Collision Repair 18#2 by Media Matters

YOU’RE FIRED! HOW TO HANDLE TERMINATIONS WITH GRACE!

PLASTIC

PANIC

Perfect your team’s plastic welding technique with our step-by-step procedural guide PLUS a look at the latest plastic welding equipment!

RAISING A GLASS Celebrating 20 years of CCIF at the latest industry forum and gala dinner in Toronto!

ANALYZING THE INDUSTRY Does your business measure up? Find out in our exclusive look at AutoHouse’s industry performance report!

FEAR OF

FLYING

Can collision repairers survive in the age of autonomous flying vehicles? It is closer than you think!

A LESSON IN SUCCESS When her father founded Harold’s Auto Body, Michelle Dupuis was taught the importance of putting the customer and the team first. More than four decades later, she remains grateful for the lesson!

PLUS The call that changed everything

for CCS’s Mike Beier; Arman Gurarslan on getting fed up with his job and going into buisness for himself; asTech CEO Doug Kelly’s insights on embracing industry disruptions— and much, much more! Visit us at collisionrepairmag.com Volume 18, Number 2 l April 2019 l $7.95 l Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40841632 l 86 John Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 1Y2

CONTENTS

VOLUME 18, ISSUE 2, APRIL 2019

28 ON THE COVER Michelle Dupuis, co-owner of Harold’s Auto Body.

The Harold’s Auto Body team.

DEPARTMENTS PEOPLE ON THE MOVE | 10 A look at the big names in new positions!

REGIONAL | 78 A look at the news from collision repairers in every region!

Mike Beier shares his story of going from a confident up-and-comer to serving as the general manager of CCS.

RECYCLING | 93 The risks and precautions auto recyclers must take when it comes to dismantling electric vehicle batteries. a sTech CEO Doug Kelly discusses the future of the industry and why repairers should embrace his plans to disrupt the status quo.

SPECIAL FEATURES AUTOHOUSE TECHNOLOGIES REPORT | 38 A comparative report to help repairers see how their own performance results measures up to the rest of the Canadian collision repair industry!

BREAKING DOWN THE BASICS | 75 Seven helpful steps to take when performing a basic plastic weld!

56 72

STAND UP, SPEAK OUT! anadian repairers express their thoughts on following C OEM repair procedures!

FIRING WITH GRACE A go-to guide on how to fire your employees with grace.

APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 5

CONTENTS

EVENTS

62 91

The Canadian Collision Industry Forum hosts its 20th anniversary in Toronto! The Alberta Auto Recyclers and Dismantlers Association gears up for its upcoming tradeshow.

Jeff Schroder, Wanja Mann and Steve Fletcher at the CCIF conference in Toronto.

COLUMNS PUBLISHER’S PAGE | 8 Boundless opportunity by Darryl Simmons

HEALTH & SAEFTY | 40 Don’t get burned by Theresa Jachnycky AutoHouse’s Mike Gilliland, Jenica Bennett and Rebecca Fyfe pose together at the CCIF conference in Toronto.

PRAIRIE VIEW | 43

Cultivating accountability by Chelsea Stebner

INDUSTRY EDUCATORS | 45 Rethinking repair education by Ben Hart

WHO’S DRIVING | 47 Recruiting the right way by Jay Perry

ENGINE KNOX | 49 Who’s going to repair my flying car? by Steve Knox Jason Arnott, Steven Dupont and Kari Barton celebrates CSN Lou’s Auto Body milestone of 50 years in business.

THE LAST WORD | 98 The chicken and the egg by Gideon Scanlon

The team at Ken Shaw Motors Lexus Toyota dealership.

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

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

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

IN CANADA’S WILD PLACES

PUBLISHER DARRYL SIMMONS (647) 409-7070 publisher@collisionrepairmag.com

By Darryl Simmons

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR GIDEON SCANLON (905) 370-0101 gideon@mediamatters.ca

The frontiers of Canada’s repair industry

STAFF WRITERS CINDY MACDONALD cindy@mediamatters.ca JORDAN ARSENEAULT jordan@mediamatters.ca LINDSEY COOKE lindsey@mediamatters.ca

hough there are no medals for their efforts, progressive repairers, from coast, to coast, to coast, should be rightly proud that Canadian drivers are confident their damaged vehicles are in safe hands. That’s not just a platitude—it is something that is abundantly clear despite the weak and often unfounded criticisms that find their way into public discourse. News channels and media outlets with slow news days enjoy slamming the industry on any number of fronts. Often, they are based on dubious insurer-funded “surveys”

WHILE THE STRATEGIES THEY ADOPT ARE NUMEROUS, THEIR OWNERS SHARE ONE FOUNDATIONAL BELIEF— THAT NO GEOGRAPHIC CHALLENGE WILL PREVENT THEM FROM PROVIDING FIRST-CLASS REPAIRS. criticizing the industry’s billing practices. But then, thankfully, another shiny object catches the media’s collective eye and off they go in another direction. Yes, it is an annoyance, but the truth is that Canada’s collision repairers should take pride in these too-often baseless criticisms. Why? Because they are not about the ability of the industry to perform its work effectively. Despite the staggering difficulty of restoring full functionality to today’s technologically advanced vehicles, Canadians and even their insurance “partners” place an absolute trust in repairers’ ability to repair vehicles and keep their loved ones safe. If only news producers knew what an impressive feat that was! What is most surprising is that this trust is extended by the drivers whose lives and

livelihoods are most dependent on their vehicles. Nowhere have these strides been more dramatic than in the more remote regions of the country—in the territories, northern regions and remote rural areas in the provinces. Even in the cities surrounded by vast expanses of wilderness, such as Whitehorse, Iqaluit and Thunder Bay, drivers have faith in the industry’s ability to keep their vehicles in good order—and rightly so! Repairers working in these non-urban areas have always faced innumerable challenges—from a smaller labour pool without access to training programs, to increased wait times for parts, and client vehicles that operate on exceptionally harsh roads. Where most facilities service clients who lived within a few miles of the business, in parts of Canada, repairers service clients who live across thousands of square miles. By developing novel ways to meet these challenges, some businesses have managed to both survive and thrive. While the strategies they adopt are numerous, their owners share one foundational belief—that no geographic challenge will prevent them from providing first-class repairs. It is a principle that hasn’t just helped these businesses remain successful. It has helped to establish and maintain a solid positive reputation for the industry, not just regionally, but across Canada. Too often, this magazine has focused on highlighting facilities in more densely populated regions of the country. In coming issues, Collision Repair will spotlight a number of, for lack of a better word, remote repair facility owners and the many creative methods they use to overcome the obstacles of geography. Their stories are important, and we look forward to sharing them with you! As always, we are open to your suggestions, criticisms and, of course, compliments (we like those best).

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ASSOCIATE WRITER SUE DICKENS GRAPHIC DESIGNER JILL THACKER jill@mediamatters.ca VP INDUSTRY RELATIONS & ADVERTISING GLORIA MANN (647) 998-5677 advertising@collisionrepairmag.com INTEGRATED BUSINESS SOLUTIONS ELLEN SMITH (416) 312-7446 ellen@mediamatters.ca PUBLISHER’S ASSISTANT LAURA JENSEN (647) 998-5677 laura@mediamatters.ca INDUSTRY RELATIONS ASSISTANT WANJA MANN (647) 998-5677 advertising@collisionrepairmag.com CONTRIBUTORS BEN HART, CHELSEA STEBNER, JAY PERRY, STEVE KNOX

SUBSCRIPTION One-year $39.95 / Two-year $64.99 Collision Repair™ magazine is published bi-monthly, and is dedicated to serving the business interests of the collision repair industry. It is published by Media Matters Inc. Material in Collision Repair™ magazine may not be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statements made by its advertisers or independent columnists. All facts, opinions, statements appearing in this publication are those of the writers and editors themselves, and are in no way to be construed as statements, positions or endorsements by the publisher. PRINTED IN CANADA ISSN 1707-6072 CANADA POST CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES PRODUCT AGREEMENT No. 40841632 RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED Send change of address notices and undeliverable copies to: 455 Gilmour St Peterborough, ON K9H 2J8

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

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

NEWS

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE RODICA MATEI - ROBBOX Robotic tool company Robbox has appointed Rodica Matei as chief executive officer. Matei brings more than 22 years of experience in purchasing, logistics and management in the manufacturing field, highlighted by a proven record of business development and profitability. In her most recent role as COO of Wedge Clamp Systems, a manufacturing arm of the largest privately owned automotive repair chain in Canada, she tripled sales in four years and opened new markets in North America and abroad.

PETER BAIN - UNIPARTS Uniparts OEM Canada has named Peter Bains as its new territory manager in British Columbia. Bains responsibilities will involve building and managing the Uniparts OEM supplier network, as well as ensuring the best in class service to all new and future bodyshop customers. He brings more than 15 years of experience in project management, executive management, business development, supply management, coaching and training. Over the past six years, he was worked as an account manager for an industrial manufacturer in the British Columbia region.

LES PAWLOWSKI - SYMACH Les Pawlowski has been appointed as Symach’s general manager in Canada. In his new role, he will be overseeing and supporting Symach activities in the region. Pawlowski brings more than 20 years of experience in international trade and business development for the automotive aftermarket industry and 12 years in automotive refinish to the company. Palowski is excited to be involved in Symach’s FixLine technology, a process to help improve cycle times and quality on the shop floor.

CARL BRABANDER - FIX AUTO Fix Network World has appointed Carl Brabander, the former vice president of marketing for Fix Auto Canada, to the senior role of the head of global franchise development. For more than four years, Brabander served as Fix Auto Canada’s vice president of marketing. In his new role, Brabander will be responsible for working in close collaboration with master franchisees and industry partners to promote the development of Fix Auto, NOVUS Glass, and Speedy Auto Service networks around the world.

JOHN MALONEY - KARMA John Maloney has been named the new chief revenue officer for Karma Automotive. Maloney’s previous work experience includes 14 years as president and CEO of Volvo Cars North America, where he assumed responsibility for all U.S. business operations, including marketing, sales, parts, and service and technology. Maloney started his career at Ford Motor Company where he held a variety of sales and marketing roles within Ford Global Marketing, Lincoln Mercury Division and Ford Customer Service Division before joining Volvo Cars in 2000.

VINCE MATOZZO - CARSTAR Vince Matozzo has been named as CARSTAR’s new head of insurance sales activity in Canada. A 10-year CARSTAR veteran, Matozzo will continue in his role as director of sales in Canada, which he has held since 2016. Prior to serving as the director of sales, Matozzo has been with CARSTAR Canada for more than eight years. The McMaster graduate also served as CARSTAR’s senior manager of sales and as a national account manager.

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BUSINESS NEWS

COLOR COMPASS ACQUIRES WD CO-AUTO’S PBE DIVISION

DONE DEAL Caliber Collision Centers and Abra Body Repair of America have joined forces and announced the closing of their merger. Moving forward the combined companies, which will operate under the Caliber name, plans on investing further in advanced technologies, specialized resources, and innovative processes to redefine world-class standards for quality repairs and customer service in the industry. The new Caliber company will be providing customers with the first national lifetime warranty, while also offering dedicated non-driver facilities, express repair centers, and aluminum certified and high-line centers. The combined company will also offer glass repair, diagnostic scanning and calibration services and a diverse network of OEM-certified locations in the U.S.

Color Compass Corporation, a paint, body, and equipment distributor in Western Canada has acquired WD Co-Auto’s paint, body, and equipment sales division. WD Co-Auto’s PBE Division is based in Edmonton, Alberta and serves more than 80 independent and member-dealer bodyshop customers across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. As part of the transaction, Color Compass will now become WD Co-Auto’s preferred and exclusive supplier of bodyshop supplies. “This partnership will ensure our cus-

tomers receive the best service, brands, and product selection available from a PBE supplier,” said president of WD Co-Auto Mike Reid. The transaction brings together almost 300 knowledgeable staff from both companies. “We are excited to welcome WD Co-Auto’s bodyshop customers and valued staff to the Color Compass organization,” said Gord Milford, president of Color Compass. Customers will now have access to the four-Color Compass training Universities, both of the leading inventory management systems, and access to the Color Compass branch network and delivery system from 14 locations throughout Western Canada.

nifor national U president Jerry Dias.

GM REPORTS 2018 EARNINGS Former AutoCanada CEO Patrick Priestner.

AUTOCANADA LAUNCHES LEGAL SUIT Edmonton-based auto dealership group, AutoCanada has started taking legal actions against their former CEO and chairman of the company, and his holding companies which includes, Canada One Auto Group. AutoCanada claims that Patrick Priestner

breached his fiduciary and other duties to the company by appropriating corporate opportunities of AutoCanada to acquire dealerships privately through Canada One Auto Group and his other holding companies. Priestner served as the CEO for AutoCanada from 2006 to 2014 and then went onto executive chairman for two years. He denies the claims and says that while working at AutoCanada he disclosed dealership acquisitions that the company could not buy because of restrictions by certain manufacturers on public companies owning dealerships. He says the acquisitions were specifically authorized by AutoCanada's board of directors as in the best interest of the company. The remedies sought by AutoCanada from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice include an accounting of profits, damages and the declaration of constructive trust over the dealerships acquired by the defendants resulting from Mr. Priestner's conduct.

General Motors made headlines last year by shutting down several plants and putting thousands of people out of work. The company just announced that it made $8.1 billion in profit last year alone. The news doesn’t come easily to Jerry Dias, president of Unifor, a general trade union in Canada and the largest private sector union in Canada. "General Motors is raking in money. Executives and shareholders continue to do incredibly well while they callously plan to take away the very livelihood of Canadian workers in Oshawa," said Dias. A recent economic impact study shows that the closure of the Oshawa plant will result in 24,000 lost jobs and a loss of $1 billion per year in government revenue. According to Unifor, the numbers show that the U.S. and Canadian markets generate almost all of GM's global profits but the automaker continues to slash American and Canadian jobs while expanding production in Mexico.

APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 15

INDUSTRY NEWS

collision industry, Carlson Body Shop Supply and BASF have recognized this dilemma and partner with many of the industry leaders in future employee development programs,” says Carlson Body Shop Supply district sales manager Kelly Hackman. The virtual system costs around $40,000 and gives future technicians the ability to practice spray painting through the technology of virtual reality. Hackman explained that this tool has proven to be a valuable source of training and will provide more confidence for the technicians of the future.

INDUSTRY NEWS CARLSON BODY SUPPLY AND BASF DONATE $5,000 TO SASKATCHEWAN POLYTECHNIC Carlson Body Shop Supply Saskatchewan and BASF showed its commitment to the future of the collision repair industry by donating $5,000 to Saskatchewan Polytechnic for the purchase of a virtual spray system. “With a shortage of technicians in the

Anthony Iaboni was named Distributor of the Year by Spanesi Americas for 2018. Iaboni, the owner of Collision 360, was recognized with the prestigious honour for the first time at Spanesi’s 2019 kick off distributor meeting, held at the company’s North American Operations Centre in Illinois. “It’s a great honour to be recognized as the top distributor in North America and for our team to be awarded for all the hard work they put in,” said Iaboni. In addition to being recognized as Distributor of the year, Iaboni and his team also took home the awards for first quarter top sales, third quarter top sales and most improved distributor in 2018.

nthony Iaboni of Collision 360, and A Timothy W. Morgan of Spanesi Americas.

SPANESI DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR

L ouis McCaughan, Paul Carter, Dale Hawkins, Scott Kucharyshen and Kelly Hackman.

AKZONOBEL JOINS CIECA AkzoNobel is the most recent company to join the Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA). CIECA is a group that develops collision industry electronic standards, codes and messages and provides implementation guides to make the industry more efficient. “We’re excited to join CIECA, so we can continue to provide our customers with best-in-class e-solutions,” said Tony Mahon business services manager of AkzoNobel Vehicle Refinishes. Mahon said the company also sees great benefits partnering with CIECA to help alleviate a major trend impacting the industry’s serious skills shortage. “It has been difficult to attract the next generation of trained professionals into the repair industry,” he said.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

TESLA’S AUTONOMOUS FUTURE Tesla CEO Elon Musk is confident that the company’s self-driving system will be ready by the end of 2019. “I think we will be feature complete, full self-driving, this year – meaning the car will be able to find you in a parking lot, pick you up and take you all the way to your destination without intervention, this year,” said Musk during a podcast interview with ARK Invest. Musk explained that the “full self-driving system” would require a human driver for oversight during its initial introduction. As far as a full self-driving system goes, Musk stated that Tesla drivers can expect to see this feature by the end of 2020. All new upcoming self-driving features will be dependent on Tesla’s new Autopilot Hardware 3.0.

APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 17

INDUSTRY NEWS

KPMG’S OUTLOOK ON THE FUTURE FOR CANADA’S AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY According to a recent survey released by KPMG, Canada’s automotive industry must challenge old business models and start taking a lead on tech innovation if it wants to continue to be a player in the global automotive industry. KPMG in Canada released “The State of Canada’s Auto Sector: Recalculating the Road Ahead”, detailing the insights collected from KPMG’s 20th Global Automotive Executive Survey, an annual survey of 3,000 automotive executives and consumers on where they think the industry is going. The global automotive industry has been experiencing several changes which are pushing Canadian carmakers to make more cost-effective production, lower labour costs, and greater vehicle technologies. “General Motors’ decision to close its Oshawa plant marks an inflection point for the Canadian auto industry,” says Peter Hatges, partner, national sector lead, automotive markets for KPMG in Canada. “We’ve reached a crossroad, triggered by the onset of new business pressures. While Canada’s auto sector is no stranger to disruption, we’re seeing the effects of a shift in global sales and increased competition from

PMG Canada partner, national sector lead K for automotive markets Peter Hatges.

lower-cost markets, as the industry explores new frontiers in electric and autonomous driving. These factors are reshaping the roles of car makers, both original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their suppliers, within an evolving supply chain.” Besides the GM closure, Hatges says the Canadian auto sector still has its strengths including a skilled and available labour force, a mature supplier network, and ongoing government support through manufacturing, production, and R&D tax credits and incentives. Canada’s auto industry contributes $19 billion to GDP, making it one of the country’s

largest manufacturing centres. There isn’t any clear consensus on which automotive technologies will power the cars of the future. The majority of execs surveyed believe multiple technologies will co-exist in the future, including internal combustion engines (ICEs), hybrids, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs). ICEs remain popular and hybrids are a top choice for consumers looking to buy their next car. BEVs are an important manufacturing trend, although one in three consumers agree that price is the biggest barrier to buying a fully electric car.

