Collision Repair 21#2 by Media Matters

INSIDE: WHAT THE KIDS ARE SAYING ABOUT CAREERS IN COLLISION REPAIR

Volume 21, Number 2

COMPARE YOUR KPI Insights from AutoHouse Technologies’ 2021 Canadian Benchmark Report

SUCCESS STARTS AT HOME Bassem Hijazi brings local pride to Simplicity Car Care Montréal North

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 21, ISSUE 2, 2022

ON THE COVER

p.32 INSIDE: WHAT THE KIDS ARE SAYING ABOUT CAREERS IN COLLISION REPAIR

Volume 21, Number 2

COMPARE YOUR KPI Insights from AutoHouse Technologies’ 2021 Canadian Benchmark Report

SUCCESS STARTS AT HOME Bassem Hijazi brings local pride to Simplicity Car Care Montréal North

PLUS+

HOW TOP PERFORMERS HIRE | U.S. RIGHT TO REPAIR BUDDS’ COLLISION SERVICES GETS A MAKEOVER www.collisionrepairmag.com

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

Simplicity Car Care Montréal North represents its neighbourhood with pride.

p.38

See how the collision industry rings in a return to normalcy at the Northeast Tradeshow.

FEATURES

p.46

WHERE HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE GONE?

RIGHT TO REPAIR

ON THE HUNT

Canada has some great bodyshops to work in, and yet technicians are nowhere to be found.

Read the latest on the fight for vehicle data rights, south of the border.

Hear what some young people in the industry have to say about today’s hiring landscape.

Hunter Engineering has all the answers to your calibration questions. ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

CONTENTS

CONTENTS COLUMNS

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

LET’S TALK TRAINING

TOM’S TALES

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

THE INTRICATE WEB

p.40

by Darryl Simmons Join us as the collision repair industry enters a season of growth.

by Stefano Liessi Red tape is stopping future technicians short of the green light.

by Tom Bissonnette Tom feels some of the growing pains of expanding his business in a new millennium.

by Nancy Rolland Leaving the door open for business transparency with staff.

by Venessa di Vito Putting your best foot forward when posting job ads.

62 64

WHO’S DRIVING by Jay Perry Even the best bodyshops know, you get by with a little help from your friends.

VIEWS FROM THE WEST by Chelsea Stebner Investing in the future of your apprentices is never a bad decision.

RECYCLING REVIEW

LAST WORD

by Steve Fletcher Canada’s leading expert on auto recycling gives a lay of the land for what’s ahead in the coming months.

by Allison Rogers A culture of courtesy and mutual respect is the order of the day for today’s techs.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

DEPARTMENTS

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

REGIONAL NEWS

RECYCLING NEWS

TOWING NEWS

See where the industry’s big names are headed next.

Tap into the latest industry info from coast to coast to coast.

Nothing gets reduced or reused in our coverage of the auto recycling world.

Hooking you up with what you need to know about the world of towing.

Join us for a walk around one of Oakville, Ontario’s legendary collision centres.

HAVE YOUR SAY

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

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PUBLISHER’S PAGE

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

Put some pep in your step this season—there’s plenty of room to grow

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Orest Tkaczuk | orest@mediamatters.ca

By DARRYL SIMMONS

here’s something special about this time of year. As the snow finally melts and we get to head outside without coats and boots, it’s only natural to think about things growing. Despite the topsy-turvy circus across the globe, it’s a good time to re-ground yourself as they say in yoga. It wasn’t so long ago the main concerns for repairers centred on parts, material and insurance relations. Sure, there was OEM presence, but they seemed pretty content selling cars. And electronic vehicles? They were so rare that we stopped in the street and stared. Well, those halcyon days are gone and once again the collision repair industry is adapting like a champ. The chip shortage, just one of the latest pains in the neck, is having a severe domino effect. Here’s how that one plays out: new cars can’t be built as quickly since the OEMs are competing

The biggest debate in the courtrooms, at least as far as I can make out, is getting legal definitions of what is a critical and integral component; and also, what is meant by “meet or exceed OEM parts.” There will undoubtedly be a fair bit of publicity on this as consumers will be brought in and their sympathies played. I can just see the commercials now: “Do you want anything other than a real Volvo part used on your car repair?” One doesn’t have to look much further than Kelvin Campbell in Halifax and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia to get an idea where the OEMs and insurers would like to see the industry moving. Not only does Chapman Auto Body tout a slew of prestige badge OEM certifications across its three locations, but there is an actual Tesla dealership inside the facility. Kelvin says his focus is on specialization via training and trackable repair leading to enhanced customer satisfaction. And yes, he says the OEMs are considered a “customer.”

It only takes a quick glance stateside to see the direction being taken with regards to OEM parts and insurers as the behemoths lay the groundwork for the battle for control of the global collision repair marketplace. with everything else that needs a computer chip. That includes fridges, computers, drones and God knows what else. That means the OEM use chips on their luxury brands which are priced higher. This means more people keep their cars and hence we have a car park that is aging rapidly. It doesn’t end there. Now repairers can’t fix cars that need parts with chips. Oh joy. Just another piece of sand in the shell…let’s hope sooner or later it turns to a pearl. Now it’s nothing new that the OEMs decided that the key to maintain profits in this political economy is to control the repair process and parts. The insurance companies have their own view on this and, as a result we see a whole slew of legislations and lawsuits facing our neighbours to the south. Don’t be fooled, what happens there is going to happen here sooner or later. It only takes a quick glance stateside to see the direction being taken with regards to OEM parts and insurers as the behemoths lay the groundwork for the battle for control of the global collision repair marketplace.

COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

PUBLISHER Darryl Simmons publisher@collisionrepairmag.com

So, where I am going with this since I really don’t have a dog in this fight. Just to let you know your views should play a part and to stand for what you know is right. You are the one fixing cars daily. You know what works and what doesn’t. All you must do is ask yourself, “Would you put your daughter or son or wife or mother in a car that was fixed in a certain way?” If you aren’t 100 percent convinced to put your life on the line, then don’t do it. And make sure you tell the insurers, the OEMs and the customer. One repair doesn’t have much of a voice, but when a group keeps saying the same thing, those in control and those in power will start to listen. It’s springtime. A wonderful time to watch things grow. A good time to grow as an industry.

EDITOR Allison Rogers | allison@mediamatters.ca ART DIRECTOR Yvonne Corvers | yvonne@mediamatters.ca STAFF WRITERS Max Reid | max@mediamatters.ca Kate Ng | kate@mediamatters.ca GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN CJ Tanuan | cj@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 AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT MANAGER James Kerr | james@mediamatters.ca DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER Cassie Doyle | cassie@mediamatters.ca CONTRIBUTORS Tom Bissonnette, Venessa di Vito, Steve Fletcher, Jay Perry, Nancy Rolland, Chelsea Stebner, Stefano Liessi

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. PRINTED IN CANADA ISSN 1707-6072 CANADA POST CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES PRODUCT AGREEMENT No. 40841632 RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED Send change of address notices and undeliverable copies to: 317 Reid St., Peterborough, ON K9J 3R2

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NEWS

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE MICHAEL PIPER | Uniban Canada Uniban Canada has announced the appointment of Michael Piper as vice president of development. Having spent many years in the collision repair industry, Piper brings a wide range of practical leadership experience, said Uniban. Piper entered the automotive industry through a leading Calgary dealership group. As vice president of development, Piper will oversee the development, strategic engagement and growth of the Uniban family of brands across Canada. In addition, Piper will lead the development teams for Uniban Canada, to ensure the company grows with exceptional operators, increasing service offerings to its insurance and franchise partners.

DES BROWNE | Boyd Group The Boyd Group has announced that Des Browne has been promoted to the role of vice president of sales and business development for the group’s Canadian operations. Browne got his start on the insurance side of the automotive industry with Canada Life Casualty in the mid-90s before moving on to become the national business development manager for Discount Car and Truck Rentals. According to Boyd Group COO,Tony Canade, Browne assumed the business development role for all of Canada in 2018, utilizing his strengths in the areas of support, training, planning and performance management to lead the various customer initiatives across Canada.

BILL BROWER | S olera Inc. Solera Inc. welcomed Bill Brower to the team in early April, appointing him as the company’s new vice president of industry relations. According to Solera, Brower is a prominent insurance expert, admired for his thought leadership regarding the future of claims. Brower has led strategic business units at Liberty Mutual, Nationwide Insurance, and LexisNexis Risk Solutions in the past. Brower spoke of his new role via social media, saying “I am excited to share that I have joined Solera, Inc. as Vice President of Industry Relations. Solera is a global leader in providing a wealth of solutions for all aspects of auto claims and vehicle lifecycle management.”

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3M Awards the 2021 Rick Berg Award 3M recently awarded Lucas Kolecki with the 2021 3M Rick Berg Award. Lucas is a Senior Sales Account Representative in 3M Canada’s Automotive Aftermarket Division dedicated to the Central region of Canada. Lucas goes above and beyond when it comes to serving his customers, exemplifying what exceptional customer service truly means. Faced with the ongoing pandemic, Lucas was able to pivot and navigate the ever-changing covid restrictions with innovative solutions that always put his customers first. From in-person visits to delivering virtual training, Lucas was always able to get information to his customers, even when it wasn’t easy! As amazing as Lucas’s hands-on approach to customer service and satisfaction is, he also deserves major kudos for his leadership within his own team. Lucas takes a teamfirst approach to every situation – helping onboard and support new team members to the ins and outs of the automotive aftermarket industry. He helps and supports his team wherever he’s needed – making him a highly valued teammate to his peers. Lucas’ approach to customer service and his strong knowledge of the automotive aftermarket is a testament to the honour of winning the Rick Berg Award. The Rick Berg Award is named after a former 3M business leader who passed away in 2010 and is awarded annually to a 3M sales representative that exhibits the highest level of performance and sales professionalism in the Automotive Aftermarket Division. The winner is a sales leader that exhibits strong ethics and leads by example with passion and energy and Lucas is a prime example of this. For more information on 3M solutions for collision repair, please visit 3M.ca/CollisionRepair

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INDUSTRY NEWS

ON THE LINE As the omicron wave of COVID-19 begins to subside and public health measures are lifted across many provinces and regions, some new industry data is showing that production for manufacturing is trending upward. Reaching its highest level since November of last year, the IHS Markit Canada Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to a seasonally adjusted 56.6 in February from 56.2 in January. Any reading above 50 represents growth. “Growth was underpinned by a quicker expansion in output, following sharp uplifts to headcounts and supportive domestic demand conditions,” IHS economist Shreeya Patel said in a statement. The output index rose to 53.2 from 51.5 in January, while the measure of employment was at 54.6, up from 53.2. “For now, businesses in Canada are coping with external pressures, but issues surrounding rising costs and supply are likely to persist for the duration of the year,” said Patel.

TRAIN IN TORONTO Toronto, Ontario’s Tropicana Community Centre is accepting participants for its 2022 Auto Body Pre-Apprenticeship L-1 program, a program designed to deliver students with a basic understanding of autobody repair and arms them for apprenticeship on the production floor. Funded by the Government of Ontario, Tropicana’s tuition-free Auto Body Pre-Apprenticeship program includes six weeks of academic and pre-employment training; Level-1 apprenticeship training; 12 weeks of technical training at Centennial College’s Ashtonbee Campus; 12 weeks of paid work placement at a local collision centre; a free toolkit/course material and more. The organization will host one-hour informational sessions every Tuesday and Thursday at 11 a.m., beginning March 22 through April 7. Eligibility requirements for the program state students must be between the ages of 18 years to 30 years; legally entitled to work in Canada, with social insurance (SIN) card; obtained OSSD (Grade 12 diploma) or equivalent and able to commit to 30 weeks of training. For more information on Tropicana’s Auto Body Pre-Apprentice L-1 program, call (437) 918-9249 or email SDualeh@tropicanaemployment.ca.

Tropicana’s 2021 class learns glue pulling techniques from Stu Klein, the technical trainer for Fix Network, which also serves as a partner in Tropicana’s learning program.

DEALING WITH DEFECTS Do you have burning questions about some of the nitty-gritty details of automotive refinishing? Automotive coatings developer Axalta is aiming to provide some answers, as part of the company’s “Global Paint Defects Series” on Youtube. Axalta’s ongoing online series tackles some of the most common challenges faced by automotive refinishers at work, including solvent popping, peroxide bleeding, water spotting and poor opacity. The video series, though hosted via Axalta’s Australia and New Zealand channel, features product specialists from across the company’s various markets, including Europe, the U.S. and Asia. “This series of videos support refinishers not only to excel at the paint repair process, but also to add value for their customers around the world every single time. What’s more, the videos are accessible to everyone, so we are pleased to offer our wealth of coatings experience to everyone, Axalta customer or not.” The six-part series is available on the Axalta Coating Systems–Australia & New Zealand YouTube channel.

AN OCCASION FOR CALIBRATION Mitchell Diagnostics passed a significant milestone in mid-March, announcing that the company’s platform has been used to perform more than 30,000 dynamic and static calibrations. The announcement comes little over a year after the introduction of the MD-TS21 ADAS target calibration system, and according to the company’s press release, “demonstrates how advancements in vehicle technology are driving repairers to bring calibration work inhouse using Mitchell’s patented diagnostic solutions.” When combined with the Mitchell MD-500 scan tool, a repairer will be able to complete static calibrations on hundreds of ADAS-equipped vehicles. 14

COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

“This latest milestone reinforces our position as a leader in collision repair diagnostics and demonstrates how we’re helping customers return drivers to the road, both safely and efficiently,” said Mitchell Diagnostics Senior VP of Sales, Jack Rozint.

INDUSTRY NEWS

HOME-GROWN MICROCHIPS In the effort of getting ahead of future supply chain disruptions, the federal government has announced a $240 million investment into the nation’s semiconductor industry. Minister of innovation, science and industry François–Philippe Champagne said on Monday that $150 million in funding is headed for the Semiconductor Challenge Callout fund to develop and supply semiconductors, while $90 million has been allocated to the National Research Council of Canada’s Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre. “By investing in Canada’s semiconductor industry, we are making a firm commitment to businesses looking to invest in Canada,” said Champagne. “Whether it’s high-value or large-scale manufacturing, we want to see Canada be home to the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers.”

Semiconductors have been an extremely hot commodity since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the numerous supply chain disruptions that followed, and Champagne sees this investment as something that will “strengthen Canada’s position in the industry.”

BURST BUBBLES Some American drivers are fed up with defective paint on their Chevrolet and GMC vehicles, launching a class-action lawsuit against General Motors. Currently before U.S. district court in Florida’s middle district, the suit represents drivers from Florida and Tennessee, who allege their vehicle’s paint “delaminates, bubbles, flakes, erodes and blisters” at an unreasonable rate. The suit identifies 2015 through 2019 Chevrolet Silverados, Suburbans and Tahoes; and GMC Yukons, Yukon XLs, and Sierras as being affected by the defective paint. The owner of a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe included a personal account in the lawsuit, speaking to the difficult financial position this defect puts drivers in. “The coups de gras, which was the final straw, is when the topcoat on the hood and top of the Tahoe started to fade/grey and crack on the black undercoat. To fix the topcoat, the dealership wanted $2,300; of which they were going to pick up 10 percent of after my pushing for warranty. The Tahoe is three years old. The paint should last well into a decade, and I kept the car washed weekly and detailed every six months.” The suit also claims that GM further duped its customers by failing to “provide truthful information about the defects of the paint.”

ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

BUSINESS NEWS

LORDCO’S AWARD HAUL Lordco Auto Parts claimed a host of honours at the recent PPG Platinum Distributors Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The British Columbia-based company claimed the titles for the National Sales Achievement Award, Highest Sale Dollar Growth; the Zone Sales Pacesetter award for Canada and was also honoured with the Platinum Plus Achievement, Returning to Platinum Plus Status; the Platinum “Twenty” Club, which marks 20 percent growth achievements, and Platinum “Million Dollar” Club status.

PPG’s annual Platinum Distributor Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony was held in February 2022. This year’s event marked the 25th anniversary of PPG’s Platinum Distributor program.

RIVIAN RETAINS

BENVENUTO, CSN

Electric vehicle maker Rivian announced in mid-March it has selected Frank Klein, the head of Magna’s car-making unit as its next COO. Klein has been with Magna since April 2019, according to his LinkedIn page. Since 2020 he has served as president of Magna Steyr, the company’s contract vehicle manufacturing branch, where he oversaw the shift to the electric mobility manufacturing space, including the first electric vehicle made by a contract manufacturer, Rivian wrote in its Monday release. Klein previously served in various management positions at Daimler AG for nearly three decades and was responsible for setting up the Mercedes-Benz plant in Kecskemét, Hungary. Rivian plans to build 25,000 vehicles this year, which includes two consumer models and a battery-electric delivery van for Amazon. Meanwhile, the automaker halved its production outlook for 2022 to 25,000 vehicles.

