Collision Repair 19#6

ANNUAL REPORT: INSURERS GET THEIR GRADES!

Volume 19, Number 6 l December 2020

WATCH YOUR BACK Top tips to avoid cyberhacks

GTA GREATNESS

QUALITY AND CONFIDENCE PUT ASSURED MISSISSAUGA NORTH AT THE TOP

AFTER MARKET ONLINE Industry experiences the first-ever virtual SEMA

PLUS: CCIF’s virtual event | Hot new products for 2021 | NAIT’s new normal AND MUCH, MUCH MORE! www.collisionrepairmag.com Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40841632 l 86 John Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 1Y2

THE COMPLETE

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS

VOLUME 19, ISSUE 6 | DECEMBER 2020

ANNUAL REPORT: INSURERS GET THEIR GRADES!

WATCH YOUR BACK Top tips to avoid cyberhacks

GTA GREATNESS QUALITY AND CONFIDENCE PUT ASSURED MISSISSAUGA NORTH AT THE TOP

AFTER MARKET ONLINE Industry experiences the first-ever virtual SEMA

PLUS: CCIF’s virtual event | Hot new products for 2021 | NAIT’s new normal AND MUCH, MUCH MORE! www.collisionrepairmag.com Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40841632 l 86 John Street, Thornhill, ON L3T 1Y2

ON THE COVER Muhammad Sidhu started his career in a small ‘mom and pop’ type shop.

Now, as the GM of Assured Mississauga North, he’s among the top.

12 DEPARTMENTS

30

10

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

68

REGIONAL NEWS

An up-close look at CCIF’s first-ever virtual event!

Familiar faces, new roles!

Industry happenings from coast to coast!

FEATURES

36

HOLDING THEIR OWN

52

PLAN WITH PROGI

54

GONE ROGUE

79

ALL THE RAGE

Haida Gwaii’s collision repair conundrum.

Define and achieve maximum production in your facility!

Tips on keeping your business secure from cyberhackers!

The hottest new products for 2021!

34 With his wealth of experience in collision repair corporate in addition to running his own shop, Rejéan Marchand won’t settle for less than stellar success.

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 5

CONTENTS

42 Inside the industry’s first-ever virtual SEMA!

50 Hands-on learning in the age of social distancing!

CONTENTS EVENTS

30

CANADIAN CONNECTIONS

40

POWERFUL PAINTING

42

THE SEMA360 SPECTACLE

CCIF goes virtual for its Fall event!

47

GFS’s virtual event reveals the company’s newest paint tools!

Repairers give insurers the grades!

New products, highlights from the show and much more!

COLUMNS

08

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

58

WHO’S DRIVING

59

PRAIRIE VIEW

60

LET’S TALK TRAINING

62

TOM’S TALES

64

ENGINE KNOX

82

LAST WORD

By Darryl Simmons

56

By Jay Perry

Get a run-down on the Canadian industry in this year’s annual Roman’s Report!

By Chelsea Stebner

By Stefano Liessi

By Tom Bissonnette

By Steve Knox

By Allison Rogers

66 BASF reveals high-tech hues for the automobiles of tomorrow!

HAVE YOUR SAY.

YOUR ONLINE SOURCE

We welcome your comments on anything you see in Collision Repair magazine. Send your feedback to editor@collisionrepairmag.com.

Canada’s collision repair information resource. New articles and top news stories daily. Visit collisionrepairmag.com.

6 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

CHARTING OUR COURSE

This year was a challenge—let’s make 2021 great

BY DARRYL SIMMONS

M

an, oh man, what a year. But I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.

Despite the challenges, we saw phenomenal advancements for certain sectors of our industry: training, network growth, certification, and exciting new products and profit opportunities.

Network action in 2020 was huge. Simplicity Car Care mushroomed to more than 50 locations; The Boyd Group announced plans to double its franchise size in five years; CSN made its move south; Fix Auto also brought ProColor to the US; and CARSTAR had its best year ever. But is this the end for the small shop or the large independent? Not yet, not by a long shot.

My prediction going forward is a closer tie between insurers and OEM. In parts of the US, Tesla and Porsche are already selling insurance. That’s the thing about market leaders in multibillion-dollar industries—when it comes to competition, it’s a lot easier to buy your way out and barring that, figure out a way to work together.

As is often said, keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. These behemoths are realizing that together they can control the whole automotive lifecycle. Scary thought, but OEM and insurers are global based. Laws and financial statements in different countries don’t necessarily affect their global bottom line.

Is this the end for the small shop or the large independent? Not yet, not by a long shot.

If COVID taught us anything as an industry, it’s that being nimble is the key to success. Smaller shops can turn their business model on a dime, while most—dare I say, all—large independents have locked in relationships with either fleets or select OEM which for the most part guarantee their financial success.

One of the biggest announcements of the year and a harbinger of things to come is GM’s deal with Mitchell to set up a certification network in Canada. They’ve held off a while—my guess is because of the need for French in the software and collateral—but now that it’s here we may see other OEMs doing the same.

The difference between this and the thirdparty certifications is huge. Checks and balances won’t need to be randomly evaluated a couple a times a year. The software and programs will be monitored constantly and adapted as needed.

The feedback will be instant. This is about as close as you can get to complete control from sale, to first-notice-of-loss from OnStar, to shop locator, parts ordering, rental, to final hand off of keys. It will take a while for the model to be thoroughly tested and tweaked, but it will chart the course.

The most likely model is one where they cooperate, with the OEM selling name-brand insurance along with vehicles. Or the carmakers might just do it themselves, bankrolling and selling insurance like they do with financing.

Doesn’t really matter as it seems a natural product extension regardless. My guess is cooperation, due to the myriad of logistical problems with legislations and the fact most families have different car brands and combine their home and auto policies.

A few years ago, at IBIS, there was a speaker from VW who bluntly stated that it was their goal to be produce more cars worldwide than anyone else. They also wanted to sell insurance.

So, I’m not sure exactly what the business model will be—either insurers who make and sell and fix cars, or OEM who sell insurance.

Mark my words, it will happen; and this will factor high in the future success of progressive repair facilities who invest in proper training and equipment.

All the best for the New Year. It’s going to be a great one.

8 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

PUBLISHER Darryl Simmons publisher@collisionrepairmag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Orest Tkaczuk | orest@mediamatters.ca EDITOR Allison Rogers | allison@mediamatters.ca STAFF WRITERS Kenzie Letman | kenzie@mediamatters.ca Julia Lloyd | julia@mediamatters.ca Max Reid | max@mediamatters.ca ART DIRECTOR Yvonne Corvers | yvonne@mediamatters.ca VP OF INDUSTRY RELATIONS & ADVERTISING Gloria Mann 647.998.5677 | gd.mann@rogers.com DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Ellen Smith 416.312.7446 | ellen@mediamatters.ca INDUSTRY RELATIONS ASSISTANT Wanja Mann (647) 998-5677 wanjamann1@gmail.com DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER Cassie Doyle | cassie@mediamatters.ca CONTRIBUTORS Tom Bissonnette, Steve Knox, Aidan Labbossiere, Stefano Liessi, Jay Perry, Chelsea Stebner,

SUBSCRIPTION Single edition $10.99 One-year $59.99 ( 8 issues) Collision Repair™ magazine is published bimonthly, and is dedicated to serving the business interests of the collision repair industry. It is published by Media Matters Inc. Material in Collision Repair™ magazine may not be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statements made by its advertisers or independent columnists. All facts, opinions and statements appearing in this publication have been compiled and included with the permission, though not necessarily the endorsement, of the editor, or of independent columnist contributors, and are in no way to be construed as those of the publisher, or as endorsements of them.

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NEWS

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE DOUG COATES — UNI-SELECT In the effort of pivoting towards an east/west management model, Uni-Select has named Doug Coates as the vice-president of the newly formed western region, effective Dec. 1.

Having made his name as CEO of Lordco, Coates will be working in tandem with Jason Best as he heads up operations in the eastern region.

BERTRAND LAUZON — FIX NETWORK WORLD Insurance expert Bertrand Lauzon is the latest addition to the board of directors at Fix Network World. Drawing from a wealth of expertise at BFL Canada, and previously Dejardins Securities, Lauzon carries with him unprecedented credentials from the financial sector. As an accredited professional accountant and certified financial analyst he has completed the ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program and holds an ICD.D.

EVA WIESE — MERCEDES-BENZ CANADA Mercedes-Benz Canada broke new ground in mid-November after naming Eva Wiese as the automaker’s new Canadian CEO, marking her as the first woman to hold the position in the company’s history. Wiese’s position will be activated on Feb. 1 when she will succeed Dimitris Psillakis, who in October was announced to be taking over as head of marketing and sales for Mercedes-Benz cars North America and CEO of MBUSA.

LEO FILIPPONE — FIX NETWORK CANADA Fix Network has announced that Leo Filippone will be taking over as VP of sales for Canada, reporting directly to executive VP Sylvain Seguin. Drawing on decades of experience in the rental car industry, Filippone has operated in senior management roles at Hertz and Enterprise combining to more than 25 years of experience. Filippone will be responsible for establishing sales strategies and direction for the B2B segment within all verticals in Canada, including collision, glass and mechanical repair.

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Independent shop owners continue to join CARSTAR because they want to keep locally owning and operating their business, but they need support. If you’re an independent owner and want to learn more about what it takes to be a part of this premier collision repair family, contact Collin Welsh today at cwelsh@carstar.ca

ON THE COVER

WE THE

NORTH Muhammad Sidhu’s climb to the top

Left to right: Robert Luong, lead repair planner; Muhammad Sidhu, general manager, and Bharrat Singh, production coordinator for Assured Mississauga North.

“We interact with a wide spectrum of vehicles, because we have the expertise.”

– Muhammad Sidhu, general manager of Assured Mississauga North

12 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

ON THE COVER

According to Assured Automotive marketing manager Josh Strong, the Mississauga North location is the second-largest Assured facility.

BY JULIA LLOYD

W

hen Muhammad Sidhu and his family made the move from Pakistan to Ontario, Sidhu took a risk anticipating success in the collision repair realm as he knew the automotive industry played a large role in Canada’s economy “Honestly, when it came to Canada, my friends were asking me I was going to do. So, I said, ‘I’m going to get my hands dirty,’ Sidhu told Collision Repair. “I wanted to become an automotive painter, but others told me that, if I want the chance to advance my career, I should aim for a position in the head office.”

On a personal level, Sidhu wanted to find a way to connect with the community and help people through the sometimes-stressful process of remedying a collision.

Prior to moving to Ontario, Sidhu secured a role at a small collision repair facility—Raven Auto Body—where he was sent to school for estimation and collision repair.While in school, he continued working full time at the body shop,

and eventually, his hard work paid off—Sidhu was promoted to Front Office Coordinator.

Raven was small and had very little staff—a site reminiscent of your traditional ‘mom and pop’ shop.While working at Raven, Sidhu heard rave reviews about Assured Automotive, which boasts more than 90 collision repair facilities throughout Ontario and is a subsidiary of the publicly traded company, Boyd Group Services, also known as one of the largest operators of non-franchised collision repair centres in North America.

Incidentally, just across the street from Raven was an Assured facility—the Mississauga East location.

“Every insurance appraiser spoke highly of them and so, it motivated me to apply which lead to a meeting with Keith D’Silva and Derek Florczyk,” says Sidhu.

When Sidhu was hired with Assured Automotive, he started as a customer service representative (CSR) at the front of the shop, which helped him immensely with his people skills. Eventually, Sidhu learned exactly what was needed to diffuse situations, becoming an integral part of the shop’s success.

As time trickled on, Sidhu’s mentors kept an eye on him, continually throwing tasks his way to challenge him—such as estimator production.

His ascent to his current role saw him develop his skills across four of Assured’s locations to evaluate how he would adapt to change and different working environments.

The team recognized his demonstrated strength in a management role, and Sidhu was promoted to manager of Assured Brampton South. Three years later he was offered the opportunity to manage a second shop in the

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 13

ON THE COVER

We are very committed, and not just to the technicians, but in the back office, too.

We invest in people and we have state of the art equipment.”

– Muhammad Sidhu

L to R: Lincoln Ferrigon, detailer, alongside Daniel Camara, detailer, who is also in charge of COVID clean-up protocols at Assured Mississauga North.

region, Brampton North. After five years of managing the two stores, Sidhu was promoted to general manager for the corporate head office of Mississauga North as of February 2020.

Then COVID-19 hit, Sidhu had to act quickly to refocus his business’s efforts.

When the pandemic put Canadians in a panic, collision repair shops had to rethink how they could continue business during an economic shutdown. Not only that, shops had to start thinking about what the automotive industry may look like in 2021, and beyond.

“We have taken this responsibility seriously by encouraging social distancing and developing touchless processes to make our clients feel safe when doing business with us, as well keeping our people safe when they come to work,” says Sidhu. “For our customers, we created our ‘Drop & Go’ options, which highlight four ways which we can service a customer; scheduled appointments, contact-free curbside estimates, online estimates and home pick-up and delivery, where available. To ensure the safety of our customers, we have a sterilization process which is part of our final QC process which every vehicle must follow.”

Josh Strong, marketing manager for Assured Automotive, continued: “To make sure everything was safe we developed a very robust

Polisher John Da Silva and Bharrat Singh, production coordinator.

cleaning regimen—we basically have a full-time staff member dedicated to cleaning duties.

This is a very big facility, so it’s a full-time job to have someone disinfect the cars, but it’s also keeping the shop safe for all our workers as well. We do everything from wiping every light switch in the building three times a day to doing the same any high touch points.”

However, unlike countless Canadian businesses, the Assured Mississauga North team was never concerned—they say the shop is already light-years ahead of most.

“It’s safe to say that it’s a very busy spot. It’s one of our higher volume stores—probably

14 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

our second biggest location in our network of stores” says Strong.

Mississauga North takes pride in providing a full range of services, explains Sidhu. Of course, they offer the conventional vehicle repairs, but with technology ramping up in the auto sector, Sidhu wants his shop to stand out.

“We have experienced all makes and models from the most common family vehicles to super luxury vehicles like Bentley, Rolls Royce and other high-end super luxury cars,” Sidhu says. “We also engage the sports car segment like Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Maserati and McLaren. We have a very prestigious account

ON THE COVER

Body tech Jeffrey Furtado deals with a dent repair.

with Grand Touring Automobiles; we interact with a wide spectrum of vehicles, because we have the expertise.”

One of the recent new upgrades made to the shop is an aluminum room, says Strong.

“We have two dedicated mechanical bays, because we do in-house mechanics here, and a dedicated aluminum room--which many facilities are not equipped with.”

As calibrations and ADAS calibrations continue to become more and more important for collision repairers to understand, Assured and the Boyd Group recognize the importance of compliance and continuous improvement. The Boyd Group takes pride in supporting training so our shops can achieve I-CAR Gold Class certification—a top international standard.

Certain measures taken by Sidhu to improve Assured Mississauga North, made the shop recognized as a top collision centre in Ontario.

“We are very committed, and not just to the technicians, but in the back office, too.We invest in people and we have state of the art equipment.

Our staff have the tools to complete the repairs at the international standards,” he explains.

“Not only that, with the vehicles becoming more complicated nowadays, and technology advancing every single day, we encourage our staff to use all the available data to identify the issues and take the corrective measures and actions accordingly.”

One of the newest additions to Assured Mississauga North is the facility’s aluminum room, Strong told Collision Repair.

“To try and go and take somebody from another shop and expect that they’re going to be a great technician is a fool’s errand. Occasionally you strike gold, but often not,” says Strong.

Since first moving to Canada, Sidhu says he has always been a hard worker, no matter the situation.

And as COVID continues, Sidhu says he is hugely proud of the way his facility managed the challenges pertaining to the pandemic so far.

“We supported our customers, our staff, by leading by example; we showed them our commitment and took social responsibility. I’m

proud of the fact that our leadership encourages us to get involved in the community, and to be the positive face of the change,” says Sidhu.

Sidhu says he is beyond honoured to manage Assured’s flagship location, and helping people get back to safety on the road.

“I love the challenge of repairing many kinds of cars for many different kinds of people and meeting and exceeding customer expectations, it is an absolute honor that we are a trusted collision centre—that people just give us the keys and say, ‘Hey, you go fix my car. And at the end, we receive that big thank you.’”

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 15

INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

CAR-O-LINER’S CASE

Under normal circumstances, the Ontario automotive sector accounts for more than 20 percent of the GDP, but when North America’s economy shut down over COVID-19—so did sales.

When production started ramping up in May, a rebound began and produced a 46 percent improvement, although annual sales are down 16 percent year-over-year, an estimated 1.6 million units. DesRosiers Automotive Consultants reports 165, 000 vehicles sold in July, a 6.3 percent increase, down 4.9 percent below July 2019. Pushing ahead, the questions hanging over the industry is what the future will look like post-COVID. A report on Canada’s Automotive Future by KPMG states production of EVs by the major OEMs will accelerate rapidly over the next five years, as will autonomous features. By 2025, the advisory firm predicts as many as 13 million EV and hybrid vehicles produced annually.

This year’s SEMA event has had a few glitches here and there but has overall provided a more accessible way for the global automotive industry to connect. Car-O-Liner® is one of the leading global manufacturers of collision repair and wheel alignment systems. The group brands include Car-O-Liner®, Josam®, TruckCam™ and Car-O-Liner Academy. Despite the lack of in-person connections, the company believes it is serving its customers better than ever; because there is no need for travel they’re home attending to business as usual.

Car-O-Liner® plans to participate in the hybrid format next year if SEMA moves forward as they have indicated, meaning that they would have a virtual event and in-person event happening simultaneously.

