January 2019 Southwest edition

37 YEARS

SOUTHWEST EDITIO N

AUTOBODY

AUTOBODYNEWS.COM

Vol. 37 / Issue 1 / January 2019

AZ / AR / CO / LA / NM / OK / TX / UT

HABA Fall Conference Delivers Valuable Information to Attendees

Community Devasted After GM Announces Plant Closings, Lordstown, OH, Will be Hard Hit

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

by Tara Molina, Kaylyn Hlavaty and Amanda VanAllen, News 5 Cleveland, Associated Press, and others

On Nov. 12, the Houston Auto Body Association (HABA) hosted a Fall Conference at the Wyndham West Energy Corridor in West Houston, TX, featuring presentations by Mike Anderson, Tim Ronak and Larry Cernosek.

The meeting’s focus was on prioritizing safety.

According to HABA President John Kopriva, “It went really, really well. Although the rain and sleet prevented some folks from coming, we still had over 100 attendees, and

Todd Tracy provided the Seebachan crash car and the aftermarket crash car that was repaired

by ABAT’s Burl Richards

the venue was perfect. The whole event was excellent.”

See HABA Fall Conference, Page 12

Collision Repair Industry Associations Make 2019 New Year’s Resolutions

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

Since the Babylonians began the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions over 4,000 years ago, people around the world have kicked off each new year by making a promise to improve some aspect of their lives.

The collision repair industry is no different, and associations around the country have begun thinking about what they can do to improve their organizations in 2019. Fortunately, some of these industry leaders were willing to share their 2019

New Year’s resolutions with Autobody News.

Increasing membership, expanding educational offerings and pursuing legislative initiatives were all largely important to associations and the industry in 2018. Collision repair professionals can anticipate seeing these efforts extend into 2019 with renewed vigor. Elijah Winans, board member of the North Carolina Association of Collision and Autobody Repair (NCACAR), would “like to see our membership, attendance See Resolutions, Page 26

The General Motors plant in Lordstown will stop production in March of 2019, sources confirmed. The closing is devastating news for many in Mahoning Valley, who’ve relied on the General Motors Lordstown plant for more than 50 years.

“They get $2.3 billion in profits this last quarter, gonna have $10 billion for the year. This is what they do to us now? After a huge tax cut. What more do you want from the American people?” Congressman Tim Ryan said to News 5.

According to city officials, for every factory job cut, seven others are affected, so it’s not just the estimated 1,500 who work at the plant facing uncertainty come 2019, it’s all of the businesses who call the area home.

“There won’t be one neighborhood, one school, one church that’s not affected by this closure today,” Ryan said. “This has been the plant that’s held this community through a lot of ups and downs.”

The community considers Lordstown’s GM plant their 6.2 million square foot heart, beating since 1966.

Small businesses like Nese’s County Cafe, a popular local breakSee Plant Closings, Page 27

Holidays Holidays y Caliber Collision, ABRA (Auto Body Repair of America) To Merge Caliber Collision (“Caliber”) and ABRA Auto Body Repair of America (“ABRA”) recently announced a definitive merger agreement that brings together the companies’ teams, brands and operations to better serve their customers and insurance clients.

The combination joins two complementary leaders in the $47-billiona-year collision repair industry.

“This combination will allow us to offer even greater satisfaction for our valued customers and insurance clients while creating new opportunities for the talented teammates of both companies,” said Steve Grimshaw, Caliber Chief Executive Officer.

“With more than 1,000 stores in 37

states and the District of Columbia, we look forward to providing customers and insurance clients with the flexibility and convenience that come with the broadest geographic coverage in the United States and a full suite of services.”

The combined company will offer customers and clients a single solution with more offerings, including dedicated non-drive, express and aluminum-certified and high-line repair centers. Customers will also benefit from increased choice, as substantial opportunities exist to expand the companies’ offerings, such as glass, mechanical, diagnostic See Caliber Collision, Page 31

PERMIT #288 ANAHEIM, CA

PAID

Change Service Requested

P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE

2

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

ABRA Adds 2 Body Repair Centers in Knoxville, TN, Area

CONTENTS ASA Partners With Advance Auto Parts, TxDOT’s Drive Clean TX Campaign . . . . . . . . 6 ASA-CO Learns to Create, Empower Championship Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Bates Collision in TX Provides ‘Keys to a Brighter Future’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Gerber Collision Acquires TX MSO . . . . . . . . . . . 8 HABA Fall Conference Delivers Valuable Information to Attendees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 I-CAR, CREF Award TX Auto Collision Program With Laptops. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 NABC F.R.E.E. Program, BASF Provide Education for TX First Responders. . . . . . . . . 9 Sisk - ASA-TX Annual Meeting Features Best-in-Industry Training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 TX Auto Collision, Management Technology Program Receives National Grant . . . . . . . . . 8

Marketplace in the U.S. and Canada . . . . . . 56 AASP National Elects New Executive Board During SEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 ABRA Adds 2 Body Repair Centers in Knoxville, TN, Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 AkzoNobel Turns Over Keys for Refurbished Car Program to NABC Recycled Rides . . . . . 60 Caliber Collision, ABRA (Auto Body Repair of America) To Merge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Cars Talking to Cars Happening in Tampa, FL, as Connected Vehicle Program Rolls Out . . . 28

Plans for 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 CIECA Welcomes Podium as New Corporate Member . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 CARSTAR Weighs in on the Hefty CostsCollision Industry Leader Shelly Jones Launches Performance Sales Solutions. . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Collision Repair Industry Associations

COLUMNISTS Anderson - A Reasonable Price for a Vehicle Scan Depends on What You’re Including . . . 30 Attanasio - 3 Shop-Friendly New Marketing Ideas for 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Attanasio - Are You Forgetting About Half Your Customers by Not Catering to Women? . . . . 48 Ledoux - The 1960s – Associations, Leaders and Poor Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Phillips - AkzoNobel Performance Group Highlights Importance of Working on Business, Not in Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Phillips - How to Prepare and Negotiate Better Deals With Industry Partners . . . . . . . 34 Phillips - SCRS Red Carpet Awards Breakfast at SEMA Recognizes Collision Industry . . . . 42 Phillips - Subaru of America Prepares to

Make 2019 New Year’s Resolutions. . . . . . . . 1 David Rogers Is the 2018 BodyShop Business/ASE Master Collision Repair & Refinish Technician . . . . . . . . . . . 58 FL Body Shop Worker Crashes Customer’s Audi S4, Shop Refuses to Pay for Repairs . . 24 GM To Cut Work Force, Halt Production at Multiple Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 IAA Announces Opening of New Flint, MI, Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 JTA Joins FL Polytechnic University on Driverless Vehicle Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Kyle Tucker Named 2018 SEMA Battle of The Builders Winner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Mark Olson Teaches WMABA About Reducing Liability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 OH Community Devasted After GM Announces

Launch Its Certified Collision Center

Plant Closings, Lordstown, OH, Will be

Network Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Hard Hit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Sisk - ARA Hosts Magical 75th Annual Convention and Exposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Sisk - Mike Anderson Presents ‘Using the Subaru Technical Information System (STIS) – Part 1’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Samsung Ponders Training Self-Driving Cars With Brain Waves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 State Farm Wins in Race Bias Suit Over Repair Shop Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Tariff Rate Increase Put on Pause Amid New Discussions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

NATIONAL A Profile of the Evolving Collision Repair

record of zero customer complaints.

Both locations will be known as Walker’s Collision, an Abra Company, for the foreseeable future.

Members of Abra’s leadership team headed to Knoxville to welcome Walker’s employees to the Abra team.

Abra first entered the Knoxville, TN, area in 2014 with the acquisition of five centers.

“Knoxville is a small market for Abra but has been a steady performer for us,” said Jim Kessler, Abra’s chief operating officer.

“Walker’s has a great team and culture that will complement our other centers in the area.”

CARSTAR Announces Aggressive Growth

Will NACE Make a Comeback? . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

REGIONAL

ABRA, Auto Body Repair of America, recently announced the addition of two new repair centers in the Knoxville, TN, area, which brings Abra’s national footprint to 400 centers in 28 states.

Located in the cities of Seymour, TN, and west Knoxville, TN, the centers come from the acquisition of Walker’s Collision Repair, represented by Kingsmoor Advisors, in a transaction that closed Nov. 30.

Established more than 25 years ago, Walker’s Collision Repair centers are I-CAR Gold and ASE-certified.

The team prides itself on its A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, which includes an impressive track

Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Contributing Writers: John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr, Stacey Phillips, Victoria Antonelli, Gary Ledoux Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Digital Marketing Manager: Bill Pierce Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Vicki Sitarz Online and Web Content Editor: Rochelle Beckel Accounting Manager: Heather Priddy Editorial/Sales Assistant: Randi Scholtes

Serving Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, Colorado, Arizona, Utah and adjacent metro areas. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the autobody industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2019 Adamantine Media LLC.

Accuvision-3D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists, LLC . . . . . . 9 Audi South Austin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . 57 AutobodyLaw.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 AutoNation Chevrolet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 AutoNation Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam NRH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 AutoNation Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram of North Phoenix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 AutoNation Collision Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Axalta Coating Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 10 Berge Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Big Mike Naughton Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . 55 Bob Howard PDC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Certified Automotive Parts Association . . . . 6 Chapman Chevrolet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Chevyland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Christopher’s Dodge World . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Christopher’s Mitsubishi . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Classic BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Courtesy Chevrolet-Isuzu. . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Covert-Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram. . . . . . 26 Dallas Dodge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Dent Fix Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Dent Magic Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Don Carlton Auto Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Eckler’s Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 ECS Automotive Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Emich Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Emich Volkswagen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Equalizer Industries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Finnegan Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge . . . . . . . . . 2 Fisher Acura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Fisher Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Flatirons Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 29 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . 53 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . 61 Greeley Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 GYS Welding USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers. 32-33 Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . 58 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . . 49 Killer Tools & Equipment Corp . . . . . . . . . 20 Larry H. Miller Chrysler-Jeep-DodgeRam/Sandy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Matrix Automotive Finishes . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Mercedes-Benz of Littleton . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Dealers . 59 Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . 59 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . 37 North Freeway Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Part of the Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Peak Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Pro Spot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Ray Huffines Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 RBL Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Rickenbaugh Volvo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Robaina Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 SATA Dan-Am Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Schmelz Countryside. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 South Pointe Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge . . . . . . . 8 Spanesi Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Subaru of Little Rock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . 51 Symach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Toyota of Laredo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . 54 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers. . . . 54 YesterWreck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Young Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Autobody News Box 1516, Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com editor@autobodynews.com

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

3

Samsung Ponders Training Self-Driving Cars With Brain Waves

by Daniel Golightly, Android Headlines

Samsung’s efforts in the self-driving automotive industry appear poised to continue growing, based on a recent patent for a new autonomous driver training model published by WIPO. The patent itself applies primarily to an “apparatus” and methodology for training a self-driving vehicle’s AI that utilizes machine learning and a combination of human driver metrics and traditional sensor information. The data for the former is tracked and pulled from several sources within the vehicle itself while a human is in control; that includes information such as grip strength and positioning taken from the steering wheel and brake or throttle pedal movement.

However, it also seems to include headset-gathered metrics, with Samsung explicitly indicating measurements taken via eye-tracking and a brain-wave electrocardiogram. The former of those is self-explanatory, but the latter is more closely related to and encompasses technologies more often associated with EKG, ECG or EEG measurements taken in a medical setting.

Samsung’s description of the ap-

paratus indicates that the electrocardiogram information would be used to assess the changes in a driving environment and dangerous driving circumstances in combination with those other metrics. However, it would also be compiled with the driver’s use of turn signals and their “manipulation” of the vehicle’s horn, stereo or other instruments in order to build a set of patterns in driving behavior to start from and improve on. That would be further underscored by metrics gathered from cameras, LiDAR, radar and navigation data in order to compile a more complete picture from which to create an autonomous driving model for the AI to work with.

Background: Although Samsung recently started filling out its portfolio in terms of AI automotive innovations, technologies and platforms, this is a relatively big step for the company.

Previously, the vast majority of its ambitions could summarily be collected under the umbrella of “supportive” technologies. For example, at CES 2018 in January, the company introduced a new series of self-driving technologies that sought to make the industry more modular. To that end, the ‘DRVLINE’ platform encom-

passed both hardware and software but could be put together piecemeal and was intended for use by current OEMs in the automotive industry and service industries rather than meant for use by Samsung to create its own vehicles. For the most part, all of its technologies and press releases have centered around a similar concept, building solutions that align with the self-driving vehicle industry without taking on the tasks of building out its own subsidiary to become an active manufacturer.

Bearing that in mind, the company has also applied for and received an autonomous vehicle testing license in its home country. Specifically, that was awarded way back in mid-2017, but that doesn’t mean this new patent isn’t geared in the same direction. In fact, this may be among the first indications that Samsung wants to do far more than simply provide components and associated software for others in the race for AI vehicle dominance. Instead, if it puts these patents into place, the company may be preparing to compete more directly with companies such as Alphabet’s Waymo, which builds its own systems for use with another manufacturer’s vehicle platforms

JTA Joins FL Polytechnic University on Driverless Vehicle Research

by Bill Bortzfield, WJCT

The Jacksonville, FL, Transportation Authority is continuing its push into the world of autonomous vehicles with a new alliance.

JTA is joining forces with Florida Polytechnic University’s Advanced Mobility Institute, which focuses on advancing and testing driverless transportation.

This video screengrab shows a conceptional rendering of the U2C autonomous vehicles that are planned to replace the existing Skyway. Credit: JTA

“AV technology holds great promise for the whole transportation industry, but it’s very likely that public transportation will take advantage of it before the generic passenger car 4

marketplace,” said Rahul Razdan, senior director for special projects at Florida Poly, located in Lakeland.

“At the Advanced Mobility Institute,

street level, expanding the system to the sports complex, Riverside, San Marco and Springfield.

“JTA is excited to collaborate with Florida Polytechnic University to explore autonomous vehicles and connected vehicle technologies,” said Nat Ford, CEO of the JTA. “Florida Poly and its Advanced Mobility Institute are strong scientific advisors in this ground-breaking technology.”

JTA is calling the Skyway modernization project the U2C, which stands for JTA tested this autonomous electric vehicle in June.

Ultimate Urban Circulator.

Credit: Joslyn Simmons, WJCT News The U2C ties into a larger we pay particular attention to the project with several agencies to turn Florida industries that can absorb this Bay Street in downtown Jacksonville into an “innovation corridor.” It would technology earlier.”

The mutual agreement includes bring together a series of cameras, senfostering the development of AV tech- sors and autonomous vehicles to imnology in downtown areas, university prove traffic flow and improve safety.

JTA and other local agencies are campuses and other controlled setpursuing a $25 million federal grant to tings.

That in turn dovetails with JTA’s help turn the program into a reality.

As part of the project, JTA has plan to modernize and expand the Skyway with autonomous electric ve- been testing driverless EVs on a test hicles that would run on existing ele- track it built that runs next to Metrovated Skway tracks as well as on politan Park near Bay Street. Called

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

rather than selling them to the OEM. Impact: Setting that aside, most autonomous training programs depend primarily on the use of LiDAR, radar and cameras coupled with accurate mapping data and hundreds of thousands of miles of test driving.

Ordinarily, the AI is accompanied by a human driver just in case the system fails to respond or any softwarerelated issues arise.

Samsung’s concept approach is different in that it combines those with a direct real-time analysis of a human driver, going as far as reading their brain waves. While there are a lot of obvious ways that that could go horribly wrong, it may provide autonomous drivers with a much better way to handle non-autonomous vehicles sharing the roadway. Moreover, it could help improve a self-driving vehicle’s “situational awareness” and improve how other unknowns in an environmental setting are responded to if Samsung chooses its human drivers responsibly and carefully.

We thank Android Headlines for reprint permission. https://www.android headlines.com/2018/11/samsungself-driving-cars-training-brainwaves.html

the AV Test & Learn Track, JTA has also on occasion offered test rides to the public to show off the potential of driverless vehicles.

JTA has also announced another testing phase that will convert a portion of the existing Skyway between Jefferson Street station and its underconstruction transportation center into an elevated test track for autonomous vehicles.

JTA shows off one of its driverless EV test vehicles. Credit: JTA

“We’re excited to collaborate with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, sharing with them our scientific research and expertise on autonomous vehicle technology,” said Florida Poly President Randy Avent in an email to WJCT News.

We thank WJCT for reprint permission.

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

5

I-CAR, CREF Award TX Auto Collision Program With Laptops Auto collision and management technology at Texas State Technical College in Harlingen, TX, was recently awarded a Progressive Insurance laptop grant by the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) and the Collision Repair Education Foundation during the 2018 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

The SEMA Show is the world’s premier automotive specialty products trade event. It draws the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to one location and provides educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events and networking opportunities.

With this grant, TSTC’s auto collision and management technology department will receive 10 laptops by the end of the year to use for

training purposes.

“Every student in our program will benefit from these laptops,” said TSTC auto collision technology lead instructor Jose Vasquez. “This is a huge upgrade and a big deal for our program. We are very grateful to have received this award.”

Vasquez said this award is part of a group effort within departments at TSTC. “Everyone from administration [to] statewide leads to the marketing department helped make this award possible,” said Vasquez. “And we are so thankful that everyone was able to do his/her part to help prove our need.”

The laptops will be implemented for training in the program’s estimating/shop management course.

Vasquez said these laptops, which will be equipped with estimating and management programs used in the industry, will allow his students to quickly research auto body parts and write up repair estimates for class assignments and live projects in which students will research damage, parts and estimate repairs for vehicles brought in by folks from the surrounding communities.

ASA Partners With Advance Auto Parts, TxDOT’s Drive Clean TX Campaign Three Texas youths harnessed their artistic skills to help spread the word about keeping Texas skies free of harmful car emissions.

They created winning posters for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Drive Clean Texas campaign’s first Live & Breathe Texas Kids Poster Contest.

Sponsored by Automotive Service Association (ASA), in conjunction with its affiliate, ASA-Texas, and Advance Auto Parts, the contest was open to K-12 students statewide. Students were asked to submit a poster that encourages Texas drivers to “do your part” to help keep emissions out of the beautiful Texas skies. Posters also could show how Texans “live and breathe” Texas air.

“We needed help raising awareness about the importance of clean air in Texas, so we turned to our state’s most valuable resource—its youth,” said Beth Risch, chief operating officer of ASA. “The three winning entries do a spectacular job of illustrating why we should all do our part to protect our state’s air quality.”

6

Winners include: • Gloria Liu, 8, of Cross Roads • Damajeon Neal, 13, of Texarkana • Autumn Stump, 14, of Woodway ASA-Texas/Drive Clean Texas poster contest rules/entry forms and contest fliers were sent to 250 ASA member auto repair shops and 84 Texas Advance Auto Parts store locations to encourage participation.

One winner was selected from each of three age categories: kindergarten through fifth grade, grades 6–8 and grades 9–12. The winning posters will be displayed in all ASA-Texas member-shops and Advance Auto Parts stores in the state during the month of May 2019.

This year’s winners were recognized at the annual conference luncheon of ASA-Texas on Nov. 17 at the Hilton Downtown Fort Worth.

Each winner received a framed copy of their poster and $500. The monetary prizes were provided by Advance Auto Parts. To learn more about “Drive Clean Texas,” visit drivecleantexas.org.

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

“Our priority is to prepare our students for the industry, and these laptops will allow them to experience firsthand what they will see when they begin working. This is industry-recommended training,” said

Vasquez. “This will improve students’ training and will make their research and estimates instant instead of the manual way we’re doing things now.”

TSTC auto collision and management technology and I-CAR, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the information, knowledge and skills required to perform complete, safe and quality repairs, have a long-running partnership.

I-CAR has provided students from TSTC’s auto collision program with scholarships, tool grants, U.S.

Armed Forces veteran grants and grants for TSTC shop upgrades.

“We are honored to provide TSTC in Harlingen with the Progressive Laptop Grant and other assistance throughout the year. This is a well-deserved award,” said Melissa Marscin, director of operations and administration for the Collision Repair Education Foundation. “TSTC’s collision program has proven to be great, and we know these laptops will help them become an even better program. We hope that this donation will help them improve their access to ICAR training, estimating and vehicle service information.”

Vasquez said he is thankful for everything I-CAR has done for the program and his students.

“Year in and year out, as a member of their foundation, I-CAR has helped us improve our training and kick-start careers,” said Vasquez.

Auto collision and management technology is offered at TSTC’s Harlingen and Waco campuses and offers certificate and associate degree tracks.

For more information on TSTC auto collision technology, visit tstc.edu.

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

7

TX Auto Collision, Management Technology Program Receives National Grant Texas State Technical College’s auto collision and management technology program will soon buy new equipment thanks to a recently awarded national grant.

The program has received a $1,000 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover Grant from the Collision Repair Education Foundation. The

Clint Campbell, TSTC’s statewide auto collision and management technology chair, said it took two months to complete the application, which included information on the program’s budget and student job placement, as well as recommendations from industry representatives.

One of the classes that TSTC Waco auto collision and management technology majors take is Basic Paint Techniques, Equipment and Environmental Practices

announcement was made in late October at the 2018 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The money will be available in January.

High school and college auto collision programs undergo a rigorous application process to be considered for the grants.

8

“It’s a good deal for the program,” Campbell said. “It makes sure you are doing things correctly and for the right reasons.”

Campbell said it is critical to the auto collision industry to not only teach students how to repair dents and paint, but also how to use

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

technology to reset collision avoidance systems being built for new vehicle models. Securing grants to purchase new equipment enables the program faculty to use money in areas where it is most needed.

John McIntyre, 33, and Blake McIntyre, 28, both of San Angelo, are working toward auto collision refinishing certificates and are scheduled to graduate next summer.

The brothers chose to attend TSTC to learn techniques to use for a restoration shop they want to open in their hometown after graduation.

They want to purchase older models of trucks, rehabilitate them and sell them at automotive auctions.

“Automotives are a passion,” John said.

Blake said he had an extra source of motivation for pursuing the certificate: He had been dissatisfied with past automotive paint jobs. He said his favorite class so far has been Automotive Plastic and Sheet Molded Compound Repair.

TSTC in Waco has about 90 students pursuing the program’s associate degrees and certificates.

For more information on Texas State Technical College, go to tstc.edu.

Gerber Collision Acquires TX MSO

Gerber Collision & Glass recently announced the Dec. 14 acquisition of a multi-store operation consisting of nine collision repair centers located in Texas.

