vehicle restoration

T

he British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is one of British Columbia’s largest post-secondary institutions with more than 48,000 students enrolled annually. The school was first established in 1964 and now has five main campuses, in addition to a number of satellite locations around the province. The School of Transportation is located at the Burnaby campus.

BCIT’s School of Transportation offers a number of programs for students interested in pursuing a career on the practical side of bodywork. The programs offered include two “Foundation” programs, Automotive Refinishing Technician and Motor Vehicle Body Repair Technician, in addition to an apprenticeship-track program for Motor Vehicle Body Repair. As well is one of the school’s more intriguing offerings: part-time courses in Vehicle Restoration.

The Motor Vehicle Body Repair Technician Foundation program consists of 32 weeks of full-time studies. Taught in this course is theory and related information, along with hands-on shop assignments and practices.

36

The Motor Vehicle Body Repair Technician Foundation includes a two-week work practicum at an autobody repair shop halfway through

One of the school’s more intriguing offerings: part-time courses in Vehicle Restoration. the program. Upon successful completion of this program, students receive full credit for Level 1 technical training requirements in the provincial Motor Vehicle Body Repair Apprenticeship.

The next steps for students pursuing an apprenticeship would be to secure employment in a collision repair facility to accrue the necessary work hours and an official sponsor,

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

The Burnaby campus of BCIT, home to the School of Transportation. The school has four other campuses as well as numerous satellite locations.

By Mike Davey

followed by completing Level Two training (five weeks) and Level Three training (six weeks).

Between work and school, an apprenticeship typically takes about four years to complete.

The Automotive Refinishing Technician Foundation program is a 26 week course of study designed to prepare students with the theoretical understanding and practical skills needed to use a spray gun, paint vehicles, and maintain records of materials used in accordance with Federal, Provincial, and Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Regulations.

The Vehicle Restoration program is a part-time course of study consisting of five courses covering sheet metal fabrication, welding, surface prep, refinishing and an advanced project course. In addition to learning from the instructors’ years of experience, students will be encouraged to share their own experiences with classmates in an inter-active setting. A statement from BCIT says the courses will be of particular interest to professionals, classic car restorers, customizers, kit builders and specialty car builders.

For more information, please visit bcit.ca/ transportation/motive/courses.html.

Dreams Achieved

Three students begin careers with Assured Automotive at the Tropicana Career Fair

W

hen Tropicana hosted its annual Career Fair, Assured Automotive was one of the companies in attendance, wiht the goal of finging new talent.

“Assured has been at the Tropicana Career Fair since it started,” said Rocco Aurelio, who handles Business Development at Assured. This year, Assured’s dedication to bringing in passionate, young individuals was as clear as day, with the company adding three new technicians to their business by the conclusion of the event.

Aurelio listed off the many benefits of hiring Tropicana students. First, they have experience. Second, they’ve successfully completed the Tropicana Community Service’s Employment Centre’s Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program, which indicates a strong enthusiasm for the industry and a great work ethic.

Hamzah Desai is one of the three former Tropicana students who will be starting his career with Assured. “I’ve been working toward this day for months, and it feels great to know I’ll be working with Assured. I want to work in a professional environment and I can get that with Assured,” said Desai. “This program has prepared us to go out into the world and do the best we can.”

Another technician joining Assured Automotive, Christopher Singhroy, came to the Career Fair that day specifically prepared for his big interview with Aurelio and his associate Carl Mohammed, Manager of Business Development.

“I already knew I wanted to work for Assured,” said Singhroy. Thanks to his prior-research and dedication, Singhroy got exactly what he came for.

Hamza Abdelnaser is Assured Automotive’s third new hire from this year’s Career Fair. “I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time,” commented Abdelnaser, moments after he landed the job.

Major benefits come along with starting your career at Assured Automotive. “There’s a lot of room for staff to grow,” said Aurelio.

New hires at Assured typically start off as detailers, and later advance to preppers, painters, or manage administrative work.

