Collision Repair 20#6

REPORT CARD SEASON: REPAIRERS GRADE INSURERS

Volume 20, Number 6 l December 2021

NOWHERE BUT HERE STAYING TRUE TO FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION

ROYDON PELLETIER

VIVA LAS VEGAS SEMA’s triumphant return

PLUS: Material shortage strategies | BASF’s 2021/2022 Colour Report | Red tape headaches

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

We Went Looking For Something We Couldn’t Measure.

Underhood, Underbody, Suspension, Mechanical Parts, Body Side Openings, Wheel Alignment, Comparative Measurements and more.

We Are Still Looking.

Spanesi Americas, Inc. 123 Ambassador Dr. STE 107 Naperville, IL 60540

224-SPANESI (224-772-6374) www.spanesi-americas.com facebook.com/spanesiamericas

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

VOLUME 20, ISSUE 6 | DECEMBER 2021

p.24

ON THE COVER REPORT CARD SEASON: REPAIRERS GRADE INSURERS

Volume 20, Number 6 l December 2021

NOWHERE BUT HERE STAYING TRUE TO FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION

ROYDON PELLETIER

VIVA LAS VEGAS SEMA’s triumphant return

PLUS: Material shortage strategies | BASF’s 2021/2022 Colour Report | Red tape headaches

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

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

by Max Reid See how the Pelletier’s of Fort William First Nation planted the seed for a thriving business on Indigenous land.

p.35

More than 100,000 attendees descended on Las Vegas, Nevada for the triumphant return of North America’s largest auto show.

FEATURES

30

COLLISION COMRADERY

32

THE WAITING GAME

p.40

When one of our own goes down, we are all there to lift them back up again. Read how the collision community rallied around their friend Wayne.

The story of a Toronto-area collision shop who refused to quit in the face of a red tape nightmare and came out stronger on the other side.

42

SPANESI INTERACTIVE WEEK

44

NO SHORTAGE OF FRIENDS

46

A LESSON IN ATTITUDE

52

BEFORE YOUR EYES

60

CRUSHING COMPLAINTS

Spanesi COO Tim Morgan led viewers through a week of high-level industry info and demonstrations from collision repair’s top names.

When inventory gets tight, you start to learn who your real friends are.

Learn how far courteous and respectful relationships can get you in this industry.

CARSTAR’s Mike Cherneta and Kapi Komera had no idea what was ahead of them when they opened their shop in January of 2020.

The reality of the collision repair process is changing--literally in the case of Mercedes-Benz’s new HoloLens augmented-reality training system.

Being an estimator is never straightforward— but Quebec’s Stephane Lachance held his ground to rightfully retain his license.

Firefighters from across the Toronto-area came together at Standard Auto Wreckers in Scarborough, Ont. for a vehicle dismantling showdown.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 3

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

p.48

The BASF Colour Trends report is out and is setting the tone for automotive aesthetics, delving into the latest shades dominating global markets.

COLUMNS

DEPARTMENTS

63

08

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

71

REGIONAL NEWS

78

RECYCLING NEWS

64

WHO’S DRIVING

by Jay Perry Grappling with gratitude and the persistent urge to always be doing more.

TOM’S TALES

by Tom Bissonnette Trial by fire in the early days at Dodge City.

66

LET’S TALK TRAINING

68

THE INTRICATE WEB

Exciting new people in exciting new places.

p.55

The hoods may have been mini, but the talent was huge at this year’s Hoodmaster challenge, hosted by FinishMaster Inc.

06

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

82

FINAL DETAIL

by Darryl Simmons

by Allison Rogers

What you need to know, wherever you are.

Get more out of your recycling news.

p.56

Take note, insurers. The people have spoken, and the grades are in; Collision Repair’s 2021 Insurance Report Card is here.

by Stefano Liessi We’re past due for some real intelligence in our AI.

by Venessa Di Vito Find the best light for your shop to shine under.

HAVE YOUR SAY. SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

YOUR ONLINE SOURCE

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

Canada’s collision repair information resource. New articles and top news stories daily. For more infor visit collisionrepairmag.com

4 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

TO 2022, AND BEYOND! Give the gift of wisdom this holiday season

W

One thing we can undoubtedly be happy about is the resurgence of industry trade shows. Oh, how we missed thee.

Being back on the Las Vegas strip for SEMA was a feeling like no other. The grand excitement from all 100,000+ people present made this year’s show all the more memorable—not to mention the fact that the Collision Repair mag booth always offered a party, and SEMA guests knew it.

At our booth, we handed out 100 snazzily branded Bodyworx Professional beanies to celebrate

collision repair centre owners and general managers, insurers, OEMs and the big-picture side of the collision industry, Bodyworx caters to the behind-the-scenes magicians of the collision repair process. The ones taking a near-writtenoff sedan and transforming it back into a vision of beauty; those wielding the spray gun like a sword, laser-matching the trickiest of hues; the ones with enough guts to step into the world of collision repair without an arsenal of knowledge and experience to back them up, wide-eyed and ready to learn.

You deserve to be celebrated—there’s no arguing that—but so do your staff.

In the wake of such stressful times, workplace culture should be of the utmost importance in 2022.

You deserve to be celebrated—there’s no arguing that—but so do your staff. both the feverishly dedicated body persons in this field as well as the exciting content featured in Collision Repair mag’s sister publication, Bodyworx Professional.

How often do you tell your team you appreciate them? Daily? Monthly? Yearly? No matter your answer, there’s a real chance you aren’t celebrating their efforts nearly as often as you should be.

Heck, these are the people keeping cars moving through the production floor—let’s show a little gratitude!

It was for this reason—and countless others, but that’s a story for another day—that we at Media Matters opted to create Bodyworx Professional in 2014; to celebrate the pride, passion and skill of autobody technicians, apprentices, painters and the entire behind-the-scenes crew that makes the collision business what it is today.

Where Collision Repair magazine celebrates

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Orest Tkaczuk | orest@mediamatters.ca EDITOR Allison Rogers | allison@mediamatters.ca STAFF WRITERS Max Reid | max@mediamatters.ca Maddy Kylie | maddy@mediamatters.ca

By DARRYL SIMMONS

ell, folks, another year for the history books. It may not have been the most stellar year on record, but we certainly made the best of it.

PUBLISHER Darryl Simmons publisher@collisionrepairmag.com

COVID-19 hasn’t only taken a toll on business, but on personal mental health, too. If you feel drained, there’s a significant chance your team feels the same way. Remember that next time you shake your fist through the production bay window: nine times out of ten, there’s a better way to handle conflict.

Plus, remember we’re in a skills shortage; can you really afford to lose people over minor disagreements?

So, if you know a technician, painter, apprentice or just all-around automotive enthusiast, gift them a Bodyworx Professional subscription this holiday season. The best part? It’s 100 percent free, earning you the title of best gift-giver without any of the cost.

And, hey, they might just end up working for you.

Happy Holidays and New Year to all!

ART DIRECTOR Yvonne Corvers | yvonne@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 Bianca Mattiozzi, Jay Perry, Stefano Liessi, Tom Bissonnette, Venessa Di Vito

SUBSCRIPTION Single edition $7.99 One-year $39.95 ( 6 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.

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“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 SCOTT TUCKER | UNI-SELECT Scott Tucker was named the new general manager of the paint, body and equipment (PBE) group for Uni-Select in mid-November. He will be responsible for managing the operations of Uni-Select’s PBE group, which includes FinishMaster stores, Plastique Royal and relationships with Uni-Select’s members. He will also work closely with the company’s head office team to develop product and marketing strategies.

CHRIS CHESNEY | REPAIRIFY Repairify Inc. has a new face coming to its automotive training and development department as the company welcomes industry veteran Chris Chesney to his new role as vice president of automotive training. According to Repairify, Chesney will establish a comprehensive training initiative for customers, industry partners, employees and the network of technicians throughout the global Repairify ecosystem. Chesney spent the last 20 years of his career leading Advance Auto Parts’ Carquest Technical Institute.

MICHAEL SYLVESTER | FINISHMASTER Uni-Select has nabbed former Stella-Jones senior v-p Michael Sylvester as the new president and COO of FinishMaster. With 20 years of experience in leadership roles in rail transportation, Sylvester made his name at Stella-Jones, engaging in strategic negotiations with clients and suppliers and establishing a proven track record in the realm of mergers and acquisitions.

IRENE TASI | PPG GLOBAL Irene Tasi will serve as PPG’s first-ever chief growth officer, effective December 6. In this newly created role, Tasi will be responsible for corporate strategy, long-range planning, marketing, brand and sales excellence and new growth of initiatives. She will operate out of PPG’s global headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and serve as a member of the company’s operating committee.

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ENDING ON A HIGH The aftermarket industry braved many challenges this year, and Sylvain Seguin of Fix Network is optimistic that 2022 holds a great deal of promise.

The year 2021 (and the year preceding it) will never be forgotten.

Not only did these two years bring the world to a standstill, but they will be permanently etched in the memories of the ones who lived through this tumultuous time as the time that they brought humanity on its knees. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted everyone, including us in the aftermarket business, and reminded everyone never to take things for granted.

In many ways, the pandemic forced us to adapt quickly and rethink new ways to ensure our survival and

protect our franchisees from possible economic fallout.

Aftermarket operations was considered an essential business during these times and the need therefore was to remain agile in our operations and be able to spot opportunities at all times.

years, when the pandemic was at its peak, our shops invested wisely in having their teams trained as well as upgrading their existing infrastructure. In a way, they are preparing their shops and their teams to meet the customer demand as life returns slowly to normal.

Power of the Network This was also an important time when the power of the franchise network was recognized. Body shops aligned with franchises were able to count on critical support such as marketing, technical, training and certification that they receive from their franchise organizations. Over the past two

Over the past two years, our training centres in Canada witnessed a higher demand for training from our franchise partners to teach their technicians how to repair the most modern vehicles. Through a mix of virtual and in-person training, we have successfully ensured that our technicians are on top of their game.

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Recognising Excellence This critical time also saw us working closely with industry bodies to create recognition for our partners. Our collaboration with the Automotive Industries Association (AIA) and I-CAR led to an increase in our franchise partners being accredited.

At the same time, we maintained and consolidated our relationship with OEMs to better understand and better position ourselves with OEM training and certification.

Adapting to Innovations This year, the aftermarket industry, in general, did a tremendous job of keeping up with the rapid technological innovations taking place in the automotive sector.

As newer technologies such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and electric vehicles become increasingly popular in Canada, we are training our technicians how to repair these sophisticated machines.

Scanning and calibration were some

“This was also an important time when the power of the franchise network was recognized. Body shops aligned with franchises were able to count on critical support such as marketing, technical, training and certification.” demand a completely different approach than just tending to dent repair.

As with non-electric vehicles, we keep in mind the safety of our customers and their passengers while repairing electric vehicles. This is one of the issues that we took an early lead on and identified quickly how and why our franchise partners need to be trained without delay. Collision repair and maintenance of electric vehicles therefore was one of the most popular elements of our training curricula.

SEMA, held in Las Vegas, showed the world how the aftermarket industry and related businesses have been progressing. I am confident that other industry initiatives in the coming months, especially the Canadian Collision Industry Forum, in Toronto in February 2022, will continue that momentum.

In retrospect, 2021 tested the industry thoroughly. Despite the many challenges and uncertainties, we had a good number of positive

of our focus areas in 2021. On top of educating ourselves on the newest technologies and techniques, we shared our knowledge and provided training with owners-operators as well as for the majority of the Canadian assurance partners.

Though electric vehicles may take some time to reach parity with internal combustion engines in terms of sales and adoption, they will continue to present interesting opportunities and questions for the industry. The challenge for the aftermarket industry would be if it is really prepared to repair these sophisticated machines.

In case of a collision, electric vehicles

Reinforcing Partnerships I am a big believer of in-person industry events and conferences since these important activities allow us to learn from the best in the industry and clinch partnerships that benefit our franchisees. Last month, despite a reduced on-site attendance,

defining moments that celebrated the resilience of the industry. I can say that things can only go forward from here on. Here’s to a great 2022.

Sylvain Seguin is the Executive Vice President for Fix Network Canada DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 11

INDUSTRY NEWS

IF IT AIN’T BROKE Rec ycled par ts app ear to b e outperforming the aftermarket in revenue, according to LKQ’s Q3 earnings report. While the global supply chain struggles through a persistent microchip shortage, LKQ benefits from its ability to source its inventory locally, providing customers with a more direct link to sought-after auto parts. LKQ president and CEO Dominick Zarcone said, “Although fill rates have been challenged, we are witnessing a positive offset from our quote conversion rates on salvage parts.”

STAY A WHILE The Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada) says consumers behaviours have shifted amid COVID-19, and some customers want to see certain aspects stick around, even in the post-pandemic era. AIA Canada presented the data in an October 28 webinar, where AIA President J.F. Champagne, Quorus Consulting Group President Rick Nadeau and James Channer, co-founder of Motion Brands discussed consumer behaviours in the aftermarket since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to AIA Canada’s findings, gathered from a June 2021 survey conducted by the organization, 21 percent of drivers found it was more difficult to stay up-todate on vehicle maintenance and repair during the pandemic; 13 percent found it easier and 66 percent found no impact. The top-cited challenges faced by the former group were booking issues with their chosen repair centre (24 percent); COVID lockdown and associated health risks (21 percent); closed or reduced hours at the chosen repair centre (14 percent); financial reasons (13 percent); too busy (eight percent); driving significantly less (seven percent) and access/distance to the repair centre (five percent). The trio also discussed what sorts of behaviours consumers plan to grip to in the post-pandemic era. According to the findings, 69 percent of consumers would like to see sanitization stations become a permanent fixture of the front office, while 68 percent want their vehicle sanitized before pick-up.

Sixty-seven percent also seek online bookings to remain an option. On the other hand, some customers will be more than happy to bid adieu to certain COVID-19 protocols, like reduced seating areas (64 percent) and plexiglass barriers (34 percent).

“The pandemic has seriously altered expectations,” said Nadeau. “Think curbside pickup; I order the item, drive there and it’s in my car in less than ten minutes. The expectations have been changed, and it will impact maintenance and repair.”

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INDUSTRY NEWS

CONSOLIDATION CRAZE Multi-shop operators are in a selling mood according to Vincent Romans, who predicted industry consolidation will continue on at an “aggressive rate” during November’s MSO Symposium in Las Vegas. The managing partner of the Romans Group and publisher of an annual whitepaper on the U.S. and Canadian collision industries spoke on consolidation and private equity trends, where he predicted that collision repair industry consolidation will continue to consolidate—and aggressively so. The Romans Group is estimating multi-location operations with more than US$10 million in annual revenue will represent at least 48 percent of the revenue market share by 2025—and it could get as high as 61 percent. In the United States, Romans said the top three consolidators— Caliber Collision, Gerber and Classic Collision—will continue on an aggressive expansion plan. “It’s not going to stop,” he said.

According to Romans Group company data, 106 MSOs generated more than US$20 million in revenue in 2019. In 2020, that number was 86—likely due to the number of acquisitions and a small number of closures, he said.

