Collision Repair 20#2

HOW’S BUSINESS? CANADIAN SHOPS WEIGH IN!

Volume 20, Number 2 l April 2021

ELECTRIFIED EDUCATION

MADNESS IN MANITOBA

Insider info on I-CAR’s new courses!

MPI Terminates Repair Rate Deal

LEVEL UP

Lift Auto Group’s top execs talk success!

A POINT OF PRIDE JEFF HAMPSHIRE

ON MASTERING THE MOVING PARTS OF CCS SOUTHGATE COLLISION PLUS: BOTTOM-LINE BOOSTERS | COLLISION REPAIRER’S TOP JAMS | DEFINING TOP PRODUCTION

www.collisionrepairmag.com Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40841632 l 86 John Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 1Y2

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS

VOLUME 20, ISSUE 2 | APRIL 2021

HOW’S BUSINESS? CANADIAN SHOPS WEIGH IN!

Volume 20, Number 2 l April 2021

ELECTRIFIED EDUCATION

MADNESS IN MANITOBA

Insider info on I-CAR’s new courses!

MPI Terminates Repair Rate Deal

LEVEL UP

Lift Auto Group’s top execs talk success!

A POINT OF PRIDE

JEFF HAMPSHIRE

ON MASTERING THE MOVING PARTS OF CCS SOUTHGATE COLLISION PLUS: BOTTOM-LINE BOOSTERS | COLLISION REPAIRER’S TOP JAMS | DEFINING TOP PRODUCTION

www.collisionrepairmag.com Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40841632 l 86 John Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 1Y2

ON THE COVER With his tight-knit team of quality repairers behind him, natural leader and CCS Southgate bodyshop manager Jeff Hampshire has seamless repairs down to a science.

34

12

The inspiring success of Koos Reineking and Lift Auto Group!

DEPARTMENTS

10

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

60

REGIONAL NEWS

80

RECYCLING NEWS

81

TOWING NEWS

Familiar faces, new roles!

Industry news from coast to coast!

Cycle through Canadian auto recycling!

The stories in the towing sector’s headlights!

FEATURES

40

44

Canadian business owners weigh in on operations in the early days of 2021!

38

CLASS IN SESSION

58

BEATS OF THE BODYSHOP

78

THE NITTY-GRITTY

Instructors on techniques learned by the technicians of tomorrow!

The songs your staff really want to listen to at work.

Recyclers uncover pandemic lessons and their future industry implications!

The inside scoop on I-CAR’s new EV courses, from director Andrew Shepherd!

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 5

CONTENTS

CONTENTS COLUMNS

30

What does top production look like for the average Canadian bodyshop—and how do you determine your limits?

32

Strategies to boost your bottom lines, featuring proven tactics in tough times!

56

How COVID-19 ravaged collision claims nationwide!

76

08

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

48

VIEWS FROM THE WEST

51

WHO’S DRIVING

52

LET’S TALK TRAINING

54

TOM’S TALES

82

FINAL DETAIL

By Darryl Simmons

By Chelsea Stebner

By Jay Perry

By Stefano Liessi

By Tom Bissonnette

By Allison Rogers

ELC Towing and Dispatch founder Dara Carpenter shares her ground-breaking story!

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

HAVE YOUR SAY We welcome your comments on anything you see in Collision Repair magazine.

Send your feedback to editor@collisionrepairmag.com.

6 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

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PUBLISHER’S PAGE

OUR STORY IS YOUR STORY

For the last 20 years we’ve covered a lot of ground together

BY DARRYL SIMMONS

T

ime sure flies when you’re having fun.

It seems like just yesterday when Remy Rousseau and I were pondering cover ideas for the first edition. Lorenzo D’Alessandro was the inaugural cover story. It was a great call, as we enter the 20th year of publishing, he exemplified and still does, the mission of Collision Repair magazine: to champion and celebrate the successes of Canada’s collision repair industry.

In those days, change was happening at what we thought was breakneck speed. The industry was in transition, pivoting from bodyshops that primarily focused on getting work out the door to high-tech and highly trained repair facilities.

Insurer relations were different -- appraisers and adjusters were key linchpins in the process. Now we’re looking at artificial intelligent (AI) estimating with automatic parts ordered at point of impact.

high price liability to avoid litigation, shops are scrambling to get ‘approved’. But as we saw in the United States with one OEM who reached capacity, there are no guarantees out there. So around and around we go For the past two decades we purposely focused our editorial direction on the people of the industry.

This is the backbone regardless of the processes, or lack thereof. No matter how this industry changes and progresses, it will always be the people who make the difference. There’s not enough room to mention the names here, but we are here now due to the foresight an vision of industry leaders such as Sam Mercanti, Des D’Silva, Steve Leal, Tony Canade, Michael Macaluso, Ken Freisen, Julio Bruno, Jay Perry, Tom Bissonnette, Nick DiLuca, Roland Taube, Lorenzo D’Alessandro – and who could forget Sam Piercey, whose prose published

For the past two decades we purposely chose to focus on the people of the industry In addition most of the tasks done by the insurers in the ‘old days,’ are now done at the shop level with computer software.

Over the past two decades we documented and reported as the industry image transformed for the better. In fact, we may have even played a role in improving the public image. From 2000 to today, the number of shops in the country was halved.

Although shop numbers shrank, productivity and repair volumes increased across the country.

Along with improved efficiencies, we saw the development of insurers as partners, sharing administrative paperwork ultimately handled at the shop level. To think, at one point, shops never relied on a computer -- their sole role was fixing a car based on an appraiser’s estimate.

Today, more than 75 percent of the dollar volume of repairs is conducted by some sort of network, be it a franchise, buying group or multi-shop-owner. However, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The new trend is certification and pretty much we are right back at the starting line of the insurer Direct Repair Programs (DRP) of 20 years ago. With the behemoth players involved and the risk of

8 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

in our magazine still rings as relevant today as it did when he first wrote it.

But this is not a trip down Memory Lane, at least not yet. Our 20th Anniversary Edition is coming up soon and we want everyone to take part. After all, our story is your story and who can tell it better than those who lived through it carving out the destiny with toil, sweat and a lot of swear words.

Our editors and writers are on hand ready to hear from you and receive your pictures, comments and anecdotes. Think of it as a yearbook, as a record to pass down to the next generation. Never before has anyone put together an account of the industry in this manner.

This is an industry built with pride and welldeserved success. The history of Collision Repair magazine is the history of Canada’s collision repair industry. Let’s do it justice and celebrate with style. It’s a great story, let’s tell it together.

PUBLISHER Darryl Simmons publisher@collisionrepairmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Orest Tkaczuk | orest@mediamatters.ca EDITOR Allison Rogers | allison@mediamatters.ca STAFF WRITERS Max Reid | max@mediamatters.ca ART DIRECTOR Yvonne Corvers | yvonne@mediamatters.ca GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN Victoria Volkova | victoria@mediamatters.ca VP OF INDUSTRY RELATIONS & ADVERTISING Gloria Mann 647.998.5677 | gd.mann@rogers.com DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Ellen Smith 416.312.7446 | ellen@mediamatters.ca INDUSTRY RELATIONS ASSISTANT Wanja Mann (647) 998-5677 wanjamann1@gmail.com DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER Cassie Doyle | cassie@mediamatters.ca CONTRIBUTORS Tom Bissonnette, David DiCenzo, Burak Edirnecik, Stefano Liessi, Julia Lloyd, Jay Perry, Chelsea Stebner, Dianne Park Thach,

SUBSCRIPTION Single edition $10.99 One-year $59.99 ( 8 issues) Collision Repair™ magazine is published bimonthly, and is dedicated to serving the business interests of the collision repair industry. It is published by Media Matters Inc. Material in Collision Repair™ magazine may not be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statements made by its advertisers or independent columnists. All facts, opinions and statements appearing in this publication have been compiled and included with the permission, though not necessarily the endorsement, of the editor, or of independent columnist contributors, and are in no way to be construed as those of the publisher, or as endorsements of them.

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: 317 Reid St., Peterborough, ON K9J 3R2

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

Collision Repair magazine is published by Media Matters Inc., publishers of:

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NEWS

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE JEFF LABANOVICH | CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | CARSTAR CANADA Jeff Labanovich has been named chief operating officer for CARSTAR Canada. Labanovich has been a part of the CARSTAR Canada family for more than 15 years, joining first as a franchise partner and then the corporate team in 2018. As COO, Labanovich will continue to lead the insurance and operations team and will have an increased role in driving overall strategy for the CARSTAR Canada business.

CHARLES AUBRY | ACCOUNT MANAGER | PROGI Progi has named Charles Aubry has been appointed to the position of major account manager for automotive paint companies in Canada and abroad. Having only joined the team at Progi three years ago, Aubry quickly climbed the ladder at the company thanks to his “down-to-earth ideas to improve productivity in collision shops and the sound advice he gave them at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

TONY MAMMONE | VP OF OPERATIONS | CARSTAR CANADA Tony Mammone has been named vice president of operations for CARSTAR Canada. Touting more than 20 years of experience in the collision repair space, Mammone served on the insurance side of the industry as a field adjuster before advancing to a number of leadership roles. As vice president of operations, Tony will continue to lead the operations team but have an increased role in managing our insurance teams, aligning the company’s overall strategy.

SONIA BOUTHILLETTE | FIX AUTO CANADA Sonia Bouthillette has been appointed vice president of operations for Fix Auto Canada. Bouthillette is a results-oriented professional with over 20 years in the automotive industry, said Fix Auto. She joined the company’s operations in 2009 as director of insurance relations and has held several regional and national roles within the sales and operations functions. In her new role, she will be responsible for the network’s operational efficiencies in the Canadian collision repair business.

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ON THE COVER

MASTERING THE

JUGGLING ACT Jeff Hampshire’s journey to perfecting production

CCS Southgate Collision Centre is located in Edmonton, Alberta.

CCS Southgate Collision is hugely proud of the long-standing status of its staff—all but one employee has been with the company for upwards of 10 years.

12 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

ON THE COVER

“When you are up front, you have to juggle a whole bunch of different things. We have to keep the insurance companies on our good side, and we have to keep the technicians happy.

We must keep the customers pleased and we need to be able to maintain a profit to stay in business.” – Jeff Hampshire, bodyshop manager, CCS Southgate Collision

BY MAX REID

Jeff Hampshire, bodyshop manager for CCS Southgate Collision Centre.

W

hen you’re running a high-volume, dealership-affiliated shop in a major city, it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle.

You can get overwhelmed by the competition, lose focus on your staff and maybe even see the quality of your shop’s work start to slip.

It takes a cool temperament, a wealth of experience and a genuine passion for quality repair work to set you apart from the crowd—all things that are second nature to Jeff Hampshire and his team at CCS Southgate Collision Centre.

Jeff is an industry veteran and an old-school bodyman at heart, and even though he’s no longer on the farm fixing up his old ‘68 Cutlass, he still applies the same care and dedication to repairing his customer’s cars as he would his own.

Twelve employees strong and with certifications from Audi and Volkswagen under his belt, Jeff and CCS Southgate have nowhere to go but up in their home base of Edmonton, Alberta.

But there is an entire career of growth and lessons learned that have led up to this point. That is why Collision Repair sat down for an interview with Jeff Hampshire, to share in his insights and experiences coming up in the collision repair industry.

“What really got me started into wanting to become a bodyman was when I was about sixteen years old and I was in my garage working on my old ‘68 Cutlass,” Jeff recalled.

“I bought a can of Bondo from Canadian Tire, sanded a fender down and primed it.

“I thought I did a pretty darn good job of it and I brought my dad over, back on the farm,” Behold, Jeff’s very first stress test.

“He gave it a hit and the Bondo fell right out of it.

From there I decided I was going to learn how to do this properly.’

Jeff took this tough lesson in stride and doubled down on the hobby that would one day become the trade that supports his family.

“After that, I had a love and passion for cars and it’s kind of what got me into the trade. I loved doing custom work back in the old days. Now I love doing the collision work,” said Jeff.

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 13

ON THE COVER

With direct Volkswagen and Audi programs, CCS Southgate Collision sources all of its repair info from OE sites and through the training it receives from Audi and Volkswagen, which it calls “second-to-none.”

Jeff credits much of his success to his ability to secure an Audi certification for his shop and his partnership with CCS which he says has led to more business coming through his doors, as well as access to top-of-the-line training and resources from his OEM affiliates.

14 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Over the years, Jeff went on to develop his chops at bodyshops around Edmonton, making his way as a technician in an always-changing industry.

For one reason or another, his path often crossed into the managerial side of things throughout his career, and eventually after working as an assistant manager at another shop in town, Jeff realized his knack for leadership and dove in headfirst.

“Through my whole career, I’d gone from being a technician in the back to helping to run the shop and going back and forth doing different things,” said Jeff.

“Sixteen years ago, I entered into the dealer group here and I never looked back.”

Jeff proved he could do it all, having developed a keen understanding of the bodyshop and its many moving pieces during his own time in the repair bay.

“I kind of slid into it fairly easily. I mean, they are two different roles and I had to learn to look at things differently. When you start thinking of the costs of everything and trying to keep all that in line; it’s different when you’re a technician who thinks, ‘This is what I need to do the job, and this is the number of hours it will take.’”

Jeff quickly realized that his mentality around repair work would have to change in order to be successful.

“When you are up front, you have to juggle a whole bunch of different things. We have to keep the insurance companies on our good

ON THE COVER

Pre-pandemic, CCS Southgate Collision pushed through approximately 160 cars per month.

side, and we have to keep the technicians happy.

We must keep the customers pleased and we need to be able to maintain a profit to stay in business.

“When you’re in the back shop and you’re focused on fixing the car and doing what you need to make that car right, you don’t consider there’s so much to juggle to make this all happen properly.’”

It would be hard to argue that Jeff has not struck that balance between businessman and bodyman perfectly, however, as even in spite of

pride in, than seeing one of his techs rise up in the industry and hone their craft. In fact, when he’s not working to build his own brand at Southgate, Jeff makes a special point to give back to the programs that brought him the loyal and trustworthy staff that he has today.

“I believe in the apprenticeship program and I’m actually part of a pre-enrollment program and I’ve been on the board for years since it was first started here in Alberta,” said Jeff.

“I believe in the apprenticeship program and training wholeheartedly. We need training

dealership too, is with a lot of our cars we work in conjunction with the service department to make sure that everything is back the way the factory intended it to be.”

But when it comes down to it, the dealership affiliation and fancy certifications are just bonuses to a craft that Jeff has already shown himself to be a master of. Were he back on the farm, Jeff would still be pouring his heart into every repair he makes and thinking not only of making the customer’s day, but his own staff as well.

These vehicles are complex, and everybody’s safety relies on somebody being trained properly to repair them.” – Jeff Hampshire, bodyshop manager, CCS Southgate Collision the uncertainty of the last year, he and his loyal team continue to deliver impressive results.

“During our normal operations, when times were busy (pre-COVID), we were running about 160 cars a month. Right now, we’re averaging about a hundred,” said Jeff.

Though he would be the first to admit that CCS Southgate wouldn’t be where it is today without the hard work of his staff.

“At the moment we have 12 employees. One of things we pride ourselves on is the high number of long-term employees we have. All but one of my staff have been here for more than 10 years—two of them have actually been here right from the get-go. They were brought in in the detail department and worked their way up.”

Jeff admitted that there’s little he feels more

and certification, and I don’t think it should be taken lightly. These vehicles are complex, and everybody’s safety relies on somebody being trained properly to repair them.”

Jeff credits much of his success to his ability to secure an Audi certification for his shop and his partnership with CCS which he says has led to more business coming through his doors, as well as access to top-of-the-line training and resources from his OEM affiliates.

“We have all the direct Volkswagen and Audi programs, so it’s not like we’re getting third-party information—we’re getting it directly off the Audi and Volkswagen sites and the training we get from Audi and Volkswagen is second-to-none.

“That’s one nice thing about being part of a

“The interaction with people is really what drives me. Going back out with a customer at the end of that repair and walking them to their car and just having them get their car back and just be excited about it again.

He continued, “And of course, my family is always motivating me to succeed because I want to provide for them and it’s the same with my staff. I want to give them an opportunity to make as much money as they possibly can in this industry and hopefully a good working condition to do it in.”

Jeff and his team continue their hard work at CCS Southgate every day, always looking to secure more certifications, train more staff and create the best bodyshop environment possible.

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 15

INDUSTRY NEWS

DELVING INTO DIGITAL

PLAYING MATCHMAKER

3M has invested in asTech, citing a “continued commitment to advance the digitization” of the aftermarket supplies giant. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. “The 3M Ventures strategic investment in Repairify [asTech’s parent company] enables us to accelerate our solutions and offerings across the entire automotive ecosystem,” stated Cris Hollingsworth, president of Repairify, regarding the investment. “We seek to make strategic investments that will advance our innovation and growth,” said Ben Wright, director, 3M Ventures.

“We are moving rapidly to an even more digital-first world, and we see those shifts in the automotive aftermarket. This investment signifies our continued commitment to advance the digitization of 3M as well as of the customers we serve.” According to asTech’s press release, “terms and conditions of the investment…will be announced in a separate press release later.”

Oakville, Ontario-based company CrashBay is poised to play matchmaker with the launch of their new collision centre search engine. The automotive e-commerce company first launched CrashBay in 2019, and now with the updated ability to search through a database of thousands of certified repair shops, they are helping connect drivers and repairers across Canada and the U.S. and get them through what CrashBay founder, John Harvey, referred to as an often “confusing, fragmented and inconsistent process.” Users simply go to the company’s website and enter their city into the search bar. The search engine then identifies all nearby shops, from which you can then narrow down further into specific certifications and even book appointments straight from the website. Membership for shops to be a part of CrashBay’s online network is always open, and promises that “signing up includes several benefits for car repair businesses, including increasing brand visibility, accessing a wide variety of marketplace benefits, and the ability to book extra work,” according to the press release.