Canadian collision network CSN Collision Centres has entered Italy, the company announced in mid-March. With the Italian foray, CSN now touts operations in three countries, including Canada and the United States. The company was founded in 2002 by four Canadian collision repair owners and merged with U.S.-based 1Collision in July 2020, forming a 240-plus strong network of collision centres across North America.

Before his time at Magna, Klein previously served in various management positions at Daimler AG for nearly three decades and was responsible for setting up the Mercedes-Benz plant in Kecskemét, Hungary.

The trends that have developed in Canada and the USA have also arrived in Europe and Italy,” wrote CSN Collision Italia on its LinkedIn page. “For this reason, CSN Collision Centres has decided that this is the right time to enter the Bel Paese.”

BÉCANCOUR’S BOOSTS Bécancour is about to become a central hub for Canada’s electric vehicle supply chain as two major automotive players announce plans to break ground in the province. German chemical company BASF announced on March 5 that it had bought land for a vehicle battery materials facility in Bécancour, Québec, where it said it plans to produce and recycle cathode active materials (CAM) for use in the North American electric vehicle market beginning in 2025. According to a report from Reuters from May 2021, BASF has been in talks with the Canadian federal government to help the company get involved in a cleantech. BASF already produces CAM at two locations in Ohio and Michigan, in partnership with Japan’s Toda Kogyo Corp. But BASF won’t be the only automotive player producing and recycling CAM in Québec. General Motors announced a similar move mere days later, revealing on March 7 its US$400-million deal with South Korea’s POSCO Chemical that will see the companies also produce and recycle CAM. The facility will also be in Bécancour, Que., and will see GM produce CAM for its Ultium battery cells. The two companies first agreed on a CAM-processing joint venture last December. David Peterson, vice president of corporate and environmental affairs at GM Canada, said Quebec was chosen for several reasons—low greenhouse gas, low-cost electricity, the province’s environmental standards and logistics links were a few he named. By the end of 2025, GM plans to have the capacity to build one million electric vehicles in North America. 16

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INSURANCE NEWS

CASH FOR CRASH A recent survey from RATESDOTCA seems to indicate that a significant portion of Ontario drivers would prefer to leave their insurance company out of the loop when it comes to small fenderbender accidents. The survey found that 42 percent of Ontario drivers would prefer to pay or accept a cash settlement instead of making an auto insurance claim. RATESDOTCA suggests that this is possibly due to the anticipation that filing an insurance claim will increase a driver’s policy rate. Of those 42 percent of drivers, 59 percent of them said that they would only accept a cash settlement if it was equal to or less than their insurance deductible. It was also found that female-identifying drivers were more likely than male-identifying drivers to pay or receive settlements of under $1,000, at 58 and 42 percent respectively. Conversely, 60 percent of male-identifying drivers were found to be more likely to accept or pay a cash settlement of more than $2,000, which is Ontario’s collision reporting threshold, as compared to 40 percent of female-identifying drivers.

The report goes on to point out that there are several criteria that would prevent an insurance company from increasing the premium rate of a driver found to be at-fault of a minor collision, including: whether collision happened on or after June 1, 2016; whether there are injuries, and if the damage sustained to each vehicle is less than $2,000; if any of the drivers involved submitted an insurance claim for payment or if the at-fault driver pays for all the damage.

PEER-TO-PEER COVERAGE On February 15, peer-to-peer car-sharing marketplace Turo announced its partnership with Economical Insurance, who will provide auto coverage for application users in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and Nova Scotia. To qualify for insurance coverage, users must provide photos of the damaged areas, 24 hours before and after the trip. Coverage does not cover mechanical and interior damage. Additionally, failure to provide the photos may leave users illegible for physical damage, according to Turo. Notably, insurance does not apply for the renter and owner together— they must have their own plans respectively.

WITHOUT A TRACE There are plenty of ways drivers go about getting their dream cars. Some take the old-fashioned route and save their hardearned cash; others bite the bullet and spontaneously pick up their dream vehicle hours after reading the Kijiji post. You could trade vehicles with a buddy or restore a classic to modern glory. If you’re the Saskatchewan driver featured in Saskatchewan Government Insurance’s (SGI) top five fraud claims of 2021, you could just fake it ’til your dream parks itself in your driveway. “James”, a driver named in SGI’s Top 5 Fraud Claims of 2021, told the public insurer his classic car was stolen. When asked to produce receipts, financial information and recent photos of the vehicle, James came up empty-handed. When the man finally did submit a photo, SGI confirmed that picture to be a stock image from a vehicle in the U.S. “Not to mention—neighbours and autobody shop staff who had supposedly worked on the car had no recollection of the vehicle,” wrote SGI. “And it’s not the kind of car you forget!” All that’s left to wonder is what vintage classic James claimed to have lost.

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Turo touts itself as a peer-to-peer car-sharing marketplace—think AirBnB but for vehicles.

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OEM NEWS

SHEDDING SKIN

NISSAN MELTS THE ICE

In a move combining the legacy of the American muscle car with cutting-edge automotive technology, Shelby has unveiled a new limited edition Cobra, fitted with a carbon fibre body shell weighing a mere 88 lbs. The Shelby Cobra “Diamond Edition”, designed to recognize the iconic car’s sixtieth anniversary on the road, is limited to ten models, each running for the low, low price of $1.2 million. The automaker says the Cobra’s body has been completely engineered in autoclave-cured carbon fibre, including the floor and doors, allowing overall body weight to be significantly reduced.

Nissan and the internal combustion engine have officially parted ways, making the brand the first Japanese automaker to announce a full stop to the development of ICE technology in every market but the U.S. Though the company has already ended gas engine sales in Europe, it will carry on the limited development of gas engines, mainly to serve the demand for pickup trucks like the Nissan Titan, in the U.S. market. This announcement will not affect hybrid engines, however, which will continue to be developed by Nissan.

CARBON AND LIGHTNING

STAYING POWER

On March 2, Ford announced its intent to split the company into two units. The Ford Model E division would focus on electrical vehicles (EVs) while the Ford Blue division specializes in carbonproducing internal combustion vehicles. In its press release, the automaker states divisions would operate as distinct businesses, but continue to share best practices and technologies. This is one of the elements in the Ford plus plan of maintaining shareholder interests with 10 percent earnings before interest and taxes and producing more than two million EVs by 2026.

Proving they can provide some bang with the buck, a new report from Kelley Blue Book has named Tesla’s Model 3 as the most cost-effective choice in the luxury EV market segment over a fiveyear period. When accounting for typical vehicle-related costs like insurance, maintenance costs, fuel costs, taxes and registration fees for the first five years of a vehicle’s lifespan, the Model 3 ended up at the top of the list for KBB’s “5-year Cost to Own Awards.” According to KBB’s data, the Model 3 has a 5-year cost-to-own of $48,233, which is $16,411 better than the segment average.

The award comes just a few days after KBB named Tesla as the “Best Overall Luxury Brand” for the third consecutive year, as well as the “Best Value Luxury Brand” and “Most Refined Luxury Brand” in their 2022 Brand Image Awards.

INTELLIGENT INTEGRATION

“Our ambition with Ford plus is to become a truly great, world-changing company again, and that requires focus, “ said Jim Farley, CEO of Ford. “We are going all in, creating separate but complementary businesses that give us start-up speed and unbridled innovation.”

INGERSOLL AFTER APRIL The last Chevy Equinox is scheduled for completion on April 29, making it the last fossil-fuel-dependent vehicle to be assembled at Ingersoll’s CAMI Assembly Plant. UNIFOR Local 88, the union representing workers at GM CAMI Assembly says this is a milestone for the hundreds of employees who worked at the plant for over 30 years. “We’re actually on six days a week right now, trying to build every last Equinox we can,” said Local 88 Chair Mike Van Boekel, adding the CAMI Plant will shut down to retool for Brightdrop electric vehicles until October or November. 20

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Volvo dealerships on the U.S.’s east coast are due for a major equipment upgrade as the Swedish automaker announced that artificial intelligence vehicle inspection tech will be provided to Volvo dealers in the region. The company says the goal behind this decision is to equip U.S. retailers with Israel-based UVeye’s AI vehicle inspection systems “to improve customer satisfaction and business efficiencies.” The camera-based inspection system uses machine learning technologies and AI to check tires, underbody components and vehicle exteriors for defects, missing parts and other safety-related issues in seconds, according to Volvo. Volvo’s v-p of U.S. sales operations, Rick Bryant said that this move will help expedite the trade-in appraisal process and create digital “vehicle health” reports with photos that can be shared with owners. Volvo is offering its dealers one of the three following UVeye inspection systems: Helios, an underbody scanner that detects a wide range of problems from frame damage to oil leakage and corrosion; Artemis, a tire system that identifies tire brand, basic specifications, air pressure, tread depth, sidewall damage, and if a vehicle’s tires are mismatched; and Atlas, a system that provides 360-degree exterior scans and detects damage such as dents, scratches, and rust on critical components including bumpers, mirrors, door locks, grilles, and windows.

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TECHNOLOGY NEWS

GO VENTLESS

ADAS AWARE

Ask any collision centre owner: nothing in the industry is free. Even air can cost you. Through conventional spray booths—which tend to feature enclosed designs and large fans requiring air make-up units—air from inside the booth is filtered from outside and through the booth, where it’s then passed through filters and back to the outdoors. Comparatively, Toronto-based company Ventless Inc. offers spray booths that feature four stages of filtration: a standard main filter designed to stop particulate, but also hold an additional set of activated carbon filters that act as a “holding ground” for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and fumes, Jean Naim, president of Ventless, told Collision Repair. “Your fumes and odours are trapped in the carbon. Anything associated with VOC presence is captured in these filters,” said Naim. “Then clean air flows past the filters and back into the booth through the downdraft. Up to 90 percent of the air stays in the booth after the contaminants have been filtered.” Naim also says the system makes maintenance much easier. “Only the filters need replacing. The VOC filters are permanent, but the carbon needs to be changed when saturated, each change will cost approximately $100 for the entire booth. Plus, because our booths emit five-to-ten percent emissions compared to 100 percent emissions in standard spray booths, collision centre owners are more likely to be permitted with Ministry of Environment standards, especially if you’re in proximity to residential areas,” added Naim. “It’s a huge benefit for owners, compared to the conventional rival.”

Recent research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates that proper knowledge of internal safety systems tends to slip when a vehicle meets its second owner. “Used car buyers were substantially less likely than new car buyers to know about the advanced driver assistance features present on their vehicles,” said IIHS senior research scientist and author of the study Ian Reagan. “They were also less likely to be able to describe how those features work, and they had less trust in them. That could translate into less frequent use, causing crash reductions from these systems to wane.” The report found that 84 percent of new car buyers knew their vehicle was equipped with a blind-spot warning, compared with only 72 percent of used car buyers. Similarly, 77 percent of new car buyers could accurately describe what lane departure warning does, compared with 66 percent of used car buyers.

RIGHT FIT Bentley Motors is exploring the use of 3D printed vehicle components, down to powertrains, the luxury automaker said in February. The announcement came alongside investment in the automaker’s additive manufacturing (AM) capacity at its Crewe, England, factory, where all its models are assembled. The AM unit has been tasked to create physical components for several prototype Bentleys, down to full-scale powertrain and aerodynamic wind tunnel models.

The results also found new vehicle buyers place a higher level of trust in their vehicle’s safety systems than used buyers, which the IIHS attributes to the fact that 95 percent of new car buyers bought their vehicle from a dealership specializing in the brand they purchased, compared with 74 percent of used car buyers.

HONDA SENSING STANDARD Honda has officially made safety the standard, announcing that Honda Sensing ADAS technology will now come built into all new vehicle models going forward. Honda Sensing, which debuted on the 2015 Honda CR-V, includes a collision mitigation braking system with a forward-collision warning; road departure mitigation with lane departure warning; lane-keeping assist system; and adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow. By having adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping that can operate continuously and simultaneously, Honda Sensing technically achieves Level 2 autonomous driving, as defined by SAE International. Some newer Honda models also include Traffic Jam Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, and a driver attention monitor, Honda said in its announcement.

ARCTIC CHARGE

The automaker said 3D printing holds the power to halve parts costs and, by operating ’round-the-clock, the facility will be able to produce thousands of components using more than 25 materials. 22

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In a move that has the potential to bust some myths about EV efficacy in Canada’s north, the Yukon government announced in mid-February that nearly all of the territory’s highways have been linked up to the electric vehicle charging network. The territory has been rapidly expanding its EV charging network over the past year, and with this latest investment, supported in part by the federal government, seven more EV fast chargers have been earmarked for installation over the coming months. The introduction of fast chargers to the communities of Teslin, Whitehorse, Carmacks, Pelly Crossing, Mayo and Dawson City will bring the Yukon’s total number of charging locations to 19.

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?!

THOROUGHLY SCRAMBLED

WINDS OF PROGRESS

In a prank gone wrong, a Nanaimo, British Columbia man was knocked unconscious when he was hit by an egg thrown by a passing vehicle, according to an RCMP news release. He was taken to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital and is currently dealing with “difficulty in his thought process” and memory challenges, said the RCMP. “We believe the person who threw the egg probably didn’t intend to cause injury and may have no idea what actually happened,” said reserve Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, in the release. “With that in mind, this individual and those in the vehicle, need to step up, take responsibility for their actions and call the police.”

When you’re young, you dream about what cause you might end up dedicating your life to—fighting fires, rescuing animals, traveling to outer space—or the fight to keep a vanity license plate that says “FART.” Karly Sindy of Asheville, North Carolina is proudly carrying the torch for toilet humour after the DMV told her that they had received complaints about her “offensive” license plate, but that a letter explaining “what the plate means to [her]” could potentially convince the state to allow the gas to pass, as it were. After consulting Reddit for the best course of action, Sindy devised the Friends of Asheville Recreational Trails (FART) club—a completely real and legitimate club in the city of Asheville that held a small meet-up to prove that they absolutely are real and have existed for longer than an hour.

HERO FOR HIRE In the final days of February, thousands of luxury cars sank to their watery graves following the sinking of a container ship 100 kilometres off the coast of the Azores in Portugal. While most simply scrolled by the news, one courageous enterprising diver reached out to Matt Farah, host of “The Smoking Tire” on YouTube, with plans for a rescue mission—along with his fees, naturally. In an email sent to and screenshotted by the online auto influencer, the alleged diver—who was granted anonymity by Farah to “protect the unbelievably stupid”—laid out his plan to recover the ship’s lost cargo, mainly expensive luxury vehicles from Porsche, Volkswagen and Lamborghini, alongside 11 fellow divers. The cost for the noble work of those brave deep-sea adventurers? A cool US$20,000 per day for the five days they expect the recovery to take; US$10,000 of which they expect to be provided upfront.

Sindy applied for her custom plate back in October, was surprised that the DMV approved it at all and is currently awaiting a reBUTTal (get it) from the government institution on whether she can let it rip out there on the roads.

LONG AND LUXURIOUS A 30-metre super limo has just been restored, claiming the Guinness World Record for ‘longest car’ in the process. In its first iteration, the super limo dubbed “the American Dream” measured nearly 19 metres long and was built in two sections with a hinge connecting the two halves. The modern, restored version clocks in at 30.54 metres, just 4 centimetres longer than the original vehicle built in 1984. Besides expected amenities like a waterbed, a mini-golf course and diving boards, the 100-foot super limo totes a helipad rated for 5000 pounds – just enough for the lightest of light helicopters. Following its use in films and a party bus for the cinematic elite of the day, the vehicle eventually went into disrepair when the novelty wore off. It sat in a New Jersey warehouse for years until acquired by Michael Manning, owner of a technical teaching museum. Working with auto repair experts and students, Manning spent over US$25,000 dollars in shipping, materials and labour. Years of disrepair meant some parts like the roof were entirely replaced.

The very concerned diver even attempted to level with Farah’s emotions—who was affected by the ship’s sinking as his back-ordered Porsche Boxster Spyder was lost in the incident—saying in their email “Matt, this is the last call…Cars in the ocean, with salt and therefore soon rust…We either act now or…” He did not finish his sentence.

“It was built to be put on display. You really couldn’t put it on the road because it’s too long,” said Manning. Yeah. No Kidding.

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hen it comes to the calibration of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) components, there are two essential servicing concepts, follow the prescribed vehicle manufacturer instructions and document everything from pre-calibration setup to post-calibration validation.

The Autel Standard Frame ADAS Calibration System, the MaxiSYS IA800 Intelligent ADAS optical positioning system adaption package combined with the Autel calibration software enable technicians to perform these procedures via the most efficient and affordable calibration solution in the industry.

the vehicle manufacturer’s allowed tolerances. Ensuring a vehicle is correctly aligned is essential to ensuring a correct ADAS component calibration. If within OE-specified tolerances, the technician can proceed to optical positioning of the frame to the vehicle. A 4-wheel alignment should be performed if the vehicle is out of the OE’s tolerance range. The IA800 system is incredibly user-friendly, with the tablet displaying vehicle-specific, step-by-step instructions for the technician.

the current values match the required values. Checkmarks display for each parameter once the required position values are met, and that’s it, the vehicle is ready for calibration. Compare that setup with one using mechanical tools such as plumb bobs and measuring tape that takes 40 minutes on average.