LIKE LOOKING IN A MIRROR A survey of 500 independent repair shops, carried out by IMR Automotive Market Research, found that it’s taking considerably longer to repair customer vehicles due to materials shortages. The survey found that 85 percent of American auto repair businesses said repairs are taking “a little longer,” while the other 15 percent said they are taking “a lot longer” to complete repairs. The average cycle time for vehicle repairs in the U.S. is a day-and-a-half longer than pre-pandemic records show, according to IMR.

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BUSINESS NEWS

BUILDING THE BOARD Simplicity Car Care has announced its newly appointed advisory board, along with its first two members: Bill Brower, who currently serves as vice president and head of auto claims strategy for a leading data and analytics provider, and Dan Cockerell, former vice president of Walt Disney Resort’s Magic Kingdom. According to Simplicity, the newfound Advisory Board will aim to “Build Simplicity Car Care into a leading global automotive brand; reimagine the automotive service experience for consumers and insurers; achieve the company’s one-to-five-year strategic and financial growth targets and assess strategic acquisitions.”

BEYOND THE VALE New diagnostic technicians will be able to get their hands on Mitchell’s MD-500 technology now that the company has been selected as the exclusive supplier for the Vale PDR Technician Certification Program, via PDR Testing and Certification. PDR technicians interested in purchasing the MD-500, Mitchell Cloud Estimating or Mitchell TechAdvisor can contact the company for special pricing. For more information about the PDR Technician Certification Program, visit pdrtesting.com.

Bill Brower, left, and Dan Cockerell; the first two members of Simplicity Car Care’s new board.

TIP TOP TESLA Tesla surpassed a market value of US$1 trillion following a deal to sell 100,000 vehicles to car rental firm Hertz. Following the deal—which is the largest rental car order ever—of the electric automaker rose 12.6 percent. Hertz will pay US$4.2 billion for 100,000 Model 3s over the next 14 months, which amounts to about a fifth of the company’s rental fleet. Hertz will also build an accompanying network of charging stations.

CARDS ON THE TABLE Constraints in the Canadian supply chain continue to put the squeeze on automotive suppliers as Axalta said that they are expecting a $40 million drop in net sales for Q3 this year. With the microchip shortage and raw material inflation a daily reality for the global automotive industry, Axalta has decided to scale back its financial guidance to account for these obstacles.

According to industry forecasts, light vehicle production is expected to incur these disruptions into 2022, which Axalta expects will affect 11 million units for 2021.

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All of the company’s existing brands—asTech, adasThink, BlueDriver, FleetGenix and Mobile Tech RX—will now operate under the Repairify name and umbrella.

Repairify Inc. has announced that it will be presenting a united front with its brands going forward, as the automotive industry giant plans to align all projects under the Repairify name. All existing brands, which include asTech, adasThink, BlueDriver, FleetGenix and Mobile Tech RX, will no longer operate as standalone brands and will instead fall under the Repairify umbrella. All future acquisitions will also do the same.

AMPED UP AFTERMARKET According to J.D. Ney, director of J.D. Power Canada, the $2.6 billion hit to the automotive service industry—and a shift toward aftermarket repair facilities as opposed to dealerships—appears to be a one-time event spurred by the pandemic. Ney said he’s waiting for another year’s worth of data before calling this a trend for each instance. The data was highlighted in the J.D. Power 2021 Customer Service Index Study. “We’ve run the survey every year for 25 years, and I’d say it’s the biggest shift of service market share, calculated in revenue, away from new-car dealers toward the aftermarket,” Ney said. “That reverses about a decade-long trend.”

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J.D. Power Canada found the service market in Canada shrank to $6.6 billion in 2021 from $9.2 billion in 2020. The study linked the $2.6-billion drop-in total service billings to fewer kilometres driven as people worked from home during the height of the pandemic.

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TECHNOLOGY NEWS

ROBOTIC RESULTS BMW is testing new robotically-applied paint technology on some M4 Coupes, but wants to reassure all the flesh-based refinishers out there that the work can still be repaired by puny humans. This new technology from BMW allows the application of several colours and designs to its cars’ bodywork without stencils or masking, but can still be touched up using regular masking techniques when the need arises. Spawned from a collaboration with engineering firm Dürr, BMW’s new paint technology made its way onto 19 M4s at the OEM’s Dingolfing, Germany facility.

“The paint is applied using an orifice plate that enables high edge definition with a variable paint thickness of between 1 and appr.

50 millimetres,” BMW said. “This requires maximum precision from both the robot and application technology. It also means two different colours of paint can be used, e.g. for a contrasting roof, and stripes and other designs applied—for instance, on the bonnet. The focus of technology and material development was on achieving the maximum range of applications. It will now be possible to paint every exterior component—offering customers virtually limitless options for individualization.”

Spawned from a collaboration with engineering firm Dürr, BMW’s new paint technology made its way onto 19 M4s at the OEM’s Dingolfing, Germany facility.

DANG DOOHICKEYS We’ve all looked at a complex piece of technology and thought, “I’ll get around to setting that up one day,” but do we ever? According to a new study from J.D. Power, the answer, when it comes to new features in vehicles, is typically never. The influx of onboard features like more complex entertainment, camera and driver-assistance systems have no doubt caused the price and value of the vehicles we drive to rise. However, analysts from J.D. Power say that a certain amount of that cost is being wasted on drivers with no intention of learning about their vehicle’s many functions. “New-vehicle prices are at an all-time high, partly as a result of an increased level of content,” said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of the human-machine interface at J.D.Power. “This is fine if owners are getting value for their money, but some features seem like a waste to many owners.” The study found that 61 percent of owners say they have never used the in-vehicle digital technology, with 51 percent of those saying they have no need for it.

SLIP ON YOUR ADAS A new study from AAA shows that most cars can’t see much better in the rain than you can, as vehicle safety systems are reported to falter in inclement weather. During closed-course testing, AAA simulated rainfall and found the test vehicle equipped with automatic emergency braking (AEB) travelling at 35 mph (~56 km/h) collided with a stopped vehicle 33 percent of the time.

Lane-keeping assistance test vehicles departed their lane 69 percent of the time. The results lead AAA to believe testing standards should incorporate real-world conditions rather than ideal operating conditions, which is how ADAS features are typically tested, the report said. “Vehicle safety systems rely on sensors and cameras to see road markings, other cars, pedestrians and roadway obstacles. So naturally, they are more vulnerable to environmental factors like rain,” said Greg Brannon, director of automotive engineering and industry relations at AAA.

16 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

During closed-course testing, AAA simulated rainfall and found the test vehicle equipped with automatic emergency braking (AEB) travelling at 35 mph (~56 km/h) collided with a stopped vehicle 33 percent of the time.

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INSURANCE NEWS

MAKING IT EXCLUSIVE The Co-operators Group popped the question and got the response they were looking for, as the insurance corporation has named the Solera Audatex APU solution as its exclusive alternative parts sourcing vendor. “The Co-operators has selected Solera Audatex at an exciting time. We recently released a major upgrade that reduces search time by 50 percent while efficiently guiding the estimator through the parts selection process,” said Solera Audatex v-p of sales Michel Caron. Audatex APU is an alternative parts utilization solution that leverages real-time data to locate recycled, aftermarket, reconditioned, and surplus original equipment parts for vehicle repairers. Audatex APU connects clients with these alternative parts from an extensive network of qualified automotive recyclers, parts distributors, dealers, and manufacturers.

“The solutions [in Audatex APU] provide coaching opportunities to the estimator promptly, allowing real-time coaching opportunities,” said Caron, referring to Hollander Interchange parts predictor, which utilizes over five million historical records to reduce the ambiguity in parts selection, and the company’s AlertNetwork, which allows for real-time notifications when optimal parts choices have not occurred.

FINDING THE SWEET SPOT Despite the uptick in virtual claims amid the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers still crave human interaction in their claims interactions, according to an April 2021 report from LexisNexis Risk Solutions. “No matter how great the technology is, consumers still want human touch when they need it,” reads the company’s whitepaper. “Consumers appreciate the convenience of online, self-service virtual processes, but when they want to talk to a human being, nothing else can substitute—not even the most personable bot.” The report also states that having direct access to a representative dramatically increases consumer comfort levels with automated claims processes across every age group, and especially so for the baby-boomer generation. “The sweet spot for claims processing overall seems to be a mix between self-service and adjuster interaction,” said the LexisNexis report. “This type of hybrid model provides the advantages of automated solutions along with a personal touch when consumers feel the need for it.” In the LexisNexis survey, 48 percent of insurer respondents said they were “seriously considering or piloting some form of ‘touchless claims’ process.”

A LexisNexis survey of 1,750 auto insurance policyholders in the U.S. found that 89 percent said they spoke with a claims representative more than once, and 76 percent spoke with more than one person before getting their claim resolved.

18 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

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OEM NEWS

JOINING THE CAST

TOP TORCH

Tesla is altering the body structure of its Model Y SUV, making it the first vehicle of its kind to feature two large single casting pieces at the front and rear of the vehicle. The automaker plans to make a partner for the single-piece rear casting, integrated in January, with a complementary part for the Model Y’s front end. The single-piece rear casting was shown to reduce the 70 individual pieces of metal in the Model 3 rear end down to one in the Model Y.News of the new part broke after a photo of the front-end casting was leaked to LinkedIn and Tesla has since verified that they are building the part for the Model Y.

Pro Spot International is excited to announce that the company’s SP-5.3 MIG welder has been officially approved for use on all Volkswagen repairs going forward. Pro Spot’s multi-process double pulse MIG welder was introduced three years ago and has since been approved for use on aluminum, steel and MIG brazing (CUSI) repairs. The SP-5.3 features three built-in torches, eliminating the need for changing liners and wires when switching materials. Just click the desired torch trigger and the welder sets the weld controller and gas automatically.

Production on the updated Model Y is set to begin at Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin and Gigafactory Texas by the end of the year.

This latest OEM approval for Pro Spot adds to the welder’s list of OE approvals that include Mercedes, GM, Ford, Tesla, Jaguar/Land Rover, Toyota and Honda.

FULL CIRCLE Honda has announced that its new Honda Sensing 360 safety technology will come standard on all new Honda and Acura models in the U.S. by 2030. According to Honda’s press release, Sensing 360 removes blind spots to enhance collision avoidance, while also reducing driver burden. “Honda Sensing 360 represents the next major step in what has already been an industry-leading application of safety and driver-assistive technologies,” said Gary Robinson, assistant v-p of product planning at Honda’s U.S. division in a statement. “Honda will continue to advance our technologies to improve safety for everyone sharing the road and play a leading role in realizing a collision-free society.”

SAME BODY, NEW HEART Ford has announced France-based aluminum supplier Constellium SE will be providing structural components for the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning that will go on sale in the spring of 2022. The Lightning will follow the lead of previous F-150 models in its extensive use of high-strength aluminum parts. Constellium has been supplying aluminum parts to Ford’s aluminum-heavy trucks and SUVs since 2015. Constellium also now supplies recyclable aluminum components for Ford’s Broncos, Escapes, Expeditions and Rangers, as well as Lincoln’s Corsairs and Navigators.

20 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

The F-150 Lightning aluminum parts to be provided by Constellium include the windshield header, rockers and radiator support.

A TRUSTED BRAND We joined CARSTAR to bring you more! The strength of a trusted national brand gives our customers the added assurance when it comes to safety, quality, and warranty.

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Contact Collin Welsh to learn more about joining the CARSTAR family at cwelsh@carstar.ca

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?!

THE PEOPLE V. PARKED CARS Kids these days seem to find great entertainment in flipping parked cars while inebriated, according to events this homecoming season at Ontario universities. On October 2, students celebrating McMaster University’s unofficial homecoming flipped a parked car right onto its hood. The Mazda belonged to a first-year student, whose friend kindly set up a GoFundMe to cover any damages and lost items not recovered by insurance. The second instance occurred alongside the annual Panda Game between Ottawa universities Carleton and Ottawa U; students called Mac’s flipped car and raised it with a flipped car—tastefully, doorless. Checkmate, Marauders.

The aftermath of the Ottawa students’ festivities.

SUPERHERO SEDAN Miraculously, a Washington State, U.S. driver who saw a transport truck fold his Nissan Altima on top of itself while he was inside walked away from the collision with minor injuries. Struck from behind by the truck, the car was folded in half before the 18-wheeler rolled on top, crushing the car.

Both drivers walked away with minor injuries. “In my 14-year career, I have never seen anything like it,” said Washington State Trooper Rocky Oliphant, who attended the accident.

WHAT THE WELD Have you ever found yourself begging for a smaller plastic repair tool during bumper repairs? TikTok may—or more likely, may not—have a fix for you. A video shared by TikTok user @rachel_meaders features the BONDIC Laser Liquid Plastic Welder—an itsy-bitsy plastic ‘welding’ tool that dispenses glue from one end while a UV light affixed to the other end hardens the material. Meaders says in her video that the tool can “fix anything.” The kicker? The gadget, dubbed the Bondic Laser Liquid Plastic Welder Complete, only costs US$20. “It can fix and repair anything that normal glue can’t keep up with,” Meaders said as she showed off the tool in her 15-second TikTok video. While Meaders does not directly say the plastic welding gadget will work on automobiles, the tool’s Amazon page features several images showing the tool being used on auto parts According to the frequently asked questions on the product’s Amazon page, customers truly believe this tool is capable of all plastic repair—from simple kitchen fixes to full-scale dental work. Some buyers even admitted to using it for DIY car fixes, to no avail. “I used it to glue a part of my broken plastic bumper on my car,” said one reviewer. “It didn’t work very well!” Another said they used the gadget to repair a plastic trim bezel in my car; “I waited for it to cure, only to be disappointed when it fell apart again.”

DOUBLE PARKED Nothing gets commuters steamed faster than some joker holding things up in the left lane—but when that joker just up and parks their plane in the fast lane? Forget about it. A small propeller plane taking off from Buttonville Airport in Markham, Ontario in late October was forced to make an emergency landing after experiencing mechanical troubles. The closest available landing strip? Ontario’s Highway 407.

22 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Whether or not the pilot paid his 407-ETR toll remains unclear.

Supporting the Local The ProColor PROcess is a winning formula.

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Local business owners are supported by a team of sales, operational and marketing professionals, and backed by proven tools and ongoing training programs.

ProColor Collision is committed to helping shop owners grow their business in their communities while leveraging strong established relationships with global insurers, suppliers and fleet companies.

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ON THE COVER

Roydon Pelletier, owner of Pelletier’s Auto Body.

Top right, Pelletier’s Auto Body, circa 1976.

24 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

ON THE COVER

NO PLACE LIKE

HOME

Nursing the seeds of Indigenous industry Story by MAX REID

T

he history of North American industry runs along a thin moral line. For many of the great works of industry and infrastructure we can point to across this land, we risk casting a shadow on those who toiled in service of that work and would be afforded little of its benefit.

When we think of the industrial triumph that was the development of modern New York City, congratulations are too often given to Carnegies and Vanderbilts when the real triumph is in the abilities of the many Mohawk ironworkers who literally built its foundations.

It is the function of the colonist state to serve itself first, again, and as many more times as it feels, until leaving the remainder to its Indigenous people. In this way, the colonist state attempts to throttle the Indigenous people’s means of survival and self-sufficiency.