TWENTY THOUSAND STRONG A Change.org petition created in support of the Your Data. Your Choice campaign demanding consumer access to vehicle data has garnered more than 20,000 signatures. The Canadian campaign advocating for consumer control of vehicle data–which is currently ruled by OEMs–was first announced in November 2020 by the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada). The U.S. Your Data. Your Choice petition has nearly 30,000 signatures so far.

FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS An active voice in the debate surrounding vehicle data rights, the CAR Coalition, a U.S.-based lobbying group advocating for “Right to Repair” legislation for collision repairers, has released their organization’s Call-to-Action. The CAR Coalition released a video where they outlined their call on government to draft consumer-minded legislation that aligns with the organization’s four key principles of “safety first, empower consumer choices, foster industry competition and keep consumer costs low.” An excerpt from the video states that “When a vehicle needs to be serviced or is damaged, the repair process is personal for the owner. It can also be overwhelmingly expensive. This is why it is so important that consumers have options when it comes to vehicle maintenance and repair. The auto manufacturers should not dictate how, when, or where a vehicle is repaired – the vehicle owner should. In today’s advanced world, the how, when, and where comes in the form of data. What’s more, vehicle owners should be in control of any data their vehicle produces. This will ensure they have the ability to take their vehicle to the repair shop of their choice and not be limited to manufacturer-only repairs.”

16 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

TAKING ON TOUCHLESS COVID-19 has sent the automotive claims process digital, with the majority of insurance carriers adopting virtual claims processes in the last year, says Mitchell International’s latest industry trends report. According to Mitchell’s report and data and analytics company LexisNexis Risk Solutions, 95 percent of auto insurance carriers are embracing virtual claims handling, with many now setting their sights on touchless estimates. For the North American auto insurance industry, automated or ‘touchless’ estimates remain the end goal⁠—but technological evolution needs to take place to strive closer to such an objective. The transformation from field appraisals to the “Holy Grail” of touchless claims is not done overnight or entirely by machine, says Mitchell. Appraisers are a key to developing and improving processes through introducing automation gradually through implementing virtual estimating and human-machine collaboration in guided estimating. The guided estimating process involves artificial intelligence (AI) that guides the appraiser through each decision point. The goal s to put more power in the appraiser’s hands while leveraging the AI for useful recommendations. Following this process comes the implementation of fully automated claims.

For the collision repair claims space, touchless claims remain the “Holy Grail” end goal, says Mitchell.

INDUSTRY NEWS

PASSING ON PUBLIC TRANSIT A new report calculates that millions of Toronto transit riders dropped their TTC habits in favour of ride-sharing platforms Uber and Lyft, resulting in a revenue loss of at least $74 million in 2019.

According to the report, released by a group called RideFair Coalition, in 2019 an estimated 31.4 million TTC trips were lost to the two major ridesharing platforms. The shift to Uber and Lyft not only means a financial hit for the TTC, the report says, but also more private vehicles circulating on Toronto roads. The RideFair Coalition says it is a diverse group of individuals and organizations supporting “fair regulations” for ride-hailing.

Its founding members include two Toronto taxi companies as well as the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113. While similar reports for other major Canadian cities are not currently available, some ridesharing apps—including Lyft in Vancouver—will present public transit alternatives like nearby TransLink and BC Ferries alongside ride-booking options, giving customers a full breadth of choice. Neither Uber nor Lyft in Toronto presents the same opportunity.

Even pre-pandemic, Canadians were leaning toward the prospect of ridesharing or taxi use over public transit options in Toronto.

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APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 17

BUSINESS NEWS

LI-CYCLE LISTED

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

Li-Cycle is raising funds for global expansion by going public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in a deal that values the battery recycler at US$1.7 billion. The five-year-old private company has unveiled plans to merge with Peridot Acquisition Corp., an NYSE-listed special acquisition corporation (SPAC). If approved by shareholders in both companies, the transaction will bring US$615-million into Li-Cycle. The business combination includes a pre-money equity valuation for Li-Cycle of $975 million and, when combined with the transaction proceeds, represents a combined company pro-forma equity value of $1.67 billion.

Upon closing, the combined company will be renamed Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. and will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol “LICY.”

How’s your 2021 going so far? According to the latest report from Desrosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. (DAC), that may depend on what province you live in, as sales numbers for the light vehicle market are scattered across the board in Canada, with figures ranging drastically from province-to-province. With the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic varying significantly based on the region in which you live, so too do the results found in this latest report from DAC which shows both notable spikes and declines in light vehicle sales on a provincial level. The report shows an estimated 39.1 percent decline in sales in January for Quebec, who faced strict lockdown restrictions and curfews throughout that time. Conversely, Newfoundland experienced a 24 percent jump in sales in the first month of 2021, “albeit at a lower and in turn more volatile volume,” according to the report.

Fellow east coast provinces, PEI and Nova Scotia also reported sales increases of 11.9 and 5.2 percent, respectively. Across the country, British Columbia saw a 4.5 percent climb and Alberta a 9.4 percent fall in sales volume. Ontario, which accounted for over half of the sales decrease in 2020, saw its sales fall 19.7 percent in January. Overall, the light vehicle market is down 17.4 percent to an estimated 90,890 units sold, as compared to 109,988 units in January 2020.

CALIBRATION CONNECTION asTech has acquired adasThink in what feels like a “natural fit,” for the Canadian startup, said adasThink co-founder Nick Dominato. “There are some amazing synergies that adasThink can have with asTech,” Dominato told Collision Repair. “asTech is a leader when it comes to OEM diagnostics and calibrations, and that aligns with our mission to identify OEM required ADAS calibrations and the required documentation. It was a natural fit. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve done in this short time.

We can’t wait to see where the support of asTech’s its resources, knowledge and technology will bring us.”

asTech has acquired adasThink in what the Canadian startup founder calls “a natural fit.”

CASH, CREDIT OR CRYPTO? HGreg auto group is now accepting cryptocurrency for payment on new or used vehicles. The company said the move was made to meet its “desire to constantly evolve and improve [its] customers’ shopping experience.” Cryptocurrencies are not tied to banks or the government and users can spend money anonymously. According to recent reports from Canada’s Associated Press, digital currency has become so popular that more than 300,000 transactions occur in the average day. The most highly-traded cryptocurrency—and the highest valued—is Bitcoin, which hit a record-high Feb. 16 with a single unit trading at US$50,600

Quebec-based HGreg auto group is now accepting cryptocurrency payments on new or used vehicles.

18 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Overall, the light vehicle market is down 17.4 percent to an estimated 90,890 units sold, as compared to 109,988 units in January 2020.

UH-UH, UBER Many Canadian Uber drivers and couriers are rejecting Uber’s proposal unveiled in mid-March, which aimed to ease tensions between Uber’s independent contractors and the ridesharing/food delivery giant. The proposal for the potential solution to tensions between the company and its contracted workers, Flexible Work+, would have asked that provinces mandate benefit funds for app-based gig employers to provide perks and safety training to employees, while still maintaining the freedom to determine their own working hours. Uber workers are currently classified as independent contractors who are not required to be given benefits or minimum wage like employees would be under provincial laws. According to these workers, the so-called solution “doesn’t address any of the real issues that workers have been talking about,” which include living wages, sick pay and more stability for workers.

Uber has countered the requests by arguing that workers want the flexibility to choose when, where and how often they work and don’t want to be tied to formal schedules that could come with traditional employment.

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20 YEARS

Your Story is Our Story Celebrating the past, present and future of Collision Repair

Collision Repair Magazine’s 20th Anniversary Issue Share your photos, memories or ideas from throughout the years for a chance to be featured!

20

YEARS ANNIVERSARY

For more information visit collisionrepairmag.com

3M Awards 2020 Rick Berg Award 3M recently awarded Brett MacNeil with the 2020 3M Rick Berg Award. Brett is a senior sales account representative in 3M Canada’s Automotive Aftermarket Division dedicated to the Western region.

Brett has demonstrated exceptional service and commitment within his territory to the automotive aftermarket industry, building strong relationships with jobbers and going above and beyond to service his customers and find the best solution for their business, says 3M. Faced with unprecedented challenges from the ongoing global pandemic, Brett pivoted and found new ways to bring value to his customers, focusing on getting them key information and hosting virtual training sessions for them when in-person visits weren’t possible. Brett’s approach to customer service and his strong knowledge of the automotive aftermarket is a testament to the honour of winning the Rick Berg Award.

His actions and efforts have demonstrated professionalism both to the industry and customers, but also to within the 3M team. Brett is a true team player with the capacity to assist his peers and provide valuable input to the leadership team.

Brett is very knowledgeable about the aftermarket challenges and continually strives to find ways to help customers be effective and efficient in their operations.

The Rick Berg Award, named after a former 3M business leader who passed away in 2010, is awarded annually to a 3M sales representative that exhibits the highest level of performance and sales professionalism in the Automotive Aftermarket Division. The winner is a sales leader that exhibits strong ethics and leads by example with passion and energy and Brett is a perfect example of this.

For more information on 3M solutions for collision repair, please visit 3M.ca/CollisionRepair

SELL LOCALLY!

Do you want to sell your business to another local body shop owner?

CARSTAR is a family of family businesses. Owners join the CARSTAR network because they want to continue being local owner-operators but need support to thrive in this ever-changing industry.

Contact Collin Welsh today if you want to sell your business to another local owner at cwelsh@carstar.ca

OEM NEWS

A MANDATORY MOVE

GETTING GROUNDED

BMW Collision Program Manager Jonathan Inzano is reminding collision repairers that pre- and post-scans are no longer an option with today’s modern vehicles. “Before and after any collision repair there must be a pre- and post-scan,” he told a March Guild 21 call.” Inzano noted that pre- and post-scans also bring the ability to accelerate repairs, in some cases. “A lot of the time it can actually save time in the repair. If you’re pre-scanning a vehicle you are already identifying sometimes the issues in the vehicle versus not identifying them and now having to come back to create a supplement, order more parts, wait for parts to come in—it creates a huge backlog. At the end of the day, scanning is not only necessary but is also an efficiency measure.” The postscan, said Inzano, is crucial to ensure all issues have been rectified.

“Some faults will create a dash light as soon as you hop in, but others won’t. There’s really no way to tell unless you scan the car once more, clear the faults and make sure nothing returns. “It’s not optional—it’s necessary,” said Inzano. “It’s your due diligence to the proper thing.”

Techs that work on hybrid vehicles everyday know the challenges that come with combining traditional combustion engines with battery-electric technology; that’s why the experts at ALLDATA have put together a list of safety tips to keep in mind when working on Honda and Hyundai hybrids. The full list of hybrid tips, safety and otherwise, can be found at ALLDATA.com.

In his second recent appearance on the Guild 21 virtual stage, BMW collision repair program manager reiterated the importance of preand post-scans on all collisions and repairs.

PREFERRED PUSH Assured Performance network’s U.S. branch has announced a “successful” Nissan campaign pitching certified bodyshops to nearly four million Nissan and 500,000 Infiniti customers.

Assured Performance said the campaign results in a “tenfold increase” in the number of hits on the OEM’s shop locator tool. The automaker’s consumer awareness campaign aims to “further educated and refer vehicle owners to their nearest Nissan Certified Repair Provider and provide them with important links and instructions.” The campaign touts the tagline, “What’s Done is Done, So Get Repairs Done Right.” Nissan also says the campaign will offer customers free tows to their nearest Nissan certified collision centre within 50 miles (80 kilometres). The automaker nor Canada’s Certified Collision Care—which is powered by Assured Performance—has not clarified whether the same campaign was issued in Canada.

TOYOTA TCB The people’s voices have been heard and the results are in; Toyota Motor Company has been chosen as Canada’s Most Respected Auto Manufacturer by the Canadian public in a recent nationally representative public opinion survey. “Respect is earned, not just by manufacturing strong products, but through a combination of trusted local service and support, industry leadership, corporate values and genuine community engagement,” said Jeff Munn, executive director of Canada’s Most Respected Award Program. Honda, Subaru, BMW and Mazda rounded out the top five of the 13 total automakers reviewed by the public.

FREEDOM TO CHARGE According to an announcement from Volvo Cars, the Swedish automaker intends to make the ICE a thing frozen in time, as the company plans to convert entirely to online EV sales by 2030. In a move that the company is saying will “transform the current wholesale market”, Volvo plans to launch a brand-new line of EVs to be available only online in time to make them an exclusively online EV manufacturer by the year 2030.

PEOPLE PLEASERS As part of a project four years in the making, Hyundai Canada has compiled nearly 87,000 independently submitted customer reviews of their vehicles and are pretty pleased with what they found. “Of those reviews, 40,985 owners have given their vehicles an overall score of 10/10, while 23,208 owners have scored their vehicles 9/10,” according to the press release.

Overall, 93 percent of owners rate their Hyundai products as an 8/10 or above. Four years ago, Hyundai partnered with Reevoo, a user-generated content collection platform to help them measure performance and improve their offerings using independent customer feedback.

Assured Performance network’s U.S. branch has announced the successful completion of campaign recommending its OEM certified shops to consumers.

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 23

OEM NEWS

DAS APPROVAL Car-O-Liner has earned official approval from Volkswagen for use of the company’s VAS 6755A Resistance Spot Welder on VW’s vehicles going forward. Put through a gauntlet of third-party tests, the welder was based on Caro-Liner’s CTR® 9 spot welder and designed to VW’s high standards of quality and will feature a special Volkswagen 16A welding cap, Volkswagen-specific software and the new Shelf and Clip Kit and Dust Cover. “Volkswagen recognizes that the high performance VAS6755A welder meets their requirements for high-quality repairs of their modern, technologically advanced vehicles,” said Jonny Jangdin, product manager at Car-O-Liner.

Car-O-Liner’s VAS 6755A Resistance Spot Welder has been approved for use on Volkswagen vehicles.

INSURANCE NEWS

SETTING THE SCORE Nova Scotians with good credit are in for a treat if they drive under Co-operators General Insurance, now that the company has announced that credit scores can now be used as a rating factor for auto insurance, following the regulator’s approval. According to the regulators, this move from Co-operators is likely a symptom of increasing competition in the credit-based insurance market. “Co-operators…noted several competitors had introduced credit information in their rating algorithms and said it wanted to avoid being put at a competitive disadvantage,” said regulators.

CHEQUE PLEASE, NO TIP Meeting its promise to return a portion of the $600 million in savings accrued during the pandemic, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) has announced that drivers in the province will have rebate cheques in their pockets come March. All customers who had a policy with ICBC from April to September of 2020 are eligible for a one-time rebate of about $190 per customer. According to ICBC, the $190 cheque makes up for 19 percent of the average premium rate paid by BC drivers during the pandemic and is to be sent out to 2.86 million drivers in the province.

British Columbian drivers will soon be happy to (finally) see insurance rebate cheques in their mailboxes.

24 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

AUTEL’S IA800: INTELLIGENT ADAS OPTICAL POSITIONING SYSTEM When technicians speak about the calibration of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems words like accuracy and precision are always used. Because they know just how sensitive the cameras, sensors and components of these systems are and that an improperly aligned component and/or one incorrectly calibrated can have dangerous consequences.

True ADAS calibration professionals realize that every requirement and instruction set forth by the vehicle OE is there for reason and that shortcuts have no business being taken on the shop floor.

Case in point, an examiner for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) looked at the failure of a Honda Civic’s forward collision autobraking system, which in their test resulted in delayed action and subsequent obstacle collision at 20 mph. The IIHS examiner found that the technician had failed to follow OE procedures including parking the vehicle on level ground, identifying the center of the vehicle and properly measuring distance from target to vehicle.

That was never done, “they were just eyeballing it,” the IIHS examiner said.

The IIHS examiner never said why the technician failed to follow the correct procedures—lack of the right tools or equipment, poor training or that he simply found the measuring process time consuming and/or tedious and decided to take a shortcut.

And why the excuse is unimportant, it’s true, the setup processes for the ADAS calibrations are time consuming, and tedious.

Phone: (855) 288-3587 • USSUPPORT@AUTEL.COM AUTEL.COM • MAXITPMS.COM • MAXISYSADAS.COM © 2021 Autel U.S. Inc., All Rights Reserved

Calibration systems developers have heard technician’s lament and answered with new systems or adaptions for existing ones that not only drastically cut the setup time but also ensure a more precise positioning of the vehicle. No plumb bobs, no chalk, no measuring tape.

Autel’s IA800 is one such solution and it is the definition of efficiency. Described as an Intelligent ADAS optical positioning system, the IA800, employs six high resolution cameras and ADAS positioning software, to transform Autel’s Standard Calibration frame into a rapid yet precise frame centering and vehicle distancing unit, enabling technicians to accomplish frame to vehicle placement in less than a minute. Compare that with the mechanical tools setup that takes on average 40 minutes.

Wheel clamps with camera targets are attached to the rear wheels and a standing target component is placed in the front of the vehicle by the vehicle badge. The tablet, now placed securing on the frame, is paired with the cameras.

The system recognizes the positioning targets and calculates the current angle, distance and offset position of the frame to the vehicle. The technician simply follows the onscreen instructions to move the frame or adjust the angel of it until the current values match the required values. A green check mark will display for each parameter once the required position values are achieved. That’s it, the vehicle is ready for calibration. The IA800 is a game changer for efficiency and precision.

