New Jersey Automotive October 2023

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

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

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

Danielle Molina, Perfect Bodies Collision Center (973) 777-7881 / Danielle@PerfectBodiesCollision.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

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER

Thomas Greco / thomas@grecopublishing.com

VICE PRESIDENT/SALES DIRECTOR

Alicia Figurelli / alicia@grecopublishing.com

EDITORIAL/CREATIVE COORDINATOR

Alana Quartuccio / 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 CONTRIBUTING

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

Mike Kaufmann

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

Mallrats

After we checked all the golfers in at last month’s AASP/NJ Lou Scoras golf tournament, I had a couple hours to kill, so I took a ride around the Manalapan Freehold area and went out looking for a new place to add to my favorite hot dog list (see last month’s issue at grecopublishing.com/new-jersey-automotiveseptember-2023). Unfortunately, the Windmill that used to be right out on Route 9 closed, so that wasn’t an option. And when Yelp’s top recommendation was Sonic, I knew I was in for a crappy lunch.

After driving around for a half hour, I decided to just settle for a Nathan’s stand in the Freehold Mall. Now don’t get me wrong –– Nathan’s used to have a damn good dog. But that was probably some time before electricity so…I mean, I’m sure the original joint in Coney Island is still good, but the ones in the malls? It’s like the difference between Ruth’s Chris and Sizzler.

But that’s not where I’m going here. The one thing that stood out to me more than anything was not how nice the Freehold Mall was (or wasn’t) but how EMPTY it was. I’m not just talking people; I’m talking storefronts. It looked like an indoor San Francisco. Sadly, that seems

by THOMAS GRECO, PUBLISHER

to be every mall these days.

I guess you could say I grew up during the “Golden Age” of malls. I can remember my sister Gloria taking me to my very first: the Garden State Mall in Paramus. For a nine-year-old kid, it was Glorious (see what I did there?)! Back then, the mall was anchored by Bamberger’s, Gimbels and JCPenney with dozens of other little stores between them. And get this, there was no roof! You had to walk outside from one store to another! I had no clue what stores Gloria went to. All I knew was to meet her at the pretzel stand at 9:30. Boy, was I in my Glory. (See what I did there?)

My dad always gave me some cash, so my first stop was always Sam Goody, the biggest record store I had ever seen. I can remember buying stuff like John Lennon’s “Instant Karma” 45 or the Beatles Red and Blue collections or The Miracles’ Greatest Hits. For me, it was like Christmas every time we went.

One thing that never failed was I would get so lost in that smorgasbord of records that I would look up at

continued on pg. 34

Dump the Flintstones Mentality

I used to love the Pep Boys commercials where a guy watched two monkeys beating on his car. The message was “let the professionals handle it,” but some collision repairers act like they’re still repairing Fred Flintstone’s car. They act like we’re still in the days when we could buy a frame machine and use it for the rest of our career, when we could invest in a welder and have no more worries. That’s just not going to cut it these days! Repairs are more complicated than they used to be, and there are many more things that need to be considered…Are you using the right welder with the right amperage with the right wire in it? Did you use corrosion protection? Did you follow the repair procedures and do everything you were supposed to do? Because let’s be honest – a lot of shops are not!

Many just don’t know what the right thing is because they never

take the time to get outside their four walls. We’ve all got to work ON our businesses, instead of IN our businesses sometimes. We have to invest the time and energy into establishing a corporate-run structure, but to do that, we need to know how, and that begins by attending association meetings and events, joining a performance group and getting involved with other industry organizations.

Can you leave your facility for three or four days to learn a new system, to learn something new from other industry professionals that you can bring home to benefit your shop?

When shops don’t know what the right thing is, it’s hard to DO the right thing. The game has changed, and more shop owners need to truly pay attention to what’s happening within their facilities. Not long ago, a corrective repair came into my

by JERRY MCNEE

shop, and I recommended that the original shop owner buy back the car. Who can afford to do that all the time? We have to run our shops like professionals, and that means investing in ourselves.