For many Indigenous people, the only natural reaction to this toxic system is to break out from their communities and try and make a go for it from within settler society.

That is exactly what Gary Pelletier tried to do.

“He was the foreman at the local Ford dealer and ran their collision shop with about

fifteen techs underneath him,” said Roydon Pelletier, Gary’s grandson, over the phone with Collision Repair.

“After he left that job, he was offered a job with CK Alexander as an appraiser. From there he started [Pelletier Auto Body] in 1975.”

This feat did not come easily, however, as Roydon’s family contended with a history that most in the collision repair industry could not even attempt to relate to.

“Both of my grandfather’s parents were residential school survivors. He grew up in a tough time with a tough upbringing,” said Roydon.

From an early age, Roydon knew that Canadian society was stacked against him and his home of Fort William First Nation, a swathe of Ojibway Territory just outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

“From when I was just a kid sweeping the floors around the shop, I’ve always been told that we had to be ten times better if we wanted people to bring us their cars, because we were on a reserve and nobody likes First Nations people. This was the message I heard my entire life growing up,” said Roydon.

A throughline in Roydon’s career and that of his father and grandfather is the casual yet

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 25

ON THE COVER

Pelletier Auto Body is currently aligned with Intact, Aviva, TD and Allstate for insurance work.

deeply entrenched discrimination that continually asked them to surrender their identity or suffer the consequences.

“It’s crazy the stuff that’s been said to me over the years,” said Roydon, who took a swing at signing onto a banner in the early 2010s.

“For the first 20 years of my career, I don’t know how many times I flew down to Toronto for a meeting with an insurance company and they said, ‘No we’re not going to do business with you; you’re on a reservation.’ I’ve had that literally said to me in an executive’s office of an insurance company.”

A few more years have passed since and fortunately Roydon now has insurance partners that are eager to back up him and his shop.

“We’re an Intact-relied DRP, an Aviva DRP, TD and Allstate, and all are great and go to bat for us. All are aware of our location and support the diversity and doing business with us and having their customers come to our shop.”

Operating a business on First Nations Terri-

tory is similar in certain ways to that of a small town, but it also opens a world of obstacles that even the most rural readers of our magazine would struggle to relate to.

A feature of today’s decolonization and LANDBACK movements that is often misunderstood by settler society are the notions of sovereignty and nation-to-nation respect.

In far too many cases, First Nations Territory is left in a grey area. To operate within a provincial jurisdiction would act against the nation-to-nation relationship being sought with the federal government. The track record left by the federal government does little to inspire hope in co-operation either, leaving Indigenous and their communities to bear a larger burden.

Roydon gave an example: “We put a new spray booth in and because we are not considered under the jurisdiction of Ontario, we have a really difficult time when it comes to installing big equipment where mechanical work is required.

26 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

“For the first 20 years of my career, I don’t know how many times I flew down to Toronto for a meeting with an insurance company and they said, ‘No we’re not going to do business with you; you’re on a reservation.’”

– Roydon Pelletier, owner, Pelletier’s Auto Body

ON THE COVER

“There’s no licensing body on the reserve. There are no business permits, so to speak. It’s a very new system when you compare it to the municipal system you might be aware of off reserve. It’s just young and undeveloped.

It’s been very disorganized up until this point.”

Situated on Fort William First Nation, a swathe of Ojibway Territory just outside of Thunder Bay, Roydon has had to navigated unprecedented challenges much of the Canadian industry cannot even begin to relate to.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 27

ON THE COVER

Pelletier Auto Body also boasts OEM certifications from Acura Honda, Ford, Kia, Nissan, Toyota, Ram, Jeep and Dodge, ensuring the 1,300 sq. m. production space is always bustling.

“There’s no licensing body on the reserve.

There are no business permits, so to speak.

It’s a very new system when you compare it to the municipal system you might be aware of off-reserve. It’s just young and undeveloped.

It’s been very disorganized up until this point.”

There were times where Roydon was tempted to hide his identity from his customers, let them think they were still within Thunder Bay city limits and save the hassle. But that didn’t sit right with him.

“You’re trying to hide in the weeds and pretend your mainstream instead of celebrating

28 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

ON THE COVER

“I wish [my grandfather] had gotten to see the movement that’s gone on in the world in the last year-and-a-half with Black Lives Matter and all the social justice movements that have come into play. He fought systemic racism his whole career,” Roydon told Collision Repair.

the fact that you’re a successful First Nations business, which is about as rare as a dinosaur egg,” said Roydon.

“It’s been a battle. For three generations we’ve battled to get where we are. I go back to my grandfather’s experiences: the only way we got here was because we are the most certified shop here in our city, we’re the only I-CAR Gold facility in our city—we’ve had to be that much better to get half as much as everyone else.”

Pelletier Auto Body also boasts OEM certifications from Acura Honda, Ford, Kia, Nissan,

Toyota, Ram, Jeep and Dodge, ensuring that the 1,300 sq. m. (14,000 sq. ft.) production space is always bustling.

The battle rages on for Roydon and for all BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) shop owners trying to carve out a space in this industry, but there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon that inspires him to keep fighting.

“I wish [my grandfather] had gotten to see the movement that’s gone on in the world in the last year-and-a-half with Black Lives Matter and all the social justice movements that have

come into play. He fought systemic racism his whole career,” said Roydon.

“We’re in a much better place today. I think it’s moved at lightning speed based on what’s going on in the world. There’s been this reckoning that this is the way we need to approach these things.”

Canadian media has the tendency to profit off Indigenous pain for the sake of intrigue and momentary controversy. Instead, let Roydon’s story serve as an example of Indigenous triumph that has, and will continue to last, for generations to come.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 29

CHARITY

COLLISION CAMARADERIE

GoFundMe launched to raise funds for Wayne James’ cancer treatment

Wayne served as the director of operations for Maaco Canada from 1998 to 2015, when he moved on to his current role, director of operations for AutoQuip Canada.

Wayne was diagnosed with metastasized prostate cancer in March 2020. In combination with a rare gene that makes him susceptible to aggressive cancers, his treatment could cost upwards of $90,000.

“Wayne has given his life to the automotive industry with great passion, pride and loyalty. Now, we are asking for your help.”

— Kim Parkinson, wife of Wayne James

Wayne in his natural habitat, directing students at a Maaco AYCE event in 2012.

Scan the QR code here to view and donate to Wayne James’ treatment fund.

Story by ALLISON ROGERS

I

f Canada’s collision repair community can be defined in a single trait, it’s surely the sector’s demonstrated ability to come together in times of need.

A GoFundMe has been launched on behalf of Wayne James, former director of operations for Maaco Canada and current director of operations for AutoQuip Canada, who is currently facing a complicated form of cancer.

Wayne’s wife Kim Parkinson said he was diagnosed with cancer in March 2020.

“The past year and a half have been extremely tough,” wrote Kim. “Wayne has given his life to the automotive industry with great passion, pride and loyalty; and now, we are asking for your help.”

A new treatment will soon be available for Wayne—but it’s not cheap. According to Kim,

30 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

the cost for this new medication can be upwards of $90,000 per year.

“As many of you know, Wayne is always one of the first to offer his assistance,” said Marc Tremblay, Wayne’s industry colleague and former director for Tropicana Community Services’ Auto Body and Collision Repair Pre-Apprenticeship program. “Today, I am advocating for my friend and mentor.”

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BUSINESS PROFILE

THE WAITING GAME

Stephen Jainarine’s story is one of resilience—and plenty of red tape Story by ALLISON ROGERS

W

hen faced with conflict, we often have two choices: crumple like a bumper on concrete, or hold firm with integrity.

For Stephen Jainarine, owner of Whitby, Ontario’s Lakeridge Collision, giving up was never an option.

Hailing from the Caribbean, Stephen arrived in Canada at 15-years-old. He finished high school in a suburb of Toronto and started working at local collision centres shortly after.

“I started to help in the afternoons,” said Stephen. “I was very vocal about being involved in the repair process, so the team showed me how to do things.”

In 1986, Stephen married his wife Sherry and the pair bought their first home in Oshawa, Ontario. Hit by a recession not long after, Stephen secured a job at Toronto’s Crangle’s Collision in 1988, commuting a

For Stephen, his proudest career achievement has been bringing his children into the business. His son, Stefan, serves as general manager, while Kian serves as towing services manager and Brandon helps in business management.

casual hour down the ON-401 highway.

But a hunger for a business to call his own would soon push the future businessman to greater heights.

“We decided to dive right in. I started my own shop in Oshawa while still working daily at Crangle’s,” said Stephen. “We began by partnering with local dealerships and completing repairs for them.”

Stephen admits he could never have done it alone; Sherry was a driving force in those early days.

“I was eight months pregnant and still prepping cars!” she said proudly.

It wasn’t until 1992 that Stephen decided to pack it in at Crangle’s and put his all into Durham Top Quality Auto Collision. He added a towing department that same year and business quickly took a turn for the busier.

32 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

BUSINESS PROFILE

“Having my sons in the business has made a difference for operations.”

— Stephen Jainarine, owner of Lakeridge Collision

Stephen also added new frame machines to his repair bay alongside the renovation.

“From the moment I saw this note, I knew my children were going to take over the business,” said Stephen, clutching the note with an ear-to-ear grin.

In addition to its collision operations, Lakeridge offers motor sales, towing and full mechanical service.

Eight years later, Stephen put an offer in to purchase the nearby Lakeridge Collision. After much deliberation, the deal was finalized in 2002.

He went on to run both businesses simultaneously for seven years before closing the Oshawa location to amalgamate the two facilities.

“The intention was to rebuild and make the building bigger to accommodate all elements of the business,” said Stephen. “We wanted our towing compound, the collision centre and our dealership space all on one lot.”

In 2013, Stephen brought his blueprint forward to the city—but the municipality had plans of its own. With Lakeridge Collision carefully situated on the borders of two cities— Ajax and Whitby—the municipality fought hard for the bodyshop to simply disappear without a trace.

“When I first applied for my building permit, they tried to give me a hard time. They said they didn’t want a bodyshop right on the border and that their aim was to get rid of it. I ended up hiring a lawyer and had multiple meetings

with the towns. Eventually, they granted us permission to go ahead and build, but only if we bent a little bit.

“The municipalities didn’t have a choice. This bodyshop had been here since the ’70s, doing the exact same work. Their argument did not make sense.”

Even still, the hurdles did not stop for Stephen. With a new 401 interchange in the works a mere kilometre from Lakeridge Collision, the city had planned road construction for the intersection just outside Stephen’s door. They wanted to extend a one-lane road to a two-lane way, forcing Stephen to give up some of his own land in exchange for his construction approvals.

“We needed the development to happen to give us that prestigious edge,” said Stephen. “I had to give up some land and they didn’t give me anything for it, other than our permit approvals.”

Finally, in 2017, Stephen and the team were raring to go on building improvements.

However, they were once again met with a chorus of ‘not yet’s.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 33

BUSINESS PROFILE

Lakeridge Collision also boasts an extra-tall paint booth to complete commercial paint jobs and repairs—a valuable skill Stephen learned in his time at Crangle’s.

In all, Lakeridge Collision takes up 19,000 sq. ft. of space.

“They said, ‘Well, you can’t build now because they’re building the bridge over the highway just a kilometre from here,” he said. “That was on the federal side, this time. We were told it would be a further two years on hold from that point.”

To say frustrations had hit the roof would be an understatement. By now, they had cleared the heavens.

“We had already spent tremendous amounts before the shovel was even near the ground. We were forced to present three different designs to the town because they wanted their two cents on it.”

Because of the business’s unique location, the city of Whitby had plenty to say on the outer facade of Lakeridge Collision.

“People travelling into Whitby from Ajax and vice-versa need to feel welcomed, they said.

They really didn’t care what it was costing us; they just wanted it done their way.”

No matter the challenges faced, Stephen remained both positive and patient throughout the six-year waiting game—which paid off tenfold, he says.

“At the time I purchased this location, I truly had no idea things were going to develop like this. It was a lot to deal with, the six-year waiting game, but we’ve been left with an amazing and modern facility, as well as some fantastic clientele.”

And the location could not be more perfect, he said.

“Our clientele is huge, so we do get a lot of referrals through there. But, with our location and being so close to the 401, we have a lot of customers that just walk in off the road—about 10 to 15 customers per week. We’re clearly visible and you can’t miss that we’re a collision centre.”

With renovations finally complete, Stephen can’t wait to add more wow-factor elements to the business—both in the repair bay and on the outer facade.

“We’re putting up some brand new signage in 2022,” he said. “It’s all going to have a digital LED display; we’ll write out daily specials on

“Being grandfathered in made the brand-new construction easier.

The new location is capable of aluminum repair, commercial trucks, vans and full mechanical service,” — Stephen Jainarine there and put up a nice ‘Welcome to Whitby’ sign at the top.”

Even after all his hard work in renovating the business, Stephen has no plans to slow down.

The dedicated businessowner says he thrives on being busy and work is just another place he calls home.

“My staff are an extension of my family, just because they’ve been here for so long,” he told Collision Repair. “Two of the men on the floor—Sam and Mr. Yan—have been here since our early days, in the ‘90s. They arrive here at 5 a.m. every morning; it could be the worst

34 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

snowstorm of the year and I can still count on them to be here.”

That’s not to say Stephen hasn’t faced his own obstacles in hiring new team members. While he always makes a point to have an apprentice on staff—acquired through the facility’s partnerships with Durham College and Centennial College—Stephen has also been forced to step in when the team is short on people—but it’s nothing the seasoned repairer can’t handle.

“I’m not just a businessowner—I’m a body person; I’m a mechanic; I’m a painter. But, above all else, I love to teach my skills and pass them down to the younger generation. Every job today seems to be ‘replace, replace, replace,’ but when I started we would fix everything. I love teaching those skills to the apprentices that come through our doors.”

As for the future, both Stephen and Sherry look forward to handing the reigns over to their children.

“I feel so much pride seeing my sons work in the business,” beamed Stephen, with Sherry smiling behind him. “My proudest moment came many, many years ago when my son handled his first customer. My son Stefan left this note for me after a customer had come by and I wasn’t around, so he took matters into his own hands.”

“From the moment I saw this note, I knew my children were going to take over the business,” said Stephen, clutching the note with an ear-to-ear grin.

The couple also has plans for their infant grandson, Kayden, to join the ‘biz someday.

“I just can’t wait to see my grandson in here, walking around and trying to help wherever he can,” said Sherry.

EVENTS

Another SEMA spectacular for the scrapbooks

Story by ALLISON ROGERS Photos by DARRYL SIMMONS

W

ell, another SEMA Show has come and gone from the Las Vegas strip— but not without giving us plenty to think about as an industry. Marking the first time attendees gathered for the SEMA Show since 2019, this year’s event hosted more than 100,000 attendees, exhibitors and media, according to show officials. Collision Repair mag was on-site at the Las Vegas Convention Centre all SEMA week—check out our exclusive photos from the event!

Marcia Eizaquirre from D&B Auto Colors LLC sporting a Bodyworx Professional beanie at the 2021 Sema Show.

Guilherme Brasil and Jose Costa will be sporting the Bodyworx Professional brand on their brand new hats from SEMA in San Jose, California.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 35

EVENTS

New Products Galore The winner of this year’s Best New Collision Repair/Refinish Product was the KECO Body Repair Glue Pull System. KECO’s Glue Pull System comes with a shop light and stand as well as a cart that’s said to offer complete GPR solutions.