Follow Us @AutelTools

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

THE PACE OF PROGRESS

LIGHT WORK

American automotive technology company CCC Information Services is reporting a more than 50 percent year-over-year increase in claims processed using artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning. The company also reports that more than 5 million unique claims have been processed using a CCC deep learning AI solution, and the number of claims using two or more of its AI applications has more than doubled year-over-year. Today, more than 75 U.S. auto insurers are actively applying CCC’s advanced AI to power claims decisions and improve policyholder experiences, said the company via online press release. The company says the sharp growth is spurred by a combination of increased adoption, expanded applications and the more than 300-strong library of AI models supporting personalized claims decisions.

A partnership between Canadian auto parts manufacturer Magna International and material and chemical giant DuPont is looking to elaborate on the concept of using adhesives rather than welding to bond vehicle liftgates. Spurred by increasing demand for lighterweight vehicle solutions as electrification spreads, the two companies are currently attempting to simplify the manufacturing process, reduce the required bonding time and accelerate the curing process.

The challenge comes in ensuring a flexible process that works for all automakers and meets customer demands, said Sid Asthana, global director of material science for Magna. The companies also maintain the technology will be “a critical component” in future automobiles, especially autonomous vehicles.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is claiming its stake in the collision repair space as U.S. insurers make moves to power claims processes with AI operations.

The first bonded liftgate

by Magna appeared on the 2020 Acura RDX and the 2019 Jeep Cherokee, which won the company a first-place finish in the body exterior category at the 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Awards.

MOBILE OFFICES Bell Canada and Honda have teamed up to ensure that Canadian drivers are never offline when they’re on the road, as the automaker announced that all new Honda and Acura models will be equipped with built-in Wi-Fi hotspots. Drivers will be able to stream with up to seven devices through the Bell.ca/ConnectedCar program over Bell’s 4G network.

BEWARE THE BATTERIES With electric vehicles gaining popularity, emergency responders may be in serious danger–especially since the automaker’s emergency response guides are reportedly not up to par. According to a new report conducted by National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) emergency responders may not be able to rely on emergency response guides provided by automakers when dealing with an electrical vehicle fire. The investigation examined three electric vehicle crashes resulting in fires and one non-crash fire involving an electric vehicle. In each case, emergency responders faced major safety risks related to electric shock, thermal runaway, battery ignition and reignition, and stranded energy.

EV batteries could pose significant risked to not only first responders, but collision repairers and vehicle dismantlers, should they not be properly trained.

26 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

VOLKS-REALITY Volkswagen is exploring virtual reality (VR) training delivery to educate collision repair students on the automaker’s technology, repairing mixed materials, joining techniques, electric vehicle repairs and more. During February’s SkillsCanada Automotive Technology Summit, Volkswagen collision repair program manager Scott Wideman delivered a demonstration and discussion of the automaker’s endeavours in VR training. The demo featured two videos: the first documenting a battery repair on a 2020 Volkswagen e-Tron, and the second featuring body repair technology with mixed material substrates and joining techniques. Wideman said the OEM has already launched its VR battery repair concept training for Audi technicians and it is working to someday introduce VR welding training. “The VR program will allow [students] to see what speed they are welding at, what the weld penetration is, the quality of the weld, so they can maintain that skill and develop it further,” he said. “Think of the impact and what it would mean for technicians in the field.”

Volkswagen collision repair program manager Scott Wideman delivered a glimpse into the OEM’s virtual-reality training platform during a February SkillsCanada meeting.

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?!

AND THE KITCHEN SINK

TRY, TRY AGAIN

A Nanaimo man may have better luck with Judy after his demand to the British Columbia Supreme Court for $32 trillion and an audience with Queen Elizabeth fell on deaf ears, following his harrowing bike accident. Tyler Adam Chamberlin filed a civil suit against the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) in November of 2018 after he was allegedly struck in a hit-and-run while riding his bicycle in Nanaimo. Most recently, Chamberlin represented himself at his March 1 B.C. Supreme Court hearing, which included lawyers for ICBC, the Attorney General of Canada, the Attorney General of British Columbia, the City of Nanaimo, Nanaimo Regional General Hospital and the Chief Electoral Officer of British Columbia. At the hearing, Chamberlin presented his modest demands: $32 trillion, the “reconstruction” of the RCMP, 500,000 shares in Tesla, the suspension of trade between Canada and China, the release of various classified documents, an MRI of his entire body, the dismantling of Transport Canada, a private meeting with the Queen and the “cleaning up of the swamp,” which was not defined in the court documents. On March 5, judge Douglas Thompson dismissed Chamberlin’s suit, saying his claims were “scandalous, vexatious, and otherwise an abuse of process.” Claims suggesting that the driver involved in the hit-and-run incident was the Hamburglar in the middle of a getaway have not yet been verified.

Next time you think you can get sneaky about your vehicle’s insurance, think again, as a Halton Region police officer was forced to have a car impounded after the driver was pulled over twice within 20 minutes, in Oakville, Ontario in early March.

On just the first charge, the driver was facing a minimum $5,000 fine, however, thanks to their clearly lacking stealth skills, now faces up to $50,000 in additional fines as well as the potential for a one-year license suspension.

THERE’S SPIDERS IN THERE! PUT THE BILL ON BELL About seven months ago, David Rooney received a car wash he never asked for. The high-pressure water excavator the Bell employee used did the job a little too well and left in Rooney $1,500 in the hole for paint repairs to his 2012 Hyundai Genesis. It was an honest mistake. The employee splashed some mud on Rooney’s car and used the highpowered earth-boring tool to try and gently wash away the mess. “There was quite a wash of water, probably 10 feet high,” said Rooney. Rooney assumed that receiving compensation for the damage would be simple, especially considering that the employee admitted he was at fault—but Bell had other plans, Rooney was dragged into a legal battle with the company and Super Sucker Hydro Vac Service; the company hired on Bell’s behalf. Telecommunications companies often have the right in Canada to enter onto a person’s property in order to carry out maintenance deemed essential. However, according to John Lawford, the executive director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, often when damage is done on such visits, the victim is often out of luck when it comes to receiving compensation.

The idea may feel a little creepy at first glance, but the science is far from mad. A researcher from the University of Denver is proposing that Alaskan spiders and insects could possess the properties to transform the production of antifreeze. Recent University of Denver research suggests that the natural antifreeze compounds found in some Alaskan spiders and insects, as well as the Antarctic toothfish, could provide natural alternatives to the harmful chemicals used to produce traditional antifreeze products. An effort is now being made to replicate the glycoproteins in the toothfish that prevent its blood from freezing in cold waters, in order to be created into an organic antifreeze compound.

Arachnids and antifreeze, a natural combo.

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CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?!

THE KICKER In late January a video of a Toronto man launching his most powerful roundhouse kick on an oncoming SUV began making rounds, prompting the internet to question his sanity. In a video shared to Instagram, the man—initially behind the wheel of a moving car— slams on his brakes to allow some ill-time jaywalkers to pass. The man then spots an SUV approaching the pedestrians at a reduced speed and deeming himself Superman in the blink of an eye, launches himself from his vehicle and into the path of oncoming traffic. Seemingly unaware that the approaching SUV has spotted the pedestrians and has slowed down to let them pass, the man then launches a kick to the vehicle’s tire before collapsing in pain in the middle of the highway.

You cannot fight a car, no matter what your personal trainer says.

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 29

ON OPERATIONS

John Cox, the Canadian Acoat Services Manager at CarBeat’s creator, AkzoNobel.

SETTING PACE

The unique analytics that run in the background with CarBeat have proved to be extremely useful for owners striving for better efficiency.

What is top production—and how do you achieve it?

BY DAVID DICENZO

N

umbers are important to Mark DeLorenzo. The second-generation owner of Toronto-based Ryding Auto estimates that his collision shop would ideally service between five and 12 cars a day, depending on the size and complexity of the job.

Those were pre-pandemic figures, of course.

A lot has changed in the past year. DeLorenzo echoes what many collision industry owners are saying, suggesting there has been a drop of business somewhere between 30 and 50 percent since COVID-19 radically changed the average person’s driving habits.

Regardless of that dip in the quantity of vehicles that go through the shop daily, numbers remain critical to Ryding’s success. DeLorenzo prioritizes efficiency in order to achieve what for him is top production.

He views the whole process like a Formula 1 pit stop, when the car rolls up to that exact spot so the crew can change tires and add fuel with surgical precision.

At Ryding, DeLorenzo has helped that process by developing and refining a colourized magnet tracking system that he began to implement in phases over the past couple years.

“It’s all about beating the clock,” says DeLorenzo, recalling the days when he was constantly approached by staff members about each progressive step for every car in the shop.

“The customer comes in and is given a number, which stays with the car. We go through the steps to repair the car and at the end, that number comes back.

“It’s simple.”

It’s similar to the concept of a conveyor belt with a car entering at one end and leaving at the other. From the initial estimate, through scheduling, acquisition of parts and authori-

“It’s all about beating the clock.”

– Mark DeLorezno, owner of Ryding Auto zations, dismantling, and the ultimate repair, the car is closely monitored during each step.

A green cap, for example, means ‘ready to go,’ orange is a ‘rush,’ and red means ‘hold,’ among other colours used.

The communication component–texts and emails to keep customers in the loop on progress–is generated by Mitchell RepairCenter software, which automatically sends messages after DeLorenzo has inputted relevant information.

Meeting both the customers’ needs and those of a dedicated staff means everything to

30 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

the owner. The shop was established in 1965

by DeLorenzo’s father Rocky, who recently passed away at the age of 87.

There’s a reputation to maintain and as they have done since Rocky started the company, Ryding does an excellent job getting vehicles in and out with minimal wait time.

And it’s getting better. DeLorenzo’s personal system, complemented by the management software, proved to be a big hit.

In the full year he began using it before the pandemic, he believes Ryding was able to service between 10 and 30 percent more cars a day. And since then, the shop has implemented even more measures to ensure a smooth process, including layout changes and simple fixes like strategically placing tools and equipment in specific areas to reduce wasted motion.

“You have to manage your time properly,” he says. “It works well because everyone here can easily follow the system. There was a lot of wasted time previously.

“The Mitchell RepairCentre system will also tell me when I’m at capacity.”

While DeLorenzo has established his own method of striving for top production, there are several industry tools that can help the process.

Sophisticated digital programs like CarBeat and ProgiPlanning offer shops a high-tech approach in the quest to maximize efficiency.

ON OPERATIONS

THE OEM AND ADAS

Are you ready to offer proper, compliant calibrations?

Rather than track a car’s progress manually with magnetic tiles or a dry erase marker, CarBeat tracks production digitally with a drag-and-drop screen. The system currently has about 200 users throughout North America.

Second-generation owner Mark DeLorenzo says his top-production system allowed Ryding was able to service between 10 and 30 percent more cars a day.

John Cox, the Canadian Acoat Services Manager at CarBeat’s creator, AkzoNobel, refers to the innovative program as a “visual production management tool.” It is the digital evolution of a whiteboard, which AkzoNobel has worked on implementing with customers for years.

Rather than track a car’s progress manually with magnetic tiles or a dry erase marker, it is done digitally with a drag-and-drop screen.

The system currently has about 200 users throughout North America.

Cox is clear about something though – CarBeat is just one tool and any business serious about achieving top production has to embrace both a mentality and culture change.

“Ultimate production capability is based on communication and flow,” says Cox. “You can’t over produce for the next department or under produce so that there are bottlenecks or gaps.

“We preach the concept of a Process Centered Environment or PCE.” AkzoNobel holds boot camps and provides educational content around their 10 building blocks, with the ultimate goal of continuous improvement and flow so that when a vehicle enters production within a shop, nothing will slow it down.

“The tangible goal everyday should be to produce ‘X’ amount of hours and that will be determined by what we feel is the facility’s

production capability,” Cox explains. “There are a lot of parameters around that. If you have too much work on site, you will produce less. But if you have the right amount, it will allow you to achieve your optimum production capability.

“CarBeat is a tool that can help manage that. It is visual so everybody in the facility understands the state of production and accountability.

“Ultimately, the mindset of the entire organization needs to focus on maximizing productivity. It’s culture, it’s utilizing standard operating procedures, it’s understanding your capabilities.”

Cox adds that every time a vehicle moves from one part of a shop to another, there is a timestamp. The unique analytics that run in the background with CarBeat have proved to be extremely useful for owners striving for better efficiency.

All collision shops across the continent are hoping for a bounce back after the past year of drastic reductions in repairs. And Ryding is no exception. Until the numbers begin to ascend, the main focus is doing the best possible, most efficient job on the vehicles that do roll through.

It’s actually a time when top production seems critical because owners like DeLorenzo cannot absorb the impact of delays.

“We want to run things like a Swiss clock,” he says with a smile.

To adhere to OE Certification requirements, you have to tackle the topic of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems in repairs.

Each OEM presents a different set of requirements—from software, to test drives and beyond.

Automaker guidelines cover all elements of the repair process, from detailed diagnosing methods to the amount of empty floor space surrounding the vehicle.

Moreover, where one OEM’s calibrations require specific scan tool, others allow for a third-party service, such as AirPro. Add to that mix the bevy of aftermarket scan tools; understanding all the options is crucial.

Maintaining OEM certifications is another element of the ADAS conundrum. If your facility deals with one automaker primarily, achieving certification with its associated program is wise to consider.

The aforementioned ideas also come into play when subletting ADAS calibrations to any qualified third party. If partnering to sublet, you must physically verify and ensure your partner is an expert in the brand, and an informed, reliable resource that respects the importance OEM-required calibrations, proper tools and processes.

Once your business embraces consistency in the application of OE Service Procedures, you’ve conquered a vital step in achieving ADAS calibration capability.

AirProDiagnostics.com APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 31

ON OPERATIONS

SHIFTING GEARS A year into the pandemic, shopowners get creative in boosting bottom lines

BY DIANNE PARK THACH

I

t has been a challenging year for many small businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But some collision repair centres are taking on the challenge by making adjustments, as well as finding new ways to draw business amid slowdowns.

At L&M Auto Body in Barrie, Ontario, Darren Castonguay says business has been steady over the past year but has recently noticed a slight drop since cases of the COVID-19 variant have been reported in his area.

“We’re not getting the walk-ins as much and I think people are becoming even more careful now,” he says.

To fill in the gaps of time in between jobs, Castonguay has tapped into projects he doesn’t frequently take in.

“I’ve been taking in some bigger jobs, like older cars, which I don’t normally do,” he says.

Jobs coming in from insurance are first priority but these fillers can be worked on in between and the customer isn’t expecting this type of project to be done right away.

They have also had to deal with some adjustments to day-to-day operations. Customers come by appointment and they stay in the vehicle while staff walk around to make the estimate.

They then hand the estimate to them or email it to them. And part deliveries now get dropped off outside instead of being brought in.

“I’ve been taking in some bigger jobs, like older cars, which I don’t normally do,” – Darren Castonguay, owner of L&M Auto Body Castonguay’s business has been around for 45 years and says his shop’s reputation has helped keep him stay afloat as he hardly does

32 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

any advertising. He is thankful for the support he has received during the past year but adds that there are a handful of auto body shops on his street that are really struggling.

Much like Castonguay’s shop, business at Seneca Auto Body in Mississauga, Ontario, hasn’t been affected too much by the pandemic, but owner Robert Fluney points out that it’s been a tough year to some degree for all auto body shops.

“It’s hard for people to be able to afford things for their car right now, let alone be able take care of themselves,” says Fluney. “Nobody knows what’s going to happen over the next few months. If you talk to the top shops out there, I can safely say that everybody in the industry is suffering,” he says.

Fluney also credits good relationships with clientele for not being in worse shape than he is. “I’ve been in business for over 30 years and when you treat people fairly and honestly, they come back. I can’t buy that business – I’ve got to earn it, and I did.”

ON OPERATIONS

Top Left: “It’s hard for people to be able to afford things for their car right now, let alone be able take care of themselves,” says Robert Fluney, owner of Seneca Auto Body.

Above right: Seneca Auto Body in Mississauga, Ontario, says it’s been lucky to have fared reasonably well thus far in the pandemic.

Below left: L&M Auto Body in Barrie, Ontario.

“Nobody knows what’s going to happen over the next few months. If you talk to the top shops out there, I can safely say that everybody in the industry is suffering,” – Robert Fluney, owner of Seneca Auto Body He says all shops want to improve their business right now but it’s difficult to do with the uncertainty of COVID-19. And shop owners are doing what they can to hold on to their staff.

Fluney says his customers were once greeted by all his office staff when they came in but now two employees work from home and another employee manages the reception area on her own. He praises all of his staff, especially shop crew, for going above and beyond during this past year.

Mark DeLorenzo, owner of Ryding Auto Body in York, Ontario, says he’s trying to hold on to his staff. Ryding was started by his father and has been in operation for more than 50 years. The shop had a 30 percent drop in insurance jobs and customer visits have been down considerably.

DeLorenzo has been doing mail-outs, social media posts on Facebook and Instagram, and is offering car washing with service. He has also been selling used cars he purchases

at auctions. “It helps keep my guys busy,” he says. “I’m pretty sure other shops are doing this now too.” They’ve also been taking in complete restoration jobs and secured a new OEM dealership to work with.

DeLorenzo has been taking this time to take a closer look at overall work flow in their production department. “We created a shop layout and looked at how we could reduce wasted motion, like moving the cars too frequently, and looked at our key equipment and tooling,” he explains. They have also implemented a new barcoded inventory control system to help them get a better control on paint, materials and shop supplies.

Despite the past year of change and challenges, DeLorenzo says it has at least been rewarding that these improvements have resulted in better organization and efficiency for them. “And I’m glad I have such a good team because it makes it a lot easier to succeed in difficult times,” he says. “All I can do now is just hope for better days to come.”

