Collision Repair magazine 14#5, October 2015

DETAILS ON PAGE 6

SPECIAL FEATURE: CONNECTED CARS AND YOU

DETROIT DISPATCH

Complete from-the-floor coverage of the NACE Expo.

STAR Team

PRODUCTION PATH

Inside I-CAR’s new Production Management training path.

EUROVAC EXPANDS

Canadian company cracks the US market.

Chris and Matthew Stathonikos teamed up with Dave Stretz to form a CARSTAR MSO in Alberta.

PLUS

Digging into Wedge Clamp’s Stat Gun, Jeanne Marriott paints her way to 3M Grand Prize, full report on the 2015 CARSTAR Conference, and much, much more!

Volume 14, Number 5

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October 2015

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$4.95

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

COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Advanced Accelerating

Š2015 PPG Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. www.ppgrefinish.com Nexa Autocolor and Aquabase are registered trademarks of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.

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CONTENTS

ON THE COVER

Volume 14 Issue 5, October 2015

40 BIG PLAYERS Chris and Matthew Stathonikos and Dave Stretz make up CARSTAR’s CMD Group in Calgary, Alberta.

FEATURES 45 DRIVING CHANGE Connected cars and shifting technologies are redefining the insurance landscape.

52 EXECUTIVE VISION PPG’s Norm Angrove on marketing, tech, and the need for top-tier performance.

54 SUPPLY AND DEMAND Ontario-based supplier Eurovac is reaping the benefits of an industry trend.

59

64 FLAWLESS FINISH Wedge Clamp’s Stat Gun works to elimate static and reduce polish time.

Highlights from the 2015 NACE expo.

67 NEW GROUND I-CAR’s new training path puts the focus on a vital role: the production manager.

NEWS 08 COLLISION REPAIR 70 TOWING & RECOVERY 72 RECYCLING

50 DETAILS ON PAGE 6

The Mitchell Road Show stops off in Calgary.

SPECIAL FEATURE: CONNECTED CARS AND YOU

56

DEPARTMENTS CARSTAR’s 20th anniversary and conference had its share of magical moments.

ON THE COVER: Chris and Matthew Stathonikos and Dave Stretz of CMD CARSTAR. PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY EXON.

DETROIT DISPATCH

Complete from-the-floor coverage of the NACE Expo.

STAR Team

PRODUCTION PATH

Inside I-CAR’s new Production Manager training path.

EUROVAC EXPANDS

Canadian company cracks the US market.

Chris and Matthew Stathonikos teamed up with Dave Stretz to form a CARSTAR MSO in Alberta.

PLUS Digging into Wedge Clamp’s Stat Gun, Jeanne Marriott paints her way to 3M Grand Prize, full report on the 2015 CARSTAR Conference, and much, much more!

Volume 14, Number 5

l

October 2015

l

$4.95

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Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40841632

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YOUR ONLINE SOURCE

Canada’s collision repair information resource.

New articles and top news stories daily.

Visit www.collisionrepairmag.com.

86 John Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 1Y2

COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

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 Forging ahead.

34 POINT BLANK by Sam Piercy Out dated.

36 PRAIRIE VIEW by Tom Bissonnette The cost of free.

38 WHO’S DRIVING? by Jay Perry Practical patience.

80 RECYCLING by David Gold The good fight.

82 FINANCIAL VIEW by Jeff Sanford Oh Boyd.

OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 05

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

FORGINGAHEAD Bodyshop magazine is now part of Collision Repair.

By Darryl Simmons

T

he big story in the collision repair sector these days is the ongoing wave of consolidation among shops, suppliers and insurers. Our parent company, Media Matters, has a consolidation story to share as well. We are happy to announce the acquisition of Bodyshop magazine.

Bodyshop was the pioneering trade journal in the Canadian collision repair space. The magazine’s history runs back more than 40 years and we plan on carrying many of their traditions forward, including The 2016 Buyers Guide and Directory, Bodyshop and Restyler of the Year awards and The Cross Canada Annual Survey.

space. In particular, we brought him on to provide some deeper coverage of the ongoing consolidation of the industry.

Collision repair is big business these days. Jeff ’s stories highlight the connections between diverse business units that otherwise might be missed.

Attraction and retention of personnel is also a big factor in today’s business.

Our companion publication, Bodyworx Professional, is designed to help you promote the industry and improve the image to recruits and key influencers.

Please use the magazine to promote the industry to its maximum potential. Leave it out in the front lobby. Pass it around to friends and clients. Bring it to schools.

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 STAFF WRITER JEFF SANFORD jeff@collisionrepairmag.com 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 ASSISTANT WILL JACQUES will@mediamatters.ca COLUMNISTS & CONTRIBUTORS TOM BISSONNETTE, SEAN CAREY, DAVID GOLD, JAY PERRY, SAM PIERCEY

THIS MOVE SOLIDIFIES OUR POSITION AS THE LEADING VOICE. From a business perspective, this move solidifies our position as the leading voice and information source for the collision repair industry. But we aren’t planning to rest there in our commitment to keep you updated with news and information. The introduction of our daily e-Zine is finding traction with readers, and that combined with our new constantly-updated, responsive website and gallery are bringing news directly to your smartphones.

Making our content even more fulf i l l i ng is ou r ne w st af f w r ite r, Je f f Sanford. You may have noticed his byline on a story or two over the summer.

He writes regularly on events in the industr y, and brings a new depth to covering the business of collision repair. Jeff is a former staff writer for Canadian Business and National Post Business magazines. He brings fresh, but experienced, insight into the issues and trends defining the collision repair

We just received a letter from a teacher in Napanee who successfully used it to recruit three female students to his autobody class (for more on this, see page 11). We’ve kept the design colourful and modern to reflect the exciting, hip and creative aspects of our industry. This is the magazine to use to get young kids interested in learning the skills necessary to the trade. This is a fascinating industry to be involved in. It’s in your best interest to share that story. Bodyworx Professional is an ideal vehicle to buff up the image of the industry to a high-gloss. If you are not getting a copy, visit our website collisionrepairmag. com to subscribe today. CRM

06 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

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:

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THE FRONT END

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE PPG has promoted Norm Angrove to the position of Director, Automotive Refinish Canada.

The announcement was made by William J. Shaw, PPG Director, Zone 3 and Norm Angrove.

Canada. The appointment is effective immediately.

In his new role, Angrove will have direct responsibility for PPG Canada product sales and distribution as well as management of office staff. Angrove is well-known in the collision repair industry and a frequent attendee at industry events across the country.

“PPG is pleased to appoint Norm Angrove to this critical position,” says Shaw.

“Norm has more than 35 years of experience in the automotive aftermarket. He understands Canadian market dynamics and has clearly displayed his capabilities in previous PPG positions as Zone Program Manager, Ontario Regional Manager, Senior Manager—Values Programs and National Business Development Manager.

Norm’s extensive knowledge is a valuable asset for our company and our customers.”

Genuine Parts Company (GPC) has announced the promotion of Executive Vice President of NAPA Canada, Alain Masse, to the position of President of UAP. Masse took up the new job September 1. Some other shuffles include the promotion of John Buckley Alain to Executive Vice PresiMasse. dent of NAPA Canada, and last June, Pierre Rachiele was promoted to Executive Vice President of the heavy truck parts division. Both of these executives will report to Masse.

There are some other changes as well.

Alain Primeau has been appointed Regional VP NAPA Quebec, after 12 years in varied management positions within UAP’s two divisions, and he has announced two major appointments: Sylvain Hudon, General Manager Montreal Region and Martin Samson, General Manager Quebec Region.

The changes will create a more responsive organization, according to Masse.

“We want to do things a bit more quickly, a bit more nimble ... and we wanted to have the right people in the right places to do that,” he says.

Masse joined UAP in 2011 as Executive Vice President of the heavy vehicle parts division and was promoted two years later

to Executive Vice President of NAPA opI know my inventions have gone erations. At the end of 2014, he took the haywire before, but there’s no reason to worry this time! I used technology leadership of all corporate functions for that was … more familiar. the auto parts division as well as heavy vehicle parts.

Mirka Abrasives Canada is pleased to announce the addition of Isabelle Fhima to its team.

Fhima has been named Customer Service RepreI don’t know what that means, but I’m sentative for the company.

I’ll just turn keeping the helmet.

Isabelle it on and …

In her new position, she Fhima. w i l l b e re s p o n s i b l e f o r processing all Canadian customer orders and inquiries.

Fhima can be reached via email to Isabelle.Fhima@mirka.com or 514-616-7145.

LINE-X has announced Dennis Weese as its new President. Weese will use his leadership skills, business acumen and franchising experience to lead LINE-X’s team in continuing with their company vision and direction. After serving as President of LINE-X Fool!

U for six years, Kevin Heronimus will retire to our h sing the me to omewor technolo ld ha g spend more time with his family. seize s all y of Earth co at la ntrol an owed “I am honoured to have plane st! Your a d invade d t is d oome opted the opportunity to become d! a part of the LINE-X team as we continue to lead the marketplace,” says Dennis Weese.

Weese. “I hope to use my Does that strong business and franusually happen? chising experience to take the company to the next level and look forward to collaborating with the existing corporate team and franchises to make the best strategic decisions for our future.”

In Weese’s most recent position, he was No. I think I need a responsible for all of Cash America’s retail bigger helmet. services operations. With more than two decades of executive experience, Weese brings an immense amount of knowledge of strategic store-front operations that will further expand LINE-X automotive aftermarket franchise.

As President, We e s e i s d e d i cated to ensuring L I N E - X ’s c o n tinued expansion, The new Stat-Gun from Wedge Clamp. using his years of experience as an operations leader in multiple busi1-866-325-2886 www.autoquip.ca ness environments.

08 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

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Congratulations to our 3M™ Accuspray™ System Spray Guns “Meet Chip Foose” contest winner, Jeanne Marriott of Painted by Dave body shop in Blenheim, ON. Jeanne will be enjoying two nights in Calgary and meeting with the one and only, Chip Foose.

Thank you to everyone who entered our contest!

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

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INDUSTRY EDUCATION

Let’s get together to help the industry help itself There’s a lot you can do to bring a new generation of repair staff into the industry. Recently we received a letter from Craig Sindall, a high school teacher in Napanee, Ontario, seeking help to keep his students enthusiastic by giving them access to better equipment.

You can help. We all can help. Maybe you have equipment you no longer need.

Maybe you’re a supplier or distributor with some surplus. Maybe you just want to send a cheque. But we all should help.

We will be using our website collisionrepairmag.com and our magazine to match organizations with donations. It will be a work in progress, but in the meantime please email Darryl Simmons at publisher@collisionrepairmag. com with suggestions, requests or supplies.

Step up and help the next generation!

Email Darryl Simmons at publisher@collision repairmag.com for more information on how you can help!

Here’s Craig’s letter: “I am a high school teacher in Napanee running a collision repair and refinish program. On a yearly basis I have 100 students flow through my program and I have had many move on to become apprentices and tradespeople.

One of my students won gold in auto painting at the Skills Competition in 2012, and I am very focused on having students compete in Skills events. I am always looking for interesting ways to have my students gain more knowledge about the industry’s benefits and opportunities.

I have used the Bodyworx magazine article about Ink and Iron in Toronto over several classes and the report has inspired many young female students to

focus on a career in the business. My budget for my classes works out to $12 per student per semester which allows me to do very minor projects but it seems to work okay. I do take on some projects which allows me to fund extras and materials that we need.

I know there are many shops that update equipment and roll the old things into the corner to collect dust. Is there a way to set up some sort of section in your magazine that shops could place used items that would be good for a school but maybe a little worn out or old? I am looking to upgrade our booth and I have been given a large lump of cash to get one but it is a little short for brand new but I should be able to obtain a used one.

It would be great to have a central place to shop and share information.”

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1.224.SPANESI (772-6374) OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 11

MEETING CHIP FOOSE

Passion for the Work

Jeanne Marriott of Painted by Dave meets a fan, and his name is Chip Foose.

By Mike Davey

Jeanne and Dave Marriott of Painted by Dave got to meet Chip Foose at an event in Calgary. .

Jeanne Marriott got the chance of a lifetime recently, when it was announced that she was the winner of the 3M Accuspray System Spray Gun Meet Chip Foose contest. The prize included an all-expenses paid trip to Calgary as well as a chance to meet Foose and discuss his work. Although in this case, they ended up discussing some of her work as well.

Jeanne’s worked in the industry for a number of years. She and her husband run Painted

by Dave, a shop in Blenheim, Ontario that does customs, restorations and collision work.

Jeanne focused on bookkeeping, front office and administration, but she wanted to do more.

“A few years ago Fanshawe College was running a pre-apprenticeship program and I took a student down for the open house they were running. I decided to sign up myself,” she says.

Learning more about the technical side of the business was something Jeanne had always wanted to do, but between raising kids and building a business, there never seemed to be enough time.

“My youngest moved to Toronto right after graduating high school, and the timing just worked out,” she says. “I said to David ‘I’m going back to school!’ He said ‘What the devil took you so long?’”

Jeanne completed her Level 2 Apprenticeship last summer, and expects to

complete her Level 3 in November or December of this year. Her passion shows up in her school record, making the Dean’s Honor Roll for both her Level I and II. She was also chosen to receive the Tom Haggerty Memorial Award in 2014, given to the student who most represents dedication and passion in their chosen profession.

“We’re a mom and pop shop,” says Jeanne. “We’re trying to find individuals who are passionate about the work itself, not just there for the paycheque. We’ve had employees off and on in the last 10 years where my husband had to go over their work. One day, I was looking at very poor work, and said ‘I could probably do a better job, because I care about what goes out that door!’

That’s when things started to fall into place.”

Jeanne went out of her way to give something back to her school. When she met Chip Foose, she had him sign a Fanshawe College tshirt, and draw a truck on it. She is donating the shirt to the school’s Auto Body Repair program.

Jeanne and Dave are both fans of Chip Foose’s work and his program Overhaulin’.

“I’m very much a fan of the work he does and I usually try to keep tabs on what he’s got coming out at SEMA or when he’s got a car at Autorama,” says Jeanne. “He is such a nice person and very easy to talk to.”

12 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Foose is well-known for making a point of including his entire team when it comes to giving credit. This strikes a chord with Jeanne.

“That’s the way we run our business,” she says. “We’re about each individual doing their part of the end result, and acknowledging that.

That’s his philosophy as well. It’s who he is.”

Jeanne says winning the contest and the trip itself were both amazing experiences.

“3M was absolutely fantastic throughout the whole process. They handled everything,” she says. “It was actually a little overwhelming, but the overall experience was really great. They really rolled out the red carpet.”

We mentioned earlier that Jeanne and Chip discussed not only Chip’s work, but hers as well. It turns out that Chip is an admirer of a car that Painted by Dave sent to Autorama one year.

“Chip was so taken with the car at the show that he went back a couple of times to talk to the owner,” says Jeanne. “When I brought it up, he said ‘I’ve got pictures of that car!’ It was nice to see that our work had made such an impression.”

Painted by Dave does restoration and collision work, but it’s the custom builds that really excite Jeanne.

“We love the custom builds because we work hand-in-hand with the owners,” she says. “A lot of the time they come in with an idea, and we work with them very closely to make sure it matches up with the picture in their head.”

There’s another aspect to Painted by Dave that Jeanne’s very proud of: the work they do with local high schools.

“We work with all five of the local high schools,” she says. “We always take on one or two students per semester, and we do recruit from the girls quite heavily. We’ve put five young ladies through the co-op program.

They might not end up pursuing it, but the young women we’ve had here are always pleased to develop some solid skills.”

The pride is evident in her voice when Jeanne speaks about the young women she’s mentored and helped along the path. While not all of them pursue a career in collision, some do.

“We have one young lady who’s about to wrap up her Level 3,” says Jeanne. While they are of different generations, there are some similarities between this student and Jeanne that are easy to spot: they’re both women in a male-dominated industry and they’re both about to complete their apprenticeships.

We also suspect Jeanne’s passed on her most important lesson: a passion for doing the very best job possible before the car goes out the door.

For more information on Painted by Dave, please visit paintedbydave.com.

NEWS

DAVE PROCUNIER SPEAKS ON OE CERT AT GAC MEETING The Global Automakers of Canada (GAC) recently convened its collision repair committee for a meeting. Dave Procunier, the owner of CSN-Heartland B&B Collision Centre, made a presentation to the committee about why OEs would benefit from certified collision repair programs.

Procunier is well-known in the industry as a supporter and promoter of strong standards for collision repair shops. He was asked to present to the committee on OEM certification programs in his capacity as a BMW certified shop owner. Media are not normally permitted to attend these meetings, but Collision Repair magazine was invited to attend for part of the event to take in a presentation, which turned out to be a fascinating glimpse into one of this country’s most sophisticated collision repair shops.

Today, Procunier runs a large operation in Mississauga. The main shop is 18,000 feet square. He has long been a certified BMW shop. It was in this capacity that Procunier was asked to present to the committee. Many OEs today are considering similar certification programs. The collision repair committee of GAC wanted to hear from someone with the kind of deep experience that Procunier has in working under the oldest and longest running certification programs.

Procunier made his case supporting OE-certified shops. According to him, this issue is all about managing the reputation of the OEs and ensuring vehicles are repaired safely and correctly to maintain all warranties.

According to Procunier, the average consumer knows little about collision repair. He says only when they get into an accident do they

14 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Dave Procunier of CSN-Heartland B&B and Mike D’Angelo of BMW Canada.

find themselves trying to figure out the peculiarities of the industry. If a client ends up having a repair that is done improperly or sees the vehicle no longer covered by an OE warranty for non-approved parts usage, the consumer becomes frustrated and upset. That negative feeling can then be associated with the brand of the OE. “People don’t know about this industry until they get in an accident,” said Procunier. “If they have a bad experience, it can leave a negative impression about that brand.”

Procunier went on to point out that the increasing complexity and sophistication of cars makes these programs more important than ever. Today, the amount of electronics in a car has exploded.

