Collision Repair 21#4

IBIS hosts French Riviera festivities | Together again at CCIF Montreal | On setting new industry standards Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40841632 l 8 6 John Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 1Y2 www.collisionrepairmag.com No A/C-xuses: Your staff deserve air conditioning >> Volume 21, Number 4, 2022 Fix Network hosts 13th annual Masters Golf Tourney If results are what you seek, call up Cassie Rossen at Dilawri Calgary FORE! LEADING WITH LOYALTY

Call: 1-800-871-7612 | Click: simplicitycarcare.ca/franchisee Connect: contact@simplicitycarcare.ca Grow your collision repair business with one of Canada’s fastest growing automotive franchise networks. OperationalEfficiency Simplify your workflow to increase efficiency and profitability. PartnershipsInsurance Connect with and meet the requirements of major insurers. BusinessGrowth Use our proprietary system to service customers and help drive sales. On average, new franchisees grow their business by 23%.

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 3 CONTENTS A Place to Plant Your Roots by Max Reid As one of Alberta’s most soughtafter facility managers, Cassie Rossen has built a business to bet your future on, at Dilawri Collision Centre Calgary. VOLUME 21, ISSUE 4, 2022 ON THE COVER CONTENTS Collision Repair was mixing it up on the Mediterranean in June for the 2022 IBIS Global Summit, bringing together the industry’s finest body shops on the world’s finest beaches. p.30 IBIS hosts French Riviera festivities Together again at CCIF Montreal On setting new industry standards www.collisionrepairmag.com No A/C-xuses: Your staff deserve air conditioning >> Fix Network hosts 13th annual Masters Golf Tourney If results are what you seek, call up Cassie Rossen at Dilawri Calgary FORE! LEADING LOYALTYWITH 80786708 PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Powerful people and the places they go. REGIONAL NEWS In some places it’s dinner, in others it’s supper, but here it’s always news. RECYCLING NEWS These recyclers have the parts, and the news, you need. TOWING NEWS Your hook-up for the latest towing industry DEPARTMENTSnews.

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WHO’S DRIVING by Jay Perry Educating, not instructing, customers on why they should place their trust in you.

LAST WORD by Allison Rogers Your voice could prompt a new dawn for our industry. YOUR SAY. SUBSCRIBE welcome your comments on anything you see in Collision Repair your feedback to editor@collisionrepairmag.com.

PUBLISHER’S PAGE by Darryl Simmons The challenges in the here and now. MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS by Nancy Rolland This industry is in desperate need of some widespread change.

COLUMNS HAVE

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

CCIF’s June conference in Montreal was nothing short of a triumphant return to form for the organization. Check out Collision Repair’s scrapbook, inside.p.p.3440

The sun was out, and so were the vendors, at Fix Network’s 13th Annual Masters Golf Tournament, held at the Greystone Golf Course in Milton, Ont.

THE INTRICATE WEB by Venessa di Vito Is your facility putting its best foot forward on the web? Learn how to set your company website up for success.

The importance of rising to challenges with your team and sharing with them the rewards.

4 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM CONTENTS AVAILABLEEDITIONDIGITAL CONTENTS 82625654514806

TOM’S TALES by Tom Bissonnette

LET’S TALK TRAINING by Stefano Liessi The path to becoming a master painter is difficult one, full of peril and overspray—but nothing beats when you finally get that perfect finish.

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6 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM PUBLISHER’S PAGE SingleSUBSCRIPTIONedition$7.99 One-year $39.95 ( 6 issues) Collision Repair ™ magazine is published bimonthly, and is dedicated to serving the business interests of the collision repair industry. It is published by Media Matters Inc. Material in Collision Repair™ magazine may not be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statements made by its advertisers or independent columnists. All facts, opinions and statements appearing in this publication have been compiled and included with the permission, though not necessarily the endorsement, of the editor, or of independent columnist contributors, and are in no way to be construed as those of the publisher, or as endorsements of them. PRINTED IN CANADA ISSN 1707-6072 CANADA POST CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES PRODUCT AGREEMENT No. 40841632 RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED Send change of address notices and undeliverable copies to: 317 Reid St., Peterborough, ON K9J 3R2 Collision Repair magazine is published by Media Matters Inc., publishers of: “We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada” PUBLISHER Darryl Simmons ASSOCIATEpublisher@collisionrepairmag.comPUBLISHER Orest Tkaczuk | orest@mediamatters.ca EDITOR Allison Rogers | allison@mediamatters.ca ART DIRECTOR Yvonne Corvers | yvonne@mediamatters.ca STAFF WRITERS Max Reid | max@mediamatters.ca Kate Ng | kate@mediamatters.ca Tyler Majer | tyler@mediamatters.ca VP OF INDUSTRY RELATIONS & ADVERTISING Gloria Mann 647.998.5677 | gd.mann@rogers.com DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Ellen Smith 416.312.7446 | ellen@mediamatters.ca INDUSTRY RELATIONS ASSISTANT Wanja Mann 647.998.5677 AUDIENCEwanjamann1@gmail.comENGAGEMENT MANAGER James Kerr | james@mediamatters.ca DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER Cassie Doyle | CONTRIBUTORScassie@mediamatters.ca Tom Bissonnette, Venessa di Vito, Nancy Rolland, Stefano Liessi, Jay Perry BREAKING POINT It should be terrifying when an industry is afraid to speak to partners. Let’s hope it doesn’t get there By DARRYL SIMMONS T he response to my last column, “The Tipping Point” was a lot greater than I had expected. Thank you for sharing your concerns. Letters via email came from across the country and each one was saying the same thing. As a shop owner or manager, you know only too well the situation. There’s no reason to get into all the details. The main point is that progressive, well-trained and well-equipped shops are not making enough money based on door rates paid by the insurance companies. And the biggest problem: there always seems to be a shop willing to work for the lower rate. It’s a race to the bottom. In that race, nobody wins. Profitability is not a dirty word. Without it, collision centres are unable to attract new people, nor are they able to invest in new training and products. Without profits, we risk the ability to safely perform vehicle repairs.

The responses I received were all anonymous or asked not to be quoted. Not only is this very telling; but it is also very disconcerting and scary. It should be terrifying when an industry is afraid to speak to partners. No sector of the industry was spared from the scathing comments. Each was given some share of the blame: insurers, manufacturers, suppliers, banners and investment funds and even the media including Collision Repair magazine.It’scrucial that the voices of these repairers not remain silent. It’s frightening to know that they felt the need to remain anonymous, that they could not stand up and say freely what was on their mind for fear of repercussions. It is painstakingly clear shop owners want to publicly air their concerns without repercussions. Yes, we do have opportunities for manufacturers, insurers and networks to get together and discuss things, but it’s the collision centres themselves that need to have a voice to speak. You are the ones doing the work and are the ones who face the customer on a daily basis. We need your help, as readers and shopowners, to give us some direction how to initiate positive discussions with all industry partners. And these must include measurable goals. Is this something that could be done in a public meeting? Can it be done by a Zoom meeting or webinar panel? That’s the approach we are working on currently here at the Raisingmagazine.awareness of the issue is important, but it’s already done. Everyone is aware. Knowing there is a problem is a good first step, but we are past that. It’s time to get some workable solutions developed. Based on the responses, we at Collision Repair are working on opening up dialogue with all partners in meaningful discussion in the hope of setting some serious changes in the works. It’s a small step, but hopefully one in the right Accordingdirection.toone writer, I “may have bitten off more than I could chew,” when I asked for feedback. They may be right, but let’s do all we can to avoid moving “The Tipping Point” into “The Breaking Point.”

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WARREN BENNETT | RETIRED JOHN CAPELLA | PORSCHE CARS CANADA JOHN DONALD | UNIPARTS O.E.M. PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

After 43 years of dedicated service, Warren Bennett is retiring. Bennett first started his insurance career in the 1980s as an insurance appraiser. He most recently served as the manager of claims for Desjardins’ commercial partnerships, though he’s acted in many roles with Desjardins and State Farm over his career; many will recall his 17-year stint as appraisal manager for State Farm. Bennett was an instrumental figure in the creation of the Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF), with a goal to strengthen insurer-repairer relations, he said. As he heads into retirement, Bennett says his summer plans involve plenty of time spent at the cottage.

John Capella was appointed as the new CEO and president of Porsche Cars Canada (PCC) on July 14 and will take over the position from Marc Ouayoun effective Sept. 1. Cappella succeeds qualified executive Ouayoun in this role after Ouayoun grew Porsche Canada’s sales to its highest point, delivering nearly 9,200 sports cars to the Canadian market. Cappella returns to Canada after three years as v-p of the automaker’s eastern area market. He started working for Porsche back in 2011 as director of network development until he moved to a position as managing director for Porsche Centre North Toronto.

8 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM NEWS MOST RELIABLE PRE 8AM DELIVERY SERVICE Call 1-(800)-387-3199 | cardinalcouriers.com Pre 8am Package DeliveryDedicated LogisticsPre 8am LTL Delivery 6600 Goreway Dr., Unit D Mississauga, ON L4V 1S6

The Uniparts O.E.M. team has welcomed John Donald as its new national key accounts manager for the Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia markets. Having recently moved to Canada from the United Kingdom, Donald brings more than 15 years of experience and knowledge in the collision repair sector. He began on the production floor as a technician before becoming a general manager for independent and dealer-owned collision repair centres and brings firsthand experience from many industry roles, such as collision appraiser, insurance engineer and production manager.

A brand by PASSION REQUEST A DEMO. valsparauto.com/prosprayfinishes THE 3.5 VOC BASECOAT SYSTEM IS OPTIMIZED FOR EASY WITHCREATIONCOLORANDCONSISTENCY64TONERS. And with a performanceassortmentstreamlinedofhigh-primers and clears with universal hardeners and solvents, we’ve designed this system for pure simplicity and ease of use. FOR COLOR PERFECTION&

FINDING SUCCESS IN SUCCESSION

You’ve worked hard to build a flourishing business, earned the goodwill of your customers and are now wondering what happens to your legacy when you retire. How do you put your hard-earned business into the right hands and retire peacefully?Ifthisis you, you are not alone. According to PWC’s 2021 US Family Business Survey, two-thirds of all family businesses in the US don’t have a robust and detailed succession plan in place. This just goes to show that succession planning is often the most overlooked part of a business strategy. It’s prevalent in every industry, not just in the body shopMostbusiness.entrepreneurs fail to include an exit strategy or succession planning when they start their business, until it is too late. Very often, the thought of retiring or exiting one’s hard-earned business is not always a pleasant experience. As an increasing number of business owners from the Baby Boomer generation contemplate retirement, it is not uncommon for their children to show zero interest in heading up the family business. In my opinion, succession planning is critical in uncertain times and should be part of your strategy from day one. An early business succession plan delivers real life benefits—a defined path to successful retirement, more financial security, and greater protection when unplanned events occur. Smart entrepreneurs involve their families very early on in the process, almost at the same time as they launch their business, so they are confident their business is insulated against any uncertainty.Inournetwork, there are quite a few family businesses that began many years ago and are now being run successfully by second—or even third-generation owners. How did they get there? The answer is smart succession planning. These owners planned their retirement and prepared the next generation to take over months, and even years, in advance of Anretiring.effective business succession plan is an extremely well-written, detailed, and clear document prepared with the assistance of experienced financial and legal professionals. It involves identifying potential successors and understanding tax and financial implications while Succession planning is one of the most overlooked aspects of a business strategy

By STEVE LEAL

preparing your exit strategy. Remember, you are not just passing on a few office chairs and workshop tools to your successor.Succession planning is a complex and complicated process. Conflicts can arise at any stage of a business’ lifecycle, and transitions will always be stressful, especially when you are keen to maintain a fine balance between family and professional relationships. Here are some best practices to help you throughout the transition and beyond. Think about these steps carefully and set realistic deadlines for each. Start the conversation early This may well be your most difficult dinner-table conversation with your family, but it is something that needs to be done. Pick a time and place convenient for everyone. Be prepared for what could unfold when you ask your potential successor if they want to take over the family business. If required, get the help of a professional mediator who is acceptable to all family members. Make sure everyone in the family is in the loop at every step of the process. Iron out differences Disagreements are inevitable in familyrun businesses. Family members will not agree on everything, and it will be up to you to determine the agreeable solutions where both the business and the family relationships are not threatened. It’s important to listen to everyone’s views to ensure there is a consensus on your ultimate decision. Involving your team Once you have found your successor, be sure to communicate this to the rest of your team so that your successor finds acceptance at the workplace and your team can support the new owner in every way possible. It is also wise that your successor shadows an experienced hand for a considerable period, so they learn processes quickly. In the meantime, review your organizational structure in consultation with your successor so you can plan a robust and effective operation.

Preparation and Mentoring

Running a body shop is not always easy and your nominee will require themselves to be prepared to run the show confidently after you retire. Be prepared to spend enough time teaching your successor all elements of the business. Encourage them to take whatever courses are needed to prepare for their new role. Do they need mentoring or to shadow an employee to learn more? At Fix Network World, as part of our franchisee empowerment, our operations team works closely with retiring owners and their successors to ensure that the business continues to be viable during the transition and beyond. Step away entirely Once the transition is completed and the new family member understands all elements of the business, it is wise to step away and allow the new owner to take charge. The designated family member is responsible for all business decisions and for all profits and losses.

Steve Leal is the President & CEO of Mondofix, Inc. dba Fix Network World, the leading global automotive aftermarket services network which includes ProColor Collision. The family of brands spans over 2,000 points of service internationally. In the United States, Mondofix, Inc. has granted an exclusive license to 79411 USA LLC to the FIX AUTO brand.

Succession planning may seem like a huge challenge when transitioning a family business from one generation to another. Prior planning and the right support (or the lack thereof) can ensure whether your legacy is in good hands or not.

Data from 2,000 Canadian drivers, collected as recently as June 2021, show the average driver to still be woefully unaware of the valuable information their vehicles carry: about one-third (34 percent) of drivers surveyed think they own all of the data generated by their vehicle, as compared to 30 percent who think the manufacturer does. Eighty percent of respondents feel that OEMs could be doing more to push this issue, as compared to 68 percent who place the responsibility on the government.

12 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM INDUSTRY BOOTSNEWSON

THE GROUND July 15 marked World Youth Skills Day, and this year the federal government put particular stress on addressing the labour gap soon to be left by Canada’s rapidly retiring workforce. In observance of the day, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Ginette Petitpas Taylor issued a statement, acknowledging the unique challenges that today’s young workers face. “COVID-19 disproportionately affected youth employment. In fact, positions held by young workers represented 28 percent of total jobs lost in Atlantic Canada during the pandemic,” said Petitpas Taylor. Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Marci Ien, and Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, claimed that the federal government has opened 140,000 summer jobs for Canadian youth. The province of Nova Scotia recently made amendments to the general regulations of the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act to allow a single journeyperson to train two apprentices at a time, as opposed to one-on-one, in a move that the government feels will bring more young tradespeople into the workforce.

