COLLISION REPAIR magazine 14#6 December 2015

SPOTLIGHT: 2016 BUYER’S GUIDE SPECIAL PREVIEW!

VIVA LAS VEGAS! SEMA Show heats up the desert night with cool customs and hot education.

Partner POWER

GEARED FOR SUCCESS CSN re-energizes at annual conference.

PARTS MANAGEMENT

Vince and Jack Martino have taken CSN-Martino Brothers to exciting new places.

There’s more to efficient flow than just-in-time ordering.

PLUS

Tim Guernsey of RSA on customer service, Mitchell wraps up the Road Show in Halifax, the latest advances in self-driving vehicles and much, much more!!!

Volume 14, Number 6

l December 2015

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$4.95

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

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150 years

CONTENTS

ON THE COVER

Volume 14 Issue 6, December 2015

40 PROGRESSIVE SPIRIT Jack and Vince Martino keep CSNMartino Brothers moving forward in Toronto, Ontario.

FEATURES 46 YOUR GUIDE Our upcoming guide will put the best information at your fingertips.

54 PARTS MANAGEMENT It’s key to maintaining profitability, cycle time and your peace of mind.

60 EXECUTIVE VISION RSA’s Tim Guernsey on the increasing need for specialization.

49

63 STRONG BONDS I-CAR has forged solid relationships with local colleges.

The 2015 SEMA Show gets down to the fine details.

NEWS 08 COLLISION REPAIR 66 TOWING & RECOVERY 68 RECYCLING

58

The Mitchell Road Show hits Halifax.

SPOTLIGHT: 2016 BUYER’S GUIDE SPECIAL PREVIEW!

56

DEPARTMENTS CSN collision facilities re-energized and re-engaged at the network’s 13th annual conference

ON THE COVER: Jack and Vince Martino of CSN-Martino Brothers Collision.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE DAVEY.

VIVA LAS VEGAS! SEMA Show heats up the desert night with cool customs and hot education.

Partner POWER

GEARED FOR SUCCESS CSN re-energizes at annual conference.

PARTS MANAGEMENT

Vince and Jack Martino have taken CSN-Martino Brothers to exciting new places.

There’s more to efficient flow than just-in-time ordering.

PLUS

Tim Guernsey of RSA on customer service, Mitchell wraps up the Road Show in Halifax, the latest advances in self-driving vehicles and much, much more!!!

Volume 14, Number 6

l December 2015

l

$4.95

l

Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40841632

l

YOUR ONLINE SOURCE

Canada’s collision repair information resource.

New articles and top news stories daily.

Visit www.collisionrepairmag.com.

86 John Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 1Y2

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

06 PUBLISHER’S PAGE by Darryl Simmons Time for training.

36 POINT BLANK by Sam Piercy OEM solutions 38 PRAIRIE VIEW by Tom Bissonnette Everybody needs a bill.

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

76 RECYCLING by David Gold Mutual challenges.

78 FINANCIAL VIEW by Jeff Sanford Aluminum’s absense.

DECEMBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 05

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

TRAININGTIME

Canada’s industry needs an info-focused show.

By Darryl Simmons

I

f there’s one constant in collision repair it is change. That’s true enough, but I think it’s more accurate to say that the one constant change is advancement. The indust r y hasn’t changed for the sake of change. We’ve changed to progress and go further than before.

On the OEM side, we’ve seen more advancement in certification programs, and more collision centres being certified by one company or another. Some facilities have achieved multiple certifications.

We’ve seen advances in training, and not just for the technicians. These days it’s just as important that management staff is well-trained. Look at I-CAR’s latest

no shortage of training, thought-based events and new product announcements, but it sometimes seemed as if there was no time to really process things before the next shiny object captured everyone’s attention. SEMA is an incredible experience, but its success has made it too big to be truly enjoyable.

It’s like a fantastic buffet where there are so many choices that you simply can’t sample everything you think you might like. There’s just too much.

Like Vegas itself, there is a focus on the slick and sexy veneer. The underlying fundamentals are all there, but they can be hard to find. There are a lot of distractions.

PUBLISHER DARRYL SIMMONS (905) 370-0101 publisher@collisionrepairmag.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR MIKE DAVEY editor@collisionrepairmag.com ART DIRECTOR CANDACE TAYLOR candace@mediamatters.ca ASSISTANT EDITOR MELISSA HAYES melissa@mediamatters.ca STAFF WRITER JEFF SANFORD jeff@collisionrepairmag.com VP INDUSTRY RELATIONS & ADVERTISING GLORIA MANN (647) 998-5677 advertising@collisionrepairmag.com DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING ELLEN SMITH (416) 312-7446 ellen@mediamatters.ca MARKETING ASSISTANT WILL JACQUES will@mediamatters.ca COLUMNISTS & CONTRIBUTORS TOM BISSONNETTE, DAVID GOLD, JAY PERRY, SAM PIERCEY

IT’S MORE ACCURATE TO SAY THE ONE CONSTANT IS ADVANCEMENT. Professional Development Program: Production Management.

This course of study isn’t about actually repairing the vehicles, painting the vehicles or even estimating how much the repair will cost. It’s top level stuff, designed to make you better at managing staff time and work flow in your collision repair facility.

It brings the focus to what’s really important: performing safe, quality repairs and getting those cars back to the customers. Everything else is secondary to that value proposition.

Good shops, owners and managers understand that this is the only reason the business exists. That is why trade shows combined with training events are so popular. But are trade shows that effective in providing training?

I was thinking about this recently while I was at SEMA sitting in a taxi in complete traffic gridlock. This colossal show has

With all this in mind, I got really excited about the upcoming Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) meeting in January. The meeting takes place in Vaughan, a community just north of Toronto. Check out page 10 of this issue for some specifics and an interview with Leanne Jefferies, the organizer.

What makes this meeting different is that, for the very first time, it will have a trade show component: the Cars & Technology Showcase. Congratulations go out to Larry and Leanne Jefferies on putting a new touch on the latest edition of CCIF. It is on target and Canadian-made.Watch for it in 2016! CRM

06 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

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

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

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

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THE FRONT END

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Claude Zalac, President of Uniparts OEM of Canada, has announced the appointment of Mike Kaplaniak as Vice President and shareholder of the company.

Mike Kaplaniak.

Kaplaniak joined the Uniparts Canada team in March 2013 as Director of Operations and Development. He has over 25 years in the collision repair industry, with hands-on shop experience and business development for a major paint manufacturer. Before joining Uniparts OEM, his most recent role was as the Director of Operations for a national franchise. In his new role, he will continue to build from his successes and expand into new territories across Canada.

Kaplaniak is pleased to announce the newest addition to the Uniparts team in Ontario. Brian Kelleher will be the Territory Manager for the East Toronto and Durham market.

Kelleher comes to Uniparts with over 20 years of experience in the collision repair industry. Managing the sale of OEM parts, shop management tools and estimating systems as well as being a new business development representative for two major paint companies, Kaplaniak says Kelleher’s knowledge of the industry will be a great asset to Uniparts.

“I am very excited to Brian have Brian on my team,” Kelleher. says Kaplaniak. “His past relationships and knowledge will not only be an asset to our organization, but more importantly, our OEM dealers and bodyshop customers.”

Kelleher can be reached at 905-7835881 or briankelleher@unipartsoem.com.

Peter Polito, General Manager, Fix Auto Western Canada has announced the addition of Ron Schurink as Senior Business Development Manager for Western Canada.

In this role, Schurink is responsible for growing relationships with insurance and fleet partners in Western Canada.

“Fix Auto has working partnerships with most Western Canadian fleet and insurance partners. In his role, Ron will help sustain and develop these relationships to fuel insurance claims channels growth in Western Canada,” says Tony DeSantis, Vice President of Sales, Fix Auto Canada.

SO “DR. DENT,” DO

Schurink brings to Fix Auto a wealth YOU RECOGNIZE MY VOICE? of experience in the industry and comes from ICBC, where he was employed since 2009. Prior to that, he worked with ARA and managed some of the largest shops in the Calgary market.

“All of this experience is sure to be an asset for Ron Schurink. us at Fix Auto and we are How could I forget the voice of Gorgax, the despot whose thrilled to have him contyrannical rule forced me to flee our planet in such dire tribute to the success of our Fix Auto shop circumstances? How did owners,” says Polito. you find me?

F o r m o re i n f o r m a t i o n , p l e a s e v i s i t fixauto.com.

THERE WAS NEVER A TIME WHEN I DID At Pac Auto Body Parts President DoNOT KNOW YOUR LOCATION, TRAITOR! lores Richardson has been named YOUR SHIP WAS MONITORED. I ONLY HAD TO WAIT UNTIL YOU WERE FOOLISH a finalist for the 2015 RBC Canadian ENOUGH TO USE SOME OF THE KNOWLEDGE YOU STOLE! Wo m e n E n t re p re n e u r Aw a rd s f o r t h e Profit Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship. An initiative of Women of Influence, the national business awards are designed to recognize the country’s leading female entrepreneurs. The Profit Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship Stole? I invented is dedicated to a female entrepreneur who SILENCE! NOW ALL I half of the basic HAVE TO DO IS GET TO YOUR has launched and built one or more sucprinciples!

SHIP, AND THIS WORLD cessful companies with a track record of WILL DIE IN FLAMES! growth, profitability, industry leadership and breaking new ground. Richardson is among the regional finalists recognized in this category, representing the East region. Out of 5,500 nominees, 18 finalists from coast to coast have been selected to represent the six award categories.

Assured Performance Network has appointed Leanne Jefferies to the position of VP of Canadian Operations.

In this role, Jefferies will I’ve heard the same thing. launch and oversee Canadian operations of the I hear there’s a big Leanne technician shortage in company’s Certified ColJefferies.

Calgary. lision Care program.

For more information on Assured Performance Network, please visit certifymyshop.ca.

Ultra-efficent NitroHeat will cut your paint costs Please note that by up to 35% while boosting throughput A s s u r e d P e r f o ras much as 20%. Call today! mance Network is in no way affiliated with Assured Automotive, a chain operating 1-866-325-2886 more than 60 colliwww.autoquip.ca sion repair centres.

08 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

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NEWS

CCIF GEARING UP FOR LARGEST CANADIAN COLLISION REPAIR EVENT IN HISTORY Get ready, and get excited. The upcoming CCIF meeting for the Toronto area has a new format, and could turn out to be the largest collision repair industry meeting in the history of the country. This is not overstating the size of the event. This really could be the biggest event ever in the collision repair industry in Canada.

Leanne Jefferies is the Director of Collision Programs for the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA). In a recent conversation with Collision Repair magazine, she expressed her mounting excitement about the coming meeting.

“It’s a little bit extra-special this year. We’ve got a new location and a new format,” says Jefferies.

Typically the CCIF holds one meeting in the east, one in the west and then one in central Canada. That trend will continue.

But the upcoming meeting is an attempt to create a new and special event for the entire Canadian industry. Added to this year’s meeting is a car and technology event, the CCIF Cars & Technology Showcase. That is, there will be a trade show and product and display showcase. An evening reception will see attendees network with industry leaders and enjoy cocktails, interactive food stations and hors d’oeuvres while they explore new cars, technology, tools and equipment.

“I’m so excited about this,” says Jefferies. She notes that Canadian manufacturers will be on site showing off the latest and greatest products and technology.

“We’ll see the latest advances in car manufacturing and construction, whether it be aluminum or safety features. We’ll have the latest technology for fixing vehicles, whether it’s body frame measurement, power tools, refinishing tools or software. We’ll have it all. This is an opportunity to see what is cutting edge in cars and technology,” she says. “Not everyone gets to attend these big shows in the US. So this is a way to bring it to an event in Canada. Some people might not be aware of what the cutting edge is in technology and tools out there. This is a chance to get up to speed on that.”

One of the principles CCIF operates on is a duty to help those in the industry manager their business for success. This event is a perfect example of this.

“We want to provide information to the industry so they can be ready to fix these vehicles properly,” says Jefferies. It is also a chance to create the premier annual event for the CCIF. “This is a chance to elevate this industry to a new level. I’m very excited.”

The evening reception will be followed by a full-day CCIF meeting with breakfast, networking break and lunch hosted inside

the new showcase area. The meeting will also feature a full slate of speakers. The agenda hasn’t been released yet. Stay tuned to CRM for an upcoming story on that. But what is also exciting about this meeting is that it will be one of the first held at the new Universal Event Space in the rapidly growing city of Vaughan, north of Toronto. The new 85,000 sq. ft. facility has two outdoor patios and features state of the art technology.

“It just opened at the end of September,” says Jefferies. Get ready for some good food. The centre is owned by a family that began in the restaurant industry. So, “the food is going to be great,” says Jefferies. Best of all, the centre is surrounded by hotels and, “is just twelve minutes from Pearson Airport,” says Jefferies. There are two room blocks available at special CCIF prices, until December 14. Element Vaughan Southwest and Holiday Inn Express & Suites are just steps away from the new facility. You can register online through the CCIF website.

Convenience, food, the best in tech and cars—what could be better? No wonder tickets are going fast. Last year’s meeting saw 399 industry members gather in Toronto. But Jefferies expects this event could beat that.

“The meeting is always packed, but we think this one is going to be really well-attended,” she says. Only 600 tickets are available for this meeting. But be warned: There is no registration at the door “We’re only doing advance registration. There will be no atthe-door registrations,” says Jefferies. And tickets are going fast.

When asked if they were selling Jefferies said “Oh yes, People are registering early. We’re seeing a lot of people signing up. People don’t want to miss this. I look at CCIF as the place where people meet. Everyone is coming together. That’s our goal.”

For more information on the upcoming CCIF Cars & Technology Showcase, please visit ccif.ca.

Report: Autonomous vehicles a decade away A new report from Navigant suggests that fully automated vehicles that operate with no driver are “still a decade away.” But the incremental systems necessary to create the foundation for true AVs will come into production over the next five to ten years.

According to the report, reliability and security, as well as liability issues, pose major barriers to the adoption of autonomous driving. Over the past decade advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) have begun to rapidly proliferate. These systems are moving down-market, from high-end luxury cars into more affordable, high-volume models. By 2020, manufacturers are expected to offer enhanced self-driving capability that includes the ability to change lanes and follow simple directions from a navigation system. Drivers will still be needed to monitor progress and be prepared to take over when the traffic situation gets too complex. Truly driverless cars are expected by 2025, but this date will depend on legislative changes as well as steady improvements in technology.

10 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

NEWS

Autonomous Vehicle technology ‘coming like a freight train’

By Jeff Sanford

Activity in the automated vehicle (AV) space is accelerating, rapidly. The Canadian Automated Vehicle Centre of Excellence (CAVCOE) is dedicated to researching, tracking and analyzing its development.

CAVCOE has recently released some juicy tidbits for those interested in the development of AVs. The head of CAVCOE, Barrie Kirk, notes that the automotive industry is under “considerable scrutiny.”

“How do we ensure that such incredibly complex software systems are safe, secure and fit for the purpose? There appears to be no clear answer to this question, but clearly OEMs, developers and regulators will need to find some common ground,” writes Kirk in CAVCOE’s latest report. “AVs quite simply pose more questions than we have answers for right now. This technology is coming like a freight train. If we are ready, great; if we are not, tough, because it is coming anyway.”

Google now has 73 vehicles registered with the California DMV, triple the number just four months ago.

A Japanese company plans to roll out robotic taxis in 2016, with full commercial deployment by 2020.

Can GM come up with the money to compete in this space? The company announced recently that it will cut costs in existing operations. The $5.5 billion that is expected to be saved will be put toward development of AVs. Rumours about Apple’s electric car abound. The company is said to be aiming for a 2019 launch. Code named Project Titan, one of the rumours about the development is that it will have at least some self-driving capability.

CAVCOE itself is getting into the AV

12 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

game. The company has teamed up with Windmill Development Group to conduct a feasibility and planning study for the “demonstration, trial and deployment of fully automated, electric mini shuttle buses at Zibi, which is a re-development of industrial lands linking Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.”

Japanese firm Robot Taxi has announced that it will begin testing a taxi service utilizing self-driving cars in 2016. The aim is to have a fully operational commercial service in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Fix Auto announces new board of directors Steve Leal, President and CEO of Fix Auto Canada and Fix Auto World is proud to announce Fix Auto’s new board of directors, effective immediately.

“As previously announced, we have recently accepted a minority equity investment from la Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, which has laid the groundwork for Fix Auto to pursue new growth strategies, both within Canada and internationally,” says Leal.

As part of this restructuring, Guy Bessette and Manon Duplantie are no longer involved with the organization and subsequently, will be leaving the board. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank them both for the important contributions they have made to Fix Auto over the past 14 years, both at the board and operational levels,” says Leal. “Together, they saw Fix Auto through an important chapter in the company’s history, and we wish them health, happiness and success in their future endeavours. We are working hard to bring in the right people to assist us in steering Fix Auto in a new direction that will see us become the dominant global brand within the next five to 10 years.”

Fix Auto’s new board of directors: Jorge Arruda: Arruda’s business career spanned 31 years in the Property and Casualty insurance industry. Over an 18-year period, Arruda held a number of key executive roles with one of Canada’s largest Property and Casualty organizations. His executive leadership portfolio includes; claims, sales and marketing, underwriting, and most recently as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy.

Stéphane Léveillé: Léveillé is currently Senior Director of private equity, mid-market Québec, at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. A seasoned manager and entrepreneur, Léveillé has more than 20 years of experience in financial management, mergers and acquisitions and private equity placement, having worked with companies in both expansion and turnaround situations. Léveillé started his career within Intrawest as the Director of Financial Investment planning for the first two phases of development at Tremblant, and subsequently joined Transat A.T. where he was responsible for merger and acquisition activities.

Daniel Hogg: Hogg will remain as a key member of Fix Auto’s board of directors, and brings a host of financial experience that includes holding top finance roles at Queen’s University, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario, and Unisys Canada. Hogg holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto, and earned his CPA, CA designation in 1985.