The centers had operated as Paceline Collision Centers since 1998. The centers are located in Abilene, Copperas Cove, Killeen (2), Lampasas, Lubbock (3) and Marble Falls.

“This significant acquisition strengthens our presence in Texas and allows us to introduce our brand and leading service model to new markets and better assist our insurance clients,” said Tim O’Day, president and COO of Gerber Collision & Glass. “We look forward to these new teams maintaining the high level of service provided at these locations.”

Gerber Collision & Glass is continuously looking to add new collision repair locations to its existing network in Canada and the U.S. Interested collision repair center owners are asked to contact Stephen Boyd at (204) 594-1776 or stephen.boyd@boydgroup.com.

Mark Olson Teaches WMABA About Reducing Liability

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Oct. 25, the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA) hosted a training seminar featuring Mark Olson of VECO Experts to discuss “Shop Process, Culture and Quality Control While Reducing Liability.” Hertz sponsored the meeting, which was held at the Springhill Suites in Sterling, VA. This well-attended meeting was held “for attendees to gain knowledge of proper processes and implementation or execution of quality control measures that gives them reduced liability and better practices for quality repairs,” WMABA Executive Director Jordan Hendler shared. Olson also discussed the proper process for ensuring consistent and thorough repair documentation, which he called the “Bulletproof File.”

According to Hendler, “Mark far exceeded our expectations for his presentation. The content was of the highest quality and easy to understand, while also being accessible.

Some speakers give the end objective without a clear path of execution, and he was able to do both!

Attendees seemed surprised by the

amount of information they were able to get from this meeting. Mark wasn’t giving them new information but packaging it in a way that was relevant to their issues and processes.

“WMABA strives to bring national, quality speakers to our area as often as [time] permits with our members and leadership. When we have a

Mark Olson of VECO Experts presented a seminar to WMABA

meeting, trust that a lot has gone into that so that any meeting you attend with us is valuable to your daily business. This is not information you will receive directly into your own shop without a high price tag. If you want quality materials from the best there is, the best thing to do is to come to the association meetings. The association can bring them in, and you just have to show up!” For more information on WMABA, visit wmaba .com.

NABC F.R.E.E. Program, BASF Provide Education for TX First Responders More than 60 first responders from around Texas recently gathered for a demonstration of the latest techniques in emergency vehicle extrication.

The demonstration was provided by the National Auto Body Council First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.™) program and BASF. In crashes where minutes can spell the difference between life and death, first responders to the accident scene need up-to-date information so they can act quickly and safely. Knowing specifically where and how to efficiently cut, pry and extricate can save precious minutes and lives. Having such knowledge also benefits the safety of the first responders.

Keeping first responders up-todate on the latest technology in vehicles is a challenge for every local fire department. The F.R.E.E. program helps first responders stay abreast of the rapid changes in vehicle design.

High-strength steel, airbags, advanced restraint systems, onboard technology and safety around alternative fuel vehicles are all covered in

the program. The growing popularity of high-voltage hybrid and electric vehicles and the many safety concerns surrounding these vehicles make this program a necessity. Alternative fuel systems present different challenges when first responders arrive at the scene of an accident.

Electric cars, hybrid cars and natural gas vehicles have fuel systems that pose dangers for first responders if need arises to cut or pry the vehicle for rescue.

The BASF Automotive Competence Center at 19345 Kenswick Dr. hosted first responders from Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and surrounding areas at a special NABC F.R.E.E. instruction program on November 17 in Houston to help ensure Texas drivers have the best prepared response in case of an accident.

State Farm Insurance provided the vehicles, and Hurst Jaws of Life and MES instructors supplied the classroom education and extrication demonstration. Other partners included Insurance Auto Auctions, BAM Towing and Enterprise Rental Car.

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

9

ASA-CO Learns to Create, Empower Championship Teams

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Oct. 30, ASA-CO hosted a training seminar titled “How to Create and Empower Championship Teams” at NAPA in Denver, CO. The two-and-a-half hour session was facilitated by Michael Smith, managing partner at Herzberg Smith & Co. and was sponsored by NAPA, which also provided a buffet dinner for the group.

According to Brian Bates, training director of the Elite NAPA Business Development Group, “The event was very successful. About 50 people attended, representing a large number of different automobile service companies. Quite a few NAPA leaders attended as well. Interest in the event was strong, as evidenced by the large attendance. The audience was engaged throughout, participated openly

10

and seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. Every person seemed glad that they came.”

The seminar focused on seven class objectives: finding out why purpose, vision and mission are foundational in framing championship performance expectations; learning how to define, establish and nurture a high-performance culture; understanding how champions think and perform compared to everyone else; discovering why goal-setting actually works and how to establish and execute consistently successful goals; learning how to drive extraordinary performance across your entire team repeatedly; considering competitive strategies that will distinguish your team from all others; and realizing consistent results—revenue growth, financial profitability and human development—beyond any past performance.

Training was broken into three sections. The first, “Championship Cultures – Nurturing a Winning Environment,” focused on examples using Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, as well as Nick Saban and the University of

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Alabama. In the second, “Leading Champions – Virtues, Competencies and Mentoring,” Smith discussed legendary NBA superstars Michael Jordan and LeBron James. “The Mind of a Champion – Beliefs, Comfort Zones and Futuring” highlighted

mastering the mental game using anecdotes about PGA champions Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth.

Bates recalled, “The class ended with a challenging section about ‘a tsunami of change’ coming to our automotive service industry—the sale or closure of an estimated 170,000 baby-boomer-owned shops in the next 5–15 years, and the impact that is going to have on the rest of us. I know Michael Smith, and my expectations for the event were very high.

We exceeded my expectations. Our

attendees were engaged throughout and very pleased with the information presented. I have been asked to include this facilitator and many related topics at future events throughout 2019.

“This event is part of a series of events sponsored by our NAPA Elite Business Development Group. The purpose of every event is to challenge our members to learn, grow and improve our businesses across a wide range of topics. Leading our industry remains a principal goal of our group members. The competitive landscape, economic pressures and demographic changes all conspire to challenge our industry’s standard assumptions and approaches. We each need to routinely question ourselves and constantly raise our levels of excellence and results. This process is never-ending, and association-sponsored events help us achieve this ongoing objective.”

For more information about ASACO, visit asacolorado.org.

www.autobodynews.com

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

11

great job. Talking about where he the industry is headed, he told HABA Fall Conference feels us that he believes many shops will be left behind if they don’t bring Todd Tracy provided the See- their processes up to the standard and bachan crash car involved with the prepare for the ongoing advances John Eagle Collision decision made and changing technology on automoin October 2017 and the aftermarket biles. He quoted Wayne Gretzky, crash car that was repaired by Burl who said, ‘Don’t go where the puck Richards, president of the Auto Body is, but where it’s going to be.’ Rather than worrying about where the inAssociation of Texas.

Both vehicles were on display dustry is today, we need to be lookin the parking spaces directly outside ing at where it will be in the future. of the ballroom where the seminars Mike is always really high-energy, so he held the crowd’s attention and were held.

“Those parking spaces belong everyone really enjoyed his presento AVIS Budget Rent-A-Car, but tation.”

Next, Tim Ronak, senior servthey made them available to us so meeting participants could look at ices consultant for AkzoNobel, prethe car. The Seebachans’ car was so sented “Severity Doesn’t Matter,” badly damaged that you couldn’t during which he discussed the effects even determine the make or model of of working with insurance compathe car. I don’t see how anyone could nies, including unrealistic severity expectations. have survived that,” Kopriva said.

Kopriva recalled, “He gave an The meeting began at 9 a.m. with HABA recognizing the veter- example of a shop that was a DRP ans in attendance in honor of Veter- for a major insurer, but they were ans Day. Acting as emcee for the faced with the dilemma of trying to event, Collision Advice’s Mike An- keep their numbers within severity derson explained that the purpose of metrics when the repair procedures the meeting was to stress safety over called for use of new wheels. The shop knew it would drive severity profitability.

“Safety is HABA’s goal and well above the insurer’s expectations main talking point for 2019,” Kopriva and they’d be taken off the program, but they put the wheels on and inshared.

Anderson began his presenta- demnified the insurance company, tion by detailing how shops can bet- which Tim said is not the business of ter identify and document everything the collision repair industry. He walked around the room while he presented and really engaged the attendees.”

Although Tracy was scheduled to speak during HABA’s Fall Conference, he had to cancel to be in court that day. However, HABA obtained a copy of the video Tracy made during ABAT’s trade show in September to An afternoon panel discussion focused on steering, labor show attendees. Unforturate suppression and other collision repair industry topics. nately, they ran out of time to (l to r) Tim Ronak, Greg Griffith and Mike Anderson finish it, so Anderson promnecessary to perform a safe and reli- ised to send the video to all attendees able repair. He also shared statistics via email.

During lunch, Dan Parsons, about where he believes the industry will be in the future. He encouraged president of the Better Business Bueveryone to participate in his “Who reau (BBB) of Greater Houston, Pays for What?” survey and chal- spoke about how shops can better inlenged HABA to increase its partici- still trust within the motoring public pation. HABA accepted the challenge and build trust with their customer to have 50 shops participate in the base. He had staff members present and hand out information and answer current survey.

Kopriva noted, “Mike did a questions from shops interested in Continued from Cover

12

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

longer than it did, but we only had so much time,” Kopriva said.

Larry Cernosek, legislative coordinator for HABA, then discussed the pending house bill that HABA will be lobbying for as well as the association’s Collision Day in February, for which they will go to Austin to meet with legislators. HABA will also be bringing the Seebachan and aftermarket cars with them to help them explain that they are stressing safety as a priority in 2019.

As HABA’s 2018 Fall Conference drew to a close, Kopriva wrapped things up by bringing everyone up to date on what HABA has AkzoNobel’s Tim Ronak presented “Severity Doesn’t Matter.” been doing as an association, bel, who answered many questions such as trying to get the motorists’ bill from attendees about steering, labor of rights enforced. He also provided rate suppression and other topics re- an overview of where they are headed in 2019. HABA will hold a planning lated to members’ businesses.

“The panel really addressed ex- meeting in January as well as the Legactly what our members were asking. islative Collision Day in February.

This session allowed people to share The association also plans to do many their thoughts and concerns directly more training sessions and seminars with the panel, and I was really for technicians this upcoming year.

For more information on HABA, pleased that they asked such good questions. It could have gone on a lot visit habaonline.org. joining the BBB. He also explained that customers can go to the BBB and pull up stats on participating shops to get a historical perspective on ratings and comments.

In the afternoon, HABA held a panel discussion with Ronak, Anderson and Greg Griffith of AkzoNo-

Quickest 3-D Measuring System üNO Calibration üNO Lasers üNO Targets üNO Adaptors üNO Magnets ü Place car on Bench, Lift or Ground

ü Mitchell Data ü Simply Point and Measure WATCH OUR ONLINE VIDEOS QUICK

ACCURATE

www.accuvision-3d.com 21 Lawrence Paquette Drive New York, NY 12919

Toll Free: EASY-TO-USE

800.465.8575

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

13

Bates Collision in TX Provides ‘Keys to a Brighter Future’

After months without reliable transportation while juggling work and family as single parents, Harris County Department of Education Head Start single moms Sheena Gulley and Parishellia Banks are receiving a special gift from Bates Collision Centers: the gift of transportation.

In its 20th year, HCDE Head Start’s partnership with Bates Collision Centers is giving away cars No. 35 and 36 to two moms who will be recognized with the Responsible Parenting Award. Bates Collision owners Lee and Leila Bates have made this annual giveaway a priority because they recognize the sacrifices parents often have to make in order to provide for their children.

14

Banks and Gulley were nominated by Head Start Center managers.

Bates employees donate time to work on the cars and help fill them with gifts, and other community members and businesses donate gas, insurance and materials needed to rehab the cars.

Leila said that both she and Lee are proud of their employees who continue to supply time and resources to families they have yet to meet.

“Wow, it’s hard to believe that our tradition of gifting transportation to hard-working, deserving families in need is 20 years old,” said Lee. “Even

though this program is all about giving to others, there’s no doubt that we are the ones that receive the biggest gift: the gift of helping others.”

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

“It’s our favorite day of the year— when we get to see the smiles on the families’ faces as they tear off the bright red wrapping paper to find their shiny ‘new’ car inside,” said Leila. “It’s especially fun to hear the giggles of the kiddos as they open the trunk to find it loaded with gifts with their names on them. It’s a 20-year-old Christmas tradition that gets all of our staff involved in the spirit of giving.”

HCDE Superintendent James Colbert Jr. said, “Generous community members like the Bates, their employees and supporters set the bar for community service. These cars transform families, and we are thankful for 20 years of commitment and giving from the Bates.”

About Sheena Gulley, HCDE Head Start Fifth Ward Center, recipient of the 35th rehabbed car: Sheena Gulley is a single mother of two sons: Marcus, 13, and Jay’Me, 2, and two daughters: Zyriah, 8, and Myriah, 4.

Gulley relies on Metro and Uber to get to and from work. She is unable to spend much time with her children or attend their school activities because of her lack of transportation and her work schedule. She will soon begin taking online GED classes with HCDE,

which are free and offer flexible learning opportunities for busy adults.

About Parishellia Banks, HCDE Head Start Baytown, recipient of the 36th rehabbed car: Parishellia Banks is currently raising her niece’s 2-year-

old son, Jayce, after she passed away during childbirth. Banks relies on family and friends to take her and her great-nephew to work and school. She also suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure and finds it difficult to make doctor appointments because of her lack of transportation.

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

15

Southwest Associations with Chasidy Rae Sisk

Chasidy Rae Sisk is a freelance technical writer from Wilmington, Delaware, who writes on a variety of fields and subjects, and grew up in a family of NASCAR fans. She can be contacted at crsisk@chasidyraesisk.com.

ASA-TX Annual Meeting Features Best-in-Industry Training On Nov. 17, ASA-Texas hosted its 2018 Annual Meeting and Training Event at the Downtown Fort Worth Hilton Hotel in Fort Worth, TX, attracting attendees from all around the state.

John Firm, ASA-Texas director (center), joins Advance Auto Parts’ sales team members during their break from the Sponsor Showcase

The event delivered on the association’s promises of best-in-industry training, awesome networking, prizes and surprises galore.

According to ASA-TX President Robert Gruener, “The day-long event was a success in terms of member attendance and participation.

Owners of collision repair shops and vehicle/automobile service shops and their management/tech employees spent the day in professional development seminars, which were divided into two training tracks: management and new technologies.”

Training ran from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. and featured several educational options for attendees. In the morning,

Robert Gruener was elected president of ASA-TX during the 2018 Annual Meeting. He is shown here giving his acceptance speech

from 8 a.m. until 11:45 a.m., Jack Hammond, senior instructor for the Automotive Training Institute, taught “What Are the Holes in Your Metrics?” The presentation provided an in-depth exploration of the details 16

needed to fix a dysfunctional service check and improve customer service.

During the same time slot, “Understanding the Control Area Network (CAN)” was presented by Bernie Thompson, trainer for the World Pace Training Institute, who reviewed how CAN works, explained how to diagnose the system and discussed how to properly repair bus problems.

The day was broken up by ASATX’s Annual Meeting Luncheon, which featured a keynote presentation by Tony Molla, vice president of ASA National.

Gruener shared, “Tony gave an in-depth review of the internal changes at ASA-National and an overview of the sweeping changes that are expected to shape our industry during the short- and mid-term future.”

tion report delivered by the association’s outgoing president and the election of new board of directors officers for the 2019–2020 term. In addition

Wolfe and Glenn Young.

During the Sponsor Showcase, attendees enjoyed special deals from representatives of major national and

The 2019–2020 board of directors were sworn in during annual meeting ceremonies. (l to r) Chris Murphy, immediate past president; Robert Gruener, president; Rod Burtch, president elect; Kathryn van der Pol, rreasurer; John Firm, director; Glenn Young, director; and David Markovich, former immediate past president. Markovich stepped down from the board at the end of his term

to Gruener’s election as president, Rod Burtch was elected as president elect and Kathryn van der Pol was elected as treasurer. The role of secretary has not yet been chosen. Chris Murphy will serve as the immediate past president, and the board’s directors will include John Firm, David

regional distributors.

“We received beneficial feedback from the attendees and the supplier-sponsors who participated in our Sponsor Showcase. These included Advance Auto Parts, Auto Zone, Synchrony Financial, WORLDSee ASA-TX Meeting, Page 28

Faster & Easier Steel & Aluminum Repair ASA-National Vice President Tony Molla was the keynote speaker at the Annual Meeting luncheon

From 1:45 p.m. until 6 p.m., “Succession: What’s Involved?” addressed the challenges that shop owners face when considering retirement.

Hammond explored the practical and legal considerations shop owners must think about when making their succession plans. Simultaneously, Thompson’s “Understanding Fuel Injection” focused on simplifying complex technology through the dissection of fuel injection system issues.

“The attendees felt the training sessions were very valuable,” Gruener stated. “They also enjoyed the opportunity to network with other ASA members from throughout the state and to share their experiences and solutions to common management issues.”

The ASA-TX Annual Meeting also included a state-of-the-associa-

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

SMART RESISTANCE SPOT WELDER

NEOPULSE 300-T2

AUTO MODE makes this machine extremely simple to use

Double pulse MIG/MAG 270A welding machine for unrivalled welding quality

GYSPOT PTI SMART WELDER AUTO MODE for easy operation on High Strength steel (UHSS/Baron), High Pressure clamping force with up to 14,500 amps of power

DENTSTATION COMBI STEEL & ALUMINUM DENT REPAIR

Jeep-

Repair instead of replace for less downtime and more profit

GYS Welding USA

636-405-2800

info@gysweldingusa.com www.gysweldingusa.com Join our distributor network

GYSPRESS 8T Universal car body self-piercing riveting system.

Operates on a pneumatic closed hydraulic system.

Adjustable speed and pressure up to 8 tons

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

17

Will NACE Make a Comeback?

by Gary Ledoux

For years, the National (then later the International) Autobody Congress and Exposition, better known simply as NACE, later combined with the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service, better known simply as CARS, had been the premier trade show for the collision industry. Driven by its sponsoring organization, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) the NACE show saw terrific growth in its early years, then fell into a long decline.

For 2019, there will be no NACE show. So what happened?

Founding and Growth Sponsored by the then-premier automotive repair organizations of their time, the Independent Automotive Service Association and the Automotive Service Councils, the first NACE show was held in November, 1983 at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN. Prior to this time there had been a number of small, regional shows sponsored by local autobody associations but this was the first show of its type on a national scale. The first show proved popular and exceeded expectations.

NACE came along at precisely the right time in the evolution of the industry. In the summer of 1983, a spot survey of shops conducted by the trade media asked how many had attended a national or local trade show. Close to eighty percent had recently been to a trade show and over ninety percent had been in the past two years. Those that did attend said they wanted to look at the latest equipment and keep up on repair techniques and trends. Those that didn’t attend claimed there were no shows in their area, or they just didn’t have time to go—being so busy just to stay afloat. The first show saw 171 exhibitor booths and about 1,500 attendees.

Reaching Its Peak In the early 80’s, shops were on a buying frenzy, securing new equipment to work on the new unibody cars and a trade show was the ideal place to see the equipment, talk with manufacturer reps, and network with other shop owners.

18

Only two years later, in 1985, NACE attendees exceeded 4,000. In 1986, attendance exceeded 6,200 and by 1988, attendance broke 10,000.

The last show of the decade saw over 15,000 attendees.

The period of the 1980’s has been called an “awakening” of the industry where not only were shop owners interested in new equipment and technology—they wanted to know how to run a better, more profitable shop and NACE was leading the way. By now the show had over 400 exhibitors and all the training and seminar sessions were sold out.

The 90’s saw continued grown with over 23,000 attendees in 1993.

But by 1998, the party was over. The 1997 show held in Las Vegas saw almost 3,000 exhibitors and over 41,000 attendees. But exhibitors began to realize that the money they spent on lavish parties and “corporate entertainment” could be better spent on training seminars or other initiatives that were more beneficial to the customer and the sponsoring company. From this point, the show saw a steady decline and the last two years only saw around 5,000 attendees per show.

NACE In Decline Over the years, several industry leaders have offered various reasons for NACE’s decline. It is quite probable that no one element was responsible, but a number of them mixed together in a toxic brew that combined over the years. A few include:

Political Differences – At one time, the NACE and SEMA shows were held at the same time (or overlapping days) in Las Vegas. An attendee could buy one plane ticket to Vegas, see both shows over the course of three or four days, have a good time, and optimize their travel budget. When NACE and SEMA separated, it disappointed both attendees and exhibitors.

Environment – the equipmentbuying frenzy of the 1980’s was over and the next “technology wave” including aluminum, ADAS systems, etc. had not yet hit.

Technology – With the advent

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

and proliferation of the internet and industry communications, it was no longer necessary to travel to a trade show to see the latest equipment or network with other shop owners or industry people.

Mis-Steps – On more than one occasion, exhibitors met with NACE management calling for reduced costs on floor space and amenities and/or more attendees. Exhibitors wanted “something different” to attract more people although they were not sure what “different” looked like.

But each year, the show followed the same pattern. It seemed to exhibitors that show management either did not listen to the exhibitors, did not care, or simply did not know what to do.

Exhibitors lamented that the show no longer “penciled out” – it no longer made sense to spend such a large amount of money to see a dwindling number of attendees.

Enter Automechanika Automechanika is known around the world as a premier producer of

automotive-related shows holding events in such places as Dubai, Buenos Aries, Frankfurt, Istanbul, and Madrid to name a few. The shows purportedly are huge, eclipsing even SEMA/AAPEX, the largest automotive show in the US. On their entry into the US market, Messe Frankfurt President and CEO Dennis Smith noted, “We were asked by several leaders in the mechanical side of the business to bridge the relationship between manufacturers and shop owners—to have a show that addressed shop owners and was not a distributor show.” To that end, Messe Frankfurt joined forces with AdvanStar Communications and the first Automechanika show was held in Chicago in 2015, sans the NACE component. “There were some mis-steps, problems with conflicting dates with other industry events, and we learned a lot from that show,” said Messe Frankfurt’s Smith.

For their next step, Messe Frankfurt joined in discussions with See NACE, Page 22

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

19

Media and Publicity for Shops with Ed Attanasio

3 Shop-Friendly New Marketing Ideas for 2019 So, you’ve tried it all: conventional advertising, email marketing, digital advertising—maybe you even bought a billboard or hired a plane to write your name in the sky.

Now it’s time for you to devise another plan to re-energize your efforts while embracing the ever-changing technology within the world of digital marketing.