FORCING THEIR HAND

Non-dealer-affiliated repairers struggle every day trying to access the data they need to fix vehicles, and according to an industry executive on a recent AIA Canada webinar, the OEMs wouldn’t have it any other way. “Let’s be real, the OEs have no motivation to provide access [to data], unless they’re required to by some type of enforcement,” said James Channer, COO of Motion Brands in a recent webinar discussion with AIA Canada president J.F. Champagne and president and founder of Quorus Consulting Group, Rick Nadeau. “As the data has shown, not only have they seen a significant decrease in actual new car sales, but they’re also seeing a significant decrease in Canadian consumers going to their service bays. More and more Canadians are choosing automotive service providers in the aftermarket.” Channer says the option for consumers to seek repairs at non-OEM repair facilities directly threatens automakers’ ability to monopolize their given market, and therefore causes some to take action to obscure what little information they do provide to repairers. “Their defence is going to be to protect their interests, and that means the data.” Like many advocates of the right to repair movement, Channer feels that voluntary OEM agreements about vehicle data are not the way to go, suggesting that consumers truly wield the power of influence. “I don’t see that changing with legislation enforcement and that legislation won’t change until consumers, and the public as a whole, make it a priority.”

The federal government currently projects that more than 10,000 automotive service and repair sector jobs will open over the period between 2021 and 2025.

A NIGHT ‘OOT’ IN VEGAS A Canadian contingency will be making its return to SEMA this fall, as the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA) officially opened registration for Canada Night, the association’s flagship networking event at the annual Las Vegas trade show. Returning after a two-year hiatus, Canadian companies from across the automotive aftermarket industry are invited to the Venetian Resort at the close of SEMA’s opening night on Nov. 1. Canada Night typically proves to be a highlight for many Canadian attendees to the SEMA show and promises a night of food, drinks and networking opportunities with industry members they may not otherwise meet in person. Attendance to the Canada Night event requires the purchase of sponsorship for $2,250. In exchange, sponsors will receive six tickets to the event, logo and brand exposure on AIA’s website as well as on social media. MSO FUN

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 13 INDUSTRY NEWS

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The 11th annual MSO Symposium will be held this year on October 31 in Las Vegas, Nevada, bringing together high-level executives within the collision repair industry for the purposes of networking, education, and discovery related to the business, and service aspects of the industry. This year’s conference will be held the Monday before the SEMA and AAPEX trade shows, kicking off a busy week within the automotive and collision repair industries. A sponsor showcase will begin at 10 am, continuing with presentations and panels throughout the day including environmental and governance considerations for business owners, the scarcity of skilled technicians, and electric vehicle repair. Persons interested in the conference should be aware of the qualification standards of the event: attendees qualify to attend if they are insurers, OEMs, Multi-Shop operators, or single location facilities with over $3 million revenue in annual sales.

This year’s Canada Night event is set to run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. PST on SEMA’s opening night, Nov. 1.

The Volkswagen Group plans to publicly list Porsche via an initial public offering (IPO) later this year, with the decision set to finance the OEM’s future in electric vehicles. Porsche’s parent company flaunted the possibility of an IPO earlier this year. However, VW Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz recently suggested the luxury brand will go ahead with a listing in the fourth quarter as the unit has “proved resilient over the years to market disruptions,” including in recent supply-chain turmoil. “We are optimistic we can pursue [the Porsche IPO] in the fourth quarter,” Antlitz said at the Munich Reuters Automotive Europe conference. “Porsche would gain entrepreneurial freedom, we can expect a lot from them.”

The rug has been pulled out on what was supposed to be a $50 million EV battery enclosure production plant for the municipality of Chatham, Ont., as a news release from Magna International shows the company’s plans to cancel the project. The Chatham Daily News got a hold of a Magna news release on June 2, which stated that an adjustment of schedules at the company’s Formet plant in St. Thomas had increased its production capacity and could therefore make room for the work that was to be done at the new Chatham plant. Magna officials say it still plans to make use of the former Crown Metal Packaging plant the company originally planned to be a hub to produce battery enclosures for the Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck. However, instead of fully converting the long-dormant industrial space, Magna says they will “leverage” the newly renovated building in Chatham to facilitate an overflow of work. The decision reportedly left Chatham-Kent’s mayor and city officials “very disappointed.”

AXES UP Members of southern Ontario’s aftermarket community unleashed their inner viking on a hot Saturday afternoon in July, as Treschak Enterprises raised $11,500 at its third annual Axes Up for the Fonthill Legion fundraiser. The afternoon of axe throwing, taken part in by a record 50 throwers this year, has become an annual tradition in the Fonthill community to show support for the local legion branch and raise money for its meals-on-wheels program. The idea for the fundraiser spawned in 2020 when Treschak Enterprises’ operations manager, Jamie Treschak saw his local legion in need of a new hood for their kitchen and that it would cost $10,000. “They were providing meals to our community directly, so we figured we could do something about this,” said Treschak. “By the next year, the legion had given out 18,000 meals, free of charge—so we ran the tournament again and raised $10,000.” Thus, the Axes Up fundraiser was born. This year’s event was sponsored by Sobeys and local craft brewery Kame and Kettle Beer Works, donated a keg from which all proceeds were donated to the legion’s meals-on-wheels program, as well as various other veteran-focused community outreach programs.

The afternoon of axe throwing—an annual event hosted by Teschak Enterprises—was taken part in by a record 50 throwers this year, has become an annual tradition in the Fonthill community to show support for the local legion branch and raise money for its meals-on-wheels program.

ON SECOND THOUGHT

On July 7, Driven Brands announced its acquisition of the Florida-based K&K Glass, making the company’s fifth foray into the auto glass market. According to a press release from Driven Brands, K&K Glass boasts more than 100 mobile glass repair vans and 20 warehouses in the Florida area. “We are grateful that Driven Brands can continue our legacy and help both our employees and the business realize its full potential,” said the former owner of K&K Glass, Dan Knowlton. Driven Brands first entered the glass business in Canada with the acquisition of Uniban Canada in 2019 and now has over 350 locations across North America. “We remain highly acquisitive in this segment as we look to support the needs of our customers in this extremely fragmented industry,” said Michael Macaluso, president of Driven Brands. “It’s an exciting time to join our Driven Brands family and we are thrilled to now welcome K&K Glass.”

A PRICE FOR PORSCHE

14 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM BUSINESS NEWS A-OK

321 air Rew Pr o g r a m The perks of choosing 3M. Get rewards for doing what you do every day. Earn a point for every dollar you spend on qualifying 3M products. Redeem your points for cool swag you can enjoy in your shop. Only U.S. and Canada Automotive Aftermarket and Marine Aftermarket end-user customers are eligible to participate in the Program. Limit (1) one account aper business location. Duplicates will be canceled. Program is available starting March 1, 2022 and ends March 31, 2023. By purchasing Qualifying 3M Product, eligible participants may earn points that can be used towards available prizes. Purchase receipts must be dated within the promotion window to be eligible (3/1/2022- 3/31/2023) while supplies last. A maximum of 10,000 points may be redeemed for prizes each month. Restrictions and limitations apply. See full official rules at www.AADRepairRewards.com.

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A new study from J.D. Power has found that despite the large amounts of money being poured into customer-facing websites and mobile apps by insurance companies, customer satisfaction with digital shopping is on the decline. The 2022 U.S. Insurance Digital Experience Study found that customer satisfaction fell 16 points from last year, bringing the total score to 499 out of a possible 1,000 points. J.D. Power attributed the decline to customer frustration with rising rates and the inability to find lower premiums through shopping for a new policy. It was found that the access traditional insurance companies have to human support systems is helping keep them competitive with purely digital insurance providers. The study evaluates digital consumer experiences among both property and casualty insurance shoppers seeking quotes and existing customers conducting typical policy-servicing activities.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

Porsche owners now have the ability to opt into an insurance plan designed to cater specifically to their needs as the German automaker has officially launched Porsche Insurance in Canada. Customers who sign on to the OEM-affiliated insurance plan will be afforded a number of exclusive benefits, according to Porsche’s press release, including the guarantee that vehicle repairs will be completed by certified Porsche technicians and using official OEM replacement parts. As well, during the course of repairs Porsche Insurance customers will have access to a rental vehicle of comparable value and, in the event of a total loss or theft, be guaranteed a full return of the vehicle’s original purchase price.

16 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM INSURANCE NEWS

PORSCHE POLICY

The ICBC data provides insights not simply for drivers to assess where the most intersectionsdangerouson the island are, but for repair facilities who may be looking to aim the services more directly they provide in their communities.

DIGITAL DILEMMA

An interactive map published by British Columbia’s provincial insurer delves deep into the specific intersections on Vancouver Island where the most auto collisions occur—incidentally, also giving shop owners a good idea of where to invest in advertising. According to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia’s data, which is as recent as April 2, Victoria’s most crash-prone intersection is the corner of Douglas and Finlayson Street, close to the city’s downtown core—hint, hint, downtown repair facilities. This particularly perilous corner has seen 244 crashes from 2017 to 2021. Up north in Nanaimo, crash frequency was slightly higher and more prevalent in areas with highway entrances and exits. Nanaimo’s most dangerous intersection is along the Island Highway at Rutherford and Mostar Road, at 265 crashes, followed by the Nanaimo Parkway at Aulds Road, at 236 crashes.In the more rural Port Alberni region, crash frequency was fairly evenly spread throughout the far reaches area, though the peak of crashes reached 92 in the city’s downtown core.

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A recent fatal collision involving a Tesla vehicle and a motorcyclist has invigorated ongoing investigations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with Teslas now representing 81 percent of all ADAS-related collisions in the United States. According to Bloomberg, this is the 18th fatal crash in an ongoing NHTSA investigation in ADAS vehicles since 2016. Out of the 47 collisions in the study, 38 were Teslas.

In a 2019 interview with Collision Repair magazine, CEO Greta Cutulenco explained the importance of Acerta’s services. “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,” she said.

The bulletin also reinforced the requirement for gas inert arc welding/metal inert gas (MIG) techniques to be used on welded frame components. Toyota says the only approved welding technique is a butt joint without backing. Liessi warns that while Toyota says they only mandate the use of MIG welding techniques, the inference should not be made that the use of silicon bronze, which MIG welders can install, is approved by OEM procedure.

A CERTAIN PROPOSAL Canadian artificial intelligence company Acerta A.I. has inked a deal with Nissan, which will see the OEM use Acera’s defect-scanning technology on the assembly line. Via the new partnership, Acerta will work with the Japan-based Nissan Research Center on the predictive maintenance platform. The customized machine learning models could translate into cost savings for vehicle owners and increased on-road safety. “Our models will also estimate the remaining distance that a vehicle can travel before maintenance is needed,” said Cutulenco, in a press release. The partnership is sponsored by the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN); valued at $1.4 million and set to receive $344,000 in provincial funding.

A WELD TO THE WISE Toyota announced it is icing the use of heat to straighten body and frame components on OEM repairs, as well as reinforcing pre-existing welding techniques, in a Collision Repair Information Bulletin (CRIB) issued in June. The automaker says that, due to the high-strength sheet steel used for structural body and frame components, heat is not to be used in repair procedures as it can change the crystalline structure of the steel, causing a significant decrease in strength, as well as reduce its corrosion resistance.

18 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM OEM NEWS

MARKET DOMINANCE

Published data from an earlier, albeit ongoing investigation suggest that Teslas represented 70 percent of all ADAS-related collisions in June 2022, on top of yet another investigation into Tesla vehicles’ propensity to crash into parked emergency vehicles.

CAN’T RIV’ IT DOWN Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe released a letter to his employees in the wake of news reports leaking plans to lay off up to five percent of Rivian’s employees; the letter comes on the heels of a report from Bloomberg claiming that the OEM is planning to reduce its workforce by up to five percent. However, the report also claims that the layoffs will not affect Rivian manufacturing jobs, but positions in the company in areas that have “grown too quickly.”

When it comes to repair versus replace on certain parts, Toyota says body and frame deformations that cannot be returned to their original shape by cold straightening are classified as “kinks” and should be replaced. Deformations that can be repaired with cold straightening are classified as “bends.” Stefano Liessi, a senior consultant at Canadian Collision Specialist and frequent columnist in Collision Repair, spoke about whether this decision on cold straightening and part replacement will affect the overall repair process for technicians. “It could, in the sense that a technician will have to try to complete some cold pulls first and if this fails, we are into replacement,” he said. “This is also a cost factor as no one wants to work for free. The understanding of these outlines and releases is incredibly important to the success of any repair.”

The letter confirms team “restructuring” decisions on the horizon due to the difficult “economic landscape. “The cuts will focus on non-manufacturing roles, including teams with duplicate functions, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information,” wrote Bloomberg. “The actions could be announced in the coming weeks, the people said.” The report also claims Rivian is facing multiple setbacks, including share prices dropping by 69 percent in the last year, forcing the company to scale back.

THE SEPTEMBER DEADLINE FOR AUTOMAKERS TO HAVE CITY-SPEED AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING (AEB) ON 95 PERCENT OF THEIR NEW VEHICLES IS LOOMING. TWELVE BRANDS—AUDI, BMW, FORD/LINCOLN, HONDA/ACURA, HYUNDAI/GENESIS, MAZDA, MERCEDES-BENZ, SUBARU, TESLA, TOYOTA/LEXUS, VOLKSWAGEN, AND VOLVO—HAVE ALREADY MET THAT VOLUNTARY GOAL.

If the remaining eight brands meet the mark, more than 99 percent of all new vehicles sold in the United States will come with this proven life-saving feature that uses cameras, radar or a fusion of the two to “watch” traffic ahead and brake to avoid or lessen the damage of a crash. This in addition to the estimated 60 million vehicles on the road with some Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). The exponential growth in the number of vehicles with ADAS should act as a catalyst for shops that perform calibrations to develop a process or seek out solutions that enables them to perform all steps needed in the calibration process as efficiently as possible. Well, Autel was listening. Its Intelligent ADAS IA900WA frame system is the first in the industry to combine all of it into one adaptable, interactive, robotic, dynamic, streamlined system. The IA900WA offers shops a true turnkey solution to precision ADAS calibrations by combining vehicle inspection, including tire tread analysis, four-wheel alignment, steering angle reset, and ADAS calibration with detailed instructions, illustrations, and a graphical adjustment analysis. The benefit of integrated four-wheel alignment into the system cannot be overstated as proper vehicle alignment is essential to the calibration of all ADAS components. The thrust angle, calculated in reference to the vehicle’s rear axle, determines its direction as it travels down the road. To see the IA900WA in action is quite extraordinary. The IA900WA features a folding crossbar and six in-frame high-resolution tracking cameras that automatically monitor vehicle height on the shop lift. Robotic frame movement allows for efficient use and alignment reading accuracy of 0.02 Alignmentdegrees.coverage is for U.S., Asian and European vehicles, 1996 and newer, and the system guides the user through the complete process with illustrated alignment instructions, live readings, and required tools. Adjustment locations displayed on a mounted 24-inch touchscreen monitor mirror the alignment procedure executed on the MaxiSYS Ultra ADAS tablet giving the technician all the freedom he needs.

ADAS calibration coverage includes camera targets and patterns and radar calibration components for equipped Mercedes, VW/ Audi, Hyundai/Kia, Nissan/Infiniti, Honda/ Acura, Mazda and Toyota/Lexus.