Steve Leal: Leal has assumed responsibility as Chairman of the Board of Directors, and will continue to play an active role in steering Fix Auto Canada and Fix Auto World down the rights paths to grow the brand and the network in Canada and globally. Leal’s Economics background and industry experience have helped shape a unique strategy for Fix Auto, based on leveraging the agility and entrepreneurial spirit of Fix Auto’s members to fuel rapid growth and lead the global industry.

A fifth board member has been selected and will be officially announced in early 2016.

news

CARSTAR hosts multi-store performance group meeting in Toronto

BMW CCRCs Across Canada Alberta Contemporary Coachworks (North) 2260-22nd St. NE, Calgary, AB, T2E 8B7 Phone: (403) 250 1728 Contemporary Coachworks (South) 2515 107 Avenue S.E. , Calgary, AB, T2Z4Y9 Phone: (403) 237 8833 Doug’s Place Collision Repair Inc 9939 - 77th Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T6E 1M6 Phone: (780) 439-3665 Modern Auto Body 11330-154 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T5M 1X7 Phone: (780) 451-4757

Michael Macaluso, President of CARSTAR Automotive Canada, taking the stage at the CARSTAR multi-store owner performance group meeting.

CARSTAR Automotive Canada held its semi-annual Multi-CARSTAR Store Owners (MCSO) performance group meetings in Toronto recently, focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities faced by owners that run multiple CARSTAR locations.

The CARSTAR MSCO performance group is an exclusive gathering of 41 individual MCSO groups, representing 125 CARSTAR stores.

Facilitated by renowned business performance specialist Michel Guerette, the group comes together twice per year to discuss financial performance, hot button industry topics and to participate in breakout sessions geared towards enhancing and optimizing profit and performance in a multi-store setting.

Jim West served as a guest speaker for the event. West is the CEO of CARSTAR Collision Care Centres, an MSO operating 10 locations in Ohio. He shared his strategies and best practices, outlinining how his organization went from two to 10 locations and what was required in each phase.

“Having a multi-store owners group is unique in the industry and provides significant value to our franchise partners,” says Michael Macaluso, President of CARSTAR. “The participants are able to discuss a variety of items and topicsthat are unique to those involved in running multiple locations. The dialogue and conversations that take place amongst the owners are invaluable to everyone.”

While in the Greater Toronto Area, the group toured three CARSTAR locations in Oshawa and rounded out the first day of meeting with an exclusive tour and reception at the iconic Hockey Hall of Fame.

Prior to the MCSO meeting,CARSTAR hosted its CARSTAR Strategic Action Committees (CSAC). Over 20 of CARSTAR’s Franchise Partners are involved in CSAC, which also meets semi-annually. There are five committees in the various business units including Insurance, Branding, Retail & Diversification, Operations, and Human Resources. Each committee is led by the department manager and together they discuss important business initiatives within that domain.

For more information, please visit carstar.ca.

Industry trends discussed at ICE meeting Employment issues and opportunities in the collision repair industry were front and centre of discussions at a recent meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for Economic and Labour Force Development (ICE).

Speaking to the large group were Marc Tremblay, Program Coordinator of AYCE’s pre-apprenticeship training course in Toronto, and John Norris of the Collision Industry Information Assistance (CIIA) trade association. The two speakers updated the committee on the latest employment numbers, trends, job openings and the increasing complexities of repairs for today’s modern vehicles.

ICE members are drawn from the departments and ministries involved with economic development and labour force development issues in Toronto at all three levels of government.

14 collision Repair collisionrepairmag.com

British Columbia B&D Autobody and Glass 1488 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3K8 Phone: (604) 255-6383 Distinctive Auto Works 1746 Island Highway, Victoria, BC, V9B 1H8 Phone: (250) 478-5511 Kelowna Performance Collision Center 2590 Enterprise Way, Kelowna, BC, V1X 7X5 Phone: (250) 860-1400 No. 1 Collision (East Vancouver) * 3410 Lougheed Highway, Vancouver, BC, V5M 2A4 Phone: (604) 253-5550 No. 1 Collision (West Vancouver) * 1520 West Third Ave, Vancouver, BC, V6J 1J7 Phone: (604) 732-6584 No.1 Collision (Richmond) * 1110 Cambie Rd, Unit# 100, Richmond, BC, V6X 1K9 Phone: (604) 231-9614 OpenRoad Richmond Auto Body – Langley 5923 Production Way, Langley, BC, V3A 4N5 Phone: (604) 532-9158 OpenRoad Richmond Auto Body Richmond 2691 No. 5 Rd, Richmond, BC, V6X 2S8 Phone: (604) 278-9158 Richmond Auto Body North Vancouver 945 West First St, North Vancouver, BC, V7P 1A4 Phone: (604) 984-2454

AWIN Advanced Auto Body Centre 4600 Dufferin St, Toronto, ON, M3H 5S4 Phone: (416) 650-5995 Budds’ Collision Services Ltd * 2071 South Service Rd W, Oakville, ON, L6L 5W2 Phone: (905) 845-1441 Burwell Auto Body Ltd 485 York St, London, ON, N6B 1R4 Phone: (519) 438-5175 Camco Autobody 1473 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1Z 7L9 Phone: (613) 728-8888 European Autobody 14 Goodmark Place, Toronto, ON, M9W 6R1 Phone: (416) 679-8722 Excellence Auto Collision Concord * 216 Rivermede Rd, Unit# 3-6, Concord, ON, L4K 3M6 Phone: (416) 626-1888 Excellence Auto Collision Toronto 210 Midwest Rd, Scarborough, ON, M1P 3A9 Phone: (416) 748-6229 Formula First Collision Centre 9420 Tecumseh Rd East, Windsor, ON, N8R 1A2 Phone: (519) 979-2937 Heartland B&B Collision Centre 875 Plymouth Dr., Mississauga, ON, L5V 0B5 Phone: (905) 826 5512 Mitek Fine Automobile Body & Paint 207 Centennial Rd, Kitchener, ON, N2B 3X2 Phone: (519) 578-2052 Otto’s BMW Collision Centre 1551 Laperriere Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1Z 7T2 Phone: (613) 728 7032 Performance Collision & Restyling 342 Ontario St, St. Catherines, ON, L2R 5L3 Phone: (905) 688-4160 Pfaff Autoworks 214 Courtland Ave, Vaughan, ON, L4K 4T2 Phone: (905) 761-6095

Quebec

Ontario

Auto-Cinq 740 Rue Rossiter, Saint-JeanSur-Richelieu, QC, J3B 8J1 Phone: (450) 349-0655 BMW Canbec Collision Centre 4090 Jean Talon St West, Montreal, QC, H4P 1V5 Phone: (514) 731-7871 BMW MINI Laval Collision Centre * 2450 Boulevard Chomedey, Laval, QC, H7T 2X3 Phone: (450) 682-1212 Carrosserie BG 332 Rue Dubois, St. Eustache, QC, J7P 4W9 Phone: (450) 491-8471 Groupe HVN Carrosserie 6216 Boul L’Ange Gardien, Quebec, QC, G0A 2K0 Phone: (418) 822-0303

427 Auto Collision Ltd * 395 Evans Ave, Etobicoke, ON, M8Z 1K8 Phone: (416) 259-6344 Avenue Collision 293 MacPherson Ave, Toronto, ON, M4V 1A4 Phone: (416) 923-8031

Dilawri Collision Centre 815 Broad St, Regina, SK, S4R 8R8 Phone: (306)525-5050 Sherwood Collision 550 Brand Rd, Saskatoon, SK, S7J 5J3 Phone: (306) 667-6245

Manitoba Birchwood Collision Centre at Pointe West 60-3965 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, MB, R3K 2H2 Phone: (204)-885-1999 Donvito Collision & Glass (Sargent Location) 1700 Sargent Ave, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0C2 Phone: (204) 594-1566

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Best of the Best BMW’s repair network is a showcase of elite facilities.

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our facility’s reputation is likely the most important asset it has. Any business that is considered to be among the elite will realize benefits, while those aren’t may fall behind. The collision repair facilities that are part of BMW’s Certified Collision Repair Centres (CCRC) network are definitely among the elite. The network currently numbers over 40 facilities in Canada and is still growing.

BMW’s reputation for safety and technological advancement is top-notch among its customers and the general public. The repair facilities entrusted with repairing BMW vehicles share in some of this reputation, and with good reason. They’ve demonstrated a commitment to training and investing in the latest equipment simply by qualifying. BMW’s standards for the program are extremely rigorous. When it comes to collision repair, BMW aligns itself with the best of the best.

Peter Woo is the co-owner of Excellence Auto Collision in Toronto. His facility has been part of the BMW program since 2004.

“Becoming BMW certified was an eye opening experience for us,” he says.

“We were artisans. BMW certification, and the training that goes along with it, opened our eyes to the engineering behind the vehicle, and showed us the repair processes to restore the car to BMW factory safety specifications.”

Even entry-level BMWs are high-tech vehicles, replete with advanced engineering and numerous safety features. Any collision repair facility that qualifies to be part of the CCRC program has shown that it has the ability to restore the vehicle back to its original factory safety specifications.

Rigorous training is required at all levels. There are over 50 courses a shop must qualify in before being certified. BMW certification is a major investment, but it pays major dividends. The initial investment can exceed $400,000 but it’s worth it for an elite shop. The investment means being able to repair the vehicles properly.

Jack De Sena is the co-owner of Doug’s Place in Edmonton, Alberta. The facility is also on the program, and has enjoyed the reputation and access to factory training made available to BMW CCRCs. “We’ve always identified the customer in the vehicle as the end-user, and we’ve always made a point of repairing back to factory specs, so BMW’s program fit in with our business model,” he says. “We always believed that we were at the top of our game when it came to repair technology and training. Our BMW certification shows the world.”

Edmonton enjoyed relatively prosperous times during Calgary’s oil boom, and that lead to another factor that makes the BMW program a benefit for Doug’s Place.

“About 40 to 50 percent of our market share comes from repairing BMWs. It’s helped us to maintain our growth for sure,” says De Sena.

BMW certification means your facility is among the very best, as the company will accept nothing less from the repairers entrusted with their customers’ safety.

“Bonding and riveting, carbon fibre, aluminum construction ... these all appeared in BMWs before most car companies started to look at them,” says De Sena. “The BMW certification literally forces you to be on the leading edge. You’ll be familiar with most new technologies before other car companies even bring them to market.”

BMW’s 5-Series used structural aluminum way back in 2003.

The 2016 7-Series uses carbon fibre in its structure (shown here).

BMW’s CCRCs have had to keep pace with these changes, and need to be ready for whatever the next innovation will be.

All BMW CCRCs in Canada are certified to repair aluminum. By the end of 2016, they will all be certified to repair carbon fibre as well.

Gary Lin is the Certified Collision Repair Program Specialist at BMW Group Canada. He says the same thing that shop owners on the program will tell you: the certification is an ongoing process.

“Our certification program is dynamic, as the collision repair facilities in our network need to keep pace with BMW’s technology,” he says. “To qualify, those facilities must show that they can restore the vehicle to the same high standards of safety it had before the accident. They have to continue to show that same level of commitment to stay on the program.”

Lin stresses that the program isn’t for everybody. It’s rigorous, and only those facilities that can honestly call themselves elite can qualify.

“At BMW our number one objective is to ensure the safety of our customers. Our engineers have developed certified repair process and procedures to ensure that these vehicles are restored to the BMW factory safety specifications. We also have insurance partners that share our vision, and insist that their policyholders only have their vehicles repaired at a BMW Certified Collision Repair Center. They know that our mutual customers will not just have their vehicles repaired properly, but also have a great claims experience. This is essential to meeting customer expectations.

“Our insurance partners need to know there is adequate capacity to provide a great claims experience. To meet that demand, we’re not necessarily limiting the number of facilities that qualify. In fact we are increasing the number of certified collision repair facilities to our network to meet market demand,” says Lin. “However, before you apply, we want you to believe that you’re ready. Our network is comprised of the best of the best. Every single facility in our network, now and in the future, is there because they’ve shown a commitment to investing in equipment and training. Any facility that applies should share in this vision.”

For more information on the BMW CCRC program, please contact Gary Lin at ccrcinfo@bmwgroup.ca.

NEWS

GM PARTNERS WITH CELETTE TO CREATE REPAIR SOLUTIONS FOR CT6

Did you know that when you are spraying a catalyzed paint product in a spray booth or prep deck, the proper personal protection equipment is an air-supplied respirator?

Air supplied respirators must be supplied with Grade “D” Breathable Air. Quality Air Breathing Systems are designed to provide Grade “D” Breathable Air from your existing compressed air system, for compliance with current CSA Standards when using an air supplied respirator.

Systems sized from one person to twelve persons at the same time. We offer complete systems, with proper filtration and carbon monoxide monitors, panel mounted, and ready to use. Available in belt mounted, wall mount, and portable versions.

16 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Representatives of Celette and GM at NACE with “Skeletor,” the structure of the Cadillac CT6. From left: Stephane Jourdan, Jennie Lenk and Bastien Dias Da Costa of Celette and Joe Villanueva, Advanced Service Design Engineer for GM.

Celette and General Motors have developed repair plans for Cadillac’s CT6. The vehicle is complex, using a number of cutting edge advancements. Celette was the first to bring the repair solution to market.

“We displayed our approved CT6 repair plan and tools at NACE, way back at the beginning of the summer,” says Bastien Dias Da Costa, Operations Manager for Celette. “We were way ahead of the game when it came to bringing this solution to market.”

Recently, the company also showcased the tools and methods developed at the 2015 SEMA Show, along with “Skeletor,” the structure of the new CT6, and all of the Celette fixtures and equipment needed to repair it.

“Considering the mixed material and complex manufacturing process of the new 2016 Cadillac CT6 structure, it was crucial for GM to develop a strong collision repair plan early in the vehicle development process,” says Leo Gruzas, Manager Customer Care & Aftersales, Body/Exterior Service Engineering for General Motors. “The collision repair plan required timely review of repair procedures, service part strategies, training, and the necessary collision repair tools.

One of the required tools for collision repair on the Cadillac CT6 is a structural repair bench.”

This is critical, according to statements from GM. Early review of the vehicle allows equipment manufacturers to start developing tools and methods that will be needed during the repair.

“GM shared critical 3D data with several structural repair bench manufacturers early on so development of fixtures and data sheets could be created,” says Gruzas. “Celette was able to create their fixtures and data sheets solely through the use of 3D data, only needing to physically validate their prototype fixtures on an actual Cadillac CT6 at the GM Collision Repair Technology Center.”

Dedicated fixtures ensure that everything on the vehicle is returned to the precise position it occupied when the vehicle left the factory. This is essential in ensuring a quality, safe repair.

The information in a partnership like this flows both ways. The OEM provides needed information to equipment manufacturers, and they in turn provide information about the repair plans to the OEM. General Motors’ instructors from across the globe came to Detroit in August for a “Train the Trainers” event hosted

by Celette. They were in attendance to learn the specifics on repair plans for the Cadillac CT6 with Celette’s Dedicated Fixture System. The partnership isn’t limited to the new CT6, but will continue moving forward on other, future vehicles.

“GM plans to continue to partner with Celette and all 3D capable bench manufacturers on future products to ensure fixtures and data sheets are available before vehicles start to appear in dealer showrooms,” says Gruzas.

For more information, please visit celette.com.

NEWS

Expert advice on matte, low-gloss and satin finishes The OEMs are increasingly offering satin, low-gloss and matte finishes on their cars.

According to John Hughes, Collision Repair Specialist for Fiat Chrysler, anyone working on the car needs to be aware of the new level of care that must be taken with these paint options. These finishes may look great, but they are touchy. Hughes was the subject matter expert on a recent Guild 21 industry conference call.

The emergence of the new matte, lowgloss and satin finishes has been the biggest trend in car colouring. We’ve all seen these cars. Finishing a vehicle in matte black has become extremely popular. But many cars are now being finished with other, brighter colours offered in matte and satin finishes.

These finishes are finicky and fragile.

“These colours are interesting. But you have to be very, very careful,” says Hughes.

Even a spilled liquid can leave a mark. So techs need to be wary when they’re around these finishes. “You have to keep your hands clean. The oil on your fingers can burnish the finish.” So be careful with the hood.

As well, gasoline degrades the top coat of

Matte, low-gloss and satin finishes look great, but extra care needs to be taken.

satin finishes, so you have to be extremely careful around the fuel lid.

There is some protection available. Waxes can make it easier to keep these finishes clean and can help prevent water spotting.

“Protecting the surface can help. Treat these paint jobs regularly,” says Hughes.

But be careful when applying these products. “These colours are very susceptible to application issues. Always test in an area (that’s not normally visible). If you get one of these in the shop, get in touch with your paint company representative. They can help with these issues,” he says.

Two brand names of wax protectors that

18 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Hughes mentioned were Swissvax Opaque Satin Paint Wax and Dr. Beasley’s Satin Paint and Sealant. Apply these sealers with a minimum amount of wiping to avoid “burnishing” the finish. These protection products need to be applied “with a light touch,” says Hughes. “Wipe these waxes on the surfers in a forward and backward motion. Not in a curricular pattern. Applying in a circular pattern can create swirls in the finish. That area will stick out like a sore thumb.”

As well, commercial car washes are out as these can also burnish the finish. “Using commercial car washes you’ll see spots and arcs,” says Hughes. “It’s all hand washing.”

NEWS neWs

MITCHELL PEDDIE:AUTO 1984 INSURANCE - 2015 REPORT: ONTARIO INDUSTRY ‘FUNDAMENTALLY BROKEN’ nationwide auto glass. “his family and friends and family, as well as his colleagues and cusit is with great fewgrieving, years, the industry has One ofhe theiskey arguments in the reportTom has A f a s c i n a t i n g , i n c e n d i asorrow r y n e wthat re p we ort are but auto i also insurance know that his customers tomers. survived by his parents, been making billions of dollars more than to do with the profit margin insurance comprepared by the Ontario Trial Lawyers Asare profoundly saddened by his loss. he was the and carmen, his sister katie ann peddie, announce the would otherwise begothe Ontario. panies are allowed to make.

Aslinda the report sociation (OTLA) suggests sort of guy who would outcase of hisin way to help his in-laws mario boucher and oulu n that e x pthe e c auto ted According to a statement from OTLA, this points out, Ontario’s insurers are regulated insurance in Canada’s largest province is in a customer, even at great inconvenience to himlette, and his wife, noemi boucher. boucher passing of is creating a system where people injured by the Financial Services Commission of deep need of reform. self, just because he could. The world is a poorer was pregnant with their child at the time of mitchell peddie. in carfor accidents are suffering, average citOntario (FSCO).

FSCO set The Ontario Trial Lawyers Association place his passing.” mitchell’s passing, and has has traditionally since delivered mitchell worked izens are paying high premiums, the the benchmark for auto insurer profits as a (OTLA) hired two York University Schulich The memorial service took placebut at the a healthy baby boy, anthony mitchell philip for nationwide Mitchell shareholders and executives of september insurance return equityseptember (ROE) of 12 The School Fred Lazar Peddie.of Business Professors, perrin funeral chapel on Thursday, born onon sunday 20,percent.

2015 at 7:16 auto glass and companies aretobeing flooded with money.

York anthony profs, Drs. Lazarinand Prisman, conand Eli Prisman, to study the auto insurance 10. donations the heart & stroke foundap.m. weighed at 7.1 lbs. was responsible “Clearly Ontario’s auto insurance cluded that the 12 percent benchmark ROE industry in Ontario.

The results of that study tion in mitchell’s memory would be system greatly “mitchell was liked and respected by evfor the north bay and sudbury market in onis in deep trouble,” said Maia Bent, Presiis muchwho too knew high given are revealing. main suggestion is that appreciated by the family. eryone him,” that saysinterest howardrates bergare of tario. he will beThe greatly missed by his friends dent of OTLA. “Not only are drivers paying at historically low levels. consumers in Ontario “likely” overpaid their through the nose, but the policy is not That is, insurance companies can borrow policies by a mighty $1.5 billion over the last worth the paper it’s written on. Victims are money at near zero percent interest rates two years. As a result the OTLA is calling seriouslyantitrust hurt andact, it’s aabout to get right now.

But they are able to generate reon the Ontario Auditor General to conduct olation of section 1 ofbeing the sherman us federal us district Judge gregory a. presnell has dismissed the last of the even worse when further are imturns 12 percent. spread, according an independent review of the auto insurance law prohibiting business activities deemed to reductions be anti-competiclaims in the second amended complaint in a case thatofstarted when The It isbrought not an exaggeration say to the of the report, is much too the tive. complaints in 14 plemented. other lawsuits by collision to repair asector groupinof 20province. collision repair facilities in florida fi ledauthors an antitrust that we are fast approaching a crisis for acwide.

A more realistic and appropriate The OTLA study will provide ammunifacilities and an association that alleged that insurance compaaction against a group comprised of 39 insurance companies. The cident victims.” benchmark for ROE would be in the range of tion to those critical of the Ontario auto nies have conspired to suppress labour rates in violation of the case was originally filed in february of 2014, and gathered support The Ontario Liberal government has been percent. seemed to bowact and insurance According the study, sherman antitrust numerous state laws were dismissed from otherindustry. groups of repairerstooutside florida,5.8 leading to FSCO similarrecently under fire for not delivering on its promise to to the reality of radically low interest rates overpayments to auto insurers in 2014 were

by Judge presnell in august, following a recommendation by us class action lawsuits. later a request was granted by the Judicial reduce auto insurance rates by 15 percent. and reduced the profit cap to 11 percent $700 million, or about $100 for each insurmagistrate Judge Thomas b. smith. panel on multidistrict litigation (Jpml) to consolidate these suits.

The time-line forcomplaint, the deliveryJudge of thepresnell rate reROE. But this is still an ance in suit, the province. study in extremely dismissinghigh the second amended Thepolicy original a&e autoThe body, inc.,also et al. v.of21st century cenhas come and gone. spread historical terms.

Withthat the the amounts suggests Ontarianscompany, overpaid their premiums noted fact thatduction some of the defendants named were not tennial insurance et al., alleged that that inautomobile Thestate OTLA report sure to add gasoline companies have to pay to more injured by anothercompanies $840 millionattempted (or $120 per willing to pay than what farm wasis paying does not, in and insurance to policy) suppress insurance the reimbursement to the fire. persons having been slashed over the past in 2013. of itself, contravene the sherman act. rates for collision repair orders, and claimed that this was in vi-

Judge dismisses remaining claims in US anti-trust case

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2015-10-08 2:56 PM

NEWS

BASF painted cars win multiple awards at SEMA The show’s over, but the awards and announcements continue. Numerous vehicles featuring paint from BASF’s Glasurit and R-M product lines received awards and industry recognition at the 2015 SEMA Show.

Highlights include: - Mothers Shine Award – given to the Goolsby Customs 1969 Ford Mustang painted in Glasurit 55 Line Goolsby Platinum, this award is presented to the car that represents the very best of what is shown at SEMA. - Goodguys Gold Award – awarded to the 1965 customized carbon fiber “Espionage” Ford Mustang from the Ringbrothers, painted in Spy Green from Glasurit 90 Line.

The Espionage was also mentioned as a top show car in its class by Motor Trend, Car & Driver and Hot Rod magazines.

- Ford Motor Co. Best of Show Booth – the MAD Industries 2016 Mustang Convertible featuring R-M Onyx HD Jet Black and MAD Blue paint was named Best of Show at the Ford booth.

- G e n e r a l M o t o r s C h e v ro l e t D e s i g n Awards – the 1959 Chevy Biscayne painted

The Ringbrothers 1965 carbon fibre Ford Mustang painted with Glasurit 90 Line Spy Green won the Goodguys’ Gold Award, was named a top Ford by Motor Trend and a top 10 finalist in Battle of the Builders.

in Glasurit 90 Line Mother’s Red from Troy Trepanier of Rad Rides by Troy, was named the Best Chevrolet of the SEMA show.

- Motor Trend Top Tuner Cars of SEMA 2015 – both the Cory Horsford 1996 Nissan Boss Rocket Bunny 240sx painted with R-M Onyx HD Boss Flat Blue, and the Joey Lee 1991 Acura Rocket Bunny NSX featuring Glasurit 90 Line Grigio Telestro were on the list of top tuners.

- Motor Trend Top Fords at SEMA – in addition to the Ringbrothers Espionage, the Petty’s Garage 2015 Ford Mustang featuring R-M Onyx HD Black and Petty Blue

with White Diamond Pearl, and the 1966 Bronco painted by The Refinery by Adam Krause Inc. with Glasurit 90-Line Refinery Green and Refinery Brown, made the list of this year’s top Ford vehicles on display.

- SEMA Battle of the Builders – the 1965 Chevy Impala “Imposter” from Chip Foose featuring a Glasurit 90 Line custom Imposter Pearl Dark and Imposter Pearl Light, and the Ringbrothers Espionage were named a top three and a top ten finalist, respectively, for this competition that celebrates the best builds brought to SEMA. For more information, please visit basfrefinish.com.

11SE_15Spanesi 8/31/15 3:40 PM Page 1

Multibench & Touch Repair Planning Station Multibench “Low Profile” floor mounted System, with no need for ramps. Strong 6600 lb. lift capacity. High reaching lift at 57.5 inches (4.8 ft). Fast Anchoring System. Powerful 10 ton pulling at 360 degrees. Accepts the “Touch” Computerized Measuring System. Universal fixturing capabilities.

Touch Measuring System Easy-to-use and efficient for technicians and repair planners. Measure the vehicle on the ground, two-post lift, or on a bench allows for documenting under-body, upper-body and suspension measurements at any time during the repair process. Allows the shop to add measuring locations and photos to their database. Analyze, diagnose, and correct suspension system damage using Touch Wheels.

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NEWS

VOLVO PARTNERS WITH MICROSOFT TO DRIVE NEXT-GEN AUTO TECH Volvo has announced it will partner with Microsoft to jointly develop next generation automotive technologies. Areas of future collaboration between the two companies could include autonomous driving technologies and the utilization of data generated from connected cars to create new services.

They have revealed how Microsoft HoloLens might be used to redefine how customers first encounter and explore a car, Given the way the technology functions, it’s also possible it will find a use within the repair space.

A recent HoloLens demonstration was conducted at Microsoft’s global headquarters in Redmond, Virginia and showed how mixed reality might be used by customers to configure cars in three dimensions. With HoloLens, holograms are mixed into the physical world.

“HoloLens offers the freedom to create a bespoke experience which customers can steer themselves. Imagine using mixed reality to choose the type of car you want – to explore the colours, rims, or get a better understanding of the features, services and

The Microsoft HoloLens is a wearable computer that can be used to blend holograms with the real world..

options available,” said Björn Annwall, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Service for Volvo.

He added HoloLens technology might also liberate dealers from more traditional sales environments and allow them to take a car configurator out on the road in small pop-up stores, shopping malls or in commercial shopping districts, opening up new sales channels and introducing cars to a far larger potential audience. The event offered an indication of the potential of mixed reality to transform the relationship between the customer and the car. Journalists were able to experience Volvo’s new sedan and

its latest autonomous driving technology in 3D before the car has even been built.

The demonstration marks the beginning of longer term cooperation between Volvo and Microsoft that will embrace a range of new technologies, all of which have implications for the automotive industry. One area of focus will be autonomous driving.

Volvo Cars has long considered itself a pioneer in safety and this includes autonomous driving. The company has announced a program called Drive-Me in which 100 self-driving and connected cars will be given to real customers on real roads around the Swedish city of Gothenburg by 2017.

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NEWS

Report: ‘Efficient’ steel designs may be lighter than aluminum The aluminum vs. steel debate continues to play out with a new study from WorldAutoSteel suggesting high-strength steel can lead to lighter parts than using aluminum.

Anyone who has watched an NFL broadcast recently will be aware of the debate GM continues to advertise its trucks as the “stronger” alternative to the aluminum body paneled Ford F-150. Ford counters with ads that explain the aluminum used is “military-grade” in the hopes that concerns about strength can be allayed. And the debate goes on, and on.

The latest bit of ammunition: this new report suggests that new types of lightweight steel can compete with aluminum on weight.

In general, an aluminum part will bulk more than a steel part for the equivalent strength.

It’s also usually more expensive than steel, even the high-strength varieties. Aluminum’s primary advantage comes from it’s relatively low weight.

According to the report some “efficient steel designs and materials are found to contain less mass than similar aluminum

components.” That is, steel parts can be as light, or even lighter, than aluminum.

The study, “A New Paradigm for Automotive Mass Benchmarking,” comes up with the proprietary method for comparing the “efficiency” of various parts. The study looked at parts from over 200 cars. The results are perfectly counter to many existing assumptions.

The study was conducted by EDAG International and uses statistical regression analysis to isolate mass-efficient designs and compare lightweighting. A component structure that is identified as efficient is one that stands out statistically as much lighter than others of its kind of the same size, structural performance and material.

The study declares that when “aluminum closure components, such as doors, bumpers, hatchbacks, and decklids, are compared to efficient steel components of similar size, the 40 percent mass savings currently accepted as a standard measure of aluminum lightweighting capability is not nearly reached.”

The study also suggests that “while use of aluminum may achieve mass savings at the component level, that mass savings is lost when an entire system is measured.”

“The average aluminum component design was heavier than an efficient steel design … For example, [there is] a 22 percent mass savings when comparing efficient aluminum doors to efficient steel doors … A similar comparison of front bumpers shows just an 11 percent savings. And when comparing an average aluminum design to an efficient steel bumper design, the aluminum bumper was 26 percent heavier,” said Cees Ten Broek, Director of WorldAutoSteel.

Steel’s high “efficiency” as illustrated in the report could be due to the use of highstrength steels, full optimized designs, or a combination of the two.

“While steel has come a long way, the study shows additional lightweighting can be achieved through design optimization and advanced steels and steel technologies,” said Broek. For now, the debate is sure to go on.

PPG steps up as gold-level sponsor of Women’s Industry Network PPG has become a gold-level sponsor of the Women’’s Industry Network (WIN). The announcement was made by Greg DeCamp, General Manager—Collision, US and Canada, PPG Automotive Refinish.

WIN is dedicated to encouraging, developing and cultivating opportunities to attract women to the collision repair industry.

In addition to networking opportunities, the organization offers mentorship programs and educational conferences designed to provide members with the skills required for professional success.

WIN also works to promote leadership, recognize excellence and foster a strong network among women who are actively shaping the collision repair industry.

“PPG is proud to support WIN,” said DeCamp. “WIN’s slogan is ‘She Knows Collision Repair,’ and we at PPG agree. The programs WIN provides help make its members valuable contributors to our industry.

WIN, in its advocate role, is making a positive impact on our industry— making it more productive, more professional, more progressive. It is an honour to be a WIN sponsor.”

Established in 2006, WIN currently has a membership of more than 400 professionals representing every segment of the collision repair industry. The organization will celebrate its 10th anniversary at its 2016 educational conference to be held in May in Tampa, Florida.

“We are grateful for PPG’s patronage. With the company’s support we can continue to expand our programs and remain solidly committed to finding new ways to recruit, retain and encourage women in the collision repair industry,” said Susanna Gotsch, WIN sponsorship chairperson.

For more information on the Women’s Industry Network, please visit womensindustrynetwork.com.

22 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

CRM 14

A NETWORK IS GOOD… A PARTNERSHIP IS BETTER! Fix Auto is not a distribution network for paint and products, and we’re not just a network with a trademark that puts up signage and calls it a day.

We are a national franchisor with one clear goal: the success of our owner operators. This means actively working with you as our Strategic Partner to protect your territory, increase your market share, reduce your operating costs, and maximize the profitability of your business.

We are a Canadian company with over 22 years of experience supporting and growing a strong national network of Strategic Partners, and our commitment to you is stronger than ever – because at the end of the day, your success is our success.

Now, that’s a true Partnership!

JOIN THE CANADIAN BODY SHOP NETWORK Contact Daryll O’Keefe for more information 416-617-8044 | dokeefe@fixauto.com

CRM 14#5 Book.indb 19

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2015-10-08 2:56 PM

NEWS

Carbon fibre could be a major material within five years More composite materials, including carbon fibre, will be showing up on our roads in coming years. It’s an absolute certainty that these cars are also going to be making their way to your facility.

Dale Brosius is the Chief Commercialization Officer for the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), a subsidiary of the University of Tennessee Research Foundation. He recently presented at the Automotive and Aeronautics Conference at JEC Forums, discussing the future of carbon fibre composites. He points to emissions legislation that essentially means vehicle manufacturers must reduce the weight of their vehicles significantly in coming years.

During his presentation, Brosius noted that every automotive manufacturer is pursuing lightweighting as a key strategy to reduce fuel consumption, regardless of the powertrain technology pathway they’re following.

The changing composition of vehicle bodies is part of the ‘technological tsunami’ impacting the collision repair industry in recent years. Aluminum grabbed headlines with the Ford F-150, but the material has both advantages and disadvantages. It’s much lighter than steel, but also more expensive. Aluminum also bulks more for its relative strength than steel does. In any case, even unprecedented use of aluminum may not allow manufacturers to hit the targets set by legislation.

That’s where carbon fibre comes in, or rather carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. Solely viewed in terms of weight reduction, Brosius pointed out that CFRP blows away the competition.

He noted that CFRP composites have the

The 1996 McLaren F1 was the first car to feature a carbon fibre body shell, and the price tag reflected that. However, recent indications are that carbon fibre is set to make major inroads into mass-market vehicle manufacturing.

greatest weight reduction potential if cost and manufacturing issues can be solved.

Those cost and manufacturing issues are significant, but they’re not insurmountable.

During Brosius’ presentation, he noted that IACMI’s five year goals include lowering the cost of CFRP by 25 percent, and reducing the energy used in CFRP manufacturing by 50 percent. This would help to bring CRFP into the realm of mass-market vehicles. In fact, IACMI is seeking to have adoption of carbon fibre composites in mass-produced platforms within five years. “Mass-market” in this case means at least 100,000 vehicles a year.”

This does not seem too out of line with projections from the US Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Program. In 2010, approximately 5 percent of all material used

in light vehicles was polymer/composite, and aluminum was around the same percentage. High and medium strength steels composed around 10 percent of the average vehicle’s structure, with levels of conventional steel hovering around 65 percent.

Turning the clock forward to 2035, the Vehicle Technologies Program predicts a very different mix of materials on the road. Conventional steel is predicted to dip down to about 20 percent, with medium and high strength steels rising to about 20 percent.

Aluminum use is projected to balloon to 12 percent, or slightly more than double its use in 2010. However, polymer/composites are projected to rise to about 20 percent.

This quadruples the amount used in 2010, and would see polymer/composites take an equal place with the various forms of steel.

COST OF REPAIR DETERMINES THE CHEAPEST AND COSTLIEST CARS TO INSURE IN 2015 Insure.com has released a list of the cheapest and most costly cars to insure in 2015. It will be no surprise to any stakeholders in either the collision repair or insurance industries that the most expensive cars to insure are those that are more difficult to repair. While there are other factors (such as vulnerability to theft), it’s repair costs that drive insurance premiums. It’s worth noting that it’s a US site, and uses data and prices from the US to make its calculations. However, patterns of use and repair costs are typically the same throughout North America.

