Collision Repair magazine 14#3, June 2015

SPECIAL FEATURE: INSIDE THE NEW I-CAR GOLD CLASS

NEW AT NACE

FUTURE FINISH

Your guide to what’s new and what’s hot at this year’s show.

Nano coatings may mean never washing a car again.

GROWTH

MAKING WAVES

STRATEGY

Fix Auto takes to the high seas for annual conference.

Paul Prochilo and Prochilo Brothers Auto Collision are prepared to grow.

PLUS

Highlights from the Color Compass Expo, Skills competitions, Steck’s new Skin Zipper 2, and much, much more!!!

Volume 14, Number 3

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June 2015

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$4.95

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CONTENTS

ON THE COVER 35 LONG VIEW Prochilo Brothers Auto Collision have a plan in place for flexibility, growth and partner benefits.

Volume 14 Issue 3, June 2015

48

Fix Auto takes to the waves for the network’s annual conference.

FEATURES 24 SURVEYS AND POLLS Readers weigh in on truck repair and top concerns for 2015 and beyond.

39 HAND CARE Protecting the most important tools a tech or painter has.

45 NACE PREVIEW An exclusive sneak peek for NACE’s return to Detroit.

51 SMALL SCALE ADVANCES Nano coatings repel all liquids ... and you just might be able to apply them in the shop.

NEWS 08 COLLISION REPAIR 58 TOWING & RECOVERY 60 RECYCLING

DEPARTMENTS

15 Next is Now at AudaVision Toronto.

FUTURE FINISH

Your guide to what’s new and what’s hot at this year’s show.

Nano coatings may mean never washing a car again.

GROWTH

MAKING WAVES

STRATEGY

Fix Auto takes to the high seas for annual conference.

Paul Prochilo and Prochilo Brothers Auto Collision are prepared to grow.

PLUS

Highlights from the Color Compass Expo, Skills competitions, Steck’s new Skin Zipper 2, and much, much more!!!

Volume 14, Number 3

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June 2015

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$4.95

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ON THE COVER: Paul Prochilo of Prochilo Brothers Auto Collision.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE DAVEY.

SPECIAL FEATURE: INSIDE THE NEW I-CAR GOLD CLASS

NEW AT NACE

Mitchell Road Show hits the nation’s capital.

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New articles and top news stories daily.

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

06 PUBLISHER’S PAGE by Darryl Simmons Self education.

27 ATLANTIC VIEW by Dana Alexander Industry support.

28 POINT BLANK by Sam Piercey Paying peanuts?

30 PRAIRIE VIEW by Tom Bissonnette Future facing.

32 WHO’S DRIVING? by Jay Perry Communicate!

68 RECYCLING by David Gold To the top.

70 LAST WORD by Mike Davey Uncultured.

JUNE 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 05

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

SELFEDUCATION Knowledge is free, if you know where to find it.

By Darryl Simmons

I

t’s one of my favourite times of the year. Not only is the summer weather on its way, but Skills competitions are taking place all across the country, and it’s almost time for NACE. I’ll admit it. I was one of the people who was concerned about last year’s change of venue to Detroit. The motor city might have a lot of histor y, but I wasn’t sure that the city was up to hosting a trade show and conference at the same level we’ve seen in Las Vegas.

After last year, I can say with confidence that those concerns were unfounded. If anything, last year’s NACE was bigger and better than it has been in years.

The trade show portion is good, and

the top of their game, and they all have a lot of demands on their time. They still make time every year to come to NACE. Shouldn’t you consider it as well?

It can be tough to find the time for everything that’s really important. How many of us take the time to attend Skills competitions? Industry suppliers tend to show up at the provincial competitions more than facility owners. It’s good that they support it, but shouldn’t we support it as well?

I’m not talking about volunteering, although I would encourage everyone in the industry to do that as well. Volunteers are the backbone of these events, and they do an incredible job. We all owe them a big debt of gratitude. Absolutely you should

PUBLISHER DARRYL SIMMONS (905) 370-0101 publisher@collisionrepairmag.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR MIKE DAVEY editor@collisionrepairmag.com ART DIRECTOR CANDACE TAYLOR candace@mediamatters.ca ASSISTANT EDITOR MELISSA HAYES melissa@mediamatters.ca VP INDUSTRY RELATIONS & ADVERTISING GLORIA MANN (647) 998-5677 advertising@collisionrepairmag.com DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING ELLEN SMITH (416) 312-7446 ellen@mediamatters.ca MARKETING MANAGER KAREN DE ABREU karen@mediamatters.ca MARKETING COORDINATOR ALEECIA CAMERON aleecia@mediamatters.ca MARKETING ASSISTANT WILL JACQUES will@mediamatters.ca REPORTER ADRIEN MONTOYA

WHAT’S REALLY OUTSTANDING ...

IS THE CONFERENCE PORTION. you can get a lot of education there.

It’s the place to be if you’re interested in new products and equipment. In my opinion, though, what’s really outstanding about NACE is the conference portion. Checking out the MSO Forum should be a top priority for anyone who is serious about this business. You may not be an MSO, you may not want to be an MSO. Nevertheless, those multistore owners are very much a part of the landscape. You need to know what they’re up to so you get ahead or at least stay even. Telematics will begin to affect us more and more, and NACE has you covered there as well.

More than anything else, NACE is ab out e ducat ing yours elf. Whet her you’re going for new products, fresh insight or some combination of the two, NACE delivers year after year. You’ll also meet a lot of the key thought leaders in the industry if you attend NACE. Think about that one for a minute. They’re at

join their ranks if you can. But if you can’t, then just take the time to stop by the venue and see the competitors in action.

I know you probably don’t find a lot of excitement in watching repair procedures. It’s the same thing you see every day, right? Not even close. These kids bring a level of enthusiasm that you probably don’t see on a daily basis. It’s not old hat to them. It’s fresh and exciting. This is what gets them fired up.

Remember those days?

Go, and talk to a few of the competitors if you get the chance. Talking to them will remind you why you got into the business and what you still love about it. Plus, you never know when you’re going to meet your facility’s next great find. CRM

06 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

COLUMNISTS & CONTRIBUTORS DANA ALEXANDER, TOM BISSONNETTE, DAVID GOLD, JAY PERRY, SAM PIERCEY SUBSCRIPTION One-year $29.95 / Two-year $55.95 Collision Repair™ magazine is published bi-monthly, and is dedicated to serving the business interests of the collision repair industry. It is published by Media Matters Inc. Material in Collision Repair™ magazine may not be reproduced in any form with out written consent from the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statements made by its advertisers or independent columnists. All facts, opinions, statements appearing in this publication are those of the writers and editors themselves, and are in no way to be construed as statements, positions or endorsements by the publisher.

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We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

CMCA AUDITED

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

BODYWORX THE VOICE OF COLLISION REPAIR TECHS & PAINTERS

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Trainingmatters.ca T H E T RA I N I N G P O RTA L F O R C O L L I S I O N R E PA I R

PROFESSIONAL

Air Compressor is So Quiet “ Our and Reliable, I Don’t Even Notice It

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When we asked William Monteith, General Manager of Zenetec Collision Repair Centre, a 22,000 Sq. Ft. State-of-the-Art Facility in Barrie, Ontario what he thought about his DV Systems air compressor, he paused for a moment then said it’s so quiet, reliable and efficient that he doesn’t even think about it. He’s able to focus on what matters the most, his family-owned business.

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Built Better

THE FRONT END

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Media Matters has announced two new additions to the team that brings you Collision Repair magazine, Bodyworx Professional, Canadian Auto Recyclers and Canadian Towing & Recovery.

Adrien Montoya has joined the editorial department as a Reporter.

Adrien Montoya.

Montoya is fully bilingual in English and French and can be reached at adrien@mediamatters.ca.

Karen De Abreu has joined Media Matters in the role of Marketing Manager, and will manage the circulation, traffic and accounting departments. She can be Karen De Abreu. reached at karen@media matters.ca.

Wayne James has joined AutoQuip as the company’s new Director of Operations.

James brings close to four decades of industry experience to the role, with his most recent position at Maaco. James is a Trade Board Member, Ontario College of Trades Wayne James.

Auto Body and Collision Repairer, Advisor to Preapprenticeship Training Program AYCE Employment Services and Vice Chair WSPS Vehicle, Sales & Service Advisory Committee. For more information, please visit autoquip.ca.

PPG Canada has announced the appointment of Barbara Sawchuk as the company’s new Business Solutions Manager for western Canada, working with multi-shop consolidators, banner network customers and l a rg e - v o l u m e s t r a t e g i c Barbara Sawchuk. customers to deliver value-added solutions and processes. She will report directly to Norm Angrove. Sawchuk is active in the Collision Repair Division of the Automotive Retailers Association (ARA) and has served as Vice Chairperson. For more information, please visit ca.ppgrefinish.com.

Richard Perry will now act as Chief Automotive Technologies’ OEM and Strategic Account Sales Manager. In his new

position, Perry will work alongside OEM engineers to ensure Chief collision repair products work properly with the next generation of vehicles. He will provide OEMs with input about proper collision reRichard Perry. pair procedures, while also leveraging his knowledge of new vehicle design to expand the company’s product line. For more information, please visit chiefautomotive.com.

Car-O-Liner has hired Mark Weinmann as an OEM Account Manager. Weinmann will work with Peter Richardson, Director of National Accounts, and interact closely with Car-O-Liner’s OEM partners to understand their needs and offer solutions to enhance their business.

Mark We i n m a n n h a s w o r k e d Weinmann. closely with OEM equipment programs to promote sales growth and develop OEM brand-specific products for dealership initiatives. For more information, please visit car-o-liner.com.

Spanesi Americas has announced that Tom McGee will act as the company’s new Business Development Manager.

McGee holds over three decades of experience, including close to 18 y e a r s a t I - C A R , w h e re he served as President & CEO and Technical DiTom McGee. rector, among other roles.

McGee was elected into the Collision Industry Hall of Eagles in 2001. For more information, please visit spanesi.com.

Ally Business Coaching has announced that the company’s President, Jay Perry, has become certified in the Birkman Method. Perry is well-known as a consultant and as a columnist in Collision Repair magazine. The Birkman Method is an assessment tool Jay Perry. that measures the human characteristics that influence perceptions, behaviours, and motivations. For more information, please email jayperry@a-b-c-inc.com.

08 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Behold! These robotic arms will allow anyone to triple their productivity!

Robotic? Don’t you remember what happened last time?

Eddie, there’s nothing at all to worry about.

Yeah, except copyright infringement.

GET CONNECTED! Follow Collision Repair magazine at... facebook.com/collisionrepairmag

FOOSE™ and Chip Foose™ are registered trademarks and intellectual property of Foose Design and are used by 3M under license.

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Skill testing question required. Full rules at www.3M.ca/MeetFooseContest

NEWS

COLOR COMPASS EXPO FEATURES NEW GEAR, TOP EQUIPMENT With a final attendance count of 910, the Color Compass Collision Repair Expo can be considered a complete success. Held Saturday May 2 in Edmonton, the show featured more than 70 exhibitors, all showcasing the latest in product and equipment technology for the hundreds of collision repair professionals in attendance.

The Color Compass Collision Expo was truly hands-on, with many of the top manufacturers featuring live demonstrations right at their booths, giving the attendees a firsthand look at all the new products available to them. A main feature of the show focused on how to tackle the opportunity surrounding new vehicle materials and the equipment needed to repair them safely and effectively.

“We are thrilled with the response from attendees and exhibitors,” says Dave Swenson, General Manager of Carlson Body Shop Supply. “This show is filled with like-minded individuals and visionaries who want to improve their businesses by discovering the latest in technologies and equipment available in the marketplace.

This is a dynamic industry where new and exciting products are always hitting the market, and this was an opportunity for repairers to see a lot of them in one easily accessible place.”

Of the cutting edge equipment being showcased at the Expo, Color Compass Equipment Specialist Russell Duncan says, “The explosion of new technology in today’s vehicles means technicians must keep pace, and they must have the right equipment and training available to them. There

The draw for this 1968 ‘Bullitt’ Mustang was one highlight of the Color Compass Collision Repair Expo, but there were many more throughout the show.

is a huge opportunity right now for shops to stay ahead of the curve. We’re very excited to be showcasing some amazing welding products for high strength steel and aluminum repair OEM certifications.”

Color Compass holds regular specialized clinics at its training centres, and every five years holds a larger event. Tim Shay is the General Manager of Chase Auto Body Supplies. He says this year’s Expo was the biggest event so far in terms of number of exhibitors and attendees.

“It’s been really great to see the response from the collision repair industry,” he says. “We’re very proud that repairers are finding value, and that we can help connect them directly with the industry manufacturers all in one day.”

Color Compass Corporation is Canada’s largest independently owned collision repair industry supplier. The company includes Carlson Body Shop Supply, Chase Auto Body Supplies, Rocky Mountain Sales, PBE Distributors and White & Peters.

Highlighting the show was the giveaway of a 1968 Mustang, an accurate replica of the car made famous in the chase scene in the movie Bullitt, starring Steve McQueen.

Co-sponsored by Carlson Body Shop Supply and BASF, ballots for the contest were garnered over the course of a year with the winning draw held at the show. There’s no doubt that many attendees had dreamed of winning the iconic automobile, but when the tickets were finally drawn, it was South Pointe Toyota in Calgary that took the day.

From left: Gloria Mann of Collision Repair magazine, Gord Milford of Color Compass and Darryl Simmons of Collision Repair magazine.

The Color Compass event was hands-on, giving repairers a chance to put new equipment through its paces. The Prospot demos, seen here, drew a crowd.

10 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Tim Briggs of Collision Edge shows off his invention “The Tape Thing,“ a magnetic painter’s aid.

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NEWS

PBE Distributors showcases new products PBE Distributors held its Spring Trade Show in London, Ontario at The Four Points by Sheraton Convention Centre. The Spring Trade Show always focuses on new products, but this year there was a special emphasis on aluminum repair equipment and products.

The PBE Distributors Spring Trade Show is directed towards jobbers, rather than repairers, so it often allows for a kind of “sneak peek” at new products before they become available. Attendance at the event was high, with many suppliers taking the opportunity to visit booths and demo new products that will soon be available for the collision industry.

Some industry stakeholders travelled a significant distance to attend the show. Lewis Hussey is with Automotive Supplies, a firm with three locations in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

“It was a great show. It’s a wonderful opportunity to pick each other’s brains,” says Hussey. “It’s a chance to speak with major suppliers, and the aluminum welding display was great.”

