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P.O. Box 734 Neptune, NJ 07753 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Charles Bryant 732-922-8909 / setlit4u@msn.com 2015 - 2017 OFFICERS PRESIDENT Jeff McDowell, Leslie’s Auto Body 732-738-1948 / chacki@aol.com COLLISION CHAIRMAN Jerry McNee, Ultimate Collision Repair, Inc. 732-494-1900 / ultimatecollision@att.net MECHANICAL CHAIRMAN Keith Krehel, Krehel Automotive Repair, Inc. 973-546-2828 / krehelauto@aol.com
CONTENTS
VOLUME 47, NUMBER 4 | April 2017
10 OUT OF BODY (AND MECHANICAL) EXPERIENCES 12 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 16 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
22 I-CAR CALENDAR 26 COLLISION CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE 78 NJA ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
TREASURER Tom Elder, Compact Kars, Inc. 609-259-6373 / compactkars@aol.com SECRETARY Thomas Greco, Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc. 973-667-6922 / thomas@grecopublishing.com BOARD Dennis Cataldo, Jr., D&M Auto Body 732-251-4313 / jr@dandmautobody.com
Dave Laganella, Peters Body and Fender 201-337-1200 / petersbandf@gmail.com
Sam Mikhail, Prestige Auto Body 908-789-2020 / mikhail@goldcar.com
Ted Rainer, Ocean Bay Auto Body 732-899-7900 / trainer@verizon.net
Anthony Sauta, East Coast Auto Body 732-869-9999 / ecabofnj@aol.com
Randy Scoras, Holmdel Auto Body 732-946-8388 / randy@holmdelautobody.com
Anthony Trama, Bloomfield Auto Body 973-748-2608 / anthony@bloomfieldautobody.com BOARD ALLIED Joe Amato, The Amato Agency 732-530-6740 / joesr@amatoagency.com
Mike Kaufmann, Advantage Dealer Services 973-332-7014 / mkaufmann@advantageds.com PAST PRESIDENT ATTENDING Tom Elder, Compact Kars 609-259-6373 / compactkars@aol.com
PUBLISHER Thomas Greco (thomas@grecopublishing.com)
SALES DIRECTOR Alicia Figurelli (alicia@grecopublishing.com) EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Joel Gausten (joel@grecopublishing.com) CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lea Velocci (lea@grecopublishing.com)
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Nick Fernandes (nick@grecopublishing.com) OFFICE MANAGER Donna Greco (donna@grecopublishing.com)
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Charles Bryant • Mario DeFilippis • Jeff McDowell Mitch Portnoi • Ron Ananian • Keith Krehel • Jerry McNee
Published by: Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc. 244 Chestnut Street, Suite 202, Nutley, NJ 07110 Corporate: (973) 667-6922 / FAX: (973) 235-1963
www.grecopublishing.com
NEW JERSEY AUTOMOTIVE is published monthly and is sent to AASP/NJ and ARANJ members free of charge. Subscriptions are $24 per year. NEW JERSEY AUTOMOTIVE is published by Thomas Greco Publishing Inc., 244 Chestnut St., Nutley, NJ 07110. The editorial contents of NEW JERSEY AUTOMOTIVE are copyright © 2017 by Thomas Greco Publishing Inc. and may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without written permission from the publisher and/or editor. Articles in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Thomas Greco Publishing Inc. Cover © John Argueta / Jargapix Photography. Stock Images courtesy of www.istockphoto.com.
NORTHEAST® 2017 COVERAGE 32 4 DECADES OF EXCELLENCE:
CELEBRATING NORTHEAST 2017
33 36 38 42 44 45 48 52 52 54 58
Collision Educator Receives First Annual James Moy Award AASP/NJ Offers a Path to Certification Mike Anderson Helps Shops Thrive Honda Hosts Exclusive ProFirst Events Vocational Students Meet BASF’s Young Trendsetters Seminar Slate Educates and Enlightens There’s More to Success Than Just Numbers Montanez Takes On Rekeying Demos Address Wide Scope of Industry Issues Superare to Body Shops: Stop Selling Yourselves Short! Harley-Davidson Auction, Sparky Lyle Signing among Show Highlights
NO BRAKES by Ron Ananian 66 Don’t Ask...
AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY 74 Wharton Insurance Briefs Joe Amato, Sr. Ron Ananian Jim Bowers Charles Bryant Don Chard Guy Citro Pete Cook Ed Day Dave Demarest Phil Dolcemascolo Tom Elder
Bob Everett Thomas Greco Dan Hawtin Rich Johnson Wes Kearney Nick Kostakis Jim Kowalak Joe Lubrano Michael Lovullo Sam Mikhail Ron Mucklow
George Petrask Russ Robson Jerry Russomano George Threlfall Cynthia Tursi Lee Vetland Paul Vigilant Rich Weber Brian Vesley Glenn Villacari Stan Wilson
New Jersey Automotive | April 2017 | 7
OUT OF BODY (AND MECHANICAL) EXPERIENCES
THE BATHTUB
by THOMAS GRECO, PUBLISHER
I am certainly not the first one to say that life is a series of peaks and valleys, and I know I won’t be the last. But friends, I gotta tell you, these past few months have been one hell of a rollercoaster ride. It began on Thursday night, February 16. I was playing in our men’s volleyball league when something happened that didn’t seem to be a big deal at the time. Allow me to backtrack a bit. Volleyball is my last refuge for competitive sport. I was advised to stop playing basketball after my first heart attack 20 year ago. I stopped playing softball about 10 years ago when I could no longer see the ball coming at me until the last second, so volleyball was it. Low impact, not too much stress on the old ticker. Does it matter that due to back problems, I can no longer jump? I could still help my team out with my veteran smarts and tricks. Plus, two years ago, my son became old enough to play in the men’s league. It was a thrill to finally be able to play on the same team with him.
10 | New Jersey Automotive | April 2017
I hadn’t been playing that often this year. There is sort of a youth movement going on with my son bringing along a few of his friends to the roster. But when they were short a man, they knew they could count on this old bag of bones to at least show up and make some plays. Well, I didn’t know it that Thursday night, but I had made my last play. At some point during the second game, a ball was hit high between my son and me. Both of us were going for the ball and not looking where we were. Bang! We collided chest to chest. Full force. Now, I’m not a small guy by any means. I’m a husky 5’10”, 250 pounds. The problem is that my son is 6’ 3” and 280 pounds. Yet, neither of us went down; we just bounced off and looked at each other. Everyone stopped and asked if I was alright. I felt fine. I finished the game and went home. Strangest thing. When I got home, I started to feel a little sore. For maybe the second time in about 40 years, I got the brilliant idea of taking a bath instead of a shower. I thought sitting
in a tub would help. Again, I hadn’t done this in a long time. I turned on the water, poured some liquid soap in the tub and climbed in. Have you ever seen the movie The Blob? Where the thing just keeps growing and growing? I got that feeling when the suds started covering my mouth. As I started to climb out, I finally felt the full impact of the volleyball collision. I couldn’t move. Of course, I had the music blasting, so no one could hear me even if I yelled for help. It was kind of funny. I was pushing away the suds like a fighter throwing punches. It was even funnier when I looked around the room and saw a sea of Dove bubbles instead of the floor. Fortunately, I was able to hit the lever that opened the drain with my toes, and I survived another day. I finally crawled out of the tub and called my wife into the bathroom. When she saw the mess, I almost wished I had gone down the drain with the water. Then she just shook her head, called me a stupid ass and laughed. We didn’t know that was going to be the last laughter in our house for a while. Later that night, I was in my usual late-night routine. I went down into the basement, did some work, listened to some music, surfed the Net with my dog, Rusty, lying at my feet. Rusty had had an even tougher few months. Last
November, we noticed a growth on his lip. When we took him to the vet and they removed it, it was found to be cancerous. The vet advised us to take him to a specialist (who knew there were such things as animal oncologists?), since they found that there was more cancer in his lip even after the surgery. I met with the doctor alone with Rusty. He said that they would have to remove the entire right side of his lip and hope that they got all of it. Then, he would have to have bi-weekly vaccine shots (as opposed to chemotherapy) for six weeks and – if everything went well – we might get 600 days. For me, there was no question. He was my buddy. Over the next month, Rusty had the injections and the surgery. We had worried that when they took his lip, he might look like a doggie version of the Joker. But the doctors did an amazing job. Once it healed, you couldn’t even tell he had surgery. In January, he completed the vaccines and amazingly, the doctors said he was cancer-free. His lip, lymph nodes, chest and organs were all clear. He had gone through hell, but he was a lovable, tough fighter. We were so grateful. That Thursday after the volleyball game, the bath episode and our relaxing time, Rusty and I moved up to the living room for our usual 3am snack. We shared a bag of continued on page 68
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
AMAZING. FANTASTIC. SPECTACULAR. MAGNIFICENT. If you were at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus the weekend of March 17-19, I don’t have to tell you that my words above are being used to describe AASP/NJ’s
12 | New Jersey Automotive | April 2017
recent 40th annual NORTHEAST Automotive Services Show. If you were among the 5,000-plus attendees who walked our sold-out show floor or sat in our packed seminar rooms, you
by JEFF MCDOWELL
already know what a tremendous success our 40th flagship event was for the industry at large. If you weren’t… here’s a glimpse of what you missed: Expert presentations. Informative updates from OEMs, tool and equipment suppliers and certified shops through our exclusive “Path to Certification” seminar series. Meet and greets with celebrities in and out of the industry, including KC Mathieu, Bogi, Jonathan Goolsby and Josh Henning, not to mention Yankee legend Sparky Lyle. The incomparable Nub of Nub Grafix, who spent NORTHEAST weekend expertly striping and customizing a one-of-a-kind Harley-Davidson Softail Slim S model, while also working on several custom projects with expert airbrush artist Javier Soto of Javier Designs. Exhibitor products, demonstrations and displays as far as the eye could see, and networking opportunities that allowed our attendees to better themselves, their shops and their industry… all under one roof. I don’t want to give too much away, partially because this month’s issue features nearly cover-to-cover highlights from NORTHEAST 2017, but also because if you were NOT a part of this year’s show…you really should have been there. And I want you to make it a point to clear your schedule for March 16-18, 2018 and be part of next year’s show. I know I’ll be there right alongside thousands of my industry peers. Like everyone else, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next. Thank you again to all of our exhibitors, sponsors, supporters and attendees of NORTHEAST 2017. Please enjoy our coverage starting on page 32. NJA
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS…OR IS IT? by CHARLES BRYANT
Have you ever heard the old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, maybe we need to rethink or update that. For years, the saying referred to things like a picture being able to express the beauty of a rose petal or something similar. I don’t think it was ever intended to express the cost of repairs that results from a vehicle being involved in a collision. However, many insurers are now attempting to settle claims based on a picture of the damage. Certain carriers are leading people to believe that it is possible to prepare a comprehensive estimate based on a photograph, but nothing could be further from the truth!
