Collision Repair 18#5

ALERT

IS YOUR BUSINESS DEALING WITH INVISIBLE INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE DANGERS?

Volume 18, Number 5 l October 2019

l

$7.95

l

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

SEE YOU

ON THE STRIP

REPAIЯERS

IN RUSSIA

Las Vegas prepares for the largest SEMA Show ever!

Canadian students hit Kazan for ‘Olympics of the Trades’

NORTHERN

LIGHT Assured Sudbury’s Cory Nero on embracing new tactics in the repair industry!

PLUS Wedge Clamp’s Mark Greenberg on improving the industry by working with OEMs and insurers; AI Estimation pioneer Greta Cutulenco on big data’s impact on repair work; Collision industry lawyer Justin Jakubiak discusses legal liability in the age of OEM repair procedures; and much, much more!

collisionrepairmag.com

CONTENTS

VOLUME 18, ISSUE 5 | OCTOBER 2019

WINNING AND LEARNING

14 ALERT

IS YOUR BUSINESS DEALING WITH INVISIBLE INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE DANGERS?

ON THE STRIP

REPAIЯERS

IN RUSSIA

Las Vegas prepares for the largest ever SEMA Show!

Canadian students hit Kazan for ‘Olympics of the Trades’!

Volume 18, Number 5 l October 2019

l

$7.95

l

Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40841632

l

86 John Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 1Y2

SEE YOU

NORTHERN

LIGHT Assured Sudbury’s Cory Nero on embracing new tactics in the repair industry

PLUS Wedge Clamp’s Mark Greenberg on improving the industry by working with OEMs and insurers; AI Estimation pioneer Greta Cutulenco on big data’s impact on repair work; Collision industry lawyer Justin Jakubiak discusses legal liability in the age of OEM repair procedures; and much, much more!

When Assured approached his family business’s decisionmakers, Cory Nero, who had been following the Boyd Group’s performance since high school, knew how both sides could benefit most from a deal.

collisionrepairmag.com

Assured’s Sudbury regional manager Cory Nero.

40

DEPARTMENTS PEOPLE ON THE MOVE | 12

Industry leaders in new positions.

REGIONAL NEWS | 78

A deep dive into collision repair news from all across Canada.

RECYCLING | 97

Insights into the industry.

FEATURES

Wedge Clamp’s Mark Greenberg shares his vision for an industry where manufacturers, insurers, repairers and OEMs are solving each others problems, not causing more headaches!

48

WEDGE CLAMP SYSTEMS’ MARK GREENBERG | 40

The company’s vice president reveals Wedge Clamp’s future in the industry.

WORLDSKILLS KAZAN 2019 | 48

Canadian trades students face off in Russia for this semi-annual competition!

DATA FOR DAYS | 61

WorldSkills competitor Pascal Doiron performs under high pressure.

How are our roads affected by new emerging infrastructure?

AI APP ESTIMATOR | 73

An exclusive interview with the Acerta Analytical Solutions CEO on how the company is making waves in claims processing.

STAND UP SPEAK OUT | 76

How is the industry currently feeling regarding OEM procedures?

53 Prof. Mohammad Abdoli from Ryerson University’s School of Occupational and Public Health fills you in on the shop dangers you can’t see!

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 5

CONTENTS

EVENTS

69

66

CCIF CALGARY 2019

69

KIDS CORNER

70

SEMA 2019

95

TOW YEAH!

A look inside this year’s industry conference.

A day of NASCAR fun for kids!

What to expect from this year’s convention.

This year’s PTAO Tow Show.

Fix Auto owners take charity into the fast lane at the Montreal Grand Prix.

54

COLUMNS PUBLISHER’S PAGE | 10

Canada pushes on

by Darryl Simmons

DELEGATION UNMASKED | 33

Understanding delegation and leadership

by Jay Perry Delivering non-OEM repairs at an insurer’s behest? You might be liable!

BEYOND THE COMPETITION | 35

Time to reflect

70

by Anonymous

THE BAR KEEPS RISING | 36

Upcoming I-CAR certification changes

by Andrew Shepherd

BUILDING A BOSS | 38

Being a leader in the workplace

by Chelsea Stebner

STOP MAKING EXCUSES | 44

Rethink wheel alignments

by Mike Croker

95

THE LAST WORD | 98

What’s your plan for the SEMA Show?

by Gideon Scanlon

Towers come together for the country’s biggest industry event in Kitchener, Ontario.

YOUR ONLINE SOURCE Canada’s collision repair information resource. New articles and top news stories daily. Visit collisionrepairmag.com.

6 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

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

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

NATIONAL PRIDE CELEBRATING CANADIAN SUCCESS, ONE STORY AT A TIME

W

10 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER OREST TKACZUK orest@mediamatters.ca EDITORIAL DIRECTOR GIDEON SCANLON (905) 370-0101 gideon@mediamatters.ca

BY DARRYL SIMMONS

hen one of Collision Repair magazine’s writers found a newspaper feature on the same business we profiled in our last edition, I was delighted. There is no higher honour for an industry-oriented magazine than to see its features inspire headlines in mainstream papers. It has happened a few times over the last few years, and, every time, I feel a debt of gratitude to Canada’s outstanding repair community.

In most industries, Canada’s businesses get wiped out by their American big-box counterparts. Not so in the collision game-here, we call the shots. From Prince Rupert, British Columbia, to St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canadian repairers have built an industry that isn’t just able to compete with U.S. businesses, but to out-compete them as well. Heck, they’ve even started importing our business models-just look at the international success of our banner programs. Oh, and where are North America’s most successful banners located?

That’s right—in the True North!

What is it about Canada’s collision industry that lets it stand so strong (and free)?

For one thing, our industry is far more open to sharing best practices rather that holding onto trade secrets.

Just think about the last Canadian trade meeting you participated in—a lot of the conversation was about ways to overcome shared challenges. These conversations are much rarer at American events.

No—this isn’t because Americans are a more competitive bunch. It is because there is less in common between American repair shops. With 50 state governments enforcing 50 regulatory systems on auto repairers, one business’s challenge may mean nothing to the other guests.

Unlike American magazines reaching out to Canadian audiences, we don’t have to waste our reader’s time discussing irrelevant “news”.

Instead, we get to fill our extra pages with pieces offering practical business insights—

PUBLISHER DARRYL SIMMONS publisher@collisionrepairmag.com

ones that are relevant to repairers on either side of the divide.

For us at Collision Repair, it’s all about the people, collision repairers from coast to coast.

Our goal is to entertain you, inform you and even educate you. When you’re successful, we all succeed.

But our overarching goal at Collision Repair magazine has been, and will always continue to be, to celebrate the achievements of this amazing industry and its progressve leaders

But our overarching goal at Collision Repair magazine has been, and will always continue to be, to celebrate the achievements of this amazing industry and its progressive leaders across Canada. across Canada. This is a positive feedback loop.

The more we are cover Canada’s repair community and keep our readers informed about the challenges facing the industry, the more the Canadian industry will stand out on the international repair scene—and the more we’ll have to write about!

So thank you, dear readers. Your support is deeply appreciated. You make us all proud to be Canucks.

STAFF WRITERS ELIZABETH SARGEANT elizabeth@mediamatters.ca SAM HOUPT samuel@mediamatters.ca ALLISON ROGERS allison@mediamatters.ca WILLIAM SIMMONS TECHNICAL ADVISOR DEREK NAIDOO GRAPHIC DESIGNER JILL THACKER jill@mediamatters.ca VP OF INDUSTRY RELATIONS & ADVERTISING GLORIA MANN (647) 998-5677 advertising@collisionrepairmag.com INTEGRATED BUSINESS SOLUTIONS ELLEN SMITH (416) 312-7446 ellen@mediamatters.ca INDUSTRY RELATIONS ASSISTANT WANJA MANN (647) 998-5677 advertising@collisionrepairmag.com CONTRIBUTORS CHELSEA STEBNER, ANDREW SHEPHERD, JAY PERRY, MIKE CROKER, STEPHEN ARMSTRONG, ANONYMOUS SUBSCRIPTION One-year $39.95 / Two-year $64.99 Collision Repair™ magazine is published bimonthly, and is dedicated to serving the business interests of the collision repair industry. It is published by Media Matters Inc. Material in Collision Repair™ magazine may not be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statements made by its advertisers or independent columnists. All facts, opinions, 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.

PRINTED IN CANADA ISSN 1707-6072 CANADA POST CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES PRODUCT AGREEMENT No. 40841632 RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED Send change of address notices and undeliverable copies to: 455 Gilmour St., Peterborough, ON K9H 2J8

“We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada”

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

NEWS

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE TIM O’DAY - BOYD GROUP Tim O’Day has been appointed to succeed Brock Bulbuck as CEO of the Boyd Group in 2020. O’Day first joined Gerber Collision & Glass in 1998.

When the company was acquired by Boyd in 2004, he soon became Boyd’s COO of its U.S. operations. Four years later in 2008, he was appointed the president as well as COO for the company. In 2017, those responsibilities extended to both Canada and the U.S. O’Day’s current duties as COO of the company will be reallocated to existing personnel when the industry veteran of more than 20 years takes his role as CEO.

MATTHEW CREESE - ADESA Matthew Creese will be taking the reins as the new general manager of ADESA Canada at the company’s St. John location. Creese brings with him 10 years of experience in retail management for Ford, BMW, and Volkswagen. He has also acted as a Jaguar Land Rover manager in South Africa where he gained experience in franchise ownership, network development, and customer services.

DEBORAH WAHL - GM Deborah Wahl has become General Motors’ first-ever woman CMO. Wahl is now in charge of marketing for all GM brands, including Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC to name a few.After working three years as a McDonald’s CMO, Wahl joined GM early last year. She is a current member of the board of directors for both Groupon and Mediaocean.

ADRIAN SCOVELL - ARA Veteran ARA executive Adrian Scovell has been appointed as the company’s new president and CEO. A near 15-year vet with the ARA, Scovell has built his knowledge of marketing and business development with his years at companies such as Rogers, Ikea, and Belron. Throughout his time at ARA, Scovell has moved through the ranks as a member, chairman, board member and director.

ARND FRANZ - LKQ Arnd Franz has been appointed to the CEO of LKQ. Franz has spent the majority of his career as the executive vice president and general manager of MAHLE before joining LKQ earlier this year. He has acted as a member of both LKQ’s management board and He also brings experience in finance and controller directing.

MIKE BORYS - AUTOCANADA Mike Borys has been appointed as CFO for AutoCanada. He is a veteran accountant with more than 20 years of CFO experience from both public and private sectors. He joins AutoCanada from PTW Energy Services, where he was also CFO for two years. He has also held CFO roles at Newalta, the Brick Group, and Famous Players.

12 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

ON THE COVER

‘WINNING and

LEARNING’ WORDS TO LIVE BY FOR CORY NERO

BY SAM HOUPT

Cory Nero, current market manager for four Assured collision repair shops in Northern Ontario.

14 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

ON THE COVER

A

teenage Cory Nero was asked to participate in a classroom investment game, in which students picked stocks from a selected list of real-world businesses. He saw the Boyd Group among the stock options, noticed that they had ties to the automotive repair industry, and decided to invest.

Despite the high rate of return Cory gained from his imaginary Boyd investments, his diversified portfolio snatched ultimate victory from the then-16-year-old.

He placed second—something he viewed as a loss.

But Cory has always been one to learn from losses.

From that point onward, Cory would keep an eye on the stock, watching as it rose up and up over the course of the next decade.

Cory's interest in the business side of auto repair might have come from his school investment project, but his love of fixing vehicles was far older. Shortly before his birth, his parents, Antonio and Gianna, had opened a collision repair facility known as Regent Autobody in Sudbury, Ontario which would come to be an anchor, and soon, workplace for him over the coming years. At Regent, Cory was constantly exposed to cars—their sales, their construction and repair.

By the time he was in junior high school, he started to work at the shop cleaning the cars. The shop was a growing force, eventually expanding to four locations, three in Sudbury and one in Chelmsford. On the sidelines, Cory continued watching Boyd Group as they expanded as well.

Cory Nero remained working at Regent Autobody with his family at the same time he enrolled at Laurentian University, not more than 15 minutes down the road from the shop, where he earned honours bachelor in commerce. Though his degree would help in his leadership role to come, Cory does not fully attribute the success he has found to his schooling.

"Although I’m an advocate for school and education—and the whole university experience—I learned more working at Regent than anywhere else,” says Cory. “Coming to work gave me the opportunity to learn so much because it also allowed me to lose. It’s easier to say ‘win or lose’ than it is to say ‘win and learn’—I learned this that motto from my father.”

Antonio Nero, Cory’s father, raised him with a

different mindset than his father before him. Before immigrating to Canada at age 15 and opening Regent Autobody a decade later, Antonio lived and worked in Italy, his own father barring him from schooling once the family had arrived in Canada. When it came time to guide his own children, he was the one who encouraged Cory to work at Regent in conjunction with his studies at Laurentian University.

After graduating, Cory began by taking the reins of the original Regent street location, crediting the transition to a leadership role to his time spent at the shop rather than his education.

The staff—many of whom had watched Cory since childhood—were used to seeing him around the shop at this point, and that he would have struggled otherwise if he did not have such a strong connection with the senior staff of the original crew.

According to Cory, the legacy group of Regent was comprised of a growing team that behaved like a family due to the shared pain of expanding from one to four locations. By the time Regent was done its term under the ownership of Antonio and Gianna Nero, they had a total of 74 staff members, including cousins, an uncle and more of Cory Nero’s

Cory Nero with Molly Green, the current manager of Assured Regent.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 15

ON THE COVER

immediate family.

The staff carry the same familial sentiment: Rita Gattoni, known under the nickname “Mom”, is the current store manager at the Armstrong location and has described watching Cory grow into his role.

“There's a big difference between an 18-year-old man and a 30-year-old man,” she says. “We have such a close relationship with Cory because we’ve seen him through that time. There’s a lot in this industry that can be shared between younger and older generations.”

Cory Nero’s experience was anything but slowing down.

February last year, Boyd Group, no longer a budding company among a list of possible investees in a high school stock game, bought all four Regent Auto Body locations from the Nero group, rebranding them under Assured Automotive. An acquisition can be abrasive, usually (From left to right) Rita and Dave Gattoni, Cory Nero, and Jeannine Labre. with clashing ideas of leadership and resistance to change, but Cory Nero says he kept an open mind.

He describes the process as a positive learning that Cory Nero had what he needed to begin that Assured/Boyd cared about preserving curve, like he was “going back to school.” learning how to go from making an impact the family-owned feeling of the shop. Gattoni Cory recalls, “If I had too much pride and I in just one store to making an impact to all concurred when she explained that Boyd thought I knew it all I probably wouldn’t have four stores as a market manager. retaining Cory also heavily contributes to been able to participate in the transition—the Cory says it appealed to him when he noticed that feeling, saying his presence “takes us business is an art and science in itself, let alone tackling that beast under a changing management environment.”

Instead of demanding conformity, Boyd Group shared the best practices with the four collision repair facilities and brought along changes at a manageable pace. Not only did the operations team provide mentorship and knowledge of the industry to Cory, they paired him up with two Assured team members from the Ottawa market, who were not only close in age but also underwent a similar transition. This gave Cory someone to relate to and gradually made him realize Boyd’s weekly and (From left to right) Desmond D’Silva, Tim O’Day, David Raposo, Keith D’Silva, Cory Nero and Antonio Nero. monthly expectations. It was then 16 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

ON THE COVER

(From left to right) Joe Roberto, Molly Green, Cory Nero, and Jason Ryan.

back to that time when it was family-run.”

On the topic of family, Cory is happy to report that his mother, father and uncle whom are now retired from the automotive business are currently focusing on the most important things in life—health and family—while enjoying the things they are passionate about.

Though both parents believe in doing something every day and never stopping, Cory says he feels that this mindset has not aged well and that the shops required a different work ethic. ”Back in the day in a growing business with immigrant parents in survival mode, there’s no such thing as ‘work-life balance,’” he says. “The people I work for today emphasize balance, tempo and pace. The things I knew prior to the acquisition worked well for expanding to four stores, but it probably wouldn’t have been scalable beyond that.”

Cory predicts the partnership with Boyd will

The Sudbury shops attending an Assured Gala.

“It’s easier to say ‘win or lose’ than it is to say ‘win and learn’” — Cory Nero

continue to prosper. He states he wants to see current junior employees earn management positions, while still keeping the familyowned atmosphere of past years, and says he sees the scope of the stores expanding as they continue to encourage a strong team

of talented team members.

Cory says he strongly believes more and more people will not only realize the value of getting into the collision repair industry from a business/admin perspective but also see the collision trade become an attractive place from a well-paid trade perspective. He reiterates that the technicians and admin that are of the right mindset of embracing ‘winning and learning’ as a team are enjoying the fruits of their achievements. He says he feels the trade has become a craft of constant learning as technology evolves and for most people it is going to become a space that fosters excitement.

“Growing into the company for me means that our stores are executing on delivering vehicle repair services in the most effective, efficient, safe and responsible manner on their own. By doing this through attrition successfully will mean I can participate in more growing challenges surrounding the northern Ontario market and perhaps other new markets of interest.”

Today, Cory Nero works as a market manager for all four Assured shops in Northern Ontario.

Through a dedication to learning with Boyd Group as well as his enduring open mind, Cory has adapted and continued to apply his father’s mantra to his work.

“When you are as passionate about cars and making sure the people, both clients and staff are looked after, that’s when the winning and losing becomes winning and learning.”

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 17

BUSINESS NEWS

GOING INTERNATIONAL

DRIVEN BRANDS TO AUCTION?

The Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association is going to be more frequently collaborating with Canada to continue combatting concerns in the industry, according to Paul McCarthy, the company’s recently appointed head. AASA has already worked alongside AIA Canada to fight for consumer’s right-to-repair—a fight McCarthy describes as having “become tied with consumer choice.” He stated AASA has a “very good relationship” with AIA Canada. McCarthy has been with AASA’s parent company MEMA since 2001 and took on the title of COO in June.

On Aug. 13 Bloomberg cited unidentified sources to report that Roark Capital may be considering selling Driven Brands for $2 billion next quarter. At the time of purchase in April 2015, reports indicate Roark Capital is considering selling Driven Brands, the Driven Brands franchise Recent which it bought for an undisclosed sum in 2015. portfolio included a combined 1,500 shops distributed among several brands such as Maaco, Drive N Style, Econo Lube and Tune and Pro Oil Change. Roark Capital purchased Driven Brands in 2015 for an undisclosed sum. Since its purchase, Driven has expanded organically through several acquisitions, including CARSTAR in October 2015 and CARSTAR Canada in December 2015. There has been no further information on the potential auction, but Driven recently underwent a whole business securitization that indicated it will list $300 million in assets, leading insiders to believe the company will be sold for less than $2 billion.

NEMAK WINDSOR’S FATE In mid-July, Mexico-based manufacturer Nemak announced it would be closing its Windsor plant—a plant that employs more than 270 people. The facility represents approximately one percent of the company’s consolidated revenues and produces engine parts destined for Cadillac vehicles at GM’s Shanghai plant. The plant’s production is currently at 25 percent, but it is predicted to drop to less than 10 percent by 2020. It was reported that many employees were shocked by the announcement and Unifor Local 200 president John D’Agnolo is fighting to keep the plant open.

Inside Nemak Windsor, which the company recently slated for closure.

DENT FIX PARTERS WITH SPS Dent Fix announced is planning to head north after partnering Speciality Product Sales (SPS), an automotive aftermarket company. SPS is a Canadian-based company working in several areas of the aftermarket industry in the country. According to Dent Fix, SPS was established in 1986 and “has been helping and supporting manufacturers and distribution ever since.” The partnership comes as no surprise; Dent Fix has been in the industry for four decades and has said it is dedicated to assisting repairers in the industry through topnotch products.

ASSURING INFINITI Infiniti Canada has announced that Certified Collision Care, the Canadian division of Assured Performance Network, will administer and manage the new Infiniti Certified Collision Repair program. The program follows the footsteps of other automakers, including Nissan, Infiniti’s sister brand. It is designed to promote certified collision repair facilities to Infiniti clientele and insurers and will identify, certify and promote retailer-owned and independent facilities as collision repair providers of choice to Infiniti clients across Canada. Requirements are based on the essential tools, process, equipment, training and facilities necessary to repair Infiniti vehicles according to manufacturer specifications.

Infiniti Canada’s new repair program will be managed by CCC.

20 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

TRUROAD PURCHASED TruRoad, North America’s second-largest automotive glass and claims-management company has been sold to the largest, Safelite. On August 19, Safelite’s parent company, Belron, announced it had reached a deal with the TruRoad Group. Safelite joined Belron in 2007 and, in 12 years, the business has grown to be a leader in auto glass and claims management.

Belron CEO Gary Lubner is excited to have the opportunity to do the same with TruRoad. Safelite owns 7,800 glass shops in the U.S. alone. With this acquisition, it will be gaining TruRoad’s network of more than 5,000 independent auto glass facilities. Safelite’s communications director Keriake Lucas, wrote in an email Saturday that the TruRoad-labeled locations will need to be renamed. Safelite has yet to confirm if any layoffs or shop closures will result from the buyout.

INDUSTRY NEWS

I-CAR EXECUTIVES MOVE ON

ADAPTING TO ADAS

As of Aug. 1, two I-CAR executives have officially left the company and extended to other branches of the collision industry. Former industry technical relations director Jason Bartanen and director of curriculum and product development Josh McFarlin announced their departures just days from each other in late May and early June. Both have left their positions to join the Collision Hub and AirPro Diagnostics teams, respectively. Bartanen was hired as Collision Hub’s director of collision industry relations and McFarlin will be moving on to become the strategic business operations vice president of AirPro. The men collaborated one last time in an I-CAR video alongside company CEO John Van Alsytne to reflect on their accomplishments within the company.

According to Vehicle Collision Experts (VECO Experts), the repair industry needs a call-to-action on proper calibration procedures. Mark Olson, VECO Experts CEO, says many OEMs conclude the issue of when to recalibrate ADAS is not a widespread problem because they are not hearing about it. Olson took to Facebook on Sept. 4 to ask customers and repairers to come forward with accounts of calibration errors. He plans to present the information to OEMs at the 2019 SEMA Show in November as proof of the problem in the industry.

Jason Bartanen and Josh McFarlin take a moment to reflect with CEO John Van Alstyne.

SNAPSHOT OF THE INDUSTRY Canadian repairers better lace up their work boots and be ready to catch up. A snapshot report of the American automotive industry has just been released and all signs are pointing to a rapidly growing trade in the States. The Collision Repair Education Foundation—co-sponsored

by I-Car—released the detailed report in early August, highlighting the number of increased businesses, technicians and turnover rates in the industry. Nearly every segment of the report revealed some type of substantial growth. According to the report, 656 auto shops have opened since 2016, increasing the number of technicians by 9,700. The size of repair shops has increased too; the average facility is more than 15,000 sq. ft. Increased profits were also revealed, with the number of small shops meeting annual sales under US$300,000 steadily declining since 1995. The share of large shops with annual sales of US$1 million also continues to increase. It is still unclear whether a Canadian report will be released, but, in the meantime, keep up to date on the Canadian industry’s progress by visiting AIA’s website, aiacanada.com.

GOLD CLASS EXTENSION Due to changes to Gold Class certification rules by I-CAR Canada, CCIAP will be offering a one-time extension to its Gold Class requirements. If a collision repair facility is renewing its CCIAP validation, it will now have until August 31, 2020 to reach I-CAR Gold Class certification.

I-CAR stated that it was launching a set of altered courses to better suit the needs of individual shops. Role requirements are also changing to coincide with the ongoing innovations in vehicle technology. Any employees currently undergoing recognition training will not lose any progress they have already achieved, while platinum-recognized technicians will stay at the platinum level and will have two years from the date of their next renewal to meet the new course requirements.

AIA GETS ‘UNDER THE HOOD’ AIA Canada’s latest report, Under the Hood is a breakdown of how Canadian motorists view their vehicle’s maintenance and repair. Based on user responses, it deduces how important maintenance and repair is to vehicle owners, how vehicle owners are reminded and would prefer to be reminded of their vehicle’s maintenance needs, and the cost/quality trade-off for specific parts of their vehicle, among many other areas. Quorus Consulting Group conducted the report, garnering 2,061 responses from across the country. An example of AIA’s findings reveals that drivers in Atlantic Canada are most likely to consider themselves car-savvy when it comes to vehicle repair. It also found the likeliness of a driver prioritizing resale value decreases with age. According to the report, about 64 percent of vehicle owners consider maintenance and repair to be a high priority. On average, owners are taking their vehicles in twice a year for maintenance and only once a year for repairs. For both maintenance and repairs at the same time, the study found owners visiting about once every two years. The study concludes that it is vital for any collision repair centre to understand a customer’s point of view, and what variables can change it. Under the Hood: How Canadians View Vehicle Maintenance and Repair” is available now for $199.

A recent report points to a growing U.S. auto industry.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 21

60-3664P TECNA SMART PLUS SPOT WELDER / Resistance spot welder with Smart Plus technology / Automatically detects metal type, thickness and sets all welding parameters / Large user friendly touch screen display / Completely Water Cooled to the weld tips, excellent cycle times / Produces 14, 000 Amps with transformer gun. 32 Amp fuse only / Transformer gun 450daN, optional 700daN gun for Mercedes / Lightweight 6 meter cable for long reach with no EMF emissions / A must for all new Steel alloys / UHSS, HSS, Boron, etc.. / H.D. construction / 220V 3Ph 32 Amp breaker / Spot Welder with the most OEM Certifications including: BMW, VW, Porsche, Audi and Mercedes / CSA Certificate / youtube. com/watch?v=M27rZan6MPs

EEL NEW WH E MELNT ALIGNE NEW WHOSTICS DIAGN NT ALIGNMEWARE SOFTSTICS DIAGNO UDED! INCL RE SOFTWA D! INCLUDE

LATEST GENERATION

60-3680 SMART-PLUS RESISTANCE SPOT WELDER BY TECNA / Wi-Fi Upgrades and Technical Support / Easily Welds Boron and all Ultra High Strength Steels / Fully water-cooled to the welding caps on gun and welding arm / In Smart plus mode, automatically identifies type and layers of metal and sets all welding parameters / 208-240 V / 3 Phases / 50 Amps / CSA Certificate

10-AV700 ACCUVISION-3D

/ The quickest, most accurate and least complicated 3D Measuring system in the world / Don’t invest twice, make the right decision now / Dual use: estimating and repair / Simple-Accurate-User friendly / Simply point and measure / No Calibration needed / No Laser, No Targets, No Magnets, No adaptors, No arms, No cables / Most pofitable system / Guaranteed: Quickest ROI on the market / Database: Mitchell / New wheel alignment diagnostics software included

60-TM242B FIMER MIG/MAG DUAL TORCH PULSE WELDER / Single/Double Pulse welding / Synergic and manual Mode / Aluminum, Silicone Broze, Steel welding / Low 15 Amp output / 220V, 1Ph / TIG/MMA(stick) welding / Dual 10 ft.

Torches to use 2 different materials with same welder / SD Memory card for storage and recall of welding parameters / Large 5.7 in. LCD display with user friendly settings / 4 rolls wire feeder motor / Rolls 06/08 Fe factory setup / CSA certificate

60-31878 NITROGEN GAS PLASTIC WELDER W/ HOT STAPLER / Quick heat welder machine w/ hot stapler / Plastic part cleaning cutter tool / Metal roller for plastic surface leveling / Assortment of precut staples / Assortment of plastic weld rods / Trolley

60-TM236 FIMER MIG/MAG SINGLE TORCH PULSE WELDER / Same features as 60-TM242B with a single 10 ft. torch / CSA certificate

CONTACT US OR YOUR DISTRIBUTOR

For a complete line of Our Aluminum Repair products as dent repair station, aluminum dust vacuums, SPR Riveters (Ford Approved), Fume Collectors and tools.

OEM NEWS

PARTS DISRUPTION

BRAKE FOR BREAKDOWNS

In September, bodyshops around Canada were faced with weeks-long delays for parts from Toyota Canada.

The company also said the parts delivery delays—which some Collision Repair readers report to be up to four weeks—had been caused by a planned systems transformation.

While the details of the problematic systems transformation remain unclear, Toyota Canada did confirm that it was unrelated to the soon-to-open Eastern Canada Parts Distribution Centre in Clarington, Ont. In an email to Collision Repair, Toyota Canada apologized to members of the public and the collision community who have been affected by delays in their parts distribution network.

A brake problem has caused General Motors to issue a recall of 3.8 million SUVs and pickups in North America, of which more than 300,000 are in Canada. The brake pump is known to lose power over time, leading to longer braking distances as vehicles age. It applies to Cadillac Escalade of the 2015-2017 model years, GMC Yukons and Chevrolet Suburbans, Silverados and Tahoes of the 2015-2018 model years; and to GMC Sierras of the 2014-2018 model years. According to GM, it began to issue notifications to owners on Sept. 6.

FORD’S BIG BUY Ford has purchased Quantum Signal, a Michigan-based company that designs robots for military applications. In the 2000s, Quantum Signal developed software that allowed U.S. military personnel to control robotic vehicles overseas remotely. The investment is just the latest acquisition Ford has made to reach its goal of being the first OEM to offer consumer-ready autonomous vehicles.

Recently, the company announced its vehicles will not require a driver by 2021. To reach this goal, Ford is investing in advanced algorithms, 3-D mapping, radar technology and camera sensors.

HYUNDAI’S SOLAR ROOF Collision technicians may soon find themselves operating on solar-powered vehicles. Hyundai has designed a roof-mounted solar panel able to provide a vehicle with up to 1,300 km of charge each year—or about 3.5 km of charger-free driving per day. Made of silicon solar panels, the roof-mounted system can charge while the vehicle is in service. While no repair procedures are yet known for the solar roofs on vehicles, several companies already exist to repair more traditional solar panels. The solar roof will be available for the 2020 Sonata Hybrid.

HEY BATTER BATTER Honda has taken a swing at an airbag that aims to minimize Hyundai’s solar panel roof design. the risk of injury in the event of a collision by taking design inspiration from baseball—it cradles the occupant’s head in a similar way to a ball in a catcher’s mitt. Co-developed with Autoliv, one of the supplies Honda retained in the wake of the Takata airbag recall, the design features three inflatable chambers and a connecting “sail panel.” It is designed to address a wider variety of frontal impacts that may cause an occupant’s head to rotate severely. When the airbag deploys, the sail panel decelerates the occupant’s head and the side chambers engage and pull inward to cradle the head. The design also uses a two-stage inflator, as opposed to the standard one-stage, accounting for the extra air volume and speed required to fill the larger bag. According to the automaker, the most catastrophic injuries occur within the first 150 milliseconds of a collision, hence the urgency.

THE KIA TO SUCCESS

GENERAL CONCERN

Effective August 1, 2019, Sungwon Kwon is Kia Canada’s new president and CEO. Previously working with the Americas Group at Kia Motors Corporation in South Korea, Kwon has been with Kia Motors since 1995 and delivers a wealth of experience in global business to the brand’s Canadian branch. Kwon takes over from Kyle Lee, who leaves Canada for Kia Motors Central and South America to serve as president and CEO. Established in Canada in 1999, the brand is currently celebrating its 20th year here.

After 49,000 UAW workers went on strike against GM in the U.S. on Monday, GM Canada stated that it is diligently watching the situation to see if it could set any precedent in Canada. If Canadian GM workers do walk out, it could leave the OEM bereft of 5,700 employees. Ontario alone has three GM plants, but because of integration in the supply chain, Canadian locations may soon begin to suffer from a shortage of parts.

Kia Canada Inc.’s new CEO, Sungwon Kwon.

Honda’s baseballinspired airbag design.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 23

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

BUGGING OUT Volkswagen and German specialist firm eClassics are giving Bug owners a chance to future-proof their ride with an electric powertrain conversion kit. By replacing the VW Beetle’s existing air-cooled flat-four cylinder engine with the electric VW eUp! engine, the new eBeetle becomes fully electric. Converting classic Bugs into EVs may not be new, but a completely electric VW powertrain is. The conversion kit provides owners with fast DC charging capabilities that promise a 75 percent charge in one hour. If you are interested in converting your Beetle you will have to contact eClassics in Germany, as fitting the electric powertrain requires the vehicle to be sent overseas.

The new all-electric ‘eBeetle’.

ELECTRIC INFRASTRUCTURE

ELECTRIC EVIJA

The great outdoors is about to get techy—Tesla is donating EV chargers to Parks Canada for deployment across the country. On Sept. 6, Parks Canada revealed in a tweet that, in an effort to help the organization meet its green objectives, Tesla will be donating charging stations to be installed at more than 50 Parks Canada locations nationwide. The charging stations will have both AC Level 2 Tesla connectors and SAE J1772 connectors for use with all available plug-in vehicles.

In July, British automaker Lotus announced its plans to produce its first electric car, Evija. With production beginning in 2020, Lotus has designed Evija to be the world’s first electric hypercar.

The company says the vehicle will come equipped with 2000hp and a top speed of 320km/h.

Maximum output for the car’s 70 kilawatt-hour battery is a whopping 2,000 kW and it boasts a 400km charge radius. The Evija features four electric metres and is said to reach speeds of 250km/h in just nine seconds.

EV charging stations will soon be a fixture at Canada’s national parks.

PORSCHE TAYCAN

REVVED UP AT RIVIAN

On Sept. 4, Porsche unveiled its muchanticipated electric sedan, the Porsche Taycan with three simultaneous events: one in Berlin, one in China, and another alongside Niagara Falls in Canada.

The venues were chosen based on their endeavours in environmental sustainability. Berlin is home to major solar installation; Fuzhou, China is home to a major wind turbine farm; and Niagara Falls is known for its efforts in hydroelectric power. The Taycan will come in two models: the Turbo and Turbo S. Keep in mind that “Turbo” simply serves as a title—the Taycan is a fully electric sedan. With electric motors on both axles, the Turbo is said to have up to 670hp, while the Turbo S model can summon up to 750hp. The Turbo is said to reach 100km/h in three seconds, while the Turbo S does it in 2.6. The Taycan offers the same general configuration as the Tesla Model S and is expected to be a major competitor.

In the largest EV order to date, online retail giant Amazon has requested a whopping 100,000 electric vans from Rivian Automotive. The Michigan, U.S.-based startup plans to have the first 10,000 vans shipped to Amazon by 2022, with the full fleet of 100,000 vans operational by 2024. The vehicles will be based on Rivian’s platform and employ the same battery and powertrain, but the suspension, application software, and interior and exterior will be designed to Amazon’s specs and be unique to the company’s fleet. With the online retailer racing to meet its goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2040, the hefty order echoes Amazon’s efforts in sustainability.

Porsche’s first EV, the Taycan, was unveiled in Niagara Falls, Ontario on September 4.

24 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

RECOGNI ROAD California-based company Recogni, founded just one year ago, is currently working on lowoverhead perception systems for autonomous vehicles. The visionbased system is predicted to be 500 times more efficient than other leading platforms.

Though it is currently just a concept, the company isn’t messing around: it has raised $25 million thus far for its efforts in AV development. Recogni CEO R.K. Anand said the company is focused on leveraging its background in machine learning, computer vision, silicon, and system design and hopes to provide the auto industry with very highly efficient solutions for each.

INSURANCE NEWS

INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR After the announcement earlier this year that Fred Iantaro was leaving the company after 17 years, CIECA has just named its newest interim executive director to take Iantoro’s place—Ed Weidmann. Weidmann is certainly not new to the industry. For more than 42 years, he has held various positions at insurance companies such as State Farm and has also been active on many industry boards and advisory councils. In addition to his work in the industry, Weidmann has also been part of CIECA’s organization, representing State Farm as well as holding positions such as treasurer, vice-chair, and chairman of the board in 2008 and 2014. Weidmann has also served on CIECA’s Board of Trustees.

In his new position, Weidmann strides to help CIECA expand its product offerings, aiming to more efficiently serve its members.

Iantaro left his position on July 31.

CANADIAN REPAIRERS SAFE FROM STATEFARM According to State Farm, no data shared with the company by Canadian repair firms is believed to have been compromised during a recent data breach. On Aug. 7, StateFarm, America’s largest auto insurance company said its systems suffered a data breach. Although State Farm previously had extensive branches in several Canadian provinces, information from Canadian collision repair businesses was not affected.

ONTARIO IN THE PINK Following the decisions of Alberta, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario will be phasing in electronic proof of auto insurance, accessible through mobile devices like your smartphone.

While electronic proof has been a long time coming, Ontario’s Minister of Finance, Rob Phillips announced the province’s plan at a press conference in early September. Do not toss out your pink card, though; there will be a one-year phase in period for the new e-slips. Insurers who provide the new electronic slips will be required to provide policyholders with a paper slip at no additional cost.

26 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

BELIEVE IT OR NOT NEWS

JUMPSUITED UP

DOUBLE DECKER DELUSION A U.K. man needed to transport a run down Skoda Octavia across an industrial estate—but the only tool he had was his VW Passat. So, naturally, he piled the Octavia on top of his Passat and hit the road. While the man told authorities he realized strapping the Octavia’s motor to the roof of his car was not the smartest solution, he insisted the proper safety precautions were taken. After all, he only travelled about 275 metres at a top speed of 8km/h. Regardless, the man pled guilty to using a vehicle in a way likely to cause injury. He was fined £195 ($317) and received three demerit points for his double-decker joyride.

A creative U.K. man recently took his DIY double-decker car out for a spin.

BOTTOMS UP A Penske commercial truck operator was cruising down Highway 64 near Sudbury, Ontario when his life was turned upside down. In footage uploaded to Facebook, you can see the truck driver as he veered off the road into the dirt shoulder before colliding with a driveway culvert.

The damage did not stop there—the truck then hit a hydro pole, taking some lines out in the process, and was flung upwards before landing on the roof of a house.

Ontario police closed the highway for a whopping 10 hours. Luckily there were no injuries, but a 24-year-old Scarborough man is facing careless driving charges.

An Ontario truck operator faces careless driving charges after a crazy collision.

MOOSE MASSACRE A Greyhound bus driver in British Columbia will not be charged for damages after colliding with a moose back in 2011. After a recent ruling, it was determined that neither the driver nor Greyhound was at fault. On June 22, 2011 the bus had been heading south before a moose stepped onto the road about 20 feet in front of the vehicle, according to witness testimonials. The driver swerved to avoid the animal—which bolted directly into the path of the bus. The bus’ steering and brake systems failed upon moose contact. The bus then crossed the highway shoulder, travelled down an embankment and ended up in a swamp on the east side of the road. Though the driver was travelling above the speed limit, the court later found that Anderson would not have been able to avoid the moose even if he had been travelling at the posted speed limit.

The Arizona Department of Corrections is teaching auto repair to its female inmates.

The program, Fleet 100, teaches inmates the skills necessary to work as technicians. It covers diagnostics, updating work orders, completing mechanical repairs and much more. Work completed by each woman is stored on the fleet software, so there is a clear record of their learned experience.

The program was created in an effort to help reduce the rate of recidivism in Arizona. To be considered, inmates must have a minimum of three years left on their sentence, as this allows them enough time to learn the skills necessary for employment post-release.

BEAR-Y MYSTERIOUS On Sept. 13, a resident of Port Moody, B.C. was awakened in the early hours of the morning by the sound of their car alarm. When they went to investigate, they found an unexpected intruder: a black bear had opened the door to their unlocked vehicle and climbed inside. The bear had closed the door and locked itself inside the vehicle. Footage uploaded by Port Moody police shows the bear struggling to escape from the vehicle, pulling at seat belts and clawing at the dashboard. The car owners are puzzled as to what drew the bear to their vehicle, as there was no food inside. Port Moody police confirmed they were able to safely free the bear.