24 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Cheapest to insure:

Most expensive to insure:

1. Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD

1. Nissan GT-R Nismo,

2. Jeep Patriot Sport 2WD

2. Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG

3. Honda CR-V LX AWD

3. Dodge SRT Viper

4. Dodge Grand Caravan SE Plus

4. Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet

5. Honda Odyssey LX

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

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

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

Speedy Collision’s core values are Customer Satisfaction, Across Canada, our facilities provide repair solutions Courtesy and Ethics, Professional Conduct and Results. Our that enable our insurance partners to improve customer culture is positioned around our people, community and satisfaction and drive policy retention, while reducing rethe environment. Commitment to the Lean Production Propair costs and driving efficiencies in the claims process. cess facilitates this and ensures efficiencies are realized. This Speedy Collision invests in the ongoing suppor t of is achieved through a combination of continuous improveevery location to ensure these standards are sustained, ment, waste reduction and overall compliance to standard making the Speedy Collision brand recognized as a Peroperating procedures and health and safety standards. formance Collision Repair Net work We invest heavily in our people in Canada. through training including I-CAR Gold The Speedy Collision Performance certification for our facilities and a worldRepair Network: positioned to lead the class benefit program which continues to Your Full Service Collision Centers way. make us the employer of choice.

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CRM 14#5 Book.indb 30

2015-10-08 2:56 PM

REGIONAL NEWS

British Columbia COLOR COMPASS WINS PRO SPOT DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR Color Compass Corporation has received the Pro Spot International Distributor of the Year award, presented at the 2015 SEMA Show. The award is given to the distributor who sold the most Pro Spot product in the last year, but there’s much more to it than that.

“The primary driver is your sales, but it also takes into consideration the support mechanism that follows the sale,” says Russell Duncan, an equipment specialist with Color Compass Corporation who accepted the award. “They look into the training you provide and the service level you provide to your customer base. With every unit we sold, we were installing, training and offering service throughout. Rather than selling the unit and letting the customer deal with whatever came up, we really made sure that we were on hand to help them find success.”

The win becomes even more impressive once you know that. Color Compass Corporation was being measured against large organizations in the US where the market is approximately ten times the size. How did they do it?

First, the company put a dedicated person in charge of the program.

For the last year, Duncan’s sole responsibility was welding and certification of collision repair facilities. Second, they didn’t limit their calls to current Color Compass customers.

“We were offering a complete consultative process to every shop and MSO, not just our paint customers,” says Duncan. “Because we weren’t coming in to threaten existing paint business, we received a lot of cooperation.”

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Russell Duncan (centre), Color Compass Corporation’s Equipment Specialist, accepting the award from Art Ewing of Pro Spot Canada and Ron Olsson, President of Pro Spot International.

There’s a third piece to the puzzle as well. Duncan also stresses that it wasn’t simply about making the sale, but about really consulting with the collision facility and determining what was needed in each case.

“We weren’t going in and saying ‘Here’s a welding package!’ or ‘Here’s an aluminum package!’ We really look at what the customer already has and what they really need. In some cases, they already had equipment that they could use for some operations, so we would sell them what they needed to fill the gaps,” he says.

Putting their customers’ interests first paid off. Duncan says that word spread quickly, and soon he and his team became the go-to people for welding in western Canada. Color Compass Corporation intends to bring the same methods to Ontario, through its subsidiary PBE Distributors.

For more information, please visit colorcompass.com.

COACHE COLLISION EARNS AUDI AND VW CERTIFICATION Audi Canada and Volkswagen Canada have announced that Coache Collision in North Vancouver, BC, has met the requirements for the All Model (Steel) programs for both Audi and Volkswagen. Coache Collision is owned and operated by Norbert Tietze. The facility is a three generation family owned operation that has been serving the Vancouver area since 1975.

“We’ve always focused on training and equipment improvements to keep pace with advancing technology,” says Tietze.

“The OEM certified collision programs for Audi and Volkswagen are a perfect fit for us, complementing our relationships with the local dealers and our mutual customers.”

For more information, please visit coachecollision.ca.

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Collision_Repair_Magazine_Nov_2015.indd 1

2015-11-04 12:12 PM

REGIONAL NEWS

Alberta

Calgary CARSTAR owners donate van CARSTAR Collision and Glass Centres of Calgary, in partnership with Calgary Sports & Entertainment, came together this season, forming a multi-property partnership agreement through 2018.

CARSTAR has partnership agreements with a variety of NHL and CFL teams across Canada, but the agreement with Calgary Sports & Entertainment is unique in that the organization represents several properties across several sports including The Calgary Stampeders, Flames, Hitmen (WHL) and Roughnecks (lacrosse).

In celebrating the ‘Catch for the Cure’ campaign, which saw CARSTAR Calgary stores donate $25 to Cystic Fibrosis Canada for each offensive catch made by the ‘Stamps throughout the season, CARSTAR Calgary store owners worked together to refurbish and donate a 2014 Chrysler Town and Country to be used as the official Calgary Stampeders Community Cruiser.

CARSTAR Calgary McKnight along with CARSTAR Calgary MSO groups CMD and Kharfan assumed all costs and labour associated with refurbishing the vehicle.

The van, as described by CARSTAR Regional Manager Mike Piper, “will be used by The Stampeders at every local event they attend around Calgary. It will also be invaluable in promoting minor football participation and community engagement throughout the city.”

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Mike Macaluso, CARSTAR’s President, sees the partnership a great match between the two parties. “CARSTAR and the Calgary Sports & Entertainment brands are committed to the communities we serve. Our Calgary store owners are now partnered with TJ Brodie’s (Flames star defencemen) skate in strides for Cystic Fibrosis, the ‘catch for the cure’ program, participation in the CARSTAR Walk for Cystic Fibrosis (formerly Great Strides Walk) and have now donated a community cruiser which will further benefit the city. I think our values are both aligned and in action.”

For more information, please visit carstar.ca.

The owner of CSNMorinville Auto Body, Steven Hammond, has a new award for the wall of his Edmonton-region repair facility. Hammond’s collision centre recently won the best medium-sized business award from the Morinville District Chamber of Commerce. The award was presented at a recent gala dinner.

“I have to give the credit to my employees. It’s all them. They’re the ones talking to clients. They’re the ones dealing with the insurance companies.

They’re the ones doing it day to day,” said Hammond.

The company’s accent on customer service has been noticed and appreciated among the residents of the town. Someone in the community nominated the business for the award. “We all live and work in the community. We try to give back, so it was nice to be recognized,” said Hammond.

For more information, please visit csninc.ca

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REGIONAL NEWS

Manitoba WINNIPEG-BASED BOYD GROUP OPENS 300TH US LOCATION The Boyd Group has announced a string of openings in the US in the last week, including one that can justifiably be called a milestone.

The facility, which previously operated as Custom Touch Collision Care, is the first location in Oregon and the 300th Boyd facility in the US.

“This provides us a foothold in a new region that we expect to build on as opportunities arise and will allow us to introduce our high quality brand to a large base of new customers and provide an expanded platform for our insurance partners,” says Tim O’Day, President and COO of Boyd Group’s US op-

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

30 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

erations. “We are proud of the progress we have made in building this nationwide network of collision repair centres that serves thousands of customers daily.”

The Boyd Group has also recently opened two collision centres in the state of Washington.

The first, located in Bremerton, Washington, previously operated as Clifford’s Auto Body and is located on a busy thoroughfare near the Bremerton Ferry Terminal, used daily by commuters to nearby Seattle. It has operated at its present location for 55 years.

“The Bremerton location complements our existing locations in the Seattle area and will allow us to serve new customers and our insurance partners in this western suburb,” says O’Day. “Adding this location is also a further example of the execution of our stated growth strategy, which is to achieve six to 10 percent growth in number of centres through single-location additions.”

The other new location is in Lakewood, Wa s h i n g t o n , a n d i s l o c a t e d i n a c e n tral business district in Lakewood and in close proximity to the Interstate 5 Highway.

Lakewood is about 17 miles southwest of Tacoma, Washington.

Boyd Group also recently reported its financial results for the quarter. The numbers are impressive and confirm that the company continues to execute on its goal of consolidating a broad swath of the North American collision repair industry.

The company added eleven new stores in the quarter. The increase of the number of outlets in the chain led to an increase in sales of 38.1 percent. Total gross sales for Boyd went from to $301.1 million from $218.1 million in 2014. But the growth did not come just from expansion of the network. Sales are also increasing at individual stores, which is a good sign of a healthy business. Same-store sales increased 7.3 percent over the same period last year.

This is corroboration of what has been suggested through anecdote – in general, the collision repair industry is doing solid business this year.

Boyd Group operates the Boyd and Gerber brands in the US. At time of publication, the company operates a total of 304 collision repair facilites in the US. The company also operates collision centres under the Boyd name in five Canadian provinces.

CSN_CollRep_Ad_06.17.15.indd 1

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REGIONAL NEWS

Ontario FIX AUTO CONCLUDES REGIONAL MEETINGS IN ONTARIO Fix Auto held its Ontario Regional Meeting at Hilton Garden Inn & Toscana Banquet & Conference Centre in Vaughan, Ontario on October 29. The meeting, hosted by Fix Auto Ontario General Manager, Daryll O’Keefe, drew together representatives from Fix Auto locations across Ontario.

Fix Auto holds regional meetings throughout Canada on a biannual basis. The Ontario meeting is the last event for this round, following successful meetings in BC, Alberta, Quebec and Nova Scotia. The meeting featured guest speakers and a trade show with various Fix Auto vendor partners.

A few of the Fix Auto corporate and location representatives at the Ontario regional meeting. From left: Tony DeSantis, Carl Brabander, Daryll O’Keefe, Steve Leal, Jeff Keddie and Doug Roberts.

Prochilo Brothers receive Environmental Stewardship Award Prochilo Brothers Auto Collision is proud to announce the company has won an environmental award for its commitment to recycling.

The family-owned business has operated for more than forty years.

The company has a reputation for being progressive, innovative and hip. That reputation is bolstered by this most recent award recognizing the environmental efforts.

In a conversation with Collision Repair magazine, Adam Prochilo explained that the company’s head office in North York received the award from the local community of Emery Village.

“They granted us the environmental stewardship award for our constructive environmental contributions to the community,” says Prochilo.

“We had the committee of Emery Village come out to see our operations, and we showed them the green side of the business.”

Prochilo Brothers started with one location in Toronto and currently has three locations spanning throughout the GTA. “I’m

Adam and Paul Prochilo (centre, front row) accepting the Environmental Stewardship Award.

proud of the staff. It’s all their efforts and commitment that has earned us this award,” says Prochilo.

Assured Automotive pedals for diabetes research A team from Assured Automotive recently participated in the JDRF Ride for Diabetes Research charity event in downtown Toronto. JDRF formerly operated as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The JDRF Ride for Diabetes Research is a “high-energy, stationary ride” that brings together business leaders and employees from across Canada. The Assured Automotive team took part in this charity stationary bike riding session. This marks the second year in a row Assured Automotive has taken part.

“Back in 2014 a challenge was put forth to the insurance industry – get on your bikes and ride. Insurance sector colleagues were asked to step up to the challenge and get involved in the JDRF Ride for Diabetes Research. When the cause was brought to the attention of CEO Desmond D’Silva. He gave his support, both financially and as a rider participating on the ride day,” says Grant Gerow, Chief Financial Officer of Assured Automotive. “For two years now, groups of Assured Automotive employees made the trek down to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, to raise both funds and awareness. It has been a great team building event, and supports a great cause.”

32 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

The JDRF Ride brings thousands of individuals together for a stationary bike ride in teams of five, with corporations from across the country participating with large teams joining in to help celebrate achievement and advocate awareness. For more information, please visit jdrf.ca.

For more information on Assured Automotive, please visit assuredauto.ca.

The team from Assured Automotive at the JDRF Ride for Diabetes Research charity event.Stewardship Award.

Regional news

Quebec

Uni-Select ramps up for new round of M&A, brings in new CFO The corporate tune-up at major Canadian automotive products distributor, Uni-Select, continues apace. The company announced it is bringing in a new Chief Financial Officer, Eric Bussières, as the company gears up for a new era of growth.

As reported earlier this year on collisionrepairmag.com, Uni-Select has been undergoing a corporate revitalization of sorts. The company recently sold its US auto-parts distribution to famed US investor Carl Icahn. The deal brought in $340 million to Uni-Select.

That money was used to pay down debt, clearing the deck for a new round of acquisitions and growth.

As part of this revitalization, the company has also shaken up the management team. The board has already made way for a new CEO, Henry Buckley, who took the reins on August 1, 2015. But now the second most important position in the company has been filled. Bussières will take up his duties on November 30.

The experienced executive comes to the company with a load of unique experience. Prior to joining Uni-Select, Bussières spent over 10 years with major aviation company, CAE. He held various positions at that company before he ended up VP of Finance.

It is worth noting that the press release announcing the appointment mentions that Bussières has strong experience in mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Many expect Uni-Select to be busy on the M&A front in the years to come. Earlier this year, in a note to clients, Toronto-based investment house I.A. Michael Investment Counsel stated that, “With a clean balance sheet, Mr. Buckley has a lot of opportunities to put his stamp on the company and make proper acquisitions. He can guide the company in a new direction with a fair amount of energy.”

As the top executive in charge of finance, Bussières will be key to these initiatives. The press release distributed by Uni-Select this week notes that Eric has “coordinated important investment initiatives in Great Britain, India, Malaysia, Europe, Latin America and the United States.” Prior to joining CAE, Bussières dedicated fifteen years of his career to providing financial counsel to private and public companies with Société Générale. Before that he was with the Royal Bank of Canada, from 1991 to 1997. Bussières holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the Université du Québec en Outaouais, a Master’s Degree in Finance from the University of Sherbrooke and CFA level III certification.

Earlier this year Uni-Select acquired Nova Scotia-based company, C.B. Hoare Auto Parts and the Colorado assets of Painters Supply Co. Stock analysts have suggested Uni-Select is currently undervalued. The company still has $78 million of cash on hand, no debt and access to credit facilities of $420 million. That is, the company is perfectly situated to engage in some serious mergers and acquisitions. With a new CFO on board, watch for some M&A action to unfold in the coming months.

The press release quoted Uni-Select CEO Henry Buckley as saying that, “Eric has a solid track record of supporting operational excellence and growth through successful investment and financing strategies within both private and publicly-traded companies. We are extremely proud to welcome Eric as a member of our leadership team and are confident that, with his extensive leadership, finance and M&A experience, he will be a key contributor in the pursuit of Uni-Select’s growth ambitions.”

Just before this issue went to press, the company announced that it had acquired T.N. Discovery Auto Collision, a jobber with two locations in Ontario. It appears as if the promised growth through acquistion is bearing fruit.

The deal was executed through one of its Canadian subsidiaries, Automotive Canada. The acquisition expands Uni-Select’s reach into Ontario, and, more specifically, into the Toronto market.

T.N. Discovery has been in operation in the GTA since 1995. A team of eight works out of two locations in Scarborough and North York, Ontario.

“We are pleased to add this great business to our network of corporate stores and to continue to serve Scarborough and North York markets for our paint and body customers,” said Gary O’Connor, President and Chief Operating Officer, Automotive Canada.

A statement from Henry Buckley, President and Chief Executive Officer for Uni-Select, notes that the acquisition fits in with Uni-Select’s overall strategy.

“This acquisition is an example of our commitment to extend our leadership position in the North American automotive refinish PBE market and we welcome a new player to our Uni-Select family,” said Buckley.

Markets seem to approve of the deal. Shares in Uni-Select were up a very strong 6 percent on the day, rising $3.55 to $63.05.

DECEMBER 2015 collision Repair 33

REGIONAL NEWS

Atlantic

Halifax shop owner first charged under Westray law Scotia failed to prosecute the owners of the Westray mine where 26 workers died. A lack of work place safety practices led to the deaths of the miners. Citizens were outraged to find that the owners could not be held accountable under existing laws. Bill C-45 was passed in 2004 and put new obligations on

Making history is often seen as a positive, but this time it was anything but. A former Halifax shop owner has become a part of legal history for being the first person charged under the so-called Westray Law, Bill C-45.

The law was passed in March of 2004.

It came about after the province of Nova

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workplace owners to provide a safe working environment. The owner of Your Mechanic Auto Corner, Elie Phillip Hoyeck, has been the first to be charged under the law in relation to a September 2013 incident in which Peter Kempton died while working under a car at the facility.

Kempton was a licensed mechanic. He was using a torch to get a gas tank off a car.

While working under the vehicle it caught fire. Kempton couldn’t get out from underneath and was very badly burned. He later died in hospital.

In the ensuring investigation it was found the car should have been on a hoist. The unorganized lot also made it difficult to get Kempton out from under the car.

The Labour Department also alleges that the facility didn’t provide flashback arrestors between the torch and the fuel source, which is a safety requirement. Hoyeck, the shop’s owner, is accused of “failing to ensure the health of people at or near the workplace, and failing to provide and maintain equipment, machines and materials that are properly equipped with safety devices.”

The investigator, David Giles, visited the shop three days after the accident. He found the yard was jammed with “boats, cars, oil and gas containers and garbage.” He is quoted as saying the shop conditions were “deplorable” and a “ticking time bomb ... If that was an automotive business, I’ve never seen something that bad,” he said.

The business has since shut down.

Hoyeck was originall due to appear in Dartmouth provincial court on October 6 but his lawyer appearedto set a date for the next court appearance. Defence lawyer Joel Pink is representing the 41-year-old man. Hoyeck has been charged with criminal negligence causing death, with 12 charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Alex Keaveny is the prosecution lawyer in the case.

“The law around criminal negligence — there aren’t a lot of reported cases,” Keaveny said. “So this, like any case, has the potential to answer some of those legal questions.”

Peter Kempton’s two daughters were in court for Tuesday’s proceedings.

“They understand it’s going to be a long process,” Keaveny said of Kempton’s family.

Hoyeck is scheduled to appear in Dartmouth court January 11, 2016.

34 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM 15-0161_COL_FB_Dec_2015.indd 1

10/23/2015 12:21:13 PM

CRM 14#3 Book.indb 44

2015-05-21 5:15 PM

POINT BLANK WITH PIERCEY

OEMWAY High technology means it’s the way to go.