This complete solution of software, frame, and targets, and now with the IA800 optical system enables technicians to realize a verifiable component calibration workflow of Pre-Check (alignment), Position (OE-specified target to vehicle positioning), Perform (camera, radar. Lidar, and Night Vision component calibration with any MaxiSYS tablet with ADAS calibration software) and Provide (detailed documentation of complete process).

Wheel clamps with camera targets are attached to the rear wheels, and a standing target component is placed in the front or to the side of the vehicle, depending on the vehicle make, model and year. The MaxiSYS tablet, now placed securing on the frame, is paired with the cameras. The system recognizes the positioning targets and calculates the current angle, distance, and offset position of the frame to the vehicle. The technician follows the onscreen instructions to move the frame or adjust its angle until

The IA800 employs six high-resolution cameras and ADAS positioning software to transform Autel’s Standard Calibration frame into a rapid yet precise frame centering and vehicle distancing unit, enabling technicians to accomplish target to vehicle placement in minutes.

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Added value to the system is its alignment PreCheck capability that uses the IA800’s camera system and targeted wheel clamps attached to all four wheels to determine the vehicle’s current alignment specifications and compare them with

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THE ‘NEXT NORMAL’ Taking stock of the Canadian collision repair business By SYLVAIN SEGUIN, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, FIX NETWORK CANADA

fter a little over two years of restrictions, Canadians can finally see their lives returning to normal and back to face-toface interactions—in phases though. We are not out of the woods yet, and it may take us quite some time to adapt to the “next normal”. I must admit that, during my 30-year association with the collision repair industry, this has perhaps been the most challenging time for the business. Prior to the pandemic, the industry was poised for high growth and stability. Over the past two years, the restrictions have had a disruptive and fundamental impact on the industry, leading many independent body shops to close or sell their businesses. There were many important lessons we took away from this disruption. We learned to be more agile, to re-focus our business priorities and to explore effective ways to insulate our franchisees from the economic uncertainty. It also led us to

be more prepared and resilient if there were similar disruptions in the future. As we emerge from one challenging situation, the collision repair industry finds itself caught in many other difficult issues—ranging from supply chain issues to non-availability of auto parts, to fuel price hikes, and to changing consumer habits.

Emerging trends The automotive industry has never stopped innovating during the time of the pandemic. Vehicles and repair processes have continued to become increasingly complex. Overall, we have witnessed transformational change in collision repair, glass repair and replacement and mechanical services. As collision centres brace themselves for the return to normal traffic on the roads, where do we go from here? For one, consolidation is and will

continue to be one of the megatrends in our industr y, both nationally and globally, driven in large part by advances in automotive technology and the training investment required by collision repair centres to stay at the top of their game. I am confident that many of you in the business will agree that this has also been a critical time for the aftermarket industry, which continues to grapple with challenges such as skills shortage, non-availability of parts and recent international developments. As we navigate the complex aftermarket territory, there have been many national and global factors that threaten impact the long-term viability of the industry.

Supply chain delays On top of the heap of challenges is the ongoing supply chain issue in the North American market. Although the aftermarket industry remained resilient

“As we emerge from one challenging situation, the collision repair industry finds itself caught in many other difficult issues— ranging from supply chain issues to non-availability of auto parts, to fuel price hikes, and to changing consumer habits.” — Sylvain Seguin

supply chain cost increases—and rightly so. As a leader guarding its franchisees, we are actively engaging our network, our franchisees and insurance providers to address these challenges. Together, we need to find common ground that ensures the survival and profitability of all our partners, without impacting our customers.

Hybrid and electric vehicles

over the past two years, the supply chain crisis affected the supply and demand for aftermarket products and services, resulting in repairs of customers’ vehicles being delayed. The non-availability of parts or delays in procuring them have significantly impacted repair time and led many shops about the viability of their businesses. It is a vicious circle—delayed parts procurement leads to delayed repair times leading to shops extending the time on the courtesy and rental vehicles, the

costs of which are borne by the shops. At Fix Network, we are discussing with our shops and insurance partners to explore solutions that will offset the impact of delayed repair times on the shops.

Call for collaboration The economic uncertainty has led many shop owners to be concerned about business and critical factors such as cashflow issues, receivables, constant pressure on cost-cutting, and overall

The impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict has been felt across the country. Gas and diesel prices have jumped significantly in part due to the conflict, leading motorists across the world to either keep away from the road, switch to public transport, or invest in efficient electric vehicles. These are therefore good times for hybrid and electric vehicles. Trends indicate that vehicles running on electricity and alternative fuels will soon dominate the road. While repairing and servicing hybrid and electric vehicles has always been a part of the learning process at Fix Network’s training centres, we are witnessing a four-fold increase in demand from our franchisees for equipping their technicians with the right skills to fix electric vehicles. It is unlikely that the industry will ever be normal soon. The key is to remain resilient in the coming weeks, and perhaps, months. Hang in there, friends.

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LET’S TALK TRAINING

BUREAUCRACY DESTROYS INNOVATION There is no easy solve to the skill shortage

Column by STEFANO LIESSI

hrough conversation and banter amongst sessions of training I am constantly presented with the topic of skilled trades people—and the lack thereof. Now as I sip on my beverage and take a deep breath, I must practice the art of self-restraint as this is topic is one that sets me off. Finding, hiring, and retaining skilled trades personnel is challenging, at times it seems an act of futility. There is no simple solution, as there is no single cause for this scenario. There are many influences and influencers that contribute to what I see as a catastrophic societal failure. Where do I begin? Let’s start with the failure of parents. Kids are naive and harmless, as they grow, they choose to experiment, they let curiosity guide them through the tactile experience, as it develops the cognitive ability, it is more engaging at a young age than an academic experience. This is the foundation of trades. Putting aside the gender card, as that’s a topic for a whole separate article, children are a product of their environment, if you interfere with the thought process that takes them to their happy place, suggesting that this is not rewarding, they will begin to buy into their parents’ influence. Parents will tend to bring what they learn as they grow into their own parenting styles. If a child’s parents had the thought process instilled into them that “blue collar” is dirty, toxic, and lowly, then as parents, they will

pass this stigma along to their kids. Sadly, this stigma thrives, even today due to this very process. The belief is for many that University is the only way to secure your future. This is a flawed, and unsubstantiated argument that gets passed on continuously. According to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) Skills Outlook for 2021, Canada is rated as one of the highest Underemployed or Overqualified work force, with 27 percent of people employed

There was a time when higher level post-secondary did give you an advantage. This is no longer the case. across the country labelled ‘underemployed’. The world average is five percent. There was a time when higher level post-secondary did give you an advantage. This is no longer the case. This type of education has a place and serves a purpose; however, it is not for the majority. This ideology took a strong hold in the 1960s as Vocational (hands-on) education was looked upon as a dumping ground for

lower achieving students. Personally, I decided I wanted to pursue collision repair and refinish when I was in elementary school, when I got to the high school level, I was denied entrance to the vocational programs for autobody because I was too smart. The school had decided what was best for me, proving in my mind that they were not smart enough for their role. If you have a power-hungry admin staff running an educational facility, and the only focus is on their own austerity minded success, and not that of the students, you’re in a losing battle. The curriculum and funding are university-driven and rarely vocationally driven. Ergo, the first to get shut down due to on demand economics are the shop classes and labs. This is part of the bureaucracy that destroys innovation. The education system is strife with inept officialdom to the point in which it makes me wretch. When these patterns emerge, it becomes difficult to get students into any form of post-secondary, including apprenticeship. Did you know that, according to Statistics Canada, only ten percent of Canadians in their 30s have completed their apprenticeship? There’s another reason you’re having trouble finding good, skilled employees. A good portion of this stems from a less-than-functional apprenticeship program in many provinces plagued with—yes, you guessed correctly—bureaucracy. Our systems are flawed to the point where it takes so long ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

LET’S TALK TRAINING

to implement a change in curriculum that the implemented outcome becomes obsolete before they get to teach it. As an example, aluminum welding and repair, it has yet to be implemented into the curriculum in many trade colleges, yet the Ford F-150–the largest selling pick up nationally—has been using aluminum since 2014. That’s eight years kids. CATCH UP! Why would I want to complete an apprenticeship when the presented information is dated? In some cases, the instructor is aware of the learning gap, but their hands are tied. They are obligated to teach to the curriculum, regardless of if it is dated or obsolete. I learned from a reliable source that the reason aluminum was put aside was due to the thought process that “aluminum is just a fad.” Good grief. Collision centres too can add to the underlying second issue affecting apprenticeship: the apprenticeship-mentor disconnect. In many cases, apprentices are partnered with technicians that are less than qualified to teach or instruct. If they were a teacher or instructor, quite frankly, they wouldn’t be on the floor. According to my trusted source, the general story goes like this: the mentor states to the apprentice, “Okay, forget what they told you in school—I’m going to show you how it’s done.” The kicker is far too many of these mentors are so far removed from the current OEM procedures that they end up muddling things worse. In an odd way, if the apprentice’s knowledge is outdated, these mentors may have some merit to their statements. But there are other factors at play here. For one, insurance influences processes and pay structures. Not to mention the negative attitudes from veteran technicians, screaming “get out while you’re young!” from their burrow at the back of the shop. Now to be clear, it is not every technician—but there are far more with this attitude than there should be. Remember, youngsters become a product of their environment, this includes working environment. The effort required to mitigate this initiative and develop the apprenticeship system suffers incredibly from a lack of commitment from employers, public, and governments. Yet nobody seems to want to own this task at hand. So, here are some solutions I believe could help. Parents: the conversations around careers need to change. I know—changing this foun30

dation is a daunting task. This statement sums it up well, a piece from an Alberta Education periodical: A rich and meaningful vocational education requires parents and teachers to help students see how school and work are complementary, and that ‘good jobs’ take a variety of forms.

Let’s see all the organizations blend their curriculums to enhance trades and include the high schools. One way of closing the gap between academic courses and vocational courses is by having all students participate in hands-on learning opportunities. Teachers, school administrators, employers, and community organizations all have important roles to play in encouraging students to learn about and through work, rather than simply for work. Remove bias and stereotype. Be an advocate for your child, understand that these are life choices for them, not you. They need to do what they want. After all they will be doing this long after you are gone. Let them be happy. Curriculums: starting with university. Embrace the trades. It is the future, there is a massive change in progress with ITC becoming more and more related to the trades. Students need to understand the correlation between these opportunities. Trades are not a dumping ground for the academically challenged, trades need a focus on more than basic money math. After all, a university degree is generally four years; an apprenticeship spans two to four years, depending on trade. Honestly, in my opinion, trades should be a minimum of four years with a stronger focus towards on-campus learning. Let’s see all the organizations blend their curriculums to enhance trades and include the high schools. All three curriculums are so far removed from each other that the student is left almost helpless. In the collision centre: this area is vital to the success of the apprentice, yet very poorly monitored. Staffing of apprenticeship coaching

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is no where near where it should be, you have these individuals so stretched thin that you have chefs overseeing mechanics, let that sink in. The educational facilities are reluctant to tell the shop how to train the apprentice, which creates problems with consistency. Having coaches from different disciplines (foods, design, plumbing etc.) makes it very difficult for them to audit a shop of an unrelated discipline for placement to see if it up to standard, and able to provide a quality learning experience. The on-the-job training just becomes a free for all, at times leaving apprentices to be exploited. If the shop doesn’t understand how to get the outcomes across, how does this become conducive to a quality experience? We will need more monitoring by verified quality mentors from both sides: the education side, and the shop side, as well as some training to the collision centre to help them understand how to deal with different learning styles and outcomes, up-to-date outcomes. I am sorry: I do not believe it takes ten years to make an update to the curriculum, that is one seriously sad excuse. The trades have never been as lucrative, challenging and rewarding as they are now. There is no panacea to the problem, however, in my opinion, and you are entitled to my opinion, there is a common thread here—bureaucracy. And bureaucracy destroys innovation.

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.

ON THE COVER

Bassem Hijazi never entered this industry to get rich or make a spectacle out of himself—he entered this industry to support his family.

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ON THE COVER

BUILDING A LOCAL LANDMARK Bassem Hijazi serves a fresh look on collision repair at Simplicity Car Care Montréal North Story by MAX REID

here are few things that affect the course of our lives quite like the impressions left on us by family. Little else impacts the places we live, the opportunities we do and don’t take quite like family. Family and the love that they can foster can act as a spark for some of the biggest decisions one can make in life. In the case of Bassem Hijazi, what initially looked like the decision to put his dreams on hold turned out to be one of the best choices he ever made. “I had no intention of being in the automotive industry at all,” said Bassem, over the phone with Collision Repair. “I used to work in the Montreal nightlife—clubs, bars, restaurants. I was planning on opening up my own restaurant at one point.” However, when the lights came down, Bassem saw that his father was struggling to keep his head above water at work. “My dad was making good money then, but it was just him and his friend. There were only two to work the shop and they were doing very well, but at a certain point with all the changes things became difficult,” said Bassem. “I had to consider that this is what feeds our family, so I made the choice to go help him.” Bassem’s father Riad is an old school bodyman who got started in an industry far different than the one we see today. The technical work is second nature for him, with 25 years of experience under his belt and 15 running

his own shop, but the barriers of language and bureaucracy proved a steep challenge. “My dad speaks French very well, but he’s from another generation,” said Bassem. “He immigrated here from Lebanon with my mom almost 30 years ago now. His reading and writing in French and English is not very good, so he was having trouble handling all the paperwork.” For Bassem, the automotive world and his upbringing go hand-in-hand, though he quickly learned that he has a slightly different set of skills than his father. “I left school and started working with him but working on the production floor wasn’t working for me. So, my dad said to me, ‘You know what, Bas, you should take the courses to become an appraiser.’” Despite the beckoning call of Montréal’s famous nightlife in his ear, Bassem buckled down knowing that he has the means to put his skills to work and get results—and get results, they did. “After less than a year, we decided to open the second shop, which is my shop. We’ve been running since 2017 and it has been doing very well.” Bassem says that his time serving customers at bars and restaurants gives him an edge in running a bustling bodyshop while keeping up a smile for the customers. “The idea of working under pressure—when you work as a waiter, you need to be able to handle that pressure, the rushes. It has helped me to be able to handle a lot of pressure while also having good customer service,” said Bassem.

ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

ON THE COVER

Simplicity Car Care Montréal North. 34

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ON THE COVER

Simplicity Car Care Montréal North boasts a combined 557 sq.-m. (6,000 sq.-ft.) of production space and eight staff between the two facilities.

His connections through both his father working in the industry and his school also worked wonders for Bassem in integrating leading-edge equipment and management methods into his shops. “My shop used to belong to a man named Richard Gallant. He’s a super nice older guy who my dad used to work for back in the 90s. When his wife passed away—she was the one handling the whole office—he thought he couldn’t do it on his own,” Bassem recalled. “So he asked my dad, ‘I want to sell, what do you think?’ I said to my dad, ‘You know what, let’s take it over.’” And because good things tend to come in pairs, Bassem and his father benefitted from the fact that the building’s landlord was in the

middle of renovations at the time of the sale, leaving the pair with a brand new facility to start off in. Now, with a combined 557 sq.-m. (6,000 sq.ft.) of production space and eight staff between the two shops, as well as a lucrative partnership with a nationwide collision repair banner, Simplicity Car Care Montréal North was born. “My facility became the main office and my father’s shop is now my second office. Basically, everything passes through my facility; all the estimates and all the paperwork comes through my office and is dispatched in between the two shops,” said Bassem. Since linking up with the network, Bassem and his shop have managed to secure a slew of OEM and I-CAR certifications, as well as

“The idea of working under pressure—when you work as a waiter, you need to be able to handle that pressure, the rushes. It has helped me to be able to handle a lot of pressure while also having good customer service.” — Bassem Hijazi, owner, Simplicity Car Care Montréal North

ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

ON THE COVER

stumbling into a sweet deal with a neighbouring shop that saw his team snag a nearly new aluminum welder. Bassem joined the Simplicity Car Care network in 2021, marking the company’s first venture into Montréal. “In my opinion, the Simplicity team is perfectly positioned to help any collision centre structure itself, stay up to date in the constantly evolving industry, and build good relations with insurance companies,” said Bassem. “There was another shop nearby, that closed down at the beginning of the pandemic. We managed to buy a lot of their equipment; we got it for so cheap and it was almost brand new,” said Bassem. Bassem recognizes that making these sorts of moves is what separates the profitable shops from those who end up shutting their doors early. “Eventually every manufacturer will dictate their own procedure, and for every procedure you’re going to need a new machine. Eventually, the small shops that can’t follow the procedure and get the equipment needed are going to have no choice but to shut down. You either go big, or shut down,” said Bassem. These changes even extend into the customer experience, as Bassem noted that they even refurbished their front office area and set up a coffeemaker and chairs in order to make the entire experience a little more comfortable. 36

In elevating his business, and in turn the quality of his repairs, Bassem sees himself and his shop as representing a face of Montréal North that often goes unseen. Montréal’s north end has a long history of ethnic and cultural diversity, as home of one of the largest populations of Haitian-Canadians but has often been stained by the effects of discrimination on the part of media and law enforcement. Bassem sees what he is doing as dispelling the negative and largely unfounded prejudices that his fellow Montréalers have about where he grew up. “I want to help the people of Montréal North because I grew up here,” said Bassem. “I find a lot of people, specifically in Montreal, think Montréal North has a bad reputation. There are all sorts of stereotypes associated with the area; I want to be able to set this straight. We have good, well-equipped, competent people at our shop.” It may at-a-glance appear cliché to chalk up Bassem’s motivations to being purely altruistic, as business dealings rarely are, were it not that this sort of thinking directly aligns with his character. Bassem never entered this industry to get rich or make a spectacle of himself. Bassem entered this industry to support his family.