NEW MINIMUM FOR ALUMINUM A recent industry report indicates that aluminum PPV (pounds per vehicle) in automobiles is expected to rise 12 percent by 2026, bringing the average weight of aluminum in vehicles to 233 kilograms, or 514 lbs.—a marked increase from ten years ago, when the average aluminum content clocked in at 187 kg (332 lbs).The study, released in August by DuckerFrontier for the Aluminum Association, seems to point to a shift toward increased aluminum use in vehicle assembly, projecting that about one-third of any fender or door on a newcar dealership lot will be aluminum in only six years.

As it stands, the average aluminum content in vehicles is around the 208 kg (459 lbs) mark, with parts such as hoods, tailgates and doors being made from aluminum more and more frequently as the years go on.

A recent industry report indicates that aluminum PPV (pounds per vehicle) in automobiles is expected to rise 12 percent by 2026.

FAUX-EM Repair shops are being warned about the pitfalls of counterfeit parts in a recent white paper report from the Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council (A2C2).

In the report, A2C2 warns that e-commerce-based parts distributors may be contributing to an influx of counterfeit auto parts that consumers may not be aware they are purchasing. The report identified specific challenges repairers may identify when working with counterfeit parts: “Counterfeit vehicle hoods designed without crumple zones may penetrate the passenger compartment in a crash, putting vehicle occupants at greater risk; counterfeit grilles may not properly house safety sensors that control the vehicle’s supplemental restraint system (SRS) and/or other collision mitigation systems, thus rendering those systems inoperable; counterfeit glass can shatter or displace, injuring and/ or failing to protect vehicle occupants.”

16 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

A2C2 is warning that e-commerce-based parts distributors may be contributing to an influx of counterfeit auto parts that consumers may not be aware they are purchasing.

INDUSTRY NEWS

DATA DISPUTE The Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada announced its support for the Your Car. Your Data. Your Choice. campaign, adding more momentum to the growing initiative. Auto Care Association and Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) saw a need to educate and engage car owners, policymakers and other stakeholders on car data issues; from what it is to why it matters and the implications for consumer choice. Consumers face even more inconvenience and greater costs, not to mention fewer options for repair services without the control and access to their wireless diagnostic and repair information.

With the support of AIA Canada, there will be increased awareness regarding car access data and control issues in Canada. The AIA Canada campaign website will also be home to various educational materials that will help to inform and encourage those in the industry to take control by signing a petition. This petition asks the Government of Canada to give consumers control of, and access to their vehicle data.

AIA Canada has announced support for the Your Car. Your Data. Your Choice.

Campaign, which advocates for drivers to own their own vehicle data as opposed to OEMs and insurers.

ADAS ACCREDITATION I-CAR will create a new ADAS technician role that will eventually be required for Gold Class shops, I-CAR sales and marketing senior vice president Nick Notte said on Tuesday. During the virtual broadcast of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC), Notte said that January’s CIC event included a suggestion for I-CAR to create such a role. He announced that I-CAR had accepted the challenge during yesterday’s broadcast. Andrew Shepherd, I-CAR Canada’s executive director confirmed the program will also apply in Canada. During Wednesday’s CIC presentation, Notte said I-CAR plans to reach out to repairers, OEMs and ADAS designers for input about the new job and hopes to have an update on it for the January 2021 CIC.

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DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 17

BUSINESS NEWS

ALL THE FIXINGS

UP AND AT ’EM

Fix Network has pledged support once again to the Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada (RMHC CANADA) by launching its initiative to help families with sick children during these stressful times. The initiative will run through the whole month of December to help support RMHC’s 34 programs across Canada that provide families with a home to stay that is close to their sick child who is being treated at a nearby hospital. To support RHMC, Fix Network has kickstarted donations with a $10,000 contribution and is encouraging its franchise partners and staff to support the “Season of Giving” initiative and donate generously.

Uni-Select announced its third-quarter financial results in November, reporting significantly improved results from the previous quarter, generating positive free cash flows of $33.4 million while reporting total net debt reimbursement of $46.8 million from “effective cash management compensating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to an online release. Further, UniSelect said its sales have improved sequentially in each segment month-after-month from April to September, improving from negative consolidated organic growth of 31.9 percent reported for the second quarter of 2020, to negative 12.6 percent for the current quarter. “Our third-quarter results improved significantly from the second quarter mirroring the bounce back in the market.

As expected, the auto parts businesses rebounded more rapidly than the paint business, with the Canadian Automotive Group generating positive organic growth in the quarter,” said Brent Windom, president and CEO of Uni-Select.

FOR THE BOYDS Gerber Collision’s parent company Boyd Group has set forth the goal of doubling its financial numbers in the next five years, following the release of its third-quarter financial results. Boyd Group is aiming to build on the success it experienced in 2019 when they managed to bring in $2.28 billion in revenue, a nearly 95 percent increase from 2015 ($1.17 billion). With nearly 90 percent of their business coming from operations in the U.S., Gerber Collision is attempting to claim their stake in the American market with this aggressive five-year growth plan.

Uni-Select president and CEO Brent Windom says month-aftermonth sales improved in each segment between April and September.

COATINGS OF TOMORROW Automotive, aerospace and consumer electronics coatings customers are discovering the latest colour trends and finishes with the launch of AkzoNobel’s ColorSurfaces Edition 16. This edition of ColorSurfaces is firmly planted in AkzoNobel’s Color of the Year 2021, Brave Ground. A warm, neutral shade, it gives us the courage to embrace change. The shade is both empowering and calm, grounding and reconnecting us to the simple things in life. Four palettes – Me, Us, Time and World – have been designed around Brave Ground to show how the colour can be combined to create different effects. For example, achieving a comforting look with tone-on-tone arrangements, or a sporty expression by juxtaposing Brave Ground with contrasting bright tones.

AkzoNobel’s colour palettes for 2021 include ‘Me, Us, Time and World.’

18 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

INFLUENTIAL INVESTMENT AkzoNobel is doing its part in trying to make the end of 2020 a positive experience for the automotive industry. AkzoNobel has once again committed to the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) as its exclusive diamond sponsor. This sponsorship will support many of WIN’s initiatives including scholarships, the most influential women program, mentoring program, regional events, and the annual education conference. In 1999, AkzoNobel created the most influential women award to help promote diversity and sustainability in the collision repair workforce. In 2006, WIN was established and AkzoNobel has been a top tier sponsor every year since.

AkzoNobel has once again committed support to the Women’s Industry Network as its exclusive diamond sponsor.

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TECHNOLOGY NEWS

THROUGH THE LENS

HERE COMES THE SUN

Bosch’s automotive service solutions division has been using virtual reality technology to teach technicians how to properly calibrate cutting-edge advanced driver assistance systems and other repair techniques. Shawn Dupuie, Bosch training solutions manager for North America, said Bosch is currently working on three different learning platforms. The first platform is a partnered project with Ford Motor Company. In February, Bosch partnered with Ford to create a virtual reality headset as a tool for teaching service techs how to work on the upcoming Mustang Mach-E electric crossover. The technology allows for techs to learn how to diagnose and perform service related to high-voltage systems, wearing a virtual reality headset. The second project is like the platform used by Ford but with Bosch’s own VR training content, where Bosch does live remote training through the HoloLens— Microsoft’s VR headset—or tablet. The third, Bosch Remote Assist, is the company’s newest project that also uses HoloLens and allows for individuals to interact with a real-life trainer. The program is all done through a Microsoft platform created by Bosch’s software engineers. The Remote Assist allows for certified technicians to interact with the students through Microsoft Teams, where the teacher can draw augmented visuals on the virtual whiteboard, create augmented graphics, and provide assignments that can be completed from home.

Sun Collision Repair Information has expanded its coverage and enhanced its features to make it easier to access Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) repair information. Sun Collision Repair Information provides complete, accurate data that collision repair facilities can trust to repair any vehicle, in any condition—inside and outside—with maximum efficiency. As vehicle technology advances, the line between collision and mechanical repair work is blurring.

When a collision occurs, any damage to that body and frame is likely to have also damaged the sensors, camera, and other mechanical components that must be repaired, and or recalibrated to return the vehicle to safe operating conditions.

BATTERED BATTERY It has been a hectic 2020 and this winter it is most certainly going to cause even more stress, however, you can avoid some stress by learning to avoid dead car batteries during the winter months. CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) is alerting drivers that dead car batteries will be the main concern this winter, especially with vehicles staying idle for long stretches of time. Last year, CAA SCO saw a total of 354,480 battery-related calls, a 34 per cent increase over the last two years; and the number is expected to go up this year. Cars and trucks contain thousands of complex electrical systems. Anti-theft systems, remote keyless entry gear, and even those cell phone charges plugged into a 12-volt socket can draw power even when not in use. A battery check usually takes only 30 minutes and can range from $30 to $50 at automotive facilities across Ontario.

MECHANICAL MISUNDERSTANDING A Statistics Canada study was conducted on the rise and fall of employment due to automated, or robotic, workers since the late 1990s, and the results may surprise you. Although the dominant strain of thought is that increasing automated workers will leave less jobs for humans, this has not been the case in Canada. The study suggests companies that automate their work, or buy robots, do so to improve their product and service quality rather than to reduce labour costs. The companies that opted for automated workers were more likely to expand their production, but cut more managers, giving the employees a stronger voice when it comes to control over decisions and performance incentives.

20 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Sun Collision Repair Information has expanded its coverage and enhanced its features to make it easier to access ADAS repair information.

TRAILER PARKED TOYS Canadians across the country may have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of an electric vehicle for free, as part of Plug’n Drive’s newly introduced MEET initiative. MEET, the Mobile EV Education Trailer will be travelling the country, setting up at specific locations to provide Canadians with a hands-on experience with an electric vehicle (EV) through free test drives as well as a number of educational opportunities. The program receives a portion of its funding from Natural Resources Canada as well as several OEMs and charging station developers. The MEET was set up in Ottawa, until Nov. 29. Other locations will be announced as the project continues.

The vehicles available for test-drives are all-electrics or plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and include the BMW 330e, Chevrolet Bolt, Ford Fusion Energi, Honda Clarity PHEV, Kia Niro, and Volvo XC60 T8.

QAPTER’S NEW CHAPTER Solera Holdings Inc. and Google Cloud have teamed up to develop an update to Solera’s Qapter claims management software that is expected to launch the app to the world stage. In collaboration with Google’s Cloud infrastructure, the team at Solera has put together an update for its Qapter software that allows the program to scale globally for any vehicle make and model. Solera is able to tap into more than 40 years of historical vehicle and claims data thanks to the company’s proven Repair Science™ algorithm—more robust and complex than the competition and capable of more precise and accurate estimates, quickly, consistently, and at scale.

Solera’s Qapter software update allows the program to scale globally for any vehicle make and model.

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OEM NEWS

I-XPERIMENTS

A-FORD-ABLE EVS

As BMW gears up for the rollout of its all-new fully-electric iX “Sports Activity Vehicle” (SAV), the automaker revealed a redesign for its signature “kidney” grille which will take full advantage of the vehicle’s electric powertrain. The iX features an all-electric driving system capable of producing 500 hp with an estimated range of about 480 kilometres. Perhaps the most notable innovation of the iX’s fully-electric driving system is how it utilizes the technology to make new use out of the vehicle’s grille. “Since the electric drive system of the BMW iX requires only a small amount of cooling air, the kidney grille is completely closed off. Its role has turned digital and here it functions as an intelligence panel. Camera technology, radar functions and other sensors are integrated seamlessly into the grille behind a transparent surface. The heating elements and cleaning system for the sensors are also embedded in the grille front,” read the press release from BMW.

Jim Farley, Ford CEO has stated he will not be releasing electric vehicles in the six-figure range. Instead, Ford EV’s will be as affordable as possible. He noted, the Ford EVs he has in mind would be priced between US$20,000 and US$70,000 before options. It is hard to speculate how Ford intends to come up with an EV in the US$20,000 range. The company’s alliance with Volkswagen does give it access to the modular MEB platform, but even the ID.3 has not reached such a price yet. The Mustang Mach-E, Ford’s upcoming all-electric crossover, starts at about US$43,995.

Jim Farley, Ford CEO has promised no three-digit prices for the automaker’s upcoming electric models.

TIMELY TRUCKS

The new fully electric iX Sports Activity Vehicle will feature a ‘digital grille,’ says BMW.

SUPER SAFETY Two all-new electrified Toyota SUVs have been recognized with safety awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The all-new 2021 Venza LE, along with the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime SE and XSE have earned the 2020 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK (TSP) award. In addition, the 2021 Toyota Venza XLE and Limited, as well as the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE with Technology Package, earned the 2020 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK + (TSP+) award, thanks to their innovative LED headlights. Built on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform, the 2021 Venza makes its return to Toyota’s product lineup after a four-year hiatus and shares its podium with the 2021 RAV4 Prime, Toyota Canada’s second plug-in hybrid model.

Last year it was announced that the GM plant in Oshawa was to be shut down putting nearly 3,000 people out of work. Now almost exactly a year later, the plant is getting revamped and restaffed thanks to a surge in demand for pickup trucks. Earlier in November, GM union workers came to an agreement on a deal that will see between $1-1.3 billion invested into Oshawa along with 1,400-1,700 hourly workers expected to be hired. After the deal was announced, Jerry Dias, Unifor national president, said that he never gave up hope on convincing GM to revive the Oshawa plant. GM will continue to recruit heavily from the universities and start-ups in the GTA as it moves towards EVs, self-driving cars and trucks, said Bell. Having also announced recently, separate from Unifor, the hiring of 3,000 tech workers across North America, including some in Ontario, Bell said that Canada is the second-largest hotspot for GM engineering staff.

After years of debate and last year’s ‘official’ closure, Oshawa, Ontario’s GM assembly plant will once again build trucks, beginning in 2021.

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 23

OEM NEWS

AUDI OFFERINGS

LOW PROFILE

Audi has released a free collision guide, featuring comprehensive visual guides and tips to follow the OEM’s repair procedures. Chris Woods, technical director for Leons Auto Body, a facility in North York, Ont., said the documents in the manual are full of detailed visuals that can not only benefit collision centres but also insurance companies.“The documents give a great illustration and are easy to understand, other manufacturers have similar [OEM] manuals but are not as informative as Audi. I enjoy using these, well-illustrated guides to educate my apprentices for their growth,” said Woods.

The collision manual has six sections, starting with an overview and the benefits gained, and then it discusses the enrollment and implementation process to get officially OEM certified by Audi.

Subaru Canada has unveiled the next generation of the BRZ sports car, expanding on the fundamentals of low-weight and low centre-of-gravity established on the original. The 2022 BRZ is built on a 2+2 coupe platform with a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive configuration, held together by lightweight aluminum parts and a newly redesigned chassis. A larger engine than before also comes standard on the new BRZ, boasting a 2.4L SUBARU BOXER® engine that produces 228 hp at 7,000 RPM and 184 lb-ft of torque (15 percent increase from the previous generation). Convenience has also become a key priority for the BRZ, now featuring an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system that offers seamless integration with Apple CarPlay™ and Android ™ Auto, as well as Bluetooth® hands-free phone connectivity and audio streaming, rearview camera and SiriusXM® satellite radio.

VOLVO E-VOLVO Volvo Cars has announced a partnership with EV charging developer ChargePoint, further expanding the range of support for the automaker’s new electric vehicles across Canada and the U.S. Coming just ahead of the North American launch of Volvo’s pure electric XC40 Recharge SUV, this collaboration will provide drivers access to the more than 115,000 ChargePoint chargers installed across the continent, as well as the opportunity to purchase a home charging unit. “The transition to electric mobility is inevitable and the introduction of exciting new EV models like the all-new XC40 Recharge is another example of the shift already underway around the world,” said ChargePoint CRO Michael Hughes. “ChargePoint’s collaboration with Volvo Cars in the United States and Canada will provide a platform for EV charging across public, residential, and retail locations in the United States and Canada.”

Nissan has been certified as a Great Place to Work for the second year in a row.

24 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

MORALE BOOST Nissan Canada has managed to successfully navigate the storm that has been 2020, securing for themselves a Great Place to Work® certification for the second year in a row, according to the eponymous labour advocacy group. This recognition comes following the results of an anonymous employee survey conducted in October that focused on company culture, workplace experience, rewards, communication, and leadership. This year’s survey also included questions about how employers handled the challenges and uncertainty of the past year, for which Nissan was praised, specifically.

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INSURANCE NEWS

INSURANCE IMPLICATIONS A government panel is recommending a fundamental overhaul of Albertan auto insurance, suggesting the province moves toward a no-fault model. Chris Daniel, who heads the governmentappointed Automobile Insurance Advisory Committee, says the change is critical if auto insurance is to remain sustainable while providing fair and timely care and compensation to those hurt in collisions. The committee shared its 37 recommendations in a 536-page report published in early November. According to the report, the average Alberta consumer with full insurance coverage would see a 9.4 percent reduction in premiums if the provincial government makes the switch to no-fault.

SEAL OF APPROVAL

ACQUISITION OF DIAMOND INSURANCE AGENCIES Westland Insurance Group (Westland) announced the acquisition of Diamond Insurance Agencies, effective December 1, 2020. This acquisition supports Westland’s expansion strategy to serve more communities in Alberta and across Canada. Diamond Insurance Agencies has one office located in Calgary, Alberta. Founded in 1998, their professional advisors provide residential, auto, life, travel, recreation, farm, and commercial insurance services.“ We’re very happy to be growing our network in Calgary with the addition of Diamond Insurance Agencies,” said Jamie Lyons, President and COO of Westland Insurance.“We’d like to welcome the Diamond team to the Westland family, and look forward to working with Kathy Mohacsi, Kona Nakamura, and their team of insurance experts.”

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has expressed its support for the recently released 2020 Ontario Budget. IBC Ontario vicepresident Kim Donaldson praised the Ontario government for its support of the province’s auto insurance industry. The statement from IBC also acknowledged the organization’s satisfaction with the action taken on the part of the government to crack down on auto insurance fraud and illegal towing practices in Ontario.