Among the many highlights was the Canadian launch of the Scangrip lighting system. Never before available in Canada, Scangrip provides professional work lights for a variety of applications, in this case colour matching for automotive painters.

In addition to the booths and displays, the event featured a number of special guests, including Ryan Evans from the hit show Counting

Special guest Ryan Evans of the show Counting Cars was on hand at the PBE Distributors Spring Trade Show.

Cars and “Yosemite” Sam Radoff, a customizer who started his career in 1955 and has achieved near legendary status.

For more information, please visit pbedistributors.com.

CARUK & ASSOCIATES BRING ALUMINUM CLINIC TO LONDON Aluminum repair is still a hot topic for repairers, judging by the heavy attendance at the Aluminum Clinic recently held at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. Attendees numbered well over 200, with professional collision repairers travelling from all over southern Ontario to attend. The event was hosted by Caruk & Associates.

The focus of the event was on new products for aluminum repair, with numerous manufacturers from Canada and the US on hand to provide demonstrations of their products and equipment.

Adam Buskip is the manager of CARSTAR Burlington Fairview in Burlington, Ontario. He attended the clinic primarily to gather information.

“We came primarily to survey and see what’s available, and where we want to go with it,” says Buskip. “We can’t necessarily be all things to all people, but we do want to be able to at least offer some cosmetic aluminum repairs.”

Some of the highlights included demonstrations of H&S Au-

12 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

The Aluminum Clinic at Fanshawe College brought together well over 200 stakeholders.

toshot’s new Uni-Spotter stud welder for steel and aluminum; Dynabrade’s new explosion proof vacuum for aluminum dust extraction; and a new adhesive from Lord, Fusor 208B, which can be used on both aluminum and steel, and will permit the use of self-piercing rivets.

For more information, please visit justreps.com.

NEWS

NEXT IS NOW AT AUDAVISION TORONTO 2015

CROMAX® MOSAICTM A basecoat line for automotive body shops doing collision work that is designed to provide dependable colour match and a durable OEM quality repair.

Classic coat-flash-reflow technology allows application flexibility and promotes excellent metallic control.

For additional information about this technology please call your preferred Axalta distributor or the Axalta Customer Care Centre at 1-800-668-6945. www.cromax.ca

AN AXALTA COATING SYSTEMS BRAND The Cromax logo and Cromax® Mosaic™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Axalta Coating Systems LLC or its affiliates, used under license by Axalta Coating Systems Canada Company.

COLLISION REPAIR © 201514 Axalta Coating Systems Canada COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM Company. All rights reserved.

Next-generation technology can lead to quicker, more accurate estimates and cost savings for those who choose to embrace it, according to Jamie Wa t t e r s , D i r e c t o r o f Product Management Anthony Giagnacovo of Audatex for Audatex Canada.

Canada gave the opening remarks at AudaVision Toronto 2015.

Watters discussed the new Audatex Est i m a t i n g p o w e re d b y AudaNet at AudaVision Toronto. The event took place at Palais Royale in Toronto, Ontario.

Watters noted that the new system strives to present all information in an intuitive, single-screen interface. Estimators can attach photos directly to the estimate while it’s in progress, and parts can be ordered directly at the estimate stage. Perhaps most striking of all, the system presents a 3D model of the part being requested. The image can be rotated through 360-degrees on desktop and mobile devices, allowing the estimator to confirm that the part matches.

The keynote speaker for the first day of AudaVision Toronto was Todd James, VP of Industry Relations for Oracle, speaking on the transformative power of digital cloud programs. Andrew MacDonald of Tesla Motors discussed Tesla’s repair strategy and announced Tesla is partnering with Audatex to use its global estimating system to significantly reduce repair times while maintaining the highest quality standards.

The final speaker for the day was another keynote, Brian Solis, Principal at Altimeter Group, who emphasized that digital transformation is about more than just efficiency.

The second day of AudaVision Toronto 2015 opened with Tony Krajewski of Deloitte, who presented “Insights from the 2014 Global Automotive Consumer Study: Implications of the Shift in Consumer Demands.”

A panel discussion followed, with the topic of “Digital Disruption: Redefining the Vehicle Owner Experience with Digital Consumers.” Panelists consisted of Paul André Savoie, President, Baseline; Dennis DesRosiers, President, DesRosiers Automotive Consultants; and Tim Wilson, Head of Industry, Google Canada.

The discussion touched on many parts of the customer service equation, including brand loyalty and who owns any data gathered from services such as telematics.

Dennis DesRosiers of DesRosiers Automotive Consultants was the final speaker for the event.

“This is going to be the best five to eight years the industry has ever seen,” says DesRosiers. In addition to noting that new car purchases are very strong, DesRosiers also discussed the enormous growth seen in used car sales.

“These vehicles are road worthy, and they’re going to be on the road for awhile. That means they’re going to need repair,” says DesRosiers.

For more information on Audatex, please visit audatex.ca.

NEWS

CARSTAR AND UNIBAN ALIGN ON AUTO GLASS CARSTAR Automotive Canada and Uniban Canada have entered into a strategic agreement that will create the largest auto glass network in the country.

This partnership aligns CARSTAR’s network of over 220 collision and glass centres with Uniban’s 320 service centres and 300 mobile units.

“We believe that this partnership will provide strong benefits to both organizations’ stakeholders,” says Michael Macaluso, President of CARSTAR. “Both companies have complementary skills sets and are very aligned in our core values. This partnership will give CARSTAR the momentum we need to take our glass program to a higher level.”

In collaboration with PH Vitres d’Autos, Nationwide Auto Glass, Brunswick Auto Glass, Atlantic Windshield and CanAm Auto Glass, Uniban provides automotive glass, accessories, detailing, and protection. CARSTAR stores will become authorized agents. By uniting their networks, this strategic partnership will allow CARSTAR and

Uniban to provide a higher level of service with improved geographical reach to its customers and key insurance partners.

“There are great synergies in both organizations as both companies are innovative and focused on providing enhanced value to our insurance and franchise partners and to the customers,” says Marc Desmarais, President of Uniban Canada.

“Our insurance partners rely on both Uniban and CARSTAR to service their customers with excellence and consistency,” says Lisa Mercanti-Ladd, Executive Vice-President of CARSTAR. “We will continue to do this but together with our combined resources we know that we can do much more in the future.”

The program will also lead to a more standardized service offering improved claims management through one centralized call centre and the Conversense web portal. This strategic partnership will begin in Ontario and Atlantic Canada and will then be rolled out across the country.

For more information, please visit carstar.ca.

Demos and new products the focus at Automechanika Chicago The inaugural edition of Automechanika Chicago brought more than 450 exhibiting companies to McCormick Place West for three days of action on the show floor. Held every other year, Automechanika Chicago is the 14th Automechanika event worldwide.

On display were new innovations, products and services for collision repair and auto service. Billing itself as the largest tradeshow and training event for the auto aftermarket, Automechanika Chicago focused on high-end technical and management training while showcasing the newest tools, equipment, and products in the market.

Highlights from the event included interactive demos of Celette’s award-winning Naja 3D measuring system and BASF’s showcase featuring its paint products, colour information systems, and business planning technologies, including the latest version of its SmartTRAK software, a worldwide colour database that includes a full suite of inventory, stocking and tracking tools. Further drawing in the crowds, BASF also hosted celebrity customizers Mike and Jim Ring, and their 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle, “Recoil,” painted in a Sand Storm color from BASF’s Glasurit 90 Line. Recoil received several awards at the 2014 SEMA show including the prestigious Best in Show by General Motors, the Goodguys GOLD Award, and a Mothers Choice Award.

Blows static away.

The new Stat-Gun from Wedge Clamp.

BASF’s booth was one of the highlights of Automechanika Chicago, showing off the company’s coatings, colour information and business planning systems. From left: Harry Dhanjal and Ascension Martinez of BASF, Andrew Passaglia of West Loop Autobody, Hugo Pike and Jill Schumacher of BASF.

In addition, Chief Automotive Technologies debuted its new line of Fusion equipment, including spot welders and MIG/MAG welders.

The unveiling added to Chief’s existing product line of frame racks, computerized measuring systems, vehicle anchoring and spec data.

An interactive paint-mixing and spraying environment right on the trade show floor also drew attendees. Presented by Axalta Coating Systems and Global Finishing Solutions (GFS), the set-up encouraged painters to sign-up ahead of time for sessions in the mixing room and paint booth, with a different Axalta brand featured each day.

For more, please visit automechanika.messefrankfurt.com.

WANTED Experienced Estimator PFAFF Autoworks Vaughan, Ontario 2-4 years of experience required.

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JUNE 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 15

REGIONAL NEWS

British Columbia

Fix Auto announces new locations in BC Fix Auto has added two new strategic partners in BC: Fix Auto Langley and Fix Auto Peninsula.

Fix Auto Langley is located in Langley, BC, and the facility joins the network with a rich history of collision repair experience going back 34 years.

Owner Kim Jennings has operated as All-Star Collision in this location since 1999; despite his success as an independent collision repair facility, Jennings says he recognized the need to partner with a strong national brand for future success and growth of his business.

“Once the search was on and we had explored several banners, we came to the conclusion that Fix Auto provided the best model for us,” says Customer Service Manager Brandon Jennings. “Quality work and staying ahead of industry trends is priority number one for us, so we felt at home with Fix Auto with their focus on supporting innovation and growth.”

Recent upgrades at Fix Auto Langley include state-of-the-art welding and laser measurement equipment, and the full range of aluminum repair equipment. “The Jennings’ commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction make them perfect partners for our network,” says Peter Polito, GM of Fix Auto Western Canada. “We welcome Langley to the Fix Auto family, and wish them the best for many years of success in our exciting industry.”

Fix Auto Peninsula is located in Saanichton, BC, and is the third Fix Auto location for owner Sylvain Audy and the second for partner Lorraine May. “We have had great success with Fix Auto Victoria, and we were ready to grow” says Audy. “Fix Auto offers the trusted brand name that a collision repair facility needs to succeed in today’s market.”

Audy’s success operating other Fix Auto locations is well-known in BC, as he was already a two-time recipient of the AutocheX Pre-

Fix Auto Langley.

Fix Auto Peninsula.

mier Achiever Award (in both 2006 and 2013), while at the helm of other Fix Auto locations.

“We are excited and very proud to see successful Fix Auto owners grow their operations,” says Polito. “We wish them every success in the latest venture, and look forward to working in partnership with them for years to come.”

THREE CSN FACILITIES IN BC GAIN PROFIRST RECOGNITION CSN has announced that three of locations in BC have been recognized by Honda Canada and Acura Canada as ProFirst Certified.

The facilities are CSN-BC Collisions and CSN-Van-Burn Collision in Burnaby, and CSN-Able Autobody in Surrey.

“We are very proud of this achievement,” says Don Laird, Manager of CSN-BC Collisions. “With the ProFirst Certification, we have unprecedented access to new tools and the latest technical information from Honda and Acura. This will allow us to assess damage and complete repairs with confidence.”

The story is much of the same for Dale Hinkelman, owner of CSN - Van-Burn Collision — also a long-time fixture for customers in Burnaby and East Vancouver dating back to 1961.

“CSN – Van Burn has been working hand in hand with our local Honda dealer for over 25 years,” says Hinkelman. “I truly feel that this is an added level of security and satisfaction for our customers knowing that we are a certified repair facility for the Honda and Acura brands.”

In addition to gaining the certification, Laird says both centres are working with I-CAR Canada to maintain training requirements and stay current.

“We must keep our technicians and facilities current during this time of great evolution in the construction and technologies of mainstream production vehicles,” he says. “We want to be on top of the learning curve.”

16 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

CSN-BC Collisions, CSN-Van-Burn Collision and CSN-Able Auto Body have recently been admitted to the Honda ProFirst program.

CSN-Able Autobody’s owner, Roger Roy, dedicated many resources and time to the ProFirst certification program, which represents an important recognition and commitment by CSN-Able Autobody.

The designation will enable the facility to access Honda Service Express, which will allow the shop’s team to perform correct, complete and safe repairs of Honda and Acura vehicles, while having access to additional cost-saving tools for better repairs.

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REGIONAL NEWS

Alberta

Herbers partners with capital companies to target expansion Herbers Autobody Repair is pleased to announce its partnership with Peninsula Capital Partners and VergePointe Capital. A statement from the company says each will provide the financial resources necessary for Herbers Autobody to expand through acquisition or greenfield locations. Collin Herbers will remain with the company in the role of Chief Executive Officer. Herbers Autobody Repair operates five large locations in Alberta.

“I’m extremely excited for the future of Herbers Autobody, knowing that we have access to the financial and business development resources of Peninsula and VergePointe,” says Herbers.

“We have built a sustainable competitive advantage, and this transaction facilitates our ability to capitalize on that advantage by growing the business in addition to allowing the existing leadership team exciting opportunities to benefit from that growth.”

Herbers has also announced the promotion of Fred Mueller to President. Mueller was originally hired by Herbers Autobody in 1990 as the Controller and was subsequently promoted to Vice President of Corporate Administration in 2009. As President, Mueller will be responsible for the daily operations of the company and is looking forward to “continuing to deliver a ‘best in class’ value proposition for our customers and working with the CEO and board to grow the company.”

The company plans to expand to meet customer demand for growth within Edmonton and other Alberta markets.

Herbers Autobody Repair’s location in south Edmonton. The facility is one of five in the Greater Edmonton Area. A new partnership may see the repairer expanding to other sites in the near future.

“We are very excited to work with the team at Herbers to help grow and extend the company within Edmonton and Alberta.

Herbers has a great reputation for delivering high levels of service and a high quality experience for its customers. We plan to focus on the core business and expand from that base,” says Matt Vance of VergePointe Capital.

Peninsula Capital Partners, based in Detroit, Michigan, is an investment company specializing in providing capital to superior middle-market companies.

For more information on Herbers Autobody Repair, please visit herbersautobody.com.

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REGIONAL NEWS

Saskatchewan SGI TEAMS WITH MADD CANADA ON DRUNK DRIVING EDUCATION Students in Saskatchewan are seeing and hearing about the devastating aftermath of impaired driving as MADD Canada and Provincial Sponsors, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) and Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA), deliver the latest School Assembly Program to schools around the province.