Today’s automobiles are nothing like the old six-cylinder Chevy or similar vehicles that used to be on the roads many years ago. The new vehicles are basically rolling computers with technology that is so advanced that it almost takes an engineer to repair them. One thing is for sure; when one of these modern vehicles is involved in a collision, there is simply no way that a proper estimate can be completed based on a picture. In fact, when the New Jersey Auto Body License Law was created, a provision was established to make sure that a licensed collision repair facility would never be allowed to prepare an estimate based on a picture, phone call or any means other than personal inspection of the damaged vehicle. The current law requires all licensed facilities to post a notice in a conspicuous location, informing consumers of this fact. However, certain insurers are now telling their insureds to take a picture of their damage and send it to them, and they will simply send their customers a check for the cost of the repair. Based on information gathered and events reported from members of the collision industry, estimates written through this method are causing major problems. AASP/NJ has received reports that estimates based on a picture of damage to an automobile has resulted in insurers issuing checks for thousands of dollars less than what it actually costs to make the repairs. The insurer having the vehicle owner take a picture of the damaged vehicle and send it in eliminates the opportunity for the consumer to have a professional look at it and possibly
16 | New Jersey Automotive | April 2017
advise them when the damage might result in the vehicle being unsafe to drive before repairs. Not only could this pose a threat to the driver of the vehicle, but it could also threaten any potential passengers and anyone who comes into the automobile’s path before the repairs have been made. Normally when someone has an accident, they will go to a collision shop to get an estimate. When a professional looks at a damaged vehicle and sees that it could pose a threat to the safety of the passengers, they will inform the owner so they can make an informed decision on whether to continue to drive it or get into a rental replacement until their car is brought back to a safe
operating condition. Another problem posed by this new trend is the fact that many people may take the check that was issued based on a picture – which only represents a fraction of the actual cost of the repairs – and use it to pay a bill that is more pressing at the time. A few months later, they find out that the check did not represent the actual cost of the repairs. However, when the insured contacts the insurer, they find out that the claim has been closed and they are out of luck. Some people think this is exactly why the insurers are pushing the concept of estimates based on a picture of the damage. When this concept first started,
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE AASP/NJ decided to stand back and not interfere with what people were referring to as “the way of the future.” Well, I can tell you now that this is not the way of the future. As a matter of fact, this is one of the biggest problems the collision industry has been faced with in years. At this point, we have an enormous amount of documented cases of picture estimates that only reflect a fraction of the actual repair cost and numerous
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documented cases of vehicles being driven for weeks that are absolutely unsafe to drive. These vehicles would have been removed from the road if
the owners had them inspected by a reputable auto body repair facility or even an insurance appraiser who is trained to recognize safety-related issues. To conclude, something must be done on an emergency basis to stop this dangerous trend before it results in lives being lost. To be fair, there may be a place for pictures to play a role in the estimating process after the first inspection of a damaged vehicle. Once a shop has looked it (and possibly after it has been taken apart), pictures of the additional damage taken by a professional repair technician might be used to create a supplement. I am amazed that insurers would push this practice because of the quick savings they might realize on property damage, when in reality, the practice is certainly likely to create a much greater risk to the lives of the passengers in the vehicles. The bottom line is that this practice needs to stop before it causes a much greater problem. If anyone would like to discuss this issue or the information discussed in this article, I can be reached on the AASP/NJ Hotline at (732) 922-8909. NJA
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New Jersey Automotive | April 2017 | 25
COLLISION CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE
BACK TO BASICS...AGAIN Whenever it comes time for me to contribute another message for this magazine, I fight the temptation to become a broken record – but sometimes I just can’t help it. I see the lack of knowledge out there in the collision repair and insurance industries, and it’s overwhelming. Simply put, I see my peers out in the field repeating the same mistakes over and over and complaining every step of the way. At the end of the day, I use these messages I write in New Jersey Automotive to stand up for what’s right. I just want the members of this industry to be compensated for what they do. In order to do that, a lot of owners and managers need to stop moaning, wake up, smell the roses, look at their KPIs and job cost each and every repair. I’ll be honest with every single person reading this. The only reason I’m talking to you all in such a straightforward manner and giving you this advice is because I had a history of making some pretty big mistakes with
my business. I thought I was a great leader and thought my shop was a success in this industry, but I was actually losing more money than I care to admit because I wasn’t paying attention to my numbers. One day, I made a commitment to fixing the problems at my shop, started tracking my costs and profits and stopped leaving money on the table. After focusing on my numbers, my KPIs rose to the 90th percentile in the country 10 years ago – and they’ve stayed there. My goal for 2017 is to close the gap and get those numbers up even closer to the best industry performers. I intend to do this by following another piece of advice that is easier to give out than to follow: Slowing down. My shop is cranking right now, but if I don’t take the time to look at what I’m doing and see where the opportunities for improvement exist, my numbers are going to stagnate. I think I’ve become pretty good at this stuff after so many years in business, but I would be doing myself a
In addition to paying attention to what’s going on in your business, you also need to look beyond your four walls and stay involved in AASP/NJ.
by JERRY MCNEE
huge disservice if I thought I had all the answers and refused to accept that I can make mistakes. Are you willing to take a step back and identify the areas you’re running poorly in your shop? Are you willing to accept help and a little constructive criticism if necessary? Are you willing to seek out new ways to improve your business, or are you too busy fixing cars and banging your head against the wall to see things in a different way? In addition to paying attention to what’s going on in your business, you also need to look beyond your four walls and stay involved in AASP/NJ. As the collision chairman, I can tell you that the association does a lot of things behind the scenes to support the industry that aren’t always acknowledged by the shops we’re working hard to help. One example would be AASP/NJ’s push to get the insurance industry to accept a paint and materials cost accounting system. As valuable as this development is to our livelihoods, I still talk to shops (including one last week) that don’t use a P&M accounting program. To be perfectly blunt, if you’re pulling your hair out over paint and material payments, it’s time to stop whining about insurers and take a good look in the mirror. Insurance companies are simply playing the cards that are being dealt to them. Who are the ones dealing these cards? WE ARE! I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that there will be 10,000 less body shops in this country in 10 years. Are you going to fall by the wayside, or are you going to be one of the survivors? NJA
26 | New Jersey Automotive | April 2017
New Jersey Automotive | April 2017 | 27
Shop owner. Claims negotiator. Maestro of metal. CAPA die-hard. You have to wear a lot of hats to turn a mass of broken metal into a thing of shimmering beauty— all the while working with demanding insurance adjusters and picky vehicle owners. But Materials Scientist, Micro-Weld Examiner, or Tensile Strength Technician you are not. That’s where we come in. CAPA created the auto industry’s first crash part testing and certification program over a generation ago to identify high quality replacement parts for everyone whose livelihood depends on quality repairs That’s the hat we wear. Proudly.
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[NEWS FROM] BASF
BASF APS-CERTIFICATION turns your dream shop into a reality by improving touch and cycle time. For years, your shop grew in size, profit and number of repairs, with customers and vehicles lined up for service. Then, your profits slowed. Your shop was full, but not growing. And technicians had to wait for parts before starting repairs.
When claims are down, totals are rising and there’s more capacity than is needed, shops ask one of two questions: How to fill capacity when sales are down, or how to increase sales when production appears to be running at capacity. Both have the same answer—improve touch time and cycle time.
BASF creates chemistry for collision repair centers. And that expertise helped us create a solution that solves congestion and boosts profitability: The shop of your dreams.
Culture and leadership are important parts of APS success and BASF’s business coaches are your personal guides to your shop’s tranquility and profitability.
Soon, you will be ready to start your unique APS procedures. Each step of the way, your BASF team will work alongside you to implement the productivity plan. Results can be immediate:
“We produced over 1,000 labor hours in our second week. Our painters produced over 430 hours as a team, both well above our average. Three disassembly techs flagged over 100 hours for the week. We are producing more hours with less effort and chaos,” said Tim Dys, Bodyshop Manager of Shaheen Chevrolet (Lansing, Michigan).
The shop of your dreams is BASF APS-certified. It’s a shop where the front office is two steps ahead of the back-end, while painters and technicians dance around each other like a scene in a movie.
Nearly 100 collision repair centers throughout the US and Canada have taken BASF’s Advanced Process Solutions (APS) program, and we proudly have 100% customer satisfaction.
“We compete in a packed market. There’s a big difference between surviving and flourishing,” said Robert Walne, Herb’s Paint and Body (Dallas, Texas) owner. “BASF’s APS gave us standardized systems across several locations and improved our performance, allowing us to grow year after year.”
APS is proven to drive sales and profitability by opening capacity and helping attract new business. Our top 25% of APS shops have increased sales an average of 27%, and have seen their touch times doubled and their cycle times cut in half. We partner with collision center owners and managers to develop a customized APS plan. From beginning to end, BASF provides strategy and instruction on how best to improve shop performance.