Now something as basic as replacing a door panel can involve the proper replacement of vapour seals around electronics. If the repairer is not getting information on that repair from the OE, small

NEWS details are missed, and the owner of the car finds they have bigger problems months after the repair.

“There are so many things you need to know now to repair cars. If you are correctly trained and can access OEs procedures, you know you are bringing that car back to pre-accident condition,” said Procunier.

Another issue Procunier highlighted: Tow truck companies working on commission to deliver cars to certain shops have a negative impact. To compensate for the cost, poorly run and managed shops may end up cutting corners as a result and that generates ill will among consumers.

Procunier’s basic message to the committee was straightforward: Having proper certification programs and standards in place would go a long way to assuring that consumers come away from their experience with the collision repair industry with a positive state of mind. “Letting your customers be serviced by non-certified shops may leave the customer with a negative feeling about the brand,” he said.

In the past, The Legislative Assembly of Ontario met on The Collision Repairs Standards Act 2002, where Bill 186 was proposed to mandate accreditation among collision repair shops that would help consumer protection, and aid them in understanding what they’re getting into when their car is towed from the scene of an accident. This statute has never come into force and was repealed December 31, 2012. Since 2002, automotive repairs have become increasingly more complicated and manufacturer specific, whereas these issues may be dealt with through OE certification programs.

Autonomous vehicles may sell 85 million units a year by 2035 A new report from Navigant Research analyzes the emerging market for different levels of fully and semi-autonomous driving, with global market forecasts by region for vehicle volume and revenue, through 2035.

As manufacturers continue to roll out advanced driver assistance features, some cars will soon have the ability to cruise freeways and safely navigate traffic with minimal driver input. According to Navigant Research, 85 million autonomous-capable vehicles are expected to be sold annually around the world by 2035.

An important consideration for this market, according to the report, is how quickly the technology will spread to the installed base of vehicles on the road. Over the next five years, increasingly sophisticated driver assistance systems are expected to be introduced by a wide range of manufacturers.

The report, Autonomous Vehicles, provides a detailed examination of the emerging market for different levels of fully and semi-autonomous driving. The study provides a discussion of the potential benefits, demand drivers, inhibitors, and technology issues related to advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous vehicles, as well as profiles of the leading vehicle manufacturers and suppliers. Global market forecasts by region for volumes of vehicles with Level 2, 3, and 4 autonomy, along with the associated revenue, extend through 2035. The report also includes an assessment of how quickly the percentage of vehicles with some autonomous capability will grow within the total vehicle fleet.

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.

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by Axalta2015 CoatingCOLLISION Systems Canada Company. 15 © 2015 Axalta Coating Systems Canada Company. All rights reserved.

NEWS

CCIF Calgary breaks attendance records, looks to future

By Leanne Jefferies Director of Collision Program for AIA Canada

The latest meeting of the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) in Calgary shattered previous attendance records for meetings held in that city. CCIF Calgary drew together over 250 hundred industry stakeholders from various segments of the auto claims economy. The meeting took place at Hotel Arts on September 18, 2015.

This marks the last meeting of 2015.

Looking ahead to 2016, CCIF Toronto will have a new location and format. Set to be the largest CCIF in history, the CCIF Cars & Technology Showcase will include OE vehicles and equipment and technology booths in an exciting and interactive event.

CCIF Chairman Larry Jefferies delivered his opening remarks, reflecting that the meeting marks the end of a very successful second year with AIA Canada managing CCIF. He shared that in the last two years, the organization has had 2005 attendees, over 1300 “unique visitors,” and undertaken four industry projects that are creating positive change in the industry through collaboration between industry stakeholders.

The first presentation of the day was a discussion of market dynamics and their impact on collision repair, presented by David Adams, President of the Global Automakers of Canada. Adams shared OEM market information and auto industry dynamics with the crowd, providing collision industry stakeholders with a snapshot of where vehicle sales are heading and other major trends. This is vital information as repairers continue to invest in equipment and training to meet the needs of drivers.

Next up was Frank Terlep, CEO and Lead Sherpa of Summit eMarketing, discussing how to market, sell and service the Canadian connected consumer. Terlep noted how what he calls “Generation C” isn’t a specific demographic, but practically everyone. He discussed the tools and techniques repairers need to use to service connected customers and provided shops with some key action items—to make sure their website welcomes customers just like your physical reception area, and to respond to all online reviews, positive or negative. He says managing your online reputation means joining the conversation.

A f t e r a s h o r t n e t w o r k i n g b re a k , a t tendees were treated to a panel discussion on women in the collision repair industry.

As moderator of the this panel discus-

CCIF panelists discuss new challenges facing the industry. From left: Larry Jefferies, Tony Canade, Ken Friesen, Terry Allen and Joe Carvalho.

sion, I opened by presenting the business case that gender balanced teams perform better in every aspect—innovation, leadership, and financial results. I also reflected on the fact that it has only been in the last four to five years that there has been a significant shift in the business world to include women at senior levels of big business—mainly in response to research showing that women provide a significant competitive advantage when involved at all levels of seniority in business. I was joined by Cecile Bukmeier, Chelsea Stebner and Tifarah Senkow who discussed their own personal journeys in the industry and shared their perspectives on what the industry is doing well, and where improvement is needed to attract more women and achieve a more balanced work force. The session opened our eyes to the potential for women to help address our industry challenges with profitability and human resources. Expect more discussion on this at future meetings.

Jefferies retur ned to the podium to discuss market research and CCIF projects, while also examining how Canada compares globally. He shared important information on ongoing CCIF initiatives such as the First Notice of Loss (FNOL) Assignment project, the Business Conditions Survey and the recently released AIA Canadian Collision Repair Industry Yearbook. His presentation pointed out that as a country, our structure and high level of consolidation have made it possible to collaborate and create change in ways that other countries aren’t able to.

Tony Canade, President of Assured Automotive and Chairman of the Board for AIA Canada updated attendees on AIA’s con-

16 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

tinued commitment to the collision repair industry, and shared his views on how AIA Canada supports the field and the future direction of the association.

Next up were updates on success stories from the Skills Canada competitions and the work CCIF is doing with the Haiti Arise to help build a technical school in Haiti. I showed the new video just released from the 2015 Skills Canada National competition, which included interviews from competitors, industry, and even a proud parent. I also highlighted the three areas where significant strides were made in 2015: educational components added to competitions, women role models and competitors, and expansion into Alberta and BC with on-site painting.

I also provided a quick update on Haiti Arise, and our push to fund the autobody classroom building through the buy-a-brick fundraiser. Attendees bought $2,400 in bricks to support the project.

Ian Hope, Executive Director, Alberta Automotive Recyclers and Dismantlers Association and ARC Board Member took the stage to announce that Haiti Arise has joined Car Heaven, the charitable program that ensures end of life vehicles (ELVs) are properly repaired while providing funds to a charity and a tax receipt for the owner. This will provide long-term financial support to Haiti Arise.

Special guest Dana-Lynn Wood took the podium next to discuss Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). A Senior Advisor, Compliance and Enforcement at the Canada Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Wood provided the crowd with guidance and tools for how businesses can navigate these regulations.

NEWS

Andrew Shepherd, Executive Director, I-CAR Canada, outlined the emergence of I-CAR Platinum and Gold recognition as standards for shop performance in North America. He shared details on the training required for shops to attain Gold Class status, including costs. It’s clear that I-CAR training will continue to increase in Canada and more OEs require the training for their individual certification programs.

Following Shepherd’s presentation, the second panel discussion of the day was moderated by Larry Jefferies and Joe Carvalho of Economical Insurance. The discussion focused on the increasing number of new challenges and changes facing the collision repair industry.

The panelists were Tony Canade of Assured Automotive, Ken Friesen of Concours Collision Centres and Terry Allen of Speedy Collision.

Much of the discussion was focussed on the need for investment in equipment and training, and finding a way to see a reasonable return on the investment. OE certification, repair segmentation, repair complexity, and different options for establishing industry standards were also touched on. CCIF’s live feedback system, the VOICE, was used to poll the audience for their input and feedback during the session.

The last full presentation of the day was delivered by Scott Wideman, Collision Program Manager, Volkswagen Group Canada. Wideman provided insight on the direction that Audi vehicle construction is heading, including the design architecture for the TT, Q7 and R8. Highlights included a discussion of the materials used in body construction and associated repair techniques, and an outline of what impact this new architecture will have on the Audi Cer-

tified Collision Repair network.

Chairman Jefferies delivered the closing remarks and discussed feedback obtained from the VOICE—marking the last meeting of Jefferies’ tenure as Chairman before handing over the gavel to Joe Carvalho of Economical Insurance, who will serve as Chairman throughout 2016.

The next meeting of the CCIF will take place January 28, 2016 in Vaughan, Ontario.

Please visit ccif.ca for more information.

Leanne Jefferies (right) served as moderator of a panel discussion focused on women’s experiences in collision repair. Panelists included Cecile Bukmeier, Chelsea Stebner and Tifarah Senkow.

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NEWS

AIA releases Canadian Collision Repair Industry Yearbook The Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada and DesRosiers Automotive Consultants (DAC) have released the first edition of the Canadian Collision Repair Industry Yearbook. This new report brings together, for the first time, relevant industry data and provides valuable and insightful information for the collision sector.

The Canadian Collision Repair Industry Yearbook looks to address the current lack of market information for the Canadian collision industry and is intended as a starting point upon which further research can be built to increase the amount, scope and utility of information available on the collision sector in Canada.

The 2015 edition of the report is made up of two sections. The first provides a national industry profile with information on the size and scope of the collision industry in Canada, including establishment counts, employment estimate, total dollar sales volume, collision statistics and financial performance of the collision industry. The second section, a province-byprovince breakdown, adds more depth including overall living cost, some auto specific items’ cost, labour productivity measures, the structure of the vehicle fleet and the growth of vehicle sales, etc.

Among the highlights: • There were a total of 4,869 outlets for the Automotive Body, Paint and Interior Repair and Maintenance industry in Canada in 2014.

• According to estimates, 21,739 employees worked in the collision industry Canada-wide in 2014.

• The major banner groups enjoyed a 17.38 percent year-over-year increase in sales compared to 2013.

The average per store in this group reached $1.57 million in 2014.

For more information about this report, please contact Andrew Shepherd, Senior Director, Industry Programs at andrew. shepherd@aiacanada.com or 1-800-808-2920, ext. 229.

COLLISION 360 GIVES THE NEXT GENERATION A HAND UP Anthony Iaboni grew up working in his family’s collision supply centre.

He learned the business and developed an understanding of what it takes to succeed.

Eventually he felt a Anthony Iaboni need to go out on his own of Collision 360. and decided to try out the role of entrepreneur. Just over a year ago he started Collision 360, which is a new Toronto-area refinish supply store located on Toryork Road.

Starting fresh, he turned a building that had functioned as a collision facility into a new distributor for the industry.

The 3,000 sq. ft. space features a paint mixing room. He sells three paint lines, PBE products, refurbished bumpers and aftermarket parts. The accent is on service. All of his drivers are equipped with iPads so that they can offer sales and credits on the spot.

“We’re focused on products. We’re here to save shop owners time and money,” says Iaboni. Collision Repair magazine recently toured the facility. During the tour he explained how early clients have supported him from “the get go.”

“This industry proved its charity and loyalty,” says Iaboni. As a way of giving back, Iaboni says he is focused on helping the next generation of techs get into the industry.

Iaboni offers a mentorship program for those looking to get started. “This is what this industry is all about,” says Iaboni.

“Helping out.”

“Technology is important for us,” he says, adding there are also plans to expand beyond Toronto and Ontario.

For more information, please visit collision360.ca.

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REGIONAL NEWS

British Columbia SHOP OWNER MAKES MAJOR DONATION TO OKANAGAN COLLEGE The owner of a West Kelowna collision centre has pledged $50,000 in funding to help upgrade Okanagan College’s collision repair training facilities. The extremely generous donation comes from Norm Cross, the owner of CSN-Fenders Auto Body.

The College’s shop is being upgraded as part of a $33 million renovation and expansion of the trades training facilities. Cross’ donation will benefit the collision repair facility at the college.

In an interview with Collision Repair magazine, Cross explained that the donation completes a bit of a circle for him. His father Norm Sr. started Springfield Auto Body in the mid-1970s. The younger Cross followed his father into the business, and earned his Red Seal from the collision repair program at the college in 1983. He opened Fender’s in 1999.

“My dad started in the collision industry in the ’70s here. It is a kind of recognition of my father and myself and our place in our industry. Since the ‘70s, the sons of the guys who started many of the local repair places have taken over the businesses their fathers started. Those sons have donated too. It’s recognition for the families. It’s a unique feeling, sort of like the old boys club helping them.

All of us kids are giving back,” says Cross.

He also says the school needs to be able to continue to offer skills training to local youth. “I also did it as a business decision. The trades need help. The industry has to step up. This will help offset costs for the school,” says Cross.

CSN-Fenders Auto Body has expanded over the years. Today it is a high-end, sophisticated operation that offers a wide range of services, including car, truck, RV, bus, and fleet repair, as well as collision repair, automotive glass repair, mechanical repair, detailing and tire services.

“Business is very good. We’ve got the collision body shop. We do auto automotive, heavy truck ad RV collision. If it moves down the road, we repair it,” says Cross.

He explains the decision to add mechanical repair to the original collision repair business. “We’ve gone in a bit of a different direction,” says Cross. “We’re a hybrid collision/repair facility. We’ve put in a full repair

Norm Cross presents the donation to Okanagan College Foundation Development Officer John Haller.

facility. I think that’s the future. The collision world is tough enough. Margins are tight. The way we think about it is that if we have someone in here for collision work, they could be a mechanical customer, they could need tire work. People have an accident once every seven years.

If they’re coming in for tires and for mechanical they know us. They’ll be here when they do get in an accident. I think this the way of the future.”

The RV piece is a particularly interesting bit of business for Cross and his staff. “We have a large retirement community here in Kelowna.

Working on RVs is a large part of our business,” he says.

Cross has invested in the specialized equipment needed to fix these touring vehicles, which are larger than ever. “We have a booth that’s 65 feet long. We have a frame that can fix a forty foot long vehicle. We have hoists that can lift 60,000 pounds. And we can do alignments,” he says.

For more information, please visit fenders.ca.

Boyd’s Kelowna locations hold annual Car Show to benefit YMCA The Boyd Autobody & Glass locations in Kelowna, BC, have made a major donation to the YMCA of Okanagan, thanks to proceeds from this year’s Father’s Day Car Show. The donation of $11,124 will go to benefit local children who are living in financial need within the community.

Boyd Autobody & Glass has been putting on the annual Father’s Day Car Shows for 17 consecutive years, and each year the company selects a charity to benefit from the fundraiser.

The funds will go to the YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign. The program provides a place for kids to go after school with positive role models, access to education and other support systems.

The need for donations to the program is great.

A statement from YMCA of Okanagan says one in five children enrolled at the YMCA rely on the financial subsidy provided by the Strong Kids Campaign.

“We are honoured to be supporting such an important

20 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

cause,” says Methal Abougoush, Owner of Kelowna’s Boyd Autobody & Glass locations. “It is great to know that through the success of this family event, we are able to help create a better future for many kids here in the Okanagan.”

For more information, please visit boydkelowna.com.

The Kelowna locations of Boyd Autobody & Glass made a large donation to the YMCA of Okanagan this year, thanks to funds raised by the company’s annual Father’s Day Car Show.

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REGIONAL NEWS

Alberta

Concours Collision Centres holds Grand Reopening Concours Collision Centres held a “Grand Reopening” for its flagship store on 42nd Avenue SE in Calgary, Alberta. Celebrations kicked off with an official ribbon cutting by Chip Foose, star of the television program Overhaulin’, continued with congratulations from industry notables and ended with lunch and a display of custom and classic cars.

The term “Grand Reopening” is appropriate. It is a reopening of an existing facility, and it’s about as grand as they come. The entire facility has been redesigned and reworked to produce quality repairs at maximum efficiency.

It’s impossible to get across the impact of the new facility in a few words, but Foose’s description comes close. “It’s impressive, it’s beautiful and I love the way it’s set up,” said Foose in an interview with Collision Repair magazine. “I would be proud to have a car fixed there.”

Ken Friesen is the owner of Concours Collision Centres. He’s a well-known proponent of principles that lead to high efficiency for collision repair and one of only two Canadians to be inducted into the prestigious Hall of Eagles, an organization that recognizes leadership, dedication and outstanding contributions toward the betterment of the collision industry. Friesen founded Concours Collision Centres in 1980 with one 3,000 sq. ft. location. The second location opened in 2001, and the third facility, Royal Oak, opened in May 2012.

The Royal Oak facility was touted as an exemplary design when it opened, bringing together everything Friesen had learned over the course of his career and extensive networking with peers and other members of the industry. Friesen says it also made an excellent proving ground for seeing how ideas played out before putting them in place at the flagship store or the Crowfoot location.

“We’re now in our 35th year, and I can say that we’ve kept getting better and more efficient for that entire time,” says Friesen. “Everything we’ve learned over the years, everything we determined through experimentation at Royal Oak, has gone into the flagship store.”

A few highlights include point-of-use tooling and Kanban replenishment systems. Point-of-use tooling is a method in which all supplies and tooling are positioned at arm’s length and in the sequence in which they’ll be used. Kanban systems work by aligning inventory levels with actual consumption. Supplies are delivered as they are consumed, but only when they are consumed. This means no overstocks or running short.

At the Grand Reopening of Concours Collision Centres. From left: Paul Madden, President of 3M Canada, Chip Foose, Ken Friesen and Fiona Maxwell.

A new spray booth by Global Finishing Solutions has also been installed at the facility. Other improvements include an aluminum repair room and mechanical service bays.

“The biggest part of the redesign in the addition of a rapid repair line that allows us to repair a vehicle in one day,” says Friesen, noting that when it’s fully staffed, the new rapid repair line can produce six cars per day. “What we’ve done is create two separate value streams. Any vehicle starts off in repair planning, but then they separate depending on the type of repair needed, before intersecting again at reassembly.”