CRACKING DOWN

Auto insurers in Atlantic Canada are getting serious about texting fines—it is now a major conviction in Nova Scotia.

Auto insurers in Nova Scotia are getting serious about cell phones now that Northbridge General Insurance Company has announced that it will be treating distracted driving as a major conviction that will affect insurance rates. Northbridge specifies three levels of conviction: minor, major and serious, with each bearing distinct penalties. Under the new changes, drivers may face fines from $233.95 for the first offence to $578.95 for a third offence with the addition of four demerit points on conviction. The changes are set to take effect on January 4, 2021, for new customers and February 4 for renewals. In the ruling, NSURB also approved an increase to Northbridge’s multi-vehicle discount in Nova Scotia from 15 percent to 20 percent.

26 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

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CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?!

SITTING… PRETTY?

OFFICIALS NOT A-MOOSE-D

Burlington, Ontario, police made an uncomfortable discovery in late November when they found a lawn furniture fixture where a driver’s seat should be. On November 30, the Scanner Feed shared images of a Ford Edge SUV that had been pulled over for a traffic violation. The images, shared to Facebook as a warning to other drivers, show the typical—albeit unorganized—interior, though the driver’s seat has been sneakily replaced with a lawn chair. Police said they removed the vehicles plates and the driver has been summoned to court for unsafe vehicle and seatbelt inoperative.

Canadian officials are issuing an important message to drivers this winter—do not let moose lick your car. Officials in Jasper, Alberta, have put up signs asking motorists to avoid allowing moose to lick the salt—a treat moose find hard to resist—off their cars. By allowing moose to lick the salt off your car, they will become habituated with being around cars, said Steve Young, a Jasper National Park spokesperson. “Moose and cars are not a good mix. If you hit the moose with your car, you take the legs out from under it and it’s going through your windshield,” he said. The best way to stop a moose from coming close to your car is simply driving away when you see them approaching, added Young.

A true heritage moment for Canadians everywhere.

While the driver clearly doesn’t care for their own safety, you have to give them props for the mask in the console.

YOUNG GUN In typical Friday the 13th fashion, November 13 saw Ontario police stop a driver travelling at more than 200km/h. The reason?

He was aiming to impress his girlfriend. To make matters worse, the 16-year-old driver only held his G2-class license. Looks like he’s earned himself another date—a court date.

28 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?!

HOLE IN ONE

ZOOM, LITERALLY

Amazon employees will always take extra steps to ensure your package is delivered in one piece—even in rough terrain. In early November, one Amazon driver became quite lost while following his GPS, and ended up on a golf course, where he wedged himself into a golf cart tunnel between the clubhouse and the third nine.

According to police on the scene, the vehicle was more than a foot too tall to squeeze through the small opening. The driver maintains that the mishap was the result of a GPS fluke.

Ottawa councillor George Darouze landed in some hot water last month when he was caught conducting a Zoom meeting from his moving vehicle. A twominute clip from the live-streamed meeting was posted to Twitter on November 24, showing Darouze driving around, making turns and changing lanes as he checks his phone with both hands and chats with Zoom meeting attendees.

A potential reason why your Amazon deliveries have been a little delayed recently.

Make the rules and break the rules.

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EVENTS

COLLABORATION AND CONNECTION Inside the first-ever virtual CCIF

CCIF did its best to replicate the feel of an in-person tradeshow, adding specific ‘rooms’ for certain activities and speaker sessions.

Fadi Smaidi, CEO and founder of SkillsTrader, delivered a talk on attracting top talent. He said that, in the modern landscape, money may not be as much of a driver.

30 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

BY JULIA LLOYD

T

he Canadian Collision Industry Forum (CCIF) held its first-ever virtual conference on October 7 and 8, featuring ample opportunities to connect and chat with industry experts via chatroom or video amid the ongoing global situation.

With more than 300 participants from more than five countries and 29 exhibitor booths, CCIF director Caroline Lacasse says the event was a success thanks to the participation of the people in the industry. All corners of the industry came together at the event, from collision repairers, insurers, suppliers and service providers, to OE manufacturers, dealers, trade associations, educators and students.

EVENTS

Dave Flockhart, COO of BETAG Innovation, detailed how bodyshops can adapt to their landscapes to return to prosperity with a quality-led, repair-first mindset.

“The benefits [of a virtual conference] are that you can stay safe and join the event without travelling and spend money on travel and lodging.

Some people that were not able to attend before because of time or money, can now join us from all around the world.” — Caroline Lacasse “The benefits [of a virtual conference] are that you can stay safe and join the event without travelling and spend money on travel and lodging. Some people that were not able to attend before because of time or money, can now join us from all around the world,” said Lacasse.

All sponsors with CCIF had to provide a virtual booth that could be interactive and showcase what they contribute to the industry.

Some sponsors that attended were A.P.T. Auto Parts Trading, 3M, AkzoNobel, CARSTAR CANADA, Progi, ProColor Collision and Simplicity Car Care, to name a few.

“I had a great time; it has been very informative; I am representing the company [Simplicity Car Care] to increase awareness about who we,” said Ali Khan, a representative for Simplicity Car Care.

Another CCIF sponsor, PPG, featured a video showcasing its new MoodWalk Colour Dispens-

er, allowing attendees to view the demonstration by visiting their virtual booth.You can also find it here, on YouTube. PPG also promoted their Virtual Learning Sessions at its booth.

“We’ve got a great series of MVP Virtual Learning Sessions that we host twice a week covering many topics,” said PPG representative Surja Suba.

Overall, the event went well for CCIF and its show sponsors. CCIF Director Lacasse believes this virtual event allowed for new attendees to feel more comfortable connecting with people, given the global pandemic.

“Of course meeting virtually will never completely replace the face to face warmth, because most people enjoy being able to interact in ‘real life,’ but this is a great alternative for now and as I said previously, this allows us to bring in new attendees and speakers all over the world,” explained Lacasse.

CCIF chairman Paul Prochilo was the friendly face tasked with introducing each of the CCIF speakers prior to their virtual sessions.

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 31

EVENTS

THE CANADIAN COLLISION

THE VIRTUAL CCIF EXPERIENCE All sponsors with CCIF provided an interactive virtual booth and showcased what they contribute to the Canadian collision industry.

32 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

EVENTS

INDUSTRY FORUM

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR  33

INDUSTRY PROFILE

PAVING THE WAY Rejean Marchand does not dream of success —he works for it

BY JULIA LLOYD

I

t’s rare to come across someone who makes success look easy, and while Rejean Marchand sure does, nothing happens without effort.

Rejean, has been the owner of two ProColor Collision centres in Shawinigan and Sainte-Julie, Quebec, from 2009 and 2013, respectively. That said, his legacy doesn’t begin when he purchased his first facility — it dates to a time before him, when his grandfather opened his first shop in Montreal in 1947.

After the death of Rejean’s grandfather, his father bought the business in order to keep it in their family. Living just across the street, young Rejean was a familiar face at the shop up until the death of his father when he was only nine years old, at which time his mother was forced to sell the business. Just five years later, 14-yearold Rejean got himself a job working at the very same shop, which had been previously owned by his father and grandfather.

Eventually, after pursuing almost three years of college studies in computer programming, Rejean’s passion for collision repair reappeared.

By the 80s and at age 21, he opened his very first body shop on the south shore of Montreal.

“It’s a funny story,” Rejean told Collision Repair.

“I rented out space from a shop to fix my own car, and then my friends kept calling me saying that they had had accidents and needed my help.

Another friend called me and so on—so then I decided to register my company. A year after, I ended up moving to another location, and a year after that I bought that location.”

After six years at the helm, Rejean decided to sell the business. He became an appraiser for a short period of time and then opted for a position in sales. He worked as a paint specialist for United Auto Parts (UAP) for five years where he became fascinated with the marketing and financial side of the automotive aftermarket by participating in the development of the Autopro Collision program.

34 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

INDUSTRY PROFILE

After leaving UAP, Rejean cultivated his newfound interests through new work as a sales representative, and eventually, as branch manager for AkzoNobel’s corporate store in Quebec. Soon after, Rejean and his family moved to Toronto where he pursued work as a marketing specialist for the coating’s company, and afterwards, as marketing manager for AkzoNobel’s Canadian operations.

As part of his marketing role in the early 2000s, he became chairman of the auto refinishes industry at the Canadian Paint and Coating Association (CPCA). In this role, Rejean was instrumental in stopping the government from putting in place a new VOC regulation, which had been adopted by other European countries.

This new law was designed to make shops responsible for managing and reporting their VOC consumption on a monthly basis within a maximum limit. The government intended to provide shops with a VOC number, like a GST, and to determine each shop’s limit. An alternative suggestion was made, influenced by the South California Regulation (Rule 1151), that VOC limits be controlled by category of product availability and that the responsibility be placed on manufacturers and distributors, as opposed to individual shops. Since the model and products were already established, this was a zero-cost solution for the government, and the proposition was accepted. “This is how we got the regulations that we have today”, said Rejean.

Following his marketing position, Rejean was promoted to the position of product manager for AkzoNobel’s North American operations, moving with his family from Toronto, Ontario to Atlanta, Georgia.

After a few years in the United States, Rejean’s work permit was set to expire and they moved back to Toronto where he became operational manager for all the AkzoNobel branches in Canada.

With little left to challenge him in the role, Rejean decided to leave AkzoNobel after 13 years with the company.

For a while as he lived in Toronto, Rejean worked for a tool and equipment manufacturer as an Eastern regional manager, while simultaneously seeking to invest in a small business, which would allow him to leave the corporate world and return to his passion in the collision repair industry. It was in the summer of 2009 that he purchased his shop in Shawinigan, and shortly after, a shop in Louiseville in 2010 (sold in 2016) and Ste-Julie in 2013. During his time at AkzoNobel, Rejean had undergone extensive training in finance, marketing and management – expertise he used to build the business plan for each shop he owns.

In 2015, according to his business plan, Rejean undertook a major investment to revamp the shop in Ste-Julie. This involved completely redoing the shop’s layout, from office to paint booth, and updating all the equipment in anticipation of future industry regulations.

This along with obtaining a CAA banner and Cle Verte (gold level) were among

the many steps outlined in his business plan.

As far as his shop in Shawinigan, in early 2016 he constructed a brand-new building and purchased all new equipment for that shop as well.

“We actually purchased the neighbouring properties and built the new facility five feet apart to expand from 215 sq. m. (2,300 sq. ft.) to 705 sq. m. (7,600 sq. ft.),” said Rejean.

Rejean is proud that all his employees can work under exceptional conditions and environment, which is far from what he has experienced in his own career.

It’s no secret that the world of collision repair has changed more in the last five years than in the previous 40 years, and that today, the industry’s two major challenges are profitability, as well as finding quality technicians. These challenges and opportunities stress the importance of involving staff in creating and achieving a shop’s plans and objectives.

As Rejean says,“In today’s world, as new challenges arise, you need to update your business plan in order to successfully move forward”.

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 35

INSURANCE

HOLDING THEIR OWN Haida Gwaii calls on ICBC to solve its collision repair conundrum

Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago off B.C.’s west coast. The region has been without a collision centre for more than two decades.

BY MAX REID

D

IY auto repairs in rural Canadian communities are nothing shocking—people know the government’s arms can only reach so far—but for residents on Haida Gwaii, adequate auto repair services might as well be an ocean away.

“It looks a little wild west here at times,” remarked Lisa Pineault, counsellor in the village of Queen Charlotte on the southern tip of Graham Island, the largest of the islands that make up the Haida Gwaii archipelago.

“A lot of people don’t necessarily understand the logistics of living in a small community, nevermind a small island community. For us, we kind of are the most northwest part of Canada. It’s a six-hour ferry ride to Prince Rupert to have your vehicle repaired,” said Pineault.

Pineault found herself in the news after speaking out about her ordeal with ICBC, the crown insurance corporation with a monopoly on auto insurance in British Columbia as well as unceded lands.

After her collision with a bear on the island, Pineault was told by an ICBC employee at the Prince Rupert claims centre over the phone

that she would have to make two 10-plus hour trips, by ferry and her damaged truck, to have to her claim assessed.

In an email response from ICBC, a spokesperson claimed that for“some driveable vehicles, we reimburse the customer for ferry cost,” however no such offer was extended to Pineault.

“The last time I had a claim was twenty-something years ago. The adjuster used to come to the island once a month and do all of the different locations on Haida Gwaii and you could set up an appointment with them prior.

So I didn’t realize at that time the service had been reduced. It’s likely because of the lesser population here, but also because we don’t have a bodyshop here anymore,” said Pineault.

Haida Gwaii has been without a functioning collision repair centre for decades and it’s residents have been forced to rely on an unofficial community pool of auto parts to keep the island’s vehicles moving.

“We used to have one guy who had a body repair shop. In the really old days, it was kind of ad hoc; people would do it [themselves].

But we did have an actual body repair/paint

36 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Lisa Pineault, right, is a counsellor in the Queen Charlotte islands, is calling for change from ICBC. She wants an adjuster living on the island to make life easier for residents in the event of a collision.

INSURANCE

shop, but it’s probably 25 years ago since it’s been here, maybe even longer. If they get their stuff repaired [at all]. A lot of people don’t even bother. If it’s driveable they don’t even bother.”

According to Pineault, however, even that pool of parts is no saving grace as much of the island’s spare parts have long since been cleaned out by a scrap metal barge that makes rounds to Haida Gwaii every few years.

“For someone like my brother who continually repairs things, that got rid of a lot of his parts inventory...I think it’s been twice in my life that that barge has come and cleared out all of that inventory. For those guys, they don’t have access [to parts] because we don’t have an auto recycler here. We have a couple of people who keep too many things, but we don’t have an auto recycler per se.”

To be clear, Pineault is not calling for a return to the “wild west” DIY repair practices of the past, but rather she is asking ICBC to improve the service to the people of Haida Gwaii, or at least restore it to where it was.

“We do have [insurance] brokers here. We have two ICBC-certified brokerages that you can go and purchase your insurance from. The RCMP—it’s something they check for—we’re

After her collision with a bear on the island, Pineault was told by an ICBC employee that she would have to make two 10-plus hour trips, traveling by ferry and her damaged truck, to have to her claim assessed.

not that wild west. So all the vehicles do have ICBC insurance.”

Pineault continued, expressing her desire for clearer lines of communication between Haida Gwaii residents and the mainland-based ICBC, citing the experience she had when she was told she could not submit photos for assessment and must make the in-person trip.

ICBC claims that “For many years, ICBC has used customer and/or towing company photos of a vehicle’s damage to assess whether a vehicle is repairable or a total loss, for vehicles located on Haida Gwaii,” in their response.

Pineault says this was not her experience.

“If I hadn’t followed through and just chosen to not have my vehicle repaired, which is what some people do when they find out they would have to make two full round-trips to Prince Rupert. What I would like to see, as a counsellor, is that the claim centre has that information—that that is a possibility and that all people of Haida Gwaii have that information when they phone in and make a claim.”

Pineault is now calling on the All-Islands Protocol Table, a coalition of Haida First Nation and other local governments including Queen Charlotte, to push ICBC to make her case the standard for people living on the island or to resume sending an adjuster on a regular basis.

In their response, ICBC stated that “We’ve reviewed our claims process for customers in Haida Gwaii. We’ll be speaking with relevant collision repair shops and staff to ensure that we’re clearly communicating the claims process to customers.”

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Call us at 800-633-3047 or visit polyvance.com DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 37

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Performance Plus Performance Plus Clear-Coat 1100757-16 Clear-Coat 1100757-16 Market Price $318.47 Market Price $152.45 $318.47 Our Price Our Price $169.40

Spectraprime Hardener Spectraprime Hardener H45-14 H45-14 Market Price $154.86 Market Our Price Price $154.86 $77.30 Our Price $85.90

Ure-Blend 1K Solvent Ure-Blend 1K Solvent BS10-16 BS10-16 Market Price $209.17 Market OurPrice Price$209.17 $99.90 Our Price $111.26

HP Process Clear-Coat HP Process Clear-Coat HPC21-16 HPC21-16 Market Price $328.73 Market Price$159.90 $328.73 Our Price Our Price $177.72

LCF Etching Primer LCF Etching Primer PE995-16 PE995-16 Market Price $410.42 Market Price$196.45 $410.42 Our Price Our Price $218.31

Red Tinted Mid-coat Red Tinted Mid-coat MCC01-LF MCC01-LF Market Price $156.62 Market OurPrice Price$156.62 $74.95 Our Price $83.31

Plastic Surface Cleaner Plastic Surface Cleaner SC155-14 SC155-14 Market Price $60.29 Market Price$28.85 $60.29 Our Price Our Price $32.07

Primer Surfacer Green Primer Surfacer P27G-14Green P27G-14 Market Price $130.23 Market Our Price Price $130.23 $62.35 Our Price $69.27

Primer Surfacer Tan PrimerP27T-14 Surfacer Tan P27T-14 Market Price $148.97 Market Our Price Price $148.97 $71.30 Our Price $79.24

Freight - FOB Edmonton.

Prepaid on orders of $3,000.00 or more Freight - FOB Edmonton.

Additional % onof orders of $10K or more.

Prepaid on10 orders $3,000.00 or more We accept Visa, Mastercard, and Amex.

We accept Visa, Mastercard, and Amex.