Maybe you feel like you can’t afford to take time away from the shop. You’re just too busy; you need to get those repairs done and out the door. Maybe repairing 1,000 cars this year isn’t the answer; instead, maybe doing 800 cars and getting paid correctly to fix them is the key to your success. But you won’t know how to do that properly unless you take that time away.

It’s troubling that so many guys feel like they just can’t step foot outside their business because they have too much to do. I hear it all the time, but at the end of the day, they’re mainly hurting themselves. But they’re also doing an injustice to the industry and holding a lot of other people back instead of embracing an opportunity to improve and get better.

You have to get out there and pay attention. You need to take a step back and look at your facility from a 1,000-foot view, but in order to do that, you have to get out of your facility, get away from the mundane because you’re so caught up in the same grind that you can’t see what’s right in front of your face. A quarter of shops are carrying the torch for the other 75 percent, but they can’t change FOR you. You have to be willing to make the effort. You have to show up to the classes and the seminars. Were you at AASP/NJ’s meeting in September? Have you signed up for our annual meeting that’s happening at the end of this month?

The Stone Age is long gone, and you can’t bury your head and keep pretending that things are the same. It’s time to pay attention and get involved!

My Guide to Modern Terminology in These “Woke” Times

by KEITH KREHEL

With the arrival of many new terms, I have written a guide to help folks like me understand these meanings in common terms. Most of these terms carry anywhere from a heavy leftward spin to out-and-out fraud. Many remind me of a story from eighth grade, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”

Affordable Housing: A relatively new term, but this actually means subsidized (by others) and should be labeled as such. Since I moved to New Jersey, sales taxes have gone from three percent to more than double, under the guise of keeping property taxes low, but to no avail; now, our state wants us to pay for other peoples’ housing as well as our own housing, along with exorbitant property taxes. I wish my housing could be considered affordable, but my property taxes prevent that. By the way, my brother in North Carolina paid about 10 percent of the taxes I was paying for a comparable home.

Undocumented Immigrants: Sounds fairly benign, like

WOKE TIMES

GUIDE

By Keith Krehel

some poor souls “lost their papers” after their arrival in this country when, in actuality, the old term “Illegal Aliens” remains accurate – meaning that they either entered the country illegally or overstayed their visas. Most countries have strict laws against illegal aliens that they enforce; we presently do not.

Global Warming: This one is near and dear to me as I have been involved in snowplowing for the last 41 years. During this time, I have been actively involved in every storm. Over time, I have kept my own accurate records, unlike most other people who must rely on “supplied” data. Recently, for contractual reasons (seasonal contracts with fixed pricing), I averaged the last 12 years of snowfall and found we are actually receiving about 20 percent more snow (short term) than over the long term average. I was surprised by my results and ran them past a third-party weather service, and they confirmed my numbers are accurate and that our area accumulated around 36 inches of snowfall short term, but with a long term average closer to 29 inches. For a few years, global warming seemed to fit, but when cold and snowy winters returned, the term lost all credibility. Keeping it simple, two things are needed for snowfall to occur: cold temperatures accompanied by precipitation; warm weather does not cause more snow.

Climate Change: The “global warming” mantra has changed to a new spin – climate change. Every freak storm is now attributed to this phenomenon. I had a home pummeled by Sandy 11 years ago. Climate change was the culprit, I was told, but I don’t agree. It was the unfortunate timing of many factors occurring together and at the worst possible time that caused this damage.

1. Heavy rains

2. Sustained 80 MPH winds

3. Record-breaking storm surge

4. Coinciding with a high tide

5. During a full moon

When the storm cut a new inlet, across Mantoloking Beach, it allowed additional tidal waters into Barnegat Bay, compounding the storm damage. When a storm in the 1960s cut a new inlet across Long Beach Island causing flooding and massive damage, the weather was simply blamed with no mention of climate change. In 1709, a

severe winter was blamed for the death of 630,000 people in France alone. No viable explanation is given to this day. I am surprised that schools do not teach this. My contact at the weather service and I agree – Mother Nature is still driving the bus.