DIVING KID DETECTIVE An Alberta teen played a crucial role in solving the disappearance of a Vancouver Island woman that went missing nearly thirty years ago. When 13-year-old Max Werenka went for a boat ride on Aug. 21 near Revelstoke, British Columbia, he spotted an overturned vehicle submerged in the murky waters. Itching for a closer look at the wreckage, Max wielded his GoPro camera and dove in. Later, when he told his parents about his findings, they called the RCMP. When they arrived at the scene, the sun’s angle made spotting the vehicle difficult. Max’s GoPro footage was shown to authorities and, three days later, a local towing company pulled Janet Ferris’ submerged Honda Accord from the lake. In 1992, Janet Ferris was driving to a wedding when she vanished without a trace. An RCMP officer said there is no reason to suspect foul play in the crash or in the woman’s death.

A Port Moody resident had a bear-y mysterious intruder stop by.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 29

ADVERTORIAL ADVERTORIAL

In support of

30 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

ADVERTORIAL ADVERTORIAL

O

n August 18th CSN Brimell and Drive Autogroup were happy to present Driving Wishes into the Future!

On one of the hottest days of the year CSN Brimell, Brimell Toyota and the Drive Autogroup hosted an amazing charity event for the MakeA-Wish Canada foundation. Their goal was to raise $10,000 for the year and with extraordinary support from vendors such as; AkzoNobel, Brown’s Auto Supply, TireStock, After 5 Towing, LKQ, A&A Bumpers, Enterprise, 3M Canada, and many others they were well on their way to reaching it. In partnership with Drive Autogroup CSN Brimell and Brimell Toyota were happy to open their doors, or more specifically, their parking lot to the public for a day of fun and excitement. On a beautiful Sunday they hosted a free event for all that featured free car washes, your traditional Canadian BBQ staples, a bouncy castle, show and shine, automotive themed challenges and a dunk tank featuring many a smiling manager.

Driving Wishes into the Future brought in over 250 people that day and each helped Drive Autogroup, Brimell Toyota and CSN Brimell reach their goal of $10,000 for MakeA-Wish Canada. Many members of the local car community brought their own vehicles to the car show and competed to win a $500 gift prize. There was a lot to do for children that didn’t like cars as well. Many children, and some of their parents left with their faces painted, and the dunk tank drew a crowd no matter who was sitting in the chair.

Over all the day was a complete success and everyone who left did so with a clean car and smile on their face. However, this event would have never happened, let alone been such a wonderful time, without the drive and persistence from Richard Marsh and his team at CSN Brimell Paint & Collision. Every

member came out to support a wonderful cause and helped make this day possible. Kyle Marsh, Assistant Manager of CSN Brimell Paint & Collision, was the lead on this campaign from the beginning. Kyle Marsh was set with the task to raise $10,000 for Make-A-Wish Canada for 2019, and in doing so he saw the opportunity to host such a wonderful event.

The Drive Autogroup acquired Brimell Toyota and CSN Brimell Paint & Collision in December 2018. Since their acquisition CSN Brimell Paint & Collision continues to lead the way for collision industry while taking time to support their community, and the Make-A-Wish Canada charity, with events like these. CSN Brimell Paint & Collision are still working toward their goal of ten thousand

dollars but during their Driving Wishes into the Future event they raised almost $3,800 through donations and a raffle This was the second time CSN Brimell Paint & Collision had hosted this fundraiser, and this time they were able to bring in. over $2,250 more then during their first attempt.

Drive Autogroup’s Social Media Specialist Austin Ling said they like to take every chance to give back to their community, but being able to raise money for children across Canada was extra special. The CSN Brimell Paint & Collision and Brimell Toyota team were proud to wear the white and blue Make-A-Wish t-shirts as they accomplished a great step towards their goal. This amazing achievement is what inspires, and drives wishes into the future!

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 31

WHO’S DRIVING

BALANCING LEADERSHIP SKILLS BUILDING A LEADER IN THE WORKPLACE

BY JAY PERRY

D

develop them in their abilities to take on briefs with the individual so that they may elegation is very much misunderreceive even deeper insights into his thinkmore or broaden their scope of expertise. stood. Some think that it means When recently working with a lead- ing and those things that we would considgiving jobs that they are entirely qualified to do to others. In some er within a very progressive company, we er “second nature”. Don’t forget that second cases, that may be true, but the reality is it is made a simple rule: whatever he was do- nature to us experienced folks was learned about finding—or as you will see, creating— ing in the company, he needed to have at over time. Why expect your people to go the most qualified individual on your team least one person beside him so they could through the same steep learning curve that we did? It would be foolish. and giving the job to her.

This system he has develThat whole concept oped is part of how he gains of delegation strikes fear confidence in others when into the hearts of the Real power—the power to excel beyond what it comes to delegating tasks. usual leader because, as I have often seen, superthe competition can accomplish—is not held What does the delegation do for a leader? Very simply, it alvisors fear for their own by one person on the team, but rather by the lows us to look at other things, existence if they do not know the specifics of a team members as individuals who are guided do research, have conversations about trends and future chaljob. For an organization by the leader. lenges as well as reflect. that understands that In other words, you broadreal power—the power en the impact you have on to excel beyond what your own company when you the competition can accomplish—is not held by one person on learn. That seems a bit onerous when you have an organized and thoughtful approach the team, but rather by the team members consider all the phone calls and in-person to delegation and the training that can help as individuals who are guided by the lead- meetings this man has, but it is one of the you win the benefits. That’s how you stay er, this idea could not be farther from the ways that knowledge-transfer is facilitated. the one who’s driving!

His learned habits and style over the truth.

Those in leadership roles must undergo years have made him and the company very continuous monitoring of themselves, as- successful. As he approaches retirement Jay Perry is the co-author of the book suring they are constantly and consistent- age, he has made it a point to accelerate the Success Manifesto with Brian Tracy and ly handing out jobs that would normally transfer. So, when he talks with an employthe founder of Ally Business Coaching, take them from the other duties they have. ee, works on solving a challenge, calls a clia process improvement and leadership development firm. He is also an education Choosing the right person can be a matter ent or discusses matters with other business partner with California Coast University in of degrees such as individual acumen due partners, he has one of the designates with Santa Ana, California. He can be reached to experience, or specific training. But it can him so they can witness not only what he at jayperry@a-b-c-inc.com.2 does, but also how he does it. He also dealso be working with people to help

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 33

ANONYMOUS OPINION

BEYOND THE COMPETITION REFLECTIONS MAY BE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR

BY ANONYMOUS

A

s the manager of a collision than the one before. The way they applied customer has been through, especially if repair facility, I look around at the seam sealer from a new gun starts to you’ve had six vehicles towed in from acciwhat the competitor businesses look more like factory each time they use it. dents just over lunch hour.

We have to remember that each vehicle in my area are doing. I watch They are constantly learning.

Can his method of personal growth be was a traumatic experience for a person their customer feedback through social media. I listen to people as they talk about how used in bettering the entire shop? Sure it can. who was shaken and scared. We need to Thinking of customers—what can man- know if we have helped put them at ease— they were treated, how their vehicles turned out, and how happy they were with their re- agement do to improve the ratings they give and then to figure out why or why not.

Things in our lives can slip over time. We pairs. I look at charts that show me where we the business? For that matter: why even look become complacent. Do we look place in the market. I talk to our inour server in a restaurant in the surance partners and our area repeyes and genuinely thank them? resentatives regarding our rankings.

Thinking of customers—what can How about your significant other?

These things all seem so important. management do to improve the Did you remember how important How am I doing compared to they are to your life when you said everyone else? ratings they give the business? goodbye to them this morning?

It’s been slowly dawning on me For that matter: why even look As I’m writing this, I realize I that the idea of how we stack up can’t really say that I did. against our competition may not at them as ratings, rather than as I was busy with the kids, and be all that important. The guy down relationships. thinking about work, and thinking the street is really busy. Maybe I’m about music, news and anything not. What is he doing that I should else that occupies my mind. It’s so be doing? Does that really matter? at them as ratings, rather than as relationships. easy to forget the person on the other side of I’m not sure.

Did you treat that customer the way you the equation. Customer, spouse, kid, parent, I am sure that there are better questions.

What have I done to improve myself? Is our would have wanted to be treated? Espe- employee, boss—everyone.

It is our customers who give us ratings. shop a better place to do business than it cially considering what he or she has gone was last year? If not, then why not? What through. Accidents are terrible occurrences It is our customers who choose which shop that are not soon forgotten. Our job is to to go to. It is our customers who tell people should we be doing to improve ourselves? how they were treated after their last acciThere are so many areas in our business erase physical evidence to their vehicles.

It is also our place to help ease the custom- dent. It’s the customers who explain where that we need to pay attention to. Every er and try make it become a good experience. their car was repaired, and how well they move we make is a stepping stone.

Are you treating everyone the way you feel the repair was done.

When a technician repairs a new model Have I improved the way I have treat my car for the first time, they learn how to bet- would like to be treated?

To be honest, I’m not sure I am all of the time. customers? Has my team? ter repair it the next time. Every time they I hope so.

It’s easy to forget the trauma that the make a weld with a new welder, it’s better

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 35

TRAINING

THE BAR KEEPS RISING CHANGES TO GOLD CLASS STANDARDS

BY ANDREW SHEPHERD

I

n a few weeks, I-CAR Canada will an- dividual roles in the shop. I consider Can- technicians must be Platinum Recognized. nounce changes to its Gold Class recog- ada to have a world-leading apprenticeship Half of all other technicians must be Platnition system, demanding more train- system—yet the knowledge that must be inum. And welding certifications must be ing to meet the skills requirements of acquired after this, to be a safe, effective re-done on a three-year basis rather than a modern repair facility. We will get calls and efficient technician, is substantial and five as in the past.

As you might guess by now, the staninsisting that this will take more time and grows each and every day.

There is a very simple correlation here. dards will change—constantly. They will effort (true)—that the cost is outrageous become more sophisti(perhaps a relative perspective) cated, more complex and —that the changes never end more time-consuming to (as true as true can be). meet.

Quite memorably, in 2011 But please keep your I-CAR moved from a very simI-CAR is announcing its requirements for calls coming into our ofple ‘points’ system to a ‘required Gold Class shop recognition are increasing. fice. I can suggest numercourses’ format. Until that ous legitimate grievances point, the shop was considered Beginning this autumn, all steel structural about I-CAR Canada— “I-CAR Gold Class Recognized” technicians must be Platinum Recognized. that we don’t recognize if each tech took 15 hours of all OE training yet—that training per year. It didn’t matsome of our course mater if they took courses related terial is geared toward to their specific tasks – or even American topics—that if the courses were simply repeats—any courses totaling 15 hours and The skill demands for our technicians in- the recognition system can be complex. crease in direct relationship to changes in But if you’re calling to say that the changes presto—you’re qualified!

You can guess that we were inundat- the vehicles they are working on. It is an are too frequent, that the training is unafed with calls—too expensive—too com- absolute certainty then, that the skill (and fordable or that your techs don’t have the equipment) standards a shop must achieve time—I may have a few arguments for you! plex—a ‘cash grab’.

The pre-2011 recognition system seems will increase as well.

From this, we can expect OE and other laughable eight years later. The complexity Andrew Shepherd is the executive diof vehicle materials, electronics and repair shop certification and accreditation prorector of I-CAR Canada, a non-profit procedures has escalated tremendously. grams to increase their requirements on organization that provides collision reNo realistic shop manager would argue to- a regular basis. Similarly, I-CAR is anpair training and ongoing education. He can be reached via e-mail at andrew. day that his or her techs don’t need specific nouncing that its requirements for Gold shepherd@aiacanada.com. training in the latest automotive advances. Class shop recognition are increasing.

As the vehicle has changed so too have in- Beginning this autumn, all steel structural

36 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

BMW SCHOLARSHIP

INVESTING IN STUDENTS OF THE FUTURE BMW GROUP CANADA CERTIFIED COLLISON REPAIR CENTRE PROGRAM

T

raining in the collision repair industry is essential at both the technician and shop level. It’s more than just knowing how to repair more complex vehicles. Today, technological advances are driving a distinct shift in technical requirements and moving things to the next level. Investing in the students of the future is essential in producing the top talent, which is critical to the success of collision repair centres. More and more we are seeing OEM’s moving to certification programs which ensures the technician, as well as the shop, meet the highest standards of excellence. How do we take the training of students to the next level along with their thorough knowledge of an OEM vehicle?

BMW Group Canada has initiated an innovative and committed approach with a scholarship program designed specifically for a twoyear, pre-apprenticeship college program.

BMW Group Canada in conjunction with their BMW Group Certified Collision Repair Centres (CCRC), is contributing $90,000 over 3 years to scholarships for the collision repair sector at three Canadian colleges; Vancouver Community College (VCC), Centennial College in Toronto and a trade school partner in the Montreal area with a view to expanding a similar program in Quebec this fall. The scholarship awards $5,000 to the top 3 students with an additional $2,000 for the next 2 top students. The BMW Group Canada Body & Paint Pre-Apprenticeship Scholarship Program is jointly

Sponsored Content

"The aim is to demonstrate the quality of these certified facilities at the student level and to steer top students into the CCRC network at a time when finding qualified body techs is a challenge. We want students to have the opportunity to work in bodyshops of the 21st century and to understand the truly specialized nature of collision repair in today’s industry."

- Gary Lin, BMW Group Canada’s CCRC Program Specialist

funded program with participating CCRCs and is an OEM first.

The scholarship criteria are designed specifically for two-year, pre-apprenticeship college programs. Under the current agreement with VCC & Centennial College, the scholarships will have three intakes i.e. students who began the program in the fall of 2018, those who will begin in September 2019 and again in the fall of 2020. The program in Montreal will be slightly different in order to adhere to the provincial education guidelines unique to Quebec.

In order to qualify for the programs in Toronto and Vancouver, applicants must maintain a GPA of 85 percent throughout the program, as well as an 85 percent attendance record. They are also required to complete online BMW Group University courses and one in-class BMW Group Brand Academy

session. The Montreal students are similarly judged and are qualified based on criteria such as student engagement, attendance and overall project/work quality and creativity. Scholarship candidates are required to complete a paid work term at a participating BMW Group CCRC. At VCC and Centennial College, five students chosen by faculty members of the Automotive Collision and Refinish department will receive the $5000 BMW Group Body & Paint Pre-Apprentice Scholarship with the remaining two students receiving $2,000 upon completion of their diploma. The five applicants will be interviewed by BMW Group CCRCs before the end of their second semester and must be employees at a participating CCRC for a minimum threemonth paid internship period after the first year of their college program. This provides students the insight into the world of modern BMW Group CCRCs and reinforces their choice of a career in specialized collision repair.

With the current network of 50 CCRCs growing by 3-4 shops per year, the need to find qualified and brand-ready body technicians increases. This is a sure way of investing in the students-and technicians of the future.

For more information on the BMW Group Canada CCRCs, visit bmwccrc.ca/scholarship.

37

INSIDER TIPS

BUILDING A BOSS PARR AUTO BODY’S CHELSEA STEBNER SHARES HER LEADERSHIP TIPS

BY CHELSEA STEBNER

D

o all repairers dream of electric It might be those some of those same people bull****. Again, this can be a combination cars? as above, or someone totally different, but of who I mentioned above. When you set Do you dream about bumpers? do you have a mentor that offers a shoulder, your goals, when you say you are going to do I do. advice and accountability to stay on track? something and need follow-through, when Owning, managing or leading a business Whether or not this person is in the industry you complain about the same problem for the in this industry can overwhelm the best or not, a person with values, a purpose and hundredth time and haven’t done anything of us. With so many things thrown in a a passion to share their learnings with you to make change, you need someone who business leader’s way, staying afloat can be can bring great value to your life. If you’re will kindly, firmly put you to task to belly stressful. I often wake up up to the bar of leadership and shift your perspective when the in the night—and my mind goes zero to sixty in about going gets rough—because it will. three seconds flat.

Do you find yourself Leadership Development overwhelmed with all the Development is different than responsibilities of leading training. Don’t get me wrong. a business that you someTraining is necessary. It is the It might be some of those same people as constant in our industry; the times don’t know where to above, or someone totally different, but do continuing changes necessitate start? I certainly don’t have all the answers and am oftraining. However, development you have a mentor that offers a shoulder, ten in this boat—I hope I is the soft skills of training. It advice and accountability to stay on track? am not the only one who is a crucial part of leadership. missed the memo—but A formal class, workshop, perforthought I’d share some of mance group, and business coach my ongoing learnings that can immeasurably change how help me to stay the course you lead people, how you manage in leadership and business. your books, how you market and brand yourself and your business. in the position to offer mentorship? Give It’s also an opportunity to meet with other Support, Mentorship and Accountability Surround yourself with people inside and the gift of your skills and abilities to the next like-minded individuals and draw from each outside your industry who you can count on generation of leaders. Your struggles and other’s learnings and failings. Even though it to lend an ear. Not to solve your “problems,” successes can provide valuable learning to is often difficult to remove yourself from your nope, but to simply listen, lean in and let you someone just starting out. day to day operations, I highly encourage You need someone to call you on your this part of leadership. work through challenges and solutions out loud.

38 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

INSIDER TIPS

Over the last couple of years I have learned that removing myself from the business, even for a day a month, provides perspective in how you view the business, to how you view your team, and that distance allows decision making and future planning to happen more easily.

Goals

Someone wise once told me that a dream written down becomes a goal. Once that goal is on paper, it’s not as easy to let it slide when it gets hard to move forward.

Goal setting, and better yet, smart goal setting helps you to take that great big elephant and manage it in bite-size chunks. Am I successful in all my goal setting? Heck no. But failure is also a part of learning. I’ve learned that setting a goal and failing at it sometimes creates new or different opportunities.

Quiet

Take a social media break. Sit in silence.

Mediate. Breathe deeply. Pray. Maybe your quiet time is golfing, or fishing or running.

Whatever you do to silence your mind; do more of it! And if you’re not doing any of that? Start.

Time and space provide perspective on tough days and tough decisions. When I get ramped up fast, about a situation or something going sideways I practice the 24 habit; 24 seconds, 24 minutes, 24 hours. Create that habit before you react to the challenges that you face as a leader.

Gratitude

We’re often so busy managing all the balls we have in the air that it’s easy to buy into the “woe is me” feeling. It’s a daily practice of mine to take five minutes and jot down five things I’m grateful for. There’s a lot of talk out there right now about being grateful and I’m jumping on that bandwagon. We are lucky to live in an amazing country. We are stepping up to lead teams of amazing people.

We surround ourselves with a team that’s smarter than us to run successful businesses.

And we continue to progress forward in this crazy, progressive, technology-filled industry.

We do have much to be thankful for.

Everything I do is an opportunity for learning and leadership. It is a journey. I know that this isn’t a usual bodyshop article. It is, however, a part of leadership and success that we often forget along the way. I challenge you to put into practice one or two of these learnings as a leader and shift your perspective. Surround yourself with good people, good values and a vision for your successful business and enjoy the ride.

Chelsea Stebner is a co-owner/ operator of Parr Auto Body, a collision repair facility located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

She can be reached at chelsea@parrautobody.com.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 39

EXECUTIVE VISION

ANCHORING THE INDUSTRY WEDGE CLAMP VICE PRESIDENT MARK GREENBERG DISCUSSES THE FUTURE OF THE COMPANY

40 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

EXECUTIVE VISION

W

hen it comes to the collision business, few people can speak with as much authority as Mark Greenberg. Now serving as the vice president of Wedge Clamp Systems, a subsidiary of the Craftsman Group, the former auto repair technician-turned se-

Collision Repair: You took up your new role in mid-January. What have you and your team been working on over the past few months?

Mark Greenberg: I think the biggest project

we’ve been working on has been building brand recognition—particularly in the U.S., as Wedge Clamp is already very well known in Canada. We are still far from where we want to be, but it is what we are focusing on.

Additionally, we have really focussed on increasing training and technical support for all of our products as well as customer support.

CRM: What have you been pursuing to make that happen?

MG: Wedge Clamp has been working on building its U.S. distribution infrastructure and developing relationships with repair certification and collision groups—including Assured Performance Network in the US and Certified Collision Care in Canada.

Our anchoring products and Eclipse 3D Electronic measuring system meet the core requirements of Assured performance networks in the United States and Certified Collision Care in Canada.