Beginning a new career is never easy, but with the opportunities and support Assured Automotive offers its employees, it seems as though Desai, Singhroy and Abdelnaser are on a their way to exciting and fulfilling careers. At the same time, they get to work within a company devoted to quality training and supporting its community’s young technicians.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: ASSUREDAUTO.CA

ADVERTORIAL

From left: Rocco Aurelio, Hamzah Desai, Hamza Abdelnaser, Christopher Singhroy and Carl Mohammed. Working with Assured means you’ll have plenty of opportunities to grow in your career.

>>>

PROFILE

“A big part of my training involves making quick decisions as well as problem solving.”

– Vyolaine Dujmovic.

National Pride Vyolaine Dujmovic will represent Canada at WorldSkills 2017

By Alex Dugas

O

riginally from Lery, Quebec, Vyolaine Dujmovic has held a strong passion for the automotive industry ever since she was a child. Today, Dujmovic, thanks in part to sponsorship from Fix Auto and AIA Canada, is preparing for the 44th WorldSkills Autobody Competition, to be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on October 2017. Collision Repair magazine contacted Dujmovic to gain more insight into her training, influences and inspirations.

Collision Repair magazine: How has your

CRM: How are you preparing for the competition?

VD: I go to school twice a week for technical training. It’s not only about the technical training though. A big part of my training involves making quick decisions as well as problem solving. Much of my training involves learning how to think quickly and efficiently.

experience with Skills Canada and WorldSkills enriched your life?

CRM: What have been your biggest challenges throughout this experience?

Vyolaine Dujmovic: This experience has given

VD: Managing myself. I am a natural born perfectionist and I have my own techniques for everything.

It was definitely hard to let my trainers teach me new skills and new techniques. This has taught me how to manage myself on a professional level.

me the opportunity to learn a lot of new skills at a very fast pace. One of the most fulfilling aspects of the competition was the chance to meet so many great people and form new friendships. By

38

travelling to different provinces and countries, I got the chance to meet some memorable people who will remain excellent contacts in the future.

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

<<< <<<

PROFILE CRM: Why did you choose the collision repair path? What are the experiences or people that have influenced you to become who you are today?

VD: My father is a mechanic for a racing team, so the passion runs in the family. One of my dad’s best friends is a driver for the team.

When I was young, I would tag along with my dad for every single race. I would be the little girl stealing her dad’s hammers to dismantle whatever I could find. My passion only grew with me and I decided to pursue it professionally after high school. Now here I am today, proud to be able to work at Fix Auto Henri Bourassa, an environment which allows me to express my passion.

CRM: What are your objectives or plans for the future?

VD: I am currently looking at a variety of options. My presence within the competition has opened a lot of doors as well as many opportunities. In the next five to 10 years I would like to become a teacher in the collision repair industry. I would like to teach collision repair so that I can transmit my passion onto others. I love my current job and am happy to be working for a company that allows me to practice my passion every day.

Dujmovic at the Canadian National Skills Competition in Winnipeg.

The Canadian team members were invited to the event to practice their skills, as they qualified for WorldSkills 2017 at last year ’s competition. Dujmovic also served as a judge for the Autobody competition in Winnipeg.

CRM: Are you nervous or excited to be travelling so far from home?

VD: I really like travelling. Of course I’m a little nervous to be travelling so far from home but it’s also very exciting! I just came back from China where I was able to follow more training for the competition. One

aspect of my training involves learning about other cultures as well as respecting them. Culture shifts from country to country and it is important to show great respect for all cultures. I’m also very excited to see the friends I’ve made throughout the competition again!

Ad Goes Here

October 2017 bodyworx professional

39

>>>

Painter’s Pride

Sticking to this year’s theme, “A Salute to Classic Car Culture,” expert automotive painters from around the world gathered to design and paint custom hoods.

One of the many beautiful classic vehicles on display at the 3M special reception at the Ford Piquette Plant in Detroit, an event which kick-started the PP3 world cup.