I always tell body shops to work in threes because I’ve seen positive results from doing it that way. Marketing is a huge universe that can overwhelm you quickly, so doing things in handfuls rather than armfuls keeps your marketing focused and targeted.

Vlogs A vlog is a blog that contains primarily video content and represents a small but rapidly growing segment of the blogosphere. Some shops that

20

have been blogging for years have included video content from day one, but most of them are just joining the vlogosphere now. Vlogging is becoming more popular as equipment becomes more affordable and editing becomes easier with a wide range of user-friendly software programs that you and I can use without being a techie. Both Yahoo! and Google now feature large video sections and many MP3 players support video, so you can create and post vlogs within minutes.

Anyone with a video-capable camera and a computer with a highspeed connection can create vlogs to publish and distribute online. Many vloggers use their personal devices in the paint booth or out on the shop floor, for instance, and post content without any editing, in most cases.

Painters and body technicians have been using vlogs for quite

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.

some time now with great success.

If you check out YouTube, you’ll see that The Gunman, Refinish Network, Motivated Painters and Donnie Smith are extremely popular YouTube Channels that get a ton of traffic. The ones that seem to be viewed the most are 2–3 minutes in length, direct and focused on one particular subject rather than several topics. People have short attention spans because they’re bombarded by media all day long, so the best advice is to create vlogs that are simple and to the point.

Gabriel Merino, a painter and the creator of Motivated Painters, started out with one simple video that he produced on his cell phone back in mid-2016. Since then, painters from 128 different countries have flocked to his YouTube channel. He first began producing videos with his Android phone and then with a GoPro

camera, he said.

“I started to make videos showing the struggles I was having with painting and techniques,” he said. “I was shocked that even one person would watch my first video at first. I didn’t have a clue about how to do it, and the video is terrible, but it’s still up on YouTube. After a while, I got better at it and the production values improved. Our viewers are shocked because they think that we used expensive video equipment and sophisticated editing programs to make them. The technology is easy to attain, and you don’t need to be a videographer or a film editor to do vlogs that look great.”

Online Advertising Online advertising has gained popularity among more and more shops throughout the past few years because it’s an ideal outlet to reach

their target audience quickly and cost-effectively.

Shops of all sizes want to reach out to their prospective customers by promoting and advertising their businesses using Google AdWords, Yelp, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and StumbleUpon, among others.

Because the number of people using the Internet increases every day, shops utilizing online advertising are tapping into an emerging medium, as opposed to TV, radio and direct mail, which are losing users daily. By taking advantage of online advertising, small businesses such as body shops have the opportunity to describe their services in a detailed manner that educates the customer and hopefully makes their decision easier. By using technology that is easy to acquire without having to be a computer guru, online advertising is financially sensible for many shops.

Online ads can be monitored easily from your computer, personal device or cell phone, which helps you analyze how your advertisement is performing quickly. Shops can interact with users easily on the Internet through websites, blogs and social

media to build confidence and trust.

One of the best things about online advertising is the fact that you can pay as you go conveniently and easily while managing your budget with just the click of a mouse. You also can see rather quickly whether or not it is working for you.

Angel Iraola, owner of Net Business Consulting & Solutions in Santa Rosa, CA, has seen online advertising campaigns that have garnered excellent results for many of his clients.

“Online advertising helps drive potential customers to your website, which is always the goal,” he said.

“It is an ideal medium for body shops that want to reach their target audience quickly without spending an arm and a leg. We sit down with each client and target their specific area because we’ve learned over the years that people will only travel 3– 4 miles to get any product or service, including collision repair.”

Manage Your Reviews It happens to the best shops—you get another one-star snarky review from a customer you couldn’t please, even

though you tried everything you could to placate them. It’s not the end of the world, so don’t fret quite yet.

First off, if the review violates guidelines, you can report it and have it removed like a wart. If it’s a case of a disgruntled customer and you’re aware of the situation, you should respond promptly. Many shops let a bad review sit there for weeks or months in some cases, and that’s never a good idea.

You should always privately email each reviewer, whether good or bad. Unfortunately, as part of a built-in spam prevention tool, you are allowed to send only one email to each reviewer until that reviewer responds. Reviewers can also block a shop from emailing them, so be prepared for that if it transpires.

Sometimes it’s better to hire an objective third-party to ask an angry

customer to take down their bad review or add a few stars after rectifying the situation.

Beware—never sign on using a fake name to post a review or comment on your own Yelp page. You could risk your shop’s reputation by posting 5-star reviews about you and your crew or by replying angrily to negative ones on your page.

One day, a shop owner I interviewed saw a bad review and was ready to blast the customer online before I told him to relax and take a deep breath. The next day, he contacted the disgruntled individual and was able to turn it into a positive experience by simply showing him that he cared.

Even an unhappy customer is reasonable when approached in a compassionate and honest way, so always reach out to everyone who offers you a review, whether good or bad.

FREE 4x Monthly E-Newsletter.

Subscribe Today!

AUTOBODY

www.autobodynews.com

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

21

Continued from Page 18

NACE

ASA management. No doubt, in an effort to boost show attendance and enhance the attendee experience, NACE and Automchanika joined forces for a combined show, first in Chicago in 2017 and again in Atlanta in 2018.

Based on a December 2018 interview with Messe Frankfurt’s Smith, the majority of exhibitors attracted by Automechanika for the 2017 and 2018 shows were there for the purpose of branding their mechanical-oriented products to let the industry know they were available at their local supplier/jobber. However, other exhibitors brought in by Automechanika were looking for US distributors to carry their foreign-made, mechanical-oriented products. Some show attendees and long-time, traditional exhibitors were confused. Others were disappointed. Despite the combined efforts of ASA and Messe Frankfurt, and the introduction of a new show management company in 2014 (Stone Fort replacing longstanding Hanley-Wood), things didn’t improve.

2018 Show IN Atlanta Soliciting, via social media, comments from those who attended the last NACE show held in Atlanta in 2018, one manager with one of the larger MSO’s noted, “It was pretty bleak. There were maybe 75% less exhibitors in Atlanta than there were the year before in Chicago. Many of the top vendors weren’t there, opting to hold off until SEMA and a larger audience. NACE has become a minor-league player.”

Again using social media, the 2018 NACE attendees were asked what they thought was the issue killing NACE, one equipment executive noted simply, “SEMA.” He went on, “The paint companies have pulled out of NACE, as have many of the larger supplier companies. Even 3M pulled out. The OE’s are largely gone.

Some vendors had large booths but most of them are gone. There is no reason for the average shop to attended NACE anymore.”

Other Shows Flourish NACEs decline was brought about 22

for a number of different reasons as mentioned above, but not because the industry did not need a show. It needed a show that was more relevant, a show that catered more to its constituents.

The Specialty Equipment Market Association, better known as SEMA, had for years been the domain of the “go-fast, sound-loud, glistening-chrome” crowd. Its annual shows, which had grown to tens of thousands of people, dedicated a very small section to the collision repair industry only because it was such a “close cousin” to the hot-rod building community.

In 2010, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) began to change that sponsoring the first Repairer Driven Education series. It was a 2-day event which expanded to 4-days the following year. In 2010 SCRS sponsored 24 total speakers.

In 2018 SCRS sponsored 61 subject matter experts. Over the next few years, SCRS not only increased the education opportunities to shops but also increased their physical presence which led to more collision exhibitors joining the show. In 2010, the collision section of SEMA occupied only a small section of the Las Vegas Convention center’s North Hall. The 2018 show saw the collision section covering half the North Hall and a large area of the newlyadded exhibit space in the Westgate Hotel. In 2017 and 2018, an estimated 10,000 collision-oriented attendees visited the collision area of SEMA, double the amount that visited NACE. Meanwhile, on the east coast, a regional trade show called the Northeast Automotive Services Show (later shortened to the Northeast Trade Show or NETS) presently held at the Meadowlands Convention Center in Secaucus, NJ had been around since the late 70’s. As a regional show sponsored by the New Jersey Autobody Association and later by AASP/NJ it drew a respectable crowd from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and vicinity. The NETS only advertised within their immediate area and the show remained robust, but small.

More prodigious growth would not come until 2014 when American Honda, and other OE’s began to support this growing show. NETS com-

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

pletely sold out of space in 2014 – and each succeeding year. While NACE catered more to the executives of the industry, the NETS addressed the shop owners and technicians holding the show on a Friday night, Saturday and Sunday – time when most shop owners and techs were not on their production floor.

In 2017, the NETS doubled in size and began a more concerted effort for training in cooperation with the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA). The NETS had offered training and various seminars before but WMABA brought things to the next level.

New and Improved for 2020 After a dismal showing in Atlanta in 2018, it looked like NACE was doomed to extinction. Long-time exhibitors were gone, OE’s and paint companies - the anchors of the show were largely gone. It was not unlike a huge shopping mall with the anchor stores shuttered. It seemed everyone stopped caring, and abandoned what had been the jewel of the industry. ASA and Messe Frankfurt

officials knew changes had to be made.

“We need to hit the reset button,” said Messe Frankfurt’s Smith in a recent interview. “And we need time to do that. So we’ll take a break for 2019, and come back in 2020 with a whole new concept. We need to meet the needs of the traditional attendees. We have some ideas on how to do that. But we’re going to build our concept, then run it by some industry leaders to see what they think.”

When asked if they will concentrate solely on the collision side of the business or engage more on the mechanical side, Smith said, “We will have a balance. There is a growing importance for the mechanical side of things in the collision business. Many shops perform their own mechanical repairs. Shops will have to perform an increasing amount of vehicle diagnostic scans and re-calibrations. That will require mechanical tools and training.”

Calls to ASA for comment about the 2020 show went unreturned.

After so many years of decline See NACE, Page 55

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

23

FL Body Shop Worker Crashes Customer’s Audi S4, Shop Refuses to Pay for Repairs

by Michael Fira, TopSpeed

All day, every day, we have to agree with forms online that are too long to be worth reading. Much in the same way, we often fail to read contracts in real life; however, this could have costly consequences.

Take a man who brought his Audi S4 to a body shop for repairs only for an employee to wreck it and then refuse to pay for the damages.

Apparently, the client had signed a contract that exempted the shop from having to pay for any damages that occurred while the car was in its care. However, the owner has since sought legal help as he aims to somehow get the body shop to pay for the gross negligence.

It’s not the first time that we’ve heard about a customer handing his car over in good faith to an auto body repair shop thinking that he’ll get it back in better condition than it was in when he left it. Instead, through the carelessness—or utter recklessness in this case—of the staff, the car ends up damaged or nigh on destroyed. Who is to blame if that happens? You’ll be quick to point fingers at the shop, but you may be in for a surprise.

Vincent Hansen took his Audi

S4 to Titan Motorsports in Orlando, FL, to have it upgraded with some aftermarket parts. Just a couple of days later, Hansen headed back to the shop to retrieve his prized possession.

All seemed normal up until this point.

Moments later, “the phone at the shop rang, and the news was, ‘Hey, we don’t really know how to tell you this, but your car was just in an accident around the corner from the shop,’ and I was like, ‘Is this a joke?’”

Hansen said to WESH 2 News.

“Accidents happen,” thought Hansen as he heard the news. After all, the employee was at fault for crashing into an oncoming car after making an illegal U-turn. He even received a ticket at the scene of the accident.

Hansen’s universe shattered again moments later when he came to the realization that some paperwork that he’d signed prior to leaving the car at Titan Motorsports absolved the body shop of any liability if something happened to the car while it was in its care.

“It was, ‘Hey, you know, you have insurance for your car, and you should open up a claim under your policy,’ and that really didn’t make

Kyle Tucker Named 2018 SEMA Battle of The Builders Winner

Kyle Tucker was crowned the winner of the fifth annual SEMA Battle of the Builders® competition for his 1969 Chevy Camaro during SEMA Ignited, the official SEMA Show after-party designed to celebrate the builders and showcase products from SEMA. Tucker’s ‘69 Camaro (sponsored by exhibitor ARP) beat out the amazing builds of Top 4 finalists Eddie Pettus (1932 Willys aircraft refueling truck, BASF), Rod Nielsen (1972 Mazda R100, Tire Stickers) and Young Gun Kyle Kuhnhausen (1972 Nissan 240Z, Young Guns Regional Winner from Goodguys). All four builders will be featured along with many other SEMA Show builders in a new episode of the TV special “SEMA: Battle of the Builders.”

Hosted by Adrienne “AJ” Janic and racer Tanner Foust, the fifth annual “SEMA: Battle of the Builders” TV special will air on 24

the Velocity Channel at 10 p.m. on Jan. 7, 2019. The competition included submissions from seasoned builders and new customizers, representing an elite group of individuals who demonstrated extreme talent, creativity and craftsmanship in modifying cars, trucks and SUVs. The program was expanded this year to recognize winners in each of the four different categories. Tucker also won the Hot Rod title, Pettus earned the Truck/Off-Road honor, Nielsen scored in Sport Compact and Kuhnhausen scored in Young Guns (for builders 27 years and younger). Industry experts RJ DeVera (Meguiar’s), David Freiburger (Motor Trend Group) and Fred Williams (Motor Trend Group) narrowed down the field of nearly 300 entries, an increase in participation from last year, to the Top 10 in each category before selecting the Top 12 builds overall.

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

sense to me,” Hansen said.

Apparently, Titan actually refused to send Hansen’s insurance company its insurance information, as “our terms and conditions clearly state who’s responsible for the damage,” according to Nero Deliwala, the owner of Titan Motorsports.

A judge who was asked about the matter by WESH 2 News argued that the body shop wasn’t in the wrong.

“The auto body shop can make the argument that they are not responsible to pay for those damages. Which really brings us to a consumer beware. Before you leave something at an auto body shop, be sure you know what you’re signing away,” the attorney said.

Hansen’s view is that since the body shop’s employee was found at fault for the crash, the contract he signed should be considered null and void.

According to information found on freeadvice.com, the body shop’s insurance policy pays for damages unless the event that led to the car being damaged wasn’t random and

impossible to predict by the staff.

There’s also another scenario where the body shop is exempt from paying a dime, and that’s where Hansen’s story falls.

It’s all about what you sign, and if you sign a hold harmless agreement, what you’re basically saying is that “you will not hold the auto repair shop liable for anything that happens to your car while it is there.

Once signed, a hold harmless agreement, which can be as small as one or two sentences in fine print found at the bottom of a repair agreement, releases the auto repair shop from any liability.”

For a court case against a reluctant body shop to stand, you must be able to prove that you didn’t sign the kind of agreement that Hansen did.

So, in other words, his chances are slim at best. Let this be a warning to all of you out there who hush through paperwork without giving everything a second look.

We thank TopSpeed for reprint permission.

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

25

Continued from Cover

Resolutions

and engagement increase in 2019.

There are just a few carrying the flag for many here in North Carolina. Our purposes and initiatives are solid, but we will need a greater presence (through numbers) to achieve our well-intentioned goals.”

Jess Crump, vice president of Women in Automotive and Collision (WAC), shared, “I hope to see 2019 bring more new members, familiar faces, students and young technicians, and of course, more events where we can reach people. I also hope we can discuss the possibility of setting up a scholarship program in our future.”

For Bob Pulverenti, executive director of the Independent Garage Owners of North Carolina (IGONC), the goal for 2019 is to “find a way to increase attendance at local chapter meetings. The more people we can get to come out and network with each another and vendors, the better it is for the industry.”

AASP/MA’s New Year’s resolu-

26

tion is “increasing membership with a focus on educating the consumers in Massachusetts as to their rights in the repair process, which is critical to our continued movement towards success,” according to Executive Director Lucky Papageorg.

Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg hopes to bring more value to member businesses in 2019.

has the potential to impact people’s lives in very meaningful ways. We are building solutions to let our members leverage the collective buying power of the association membership to offer more comprehensive benefits while lowering costs. The programs will provide access to more competitively priced, quality healthcare plans from major carriers that allow small businesses to offer best-in-class benefits (including medical, dental,

The association’s goal, he shared, is “to help our member businesses do more to support the health and quality of life of their employees. We believe small businesses deserve better—better benefits, better healthcare and certainly better costs. 2019 is going to welcome the launch of the SCRS Benefits Marketplace, a group health benefits program exclusively for SCRS members. We are really excited about this program because it

vision, voluntary life, short-term and long-term disability, HSAs and much more). It is something that has resonated exceptionally well with the industry in our pre-rollout surveys.

“Aside from healthcare, we also intend to launch industry-first retirement solutions for employers looking for ways to offer their employees retirement benefits while reducing the administrative burden and mitigating the fiduciary risk and respon-

“There is strength in numbers, and we all need to come together and educate each other to better our industry,” — Jerry McNee

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

sibilities.”

ASA-CO hopes to re-engage members to better focus on legislative initiatives.

“We will focus on re-establishing the importance of what ASA does for the automotive community as a whole with an eye on re-engaging our membership to help it grow.

It is true that ASA-CO became complacent over the years and seemed to have lost touch with its base, and we aim to change that for the betterment of our industry,” shared Brad Pellman, chair of ASA-CO. “ASA is our voice in Washington that ensures that we may continue to have all the service and repair data available on an ongoing basis. This protects us and our industry nationwide with the right to repair.”

ASA Northwest has similar designs.

“One of ASA Northwest’s New Year’s resolutions is to work on legislation for the Don’t Drip and Drive program through the state of Washington and the Department of Ecology. We have been working on the Don’t Drip and Drive program since 2011 in the Puget Sound region. With

the upcoming 2019 year, ASA Northwest is looking forward to helping expand the program statewide,” noted Jeff Lovell, president and executive director of ASA Northwest.

Lovell also hopes to expand the association’s educational offerings in 2019.

“ATE (Automotive Training Expo) was designed by ASA Northwest to educate and train the automotive industry,” he said. “This program has provided our educators (near and far) with exceptional training that they are unable to get elsewhere.

Due to the high demand for automotive training, ASA Northwest will be adding an additional training opportunity in Spokane called ATE – EAST, which will be held Oct. 4–5, 2019.”

ASA Northwest Chairman of the Board Butch Jobst added his desire to “fully implement an educational coalition to bring our industry to both our region’s educators and the public in general. The complexity of our industry is mostly unknown by our education system and much of the general population.”

Ricki Garrett, executive direc-

tor of the Mississippi Collision Repair Association (MSCRA), said, “Our goals for the new year include having more training opportunities for our members and making the SARC Conference the best collision repair conference ever.”

ASA-MI President Ray Fisher sees 2019 as a year when consumer education can and should expand to new heights. He said the association plans on “emphasizing the importance of awareness, communication and education to our internal and external customers. As vehicles with various levels of automation and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) increase in our vehicle population, it is our duty as professionals to inform the consumer and public the procedures necessary to fix these vehicles properly so that their systems once again work properly. Awareness, communication and education are paramount in 2019, and going forward, it must be a part of every estimator, manager and owner’s job description!

“Reimbursement for proper repairs should not be denied, feared or ignored, but rather welcomed. As an

industry of professionals, we cannot overlook the procedures necessary to fix the vehicle to pre-loss condition—there are millions of American families counting on us to do our job as an expert! Predictions are that severity will increase, but initial studies of these systems also show that double digit decreases in bodily injury and accident frequency are occurring.

We must understand that that is where the savings will take place to offset, not omitting a procedure, which could have catastrophic results.”

Burl Richards, president of the Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT), provided an inspirational thought for industry unity: “Share, share, share information with everyone in the collision industry, as your successes will help others know that they are not ‘the only ones asking.’”

AASP/NJ President Jerry McNee agreed. “There is strength in numbers, and we all need to come together and educate each other to better our industry,” he said.

With these association leaders leading the charge for 2019, the industry is in for another year of progress and inspiration. Happy New Year!

Continued from Cover

Plant Closings

fast and lunch spot, were abuzz with Monday’s news of uncertainty.

“This community is going to go down. This place. Lots of people just bought homes,” former General Motors employee Carmela Deno told News 5.

Deno worked at the Lordstown plant for more than 40 years before retiring over the summer after two of the three shifts in the factory, amounting to 3,000 jobs, were cut. Nearly 600 employees at the plant opted to retire early or accept a buyout after the company announced the elimination of the second shift.

Deno raised her family, that now includes grandchildren, here. “My work helped me raise my son,” she said.

Some of her family still works there, she said. “My nephew is very sad. He has three kids.”

Officials said folks who work at the plant were called into a meeting Monday where they were told the See Plant Closings, Page 44

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

27

Continued from Page 16

ASA-TX Meeting

PAC Training Institute (WTI) and Automotive Training Institute (ATI),” Gruener noted.

Additionally, the event offered an opportunity to connect with old friends and make new ones. ASA-TX’s incoming officers and leaders were also

ASA-National had a spot in the Sponsor Showcase that featured, (l to r) Membership Administrator Brenda Rodriguez, ASA Vice President Tony Molla and Membership Director Stephanie Torres

present and eager to collect member feedback in an effort to add value to the association’s membership.

“This year’s meeting exceeded our goals in terms of attendees and

member service. We had members from throughout the state attend in far greater numbers than the 2017 meeting. This was due in large part to the addition of the seminar series, which we did not have in 2017,” Gruener said.

He said he believes that association-sponsored events are important to members and the industry as a whole because “they serve two main functions: 1) They provide a tangible example for members of how the association benefits them, and 2) They give members a chance to experience networking and a sense of camaraderie, [which] are important parts of WHY they belong to a professional association.”

ASA-TX will use the feedback received this year to improve upon its 2019 Annual Meeting.

Gruener confirmed, “We plan to build on this year’s momentum by expanding our training sessions and networking opportunities to make the meeting more attractive to members and to get them more involved in the association in general.”

For more information on ASA-TX and its future events, visit asatx.org.

CARSTAR Announces Aggressive Growth Plans for 2019 CARSTAR was the first multi-shop operator to cross the 600-facility milestone when it opened in Sudbury, ON, in July 2018. It quickly then set its sights on accelerating this growth for the United States and Canada through strategic, targeted expansion.

“As the collision repair industry evolves, the national organizations with strong franchise partners who have the scale and expertise to adapt to advanced repair standards, changing technology and insurance carrier needs will be the ones with the best opportunities for success,” said Michael Macaluso, president of CARSTAR. “We are focused on growing strategically in target markets with excellent franchise partners and providing these franchise partners the operations and marketing support to help them perform and grow with the most trusted 28

brand in the industry.”

In 2018, CARSTAR added more than 90 stores to its North American network. CARSTAR saw dramatic growth in San Francisco, Southern California, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia in the U.S. and across Canada. It expects to end the year with more than 650 locations.