Minimum Wage: Not a new term, but there is a renewed push to increase it substantially. Some jobs require minimum training and are easy to perform. They are usually temporary pass-through jobs. In my opinion, the companies that provide those jobs should be able to set the wage…simple basic capitalism. I myself worked for less than minimum wage at Gino’s, a fast-food restaurant in Clifton. (Gino Giant anyone?) I was just glad to have a job. From my understanding, a high minimum wage actually hurts unskilled workers from obtaining employment as it makes “newbies” too expensive to hire. By the way, my rate of pay quickly escalated, after I mastered cooking Kentucky Fried Chicken, as they did not want to lose trained help. I have noticed that most proponents of high minimum wage don’t employ anyone and never have. Hmm.

School Debt Forgiveness: Just another term for someone

else paying your debts. When I went to college, cost was a big factor in my decision. I stayed local, attending Montclair State, a good school, which allowed me to keep my part-time job through high school and college while incurring minimum debt. By the way, my college classes were largely focused on my future vocation as a high school teacher. I have witnessed many people attending college over extended periods of time and/or with a major that does not lead to employment. I have no problem with this; I just don’t want to pay for it.

Affordable Health Care Act: Yes, I know this is dated, but from my vantage, it largely made healthcare affordable to those who were not paying for it in the first place. If anything, this actually made health insurance more expensive to “paying” consumers with the many required benefits and required coverage. For example, I was not happy paying for healthcare for an employee’s daughter who was living in Texas with her boyfriend who had a full-time job. She stayed under my employee’s coverage because it was less expensive for her. If anyone reading this thinks this is fair, please contact me.

continued on pg. 33

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER WAY TO BUY THE WORLD’S BEST ENGINEERED PARTS.

THEY’RE CALLED “ORIGINAL BMW PARTS” FOR GOOD REASON. FOR UNCOMPROMISING PRECISION AND INCOMPARABLE QUALITY, YOUR BMW CENTER IS YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP FOR EVERYTHING BMW.

For Original BMW Parts, contact one of these authorized BMW centers:

BMW of Springfield

391-399 Route 22 E. Springfield, NJ 07081

Toll Free: 800-648-0053

Fax: 973-467-2185

bmwofspringfieldnj.com

BMW of Bridgewater

655 Route 202/206

Bridgewater, NJ 08807

PH: 908-287-1800

FAX:908-722-1729

bridgewaterbmw.com

Circle BMW 500 Route 36 Eatontown, NJ 07724

Parts Direct: 732-440-1235

Fax: 732-440-1239

wholesale@circlebmw.com circlebmw.com

Park Ave BMW 530 Huyler Street

South Hackensack, NJ 07606

PH: 201-843-8112

FAX:201-291-2376

parkavebmw.com

Paul Miller BMW

1515 Route 23 South

Wayne, NJ 07470

PH: 973-696-6060

Fax: 973-696-8274

paulmillerbmw.com

BMW of Bloomfield

425 Bloomfield Avenue

Bloomfield, NJ 07003

Parts Direct: 973-748-8373

psantos@dchusa.com

Audi dealers strive to make you an Audi Genuine Parts fan

• Audi Parts Professionals are your subject matter experts on collision parts, replacement components and mechanical items.

• Many Audi dealers offer technical service support hotline access that can reduce your repair times and help you meet an on-time promised delivery.

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Helping

Ciocca Parts Warehouse

8 Minneakoning Road

Flemington, NJ 08822

Toll Free: 800-221-1256

Fax: 908.782.1795

rmuir@cioccadealerships.com

www.cioccaparts.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

Bell Audi 782 Route 1 Edison, NJ 08817

732.396.9360

Fax: 732.396.9090

DCH Millburn Audi

2211 Millburn Ave

Maplewood, NJ 07040

Toll Free: 800.553.9250

Direct: 973.762.0262

Fax: 973.762.2381

www.dchmillburnaudi.com

www.bellaudi.com

Town Motors Audi 400 South Dean Street

Englewood, NJ 07631

201.227.6506/6536

Fax: 201.541.0314

www.townmotors.com

Jack Daniels Audi of Upper Saddle River 243 Route 17 Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