Wedge Clamp has also been involved in a lot more industry trade shows that have given us exposure to distributors throughout North America. We are trying to be in the right places and again, expose the brand to as many distribution channels and customers as possible.

As one of our biggest focuses is also training and technical support for our products, we do not want to just hand you the equipment—it must always be supported with training and technical support when needed.

Whether it’s live training, online training,

nior executive has been involved in the industry for more than 35 years. Having taken over from his predecessor, Rodica Matei back in January, Greenberg spoke with Collision Repair to discuss his work with Wedge Clamp, and his thoughts on the future of the collision industry.

or remote through computer training, we offer support for all of our products. We even have the ability to wirelessly remote into the Eclipse 3D Electronic measuring system and assist the technician while they are completing repairs.

CRM: It sounds like you are preparing for

a collision repair industry that is bound to OEM procedures. Is that fair?

MG: All vehicles should be repaired to OEM specifications, period.

As far as what equipment is used, you certainly have to have a four-point anchoring system to repair a car properly. If you’re using chains or anchoring incorrectly, although you may be repairing the damage in one spot, you could be creating damage elsewhere.

I think the current state of the industry says vehicles need to be repaired as per OEM specifications. If the OEMs expect—and I know that they do—that vehicles are repaired with equipment that meets particular capabilities, such as four-point anchoring and electronic three-dimensional measuring, then that’s what has to be done.

It’s different from the luxury brands where the brands will name certain usable brands of equipment. The other companies, such as Nissan or Ford, are naming specifications of the equipment. As long as the equipment meets these specs, it falls within their expectations as opposed to naming a brand.

We are absolutely dispatching ourselves to fall within those OEM expectations.

CRM: Is there something in particular that

Wedge Clamp is doing that helps technicians sort of split the difference between the perceived higher costs of following OEM procedures and what insurers are telling them to do instead?

MG: The reality is that in order to repair a car properly today you have to follow OEM repair procedures and have a four-point anchoring system that you can do multiple pulls with. You have to have an electronic 3D measurement system that can provide before and after repair print-out reports, the ability to do pre- and post-diagnostics and resilient welding capabilities.

There are some core pieces of equipment that a bodyshop should have to repair their technology. Wedge Clamp has reasonably priced equipment that allows the shop to meet the required tooling expectations. Certainly it’s not in the higher risk department and we can show them, by utilizing our equipment, you’re going to get your return on your investment in addition to 100 percent repair bay utilization.

The last thing you want is costly equipment sitting in the corner of the shop that you’re not getting return on—you don’t want equipment there simply to a tick a box. You want to have it there so it allows you to repair vehicles to OEM specifications, maximize through-put, be more efficient, and be profitable. This way the customer, insurer, and shop benefit.

CRM: So, where do you see the industry in

five years?

MG: I think in five years there will be more complex substrates to repair and more autonomous vehicles are on the road. I also believe that there will be a lot more accidents.

I suspect that because we’re going to have a lot of autonomous vehicles on the road alongside a lot of non-autonomous vehicles, non-autonomous drivers are going to be unsure of how autonomous vehicles will react in certain situations, making things harder to predict on the road. With that mix of vehicles on the road, there are going to be more accidents.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 41

BY THE NUMBERS

ROCK AND A HARD PLACE AS REPAIRER CONSENSUS GROWS IN SUPPORT OF OEM PROCEDURES, INSURER PRESSURE MOUNTS AGAINST THEM

M

ore than nine-in-10 collision repair owners who participated Collision Repair survey indicated that they considered OEM repair procedures to be practical from a business standpoint, though the vast majority of surveyed businesses are facing pressure not to make them.

According to the results of a readership survey, 91 percent of collision facilities view following OEM repair procedures as a practical way to ensure vehicles are restored to pre-accident condition. Of that group, eight in 10 collision facilities have been pressured by insurance companies to perform less expensive procedures rather than ones recommended by OEMs. While the survey is indicative of a growing consensus within Canada's collision community that OEM procedures should be sacrosanct, support for their use was most prevalent among those respondents who worked for businesses with certifications from OEMs. No respondents who worked at OEM-certified facilities considered the process to be ineffective, while one-in-five respondents from uncertified businesses indicated they did.

Even among those collision repairers who did view OEM procedures as vital, there was

some criticism of the material provided by manufacturers being entirely reliable. One respondent cited practical barriers to following procedures to the letter.

"There are times the OEM mandates certain materials such as adhesives that the dealer doesn't have a part number for or access to. In that case, we use a generic version. Also, some cars have outer quarter panel specific sleeves that are not available in a timely manner so we use traditional weld methods to not hold up a car for months.

Often these issues are because the dealers are not up to speed on what the OEM requests in their repair procedures."

Another highlighted certain inaccuracies in the written instructions.

"Some OEM repair procedures are sometimes outdated and don't include practices— like spot welding with an OEM approved spot welder. The OEM repair procedure wants a plug weld with a MIG welder."

The report also discovered that those collision businesses that have invested in OEM certifications are more likely to face this pressure.

According to the results, 96 percent of collision industry operators have faced pressure to perform non-OEM recommended repairs, compared to just 62 per-

Does your business perform all vehicles repairs exactly as mandated by OEM repair procedures?

36.3%

Exactly as mandated, each and every time

24.2%

As mandated, barring common-sense exceptions

30.3%

Usually, though concessions are made based on insurance company requests

9.0%

No, because the gulf between OEM theory and in-shop practice can be immense

42 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

cent of respondents at facilities that were not OEM certified. Among respondents from OEM-certified facilities, 22 reported acquiescing to pressure from insurers or other groups and performing less expensive non-OEM repairs.

Several of these respondents credited their success in rebuffing auto insurers with their ability to provide data to insurers.

"Generally, if we have done our homework and presented the documents we do not have pushback. We run into questions or denials if we do not provide enough detail in the estimate," one respondent from an OEM-certified facility that had not been cowed by insurers wrote.

Despite the advantages of being OEM-certified, some respondents reported that, while they were not being cowed by insurers, that doesn't always mean that OEM repair procedures are being followed.

"On a 2018 Toyota Sequoia with a sideswipe, my estimate was $14,000 following all OEM procedures. The insurer came back with an estimate of $10,000. The customer authorized part order/tear down. The insurer paid me over $11,000 to take it somewhere else with disassembled parts. The competitor performed repairs ignoring OEM," one respondent wrote.

BY THE NUMBERS

Does your business perform all vehicles repairs exactly as mandated by OEM repair procedures?

65.6%

Private auto insurance companies

37.5%

Public auto insurance companies

0.0%

Equipment providers

34.3%

Customers

3.1%

Franchises

6.2%

Other

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR  43

SPOTLIGHT ON ALIGNMENT

3 REASONS WHY SHOP OWNERS AREN’T BRINGING WHEEL ALIGNMENT IN-HOUSE When a collision repair shop owners outsource

58%

wheel alignment to another shop, it can put their reputation, cycle times and profit margins at risk—so why aren’t more bringing it in-house? Chief surveyed

OF COLLISON SHOP OWNERS OUTSOURCE ALIGNMENT

collision repair shop owners to find out just how much outsourcing impacts their business and why they’ve resistant to doing alignments themselves.

HOW OFTEN DO SHOPS CHECK FOR ALIGNMENT?

REASON #1

32%

8%

SAY THERE’S NOT ENOUGH DEMAND.

Every vehicle

31%

More than half Less than half

26%

Up to half of cars end up needing an alignment, but shops are not always checking the vehicles for the opportunity to upsell alignment work.

About half

Never

13%

21%

REASON #2

AVERAGE PROFIT PER ALIGNMENT 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

SAY EQUIPMENT IS TOO EXPENSIVE.

80

$74.00

In-house alignments

$9.00

Outsourced alignments

Cost to outsource 44 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

54%

Profits you keep

When you invest in the equipment to perform alignments in-house, you get to keep significantly more profit to offset the cost of your investment over time.

ofits you keep

cost of your investment over time.

FLAT BAY KIT

ASON FLAT#3BAY

KIT2-POST KIT

over time.

SPOTLIGHT ON ALIGNMENT

2-POST KIT

2-POST KIT

REASON #3

7%57%

Survey data supplied by Chief Automotive.

THEY DON’T Y THEYSAY DON’T HAVE SPACE FOR A VE FOR BAY. T SPACE DEDICATED DEDICATED BAY. design, OR With a tower-free alignment equipment AY. h a tower-free design, is portable and can be KIT nment is within configuredRACK to work esign, equipment

INTO SHOP PRODUCTIVITY, TOO. RACK KIT

RACK KIT

your existing space. able ent is and can be figured to work within e rwithin existing space. .

8% BAY KIT FLAT 14% HOW LONG DOES FLAT BAY KIT OUTSOURCING CUTS INTO SHOP PRODUCTIVITY, TOO. OUTSOURCING

TAKE?

2 hours or less TSOURCING CUTS INTO SHOP PRODUCTIVITY, TOO. Half a day NG CUTS INTO SHOP PRODUCTIVITY, TOO.

53% 78%

A full day

OF SHOP OWNERS AGREE THAT OUTSOURCING HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON CYCLE TIMES.

3%

14%

2 hours or less Half a day A full day

HOW LONG8% DOES SHOP OWNERS HOW LONG DOES OUTSOURCING EE THAT RS TAKE? OUTSOURCING SOURCING HAS TAKE? 2 hours or less AS EGATIVE IMPACT Half a day 2 hours or less

8%

HOW LONG DOES OUTSOURCING TAKE?

8% 78%

14% 14%

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 45

SPOTLIGHT ON ALIGNMENT

STOP MAKING EXCUSES WHY BRINGING ALIGNMENTS IN-HOUSE ISN’T AS DIFFICULT AS YOU THINK

BY MIKE CROKER, GLOBAL REPAIR AND TRAINING PRODUCT MANAGER, COLLISION FOR CHIEF AUTOMOTIVE

"I need a dedicated bay."

"It costs too much to do it in-house."

can be configured to work within a shop’s existing space and more importantly, work with existing systems like frame racks and benches. This gives technicians the freedom to perform alignments anywhere in the shop, with no dedicated bay required.

Myth 3: Alignment equipment is too expensive Half of collision shop owners believe adding alignment services is too expensive of an investment. However, it's an investment that shops can easily offset and that can bring in additional revenue almost immediately.

When alignments are performed in-house, shops keep a much larger portion of the profit, which helps offset the cost of the investment over time.

Not to mention the hidden costs of outsourcing alignments. More than half (53 percent) of shop owners said that outsourcing had a negative impact on their cycle times, which also impacts productivity when techs are away from the shop and, ultimately, profits.

When alignments are outsourced, shops are effectively outsourcing their reputation as well. If an alignment partner does a poor job, who does the customer blame?

Wheel alignment services are a critical part of automotive repair that someone needs to perform (and get paid for)—why not you?

“My techs need special training.”

A

sk collision business owners why they outsource alignments, and these are just some of the responses you’ll hear.

Yet, these aren’t the only cost of outsourcing alignments. When shops outsource wheel alignment services to another shop, they put their reputation, cycle times and profit margins in someone else’s hands—so why aren’t more shop owners bringing it in-house?

To get to the bottom of this, Chief Automotive surveyed collision repair shop owners and discovered three common myths shop owners tell themselves when it comes to outsourcing alignments.

Myth 1: I don’t have enough space.

More than half (57 percent) of collision shop owners said one of the main reasons they outsource alignments is because they don’t have enough space in their shops. However, alignment equipment isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

While some alignment machines have towers that need to stay in a fixed location, there are portable and tower-free design options that

MIKE COKER

product manager

Myth 2: There’s not enough demand.

32 percent of collision shop owners felt there wasn’t enough demand to bring alignment work in-house. However, shops are missing a valuable opportunity to upsell alignment work.

Just 31 percent of shop owners said they check every vehicle to see if an alignment is needed.

Yet, most vehicles suffer some suspension damage in a wreck, with up to half of the cars serviced needing alignments.

So not only is it in a shop’s best interest to check if an alignment is needed, but also in their customer's best interest. Adding alignment equipment gives shops the ability to test every vehicle and determine whether or not they require an alignment. It’s not only an opportunity to upsell, but more importantly, an opportunity to keep the customer safe.

The Global repair and training product manager, collision for Chief Automotive, Mike Coker is an instructor at Chief University, a member of the National Technical Committee member with SkillsUSA and an advisor to various

technical school organizations.Mike uses a hands-on approach in training to serve as an I-CAR instructor and

is an ASE subject matter expert for structural analysis and damage repair. For more articles about alignments from Croker and the Cheif Automotive Team, visit chiefautomotive.com/blog.

46 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

WORLD SKILLS Pascal Doiron performing a repair in Russia.

WORLDSKILLS

KAZAN 2019 CATCHING UP WITH CANADIAN COMPETITORS

BY ALLISON ROGERS

W

ithmorethan150,000spectators, 1,700 competitors and 63 represented countries, the ‘Olympics of the Trades’ did

not disappoint.

The 2019 WorldSkills competition was held from August 22 to August 27 in Kazan, Russia. The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity gave young adults between the ages of a chance to showcase their specific talents, all while fighting under intense pressure in a newly constructed 800,000 sq ft. arena.

While some Canadian students focused on tasks such as bricklaying, hairdressing, and even culinary skills, future aftermarket pros competed in tough tournaments to show off their automotive expertise—and their efforts paid off.

Jack Dupuis, a Quebec-based student

scored a silver medal for his top-notch heavy vehicle mechanics skills. Beating out Russia, Switzerland, and Korea, Dupuis also snagged the “best of the nation” award for scoring the most points out of all of his other Canadian competitors.

Dupuis wasn’t the only top-tier representative from Canada—Pascal Doiron, an auto technician from Dieppe, New Brunswick claimed a medallion of excellence for his work in Kazan.

“The experience was amazing,” Pascal told Collision Repair. “To be able to meet tradespeople from all over the world was indescribable. We all became very good friends by the end of the competition and that’s something I’ll cherish forever.”

When Pascal was a teenager, his father towed home an old Toyota Tercel and told him that if he could fix it, it was his. From there, he

48 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Pascal competed in the automobile technolog y field of the competitio n.

was hooked on car repair.

“I wanted my own car and I had the opportunity,” Pascal said. “That’s what started all of this off.”

Like many techs-in-training, Pascal had never heard of SkillsCanada or WorldSkills competitions until a college instructor approached his class. When the instructor asked if anyone was interested in participating, Pascal decided he would give it a shot. After winning the SkillsCanada national competitions in 2017 and 2018, he had secured himself a spot on the Canadian team heading to WorldSkills 2019.

In Kazan, automobile technology competitors

WORLD SKILLS

underwent four full days of competition, spending roughly two hours at each workstation before moving on to the next task. With nine different stations, the technicians faced about 18 hours of total competition.

“There was a suspension alignment station, engine mechanical testing, compression and leak down tests and a few body electrical stations,” said Pascal. “We had to find and correct the faults while following all applicable industry standards.”

Efficiency and speed are key, but the competition is about more than just being good at looking at cars.

“It’s a lot different than just having one big project to complete—that’s nice and manageable. You have to be patient and you have to have good communication skills. You have to be ready to adapt to any sort of ball they are going to throw at you.”

Despite the intense pressure of the competition, Pascal raved about all that he learned over his five days in Russia.

“I’m extremely grateful for what I learned in Kazan,” said Pascal. “I now understand how to 100 percent prove the issue I am claiming.

Learning that skill is really applicable in this industry because it can save you a lot of time

and frustration from jumping to conclusions and potentially making the wrong call.”

Now back at home and working at J.P.’s Garage in Dieppe, N.B., Pascal wants others to experience what he did in Kazan.

“I’m very happy with the results I achieved,” he said. “I just wish that SkillsCanada and WorldSkills were more publicized.You hardly ever hear about SkillsCanada at all and there are so many others out there that could have the same amazing experiences I did.”

WorldSkills as a movement is now nearly 70 years old.

While provincial and national SkillsCanada competitions take place around the country every spring, the next WorldSkills Competition won’t be until 2021. Shanghai, China will host the competition in 2021.

Until then, stay tuned to read all about future tradespeople revving up for the next skills event.

Pascal examining a vehicle at one of the nine auto tech workstations.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 49

ENVIRONMENTAL ADVICE

HIDDEN DANGERS WHY YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS TO RETHINK ITS APPROACH TO INDUSTRIAL HYGEINE

BY ELIZABETH SARGEANT

I

s your business hygienic? While that question might sound patronizing, some environmental hazards in collision facilities aren't visible to the naked eye.

To find out more about these hidden hygiene concerns, Collision Repair spoke with Ryerson's Mohammad Abdoli, an

Collision Repair: When looking at a shop’s

industrial hygiene, what do you specifically look out for?

Mohammad Abdoli-Eramaki: When it comes

to industrial hygiene, we most of the time look into the five main categories of hazards that can impact individuals long-term. This includes physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic and psycho-social hazards.

In any form, these hazards can exist in the workplace. If they impact an individual long term, they are health hazards, and if they impact an individual instantly, they are a safety hazard.

CR: What are some health and safety risks

repairers often to forget to look out for?

MA: In repair facilities, employees often deal

with chemicals used while cleaning, and while repairing the cleaned parts, can be exposed to these chemicals.

associate professor with the University's School of Occupational and Public Health.

An expert in industrial hygiene, Abdoli-Eramaki spoke with this week about risks some repairers forget to look out for and what it means to have an industrial hygienic workspace.

Acts such as painting and welding can also release hazardous chemicals that repairers are sometimes not prepared for. Physical hazards that include any types of noise—such as the sound of sanding the body of the car or cutting pieces of material for a repair, welding at high speed—can cause longterm effects as well.

Other hazards repairers must look our for is heat and cold stress, vibration of the tools that they have to work with, in order to get the job done faster, illumination causing momentary blindness and ergonomic issues such as awkward postures for a long period of time.

Psycho-social hazards also occur often during happens during tight deadlines, or when dealing with harassment or conflict at work, which is something most don't think of when they hear "occupational hazard."

CR: How can facility owners ensure that

their shop is practicing proper Industrial Hygiene and minimize short-term and long-

term injuries to their employees?

MA: The most important factor is that they

ensure their employees are operating in a facility designed for auto repair.

A good shop is equipped with ventilation systems where right after chemicals are released, they are captured and controlled in the spot. Everyone in the facility should use proper protection equipment for everything— the heat, the noise—and are well prepared.

To control all hazardous conditions you must ensure that the shop you own, run, or work for has the proper equipment to protect all employees.

Mohammad Abdoli-Eramaki.

OCTOBER 2019 019 COLLISION REPAIR 51

A BIT OF COLOUR

COLOUR YOUR WORLD BASF PRESENTS 2019-2020’S AUTOMOTIVE COLOUR TRENDS

BY ALLISON ROGERS

B

y analyzing technological trends and societal changes, BASF’s Colour Design team has presented its new predicted colour trends and colour concepts for the automotive industry. The ninth edition of the global Automotive Colour Trends is inspired by the commitment to actively shaping the future and the collection shows what colours will meet the zeitgeist of tomorrow.

While it will still be a while until they are ready for OEM application as automotive colours, BASF’s Glasurit team is already working to provide perfect refinish solutions that will be ready at the start of OEM production.

Designers at BASF’s Coatings division translated this drive into a collection of future colour inspirations for automotive surfaces. Four design studios from North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific worked within this collaboration. The focus on these regions creates a profound understanding of the respective markets and its colour drivers.

A new silver hue, with yellow and gold off-tones and complex metals.

The global colour trends mirror the positive commitment towards connecting digital innovations with human needs. The increasing relevance of technology in our world underlines the acceptance of computer-based support.

A rethinking of resources is moulding new consumption patterns.

The colour combination of different levels of chroma and multiple hues are designed to capture the open-minded attitudes to advances in digitalization. Today, digital support is seen as a natural part of life and its influence on the world continues to grow. For BASF, the colouration of future mobility takes on a warmer, more approachable look. The new silver-toned hue reveals atypical colour shifts like yellow-ish off-tones and complex gold-ish metals, which are meant to mirror society’s efforts in digitization.

The positive vibe of the collection indicates the upcoming changes in societal conventions in the Europe, Middle East and African regions,

In a step away from the classics, BASF reveals a unique violet metallic shade.