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Since linking up with Simplicity Car Care, Bassem and his shop have managed to secure a slew of OEM and I-CAR certifications, as well as stumbling into a sweet deal with a neighbouring shop that saw his team snag a nearly new aluminum welder.

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EVENTS

NETWORKING IN NEW JERSEY Another NORTHEAST Trade Show in the books

he NORTHEAST Trade Show took place in March, hosting more than 3,000 industry professionals at the Meadowlands Exposition Centre in Secaucus, New Jersey. The three-day event boasted a full docket of learning opportunities combined with a show floor full of top-notch tools and equipment for attendees to browse. NORTHEAST aimed to deliver an experience like that of pre-COVID times—and deliver it did. Collision Repair mag checked in with some exhibitors to hear their thoughts on this year’s event and the consensus speaks for itself. Spanesi Americas brought its entire Spanesi 360 line of equipment to NORTHEAST—a feat that required three trailers, said Karl Kirschenman, director of communications for Spanesi Americas. The company famously manufacturers equipment for every corner of the bodyshop, from welders and paint booths to benches, frame machines and much more. It was the company’s second time visiting New Jersey for trade shows in the past six months; Spanesi Americas also exhibited at NORTHEAST 2021, which was held last September after COVID-19 delayed its original spring date. Despite its recent visit, the Spanesi Americas booth was as popular as ever, with hundreds of attendees stopping by to grab a glimpse of its full setup. “It was a great turnout,” said Kirschenman. “We had lots of people by the Spanesi booth and plenty of compelling conversations.”

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Spanesi Americas brought its entire 360 product offerings to NORTHEAST—a feat that took three trailers.

EZ Universal Wheels Solutions, which claimed the Best New Product award in the tools and accessories field at SEMA 2021 for its EZ Roller-Spinner, was showcasing its products at NORTHEAST as well. “It’s an application that bolts onto a vehicle’s hub and, when it’s ready, the user can just push the vehicle by hand,” explained Tom Morris, CEO of EZ Universal Wheels Solutions. “You can move it from the outside to the inside of the shop; around and within the shop—whatever the case may be."

"The EZ Roller-Spinner is a two-in-one product," said Morris. On the inner side of the wheel, a ring serves as a flange. When the bolts holding the steel centre into the plastic frame are removed, the EZ-Roller Spinner creates a free-spinning wheel. “That spinner ring is what keeps the EZ-Roller Spinner in that channel,” said Morris. “In other words, the wheel cannot slide back into the hub; it’s stopped by the ring.”

EVENTS

Chuck Olsen of AirPro Diagnostics delivers a session on correctly facilitating ADAS calibrations and diagnostics alongside Tim Morgan, COO of Spanesi Americas.

Kurt Lawrance of KTL Restorations.

EZ Universal Wheel Solutions founders Tom Morris, right, and Ginny Nye, left, tell an interested party the ins and outs of the EZ Roller-Spinner. The AkzoNobel team’s booth stood out with a splashy Corvette parked out front.

The EZ Roller-Spinner from EZ Universal Wheel Solutions claimed the Best New Product award in the Tools and Equipment category at SEMA 2021.

AkzoNobel’s Jen Poliski, marketing communications manager for the company, said the company saw a great turnout as well. With an eye-catching Corvette sporting the company’s coatings parked within its booth. “Not only did we see good foot traffic on the floor; the industry professionals in attendance were incredibly engaged,” said Polisi. “We’re very excited for NORTHEAST 2023, which I anticipate being even more populated as more people return to normality.” NORTHEAST 2023 is scheduled for March 17 through March 19, 2023, at the Meadowlands Exposition Center.

ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

SHOP PROFILE

BUSINESS AT BUDDS Budds’ Collision Services grows even bigger

Story by ALLISON ROGERS

he team at Budds’ Collision has been busy, to say the least. Amid pandemic slowdowns, Oakville, Ontario Budds’ Collision Services took time to complete long-planned renovations to its already-massive collision centre, adding a drive-thru estimate centre and plenty of square footage for breathing room. But renovations weren’t the only plans on the docket for the team—the company opened a brand-new collision centre around the corner from Budds’ Collision, a facility partnered with TD Auto Insurance. The Budds’-backed TD Insurance Auto Centre focusses strictly on the insurer’s customers, said J.R. Martino, general manager for Budds’ Collision Services. While the outer facade and front office may trick you into thinking the building is a bank, inside those green walls waits a team of adjusters and repairers, ready to tackle whatever job comes their way. “When you walk in, the adjusters are sitting right at the front. They contact the customer, handle the claim and set them up with a rental vehicle,” said Martino, adding that the facility has an Enterprise podium on-site. “The car then goes to the back and we start the fix.” While many may assume adjusters and repairers co-existing in the same space could result in miscommunications, Martino says that’s not the case for this team. “Sometimes there may be the odd disconnect between the adjusters and repairers in the back, but we’re incredibly fortunate to have a team that gets on so well.” The TD Insurance Auto Centre opened just before the pandemic hit, said Martino—but that did little to dampen its success in the Oakville market. “TD has a lot of claims out in this area, catering to the teachers and other occupational insurance programs in Oakville. That collision centre has been hugely successful,” said Martino. Despite the TD location being a stone’s throw from the Budds’ Collision site, both facilities handle starkly different work mixes. 40

J.R. Martino, general manager and vice president, Budds' Collision Group.

While the TD Insurance Auto Centre’s outer facade and front office may trick you into thinking the building is a bank, inside those green walls waits a team of adjusters and repairers, ready to tackle whatever job comes their way.

“At the TD facility, about 30 percent of repairs are luxury,” said Martino. “At Budds’ Collision, it’s flipped—about 70 percent of our work here in luxury, and 30 percent is economy cars.” Martino said Budds’ also recently embarked on Audi certification, noticing a marked

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increase in the number of Audis cruising the streets of Oakville. “The Audi dealership in this area sells a ton of cars, and we repair plenty of Audis at the TD facility. If we’re going to be doing a ton of Audi repairs, it’s our responsibility to become certified.”

SHOP PROFILE

Budds’ touts OEM certifications from nearly every automaker you can think of, including BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover and more than 20 others. With training supports from OEMs and the collision centre’s paint provider PPG, combined with a team that truly wants staff to succeed, Martino said Budds’ boasts a high staff retention rate. He largely credits the longevity to positive shop culture and promoting within. “Our senior estimator, Juan, used to be a mechanic. He came [to Budds’] on the day and said, ‘I heard you’re hiring us randoms,’ because we had actually just hired his buddy in another department. I gave the guy a chance—now he’s a manager,” explained Martino.

“Another one of our staff did the same— came in off the street and asked if we were hiring. I put him in the parts department, and he did a great job there.” Martino says he feels a certain kinship with those who simply walk up and ask for a job; just a decade ago he was in the same position, asking the late Budds’ Collision general manager Sam Piercey if he could work under his command. “I kept stopping by and meeting up with Sam,” said Martino. “Every time I sat and talked with him, we’d have an awesome conversation. About the industry, about life—just about anything. And then he would send me on my way. “I later quit the job I was at and came to Sam. I told him, ‘Listen, either I’m going to

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work for you or I’ll work for someone else, and he gave me a chance.” Now, after nearly ten years as the general manager of Budds’ Collision Services, it’s clear Piercey made the right choice in passing the torch to Martino’s more than capable hands. With the rest of 2022 ahead, Budds’ has no plans on slowing down. With business at TD operating smoothly Budds' plans to continue its plan of expansion. And, from a more personal perspective, Martino said, provided everything stays stable regarding the pandemic, the Budds' Collision Holiday Pig Roast could be in the cards for the 2022 season. "If the COVID situation shifts to our rearview mirror, we hope to continue the Pig Roast tradition," he said.

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STAND UP, SPEAK OUT

WHERE HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE GONE? Collision repair admins on apprenticeship

iring isn’t as easy as it used to be.There are many factors that play into Canada's skilled trades shortage, especially when it comes to automotive. Many blame guidance counsellors pushing university careers over college ones, or outdated perspectives labelling collision centres as grimy, undesirable workplaces. Others point fingers at colleges for teaching outdated methods, setting students up for doom when they put their skills to the test in the real world. As one reader simply put it: “The trade don’t pay inuff, so they choose oder trade.” [sic] Collision Repair mag asked collision centre owners, managers and hiring teams about their apprenticeship levels in recent years. When asked

how simple it’s been to snag top talent from the market, nearly 85 percent of respondents said they found it more difficult to find and acquire skilled staff in the last five years. While most of the collision centres surveyed did have an apprentice on staff (57.9 percent), 42.1 percent did not. Simply put, the staff needed to replace an aging workforce is not there. There is a myriad of reasons why the industry is in this position. At this point, finger-pointing is futile. As another reader put it: “For years, the autobody trade has spoken about the coming problem, only for it to fall on deaf ears.” It’s time someone listened.

HAVE YOU FOUND ACQUIRING APPRENTICES MORE DIFFICULT IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS?

HOW MANY APPRENTICES DO YOU HIRE PER YEAR, ON AVERAGE?

52.6% AT LEAST ONE

47.4%

DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE AN APPRENTICE ON STAFF?

NONE

21.1%

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YES, ONE

15.8% NO

84.2%

36.8% YES, AT LEAST ONE

*Results are taken from a survey of 20 collision centres across Canada.

“For years, the autobody trade has spoken about the coming problem, only for it to fall on deaf ears.” — Anonymous Collision Repair reader

42.1% NO

YES

STAND UP, SPEAK OUT

“When we hire, we look for positive attitudes and willingness to learn—the rest we can train. We make sure to offer our apprentices a career path. Currently, we have four apprentices: two of whom are female and one who will have his Red Seal this year.” “Autobody apprentices seem to not exist from Canada. When an advertisement is put out, we only receive responses from other countries—people that are looking to be sponsored into Canada. Public schools do not promote trades and the industry has spoken of the coming problem for years, only for it to fall on deaf ears. The challenge facing the autobody industry is not ADAS, it’s not electric vehicles—it’s the ability to find people to learn how to repair them.”

“The loss of vocational schools in Atlantic Canada has left the trades in desperation when it comes to attracting new talent. Here, in Nova Scotia, we are left with one campus in the Halifax/Dartmouth area, leaving all rural areas without. Further, the campuses have tight connections with two local, large dealership groups. When a student is noticed displaying exceptional skill and worth ethic, their name is given to those businesses. The arrangement essentially erases the possibility of any new talent entering or returning to rural communities for employment.”

“Our past five apprentices have quit and moved onto other jobs before they completed training. In our 15 years of business, only one apprentice has become licensed.”

“I see apprentices starting the trade and leaving after a couple of years, even months because of the ‘dirty work’ and low pay at entry-level. It is a tough trade, considering all the knowledge needed nowadays, and door rates are so low many facilities cannot afford to have a journeyperson teach an apprentice.” “The autobody industry door rates are too low to attract people into the trade. My door rate is $80.00 per hour, but insurance only pays between $52 to $62. Material rates are too low, sometimes non-existent when you consider the cost of the repair, not to mention material costs have been skyrocketing. For reference, I am located in an industrial park with a mechanical garage where the door rates are $105 to $150 per hour.”

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ACROSS THE BORDER

RIGHT TO REPAIR United States introduces legislation—what now?

In early February, a U.S. bill labelled H.R. 6570 or the “Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair,” or the REPAIR Act, was filed by Democratic Representative Bobby Rush.

nited States lawmakers introduced “Right to Repair” legislation in February, marking the first steps in what could be a transformative measure for the future of the North American collision industry. The bill, labelled H.R. 6570 or the “Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair,” or the REPAIR Act, was filed by Democratic Representative Bobby Rush, and

would require that “All tools and equipment; wireless transmission of repair and diagnostic data; and access to onboard diagnostic and telematics systems needed to repair a vehicle.” The legislation is backed by the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the Auto Care Association, the Speciality Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and the CAR Coalition—a group comprised of

In November 2020, Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot measure expanding access to vehicle repair data. The results were collected across 86 percent of Massachusetts precincts, with 75 percent voting in favour of the move.

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LKQ, Allstate, the Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA), the Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA) and half a dozen other automotive aftermarket companies. If passed, the legislation would prohibit “impeding a vehicle owner or a repair shop from obtaining service information, tools or parts, including the ability for a vehicle owner to choose aftermarket parts, needed to fully maintain and repair a vehicle,” according to the CAR Coalition’s website. The bill does not mention the use of OEM information and repair tools, which independent repair centres currently have access to. “From the repair shop to the board room, this effort has been fueled by the people of the aftermarket, and we couldn’t be prouder of that alignment behind this important legislation,” said Paul McCarthy, president and CEO of AASA, in a statement. “This effort supports principles of competition, consumer choice, and safety that we believe will benefit the whole automotive industry in the long run.” According to a 2019 Motor whitepaper titled How to Generate More Demand for OE Parts, approximately 70 percent of post-warranty vehicle service work in the U.S. is performed in the automotive aftermarket. Without the freedom of choice, a huge chunk of business hangs in the balance.

ACROSS THE BORDER

Several states have already taken their own moves on the topic, with Massachusetts voters passing a ballot measure expanding access to vehicle repair data. The results from the November 2020 referendum were overwhelming, with 75 percent voting in favour of the move. The ballot demanded OEMs using a telematics system create an open-access platform across all the manufacturers’ makes and models, available to all repairers in the state, beginning in the model year 2022. “Such platform shall be capable of securely communicating all mechanical data emanating directly from the motor vehicle via direct data connection to the platform,” read the addition to Massachusetts law. “Access shall include the ability to send commands to in-vehicle components if needed for purposes of maintenance, diagnostics and repair.” Shortly after the ballot was passed, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI)— which represents nearly every OEM but Tesla—served a lawsuit again Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, claiming the 2022 deadline was too soon. “Because the Data Law will become effective December 3, 2020, members face imminent risk of enforcement of the law against them—with penalties ranging all the way up to exclusion from the automobile market,” AAI wrote in the lawsuit. “Other portions of the law go into effect beginning model year 2022 which, given industry lead times, is materially no different than right away, because model year 2022 sales can begin as early as January 2, 2021.” AAI also said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told the Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure that, “if enacted, the Data Law would require ‘vehicle manufacturers to redesign their vehicles in a manner that necessarily introduces cybersecurity risks, and to do so in a timeframe that

If passed, the U.S. legislation would prohibit ‘impeding a vehicle owner or a repair shop from obtaining service information, tools or parts, including the ability for a vehicle owner to choose aftermarket parts, needed to fully maintain and repair a vehicle,’ according to the CAR Coalition’s website.

makes design, proof, and implementation of any meaningful countermeasure effectively impossible. And by doing so, NHTSA stated, the Data Law creates a ‘direct conflict’ with federal law.” In January, it was revealed by AAI that two automakers—Kia and Subaru—had chosen to disable the telematic capabilities of its 2022 vehicles sold in Massachusetts. Rather than sell a vehicle that did not comply with the state’s telematics requirements, the OEMs simply shut off the entire units, which include features like roadside assistance and crash notification.

In mid-March more than a dozen people testified to Connecticut state legislators about their definitions of OEM, aftermarket and recycled parts, as well as their perception on whether anything other than an OEM part could be considered of “like-kind and quality.”