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The IA900WA system is offered in several packages, including an all-systems ADAS package that includes targets, patterns, and calibration components to calibrate cameras (including those used in Around View Monitoring), radar, LIDAR, and nightvision units. A Lane Departure Warning (LDW) package is also available that includes targets and patterns needed to calibrate systems on equipped vehicles and Alignment-only packages. All packages are available with or without Ultra ADAS tablet. As vehicle manufacturers continue to share their safety systems throughout the entire lines, and more and more vehicles with these systems enter shops, solutions that provide technicians with a repeatable, efficient process to calibrate these input devices have become essential.

SPRAYING WITH SEWAGE BMW is partnering with BASF to develop the next generation of paints using an innovative new material—sewage waste. Euphemistically dubbed “sustainable paints made from bio-waste,” these matte paints are part of the company’s focus on sustainability and reduced CO2 emissions. Most importantly, these new paints are chemically identical to previously manufactured body coatings and share the same properties as their oil-based predecessors. BMW Group Plants Leipzig and Rosslyn (South Africa) are expected to use similar processes to create corrosion protection paints, effectively replacing petroleum-based components like naphtha with renewable alternatives.

MIRROR, MIRROR

Shape-changing mirrors! A horror movie classic, coming to a car near you! A recent patent by General Motors (GM) describes a mirror that reshapes in accordance with the driver’s behaviour, with the ultimate goal of improving driver awareness. The patent describes a motorized housing around the mirror, turning it from a flat mirror into a fisheye mirror. Think of the extra field of view from rounded anti-theft mirrors in stores and you get the idea. Sensors adapt to information from the car automatically, says GM. Information like the vehicle’s turn signal status and lane merging would allow the mirror to transform accordingly without driver input. While no prototype has been showcased yet, the patent suggests that materials like silver and stainless steel would be used as a reflective surface. However, it does not elaborate on whether this alternative will be as clear as traditional glass mirrors. In addition to the seemingly miraculous armour plating, the SUV was equipped with a fire-suppression system, emergency lights and a siren/intercom system.

20 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM TECHNOLOGY NEWS

“By reducing our use of fossil raw materials, we can conserve natural resources and lower CO2 emissions at the same time,” says Joachim Post, a BMW board member. “Innovative paints based on renewable raw materials are an important step in this direction.”

TOYOTA TOUGH Members of the collision repair industry know all too well the ordeal that achieving certifications can be—but considering what North York-based Inkas Armored Vehicle Manufacturing has to go through for their stamp of approval, OEMs should count their lucky stars they don’t have to prepare for grenade tests. The armoured vehicle developer released a video several weeks ago showing off the trials their modified Toyota Land Cruiser 300 had to endure to earn certification, including being subject to 780 rounds of various calibre bullets, six roof-level hand grenades, four underbody grenades, two land mines and 15 kg of TNT exploded just two metres away. The test dummies inside the SUV definitely got rattled around in the onslaught of bullets and explosions, as the tests were intended to target “the potential points of failure where the vehicle would be most susceptible to penetration during an attack.” When the data for measures like survivability and pressure came back, the Land Cruiser passed the test in full.

GREY-DAS Advanced driver-assistance technology (ADAS) could be the key to keeping our older generation of Canadians safe on the road, according to a new report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Via a recent study, the organization found that up to a third of crashes involving drivers 70 years of age or older could be prevented with the proper implementation of ADAS technology—specifically left-turn assist. The conclusions reached in the IIHS’s report are based on U.S. federal crash data from 2016 to 2019, which was used to compare the most common types of crashes older drivers get into to those of middle-aged drivers. From there, researchers worked to determine how many of those crashes could be addressed with one of five available ADAS functions, as well as two other pieces of experimental technology that track speed, location and route data. It was found that newer and less common “intersection-assistance features,” such as left-turn assist, would be effective in 32 percent of the crash scenarios older drivers find themselves in and would aid in the prevention of 38 percent of driver injuries and 31 percent of driver fatalities. Middle-aged drivers stand to benefit from ADAS as well, as the IIHS found the features to be potentially relevant to crashes involving more than 20 percent of that age group.

Constant material flow – helps the painter to achieve perfect coating results just like child's play.

Very quick colour change – cleaning becomes a minor matter INFO

Easy removal of the lid in case of emergency – without soiling the working area. Clean removal of the cup – by pressing the cup in, vacuum is created, which empties the material passage when pulling the trigger.

SATA RPS Multi-Purpose Cup –

fits directly onto your SATA spray gun with QCC connector (Quick Cup Connector) without any adapters. It makes a technician's life much easier, considerably increases productivity and drastically reduces the consumption of cleaning solutions and www.sata.com/sata-rps-multi-purpose-cupsolvents. Multi-functional. Simple. No compromises.

Bendable – allows the painting of sill areas or wheel arches "overhead" Stable – due to the screw connection between cup and lid, the cup always remains on the lid and gun even when touching obstacles.

The cup system for mixing and painting

The SATA RPS (Rapid Preparation System) multi-purpose cup system performs four functions: mixing, painting, refilling, storing. The handling of SATA RPS is so easy because it consists of only three parts: cup, lid and SATAsieve.RPS

SATA Canada Inc. 125 Buttermill Avenue Vaughan, ON L4K 3X5 Phone: +1 905 660 1101 Toll-free: +1 844 554 SATA (7282) Fax: +1 905 760 1250 contact@sata.ca www.sata.com SATA Special Edition 2021

The rescued fawn, posing for a selfie. Photo: Chad Neustaeter/Fort St John RCMP. With both vehicles being custom show cars worked on by experts from Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic and Volkswagen, it’s safe to say these models won’t be rolling off the production lines anytime soon. However, there is nothing stopping you from getting your car wrapped in proprietary designs that look suspiciously close, but totally unrelated to Disney’s copyrighted trademarks. “It’s just gross in there,” said Hannay. “It’s bad. You can tell he tried to get out. He basically ripped the panelling off every single door, including the hatch. Things are just strewn around…it’s a disaster.”

The occupants of a Fort St. John, B.C. vehicle have been arrested by the RCMP for several charges including possession of live wildlife, a one-month-old deer fawn, according to the RCMP—and naturally, some drugs. Reportedly, the fawn enjoyed some time with RCMP members before being handed over to Conservation. It has since been handed to Rimrock Wildlife Rehab, where it will be reintegrated into the wild.

From a galaxy far, far away to a premiere near you: vehicles from the Star Wars universe that Earth officials claim are modified Volkswagen ID Buzz models. The German manufacturers said this collaboration celebrates Disney’s new Star Wars series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, which arrived on Disney+ in late May. The wraps are based on two landmark characters from the Star Wars universe, the titular Kenobi and Darth Vader. The light side edition Buzz features a futuristic chrome and blue wrap job, underbody lighting and custom rims, complete with Jedi Order insignia on the wheels’ centre caps and windows—a classic for any space monks with physics-defying powers. The dark side Buzz Cargo is clad in black and detailed with various shades of crimson, along with tinted windows for the dark lord’s privacy. If the Sith logos don’t tip you off this is a ride for the bad guys, the ominous red glow should.

22 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

DISHONOURABLE DISCHARGE

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?!

Sometimes when you gotta go, you gotta go. This is as true for humans as it is for bears and is especially true for one bear who has been creating chaos across Vancouver Island. Over six weeks this summer, Vancouver Island Police and local Conservation Officers have been accosted by a plethora of vehicle break-ins from one gnarly bear. The animal, presumably looking for food, has left over 10 vehicles badly damaged, while shocking at least one vehicle owner. Stephanie Hannay, from Tofino, British Columbia, was awoken to the sound of her vehicle’s horn one Saturday night. She returned after noting nothing suspicious. However, the alarm returned later that night. After investigating the source of the noise, Hannay spotted a bear in her backseats. “I opened the driver-side door and this head pops out in the back seat and it’s just a bear. I couldn’t believe it,” said Hannay. “I wasn’t actually sure if that was what I had seen but I freaked out and closed the door immediately and I began screaming. Pacing back and forth. I wasn’t sure what to do.” Luckily, Hannay settled on calling the Conservation Officer report line. The police arrived shortly thereafter, Unfortunately, however, the bear had ample time to destroy Hannay’s car, tearing up the interior, and defecating inside. Conservation Officer Stuart Bates speculated on why this bear has been wreaking so much havoc across the island. “We have a bear that about six weeks ago got into a car and got some food and has since then learned to test every car it comes across,” said Bates.

CHOOSE YOUR SIDE

DOE-N’T DO THIS

Division ofRUST CHECK CORP. 6175 Danville Road Mississauga, Ontario L5T 2H7 1800-265-0790

has helped build a business that sticks it out for the long-haul

24 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM ON THE COVER A PLACE TO YOUR ROOTS

Cassie Rossen

ON THE COVER

I t can be hard to tell that you’ve hit your stride if you never look back on when you were crawling. The collision repair industry has changed a lot in the 21st century and, arguably, it’s better for it.

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 25

The “wild west” days of trial-and-error dent hammering and Bondo-based repairs are most ly a relic of the past, but what value is there in doing away with the old and if you’re not constantly striving for what is new and better?

You would be hard-pressed to find an employee at Dilawri Calgary who doesn’t have at least ten years at the shop under their belt.

Story by MAX REID

This industry’s foundation is built on progres sive-minded owners and managers who aim to provide their staff with the best training and equipment available, with the promise of high calibre repair quality and top-notch customer service in return. Cassie Rossen of Dilawri Collision Centre in Calgary is one such manager who puts progress above all else. Collision Repair caught up with Cassie over the phone to discuss her upbringing in the col lision repair industry and how she has grown and developed as a business leader alongside it. “Collision centres were known as dirty or dingy. Now they’re clean and state-of-the-art and people really take pride in their positions,” said Cassie.

“It was refreshing to me to see after the years I had been away from the collision industry how much it had grown and how professional it had become. They were really working hard to change the image and starting to adhere to OEM guidelines. It was much different than my original impression.”

Cassie’s unwavering commitment to pro cedure didn’t spawn from out of thin air, but from a background learning the collision

“I had a close friend that had owned a collision centre and a lot of good friends and family that worked there. I witnessed the ‘old school’ way the industry was prior to it becoming more professional.”

“We have 12 OEM certifications which we eat, sleep and breathe by. We repair the car as it is meant to be repaired by the manufacturer and Dilawri truly believes that as well.”

Now to be clear, no one is knocking the proud history of bodywork here, but we would be kidding ourselves if we thought that leaving repair procedures up to the mood and ambition of a technician on a given day was a good idea. As such, Cassie has made her shop into a bastion of OEM repair procedure.

ON THE COVER

“This is the most certified and well-recog nized collision centre in the city,” she said.

“My former city manager at Boyd Group had stepped down and new management had come in. From there I went over to the Kaizen Group here in Calgary. I was the assistant manager of their brand new Nissan body shop. I really tried to help establish and grow that business,” said Cassie. Moving from a large group like Boyd to a comparatively smaller group of companies like Kaizen taught her several valuable les sons about how this industry works for its different players. Over the next several years, Cassie worked stints for two large franchises—she says her time in such roles armed her with increased knowledge of vehicle repair process—before settling into a management position for five years where she ran two neighbouring collision centres. However, when the pandemic hit, demor alized by layoffs and cutbacks at her shop, Cassie took a second look at what kind of business she really wanted to run. “At that point, I decided it was probably time for me to take my management career in a different direction. I wanted to grow a little bit more,” she said. “I left my role in October of 2020 and went on a three week vacation to Tanzania. When I returned, I started here at Dilawri on Dec. 1, Following2020.”aseasonal hailstorm that drew in some much-needed business as Cassie got her bearings in her new role, Dilawri “It was refreshing to me to see after the years I had been away from the collision industry how much it had grown and how professional it had become. They were really working hard to change the image and starting to adhere to OEM guidelines. It was much different than my original impression.”

“I had previous skills in project manage ment and executive assistant-type stuff, so the city manager at that time saw the potential in me,” she said. “I went into a store to do some training and they quickly saw I had the capabilities of being a manager. So I went through the process of becoming an estimator first of all, learning the industry and the business.”

— Cassie Rossen, Dilawri Collision Centre, calgary

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 27 ON THE COVER industry from several of its unique vantage points, like private dealer groups and nation wide network consolidators. Her first real step into the industry came in 2008 when she applied to a customer service position with a collision franchise, though before long, Cassie realized she was being groomed for greater things.

Cassie had found her calling. “Within two years I became the location manager.”Fromthat point on, Cassie had become a highly sought-after leader in the southern Alberta collision industry, hopping around from location to location to help bring repair centres into the new century.

28 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM ON THE COVER

“It’s so rewarding to see something come in not looking the greatest and leaving looking absolutely beautiful. I have always really enjoyed that,” said Cassie.

Dilawri Collision Centre Calgary works with a Car-O-Liner frame machine, two Junair paint booths, two Spraytech downdraft prep booths, BETAG dent-pulling equipment, several OEM-specific scan tools, as well as specialized tooling for Volkswagen and BMW repairs. At the end of the day, with all of the fancy equipment and shiny-sealed certificates set aside, Cassie is in this for the customers. She understands the lasting physical, emotional and financial burden an auto collision can leave a person with and strives every day to make that experience just a little bit easier for her neighbours.

A repair facility must being something right when they can truthfully boast that their staff has more than 120 years of com bined career experience on that same 1,208 square metre production floor. As a result, Dilawri Collision Calgary hasn’t had much trouble in securing a slew of major OEM certifications from BMW, Mini, Volkswagen, Honda, Acura, Nissan, Infiniti, FCA, Hyundai, Genesis, KIA and Jeep though Cassie says she’d like to snag a few more luxury certs before she’s fully satisfied.Allthis upscale work requires top-end equipment, and Cassie’s shop has it spades.

“We unfortunately see people in some of the most difficult times of their lives. Having a collision, or being involved in a hailstorm or a theft or any sort of incident with your vehicle is highly inconvenient,” said Cassie.

Collision Calgary was humming along and proving to its new manager that she was meant for the helm. “I’ve been here 19 months now and it’s been incredible. I really, really enjoy it and we have a great team. I’m learning what it means to be a true manager and business owner,” said Cassie. “Coming here made me truly realize that I had what it took.” Cassie recognizes that she is lucky to have a team behind her with a passion not just for the trade of collision repair, but that are loyal and dedicated to improving themselves and the Dilawri Collision name simultaneously. “Without our people, we are nothing. If we have good people and we treat them correctly, in turn we can treat our clients correctly and repair their cars correctly,” sheDilawrisaid. prides itself on elevating its staff within the company, according to Cassie, who claims that “out of the ten techs in the back, more than half of them have come up from the detail department and become a technician within the organization.”

“Doing whatever we can to make the process smooth and easy for the client is something I have always really enjoyed. I enjoy people and seeing how happy they are when they get their vehicle back.”

The International Bodyshop Industry Symposium (IBIS) held its Global Summit in Monaco. The event was originally set for 2020 and was planned in celebration of IBIS’ 20-year anniversary, but the pandemic forced the group to postpone the event to June 2022.

20/06/2022 30 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM EVENTS

MEETING MONACOIN Industry delegates return to the international stage

This year’s IBIS interviewees: three talented painters each paving their way in the industry. From left to right, IBISTV host Sean Fletcher; freelance refinisher Rachel Murray, who also owns her own business, Paint by Rach; Daryl Head, painter at FMG Repair Services and Ase Brekke Roe.

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIREVENTS3115:42

Story and photos by ALLISON ROGERS

It had been more than two years since the last IBIS Global Summit—the organization’s last in-person Summit was held in Lake Maggiore, Italy, in 2019. This year, delegates gathered at Le Meridien Beach Plaza hotel in Monaco from June 15 through June 17. Attendees witnessed compelling sessions from international delegates, including Canadian industry representation from Flavio Battilana, the chief strategy officer for CSN Collision Centre, who provided international delegates with some insight on the Canadian industry’s pandemic experience.

T he International Bodyshop Industry Symposium (IBIS) sure knows how to throw a welcome-back party. The organization held its first in-person Global Summit in June, which saw hun dreds of international industry delegates travel to the principality of Monaco to network along the shores of the French Riviera.

Collision Repair was in Monaco for the IBIS Global Summit—catch some of the action on the following pages!

Ryan Bruno, president and CEO of CSN Collision Centres; Tifarah Senkow, vice president of sales for Advantage Parts Solutions and Sean Donaldson, senior vice president of CSN Collision Centres. Steve Warwick, Solera, and Bryan McLauchlan, KCAutos.

The first night of the IBIS Global Summit featured a welcome dinner, sponsored by Axalta, on the Le Meridien Beach Plaza’s private waterfront space.

Nick Spiers, director of strategic initiatives for Fix Network World, and Frederic Fischer, regional vice president, EMEA, for Fix Network World.

32 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM EVENTS

Osvaldo Bergaglio, CEO of Symach, and Gloria Mann, VP of Industry Relations for Media Matters. Nashville, U.S.A.—based Dave Luehr amped up the crowds with an impassioned presentation on seeking top talent in today’s industry.

Shellie and Farzam Afshar with Gloria Mann (centre) of Media Matters. Gloria Mann of Media Matters, Johnna Horn and Greg Horn.Roberto Sticca, general manager of CSN Collision Centres (Italia), and Flavio Battilana, chief strategy officer for CSN Collision Centres.

Michael Macaluso, president of paint, collision and glass for Driven Brands; Gloria Mann, Media Matters; and Adriano Mercanti, Driven Brands.

Joerg Gotteling and Florian Kaister of SATA with Gloria Mann, Media Matters.

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIREVENTS33

DRIVINGFORACAUSE

Milton, Ontario’s Greystone Golf Course served as a picturesque backdrop for a round of golf on a beautiful Tuesday morning in June.

34 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM EVENTS

Sylvain Seguin, executive v-p of Fix Network Canada, and Jamie NeumanRodrigues, marketing and special projects manager at Fix Network World.

Story by MAX REID

The day provided a perfect networking venue for industry heavyweights, like Fix Network’s regional v-p for Ontario, Daryll O’Keefe, and PPG’s Canadian director of refinishing, Norm Angrove.

The pristine greens located about 60 kilometres from Toronto were bustling with golfers from all across the industry, including Audatex, LKQ, NAPA Auto Parts, Axalta Coatings, Norton Abrasives, Hunter Engi neering, AkzoNobel, Enterprise Rent-a-Car and Economical Insurance. Vendors pitched tents across the breadth of course, keeping the golfers cool with water and refreshments while also dishing out some of the hottest product information to hit the aftermarket.Acoolbreeze helped keep the hot June sun at bay as the day kicked off at 8:30 a.m. with a shotgun start to the tournament. While the friendly competition was very much the spirit of the day, prizes were given out to the winning foursome, the longest drives and the closest to the pin.

W ith the weather being as good as it was, and the cause being supported even greater, there isn’t just one thing that made Fix Network’s 13th annual Masters Golf Tournament the triumphant return to form that it was.

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 35

Back after a two year hiatus, executives from Fix Network, along with representatives from a number of aftermarket brands, were on-hand at Greystone Golf Club in Milton, Ont. in mid-June for a day full of golf and good times.

“You’re doing a great thing here today because today is not about business… today is about community.”

— Daryll O’Keefe, regional v-p ontario, Fix Network

Bruce Carrick, director of business development and analytics at Solera, and Wanja Mann, industry relations assistant at Media Matters Inc.

36 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM EVENTS

Fix Network welcomed its partners from the insurance industry, including Economical Insurance, to join in the fun and support a great cause.

Fix Network has been a partner of Ronald McDonald House Charities since 2016 and has donated tens of thousands of dollars to support the charity’s programs nationwide.

At Fix Auto, we are committed to helping ensure your hard work can be passed on. Our training, systems, technology and support give your business the tools it needs to stand the test of time. With over 730 locations in 12 countries, Fix Auto is the world’s largest network of independent repairers. BECAUSE THE NEXT GENERATION MATTERS FIX AUTO. IT’S A FAMILY THING Contact Daryll O’Keefe at dokeefe@fixnetwork.com or visit fixauto.com/jointhenetwork to find out more. fixauto.com

Registration fees for this year’s tournament, as well as the air cannon fees, were donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) and its programs across Canada.

In total, the 2022 Fix Network Masters Golf Tournament generated $7,680 in donations toward RMHC.

Fix Network’s regional v-p for Ontario, Daryll O’Keefe said in his opening address, “It has been two years since we have been able to have this golf tournament. I want to thank all of you for being here because you’ve all stepped up.

38 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM EVENTS

“You’re doing a great thing here today because today is not about business…today is about community.”

For those who were looking for something a little stronger than a driver, organizers had an air cannon on-hand where golfers could pay to launch a ball as close to the pin as possible.

Are you ready to embrace change for a secure future? PROCOLOR IS YOUR ANSWER Operational field Exclusivesupportterritory –adds equity to your business Proven experience in winning Insurance work National arrangementssupply Full branding and marketing support The power of a global brand Contact Daryll O’Keefe at dokeefe@fixnetwork.com or visit procolor.com/franchise to find out more.

Media Matters. 40 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM EVENTS MEET-CUTE MONTREAL Reunited at CCIF—and it feels so good  Story and photos by ALLISON ROGERS CCIF

thanks Vince Maida, Desjardins Insurance, and Chelsea Stebner, Parr Auto Body, for their service on the Steering Committee.

Flavio Battilana, chief strategy officer, CSN Collision Centres, and Wanja Mann, industry relations assistant, Chairman Paul Prochilo

MONTREAL

Howard Berg, Fuyao North America; Karl Kirschenman, Spanesi Americas; Wanja Mann, Media Matters; Allison Rogers, Media Matters; Constantino Uliano, Spanesi Americas; Gloria Mann, Media Matters.

Koos Reineking, Lift Auto Group.

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIREVENTS41

C anadian industry stakeholders recently gathered for the Canadian Collision Industry Forum’s (CCIF) first event in two years, four months and three days—not that we were counting. CCIF chairman Paul Prochilo said all verticals of the industry were represented at CCIF Montreal: 51 percent of attendees identified as suppliers/distributors, he said; 23 percent were from collision centres; 13 percent from the insurer space; eight percent students/educators; two percent were OE manufacturers or dealers and three percent media. The excitement was palpable on the conference floor and, even without the beloved tradeshow portion, attendees were more than ready to network after two-and-a-half years of virtual meetups. Collision Repair was there to catch all the action check out some of the friendly faces we chatted with at CCIF Montreal!

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Call

At LKQ, what“better”passionaforisdrives us. For LKQ, the world’s “good enough” isn’t good enough. We believe better is the reward for those who keep striving. We bring this passion for better to our work every day. Since our founding, we’ve poured this passion into a better way to process and re-use parts, all with the strong desire to improve the world “one part at a time”. Today, LKQ is the auto industry’s largest recycler of vehicles. Our salvage vehicle operations recycle more than 90% of the materials from end-of-life vehicles that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Us : 866-LKQ-CORP

NOVEMBER 1–4, 2022 LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER REGISTER TO ATTEND AT SEMASHOW.COM WHERE CONNECTIONS ARE BUILT

Blair Earle and Vinesh Mistry, IAA Inc.  Jay Perry, Ally Business Coaching, and wife Kim.

Daryll O’Keefe, Fix Network; Ryan Bruno, CSN Collision Centres; Les Pawlowski, Symach Canada.

Craig Kirby, Consolidated Collision Services; Gloria Mann, Media Matters; Chris Chinn, Consolidated Collision Services; Mike Beier, Consolidated Collision Services. Mike Gilliland and Rebecca Fyfe, AutoHouse Technologies.

Patrice Marcil, Axalta.

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIREVENTS45

A few of the team from AIA Canada: Kalli Foster, Pamela Fraser, Sophie Meunier, Caroline Lacasse and Tanya Scheidl.

Wanja Mann, Media Matters; Les Pawlowski, Symach Canada; Jay Perry, Ally Business Coaching; Gloria Mann, Media Matters.Patrick Veilleux, Car-Part.com.

46 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM EVENTS

Warren Bennett, who recently retired from his longtime role with Desjardins Insurance.

Gloria Mann of Media Matters with John Turner of SATA Canada.

MONTREAL

SUCCESSFUL TEAMS Successful teams have relationships that are based on commitment, cooperation, and trust. Being a part of the CARSTAR family has helped us to embody this and build successful teams. Contact Collin Welsh to learn more about joining the CARSTAR family at cwelsh@carstar.ca CARSTAR Torcam Group CARSTAR Simcoe, CARSTAR Brantford, and CARSTAR Brantford West Top row: Brad Wardell, Laura Torres, Kelly Avery, and Anthony LePage (operations managers and insurance/administration manager) Bottom row: Sebastian Torres, Liliana Camacho, and Javier Torres (owners)

The takeaway here was that no one offered sympathy or checked to make sure everyone was OK after the accident. The conversation went straight to the insurer. No one talked about OEM certifications to encourage the customer to choose their shop to do business with based on their advanced training.

Mike also challenged the audience to do a better job of educating and understanding their customers. He asked us to step into the customer’s mindset—to tap into their feelings and emotions that occur immediately following an accident: fear, frustration, anger, anxiety, etc. Several members of the audience offered their shop’s phone number for Mike to call, live, with all of us listening in. Of the three shops called, one never answered, one put us on hold for almost a minute before we hung up, and the third shop wanted us to call the insurance company first and then schedule an appointment.

• Grow your own team instead of stealing them from competitors Mike spent lots of time talking about things that will HAVE TO CHANGE in the industry, specifically related to staffing (wages, career advancement, and retention). He also touched on how shops need to do a better job of educating and treating their customers and how consumers will continue to demand a more modern customer service experience. To set the stage for the discussion about wages, Mike posted a help wanted ad for Dick’s Drive-In, which has multiple locations in Washington, that read:

PAY, PERKS, AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Promotion opportunities ALL managers promoted from within To drive the point home, Mike asked several members of the audience, “If I wanted to come and work for you with no experience and was willing to start as a detailer, what could you offer me?” Most shop owners shared starting salaries of $12 to 15 an hour, one week of paid vacation, and only partially paid health insurance premiums. Clearly, not veryNext,competitive.Mikeshared a story about his nephew going to work for Amazon after high school a few years ago. Today, this young man, in his early 20s, is making over $100K per year, has about $200K in Amazon stock, and loves hisThejob.point is: The collision repair industry doesn’t have a staffing problem—it has a pay problem. The job market has changed and to compete effectively against employers like Dick’s and Amazon, the industry is going to have to change the way its employees are compensated.Mikealsooffered some interesting thoughts on growing and retaining your employees. His suggestion was to grow your own employee base instead of hiring them away from competitors. A thriving organization should be able to offer career path options for those interested in advancing their roles. Retention

bonuses, rather than hiring bonuses, should be used to reward long-term tenure.

48 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

• Paid time off for volunteer service

• $5,000 to $9,000 per year for tuition/ childcare • 401(k) with 50% employer match

• MSO employee turnover was 43 percent within the first year following an acquisition

• You can compete against the large operators just change the way you play the game

• 100 percent employer-paid medical insurance

ndustry operators are going to have to treat their employees and their customers better if they hope to remain competitive. That was the message several hundred collision repair operators and suppliers heard loud and clear at the recent Southeastern Collision Conference in South Carolina. The atmosphere at the gathering was energetic and collegial, with some of the industry’s top speakers offering engaging sessions with small breakout groups and product demos. There was even a skills competition with a $1,000 cash prize! Mike Anderson, former MSO body shop owner and founder of Collision Advice, addressed the audience regarding his take on the current conditions of the industry and what he is witnessing through his consulting practice:•172of his clients have sold their collision businesses to consolidators in the last 18 months

One shop shared its plan of $500 per year of service, capping out at $10,000 per employee per year. Showing appreciation to employees through cash bonuses was discouraged because it was believed that the impact was quickly forgotten. Employees also felt more appreciated when the shop owners rewarded them by meeting their needs through other means, like offering personal services such as housekeeping, landscaping, or advanced training.

Another important discussion topic was on elevating the customer experience. Mike asked

Column by NANCY ROLLAND How the industry needs to change

• Starting wages at $19 per hour

• Up to three weeks paid vacation

I

The 2010 Honda Fit made famous by the John Eagle lawsuit, in which a Dallas-area couple, the Seebachans, was awarded $42 million after shoddy repairs to their vehicle trapped them in a fiery crash.

NANCY B. ROLLAND is a managing director of FOCUS Investment Banking with more than 20 years of experience in sourcing, managing and executing mergers and acquisition activities for small business owners and multiple Fortune 500 companies. She can be reached at nancy.rolland@focusbankers.com, or by phone at 954-610-3410. audience members to think about their own daily lives and their shopping preferences. Amazon has taken shopping to the next level, making it easy to purchase practically anything your heart desires and shipping it directly to your home. You never have to get off the couch or spend your valuable time off shopping. Prescriptions and groceries can be delivered to your home for free, on the day and time that is convenient for you. Yet for a customer to do business with a collision repair center, at one of the most frustrating times in their life, they must take time off work and come to your facility on your terms. Did you know that almost 50 percent of accidents occur outside of normal business hours (i.e., Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.)? Do you have a way for these prospective customers to reach you outside of those hours? Do you offer online appointment scheduling or have the ability for them to upload pictures of the vehicle’s damage prior to their visit? If not, you are likely missing out on a huge opportunity to win this business. As we exited the conference, in the parking lot sat the 2010 Honda Fit that was made famous by the John Eagle lawsuit, in which a Dallas-area couple, the Seebachans, was awarded $42 million after shoddy repairs to their vehicle trapped them in a fiery crash. The car was there on loan from the Auto Body Association of Texas, which was represented by Burl Richards. “Matthew Seebachan’s burns were so severe that medical students at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center studied him ‘because they had never seen a live cadaver’,” said Todd Tracy, the attorney who represented the car’s owners. “Childbirth is an eight out of 10 on the pain scale, and that’s with an epidural,” Tracy said. “Matthew lives in 9 (on the pain scale) 24 hours a day and he will for the rest of his life. That’s why the jury gave him $42Seeingmillion.”the vehicle makes one realize how important your work is, the impact it has on families, and the financial health of your business.

