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Honda ProFirst Certification Reaches 700 Shops by Ed Attanasio
When body shop number 700 recently became a member of American Honda’s ProFirst certification program, assistant national manager of Collision Parts and Service Marketing Gary Ledoux took a deep breath, knowing full well that there is still much work to do. To Ledoux, the ultimate goal of getting 1,200 shops in the program within the next 18 months seems very reachable. “When we first launched this program in April of 2015,
Gary Ledoux is pleased to see that 700 body shops are now members of American Honda’s ProFirst certification program, but he also knows that there is still much work to do to reach the goal of 1,200 shops
we heard from roughly 100 shops right away, asking ‘How can we join, and what do we need to do?’ We got a lot of the top shops in the country onboard quickly because they were already doing all of the things required by the program.” A lot of collision repairers were skeptical about the value of OE certifications in general, but pretty soon they changed their minds, Ledoux said. “Initially, not everyone thought that certifications were going to be around very
See Honda Certifies 700 Shops, Page 18
Body Shop Owner an Unlikely Advocate For Portland’s Springwater Homeless by Amelia Templeton, Oregon Public Broadcasting
California Regulator’s Stand On ‘Alt-OE’ Parts May Lead to Pressure To Clarify The Terminology
Some of those parts appear to be new, OEM parts but are being sold and delivered by non-OEM or salvage Discussion within the industry of “altOE” or “opt-OE” parts seemingly has parts suppliers, shops say. Others apraised more questions than answers pear to be slightly-damaged or blemthis past year, but one state regulatory ished OEM parts that may or may not agency has a clear stand on arrive “repaired.” Given that shops don’t althe topic—one that may drive ways know what they will changes nationwide. receive when they order such “The term by itself, ‘alta part, the BAR said, conOE’ or ‘opt-OE,’ is not recogsumers certainly won’t know nized by the Bureau,” Jaime what those term mean on an Ramos of the California Burepair estimate or invoice. reau of Automotive Repair Jaime Ramos (BAR) field operations and Shops in that state are free to use such parts, Ramos said, but they enforcement division told attendees at can’t use those terms on the paperwork NACE in Anaheim, CA, in August. without more adequately explaining Ramos and other representatives what is being put on the vehicle. of the BAR said that it’s clear from dis“The BAR has no position on cussion with shops that a wide variety whether they are good or bad parts,” of types of parts are being lumped together under the “alt-OE” or “opt-OE” he said. “But the whole premise of See Alt-OE Parts, Page 20 category names in some markets. by John Yoswick
NACE Panel Deals With “Opt-OE” Parts and BAR Compliance by Ed Attanasio
Steve Spinnett talks with Otis “Diamond” Britton, a homeless man who lives on the Springwater Corridor Trail. Spinnett and Britton have become friends
Spinnett said. But then, this summer, his perspective shifted.
At a panel presentation held at NACE/ CARS Expo and Conference on Aug. 11, officials from the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR), CCC Informa-
See Homeless Advocate, Page 15
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Steve Spinnett is a talkative guy in his 60s. Once a conservative small-town mayor in Damascus, Oregon, he has owned an auto body shop in Portland for 40 years. The shop is right next to the Springwater Corridor trail on 92nd Avenue, and Spinnett goes walking on the path almost every day. Homeless people’s tents have crept closer and closer to his business. At first, he hardly noticed them. He said he’s the kind of guy who’s walked by panhandlers and frowned. “I’m thinking, ‘Dude, get a job,’”
VOL. 34 ISSUE 10 OCTOBER 2016
(l to r) Vice President of Market Solutions at CCC Information Services Mark Fincher, CCC Strategic Solutions Advisor Jon Novak, Automotive Repair Northern Field Operations staffer Rick McLarty, BAR Southern Field Operations staff member Jaime Ramos and CAA Lobbyist Jack Molodanof sat on the BAR “Opt-OE” panel at NACE/CARS on Aug. 11
tion Services (CCC) and Jack Molodanof, a lobbyist for the California Autobody Association (CAA) discussed a new document that both the CAA and CCC have released in order to help repairers comply with requirements established by the BAR. The panel was hosted by the California Autobody Association and consisted of Bureau of Automotive Repair Northern Field Operations Supervisor Rick McLarty, BAR Southern Field Operations Supervisor Jaime Ramos, CAA Director of Government Relations Jack Molodanof, Vice President of Market Solutions at CCC Information Services Mark Fincher and one of CCC’s Strategic Solutions Advisors, Jon Novak. After introductions by Don Feeley, CAA past president and board member, Fincher talked about how the See NACE Panel, Page 26
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