The rapid repair line is for relatively small jobs, such as hanging a bumper or painting parts off the car. Friesen says this is the model that will be used when another Concours Collision location opens in January of 2016.

“There’s a new auto mall being built with five dealers, and they asked me to build the collision centre,” says Friesen. “We could only get half an acre of land, though, so it’s essential that we maximize the use of that space.” The future facility will have a footprint of just 5,500 sq. ft., and will handle light to medium repairs, with medium to heavy repairs going to the flagship location.

CSN L-JAY BRINGS DRAGSTER TO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL The owner of CSN L-Jay in Nisku recently brought toys, and a chance to get behind the wheel of a real NHSA dragster, to the Stollery Children’s Hospital.

Vince Gareau is the owner of CSN L-Jay. He brought a couple of the dragsters that he and his son race to an unused ambulance bay at the hospital so that the recovering children could have a chance to get behind the wheel of a real race car. This is an event that is now in its ninth year.

“John Mandlis started it. Tragically he passed away last year. His daughter and family have taken up the organization of the event to carry it on,” says Gareau. “We made a point of appearing this year. We campaigned and got all kinds of donations. Toys, colouring books. It was overwhelming. We have enough for another 100 kids.”

22 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

The owner of a large local contractor, Chemco., brought in a truckload of stuff. “I have a one-ton truck and we filled it,” says Gareau. They also gave out a lot of grocery cards for stressed parents. “They are amazing kids. And the people who work there are really impressive.”

Vince Gareau (right) of CSN L-Jay and Stan Essery of Chemco visit Stollery Children’s Hospital.

REGIONAL NEWS

Saskatchewan TRUCK COLLISION REPAIR IN SASK. OIL PATCH PROVES A CHALLENGE Trucking company Three Star Trucking built a collision repair facility to do its own repairs, but the company recently began offering collision repair services to third-party operators as the tough conditions of the area create all kinds of demand for repair services.

It seems trucking in southern Saskatchewan is kind of tough on the vehicles. It’s not so much that they have a lot of collisions that require bodywork. It’s the nature of the work itself.

Alida is a small town in the far south of the province. This is a region over top of what is known as the Bakken oil reservoir. This is a patch of tightly-trapped crude oil that has recently been tapped by new so-called hydro fracking technologies that have led to a boom in oil and gas drilling in southern Saskatchewan and North Dakota.

This oil is not being moved by pipeline. Most often it is put in a trailer towed by a truck, and then put on a train bound for the refinery. But this oil is unique in that it is often mixed in with saltwater and other noxious chemicals used in the fracking process.

The new drilling techniques have led to a boom in production from the region, but this fracked crude oil is hard on the insides of the trucks transporting it.

One of the employees of Three Star, commenting to a local paper, noted that, “Salt water, produced from conventional oil and Bakken oil is very corrosive and raises hell with aluminum tanks.”

So many vehicles are being damaged that Three Star set up the repair facility that is now being made available to other operators.

The facility came into being two years ago, and received Saskatchewan General Insurance (SGI) accreditation in the spring of 2014. It is the only shop in the area that handles major collisions for big trucks. A recent job saw a $130,000 repair on a 2013 Mack tri-drive tractor that had rolled over. The shop had to swap out

the cab and bunk and replace the stack, fuel tanks and hood. So this is big business.

The company is also doing a lot of glass repair. The wells are located in remote regions. Trucks spend a lot of time on rural gravel roads getting to the wells drilled into the Bakken. Other typical repairs include damaged hoods and fuel tanks caused by bumps. Business is so good right now the shop is employing two journeymen bodymen and two sandblasters.

Industrial sand blasting and painting is also a big business right now. Carrying the highly corrosive crude eats away at the insides of the tanks used to carry it. When the trailers arrive at Three Star they are blasted to see how weak the shells have become. The firm removes and repairs any corroded parts. If there are pits the metal is cut out. Bolt-on valves are replaced. Once the trailer is back together the paint shop coats the interior of the tanks. As it is, the price of oil is low and so the oil service companies moving the oil are finding it makes more sense to repair a trailer than replace it.

A new trailer might cost $130,000, but the cost of repairing it is less than half of that. The benefits are going to Three Star, which is picking up the work.

SGI moves to streamline the estimating and claims process The provincially owned insurance organization Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) has introduced a new program that should streamline the collision repair process in that province.

The program allows Saskatchewan vehicle owners to have some vehicle damage estimated at accredited auto repair firms. As it is, car owners must first take their car to an SGI claims centre. The new program will allow owners to have everything from the damage estimate to completed repairs done within one facility.

“SGI recognizes insurance claims are not planned for; dealing with the claims process takes valuable time from our already busy days,” said Don McMorris, the provincial minister responsible for the government run insurance program. “SGI is making things easier for customers, by providing an option to streamline simpler claims, so vehicles can get back on the road sooner.”

About 20 repair firms in the province are already doing damage estimates and the majority of accredited repair firms are expected to be estimating

by the end of the year. Filing a claim will remain the same for customers. When it is time to get the vehicle’s damage estimated, they will be asked where they want to have the estimate done.

Their adjuster will let them know whether or not their chosen repair firm qualifies to perform the damage estimate. If it does, the customer can take their vehicle in and have everything done in one location.

“It’s a one-stop shop,” McMorris said. “The repair firms can help improve the customers’ claim experience and customers get their vehicles fixed faster. It’s a win-win, which is why we’re so excited to give Saskatchewan residents this new option.”

The government also stated that repair firm personnel will undergo training every year to keep up with damage estimate policies and procedures, noting “significant checks and balances are already in place for auditing to ensure customers are receiving accurate estimates for vehicle repairs, including an annual drop-in to each firm.”

Each year, there are more than 200,000 auto damage claims in Saskatchewan. SGI is the province’s self-sustaining auto insurance fund, operating 21 claims centres and five salvage centres across Saskatchewan with a head office in Regina.

OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 23

REGIONAL NEWS

Manitoba MANITOBA SHOPS MAY SEE MORE VANDALISM REPAIRS

A rash of vandalized vehicles in the River Heights section of Winnipeg prompted MPI to eliminate the deductible for some customers on vandalism claims.

A bit more work may be heading into Manitoba’s collision repair facilities. Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) has announced that customers who insure their vehicles with an Autopac Extension deductible package will now qualify to have their deductible re-

duced to $0 for vandalism claims.

This change in coverage by the Government of Manitoba took effect September. 25, following an amendment to the Automobile Insurance Coverage Regulation.

“Our government has heard the concerns of those who have been victims of this senseless crime,” said Gord Mackintosh, Minister Responsible for MPI. “This amendment will benefit those vehicle owners who choose to carry the $100

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Last year there were about 10,000 vandalism claims opened with Manitoba Public Insurance. Vehicle vandalism came to the forefront earlier this year after a rash of criminal incidents within the capital region.

Manitoba Public Insurance, Manitoba Justice, community representatives and the Winnipeg Police Service are committed to reducing this crime.

“As Manitoba’s public auto insurer, we recognize the need to continually adapt our products and services to meet the evolving needs of our customers,” said Ward Keith, Vice President, Business Development & Communications and Chief Product Officer for MPI. “We’re pleased to be able to offer our customers the option to eliminate the deductible for vandalism losses if they choose to do so.”

This policy change—which will automatically benefit approximately 75 percent of all Manitoba Public Insurance customers who currently have the optional $100 and $200 deductible packages—will result in a minimal premium adjustment of $3 to $5 per year, which is expected to apply to policy renewals and reassessments effective March 1, 2016 or later. The average cost of a vandalism claim is about $1,300.

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CBC News reports Manitoba Public Insurance received almost 300 hail-related claims through September 25 to 27. The hail involved was particularly large. Pictures posted online show local residents with softball-sized hail in the Beaconia Beach area of the province. Residents in the area described damage to windshields, roofs and gardens. Silver Falls and Matlock also reported baseballsized hail.

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REGIONAL NEWS

Ontario FIX AUTO EXPANDS IN ONTARIO WITH FIX AUTO REXDALE Daryll O’Keefe, General Manager, Fix Auto Ontario has announced the addition of a new Ontario strategic partner, Fix Auto Rexdale.

After 38 years in the collision repair industry and 24 years of operating their family business, Robert Minotti and his sons, Matt and Mike, made a pivotal business move by joining the Fix Auto network.

“The Fix Auto network exemplifies the professionalism, strong organizational skills and systematic thinking that are in line with our company values. We are thrilled to join this successful network and look forward to making our business

go even further with Fix Auto,” says Robert.

Matt says the facility has always taken pride in honesty and offering great value and strong customer service. His brother, Mike, adds this fits in with joining Fix Auto.

“Fix Auto is equipped with the tools and resources to reduce cycle time,” says Mike. “The network is always working on new initiatives towards continual improvement, which is primordial for shop owners who want to see their business thrive.”

O’Keefe says the business will be a great addition to the network.

For more information, please visit fixauto.com.

CARSTAR Midtown refurbishes van for Good Shepherd Just months after taking ownership of CARSTAR Midtown Hamilton on Ferguson Avenue South in Hamilton, Rick and Wendy Yates have made another important investment, this time in their community.

“When we first took ownership of this location, we knew that to bring the business back up to its best would take a big investment,” says Rick. “As time went on and we met more people in the neighbourhood, we realized that making an investment in our new community may be just as important as the business.”

After being put in touch with the Good Shepherd in Hamilton, Rick and Wendy decided to help out as they know best—by repairing a damaged vehicle and donating it to this worthy cause. CARSTAR Midtown Hamilton donated a 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan, which was given to the Yates family by LKQ Auto Parts in partnership with A-1 Auto Parts. The van was presented to the organization at CARSTAR Midtown Hamilton’s grand re-opening on September 24.

During the event, Rick and Wendy gave credit to every single member of the business for bringing the project to fruition. They also thanked the many suppliers that that helped make the refurbishment project possible.

This donation hit home for the Yates family when they learned that Good Shepherd had provided assistance in the past to a staff member.

“I am honoured to have the opportunity to give back to the organization that helped our family many years ago,” says Michael Giglione, a collision technician at CARSTAR Midtown, who along with his colleagues donated time to repair the vehicle.

The van will be used by Good Shepherd’s Staying Home, an innovative program that provides early intervention for women, children and families at imminent risk of homelessness. CARSTAR’s gift will allow Staying Home staff to drive clients comfortably to and from appointments, as well as assist in moving them into stable housing.

26 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Rick Yates (right) hands over the key to the refurbished van to Brother MacPhee, Executive Director of Good Shepherd.

“We could not do our important work without the support of individuals and businesses in Hamilton,” says Brother Richard MacPhee, Executive Director of Good Shepherd. “We are extremely grateful for the compassion shown by the Yates family.“ Good Shepherd is the largest provider of human and social services in the GHA. Programs and services are delivered free of charge and their work is based on a commitment to restoring hope and dignity to the most vulnerable members of the community.

For more information on CARSTAR, please visit carstar.ca.

REGIONAL NEWS

Quebec

Carrossier ProColor Laval-Ouest approved by CAA-Québec network Carrossier ProColor has announced that Carrossier ProColor Laval-Ouest is now a member of CAA-Québec’s Approved Auto Repair Service network.

Members of CAA-Québec’s recommended network of vehicle repair facilities must meet several eligibility criteria, including adherence to Québec’s Clé Verte environmental certification program, to obtain and maintain their accreditation.

The application process includes an internal audit conducted

by CAA-Québec to evaluate their staff’s expertise and competence, the quality and maintenance of their equipment, the security and cleanliness of the premises as well as billing conformity and administrative stability. A sample survey is also performed to determine the level of customer satisfaction.

“We are very proud to be recommended by CAA-Québec,” says Éric Prud’homme of the 808 rue Principale location. “We have invested a great deal in the renovation and optimization of our facilities in the past year and our efforts have been rewarded.”

In addition to offering collision repair services, the Prud’homme family owns a mechanical service and repair shop—also recommended by CAA-Québec—under the same roof.

“Our customers can be assured that they will receive a service that respects the rigorous quality standards for which the Carrossier ProColor and CAA-Québec brands are renowned for.” says Prud’homme.

CENTRE DU DÉBOSSELAGE NICOLET-BÉCANCOUR JOINS CARROSSIER PROCOLOR Carrossier ProColor has announced that the Centre du Débosselage Nicolet-Bécancour has joined its network of collision repair centres under the name of Carrossier ProColor Nicolet.

The facility opened its doors to the Nicolet-Bécancour region as a Carrossier ProColor on July 13.

“We have developed a good relationship over the years,”says Mario Verret, Carrossier ProColor Business Development Manager.

“And now we were ready to work together officially.”

The collision repair facility was founded in 1977, by Mathieu Raymond. His son, Patrick, has been working with him for over 25 years.

While the collision centre has been renovated and expanded throughout the years, it has remained on Louis-Fréchette Boulevard in Nicolet.

Patrick says family spirit was among the reasons for joining the banner. “We were drawn to the friendly atmosphere and solidarity that exists among Carrossier ProColor; it reminds us of our own team,” he says, adding that the network also represented a business opportunity worth seizing.

Looking forward, Patrick hints at several possibilities, including new investments and perhaps even the purchase of a new collision centre.

He also foresees the integration of a new generation to the team.

“My son who is still in school is already showing an interest,” he says.

Carrossier ProColor Nicolet is located at 3865, Louis-Fréchette Boulevard in Nicolet.

For more information, please visit carrossierprocolor.com.

Adding to the centre’s ongoing efforts to improve their operations, the company received Québec’s Clé Verte Bronze environmental certification in February 2015.

To learn more, please visit carrossierprocolor.com.

Carrossier ProColor LavalOuest is located at 808 rue Principale in Laval.

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REGIONAL NEWS

Atlantic

CSN-Dana’s Collision sponsors trophies for a special race When Dana Alexander got a call asking if he could sponsor a go-kart race, there was no way to say no.

“I am a huge race fan, and a supporter of local events,” says Alexander.

The owner of Fredericton, New Brunswickbased CSN-Dana’s Collision was already a sponsor of local stock car races. But providing and presenting trophies for the Moncton-area go-karting event turned out to be extra special.

One of the racers, Austin Riley, a go-karter from Uxbridge, Ontario, suffers from autism.

Although Riley has a disability, he continues to compete, and does well. The three-time go-karting champion is considered a rising star in Canadian motorsports.

“Austin is an amazing kid. Once he puts the helmet on, he is just another racer. He only stands out by his skill and driving ability,” says Alexander.

Riley was competing in the senior class.

“It’s very competitive. They do a lot of strategy.

It’s like Formula 1. You can try to outbreak someone in the corners,” says Alexander, adding that the fact Riley races with a disability is inspiring, but his skills take it to another level.

“When he finished second, his parents were all crying. It’s an amazing story. I was really honoured to be part of it. It was an honour to be there and present the trophies,” says Alexander.

Going on to talk about the impact sponsoring this event has had on him, Alexander said that, “I learned a lot about autism in the last month.”

People like Riley are helping to dispel the ignorance around the condition. This summer Riley has been on what is billed as Austin’s Autism awareness Tour. He and his family have traveled from Florida to California and BC for the Moncton event this year.

“The biggest thing that made an impact on me [is that] the other racers all came over

and gave him high fives before the race. And at the end, the first place guy had him come up on the winners’ podium. To them he’s just another racer,” says Alexander.

The heartwarming finish was the perfect end to a big weekend for Alexander. That Friday marked his 50th wedding anniversary.

He and his wife have been going to races since before they were married, so the race was a nice way to celebrate a half century.

“We spent the night in Moncton and had a good night,” says Alexander.

For more information, please visit csninc.ca.

Austin Riley (left) and Dana Alexander present the CSN trophy to Stephen Oliver.

OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 29

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When you join, you will receive: We’re the founders of Speedy Collision, Terry Allen and Paul Hookham, and we’ve demonstrated this • Single point of contact for major insurance and DRPs with two businesses successes. The first was a suc• Financial analysis and support cessful risk management software company, which we sold • Employee recruitment and training in early 2008. The second was to serve the collision repair • Customer service training industry with Speedy Collision Repair Corporate.

• Technical assistance including onsite support We saw an opportunity in the collision repair industry • Sustainable repair process model deployment and audits to apply Terr y’s information technology and customer • National and local area advertising campaigns ser vice background and Pauls’s corporate finance and • Customer focused digital media strategy business compliance discipline.

• Business development support With a focus on the customer experience, we realized • Call centre support early on that small improvements had dramatic effects for • Re-branding and/or image enhancement the customer. Internally, effective communication, setting • Business management exper tise and profitabilit y customer expectations and customer service training were planning/support critical success factors in developing a sustainable model.

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• Financial analysis and support The success of the first two locations has allowed us to • Providing options for an exit strategy rollout the next stage. While continuing to greenfield new sites, we launched turnkey franchise opportunities that enThe accuracy of the estimate combined with the efsured the platform was successfully deployed and profitably ficiency of the overall process ultimately dictates cycle run. Speedy Collision soon grew to nine shops in Alberta and time and level of customer satisfaction. At Speedy Colexpanded the customer base to include the largest insurers lision, we look at the repair process through the eyes and fleet customers in the province. Today there are over 20 of the consumer, who expects high quality service in a locations and growing, operating in three provinces. timely manner. Our shop owners strive to ensure the cusSpeedy Collision’s core values are Customer Satisfaction, tomer experience is a top priority and remarkable one.

Courtesy and Ethics, Professional Conduct and Results. Our Across Canada, our facilities provide repair solutions culture is positioned around our people, community and that enable our insurance partners to improve customer the environment. Commitment to the Lean Production Prosatisfaction and drive policy retention, while reducing recess facilitates this and ensures efficiencies are realized. This pair costs and driving efficiencies in the claims process. is achieved through a combination of continuous improveSpeedy Collision invests in the ongoing suppor t of ment, waste reduction and overall compliance to standard every location to ensure these standards are sustained, operating procedures and health and safety standards. making the Speedy Collision brand recognized as a PerWe invest heavily in our people formance Collision Repair Net work through training including I-CAR Gold in Canada. certification for our facilities and a worldThe Speedy Collision Performance class benefit program which continues to Repair Network: positioned to lead the Your Full Service Collision Centers make us the employer of choice. way.