The two runner-ups in the Collision Repair and Refinish category are the Eagle electronic measuring system from Celette Inc. and the Drain Cleaner SR250 from Reliable Automotive Equipment.

This year’s title for best new Collision Repair/Refinish product was awarded to the KECO Body Repair Glue Pull Repair System.

Other products featured in this year’s New Product Showcase included the BASF Glasurit 100 Line, which the company says is the first basecoat line on the market that offers a VOC value below 250 g/l.

3M’s new Cubitron net discs were also on display, touting the motto: Dust is the Enemy. The 3M Automotive Aftermarket division says the new abrasives offer prime dust extraction properties thanks to its innovative mesh technology. The company says the open net structure provides a virtually dust-free environment—up to 95 percent or higher in dust extraction performance than other net abrasive families.

Frank Terlep’s ADAS CoPilot Pro was also featured in this year’s lineup.

Through its mobile apps and web portal, the ADAS CoPilot Pro system provides instant access to a vehicle’s ADAS systems, components, location, calibration requirements, repair procedures and other ADAS-related information based on a vehicle’s VIN.

3M’s new Cubitron net discs 36 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Runner up for this year’s best Collision Repair/Refinish product was the Eagle measuring system from Celette.

Second runner up for this year’s best Collision Repair/Refinish product was the Drain Cleaner SR250 from Reliable Automotive Equipment.

ADAS CoPilot Pro

BASF Glasurit 100 Line

EVENTS

Battle of the Builds Young Guns SEMA 2021 will surely be a year to remember for Canadians, with Penticton, British Columbia duo Chelsie Lesnoski and Cole Marten, securing two of the competition’s top three slots.

Lesnoski and Marten, who own Throttle Thrashers Garage together submitted a 1993 Mazda RX-7 FD and a 1991 Nissan Skyline R32 GTR, respectively.

“What a wild ride it’s been,” Marten wrote on the Throttle Thrashers Garage Facebook page.

Lesnoski was also the first ever female builder to make the top three in the Young Guns portion of the competition. They also made history as the first couple to make the top three with separate builds.

Cole Marten and Chelsie Lesnoski, co-owners of Penticton, B.C.’s Throttle Thrashers Garage made history at the Battle of the Builds Young Gun’s competition, marking the first time a couple made the top three with two separate builds.

Lesnoski actually made history twice at SEMA 2021 as the first female Battle of the Builders Young Guns contestant to make the top three.

According to SEMA’s post-show brief, more than 100,000 people attended this year’s event.

John Brill, president of Steck Manufacturing.

Becky Berube and Jason Moritz of United Catalyst Corporation.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 37

EVENTS

Kurt Lammon of Polyvance mans his SEMA Show booth with pride.

David Black of Color Compass, Collision Repair mag publisher Darryl Simmons and Zubbair Siddiqui of Crescent Industries.

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Joe Kraz of INDASA.

EVENTS

It’ll make you say, “JINKIES!” In 2020, Len Boschman had planned to participate in the International RATical Rod Build Off Drive Off. His blueprints included a 1961 Ford Econoline restored to mirror one of North America’s favourite cartoon classics.

Boschman, who owns MacGregor, Manitoba’s Fourway Motors, had plans to turn the vehicle into the iconic Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine saw his dream fade last year when SEMA opted to go virtual for the 2020 event. Thankfully, the build made it down to the Vegas strip this year to showcase the vehicle at SEMA.

Len Boschmann, owner of Fourway Motors in MacGregor, Manitoba, alongside his Mystery Machine build. Boschmann constructed his build from a 1961 Ford Econoline. It was originally supposed to compete in International RATical Rod Build Off Drive Off at SEMA 2020, but the pandemic cancelled that plan. Thankfully, the build made it down to Vegas for SEMA 2021.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 39

RECYCLING

A CUT ABOVE Firefighters compete in Auto-Extrication competition at Standard Auto Wreckers Story by ALLISON ROGERS Photos by MAX REID

I

The Auto-Ex competition takes place in two parts. First, firefighters will remove passengers from sideimpact collisions, followed by more intricate crash setups where the use of hydraulic tools is permitted.

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t may have been one of October’s chilliest mornings yet, but that did nothing to dampen the vigour of Markham, Ont. and Oakville, Ont.’s firefighter crews, who competed in the annual Auto-Ex Competition at Standard Auto Wreckers on October 22.

David Gold, the owner of Standard Auto Wreckers, was generous enough to host the Markham and Oakville firefighting crews for a full day of training, with a little competition added to the mix.

The two teams were competing in the annual Auto-Ex Competition, which sees firefighters complete tasks in collision scene safety, vehicle stabilization, extrication and patient care.

Auto-Ex competitions have been a staple to the Ontario firefighting community since 1984, but this year marked Markham’s first time competing. Dummies are placed in crushed vehicles in various positions to simulate a real collision. Teams are then given 20 minutes to get the patients out of their vehicles.

Each scenario is staged with real vehicles that are crushed together alongside other props—in last Friday’s case, dummy hydro wires and a propane tank. Markham’s first task was to retrieve a passenger from a side-impact collision, while Oakville was given a side-impact collision with the car of focus flipped on its side.

RECYCLING

Ray Lalonde of Markham Fire and Andrew Marchand, one of Oakville Fire’s team leads share the winning trophy.

The coveted Markham Auto-Ex Competition trophy.

David Gold poses with the Auto-Ex trophy.

L to R: Fire Chief Adam Grant, Gloria Mann and Allison Rogers of Media Matters, and Markham Fire’s Brad Sterling. Gloria Mann attended the event for 10 weeks to show support for Standard Auto and the local firefighting community.

Firefighters were allowed to use hydraulic tools in the second portion of the competition to remove the dummy passengers from vehicles.

The second phase of the competition involved more intricate situations and allowed for the use of hydraulic tools.

Both teams had been training at Standard since early September.

“This is a big deal for us,” said Fire Chief for Markham Fire Adam Grant. “We’re on a journey to modernize—we’re a new department, it’s not your grandfather’s department anymore.”

At the end of the day, the Oakville team walked away with the coveted Auto-Ex trophy.

“We couldn’t have done this without Standard Auto Wreckers,” said Chief Grant. “We’re absolutely thrilled to have this space and partner with you. You’ve all been absolutely incredible.”

For more information, visit the website standardautowreckers.com.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 41

EVENTS

RECAP

Week Lights, camera, action at the Spanesi Americas studios Story by ALLISON ROGERS

I

n late October, Spanesi Americas hosted its first-ever Spanesi Interactive Week, offering a host of virtual sessions with OEMs, North American collision centre owners, vehicle technology experts and more.

The event, which took place October 24 through October 29, featured topics like Panel Straightening with Spanesi’s PULL UP! repair system, A New ADAS Information, Knowledge and Repair Procedure Platform with Frank Terlep, Rivian: Electric Adventure Vehicles and interviews with collision repair centres across North America.

In a follow-up interview with Collision Repair mag, Morgan said the event was a huge success for the company—and a marker of exciting things to come.

Collision Repair: Interactive Week was a first for Spanesi Americas. Now that it’s behind you, how do you feel it went?

Spanesi’s PULL UP! repair system.

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Tim Morgan: It went very well; it was supported by the industry—not just about Spanesi products, and it was always meant to be about the whole industry. We spent time talking about hiring the new millennial and ‘Gen-Z’ workforce. We had support from two vehicle manufacturers: Jerry Banani, from Ford Motor Company, who did a very good presentation on the new and upcoming vehicles and changes in their models, and Frank Phillips from Rivian, who talked about its new vehicles.

EVENTS

CR: What would you say some of the key takeaways were from the Ford and Rivian presentations?

CR: What about new products—I heard you showed off some new Spanesi technologies.

CR: Exciting stuff for sure. Now that Spanesi Interactive Week is under your belt, what’s next for the Spanesi studios?

TM: You can see a lot happening with new materials and new ways to repair vehicles.

Ford has the new Bronco and five other new models. They all use the same base platform, but with a few minor changes on things like how quarter panels go on for restyling and other body elements.

It’s the same with Rivian. It has put together a whole network of collision repair facilities, one for commercial vehicles and another network for personal vehicles. The culture at Rivian is also something impressive: they say every vehicle owner is going to have their own customer consultant, basically, that’s going to walk them through everything from purchase to delivery. And if they ever suffer a collision, the customer consultant will know, thanks to all the onboard electronics. They’ll be able to contact the driver and work them through their network. On top of that, Rivian plans to offer their own insurance, so it’s really going to ensure the repair processes are followed from start to finish.

TM: One of the big buzzes was when we showed our new Hiro pull tower and pulling system for light repairs, along with our PULL UP! System. With the supply chain issues right now and not being able to get certain parts, we’re seeing collision centres opt for repair alternatives rather than replacements. We did some dent pulling demonstrations with our Hiro tower system along with the PULL UP! system and showed how small damage can be repaired. We did a pull on an aluminum quarter panel to show that repair can be performed.

A unique feature of our Hiro is you don’t need tie-downs. You take the car in the adjoining space and put a tie over the holder and that’s what becomes your tie-back. Also, there are no hydraulics; it’s run by what we call a worm-gear ram. You’re actually just taking an air ratchet on the end of the ram and that gives you your five-tonne pulling capacity.

TM: You are going to see something from us every month, interactive-wise: whether it’s training, a product announcement or an informational session. We’ve also, since Interactive Week, received several inquiries from other companies saying they’d love to join in.

Instead of attending a couple of trade shows this year, we spent the money inste ad on t he e quipment and t he processes and the software to be able to do it to put this together. We have three studios here; this is going to be something we’re going to use for a long period of time.

It even brought us to the point that we’re going to launch an actual LMS system that we’re purchasing so that we can take the training to the next level—so stay tuned for that.

CR: You also hosted a hiring panel to discuss the skills shortage. What were some takeaways there?

TM: In a nutshell, we need to get to the younger generation sooner. We’re currently trying to pique their interest at the high school level, but it’s already too late by that point; they’ve already decided what they are going to do with their lives. Collision repair centre owners, equipment manufacturers, insurers—everyone needs to do their part to show seventh or eighthgrade students that there are options besides a four-year university or college program. We need to push the different elements present in collision repair.

“All of our equipment comes from Padova, Italy,” — Tim Morgan, COO, Spanesi Americas

Tim Morgan, COO, Spanesi Americas.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 43

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

PARTS PAINS Navigating the shortages, together

Story by MAX REID

A

“The ability to charge for things beyond our control is zero.” — Peter Sziklai, owner, Tsawwassen Collision

Sziklai says the strong bonds he has with his parts providers are what is carrying him through these times.

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bout two years ago, collision centres across Canada found themselves in limbo.

Facilities were full of technicians, looking to work but there was little to be found.

Today the industry finds itself in a new limbo: pre-COVID repair volume has returned to the industry, and yet the industry itself is still waking up.

Producers of vital vehicle components like microchips are struggling to get back up to speed as many of the automakers who keep them in business greatly reduced their ordering in the height of the pandemic.

Rebekah Young, an economist with Scotiabank, said in an interview with the CBC in October that “Automakers in Canada initially thought that demand would be very slow recovery over the course of the pandemic, so they cut their chip orders.”

Now according to Young, Canada is on the path to the lowest vehicle production year since 1982, as the 2021 financial year is due to close with 1.2 million vehicles produced, down from 1.4 million in 2020.

As well, COVID is still running rampant in southeast Asia, as major microchip producers in Malaysia and Vietnam were forced to idle in September and October to curb infection rates, resulting in a delay expected to persist for about three months.

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Meanwhile, Canadian collision shop owners are left to bide their time as these in-demand components crawl through clogged supply chains.

Peter Sziklai of Tsawwassen Collision in British Columbia says he feels held hostage by the materials shortage and that the inability to get parts is increasing tension with insurance partners.

“What do you do with a tow-in where you know you’ve got ten hours of repair ahead of you, but there’s a $50 part that’s mandatory to go into the middle of that repair?” said Sziklai over the phone with Collision Repair.

He pointed out that collision centres are left helpless in situations like this, where a shop knows the job that must be done, doesn’t have the resources to immediately complete the job, and are given little leeway in their negotiations with insurance companies.

Sziklai used his spray booth and his relationship with his electrician as an example: “One of the exhaust fans in our prep area isn’t behaving properly. We called in our electrician to look at it a couple of times. He does nice work, and I don’t mind paying him, but each team he’s here it’s a $90 truck charge for driving over.

“If we were to say to an insurance company,

Canada is on the path to the lowest vehicle production year since 1982, according to Rebekah Young, an economist with Scotiabank.

‘Hey we’re stuck for three days because of this paint booth’, they will respond in very plain English, ‘That’s not really our problem.’”

He says that this adversarial relationship with the insurance industry indirectly promotes the less-than-ideal notion that taking in less repair work could more consistently guarantee a profit for shops.

“The ability to charge for things beyond our control is zero. If we try anything, they just say ‘No, no, no.’ The cars still getting fixed, so they’re still getting away with saying no. Which means that every time we are told no, we must figure out a way to make it work internally and still make money,” said Sziklai.

PAINT AND BODY EQUIPMENT

For now, the automotive materials shortage is little more than a waiting game for collision repair facilities; hang in there, do the work you can, and do it efficiently.

Sziklai says the strong bonds he has with his parts providers are what is carrying him through these times. The position of those selling the in-demand parts and the shops buying them isn’t all that different—the providers are hurting too.

Approaching the situation with patience and the understanding that your partners are acting in good faith is the only real course of action.

We’re all on the same team here, even though it rarely seems like it. Now might be a good time to prove it.

QUALITY PAINT & BODY EQUIPMENT

Made in the USA www.prospot.com info@prospot.com 877-PRO-SPOT

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 45

SHOP PROFILE

A LESSON IN

ATTITUDE

Kapi Komera, left, and Matt Petitti, right, co-owners of CARSTAR MGM AUTO Group.

Building a business amid a pandemic

L

ong-time collision repairers Mike Cherneta and Kapi Komera were thrilled at the opportunity to own a CARSTAR facility together. The duo took the leap in January 2020, purchasing CARSTAR Mississauga 401 as well as two appraisal centres, CARSTAR Georgetown and CARSTAR Milton an addition for MGM AUTO Group.

The inaugural year for this new ownership team did not unfold as planned—but still the duo heeded on, optimism in tow, and made the best of the less-than-ideal situation.

MGM Auto Group co-owner Cherneta grew up in the industry; his dad was a technician and introduced him to the field. Starting as a detailer, Cherneta’s drive propelled him to continue working his way up through the ranks taking on various roles before opening his facility.

“I was living in the States and owned a bodyshop, but moved here as my wife is Canadian,” said Cherneta. “Eventually I found my way

to CARSTAR St. Catharine’s in 2012 where I helped with business management, marketing and accounting. It was in 2013 when I met Kapi after he applied to be a detailer at CARSTAR St. Catharine’s.”

Although Komera was a French teacher at the time, he was looking for a part-time opportunity in the summer months and found the detailing position.

“Looking back, I never thought it would have snowballed into where I am today,” said Komera.