201.252.1500

Fax: 201.254.1552

tbabcock@jackdanielsmotors.com

www.jackdanielsmotors.com

Audi Bridgewater 701 Route 202-206 N Bridgewater, NJ 08807 929.600.9156

Fax: 908.595.0237

parts@audibridgewater.com

www.audibridgewater.com

Main Auto Body, Lodi

Running a successful auto body shop for 47 years and counting is a pretty sure sign the people behind it share a lifelong love of the craft and a dedication to helping others. The team at Main Auto Body (Lodi) most certainly sets a fine example of that type of commitment.

Michael Giamo has been at the helm of the business since he first opened it back in 1976. He has since built a family owned and operated business of professionals, some of whom have been with him for decades.

One could say Giamo fell into the business by accident.

“When I was about 13 years old, my brother got into a car accident, and our neighbor fixed it,” he reminisced. “I remember watching him work on the car in his driveway, and I was just fascinated by it all.”

He took that interest with him when he went to Bergen County Technical School in Hackensack. At first, Giamo wanted to do custom work, but as he put it, “one thing led to another,” and he started fixing cars in his garage, which eventually led him to work in a few different body shops once he was done with schooling.

In the early years working in the business, he thought his career at one shop was over when his boss got fired. “I thought I was fired, too. I was outside packing up my car when the big boss came up to me and asked me if I wanted to still work there. I ran the shop for three years before I moved on.”

Main Auto Body originally called Garfield its home. Giamo ran the business at that location from 1976 until 1984 when he was ready to move over to a building on Outwater Lane in neighboring Lodi. The business has been there now for almost 40 years.

Providing excellent customer service is what has kept the business so successful all these years. Giamo says it may be a bit old fashioned, but they physically call their customers with updates. “I read about how many use email and text messages these days, but we haven’t graduated to that. We contact our customers by phone

twice a week to update them.”

Giving back to the community is also another factor in their success. “We’ve been on this corner for 40 years now, and we like to be part of the community through participating in and sponsoring town events.”

As Giamo explains, he has been fortunate to have many of his team members on board for the long-term.

“I was just thinking about our team, and it occurred to me that the average age is roughly about 54. One of my guys just retired after 42 years, and my former manager was with us 43 years until he passed away.”

His family members consist of his cousin Bruce Sanger, his partner who runs the shop, while Giamo heads up the office side. His sister-in-law, Mearl Lorenzo, is the shop’s controller. His own son, Kevin, has more recently come on board as an estimator.

While it’s home to a crew of veteran pros, Main Auto Body is also supportive of helping the younger generation come into the fold through its involvement with the work study program at Passaic County Technical Institute. A couple of the students they had come in have since been hired full time.

While the business has evolved over the years, so have the vehicles that come through the door. Giamo cites the biggest change he’s witnessed as the electronics, sensors and crash alerts that are part of every vehicle today.

“Back then, you changed a bumper on a car, and it was in and out the door. Now, when you replace a bumper, you have to reset all the sensors. It’s a lot more tedious. There is no such thing as a quick in and out the door job anymore.”

While cars have changed, so has the act of driving. “Young kids don’t turn around anymore,” he observes. “They just rely on their cameras. In the old days, you put your arm around the seat and looked back. They just go

The Team at Main Auto Body

and back right into things.”

Although technology has changed the way auto body repairs are done, Giamo was surprised to find advances didn’t decrease or eliminate the need for fixing cars.

“Years and years ago when the third brake light and anti-lock brakes came out, I thought crash rates would wind up being substantially less, but then cell phones came along and drivers became distracted, and accidents are still frequent.”

He knows a lot of the guys he used to attend events with have long since hung up their tool belts, but he continues to serve his customers and their community.