NATA REINFORCES ITS COMMITMENT TO CASIS The National Automotive Trades Association held its annual meeting in Toronto in January, with speeches from their new president and discussions about what the association’s future looks like. “The role of NATA in recent years has been to ensure that there is fairness and equity in the automotive repair industry so that the aftermarket’s ability to compete is not hampered when it comes to access to vehicle repair information and training,” said newly appointed NATA president Ronald Tremblay. During the meeting, they confirmed that they are reinforcing their commitment to the Canadian Automotive Service Information Standard (CASIS) which is an agreement between industry and automotive manufacturer associations to ensure that Canadian technicians have the same access to vehicle repair information and training as automotive dealers. “We are encouraged by our relationship with manufacturer associations and I am confident that the needs of technicians are in good hands through the CASIS agreement. With respect to the future direction of NATA, there is a very committed and experienced group of

professional industry experts who take their role in support of industry very seriously. I look forward to working with my fellow NATA directors and members to bring strategic focus to the association and to engaging other provincial associations in this important work,” said Tremblay. Prior to the NATA meeting, the association sent invitations to all provincial automotive associations to participate. Dale Finch, from

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one of the association’s umbrella groups, Western Canadian Automotive Business Association (WCABA) was one of the few that accepted. NATA also announced that the association has been in touch with other Canadian aftermarket groups to discuss a possible engagement with NATA. The association has been representing the needs of the automotive aftermarket industry in Canada since 1947.

NATA’s new president, Ronald Tremblay.

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

AMAZON’S LATEST INVESTMENT Amazon announced in February that it has invested in Aurora, a Silicon Valley start-up that develops technology to power completely autonomous vehicles. “Autonomous technology has the potential to help make the jobs of our employees and partners safer and more productive, whether it’s in a fulfillment center or on the road, and we’re excited about the possibilities,” Amazon said in a statement about the investment. Amazon is just one of several companies, which includes Silicon Valley venture capital firm Sequoia, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Shell Ventures, to invest in the autonomous technology start-up. In total, Aurora received more than $530 million in funding, raising the company’s value to more than $2.5 billion.

BLACKBERRY RECEIVES GOVERNMENT FUNDING Blackberry will be receiving a helping hand with their development of self-driving technology. The Canadian government will be donating $40 million to Blackberry in federal funding to assist in developing technologies that make vehicles safer, more connected to cyberspace and, capable of driving themselves. In addition to the funding, Blackberry will be investing $300 million of its own money into the initiative, which is expected to create

TESLA INTRODUCES SENTRY MODE Tesla is further enhancing vehicle security with the introduction of its new safety system ‘sentry mode.’ Sentry mode uses the vehicle’s external cameras to detect potential threats. For instance, if someone is breaking into the vehicle sentry mode will switch into an ‘alarm’ state, which activates the car alarm, increases the brightness of the centre display, and plays music at maximum volume from the vehicle’s audio system. If the vehicle switches into ‘alarm’ state, the owner will receive an alert from their Tesla mobile app notifying them that an incident has occurred. Tesla owners will be able to download a video recording of the incident, which begins 10 minutes prior to the time the threat was detected, by inserting a formatted USB drive into their car before they enable sentry mode. T esla released a new security feature called sentry mode.

GM’S VEHICLE LOCATOR APP

General Motors came out with a new app to help its customers find their vehicle in a parking lot.

General Motors is launching a new app-based feature to help customers locate their vehicles. The “Vehicle Locate” service, which is available to owners of eligible 2012 model year or newer Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC vehicles in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, will send text message alerts to owners when their vehicle leaves or enters a present 20-mile radius. GM product manager of remote services Alejandra Gonzalez stated in a press release that Vehicle Locate will provide drivers and their loved ones “with peace of mind in a variety of different drive-related scenarios.”

TESTING CONNECTED VEHICLES IN QUEBEC

T he Canadian government is donating $40 million to Blackberry’s self-driving technology.

For the first time ever OmniAir Consortium, a leading industry association promoting connected vehicles and Propulsion in Quebec, is partnering up to host Quebec Plugfest, an event dedicated to connected vehicle testing. The event will feature expert panelists discussing technical and policy issues surrounding connected and automated vehicles including cybersecurity, privacy, deployment, and certification. There will also be highly technical workshops and guided tours of the testing areas. Quebec Plugfest is expecting an array of people to attend the event including government officials, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V21) device makers, automotive OEMs, and Tier One suppliers, as well as engineering firms. The event will take place at Transport Canada’s Motor Vehicle Test Centre in Blainville, Canada from May 6-10.

800 jobs over the next decade at Blackberry’s campus in Kanata, Ontario, as well as support the 300 existing jobs there. Blackberry will use federal money to invest in software development for the next generation of autonomous vehicles, as well as skills training for workers.

APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 21

OEM NEWS

VOLVO RECALL Volvo has issued a global recall for 219,000 vehicles in fear of fuel leaks. The voluntary recall was announced after the Swedish manufacturer identified small cracks on the inside of one of the fuel lines attached to diesel cars built between 2015 and 2016. After investigating the issue, Volvo concluded that if left unattended, the fuel lines could leak and ultimately present a risk of fire. Affected models include the: V40 hatchback, V40 Cross Country, S60 saloon, S60 Cross Country, V60 estate, V60 Cross Country, XC60 SUV, V70 estate, XC70; S80 saloon, and XC90 flagship SUV.

FIAT CHRYSLER RECALL In early February Fiat Chrysler announced the recall of more than 660,000 heavy-duty trucks worldwide. The recall, which pertains to a loose nut that can cause a loss of steering control, covers Ram 3500 pickups from 2013 to 2017, as well as 2500 pickups and 3500 Chassis cabs from 2014 to 2017. The manufacturer is aware of eight crashes and one injury that could be potentially related.

A majority of the trucks subject to the recall are in Canada and the U.S. Dealers will be inspecting a steering linkage nut on all recalled vehicles. If the nut is found to be properly tightened, it will be welded to a sleeve to keep it from moving. If loose, a new steering assembly will be installed. Vehicles included in the recall are 2019 Ram pickups with adjustable brake pedals.

FORD RECALLS F-150 TRUCKS

GM PASSES NISSAN AS MEXICO’S LARGEST PLANT General Motors is now Mexico’s largest automaker in terms of vehicle output. With more than 830,000 vehicles manufactured in Mexico alone last year, GM surpassed Nissan, which slid by 10 percent in 2018, as the country’s top vehicle provider, according to data collected from Automotive News. North American automotive production continues to grow in Mexico, as manufacturers look to take advantage of low wages. In 2018 U.S. vehicle production slid by three percent, while Canada saw an 8.8 percent decline. In response to the news, GM stated that the company hasn’t increased output capacity in Mexico for a decade and as of now has no plans to do so.

Fiat Chrysler issued the recall in February.

eneral Motors is Mexico’s largest G automaker.

In mid-February Ford recalled approximately 1.5 million pickup trucks in North America due to the fear of their transmissions suddenly downshifting into first gear. The recall, which includes 1.26 million vehicles in the U.S. and 221,000 in Canada, covers F-150 models from 2011 to 2013 with six-speed automatic transmissions. Ford explained that the defect is a result of a glitch affecting the transmission speed sensor. The manufacturer has been notified of five accidents resulting from the transmission failure, including one that caused a whiplash injury. Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified starting March 4. Dealers will be updating the vehicle’s power-train control software to fix the problem.

MAZDA WAS VICTORIOUS Mazda swept away the most awards from the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), bringing them one step closer to winning the ultimate title of Canadian Car of the Year and Canadian Utility of the Year. Mazda took home the following awards, Best Sports-Performance Car, Best Mid-Size Utility, Best Large Utility.

Among Mazda and Kia, some of the other OEMs that took home awards were Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Hyundai and Ford. JAC president Mark Richardson A presents the awards to Massey Kondo, president (right), and Jacques Parent regional director, Quebec City (left).

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INSURANCE NEWS

INSURANCE

SGI’S JANUARY SPOTLIGHT Saskatchewan Government Insurance’s January spotlight was a familiar theme, as the public insurer chose to focus on impaired driving. “Impaired driving remains the number one cause of fatalities on Saskatchewan roadways,” said Tyler McMurchy, SGI media relations manager. Tyler McMurchy, SGI Media Relations manager.

WHY THE INCREASE? According to LowestRates.ca, auto insurance for Canadians have risen quite a bit in comparison to 2017. In their Q4 results of 2018, they found that drivers in Alberta saw a 10.5 percent

Justin Thouin, co-founder and CEO of LowestRates.ca.

increase and drivers in Atlantic Canada saw a climb of 3.75 percent. John Shmuel, managing editor for LowestRates.ca explained the numerous trends that point towards the increasing rates. One of them being the new technology being installed in vehicles. The second trend that he mentioned was the rise in distracted driving collisions. Shmuel also said that on a micro level, the reason why rates have increased in Ontario is due to the increase in fraud. The most harmful fraud that is seen in the province is coming from lawyers and doctors claiming something that isn’t true in order to gain more of a profit.

Vice president of IBC Pacific region Aaron Sutherland.

IBC CALLS FOR CHANGES IN NL AUTO INSURANCE RATES

IBC Atlantic vice president Amanda Dean.

A CALL FOR PRIVATE INSURANCE British Columbia has the highest premiums in the country, and it is only going to get worse. Vice president of the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) for the Pacific region Aaron Sutherland strongly agrees that a private sector of auto insurance would decrease prices for B.C. drivers. With ICBC rates set to rise by 6.3 percent in April, Sutherland announced at a recent luncheon in Cowichan that premiums could still rise by another 9.5 percent in 2020. “Repairs have gone up dramatically but only

Over the course of the January spotlight police across the province reported 224 impaired driving offences, including 194 Criminal Code charges and 30 roadside administrative suspensions. Last fall new provincial legislation came into place that included zero tolerance for drug-impaired driving. In January, police in Saskatchewan also reported the following: 640 distracted driving offence, 383 tickets related to seatbelts and car seats, and 5,160 tickets for speeding and aggressive driving.

here in B.C. is it causing massive increases in premiums,” he told local news outlet Cowichan Valley Citizen. Drivers in B.C. pay approximately $1,680 in annual premiums, representing the highest rates in the country. Sutherland concluded that drivers in B.C. need more choice, “ICBC needs competition and consumers need choice.”

MORE CHOICE According to survey results released from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), 82 percent of British Columbians said that they want more choice in the auto insurance market and that they would be in favour of more competition. Additional information revealed in the polling showed that 76 percent of participants would be in favour of the government’s efforts to introduce a cap on minor injuries and that only 10 percent of respondents said that they would support the decision to eliminate the ability to sue for pain and suffering.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada believes changes need to be made to Newfoundland and Labrador’s insurance rates, and the national organization isn’t alone. The NL Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities released a report that summarized the public hearings on auto insurance rates that transpired over the last year. Inside the report, the PUB highlighted ‘significant shortfalls’ in the current auto insurance system. NL drivers currently pay more than $1,100 a year on average, compared to New Brunswick at $819 and Nova Scotia at $842. During the public hearing process, IBC made several suggestions on how to lower rates including a recommendation to cap pain and suffering awards for those with minor injuries. “We need claims to cost controls in place, based on the evidence in the PUB report, to protect everyone who pays for an auto insurance policy. This means changing the current auto insurance system,” said vice president of IBC Atlantic Amanda Dean.

APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 25

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CANNONBALL

THIS AD IS NO JOKE

A driver made a grand entrance in the Courtice Community Centre when she drove right through the front doors plunging into the community pool. Durham Regional Police were called to the community centre on Courtice Rd, in Courtice, Ontario, where the officers found a small red car in the children’s pool. Luckily, no one was hurt. The 36-year-old driver was charged with dangerous operation of a conveyance, mischief, damage to property endangering life and mischief and damage to property that is more than $5,000.

An Ontario man created a homemade video to try and sell his 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, or what he likes to call a “superbly average” car. “Even though this car is a joke this ad is not,” car owner, Reid Zanbelt says in the video. Zanbelt explains that he is moving to New Zealand, so he needs to sell his car. He carries on to detail some of the “remarkable features” of the vehicle like the off-colour driver’s door handle and “left and right turn signals that work.” “You’ll be thrilled with the aftermarket front speakers and a radio system because 17-year-old me thought that was a smart decision,” he said. With only

230 km docked, the vehicle still runs like the wind, he shared. The vehicle also doesn’t have any air conditioning but Zanbelt says that the next owner will love rolling down the windows because it’s quite the challenge. Under the hood, the vehicle has a 2.2 litre Ecotec engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission.“When you drive at night a gorgeous orange glow illuminates the dash wonderfully, constantly reminding you that this car is a piece of garbage.” Zanbelt is selling the vehicle for $788 and if anyone is interested should contact him directly through his website.

TESLA ROADSTER EXPERIMENT What’s Inside Family’s YouTube Channel has conducted an experiment to see if a 2010 Tesla Roadster can fit an NFL lineman inside. Detroit Lion Tyrell Crosby, who is 6’5 and weighs 317 lbs, struggled to fit inside the electric sports car. While he was able to drive it, his head was entirely above the windshield.

THE BIRD BOX CHALLENGE The recent Netflix thriller Bird Box was brought to social media as the latest challenge. The film is about a virus that can be contracted through sight and in order to survive people must blindfold their eyes. This concept was taken to the roads in Utah, where a 17-year-old teenager decided to drive her car blindfolded and the inevitable happened. She crashed into another car. Luckily no one was injured.

WHAT A HOOT! A Utah driver was driving home when he hit a large bird. Assuming the unfortunate animal had been killed, the driver was surprised to find its still-blinking eyes staring out at him from inside the vehicle’s grill when he had returned home. The bird—an owl—was rescued from the inside of the car—but seemed unwilling to leave what it regarded as a prime nesting location. Wildlife experts coaxed it out of its new home and it was taken to a rehab facility. It is expected to make a full recovery.

WRONG WAY A 38-year-old Windsor man, David Raymond Farrell is facing a number of charges after speeding down the wrong side of a highway in Nova Scotia, threatening another driver with a machete and crashing into a gas station. Dashcam footage shows the vehicle was speeding down the highway on the wrong side, weaving in and out of traffic, forcing other vehicles off the road. Farrell was driving a black Jaguar sedan and soon enough he crashed with an oncoming SUV. This is when Farrell grabbed a machete out of his vehicle, ran up to a stopped pickup truck and threatened him to get out of the vehicle. He took off with the vehicle, trying to escape the police until he crashed into a gas station and injured two people. He is now under the hook for the following charges: dangerous operation of a vehicle, robbery with violence, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, mischief endangering life, assault of a peace officer with a weapon and operation of a vehicle while impaired causing bodily harm. APRIL 2018 COLLISION REPAIR 27

PROFILES OF SUCCESS

Harold Fjellstrom and his children, Michelle Dupuis and Cameron Fjellstrom.

HAROLD THE GREAT HAROLD’S AUTO BODY CELEBRATES 46 YEARS OF PRINCIPLED REPAIRING By Sue Dickens

very now and again, Harold Fjellstrom, who founded Harold’s Auto Body in Edmonton in 1973, drops in to see how the family’s business is doing. “Things have changed a lot, but the basics of auto body repair and the business remain the same. We help people out of a bad situation—we repair their vehicle properly, and care for our clients.” After a decade-and-a-half of retirement, he knows the business is in the safe hands of two of his children, Cameron Fjellstrom and Michelle Dupuis. Both share his belief that success requires more than just hard work—but a commitment to going the extra mile for both employees and clients. For his eldest child, Michelle, that lesson was learned early. “Growing up we didn’t have a whole lot but dad always found a way to make things work,” Michelle said. “Back in those days my father worked for other people. He would take on the responsibilities

outside of his own work as an autobody technician, such as writing estimates for other companies." In 1973, when she was just 11 years old, her father took an enormous risk founding Harold’s Auto Body, a 3,000 sq. ft. building in Edmonton, Alberta. “I didn’t want to work for anybody else anymore. I enjoyed what I did, and was good at it—but I couldn’t have done it alone.” Harold said. With everything on the line, the family came together to ensure it got off the ground successfully. “It wasn’t just my father. My mother Lorraine and his brother and Uncle Norm [Fjellstrom] were in it together,” Michelle explained.“Working together, they were able to reach a deal with Allstate Insurance, and from there business began to start rolling in.” Harold is particularly grateful to his wife, Lorraine, who worked tirelessly with him. “When we first started I had to have my wife around all the time. I couldn’t answer

28 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

ichelle Dupuis, co-owner of Harold’s M Auto Body in Edmonton, Alberta.

PROFILES OF SUCCESS

The Harold’s Auto Body team.

the phone and write estimates. We wrote them all day long and it was all by hand,” Harold said. Unfortunately for the Fjellsons, the increase in business quickly made it clear that the limited facility was too small to allow them to stay in operation. In 1978, just a few years into their operation, they decided to take another big risk—investing in a major expansion. This time, however, Harold was keen to make sure that his facility would be customized to suit the needs of an expanding auto repairer. “Dad found a piece of property close to the stockyards in Edmonton and after clearing the land he drew up a blueprint and built his own vision of his shop. Then he went and saw the engineer and architect who provided the proper blueprints for a build,” said Michelle. While Harold did commission an architecture firm to do much of the work, he kept expenses down by building absolutely everything he could. These efforts soon paid off, and the business found itself thriving. “All of a sudden we had a big shop and dad just kept hiring people,” said Michelle. At their highest point they had at least 20 employees—a far cry from the three they started with. Then a high school student working part-time in the office, Michelle gained a whole new perspective on her father seeing him hiring and interacting with a rapidly expanding workforce. “When dad considered hiring someone, he made sure that they shared his moral values as himself,” Michelle explained. In the months that followed, Michelle

“Dad really cared about the employees to the point of treating them like family,” Michelle said. “When they struggled he would make sure to be there for them.”

took note of her father’s approach. She saw how he managed to bring out the best from his employees by treating them with respect. She paid attention to the devotion he gave to his clients, and how they rewarded it with repeat business. “Dad really cared about the employees to the point of treating them like family,” Michelle said. “When they struggled he would make sure to be there for them.” She took these lessons to heart—though she did not anticipate ever being in his position. Like many children of facility owners, Michelle had grown up seeing how tough the business could be. “Growing up, my mom and dad would come home at night and I would hear them talk about all of their troubles and concerns.