“CARSTAR continues be the best solution for an independent collision repair shop owner who wants to compete in their local market with insurance relationships, preferred vendor pricing and operational support while retaining their independence,” added Macaluso.

For 2019, CARSTAR forecasts adding 120 locations to its network, with a majority of this growth occurring in key U.S. markets. CARSTAR has an analytical approach to growth based on the Driven Brands proprietary model, which allows them to identify targeted opportunities based on real estate, economic and demographic trends.

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Cars Talking to Cars Happening in Tampa, FL, as Connected Vehicle Program Rolls Out

by Nicole Grigg, ABC Action News

The idea of cars talking to cars sounds futuristic, but it’s happening in Tampa, FL. The city is one of three places selected to take part in a pilot program for connected vehicles.

The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) is demonstrating cars that can “talk” to each other, known as “connected” vehicle technology.

“Connected” vehicles are not the same thing as “autonomous” vehicles, or self-driving cars.

Instead, these are vehicles that communicate wirelessly via the Internet with other similarly equipped vehicles, as well as with downtown traffic and pedestrian signals. The goal is to enhance safety, improve traffic flow and even reduce greenhouse gas use.

On Nov. 29, ABC Action News went along with THEA for a demonstration of how this concept works with different public transportation forms such as HART and the Streetcar system.

The pilot program will gather

data for the next year to see how cars have been responding to one another and to pedestrians.

Leaders demonstrated how the technology devices installed inside HART buses would alert drivers if they were to come near a connected vehicle. Both vehicles must have the technology in order to communicate and alert the drivers. “[In] 2021–22, you’re starting to see a lot of the manufacturers putting these in your car,” said Bob Frey with THEA. THEA also announced that they are testing a pedestrian area to see how the connected vehicles can connect to pedestrians through their phones.

The transportation leaders have installed the necessary connected vehicle technology at a crosswalk on Twiggs Street in front of the Hillsborough County Courthouse.

Tampa will be part of leading the way in continuing to develop the smart technology in vehicles.

We thank WFTS- ABC Action News for reprint permission.

Now Reach all Our Club Dealers from a Single Phone Number

303-245-6439

Denise Wells (303) 726-3575 partoftheclub@live.com

Happy New Year!

Wishing You and Yours a Prosperous 2019

1260 South Colorado Blvd // Denver, CO 80246

Parts: (303) 758-7739 Fax: (303) 928-6108 Hours: M-F 7am-6pm; Sat: 8am-4pm vwparts@emichauto.com

8070 South Broadway // Littleton, CO 80122

5077 South Wadsworth Blvd // Littleton, CO 80123

Parts: (303) 703-2270 Fax: (303) 797-0400 Hours: M-F: 7am-6pm; Sat: 8am-5pm mbparts@mboflittleton.com

Parts: (303) 904-7820 Fax: (303) 904-7836 Hours: M-F 7am-6pm; Sat: 8am-4pm parts@peakkia.com

16655 West Colfax Ave // Golden, CO 80401

Toll-Free: (800)-426-6032

1180 Highway 36 // Maplewood, MN 55109

150 South Havana St. // Aurora, CO 80012

Toll Free: (866) 869-0481

Toll-Free: (800) 876-0977

Parts: (651) 766-5630 Fax: (651) 203-1664 Hours: M-Th: 8am-6:30pm Fri: 8am-6pm; Sat: 8am-4pm

Parts: (303) 343-1396 Fax: (303) 361-9278 Hours: M-F 7:30am-6:00pm; Sat: 8am-4pm parts@bigmike.com

Parts: (303)-590-7040 Fax: (303) 590-7112 Hours: M-F 7am-6pm; Sat: 8am-4pm www.cdodge.com

VOLVO 777 Broadway // Denver, CO 80203 5995 Arapahoe Ave // Boulder, CO 80303

Parts: (303) 443-2919 Fax: (303) 442-1342 Hours: M-F 7am-8pm; Sat: 8am-5pm parts@flatironsimports.com

Parts: (303) 628-1409

6025 Arapahoe Ave // Boulder, CO 80303

Toll-Free: (800) 274-0985 ext 226 Parts: (303)-415-1528 Fax: (303) 443-8826 Hours: M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat: 8am-4pm wholesaleparts@fisherauto.com

Fax: (303) 534-7308 Hours: M-F 7am-6pm; Sat: 9am-2pm gmparts@rickenbaugh.com

2033 South Wadsworth Blvd // Lakewood, CO 80227 6025 Arapahoe Ave // Boulder, CO 80303

Toll-Free: (800) 274-0985 ext 228 Parts: (303)-443-3883 Fax: (303) 998-6274 Hours: M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat: 8am-4pm wholesaleparts@fisherauto.com

Parts: (303) 986-2245 Fax: (303) 989-3490 Hours: M-F 7am-6pm; Sat: 8am-4pm gmcollision@emichauto.com

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

29

From the Desk of Mike Anderson with Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson is the president and owner of Collision Advice, a consulting company for the auto body/collision repair industry. For nearly 25 years, he was the owner of Wagonwork Collision Center, an OEM-certified, full-service auto body repair facility in Alexandria, VA.

A Reasonable Price for a Vehicle Scan Depends on What You’re Including I get asked quite regularly by both shops and insurers, “What is a reasonable charge for a vehicle scan?”

Our “Who Pays for What?” surveys have found there’s not much consistency for what collision repairers charge. In 2018, of about 1,000 shops responding to the survey, about 1 in 4 of those who perform scans inhouse charge a flat fee. Just over 40 percent charge up to one labor hour at a mechanical labor rate. But the remaining 35 percent of shops conducting scanning in-house were all over the map. There was similar variety in

trunk—you may have to remove trim or other items. Is that additional labor time included or do you lineitem it separately?

“freeze-frame” or “snapshot” data.

Some vehicles indicate the exact date, time and vehicle mileage when

• You need to access the battery because you have to hook up battery support in order to ensure you have the proper voltage to perform the scan.

• You may have to allow the vehicle to get to operating temperature.

This might not often be an issue in Southern California or other warm

What shops charge for their labor when using a remote scanning service, such as asTech or AirPro Diagnostics, also varies widely according to a 2018 “Who Pays for What?” survey

any DTCs have been set. Others may only indicate how many key cycles have occurred since the DTCs were set. Either way, this data helps determine if the DTCs were related either to the accident or (for post-repair scans) the repair process.

Up to one hour of mechanical labor is the single most common charge among shops for conducting a vehicle scan in-house, according to a 2018 “Who Pays for What?” survey, but almost 70 percent of the industry uses a different pricing methodology

whether and how shops bill for their labor—such as hooking up the vehicle—when they use a remote scanning service.

So whenever I get asked, “What’s a fair and reasonable charge for scanning?” I just say it depends on what steps you’re including as part of that charge. I’ve been asking people in my

climates. But if you’ve pulled the vehicle in from outside during the dead of winter, in many parts of the country it may take some time to get that vehicle up to operating temperature.

classes to write down all the steps involved in scanning. Only a handful of people are able to list all the steps.

Think about it:

perform the output or functionality test. How long that test takes, to send a signal out to all the different modules and determine if any diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) have been set, can vary by make and model, how many modules the vehicle has, etc.

• You have to gain access to the vehicle battery. Depending on where the battery is located in the vehicle— under the hood, under a seat, in the 30

• Then you have to record any DTCs. There may be only a few. I recently saw a vehicle scan that showed

• Only then can you locate the port and hook up your scan tool to

•

Next, you have to record the

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

57 DTCs. There could be more than 100.

• Next, you have to research what caused each of those DTCs. Some OEM scan tools integrate with the OEM repair procedures, which makes

that process a little easier, but most do not. For each DTC, you can generally find a flow chart to help you deter-

mine which one of potentially several causes led to the DTC. You have to diagnose which is most likely and then narrow that down.

• Once all that work is done, you generally need to test drive the vehicle. More and more automakers have very specific test drive requirements.

• After that, you may need to conduct another scan to ensure the DTCs have been cleared and have not reoccurred.

So a vehicle scan is a lot more than just hooking up a scan tool. Knowing what is a reasonable charge requires knowing which of the above steps you’ll be including.

I can’t tell you what to charge.

But given that some of the steps can

vary widely from vehicle to vehicle, I think the fair thing is to include the basics in your base charge for scanning—pulling the vehicle in, letting it get up to operating temperature, hooking up the scan tool and recording the DTCs. I think it’s also fair to then lineitem the related procedures that vary more widely vehicle to vehicle. Certainly the diagnostic time required to trouble-shoot all the DTCs varies based on the number and complexity of those codes. I don’t see how that can be included in a basic scan charge rather than being itemized out based on how much time is required for each particular vehicle.

I think the industry should move away from a simple set charge for every scan. Instead, I’d suggest defining what’s included in the base charge and then adding line items for the diagnostic work and other variables.

FREE

4x Monthly E-Newsletter.

www.autobodynews.com

Continued from Cover

Caliber Collision

scanning and calibration services and the broadest network of OEMcertified locations in the U.S. Grimshaw continued, “We plan to maintain all existing centers from both companies as we develop and execute a plan to work smarter, generate growth, offer expanded services, drive operational excellence and reward talent across the organization.

Recognizing the critical importance of top talent to our success, we will be retaining all teammates in the field at both Caliber and ABRA centers, and we look forward to creating a culture that supports our teammates as they expand their careers across a larger organization, accelerated by industry-leading development programs.”

“Our industry becomes more complex every year,” said ABRA CEO Ann Fandozzi. “The combined company will invest in the equipment, training and technologies that will allow our teammates to build their careers while continuing to meet

and exceed our customers’ needs for years to come.”

Both companies remain completely committed to serving valued insurance clients through the companies’ partnership programs while maintaining and expanding strategic relationships with a single point of contact.The company is also committed to continuing to serve ABRA’s 59 franchisees with an even greater level of attention.

The transaction is expected to close in early 2019. Grimshaw will lead the combined company. During the transition, customers and insurance clients should expect to see no disruption to the service and repairs they receive at both companies.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. As part of this transaction, private equity firm Hellman & Freidman LLC—ABRA’s majority shareholder since 2014—will become the majority shareholder of the combined company. Both OMERS and Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. (LGP) will remain significant minority shareholders in the combined company. OMERS currently owns a majority stake in Caliber and LGP owns a minority stake.

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

31

P HONDA ARIZONA

L

Chapman Honda Tucson

800-461-6744 520-202-5770 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 carlkeefe@chapmantucson.com

Earnhardt Honda Avondale

h

N

800-350-6537 623-463-4380 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-9; Sat 7-6 gluna@earnhardt.com COLORADO

Honda of Greeley Greeley

D

O

888-903-1101 970-506-2795 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-4:30 parts@hondaofgreeley.com

Mile High Honda Denver

800-548-4730 303-369-7800 Dept. Hours: M-S 7-6 lhoover@autotree.net LOUISIANA

Superior Honda Har vey

F

800-943-4227 504-368-5687

D

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-5:30 parts@superiorhonda.net ACURA ARIZONA

Acura of Peoria Peoria

866-347-4507 623-792-2559 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-5 dcavanaugh@vtaig.com COLORADO

Mile High Acura Denver

800-548-4730 303-369-7800 Dept. Hours: M-S 7-6 lhoover@autotree.net

Pikes Peak Acura Colorado Springs

800-456-9568 719-955-1715 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 joe_benson@pikespeakacura.com

32

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

O

D

Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs.

LOUISIANA

TEXAS

Walker Honda

Bankston Honda

McDavid Honda Irving

Alexandria

Lewisville

Ir ving

Austin

318-448-8255 318-445-6677

800-344-8611 972-219-0021

800-492-4464 972-790-6003

800-234-4441 512-458-2910

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 www.bankstonhonda.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6 srichardson@mcdavid.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6 sales@wholesalepartsdirect.com

Fiesta Honda

Honda of San Marcos

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 hondaparts@walkerautomotive.com NEW MEXICO

Garcia Honda Albuquerque

800-677-6632 505-260-5002 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8:30-5 Jscott@garciacars.com OKLAHOMA

Don Carlton Honda Tulsa

800-722-2379 918-622-9670 Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7-6 hondaparts@doncarlton.com

Fowler Honda Nor man

San Antonio

San Marcos

800-727-8705 210-340-0831

866-392-1313 512-392-1313

Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-5 hondaparts@safiestahonda.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 9-5 csmith@hondasanmarcos.com

Cleo Bay Honda

Kelly Grimsley Honda

Killeen

Odessa

877-253-6229 254-699-2478

844-453-5594 432-334-6632

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 parts@cleobay.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-12 april@kellygrimsley.com

Honda Cars of McKinney

Russell & Smith Honda

McKinney

972-569-4276 972-569-4222

866-369-5376 405-573-5719

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 Gene.chenault@hendrickauto.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-9; Sat 8-4 parts@fowlerhonda.com

Honda of Frisco

Fenton Honda of Ardmore Ardmore

580-226-1000 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-2 travis.pierce@fentonmotors.com

LOUISIANA

Frisco

866-442-2711 972-731-3176 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-5:30 cedgar@mcdavid.com

Wholesale Parts Direct

Houston

800-833-0180 713-663-4266 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 7-4 ggregory@russellsmith.com

Rusty Wallis Honda Dallas

877-466-3272 214-328-3891 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 darryldotsy@rustywallis.com

TEXAS

UTAH

Acura of Baton Rouge

Autonation Acura

David McDavid Acura

Baton Rouge

League C i t y

Plano

Salt Lake City

866-733-2861 225-756-6166

800-749-6227 713-371-4700

972-964-6044

800-234-0875 801-323-0492

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 dlavigne@acurabr.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 CarranzaB1@autonation.com

Walker Acura

David McDavid Acura

Metairie

Aust i n

800-359-8555 504-465-8555

800-575-3553 512-401-5976

Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-2 parts@walkeracura.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 mkratky@mcdavid.com

Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 dgrajczyk@mcdavid.com

Sterling McCall Acura Houston

713-596-2337 713-596-2338 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 7:30-4 jlambert@sterlingmccallacura.com

Jody Wilkinson Acura Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 rick@jodywilkinson.com

Mike Hale Acura Murray

800-292-4595 801-263-0202 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-5 pgoold@mikehale.com

OKLAHOMA

Don Carlton Acura of Tulsa Tu l s a

888-550-7278 918-664-2300 Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7-6 acuraparts@doncarlton.com

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

33

Tips for Busy Body Shops with Stacey Phillips

Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry.

She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.”

She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.

How to Prepare and Negotiate Better Deals With Industry Partners With the collision repair industry in- purchase they had made. When it creasingly becoming more competi- comes to personal expenses, such as tive and margins getting thinner, it’s buying a house or a car, he said it’s more important than ever to negoti- typical to conduct research and make ate better deals with industry part- price comparisons. However, many ners, according to Eric Newell. times shops are unprepared when neNewell, the market area man- gotiating large business purchases, ager for asTech, recently shared tips such as a frame machine or spray on how to prepare for negotiations booth. with industry partners during the SoNewell said that it is an acquired ciety of Collision Repair Specialists skill and sets the tone for the entire Repairer Driven Education Series process. “I can guarantee that your held at the SEMA Show in counterpart or negotiating Las Vegas, NV. party is also preparing,” he “Preparation is invalusaid. able,” said Newell. “If you Newell shared a 2014 haven’t done the work bequote from Yannick Feder, fore you get to the table, it’s an experience purchasing exgoing to prove very difficult ecutive: “More than 80 perto be successful and have an Eric Newell, market cent of the negotiations are area manager outcome that leads to more done without an underlying for asTech profitability for both parties method and often end in involved.” sub-optimal results or worse, a staleNewell offered advice based on mate.” his experience over the years work“That means that 80 percent of ing as the chief operating officer the time, people show up at the table (COO) for a six-shop MSO in North- with no clue as to how they are going west Indiana prior to joining asTech. to reach their target,” explained He was also involved in the firefight- Newell. “That’s when you start neers’ union in Indiana for nearly a gotiating out of emotion. When you decade as well as the union’s negoti- negotiate out of emotion, you’ve lost ating team. before you even walk in the door.”

The Seven Sins of Negotiating

“Be prepared to walk away. Many people feel that if you walk away from a negotiation, you’ve lost, and that’s typically not the case. You’re making an intelligent business decision. If you walk into a negotiation, you shouldn’t come out worse off than you were before.”

the way that we can communicate what we’re looking for, I think we would yield better results.”

As business owners, some type of negotiation is taking place every day, whether it’s with vendors, customers, insurance companies, technicians/employees, the landlord or the bank. There needs to be value added on both sides of the table, according to Newell, otherwise it will never work.

“Negotiations can be difficult,” said Newell. “If we could improve

the negotiating process. The “lead” is the primary negotiator and main contact between both parties. Then there is the “support” team that can assist with information-gathering and be part of a committee and/or board to ensure everyone is aligned.

“Do not have too many cooks in the kitchen or it can convolute the process; you’ll run into problems and the message often gets diluted,”

Taking Steps to Prepare Newell said the first step is to establish a team composed of everyone in the organization who is involved in

“Look at the long-term picture; look past next month’s bills.” — Eric Newell

Young Chevrolet

Parts for Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Oldsmobile, Pontiac • 60,000 part numbers • Same day shipping until 5:30 EST • 13 parts pros eager to serve you • Next-day air until 4:30 EST • 15 radio-dispatched trucks • 4.2 million inventory • 97,000 square-foot warehouse Camaro

1. Pride - Be prepared to compromise.

2. Glutton - Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

3. Anger - Handle objections calmly rather than getting into arguments.

4. Covetousness - Prioritize needs and wants.

5. Envy - Know your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.

6. Sloth - Do your homework.

7. Lust - Don’t look desperate to settle.

“Through that experience, I was able to equate a lot of things that the unions did—because they are very good and strategic at negotiating— and convert it to our industry,” he said.

During his presentation, Newell asked collision repairers and insurers if they recalled the last significant 34

Newell advised attendees to focus their time and energy on preparing so that both parties are more apt to come to an agreement. At the same time, he cautioned against finalizing a negotiation without careful consideration of the cost.

“Maybe the agreement isn’t going to work, and that’s ok,” he said.

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

We want your business!

Genuine GM Parts at Genuine GM Prices Toll Free: 800-451-0108 Main: 214-328-9111, Opt. 5

214-328-8381 Fax (main): 214-328-6675 Fax (wholesale): 214-328-0716 Direct:

parts@youngchevrolet.com

www.youngchevrolet.com 9301 E. R.L. Thornton Fwy, Dallas, TX

advised Newell.

Next, you’ll want to define your target and ensure it is precise, laserfocused and strategic. “If your part

discount is 1 percent and you want to go to 1.25, that’s your target,” explained Newell.

Targets need to be achievable and realistic to achieve the negotiation.

“Remove all emotion from your target,” advised Newell. “Targets need to be based within the business and based on numbers or an end result.”

After defining the target, Newell said it’s time to gather the necessary information. “The reason we gather information is so that we can under-

stand both sides of the process, maybe make it a little smoother and communicate that based on factual knowledge,” said Newell. “Informa-

tion is the foundation of creating value and without it, it is almost impossible to establish any factual negotiating points.”

He recommended asking the following seven questions: 1) What kind of information do we want to know?

There are three types of information that Newell said are essential to find out: financial, services and opera-

tional. First, he said to find out how well the opposition is doing financially to determine if they can afford to give you a better deal. Next,

learn who they currently service and what type of service(s) they provide. Last, determine how long they have been operating and their past record.

2) Where can we get this information?

A variety of sources can be helpful when gathering information, including business records, the Internet, social media platforms, employees and vendors.

3) Is there anything we can learn from previous negotiations?

Many times, a business will negotiate with the same person again and again. Newell recommended reflecting on what was negotiated, the result of the negotiation and if anything could have been done differently.

4) How much business, if any, are we doing with them?

Part of the information-gathering process is being realistic about how much business has been conducted and for how long with the other party and if it is feasible to negotiate any added-value services.

5) How well is the company doing?

Newell recommended looking at the business’s market share, growth and reputation to learn as much as possible and help formulate a negotiation strategy.

6) What don’t you want them to know about you?

IF there are issues within the business that create some exposure, Newell said to be aware of them and ensure

A ONE STOP SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Call us for all your parts needs We stock almost $2 million dollars worth of Original BMW Parts Our parts team has 350+ years of collective experience with 200+ of those BMW specific We’re the Only BMW Dealer to receive two shipments daily to both an authorized and certified collision repair center

Classic BMW 6800 Dallas Pkwy., Plano, TX 75024 www.classicbmw.com Monday - Friday 7am - 7pm / No Deliveries on Saturday

Original BMW Parts & Accessories

Mitch Mitchell Sandy Priesmeyer Javier Perez

(800) 865-4269 Fax: (214) 778-2814 Habla Español

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

35

you have the answers to address them.

7) Who is the decision-maker?

Determining and working with the decision-maker is a critical component of the process. “You need to determine if they are even capable of coming to a deal—very rarely do I negotiate with someone who can’t come to a deal,” said Newell. He also stressed the importance of negotiating at the table, face-to-face rather than by phone, email, text, social media or mail.

After gathering information and doing research, Newell said to decide on what he referred to as the “circuit breaker” and the BATNA (Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement).

The circuit breaker is the number that the decision-maker is comfortable walking away from, and the BATNA is the middle ground or ZOPA (zone of possible agreement) that the decision-maker is willing to accept.

“Don’t agree just to agree,” advised Newell. “Look at the long-term picture; look past next month’s bills.”

What Type of Negotiation is Best Newell talked about two types of ne-

gotiations: positional and principled.

Positional negotiations involve arguing based on an extreme position regarding wants, needs and limitations. The positions are almost always on the opposite side of the spectrum; therefore, it becomes necessary to make concessions to reach an agreement, according to Newell.

These negotiations tend to last longer and can often end in a stalemate.

A principled negotiation, also known as an integrative negotiation, is where both parties work together to achieve a value-created agreement. In theory, this leaves them satisfied with the outcome and status of the relationship. Rather than having different positions, Newell explained that the parties think in terms of their similar interests. He stressed the importance of building a relationship during the negotiation process and how valuable that can be.

“This is where the magic happens,” he said. He shared a statistic from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in regard to the benefits of having excellent negotiation skills.

“Eighty-five percent of your financial success is due to your per-

sonality and ability to communicate, negotiate and lead. Shockingly, only 15 percent is due to technical knowledge,” he said.

Newell also discussed different negotiation styles, which include competition, accommodation, collaboration, avoidance and compromise.