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NEWS

MITCHELL PEDDIE: 1984 - 2015 It is with great sorrow that we announce the unexpected passing of Mitchell Peddie.

Mitchell worked for Nationwide Mitchell Peddie.

Auto Glass and was responsible for the North Bay and Sudbury market in Ontario. He will be greatly missed by his friends

and family, as well as his colleagues and customers. He is survived by his parents, Tom and Carmen, his sister Katie Ann Peddie, his in-laws Mario Boucher and Linda Oullette, and his wife, Noemi Boucher. Boucher was pregnant with their child at the time of Mitchell’s passing, and has since delivered a healthy baby boy, Anthony Mitchell Philip born on Sunday September 20, 2015 at 7:16 p.m. Anthony weighed in at 7.1 lbs.

“Mitchell was liked and respected by everyone who knew him,” says Howard Berg of

Nationwide Auto Glass. “His family and friends are grieving, but I also know that his customers are profoundly saddened by his loss. He was the sort of guy who would go out of his way to help a customer, even at great inconvenience to himself, just because he could. The world is a poorer place for his passing.”

The memorial service took place at the Perrin Funeral Chapel on Thursday, September 10. Donations to the Heart & Stroke Foundation in Mitchell’s memory would be greatly appreciated by the family.

Judge dismisses remaining claims in US anti-trust case US District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has dismissed the last of the claims in the second amended complaint in a case that started when a group of 20 collision repair facilities in Florida filed an antitrust action against a group comprised of 39 insurance companies. The case was originally filed in February of 2014, and gathered support from other groups of repairers outside Florida, leading to similar class action lawsuits. Later a request was granted by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to consolidate these suits.

The original suit, A&E Auto Body, Inc., et al. v. 21st Century Centennial Insurance Company, et al., alleged that that automobile insurance companies attempted to suppress the reimbursement rates for collision repair orders, and claimed that this was in vi-

olation of Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act, a US federal law prohibiting business activities deemed to be anti-competitive. Complaints in 14 other lawsuits brought by collision repair facilities and an association that alleged that insurance companies have conspired to suppress labour rates in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and numerous state laws were dismissed

by Judge Presnell in August, following a recommendation by US Magistrate Judge Thomas B. Smith.

In dismissing the second amended complaint, Judge Presnell noted that the fact that some of the defendants named were not willing to pay more than what State Farm was paying does not, in and of itself, contravene the Sherman Act.

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POINT BLANK WITH PIERCEY

OLDENDAYS They’re gone, but the rates hang around.

By Sam Piercey

W

ell, the year is already three quarters of the way through while I write this, so I’m not expecting anything big to change in between now and January 1, 2016. Now is as good a time as any to take a look at what we don’t get, and just as important, who exactly doesn’t get it.

That’s the big money question.

nice too), it’s about putting more money into our collision repair facilities. We’ve always had to improve our equipment on a fairly regular basis or risk falling way behind, but this seems even more important than before, and the equipment is even more expensive.

The equipment guys aren’t gouging.

I’m sure they’re selling it to us for as little as they can. Research and development,

THEY’VE GOT TO MAKE ENOUGH TO PAY BACK THE INVESTMENT.

We haven’t seen a lot of new education programs come down the pike that will help us fill the labour hole that we’ve had for ... is it forever? Yeah, it’s forever.

It seems obvious to me that we need new incentives, and maybe a new way to structure apprenticeships, if we want a lot of students approaching our doors and wanting to be a part of our industry.

There has been no increase in any of the programs that would allow us to pay our people more money. “Hey kids! Go to school and put in the time, effort and money to learn technical skills! We’ll reward you with a lifetime of continuous training and hard work!” Money, not so much. When you look at it that way, why wouldn’t a young person just pick a different trade? They might love cars and bodywork, but they could get a job as a tool and die maker and work on cars on the weekends at home. They’d probably enjoy it just as much and have more cash on hand to indulge that hobby.

It’s not just our techs that could use a cash bump. Those of us on the ownership side know that we need more money too.

This isn’t about putting more money in our pockets (although that would be 34 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

testing, manufacturing ... all of these cost money and they’ve got to make enough to pay back the investment or go out of business. It’s exactly the same with us.

Frankly, as an industry, we need some help in making sure we can make these investments. This can come either from our insurance partners or government programs designed to keep industry moving.

Or it could be a combination of both.

We’ve seen more and more shops close down over the last few years. I don’t think we’ve hit the bottom yet. Sure, the industry was overcapacity. Is it still overcapacity? Or are otherwise good shops being forced to shut because they can’t afford new equipment? It’s hard to tell, and I worry that we’ll reduce capacity to the point where we won’t have enough to satisfy our customers.

The business has changed. Equipment has changed. Standards have changed.

Why is it our rates are the same as way back then? 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.

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PRAIRIE VIEW

THECOSTOFFREE Take note: giving your profits away never pays off.

By Tom Bissonnette

W

hile driving back to the office from a breakfast meeting recently, I heard an ad on the radio for a prominent collision shop mentioning that they provide “courtesy cars.”

The re w as a t i me w he n prov iding “f re e” loaners to customers was pretty standard for the majority of collision shops, so no one had an advantage in marketing their business by doing so.

The result, however, was a significant increase to the overhead of these shops—many paying $50,000 or more a year for these “free” cars.

Years ago we educated shops in the Saskatoon marketplace and explained how detrimental this practice can be.

Now I am not in a position where I can tell people what to do or what not to do, but I can share my experience and you can decide how you want to apply it to your business.

Here are a few things to consider: • Ask yourself how much more do you have to sell to pay for these loaner cars? Considering the average centre only makes 2 to 5 percent net profit, upwards of one million dollars in sales are needed to cover this additional expense. Even a shop that made a 10 percent net would need another half a million dollars in profit to pay this extra cost. Does it make sense to work harder, wear yourself and your guys out to just give it away?

• Experience has taught me that many people hardly use the car. They bring it back without filling it up, saying, “I just drove it home and back so I didn’t put fuel in it!” In extreme cases, the car is also returned filthy.

• With photo radar, red light cameras and such do you really want to have to chase these people

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PRAIRIE VIEW

down to get the money back for the fine you will have to pay?

• How is it that the person that causes the accident or refuses to buy a package policy should have their replacement vehicle provided free of charge?

I think we are rewarding the wrong people.

ence so that your business gets noticed and people want to check you out.

• Clean your shop up, and work to portray a great image to make a memorable first impression when people walk through your doors.

• Provide exceptional customer service so that

ASK YOURSELF HOW MUCH MORE DO YOU HAVE TO SELL TO PAY FOR THESE ‘FREE’ LOANER CARS? your existing customers become net promoters of your business.

Folks, we are fortunate to be in a growing city where there is plenty of work to go around.

Don’t sell yourself short by giving your profits away. CRM

I could go on, but I think you get the point.

Giving stuff like this away is simply a race to the bottom.

If you are serious about increasing your market share in your area, I would suggest spending money on the following instead: • Get active in your community, join a service club, volunteer to help out at community events and just be a pleasant person to be around. People will do business with you.

• Strengthen your online and social media presIMP-0187 Ad_largest selection_hlf pg_print.pdf

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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OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 37

WHO’S DRIVING?

PRACTICALPATIENCE The industry is fast-paced. Proper training shouldn’t be.

By Jay Perry

I

was at a conference recently where training happened to be one of the main topics. It has been a common theme for quite a while, and it seems that many still find it challenging to find qualified, skilled employees to fill open postitions.

A couple of things have occurred to me in the past few years in listening to people decrying the overall lack of talent.

One is the increased productivity that is constantly taking place within all industries. This creates less of a need for people as fewer people learn how to do more with less.

tion spills over in the expectation levels we have for trainees. We want them to be qualified immediately without the seasoning that experience and time provides.

I experienced this firsthand when I took on an underling at my company. I had misconceptions about how they were to do the job, and had to learn to be patient as well as give her the leeway to be herself and develop her own style.

The complete training took three years and in the end, was very well worth it.

Presently, I am working with a client, and have been mentoring this young man to take on

TAKE THE TIME AND PUT IN AN HONEST EFFORT TO ENSURE THE TRAINING PROVIDED IS THOROUGH. In this case, I am specifically talking about systems that create efficiencies like lean, six sigma and the like.

Another influence on productivity is automat i o n . Mo r e a n d m o r e t a s k s a r e b e c o m i n g automated, positively affecting productivity, and again lessening the need for many bodies to do a certain amount of work.

Additonally, one of the biggest detractors I’ve seen that has been prevalent for quite some time is a bad attitude towards training itself.

We have all heard, and maybe even felt, a certain amount of resistance when it comes to training. There is a common fear that the trainee might just ver y well pick up and leave after they’ve learned everything they need to know.

No other attitude could be so foolhardy as we also all know the other side of the coin. If you think training is expensive, think about the cost of not training.

There’s one simple workaround I’ve found to be very successful: learn to be more patient.

I think a lack of patience in these types of situations has been a very serious problem for a long time. The pace of life is fast and the pace of business continues to accelerate, and I think sometimes our attitude toward instant gratifica38 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

general manager responsibilities. It has been about a year and a half so far, and I would say he is about halfway there.

Many of his staff members are already benefiting from his patience in training them, and are turning out very acceptable work product after a little over a year in their position.

I’ve seen the results, and continue to make a point of encouraging clients to really take the time and put in an honest effort to ensure the training provided is thorough.

I have noted that other businesses have started to see the light in regards to the costs of imprope r l y t r a i n e d s u p p l i e r s a n d t h o s e t h at a r e qualified. They understand how adversely their businesses are affected if they do not have fully competent people in their supply chain.

Bottom line: by developing a high level of patience and following a comprehensive training plan, you’ll 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 Chris Stathonikos, Dave Stretz, and Matthew Stathonikos are the owners of Alberta’s CMD Group.

BUSTING THE BOOMS

CARSTAR’s CMD Group weathers economic ups and downs by working as a team.

By Jeff Sanford

40 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

PROFILES OF SUCCESS

T

hey call it Big Sky country for a reason. Things are big in Alberta, even the hailstorms. Owners of collision repair centres across the continent have dealt with a series of large hailstorms

this summer. But few of these were bigger than the massive storm that blew through Calgary. The hail was golf ball-sized, with some verging on baseball-sized. That’s going to damage some cars.

When the three principals of CMD CARSTAR gathered for an interview recently, it was just a day after a major hailstorm flooded the downtown core and tore the roof of a building. Hundreds of vehicles were left dented and pitted, and lots of windshields were cracked.

“It’s still chaotic downtown, so we haven’t seen the vehicles coming in yet. But it’s going to be busy next week, “ says David Stretz.

One of the three principals of the big Alberta operation, Stretz, along with the father and son team of Chris and Matthew Stathonikos operate CARSTAR CMD, a chain of six CARSTAR stores in the capital of the Canada’s oil patch. The CMD Group also operates a CARSTAR Express location that does mechanical as well as automotive glass. The businesses have enjoyed a long period of growth that has seen Calgary explode in terms of population.

Canadians sometimes don’t realize it, but back in 1974 when the group’s founder and president, Chris Stathonikos, opened Arrow Auto Body on 9th Ave SE, Calgary had a population of just 325,000 people.

“It would be hard to say how many cars a week we did, but I can tell you that my sales were about 30 to 40 thousand per month,” says Stathonikos.

Since then business has grown steadily. During the oil price increases in the 1970s, Calgary enjoyed boom times. People from economically stagnant areas of Canada streamed into the province to take advantage of the opportunities that were popping up.

By 1980, Arrow Auto Body was doing sales of $1.5 million a year. That would be well over $4 million in today’s dollars. Such are the benefits of doing business in a province with fantastic economic prospects.

Of course, the story turned after a while. The price of oil crashed by the early 80s and the Liberal government implemented the National Energy Program. Calgarians still remember that. The economy swung from boom to bust, and by 1983 sales in that store were down to $700,000 per year.

But the city continued to prosper and grow, and the original Arrow Auto body would become the CARSTAR Calgary Inglewood store. In December of 1999 Chris took his business to the CARSTAR network.

“The banners started coming out in the 90s. I realized that an independent shop owner wouldn’t survive in the future,” says Chris.

Chris mentions that the Boyd Group was in expansion mode at this time, buying up businesses. But that company didn’t have a franchise system. He wanted to remain an owner and so he went with CARSTAR. “Boyd were only buying up the whole business.

But I wanted to stick around,” says Chris. “I didn’t want to get out.”

His son Matthew came into the business a few years after graduating high school in 1993. As Matthew remembers it, “I didn’t know what to do. I found I was able to work well with my Dad and we made a good team so I decided to come into the business with him.” he says. Eventually he learned estimating at SAIT and got a Business Administration diploma from Mount Royal College.

The team was coming together. Next in was Dave Stretz who entered the automotive industry as an apprentice motor mechanic in 1978. He worked at two different dealers and became a journeyman, promoted to assistant service manager, and was then asked to run the dealership body shop. This was new for him, and he learned as he went along, asking many questions. It turns out he was good enough that he was headhunted by Boyd’s but soon found out it wasn’t a good fit for him. At that same time he got a call from CARSTAR. The call was not from CARSTAR CMD, but from head office in Hamilton, asking Stretz if he could help run some of the corporate stores in the area.

That’s about when he ran into Chris and Matthew.

The group realized they could do business together.

It was only logical they join forces.

In 2004 the CMD Group was created as a partnership. The chain has continued to grow since that time. Since the merger the group has added the downtown location, which was bought from CARSTAR corporate. The Sunridge location was bought in 2007 from an independent operator. In 2010 the group built the East Lake location, and opened that in January 2011. The Meridian location was purOCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 41

PROFILES OF SUCCESS

chased in July 2014 from T&T Honda.

Most recently the group converted an A1-Carline Muffler shop that was doing exhaust and mechanical work into the new Express Auto Care location in June 2015.

The group also operates an auto glass business, CMD Auto Glass.

According to Matthew, each one of the shops does roughly 100 cars per month on average. So the chain is doing about 500 cars a month in total. The express is too new to be included in those numbers.

“We grew quickly. We grew so fast, the company got to a size that outgrew our ability to manage,” says Matthew. To that end the company has added operations managers to oversee operations.

There is a full-time human resources person overseeing the large workforce.

In July, the company hired a Controller to improve the quality of accounting and financial reporting of the organization.

“When you grow from two stores to six, plus a glass company, there is a lot to do.

We’ve got 80 employees now. That’s a lot of people to manage,” says Stretz. Head office is in the building they built themselves in 2011. Today, the chain is a fantastic example of a successful multi-store operator that knows how to capitalize on opportunities. The partners attribute their success to the fact that everyone gets along and works as a team. The constant growth in the city’s auto fleet has been good for business. The strong volume and good brand reputation has caught the attention of larger chains and investors. “We’ll get these unsolicited, general, vague kind of fishing calls,” says Chris. So far they’ve turned all potential suitors down.

Recently, the price of oil crashed from well over $100 a barrel to just $40 a barrel, and that has raised concerns about a possible recession. Such are the vagaries of living in an oil town. Vacancies are said to be rising in downtown Calgary office towers. A combination of a mild winter, which keeps the price of natural gas lower, and a low price of oil means the economy is a little bit slower today than it has been.

“Times haven’t been as great as they have been. But we’re getting our fair share of the work,” says Chris. “The thing about Calgary right now … it’s been growing for a while. We have 25,000 new people a year coming into the city. It’s slowed down recently. Whether this lasts, we’ll see.”

Many economic analysts point out that the current low prices have seen energy companies cut back new energy projects. As production of crude begins to lag, demand

for oil will catch up to production. Many think the price of oil will be back up sooner than later. And so no one is worrying yet.

“In another six months we’ll know.

We’ve been used to having sales lined up at door. We’ve been booked out months.

“WHEN YOU GROW FROM TWO STORES TO SIX, PLUS A GLASS COMPANY, THERE IS A LOT TO DO. WE’VE GOT 80 EMPLOYEES NOW. THAT’S A LOT OF PEOPLE TO MANAGE.” It’s been a fairly good time to grow. But the boom is over for a couple years. It’ll pick up again. It’s cyclical,” says Matthew.

There is, of course, only so much oil.

The shale boom in the US seems to have peaked and may begin to taper in 2016. As more of the world’s big old conventional oil fields deplete, the massive reserves in the Athabasca tarsands, the heavy oil around Lloydminster and natural gas from across the province will always be in demand. Once markets start to see that overall production rates from so-called unconventional fracked sources of shale are no longer growing, but actually contracting, the price of oil will be back up.

For CMD CARSTAR, negotiating this boom and bust cycle is just a matter of repeating what they did last time. Maintain an excellent reputation and take advantage of opportunities to improve the business.

“We’re always looking to grow,” says Stretz. As a respected and quality name in the city, this slowdown has actually had some benefits. “Other stores are laying off techs and they’re coming to us,” he says. In an industry that has been notorious for a lack of good, trained talent, this is no small benefit for CMD Group.

Interestingly, in the biggest city in a province where the most pick-up trucks

in Canada are sold each year, CMD Group has yet to install an aluminum room. The Ford F-150, of course, includes a lot of aluminum body panels. But CMD CARSTAR is holding off in investing in the technology necessary to repair aluminum. Like many shops they’ve “decided to wait and see” in terms of making the expensive investments.

“There is a big Ford dealer in town with two shops and an aluminum room. He hasn’t fixed one yet,” says Chris.

Indeed, sales of the Ford F-150 have been sagging as consumers fret about the higher cost of fixing the aluminum body.

It will be interesting to see whether Ford continues with the shift to a lighter metal.