Toronto’s Ryding Auto Body has been taking in complete restoration jobs and secured a new OEM dealership to work with in recent months.

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 33

EXECUTIVE VISION

QA &

LIFTING THE STANDARD The endless work ethic of Koos Reineking

Koos alongside his wife, Clari at the AkzoNobel Selected Canadian Profitability Conference in 2018.

W

hen a young Koos Reineking entered his first bodyshop in Delfzijl, Holland, he certainly never anticipated he’d one day be an integral figure to the trade—let alone across the ocean in Canada.

Koos has held a bevy of roles in the industry, starting as a technician and transitioning to businessowner before making the jump to AkzoNobel’s corporate office. Now the performance manager for Lift Auto Group, founded alongside his son, Mark Reineking, Koos has altered the industry in more ways than he could have ever dreamed.

Koos and Mark sat down with Collision Repair to delve into Koos’ impressive industry history and discuss the future of Lift Auto Group in Canada’s ever-changing automotive landscape.

Collision Repair: Koos, how did you first become introduced to the automotive realm and a career in the field?

Koos Reineking: When I was 17, my mother thought I would become a schoolteacher. Personally, I could never imagine myself in a classroom for the rest of my life!

Thankfully, my older brother, Ton, took me to the bodyshop he worked at in Delfzijl—a town in Northern Holland, about a half-hour drive from our hometown, Bedum. It was called H.E. Buist.

Ton mentored me in the trade, and within a few years I was painting completes. The shop evolved quickly and by 1974, I was painting in a beautiful Italian downdraft paint booth with two-stage paint.

Then I met Clari—a Canadian girl whose parents had emigrated to Calgary, Alberta from Bedum in 1955.

I decided to follow her to Canada in 1974 and began working at Northland VW in Calgary.

My English was quite limited at first. I thought it was an antiquated shop, even though it was touted as a new VW dealership. But the shift to painting in a crossflow booth without heat and using “packaged VW paint”—it was a real challenge. Not to mention

34 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

EXECUTIVE VISION

Mark Reineking, CEO and president of Lift Auto Group, and Michael Schurink, chief operating officer.

the stereotypes around the collision repair industry in Canada drove me crazy! It’s certainly not what I was used to in Europe.

I would phone my brother Ton in Holland—a half hour phone call was $100.00 and with wages of $5.00 an hour, it was very expensive—and we talked about opportunity.

CR: That must have been quite the transition, going from a high-tech shop in Europe to a more traditional facility in Canada. How did you move forward in such a position?

KR: In 1977, I went through a lot of difficult life changes and simultaneously getting very frustrated with the trade. My wife and I decided to go back to The Netherlands, and I asked myself, “what next?”

Koos Reineking awards CSN Hwy 27 with an AkzoNobel appreciation award in 2019.

shop, in order to build a business with the goal of importing Sikkens and being able to demonstrate it.

This is how Reineking Paint & Auto started in Northeast Calgary. My wife was pregnant of our first child, and we both quit on the same day to start our new venture. I phoned Ton excitedly and he and his wife also emigrated to Canada and joined me at the shop a year later.

CR: Where did you begin with Reineking Paint & Auto? What were the first aspects you narrowed in on?

KR: One of the first things we did, was to find a good booth, and with the help of a local paint rep, made an appointment at the Devilbiss

return on investment, I mentioned that I was not too sure what that meant, I just needed a good booth.

So, they built their first prototype downdraft booth, which later became the Concept and the Concept Cure. The booth and air make up unit was $20,000.00 not installed, by the time we did the pit and roof work, ductwork, it was more than $40,000.00 in 1978!

We grew fast, mostly repairing European cars, and by 1984 we did almost a million in sales with a $33.00 door rate. One of my proudest moments was when the president of the Insurance Bureau of Canada called, and asked what we were trying to do, change the industry? And I responded, yes very much so, this is a professional industry, and we need to get paid for what we do!

“The stereotypes around the collision repair industry in Canada drove me crazy! It’s certainly not what I was used to in Europe.” – Koos Reineking, performance manager, Lift Auto Group When I discussed it with Ton, he said that it would be a shame to give up on the industry.

So, through his connections with his Sikkens rep, had made an appointment at the Sikkens Plant.

We expected a tour and some coffee—which we did get—but we also ended up at the export department manager’s desk, who suggested that I could become a technical rep in Canada, and I should find a distributor. We went back to Canada, excited but unsure where to start, we did look for a distributor in Surrey, BC, who had some initial contact with Sikkens. But we were not able to connect.

This is when my brother-in-law, Al Gotlieb, an oil executive suggested to start as a body

Factory in Barrie. We had to go to Toronto to meet with the Sikkens export manager to go over all the details about importing Sikkens, so we were close enough to visit Barrie.

Interesting side note, there was a small Sikkens distributor in Toronto, called Dutch Coatings, and he had four customers: and we visited them all. One was Ralph D’Alessandro from 427 Auto Collision, a small shop, at the time! Ralph was the very first Sikkens customer in North America, which we celebrated a few years ago.

At Devilbiss I tried to explain what we were looking for, and they mentioned that they had only used downdraft technology for the OEM manufacturer, not for the Bodyshop. They also warned me about the cost, and the difficult

Our real business was of course to import and distribute Sikkens, so in 1985 our bodyshop became our training center and we focused on growing the market with Sikkens. We ended up opening Reineking Paint branches in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Red Deer, Saskatoon, and Regina.

We had an incredible team of people, with a lot of unique talents, people like Fernand van Poeteren our Sales Manager, Dave Smith, our technical manager, Bill Jaster our allied sales Manager, our store managers Ron Schurink, Dirk Velthuizen, Randy Sarchuck, Scott Heffley, Larry Ubels. Bill Jaster our allied sales Manager, Bernard van Wieren, our accountant and so many amazing people.

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 35

EXECUTIVE VISION

Reineking Paint & Auto’s facility in northeast Calgary.

In 1996 my brother and I decided to sell the company to AkzoNobel, and I worked a few years in men’s ministry.

In 2000, I returned back to the industry, first with Caruk & Associates. Then Dave Smith, our former technical manager became AkzoNobel’s Western Canadian Manager and hired me to support the Western Canada market.

All together I worked 18 and a half years at AkzoNobel in various roles, the last five years as Services Manager, of Canada.

There is a real difference working for a large corporation and being an entrepreneur. My example was always: for a corporate employee cashflow is a theoretical term, for the entrepreneur it translates to, “how in the world am I to meet payroll on Friday!”

I had a wonderful career and expected to finish at AkzoNobel.

CR: But life throws a mean curveball and Lift Auto Group was born in 2016.

KR: Yes, where I serve as the performance manager and my son, Mark Reineking serves as president and CEO. CR: Mark, as the founder and CEO, how did the company come to be?

Mark Reineking: My background is in finance—I’m an accountant, business valuator, financial analyst. I was in the accounting and finance world for about 15 years, but ever since high school my dad—Koos—was telling me to look into collision repair but I was off doing my own thing.

Finally, in 2016, he mentioned it again. My business partner Brad Kopp and I did a deep dive on the industry and realized there was a really strong opportunity here, given the success of consolidation in the U.S. and Canada. The

One of the first steps for Reineking Paint & Auto was to find a good booth, said Koos.

demographic of the industry is such that many businesses have been owned and operated by the same owners for the last 30 or 40 years—and a lot of them don’t have succession plans in place. Combined with the passion Koos has for the business, the passion I have from growing up in this environment and the experience of Mike Schruink, the chief operating officer, who has also been in the collision repair sector his entire life.

CR: What’s the Lift Auto Group business model?

It’s very different than your typical banners in that we own the facilities we take on. Sometimes the owner/operators stay on, other times they retire. We want to provide owners and operators the ability to sell their location, create liquidity and move into a retirement plan if that’s what they’re looking for.

We learn every acquisition we take on, but we’ve really streamlined the transition process.

On day one, we transition to our cloudbased management and accounting system.

All of the administrative tasks that an owneroperator would do go to our head office. This allows the location to focus entirely on operations.

The best-case scenario for us is there’s already an individual internally that can step up as general manager of the shop. Usually, an owner-operator will have a strong individual—whether it be a production manager or estimator—is fully capable of stepping into a manager role with the support Lift brings.

CR: It’s certainly been a whirlwind start for the company. Looking back, what were the plans for Lift when you began, versus now and beyond? How have ideas shifted?

36 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

MR: When we started in 2016, Koos, Mike and I got together and realized there was significant opportunity across Canada.

British Columbia—our home province— was a great place to start for us. We don’t have DRP relationships with ICBC and government insurance, so it’s a bit more of a level playing field. We acquired five locations and realized the opportunity was much greater than we had initially recognized.

To support our growth, aligned Lift Auto Group with CSN Collision Centres and brought in institutional private equity investors for additional support on the capital side.

In 2019, we had executed on our vision of growth and built the team to achieve our plan.

Of course, the pandemic jolted things, but we have a strong team in place. Our goal now is to acquire at a rapid pace—somewhere between 10 to 12 acquisitions a year—across Canada.

CR: Of course, 2020 taught us some valuable lessons. What was the biggest takeaway for Lift Auto Group?

MR: It’s certainly not something we took for granted before, but COVID-19 truly proved the strength of our team.

Pre-pandemic, we had established a team capable of executing our growth plan. When COVID hit, we came together in strength.

We didn’t lay anyone off and our team took the downtime to build processes, systems and internally streamline our operations for future growth.

It’s already helped us substantially, with four acquisitions in the last five months. It’s quite exciting to see the fruits of our labour and knowing we’re in a position of power as we execute our growth.

IN THE CLASSROOM

TOMORROW’S TECHS The state of the modern autoshop class [L to R] Matthew Lyle, head of technical education, GCVI, and transportation technology teacher Dennis Ashley.

BY DAVID DICENZO

M

atthew Lyle clearly remembers helping lead the inaugural Electric Car Team at Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute as somewhat of a “catastrophe.” In 2016, Lyle, the Head of Technical Education at the Guelph-based high school, partnered with his Transportation Technology teacher colleague Dennis Ashley to form a team tasked with building vehicles. The ultimate goal was entering an endurance competition against other schools at the University of Waterloo’s annual Electric Car Challenge.

There was a learning curve in year one but, as the club grew in numbers and popularity, so did momentum. At the 2019 U of W event GCVI swept both the Dennis Weishar Engineering Design Award—named after the challenge’s late founder, a teacher from Orangeville—and the Toyota Fabrication & Manufacturing Award.

The hardware is exciting–but the rewarding part for Lyle and Ashley is the students’ experiences.

“They get to see an entire project through from the initial concept drawing to the manufacturing and prototyping to a completed car,” says Lyle, noting many students have tech industry and engineering ambitions. “Trades were seen as dirty jobs and parents didn’t want to get their kids involved. But now there’s a realization this is high-tech stuff, that it’s not just turning wrenches.

“We work on computer-driven design and programming, high-level manufacturing, and automotive skills. The kids have really bought into that.”

Ashley arrived at GCVI five years ago and introduced a lunchtime club, as well as the Electric Car Club. He agrees with Lyle that young

38 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

“Trades were seen as dirty jobs and parents didn’t want to get their kids involved. But now there’s a realization this is high-tech stuff, that it’s not just turning wrenches.”

– Matthew Lyle, head of technical education, GCVI

IN THE CLASSROOM

“I always say that if you invest in education and health care, everything will take care of itself.

If you don’t, you’re going uphill.”

– Stefano Liessi

people at the school are embracing tech. Though Ashley has been on sick leave and in-person work at the fully equipped GCVI garage was limited through the pandemic, anticipation to get back at it is building.

He has seen numbers grow in both his grade 11 transportation technology class and the grade 12 version, which is college-level content for students aspiring to a career in auto repair. There are no textbooks. Ashley utilizes computer based Electude education modules and the modern GCVI shop, with two tire changers, a giant ramp hoist, and new tools every year, services cars for teachers and the Guelph community.

“Our live shop is equipped exactly like any professional garage,” he says, adding students can do engine or transmission replacements, and full brake jobs. “They get a lot of opportunity and hands-on experience.”

According to the Ontario Ministry of Education, approximately 67 percent of secondary schools in the province have a Transportation Technology class, with a total of 37,263 students enrolled in them during the 2018/19 school year.

The GCVI classes and clubs receive support from the province’s Specialist High Skills Major program. The Guelph school, which also has a thriving all-girls class promoting women in tech, has actually brought in part-time teachers to help meet demand.

That’s not the case across the whole country, however. Stefano Liessi, an independent collision industry consultant in St. Albert, Alberta, has fond memories of a class he once taught at an Edmonton school.

Before it became a victim of what Liessi calls “bureaucracy and budget cuts” back in 2019, he ran a successful collision class for six years, teaching kids in grades 10 through 12 how to restore and paint damaged vehicles and parts.

His students, who ranged from marginalized to academically gifted, won multiple awards at the annual Skills Canada National Competition over his tenure.

“The classroom was set up in a way to offer real-life experience,” says Liessi, who loved being alongside his students daily. “My goal was to have them understand that when they’re done school, this is what you would face in the real world. They had to solve problems if something didn’t go right, and if you made a mistake, how do you account for it?

“There was an opportunity for them to express themselves and develop self-esteem.”

Liessi recalls one young student being terrified to enter a competition after he encouraged her to join but she beamed after winning a bronze

Some products of GCVI’s Electric Car Team.

medal. He is critical of the decisions to cut important programs that benefit young people, suggesting they are a disservice.

“It’s taken a toll,” Liessi says. “They’ve lost classes, apprentice programs, and great teachers.

“I always say that if you invest in education and health care, everything will take care of itself. If you don’t, you’re going uphill.”

Lyle and Ashley are fortunate they can witness their students make the most of their opportunities.

“These are great programs if you have a curious mind,” says Ashley. “Knowing how vehicles are made and how they work will benefit you. You can’t purchase those hands-on skills anywhere.”

“You watch these students come in, sometimes with little knowledge and they build over the year, with struggles,” adds Lyle.

“Then the moment that they sit in the car and turn it on, the look on their faces is incredible.”

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 39

STAND UP SPEAK OUT

HOPIN’ FOR BUSINESS Collision repair businesses report dismal start to 2021

BY MAX REID

I

f your business experienced a grim start to 2021, you’re far from alone. According to Collision Repair magazine’s recent survey results, 73.4 percent of respondents say their collision repair businesses are reporting decreased performances for January 2021, compared to the year prior.

Overall, 85.7 percent of respondents are reporting annual decreases for 2020 versus 2019.

Approximately eight percent of shops performed better in 2020 than in 2019, while six percent reported the same performance both years.

The dismal performance—spurred by COVID-19 restrictions, low traffic and better-than-average winter weather in some locales—has forced business owners nationwide to make some tough cuts.

Since February 2020, 71.5 percent of collision businesses have laid off staff members. About 23 percent have laid off between 20 percent and 30 percent of their workforce, while 14.3 percent have laid off between 30 percent and 50 percent of staff. Nine percent have let more than half their team go since the pandemic hit nearly a year ago.

“One tech decided to leave the trade altogether,” said one Collision Repair reader.

“Our owners didn’t take a wage last year,” wrote another.

Several collision repairers are blaming insurers for not giving way amid the global crisis.

“The insurance companies seem to really be cracking down and cutting appraisals apart,” wrote a respondent.

“Some companies are estimate staples and cutting times by 0.5 hours or one hour. It’s really a shame—huge companies are profiting through lack of care on the road while trying to squeeze the shops.”

“Private insurance companies in Canada are taking advantage of the shops in a vulnerable situation,” chimed another. “Implementing parts rebates and material caps, along with rebate increases and labour rate decreases is terrible.”

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Others put their statements more bluntly.

“It’s time for insurance companies to pay a realistic rate.”

“Shops must receive increased rates to invest resources to be viable in the future.”

Seventy-four percent of collision repair businesses are receiving financial assistance such as the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy, according to the survey results.

Regardless, some say they’ve even been unable to qualify for financial subsidies amid hardship.

“I was out 0.75 percent [to qualify] for any subsidy.”

After almost a year of COVID-19 restrictions, recovery remains slow. Facilities are continuing to focus on slimming-down processes, boosting efficiency, innovating and technician training, but options are wearing thin.

One reader says there’s just one thing the industry needs now.

“Help.”

Since February 2020, 71.5 percent of collision businesses have laid off staff members.

STAND UP SPEAK OUT

How did your business perform in 2020 versus 2019?

UP FROM 2019: 8.3%

DOWN FROM 2019: 86.1%

Have you laid off any staff since February 2020?

Are you receiving the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy or any financial assistance?

NO:22.2% YES: 77.8%

SAME AS 2019: 5.6%

YES: 75% NO: 25%

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 41

TRAINING

TEMPTING TOP TALENT What the young collision repairers truly seek

W

ith spring comes the season of hope.

However, it also presents a host of new graduates—students that are the ready for hiring in Canada’s collision repair sector.

Looking to hire young talent in today’s climate? Collision Repair sat down with new autobody students working in the field to learn what they were looking for when they kicked off their job search, and what you need to offer to bring them to your door!

LET THERE BE LIGHT

In today’s climate, aspiring technicians and apprentices are seeking a “work-life balance,” says Fadi Smaidi, founder and CEO of SkillsTrader. A clear way to signify your commitment to this ideology is to foster a healthy shop culture—you may even witness other benefits along the way.

There are many elements that come with fostering a healthy shop culture, but the first step is transparency and honesty. Let them in on your financials and be clear with them on how business is running.

If you make you staff feel part of a team, they’ll be that much more inclined to take their efforts—and your business—further.