A ruling in the case is expected in April. There are also moves in U.S. courts regarding the use of OEM versus aftermarket or recycled parts. While certain OEMs have issued statements condemning the use of recycled or aftermarket parts, citing quality control and OEM repair standards, many in the industry are pushing for more stringent rules that allow for continued use of aftermarket and recycled parts, when available. In mid-March more than a dozen people testified to Connecticut state legislators about their definitions of OEM, aftermarket and recycled parts, as well as their perception on whether anything other than an OEM part could be considered of “like-kind and quality.” At question is the State’s proposed H.B. 5366, which would enforce OEM procedures and OEM parts unless otherwise agreed upon by the customer. Tom Tucker, senior director of state government relations for the AutoCare Association, objected to the proposed bill, saying consumers and the aftermarket industry would be negatively impacted. Several others, including collision centre owners, testified collision parts should be crash-test approved before even considering use in repair, noting that even certain OEMs have failed crash tests on cars. Also proposed in the bill is the policy to prohibit any pressuring by a collision centre or insurer to use an aftermarket part or a recycled part from a vehicle older than the one being repaired. The Right to Repair issue has been strongly advocated by industry organizations for years. Not only has the sector identified the problem and fought hard for a legislative solution—it has brought forward viable and tested solutions. Only time will tell what the outcome will be. Regardless, one point cannot be argued: the movement requires the backing of the automotive aftermarket. The individuals repairing the vehicles, responsible for their restoration to pre-accident condition, all according to OEM standards. Winning will come alongside the support of the more than four million workers making up America’s automotive aftermarket. For more information visit the website autocareadvocacy.org.

ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

Q&A

TAKE CONTROL OF CALIBRATIONS

Hunter Engineering on offering ADAS calibration

Hunter’s equipment follows the OEM service procedures, references the vehicle direction of travel—the thrust line—for target placement, integrates with the Hunter Aligner for Wheel Alignment verification before the calibration is completed, and integrates with HunterNet for online results storage.

dvanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are not going anywhere, nor are the calibrations associated with these systems. Several studies suggest that, by 2025, ADAS will no longer be optional on new vehicles. In other words: by 2025, every new or recent model year rolling onto your production floor will require some form of ADAS calibration. For many, this reality is already causing hiccups. To learn more about the reality of offering ADAS calibration, Collision Repair chatted with the folks at Hunter Engineering to hear the company’s insights on ADAS calibration, including the features of its comprehensive calibration equipment.

for some systems after services like wheel alignment, including VW, Audi, Porsche, Ford, Lincoln, BMW, Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge and others. You should always check OEM procedure guidelines to verify whether a calibration is needed.

“ADAS Calibration is almost always required after a collision.” — Hunter Engineering Company

Collision Repair: First, let’s get the big question off the table. When should ADAS calibrations be performed? Hunter Engineering: Any time the vehicle manufacturer determines and documents when ADAS Calibrations are necessary. ADAS Calibration is almost always required after a collision, ADAS sensor replacement, or removal/re-installation of a sensor or mounting component such as a windshield, core support, side view mirror, etc. Some OEMs also require ADAS calibration 46

Hunter Engineering says it’s a popular misconception that ADAS calibration tools require huge amounts of floor space. Most vehicles will not require all ADAS functions be adjusted at the same time, so simultaneously front, side and rear views are rarely necessary.

CR: Why is documentation so important when completing ADAS calibrations? HE: Documentation is important for several reasons as it’s the proof of work done and the need to complete said work. Service Documentation from the OEM determines when calibrations are required and how to complete them properly. Repair

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documentation not only records the vehicle condition before a calibration, many times with pictures and pre-scan results, but also records the successful calibration result from the scan tool and verifies codes do not remain after the calibration with post-scan results. This is not only proof the service was completed correctly but is what most insurance companies want to authorize payment for such a service. CR: How does Hunter's equipment, specifically the DAS3000 and ADASLink systems, help to achieve proper ADAS calibrations? HE: Hunter’s equipment follows the OEM service procedures, references the vehicle direction of travel—the thrust line—for target placement, integrates with the Hunter Aligner for Wheel Alignment verification before the calibration is completed, and integrates with HunterNet for online results storage. CR: Where can readers learn more about Hunter Engineering's products and services? HE: You can find information on our website www.hunter.com, or search local reps in your area using our representative locator tool on the website.

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TOM’S TALES

THE PRIDE OF PARR AUTO BODY Sorting mess in the name of success

Column by TOM BISSONNETTE

h! The year 2000 was amazing! I realized I had lived in two different centuries and two different millenniums! Growing up as a kid we had no cell phones and no computers—we played outdoors and hunted gophers and rabbits. Imagine a 12-year-old today walking into the local hardware store with a .22 rifle over his shoulder and buying two packages of long rifle bullets! It was previously a simple world compared to this world with computers and the Internet. We had just dodged the Y2K computer meltdown and knowledge on just about anything was now at our fingertips—I am not sure that was such a good thing. What a dilemma I had in the spring of 2000! I had a fantastic job at Dodge City where I was well paid, nice benefits and a company vehicle. All of a sudden, I got this call from the owners of Parr Auto Body asking if I was interested in buying their business. I was really caught off guard—I didn’t have any

... CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS ISSUE

money, how could I even think of buying a body shop business? Well, pride would not let me admit that it was really a pipe dream, so I made them an unbelievably lowball offer—essentially what I offered them for half the business 12 years earlier—and they said yes! Dammit! Now what was I going to do?

WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Remember: I am a builder, not a maintainer. Dodge City was in good hands, Terry Hrabowy, the assistant manager, and Mitch Paradis, one of our key guys in the back, were ready to step up and quite frankly, they surpassed anything that I ever did. Both men were solid, and with a great crew, I knew Dodge City would be just fine. My challenge was of the “where am I going to get the money!?” variety. I literally had no extra cash—my wife had been a stay-at-home

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mom for the better part of the last dozen years and we were a single income family. In fact, my wife had been working at Kelly Services to upgrade her clerical skills. She had left a job that had a word processor in 1987 and now found herself having to learn Microsoft Office! She had just recently landed a steady job at a local dairy, but they were now planning to shut this plant down and lay everybody off. One of the concessions the dairy made was to provide employees with career counseling so she asked if we could see someone about getting help to buy a business and they agreed. They set up an appointment with Coopers and Lybrand (now known as PricewaterhouseCooper PwC) so that my wife and I could get some financial consulting. When we arrived at their office the receptionist escorted us down the hall to an office that stated the occupant specialized in bankruptcies! Yikes! Not what I had in mind, but he calmly explained that it was much

TOM’S TALES

better to see him at the start of a business venture than to meet with him at the end. I feel terrible that I cannot remember his name, but I met him several years later, on a flight to Vancouver and thanked him profusely for his guidance and insights. He told us that money was not really a roadblock; there is plenty of money for sharp young entrepreneurs. The challenge is that so few of them take the time to prepare their sales pitch to the money people. He explained that I should take the existing financial statements, figure out what I could realistically bring to the business in extra sales, then do a two-to-five-year plan with budgets and cash flow projections. The good news is that I had 18 years of experience working for independent, dealer and heavy truck shops, so I knew what it took to create sales and assemble a competent team of people around me. The sad news was that the shop had been struggling the last three years and the financials were trending downward. The first banker I went to talk to kicked me out of his office. He said he already had several body shop clients, and they were all lost causes! If I produced 50 percent of the money, he would consider it. So much for that.

In a way, I was happy. Now I could go to the owners of Parr and explain that there was no way I could get a bank loan and I could just go back to my job at Dodge City, easy peasy. Interestingly, I had been participating in a business networking breakfast group and shortly after getting shut down by my go-to banker I met a new young guy at our breakfast meeting. I asked him what his name and occupation was, and he told me his name was

Doug and he was a commercial loans officer for the TD Bank. What a coincidence! I asked if we could meet to discuss a business idea and he quickly agreed to set up an appointment to see him a few days later. When I went in to see Doug, I explained I had no money, but I had some ideas on how I would deal with that if we could find a workable deal. He was very impressed with my two-to-five-year financial plan,

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TOM’S TALES

and he had checked me out with the other breakfast club members to make sure I was credible. Interestingly there was a government guaranteed loan program that only required a down payment of 10 percent if I was buying hard assets. Another amazing coincidence. This was just at the start of when paint companies would help shops financially to get their business, and it was my only hope. I had reached out to a few companies and did not get much response. But remember my friend Don Swick? He was flying high with PPG and in no time, he arranged a loan for me to get me the down payment and about $40,000 of operating capital. Now I had to go back to the owners of Parr and convince them that their business, founded in 1952, had no goodwill value and that I could only buy assets. Surprisingly, they agreed, and we put together a deal that would come to fruition on Sept. 15, 2000. All I could think of is, ‘how the heck did this just happen?’ It just seemed that all the doors I needed to go through opened and let me in—it was amazing. Dodge City was not happy to see me leave but they were happy to have another wholesale parts account. The existing staff at Parr were not particularly happy to see me show up either. Because the owners did not live in the city, the staff only saw them once or twice a month and they had free range of the business. The front office admin staff—all two of them—were participating in a workshare program and most of their time was spent

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.

I remember the first job I delivered to a customer. The owner went directly to the front windshield and pointed out that the windshield was cracked and it “wasn’t like that when I brought it in.” Three days into my new business and I am $300 in the ditch already! playing an online computer game where they competed against each other. The back shop staff were decent people but had little direction nor pride in their work. Some of their regular customers included a school bus company that had them doing their non-insurance work for next to nothing on the premise that the business would get all their insurance work. Same thing for a local ambulance refurbishing company just a block or so away. Both “contracts” were bleeding the business so I quickly told them both that Parr could no longer afford them—they told me I was going to go broke without them. Within a short time, the bus company lost their contract and the ambulance company sold out to a consolidator that brought the work in-house. I remember the first job I delivered to a customer. It came in on the Friday before I took over and I delivered it back to the customer on the following Wednesday. The owner went directly to the front windshield and pointed out that the windshield was cracked and it “wasn’t like that when I brought it in.” Three days into my new business and I am $300 in the ditch already! There were no check-in procedures, no controls on job costing, no dress code for the staff. Everything was pretty loosey-goosey and each staff member ran their own little business within the business. Unfortunately for them I could not afford to operate like that, and changes started coming hard and fast. For some of them, my demands were simply too much. A bodyman quit because

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I suggested he organize his time to allow him to get in a little bit early and stay a bit late to maximize his productivity—I mean, who likes sanding day-old body filler? The bus guy quit because he really did not enjoy doing regular bodywork. The painter quit to become a mortician—seriously. But the tough one was our receptionist. She was now working full-time and busier than she had ever been in her ten years with the company. She asked for a raise and I told her that I could do that on three conditions. First, she had to start coming to work dressed sharp instead of a sweat set. Second, she had to learn some Microsoft Office programs (which I would pay for). Thirdly, she had to consider taking something like Dale Carnegie training so that she could better interact with customers. She loved doing book work and was good at it; I just needed her to connect with customers relationally instead of transactionally. She showed up for work the next day with a doctor’s note saying that she would be off work for the next six months due to stress leave and walked out the door. So much for the successful businessman I thought I was going to be. Within a few months I had blown out over half the staff— five of eight—and I was working 12 hours a day, six days a week just trying to keep my head above water. This was an extremely low point for me, and I questioned what I had gotten myself into. I realized that business ownership is not for the faint of heart. Thankfully, my story does not end here.

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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

2021 CANADIAN BENCHMARK REPORT

AutoHouse Technologies delivers the details

ollision Repair magazine is thrilled to yet again share AutoHouse Technologies annual Benchmark Report. Compiled by the Vancouver, B.C.-based company, the annual report takes a comprehensive look at key performance indicators (KPIs) across Canada’s collision repir facilities, including insights on average cycle times, touch time and gross profits for facilities last year. The full version of the AutoHouse Technologies 2021 Canadian Benchmark Report is available at www.autohousetechnologies.com/resources.

Sales While not typically considered KPIs, sales revenues provide some context to the data AutoHouse Technologies uses to compile its report. The number of and size of locations participating in the Canadian Benchmark Report vary from year to year. The previous 12-month comparisons are based on locations participating in the report and their previous year’s results.

Gross Profit Profitability is a much discussed—and passionately debated—topic. The continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has depressed industry net profits, says AutoHouse. However, overall gross profit percentage remains in line with the prior year results, with a negligible decrease of 0.03 percent versus 2020 gross profit percentage. Compared to gross profit percentage in 2020, western Canada’s gross profit percentage trended downward in 2021. The western provinces gave back the gains they had made in 2020, in which they had moved closer to the eastern historical average. Eastern Canada trended upward in 2021 gross profit percentage compared to 2020 and appears to have broken out of the historical normal range.

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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Cycle Time

Touch Time

As a commonly used KPI, cycle time remains top of mind. However, the metric’s effectiveness in measuring true comparative performance between repairers is worth questioning. Only when work mix—i.e., OE brand and repair size—and geographic locations are similar does the cycle time metric provide relevant insight to performance.

While not a perfect metric, touch time offers an appropriate measure when comparing overall repairer performance, measuring how efficiently repairers process available work regardless of repair size. Touch time also reduces the variables that influence cycle time variations and can easily be refined by applying addition parameters.

AutoHouse’s cycle time data is based on arrival to delivery (keys to keys in calendar days) and non-customer pay repairs.

RO = Repair order

Based in Vancouver, B.C., AutoHouse is the leading provider of performance-centred Business Intelligence solutions to world class collision repairers and their business stakeholders. To learn more about AutoHouse and its industry-leading Business Intelligence platform, visit www.autohousetechnologies.com.

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ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

HELP WANTED

ON THE HUNT What the kids are saying about collision repair

A clean and organized workplace should be of paramount importance, especially when hiring—first impressions are everything.

Story by KATE NG

wo dozen people file into the school hall, clipboards at the ready. They take their assigned seats; some nervously tap their pens while others nonchalantly count the planks in the ceiling. Except they’re not students—they’re employers in the autobody industry, looking for their next hire at Centennial College's autobody work fair. Jesse Kennelly teaches autobody repair at Centennial College and has seen hundreds of students go through the same process. He says, most of the time, employers aren’t looking for the most skilled candidate—they’re looking for the right fit. “Employers want people with initiative. Someone who shows up on time and doesn’t have excuses. You can teach skills, but you can’t teach character,” he said.

In the wake of Canada’s skilled worker shortage, attracting top-notch workers is more important than ever. Collision Repair mag caught up with some spry members of the automotive aftermarket to hear their thoughts and what makes a workplace irresistibly attractive.

Want top talent? Be a top player Quality never goes out of style. “[Younger repairers] definitely seek collision centres with an overall organized workplace and a good system, wherein everyone has a job and a role,” says Dorien Lozeau, lead painter at CSN Black Ace. “It’s important the shop puts quality over quantity.” Similarly, no tech wants to feel unsafe in their place of work.

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“If the technician sees you doing something wrong, they should teach you the right way. Sometimes they won’t tell you it’s wrong until it’s completely done, then they’ll go and fix it themselves. When you ask how they did it, they’ll say they did it with magic.” – Alex Mitrevski, autobody student at Centennial College

“When you walk first in, the equipment should be put up and organized," said, Devon Edmonds, a first-year student at Centennial. “I wouldn’t want to work in an unsafe shop, for obvious reasons.” Edmonds adds one of the red flags to watch for is “a short temper or screaming at you instead of helping.” His classmate, Andy Persaud agrees. He says the ideal employer is someone who’s willing to teach and demonstrate, not leave him on his own. “Apprenticeships should be a learning experience throughout.”

HELP WANTED

More than anything, apprentices want to learn; that means giving them more to do than sweeping or general clean-up duties. Winning over young workers is the first step to securing your business’s future.

Jesse Kennelly teaches autobody repair at Centennial College and has seen hundreds of students go through the same hiring process.

Most employers aren’t looking for the most skilled candidate—they’re looking for the right fit.

Feedback with a fix When Alex Mitrevski worked in a collision centre in high school, his superiors would ensure any mistake he made was fixed by his own hand. His colleagues never got mad nor threw wrenches at him—instead, they offered solutions or suggestions. “If the technician sees you doing something wrong, they should teach you the right way. Sometimes they won’t tell you it’s wrong until it’s completely done, then they’ll go and fix it themselves. When you ask how they did it, they’ll say they did it with magic,” Mitrevski recounts.

Compensation matters Newcomer to the autobody industry Navida Persuad says she wants to learn, but knowledge won’t pay the bills. “Apprenticeships are hugely beneficial,” she says. “For some, unpaid work is quite literally impossible. Being mentored isn’t

enough—even a casual helper has bills and a family. There are people out there that cannot afford to do work without pay.” “Even an apprentice needs to be paid with a living wage to support themselves and their family,” says Jessica Carter, vice president at Colourworks Autobody. “Even if they’re fresh out of high school, simply helping take bumpers off or cleaning, they’re adding value to the team.”

All is fair For women, working in a male-dominated can be particularly dicey. Beyond the physicality of the job, some employers— either knowingly or unknowingly—have a workplace that is hostile to women. “When I tell people I work in the autobody trade, reactions are a mixed bag,” says Persuad. “The reactions from women are empowering, but some men just ask, ‘why?’” Kennelly says he sees the same stereotypes as a professor of the trade.

“Some people simply lack the workplace filter and speak with inappropriate language. Some of the female students feel really nervous about working in a male-dominated field,” said Jesse. Ultimately, almost all these issues can be solved by a boss involved and familiar with happenings on the floor. “I was nervous starting out in collision repair, especially being female,” said Taylor Sparling, an autobody assistant at Right Drive. “I was lucky that my workplace was extremely supportive. [President and CEO of RightDrive] Michael Kent is very personal, which has been key to my experience. For me, it’s hugely beneficial for the owner understanding how things operate on the ground,” said Sparling. “It’s up to the leadership of the shop to maintain communications, leadership and strong camaraderie. Having a coaching relationship is important,” says Jessica. “At the end of our journey, we may get a very valuable team member.”

ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

THE PEOPLEORIENTED PIVOT How to maximize your most valuable asset Column by NANCY ROLLAND

hat is the most valuable asset of your business? Believe it or not, it’s not your real estate or your equipment—although those items cost you plenty. The most valuable assets of your business are the people you employ. The individuals you trust each day to produce quality work and service your customers are not only important to you but also are critical to a prospective buyer. Having sold more than 60 collision repair shops generating almost $200 million in annual revenue, our M&A team is keenly aware that one of the first questions a buyer is going to ask us about your business is: “What does the team look like? Is there someone ready and able to replace you, Mr. or Mrs. Owner? Do your managers understand your financial statements? Are they part of the budgeting process? How are they compensated? What types of benefits are they offered?” I know some business owners are really reluctant to share highly sensitive information with their employees. I get it—it’s like giving 56

away the keys to your kingdom and not knowing if you are going to be robbed in the middle of the night. Or, more likely in this case, the employee leaves you. Many fear that the employee will begin expecting a higher salary once they see all the money you are making. What generally happens is that the employee will get a greater appreciation for all the expenses associated with running the business that they never considered. It’s okay for you to make money, in their opinion; if you are doing well, they should expect to do well also. Teach them how to read the financial statements, talk to them about the equipment purchases and OEM certifications you are considering, why you are considering them, and what they will cost the business both in the short term and the long term. This can be one of the greatest ways to show your employees how much you respect them and value their contributions. Retaining talented employees is tough enough, but recruiting new ones may be an even bigger challenge. How do you add

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talented people to your team during a time that’s been deemed ‘the Great Resignation’? According to WrenchWay, less than five percent of technicians are actively looking for work, yet 85 percent of employed professionals are open to changing jobs. Traditional postings on job boards are not going to capture the attention of this audience. Why? Because if they are not actively looking for a job, they are probably not regularly checking the job boards. That means you need to be where prospective employees are. So, get creative and get social. Good technicians know other good technicians, right? In fact, more than 50 percent of them are willing to post a job opening on their personal Facebook or LinkedIn page. Do you remember that old saying, birds of a feather flock together? Well, it’s true, so remember it. Secondly, objectively review your pay structure and the benefits you offer. Do they work for your team? WrenchWay’s data suggests thirty percent of technicians reported that pay was the most frustrating aspect of

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

their job. Unhappy technicians become easy prey for your competitors. They should not be incentivized to leave you to make more money at a fast-food restaurant. Another source for finding potential new hires is to get involved with your local schools and help fight the prejudice against students entering the trades. Educate teachers and guidance counselors about the career opportunities in your industry. Highlight career paths, potential earnings, and your own personal testimony about why you entered the industry. You might offer to speak with students, provide tours of your facility, or buy some new equipment for shop class. You may need to offer financial assistance to buy tools for these younger, inexperienced employees, but your reward could be very loyal, quality employees. I recently met with a multi-shop owner and learned he had entered the business as a troubled teen. The work gave him a new purpose and he progressed quickly under the eye of his mentor. Years later, as an owner, he is repaying the opportunity that was bestowed on him.

Finally, take a critical look at your facility and consider whether or not it provides a nice working environment for your technicians. Is it climate controlled? Is it clean and does it have good lighting? Surveys report that the majority of technicians would love to see an unscripted video of the shop and candid conversations with your employees to determine whether or not it would be a good fit for them. The hard reality is that there will be an estimated shortage of over 640,000 technicians across the automotive industry through 2024. Competing for the existing talent pool will be tough, but if you want to continue servicing your customers and growing your business, your recruiting efforts will have to adapt. Yes, it takes time and money, but when you are ready to sell your business, it will pay dividends. Buyers are willing to pay premiums for experienced teams that run like well-oiled machines and quick to penalize a shop with unresolved HR issues or staffing deficiencies.

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NANCY B. ROLLAND

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ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

THE INTRICATE WEB

HIRE AWAY

Deciphering the secrets to successful job postings

Column by VENESSA DI VITO

VENESSA DI VITO

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, dealership or auto repair 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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ave you been posting your automotive job openings across various HR job posting sites, only to find that there are few to NO applications showing up for the positions you are recruiting for? Does anyone know what has happened to all the applicants? If this has happened to you, you are certainly not alone. This is not a city, province, or country issue; this is an automotive industry issue that’s been going on for 15+ years now—and a very big issue at that. As the owner of a company that is heavily focused on finding solutions to big problems in our industry just like this one, I’ve spent the last few years doing a tremendous amount of research to determine the issues and challenges that often arise when trying to retain existing employees.

During my research, I also found some new and innovative ways to attract, inspire, and encourage new people and new talent to become involved in supporting in our industry. One of the most obvious opportunities I see is for employers and corporations to do a better job of marketing themselves—to really demonstrate to others why automotive is the best industry to work in, and why their company is the best place to work at. Now, when I say marketing, I am talking about expanding awareness of your brand within the local markets through various opportunities, such as automotive social media, email marketing, websites, blogs, and more. If you’re an independent facility, marketing your business should be your first priority.

ONE OF THE MOST OBVIOUS OPPORTUNITIES I SEE IS FOR EMPLOYERS AND CORPORATIONS TO DO A BETTER JOB OF MARKETING THEMSELVES—TO REALLY DEMONSTRATE TO OTHERS WHY AUTOMOTIVE IS THE BEST INDUSTRY TO WORK IN, AND WHY THEIR COMPANY IS THE BEST PLACE TO WORK AT.

THE INTRICATE WEB

Marketing Your Company to Potential Employees After studying more than 200 job postings across various automotive job posting sites, I’ve been able to identify a few common mistakes that are likely resulting in a lot fewer candidate: • The business doesn’t market itself well. • T he wording of the job posting itself needs work. • The ad is posted in only one place, i.e. Indeed, and not likely to attract hundreds of 5-star candidates. As you know, we’re in the middle of an employee crisis in the automotive industry, and just doing the bare minimum is not going to get us out of this. Instead, we need to shift gears and change our approach. The first trend I noticed as I reviewed these hundreds of job postings was the fact that almost every single collision repair facility would take the exact same approach in how they would market themselves to potential employees, with the first line of the ad usually being something like, “We are looking for ‘X’ to join our incredible team.” Did you know that this opening line is one of the most important components in selling and marketing? The opening line is what draws a reader in and makes them want to read more, so this statement should be eyecatching, exceptional, and set your ad apart from all the other job postings. People want to feel valued, appreciated, and to serve a distinct purpose in their jobs. I don’t care which generation you’re a part of—we all want to feel this way, and we all feel better when working in an environment that treats us with care and respect. Another important factor to be aware of (and it’s one that impacts every single person on this planet, including you), is that we tend to think about ourselves first when making important decisions like “Where is the best place to work?” It always comes down to that famous question, “What’s in it for me?”—so be sure to tell them what’s in it for them! With so many automotive job opportunities available in our industry, you’re going to have to put in the effort to differentiate yourself in this competitive market. What advantages does your company have to offer that a prospective employee will find appealing, and that other facilities might not be able to match?

Here are a few examples of opening lines that would make your job posting more attractive to candidates: • “If you are looking to make an impact by helping those that have gone through the horrible experience of being in a car accident, you’ve come to the right place! Our superior team fosters a culture of openness and innovation, making this a place where you can learn, grow, and flourish.” • “Working together to grow together!” • “Employees here at ABC Collision Repair get to accelerate their passion every day. Our teams are committed to making a difference in the communities we serve, driven by the desire to help and support those that have recently been involved in a collision.”

Here are a few helpful ideas to highlight: • Air-Conditioned Facility • Latest and Updated Technology • Aluminum Certified • On-Going Training • Size of Facility • Type of Equipment in Facility • On-Site Parking • Flexible Work Hours Remember: The goal here is to emphasize to potential employees why ABC Collision Centre would be an amazing place to go to work each day. Simply stating your business is an amazing place to work is not enough!

JOB POSTING EXAMPLE

ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

THE INTRICATE WEB

More than promoting tangible benefits as a prospective employer, it’s vital to convey that you truly care about the people working for you, and that you strive to foster a work environment that invites and inspires individuals to be the best they can be. That is the key!

Social Media and Automotive Jobs Another opportunity I don’t see many collision repair facilities taking advantage of today is the additional exposure afforded by posting on LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media platforms. Did you know more than 85 percent of Canadians today are active on social media? The likelihood a potential employee will be active on social media is quite high. Why not give yourself the benefit of that additional exposure and opportunity? There are many ways you can advertise a new job posting on social media: • Post the position on a job search website like LinkedIn, or on your company’s Facebook page. • In addition to your website, post a link to the job description on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms. • Search out and join any social media groups related to local job opportunities. • Post a Social Media Job Ad (see example below!) across your social media channels. If you’re considering posting a job on social media, here is an example you can refer to. Here, we’ve started with a strong opening line, described the position and benefits for the employee, mentioned some of the great perks about the facility, and included a call to action.

EXAMPLE JOB POSTING: ABC Collision Repair has been around for over 25 years, and we’ve got 20,000 sq. ft. of clean and air-conditioned working space for our employees to enjoy. As a facility certified with many different brands, we provide our employees with ongoing training and support in mastering the latest automotive technologies and repair techniques. If you’re a team player who is passionate about the collision repair industry, if you have a proven willingness to work and learn, and if you do a great job, even under pressure – we need to talk! Send your resume to _____________________ and someone from our team will reach out to you in the next few weeks. We look forward to hearing from you! 60

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In addition, you’ll want to include details about any benefits an employee might be eligible for while working at your facility. Some examples include: • Medical and Dental • RRSP Match • Casual Dress • Uniforms Provided • Life Insurance • Company Pension • On-Site Parking • 4-Day Work Week • Summer Hours • Wellness Program (Life Coach/Health Coach) • On-Site Gym/Gym Memberships • Paid Training • Profit Sharing • Company Events • Car Wash Perks • Stocked Kitchen • On-Site/Support in Child Care • Tool Allowance • Discounted or Free Vehicle Repairs • Store Discount for Family and Friends

Jobs outside of Social Media Marketing Beyond the world of social media, there are many other sites that you can post on to attract the attention of potential employees: think HR Job Search websites, careers sections of your company’s website and government job banks, for instance. According to the Government of Canada’s Job Bank, did you know that 73 percent of the workforce currently employed as motor vehicle body repairers (NOC 7322) Ontario actually works within the category of ‘Repair and Maintenance’ and that motor vehicle body repairers only account for 7 percent of the workforce? This tells us there are a ton of people working in automotive, but more on the service technician and mechanical technician side. These employees could potentially be great candidates for future opportunities and training, as they have the demonstrated understanding, ability, and drive to work on vehicles today.

Putting it all together Finding skilled employees to power the automotive industry will likely continue to be a struggle for the foreseeable future, but there are significant changes being made in our industry designed to attract, support and encourage new workers to come into our trade. With that being said, it Is also important to emphasize how valuable and important your current employees are to your business’ success. Treat them right! Listen to their needs, give them purpose, allow them flexibility, and express your appreciation daily. If you have a great culture, you will attract those aligned to your culture. If you’d like help with creating Automotive Social Media job ads, support for posting automotive jobs on your Job Search Websites, or guidance to navigate your HR journey, reach out to us at info@autoplusperformance. com, or check out our website www.autoplusperformance.com. We have plenty of solutions to support the success of collision repair facilities, including yours!

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WHO’S DRIVING

BLIND SPOTS Does your inner circle have your back? Column by JAY PERRY

s humans we are all subject to certain effects that limit ourselves in achieving our potential. One such effect is the bias that we are more competent in areas where we, in reality are not, thus over-estimating our abilities. Another effect is called ‘hindsight bias’, in which once observing a result we experience the sense that we could have predicted the outcome. The fact we all have these biases is not something to be ashamed of, nor should they make us feel less than we are. What is key is creation of awareness that we all possess these biases. That awareness allows us to take steps to remedy the folly the biases will inflict upon us if we proceed without acknowledging their existence. The question truly is how do I become aware of where I am short-changing myself with these biases? One of the key strategies is to face the fact that we all have blind spots. That opens the opportunity to gain some assistance in overcoming the dangers of these blind spots. If you think about it like our real faculty of sight, it makes logical sense that we cannot see beyond our peripheral field of vision. Unless you truly have eyes on the back of your head, you are unable to see what is immediately behind you. Having a friend or associate becomes invaluable—they’re someone to watch your back. The same applies to us as leaders. We cannot see everything, nor know and judge everything 62

perfectly, so why not have a helper? Building a network of supportive people is one of the wisest things we could ever do in our lives. This can come from casual associates but the most impactful way to help us is to align with a mentor or coach. As a matter of fact, it is very intelligent to have more than one advisor, for just like you, a single person is going to have their blind spots. This is not foreign to you. You

times each year I hear from people that have become clients how they wish they had started sooner with our coaching relationship. That of course, is a great compliment for me to hear but it also highlights how we all can squander potential if we do not move toward participating with others that can help us with our blind spots. It truly is a great approach to being the one who’s driving.

BUILDING A NETWORK OF SUPPORTIVE PEOPLE IS ONE OF THE WISEST THINGS WE COULD EVER DO IN OUR LIVES. likely have an accountant and they do not advise you on legal issues because you should also have a lawyer to lean on for that. What about a doctor for physical concerns? Do you have a good relationship with your banker? You should develop all these so that you are supported in areas that because of their studies and practices, they are more competent than you are. The same goes for operations of our businesses and the way we lead our people. We can all use a little help, so I encourage you to build out this network of support for yourself. I don’t know how many

COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

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.

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VIEWS FROM THE WEST

POWER IN PEOPLE Believe it or not, you can learn something from everyone

Column by CHELSEA STEBNER

long time ago, our fearless leader decided to grow from the ground up. At a time when many shops were not interested in young, green labour and wanting only the heavy hitting journeypersons, he chose to begin the building process. It was a process, fraught with challenges throughout, and the understanding that profit might take a hit, as would cycle times. But build he did, and we had a team of young, smart, passionate technicians and support crew. We’ve continued this path, with both success and failures along the way. Working this way, we have learned that we can build technicians with superb skills in one specific area but might lack in other areas teaching us some heavy lessons along

the way. It is easy to recognize this after the fact. It’s also easy to plan and fall backwards to default—the fact that someone is great in a role and the reality of needing to produce work often forces us on a path of here we go again! We’ve learned it is both hard and necessary to instill values and passion and commitment into people; that just ‘showing’ by example does not always work. That the value of hard work and showing up needs to be taught, repeatedly. We’ve learned that we find gold in many young teammates, and they soak up the opportunity and understand that with great work comes great reward. Those young people turn out to be superstars and work

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in the business like ‘intrapreneurs’, treating the business like it’s their own. We’ve learned the hardest thing to do is to hire quickly and fire fast. We keep learning this lesson. We get better at it but boy, that’s a tough one every time! We recognize that as a training shop, we will have folks that take their learning and step into the next opportunities that come their way. We also recognize we don’t have room for everyone after they are trained. We’ve sent some wonderful people out there into the world, with values and learnings and know that they are out their making a difference in their own ways. Every leader takes care of their people differently. It’s interesting talking to other

VIEWS FROM THE WEST

THE INVESTMENT IN YOUNG APPRENTICES AND ALL OUR OUTSTANDING TEAM IS PRICELESS. shops, hearing the challenges abound from every perspective: dollars, benefits, holidays, flexibility, team pay, flat rate, profit sharing, RRSPs—and great people to work with. Those all make up the whole of the renumeration package. I don’t think a lot of folks realize how all those things work together to feel satisfied and happy at work every day. One of the biggest challenges this industry faces is attraction and retention of young people. We live in a world where we hire young folks who are often at their first job and we train like crazy, indenture them as apprentices, send them off to school at all times of the year—whether our shops are busy or not. Amid all of that, we continually are training ALL our team, learning, and adapting

the ongoing technology and equipment requirements and keeping up with all our insurance company’s requirements. Whew. The time and energy and dollar investment are steep. Our industry is state of the art and the vehicles we repair are often worth many thousands of dollars. The ongoing equipment investment is hundreds of thousands of dollars. The investment in young apprentices and all our outstanding team is priceless. For our businesses to be sustainable and worthwhile, we need the ability to pay our people well and have enough cash left over to put back into the business, we need to know that our partners are invested in the industry and its longevity.

UNITED CATALYST C O R P O R AT I O N

CHELSEA STEBNER

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

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100 Industrial Blvd. | Fountain Inn, SC 29644 ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

BRITISH COLUMBIA | REGIONAL NEWS

REGIONAL NEWS | COAST TO COAST KEEPING RECORD British Columbia has introduced regulations around the sale of catalytic converters in effort to curb the crime that reportedly costs the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) millions every year. As of March 14, the province now requires buyers to report each transaction, including seller information, straight to police. Catalytic converters thefts in B.C. have climbed from just 89 instances in 2017 to 1,953 reports in 2021, totalling more than $4 million in claims costs for the year, said ICBC.