“I like taking care of people,” he says of the best part of being in collision repair. “I am a people

person. When people have an accident, it’s traumatic. They lose their car; they have to rent one. It’s an inconvenience. We help them, and they will refer us. We get a huge amount of work from referrals.”

Not only has Giamo been in the business a long time, he’s also been a longtime member of AASP/NJ. He has been going to association events and the NORTHEAST® Automotive Services Show for decades. He fondly recalls the early days of the show back when it was at the Sheraton. It’s important to be involved with AASP/NJ as it “keeps you current on events and what is happening in the industry.” He also is a big fan of New Jersey Automotive which keeps him informed and entertained. (His favorite column? “Out of Body and Mechanical Experiences!”)

Although the word “retirement” is on his mind, Giamo has not made any plans to do so anytime soon.

Michael Giamo, Owner of Main Auto Body

EV Charging $tation$: A New Revenue $tream for Your $hop?

“Electric vehicles (EVs) are the future…the future is EV.” Shops have been receiving this message for the past few years, and while some have invested in upgrades to their facilities, tools, equipment and training, many more have turned a deaf ear to the news. Yet, consumers are forging ahead with the purchase of EVs in many areas of the country, begging the question not only of “who will repair these vehicles?” but – more pressingly – where will drivers be able to charge them? continued on pg. 36

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TownAudi

400 South Dean Street Englewood, NJ 07631

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town-motorcar.porschedealer.com

2023 16th ANNUAL AASP/NJ LOU SCORAS MEMORIAL GOLF OUTING HIGHLIGHTS

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!

THE PLAYERS:

Team 1: Anthony Cole, Gary Deer, Paul Brunda and Dave McKenna

Team 2: Justin Branning, Joey Velez, Greg Loff and Jose Lubischer

Team 3: Dennis Cataldo,Jr,. Ken Miller, Hilary Kurzer and Brad Crawford

Team 4: Joe Amato, Jr., Joe Amato, Sr., Mike Coughlin and Dave Willett

Team 5: Anthony Thompson, Ryan Thompson, Jerry Haack and Frank Danza

Team 6: Rich Markovich, Frank Dominici, Claudio Tommolillo and Guy Mongelli

Team 7: Jesse Ferrell, Kyle Reed, Wayne Garland and Scott Michaelson

Team 8: Josh Cruz, Bill Moppert, Steven Cairo and Greg Cummings

Team 9: Paul Pereira, Louis Mastropasqua, Keith Lindsley and Doug North

Team 10: Pat Fazio, Tony Zaccaro, Dave Brennan and Tom Grabowski

Team 11: Gene Shuberda, Chris Huneke, Pat Haughey and Jeff Elder

Team 12: Lee Thorton, Marilyn Thorton, Diane Pelosi and Joe Pelosi

Team 13: Jerry Burke Jr., Jerry Burke, Vincent Landry and Joe Riccardi

Team 14: Kenny Paulauskas, Bill Paulauskas, Tom Collins and Bill Laub

Team 15: Mike Padula, John Carter, Rod Cameron and William Hutchinson

Team 16: Kerry Pauley, Cleann Pauley, Mat Pauley and Vince Miele

Team 17: Anthony Trama, Mark Przbieglec, Patty Hawtin and Dan Hawtin

AASP/NJ THANKS ALL OF THIS YEAR’S SPONSORS!

PLATINUM SPONSORS: Albert Kemperle, Inc. & The Amato Agency / World Insurance Associates

GOLD SPONSOR: Ciocca Parts Warehouse

SILVER SPONSOR: Metropolitan Car-o-liner

BRONZE SPONSOR: Central Paint

LUNCH SPONSOR: Ultimate Collision

DINNER SPONSOR: Auto Body Distributing Co.