NOTE YOUR NICHE

When it comes to hiring, attracting the right people is quite similar to traditional marketing strategies your business may apply to consumers. For instance, if your shop is skilled in BMW repairs and holds certifications for the brand, you should be pushing your top-notch abilities in your promotional schemes.

Similarly, you need to highlight your strengths when seeking a student or young autobody professional for a role. If your business prides itself on staying up to date with the latest welding trends and courses, advertise as such. If an incoming apprentice or technician is seeking a workplace with top-notch tools to expand their skills, or opportunities available for them to pursue and, ultimately, up their trade game.

FOSTER THE PEOPLE

Tidiness is the first thing a potential employee will notice when they step into repair bay. Are your tools scattered about the room like confetti? Does the feeling of stepping into your bodyshop resemble that of wandering into a cave?

Lighting was the first aspect Albertan autobody student Edison Syme noted in his job search. He said it was immediately clear to him that a shop took pride and care in its work if its repair floor was clean, organized and well-lit.

DON’T PUT BABY IN A CORNER

Shop apprentices are all-too-often shoved into a corner or told to sweep up messes without ever being offered the opportunity for further training or growth. Shops—if you have an apprentice, use them!

Student apprentices are in your shop to do exactly what their position implies—be a student. While they’ve grasped a basic understanding of automotive repair, it’s your job as their mentor to strengthen those ropes and present them with new opportunities they may not find elsewhere.

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ATTAINING PRODUCTION PERFECTION Production is about relationships and quality

I

n the pre-covid era, many of us would book vacation time in the southern hemisphere to get a taste of the “good life”; however, in 1994 Tanesh Persaud decided to leave Guyana, and try to attain a “better life” in Canada. Possessing hands on experience in the automotive realm, servicing heavy equipment for many years, he wasn’t able to land a role in the automotive field at first. Given he had an education in electronics, he was able to secure a role servicing photocopy machines, after the company he worked for folded, he started his own delivery company. In April of 2015, Andrew Singh finally convinced Tanesh to join Assured, as a Parts Co-ordinator at our Scarborough West facility. After a few short months, he was asked to help out the team at our Ajax location, where he still is today.

Gus Stavropoulos saw the potential in Tanesh, and convinced him to take interest in the Production Manager role, so his grooming began. With no experience in this role, he relied on coaching from his peers and Gus. Being a participant in an internal estimating course Assured ran at the time, gave him perspective on what his task was, and how it impacts the team. Timing of this couldn’t be more perfect, as the facility was getting busier, he was moving away from this dual

responsibility of Parts Co-ordinator and Production Manager, and after about a year and a half - Tanesh just felt “ready” for the full transition.

Today, Tanesh is also tasked with trying to keep up with evolving technology, how it is applied to the vehicles, more importantly – how it impacts our repair plan and cycle time. “Touch Time is another key metric we need to be aware of, and there is a fine balance between this and quality of work – with experience you’ll know how to achieve this balance”. Assured Ajax has shown they can achieve this as they have won corporate awards for both Sales and Customer Service Excellence.

One area which Tanesh has mastered is working with the “evolving customer”.

Today, being more demanding, having greater expectations and their knowledge of vehicle repair is better than it ever has been. Tanesh shares that “no longer do customers quickly walk around their cars and say “great job” – they take time to ask questions, inspect the work completed and ask what line items mean on their repair summary. People are finally looking at their cars.”

As a Production Manager, he motivates the team and reminds them that we work together. Success and failure falls on the VISIT OUR WEBSITE: ASSUREDAUTO.CA

ADVERTORIAL

team, not an individual. It’s everyone’s job to ensure we keep our commitment to all our customers; vehicle owners, insurance partners and our brand. For someone who is thinking of moving into this role, Tanesh feels that strong time management skills and attention to detail are traits one must have in their tool belt, and if you have experience in communications or dealing with people, in a face to face environment, this will also help your development and success in this role.

When asked how Assured has impacted his life, Tanesh shared,“Assured has helped me immensely, given the times we are currently in I feel lucky to be employed and able to provide for my family. Typically when my Market Manager – Jason Raposo or the regions Director, David Raposo comes by and asks if they can do anything for me, I ask that they support my team by addressing their needs.

I feel good working for Assured, it’s a long term commitment between each other, with us being part of the Boyd Group, I do feel more secure”.

As for future goals, Tanesh is quite content with his career; however, given the opportunity to train others in this role, would be something he would consider, as he would like to help his peers attain ‘Production Perfection’.

TRAINING

While current national EV sales figures are low, the bevy of recent automaker statements to convert all drivetrains to battery-electric or hybrid models suggests a clear path to EV growth.

ELECTRIC EVALUATIONS Andrew Shepherd gives insight on I-CAR’s new courses

BY MAX REID

W

ith automakers the world over announcing wide-scale conversions of their fleets to battery-electric vehicles (EVs) and telematics systems becoming nearly commonplace, the collision repair industry is no longer simply on the verge of a technological revolution—we’re in the midst of it.

That is why Collision Repair took the time to conduct a phone interview with Andrew Shepherd, executive director of I-CAR Canada, to discuss this fundamental shift in automotive technology and how Canada’s educators are responding to meet these new demands.

I-CAR has begun offering a new series of courses focused on emerging technologies, like ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) and EVs, in the effort to better prepare Canada’s techs-in-training for what is shaping up to be a new form of automobile altogether.

“These are a new couple of courses in a long series of new courses focused on new technology, in particular on ADAS and EVs, offered as a group. They are not required as any foundation, but they are produced as quickly as I-CAR can get the information from the OEs,” said Shepherd.

“They’re 30 minutes long; very focused. They have a quiz at the end, and they deal with how to treat an electric vehicle as soon as it comes into the shop. Before even touching it, assessing it for external damage, dripping fluids, things like that, because the voltage of the battery is so high that there has to be an understanding of how to deal with this right from the start.”

Educators across the collision industry are aware of the shifting tides showing a new customer tendency towards battery-electric options, and I-CAR is hoping to meet students right on the frontline of this developing technology, as it is made available, to help propel Canada’s auto industry forward onto the world stage.

“We’ve seen a fair number of the OEs announce a total conversion to electric vehicles over the next ten years, and as always in the collision sector, even the first instance of a new technology can be on a collision shop’s doorstep the day after it’s released,” said Shepherd.

“Either shops have to give up that business and pass on it and say we can’t do it, or they have to get the learning in place to do it.”

According to Shepherd, among the many unknowns surrounding EVs and their devel-

44 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Andrew Shepherd is the director of I-CAR Canada.

oping repair processes, establishing adequate safety protocols across the board should be the top priority for educators bringing new techs into the industry.

TRAINING

I-CAR Canada’s new EV courses are 30 minutes long and deal with how to treat an electric vehicle as soon as it enters the shop.

“There are a lot of things about damage analysis and repair that have to be learned, but the first thing is safety. Because of the high-voltages of the batteries, these shops absolutely need to know how to even approach the vehicle, before they decide to take the job on,” said Shepherd.

He recognizes the apprehension among shop owners to adjust to this shift, but stresses that the choice may soon be made for them, should shops not take the steps to prepare themselves for this new automotive landscape.

“Any shop owner who is interested in staying in business doesn’t like to reject any job for whatever reason. They might reject, for example, a Mercedes where they don’t have the equipment required to fix it because there isn’t a Mercedes in everyone’s driveway. But there is an increasing number of EVs, so a shop might reject the first one or two, but they’re going to get on board very quickly to serve [the demand],” said Shepherd.

Luckily, as a leader for apprentices in the industry, Shepherd has taken note of an increasing enthusiasm for these emerging technologies among students entering the field and is hoping that this will be the beginning of a new public perception of the autobody industry.

“I would say that most of the people who go into, for example, an apprenticeship in collision repair or paint, are car enthusiasts and certainly those people are more digitally familiar, digitally competent than the people training them. I do think that there is a natural bent of new students toward [new technologies].”

Shepherd continued, “I think we have yet to

start targeting people in other pursuits to join the collision industry because of the digital revolution. I think apprentices are a bit surprised how up-to-date the collision industry is—clean and digital. But they’re not selling automotive apprenticeships as a computer business yet.”

take hold a mainstream vehicle for drivers in much of the country.

Regarding current national EV sales figures, Shepherd said, “The numbers are low. The numbers are one, two, three percent at this point. But the clear signal of the future is the

“These are a new couple of courses in a long series of new courses focused on new technology, in particular on ADAS and EVs, offered as a group. They are not required as any foundation, but they are produced as quickly as I-CAR can get the information from the OEs,” Andrew Shepherd, director, I-CAR Canada The results speak for themselves, as technicians with skills geared toward ADAS and EVs are quickly becoming sought-after specialists in the industry.

“You’re seeing the more progressive shops right now hiring people specifically for calibration, or fault analysis, or computer scanning, for example,” said Shepherd.

“All of these trends are pushing shops towards being learning organizations...shops will thrive when they are able to train every day for new technologies.”

On the consumer end of things, the path has yet to be paved, however, as apart from in provinces like Quebec and British Columbia where the incentives for driving an EV are more abundant, the electric option has yet to

OE’s statement that they are going to convert all of their drivetrains to battery-electric or a hybrid. So, the path is very clear; how soon they are going to get here is another question. And unlike a lot of the ADAS technologies, the EV doesn’t require massive changes in space or in equipment. All it requires is training, so it’s a fairly easy process for shops to get ready for those EVs that are going to start to come in.”

The question for Shepherd and I-CAR now is no longer if the industry can get ahead of this technology, but how quickly can it catch up.

“It’s not even an impending shift; it’s the shift we’re in the middle of, towards data-driven vehicles, telemetry, ADAS, battery powered, et cetera. This is a fairly long-term and fundamental shift.”

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 45

TRAINING

IN TODAY’S AGE SkillsOntario takes trades promotion online

Dent Clinic’s new Calgary location is proud to offer free WiFi to its customers, Jeff Blanchard, general manager told Collision Repair.

BY MAX REID

L

ast year saw the collision industry endure a period of uncharacteristic helplessness for a trade so foundationally dedicated to ingenuity and independence.

The pandemic kept shops apart from their customers, and by extension, the communities in which they operate.

Many felt, understandably, as though they were losing their reach as a shop in the wider collision repair landscape.

However, in certain ways, the pandemic gave us the skills to rethink the ways we engage with the industry.

Zoom calls and YouTube tutorials are now a part of daily life and educators in the training sector of the collision repair industry are capitalizing on the extended geographical reach that an online-based learning model provides.

That is why Collision Repair spoke with the CEO of SkillsOntario, Ian Howcroft, to discuss the ways in which the pandemic, while putting a large part of in-person training on hold, allowed for the provincial trades organization to pivot toward other methods of delivering their content.

Ian Howcroft, CEO of SkillsOntario.

“I have to say, the pandemic has been the most impactful and memorable event, for a variety of reasons,” said Howcroft over Zoom.

“It caused us to have to look at all we did and how we did it, because we are an organization that went into schools; provided in-person experiential events, conferences, competi-

46 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

tions, contests. As of last spring, we had to pivot completely 180-degrees to offer everything remotely, virtually and digitally.”

Howcroft and SkillsOntario spent much of the spring last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing and many businesses were under lockdown, developing alternate programming to deliver students a fulfilling training experience while making use of remote technologies.

“We had been talking about what we need to do to better take advantage of remote technology. ‘Can we have more people work from home?’ Most of our staff were already around the province going out to the schools, so it accelerated our work in this area,” said Howcroft.

“I think one of the key examples, which we’ve learned from, is our summer camp program. We used to hold about 24, 25 summer camps in the province, at a college or a facility, and we’d have the kids come out and have a one-week opportunity. Obviously, we couldn’t do that last summer, but we still wanted to provide skills-based and technology-based

TRAINING

activities for kids. So, we put together different 35 activity events that we delivered remotely.”

The organization has already seen this transition pay off, says Howcroft, who noted how much greater of a reach online learning provides.

“Normally, we get about 400 kids at our camp program. Last year, we engaged about 800 kids in a variety of activities.”

excited to get back out and networking, not every business is in the situation to be able to facilitate the transition to online events.

“We all recognize that it’s not going to be the same. All of our partners that I’ve talked to have continued to express their support for SkillsOntario. Some have had to lessen the amount because of their own financial issues.

We’re trying to dispel the negative myths and present information in an accurate way,” – Ian Howcroft, CEO of SkillsOntario As to be expected, there were challenges, however. Namely, an apprehension among some in the industry to engage with online learning opportunities and virtual tradeshows.

“We fared fairly well. When we had our big showcase events with our competitions, we would get tens of thousands of people, true. But we can’t do that in the same way remotely. We are using a very sophisticated platform, called vFairs to deliver our programming in May.” Howcroft says that while the industry seems

Some had to say, ‘Can we defer until we go back to in-person events?’”

Where SkillsOntario is truly directing its big-picture focus is not solely on the dollars and cents, however, but on the hearts and minds of not only prospective technicians entering the industry, and almost as importantly, on changing the perception of work in collision repair and getting parents on board with helping to make it a viable career choice for their children.

“We want to get the parents on board as well,

because they often say ‘Go to university,’ or ‘Don’t look at that opportunity’, because they don’t have a full and comprehensive understanding of what the realities are. They are also dealing with perception. We’re trying to dispel the negative myths and present information in an accurate way,” said Howcroft.

In all, the past year has posed significant challenges to nearly every aspect of our industry, but it has also demonstrated the co-operation and perseverance of collision repairers, educators and students alike to continue along on their paths and create new solutions at every turn.

“It’s been a learning process for us, but I have to again applaud and recognize the team at Skills Ontario for their support,” said Howcroft.

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 47

VIEWS FROM THE WEST

REFLECT AND REBUILD It’s time we bring trust back to the trade

BY CHELSEA STEBNER

T

he definition of trust is the reliance on the integrity, strength and ability of a person or a thing. A confident expectation of something.

It is a simple word with big meaning in our world right now.

Trust is eroding society right now, in relationships, in business, in politics. The lack of trust in the world causes people to act in fear which is evident all around us this past pandemic year.

People do business with us because they like us, because they know us, because they trust us. Most customers haven’t the faintest idea of how to repair a car, but they believe and trust that we do have the skills and abilities. And they trust that we will do it right.

Quite frankly, I am one of those people with computers and

OEM procedures are the first decision maker in how and if we can fix the vehicle and what kind of tools, products, etc. can be used to fix it. Repair shops are working to gain the trust of the manufacturer again by earning certifications and taking specialized training to work on certain brands of vehicles. Every repair requires us to look up repair procedures, safety calibrations, perform test drives and more. And each repair is unique.

The insurance companies are looking to save dollars everywhere that they possible can. We get that. We need to save dollars as well.

But trust—or lack of it—is causing breakdowns in communication and in production during the collision repair process. It is causing layers of paperwork and administrative time. It is causing

Trust—or lack of it—is causing breakdowns in communication and in production during the collision repair process. It is causing layers of paperwork and administrative time. It is causing relationships that we think are decent, to erode over small issues. technology. I often say to my IT vendor, “I don’t understand how it works—and that’s okay; but I trust that you will do it right and lead me in the right direction.” It’s a relationship of trust.

Today, we are struggling in our industry because of a lack of trust—something that can take many years to recover, yet our industry continues to erode because of it.

Collision repair technicians are extensively trained and are constantly upgrading their knowledge, to repair highly sophisticated, computerized vehicles that hurl down the highway at high speeds.

The trust put in us by our customers is immense. They are trusting that we are repairing their vehicles back to manufacturers standards so that they can buckle their babies into their seats, hand their keys off to their newly minted teenage driver and trust that should an accident occur, that their vehicle will perform just like the commercial on TV says it will.

The manufacturers, who, over the years, have seen their vehicles repaired improperly by collision repairers are pulling back the reins on who can fix their vehicles and how they are fixed. They have lost trust in repair shops and have now created accountability with Certifications among many other hoops to jump through.

48 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

relationships that we think are decent, to erode over small issues.

The experts who are highly trained in collision repair and who are continuously upgrading their training are being undermined for a dollar here or there.

Sir Isaac Newton is quoted as once saying: “Men build too many walls and not enough bridges”.

I think that collision repairers today want to build bridges and build trust and want to simply do the right thing, every time.

Collision repairers want and need sustainable businesses. Insurance companies need to know that shops are doing the right things to repair vehicles every time. We do want the same things every time.

What do you think will help us continue moving positively forward?

CHELSEA STEBNER

is the CEO and managing partner of Parr Auto Body in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and a member of the CCIF Steering Committee. She can be reached at chelsea@parrautobody.com.

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WHO’S DRIVING

HELD TO ACCOUNT Looking to improve? Take responsibility

BY JAY PERRY

O

ne of the most challenging parts of leadership is the issue of accountability. We all know and want the benefits that can come from holding ourselves and our team to account for quality of services or products, our policies, actions and decisions but the balance required to do it properly can be elusive.

Those benefits are worth the time and effort it takes to develop the skills necessary. The reduction in frustration can make life easier for everyone. The advancement our team members can make in

is imperative. It takes an objective position and focuses on facts, so we have to have an evaluative approach.

Think of it as an audit. An audit doesn’t change facts; it just looks at true outcomes. When we develop that kind of approach everything else becomes so much easier—we work smarter, not harder.

When done correctly it actually moves from being a retroactive look into an opportunity to one that is proactive in its practice. It may sound odd, but it can help refocus the team onto putting efforts

The end game of accountability is to assist our team members to becoming self-reliant in providing corrective measure that take us toward continuous improvement in the area of everything we do as a corporation. confidence and their skillsets is enormous. It builds into our ‘business DNA’ sustainability.

Further, I believe it is truly the way to work smarter, not harder.