Beginning with an APS planning session (I-CAR– approved), BASF builds a customized plan based on shop-specific expectations, skillsets and resources. Every shop is different, so each individual shop receives an individual plan.
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After APS: Shops see an increase in labor hours and sales RO due to a complete disassembly at the beginning of the repair process. The APS process eliminates mistakes, delivering a more peaceful environment with less chaos from rearranging cars and processing supplements.
“We just had the highest sales year ever and there was less running around than when we produced half the volume. APS added capacity and we filled it! Everyone is making more money and working the same hours, and the work environment is much more enjoyable!” said Dunshee Body and Frame (Kalamazoo, Michigan) owner Joe Townsend.
Reduced cycle times, increased touch times, fewer supplements, increased capacity, higher sales, improved profitability and a better work environment. It can all be achieved with BASF Advanced Process Solutions. So whether your goal is to open capacity or fix more cars, your dream shop is now only steps away.
4 DECADES OF EXCELLENCE
Celebrating
O
2017
n March 17-19, AASP/NJ defied what it typically means to be 40. While some might consider anyone or anything hitting the fourdecade mark to be “over the hill,” the association’s 40th Annual NORTHEAST Automotive Services Show at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus was a vibrant event that succeeded in embracing the energy surrounding emerging technologies in the automotive repair/service realm and providing more than 5,000 attendees with the equipment, knowledge and insight necessary to thrive in an industry driven by change. Humbled by the overwhelming response given to the show by industry members in New Jersey and
The Metropolitan Car-o-liner booth has been a NORTHEAST staple since the event’s inception.
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beyond, AASP/NJ President Jeff McDowell used his address during the Exhibitor Appreciation AfterParty on March 17 to thank those who made this year’s event such an unforgettable occasion. “On behalf of AASP/NJ, and with this being our 40th anniversary, we really want to extend a big thank you to all the vendors who have supported us all these years and helped us to grow this show to where it is right now. Without you, we would never have done it. Thank you for being with us through this journey. We’re going to make it bigger and better next year!” To get a true sense of how far NORTHEAST has come, one simply has to chat with Metropolitan Car-oliner President Dave Demarest Jr., whose father was one of the founders of the annual event way back in 1977. As he sees it, the continued success of NORTHEAST is a living example of the unity that has developed within the New Jersey automotive industry throughout the years. “At one time, New Jersey had four different associations for collision repair,” Demarest remembers. “Each one had their own agenda and their own priorities. Luckily, they finally came together and became one. It’s now a single voice, a single
Story by Joel Gausten
AASP/NJ President Jeff McDowell (left) with 1st Annual James Moy Memorial Award recipient Barry Roopnarine
force and a single trade show. The purpose of a trade association of any type is to work together for a common cause.” Decades after first signing on to be a part of NORTHEAST, Metropolitan Car-o-liner still supports the show with one of the biggest and most impressive displays on the floor. “As the OEMs continue to change and evolve their vehicles, the equipment and training that goes with it is always going to evolve as well. There’s the Internet, and you can research information, but to really understand and absorb it, sometimes it takes someone to be there face-to-face with you.”
continued on page 36
Barry Roopnarine and Larry Montanez
Collision Educator Receives First Annual James Moy Award By Nick Fernandes
For exclusive video coverage of NORTHEAST 2017, please visit youtube.com/aaspnjnortheast
Collision repair educator Barry Roopnarine (Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education High School, Jamaica, NY) was presented with AASP/NJ’s inaugural James Moy Memorial Award at the 2017 NORTHEAST Automotive Services Show. Each year, the award will go to an outstanding contributor to the collision repair industry. Moy – whose life was taken in a motorcycle accident last year – was dedicated to helping young people who were just entering the industry. “[James] gave generously of his time, and there was really a place in his heart for all the young people coming into the industry,” AASP/NJ President Jeff McDowell told the crowd before presenting the teacher with the award. “I don’t think that we could have made a better choice,” added Moy’s longtime friend, Larry Montanez of P&L Consultants. The award is important to Roopnarine because of the close friendship he had with Moy. “I’ve won awards before, but this one put me in tears,” he said. “I had a very good relationship with James, and this shows that he’s still out there looking after me.” Roopnarine added that there is a high demand for technicians in the industry and that he enjoys preparing students for these jobs. “I want my students to be happy once they finish my program. Knowing that they are pursuing this field means a lot to me, and it also completes part of the puzzle.” NJA
Seminar and event photo coverage courtesy of Joel Gausten & Jargapix Photography
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New Jersey Automotive | April 2017 | 35
continued from page 32
Metropolitan reps certainly got a chance for one-on-one contact with attendees when their booth drew a huge crowd for “Proper & Accurate Blueprinting with Pre-Scan/Pre-Measure,” an early-morning, pre-show seminar on March 18 by educator Larry Montanez (P&L Consultants) with assistance from Jake Rodenroth (asTech) and Anthony Cetani (Metropolitan Car-o-liner). The presentation examined two specific and very important procedures for preparing a vehicle for repair: Measuring and scanning. Demarest believes that hosting such a seminar right on the show floor – and directly showcasing the proper equipment and procedures – offered an exciting alternative to simply exploring these topics online or in a smaller brick-and-mortar venue. “You might try to do that in a meeting room, but it just doesn’t have the same impact. Collision repair technicians, managers and – to some degree – the owners are small business people, but many of them are very technical and worked on cars first before owning the business. They still have that technical, hands-on appreciation. Having it live and as real as we can possibly make it was really welcomed by the audience.” In addition to admiring Montanez’s straightforward, no-holds-barred teaching style, Demarest was equally impressed with what legendary presenter Mike Anderson (Collision Advice) brought to the table for NORTHEAST. “Although each one has their own expertise and they’re not just repeating the same message, they are both common in saying that it’s possible to be profitable in business and have quality repairs while also working among all the limitations that come with being in the industry – whether it be insurance companies or something else. There is hope.” Naturally, NORTHEAST 2017 provided a remarkable experience for hundreds of exhibitor personnel throughout the floor. Serving as a Gold sponsor at this year’s NORTHEAST, Ford was inspired to be a part of the show to take advantage of a unique opportunity to reach out to industry members in the region. “NORTHEAST offers great value for its exhibitors,” comments Ford Collision Marketing Manager Mark W. Mandl. “We appreciate this show, knowing we’ll get to meet with attendees who are engaged and interested in getting the latest, most up-to-date information possible. Attendees at NORTHEAST are exactly the repair technician audience we hope to reach at a trade show, and they always ask great questions.” Ford’s NORTHEAST 2017 exhibit included an aluminum parts display with a touch-screen continued on page 45
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AASP/NJ OFFERS A PATH TO CERTIFICATION By Joel Gausten
Following the success of the “Body Shop Certification and You” discussion panel at NORTHEAST 2016, AASP/NJ expanded the discussion at this year’s show to a four-session series, “AASP/NJ’s Path to Certification,” to gain perspectives from all parties involved in the process: The OEMs, the tooling and equipment providers and the shops themselves. Moderated by OklaFar left: Moderator Aaron Clark (Assured homa-based shop owner Performance) during “AASP/NJ’s Path Gary Wano, Jr. (GW & Son to Certification: The OEM Perspective” Auto Body, Inc.), the “Shop Perspective” session included panelists Tom Elder (AASP/NJ past president and owner of Compact Kars in Clarksburg), James Carvino (president and co-owner of Rojo Collision in Brooklyn, NY), Rick Starbard (past AASP National president and owner of Rick’s Auto Collision in Revere, MA) and Barry Dorn (owner of Dorn’s Body & Paint in Mechanicsville, VA). The panel allowed each shop representative an opportunity to share their experiences working with various OEM certification programs. For Starbard, being actively engaged with OEMs such as Ford, Honda, Fiat-Chrysler and Infiniti-Nissan allows him to remain free of insurance referral agreements as a way to generate new business. “We’re a non-contract or-referral DRP shop, so we wanted to get an idea of how we can use [certification] to market to our advantage versus having to get involved on the insurance referral side.” While OEM certification programs are attractive and potentially quite successful for the parties involved, the panel made it clear that they are not for everyone. Carvino (whose vast array of certifications include Cadillac aluminum, Audi and Mercedes-Benz) noted that in addition to needing the tools, training and repair skills necessary to work on a program’s vehicle, participating shops also often have to focus on things like the design of the facility itself. In 2017, having a clean waiting area up front is just as important as having OEM-approved equipment in the back. “You always have to look at every way you run the business slightly differently,” he observed. “When [the OEMs] come down on their audit, they’ll say, ‘Where’s your handicapped parking? Who’s wearing a nametag?’” “It’s a major culture change,” commented Dorn, whose shop is currently certified by Tesla, Porsche and Jaguar-Land Rover (among others). “You have to change the way you think and the way your team thinks, because it’s a lot of moving parts. Your folks have to be retrained; they have to rethink what they already New Jersey repair pro Tom Elder during “AASP/NJ’s Path know.” A longtime Mercedes-Benz-certified to Certification: The Shop Owner’s Perspective.” facility owner, Elder made it clear that getting employees to buy in to the certification
process is not always an easy task. Depending on the manufacturer, training and certification can cost the shop tens of thousands of dollars in addition to seeing its top techs leave for weeks at a time to attend classes. On top of that, training is often demanding and could lead to even an outstanding employee having to take a retest. As he told the audience, “If you guys are going for these welding tests, I have a great amount of admiration for you.” Naturally, anyone who is legitimately interested in pursuing certification needs to make sure they have the right equipment to accommodate an OEM’s needs. Moderated by Kristen Felder of Collision Hub, the “Tooling & Equipment Considerations” panel hosted brand representatives from various tool and equipment suppliers for their insights into topics including costs, training and safety. Dave Gruskos, president of Reliable Automotive Equipment, stressed the importance of using only OEM-approved tools and equipment, as these items have gone through rigorous testing before being designated as appropriate for use at certified locations. “[The OEMs] are trying to protect the shop, because they know that shop is their biggest asset. They need the cars fixed properly; they need you to buy the proper parts…There’s a lot that goes on behind [the scenes] before you see a sticker put on a machine that says it’s approved.” “The manufacturers are really, really concerned and interested with restoring the vehicles to pre-crash condition and keeping their customers happy and satisfied,” added Frank Ponte, key accounts manager for Car-o-Liner. “It’s important that any phase of the repair process follows strict and specific procedures that are defined by that manufacturer as [being] correct for that vehicle.” Ron Olsson, president of Pro Spot International, insisted that purchasing the correct items for an OEM program is only half the battle. “Of course, the equipment needs to have the certification, but you need to be the guy who drives what you’re doing. The training [on] this equipment is vital.”
Left to right: James Carvino (Rojo Collision), Rick Starbard (Rick’s Auto Collision ) and Barry Dorn (Dorn’s Body & Paint) during "AASP/NJ's Path to Certification: The Shop Perspective"
To gain insight into how vehicle manufacturers are developing their programs and what their expectations are for the future, moderator Aaron Clark (Assured Performance Network) welcomed various automaker representatives for two “OEM Perspective” sessions divided into panels on luxury and non-luxury brands.
Left to right: Kristen Felder (Collision Hub), Dave Gruskos (Reliable Automotive Equipment), Frank Ponte (Car-o-Liner) and Ron Olsson (Pro Spot International) during "AASP/NJ's Path to Certification: Tooling & Equipment Considerations"
During the luxury focus panel, representatives from Audi and Mercedes-Benz advised attendees on some of the general guidelines of their programs, which both require dealer sponsorship of any independent shops that wants to come on board. “We want to have linkage between the dealership, the customer and the body shop,” offered Mark Allen, collision programs and workshop equipment specialist at Audi of America. “It’s a team that’s in place to take care of that customer.” Not surprisingly, both companies demand that certified shops follow stringent equipment and educational requirements. “Obviously, it’s all in the name of making sure that the repairs are done correctly following the procedures that Daimler puts forward for us,” explained Mercedes-Benz’s Benito Cid. “They do a lot of testing in Europe to see what tools ad equipment are actually able to do the job, and that’s pretty much where we pull our tool list from. Of course, the tools have to be available globally because we are a global company, so that also kind of hampers some of the choices we have…The tools and equipment list is very specific.” “We are very adamant about training,” added Allen. “We require I-CAR training as foundational learning; you have to have your I-CAR training done before you come to our training.” Dealer sponsorship is also a key component to the Toyota Motor Sales certification program, which currently features just under 200 shops. “We’ve got about 400 dealers right now that report on a Toyota financial statement that we actually know have collision centers, and we’ve got half of those certified now,” shared Toyota’s Dave Pyle during the session on non-luxury brands. “We’re going to work to get to the other 200 over the next couple of years.” Gary Ledoux of American Honda stated that there were 975 shops in the company’s ProFirst program as of March 2017, while he expects to reach the desired cap of 1,200 shops nationwide by this summer. “Once we get it, we’re pretty much done except for replacing shops that opt out.” Ford representative Mark Mandl said that the manufacturer is looking to expand the Ford National Body Shop Network as they continue to grow their aluminum vehicle lines, while Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Senior Collision Manager Brian Wayne noted that approximately 1,550 shops currently participate in the manufacturer’s Assured Performance Network-run program. Whether you’re still contemplating getting involved in a program or are already working with several OEMs, the certification trend is not going away. In the words of James Carvino: “This is the way our industry’s going.” NJA
New Jersey Automotive | April 2017 | 37
Collision Advice’s Mike Anderson gave two of NORTHEAST’s most popular presentations.
MIKE ANDERSON HELPS SHOPS THRIVE Do you want to just survive in business, or do you want to thrive? This was the question that legendary industry speaker Mike Anderson (Collision Advice) asked the full house of attendees who gathered for “‘Who Pays for What?’ Survey Results,” the first of two hugely popular seminars he delivered at NORTHEAST 2017. Those who answered “yes” to this inquiry gained valuable new insight and tools from the AMI-approved discussion, which saw Anderson offer a variety of ways that shops could get paid by insurers for nonincluded items while also reducing the common friction they experience with these carriers. Anderson insisted that attendees could achieve these goals by keeping a few very important things in mind. First, every repair professional needs to remember that it’s facts – not emotions – that win an argument. “Your opinion doesn’t mean jack! The only thing that matters is what you can prove, substantiate or justify,” he said, later adding, “When they say to you, ‘You’re the only one who charges for that,’ ladies and gentlemen, please don’t take the bait, because that’s a negotiation tactic.” Anderson explained that shops could receive better compensation from insurers by sticking to four main questions with each procedure: Is this required to restore the vehicle back to pre-accident condition? Is it included in any other labor operation or is it a separate operation? Is there a pre-determined time in the database? If not, what is it worth? As for where to find answers to these points, he suggested that shops utilize resources including OEM repair procedures, estimating systems, the Database Enhancement Gateway (degweb.org), the SCRS Guide to Complete Repair Planning (available at scrs.com) and Collision Repair Information Bulletins (CRIBs). “You have not because you ask not. If you never ever ask, you’ll never get paid,” he said.
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Above all, Anderson made it clear that it was up to the shops to determine if they wanted to use the (often-free) tools available to them to find greater success. “Our industry likes to often play victim; we like to blame other people for our stuff. At the end of the day, we have to accept personal responsibility…As an industry, we want to use the insurance company as an excuse for our ignorance and lack of knowledge.” The presentation concluded with an overview of the latest results available from the “Who Pays for What?” industry surveys conducted quarterly by Collision Advice and John Yoswick of CRASH Network. Available for free to body shops, the four surveys a year each have a specific focus (BODY, REFINISH, ALUMINUM and FRAME/MECHANICAL) and are designed to provide repairers with real market information on which insurers are paying for various procedures. Shops have been successful in using the survey results to prove to insurers that they’re not “the only one” who charges for a certain operation in the repair process. Additionally, the results have been used by shop owners as estimating training for their teams and have opened their eyes to operations they previously thought were included. Perhaps most significantly, shops have reported using the results to better inform consumers who are told by insurers that the facility is “the only one” that charges for something. Not surprisingly, the results reviewed during the seminar offered insight into the hot topic of pre- and post-repair scanning. “Only 41 percent of the shops last year said they’re getting paid to scan vehicles before and after a repair,” Anderson revealed. “However, this was just as the OEM manufacturers were releasing position statements. So it’s going to be really interesting this year to see how much this actually goes up, because I think we’re going to see that jump up quite a bit.” Shops interested in downloading the latest “Who Pays for What?” survey results (and signing up to take future editions) can do so by going to crashnetwork.com/ collisionadvice.
by Joel Gausten
Anderson also used NORTHEAST 2017 to debut his newest course, “100% Disassembly Best Practices.” Drawing perhaps the largest crowd of the weekend, the presentation explored a host of topics including the benefits of 100 percent disassembly (and everyone’s role during this process), reasons to R&I components (with real-world examples) and tips on how to implement and sustain successful disassembly practices. Anderson explained how a 100 percent disassembly process can minimize a shop’s supplement ratio and improve cycle time by ensuring that all parts are discovered and ordered up front. Complete vehicle disassembly also supports and complements the parts mirror matching process, since all parts are off the vehicle, stored in one common location and available to compare with the new parts. A key area of the presentation was the importance of inspecting a vehicle for hidden damage, a procedure necessitated by the fact that today’s vehicles are designed to divert inertia forces throughout the vehicle in order to minimize bodily injuries to the occupant. “If you remove something and there was no damage, you should still be paid for that,” Anderson insisted. Additionally, a 100 percent disassembly will allow repair pros to look for broken or stressed spot welds, cracked or loose seam sealer, cracked or peeling paint, panel separations or deformations and other issues that might otherwise be overlooked. Anderson encouraged all attendees to implement a complete teardown process in their facility. “I know you might think that this class is very elementary…But I promise you that if you go back to your shops, you will see that it’s not being done.” Both of Anderson’s NORTHEAST presentations were sponsored by Axalta Coating Systems. For more information on Collision Advice, visit collisionadvice.com. NJA
New Jersey Automotive | April 2017 | 39
Audi dealers strive to make you an Au
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Your Audi customers expect quality and reliability from your repairs. Help meet those expectations by installing Audi Genuine Parts.
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Each part is made to the same specifications as the originals to help ensure factory fit and finish.
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Installing Audi Genuine Parts from an Audi dealer is priceless to your reputation and your customer’ Flemington Audi 213 Route 202/31 Flemington, NJ 08822 Toll Free: 800.216.5124 Fax: 908.782.9397 email: rmuir@flemington.com www.flemington.com
40 | New Jersey Automotive | April 2017
Classic Audi 655 North Macquesten Pky. Mount Vernon, NY 10552 914.663.2870 Fax: 914.663.2878 email: parts@westchesteraudi.com www.westchesteraudi.com
Paul Miller Audi 179 Route 46 East Parsippany, NJ 07054 Toll Free: 800.35.MILLER Parts Direct: 973.575.7793 Fax: 973.575.5911 www.paulmiller.com
DCH Millburn Audi 2211 Millburn Ave Maplewood, NJ 07040 Toll Free: 800.553.9250 Direct: 973.762.0262 Fax: 973-762-2381 www.millburnaudi.com
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Town Motors Audi 400 South Dean Street Englewood, NJ 07631 201.227.6506/6536 Fax: 201.541.0314 www.townmotors.com
Audi Eatontown 95 Route 36 Eatontown, NJ 07740 732.389.1743 Fax: 732.483.8455 www.eatontownaudi.com
Bell Audi 782 Route 1, Edison, NJ 08817 732.396.9360 Fax: 732.396.9090 www.bellaudi.com
Audi Manhattan 800 11th Avenue New York, NY 10019 212.515.8200 Wholesale Direct: 212.515.8275 www.audimanhattan.com Jack Daniels Audi of Upper Saddle River
243 Route 17 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458 201.252.1500 Fax: 201.254.1552 email: jmarcella@jackdanielsmotors.com www.jackdanielsmotors.com
New Jersey Automotive | April 2017 | 41
Honda’s Gary Ledoux
Technical presenter Chris Tobie
Honda’s Leigh Guarnieri
Honda Hosts Exclusive ProFirst Events By Joel Gausten
NORTHEAST exhibitor and 2017 Silver Show Sponsor American Honda used their presence at this year’s show to host two special events exclusively for members of their ProFirst certified body shop program. The “ProFirst Northeast Summit” meeting on March 18 began with an update by ProFirst Program Administrator Gary Ledoux, who revealed that there were 975 shops in the network as of March 2017. He added that Honda’s ultimate goal is to have 1,200 participating facilities, noting that there are no plans to expand beyond that target. “We calculate that 1,200 shops is the optimum number to properly serve current Honda and Acura owners. Any more would dilute the value of the franchise.” Ledoux’s address was followed by a technology update by American Honda’s Chris Tobie (who authored Honda’s much-discussed position statement on scanning) and a discussion on current and emerging industry trends by Susanna Gotsch of CCC Information Services. Tobie praised the attendees for their commitment to the certification program and providing excellent service to Honda vehicle owners. “I want to thank you, on behalf of American Honda and ProFirst, for your commitment to complete and proper repair for our mutual customers,” he said. “It’s a good thing, because this is how we bring the industry up to the next level and get cars fixed right.” On March 19, American Honda joined Axalta Coating Systems in hosting a first-ever breakout event called “Information for Innovation 2017.” The two-hour gathering featured an interactive panel discussion (moderated by Ledoux and Livia Anne Guarnieri, OEM strategic account manager for Axalta Coating Systems) that focused on the future of OE certification programs. Participants included the aforementioned Susanna Gotsch, Leigh Guarnieri (American Honda), Jeff Brewer (Caliber Collision), Andy McDonald (VeriFacts) and Mike Anderson (Collision
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Advice). Building on the previous day’s focus on ProFirst, Leigh Guarnieri shared the positive news that during the first two years of the program, American Honda has only had one customer complaint out of the nearly 1,000 participating shops. Looking towards the future, he made it clear that shop attendees should make plans to make their facilities more mechanically focused in the years to come. “As all the cars have this [new] technology, what are you going to do – send every car to the dealer? That’s just not feasible. As we make the information more readily available to you, you have to learn how to get the training to use it. If you know where to go for the information, you can get it done in a matter of minutes; if you don’t know where to get the information, you can spend all day trying to figure out how to fix some minor little thing or reset something.” The technology discussion led to an examination of the effect that fully autonomous cars could have on the collision repair industry. Anderson was quick to present his views on what separates fact from fiction on this topic. “From what I understand, there are 241 million cars on the road in North America at a given time. Even if every car [made] tomorrow was self-driving, there’s 241 million cars that are not…I think the primary focus of the OEM manufacturers is probably going to be more collision avoidance systems to prevent fatalities and minimize body injuries; it’s just that autonomous driving is what makes for good news.” Later, Anderson encouraged the shops in attendance to always look for new opportunities to grow and to regularly invest in equipment and training to improve their businesses. “I think for every one of you [who do this], there’s going to be two shops that probably won’t, and you’ll see the decline of their work.” NJA
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Vocational Students Meet BASF’s “Young Trendsetters” By Joel Gausten
Prior to the start of NORTHEAST 2017, Platinum Sponsor BASF hosted a special luncheon that connected area vocational students with some of the industry’s most popular and respected young trendsetters. Participants included Bogi Lateiner (from Velocity Channel’s All Girls Garage), KC Mathieu (best known as the owner and operator of KC’s Paint Shop and for his work on Gas Monkey Garage’s Fast N’ Loud) and Jonathan Goolsby and Josh Henning of Goolsby Customs. The question-and-answer session allowed the students to ask these stars about everything from how they got their start in the business to their preferred equipment to what younger techs can expect once they enter the professional auto arena. Asked to reflect on what it’s like to be involved in a TV show, Mathieu admitted that it can be a very odd situation. “Whenever you’re working, [the cameras] are right in your personal space. I don’t miss that at all.” However, he later added that having TV cameras around him all the time wasn’t all bad. “I don’t take a whole lot of things serious anyway, so the camera being in front of me was just an excuse to be weird!” While shows like Fast N’ Loud and All Girls Garage offer an exciting glimpse into life as an auto pro, Lateiner pointed out that not everything that the audience sees is what they should expect to experience in the real world. “We’ve got 22 minutes to show the restoration of a vehicle. It’s not going to be perfect; it’s not going to be 100 percent accurate. Just remember that absolutely nothing you see on TV is real. (laughs) It’s TV; it’s for entertainment purposes only, so listen to what your teachers are teaching you. They’re committed to this industry and committed to your learning, and they’re going to show you best practices.” Perhaps the most illuminating part of the chat was when the speakers shared some of the personal struggles they faced in building careers in the automotive field. Henning revealed that his family (including his preacher father) was initially shocked
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The guests were presented with special gifts made by students in instructor Sal Cappiello’s class at Rockland BOCES. and disapproving of his career choice to be a “dirty mechanic.” This situation was made worse by his lack of access to information in the automotive field when he was coming of age. “You all are growing up in a completely different time where a lot of this stuff is mainstream. Twenty-five years ago, the only bit [of information] that I could get was a magazine; there was no Internet, no iPhones, no nothing. We didn’t have local shows. A magazine was my only portal into all of this, and I saw it as creativity, because I could do whatever I wanted to do with the stuff that was in my head.” Lateiner discussed the early obstacles she encountered being a woman in the field. Despite having everyone from fellow restorers to a former employer try to convince her that she wasn’t welcome in a male-dominated industry, she stood her ground and worked hard, eventually building a professional life that has included worldwide television fame by following her personal motto: Tell me I can’t…I’ll show you I can. “Success is the sweetest revenge,” she said. However, she admits that there is still a severe lack of women repair pros out there. “I think there’s more women in the collision [side] than the restoration side, but 1.8 percent of all technicians are female; there’s not a whole lot of us.” Currently, Lateiner is working on the All-Female Chevy “Montage” build, an amazing opportunity for both newbies and veteran female repairers to work together and receive training on a large variety of the skills needed to rebuild a 1957 Chevy truck. The Chevy “Montage” is a frame-off restomod of a 1957 Chevy Truck that will be powered by a BMW S62 engine. The project’s mission is to celebrate all women working in various capacities in the
automotive industry and pay tribute to those who paved the way. To achieve this, the group will be building a vehicle as unique as the women working on it to be revealed this November at the 2017 SEMA Show. Addressing the topic of going into business for yourself versus building a career path as an employee, Mathieu opined that one of the greatest challenges of running a company is not just making sure you are paying your bills, but also ensuring that your employees can pay their bills as well. “Owning a business definitely has its up and downs; it has its benefits, and it has its drawbacks. But I wouldn’t change it for the world; I like being able to have the final say in what I do.” Goolsby commented that the key to running a successful business is building the right crew of people and creating a culture that keeps them involved and engaged. “A lot of people ask how Josh and I travel so much, and it’s because we have a great group of guys who are back in the shop, who can handle it and who know what needs to be done. They’re like family to us, so they’re there for the business, too – not just to make a paycheck, come in at 8 and leave at 5. They’re there to make sure that car gets done; they want to see it finished, go to shows and all that and get the recognition off of it also.” Above all, the students who attended this special luncheon left with the message that there are legitimate career opportunities in the automotive world for those who have the right attitude and a willingness to learn. “I’ll pay somebody with zero experience in the industry,” Lateiner said. “If you’ve got the right attitude, I will teach you the rest of it.” NJA
Seminar Slate Educates and Enlightens By Nick Fernandes
The seminars and discussions held at NORTHEAST 2017 drew crowds of shop owners and technicians who gained knowledge on topics such as hybrid vehicles, increasing profits, the future of staffing and using OEM resources. During “Supercharge Your Profits!” Jim Saeli of Management Success provided tips on how to run a profitable business, which included proper equipment operation, staffing and fixing business issues 100 percent. He pointed out that if something is not working properly in the shop, it can set the business back a lot more than owners think. He assured the audience that if all tools, equipment and parts are working properly, their profits will increase. “When you find out the problem with the vehicle, you fix it. It’s the same thing with the shop. You have to fix any problem that your shop has.”
Jim Saeli (Management Success)
James Meyer (Toyota)
continued from page 36
Saeli also broke down the problem of staffing in most shops, revealing that many workers are simply not getting the job done. He used a real-world example of a shop he visited in which the owner thought he needed more customers. Meanwhile, there was $120,000 worth of work that was not getting done due to a lack of engagement from his employees. Mike Brabble of Ford helped a room of repair professionals become familiar with Hybrid vehicles in his one-hour seminar, “Ford High-Voltage Vehicles Components and Operation.” He discussed components of hybrid vehicles, including modes of operation, gasoline engine operation, low-voltage systems, high-voltage electrical systems and electronic power assist steering. Brabble made sure the attendees understood the importance of the service manuals. With all of the state-of-the-art modern parts, the vehicles have to be repaired using the manufacturer’s method. “There’s a lot of little things, so you need to use the service manual to make sure you’re doing things the right way.” As the upstairs press room filled up with experienced shop owners and other industry personnel, Mike Lanza of Sherwin-Williams told them something they might not have been prepared to hear: In the next eight years, 75 percent of their workers will be millennials. Despite apprehension expressed by some of the attendees when this figure was announced, Lanza clarified the accurate work ethic of the millennial. He explained that the stereotype that millennials feel entitled is not true – they want to be a part of the big picture because they were raised by parents who told them, “You can be whatever you want to be.” “They don’t want to be told to do something. They want to be involved.” Lanza also made it clear why millennials are stereotyped as “job hoppers.” “They’re job hoppers if you don’t keep them engaged. You can’t take them and put them behind a computer and say, “You sit here all day and do this.’ You have to at least move them around on the floor.” Toyota’s James Meyer trained collision repairers on something that many industry professionals didn’t know was available: “Toyota OE Resources.” “The objective of this class is to get you folks connected with Toyota OE information, OE tools and OE training,” he said, later adding, “Repairing a Toyota is a profitable experience as long as your business is run the proper way.” NJA
Ford Customer Service representatives offered repair information and insights throughout NORTHEAST weekend.
monitor featuring the F-150 and Super Duty instruction sheets for attendees to view. Engineers were in the booth to answer questions and offer the most current information on the aluminum vehicle line. Ford Customer Service representatives were also on-hand to discuss the National Body Shop Network and other programs, while Ford Service Engineer Gerry Bonanni gave two “Aluminum FSeries Collision Repair Information” presentations in the NORTHEAST Demo Area. Impressed by the action on the NORTHEAST floor, Guido Pippa of longtime exhibitor Accudraft was quick to express his appreciation for the longstanding industry event. “Like always, the NORTHEAST show produced a lot of great customers and leads. It’s fantastic!” Pippa credits the show’s longevity and success as the catalyst for this company’s ongoing participation as a vendor. “When you have something that you just plan on every year, it’s huge. The show keeps getting better and better, so we’re not afraid of putting in bigger units and getting bigger floor space. Just knowing that it’s there and having [an association] as good as [AASP/NJ] is really something you can hang your hat on and count on.” Speaking from PPG’s display during her fourth year at NORTHEAST, PPG Business Development Manager Taylor Bowes praised the show for providing a direct link between the company and current and potential clients. “The show allows us to spend time with our customers outside the shop
continued on page 48
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continued from page 45
environment and show them our Value Added Services and new products. It also provides new leads for us with customers who want to learn more about what we offer as a paint company.” Additionally, she views NORTHEAST’s ability to last four decades as proof of the substance it still provides the automotive world. “The last two years have been the most impressive I’ve seen, and I think it’s a true testament to the shops and everyone who supports the show and AASP/NJ.” “The most important reason we are a part of NORTHEAST is to demonstrate our engagement and dedication to the industry, by staying close to our current and potential customers, as well as having the opportunity to bring additional training opportunities that are important to the industry,” offered Carmine Mirtuono, NY/NJ area sales manager for Sherwin-Williams Automotive. Maintaining their commitment to providing new educational avenues at the show, Sherwin-Williams Automotive brought in presenter Michael Lanza for “2020 – The Future of Staffing: Where Will You Be?” a well-attended seminar created to help attendees navigate the myriad of changes that will soon impact how businesses attract and maintain their changing workforces. In terms of the paint provider’s presence on the NORTHEAST floor, Mirtuono was thrilled to touch base with customers and colleagues and take in all the excitement surrounding a very special milestone in the gathering’s history. “The fact that the show has been around for 40 years proves that it’s a key component to success in the industry. We’ve been part of it for at least 30 years that I know of, and we’re pleased and proud to be part of the 40th anniversary.” Like many NORTHEAST veterans, Rick Weber of Maxon Hyundai-Mazda was on his feet from the time the doors opened on Friday until the last attendee exited the Expo Center on Sunday afternoon. “I’m here the entire weekend,” he said from his booth. “You have to maintain your presence in the industry, because if I stop coming, other guys are still going to be here.”
continued on page 54
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There’s More to SUCCESS Than Just Numbers by Joel Gausten
Although longtime NORTHEAST presenters Jerry McNee (AASP/NJ collision chairman and owner of Ultimate Collision Repair in Edison) and John Niechwiadowicz (QLC, Inc.) are best known for their seminars on the importance of shops knowing their numbers, they took a decidedly different approach to the discussions they delivered at NORTHEAST 2017. During “Open Your Eyes…And You WILL Become a Game Changer!” the two speakers spent a considerable amount of time focusing on how people feel about the work they do. In Niechwiadowicz’s mind, success isn’t about just making your shop more productive and profitable; it’s also about making the facility an enjoyable environment. “The KPIs are great because they give us quantitative measurements that say, ‘Here’s our goal,’ but there’s another aspect. In our nature, the qualitative side – how you feel – doesn’t come out as much…But it’s becoming more and more important to meeting and exceeding those goals.” Niechwiadowicz explained that providing a more comfortable and fulfilling situation for your employees begins with establishing a culture within your business that fits your team – and realizing that anyone who isn’t buying into this culture 100 percent is stealing from you and the rest of that team. “If you’ve got guys who don’t have the same values and don’t want to achieve the same things, that could lead to why everybody on the team doesn’t enjoy going to work.” In order for a shop’s culture to work, it must be understood and utilized by all employees regardless of job title. “Everybody is of equal importance in their role. We really need to celebrate little wins and make everybody feel good about their role in the organization, because they are so important.” “Everybody in your shop is a salesperson,” added McNee. As an exercise to help attendees better understand the current culture of their shops, Niechwiadowicz and McNee asked them to classify each person in their facility as either an eagle (a keepersomebody who is going to improve the
John Niechwiadowicz (QLC, Inc.)
Jerry McNee (Ultimate Collision Repair) business), a mallard (someone who is in at 8am and out at 5pm but doesn’t add much to the company beyond that) and a turkey (somebody who is not a good addition to the business at all). They were then asked to add up the total number of employees in each column to see which category comprised the majority. (Of course, it was noted that these numbers could be deceiving at first glance, as a shop’s highest-producing employee could actually be a turkey if they have a bad attitude every day.) McNee warned against keeping turkeys around your business, as it hurts your leadership when other team members take notice of your unwillingness to get rid of a bad employee. He added that it is necessary to take strong and consistent action as problems arise with employees. “It’s okay to push the bird from the nest. Either he’s going to fly or he’s going to hit the ground. At the end of the day, if he hits the ground, he’s not going to stay there for long. If he does, that’s the one who’s got to go.” NJA
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Montanez Takes On Rekeying By Nick Fernandes
Larry Montanez
Larry Montanez (P&L Consultants) blasted the industry’s way of handling estimates in front of a packed room of shop owners and collision repairers at his “Take Back Your Business from the Rekey Process” seminar during NORTHEAST® 2017. The collision repair veteran described rekeying an estimate as a useless procedure that sets the business back. “It’s time consuming and very costly to pay someone to sit there and rekey an estimate.” Fed up with the fact that shops believe they are required to do unnecessary procedures or tasks, Montanez told the audience that they should be more aware of the difference between a law and myth. He referred to these misconceptions as “myth-information.” “It’s incorrect, but because it gets repeated so much, people start to believe it.”
Demos Address Wide Scope of Industry Issues
He also expressed his anger over estimators’ decisions to provide certain services for free, stating that they have a fear of charging for something that an insurer doesn’t want to pay. “It’s up to you what you want to do for free.” Montanez believes the Labor Rate should not prevent an estimator from reaching a high estimate price and considers the procedures to be the most important factor. He assured that he can beat someone’s estimate even if his Labor Rate is $40 cheaper. Montanez hopes that his colleagues will soon stop listening to insurer demands and realize that the only person they need to answer to is the customer. “Don’t allow someone to walk into your shop and tell you what to do inside.” NJA
Clockwise: NORTHEAST Demo Area presenters Michelle Sullivan (WIN), Peter Fryzel (I-CAR) and Michael Bonsanto (I-CAR).
By Nick Fernandes
The NORTHEAST 2017 Demo Area offered sessions throughout the weekend by the Women’s Industry Network (WIN), I-CAR, Absolute Perfection Media and Ford. The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) is an organization that strives to attract women to the collision repair industry. The non-profit’s offerings to the industry include scholarships and an annual educational conference. “For decades, a small group of female pioneers made significant contributions to a highly male-dominated industry,” said Michelle Sullivan of FinishMaster, who represented WIN at the Demo Area during “Women’s Industry Network: Engaging Women in Collision Repair.” Recognizing a critical need to support this group and attract more women to join them, WIN was born in 2006. Speaking of the men in the industry who are not accepting of female workers, Sullivan said shop owners need to be educated on what women in the industry seek. She stated that they do not want to be treated differently, but they desire to be
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accepted and treated as a valued member of the team. “I think there might be a misconception that they want to be treated differently, but in our experience they just want to be given the same opportunities and to be treated with respect.” During “Customers Changing Buying Habits: Shifting Your Online Marketing into High Gear in 2017!” Absolute Perfection Media’s Michael Finazzo gave tips on a body shop’s online presence, including having a strong website that loads quickly, has an intriguing design and lists all contact information. “Your first touch with a customer is going to be your website, not your front door anymore.” Other tips Finazzo provided were maintaining a high percentage of good reviews and staying near the top of the search results on Google. Gerry Bonnani of Ford gave a presentation entitled “Aluminum F-Series Collision Repair Information,” where he spoke about the updated repair elements of the
2017 aluminum Ford F-150. Presented by veteran instructors Peter Fryzel & Michael Bonsanto, the “I-CAR Certification & Technical Hour” was a question-and-answer demonstration session with important information on what I-CAR certifications are and how the organization performs hands-on, in-shop certifications. Attendees received Information on I-CAR’s recognition and participation in manufacturer-specific certification of welding, silicon bronze and riveting. NJA
New Jersey Automotive | April 2017 | 53
continued from page 48 So how did Weber’s latest trip to Secaucus work out for him? “Overall, it was a good flow of people coming through. I had an opportunity to thank several guys who are doing business with us, and I may have picked up another account or two. If that’s the case, then it makes it all worth it.” In his mind, NORTHEAST’s consistently strong presence is due to AASP/NJ’s focus on continually updating the show to provide genuine value. “If you don’t evolve, you’re going to be stuck in the past. If you have the right people [involved] and they’re progressive, they evolve with the times – and the show has evolved. Look how many people we have here…There’s no question.” In keeping with the spirit of innovation showcased on the show floor, NORTHEAST 2017 boasted the industry debut of a number of seminars and special training opportunities designed to help automotive professionals succeed into the future. In addition to once again participating as an exhibitor, I-CAR used the show as the setting for the debut of “Vehicle Technology Trends & Diagnostics Overview,” an all-new live course. Presented by I-CAR instructors Peter Fryzel and Michael Bonsanto, the fourhour class began with an overview of various new vehicle features, technologies and repair options being introduced by automakers. Later, the presentation featured an activity-filled group of modules that introduced an overview of diagnostics, scan tools, pre-and post-scans, calibrations and the importance of continued training and education. The premiere of “Vehicle Technology Trends & Diagnostics Overview” at NORTHEAST could not have come at a better time for the collision repair industry, as the technologies in both basemodel and high-end vehicles are expanding at a jaw-dropping rate. For example, the course noted that there is no 12-volt battery in the 2017 Kia Niro, while the 2017 Lexus LC 500 has been created through an intriguing combination of carbon fiber, aluminum and steel. Additionally, the mixed-material 2017 Jaguar F-Pace has a wristband activity key that takes the place of a traditional key console, while repairs on Jaguar continued on page 60
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SUPERARE TO SHOPS: Stop Selling Yourselves Short!
By Joel Gausten
“This is a $60 billion industry that sells its services for $30 billion.” When auto body industry veteran Tony Lombardozzi of Superare Marketing spoke those words at NORTHEAST, he summed up the constant compromise that many shop personnel subject themselves to when dealing with insurers. In today’s market, it is not uncommon for shops to believe they are unable to stand up to insurance industry pressure out of fear of retaliation. But according to Lombardozzi, there is a better way to survive in this business than simply agreeing to conditions set forth by a third party. Joined by his Superare partner Peter Abdelmaseh (formerly the executive director of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Massachusetts), Lombardozzi offered straight talk on shop/insurer relations during the Sunday morning seminars “Stop Playing by the Appraiser’s Rules!” and “Set Your Own Prices and Make Them Stick!” The prevailing message of both presentations was that shops ultimately have the power to control their destinies in the marketplace. “You have the ability to legally charge free market prices,” Lombardozzi said. “Insurers fear that you will know that you can charge your own price. That is why you’re seeing more and more effort being put in to control this industry as much as possible...Why shouldn’t you be entitled to a specific profit margin that you feel is necessary to run your business? Substantiated free market prices are nearly impossible to fight in court.” Lombardozzi stressed the idea that shops have difficulties with insurers because they allow themselves to be put in these situations. “If a job is worth $12,000 and they write for $3,000, how many people think it’s real easy to build on that poor foundation and get to their $12,000? Normally, what happens is it becomes a $10,000 job. Where did that $2,000 go? Underwriting [departments] in the insurance companies have already figured these losses in. If you start giving away more money,
Peter Abdelmaseh
Tony Lombardozzi
they’re happy…The insurers fully support only the appraisers. They will throw the shops under the bus anytime. You can think they’re your best friend, but when push comes to shove, they’re going to throw you under the bus. This is how they establish control of your shop.” Ultimately, attendees left the seminars with a reminder that they – not the insurance companies – hold the power over every job that comes through the door. “You have to change your mindset; if you believe you can’t, you can’t. Success comes in cans, not in cannots. You must be the authoritative party in the transaction. It’s your shop, you’re the expert and you control it…We can’t allow them to control our business.” For more information on Superare Marketing, visit superaremarketing.com. NJA
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Harley-Davidson Auction, Sparky Lyle Signing among Show Highlights
By Nick Fernandes
Nub and AASP/NJ President Jeff McDowell The 40th Anniversary NORTHEAST Automotive Services Show welcomed the addition of a customized Harley-Davidson silent auction as well as a meet-and-greet event with former New York Yankees pitcher Sparky Lyle. The 2017 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim S Model was customized by Nub (Nub Grafix), who put the finishing touches on the bike at the show, and Dave Laganella of Peters Body And Fender. Attendees visited the AASP/NJ booth – where the bike was displayed – and placed their bid on a secure form. Ted Rainer of Ocean Bay Auto Body in Point Pleasant won the motorcycle with a high bid of $18,000. Nub, who attended his third NORTHEAST this year, worked on the bike throughout the weekend, adding pinstriping and impressive flair to parts that were previously painted at his Walden, NY shop. Not surprisingly, this attracted enthusiastic crowds throughout the show. “I think a lot of people, especially nowadays, look at artwork and any kind of painting and automatically think it’s a decal,” he explains. “A lot of people have the mentality that everything is wrapped and nothing is painted. To actually be out and in front of people performing your craft live benefits everybody in the industry I’m in. The more people are doing it in public, the better.” Nub was excited to attend NORTHEAST’s 40th Anniversary show – a celebration that offered a memorable experience during an otherwise quiet time for trade shows and other major automotive events. “It’s a cool show because there’s nothing going on in the winter around here. It’s kind of like a mini SEMA or mini AAPEX; it’s cool to get out and see the products without having to travel to the other side of the country.”
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Top left: The coveted Harley-Davidson Softail Slim S Model went home with AASP/NJ member Ted Rainer.
Baseball legend Sparky Lyle added to the excitement at NORTHEAST. Lyle, who was hosted by NORTHEAST Silver Sponsor Flemington Car and Truck Country, played in the MLB from 1967 to 1982. His career included back-to-back World Series wins with the Yankees in 1977 and 1978 and a total of 238 career saves. Lyle spent time sharing stories of his time with the Yankees and Red Sox with all who stopped by the booth. NJA
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continued from page 54 Land Rover vehicles are currently performed through a special I-CAR-trained repair network. With major revolutions in vehicle design bound to impact the auto body world for years to come, attendees were urged to stay on top of industry news and information – including through i-car.com – as much as possible. “You can use I-CAR as a site for resources for free,” stressed Bonsanto to his students. “You’ll be very surprised with the information you’ll be able to get out of there.” Other events that debuted at NORTHEAST include the “100% Disassembly Best Practices” seminar presented by Mike Anderson and sponsored by Axalta Coating Systems (see page 38) and the “Information for Innovation 2017” panel discussion presented by American Honda exclusively for ProFirst shops (see page 42). Forty years after a small group of determined industry members launched what is now NORTHEAST as a modest table-top trade show, this annual mainstay continues to stand as the greatest regional event of its kind. From satisfied vendors to educated attendees, everyone who made it to the Meadowlands Exposition Center to usher in the show’s 40th edition left with memories of a three-day trip like no other. NORTHEAST 2017 would not have been able to offer so much to the thousands who attended without the tremendous
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In addition to providing information to NORTHEAST attendees at their booth, I-CAR debuted a new course (VT117L01) and hosted a free Certification & Technical hour to promote education and transparency in the certification process.
support of the following: Platinum Sponsor – BASF, Gold Sponsor – Ford, Silver Sponsors – American Honda, Flemington Car & Truck Country, Door Prize Sponsor – Axalta Coating Systems, Lanyard Sponsor – Pro Spot/ Innovative Solutions & Technology, General Sponsor – Valspar Automotive / US Chemical & Plastic. For more information on other AASP/NJ news and events, visit aaspnj.org. NJA
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DON’T ASK...
NO BRAKES by Ron Ananian
(Here’s something you can give to your customers for some common tips for taking care of their cars.)
I drove a customer home this morning, and the conversation along the way was a sign of the times. My customer was a single mom with two young drivers. She started our chat with a question: “Do you think you need to warm up a car today?” She told me that her kids were always saying that they didn’t have time to do it and it wasn’t necessary anyway. (They read that fact on Google.) She wanted to know what I thought. In my view, making a blanket statement that cars don’t need a warm-up period is like saying the government is right for its stand on abortions. Each situation can be a little unique and have outside factors affecting the outcome. Cars do need a warm-up period, but the duration and circumstances for each depend on age of the vehicle, where you live and the temperature of the day. If it’s a late-model vehicle and its 68 degrees outside, start it, buckle up, check the mirrors and go. That alone will give the car a 30second wake-up call. If it’s a 20-year-old vehicle with higher mileage and it’s 68 degrees outside and you’ve been diligent about maintenance, give it one-two minutes. Now, if it’s below freezing, I call for the five-minute rule. Let the oil circulate and the heat start to come up and get that defroster working so the windshield is clear. How can you see the road and drive safely if the windshield is fogged over? (By the way, the millennials who write the stories for Google about how to warm up and maintain a car never seem to think about that one. If they have, I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere to date. And what about the older crowd of writers? Are they still repairing cars? Do they have a clue anymore? Our industry is filled with some very smart people but also with some, well, dopes.) Recently, I started calling around to see how other shops are handling performing a Battery Monitor System reset when replacing batteries on late-model Fords, BMWs and other vehicle manufacturers. Out of six shops, only one
had heard of it, but none of them did it. “We just put batteries in and ship it; cars don’t come back, so it must be okay!” I wonder if they can come back. I call around with little phone surveys quite often; I speak to dealer techs and service managers. If you are a regular reader of this column, you may recall that I have written about some of those conversations. See, I believe what I read and hear UP until I see it work and its effect. Take an oil change, for instance. How often do you change your oil? I hate this question – and it’s asked even more than the question about warming up your car. Let’s dispel two myths according to the world of Ron. Warming up your car varies by vehicle, location and temperature. Brand new? Start and go...but keep in mind the method may come back to bite you later in its life. A lease? Who cares? Start and go. BUT if you own it, play it smart. Warm it up; how well do you respond first thing in the morning? If your six-year-or-older vehicle is sitting outside in 20-degree-or- colder weather, warm it up two-three minutes, give the windows a chance to clear, the oil to circulate and the car to “settle on its wings.” Do you ever notice how smooth a plane ride goes once its up, moving and settled on its wings? Same idea, different vehicle. AND if there is a problem from sitting in subzero temperature (like a coolant or hose or belt), don’t you want to find out 10 feet from the garage door instead of five minutes down the road at a stop sign? That’s something else the Google writers never talk about. Oil changes? Simple (and for the record, don’t ask me if we meet; I may leave you with a blank stare). If it’s conventional oil, change it every 3,000-5,000 miles. MAX. If it’s synthetic, 5,000-7,000 miles. If you choose to go beyond the 7,000-mile range, you need to make sure the oil filter
’Til next time, I’m Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor, reminding you that “Good mechanics aren’t expensive; they’re priceless.” Ron Ananian, owner of R\A Automotive in Waldwick, NJ (est. 1978), is heard weekly in 140 markets on his nationally syndicated radio talk show. He is a working technician and former AASP/NJ Board member. Beyond his radio show, Ron writes and speaks for the automotive industry at trade shows and events. Visit The Car Doctor online at www.cardoctorshow.com.