By Sam Piercey

I

don’t know about you, but I like the attitude of the OEMs when it comes to collision repair. I like using OEM parts, and I like how a lot of them seem to be moving to the certified repair centre model, where the only people who touch their cars are people that have had specific, company-based training on those vehicles, using equipment that the people

we want to be able to preach it and practice it every single day.

That means getting the car back to the same level of safety and crash protection it had before the accident, not just fixing up the outside so it looks pretty again.

That would be like a doctor giving you a skin graft to fix a broken arm.

As I said, the luxury brands have been insisting on this for a long time. Other

IT’S ABOUT DOING THINGS RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.

who built the car know will do what’s needed to fit that car.

The old days are long, long gone. You need the right tools and you need the right training, or you cannot accurately repair a car today. Safe, quality repairs can’t be left to chance. I’ve been around for a while, and I’ve seen the changes in how cars are built first-hand.

One of the things I really like about the OEMs is that more and more of them are insisting that no corners be cut when we’re performing repairs.

My facility has always been connected to high-end, prestige dealerships like BWM and Jaguar. Not cutting corners has always been part of serving this clientele. Luxury brands have been insisting for a long time that no corners be cut and no shortcuts used when we’re fixing their cars, and we’ve followed suit.

We wouldn’t want to do anything else.

This isn’t just about doing what the OEM wants you to do, although that’s critical if you want to perform safe repairs these days. No, it’s about doing things right the first time. Repairing the car to the best of your ability and the limits of your tools.

This is our trade. This is our craft, and 36 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

brands are following suit, and I predict that more and more of them will come on board. This is because the technology in even the mass-market cars is making this necessary.

Do you think BMW has always insisted that procedures be followed exactly, that only certain equipment be used, because they’re snooty? Hell no!

They do it because it’s the only way to be sure the car will still be safe!

Technology changes, and things that used to be expensive become cheaper and cheaper. The mass-market brands follow in the footsteps of the luxury brands, and innovations that were once high-end are now commonplace.

In other words, OEM procedures, every single time, are the only way forward. Stick with what the car’s designers and builders tell you. It’s the only way to safeguard your customers and your business. Plus, isn’t repairing the car the very best way what you really want to do? CRM Sam Piercey is the co-owner of Budds’ Collision Services in Oakville, Ont. He is a long-time Coyote member and sits on many boards and committees. Sam can be reached at sam@ buddscollision.com.

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PRAIRIE VIEW

GOODKINDOFBILL You’d appreciate getting this one, but he’s ours.

By Tom Bissonnette

A

fter 30 plus years in the collision industry, I have seen plenty of change.

Te chnolog y ke eps test ing our skill sets, but we have adapted. Our industry has overcome everything from unibody construction, plastic panels, twostage paint, waterborne paint and now aluminum vehicles. That’s what we do. We are survivors.

Technician shortages have been around as long as I can remember, yet I see that if you are prepared to “grow your own”, that there are plenty of young people that would love to make their living in our industry. The perception of working in a collision repair facility is changing for the better.

The most impressive change in Saskatchewan that I have seen in my career has happened in the last three years. Thanks to the guidance of

38 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Bill Ziebart, the Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers (SAAR) the industr y’s relationship with our primary insurance company, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI), has never been better.

No question, there have been plenty of people including the Mario brothers, Isaac Sneath , Ron Rasmussan, Gerry Hauck and others from Regina, Joe Schmidt, Pat Quinney, Raj Kavia and myself from Saskatoon, Har v Britton, Lloyd Giles and Rick Antosh from the rural areas to name just a few of the people that have helped move our industr y for ward, but no one has moved the bar quite like Bill Ziebart has.

Bill is an ex-policeman with an in your face style. He is firm but fair, which is exactly what our industry needed. If the government insurance representatives were off side he called them

PRAIRIE VIEW

on it. If the collision repairer professionals were out of line, then he did the same. Bill has earned the admiration of both sides by being a good referee and demanding that everyone respect each other’s point of view.

The result has been a three year deal between

equipment and training like never before and SGI has reduced their overhead and workload by partnering with the industry. A win/win for all!

As much as we all want change, many of us resist. I think one of the strengths that Bill Ziebart has is the ability to embrace change while

AS MUCH AS WE ALL WANT CHANGE, MANY OF US RESIST. BILL ... HAS THE ABILITY TO EMBRACE CHANGE. SGI and the industry that has seen a 30 percent increase in our shop door rate, stiffer rules on what constitutes an accredited shop and more flexibility for shops to manage cycle time by being allowed to handle supplements and now complete estimates by communicating with SGI using digital photos and the internet.

The results?

We have seen wages for our employee’s jump significantly, so we are able to attract and retain great young people. Shops are investing in IMP-0187 Ad_largest selection_hlf pg_print.pdf

sharing his vision and enthusiasm with the people he interacts with.

Certainly our situation is not perfect but it is the best it has ever been and keeps getting better.

Thank you, Bill Ziebart. CRM Tom Bissonnette is the owner/operator of Parr Auto Body, a collision repair facility located in Saskatoon, SK. He can be reached at tom@parrautobody.com.

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DECEMBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 39

WHO’S DRIVING?

READYORNOT In life—and business—change is the only constant.

By Jay Perry

M

y wife and I were watching PVR’d T V the other night, and while skipping through the commericals, amid the blur of images I could make out one of the recent election campaign ads.

As you know, we turfed a well-entrenched government for a new one, led by someone the previous government labelled as “Just Not Ready.”

Well, ready or not, he’s our Prime Minister now.

But this column is not as much about politics as it is about that old adage the advertisement itself brought to mind.

of warmth to our hearts.

So we have achieved a great deal, but even still, here comes the future, ready or not!

Technologically, there will be changes that we will adapt to, such as the digitization of everything, and it will increase our productivity. There are new materials as well as new systems that we have embraced over the past couple of decades.

New communications now demand an “always connected” mindset. Social media has brought a new level of transparency we never dreamed of just 10 years ago.

Education, undoubtably, is the answer to staying

THERE ARE MANY DISRUPTIVE INFLUENCES SET TO POUNCE UPON ALL BUSINESSES. That sing-songy turn of phrase, “ready or not, here I come” is especially fitting when it comes to business—where things can, and quite often do change in a mere instant.

There are many disruptive influences set to pounce upon all businesses. And, in my humble opinion, there are very few people in the field truly ready for them.

However, there are a number of things that each of us can do to properly prepare for the inevitable.

But first, let’s revisit a fundamental basis about business—why you are in business, and what you want to do about these fundamentals.

Chances are, you chose to be in the career you are in now for some very good reasons.

Most of us have figured out that what we do is a way to express ourselves artistically and provide financially for family, recreation, and retirement. If we are lucky, and most in business are, we also love what we do.

It is more about the thanks we receive from satisfied customers than about the paperwork we must process. It is about the job-well-done feeling we get when we see growth in our staff.

It is about the contribution to our local, and sometimes larger, community that brings a sense 40 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

on top of things and keeping current.

But I also believe that if you stay true to the course you once so idealistically set out upon based on your passion, there is no reason why you will not succeed. Getting back to these roots will assist in your busineses’ survival in the face of overwhelming, if not scary, changes coming down the line.

If you are passionate about high-quality service levels and product, then the challenge is to engage the employees executing those tasks at such a level that your customer base sees the results and becomes a “raving fan” (to borrow a phrase from Ken Blanchard).

You must work on developing leaders within your company that get it too.

You must aim to “infect” everyone with what the big picture looks like as to what you are building as a professional reputation.

This is critical as we brace for the next big shift, and the only way to stay the one who’s driving. CRM Jay Perry is the founder and owner of Automotive Business Consultants (ABC), a performance coaching company specializing in the automotive service industry. He can be reached via e-mail at jayperry@a-b-c-inc.com.

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CRM 14#5 Book.indb 39

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PROFILES OF SUCCESS

Jack and Vince Martino, current owners of CSN-Martino Brothers Auto Collision.

42 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

PROFILES OF SUCCESS

Building BLOCKS Jack and Vince Martino continue to push their family legacy forward. By Jeff Sanford

T

he original Martino Brothers shop opened at the corner of Dundas and Runnymede in west Toronto in 1955.

At that time two brothers, Jack and Vince Martino Sr., opened a gas station. It eventually turned into a body shop. Over the years, the two founders each had a son. Jack named his Vince. Vince Sr. named his son Jack. Twentyfive years later, the business has been passed on to the next generation. Now the Martino cousins run a modern, sophisticated chain of collision repair shops across the western end of Toronto.

The current success comes from a unique dedication to how the lean and efficient business is run.

The current owners understand operational excellence is about more than just having good people skills, or knowing how to fix a car. There is a bit more to it than that. Staying ahead of the trends that continually batter a constantly changing business environment is a matter of ongoing evolution.

“It was probably 20 years ago that we decided to seek out training and education wherever we could find it,” says Vince.

To improve their operation, the Martino cousins have travelled across North America, making a point of setting up appointments to visit the best collision shops. Over the years, they’ve taken part in over 20 peer-group sessions and workshops. That experience and exposure to the wider industry has paid off handsomely. The travel has left the duo part of a real and supportive network that they continue to rely on. “It’s great to have a network,” says Jack.

“We are able to call on operators that we met 20 years ago and share ideas and information that are relevant to our journey today.”

Gathering this industry intelligence from onthe-ground examples across the continent has been key to the evolution of the modern shape of the organization. “We visited very progressive shops,” says Jack. “We gravitated to those shops because

we were on that journey.” Since then the shop has become ISO-certified, and was one of the very first shops to achieve that certification. “That set us on the path that has defined us,” he adds.

Eventually, the two could see read the big trends and where the industry was moving. In the early 2000s, they joined the CSN network, about a year after the MSO began. Martino Brothers would be among the first 20 shops of what was to become one of the leading networks in the country. The move was another smart decision, says Jack.

“Being part of CSN has carried on the tradition of sharing information. We are privileged to be part of such an esteemed group of people. What excited us most about CSN is when we first heard the corporate team describe the network as one of ‘confidence, trust and integrity.’ This resonated with us personally because this is how we want our customers and staff to see us,” he says.

Since then, the company has maintained a commitment to excellence. Eight years ago the company took a big, serious step toward the implementation and maintenance of lean production processes in the business and in 2002 was registered as ISO-certified. Only now has talk about Sigma Six and the importance of maintaining a lean work environment become trendy. But the Martinos were very early adopters. “Our introduction to lean practices about eight years ago was a very natural progression for us,” says Vince. “This was groundbreaking as it opened our eyes to systems and measurement in a more detailed way.”

It has, of course, become common today for shop owners to talk about measuring KPIs and to use the language of advanced business management theory. The Martinos have actually been doing it for years. It’s no wonder their reputation is what it’s become.

Today, when the Martinos talk about the movement of vehicles through the shop, they use terms DECEMBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 43

PROFILES OF SUCCESS

like ‘journey,’ ‘flow’ and ‘cause and effect’.

By using this language, the processes of the shop can be systematized and understood in terms of basic components. The process becomes understandable, and as a result, can be tweaked, improved and advanced. It all follows from the adoption of the lean production methods. “Our everevolving lean journey is like breathing air.

It’s not just how we do things. It’s who we are,” says Vince.

it has also created stability in the organization. “This system of growing our staff internally means we have never had a shortage of technical staff, or applicants.

It feels like family. We have invested so much in our team in terms of training, personal safety equipments and teambuilding events,” says Vince. “This helps us focus on where it is an individual wants to be at in their career. It develops a real understanding of the strengths of

“Our ever-evolving lean journey is like breathing air.

It’s not just how we do things.

It’s who we are” – Vince Martino

The other factor keeping the compa ny i n deep favou r w it h cl ient s is what the Martinos consider their secret weapon—the employees. The organization has long nurtured a homegrown process for developing the talent that drives the organization.

“We have been able to capitalize on young staff coming from auto training centres, high school co-op programs, college programs and even walk-in candidates with interests in our trade,” says Jack. “We are extremely proud of our mentoring program within our facilities. Almost all of our current staff—the ones doing incredible things every day— worked under our senior staff at some point. Our unique team structure allows for opportunities and advancement.”

Best yet, by growing into new locations and increasing sales at existing shops, more junior employees have had an opportunity to constantly move up, grow and evolve in their career. Providing room for advancement has been another important step in generating a great and engaged staff. “Our detailers become junior body techs. Our peppers become painters. Our senior techs become appraisers, managers and supervisors,” says Jack.

By developing the talent in-house, rather than poaching, has allowed the company to meet its labour needs. But

each of those in the organization. This allows us to focus on real tangible goals… our staff means everything to us.”

Having employees deeply familiar with the traditions, processes and culture of the company pays off in several ways. The company can achieve its goals because the goals are stated, codified and communicated to everyone working in the organization. Everyone understands there are certain demands and benchmarks. This ensures the entire organization moves in the same direction.

“It’s so important that everyone in our organization understands the score. This means that all our staff are always aware of the four most important things we must pay attention to: customer expectations, insurance expectations, compliance and world-class quality and profitability,” says Vince.

Today the company scores it performance on categories like “keys to keys,” “material usage,” “replace vs. repair” and “CSI.” These measures are all contained in the Four Main Principals.

“We can never succeed if one of these areas is wea k or we don’t pay attention to it,” says Vince. “We have regular meetings to discuss the status of these important factors.”

The company holds two production meetings each day. The first is at 7:45 am.

This determines the direction of the team.

The second meeting comes at 11:45 am.

In this gathering, the team makes sure morning commitments are on track. In addition, every two months there is a health and safety meeting, or audit, in which management makes sure everyone is paying attention to the safety and well being of their team. The strict management process and attention to detail has resulted in success. Today, management teams at the two stores stay in constant daily contact. Teams analyzing sales, expenditures, insurance regulation, trends and customer experience, ensure a uniform continuity across the company.

“The more we communicate with our team and share ideas the better we all feel about what we are doing. This is the only way to be world class,” says Vince.

As for the future of Martino Brothers, in the years to come the organization will continue to manage and adapt to the big trends in the industry. “We have already started ramping up for this new age of OEM certif ication through training, equipment purchases and dealer sponsorships,” says Vince. “These are the things that help give our customers confidence in our ability to completely restore their vehicle to pre-crash condition.”

The mix of work being done at the two shops breaks down between insurancedirected jobs, dealership referrals and standard customer pay jobs.

“We are so blessed to have the good fortune of many business partners that support us week after week, year after year,” says Jack. “Our blend of insurance pay, a little fleet, customer pay and dealer referrals has never been better, and so greatly appreciated. We do see an increase of dealer referrals more than ever. We feel that, because some of the OEMs are offering such great purchase incentives such as zero percent finance and extended warranties, we expect to continue to see more new model vehicles.”

Most recently the company achieved certification with Toyota at the location near Toronto’s Pearson Airport. In the first six months since achieving certification, repairs on Toyota vehicles increased by over 30 percent—and that number is still climbing.

“By paying attention to the OEM and the significant changes in materials and design we can stay ahead of the curve,” says Vince.

That is, a solid, stable business can be built that can be handed on to the next generation. CRM DECEMBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 44

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46 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

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CRM 14#5 Book.indb 45

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INDUSTRY EVENTS

INDUSTRY Ignited!

SEMA fires up the passion with new products, education and custom cool.

By Mike Davey

Thousands of automotive professionals packed the Las Vegas Convention Centre for the 48th annual SEMA Show.

A

uto professionals in their thousands crowded into the Las Vegas Convention Center for the 2015 SEMA Show for one week in November. Now in its 48th year, the SEMA Show offered collision professionals a chance to see the latest in equipment, tools and parts at the New Product Showcase, and an extensive list of industry-specific exhibitors in the North Hall’s Collision Repair and Refinish section.

“The really great benefit of SEMA is

always looking at new and exciting equipment and ideas,” says Mike Macaluso, President of CARSTAR. “One of the other benefits, and it’s huge as well, is simply how good a job SEMA does of pulling everyone together when it comes to stakeholders in our industry. In just three days, you can often accomplish more than you could in a dozen different meetings. There are numerous opportunities to meet with paint companies, OEMs and key vendors.”

A strong Canadian contingent makes its way to the SEMA Show every year, and

AIA Canada steps up to run a unique networking event. This year’s Canada Night event took place on November 3 at Caesar’s Palace. Even a quick visit to this event would confirm that SEMA has strong support from the Canadian automotive community, with hundreds of stakeholders showing the flag at Canada Night.

Color Compass Corporation alone brought an unprecedented 35 company representatives to the 2015 SEMA Show.

Their presence was undeniable.

“We used it as an opportunity to bring DECEMBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 49

INDUSTRY EVENTS

SEMA featured literally hundreds of demos, including this pin striping demonstration at the Valspar booth.

Tim Durrer, Greg Morton, Larry Cook and Juan Espinoza of Domininon Sure Seal.

The Color Compass team at Canada Night. Color Compass had a huge presence at the show, bringing 35 company representatives to Las Vegas.

MJ Scavone of Fix Auto Thornhill and Michel Gagnon of Mitchell.

Michael Kikura of BASF Canada and Gord Milford of Color Compass.

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Bob Dubreuil, Dave Smith, Simon Parker and Tom Moreland of AkzoNobel.

a lot of our middle management staff together, and expose them to the SEMA Show,” says Chris Neale, Director of Marketing for Color Compass. “It was a rare chance for them to interact with our suppliers and our customers, while taking in some of the best of what’s new. You could feel a lot of excitement coming from our people at SEMA, and we’re excited that they’ll be bringing what they’ve learned back to our customers.”

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) provides significant educational opportunities through its Repairer Driven Education (RDE) track. It’s a full four day schedule of collision-specific seminars and workshops. The range is incredibly diverse. Some of the offerings bring a tight focus on technical matters, digging into structural adhesive bonding

Darryl Simmons of Collision Repair magazine and Tony Canade of Assured Automotive.

solutions, the latest advances in welding or removing and joining advanced materials.

But there’s also a wealth of information for the top-level, including seminars on profitability, planning and executing growth strategies and the myths, fallacies and facts surrounding repair planning.