“I’ve always loved cars and I slowly learned more and more through the years working my way into becoming a parts manager, estimator, office manager and then even production manager. My family and I moved to the Greater Toronto Area in 2019 and I applied to work for Sam Saccoia at his CARSTAR Mississauga Hawkestone facility because I did not want to commute anymore. I learned a lot from Sam in that short time and enjoyed working there,

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but then a chance at ownership came up and I was thrilled at the opportunity.”

Although the Peel Region has been a hotspot throughout this challenging near-two-years, Cherneta and Komera did not let the circumstances affect their drive. The team went to work.

“It would have been easy for us to blame everything on the pandemic and say that’s why we’re not getting any cars, but it all comes down to performance,” comments Cherneta. “Rather than waiting for the environment to change, we changed. That would be my best advice to any other owners.”

The team rebuilt SOPs. They retaught the repair process. They reorganized the shop layout, using the 5S principles. They even used down days to build a training room as well as a parts room. They also redelegated duties by highlighting what everyone is responsible for and holding them accountable to their expected level of performance.

SHOP PROFILE

The team rebuilt SOPs. They retaught the repair process. They reorganized the shop layout, using the 5S principles. They even used down days to build a training room as well as a parts room. They also redelegated duties by highlighting what everyone is responsible for and holding them accountable to their expected level of performance.

Komera and Petitti first broke ground as MSOs in January 2020. While they could never have known what the future would hold, the duo made the best of tough times and remained resilient through the pandemic—and it’s only made them stronger.

“Our focus moving forward is on performance, because we know how much the industry is changing and work isn’t owed to anybody, you have to show that you are a premier shop to win business,” comments Komera.“We essentially walked the walk by improving our KPIs. We boosted our NPS score to an 83 and got our LOR down to an average of 9.98 for both driveable and non-driveables, a big win for our shop which gets a lot of heavy hits.”

Both Cherneta and Komera credit their success in the past year to the support of their network. Whether it was from their operational coach at CARSTAR, Bill Davidge, their valued vendors like Axalta, 3M and Napa, their in-

surance partners or even their dealer partners like Georgetown Chevrolet, Georgetown VW, Milton Toyota and Milton Hyundai—the team listened intently to everyone’s feedback and implemented change throughout the facility.

“You are never too old to keep learning and we hustled to get as much input as we could into enhancing our facility,” continues Komera. “We also leveraged our newly built training room to provide space for education for us as owners, but more importantly for our team. We’re working towards various OEM certifications as well as an I-CAR Gold certification.”

Matt Petitti, office manager for Mississauga 401, has thrived in this environment of learning.

Both Cherneta and Komera highlight how Petitti has been able to leverage his training to transform his role from being a firefighter putting out emergencies to a business manager driving the facility forward.

“Once we put out this positive attitude and committed ourselves to our performance, the rest of the team joined alongside us,” said Cherneta. “The entire culture of our facility changed this year, and we are grateful for the team we have now and the outstanding work they’re doing at our facility. It’s easy to be defeated in this environment, but we’re looking beyond just this year and excited to continue on this positive trajectory for years to come.”

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 47

PAINTER’S CORNER

Societal change marked the theme for Asia Pacific’s BASF-dictated colour trends this year.

Mobius, Asia Pacific’s key colour for 2022, offers a deep silver-blue hue designed to evoke innovation and “higher levels of understand in our diverse world,” said BASF.

HOT SWATCHES BASF releases 2021-2022 Automotive Colour Trends collection

Each year, BASF releases its synopsis of colour trends for the upcoming year, drawing off trends from years’ prior and goals for the future.

48 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

PAINTER’S CORNER

“These eye-opening and thought-provoking colours are a superposition of complex tones that challenge our perception.”

- Mark Gutjahr, head of automotive colour design, EMEA.

China’s key colour—Knowing Ignorance—appears almost black from a distance. In truth, this hue is a silverblack tone with notes of deep olive when viewed up-close.

Story by MAX REID

D

ust off your berets and furrow your brows—the BASF 2021-2022 Automotive Colour Trends collection is here.

The design experts at BASF’s Coatings division have delivered this year’s offering of colour commentary with the theme of SUPERPOSITION; what the company considers the “state where the limitation of binary systems is overcome,” according to the press release.

BASF says that this theme speaks to the inherent variation of the world, pushing past the scope of binaries like black and white.

Colour trends in BASF’s Europe, Middle East and Africa sector led the company to develop Spectora, a shade of orange, as the most reflective of the market.

“These eye-opening and thought-provoking colours are a superposition of complex tones that challenge our perception,” said Mark Gutjahr, head of automotive colour design, EMEA.

Lambent Earth, the key colour for the North American region, references the concept of balance, said BASF, and is meant to “strike a chord with human steadfastness.”

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 49

PAINTER’S CORNER

Africa’s key colour for 2022 is a muted eggplant purple entitled Ellicitor.

Spectora, a striking orange, was designed for the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions as an “eye-opening” colour with “thought-provoking capabilities,” said BASF.

Amicable Glimmer, the shade for South Africa, offers a beige-gold hue with subtle sparkle details.

When deciding on a colour reflective of the Asia Pacific market, BASF wanted to capture the societal change seen in the region through the use of “light” and “flexible” motifs, resulting in the blueish-silver Mobius shade.

“Asia Pacific’s key colours are light, clean shades evoking the exciting look of spring

and the forward-looking hope it brings,” said Chiharu Matsuhara, head of automotive design for Asia Pacific. “They show a higher level of understanding of our diverse world.”

The shade chosen to represent the North American market is meant to reflect optimism and steadfastness, according to BASF, resulting in the burnt orange shade, Lambent Earth.

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“We found the equilibrium between the natural and the synthetic world to create calming, unwavering, and thought -provoking colours. They draw the viewer into unique sensations that operate on multiple non-binary levels,” said Paul Czornij, head of automotive design for the Americas.

BOYD’S TECHNICAL TACTICIAN The tale of Scott Sieppert’s assent

When Scott was about to graduate from High School in 1996, he has his eyes set on becoming a mechanic. But after months of searching for someone to take him on as apprentice, he grew frustrated; and that’s when Ken Friesen stepped in.

Ken entered Scott’s life and offered him a role taking care of the wash rack at his Calgary 42nd Street location. Little did Scott know; Ken wouldn’t just be his boss, but his mentor over the next 30 years.

Being young and eager to learn, Scott began his apprenticeship journey and by the turn of the century he attained his Red Seal status. Now being a big Ford guy—currently working on building a Ford Falcon with his youngest son, who happens to be a fourth-year apprentice at the same facility Scott started at—Scott has always had an affinity for restoring muscle cars, particularly Mustangs.

Later, Scott made the difficult choice to leave the Concours Team and join a smaller custom shop that specialized in his passion. In the next four years, he was not only able to hone his technical abilities but begin to develop his managerial toolbox.

Scott loved his job, but it was pulling him away from his family. Working seven days a week, 13 hours a day ensuring other people’s dreams were becoming coming a reality, he decided it was time that he needed to give his dreams,

aspirations, and family the attention they deserved.

In 2004, Scott rejoined the team at the facility on 42nd Street. He was now part of a team of three senior technicians, each with an apprentice. Scott cherishes these years as some of the most rewarding of his career, passing down his skills to the next generation of collision repair technicians.

After eight years of managing heavy hits, full frame repairs and many apprentices, he was offered the role of facility assistant manager. He looked forward to the role: the opportunity to learn the administration side of running a facility and learning how to estimate. He felt learning how to write an estimate would translate into more accurate information plugged into the repair process. Scott made this a priority to learn, as well as set a goal to become a general manager by the time he was 40 years old.

With his obvious technical ability and understanding of the repair process, being able to navigate the administrative side of the collision repair business and knowing how pen a sheet properly and other skills he’d picked up over the years, Scott seemed ready to advance to the general manger position he’d long strived for. Ben Ken knew better —Scott needed to hone his managerial abilities. He shipped Scott off to Houston, Texas, to the Running Cougar Ranch,

DROP & GO

where he was a student in a military-style boot camp designed to develop leadership abilities—by breaking attendees down their cores and building them back up.

They even had to walk over hot coals.

“This experience took the hot head of the redhead,” Scott and his head of ginger-toned hair commented after the camp.

He was not done learning yet, though; Scott later attended B2B Training from PPG and enrolled in Dale Carnegie courses.

Now, truly beginning to understand what managing really entailed, he was offered a role as a general manager, satisfying the goal he set for himself.

Now overseeing the Boyd facility on 42nd Street, the one he started at back in high school, Scott could now lead a team, and implement his philosophy with this team—and others took notice. Scott was approached by John Irvine, Boyd’s Regional Manager for Alberta, to become a Technical Trainer for Boyd’s Western Canadian Operations.

Of course, with his internal thirst for endless knowledge, sharing that knowledge, and maintaining current, safe repairs in the industry, Scott jumped at the opportunity. Now, Scott wants to help Boyd make better Technicians, which will create better repair facilities which will in turn make our network the best in the industry. Who knows what’s next for this technical tactician.

For more information visit us online: boydautobody.com

TRAINING

BEFORE YOUR EYES Mercedes-Benz Canada introduces interactive remote support system

The Microsoft HoloLens is a wireless ‘holographic’ display device worn as glasses. The first iteration was released in 2016, with the HoloLens 2 [pictured] was released in 2019.

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TRAINING

“Given the early success [of the program], Mercedes-Benz Canada has since engaged its certified collision centre partners and bodyshops to participate in the Virtual Remote Support program.”

– Mercedes-Benz Canada

Joey Lagrasta, a foreman at MercedesBenz Brampton, sports the HoloLens headset equipped with MercedesBenz’s new Remote Virtual Support.

Story by ALLISON ROGERS

H

ave you ever found yourself elbow-deep in a repair job, wishing the solution to your challenges would appear before your very eyes? Well, thanks to Mercedes-Benz Canada, that could soon be a reality for you and your staff.

In October, Mercedes-Benz Canada announced the successful launch of its new Virtual Remote Support program which, by using Microsoft’s HoloLens technology, technicians can share real-time views and sounds of what’s in front of them with one of the OEM’s remote training agents.

With the integration of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Remote Assist, the remote technical specialists at Mercedes-Benz will work with the onsite technicians in an immersive setting, sharing intricate 3D images and holograms, see where changes need to be made, annotate the visual information in front of the technician’s eyes, add documents and insert instructions to highlight which areas to focus on.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 53

TRAINING

technicians can share real-time views and sounds of what’s in front of them with one of the OEM’s remote training agents.

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With the integration of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Remote Assist, the remote technical specialists at Mercedes-Benz will work with the onsite technicians in an immersive setting.

The technology was first implemented in Mercedes-Benz Canada dealerships in July 2021. Now, all dealerships nationwide offer the technology, and it will be available to the automaker’s network of Certified Collision Centres in 2022.

“Given the early success [of the program], Mercedes-Benz Canada has since engaged its certified collision centre partners and bodyshops to participate in the program,” said Zakary Paget, a representative for Mercedes-Benz Canada.

“With initial conversations heading in a positive trajectory, we hope to see additional rollouts to these locations in 2022.”

Early users of the technology have also weighed in with their firsthand opinions on the technology.

“I’ve experienced firsthand how the HoloLens is a game-changer,” said Joseph Lagrasta, a shop foreman at Mercedes-Benz Brampton. “Since deploying this technology in July, I’ve found we’re getting cars back to owners in a fraction of the time. I’m also excited about the comprehensive, 3D training sessions we’ll have access to.”

PAINTER’S CORNER

When all was said and done, Chad Henslin (left) and Adam Paul came away with top prizes for their exceptional work, winning the pinstripe and airbrush categories respectively.

The Crowd Favourite, Zack Hampton’s mean and green piece with some exceptional pinstriping.

Kevin Cambell’s Wild Card-winning hood.

HOOD AS GOLD FinishMaster crowns HoodMaster 2021 champs Story by MAX REID

W

hen you get your car back from the shop, refinished in that dangerous beige you like, the phrase ‘work of art’ might not necessarily always come to mind.

Sure, there’s work that goes into making the paint even, and they have to mix it to get the shade correct, but it’s just spraying a big piece of metal one colour right?

If this is something you have thought to yourself before, you’ve clearly never seen the talent that FinishMaster has put on display for the last two years for its annual HoodMaster painting competition.

In a celebration of the marriage between art and innovation that has always been present in the autobody industry, FinishMaster assembled more than 30 of the top automotive painters in North America to compete to see who can paint the best mini car hood.

Judges pored over a multitude of hoods done in the historic auto painting styles of airbrushing and pinstriping, though prizes were awarded for Crowd Favourite and Wild Card as well.

The painters, along with friends and family, were treated to a gallery-style night at the Bullseye Event Center in downtown Indianapolis, Ind. on October 15. Drink and raffle ticket proceeds were put toward an educational grant for a collision repair program

in need, through the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF).

When all was said and done, Chad Henslin and Adam Paul came away with top prizes for their exceptional work, winning the pinstripe and airbrush categories respectively.

Notably, Stratford, Ontario’s Josh Dobson came away with second prize in the pinstriping category.

Dobson is a product specialist at Axalta and finished near the top of the pack with his pinstriped “Frozen” hood, featuring bold blue lines and an icy silver flake finish.

Crowd Favourite and Wild Card prizes were also presented to Zack Hampton and Kevin Campbell, respectively, whose hoods went outside the box, but still landed them in the winner’s circle.

The HoodMaster event was held in tandem with the first ever PinMaster challenge as well, which pit graduating high school and college collision repair students from across the U.S. against each other to see who could paint the most impressive bowling pin.

FinishMaster is hoping to make HoodMaster and PinMaster yearly traditions that bring together the collision community and celebrates the artistry and ingenuity that is inherent in this industry.

Josh Dobson, a product specialist with Axalta, was the only Canadian to land a top-three placement.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 55

INSURANCE

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED Collision repairers give the grades to Canadian insurers Story by ALLISON ROGERS

hop’s s a g n d uri “Meas mance base r perfo cheaply on how pair cars e they r o stop.” t needs

“SGI talks a good story but the action is painfully slow.”

T

he relationship between collision repairers and insurance adjusters is a lot like a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich. The insurers are the peanut butter, while the repairers bring the sweet skills to the mix as the jelly. A PB and J sans jelly just doesn’t make sense—although, neither does plain jam on bread.

On top of that, most unfamiliar with the inner workings of the repair planning process would assume forming an agreement on the repair of a customer’s vehicle to be a simple task—much like the creation of the beloved PB and J. Maybe someday...in a perfect world.

Tensions between the automotive aftermarket and the insurance industry have been strung tight since COVID-19 was thrown into the mix. However, according to the results of Collision Repair’s annual Insurer Report Card, it appears some insurers are taking change in stride and bettering relations with repairers across the board.

Take this year’s results for Canada’s public insurers into account; last year, both Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) and the Insurance

56 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) were delivered ‘F’ grades by their collision repairing peers. This year, each insurer has come back marginally stronger, pulling that overall grade up an entire two letters to a C+ for MPI and a C for ICBC. Private insurers, on the other hand, seem to be taking more time to adjust to post-pandemic realities. Intact Financial and Desjardins both took hits to their grades this year, each dropping down an entire letter grade from 2020’s results.