REFRESHMENT CART SPONSOR: Livingston Collision

HOLE IN ONE CONTEST SPONSOR: Indasa USA

LONGEST DRIVE CONTEST: Fenix Parts

CLOSEST TO THE PIN CONTEST SPONSORS: Sherwin-Williams & DeBeer

HOLE & PRIZE SPONSORS: Alliance Payment Solutions, Auto Body Distributing Co., Boonton Auto Parts, Conicelli Toyota / Conicelli Auto Group, Crest East Coast, Douglas Auto Group, Hertz, Innovative Solutions & Technology, Livingston Collision, Michaelson Foreign & Domestic Car Parts, Mike Kaufmann Dealer Group, NJ Automotive / Greco Publishing, NJGCA, NUCAR, Ocean Bay Auto Body, PartsKick, Rosenthal Automotive, Snap-on, and Spark Underwriters.

AASP/NJ thanks all of our golfers, sponsors and supporters, those who donated door prizes and Knob Hill Golf Club for their beautiful course and event space. Special thanks to the AASP/NJ Board of Directors for their hard work and commitment to honoring the memory of Lou Scoras by making this year’s golf outing a success!

Axalta’s Mike Padula (pictured with Albert Kemperle’s Willie Hutchinson) accepted the Closest to the Pin prize on behalf of winner Rod Cameron

Longest Drive Winner Tom Grabowski (Fenix Parts)

AASP/NJ Treasurer Tom Elder

AASP/NJ Treasurer Tom Elder & AASP/NJ Executive DIrector Charles Bryant

Member of Third Place Winning Team Doug North

MECHANICAL CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

continued from pg. 15

Sub-Prime Mortgage: Another dated term, but one that has caused a lot of harm. To most people, it sounds like a loan given at a lower than prime rate, when actually it is a risky loan given to people who are bad credit risks. Any company that includes a large percentage of highrisk loans in their portfolios should be allowed to fold. These loans should be called what they are: high risk loans.

Livable Wage: Probably the vaguest term I have ever heard. It is the responsibility of an employer to compensate employees for their work performed –period. If employees are not happy, they are free to move on to greener pastures or get a part-time job. Also, a livable wage would vary from town to town, state to state. Simply put, making a living wage is the sole responsibility of the employee – learn a trade or skill.

Income Inequality: Probably the dumbest of all terms. Recently, my son and I were invited to hear a couple of speakers discuss their experiences while circumnavigating Cuba in their sailboat, over the course of several weeks. Hearing their first-hand encounters was eye-opening, and I am really glad my son was there.

Some Highlights:

1. Many storefronts looked fine from the outside, only to find hollow shells of buildings upon entering. They were only facades.

2. A “casual” inspection of the vessel upon entering Cuban waters, but a thorough and intense inspection of the sailboat prior to departure to ensure no Cubans were trying to escape.

3. They were friendly people living a poor life with little to no opportunity.

Overall, there is great income equality in Cuba… most everyone has nothing.

In closing, I remember reading there are rules that assure there is a 90 percent chance of not being poor in America.

1. Graduate high school.

2. Wait to marry until 21 years old, and don’t have children before then.

3. Have a full-time job.

This is a pretty low bar.

LYNNES AUTO GROUP WHOLESALE DEPARTMENT

Delivering

7

Parts: 800-782-7597

E-mail: John@lynnes.com

www.lynnesnissan.com

Hours: M-F 7:30am - 6pm, Sat 7:30am - 2pm 5 Alva

OUT OF BODY (AND MECHANICAL) EXPERIENCES

continued from pg. 10

the clock, and it would always be 9:00. So I would rush to the cashier, run back across the mall to get a couple of those delicious hot pretzels (with Grapeade) and still have time to sneak into the book store and look through the nude modeling “art” books. (Yes, I was an “old” nine; I had two older brothers with Playboy subscriptions…you get the idea.)

Who knew Paramus would soon become ground zero for malls? There was Paramus Park (my first visit to Sears…I always thought it was just a Wish Book Christmas catalog!), the Bergen Mall (seeing my first Beatles tribute band!) and the Fashion Center (my first… well I never really liked the Fashion Center; my mom thought Lord & Taylor was a snob store).