World Class Painters from around the world go head-to-head at PPS World Cup By Alex Dugas

T

he 3M PPS World Cup event kicked off in Detroit, Michigan during the Woodward Dream Cruise—an annual classic car gathering with an estimated one million spectators hoping to be amazed by beautiful cars. Throughout the course of the event, attendees looked to the past, with classic cars, historical sites and history lessons. Sticking to this year’s theme, “A Salute to Classic Car Culture,” expert automotive painters from around the world gathered to design and paint custom hoods using 3M’s PPS technology.

Ten renowned painters travelled from far and wide to show off their skill, style and artistic abilities. Participants came from Canada, the US, Germany, Australia and other countries. Representing Canada was Justin Jimmo of Consolidated Dealers and Carl-André Giroux of CA Giroux, from Québec. Both drew inspiration from Canada’s 150th birthday.

The painting event took place over a period of four days during which painters had

40

the opportunity to paint their hoods at the PPG Training Center in Wixom, Michigan. The finished custom hoods were later unveiled at the famous Woodward Dream Cruise.

Kickstarting the event, 3M held a special reception at the Ford Piquette Plant in downtown Detroit. This historic facility is the birthplace of the Model T and is a registered US National Historic Landmark. It also holds a special place in the history of 3M, as it was one of the first places where 3M masking tape and abrasives were used in automobile production.

Painters and media partners were invited to walk around the historic facility and check out the wide variety of vehicles on display.

Tour guides were also present to answer any questions and point to the many historical elements within the plant.

The event continued with the unveiling of the custom painted hoods during the Woodward Dream Cruise. During the event, shop owners, custom gurus and classic car owners gathered to show off their cars, hot rods and custom creations.

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

3M Painters Pablo Prado of KandyChrome Custom Paint Designs in Los Angeles, California.

Jacob Miles of Milestone Paint & Body in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.

Connie Manjavinos of South Florida.

Clay Hoberecht of Best Body Shop in Wichita, Kansas.

Shane Wanjon of Exclusive Image Paint and Body in Santa Clarita, California.

Justin Jimmo of Refinish Network in Ontario, Canada.

Carl-André Giroux from Québec, Canada.

Danny Schamm of Schrammwerk GmbH in Börnsen, Germany.

Christian Wilke from Berlin, Germany.

Carmine De Maria of C.A.D. Custom in Melbourne, Australia.

Painter’s Pride

<<< <<<

Expert painters came from around the world to demonstrate their skills and artistic style at the 3M PPS World Cup.

“We hit a milestone up in Canada with our 150th anniversary. I decided to go with a modified flag with some carbon fibre on the sides, ghost flames and a hidden Model T in the middle,” said Jimmo, regarding his design.

In addition to his popular videos on automotive refinishing and his work with Consolidated Dealers, Jimmo is also a regular contributor to Bodyworx Professional. You can find one of his articles on page 28 of this issue.

3M was on location with the 3M Demonstration and Education Mobile Operations (DEMO) trailer, to showcase the latest 3M solutions for automotive repair and maintenance with hands-on demonstrations for body repair, paint preparation, vehicle painting, paint finishing and vehicle appearance.

Chip Foose was also on the scene with 3M. Foose signed autographs, gave a live tour of the Dream Cruise and also commented on each of the painters’ hoods during the unveiling.

“I think you all did a fantastic job, especially given the short amount of time in which you had to do it. We have some true artists here today,” said Foose while addressing the painters during the unveiling. Foose then proceeded to look at each hood to give his personal comments to the painters.

The hoods will be auctioned off for charity during the next SEMA Show, taking place this October in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“You can put me down for one hundred dollars on each of them, because that’s a deal,” exclaimed Foose.

The event was memorable and truly paid a tribute to the classic car culture. Not only were painters given the opportunity to show off their skills, they were also given the opportunity to learn from one another in a progress-driven environment.

Justin Jimmo of Consolidated Dealers with his painted hood. His design drew inspiration from Canada’s 150th birthday.