Aviva, State Farm, TD and Wawanesa were all able to up their overall scores by at least a half-letter grade.

For the third straight year, the Co-Operators have come out on top overall, scoring the top three grades in all categories. The private insurer was also the only company to receive zero ‘F’ grades on its dispute management skills; all other insurers had at least one F-grade on their dispute management sheets.

To learn more about this year’s Insurance Report Card, visit collisionrepairmag.com.

INSURANCE

INSURER

PAYMENT TIMELINESS

DISPUTE BODYSHOP MANAGEMENT RELATIONS

OVERALL GRADE

2020 GRADE

A-

B-

C+

B

B-

A+

A

A

A

B+

B-

D

F

D

C

D

F

F

F

-

B

D+

F

D

C

B+

B+

B-

B

-

C-

C

D+

C-

D

B+

B

C+

B

B-

A-

A

B+

A

B

A-

B-

B+

B+

C-

D

C+

C+

C

F

B+

C-

C+

C+

F

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 57

INSURANCE

“With the volume of work in my collision centre, we’ve started to pick and choose the work we perform, and sometimes it involves the customer paying the difference. It is amazing to me that some insurers can pay 10 to 15 percent more for repairs than other insurers. I got into this business to make money, not be told what I can make. Why is it that we’ve received the same rate for hazardous waste, flex additive or undercoating for the last 30 years?!”

“We are at a near breaking point in this industry. Insurers want high-quality repairs but are not willing to pay for them.”

ve fi t spen eloping C B “IC s dev that . year ogram tistics a pr res sta igno liant.”

Bril

“Every time an insurer talks, it’s all about the mutual trust between them and the collision centre. Well, mutual trust is a two-way street and the insurers don’t trust us to repair the vehicles correctly, or pay us for what we need to do the repairs.”

“The auto claims economy has never been as messed up as it is right now. I feel we’ve lost touch with the fact that an insurance purchase is for a promise of protection and peace of mind. It was never intended as a device to amass wealth or drive share value.”

“Insurance companies want collision centers to have estimates back in 24 hours, then take five to seven days to process approval after receiving the estimate.

Insurance companies need to improve their own efficiencies.”

“I would ge trouble i t in fI my thoug said ht on insura s n companie ce s.”

“I do my best to get along with insurance companies but it’s always a fight when it comes to repairing vehicles properly to restore the structural integrity and safety incorporated in these models. The new concept of photo estimating is pitiful; we have more additionals and parts delays than ever before. Now, if more appraisers had experience repairing vehicles, perhaps photo estimation could be a system that works.”

ates r d e e “We n h up to tc to ca t times.” n prese

ICBC e h t “End ly po mono .” in B.C

“We’re tired of being bullied by the big guys. Fairness or trust is not part of the equation. We want to fix the cars PROPERLY and as fast as possible, despite what insurers think. The last few years have seen a drastic decrease in professionalism, and we are very often dealing with what seems to be untrained call centre staff. It’s getting harder and harder to see why someone new would want to join the collision industry.”

“Our costs have been increasing for years and are continuing to grow, but the decision-makers at insurance companies just don’t care.”

“Time for an industry-wide raise!”

“Amid worldwide supply chain interruptions, a repairer is expected to solve delays for insurers through added administration or, in some cases, actually paying rental car fees.

“MP I tac ’s neg o t our ics du tiation r wer last a ing e br gree m uta l.” ent

“Door rates in Atlantic Canada need to increase. We’ve witnessed far too many repairs completed by other facilities that fail to meet industry standards, and they tell the customer they’re being too fussy. Simply put, shops are cutting corners to make a buck and keep the doors open for business.”

58 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

CHARITY

PARR FOR THE PEOPLE

Parr Autobody recognized as cornerstone donor for RMHC Saskatchewan

By ALLISON ROGERS

S

askatoon’s Parr Autobody has been recognized by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Saskatchewan (RMHC) as a cornerstone donor, donating more than $60,000 to the charity’s efforts for sick children and their families over the yearslong partnership.

Parr Autobody has participated in several initiatives in support of RMHC Saskatchewan over the years, including sponsorship of a Mother’s Day use room, Red Tie Gala, cooking and preparing meals for families staying in the Ronald McDonald House and more.

“One of Parr’s core values is community, and investing in our community through volunteer work, dollars given and sharing our blessings is part of our vision,” said Chelsea Stebner, CEO and managing partner of Parr Autobody.

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.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 59

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

CRUSHING

COMPLAINTS Tros Riveries estimator put through the wringer to see license reinstated

Stéphane Lachance, an estimator hailing from Trois-Rivières, Québec, has experienced “total victory” after a case filed against him by Intact Insurance was rejected —a year and a half after it was filed, that is.

JANUARY 2020

MARCH 13, 2020

A minor collision occurs and the vehicle owner files with her insurer, Intact Insurance.

The driver’s 2004 Toyota Prius is deemed a total loss.

Unsatisfied with this ruling, the vehicle owner sues Intact and calls on Stéphane Lachance, a collision repairer and former estimator.

Intact Insurance files a complaint with the GAA on the grounds of non-compliance with the Code of Ethics for automobile damage appraisers. The complaint states that Lachance performed the function of estimator in a “derogatory manner,” that he improperly used a GAA document to assert his skills and that he failed to enter a Certificate of Qualification number on an alleged estimate he prepared for his client.

The Complaints Officer is allowed to “communicate with any person likely to provide information relevant to the handling of the complaint.” Instead, the Complaints Officer denounced Intact Insurance to the effect that Stéphane Lachance had committed ethical faults.

60 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

APRIL 13, 2021

Story by ALLISON ROGERS

T

rois-Rivières, Québec estimator Stéphane Lachance can finally breathe a sigh of relief after a lengthy deliberation process regarding a complaint Intact Insurance filed against him last year.

On September 14, the Mouvement Carrosiers Québec (MCQ) announced a “total victory” for Lachance, who had recently seen his Certificate of Qualification revoked by the Groupements des assureurs automobiles (GAA) Disciplinary Committee following a complaint Intact Insurance lodged against him in 2020.

In January 2020, following a minor collision, the owner of a 2004 Toyota Prius filed a damage claim with Intact Insurance.

Their vehicle was deemed a total loss.

Unhappy with Intact Insurance’s decision, the owner of the vehicle filed a lawsuit

against Intact Insurance in the Court of Québec, small claims division, and called on Lachance as an expert witness—who, at the time, was under temporary license suspension for reasons unnoted.

On March 13, 2020, Intact Insurance filed a claim with the GAA, which oversees automotive insurance in the province. The complaint alleged that Lachance performed the function of estimator in a “derogatory manner”; that he improperly used a GAA document to prove his skills and failed to enter a certificate qualification number on an estimate he had allegedly helped construct for his client in preparation for small claims court.

In response to the complaint, the GAA dictated that its complaints officer “can communicate with any person likely to

On September 14, the Mouvement Carrosiers Québec (MCQ) announced a “total victory” for stephane Lachance.

The GAA Disciplinary Committee hears the parties in the case.

Lachance argues that, in this situation he acted not as an experienced estimator, but instead as an experienced autobody repairer capable of placing judgement on the reparability of the Toyota Prius in the case. He says the documents he had allegedly wrongfully prepared were only intended to illustrate his knowledge and skills in the field of motor vehicle repair.

MAY 25, 2021 The Disciplinary Commitee renders what the MCQ calls a “ruthless decision,” declaring Lachance guilty of having failed in his professional obligations by acting as an appraiser while his license was suspended.

The Committee also highlights the risk of recurrence and the seriousness of the fault committed before ordering a “complete and final withdrawal” of Lachance’s Certificate of Qualification.

JULY 2021 Faced with the Commitee’s verdict, Lachance moves forward with the legal support of Estelle Savoie-Dufresne, submitting the Committee’s decision to an arbitrator for review.

AUGUST 25, 2021 The arbitrator files their decision, overturning the ruling of the Committee and rejecting Intact Insurance’s initial claim that Lachance had committed any faults.

According to the MCQ, the arbitrator rejects the complaint on the grounds that: • “The Committee did not, as provided by law, justify its decision. In other words, the Committee failed to explain what led to the penalty imposed on Lachance.”

• “The explanations given by the estimator...were not held or even considered by the Committee in its decision of guilt, as if the estimator had not testified or failed to contest the complaint.”

• “Everything...is consistent with the estimator’s testimony that he acted, in this case as an expert rather than an automotive damage estimator.”

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 61

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

According to Lachance, the documents he had allegedly wrongfully prepared were only intended to illustrate his expert knowledge and skills in collision repair.

provide information relevant to the handling of the complaint and collect its version.” Regardless, the officer moved to denounce Intact Insurance to the effect that Lachance had committed ethical faults.

Fast-forward a year and the GAA’s Disciplinary Committee allowed the parties to share their sides—and Lachance spoke out. He argued that he did not act as an experienced collision repair estimator, but instead as a knowledgeable autobody repairer capable of placing judgement on the repairability of the Toyota Prius in question. The documents he had allegedly wrongfully prepared were only intended to illustrate his knowledge and skills in collision repair.

On May 25, the disciplinary committee declared Lachance guilty of having failed in his professional obligations by acting as an appraiser while his license was suspended.

The committee also alleged risk of recurrence on Lachance’s part and hammered down on the seriousness of the fault, ordering a “complete and final withdrawal” on Lachance’s certificate of qualification.

But Lachance knew he was never in the wrong. Faced with the decision, he hired legal support via M. Estelle Savoie-Dufresne and submitted the disciplinary committee’s decision to arbitration.

On August 25, the arbitrator overturned the decision of the committee and rejected Intact Insurance’s original complaint. In their decision, the MCQ said the arbitrator noted that the Committee “did not, as provided by law, justify its decision.”

In other words, the Committee failed to explain what led to the penalty imposed on Lachance.

The arbitrator also said Lachance’s explanations in the case “were not even held or considered by the Committee as if the estimator had not testified or failed to contest the complaint.”

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62 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

MECHANICAL MEASURES

WHO’S DRIVING

IN PURSUIT OF THE IMPOSSIBLE Take a moment and be grateful—life’s all about balance

Column by JAY PERRY

T

his time of year, I always find the subject of balance comes to mind. The Thanksgivings have passed, and we are approaching the Holy Days at the end of the calendar year. Each of these events makes us more mindful of gratitude. Gratitude for leaders is one-half of the balance I wish to discuss within this article.

The other half of the balancing act is the never-ending desire for more. ‘More’ can be described as a quest for better, improvement,

The desire for more is based upon an innate sense we all have that the status quo can be improved. greater or enhancement. You can see the conundrum; how can I be grateful for what I have and in good conscience, yet still quest for more?

The desire for more is something that all leaders must balance because if it is out of balance by being overweighted in our viewpoint, we lose gratitude for things we have. Leaders are usually people that have put the two components into their respective places.

This hunger for more is based upon an innate sense we all have that the status quo can be improved. This could be looked at from a lofty position, but I think it is more appropriate to view through a lens that focuses on the day-to-day.

We all have family, close friends and others in our lives for whom we are grateful because they contribute to our personal lives being better. We all have possessions that improve the quality of our lives through providing comforts and pleasure. This is the balance point we should strive for each day, an appreciation of these people and things.

It begs the question, if I’m grateful for what I have, why do I want things that would lead to more? It is a question I think we all should ask of ourselves because if we do not find the correct balance, we will not be happy through a dissatisfaction with our lot in life. It is important that we reflect on this balance and especially as we approach the ending of a year and the start of a new one. The New Year always calls for reflection and that should involve our gratitude.

We all have been through the wringer this past two years and will be feeling the effects of COVID-times for the rest of our lives.

There has been pain, but also has there been pleasure. We have made sacrifices and so have others right alongside of us. We have lost family and friends as have others. And we have helped each other endure which, to me, is opportunity for gratitude.

To balance that with wanting more we must put at the centre of our focus the ‘why’. The why is our reason we get out of bed. When we are clear about that cause being in alignment with helping others advance in careers, quality of life and leaving the world a better place than we found it, we are showing balance. Balance is what we will keep us the one who’s driving.

Happy New Year!

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.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 63

TOM’S TALES

ON THE UP The road to greatness is never without trial

... CONTINUED FROM Issue 20#5 Column by TOM BISSONNETTE

I

don’t want it to sound like everything was perfect at Dodge City. We still had our challenges dealing with employees, customers and insurance companies just like everybody else. Sometimes we were our own worst enemy.

This was in the days of shops doing handwritten estimates and we routinely would go outside to look at a customer’s vehicle, give them a verbal quote, then come back inside to try and make the repair estimate fit the quoted number. Thinking back, I realize what a gong show this was! For instance, I had a customer ask for a quote, which I gave him a verbal ballpark, then he reached in his pocket and pulled out the insurance company’s estimate for twice what I quoted him, then he asked if I would absorb his deductible!

Like many collision centres, we were just plain stupid and lazy when it came to giving a customer a proper damage assessment.

It really wasn’t until we got computerized estimating that we started to get on the right track doing proper damage assessments, but even then, we had to pinch ourselves that the damage was more than twice what we thought it would be at first glance.

It was apparent to me that as an industry we undervalued ourselves. We had been conditioned to accept low door rates and lousy assessments based on our own poor

understanding of what was really needed to repair vehicles properly.

I re me mb e r w he n C h r y sl e r f i rst incorporated airbags into their vehicles and we had a 5th Avenue come in with the driver airbag deployed. I called our service department to get some information on what components needed to be replaced in a situation like this, they had absolutely no information or did not care to look it up.

We simply did not know what we did not know— and it was scary.

Fortunately, I contacted I-CAR who had published a list of what components required replacing—but I know that we did not send the vehicle for a post repair scan to reprogram everything!

Over the next few years, I had various customers come in with a significant crash where the airbags did not deploy, when they asked why that was so, I gave them a blank stare suggesting that perhaps the damage missed the airbag sensor. We had another customer come in with the front licence

64 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

holder that was cracked when he slid into the vehicle ahead of him yet both airbags deployed! Again, I did not have an answer for him why this happened because, quite simply, I did not know!

When I inquired with Chrysler to see if they had any training for collision centres, I received a brochure about training for wind whistles and water leaks. We simply did not know what we did not know—and it was scary.

We started to get serious about training and, quite frankly the only show in town was I-CAR. Our own local bodyshop technical school was even further behind the curve than we were, they were still using acetylene welding and lacquer primer!

At the time, I-CAR Canada was headed by Keith McCrone; we got to know him well. An SGI supervisor by the name of Sid Petrisor was our local go-to guy. We embarked on a healthy regime of I-CAR training and in fact, Don Pogoda became a refinish instructor then went on to receive national acclaim for his teaching and presentation skills.

We were one of the first I-CAR Gold Class shops in Saskatchewan—I think Lloyd Giles in Elrose might have been the first one—but in any case, we got our guys totally involved and we all became body repair learning geeks!

To assist with his I-CAR Training Don Pogoda had taken a Dale Carnegie course

TOM’S TALES

As I look back on my days at Dodge City with Don and Don, I realize that this was a period of great growth and learning for me. We got serious about fixing vehicles correctly.

and actually went on to become an assistant instructor for several years. He wanted to keep up the public speaking, so he did not lose what he had learned. With that in mind we developed a presentation called Fun at Work which was based on Chuck Coonradt’s book, The Game of Work.