WD-AUTO SUPPLY WD-AUTO SUPPLY 1-800-661-1483 1-800-661-1483

Ultrasolv Solvent #2 Ultrasolv Solvent #2 ES15-16 ES15-16 Market Price $107.89 Market Price $107.89 Our Price $54.45 Our Price $60.53

Performance Hardener Performance Hardener Plus UH902-14 UH902-14 MarPlus ket Price $191. 21 Market Price $192.21 Our Price $89.90 Our Price $102.24

AS9 AS9

Matte Clearcoat Matte Clearcoat 1100727-14 1100727-14 Market Price $99 .30 Market Price $99.30 Our Price $47.55 Our Price $52.82

Accel-Solv Reducer Accel-Solv Reducer AS9-16 AS9-16 Market Price $135.25 Market Price $135.25 Our Price $38.80 Our Price $43.11

Premium Reducer Slow Premium Reducer Slow ES56-16 MarketES56-16 Price $153.56 Market Price $153.56 Our Price $73.50 Our Price $81.68

Reducer Medium Reducer Medium ES55-16 ES55-16 Market Price $145.48 Market Price $145.48 Our Price $69.55 Our Price $77.26

Glamour Clear Glamour Clear 1100755-16 1100755-16 Mark et Price $312.76 Market Price $312.76 Our Price $152.45 Our Price $169.40

Spectraprime 2K Primer Spectraprime 2K Primer Gray P27-16 Gray P27-16 Market Price $425.22 Market Price $425.22 Our Price $203.90 Our Price $226.71 *WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO ADJUST PRICING *WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO ADJUST PRICING

EVENTS

STARS AND CARS

GFS shows off new curing systems, holds virtual car show at 2020 summit

BY MAX REID

G

lobal Finishing Solutions (GFS) held it’s virtual 2020 Auto Refinishing Summit in late October, drawing attendees from across the auto refinishing industry for a week of insider news and contests.

From October 26th through the 31st, GFS treated attendees to a wide array of event programming, from a virtual car show to informative product demonstrations delivered straight from the people who design and sell GFS’ many refinishing solutions.

GFS’s Jason Garfoot and Andrea Iacucci led the virtual Facebook audience through a live demonstration of the REVO Accelerated Curing Systems, showcasing its various models, from the handheld lamp to the larger-scale ceiling-fixed curing unit.

The Summit featured demonstrations of the new REVO Accelerated Curing Systems, where GFS showcased the various models, from the handheld lamp to the larger-scale ceiling-fixed curing unit.

GFS showed off four options for the REVO Accelerated Curing Systems: The portable and convenient REVO Handheld, which plugs into any 110V outlet; the REVO Speed unit, which is designed to cut cycle times in half; the REVO Rapid is built for efficiency as its dual lamps are capable of curing two panels at once; and the REVO Spot which combines the mobility of the Handheld with the proven efficacy of the Speed unit.

All four of these products are currently available to Canadian shops through GFS.

With superior lighting and contamination control, Ultra XD Pa enable shops to produce exceptional paint finishes. Choos intutitive control panels, and downdraft or semi-downdraft a Mike Montes won the award for Coolest Customization for his 1951 Cadillac with radiant gold pearl paint. meet the unique needs of your shop.

The Coolest Hot Rod category was dominated by Justin Moriarty.

Judges Leah and Greg Stelse said they “just loved it.”

40 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

EVENTS

Judges Steve and Molly Gursky of Driven Restorations awarded Kevin McGibney the award for Coolest Paint Colour for his two-tone hot rod. Molly Gursky said the realistic flames made the paint job stand out among the rest.

GFS was also showing off their new SideLoad Finishing System at the event. Garfoot demonstrated the company’s innovative track and dolly system that allows shops to effortlessly move cars in and out of paint booths without risk of damage to the work.

Another live demonstration was held where GFS experts delved into the many paint booth accessories that the company offers.

Garfoot was joined this time by Steve Love to talk about GFS’ various offerings in the way of paint booth air filters, a hand truck to help

ULTRA

®

Several of GFS’ virtual car show categories were judged by high-profile industry celebs like Dave Kindig and KevvDogg from Kindig-It Design.

lift pit grating out of a paint booth, as well as secured toolboxes that can be affixed to a booth wall to provide safe and easy access to equipment without having to leave the booth.

The Virtual Car Show saw six finalists and their custom cars beat out 100 other competitors to take home prizes for their submissions to categories that included Coolest Hot Rod, Coolest Paint Colour and Coolest Customization, among others.

Several of the categories were judged by

high-profile industry celebrities like Dave Kindig & KevDogg from Kindig-It Design who judged the “Coolest Customization” award, for the prize of a $200 credit toward GFS products and merchandise autographed by the pair.

The company also offered attendees access to their “Exclusive Summit Promotion” where from now until December 31, when you purchase a GFS paint booth, prep booth, mix room or other finishing equipment, you will receive credit up to $10,000 to be applied for upgrades or accessories.

Side-Load Finishing Systems

Side-Load Finishing Systems from Global Finishing Solutions® (GFS) improve productivity and maximize shop space. Vehicles move quickly and easily between work bays on its integrated track and dolly system.

For increased efficiency, we can design your Side-Load System with extended tracks outside of the paint booths and prep environments. GFS’ Ultra ® Paint Booths, Ultra Closed-Top Open-Front (CTOF) Booths and Aluminum Repair Stations can be incorporated seamlessly into a Side-Load System. globalfinishing.com

| 877-658-7900

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 41

EVENTS

SEMA ONLINE The first-ever virtual SEMA Show impressed the industry

BY MAX REID

Brady Ranweiler claimed this year’s Battle of the Builders Hot Rod crown with his 1963 Chevrolet Full Custom 2 Door Wagon.

L

as Vegas,Nevada – This year, SEMA ditched the grand Vegas show floor of years past and took its industry-wide event fully virtual with SEMA360, showing that even in an unpredictable year like 2020, the auto industry will keep on motoring.

This year’s event saw new innovations to the SEMA platform, as well as the continuation of several longstanding show traditions.

The decision to take this year’s show fully virtual led show organizers and manufacturers to adapt and evolve their businesses to match

the uncertainty of a year such as this.

Instead of loading up crates onto planes for their usual Vegas booths, manufacturers were logging on in order to stay connected to their customers, proving that SEMA is just too big a show to pass up—in-person or not.

“We want our customers to know that despite all of the challenges that we have faced this year, we are still here, and we will come out of this stronger and better. We want to be here for our customers, no matter what. We thought that being at SEMA was critical to keeping

42 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

that connection,” said AkzoNobel’s marketing communications manager for North America Jen Poliski.

George Verkamp from ALLDATA echoed a similar sentiment.

“Not attending SEMA, live or virtual, is never a consideration for us. The ALLDATA brand and our commitment to our customers, throughout the entire repair industry, whether that be collision or repair, demands that we support the industry during SEMA week. If we didn’t attend SEMA, whether that be live, or

EVENTS

Roland Hence, CEO of FrontLane, won this year’s Launch Pad competition with his new product, the Impulse Emergency Brake Light.

“We want our customers to know that despite all of the challenges that we have faced this year, we are still here, and we will come out of this stronger and better. We want to be here for our customers, no matter what.

We thought that being at SEMA was critical to keeping that connection.”

– Jennifer Poliski, marketing communications manager, AkzoNobel

on a digital platform, the industry would miss us,” said Verkamp, ALLDATA’s vice president of sales and business development.

For some companies, like automotive diagnostics developer ALLDATA, SEMA360’s virtual format actually played into their wheelhouse, allowing already partially digitally-based companies to test and refine their remote training and customer service technologies.

ALLDATA VP of sales, Robert McBride continued, “We demo most of our products, some in-person, some of it online. It’s great to be at a show and consolidate—get a group of people there all at one time, but the reality is that George has got about half of his team providing online demonstrations every single day. Even though we’re in a different venue, I think the experience can still be pretty effective.”

Mark Giambalvo took home a Battle of the Builders prize for his 1965 Chevrolet C10, which conquered the Truck/Off-Road competition.

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 43

EVENTS

The online event featured countless industry information sessions—you could even book one-on-one talks with your favourite manufacturers and product providers!

The new products page, separated into sections for easy browsing, featured thousands of new and hot products—including some conversation-starting collision repair tools.

True to McBride’s statement, product demon- Full Custom 2 Door Wagon taking home this If we didn’t attend SEMA, strations were in full swing at this year’s show, year’s top prize in the hot rod category. whether that be live, or In the other categories, Mark Giambalvo and arguably just an impressive in an online format his 1965 Chevrolet C10 won in Truck/Off-Road; as previous SEMA Show years. on a digital platform, the EMM International and Colad took to the Chip Foose and his 1974 Jaguar E-Type won industry would miss us.”

SEMA360 screen to demonstrate its new UV out in the Sport Compact category and Cody Curing System, which it says is capable of curing Medeisis took home the Young Guns trophy – George Verkamp, putties, paints and UV curing primers on spot with his 1968 Chevrolet Camaro. vice president of sales SEMA360 also hosted the eighth annurepairs, as well as small and large areas.

Chief among the other usual SEMA highlights al Launch Pad competition where Roland and Allbusiness sponsors with CCIFis the provided interactive virtualHence booth and showcased of FrontLane Inc. managed to beat out annual Battlean of the Builders competition, development, ALLDATA his five fellow finalists where Brady Ranweiler and his 1963 Chevrolet what they contribute to the Canadian collision industry. and impress a panel 44 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

EVENTS

Formatted in a similar fashion to the new product section, the Builder Showcase was slightly more barren this year, with many Builders opting to push their builds to the 2021 SEMA Show.

Mike Rowe, host of Dirty Jobs, held this year’s SEMA keynote, where he spoke with industry icon Tanner Foust on automotive passion—an especially important topic in times like these.

of industry experts with his innovative new product.

The Impulse Emergency Brake Light is a wireless, battery-powered emergency brake light that reduces rear-end collisions by pulsing eight ultra-bright LEDs under extreme braking situations to alert the following driver up to 50 percent quicker. Impulse can be installed on any passenger vehicle with a standard back windshield in seconds and has a four-year battery life.

For Hence and Front Lane’s achievement, the

business will receive a prize of $10,000 as well as marketing and networking opportunities.

Myles Kovacs, co-founder of automotive magazine DUB, received the association’s most prestigious award for SEMA Person of the Year.

Kovacs founded DUB in 2000.

“I am just so thrilled; it’s emotional and overwhelming,” said Kovacs. “I’m being recognized by my peers—this is such a great industry to be a part of. And, they praise you for being different. That’s what I love about SEMA.”

Want to see more of this year’s SEMA360 Spectacle? Visit collisionrepairmag. com/sema360interviews or scan the QR code for Collision Repair’s exclusive video content from SEMA360!

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 45

NETWORKING CORNER

NETWORKING CORNER Have a burning question for one of these representatives? Feel free to contact any of these industry leaders to have your questions answered!

Jason Chusing PRODUCT S PECIAL I S T (647)-224-1981 jchusing@finixa.ca www.finixa.com

Darryl Simmons

PUBLISHER publisher@collisionrepairmag.com

Orest Tkaczuk

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER orest@mediamatters.ca

Allison Rogers

EDITOR allison@mediamatters.ca

Gloria Mann

VP OF INDUSTRY RELATIONS & ADVERTISING 647.998.5677 | gd.mann@rogers.com

Ellen Smith

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SOLUTIONS 416.312.7446 | ellen@mediamatters.ca

Wanja Mann

INDUSTRY RELATIONS ASSISTANT (647) 998-5677 | wanjamann1@gmail.com

Nick Dominato President

WE ARE A CORNERSTONE OF THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY, BRINGING YOU TOP-NOTCH MAGAZINES BODYWORX THE VOICE OF COLLISION REPAIR TECHS & PAINTERS

PROFESSIONAL

416.879.4523 ndominato@adasthink.com www.adasthink.com

46 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

To subscribe visit mediamatters.ca/subscribe

INSURANCE REPORT

REPORT CARDS,

ISSUED Repairers give insurers the grades

T

raditionally, collision repairers and auto insurances have a delicate—even quarrelsome relationship.Add a global pandemic into the mix and things become a little more muddled.

For the past two years, Collision Repair has asked the Canadian collision repair community to issue grades for the nation’s big players in auto insurance. The areas up for review: timeliness of payments, dispute management practices and general bodyshop relations.

BY ALLISON ROGERS

✓

“Intact is absolutely terrible to deal with,” wrote a respondent. “They do not attempt to manage disputes. If you don’t go their way, they will try to run you over. The truth is, they are no longer worth the time and energy.”

“Intact are the industry bullies,” said another.

“Poor professionalism, engaged in defamations, and misrepresentations, legal threats all the time.

Incredible that they are untouchable.”

“Intact are the biggest bullies in the game.

Their labour and material rates haven’t been

“Public insurers seem to have a problem recognizing that they cannot exercise the same tactics they use in their controlled markets while doing business in a private environment.”

Grades have been assigned to private insurers Intact Financial, TD Insurance, Aviva Canada, State Farm Mutual, Wawanesa Mutual Insurance and Desjardins, as well as public insurers Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI), the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) and Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI).

This year’s class average of C across the board shows a slight decline from 2019 and 2018, where averages of C+ and B+ were reported respectively.

For the third year in a row, the Co-Operators have come out on top with an overall letter grade of B+, but down from the A- and A scores of 2019 and 2018. Once again, the Co-Operators came out on top in every category.

It appears Impact Financial caused headaches for many repairers this year. The private insurer saw its score fall an entire letter grade from last year’s B to this year’s C grade and received scathing reviews from survey respondents.

increased in close to seven years—we have even fought with them to get supplements okayed.”

On the public insurance side, though both the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) and Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) saw their grades rise in 2019, 2020 has dashed those dreams away.

This year, ICBC and MPI both scored an F. “Public insurers seem to have a problem recognizing that they cannot exercise the same tactics they use in their controlled markets while doing business in a private environment,” said a respondent.

“ICBC has bullied almost every insurance company out of our province,” wrote another, likely referring to November’s insurer exodus, which saw Impact and Belairdirect withdraw from the province following an NDP win in the provincial election.

SGI, on the other hand, stands out from the other public insurers, even with its C-

grade. While still an entire letter grade down from 2019’s results, SGI blew its public insurer counterparts out of the water in every category.

Another particularly shocking detail to note—not a single auto insurer on Collision Repair’s list saw its score increase from last year’s results. According to repairers, insurers have been dropping the ball in 2020.

“The mushroom treatment is the insurance industry’s specialty this year,” wrote one survey respondent.

While much of the world remains gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada’s collision repairers suggest the insurance industry could be treating the aftermarket unfairly, considering the scale of the COVID crisis.

“Some insurers have shown their true colours this year. We’ve seen some asking for increased discounts and implementing flawed rental car programs....in the middle of a pandemic.”

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 47

INSURANCE REPORT

REPORT CARDS 2019/2020 Private Insurers

48 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

2019 Grade

2020 Grade

B

C

B-

B-

B-

B-

B

D

B

B

C+

C

A

B+

B-

C-

C-

F

C-

F

INSURANCE REPORT

Private Insurers

Public Insurers

Billing Payment

Repairer Relations

Dispute Management

Overall Grade

A-

A-

B

B+

B

B-

B-

B

B

B

C

B-

B

C

B-

B-

B-

C

C

C

B-

B-

D

C

C-

D

D

D

Billing Payment

Repairer Relations

Dispute Management

Overall Grade

C

C-

C-

C-

D-

F

F

F

F

F

F

F

Get a perfect finish without rubbing compound.

No more compound

Deeper, glossier finishes

Cleaner jobs

Reduced rework and comebacks

3Mcollision.ca/1Step 3M, 3M Science. Applied to Life., Hookit, Perfect-It and Trizact are trademarks of 3M. Used under license in Canada. © 2020, 3M. All rights reserved. 2010-18710 E

Less buffing work

Designed for ease of use

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 49

SCHOOL PROFILE

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) has been able to continue in-class teaching for 27 of its 28 apprenticeship programs, including its Auto Body Apprenticeship program.

SHIFTING GEARS NAIT navigates hands-on learning in unprecedented times

BY JULIA LLOYD

A

mid the pandemic, many students have been forced to take education into their own hands, pursuing courses from home via the internet—but students of skilled trades don’t have the luxury of remote learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a massive shift in the realms of education as university and college students across Canada study from the shelter of their own homes. But when the assignment rubric calls for a bumper replacement or structural repair—what’s an autobody repair student to do?

Fortunately, for students at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), the trades college has been able to continue in-class teaching for 27 of its 28 apprenticeship programs.

Ryan Pomedli, an instructor for NAIT’s autobody apprenticeship program and a veteran in the autobody industry, said the college has added several protocols to prevent any COVID outbreaks.

“We have a lot of equipment we already wear so some of this stuff isn’t so much changing completely, but changing how often we do it,”

50 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

explained Pomedli. “For example, in the shop we always required students to wear safety footwear and glasses and then, whenever they are standing there wearing an N-95 mask or if they are using a rotating tool, they use a face shield—but now students are wearing their masks all the time.”

Pomedli says students must always wear a face shield. During lunch time, the instructors are expected to disinfect the shop, and, at the end of the day, instructors complete a more thorough cleaning.

SCHOOL PROFILE

Normally, NAIT’s program would be comprised of a half day of theory and half day in the shop. Now, with COVID protocols, students complete three weeks straight of theory online and three weeks inside the bodyshop.

NAIT’s Auto Body Apprenticeship program is split into four segments: prepper, refinisher, repairer and technician.

Due to COVID, the program has been restructured to meet the needs of social distancing guidelines by having the least number of students on campus at any given time. Normally, the program would be comprised of a half day of theory and half day in the shop. Now, with the COVID protocols, students complete three weeks straight of theory online and three weeks inside the bodyshop.

“We’re seeing roughly 62 percent less people on all our campuses combined from years previous,” said NAIT’s media relations specialist, Nicole Graham.“The autobody apprenticeship program is now being organized by introducing staggered groups of students.”

The first group of students will start theory and, once they move on to the shop portion of the semester, the second group of students start their three weeks of theory and so on, until the first semester of the program concludes.