The November 5 session was given over to the OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit, possibly one of the most forward-thinking education events in the collision industry. The Summit puts repairers shoulder to shoulder with innovators in structural design and technology, and puts the focus squarely on emerging trends and their influence on repairability.

If there was one central message from this year’s Summit, it was this: follow the OEM procedures every single time. Experts in numerous fields stressed this

Art Ewing of Pro Spot and Ian Mitchell from Lordco.

repeatedly during the event, noting that recent and ongoing advances make this more important than it has ever been.

Derek Florczyk is the Director of Operations for Assured Automotive. He has attended SEMA several times, but says his initial reaction has never worn off.

“I was really impressed from day one the first time I saw it, and I’m still impressed,” he says. “What really struck me this time was the tremendous amount of new technology coming and the different varieties of equipment. There’s a solution for everything now. It seems as if anything you could think of that you might need to do in a shop, there’s at least one equipment solution for it, and usually there are several different solutions.”

Both inside and outside the dedicated collision repair events, the SEMA Show

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Tom McGee of LKQ and Tim Morgan of Spanesi Americas.

Tim Shay of Chase Auto Body Supplies and Gloria Mann of Collision Repair magazine.

Allen Palechek of Color Compass, Ray Odette of Anest Iwata and Dave Swenson of Color Compass.

Matt Gibson of Flat Line Spray Booth Specialists, Jeff Kern and Jack White of Car-O-Liner.

Nicolle Williams of Anest Iwata and David Bostrom, Service & Repair Tech at Anest Iwata.

Leanne Jefferies of AIA Canada and Scott Wideman of Volkswagen Group Canada.

always an air of friendly competition.

Custom builders try to outdo one another, exhibitors compete to see who has the most lavish booth, and there’s the nuts-andbolts competition between new products to see which will earn top honours.

Innovative Tools & Technologies’ new Scangrip Sunmatch Color Match LED won in the Collision Repair & Refinish Product category. The new product is a rechargeable handheld LED light for colour matching. The runners-up in the category were Astech, with the asTech2 diagnostic tool, and Uni-Dolly with its Uni-Dolly Car Dolly System.

The new asTech2 adds more car brands, a new mobile app and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability. The Uni-Dolly is a new system that can be used to move a car with or without wheels.

Glass Bot’s Automated Glass Removal System took top honours in the Tools & Equipment category, followed by runners-up Red Baron Tools with its new tool organizer, and Equip Automotive Systems’ Smart Bench. Watch for more on these products in the next issue of Bodyworx Professional magazine.

The SEMA Show is also justly famous for the hundreds of customized automobiles on display. The show also hosts the annual Battle of the Builders, where top customizers go head to head. The winner wasannounced during SEMA Ignited, the only part of SEMA open to the general public, and it was an amazing sight. After four days behind closed doors, hundreds of cars and trucks rolled out for the SEMA Cruise and assembled at SEMA Ignited.

SEMA Ignited is the final event of SEMA,

52 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Chris Neale of Color Compass.

Roger Turmel of Autoquip and John Martinolich of Wedge Clamp.

Gisela Kwasny and Sabine Kwasny-Grimminger of SprayMax.

and took place Friday, November 6. Bobby Alloway was declared the winner of this year’s Battle of the Builders, with his 1933 Ford Roadster.

The other Battle of the Builders finalists were: • Ryan Basseri, Honda Integra Type R • Chip Foose, 1965 Impala • Jeremy Gerber, 1973 Camaro • Phil/Jeremy Gerber, 2015 Chevy Colorado • Alan Johnson, 1953 Studebaker • Eric Kozeluh, 1995 Toyota Supra • Andy Leach, 1962 Chevy Bubble Top • Jim and Mike Ring, Mustang Fastback • Kyle Tucker, 1970 Chevy Chevelle The 2016 SEMA Show will take place November 1 to 4, 2016 in Las Vegas.

INDUSTRY EVENTS

Bonus benefit

A BASF-sponsored celebrity event at SEMA led to unexpected charitable donations.

T The SEMA Cruise heads out on Friday afternoon. This is the first time members of the public have seen most of these vehicles, and they turn out in droves for the occasion.

Many different facets of the automotive world come together at SEMA. An official NASCAR vehicle at SEMA combines the racing world with the refinish world, courtesy of Sherwin-Williams.

Axalta had a big presence on the show floor, thanks in no small part to the eye-catching booth design.

There’s a lot of solid business going on at SEMA, but a little showbiz helps to attract stakeholders.

PPG went with a Mardi Gras theme, highlighting the company’s recent advances in coatings.

here are plenty of celebrities at SEMA, and one thing the show always offers is a chance to get up close and personal with stars of the automotive world. Sometimes, a lucky few get even closer.

A special event presented

by BASF offered this opportunity to the company’s customers and distributors. Approximately 300 stakeholders packed the Vortex at the Linq hotel for a chance to meet racing star Richard Petty and legendary comedian Jay Leno.

Richard Petty, Zubair “Zuby” Siddiqui Both Petty and Leno of Crescent Industries and Jay Leno. have strong ties to BASF. Petty has been using BASF’s R-M paint system at Petty’s Garage since 1974.

Jay Leno is probably best known as a comedian and former host of the tonight show, but he’s also the host of Jay Leno’s Garage and a well-known automotive Mort Hall, GM of White & Peters, Kelvin Campbell of aficionado. Leno uses Richard Petty and Dave Swenson, CSN-Chapman Auto GM of Carlson Body Shop Supply. Body and Richard Petty.

BASF’s Glasurit 90 Line for all of his builds.

During the event, Jay Leno made a spur of the moment offer, auctioning off tours of Jay Leno’s Garage, with proceeds going to Victory Junction, a camp that enriches the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illness by providing life-changing camp experiences. The camp was the inspiration of Adam Petty, Richard’s grandson, who tragically lost his life in a racing accident before he could bring the camp to fruition. With a land donation from Richard and Lynda Petty, the Petty family spearheaded a fund-raising campaign, and Adam’s legacy opened its gates to its first campers in 2004. Richard Petty was quick to sweeten the pot, offering tours of Richard Petty’s Garage as well, again with proceeds going to Victory Junction.

Zubair “Zuby” Siddiqui is the owner of Crescent Industries, a paint, body and equipment distributor operating in Ontario. He made a substantial donation during the event. “My reason is simple,” he says. “The organization does great work enriching the lives of families affected by serious illness. I’m proud to help them in whatever way I can.”

Others in the audience were also donors, including Kelvin Campbell of CSNChapman’s Auto Body in Nova Scotia and Color Compass Corporation, through its subsidiaries White & Peters and Carlson Body Shop Supply.

Dave Swenson of Color Compass explains the donation: “Both White & Peters and Carlson bought one tour of each location apiece,” says Swenson. “We’ll likely end up using them as customer appreciation events, but the important thing is that Victory Junction receives funding. They do great work and we’re proud to support them.”

DECEMBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 53

PARTS

No matter which part or where you source it, managing your parts flow will increase your overall productivity.

Perfected

PROCESS

Mastering the parts management aspect of your business pays off.

By Bob DuBreuil

P

arts make up 35 to 45 percent of an average claim.

This represents a significant portion of a collision repair centre’s gross income. From what I have seen over the years, many shops could improve on how they manage this important part of their business.

I do not want to get into a debate about whether to pre-order parts, or to wait until a vehicle is completely dismantled to begin the parts ordering process.What I would like to focus on is how you can better manage your process to make it less labour-intensive and, hopefully, more profitable.

Let’s say that your process is to pre-order parts as soon as you receive an assignment, or when a customer brings in a claim

54 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

written by a claim centre. You download this document into your estimating system and, if you have a management system, into that system as well. The person responsible for ordering parts, usually the estimator or the parts manager, divides everything up according to vendors and makes the order.

Parts can be ordered via phone, fax or, electronically. I have always been opposed to ordering parts by phone unless you only need a couple of items. Ordering by phone increases the risk of error and generally takes more time than fax or electronic methods. A fax is marginally better as it is a document. In my mind, the best method is to order the parts electronically using a management system or email. Ordering parts electronically

PARTS

allows you to provide more accurate information about what you need. And you can easily attach photos of the parts taken of the vehicle so your vendor can see for himself exactly what you want.

When you place the order, do you inform the vendor of when you actually want the parts to be delivered, or are you okay with receivingmultiple shipments depending on what’s in stock?

Opting for the latter can have several negative impacts on your business. First if all, you will have to physically receive multiple orders, tying up someone on your payroll. You will also have to put the parts into storage multiple times, and you will have to deal with multiple invoices. You do not get paid by your insurer for this additional work.

In addition, if you start receiving parts today for a vehicle that may not be coming in for weeks, you will need added storage space for these parts. If you have to pay for these parts before you can charge the insurer after the repair is completed, you are also negatively impacting your cash flow and creating the possibility of inaccurate gross profit information on your monthly financial statements.

Who inspects the parts at your facility? Many shops still rely on the technician to check the parts as he needs them throughout the repair process.

This can lead to a number of costly problems.

Let’s imagine that the technician is ready to install a fender on a vehicle. He opens the box and discovers that the fender has been damaged in transit. What happens now? He cannot con-

“A new generation in collision repair performance.”

tinue working on that vehicle, so he moves it to the compound.

He then contacts the parts person, who has to reorder a new fender and arrange a credit for the damaged one. He then has to receive the new part, return the old part, and deal with all of the paperwork involved. In the meantime, the vehicle is not worked on, potentially resulting in an extra day or more of replacement vehicle rental costs.

There are a number of ways to avoid these problems. When ordering your parts, inform the vendor of the date that you would like the parts to be delivered, and tell him that you only accept complete orders. You may have to negotiate this with the vendor’s parts manager or principal.

When the order arrives, designate someone to check to see if any parts are incorrect or damaged. Ideally, this should happen when the delivery driver is still there, so that the part can be returned to the vendor immediately. If you can implement even some of these suggestions, you are guaranteed to reduce the costs of managing your parts process and deliver vehicles faster.

Your vendors should respect that you are “the customer” and be willing to negotiate the “rules of engagement” with you. On your part, you need to show respect for your selected vendors and be loyal to them when ordering parts. And, of course, you need to pay your parts bill when it is due. That is what partnerships are all about. CRM Bob DuBreuil has been employed with AkzoNobel for 22 years and was one of the developers of the company’s “lean” initiative, Process Centered Environment (PCE).

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DECEMBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 55

INDUSTRY EVENT

GEARED FOR SUCCESS

CSN re-energizes, re-engages at 13th annual conference.

By Mike Davey

Kevin Smith (CSN), Dale Keizer (CSN - Keizers), Jay Hayward (CSN), Scott Earle (CSN), Douglas White (CSN), Trista Anger (CSN), Lianne Le Rue (CSN), Mark Roesch (CSN), Nezy Lacdao (CSN), Lianne Perissinotti Le Rue and Jeff Jones (CSN - Jones’) Shelly Ptasznyk (CSN), Jenny Trokic (CSN), Flavio Battilana (CSN), and Derek Bennie (CSN).

Jay Hayward of CSN served as the moderatorof the CSN Shop of the Year Panel.

Right bottom: Kelvin Campbell of CSN-Chapman Autobody, Brittney Monteith, and William Monteith of CSN-Zenetec Collision.

Y

ou can tell a lot about a group by the way they laugh and band together, and there was plenty of opportunity at the 13th annual CSN Collision Centres Conference, held September 24 to 26 in Montreal, Quebec. This year’s event was titled Geared for Success.

“We were extremely satisfied with the overall conference experience for our CSN collision centres, our insurance partners and our strategic suppliers,” said Flavio Battilana, COO of CSN Collision Centres. “We had over 300 attendees from across Canada, from St. Johns, Newfoundland to Duncan, BC and all points in between. The vibe and atmosphere over the past few days was exactly why we hold our annual conference; to re-energize, re-engage and relax as we gear up as the winter season fast approaches.“ Official events got underway with a cocktail reception in the Grande Ballroom Foyer at the Le Westin Montréal. The reception was followed by dinner and awards noting the accomplishments of locations within the network. Comedian and televi-

sion host James Cunningham, host of the Food Network program Eat St., served as emcee for the evening. He kept the crowd entertained with stories and experiences from his career as a television and stage performer. Cunningham also took the opportunity to “roast” Battilana, to the crowd’s obvious delight.

Cunningham also opened the conference the next morning, before introducing the first keynote speaker, Mark Bowden.

Bowden is a communications expert and performance trainer, as well as author of the books Winning Body Language, Winning Body Language for Sales Professionals, and Tame the Primitive Brain. His presentation focused on using body language to get your message across. Bowden demonstrated how to use body language to seem more approachable, gain and grow trust and simply hold someone’s interest.

Dennis Snow served as the second keynote. A customer service expert and author of Lessons from the Mouse, Snow honed his skills over 20 years with the Walt Disney World Company, starting as an attractions

56 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

operator and rising through the organization to manage various areas of the park, and later to positions with Disney Institute and Disney University, the training and employee development arms of The Walt Disney Company. Snow’s presentation walked attendees through the process of creating truly world-class customer experiences in the shop environment, drawing on examples from his career with Disney.

Following Snow’s presentation, CSN Collision Centres presented a $10,000 donation to Make-A-Wish Canada on behalf of the network. In addition, CSN Collision Centres presented a special Disney wish to 4-year-old Mikayla.

The keynote presentations were followed by a break for lunch, and a chance to visit the Vendor Showcase, featuring booths and exhibits from numerous suppliers.

“We’re always very pleased with the support we get from our vendors,” said Jenny Trokic of CSN. “This year we had two special guests: Toyota and Workplace Safety & Prevention Services. They’re not vendors, but the information they provided was great.”

INDUSTRY EVENT The conference also included the presentation of a $10,000 donation to Make-A-Wish Canada on behalf of CSN Collision Centres. From left: Dennis Snow of Snow Associates & Disney, Jenny Trokic of CSN, Meghan Megill of Make A Wish Canada, and CSN’s Flavio Battilana.

Jay Hayward of CSN, Vanessa Hayward, Jenny Trokic of CSN, Larry French of CSN, and Leslie French.

Larry King of Caruk & Associates, Richard Marsh of CSN-Brimmell Group Collision.

Collision Repair magazine’s Gloria Mann, Joy Skinner of CSN Industrial Park Collision, Collision Repair magazine’s Darryl Simmons, Lorna Richards of Gore Mutual Insurance, Dave Procunier of CSN-Heartland B&B Collision, Luis Enriquez of Progi, and Linda MorrisonProcunier of CSN-Heartland B&B Collision.

From left: Paul Scardera from ASSISTENZA, Joe Carvalho of Economical, and Tony Sutera of RSA.

Dave Banwell, Claudio Di Sabato and Ken Barter of AkzoNobel.

Dale Keizer, Randy Weber, Jeff Jones, Jay Hayward, John Hutten, and Shane Campbell.

Danny Frangione and Joe Frangione of CSN-Bemac Auto Body Repair Ottawa, Sinh Quan of Mitchell, and Tyler Johns.

Lianne Perissinotti Le Rue, Lorenzo D’Alessandro, and Sharon Wells.

The equipment and supplier side was well represented at the Vendor Showcase, but Trokic notes that what’s on offer goes beyond the usual tools.

“We also had our marketing and promotional item suppliers available at their booths to show our collision centres just how they can help them to grow their business and promote the CSN brand,” said Trokic.

The CSN Shop of the Year Panel convened after lunch, focusing on a number of issues vital to the collision repair community. Jay Hayward of CSN served as the moderator.

“Many times we’ve seen different individuals sitting on a panel and they are asked how they feel the industry can fix itself, in regards to employees, growth, profit and so on. We wanted to do something a little more personal and a little more behind the scenes,” said Hayward. “Everyone has a different definition of success. Some will say it’s dollars, some will say it’s size, and still others will say it’s respect and admiration.

At CSN we measure all of these traits, and then we look at something a little deeper.”

Panelists included shop owners Shane

Campbell, Randy Weber, John Hutten, Dale Keizer and Jeff Jones. They represent a wide diversity of experience, but all have one thing in common: they’ve all won CSN Shop of the Year awards.

“The idea behind the panel was to show that, if you just change the way you think, ever so slightly, you open up a world of opportunity. The gentlemen on this panel today have demonstrated this quality,” said Hayward.

Hayward engaged panelists with numerous questions about how they do business, including how to engage teams in the process, what motivates them to be open to new opportunities, and how they’ve made connections with peers and mentors that have aided them in staying focused and generating new ideas.

The day’s events concluded with a cocktail reception followed by a dinner and show at Cirque Éloize.

The third and final day of the conference consisted of closed-door meetings exclusive to CSN facilities.

Key items from the agenda included a

Comedian and television host James Cunningham was on hand to emcee the event.

presentation by results marketing expert Steve Schoolcraft and an update from CSN Corporate.

Schoolcraft’s presentation focused on how to better compete in the collision industry by gaining consumer brand preference, the importance of investing in consumer equity by making the experience a positive and memorable one and why customers choose a CSN shop over a competitor and how to provide verified measurable data to support that.

“In a world where the consumer is the single most critical resource that everyone struggles with, doesn’t it make sense to diversify a shop’s business model to a blended approach by developing consumer metrics that drive sales growth at the same speed as production metrics improve efficiency?” asked Schoolcraft.

After a great few days in Montreal, no doubt the CSN Collision Centres are Geared for Success in 2016 and beyond. CRM For more information on CSN Collision Centres, please visit csninc.ca.

DECEMBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 57

Great

SPONSORED CONTENT

Keizer’s Collision Center in Sackville trusts Mitchell’s software to help get the job done.

EXPECTATIONS

C

sn-Keizer’s Collision Center has been a fixture in Nova Scotia’s Sackville community for over three decades.

If you ask the current director of operations, Dale Keizer—who took the reins from his father, founder John Keizer, around 16 years ago—the business has put its trust in Mitchell products for just about as long as their doors have been open.

“They’re constantly coming up with new technology and they’re on the cutting edge, so that’s a huge part of being partnered with a company like that, they’re always looking to make sure they have the right equipment and software available for us to move forward in a faster manner for our clients,” says Keizer.

T he centre currently uses Mitchell TechAdvisor, Mitchell Estimating, eClaim, and recently demoed Mitchell RepairCenter Shop Management Software.

Keizer says one of the main reasons behind their loyalty to the brand has been the company’s focus on usability.

“With Mitchell, everything is user-friendly, very easy and very adaptable, and the actual training aspect is very minimal,” he says. “If you have any knowledge of the industry at all, using their systems comes pretty easily.”

And ease of use is important when it comes to something like TechAdvisor, which the 10,000 sq. ft location’s staff relies on daily to keep things running smoothly.

“We love the dimensions part of it. We use that every day,” says Keizer. “We do a lot of upfront estimating, so we have a repair-planning bay where we do all vehicle measurements. They come in damaged, and we do the measurements before they get passed on to a tech.

Then we print them of f for the insur-

The team from CSN-Keizer’s Collision Center during the Sackville, Nova Scotia stop on the Mitchell Road Show.

ance companies. It ’s very important to us to know the actual foundation of the vehicle prior to starting the repair.”

Accessibility is another key quality for Keizer and his team. Although the business has relied on a different management system for years, he says his staff has enjoyed the added benefits of taking Mitchell’s shop management software for a test drive. “ You c an put it up on your laptop, or your phone so you don’t have to go back to a computer station—you can have a mobile device that you can actually move the vehicles as you’re walking through the facility,” he says. “So that’s huge, being able to move the vehicles, send text messages or emails to the clients. That’s a very useful tool for us.”

While he says adapting to a new system can sometimes pose a challenge, Mitchell’s tech support helps ease the transition.

“You just call the number and you always get someone on the phone every time. You don’t have to wait, which is great,” says Keizer. “And if there is an issue, it’s always resolved the same day.

The exterior of CSN-Keizer’s Collision Center.

You don’t have to wait for long periods of time to be able to get any type of results, which is 100 percent what we need.”

With a facility that sees an average of eight to 10 cars a day, and holds such strong roots in the community, Keizer says it’s critical they have the right tools and systems in place to continue delivering a high level of service.

“We’re always looking to improve and do better for our clients and have the best customer experience possible, even though it’s through an accident,” he says.

Mitchell RepairCenter

™

Top Ten Numbers that Matter

Profit at work.

Profit.

Mitchell RepairCenter helps improve profitability on every job. • Estimating provides the most current labor and parts pricing so you get paid for the work you do • Mobile improves service levels and customer satisfaction with real-time status updates

To learn more today, visit www.mitchell.com/repaircenter or give us a call at 1.866.990.9279 CRM 14#5 Book.indb 51

(m)powering better outcomes

www.mitchell.com

2015-10-08 2:57 PM

EXECUTIVE VISION

Raising the Bar

By Mike Davey

RSA’s Tim Guernsey on exceptional customer service, advancing technologies and the growing need for specialization.

E

xecutive Vision focuses on discussions with key players in the auto claims economy and the auto industry, their views on the present industry and their vision for the future. In this issue, our guest is Tim Guernsey, VP of Claims, RSA Group. Guernsey holds over two decades of experience in the insurance industry and has been with RSA Group since 2002, acting in his current role since 2012.

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

Tim Guernsey: Customer service: great customer service is no longer being defined solely by the competitors within our industry. It’s being defined by any and all companies in the service industry that continue to raise the bar on service standards and to exceed customer expectations.

Think of e-commerce and technology companies that make it fast and easy to do business with them. Customers have so many options today to shop around. Collision repair shops have to deliver every time in order to retain customer loyalty and grow their businesses.

Technology and ‘Big Data:’ new and advanced technologies are providing greater access to aggregated or ‘big data’ that can help paint a much clearer picture of emerging trends and behaviour patterns in collisions. The insights gleaned can be used to analyze the market and customers in order to increase efficiencies, tailor recommendations and adapt products or services to evolving customer needs. For example, repair shops can link in with parts and paint companies to find the best solution at the best price and in the shortest timeframe in order to reduce repair times. Those shops that maximize this type of technology and analytics will have a competitive advantage.

Specialization: the increasing complexity of vehicle design and specialty

materials (i.e. aluminum) is forcing shops to specialize and build accreditations. Although this is good for the industry overall, it might also result in a fragmented network that can only repair certain types of cars. For customers with new cars under warranty, this specialization/fragmentation may also increase their concerns about the accessibility of repair shops through their dealership. It’s important to educate customers that the same network of repair shops is available, whether directly or through their dealerships, and help them navigate the network to find the right repair shop for their specific needs.

CRM: Thinking of just the single most important issue you mentioned, what would you suggest to a shop owner who is trying to deal with that?

TG: When it comes to repair shops, emotions run high for customers. They often feel upset from a collision or accident and inconvenienced without their vehicle. It’s important to remember that repair shops are the face of the insurance industry for the vast majority of our customers. Customers should feel as valued by the shop as they do by their broker or insurer. Whenever possible, keep the client in the loop and help them to understand and not be afraid of the repair process. Go the extra mile so that a customer feels that his or her car is repaired back to factory or pre-ac-

60 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

cident condition. Remember, if you don’t treat customers the way they want, they will move on to another shop.

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

TG: With changing technology in materials as well as safety mechanisms (i.e. driver assist, rear view cameras, etc.) becoming standard across most models, upgrading your accreditations above the industry norm will ensure you have a place at the table. Also, make sure you have a firm strategy around succession planning. Constantly ask yourself, what will the next three, five or 10 years look like? Is my business model sustainable? Is my business model driving loyalty with my customers and with my insurance industry partners?

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

TG: As more insurance companies are driving customer strategies based on the element of speed and availability, collision repair facilities will have to look at ways to decrease time to repair and become more available to the consumer. This could include 24/7 repair facilities where work is done around the clock along with services such as online booking, pickup and delivery. I also see an opportunity in the future to link securely in a limited manner into insurance company claim

EXECUTIVE VISION

files and insert update notes to the file to reduce phone calls and emails between the two organizations.

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

TG: With increasing focus on technology safety (i.e. driver assist, etc.) over the long term, there will be less collisions and ultimately less repairs, which will both fragment and consolidate the market. Those that are on the cutting edge of accreditation, driving customer strategies and building integrated solutions with their insurance partners will reap the benefits.

From a social perspective, the impact of democratization of technology and information means you need to have a pulse on what your customers are thinking and feeling, and how you can best communicate with them. For example, social media channels are here to stay—and they are growing.

Collision repair shops need to develop a

“

CRM: RSA has made a number of insurer acquisitions over the last eight years. Has this had an impact on the claims management process?

TG: RSA has continued to invest heavily in our auto repair technology and imaging process over the last eight to 10 years. We have been fortunate in that with our acquisitions we have strengthened our team of knowledgeable and skilled customer focused Auto Adjusters and Appraisers. As a result, we believe that we have some of the best Auto Physical Damage claims professionals in the Canadian property and casualty market.

CRM: It’s been widely reported that RSA is undergoing a “transformation” right now.

What is involved in the transformation and what are the advantages?

TG: Our vision is for RSA-Canada to be a best-in-class, high-performing company in the Canadian market.

Through the right investments in systems and

tools, we are transforming to provide market-leading service to our customers and brokers. For example, we have re-engineered some of our claims processes to make them more streamlined across the country, helping to put our customers in touch with adjusters who can make decisions right away and enabling us to close straight-forward claims more quickly. Ultimately, our transformation will enable us to deliver great service to customers and better tools to our brokers.

CRM: What does the future hold for RSA Group?

TG: RSA’s future is bright! Through our transformation journey, our goal is to be a best-in-class insurer in the Canadian market, known for delivering the best service to our brokers and their customers. CRM

THE IMPACT OF DEMOCRATIZATION OF TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION MEANS YOU NEED TO HAVE A PULSE ON WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE THINKING AND FEELING, AND HOW YOU CAN BEST COMMUNICATE WITH THEM. - TIM GUERNSEY solid social media and digital strategy that clearly defines who they are and why their shops or chains are the “best” at what they do. Use it as a promise of quality, but also as a marketing tool to attract and retain customers. Also, invest in a solid survey process so that you are always aware of what your Net Promoter Scores are and share those with your insurance partners on a regular basis. A Net Promoter Score is a rating that measures customers’ willingness to recommend your company’s products or services to others.

Tim Guernsey.

DECEMBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 61

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15-11-25 11:33 AM

Trainingmatters.ca REPORT ON TRAINING POWERED BY

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

Strong Bonds I-CAR has forged relationships with colleges on welding certification.

By Jeff Sanford

According to I-CAR, the majority of techs have never had formal welding training.

That’s starting to change, thanks in part to partnerships with local colleges.

I

n an industry as complex as the collision repair business the importance of proper training and certification is impossible to overstate. A poor or improper weld performed during a structural collision repair can compromise the vehicle’s structural integrity. The result, as I-CAR points out, is that a “repaired” vehicle can then be dangerously unsafe to drive.

Acquiring the skills basic to doing proper welds is key for the long-term health of the industry. This is true now more than ever.

With the collision repair industry still undergoing the “technical tsunami” of new lightweight vehicles for the foreseeable future, the need for updated and advanced welding training for all technicians has never been more urgent. Good thing then that the links between I-CAR and Canada’s major polytechnical institutes are stronger than ever.

Canada is blessed with a string of strong provincial-level technical training schools.

From BCIT in British Columbia, to Red River College in Manitoba, to the Centre de formation Compétence-de-la-Rive-Sud in Quebec and to New Brunswick and

“PROPER WELDS CAN SAVE LIVES ...

WITH SAFETY OF CLIENTS AT STAKE, CAN YOU AFFORD NOT TO TRAIN?”

Nova Scotia Community Colleges on the east coast, the number of institutions dedicated to providing welding certification has never been wider. I-CAR partners with these institutions to provide welding certification. These partnerships are known among sophisticated industry executives to provide the kind of training that allow collision repair facilities to be run as sophisticated, safe businesses.

Considering the importance of proper welding skills, the I-CAR welding certification program is, arguably, the most important training program available to the industry in this country.

“We’ve been lucky to partner with I-CAR,” says Scott Kucharyshen, Auto Body Program Head at the Saskatchewan Polytechnic school. “In the past we had outsourced this kind of training,” says Kucharyshen. That is, Saskatchewan students had to take several days off work to travel out-of-province to get this training, travelling all the way to Manitoba for the classes. That was impractical for many.

“But with this agreement in place, having jumped through the hurdles, we can offer this program in-province now, and that’s DECEMBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 63

REPORT ON TRAINING

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BCIT, one of the many colleges that partner with I-CAR.

One of the campuses of Saskatchewan Polytechnic.

Red River College in Winnipeg.

great. It’s important to the development of this industry here. It’s something students appreciate. This provides better access to training in the province. With more and more cars on the road, it was time to get this.”

The school now offers all four levels of welding certification. The highest level now is a course on aluminum welding, which is becoming more important as mainstream vehicles like the Ford F-150 are being built

with aluminum bodies. “This helps us to be viable and pertinent. The timing was perfect,” says Kucharyshen.

There are benefits to the school as well with the I-CAR partnership. “One of the things you do by running more I-CAR courses is that you develop stronger links with industry. As a polytechnical school, this is important for us to do,” says Kucharyshen. “This brings the industry back into the building. And this is a good thing. This

64 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

forges a new relationship. Students recognize Saskatchewan Polytechnic as the place to go for this kind of learning.”

Not every college, even those with auto body programs, offers the full complement of I-CAR welding certifications.

Some do, however, and that is important for the overall development of both the collision repair industry and the educational system.

“It’s been very good for us. The course is popular. We’ve had this class for about a year,” says Randy Sandhu, Chief Instructor in the auto body program at BCIT. “There is a shortage of skilled technicians here.

With more and more cars on the road, this is an important skill to teach.”

BCIT has a dedicated teacher. He went to Winnipeg to get trained. Now he’s leading provincial residents through the new and more sophisticated welding techniques being used in the industry.

“With the shift to aluminum in the Ford F-150 this is more important than ever,” says Sandhu. Luckily the locals are picking up the skills. So far the pass rate has been about 95 percent. The challenges of offering this class on the West Coast, however, are unique. The issues, says Sandhu, are all about scheduling. This being BC, the instructor sometimes travels to the outer islands, up and down the coast to teach classes. “This is the challenge here,” says Sandhu.

The challenge for the industry as a whole is training and certification when it comes to welding. It is almost frightening to contemplate, but according to I-CAR, a remarkable majority—69 percent—of US technicians currently welding in collision repair facilities lack formal training in welding.

In Canada, technicians are considered “welding qualified” if they have passed their apprenticeship training. But as technicians age this qualification can be as much as 20 or even 30 years out of date.

This is one reason certain OEM certification programs require a current I-CAR Canada welding certificate, renewable every five years, for facilities that wish to apply to participate in their certified collision repair networks.

According to I-CAR this is a “critical consumer-safety issue.” As I-CAR puts it, “Proper welds can save lives...with safety of clients at stake, can you afford not to train?”

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Alberta drivers aren’t getting Move Over law message: tower Motorists in Alberta rarely abide by the province’s Move Over law, according to a local tow truck driver.

City Wide Towing’s Jeff Hribnack and Global News recently teamed up to test Calgary motorists, using their vehicles to stage a highway roadside recovery.

Hribdnack and Global News reporter Stefan Keyes found that the majority of drivers did not slow down or change lanes, despite adequate room and opportunity to do so.

“It’s very high risk,” Hribncak told Global.

“In most cases it doesn’t take long to hook up a vehicle and get in and out, but when you have the perfect storm of people not moving over, and drivers not being aware,

that’s when you have an incident.”

Hribncak and other tow operators are fed up with motorists refusing to give them room to work and continually putting their lives at risk.

On October 5, a tow truck driver was struck on Deerfoot Trail N.E. while working to recover a broken down vehicle. He was transported to hospital with injuries to his pelvis and lower body.

Two days later, police had to shut down a lane on the same highway so a woman could safely exit her vehicle and a responding tow truck driver could get to work.

Leah Herle says she was stuck inside her car for 40 minutes, even though the tow operator arrived at the scene in just 10 minutes.

Tow truck operator helps Waterloo Region Police apprehend armed Kitchener man A Kitchener man who allegedly opened fire on a police officer with a pellet gun was remanded into custody, thanks to the quick actions of a tow truck driver.

CBC News reports an armed 29-yearold man was arrested during the evening rush-hour on October 13 when a nearby tow operator blocked the fleeing suspect’s vehicle with his tow truck.

Waterloo Region Police had been pursuing the man—who was under a court order to not carry weapons—near Ottawa Street between Dundas Avenue and Nyberg Street, but failed to stop him. That’s when the tow truck driver decided to step in, swerving and ramming

his truck into the side of the suspect’s black car.

The man, after exiting his vehicle, pointed his firearm and shot an officer in the face and hand. The officer fired back, hitting the suspect’s vehicle.

Backup police arrived on the scene, apprehending the suspect without further incident. The victim, a veteran of the Waterloo force for almost three decades, was transported to hospital with minor injuries. Ottawa Street remained closed during the investigation.

Eric Amaral faces a number of charges, including assaulting a peace officer with a weapon. He appeared in court on October 20.

“At one point, I wanted to crawl out the sunroof and start yelling at the drivers as they were speeding past us,” Herle said in the report. “It was super scary. It was quite unnerving.”

Under section 115 of Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act, motorists must slow down to 60 km/hr or lower when passing parked emergency vehicles with their lights flashing.

Violation of the law can result in demerit points and fines ranging from $115 to $703, based on the severity of the speeding offence.

Alberta Mounties plan to increase patrols and legislation, leading to stiffer penalties.

The province aims to increase fines by an average of 35 percent this year, reaching a maximum of $949.

Montreal police nab tow arson suspect Police have apprehended a suspect in connection with a rash of tow truck fires in the Montreal area.

CBC News reports 35-year-old Jonathan Raymond faces several charges and a potential psychological evaluation after allegedly torching four tow trucks between September 20 and 22 in the Lachine sector and the borough of Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension.

P o l i c e a l l e g e R a y m o n d t a rg e t e d trucks belonging to companies that had hauled his vehicle away in the past.

Raymond was arraigned in the Court of Quebec on October 8 on charges of arson and possession of firestarting material.

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66 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

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EXPANDED NETWORK!

ARA pulls out the stops for 72nd annual convention and exposition

By Mike Davey

Pat Ryan, VP of Operations at CAR-MS QRP Group of Recyclers, has recently announced the addition of several new members.

“Our new members expand our network significantly, and provide additional coverage and parts options for our customers throughout Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada,” says Ryan. “Our new members share the same values and mission as the rest of CAR-MS QRP: high-quality parts at a price that helps our customers improve their bottom line and ensure safe repairs.”

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The annual Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) Convention & Exposition touched down in Charlotte, North Carolina, drawing industry professionals from across North America from October 7 to 10, 2015.

The annual Convention & Exposition of the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) is easily one of the biggest events on the auto recycling calendar, drawing together professionals from all across Canada and the US. This year’s convention, the organization’s 72nd, took place in Charlotte, North Carolina from October 7 to 10.

Highlights of this year’s convention included over 30 educational sessions, a trade show featuring nearly 100 exhibitors, and ongoing updates from various ARA committees on recent activities, priorities and how recyclers can get involved to move the industry forward.

Presentations over the three days were chock full of information automotive recyclers can use to protect or grow their companies.

Although there were simply too many to go into detail, a few highlights stand out.

Jon O’Malley of YouProfit presented “7 Drivers of Faster Growth & Profits,” focusing on how to grow a business from chaos to maturity. Robert and Chad Counts of CDC Dashboard are well-known as consultants and knowledge leaders in the auto recycling world. Their presentation focused on things they say recycling yards must do to survive and grow, centred around obtaining and controlling inventory. Jeff Schroder of Car-Part.