To get speaking gigs, I went to the public library and retrieved a list of organizations that were always looking for speakers. I sent out about a hundred letters offering our services to speak. One of the first organizations that responded was the Chamber of Commerce; they invited us to the prestigious Saskatoon Club to speak at one of their breakfast meetings.

The presentation chronicled what we were doing at Dodge City, but we incorporated several skits and games that were funny, thought provoking and engaged the audience to participate. It was a smash hit—the people loved it!

Next thing you know we were in big demand to speak to health care professionals, police departments, the fire department, Revenue Canada, Crown Corporations, services clubs, schools—you name it, we probably spoke at it. We had a blast and the body shop business continued to soar; everybody wanted to do business with us.

One of the coolest things we did speaking wise was at our own dealership Christmas party. Don and Don dressed up as our two main dealer principal partners and put on a skit that was hilarious! They looked like the owners, talked like the owners and basically

roasted them on every silly little thing they did over the past year.

Normally you’d think the dealer principles would lose their minds, but they absolutely loved the gag, it became a tradition for years after the first one. The interesting thing was that the only people at the dealership that got to drive demos were the department heads and a few key salesmen but after the boys put on this show, they were both given demos to drive going forward—we were the only department in the dealership where the assistant managers had that perk!

During this time my wife and I got involved with the Amway business. Now, I know a lot of people’s first reaction is to run away but I want you to know that it was a terrific learning experience for my wife and I. We were in business for ourselves but not by ourselves, we learned how to run a business, deal with customers, deal with upline and downline partners, set goals and learn how to succeed in life.

Amway is a business like any other, but they do have a robust personal development program that I wish everybody could participate in. I learned to read personal development books like: The Magic of Thinking Big by David Swartz; Think and Grow Rich

by Napoleon Hill; How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie; The Go Getter by Peter Kyne; and What You Say When You Talk to Yourself by Shad Helmstetter.

We had a saying: leaders are readers. To this day I continue to read self-development books and listen to podcasts. I learned from

Amway that your business only grows as much as you grow and the same goes for your collision business.

As I look back on my days at Dodge City with Don and Don, I realize that this was a period of great growth and learning for me. We got serious about fixing vehicles correctly. Developing a balance in my work and personal life was a key to any future success that I would have.

Making my work fun and enjoying my family time were two important lessons I learned at this point in my career and I will be forever thankful to the people around me that taught me this.

TOM BISSONNETTE

is the director of the Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers (SAAR). Tom’s Tales is a series of Collision Repair magazine articles chronicling his journey through the collision industry, since 1982. Besides telling his story, Tom hopes that today’s shopowners and manager can learn from his victories—and his mistakes.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 65

LET’S TALK TRAINING

THE OXYMORON OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE As my mom would say, think before you do Column by STEFANO LIESSI

W

e have come to the close of 2021, the Christmas season soon upon us, a time for humanity to put some extra effort forth to appreciate one another.

The past two years have delt some definite challenges to many in the industry, regardless of segment, it has pushed some to implement new ideas and processes, one that stands out is the implementation of technology. Technology seems to be the saviour of all that is wrong in the world, just as COVID is currently blamed for all that is wrong in the world.

Now I may come off a little jaded in this article, and I am sure it has nothing to do with the less than stellar experience in trying to up grade my phone as I am composing it. Why, you ask? Well, it stems from the fact I have been dealing with their AI process for over an hour, I’m on my third virtual assistant, and have not actually spoken to a living being.

Now I am not an IT wizard, however, I can generally hold my own with using software and computer technology, so you can sense my frustration when I am asked the same question three times via a chat dialog. If I call and I

am greeted right off the bat with “your call is important to us” one more time, I cannot be held accountable for what may ensue. Clearly, my call is not important to you. If it were, a human would answer it. And no, I don’t want to choose the music I am being subjected to while I wait for Wall-E® to tell me, “Your call is important to us, we will be with you shortly,” for the 39th time.

“We are currently experiencing a high call volume.” Do you know why you are experiencing a high call volume? It is because your AI can only answer what is consistent and within the parameters you set out. I would even choke back leaving a message, but I can’t, because the AI wouldn’t know what to do with it. So, you don’t get that option.

I am not the only one that has experienced it, I guarantee that every person reading this has, because this is what we have become. It is everywhere, it has become the go to answer for many segments of our industry, and others.

This is the ‘customer service’ everyone has grown to love and accept; but I coin it more as “customer processing.”

66 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

In the collision world we have been coerced into believing that the faster the better; that speed is what customer service is all about, get that claim settled ASAP. Watch the LOR, Cycle time is too long, not enough touch time.

Faster, faster—the customer is waiting, get them a magazine!

Stop. Just stop.

Read the next paragraph very closely: empathy is the ability to sense and understand the emotions of others. It’s essentially putting yourself in the emotional shoes of the customer. Many will argue that empathy is the most important customer service skill out there. Client servicing involves creating a rapport with customers. Often referred to as customer care, it is about understanding the needs and desires of the customer and moving to meet those needs in a proactive manner. It involves human interaction, active listening, and thought processing, it involves time, and effort. AI exhibits none of this.

For the simplest straight forward part of a process, it has its merits. Dealing with consistency and repetition it can perform rather well if everything is neatly tied up in the parameter

LET’S TALK TRAINING

No, I don’t want to choose the music I am being subjected to while I wait for Wall-E® to tell me, “Your call is important to us, we will be with you shortly,” for the 39th time.

box. Here is where the problem lies, in the collision industry things are not consistent, they are not a form of repetition, we do not manufacture “widgets.”

When we place the convenience of AI and PBE (Photo Based Estimating) over the value of human interaction, we lose a great portion of what is reality. Empathy and compassion.

For our payees, the implementation of AI and PBE is of value to them to increase the speed of initiating the claims process a buzz term used widely in the adjuster office. This is generally where it ends. The initiation is consistent, and repetitive, after that, when reality sets in, AI no longer can make decisions, educate, or advise on damages and procedures. I like to categorize this as false hope for the client.

Sadly, the collision centre is the entity that receives the brunt of the fallout, adjusters are over worked due to the number of claims initiated and struggle to keep up with the file load, so the shop becomes the major contact in the process. You get to explain why that AI or PBE was less than accurate, and why you need seven more days, and why its $7,000 dollars more than originally expected, not to mention the LOR. All while juggling your KPIs to meet the scrutiny of the payee, or banner, that has graciously set the parameters you need to follow using what is now flawed data.

Now when you analyze the ideology from a chair in a corporate boardroom sipping espresso and having biscotti, it makes a world of

sense. I can see how it would, creativity will make anything look good on paper. When processing claims is one of the key functions of your industry, then consistent actions streamlined may make sense, humans mess that up, so remove them from the equation.

Yet, despite the uptick in virtual claims amid the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers still crave human interaction in their claims interactions, according to an April 2021 report from LexisNexis Risk Solutions. “No matter how great the technology is, consumers still want human touch when they need it,” reads the company’s whitepaper.

In 2017 co-founder of Snap Sheet (CJ.Pryzbyl) expressed that by 2020, 90 percent of claims would be handled virtually. The reality is that the use of AI is on the climb, however it is no where near that—yet.

Technology is here, and here to stay, however, that does not mean we should use it to cloud our judgement and responsibility to the

client (the person at the centre of the loss), I am a great supporter of technology when implemented thoughtfully, what I am not: “pro ignorance”.

In my opinion, and you are entitled to my opinion, slow down and think about your customer. Covid has made many of us make rash, unthought out decisions, with flawed data, trying to be the leader. This is a tried, tested, and failure proven method of advancement.

It has also made some of us reflect and take a breath. Technology will serve us well when used for the right reasons and not for selfish ones, as with anything, in moderation with respect for humanity, carefully implemented, it will find its place. As for my phone, the situation was rectified as soon as the provider offered some human interaction.

I would like to express my gratitude for all that take the time to read my contributions, it is greatly appreciated. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone.

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.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 67

THE INTRICATE WEB

TIME TO OWN THE MARKET Get a fresh outlook on the world of automotive marketing Column by VENESSA DI VITO

I

n my 18 years of automotive business coaching, I’ve had the privilege to travel across North America in my various corporate roles. I’ve set foot in well over 500 collision repair facilities in every province and (almost) every state; enough facilities that I am confident that I have a strong understanding of what our industry is doing well and where there are definite needs for improvement.

With this understanding, I’ve seen that collision repair facilities rarely focus on marketing within their local communities.

I often ask why?

What I have seen during my travels is that collision repair facilities rely on other companies, like insurance companies or dealerships, to provide them with business.

In this moment I realized a collision repair facility which depends solely on others to provide them with work can never truly be secured in their business model.

As a result, I would like to offer a suggestion to solve such a problem: for collision repair facilities to focus on a stronger relationship with the customer directly in order to have a more secure and predictable future.

So, how does one go about implementing this strategy? For starters, building awareness within a collision repair centre’s local community will be one of the biggest areas of opportunity for most shops, which we will dive into later in this article.

Who is my target customer?

To even begin to market to the right audience with the right message, it is imperative that a shop understands who their target customer is.

Here are three suggestions: 1) Recently got into a car accident 2) Looking to repair damage to vehicle 3) Looking for additional services for their vehicle

For many years, traditional marketing was the only option—and an expensive one at that. Now, with digital marketing as an alternative, you have more opportunities and affordable solutions to build strong relationships with customers directly.

The only opportunity and fear I see with this type of business approach is that collision repair facilities are often in a very vulnerable state where the future of their business is in the hands of others—a scary thought.

I still remember the first moment I realized that I wanted to make a difference. I was sitting at a very reputable, independent, highperformance collision repair shop when they received the news that almost 30 percent of their total sales were going to be lost.

The dealership that they regularly conducted business with for so many years sold to an alternative dealership that had their own collision centre. Overnight, everything had changed. Since that day, similar stories have crossed up across the sector up more than once.

Before exploring the solution further, let me clarify my message: strategic partners are important. In fact, they are critical to the success of a collision repair facilities business. That’s why it is equally important for a collision repair facility to focus on having a strong relationship with these partners as well.

What exactly do I mean by strategic partners? A strategic partner is an arrangement between two companies to work together with the shared mission of growth and mutual success. Strategic partners include businesses such as insurance companies, car dealerships, banners/networks, relationships with other businesses, OEM certifications, fleet companies, rental car companies, brokers, and agents.

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Automotive Marketing has never been popular As I continued to gain experience throughout my years of automotive coaching, I began to see a clear trend: most collision repair facilities did not have a marketing budget.

If a facility spent money on marketing at all, it was often less than two percent of their total sales. How can a business survive, or thrive, if they have never dedicated the time and money to market their own brand?

When speaking to various shop owners, there was a consensus on why such a trend was occurring. It is not that such shops do not want to market their business, but that most shops do not understand how to market their business. Many also believe that it is something they simply cannot afford to do.

THE INTRICATE WEB

Different Ways of Marketing With the focus on your target customer, collision repairers can market and advertise in a variety of ways, and these typically fall into two main categories. Traditional marketing and digital marketing.

Here are some examples between the differences of the two:

Where do I start?

As you can see in the above chart, traditional and digital services are very different in nature, yet both provide value to a business looking to grow within their local markets.

Businesses often ask us, “which strategy is better to start my marketing with?” We always reply, “it depends!”

Choosing a strategy depends on what goal you are trying to achieve is, what is your timeline is, and what your budget is.

Traditional marketing can be very expensive, and it is often difficult to prove a return on investment (ROI). It can be more impactful depending on how you go about using it.

On the other hand, digital marketing is a much more costeffective solution and can provide measurable growth but utilizing such a method requires time to get going before you will see powerful results.

So, which marketing method should a facility start with? We recommend using a mix of the two.

What I have seen during my travels is that collision repair facilities rely on other companies, like insurance companies or dealerships, to provide them with business.

How much money should I spend?

If you are just starting to market your business and are not sure how much to spend on marketing, we recommend dedicating at least three to five percent (or more) of your total sales each month.

The marketing funnel is the foundation of any great marketing strategy. It is something numerous marketing agencies keep handy to help understand a customer’s purchase mindset and how they should start executing their strategy.

Starting from the top at building awareness in your local community and moving down the through the funnel, we have provided some recommendations on how and where a shop can get started today with their marketing strategy.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 69

THE INTRICATE WEB

For many years, traditional marketing was the only option and an expensive one at that. Now, with digital marketing as an alternative, you have more opportunities and affordable solutions to build strong relationships with customers directly.

As a result, such business can really focus on the opportunity they have to flourish and #ownthemarket within their local communities.

VENESSA DI VITO

Looking for 50+ ways to improve your collision repair business?

Take our free marketing assessment. autoplusperformance.com/your-automotive-marketing-assessment/ If you would like more details on this article, contact us at info@autoplusperformance.com.

is the owner and founder of Auto+ Performance, a full-service automotive marketing and solutions company specializing in generating growth in sales, traffic and customer retention for a collision repair or dealership facility within their local communities. For almost 20 years Venessa has been helping automotive businesses across North America with business best practices and will continue to find ways to support and grow this ever evolving, yet incredibly exciting, industry.

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BRITISH COLUMBIA | REGIONAL NEWS

REGIONAL NEWS | COAST TO COAST

Waterfront skyline and harbor illuminated at night, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

A FRESH START Mike Hall’s “field of dreams” is a shadow of its former self, but that’s fine by the Rust Valley Restorers host as he plans to gear down his restoration business. In early October, Hall auctioned off all but 50 vehicles in his famous collection to give his family a little bit more room to breathe at home. “My kid was happy to see them go. Just because it’s my dream doesn’t mean it’s their dream,” he said. The cars sold at Hall’s auction are now headed off to their buyers who represented nearly every Canadian province, as well as several U.S. states.

“The fact there were young people and families with kids buying them… that feels good,” said Hall.“As long as the stuff goes to a good home, why shouldn’t I do it,” he said. “I’ve been the caretaker of some of this stuff for 30 to 40 years.”

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 71

SASKATCHEWAN | REGIONAL NEWS

Rows of grain silos, stormy skies in distance, Saskatchewan, Canada.

MEET ME IN MOOSE JAW SAAR has its sights set on Moose Jaw this year, as the repairers association gears up for its annual general meeting on March 11 and 12, 2022 at the Temple Gardens Hotel and Spa. “We are currently planning a fun event that will entertain and inform you while taking care of some SAAR business,” said SAAR director Tom Bissonnette. The event comes just a month after the organization held its Fall Forum—marking the first time the SAAR gang got together since March 2020.

As it stands, the agenda for SAAR’s AGM is still being finalized.

UNDER LOCK AND KEY Regina has seen an uptick in crime affecting the auto industry as of late, as five separate auto repair shops and dealerships have reported thefts at their businesses since August. In total, six vehicles have been stolen after keys were taken from the businesses’ customer drop boxes. In one case, a vehicle stolen from one of these businesses was used in the commission of later crimes and another was recovered outside Regina. Regina Police are advising business owners, particularly auto repair shops and dealerships, to reassess their key drop-off systems in order to prevent further thefts.

