PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

BUYER’S GUIDE AVAILABLE IN PRINT AND DIGITAL

Showcase your products online in the Buyer’s Guide Product Directory or in the next issue of the 2024 Collision Repair Buyer’s Guide. Reach out to your sales rep to book your space today.

For more information visit buyersguide.collisionrepairmag.com www.LKQCanada.ca/en/ www.akzonobel.com

The Guniwheel Universal Tire and Wheel Mounting System from LKQ Canada, described as working like a spare tire, is the first universal, vehicle and trailer mounting system. The Guniwheel weighs just 30 pounds and is able to fit into most four and five hole lug patterns—easily transported and used anywhere. With safety at the top of mind, the Guniwheel was designed to make moving vehicles off of lifts faster and safer. According to LKQ, the tire replacement can hold loads of up to 1290 pounds and can be safely driven up to 8km/h.

The Guniwheel Universal Tire and Wheel Mounting System from LKQ Canada, described as working like a spare tire, is the first universal, vehicle and trailer mounting system. The Guniwheel weighs just 30 pounds and is able to fit into most four and five hole lug patterns—easily transported and used anywhere. With safety at the top of mind, the Guniwheel was designed to make moving vehicles off of lifts faster and safer. According to LKQ, the tire replacement can hold loads of up to 1290 pounds and can be safely driven up to 8km/h.

Sikkens Autowave is a waterborne basecoat for solid, pearl or metallic colors, setting the standard in waterborne basecoat performance with advanced binder and pigment technology. It provides excellent coverage, metallic control and sprayability when duplicating OEM solid, metallic and pearl effect colors – with remarkable ease of use, first-time-right reliability and reduced process time.

For more information on Sikkens products visit https://www.sikkensvr.com/ www.novusglass.com

3M.ca/CollisionSprayGun

Join the millions of customers who are winning the war against fading, scratching, and dulling of plastics before their time. With 50 years of experience and innovation, our Plastic Polish is as easy as 1, 2, 3! From microwave doors to your car and everything in between, our plastic polish will have your surfaces looking like new!

For more information about this product call (450) 433-1414 or email communications@novusglass.com www.camautopro.com www.spraymax.com

With material costs on the rise, it’s more important now than ever to have a spray gun that gives you all the performance you expect and helps you save. The 3M™Performance Spray Gun can help do just that. With the 3M™Performance Spray Gun, you can mix less paint while still getting the coverage you expect. It’s paint efficiency at its finest.Time to start spraying the smart way.

Visit 3M.ca/CollisionSprayGun to learn more.

CAMAUTO Premium Elite Cart is a heavy duty, mobile cart that helps you carry all your PDR and GPR tools. Equipped with a drawer, and with a steel tab organizer top for better tools and tabs organization, and with two foldable trays, that can be used as a side table, and that can be bent for a better storage space.

Visit this link to see what is included in the cart, https://camautopro.com/ en/products/camauto-pro/mobile-carts/41/premium-elite-loaded-cart/

SprayMax 1K 3 in1 Primer Shade is designed for easy and convenient priming and filling of different surfaces. It offers excellent adhesion and sanding properties as well as high filling characteristics. Can be sprayed direct to metal, aluminum, steel and various plastics. Can be topcoated with both solvent and waterborne basecoats as well as single stage topcoats. Available in three shades: White 3680403, Gray 3680404, and Black 3680405.

For more information contact: order@Kwasny.us | 844.426.6330

Maintaining healthy partnerships is the ballet of bodywork

By ALLISON ROGERS

The overarching theme of this issue is relations; I’ll kick off my column with a cliche: if you’ve ever had any sort of relationship with another human being, you’ll know any relationship is a dance. The bonds in the collision repair space, however, present a complex tango of paperwork, estimates and some pretty heated discussions.

At the end of the day, all corners of the industry work toward the same goal—a grand culmination of a recital or repair, rather—but there are plenty of factors that can turn a Swan Lake situation into a TikTok dance trend. On one hand, we have the insurers, tasked with safeguarding wallets and making moves to keep repair costs reasonable. On the other hand, we have our repair pros, the unsung heroes who work tirelessly among other requirements. In 2022, SGI was the only insurer in our survey to score As across the board, for a final overall grade of A. The Co-Operators were the only other insurer to score an A-grade (sidenote: the Co-Operators have been in the number-one survey spot since we started the Insurer Report Card in 2019).

SGI and SAAR each take steps to understand the other side. The insurer hosts regular town hall meetings, handing the mic to collision repairers across the province to hear their headaches and suggestions for improvements. Things can get heated, each side passionate about their goal, but at the end of the day, each conversation opens a new door. Industry parties have two choices: walk through the door and move toward a solution with an open mind, taking to get our beloved vehicles back on the road. It’s in each side’s nature to protect its interests.

The most recent Collision Repair Open Dialogue webinar session featured Jessica Hill-Flaman and Ryan Smith of Saskatchewan Government Insurance, who sat down alongside Tom Bissonette, the head of Saskatchewan’s association of body repairers, to discuss one of the industry’s hottest topics—insurer relations. During the broadcast, Tom admitted that, when he took over as the director of the Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers, some individuals were concerned about the future of the association’s relations with SGI. Known to the industry as someone willing to speak his mind, Tom said some feared he’d come into the role a little too strongly. Those worries have long been dismissed, however, and SGI tied for the position of top-performing insurer in our 2022 Insurer Report Card.

Our annual survey is distributed to collision repair facilities across Canada, who submit grades in the areas of dispute management, bodyshop relations and payment timeliness for each insurer operating in Canada. In 2020, SGI received a C- grade. The crown insurer received a B+ in 2021, following the implementation of the Safe and Quality Auto Repair Project (SQARP), which required all bodyshops to obtain I-CAR Gold Class or equivalent certification, considerations from the previous conversations and perspectives from the other side, or simply slam it shut. Saskatchewan’s industry chose the first one.

When both sides approach the negotiation table with respect and an earnest understanding of each other’s motives, magical things can happen. The insurers may discover that the repair pros aren’t out to make a “quick buck”—they are genuinely concerned about restoring our vehicles to their former condition. Likewise, the repair pros may come to appreciate the insurers’ efforts to keep premiums affordable.

In this complex relationship, communication is key. Insurers and repair pros need to have an open dialogue, like a driver talking to their car mechanic about that strange noise in the engine. By fostering transparency and understanding, both parties can work toward common ground. In the end, we’re all part of this automotive ecosystem.