The main challenge for the students is “trying to work in the shop with your mask on, wearing your safety glasses and everything. It’s always fogging up and all that, it’s kind of tough,” autobody student Hateem Ibrahim said.

Autobody Instructor Cecile Bukmeier believes the main challenge for both students and teachers is the transition to blended learning.

But for Pomedli, the biggest challenge is the lack of raw communication he has with his students.

“One of the biggest challenges, and it doesn’t matter if we are doing online theory or in the shop, is the inability to read facial expressions.

For example, online some people have their cameras on but it’s so small you can’t read any facial expressions, and with the masks in the

During class, NAIT students and instructors are always required to wear both face masks and shields.

shop, you can’t read their facial expressions there either,” explained Pomedli. “When I’m typically doing theory, I can gage the entire class’s comprehension without asking but rather through engagement, but now it’s a little harder.

My main communication in theory is the little thumbs up icon in the chat.”

Pomedli is a NAIT auto body apprentice graduate and after years of success in the autobody industry, he decided to come back and teach at NAIT. Pomedli is currently the longest serving instructor in the auto body program and was involved with Skills Canada Competitions for several the years, competing in Worlds in Montreal 1999.

For him, the greatest benefit to industry is its

tight-knit community, however, with COVID protocols, that communication is lacking, and connections are not being built.

“It is a bit harder to get to know somebody when all you ever do is see them in a chatroom, or socially distancing at lunch you’re sitting at individual tables, it makes it hard for them to really get to know one another. Like when you’re in the office you can go over to the stalls over whoever might be able to answer the questions and you pick their brain a little bit but now it’s one of those things where we have to do a conference call and they are busy.”

But he stays optimistic for the future that things will go back to what the apprentice program looked like before the pandemic.

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 51

COMPANY PROFILE

PERCEIVE AND ACHIEVE Solve your capacity-planning conundrum with ProgiPlanning

BY JULIA LLOYD AND ALLISON ROGERS

R

unning a well-oiled collision centre can be challenging—but Progi has a solution.

Last week, Charles Aubry, account manager at Progi took the CCIF virtual stage to discuss how the ProgiPlanning software, combined with a capacity planning mindset, can help collision repair facilities establish a capacity-planning ecosystem.

ProgiPlanning is more than software—it’s a state of mind.

With ProgiPlanning, collision centres simply enter their goals and targets to open up a world of optimization. The software is used as a visual to help shops stay on course and see where improvement can be made by tracking important key performance indicators (KPIs) such as daily, weekly and monthly loads and targets, cycle times, overall productivity, hours produced per tech and more.

“With ProgiPlanning, what you can see, you can achieve,” Aubry told the CCIF audience.

While the ProgiPlanning software itself can provide data to help facilities better manage their goals and targets, Progi says any facility can adopt its capacity-planning mindset and tackle a seven-step strategy to achieve top performance, even without implementing the software.

When first adopting the ProgiPlanning mindset, a collision centre must establish its targets. Using ProgiPlanning, facilities can help find and track their chosen KPIs like margins, gross sales and key-to-key cycle time. Furthermore, the software can also produce hours sold produced per tech in a given period of time in any given period (like week or month) to help the team stay on track.

Aubry suggests that collision centres sit down and think about their desired performance in this stage.

“Define your desired performance and establish your objectives,” he said. “Remember, they must be realistic and time-bound to be successful.”

When it comes to a capacity-planning ecosystem, consider this: could you use UV primer in the prehistoric age?

Next, the collision centre must ensure all members of the team are on board. Without clear, cohesive communication about goals and targets, there is no team, said Aubry.

“Communication is as important as the water needed to grow a plant. The better you control your communications, the better you can control your success.”

The third rule in sticking true to a ProgiPlanning mindset, involves maintaining and analyzing your operations. If you are not reaching your objective, said Aubry, you will need to investigate what factors are blocking your path.

When it comes to bottlenecks in the painting process, parts flow and the quality of estimates leading to interruptions in the repair process, knowing how your chosen KPIs behave and observing any patterns is a key part in reaching a capacity-oriented objective.

Fortunately, the ProgiPlanning software can easily provide critical data and visual reports to help collision centres better understand where they may be missing the mark on their goals.

While it may be tempting to take on all you can manage to reach top performance, this is not an effective strategy.Aubry said the secret to capacity planning is to be loaded at maximum capacity while simultaneously remaining effi-

52 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

cient. If a collision centre overloads the system, serious operational problems could occur and result in lower performance, sending the team back to the drawing board.

ProgiPlanning can be a lifesaver when it comes to managing daily, weekly and monthly workloads. The tool can provide a colour-coded schedule to indicate daily workloads in percentage.

Aubry also suggested collision centres keep an eye on their work-in-progress (WIP) numbers to determine how much your facility can take on before its efficiency is challenged.

Another element of this step is to plan repairs “at the best possible moment,” said Aubry. Once your facility understands its workload and cycle times, you can begin scheduling repairs at opportune times to maximize efficiency.

This means your collision centre should be receiving and delivering vehicles every single day.

The dated method of receiving all your vehicles in on Monday and holding your breath until Friday is a surefire way to run into bottlenecks.

“Understanding scheduling is a fundamental rule in optimizing your productivity and becoming a pro capacity planner,” said Aubry.

ProgiPlanning uses a severity grid to indicate the most opportune time to position work in weekly schedules. Each collision centre has its

COMPANY PROFILE

“ProgiPlanning is more than software— it’s a state of mind.” − Charles Aubry, account manager, Progi

With the ProgiPlanning software, collision centres can track chosen KPIs and progress toward goals in their chosen time intervals.

own customized grid, and Progi says its “champion users” even go as far as setting seasonal grids to adapt their schedules with the jobs currently available in the market.

Once you have the aforementioned steps under your belt, Progi has just one more rule— challenge your limits.

“Do you want to go further? Are you able to do better? If the answer is yes, you will have to challenge your ecosystem again and find even better ways to plan your capacity,” said Aubry.

However, that does not mean you should spend too much time comparing “apples with apples,” said Aubry.

“Compare yourself with shops of the same size and accept that you may not be at your top yet. Don’t be jealous—be inspired.”

To learn more about Progi, or the ProgiPlanning software, visit progi.com.

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DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 53

TECHNOLOGY

CYBERHACKERS ON THE LOOSE Top ways to keep your business safe from cyberhacks

BY JULIA LLOYD

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CYBER ATTACKS? MALWARE

A general term for any software with intent to damage a computer and/or computer system. This can include, viruses, spyware, trojan horses and other malicious forms of cyber attacks. This is commonly contracted through email links from unknown sources—sometimes even pop-up ads have malware.

RANSOMWARE PHISHING

Professional hackers will install malware into an email that resembles a sender the user knows—increasing the likelihood of the user clicking the link. This is another type of malware, called phishing.

One of the more advanced forms of cyberattacks, hackers can encrypt data in the computer, with the use of a infected banner ad, email attachment, or an infected website. Personal information is taken, data is destroyed, and money is demanded in order to get control of the computer back.

CREDENTIAL REUSE

SOCIAL ENGINEERING

This type of hack does not occur quickly, the hack takes advantage of the user overtime by psychologically manipulating them. The hacker can make the user release personal information that allows the hacker to access the computer. This is especially dangerous in a workplace setting.

54 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

There are reasons for websites to request unique passwords.

Most people are tempted to use the same password and hackers love it. If one website is hacked and they get a list of usernames and passwords, they can use those passwords to long into other websites with personal information stored.

TECHNOLOGY

TYPES OF MALWARE VIRUSES

SPYWARE

TROJANS

TOP FOUR INDUSTRIES VULNERABLE TO CYBERATTACKS HEALTHCARE IT AND TELECOMS FINANCE CONSTRUCTION

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR COMPUTER AND PHONE EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE Losing data can be an error or the result of a cyber attack. Extneral drives backup data so nothing can be lost.

TEXT AND EMAIL ALERT UNIQUE PASSWORDS

The most basic way to protect your business is creating difficult and multiple passwords.

UNKNOWN USB DRIVES

KEEP UPDATED

Keep updated, cyberhackers often prey on older versions of software because it becomes vulnerable. and getting it updated gives it more security.

USB devices can carry malware, only let USB drives plugged in if you know where and what content is one the drive

ACCEPTING REQUESTS

Hackers utilize social media so make sure you look at their profile intensely for clues if the connection seems off from the start.

Social media platforms and emaails typically have a form of cyber security where they text/ email a user alerts about logins from new devices or suspicious activity on an account New logins some sites require a code that will be sent. This is a two-step authentication system to help the account from theing hacked.

SMARTPHONE SECURITY HHTPS

Websites that house hhtps. encrypts the input and output data to keep hackers from tampering or spying on the site

Make sure your phone is password protected incase it gets stolen. Make sure you are using encryption to protect senstive infomration.When installing apps check out the permissions and the maker of the app, some apps can be infected with malware. As well ... turn of bluetook and WI-FI when not in use.

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR  55

REPORT

ROMANS REPORT Canada’s top 10 collision networks make up 76.1 percent of industry revenue

BY ALLISON ROGERS

T

he Romans Group has released its annual whitepaper, A 2019 Profile of the Evolving U.S and Canada Collision Repair Marketplace, which looks at current, historical and future trends for both the U.S. and Canadian collision repair industries.

“For the U.S. and Canada, the North American auto physical damage ecosystem and the entire world, 2020 will forever be seen as a year of significant disruption and structural change with far-reaching economic, social and political implications,” reads the report.

Despite a steady decline in the number of collision repair facilities operating in Canada over the past seven years, the report says the Vincent Romans, founder of the Romans Group.

“We believe the market segments profiled within our report will recover from the pandemic and continue to grow and expand their revenue base, both through organic growth and acquisition,” reads the report.

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nation has seen its repair revenue grow.According to the whitepaper, the rise in repair revenue comes as a result of independent, dealer, banner and franchise network segment revenue and at the expense of smaller operators.

The whitepaper states that the top 10 collision network organizations—listed as CSN Collision Centres, Fix Auto, CARSTAR, CarrXpert, Boyd, Craftsman Collision, Kircmac,AutoCanada and Herbers, respectively—represent 76.1 percent of the industry’s revenue and 31.9 percent of the industry’s repair facilities.

While Canada has seen overall increases to repair revenue, the report does clarify that the “average revenue per location [in Canada]

REPORT

is considerably lower than the U.S.,” with the U.S. boasting a market size on a U.S. dollar basis 13 times the size of the Canadian target addressable market (TAM), and offering seven times more repair facilities than its northern neighbours.

In the realm of auto insurance, the Romans Group says both the U.S. and Canadian auto insurance markets are highly consolidated, “with the top 10 private carriers controlling the lion’s share of premiums and shouldering the majority of claims processed and settled.”

The group also states the U.S. private passenger P&C insurance industry, as well as

the auto-only insurance segment, remain much larger in scale than the Canadian market for all other categories.

As for future implications for both the U.S. and Canadian sectors, the Romans Group says it expects to witness ongoing consolidation in the future, as well as continuations on the following trends: • Insurtech claims processing models reinforce insurers’ preferred business economics • Canada-U.S. trans-border market entrance

by Collision Solutions Network and ProColor • OEM certification programs evolution • Post-COVID-19—achieving your escape

and landing velocity requires resilient companies and resilient leaders Nonetheless, the Romans Group believes in post-pandemic recovery across the board.

“We believe the market segments profiled within our report will recover from the pandemic and continue to grow and expand their revenue base, both through organic growth and acquisition,” reads the report.

The full version of A 2019 Profile of the Evolving U.S and Canada Collision Repair Marketplace, which features 80 comprehensive pages of historical trends and future views, as well as 65 charts and graphs, can be purchased by contacting maryjane@romans-group.com.

Top-ranked collision repairers in Canada, according the Romans Group whitepaper.

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 57

WHO’S DRIVING

THE NUMBERS GAME Pay attention to what KPIs are telling you

BY JAY PERRY

T

here is a great deal of emphasis on key performance indicators (KPIs) these days, and with good reason. These numbers tell a story—but that’s where they can become very confusing and start us down a road that can take us away from our goals.

Before we get any farther into this conversation, I want to make clear I am a big believer in numbers, just not in the way many seem to approach them.

What has been done to great detriment to efficiency and morale is to focus on specifics to try to influence the numbers—to improve a certain metrics within the entire framework of what numbers can truly help us with.

At the root, that’s what numbers do—tell us the results of our behaviours.

Once the focus is on the number, the eye is taken off the real game; behaviours. At the root, that’s what numbers do—tell us the results of our behaviours.

Take, for example, a customer service index (CSI), which is a direct measure of satisfaction with the service/product provided to the customer. You can easily see that if you are leading a company with a customer-focus then it stands to reason this number will be better than average.

If a company doesn’t pay attention to what the customer expectations are—such as not keeping them informed of order progress with updates, being treated in a courteous, professional manner and so on—then the company will receive a much lower ranking. The number is then a measure of the behaviours the customer sees.

All KPI numbers are measuring behaviours. Take sales, profit, throughput, cycle-time, anything you can find on your P&L, and you have a measure of a behaviour.

Let’s discuss profit. This boils down to your effort in orchestrating your team’s effort and that’s what drives the numbers to the desired KPI goals.

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THIS IS THE HIERARCHY OF WHERE YOU SHOULD PLACE THE BEHAVIOURAL EFFORT: 1. Organization 2. Communication 3. B uy-In (engagement) of our team members 4. Cooperation among our team embers 5. Evaluation of performance 6. Adjustment of focus on tasks (behaviours) When you put the effort into these things in the order presented, you are smoothing out operations, creating cooperation and collegiality, improving morale and culture and as a result of that effort, the numbers improve.

You can use the numbers to solve labor challenges such as being down one person on a 5-person team means that we can still have 100% output if we add 20% overtime from the team members.

So, the effort must be put into creating a highly cooperative, customer-focused team that understand the importance of their behaviours on the ability to have job security, raises and bonuses as well as the quality of the work environment.

Ratios can be deceptive and hurt overall performance when they take centerstage. When we do what’s right, the ratios come into the correct balance.

To try to tip the scale to try to please some theory is a fool’s errand. Do the right thing. That’s how you stay the one who’s driving!

JAY PERRY

is the founder of Ally Business Coaching, a process improvement and leadership development firm, and co-author of the book Success Manifesto with Brian Tracy. Jay is also an education partner with California Coast University in Santa Ana, California.

He can be reached at jayperryally@gmail.com.

PRAIRIE VIEW

FIND YOUR MISSING PIECE How do you hire the perfect fit?

BY CHELSEA STEBNER

RIGHT PEOPLE. RIGHT BUS. RIGHT SEAT?

W

e hear so much about making sure we’re all hiring the right people to join our teams. When it comes right down to it, how do we really know?

I bet that none of us are HR experts or have specialized training in that area and can read body language and eyes so well that we’ve got it cased! Most of us are busy wearing lots of hats; owner, manager, customer service rep, delivery driver, detailer, etc. That HR person is another line on the usual job description.

engaged the way I expect them to, when in all reality it’s because they simply don’t get my expectations.

As I grow, I realize this is sometimes more about me than about them. What am I doing to help my team learn and grow? Am I the one causing the problem? Have I communicated clearly?

This is often where personality assessments come in handy. If you can learn and understand some of that stuff, it can give you such insight into how to have clear communication with others.

Sometimes people are content in their role. Often, they simply haven’t had the opportunity to learn and engage and understand

We will continue learning about adding the right people to the bus, but more importantly, making sure that we’re hiring the right people into the right positions on that bus so that we can glean their skills to best serve our team and our business.

Many times, hiring happens under fire. “Shoot—we need someone and someone fast”, and what ends up occurring is the hiring of the first warm body that walks in the door. That’s happened, more than once and it hurts. Hiring takes time and patience, which many of us are famous for not having!

Ideally though, we all have a dream to have a perfect team who knows what they need to do and have the skills and ability to make it happen in each of their areas.

In the years to come, we will continue learning about adding the right people to the bus, but more importantly, making sure that we’re hiring the right people into the right positions on that bus so that we can glean their skills to best serve our team and our business. Small businesses often hire people and add tasks to job descriptions that might not actually match a role, but because there are few people, it gets lopped on! That creates strange holes to fill if that person moves onto another role or another job.

When looking for the right spot for the right person, I’ve been blinded by the fact that what I think I want and need from them is simply something out of their wheelhouse. I’ve spent countless hours trying to figure out why someone has not responded or

how they can affect change within their own organization. This is quite often the case, and an opportunity for you as a leader to share knowledge and engage a teammate.

Another challenge is that maybe the level of emotional intelligence simply isn’t there. They don’t recognize how they can bring value to the team and ego gets in the way.

I am learning—always more slowly than I wish—to really understand and figure out the talents and abilities of teammates and how they can best serve our business. It’s certainly not only fixing cars, it’s learning and growing people along the way.

CHELSEA STEBNER

is the CEO and managing partner of Parr Auto Body in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and a member of the CCIF Steering Committee. She can be reached at chelsea@parrautobody.com.

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 59

TRAINING

WHEN IT COMES TO TRAINING, THE TIME IS NOW ‘Later’ is a Synonym for ‘Never’

BY STEFANO LIESSI

D

oes anyone remember the year 2000, and all the speculative horrors associated with the roll over from 1999? All the computers were predicted to crash, stock markets would shut down, electrical grids would perish, and we would be left in the dark ages.

When New Years Day arrived, nothing happened. The odd old antiquated device packed it in, but for the most part we survived unscathed.

Here we are at the end of 2020—not soon enough for many I am sure—and we are in the middle of a tsunami of technological advancements in the automotive industry. Twenty years ago, heated seats ABS and traction control were still optional; today they are standard on base models. We’ve been hit with a plethora of technological features designed to make our driving experience second to none!