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 49 MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

N o two collision centres are the same; every management team has its own approach to achieving success and a culture of high performance within its organization. That is a fact Consolidated Collision Services (CCS) knows and celebrates, working closely with each of its industry partners to conquer collision centre-specific and sector-wide challenges alike.

After nearly a decade of CCS entering the market, its mission remains the same to this day: to become Canada’s largest and most preferred new car dealer collision network.

CUTTING-EDGECREATIVITY ccsdealers.com | heffner.ca | capitalcollisioncentre.com | southpointecollision.com There are infinite ways to innovate— let these CCS members show you how

“One thing that becomes immediately clear about CCS is the quality of the locations in our network, and the quality of the people and teams at these locations,” says Mike Beier, general manager of CCS. “Being new car dealer exclusive, offering a cooperative ownership structure and the ability to tap into the unique ways CCS supports is members—those are just a few of the CCS principles that have attracted some of the largest and most successful dealership-owned collision centres in the market. “As a result, we have found ourselves with members that are pushing the limits of innovation and who are offering a truly world-class experience for their customers,” addedBuiltBeier. from the ground up by dealers, for dealers, CCS works with its network of new car dealers across the country to focus on three key opportunities for growth; retaining more collision customers, managing and improving collision centre performance, and creating opportunities for locations to be put on the map with its national insurance partners. CCS have been working overtime as of late, creating new partnerships with dealers and industry; forming new strategies to optimize throughput in today’s environment, and supporting its network with weekly training opportunities through CCS University— remaining keenly focused on fostering an environment of innovation across its 85 locations.  Collision Repair mag checked in with some of CCS’s top performers to hear how they’re managing today’s challenges and staying ahead of the competition:

As the manager of Kitchener, Ontario’s Heffner Collision Centre and a longtime member of Canada’s collision industry, Minty is an expert on keeping collision operations streamlined.

Collision centre manager, Heffner Collision Centre

“Making sure our customers are comfortable and confident in how their vehicle is repaired is a top priority for the Heffner team.”

In fact, as one of the few Lexus-certified repairers in its locale, Greater Toronto Area-based drivers often make the trek to Heffner seeking repairs of the highest quality. Heffner also stays ahead of the curve where environmental sustainability is concerned. The company’s campus generates power via solar panels and is fully equipped for electric and hybrid vehicles.

“There’s a lot of training out there, whether it be through I-CAR, BASF, CCS or others. Our goal lies in making sure our technicians fully understand and feel 100 percent safe when faced with an electric vehicle.”

The team also welcomes newcomers looking to learn more about a career in the“We’retrade. always actively looking for apprentices that are willing to learn; we have a second-year apprentice on staff now. We’re prepared to offer a chance to anyone that has a passion for vehicles and a hunger for knowledge.”

UPHOLDING A

It becomes clear when you look at the company’s employee retention.

Given its association with the Heffner Toyota and Lexus dealerships and its status as a founding member of CCS, the Heffner Collision Centre also lauds a loyal customer following. On top of that, most of the vehicles sent through the facility are between one and five years old, which means keeping on top of emerging technologies and knowing your way around a complex repair is key for the collision repair team.  “Most of our customers have purchased their vehicles here. When they walk into the store, the expectation is very high,” explained Minty. “We have a duty to our customers. We need to stay ahead of the curve, adapt and know how to repair both new and emerging technologies.”

“The majority of our technicians have been here for more than 10 years; we have one person in the dealership that’s been here for almost 40 years,” Minty told Collision Repair.

BARRY MINTY LOCAL LEGACY

Heffner aims to be a one-stop shop, offering dealership, detail, collision, mechanical, glass and calibration services all onsite in its 1,800 square-metre bodyshop. Further, OEM Certifications from Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Stellantis, Genesis and more help to boost customer confidence, said Minty.

BARRY MINTY knows how to keep operations fresh.

And Minty says there are no plans to slow down, where optimization is concerned.“Ournext step [for the collision centre] is continuing to evolve, particularly in training for electric vehicle repairs and advanced computer systems.

“I’m not going to say things won’t change around here [in the future], but we’re in a really good place for the time being. I prefer change to be gradual yet consistent.

Newman just celebrated five years of service with Capital Collision in June 2022, though the facility is a relatively new name in the CCS ranks, joining the network amid the 1,300 square metres (14,000 sq. ft.) of space with three paint booths, three prep stalls and nine technicians on the production floor. In terms of OEM certifications, Newman says the team is fit to serve any automaker under the Certified Collision Care certification banner, as well as BMW, Mini, Hyundai, Genesis, Subaru andCustomerMitsubishi.retention is a top priority for Capital Collision; Newman estimates approximately 95 percent of the vehicles repaired at Capital are sold through its dealership partners. He says the facility pushes between 110 to 120 repair orders per month and works with all major insurers— something CCS has played a key role in. “Mike Beier, and his team helped a lot in our facility securing new insurance partnerships and having the opportunity to be top performers for them,” said Newman. “It was a long conversation and the CCS team were integral in getting everything lined up for us.”

But, in terms of collision, I feel like we’re as good as we can be.”

“We have a pretty big facility, though—we could take on some mechanical repairs.

General manager, Capital Collision Centre

MODESTY IN MOUNT PEARL

Thepandemic.facilityboasts

MARCUS NEWMAN

As a top provider of quality repairs—the team uses AllData to acquire procedures and recently implemented adasThink— organization is a high priority. “We use the Repair Centre production grid—we keep it up on the production floor all the time. I organize it based on department: you’ve got your body, your prep, your paint and then who the lead tech is on each. Everybody can see who and what are in each area, and the due-in and due-out dates.” Such organizational strategies have proven productive in streamlining operations.“Wehave a production meeting every morning, to outline what we have coming in, what’s expected to go out, who’s working on what. That’s been key in avoiding hiccups in the production line. Everybody knows the flow for the day.”

“We didn’t have to implement much to alter our customer approach,” said Newman. “We always pride ourselves on quality and customerNewmansatisfaction.”istaking the same modest approach into the future.

These tactics have also been beneficial in offering exceptional customer service— something Capital Collision is well-versed in. The team won the CCS Customer Service Matters contest in Q1 2022, an honour presented to a member of the network that proves outstanding customer service. Quarterly winners are selected based on real customer feedback from the CCS CSI portal.

MARCUS NEWMAN began his career on the production floor, first as a prepper and later as a painter. He says these skills play a big part in leading the operations at Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Capital Collision Centre.

The facility is also certified for Toyota and Lexus repairs and touts ties with Stellantis and other OEMs via Certified Collision Care. It also offers full collision repair and mechanical service in addition to PDR, glass and windshield repair.

South Pointe prides itself on being progressive and processoriented while remaining focussed on customer service and retention.Onerecent practice carried out by Dayton, implemented to mitigate current parts delays, has been the concept of disassembly for estimates; the team will take driveable vehicles, disassemble as much as they can while keeping the vehicle driveable, and put it back together again. The whole process takes between one to two hours, said Dayton. “We explain the required job to the customer and then order the parts,” he explained. “Our goal is zero supplements on parts. We do everything we can to capture all the parts on the initial estimate.”

Dayton credits much of his success in those beginning stages to support from industry partners. “Having that fresh perspective but also looking at things from a dealership perspective helped me greatly, but I had a ton of support from Mike [Beier] and the CCS team; and from Color Compass and BASF.”

TRENT

The South Pointe team was an early adopter of the BASF Advanced Process Solutions (APS) program, a customized module centred around adding consistency and predictability to bodyshop operations. “The formula just made sense to me,” said Dayton. “The best part is how the program incorporates your team. I’m a big believer in having my team write their own processes.”

When the hail does hit the Calgary-based bodyshop, it’s a bit of a mixed-bag feeling, according to Dayton. On one hand, there’s ample money to be made; on the other, that’s a whole lot of cars that need fixing. “If a hailstorm hits, the claims are immediate. Not only that but, as a dealership facility, we’re now repairing those cars—we can’t sell them until they’re fixed. South Pointe Toyota Collision Centre goes full throttle; we’re open seven days a week at that point.”

South Pointe teamed up with a duo of confident paintless dent repair techs who set up business inside the collision repair facility, working out of three bays inside the 2,000 square-metre facility. “We’ll have additional paintless repair techs come from out of town. They’re willing to work extended hours to get stuff done.”

And, being associated with the Toyota brand, the idea of kaizen—or continuous improvement—is top-of-mind. “You could say I’m always looking to see what we’re ‘failing’ on—marks or goals that we may have come shy of—in addition to promoting all the good stuff,” he explained.

“Our team has a solid understanding that, without considering the negatives, there is no way for us to improve.”

DAYTON

ANOTHER DAY IN HAILSTORM ALLEY

Operations manager, South Pointe Toyota Collision Centre

OPERATING in Canada’s hailstorm alley keeps the team at South Pointe Toyota Collision busy; but, in the words of Operations Manager Trent Dayton, “you just deal with it as it comes.”

Dayton has been a driving force behind the success of the South Pointe Toyota Collision Centre. He originally ran the detail department for the South Pointe Toyota dealership before his expertise was called in to kickstart the company’s collision operations.“Thecollision repair industry is a different entity, that’s for sure,” said Dayton, who’s been a “dealership guy” his whole life.

South Pointe is certified for Toyota and Lexus repairs and touts ties with Stellantis and other OEMs via Certified Collision Care. It also offers full collision repair and mechanical service in addition to PDR, glass and windshield repair.

Customer retention is a top priority for Capital Collision; Newman estimates approximately 95 percent of the vehicles repaired at Capital are sold through its dealership partners. Capital Collision Centre boasts 1,300 square metres (14,000 sq. ft.) of space with three paint booths, three prep stalls and nine technicians on the production floor.

“The majority of our technicians have been here for more than 10 years; we have one person in the dealership that’s been here for almost 40 years,” said Heffner Collision Centre manager Barry Minty.

Heffner is keenly focused on its environmental impact—the company’s campus generates power via solar panels and is fully equipped for electric and hybrid vehicles, all while providing top-notch repairs to a loyal customer base.

© 2021 Consolidated Collision Services. All rights reserved. The CCS Logo is a registered trademark of Consolidated Dealers Co-Operative Inc. What you join matters, who you join matters MORE. Since 2013, CCS has been the network of choice for Canada’s most progressive new car dealer collision centres. For dealers, by dealers, our tailor-made solutions will help grow your business by retaining more customers and putting you on the map with our national insurance partners. For the road ahead and the road less traveled, CCS will be there for you. If you are a new car dealer anywhere in Canada, find out more by booking your test drive of CCS today. For more information visit us at www.ccsdealers.com Contact us at info@ccsdealers.com Over 85 locations. One mission. To be the best. Consolidated Collision Services

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 51 LET’S TALK TRAINING

Column by STEFANO LIESSI

THERE IS NOTHING FINER THAN A NICE ‘SPLASH’ Summer colours are wonderful when they match Ibegan my career in the collision industry on the floor in the refinish department. A few years amid the lacquer putty and primer. I can still smell the sweet scent of talc. Sadly, it will be one of the scents that likely triggers me in my years of aging as I was, like many, less than cognizant of the safety protection against the harms of the materials that were the mainstay of our craft. Plumes of dust in the air from sanding and banging sanding blocks on our coveralls, to unclog the copious amounts of sanding residue, to stretch that piece of 320 that much further. Not to mention every prepper’s personal blower they had on hand to create a vortex of dust within the shop. Usually, a blower comprised of a push rod from a small block Chev brazed into a Milton fitting. Ah, the good old days. The delayed gratification of the final shine on that perfectly prepped panel was always worth it. The time in the booth laying on those coats of beautiful colour, pouring your heart with the utmost precision—all in pursuit of that dust-free finish. To see your hard work come out the crossflow booth—the ones with the filters in the doors—while the antics of my first paragraph unfolded in front of said doors. A lot has changed over the years. There have been an incredible number of advancements in the refinish area. Amazing colours on an After all, a onlypaintergetsonechancetogetitright.

Today’s consumer demands quality and perfection. the invisible repair that we so graciously promote is very achievable in our shops.

52 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM LET’S TALK TRAINING

endless spectrum of tones, flips, shades, depths and glitters. Some of them are even matte in appearance. First time shine is always wonderful, but what happens when it’s a collision repair with a partial finish? Today’s finishes use processes unlike anything we used to pull off in the so-called old days. The sheer variance in applications and colours were minimal then, compared to today. It was sometimes easier to match a colour—especially when many of them had the depth and appearance of a tablecloth. It was not uncommon for a painter to pull the stick out of the cup and do a quick eyeball of the colour to confirm it was good to go. On some rare occasions, a painter would do an actual spray out card, but this could turn into a lengthy process with drying times involved. Tinting on the fly was no big challenge for many either, as we were able to ‘tint off the stick’ as we would say. And, when all else fails, add some green. Words I hold dearly from a painter I worked with decades ago as I was learning. My point is that things were, in a way, sim pler back then. Today’s colours and finishes, however, are second to none. There really isn’t a bad paint line out there; and, if there is, it is short for the world. Today’s consumer demands quality and perfection, the invisible repair that we so graciously promote is very achievable in our shops. Let’s face it, if someone was to damage my car, I want to be indemnified to the position I was prior to the incident. This includes colour match. So, with our abilities and products coupled along with the consumer demands and war ranties; why are collision centres not advancing their administration to match? Our products do not allow us to perform in the same ways anymore—nor do our process tactics. Blueprinting and spray outs go hand in hand; they are part of the process of repair, not a cost of doing business. This is a timely process to get that match correct. Now in many cases, the chosen colour is what we call blendable—but not in every event. The paint manufacturers are faced with many challenges, as are the painters. Location of the original build, the environment, OEM contract switches, component spraying off site or at different times, spray date from factory, variations of tints from the OEM level to the different suppliers at the consumer level, 2-3-4 stage refinish, and the list goes on. When the colour is not blendable, we need to do spray outs. With today’s products, tint off the stick is no longer an option; waterborne finishes have altered that landscape making it great for the environment, but not so great for tint off the Spray-outsstick. require time to complete and material. It’s easier as painters develop their catalogue—but you’re kidding yourself if you think you’re going to be ahead of the issues. You’re merely managing them. Time is money, and it needs to be accounted for on your admin side. If you are giving warranties and promises of invisible repairs to customers, then you must take the time to do the process correctly. We are not exactly in a period where we can just do a redo no problem—in case you’ve missed it, the increases in price of materials is way more than it ever has been. There are a lot of factors that go into cost. Putting a cap on processes and material is ludicrous when you are expecting a oneand-done deal. Thank goodness for the paint manufacturer training that is available—that’s something that was far sparser 25 years ago. It is a great benefit to the painter to take up what they can from the supplier in effort to become that much better with the product and understand the challenges that lay ahead with matching and refinish. After all, a painter only gets one chance to get it right. In my opinion, and you are entitled to my opinion: if you are going to be held hostage by your KPIs, then you need to account for all the processes and cost involved. Materials and matching are a small part of the equation with a big impact on your business and it’s time to have it accounted for.

STEFANO LIESSI A Red Seal technician and founder of Canadian Collision Specialist, Stefano Liessi enhances his experience with 12 years of I-CAR instructing, coupled with high school teaching to bring training that encompasses all learning types. With experience on the corporate side of the industry, as well as in management and ownership, Stefano’s focus is proper repairs and equitably for all people involved in the collision industry.