MADD Canada’s 2014-2015 School Assembly Program, titled Aftermath, educates young people about the risks and impact of impaired driving. The film was screened recently for students and staff at F.W. Johnson Collegiate in Regina.

“Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15 to 25 year olds, and impairment is a factor in more than 50 percent of those crashes,” says MADD Canada National President Angeliki Souranis. “The School Assembly Program educates students about those risks and emphasizes the fact that they each have the power to prevent impaired driving.”

Aftermath features the fictional story of Charlie, as told by his younger brother Mark.

When Charlie decides to drive after drinking and smoking pot, and convinces his best friend Elliott to go with him, the resulting crash leaves a devastating aftermath. Struggling to deal with his feelings, Mark makes a video for Charlie about that terrible decision to drive impaired. The story is followed by emotional and moving interviews with family members of real-life victims of impaired driving.

Students at the presentation also heard the first-hand account of Riley Russell, MADD Canada’s Youth Representative. Riley was out for a night with friends in early 2012 when her car was hit by an impaired driver.

She will tell students about the injuries she suffered and her long road to recovery.

As Provincial Sponsors of the School Assembly Program, SGI and SLGA are sponsoring 60 presentations this school year.

They have also provided generous support to produce information cards which are being distributed to students in Saskatchewan.

“MADD Canada’s School Assembly Program delivers a message that is vitally important for young people to hear,” says Gene Makowsky, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Regina Dewdney on behalf of Minister Responsible for SGI and Minister Responsible for the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority Don McMorris. “SGI

and SLGA are proud to be part of this effort to educate students about the dangers of impaired driving and empower them to make safe, responsible choices that protect them and their peers.”

A survey conducted by the Environics Research Group on behalf of MADD Canada shows the message is getting through.

Viewers who saw the 2013-2014 School Assembly Program are more likely to say: it is not okay to drink any amount before driving; they would not accept a ride from someone who had consumed alcohol or used marijuana; and would change the way they travel to and from parties where alcohol and drugs may be involved.

JUNE 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 19

REGIONAL NEWS

Manitoba

Boyd Group net earnings grow to $8.3M for Q1 2015 Boyd Group Income Fund has reported its financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2015.

Sales increased by 53.4 percent to $281.8 million from $183.6 million in 2014, including same-store sales increases of 5.5 percent. Boyd Group has added three single locations since December 31, 2014, and acquired Craftmaster Autobody, with six locations in Florida.

Adjusted EBITDA increased 40.8 percent to $21.2 million, compared with $15.0 million in 2014, while adjusted net earnings increased to $8.3 million compared with $7.3 million in 2014.

“We are very pleased with our results in the first quarter in 2015 which reflect the successful application of our growth strategy along with operational execution,” says Brock Bulbuck, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boyd Group. “It’s important to note that severe winter weather conditions in the first quarter of last year very positively impacted our 2014 results, and surpassing them in Q1 2015 demonstrates the effectiveness of our business model and our ability to execute to achieve growth.”

Total sales increased by 53.4 percent to $281.8 million, compared with sales of $183.6 million for the same period last year.

The $98.2 million increase was due to the contributions from acquisitions of $69.4 million as well as incremental sales from

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the acquisition of Netcost. Same-store sales excluding foreign exchange increased $9.8 million or 5.5 percent, and increased a further $20.8 million due to the translation of same-store sales at a higher US dollar exchange rate.

Earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted for the fair value adjustments related to the exchangeable share liability and unit option liability, convertible debenture conversion features and non-controlling interest put option, as well as acquisition, transaction and process improvement costs totaled $21.2 million or 7.5 percent of sales compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $15.0 million or 8.2 percent of sales in the prior year.

The $6.2 million increase was primarily the result of incremental EBITDA contribution from acquisitions and new locations, combined with improvements in same-store sales.

Changes in US dollar exchange rates in 2015 partially offset by the closure of underperforming stores increased Adjusted EBITDA by $2.2 million.

Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was $8.4 million or 3.0 percent of sales compared to $1.7 million or 0.9 percent of sales last year. The loss in 2015 resulted from the fair value adjustments to financial instruments of $16.0 million which are primarily due to the increase in unit price during the quarter, acquisition, transaction and process improvement costs of $0.2 million and accelerated amortization of acquired brands of $0.5 million. Excluding the impact of these adjustments, net earnings would have increased to $8.3 million or 2.9 percent of sales. This compares to adjusted earnings of $7.3 million or 4.0 percent of sales for the same period in 2014 if the same items were adjusted. The increase in the adjusted net earnings for the year is the result of the contribution of new acquisitions and new location growth as well as increases in same-store sales offset by higher interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

During the quarter, the Fund generated adjusted distributable cash of $20.7 million and declared distributions and dividends of $2.1 million, resulting in a payout ratio based on adjusted distributable cash of 9.9 percent for the quarter. This compares with adjusted distributable cash of $10.6 million, distributions and dividends of $1.8 million, and a payout ratio of 17.3 percent a year ago. On a trailing four-quarter basis at March 31, 2015, the Fund’s payout ratio stands at 13.7 percent.

“Going forward, Boyd’s three-pronged growth strategy remains central to the Fund’s approach to growing the business and we are confident that we are well-positioned to achieve our goals for the year,” says Bulbuck. “Our goal continues to be to achieve single location growth of 6 to 10 percent annually, which gives us a target of 19 to 32 new single locations in 2015. Additionally, we will remain opportunistic for multi-shop acquisitions.

While competition to acquire multi-shop operations in the US remains intense, we will remain disciplined and patient to only invest in those opportunities that are accretive. In January, we were successful with this approach when we acquired Craftmaster Autobody with its six locations in eastern Florida. These two growth strategies continue to be bolstered by same-store sales growth in excess of industry levels.”

REGIONAL NEWS

Ontario

CARSTAR ADDS TWO IN ONTARIO CARSTAR Automotive Canada has expanded in Ontario, opening CARSTAR Kanata in Ottawa and adding CARSTAR Willowdale (L&G) in Toronto.

CARSTAR Kanata is a 7,000 sq. ft. collision centre offering collision repair, glass repair and replacement, detailing and paintless dent repair. The facility will increase CARSTAR’s presence in the Ottawa market, adding to the six existing collision centres in the area.

CARSTAR Willowdale (L&G), formerly operating under the name L&G General Auto Body, has been a fixture in the community since 1947. CARSTAR Willowdale (L&G) is now owned and operated by Tony Taj, who has been with the network for the past five years, Gordon Hough manages the 10,000 sq. ft. centre, equipped with six work bays and a team of 10 employees.

CARSTAR Willowdale (L&G) in Toronto.

Driven to be the best at Ontario Skills Sparks flew at RIM Park, site of the 26th Annual Ontario Technological Skills Competition. The largest provincial skilled trades competition in Canada, the annual event consists of over 1,900 secondary and post-secondary students going head-to-head in more than 60 competitions. RIM Park is a large facility, but it was still crowded by competitors, teachers, judges, other students, parents, friends and spectators.

Although the competitions include everything from graphic design to cabinet making, there are two competitions that always stand out for collision repair stakeholders: Auto Collision and Car Painting.

There’s an electric atmosphere on the competition floor as you walk from station from station, each competitor bent to their assigned task. It’s hard to describe, but it’s both like and unlike being on the floor of a well-run collision facility. There’s the same sense of directed purpose, but there’s something else as well.

There is an urgency that is unique to a competitive event. The students competing here today know that there will be no second chances to get it right tomorrow.

An impressive amount of work goes into the competitions.

Every competitor works hard to get here, and instructors, judges

A portable paint booth dominates the Car Painting competition area at RIM Park in Waterloo.

22 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

and organizers volunteer their time and efforts. Setting up alone is an impressive feat. Some skilled trades can get by with relatively simple fixtures and equipment. Not so for the Auto Collision and Car Painting competitions. The equipment installed just for this competition is staggering. The most eye-catching item is the full spray booth. Resembling a greenhouse, the structure can be completely disassembled and shipped where it is needed.

FIX AUTO EXPANDS IN ST. CATHARINES Fix Auto has announced the addition of Fix Auto St. Catharines to the network.

“My passion for cars and expert bodywork is what inspires me to better our industry,” says John D’Ambrosio, secondgeneration family owner of Fix Auto St. Catharines. “Joining the Fix John and Johnny D’Ambrosio of Fix Auto network gives us Auto St. Catharines. The D’Ambrosio family has been in the collision repair the power of Canada’s business for three generations. strongest collision repair brand, operational support, access to professional training, and strong buying power that we need to adapt to succeed for the future of the industry.”

The D’Ambrosio family opened their collision repair facility, United Motor Collison, in 1976. Since then they have gone through three major expansions and are now entering their third generation of ownership.

“John has the winning formula and philosophy in place, he represents the type of Strategic Partner we want on board to grow and adapt to the future of the industry”, says Daryll O’Keefe, General Manager, Fix Auto Ontario.

REGIONAL NEWS

Quebec

Fix Auto holds two regional meetings in Quebec

By Pauline Perenack

Fix Auto continued its series of cross-country regional meetings in Quebec with two stops. Held at the Golf Metropolitain in Anjou, and the Château Bonne Entente in Ste-Foy, respectively, Fix Auto partners in both cities and surrounding areas were able to come together to share ideas and discuss vision with the Fix Auto corporate leadership in the all-day affairs.

The events in both cities included presentations, discussions on the current and future direction of Fix Auto, as well as a supplier tradeshow.

The Fix Auto regional meetings have been designed to provide a venue for local collision facility owners and employees, corporate leadership, and strategic partners to come together to find ways to increase the productivity of Fix Auto franchisees. With over 100 Fix Auto stores in the province of Quebec alone, both events drew large crowds who were eager to learn about new opportunities for the year. The meetings are very important to the corporate Fix Auto team, and as such, members including Steve Leal, President, Carl Brabander, VP of Marketing, Michel Bourgeois, VP, General Manager, and Analie Quenneville, Regional Director of Operations were on hand for discussions with collision centre owners.

“You could feel the excitement in the room” says Carl Brabander, Vice President of Marketing for Fix Auto. “Fix Auto is delivering on our promises to provide the operational and sales support that our owner/ operators need to grow and adapt to a changing industry. It inspires us all to look around the room and see such a high calibre of business

owners who believe in the future of our industry, and who are embracing innovation as a means to achieve success for their business.”

One of the hottest topics of conversation in each city was a debate as to the pros and cons of each of Fix Auto’s supply partners. The meetings are a unique place for franchisees to discuss amongst themselves which vendors work best for their businesses, and why giving each other valuable information has helped Fix Auto grow its reputation throughout the years. It is also an opportunity for the franchisees to talk to Fix Auto’s corporate leadership team about any issues they may be experiencing with current vendors, allowing the information to be openly communicated. Information gleaned during these discussions is then communicated to the vendors, allowing for changes to be made throughout the year, further enhancing the productivity of Fix Auto franchisee shops throughout the region and country.

Attendees were also able to hear from a number of speakers from Fix Auto, and attend various breakout sessions.

Additionally, during their lunch break, attendees had the opportunity to tour the attached Supplier Tradeshow. The tradeshow was larger than previous years, and featured exhibits from vendor partners, giving shop owners the opportunity to talk with the vendors directly about how their products and services could potentially increase productivity in shops, as well as discuss any issues they may be having with current products.

The Fix Auto regional meeting will return to the area in the fall. For more information, please visit fixauto.com.

Carrossier ProColor Sainte-Julie earns Green Wrench Gold certification Carrossier ProColor Sainte-Julie has obtained the Green Wrench (Clé Verte) Gold level certification, confirming the facility’s outstanding efforts in environmental protection. The Green Wrench program is a certification awarded to Québec collision centres that develop or enhance their processes and facilities in order to reduce their environmental footprint.

Owner Réjean Marchand has done everything possible to ensure his three collision centres (Carrossier ProColor locations Shawinigan, Louiseville and Sainte-Julie) are as environmentally responsible as possible.

Upon acquiring his first collision centre in Shawinigan in 2009, Marchand adopted the appropriate environmental measures to obtain, on the first attempt, the Gold level certification of the Green Wrench program. The same scenario repeated itself in 2010 when he purchased the Louiseville collision centre. The Louiseville location obtained the Gold level less than a year later, thanks to Marchand and his team’s efforts to meet the program’s ecological criteria.

Acquired in 2013, the Sainte-Julie collision centre was already certified Green Wrench Bronze. A little more than a year later, in February 2015, when the certification was renewed, the centre was awarded the Gold level with an almost perfect score of 96.5 percent.

“The program’s requirements are quite logical: you must do everything in your power to preserve the environment,” says Marchand.

“So, all we needed to do was to implement good policies and ensure our operations were compliant with Green Wrench standards … we have been awarded the Gold level because of the extra efforts we

Sylvie and Rejean Marchand. All three of the Marchand’s facilities have achieved the Green Wrench Gold status.

made compared to other businesses. The program is designed to promote best practices.”

Carrossier ProColor Sainte-Julie is located at 1095, rue Principale, suite B, in Sainte-Julie. For more information, please visit carrossier procolor.com.

JUNE 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 23

FACTS & FIGURES

BY THE ? !

NUMBERS .

Readers on top concerns, praising staff and truck repair.

. . .

..

By Mike Davey

H

ow do you praise your staff when they do a good job? If you’re like 50 percent of the facility owners in one of our recent polls, then you praise them in person and in public. It’s hard to argue against this as a best practice. Everyone appreciates the personal touch, and doing it publicly will hopefully encourage other staff to increase their performance.

The next most common way to praise employees according to our surveys was in person, but in private at 31 percent. The personal attention is great, but it doesn’t help to inspire other employees. Some respondents (19 percent) praise employees publicly, but do it through group messages or other forms of electronic communication. We suspect that this is nearly as effective as when it’s done in person.

Respondents could also choose “Privately via email, text, or phone” in answer to this question. No respondents chose this answer.

The new Ford F-150 has been a hot topic of conversation in the collision repair community, but the fact of the matter is that light trucks of any kind simply aren’t very common compared to other passenger vehicles. However, this varies enormously depending on the region of the country. We don’t think we’re going to shock anyone by saying that light trucks are considerably more common in rural areas than they are in urban areas. This may help to account for some of the numbers in one of our recent polls.

Over two-thirds (67 percent) of respondents indicated that repairs to light trucks comprised 15 percent or more of their business, with a further 8 percent indicating that it took up 11 to 15 percent of their business.