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Is there a cost to training?

Absolutely, and with that cost comes a return on investment.

TRAINING

The automobile has advanced at an incredible rate of speed, with constantly changing features, structural composition, finishes, and driveability. They sure do not build them like they used too.

They build them in a much higher level of advancement than we ever thought possible.

I have more than 38 years in this industry and have seen a lot of change in that time—not just in the manufacturing of the automobile, but also in the application of repair techniques and management processes.

You may be asking yourself how we can keep up with all this advancing technology.

The answer? Training, upgrading and educating yourself to be on par with the world around you.

The first step in your training initiatives is to be honest with yourself—how well have you kept up in this technological landslide? It’s not easy to take in all the information available out there nowadays, process it, and then apply it.

It is much easier to say, “I’ll get to that later.”

However, later is always just that—later.

Let’s take a different approach—in the coming years, you will need the most training in the realms of vehicle technology. Right from the front end our industry is permeated with technology, from the phone, internet, e-mail, all the way to software for management systems and estimating.

For a CSR, training may be a course on customer service; for estimators, it may require some guidance on the art of blueprinting, sourcing OE data, and ADAS requirements.

The list goes on.

The importance of this training is something that I cannot begin to emphasise enough. The advancements we see are of leviathan proportions, but we are not keeping up.

I had this article drafted and ready for the press—then I read a study compiled by Canadian company adasThink, one that triggers the need for training.

The study stated that Canadian bodyshops and related appraisal folk had missed 88 percent of the related calibration line items on 100 randomly selected estimates, compiled on various degrees of severity, on vehicles spanning 2014-2020.

This is incredibly detrimental to the industry and dealing with the speed at which it is

advancing. As we read more and more, these ADAS features and autonomous features are not going away, eventually our trades people will be so far behind that it will resemble teaching your great grandmother how to use Adobe Illustrator.

The advancements do not care if we know how to fix them; we need to care about how to fix them. Learning where and how to find the information is a start, small steps, then how to deal with them correctly is key. This is something that really should not be left to later.

As these systems advance so should our attitudes and ideologies regarding the comprehension of what is needed to stay on top. Try to begin with using technology to train—yes, the online world of webinars and various training platforms. I currently have been conducting a multitude of webinars for I-CAR, I have seen many different facilities signing up, but I’m seeing a lot of the same people. This is good, as they are truly taking an interest in the topics.

However, I know this is a minute segment of the industry populous.

Educational facilities also offer opportunities,

though you should be selective as these sessions can also be tailored to broad audiences.

Vendors or suppliers tend to be able to focus more to your facility’s requirements, but they also may only be able to assist with select areas.

Coaching and consulting are great if you need specific focus, unbiased applications over a diverse culture. This can be short-term or longer involvement tailored specifically right to each staff member.

Is there a cost to training? Absolutely—and with that cost comes a return on investment.

The return is in your revenue and security as a credible company, knowledge is paramount in our industry, application of that knowledge is equally as paramount.

In many cases we do not know what we do not know, and in this case, ignorance is not bliss, its inexcusable to be honest. There are a multitude of available opportunities regarding training, and in my opinion, the short-term gains from putting off training to “later” will be far outweighed by the long-term gains of knowledge and commitment to bettering yourself and your business.

STEFANO LIESSI

A Red Seal technician and founder of Canadian Collision Specialist, Stefano Liessi enhances his experience with 12 years of I-CAR instructing, coupled with high school teaching to bring training that encompasses all learning types. With experience on the corporate side of the industry, as well as in management and ownership, Stefano’s focus is proper repairs and equitably for all people involved in the collision industry.

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 61

TOM’S TALES

BREAKING THE GROUND The struggles and successes of starting out

BY TOM BISSONNETTE

I

fell into the auto body trade almost by accident. My car had been in an accident and I took it to a local shop where I got to know the owner and manager and we became friends.

My original vocation was a mechanic at a local farm machinery dealership. My father had his own repair business and I worked with him for several years and—since I was not inclined to plan my life—I just continued in that trade. This would have been the late seventies.

I eventually moved to the city and worked for a large Farm Implement dealership where I quite enjoyed the work and the people.

are just trying to make a living and look after their family.

The challenge was that interest rates were climbing to records proportions of 20 percent, and most of my customers were quite literally shutting down. My earning potential was taking a beating, every business was hurting, except for one—the bodyshops.

No matter how hard this business can be, you must realize that it is practically recession proof. If people are driving, you are going to have accidents and, in this instance, we had a big hailstorm that year.

One of my Autoware customers was the shop where I had my car fixed and they needed

parts. Not being from the collision trade, I had no idea what a ‘scalp mldg’ or a ‘reveal mldg’ or a ‘belt mldg’ was. In addition, all the estimates back then were handwritten and some of the appraisers had scrawl that resembled a dying chicken walking across the page!

With the responsibility of a mortgage payment and a new baby on the way my attitude was to ‘burn the ships’ and do whatever it took to succeed. I was determined not to mess up this job, so I came early, stayed late, worked weekends and figured it all out. I came to realize that this was standard operating procedures for most shops; throw

My training consisted of about a 10-minute discussion of how to receive and tag parts then deliver them to the parts storage area or the body man if the job was in the shop. Essentially, I had a Hilroy notebook with the job number on the left side margin followed by the customer’s name and vehicle details.

What caused me to leave the trade was one particularly nasty job that caused me to start thinking about my future health and financial prospects. I quit that job in 1981 at age 25 and started working with a company called Premier Autoware.

Premier Autoware sold parts and shop supplies to bodyshops and garages, paying me as a commission salesperson. At first, I loved the job—I got to travel a territory, meet lots of interesting people and I made decent money. To this day I always treat salespeople that call on me with courtesy and respect, I’ve been there and done it, so I know they

a parts person. They offered me the job, which I gratefully took as I had recently bought a new home with a 16 percent mortgage and our first child was on the way.

My training consisted of about a 10-minute discussion of how to receive and tag parts then deliver them to the parts storage area or the bodyman if the job was in the shop.

Essentially, I had a Hilroy notebook with the job number on the left side margin followed by the customer’s name and vehicle details.

When parts arrived, I would get the invoices, check the job number, write the customer’s name on the invoice and go to look for those

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the employee into the job and they either sink or swim. I was a swimmer, but I think it would have been much better if there had been a proper onboarding process in place.

After about four months I was getting into a groove and quite enjoying the work. I think that the autobody industry is a fantastic opportunity to use your problem-solving skills and help people that are going through an unfortunate experience. Tough as it can be it is weirdly satisfying when all the stakeholders are happy.

During this time, I had the opportunity to work with a very special man that was our

TOM’S TALES

shop foreman. He was easily the best ‘people person’ I ever met. He had to please the owner, the customer, the insurance company and the employees–quite the balancing act and he was superb at it. I learned a lot from him on how to deal with people, especially when everyone is under stress. He was a great mentor to me and was instrumental in helping me get acclimatized to the industry.

Unfortunately, this foreman landed in some hot water. I won’t get into specifics, but let’s just say boss came to me and told me that I was now the new shop foreman!

I told him he was nuts; I had just barely figured out the parts department and I had no idea about how to run the production portion of a body shop. He told me I would figure it out! Another round of Super High Intensity Training (SHIT) for me. Back to coming in early, staying late, working weekends in order to try and figure this job out.

This was tough, it took about a year to really get my head wrapped around it and earn the trust of the employees, some of them twice my age. I was lucky that there were a few employees that really stepped up to help me do my job but, for the most part it was an uphill battle. Learning to estimate body damage, doing estimates by hand, not using the P-Pages (I did not know they existed), dealing with insurance company appraisers who I believed would never steer me wrong.

You get the idea—it was trial by fire.

After the first year I had pretty much been had by everyone that could take advantage of me and I was learning how to stand up for myself and the shop. I started to develop a clientele that liked me and trusted me. I had joined the local Kinsmen Club and met a bunch of other young men that became good friends and customers, things were starting to roll and get easier.

Then our insurance company, SGI, introduced a new estimating platform called Audatex because they had worksheets that could be converted to computerized estimates.

After using Mitchell, where you estimate from the outside in, it was tough using a platform that estimated from the inside out.

In addition, SGI told us there were no P-Pages, the estimating platform had everything included in it!

This was another steep learning curve that did not last for very long as Mitchell

soon developed their estimating software and got the contract back. I learned during this time that you cannot always count on your insurance ‘partner’ to tell you the truth.

Whether it was intentional or not, this little experiment cost shops a lot of money.

From the bodyshop side, I saw lots to disappoint me on shop ethics. I saw panels repaired that were supposed to be replaced, vehicles meant for other shops that were dragged into our shop and taken apart so they could stay for us to repair, insurance company employees that had keys to our shop so they could work on their own vehicles and in return allow generous repair times on insurance jobs.

One of the owners of Parr Auto Body was a fellow from my hometown that I knew well as I grew up across the street from his family.

I always liked him so I immediately felt that Parr would be a good fit. The business was struggling financially at the time so I advised the owners that I would come on board but hold off on buying in until I could determine that I could get it turned around and profitable.

When I told my current employer that I was going to take this new employment opportunity he advised me that I should back away for my own good. He explained that he and a partner were very close to buying Parr and their plans were to put me in charge of the operation. Further, he advised me that

After the first year I had pretty much been had by everyone that could take advantage of me and I was learning how to stand up for myself and the shop. Things were starting to roll and get easier.

It seemed that this was just the way things were until SGI cracked down on some badapple employees. Thus, started the long winter of SGI/bodyshop relations that exists to this day. I’m sure every new hire hears the story of this infamous purge and they fear that it could happen to them.

After a few years of learning the business, I was approached by another large independent shop—Parr Auto Body—to come and manage the entire business. This was intriguing to me on several levels. I liked the idea that I could call the shots with regards to ethics and even the quality of work that the shop did. It is not that my current shop did not do decent work—compared to other shops—but I had seen some European paint and body techniques that quite frankly were much superior to what we were doing. In addition, they offered me the opportunity to buy in and become a partner in the business!

Parr was on the brink of bankruptcy so that if I went there, chances were I would lose that job anyway. He advised me to decline the job and throw my lot in with him and his partner.

That night my wife and I did a lot of soul searching and reviewing the ‘what if’ scenarios.

We concluded that in some instances there is no right or wrong decision, you simply decide and then do what you can to make it the right decision. I liked the idea of being able to call the shots when it came to how the business would function, and my wife quietly assured me that if it didn’t work out, I could always find another job.

When I told my present employer that I had made the decision to go he told me to pack up my stuff and leave. I didn’t even get the chance say goodbye to the men and women I had been working with the last three and a half years.

Breaking up is never easy.

TOM BISSONNETTE

is the director of the Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers and the owner of Saskatoon’s Parr Auto Body. He can be reached at dir@s-a-a-r.com.

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 63

ENGINE KNOX

NAVIGATING THE NEW YEAR Santa knows who’s skipping the sanitizer

BY STEVE KNOX

WHEN HE CAME DOWN THE CHIMNEY, WAS SANTA WEARING A MASK?

O

h, what a different world we’ve found ourselves in. Looking back to 12 months ago, Canada now seems like it was an untamed wild west.

In the not-so-far-off olden days, we would sit closely and talk to customers visiting our businesses. Upon greeting and saying goodbye, we would shake hands. Christmas dinner last year was in your grandmother’s house, with your cousins sitting next to you at the table, packed in like sardines. You ran to the electronics

The good news? You would be hard pressed to find a business school or university that can offer the real-world education we have received in the last year. One of the most important lessons I have learned, is to cut out the noise. I am spending my time focusing on our repair quality, customer experience and community. Worrying about the unknown, casting doubt on others and getting sucked into negativity is all too easy nowadays. Instead, I’m focusing on the positives, celebrating wins on my team, doing what I can to help keep my community safe and working to uncover any areas of opportunity I can find, to invest back into our business.

When I retire in 15 to 20 years, I’ll be able to look back on the

We are now survivors of one of the worst economic and health emergencies the world has ever seen. We will live to fight another day. store and stood in line with a hundred others to get a great deal on a TV. When the doors opened, everyone ran in bumping into each other. Do you remember how it used to feel to sit next to a coughing passenger in an airplane? I do, and I remember thinking I really didn’t want the inconvenience of the common cold.

Those days have passed; now, it’s all about COVID-19. We all take the necessary precautions in every aspect of our life. We wait in lines for grocery stores. We sanitize on our way into the store and on our way out. We wear masks in public and in private. And now if someone coughs, everyone turns around to see who it was, if they had a mask on and what direction they were pointed at when they coughed.

Of course, with COVID-19, came changes to our businesses as well. As a shop manager, one of my jobs has been to watch our net profits and make sure we grow that bottom line. Everyone who has this job knows how small the percentage of overall sales is retained after everything is paid. COVID-19 put us in an even tougher position. Now, we have lower volume and higher costs, leaving everyone who is in my position to do what we can to uncover new areas of opportunity.

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year 2020 and tell the young people in the front shop offices how we felt when the traffic stopped. We are now survivors of one of the worst economic and health emergencies the world has ever seen. Nobody alive has ever steered a business through a global pandemic of this size before. We will live to fight another day.

So, happy 2021 to all. As soon as this is all over, hug your people.

Shake some hands. Sanitize and stay clean. In the meantime, do whatever you can to avoid the spread.

We are stronger now than we have ever been. It may not feel like we’re out of the woods, but we are on our way. And if you’re still feeling down, remember what Freddy Mercury once said: We are the Champions!

STEVE KNOX,

general manger of CARSTAR Fredericton and CARSTAR Fredericton North, is an I-CAR Instructor and former member of the CCIF Steering Committee. He can be reached at sknox@carstarfredericton.ca.

RECYCLING NEWS

Brought to you by

RECHARGED RECYCLING Li-Cycle has announced it has closed a Series C equity funding round with intentions to use the funds for developing its Rochester, New York, commercial hub, along with an international market expansion. New York-based firm, Moore Strategic Ventures LLC, led the financing round. Founded in 2016, Li-Cycle says it has “reinvented the recycling process,” with a patented technology that has enabled recoveries of at least 95 percent of materials found in lithium-ion batteries. The innovative, zero-waste process is a step up from the industry norm of less than 50 percent recovery. The spoke and hub process that Li-Cycle uses sees batteries shipped to an initial “spoke” facility where the materials are mechanically processed and size-reduced. Next, the material is shipped to a “hub” location where the partially processed battery is put through a hydrometallurgical (or wet chemistry) process.

CONTROLLED COLLISIONS End-of-life-vehicles are providing Ajax’s first responders with life-saving training opportunities thanks to a partnership between the city’s fire and emergency services and their local auto recycler, Dave Langille of Durham Auto Parts. In late October, Ajax Fire and Emergency Services took part in a training session involving a decommissioned city bus that first responders had the opportunity to manipulate into various accident scenarios, providing what Ajax fire chief training officer Reno Levesque considers to be an invaluable training experience. This sort of opportunity would likely have not been possible without the relationship Ajax Fire has with Durham Auto Parts. This ongoing relationship also allows first responders to stay up to date on changing vehicle materials and technologies that may affect their ability to respond to an emergency.

The bus, supplied by Dave Langille of Durham Auto Parts, allowed first responders in Ajax, Ontario, to undergo a special training session.

FUELLED BY FORD Ford is not only the most popular automaker in Canada—the automaker’s models are also the most common brand retired through Canada’s Retire Your Ride vehicle recycling program in the last year.

Out of all Ford models, the Escape and Focus are the two retired the most often through the Retire Your Ride program.

The most popular vehicle recycled is the 2004 Honda Civic with 32 vehicles across Canada turned in, and in fact, five of the top 10 vehicles retired were Honda Civics. However, when looking over the top 10, Ford is at the top of the heap. The number of Ford recycled this year and the number of new Ford sold may not be entirely coincidental. While brand loyalty isn’t quite the force in the automotive world that it once was, there are still plenty of people who have a preferred car brand and stick with it. It could very well be that Ford owners deciding to retire their ride this year, simply purchased another Ford.

MEET THE PROS OF THE CANADIAN AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLING INDUSTRY Canadian Auto Recyclers magazine offers a comprehensive look at the recycling industry with exclusive articles on parts, the environment, association updates, the mechanical sector, a directory and much, much more.

Follow Canadian Auto Recyclers Visit or subscribe to canadianrecycler.ca DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 65

COMPANY PROFILE

THE SHADES OF TOMORROW BASF unveils its tenth annual automotive colour collection

“This collection represents the blend of the physical and digital worlds to stay hopeful and positive while coping with change.” – BASF

BY AIDAN LABBOSSIERE

D

ark Seltzer. Hiatus Grey. Social Camouflage.

These are the shades of the future, according to BASF’s tenth annual Automotive Colour collection.

The colours in the collection serve as inspiration to automotive designers for vehicles that will be on the road in three to five years.

The global collection, CODE-X, showcases, “everything from new, reimagined whites, to the darkest of jet blacks” while reimagining all the colours in between.

The global key colours—warm beige, greyish green, and coarse grey—may sound typical, but the BASF coatings division by Zeitguised integrates textures and shades that modernize the look of these vehicles to help model the trends and values of society. In a year such as this, marked with unpredictability, “this collection represents the blend of the physical and digital worlds to stay hopeful and positive while coping with change,” said BASF. North America’s key colours include Dark Seltzer, a medium dark grey, with a surprising

66 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

texture and uncertain hue. BASF said the key colour signals the new normal: “nothing is mundane; everything has an important story.”

Further, Redolent Red evokes not only a strong alliteration, but also strength with its reddish-brown hue coupled with modern functionality.

The final colour in the North American scheme is Abstraction Blue; primary, simple and elegant to suit any texture, this colour’s versatility is in tune with how we envision adapting to the societal climate.