Jimmo is also a regular contributor to Bodyworx Professional.

Automotive designer and star of reality show Overhaulin’ Chip Foose and Alex Dugas of Bodyworx Professional. Foose was on hand during the event to judge the painted hoods.

From left: Christian Wilke and Danny Schramm of Germany and Carmine De Maria of Australia. The event brought together topnotch painters from around the world.

Canadian Carl-Andrés Giroux with his painted hood.

October 2017 bodyworx professional

41

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

stay in school Why highschool autobody programs are fading by bill speed

A

fter teaching autobody repair in a high school for 28 years, I decided it was time to retire. As I told my Principal, it was time for some new blood.

In a perfect world, this would have been no problem. Unfortunately, the education system in Ontario is not a perfect world.

Let’s back up 28 years. When I applied to teacher’s college, I was the only Autobody Technician that applied for the teaching program. I was also the first candidate hired from my graduating class. Over the next 20 plus years, I saw eight autobody programs shut down in the board I worked for. My question was always, why? To date, I still don’t have a definitive answer. These are my suppositions of what has happened to the education system over the past few years.

Curriculum and requirements to teach technological education In the mid 90s, the Ministry of Education switched to broad based technology, so tech programs were packaged into groupings: transportation, construction, communication, services, and hospitality and tourism. The qualifications to teach these programs are a minimum three years of wage earning experience in a

The rules around qualifications can handcuff a Principal looking to replace a specialized teacher with a specialized teacher. Even though my program was mainly autobody, it was advertised as a transportation teaching position. This means a Transportation Teacher whose background is mechanics, small engines, aircraft, etc. can teach the class. The problem arises when there are surplus teachers in the board who must be placed due to seniority.

The industry needs to be more vocal about what it needs from the education system.

Declining enrolment Many school boards suffer from declining enrollment, and this limits the number of programs that can be offered in a school.

Autobody repair is not seen as a glamorous trade, and it takes a special kind of student to want to do it.

Graduated licensing With the implementation of the graduated license, the number of students that own cars in high school has dropped exponentially. If students don’t have cars to fix for themselves, the interest wanes.

Rising costs The cost of equipment and materials has increased every year, but the budget to run the program has not. I was lucky in that I had a budget of around $5,000 per year and amazing support from our industry. Taking no for an answer was not in my vocabulary, so I would keep on asking for support until someone said yes.

42

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

field under the umbrella. So, in the case of transportation technology, any Technician with a license meets the requirement.

This would allow a licensed Autobody Technician to teach auto mechanics and vice versa.

The curriculum also changed and began to cover land, sea and air concepts. In short, it became very broad in scope and short on details. The days of specialized programs such as autobody were gone.

In 2008, a revised curriculum came out, allowing for specialization as long as the broad based expectations were also met.

Unfortunately, many of the good specialized programs had closed by then.

Putting unqualified people into classrooms can mean substandard programs. Unqualified teachers who are not familiar with standard safety practices can lead to serious safety concerns. Luckily, in my case, a qualified candidate was hired.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

The industry needs to be vocal about what it needs from the education system.

Industry reps should consider lobbying the Ministry of Education for qualification changes to help ensure that quality programs can be maintained. As well, we need to supply shops with equipment and materials, and encourage work experience programs such as co-op.

Finding a replacement I knew two years ago that I was going to retire at the end of the 2017 school year. I started actively looking for a replacement but ran into some hurtles due to the broad based technology qualifications.

Bill Speed worked for the Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute until his retirement in 2017. He remains active in the Skills Competition to this day. Bill can be reached at speedwilliam3@gmail.com.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

<<<

Pictured is the Lexus RX 350. A growing number of vehicles will be equipped with front facing cameras, heightening the need for calibration during the repair process.