A competition style of negotiation is more than likely to be adversarial. Negotiations are seen as a competition with a winner and a loser. Newell said it can be used in fast-paced circumstances.

“When two of these same styles come together, there is a greater risk for a stalemate,” observed Newell.

The accommodation approach is a more submissive style in which a party is ready and willing to offer information and make concessions.

The individual most likely places the relationship as a top priority.

“This is a successful approach when mending or maintaining relationships,” said Newell. “If a company is in the midst of crisis, it’s a great strategy to avoid litigation and appease the other party.” Otherwise, he recommends using this strategy sparingly.

Your One-Stop Shop for

CIECA Welcomes Podium as New Corporate Member Podium recently joined CIECA as a Corporate Member.

The privately held technology company, headquartered in Lehi, UT, provides a communication platform that enables collision centers to connect with customers and

help grow their businesses. Serving more than 26,000 small businesses in the USA, Canada and Australia, Podium is backed by Google Ventures and has been recognized by Inc. magazine, Forbes and others as one of the fastest-growing software companies worldwide.

Jim Bauman, Podium’s product partnership manager, said the company helps shop owners build a shop’s online reputation on Google,

AUTOBODY

36

Facebook and other consumer consideration sites.

“CIECA sets the standard in the collision industry for customer communication, and we are proud to partner with them,” said Bauman. “The educational content available through CIECA will help Podium better serve collision shop owners by understanding customer communication needs in the industry.”

Bauman said Podium is looking forward to getting involved with CIECA. “We believe we can help CIECA modernize and improve industry communication standards to better meet the need of customers,” he said. “We’re committed to standards and want to contribute to the ongoing improvement of CSI Survey standards to better reflect the needs of shop owners and consumers.”

For more information, visit www.podium.com.

www.autobodynews.com

UPDATED DAILY

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Where an accommodating style is submissive, avoidance is passive aggressive.

“It skirts the issue rather than attacking it head-on,” explained Newell. Many view it as less transparent and honest because communication lines can be weak. Newell said it’s a great tactic to use in a highly emotional negotiation when focusing solely on the facts and to avoid emotional issues.

With collaboration, both parties brainstorm and create mutual value.

While this is often time-consuming and requires the most skills, Newell said both parties’ needs are typically met, and strong relationships can be the end result.

Compromise, also called “positional negotiating,” involves splitting the difference, which usually results in a decision that is halfway between both parties’ opening positions. Newell recommended using this approach when pushed for time and dealing with someone you trust.

“Both parties win and lose,” he said. “Meeting halfway reduces strain on the relationship but usually leaves something on the table.”

Parts Dept. Hours

Mon - Fri: 7:30am - 6pm Sat: 8:30am - 5pm 6324 Bob Bullock Loop / Laredo, TX 78041

GENUINE TOYOTA COLLISION PARTS

• TOYOTA STAR ELITE DEALER • DELIVERY TO ALL OF TEXAS • FREE TOYOTA ELECTRONIC PARTS CATALOGUE FOR OUR WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS

Toll Free

877-892-4570

956-718-4200 local 956-718-4259 fax www.toyotaoflaredo.com

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

37

National Associations with Chasidy Rae Sisk

Chasidy Rae Sisk is a freelance technical writer from Wilmington, Delaware, who writes on a variety of fields and subjects, and grew up in a family of NASCAR fans. She can be contacted at crsisk@chasidyraesisk.com.

ARA Hosts Magical 75th Annual Convention and Exposition From Oct. 31 through Nov. 3, the Automotive Recycling Association (ARA) held its 75th Annual Convention and Exposition at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort in Orlando, FL.

Blalock explained. “Networking opportunities are one of the main reasons that automotive recyclers and industry suppliers attend year after year. These opportunities are priceless and allow automotive recyclers to benchmark themselves and their peers in the industry in order to learn from each other. The automotive recycling industry is unique in that a large percentage of businesses are family-owned and multi-generational, which really brings a family atmosFourteen countries were repre- phere to this annual gathering. sented, with industry professionals “Speakers ranged from fellow traveling from as far away as the recyclers, governmental officials and United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, industry experts. ARA debuted new Canada, France, Germany, Hong peer-to-peer panels for both full-serKong, Japan, Netherlands, New vice and self-service operations, Zealand, Peru, Poland and South which proved to be among the most Korea. popular sessions. Our members need According to Sandy Blalock, to stay informed on the latest develexecutive director for ARA, “Nearly opments and trends in the automo900 professional automotive recy- tive repair industry. ARA’s Annual clers, industry vendors, suppliers and Convention, as well as ARA affiliate supporters made the trip to celebrate chapter association events, serve as a the association’s 75th anniversary at means of providing this type of vital the happiest place on Earth: Walt Dis- information. The networking and inney World.” formation-sharing that take place at these events also provide insight to our association leaders and staff that helps determine the direction of current and future ARA initiatives—it’s where we take the pulse of the industry.”

The convention and exposition also provides ARA leaders with an opportunity to showcase member benefits and promote the associIncoming ARA President Jonathan Morrow (right) poses ation’s value by highlighting with outgoing President David Gold (left) the products and services The largest annual meeting of only offered by ARA. Talking to the professional automotive recy- members also provides the associacling industry in the world, ARA’s tion’s staff with a better understandAnnual Convention and Exposition ing of their members’ needs. provides a unique opportunity for atDuring the convention, Jonathan tendees to network with one another Morrow of M&M Auto Parts in Virand obtain top tier training. ginia succeeded David Gold from “Association-sponsored events Standard Auto Wreckers as the associlike the ARA Convention provide ation’s president. Additionally, ARA significant education and network- recognized some of the industry’s best ing opportunities, two of the most by distributing several awards. The beneficial reasons that attendees Automotive Recyclers Association of [keep] coming back year after year,” Rhode Island received the Affiliate

38

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Chapter of the Year award, and Shan McMillon of Cocoa Auto Salvage in Florida was recognized as Regional Director of the Year. Nordstrom’s Automotive in South Dakota re-

Roger Schroder was honored as Member of the Year, and the coveted President’s Award was bestowed upon Jeff Schroder of Car-Part.

Blalock added, “Many new programming features were debuted this year, including a Big Beach Bash that automotive recyclers and their entire families could enjoy.

Attendees enjoyed the event, and the feedback has been positive. We have many volunteers, including recyclers and vendors, who work colAutomotive recyclers Lawrie Beacham (Australia), Ed MacDonald (Canada), Ted Taya (Japan) and Andy laboratively all year to plan a Latham (U.K). Standing is Steve Fletcher, executive program that meets the needs director of the Automotive Recyclers of Canada of our dynamic industry. I ceived the CAR Member of the Year believe the event measured up to all of award, while Gold Seal Member of our expectations.”

ARA’s 76th Annual Convention the Year was awarded to Counselman’s Automotive Recycling in Al- & Exposition will take place Oct. 10– abama. CIECA’S Fred Iantorno 13, 2019 in Charlotte, NC. For more received the Apple Award, Car-Part’s information about ARA, visit a-r-a.org.

Audi Genuine Parts

Audi Genuine Parts make your repair easier • Delivery to Austin, Kyle, Buda and San Marcos areas.

• You can count on our customer service • Professional experienced staff

Audi South Austi Austin tin n 4738 IH-35 // Austin, TX 78745 Phone: 888.703.4305 Fax: 512.660.5388 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7:00am-6pm; Sat. 9am-5pm audisouthaustinparts@hendrickauto.com www.audisouthaustin.com

A

AkzoNobel Performance Group Highlights Importance of Working on Business, Not in Business

by Stacey Phillips

Performance benchmarking, sharing best practices and customized training were all part of a recent AkzoNobel performance group meeting in San Diego, CA. Held in September, the AkzoNobel Acoat Selected North American Performance Group (NAPG) provided an opportunity for body shop owners and managers to work on

(l to r) Marty Heiden, Greg Griffith and Oscar Arellano

their businesses instead of in their businesses. The ultimate goal during the three-day event was to enhance the performance of both the individuals and companies through peer-topeer networking.

“Imagine being with a group of

100 shop owners for the sole purpose of exchanging business growth ideas.

That is exactly what happens at Acoat Selected Performance Group meetings,” said Rick Fifer, North American services manager. “Acoat Selected Performance Group members meet to share successes, find solutions to problems and make new relationships with like-minded shop owners from across North America. The wealth of knowledge and experience present at these meetings is nothing short of awe-inspiring.”

There are two main components to the meetings for the body shops, distributors and AkzoNobel employees who attend. The first involves group activities, which consist of keynote speakers, idea contests, panel discussions, classes and other activities.

Fifer said that many of those who attend mention how much they value the conversations that take place.

“With so many people in attendance, you are sure to find someone who has solved the problems you face or has a great business improvement

idea you can implement,” he said.

Sub-group sessions are the other focus of the meetings. Similar to a conventional 20 group, Fifer said members analyze financial data, formulate improvement strategies, assist one another in problem-solving and share experiences.

(l to r) Lee and Leila Bates, and Diane and Don Miller

“The close friendships—both personal and professional—created at the meetings are immensely valuable to the members,” said Fifer. “They know that anytime during the year, they can contact a known, trusted shop owner for advice. That is a good feeling.”

“The performance group meet-

ings have been outstanding. I find that just getting away from the business twice a year to attend the meetings improves my perspective significantly,” said Van Takemoto, owner of Island Fender in Hawaii. “The opportunity to benchmark, to collaborate with my peers in the industry and to set new goals has really sharpened my skills as a businessman. It’s made a difference to the bottom line!”

Prior to the two days of individual performance group meetings, a variety of early-bird training sessions were offered the first day of the event.

Presentation Highlights First-time attendees were given an overview of what to expect during a presentation by Sam Sherrill of AkzoNobel Coatings.

“This session was designed to prepare new NAPG attendees to effectively engage in performance group financial discussions,” said Fifer.

Some of the topics Sherrill highlighted included income statements and balance sheets, body shop key See AkzoNobel, Page 54

Experience the “Courtesy Way” Your #1 Volume Chevy Dealer in AZ! Mention this ad for a $25.00 Gift Card with the first order of Genuine GM or Isuzu Parts

COURTESY ISUZU TRUCK

COURTESY CHEVROLET Fast and reliable delivery of all your parts purchases, and a helpful team of sales experts to make the process very easy.

P H : MON - FRI 7:30-5:30 SAT 7:00-4:00

P! "#:

602.248.7710

1233 East Camelback Road // Phoenix, AZ 85014

Experience working with our Parts Specialists who are extremely knowledgeable of our extensive line of Genuine Isuzu Parts and Accessories.

P !"# H %!#: MON - FRI 7:30-5:30 SAT 7:00-4:00

P :

602.248.7710

1233 East Camelback Road // Phoenix, AZ 85014 autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

39

In Reverse with Gary Ledoux

Gary Ledoux is an industry veteran with 48 years’ experience in the automotive and OEM collision parts industry. His column appears exclusively in Autobody News.

He can be reached at YesterWreck@yahoo.com

The 1960s – Associations, Leaders and Poor Management Anyone who lived through the 1960s knows what a turbulent time it was politically, socially and culturally.

There were some profound changes in the collision repair trade as well.

Born in the mid-1940s, the industry was starting to “come of age.”

Unlike today in the 21st century, when industry metrics are plentiful and easy to find, it was difficult to find accurate numbers on anything in the 1960s. The number of shops had been growing almost unabated since 1946. By 1969, there were an estimated 75,000 body shops in the country, but nobody had a figure on their size in terms of either square footage or number of employees.

Earnest Rowe, then marketing service manager for DuPont Automotive Refinish Division, surmised that despite the great number of shops, most were very small operations, and most overworked. The universe of shops consisted of independents and a few dealer-owned shops, and none of them had to go begging for work.

Back then, the average hourly labor rate for collision repair was $4.50 to $5.50 per hour. In a trade magazine article, a shop owner noted labor rates had only gone from $4 to $5 per hour in 1951 to $4.50 to $5.50 per hour in 1963. Yet, insurance company adjuster salaries had gone from $225 per month to $450 per month.

He questioned why labor rates had been frozen for so long. Another unidentified shop owner was quoted as saying, “…problems have existed in this business for a long time. We have been talking about them, but what the heck are we doing to correct them!”

Part of the change that the collision industry experienced in the ‘60s was the almost simultaneous emergence of three key elements.

The first was the evolution and proliferation of auto body associations. Smart shop owners saw the industry becoming more complicated and knew that they had to band together.

The second was emerging leaders. With any organization, espe-

40

cially those operated by volunteers, leaders eventually emerge. And thus, certain people within the industry began to stand out and assume leadership roles, bringing elements of the industry together.

And last, but certainly not least, was the advent of the nationally distributed collision industry trade magazine so the leaders could have a voice and shops would know what was going on. Soon, leaders and those willing to support them would have an answer for the shop owner who asked, “…what the heck are we doing to correct the industry’s issues?”

One of the earliest industry leaders to begin suggesting industry solutions was Art Fox, president of the Independent Garage Owners Association (IGOA). He began calling for more oversight of auto body shops, suggesting that all shops be licensed on a nationwide basis to ensure competent repairs. He noted that barbers in his home state of Iowa were subject to more legal oversight than the technicians who worked on cars were.

But the emergence of industry associations and leaders had a dark side. An article appearing in a 1969 trade journal provided one long-time shop owner’s vision of the collision business over the past 20 years. He noted that during the period from 1959–1964, as the collision associations began to emerge, insurance companies began to see them as a threat and refused to do business with shops that were part of an association or displayed an association emblem on their shop.

Some associations were able to put the spotlight on labor rates, and the rates went up slightly in the local area. However, parts discounts to insurers got out of hand, and despite the increased labor rates, shops lost money on parts and many began to go bankrupt. It is also assumed that those same shops were not run well financially to begin with and the parts discounts were the “last straw.” It was also difficult, if not impossible, to recover costs for paint and supplies.

Despite the bankruptcies, more

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

shops opened up. To compete with the established shops, they not only offered parts discounts, but also kept the labor rate artificially low. Things got bad—and then got worse for many.

According to the veteran shop owner writing the 1969 article, to stay in business, he borrowed $50,000 to stay afloat, not knowing how he would pay it back.

From 1964—1969, trade associations became stronger and insurance companies began to accept and even work with the associations to make the industry better. But things did not get better for all shop owners. Many were poor businessmen and could not control their own businesses or finances. Technicians left for better working conditions. Owners suffered.

Despite the best efforts of emerging industry leaders and organizations, another hallmark of the industry in the 1960s was an undercurrent of unrest.

It seems owning a body shop during this period was politically tough. The shops fought with the OEs, insurance companies and one another. They had what seemed like a multitude of small local auto body associations that didn’t always work together. Shop owners were looking for answers.

The business, as it was in the 1960s, was simply not sustainable.

In the post-WWII economic boom, car sales skyrocketed—as did the number of collision and mechanical shops to serve them. This created a lot of competition between shops, which spawned a rather odd phenomenon—the super-cheap service. On the collision side, it was the $29.95 paint job. The concept undoubtedly attracted some work to the shop, but many shop owners thought that the concept was illegitimate and gave consumers a poor impression of See The 1960’s, Page 44

Subaru of Little Rock People & Pa Parts You Can Trust...

Fully Stocked and Professional

SUBARU COLLISION PARTS Parts Hotline: Department

• Knowledgeable Staff • Fast Shipping to Your Shop

888-690-8030 Fax: 501-725-4375

Parts Hours: M-F 7am - 6pm Sat 7am - 3pm 12121 Colonel Glenn Rd / Little Rock, AR 72210 micah@subaruoflr.com

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

41

National Events with Stacey Phillips

Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry.

She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.”

She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.

SCRS Red Carpet Awards Breakfast at SEMA Recognizes Collision Industry The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) hosted the second annual Red Carpet Awards Breakfast during SEMA on Oct. 31.

During the special event, individuals and businesses in the collision repair industry were recognized for their outstanding leadership, dedication and commitment.

“It’s always a pleasure to bring up new faces and new voices to help this industry recognize greatness,” said Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of SCRS. “This isn’t an SCRS event. This is a collision industry event for every organization that wants to recognize greatness in this industry.”

Awards were given out by the Automotive Management Institute (AMi), Automotive Service Association (ASA), BodyShop Business, CIECA, I-CAR, National Auto Body Council (NABC) and SCRS. “Today is about recognizing and celebrating the greatness within our industry,” said Rissa Matsumoto of Auto Body Hawaii, who emceed the event.

Automotive Management Institute (AMi) Mark Claypool, Optima Worldwide, was presented with AMi’s Collision Repair Training Provider of the Year award. Jeff Peevy, president of AMi, said the well-known industry leader has been a big supporter of the organization and leads many AMi-approved courses that have been well received.

Two former board of trustees members received an award for Outstanding Dedication, Commitment and Personal Leadership: Bob Keith, Assured Performance, and Tony Passwater, president of AEII. This year, Peevy said there were close to 100 individuals who graduated from the AMi program. In addition to holding a graduation ceremony earlier this year, 11 individuals were recognized during the breakfast for earning a professional designation: Ken Brown, Bruce Burrow, Maria Carrillo, Robert Byron Gottfred, 42

Wesley Jackson, Kandie JenningsMolloy, Scott Kaboos, Tony Passwater, Carl Preston Riggenbach, John Shoemaker and Kenneth Thayer.

“Learning may be defined as a transformative process of taking in information that when internalized and mixed with our experiences, changes what we know and builds

BodyShop Business Sean Donohue, publisher of BodyShop Business, announced the magazine’s Multi-Shop (MSO) Executive of the Year winner: Vartan Jerian Jr., director of operations for Caliber Collision/H&V Collision Center. The MSO has been involved in numerous charitable activities over the years and was one of the first in the Albany, NY, capital region to introduce the lean production process, which drastically improved the business’s KPIs. Louis Giordano, Giordano’s Collision, received AMi recognized 11 individuals during the Red Carpet the Single-Shop Executive Awards breakfast for earning a professional designation of the Year award. A memon what we do. It is based on input, ber of the Long Island Auto Body process and reflection,” said Peevy. Repairmen’s Association since 1970, “It is what changes us. I’m a strong Giordano has owned three shops and believer and advocate that learning worked in both collision repair and is the only source of a sustainable insurance. competitive advantage.”

Automotive Service Association (ASA) Roy Schnepper, president of ASA, announced the recipient of the association’s Phoenix Award, Chuck Sulkala. The award is given by the ASA Collision Operations Committee in honor of an individual in the collision repair industry who has devoted his or her career to advancing professionalism with leadership, integrity and personal strength. For many years, Sulkala has been an active participant in industry associations including ASA, I-CAR, Collision Industry Conference (CIC) and NABC. “This is quite nice,” said Sulkala. “It’s part of why we’re all here and why we work together.”

He said that regardless of what side you’re on, where you’re from, what you do or what association you belong to, everyone is part of this industry.

“I would hope that when you go home, you give a special hug to your family because they are the ones who allow you to do this, come to these meetings and do the things we do together,” said Sulkala.

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

2118 South Padre Island Drive Corpus Christi, TX 78416

“The winners of these prestigious awards are true collision repair visionaries who have experienced great success or innovative thinking, overcome challenges and persevered,” said Donohue.

CIECA Clint Marlow, director at Allstate Insurance and CIECA’s 2018 chairman of the board of trustees, announced CIECA’s award winners this year.

Andy Bober, ARMS Business Solutions, received an Outstanding Dedication award for his contribution to mobile data standards.

The Outstanding Contribution award was given to Joanna Cohen, Car-Part.com, who has primarily focused on procurement and estimating messages.

Two individuals were named for Outstanding Leadership. Leslie Redfield from Genpact received the

Hours: M-F 7:00am-7:00pm Sat 8:00am-5:00pm

üPrompt & Dependable Delivery üLarge Inventory of Genuine OEM Parts üKnowledgeable and Courteous Parts Team

800.242.3249

award for her work on the photo estimating committee, and Darrell Amberson from LaMettry’s Collision was recognized for his involvement with the scanning committee.

NuGen IT was named the Electronic Commerce Company of the Year. Pete Tagliapietra, business development manager, accepted the award on behalf of the company.

Marlow explained that CIECA’s board of trustees extends this award every year to a company in recognition of its outstanding leadership, contribution and dedication to furthering CIECA’s mission in the collision industry.

I-CAR Tim O’Day, I-CAR’s chairman of the board of directors, announced the I-CAR Chairman’s Award, which is presented to the individual or organization that has made a significant or extraordinary contribution to the ICAR organization. I-CAR honored Clark Plucinski, who has nearly 50 years of experience in the collision repair industry. Plucinski is currently the executive director of the Collision Repair Education Foun-

dation (CREF) and chairman of the Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA).

“Our wonderful industry is filled with many success stories by people who have not only made their

business that demonstrates a strong dedication to training and reinforces the positive image of the collision repair industry. CARSTAR Mundelein has held a Gold Class designation since 1996 and was chosen based on the owners’ extensive industry involvement, their dedication to training and the promotion of career opportunities at schools in and around their local community.

Van Alstyne then shared information about the Jeff Silver Award. Silver served as the CEO of I-CAR and is considered a pioneer of the I(l to r) Clint Marlow, CIECA chairman of the board; Pete CAR Gold Class and PlatTagliapietra of NuGen IT, recipient of the Electronic inum recognition programs.

Commerce Company of the Year award; and Fred Iantorno, The award, presented to CIECA’s executive director Rick Cope, Cope Collision, marks, but also have fulfilled their was established “to maintain Jeff’s commitment to helping others estab- amazing legacy, a true and deep paslish their own careers,” said John sion for training and professional Van Alstyne, CEO and president of growth,” said Van Alstyne. He said I-CAR. Cope is a strong proponent of conJeff and Jeanne Silver, tinuing education, and his shop has CARSTAR Mundelein, were pre- been I-CAR Gold Class since 2007. sented with the Russ Verona Memorial Award, which recognizes a National Auto Body Council (NABC)

NABC Awards Committee Co-chairs Marie Peevy, owner of Automotive Training Coordinators, and Debbie Teter, Garmat’s director of sales and marketing, presented the NABC awards.

Peevy said the Body Image Award, which was given to Moppert Brothers Collision, recognizes a positive, attractive and well-designed facility.

“Harry and his brother Steve continually work to certify their shops and repair vehicles to OEM procedures,” she said.

Kevin Thomas, Town East Ford, received the NABC Award of Distinction, which celebrates extraordinary efforts by individuals who give of themselves to others. As a result of the business’s strong culture, Teter said Town East Ford has very little turnover and the shop’s CSI is continually over 95 percent.

Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) Schulenburg announced the recipient of the SCRS Affiliate Association Award, which is given very infrequently to associations that stand out

Call our Wholesale Parts Hotline Today!

877-770-6351 480-497-7581 Fax We’re Open: Mon. - Fri. 7am - 7pm // Sat. 7am - 4pm

• Dedicated Knowledgeable Wholesale Staff • Certified Parts Wholesaling Dealer • Over $3 $1 Million in OEM Parts • Competitive Pricing • Online Ordering • Dependable Delivery 460 East Auto Center Dr. // Mesa, AZ 85204 autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

43

amongst others.

“Normally it is reserved in instances where other associations look up to one of their peers for the work they have done or for the stage they have set in the industry,” explained Schulenburg.

John Mosley (left) and the Mississippi Collision Repair Association received the SCRS Affiliate Association Award. Aaron Schulenburg, SCRS executive director, is pictured on right

John Mosley and the Mississippi Collision Repair Association were recognized.

“This particular organization worked with state regulatory bodies and with other industry groups to develop a consumer guide to insurance and auto body repair through a very Continued from Page 40

The 1960’s

the industry. Harry Wright, president of the IGOA, railed against those shops, both mechanical and collision.

He purported that shops were promising ridiculously inexpensive jobs, only to either turn around and charge the customer two to three times as much or do virtually nothing for the cheap, agreed-upon price. He noted that garages that continue this practice continue to “denigrate the automotive repair business and put the industry in a negative light.” The IGOA and other associations continued to fight this wherever and whenever possible.

The 1960s also saw the increasing involvement of insurance companies, spawning another trend that continues today to a certain degree— the shop owner who “has had enough” and gotten out of the business. Stories like this one started to pop up all over the collision trade magazines: “After running a three-man body shop for over 25 years, Linwood King of 44

collaborative effort that ended in a product,” said Schulenburg. “I think all in the industry can look to and utilize it as a reference book for their own states.”

Jeff Hendler, SCRS historian, then presented the March Taylor Memorial Fund Kina’ole Award to “Collisionista” Petra Schroeder, who retired from Axalta and remains very active in the industry.

Hendler said the award honors the name and spirit of March Taylor.

The Hawaiian word “Kina’ole” means “Doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time, in the right place, to the right person, for the right reason, with the right feeling, the first time.”

Hendler is an administrator of the March Taylor Memorial Fund, which was created when Taylor suddenly passed away after a scuba diving accident.

“He was a mentor to many and friend to all of us,” said Hendler.

“The award was not for March, but it’s about the spirit of March. It’s an award that is presented to people who absolutely embrace March’s spirit—Kina’ole.”

Raleigh, North Carolina was tired of the insurance companies harassing him for parts discounts, asking him to lower his labor rate, asking him to cut corners and driving customers from his shop. Rather than fight anymore, King stopped doing body work as his main source of business and stopped dealing with insurance companies. Instead, he turned to mostly mechanical work with some small body jobs on the side—small enough that they were customer-pay and did not involve an insurance company. All work was done for cash, on a take-it-or-leave-it basis.” Most had a similar story—it was tough to get started at first. But after things evened out, the shop typically had a smaller volume of business but made more money with less stress, and the owner could sleep at night.

Throughout the ‘60s, industry leaders called for shop owners to clean up their businesses and make them more pleasant and aesthetically pleasing to customers, as well as workers. Many owners stepped up and modernized their shops, bringing them out of the ‘60s and onto the edge of the 1970s.

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

He said Schroeder has that same spirit and is a mentor to many in the industry.

The March Taylor Memorial Fund Kina’ole Award was given to Petra Schroeder. She is pictured with Gary Wano (l), who received the award in 2017, and industry veteran Jeff Hendler

“I had the pleasure to know March much too late in my life, but in the short time I had the pleasure of knowing him, it was just amazing,” said Schroeder. “It means a ton to me to receive this today and to be able to be in front of you. Thank you so much—you have no idea what it means to me.”

Continued from Page 27

Plant Closings

plant will be idle as of March 1, the Chevrolet Cruze will stop production, and no new product will be allocated. In April, GM said a decline in Chevrolet Cruze sales is to blame for the employee reduction at the Lordstown plant.

The decision is part of the company’s steps to improve business performance, realign manufacturing and reduce salaried workforce, according to their press release.

Lordstown Mayor Arno Hill and the President of the Union (UAW Local 1112) David Green are both holding onto the glimmer of hope General Motor’s choice of words offered.

“It was non-allocated or in-allocated and that just means that there’s no product to announce to put in this plant right now,” Mayor Hill told News 5. “I’m holding out for the best.”

“We’ve got a great workforce and we’ve proven ourselves. So, I See Plant Closings, Page 54

North Freeway Hyundai

The right part makes the difference.

www.northfreewayhyundai.com www. ww w.no nort rrtthhffre reew ewayyhy hyun unnddaai.co i.i.coom

• N.L.S. Delivery • Genuine Hyundai OEM Parts • • Helpful Staff • 30+ Years Experience •

866.645.4986

Fax: 832.442.5174

Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-7pm; Sat 7:30am-5pm 20440 I45 North • Spring, TX 77373

SUPER INVENTORY | SUPER PEOPLE | GENUINE OEM PARTS.

Bob Howard PDC • Dedicated Wholesale Staff • Large Inventory of Genuine OEM Parts • Prompt & Dependable Delivery

800-888-3827

Hours: Monday - Friday 8am - 5:30pm CST

www.bhpdc.com

SMICKLAS

ARD PDC HOWA CHEVROLET DBA HO

Hours: Monday - Friday 8am - 5:30pm CST

800-888-3827 Hours: Monday - Friday: 7 am - 6 pm Saturday: 8 am - 5 pm

8850 Grossmont Blvd., La Mesa, CA 91942

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

45

Mike Anderson Presents ‘Using the Subaru Technical Information System (STIS) – Part 1’

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

On Tuesday, Nov. 27, Mike Anderson of Collision Advice presented the sixth webinar in his “Learn to Research, Research to Learn” series, during which he explored “Using the Subaru Technical Information System (STIS) – Part 1.”

He was joined by Nicole Riedel, whole sale parts specialists for Subaru of America, as well as Subaru technical service representative J. J. Marino and director of parts Dave Zastrow. The webinar was created

by Collision Advice in collaboration with Subaru.

After reading the antitrust guidelines, Anderson reiterated that he decided to host these webinars because the results of his annual “Who Pays for What?” surveys, conducted in conjunction with the Crash Network, led him to determine that shops are not researching OEM repair procedures 100 percent of the time as they should be. As a result of this finding, Collision Advice has been hosting monthly webinars, each one focusing on a different OEM, to raise awareness of the resources each OEM offers to research repair procedures.

Anderson plans to guide attendees on a step-by-step tour of each specific OEM’s website and advise on how to improve search results. He will also demonstrate how to research some common procedures needed by collision repairers, explore the differences between an OEM scan tool and aftermarket scan tool and investigate OEM parts information and support tools.

In addition to an explanation of how to register, log in and use the STIS website, the first part of the Subaru webinar series included a review of the additional features offered on the Subaru STIS website, a discussion of Subaru’s requirements pertaining to scanning and an exploration of Subaru’s certification program.

Anderson began by explaining that Subaru’s position statements are available at oemonestop.com and crashrepairinfo.com, but they are not available within STIS. He emphasized the importance of looking at the OEM position statements before each repair, showing Subaru’s position statements on pre- and post46

scanning and the use of aftermarket windshield glass for Subaru vehicles equipped with Eyesight.

Moving on to how to access Subaru repair procedures, Anderson directed attendees to Techinfo.Subaru.com, pointing out that it’s important to use Internet Explorer (IE) 11 or newer for all website features to work optimally. Users can register by clicking “purchase and create

On the bottom right side, you can access your five most recently saved reference links, but an extended list is available by clicking “show more,” though Anderson warned that the number of saved reference links is limited. If you get maxed out, you will need to delete some to make room for the new ones you want to save.

Exploring the icons used on STIS, Anderson explained that the down-

subscription,” which will take them to the registration page to complete the process. Subscriptions are available for three days at $34.95, 30 days at $299.95, or one year at $2,499.95.

Two experiences are available: the online reference or the service diagnostics, which is available by PDF versus HTML. Once you click on Information, you can select Special Tool Information, which takes you to information about purchasing Subaru’s scan tool, Subaru Select Monitor (SSM), as well as the minimum computer operating requirements.

Anderson advised, “When I was in the OEM repair procedures and I was trying to find documentation to educate an insurer about why I needed to scan a vehicle or utilize a scan tool, sometimes I would just use the term Subaru Select Monitor or SSM as a key search term.”

Under Information, the Immobilizer Key Access area of the website is only available to NASTF members and authorized dealers, but at the bottom of the page, you can click on Technical Information System to access STIS. After logging into the website, the upper left-hand quadrant shows the five most recently posted documents on STIS; clicking “show more” will provide an extended list of the past 90 days. In the upper right-hand quadrant, the Quick Reference Search allows you to use an advanced search (using the vehicle’s VIN number) or a quick search. At the bottom left side, users can see their five most recently viewed items.

ward-pointing arrow is for viewing and downloading. Hovering over the icon allows you to view the description, while clicking on it launches a new window as a PDF that you can download, print or save. He noted that the Chrome PDF viewer plug-in must be enabled to launch in a new window and reminded attendees that IE is the preferred browser. The star icon allows users to save frequently used docu-

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Don Carlton ACURA OF TULSA

918-627-6457 Fax

888-550-7278

Member of the Tulsa Parts Connection

ments to the Saved Reference Links for easy access, while the X icon removes items from Saved Reference Links.

Under Online Reference, users can select the type of publication they want to view, including owner manual, service manual, bulletins and more. Using the VIN number is most accurate, but if that’s not available, using the model year, carline and trim is another option for searching.

When performing a keyword search, Anderson sarcastically quipped that “only the first 500 relevant documents will return, so I recommend selecting a publication type or model to narrow down the search.”

Noting that all OEM websites’ search features work differently, Anderson explained how to narrow down search results by using “and,” “or,” “not” and “minus” to specify the query. Subaru’s coolest feature, according to Anderson, is the wildcard (%) operator, which returns documents with zero or more characters in the wildcard.

“Subaru has some really amaz-

Don Carlton

HONDA OF TULSA

918-392-9665 Fax

800-722-2379

Member of the Tulsa Parts Connection

Excellent service Competitive pricing

Knowledgeable staff First class service

4905 S. Memorial Dr. Tulsa, OK 74145

4141 S Memorial Dr. Tulsa, OK 74145

Parts Hours: Mon-Sat. 7:00am - 6pm

Parts Hours: Mon-Sat. 7:00am - 6pm

Parts Manager: Diane Finch acuraparts@doncarlton.com

Parts Manager: Nick Young hondaparts@doncarlton.com

www.doncarltonacura.com

www.doncarltonhonda.com

ing search features [that are] probably more advanced than any other OEM that we’ve so far done a webinar for,” Anderson noted as he demonstrated searching the STIS website and how to download documents.

Navigating the Technician Reference Booklet, Anderson explored Subaru’s implied restrictions on rear bumper repairs for certain vehicles, stressing the need to scan a vehicle.

He also showed where the booklet forbade painting of the sonar sensors because doing so can prevent the sensors from functioning properly.

“I found this technician reference booklet to be invaluable to me from a collision repair perspective,” Anderson said.

He then moved on to the body repair manual, found under the Service Manual tab. There are two different types of formats and layouts for the body repair manuals, depending on the year, make and model of the vehicle. Marino explained that some of the differences for the BRZ model are related to Subaru’s collaboration with Toyota on this model, which means this manual has a different feel.

Scanning through the BRZ body

repair manual, Anderson looked at work notices and precautions to show that Subaru requires repair of panels related to weld burn damage and warned that they are “not-included” operations.

Showing where the document instructs technicians to check for diagnostic trouble codes as a precaution for using an electric welder, Anderson reemphasized, “I really saw something that blew my mind … The only way I can check the vehicle for diagnostic trouble codes is to use a scan tool, ladies and gentlemen. This was an amazing document to me.”

Under structural outline, Subaru identifies which parts are aluminum, and the damage diagnosis document illustrates how the specific vehicle is designed to divert the inertial forces and also identifies where to look for possible hidden damage.

Anderson showed an example of another body repair manual to show the differences between most of these manuals and the BRZ manual. He demonstrated how to use the table of contents to link to the specific section of the document. The foreword section provides an intro-

duction to the symbols that will be used in the manual as well as precautions about specific substrates of materials used.

Highlighting a section of the manual that stated to “avoid previously welded locations,” Anderson noted that this would preclude the use of a LKQ quarter panel in the repair since it would require disregarding this caution from Subaru. Anderson continued exploring the body repair manual, looking at use of foam, the body construction section, body reference points and panel replacement, which identifies how Subaru wants each specific component repaired.

As Anderson explored the body sealing portion of the document, he reminded attendees, “Keep in mind, when you want to get paid from an insurance company, the four negotiation questions are: Is it required? Is it included? Is there a pre-determined time, and if not, what is it worth? On the first basis, you have to prove that what you’re asking for is required, and what I love about this is that it shows me that on this specific vehicle make and model, it’s telling me where it’s seam sealed at… I found

this to be a really valuable document and critical to my success with getting reimbursed from an insurer for a not-included operation.”

The webinar continued with Anderson identifying the OEM’s requirements related to anticorrosion wax, undercoating, damping seat, insulators and plastic parts and materials.

Because Anderson had received feedback that previous webinars ran too long, he announced that he was cutting off the first webinar at 45 minutes but provided an overview of what will be covered in the second part of the Subaru webinar series, including but not limited to: what to do if you can’t find what you are looking for in STIS, symbols used for one-time use parts, how Subaru’s Star Link impacts collision repairers, what collision repairers need to know from the owner’s manual, an in-depth look at the Service Diagnostics tab and an update on the Subaru certification program.

Riedel then provided a brief update on the Subaru certification program.

“We will be sending out an e-blast See Mike Anderson Presents, Page 52

GM PARTS CENTER • We “Meet or Beat” Aftermarket Pricing • Over $2 Million Genuine GM Parts • Free Delivery within Texas • 10 Delivery Trucks

WATS:

800-955-6282

PARTS DIRECT:

972-202-2300

RAY HUFFINES

PLANO, TX

HOURS: MON - FRI 7 TO 7; SAT FROM 8 TO 5

www.rayhuffineschev.com autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

47

Media and Publicity for Shops with Ed Attanasio

Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.

Are You Forgetting About Half Your Customers by Not Catering to Women?

In the U.S., there are half a million women actively looking to buy a new car at any given time.

They have a serious influence on all automotive purchases (85 percent), from the showroom to the service lane. Yet, 74 percent of women feel misunderstood by the automotive industry.

So, how as a body shop owner or manager do you cater to this significant percentage of your customer base? Shops all over the country have had great success thinking outside of the box. Many have produced series of how-to videos, sponsored networking/educational sessions at their facilities on a quarterly basis, embraced social media because women use sites such as Facebook and Instagram more than men do, and promoted community nonprofit organizations that appeal to women, such as Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) and Toys for Tots.

We interviewed several female body shop owners to find out how they’re getting 5-star Yelp reviews from female customers and getting recommended to their female customers’ friends and colleagues.

Kathy Mello is the owner of TGIF Auto Body in Fremont, CA. She is the president of the California Autobody Association (CAA), a member of the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) and well-known for championing women who strive to enter the industry.

An incident she encountered prior to working in the collision repair industry many years ago opened her eyes and taught her a valuable lesson.

“I had the first-time experience of getting an estimate after backing into a basketball pole at my child’s school,” she said. “There were no rear-view cameras on Volkswagens

back then. I went to the shop that my insurance company recommended (this was prior to DRPs). I announced myself to two ladies who were sitting at their desks in a halfway-decent office. One of the ladies called an estimator, who walked out to my vehicle without a word. I swear, he grunted several times and then wrote some things on a clipboard as I followed him.

“I sat in my original waiting spot as he did his thing. The two ladies talked with each other as they worked. I was basically invisible.

The estimator completed his work and handed me a copy without a word. I said thank you and exited.

“When I began playing a role in the company my husband founded, I vowed that we would never treat anyone like that, no less a woman.

As a result, we have a pleasant office with unisex decor. There are fresh flowers on most days provided by a local florist and a refreshment bar.

We start by asking questions right away, not only about the claim and the vehicle, but about the people involved. Another important question is, ‘What is your greatest concern?’

We want to remove any anxiety if we can.”

Tiffany Silva, owner of Accurate Auto Body in Richmond, CA, is president of the CAA’s East Bay chapter and is also on the organization’s board.

“I don’t feel that we necessarily cater only to women,” she said. “I feel that we cater to each customer who walks through the door. Perhaps because I am a woman, I know how important it is to make sure that each customer feels that we are providing exceptional customer service and treating everyone equally.

“My office staff asks each customer if they would like us to go over

Call or Email Now for Rates:

AUTOBODY

800-699-8251

ltedesco@autobodynews.com

48

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

their estimate with them line by line.

We strive to make sure every customer understands the repairs needed to their vehicle. We don’t just simply hand them paperwork and expect that they’ll understand the terminology in the estimate. I believe this is the most important element in providing excellent customer service. Another important thing is to take the time to explain and educate not only about the claims process, but exactly what is required to repair the vehicle properly.

We make sure that no questions or concerns go unaddressed. Although these are standard procedures, they may be more pertinent with a woman, particularly if she is doing this for the first time.”

Nancy Friedman, president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service, trains automotive companies on how to enhance the customer experience and cited several main ways to

achieve it.

“First, we want to be listened to and valued,” she said. “Making eye contact is important, so don’t keep looking at your watch and other people when you’re talking to me.

Smile—because we’re suckers for that, and use the same handshake you do with a man. We don’t want a wet fish handshake that offers three fingers; we hate that. And one last thing: Put a hook in the ladies’ room so that we can hang up our bags. It sounds like a little thing, but the little things add up.

“In short, how can you make your shop more attractive to female customers? For one, women care about the cleanliness of your facility and like shops that cater to children because they’re usually in tow. If you have a little kiddie section with toys and books, that also goes a long way with the ladies.”

T P Y ! N " N #!

Large Inventory of Genuine Subaru Parts Experienced Wholesale Parts Staff to Serve You

(970) 346-3542

Parts Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30 Sat 8:00-4:00

Charles Luera, Parts Manager cluera@greeleysubaru.com 4720 W. 24th St. // Greeley, CO 80634

Kia.com

Precise fit and finish, easy installation and a limited warranty direct from Kia— all genuine advantages of Genuine Kia Parts.

Your local Kia retailer has all the parts you need.

TEXAS

Ancira Kia

San Antonio 210-509-2197 (210) 509-2198 Fax M-F 8am-6pm Sat 8am-3pm tstewart@ancira.com www.ancirasa.com

Archer Kia

Houston 1-888-983-1425 (281) 983-1437 Fax

Bob Utter Kia

From headlights to tail lights, bumpers to fenders and hoods, there is no substitute for genuine.

The only way to assure that you are getting Genuine Kia parts, backed by the Kia Warranty, is to order them from your local Authorized Kia Dealer. Contact your local Kia dealer for assistance and delivery of the parts you need. *Genuine Kia replacement parts (except battery) sold by Authorized Kia Dealer under warranty are covered for the greater of (1) the duration of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty or (2) the first 12 months from the date of installation or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Labor charges not included when not installed by an Authorized Kia Dealer. Warranty is limited. See Kia’s Replacement Parts and Accessories Limited Warranty for further details.

ARIZONA Tempe Kia

Tempe 480-603-2587 (480) 603-2597 Fax M-F 7am - 6pm Sat 8am - 3pm parts@tempekia.com www.tempekia.com

ARKANSAS Crain Kia

Sherwood 501-542-5230 (501) 542-6133 Fax M-F 7:30am - 6pm timhill@crainteam.net www.crainkia.com

LOUISIANA

All Star Kia of Baton Rouge

Sherman 903-892-5967 (903) 891-7304 Fax M-F 7:30am - 6pm Sat 7:30am - 1pm Mike.martin@bobutterford.com www.bobutterford.com

Southwest Kia AU

13175 N. US Highway 183 Austin 512-583-1900 (512) 583-1899 Fax M-F 7:30am - 6pm

Central Kia

Plano 972-422-9320 (972) 633-5761 Fax M-F 7:30am - 7pm Sat 8am - 5pm

De Montrond Kia

Baton Rouge 5740 Siegen Lane 225-490-8000 (225) 490-8014 Fax

Houston Wats 1-800-392-6704 (281) 872-3909 (281) 872-3914 Fax

Ferguson Advantage Imports

Houston Toll Free 800-883-1933 Direct (713) 941-3600 (713) 947-8053 Fax M-F 7am - 6pm Sat 7am - Noon Free local delivery Free DSI shipping

OKLAHOMA

Broken Arrow 800-880-8815 (918) 317-6280 Fax M-F 7:00am - 6:00pm

Fredy Kia

Huffines Kia Corinth

Corinth 940-321-2504 (940) 497-2920 Fax M-F 7am-7pm Sat 8am-5pm Local Delivery Available www.Huffines.net

Huffines Kia McKinney McKinney 469-525-4450 (469) 525-4459 Fax M-F 7am-7pm Sat 8am-5pm Local Delivery Available www.Huffines.net

Kelly Grimsley Kia

Odessa 432-332-0441 (432) 337-4807 Fax M-F 7:30am - 6pm Sat 8am - Noon april@kellygrimsley.com www.kellygrimsleykia.com

Moritz Kia

Hurst 877-651-4542 (817) 595-8325 Fax

Southwest Kia

Mesquite 214-694-2870 (214) 694-2890 Fax M-F 7am - 7pm m.harris@southwestkia.com www.southwestkiaparts.com

Southwest Kia

39650 LBJ Freeway South Dallas Toll Free 888-544-9249 Direct (972) 616-0069 (972) 421-0294 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm Sat 8:30am-5pm

UTAH

Findlay Kia

St. George 435-817-4245 (435) 634-1229 Fax M-F 8am - 6pm Sat 8am - Noon

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

49

OE Shop Certification with Stacey Phillips

Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry.

She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.”

She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.

Subaru of America Prepares to Launch Its Certified Collision Center Network Program Enrollment opens Jan. 1, 2019 Subaru of America is currently preparing to launch the Subaru Certified Collision Center Network to independent shops across the country. Nicole Riedel, wholesale parts specialist for Subaru of America, recently shared information about the program requirements and what collision repair facilities should expect.