COMPANY PROFILE

This design is inspired by humanity’s unwillingness to accept failure, using our innate ability to problem solve, fueled by our fascination with the unknown. Technology and design merge with a symbiotic combination of texture and hue, taking a bolder, more interactive approach.

Moving toward the Eastern hemisphere, warm beige acts a key colour for the Europe, Middle Eastern and African (EMEA) regions. BASF’s shade Pundits Solution appears neutral while featuring a gold sparkle effect which brings warmth and positions the shade as uniquely different and distinctively younger.

EMEA’s key colour is coupled with Hiatus Grey, a coarse and metallic texture suggesting technological ideation, and Intron Green, a haptical mint-like green that features an explosion of texture.

The younger generation of people in the EMEA region are faced with change, and are now given the opportunity to reflect with clarity and do things differently by blazing a new trail for themselves. “[The EMEA Region colours] want to have a radical impact without screaming that it is radical. They want to adapt society to them, which speaks to how we consume,” wrote BASF in its report.

Social Camouflage, Asia Pacific’s key colour, aims to speak on how technology meets nature in the nuanced grey-ish green colour, but also within society.

Asia Pacific’s key colours reflect a positive flexible attitude for change, action, and the future. They are warm and emotional colours.

They are not black or white, but more blurred and floating, like human emotion said BASF. Social Camouflage,Asia Pacific’s key colour, aims to speak on how technology meets nature in the nuanced grey-ish green colour, but also within society.

“Not really light or dark, it is a coloured neutral with floating effects that can be smoky,

depending on the angle. The cool colour represents flexible values and behaviors that will change the world in a positive manner” BASF explains.

The accent colours paired with the key Social Camouflage are Dream Fighter, and Unknown Metal. The first is a subdued and comfortable intermediate orange with hints of pink and copper, while the second is a grey-influenced purplish colour that is basic, yet fascinating.

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 67

REGIONAL NEWS | BRITISH COLUMBIA

REGIONAL NEWS | COAST TO COAST REVVED UP AT ELECTRAMECCANICA Canadian electric-vehicle startup ElectraMeccanica says it will open six U.S. retail outlets before the end of November.

The stores will open in the following cities: San Diego, California; Santa Clara, California; Walnut Creek, California; Brea, California; Scottsdale Arizona, and Glendale, Arizona.

ElectraMeccanica says the Scottsdale store will be a seasonal one.

All six locations are set to open by Thanksgiving, are in popular shopping centres, and “will be strategically positioned in highvisibility areas alongside notable name0brand anchor stores,” according to the automaker.

The EV startup located in Vancouver builds and sells the three-wheeled, all-electric commuter vehicle, designed specifically for urban settings, with four established U.S. locations on the west coast.

E le c t raMe ccanica, a long wit h its manufacturing partner and strategic investor Zongshen Industrial Group, began production of the Solo EV in China during late August.

The SOLO EV features a 160 km and can cruise at highway speeds and can charge on regular household (100V) sockets in fewer

than six hours, according to the automaker.

ElectraMeccanica said Thursday that the initial shipment of its production vehicles has arrived in North America, and has been designated for corporate use in marketing, advertising, and retail.

They have also used vehicles from their first batch of EVs to test the international shopping logistics and port processing.

“We are continuing with our planned, methodical ramp-up in production to

ensure quality and consistency,” CEO of ElectraMeccanica Paul Rivera said. “While we have encountered certain hurdles through this growth process, our team is hard at work making select supply chain and technical improvements.”

The single-seat EV starts at $18,500 in the United States. It has been in development for about five years and undergone steady refinement as it approached commercial production.

Vancouver-based startup ElectraMeccanica has announced it will be opening six new U.S. retail stores by the end of 2020.

A PENNED COMPLAINT The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has published an open letter to British Columbia Premier John Horgan, outlining the auto industry’s concerns with Bill 11.

In its letter, IBC highlights a new proposal for offering vehicle damage coverage when a driver is not responsible for an accident.

It states the bill will further limit consumer choice, create new barriers that will stifle the already limited competition that currently exists in B.C.’s optional auto insurance market, and it will risk driving other insurers out of its optional auto insurance market entirely.

IBC also offers a new proposal for offering vehicle damage coverage when a driver is not responsible for an accident.

“As part of the move to a no-fault system,

Bill 11 creates a new mandatory Basic Vehicle Damage coverage that is only available through the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC),” IBC says in its letter.“This product will provide coverage for vehicle replacement and repair when a driver is not responsible for an accident.

“Today, these repairs can be covered by the third-party liability insurance of the driver responsible for an accident, which is open to choose and competition above ICBC’s basic limits.”

In B.C., the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) is a provincial Crown corporation that provides universal compulsory auto insurance (Basic insurance) to drivers in B.C.

68 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Premier John Horgan was the recipient of IBC’s open letter criticizing ICBC—the third letter the federal body has addressed the public insurer’s practices in this year.

BRITISH COLUMBIA | REGIONAL NEWS

PULLING OUT OF THE PACIFIC Intact has announced that it plans to no longer offer optional automobile coverage in British Columbia.

This decision was made with careful consideration given the upcoming changes in the province after the NDP secured a majority government this past weekend. With the NDP win, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) will remain on as the province’s public insurer.

B.C.’s Liberal Party had promised that, if it won the provincial election, it would get rid of the monopolistic public insurance structure run by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC).

“We believe that consumers should have choice and flexibility when it comes to their insurance,” said Louis Gagnon, president, of Canadian operations, Intact Financial. “We have been closely assessing the optional automobile insurance market in British Columbia for some time and made the decision to shift focus to our other lines of

business and providing enhanced services to consumers.”

Intact insurance brands, Intact Insurance, and belairdirect will no longer offer optional coverage in B.C. Both brands will stop taking new business starting December 1, 2020, and renewals on January 1, 2021.

The issue for Intact, regarding the NDP’s new majority government, was their platform that would offer a new mandatory Basic Vehicle coverage, as the no-fault insurance models of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Intact’s biggest concern is the limitation of competition and choice for consumers due to this new coverage.

However, as Canada’s leading home and auto insurance provider, Intact is committed to maintaining a strong presence in the province of B.C. They will continue to provide personal property, commercial P&C, surety, and specialty insurance to individuals and businesses in B.C. through its brands.

“We believe that consumers should have choice and flexibility when it comes to their insurance,” — Louis Gagnon, president, of Canadian operations, Intact Financial.

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REGIONAL NEWS | ALBERTA

COVID CANCELS CALGARY AUTO SHOW Calgary Motor Dealers Association has announced that the 2021 Calgary International Auto and Truck Show will be cancelled due to uncertainty regarding the pandemic.

“It is an unprecedented time for everyone f rom both a business and personal perspectives,” said Jim Gillespie, executive director of the Calgary Motor Dealers Association and Auto Show. “We remain committed to our valued relationships with manufacturers, partners, the many charities the association and the foundation supports and the devoted attendees who enjoy the Calgary International Automotive and Truck show and the Vehicles and Violins Gala.”

Gillespie explained in the press release Wednesday that as apart of the commitment

to their valued customers, partners and manufacturers, their safety was of utmost concern.

The decision to cancel is disappointing for everyone involved, including partners and attendees, but was “The only responsible decision that could be made at this time,” according to the press release.

The Calgary Auto and Truck Show was going to be scheduled to take place at the BMO Centre at Stampede Park from March 10-14, 2020. However, with all of Canada’s large auto shows cancelling their 2021 events, the Calgary Motor Dealers Association had no choice but to follow suit.

This will be the first time in 40 years that the show has been cancelled.

For the first time in 40 years, the Calgary Auto Show has been cancelled.

The most significant change this bill will introduce is that it will require the insurer to pay the insured for any damage to their vehicle and its contents regardless of fault.

Presently, if a not-at-fault motorist in Alberta has an accident, their insurer pays for repairs to their vehicle and its contents and then pursues a claim against the at-fault driver.

This new detail is modelled in part after the no-fault system used in Ontario where, in the effort to mitigate the delays and costs involved in determining fault on each claim,

the insured parties are paid out in nearly all cases.

As well, Bill 41 limits each party to either one to three expert witnesses depending on if the claim exceeds $100,000. A party can retain more experts if they get permission from the court or if all parties agree.

Dentists, psychologists, and occupational therapists are now providers of adjunct therapy under the new model with each claimant limited to $1,000 in coverage from these providers.

Churchill started in the collision centre industry as a detailer, fresh out of high school. Afterwards, Churchill transitioned into a collision damage analyst position and eventually became the western Canadian business development manager under another banner.

Curtis Proulx, CSN Autolab CTO, had thrived on the shop floor from a young age, leading him to take the technical path. In 2011, he received his Red Seal Journeyman credentials.

President and COO Troy Bozarth, the last of the leadership team, said his passion for cool cars, good business and great friendships led him to join the collision repair industry after a decades-long career in oil and gas as a geophysicist.

“Curtis and I are industry guys, we have

a combined 25 years experience between us but with that said, we’re definitely still the youngest operators in the room at every industry event we attend,” Churchill said.

NO BLAME GAME A bill passed by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta last week is likely to present big changes to how the province’s auto insurance process is carried out, aimed to mirror similar models used in Ontario and New Brunswick.

Bill 41, passed in the assembly on November 18, will see Alberta pivot toward a “no-fault” auto insurance model designed to reduce costly insurance prices by way of placing ne w rest r ic t ions on cer t ain claims and streamlining aspects of the litigation process.

TRIPLE THREAT CSN has announced the addition of CSN Autolab Calgary as the latest repair facility to join its network.

CSN has been recruiting high-quality repairers in the prairies for quite some time, but when it comes to CSN Autolab, “it’s a far cry from your average collision centre,” according to a press release from the company.

The leadership team at CSN Autolab consists of three childhood friends from elementary school.

“Starting this venture together gives us the autonomy to provide our clients with the level of service we’ve always felt they’ve deserved while allowing us to determine what the future of our industry holds going forward. The bonus of getting to do it with your childhood best friends is a dream come true,” said Ryley Churchill, CEO of CSN Autolab.

70 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

CSN Autolab is headed by CEO Ryley Churchill, CTO Curtis Proulx and COO Troy Bozarth.

SASKATCHEWAN | REGIONAL NEWS

BEST OF SASKATOON Every year, Saskatoon residents vote on their favourite people, places, businesses, creations and events, the local magazine then publishes the winners for their “Best of Saskatoon” issue.

Planet S – Saskatoon’s local magazine, is published every two weeks with their best issue being “Best of Saskatoon,” which gets published twice a year in spring and fall.

For this issue, two of the nominated shops are Parr Auto Body and Lazer Autobody. A third shop, Kaiva Autobody, has also been nominated.

Lazer Autobody–which some may recognize as the cover story on Collision Repair‘s October issue–has also been nominated for “Best Auto Glass Repair.”

Parr Autobody is also headed by longtime Collision Repair columnist Chelsea

Stebner, who serves as a managing partner at the facility.

If you would like to vote, you can find the poll on the Planet S website or on their

Facebook account. The polls will remain open until October 23 at 4 p.m.

Last year, Avalon Auto Service won ‘Best Autobody Repair.’

Three autobody repair facilities are going head-to-head, competing for the title of Saskatoon’s Best Autobody Repair.’

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 71

REGIONAL NEWS | MANITOBA

The La Broquerie Fire Department will be receiving a new Jaws of Life set to help speed up the collision clean-up process.

The new Jaws of Life will ensure everyone receives the care they need as quickly as possible as the new equipment is more maneuverable.

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NEW YEAR, NEW JAWS The La Broquerie Fire Department of Manitoba will be receiving a new Jaws of Life set to help the unit respond more swiftly to multiple vehicle collisions.

“We’ve been looking at these for a couple of years now and this year it worked out quite well,” notes Fire Chief Alain Nadeau, who said he has been putting pressure on the town council to make the purchase.

The department’s old set of jaws required a bulky generator to receive power, whereas the new one is completely electrical. The new generator’s discrepancy, according to Nadeau, will make a huge difference on the scene of a crash.

Because the department’s current jaws are so cumbersome and complicated, setting them up takes a lot of time (a factor that becomes problematic if there’s more than one person injured or trapped).

Nadeau explained that for vehicles to be 121 m. to 150 m. (400 ft. to 500 ft.) apart after a severe head-on collision is not uncommon.

“That makes it quite tricky because you have to work at one end and then move everything to the other end,” said Nadeau.

The new Jaws of Life will ensure everyone receives the care they need as quickly as possible as the new equipment is more maneuverable, he said.

The new jaws are locally sourced in Carman, according to Nadeau, which can be easily repaired by the manufacturers without too much delay if something were to break.

After recognizing all these factors, Deputy Reeve Ivan Normandeau said Council unanimously approved the $48,393 purchase in their most recent meeting. He also added that roughly half of that sum will come from the municipality’s general budget for 2020 and the other half will come from the one-time COVID-19 funding that they received from the government late last month.

The La Broquerie Fire Department will be receiving their new device sometime in January 2021.

ONTARIO | REGIONAL NEWS

STORM AREA X.O.

Ottawa’s Area X.O.—formerly the Ottawa L5 Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Test Facility—has received a $17 million government investment.

InvertaPuls IP 7-2 ACT Meets the requirements of most OEM‘s

test scenarios between autonomous vehicles and vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.

The companies partnered with this investment include Accenture, BlackBerry QNX, the City of Ottawa, Ericsson, Hexagon AutonomouStuff, InDro Robotics, Kongsberg Geospatial, Microsoft, Nokia and TÜV SÜD.

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equipped 5G mobile command centre with drones capable of deploying a standalone and secure 5G network anywhere, thanks to the investment.

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Ottawa’s AV (autonomous vehicle) industry is flush with cash following a $17 million government investment into its local testing facility.

With this joint investment between Invest Ottawa and the federal government through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), staking $10 million and $7 million respectively, the city will be supporting a number of companies who are leading the way in AV development, as well as the facility itself.

“The enhanced capabilities at Invest Ottawa’s Area X.O., made possible by support from FedDev Ontario, will support the next generation of digital infrastructure and help to grow our regional economy and create good local jobs,” said Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre Catherine McKenna.

The newly named Area X.O., formerly the Ottawa L5 Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Test Facility, will receive a new, fully-

Welding programs for: • MIG brazing 0,8-1,0 mm • Aluminium 1,0-1,2 mm • Steel / stainless steel 0,6-1,2 mm • TIG (WIG) • Pulse and double pulse welding 2-cycle & 4-cycle mode including special mode thin metal sheet - ACT for steel welding

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 73

REGIONAL NEWS | ONTARIO

KING OF KENORA CARSTAR Kenora was honoured recently at the Kenora and District Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business Awards banquet, where owner Peter Scheibler took home the award for Entrepreneur of the Year.

Scheibler was one of 12 other nominees in his category, and CARSTAR Kenora was among more than 40 businesses being recognized for their success in the Kenora district.

“It’s humbling. I received so many messages through social media, text messages, phone calls and emails. A lot more than I ever would have expected. Obviously, it’s good for the business. It shows we’re running a good business here and trying our best to tough it out through this difficult time. We, of course, were also directly affected by COVID – we were slow for like three months straight. So, we had to change some things around but didn’t have to lay anyone off so that was nice.

Everyone stuck together and we just kind of pushed through.”

CARSTAR Kenora owner Peter Sheibler, pictured right, recently took home the Kenora and District Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business Award for Entrepreneur of the Year.

With more than 20 years of experience under his belt in the auto industry as a painter, Scheibler took the reigns at CARSTAR Kenora in 2016.

“I started here in December of ’97 as an apprentice painter. That’s how it all began. I went to college to be an automotive painter and then around the year 2002 I was given the option to help in the office. I had an

injury, so I was going to be off for two to three months, so they got me doing some office work. Honestly, I never looked back at the painting part of it. That ultimately led to an opportunity to then buy the business in July of 2016. So, I’ve owned it now for just over four years.”

For Scheibler, the key to a good business is a happy business—simple as that.

Automotive employers who host these student placements will also benefit from highly skilled labourers from the new collaboration, according to Loyalist College president and CEO, Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan.

“This initiative by the ministry of labour, training and skills development will strengthen Ontario’s competitive advantage globally by connecting next generation talent with the automotive manufacturing jobs of tomorrow,” said Dr. Vaughan.

The $37 million investment will be allocated to 86 projects the government believes will help many Canadian job seekers develop the skills they need to be an auto industry professional.

The new local training initiative will be provided through multiple universities, c ol l e ge s , c om mu n it y an d i n du st r y organizations in Ontario.

STUDENT SKILLS Loyalist and Durham College are partnering through the Ontario Tech University collaboration with an investment of more than $750,000 to help with student placement in the auto industry.

The initial investment of $37 million from the province is meant for helping people train for jobs in the automotive, transportation and construction sectors; much like Durham and Loyalist College are with their share of the $37 million.

The two colleges will form an executive committee to oversee the development of a network that can bring together industry professionals and students to help them find a placement.

The colleges are calling the new local training initiative, the Career Fund’s Auto Stream. The government hopes this investment will help students, recent grads, and apprentices, expand the current workintegrated learning opportunities in their local community or college.

74 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

Loyalist and Durham College are partnering through the Ontario Tech University collaboration with an investment of more than $750,000 to help with student placement in the auto industry.

ONTARIO | REGIONAL NEWS

JOINT CUSTODY The Government of Ontario has announced a $1 million grant program that they are hoping will encourage employers to take on more trades apprentices.

The Group Sponsorship Grant (GSG) announced by the provincial government in mid-November will provide funding to employers with annual maximum funding of $1 million to help guide apprentices through their training.

In one of a number of documents released to the government’s website, the Ministry of Labour claims that “by sharing apprenticeship management and training responsibilities, employers can streamline administration, structure training, and reduce the pressure on any one employer to see an apprentice through the completion of training within a trade.”