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54 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM WHO’S DRIVING

Column by JAY PERRY

GETTING THE SHINE BACK

CUSTOMER EDUCATION IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR A SUCCESSFUL TRANSACTION.

Part Two: Timing is everything In this article we are going to focus on the second of three fundamentals we must establish with each customer in order that we deliver a product or service that is going to fully satisfy the customer. As each of you leaders know, the customer’s expectations continue to escalate to new heights. Nowhere is that more evident than in the area of time. In this age of instant gratification, time is the premium commodity and carries great weight. As illustration, how many times have you received an email that you intend to answer very shortly only to be interrupted by a phone call or a text asking if we received the email? People want everything, and they want it now There are processes to everything. It is unlikely your customer is aware of such processes. After all, you are the expert and know what must be done. They are not. I’ll give you an example, again from my days in collision repair, where a customer looks at an estimate projecting costs of a repair. On that estimate is a listing of the various operations that must be executed to complete a safe and proper repair. Once a customer seeing 24 hours in estimated labor assumed that the job could be repaired from 9 a.m. one day to 9 a.m. the next day. It wasn’t their fault they misunderstood the meaning the phrase 24-hours; they are not theTheyexpert.did not understand the processes of procurement, preparation, drying-times, movement, and positioning, etc. that goes into a 24-hour repair. What the customer likely doesn’t know is that it takes four to six days to execute a repair of this magnitude. This highlights what is absolutely necessary for a successful transaction: education. This education takes time and patience on our part because we are dealing with people that don’t know the intricacies of what we are doing. You are working with a neophyte with whom you must still maintain and display a great deal of respect. This is the area of the customer relationship that takes the most skill. We must keep them onside with us, building trust, and show them we know more than they do so they should listen to us. Simply telling them to trust you will not work. How many of your team members have those needed qualities? They can be learned if you provide appropriate training and development.

Another aspect to timeliness of delivery is the current supply-chain problems that almost every industry is facing. From computer chips to corn chips, supply-chain issues impact us and our ability to deliver in a timely, customersatisfying way. This is something that you must communicate as a reason—not an excuse! More education of the customer is needed if we want to be successful. Take the time to search and get commitments from suppliers on delivers prior to committing to your customer. Ask for permission to take longer than what they are used to waiting. It is a part of the way we stay the one who’s driving!

JAY PERRY is the founder of Ally Business Coaching, a process improvement and leadership development firm, and co-author of the book Success Manifesto with Brian Tracy. Jay is also an education partner with California Coast University in Santa Ana, California. He can be reached at jayperryally@gmail.com

Impact Auto Auctions is Now IAA CA.IAAI.com © 2022 IAA, Inc. All rights reserved. BID. BUY. REPAIR.

56 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM TOM’S TALES

Column by TOM BISSONNETTE ... CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS ISSUE

THE GREAT GAME OF GETTING RESULTS

Teamwork makes the dream work—but it takes a little more, too I n my last article, I touched on how we went from being a flat rate shop to a straight time shop. I wanted to expand on that a bit—I am not endorsing one pay system over the other for any of you. Every shop is different and whatever works best for you, keep doing it. For me, flat rate was like having a bunch of independent businessmen and women working in your shop. Some of them even work their own hours leaving early on Fridays for example. Some of them will not do anything that they do not get paid for and quite frankly, why should they? They are like an independent contractor and teamwork is not always high on their list. One challenge was divvying up the work. Trying to make sure everyone was treated fairly and given good jobs where they could make time was not always easy. For example, big jobs that required a very highly skilled technician could not be given to just anybody. The trouble was that after a while your highly skilled tech gets frustrated because they are doing all the train wrecks while other techs are working on the gravy no wonder their toolboxes have wheels on them! What I did like about flat rate was that the technicians were self-motivated. They eat what they kill, and they do not require constant supervision. I have worked with some that were great teammates and were great to work with, but I can count those guys using the fingers of one hand. Straight time requires greater supervision and better management skills. Translation: a lot of work! Part of making it work is that you must find the right people that like a reliable paycheck and enjoy working on a team. The best way to find these people is to grow them yourself; that is exactly what we did. I explained in my last article that when I moved our shop to straight time to accommodate lean techniques, our main flat rate tech quit. I have seen this happen in other shops that made a similar move, and it is not fun. The nice part about straight time is that you can load level jobs by shifting people from one department to another. For example, if your paint department is getting backed up you can send techs from the body side to help and, in the process, you are cross training your people.

Large trainwreck-type jobs can be handled by a team of people rather than one high tech guy—we generally would have younger techs doing the disassembly and repair planning then let our more experienced tech do the frame and major bodywork, sometimes with an apprentice at their side. The challenge here

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 57 TOM’S TALES

Autobody Refinish, Supplies, Collision Repair Training Services, & Specialty Market Coatings Nationwide. is that your labour efficiency takes a hit when you are training a young up-and-comer, but the goal was always to develop our young techs to do the repairs properly while developing their skill sets. It took us five years to develop a highquality team of young superstar technicians. That is when I started to be concerned about them being poached by other shops. I knew I had to do something to prevent that and, interestingly enough, I had begun thinking about succession planning. None of my own children were interested in the auto body business so I knew eventually somebody outside the family would have to take over. I identified some key individuals at Parr and approached them about the opportunity to buy into the business. I explained to them that the only reason that I ever left a job was simply because I did not have an ownership position and my plan was to retire from the day-to-day business in the next five years. At first they were suspicious, wondering what the catch was, but through regular communication and education they became quite excited about the opportunity. I explained that I simply was worried about losing them to another shop for a dollar or two an hour and I wanted to “nail their foot to the floor!”

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TOM BISSONNETTE is the director of the Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers (SAAR). Tom’s Tales is a series of Collision Repair magazine articles chronicling his journey through the collision industry, since 1982. Besides telling his story, Tom hopes that today’s shopowners and manager can learn from his victories—and his mistakes.

The key thing with the Great Game of Business is that we were able to engage all our employees, not just the owners, in the mindset of improving productivity and profitability while at the same time sharing those profits with the people that helped make them. I will be honest with you; we never did always get to where we wanted to be but thankfully we were not where we used to be. We continued to develop a lean work environment. I would like to be able to tell you what the shortcut is to achieve it, but I have not found it yet. A good analogy would be like somebody asking how to lose weight and get fit without doing the hard work; there are no shortcuts; it is just simply hard work and dogged persistence.

58 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM TOM’S TALES

In the meantime, I was approached by a large consolidator with an offer to buy our business. It was like a pretty girl winking at you and, although I was intrigued, my commitment was to the young people that helped me build the business. So I declined any further discussions about selling out. I’m not judging anyone that has gone that route because many of these operators have built a business so big that only a consolidator can afford to buy them out. To make it affordable for my teammates, I initially sold them a total of 30 percent of the company. They each had to come up with their share of the cash price and in addition to their regular wages they would receive dividends paid out quarterly that--depending on the company’s profitability would pay their bank loan. In five years’ time they all owned their shares outright. With a 30 percent stake in the company, they had more than one financial institution vying for the opportunity to buy the rest of the company shares with no money down! Interestingly, they asked me to keep 10 percent of the shares, telling me that they wanted to nail my foot to the floor as a “consultant.” So far they have never really asked me for any serious advice and are doing just fine! One other major step that we took to address the desire to keep our straight time employees motivated was to introduce “open book management.” In the late 1990s, I read a book called The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack. It explained how he took over a decommissioned International Harvester plant with very little money down and turned it into a world class business entity by sharing the company’s financials with eachEventuallyemployee.Jack and his team created a spin-off company called The Great Game of Business where they help coach companies to develop an open-book management program that educates and informs employees to think about your business in the same manner as being an owner. When we had the right culture in place at Parr, I talked to both my wife and to Chelsea Stebner about heading down to the Great Game’s head office in Missouri and participating in an introductory workshop. We came away from that event very excited to embark on this unique business adventure. Then we invited the Great Game people to come to Saskatoon and introduce the concept to our staff. I still remember those introductory meetings, especially when we asked our employees how much money a body shop business should make after all expenses were paid. One of our staff members suggested that we should make 30 percent profit! It was interesting to see the response when we did a yearly budget together based on previous year’s financials and only produced six percent net profit! It was clear to all in the room that we could and should do much better. We started meeting each week and focused on our critical number, which for our shop was hours-generated. This measurement was one that each employee could relate to, much like a flat rate employee. Our initial goal was to produce 1,200 hours a month. For some of our people they felt it was too much of a stretch. As anybody that has done budgeting and goal-setting will know, it did not take very long for this threshold to be reached. From there we continued to set higher goals and systematically achieve them. We set a goal the first year to achieve seven percent net profit for the shop—anything beyond that would be divvied up with all the staff and paid out on a quarterly basis. This first year we paid out more than $80,000 in bonus money. The next year we budgeted for eight percent and so on going forward. I’m not going to exaggerate and tell you that every year we paid out big bonuses, but if we did not everyone in the shop knew exactly why it did not happen.

It took us five years to develop a high-quality team of young superstar technicians. That is when I started to be concerned about them being poached by other shops.

• High-volume, low-speed (HVLS) fans—usually installed overhead—can provide your team some comfort, without blowing things about • Consider your lighting situation; LED bulbs are cheaper and cooler than halogens If death. canheatstrokeuntreated,leftleadto

“Will AC work in my collision centre?” Some units will work. Compared to residential units, industrial AC systems offer stronger materi als and better filters for harsh working environments.

“Will my employees become too relaxed?” Not if you keep the temperature reasonable! 23°C to 25°C is reasonable but ask your employ ees too.

KNOW THE SIGNS PUDDLES CAN’T PAINT CARS Early signs of heatstroke display as profuse sweat ing, an elevated heart rate and rapid breathing. Without cool air on a 35°C day, your staff will burn out by noon. Productivity drops once you’re working in temperatures beyond 25°C. If an A/C installation isn’t in the cards right now, try these tips to let your team feel the breeze on a budget:

“Won’t the air currents ruin my paint jobs?” Probably not. Most air conditioning creates weaker air currents than the average fan.

“What else can I do to lower temperatures?” Replace halogen lights with LEDs, keep heat sources away from ventilation intakes, and main tain good airflow on the floor.

“What else can I do to prevent heatstroke?” Climate control, adequate rest and ventilation are helpful. Don’t forget to hydrate. EXCUSES

“Won’t the cold air escape?” Closing your bay doors will help!  Most ACs will regulate humidity too, in humid environments.

Your staff deserve air conditioning W ould you want to work in a sauna? Probably not. As Canadians, we’re blessed to experience the four seasons: from the snowy, whiteout conditions in the winter months to the blazing hot storm-inducing temperatures of summer. As such, though, we are burdened with the responsibility of the HVAC. Believe it or not, your team has no desire to work in minus 20-degree temperatures, nor do they want to spend the summers wishing they were knee-deep in the cool grips of a snowbank. If you don’t have air conditioning in your facility, your team surely has a bone to pick.

“What about ceiling (direct drive) fans?” These are excellent ventilating fans but work best as a complement to an AC system.

FAST FACTS: QUESTION FAST FACTS: ANSWER

60 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM HEALTH AND SAFETY

There is a moderate risk of heatstroke when an individ ual has dry, red or itchy skin and a high body temperature. Seizures are a frequent sign at this stage, too.  Immediate treatment for heatstroke is required if an individual’s speed is slurred, they appear delirious or confused, and/or are expe riencing seizures.

“Are floor fans a budget alternative to AC?” Sort of. They’re cheaper, but less effective than AC at preventing heat injuries.

NO

“Isn’t AC inefficient?” Only if it’s installed incorrectly! Make sure to check your AC’s recommended space.

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Column by VENESSA DI VITO

62 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM AN INTRICATE WEB

INTERNET REAL ESTATE

Valuable websites are non-negotiable W hen thinking of a website, I no longer regard it as just a tool to gather contact information. When the Internet went public 29 years ago, many people, including myself, used it to gather emails for people and companies. In fact, many sites were created just for this—it’s part of the reason why the Internet grew as fast as it did. The digital world is evolving, though—and customers have become more demanding. Today’s automotive websites must offer up a steady stream of value-added content, information, and entertainment. They must educate and inform existing customers while drawing in future customers with valuable, “need-to-know” facts and information about their vehicles. I always suggest picturing your website as your virtual store. How do you want it to look? What information, resources, or other value-added content can you offer the customers that come in? I am not suggesting a tech-centric approach when it comes to your businesses. But if you don’t have a website, or have one that offers little value, it might be time to look at some ways to make it work harder for you. Why websites—what to do? It helps if you can grasp the real impact that a well-designed website can have on your business. As your biggest digital asset in the virtual world, your business website must look attractive and professional. Show them why your business is the one they need to solve their issue. It must contain the right keywords to get your business as high as possible on Google. Once they’ve landed on the page, that’s your chance to offer up even more valuable content, and earn their future business.Oneof the biggest takeaways is that every page you have on your website represents additional exposure. Value-added content can boost your rankings, while lackluster content can do the exact opposite. Besides good content, optimize your website for search results using search engine optimization. Consider hiring an expert as this is a critical field. Similarly, performance tools can indicate whether your website is at its best. When you have a well-designed, highperformance, value-added website up and running, you will know your hard work has finally paid off! Visitors will be booking, paying, and leaving feedback about your company on a regular basis.

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 63 AN INTRICATE WEB The Sentine ™ allows one technician to remove and replace all type of glass on a wide variety of vehicles ncluding arge busses and RV’s Powered with AirForce™ Technology, the Sentinel™ vacuum cups provide a constant hold to allow movement in a variety of angles to get the right position in lifting or setting glass sales@equalizer.com • 512 . 388 .77 15 • equalizer.com Sitebuilding 101 Not sure how to go about offering education, information, and value for visitors to your site? Take some inspiration from these ideas for pages you could add: Home Page: An overview of your company: who you are, what you do, who your partners are, and how you can help. Repair Status: Poor communication has long been a leading complaint of customers in our industry. This page can interface with your management system and minimize such communication gaps, making it a truly invaluable tool if done correctly. Collision Repair Blog: Publish a post at least once per month about services for your customers. Services Page: List every service you are willing to do for your customers and be sure to include a price. Appointment Scheduling Tool: Host an appointment calendar for customers to book services through your site. Sync it with your other systems to avoid double-booking.

Testimonials: Do you have case studies or testimonials to “wow” your customers? Whether it’s syncing your Google reviews or gathering customer feedback, this can be a powerful promotional tool. Shop: With Amazon leading the way in the “one-stop shop” concept, we must adopt similar strategies in our own businesses. Items can be sold even if not in your inventory, thanks to a variety of online tools. Contact us and newsletter: Develop a list of email contacts to keep customers and leads informed. Incentives like free tools and coupons can help capture more emails.

Don’t allow your company to fall behind the times. With a little time, money, and patience, you can have the kind of website that will help to set you up for long-term success, and plenty of profits. Ninety-eight percent of individuals use the internet on a daily basis, making it the definitive source to find anything and everything a consumer desires.

Some of the biggest challenges for businesses is the cost of marketing. In the past. Compared to 20 years ago, modern software makes it easier to market your business while remaining affordable for smaller businesses. Professionally designed websites usually start at around $1,000.

64 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM AN INTRICATE WEB

VENESSA DI VITO is the owner and founder of Auto+ Performance, a full-service automotive marketing and solutions company specializing in generating growth in sales, traffic, and customer retention for a collision repair, dealership or auto repair facility within their local communities. For almost 20 years Venessa has been helping automotive businesses across North America with business best practices and will continue to find ways to support and grow this ever evolving, yet incredibly exciting, industry.

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I f you’re not looking for something, will you find it MoreSometimes.anyway?Maybe.likely,maybenot. When it comes to collision repair, that’s a problem. For the customer, and for the repair shop. Missing things that could or should have been caught results in inconvenience, extra cost and a very annoyed customer. To uncover hidden problems, you’ve got to know where they might be hiding. The Collision Alignment System from Hunter Engineering shows technicians where to look. This is often necessary, because what’s appropriate for a typical maintenance wheel alignment won’t always be enough for a collision scenario. Primary measurements, such as toe, camber and caster, only get you halfway to where you need to be. Possible hidden damage remains hidden. The Collision Alignment System helps techs finish the job, thanks to specific collision workflow procedures to ensure they take essential in-depth measurements to uncover damage right away – rather than as a surprise during the alignment at the end of the repair process. Or worse: missing it altogether. The five collision-specific diagnostic measurements are: • Toe out on turn

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• Maximum steer • Ride height • Suspension body dimension audit (SBDA) • Symmetry and setback

The time to look for issues is before alignment, not during UNCOVERING HIDDEN DAMAGE

Frequently, a vehicle can check out fine with the usual primary measurements. What the tech would not find without looking would be things like a damaged subframe or unibody, damaged lower control arms, shifted axles, bent spindles or other affected components that would slip under the radar. Not only will the system provide a more complete blueprint of the necessary work, but it also makes the tech’s life easier by walking him or her through the process.

Instead of hunting and pecking all over to find additional measurements, Hunter’s award-winning WinAlign® software guides the tech through the procedures step by step with minimal interaction. Easily decipherable documentation also clearly communicates the nature of the work to be performed. By finding hidden problems at the start of the process instead of the end, a complete estimate can be written that will require no laterThisadjusting.means no extra cycle time and cost, saving time and money for both the customer and the collision shop. Not to mention missed items remaining dormant until they rear their heads months and many miles later, possibly in an unsafe manner. For collision shops interested in doing ADAS work instead of subletting it, the system integrates with Hunter’s ADASLink® diagnostic scan tool, capable of guiding the technician through ADAS calibrations for millions of vehicles. When you don’t know what you don’t know, it’s like walking around in the dark. The Collision Alignment System sheds light and allows you to retain your customers by maintaining your usual standard of quick and accurate service.

It’s been two long years since the Stan Kingshott West Coast Classic golf tournament took place and Lordco Auto Parts is partnering up with CARPAK Distributing Corp. to deliver what should be an unforgettable day on the green.

MAKING IT A WHOLE THING

The annual charity golf tournament, dedicated in memory of tournament co-founder and former president of CARPAK Distributing Corp. Stan Kingshott, typically brings together much of the west coast collision repair community but has been postponed for the past two years due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions.

Transport Canada has issued a probe following reports of a flaming Tesla in downtown Vancouver.

REGIONAL NEWS | COAST TO COAST BRITISH COLUMBIA | REGIONAL NEWS

This year, 36 teams of four golfers each will battle it out at the Vancouver Golf Club, located in Coquitlam, on Aug. 8.

The public spectacle caused by a flaming Tesla in downtown Vancouver raised some red flags with Transport Canada, as the federal regulator’s collision and defect investigation team made an appearance on-scene as part of a newly launched probe into the vehicle. Transport Canada dispatched its team alongside local fire services and ICBC representatives to “locate and secure the vehicle” after reports quickly circulated that a 2021 Tesla Model Y was engulfed in flames in downtown Vancouver. Luckily, the driver managed to kick out his driver-side window and escape the inferno without injury before firefighters extinguished theUnluckilyfire. (for Tesla), the investigation into this incident is far from over as Transport Canada has “notified Tesla of the incident and is currently making arrangements for a joint inspection of the vehicle in an effort to determine the cause of the fire.”

The agency’s American counterpart, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, told Reuters on May 26 that it “is aware of the incident and has reached out to the manufacturer for information.”

Organizers are encouraging those who are interested in attending to get themselves on the guest list, as space in the tournament is limited.

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 67

A new acquisition has expanded Vancouver Community College (VCC)’s Automotive Service Technician curriculum to include fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

TAKE YOUR KINGSHOTT VCC’S GOT VOLTS

In an arrangement with Toyota Canada, VCC received a Toyota Mirai, one of the first FCEVs on the Canadian market. These vehicles mix hydrogen with oxygen in the air, creating electricity that powers the vehicle. The only by-product emitted is water, making it a zeroemission alternative to traditional gasoline-based vehicles. This strategy of preparing students for a future with new, carbonneutral technologies falls in line with the province’s Hydrogen Strategy which will promote job creation in the clean tech industry, along with EV and FCEV adoption. Taxes and other regulations may shift the British Columbian market towards greener vehicles even faster thanAccordinganticipated.tothe school’s press release, the college’s Automotive Service Technician program oversees one of the largest working garages in the province and more than 600 students have graduated in the last two years alone. VCC is also the first academic member to join Hydrogen BC, the regional branch of the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (CHFCA).

Vancouver Community College (VCC) received a Toyota Mirai through an arrangement with Toyota Canada, VCC received a Toyota Mirai. The vehicle will be used to teach students to repair and service fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

Tesla has yet to issue any statement on the incident.

68 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM SASKATCHEWAN | REGIONAL NEWS

The year 1952 brought a lot of exciting new things into the world: Hudson Motor Car Company followed up the iconic Hornet with the Wasp, John Steinbeck released his magnum opus, East of Eden, Jeff Goldblum was born—and Parr Auto Body opened its doors in HelmedSaskatoon.bysomeof Saskatchewan’s biggest names in the industry, including long-time Collision Repair columnist and current executive director of the Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers, Tom Bissonnette, Parr Auto Body has built a storied history over the course of 70 years and is now taking the time to celebrate. “Since 1952 Parr has been locally owned and operated in Saskatoon, in fact, we are celebrating 70 years in business this year!” said managing partner and CEO of Parr Auto Body, Chelsea Stebner. “We are privileged to work, raise our families and contribute to our community in many ways; donations, volunteering and coaching and more. We lead a team of people here at Parr Auto Body with the vision of ‘impacting people and community accidentallyon-purpose through our world-class collisionAlwaysrepair.’”withthe community at the forefront, the team at Parr is using this significant milestone to do some good and collect donations for the Irene and Leslie Dubé Centre for Mental Health in StebnerSaskatoon.said, “These last two years have brought to light the mental health crisis our world, our communities and our children are in. We’ve been focusing on mental wellness with our team and are ensuring that support, education and openness are a part of our world.”

Parr Auto Body has been locally owned and operated in Saskatoon since 1952. Check out Tom Bissonnette’s columns in every issue of Collision Repair mag for more insight on the full story!

YOU’RE GONNA GO PARR, KID

The collision centre is accepting cheques made out to Parr Auto Body and e-transfers to chelsea@ parrautobody.com. Parr is also selling branded t-shirts and snapbacks at the shop until stock runs out, with all proceeds going to the Dubé Centre.

On May 18, Anthony Hai, the owner of Albert’s Auto Body in Edmonton’s Chinatown neighbourhood, found his employee Hung Trang injured in a corner of the building following reports a stranger had entered the business.

“I was at my office here, attending to some of my customers,” Hai told Global News. “Then word came out that a stranger came into the shop…We asked him politely to leave, without any confrontation.

ATTACK AT ALBERT’S AUTO BODY PERFECTING PAINTING Dorien Lozeau claimed Gold at the event, adding another piece of first-place hardware to his collection following a recent win at the Skills Canada National Competition.

The Pressure Test event was supported by NAIT, SATA, 3M, Color Compass, LQK and Skills Alberta. Painters were evaluated by WorldSkills experts, according to WorldSkills Technical Descriptions.

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 69 ALBERTA | REGIONAL NEWS

The owner of an Edmonton, Alberta collision centre is devastated following the fatal attack of a longtime employee.

“I followed [the stranger] as closely but as safely as possible because I didn’t know what kind of weapon, he has…The worker who was injured was unconscious. I followed him until the security team that I called—I hire a security team for around here for part of the business—they confronted him and sort of held him at bay before the police arrived.”

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) recently hosted a training event for the WorldSkills Car Painting Challenge, where participants from Canada, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany took part in a four-day Pressure Test.The event was supported by NAIT, SATA, 3M, Color Compass, LQK and Skills Alberta. Painters were evaluated by WorldSkills experts, according to WorldSkills Technical Descriptions.DorienLozeau claimed Gold in the Pressure Test challenge—Lozeau also recently snagged the top spot at the Skills Canada National Competition in Vancouver— while Johannes Brandl of Germany took Silver and Isabella Turisse from Australia won Bronze.

While investigating the attack on Trang, police were made aware of another incident a block south, at 105 Avenue and 98 Street. When officers arrived, another injured man was found. EMS pronounced the 61-year-old man dead at the scene.

The injured employee later identified as Hung Trang was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. He died on May 19. Hai said Trang had planned to retire next February following 33 years at Albert’s Auto Body.

Justin Bone, 36, was arrested in relation to both incidents. He was not known to either of the victims, said police.

Kicking off October 21, the two-day event will be hosted at the Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre in Winnipeg and is open to anyone in the industry.

70 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM MANITOBA | REGIONAL NEWS

Attendees can register for individual tickets, or those looking to showcase products or services may host an exhibition booth. For more information, contact ree@plannersplus.ca or call 204-257-5205 GREETS

The winners of this year’s Skills Canada National Competition were announced on Saturday, after 350 students across 45 different fields battled it out, both live at the Vancouver Convention Centre and virtually, for a shot at a gold medal.

ROCKY ROADS MEET AND

DO IT LIKE DORRIAN Dorrian Selley is currently apprenticing at St. Claude Autobody and hopes to be a Red Seal technician upon completing his levels.

They say bigger is better, but that’s not the case when it comes to potholes. Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) says it processed 871 pothole claims this April— a 1,200 percent increase, compared to the public insurer’s monthly average of 64. This beats the previous 479 percent increase in March 2022, compared to 2021. The city has received 3,323 pothole repair requests and repaired more than 33,000 this year alone, according to a report by CTV News Winnipeg.

After a week of fierce competition, national champions were named in automotive fields across various skill levels (secondary, post-secondary, professional) and ranging from autobody repair, automobile technology, car painting and heavy vehicle technology. Dorrian Selley, an apprentice at St. Claude Autobody, claimed the top prize for post-secondary body technicians.  Next year’s national Skills Canada competition is set to be held at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg, Man. from May 25 to 26.

The Automotive Trades Association (ATA) of Manitoba is hosting its 2022 Conference and Trade Show this October, where it says attendees will have the opportunity to meet “dozens of suppliers and dealers across the province.”

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 71 Ontario Premier Doug Ford has suggested that the practice of dictating insurance premiums based on postal codes may soon end. The insurance industry’s practice of pricing based on location represents unfair gouging of consumers, according to Ford. “I know we’re working on a plan for insurance companies, as far as I’m concerned, that’s totally unfair for the people of Brampton, of Scarborough–they’re going after these people based on their postal codes,” said Ford.

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This statement comes from a conference related to recent gas tax cuts implemented to help Ontario drivers. This focus on driver-friendly policies seems to be a staple of the Ford government. Ford has already implemented the removal of license plate renewal fees, and the tolls from some highways as well. In the Ford government budget released in April, the Ontario PC party promised that insurance reforms would give Ontario residents more options when it comes to their car insurance. “Insurance companies are making tons of money and it’s coming out of the pockets of Ontarians. So, we’re going to be all over them,” said Ford. For Ford, the proposed insurance reform comes down to an issue of fairness. “They have to treat people fairly right across the board,” said Ford.

The bus itself has almost ten square metres (94 square feet) of living space, which can expand in size to 110 feet. It also has mounted solar panels for electricity. Inside, there is a table that folds out into a bed, USB ports, a sink, shower, and portable toilet as well as a library space.

The innovation in question is a bus, measuring six metres (20 feet) long, which BRCSS students have transformed into a working and living space. The project brought together students from multiple fields of study, utilizing the expertise of students in the culinary, arts, math, engineering, and design programs. The project itself began prepandemic, with a plan of completion within two years. However, due to the pandemic, the project was delayed until recently.

The bus itself has almost ten square metres (94 square feet) of living space, which can expand in size to 110 feet. It also has mounted solar panels for electricity. Inside, there is a table that folds out into a bed, USB ports, a sink, shower, and portable toilet as well as a library space.

72 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM REGIONAL NEWS | ONTARIO

The project is a timely one. Houses are getting more expensive, and people are finding alternative ways to live and survive in the world, such as mobile and tiny homes. Most of all, however, this project gave students the ability to work on something, while learning at the same time.

“It’s a different curriculum than sitting in a classroom,” says student Nabina Imran, “You get out and put it into action. You’re trying to minimize waste, minimize cost.”

MAGIC SCHOOL BUS

Environmental innovation has become a popular focus of society at large. As such, it has found a home in the creative minds of high schoolers at Bishop Reding Catholic Secondary School in Milton, Ontario.“It’sinspiring what a bunch of students can build together,” says Matthew Lim, former graduate from BRCSS.

“It’s experiential learning,” says teacher Cesar Da Silva. “They learned theories and then were able to apply them in real-life.”

According to IBC, Mississauga City Mississauga

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is calling out the Mississauga City Council after an abrupt decision to increase towing rates by 87.5 percent on July 6. According to IBC, this brings the cost of the average tow in Mississauga to $750, up from $400. This is nearly twice that of other cities in the Greater Toronto Area, with London being the cheapest at $275 and Brampton as the closest runner-up at This$400.

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 73 ONTARIO | REGIONAL NEWS

PRICE

IBC says this decision is not in the public interest and worsens existing consumer pressure from inflation and calls on the council to “reverse this decision until the effects of this increase can be studied and justified in a more complete and open fashion.” SPIKE

motion to increase towing fees was unanimously passed without consultation or reports. It also falls in line with the provincial government’s recent developments for more oversight of the towing industry, which has been linked to multiple, well-documented incidents of fraud and violence.

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the

Council’s move brings the cost of the average tow in

to $750, up from $400

74 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM REGIONAL NEWS | QUEBEC

“We embarked on a strategic growth plan with our franchise partners to snap back from pandemic constraints, and we have worked together in lockstep to deliver the highest-quality service to be valuable members of our communities,” said Maurice Filion, president of Uniban Canada. “That collective commitment to our performance has boosted our network’s growth and we were proud to celebrate all that we achieved thus far.”

The Boost Convention opened on Friday with a go-kart racing experience, while the second day consisted of several informative breakout sessions ranging from department updates to industry trends. There was also an opportunity for Uniban Canada’s vendor partners to showcase the new products, services and solutions they are offering as part of Uniban Canada’s procurement program.

