40 YEARS
NORTH E AS T E DITIO N
AUTOBODYNEWS.COM
CT / DE / ME / MD / MA / NH / NJ / NY / PA / RI / VT
Bristol, CT, Manufacturer to Shut Components Plant as Car Manufacturers Shift from Gas-Powered Cars by Stephen Singer, Hartford Courant
Barnes Group Inc. said July 28 it’s shutting its Engineered Components plant in Bristol, CT, employing 95 workers, in response to declining production of gasoline-powered cars, inflation and supply chain problems. The plant serves the U.S. automotive industry and focuses on manufacturing, stamping and assembly of legacy transmission springs and washers. Barnes cited a decline in U.S. powertrain automotive production “as manufacturers increase their
electric vehicle models.” It said it decided to close the Bristol operations “to make Engineered Components more efficient and cost competitive.” Work performed at the plant will be transferred to other Engineered Components manufacturing locations or permanently discontinued. The shutdown is expected to be completed by mid-2023. Sales of new light-duty plug-in electric vehicles, including all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, nearly doubled from See Shut Components Plant, Page 10
Company Says it Has Recent Auto Body Shop Estimate Data for Sale by John Yoswick
The ongoing discussion about auto body shop data privacy at the quarterly Collision Industry Conference (CIC) meetings took a new turn this summer when an association leader described what a data aggregator company had recently offered to sell to his organization. Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), said the company contacted him, after speaking with one of SCRS’s state affiliate groups, to see if SCRS might be
interested in acquiring data it has on recently-written collision repair quotes. The company, which Schulenburg did not identify by name, told him the information could be used by SCRS member shops to contact consumers who received a recent estimate to say, “Hey, I know you’ve gotten a recent quote, and our business could do the work for you.” Schulenburg asked what type of information was available. The company told him, “through our data aggregation partners and proSee Data for Sale, Page 34
Vol. 13 / Issue 6 / September 2022
NYC Secures More Than $300,000 for Consumers Harmed by Predatory Brooklyn Used Car Dealerships A settlement with Brooklyn Mitsubishi and Brooklyn Volkswagen will deliver $304,900 to New Yorkers wronged by the companies’ deceptive practices when selling used cars. The settlement was announced July 15 by New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga. The agreement resolves numerous violations of the city’s Consumer Protection Law, as well as licensing laws prohibiting deceptive and unlawful conduct in the indus-
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga announced a settlement with Brooklyn Mitsubishi and Brooklyn Volkswagen that will deliver $304,900 to New Yorkers wronged by the companies’ deceptive practices when selling used cars See $300,000 for Consumers, Page 26
SEMA Show to Feature Educational Program Focused on Personal and Professional Development Dozens of industry leaders and experts will take the stage at the 2022 SEMA Show Education Program, where attendees will have the opportunity to learn about current and future trends, proven business strategies and new opportunities while at the annual event taking place in November in Las Vegas. Beginning Oct. 31—the day before the official opening of the four-day SEMA Show—the 2022 SEMA Show Education Program will include more than 70 free and premium sessions within 14 tracks. Showgoers may choose individual sessions across different tracks, mixing and matching the offerings to create a personalized agenda that meets one’s individual needs. “The Education Program is one of the SEMA Show’s key pillars, and it’s always been highly rated by participants,” said Pamela Brown-Matthis, SEMA director of education. “We challenged ourselves and pushed to make the program better than ever. We focused heavily on bringing in elite subject matter
experts and high-profile industry leaders. SEMA Show attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to hear from industry experts while at the show.”
SEMA Show attendees can learn about current and future trends, proven business strategies and new opportunities from industry leaders and experts as part of the 2022 SEMA Show Education Program.
New this year are four sessions focused on challenges and opportunities associated with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. The first DEI session, “Diversity and Inclusion: How You Can Advance Equal Opportunity in Your Workplace,” See SEMA Show, Page 28
PERMIT #288 ANAHEIM, CA
PAID
Change Service Requested P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE