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New Jersey Automotive | June 2022 | 5
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P.O. Box 734 Neptune, NJ 07753 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Charles Bryant 732-922-8909 / setlit4u@msn.com 2021 - 2023 OFFICERS PRESIDENT Jerry McNee, Ultimate Collision Repair, Inc. 732-494-1900 / ultimatecollision@att.net COLLISION CHAIRMAN Dennis Cataldo, Jr., D&M Auto Body 732-251-4313 / jr@dnmautobody.com MECHANICAL CHAIRMAN Keith Krehel, Krehel Automotive Repair, Inc. 973-546-2828 / krehelauto@aol.com
VOLUME 52 NUMBER 6 | June 2022
CONTENTS 10 OUT OF BODY (AND MECHANICAL) EXPERIENCES
16 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
12 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
42 NJA ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
TREASURER Tom Elder, Compact Kars, Inc. 609-259-6373 / compactkars@aol.com
14 COLLISION CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE
SECRETARY Thomas Greco, Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc. 973-667-6922 / thomas@grecopublishing.com
LOCAL NEWS
BOARD Brad Crawford, Livingston Collision, Inc. 973-992-5274 / livingston.collision@gmail.com Gary Gardella, Jr., County Line Auto Body 732-363-5904 / countylineautobody@gmail.com Dave Laganella, Peters Body and Fender 201-337-1200 / petersbandf@gmail.com Sam Mikhail, Prestige Auto Body 908-294-1985 /prestige@goldcar.us Ken Miller, 821 Collision, LLC (973) 949-3733 / kmiller@821collision.com Ted Rainer, Ocean Bay Auto Body 732-899-7900 / ted@oceanbayautobody.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 Jeff McDowell, Leslie’s Auto Body 732-738-1948 / chacki@aol.com
20 A Narrow Window to Act: Tim Ronak Explores the Construct of Prevailing Rates with AASP/NJ by Chasidy Rae Sisk 24 Industry Professionals Sound Off at AASP/NJ Town Hall Meeting by Alana Quartuccio Bonillo
FEATURE STORY
26 Cash Versus Credit: Which is Better? by Chasidy Rae Sisk
COVER STORY
30 Surviving the Storm: Who Will Repair Vehicles in 2030? by Chasidy Rae Sisk
INDUSTRY UPDATE
34 Alicia Figurelli Honored Among 2022 Most Influential Women at WIN Conference Gala PUBLISHER Thomas Greco / thomas@grecopublishing.com SALES DIRECTOR Alicia Figurelli / alicia@grecopublishing.com EDITORIAL/CREATIVE COORDINATOR Alana Bonillo / alana@grecopublishing.com MANAGING EDITOR Chasidy Rae Sisk / chasidy@grecopublishing.com OFFICE MANAGER Donna Greco / donna@grecopublishing.com PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Joe Greco / joe@grecopublishing.com
AASP/NJ MEMBER PROFILE 36 Livingston Collision, Inc. by Alana Quartuccio Bonillo
AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY 40 Wharton Insurance Briefs by Mario DeFilippis
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Charles Bryant • Mario DeFilippis • Dennis Cataldo • Mitch Portnoi • Ron Ananian • Keith Krehel • Jerry McNee • Jacquelyn Bauman
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 © 2022 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. Stock Images courtesy of www.istockphoto.com.
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
Alicia Figurelli Thomas Greco Dan Hawtin Rich Johnson Wes Kearney Nick Kostakis Jim Kowalak Keith Krehel Joe Lubrano Michael Lovullo Jeff McDowell 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
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OUT OF BODY (AND MECHANICAL) EXPERIENCES
Disposable? by THOMAS GRECO, PUBLISHER I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine the other night regarding the future of collision repair. We talked about how shops have never been busier and how that was both a good thing and a bad thing. Good, because everyone loves a full shop. Bad, due to many things including the lack of available tech help, the shortage of parts caused by supply chain backups, etc. But we both know that shops will not stay full forever and will eventually get back to the normal schedule once we fully recover from COVID or Biden/Trump (depending on your politics). So, what happens then? It is a fact that the vast majority of shop owners in the auto body business are over 45 years old. Like many business owners in that demographic, most of them have fought the battles and are looking toward an end game. Whether their goal is retirement, selling the business or just riding the wave until it’s time to close shop and relax, that day is closer than ever before. The problem is that there are very few coming into this field to take their place. I’m not talking about the big shops necessarily. With the influx of MSOs and certification,
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those shops will always thrive and prosper. But with more dealerships closing their body shops than ever before, the shops that really keep the industry alive are the small-tomedium ones. They make up the largest percentage of shops in the country. By a large number. My buddy happens to own one of those shops. So, I asked him what’s going to happen in 10 years when a lot of these small-to-medium shops age out or simply opt to get out because the cost to purchase the proper equipment to fix all of the new automotive technology (EV, anyone?) is just too expensive, especially on a labor rate that shrinks every day in the face of inflation. I asked him who’s going to tell the consumer that they have to wait a minimum of a year to get their car fixed because there aren’t enough shops around to do the job. What does the consumer say to their finance company that expects a monthly payment for a vehicle they can’t even drive? My friend just shrugged and laughed. He said the majority of vehicles will be totaled. Surprised by his answer, I asked if he meant that all vehicles will become disposable in the future. He looked at me with a smile and pointed out, “When’s the last time you fixed your TV?” Hmmm. He had a point. I haven’t fixed a TV in years. Do they even have TV repairmen any more? These days, if your TV goes, you just log in to Amazon and order a new one, right? But I fought back a little. After all, your TV isn’t your second largest investment like your vehicle is. Unfortunately, we got distracted, and the conversation ended there. Yet, I kept thinking about it, and I guess some of his arguments could be true. Then again, when our dryer broke this week, I didn’t go out and buy a new one; I called a repairman. Same thing would happen with my refrigerator or my dishwasher. I’m not going to throw something out if only a part of it is damaged and it can be fixed to run the way it originally did. I find it hard to believe that cars will become disposable anytime soon. I also find it hard to believe that politicians and manufacturers aren’t taking into account that something needs to be done about getting people into this industry…whether it be providing grants for trade schools, funding for apprenticeships at shops or lowinterest loans that allow those small-to-medium shops to purchase the technology that is being shoved down their throats. It is all coming too fast. Disposable cars. Electric cars. Automated cars. Someone’s in for a reckoning. We aren’t ready, and we know it. Let’s just hope our industry doesn’t get the blame for the government and manufacturers’ lack of foresight. NJA
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Controlling Our Own Destinies by JERRY MCNEE As vehicle technology has evolved over the last few years, shops have struggled to keep up with the constant changes in terms of tools, equipment and training, yet as our costs continue rising, especially now with the high inflation that’s impacting every aspect of our economy, many shops are still collecting the same labor rates they’ve been collecting for half a decade! Did I mention it’s 40 years behind the automotive industry? Everyone’s cost of doing business is different, but the majority of businesses in most industries have adjusted their prices to reflect those increases. We have all seen and felt it. Insurance companies employ analysts and certainly do everything possible to ensure their continued financial success – in fact, one particular company has raised their current rates by between 5.4 and 7.2 percent this year, equating to $1.9 billion in additional premiums… forever since they never lower their rates. Their reason: the high cost of repairs, yet their cost paid out to repair shops only equals 20 percent of their premiums collected. Because it’s not the labor charges that are increasing around the country. It’s the cost of parts and the complexity of the cars that drives these increases. Insurers do whatever it takes to keep up with rising costs and maintain profitability; however, when we try to make similar moves, they want nothing to do with it, as it’s an acceptable practice to just ignore our request or plea! Unfortunately, part of the problem is that many shops don’t even realize that they need to increase their prices – or that they’re able to do so. They simply accept the status quo and cash the insurer’s check without even realizing how much they’re losing on the backend. But we’re running businesses, and giving stuff away is not a good method for running a profitable business and most employees have no clue.
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As an example, let’s pretend I own a department store and buy 10 shirts, 10 pairs of pants, 10 pairs of socks and 10 underwear. If a customer buys a shirt and a pair of pants, I’m not going to throw the socks and underwear in for free because it still costs me to buy each item; if I give those things away, it becomes a loss leader. If I have 40 items to sell, I want to sell all 40 items – not sell 25 and give away 15. It pains me that many shops are still using the old hour per dollar rates for paint and materials, even though AASP/ NJ got the paint and material increase set in place several years ago. It becomes a loss leader because shops don’t even know their true cost. So, how can you fix it? Back in 2009, I decided that it was time for a change, but it took me a while to really get into a groove. I knew I needed to spend some time learning how to run my shop more effectively, but I was so consumed by the amount of work on my plate that I didn’t want to take the time off. I had the mentality of “let me get the work done so I can get paid.” Committing to my decision to work on my business made a huge impact on my career and in my and my employees’ lives. And it’s not because I’m different or better than anyone else; I’d simply had enough of somebody else controlling my destiny! Invest time and energy into educating yourself and learning how to improve your business. Join a performance group, attend association meetings and hold yourself accountable. It’s easy to get caught up working in our businesses instead of working on our businesses, but investing the time to educate yourself can make a huge difference…especially when you have no idea you’re leaving money on the table and if you’ve allowed someone else to control your destiny. NJA
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COLLISION CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE
Do More Than Join: Participate! by DENNIS CATALDO, JR. Back in 1754, Benjamin Franklin chose to depict the American colonies as a snake segmented by the initials of each colony. New England was shown as the head, with the body consisting of the other colonies, moving southward along the coast until South Carolina made up the tail. The woodcut “Join, or Die” was used to depict the 13 colonies’ disunity and unwillingness to fight during the French and Indian War. It was utilized again 11 years later to encourage the colonies to unite for the cause of independence. Franklin, writing under a pseudonym for The Pennsylvania Journal in 1775, emphasized the snake as a symbol of America.
membership to participate, to interact with one another and to engage with our discourse. It is not enough to merely pay your membership dues; we need to show a united front to the issues we face daily. If we present a seminar, we need you to attend. If we ask you to call your government representatives to voice your opinions, you need to do it. When you’re provided with access to an independent, unbiased labor rate survey, you need to fill it out. When you feel your customer is being misled or unfairly reimbursed by their insurance company, file a complaint with the state, then send it and their response to us.
When commenting on the depiction of a rattlesnake above the words “Don’t Tread on Me” written on a drum of a continental marine, he wrote: “I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness, that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids. She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance. She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders[…] The Rattle-Snake is solitary, and associates with her kind only when it is necessary for their preservation. In winter, the warmth of a number together will preserve their lives, while singly, they would probably perish.” By this point, you’re probably thinking, “Gee, thanks for the history lesson, but what does this have to do with me?” Well, you joined AASP/NJ for any number of reasons, but the association has needs as well to help you achieve those reasons: what we require is you. We require our
If you follow national news for our industry, other state organizations and membership are constantly battling for what they think is right. The Auto Body Association of Texas engages in an almost daily assault on the Texas Department of Insurance. In Massachusetts, their association is constantly making people aware of the state’s unfair labor rates which are the lowest in the nation; they have even gone so far as to organize a protest to raise awareness. I always hear bickering and complaining that our association never does anything…well, AASP/NJ does a lot for our local industry – perhaps, you’re feeling this way because you never choose to join us in our efforts, because you never do anything!
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
United We Stand – Divided We Fall by CHARLES BRYANT If you are currently a collision shop owner, listen up! For as long as I can remember, the leaders in the collision industry have preached, “United We Stand – Divided We Fall.” I am sure you have heard it before, but this time, I strongly recommend that you grasp just how important and true it is. The insurance industry has constantly looked for ways to divide the members of the collision industry and prevent them from gaining what is commonly referred to as “Power in Numbers.” The best and most prevalent example is how they have turned one shop against the other by putting one on their DRP and refusing to allow another shop to participate in the same program. Why? Because they are too close in proximity. It’s simple! They use 15 percent of the shops to control the other 85 percent in any given area, and it works! The problem is that once the first shop gets on the insurer’s DRP, he or she has no choice but to take work away from the other shop when that shop refuses to work for less than bicycle shops get paid to repair bicycles. Then, sooner or later, any friendship that the two may have had is gone, as a hatred for one another sets in. Meanwhile, in the past, the shop that is on the DRP could still do just fine because of the volume of work being steered to them, and since the shop on the program traditionally became the appraiser, he or she could simply adjust the hours to compensate for the restrictions in the program. That’s how it worked…until recently! Lately, reports indicate that insurers are tightening
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the rules and often adjusting the hours on the DRP shop’s estimates to what they feel they should be, rather than what the DRP shop originally put on the estimate. Long story short, if the insurer does not look the other way when the DRP shop puts in hours to compensate for the restrictions in the program, it simply doesn’t work. Now, I know that no one wants to admit this, but the fact that more and more shops are removing themselves from the direct repair programs tells a story. For quite some time, insurers have wanted to eliminate having to pay the salary, fees and costs associated with having an employee or an independent appraiser visit shops to inspect damaged vehicles and prepare estimates to work out an agreement with the shop. Well, up until COVID, the idea of photo estimates was just wishful thinking on the part of the insurers. Now, without any change in the law or rules governing fair claim settlement practices, insurers are often stating things like, “We don’t send out appraisers anymore.” Or, when an insured or shop requests an inspection of the damage, the response is often, “We don’t do that anymore.” Next, collision shops have vehicles sitting in their shop for weeks at a time, waiting on insurers to inspect the damage or communicate through the use of photos. Shops can’t even get the insurers to return phone calls. Another major problem related to COVID is that collision shops often can’t get the parts required to repair damaged vehicles. Even though the policy of insurance has a “duty
to protect” provision that requires the insurer to pay for the protection of a damaged vehicle to prevent further damage, some insurers act like it doesn’t exist and refuse to pay for storing the vehicles while waiting for many of these issues to get worked out. The bottom line is that the COVID pandemic seems to have created a perfect reason to implement photo estimating and the perfect reason to not return phone calls, even calls related to legitimate claim issues. One shop owner addressing these issues one at a time will never get the problems solved. If the collision industry ever needed to stick together and address these problems in a united effort, that time is NOW! That old saying of, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall” has never been more relevant than right now! To conclude, if you are a collision shop owner and you are not a member of an association or group addressing these and other current problems, get involved and become part of the solution, rather than being part of the problem. If you are a member of a group or association addressing these and more issues like those referenced above, don’t sit home when a meeting is held. Don’t ignore Zoom meetings when they are being held to address the current issues. The bottom line is these and other problems will only get resolved when we address them in a united effort. Again, United We Stand – Divided We Fall. NJA
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by CHASIDY RAE SISK
LOCAL NEWS
A Narrow Window to Act: Tim Ronak Explores the Construct of Prevailing Rates with AASP/NJ “Labor rate is only a small part of the labor sale equation,” AkzoNobel’s Tim Ronak informed attendees during AASP/NJ’s virtual meeting on April 28. “Increasing the labor rate may be valuable, but in many cases, shops are not even writing a fully documented sheet for all justifiable operations.” Examining recent inflation rates, Ronak observed that increases in auto body repair prices appear to be outpacing the consumer price index; however, “this current growth in costs is primarily driven by parts cost increases. There’s a huge gap between the cost of auto insurance and what it costs to fix cars.” The difference between how large and small businesses respond to rising costs plays an exacerbating role in these concerns. Big businesses anticipate cost increases and strategically adjust their prices in advance, while small businesses tend to be “reactionary,” Ronak said. “They typically wait until they feel the pain before responding to price increases, and then their prices rise long after the costs increase; it’s not instant.” Yet, increases in parts pricing reflect on the invoice and are billed. “Why aren’t they doing that with materials or, more importantly, with labor? Why is labor a fixed amount?” Ronak queried. “We’re forced to work with the dollars we get, while the wage rate remains unresponsive to economic changes. Some bigger collision repair organizations have built a business case and are raising their prices, but if they get $15 an hour more for their labor rate and decide to pass $7 of it to those technicians they want to recruit, what does the small shop owner do? “If you don’t have people, you can’t fix cars, so there’s really only one response,” he answered his own question. “You’re forced to agree to something that isn’t built into your pricing model.” Identifying terms related to labor rate discussion, Ronak explained that the retail rate for collision repair is a shop’s individual posted rate, while a market rate is determined by averaging the retail rates of all shops within the market. In contrast, he defined prevailing rate as “a construct that has evolved as a convenience for communication to market participants, and I’m going to make this clear: “Prevailing rate is an asserted market rate by some third party using a survey method they define that may or may not be open to scrutiny and may also incorrectly include contracted rates. I encourage you to complete labor rate surveys if the opportunity presents itself, but never complete it with a contracted rate.” 20 | New Jersey Automotive | June 2022
Exploring why labor rates vary so much between different markets, Ronak identified six factors that have the largest influences on market rates: shops using business rules to establish rates, the existence of a retail door rate differential, indisputable expertise, education and training acquired through associations, a leveled quality playing field and efforts to educate the industry in terms of safety, efficiency and profit. “These shops have an excellent understanding of their financial performance and are willing to say ‘NO!’ to jobs that don’t fit into their pricing models,” Ronak continued. “They also emphasize their expertise as increasing technology demands specialized repair facilities and specialized training; to meet those demands, they charge the retail rate that their business needs to continue to reinvest to stay current. Shops don’t work for the insurance company; they work for the consumer, and the insurer is simply there to pay the bill!” Ronak also noted that inflation rates increased significantly throughout 2021, and in January, February and March of this year, inflation climbed by 7.1 percent, 7.87 percent and 8.5 percent, respectively. Experts predict another year of high inflation, and according to Ronak, the rising increases in the inflation rate are largely caused by the government’s addition of $4 trillion into the money supply which, in turn, devalues US currency. As costs go up, those increases impact shops directly – through rising expenses – as well as indirectly, as they must find a way to adjust wages to keep employees. “Your employees want to maintain their standard of living, and they are going to be looking to you with their hand out to be able to equalize their costs,” Ronak warned. “If you’re not willing to affect that change for them, well, I know several shops where individuals are leaving for other industries because we’re just not competitive in the marketplace compared to the compensation they can receive by taking their skills elsewhere. “Fortunately, the current market provides an ideal opportunity to have a conversation about rising inflation with consumers. It’s front and center in every aspect of their lives right now, so they’ll understand why you need to increase your prices; however, if you wait six months to chase a higher labor rate in order to get compensated for inflation, it’ll be too late. You have a narrow window to act.” For more information about AASP/NJ and its future events, visit aaspnj.org.
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by ALANA QUARTUCCIO BONILLO
LOCAL NEWS
Industry Professionals Sound Off at AASP/NJ Town Hall Meeting This rapidly changing industry never seems to get any easier – and most repairers are just plain fed up! With this in mind, AASP/NJ invited automotive industry professionals to a Town Hall meeting at the Holiday Inn (Clark) last month to give repairers an opportunity to sound off on the many issues plaguing the industry. Repairers shared experiences and struggles in a safe and productive environment where they ultimately worked together to help find solutions. “It was really well received,” stated AASP/NJ President Jerry McNee who led the discussion along with AASP/NJ Executive Director Charles Bryant. “The meeting served as a sounding board, allowing repairers to discuss various topics and possible ways to resolve these issues.” Starting with a list of possible talking points, such as the labor rate and parts issues, the group worked together to identify the problems that affect their businesses the most. “Based on the questions asked and conversations that took place, it’s obvious that the collision industry is fed up with how insurers are dealing with auto body shops at the present time,” Bryant observed. “It wasn’t a bitch fest,” McNee added. “Attendees focused on what can be done to better our industry.” As things continue to change, the “old status quo is no longer acceptable,” McNee reminded repairers. “Technicians are becoming an oddity. The cost of
“ ”
business is increasing. All of our expenses are increasing. It’s good to get together and learn about each other’s experiences and find out what is taking place in this industry by discussing real-world problems.” Although the event was well attended, McNee and Bryant agreed that more shop owners should have been in attendance. “With all that is going on, it is a shame that there weren’t 1,600 shop owners at this extremely important event,” commented Bryant. McNee commended those who took the time to come out to the meeting as it truly showed their willingness to bring improvements to the collision repair world and demonstrated that there is hope for a better future. He believes everyone left with at least one, if not several, ideas to implement into their businesses, but first, one must be willing and open to putting in the work. “If you aren’t willing to make change, it won’t happen,” he advised. “Stop crying about it and do something about it.” “Until shop owners get the power in numbers concept through their heads, things are only likely to get worse,” Bryant contributed. “This was a meeting that every shop owner in the state should have attended to have their voice heard. Thank you to all who did. For those who did not, shame on you!”
Until shop owners get the power in numbers concept through their heads, things are only likely to get worse.
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New Jersey Automotive | June 2022 | 25 5/27/21 5:43 PM
FEATURE STORY
Cash Versus Credit: Which is Better? Accepting credit card payments isn’t an option in today’s economy – most consumers whip out the plastic without even realizing the fees incurred by the shop for accepting credit card payments. While it used to be against card brand rules to tack on an additional percentage to cover the banks’ processing fees, a lawsuit against the card brands changed all that a few years ago, making it possible in most states. Although legal surcharging is now available to merchants, it comes with specific rules and regulations. To combat these strict rules, the merchant processing community developed a different program: cash discounting, but this left many merchants confused on the differences. In either case, most shops don’t realize that they can recover most of these fees, or they don’t understand how to implement the right program for their needs. So, what’s the difference between cash discounts and credit card surcharges, and which one makes the most sense for your business? Ken Racioppi, who has been servicing many AASP/NJ members for more than a decade, offered some insights. “Everyone is wondering what the difference is because these two phrases are being used interchangeably when they’re actually two very distinct things. With a cash discount, the shop offers a discount off their price if the customer pays cash, so offering a four percent discount on a $100 charge means the bill would be $96. The business does not have to tell Visa or Mastercard that they’re offering a discount, but they are required to display both their credit card and cash prices.” Gas stations implemented the cash discount model early on by publishing a credit payment price alongside a discounted cash option. “The fuel industry was an early adopter of cash discounting due to their paper thin margins, and as gas prices increased, their margins shrank, forcing them to charge more for credit cards,” he provided an example. “Having only three choices for fuel made it easy to publish cash and credit prices for each one, but when a merchant sells 100 different items, it would not be as easy to publish a cash and credit price for every item sold. One way to overcome this obstacle would be to show a total due cash price and a total due credit card price before the customer decides how to pay.” Additionally, enticing customers to take advantage of a cash discount isn’t as easy as it may sound since most consumers enjoy getting cash back or points for using their high value rewards cards. “Consumers just don’t carry cash like they used to,” Racioppi pointed out. “The pandemic made handling cash less attractive for consumers and even merchants to some degree. But the real driving factor is those high value points that consumers get for using credit cards. Why should the 26 | New Jersey Automotive | June 2022
business have to absorb fees which pay for that five percent cash back reward?” Surcharging is different and allows the shop to collect a percentage above their published pricing; the consumer may receive five percent cash back from that purchase, but three percent is paid to the merchant to cover the credit card fees (instead of the merchant paying for all the rewards). “The shop tacks on a charge above and beyond the published cost, so adding a three percent surcharge to a $100 bill means the customer pays $103,” Racioppi explained. “There are restrictions involved with this route. If a merchant plans to add a credit card surcharge, they are required to notify Visa and Mastercard. It’s also important to recognize that the surcharge cannot be added to debit card payments (whether PIN or signature), and limits dictate how much of a surcharge the merchant can add.” Unfortunately, few shop owners understand the difference between the two choices, and many who claim to be offering a cash discount are actually including a surcharge beyond their listed price and applying it to debit cards. “A lot of what’s happening, across all industries, would be considered non-compliant,” according to Racioppi. “It’s like the Wild West with many merchants claiming to offer a cash discount when they’re actually adding a surcharge to their published prices…and then removing it if the customer pays cash. Some businesses call it ‘discounting’ when they’re really surcharging all the cards, even debit. That’s not compliant with the regulations governing surcharges.” While the card brands have largely ignored noncompliant surcharges, largely due to the pandemic, Racioppi expects them to start cracking down on the cash discount loophole as it gains more acceptance: “We’re going to see more come out about this in the near future as Visa and Mastercard start to wrangle noncompliant service providers. Currently, no one is really watching or managing this process, but where we are today is not where we’ll be in the near future. Shops may get away with being non-compliant for a while…until they receive a cease-and-desist letter from these major credit card providers. It’s not that easy to unwind this type of process immediately, which is why it’s so important to educate people about the right and wrong way to do this. “Deciding the best way to recover credit card fees really comes down to what is and isn’t compliant,” Racioppi continued, advising, “I recommend implementing a surcharge to ensure compliance, but businesses need to put controls in place before deciding to do it... you can’t just say ‘I’m going to start surcharging’ and do it immediately if you want to be compliant. We offer programs to help merchants implement compliant surcharges, and we hope AASP/NJ members will take
by CHASIDY RAE SISK
advantage of them.” Shops that decide to implement a surcharge need to register with Visa and Mastercard, and a sign must be displayed at the point of purchase that indicates that customers will be surcharged on all credit card transactions, excluding debit cards. The surcharge must also be added to all invoices as a separate line item. Although shops are permitted to surcharge, it’s against the regulation to charge well above the aggregate rate. “You can’t turn it into a revenue center,” Racioppi warned. “Technically, the surcharge amounts should never hit the merchant’s account. Setting up the surcharge program will ensure the fees are immediately extracted before you get your deposit so there’s no way to make it a revenue center for yourself.” So why are debit cards excluded? Debit transactions carry little risk since the consumer can only charge up to whatever amount is in their bank account. Also, there are no rewards or cash back options when using debit cards. These two factors bring the cost to acquire debit cards down from a high of three percent to 1.5 percent or less. Still, most consumers opt to use their high value rewards card. “We can’t get all fees covered through a credit card surcharge, but merchants are typically a lot happier and much better off when they’re recovering around 97 percent of those fees. Adding a surcharge helps offset the costs associated with accepting credit cards.” Of course, business owners must also weigh the disadvantages before making a business decision. “Customers may be angry, especially on collision repairs; the drawback of having a high average ticket translates into a higher surcharge that could result in
a loss of business if your competitors aren’t adding surcharges yet,” Racioppi noted. “I always tell merchants to watch the industry’s adaptation instead of being the first shop to do it. More and more shops are now moving toward one of these two methods, making full industry adoption inevitable. We don’t want this decision to lead customers to look elsewhere for their repairs.” It’s up to each shop to decide whether credit card surcharges or cash discounts are best for their individual business model, but the key to compliance appears to lie in transparency. “Post a sign, display your cash versus credit prices, add it to your invoices…you need to accurately display these things at the point of purchase if you want to be truly compliant.” Racioppi offered one more piece of advice to collision repair shops: “Surcharging credit card transactions helps combat these fees, but understand that you’ll never get 100 percent of your fees covered. If your overhead is high and your profit margins are being squeezed by labor costs, fuel, inflation and everything else, the best way to cover your credit card fees and everything else may be as simple as raising your prices based on the cost of doing business.” “There’s no obligation when shops meet with me or my team to help separate the facts and fiction swirling around this quickly trending program,” he promised. Shops interested in learning more about the credit card surcharge program through AASP/NJ can contact Ken Racioppi directly on his mobile at (973) 666-0882 or by email at ken@premiersolutionsnj.com. NJA New Jersey Automotive | June 2022 | 27
28 | New Jersey Automotive | June 2022
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COVER STORY Collision repairers have been bracing for the “Technical Tsunami” for nearly a decade as a dwindling number of shops are inundated with constantly advancing vehicles while simultaneously struggling to process unprecedented high volumes of repair with a limited staff. Although experts predict that the increase in safety features will reduce accident frequency, repair complexity is apt to lead to increasing severity – and repairers can expect these trends to magnify as electric vehicles (EVs) become more prevalent. How common are EVs? Reports indicate that the sale of new light-duty plug-in EVs and hybrids increased to 608,000 in 2021 – nearly double the 308,000 EVs sold in 2020! While this is in line with the Biden Administration’s goal of seeing EVs encompass half of all new car sales by 2030, the current infrastructure is not yet equipped to handle such an influx. To support that goal, the US needs at least one million fast-charging stations, but according to the US Department of Energy, there are currently fewer than 48,000 public charging stations and just over 6,000 fast-charging stations. Late last year, Congress passed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill to combat these challenges, yet 2030 is less than eight years away, which raises several questions for auto body professionals: Is it realistic to increase EV sales to become 50 percent of the new car market in such a short amount of time? How will the increase in EVs impact shops? And how can auto body repair facilities prepare for and adjust to the morphological changes in the industry’s landscape without being submerged? New Jersey Automotive solicited opinions from industry leaders on these queries and more. Sean Carey, president of SCG Management Consultants LLC, believes “it’s futile to look as far out as 2030. For certain, the vast majority of new vehicle sales will be EV by 2030; however, I cannot begin to imagine what the industry will look like by then. The market, driven by technology, is moving at such a dramatic pace that it’s even difficult to predict where we will be by 2025. We’ve reached an economic tipping point, and the next three years will determine how many shops survive, what the ‘new’ non-DRP economics of the market will look like and how many shops cope with the space, equipment and manpower and skill requirement needs of an ever-evolving vehicle.” Not everyone shares the same optimism about reaching such a high volume of EVs this decade. “Increasing the number of EVs comes with many challenges, and 2030 is only eight years away,” observed Chuck Olsen, senior vice president of automotive technology solutions at AirPro Diagnostics. “My concerns with meeting that timeline are related to the grid, charging times and acquisition of the materials needed to manufacture batteries. A lot of technology is being developed to address those difficulties and speed up the timeline, such as the creation of solid state batteries which would hasten charging and allow for a longer range of miles traveled before needing to recharge. “We also need to see multiple charges in the overall power grid that takes solar and wind power into account to meet those anticipated demands,” he continued. “Consider the rolling 30 | New Jersey Automotive | June 2022
blackouts in California – with our current grid, what will happen if half a neighborhood tries to charge their EVs on a hot summer night? Because of all these unresolved issues, I suspect we’ll see delays until 2040 unless technology evolves drastically enough to effect some solutions to these obstacles.” “The reports are not wrong, but these will be regulatory requirements, not goals,” clarified Wayne Weikel, senior director of state affairs at the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. “California, whose emission rules New Jersey has opted to follow, plans to adopt regulations to require that EVs comprise 68 percent of all vehicles sold in model year 2030, and the percentage would increase each year thereafter. Automakers are committed to electrification, but they cannot do it alone. This is a significant transformation which extends beyond simply making the vehicle. Convenient, publicly available EV charging infrastructure is needed everywhere consumers typically travel, and it will take both government and private investment to succeed.” Fortunately, manufacturers are “heavily committed to our goals,” emphasized Mark Allen, manager of collision, equipment and EV after-sales service for Audi. “The industry – along with support industries like recycling, transportation and second life – are accelerating in evolution. The next five to 10 years will have many new silhouettes on the horizon.”
Who Will Repair Most collision repair professionals have noticed the tidal wave of technology rushing at them, but “few have embraced it because it’s not easy,” Olsen said, reminding shops that “even if we build the infrastructure and reach 50 percent of new car sales being EVs by 2030, there will still be a significant number of traditional combustion-engine vehicles on the roads and in the shops, especially since we’re seeing an average vehicle age of 12 years right now.” Still, the collision repair industry must accept that the crest of the EV wave is just around the corner and prepare accordingly, and as they brace for impact from the coming storm, pressure is building due to decreases in the number of shops around the country. While the Romans Group has indicated a compound annual decline of 0.5 percent for the past 15 years, IBISWorld’s recent statistical report reveals an average three percent decrease in the amount of shops since 2017. Research from the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) demonstrated a yearly decline in the percentage of dealerships operating on-site body shops since 2017, with a four percent decrease from 2020 to 2021. With advancing complexity increasing the amount of time needed for EV repairs while fewer shops are available to tackle vehicle owners’ needs, these changes have created a conundrum that the average consumer has yet to consider –
by CHASIDY RAE SISK and that the industry needs to anticipate…What will the collision repair topography look like as we move into the future, and who will repair these vehicles in 2030? “The demands placed on collision shops are great and will only increase,” Weikel suggested. “Through expanded use of technology, automakers continue to build an ever cleaner and safer automobile. We recognize that the workforce in the collision industry, and throughout the employment chain, must be prepared as these new technologies come to market. The only way shops can remain repair-ready to fix the cars of tomorrow is through investments in staff training and shop equipment.” Allen agreed that shops need to get on the same wavelength as vehicle manufacturers if they hope to weather the technical tsunami, but he’s uncertain whether the bulk of shops are truly heeding the warnings being issued. “I think the bigger and more philosophical question we should be asking is: How many shops are capable of doing these repairs, and how many of them should no longer be repairing modern vehicles? As of now, many shops are behind the curve on training, equipment, tooling and identifying materials and knowing when to repair or replace a component. A poll conducted a few years ago asked shops what type of equipment they had and what they were looking to purchase. Many didn’t have a frame machine, and those that did reported that their
Vehicles in 2030? equipment was very old. Conversely, these same shops were looking to invest in scanning equipment. That demonstrates that there is a large gap of understanding to be filled before looking to deal with ADAS and EVs.” Alluding to John Van Alstyne of I-CAR’s “rallying cry” related to the technical tsunami flooding the industry, Allen pointed out that “there has been little change in the way collision and related businesses conduct daily life. Sorry to generalize, but this is a very loud call to the industry as a whole…if you are serious about staying in business, this is the time to invest in training, equipment, staff and most importantly, yourself! Stop focusing on short-term profitability; success in the future requires a long-term commitment that will need to be carried out through time.” Carey offered his input: “The repairer community tends to be reactionary, waiting until it’s absolutely necessary before making structural changes. In the next three years, all shops will have to face the reality that, unless they make those changes, they simply will not be qualified to repair modern vehicles.” For many independent shops, one of the biggest problems they encounter is the need to prepare for this influx of complicated repairs on a variety of vehicle brands. “A Toyota dealership can expect to only work on vehicles manufactured by Toyota, but the independent collision repair
industry is driven by insurers that expect shops to fix multiple vehicle brands,” Olsen noted. “That’s been our industry’s biggest challenge for a long time, and I expect that trend to continue unless we see a huge change in how insurance companies operate. “The amount of general repairs and maintenance needed on EVs will be less because there are fewer moving parts, plus many procedures will be software-driven and even performed remotely,” he predicted. “However, EV repairs in collision will necessitate increased space requirements and specific safety training as well as investment in a multitude of different tools. As we get closer to a higher percentage of electrification, it’s possible that we’ll see shops embracing a more brand-specific approach to collision repairs.” Keeping up with all of these changes on every make and model seems overwhelming, so it’s not surprising that industry experts view OEM certification as a life raft that can help shops safely reach the future’s shores. “Many OE collision programs rely heavily on the independent repairer,” Allen stated. “Contrary to some claims that have been made, but in the collision space, we OEMs embrace the independents and partner with them to serve our customers. Certification programs are a great way to be involved with the brands you and your customers have in common. The true entrepreneurs will build their business plans to know their customers and the brands they serve – and become more specialized in those repairs.” “It is critical for automakers to ensure their customers have access to shops capable of completing a quality repair, which is why OEM certified networks have grown in volume and stature,” Weikel agreed. “In these programs, independent repair shops typically outnumber dealer-based shops four-toone, because automakers view independent repair shops as key partners in service to their shared customers.” Olsen also believes that OEMs will play a larger role in the future, especially as it pertains to safety features. “OEs need to partner with shops to ensure they have the correct training, equipment and testing to properly repair EVs and other advanced technology. The level of standardization between these vehicles from manufacturer to manufacturer will dictate whether it’s feasible for a collision repair center to work on all makes and models, but technicians will absolutely need to enhance their skill sets; we have to raise the bar. “I-CAR is starting to address some of the industry’s needs by offering training on ADAS and EVs,” he added. “But if we’re going to fill our ranks with qualified technicians, we must first attract them to this trade by demonstrating automotive’s shift to a high-tech field.” “There is one underlying aspect of repairing the vehicle of tomorrow that is not sufficiently talked about – compensation,” Weikel touched on the ever-present elephant in the room whenever the technician shortage is mentioned. “Like any other industry, appropriate compensation is key to ensuring repairers can draw talented staff into the business and support the training continued on pg. 38 New Jersey Automotive | June 2022 | 31
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INDUSTRY UPDATE
Alicia Figurelli Honored Among Most Influential Women at WIN Conference Gala The Women’s Industry Network (WIN®) celebrated its 2022 Most Influential Women (MIWs) at the WIN Gala on May 3 in Greenville, SC. Thomas Greco Publishing (TGP) Senior Vice President Alicia Figurelli took her place among the seven women being honored this year for her contributions to the collision repair industry. “The WIN Gala is a celebration of our organization, its mission, accomplishments and our future,” WIN Conference Emcee Chelley Canales announced as she welcomed attendees. “The MIW award recognizes outstanding women in our industry who may have a long list of accomplishments or just be starting out with aspirations of making a difference in the future of our industry.” WIN’s 2022 MIW awards were presented by 2019 MIW Kathy Mello and 2020 MIW Kristle Bollans. “Alicia has spent the last two decades going above and beyond in her duties for the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ),” Bollans said. “She has been a crucial part of the association’s success and has also spent time working on projects for SCRS, CIC and many other
34 | New Jersey Automotive | June 2022
associations. Alicia has become the second woman ever inducted into the AASP/NJ Hall of Fame in October 2021, and she has also taken many roles in her local community. Please join us in congratulating Alicia!” “Thank you all so much, and congratulations to all of the other incredible recipients,” Figurelli expressed. “Thank you to the MIW Committee and the entire WIN network; you are all amazing. Thank you to our clients, the incredible crew at TGP, and of course my husband, Steve, and son, Matthew, who are live-streaming this from the little league field right now. Thank you all so much!” In addition to Figurelli, this year’s honorees include Allison Boever (Repairify), Shirin Hezar (Caliber Collision), Jennifer Hubbard (CCC), Samantha Kita (Gerber), Debbie Menz (Axalta) and Micki Woods (Micki Woods Marketing Genius for Body Shops). The MIW awards honor the women whose career achievements have enhanced the collision repair industry. Since the MIW awards were established in 1999, over 100 inspiring women have been recognized for their visionary leadership and commitment to excellence. For more information about WIN or the Most Influential Women award, visit womensindustrynetwork.com. NJA
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AASP/NJ MEMBER PROFILE
by ALANA QUARTUCCIO BONILLO
Livingston Collision, Inc. At Livingston Collision, everyone is family. It’s a value the Crawford family has instilled since the shop’s early years when the late Jean Crawford got it off the ground, and it’s a tradition that has carried through up to today when his wife and sons run the business alongside a team of dedicated long term employees who strive to provide quality service to their loyal customers. The family-owned-and-operated business has been growing strong for over 60 years and counting. “It was a humble body shop with an apartment above it where my father raised his family and built this shop up,” says co-owner Brad Crawford of his father’s legacy while reflecting on the early years of the business. Today, one will find Brad running the business operations, while his mother, Valerie, runs the office and his brothers, JR and Clint, head up the mechanical and towing side. Although he grew up around his father’s body shop, Brad didn’t immediately take the path into the collision repair world. He admits he “had visions of eventually coming in here and being part of it,” but before jumping into it, he “wanted to make sure I understood and knew how to run a business. I wasn’t sure when that would be, but the background really helped once I did.” He didn’t plan it; it just happened. While taking a hiatus from the corporate world, Brad began spending some time at the shop, and soon, it was time to do his part in helping to run the operations. That was back in 2014, and he’s been there ever since.
The Livingston Collision management team: (L-R) JR Crawford (owner); Rich Paris (shop manager); Brad Crawford (owner); Valerie Crawford (owner); and Clint Richards (towing manager).
The shop has grown in size and business operations over the years. Brad recalls his father expanding the shop in 1987, growing it from a modest 2,500 square feet to its current size which boasts more than twice as much space as its humble origins. Livingston Collision has maintained a healthy crew of long term employees and has seen “very little turnover through the years.” The shop’s general manager was with them for 25 years before he retired about two years ago. Brad believes their success comes from the way they treat their customers and each job that comes in. He sees Livingston Collision as a “boutique body shop.” They don’t seek out heavy volume or production stats. Instead, they focus on taking care of their customers one at a time. “Each customer is special,” he 36 | New Jersey Automotive | June 2022
Livingston Collision offers towing services and roadside assistance in addition to quality collision repairs.
affirms. He’s proud to say they don’t participate in a DRP with any carrier. The business’s towing operation and their overall reputation affords them the opportunity to bring in enough jobs. “It’s nice to not have to work within the restrictions of the insurance companies.” Just dealing with insurance carriers has brought many challenges over the years, but Brad believes the biggest ones involve “overcoming the new world order post-Covid where carriers want shops to do their jobs without compensating us for the additional administrative duties.” Insurers wanting a photo of every process during the repair is just not feasible. He’s managed to push and get carriers to send someone out to inspect the work in person, but overall, it’s been another challenge they’ve had to contend with. This is just one issue of many that makes Brad feel it’s important for body shops to be a part of AASP/NJ, which works to be a voice for repairers in a world where “insurers have so much power.” “The auto body industry is so fragmented. Everybody feels like they are on their own island. But the association brings community among this fragmented group. There is strength in numbers, and a bunch of like-minded people coming together can work to help solve problems.” Livingston Collision has been a member of AASP/NJ for a number of years. Back in 2019, Brad decided to step up and devote his time as a member of its Board of Directors. “I wish more shops would join,” he says of AASP/NJ. “I don’t understand why more don’t take advantage of what the association has to offer. It shocks me. When I encounter other professionals who aren’t up to speed on the various issues in this industry, I tell them to join and learn.” Brad strives to keep things efficient and streamlined at the shop so it continues to grow organically. He’d like to see solutions to issues brought upon by virtual estimating – something he believes the industry is just not yet ready for. “I love when people pick up their cars and say, ‘Wow, it looks better than the day I bought it.’ We pride ourselves on that and on providing the highest level of quality workmanship with a superior job, making sure the car is detailed and clean. No one likes to get into an accident, so to have a customer be thrilled upon leaving with a car that looks even better is what we strive to provide.” NJA
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COVER STORY continued from pg. 31 and equipment cost to keep shops ready to repair modern vehicles.” On the flip side, the industry’s efforts to increase the number of qualified technicians will be irrelevant if there aren’t enough operating shops available to employ them. So, how can shop owners position their businesses to survive the storm and keep their doors open amidst the rising tide of technology? “Embrace the EV repair landscape,
38 | New Jersey Automotive | June 2022
and start preparing for it,” Olsen stressed. “Identify your particular market’s needs, and choose to commit to the standards involved with that. Identify the things you aren’t prepared for, and partner with another business that you can sublet to. The worst thing a shop can do is take on a repair that they’re not properly equipped and trained to complete.” “There will be a lot of new information for repairers to learn, as the vehicles of 2030 will be even more complex and
sophisticated than they are today,” Weikel forecast. “To be ready, shops need to make the use of OEM repair procedures their standard practice – from the beginning to end of the repair – today. That is why Auto Innovators is working with repair associations on state legislation to mandate the use of OEM procedures in all post-collision, insurance-funded repairs. It is the key to both proper repairs and proper payment. To help repairers repair the cars of tomorrow, automakers have also worked with California regulators to ensure EVs will be equipped with an OBDII-style port to access vehicle data, so technicians will not need to learn a whole new system just to work on EVs.” Carey suspects, “By 2030, we will have certified shops that must certify repairs and attach an electronic package to the completed repair, together with all of the electronic documentation that identifies the procedures used, the diagnostic and calibration reports, the parts used and quite possibly which technician(s) repaired the vehicle. For me, the primary concern is not the passage of time or even the make of the vehicles on the road – it’s about preparing for a future (long before 2030) where we are clearly documenting that a safe and proper repair was performed.” “Know your market area, and regularly understand how it is evolving,” Allen advised. “Develop a business plan, and if you don’t know how to do that, I’d honestly recommend that your first investment be hiring a consultant. Work the plan, refine the plan, adjust the plan. As an entrepreneur, you’ve accepted that you’ll be the one making decisions. The upside is that you don’t have to answer to a boss, but the downside is your decisions impact other lives in your organization, including your own. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s your future, but there are others who are willing and able to help professionalize your business and see it grow to the next level of sustainable profitability.” How are New Jersey shops preparing for the onslaught of EVs and other advanced technology? Find out in “Navigating the Storm: Shops Prepare for the EV Evolution,” slated for next month’s New Jersey Automotive. NJA
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Parts Accuracy Friendly Sales Team
Quality Assurance Fast, Free Delivery New Jersey Automotive | June 2022 | 39
ARANJ Board of Directors David Yeager - EL & M Auto (800) 624-2266 / elandmauto@aol.com Ed Silipena - American II Autos (609) 965-0987 / esilipena@yahoo.com Norm Vachon - Port Murray Auto (908) 689-3152 / portmurrayauto@yahoo.com Dillon Rinkens - East Brunswick Auto (732) 254-6501 / ebautonj@comcast.net
ARANJ Officers
President - Rodney Krawczyk Ace Auto Wreckers (732) 254-9816 / aceautonj@comcast.net 1st Vice President - Daryl Carman Lentini Auto Salvage (908) 782-4440 / darryl@las-parts.coms 2nd Vice President - Mike Ronayne Tilghmans Auto Parts (609) 723-7469 / tilghmans@snip.net Past President - Bob Dirkes Dirkes Used Auto Parts (609) 625-1718 / dirkesauto@gmail.com
40 | New Jersey Automotive | June 2022
ARANJ The Automotive Recyclers Association of New Jersey
Wharton Insurance Briefs
Back in 2017, a couple of companies were no longer willing to write workers’ compensation coverage due to losses. This narrowed the market to about two or three companies willing to write workers’ compensation coverage for auto dismantlers and scrap metal dealers. I am pleased to inform you that I am aware of four companies that are now willing to write workers’ compensation. They all have certain guidelines, such as credit rating, losses, premium size, etc., and will be underwriting each account individually. If you are having a problem with your insurance coverage, give us a call, and we’d be happy to try and secure coverage for you.
Mario DeFilippis AAI Vice President Wharton Insurance Group (732) 686-702 (908) 513-8588 (cell) mdefilippis@whartoninsurance.com
NJA
You’ve got the right tools, staff, technology and procedures to give your customers the best repair possible. The missing piece of the puzzle? Genuine Volkswagen Collision Parts. Contact an authorized dealer today and find your perfect fit. Flemington Volkswagen 213 Route 202/31 Flemington, NJ 08822 TOLL FREE: 877-657-2787 FAX: 908-782-1795 email: rmuir@flemington.com www.NJPARTS.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
Trend Motors 221 Route 46 West Rockaway, NJ 07866 888-267-2821 fax: 973-625-4985 www.trendmotors.com email: dreinacher@trendmotors.com
email: douglasparts@douglasautonet.com
Paul Miller Volkswagen 118 Morristown Road Bernardsville, NJ 07924 TOLL FREE: 877-318-6557 LOCAL: 908-766-1600 FAX: 908-766-6171 Email: aaitchison@paulmiller.com www.paulmillervw.com
Crestmont Volkswagen 730 ROUTE 23 NORTH POMPTON PLAINS, NJ 07444 TOLL FREE: 800-839-6444 fax: 973-839-8146 www.crestmontvw.com email: vwparts@crestmont23.com
“Volkswagen“ and the Volkswagen logo are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG. ©2022 Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Wholesale Parts
New Jersey Automotive | June 2022 | 41
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Acme Nissan.................................................... 5 Accudraft......................................................... IBC Amato Agency.................................................. 21 Audi Group....................................................... 29 Betag............................................................... 13 BMW Group..................................................... 28 BMW of Springfield........................................... 15 Clinton Honda................................................... 12 Empire Auto Parts............................................. 39 Flemington VW / NJ Parts................................. 6 GM Parts Group................................................ 34 Hyundai Group.................................................. 17 Innovative Solutions & Technology................. 2 Jaguar Princeton.............................................. 12 Krehel Auto/Klean Frame.................................. 39 Kollective Auto Group........................................ 8-9 Land Rover Princeton........................................ 12 Lynnes Nissan East........................................... 37 Matrix Edge/Valspar Refinish............................ OBC Maxon Buick-GMC........................................... 11 Maxon Hyundai................................................. 11 Mazda Group.................................................... 40 Mike Kaufmann Dealer Group........................... 37 MINI Group....................................................... 10 Mopar Group.................................................... 25 NUCAR............................................................. 18-19 Paul Miller Subaru............................................ 37 Porsche Group................................................. 33 PPG................................................................. 3 Reliable Automotive Equipment......................... 22-23 Spanesi............................................................ 32 Subaru Group................................................... 38 Thomas Greco Publishing................................. 17 Town Motors.................................................... 35 USI of North America........................................ 4 Valtek............................................................... 42 VW Group......................................................... 41 Wheel Collision Center...................................... 42
42 | New Jersey Automotive | June 2022
New Jersey Automotive | June 2022 | 43
X
Series
BACK BY POPUL AR
DEMAND FX Series returns with 12 original cand y concentrates for endless color creati v it y and pure brilliance.
M AV ERICK REQUES T ED. M AV ERICK APPROV ED. W W W . VA L S P A R A U T O . C O M / M AT R I X E D G E A brand by