Applications for the program are currently open for employers and those accepted will be signed on for a minimum of one year and a maximum of three. The government expects the review period for applications to take up to two months.

The Group Sponsorship Grant (GSG) announced by the provincial government in mid-November will provide funding to employers with annual maximum funding of $1 million to help guide apprentices through their training.

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 75

REGIONAL NEWS | QUEBEC

BREWING UP CHANGE Allstate Insurance Company of Canada plans to give back to their local community in Montreal with the announcement of a $10,000 donation to the Old Brewery Mission’s (OBM) affordable housing program.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put yet another strain on the lives of Canada’s homeless population and Allstate is hoping to do their part by supporting OBM’s housing program.

“Allstate recognizes that 2020, without question, has been a particularly challenging

year for the Old Brewery Mission and the homeless community. Livelihoods are at risk during these difficult times,” says Carmine Venditti, agency manager at Allstate Canada.

“As part of our long-standing relationship with the Old Brewery Mission, it is our hope to ease their financial hardship and help the homeless community in Montreal to have a safe place to call home.”

The donation will help provide living spaces for 15 people looking for a sustainable housing solution.

“This is a particularly challenging time for people living in homelessness and the agencies that serve them,” says James Hughes, president and CEO of the Old Brewery Mission. “Unfortunately, we have had to suspend or cancel crucial fundraising events, which normally generate vital funds to keep our essential services and housing programs running. We will be able to put the funds provided by Allstate Canada to good use to help our clients rebuild their lives and reintegrate into the community.”

“The spotlights are on us,” he said. “A lot of fleets didn’t know Lion existed and now they know and understand we’ve been here for a lot of years.”

Over the next 18 months, he learned that Amazon was listening and interested in his ideas. Lion welcomed Amazon to its factory, located in a suburban town with a population that’s 1/13th of the size of Amazon’s total workforce, for multiple drive tests and inspections from Amazon mechanics.

No contract had been secured yet, however,

Bedard wasn’t worried since Amazon kept coming back with more questions, which made him feel closer to landing their business.

In mid-September, Lion Electric announced it had secured a contract to provide Amazon with 10 battery-powered trucks to be used for shipments between fulfilment centres.

And just two weeks earlier, Lion had secured the largest contract in company history with a Canadian National Railway Co. order for 50 Class 8 electric trucks. That CN deal was worth more than 20 million, Bedard said.

GLOBAL REACH Lion Electric Co. is a small, Quebec-based electric school bus manufacturer that is making waves in the electric auto-sphere.

Chief executive Marc Bedard spent the last eight years working with EVs before moving onto electric trucks.

Bedard was worried he was being too ambitious promising the production of EV trucks in just two years, however, he still made the announcement at Atlanta’s 2018 Auto Show and by surprise, landed two marquee clients.

76 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

REGIONAL NEWS | QUEBEC

IN TODAY’S AGE

Since 2015, women aged 75 and older represent the largest share increase in the number of insured vehicles, according to Groupement des Assureurs Automobiles (GAA) statistics.

GAA’s yearly stats update revealed a large progression of insured vehicles. Over the past five years, the number of vehicles insured by women aged 75 and older has risen 31 per cent and for men of the same age, it rose 23 per cent.

Among seniors aged over 75, the number of vehicles insured between 2015 and 2019 increased from 102,631 to 134,771 for women, and from 176,097 to 216,727 for men.

“As the population ages, we note that seniors want to drive longer.

On the flip side, the number of younger insured vehicle owners is down. Opposing trends among younger and older drivers!”

— Anne Morin For drivers, the number of vehicles insured rose five per cent during the past five years. Among younger drivers, the number of insured vehicles fell 8 per cent and 7 per cent for women and men under 25 years of age, respectively.

“As the population ages, we note that seniors want to drive longer. On the flip side, the number of younger insured vehicle owners is down. Opposing trends among younger and older drivers!” stated Anne Morin, supervisor of public affairs at GAA. Up to age 29, men are most likely to have the highest loss frequency. But the trend reverses at 30 when collision frequency is high among women, according to GAA 2019 data.

For both men and women, claim improvement progress as drivers age, up to age 65, when claims go up slightly.

Drivers of both genders aged 24 and under have the highest collision claims frequency, while collision frequency for all drivers sits at 4.72 per cent, that stat rises to 11 per cent for male drivers under age 24 and nine per cent for female drivers in the same age group.

The fewest accidents are among the drivers aged 45 to 64.

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For more information visit buyersguide.collisionrepairmag.com DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 77

REGIONAL NEWS | ATLANTIC

GO BIG, OR GO HOME Halifax’s Jeff Farwell, CEO of All EV Canada, recently acquired the dealership Pure EV, with plans on expanding further across Canada.

“We want to own the used vehicle market from the point of view of being able to offer affordable options for electric vehicles,” said Farwell.

On Tuesday, Farwell announced that his company is expanding and has merged with Charlottetown’s used electric dealership, Pure EV, which is now renamed All EV Canada Former CEO of Pure EV, Mike Kenny has decided to remain with the company, in sales as well as a shareholder. Kenny started Pure EV in August of 2019.

All EV Canada is now looking to expand into New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario; however, no locations have been chosen yet, according to Farwell.

Halifax’s Jeff Farwell, CEO of All EV Canada plans to expand across Canada with the addition of the Pure EV dealership brand.

“We want to own the used vehicle market from the point of view of being able to offer affordable options for electric vehicles.”

— Jeff Farwell

THE TESLA TICK CSN Chapman West Bedford, a well-oiled collision repair centre, received their Tesla certification last week—becoming the first shop in all of Nova Scotia and second in Atlantic Canada to do so.

“Our shop sought out Tesla certification because of the grown demand of more fuelefficient vehicles, I thought that it would be an obvious choice to seek out their certification as the brand gets more and more popular,” explained Kelvin Campbell, owner of CSN Chapman West Bedford.

“And since CSN Chapman is already Porsche and BMW certified, the basic infrastructure was already in place, Tesla certification just made sense,” he continued.

When the shop got its BMW certification, it was the first and only collision repair centre in Atlantic Canada to be authorized to perform aluminum structural repairs on the automakers’ vehicles.

“As far as an investment standpoint,” said

CSN Chapman West Bedford, owned by Kelvin Campbell, was the first shop in Nova Scotia to be certified by Tesla.

Campbell, “the cost was minimal and the initial investment into doing aluminum and so forth was there from the BMW certification and so the whole process was made fairly easy—with the exception of all the tedious online training that was required.”

For future operations, Campbell believes

78 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

that since many CSN Chapman West Bedford customers are dealing with mostly European and high-end side of the industry, a Tesla is now a possible option for them because there is now a local source to get their cars repaired. It has allowed Campbell to retain the customers he has, and hopefully gain more.

ALL THE RAGE

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espite its upheavals, 2020 did bring the industry good fortune—especially in the form of brand-new products. As we prepare to wade deeper into the unknown, ensuring your equipment is fit for the future will be of the utmost importance. With cars becoming ever more complex with new technologies and materials, the tools of tomorrow are designed to make the lives of technicians easier, while simultaneously increasing shop productivity.

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Take a look at Collision Repair’s hot new product picks below—you may find your new favourite tool!

ADASTHINK For ease in ADAS calibrations Suffering from ADAS pains? This new Canadian company has you covered.

The winner of SEMA360’s Best New Collision Repair and Refinish Product, adasThink is a brand-new easy-to-use tool that allows shops to pull a vehicle’s advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) and required calibrations. By analyzing pre-determined estimates, adasThink automatically pulls the inputted vehicle features based on repair operations provided in the estimate. Covering a wide range of vehicle manufacturers with select models between 2013 and 2021, this system will assist in any shop’s scanning process.

MITCHELL CLOUD ESTIMATING

BY MITCHELL INTERNATIONAL Write estimates from anywhere New to the Canadian market, Mitchell’s Cloud Estimating Platform can help you see estimates more clearly.

Designed with collision repairers in mind, the Mitchell Cloud Estimating application can be used to write estimates from anywhere and from any Internet-enabled Microsoft Windows, Apple iOS or Google Android device—including their smartphone, tablet or laptop.

MOTIONLED LIGHTING SYSTEM

BY BETAG INNOVATION Light up your life BETAG’s MotionLED system is a mobile, cordless task lighting solution, designed for use by estimators, repair planners and technicians. The rechargeable batteries built into the housing of the light itself produce nine hours of work time from each threehour charging cycle.

Using the optional extension arm, estimators and repair planners can use the MotionLED to identify and mark all the damage on a panel—and produce high-quality images of the damage to submit to the customer or insurer.

Each of the lighting strips in the MotionLED is individually controllable, enabling technicians to adjust the brightness and warmth of the light as needed – to deliver high-quality work, quickly and efficiently.

PROGIPLANNING BY PROGI Achieving a capacity-planning mindset ProgiPlanning is more than sofware—it’s a state of mind.

That is what the minds at Progi are saying about their latest development, ProgiPlanning, Progi’s new management software that provides data to help facilities better manage their goals and targets.

Setting targets and hitting them is the focus for ProgiPlanning, allowing facilities to find and track their chosen KPIs like margins, gross sales and key-to-key cycle time directly within the so ware.

As well, the ProgiPlanning interface is simple and easy-to-use, utilizing a colour-coding language to help keep shop owners organized and on track at a glance.

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 79

NEW AND HOT

SUN COLLISION REPAIR INFORMATION

BY SUN, A SUBSIDIARY OF SNAP-ON CARBEAT BY AKZONOBEL

OEM information at your fingertips

Control the pulse of your business

Introduced at the 2019 SEMA Show, SUN Collision Repair Information offers collision repair facilities a comprehensive source of repair information that covers all types of repairs, both collision and mechanical, and includes OEM and real-world industry information.

Through the portal, SUN users can access OEM and expert-based repair information right at the vehicle—where you need it most. SUN Collision is optimized for tablet devices, making it easy to retrieve and view your content anywhere you work on vehicles. Further, according to SUN, its software can provide answers for every type of repair—collision or mechanical.

Carbeat, AkzoNobel’s state-of-the-art bodyshop workflow control solution has the power to help collision centres operate more efficiently.

Carbeat is AkzoNobel’s patented, state-of-the-art digital body shop workflow control solution that enables automotive body repair shops to track their work in production and thus operate more efficiently.

The Carbeat Connect module has been implemented in selected body shops for several months, and AkzoNobel recently opened it to other Carbeat customers in Canada.

REVO CURING SYSTEM BY GLOBAL FINISHING SOLUTIONS Ultra-fast drying for every paint job

GLASURIT 100 LINE FROM BASF/GLASURIT Environmentally friendly painting Earlier this year, BASF introduced its brand new Glasurit 100 Line of refinish paint, which sees the brand pivoting focus to meet the highest standards of sustainability, process efficiency and product quality.

This latest line of products from Glasurit features a volatile organic compound (VOC) value 40 percent lower than that of traditional waterborne basecoats in the ongoing pursuit of improving the environmental footprint of the consumer while also supplementing the overall drive performance of the vehicle.

80 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

With Global Finishing Solutions’ new REVO Curing Systems, you have the power to Improve your paint shop efficiency without having to overhaul your space.

The system’s technology cures filler and coatings quickly, from the inside out, offering ultra-fast curing times for both prep and paint processes. Global Finishing Solutions says the system is easy to operate and install and offers multiple models to fit a variety of needs, including the REVO Spot, REVO Handheld, REVO Rapid and REVO Speed.

NEW AND HOT

LUMA III SPRAY PAINT SUIT BY LUMA III

UV FAST CURING SYSTEM

BY EMM AND COLAD Cure in three seconds or less

Spray in style

The new UV Fast Curing System from EMM International and Colad is currently in pre-production and can be used to cure UV curing putties, UV curing paints, and UV curing primers and body fillers on spot repairs, as well as small and large areas.

Set to hit the international market in early 2021, the system can provide more than 200 mW per sq. cm. power, and cured surfaces are immediately ready for further processing, says the company–no need to wait to polish or sand.

The new Luma III Spray Paint Suit by Kansas-based refinishing tool manufacturer Luma III is designed to be used in spray booths, it features; ventilated underarm areas to keep the painter cool, velcro ankle straps to make it easy to take on and off, and lightweight anti-static fabric.

The suit comes in both male and female sizes, and Luma III says it’s a great addition to any painter’s arsenal of tools.

SHIM JIM TAB SEPARATOR TOOL

BY POLYVANCE

CORDLESS 1” D-HANDLE EXTENDED ANVIL TORQUE IMPACT WRENCH BY MILWAUKEE TOOLS

Easily disassemble snap-in tabs Tired of dealing with those tricky snap-in bumper tabs? Well, not anymore!

Polyvance’s new Shim Jim Tab Separator Tool helps the autobody technician easily disassemble the aggravating snap-in tabs that often hold trim to the bumper cover. The Shim Jim’s piston grip design helps you easily pry the tab apart with a twist of the wrist and comes with 25 shims that will hold the snap-in tabs apart while you work on prying the others apart.

Freeing and innovative Milwaukee Tools is excited to introduce its first-ever cordless impact wrench.According to Milwaukee, this innovative new wrench replaces the need for pneumatic, delivering up to 2,700 joules (2,000 ft. lbs.) of nut-busting torque and 2,500+ joules (1,900 ft. lbs.) of fastening torque for demanding applications.

The tool comes in three variations—the POWERSTATE brushless motor, REDLINK PLUS intelligence and REDLITHIUM battery pack.

TIRE ROTATION ASSISTANCE CART BY TRAC Make tire rotations safe and easy The TRAC Tire Rotation Assistance Cart is engineered to make tire rotations easier and safer. The cart’s heavy-duty welded steel offers lifetime durability, says TRAC, while steel base rollers offer tire support and rolling convenience.

Further, the cart’s quick-lift hydraulic pump can provide precise height and tire support, and a convenient lug nut holder offers easy parts access and increased efficiency. The TRAC Tire Rotation Assistance Cart is built to last—if the cart fails for any reason, the company says it will replace it.

DECEMBER 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 81

LAST WORD

BUCKLE UP New year, same challenges

BY ALLISON ROGERS

ADVERTISER INDEX

COMPANY

PAGE

3M............................................. 49 adasthink.................................. 46 APT Auto Parts......................... 09 Arslan Automotive ................... 83 Assured..................................... 25 Audatex..................................... 17 Autel US.................................... 69 Canada CarColor...................... 46 Car-0-Liner Automotive............ 19

T

raditionally, the annual flip of the calendar marks a fresh start.

This could not be more welcomed as we leap into 2021.

At the outset of 2020, Collision Repair, using several business consolidation models, predicted that the industry was at the tail end of a consolidation storm. According to our interpretation, the industry was mere months away from entering a period of calm.

Oh, how things change in the face of a global pandemic.

According to the recently released Romans Group whitepaper for the 2019 industry,

Car-Part.com............................ 22

an electric vehicle hub plays out as planned, we are mere years away from zero-emissions vehicles claiming a huge stake in collision repair facilities. Collision repairers will be destined to witness a myriad of new concepts; lightweight materials, working alongside high-voltage batteries, ever-increasing technology and so much more.

The road we’re facing won’t be easy— thankfully, this industry is as tight knit as they come. The collision repair sector has never been one to leave its peers high and dry. There is a plethora of resources available to facilities that feel they may in jeopardy.

Oh, how things change in the face of a global pandemic.

Carcone’s Auto Recycling........ 71 Cardinal Couriers Ltd............... 10 CARSTAR.................................. 11 Color Compass Corp............... 76 CSN Collision Centres.............. 27 Finixa......................................... 46 Fix Auto..................................... 21 Global Finishing Solutions....... 41 Hail Specialist........................... 04 Impact Auto Auctions............... 84 Nitroheat................................... 67 Polyvance................................. 37 PPG Canada............................. 07 ProSpot International Inc......... 53 Simplicity Car Care................... 33 Spanesi Americas Inc.......... 02,03 Steck Manufacturing................ 72 The Ted Group.......................... 46 Thorold Auto Parts................... 75 Titanium Tools & Equipment.... 73 WDCO-Auto.............................. 39 Wurth Canada........................... 29

Canada’s top 10 collision repair networks make up a whopping 76.1 percent of the industry’s revenue, despite only representing 31.9 percent of the sector’s repair facilities.

Now, with Mitchell and General Motors administering a new GM Canada Collision Repair network, the industry could become wrapped up in another phase of widespread change with an OEM carefully watching over the shoulders of Canada’s collision repairers.

Of course, this won’t be the be-all and endall for Canada’s independents. However, it does mean those collision repair businesses will have to get on board with incoming changes if they want to match their franchisesigned competitors.

In every conversation I’ve had with shops from coast-to-coast, technician training and the massive influx of vehicle technology has been pointed out as the hot topic heading into 2021. Tom Bissonnette, director for the Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers, put it best—there has been more change in vehicle technology in the last five years than the previous 30.

Keeping your tools and services current and keeping your technicians trained will be of chief importance in the years to come. If the government’s plan to turn Canada into

82 COLLISION REPAIR COLLISIONREPAIRMAG.COM

All you need to do is ask for help, whether it be from a supplier, a distributor, an industry consultant, a friend or even your pals over here at Collision Repair magazine.

If 2020 brought us anything, it was the reminder of how easily this industry can adapt to survive. In less than a month, the whole world was turned upside down; but even still, Canada’s collision repairers were able to hold strong, be named an essential service, and power through this pandemic.

There are still countless changes ahead of us, even after the pandemic becomes nothing more than a fever-dream memory.

Luckily, we all know we can handle it— Canada’s collision repair community has demonstrated its resilience, and that will never go unrecognized.

Let’s cheers to the new year. It won’t be hard to make it better than the last.

Allison Rogers is the editor of Collision Repair magazine.

She can be reached at allison@mediamatters.ca.

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