Two of the repairers from Harold’s Auto Body work on fixing the front bumper of a customer’s vehicle.

APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 29

PROFILES OF SUCCESS

After always hearing about what it was like, I didn’t want anything to do with the bodyshop!” After high school, Michelle attended the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), where she studied accounting and finance. Following her graduation, she began a career at a major accounting firm in downtown Edmonton. But fate had other plans for Michelle. In 1981, shortly after Norm had left Edmonton for a new position in Saskatoon, her father developed some health concerns. Harold called his daughter to ask if she had ever considered working with him. Michelle was hesitant at first, but realized that, if the family’s business was to survive, she had no choice but to become involved. Over the next few years, Harold began to rely on Michelle more and more. By 1985, it was decided that a second major expansion was required which would add an extension to the shop’s paint booth—and it would be Michelle, not Harold, who would be responsible for the project’s success. While Harold’s middle child, Brad, was never drawn to working in the collision repair field, his youngest, Cameron, shared Harold’s passion for working with vehicles. Unlike his older siblings, Cameron, who is ten years younger than Michelle, had grown up in a time when the business was thriving.

Joining the team in 1990, he quickly realized he had a passion for hands-on work. “I love the feeling of getting a car repaired properly.” Cameron said. “It is wonderful to know we’ve done everything we can to provide a safe, well-put-back-together car.” Over the next decade-and-a-half, the siblings became a formidable team, ably living up to their father’s principles. Unlike many siblings whose differences make working alongside one another difficult, Cameron and Michelle say their approaches complement one another. “We’re very different,” said Michelle. “Cameron studied industrial arts and was a very hands-on guy—a jack of all trades, just like our father.” “Ultimately, we are all striving for one thing and that’s sending home customers safe and happy. Both of us are needed to make it work,” he said. “I could never do Michelle’s job—and as she would say the same thing about mine!” When he decided to retire in 2003, Harold was certain that the business was in capable hands. The years that followed have proven him right. We are 46 years strong right now,” Michelle said. “Our loyalty to the staff, suppliers, and our customers, is a huge part of that long-lasting success.”

30 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Like their father, both Michelle and Cameron form close bonds with their employees. Among the 12-person team, some have remained with the business for decades—with parts manager Lori Petraschuk having joined in the 1980s. “She’s been here 32 years and is a real gem,” said Michelle. “We are so lucky to work with her and so many other wonderful people.” But it isn’t just employees who have stayed with the business over the decades. The customers have also remained loyal. “There’s no secret to what we’re doing—it’s what we’ve always done. We are fulfilling the needs and requirements of our customers and doing it an old-fashioned way,” Michelle explained. “When people are crying after an accident, I offer them a hug, have a coffee with them, and let them know we can help make things better.” While the approach may be old fashioned, it is effective. Today, many of the clients are the children and grandchildren of long-term clients—a fact that Harold finds immensely touching. “I am so proud of Michelle and Cameron,” Harold says. “They are more than living up to my legacy.” ameron Fjellstrom oversees a C vehicle pre-scan procedure.

EXECUTIVE VISION

SECRETS OF THE ASTECH CHIEF DOUG KELLY ON DISRUPTING THE INDUSTRY ONE DAY AT A TIME

hen Doug Kelly joined asTech in 2015, he was—perhaps—better known within automotive industry than the business itself. The Canadian-born automotive aftermarket executive had made a name for himself as the president of Fix Auto U.S., and as the founding president of CynCast, a company which offered CIECA-compliant open technology designed to streamline electronic commerce across the auto claims industry. After CynCast was bought out by Enterprise Rent-A-Car in 2011, Kelly remained in the subsidiary’s top job for four years, before taking up his new role at the remote diagnostics company asTech. Collision Repair recently spoke to Kelly in his Dallas office.

32 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

EXECUTIVE VISION

COLLISION REPAIR:

CR: Do you feel you’re something of DK: I think the service industry is very agile and incredibly resilient. I think for Why don’t we start by asking you a disruptor? many, many years to come, vehicles will about your decision to join asTech. DK: [Laughing] The reason I chuckle is continue to get repaired. What will change After a prolific career with DuPont, that we’re literally following in the wake of is how they fix it, who performs the repairs Fix and Enterprise, it seems like you the car manufacturers. and where they are done. could have lived and died a happy man The car companies have made this I have asked some of the best we have about without ever taking up the challenges incredibly complicated product—and, unlike future technology and what it represents in a television set, it’s not disposable right now— terms of the ability to service vehicles. Their of running such a large company. DOUG KELLY Between leaving Enterprise and taking on this role, I looked at doing a number of different things, –many of them tried and true. I considered buying some collision repair facilities, with a dealership—and stick with what I knew. But if you look at my career, I typically venture to those things that are unknown. I guess the undefined has quite a bit of appeal. What was fascinating about this opportunity wasn’t what it was— it was what I saw it could become. The automotive industry has had a shortage of qualified technicians for what seems like decades and experienced an increase in the complexity of the vehicles. These two curves: an aging workforce and aging-out of the skill-set at the same time results in an ever widening gap of folks that can service today’s complicated vehicles. When I saw the technology in action, the penny dropped for me. I saw actual technicians remotely connecting into vehicles performing service from virtually anywhere in the world. When I saw that we could effectively take that knowledge and expertise and connect it to the vehicle, I realized that this will allow repair shops to keep the vehicle in production to get expert support and help literally in a moment’s notice—and together provide the opportunity for better repairs. It was the right service at the right time. Folks sometimes refer to us as being disruptive or the disruptor.

they are too expensive. I think the average loan term now is beyond 60 months. Consumers want to keep these things. So they are going to have to repair them and put them back on the road. And that becomes simply too complicated without the help of professionals. We have a high percentage of people here on staff that know about today’s modern vehicles—without that expertise, the chances of successfully repairing a newer vehicle is very, very low.

CR: Should collision repairers fear the idea that one day, asTech will replace their businesses?

response is always an interesting one—and not what you might think. When you ask our techs about fixing something new and complicated— especially if there aren’t well written repair procedures—they say that they take it apart and fix it. When I challenge them on that, they often say: “there’s only so many ways for something to break—if you’re good at what you do, you can take it apart and figure it out!” That really in a nutshell describes the service sector—their job is to fix stuff, and they are smart people who are really good at what they do!

DK: We’ve made it our objective and mission CR: Are there any storm clouds on the to only serve professional organizations. We are not a business-to-consumer company. That’s not what we’re doing. We’re business-to-business, and the reason I chose that in our evolution early on, is that consumers already have at least two choices when it comes to getting a car serviced—they can take it to a collision shop or take it to a mechanical shop that kind of waterfalls into the transmission and tires all that. The last thing I want to do was introduce a third avenue for consumers to have to think about! Our view is that consumers are already inclined to go to their favorite collision shop, so we should just help those organizations repair the vehicle.

horizon for collision repairers?

DK: If the manufacturers started restricting

parts sales or lock-down their vehicles to make inaccessible to car owners or service centres to work on them, things could get difficult really quickly. Tesla, for instance, is doing more and more to take over the entire ecosystem. For owners, it might seem like a great idea for a Tesla to take control—but if you need a battery serviced or simple cosmetic repairs done, you have only one choice. I am not sure they are going to afford—or offer—the quality touch needed to keep up a 15 year life-cycle. And personally—I think it’s important people still get access to repair their cars.

CR: Do you think the vehicle industry

can ever really surpass the ability of CR: What was your dream car the repair industry to repair vehicles? growing up? APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 33

EXECUTIVE VISION

DK:

As a young kid, it was a Mustang. Growing up, I went from Mustangs to Camaros.

CR: What do you drive now? DK: That’s a great question—I’d love to

give you a short answer. I am on a subscription service through a dealership—it is very cool. I pay a flat rate every month, so I get to flip between different vehicles—for a car guy it’s a lot of fun. Today, I’m driving a Jaguar E-Pace. Two weeks ago, it was a Volvo XC60.

individual and you’ll always be relevant! If you chase the money, you typically end up being disappointed. Somebody will always pay you a dollar more, but not necessarily for what you want to do. Young people should figure out what they want to do—and then be best you can at it. Typically, the money follows. And careers take more time.

CR: Your successor is waiting in the

wings somewhere. Do you think they should be getting involved auto repair in college, or business in university?

So the answer is both. CR: What advice do you have for DK: I’m a big believer in education

young people looking to start their careers in the automotive industry?

DK:

Keep learning and growing as an

and more importantly ongoing learning. You’ll notice I have books throughout my office. I read constantly. If college and university taught me anything, it is that

34 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

you should never stop learning. Education, especially a formal education will always help you in your career—but so is hands-on experience. To succeed in this industry, you have to read and stay current and learn and you have to practice what it is you’re learning. My career is the classic story of the tortoise and the hare. Compared to my peers I was off to a much slower start, because I was doing the grunt work—if you will. I was college educated, but I was doing work in a plant, working a blue collar job and over time, I found that what you learn in a manufacturing plant is all the skills you need going forward. I know I don’t work on cars as much as I used to—but I still go in the calibration centre to stay up-to-date with what the team is doing. The point of the whole story is it’s not about a quick burst it’s about having longevity in your career.

MARKET REPORT

AUTOHOUSE TECHNOLOGIES 2018 CANADIAN BENCHMARK

usiness relationships with insurers, OEMs, and fleets are won and lost based on how well a repairer performs against set targets. How efficiently repairs are processed then determines financial results for the repairer. Whether the goal is to maximize profits,

SALES

to satisfy external partners, or to analyze internal operations, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) is a critical tool in today’s collision repair organization. The intent of this report is to assist repairers by providing a comparative of their own performance results to the broader Ca-

nadian collision repair industry. We trust you will find this report useful. Please submit any comments or suggestion on this report to benchmark@autohousetechnologies.com. To download this report please visit autohousetechnologies.com/ benchmark-2018-subscription.

Sales revenues vary greatly based on location, facility size, and mix of business. Sales revenues would not typically be considered performance indicators, however they provide some context to the data used to create this report.

$244,019

AVG MONTHLY SALE 5.4% vs. Previous 12 Months

$2,160 AVG REPAIRS ORDER

6.5% vs. Previous 12 Months

$858

$2,918

CONSUMER PAY

NON-CONSUMER PAY

1.0% vs. Previous 12 Months

GROSS PROFIT

6.8% vs. Previous 12 Months

TREND VS. 2017

42.9% Total Labour

41.7% Parts

42.9% Total Labour

41.7% Parts

4.2% Sublet

9.8% Materials

Profitability is a frequently discussed and passionately debated topic. Ensuring a sustainable collision repair industry where the necessary investments can be made with a reasonable certainty of a financial return is critical, not only to collision repairers, but to all industry stakeholders. We believe gross profit it is a metric that requires mention within this benchmark. However stating comparative gross profit percentage is best addressed in an intimate setting amongst trusted peers. For the purpose of this report we will focus on gross profit trends year over year.

0.1% vs. 2017 GP

AVG REPAIR SALES MIX

4.2% Sublet

9.8% Materials

38 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

MARKET REPORT

CYCLE TIME

Cycle time remains a commonly used key performance indicator, however it’s effectiveness in measuring true comparative performance between repairers remains suspect at best. Only when work mix (OE brand and repair size) and geographic locations are similar does this metric provide relevant insight into performance. KPIs are based on non-customer pay repairs.

11.7 Days AVG CYCLE TIME

.8 Days vs. Previous 12 Months

7.1 Days AVG CYCLE TIME

Top 10% Cycle Time Performers

CYCLE TIME BREAKDOWN

7.0 Days

2.9 Days Arrive to Start

1.8 Days Complete to Delivery

Start to Complete

TOUCH TIME

We suggest that touch time is the most appropriate measure when comparing overall repairer performance. It succinctly measures how efficiently repairers process available work regardless of repair size. Although not a perfect metric, touch time does reduce the variables that influence cycle time variations and can be easily refined by applying additional parameters. KPIs are based on non-customer pay repairs.

2.6 Hrs

AVG TOUCH TIME No Change vs. Previous 12 Months

MANUFACTURER ORIGIN Domestic Asian European

AVG HRS PER RO

18.0 HRS

AVG TOUCH TIME

2.6 HRS

AVG HRS PER RO

17.8 HRS

AVG TOUCH TIME

2.6 HRS

AVG HRS PER RO

19.9 HRS

AVG TOUCH TIME

2.5 HRS

3.9 Hrs

Top 10% of Touch Time Performers AVG TOUCH TIME

About this Benchmark Report This benchmark is derived from Canadian collision repair locations’ operational data. Data contained within this report has been normalized and variance thresholds have been applied to eliminate anomalies that may impact data integrity. AutoHouse has applied its best efforts in statistical validation of data contained within this report.

APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 39

HEALTH & SAFETY

DON’T GET BURNED WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR SHOP’S FIRE SAFETY PLAN By Theresa Jachnycky

very type of business has some degree of fire risk but autobody and auto repair shops are especially high-risk for fire because of the combination of spray painting, welding, and storage of flammable liquids. Tires add to the fire load if tires are stored on the premises. In 2018 seven autobody fires were reported across Canada. All were multiple-alarm fires meaning the fires were severe requiring backup by additional fire departments to contain the blaze. While no injuries were reported in any of the blazes, property damage was extensive. No statics are available on the number of fires that were quickly contained upon discovery without the aid of fire departments. Regardless if the business is large or small, the National Fire Code requires owners to: i. Maintain the good and safe operating condition of the sprinkler systems, alarm systems, door closers and emergency equipment ii. Prepare an evacuation plan and procedure iii. Provide needed staff to evacuate the building; the number being determined based on the pre-established evacuation procedures, the occupant load, the use of the premises (occupancy), and the age

and fire resistance (class) of the building iv. I nform the occupants as well as the personnel about the safety measures in place and evacuation methods v. Provide staff the necessary instructions on the use of fire extinguishers, alarm systems and exits vi. See to it that, at least once a year, the appropriate fire evacuation and rescue drills are being conducted. Additionally, a Fire Safety Plan containing these details is required when any one or more of the following is present: • The building is equipped with a fire alarm system • Flammable or combustible liquids are stored on the premises • Hazardous materials are handled on the premises • Premise that is considered a construction site Autobody shops satisfy at least two of the conditions for requiring a Fire Safety Plan. What, then, is a Fire Safety Plan? A Fire Safety Plan is a written document that informs occupants about what steps to take in the event of a fire or other building emergency requiring evacuation.

40 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

The plan sets out locations of all exit doors, fire extinguishers, pull stations and responsibilities of occupants in the event an evacuation is necessary. A well-articulated fire plan also provides critical strategic information to first responders to assist them in mitigating the emergency in a safe and well-coordinated manner. As part of the safety plan host regular fire drills as this form of training allows staff to practice the evacuation procedures when there is no actual emergency. As National Fire Plan sets out only the minimum requirements for a fire safety plan, consider rehearsing the fire plan more often. Fire drills and mock evacuations are excellent for team building because everyone is involved in the rehearsal plus a debrief afterwards encourages people to speak about what went well and what needs improvement. Be prepared. As a best practice, every business or organization should have fire safety plan ready in case the unexpected happens. A well developed, well tested plan will help your business respond effectively, with minimal disruption, and help reduce uncertainty for your staff and customers, so your business can recover faster.

HEALTH & SAFETY

THE KEY FEATURES OF THE PLAN SHOULD INCLUDE: REPORTING THE EMERGENCY – The first and one of the most important parts of a safety plan is the procedure for notifying occupants and others of the emergency. In buildings without a fire alarm it is important to identify the best means for alerting people to the emergency (e.g. shouting “fire”, blowing an air horn or whistle, using a megaphone, hand bell, strobe light, intercom or other signaling device). If work takes place in a noisy environment, the plan should also identify a secondary method for alerting people. FIGHTING THE FIRE – In most situations, immediate evacuation is recommended unless the fire is small and is not spreading to other areas. If properly trained in the use of fire equipment staff may attempt to extinguish the fire. The fire plan should specify the number of seconds or attempts to be made by staff before abandoning firefighting (ABC fire extinguishers lasts between 10 and 20 seconds) WHERE TO EVACUATE – Once an emergency occurs, occupants need to know where to exit in the safest way possible. The plan needs to include maps and instructions on the evacuation procedures showing the safest routes to take. Also signs and maps need to be posted showing the nearest exits easily available. For businesses where extreme weather conditions prevail a secondary location for sheltering the business’s evacuees should also be identified. This will entail speaking with neighboring businesses, schools or other public places to set out instructions on whom to contact to prepare for the incoming evacuees. FIRE SAFETY EQUIPMENT – Locations of fire safety equipment should be specified in the plan and with signs. Fire extinguishers, hoses, hydrants, blankets and other safety equipment should be accessible to help in fighting any fire. CONTACT INFORMATION – Key contact names and numbers should be available in the fire evacuation plan. This will facilitate communication and keep everyone properly informed. Also, a checklist of employees and any visitors should be available so that all personnel can be accounted for during the emergency. OPERATING EQUIPMENT – If any equipment is running, the safety plan should indicate if the machinery should be shut down and what the procedures are to shut down the equipment. Also, staff should be educated on when to abandon equipment in order to save their lives. FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS – Location of sprinklers and inspection frequency should also be specified. GATHERING (MUSTER) POINT – A specified location should be indicated in the plan that is a safe distance away from the building and allows staff to gather and report their status.

PROVINCE/ TERRITORY

NATIONAL FIRE CODE NFC 2010

Adopted NFC 2015 (Effective 12/18)

Adopted (AFC) (Effective 05/15)

Adopted NFCC 2015 (Effective 01/18)

Adopted (Effective12/11)

Not Adopted (OFC 2014 in effect)

Adopted (Effective 04/14)

Adopted (Effective 12/11)

Adopted NFCC 2015 (Effective 01/18)

PEI

Adopted NFC 2015 (Effective 04/17)

Adopted (NFC) (Effective 01/13)

Adopted (Effective 04/11)

NWT

Adopted (Effective 04/11)

Not Adopted

After a distinguished career in the not-forprofit sector, Theresa Jachnycky joined the family business in 2014. She has provided executive leadership to small, medium and large corporations, and worked with diverse client populations and professionals in the areas of strategic and operational planning, community development, administration and finance. She holds a masters degree in health services administration & community medicine from the University of Alberta and a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Manitoba. APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 41

PRAIRIE VIEW

CULTIVATING ACCOUNTABILITY By Chelsea Stebner

Ensuring your team understands the why behind their actions

BUILDING THAT ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF IT INTO YOUR BUSINESS TAKES PRACTICE AND DETERMINATION. IT TAKES THE ABILITY TO ADAPT AND CHANGE WITH THE INDUSTRY CHANGES.

Chelsea Stebner is a co-owner/ operator of Parr Auto Body, a collision repair facility located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She can be reached at chelsea@ parrautobody.com.

s a leader, accountability starts with you. In any business, accountability is a hot button. Especially for the collision industry, accountability plays a big role for repairers. With many stakeholders, our accountability lies with the customer, the insurer and the OE. Are we satisfying all of the players involved in our repair? Building that accountability and the understanding of it into your business takes practice and determination. It takes the ability to adapt and change with the industry changes. Model the behavior you wish to see. That means, as a leader, being willing to step up and say,“I messed up” or “I made the wrong choice.” Holding yourself and your leadership team to high-standards consistently fosters an environment of openness and trust and promotes a greater sense of accountability in others. Is your vision clear? Do you have measurable goals and action items? Does every member of the team understand the why behind the directions? Giving our team all the pieces to the puzzle will help them be successful in everything they do. But in this case, how can a leader hold someone accountable to the process if they don’t know the why? For example in our shop, does our detailer know why the wheel wells of the vehicle need to be cleaned clear of mud and debris? Quite often, especially for newer team members, we do a quick on-

board, get them to work, and walk away. Here’s the wash bay, here’s the tools, here’s the standard operating procedures – go! But why does or why should that detailer really care if the wheel wells are cleaned out if he or she does not understand the why behind it? One solution would be to follow up with your team and ensure there is consistent feedback and communication. If something is not working, or getting missed, it is your responsibility as a leader to communicate that. Accountability is a consistent requirement of all teammates. As a leader, you cannot pick and choose who gets to be accountable. Sometimes, it’s easier to let something slide than to confront an issue. But in the bigger picture, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. You must hold your entire team accountable, every time, yourself included. To tie this all back to collision repair, are you confident that every process and procedure has been followed to repair your customer’s ride back to previous or better condition? Are you certain that the weld tests have been performed, that the calibrations have been completed, that OE procedures were read and followed? By continuously engaging your team in the process, and fostering the environment on accountability, you can ensure that each vehicle that you repair is back on the road safely carrying your customer’s family. That is the goal for all of us in this industry. APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 43

INDUSTRY EDUCATORS

RETHINKING REPAIR EDUCATION By Ben Hart

Bringing remote diagnostic scanning into the collision curriculum

IN FACT, AS THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IN TODAY’S VEHICLES HAS FORCED BODYSHOPS TO CHANGE THEIR REPAIR PROCEDURES, IT ALSO REQUIRES POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS TO ADJUST THE WAY WE TRAIN TOMORROW’S AUTO TECHNICIANS.

Ben Hart is a Red Seal auto body technician and refinisher with nearly two decades of experience in the industry. He has instructed apprenticeship programs at SAIT for the last two years and was previously a working foreman at dealership bodyshop.

t the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary, Alberta, the faculty take great pride in providing our students with the training required to perform safe repairs on every vehicle—but this is not as simple a task as it once was. In fact, as the advanced technology in today’s vehicles has forced bodyshops to change their repair procedures, it also requires post-secondary institutions to adjust the way we train tomorrow’s auto technicians. Vehicles today can utilize more than 50 individual modules containing large amounts of generic and manufacturer specific data. Each may be intended for a very broad section of the vehicle, such as the powertrain control module, or small secluded area of the vehicle like the headlight control module. In all, a vehicle’s system could have 100 million lines of code programmed to operate all of its function, or 10 times the data processing requirements of a smart phone. Third party scan tools are no longer sufficient for a bodyshop as they do not have the ability to read all modules or contain software to retrieve manufacturer-specific data. All of this advancement puts the bodyshop at a technological disadvantage as the training and equipment may be lacking. In many cases the dealership may be best suited to provide these scanning services and have them performed by a manufacturer trained journeyman automotive service technician.

As a training institution, SAIT faculty recognized this need for a more modern approach to training. To that end, SAIT has partnered with AirPro Diagnostics to provide students with pre and post scans and calibration training. The AirPro Diagnostics tool is designed to meet this unique requirement of the bodyshop. The student can quickly hook up the AirPro tool and request an assisted scan that performed remotely by trained technician using OEM-licensed software to produce a report of reccomended repairs. The collaboration allows us to provide our students with the ability to research OEM repair information and position statements—and to require these steps to be performed before working on any vehicles at the school. As one of the first post-secondary institutes to partner with a remote diagnostics scanning company, SAITs students are able to understand and adhere to OEM procedures throughout the entire repair process. With a critical labour shortage facing the industry as a whole, new approaches to collision education at the post-secondary level are needed. Collaborative partnerships with remote diagnostics scanning providers better prepare students for the everyday realities of working in the industry. They also make the decision to study autobody repair more appealing—something which will make it easier to attract potential repairers into the industry. APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 45

WHO’S DRIVING

RECRUITING THE RIGHT WAY By Jay Perry

Mapping out your employee’s road to success

P IN THESE TIMES WHEN GOOD QUALIFIED PEOPLE ARE HARD TO FIND THERE IS A TENDENCY TO LOWER THE STANDARDS YOU SET AND LOOK AT ILLQUALIFIED PEOPLE THAT DON’T REALLY FIT THE CULTURE, LET ALONE THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Jay Perry is co-author of the book Success Manifesto with Brian Tracy, and the founder of Ally Business Coaching, a process improvement and leadership development firm. He can be reached at jayperry@ab-c-inc.com.

art of any leaders job is to have a system that ensures the right people are on the team. What does this entail? A complete and holistic approach. To me, that means looking at the employee as a lifetime investment for the company. To get this system started in the right direction you must have a great recruitment process. This involves developing a screening tool which could include professional help from people or groups that have experience and are trained in the methods of identifying the right people for the job. There definitely needs to be an assessment of any candidate applying so you can be certain that they are possessing the right aptitude toward the particular job for which you are hiring. Going along with this is interview skills. In these times when good qualified people are hard to find there is a tendency to lower the standards you set and look at ill-qualified people that don’t really fit the culture, let alone the technical requirements. You really have to adopt a very strict discipline and not compromise especially around cultural issues. Once the candidate that you believe will be the most successful has been chosen there is a need for a proper onboarding process. This actually starts prior to their first day on the job. The introductions of the company and a tour should be made as well as getting all the

usual data requirements out of the way, so they do not take up time on their first day on the job. A review of the company’s desired goals, acquainting them with vacation, payday, stat holiday, leave and health benefits policies should be done. A very important but often overlooked item is the “career path.” This is a thoughtthrough, detailed description of what the individual has to do performance-wise. It also maps out any formal training that is required for the employee to move up the ladder within the company. On the employee’s first day, a mentor should be assigned. This facilitates the new person’s integration into the culture of the company. It helps them learn not only about the job itself but also facilitates them learning nuances that are not easily described in interviews. Throughout the following time with the company the employee needs feedback. The feedback needs to be constructive and provide solutions where improvements are required. These improvements could be on the company’s side too. There could be very valuable lessons learned by listening closely to what is said. Continuous improvement is a full-time job! Even if the employee leaves the process is not over. There should always be an exit interview where a great deal more can be learned. All these things go into the formulae of being the one who’s driving. APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 47

ENGINE KNOX

WHO IS GOING TO REPAIR MY FLYING CAR? By Steve Knox

The future will still need collision repairers

I SO WHO’S GOING TO FIX MY FLYING CAR? WHO WILL BE AROUND TO DO SO? THOSE WHO ARE INVESTING IN THE FUTURE NOW OF COURSE

CARSTAR Fredericton and CARSTAR Fredericton North general manager Steve Knox is a member of the CCIF Steering Committee and an I-CAR instructor. He can be reached at sknox@ carstarfredericton.ca.

t’s been said that the collision industry is changing. It is. It’s been said that the industry is facing sweeping change like it’s never seen before. It is. It’s been said that the changes coming to the industry could cause an end to the industry itself. Vehicles are safer than they have ever been. They can detect obstacles all around them. They have systems integrated into their electronics that can apply brakes, steer the car, correct it’s speed, and do just about anything required to protect their passengers. The vehicle itself will basically self-destruct to protect the occupants within its safety cell. Talk about taking a bullet for you! Severity of the cost of accident repair is at an all time high. More sensors, modules, recalibrations, crush zones and so on. They say it’s the day of the disposable car. To an extent it is. Does that make this the beginning of the end of our industry? Let’s look at that, shall we? Vehicle-to-vehicle communications are on their way. These cars will be able to actually sense and measure the distance to the next car in traffic, and both vehicles become aware of each other’s presence. Imagine stopping hard in traffic and not worrying about the car behind you. Also, at highway speeds, these cars are super safe, because they can easily slip through traffic, never becoming concerned with bumping into one another. These vehicles are being developed to the point of self

driving. They don’t need your input, just your destination. Windshields are being created with augmented reality displays. Imagine seeing a warning regarding a deer on the road ahead of you, and knowing how far away it is exactly. Of course you’d never have to worry, the brakes will be applying themselves. Safety is coming to a level never imagined before. So is cost. There will still be accidents. Ice will fall off roofs, deer will jump into traffic when it’s too late for the car to react. Icy mixed road conditions will make it difficult for a vehicle to sense all of the dangers around it. These cars will be increasingly delicate. The cost of repair, and the need for very specialized equipment will grow. Perhaps we will see a sharp decrease in rush hour accidents, perhaps there will be a new type of accident we will see like a “glitch” in the system. Have you ever had to reboot your computer due to it slowing down? Think of how reliant we will become on these systems. Then picture a system failure. Imagine a car with all of these abilities being repaired in a shop that does not have the correct equipment to make these repairs or to calibrate the multiple systems in the vehicle. So who’s going to fix my flying car? Who will be around to do so? Those who are investing in the future now of course. Even to invest in the ability to repair current model year vehicles is huge. The business has changed. It’s always changing. We just need to keep up. APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 49

TECHNOLOGY BRIEFING

FLY ME TO THE DOWNTOWN CORE

n 1831 cartoon depicts the influx of individually A designed steam vehicles vying for attention on London’s roads. While many such vehicles were designed, the lack of repair infrastructure meant that the widespread automobiles would be held back for more than half-a-century.

AUTONOMOUS AIRCRAFT—NOT AUTONOMOUS CARS—MAY RESHAPE OUR WORLD By Gideon Scanlon

or all the ink spilled about the effects that autonomous road vehicles will have on the collision repair industry, their near-future ubiquity is, by no means, certain. Ironically enough, with every improvement to self-driving technologies, the likelihood of their future ubiquity becomes ever less certain. Why? Because once you teach a computer to drive, you might as well teach it to fly, and flying is so much more practical than driving. Last month, Morgan Stanley auto industry analyst Adam Jonas advised investors that “electrified, autonomous vertical takeoff and landing vehicles” are gaining traction, and added that, “If you’re bullish on autonomous cars, it is time to start looking at autonomous aircraft.”

While the predicted arrival of flying cars has been a cliché since the 1950s, many of the barriers that made personalized flight impractical in the past have been torn down. Sure, the horsepower of a flying vehicle would be far faster than grounded ones, but widespread air transportation offers other advantages as well. As the world’s population becomes increasingly urbanized, the advantages offered by airborne commuters increase sharply too. The biggest of these comes from urban densification. Today, with most of the world’s population living in urban areas, local authorities struggle to find ways to meet the inhabitant’s transformational needs.

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As more people cram into the areas around the downtown cores, the demands made on infrastructure increase—as does the cost of replacing and improving it. Sure, it is simple enough to build a sixlane highway through empty fields, but the cost of buying an equivalent amount of downtown real estate would be cost prohibitive. And then there are the costs of other public services—hospitals and schools, designed for local use, need to be expanded in order to accommodate population spikes. Unlike drivers, flying commuters would not be bound by such topographical and infrastructural constraints. They could travel faster, further and more directly than

TECHNOLOGY BRIEFING

their grounded counterparts. Accidents would not delay hundreds-of-thousands of commuters and require no roads be built. While investors may still be skeptical, transportation giants and aerospace companies are not. In the past few years, many autonomous flying car prototypes have been tested. Most recently, Boeing's Autonomous Passenger Air Vehicle (PAV) completed a successful flight in Virginia. Ride-sharing behemoth Uber announced plans to develop a flying autonomous fleet back in April of 2017, a move that has since been imitated by its chief rival, Lyft. Even retail giants are getting into the game, with Amazon-style delivery drones set to replace couriers within five years. Will the arrival of flying cars be the death knell of the industry? Absolutely not. First of all, ground transportation is not going anywhere. While the energy cost of flying may soon be lower for vehicles to fly families around, weight remains a limiting factor on goods transportation. Until someone invents a lifting gas—or hard vacuum containment technique—able to carry heavy loads without additional costs, transportation trucks will remain. Second of all, history tells us that unless repairers are given the tools they need to fix airborne vehicles, flying cars will never get off the ground. While people may credit the invention of automobiles to Karl Benz in 1885, but this is not, in fact, fair. The first automobile was

One of Google’s founders, Larry Page invented three flying electric vehicles. Page is heavily invested in Cora, a company which has produced its own flying car.

NASA’S DEFINITION OF A PERSONAL AIR VEHICLE (PAV): • Seats five or fewer passengers • Have a cruising speed between 150-200 mp/h (240-320 km/h) • Offers a quiet, comfortable and reliable ride • Legally usable by anyone with a driver’s license • Be as affordable as travel by car • Operates in all weather • Uses alternative fuels • Maintains an 800-mile (1,300 km) range • Provides door-to-door transportation

The lack of a repair industry held back Richard

Trevithwick’s experimental steam-driven vehicle, the Puffing Devil. Originally built in 1801, the machine had exploded during its first trip. As the only man qualified to repair the vehicle, Trevithwick was forced to wait until 1803 to patent the Puffing Devil.

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TECHNOLOGY BRIEFING

actually a steam-powered oddity designed by a Belgian missionary for the Emperor of China in 1672. It didn’t catch on. As steam power became widely used in the 19th century, however, many other horseless carriages were tested out in Europe and North America. British patents for steam-powered carriages were issued in 1782 and again in 1803—though they did little to stop individual inventors from building their own designs. By 1830, so many steam vehicle prototypes were puffing their way through London’s streets that their ubiquity and frequent breakdowns became the subject of widespread annoyance. Unfortunately for the inventors, none of their designs caught on. Why? Because nobody—save each individual inventor— understood the intricacies of each design to fix them. Benz, however, figured out a way to standardize the production. His petroleumpowered vehicles were produced in a standardized manner, meaning that side businesses could understand his vehicles enough to profit from repairing them. It is a lesson that the vehicle giants remember well.

With every new technological invention added to their mass-produced vehicles, from anti-lock breaks and airbags to ADAS technologies, OEMs have invested in making the procedures to repair their increasingly complex vehicles transparent. What auto insurer, after all, would invest in a vehicle that would have to be writtenoff by a fender bender? What OEM would manufacture an unsellable vehicle? Sure, from the perspective of facility owners, it may seem that the ability to perform scanning procedures, generate

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OEM repair reports and accurately follow the procedures means becoming more specialized, but this isn’t really the case. By cutting down the amount of personal judgment required by each individual technician, OEMs have reduced the amount of knowledge required by each individual technician. If flying cars are, in fact, the future, the manufacturers will be forced to accept the lessons of the past. The more complex their designs, the more they will invest in making repair procedures as simple as possible.

In January, aerospace giant Boeing tested its Autonomous Passenger Air Vehicle (PAV) in Virginia.

PROFILES OF SUCCESS

CSN County Collision in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. CSN County Collision owner Michelle Nickerson with car painter Ryan Jennings.

TURNING THE BUSINESS ON ITS HEELS FINDING SUCCESS AS A WOMAN IN THE INDUSTRY By Sue Dickens

nowing nothing about the collision repair industry, Michelle Nickerson, now the owner of CSN County Collision in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, doesn’t sugar coat her story of what it was like starting out in the business. “It’s kind of crazy how I ended up here,” she said unabashedly. A graduate of Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) in 1988 her career did not begin in the collision repair industry, in fact it was something quite different. Her first job was working for the local newspaper where Michelle worked for 28 years. Her life changed dramatically when she agreed to manage a collision repair shop. In July of 2013, Michelle offered to see what the shop needed to do to start turning a profit. That’s when the reality hit home for Michelle of what being a woman in charge meant in the industry. “When I went to the shop, in my heels and a pencil skirt, two of the guys walked out the back door and said they would never work for a woman, so they quit,” she said with candor. “The others stayed.” Her first job was to sell 17 classic cars in the shop which included everything from Corvettes, to Barracudas

and there was even a replica of the Dodge Charger General Lee. But, as Nickerson is quick to point out, “the bodyshop was an awesome shop, a hoist, geothermal paint booth, air conditioned and heated. Good bones right!” So each day after that, Michelle worked at the newspaper office from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and then the remainder of the day, until 6 p.m. was spent at the shop. She continued the two jobs until the collision repair business was put up for sale. Nickerson had put in her time at the shop doing everything from customer bookings, to ordering parts, to cleaning the toilets and sweeping the floors. “I fell in love with it,” she said enthusiastically, even while knowing there were, “so many people, especially the competition, laughing ” saying her days were “numbered.” Michelle made an offer. “I was shocked, it was accepted,” she commented. Then Michelle went to the bank and the banker responded with an emphatic no, saying: “You are a female buying a collision shop, that is a black mark against you.” Michelle ended up working out a deal and on May 1, 2015 she became the sole owner.