“There are lots of them on the road. But we’re waiting,” says Chris. That is, the careful, prudent and conservative management that has allowed CMD Group to evolve into one of the most sophisticated chains in the country continues. The group is sticking to its business. The company’s Sunridge location is Toyota Certified. The group is currently working towards Honda Certification for its Meridian location as well as other OE certifications. Joel Stretz, the son of Dave, is also working his way up in the company. He’s been with the group for eight years now, starting in the detail bay and working his way through the shop to manager of the Eastlake location,w and most recently as Operations Manager.

Most recently the chain achieved I-CAR Gold status for all five collision repair facilities.

“We also have our Certificate of Recognition for all stores (as of July 2015) for our Health and Safety program,” says Matthew.

In Alberta a certificate of recognition is awarded to employers who develop health and safety programs that meet established standards as set out by the Alberta ministry of Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour.

So they are maintaining top of line standards, which preserves the very good reputation the company’s locations have in the Calgary community.

Today, just a couple decades after that first store was opened, the population of Calgary has blossomed to 1.09 million. The city is almost four times as large as it was way back when the group started. Over that time two booms and two busts have rattled the local economy. Through it all CMD Group has prospered, managing the growth while surviving the downturns. The company has managed to keep up to date on training, certification and has kept an eye out for opportunities. It’s how you make a sophisticated multi-store operation grow and prosper in the heart of Canada’s energy capital. The principals of CMD make it look easy. CRM OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 42

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TECHNOLOGY

Tech giants such as Apple aren’t just eyeing the possibilities of connected cars. They’re diving in, with products such as Apple CarPlay.

of Claims

By Sean Carey

Tech giants are changing the insurance landscape.

T

he connected car is with us for good and will change the way we settle auto claims in the next 36 to 48 months.

When I present to organizations or groups such as at this year’s IBIS symposium in Athens or the I-CAR Conference in Detroit, I always clarify that up front. For me this is an important component when looking at the strategic landscape.

The second point of clarity I like to make is that technology is compressing time in the auto space. At telematics conferences I attend in different markets, the most recent being in London, Munich and Chicago, the predicted timelines continue to decline. When experts discuss driverless vehicles, autonomous driving and especially vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) what was once seen as 2025 is now 2020 and what was once 2020 is now 2017. So if we take as fact that the connected car is here and the changes it will bring are ever closer, that sharpens

SHOULD ANY OF THESE TECHNICAL AND DATA GIANTS DECIDE TO GET DEEPER INTO THE AUTO BUSINESS, THEY WILL QUICKLY REDEFINE THE LANDSCAPE. the focus for organizations in terms of how do they position themselves for this new future.

You only need to log onto automotive web sites or major news outlets to see the almost daily announcements by one auto manufacturer or another regarding ever changing vehicle technology. What you don’t see very much of is what it means for the claims and collision repair segments.

Opportunities exist to streamline the process and make it a better experience for all. If we look at this in more detail then I can see a future claims and repair workflow ver y different from today. I can also see new entrants into the market that will have a different perspective on how to manage claims and a radically different business model.

For instance, with all of the sensors in vehicles these days and the vehicles’ ever increasing ability to communicate with external parties, how would a future look where the car made the claim?

Think about it. On impact, the data is received from the vehicle in real time, beginning the claims and repair process instantly.

The emergency authorities could be notified in real time, with detailed inforOCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 45

TECHNOLOGY

mation about the vehicle or vehicles, the location of the incident and the wellbeing of the occupants. Emergency personnel will tell you all the time that the more details they have on the number of occupants and their relative wellbeing while enroute to the scene helps to save lives.

• Based on the VIN Number a perfect set of demographic, geographic, impact genesis and vehicle condition data can be immediately uploaded to a trusted data source who can then simultaneously start the claim: • A r r ange for i m m e d i at e ro a d s i d e assistance.

• Arrange for a replacement vehicle or rental.

• Assess the data and create an impact cinema graphic that shows what happened five seconds prior to the incident and immediately afterwards.

• Provide a data rich FNOL to insurance companies.

• Assess the vehicle damage uploaded by the telemetry and by using historical relevant data and predictive analytics determine with a high degree of accuracy the repair

Google is already well-known in the connected car space both for Android Auto and the company’s driverless cars. Google has also recently added Alan Mulally, former CEO of Ford, to its board of directors.

costs or if the vehicle will be totaled.

• Create predictive estimates and parts requirements lists, and send that to dealers or parts procurement companies.

• Identify which shop is best positioned to repair the vehicle based on shop score-

46 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

cards and scheduled availability (be it in “network” or not) and send them the assignment and predictive estimate.

• And of course keep the consumer informed of what is happening at all times via mobile communications.

All of the above is done in parallel and instantly. No phone calls, no manual form filling, no frustrating repetition of the same information to different agencies. And remember at this point, the vehicle has not even been moved from the scene yet. I think that creates huge efficiency and economic benefits.

At this point I’m often asked how and when this will all happen.

My answer is simple. Right now no one company has the all of the component parts to do this, but the component parts all exist and so it will take partnerships and alliances across segments. We are beginning to see some of these form between OEMs and insurers.

One such example is the partnership between State Farm and General Motors. The y have entere d into an agreement that sends certain driving

TECHNOLOGY

data straight from the vehicle via OnSt ar to St ate Far m , w it h c onsu me r permission of course, to help State Farm assess the User Based Insurance (UBI) premium for that driver. GM/OnStar has a similar relationship with Progressive, Liberty Mutual, 21st Century and National General. In Europe, BMW and Allianz have a similar partnership and the new electric vehicles from BMW come with BMW-branded UBI. Thes e par tnerships and alliances are important and something of a sea change. In the past OEMs and insurers were often at loggerheads with each other in the segment over parts usage and prices, that fades into insignificance when the economics of brand loyalty and customer retention for both organizations are taken into consideration.

NEW ENTRANTS To pull all of this together is an enormous t ask t hat may b e b e yond t he current core competencies of those cur-

rently serving the segment, and I believe we’ll see new entrants into the market.

The connected car space is awash with telematics service providers (TSPs) that have a head start in this specialized area of connectivity and data management.

And when you look at companies such as Microsoft, Apple and Google you will find they already play a significant role in the connected car space. Microsoft Sync and Apple CarPlay are examples of infotainment and consumer services and of course there’s Google.

Google has recently announced Android Auto, with plans to connect to 28 different vehicle manufacturers providing a direct extension of the phone right onto the head unit in the car. Google of course has the autonomous and driverless car programs having recently acquired 22 licenses for autonomous vehicles from the state of California. Google owns an online insurance aggregator in the UK and USA and have recently just added Alan Mulally, the former President and CEO of Ford Motor Company, to their board of directors.

OEMs are increasingly developing their own connected car systems, such as Ford’s MyFord Touch System (top), which handles both communications and entertainment, and Toyota’s Safety Connect system (bottom) for navigation.

FordMyTouch photo by Randy Stern.

OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 47

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TECHNOLOGY

SETTING YOUR BUSINESS APART FROM THE REST Every business owner knows that their company is only as good as its people.

That is why the Ontario College of Trades

The dashboard of the FIAT 500X, with FCA Uconnect features. Connected car technology is becoming increasingly common.

(the College) encourages employers to consider hiring Canadian Forces veterans to be a part of their team.

Succeeding in the military takes drive, resourcefulness, and a can-do attitude—the

Do you see a trend here? Should any of these technical and data giants decide to get deeper into the auto business, they will quickly redefine the landscape. That landscape is likely to be data driven, we think workflow, they think data flow, we think you can’t do that, they ask why not?

Right now the OEMs are in the driver seat. They have the car and it all starts with the car. In recent months the OEMs have been entering the collision repair space with collision programs primarily to satisfy repair complexity surrounding new substrates such as aluminum, but ultimately these programs will become synonymous with customer and brand support.

The insurers are reaching out for partners in the market and in many instances turning to the OEMs. Repairers are not currently seeing this as having a major impact on their businesses. For the short term, they are right. Nonetheless this data driven claims workflow will impact repairers significantly and their capability to work with OEMs and insurers will ultimately determine work volumes.

The supply chain need to be thinking about what products and services they are providing and where that fits into the ecosystem, those that look carefully will, I suspect, f ind that the purchasing decisions once taken in

shops will be made much earlier in the claims workflow.

Who wins out and whatever the eventual outcome, one thing I am certain of is that the future will be data driven. As one senior insurance executive said to me recently “We sure make it complex for our customers to file a claim and have their vehicles repaired. Given all the data out there, we have to find a better way.”

The technology and the data exist to streamline the auto claims and repair process. We have followed the same process for over twenty years. It’s time to move on and reinvent. I think we are getting there. I see this as the “beginning of the end of the old process” and “end of the beginning of a new one,” one where technology, data and customer convenience converge. CRM

same qualities also essential to thriving in the skilled trades, especially on the shop floor.

Our Forces builds hard workers that are detail-oriented and well-trained, which for you translates to generating high numbers in your shop and driving business forward.

For veterans, it starts with the College’s Trade Equivalency Assessment (TEA) process—a system designed to assess the qualifications and experience of trained individuals. Through TEA, the College can match military to civilian qualifications and assess former work experience and training in the skilled trades.

If a candidate’s qualifications meet all of the training requirements, she or he can either qualify for an apprenticeship or to write the certification exam. This process gives you increased access to highly employable

Sean Carey is President of SCG Management Consultants, an automotive claims and collision repair consulting firm based in Chicago IL. In addition to being a keynote speaker on the subject of telematics and the connected car, SCG provides strategic and tactical advice to Vehicle Manufacturers, Insurers, IT Companies, Private Equity Firms and Supply Chain organizations in the automotive ecosystem, in the USA and Europe. He can be contacted by email at sean@careyscg.com or at 847 387 3104.

OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 49

veterans, ready for hire in your shop—setting you apart from the rest.

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SPONSORED CONTENT

Wild West, Tamed Richard Harcourt and Calgary Coachworks South use Mitchell RepairCenter to keep production flowing.

T

o d a y, R i c h a r d H a r c o u r t i s the Shop Manager of Calgary Coachworks South, one of the area’s most prominent collision repair facilities. But of course he didn’t start out that way.

“I started working in my brother-inlaw’s shop after school,” says Harcourt. “I was sweeping floors and worked my way up from there.”

Calgary Coachworks South is 15,000 sq. ft. and employs a staff of 16. The facility is also part of a local dealership group, which means there are quite a few cars coming in and going out in the average week. Tracking where those vehicles are at any point in the repair process is vital for maintaining a smooth, orderly flow, and Harcourt and his staff rely on Mitchell’s RepairCenter to help them keep things running smoothly.

“We’ve been using RepairCenter for about a year, and it’s great,” says Harcourt, noting that the facility had previously used Mitchell’s Shop Management System. “The ability to know the vehicle’s location in the repair process, as well as any parts orders, supplements or notes is a really valuable tool for us.”

One of the key advantages of RepairCenter is its modularity. Different modules perform different functions, which means a facility need only purchase and install the modules they will actually use. Even more impressive though, they can add modules as the needs of the business evolve and grow.

As part of a dealership group, Calgary Coachworks South has to use the dealership’s system for accounting purposes, but Harcourt notes that even here, RepairCenter helps out.

“As far as credits, invoices, things like that, it’s much easier than the old system.

It prints out everything you need,” he

The team at Calgary Coachworks South.

Calgary Coachworks South is part of a local dealership group.

Staff members of Calgary Coachworks discuss the latest advances with Mitchell representatives.

says. “Tanya, our parts person, is finding it very helpful in tracking everything that comes in for our repairs.”

While RepairCenter helps out in the back, Harcourt says it also helps when it comes to customer service.

“When a customer calls in to see where the car is, whoever answers the phone can just punch it in and find out exactly where in the process the vehicle is and estimate roughly how long it will take,” says Harcourt. “They don’t have to ask the customer to wait while they find out. They have the information right there.”

Mitchell RepairCenter

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Harcourt also points out that since RepairCenter tracks all notes and displays them with the repair order, there’s no confusion if a customer calls again.

“Say I answer the phone next time and I’ve never spoken to this person before. I just punch in their name, and it pops up with all of the information on that file,” says Harcourt. “I’d be able to tell from the notes what was said to them last time and how it was resolved. It really helps when it comes to customer service.”

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EXECUTIVE VISION

Student of the INDUSTRY PPG’s Norm Angrove on shop marketing, advancing technology and the need for world-class performance.

E

By Mike Davey

xecutive Vision focuses on discussions with key players in the auto claims economy and the auto industry, their views on the present industry and their vision for the future. In this issue, our guest is Norm Angrove, Director, PPG Automotive Refinish Canada. Angrove has more than 35 years experience in the automotive aftermarket, and has occupied various positions at PPG, including National Business Development Manager and Senior Manager-Values Programs.

Collision Repair magazine: What do you see as the three most critical issues for the collision repair industry?

Norm Angrove: There is no question that over capacity has and will continue to be a reality in the Canadian Collision Repair Industry. Currently in Canada there are approximately 6,000 shops which have the capacity to repair approximately $7.5 billion. The reality is there is approximately $3 billion in collision repair available, so it is survival of the fittest. In understanding this, today’s collision repair operators have to ask themselves if they’re playing to win … or playing not to lose.

Today, collision repairers for the first time are dealing with five generations of customers (Matures, Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z) in their business. Today’s operators need to understand that the way we market and communicate to these multiple generations has totally changed. For some, these changes will present extraordinary opportunities, and for some the same changes will threaten their competitiveness. I believe that in order to grow in this business, today’s

collision repairers need to develop and execute a strategic marketing plan that addresses these realities and ensure they are world class at everything they do.

Attracting new blood into the industry and finding qualified technicians continues to be a challenge across this country. I personally have been in this business for over 35 years and since the day I started this has been an ongoing issue. I understand this is a reality, but sometimes we have to deal with reality and make things happen on our own.

In my travels throughout North America, I see organizations that are doing a great job at recruitment of young people and developing high quality technicians through an inhouse developmental program and showing people a career path in collision repair. The common thread of these organizations is they are focused on this very important HR aspect of the business.

CRM: What would you suggest to a shop owner who is trying to deal with multiple generations of customers?

NA: Become a marketeer. By that I mean, devoting a concentrated effort on mar-

52 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

keting initiatives and I don’t mean spending advertising dollars. The starting point is to develop a comprehensive marketing plan/ strategy for the business understanding that the marketing initiatives you establish are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time Bound. Once established, the key to success will be the ability of the shop to implement, execute and sustain the marketing initiatives they set for themselves. I truly believe that Hope is not a business strategy.

CRM: In your view, what are the most important steps for a shop to take to secure longevity?

NA: Be a student of the industry: There are so many changes happening in this business it is imperative that owners and managers are at the forefront of change, accept change and have the ability to adapt to change. A wise man once told me “You can change now or you can change later but you are going to have to change.”

I believe it hinges on the old adage: “The definition of insanity is doing the same things and expecting different results.”

EXECUTIVE VISION

CRM: What do you think will be an area of growth for collision repair facilities?

NA: Enhancing communication skills.

In my travels over the years I have met with hundreds of collision centres and discussed marketing initiatives. I am also a student of the industry and collision centre marketing strategy is a topic that intrigues me. By no means do I want to stereotype, but customer communication in general is an area of focus most collision centres can improve on, no matter if you are a dealership, independent, franchise or network. I believe that every customer that has come to a collision repair facility for an estimate should be contacted within 24 hours. I believe that upon delivery of the vehicle a follow-up communication should be sent within 24 hours. I believe that all customers and contacts on the shops database should be communicated to every

“

fibre and advanced substrates is only going to increase. In understanding this, owners must continue to invest in education, training and equipment to be able to repair these complex vehicles.

The ongoing demand for world class performance will only increase. Today, collision repairers need to adopt, embrace and focus on implementation of systems and processes to address cycle time reduction and touch time improvement within their facilities. Work providers and customer demands will only increase and we have to be prepared for this. In my view, shops that wi l l b e successf u l in inst i l ling change within their businesses and meet the demands will be the shops that are successful at developing a culture of continuous

improvement. This area is clearly a marathon, not a sprint.

CRM: What does the future hold for PPG? NA: PPG is committed to providing world class industry leading coatings technology. We are committed to providing world class, training, consulting, systems and processes to ensure our customers are maximizing total profitability in their business. Our sole purpose of existence is to ensure that our PPG customers have the tools to maximize on today’s business reality, but more importantly, be positioned to capitalize on tomorrow’s opportunities. CRM

THE RAPID ADVANCEMENT OF VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY WILL BE THE GAME CHANGER IN THE FUTURE. THE USE OF ALUMINUM, CARBON FIBRE AND ADVANCED SUBSTRATES IS ONLY GOING TO INCREASE. - NORM ANGROVE

six months. This is the foundation. Your customer base is your goodwill of the business, but for too many the reality is out of sight, out of mind.

CRM: Thinking solely of how it’s going to change the business, what’s the biggest change we can expect in the next few years?

NA: The rapid advancement of vehicle technology will be the game changer in the future. The use of aluminum, carbon

Norm Angrove.

OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 53

SUPPLIER NEWS Eurovac’s new facility in Toronto, occupying 32,000 sq. ft.

Booming Business Canadian company Eurovac is cashing in on an industry trend.

By Jeff Sanford

I

t was not that long ago that the stubbornly high price of oil sideswiped the auto industry. While the price of gasoline spiked, consumers stopped spending, the economy stalled out and companies involved in the auto sector had a tough go of it.

But now, a couple years on, the bad times have been left behind. Business is coming back. The stock market is at record highs. The millennials are buying cars. The 2015 Ford F-150 is being made with aluminum, and the companies supplying the specialized equipment necessary to work with the metal are enjoying a respite from the rough economic weather.

Ontario-based Eurovac is among this fortunate group. The Canadian dust and fume extraction systems supplier has grown rapidly in the past three years, thanks in part to high volume sales of its Eurovac II - Wet Mix Dust Collector to virtually every Ford dealership with a col-

lision facility in the US, Canada and South America for the repair of the F-150.