Roughly 25 percent of respondents indicated that light truck repair took up 6 to 10 percent of their business. There were options in the survey to indicate even lower numbers, but no respondents selected those responses.

We also asked what kind of advertising delivers the best results, with “word of mouth” taking the top spot at 79 percent.

This is not a surprise. Word of mouth is free, requires no extra effort, and delivers the best results … when it’s working. The trouble is in getting it to work, and getting it to work on a consistent basis. The other responses in this survey were split evenly between television, print, and web at 7 percent each. Radio and direct mail campaigns failed to net any responses.

24 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Material costs, energy costs, repair volumes, and government regulations affect every collision repair facility in Canada, but they’re not top concerns according to one of our recent surveys. While those things did make the list of top concerns, they pale in comparison to the top two concerns: labour costs or wages at 36 percent and economic uncertainty at 21 percent. CRM

What is your number one concern?

Energy costs

Other

Government regulations

Labour costs (wages)

Repair volumes

Material costs

Economic uncertainty

FACTS & FIGURES

How do you praise employees when they do a good job?

Roughly how much of your business consists of repairs to light trucks?

Publicly, in person.

15 percent or more.

Usually in person, but in private.

11 to 15 percent.

Publicly, via group message or electronic communication.

6 to 10 percent.

What kind of advertising works best for your business?

CANADIAN DISTRIBUTORS Auto Traction, Inc.

5366 Quevillon St. Hubert, Quebec J3Y 2V6 Phone: 450-445-0011 info@autotraction.ca www.autotraction.ca

Matthews Collision Equipment Ltd.

105 Walden Square S.E. Calgary, Alberta T2X 0R9 Phone: 403-560-6925 matthewsequipment@shaw.ca matthewscollision@shaw.ca

Flat Line Sales & Distribution

250 Shields Court, Unit #17 Markham, Ontario L3R 9W7 Phone: 905-475-5600 info@flatlinessi.com www.flatlinessi.com

Car-O-Liner Northwest

Suite 214, 102-17750 Highway 10 Surrey, British Columbia V3S 1K4 Phone: 1-800-590-3878 info@colnw.com www.colnw.com

NORTH AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS Car-O-Liner Company

Word of mouth.

Television.

29900 Anthony Drive Wixom, MI 48393 Phone: 1-844-833-9419 info@car-o-liner.com www.car-o-liner.com

Print, newspaper.

Web.

JUNE 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 25

Following a successful 2014 NACE | CARS returns to the Motor City in 2015!

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» Technology & Telematics expands with presentations and live demos featuring connected vehicles » Service Repair Leadership Forum designed for leaders and managers in the mechanical repair field addresses business and technology challenges, strategies and operations » Young Technician’s Symposium - Powered by Bosch This two part program will evaluate your electrical system knowledge, diagnostic approach and help you understand how to improve your skills. A live training simulator will be used to demonstrate real world diagnostic examples and student response buttons will provide instant feedback on your progress.

ATLANTIC VIEW FEATURES

INDUSTRYSUPPORT Suppliers step up to help, but where are the repairers?

By Dana Alexander

I

attended a recent Skills Competition in Saint John, New Brunswick, where there were twelve competitors in total, four in the painting competition and eight in the auto body repair competition.

I was disappointed in the number of employers that showed up to observe these young future technicians compete. I did see community college instructors, parents, suppliers and two other employers beside myself. I have attended most of the skills competitions over the past several years and have observed the same dismal turnout on the employer side. There are many of the industry supplier representatives

an opportunity to compete on a national level, what an opportunity to showcase their talent against their peers from across Canada as their employer you should be there with them to cheer them on and to give them all the training and support they need, they will be proud that you did and shows them that you take an interest in them and their career.

If one of your technicians is good enough to win the national competition in their field, now the heavy lifting for the employer comes in. You must support these technicians in their training and get them ready to represent Canada and your company on the world stage.

SUPPLIERS NOT ONLY GIVE DONATIONS, THEY’RE ALSO SCOUTING FOR EMPLOYEES. present, including from the paint company who supplied products for the competition, suppliers of safety equipment and those who supplied the materials for the repair competition. These suppliers not only give of their time and material donations, they are also scouting for new prospective employees for their companies. I have firsthand knowledge that some of the most skilled and brightest competitors are being scouted and hired by some of those suppliers. And why not? It appears that for the most part the repair industry is not interested in taking the time to see what these talented apprentices are able to do.

I have seen over the years where some of the competitors are visibly disappointed that they did not win a medal or perform at a level that they expected. Those that won Gold were always very proud of their accomplishment. Others, who won Silver or Bronze, were sometimes disappointed that they did not do better. I believe if the apprentice that is completing is an employee, we should support them to the fullest and give them the training and the tools to compete at the highest level. The Gold Medal winners have

Competing at the world level takes determination, dedication, discipline and intense training.

In 2016, the National Skills competition will be held in Moncton, New Brunswick. I would encourage every employer to support this competition, by volunteering and/or by supporting their apprentices to compete. Let’s show the rest of Canada that we are interested in our youth and want them to succeed.

By the time you read this article, the National Skills Competition in Saskatoon will have taken place. I hope that some of you did attend to support your employees. Even if you didn’t have an employee in the competition, it can be a great way to find up and coming techs, the ones who might be your next superstar.

Many of my colleagues complain they cannot f ind good technicians. Perhaps they’re not looking in the right place?

Dana Alexander is the owner and operator of CSN - Dana’s Collision Center in Fredericton, New Brunswick. He can be reached at dana.alexander@danas collision.com.

JUNE 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 27

FEATURES

POINT BLANK WITH PIERCEY

FAIRPLAY Paying for bad repairs isn’t fair to anyone.

By Sam Piercey

Are You Ready for OE Certified Repair Networks?

Canada’s major OEs are releasing their certified repair network requirements. Among these requirements are the following I-CAR Canada offerings: Two technicians must complete 13 I-CAR C a n a d a c o u r s e s, including WCS03 – Steel Welding or SPS05 – Structural Parts Steel Audi Canada Welding. One Refinish technician must complete three I-CAR courses.

For further details contact collision@audi.ca.

Honda/Acura Canada (Currently in Pilot Phase) Repair facility must be sponsored by a Honda/Acura Dealer. Repair Facility must be full I-CAR Canada Gold Class (including current WCS03 welding qualification). For further information contact COLLISION_INFO@CH.HONDA.COM. Two technicians must complete 13 I-CAR C a n a d a c o u r s e s, including WCS03 – Steel Welding or SPS05 – Structural Volkswagen Parts Steel Welding.

Canada One Refinish technician must complete three I-CAR courses. For further details contact collision@vw.ca.

A

luminum’s showing up more now than ever bef o r e , a n d I b e t w e’r e going to see more in the future. We’ve b een repairing aluminum for years, and I can tell you that it’s simply got a higher cost than repairing steel. You already know that, though, if you’ve looked into the investments you’ve got to

ance for error. The higher-end the vehicle, the more “exotic” the materials, the more stress there is on the folks doing the repairs. They need to cover their time, training and investment in tools. More than that, they need to be paid what they deserve. If you pay peanuts, don’t be surprised if you get monkeys.

We’re also talking about issues of consumer safety here. I’d like to think

IF YOU PAY PEANUTS, DON’T BE SURPRISED IF YOU GET MONKEYS.

make if you want to repair it properly.

If you can’t or won’t make that investment, don’t touch it.

Here’s the thing. We’re seeing more certification programs coming from the OEs. We’re seeing more advanced materials that require more investment in equipment and training. Frankly, I think we need to charge more for repairs to certain vehicles. The regular door rate does not cut it.

There are partners who understand this and partners who don’t. I’ll lay it out.

Some materials require more intense labour when it comes to repair. Not only that, but prepping is also more intense.

Plus, we have to use epoxy primer, which is an increased expense. Add in the equipment investment and the training investment, and the costs go up again.

When it comes to aluminum, you’re either looking at a separate clean room or at least a heavily curtained off area of the shop that you can’t use for anything else.

In short, it’s more expensive to fix some cars than others. Equipment, training, renovating the facility ... what about the guys and gals on the floor? You know, the ones doing the work? Procedures must be followed exactly, with little to no toler-

that everybody is just going to bite the bullet and repair the car safely, even if it means showing a loss on that repair.

I’d like to believe that, but I’m not in kindergarten any more, so I don’t. We see bad repairs coming in to our facility now, only sent to us after someone else has butchered it. It’s compromising safety and it’s diminishing the overall value of the vehicle.

As I s aid, s ome p ar t ners get it, and some partners don’t. Why is it we seldom see appraisers that sit at the image desk at a training session, learning about the needed repairs and procedures, before they get to sit down and cut the sheet up?

The industry needs more fair income, and I do mean fair. It’s not fair or right to send an aluminum car to a facility that will do a dangerous repair. It’s also a waste of money that piles up liability for the future.

That’s why good partners don’t do it. CRM Sam Piercey is the co-owner of Budds’ Collision Services in Oakville, Ont. He is a long-time Coyote member and sits on many boards and committees.

Sam can be reached at sam@buddscollision.com.

PRAIRIE VIEW

FUTUREFACING New technologies bring new challenges. Are you ready?

By Tom Bissonnette

D

uring the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) held in Atlanta, Georgia on April 8 and 9, I attended the half-day Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) open members forum on Wednesday morning.

This meeting is strictly for body shop personnel, meaning no suppliers or insurance company folks allowed.

With this in mind, I came in expecting some sort of insurance company bashing, but was pleasantly surprised to hear none of that.

Instead, the conversation centered around a very important issue facing the industry, touching on how well collision shops are prepared to deal with the technological tsunami before them as they attempt to repair the vehicles currently on the market — and those soon to come to market.

Steve Marks from I-CAR, Ken Boylan from Chief Auto Technology and Dave Gruskos from

“A new generation in collision repair performance.”

Reliable Automotive were the three panelists fielding questions from SCRS Executive Director, Aaron Schulenburg.

It was interesting that the first topic of discussion revolved around worker protection and safety training. Considering all the new metals and materials, the thought is that this aspect of our business will be more prevalent as we are more aware of how important it is to protect our technicians from hurting themselves, or damaging their long-term health.

Ken made an excellent observation, noting that we need to focus on having our people 100 percent trained and aware of how to repair today’s vehicles.

Having a passing grade of 70 percent just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Repairing a vehicle to pre-accident condition isn’t good enough, restoring it to crash-worthy condition is. In many cases the only way to ac-

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PRAIRIE VIEW

tually achieve this is to use brand new OEM parts. Additionally, if a shop does not look to the OEM repair procedures, it is a surefire recipe for disaster.

Another important thing to consider is the influx of mixed materials, meaning the application of multiple types of metal in a car’s constuction.

Bottom line: technology is way ahead of the collision industry right now, and only the most progressive shops have any hope of keeping up with all the technological changes.

This begs the question, is the time coming when we need to accredit shops based on their ability to perform repairs on these complex ve-

BOTTOM LINE: TECHNOLOGY IS WAY AHEAD OF THE COLLISION INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW. What will constitute a clean room in the future?

Shop cleanliness will have to greatly exceed what the norm is today, so that we can not just have a ‘clean room,’ but a clean work area.

Aluminum is definitely going to be applied in new model vehicles, so shops that are holding out on that training and equipment are just kidding themselves.

We will not only see military grade aluminum, but also aerospace aluminum — an entirely different animal that cannot be pulled or heated.

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hicles? Maybe the CCIF Accreditation project that was shelved a few years back needs to be revisited.

The next two to five years are shaping up to be very interesting. Are you ready for it? CRM Tom Bissonnette is the owner/operator of Parr Auto Body, a collision repair facility located in Saskatoon, SK. He can be reached at tom@parrautobody.com.

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WHO’S DRIVING?

WELLSAID Good communications are key to peak performance.

By Jay Perry

A

recent Bloomberg Businessweek article showed interesting results of a survey of corporate recruiters.

The article went on to show the difference between what schools deliver and what industries actually want. I think we can all relate to this, because as good as some programs are, we business owners, managers and supervisors still see a wide gap that becomes a steep learning curve for new hires coming fresh out of school.

One fact that I found particularly interesting is that 10 out of 11 industr y sectors viewed communication skills as so important that they

skill set is approached in a way that creates awareness of the need, current levels of ability and consciousness in the employee as to how they are being perceived by whomever they are addressing.

When you are looking at complaints about any business, you can lay bets that it boils down to poor communications. People want to be respected and kept informed. Most do not want the nitty-gritty details, but rather a status-type communique that helps them in anticipating the outcome of the interaction with the business.

In North America, cultures have adapted shor tc uts t hat blur t he lines of accept able

ALL POSITIONS IN A BUSINESS NEED EXEMPLARY ABILITIES IN COMMUNICATIONS. ranked among the top three attributes they were looking for in a candidate. Of those 10 industry sectors, six placed communications skills at the top of the list.

It is sort of obvious that to succeed in some positions, the person must have good communication skills. Positions like customer service rep, supervisor, manager and so on, need to get their points across to customers and employees in appropriate ways. However, I sincerely believe that all positions in a business need exemplary abilities in communications if the organization is to surpass its competition and improve performance to peak levels.

C ommunication with all parties in ever y position is critical when the goal is peak performance. Every team needs to share information and work together effectively.

It’s also interesting to note that not one of the top 10 schools in America scored “highest on” teaching communication skills. This of course means that it is up to us to help improve our people in their communication abilities. This is not easy but can and should be done. I recommend a formal approach, where the whole 32 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

c om mu n i c at i on s . In t h e e x t re m e w e h av e the example of texting, where shortcuts run rampant and serious conversations are best avoided. The principle holds true in emails where the message is more apt to be misunderstood than in direct conversation. When we are face-to-face we can pick up cues if things are going sideways. What I promote are methods that help prevent the sideways directions from being taken in the first place.

I have witnessed enormous improvement to both customer satisfaction index and net promoter score numbers in cases where intention is made known first, before any action is discussed, then followed up with a review of next steps. It is formalization of language, and by following this prescribed formulae of construction of speech one can avoid missteps and stay the one who’s driving. CRM Jay Perry is the founder and owner of Automotive Business Consultants (ABC), a performance coaching company specializing in the automotive service industry. He can be reached via e-mail at jayperry@a-b-c-inc.com.