Prior to the new regulations, catalytic converters could be sold to metal dealers without providing information about the seller, allowing them to remain anonymous.

PUMPED PRICING Budget reforms in British Columbia may impact the used vehicle market sooner than expected, according to a disgruntled official opposition critic. Starting October 1, private vehicle sales will be taxed based on the vehicle’s reported purchase price and the average wholesale value. This tax will apply to the greater of the two values, according to the budget change announcement on the B.C. government’s website. This approach is “intended to address tax avoidance arising from

the underreporting of the price of motor vehicles from private sales,” according to the province’s 2022/2023 fiscal plan. In an interview on the Mike Smyth Show, Peter Milobar, a member of B.C.’s legislative assembly said, “you will have to pay a value that the government will deem that the car is worth.” At the time of writing, used zero-emission vehicles and vehicles purchased by First Nations individuals, the Federal government and domestic or foreign diplomats are exempt from this policy change.

CREDENTIAL CRACKDOWN A new set of laws designed to crack down on skilled trades certification in British Columbia was given royal assent on March 10, officially starting the clock on uncertified auto body techs to get their training in gear. As part of this new legislation, the Industry Training Authority Act will now fall under the umbrella of SkilledTradesBC and require workers to register as an apprentice or be a certified journeyperson to work in one of the 10 recognized mechanical, electrical and automotive trades. The requirements will be implemented in phases between 2022 and 2024 and will provide workers with a year to register as an apprentice or earn some sort of journeyperson certification. The initial phase of this plan will involve workers in mechanical and electrical fields, as well as automotive sector workers, including heavy-duty equipment technicians, automotive service technicians and autobody and collision technicians. In February, the Industry Training Authority hired five new apprenticeship advisors and received a $5 million government investment to improve B.C.’s skilled trades landscape.

As it stands, no official start date for the first phase of certification requirements has been specified.

ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

SASKATCHEWAN | REGIONAL NEWS

REMEMBERING RANDY Randall “Randy” Sarchuk, automotive painter and former paint rep for Reineking Paint and Color Compass, died March 12, 2022. He was 61 years old. Randy was a longtime member of the automotive aftermarket and a familiar face to collision repairers in Saskatchewan. He first stepped into the industry after completing grade 10, working as an autobody painter, and later went on to represent Reineking Paint in Regina. He eventually grew to become the company’s Saskatchewan Sales Manager. “We hired Randy in 1985,” said Ton and Koos Reineking. “We were quite apprehensive if this quiet, reserved Saskatchewan farm boy could support the growth needed in our Regina Market. “Randy proved us all wrong. He kept increasing his knowledge of customer service, learning to budget–with Bernice’s help–and gain market share. After a little while, we promoted him to our Saskatchewan Sales Manager, overseeing both the Regina Store and our Saskatoon Store. “We have many fond memories of Randy, and his commitment to our industry and to his customers was amazing,” concluded the Reinekings. Bernice Leflar and Gord Milford also left condolences for their friend and colleague. “Randy came from the trade with a lot of painting experience, which made him a hands-on leader,” wrote Leflar and Milford. “He was an industry leader for decades. He loved to read books–not just technical sheets. He was honest, sincere, persistent, a leader, loyal and treated everyone fairly. He left us too early…” Tom Bissonnette, who currently serves as the director for the Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers (SAAR) and

Don Swick of PPG Canada also shared memories of their friend. “I first met Randy when I worked at Dodge City Auto,” said Bissonnette. “He was perhaps one of the most consistent paint suppliers I have ever worked with. I will remember this man as one of the key building blocks of any success I have ever had in the collision repair industry. Rest in peace, my friend.” Randy most recently worked with Color Compass until his retirement in May 2021.

Join Collision Repair magazine in remembering the life and achievements of Randy Sarchuk.

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ALBERTA | REGIONAL NEWS

CELEBRATING CECILE Cecile Bukmeier, instructor at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and Bodyworx Professional columnist was recently named a recipient of the “Sturdy 30” award from Skills Alberta. Bukmeier is no stranger to blazing trails in the Canadian automotive industry, becoming the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology’s first female autobody instructor and winning the 2015 Alumni of the Year award from her school. Bukmeier has since gone on to chair the Car Painting Provincial Technical Committee and is a WorldSkills Expert for Canada in car painting. The Sturdy 30 award from Skills Alberta celebrates the province’s relationship with teachers and instructors and honours those who go above and beyond in their role.

In response to the announcement of her award via LinkedIn, Bukmeier wrote “Thank you Skills Alberta for this amazing recognition! I am so grateful to be a small part of such an impactful movement.”

A DRIVE THROUGH HISTORY A new initiative from the Alberta government is giving the public a glimpse into automotive history through the DRIVE: Reimagining the Ride exhibition. Having loaned 12 vehicles from the 1890s to the 1990s from the Reynolds-Alberta Museum and Remington Carriage Museum (RAM), the provincial government is aiming to tell the story of automotive innovation and creativity through this gallery-style event. Making use of RAM’s 1,100 square-metre feature gallery, the exhibition will show off some of earliest car models in history, as well as solar-powered technological marvels and pop culture icons like the DeLorean. “DRIVE: Reimagining the Ride takes visitors on a journey through the human need to move, to innovate, to make mistakes and try new approaches,” said Minister of Culture and Status of Women, Ron Orr. “It is a celebration of the spirit of ingenuity and the diverse collections of our historic sites and museums. I encourage Albertans to take a road trip through history to take in this stunning exhibition.” The exhibition also includes a Tinker Garage where visitors of all ages can participate in hands-on activities with a changing theme every month.

DRIVE: Reimagining the Ride will be open to visitors until April 30, 2023. Entry to this feature exhibition is included with general admission.

PETROLEUM PAYOUT In the wake of sky-high gas prices, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney introduced a tax relief on fuel he said would save drivers 13 cents per litre, in addition to a $150 electricity rebate. The tax cut will apply to both regular and diesel fuel. Travis Toews, Alberta’s minister of finance said the move was aimed to “provide much-needed relief to everyday Albertans.” Kenney called the move a “bold decision” that provides “real relief.” “All together this helps us to address cost pressures that are making life harder,” said the premier. The tax cut will take effect April 1 and will stay in effect until at least the next provincial budget scheduled for next March, though it will be evaluated every three months, said the province. At the time of the announcement, the average price-per-litre in Alberta sat at 159.5. Alberta premier Jason Kenney announced the province will temporarily stop paying tax on gasoline, beginning April 1. ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

MANITOBA | REGIONAL NEWS

FIRE AND ICE An early February housing complex fire left about 30 Winnipeg drivers out in the cold after their vehicles fell victim to a war between the elements. The fire broke out at a housing complex behind the Kirkwood Block on Portage Avenue at Langside Street in Winnipeg, melting onslaughts of snow that rained onto the cars and froze solid once the fire was extinguished. Residents’ cars were encased in ice for days, with one claiming he paid $52 per day in rental fees waiting for his car to be retrieved from the scene. Manitoba Public Insurance said it planned to tow roughly 30 vehicles out of that parking lot, though MPI spokesperson Brian Smiley said that he expected most of the ice-covered vehicles to be total losses. “It’s a situation that is not great for our customers, the people that were involved. It was very traumatic to have a vehicle that’s suddenly not usable,” he said. “We certainly understand their situations.” “They may bring in bulldozers to clear that ice out of the way, essentially freeing those vehicles, allowing the towers to hook them up,” added Smiley. Smiley said the damaged cars will then be taken to MPI grounds to be assessed.

The building destroyed in the fire, Kirkwood Block, stood for 110 years. The second storey was demolished after the fire.

COVER YOUR GLASS Citizens of the Winnipeg area are once again safe from having their car windows smashed by a random stranger. Police have charged a 22-year-old man with 130 charges of mischief to property following the damage of vehicles across Winnipeg’s west end. Authorities said they had received dozens of similar reports regarding damaged vehicles in Winnipeg, mostly in the west end. Rows of cars parked along roadsides had their windows smashed in, they said. After an additional string of damage was reported one Sunday in January authorities were able to locate a suspect with the help of a police helicopter. The man had used “some type of implement to smash out the windows from the vehicle,” Const. Dani McKinnon said. Police believe the man acted alone and had no connection to any of the affected vehicle owners. Posts regarding the string of incidents started popping up in Facebook groups last week. One man said his neighbour told him his car window had been smashed around 11:30 p.m. last Saturday; when he went outside to check his vehicle, he said more than 30 neighbours were also outside checking their cars for damages. He estimates about 60 people were affected that night alone. “When I talked to [police], they said I was about the 50th person to call,” the man told the CBC. Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) received 130 vandalism claims on Jan. 31, it said. The day prior there was only one vandalismrelated claim. On February 3, MPI had received 178 damaged windshield claims, reported the CBC.

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TERRITORIES | REGIONAL NEWS

DRIVING ON THIN ICE A team blindly embarking on a wintry mission in Nunavut says it’s working to recover a Ford F-150 it lost while traversing the unknown terrain. The TransGlobal Car Expedition embarked on a 1,110-kilometre journey from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories to Resolute Bay, Nunavut, driving “into the unknown” for about 700 kilometres. In its March 25 update, the team announced it lost one of seven vehicles after it fell through the ice on the way back to Cambridge Bay. The team did not say which vehicle it had lost but Nunavut RCMP did confirm it was a Ford F-150. Three modified F-150s, along with four amphibious vehicles, were taken on the trip. The TransGlobal Car Expedition said the reason for the trip was to “prove the feasibility of a drive from Yellowknife onto the Arctic Ocean Ice. The expedition claims it is the first-ever overland wheeled journey from the continental shelf of North America to the High Arctic. In its media statement, the TransGlobal Car Expedition said losing a vehicle through the ice would inform the safety measures needed for the full expedition. It also said global warming was making travel over ice more dangerous for Indigenous communities and other ice travellers.

The goal of the Transglobal Car Expedition’s test drive was to “prove the feasibility of a drive from Yellowknife onto the Arctic Ocean Ice.” Photo from transglobalcar on Instagram.

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REGIONAL NEWS | ONTARIO

PARTNERS IN PROGRESS Recognizing that it will take all of us to fill the demand for skilled tradespeople in Canada’s automotive industry, General Motors has announced that it will be sponsoring this year’s Young Women’s Initiatives program from Skills Ontario. The Young Women’s Initiatives program provides direct access to various hands-on skilled trades experiences through events like Young Women’s Career Exploration days where Grade 7-12 girls meet with established industry professionals to discuss the many opportunities open to them in these fields. With this recent announcement, General Motors becomes the sole OEM sponsor of this Skills Ontario program. “As a woman in trades, I’m proud to work for GM as we dismantle barriers and perceptions that prevent women from pursuing careers in skilled trades and technology,” said Jennifer Cowdrey, electrical/chassis/ HVAC quality engineer at GM’s CAMI Assembly in Ingersoll, Ontario. “We’re working with Skills Ontario to help empower women to be their own advocates and to pursue what they believe in, working collectively to make work a more inclusive place.” The program is also partially supported by Aurora, Ont. auto parts manufacturer Magna International.

Project Hot Wheels was launched in late January to combat a 46 percent increase in vehicle theft reported by the Hamilton police over the past year.

EXPENSIVE TOYS A joint auto theft investigation between the Hamilton, Halton and Niagara police services has led to the arrest of 33 people alleged to be connected to the rising rate of theft in the area. Project Hot Wheels was launched in late January to combat a 46 percent increase in vehicle theft reported by the Hamilton police over the past year. Police say that by “utilizing intelligence-led policing, analytics on repeat offenders, known target vehicles and hot spot theft areas,” the investigation managed to result in the seizure of 32 stolen vehicles, three firearms, $9,416.20 in cash and $93,000 in cocaine, fentanyl, hash, meth, and MDMA. The value of the stolen vehicles totalled about $508,000. “The Insurance Bureau of Canada estimates auto thefts cost Canadians close to $1 billion yearly, including $542 million for insurers to fix or replace stolen vehicles, $250 million in police, health care and court system costs and millions more for correctional services,” read an excerpt of Hamilton Police’s press release.

BABY AUTOBAHN Ontario is kicking its highways up a notch—very slightly—announcing a permanent 10km/h speed limit increase to a number of 400-series highways on March 29. The changes come following a 2019 pilot project that boosted speed limits in certain sections of Ontario’s highway system and will be made permanent as of April 22. The limit increases will affect the Queen Elizabeth Way from Hamilton to St. Catharines; Highway 402 from London to Sarnia; Highway 417 from Ottawa to the Quebec border, as well as from the Kanata area to Arnprior; Highway 401 from Windsor to Tilbury; and Highway 404 from Newmarket to Woodbine. According to the Ontario government, a 2019 poll found that 80 percent of respondents voiced support for the pilot project. Ontario is also announcing two new areas for a 110-kilometre-an-hour speed limit on a trial basis, on Highway 400 from MacTier to Nobel, and Highway 11 from Emsdale to South River. 72

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The government says that the six 110km/h highways have been recorded to have comparable speed and collision trends to 100km/h highways.

ONTARIO | REGIONAL NEWS

POTHOLE POLL Do you have a pesky pothole that always sneaks up on you on your way to work? Well, it’s the time of year to publicly shame your municipality into doing something about it—the CAA Worst Roads campaign is open through April 19. “As we kick off another year of the CAA Worst Roads campaign, we are calling on all Ontarians to vote for their Worst Roads today and join the community of drivers, cyclists, transit riders and pedestrians committed to improving Ontario’s roads,” wrote CAA. The campaign aims to engage Ontario drivers with local and government officials who have the means to prioritize and repair the province’s most severe potholes. CAA cited in Tuesday’s press release a 2019 Canadian Infrastructure Report Card that found “a concerning amount” of municipal infrastructure is in poor or very poor condition. The report card also highlights spending $1 on pavement preservation may eliminate or delay spending $6-$10 on costly repairs later. The association’s own research also shows that more than 80 percent of Ontarians say poor road conditions such as cracks in pavement (89 percent) and potholes (82 percent) are still the most common issues in their neighbourhoods. The damage to a vehicle caused by a pothole can range from $300, with some fixes topping $6,000 depending on the make and model of the car, according to the press release. “As the inventory of vehicles continues to remain scarce due to the global semiconductor chip shortage, more people are now trying to hold on to their cars for longer. Not only can poor roads cause damage to vehicles but they also contribute heavily to the wear and tear of tires and increased fuel consumption which is why the maintenance and quality of our roadways is so important.” said Di Felice. Nominations for CAA’s Worst Roads are open until April 19.

Last year the crown for Ontario’s Worst Road went to Victoria Rd. in Prince Edward County. Voted cited potholes and crumbling pavement as the main concerns for the road.

ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

REGIONAL NEWS | QUEBEC

SEEING CLEARLY Seniors in Québec might find it easier to hang onto their licenses longer as the province no longer requires mandatory medical examination reports and eye examination reports previously required by drivers aged 75 and older. The Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) announced the change March 29. Instead, the provincial agency will now send drivers a form upon turning 75 years old, asking them to provide a self-declaration of their physical condition. Only drivers who declare a medical condition that may not be compatible with safe driving will be asked to undergo an examination by a health care professional. Prior to the change, Quebecers aged 75 years and up had to submit medical examination reports as well as a visual assessment report from an ophthalmologist or optometrist.

“Quebecers are living longer … drivers aged 75 are in better health than in the past,” said SAAQ president and CEO Denis Marsolais. “[The] new way of doing things will not be implemented at the expense of road safety, but rather with a view to improving our efficiency and customer service.”

BON VOYAGE When people call Québec “la belle province”, you probably aren’t thinking that they are describing beautiful road conditions, but according to a report from Kijiji Autos drivers in the province’s capital are generally more content on the road than those from other parts of the country. The study measured respondents’ feelings on several driving factors, including satisfaction with road conditions in their city, opinions on the cost of owning a car in the city, how long they typically spend in traffic every day and how often they lose their temper behind the wheel. The report found that of Canada’s top ten most populous cities, 72 percent of Québec City residents are happy with the conditions of their roads and 36 percent report that they have never lost their temper behind the wheel, despite the city’s relatively high time-in-traffic rate, which was recorded at 16.8 minutes per day. At the other end of the spectrum, Toronto ranked as the “least happy” driving city in the country due to its nation-leading traffic times of 19.14 minutes per day and a comparatively lower road condition satisfaction rate of 58 percent. When it comes to mobile trash talk, 80 percent of drivers in the Hamilton, Ont. area admitted to losing their cool when driving, as compared to Québec City and Kitchener, Ont. who both boast the most serene driving experiences at 64 percent.