Riedel reviewed the program and all its onboarding elements during a recent webinar hosted by Dave Luehr’s Elite Body Shop Academy.

This included information about tools and equipment, facility standards and the training and technician requirements.

“We’re excited to begin offering our certified collision network to independents across the country,” said Riedel. “For the last few months, we have been conducting a pilot program and initial launch with our retailers, and now we are preparing to

launch the program to the public. On Nov. 28, we announced to our waitlist that enrollment will open on Jan. 1, 2019.”

What are the main goals of the Subaru Certified Collision Network?

Q:

The goals of the Subaru Certified Collision Network are a little different than what some people think. Rather than it being about selling parts or going after aftermarket companies about the parts they sell, we’re not trying to go against anything negative.

Instead, the program centers around proper and safe repairs.

We at Subaru really care about our owners; we consider the Subaru family one big happy family. We love dogs, we love kids, we love the outdoors and we just want to spread the

A:

50

love to the collision industry.

One of the ways Subaru has set out to serve vehicle owners better is to make sure that at the time of an accident they are getting treated the same way they would throughout

health, community, environment and animal organizations—to set Subaru apart through our deeds and the deeds of our partners and to be unlike any other car company by doing what is right and good, just for the sake of doing it.

We’re asking our collision partners to make this commitment as well.

The Subaru Love Promise is supported by five different initiatives focused on the Environment (Subaru Loves the Earth), Health & Wellness (Subaru Loves to Care), Community (Subaru Loves to Help), Education Subaru of America is preparing to launch its certified (Subaru Loves Learning) collision center network program and Animal Welfare (Subany Subaru experience: with love, aru Loves Pets), where we partner respect and integrity. We also want with charitable organizations to do to ensure that the collision centers in- philanthropy, volunteerism, etc. terested in doing the right thing for As part of the terms and conditheir owners are being elevated to a point where everyone can know that about them.

Not all collision centers are created equally, and we want to raise the flag and provide awareness of the facilities out there that are doing a really good job.

Q: A:

Who should join the Subaru Certified Collision Network?

We encourage anyone who believes in the same values as Subaru to jump on board with our network, and we can fulfill the Subaru Love Promise together.

Non-Subaru dealers can take part as well, as long as they have the required equipment and follow our processes.

How would you explain Subaru’s Love Promise, and what does it entail?

Q:

The Subaru Love Promise is a commitment that we share with our retailers and Subaru of America employees. It is a promise to do right by our community by partnering with nonprofit education,

A:

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

tions for our Subaru Certified Collision Network, we are mandating that collision centers complete at least one volunteer effort throughout the year with a 501(c)(3) organization to make sure they are reaching out and doing what they can for their communities and fulfilling that Love Promise in every regard. Donations are accepted, but they will not fulfill the requirement. Actual outreach and (volunteer) time are required.

We believe this sets Subaru’s certified program apart from others. It is the heart and soul of Subaru, and it’s very important to us that we carry it out through every initiative we take.

Who is handling most of the administration for Subaru’s program?

Q: A:

The core of our program is done in partnership with

Wadsworth International. They are handling most of the administration, all of the onsite audits and customer service. They are doing a great job with retailers and pilot shops.

In addition, we elected to use the Enterprise Rent-A-Car ARMS® (Automated Rental Management System) Automotive Suite to upload all of the collision center profiles. If a collision center already has an ARMS profile, the facility can link up to it.

What is the cost of the program and what does that fee include?

Q:

There is a $3,200 annual fee that covers a one-year subscription to the AutoWatch web portal where a facility uploads its documents. An annual quality repair production audit is also included, as well as access to Subaru Technical Information System (STIS), which includes details about all of our repair procedures.

Included in the cost of the program, Subaru will also manage a facility’s KPIs, such as cycle time. If a

A:

shop is struggling in any area, we’ll work closely with employees to help them improve.

All participants will receive an initial welcome kit, a certification plaque, an indoor/outdoor banner, window clings, estimate sleeves and

We feel it reduces some of a shop’s liability. A lot of the liability falls on the collision centers to prove that these repairs were done properly. That can be a huge burden.

When all of the information is uploaded into AutoWatch, shops have some evidence to prove that they were really doing the right thing.

AutoWatch also provides real-time updates on vehicles for customers, which builds trust and helps them feel like a part of the process and secure in the work that the collision center is doing.

It also offers the capability Nicole Riedel, wholesale parts specialist for Subaru of to track Customer Service America, recently shared information about the program Index (CSI). At the end of a requirements repair, customers will reaccess to profit boosters, a website ceive a survey through AutoWatch with downloadable marketing mate- where they can rate their experience rials such as fliers, email/digital ma- and we can ensure the brand experiterials and logos. Collision centers ence is being met. will also be featured on www.Subaru Does a shop need to be I-CAR .com and the ARMS profiles.

Gold Class-certified?

What is the importance of upYes, a shop must be I-CAR loading documentation to AuGold Class-certified, and no toWatch?

Q:

Think Genuine Subaru Parts.

A:

Q: A:

ARIZONA

AutoNation Subaru Scottsdale Scottsdale (480) 425-2950 (480) 425-2948 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 7-4

Subaru Superstore of Chandler East Valley (877) 443-3239 (480) 268-2402 Local (480) 621-3805 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 7-5 WholesaleEast@ShopSubaru.com

Subaru Superstore of Surprise West Valley (844) 378-9875 (623) 232-7202 Local (623) 232-7303 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 7-5 WholesaleWest@ShopSubaru.com

We’re focused on getting you the Genuine Subaru Parts you need — fast and competitively priced. Put us to the test on your next Subaru repair or service job.

The following dealerships are eager to serve your needs.

Call your local Subaru collision parts specialist today!

more than two positions can be held by any one person at a repair facility.

I believe I-CAR has adopted this rule as well.

Q: A:

What is Subaru’s position on scanning?

We recently changed our scanning position statement to say that pre- and post-scanning are required. Previously, it said they were recommended. We believe that this is integral since there are so many things that can happen in an accident. We know that collision centers often have a hard time pushing this through with insurance providers, and if changing scanning to ‘required’ is something that helps collision centers do the right thing, then by all means, we are happy to help out.

The other aspect we are requiring with scanning is that shops can either use the Subaru-specific SSM4 diagnostic tool and update the software on their own, or use the asTech system, which is a great tool for people who are working on all different makes and models. Either of those is accepted. No other equipment is apARKANSAS

Subaru of Little Rock Little Rock (888) 690-8030 (501) 725-4375 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 7-3 micah@subaruoflr.com www.subaruoflittlerock.com COLORADO

Flatirons Subaru Boulder (303) 443-2919 (303) 442-1342 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-6; Sat. 8-5

Greeley Subaru Greeley (970) 346-3542 (970) 353-8490 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5:30; Sat. 8-4 cluera@greeleysubaru.com TEXAS

Huffines Subaru Corinth (888) 928-2978 (940) 321-2679 (940) 497-2920 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7-7; Sat. 8-5 les.hickman@huffines.net

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

51

proved. The only reason we are requiring those tools is that we can measure them and make sure they are up-to-date to ensure a safe and proper repair.

Q: A:

Are there any other tooling requirements?

Rather than requiring specific brands and models, the required tools are based on specifications. If shops have a welder that meets the specs for a safe and proper repair based on STIS, we are happy to have them use that.

As an independent shop, when can I register for the program and what should I expect?

Q:

Currently, the program is open to all Subaru retailers and independent collision centers. We are opening this program to anyone who is a hand-raiser right now. We gave retailers about six months to jump on board and secure their place in their area, and those that were interested have done that.

There is no referral or sponsor-

A:

ship needed from a retailer to enroll.

Positions will be assigned in order of inquiry and based on market demand.

We’re using many metrics in each area, such as units in operation (UIO), insurance claims data and Subaru

tion with customers. We have plenty of open space across the United States. I doubt we will turn many people away, especially from the onset, so if you’re interested, please sign up (details below).

There have been rumors that the program has been pushed back.

Is this true?

Q:

Definitely not. We wanted to make sure all of the retailers knew the date before we told everybody else because they had The program is open to all Subaru retailers and independent invested in the brand and collision centers have worked with us over sales to determine market demand the years to make Subaru what it has and how many collision centers we become. We felt there was a sense of can have in a given geographical area. loyalty to them to make sure they unWe’re not using the typical retailer derstood what was happening before area responsibility model because the we made the announcement to the UIO for aging vehicles are very differpublic. If you are on the waiting list, ent than a sales area. We are trying to you’ll receive an email. do what’s fair because we don’t want For more information and to to oversaturate the market. We want to sign up for the program/be added to make sure that the business and the the waiting list, email: info@subaru work is there so shops can build rela- certifiedcollision.com or call 877tionships and have good communica- 257-0046.

A:

Continued from Page 47

Mike Anderson Presents

this week announcing to everyone when we will be opening to independent collision centers,” she said. “We want to thank everyone for their patience. We’ve wanted to give our retailers a good running start on being part of the network since they’ve been so loyal, and now we’re ready to open up to everyone else and will be announcing that date this week.”

Anderson and Riedel fielded some questions and feedback from attendees as the webinar drew to a close. This webinar is available on the Collision Advice website and YouTube channel. The second part of Collision Advice’s Subaru webinar series took place on Thursday, Dec.13 at 2 p.m. EST. Anderson concluded, “We look forward to seeing you next month.

Make it a great day!”

www.autobodynews.com

UPDATED DAILY

Tariff Rate Increase Put on Pause Amid New Discussions

by Jordan Scott, glassBYTEs.com

The United States will not raise the rate of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese products to 25 percent on Jan. 1, 2019, as previously planned, according to a statement from the White House.

Tariffs will remain at the current 10 percent rate imposed on Sept. 24, 2018, for at least another 90 days. The update came after a sideline meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 Summit over the weekend of Dec. 1–2 in Buenos Aires. President Trump called the meeting “highly successful.”

In return for the halt on a tariff rate increase, President Xi has agreed to purchase a yet-to-be-decided-upon, “very substantial” 52

amount of products from the U.S. According to the White House statement, the purchases will “reduce the trade imbalance between our two countries.”

The two leaders agreed to begin negotiations on forced technology transfers, intellectual property protections, non-tariff barriers, cyber intrusions and cyber theft. President Trump cited forced technology transfers and a lack of intellectual property protections as reasons for the tariffs. Both parties agreed to try to complete the negotiations within the next 90 days, otherwise the 10 percent tariffs will be increased to 25 percent, according to the White House.

Auto glass-related materials on the list of products subject to the tariff include: • • • •

Various float glass products Glass mirrors Glass frit Laminated safety glass

We thank glassBYTEs.com for reprint permission.

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

CHEVROLET PARTS Choose Only Original

!

Mon - Fri 7-5:30 Sat 7:30-5:00

(800) 365-5805 Call our Wholesale Parts Experts: Dave 480-752-1618 Bill 480-752-1620 Larry 480-752-1621 1717 E. Baseline Road // Tempe, AZ 85283

nal

Choose Only Origi

ISUZU PARTS! Mon - Fri 7-5:30 Sat 7:30-5:00

(800) 365-5805 Call our Wholesale Parts Experts: Dave 480-752-1618 Bill 480-752-1620 Larry 480-752-1621

1717 E. Baseline Road // Tempe, AZ 85283

THESE DEALERS ARE GENUINE FORD PARTS WHOLESALE SPECIALISTS

Bob Tomes Ford

TEXAS

McKINNEY

800-792-1155 214-544-5081 214-544-5194 Fax

cclemons@bobtomesford.com

Five Star Ford

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS

Wholesale Direct

800-895-7827 817-577-2781 817-577-0558 Fax www.5starford.com

Helfman Ford STAFFORD

281-240-7628 800-634-8008 281-240-0642 Fax

Mac Haik Ford, Lincoln

GEORGETOWN/AUSTIN

800-804-4423 281-598-4370 Fax

parts@machaikfl.com www.machaikfl.com/orderparts

Tommie Vaughn Motors HOUSTON

800-944-4415 713-869-4755 713-293-4309 Fax

www.tommievaughnford.com

OKLAHOMA

ARIZONA

Hudiburg Ford

Berge Ford

www.hudiburg.com

www.bergeford.com parts@bergeford.com

MIDWEST CITY

800-800-5963 405-739-0636 Fax

United Ford PDC TULSA

Wholesale Direct

800-800-9001 800-676-8509 Fax

MESA

480-497-7660 480-497-7581 Fax

Earnhardt Ford CHANDLER

480-763-6233 480-783-4655 Fax

adodson@penskeautomotive.com www.earnhardtford.com www.fordparts.com/unitedford www.unitedford.com Sanderson Ford GLENDALE

800-367-3673 623-842-8762 623-842-8799 Fax

www.sandersonparts.com

parts@helfmanford.com www.fordparts.com/helfman

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

53

Continued from Page 39

AkzoNobel

performance indicators and comparative benchmarks.

Jeff Peevy, president of the Automotive Management Institute (AMi), discussed the importance of “soft skills,” which include listening, communication and interpersonal skills,

(l to r) Jason Orlando, Jen Schmid, Shane Orlando, Arica Carranza, Daniel Carranza and Richard Rychlik

and the impact they have on collision repair facilities. AMi is currently focused on supporting the development of soft skills throughout the industry.

Peevy also talked about the value of industry-based professional designations and said they not only increase professionalism, but also minimize the risk when hiring new employees.

Tyler Brunatti from Podium Corp. shared tips on helping potential customers locate a body shop while searching online. He pointed out how difficult it can often be to attract new customers and recommended being actively involved in managing a company’s online reputation in order to stand out from the competition.

Two representatives from I-CAR (Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair), Jason Bartanen and Josh McFarlin, talked about some of the significant changes the organization has undergone. These include the Reparability Technical Support (RTS) initiative, I-CAR’s new vehicle and technology curriculum, the expansion of hands-on skills development and an overview of the new Professional Development Program (PDP) and Gold Class programs.

Body shops also learned how to leverage OE certification during a presentation by Robb Young of Assured Performance Network. Young provided tips to those in attendance on how to capitalize on being an OE Certified Collision Repair Provider (OE-CRP) and become a “five-star business performer.”

Those unfamiliar with data analysis and net mining had the opportunity to hear from Don and Diane Miller of Body Shop Nation. The Millers explained how net mining can help shops better identify their target audience and “find their perfect customer.” They said the approach enables businesses to deliver a stronger message to potential customers.

(l to r) Tim Ronak, Todd Edwards, Nada Jokic, Sam Sherrill and Bob DuBreuil

Nick Schoolcraft of Phoenix Solutions Group shared insight on optimizing customer and employee experiences. Considering that many of today’s customers are becoming increasingly skeptical about collision repair facilities, Schoolcraft stressed the importance of having front-line employees focus on great customer interactions. He also talked about the key elements necessary to deliver great

employee and customer experiences, which he said will lead to higher sales and growth.

Kevin Wolfe of LeadersWay talked about a collaboration between his company and AkzoNobel that involves leadership training for a limited number of performance group members.

The final presentation during the early-bird training sessions was led by Dave Luehr of Elite Body Shop Solutions. Luehr, co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops,” talked about the six secrets he recommends body shops consider in order to be successful.

Based on information from his book, which was released in 2017, the session included advice on how to “bust old beliefs” and stay out of what he referred to as “the victim zone.” He also talked about how to build a sustainable business model and provided tips on modern leadership.

The next AkzoNobel North American Performance meeting will be held in Palm Beach, FL, on Feb. 20–22, 2019. For more information, contact Rick Fifer at Richard.Fifer @akzonobel.com or your local AkzoNobel representative or distributor.

Continued from Page 44

Plant Closings

am hopeful that between March and September we get some positive news,” Green said.

It’s that hope that will keep this area alive for the next few months.

“I hope we get a new car. I don’t care what it is. As long as we get a new product. For these people to get back to work,” Deno said.

GM announced Monday that it is slashing 14,700 factory and whitecollar jobs in North America and closing five factories, including the Lordstown factory, according to the Associated Press.

Your leading source for SOUTHWESTERN Collision Repair News! southwestern.autobodynews.com

54

From order to delivery, we’re strapped in. Because with Genuine Volkswagen Collision Parts, you get much more than the part itself.

How convenient.

THESE DEALERS are GENUINE WHOLESALE PARTS SPECIALISTS.

Texas

Freeman Toyota Scion 888-628-7626 HURST

Sterling McCall Toyota 800-231-1440 HOUSTON

817-287-5349 Fax

713-270-3942 Fax

M-F 7am-7pm; Sat 8am-3pm parts@toyotatime.com www.freemantoyota.com

M-F 7am-7pm; Sat 7am-4pm

Toyota of Laredo 888-818-5176 LAREDO

956-718-4259 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat 8:30am-5pm www.toyotaoflaredo.com

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Louisiana

Price LeBlanc Toyota 800-960-1157 BATON ROUGE

225-408-1249 Fax

OKLAHOMA Fowler Volkswagen Norman

877-737-6986 Fax: 405-310-3719

www.fowlervw.com

Contact your local Volkswagen dealer or visit VWWholesaleDealers.com to place your Genuine VW Collision Parts order today.

“Volkswagen” and the Volkswagen logo are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG. ©2018 Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Continued from Page 22

NACE

State Farm Wins in Race Bias Suit Over Repair Shop Contracts

and neglect, revitalizing NACE will be a real challenge. One is reminded of the chicken and the egg conundrum. Many exhibitors will no doubt want to stand on the sidelines to see if things improve before they dedicate any more time or effort to another industry show. On the other hand, an industry show will need some big-name, anchor exhibitors to start attracting other smaller exhibitors, and more importantly show attendees. Time will tell. See you in 2020.

Note: The Automotive Service Association has announced that the 8th Annual MSO Symposium and Technology Telematics Forum (TTF), which would ordinarily be held in conjunction with the NACE Show, will instead be held in 2019 in conjunction with the Collision Industry Conference in Indianapolis, Ind., July 24–25, 2019.

www.autobodynews.com

the three-year difference was too remote in time to “create a disputed issue of fact” regarding the comState Farm Mutual Automotive Inpany’s alleged discriminatory mosurance Company has won dismissal tives for the time period around of a lawsuit alleging the insurer disBBC’s July 2014 request criminated against a minorto join the auto repair netity-owned auto body repair work. shop wanting to participate Stone, Pigman, Walther, in the Select Service proWittmann, LLC, repregram for State Farm cussented State Farm. Stephen tomers.

Smith, New Orleans, repThe Fifth Circuit in resented Body by Cook.

2017 affirmed the previous The case is Body By dismissal of most of the disA State Farm insurance office is seen. Credit: Saul Loeb, Cook, Inc. v. State Farm crimination claims brought AFP/Getty Images Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 2018

by Body by Cook and owner Robert Cook. Only Body by LA, and that State Farm said it only BL 424655, E.D. La., No. 15-2177, Cook’s Section 1981 failure-to- maintained five active Selective 11/16/18. contract race bias claim remained Service repair shop contracts at a Reproduced with permission. Pubto be litigated in the U.S. District time in the Slidell area.

Not only was BBC unable to lished Nov. 19, 2018. Copyright Court for the Eastern District of prove untrue State Farm’s claims 2018 by The Bureau of National Louisiana.

But the district court granted that it had a firm five-contract ceil- Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) <http: //www.bna.com> summary judgment to State Farm ing for that area, but the repair shop Nov. 16, saying that “no reasonable was also unable to point to a nontrier of fact could find that State minority entity that was treated Farm had an available contract” to more favorably by State Farm at the SUBSCRIBE TO OUR bring BBC into its Select Service time of the July 2014 request, the Program during the time periods in court found.

YOUTUBE CHANNEL: Another repair shop had been question.

Two of the dates, November brought into the network in May of 2011 and March 2014, were too far 2011, but the court determined that

by Staff, Bloomberg BNA

in the past to bring claims, the court said.

As to the remaining July 2014 failure to contract claim, the court noted that BBC is located in Slidell,

Autobody News

Original Thought #78

YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE AT THE FIRST REPAIR. TEXAS

BMW of Dallas

Dallas 800-245-7269 972-241-3953 Fax

BMW of Houston North Houston 888-215-7431 281-875-4021 Fax

BMW of San Antonio San Antonio 210-732-7121 800-880-1430

Classic BMW

Plano 214-778-2673 Direct Wholesale 214-778-2674 Direct Wholesale 214-778-2814 Fax

OKLAHOMA BMW of Tulsa

Tulsa 800-331-3996 918-665-1360 Fax

NEW MEXICO Sandia BMW

• Original BMW Parts & Accessories When you repair a BMW, use the parts that are identical to those used in Series production – and just as reliable. Choose Original BMW Parts and Accessories.

Because you can’t repair your reputation.

Albuquerque 800-642-2697 505-217-0289 Fax autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

55

A Profile of the Evolving Collision Repair Marketplace in the U.S. and Canada

by The Romans Group LLC

The 13th annual white paper, A 2017 Profile of the Evolving U.S. and Canadian Collision Repair Marketplace, is now available.

The four industry constructs or pillars that we identified over a decade ago, Consolidation, Contraction, Convergence, and Constructive Transformation, remain in place and are now stronger than ever. They continue to influence the collision repair industry’s long-term structural transformation within the entire auto physical damage landscape, affecting numerous dynamic macro market changes. However, the context of what they represent has evolved in ways that broaden their influence and impact on the future of the collision repair industry.

A summary of the current state of the four pillars underlying the continuation of the collision repair industry’s structural transformation:

Consolidation ▪ Slowing – strategic clusters, tuckin platforms ▪ Segment market share continues to grow-scale matters ▪ Scale as a competitive advantage or scale is fail

Contraction ▪ Stabilizing - temporary equilibrium ▪ Simple and complex alliances and partnerships ▪ Differentiation and diversification

Convergence ▪ Omnipresent – moving at extreme 56

speed ▪ Confluence of prevailing conditions driving industry transformation ▪ Repairers are at the intersection of a traditional business model and practices and the innovative, disruptive technology driving change

32.8 percent of revenue processed in the U.S. in 2016. From 2006 to 2017, the Top 4 MLO consolidators

MLOs in Canada, the combined larger segment has a significant 78.4 percent of all the private passenger in-

have experienced robust growth due to continued incremental organic growth, multiple-location platform acquisitions, an increasing number of single-location acquisitions, and a brownfield and Greenfield build strategy. The following chart reflects the ranking of the Top 10 multiple-location operators and networks for 2017. When ABRA’s franchise revenue is excluded, Boyd/Gerber moves into the third position.

surer and consumer-paid market.