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She faced everything from rumours the shop was closing to companies wanting to lure her technicians away. She can't count on her fingers how many times people came into her shop and asked to speak to the owner, which they presumed was a man. “It was such a struggle,” she said, “I could have got my husband involved. I knew people would always look for the man behind the woman and they still do, but some people are like, that is awesome. One guy came into the shop and when he learned I was the owner, he said, ‘You wait until I tell my wife.’” Reflecting on the success of the business, she says, “The secret to the success here is the team that I work with. Before owning this shop I knew nothing of the collision industry and they have helped me immensly during this journey. ” And so, Nickerson invests in the workers and in the shop. Since she bought the place, she has had a new roof put on the building and upgraded equipment including a dust extraction unit for one of her employees who has asthma. “You have to listen to your employees and if they don’t want to come to work, they are

PROFILES OF SUCCESS

not going to be invested,” she commented. The shop employs a total of eight people, including herself. There are two Red Seal technicians, a painter who is also a Red Seal tech, an apprentice, repair planner, and a parts personnel who is also a repair planner and tinter. “When we are busy my painter can come out and work as a Red Seal tech,” she com-

“The secret to the success here is the team that I work with. Before owning this shop I knew nothing of the collision industry and they have helped me immensly during this journey. ” — Michelle Nickerson mented, adding, “The parts guy and repair planner are off to Toronto to take an extensive course in advance estimating.” “It’s a great family here,” said Nickerson. In keeping with her own aspirations as woman in business, Nickerson participated on a panel at the Supporting Women in Trades Conference, the first of its kind. Held in November of last year in Halifax, the registration grew to more than 300 and included women from different skilled trades such as, pipe fitters to mechanics, to

CSN County Collision owner Michelle Nickerson.

welders, boat builders and more. The event was promoted as a way to,“learn about some great initiatives underway across Canada to help address the challenges faced by women working in the skilled trades.” For Nickerson it was an experience she will never forget. “I told my story and answered questions,” she commented, noting that there were, “not a whole lot of women from the collision industry.”

When asked if she has any advice for women thinking of becoming the owner of a collision repair shop, she said, “My advice would be to, if they are going to solely go into it, do it wholeheartedly and just give it all you’ve got.” For Nickerson, it’s a success story even with its challenges. “I love it even though some days I want to bang my head against the wall. I do get a lot of support from others in the business at CSN.”

CSN County Collision apprentice Corey Laird is working on putting the truck back together.

One of the employees at CSN County Collision Allan Hooper using a dust extraction unit, Festool.

Nickerson working with automotive technician Larry Frank.

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SPEAKING OUT

PROCEDURAL PROBLEMS REPAIRERS ON SHARE THEIR PROBLEMS WITH OEM PROCEDURES Getting the right information quickly is sometimes difficult. You have to dig quite a bit to find what you need. More often, the information is not very specific, allowing the techs to interpret them in various ways.

Sifting through information isn’t always something you can do quickly, and it is sometimes hard to get the exact repair you need. There are times, but not very often that you have to do some researching in different areas to find exactly what you are looking for.

As a heavily Direct Repair Program (DRP) reliant consolidator, our ability to follow OEM procedures are constantly being challenged and overturned. They say since our facility and the insurance company are in a contract, we MUST follow their rules—which include using aftermarket parts, follow the insurer’s repair procedures, and charging them for only what they pay for.

The biggest barrier to following OEM procedures is figuring out where to find the right information. We pay for a tech advisor software that is often missing procedures, and so we have to check the information against OEM websites. These procedures are in place to ensure the vehicles are returned to a safe, quality condition. You only need to look up the John Eagle case to understand what the repercussions of an inaccurate repair could be—for your shop and for your clients.

The problem with following OEM procedures is the amount of time they require to access. AllData is generally good, but at times we need to do more research and request information.

With the way new vehicles are constructed, it is impossible for techs to know the right procedure for all models of vehicles along with the correct products to be using.

The public will need to be educated on why OEM repair procedures exist. Some shops would rather do the job cheaper to get the customer in the door. That makes it harder to sell the proper repair to the customer.

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SPEAKING OUT

A lot of concerns about whether the facilities that follow OEM procedures are being overblown and hyped. Perhaps one day it will be that important—but not today.

As an independent repair shop, it can cost thousandsof-dollars per year to access the information needed on each make and model.

We are always fighting the insurance companies for what they pay and don’t pay for. We are often asked if we are an insurance company, bodyshop or an OEM bodyshop. Improper repairs and the media coverage of them discredit the entire collision repair industry. Those of us who are always following procedures get painted with the brush as those who are not. People need to research who can work on their vehicle and make the decision who gets to work on it, not the insurance company.

"Ah! That's where we went wrong! These procedures are for the hatchback model!"

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TRAINING

B.C. COLLEGE OFFERS AUTOMOTIVE GLASS TECHNICIAN PROGRAM COLLEGE OF NEW CALEDONIA BLENDS ONLINE AND IN-CLASS TRAINING FOR APPRENTICES By Cindy MacDonald

or the first time, the College of New Caledonia (CNC) offered an Automotive Glass Technician Apprentice certification program in the fall of 2018. This program is the first trade at CNC to use a blended online and face-to-face model. The 16-week course will see students complete 15 weeks online with the last week spent in the shop at CNC applying their knowledge in a practical setting. This online model allows students to get their certification without having to leave work for long periods of time and makes it more accessible to students outside the Prince George area of British Columbia. ”Blended delivery can really enhance the apprenticeship experience,” said program instructor Ken Rowell. “This allows an apprentice to spend more time learning at their job while still being able to develop a network of peers outside of their workplace.” Automotive glass technicians are in high demand in northern B.C. CNC opened two sections of the program, with registered students from local glass shops, dealerships and communities as far away as Terrace, B.C. (almost 600 km from Prince George). “We hoped for at least enough interest to get the program running. We ended up receiving a very large response and filled two 16-seat classes, says Rowell. The classes are running as one group for the online portion of the program, while the practical weeks will be separated into two separate groups. CNC’s dean of trades and technologies, Frank Rossi, says the college is very responsive to the communities it serves.. The auto glass program was developed and launched very quickly, Rowell adds.“I was very impressed by the CNC trades department’s

ability to take an identified industry need and then consult, develop, fund, acquire equipment, and start a program like this in such a short time. It is actually quite a bit of work for all involved.”

BLENDED FORMAT BEST OF BOTH WORLDS Speaking to Collision Repair in December, Rowell said the online portion of the course was going well. “Everyone has a personal schedule and they are doing well. One of the

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Photos courtesy Belron Canada.

big benefits of online education is the ability for a student to make it fit their life. Many of the apprentices have a lot of experience and skill, but found it difficult to get their certifications in the north because nothing had been offered locally.” Rowell says the blended format has benefits for both novice and experienced technicians. For less experienced students the course helps formalize and improve on traditional workplace training. More experienced technicians are less in need of the handson practice, but value the theoretical learning.

TRAINING

Rowell says the students will have completed several practical workplace assessments by the time they come to the college for their week of in-shop classes, plus all the online work. “The practical week is largely designed for assessment and review. I am sure it will be especially good for the more entry-level apprentices in the classes to learn not only from me but from those experienced people in their class too.” “It should be a good time.” The instructor has been actively encouraging communication between the students via an online forum to create a learning community that he hopes will carry on after this course ends. “This is one of the reasons for having one group of 32 online,” Rowell explains. “A modern auto glass tech needs to be a lifelong learner to keep up with the changing technology. Building a network of experts is very important for them.” For more information about the program, contact CNC Trades by calling 250-561-5804 or email trades@cnc.bc.ca. articipants in the auto glass program P will spend one week in the shop.

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CAREER PROFILE

THE RIGHT BEIER Meet Mike Beier, the general manager of Consolidated Collision Services. At just 32-year-old, may be young, but he is hardly inexperienced. For the past six years, he has played a key role in shepherding the dealer-focused banner’s development into an international franchise well-known within the industry.

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CAREER PROFILE

MIKE BEIER’S CALL TO ACTION By Sue Dickens

or Mike Beier, it all started in 2012, when he received an unexpected phone call—one that would change the course of the 26-year-old McMaster graduate’s career. “I got a call from the folks at Consolidated Dealer Services. I had met them earlier in my career, and they asked me to come in for an interview that day,” Beier says. “But It wasn’t until the meeting that I actually found out what it was all about.” When he sat down with the team, Beier learned exactly what role he was being considered for—the opportunity to work on the start of a new dealer collision network, one which would eventually come to be known as Consolidated Collision Services. The vision was clear: a collision franchise

designed by dealers, for dealers looking to provide their own collision solutions to customers. All that was needed was a general manager. “I had a lot of belief in the idea from the moment I heard what they were planning to build. The timing both within the industry and for me personally was somewhat of a ‘meant to be’ moment.” says Beier. “I saw it as one hell of an opportunity to get in on the ground floor. I had to say yes.” It was important that, before launch, CCS knew exactly what they had to do to meet the needs of the potential members of the dealership owned collision centre network. “Looking back on the early development of CCS, knowing what we had to do was easy. We simply had to listen to our customers, and deliver solutions for what they wanted.” Beier says. Beier wasn’t the only one giving his all to the project. “This was a joint effort. Sandy Liguori the president of CCS and Tom Langton, the CEO of Consolidated Dealers were the executive team, the vision behind it all.” In the months that followed, Beier and the

CCS team devoted themselves to laying the foundation of the network’s business plan. Consulting with dealers, customers, insurers, vendors, and stakeholders, he found himself totally consumed by the industry and loving every second of it. In the spring of 2013, the team’s work finally began to pay off. CCS had signed its first network member, and by the end of the year had added another 20. “We did all of the windshield time, the presentations, the coaching, the training, from the ground up, building the network across Ontario, moving West in 2015 and South in 2018,” Beier says.“This has been a real journey, literally and figuratively,” Today,Consolidated Collision Services operates more than 70 network member locations across Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and Michigan, with plans in place for continued growth. “Today, we are the collective voice of progressive new car dealer collision centres that are looking to grow their business and be a part of something bigger than themselves.” Beier says.”For our industry and our network, I am convinced that the future is bright and the best is yet to come.”

THIS WILL BE A HANDS ON PDR TRAINING SEMINAR. You’ll be learning new techniques for blending, glue pulling, deep dents, body lines and finishing techniques. PDR Canada is dedicated to offering hands on experience through deeper understanding and better techniques. A first ever hands on experience in Canada where you can actually work with the latest tools, techniques and tips. Special PDR technicians, plus we will be hosting the IMI EV Certification. Not to mention hear Myke Toledo’s latest social media breakdown in PDR marketing. 3 DAYS OF PDR INTENSE TRAINING This year's event promises to give you an immersive learning experience. You'll meet experts from diverse fields who give you insights and practical examples that aid you and enable you to excel in your own daily PDR work. FOR MORE INFO VISIT pdrrepairsecrets.ca WATCH VIDEO http://youtu.be/DXvORG4sado CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK https://m.facebook.com/pdrcanada/

APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 61

EVENTS

Ruper Rice, Roger, Janice and Jeff Schroder and Jim Hazlett.

Norm Angrove and Jay Perry.

The Uniparts O.E.M. team.

Darrin Heise and Emile Fremont pose at the Color Compass booth.

“Paul Carvalho and Patrice Marcil have really opened the organization up to the broader community.” Jason Chusing and Toni Gibbons pose at the Finixa booth.

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— Peter Sziklai

EVENTS

Harvey Gillard of I-CAR Canada and industry safety advocate Sean Slaven.

The Uni-Select team pose by the booth.

Prize winner Darryl O’Keefe congratulated by John Turner after placing the winning bid on a spray gun signed by Jay Leno.

Bruce Carrick, Carla Matta and Jordy Fujiwara.

A FORUM TO REMEMBER CCIF’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT IN TORONTO By Gideon Scanlon

n January, the Canadian Collision Industry Forum celebrated its 20th anniversary in Toronto. The occasion was marked by a celebratory gala, which included an 80-booth tradeshow, along with presentations and seminars from some of the world’s most respected industry analysts.

POPULAR PRESENTATIONS The event kicked off with an afternoon of seminars, including an informative presentation from Collision Repair contributor and author Jay Perry. Perry spoke about what it means to be a leader in the workplace and changes employers can make to improve employee satisfaction. “Thirty percent of people aren’t quitting the business, they’re quitting their boss,” said Perry. Perry pointed out the importance employee engagement has in the workplace and how it’s crucial for employers to create a positive

work environment.” “There is a direct correlation between the happiness of employees at work and productivity,” said Perry. “One in four employees is fully engaged.” According to Perry, employers aren’t doing enough when it comes to employee engagement and as a result, are costing their businesses in the long-run. One of the negative impacts Perry touched on was job retention and the costs associated with employee departures. “Let’s take a look at the most visible job,

a CSR. Moderately paid; by having one leave you can expect to replace them to cost three month’s salary,” Perry said. “As you get higher up higher up the ladder, that costs grow exponentially.” The following day, industry analyst Brad Mewes held a panel which brought senior industry figures together to discuss the profitability of certification and accreditation programs. One of the speakers, Peter Sziklai, a member of the CCIF Steering Committee and owner of Tsawassen Collision, received a round of APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 63

EVENTS

applause for pointing out an elephant in the room—that the people present were already familiar with a lot of the ideas being discussed, and that the next step was to convince more members of the industry to engage. Perry, who has previously worked in the steering committee, also echoed Sziklai’s point. "Peter has hit the nail on the head: if you are interested in coming here, you are likely aware of the issues being discussed," Perry said. "We have to stay appealing to all sides— from insurers, product suppliers and owners, and across the generations.

While they acknowledge the importance of bringing in new people, both Perry and Sziklai believe the organization is making tremendous strides in the area. “We’re on the right track already,” Sziklai said in an interview. "Paul Carvalho and Patrice Marcil have really opened the organization up to the broader community." "It is a challenge, and we must respect its magnitude,” Perry added. “Things really have changed," said Perry. "It was something just being discussed when I was on the Steering Committee from 2012 to 2014."

Following the panel, it was clear that the consensus opinion was that accreditation and certification programs were not a silver bullet for improving a facility's bottom line. Mitchell International's Ryan Mandell delivered an address that took a close look at the rising number of electric vehicles in operation. Mandell concluded that by 2029, EVs would be no more expensive than internal combustion engine vehicles, making them almost certain to become a common sight—both on the roads and in the bodyshop.

the most cutting-edge products on the market—and the people able to explain their functionality. Star Motors Collision manager Jason Tanguay, who had never before attended a CCIF conference, recognized the effectiveness

of these efforts. "I didn't know what to expect, but it has been great," Tanguay said. "I have gained a lot of product knowledge." The next CCIF event will be held in Halifax from May 23-24.

Mike Gilliland, Jenica Bennett and Rebecca Fyfe.

TRADESHOW AND TELL With more than 80 businesses participating in the tradeshow, attendees were treated to demonstrations of the latest collisionrelated technologies. For many first-time CCIF attendees, the tradeshow offered an unparalleled opportunity to connect with

GALAVANTING AT THE GALA Held in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Airport Hotel, more than 200 industry figures listened as chairman Patrice Marcil introduced seven of the organization's past chairmen. In turn, Ken Friesen, Glenn Hickey, Tom Bissonette, Tony Canade, Larry Jefferies and Joe Carvalho each shared their favourite memories from past CCIF conferences. Following the dinner, keynote speaker Shawn Kanungo, a self-described disruption strategist, delivered his view of how new, game-changing technology fundamentally changes industries--from newspapers to the automotive sector. 64 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Roger Schroder, Wanja Mann and Steve Fletcher.

EVENTS

CHARITABLE COMMUNITY During the forum, SATA Canada was hard at work raising money for charity. For a second straight year, SATA Canada auctioned off a specialty spray gun. This year’s model, a SATAjet 1500 B SoLV, featured a written signature from comedian and latenight TV show host Jay Leno. Leno, who is not known to sign items, was won over at this year’s SEMA show by John Turner, general manager of SATA Canada. Turner explained to Leno that the

funds raised would be donated to THE ABLE Network, a foundation focused on bettering the lives of people living with autism. Leno, who has a history of working with autism charities, graciously accepted Turner’s request. In addition to the auction, SATA Canada also raffled off a SATAjet 1500 B SoLV spray gun signed by NASCAR legend Richard Petty. In total, the company raised more than $4,500 for The ABLE Network between the two spray guns.

The winning bidders for the Jay Leno signed PHASER were Doug Roberts and daughter Kim from Fix Auto Barrie North; while the lucky winner of the Richard Petty signed SATAjet 1500 B was Tyler Zacher-King director of Ontario Sales for AB Warehouse. Tyler graciously allowed SATA Canada to auction off the gun to raise more money. The winning bid came from Daryll O’Keefe, general manager, Ontario at Fix Automotive Network, keeping both guns in the Fix family.

3M’s Steve, Mike Savage, Terry Groves, Kathleen McCoullough and Craig Jones.

Keynote speaker Shawn Kanungo.

STEERING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS As members of the collision community began to arrive at the CCIF forum during its first day, the organization’s leadership team and steering committee were locked away in a closed-door meeting where they discussed some of the most significant hurdles facing the industry today. While the details of the meeting were not revealed to the public, a number of sources inside the group were able to share a few details. Among them, that the conversation had been so productive that, after a unanimous

CCIF’s executive director Patrice Marcil.

vote, it was decided to extend its length. “It was great, said steering committee member Peter Sziklai. “We covered a lot of ground.” Fellow Steering Committee members and CRM columnists Chelsea Stebner and Steve Knox concurred.“Big ideas were flying around thick and fast,” said Knox. “It was amazing to hear so many well-considered perspectives.” “Time just flew by. We really went into depth about a huge number of topics,” said Stebner. “It was really intense.”

CCS’s Mike Beier and Craig Kirby.

APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 65

SHOP SPOTLIGHT

CSN Lou’s Auto Body facility in Inglewood, Calgary.

CELEBRATING HALFA-CENTURY IN BUSINESS

LOU’S AUTO BODY TURNS 50 By Lindsey Cooke

t all began in the year 1969 when Lou Dupont started up his own collision and mechanical repair business and called it Lou’s Auto Body. Lou was known for his quality service, and during the 1980s the shop became well-known as the first in Calgary to offer a courtesy car fleet service. Since then, CSN Lou’s and the man behind it are now legendary in the city. When Lou passed away in 2012, the business was passed down to his son, Steven Dupont. According to Steven, the key to having a successful business for 50 years is “always putting the customer first and keeping a good name within the community.” The iconic auto bodyshop has always stood by the principle of “first class or not at all.” What started as a small, two-stall bodyshop has now grown to a 24,000-sq. ft. stateof-the-art facility, making it one of the largest repair centres in Calgary. Located in Inglewood, also known as Calgary’s oldest neighborhood, Steven says the location of the shop couldn’t be any better. CSN Lou’s is right near a major highway, in plain sight of drivers coming through. To celebrate this milestone, CSN Lou’s decided to contribute a donation of $5,000 to the charitable organization across the street from the shop, the YWCA, a cause that assists women who are experiencing difficulties with poverty, violence, and overall inequality. Steven says they have been donating to this organization for years contributing more than $25,000 to date.