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PROFILES OF SUCCESS

Paul Prochilo is part of the management team at Prochilo Brothers Auto Collision, operating three production sites and five satellite facilities in the Greater Toronto Area.

PRIMED for

GROWTH Prochilo Brothers Auto Collision has an ambitious strategy for the future.

By Mike Davey JUNE 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 35

PROFILES OF SUCCESS

Paul Prochilo shows off part of the dedicated training area at the company’s North York facility.

T

here’s no question that Prochilo Brothers Auto Collision is a family business.

The company owns three production sites and five satellite facilities in Toronto, Ontario, and you’ll find members of the Prochilo family throughout

the management team. For Paul Prochilo, however, his life path wasn’t leading to the collision repair industry, but to the legal world.

“I had no intention of being in the business,” says Paul. “I was going to become a lawyer.”

This was no passing fancy or idle daydream. In 2003, Paul graduated university with a Bachelors of Commerce, with a major in human resource management, with minors in psychology and marketing. He had written the LSAT and had already been accepted to the prestigious Osgoode Hall Law School at York University. However, the application process took a full year, so Paul needed some way to support himself. “ T h r o u g h o u t my u n d e r g r a d u at e studies, I had supported myself working in the hospitality industry. I was looking for something new and refreshing from the mundane, so I thought I’d work in the family business for a year.”

The legal profession’s loss was Prochilo Brothers gain. Paul soon noticed that, while the business and its staff had a lot of technical skills, there were some components missing from the mix.

“I saw that there was a very large void of soft skills in terms of management, marketing and customer service,” says Paul. “I hit a crossroads. Will I become a lawyer, or will I try to do something amazing for the family that gave me every opportunity?”

The g rowt h of Pro chi lo Brot hers Auto Collision in the last few years has been truly amazing, but it was already a successful concern before the current generation entered the business.

Prochilo Brothers Auto Collision was founded by Domenic and Vince Prochilo in 1973, with their younger brother Joe

36 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

The North York facility’s production area is “right sized.”

The facility rents out space they don’t need to other businesses.

PROFILES OF SUCCESS

coming on board later. The industry was in a growth phase, and within a few years they had purchased a 25,000 sq. ft. facility at 141 Toryork Blvd. in Toronto. Sadly, two members of the family are no longer with us.

Joe Prochilo passed away in 2002, while his older brother Vince passed in July of 2013.

The senior management team now consists of Paul Prochilo as Director of Corporate Strategy, Adam Prochilo as Procurement and Vendor Relations, and Domenic Ieraci as Director of Sales and Marketing.

The current roster of Prochilo Brothers Auto Collision includes three production facilities and five satellite offices. The satellite offices handle administration, including estimates, and arranges transport of vehicles to the allocated production site. It’s a system that leads to wide geographic coverage, while still providing efficiencies of scale.

“We each oversee our functions on behalf of all facilities, including future facilities as we plan to grow in 2015,” says Paul, noting that the business is definitely looking into growing through acquisition.

“As to when, where and how, that will be dependent on the needs of our B2B partners. We’ll go where our partners need us and the value proposition we provide: speed, quality and cost containment.”

SNAPSHOT Prochilo Brothers Auto Collision

There has been significant growth for Prochilo Brothers in recent years, but Paul notes that they’ve actually reduced

“I HIT A CROSSROADS. WILL I BECOME A LAWYER, OR WILL I TRY TO DO SOMETHING AMAZING FOR THE FAMILY THAT GAVE ME EVERY OPPORTUNITY?” – PAUL PROCHILO

the footprint of the flagship store at 141 Toryork Blvd.

“It was a matter of ‘right sizing,’” says Paul. “Lean manufacturing let us put through more work in a reduced space, so it just made sense. We put up a wall and rented out the additional space.”

Transforming the business into a progressive powerhouse didn’t happen overnight.

Nor was it solely about changing the business. Paul says the goal was always growth, but another form of growth had to take place before the business could benefit.

“Some of the biggest challenges we faced were our own personal development. To lead, the management team had to become leaders,” says Paul. “We had and have extremely high goals, but we came to the realization early on that we could only grow the business as fast as we have grown in terms of our soft skills and our interpersonal dynamics.”

Paul believes that the true challenge is, at its core, the same challenge faced by many people in the collision repair industry.

“We faced and overcame the same challenge that the entire industry faces.

It’s not just our industry, really, but every industry,” says Paul. “It’s executive. Everyone has bright ideas, everyone can do it. But if the leadership can’t sustain the change, can’t follow through, then it will fail. We had to develop our leadership skills so we, personally, would be better. That’s key to the goals we had and we’re going to have.”

From the outside, changes may seem to have happened quite quickly. However, Paul says that it was a long road.

“Some of the largest changes have come in the last three years,” says Paul.

“We pride ourselves on becoming the best and the fastest. Those are strong words, but I believe them to be true.

The entire industry has the same challenge. We’re just glad that we had an awareness of what we needed to do, and the ability to see it through.”

For more information on Prochilo Brothers Auto Collision, please visit prochilobros.com. CRM

Production Facilities: 3 Satellite Locations: 5 Management Staff: 5 Technicians: 30 Painters: 4

The North York store is the first faciity to be rebranded. Facelifts to the other locations will soon follow.

Preppers: 6 Office: 14 Cars Per Month: 300

JUNE 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 37

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HEALTH & SAFETY

A technician’s hands are subjected to a lot of stress in a day’s work. Hand care should be a top priority at every facility.

Hands UP! Protecting the most valuable tools a technician has.

By Patrick Boshell

A

ccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), auto service technicians and mechanics are sign i f i c a nt l y m o r e l i k e l y than the average worker to be injured or killed on the job. Nearly 45 percent of these injuries and illnesses are due to contact with objects and equipment, such as parts, materials, tools and vehicles themselves. Contact injuries may be the most prevalent, but they are not the only type of occupational hazards that automotive workers face. Other illnesses and injuries include overexertion, falls, strains, sprains and exposure to harmful chemicals.

One common occupational hazard that is oftentimes overlooked in the automotive industry is the incidence of skin disease. A study from the Occupational Medicine Journal found that 41 percent of car mechanics said that dry skin on their hands was often a problem and 46 percent reported the occurrence of hand eczema. Additionally, an even more severe skin disease known as contact dermatitis is of particular concern for JUNE 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 39

HEALTH & SAFETY

those workers in an industrial and automotive setting. The Canadian Centre for Occupation Health and Safety (CCOHS) states that occupational contact dermatitis is “an inflammation caused by substances found in the workplace that come into direct contact with the skin.”

Symptoms can include redness, blisters and swelling of the skin. Contact dermatitis may spread to other parts of the body if left untreated, and workers can even develop chronic skin disease.

In an automotive setting, these contact substances can include oil, grease, paint, brake fluids, detergents, adhesives, degreasing agents and even some ingredients found in hand cleansers themselves like pumice and solvents.

CCOHS reports that skin disease, like contact dermatitis, accounts for approximately 35 percent of all cases of occupational illness, and in Ontario alone, 1,000 compensation claims are reported for contact dermatitis annually. Additionally, according to the Center for Economic Vitality at Western Washington University, 77 percent of shops offer medical coverage but only 33 percent of shops offer paid sick days.

This can have an incredible effect on a shop’s efficiency and bottom line as well as the workers’ well-being.

While many autoworkers think skin irritation is an unavoidable part of their job, new products provide significant prevention and relief from this painful and often costly problem. How can workers protect themselves from developing dangerous

skin disease in the shop? As a leader in workplace skin care, Deb has put together a few skin care best practices.

• Not ever y hand cleaning job requires a heavy-duty cleanser. It is best to use the gentlest cleanser for the particular condition.

CONTACT INJURIES MAY BE THE MOST PREVALENT, BUT THEY ARE NOT THE ONLY TYPE OF OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS THAT AUTOMOTIVE WORKERS FACE. • For the tougher jobs, choose handcle ansing pro duc ts wit h natura l scrubbers, like cornmeal or walnut shell scrubbers. They will be better on hands and won’t clog the drains.

• Many cleansers in industrial and automotive settings contain dangerous ingredients like solvents or pumice

Soap and water can remove moisture from the hands. Creams and lotions can help to restore moisture and maintain the skin’s resilience.

40 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

that can remove the skin’s natural oils. Instead, try a low-solvent or solvent-free hand cleanser.

• Workers in an automotive setting primarily work with their hands and generally cannot use obstructive personal protective equipment (PPE), like gloves. However, if and w he n worke rs d o us e PPE , t he y should be used in accordance with the instructions.

• Protective prework creams can be used under gloves or without gloves to help prevent skin irritation, maintain healthy skin and can make skin cleansing easier.

• After cleansing hands, the skin can lose important oils and moisture.

An after-work conditioning cream should be used to balance and replenish the moisture in the skin.

• No t o n l y c a n h a n d s g e t s o i l e d , but rags and clothing can, as well.

Workers should frequently change soiled clothes and keep dirty rags out of pockets to keep hands from getting re-soiled.

• The location of cleansing products in the shop can make a huge difference in compliance. Many times, bottles and tubes of product can get misplaced, so the installation of wall-mounted product dispensers is highly encouraged.

• If skin problems occur, they should be reported and cared for right away to prevent further damage.

Just as auto mechanics take care of and repair automobiles, the mechanics and their managers must learn to take care of their skin. To become and stay a top performing shop, managers need a healthy and productive workforce.

With quality products and proper skin care knowledge, the occurrence of skin disease in the automotive industry can be significantly reduced, protecting workers and saving time and money. CRM Patrick Boshell is the Canadian Marketing D irec tor for D eb Group ; the world’s leading away-from-home skin care company. Deb’s KrestoGT heavyduty automotive hand cleansers are engineered exclusively for automotive professionals. For more information, please visit krestogt.com.

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Capital Investment Star Motors Autobody in Ottawa uses Mitchell RepairCenter to keep everything flowing smoothly.

T

here’s something to be said for specialization. The best tool for the job is one that is designed for that exact purpose.

When Kyle Strong started as Manager of Star Motors Auto Body in Ottawa, the collision facility was using the same management system as the affiliated dealerships. This made a certain amount of sense, as the facility is certified under both the Honda and Mercedes-Benz programs, but Strong found the system limiting.

“It was good for storing customer information and getting repair orders opened, but it was not dedicated to the collision industry,” he says. “Mitchell RepairCenter is great because it is specially geared towards the auto body industry. We can effectively manage all aspects of a collision repair job within the software program.”

Strong says since RepairCenter was specifically designed for repair facilities it offers more flexibility and power than a generic system, noting that they can now enter customer information, notes, order parts, attach photos, print work orders and even pay techs and other staff from inside RepairCenter.

“The palpable results of having all of this information available through one system is the ability to efficiently manage the operation,” says Strong. “My father, who also works in the industry, once told me when he manages a shop the first thing he does is take measurements of the shops vitals. The saying ‘If you can measure it … then you can manage it’ comes to mind often when thinking of the benefits of this system.”

Strong says those benefits include the ability for RepairCenter to pull reports, confirm parts markups, cycle times and tech efficiency rates, among hundreds of other KPI measurements. This is a huge benefit for anyone trying to manage an operation.

The team from Star Motors Autobody during the Ottawa stop on the Mitchell Road Show.

It’s easy for profit to slip through the cracks if you’re not managing each job individually.

Mitchell’s RepairCenter helps you keep track of even the smallest detail without endlessly poring over reports and repair orders.

“Profit doesn’t have to be a bad word, and should be the focus of having any tool in a shop,” says Strong. “Mitchell RepairCenter is one of the best tools we have here, and it allows us to correct even the smallest issues we could have.”

Strong provides an example, noting that they had set a markup with a certain supplier, but the system showed the supplier was not holding up their end of the deal by a few percentage points.

“It may seem small at first but multiplied over weeks, months and years every little bit of profit adds up,” he says. “This system takes the guesswork out of pulling reports and dicing the numbers and provides the

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While RepairCenter excels at managing repairs and workflow, the advantages of the system don’t stop there.

“Mitchell RepairCenter has a great Customer Experience Management tool that provides surveys to our clients post repair,” says Strong. “Our goal is obviously to get a perfect score on every vehicle we repair, but in a circumstance where we can improve, this narrows down specific areas where we can focus when a customer provides feedback during the survey.”

RepairCenter is web-based, which allows for constant evolution. Strong also sees this as a major benefit.

“It changes to meet the demands of the people who use it,” he says. “ The ever changing face of this industry needs a management system that can keep up and not be left behind.”

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INDUSTRY EVENT

BUILDING MOMENTUM IN MOTOR CITY NACE’s return to Detroit promises to be bigger and better.

By Melissa Hayes

I

t was the year the best selling album of all time was released—Michael Jackson’s Thriller—the compact disc player was introduced to the masses and Time Magazine’s Man of the Year wasn’t a man, but a computer, when the International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) first made its debut back in 1982.

Over three decades later, the tradeshow for automotive professionals may look a little different, having altered with time, changing form and venue, but at its core its purpose remains the same. “ W h e n NAC E w a s fou n d e d i n t h e 80s, the mission was to provide a place for the industry to come together, and to share industry knowledge,” says ASA President and Executive Director Dan Risley. “It’s continued to be, and probably will forever remain, a place where owners, managers and decision makers gather. And with the advent of all the recent changes with the way cars are being

manufactured, NACE has again become the place to go to get the most current information on today’s cars, and to get that information before anybody else.”

Touch i ng dow n on Det roit ’s C obo Center for the second consecutive year, the event is shaping up to surpass the successes of last year’s convention—which some might consider a rebound for the conference and exposition, ser ving to breathe new life and momentum into an annual tradition. Garnering even more participation from industry and famous personalities, interest in the 2015 show is increasing and attendance is up.

“We’re expecting a much larger audience than we had last year, what that number looks like, it’s just too early to tell, but I can tell you that this time last year we had about 1,000 rooms sold for the show. This year, we’re over 2,200, so it’s double the rooms booked compared to last year,” says Brian Nessen of Stone Fort Group, the show’s management team.

Detroit’s Cobo Center is set to house an increased number of exhibitors.

The Expo is known as one of the event’s main attractions.

Running from July 21 to 25 with Motor City serving as a backdrop, this year’s instalment also features an expanded exhibit space of 70,000 sq. ft.—a bump of about 23,500 sq. ft. compared to 2014. Filling Cobo Center’s Halls A and B, the convention is set to offer a plethora of training, forums and live demonstrations.