Under the All Repairers column, we see a combination of banner, franchise and independent groups represented in the Top 10 ranking category.

Although the U.S. has seen an increase in consolidation within the multiple-location operator segments, Canada remains significantly more consolidated in the revenue generated by the combined franchise and banner and ≥$10 million MLOs. In Canada, this combined segment group represents a 78.4 percent market share versus the combined 35.9 percent share for the same U.S. segments.

Constructive Transformation ▪ Long-term, multi-faceted, multisegment integration within various auto physical damage segments ▪ More complex, slower than anticipated, integration challenges, unintentional consequences U.S. Collision Repair Industry Collision repair revenue in all key market segments has increased since 2006. This growth is reflected most significantly in the sustained expan-

sion progress by the four large independent consolidators and in the remaining ≥$20 MLO independent and dealer repair segment. The 96 ≥$20 million MLOs represent 26.9 percent of the industry’s market size which has grown from 24.6 percent in 2016 and is significantly higher than their 2006 share of 9.1 percent.

Revenue trends in the multiple-location network franchisors, MLNs, and in the $10-$19 million independent and dealer segments have been essentially flat.

Together, the four segments of top consolidators, ≥$20 million independents and dealers, multiplelocation franchise networks, and $10-$19M MLOs represent annual revenue of 35.9 percent of the total addressable market, as compared to

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Canadian Collision Repair Market The Canadian market continues to consolidate with the franchise and banner segment now representing a

significant 58.1 percent share of the Canadian private insurance auto market. When you add the ≥$10 million

Within the U.S. market, the ≥$20 million independent and dealer See A Profile, Page 59

Audi dealers strive to make you an Audi Genuine Parts fan.

• Audi Part Professionals are experts on collision parts, replacement components and mechanical items.

• Regardless of the age of your customer’s Audi, Audi dealers have access to over 200,000 part numbers and are supported by a nationwide network of distribution centers to help ensure non stocked parts are delivered the next day.

Helping you do business is our business. Order Audi Genuine Parts from these select dealers.

Louisiana

Texas

Audi Lafayette

Audi Dallas

Audi Fort Worth

Audi South Austin

Lafayette 337.484.1300 337.284.3032 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm Sat 7:30am-3pm

Dallas 866.327.2318 214.438.0894 Fax M-F 7am-7pm Sat 9am-5pm

Dallas/Fort Worth 817.632.6709 817.632.6747 Fax M-F 7:30am-6pm Sat 8am-3pm

Austin 888.703.4305 512.660.5388 Fax M-F 7am-6pm Sat 9am-5pm

part@audilafayette.com www.audilafayette.com

larry.elliott@audidallas.com www.audidallas.com

omarr@audifortworth.com jasons@audifortworth.com www.audifortworth.com

www.audisouthaustin.com

Moffitt Audi

Audi Dominion

Bossier City 318.746.2175 318.746.3253 Fax M-F 8am-5:30pm Sat 8am-2pm

San Antonio 210.681.3355 210.681.3085 Fax M-F 7am-7pm Sat 8am-5pm

parts@moffittautomotive.com www.moffittautomotive.com

parts@cavenderaudi.com anthonys@cavenderaudi.com ssalas@cavenderaudi.com www.cavenderaudi.com

New Mexico Audi of Albuquerque Albuquerque 866.837.6671 505.338.8244 505.338.8265 Fax M-F 7:30am-5:30pm gguzman@audiabq.com

Audi North Austin Austin 512.219.3172 512.219.6214 Fax M-F 7am-6pm Sat 9am-4pm mmitchell@audinorthaustin.com www.audinorthaustin.com

Audi Plano Dallas/Fort Worth 214.452.3830 214.452.3855 Fax M-F 7am-7pm Sat 8am-5pm gualotunao@autonation.com www.audiplano.com

Audi Grapevine Dallas/Fort Worth 877.424.AUDI (2834) 817.553.2252/2258 M-F 7am-6pm Sat 8am-5pm sstallcup@audigrapevine.com cmartinez@audigrapevine.com www.audigrapevine.com

Audi San Juan San Juan, TX 956.475.3801 956.475.3817 Fax M-F 8am-6pm Sat 8:30am-5pm davidh@audisanjuan.com www.audisanjuan.com

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

57

David Rogers Is the 2018 BodyShop Business/ASE Master Collision Repair & Refinish Technician David Rogers, an ASE-certified collision repair technician from New York Mills, MN, was recently honored with a national achievement award as the BodyShop Business/ASE Master Collision Repair & Refinish Technician of the Year.

At the ASE annual awards event are Tim Zilke (from left), David Rogers, Jason Stahl and Ted Hayes. Submitted photo

Fifty-two automotive professionals were recognized on Nov. 14 at the Fall 2018 Board of Governors meeting of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) held at Pier Sixty-Six Hotel and Marina in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The ASE annual awards spotlight top scorers on the ASE Certification tests from among the ranks of the approximately quarter-million ASE-certified professionals

nationwide.

“Dave, who is the body shop manager at Nyhus Chevrolet-Buick in Staples, is one of the outstanding ASE-certified professionals recognized annually by different segments of the automotive service and repair industry,” said Timothy Zilke, ASE president & CEO. “Each of these elite technicians is presented with an industry-specific award recognizing their achievement.”

“ASE has honored extraordinary industry professionals from across the nation for more than 40 years. This is made possible by the support of our many award sponsors, whose ranks include some of the best-known names in the industry. We are proud to partner with BodyShop Business to recognize Dave’s commitment to excellence in providing the very best in vehicle repair services to his extended community. This dedication is reflected in the talented professionals we recognize each year, and Dave represents the best of the best.”

We thank Pioneer Journal for reprint permission.

GM To Cut Work Force, Halt Production at Multiple Plants

by Andrea Hinds, Williamson Source

As part of a restructuring, General Motors will stop production at five plants and cut its salaried work force by 15 percent (an estimated 14,000 workers, reported AP).

Assembly plants in Ontario, Canada; Detroit, MI; and Warren, OH, and propulsion plants in White Marsh, MD, and Warren, MI, will stop operations.

GM will cease the operations of two additional plants outside North America by the end of 2019.

The locations of these plants have not been disclosed yet.

“The actions we are taking today continue our transformation to be highly agile, resilient and profitable, while giving us the flexibility to invest in the future,” said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra.

“We recognize the need to stay in front of changing market conditions and customer preferences to position our company for long-term success.”

58

GM now intends to prioritize future vehicle investments in its next-generation battery-electric architectures. As the current vehicle portfolio is optimized, it is expected that more than 75 percent of GM”s global sales volume will come from five vehicle architectures by early in the next decade.

The company plans to stop building several models now assembled at those plants, including the Chevrolet Cruze, the Cadillac CT6 and the Buick LaCrosse, reported Reuters.

In the midst of announcing a cut of roughly 14,000 jobs, GM confirmed it will add a third vehicle—a Cadillac crossover—to its production line-up at its Spring Hill plant in 2019, reported CBS. We thank Williamson Source for reprint permission.

www.autobodynews.com

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Collision Industry Leader Shelly Jones Launches Performance Sales Solutions

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

Shelly Jones’ dedication and desire to positively impact the collision repair industry are apparent in everything she does. She serves as chair of the St. Louis I-CAR Committee and as president of Women in Automotive and Collision (WAC). “I have met great people through participating in these organizations. I have a lot of connections that have helped open doors for me. Whether I’m chairing a meeting or participating in an advisory board meeting, I am always a brand ambassador for the company that I work for,” she said. She believes that her experiences with these organizations will serve her and her customers well in her new business venture. She recently launched Performance Sales Solutions (PSS) with the goal of establishing the company as “the most recognized and respected sales solution for suppliers and buyers in the automotive industry.” In her new role, she represents the top parts suppliers, equipment suppliers and service providers as she strives to

connect them with buyers in the St. Louis, MO, metro area. PSS provides a sales and marketing service for suppliers in the automotive industry that sell to collision and automotive repair shops.

The suppliers that team up with PSS are listed on the company’s website, receive social media presence on the PSS Instagram and Facebook pages and have sales representation in the field. According to Jones, “PSS provides a cost effective way to increase sales and online marketing, and I’ll only work with one client per category of service or product. For instance, PSS represents Quick Dent in the PDR category, so we would not represent any other PDR company.

“We hope to be the most recognized and respected sales solution for suppliers and buyers in the automotive industry. My reputation is important to me, so I am driven to do a good job for my clients and their customers.” For more information on PSS, visit Performance SalesSolutions.com or contact Jones at 314-920-6710.

The RIGHT

COLLISION PARTS

For Your Collision Job. Visit these Genuine Hyundai Parts Dealers:

Texas

Utah

AUTONATION HYUNDAI

FINDLAY HYUNDAI

800-888-2079

435-986-8835

North Richland Hills 7724 North East Loop 820

817-589-7882 Fax

Mon-Fri 7am - 7pm; Sat 7am - 4pm reeda2@autonation.com

HUB HYUNDAI

Houston 19300 Northwest Fwy.

800-856-2212 281-955-2311 Fax

Mon-Fri 7:30am - 6pm; Sat 8am - 3pm hubparts290@hubhouston.com www.hubhyundaiofhouston.com

Saint George 1405 S. Sunland Dr.

435-986-8822 Fax

Mon-Thu 7am - 7pm; Fri 8am - 5pm; Sat 8am - Noon

Continued from Page 56

A Profile

MLO segment is the largest while the franchise and banner network MLOs remain the dominate business model in Canada. When ranking all repairers for the U.S. and Canada, and consolidating those that operate in both countries, four operate in both the U.S and Canada while five are in the U.S. only and one is solely in Canada.

These Top 10 U.S. and Canada combined repair organizations represent 22.6 percent of the combined collision repair revenue, an increase since 2012. This revenue is managed through significantly more locations than in 2012, representing 10.1 percent of combined collision repair locations for the U.S. and Canada for 2017.

Since 2010, Canada has lost a significant number of its collision repair locations. Compared to the U.S., Canadian average annual repair revenue in 2016 was 54.7 percent lower than the U.S. average.

As a sign of ongoing consolidation,

the average revenue per repair facility for both Canada and the U.S. has been steadily increasing over the last few years.

As we discuss in this edition of our annual paper, there are a broad base of prevailing market conditions

vehicles; OE certification programs, and the technician shortage.

The pace of collision industry consolidation and contraction has shown signs of slowing down over the past 15 months. MSO consolidators will continue to grow and will do

simultaneously impacting the transformation taking place within the wide-ranging collision repair ecosystem. Five secular trends are causing more immediated challenges and opportunities for repairers and many other relevant constituent groups including auto insurance companies: telematics, 5G and the connected car; ADAS and the evolving autonomous

so in the immediate future through single shop or smaller MLO platform acquisitions, brownfields, and Greenfields. Larger MLO market share and scale are now a clear competitive advantage that is also viewed today as a competitive asset.

Our future view remains consistent that the collision repair industry over the next decade will

involve the continued long-term, multi-segmented structural transformation which will impact the entire auto physical damage ecosystem for all existing and many new companies providing products, services, software, and technology that in some way touches cars in the U.S. and Canada.

We believe that the market segments profiled will continue to gain share within the collision repair industry and expand their revenue base, both through acquisitions and by adopting a diversification strategy that leads them to incorporate new lines of business services over the next few years, both in the U.S. and Canada.

Our annual report, A 2017 Profile of the Evolving U.S. and Canada Collision Repair Marketplace, is now available. The report contains the complete results of our research and analysis for 2017 including over 50 charts and graphs over 70 pages with historical trends and a future view.

The report can be purchased by contacting Mary Jane Kurowski of The Romans Group LLC at maryjane @romans-group.com

Finish it like a Masterpiece

THESE DEALERS ARE MERCEDES-BENZ GENUINE PARTS SPECIALISTS.

Genuine Mitsubishi Replacement Crash Parts are close at hand from the following quality dealerships:

è USE GENUINE MERCEDES-BENZ PARTS. ARIZONA

CO LOR AD O

N EW M E XI CO

Mercedes-Benz of Littleton

Mercedes-Benz of Albuquerque

Littleton

Albuquerque

303-703-2270

505-338-8254

303-797-0400 Fax

505-821-0903 Fax

M-F 7am - 6pm Sat 8am - 5pm mbparts@mboflittleton.com www.mercedesoflittleton.com

M-F 7:30am - 5:30pm Sat 8am - 2pm jvarney@mercedesabq.com www.mercedesabq.com

TEXAS

Mark Mitsubishi GLENDALE

Don Herring Mitsubishi - Irving

(623) 842-8915 Fax M-F 7:30-6:00 / Sat 8:00-2:00 glendaleparts@markmitsu.com

(469) 443-1872 Fax #3 Volume Parts Dept. in the Nation. $600,000 Inventory.

623-842-8908

COLORADO

Christopherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mitsubishi GOLDEN

888-604-5284 (303) 590-7112 Fax www.cdodge.com

866-375-4074

West Loop Mitsubishi SAN ANTONIO

800-224-1968

(210) 681-4583 Fax M-F 7:30-6:00 #1 Volume Dealer in All of Texas. wlparts@lonestar-auto.com

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

59

IAA Announces Opening of New Flint, MI, Branch

Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. (IAA) recently announced the opening of its new facility in Flint, MI. The new branch is IAA’s third strategic location serving the northern Midwest market of Michigan. The site boasts a new state-of-the-art facility and its 18 acres allow for future expansion.

“At IAA, we are always working to improve the customer experience, and this new facility, with the latest auction technology, allows us to upgrade the buying and selling experience for our customers who previously visited our Bay City facility,” said John Kett, CEO and president of IAA. The new IAA facility in Flint replaces the IAA Great Lakes facility in Bay City, MI. IAA Flint will host auctions on Tuesdays, with preview days held every Monday.

www.autobodynews.com AUTOBODY

AASP National Elects New Executive Board During SEMA

tional Board had confidence in me to fill the position. I would like to work to see all trade associations work During the AASP National Board’s more closely together and provide semi-annual meeting in Las Vegas more benefits to members.” during the SEMA show, AASP Elder stated, “I look forward to elected its executive board. being a part of the board and The executive board inworking to make a difference cluded well-known industry for our member shops throughprofessionals from around the out the country.” country. AASP/MA President Adams shared, “I am honMolly Brodeur was elected as ored to be elected the new secretary/treasurer, and Bob president of AASP. I look Pulverenti, executive director forward to working with the of the Independent Garage board and their members to Owners of North Carolina provide them with my 30(IGONC), will serve as execplus years of business experiutive director chair of the naence in the automotive repair tional organization. industry. One of my main The role of vice president AASP National elected its new executive board during SEMA goals is to facilitate a dialogue will be filled by AASP/NJ’s in Las Vegas. (l to r) Bill Adams, Bob Pulverenti, Tom with our affiliates across the Tom Elder, and Bill Adams Elder, Molly Brodeur. Credit: Thomas Greco Publishing country to see what works of New York will serve as and what doesn’t as to how president of the board.

Brodeur said, “I am honored their associations relate to individAASP National’s administrator, Judell Anderson, CAE, shared, to serve as an executive board ual members. Along with that, I “The new executive committee is member of AASP National. My would like to expand the membermade up of stellar individuals with goal is to support the board as we ship from areas around the country extensive experience and a commit- provide information, educational that currently do not have represenment to advancing the industry. I opportunities and resources to our tation. The more ideas that we can bring to the table, the more of a posam eager to work with them to affiliates.”

Pulverenti shared, “I am thrilled itive impact we can have to grow strengthen AASP affiliates’ capacity to better serve the auto service and that the members of the AASP Na- business.”

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

collision repair shops that we represent.”

The newly appointed executive board members shared their reactions to being elected as well as their goals.

AkzoNobel Turns Over Keys for Refurbished Car Program to NABC Recycled Rides

This holiday season, even more people in need and the organizations that help them are getting support for getting around, thanks to the merger of two recycled car programs.

AkzoNobel is handing over the keys for its Acoat® Selected Benevolence Program to combine it with the National Auto Body Council’s (NABC) Recycled Rides™ initiative.

The latter has its roots in the AkzoNobel program.

“Our program has enabled collision repair professionals across the nation to help thousands of their neighbors in need during the holiday season by presenting them with reconditioned cars,” said Rick Fifer, AkzoNobel central business services manager for automotive and specialty coatings. “By combining our customers’ efforts with the NABC Recycled Rides program, our industry will now be able to kick its community support into even higher gear.”

The Original Driver The recycled car initiative started in the late 1990s, when Dave Adams, owner of Dave Adams Classic Collision in Orem, UT, saw mechanically sound vehicles with minor body 60

damage go to salvage yards. Looking to turn the corner for disadvantaged neighbors, Adams and his technicians decided to donate their skills to recondition these vehicles

refinish products and a big red bow for each donated car.

Since then, this community relations effort has helped technicians recondition and donate more than

and gift them to community members in need.

The program took off. Adams and his team found it rewarding to help others, vehicles were saved from the scrapyard, community members gained transportation, and Adams’ shop received positive attention.

In 1999, Adams shared his success story at the AkzoNobel Acoat Selected North American Performance Group conference, a semi-annual event that brings together collision repair professionals. AkzoNobel decided to help and announced that it would sponsor any group member following in Adams’ footsteps by providing Sikkens brand

500 cars, providing as many families with the means to get to work, school, stores, medical appointments and more.

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

Inspiring Others In 2006, the National Auto Body Council took notice of the positive impact the Benevolence program made and asked for AkzoNobel’s guidance to help create its renowned NABC Recycled Rides program.

Since launching it in 2007, NABC members have donated nearly 2,000 vehicles to individuals and nonprofit organizations.

This year, AkzoNobel and the NABC are merging their programs,

so even more community members will get access to the transportation they need for their daily lives.

“Our NABC Recycled Rides program is the perfect way to exemplify the professionalism and integrity of the collision repair industry,” said Bill Garoutte, president and CEO of the National Auto Body Council. “By bringing AkzoNobel’s Benevolence program participants into the NABC Recycled Rides program, we are uniquely positioned to provide the gift of transportation to even more deserving people in need.”

“We are incredibly proud of our Acoat Selected members who have helped others through our Benevolence program, which has come a long way over the past 19 years,” added Fifer. “Now, we’re just as proud to officially transition it to the NABC Recycled Rides program and help even more people.”

How To Participate Collision repair shops interested in participating in the NABC Recycled Rides program can find more information at https://www.nationalauto bodycouncil.org/recycled-rides/.

INSIST ON GENUINE GM PARTS ONLY ORIGINAL PARTS PROTECT THE VEHICLEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S VALUE.

Call Call Any Any of of These These Wholesale Wholesale Parts Parts Dealers Dealers Below Below Arizona

Louisiana

Texas

Texas

Chapman Chevrolet

Banner Chevrolet

800-365-5805

800-477-8603

AutoNation Chevrolet

Ray Huffines Chevrolet

504-242-4624 504-253-8490 Fax

800-242-3249

800-995-6282

www.bannerauto.com

M-F 7am - 7pm Sat 8am - 5pm www.autonationchevrolet northcorpuschristi.com

M-F 7am - 7pm Sat 8am - 5pm

TEMPE

480-730-6745 Fax Bill: 480-752-1620 Larry: 480-752-1621 M-F 7am - 5:30pm Sat 7:30am - 5pm

Courtesy Chevrolet PHOENIX

800-528-6021

602-248-7710 602-604-3025 Fax

NEW ORLEANS

Oklahoma

Hudiburg Chevrolet

MIDWEST CITY

800-800-5963 405-739-0636 Fax

M-F 7:30am - 5:30pm partsonline@courtesychev.com

M-F 7am - 6pm zach@hudiburg.com

Colorado

Marc Miller Buick GMC

Emich Chevrolet LAKEWOOD

800-274-1127

303-986-2245 303-989-3490 Fax M-F 7am - 6pm Sat 8am - 4pm gmcollision@emichauto.com

TULSA

NORTH CORPUS CHRISTI

361-854-0855 Fax

PLANO

972-202-2300 972-596-5571 Fax

Call Us For Your Saturn Parts Also.

Kelly Grimsley Cadillac ODESSA

855-879-1206

432-332-0441 432-337-4807 Fax M-F 7:30am - 6pm Sat 8am - 12pm april@kellygrimsley.com

800-456-4700 918-828-7070 918-828-7094 Fax

M-F 7:30am - 6pm barry@marcmillertulsa.com

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

61

AUTOBODY MARKETPLACE

The Secrets of America’s Is noblwe for aila Greatest Body Shops avpurchase! by: Dave Luehr and Stacey Phillips

The Book That Will Challenge Everything You Know About the Collision Repair Business.

Order your copy today and join the Body Shop Secrets community!

www.bodyshopsecrets.com For more information, contact the authors at info@bodyshopsecrets.com

Stop wasting valuable time looking for cardboard or cleaning mixing boards!

Clean Sheets® Mixing Boards are used by thousands of repair shops to mix epoxies, body filler, fiberglass, plastics, gel, putty and touch-up paint.

• Prevents costly reworks • Bonded on 3 sides • Non-absorbing, heavy-duty paper with grip for mixing • Pays for itself the first week you use them!

R E K C A R LYC

•1,262 Collision Techs resumes online •1,295 Painters resumes online •1,177 Estimators & Mgs resumes online •11,256 Mechanical Tech resumes online

ACTautostaffing.com or 727-733-5600

FREE

www.autobodynews.com

4x Monthly E-Newsletter.

UPDATED DAILY

> EASY TO USE <

SAVES YOU TIME AND MONEY

Go to www.forkliftwrecker.com and watch our video.

877.593.6959

www.autobodynews.com

Advertise in our CLASSIFIED SECTION for $50 per column inch!

Place an ad in our AUTOBODY MARKETPLACE section of Autobody News.

800-699-8251

ltedesco@autobodynews.com

Call or e-mail now for rates: 800-699-8251 or ltedesco@autobodynews.com 62

Since 1988”

Looking for Good Collision Personnel?

Available from YOUR local Jobber or CALL: 973.335.2828 FAX: 973.402.7222 polycracker@netscape.com

When all you need to do is move a vehicle, use:

“The Original Patented Mixing Pad

Call your local Jobber or: 800-365-1308 www.cleansheetsmfg.com

Waterborne Wax and Grease Remover SINCE 1985

PO

Clean Sheets®

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com

autobodynews.com / JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS

63

64

JANUARY 2019 AUTOBODY NEWS / autobodynews.com