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you’re using is rated for the higher mileage; most aren’t today. That’s according to all the engineering types from multiple filter manufacturers I have spoken to and/or interviewed on the radio show. As for the mileage intervals? Those are the mileage ratings of approximately when the additive packages are depleted in the respective types of oil. Period. Unless, of course, it’s a higher mileage, MORE expensive oil being used. By the way, ALL the dealer techs I spoke with tend to change oil sooner rather than later. So why all the hype? Most of it, in my opinion, is marketing. After all, don’t you want a car that NEEDS NOTHING to ever be repaired or replaced?
THE BOTTOM LINE IS… The media and manufacturers may not admit it, but common sense still plays a role in auto repair and maintenance. You can’t cubby hole everything nice and neat to make for good reading and to boost one car brand over the other. Cars require maintenance, especially if you want them go the distance and reach high mileage. I encourage customers to be smart with their vehicles. I will leave you with this list of my family cars: 1997 Ford Ranger (210,000 miles), 2005 Chevy Malibu (157,000 miles) and a 1998 Toyota Camry (112,000 miles). They all got there from warmups and oil changes. AND THAT’S NO MYTH! Bye for now; see you in the funny papers. NJA
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OUT OF BODY (AND MECHANICAL) EXPERIENCES continued from page 11
Boom Chicka Pop popcorn (our favorite), watched some TV and went up to bed. As I hit the pillow, I looked down to see Rusty in his usual spot at the foot of our bed by the door. Right where he could be close to my wife and me and keep an eye on the kids’ rooms across the hall at the same time. I fell asleep like any other night. A short time later, my son woke me up. He said Rusty was in the hallway breathing in a weird way. I was half asleep, so I called him over to me. He came by my side and laid down next to the bed. He was breathing very fast. I petted him and rubbed his belly for a while, he seemed to calm down and we all fell back asleep. Around 7am, I woke up to go to the bathroom. When I returned to the bed, I saw that he had thrown up and was breathing hard again. I crawled down on the floor, held him and tried to calm him down. He could barely hold his head up. I felt his tongue, and it was cold. We got dressed, and my son carried him to the car and we rushed to the vet. He carried him into the examination room and the doctor came in, checking his vitals. Rusty just looked at me with a faraway gaze in his eyes. The doctor said, “His heart is slowing down; we need to get him on oxygen.” Just as they put him on the stretcher, he started to convulse. I held him until they took him out of the room. After about 10 minutes, the doctor came in and just shook his head. They brought Rusty back to us so we could say one last goodbye. We cried and held him as long as we could. The guy fought so hard to beat the cancer, then his heart gives out a month later? I can’t say it was unfair. He gave us 12 amazing years. But I can say it sucks. It really, really sucks. Of course, it sucks even more to see your children go through their first true
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loss of their lives. But they are a lot stronger than I am. Joe was a pillar of strength that night. He knew I didn’t have the strength to lift Rusty, and he took it all upon himself to make sure that if Rusty had any chance to make it, he was going do whatever was necessary to get him there. Michelle was a different story. She had slept out that night and had to walk into a house where the dog she spent more than half her life with was no longer there. But she is tough, too. A day later, she
posted this on Facebook: “Thank you for taking my socks out of my drawers and rolling around on them, thank you for letting us dress you in our t-shirts, thank you for brushing up on us asking for constant attention and most of all, thank you for being your lovable self, Rusty. You will always be in my heart, and I’ll always cherish the many memories I have of you. You were the best dog, Rust. You were my dog. I know you’re already having tons of fun in doggie heaven. I
love you, cutie!” That still makes me cry. One last thing. When I finally got out of the bathtub that night and opened the door, Rusty was standing right there. He took one look at the suds massacre and turned and ran. Knowing that he must have had one hell of a laugh at my expense on his last night on Earth eases the pain just a little bit. Just a little… NJA
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Flemington Volkswagen 213 ROUTE 202/31 FLEMINGTON, NJ 08822 TOLL FREE: 800-216-5124 FAX: 908-782-9397 rmuir@flemington.com www.flemington.com
Linden Volkswagen 900 EAST ELIZABETH AVE. LINDEN, NJ 07036 TOLL FREE: 800-343-5116 FAX:908-486-4232 www.lindenvw.com GeorgeP@lindenvw.com
Crestmont Volkswagen 730 ROUTE 23 NORTH POMPTON PLAINS, NJ 07444 PARTS DIRECT: 800-839-6444 FAX: 973-839-8146 www.crestmontvolkswagen.com Paul Miller VW of Bernardsville 118 MORRISTOWN ROAD BERNARDSVILLE, NJ 07924 TOLL FREE: 877-318-6557 LOCAL: 908-766-1600 FAX: 908-766-6171 www.paulmillervw.com
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Trend Motors 221 Route 46 West Rockaway, NJ 07866 888-267-2821 FAX: 973-625-4985 www.trendmotors.com email:dreinacher@trendmotors.com
Douglas Motors 491 MORRIS AVE. SUMMIT, NJ 07901 PHONE: 908-277-1100 FAX: 908-273-6196 TOLL FREE: 800-672-1172 www.douglasvw.com email: douglasparts@douglasautonet.com
Fred Beans Volkswagen 131 DOYLE STREET DOYLESTOWN, PA 18901 PHONE: 877-942-3267 fbparts.com
DCH Volkswagen of Freehold 4360 ROUTE 9 FREEHOLD, NJ 07728 PHONE: 732-810-7903 FAX: 732-637-8297 www.dchvwoffreehold.com email: dfilipe@dchusa.com
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ARANJ 2017 Officers
President Bob Dirkes - Dirkes Used Auto Parts (609) 625-1718 dirkesauto@gmail.com
1st Vice President Ian Szoboszlay - Ocean County Auto (732) 349-0332 ian@cosmosautoparts.com
2nd Vice President Darryl Carmen - Lentini Auto Salvage (908) 782-6838 darryl@las-parts.com
3rd Vice President Rodney Krawczyk - Ace Auto Wreckers (732) 254-9816 aceautonj@comcast.net Executive Director Brian Snyder - Auto Recyclers of NJ (609) 714-2339 brian@aranj.org
ARANJ 2017 Board of Directors Mike Ronayne - Tilghmans Auto Parts (609) 723-7469 tilghmans@snip.net Mike Yeager - EL & M Auto (609) 561-2266 elandmauto@aol.com
Ed Silipena - American II Autos (609) 965-6700 esilipena@yahoo.com Harry Shover - Porchtown Auto (856) 694-1555
Norm Vachon - Port Murray Auto (908) 689-3152 portmurrayauto@yahoo.com Dylan Rinkens - East Brunswick Auto (732) 254-6501 ebautonj@comcast.net
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ARANJ
The Automotive Recyclers Association of New Jersey
Wharton Insurance Briefs An ARA Member
Most of you have safety manuals, but for those who don’t, one of the important steps in forming one is to establish Employee Responsibilities and Accountabilities. You need to make sure your employees are a part of a successful safety program, and they need to understand how they contribute to the success of the program.
• Managers must create a safe work environment by implementing and overseeing effective safety management programs. • Supervisors must instruct workers on safe work practices, promote safety awareness, enforce rules and regulations, correct unsafe conditions and behaviors and make sure that only properly trained workers operate equipment. They must investigate accidents and ensure injuries are treated and reported. • Non-management employees must follow and use the safety rules to prevent accidents and injuries to themselves and visitors. They should report unsafe acts, conditions or equipment to a supervisor or manager. In the event of an accident, employees should cooperate fully in the investigation. As always, please contact us if you have any questions or would like to discuss your insurance program with us. NJA
Mario DeFilippis, AAI, Vice President (800) 221-0003 (ext. 1320) • (908) 513-8588 (cell) mdefilippis@whartoninsurance.com
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For Genuine Subaru Body Parts, contact these Authorized Subaru Dealers. Flemington Subaru 167 Route 31 Flemington, NJ 08822 Toll Free: 800-218-1432 Phone: 908-782-6831 Fax: 908-782-9701 bstratton@flemington.com www.flemingtonsubaru.net
Subaru of Morristown 175 Ridgedale Avenue Morristown, NJ 07960 Toll Free: 800-541-1127 973-292-0872 wholesale@subaruofmorristown.com
www.subaruofmorristown.com
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Liberty Subaru 55 Kinderkamack Road Emerson, NJ 07630 Phone: 201-261-7495 Fax: 201-261-3261 Toll Free: 888-782-9493 parts@libertysubaru.com
Fred Beans Subaru 131 Doyle Street Doylestown, PA 18901 Phone: 877-942-3267 fredbeanssubaru.com
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