But our go-to mall was always the Willowbrook Mall in Wayne. So many memories: my first salad bar (Casey O’Toole’s)…my Spalding Tom Seaver mitt (Herman’s World of Sporting Goods)…Harmony Hut (where my great friend Jerry Tolve worked. I’d bring up $50 worth of albums to him at the register, and he would give $50 change!)…my first x-rated movie (Beyond the Valley of the Ultra Vixens!)…and lastly, the greatest arcade known to man (Fun N’ Games), where we’d spend a fortune playing Atari football until our hands were one big blister (umm that might have been the movie LOL).

As the years went by, the malls grew and changed. Fate always takes you full circle, so I started taking my kids to the newly enclosed and expanded Garden State Mall when they were young. Every Thursday, more wonderful memories were created. Like browsing in the game room store and seeing my little girl come running across the store only to trip and fall on her face, get up, look around and then start wailing uncontrollably. It’s as vivid as the sunlight in my mind.

Or stopping in Spencer’s Gifts and getting distracted looking at neon Beatles posters only to find the kids in the next aisle where they should NEVER BE (you know, the one with the “toys”).

Or getting hit by the curse after eating Nathan’s and having to take two kids (one in a stroller no less) into the stall with you and screaming at them, “Don’t look, face the wall!”).

Or sharing hot pretzels.

Or browsing at Sam Goody.

Or just seeing their faces on the carousel. We spent hours on that carousel.

But just like the carousel, most of those crowds and stores are gone now. Amazon (and we) have seen to that. Mark it up to another joy from our past that our grandchildren will never experience. Malls will soon be our generation’s ghost towns. I’ll miss them.

OUR SUCCESS IN BUSINESS COMES FROM OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH LOYAL CUSTOMERS.

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While the total number of EVs in the US increased from 1,019,260 to 1,454,580 from 2021 to 2022 (a growth rate of 42 percent) according to Zutobi’s “2023 EV Charging Station Report,” the number of public charging outlets have increased by just 12 percent, from 128,549 to 143,771. In its “Get Connected: Electric Vehicle Quarterly Report 2023,” the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI) agreed the “installation of US public chargers is not keeping up with current and projected EV sales,” noting that as of the first quarter of this year, there was a “total of 133,982 publicly available charging outlets in US for 3.34 million EVs on the road, a ratio of 25 EVs per charger,” and while 306,047 EVs were registered that quarter, only 7,802 new chargers were added, a ratio of 39 EVs per public port.

Adoption rates vary from state to state, largely driven by tax credits made available and state laws being passed. Although New Jersey has the sixth highest adoption rate (1.9 percent of registered vehicles are EVs) and the state saw a 57.2 percent increase in EVs (30,420 to 47,830) in 2021 v. 2022, the state has the second lowest number of charging stations per 100 EVs (5.6), indicating a definitive need for more EV charging stations in the Garden State. Moreover, earlier this year, Governor Murphy announced the filing of a new rule dictating that all new cars sold in 2035 and beyond must run on electric, so EVs truly are the future…but what do shops think about this potential investment?

“I do not have a charging station at the shop, nor do we intend to in the immediate future,” shares Dennis Cataldo, Jr. (D&M Auto Body; Old Bridge). “I currently choose not to work on Tesla vehicles as we are not set up with the training or equipment to work on those vehicles. I have not currently had the opportunity to estimate other high-end electric vehicles, such as Rivian or Polestar, but would likely take the same position I do with Tesla.”

“At this point, we have not added any EV charging stations due to limited space considerations,” explains Ken Miller (821 Collision; North Haledon). “We really don’t have the room for people to come and charge their cars since we’re a small shop.”

Miller acknowledges that the shop would be more likely to install charging stations if there was a large-scale adoption of EVs that occurred very quickly, but he believes New Jersey is still “very far away from that. We know that EVs are something we’ll have to embrace when we have to embrace them. But that’s not right now.”

The current shortage of public charging stations creates an opportunity for savvy business owners willing to invest in the infrastructure needed to support EV growth, and such an investment seems particularly well-aligned with the body shop world which could benefit both directly and indirectly from this type of venture.