Continued on page 70.

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2015-10-08 2:58 PM

ARA ... continued from page 68.

com’s presentation, “Collision Advice: Gain Insight into Your Collision Customers,” certainly piqued attendees interest. Schroder supplemented his presentation with data analytics, while providing tips on how to sell into the collision repair industry and pitfalls to avoid.

The session on October 9 wrapped up with the official Awards Dinner and Gavel Passing. A Canadian company brought home two high profile awards. Carcone’s Auto Recycling, based in Aurora, Ontario, took home the Certified Auto Recycler of the Year award and also received the inaugural Randy Reitman Memorial Traveling CAR Award.

Canadian Ed MacDonald of Maritime Auto Parts concluded his term on the ARA Executive as Past President, and President Ricky Young from North Carolina passed the gavel to incoming President Mike Swift of Swift’s Trails End Auto Recycling. Board members now move up one position along the track. Another Canadian, David Gold of Standard Auto Wreckers, started as a board member last year as Secretary, and now has taken the position of 2nd Vice President.

Panel discussions form a vital part of the ARA Conference.

“I was involved in various discussions with a lot of different people, and one thing I noticed was a sense of unity across all auto recyclers,” says Gold. “Whether big consolidators, smaller independents, or

working groups, recyclers know we’re not each other’s competition. That was one of the most profound messages from this year’s convention.”

To learn more, please visit a-r-a.org.

Solera integrates parts procurement solutions to form InPart Solera Holdings has announced the integration of its parts procurement solutions, including Distribution Service Technologies (“DST”) and APU Solutions (“APU”), to form InPart. Through InPart, Solera will enable online parts procurement from the industry’s largest network of suppliers directly within the existing systems and workflow of collision and mechanical repair shops.

“Our vision is to become the premier procurement solution for all part types, including OEM, aftermarket, and recycled parts, for global collision and mechanical repair workshops,” says Tanvir Arfi, President of Solera’s Service, Maintenance Repair (“SMR”) & Parts platform. “InPart leverages the capabilities of Solera companies across market segments, extending the value of our solutions for all

of our customers – whether an insurer, repairer, or part supplier.”

Solera’s parts procurement solutions meet the business requirements of collision and mechanical shops, tailoring the user experience interface, functionality, and workflow to the market segment and end user. InPart will streamline the process of searching for, pricing, and purchasing OEM, aftermarket, and recycled parts for both the collision repair and mechanical repair markets.

For the collision repair market, Solera says InPart builds on APU PartsNetwork’s 15-year foundation and provides benefits for all three stakeholders involved in a collision repair: insurers, collision centres and parts suppliers. Based on a patented workflow, PartsNetwork is used in thousands of shops and quotes over 103.5 million parts

70 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

annually valued at $20.5 billion.

For the mechanical repair market, InPart incorporates DST’s eCommerce Gateway and Identifix’s DirectHit mechanical repair support website. Together, they combine vehicle repair information with real-time part information such as pricing and availability, enabling users in over 53,000 repair shops to make purchasing decisions at the time of need.

A statement from Solera says that by integrating with the industry’s leading estimate management systems, collision repair management systems, mechanical shop management systems, and part suppliers’ inventory management systems, InPart automates the entire parts procurement process, eliminating redundant or manual tasks for all stakeholders – insurers, shops, and parts suppliers.

CARCONE’S AUTO RECYCLING RECEIVES TWO HONOURS AT ARA ANNUAL CONVENTION & EXPO IN NORTH CAROLINA

By Mike Davey

Congratulations go out to Michael and Carolyn Carcone for their big win at the Automotive Recyclers Assocation (ARA) Annual Convention & Exposition, taking home two prestigious awards. The ARA event took place in Charlotte, North Carolina from October 7 to 10.

Owners of Carcone’s Auto Recycling in Aurora, Ontario, the pair were presented with the prestigious Certified Auto Recycler of the Year award at the ARA Gala this weekend. In addition to the Star Award, they also received the inaugural Randy Reitman Memorial Traveling CAR Award.

Michael and Carolyn Carcone are the first recipients of this award. The award is named after Randy Reitman, an ARA Past President and a true believer in the power of certification within the automotive recycling industry.

For more information on Carcone’s Auto Recycling, please visit carcone.com.

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DECEMBER 2015 COLLISION REPAIR 71

ARAAC APPROVES TWO MEMBERS AT GENERAL MEETING

ARAAC’s annual meeting include a tour of the local Monidex facility. Monidex is an aftermarket distributor, a new area of business for some recyclers.

Auto recyclers and industry associates recently gathered for the annual Automotive Recyclers Association of Atlantic Canada (ARAAC) meeting where two new direct members were welcomed to the fold.

“We have grown as an association and now have 32 direct members in ARAAC, in addition to our 10 associate members,” says Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC)

Executive Director Steve Fletcher. “We are very pleased with our growth as an auto recycling association.”

The new members include O’Briens Recycling, located in Montague, Prince Edward Island, and DR Auto Works Inc. in DSL de Drummond, New Brunswick.

ARAAC Delegates met from October 16 to 17 at the DoubleTree Suites Hollis

Halifax hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia to discuss industry trends and engage in training opportunities. Members also received a regional CAREC update showing that six audits completed in 2015 saw companies improve their score from 2014, with an average mark of 88.3 percent.

No new elections were held at the convention, leaving the executive board in place.

The board remains as follows: • Andrew MacDonald, President • Dalbert Livingstone, Vice-President • Heather Langille, Secretary • Shelley Roy, Treasurer • Derek Covey, Past President • Glenn Vatcher, Director • Ron Bastarache, Director Guest presenters at the meeting included James Julian of RAS Cores, Hollander’s Brian Heidt, Henk Huijgen of ELV Select, and Luke Gamm from Car-Part. Convention sponsors included Monidex Distribution, Impact Auto Action, and Wholesale Auto Parts Warehouses.

Members will next meet in 2016 from June 10 to 11 in Truro, Nova Scotia, with ARC’s board of directors planning to attend the conference.

For more information, please visit ARAAC online at aarac.ca.

St. Thomas auto recycler changed by Africa mission trip The owner of McGregor Auto Parts recently returned from a compassionate and life-changing trip to Sierra Leone, Africa with the grassroots organization, Let Them Laugh Out Loud (LOL).

Jeff McGregor had travelled to the West African country as part of a team to support a paediatrician from St. Thomas, Ontario and his wife, along with three staff members from the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital. The purpose of the trip was to provide medical care to the residents of Mano, a village located in Liberia. The team saw over 200 children, some of whom were in a very grim state, but were able to receive lifesaving medical care.

Sierra Leone is known to be one of the poorest areas of the world, and one LOL has been focused on helping since the organization’s inception in 2009. The village children never get to see a doctor, and this mission offered a first experience for many. McGregor assisted in measuring the kids to ensure proper growth, handled their paper work, crowd control, and was also on hand to

72 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

assist the medical staff. Along with giving a lot of love and hope to these children, he also taught the men to fix some of their mechanical equipment, and installed a throttle cable on their drill rig used to drill wells for precious water.

“Going to Sierra Leone has been far different than any other mission trip I have done,” says McGregor. “These children are in such great need beyond just their basic needs. You go thinking you’re going to help them—and you do, but in reality it is your life that is changed. In spite of their circumstances, they show unconditional love and smile every day. Working with my new African friends and fixing the drill rig was such a blessing as they need to be able to drill for six more wells in October.”

The trip was part of McGregor Auto Parts’ commitment to community and humanity.

“Jeff and I have been very blessed in so many ways,” says his wife, Shelly. “We may not be able to change the world and at times

we feel like a drop of water in a very big ocean of poverty and need, but we can give hope and love to one child at time. Children belong to all of us and we are compelled to intervene on their behalf. We must invest in children all across the world.”

McGregor says the trip has left a lasting impression on him.

“It was hard for me to say goodbye and leave the children behind in the unbearable heat and living conditions to come back to my comfortable life.

I think about them every day and hold a much different outlook on life today because of them,” he says.

For more information, please contact Jeff and Shelly McGregor at 519-631-4801, or visit Let Them Laugh Out Loud (LOL) at ltlol.com.

Jeff McGregor of McGregor Auto Parts recently travelled to Sierra Leone, Africa to help provide paediatric medical care.

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Ontario to consult on updating ELV processing standards

By Mike Davey

The Ontario Ministry of Environment & Climate Change have recently posted updates to the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) and announced a second consultation proposal regarding standards for end-of-life vehicle (ELV) processors.

It’s common knowledge in the recycling industry that some ELV processing facilities adhere to industry-led standards and already operate in an environmentally protective manner. In fact, adhering to those standards is a condition of membership for the various provincial associations, including the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association (OARA).

However, there are currently no regulatory reThe Ontario Ministry of Environment will hold public consultations on quirements for the safe removal and management new proposed standards for end-of-life vehicle processors. of contaminants from ELVs. At the same time, past compliance activities undertaken by the ronmental concerns pertaining to improper waste management at ELV Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change have identified envisites. Bringing forward mandatory regulatory requirements would en-

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sure that environmental management is happening across the whole of the ELV processing sector.

“More progressive recyclers have been modernizing practices to encompass sound materials and parts management. This regulatory proposal could theoretically help bring all ELV processors to meet the same minimum de-pollution and materials management standards,” says Steve Fletcher, Executive Director of OARA. “Programs like the Canadian Automotive Recyclers Environmental Code, or CAREC, have meant that subscribers to that standard practice the due diligence needed to recycle vehicles properly and safely. It would seem like logical step to us to have a standard like CAREC apply market-wide as a means to modernize and professionalize the entire industry.”

The proposed approach is to bring forward a range of policy changes that would impose recycling standards in a way that aligns with the ministry of the Environment and Climate Change’s approvals modernization agenda. For example, most of the requirements would be imposed through the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR) so that consistent standards are applied to the sector through an efficient electronic registration process. The proposal also takes into account the fact that sites may need time to modify their facility operations to meet the new standards. To facilitate the transition to

new standards, a phased implementation is proposed.

On February 5th, 2014, the ministry posted a technical discussion paper to the EBR (012-0678) for 60 days to gather comments relating to proposed environmental standards for end-of-life vehicle waste disposal sites. In addition, the ministry hosted public meetings in six Ontario communities to outline the discussion paper and consult with industry.

After a review of the comments received, the ministry is proposing draft regulations that would apply new environmental standards to ELV waste disposal sites.

The proposal would amend Regulation 347 (General – Waste Management) made under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA), and create a new regulation that prescribes activities in respect of endof-life vehicle waste disposal sites that require registration on the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR).

The draft regulations can be found by visiting the Environmental Registry online at ebr.gov.on.ca. Comments can be received up to December 13, 2015.

The Ontario Ministry of Environment is planning regional consultations with members of industry and the public. OARA will maintain a current list of those dates and locations at oara.com/ industry-resources/elv-standards-consultation-2015.

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RECYCLING I

WINNINGTEAMS You don’t have to be the biggest, but you’ve got to have heart.

By David Gold

E

very year the Automotive Recyclers Association of New York (ARANY) holds its annual convention and trade show. This year marked the 54th get together. Like most Provincial and State associations, ARANY is led by an Eecutive Director, Brian Buff, a President, Matt Fink, a committed board of directors, and a host of volunteers necessary to conduct association activities and to make sure the show is successful. Another significant part of the trade association is to of course further the best interest of the automotive recyclers in attendance by fostering a collaborative and educational environment.

made a point to explain to the auto recyclers in the room that they need to build stronger relations with one another, regardless of size, corporate structure or personalities. He noted that “your competition is not in the room.” These comments really hit home for many of us, and in light of what is happening in our industry right now his timing couldn’t be better.

Steve Fletcher is the Managing Director of Auto Recyclers of Canada, our national association, and one of the presenters at the ARANY event. One of his presentation slides read, “The association needs to take on activities that are beyond the reach of an individual member.” This was the very message that

WE HAVE TO PERSEVERE AND MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE DO IS IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO COMPETE.

ARANY is a must attend event for New York auto recyclers as it draws industry vendors from all over the US, and this year ARANY embraced Canadian attendees to come and participate in an open forum.

Throughout the meetings, I couldn’t help but recognize the close parallels between auto recyclers and collision repairers, especially when it comes to what it takes to make it in this new economic environment.

We deal with the similar industry trends of vehicle complexity, environmental scrutiny, finding talented people and of course all of those third party electronic parts procurement programs.

Through it all, we have to persevere and make sure that we do what is in our best interest to compete in these very challenging times. Perhaps the most interesting comments of the event came from Joe Holinsworth in his presentation “Dealing Recycled Auto Parts in a Competitive Market.” Holinsworth is the Sales Manager for AER Manufacturing (an engine remanufacturer that works closely with the OEMs) and in recent years he has been working more closely with auto recyclers and as such put together his perspective on what he sees in our industry.

He told us how there used to be 1500 engine remanufacturers , and now there are basically only three viable engine remanufacturers left. Holinsworth 76 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Holinsworth was touting as he believes trade associations are so important for the promotion of our industry and can even help inspire the next generation so they know what we are all about and so that we can attract talented team members in the future.

The event ended with Buffalo Bills alumni Lou Piccone taking the stage to further inspire us with his can-do attitude. Piccone played six seasons in Buffalo after being acquired from the New York Jets in 1977.

He spoke about the need to have a multi-faceted approach in your career. He needed to be an asset all around the field, as he was not the biggest or the strongest player. His mind and his heart, however, were always ready for action. In business, that means being ready to wear a different hat and contribute as necessary to help the company succeed.

Piccone’s “6 Ps” perhaps best exemplifies his winning formula for success: “proper preparation prevents piss poor performance.” If we all have this mindset, we can all build winning teams! CRM David Gold is the co-owner of Standard Auto Wreckers, with locations in Toronto, Ottawa, Port Hope, and Niagara Falls, New York. He can be reached by phone at 416-286-8686 or via e-mail at david@standardautowreckers.com.

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FINANCIAL INSIGHT

NOALUMINUM? The revolution will happen ... but maybe not yet.

ADVERTISER INDEX

By Jeff Sanford

COMPANY PAGE 3M............................................9 AADCO Auto Parts..................73 AkzoNobel..............................79 ARC........................................71 Arslan.....................................11 Assured Automotive...............55 Axalta.................................OBC BASF........................................4 Boston Auto Wreckers............73 BMW.................................15, 17 Carcone’s Auto Recycling ....75 Cardinal Couriers...................33 Car-O-Liner......................26, 34 Car-Part.com.........................77 CAR-MS QRP..........................69 Collision 360..........................36 Color Compass.......................19 Crescent.................................21 CSN........................................31 D&E........................................22 DV Air Systems..........................7 Fix Auto .................................23 Garmat...................................30 GFS........................................65 Hilltop Auto Recycling............73 Hollander................................51 ICA.........................................62 Impact Auto Auctions.............39 LKQ Sonshine.........................74 Martech..................................16 Mercedes-Benz.....................27 Mitchell...................................59 Monidex .................................48 OCOT......................................18 Parkway Auto Recyclers.........73 PPG.......................................2,3 Prochilo Brothers...................12 Prospot..................................47 Rhino Linings..........................37 SCA/Tork ...............................41 Spanesi..................................20 Speedy Collision....................25 Spraymax...............................35 Stark Auto Sales.....................67 Steck Mfg. Co.........................28 St. Gobain...............................29 Valspar................................... 41 Wedge Clamp........................38

78 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

T

he biggest story over the last year has been aluminum. A once-in-history rise in the use of the lightweight metal is happening. The question execs and owners have been asking: Is it time to invest in the specialized gear and clean room?

Those who put off the investment may be on to something.

In the year since Ford put the best-

CEOs of some of the big producers of aluminum sheet had something interesting to say: The big shift to aluminum by the mainstream auto makers is not happening as fast as expected.

Steve Fisher, the CEO of aluminum sheet maker Novelis indicated as much.

The adoption of aluminum is happening at a less furious pace than many expected. Fisher said there was an expectation that another of the major

THOSE WHO PUT OFF THE INVESTMENT MAY BE ON TO SOMETHING. selling Ford F-150 on a diet by upping aluminum content in t he b o dy, it looked like aluminum was finally going to move from the high-end to the mass market. Forty years after speculation about the timing of this event began, it was finally happening, according to the aluminum boosters.

They seemed to have a point. The Ducker report predicted a 20-fold escalation in aluminum sheet demand from the automotive industry in the coming decade, with demand rising from 200 million lbs. in 2012 to nearly 4 billion lbs. by 2025. Recently the governor of Kentucky, the state with the biggest aluminum industry in the US, was declaring the revolution a sure thing. Speaking at a ceremony marking the expansion of an aluminum facility, Gov. Steve Beshear, said “This expansion will help the company continue to work hand-in-hand with the changing auto industry and its emphasis on using aluminum.”

Within a week of that announcement, a new narrative concerning the use of aluminum emerged.

Ever y quarter, corporate execu tives explain their latest earnings. In the latest round of earnings calls, the

OEMs would have announced a mainstream aluminum-bodied car by now.

But that has not happened. So far, Ford stands alone. “While Ford has gone very aluminium-intensive and been very successful with the F-150 more recently, everyone’s going to look at their portfolios of vehicles and take their own views on how quickly they need to move to aluminum,” said Fisher.

Fisher wasn’t the only one saying this.

Sean Stack, CEO of US aluminum sheet producer Aleris International, said that while Ford has increased usage of aluminum sheet, it is still “too early” to expect additional steel-to-aluminum announcements from other major automakers like Toyota and General Motors.

We are definitely going to seem more aluminum on the roads. Ford has indicated the F-250, F-350 and F-450 will move to an aluminum body structure in 2017. So this is still an issue coming down the road. But apparently, it’s not an immediate pile-up. CRM Jeff Sanford is the Staff Writer for Collision Repair magazine. He can be reached at 905-370-0101 or at jeff@ collisionrepairmag.com.

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