“Fortunately Eurovac has been manufacturing wet mix dust collectors for aluminum dust for 20 years, so we were in a position to have the right product,” says Eurovac President Burt Retter.

He says sales have grown substantially as workers have become more conscious of health and safety concerns, and collision repair facilities have had to meet safety standards for materials like aluminum.

The particles can be dangerous even if you don’t inhale them, as they are both explosive and electrically conductive, which can cause problems with electrical systems.

Thanks to this growing demand, the company has sold a good number of systems across the border. There, insurance companies have mandated that collision repair centres be certified to work with aluminum.

“In Canada they didn’t make it mandatory. But in the US, you have to be

54 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

certified,” says Retter. “So we’ve seen some good business. In this country it was more of a voluntary thing. Here, the independents have taken a ‘wait and see’ attitude.’”

The Obama White House has famously committed the auto industry to achieving tk miles per gallon by 2020. So Retter expects the use of aluminum in cars to increase over time. The F-150 is just the start of a longer-term trend.

“Aluminum has been around for a long time, but nobody had made the commitment that Ford did. Slowly but surely the industr y is adopting aluminum. We see the trend continuing,” says Retter. “The primary motivation is to get the weight down to accomplish new mileage regulations. That’s really the driving force here.”

Aiming to strike while the iron is hot, the supplier made an announcement earlier this year, sharing plans to centralize operations while expanding and improving the corporate infrastructure.

“Our business has grown substantially. We were horribly undersized. We had close to what to what we have now in terms of space, but we had it in two different places. Now we’re in one place,” says Retter of the company’s new location at 44 Milvan Drive in Toronto.

He says the 32,000 sq. ft. building is 50 percent larger than the old facility, with the extra space housing an overhead crane that runs the length of the plant, providing more room to store components by the production lines and allowing for more dedicated manufacturing equipment.

SUPPLIER NEWS

Burt Retter, President of Eurovac.

The new facility provides more room to take products all the way to final assembly.

“Our manufacturing goal is to be as efficient as possible and to source components extremely well so we can offer well-engineered products at sensible pricing,” says Retter.

Looking forward, he expects business to stay strong. “Overall, the aluminum thing is for real. It’s going to continue,” he says.

“A new generation in collision repair performance.”

In fact, Retter is already looking beyond aluminum to carbon composites.

“That’s a whole other thing. We’re going to see more of that,” says Retter.

As is the case with aluminum, the dust from carbon composites can dangerous. “In the aerospace industry, they are ver y conscious of the dust form

carbon composites. It’s very conductive,” he says.

Whatever the case, the evolution in materials is creating a welcome respite from the dodgy business of last decade.

“We were hammered in 2008. It was ve r y tou g h , but we su r v ive d,” s ay s Retter. “Now we’re doing okay.” CRM

REST ASSURED

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OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 55

INDUSTRY EVENT Michael Macaluso, President, and Sam Mercanti, CEO, kick off the presentations.

Marking a Milestone The Walt Disney World Resort served as a backdrop for CARSTAR’s 20th anniversary celebration and conference.

By William Cappelli-Simmons

T

here was a touch of magic in the air at this year’s instalment of CARSTAR’s annual conference.

The Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida set the stage for the company’s 20th anniversary celebration, dubbed Momentum 2015, helping to mark a milestone with three full days of events, presentations and networking opportunities.

Keeping with tradition, the conference kicked off with a walk to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis Canada. This year’s edition, fittingly named the Cystic Fibrosis Character Crawl, saw a few very special participants, including the likes of Mickey Mouse and Goofy.

While the venue couldn’t help but add a lighthearted, family-friendly feel, the focus of the conference remained on the business,

with a number of speakers offering inspiration and insight to help franchise owners become more profitable and successful.

“With change comes great opportunity,” CARSTAR President Michael Macaluso told attendees in his opening address, touching on current industry trends—including consolidation, shrinking volumes and OEM influences. “But we are prepared to meet the challenges not just of the next few years, but for 20 years and beyond.

Momentum is more than just growth.

Momentum is about progress, innovation, excellence, speed, and most importantly momentum is all about people.”

CARSTAR CEO Sam Mercanti joined Macaluso on stage, and the two discussed the state of the industry, including the present opportunities and challenges,

56 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

while presenting a snapshot of the global collision repair marketplace.

Various panels and breakout sessions provided store managers and owners the chance to chat with insurers, suppliers, trainers and management experts while family members and children enjoyed the beautiful weather, resort facilities and theme parks.

World-famous car designer and former body shop tech and owner Chip Foose was also on hand to provide a touching keynote address on facing and rising above challenges in his work and personal life.

To the surprise of many, there were certainly no shortages of either. But the best one-liner of his speech was: “If I hadn’t married my wife, I’d probably be sitting out there with you in the audience as a CARSTAR owner.”

Foose later held court at the BASF/ Glasurit booth, signing autographs and talking with fans and attendees.

Day two of the event began with a session presented by the Disney Institute, where Disney representatives shared views on the meaning of leadership, and presented a tool designed to help the audience think outside the box when providing exceptional service.

Shawn McDonald, CARSTAR’s National Director of Insurance, was next to take the stage. McDonald elaborated on how the past year has progressed in the insurance industry and for CARSTAR in particular, with a primary focus on the new programs that have launched and new and prevailing trends in the industry.

Chris Moore, National Marketing Manager for CARSTAR, was next up to the podium to discuss CARSTAR’s marketing in the past year, and where that momentum will take the network in the year to come. Moore was followed by Bill Goodwin, who discussed opportunities for market growth and strategies for optimizing market potential.

Insurance breakout sessions started up after a short break, with attendees having the opportunity to choose three out of five breakout sessions led by different insurance partners.

The final day of the conference got under way with a strategic overview of the CARSTAR business in the US, presented

by David Byers, CEO of CARSTAR US. Colson Cole of CARSTAR was the day’s second speaker, reviewing and updating attendees on the progress of the 5 Pillars of the CARSTAR Way: Performance Plan, Operating Procedures, 5 S Program, Management System and Analytics.

INDUSTRY EVENT

MSOs Sam and Carly Saccoia and their son.

Peter DeGiuli and Harry Dhanjal of BASF.

Pam and Kevin Landry of CARSTAR Belleville.

CARSTAR, ready to raise some funds for Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Every CARSTAR Conference kicks off with a fundraising event.

Gloria Mann of Collision Repair magazine and Bruce Tokiwa of NAPA.

Darryl Simmons and William Cappelli-Simmons of Collision Repair magazine, Joe Carvalho and Maurice Hupe of Economical.

From left: Ian Ladd, Michelle Mercanti, Alexis Mercanti, Lisa Mercanti-Ladd and Carla Saccoia.

Collision Advice’s Mike Anderson was next to take the podium. As a leading shop owner and automotive management expert, Anderson provided an overview on various industry trends in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Following Anderson’s presentation was the panel discussion, How Performance Affects Your Business: The Insurer Perspective.

The participants were Tony Sutera Sardo of RSA Insurance, Steve Wade of Intact, Joe Carvalho of Economical, Dario Ricciutelli of TD Insurance and Tony Mammone of RBC. On the final evening, thunderstorms might have forced attendees inside for the Seaside Soirée dinner, but they did nothing to dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm.

Highlighting the night was an emotional presentation to Larry Jefferies,

who received the Matthew Ohrnstein Lifetime Achievement Award. The award acknowledges his business leadership, his dedication to CARSTAR and to the industry as a whole, showcased by his work with the Canadian Collision Industry Forum, AIA Canada, and other organizations. Awards were also given to stores celebrating their fifth year,

Tony Mammone of RBC, and Mike and Jeff Labanovich of Durham CARSTAR.

tenth year, fifteenth year and twentieth year in business. The 20 Year Excellence category is new this year, coinciding w i t h C A R S TA R’s o w n t w o - d e c a d e achievement.

As the event wrapped up, it seemed all in attendance had not only enjoyed themselves, but took away valuable knowledge as well. No doubt all are looking forward to next year’s conference, slated for Charlottetown, PEI. “This was the ideal venue with excellent information and presentations,” says Don Morton of DonMor CARSTAR in London, Ontario. “My two girls have met new friends. I’ve met new friends. I’ve learned new processes. Business, family, fun and knowledge all in one—it just doesn’t get better than this.” CRM OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 57

INDUSTRY EVENTS

The NACE Connection

The Claims Management Models panel at the MSO Symposium. From left, Ron Doerr of Assured Performance Network, Mark Mandl of Ford Customer Service Division, Clint Marlow of Allstate Insurance Company, Michel Malik of Australia’s BodyShop News and Gerry Tyller of Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC).

Attendees downloaded technology, financial perspectives and much more in the Motor City.

By Jeff Sanford

T

h e i n du st r y re tu r n e d to D et roit t his summer for NAC E 2 0 1 5 . T h e 2 0 1 5 NACE Conference & Expo offered a diverse collection of features, including a larger show floor with over 54,500 net sq. ft., a return of the MSO Symposium and the Technology & Telematics Forum as well as OE and manufacturer-specific classes and a strong focus on new materials and technology repair.

The numerous live demonstrations on the show floor included aluminum welding, spraying in two prep booths, rivet bonding and more. Chip Foose, KC Mathieu, and Jon Kosmoski performed live paint/spray demos for attendees.

THE MSO SYMPOSIUM AT NACE DELIVERED FIVE DIFFERENT PANEL DISCUSSIONS, EACH FOCUSING ON A DIFFERENT KEY ISSUE.

John and Brittany Force were also on hand signing autographs. I-CAR hosted a large centre stage with presentations throughout the three-day expo.

The Technology & Telematics Forum (TTF) was a major draw. News broke the week of the show that Chrysler was going to recall some Jeep Cherokees that were, apparently, capable of being hacked while on the ride. Fiat Chrysler has since announced they’re recalling approximately 1.4 million vehicles because of this issue, and car hacking has made the news a number of times since.

Spokespeople from some of the big OEMs were on the panel. According to one, “Telematics means different things to different OEMs.” That is, defining exactly OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 59

INDUSTRY EVENTS

BELOW: Mark McIntyre of Treschak Enterprises, Gloria Mann of Collision Repair magazine and Don Treschak of Treschak Enterprises.

NACE draws members of the recycling industry as well, like Pat Ryan of CAR-MS QRP and David Gold of Standard Auto Wreckers.

Steve Leal, President of Fix Auto Canada and Daniel Hogg of Fix Auto Blainville.

what this term means is still being worked out. That said, “this is the era of connected cars. The collision repair industry is no longer just about working sheet metal,” said another panel member.

In many ways, this area is so new that the industry needs to have a conversation about the exact nature of the goal. “What data should we be downloading? This is what we need to discuss as an industry,” said another panel participant.

The questions from the floor were interesting. The big concern seemed to be that the aftermarket industry would be left out of the telematics revolution. The OEM reps on the panel worked to allay those concerns.

“We’re working to enable access,” said one panelist. “We need to create secure vehi-

cles. But we also need to allow aftermarket players access. I suspect that, kicking and screaming, the OEMs will be forced to allow access.” Another panelist was “cautiously optimistic,” that OEMs would allow access.

Another interesting question from the floor: should shops start talking to clients about connected cars? One panelist said “Yes,” another said, “No.” Everyone agreed that “things aren’t as easy as they used to be. This is a more complex industry.”

The MSO Symposium was possibly the most highly anticipated event at NACE 2015.

Focused on delivering content to executives, multi-store owners and those looking to join their ranks, the MSO Symposium delivered five different panel discussions, each focusing on a different key issue.

60 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Prior to the panel discussions, Vincent Romans of The Romans presented MSO Update & State-of-the-Industry Address.

Romans provided a breakdown of the number of collision repair facilities in the industry, dealership groups and MSOs. Romans’ in-depth look at the current state-of-the-industry provided attendees with information that he aggregates annually and shares in a printed report detailing trends in the collision repair industry.

The panel discussions kicked off with Claims Management Models, moderated by Russell Thrall. Panelists included Ron Doerr of Assured Performance Network, Mark Mandl of Ford Customer Service Division, Clint Marlow of Allstate Insurance Company, Michel Malik of Australia’s BodyShop News and Gerry Tyller of Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC).

The panel focused on providing a global view of current and future claims management, including certified repair centres, OE certification, capitation and parts purchasing models.

The Insurer panel followed, moderated

by Mike LeVasseur of Keenan Auto Body.

Panelists were Chris Andreoli of Progressive, Clint Marlow of Allstate Insurance Company, Russ Hoffbauer of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, Jeff McFadden of Service King Collision Repair Centers, Danny Henderson of American Family Mutual Insurance Company and Jim Keller of 1Collision Network.

The panel discussed the future of direct repair programs, the challenges of the current environment, and how repairers and insurers are handling the influx of specialty materials and certification programs.

INDUSTRY EVENTS

LEFT: Jeff Sanford of Collision Repair magazine interviews Osvaldo Bergaglio of Symach, a company specializing in robotic automation for collision facilities.

RIGHT: Ron Olson of Pro Spot demonstrates the company’s Miracle System.

FAR RIGHT: Sam Mercanti and Michael Macaluso of CARSTAR Automotive Canada.

NACE is a great place to reconnect. From left, Darryl Simmons of Collision Repair magazine, Michael Carcone of Carcone’s Auto Recycling, William Simmons of Collision Repair magazine and Rodelo Harrilal of Carcone’s Auto Recycling.

Another panel looked at the employee shortage and discussed how to develop talent and retention. The panel moderator was Darrell Amberson of Lamettry’s Collision. Panelists included Max Sorensen of Keenan Auto Body, Brandon Eckenrode of the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), Jeff Peevy of AMI and Kevin Burnett of Gerber Collision & Glass.

Some of the initiatives under discussion included recent efforts focused high school guidance counselors, highlighting how different opportunities are available in collision repair, how building a training culture means less trouble finding qualified people, ABRA’s Collision Repair Opportunity Program that provides students with a nine-month ed-

Norm Angrove of PPG, and Arman Gurarslan and Jason Grey of Arslan Automotive.

ucational internship, and the perils and pitfalls of promoting from within.

Vincent Romans returned to the stage as the moderator of the next panel: The AB Cs of Financing, examining trends in consolidation and the financial shift. Panelists consisted of Courty Gates of Vesper Investment Company, David Roberts of FOCUS Investment Banking, Steven Becket of Peninsula Capital Partners and Ken Hanley of Caliber Collision Centers. All four panelists are experts in finance and MSO development. The goal of the panel was to help MSOs understand the financing alternatives available.

The final panel of the day focused on vital numbers, specifically Net Promoter

Score and Customer Satisfaction Index.

The moderator was Mike LeVasseur of Keenan Auto Body. Panelists were Dean Fisher of CARSTAR US, David Kulkis of ABRA, John Webb of TenPoint Complete, Jason Bertellotti of Mitchell and Paul Gange of Fix Auto USA. Maintaining high scores in these areas as organizations grow can be difficult, especially with multiple locations. The panel focused on looking at what better performing facilities are doing to maintain and improve their scores.

NACE also played host to an event presented by the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF). Fittingly for a Canadian event in an American city, the event was “Global Trends: Changing the Course of the Collision Repair Business in Canada,” and OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 61

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INDUSTRY EVENTS

Tim Morgan of Spanesi Americas.

Roland Taube of LKQ and Tom Bissonnette of Parr Auto Body.

looked at the Canadian collision industry from the viewpoint of the rest of the world.

David Lingham of IBIS opened the discussion by summing up what he sees as the Canadian industry’s strengths and weaknesses. Regarding strengths, Lingham spoke on Canada’s relatively high level of consolidation and the amount of cooperation between repairers and insurers.

However, he also noted that there’s still not much trust between partners, and there’s enormous pressure on margins.

Lingham also served as moderator for the first panel discussion. Panelists included Dave Smith of AkzoNobel, Rick Orser of 3M Canada, Patrice Marcil of Axalta and Roland Taube of LKQ Canada.

The panel discussed Lingham’s presentation on the Canadian landscape and also

looked at how to build a sustainable future based on shared end goals.

The CCIF event also featured a second panel discussion focused on the customer ser vice aspect. The panel moderated by outgoing CCIF Chairman Larry Jefferies. Panelists included incoming CCIF President Joe Carvalho of Economical, Paul Stella of Toyota Canada, Paul Prochilo of Prochilo Brothers Auto Collision and Dennis Carlini of Windsor CARSTAR Collision. In essence, discussion revolved around the idea that providing value to the client should be the central focus of all business activities.

NACE 2016 will take place August 9 to 13, 2016, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. CRM OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 63

PROFIT BOOSTER Wedge Clamp’s Stat Gun eliminates static electricity by shooting air with an opposite charge at the surface to be painted.

Cut Static Wedge Clamp’s Stat Gun gives benefits in reduced polishing time.

By Mike Davey

I Roger Turmel of Auto Quip uses the Stat Gun to blow off a bumper. Reducing static decreases polishing time.

64 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

t’s hot and humid, exactly the opposite of the kind of weather that produces static electricity. Nevertheless, when Roger Turmel of AutoQuip lets a thread go near a recently tacked bumper, there’s enough static to draw and hold the thread to the bumper’s surface. A charge big enough to hold a thread is certainly enough to draw dust, dirt and airborne impurities. A recently tacked bumper can attract airborne particles from up to three feet away.

We’re in a paint booth for a demo of the Wedge Clamp Stat Gun. As Turmel explains, static buildup attracts trouble.

Winter is the worst time for it, but even in the heat and haze of summer, there’s enough electricity in the air to cause painters some serious grief. Anti-static devices have been around in the industry for several years, but Turmel says this is the first one that can legally be used in a paint booth.

“Even when you tack and blow your parts, you’re still going to wind up with

PROFIT BOOSTER

some dirt on there because the process of tacking down a bumper actually creates the static, and that means an inconsistent laydown, mismatched blending and other problems. This translates to more time spent polishing and more time correcting mistakes,” says Turmel. “It’s a big cost in time and productivity.”