52 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

where unique colour shifts like violet metallic can become more common.

One of the facets encouraging the optimism around social change is the increasing importance of individuality for traditional design concepts. To reflect uniqueness, BASF has added a twist on the classic hues beige and gold by including complex metallic shifts in its new range.

Every year BASF’s Coatings division takes its findings and predictions of upcoming societal change and translates it into a collection that will influence the future of automotive colours.

The company undergoes intensive research into future trends, which is used for the development of surface, texture and colour positions. As a result, the designers present global trends and developments within various global regions.

The newly designed colours will not be available to OEMs for at least three years, but BASF assures that Glasurit is already hard at work on the refinishing solutions.

Beige gets an upgrade with added complex metal colour positions.

Go for gold with complex metal colour shifts.

ADVERTORIAL

E6 - The Greentech E6 is design for the Paint Booth.

A GAME-CHANGER

SARNIA CSN BECOMES THE FIRST CANADIAN FACILITY TO EQUIP GREENTECH DRYERS

C

SN St. Clair Auto Repair in Sarnia, Ontario is the first Canadian facility to install Greentech Dryers. The Italiandesigned gas catalytic dryers are robotic and meant to improve production time. More importantly, they can be retrofitted to an already existing space. An E6 robot was installed inside of their paint booth, and an E5 robot installed inside of their prep station.

With only one paint booth in the shop, Richard searched for solutions to increase the production time. He had plans to expand the shop building and to have another paint booth installed, until he realized how much it would actually cost for his business.

Bellavance told Collision Repair that he attended a CCIF conference in Toronto a years ago and watched a presentation where he had first discovered the GreenTech Dryers.

(Left to right) Colin , Lee, and Richard Bellavance.

The numbers inside of the shop are beginning of the prep station – this allows the user to to show the value of their investment. Since the prime all sides of the vehicle with one pass installation of the Greentech Robots, sales have of the robot or use a stall inside of the prep increased 37%, with a decrease in cycle time of area as a fast lane for small damage.

18%. Because of the increase of throughput, two The Greentech products are sold exclusively more employees have been hired to compensate through Flatline Spraybooth Specialists. For for the increased workload in reassembly. more information call Phil Zylstra or Matt Unlike their competitors who primarily Gibson at 905-475-5600. emit Short Wave Infrared heat, Greentech uses Medium Wave Technology. Their medium wave system will not damage plastics or mirrors, and is more forgiving when drying clearcoats because the lower heat mitigates solvent popping and diebacks. The E5 robot also sets Greentech apart.

They are the only manufacturer to offer a full arched system inside E5 - The E5 robot is designed for the preparation area. It can be moved between 1 to 3 stalls

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR  53

LEGAL

COLLISION COUNSEL INDUSTRY-ORIENTED SPEAKS TO THE LIABILITY OF INSURER PRESSURE

E

ffective communication is the backbone of any solid relationship, as well at the professional level, though can a good relationship maintain when the best interests of both parties are separate?

The conflict between insurers and collision repair facilities is a tale as old as time, with insurance groups wanting the cheapest costs while repair facilities strive to ensure safety lest they are held liable. But it is disingenuous to say that insurers have nothing to gain by ensuring a repair is done at the appropriate expense.

According to a readership survey, 8 in 10 collision repair facilities are pressured by insurance companies to perform less expensive procedures rather than ones recommended by OEMs, in fact, shops that specifically have obtained OEM certification are more likely to be pressured.

"On a 2018 Toyota Sequoia with a sideswipe, my estimate was $14,000 following all OEM procedures. The insurer came back with an estimate of $10,000. The customer authorized part order/tear down. The insurer paid me over $11,000 to take it somewhere else with disassembled parts. The competitor performed repairs ignoring OEM," one respondent wrote.

When operations are not min/maxing in the favour of insurers, their points of contention are these: Can a cheaper part be used? Can the repair be done faster? Is there any way to lower the labour rate? Repair facilities can fight insurers for what they feel is best, though emerge in the forms of prolonged wait times for clients, and the threat to be removed from an insurers list of preferred shops.

54 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

With these recent findings of insurer pressure towards repairers to conduct cheaper repairs, a question begins to arise: where does liability fall when bodyshops make repairs that are against manufacturer recommendations?

Justin Jakubiak is a Fogler, Rubinoff lawyer specializing in civil litigation and automotive law, with a long history of working on collision industry cases.

One of the few lawyers in Ontario with a specialized focus on dealership law, he is a goto resource for questions about Ontario traffic and vehicle legislations. Jakubiak’s experience allows him to assist dealerships, salespersons and mechanics in obtaining, maintaining and defending their licenses according to the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council and the Ministry of Transportation.

LEGAL

Collision Repair got in touch with Jakubiak to ask him the following: When insurers demand an autobody shop make repairs that do not follow OEM guidelines, who receives liability?

like their big payer is still the auto insurance industry, and upsetting them may not be worth the cost - what are the sort of legal ramifications for adopting that position?

Collision Repair: So just where does liability fall when an accident occurs because of a non-OEM part?

JJ: It's an understandable position. Often

Justin Jakubiak: It's not black and white.

At the end of the day if there were to be an accident and a contributing factor to that accident was a part that was fixed subpar, then the reality is liability would be spread across everyone.

If the repairer is looking at something and says 'this needs to be an OEM repair and nothing less otherwise safety is highly compromised' it's probably best in that situation to not go through with the repair.

I think repairers should expect to sometimes lean back and explain to insurers why it's extremely important that an OEM part is used instead of a replacement.

CRM: What about those businesses that feel

repairers will want to keep insurance companies happy so they continue to work frivolously to keep that working relationship, but down the road, if their initial feeling is correct--that there is a safety concern, they need to act on that feeling lest there be a lawsuit.

Justin Jakubiak, a Fogler Rubinoff lawyer specializing in litigation, administrative and automotive law groups.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR  55

GUILD 21 CONFERENCE

THE FUTURE IS NOW FRED IANTORNO, VICE PRESIDENT OF VERIFACTS AUTOMOTIVE TALKS TECH

BY SAM HOUPT

G

uild 21 held a conference call midSeptember with Fred Iantorno to discuss where emerging technology would bring the automotive repair industry in the next three years. Iantorno, the vice president of VeriFacts Automotive, gave insight to all different facets of tech-related questions throughout an hour-long interview.

In every topic discussed, Iantorno seemed to be most excited about the further industry-application of 3D printing. He described the current uses—custom vehicles construction with some MSOs dabbling in small-parts printing—but said that future practicality will turn every enterprise, including home workshops, into factories. Though most people may be familiar with polymer 3D printing, Iantorno said that silver and aluminum “inks” are already in use today.

Iantorno added, “but a lot of work would need to be done before I trusted a 3D printed part!”

In the case of 5G networks, Iantorno stated that it can no longer be considered an emerging technology.

“The tech is here,” he said. “The number of connected devices already exceeds the number of humans on Earth. In the next few years, it’s estimated that there will be 1,000 devices per person, and this new network infrastructure is going to cut the amount of time in our industry wasted with bad connections.”

During an audience survey throughout

the conference call, 42 percent admitted to not having complete Wi-fi coverage at their facilities, to which Iantorno said could be remedied with 5G networks.

“It’s not something you need a working knowledge of to appreciate” —Fred Iantorno

Artificial intelligence was another area of technology that Iantorno claimed had well already “permeated the industry.”

Aside from the usual contenders such as AV’s and assistant software, he said he was particularly focused on shop application of A.I. In conjunction with virtual and augmented reality devices, Iantorno predicts repair facilities

56 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

being able to train technicians to use devices in advance of the facilities actually owning them.

“It’s not something you need a working knowledge of to appreciate,” Iantorno said.

Iantorno also spoke to the future role of Blockchain, which allows the protection of documentation through every step of the repair process all the way to final evaluation.

Acting as a distributed digital ledger, if someone makes any changes to an owner’s data, it would provide full transparency.

Iantorno stated that even without realizing it, collision repair facilities are “well on their way to a connected shop.

SATAÂŽSpecial Edition Spray Gun Begins shipping Nov. 5 to your SATA distributor Limited Edition - while supplies last

Fifty years ago in 1969, "Peace, Love and Music" was the motto of the "Summer of Love", in which hippies adorned with flowers danced and celebrated at the legendary Woodstock Music Festival.

Commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Woodstock Music Festival, SATA recognizes the cultural impact of the era with a Special Edition spray gun.

The colourful motifs of the SATAjet X 5500 Hippie remind us of this unique movement. The spray gun is fully functional and suitable for the daily use in the spray booth. Reserve your Special Edition spray gun with your SATA dealer now!

Further information: www.sata.com/hippie

I-nozzle

O-nozzle RP

Nozzle size

1.2 I

1.3 I

1.4 I

1.2 O

1.3 O

1.4 0

Standard with one each RPS multipurpose cup 0.6 l / 0.9 l, with swivel joint

Art. No.

1095034 1095042 1095050 1095076 1095084 1095092

HVLP Nozzle size

1.2 I

1.3 I

1.4 I

1.2 O

1.3 O

1.4 O

Standard with one each RPS multipurpose cup 0.6 l / 0.9 l, with swivel joint Art. No.

1095125 1095109 1095133 1095167 1095175 1095183

Booth #10609 North Hall

SATA Canada Inc. 125 Buttermill Avenue, Vaughan, ON, L4K 3X5 Office: +1 905 660 1101 Toll-free: +1 844 554 SATA (7282) Fax: +1 905 760 1250 E-mail: contact@sata.ca www.sata.ca

TECHNOLOGY REPORT

FLAMENCO WITH THE FUTURE DO AI ESTIMATORS DREAM OF ELECTRIC CARS?

It appears that some businesses in the transportation have taken issue with Scarlett O’Hara’s suggestion that “Tomorrow is another day. In the minds of these organizations, tomorrow—and its technologies—cannot come soon enough.

Torontonomous Now On Sept. 2, Toronto mayor John Tory announced plans to test an autonomous shuttle that would connect the West Rouge neighbourhood to the Rouge Hill GO station.

The two locations are only about two kilometres from each other, but the city hopes the route will satisfy a lack of transit options available to those living in the West Rouge. The vehicles will likely seat eight to 12 people and be entirely electric.

Tory soothed any anxious citizens’ nerves by confirming that the shuttle may not have a driver, but a TTC staff member will remain in the vehicle to supervise at all times.

Details on the number of shuttles or a specific route have not yet been finalized.

Toronto is getting an autonomous TTC shuttle, connecting the West Rouge neighborhood to the Rouge Hill GO Station.

Treks in the City Autonomous vehicles have officially made their way into New York City.

In a 300-acre industrial park in Brooklyn, New York, workers and visitors can now hitch a ride around the mile-long loop in a driverless shuttle.

The shuttle, “Optimus Ride”, will transport passengers between the Ferry Stop Dock 72 and Brooklyn Navy Yards’ Cumberland Gate at Flushing Avenue. CEO and co-founder Dr. Ryan Chin hopes the system will allow citizens to become more comfortable with the idea of autonomy in vehicles.

58 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

New York City’s autonomous “Optimus Ride”.

TECHNOLOGY REPORT

Survival of the Fastest

Curious Creation Delta Airlines is exploring research opportunities in autonomous vehicle technology alongside Georgia Tech and the Curiosity Lab. The partnership between the three companies enables Delta Airlines and Georgia Tech access to Curiosity Labs’ 1.5-mile (1.6km) long autonomous vehicle testing track. Curiosity Labs is a 5G-enabled autonomous vehicle and smart city living lab based in Peachtree Corners, GA. A network operations centre at the lab enables researchers

to track and analyze data.

Delta sees AV technology as having the potential to improve employee safety, the customer experience and overall operational performance; the partnership allows the company to pursue the possibilities of this technology.

Delta said that autonomous vehicles could potentially undertake tasks like transporting passengers between tight connecting flights or returning lost baggage to its owner.

Audi has partnered with DarwinAI, a startup based in Waterloo, Ont. That creates artificial neural networks to simulate the human brain’s ability to learn, adapt and make decisions based on its environment.

Audi engineers pushed for the partnership after a Darwin AI system cut the amount of time they spent refining autonomous vehicle data by 90 percent.

DarwinAI did this by creating a simulated brain network for ten classes of objects, including buses, cars, trucks, fire hydrants, bicycles and traffic lights.

By using the program, the number of hours Audi engineers spent refining and processing data for driverless vehicles plummeted from 10,600 to just 717.

Delta, Georgia Tech and Curiosity Labs have partnered in AV research.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 59

EMERGING TECH

DECONSTRUCTING THE DATA WILL EMERGING 5G INFRASTRUCTURE MAKE OUR ROADS SAFER?

A

s vehicles slowly but surely gain more autonomy, attention falls on how current network infrastructures will support the vehicles as they gain mainstream popularity. 4G networks may just not be enough.

AVs are already using hundreds of sensors, gathering massive amounts of data every moment they are on the road. On today's networks, AVs are constantly broadcasting their speed, location, and direction of travel.

Their capabilities are limited but are predicted to only improve from here.

Future vehicles are said will be able to

communicate with each other so effortlessly through 5G networks that they will be able to safely from into 'platoons,' or links that group travelling vehicles together closely to form high-efficiency trains. Stefan Solyom, a technical specialist for Volvo, predicts that these platoons will gain 20 percent better fuel economy.

"There is a limit where it is not worth it to follow closer because the fuel economy benefit you get from the aerodynamics, you lose from the actuation of acceleration and braking," he said.

Current AVs, with varying amounts of autonomy, use on average around 25 gigabytes

Experts estimate we will be seeing 5G infrastructure in Canada sometime in the next five years.

of data per hour. Dr. Joy Laskar, CTO Silicon Valley's Maja Systems, predicts that future AVs will generate almost 2 million gigabits of data or up to 5,100 TB of data per year.

“With an advanced Wi-Fi connection, it will take 230 days to transfer a week-worth of data from a self-driving car, and that is why we need much faster ASIC processing technology and products,” she said.

Wireless network companies are expected to invest around $26 billion into 5G network infrastructure, according to a 2018 report by Accenture. 5G networks are set to be deployed in Canada between 2020 and 2026.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 61

TECH TITANS

In 2021, Mazda techs from all over the world will gather in Japan for the Maztech international competition.

TECH WITH TECHNIQUE ONTARIO’S ADAM BOCHEK NAMED CANADA’S TOP MAZDA TECH

A

fter the latest MazTech service skills competition last Friday, Adam Bochek has been named Canada’s top Mazda technician.

Bochek, of Stoney Creek, Ont., scored top marks against nine other Canadian technicians in finding, diagnosing and repairing several problems on a 2019 Mazda CX-3. Among the vehicle’s issues: no ignition power, ignition only responding if the remote is near the push button, vehicle cranks but will not start, rough sounding engine, left rear power window not working properly, and front wipers not

settling when parked.

Bochek was the first to step away from his vehicle, indicating his confidence in rectifying all the problems on the work order. He even found and diagnosed a few bonus problems not outlined on the order.

Each year, Mazda technicians across the country vie for the opportunity to compete in Richmond Hill, Ont. for the title of Canada’s top Mazda tech. The competition’s tasks range from engine testing, diagnosis of faults and performing repairs on vehicles and car components. With just 20 minutes

to complete each job, the winner secures a spot on Canada’s team for the MazTech international competition.

Second place went to Dany St-Pierre of Mazda De Sherbrooke, Que., while David Deweerd of Pfaff Mazda in London, Ont. snagged a third-place finish.

As the 2019 winner, Bochek is assured a place on the Canadian team set to compete at the Mazda international competition in Japan in 2021. The team’s vacant spot will be filled by the winner of next year’s MazTech competition.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 63

POLITICS

PARTY GAMES A REPAIRER’S GUIDE TO THE 2019 FEDERAL ELECTION

T

he campaigns for Canada’s next prime minister are revving up and the major parties are releasing details about what policies their governments would pursue. The writ has been dropped, and it’s time to see what each party has planned for the nation’s automotive industry and collision repair sector.

Auto Industry: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently visited the automotive hub of Windsor, Ont., generating buzz that it may have an upcoming plan for Canada’s auto sector.

However, little was said about the auto industry during his visit.

Liberals have been actively supporting the manufacturing industry, going coast to coast handing out chunks of the $1.33 billion they raised from retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. to the steel and aluminum sectors. They have also been dishing out money for manufacturers through their strategic innovation fund. In the past, Trudeau has called for a national manufacturing strategy but it has yet to materialize.

Small Business: During their first term in government, the party lowered the small business tax rate from 10.5 to 9 percent. For this election, they have pledged to give cash to entrepreneurs to build startups and eliminate the tax ‘swipe fee’ merchants pay to credit card companies.

Editor's note: The infrastructure around chip-and-pin technology does not justify the high price paid on each transaction. It can be difficult for even big companies to fight back--just look at the long standoff between Wal-Mart and Visa.

While it would have a trickle-down benefit to repairers, the real benefits would be seen by high-volume sellers, whose businesses are more dependent on frequent, small purchases.

While not traditionally seen as the darling of the auto repair sector, the Grits are clearly moving into a more pro-business direction.

64 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

POLITICS

Auto Industry: Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives have yet to speak directly about the auto industry but, back in 2018, Scheer said he would continue to support manufacturing in southern Ontario through the FedDev Ontario program and a federal auto-sector investment fund.

Conservatives plan to close the gap between conventional and electric vehicles, though a timeline has yet to be released. The party wants to invest in Canada’s charging infrastructure and vows not to pull back on any federal funds already committed to transit projects. The party also plans to reward green technology companies by taking tax rates from 15 percent to 5 percent.

Small Business: The Tories also plan to cut the tax rate on small businesses. Scheer also mentioned plans to make it easier for business owners to pay dividends to family members.

Editor's note: Usually seen as the prettiest girl at the Business Improvement Association dance, the Tories are uncharacteristically vague about their tax plans in this cycle. The small business tax policy plans are unlikely to cut terribly deeply as they are already historically low.

While the plan is now vague, the Tory goal of simplifying family dividend payouts will have a lot of appeal for second and third-generation repair businesses. -- GS

Auto Industry: NDP leader Jagmeet Singh was the first candidate to make huge promises to Canada’s auto sector. On September 14, Singh took to Oshawa, Ont. to promise a $300 million investment into the nation’s automotive industry, should he be elected. While standing in front of the city’s General Motors assembly plant -- which is slated for closure later this year -- Singh vowed that the NDP will revive Canada’s auto innovation fund, initiated under Stephen Harper’s conservatives in 2008.

The NDP’s program is designed to further encourage the development of zero-emission vehicles, but with a catch: manufacturers and suppliers receiving the financial support would be forced to keep jobs on Canadian soil.

The tactic is part of the party’s climate change strategy, unveiled earlier this year.

Singh claims the strategy will create jobs in Canada’s auto sector and boost endeavours in environmental sustainability. The party is vowing to triple the Liberal’s electric vehicle subsidy, giving owners of zero-emissions vehicles an extra $15,000 in their pockets.

Small Business: NDP also wants to electrify the government’s fleet of vehicles by 2030, eventually striving for all new vehicle sales in Canada to be emissions-free by 2040 -- a goal the Liberals share.

The NDP’s biggest small business platform is a plan to simplify the passing down of companies from one generation to the next.

The party has also pledged to invest in training to allow underemployed people to train in careers with labour shortages.

Editor's note: While unlikely to garner the votes of too many business owners, the NDP definitely does offer the most impressive plan for the owners of family businesses. Its training platform, however, is unlikely to inspire too much interest.

While labour shortages remain significant

in the collision industry, industry-led attempts to encourage recruitment are paying off--and the situation is slowly improving.

In the last budget, the Liberals invested in a new series of training initiatives, on which the jury is still out. -- GS OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 65

EVENTS

Patrice Marcil greeted the crowd on September 27 to deliver his opening remarks at the Westin Calgary.

Domenic Prochilo represented Simplicity Car Care in his attendance at the Calgary conference.

CONFERENCING

IN CALGARY

CCIF RIDES AGAIN

T

he Canadian Collision Industry Forum kicked off in September at the Westin Calgary as a national venue for collision industry networking, and keynote speaking.