EN GARDE The Laval Police Department (SPL) has made five arrests in connection with a network of vehicle thieves, following an investigation dating back to May 2021. Project Gardon was an investigation by the SPL’s General Crimes Squad in response to a wave of coordinated thefts where vehicles were targeted and stolen from parking lots and residential areas, sometimes after GPS trackers were planted under the vehicles. According to the SPL, the ring targeted Jeep Grand Cherokees, Dodge Durangos, Dodge Rams and Ford F-series vehicles across Montreal and Ontario. Project Gardon linked nearly 30 thefts to the network, with six in Laval. The inter-provincial investigation involved at least eight other participating agencies, including the Montreal Police Department Canada Border Services and the Ontario Provincial Police.

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Five men were arrested in connection with Project Gardon and appeared at the Laval courthouse on March 16, with two being detained and three conditionally released.

REGIONAL NEWS | ATLANTIC

IN THE RIGHT HANDS New legislation in Nova Scotia will prohibit the sale of marked police vehicles and restrict the possession of police vehicle decals and police vehicle equipment to authorized individuals. The Police Identity Management Act will come into effect May 12, 2022. The legislation will restrict possession of police items to only those authorized to have them, mainly police officers. The new law will require police agencies in the province to have asset management and disposal policies in place for uniforms, badges, police vehicles, decals and vehicle equipment. This includes a requirement for all retired police vehicles to be decommissioned, with the removal of all equipment, decals and other markings. “The dates of April 18 and 19, 2020, will stay in our collective memory for many years to come,” said Brad Johns, Minister of Justice and Attorney General. “By strengthening our laws around the use of police vehicles, uniform and other articles, we are taking steps to help prevent such tragic events from happening again.” Penalties for individuals contravening the act are a fine of up to $10,000 or three months in jail. A corporation found guilty of an offence faces a maximum fine of $25,000. Police can also issue summary offence tickets for violations of the act.

Anyone who has police items to discard should take them to the local RCMP or municipal police department for disposal, says the Nova Scotia official press release.

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RECYCLING REVIEW

WHAT’S CHANGED, WHAT’S COMING Opportunities—and challenges— for Canada’s auto recycling industry

Column by STEVE FLETCHER

s I approach my thirtieth year in the auto recycling industry, I join many of my industry colleagues in observing that I have seen more industry changes in the past five years than in the previous 30. The last two years, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, have been marked by even more upheaval—and the future looks just as full of change for the industry. Before I get into those changes and, more importantly, the implications of change and what the future holds, here is a bit of background on what I constitute to be the auto recycling industry. The auto recycling industry, like all sectors of the overall automotive industry, is an ecosystem of businesses that interact with each other and with other parts of the overall auto supply chain in what was and is probably the best example of the circular economy. End-of-life vehicles (ELVs) are not waste— they are assets that need to be managed, oftentimes solely by market forces. They do have hazardous wastes in them that can be a problem, but the professional industry has evolved to understand how to best manage these resources and waste by-products.

Navigating different auto recycling ecosystems There are essentially two types of auto recyclers out there—but plenty of overlap exists, even within a business as the price of scrap, vehicles and their parts fluctuate. There are businesses that look at ELVs as a collection of parts that can be reused, with a bit of material—almost exclusively metals— that can be recovered profitably. The other class of business is one that looks at an ELV as just a collection of materials; again, almost exclusively metals, and they do not have the capacity, knowledge, or plans to sell parts. The Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC) and its members operate in the first category—as dismantlers of ELVs and parts sellers. Many members of the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries (CARI) operate in the second category: scrap buyers, processors, and shredders. Of course, lots of businesses do both, and buy and sell amongst the different types of businesses, for added complexity. In Canada, those auto recycling ecosystems are largely left on their own when it comes to

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direct government intervention, which is not always the case in other countries. Both auto dismantlers and scrap processors work off of a simple calculus when it comes to ELVs: can they generate enough revenue via parts and materials to pay for the ELV and any transportation back to the processing facility, if it isn’t delivered, and pay for the appropriate level of preparation of the vehicle (i.e., de-pollution, VIN de-registration) so those parts and materials can be removed, stored, sold, and shipped profitably, while simultaneously investing in people, training, equipment, reporting, etc.? It’s a simple calculus, but there are a myriad of ways to manage revenues and expenses— and plenty of ways that it can go wrong. You can’t talk about the state of the industry without looking at the impact of the pandemic. Most auto recyclers remained open during shutdowns, as they are deemed essential businesses in their role as part of the automotive repair supply chain. Many pivoted to online and curbside pickup, with the restrictions accelerating trends towards digitization of their parts inventories, more online sales and marketing.

RECYCLING REVIEW

Local supply chains became all the rage during the pandemic—the closer suppliers and buyers are to one another the less likely that borders, distance, and cost play a role in selecting a part. Recycled auto parts from local vehicles are always locally available. More and more repairers, insurers, consumers, and even dealers turned to local auto recyclers as sometimes the only suppliers of parts that were suddenly held up in the supply chain. High and sustained scrap prices, both in the ferrous, non-ferrous, and platinum group metals generally reward both the dismantler and the scrap processor. High prices aren’t always a good thing for the entire scrap supply chain, but relatively consistent prices are—and given the global stops, starts and uncertainty, metal price fluctuations have not been as dramatic as they could have been. The dramatic rise in the platinum group metals within catalytic converters have spurred unprecedented catalytic converter theft and ensuing attention from the media, law enforcement, and governments at all levels. More and more vehicles are showing up at auto recyclers and scrap processors without the catalytic converter in place, and this dramatically changes the economics of successfully processing that vehicle. Governments have tried to crack down on this illegal activity by putting increasingly stringent bookkeeping requirements on scrap buyers. That is a story that has still not played out.

Pandemic-related challenges There are several factors that have challenged auto recyclers during the pandemic: fewer miles driven means less wear and tear on a vehicle and therefore less need for repairs—in addition to fewer accidents requiring repairs. Auto recyclers have had fewer parts available with the reduction in accidents and total loss vehicles, and owners have held onto their vehicles longer, which meant fewer ELVs available. Those last two issues—fewer total loss vehicles and fewer scrap vehicles—have led to a dramatic (30 percent) increase in the prices to acquire vehicles for inventory. That is probably the number one issue facing auto recyclers—fewer vehicles available, combined with everyone chasing after the same vehicles, leads to higher prices.

End-of-life vehicles (ELVs) are not waste —they are assets. There are lots of opportunities to sell parts and scrap, but you must buy those ELVs right or losses are inevitable. This is where the underground economy scrappers play a big negative role—they are incentivized to buy any vehicle they can, but they are not subject to the same rules and economics of the regulated industry. It’s easy to make cash profits when you cheat the system or deal in stolen property.

Electric vehicles present new hurdles The electrification of vehicles is another enormous threat to the existing industry. For now, it is relevant to understand two things about EVs. First, just like internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, every EV will have a proper home at end of life—they are just too valuable to ignore (and soon will be too popular to ignore). The ARC and its members are preparing for this future. Second, the media loves to report about the “tsunami” of EV batteries that are destined for landfills and that only five percent of lithium-ion batteries are recycled at end of life. This is not true. EV batteries are not waste, they are assets that more and more industries are clamouring for. And that five percent metric comes from a 20-year-old study that looked at all lithium batteries, mainly single-use small household batteries. EV batteries are big, heavy, and won’t accidentally end up in the garbage or your recycling bin. OEMs, new industries, supply chains, re-users, remanufacturers, secondlife options (i.e. energy storage outside of a vehicle), and final recyclers are all starting to work together to create new ecosystems to manage this valuable resource. As future vehicles change to meet more stringent GHG reduction requirements, the composition of those vehicles change with more plastics and hard-to-recycle materials like carbon fibre. At the scrap level, that changes the potential revenue stream of extracted metals.

For many years now, vehicles have been built heavier (i.e., pickups and SUVs), but if we see sustained high gas prices, more people will opt for smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles—which could mean less metal at end of life. The balancing act to those vehicle material changes often means more nonferrous metals (i.e., lighter aluminum and more copper for electrification), and more computer parts—which tout higher value as parts, if they can be resold. Auto recycling has existed successfully since the first vehicles rolled off the production lines well over 100 years ago. This success has been built on an entrepreneurial spirit, a love of automobiles, and a burning desire to meet the needs of the changing automobile and the evolving automotive ecosystem. We expect to be around for another 100 years. ELV recycling will look different, but rest assured every vehicle in Canada will meet a responsible end of life because this sector always asks, “What’s next?”

STEVE FLETCHER

is the managing director of the Automotive Recyclers of Canada. He can be reached at steve@autorecyclers.ca.

ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

RECYCLING NEWS

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Get your boots on because the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries is back in the saddle with the 81st edition of the association’s annual convention, as early registration opened in late March. Featuring several industry-relevant presentations, including a keynote address from former minister of foreign affairs John Baird, this year’s CARI Annual Convention will run from June 9-11 at the Westin Calgary Hotel. Early registration ends on May 17. Those who book their rooms before that date are eligible to receive discounted hotel rates. Attendees will also have the chance to opt into additional networking events like a round of golf at Bearspaw Calgary and a banquet dinner held on the final night of the convention. For more information on early registration for CARI’s 81st Annual Convention, visit cari-acir.org/events.

Mickey Mouse fans and auto recyclers will unite this September when the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) hosts its 79th Convention and Expo at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Florida. The event will be held from Sept. 22 through Sept. 24, 2022, and the ARA Annual Convention and Educational Programming Committee are now soliciting presentations for the 79th Annual Convention and Exposition. If you or your company are looking to draw attention to topics facing the automotive recycling community, now is the time to reach out to ARA and be part of the 79th convention. “ARA and the Annual Convention Educational Programming Committee aim to develop a strong, comprehensive educational program to appeal to the many aspects of the automotive recycling industry,” wrote the organization. “The Committee strives to construct a rich program addressing the immediate needs of the professional automotive recycling community as well as provide opportunities to discover and discuss upcoming trends, techniques, best practices, and issues.” “We look forward to welcoming more of our international members and automotive recycling industry supporters back in person this year for the 79th Annual ARA Convention & Exposition,” said Sandy Blalock, executive director of the ARA. “What educational seminars and training will benefit our international members? Give us your ideas!”

This year’s keynote speaker will be John Baird, former senior cabinet minister in the government of Canada. Baird has played a leading role in the CanadaChina dialogue and worked closely with international leaders to strengthen security and economic ties with the United States and Middle Eastern countries.

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TOWING NEWS

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The province is planning an educational campaign for drivers prior to the anticipated enforcement date of spring 2023.

A new amendment to Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act will require drivers to slow down to at least 60 kilometres an hour when passing stopped roadside worker vehicles with flashing lights. The updated Bill 5 aims to cover roadside maintenance workers and snowplow operators with protection under the Traffic Safety Act; similar to coverage that is already in place for first responders and tow truck operators. The amendments will affect drivers traveling in all lanes in the same direction as the stopped roadside worker vehicle and to drivers traveling in the opposite direction on single-lane highways. “Near misses and collisions are a regular occurrence for Alberta’s

tow truck operators, emergency responders and other roadside workers,” said president and CEO of the Alberta Motor Association (AMA), Michelle Chimko. “We applaud these changes as an important first step in improving the safety of these essential workers and look forward to our continued work in further improving their visibility and safety.” The AMA has been pushing for updated legislation in this area since 2017. Between March 2018 and March 2021, there were 128 collisions involving snowplows contracted by Alberta Transportation. Current fines for passing an emergency vehicle on the side of the road can range from $136 to $826, depending on the speed.

HOOKED UP Advocates for Ontario’s towing industry are voicing their support for the provincial government’s plans to introduce a tow operator licensing framework, in the hopes of securing a more fair and ethical way forward for those employed in the industry. The Provincial Towing Association of Ontario (PTAO) says that it fully endorses the government’s March 2021 pledge to crack down on the violence and corruption that is prevalent in the Greater Toronto Area’s towing industry. At the time, it was announced that the region would be split into various zones where only specific towing companies would be permitted to operate. Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney said that this first step will “eliminate the practice of accident chasing within the tow zones, which has been a dangerous trend in the industry.” The next steps include establishing a method of licensing and accounting for tow operators and their individual degrees of education and safety training. The PTAO says that this puts it in step with the government on this goal.

Since 2020, the PTAO has been at the helm of the Towing Task Force, which interviewed industry stakeholders and produced a whitepaper upon which many of the organization’s recommendations to the government are based.

“The provincial government’s decision to introduce provincial licensing is very timely, as the PTAO has been designing and developing their own accreditation program for towers to recognize the education and standards needed in the towing industry,” said PTAO president Mark Graves, in a press release. Graves says that his organization has been working alongside the Ontario government for the past five years and that “It is very rewarding to see the Provincial Government moving forward on many of the recommendations made by the PTAO.” As it stands, the Ontario government has not laid out any additional details on the state of tow operator licensing in the province. ISSUE 21#2 | COLLISION REPAIR

LAST WORD

CHANNELING HUMAN NATURE ADVERTISER INDEX

A mere ounce of care can make all the difference By ALLISON ROGERS

3M Automotive.................12,13,77 Arslan Automotive ...............11,77 Assured..................................... 66 Autel US.................................... 25 AutoCanada Inc........................ 15 Axalta................................... 76,84 Carcone’s Auto Recycling........ 73 Cardinal Couriers Ltd............... 10 Car-Part.com............................ 04 CARSTAR Canada.................... 17 Color Compass Corp............... 43 CSN Collision............................ 61 CWB Group............................... 51 Dominion Sure Seal.................. 31 Equalizer Industries Inc............ 49 Eurovac..................................... 68 Fix Auto Canada.................. 26,27 GoProMobile............................. 63 Hail Specialist Canada............. 71 IBIS............................................ 75 IAA............................................ 23 Induction Innovations............... 57 Keystone Automotive............... 47 LKQ Corporation................. 02,03 PPG........................................... 07 ProSpot International Inc.... 21,77 Repairify.................................... 41 Rust Check Corporation.......... 28 Sata Canada........................ 09,77 Sherwin Williams...................... 19 Simplicity Car Care................... 37

his edition of Collision Repair was crafted with a particularly special focus on people. The original idea was to centre the issue around hiring and staff retention— think strategies to keep your staff around for decades—but that quickly shifted focus to a broader topic. In truth, there’s no guaranteed, step-bystep, follow-this-and-you’ll-be-sure-to-succeed plan; but one of the greatest things you can do to make sure your staff retention rates are the best they can be is to narrow in on your workplace culture. When speaking to young collision repairing professionals for one of the articles in this issue, it became clear that compensation is important, no doubt, but equally as important to these individuals is how they are treated in the workplace. One of the ideas shared by multiple apprentices was the importance of a positive learning environment. That means, as one student clarified, a repair bay where you are not laughed at for not knowing something, but instead taken aside and shown the ropes of what to do so as to learn and grow. With the average technician age falling somewhere between 47 years and 55 years, say the snapshots from the last ten years, it is surprisingly easy to fall into a pattern of laughing at mistakes when wielding a spot welder has been second nature for so long. No one is forbidding jokes—who doesn’t like to laugh at work—but such gags must be paired with helpful advice that one can learn from. Otherwise, there will always be one person that’s not laughing. Plus, it’s important to remember that even the seasoned pros have something to learn with the pace vehicles change nowadays. If you’re not careful, a spider will set

up house in your corner, spinning words like ‘HUMBLE’ into her web; and not for the same reasons she did it for the pig. Don’t let comfortability-minded strategies stop with the people you see every day. Remember that your customers want to walk into a healthy culture, too. After all, for the average person, a collision can be rather traumatizing. According to a recent study, conducted by United Arab Emirates-based RoadSafetyUAE in partnership with OnStar, two out of three people surveyed—all of whom had been in an “emergency on-road incident” in the past— reported that they would appreciate emotional help immediately following a crash. You may already be questioning your abilities as an expert sympathizer—but fear not, these respondents aren’t necessarily seeking emotional support from their local collision repairer. You and your team may only be able to offer the customer some coffee, a comfy place to sit and the confidence that their vehicle will be restored to pre-accident condition; which is fine. After all, very few drivers are seeking your shoulder to cry on. According to the RoadSafetyUAE survey, 17 of the 46 accident victims interviewed reported wanting to speak to a friend, spouse or family member for reassurance and emotional support in the aftermath of an accident. In short, simply offering them the chance to call a friend for support can help your case and your customer’s nerves. So, yes, there may not be any 100-percent-guaranteed way to ensure you can please everyone—there are probably a thousand clichés written on the exact topic. The best way, though, to do your darndest: act just like a human. Almost everyone is good at it.

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Allison Rogers is the editor of Collision Repair magazine. She can be reached at allison@mediamatters.ca.

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Repair Systems

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

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

A X A LT A C O A T I N G S Y S T E M S

A match made in color.

At Axalta, we deliver the products, tools and services you need to stay at the cutting edge of color match. All of our industry-leading digital color matching tools integrate seamlessly with our high-performing refinish systems. Make color match as easy as 1, 2, 3 with Axalta. Find your perfect match.