It’s a common old adage, but few tell us how to do so. Accountability is the key to that door of working smarter.

What leaders often get wrong about accountability is the mindset.

They think it is punitive in nature; mean-spirited. They can believe it leads to micro-managing. They often resist executing it properly because they feel it’s like throwing someone under the bus—trying to catch someone doing something wrong.

These thoughts and sentiments couldn’t be further from the truth.

The end game of accountability is to assist our team members to becoming self-reliant in providing corrective measure that take us toward continuous improvement in the area of everything we do as a corporation. I’m talking about doing it correctly because, when it is done incorrectly, those actions can tear teams apart, demoralize staff and lead us to on a backwards path rather than advancing.

There is a lot to this subject, but the premier thing to keep in mind is mindset. We have to look at accountability as information sharing. That requires us to be willing to share - so open-mindedness

into the right things in the right way, hence becoming proactive in its results.

Would you like to stop the blame game? Would you like to reduce ‘friction-points’ in your operation and improve cooperation? How about cutting waste from your procedures? What of optimizing trust and teamwork? Would you like to have highlighted the fairness you believe in as the leader of your organization?

This is what can result from an appropriate use and proper execution of accountability. It is another way that we can stay the one who’s driving.

JAY PERRY

is the founder of Ally Business Coaching, a process improvement and leadership development firm, and co-author of the book Success Manifesto with Brian Tracy. Jay is also an education partner with California Coast University in Santa Ana, California.

He can be reached at jayperryally@gmail.com.

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 51

LET’S TALK TRAINING

MAKE YOUR BOTTOM LINE TOP OF MIND Do you really need more work—or is there an alternative?

BY STEFANO LIESSI

I

n my regular Collision Repair columns, I typically touch on training in the technical and hands-on area of the collision repair industry; today, I digress a wee bit.

I realize that there is approximately $36 billion spent per year on marketing by Canada’s small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), all in an effort to get customers through the front door. But what if I were to suggest a strategy that could bring an increase to the revenue stream all by way of adjusting a process or two. Would you be interested?

This is not a get-rich-quick scheme just a simple concept that could be beneficial to your enterprise. Some of the biggest costs to your business are materials, equipment and time. If you do not maintain these items, it will cost you dearly. Allow me to break this down for you; implementing these ideas will have a zero cost.

First off, we need to make a clarification on the definition of shop supplies and materials:

cleaners, cloths, tips, nozzles, welding wire, welding gasses, solvents, equipment, equipment service and maintenance, equipment software, customer convenience amenities, wash bay materials, shop clean up tools, disposal services… and the list goes on. These are all items the shop supplies to run their business in a general standard operating procedure. Note that these are generic and are either consumables or remain in the facility and are nonvehicle specific. These are used in aid to repair the vehicle but are not part of the vehicle.

My point here is this, clips, fasteners, onetime use fasteners, caulking, sealers, retainers, bonding agents, sound deadeners, etc. are parts.

These items are required to put the vehicle back into pre accident condition and remain as “part” of the vehicle.

These items are line items on the estimate, line items encompass double duty, they require a labour note and part price. Some labour may

52 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

What if I were to suggest a strategy that could bring an increase to the revenue stream all by way of adjusting a process or two.

Would you be interested?

LET’S TALK TRAINING

be included in the operation—clip installation is part of the O/H labour times—but you still need the part price and number.

This also documents that you have replaced this item. As we know, there is no official generic formula to be applied to the cost of these items—the advancements in automotive design have made sure of this.

Now before you get hot under the collar, hear this out: As a shop you cannot just start charging away like crazy for these items; you need to be honest and fair. If a bumper has 25 clips and four are broken, you bag and tag the items, take photos and add 4 to the estimate—not 25.

Next, let’s talk equipment. You have spent thousands of dollars on equipment—use it. All too often I see equipment in the shop collecting dust. If you have it, make it work for you.

One example is measuring systems, which I commonly see misused or ignored. You should be measuring these vehicles—today’s technological advancements demand it; the liability tied to these advancements demand it.

You may be yelling at these pages, “We don’t get paid to measure unless it needs it!” This is the most asinine argument I have heard since I last tried to reason with a toddler.

There is only one way to know if a vehicle requires measuring, and that is to measure it. Is there an exception? Possibly, a key scratch, door ding or I may go as far to include hail damage.

Every time I ask someone if they have ever skipped measuring, only to have the vehicle come out of paint to realize they should have measured it, I get a resounding 98 percent yes response. That can’t be good for the bottom line, now can it?

it say that researching OEM requirements and procedures is “a cost of doing business.” Putting the time at the beginning of the process allows you to mitigate the end. The more accurate and accountable the estimate is, the more accurately your KPI’s will reflect your business. Cycle time, touch time, LOR, capacity, all of this will reflect your accuracy, in turn, help your bottom line with no monetary investment.

Following these simple, yet—to some— controversial processes, you will see costs start to balance out, equipment being utilized, and time spent wisely.

In my opinion, and you are entitled to my opinion, the most important outcome of all of this is a facility that provides quality, timely, proper repairs, equitably that create happy customers making your bottom line top of mind.

Finally, everyone’s favourite topic—time.

We never have enough of it. Never enough time to do it right the first time—but always enough to do it right the second.

I-CAR states that 80 percent of estimate supplements can be eliminated by blueprinting the process. Take the time up front during the estimate process. Systematically plan out the repair.

It is here where you identify and account for all the parts and clips and retainers required to complete the job, all panels including blend panels, 100 percent teardown and the lot. It is here where you measure to find the hidden damage right away—not halfway through the repair.

Remember that taking the time to ensure the procedures are documented is also a line item—nowhere in any estimating system does

STEFANO LIESSI

A Red Seal technician and founder of Canadian Collision Specialist, Stefano Liessi enhances his experience with 12 years of I-CAR instructing, coupled with high school teaching to bring training that encompasses all learning types. With experience on the corporate side of the industry, as well as in management and ownership, Stefano’s focus is proper repairs and equitably for all people involved in the collision industry.

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APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 53

TOM’S TALES

THE POWER OF PARR The limits are endless with great people by your side

BY TOM BISSONNETTE

A

s many of you know, I am not an auto body technician—I was a mechanic in my previous career. This has been, in some ways, a disadvantage—but in other ways it gives me an edge. I’ve never had preconceived notions on how things ought to be done, so you will seldom hear me say: “We’ve always done it that way!”

Once I had established the formula to create a profitable bodyshop, I needed to develop a competent, world-class business to back it up.

It was clear to me that the quality of Parr’s bodywork and paint was substandard. Back in

invited to go to Holland on a Body Shop Study Tour by the Reineking organization in the spring of 1987, alongside more than 20 other shops.

I was paired with Mark Poncelet from Mark’s Auto Body on this trip, and those of you who know Mark know he’s an interesting character that loves to have a good time.

Our host, Fernand van Poetran, was likely disappointed with our behaviour day after day, but I wouldn’t change a thing! Even though it seemed we were goofing off I experienced firsthand how European body technicians took

Our employees were incredulous! When told to finish in at least 120 grit—preferably 150 to 180 grit—bodymen suggested in jest, “why don’t we just paint the vehicle for the painter?”

Our painters, when told to use a two-stage primer that had a pot life of two hours or less and a dry time of four hours or more without heat, rolled their eyes and said, “that would never work in Canada!”

Our top bodyman, the 80-grit guy, promptly gave his resignation. Our head painter, a gruff German fellow pretty much dismissed

“I saw enough of the shops over in Europe to make the decision to come back and totally transform Parr into a world class collision repair facility.”

1986, we were still using lacquer primer and acrylic enamel paint. Our top bodyman was finishing his work in 80 grit sandpaper. There was no quality control check—except when the customer came to pick up their vehicle and pointed out the shortcomings of the job!

Enter the good people at Reineking paint. I have to give Koos Reineking a lot of credit for helping to change not only our shop culture but more importantly to change my character.

Koos was very non-judgmental and patient with me in my early days. For example, I was

pride in their trade, the quality of work they performed and the cleanliness of their shop.

I saw enough of the shops over in Europe to make the decision to come back and totally transform Parr into a world class collision repair facility.

I made the decision to install the SIKKENS paint system into our shop—which involved a total re-think on how bodywork and paint prep was done. Fernand, much to his surprise, was invited to come to Parr and help train our production employees on the new way.

54 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

the two-stage primer and went about his business. As a young manager I wondered if I bit off more than I could chew but I saw with my own eyes how the European shops were performing high-quality world-class work, so I hung in there.

A few key people helped me through this stage of my career.

Don Swick, now a PPG Manager of National accounts, was the assistant manager of the shop. He has always had my back. Not only that but Don has magical abilities—at least I

TOM’S TALES

think he does—in that everything he touches turns to gold! As long as I’ve known Don it seems that whatever he puts his hand to is a success. He has a winner’s mindset and an inner confidence that he can accomplish whatever he puts his mind to, plus he is just simply a fun guy to be around. Those of you that know him understand what I’m saying.

Art Sekuluk, who now farms out near Kenaston, was a local painter that was among the first in the province to use SIKKENS paints at a local boutique body shop called Automobile Technique. Art was very adept at using the two stage products and was a great coach for the other painters. His easygoing manner and competent paint skills

are not. I was fortunate to have them in my life.

Parr went from being an average shop to becoming one of the highest quality shops in the city. The Honda dealership located next door to us started referring their collision customers to Parr within a year. The Dodge dealer across the street also started sending their collision work to us even though they had their own body shop—we even repaired the dealer principal’s personal vehicles!

Business was booming. We had a mechanical area with three mechanics, a dedicated frame guy, three paint booths and four painters, six or more body men, a parts person, two auto detailers, a shop custodian, a couple of receptionists along with Don and I.

Working with these men made me realize that you do not have success by yourself, you need other people who are strong where you are not.” were almost instantly transferred to the entire paint staff.

Dennis Klemecki, now the bodyshop parts guy at Dodge City and one of the finest bodymen I have ever worked with. He was ahead of his time when it came to the new way of doing bodywork and he was a great source of technical advice for me. He encouraged me to press on many times when I felt like quitting and he has always had my back.

Working with these men made me realize that you do not have success by yourself, you need other people who are strong where you

We had a great team, and we were invincible!

It was at this time that I approached the owners of the business about my being involved in the ownership of the business.

That option was offered to me when I first came to Parr, but the business was doing so poorly that I suggested that we wait to see if I could turn the business around before I jumped on board. Now that things were rolling along nicely, they were hesitant to extend that offer to me.

I noticed that Dodge City was building a new bodyshop across the street from Parr,

so the next time I saw the dealer principal I asked him if they were looking for a shop manager. He was thrilled that I was interested and offered me a job right away.

I went back to the owners of Parr and told them that unless I could be part of the ownership of Parr that I had an opportunity to go work for the Dodge dealership—knowing full well they would never let me go.

I was wrong. They wished me good luck, showed me the door and immediately hired one of the top managers at SGI to run their business for them.

There I was, in the dead of winter, at Dodge City’s old bodyshop on the edge of working with eight pessimistic employees and the owner’s son. I recall telling my wife to make sure her job was secure because I wasn’t sure that I could put up with the purgatory that I had been put into.

I had poured my heart and soul into Parr and now I was relegated to a dealership body shop that basically required me to start all over again. I remember meeting with Koos and his brother Ton Reineking at a local hotel to explain my current situation and ask for help in finding me another job anywhere else in the collision industry. Essentially, they told me to suck it up.

If I didn’t like the situation, I was in then I should take control and make the business the way I thought it should be. They didn’t tell me what I wanted to hear, they told me what I needed to hear.

I went back to work the next day determined to get the body shop business at Dodge City on track.

TOM BISSONNETTE

is the director of the Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers (SAAR).

He can be reached at dir@s-a-a-r.com.

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 55

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

COLLISIONS AND COVID-19 The up-and-down drama of 2020’s claims counts

BY ALLISON ROGERS

A

s the roller coaster of 2020 unfolded before us, predictions of the number of collisions on Canadian roadways were a question long-lingering in the autobody repair community’s minds.

According to Canada’s road stats for 2020, collision frequency was nearly halved at some points in the year, compared the year prior.

According to Mitchell International’s data, Canada saw a 50.09 percent reduction in accident frequency in April 2020 compared to April 2019.

Like all good coasters, the first descent was followed by a climb; by May 2020, collisions were down 20 percent compared to the same time in 2019.

The summer months brought more steady rates as restrictions were eased nationwide—but when the November chill gripped Canada, collision frequency numbers took a 30 percent hit year-over-year.

Collisions in Ontario dropped 26 percent in 2020, compared to 2019, though fatality rates were up 22 percent.

The autumn drama was short-lived; by the end of the year, things began to bounce back. In December 2020, accident frequency was only down 26.46 percent, compared to December 2019. The claims recovery, while quicker than many anticipated, came as Canadians turned to their personal vehicles for travel, many of them wary of public transportation methods and in need of a cure for pandemic-induced cabin fever.

56 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

The Ontario Provincial Police’s (OPP) records for the province mirror that of Mitchell. According to OPP data, however, the lower-than-normal number of collisions in 2020 resulted in a higher number of fatalities. Collisions in Ontario dropped 26 percent in 2020, compared to 2019, though fatality rates were up 22 percent.

“We don’t have the traffic volume in 2020 that we typically would for a variety of different reasons, and yet we still have roughly the same

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Like all good coasters, the first 30-percent descent in April was followed by a climb; by May 2020, collisions were down 20 percent compared to the same time in 2019. number of fatalities and that in and of itself is disturbing,” said Derek Rogers, the media relations co-ordinator for the OPP’s west region.

“You would think with lower traffic volume and fewer collisions that there would be fewer deaths but that hasn’t been the case.”

A number of the deaths were preventable, said police. Among the deaths, 62 were linked to speed, 51 to alcohol/drug use, and 45 to distracted driving. Lack of seatbelt use, contributed to 55 driver and passenger deaths.

In 37 of the last year’s incidents, no other vehicles were involved.

“It is a unique year, but certainly we’re loathe to point in the direction of the pandemic simply because our stats vary from month to month and we can get very large spikes and dips,” Rogers said. “What we can say is that there have been far too many people who have lost their lives on our highways.”

A large number of Ontario collision deaths were deemed preventable and attribute to careless and dangerous driving behaviours. Sixty-two deaths were linked to speeding, 51 to alcohol/drug use and 45 to driver inattention. Failure to wear a seat belt contributed to 55 driver/passenger deaths.

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WHIMSY

THE BEAT OF THE

BODYSHOP Repairers share their go-to music genres

BY MAX REID

T

he bodyshop can be a noisy place; someone could be welding in one area, a heavy-duty fan could be blowing in another, reception is bustling with customers and phones are ringing all day long—maybe there’s a shouting match with an insurer, or two.

It can be easy to get lost in the cacophony of shop noise and find yourself out in the parking lot just to let your ears stop ringing.

In fact, an overabundance of noise in the workplace can lead to a slew of health issues that don’t even involve your ears or hearing at all. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) notes the potential for increased muscle tension as well as changes in breathing and blood pressure when exposed to large amounts of industrial noise.

That’s why we here at Collision Repair decided to sing a new tune for this issue and reach out to our readers to hear about how they bring the noise at the workplace.

In a survey sent out to our email subscribers, we asked all about the role of music in the bodyshop and how it helps our collision industry experts, in the repair bay and the office alike, get through their day.

For the sake of establishing the sorts of environments around the bodyshop that music can be found in, we asked respondents to report how often there is music playing in their work area as well as where in the shop their work area is.

It was found that about 60 percent of respondents reported that there is almost always music playing in their work area.

58 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

To no one’s surprise, rock/metal seems to be the top genre among Canadian repairers.

WHIMSY

In a survey sent out to our email subscribers, we asked all about the role of music in the bodyshop and how it helps our collision industry experts, in the repair bay and the office alike, get through their day.

RESULTS:

5. ROCK/METAL 42.1% 6. COUNTRY/FOLK 15.8% 7. POP 15.8% 8. CLASSICAL/INSTRUMENTAL 10.6% 9. LOCAL RADIO 5.3% 10. MIX OF GENRES 5.3% 11. N/A 5.1%

4 3

2

What genre of music to listen to while you work?

10

11

9 8

5 7 6

1

Do you listen to music while you work?

1. ALWAYS 63.2% 2. RARELY 21.1% 3. SOMETIMES 10.5% 4. NEVER 5.2%

As well, 60 percent of respondents said that they work from offices and about 25 percent from the repair bay, with reception area and spray booth staff making up the last 10 and five percent, respectively.

Regardless of where the music is being played from however, 63 percent responded that the music they do get to listen to is played on shared speakers and don’t necessarily get a choice what they listen to.

All said, respondents appear happy with the general choice in music played at work with the response of Rock/Metal representing 42 percent of those surveyed and aligning with the preferences of the 52.6 percent who want to hear rock music while at work.

In a turn of events that is unlikely to shock all the young techs separated by decades from their co-workers, the most common method for listening to music in the shop is still the ol’ reliable FM band radio, with about 58 percent

What kind of influence does listening to music in the bodyshop have on overall staff morale?

12. VERY POSITIVE INFLUENCE 52.6% 13. SOMEWHAT POSITIVE INFLUENCE 31.6% 14. NEUTRAL/PLAYS NO ROLE 10.5% 15. SOMEWHAT NEGATIVE INFLUENCE 0% 16. VERY NEGATIVE INFLUENCE 5.3%

reporting local radio as their go-to, with streaming as the only notable alternative.

In fact, 84.2 percent of those who took part in the survey consider playing music in the workplace to be either a somewhat positive or very positive influence on staff morale, with select outliers drawing attention to the potential distracting influence of bringing additional noise into an industrial environment.