The event began with a reception on Thursday, September 26 before kicking off into its day of speakers, panels, and meet-andgreets on September 27, all focused towards CCIF’s three main priorities of profitability, human resources and vehicle technology.

Caroline Laccase, the director of CCIF and Patrice Marcil, CCIF chair, greeted guests Friday morning before handing the stage over to an impressive list of noteworthy keynote speakers.

Some speaker highlights included: Kiara Reissner, a CCIF veteran as well as an awardwinning automotive refinishing apprentice from Vancouver; Paul Stella, a Toyota manager of 34 years and recent brand protector, and Joel Baker, one of Canada’s leading authorities on

66 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

insurance industry analytics and founder of MSA Research. Baker also moderated the auto insurer panel discussion later on in the afternoon after two networking breaks throughout the venue.

Throughout the day, a wide variety of topics were covered in everything from the impact of counterfeit parts to one woman’s journey through the industry. In the end, Patrice Marcil gave his closing remarks to reflect on the knowledge shared, to thank the crowd and to wish them well on their way.

EVENTS

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR  67

EVENTS RMHC kids got to award trophies to the race winners at the 50th Annual Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres.

Kids Corner:

NASCAR JUNIOR VIPS FIX AUTO AND RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE TEAM-UP

BY SAM HOUPT

F

ix Auto owners, Sylvain and Eric Laporte worked together to bring families staying at Montreal's Ronald McDonald House to the 50th Annual Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres NASCAR earlier this month.

From August 9th to the 11th, the brothers invited the families as VIP guests—meaning no expense was spared getting the children autographs from the drivers, rides in the cars,

and even the chance to hand out trophies to the winning racers.

Sylvain Laporte said the children earned a well-deserved distraction.

"We were delighted to host these families at the Grand Prix NASCAR Weekend and give them the opportunity to meet the drivers and experience the thrill of professional racing first hand,” he said. “These kids and their families are going through a very stressful time that is

The kids received VIP access -- allowing them to ride in the cars, visit the pits, and grab signed autographs from the racers.

unimaginable for most people, giving them a day to just enjoy each other and the event is the least we can do.”

With the help of sponsors and Fix Auto franchisees, including Fix Auto Saint-Jean, Labelle, Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Vaudreuil, SaintEustache, Saint-Apollinaire and MontréalOuest, the team raised more than $1,000 over the weekend for the Ronald McDonald houses in Montreal and Quebec.

1-866-325-2886 | autoquip.ca OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 69

SEMA 2019

SEMA 2019 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST AUTOMOTIVE CONVENTION IS BACK AGAIN THIS YEAR

I

t is no gamble, the automotive aftermarket's biggest show--the 2019 SEMA Show--will be back in Las Vegas is just over a month.

This year’s convention begins on Tuesday, November 5 and runs through Friday, November 8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. A tradeonly event, the show is one of the largest specialty product events in the world. It provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, networking opportunities and access to thousands of product exhibitors.

The show features six different exhibitor halls, separated into 12 sections: collision repair and refinishing, mobile technology and accessories, restyling and car care accessories, tools and equipment, racing and performance, “hot rod alley”, the restoration marketplace, off road vehicles, powersports and utility, a global

tire exposition, wheels and accessories, and business services. New to the show this year are several new product showcases offering exposure to nearly 3,000 recently introduced parts, tools and components.

The collision repair and refinishing section in the centre’s North Hall and features more than 600 exhibitors. Attending exhibitors include Dent Fix Equipment, SATA Spray Equipment, Spanesi Americas, Global Finishing Solutions, and many more.

SEMA 2019 will also feature more than 75 free (and a few “pay-to-attend”) educational events. Covering everything from customer service, collision repair, tires, industry trends and more. The courses are designed provide practical business tools and are presented by industry experts.

Last year’s attendees head into SEMA 2018. This year’s event is sure to be a full house as well.

Show Locations Map

70 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

SEMA 2019

For collision repairers, I-CAR will be holding an inter-industry conference on auto collision repair, featuring a series of 12 different paid training courses. The offered courses allow individuals to earn valid credits toward their I-CAR class certifications.

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) will also be offering its Repairer Driven Education series. Featuring 27 seminars throughout the week, the sessions will be led by various business owners and industry professionals. Topics include modernizing the repair process, how to create in-house technician development programs and how to mitigate business risks.

The 2018 SEMA Show welcomed more than 70,000 domestic and international buyers.

It is North America’s largest automotive aftermarket show and surely an event you will not want to miss.

The SEMA show is a trade-only event and is not open to the general public. You must work in the specialty-equipment industry and have documentation that proves you are in

the industry. This is required if you register online, or in person at the SEMA show.

Registration for exhibitors begins on Thursday, October 31 and continues through Saturday, November 2, with daily hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Regular registration is Sunday, November 3 and Monday, November 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Attendees may also register online for

an early-bird ticket price of US$40 until October 11. After Oct. 11, tickets will increase to US$90 per person. SEMA has organized special room rates at various Las Vegas hotels. They have also coordinated with airlines to offer a 10 percent off rate for SEMA Show attendees.

For more information on travel and lodging, visit the event website at semashow.com.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 71

APPLY AI

AI APP ESTIMATOR MEET GRETA CUTULENCO, THE 28-YEAR-OLD CEO USING AI TO CHANGE THE INDUSTRY

A

certa Analytical Solutions is using artificial intelligence in a way that is uniquely different from other tech start-ups.

The Kitchener-based company uses AI to create testing algorithms from manufacturer-collected data to scan and pinpoint any software glitches in parts – before they roll off the assembly line. The process strives to combat warranty claims, recalls, and reduced profit while boosting product quality.

With a goal of eliminating scrap and rework early in the assembly line, cut costs in the supply chain and improve overall vehicle quality, Acerta aims to lead the evolution of machine intelligence in Canada. Collision Repair spoke to Greta Cutulenco, Acerta’s 28-year-old CEO and co-founder, to ask her about the company’s use of AI and how it is affecting the auto repair industry.

Collision Repair: How does Acerta use AI technology compared to the rest of the industry and why?

Greta Cutulenco: Acerta is leveraging AI to help automakers get their products to market faster and with fewer defects. We do this by using machine learning to detect the earliest indicators of future product failures based on production, on-road and end-of-line (EOL) testing data.

Many companies have been trying to extract value from all the manufacturing data they are collecting with AI, but Acerta is unique, as we focus on the automotive industry. We have an extensive history of working with datasets from transmissions, axles, gearboxes, engines, and other automotive systems, that gives our machine learning models an edge in automotive applications compared with generic AI solutions. And our models are getting better every day: we’re constantly updating and optimizing our model performance.

CRM: What makes Acerta's technology such a game-changer in your estimation?

GC: Nowadays, cars are basically big computers on wheels, and whether you’re driving them or making them, they generate a lot of data. All of

Acerta Analytical Solutions CEO and co-founder, Greta Cutulenco.

the added complexity means there are more ways than ever for a vehicle or assembly to fail, but the volume of data involved makes identifying root causes difficult and time-consuming.

I see Acerta supporting the entire automotive product lifecycle, using AI to find insights in that huge volume of production and on-road data. Our models can help engineers and technicians predict when a vehicle or assembly will fail and, more importantly, why. On the factory floor, that means better end-of-line testing and higher production efficiencies.

On the road, it means fewer breakdowns and better vehicle servicing.

CRM: What should collision repair facilities be doing to make themselves ready for AI? GC: The first thing everyone needs to do to “get ready” for AI is learn: educate yourself about what artificial intelligence is and what it isn’t, what it can and can’t do. There’s so much hype around the concept of AI that it’s starting to feel like an empty buzzword, but there’s a difference between companies who actually understand AI and use it and those that just want to have the keyword on their website. Learn the difference so you know who to trust.

More specifically for collision repair facilities, start with a use case. Find a problem that

can’t be solved in the traditional way and then see if AI can help you solve it either quicker, cheaper, or in a more scalable way. If you start the other way around and try to apply it to everything, you’re going to be disappointed.

CRM: What impact will this have on their business?

GC: The proliferation of mechatronic systems in vehicles has made diagnostics, servicing and repairs more complex than ever before, but collision repair facilities can meet that challenge by augmenting their technicians’ knowledge and skills with AI and machine learning. Most technicians can’t diagnose modern vehicle failures without computational assistance, even if that’s something as basic as diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) collected via the onboard diagnostics (ODB) port.

AI can catch failures that might not be flagged by DTCs, but even when a technician has identified the problem, the complexity of modern vehicle systems means that outright replacement is often preferable to repair, despite the potentially higher costs in parts and labour. With AI, technicians can use vehicle data not only to detect and diagnose more failures but also generate recommendations for repairs.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 73

PAINT AND REFINISHING

ULTRA VIOLET ADVANTAGE ULTRA VIOLET TECH IN COLLISION REPAIR COMES OF AGE

A

sk an automotive collision repair shop owner about how to increase their productivity and chances are you will hear about the need to reduce pre-paint wait times. After using body filler on a repair, a technician might apply a glaze, followed by a urethane-based primer that must dry fully before painting. Each laborious step can add hours of drying time to the repair timeline, limiting how many vehicles the shop can repair. The opportunity cost in terms of lost revenue and profitability is significant.

Now, however, advanced UV technology is taking the waiting out of the process and delivering near-instant curing of all three prepaint steps: body filler, glazing and priming.

By doing so, auto collision shops can process one or two more vehicles each week. Unlike the less efficient UV curing lighting stands of the past decade, the new technology involves powerful handheld UV devices that cover larger areas and cure within seconds.

The time saved with near-instant UV curing directly translates to increased vehicle capacity. Without having to expand a collision repair shop at a cost of up to $150,000 for an additional bay, operators can leverage the latest UV curing technology to increase the number of cars they repair by up to 50 percent.

Managing the Pre-Paint Process Historically shops have managed pre-paint steps in one of two ways—either simply wait for the pre-paint steps to dry completely or push the process by moving ahead with painting before a complete dry in order to repair more cars. When an operator decides to shortcut the pre-paint process, they risk incurring shrinkage which is when blemishes such as pin holes appear on a paint’s surface. What appears at first to

be a perfect coat can be marred a month or two later by shrinkage caused by insufficient drying. This leads to customer complaints, risk to a shop’s reputation with customers and insurance companies, and costly resprays.

The decision to wait out or push the prepaint process stems from the limitations of the UV curing systems previously available to collision repair shops. UV light stands must be physically moved around the repair area as the drying scope of a light stand is quite small—about the size of a man’s hand.

Achieving consistent curing is difficult as a technician must both accurately place the stand to cover the entire repair as well as judge how long it remains in each location.

Prior generations of mobile UV systems present other issues. Because of their bulk and weight, the units are difficult for an operator to hold in place for the three to five minutes of curing and there is no indicator that the cure was completed. If a spot is missed or insufficiently cured, it can be a huge problem when the operator goes to sand the surface.

Whether a mobile unit or a light stand, past UV systems have been underpowered. Most units provide up to 250 mw/cm2 of UV light.

While stronger than the 10 mw/cm2 that is available when curing a car outdoors in the sun, this level is not high enough to complete a vehicle quickly and thoroughly.

Solving the Wait Time Advancements in UV curing systems have recently resulted in a new mobile solution for collision repair shops that delivers nearinstant curing to enable operators to complete their pre-paint steps without costly delays.

Kemperle, a 53-location family-run collision repair distributor based in Amityville, N.Y.,

74 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

supplies collision repair shops along the East Coast from New England to Miami. Recently, the company found an advanced UV system from SPDI UV, that could eliminate the prepaint wait time.

“It’s been like creating time for our customers,” said Brian Gear, territory manager at Kemperle and a 33-year collision industry veteran on the UV Fastlane system. “What they like about it is that it keeps the technician’s hands on the car throughout the entire repair process because of the near-instant curing. This leads to higher quality and faster throughput.”

With the Fastlane system, an operator waves a mobile wand over the repair surface, just as they would to spray paint. The body filler, glaze or primer dries within seconds. In addition to being designed for comfortable use, the wand delivers 2400 watts of curing power to a depth of up to 12 Mil on a single pass based on a high intensity irradiator. This compares to the majority of UV lights which have at most 400 watts.

The UV Fastlane curing system was developed by SPDI UV, a Delray Beach, Florida based UV technology company founded in 1992.

The company holds a patent for handheld UV curing in the automotive collision industry.

“With the near instant UV curing, it is now possible to do same-day repairs and add one more car a day of throughput. If you assume an average repair order of $2,500, a collision repair shop can significantly increase their profitability and pay back the entire cost of the UV system within weeks.”

The UV light field is designed to be larger than the normal spray path so that non-UV light does not dilute the impact. This enables greater texture and consistency in application and avoids delamination and failure issues downstream

PAINT AND REFINISHING

because of a lack of absolute uniformity.

For added confidence, the company developed two methods to indicate to the user when the substrate is fully cured. For primer, there are visualizer strips that can be put directly on the masking tape defining the perimeter of the area to be painted. When the primer is fully cured, the strips will turn from yellow to green. For filler, the UV body filler will actually change colors from green to gray when fully cured.

This takes the guesswork in application and the risk of shrinkage occurring later.

From a collision repair operator’s perspective, the advancements in UV curing technology can be transformative. Car Star Body Shop, a 15-bay facility in Troy, Ohio that specializes in RVs has seen this first hand. “We used to have our RVs sit until the next day waiting for the primer to dry. Now we complete the cure in half an hour,” said Bill Moore, production manager. “The Fastlane technology has changed my business completely as a result.”

The benefits of instant UV curing actually start with the application of the UV primer itself. No mixing is required and what is not used on a day’s operations, can be used in the future with no degradation in quality. This compares to a usable life of only about 45

minutes for an urethane-based primer. This means unless a shop mixes the absolute right amount, a lot of traditional primer gets wasted with additional time required cleaning spray guns, cleaning cups and mixing more primer.

And when an UV primer is applied there is less waste as it uses 40 percent less material enabling it to be applied in a thinner coat. A lot of urethane primer can end up in the air because it is not made of 100 percent solids.

“There is absolutely no shrinkage to worry about after we primed. Once you are dry, you are dry,” said Moore. We are now completing three to four RVs a week and are on track to do five. That’s real money for us.”

Additional Operational Impact While increasing the number of vehicles that can be repaired without adding bays is the biggest win for collision repair shops, there are additional benefits to completing pre-paint dry times more quickly. Any time a car is not being actively worked on in a shop will impact an insurance company’s evaluation. Known as ‘Touch Time’, the metric divides the number of hours to repair a car by the number of days in the shop. The longer a car sits in a shop without it being actively worked on, such as during

dry times, will lower a shop’s score risking a valuable source of insurance referrals.

Repair shops can also be responsible for a customer’s rental car charges after the amount of time the insurance company will pay. Delays in drying and curing can dilute the profitability of a repair order when a shop incurs this expense.

Automotive collision repair shops can put the era of UV light stands, guesswork in making and applying the right amount of primer, and pre-paint downtimes in their rear-view mirror.

Adds Gear, “after my customers have tried the new near instant UV curing systems, they tell me that they have been doing it wrong all these years.

The reduction in wait times is that significant to their workflows.”

Stephen Armstrong is a California-based writer who has researched and written about industrial technologies, healthcare, automotive and international trade for the past 15 years. This piece was written with the support of UV Fast Lane. For more information on SPDI UV and their UV curing technologies, visit their website at uvfastlane.com or call 1-844.258.7457.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 75

STAND UP SPEAK OUT

PAINFUL PROCEDURES OEM PROCEDURES: SIDE AFFECTS INCLUDE HEADACHES, PAPERWORK AND LIGHT SCREAMING

R

epairers may be embracing the use of OEM procedures more readily than ever before. Unfortunately, there are still some concerns related to the procedures, particularly surrounding insurance companies reticence to pay for the

repairs mandated in them.

As always, the views expressed by the writers are entirely their own and are not necessarily indicative of the position of the magazine.

They have been edited for length and style.

OEM repair procedures are sometimes outdated and don’t include practices like spot welding with an OEM approved spot welder. The OEM repair procedure wants a plug weld with a mig welder.

Insurance providers will sometimes only allow a welded-on part with a used part. Used welded-on parts should be banned as the structural integrity of the vehicle is compromised when you use such parts. If an organization is mandating OEM certification, they most certainly should stand behind the OEM procedure as the investment substantial!

If insurers are not willing to pay for the necessary cost incurred to follow OEM procedure, we ask them to put it in writing that they accept responsibility for any liability as a result of going outside OEM procedure. All refuse but agree to pay (other than one of Canada’s largest, which ignores you for weeks and sends an appraiser out to hack the price down further and still refuse to pay to do it right).

When asked to go against repair procedures, we decline the business. This is often followed by calls, intimidation and threats from various sources—not just the from insurers.

It seems that some insurance companies are starting to use aftermarket bumper covers even when the vehicle has blind spot radar sensor options. Their reason? It should be good enough if the vehicle passes the recalibrations.

If there is a related accident, there is no liability insurance to protect us.

We have been told numerous times that,since they are paying the repairs, insurance procedures override OEM procedures. I am not sure I can use that as a defence in court.

With some insurers, we find difficulty in getting acceptance on one-use-only clips and parts, so in turn are forced into paying internally.

I think there is a bit of a myth surrounding repair procedures... they aren’t infallable! Some OEM sectioning procedures are incorrect. I have even encountered graphics do not depict the actual panel selected.

76 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

STAND UP SPEAK OUT

There are times the OEM mandates certain materials such as adhesives that the dealer does not have access to. Some outer quarter panel specific sleeves are not available.

We have to use traditional weld methods to not hold up a car for months.

Of course insurers are inclined toward less expensive.

I just wish my banner didn’t try to pressure me to back down when insurers ask me to make improper repairs.

Some groups don’t understand that there is a cost to following OEM repair procedures, and that cost must get passed along to the payee. It is simple economics.

I’m not sure where things went so wrong in this trade. At what point did it become OK for insurance companies to put a price on safety, and possibly someones life?

If a client wants cheapness over safety we inform them of the risks and tell them we can’t do half the job in good conscience.

It was only after her daschund’s surgery that Mrs. Simms began to question the recycled parts clause in her pet insurance policy.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 77

REGIONAL NEWS | BRITISH COLUMBIA

KIWI AUTO GIVES NEW MAZDA TO MOM When Vernon, B.C.-based collision repair facility Kiwi Auto called its contest winner to let her know that she had won a free car, she broke down into tears.

Mother to a two-year-old daughter, Abbie— who chose to keep her last name private—had been using a bike to transport her and her child around town. When her bike was stolen, Abbie was devastated. Vernon community members banded together to nominate Abbie for the contest.

Kiwi Auto received 90 total nominees, but Abbie stood out; her numerous nominations spoke to her kindness, strength, integrity and giving nature within the community.

Abbie told a B.C. news source that her new Mazda 3 is the first vehicle she’s ever had with air conditioning and that the car has already allowed her to complete dayto-day activities that many take for granted.

With the success of its first giveaway, Kiwi Auto hopes to do this again.

Kiwi Auto gave away a free Mazda 3.

CHOICE OVER CHAOS Relief from British Columbia’s sky high insurance premiums could be in sight, as B.C. drivers may be getting an overhaul in their auto insurance education. The new campaign launch is setting its sights on ICBC’s perceived ‘monopoly’ in the province.

Designed to instruct as well as give a voice to B.C. drivers, ‘Driving Choice’ aims to inform how auto insurance functions in B.C.

in comparison to other provinces. It hopes to educate the public enough that they will feel confident in demanding insurance rate options and changes with their respective Members of the Legislative Assembly.

The campaign comes after revelations that western motorists are paying on average almost $2,000 yearly for auto insurance, which is nearly 25 percent more than Ontarians.

B.C. faces high auto insurance premiums.

At the same time, ICBC has lost more than $3 billion in the last three years alone, depriving the provincial government of funding that could be better invested in healthcare, education, and social services.