The Stat Gun from Wedge Clamp eliminates all of that. It works by adding an ionized charge to the air emerging from the cordless gun. When this air hits the positively charged static on the piece to be painted, the charges cancel out. It eliminates the static and therefore eliminates the magnetic draw.

“It’s an expensive and time consuming problem. It’s even more pronounced when you’re painting with a flake or metallic colour,” says Turmel. “For the best results, flakes need to lie flat and be uniform in order to reflect light, giving it that sparkle.

Any kind of static charge on the piece is going to interfere with that effect.” The result is shown by bumpers looking darker than the rest of the vehicle.

Wedge Clamp’s Stat Gun attaches to the regular air line in the booth and is used at

A RECENTLY TACKED BUMPER CAN ATTRACT AIRBORNE PARTICLES FROM UP TO THREE FEET AWAY.

the same point where a painter would normally blow off the piece. It’s just as easy to do from the perspective of the painter, but the effect on the final product is dramatic.

Turmel says using the Stat Gun has several benefits. For example, it reduces the cost of materials by eliminating the need for anti-static wipes. However, most of the savings are realized by cutting down on polishing time and quality of finish.

“Most of our customers who have used the Wedge Clamp Stat Gun see polishing time reduced by at least 70 percent without making any other changes,” says Turmel. “The Stat Gun is a simple addition that has a dramatic effect on quality of finish and reduced cycle time.”

Wayne Faria is Operations Manager of Don Valley North Collision Repair Centre in Toronto, one of the highest volume shops in the country. While he was initially skeptical of the claims made about the Stat Gun, he says that changed after seeing it in action.

“I’m thoroughly impressed,” says Faria.

“It’s made a tremendous difference. With some panels, we’re not even polishing. It’s well worth the investment for anyone.”

For more information, please visit wedge clamp.com or call 1-866-325-2886. CRM

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Trainingmatters.ca REPORT ON TRAINING POWERED BY

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

I-CAR has launched a new Personal Development Path for production management.

Pathway to Success

I-CAR’s new training initiative puts the focus on bringing production managers up to speed.

I-CAR’s new training initiative puts the focus on bringing production managers up to speed.

By Jeff Sanford

M

anaging collision repair centre work flow has never been so complex. The cars being repaired are more sophisticated, sensors and advanced materials like aluminum have increased the number of steps involved in a repair process, and scheduling and organizing projects so that a shop remains competitive, profitable and efficient is tougher than ever.

Aiming to offer a solution, I-CAR announce d a ne w s er ies of cours es during NACE | CARS 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. The new training pathway is designed to help production managers keep up with increasing demands and work as efficiently as possible.

A relatively new job description in the industry, production managers coordinate and order parts, ensure cars are ready for work, manage the flow of jobs for efficiency, while making sure machines have as little downtime as possible.

“I think it is great to have an official designation. We’ve struggled with what it is we need to train these guys on,” says Rick Hatswell, Craftsman Collision Chief Operating Officer, who has employed what he calls a production coordinator for at least half a decade and has watched the role evolve.

“We’ve done this for years. We have shops of all sizes, and so we’ve had a dedicated production manager for ten years in our largest shops. We’ve had them for about five years in our mid-size shops,” says Hatswell.

He describes the position as an entry-level job, often serving as a stepping-stone to get into estimating, or helping detailers to make the move to office work.

The process at Craftsman is to create a daily work flow sheet, which the production coordinator then works from to make sure the cars get out on time.

“They’re organizing sub-jobs, computer scans or alignments at dealerships.

This person would also be making sure the right parts are ordered and organizing cars that are ready to go that day,” Hatswell says. “For an estimator or manager who is busy with clients, we needed to create this role.”

I-CAR’s new series of courses will train production managers to utilize techniques like root-cause analysis and process mapping to identify waste and defects in the production process. The new curriculum goes beyond technical training to utilize real-life experience, providing insight into workplace challenges on multiple areas of the shop floor, while enhancing critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.

“It would be great to have people who have some background on cycle flows and cycle times. That would be really useful for a detailer wanting to get into this position,” says Hatswell. “It’s a great step to move into the office.”

Hatswell isn’t the only one pleased with I-CAR’s new certification channel.

“We’re certainly supportive of this initiative. The production manager is an important role,” says CARSTAR president Michael Macaluso. “That person is the link between the front and back of house of a collision repair business. Getting that role right is critical for hitting KPIs and for maximizing output of a shop. It’s good to see someone standardizing the role. I think this is a great idea.”

Mac a lus o s ays anyt h ing t hat c an help improve capacity and planning is beneficial in a field with mounting expectations.

“A good production manager can ensure the goals of a shop can be met,” he adds. “It‘s a much more defined and definite role today. Certain metrics have to be met and delivered.”

Stu Klein, Fix Auto Ontario Business Centre Strategic Partner Developer and I-CAR instructor and I-CAR platinum individual agrees. He says the industry has been forced to improve to keep up OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 67

REPORT ON TRAINING

PRESENTED BY

Andrew Shepherd of I-CAR.

with consumer and insurance company demands, along with shrinking profit margins, emerging technology and new vehicle construction.

“I think the leaders in the industry always welcome any training that not only keeps them competitive, but also helps them become more sustainable,” says Klein. “ The I-CAR Production Manager training should contribute to both of those goals.”

That said, Klein doesn’t think the course should be mandator y for the Gold Class program, seeing as the path’s focus will be more on efficiency and productivity than actual vehicle repair.

The first set of classes have since launched in the US, and according to Andrew Shepherd, Executive Director of I-CAR Canada, the program is set to eventually make its way across the border.

“This is a terrifically interesting development,” says Shepherd. “This is not only covering an important role in the shop, but moving the learning organization concept from theory to practice. It is going to be available in the very near future, as soon as we do the technical work to lay out the infrastructure.”

Plans are in place to roll out live classes in Canada this fall, with the balance following after January 1, 2016.

68 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Trainingmatters.ca

POWERED BY

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

Rick Hatswell of Craftsman Collision.

“I THINK THE LEADERS IN THE INDUSTRY ALWAYS WELCOME ANY TRAINING THAT NOT ONLY KEEPS THEM COMPETITIVE, BUT ALSO HELPS THEM BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLE. THE I-CAR PRODUCTION MANAGER TRAINING SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO BOTH OF THOSE GOALS.” – STU KLEIN

“ We w i l l b e a d apt i n g i n d i v i du a l web-based records, progress charts, transcripts, etc., to include the new role early in the New Year as well,” he says.

Shepherd says new levels of complexity in the industr y highlight the need for the courses, noting there are 142 new or redesigned models being introduced in 2015 alone. The vast variation in models includes new materials, joining techniques, restraint systems and collision avoidance electronics. The complexity threatens the ability of collision repair centres to complete safe and effective repairs.

The ne w I-CAR prog ram is a re sp ons e to t h is re a lit y. T he cou rs es feature interviews with industry experts and interactive exercises through a mix of live, online and new virtual formats.

The architecture of the Pro duction Management c urric ulum follows ICAR’s new Purpose Built curriculum design principles. Ensuring expensive machinery does not stand idle and jobs are completed on-time is an obvious way to maximize and enhance a facility’s success rate.

“In a knowledge-based industry, our approach to skills development will make the difference between a business thriving, enduring, or even dying,” says Shepherd. CRM

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Ottawa tow truck drivers hold rally for critically injured operator Over 50 tow truck drivers gathered to rally in support of an operator who was struck on Ottawa’s Highway 417.

Travelling from across the city and surrounding area, the group of drivers came together on August 30 in a Canadian Tire Centre parking lot—just a few feet away from where Abbas Kadir was hit by a passing vehicle on August 26, the Ottawa Sun reports.

The Jonny’s Towing owner had been working roadside at the scene of a two-vehicle crash near Palladium Drive when he was hit by a 19-year-old female driver. Kadir suffered severe multi-system trauma and was tranported to hospital in critical condition.

Kadir’s son Alan was among the fleet of tow operators making the police-escorted drive from the Canadian Tire Centre to the Civic

Hospital, where they honked their truck horns and flashed their lights in a gesture of support.

While honouring their colleague, ralliers also aimed to raise awareness of Ontario’s Move Over law, which took effect September 1, 2015.

For many, the incident has helped to highlight the need for enforcement and public education.

“It really affected me because this is my job and I just saw someone I respect and work with, left fighting for his life,” Cory Lague, an organizer of the event, told the Sun. “Today, we want to show our respect for anyone in any type of road work area. People drive crazy out there. We just want people to move over because we all have families.”

Tow truck drivers across the province welcomed the amendment to the Highway Traffic Act—Bill 31, the Making Ontario’s

Clearwater tow operator, residents pitch in to prevent potential wildfire at collision site A local tower and residents have been deemed heroes after working to contain a fire at the scene of a two-car collision in Clearwater, BC. Taking place along Clearwater Valley Road, the August 20 crash caught the a t t e n t i o n o f G e o rg e B r i g g s a f t e r h e spotted black smoke billowing near his home, the Clearwater Times reports.

Briggs arrived, a five-gallon pumpcan in hand, to find a Pontiac Grand Prix and Ford Flex totalled, with the pick up heavily engulfed in flames. He was joined by Clearwater Towing’s Kevin Tinker, who had been working nearby.

With the help of two other men, in-

cluding resident Arne Lundquist, Tinker attached a line to the spokes of one of the truck’s wheels, hauling it to an open gravel area in Briggs’ driveway, away from the highly flammable trees and brush.

Neighbours used fire extinguishers and small watering containers to contain the blaze.

“It was really quite an effort by those folks,” Briggs says. “It was a good community effort.”

Paramedics transported both drivers to hospital for treatment and observation. Two children passengers were uninjured.

RCMP charged the male driver of the Grand Prix for driving without due care and attention in addition to passing on a double solid line.

Roads Safer Act—extending roadside worker protection to tow truck drivers.

Under the law, motorists who do not slow down or move over when approaching a parked tow truck with its amber lights flashing face a fine ranging from $300 to $1,000 and three demerit points. First offenders will be charged around $490.

“Concentrate on the roadway. Watch what is in front of you, what is beside you, what speed limit you are doing, what the road conditions are,” former tow truck driver Bob Fontaine told CTV News. “It takes this much to prevent an accident like what’s happened here to our brother.”

Ottawa police have since charged the female driver, Zoya Flick of Smith Falls, for having improper tires.

NL tower talks PTSD Efforts to raise awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its impact on first responders have tow operators feeling a little left out.

While tow truck drivers are often first on the scene of accidents, they do not receive specialized training or support to handle such events.

J&W Power Towing’s Edgar Power told VOCM Nfld Radio he’s witnessed tragedies throughout his 38-year career, and without much of a support system, outside of family.

The Whitbourne, NL resident says that while dealing with serious accidents can be complicated, preventing them is fairly simple—people just need to slow down.

“If everybody slowed down and drove the way they’re supposed to drive, there wouldn’t be half of this stuff [happening],” he says.

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

70 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

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CONTENTS Recycling News.....................72 79 Tire Take Back brings in 62,891 tires, Greg Woodbeck joins OARA Board of Directors and much, much more.

Recycler’s View............................80

by David Gold

Tire Take Back 2015 raises $115,876 for The Sunshine Foundation

By Mike Davey

Presenting this year’s donation to The Sunshine Foundation. From left: Ron Cayer of Rock City Auto Supply, Steve Fletcher of OARA, Heidi Spannbauer of The Sunshine Foundation and Andrew Horsman of OTS.

Earlier this year in June, as part of the sixth annual Tire Take Back event, Ontarians came together to collect tires in order to fulfill the dreams of Ontario children within The Sunshine Foundation of Canada’s network.

Between June 1 and 6, Ontarians were encouraged to drop off as many of their used tires as possible at participating collectors across the province. Organized by Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) and the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association (OARA), in association with Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), Ontario residents collected 62,891 tires, helping raise $115,876 for The Sunshine Foundation of Canada.

“Ontario’s continued commitment to responsibly recycling their used tires and enthusiasm for the Tire Take Back program never ceases to amaze me,” says Andrew Horsman, Executive Director of OTS. “We are thankful that together we are able to fulfill so many dreams through The Sunshine Foundation and responsibly recycle Ontario’s tires along the way.”

Tire Take Back is a friendly competition across Ontario communities and this year, Rock City Auto Supplies in Sudbury, Ontario came on top, collecting 14,837 tires, resulting in $26,238 of the total funds raised for The Sunshine Foundation.

Continued on page 74.

72 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

OARA BOARD OF DIRECTORS WELCOMES GREG WOODBECK Greg Woodbeck of Woodbeck Auto Parts in Stirling, Ontario has been appointed to the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association (OARA) Board of Directors.

A vacancy in the board occurred when Don Fraser of AADCO Auto Parts stepped down in early August.

“I would like to welcome Greg to the OARA Board of Directors and thank him for his willingness to step in mid-year,” says OARA Chairman Wally Dingman. “I am looking forward to working with Greg and the rest of the board as we continue to work towards a licensed level-playing field within the auto recycling industry.”

Woodbeck is a graduate of Acadia University where he completed his studies in Economics. He joined the family business in 1999 and has held various roles within the company with ever increasing responsibility. He has been an active member of the association as a member of the Membership Committee and currently chairs the Data Stream Committee—roles he will continue with while on the board.

Woodbeck follows in his father’s footsteps with his involvement in shaping the future of the industry. Bruce Woodbeck was a founding board member of OARA and one of its original Chairmen.

Continued on page 75.

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FOR COLLISION Quality Replacement Parts (QRP) is our computerized inventory system. It allows real time requests with quick responses!

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FOR INSURERS Our total salvage management solution provides insurers with a convenient way to generate competitive returns while ensuring their total loss vehicles are handled promptly and properly.

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OUR MEMBERS A&L Auto Recyclers (800) 265-2128 Comber, ON AADCO Auto Parts (866) 283-7278 Brampton, ON Andy’s Auto Wreckers (800) 265-1945 London, ON Arnprior/ Ottawa Auto (800) 267-7386 Arnprior, ON Bell City Auto Center (800) 265-8498 Brantford, ON Bickell Auto Parts (800) 461-2225 Sault St. Marie, ON Bodyline Auto Recyclers (800) 263-1329 Hamilton, ON Carcone’s Auto Recycling (800) 263-2022 Aurora, ON Corey Auto Wreckers (800) 265-9250 London, ON Dave’s Truck and Auto Parts (800) 267-9110 Carp, ON Dom’s Auto Parts (800) 481-7272 Courtice, ON Doug’s Auto Parts (800) 267-0235 Joyceville, ON Early’s Auto Parts (705) 435-7708 Alliston, ON Hank’s Auto Wreckers (800) 265-6179 St. Clements, ON Hilltop Auto Wreckers (800) 441-9812 Cedar Valley, ON Hotch’s Auto Parts (800) 267-5598 Prince Edward County, ON King’s Auto Recyclers (800) 563-2423 Peterborough, ON Logel’s Auto Parts (800) 463-2986 Kitchener, ON

Maritime Auto Salvage (800) 565-7278 Lower Debert, NS Mark’s Parts (855) 833-9939 St. Isidore, ON Miller’s Auto Recycling (800) 263-8104 Fort Erie, ON No 9 Auto Wreckers (800) 263-3267 Tottenham, ON P&G Auto Parts (800) 461-9562 North Bay, ON Parkway Auto Recyclers (800) 265-6464 Kitchener, ON Peterboro Auto Recyclers (800) 461-1798 Peterborough, ON Port Perry Auto Wreckers (877) 343-3336 Blackstock, ON Rock City Auto Supplies (800) 461-7144 Sudbury, ON Standard Auto Wreckers (800) 263-3595 Nepean, ON Standard Auto Wreckers (905) 885-9576 Port Hope, ON Standard Auto Wreckers (800) 668-5014 Scarborough, ON T&T Auto Supply (807) 577-8449 Thunder Bay, ON Thorold Auto Wreckers (800) 263-4708 Thorold, ON Valley Automotive (800) 565-7667 Pembroke, ON Woodbeck Auto Parts (800) 267-2542 Stirling, ON

For more information please contact Trisha Sembay at: (416) 231-8580 or trish@car-ms.ca

Tire Take Back ... continued from page 72.

“The dedication and spirit of our participating collectors and haulers in support of The Sunshine Foundation of Canada is always remarkable,” says Steve Fletcher, Executive Director of OARA. “We started the Tire Take Back event because we and our members believe in the work The Sunshine Foundation does.

We’re proud to work together with great partners to bring awareness to responsible tire recycling.”

Haulers in particular may merit special thanks. Not only did participating haulers move a mountain of tires, but the companies also contributed over $60,000 in donated Hauling Allowances.

This is a huge financial part of the total donation. The participating haulers this year were Black2Green Tire Recycling, Envi-recycle, Green Arc Tire Recovery, Liberty Tire Recycling Canada, Retire Your Tire and Trillium Tire.

“We are deeply grateful to be the charity partner supporting this dedicated partnership of OARA, OTS and OFA. 2015 has been an-

other outstanding year of tire collection with tire currency providing vital funds for Sunshine’s Dreams for Kids programs,” says Nancy Sutherland, Chief Executive Officer of The Sunshine Foundation of Canada. “The Tire Take Back recycling program gives tire donors the opportunity to see new dreams come true from old tires.

Children living with severe disabilities or life threatening illnesses can dream big knowing communities across Ontario have come together to support their most cherished dreams. On behalf of our staff and volunteers, thank you OARA, OTS, OFA and each hauler and processor for making this year such a resounding success.”

The Sunshine Foundation of Canada was presented with a cheque during a ceremony held on July 23, 2015 at Rock City Auto Supplies in Sudbury, Ontario.

For more information Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association, please visit oara.com.

To learn more about Ontario Tire Stewardship, go to rethinktires.ca

MARITIME AUTO PARTS EXPANDS WITH ACQUISITION

By Jeff Sanford

Automotive recycler Maritime Auto Parts expanded this fall to a new location following the recent acquisition of Wayne Giles Auto Salvage.