At your next staff meeting, consider bringing up the idea of having a speaker playing in the shop; maybe even make a staff playlist, no doubt they would get excited for it.

And if you’re not comfortable with more noise at work, that’s fine too. But, as one respondent pointed out, music is an essential part of life from infancy and on, and it can never hurt to check-in with the more creative traits of your staff every once in a while.

Talk to them about Luke Combs. Apparently, they all really like him.

14

16

12 13

Ask your staff about Luke Combs—18.2 percent of respondents are currently tuned to his tracks.

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 59

REGIONAL NEWS | BRITISH COLUMBIA

REGIONAL NEWS | COAST TO COAST

Aerial view of Granville Harbor and bridge in False Creek. Burrard Bridge and the city of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada.

TRY, TRY, TRIAL AGAIN C onsistently in the crosshairs of critical British Columbians, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) is in hot water again over its newly introduced no-fault insurance platform that has B.C. trial lawyers calling the model unconstitutional.

The B.C. Trial Lawyers Association successfully argued in court that ICBC’s platform, wherein claims are settled internally via a tribunal, is unconstitutional in that it denies the right of the individual to an impartial, federally-appointed judge.

“We think that the independence of our superior courts is an important feature of Canadian democracy and Canadians should not be quick to give up their right to access an independent judiciary,” said Kevin Gourlay of the B.C. Trial Lawyers Association.

The platform began its initial rollout in April of 2019 and has been subject to criticism for much of the time since.

A statement from the province’s attorney general, David Eby, promised that the government would be looking into changes for B.C.’s auto insurance platform, allowing “lower-value disputes” to be settled before the province’s Civil Resolution Tribunal and that none of the changes would affect future rebates to come from ICBC.

60 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

“We think that the independence of our superior courts is an important feature of Canadian democracy and Canadians should not be quick to give up their right to access an independent judiciary.”

- Kevin Gourlay

BRITISH COLUMBIA | REGIONAL NEWS

EV EDUCATION In an effort to continue to turn the tide of automotive development toward the EV (electric vehicles) sector, the government of British Columbia has announced nearly half a million dollars in funding heading toward the launch of three EV-focused skills training programs in the province.

The B.C. government will be splitting up $440,000 among Okanagan College’s Kelowna campus, College of New Caledonia’s Prince George campus and Camosun College’s Interurban campus in Victoria.

This round of funding aims to build upon a 2019 pilot project launched out of the British Columbia Institute of Technology which eventually led to the full implementation of the pilot program.

“We know from speaking with our students and with industry that there is huge interest and a real need for EV training. This funding ensures we can tool up to deliver state-of-theart training that will help our students be in demand and get jobs,” said Andrew Ross, automotive service technician instructor, Okanagan College, in the announcement press release.

is equipped with Symach

The B.C. government will be splitting up $440,000 for new EV training courses among Okanagan College’s Kelowna campus, College of New Caledonia’s Prince George campus and Camosun College’s Interurban campus in Victoria.

“It’s a win-win-win.”

Ken Rowell, an instructor at the College of New Caledonia, elaborated on what the program will offer.

“The course is designed for automotive service technicians with a Red Seal certificate.

It goes beyond the basic safety training and gets into diagnostics, repair and service.”

Rowell also spoke to the increasing demand

for training in these forms of emerging technology.

“In BC, with high gasoline prices, and abundant hydro power, electric cars are a quickly growing part of our fleet. This program will help our existing auto technicians gain the skills needed to provide EV and plug-in hybrid owners with convenient and affordable maintenance and repair.”

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Ashok Dilawri, CEO of the Dilawri’s Crown Auto Group www.crownautobody.ca

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REGIONAL NEWS | ALBERTA

Icefields Parkway. Athabasca Glacia. Jasper, Alberta, Canada.

WILD WEST Albertans, check your keys; a new report from HelloSafe.ca shows that the province is swinging well above its weight when it comes to rates of vehicle theft, and the thieves’ targets aren’t exactly what one might expect.

The report, published on February 2, outlines rates of vehicle theft across Canada and showed that despite coming second to Ontario in terms of overall theft, the rate per 10,000 showed that Alberta represents a

far higher proportion of vehicle thefts than many other provinces, despite its relatively small population in comparison to Ontario.

Of 87,007 vehicles stolen in 2019, Alberta accounted for 23,535 of them, closely following Ontario who reported 23,992. However, in Alberta, thefts occurred at a rate of 54.84 stolen vehicles per 10,000 people, versus Ontario’s 17.07. It is important to note that Ontario’s population is roughly ten million

Of 87,007 vehicles stolen in 2019, Alberta accounted for 23,535 of them, closely following Ontario who reported 23,992.

62 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

people greater than Alberta.

Province-by-province, the results were nearly split, with the coastal and prairie provinces seeing most thefts target pickup trucks like the Ford F350 and F150, as well as the GMC Sierra and Dodge Ram. On the other hand, central provinces like Ontario and Quebec experienced a majority of thefts on crossover SUVs like the CR-V and the RX350.

ALBERTA | REGIONAL NEWS

CARSTAR Spruce Grove is a brand new 9,500 square foot facility.

SPRUCED UP CARSTAR, North America’s largest premier network of independently owned and operated collision repair facilities is proud to announce the opening of CARSTAR Spruce Grove located at 368 Saskatchewan Avenue, Spruce Grove, Alberta.

Owner of CARSTAR Spruce Grove, Alex Babrack, opened his first facility in 2016 alongside his brother Ramsey and friend Jacob. The team was always passionate about

vehicles and eager to become entrepreneurs so they could become the choice collision repair facility for Spruce Grove.

“My experience is in business management, Ramsey is a talented painter, Jacob is a skilled repairer and we have all known each other for over 15 years,” says Alex Babrack, owner, CARSTAR Spruce Grove. “This business has given us so much and we are excited to expand our operations and provide a higher

standard of collision repair excellence with the resources CARSTAR provides to help benefit our incredible Spruce Grove community.”

CARSTAR Spruce Grove is a brand new 9,500 square foot facility. With a staff of I-CAR certified technicians, a welcoming customer area and state-of-the-art equipment to provide high-quality repairs to all makes and models, the team at CARSTAR Spruce Grove is excited about its new operations.

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www.hailspecialist.ca (403)-243-8383 general@hailspecialist.ca hailspecialist.ca (403)243-8383 general@hailspecialist.ca 3640 Burnsland Rd. SE Calgary, AB Headquarters: 3640 Burnsland Road SE Calgary, AB APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 63

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SASKATCHEWAN | REGIONAL NEWS

Open road through vast prairie and farmland, Saskatchewan, Canada.

COMING SOON FROM SGI Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) delivered an update on its collision industr y ser vices during the March Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers (SAAR) meeting, detailing its incoming paint material rate changes as well as current endeavours alongside software management companies and OEMs. The first SGI announcement to take effect will come April 1 as water-borne paint material will increase from $55.25 to $57.94 per hour of refinish time. Imron paint material will also increase from $67.57 to $70.86 per hour of refinish time, said the insurer.

SGI also announced that is in discussions with Mitchell International to pay directly

for shop estimating application subscription costs. SGI plans targets to have the new services agreement in place for May 1, 2021.

The insurer is also targeting a May 1, 2021 deadline for its new OEM procedure subscription allowance to coincide with the estimating subscription payment changes.

Much like the previous Safe and Quality Repair program (SQARP) OEM procedure incentive that came to an end last December, SGI plans to compensate shops for active OEM procedure subscriptions retroactively to January 2021.

Finally, the prairie province’s public insurer announced a Collision Shop Contract project launched in response to survey responses earlier this year.

SGI has announced paint rate increases, effective April 1.

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APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 65

REGIONAL NEWS | MANITOBA

The Bloukruin Manitoba farm road near Fouriesburg, Manitoba, Canada.

THE MPI FADEAWAY Like feet at your mom’s house, the repair rate terms presented to Manitoba Public Insurance by provincial repairer associations are officially off the table after negotiations broke down.

MPI has given a 90-day notice announcing the termination of the current industry agreement with the automotive trades on repair rates.

Talks between the Automotive Trades Association of Manitoba, the Manitoba Motor Dealers Association (MMDA) and MPI were underway to renegotiate the terms of compensation for light vehicle repair work,

which was to be set in place on April 15.

“We started these rate negotiations roughly last fall,” said Brian Smiley, media relations coordinator for MPI. “We’ve now reached a point where we know that there is no moving forward. The proposal they submitted to us, in our opinion, would result, if we accepted it, a double-digit rate increase for our customers.”

The public insurer referred to the other side’s terms as “unprecedented” and claimed that they are taking positive steps through the proposal of a compensation package with increases to labour, material rates and

adjustments to several estimating standards.

During the 90-day notice period, customers with outstanding claims or repairs in progress can still have their vehicles repaired at any accredited facility.

In response to reports from CTV, executive director of the MMDA Geoff Sine pointed out that collision repairers in Manitoba are the second least paid in the country and that they simply seek fair compensation.

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ONTARIO | REGIONAL NEWS

Niagara Falls Aerial View from helicopter, Canadian Falls, Ontario, Canada

ACCIDENT INSIGHTS The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have released collision and fatality data for 2020, showing a decline in total collisions for the province but an increase in fatalities.

Last year saw 26 percent fewer collisions than 2019, though the fatality rate was 22 percent higher.

A large number of deaths were deemed preventable and attributed to careless and dangerous driving behaviours. Sixty-two deaths were linked to speeding, 51 to alcohol/ drug use and 45 to driver inattention. Failure to wear a seat belt contributed to 55 driver/ passenger deaths.

In 2020, Ontario saw: 285 fatal road collisions, compared to 304 in 2019; 305 fatalities, compared to 335 in 2019 and 55,581 collisions, compared to 75,128 in 2019.

Last year, Ontario saw 26 percent fewer collisions than 2019, though the fatality rate was 22 percent higher.

PERKS FOR PROGRESS The Ontario government is hoping to clear the path for entry into the skilled trades industry as Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton announced a $47 million investment into apprenticeship programs, according to a press release.

The new Achievement Incentive Program and the expanded Apprenticeship Capital Grant aim to get apprentices out the door and on the job by helping them complete their training and achieve certification.

According to the press release, these

programs are designed to support those who train apprentices, such as businesses, colleges and other training organizations.

“This is a critical investment as our apprentices will be the ones who will help provide essential services and build our future hospitals, highways and homes,” said McNaughton.

The Achievement Incentive Program has the potential to offer an autobody shop a $1,000 payment once their apprentice reaches a new in-class training level or receives the highest level of trade certification.

The Achievement Incentive Program has the potential to offer an autobody shop a $1,000 payment once their apprentice reaches a new in-class training level or receives the highest level of trade certification.

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 67

REGIONAL NEWS | ONTARIO

NEW TOY FOR CSN The machines are among us—more specifically among the staff of CSN St. Clair in Sarnia, Ontario, as the shop becomes the first in Canada to have a GreenTech E5 Dryer robot installed in its spray booth.

With more than 40 years in the automotive refinishing industry, FlatLine is a proven name when it comes to innovation.

The company’s new line of GreenTech dryers are powered by methane gas, making them able to emit a low-intensity uniform heat without producing flame.

The big green machine from FlatLine Technology has led to a sales increase of 37 percent for the team at CSN St. Clair, as well as a decrease in touch time by 18 percent.

CSN St. Clair has been running in the Sarnia area since 1960 and this latest addition from FlatLine is sure to help the shop continue to perform quality work in their community.

For more information on FlatLine’s spray tech offerings, visit flatlinessi.com.

CSN St. Clair is the first shop in Canada equipped with a GreenTech E5 Dryer robot installed in its spray booth.

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ONTARIO | REGIONAL NEWS

OCEAN’S ELGIN A rash of truck hijackings in Elgin County in southern Ontario has seen local OPP recover more than $1.6 million in stolen merchandise as part of an investigation that also turned up a trailer full of General Motors auto parts.

As part of a series of truck heists in the greater London area, which includes Elgin County and the towns of Aylmer and St. Thomas, county OPP discovered a total of

six stolen truck trailers in the area containing a variety of high-value stolen merchandise, including about $800,000 worth of structural steel for bridge floor beams, GM parts and shipping racks.

Elgin County OPP Const. Troy Carlson warns that this sort of crime is “a common occurrence” for the area, but declined to provide specific regional figures.

“More often than not, they’re probably

aware of what’s in the trailer, whether it be electronics or other products that, obviously, can be easily sold and not easily identifiable,” he said.

So far, only one person has been charged in connection with trailer thefts in the area; a St. Thomas man, 41, with nine counts of theft valued at more than $5,000. He’s also charged with arson after Aylmer police responded to a semi-tractor fire on February 1.

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 69

REGIONAL NEWS | QUEBEC

Overlooking Old Quebec City and the Saint Lawrence River, Quebec, Canada.

BIENVENUE, CSN MARTIN CSN Collision Centres has officially made their first moves into the Quebec collision repair market, as the nationwide collision banner welcomes CSN Martin of Quebec City into the fold.

CSN’s sales manager for Quebec, Charles Boivin, who was instrumental in bringing CSN Martin under the banner, says he is excited to kick off the company’s campaign in the province with the introduction of such an influential shop in the area.

“I am thrilled that CSN Martin is the first shop to join the network from Quebec; the people there are true professionals, they do very high-quality work, and it’s a family business. They fit in perfectly with CSN.” Boivin said.

CSN Martin first opened in Quebec City in 1952 by André Martin. With the help of his two sons, André-Philippe and François, the shop quickly became an institution in the community.

70 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Having once made the transition from mechanical to body repairs, CSN Martin’s adaptability is proven and the family is always looking toward the future for what will help them succeed.

CSN Martin was activated as an official CSN collision centre on February 1, 2021.

CSN Collision Centres has officially made their first moves into the Quebec collision repair market, as the nationwide collision banner welcomes CSN Martin of Quebec City into the fold.

REGIONAL NEWS | QUEBEC

BATTERY BOOST Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Marc Bédard, CEO and founder of Québecbased Lion Electric, have announced the construction of a new battery manufacturing facility.

“With today’s announcement, we are continuing to take steps to support our Canadian businesses, invest in innovation, and protect the environment,” said Prime Minister Trudeau. “It is because of companies like Lion Electric that we are accelerating our transition to a resilient and competitive clean growth economy.”

The construction will start in the next few months at a location that will be determined in the near future and the factory is planned to begin production in late 2023. The factory will be producing battery packs and modules made from lithium-ion cells.

The project will cost approximately $185 million CAD by Lion Electric, which will benefit from $100 million CAD support

from the federal and provincial governments.

Lion Electric plans to power approximately 14,000 medium and heavy-duty vehicles annually. The factory plans to produce one battery module every 11 seconds and a full

battery pack every five minutes.

The innovation center will focus on research and development on improving the capacity, performance and range of the batteries as well as other products.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Marc Bédard, CEO and founder of Québec-based Lion Electric, have announced the construction of a new battery manufacturing facility.

CLOSED CIRCUIT Like the person who puts the tongs back on the plate at the buffet, Hyundai Canada is striving to make the EV industry better than when they arrived by partnering with Quebec-based Lithion Recycling to handle the automaker’s battery recycling program.

This move by Hyundai attempts to complete a more sustainable production cycle for the company’s batteries by allowing for the

recovery of up to 95 percent of the battery’s components in the recycling process.

According to Lithion, after the batteries are recycled, they are reintegrated into the battery development process, thus providing a nearly fully-closed production loop.

“This service agreement will validate an economic and innovative technology that considerably reduces the carbon footprint

compared to incumbent technologies and mining.” said president and CEO of Lithion Recycling, Benoît Couture.

“This type of partnership paves the way to the collaborative business model of the future, enabling battery safe disposal and close loop recovery of critical minerals and metals used in lithium-ion battery, which are needed to decarbonize transportation.”

NOUS VOUS AVONS COUVERT! Au magazine Collision Quebec, nous sommes fiers d’être Canadiens et nous nous engageons à vous fournir les nouvelles et les renseignements les plus à jour concernant la communauté de la réparation de carrosserie d’un océan à l’autre. scanne moi

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REGIONAL NEWS | ATLANTIC

Blue Rock fishing village in Nova Scotia, Canada, near Lunenburg

RENEWABLE REBATES Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin has announced $9.5 million in rebates to help people purchase electric vehicles.

According to a news release, the $9.5 million will be used for the rebate program for new and used electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and e-bikes.

Rebates will be $3,000 per new vehicle and $2,000 for used vehicles, with $500 for e-bikes. This will be in addition to the $5,000 federal rebate available for new electric vehicles.

“Bold action on climate change is a priority.

We know it’s possible to have a cleaner

economy that creates jobs, supports a healthy environment and benefits all Nova Scotians,” said Premier Iain Rankin in a news release.

Currently, there are nearly 500 electric vehicles registered in Nova Scotia, and more than 100 charging stations across the province.

CHARGING CHANGE Steven Myers, minister of environment, energy and climate action has announced what he calls “the most aggressive vehicle incentive program in all of Canada.”

The program will offer $5,000 to buyers of new fully-electric vehicles and $5,000 to used fully-electric vehicle buyers.

“We feel that it’s equally difficult for people jumping into the used market as people that are buying into the new market,” said Myers.

“It’s an equitable incentive and both categories have an equal shot at incentive money.”

The province will also offer $2,500 for new and used plug-in hybrid vehicles.

“There’s an incentive for anyone that wants a cleaner way to transport themselves around the province. It’s the most generous program in all of Canada and the most equitable program in Canada,” he said.

72 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action Steven Myers says P.E.I.’s incentive program is “the most generous program in Canada.”