Despite the hike in premiums, B.C. drivers still receive the same benefits as drivers from other provinces, a concept that has been long opposed by IBC. “Under ICBC’s monopoly, British Columbians pay more for auto insurance than anyone else in Canada, and are denied the benefits of choice and competition,” wrote Aaron Sutherland the vice president of IBC. In a comment on‘Driving Choice’, Sutherland noted that the campaign “gives a voice to the overwhelming majority of British Columbians who want more choice in auto insurance.”

He notes that other auto insurers in the province appear “eager” to compete with ICBC and deliver more for less, but those floodgates need to be opened by the voices of motorists.

“Now, more than ever, the market must be opened to competition and choice to improve the affordability of auto insurance for drivers,” Sutherland said in his comment.

CARSTAR HOPE OPENS UP SHOP CARSTAR has opened a new shop in the growing community of Hope, B.C. Bill Davidson is CARSTAR’s newest multistore owner. Davidson, who recently purchased CARSTAR Quality Assured – Raydar, now owns CARSTAR Hope. Davidson has been active in the industry since 1993 when he entered the field as a technician. He has gone on to manage various facilities throughout the Fraser Valley.

“Hope is a growing community, so we are excited to be a part of its ground-level development,” said Davidson. “I look forward

to seeing Hope continue to thrive as more travelers come through and locals find roots here.”

CARSTAR Hope is an 8,000 sq ft facility, with a secured parking compound and stateof-the-art equipment to provide quality repairs to all makes and models. The new facility plans to earn particular OEM certifications that are prevalent in the surrounding community.

Davidson also plans to remain true to the CARSTAR brand and keep focused on training and education with his new store.

CARSTAR is increasingly focused on

78 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

training in the industry, according to Mike Piper, the western zone director for CARSTAR. The brand encourages the prioritization of training and education to stay up to date with the latest technology and ahead of the curve. Piper said he is happy to see Davidson building training and education into the new store’s planning.

New Hope local, Dean Rosta, is the managing partner at the CARSTAR Hope facility. Having just moved to the community, Rosta is eager to build a rapport with his new neighbours by helping with their collision repair needs.

ALBERTA | REGIONAL NEWS

HAIL NO! A dealership owner in Red Deer combatted hail damage in an innovative way that is protecting both his wallet and the planet.

After being hit with an unbelievable amount of hail during a 2015 storm, Kipp Scott GMC and Scott Subaru in Red Deer saw more than 600 vehicles damaged. Each vehicle had an average claim of about $11,000, and, with hail damage recorded in Carfax reports, the damage knocked up to

$5,000 off each vehicle’s original price tag.

Kipp Scott, owner of Kipp Scott GMC and Scott Subaru is thankful his dealership’s damaged cars were covered under its insurance. Other facilities weren’t as fortunate; because not all insurers in Red Deer cover hail damage, some dealerships shell out a whopping $500,000 in annual premiums.

After a little thinking, Scott came up with a sunny solution: he installed a massive solar

panel roof to protect his vehicles while saving massive dollar amounts in electricity. The solar panels can generate up to 60 percent of the dealership’s yearly electricity needs.

Scott expects to pay around $200 per year for electricity with the new panels, but other companies are saving even more with the same solar tactics—hail protection company Renewvia says its solar panels pay for themselves in just five years.

CELEBRATING STAR TECH AT SAIT A dedicated auto tech student was given a hefty scholarship and the title of Automotive Technology Outstanding Student at the most recent Mitchell 1 conference hosted in Calgary, Alberta. From July 15-18, repair software provider Mitchell 1 hosted its 46th annual North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT) in the Southern Alberta Insitute of Technology to celebrate automotive teachers and students across North America.

The event hosted four full days of seminars, training blocks and sponsor sessions, making sure to acknowledge future industry leaders in between.

Jackson Dietrich is a recent high school graduate and auto repair whiz. Named Mitchell 1’s ‘Automotive Technology Outstanding Student’, Dietrich received a $2500 scholarship as well as a $500 cheque.

While in high school, it was reported that Dietrich was part of a successful auto club, serving as an executive board member. On top of that, Dietrich also worked as an automotive technician at a local service center and achieved ASE Student Certification while maintaining an impressive GPA.

Auto tech student, Jackson Dietrich.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 79

REGIONAL NEWS | SASKATCHEWAN

SASKATCHEWAN SUMMER CAMP FOR SKILLED TRADES While most kids in camp this summer learned Many of the campers entered the week with to make bracelets, play the guitar or how to little to no prior knowledge or experience perfect a dive off the docks, one Saskatchewan working in the trades. By the end of the summer camp offered the same amount of week, several campers were reported to be considering future careers in the auto industry. fun, but in a totally innovative way.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic is Saskatchewan’s “The students really got their hands dirty primary post-secondary tech and skills learning the basics of vehicle maintenance,” training institute. But when school’s out for stated a representative from the camp. “It the summer, teens take to the campus for a hands-on experience in the trades.

Earlier this July, campers between the ages of 13 and 15 took part in a weeklong program that introduced them to the basics of several professions in the skilled trades, with a heavy focus on autobody work.

Campers were given an opportunity to test auto body repair equipment themselves, checking oil, changing tires and even learning how to jumpstart a dead battery. Safely supervised and led by industry experts—college faculty, students and alumni—the campers got a taste of what working in the trades is like while being moulded into future repairers themselves.

Campers can also learn basic culinary A Sask. summer camp taught kids basic car repair. skills, how to weld, or basic carpentry.

80 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

was so much fun!”

Saskatchewan Polytechnic also offered a girls-only version of the trades camp, giving young girls between ages 13 and 15 a chance to cultivate their interests in automotive repair, as well as welding and carpentry, in a more focused environment.

For more information, visit saskpolytech.ca.

MANITOBA | REGIONAL NEWS

I-CAR’S MANITOBA GOLD RUSH Last month, newspapers from around the world filled many column inches with reports speculating about the dangers lurking in Manitoba’s deep woods—human and otherwise. While the central Canadian province’s wilderness is certainly a wild place filled with danger, for those who stick to its roads, things are actually quite safe.

True, the province’s suicidal deer are a serious concern, but Manitoba has more I-CAR Gold certified facilities than the rest of Canada combined.

Now, I-CAR Gold Certified facilities are not the only repair facilities able to make safe repairs. However, certified businesses have successfully pursued I-CAR’s highest facility-wide honour do demonstrate a serious commitment to making safe repairs.

According to statistics found on I-CAR’s website, 230 of Canada’s 447 Gold Class and Gold Class-Aluminum recognized facilities

are located in the central Canadian province.

For comparison, there are just 39 such facilities in Ontario, 42 in Quebec, 46 in B.C. and 42 in Alberta—all provinces with more vehicles on the road than Manitoba.

The reason for this proliferation of I-CAR Gold Certified facilities in Manitoba?

Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI)—which holds a virtual monopoly over the auto insurance business within the province— is expanding beyond it.

According to MPI,“To qualify for Manitoba Public Insurance accreditation, repair shops must meet or exceed industry standards in training, tooling and equipment. This includes participation in the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) Gold Class Professionals program.”

According to the Crown corporation, Manitoba has been enthusiastic about I-CAR because the organization sets the nation’s

“standard for auto body repair,” and that it “ensures passenger safety and cost-efficiency [of repairs].”

Man. has the most I-CAR Gold facilities.

MPI GETS STORMED Manitoba will soon have a cost estimate after a torrential storm pounded much of the province’s southern portion in mid-September.

Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) has seen hundreds of claims pour in after many Manitobans faced damaged vehicles due to the storm’s accompanying hail. MPI said it has received roughly 500 claims with damage including severely dented hoods and roofs, and windshields that were battered by large hailstones.

While the rest of the province battled hail damage, Winnipeg’s residents faced extensive flooding and water damage to vehicles, with more than 200 of the province’s claims coming from its capital.

The storm brought severe flooding to the city, leaving several vehicles stranded in the streets after stalling while attempting to drive through pools. Even a city bus was overflowed with

water after opening its doors at a transit stop. for all of September 2019. Other Manitoban The MPI is expecting even more claims to communities saw up to 144mm of rain roll in, saying that customers will typically during the storm. wait a couple of days postincident before opening a claim. The public insurance company expects the number of claims to change by the hour.

Since MPI has yet to see any of the damaged vehicles in person, no exact cost estimate for the storm’s damage is available, though it plans to release one soon.

Environment Canada said Winnipeg saw about 45mm to 53mm of rain in MPI has received 500 storm-related 48 hours—more than the claims so far. province’s average rainfall

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 81

REGIONAL NEWS | ONTARIO

WOMEN ON WHEELS Ottawa’s Women’s Initiatives for Safer Environments (WISE) has partnered with a local auto repair business to offer free car maintenance workshop sessions specifically aimed at women fleeing domestic abuse. The course, graciously hosted by Legacy Auto Centre, focuses on teaching the basics of car and bike safety and mechanics.

The program’s goal is to restore a sense of independence and confidence to those with limited resources. Offered in four parts, the workshop familiarizes participants with basic procedures like replacing an air filter, changing a flat tire and installing a new windshield

wiper. For more complicated fixes, participants are given tips on how to lower quotes and assure a proper repair has been done. Students are also taught how to negotiate for fair prices on used vehicles.

But it’s about more than car repair—the workshops provide a sense of empowerment.

According to program director Elsy David, participants often see a transformation when it comes to not only their confidence but overall independence.

WISE students learn how to change a tire.

CLASS APP Porsche’s new subscription service, Porsche Passport, is now available in Toronto. The luxury car brand recently unveiled plans to bring the multi-tiered monthly subscription service to four North American cities, including Las Vegas, San Diego, Phoenix and Toronto.

Offered in two levels, the “Launch” subscription starts at $3,200 per month in Canada and lets subscribers swap between

three models: the 718, Maycan and Cayenne.

The $4,200 per month “Accelerate” level unlocks the 911 and Panemera. The monthly payment includes all operating costs except for fuel, taxes and fees; meaning insurance, vehicle registration and maintenance are all covered.

Members are allowed to drive up to 2,500km a month and may swap models at their leisure. At the touch of an app, a

82 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

concierge will deliver one car and pick up the other. Members can choose to deliver the car to their home, work or anywhere else in their designated service area. The twoyear Atlanta pilot showed the typical user swapped vehicles two-and-a-half times per month, with an average subscription length lasting four months. Most users suspended or cancelled the service due to extended travel plans.

ONTARIO | REGIONAL NEWS

LONG RENTAL TIMES Drivers in Ontario use rental vehicles longer during collision repairs than their peers in other provinces, Mitchell International’s recently published report has found. The report analyzes the length of the average rental period when vehicles are under repair in the first quarter of 2019.

Data showed that Ontario drivers requiring rentals during collision repairs rack up an average of 14.1 in their rental cars. Where 2018’s first quarter stood at 13.6 days, 2019’s first quarter totals show that Ontario drivers are using their rental cars for half a day

longer than last year.

The honour of shortest average number of billable days in rental vehicles went to Canada’s smallest province, with Prince Edward Islanders working up average bills for just 10.1 days each.

Overall, the average rental time for collision repairs in Canada was 13.3 days, up from 12.7 days from last year’s first quarter, and half a day longer than in the U.S.While the U.S. may have shorter periods on average, some states saw even higher rental periods

than in Ontario.

In Rhode Island, U.S., the worstperforming state, billable rental days averaged at 16 days—which was actually a half-day improvement over the first quarter of 2018.

The record length was matched by U.S. territory Puerto Rico, though its repairers appear to be making greater strides to reduce the amount of time clients spend in rented vehicles, with a 2.2 day reduction from Q1 of 2018.

Ontario faces long vehicle rental periods.

O-AMPED UP! Ontario’s auto suppliers can now tap into a $10-million provincial assistance program designed to digitize production, operate more efficiently and introduce a competitive edge to the industry.

Vic Fideli, minister of economic development, job creation and trade announced the program’s details at the Canadian Association of Moldmakers’ annual meeting in early September. The three-year Ontario Automotive Modernization Program (O-AMP) was originally unveiled in April 2019 and gives government grants of up to $100,000 to small- and medium-sized automotive supply companies.

The program will offer a total of $10-million in grants over the next three years. The grants—which do not need to be repaid—are meant to help facilities either improve technological hardware in an effort to modernize Ontario’s auto industry or assist in more sustainable manufacturing.

The government funding is meant to cover 50 percent of product costs up to $100,000, with recipient companies contributing the remainder via their own resources.

The deadline to apply is October 18, 2019.

OCTOBER 2019 | COLLISION REPAIR 83

REGIONAL NEWS | QUEBEC

WINTER TIRES MANDATORY BY DECEMBER From December 1 until March 15, winter tires are obligatory in Québec—and any motorists who do not obey the law will face stiff fines.

In 2008, the province made it mandatory to have properly installed winter tires on your vehicle between December 15 and March 15.

However, by December 1, 2019, Québec drivers will be required to have their winter tires ready to go, as outlined in a major 80-point revision of Québec’s Highway Safety Code.

Québec automobilists will wear their seasoned rubbers an extra 14 days in the cold season, since the period still ends on the 15 of March. Considering those living outside Montreal or in the province’s more northern regions sometimes have their winter tires installed as early as mid-October, the date change appears to have been accepted

by Québec’s motorists.

Drivers caught without proper tires during the winter months will face fines varying from $200 and $300, plus any additional fines.

Québec is currently the only province where winter tires are mandatory. They are also required in parts of British Columbia.

One year after winter tires became mandatory, a 2009 report by the Québec government found that there was a five

percent drop in traffic collisions and injuries.

The report also found that deaths and serious injuries due to winter road collisions decreased by 3 percent. It was predicted 90% of Québec drivers were already using winter tires prior to the requirement.

Québec’s decision has inspired discussion about similar protocols in other provinces.

With Edmonton, Alberta’s first significant snowfall looming overhead, city officials are considering road-safety programs in an attempt to reduce collisions. It is also

interested in making the tires mandatory in the winter months, however, such a topic can only be explored through Alberta’s provincial government.

As of November 2018, New Brunswick was considering making winter tires mandatory in the province. Ontario has considered the issue and reviewed the experience in Québec, but the ministry is not considering a mandatory winter tire law in any part of the province. The Ontario government maintains winter tire use is up to the discretion of Ontario drivers.

In 2008, Quebec made winter tires mandatory.

QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE After forty years in the industry—13 of them as a facility owner— Shediac, Québec’s André Boudreau has brought his business into the Fix Auto Network fold, reopening it as Fix Auto Shediac.

“We are excited to welcome Fix Auto Shediac to the network,” said Fix Network Atlantic regional vice president, Mark Weeks.“André and his team have many years of industry experience and are committed to high-quality repairs and great customer experience. The entire Fix Auto team is looking forward to working in partnership with them as they continue to build on their success.”

“A lot has changed over 40 years in this industry, but our highquality repair work and great customer service has always stayed consistent,” said Boudreau.

Fix Auto’s national presence and positive reputation among insurance providers were the main reasons Boudreau decided to partner with the banner.

“We wanted to ensure our partnership with a national network aligned well with our business goals and our commitment to our customers; we found that with the Fix Auto team,” he stated.

In addition to Fix Auto’s strong relationships with insurance partners, it also maintains relations with suppliers nationwide. The resulting buying power equates to lower operating costs and better revenue potential for each shop.

Fix Auto has created operational, management and marketing tools to streamline processes, add efficiencies and leverage national and local marketing initiatives. The brand works to ensure all franchise strategic partners have the tools and knowledge needed to repair today’s technologically advanced vehicles.

84 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

ATLANTIC | REGIONAL NEWS

NEW GM FOR ADESA ST. JOHN’S Matthew Creese has been appointed as the new general manager for ADESA in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Creese has previously spent 10 years in retail management for automakers Ford, BMW and Volkswagen, most recently working as a customer viewpoint director for Saudi Arabia’s exclusive and official Ford distributor, Al Jazirah Vehicles Agencies.

He has also served as network development manager for Jaguar Land Rover in South Africa, as well as ownership experience manager for Lexus, also in South Africa.

Simon Robitaille, regional vice president for ADESA Canada spoke highly of the newly promoted manager, saying Creese impressed the company with his varying experience, knowledge of the industry, strong interest in the ADESA brand and his desire to be a big part of the remarketing industry in Canada.

ADESA St. John’s is located in Paradise, NL, about a 20 minute drive from the province’s capital. The company as a whole was established in 1989 and provides wholesale vehicle auction solutions to professional car buyers and sellers.

Its customers include vehicle manufacturers, rental companies, financial institutions, fleet managers, independent dealers and franchise dealers. The company manages

11,000 employees at more than 75 auction sites and corporate offices across North America.

Also newly appointed are Jeff Hyde and Kjersta Loyd, in San Diego and Oregon respectively.

Hyde previously served as the commercial accounts manager for ADESA Los Angeles, California before being promoted to operations manager four years ago. He touts more than 25 years of auction experience.

Most recently, he had been serving as assistant general manager for the Los Angeles location.

Loyd has been with ADESA for 20 years, previously serving as a clerk and damage appraiser at an ADESA bodyshop in Seattle, U.S. After working as assistant fleet/lease manager, consignment manager in addition to the internet sales manager, Loyd also took charge as the dealer service and sales manager of ADESA’s Houston location. She then became the general sales manager at ADESA Golden Gate and director of sales for the company’s Midwest division.

Lawrence Cubitt, the vice president of ADESA’s western division, praised the managers.

“Both Jeff and Kjersta are respected by customers and teammates alike, and they are joining experienced, customer-service

driven teams,” said Cubitt. “I am confident that each of them will continue to grow the business and deliver the leadership and service that teammates and customers have come to expect.”

For more information about ADESA and its auctions, visit ADESA.ca.

ADESA St. John’s new general manager, Matthew Creese.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 85

PRODUCTS

SCANNING & DIAGNOSTICS SCANNING THE SCENE WHAT YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS TO CONSIDER BEFORE INVESTING IN A SCANNING AND DIAGNOSTICS SOLUTION

I

f done incorrectly, welding procedures can threaten the bottom line of collision facilities, and put their customer’s lives at risk.

The introduction of new materials such as ultra high-strength steels, aluminum and carbon fibre into modern vehicle designs means that welding has become far more complicated.

There are OEM-approved approaches to performing repairs on vehicles with these complicated materials. These methods include squeeze type resistance spot welders (STRSW), MIG/MAG Pulse Welders, rivet bonding and panel bonding. In some instances all four methods can be used in a repair.

The use of resistance spot welders has been adapted by OEM’s because of the introduction of ultra high strength steels.

This allows the technician to bond ultra high strength steel with minimal damage to the molecular structure. In cases where the STRSW cannot be used, the OEM repair procedure will indicate to the technician what method of bonding is required, such as MIG/MAG pulse Brazing.

When it comes to aluminum repairs, MIG/MAG pulse welders must be used, as the high frequency arc used by TIG welders can disturb the sensors in a vehicle. Regardless of if the battery is connected or not, any

part on a vehicle being repaired with a TIG welder will lead to problems with the automobile’s on-board computers.

When it comes to ultra high-strength steels, MIG/MAG pulse brazing is fast becoming the accepted repair procedure due to the fact that it reduces the total heat the steels are subjected to, protecting the materials’ molecular structure. The technique is able to maintain the structural integrity of the vehicle, which will ultimately better protect the vehicle’s occupants.

Look through the following pages for a look at some of the leading welding tools offered today.

“When a job comes in, you must gather as much information about the vehicle that you possibly can prior to working on it. Otherwise, if you find trouble later on, you won’t know if the problem was already there or if you induced it during the repair process.”

—Chuck Olsen, executive director of operations for AirPro Diagnostics

86 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

PRODUCTS

01

ALLDATA DIAGNOSTICS BUILT-IN

ALLDATA

AllData Diagnostics Built-in can turn any tablet into a professional scanning tool. Saving time for technicians, and saving money for your business, AllData Diagnostics is able to retrieve and clear P, B, C, and U codes with a free hardware connection device and software updates.

Repairers also get access to unlimited pre- and post-scans to ensure all repaired vehicles are OEM approved as well as get access to graphically displays PIDs live sensor data from PCM, TCM, SRS, and more. The AllData Diagnostics Built-in provides easy access to OEM repair information and according to AllData, “since codes link directly to relevant AllData articles and color wiring diagrams, there’s no punching out to a separate browser – a huge timesaver for technicians.”