Trends and Tech

An inside view of I-CAR’s most popular course

I

-CAR’s most popular course, Vehicle Technology Trends and Diagnostics Overview, has two main topics to share with students: vehicle maker trends for the 2017 model year and new trends and equipment that are beginning to appear in the collision repair industry. Designed to be a snapshot of 2017, the course provides a brief overview of the many relevant aspects of

Long used in Europe, FCA is adopting a new colour-coding scheme for identifying materials.

Pictured is the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, partially coloured to the new colour code scheme. Maroon replaces bright red for UHSS and shades of green replace purple for aluminum.

By Erin McLaughlin

“The whole I-CAR structure is changing to be focused on one hour, bite-sized courses,” said Andrew Shepherd, Executive Director of I-CAR Canada. “Managers no longer have to pay for four hour courses, and can instead opt for more efficient, shorter and specific courses.”

Module one highlights trends across vehicle makes and features some of the newer tools and equipment for collision repair. Noted are

Designed to be a snapshot of 2017, the course provides a brief overview of the many relevant aspects of the industry. the industry. Other courses available through I-CAR go more into depth on several of the presented topics.

According to Mark Hodgins, a course instructor at I-CAR, this Vehicle Trends and Diagnostics is important because it keeps technicians in the know on how the vehicles they are repairing are developing, and how their repair process must change in relation to these developments.

“You can’t do generic repairs on vehicles anymore. They’re all different,” said Hodgins. “A lot of people don’t have the time to research the vehicles they’re working on, so they do it wrong because they just do it the way they think is best.”

The course is currently available online, and takes about one hour to complete. The shortened length of courses reflects some of the changes I-CAR currently has underway.

the companies developing these technologies, how they work and the various benefits these technologies can provide.

Modules two through four look at what North American, European and Asian vehicle makers have produced for the 2017-model year. Each module focuses on one continent, detailing new technologies and trends specific to companies in each region.

Module five takes a look at some of the ideas for future model years. It provides information on the purpose of the new technology, how it will work, the materials required and when we can expect it. Included is the intelligent damage detection system, a program that uses sensors to gather information about the location and degree of a scratch, and when and where the collision occurred.

Learning Objectives: • Identify vehicle maker trends for the 2017 model year • Identify new tools and equipment for the collision repair industry • Understand technology and trends for North American vehicle makers: Fiat Chrysler Automotives, Ford Motor and General Motors • Be familiar with technology of Asian vehicle maker trends: Honda/Acura, Kia, Nissan/Infiniti and Toyota / Lexus • Describe technology and trends for European vehicle makers: Jaguar and Volvo • Describe some vehicle technology possibilities

October 2017 bodyworx professional

43

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

The Training Game Having trouble finding young techs?

Let’s talk solutions

By Mark Millson

O

ne of the younger technicians at our shop is about to start her second intake into trades college, and this has got me thinking about the need for continuous education throughout a tradesperson’s career.

I was very fortunate to be introduced to trades when I started high school, at the age of 14. Unfortunately, today there seems to be a decline in the amount of vocational programs available to secondary students.

I think it is crucial, as employers, to make sure that we are pushing our apprentices to achieve more in their workplace—we should never rely solely on the colleges for progression. It is essential that apprentices use what they learn in school at their place of work and are mentored and challenged by senior technicians. Apprentices looking to work at our shops too often tell me that all they do is clean cars and take off bumpers.

We invest in paint and frame equipment,

employers, it is our responsibility to ensure we give our staff the tools and materials they need to produce a safe repair.

The most important tool we can give a technician is knowledge. At our shop, for example, we are certified for aluminum repair on multiple brands, and they all require different wire when joining structural components. Without knowing the exact mix of the aluminum alloy one is trying to weld, there is no way to know which

I think it is crucial, as employers, to make sure that we are pushing our apprentices to achieve more in their workplace

This, in my opinion, is reducing the number of people getting into trades as a whole.