“Steven is incredibly generous,” says Kari Barton, CSN Alberta regional manager. “Not only does CSN Lou’s contribute to causes in its local community, but Steven also received recognition at the 2018 CSN annual conference for being one of the largest single donors to CSN’s national charity of choice, Make-A-Wish Canada.” Steven is very proud to have reached this milestone and to be carrying on his father’s legacy, but he says he doesn’t want to get lost in the milestones. “It’s exciting to have 50 years, but 51 years still has to be treated like

50. We still need to focus on repairing cars with quality and care.” Adding another accomplishment to its docket, 10 years ago Lou’s Auto Body joined the national CSN Collision Centres network and re-branded as CSN Lou’s.“Steven and the entire team at CSN Lou’s are leaders in the field of collision repair,” says Flavio Battilana, chief operating officer, CSN Collision Centres.“They have strong roots in their local community, but their efforts are felt nationally. CSN is very proud and fortunate to have CSN Lou’s in our network.”

Jason Arnott, Steven Dupont and Kari Barton.

APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 67

PILLARS OF THE INDUSTRY

Ken Shaw Sr. opened up his own service repair shop in Northern Ireland in the 1940s.

IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY THE HISTORY OF KEN SHAW MOTORS By Sue Dickens

Ken Shaw Motors is celebrating 60 years in business.

68 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

he Shaw family has been involved in the automobile business since the 1940s when Ken Shaw Sr. opened a service repair shop in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland. After successfully repairing motor vehicles and serving his customers, Ken Sr. emigrated to Canada in 1954 and began his new life in Toronto. On his arrival, Ken Sr. worked at a Sunoco gas station on Spadina Avenue as a licensed mechanic. In 1958, he acquired his own Sunoco gas station named, Ken Shaw Sunoco, on Dundas Street West near Scarlett Road. In 1963, Ken Shaw Sr. made the decision to start selling cars and thus, Ken Shaw Motors was born. He took on the Renault brand and for the first time-ever started selling new vehicles to the public. This required him to move to a new location at 4005 Dundas Street West, just down the road from his Sunoco station. His success and the way he looked after customers at that time, caught the eye of a growing car company that was also fairly new to Canada— Toyota. Toyota soon approached Ken

Shaw Sr. and together, they agreed Ken Shaw Motors would take on the Toyota franchise. On December 3, 1968, Ken Shaw Toyota opened its doors to the public. It wasn’t long before record sales were happening, and Toyota began to quickly grow in Canada. In 1971, Ken Shaw Sr. acquired Kingsway Collision, a bodyshop next door to Ken Shaw Motors. With this addition, the dealership was able to become a full-service operation, offering sales, service, parts and body repairs to their clients. In July 1971, Ken Jr. joined his father in the growing business, followed by his brother Paul in June 1977. The two sons quickly went to work in the service side of the operation, becoming licensed technicians before moving into other departments of the business. Since the mid 1980’s, Ken Jr. has been managing the service operations of the business while Paul manages the sales side. In 1989, a golden opportunity came along when Toyota chose Ken Shaw Motors as the first of 22 selected dealers to receive Lexus franchises. These 22 were carefully chosen out of 240 Toyota dealerships across Canada. The awarding of the Lexus franchise, in addition to the growing Toyota business, required Ken Shaw

PILLARS OF THE INDUSTRY

Motors to move to a much larger facility. A five-acre site at its current location, 2336 St. Clair was acquired, and major renovations began taking place between 1989 and 1990. The new 67,000 sq. ft. location opened for business on March 23, 1990, and the grand opening for the Lexus franchise followed a few months later. Ken Shaw Motors was proudly renamed Ken Shaw Lexus Toyota. Growth continued and in the mid-1990’s, a separate property across the road from Ken Shaw Lexus Toyota was purchased for the Toyota used car department. In 2002, Ken Jr.’s son, Kenny, joined the family business and followed the same path as his father, uncle Paul and grandfather by initially working in the service department and becoming a licensed technician. After working for a number of years in service and parts, Kenny moved into Toyota sales and currently works in the Toyota and Lexus fixed operations.

Sadly, in October 2003, Ken Shaw Sr. passed away, leaving the dealership in the hands of his two sons, Ken Jr. and Paul. In 2007, Ken Jr.’s daughter, Lisa Shaw, joined the family business and after working in many departments like her brother Kenny, father, uncle and grandfather, she moved into the collision centre. The Toyota and Lexus business continued to grow and prosper, and in April 2006, a three-acre property directly north of the dealership was acquired, allowing for dealership growth and additional new vehicle inventory. In 2015, Ken Jr. and Paul started construction to renovate and expand the

The team at Ken Shaw Lexus Toyota.

current facilities. This project, which saw the opening of Ken Shaw Toyota on the west side of the 10-acre property and Ken Shaw Lexus on the east, was completed in 2018, just in time for the 60th anniversary of Ken Shaw Motors.

Ken Shaw Lexus Toyota dealership general manager Danny Jamal and collision centre manager John Bennett.

APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 69

STRATEGIC INSIGHTS

THE FIRING LINE HANDLING TERMINATIONS WITH GRACE By Sue Dickens "You’re Fired!"—the dreaded words no employee ever wants to hear, and no boss ever wants to have to say. There are times, however, when the situation is unavoidable and a boss is left with no other choice. And when the difficult conversation does become inevitable—after the legal ramifications have been weighed, warnings were given and documentation filed—the wise employer handles the situation with grace.

1 2 3

DON'T MAKE IT PERSONAL Being fired can be humiliating for employees. After hearing they are no longer wanted at their place of work, they are forced to face the pitying stares of former colleagues. By offering an employee as much respect during the exit conversation, an employer can reduce the sting considerably. It won’t change the situation, but it will help the injured party retain some of their dignity. KEEP THINGS PRIVATE It is important for terminated employees to feel that the reason for their departure is not the cause of gossip among former colleagues. Unfortunately, some gossip is inevitable. By offering reassurance that the details of a departure will not be shared with the team as-a-whole, an employer can help protect former employees from feeling doubly rejected--both by the boss and from the broader team. BE OPEN AND HONEST From illegal behaviour, to creating an unsafe environment in the workplace, to straight non-performance, there are countless reasons for an employee to be terminated. In more defined situations the decision is clear, but firing someone who works hard but can’t do the job can be far more difficult. Clear communication is a must. Explaining the reasoning behind the decision to terminate an employee will make it easier for them to move on. Without a clear explanation, people are often left to wonder what went wrong. This can make the process of moving forward more painful--personally and professionally.

TOP TIPS We bring employees into the office. We write a letter, they sign it, we sign it and tell them if the issues laid out in the letter keeps happening, it’s going to result in a termination. Then they get another letter telling them we’ve talked about this three times. The letter brings out the problem and if we tell them, it fixes the problem. Nello Ianelli, co-owner of Guy’s B&R Auto Collision in Sault Ste. Marie.

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STRATEGIC INSIGHTS

First of all I would want to document all of the areas an employee is not performing well in, like quality issues or not following OEM procedures. I would build a file then I would have something to discuss with them about when they are not doing things correctly. It’s an easy out if someone is consistently not doing the right thing or not doing what we expect from them as a company. But the truth is, firing people is really tough. To avoid the situation, I reccommend improving hiring procedures. I haven’t had somebody leave in years. For the past five years, we have ensured we have

great employees with a recruiting program. We take in co-op students from high school who spend three months on site, and the community college who spend two weeks on site. It’s an opportunity to see what kind of employee they are. They work for nothing and get to touch the cars. If they are genuinely interested they are offered a job at the end of it. As a result of this approach, Trinity now employs three Red Seal technicians who began there while in high school, two more employees are working towards their second block of the program.

perations manager Rob Armstrong of Trinity O Collision Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick.

In those situations, I try to keep it loose at first and say thank you for everything you’ve done. I recently had to terminate an employee, and did try to be graceful. I said we are moving in a different direction, and that we would need her services. In situations where the employee is persistent and wants more information about the decision, I am honest. If I have caught them in lies, I tell them I’ve lost trust and can’t run a business with people I don’t trust. When it comes to letting an employee go, I truly feel that honesty is the best policy. First of all, I would want to document all of the areas they are not performing well in, like quality issues or not following OEM procedures. I would build a file then I would have something to discuss with them about when they are not doing things correctly. It is an easy out if someone is consistently not doing the right thing or not doing what we expect from them as a company.

J .R. Martino, co-owner of Budds’ Collision Services in Oakville, Ontario APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 71

CAREER PROFILE

The Simpsons-Sears department store in Ottawa in 1968. After being passed over for a promotion for the son of an Ottawa alderman and given a paltry raise for his efforts to break sales records, Arman Gurarslan decided to go into business for himself.

A POINT OF HONOUR HOW THREE INSULTS SPURRED ARMAN GURARSLAN’S RISE TO THE TOP By Sue Dickens

hen would-be musketeer D’Artagnan arrived in 17th century Paris, his legendary career got off to an inauspicious start. He received three insults the company’s most famous members— Porthos, Athos and Aramis—and agreed to settled each of them with duels. Fortunately for the French—and for lovers of adventure novels everywhere—D’Artagnan and the three musketeers all survived. Like D’Artagnan, Arman Gurarslan’s career began with three proverbial slaps to the face—and while he did not attempt to settle the disagreement at the point of a sword, they did encourage him to seize control of his professional destiny and found his company—Arslan Automotive. The first strike against his dignity came in the late 1960s. Fresh out of university, Gurarslan had taken a trainee position with Sears Canada, with the expectation of receiving a promotion to a managerial position. Unfortunately for Gurarslan, he was passed over for a man with less experience and talent— one who happened to be the son of an Ottawa alderman. “Slap number one was a wake-up call,”

said Arman, “I realized that not all promotions were based on merit.” The second slap in the face happened shortly thereafter. Given a department to manage at a new Ottawa store, Gurarslan devoted himself to the role, and it soon achieved the best sales results in all of Sears stores in Canada. "I was congratulated and was promised

72 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Arman Gurarslan, founder of Arslan Automotive.

a raise with a promotion to head office,” Gurarslan recalls. “Well, the raise came, and it was an extra $10 per week for what I had accomplished.” It was then that Gurarslan decided he wanted to be independent and own a business, depending on no-one to write him a pay cheque.

CAREER PROFILE

“It was then he realized not everyone in business is honest. It was a hard lesson— but it was certainly learned.” —Arman Gurarslan “That was slap number two!” Gurarslan explains. “I knew no employer would pay me what I thought I was worth.” With his degree in commerce, and without startup capital or trade experience, Gurarslan knew that entering the automotive distribution would be an uphill battle. In 1969, when offered the chance to serve as a truck jobber for Snap-On, Gurarslan jumped at the opportunity—despite being about $10,000 short of funds to purchase the minimum equipment order. To make up the difference, Gurarslan sold his well-loved Ford Cortina—but it was not enough. “I negotiated,” Gurarslan says. “SnapOn agreed to letting me have the tools on consignment.”

Maintaining his position among the top 10 dealers nationally, he saved enough money to start his own independent operation, and, in 1976, left Snap-On. “I established their Ontario competitor in the province of Quebec,” Gurarslan says. “Suddenly I was basically managing the entire operation.” While Gurarslan’s business acumen was helping him build a healthy operation. He had figured out a way to acquire D.A. McNulty of Toronto, a well established national distributor whose owner had run into financial difficulties. With some smart business manoeuvres he virtually eliminated the interest of others who wanted to buy and negotiated his way to become the national distributor of some of the premiere lines in Canada. Everything seemed to be going well—too well. Shortly after taking his business to the national stage, a competitor supplier convinced Arman to switch to their brand of their product—paint strainers. But Gurarslan had been played—just after taking on the brand, the company began a direct shipping program, and his fledgling business was cut out entirely. “Well lo and behold, slap number three I always assumed that people kept their

word and do business on a handshake and safeguard their reputation,” says Gurarslan. “It was then he realized not everyone in business is honest. It was a hard lesson—but it was certainly learned.” While revenge may be a dish best served cold, Gurarslan decided that it should also be prepared fresh. Rather than simply switching to a competitive paint strainer, he decided to bring his own to market in 1982. Working with the government’s industrial research centre, he soon took the cuttingedge technology to market—winning back his customers in the process. He also hit the supplier internationally, with most of their European distributors deciding to sell his product instead. It would not be Gurarslan’s final victory. In the three-and-a-half decades since that first strainer’s arrival, his company has grown to supply different automotive products to more than 35 countries around the globe—from Taiwan and South Korea to the USA, Mexico and throughout Europe. “Ever since then, we have introduced many firsts in Canada. First to introduce vacuum sanding, first to introduce plastic masking, first to introduce Canadian made 3D measuring system, among many other firsts.”

APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 73

TIME

TO TALK

TRAINING

THE FUTURE STARTS NOW Being a top shop means having top talent, and that means trained talent. Escalating vehicle technology demands upgrading skills, as well as embracing new ones. The 2019 Training Directory makes it easy to find the right course, the right location and the best trainers. It is the only comprehensive guide to training in, and for, the Canadian collision repair industry. The 2019 Training Directory, powered by Collision Repair magazine is here.

• EASY ACCESS • EASY NAVIGATION EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COLLISION REPAIR TRAINING

TRAINING‘19 PRESENTS THE

DIRECTORY

Check out trainingmatters.ca, the complement to the 2019 Training Directory. Contact us at 905-370-0101 or email us at info@trainingmatters.ca

SPOTLIGHT: PLASTIC WELDING

BREAKING DOWN THE BASICS A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO PERFORMING BASIC PLASTIC WELDING REPAIRS

ore often than not, plastic bumpers have cracks that need to be repaired. Collision Repair has prepared a step-by-step guide on the basics when it comes to plastic welding. While there are a couple methods to doing this, Collision Repair is going to explain the easiest way, with the help of a hot air plastic welder.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN THERE ARE A FEW THINGS TO NOTE.

The temperature on your welder should be approximately 830 degrees Fahrenheit. When you start welding be sure to angle the torch and the plastic at a 45 degree angle, pushing down half a pound of pressure.

STEP ONE

Make sure the area with the damage is clean on both sides. When cleaning the area wipe the surface with plastic cleaner in one direction, and then use a DA sander to remove any primer or paint. Keep sanding the area until it’s just raw plastic.

STEP TWO

Align the damage and then apply aluminum body tape to the underside of the crack. Be sure to apply it to the whole crack and use a body spreader to ensure that there are no air bubbles under the tape and that it sticks on flat.

STEP THREE

Use a rotary tool with a teardrop shaped bit on the end and start to apply it to the crack. Ensure that the edges are smooth.

STEP FOUR & FIVE

STEP SIX

When both sides are complete, use the rotary tool again to shave down the excess plastic so that it sits a little bit below the level of the base plastic. Use a DA sander to abrade the surface.

Grab a plastic rod that correlates with the type of bumper that is being operated on. Then start to heat the tip of the rod against the bumper with the welder, until the plastic starts to melt into the bumper. Be sure to apply downward pressure during this process. Once the rod has covered the entire crack, start to work on the other side of the bumper. Remove the tape while the plastic cools and apply the same steps to the reversed side.

STEP SEVEN

Following these steps, a repairer will have to apply an adhesion promotor to the plastic weld, use a sander to sand down the bumper and damaged area. Then the repairer can go forward with spraying primer on any areas that need to be top-coated. APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 75

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such a parts, refinishing, tools, accessories and more. There is no better source to list or source the product and service information. Would you like to update your product offering throughout the year? We made that option easily available at collisionrepairmag.com. Talk to us. We’ll show you how easy it can be.

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Buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide Put your products and services directly in front of your key targets. Connect with your target customer. Increase leads and sales with Collision Repair magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annual Buyers Guide. Engage your audience in both print and online. To reserve your FREE product spotlight listing, simply follow these steps and our editors will do the rest! 1

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Welding

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REGIONAL NEWS | BRITISH COLUMBIA

CARSTAR PACIFIC CROSSING NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS CARSTAR Pacific Crossing Appraisal (South Surrey) is officially open for business. The new Surrey, British Columbia facility, which is owned and operated by brothers Rick and Daryl Francoeur, will serve as an appraisal centre for their CARSTAR Abbotsford location. “Our concept was simple,” says Rick, referring to his new customer service focused model.“We are bringing a full white-glove concierge service to the region, and customers are loving it.” CARSTAR Pacific Crossing assists customers by taking detailed pictures of their damaged vehicle, before sending them off to a centralized appraisal centre in Abbotsford. Once the repair diagnosis is made, and the parts are ordered, the customer’s vehicle is then picked up at the location of their choice “We are finding that customers are asking us to meet them at a wide variety of places in order to make their collision repair as convenient and consumer-friendly as possible,” said Rick. In order to further improve customer experience, Rick and Daryl opened their own towing company. The brothers hired their own drivers and outfitted their flatbed tow vehicles with custom-made wash stations. Once the

repaired vehicle is returned to the customer, the service drivers are able to wash it on location. “The response is already incredible,” said Rick. “One customer wrote that the experience of his accident repair was better than the experience of buying his luxury car in the first place. We are very excited to begin expanding this model throughout the province.” “Having been a part of the CARSTAR family for many years, the Francoeur’s understand how

78 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

R ick Francoeur, co-owner of CARSTAR Pacific Crossing and CARSTAR Abbotsford.

far premier service goes and the importance of performing expert collision repairs to all makes and models,” said Mike Piper, Western zone director,CARSTAR.“I know having these services in Surrey will be welcomed by the community, as Rick Francoeur and his team prioritize the customer experience like no other.