JUNE 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 45

INDUSTRY EVENT

CCIF will be returning for the 2015 instalment. Pictured: David Lingham, Michael Macaluso, Tony Canade, and Vincent Romans.

Attendees will have the opportunity to sit in on a number of educational sessions with focuses on certification facts and myths and their benefits to collision shops, new technologies in vehicles and refinish products, colour matching and paint shop productivity, refining processes and reducing cycle time, structural bonding, plastic welding, adhesives and sealers, as well as exploring the repair methods required by today’s vehicles.

“We’ve added a ton of training to this year’s content, and a lot of it is OEM-focused. We’ve had OEM training in the past, but we’ve never had the amount of OEM training that we’re going to have this year,” Risley says, noting participating automakers include Volkswagen, Honda, BMW, Chrysler, Toyota, GM and Ford, among others.

Highlights of this year’s lineup, Risley adds, will be the debut of cutting edge repair processes and training applied to the latest vehicle models.

“Several of the OEMS are offering these classes for the first time ever during NACE,” he says. “GM has an aluminum repair class focusing on the Cadillac CT 6, Honda is offering a training class that includes their new Honda Certified Repair Program, and Chrysler will

be zeroing in carbon fibre repairs—all of which, again, has never been done before.”

In addition, I-CAR will be providing a host of training courses to NACE delegates, including sessions on the latest trends in vehicle technology, how to replace steel unitized structures, steering and suspension damage analysis, and an aluminum repair

46 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

training course for the 2015 Ford F-150.

Show goers will have the chance to rub elbows with industry figures such as Chip Foose, Gas Monkey Garage’s KC Mathieu, Bogi Lateiner of the reality series All Girls Garage, and NHRA’s John and Brittany Force—who are set to keynote the ASA Celebration of Excellence on July 22. NA-

Simpson Communication’s Kristen Simpson, Collision Repair magazine Publisher Darryl Simmons, Steck Manufacturing’s John Brill, and Gloria Mann at the publicaiton’s 2014 Canada Night.

INDUSTRY EVENT

The show flloor will feature added attractions with an expanded exhibit space of 70,000 sq. ft.

NACE hosts various training sessions, forums, and networking opportunities.

Chip Foose is one of many industry figures slated to attend NACE 2015.

SCAR’s Brad Kelowski will also be on hand to address the general session on July 23.

Building on the popularity of last year’s live demonstrations featuring spraying, welding and scan tool technology, NACE organizers are expanding the number of spray booths on the show floor—but that’s not all they have in store.

“As a unique experience, the fire marshal has approved a designated area for drivable vehicles to showcase the latest advancements in technology as it relates to telematics,” Risley says.

Another notable revision to the event is the return of the newly revamped MSO Symposium.

“Last year it was the Collision Repair Executive Symposium (CRES), in an effort to try to change it up a little bit and we got some good feedback, some people liked it and some people didn’t,” says Nessen. “But we went back to the drawing board, and what we’ve done is pulled together an advisory board made up of MSOs, and that’s what is guiding the content as opposed to the association or show management. It falls in line with this entire event being a conference and exposition by the industry for the industry.”

Illustrating this very sentiment, NACE 2015 will once again coincide with Industry Week,

“NACE HAS AGAIN BECOME THE PLACE TO GO TO GET THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION ON TODAY’S CARS, AND TO GET THAT INFORMATION BEFORE ANYBODY ELSE.” - DAN RISLEY, ASA PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

joining events and meetings from Collision Industry Conference (CIC), Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), Motor Equipment Remanufacturers Association (MERA), National Auto Body Council (NABC), Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS),

This year’s event promises even more live demonstrations, including the addition of a designated area for running vehicles.

Collision Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA), and Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF)—which Nessen says required a larger space this year, and speaks to a growing Canadian connection to the event.

With so much to offer, it’s no surprise that the convention has seen a peak in growth in recent years, with thousands flocking to the event from 26 other countries outside of the US and Canada. But increased hands-on training, live demos and celebrity appearances aside, Nessen says the convention’s real draw comes from the industry itself and its hunger to stay current and ahead of the game as a whole.

“With NACE, you have people from the industry who are intimately involved in the content, in determining what’s most important right now,” says Nessen. “In doing so, they attract their peers—other shop owners, other MSOs, other stakeholders—to come grow their businesses through education and knowledge of the new technology and the latest advancements in repair.

“And the fact is, the event has been around for 33 years, it’s got some history behind it, it’s got some brand equity, so when people hear about NACE, they know what it means.

It’s not something new to them.“ CRM

JUNE 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 47

INDUSTRY EVENTS

Sea Further Fix Auto takes to the ocean waves for its annual conference.

By Adrien Montoya

F

ix Auto’s annual conference is always an opportunity to discuss best practices with like-minded professionals as well as build friendships and bonds for the future. The conference has moved from location to location on a yearly basis, but this year the location moved with the conference.

The national network of collision repair shops held its conference on a cruise ship, the Oasis of the Seas. The ship is of the Oasis class, and a strong contender for largest cruise ship in the world. The Allure of the Seas is longer by less than 50 millimetres, and some people say that the difference in length is down to temperature variation.

It was a fitting setting for Fix Auto’s conference. While the ship offers a world-class experience in terms of luxury and customer, there’s no question that the ship had the capacity and power to get the job done.

“Work hard, play hard certainly applies to our network,” says Carl Brabander, Vice President of Marketing for Fix Auto Canada.

This year there was much to celebrate for Fix Auto, including double-digit growth in same-store sales, and opening 25 new shops in the past six months. In total, the Fix Auto network consists of 360 locations spread over five countries. Canada is where the Fix Auto story began, but the network has since spread to the US, Mexico, France, and the UK. The ship’s journey in the Caribbean included stops in the Bahamas and St.-Maarten, as well as numerous presentations and seminars.

ABOVE and BELOW: There were plenty of opportunities to promote the Fix Auto brand while still enjoying sun and surf.

“The general theme of this year’s presentations focused on trends in the industry and harnessing our entrepreneurial spirit of innovation to capitalize on change,” says Brabander. “Specifically, we looked into the growth of banners and corporate networks, the challenges of rapidly evolving automotive technologies, and the shortage of professional talent in our industry.”

Fix Auto’s wide area of operations means the network can bring tools and practices from one area to another. This essentially means less time reinventing the wheel.

“Innovation from our network in the U.K. has spawned new shop processes that we may be introducing in Canada next year,” says Brabander.

In addition to the multitude of competitive activities onboard, there were daily teambuilding activities, informal gatherings, and dinners together in one of the ship’s restaurants.

For more information, please visit fix auto.com. CRM

48 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

INDUSTRY EVENTS

Fix Auto conference attendees gather on the beach. The conference drew attendees from around the world.

Milo Chebly, Angham Chebly from Fix Auto Mississauga East, Dominique and Jean Laoureux from Fix Auto Casselman, Joanna O'Keefe and Daryll O'Keefe, GM of Fix Auto Ontario.

Dan Hogg, CFO Fix Auto Canada; Jennifer Hogg; Paul Randles, General Manager, Fix Auto Atlantic; Kelly Polito, Assistant General Manager, Fix Auto Western Canada.

The official welcome cocktail reception took place at Epic Hotel in Miami.

Daryll O'Keefe, General Manager, Fix Auto Ontario.

Carlos Salsa, Fix Auto Dollard des Oreau Centre-ville + Verdun; Francois Castelon, Fix Auto Carrefour Laval; Carl Brabander, National VP Marketing; Phil Ewbanic, Fix Auto UK - Fix Auto Rochdale; Milo Chebly, Fix Auto Mississauga East.

Opening address onboard the Oasis of the Seas.

The team from Fix Auto UK, showing typical British reserve.

JUNE 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 49

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Ultra-Ever Dry first made headlines when Nissan Europe posted a video following a halfcoated Note traveling through a messy, muddy terrain.

CLEAN MACHINES Advancing technologies are inching the industry closer to a future of self-cleaning cars.

By Melissa Hayes

I

n April 2014, Nissan Europe posted a YouTube video debuting what t he OEM deemed t he ver y f i rst self-cleaning car. The one-minute foot a ge fol lows a wh ite Nis s a n Note as it speeds through a messy, mucky terrain. One side of the car remains untouched through every muddy splash as the dirty water rolls right off, like magic.

The video went viral.

But the attention-grabbing clip didn’t rely on hocus pocus or sneaky camera tr ick s to ea r n its a l most f ive mi l l ion views. The prototype’s mud-resistant half was treated in a new breed of nano paint technology, Ultra-Ever Dry. Supplied by Florida-based UltraTech International, t he superhyd roph ic a nd oleopobic coating was developed by a group of sci-

Ultra-Ever Dry repels an array of environmental elements, including rain, spray, frost, sleet and dirt — as seen on this half-treated Nissan Note.

JUNE 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 51

TECHNOLOGY

A SPOTLESS SOLUTION ULTRA-EVER DRY’S OTHER USES Ultra-Ever Dry may have gotten its break repelling mud and chocolate syrup splattered onto the hoods of Nissan vehicles, but the product has seen a variety of ap-

entists and chemists to create a protective umbrella of air between the treated surface and the environment — effectively repelling dirt, rain, spray, frost, sleet and the occasional bird dropping.

Following the success of its European counterpart, Nissan North America prov ided a si m i la r demonst r at ion a few months later, this time featuring the zero emission electric Nissan LEAF, labeling it the world’s cleanest car.

“This is one LEAF that never has to stop at gas stations — not even for a car wash,” Nissan North America’s VP of Product Planning Pierre Loing said at the time of the demo, hinting at potential application of the technology to the OEM’s standard line.

While UltraTech International intro-

duced Ultra-Ever Dry to great reception last year, according to CEO Mark Shaw, the two-decade old company specializing in spill containment has been working on setting their sights even higher.

“Ultra-Ever Dry is going to be great for automotive use in covering electronics, motherboards or electrical connections, but as far as coating paint with it, it gives off a slight whitish colour,” he says. “The new tech nolog y we have comi ng out, Gentoo, was developed by the US military to coat the canopies of F16 fighter jets. It’s hydrophobic, but with a ver y low sliding angle and it’s clear and abrasion resistant, so we think it’s a better fit for application of a car’s paint, windows, bumpers, lenses, wheels, rims, and un-

plications since its launch.

For example, in March of this year, an interest group in Hamburg, Germany’s nightclub district treated the exterior of two local hotspots with the nano coating in an effort to discourage public urination — reportedly a growing problem in the area. Signs were posted on each building in both German and English reading, “Do not pee here! We pee back!”

The technology has also extended its uses to the waterproofing of drones and quadcopters in tests conducted by product supplier UltraTech International. During testing, the company drove a treated drone

Above: Harnessing nano technology, Ultra-Ever Dry coating creates a protective barrier of air between the surface and the environment, causing liquids to roll right off.

Left: Ultra-Ever Dry has been shown to effectively shield electronics, like the motherboard pictured, from accidental spills and water damage.

into a pond, and the craft reemerged unharmed, continuing to fly.

Additionally, Ultra-Ever Dry has found its way inside outdoor soft drink machines to help the interiors resist rusting and corrosion caused by humidity and moisture seeping into the machines.

The concrete and mining industries have also tried the product, applying it to equipment and accessories, and UltraTech has had success treating Brazil’s electric buses to stop the vehicles from shorting when travelling through flooded streets.

52 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Nissan North America demoed the self-cleaning technology on the zero emission electric LEAF, pegging it the world’s cleanest car.

TECHNOLOGY

derside — really you could coat an entire vehicle’s exterior.”

To tack le the interior, the company recently released the omniphobic fabric treatment EverShield, another development from the US military, designed to cut down on laundry while in battle.

“It lasts 30 to 50 washes, and makes fabric self-cleaning,” Shaw says. “ The treated fabric feels and looks the same, except you could throw ketchup, mud, concrete or water on it, and it’s just going to roll right off.”

While it may seem like UltraTech International has succeeded in its aim to have the automotive market literally covered, it doesn’t stop there. Aveho, a third technology the company has obtained the rights to from inventor Kimberly Clark, works to control and neutralize odours, including those found inside the average car. The product is set to become available this summer.

While widespread application of these advanced technologies in the auto industr y is yet to happen, with growing interest from three other major, international OEMs in addition to Nissan, a future of self-cleaning cars seems entirely possible, if not inevitable.

“Nissan and UltraTech have continued meeting and exploring ways for the two companies to work together, potentially integrating some of UltraTech’s technologies into future vehicles,” says Nissan North America’s Product PR Manager, Josh Clifton.

With a world without car washes seemingly on the horizon, it begs the question, what kind of domino effect will the shift

“IF YOU’VE GOT VEHICLES THAT ARE SELFCLEANING SO THAT WHEN IT RAINS, THEY GET CLEANED, OR THEY JUST DON’T GET AS DIRTY TO BEGIN WITH, THERE’S GOING TO BE A LOT OF WATER SAVED YEAR AFTER YEAR.” – MARK SHAW, ULTRATECH INTERNATIONAL CEO

have on collision repair centre owners and their techs?

“It’s just a very typical air spray, f low or dip coat type of operation,” Shaw says.

“If you had Gentoo coating on your ve-

hicle, for example, and you had a fender t hat had to be replaced, and it wasn’t coated, then a shop would be in a position where they could order the product in and apply it themselves.”

He says t he ma i ntena nce of each produc t va ries, w it h treatments of Ultra-Ever Dry lasting several years on electronics, and one to two on a vehicle’s underside. The soon to be released Gentoo is still undergoing testing, but the company is hoping to see a minimum of four to five years between re-coatings.

The story is the same for Aveho.

A lt h ou g h t h e c o mp a ny ’s pr i m a r y focus is to provide a long lasting and convenient solution to maintaining a clean car — from top to bottom — UltraTech hasn’t overlooked their products’ additional benefits.

“Every time you wash your car, you use about 50 gallons of water. And there’s about a bi l l ion veh icle s i n t he world today,” Shaw says. “If you make some assumption on how often they get washed, there’s an awful lot of water that’s being wasted washing vehicles.

“If you’ve got vehicles that are selfcleaning so that when it rains, they get cleaned, or they just don’t get as dirty to begin with, there’s going to be a lot of water saved year after year.”

Shaw adds that cleaner windows, headlights, head lamps and lenses increase safety and work to decrease the chance of accidents and resulting fatalities.