Funding and enrollment are issues that I hear about often, and I believe these are major reasons why high school trades programs are in decline. I have also heard examples of licensed mechanics teaching autobody programs simply because they hold more seniority than someone who is actually licensed for the collision industry. In some instances, this could mean that some teachers may focus on the mechanical side of the curriculum, which could lead to more students inadvertently becoming mechanics instead of collision repair specialists.

Because there are so few autobody programs at the secondary level, we need to have teachers highlighting the potential that the collision industry in particular can offer them as a career. If we want to have more enrollment in college collision repair programs, a good start would be offering more programs at the secondary level.

44

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

but we need to remember that the biggest investment in our businesses future is our staff. We all complain as an industry about the lack of competent technicians, but we need to ask ourselves as individuals, do we really spend the money and the time on our youth? Just because they are enrolled in an apprenticeship program, doesn’t mean that should stop us from signing them up for OEM training and I-CAR training courses.

Once our apprentices are licensed (and even with our senior techs), it is imperative to continue to provide access to training programs throughout their careers at our shops. One thing that I would like to see the industry do is institute mandatory welding tests every four years for all licensed technicians. As the materials we are using continue to change, materials or techniques have to change with it.

We should not rely solely on our technicians to “police themselves” in terms of making sure they produce a proper repair. As

wire to use. You could use a wire that is too strong and will tear right off the base material, or a wire that is so soft that it will not melt into the base material. This is why it is essential that we give our technicians the information and training that they need to understand each repair.

To understand why there is such a shortage of technicians in our industry, perhaps we should look to the beginning of a young person’s education. We should start investing more into secondary education, as most kids have not had any exposure to our industry at this point in their lives.

Starting at the high school level will help guide young people down the road to one day being our future senior technicians.

Mark Millson is the Director of Operations at Excellence Auto Collision in Toronto, Ontario. He can be reached at mmillson@excellenceauto.ca.

YOUNG GUN

School to Shop

<<< >>>

Emilie Duguay’s journey into collision repair

By Erin McLaughlin

E

Emilie Duguay, employee at CSN Dana’s and the first woman to have completed the Automotive Paint and Work program at the Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick, Bathurst.

“Through working at CSN Dana’s I’ve become more organized, patient, and my work ethic is stronger.”

— Emilie Duguay

milie Duguay always knew that she wanted to go into the trades, though it wasn’t until near the end of high school when she discovered collision repair as a career option. It was a choice that would result in Duguay becoming the first woman to complete the Automotive Paint and Work program at the Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB), Bathurst.

Soon after, she would be employed at CSN Dana’s Collision Center, where she has since worked for four years.

At the end of high school, Duguay went to a day-long Automotive Paint and Body program at CCNB. “Going to that class for a day really showed me what they do. They actually made us work, I painted and worked with my hands, and it was a lot of fun.” It was from this program that Duguay finally realized what it was she wanted to pursue—a career as a collision repair technician. Her experiences speak to how influential a program such as this can be for young students exploring options for their future. “We didn’t just stand around,” Duguay noted. “We did the same work that the shop staff were doing.”

Duguay said that one of the biggest challenges in her collision repair journey, especially as a young woman, has been fitting in. “The people at CSN Dana’s made me feel welcome right away, and I was really lucky, but sometimes people in the industry put women on a pedestal and treat them differently than the guys.

I’m not here to be applauded, I’m here to work.” She went on to suggest, “If you

hire a girl, treat her like everyone else.

That’s how you’ll keep the good ones who want to work.”

Dana Alexander, Owner of CSN Dana’s Collision Center spoke of Duguay’s bright personality. “She’s always smiling and singing to herself, and she’s a great team player.” Alexander and Duguay came into contact soon after she graduated from CCNB in 2013, when one of her instructors recommended her, describing Duguay as “bright, capable and a good worker.” Duguay’s many accomplishments speak to this. She competed in the Skills Canada painting competition four times, placing second in 2013 and 2015. As well as this, she is now trained in nearly every repair job Alexander’s shop offers.

Today, Duguay is striving to grow personally and professionally. “I like to learn as much as I can about this industry. I want to learn about estimating next.” She noted that working has shaped her skills and abilities in ways that bleed into all aspects of her life.