ALBERTA | REGIONAL NEWS

CARSTAR TEAMS UP WITH CALGARY FLAMES DEFENSEMEN CARSTAR has once again partnered with the Calgary Flames and Flames defensemen TJ Brodie, as the banner network continues to donate and raise awareness for Cystic Fibrosis Canada. During the Christmas holidays, Brodie visited the FAN Attic in North Hill Centre to sign autographs and raise awareness for the Skate and Strides program in support of cystic fibrosis. Brodie and the Flames also matched the earnings for every Skate in Strides custom hat purchased at the event, with all proceeds going towards the Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Brodie, along with Brandon Newell from Cystic Fibrosis Canada, visited a local Calgary elementary school to talk about their partnership and goal of finding a cure for cystic fibrosis. “Having worked so closely with Cystic Fibrosis Canada for more than 20 years now, the CARSTAR bond to this cause is embedded in our corporate culture and so close to many

of us personally,” says Michael Macaluso, president of CARSTAR. “Valued partners like the Calgary Flames Foundation and TJ Brodie who help us raise awareness for cystic fibrosis and contribute resources to this cause is the kind of work that will help us change the meaning of CF to cure found.” CARSTAR’s affiliation with cystic fibrosis began back in 1997, after the granddaughter of a CARSTAR owner was diagnosed with the disease. Over the course of a more than 20-year-partnership, Canadian franchise partners, vendors, and community supporters have all helped CARSTAR raise more than $3 million for Cystic Fibrosis Canada. In 1997 the

average life expectancy for someone living with cystic fibrosis was 30-years-old. Today, thanks in part to tremendous fundraising efforts, that number has risen to 52-years-old. “CARSTAR and its partners are a shining example of the impact that can be made through corporate philanthropy,” said Kelly Grover, president, and CEO of Cystic Fibrosis Canada.“The Skate in Strides program alone has raised more than $100,000 over the past couple of years and it is these funds that will help us get one step closer to finding a cure for this disease. On behalf of those living with cystic fibrosis, thank you for your generosity and dedication.”

uring the holidays Calgary Flames D defensemen TJ Brodie visited the FAN Attic in North Hill Centre to sign autographs and raise awareness for the Skate and Strides program in support of cystic fibrosis.

REVOLUTION MOTORS GIVES FREE REPAIRS TO A FAMILY IN NEED Revolution Motors in Edmonton, Alberta wanted to give back to a family in need by providing free vehicle repairs. This was the first time owner Joel Dohms decided to bring this much-anticipated initiative to life. The repair facility encouraged their customers and the public to nominate a family they thought was struggling and would benefit from their vehicle being repaired. The winner was the Manthey family. Owen and Laura Manthey have four children, one in which was diagnosed with a rare form of an autoimmune disorder that attacks his brain, further causing random seizures to occur. “Rasmussen’s encephalitis is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack the brain causing brain atrophy, seizures, and other deficiencies. If left untreated it will cross to the other side of the brain and cause death,” Laura wrote on a GoFundMe page. The only solution for their 14-year-old son’s diagnosis was to have the left side of his brain removed. The left side of his brain is his dominant side which means his cognitive language would be negatively affected. He will

have to learn almost everything all over again. “Daily travel, gas, parking costs, paying for childcare, and eating out has been added to our monthly costs. There are going to be many other costs associated with our son's recovery including mobility equipment, shower bars, ramp, respite, we already upgraded our vehicle to meet his new requirements and being a family of six it’s already financially tight,” Laura wrote. This really pulled on Dohm and his team’s heartstrings. “I have a 14-year-old and I couldn’t imagine what they had to go through,” Dohm said. When Dohm called the Manthey family to let them know they were nominated and chosen for free repairs to their vehicle, they were shocked and so thankful. The family brought in their 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and Dohm told Collision Repair, that it was in need of a lot of repairs. “We looked more so at the safety side of things,” Dohm said. The repairs were all possible thanks to a set budget and some support from their parts

supplier Automotive Parts Distributors and DT Tire for donating new tires. Dohm was unsure as to the exact cost of the repairs they performed but estimated that it was probably around $3,000 to $4,000. With a large number of nominations that came through their website, Dohm said that they are planning on giving back to another family in March. The Manthey family.

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REGIONAL NEWS | SASKATCHEWAN

CARSTAR HOSTS DISCOVERY DAY More than 20 independent collision repair owners throughout Saskatchewan were in attendance for CARSTAR’s ‘Discovery Day.’ The day was dedicated to educating indep endent owners t hroug hout Saskatchewan on the benefits of being a part of the CARSTAR family. A m ong t h e i n d e p e n d e nt sh op owners in attendance were some of CARSTAR’s leaders including president Michael Macaluso, director of franchise development Collin Welsh, CARSTAR Canada general manager Jeff Labanovich, zone director Mike Piper and area manager of operations Andrew Northrup. “CARSTAR is coming to Saskatchewan and we are so excited to have independent repair center owners eager to join our family and take advantage of all the benefits that come with it,” said Welsh. “As a public insurance market, many owners do not see a value in joining a national brand like CARSTAR, so it was an honour to spend time in Regina and highlight how we can help.” There were some key vendor partners that were also in attendance. “We are seeing more franchise partners

join CARSTAR because of a variety of reasons, from our proprietary online training tool, CARSTAR University, to our renowned operations performance platform, EDGE, our team has a lot to offer,” said Macaluso.

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CARSTAR president Michael Macaluso presented in front of more than 20 independent collision repair owners for CARSTAR’s Discovery Day.

“CARSTAR is a family of family businesses so it was an honour to share our values with these attendees so they could understand our model of locally owned and operated facilities.”

MANITOBA | REGIONAL NEWS

MANITOBA PUBLIC INSURANCE RELEASES THIRD QUARTER RESULTS Manitoba Public Insurance is trending in the right direction. The public insurer reported a net income of $87.4 million for the first nine months of its fiscal year ending on November 30, 2018, representing an increase of $26.1 million over the same period last year. The figure includes net income from the basic insurance line of business of $42.3 million in the first nine months of the 2018 and 2019 fiscal year. “Total earned revenues for the first nine months rose by $65.8 million from the same period last year, driven mainly by higher motor vehicle premium revenue resulting from an increase in the number of motor vehicles insured, the value of these vehicles, and an overall 2.6 per cent increase in basic insurance rates ordered by the Public Utilities Board for the 2018/19 insurance year,” said Mark Giesbrecht, vice president, finance and chief financial officer of Manitoba Public Insurance. “While net claims incurred are down $28.6 million year over year; when excluding the impact of changing interest rates which is largely offset in investment income through the corporation’s asset-liability matching

ark Giesbrecht, vice president, M finance and chief financial officer, Manitoba Public Insurance.

program, net claims have risen $13.3 million when compared to the first nine months of the 2017/18 fiscal year. This increase in claims of $13.3 million is split evenly between physical damage claims and bodily injury claim costs,” added Giesbrecht. All Manitoba residents stand to benefit from the corporation’s Personal Injury Protection Plan (PIPP) which compensates all those injured in a vehicle accident, regardless of who is at fault.

“When a Manitoba resident is injured in a car accident, actuarially determined reserves are established to ensure claimants will receive full value of the benefits they are entitled to, when those obligations come due,” said Giesbrecht. Manitobans pay some of the lowest auto insurance premiums in all of Canada and will continue to do so with only a small increase in rates, 1.8 percent in basic Insurance premiums, for the 2019/2020 insurance year.

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REGIONAL NEWS | ONTARIO

ONTARIO GOVERNMENT MOVES ON BECOMING AV LEADERS Self-driving cars will be popping up on Ontario roads in the near future. Ontario’s Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek announced in Janruary that Ontario has gone forward with making changes to the 10-year automated vehicle pilot program, which was launched in 2016. The recent changes will allow vehicles equipped with higher levels of autonomation – Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Level three technology – to be driven on Ontario roads once they are eligible for purchase in Canada. Ontario will also be allowing people to test driverless automated vehicles and connected truck platoons on the roads, with strict conditions. “We’re cutting red tape for Ontario universities, companies, and others involved in automated vehicles to stimulate innovation, economic growth, market share and job creation in our province. Ontario is leading the nation in testing, developing and bringing these new technologies to market,” he said. Yurek mentioned that the program has also changed to allow researchers to test platooning technology, which allows large trucks to travel together using vehicle-tovehicle communications.

The success of the University of Waterloo’s autonomous vehicle the “autonomoose” was also mentioned during the announcement as it has racked up 100 kilometres on public roads last August. The Ontario government’s efforts to moving forward with autonomous vehicles is their hopes to not only opening up more

opportunities for business and for the economy to grow even more but to become a leader in automated and connected vehicle technology. U niversity of Waterloo’s autonomous vehicle, the “autonomoose.”

ONTARIO’S MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES FOR AUTO INSURANCE Drivers in the Greater Toronto Area continue to pay the highest auto insurance rates in Ontario. According to Kanetix.ca’s InsuraMap, GTA drivers in the five most expensive cities are paying $500 to $1,000 more in insurance premiums compared to the provincial average of $1,473. Ontario’s most expensive cities for auto insurance are, Brampton at $2,494, Vaughan at $2,128, Mississauga at $2,086, Richmond Hill at $2,033, and Toronto at $1,948. Insurance premiums in Pickering, Whitby, Hamilton, and Ajax also surpassed the provincial average by hundreds of dollars. The difference between the highest and lowest rates in Ontario is $1,487, with the lowest estimated rates being reported at $1,007. “Auto insurance rates in the GTA continue to be the highest in the province,” says Janine White vice president of marketplaces and strategy at Kanetix.ca. “Traffic density, congestion, collision frequency, and increased repair costs due to vehicle complexity have a

significant impact on the premiums drivers pay in the region. In the first 9 months of 2018 in Ontario, for example, insurers paid out $1.30 in repair and expenses for every dollar of physical damage insurance premium collected.” Average insurance premiums in Ontario have increased by $157 since the end of 2017. Drivers in the province can help cut down on their insurance rates by maintaining a clean

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driving record, purchasing home and auto insurance from the same provider, notifying your insurer that you have installed winter tires, and increasing your policy deductibles. A ccording to Kanetix.ca, drivers residing in Brampton, Ontario are paying the most in auto insurance.

ONTARIO | REGIONAL NEWS

ONTARIO INVESTS 40 MILLION IN AUTO SECTOR JOBS Ontario premier Doug Ford announced in February that the province will be investing $40 million over three years into a new auto sector plan, which includes funding for innovation and training. The money, which is part of a 10-year plan, will be used to strengthen the province’s automotive sector and help Ontario remain competitive within the industry. The news comes just months after it was announced that General Motors would be closing down its Oshawa plant at the end of the year, a facility that employs 2,600 workers. Economic Development Minister Todd Smith explained that part of the new plan is aimed at retaining workers, such as those from GM, and placing them in employment within the automotive sector. “We want to give those auto workers an opportunity to get trained quickly,” he said. “Micro-credentialing is part of our plan, so they can get up to speed and not just continue jobs in the current wave of auto sector jobs, but in the automobile sector of the future.” A micro-credentials pilot will focus on

targeted retraining for highly specific skills. The province also plans to modernize apprentice training, with the goal of eventually making it more responsive to auto sector needs. The plan will also work towards creating a more competitive business climate, which includes removing some regulatory barriers, streamlining approvals and certification for auto manufacturing sites, reviewing the industrial rate, and international electricity rate, and international promotion of Ontario’s auto sector. “Our government understands what auto companies need to thrive and prosper in our province,” said Ford. “This is like Christmas coming — us getting elected — to industries across the province. They’re as happy as anything. They actually have a businessminded government.” Ontario’s new plan includes enabling the private sector to develop a provincewide network of autonomous vehicle infrastructure. Part of the $40 million investment will go towards an automotive modernization

program which will help parts suppliers become more innovative by making $10 million available to small and medium suppliers, who can each qualify for up to $100,000 if they chose to match the funds. President of Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association Flavio Volpe said the announcement is what suppliers have been asking for from the government. “For the supply sector, what’s important is as long as the automakers stay here and make cars here and buy parts from us we’ve got a very healthy and efficient business,” he said. Volpe said the plan is an important step in creating a competitive business environment. “We are particularly pleased to see commitments focused on reducing the cost of manufacturing in Ontario and the openness to exploring investments supports for the manufacturing sector,” said Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters president Dennis Darby. “These two actions are critical to boost manufacturing investment in the province and improve the competitiveness of globally integrated.”

President of Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association Flavio Volpe.

O ntario premier Doug Ford announced that the province will be investing $40 million into a new auto sector plan to help Ontario remain competitive in the industry.

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REGIONAL NEWS | QUEBEC

FIX AUTO WELCOMES NEW OWNER TO PIERREFONDS LOCATION Soud Ahmad, is welcomed to the Fix Auto family as the new owner of Fix Auto Pierrefonds location. For more than 15 years Ahmad opened a heavy-duty truck repair shop five years ago which gave him some shop ownership experience to help with the ownership takeover of Fix Auto Pierrefonds. The shop was previously owned by Ahamd’s wife’s uncle and he is excited to keep the shop in the family. “My wife’s uncle was the previous owner and we are delighted to take over the business and continue to build on the success that he started,” said Ahmad. According to Fix Auto, the Pierrefonds team is currently upgrading their facility including the reception area, shop floor and

The team at Fix Auto Pierrefonds.

washrooms to ensure customers are welcomed into a clean, modern facility. “We are so pleased to welcome Soud and his team as he takes over ownership of the Pierrefonds location. His years of experience

in the industry and enthusiasm for the brand will help to ensure this location continues to serve customers with excellent service and high-quality repairs,” said Yves Roy general manager for Fix Automotive Network Quebec.

QUEBEC GETS 100 EV CHARGING STATIONS Quebec’s electric vehicles will be getting a boost after it was announced that the province would be receiving 100 new chargers. In January, the Hon. Catherine McKenna and Minister of Environment and Climate Change announced on behalf of the Hon. Amarjeet Sohi a $5 million investment to build the vehicle fast chargers across Quebec. “Investments in green infrastructure will make it easier for Canadians to travel in a faster and cleaner way. By working with Hydro-Québec, the Government is building the largest electric circuit in Canada to make sure Canadians can access clean and affordable solutions. Getting more electric vehicles on our roads will reduce pollution and create good, middle-class jobs,” said McKenna. Built by Hydro Quebec, with funding from the Natural Resources Canada’s Electric

Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative (EVAFIDI), these chargers will be part of Hydro-Québec’s Electric Circuit — the largest public charging network for electric vehicles in Canada. The EVAFIDI program is also part of the Government of Canada’s more than $180 billion Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. The fast-charging infrastructure will span major highways from Abitibi to Côte-Nord. Through Canada’s national energy dialogue, Generation Energy, Canadians made it clear electric vehicles are a necessity for Canada’s low-carbon future. Earlier this year it was announced that Quebec will be receiving 100 new electric vehicle charging stations.

TOTAL WHITEOUT You might want to ask yourself, what else do Canadians do to pass the time when they’re stuck in a huge traffic jam? A group of people involved in a collision pileup of more than 75 cars decided to play a game of hockey in the middle of Highway 40 in Montreal, while they were waiting for emergency vehicles to show up to clear the scene. According to CBC News, Mario Labrecque was on his way back home, when he encountered the major pileup. His vehicle was one of the 10 cars not damaged during the major collision. The pileup resulted in the roadways being

shut down for several hours. It was also reported that about 20 people suffered minor injuries and had to be hospitalized.

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P eople stuck in a major traffic jam involving more than 75 cars in Montreal decided to play a game of hockey while they waited.

ATLANTIC | REGIONAL NEWS

NOVA SCOTIA VEHICLE INSPECTOR FACES CHARGES Nova Scotians are concerned about the dangers of improperly inspected vehicles on the province’s roads after news broke that a transportation safety inspector may have been negligent in his duties. Earlier this year, Chet Bernard Chisholm, a 45-year-old motor vehicle inspector in Nova Scotia is facing a series of charges following a fatal collision last year that involved two vehicles. The 49-year-old man that was driving the vehicle that Chisholm inspected was killed and two other people were injured during the collision. Chisholm has been charged with criminal negligence causing death, two counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and breach of trust. A spokesperson for the RCMP, Jennifer Clarke, announced that the federal police force was investigating the other vehicles he was inspecting and realized that the inspections

were being completed but not properly. “…We’ve laid charges and fairly serious charges at that,” said Clarke on behalf of the RCMP. The Nova S c ot i a D ep ar t ment of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal told the Chronicle Herald that Chisholm had

been their employee and that the improper inspections were not done as part of his duties for the department. Police are reaching out to these motorists that have had their vehicles inspected by Chisholm in the past to recommend that they get their inspections redone.

C het Bernard Chisholm, a 45-year-old motor vehicle inspector in Nova Scotia faces a series of charges after a fatal collision that occurred last year.