02

ASTECH DIAGNOSTIC

ASTECH

The asTech diagnostic device is able to connect to a vehicle’s computer, provide information to an off-site master auto technician. The technician will diagnose, and resolve electronic and computer-related trouble codes as a result from collision, providing auto repair facilities with a detailed report featuring repair procedures recommended by OEMs, Perfect for auto repair facilities who want to save time, guarantee completion dates, improve shop efficiency, the asTech remote diagnostic device uses OEM factory scans to detect and resolve interior issues. According to asTech the “need for immediate attention after a collision has never been more important.” The asTech diagnostic device makes the process incredibly simple.

03

MITCHELL DIAGNOSTICS

MITCHELL

According to Mitchel, its Diagnostics system is designed to break the repair process down into a three-step system.

First, users connect the remote diagnostic scanner, second, they await the results of the diagnostic analysis, and third, they follow the included repair procedures. The tool’s comprehensive reports are also designed to simplify the estimation approval process by providing insurers with an independent, verified and timely report.

> mitchell.com

> astech.com

> alldata.com

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 87

PRODUCTS

04

REMOTE DIAGNOSTICS SCANNER

AIRPRO DIAGNOSTICS

AirPro Diagnostics’ scanner provides remote diagnostics analysis and produces reports based on OEM-validated repair procedures. Trusted by Canada’s top-rated auto repair college program, at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, the tool’s manufacturer boasts an OEM repair database that includes the latest procedure on 98 percent of repair reports. > airprodiagnostics.com

05

ASSISTPLUS ADVANCED & ASSISTPLUS PRO

AUTOLOGIC DIAGNOSTICS

Autologic Diagnostics offers its diagnostics platform AssistPlus in two forms: AssistPlus Advanced and AssistPlus Pro. Advanced is preferred for facilities and technicians working with European vehicle manufacturers, while Plus is recommended for shops servicing BMW, MINI, Land Rover and Jaguar. The system offers comprehensive diagnostics, vehicle data, fault codes, live technical data, pictures and video. Built around module replacement, programming and configuration, AssistPlus provides fault finding and analysis, enabling shops to provide service for premium marques.

The AssistPlus also includes a web browser, high resolution stills and video camera, live connection to Assist technicians, cloudbased vehicle reporting and file syncing. > autologic.com

88 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

06

G-SCAN 3

G-SCAN

The G-Scan 3 allows users to create PDFs of pre- and post-scan reports through an easyto-use Android-based system, which can be easily delivered to estimation approval officers. Unlike other scanners, the G-Scan 3 requires no model or engine codes be selected.The G-Scan 3 provides auto search function that tries to communicate with all systems in the car automatically. The complete OEM software package from Hyundai and Kia is included (except ECU reprogramming).

> g-scan.gitauto.com

PRODUCTS

ALIGNMENT& MEASURING PRECISION AND PROFIT WHAT YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE RAPID ADVANCEMENT OF MEASURING SYSTEMS

W

hen it comes to electronic measuring, the industry has come a long way from the time when the term “rule of thumb” could be taken literally.

Just a few years ago, most smaller collision facilities tended to outsource their alignment and measuring work, but the mystique behind the procedures is starting to disappear. It isn’t brain surgery, and it doesn’t even require a dedicated lift to get top-quality work done.

The change, however, has been fast. Even as recently as 2016, manual systems were the first choice of six-in-ten Canadian facilities.

Before that, the majority of collision facilities were outsourcing alignment procedures.

A big part of this revolution has been the arrival of multi-functional electronic measuring systems. The arrival of more portable electronic solutions has quickly changed the status quo.

As electronic measuring systems have become cheaper, they have also begun to offer

new advantages. Recent models have been specifically designed to allow for outdoor operations. Many of the premier systems work in conjunction with top-tier repair databases, allowing for on-the-spot comparisons with digitally rendered images of the OEM design.

It isn’t just that these systems allow collision facilities to work faster and more accurately, they also simplify the claims process.

Some top-quality systems now document damage and automatically share it with insurers, and even blueprint jobs.

Another reason more and more collision facilities are bringing alignment and measuring work back into the shops is that manufacturers have become far more focused on providing systems able to work within smaller businesses. Where once all of the equipment—including scanners, radius gauges, targets and plates—required a huge amount of storage space, this is no longer the case.

Of course, as the number of ADASequipped vehicles has increased, repairing some vehicles is simply impossible without

a precision measuring system.

Vehicles equipped with ADAS, especially lane keeping assist and front collision avoidance braking, need to be properly aligned with how the vehicle is traveling down the road. To accomplish this, cameras and sensors use different inputs from the vehicle, such as inputs from the steering angle sensor.

If the steering angle sensor is adjusted during a wheel alignment, the forward-facing camera, which controls the lane departure warning, may think the steering wheel is turned. This can signal the vehicle to correct the steering to stay on the road, even though the vehicle is traveling between the lines. ADAS sensors rely on correct rear thrust angles. That means that accurate four-wheel alignments are now an even more important factor in road safety, as even the slightest misalignment can result in ADAS errors that could compromise safety.

After all, without precision, it is easy for lane-assist technology and automatic breaking systems go from saving lives to squandering them.

“When alignments are outsourced, shops are effectively outsourcing their reputation as well. If an alignment partner does a poor job, who does the customer blame?”

—Mike Croker, global repair and training product manager, collision for Chief Automotive

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 89

PRODUCTS

04

ACCUVISION-3D MEASURING SYSTEM

ARSLAN AUTOMOTIVE

Arslan Automotive’s AccuVision-3D Measuring System has a dual use of estimating and repairing. This easy-to-use measuring system allows the user to simply point and measure the upper and lower body in one report. The tool features a new generation UV camera and pointer LEDs. It can also measure in any light condition irrespective of brightness or darkness of the environment—indoors, outdoors, no levelling needed, no calibrations, no lasers, no arms, no extensions, no magnets, no adaptors, no Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth, no moving parts. The user can place the car on a lift bench or floor unevenly and the software will have no problem doing the job in good time.

The AccuVision-3D Measuring system only works with Mitchell data.

> arslanauto.com, accuvision-3d.com

05

SPANESI TOUCH ELECTRONIC MEASURING SYSTEM

SPANESI

The Spanesi Touch electronic measuring system is the measuring system for modern collision repair facilities. With its simple and intuitive interface, the Touch system provides the ability to measure a vehicle on any lift, frame rack, bench or on the ground. Technicians can expertly diagnose structural, suspension and cosmetic damage within minutes. Measurement data includes under-hood, under-body and body-side openings for expert vehicle analysis. During the repair process, the Touch provides live pulling information, showing the technician straightening operations results in real time. Proper documentation is made simple, user can generate graphical and tabular pre- and post-repair documentation to verify the vehicle’s dimensions have been restored to OEM specifications. > spanesi.com

90 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

06

SPANESI 106EXT FRAME STRAIGHTENING BENCH

SPANESI

The Spanesi 106EXT Frame Straightening Bench is the perfect piece of equipment for structural repairs to light duty, medium duty and commercial vehicles. This bench touts a lifting capacity of up to 11,000 lbs., lifting height of over 1m, and a long 6m platform designed specifically for vehicles with longer wheelbases. Spanesi’s Universal Jig system comes included with the 106EXT and provides fixturing capacity for up to 14 fixturing locations placed along the 106EXT’s 7 crossmembers. The Universal Jig system is currently the only system in the world that allows upward jig thrusting and downward pulling movements at each fixture location. > spanesi.com

PRODUCTS

07

GAS-CHARGED LIFT SUPPORTS

STRONGARM

08

ECLIPSE PLUS ELECTRONIC MEASURING SYSTEM

WEDGE CLAMP

StrongArm is the automotive aftermarket industry’s largest supplier of gas-charged lift supports. Introducing a new power lift gate segment to their product line, StrongArm says this advancement shows the company’s “commitment to new product development.” The line is designed to service several different vehicle models and accommodate to their loyal customers.

StrongArm says they are determined to ensure that customers are positioned to service the rapidly changing vehicle market with their high-quality products. Reaching both North American and Australian companies, StrongArm’s products reach across seas to provide quality service to their customers.

The Eclipse Plus Electronic Measuring System combines a polar laser scanner with portable Live Targets and Intelligent Stems positioned by the body technician at strategically marked frame or body points.

Each sweep of the laser precisely locates each of the targets, says the company. The Live Targets then transmit the measurements to the computer and the integrated database of manufacturer specifications.

As the pulling progresses, the Live Targets’ verification lights change to indicate severity of damage at each point on the vehicle – red, yellow or green depending on nearness to manufacturer specifications.

Once all the lights are green, the frame is restored to its proper dimensions.

> strongarm-struts.com

> wedgeclamp.com

09

EZE TIE DOWN SYSTEM CHAINLESS ACHORING SYSTEM

WEDGE CLAMP

Small, medium or large, Wedge Clamp Systems has three ways to anchor vehicles, all designed for use with embedded or floor surface-mounted rails. The EZE Tie-Down System (shown here) is for light pulls and panel pulls – ideal, the company says, for jobs like quick pulls on radiator supports, sheet metal alignments or door posts. For medium-size jobs, Wedge Clamp’s Chainless Anchoring System uses four lightweight aluminum anchor stands to lock the vehicle for pulling or straightening. And finally for SUVs and full-size trucks, Wedge Clamp’s Full Frame Anchoring System features a unique, patented universal 2-axis swivel clamp the company says adapts to virtually all vehicle frame configurations for faster setup using fewer adapters and parts. It can be used in combination with the company’s EZELift hydraulic hoist

> wedgeclamp.com

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 91

EVENTS

TOW YEAH PTAO’S ANNUAL TOW SHOW

T

he PTAO Tow Show was back and bigger than ever. This year’s show -- which ran Friday, September 20th and Saturday, September 21st -- was advertised as 25 percent larger, featuring more vendors and activities.

The event was held this year at Bingeman’s event centre in Kitchener, Ont. It kicked off Friday with a paid training seminar on the transportation of dangerous goods according to Transport Canada’s regulations. In the afternoon, guests attended training sessions and open forums conducted by OPP, MTO, CAA

and PTAO. On Friday evening, the vendor’s showroom opened up, Michael Zelasko, OPP Sergeant standing with as well as PTAO’s OPP colleague and tow truck operator annual general meeting before an honouring those killed in the line of duty occurred at the Industry professionals battled for the title of Let the Light Shine event. The night ended “Ontario’s best operator” before allowing with a spread of free hot appetizers with a pictures to be taken with guests’ favourite cash bar on site. star of Heavy Rescue: 401 in the afternoon.

On Saturday, attendees explored the showroom The convention closed off with cocktails and and stopped by PTAO's booth to get acquainted networking with other industry professionals with the new PTAO CEO, Stephen Ashworth. at a semi-formal dinner.

92 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

EVENTS

Sergeant Kerry Schmidt (right) standing with colleagues

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR  93

TOWING NEWS

EAGLE TOWING SHAKES UP THE INDUSTRY Much like any industry, tow truck drivers operates out of 15,000 sq. ft. facility, keeping often face backlash for their line of work. their growing crowd of customers happy and From a distrust of the system to an accusa- drivers safe on the roads. It is the Poladian’s tory approach that some take towards the passion for their work that keeps them afloat. person who just rescued their car off the side “It all comes back to true dedication. of the road, people in the towing industry My family has put their heart, soul, and don’t have it easy. But companies like Eagle every waking minute into this company.”

Towing are working to make things better. Poladian said.

Jack Poladian, operations manager at Eagle “Eagle Towing isn’t treated as a business, Towing combats misconceptions created by it’s treated as a lifeline and every moment “a few bad apples” by holding himself and Simon and Victor [co-owners] are thinking his staff to a higher standard from what about their next move and how to support they know.

“Many people have misconcepEagle Towing is in Cambridge, Ontario. tions about the towing industry due to a few bad apples that are ruining things for the good ones,” Jack Poladian, Operations Manager at Eagle Towing told Collision Repair. “But we hold ourselves to a higher standard from what we know.”

Poladian and his family’s history in the industry represents a side of towing that many choose not to see. Launching in 1978, Eagle Towing - a tow truck distributing company - housed only one truck and one gas station.

Now in 2019, the company

their customers.”

Not only is Eagle Towing changing the way people see tow truck operators as business professionals, but as emergency services.

Poladian reminded Collision Repair that civilians must pull over when they see a tow truck operator heading towards a wreck, considering the high-risk of car crash victims waiting on the side of the road for help.

“At the end of the day, everyone has a family and people risk their lives to help others in a jam,” said Poladian. “There’s nowhere in the rule books that says “you have to operate a tow truck,” these guys choose to come out and help no matter rain, sleet, hail, snow, or cars on fire. We are on-site doing whatever they can to help. “ When it comes to Eagle Towing’s future as a business and as a key asset to the industry in Ontario, Poladian says Eagle Towing is only going up.

CAA CALLS ON ONTARIO To commemorate the province’s fourth annual Tow Safety Week, CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) issued a call for the Ontario government to prioritize towing industry

regulations. CAA SCO issued an online statement calling for provincial regulations in the towing industry. The company calls the towing industry “problematic” due to long wait times, impolite interactions between CAA SCO is calling for towing regulation. towing operators and clients, and high towing bills.

CAA SCO maintains that provincial regulation remains an essential step in protecting the province’s drivers.

It hopes the regula-

tions would ensure Ontario’s motorists have certainty when it comes to towing services, regardless of when or where the province’s drivers require support.

The company’s call-to-action echoes London, Ontario’s decision to craft a bylaw regulating the local tow truck industry, specifically “chaser” tow trucks.

CAA SCO also recognizes that new regulations would likely improve any strained relationships between consumers and tow truck operators. The company said it hopes regulations will help the public gain “respect for the men and women who work hard to provide an important service on our roads.”

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 95

INSURANCE NEWS

FAMILY PLAN

CRUMB RUBBER FOR ALL

Four recycling facilities in Ontario have been given a massive makeover thanks to new ownership. The Chu family recently purchased and redesigned several auto recycling plants in the southern region of the province. Wenxing Chu and his family have already begun the redesign and expansion of Trenton Salvage, turning the facility into an environmentally friendly place for clients to recycle their vehicles while also creating more than 50 job opportunities for local residents. In the past four months, the Chu family has taken over four locations: Sidney Auto Wreckers, Trenton Salvage, and Picton Iron and Metal.

When the Chu family took over the yards, they felt they would like to do something unique with the facilies, and their ideas for the businesses spurred from there. According to an advisor on the project, the Chu’s newest site at Trenton Salvage will be “the most modern metal recycling site between Hamilton and Montreal.” Trenton will feature two facilities that will stow the latest technology in vehicle and metal processing. It aims to recycle the materials in an environment-friendly method, before removing them to an off-site disposal centre. Not only are locals excited for the new facility, but the Chu family says they feel very grateful to be welcomed into the community to kick off business and positively impact Ontario’s auto recycling industry.

The reconstruction of the new facilities is well underway and expected to be completed in the new year.

Tire Stewardship B.C. (TSBC) is a tire recycling organization in British Columbia hosting frequent donation drives in the Okanagan, B.C. area—where drivers can donate their old tires and feel good about it.

TSBC takes donated tires and recycles them into crumb rubber for running tracks, playground surfacing or colourful, resilient flooring in recreational facilities. The rubber can even be used as slip-proof flooring and mats in agricultural and industrial facilities. Since 1991, more than 90 million tires have been recycled—and upcycled—in British Columbia. Many of those tires have been reimagined into feature elements of more than 300 community spaces throughout the province, all created using recycled rubber supported by a government-funded TSBC grant. The not-for-profit is governed by a board made up of representatives from four organizations: by the Rubber Association of Canada, the Retail Council of Canada, the Western Canada Tire Dealers and the New Car Dealers Association.

EASTERN EXCITEMENT The next International Roundtable on Auto Recycling (IRT) will run from October 21 to 23, 2020 in Hiroshima, Japan and will be hosted by the Japanese Auto Recyclers Assocation. The IRT brings together international and local auto recyclers, industry officials, guest speakers and to discuss the global auto recycling industry.

OCTOBER 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 97

LAST WORD

ADVERTISER INDEX COMPANY

PAGE

3D Canada.................................75 3M Automotive .........................11

A SEMA STRATEGY ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND REPAIR

AkzoNobel ................................. 7 Arslan Automotive ................... 22

BY GIDEON SCANLON

Assured Automotive ................ 60 asTech .......................................63 Audatex | Solera .......................61 AutoQuip .................................. 69 Axalta ...................................... BC BASF........................................... 4 Betag........................................ 32 BMW......................................... 37 Car-O-Liner.............................. 25 Car-Part.com ........................... 96 Carcone’s Auto Recycling ....... 97 Cardinal Couriers .....................81 CARSTAR Canada ....................27 CSN: Brimell Group............. 30,31 Color Compass ........................82 DentFix ......................................72 Dominion Sure Seal ..................13 Equalizer ...................................55

Y

ou raise an army. I raise an army and a navy. You build walls. I build catapults. You build castles. I build cannons. You join a DRP. I get an OEM certification. Everything is an arms race—even the collision repair business. This is a metaphor I am going to extend well beyond the limits good taste.

At the moment, the generals of the collision repair industry—owners and general managers— are amping-up military spending. As new vehicles become more complex, they are investing in training to make more complex repair procedures economically viable. As the commissars of the auto insurance armies barrage the industry with unmoving door rates, many of our own industry captains embrace new tactics to keep businesses afloat. Others have found

This means that the ideas that percolate in Nevada reflect a far broader impression of the industry than those of more collision-oriented events.

That’s not to dismiss NACE Automechanika or IBIS—both remain important events in the repair world. In fact, as I’ve said before, SEMA can sometimes feel like a victim of its success.

People pushing to get to events from dawn to dusk, booths and presentations that offer more glitz than substance—all problems which can ruin the show for the ill-prepared industry officer.

To breathe a little more life into my metaphor: heading to SEMA without a plan is our industry’s answer to invading Russia in the winter. It just isn’t a good idea.

For those who are prepared, however, there is no shortage of training, thought-based events and new product announcements. As an industry, we

Flatline ......................................53 Fix Auto Canada .......................68 Formula Honda .........................62 Garmat ......................................83 Global Finishing Solutions .......49 Hail Specialist ...........................47 Impact........................................98

To breathe a little more life into my metaphor: heading to SEMA without a plan is our industry’s answer to invading Russia in the winter. It just isn’t a good idea.

KIA ........................................... 34 LKQ ...................................... 18,19 Martech ....................................12 Nitroheat ...................................39 Norton .......................................94 Polyvance .................................79 PPG Canada ............................2,3 ProSpot ................................... 8,9 SATA Canada ............................57 Sherwin - Williams.................... 50 Sia Abrasifs ..............................77 Steck ........................................ 84 Symach .....................................26 Thorold Auto Parts....................85 NAPA..........................................80 Wedge Clamp........................... 43 Wurth........................................ 28

unlikely allies, and been certified as such by OEM commanders.

Other threats loom—what about the arrival of robots? How will the industry battle for business if cars are smart enough to avoid serious collisions?

Yes, there will be losses. Many businesses will not survive the coming years—but those that can will know they are stronger for it.

So how does one prepare for this eternal arms race? I haven’t a clue. If I did, do you think I’d be writing magazines?

I do know one thing though. The SEMA Show remains one of the best places to find out about where the industry is going, and why. Unlike the IBIS Summits and NACE Automechanika conferences, the SEMA Show brings representatives of every conceivable corner of the auto aftermarket to Las Vegas, and in droves too.

98 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

need something more manageable and completely focused on the business of collision repair.

At this point, it should be clear why this issue dedicates a considerable number of pages to covering what to expect from the big show. Consider this an intelligence briefing allowing you and your company to plan your conquest of SEMA as efficiently as possible.

After all, business, like war, is a logistical nightmare—and your forces will need all the help they can get in Las Vegas.

Gideon Scanlon is the editor of Collision Repair magazine He can be reached at 905-549-0454 or by email at gideon@ mediamatters.ca.

With 14 locations across Canada, offering bidding Impact Auto Auctions is your clear choice.

internet