“Through working at CSN-Dana’s I’ve become more organized, patient, and my work ethic is stronger. Even when home doing chores, I think to myself ‘how can I make this more efficient?”

She has come a long way from being an uncertain high school student to a thriving collision repair technician—but achieving any goal she sets her eyes on, despite its difficulties and demands, is clearly sown right into her personality.

“I don’t care what other people think, if I want to do something then I’ll do it.

That’s just who I am.”

October 2017 bodyworx professional

45

FINAL DETAIL

think entrepreneur Remember, you’re in charge of you By mike davey

I

’m going to tell you something you may never have heard before, but I swear that it’s true: You are in business for yourself. You may not think of it this way and for good reasons. You probably don’t own the physical plant where you put in your hours, and you probably haven’t officially registered as a business with the government. Nevertheless, you’re in business for yourself.

Technicians frequently work on a fl at rate or piece work system. If this is you, always remember that you’re essentially running a business within a business. You’re not in

required resources, and is ultimately responsible for its success or failure. This is you, and it’s also anyone who works for a living, whether they realize it or not. First, last, and always, you’re in business for yourself.

I’ve floated this idea before, and the most common objection I hear—almost entirely from business owners, rather than their staff—is that it’s contrary to the concept of loyalty to an employer. I don’t agree. You can be a loyal employee, fulfill all your duties, and help to move the business as a whole forward, while still remembering that you’re in business for yourself.

but many partnerships aren’t. I know more than one business where one person owns 50 percent, and the remaining half of the ownership is divided among two more people. In a partnership, all parties are bringing resources to the table, and all parties should receive a benefit when the business (or businesses) succeed.

Thinking of yourself as an entrepreneur doesn’t always mean that you change your work behaviour. It certainly shouldn’t be used as an excuse to treat your employer or colleagues like they don’t matter. It’s actually the reverse! Maintaining good

“In a partnership, all parties are bringing resources to the table, and all should receive a benefit.” competition with the collision facility itself, nor are you necessarily in direct competition with your fellow techs. It’s still a business within the business, and you need to treat it as such if you want to succeed.

You might not work under a system like this at your current position. Perhaps you’re paid hourly, and your paycheque is not dependent on how much work you can accomplish in any given week. Maybe you’re on team pay or some other system.

No matter the system or conditions, there are still benefits to be realized from thinking of yourself as an independent business person, rather than thinking of yourself strictly as an employee.

When you make this your mindset, you are engaging in entrepreneurship. In a nutshell, entrepreneurship is the process of starting a business or other organization.

The entrepreneur develops a business model, acquires the human and other

46

bodyworxmag.com bodyworx professional

Think about it this way. Chances are that you’re with your employer because you have goals that either match up or at least don’t conflict. Your employer wants to repair vehicles. You want to repair vehicles.

There’s no conflict there. In fact, there’s an absolute alignment of goals.

Without this basic alignment, there’s no reason for you to go work, and no reason for your employer to hire you in the first place. That’s not to say that your personal goals may not come into direct conflict with your employer’s goals at some point.

Perhaps you decide to leave one day and open your own facility. This is likely not something your employer actively wants, and it may conflict with their current goals.

At that point, your goals no longer align and it’s time to draw the partnership to a close. Any employer/employee relationship can and probably should be viewed as a partnership. It’s not an equal partnership,

contacts are much more important to an independent businesperson than they are to an employee. Growing your network of professional contacts and staying on good terms should be one of your top priorities.

This applies very strongly if your eventual goal is to own your own collision repair facility at some point. The colleagues of today may be your employees one day, and they would prefer to work for someone they know and respect. They might also end up as your prospective employers one day.

Good working relationships can pay off, just like bad ones can hold you back.

Mike Davey is the editor of Bodyworx Professional. He can be reached at 905-5490454 or via email at editor@ collisionrepairmag.com.