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HOT NEW PRODUCTS

plastic welding 02

E Z NITRO PLASTIC WELDER GENERATOR

DENT FIX EQUIPMENT

The DF-EZN1G EZ Nitro Plastic Welder Generator eliminates the need for refilling nitrogen tanks and takes up less space in the shop thanks to its onboard nitrogen generator. The proprietary Flow Adjust Switch Technology (FAST) system makes the DF-EZN1G one of the easiest nitrogen welders to learn and use. It simplifies nitrogen welding and eliminates flow adjustments by the user. According to Dent Fix, this significantly reduces the time needed to set up the welder. A high-pressure N2 Outlet gives you the ability to attach air-powered tools to the side of the unit. Equipped with two welders, the DF-EZN1G incorporates both a nitrogen welding torch and an airless welding torch. The unit comes with plastic rods in various types and sizes to enable the user to weld different types of plastic and repair various types of damage. dentfix.com

NITRO FUZER LITE

POLYVANCE

Welding with nitrogen gas creates the strongest welds possible because it eliminates oxidation of the plastic during the welding process. Think of it like TIG welding for plastic, there’s no oxidation, no burning, and no weld contamination. The 6049-C Nitro Fuzer Lite Plastic Welding System combines a simplified nitrogen welder with a traditional airless plastic welder. By combining these welders into one package, it allows you to economically make nitrogen welds to virtually any automotive plastic. The 6049 features precision flow control so the user can match the flow and temperature to substrate types and thicknesses. The flow and temperature can be reduced to a very low point in order to weld thin, fragile substrates, something competitive units may not be able to do. The integrated airless welder is ideal for smoothing out welds, repairing thermoset polyurethane, and adding reinforcing mesh to welded thermoplastic parts. polyvance.com

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NITROWELD NW-650

NITROHEAT

The Nitroweld NW-650 is a complete plastic welding station with built-in temperature controllers, including nitrogen (N2) and compressed air selection. This unit can be used with an external nitrogen tank or it can be attached to a nitrogen generator. If used with a nitrogen cylinder, the built-in selector allows the user to preheat and cool down with compressed air and only use the N2 supply for the direct welding process. nitroheat.com

HOT NEW PRODUCTS

06 04

PLASTIC FUSION PRO

BETAG INNOVATION

The Plastic Fusion Pro Unit is Betag’s top of the line welding unit. The unit performs several functions. It has an integrated tacker with three power levels. These can be adjusted for different plastics. For the fusion function, there are three modes available depending on the desired options. With the internal compressor, the temperature can be preset and the real temperature can be seen on the display. The Fusion Pro can achieve a higher temperature at a lower air volume, which is the key to achieving a good bond. The Fusion Pro can also connect to an external air source, so the user can increase the air volume if desired. On some repairs, a higher air volume is desired as this can speed up the bonding process. The unit can also use nitrogen to perform nitrogen welding. betaginnovation.com

-31878 NITROGEN GAS 0 PLASTIC WELDER

ARSLAN AUTOMOTIVE

This trolley mounted 110v plastic welding tool from Arslan Automotive is designed to be an all-in-one plastic repair tool. With an included hot stapler, smoothing tip and a plastic parts cleaning cutter, the device also comes equipped with a metal roller engineered to make precise plastic surface leveling swift and simple. Pre-cut inside corner staples and two sizes of wave staples are available for the hot staple. arslanauto.com

NITROGEN PLASTIC WELDER

PRO-SPOT

Pro-spot’s NP-3 Nitrogen Plastic Welder uses hot nitrogen gas to restructure common plastic components in automotive repair, from cracked bumper cover surfaces to hinged tabs. It is very easy to use with a short learning curve. The unit has digital controls for adjusting air, nitrogen flow, and temperature settings. A unique feature of the NP-3 is that it is designed to save nitrogen gas costs. The NP-3 blows compressed air through the gun until you push the weld trigger, then it automatically switches to nitrogen gas. When the weld trigger is released, it switches back to air. This minimizes gas consumption. The NP-3 kit includes various plastic welding necessities such as thermoplastic filler rod, aluminum tape, and fine grit sandpaper. The welder works with 110V or 220V and is extremely portable. prospot.com

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HOT NEW PRODUCTS

F USION PLUS PLASTIC REPAIR STATION

WEDGE CLAMP SYSTEMS

Developed for collision repair professionals, Fusor 132/133 repair adhesive can be used on bumpers, bumper tabs, emblems, door trims, interior, and exterior plastic repairs and cosmetic repairs. With capabilities to be used on all types of plastic (doesn’t require plastic identification), this product sands to a perfect feather edge, without roll up, in just 10 minutes. With quicksand and clamp times, touch time is reduced. Fusor 132/133 repair adhesive has OEM approval from GM, Ford, Chrysler for collision/warranty repair. The manufacturer says Fusor 132/133 repair adhesive is stronger than stapling and may be faster than plastic welding. wedgeclamp.com

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PLASTO-MEND PLASTIC REPAIR

TRANSTAR

Plasto-Mend Rigid Plastic Repair, #1478, is a high-strength, epoxy-based adhesive designed to work on all rigid substrates, such as PC, SMC, BMC, and fiberglass. It can be used to bond plastic to plastic, steel, aluminum, and other rigid substrates. It is most commonly used for: rejoining cracked or broken panels, sectioning rigid parts, or as a filler material for repairing cracks, holes, and gouges. The work time for this material is 5 minutes, and the full cure is achieved in 24 hours. tat-co.com

LASTIC ADHESIVE WELD KIT P (XPSA)

DOMINION SURE SEAL

This high-performance grade cyanoacrylate adhesive with pump spray accelerator is designed to provide a near instant bond of maximum strength to various tears in plastics, elastomers and metals while performing permanent repairs with plastic fillers. Described as having exceptional high temperature tolerances, the adhesive is also said to be able to withstand impact effectively. Engineered to be crack and craze resistant, the curing process is complete within 10 to 30 seconds. The product is available in many sizes. dominionsureseal.com

EVENT

RECYCLING IN THE WILD WEST AARDA TO HOST MAJOR RECYCLING TRADE SHOW IN EDMONTON By Lindsey Cooke

ure, the Auto Recycler's Association may be able to wow with its annual conventions in Disneyland, but it isn't the only organization prepared to bring a childlike sense of wonder to auto recyclers. This year, the Alberta Automotive Recyclers and Dismantlers Association will bring their members to Fantasyland Hotel, hosting the first Western Canadian Auto Recyclers Trade Show in two decades. To be held in the hotel's convention centre on Sep 21, 2019, auto recyclers should expect nothing but the unexpected.

The internationally acclaimed Fantasyland Hotel, located in the West Edmonton Mall, is a one-stop destination where imaginative decor, culinary expertise and one-of-akind theme rooms join together to create a vividly unique guest experience. It has even been listed as one of the top 10 most unique hotels in the world. AARDA executive director, Ken Sorensen told Collision Repair to expect plenty of booths with information and several equipment manufacturers attendees. "This is going to be a very exciting convention," Sorensen said. "There will be a

whole lot for guests to see and do." It won't just be Albertan recyclers who find themselves learning about the industry in an entirely alien setting. The tradeshow will coincide with both AARDA and the Auto Recyclers of Canada annual meetings. "We're expecting lot of auto recycler representatives from all over Canada to be in attendance," Sorensen said. The event is set to kick-off with a bus tour in the morning giving recyclers and attendees a look at some of the auto recycling facilities located in Edmonton, followed by the tradeshow in the afternoon.

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QUALITY CONTROL

Relations advisor with B-CAR Ken Hendricks.

The British Columbia Auto Recyclers Association (B-CAR) has been working towards quality control with auto recyclers. As a solution the association has come out with a voluntary training certification program for auto recyclers in the province. Phased through five different stages the course is filled with three modules which goes over a specific aspect of the auto recycling supply chain. The courses include dismantler orientation, inventory management and parts-grading, and a standard of performance. Following the modules is another process that involves self-auditing, which then another full in-person audit is required and conducted on the facility.

John Ross & Sons has set out plans to install a new auto shredder.

BIG PLANS

EV FUNDING The Government of Alberta announced on Monday that they will be providing $1.2 million towards the provinces Peaks to Prairies electric vehicle network. The network will be installing 20 fastcharging stations that will cover more than 1,700 km of southern Alberta highways. Canadian provinces such as Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia have taken the lead on progress with electric vehicles. The Alberta government hopes that by installing more charging stations in recreational and retail areas in small communities, that it will boost their tourism and economic development. They also hope that this will help overcome some of the challenge’s electric vehicle owners face, and will give

inister Phillips and MLA Fitzpatrick M join partners of the Peaks to Prairies network to announce the installations of EV charging stations in Lethbridge.

more options for drivers to purchase and own an electric vehicle. The charging stations are expected to be installed by the end of 2019.

ARA TELECONFERENCE The Automotive Recyclers Association launched its first town hall meeting in February, with a 30-minute teleconference discussing issues within the industry. Owner of Standard Auto Wreckers David Gold took some time to speak during the

John Ross & Sons, which recently purchased A&S Scrap Metal’s facility in Charlottetown, PEI is planning on installing an auto shredder and downstream equipment. According to a PEI Ministry of Economic Development and Tourism press release, the PEI provincial government has approved of a loan of $3 million to John Ross & Sons for the purchase of the new equipment. “I commend the new owners for improving the efficiency of their operations and significantly reducing their environmental impact and waste,” states Richard Brown, a member of PEI’s Cabinet Committee on Priorities. “We are working closely with businesses across Prince Edward Island to protect and enhance the environment.” conference, highlighting the ARA Convention and Exposition, which is set to take place later this year. “This year, the convention is going to be at a very convenient and popular location – Charlotte, North Carolina. The dates are October 10 to 12, 2019.” The ARA Executive Committee will be hosting a monthly town hall meeting on the first Thursday of every month. The conferences are designed to give auto recyclers the opportunity to interact directly with fellow members and Association leaders, ask questions, and raise any issues impacting their business.

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RECYCLING NEWS

Car-Part co-founders Jeff, Janice, Urban and Roger Schroder.

CAR-PART’S CONCERNS AUTO RECYCLERS NEED THEIR SEAT AT THE TABLE

By Lindsey Cooke

uto recycling industry icon Jeff Schroder has been changing the way buyers access recyclers’ parts since 1998. Jeff has not been alone in this mission. His two brothers Urban and Roger as well as his wife, Janice are the co-founders of an internet marketplace they created called Car-Part.com. When Urban and Roger started out as owners of auto recycling facility, Foreign Auto Salvage in Fort Wright, Kentucky,

they began to become frustrated with their management system. It wasn’t until then that Jeff decided to use his technical skills to help. Thus, Car-Part.com was created. A genius site that provides an inventory of recycled parts from various facilities available to all potential buyers, bodyshops, insurance adjusters, independent appraisers, mechanical shops, recyclers, core buyers, and retail customers. With more than 200 million inventories

parts in the database it’s designed to help recyclers make it easier for customers to find the parts they need based on a series of factors such as, delivery, condition, location, availability, certification, and price. Canadian Auto Recyclers caught up with Jeff to find out what’s in store for the company and what some of the biggest challenges are for the auto recycling industry. Car-Part co-founders Jeff, Janice, Urban and Roger Schroder.

on simplifying the user experience to make it easier for professional buyers to navigate and purchase the exact part that they need. With this strategy in mind it can increase the use of recycled parts especially within the collision repair industry. Leveraging

the insights learned and the technologies developed for professional buyers, Car-Part is working on simplifying consumers’ ability to source and buy recycled parts. “There’s a big opportunity to simplify that process of buying the right part from the right recycler every time.”

A BETTER FUTURE With this clever database created, Jeff revealed that he is still looking for ways to improve the system. “While we think we have come a long way and we have solved some of the hardest challenges, we still think there’s a lot to do.” For right now, he has been working

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RECYCLING NEWS

CONCERNS When it comes to recalls on parts, the growing challenge for auto recyclers is gaining access to the proper information from OEMs. This is a frustrating concern that Jeff has been working on for the past four years. “It’s really a threat to the industry when they start to challenge the legitimacy of all of our parts,” he said. “I don't really feel that the industry is

given the proper seat at the table in terms of looking at the automotive industry as a circular economy. The auto recycling industry really is a critical part of that process whether its helping to pull parts out for recalls or making sure that we have the correct information from the OEMs in order to be able to optimize the reuse of parts.” But this isn’t just an issue for the U.S., it’s something that Jeff says is impacting

auto recyclers all over the world. “The quality information about recalls, quality information about part numberings, VIN data, that kind of information would greatly help with reuse and greatly increase safety by having a better recall system. And it is not being provided to the industry. I don't know that it is being provided to the industry anywhere, nowhere that I'm aware of, not to the level we need.”

Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) to assist with testing and recovery of recalled airbags. With efforts to be heard, Car-Part and the ARA have written white papers on the issue, detailing the challenges with getting OEMs to provide more information on recalls, but it still hasn’t been implemented because the government has not forced the OEMs to provide the information needed to solve the problems.

“Some parts are recalled, and the industry is happy to pull those recalled parts out, but we need be able to do identify recalled parts electronically at scale and we need better information from the people who made the mistake in order to pull and report on the recalled parts. That’s the role of the government to look at the whole circular economy there and artificial barriers to a properly functioning industry.”

FINDING A SOLUTION As Jeff has been working closely with the ARA for the past four years on a new solution for this issue he doesn’t see it being solved anytime soon. “I do think it’s a really important issue especially because some parties are claiming if you don’t know that a recycled part was not recalled how can you trust the legitimacy of our whole industry,” he said. Car-Part has been working with Transport Canada and the U.S. National Highway

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RECYCLING FEATURE

A SHOCKING TRUTH THE DANGERS OF RECYCLING ELECTRIC VEHICLES By Lindsey Cooke

f Transport Canada is right, then there will be more than seven million electric vehicles (EVs) on the nation’s roads by the end of the next decade.With much more of a benefit to the environment, these vehicles could enliven the auto recycling industry. But where there is value, there is also great danger. A standard vehicle contains a lead-acid battery, but electric vehicles—both hybrid or fully electric ones—use lithium-ion batteries. "There are a number of risks in terms of the EVs, which include, electrocution, the risk of a fire and chemical risks," says British auto recycler and managing director of Salvage Wire Andy Latham, who has been studying EV recycling for the past five years. EV batteries are much heavier and more powerful than those used in gas-powered vehicles. Where a standard vehicle battery weighs less than 100 lbs (45 kg) and issues a 12.6 volt current, electric vehicle batteries can weigh up to 1,200 lbs (500 kg) at 200 volts. The difference in strength can be a matter of life and death, as a 60 volt current can be fatal. As battery designs become more efficient, the dangers are going to worsen—800 volt car batteries will make their debut to the public this year.

ndy Latham, is the managing director of Salvage Wire, and travels all over the world to get the A word out about proper training for auto recyclers when handling electric vehicles batteries.

Latham mentioned that when he travelled to the U.S., he visited a couple of different auto recycling yards, where he witnessed auto recyclers removing high-voltage batteries from vehicles that were live. "That could have caused a fatal electric shock," he says. "Not having the right training is a massive issue right now for auto recyclers.” As a result, Latham has been travelling across the globe to get the message across and raise awareness to auto recyclers about the training and procedures that need to be followed when handling a high-voltage battery. While Latham is still concerned about continued ignorance of the dangers, in Canada there is at least some awareness of the issue, with regulations put in place preventing the dismantling of a high-voltage battery without a license. 96 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

RECYCLING FEATURE

THE HOME FRONT Canada is also home to a number of firms specializing in finding ways to improve lithium-ion battery recycling. One of these, Li-Cycle, a closed loop lithium-ion battery recycler based in Toronto, recently received a grant for $2.7 million to establish an improved approach to lithium recycling. “The electric vehicle landscape and lithium-ion batteries are continuously developing,” CEO, Ajay Kochhar said. According to Kochhar, in Canada EV batteries can typically end up with one of two types of parties. If someone takes their car back into the dealership, then the dealer typically coordinates with the OEM to have the EV battery pack picked up and transported to a processing facility for suitable recycling. He said that this works “quite well and is continuing to develop further as EVs become much more common.” The other type of party that it could end up with are groups outside the dealer, for instance, the collision repairers and auto recyclers. "The possible challenge with this type of party is the current lack of specialized knowledge pertaining to high

voltage lithium-ion batteries from EVs, including safe handling and transportation," Kochhar said. “ The way these batteries are stacked could potentially cause a very serious fire, not to mention one of the batteries are still plugged in, which is a serious hazard for a fatal electric shock,” says Latham.

Ajay Kochhar is the CEO of Li-cycle, a Toronto bound facility that deals with the recycling of lithium-ion batteries.

APRIL 2019 COLLISION REPAIR 97

THE LAST WORD

THE CHICKEN AND THE EGG By Gideon Scanlon

OEMs need repairers just as much as repairers need OEMs ADVERTISER INDEX COMPANY

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3M Automotive ............................. 22 AkzoNobel ................................... 11 ARSLAN ...................................... 42 Assured Automotive .....................80 AutoQuip ..................................... 70 Basf................................................. 4 BETAG .................................... 36-37 Canadian Hail Repair................... 31 Car-O-Liner ................................. 19 Car-Part.com ............................... 99 Carcone’s Auto Recycling .......... 97 Cardinal Couriers ........................ 83 CARSTAR Canada ......................... 9 Color Compass ............................85 Dominion Sure Seal ....................... 7 Eurovac ........................................ 69 Filco Inc ....................................... 34 Finixa ........................................... 24 Fix Auto Canada ........................... 16 Flat Line ........................................35 Formula Honda ........................... 44 Garmat .......................................... 71 Hail Specialist ............................. 53 Honda Canada ............................ 66 IBIS .............................................. 52 Impact.......................................... BC Keystone ................................. 12-13 KIA ............................................... 14 Martech ....................................... 10 Norton .......................................... 59 PDR Canada ................................ 61 Polyvance .................................... 57 PPG Canada ............................... 2,3 PractiCar...................................... 48 ProSpot ....................................... 90 RBL............................................... 92 SATA Canada .............................. 89 Sherwin-Williams......................... 46 Sia................................................. 91 Simplicity...................................... 26 Steck ............................................ 17 Symach ........................................ 95 Thorold ........................................ 81 UAP Inc ........................................ 78 Wurth ........................................... 20

he collision industry is entirely dependent on the automotive industry—without vehicles, there would be nothing to repair. That much is obvious. What is less obvious, however, is that, without repairers, the automotive industry would also collapse. While Canada’s collision community may forget this lesson, OEMs are well aware of the mutual dependency. The evidence of this is everywhere—from the increasing investment in providing the community with the instructions it needs to perform repairs on ever-more complex vehicles, to their vigorous promotion of OEM certification programs and branded facilities. From the inside, many within the collision community are rightly skeptical of these attempts to gain leverage over the business of repairing vehicles. But where many suggest these efforts are transparently aimed at extracting value from the aftermarket, skeptics should consider another possibility: OEMs are frightened by the idea of their vehicles becoming irreparable. If there is one thing that history shows, it is that without the ability for third-party groups to repair vehicles, the vehicles themselves will never become widely adopted. During the early 1800s, before the invention of the internal combustion engine, plenty of inventors saw the commercial possibilities that automobiles offered—and the sight of their steam-powered carriages became commonplace. Despite their effectiveness, these inventions all met the same end—they were scrapped after they stopped working and were never put into widespread production. Without a vaguely uniform steam car design—which could have been achieved through mass production—the infrastructure needed to sell these early automobiles could never outstrip the designer’s ability to repair them. In 1940, Henry Ford said: "Mark my words—a combination airplane-motorcar is coming. You may smile, but it will.” He

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wasn’t alone. During the late 1940s, as thousands of young fighter and bomber pilots began moving into the suburbs and taking up more grounded careers, the idea of making flying cars mainstream did not seem terribly outlandish. In fact, some enterprising OEMs even designed vehicles that bridged the gap between cars and aircraft. From 1949 to 1987, one company, Aerocar International, created nine different prototype road-friendly planes. At one point in the 1950s, the company had more than 500 orders—but fate would prevent them from filling it. In an effort to protect the public from poorly maintained civilian aircraft, Congress passed a number of measures that made it impossible for the vehicles to be repaired by auto technicians. Over the next few decades, each new model—all designed to overcome these legal barriers—were stifled by new aircraft maintenance legislation. Two centuries later, the same problem is faced by the community of hover bike inventors. Though many start-ups operate these relatively simple vehicles, none are in mass production. With little uniformity in design—and with barriers to making aircraft, hover bikes remain a fantasy, not a reality. To compete with other OEMs, they have to continue to raise the technological bar. With each incremental increase in complexity, the need for more precise repairs to be made also rises, but any OEM whose vehicles are so complex that repairs become too complicated for the industry to handle, will soon go out of business. Unless they are able to ensure their vehicles can be effectively repaired, they won’t just fall behind—they’ll disappear.

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