“Our vision for the future is that vehicles will not only be cleaner, but much safer and better for the environment,” he says. CRM

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The staff of CSN – 427 Auto Collision was joined by partners and CSN corporate staff during the official ceremony.

Inside GOLD Class

C

anad a has emb arke d on a new era in I-CAR Gold Class recognition, and it s t a r t e d at C SN - 4 2 7 Auto Collision in Toronto, Ontario. The facility was formally announced as the first in Canada to achieve the recognition under the new program requirements. The facility received its Gold Class plaque as part of a special ceremony involving representatives of I-CAR and the collision centre.

I-CAR Canada has revised the program. Is your facility ready to go for Gold?

By Mike Davey

Requirements for I-CAR Canada Gold Class were revised significantly in 2014, according to Andrew Shepherd, Executive Director of I-CAR Canada.

“Under I-CAR’s Professional Development Program, shops must now have a Platinum recognized individual in each of four key repair roles,” says Shepherd.

“This was a major improvement to Gold Class recognition, and CSN – 427 Auto Collision has really stepped up to the challenge.”

Gold Class recognition requires a greater degree of skill and knowledge from collision repairers across a variety of disciplines to ensure the highest quality of work within a given facility. All staff must complete at least two I-CAR courses, and at least one refinish technician, one non-structural technician, one steel structural technician, and one estimator must hold Platinum Certification. The facility must also maintain a current I-CAR Canada welding certification. What is it about those positions that make them so vital?

JUNE 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 55

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Woosung Kang proudly displays the plaque officially noting his status as a Platinum Individual in the area of Refinish Technician.

Thomas Grunstein, right, and Andrew Shepherd of I-CAR. Grunstein is certified as a Platinum Individual in the area of Steel Structural Technician.

Larry French of CSN Collision Centres, Lorenzo and Frank D’Alessandro of CSN - 427 Auto Collision, Andrew Shepherd of I-CAR, and Flavio Battilana of CSN Collision Centres at the ceremony that recognized the facility as the first I-CAR Gold Class facility under the revamped program.

“Those are really the four key areas for determining if a facility is worthy to be called Gold Class,” says Shepherd. “When we’re discussing repair quality, those are the areas that have the most impact. A poorly prepared estimate can seriously affect the final work, even if it’s just a matter of slowing down delivery. That both steel structural technicians and non-structural technicians must unfailingly produce high-quality work almost goes without saying. Refinish isn’t just about appearance, although that’s important as well. A bad paint job may result in comebacks, low-

ering the facility’s overall efficiency.”

Lorenzo D’Alessandro, owner of CSN – 427 Auto Collision, sees the value of ensuring that a facility has highly trained and skilled staff in those four positions. D’Alessandro is himself one of the Platinum individuals at the facility, filling the role of Estimator.

“What Gold Class says is that we’ve got the training to stay on top of our game, but anyone who wants to achieve it needs to know that it’s not a permanent thing,” he says. “You have to keep training to keep the status, and that’s the way it should be.

56 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

You’ve got to keep up or you fall behind.”

The official ceremony began with Rosanna Armata of CSN - 427 Auto Collision welcoming attendees and discussing the importance of continuous training, noting that the facility is only as good as the people who work there. Armata then introduced Shepherd, who outlined the new Gold Class and called the Platinum Individuals to the front, presenting each with the appropriate plaque, before presenting the Gold Class plaque to D’Alessandro.

“It’s a very exciting industry,” says D’Alessandro, noting that vehicles are continuing to advance and add new features, so collision repairers must do the same. “It all takes training, and it all takes technology.”

The four Platinum Individuals recognized at the event are: • Woosung Kang - Refinish Technician • M i k e A r a u j o - N o n - S t r u c t u r a l Technician • Thomas Grunstein - Steel Structural Technician • Lorenzo D’Alessandro - Estimator For more information on Platinum individual and Gold Class statuses, please visit i-car.ca. CRM

PRIDE. PASSION. SKILL. You work hard, every day, getting customers back on the road and keeping the engine of the business running. You’re the last line of defense between the customer and their next accident.

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Towing and storage panel holds fourth and final Bill 15 meeting

Ottawa police stage crashes, fine towers

Towing and storage panel members met on April 14 to wrap a series of discussions concerning the Ontario government’s Bill 15.

The fourth and final instalment touched on previous meetings held throughout early 2015, and the next steps of the consultation process.

The previous March 25 meeting dealt with tow and vehicle storage processes, the reduction of the notice period and its impact, fair value for towing/storage services, and incident management — which members identified as a key issue and foundational to addressing broader issues.

Stakeholders discussed lessening overcrowding at collision scenes and coordinating efficient responses from police and tow truck operators. The panel said they were concerned about the “first on the scene” model, suggesting incorporating towing, law enforcement, fire, rescue and emergency medical services while coordinating a multi-party operation to detect, respond to, and clear traffic incidents.

Members also talked about a standardized provincial model, compared to a parallel municipal and provincial system, believing a streamlined framework is fundamental to developing an effective and efficient set of regulations that will aid the province’s aim to reduce insurance rates for consumers.

Meetings held February 19 and March 3 fo-

Ottawa police are staging collisions to crack down on citywide “tow truck wars,” where unauthorized towers race to be first on the scene.

Sgt. John Kiss told Metro News the tactic is in response to the growing number of tow operators in violation of the city’s bylaw — prohibiting tow trucks from parking or offering services within 100 metres of a collision.

Sharkey’s Towing and Road Service operator Edwin Weber doesn’t count himself among the collision chasers, but says accidents can serve as a “free for all” for local towers.

Weber joined five out of seven tow truck drivers fined on March 10 after arriving on the scene of a two-car crash near West Hunt Club and Highway 416. He says two of the responding drivers were assigned jobs, adding that it’s at the discretion of the officer when it comes to who is chosen and who walks away with a fine — Weber, finding himself in the latter camp, was charged $175. He says he happened upon the accident by chance.

“Often my work is downright dangerous,” says Weber, who regularly puts in 12-hour days. “It’s hard-earned money and for the cops to just go ahead and take it from me for no good reason is not right.”

He says the implementation of a proper dispatching service would work to regulate calls and decrease illegal collision chasing.

Kiss adds that the city’s three collision reporting centres aren’t helping the issue, allowing drivers to report minor crashes instead of waiting for the authorities to do so, attracting towers to scenes where they often aren’t needed.

By mid-March of this year, 19 tow truck drivers had been ticketed in comparison to 2014’s total of 27.

cused on the definition of a tow truck, hours of service, inspections, weight compliance, tow truck driver training, visual identifiers, type and amount of insurance coverage required, record keeping and reporting for consumer protection, authorization for services, access to property inside a vehicle, and disclosure of a tow or storage operator’s financial interest in a related facility.

The project team met with the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) on April 9, and held a separate meeting on the same date with a group of tow operators to gather feedback.

The towing and vehicle storage panel is established by the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services (MGCS) and the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) to develop a public consultations and recommendations report on potential regulations to support the implementation of MGCS and MTO led amendments in respect of towing and vehicle storage services as set out in Bill 15 — which was passed by the province on November 20, 2014.

To view Bill 15 online, as well as its status and minutes, please visit ontla.on.ca.

Those with questions on concerns regarding the bill and how it may affect the industry are encouraged to contact Collision Industry Information Assistance (CIIA) at 1-866-309-4272, or by email at info@ciia.com.

BC judge grants injured tower close to $260K A BC Supreme Court judge awarded a former tow truck driver almost $260,000 in damages for long-term injuries stemming from a collision on Highway 97.

The Prince George Citizen reports Robert Curry’s tow truck was rear-ended on February 24, 2012 while responding to a call.

The 44-year-old loaded the defendant’s vehicle onto his truck, not yet feeling injuries that have since rendered him unable to work.

Justice Ron Tindale found the actions of the defendants, Paul Powar and Northern Tire Capital Ltd., caused hip and neck injury, chronic pain, and depression, awarding the victim $100,00 in non-pecuniary damages.

Curry is also to recieve $72,000 for loss of future earning capacity, $58,240 for past wage loss, $20,543.68 for pain clinic costs and $8,000 for loss of housekeeping capacity, bringing damages to a total of $258,783.68.

For advertising inquiries, please contact Mike Davey at 905-370-0101 or advertising@collisionrepairmag.com.

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CONTENTS Recycling News......................60- 67 OARA Convention future-focused, Don Fraser takes home Chairman’s Award and much, much more.

Recycler’s View............................68

by David Gold

OARA Convention embraces future trends and technology

Ron Sturgeon delivered the keynote address during the 2015 OARA Convention, held in Markham, Ontario.

According to Ron Sturgeon, the future may have arrived while we weren’t looking. Sturgeon spoke to this point during his keynote address at the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association (OARA) Convention, held March 27 and 28 at the Hilton Markham Suites Conference Centre in Markham, Ontario.

“The future is going to be exciting,” says Sturgeon. “But if you keep doing what you have been doing, you will keep getting what you have been getting. Those that are changing are doing well now and will continue to do well.”

Steve Fletcher opened the conference before introducing the day’s first speaker, Summerhill Impact’s Janet Taylor, who provided updates on OARA and Summerhill’s cooperative environmental action projects, including Grants in Gear, Switch Out, and Tundra Takeback.

Sturgeon’s address followed, focusing on how automotive recyclers can embrace future trends and technology.

Robert and Chad Counts of Counts Business Consulting took to the podium next, with “Three Things You Must Do to Survive and Grow in 2015.”

The first is almost deceptively simple: buy inventory.

“If you don’t buy consistently, you can’t staff consistently,” Robert says. “There are times when you have too much work for your staff, and times when you have no work for your staff.”

Overpaying for staff decreases capital available to purchase salvage, lowering inventory value, and leading to fewer searches and lookups, and further decreasing sales.

The second is leveraged employees. According to the Counts, this comes down to creating a winning environment by rewarding success and managing failure.

The third item, control of cash flow, relates back to the first two points. Wages paid to inefficient employees means less money is available to acquire inventory, which must

Continued on page 62.

60 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

DON FRASER RECEIVES CHAIRMAN’S AWARD The Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association (OARA) recently honoured one of its own with the Chairman’s Award during the recycling association’s annual trade show and convention.

OARA Chairman Wally Dingman took the stage at the event — which ran from March 26 to 28 — to recognize the efforts of AADCO Auto Parts’ Don Fraser, who was named the 2015 recipient of the Chairman’s Award.

“The success of any great organization rests in its people,” Dingman says. “I have worked with Don for the past seven years, and his dedication to our industry is remarkable. “ A s c h a i r o f t h e Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n Committee, he has been an advocate for our members to ensure proper handling of products, as well as fair treatment of our members.”

Dingman says it’s been a pleasure to work with some of the top people in the auto recycling industry, all of whom are fully dedicated to making OARA the best it can be.

He says Fraser has especially stepped up as a strong presence within the business.

“Don has represented our members in our many dealings with the Ontario Tire Stewardship, and was instrumental in turning scrap tires into dreams for kids through the annual Tire Take Back Continued on page 63.

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OARA Convention ... continued from page 60.

grow for the business to grow. Also, major expenses in the short term rob resources used to generate sales.

The focus on inventory continued with Dwight Howard of ARA Salvage Direct’s on methods of salvage acquisition.

In discussing virtual auctions, Howard spoke on the benefits and disadvantages to insurers and recyclers.

“You’re looking at between $200 to $300, just in fees,” says Howard. “That’s a big problem, especially for carriers. There are negative value vehicles that go to auction at a loss.”

Howard next outlined non-traditional sources of salvage acquisition, such as charity donations, towers, fleets, and municipal ordinances. He identified low bids and the elimination of fees as pros, and low value and poor maintenance as cons.

Howard wrapped up with a look at ARA Direct, a program designed to connect buyers and sellers, while mitigating fees.

Fletcher next introduced Car-Part.com’s Jeff Schroder, who discussed optimizing recycled part usage in the collision repair industry. Noting factors impacting recy-

cled parts usage, he provided comparative statistics for various situations in the US and Canada, as well as stats for Ontario.

Schroder concluded with a look at the collision repair/recycler workflow, noting Car-Part.com’s real-time communication between the systems, in addition to recyclers, insurers, and repairers.

He also discussed how Car-Part.com is integrated with OEConnection. This puts the recycled, aftermarket, and new OE parts all on the screen at once, for comparison.

“We think the recycled parts stand a good chance of winning, as long as you’re providing the right things,” says Schroder.

“These marketplaces are integrating. You need to show off the quality of the services you can provide with your parts.”

Michael Angeli and Chris Budion of Hollander were next to the stage, delivering information on new strategic tools from Hollander, including Powerlink Ad Hoc Reporting, a new tool to access and analyze the data within the Powerlink system, and CoreConnect, which determines the potential value of cores in stock. Finally, Angeli and Budion discussed

OARA Executive Director Steve Fletcher.

InPart Collision and InPart Mechanical, a single source procurement tool for all part types. This is in testing four different markets. The goal is to have it available early this summer.

NEW GRANTS IN GEAR WINNERS ANNOUNCED The Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC) and Summerhill Impact have announced the winners of the Grants in Gear program.

Each submission was evaluated by a five-member jury, looking for an applicant’s potential to achieve their stated environmental results and deliver against their proposed work plan and budget.

The winners, located throughout Alberta and Ontario, will each receive up to $25,000 to help execute their programs and advance the environmental outcomes of their automotive-related projects.

“The review committee was impressed with the caliber of applications this year,” says Teresa Di Felice, Director, Government and Community Relations of CAA South Central Ontario. “The winners represent the exciting programs happening in Canada to address sustainability in the automotive and transportation sectors by addressing real-life situations and educational opportunities.”

The four winners are as follows: 1. University of Waterloo Alternative Fuels Team, who will convert a 2016 Chevrolet Camaro into a hybrid vehicle decreasing the vehicle’s emissions, while increasing its efficiency and maintaining its performance.

2. Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER)(in partnership with Fort Albany First Nation (FAFN), Moosonee Transport Limited and Summerhill Impact), who will develop a long-term Waste Management Plan to recycle and responsibly manage endof-life vehicles in the Fort Albany First Nations community.

62 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

3. Inside Education, who will deliver the Clean Air Responsible Schools (CARS) education project to develop an education and action plan aimed at educating students about air quality, specifically related to idling, around their school.