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The Touch electronic measuring system from Spanesi® performs repair diagnostics on any lift, bench, or surface. The Touch ensures that vehicles are returned to OEM specifications, all while generating a complete set of pre-repair and post-repair documentation. The Touch is outfitted with all the probes and extensions to reach the most difficult measuring points with ease. Utilizing the intuitive WinTouch software, the Touch provides measurements for vehicle frame and structural items, wheel alignment checks, user-added points (with accompanying photos), mechanical and suspension parts, and comparative measurements.

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Eurovac also provides custom engineered layouts so that drops are located exactly where they are needed for maximum efficiency. So while Eurovac offers top of the line portables, it may be worthwhile to check out the benefits of a central system for your facility.

Coming in May 2021 from Innovative Tools & Technologies will be locking spray gun cabinets. The door is designed to flip up and stay out of your way, and the digital cabinet lock will keep your expensive spray guns safe and secure. Inside the cabinet is able to hold up to six guns, and the deluxe model of the cabinet has an additional mounting bar underneath for holding three more spray guns with cups. Boasting heavy duty construction, a powder coat finish, and lifetime warranty, this cabinet embodies everything technicians have come to associate with Innovative Tools. Represented in Canada by Speciality Product Sales.

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 75

RECYCLING

HER OWN WAY The drivers behind Dara Carpenter’s success

BY JULIA LLOYD

D

ara Carpenter has made a name for herself as a leading voice in the field of automotive tow and storage.

In 2015, Dara founded E.L.C Dispatch Solutions to help manage the logistics, mediate between the tow operators and insurance companies and the management of a tow truck throughout Canada and the U.S., for insurance companies, repair facilities and auto recyclers within the automotive industry on towing and storage matters.

But where did Dara’s drive for success originate? The men in her life have always been hardworking and successful—her grandfather was a respected businessman in Toronto building restaurants, property development projects and clothing brands. Her father developed custom horse ware apparel for the equestrian world. Growing up, Dara looked up to them and told herself that she could do anything the men in her family could do. She wanted to do whatever she could to prove it.

Dara recalls feeling like the odd one out in her youth—which only heightened her drive to work hard and not accept handouts.

Eventually, Dara decided that, for her to be successful, she would have to give up her

dreams of pursuing the arts and focus on the goal of providing for her family. As a member of a family that made their success through business, Dara followed suit.

“My brother and I were very fortunate in life, but I didn’t want to continue watching what my parents went through and what they struggled with as business owners. I learned from a young age that success didn’t come because someone

“Mistakes have the power to make a great leader,” — Dara Carpenter, CEO and founder of E.L.C. Dispatch Solutions helped you, but in learning from what is going on around you.”

As she finished high school, she entered the insurance industry by fluke. Going to College part-time, Dara began working at a friend’s insurance brokerage learning about insurance

76 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

processes and types of policies available. Soon entering the auto claims side with a Canadian insurance company, she became an influential figure in the field and expanded her expertise working with recyclers and towing companies.

After being in the insurance industry for over 20 years both as a license broker and as an expert in towing and storage matters within claims departments for three insurance companies, Dara decided it was time to make life decisions to support her children and her ambition to do more.

In her time working alongside all industries associated with the motor vehicle sector being and insurance company, auto recycler, collision repair facility and tow company, Dara decided to take all her years of experience and expertise and start ELC Towing Dispatch Solutions.

Dara had already been specializing in towing and storage matters since 2000 when she had built a name that resonates with in the industry throughout Canada.

To gain respect, knowledge and experience, as a young, ambitious female, Dara had no problem walking into a room sharing her experiences or opinion. People watched her every move, successes, or failures.

RECYCLING

“Success doesn’t come because someone helped you, but in learning from what is going on around you.”

— Dara Carpenter “It can be hard to be successful in a male-dominated industry. I am so proud of my woman peers with the strides they have made with the many successes that were once a dream and are now reality.

“There were definitely days I felt doubted, but I was not going to be ignored. I think everyone’s capabilities are doubted to an extent—it just depends on how you perceive it and how you work with it.”

“I love what I do, and I love to listen,” said Dara “I think I’ve been able to learn how to balance all of that, to become the person that

Success I am.” As a female, as a human being I learned to stand on my own two feet and provide my opinion to make a process or idea be most effective.”

Dara is the only person in Ontario small claims court to be qualified as an expert within the insurance industry as representative on towing and storage matters. Dara has testified in multiple small claims court proceedings as an expert witness. She has become a top female expert as well as owning and running a company that has made a difference in the industry.

Sometimes being doubted by family and

friends to follow her dreams, she has made the best of her situation by making a name for herself and becoming the top expert in Ontario for the insurance industry.

“We are not born leaders; leaders are people that take the time to learn how to lead or learn about the people they are working with. So, I think all in all the challenge is just growing, learning, and understanding. In school, you are taught how to manage certain aspects of business, but we are not taught how to run the entire business,” explained Dara.

“Mistakes are what make a good leader.”

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RECYCLING

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Recyclers look back on lessons learned in 2020

Rob Rainwater, Mike Kunkel and Lee Worman of Profit Team Consulting will be hosting bi-weekly virtual training sessions for the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association now through June 3.

BY ALLISON ROGERS

A

s an essential business amid COVID-19, the strength of the North American automotive recycling sector has been thoroughly demonstrated—and investors are taking note.

During the first of the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association’s (OARA) virtual training series, guest speakers Rob Rainwater, Mike Kunkell and Lee Worman from Profit Team Consulting discussed the various lessons auto recyclers have pocketed amid the pandemic.

While Worman said the industry always knew it was essential, the pandemic reaffirmed this belief not only to auto recycling businesses across the country but to the wider economy.

“We always knew we were essential. Thanks to this label, we’ve been able to lessen the impact on the financial side of things and

we’re very, very fortunate as auto recyclers,” said Worman.

“There are definitely a lot of equity firms out there now approaching our industry in a whole new light.”

Worman said equity firms and investors

about that is that it has also made our businesses worth more than they were before.”

The Profit Team Consulting group also said the idea of remote salespeople can hugely benefit businesses in the post-pandemic era, as can the idea of a “hybrid staff.”

“There are definitely a lot of equity firms out there now approaching our industry in a whole new light,” – Lee Worman, Profit Team Consulting are already noticing the strength of the sector and considering investment opportunities in various verticals.

“A lot of equity firms have looked to move money toward our industry, whether it’s on the scrap side or on the salvage side. The best part

78 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

“When you can hire remote, your ability to hire a better staff member has increased exponentially,” said Worman. “Pre-pandemic, your hiring pool was a much smaller group.

The entire country of Canada may be up for hire in a remote environment.”

RECYCLING

“You’ve got to find your niche to go deeper and understand and reap the true value of the vehicle and its parts. The buying of the vehicle is not a lazy man’s job,” – Rob Rainwater, Profit Team Consulting LOOKING AHEAD According to Profit Team Consulting’s experts, the future holds a number of positives for auto recyclers; but the benefits don’t come without contrasting challenges.

FUTURE FEARS • The rise of EVs and PHEVs - 59 new models were introduced in 2020; 75 new models are coming in 2021 • Farewells to OE brands and models - Pontiac, Mercury, Saturn, Hummer

THE BUZZ • Stop and Go - Supply lines will continue to be interrupted, creating demand with limited supply and opportunity for recyclers • Your Friendly Online Recycler - Electronically located parts will continue to expand • Part Swap - Expansion of trading networks opens up greater opportunities for recyclers • Shrinkage Ahead - Consolidation continues to add more credibility to the industry in the U.S. and Canada; potential to build value to businesses

UPCOMING OARA SESSIONS: • April 22nd, 3:00 pm – Buying, processing and inventorying cars • May 6th, 3:00 pm – Recyclers Roundtable • May 20th, 3:00 pm – Dismantling, shipping and receiving: what happens after the sales team take the order and how your parts flow through to the customer.

• June 3rd, 3:00 pm – Ask the Experts Visit oara.com/events for more information.

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 79

RECYCLING NEWS

Brought to you by

UNITED WE STAND The Automotive Recyclers Association of Canada (ARC) has joined the Your Data. Your Choice campaign as an industry champion, uniting recyclers in the auto industry’s efforts for consumer ownership of vehicle data.

The Your Data. Your Choice campaign, fostered by the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada), the AutoCare Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association, has been making headlines recently as it rallies for

consumer ownership of vehicle data. In the next two years, AIA Canada predicts up to 95 percent of all new cars sold in Canada will be connected cars—vehicles that are constantly communicating information in real time to automakers. There are three actions AIA Canada urges industry members to take to defend consumer ownership of data: become informed, take the pledge and sign the petition, available online at Change.org.

The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) joined the Your Data.

Your Choice campaign as an industry champion in late January.

NAATBATT NOTES While lithium-ion batteries have gotten a bad rap for allegedly being tossed in landfills or poorly recycled, they actually boast some of the longest lifetimes and highest reuse rates, Hans Eric Melin, managing director of Circular Energy Storage said during a panel at NAATBatt International 2021. In most consumers’ minds, a vehicle creeps closer to end-of-life as it ages in model years. When the vehicle is scrapped, the lithium-ion battery is often believed to be tossed along with it. According to Melin’s data on Toyota Prius, Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S units, a vehicle has roughly the same likelihood of being scrapped at any point in its lifetime as it does at an older age. Rather than being

Hans Eric Melin is the founder of Circular Energy Storage, a global source of intelligence about recycling and second life of lithiumion batteries.

scrapped alongside EVs, Melin suggests other global markets repurposing these recycled batteries, leaving little for other countries to conquer. According to Melin’s data, you will find more older-year Nissan Leaf models in Russia and Ukraine than in countries like

the U.S., U.K., Germany or Norway, despite the fact the cars were likely originally sold in these countries. “This is the main reason we haven’t recycled more lithium-ion batteries in Europe and North America—not that we are landfilling them,” he said.

industry,” said DJ Harrington in URG’s announcement video. “Same great speakers, same great events. Remember–save those dates!” The three-day summer event will feature a golf tournament, vendor trade show, training and speaker sessions and

countless networking opportunities as the industry connects after nearly two years without a grand in-person meeting, courtesy of COVID-19 restrictions. Early bird registration for the conference ends May 31, 2021.

URG-ING YOU TO ATTEND The United Recyclers Group (URG) 2021 Training Conference has been moved to August 5 through August 7, the company announced February 22. “The dates may have changed, but it is still the premier event of the year for the auto recycling

LI-CYCLE LISTED Li-Cycle is raising funds for global expansion by going public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in a deal that values the battery recycler at US$1.7 billion, the company announced mid-February. The fiveyear-old private company has unveiled plans to merge with Peridot Acquisition Corp., an NYSE-listed special acquisition corporation (SPAC). If approved by shareholders in both companies, the transaction will bring US$615million into Li-Cycle. Upon closing, the

combined company will be renamed Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. and will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol “LICY.” Ajay Kochhar, co-founder and chief executive, said the proposed SPAC deal provides Li-Cycle with enough funds in one transaction to fund expansion–a move he said will help the company lock-down long-term contracts with customers. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021.

80 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Battery recycler Li-Cycle announced plans to trade publicly on the New York Stock Exchange in mid-February.

TOWING NEWS

Brought to you by

TOWING NEWS TOW THE LINE Four sections of highways in the GTA will become restricted tow zones that allow only a single company to operate within those areas, according to new towing industry rules announced by the Ontario government in late February. The pilot project will run for two years initially, with the potential for one-year extensions after that time. Procurement is slotted to begin this spring and begin this summer. Additional tow companies will only be allowed to operate within these zones under the permission of provincial police or the government. Ontario Transportation

Minister Caroline Mulroney said the new rules aim to cut down on bad-apple industry practices like accident chasing. She also said the government is drafting new legislation to further regulate the sector—including the possibility of licensing tow truck drivers.

The government did not provide a timeline.

Since last summer, at least 30 people have been charged in an investigation led by York Regional Police into the violence and corruption in the towing industry. Separate tow industry investigations have also resulted in charges against eight police officers, while

a number of others have been suspended from duty. “I came to Toronto in 1973 as an apprentice body tech,” said Terry Bradimore, VP of operations for CK Collision Centres.

“I remember the big conversations at that time were about the towing industry, inflated towing rates, commissions paid, storage charges, vehicles held hostage until the charges were paid… and most of the time it had to be paid in cash. With this new program being introduced the tow truck industry’s piece of the pie will shrink for sure. Only time will tell what outcome will be.”

The new restricted towing zones will be: • R estricted Tow Zone 1: Highway 401 from Highway 400 E. to Morningside Ave. • R estricted Tow Zone 2: Highway 401 from Highway 400 W. to Regional Road 25; Highway 427 from QEW to Highway 409; Highway 409 from Highway 427 to Highway 401

Toronto’s towing industry will be subject to a two-year pilot aimed at curbing crime in the industry.

• R estricted Tow Zone 3: Highway 400 from Highway 401 to Highway 9 • Restricted Tow Zone 4: QEW from Highway 427 to Brant Street

PUG POWERED A heavy-duty tow truck, well-known to fans of the hit reality TV show Highway Thru Hell as HR126 or Pug, was called in to help in the repairs of an 850-tonne Canadian Coast Guard ship. The job; to shift the vessel from the turntable, where it had been undergoing repairs to the launch carriage.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t until the rig arrived at Point Hope Maritime Shipyard in Victoria that they realized that one of its two winches wasn’t working. “We had to work very creatively to complete that job,” said Don Affleck, Pug’s latest owner.

That job required well over 35,000 pounds, probably 40,000 pounds worth of pull and we only had 25,000 to work with.”

All-in-all, Affleck and his team were able to get the job done without having to resort to a second truck.

HR126, or ‘Pug’—a well-known powerhouse to fans of Highway Thru Hell—was recently tasked with a massive mission courtesy of Canada’s Coast Guard.

APRIL 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 81

LAST WORD

HOLD STRONG, FORGE ON We are amid a technical tsunami, of which only the most powerful collision centres will survive

BY ALLISON ROGERS

W ADVERTISER INDEX COMPANY

e are all more than aware of how fast this industry progresses. Procedures can change overnight, models become more complex by the months, coatings change like chameleons and top-of-the-line tools rotate annually. Just last Fall, the feds announced an investment into the exploration of wooden automotive parts. Welcome to the rollercoaster ride that is a career in the collision repair sector—there are rarely dull moments.

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Waltz with OEMs and associated certification programs. In urban centres, many suggest that’s the way the industry is already headed; into a segmented future where Ralph’s Auto handles Honda, Acura and a handful of other OE makes and models and Vincenzo’s Bodyshop up the street tackles the Fords and Chevys.

Simultaneously, automakers continue to push their certification programs and already certified facilities. Earlier this year Nissan’s U.S.

We are amid a technical tsunami, of which only the most powerful collision centres will survive.

3M Automotive.................... 19, 21 Air Pro Diagnostics................... 31 Arslan Automotive ................... 09 Assured..................................... 43 Autel US.................................... 25 Carcone’s Auto Recycling........ 69 Cardinal Couriers Ltd............... 10 Car-Part.com............................ 37 CARSTAR.................................. 22 Color Compass Corp............... 66 Equalizer................................... 57 Eurovac............................... 68, 75 Hail Specialist........................... 63 Impact Auto Auctions............... 83 LKQ Corporation..................... 2,3 Peter Kwasny Spraypaint......... 65 Prime Carcare Group............... 49 ProColor Collision..................... 84 ProSpot International Inc......... 17 Reliant Finishing Systems........ 29 Rexall........................................ 74 Sata......................................11, 75 Sherwin Williams.................07, 75 Simplicity Car Care................... 27 Spanesi Americas Inc......... 04, 74 Speciality Product Sales.......... 75 Symach Canada....................... 61 Thorold Auto Parts................... 79 Titanium Tools & Equipment.... 47

If you weren’t already tuned to the evertrudging pulse of the collision repair industry, the last year surely forced you to swallow a slice of reality. Some businesses have folded under pandemic pressure, giving way to new owners, while others have held on in the face of crisis or jumped to new roles as life as we knew it shuffles. No matter your position in our industry, your role of resilience amid these last twelve months (and counting) is applauded by this magazine.

Regardless of the pandemic, life continues to chug on. Damaged vehicles continue to roll into bodyshops across Canada and it remains the industry’s job to return them to pre-accident condition. All the while, rapid technological advancement, the complexity of the connected car and a bevy of other challenging changes continue to unfold behind the scenes.

We are amid a technical tsunami, of which only the most powerful collision centres will survive. If your business is still standing, you’re on a roll. The next step is ensuring that you’re prepared for all the changes immediately unfolding ahead of us: is your business fully qualified to handle the complex models of today?

Many industry analysts predict there’s only one way the industry can go in terms of complying with the ever-changing and advancing sensors and car components—to

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branch and Assured Performance network— which fosters the automaker’s collision repair certs—announced the successful campaign promoting its certified facilities to more than 4.5 million Nissan and Infiniti customers. The automaker’s consumer awareness campaign aimed to “further educate and refer vehicle owners to their nearest Nissan Certified Repair Provider and provide them with important links and instructions,” said Nissan.

So far, Nissan is the only automaker that’s publicly come out with such a campaign this year; but where one OEM goes, others are sure to follow.

Even with all its moving parts, the Canadian collision repair industry has never been one to simply follow others’ leads. While this industry vision may present some truth, the future of collision repair is up to the members of this industry: the ones providing the parts, the paints, the products or the power to restore a vehicle to its pre-crash beauty.

Hold strong and forge on. The industry is what you make it.

Allison Rogers is the editor of Collision Repair magazine.

She can be reached at allison@mediamatters.ca.

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