ELECTRIC ALLOWANCE Saskatchewan’s controversial electric vehicle road-use fee came into effect on Oct. 1, requiring all EV drivers in the province to chip in $150 annually going forward. Saskatchewan Government Insurance says that the fee will be used to help maintain Saskatchewan’s roads and highways. As of Sept. 22, there were 611 electric vehicles registered in Saskatchewan, but not year-round in many cases. Drivers who register their vehicle for less than a year will have the $150 fee prorated based on the length of the term. Drivers can renew or register their vehicle in person at any motor licence issuer or online through MySGI. Drivers who register their vehicle using AutoPay will have the prorated fee included in their monthly withdrawals.

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ALBERTA | REGIONAL NEWS

BACK FROM WHENCE YOU CAME In just a matter of days, British Columbia has become an isolated enclave on Canada’s west coast due to intense rainfall and flooding, leading to many of the province’s imported products being stuck in limbo in port warehouses.

Among these delayed products are indemand auto parts that were due for delivery prior to the rain. According to a report from Reuters, warehousing and trucking firm 18 Wheels Logistics has filled every inch of its existing storage space with alcohol, auto parts and other goods. It signed a lease for another 180,000 square feet, the equivalent of two city blocks to deal with excess demand. Chief executive of 18 Wheels, Adrian Wen says that they are currently working to re-route trucks carrying auto parts, among other goods, back over the border into Washington and through to Alberta instead.

Certain parts and other goods trapped in B.C. due to weather conditions will be rerouted through Alberta to meet deliveries.

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MANITOBA | REGIONAL NEWS

HALF A CENTURY SERVING Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) celebrated 50 years in business on October 29, 2021, with the corporation’s first claim on a Volkswagen Beetle that had its tires stolen. “For the past five decades, we have been committed to serving Manitobans and delivering on our mission,” said Eric Herbelin, president and CEO of MPI.

Train traveling through Manitoba According to MPI, the organization handled 1,195,156 claims in 2020.

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ONTARIO | REGIONAL NEWS

CLOSE TO HOME Cystic Fibrosis Canada has presented its Future Leader award to Olivia Sottile, daughter of CARSTAR Brampton owner Frank Sottile, for her work at the shop’s Quest4CF event. The event featured a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt that saw participants scouring the nearby area in their vehicles in search of clues to a hidden chest. Olivia Sottile played her part by keeping participants hydrated at her lemonade stand that she has run at every CARSTAR Brampton community event since 2017, with all of its proceeds going to cystic fibrosis research. The Future Leader award recognizes a youth, 19 years of age or under, who has displayed leadership and demonstrated an exceptional and sustained commitment to the cystic fibrosis cause through a chapter.

Tram streetcar in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 75

REGIONAL NEWS | QUEBEC

FRENCH FUNDING High rise buildings in Montreal cityscape, Quebec, Canada

The Provincial Government of Quebec has announced its support of the Automotive Parts Manufacturer’s Association (APMA)’s Project Arrow concept car by providing financial support to companies involved in the vehicle’s development. The province will dedicate $1.4 million over 18 months to small- and medium-sized businesses that make connected or autonomous zero-emission automotive components and systems, including those looking to get involved with the all-Canadian concept car project. Applications were closed October 31, 2021, and the government is expected to announce the collaborators in 2022.

Project Arrow, heeded by the APMA, will serve as an all-Canadian concept car to showcase Canada’s manufacturing abilities on the world stage.

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REGIONAL NEWS | ATLANTIC

Outport of Hering Neck on New World Island, fishing village of few houses on sheltered Bay off Atlantic Ocean, Newfoundland, NL, Canada

IT TAKES A VILLAGE A Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland, collision centre banded together to give a very special gift to a co-worker. When the team at CSN Precision Collision Automotive heard that their 18-year-old co-worker Logan LeDrew was due to get his driver’s license, the staff all pitched in to fix up one of the shop’s service vehicles for him. “It brings everybody closer together. They all worked on a project for one of their co-workers,” said. “Logan’s general upbeat attitude just brings everybody together as well. You can’t wipe the smile off his face.” LeDrew started working at the shop in 2019 as part of a five-week program, which he then took full-time since graduating from high school. He has a developmental disability and has quickly become a beacon of positivity and work ethic for his co-workers. “I was speechless,” said LeDrew. When asked what he loves about working in the shop, he said: “The people.”

HELLO, HARBOURSIDE Kelvin Campbell and the CSN Chapman Auto Body team are thrilled to announce the acquisition of Chapman Auto Body Harbourside, marking the company’s third location in Nova Scotia.

As of Monday, November 1, Chapman Auto Body is the proud new owner of CSN Harbourside Collision—now Chapman Auto Body Harbourside—in Dartmouth. In the works for the last six months, Campbell took over the facility from his old trade school pal, Anthony Lewis. “Anthony was running two facilities and decided it was time to take care of one instead of two. We’re good friends from way back, so it was just a great fit,” Campbell told Collision Repair. The fully staffed Harbourside team has hit the ground running with renovations.

Currently at 6,500 sq. ft. and two levels, Campbell plans for the finished facility to boast 10,000 sq. ft. and a host of new tools. “We’re doing major renovations, adding paint booths, tooling up and getting certified. Our main goal is to increase the footprint on the property and drive up production,” said Campbell.

For more information on CSN Chapman Auto Body, visit chapmanautobody.com.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 77

RECYCLING NEWS

Brought to you by

GOOD DEAL FOR DALE The board of directors for the Saskatchewan Automotive Recyclers Association (SARA) has welcomed Dale Nagel of Dale and Lisa’s Farm and Auto to its ranks. All it took was some 20 abandoned vehicles showing up on his property circa. 1998 for Nagel to put driving buses in the past and start full-time on restoring and recycling vehicles alongside his wife Lisa. “I started with SARA at its inception, and still participate actively out of a passion to build the business properly. The land this business sits on is my own and I am completely accountable for what happens to it,” said Nagel. Nagel says that his business has done nothing but grow since it was first incorporated in 1999, which then upsized to a larger facility in 2004. “I look forward to being part of this board. I hope to be able to help guide the industry changes that are coming … including the adoption of hybrid, electric and autonomous technology and how auto recyclers will meet the challenge,” said Nagel.

Please welcome Dale Nagel (left) to the Saskatchewan Automotive Recyclers Association.

IN MEMORIAM: HENRY AUMONT Henry Aumont of Arnprior and Ottawa Auto Parts died in November at the age of 93.

Henry was predeceased by his wife of 63 years, Norah Shields (2013) and his sister Carmen Breton. He was born in Val Gagné, Ontario to Emerilda Deslauriers and Wilfrid Aumont on July 20, 1928. In addition to starting A&O, Henry was one of the founders of the Canadian Auto Recyclers group, one of the precursor groups to OARA and ARC, and sat on the Board of CAR for many years. Henry opened Arnprior and Ottawa Auto Parts in 1967 and the family business continues to thrive in the community to this day. In addition to starting A&O, Henry was one of the founders of the Canadian Auto Recyclers group, one of the precursor groups to OARA and ARC, and sat on the Board of CAR for many years.

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Henry will be fondly remembered by family and friends as a devoted husband and father and loving grandfather.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

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and services specifically catered to the automotive repair sector. Available both online and in print, the Buyers’ Guide is an easy-to-access tool that provides crucial information to the collision repair

industry. The Buyers’ Guide puts product information into the hands of your target audience with

specific categories such as welding, glass repair, scanning, diagnostics and much more. When it comes to connecting your target end user with your product solution, there is no better medium than Collision Repair’s Buyer’s Guide.

CHECK OUT THESE HOT PRODUCTS FOR 2022 In search of your next go-to tool? The 2022 edition of Collision Repair Buyer’s Guide is available featuring the industry’s hottest new products!

For more information visit buyersguide.collisionrepairmag.com DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 79

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

PERFECOAT LOW VOC

MULTIBENCH

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Perfecoat Low VOC can deliver all the benefits of the Perfecoat system without additional costs. A Low VOC solution from toners to clearcoats, Perfecoat safely meets Canadian and USA air quality standards. This full system of products are designed to enable faster, higher quality and more efficient collision repairs. Plus, a massive online formulation database and brand-new 8,500 colour chip collection ensure this line is a match for the best. Call 647-261-9339.

The Multibench Workstation from Spanesi is the technician’s solution to efficient vehicle repairs. Boasting a load capacity of over 3,100kg and a pulling column capacity of 10 tons, this system is ideal for cars, mid-size SUVs, and small commercial vans. The Multibench allows technicians to lift vehicles directly from the wheels removing the need for buffers. With a small footprint and a total lowered height of 108mm, the Multibench takes up very little room in the shop, allowing technicians to utilize the bay for other repair operations. Multibench has a lifting height of over 1450mm.

ALL-NEW PRO SPOT RIVETING AND BONDING MOBILE WORKSTATION

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Everything required to complete riveting and adhesive jobs in one versatile unit: Six heavy-duty locking drawers to hold all rivet and bonding tools; two 110v power outlets, four USB outlets and two compress air outlets; new and convenient built-in PR-5 riveter tool on the work surface, allowing for safe and easy arm and die changes; heavy-duty casters, on-board tool storage, the PR-5 riveter, the 55mm and 80mm arms, Blind Rivet Adapter, Charging station, two lithium-ion batteries and the Ford F Series die kit.

The unit also features an Android Tablet filled with videos, animations and ‘how to’ instructions, a true ‘knowledge centre’ for the PR-5.

80 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Most Recognized OEM Adhesive System Available. Pliogrip™ structural adhesives have been used for composite bonding in automotive and heavy truck applications for more than 40 years. Formulated to bond composites, plastics, metals and glass, and available in two-part polyurethane, epoxy and methacrylate technologies, Pliogrip structural adhesives can be an effective solution in a wide variety of applications. Consider Pliogrip adhesives for bonding and assembly of automotive composites, lightweight vehicles, fiberglass boats, metal fabrications, Panel Bonding and virtually any application that requires a strong, reliable bond. Now available in Canada!

Contact Motivated Reps for more information and where to purchase.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

8203 NITRO-FUZER PLASTIC WELDER

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polyvance.com

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Polyvance pioneered nitrogen plastic welding in the auto collision repair industry in 2006 and recently updated its sixth-generation welder with a more robust quick-disconnect hose-to-handle connection. The 8203 Nitro-Fuzer™ welds plastic with hot nitrogen gas for a stronger weld on every type of plastic. The welder has an onboard membrane-style nitrogen generator which eliminates the need for nitrogen tanks and comes with the industry’s largest variety of plastic welding rod. Polyvance’s entire line of plastic repair and refinishing products are available in Canada from your favorite paint jobber through Color Compass/PBE Distributors.

The SATA trueSun LED lamp is especially designed to provide professional colour shade evaluation and identification within the paintshop.

The SATA trueSun provides uniform light distribution across the entire illuminated area, simplifying the selection of the right color shade. Light intensity can be adjusted via a sliding control.

The light intensity remains unchanged for the entire battery capacity. Battery life is approx. 70 minutes at full intensity. Even avoiding a single rework covers the purchase cost of this high-quality product.

THE CHOICE YOU’VE ASKED FOR

SPRAYMAX 1K TRIM PAINT BLACK

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A powerful all-in-one solution for all your scanning, diagnostic, and calibration needs.

• OEM and verified OE Compatible scan tools in a single device.

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SprayMax 1K Trim Paint Black is a high-quality topcoat for use in spot repairs on cars, motorcycles and other applications. Easy to use and dries quickly. Provides excellent coverage due to its high solid content. Superior material flow and yield is achieved with the efficiency of SprayMax aerosol technology including the Variator nozzle. Available in Black Gloss 3680101, Black Satin 3680102, and Black Matte 3680103, these options on finishes make it highly versatile no matter your repair or touch up needs. SprayMax is the professional’s choice for small damage repairs.

For more information and availability, call 1-888-486-1166.

DECEMBER 2021 COLLISION REPAIR 81

LAST WORD

LOOK UP Leave the Scrooge attitude in 2021 ADVERTISER INDEX Arslan Automotive ................... 07 Assured..................................... 51 AsTech...................................... 81 Autel US.................................... 62 Auta Data Labels.................insert Axalta........................................ 84 Carcone’s Auto Recycling........ 75 Cardinal Couriers Ltd............... 08 Caroliner................................... 15 Car-Part.com............................ 83 CARSTAR Canada.................... 21

By ALLISON ROGERS

I

t’s the most wonderful time of the year!

At least, two years ago, that’s what we would’ve been crooning without a question of whether it rang true.

Now, instead, we are bloated with challenges brought on by COVID: material increases, material shortages, rental car woes, wonky communications as we all adjusted to social-distanced ways of life and dozens of other hurdles. Every facility, no matter your location, has dealt with some form of challenge spurred by COVID.

Color Compass Corp............... 13 CWB Group............................... 09

The world is healing.

Fix Auto Canada...................10,11 Hail Specialist........................... 73 Impact Auto Auctions............... 31 Level 5 Drive............................. 74 Motivated Reps........................ 80 Paint Source............................. 17 Polyvance................................. 81 PPG........................................... 05 ProColor.................................... 23 ProSpot International Inc... 45, 80 Sata Canada............................. 81 Spanesi Americas Inc......... 02, 80 Spray Max........................... 19, 81 Thorold Auto Parts................... 78 United Catalyst......................... 76

All that in mind, you still have no reason to be a Scrooge. The reports between the pages of this publication should shed at least a little light on the optimistic direction the automotive aftermarket is headed next year and beyond.

Featured in this issue are but a few profiles of ever-resilient collision repairers.

Roy Pelletier, this issue’s cover star, proudly operates his independent collision centre on Fort Williams First Nation land; Stephen Jainarine and the red tape-ridden headaches he endured to bring his dream Lakeridge Collision to life; Stephane Lachance’s triumphant battle to defend his estimating license—all of these stories showcase the true dedication of Canada’s collision repair industry. No matter how tough the going gets, this industry always has enough

passion to ramp things up and get back on the wagon.

As we head into the new year, the cherry on top of the cone remains the fact we’ve finally been given the green light to gather in person. The SEMA Show went off without a hitch and Canada’s own trade shows are set to storm event ventures starting early next year. CCIF Toronto session is set for February; SAAR for March with other gatherings and industryadjacent events coming down the pipeline every day. SATA Canada will soon kick-off an eight-week, in-person painting course at its Ontario offices; Fix Network is once again welcoming students to its network of Canadian training centres. The world is healing.

And, If you’re still feeling down, lost or just plain tired of your work after flipping through these pages, you’re probably not alone. Remember, though, that droves of change are on the horizon for the automotive aftermarket—not just in Canada, but globally. The Canadian government plans to cease the sales of gas-powered vehicles beyond 2035, and someone’s got to fix those cars. It can either be you leading the charge or your successor—take your pick.

All in all, here’s to 2022. May your production floor be ripe with profit, line sheets approved with flying colours and overall operations be streamlined. It’s a new year, after all; let’s aim for Mars.

On behalf of the team at Media Matters, Happy Holidays to all, and best wishes in 2022.

Allison Rogers is the editor of Collision Repair magazine.

She can be reached at allison@mediamatters.ca.

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