4. Sustainable Waterloo Region, who have developed the TravelWise@School pilot project to implement School Travel Action Plans that will increase active transportation and reduce emissions of both students and parents.

Now in its second year, Grants in Gear is a nation-wide program that works to provide funding to Canadian environmental non-profit organizations to help achieve tangible results in emissions reductions or pollution prevention in the transportation sector and/or excellence in automotive recycling techniques.

To lear n more about ARC, please visit autorecyclers.ca.

For more information on Summerhill Impact, go to summerhill impact.org.

Chairman’s Award ... continued from page 60.

event to benefit the Sunshine Foundation,” he says.

Since its conception in 2010, the program has generated more than $800,000 for the charity, working to make the dreams of children suffering from severe disabilities or life-threatening illnesses come true.

“It gave me great pleasure to present the Chairman’s Award to Don, recog-

FORD WORKING WITH ARC ON ‘RECYCLE YOUR RIDE’ Ford of Canada is working with the Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC) to recycle customer’s 2008 model year or older vehicles for up to $2,500 toward the purchase or lease of a new Ford vehicle.

The program will run at Canadian Ford dealerships during May and June 2015.

Approximately 83 percent of an ave r a g e v e h i c l e ’s content by weight can be recycled. A release from Ford of Canada notes that this is just one reason why it is important for consumers to ensure that their end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) end up in the hands of a responsible automotive recycler or dismantler.

Canadian Ford dealers have helped more than 69,500 customers recycle their ride since 2009, and dealers will work directly with ARC to properly recycle each ELV. The Canadian Auto Recyclers Environmental Code (CAREC) was developed to help standardize the process for recycling ELVs and protect our water, air and soil from the harmful materials contained therein. The Code was developed by The Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC) to provide participating recyclers with the most relevant and up-to-date tools and information for the environmentally sound management of ELVs.

nizing his passion and dedication to our industry,” says Dingman.

OARA’s Chairman’s Award recipients are named at the discretion of the OARA Chairman, and intend to recognize associ-

ation members who go above and beyond the call to action in both their communities and within the auto recycling industry.

For more information on OARA, please visit the association online at oara.com.

Wally Dingman and AADCO’s Don Fraser.

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OARA Convention ... continued from page 62.

Mark Busan of the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries (CARI) rounded off the morning’s presentations, outlining recent accomplishments and the future direction of the organization.

The Trade Show portion of the event opened after the morning’s presentations, followed that evening by the Reception and Charity Casino.

Saturday’s session got underway with a breakfast address from David Gold, coowner of Standard Auto Wreckers and Secretary of the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA). Gold outlined what ARA does and why he has always found the organization and its meetings valuable.

“ARA gets in the middle of every issue

and is made aware of any law affecting our industry,” he says. “The staff are always approachable and willing to help on our behalf.”

A number of training sessions followed, presented by Ron Sturgeon, and Richard and Chad Counts. The OARA members meeting followed in the afternoon.

For more information, please visit oara.com.

JOINT AARDA/SARA CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON SAFETY Many professional recyclers made the trek home following a highly educational conference experience in Canmore, Alberta.

The historic occasion, held May 1 and 2 at the Coast Hotel & Conference Centre, marked the first ever joint conference of two associations: the Alberta Automotive Recyclers and Dismantlers Association (AARDA) and the Saskatchewan Automotive Recyclers Association (SARA).

The weather was pleasant and the scenery outstanding. After all, it was the Rockies. Both associations received a good deal of very positive comments from their direct and associate members that it was not only a lot of fun to be there, but also that the content was highly beneficial.

All present learned a lot in terms of how they need to use due diligence to make their workplaces safer, as this was the conference theme. Alberta Occupational Health made a presentation on Saturday morning that opened the eyes of many yard operators about safety hazards and how to prevent serious injuries in their workplaces.

These are issues that can lead to a lot of lost productivity, not to mention what might be termed “the human factor.” It was time well spent, and delegates paid close attention to the many ideas presented.

Wayne Lee, the highly acclaimed Alberta hypnotist led an entertaining session in the afternoon, showing how business owners and managers could make the choice to lead positively and by

AARDA and SARA held the first ever joint conference of two associations on May 1 and 2 in Canmore, Alberta.

doing so, energize their team members.

In addition, there was a wealth of information about the automotive recycling industry covered by sessions including: • An explanation by Steve Fletcher, ARC Managing Director, about auto recycling developments in Canada.

• Ed McDonald, ARA Past President described trends and what was happening at the global level.

• Garret Ellams of Evraz Recycling shared insights about the metal industry that buys crushed vehicles and processes them into steel for new uses, and described market forces.

64 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

• Colin McKean, Executive Director of the Automotive Recycling Environmental Association, spoke about important environmental issues and how recyclers could enhance their o p e r a t i o n s w h i l e a v o i d i n g f u t u re problems and liabilities.

There were a number of other s p e a k e r s , i n c l u d i n g re p re s e n t a t i v e s from the Alberta Motor Vehicle Industry Council, Summerhill Impact Group, CoPart.Com and Hollander.

The respective annual general meetings of AARDA and SARA were important parts of the conference, as usual.

“Much was learned, and much was shared, which you can always count on happening at events in our industry,” says AARDA Executive Director Ian Hope. “When considering that ‘information is power’ as the old saying goes, delegates surely returned to their yards empowered with new and practical ideas they could implement right away.

“That alone makes the conference investment for them worthwhile”.

The most memorable part of the conference will no doubt be the fraternizing, which was taken to a whole new level as a result of the Wayne Lee show after Saturday’s dinner.

Lee had many members of the industry up on stage talking like hillbillies and competing in an air fiddle competitions; one husky fellow doing a lusty and capable performance of a dance made famous by Beyonce Knowles; he had others jumping to their feet while pumping their fist into the air and shouting “I feel gooooooooood!” each time he used the word “scrap.”

This was the first joint conference held by Alberta and Saskatchewan, but judging from the results, it won’t be the last.

Corporate hypnotist Wayne Lee’s performance was a highlight of the event.

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Summerhill Impact report stresses need to clean up Canada’s North Summerhill Impact has released a report highlighting the crucial need to clean up toxic dumps prevalent across northern, remote regions of Canada.

Entitled Tundra Take-Back: Successful Recycling and Hazardous Waste Management, the report was made available for download on March 31.

“The report identifies a range of policy, infrastructure and financing barriers limiting progress on dump clean-up,” says Summerhill Impact Account Manager Janet Taylor. “We’ve piloted successful solutions to overcome these barriers, so our focus is now on securing the resources needed to get as many of these sites remediated as possible.”

Launching in 2014, the Tundra Take-Back program was designed to empower local communities to manage metal dumps, and in doing so, help keep toxic pollutants out of the environment. In its pilot year, the program trained 10 local community members and removed an unprecedented 31 tonnes of waste and recyclables from two Arctic communities.

Despite its success, the program is now facing a funding crisis as provincial and federal governments have yet to show interest in supporting the initiative.

Steve Fletcher, Managing Director of the Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC) says ARC “members are dedicated to recycling vehicles

to a strict environmental code, so supporting the transfer of best environmental practices to remote regions of Canada is a natural fit for our organization.”

While Summerhill Impact has received support from the auto recyling industry, in addition to the private sector and individuals, the organization says it simply isn’t enough. The program requires seed funding to test methods of making recycling as economically efficient as possible in remote locations. Without financial backing from relevant federal or territorial government departments, the program will not happen this year.

“We need a plan and action to address this problem or it will only worsen as northern development expands,” says Taylor. “Our report shows that northern populations are set to grow by 30 percent in the next 20 years, but we still don’t have sustainable waste management systems in place. The time is now for addressing this problem.”

To read the report in full, go to summerhillimpact.org/projects/ tundra-take-back/.

To learn more about the Tundra Take-Back program, or to donate, please visit fundrazr.com/campaigns/btbzf/ab/d3iVU4.

For more on Summerhill Impact, go to summerhillimpact.org.

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HOLLANDER LAUNCHES SNAP-IT APP IN NORTH AMERICA Hollander’s mobile app, Snap-It, is now available across North America.

Designed to simplify the photo capturing process for auto recyclers, the company released the app in the North American market on March 17.

With technology’s continuous shift towards mobile accessibility, the app — which had already launched in Australia, the UK and Spain — offers recyclers a tool aiming to reduce the time and hassle of image management.

Photos can be organized and edited in three steps on any Android-based phone or tablet, and imported directly into the Powerlink yard management system.

“We wanted to make Snap-It simple,” says Hollander Managing Director Anders Moeller. “Images have become vital to selling parts. We created a way to speed up and simplify the process, so our customers can easily get more parts with images online.

“In combination with our eLink tool, this offers our recycler customers an unparalleled eCommerce solution.”

Combined with Powerlink, Snap-It enables customers to list parts with images for sale on eBay, HollanderParts.com, Hollander’s parts database for parts brokering —EDEN — as well as customer’s own web sites.

Those interested in downloading the app should contact their account manager, or the Hollander Sales Team at 800-825-0644.

For more information on Hollander, please visit hollander solutions.com.

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APRIL 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 67

RECYCLING I

HILLDAY Associations let us take our messaging right to the top.

By David Gold

T

he Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) had a very busy first quarter, including the ARA Annual Hill Day, the ARA State Legislative Summit, the International Automobile Recycling Congress, and the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association’s Annual Convention.

The ARA Hill Day and State Legislative Summit in Washington gave association members the opportunity to educate members of Congress.

The Summit opened on March 16 with a sharing of information, including legislative successes and current issues faced by auto recyclers in the state legislatures. Led by Norman Wright, Govern-

call campaigns. In the coming weeks, ARA staff will be following up on the relationships that ARA members initiated and cultivated during these events.”

On March 25 to 27, ARA went international. ARA’s immediate Past President Ed MacDonald, also of Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC), spoke at the International Automobile Recycling Congress in Berlin on the subject “Certified End of Life Vehicle (ELV) Recycling in Canada’s Arctic.” Wilson was also in attendance as he continues building key relationships between ARA and the association’s global partners.

Additionally, ARA updated attendees about the association’s efforts related to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partners to gain access to OEM parts data.

ATTENDEES IDENTIFIED SEVERAL TOP ISSUES FACING THE INDUSTRY.

mental Affairs Committee Chairman and ARA Past President, and Jessica Andrews, Director of State Government Affairs, attendees identified several top issues facing the industry on the state level, including access to salvage and ELVs, efforts to incorporate NMVTIS reporting and enforcement into statute, building relationships with industry stakeholders and state governmental agencies, and the importance of keeping an eye on local and city regulations.

ARA members were treated to a special guest appearance by Speaker of the United States House of Representatives John A. Boehner (R-OH) on Monday afternoon, who spoke about major issues confronting the nation and the importance of staying involved.

On March 17, ARA was proud to have members representing 23 states engaging in more than 70 congressional meetings, with 25 of which occurring with the actual Members of Congress.

According to Wilson, “In addition to ARA members talking with their congressional delegations about the general industry issues and local concerns, they also educated policymakers about the need for auto manufacturers to provide parts data to all stakeholders in the automotive parts supply chain, especially in light of the ongoing and increasing re68 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

The 2015 International Automobile Recycling Congress featured two keynote speakers. The Secretary General of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association who highlighted “the role of the automotive industry in the context of ELV recycling,” while Volkswagen’s Chief Officer for Environment, Energy and New Business Areas shared his opinions on Environmental Protection-Driving Innovation.

Meeting planners of the 2015 Congress hosted 250 automotive recyclers and industry stakeholders.

ARA concluded its hectic first quarter March 26 to 28 at the annual convention of an affiliate chapter, the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association (OARA), in Toronto. It was at this event that I had the pleasure of introducing Ricky Young, ARA’s President. As the largest automotive recycling event and trade show in the country, this event draws recyclers, repairers, insurers and other industry supporters from across Canada, upstate New York and the greater New England area. CRM David Gold is the co-owner of Standard Auto Wreckers, with locations in Toronto, Ottawa, Port Hope, and Niagara Falls, New York. He can be reached by phone at 416-286-8686 or via e-mail at david@standardautowreckers.com.

LAST WORD

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Canada’s

ChoiCe Trusted. Timely. Relevant.

UNCULTURED Old dogs can learn new tricks ... sometimes.

By Mike Davey

W

e h e ar a l ot ab out something called “corporate culture.”

It’s one of those terms that seems to be rarely if ever defined. Instead, we just know what it is when we’re looking at it.

However, it’s impossible to say we really understand something if we don’t have a concrete definition, and

hair out dealing with the personality conflicts they cause on a daily basis.

Now imagine the lessons that they’re teaching other staff who come onboard later. They don’t have to say out loud that talent and skill are carte blanche for bad behaviour. They show it, and the other staff will absorb that lesson.

That’s the danger of letting corporate culture grow organically. You might

IMAGINE THE LESSONS THEY’RE TEACHING OTHER STAFF.

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70 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

you can forget about having a meaningful discussion. There needs to be agreement about the topic itself for that to take place.

Really, corporate culture comes down to the beliefs and behaviours that determine how staff interact, both with customers and with each other.

Sometimes corporate culture is very thoroughly defined by the folks at the top. Often, though, corporate culture develops on its own. It comes about organically, based on who the company hires and how they handle themselves.

There is nothing wrong with either method. However, allowing it to develop organically can have unintended consequences.

Say you hire an experienced technician to work in your facility. He (or she) works hard, produces quickly and always does a first-rate job. That person sounds great! Now assume they’re also a massive prima donna.

They treat the other members of the staff like trash, especially the younger ones. They may rarely make a mistake, but when they do, they refuse to take responsibility and instead blame it on other people. You’re appreciative of the work they do, but you’re tearing your

get something great, or you might get something awful.

That doesn’t mean that the only way forward is to draft some long document laying out the precise definitions of your corporate culture. Chances are that you already know what your culture is like. You may also know where your particular culture could use some improvement.

Each and every person hired by a business should help to reinforce the culture you want to see. Don’t be distracted by skill or talent. Those things are great, but they’re not a replacement for the ability to help move the business forward.

Positive culture starts at the top, but every single person makes a contribution. The product of a bad culture will likely bring those lessons with them. It might be possible for them to unlearn bad habits, but only if you give them a reason. An old dog can learn new tricks, but only if the dog wants to. CRM Mike Davey is the editor of Collision Repair magazine. He can be reached at 905-3700101 or via email at editor@ collisionrepairmag.com.

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