The head of Maritime Auto Parts, Andrew MacDonald, says he will operate the new location as a second retail facility and a “u-pull” operation.

“It’s going to be an open, self-service yard, pick-your-part type of operation,” says MacDonald. This will be the first pick-your-part operation in the Halifax region. “Most major cities have one, except for Halifax. A lot of people are excited.”

Three years ago MacDonald took over Maritime by buying out his parents, Ed and Lana MacDonald. Now he’s consolidating and growing the Halifax recycle industry.

He said he approached Wayne Giles about making a deal, and Giles was amenable.

Wayne and Lora Giles owned the business for over 12 years, and were instrumental in that time, both in building the business and as members of the Automotive Recyclers Association of Atlantic Canada (ARAAC). MacDonald also acknowledges that the staff at the newly-acquired yard are at the top of their game.

“They’re a great crew, and we’re all looking forward to working with them,” he says.

The new facility reopened this September with more than 2,000 cars on site. The new

An aerial view of Maritime Auto Parts

combined company will have more 1,000 cars, a number that has risen sharply as a result of this past winter, which was an intense one. The East Coast, of course, experienced massive winter storms this year.

Accidents were numerous. “ We ’ re re a l l y b u s y. B e c a u s e o f t h i s past winter we had a lot of cars. We were buried in snow for two months,” says MacDonald. “We’re still recovering. We’re still processing them all and getting them in the system. We have purchased 50 per-

74 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

cent more cars this year than last year.”

The huge snowfall made the day-to-day business of managing the yard tricky. Another recent challenge has been the price of steel, which has dropped. This is a fact of life all recyclers are dealing with today. But the low price is not deterring MacDonald.

“You don’t want to stop the process.

You want to keep flying even if the price of steel is low,” he says.

For more information on Maritime Auto Parts, please visit maritimeauto.com.

Greg Woodbeck ... continued from page 72.

“I look forward to working with the current board and serving the membership of OARA,” says Woodbeck. “With the numerous issues facing our industry it’s so important to have an association like

SCHNITZER STEEL LOAD TIPS IN BC HARBOUR

By Jeff Sanford

Twenty recycled vehicles ended up in Victoria’s inner harbour when a barge carrying several-hundred crushed cars tipped.

The load, owned by US recycler Schnitzer Steel, was being trans ported to another facility when the spill occured a few feet from shore.

The British Columbia Ministry of the Environment deployed a boom around the barge. The Ministry doesn’t anticipate any ecological damage resulting from the spill.

Regulations require fuel be removed from vehicles before they are loaded.

Schnitzer was founded in 1906 as a one-man scrap metal operation.

The company owns the Pick-N-Pull self-service auto parts recycling chain of stores. That operation has a select number of stores in Western Canada.

Today, Schnitzer operates 107 recycling facilities, with locations in seven deep-water ports. This allows the company to shop raw materials to steel mills and foundries around the world.

Schnitzer purchases around 350,000 and salvaged vehicles ann u a l l y f ro m t o w c o m p a n i e s , a u t o auctions and city contracts (among other sources).

The company’s corporate headquarters are located in Portland, Oregon.

Schnizter has traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol SCHN since its IPO in 1993.

The company has paid a dividend every quarter since it went public.

OARA and continue the hard work that has been done.”

OARA is a voluntary industry association representing 125 businesses primarily engaged in the acquisition of End-of-Life

Vehicles (ELVs), their proper treatment and handling, and the subsequent recycling or re-use of the parts and materials recovered. For more information, please visit oara.com.

Put the End of the Road…

Wally Dingman and AADCO’s Don Fraser.

Back On The Open Road

There’s plenty of life left in Green Recycled Parts.

And putting them back on the road is a great thing for the environment, your customers and your business.

So offer your customers an environmentally friendly alternative that will save them about half the price of new OEM parts without sacrificing performance or quality. Not only will they appreciate it, you’ll be rewarded with enhanced customer loyalty, trust... and more repeat business.

All our members are certified by a third-party independent audit to meet the standards of the Canadian Auto Recyclers' Environmental Code.

Locate Green Recycled Parts for any vehicle or discover the new Gold Seal Recycler Program at

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OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 75

AMBER ELENBAAS TO HEADLINE OARA 2016 CONVENTION The Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association (OARA) has announced its headline speaker for the 2016 OARA Convention & Trade Show.

Amber Elenbaas is a third generation auto recycler who is rapidly becoming a much sought after speaker in the auto recycling industry. The 2016 OARA Convention & Trade Show takes place March 17 to 20 at Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre in Markham, Ontario.

For nearly a decade, Elenbaas has grown recycling facilities while focusing on efficiency and team building. She did this as the General Manager of Pete’s Auto Parts, American Auto Parts and the Loveland, Colorado branch of H&H Auto Parts. In 2015, Elenbaas served as a field rep for Rebuilders Automotive Supply (RAS) and helped recyclers sell their cores for more. She plans to return to Michigan in 2016 to buy the salvage yard her grandfather started in the 1950s.

In addition to acting as the convention’s headliner, Elenbaas will provide a daylong training session for employees on the Sunday following the convention. The session will immerse recyclers in many of today’s latest ideas and trends and high-

Amber Elenbaas will be the keynote speaker for the 2016 OARA Convention. Elenbaas has a long track record of growing recycling facilities through efficiency and team building.

light techniques to sell more parts, manage inventory effectively, generate more profits and have fun doing it.

“My seminars are very hands-on, boots on the ground. And I want to really help these people with their day-to-day business. There

will be no keynote on the state of the industry or speech on how technology may affect recycling in the future, it’s all practical information people can use every day,” says Elenbaas.

For more information, please visit oara.com/ events/2016-oara-convention-trade-show.

Reid’s Automotive Recycling now Climate Smart certified

By Mike Davey

Reid’s Automotive Recycling has announced it is now Climate Smart certified.

The Burnaby, British Columbia-based business has often been on the cutting edge of environmental protection efforts, and the Climate Smart certification displays this progressive attitude.

Reid’s Automotive Recycling is a proud member of the Quality Recycled Parts Group of British Columbia (QRPBC).

The facility is an approved alloy wheel repair facility and a Gold certified and government registered end-of-life vehicle (ELV) processing facility.

While the facility already sells a “green” product, recycled auto parts, and refurbishes alloy wheels there was a desire to expand that mandate.

“We’re geared toward making our business operations as green as our products and services,” says Teresa Reid of Reid’s Automotive Recycling. “Our challenge from a sustainability perspective is based less on what we do, but how we do it and more importantly how can we do it better. After the decision to incorporate a zero waste mind set, Climate Smart soon became our personal environmental fitness trainer.”

The Climate Smart training program for businesses is built around a

76 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

three-step process: measure, reduce and leverage.

“The first step is learning to calculate your carbon footprint,” says Reid. “First, we had to map out where emissions occur so they could be measured. We started to take inventory of direct GHC emissions that are generated within our facility and indirect emissions from staff commuting, transportation of goods, business travel, paper and packaging, and waste.”

The next step of the certification process is reducing the carbon footprint. This could be as simple as turning off light switches, all the way to installing new, more efficient equipment.

“Moving forward, we’re focusing on reducing emissions from electricity, heat and building envelope, transportation, paper and waste,” says Teresa.

“We know that where and how consumers choose to spend their money can make a green difference.”

For more information on Reid’s Automotive Recycling, please visit reidsauto.ca.

To learn more about Climate Smart Certification, go to climatesmart business.com.

Don Fraser honoured by Brampton Fire and Emergency Services Don Fraser was recently thanked by Brampton Fire and Emergency Services for helping to keep residents safe.

Until his recent retirement, Fraser owned AADCO Auto Parts in Brampton, Ontario.

Over the last few years, he frequently opened his yard to be used as a training area for firefighters, as well as donating hundreds of vehicles to assist in extrication training.

Fraser was presented with a plaque honouring his achievement during an event at AADCO Auto Parts location on Hansen Rd. in Brampton.

Firefighters also demonstrated their extrication skills during the event.

The plaque was presented by Fire Chief Michael Clark, Deputy Chief Peter Gatto, Councillor Michael Palleschi and Platoon Chief Paul Bebbington.

Don Fraser (centre) accepts a plaque honouring his contributions to extrication training for Brampton Fire and Emergency Services.

“Obviously I’m honoured,” says Fraser.

“We’re always glad to be able to help the firefighters in our community. If it helps them

do their jobs and save lives, then it’s definitely been worth it.”

For more information, please visit aadco.ca.

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CAR-MS QRP EXPANDS, ACQUIRES FIVE NEW MEMBERS

By Mike Davey

CAR-MS QRP Group of Recyclers is riding a continued wave of growth with the recent addition of five new members, including the signing of Monidex Distribution earlier this year.

In an August 2015 statement, the company announced a partnership with the Quebec-based business, stating that as a leading importer and wholesaler of automotive aftermarket sheet metal and mechanical parts, Monidex is a perfect fit.

Pat Ryan, VP of Operations for CAR-MS QRP, says the union—which launched in Ontario on September 1, 2015—greatly benefits member recyclers, allowing them to offer quality CAPA certified parts in addition to recycled parts.

He says the partnership also aims to fulfill an industry demand.

“Furthermore, this link with Monidex is a result of listening to our collision repair customers

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who have been asking us to provide a one-stop solution for all their recycled and aftermarket parts needs,” says Ryan. “We believe that this solution solves a great need within the repairer community for reduced cycle time in the parts sourcing area of their business.”

Mondiex Distribution owner Sal Polletta echoed Ryan’s sentiments, adding that the union holds numerous advantages for both CAR-MS QRP member facilities and their customers, including a faster turnaround.

“Starting September 1, we’ll be able to get them the parts they need first thing in the morning,” says Polletta. “If they get an order in by 1:30 p.m., we’ll have it to them first thing the next morning.”

Headquartered in Anjour, Quebec, Monidex was founded in 1983. The auto parts importer and distributor prides itself on high quality standards and an extensive network of service centres and manufacturing units across North America.

Hot on the heels of the company’s partnership with Monidex, CAR-MS QRP later announced the addition of four members located in Atlantic Canada.

The latest recyclers to join the group include Island Auto Supply of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Capital City Auto Parts of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Bastarache Auto Salvage

from Shediac, New Brunswick and the second location of current member Maritime Auto Parts in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Following a tour of the facilities in late August, Ryan says he was pleased with what he saw and looks forward to what each member will bring to the company as it continues to grow.

“Upon visiting these newest members . . . I was struck by their enthusiasm and passion for the recycling business,” he says.

“The owners of these new member recyclers are awesome additions to our team and give us a substantial footprint in the Maritime provinces.”

Ryan says this is only the first wave of expansion for the company, and to watch for further announcements as new members come on board.

“As we look to expand the CAR-MS QRP brand across Canada, we will seek out recyclers with the same enthusiasm to complement our growing core group of professional recyclers,” he says.

CAR-MS QRP was formed in October of 2005, when two companies decided to merge their expertise to offer industry a one-stop solution to salvage and parts acquisitions.

For more information on the CAR-MS QRP Group of Recyclers, please visit car-ms.ca.

To learn more about Monidex Distritbution International, go to monidex.com.

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OCTOBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 79

RECYCLING I

THEGOODFIGHT Consolidation is creating challenges for independents.

By David Gold

N

ot too long ago, mom and pop “body shops” flourished and hardworking and astute operators performed a good service and made a reasonable living for their families. However, based on recent conversations with a customer and family friend, all of that seems to be changing—and fast.

He says business used to pour in like an open faucet and now it’s just “dripping in.” The collision repair industry is shifting more rapidly towards banner groups or larger entities and that has clearly impacted the independent operator in terms of the flow of vehicles that are coming through their doors. Now this

and some advertising and word of mouth, the business is basically fighting for its survival.

Seeing an independent family business that has such deep roots in the community struggling is really tough, and I applaud them for reaching out for help. Are there different avenues for a centre like this one to help generate revenues and get the business back up on its feet? Surely there are opportunities to be had, they just don’t come naturally to me as this is not my core field. But visiting this shop with the goal to identify solutions to stabilize their business will surely provide more insight on the topic.

IT’S NO SECRET THAT SMALLER AND LESS SOPHISTICATED COLLISION REPAIR CENTRES ARE CLOSING UP.

57-year-old second generation business with historical roots in the community is asking me what they can do differently to increase their business.

I have to admit that I don’t yet have the answer. But I am committed to visiting the shop and discussing current trends with an emphasis on figuring out how to go about increasing revenue to help them stay afloat.

Naturally, my first inclination was to inquire about joining up with one of the banner groups in the marketplace. This was quickly shot down as the shop’s aim is to maintain their independence and control. Furthermore there is still “no guarantee that you will get the work.”

While the genesis of our conversation kept coming back to the usual topics—from the delays on getting paid for their work, the rates per hour and terms offered by the insurance companies to the suggestions made to the customer that somehow the work is not guaranteed if they are not a part of their designated program—it became clear to me that not being a part of something bigger is the root cause of the problem.

However, this particular shop has tried out many special programs and none of them have worked.

So, other than their well-established fleet accounts 80 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

It’s no secret that smaller and less sophisticated collision repair centres are closing up and that there will be fewer and fewer shops in the marketplace taking on more of the load. Some of our collision repair customers are even working seven days a week now to hit their metrics and boast about being great operators deserving of more work. That is a trend that I argue will only intensify going forward.

It is humbling to be asked by this shop to be involved in the process to help them succeed and I take that request very seriously.While I don’t have the answers right now, and can’t say I know what’s ultimately best for this shop, I am sure some of you out there might be able to help shed some light on the situation.

I would like to welcome those readers to reach out to me while I continue to analyze and identify the trends that have allowed business to come in drips and drabs as opposed to times when work rushed in like a steady stream. 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.

FINANCIAL INSIGHT

OHBOYD There’s still room to grow for an industry leader.

ADVERTISER INDEX

By Jeff Sanford

COMPANY

PAGE

3M ................................................. 9 AADCO Auto Parts ................. 77 AIA .............................................. 34 AkzoNobel ................................ 28 ARC ............................................ 75 Arslan Automotive .................. 13 Assured Automotive .............. 55 Axalta .............................. 15, OBC BASF ............................................ 4 Boston Auto Wreckers .......... 77 Carcone’s Auto Recycling .... 79 Car-Part.com ........................... 81 Cardinal Couriers ................... 26 Car-MS QRP ............................ 73 Car-O-Liner ....................... 25, 27 CARSTAR .................................. 32 Celette ....................................... 65 Collision 360 ............................ 63 Color Compass ....................... 31 DV Systems ................................ 7 Eurovac ..................................... 18 Excellence Auto ...................... 14 Fix Auto ..................................... 19 Garmat ....................................... 29 Global Finishing Systems .... 69 Hilltop Auto Recycling ........... 77 Hollander .................................. 58 Impact Auto Auctions ............ 37 Island Clean Air ....................... 66 LKQ Sonshine .......................... 78 Mercedes-Benz ...................... 21 Mitchell ...................................... 51 Mirka .......................................... 36 Monidex .................................... 44 Norton St. Gobain .................. 10 Ontario College of Trades 47, 49 Parkway Auto Recyclers ...... 77 PPG ........................................... IFC Prochilo Brothers ................... 46 Pro Spot .................................... 62 Rhino .......................................... 35 SCA/Tork .................................. 43 Sherwin Williams .................. IBC Spanesi ...................................... 11 Speedy Collision ..................... 30 Spraymax ................................. 48 Stark ........................................... 71 Steck .......................................... 24 Valspar ....................................... 39 Wedge Clamp Systems ......... 17

82 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

T

he industr y is on an upswing. Drivers are traveling more, gasoline demand is at an eight-year high, and revenues in the repair industry are strong. The good times are reflected in the stock price of some of the publicly traded companies in the sector, among them Boyd Group Income Fund, which has been trading at an all-time high above $60 a share all summer.

under the WOW program. The process includes better scheduling of “vehicle intake, a more thorough assessment of repair needs and mirroring of parts, and scheduling a committed output date,” according to one analyst. This is an improvement over the traditional several day-gap between vehicle dropoffs and repairs. WOW also cuts the lag between repair completion and customer pick-up, and the time parts

BOYD’S QUARTERLY NUMBERS HAVE CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF INVESTORS. The largest corporate-owned MSO in North America has taken a share of the $40 billion industry through acquisitions of 38 Canadian locations and 292 US-based outlets. Operating two core brands along with an auto glass repair referral network, the company services commercial and individual vehicle owners, and focuses heavily on insurance repair claims. The business trades on the TSX as an income fund.

B oyd’s qu ar t e r ly nu mb e r s h ave caught the attention of investors. One analyst pointed out that the all-important metric of “same store sales” had advanced 4.7 percent. Comparing re ve nu e s at an e st abl ishe d out l e t to sales in previous periods at the same outlet determines the portion of sales coming from growth in sales vs. opening new stores in the chain.

In the case of Boyd, the company has been growing through acquisitions, but the strong “same store sales” also suggests growth at each store.

This isn’t surprising. Boyd put 18 months and $35 million into implementing a new customer satisfaction program designed to cut cycle time down to seven days. Around 30 percent of company locations are certified

are on order. While Boyd CEO Brock Bulbuck identified an obstacle in widespread employee adoption, Boyd has been diligent in pressing the changes and the bump in same store sales suggests t he WOW prog ram is b eing adopted across the chain.

But even as the company continues to grow sales per store, the network continues to grow through acquisitions.

Meanwhile, there have been new consolidation competitors emerging. Is the field of consolidators getting crowded?

According to Romans Group, there are about 200 MSOs in the US: 87 in the $20 million revenue range and 127 in the $10 to $20 million range. That is, the industry remains highly fragmented. Boyd, the market share leader, only holds 0.8 percent of the market.

The three main competitors—ABRA, Caliber and Service King—collectively represent just 3 percent. Single store operators make up 93 percent of all locations. There’s room to grow yet. CRM Jeff Sanford is the Staff Writer for Collision Repair magazine. He can be reached at 905-370-0101 or at jeff@ collisionrepairmag.com.

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