The final evening featured the Boost Gala, where they named the top performers across Docteur du Pare-Brise, Go! Glass, Star Auto Glass, UniglassPlus and VitroPlus brands.

“I have never been more proud to be a part of this family of brands and to be working for this exceptional network of franchise partners,” said Filion. “We, together as a corporate and franchise team, are truly excited to finally come together to celebrate all we have built. Uniban Canada has a stronger foundation than ever, and this event helped give us the boost we need to continue on this accelerated path forward.”

Uniban Canada held its annual Boost Convention in June, hosting its franchise partners and attendees in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec.

UNIBAN BOOSTS IT IBIS Middle East | 23 February IBIS USA | 4-6 May IBIS Global Summit | 15-17 June IBIS Latin America | 14 July IBIS Turkey | 20 October IBIS Bahrain | 23 November IBIS China | December CONFERENCE PROGRAMME 2022 IBIS – the platform for thought leadership, knowledge sharing, business development and peer-to-peer networking for the leaders of the global collision repair industry Visit ibisworldwide.com to find out more and book your place today. To explore sponsorship opportunities, email suzie@ibisworldwide.com IBIS 2022 - calendar advert - Canadian half-page.indd 1 20/06/2022 15:42 Uniban raised more than $20,000 for the Breakfast Club of Canada and Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation through donations, sock sales, a raffle and a silent auction at the Boost Convention.

BUDDY

CARSTAR recognized its top franchise partners during its annual conference in July, where the title of 2022 Franchisee of the Year was given to CARSTAR Centennial Auto Group, led by Ezra, David and Robert Kember. “The Kembers are a proud CARSTAR family with deep roots in their community,” wrote CARSTAR in its accompanying press release. “They continuously give back, whether through supporting local sports teams, church donations, or cystic fibrosis fundraising initiatives.”TheKembers recently expanded from a six-store MSO to eight locations through acquisitions. They also recently built a new 830 sq. m. (9,000-square-foot) facility to replace an aging store and will be adding a ninth purpose-built facility by the end of the year. “It’s a little too early to feel the full effect of this award, but we are honoured,” Ezra Kember told Collision Repair magazine. “We joined CARSTAR with two facilities in 2004. In those early days, CARSTAR’s support with the direct repair partnerships was a key step in our success.”

Left to right: Jeff Labanovich, COO, CARSTAR Canada; David Kember, David Burton and Ezra Kember, CARSTAR Centennial Auto Group; Jason Wong, recipient of the CARSTAR U.S. Franchisee of the Year award; Sabrina Thring, CARSTAR Operations U.S. and Dean Fisher, collision president, Driven Brands. Romena Deokinandan, owner of CARSTAR Newmarket and recipient of the NPS award, with Gloria Mann and Allison Rogers of Media Matters.

“We feel very supported by our CARSTAR family,” added David Kemper. “Dave Meery, our zone director, has driven a lot of our growth through informing us of new purchasing opportunities. He does a lot of work with us to help smooth out any transitions or industry challenges.”OtherCanadian CARSTAR honours went to Romena Deokinandan, owner of CARSTAR Newmarket, which claimed the Net Promoter Score (NPS) award; Colin Manuel, owner of CARSTAR Miramichi, who took home the Length of Rental (LOR) award; Lorenzo Pellicciotta from CARSTAR Oakville East and CARSTAR Oakville West, who snagged the Ironman award; and CARSTAR Torcam group, led by Javier Torres, Sebastian Torres and Liliana Galeano, who took the Marketing Award for their forward-thinking strategies in the post-pandemic era.

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 75 REGIONAL NEWS | ATLANTIC

Robert Kember was unable to accept the award with his family in Nashville; as his brother David put it, he was “holding down the fort.”

CROWNING THE KEMBERS SYSTEM

Facility owners in Nova Scotia can bring in an extra set of hands to help out thanks to a recent amendment to the province’s apprenticeship regulations aimed at meeting the demand for skilled trades. Where previously apprenticeship training was intended to be a one-on-one experience between an apprentice and a journeyperson, the Nova Scotia government has amended the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act General Regulations to allow journeypeople to train up to two apprentices at a time. Other amendments to the Act include increased flexibility for virtual supervision of apprentices and exempting youth apprentices from being included in the apprenticeship supervision ratio, in order to remove barriers to youth apprenticeship.

If you are looking at multiple portable dustless sanding units, it is wiser to invest in one industrial central system. With the central unit installed in a remote location, noise is significantly reduced and floor space is maximized to create greater productivity. Each system is versatile in its function, capturing sanding dust at the source and is also used for vehicle detailing and general shop cleanups. Eurovac also provides custom engineered layouts so that drops are located exactly where they are needed for maximum efficiency. So while Eurovac offers top of the line portables, it may be worthwhile to check out the benefits of a central system for your facility.

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2022 Canada Canadian publication product agreement Aspecial edition pair Magazin Thornhill, ON, SPECIALEDITION $15.99 #1 SOURCE FOR THE INDUSTRY’S HOTTEST PRODUCTS! ABRASIVESAND100+PRODUCTSSERVICESINSIDE|ADHESIVES | ALIGNMENT RECYCLING WELDING TOOLSSCANNERS SOFTWARE PAINT PAINT HARDWARE AND MORE BUYERSGUIDE.COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM NOWBOOKFOR2023 Collision Repair’s Buyer’s Guide is a valuable industry resource featuring more than 100 products and services specifically catered to the automotive repair sector. Available both online and in print, the Buyer’s Guide is an easy-to-access tool that provides crucial information to the collision repair industry. The Buyer’s Guide puts product information into the hands of your target audience with specific categories such as welding, glass repair, scanning, diagnostics and much more. For more information buyersguide.collisionrepairmag.comvisit 76 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

CENTRAL DUST EXTRACTION SYSTEM Simply add these parts to your repair estimate at the fixed price and identify LKQ Corporation as your supplier. They will use their due diligence to locate and supply all parts. In the event that a part cannot be sourced the responsibility to locate suitable replacement part resides with the estimator. Some of the qualifying parts are: Air Cleaner Resonator, Air Flow Meter, Air Intake Tube, Cowl Vent Panel, Engine Cover, Fuel Filler Neck, Canister, Fan Shroud, Hood Hinge, Hood Latch, Horn, Power Steering Reservoir, Radiator Overflow Bottle and Trunk Lid Hinge.

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ASTECH DUO Quick - Simple - Accurate. With no moving parts, lasers, targets, adaptors, magnets, arms, extensions, wires, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth, there is also no calibration needed making it the “Quickest, simplest and most accurate 3D measuring system in the world.” The Accuvision 3D is durable, versatile, universal, mobile, and user friendly, saving you time and money. Everything you need for measuring and alignment can be done easily with the Accuvision 3D measuring system. Reserve now at 1-800-465-5875 or accuvision-3D.com accuvision-3d.com

RAL Color Paint is a RAL colour spray paint formulated with high-quality Acrylic Lacquer resins and pigments and stabilizing additives that offer a flawless & durable finish. Due to the product’s characteristics, its use is effective both indoors and outdoors and on multiple surfaces: wood, metal, stainless steel, glass, plaster, ceramic, stone, hard plastic, etc. Brilliant shine. Very fast drying with good elasticity and easy to apply and recoat. Excellent adhesion and it does not contain lead. Good covering capability. Excellent gloss. Excellent resistance to the sun and rain. Perfect results both indoors or outdoors. rexallsolutions.com

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 77 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

A powerful all-in-one solution for all your scanning, diagnostic, and calibration needs. OEM and verified OE Compatible scan tools in a single device. ADAS identification and information. Remote calibrations Support from ASE and I-CAR certified technicians available. See asTech Duo in action! Visit booth 31191 at SEMA. astech.com

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78 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM RECYCLING NEWS

. “Our grandfather Alec McGregor started this repair and auto wrecker business in 1962 at the same location on Elm Street. He was joined by our father Jim McGregor in the 80s who brought his repair know-how to the business. “Tim and I took over in the mid-2000s, and we continue to run this as a strong family business with a sense of community. This event was our way of giving back.”

A MCGREGOR MOOD McGregor Auto Parts in St. Thomas, Ontario celebrated its sixtieth year in business a couple of weeks ago; not with a trip to Value Village to take advantage of the 30 percent off seniors discount, but with a huge community barbecue packed with food, classic cars and prizes. St. Thomas locals were invited to join the McGregor Auto Parts on July 8 for a burger and bask in some hotrods, courtesy of the St. Thomas Old Boys. “St. Thomas has been good to us, and we wanted to say thanks and [that we are] looking forward to another 60 years in the community,” said Jeff McGregor, third-generation owner of McGregor Auto Parts, alongside his brother Tim. The day also saw 50/50 and door prizes being dished out, vendors selling crafts and baked goods, and handmaid Indigenous ribbon skirts being sold by Jeff’s wife Shelly—all underscored by the tunes of local musician Chuck Stafford and his band, Dealers’ Choice. While Tim and Jeff were busy manning the grill, their father Jim was on the mic, regaling guests with stories from the old days of when his family first set up shop in St. Thomas. Jeff summed up his father’s feelings to Collision Repair

Brought to you by

While Tim and Jeff MacGregor manned the BBQ, special guests—like Steve Fletcher, director of the ARC—enjoyed the festivities and general merriment.

ISSUE 21#4 | COLLISION REPAIR 79

CLASSICS BY THE LAKE End off your summer the right way with a trip to the ‘Shwa for the return of the Autofest Nationals, set to take place at Lakeview Park over the last weekend of August. The festivities will kick off on the Friday night with a cruise through Oshawa’s downtown during the “Kars on King” rolling car show and will lead perfectly into a Saturday packed with classic, hotrod and muscle car exhibits, kids activities and a silent auction of automotive collectibles. This year’s Autofest event will close on Sunday with a lineup of vendors, some of whom will be giving product demonstrations, as well as a fashion show and the announcement of the 50/50 draw winners, as well as any other prize winners. The Autofest Nationals have been connecting the automotive community of southern Ontario since 1994. This year, Dom’s Auto Parts and Parts-4-Less, among several other businesses, have been named as sponsors of this twenty-eighth edition of Autofest. Portions of the proceeds generated from this year’s event will go towards benefiting Grandview Kids, a children’s health advocacy group. to you by

RECYCLING NEWS

Brought

The idea for blue lights on tow trucks was first presented by MLA and former police officer, Brad Rutherford, in a private member’s bill. Bill 207, of the Traffic Safety (Tow Truck Warning Lamps) Amendment Act, was introduced into Alberta legislature on April 28.

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80 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM TOWING SPECIALNEWS

The province of Alberta is taking steps to better protect tow truck drivers while on the job, with the launch of a one-year pilot project to assess the efficacy of blue emergency lights on tow trucks. Industry advocates from the Towing and Recovery Association of Alberta and the Alberta Motor Association, as well as the Alberta Chiefs of Police, have been calling for this sort of initiative for years, with the general feeling being that motorists have become complacent to seeing amber lights, and that blue lights would attract more attention.

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FAVOURS HEAD ON A SWIVEL

An OPP officer pleaded guilty to a breach of trust and was given a one-year suspended sentence in June for his involvement in a GTAbased towing industry corruption ring. Justice Gillian Roberts said she did not receive substantial evidence one way or the other to prove whether Const. Bindo Showan received cash kickbacks for his involvement in the illegal operations. Though, she did state “The fact that this was a highly competitive industry rife with problems should have resulted in the police behaving with scrupulous care. Rather than being part of the solution, however, Mr. Showan became part of the problem,” said Roberts. “No evidence of personal gain means the Crown has not proved an aggravating factor. It does not mean that the defense has proved there was no personal gain.” Showan, who has been sued in the past over the legality of his undercover work leading up to the 2010 G20 summit in Toronto, admitted in court that instead of seeking assistance from the first available tow truck following an accident, he, in fact, directed more than $500,000, amounting to more than two tows a week, to businesses owned by Steve Pillay.

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82 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM LAST WORD ADVERTISER INDEX Your voice is your most powerful tool AGENTS OF CHANGE Collision Repair magazine. She can be reached at allison@mediamatters.ca. By ALLISON ROGERS 3M 15 Arslan Automotive 07, 77 Assured .................................... 59 Autel US 19 Auto Canada 49 Axalta 84 Carcone’s Auto Recycling 79 Cardinal Couriers Ltd 08 Caroliner 29 Car-Part.com ........................... 83 CARSTAR Canada 47 Cieca 72 Color Compass Corp 57 Consolidated Collision Gatefold Consolidated Collision 50 CSN Collision Centres 81 Dominion Sure Seal ................. 44 Equalizer 63 Fix Auto Canada 37 GoProMobile 65 Hunter Engineering 66 IBIS 74 Impact Auto / IAA 55 LKQ Corporation 42, 53 PPG 05 ProColor 10, 11, 39 ProSpot International Inc 61 Rexall Solutions 77 Rust Check 23 Sata Canada 21 SEMA 43 Sherwin Automotive 09 Simplicity 02 Spanesi Americas Inc. 17, 77 Spray Max 71 Thorold Auto Parts 13 United Catalyst 73 T here are very few things I love more than talking. I thrive on finding conversations on any corner. Chats with my barista? A daily occurrence. Weather-related meanderings with my neighbour? Those are especially frequent. Now and then even my dog tells me to shut up. Do you like to vent? In all likelihood, you do; as human beings, we all want to be heard. Last issue, Collision Repair publisher Darryl Simmons penned a piece titled “The Tipping Point.” As mentioned in Darryl’s column this issue: the feedback the magazine received was plentiful. Some of the letters could be reworked into full-page columns like the ones we share in every issue. Plenty of the points made in each of these letters were again echoed in others; one of these shared ideas was the belief that to stay anonymous is to stay safe. Now, that fact may ring true—we needn’t look further than the way “trolls” operate on the internet to see the validity of this statement. The computer screen adds a layer of safety.  You’ve likely heard the epic myth of how the Greeks won the Trojan War—you know, the one where the guys hide in the horse they’ve disguised as a trophy for the Trojans, only to dismantle the city from the inside once welcomed within? Unfortunate as it may be, real life—at least life in 2022— does little to mirror the realities outlined in Homer’s epic poem. This won’t be a Trojan Horse situation. Staying silent won’t win you manyWithaccolades.abackground in creative writing, I’ve been trained to avoid every cliche in the book. I could fill this page with a list of overused quotes that would prompt eye-rolls across the nation—and maybe the Trojan Horse paragraph above this one did just that.

Regardless, let’s get to my overarching point: I love to talk—and some of you likely do, too. Some of our readers know our office phone number by heart. Others know that my email is always open. So, please: drop a line in our offices. Send myself, or any of our other writers a message. I promise you: as much as I may love to talk, our team is even better at listening. And, no—you won’t see your stories splashed across the front pages of the magazine once you hang up the phone. This call-to-action has no hidden strings, nor is it directed to any one vertical of the collision repair sector. If you have a stake in the industry, we’re always welcome to talk.  Collision Repair mag is by your side, no matter what the news is. This won’t be a Trojan Horse situation. Staying silent won’t win you many accolades.