Although installation can be costly, shops with the means and space to add one or more charging ports may enjoy increased profitability, both by attracting new customers – who may ultimately elect to have their EVs repaired at the shop – as well as by creating an avenue to generate new income by setting up a charging station similar to gas stations. How profitable are charging stations? It really depends on the level of EV adoption within the specific market, but estimates indicate the potential to earn thousands of dollars monthly from EV charging because it’s a service that consumers desperately need!

“We do not have a charging station, and we do not have room to add one,” agrees Paul Edgcomb (Champion CARSTAR Collision; Hightstown), though he is very interested in the available statistics and plans to seriously consider adding an EV charging station within the next year since his shop is Tesla-certified.

Jerry McNee (Ultimate Collision; Edison) sees it differently. “We have charging stations throughout the entire facility. When I added our addition in 2016, we planned to add charging stations, but by the time we got to that stage of the development two years later, we couldn’t remember what the extra plug was for,” he laughingly recalls. “At that point, we had to consult a mechanical engineer about what was truly required and pull in the correct wires which turned out to be a costly little venture. Since then, we’ve added quick chargers and upgraded at least three units internally, so we can do it in a quarter of the time.”

Preparing for EV definitely requires significant investments, according to McNee. “Do you have enough

“

“ EV is here to stay. It’s not going anywhere, whether you like it or hate it, so you might as well get ready for it.

power in your facility where you can plug several cars in along with a welder or two? The government is pushing EVs, so we need to think about how the power grid will endure the increase in these vehicles.”

One point that McNee stresses is that shops should not be giving electricity away. “If you want to give it away, that’s your business decision, but if you charge a customer’s vehicle, is that a cost of doing business? Shops need to get outside their four walls and learn more about generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) which say that’s not a cost of doing business, so you should be charging for it. Giving things away is not a good business model and isn’t helping your shop prosper.”

McNee originally intended to install charging stations outside as an additional source of revenue, but “with Wawa being constructed next door, there’s no reason since they’ll probably put up 15 stations. How do you compete with that? A bigger shop may have room for two or three stations, but Wawa can install a bunch more for guys to plug in while they enjoy their morning coffee and read the paper.”

Regardless, he thinks it’s important for shops to plan for the EV-olution that’s coming. “EV is here to stay. It’s not

going anywhere, whether you like it or hate it, so you might as well get ready for it.”

Clearly, investing in EV charging stations offer a lot of opportunities…and still present challenges, but does one outweigh the other? We’d love to hear what you think! Feel free to share your opinion with chasidy@ grecopublishing.com.

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.

Ciocca Parts Warehouse

8 Minneakoning Road

Flemington, NJ 08822

Toll Free: 800-221-1256

Fax: 908.782.1795

rmuir@cioccadealerships.com

www.cioccaparts.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

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

Trend Motors

221 Route 46 West Rockaway, NJ 07866 888-267-2821

fax: 973-625-4985

www.trendmotors.com

email: dreinacher@trendmotors.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. ©2023 Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Wholesale Parts

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

ARANJ

The Automotive Recyclers

Association of New Jersey

Wharton Insurance Briefs

Safety at a dismantler/recycling yard is extremely important for employees and even more so for customers. A customer who comes into your yard could cost you a lot more in the event of an accident. If they get hurt, you could end up with a liability lawsuit that could cost into the tens of thousands…and possibly a million dollars.

Customer injuries are the number one cause of serious general liability claims. Extreme caution should be taken when a customer enters your premises. Posting signs is a good first step. They should be posted at the entrance of the yard. They should spell out safety requirements, such as wearing hard hats, safety glasses, keeping a safe distance from the truck while unloading, etc. Have customers sign in as they arrive and sign out as they leave.

If an employee observes an injury or vehicle damage, make sure they document the details. Direct the flow of customers to the right areas in the yard. Restrict dangerous areas of the yard to employees only, and most importantly, separate customer areas from material handling equipment areas. As always, if you have any questions regarding your insurance coverage, please call us.

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